Jan 26, 2017

Thur sday, Januar y 26, 2017

w w w. mu s t an gn e w s . n et

E s t ab l i sh e d 1916

T G I F bringing sustainability to campuses

SUSTAINABILIT Y

NOAH SADLER | MUSTA NG NE W S

| The Green Intiative Fund (TGIF), created by San Luis Obispo group Empower Poly Coalition, is a program designed to fund student sustainability and environmental projects on college campuses.

Noah Sadler @ CPMustangNews

Four friends, 1,400 miles and a mint green school bus; environmental science senior Dan Hedden and San Luis Obispo nonprofit Empower Poly Coalition (EPC) traveled to other California universities during Thanksgiving break to talk about sustainability.

While on their journey, EPC leadership met with program coordinators at each school to discuss The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF). The program is designed to fund student projects benefiting sustainability through a $5-per-quarter fee tacked onto each student’s tuition. EPC President Hedden thinks TGIF could be just what Cal Poly needs to achieve its

sustainability goals.

The California State University system sets benchmarks in a variety of sustainability areas for all campuses to meet. A few examples include utilizing sustainable food resources, reducing per-capita landfill waste and increasing on-campus power generation. Additionally, in April 2016, Cal Poly adopted the Second Nature Climate

Leadership Commitment, a voluntary, systemic approach to mitigating climate change.

More than 600 academic institutions across the United States adopted the commitment. This pledge holds institutions, including Cal Poly, responsible for achieving carbon neutrality by offsetting carbon emissions with alternative energy production and carbon se-

questration. According to the 2016 Cal Poly Climate Status Report, administration officials hope to meet this goal by 2050.

However, Cal Poly Director of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability Dennis Elliot estimated this would have a price tag of several hundred million dollars.

GREEN continued on page 3

Review: ‘Synergy’ explores the human condition through dance Sabrina Thompson @ sabrinaswriting

CONNECTING

SAMMI MULHERN | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Many of the dances focused on the emotional and physical connections humans make.

Built upon familiar themes of love, tension, pain, lust and joy, the Orchesis Dance Company created a collection of finely tuned jazz, ballet, hip-hop and contemporary numbers at their 47th annual dance concert “Synergy," which opened in the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre on Friday.

The show opened with stu-

dent-choreographed “Solo/Together." During the number, no two dancers were ever in sync, but a strong sense of unity remained throughout. The piece blended contemporary and hip-hop genres, allowing the dancers to showcase their individual styles.

Following “Solo/Together” with even stronger harmony between the dancers was “Come Into View.” The number began in complete silence, requiring

the dancers to stay on beat without the aid of orchestration.

Dancing without music can be awkward, but the Orchesis dancers took on the challenge with ease. The silence allowed the audience to pay closer attention to the dancer’s movements, highlighting the storyline and drama of the piece.

SYNERGY continued on page 5

Peyton Bilo: Racing to the front Michael Frank @ frankmichaelss

She’s been a runner since she could walk, and it’s always been fun.

Biological sciences sophomore Peyton Bilo began running competitively at a young age. What started as a fun way to hang out with her elementary school friends unexpectedly blossomed into a passion for running. Years later, she tears up the hills and the track for Cal Poly. This El Dorado Hills native has become one of Cal Poly’s best cross country runners in her two years here.

With two trips to the national championship meet

and All-American honors this past season, Bilo continues her climb as one of the best runners in the country.

Where it all started “I was super slow,” Bilo said with a laugh. “I just jogged and had fun with it.”

It wasn’t about winning for Bilo; she was only in the second grade.

Like most kids, she played other sports; soccer and lacrosse. Running was just a way to spend time with friends.

Racing became a much bigger deal once Bilo was in middle school. At her sixth grade cross country finals, she felt the joy of winning a race for the first time

and definitely not the last time.

That was the moment she realized she truly loved running.

Still, Bilo wasn’t fully committed. She loved it, yes, but she also loved other sports. As high school approached, Bilo made her decision. With a passionate cross country coach leading her, she dropped the other sports and focused only on running.

“Running takes less natural talent and more hard work, so if I can just put in the hard work, maybe I can get better at this,” Bilo said regarding her thoughts during the decision.

BILO continued on page 8

ON A MISSION

PE Y TON BILO | COURTE SY PHOTO

| Bilo placed 23rd at the NCAA Cross Country Championships this past November.

News 1-3 | Arts 4-5 | Opinion 6 | Classifieds 7 | Sports 8

NEWS 2

MUSTANG NEWS

Get to know the new Panhellenic president My goal is to stress that we’re not just the people who find you for recruitment. We’re here for you.

SHIRIN BEROUKHIM

RE SOURCE S

MEGAN SCHELLONG | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Shirin Beroukhim wants to streamline communication between all of the Panhellenic chapters to ensure that they are on the same page. That way, Panhellenic can be a resource to all students.

Megan Schellong @meganschellong

Shirin Beroukhim, a communication studies junior, was appointed to the position of Panhellenic president at the end of Fall 2016.

She will serve this position for the 2017 calendar year.

Her plans include increasing members’ knowledge of the Panhellenic council as a resource and creating stronger bonds across all Panhellenic chapters.

Mustang News sat down with Beroukhim and asked her a few questions about herself and her plans for Panhellenic: Q: Where are you from?

A: I’m from Orange County, California; Irvine specifically. After I

graduated from high school, my family moved to Los Angeles. It wasn’t a difficult transition; when I go home, I go to L.A. Home is where the heart is; my family is there. It’s only an hour north of Irvine, so it wasn’t a hard transition.

Q: Why did you pick Cal Poly?

A: I visited Cal Poly my senior year in high school. It was in May, and the hills were all green and I went to the Farmers’ Market on Thursday night and fell in love with the community and met a lot of cool people.

Q: You’re also a Poly Rep; did one [Poly Rep] have a particular impact on you?

A: Molly Fraiser gave me my first tour of Cal Poly. She really took

the time to talk to me about the opportunities I would have at Cal Poly, both academically and socially. After that day, I could really see myself here.

Q: What have you taken away from your experience as a Poly Rep? A: I’ve seen how much the university has strived to help their students and how much students can benefit from the Learn by Doing process. There’s various organizations that can make a Cal Poly student feel at home. As a Poly Rep, I’ve noticed there’s something here for everyone.

It’s an eye-opener. There’s 20,000 students here and every one of them can have something to call their home.

Q: In addition to Poly Reps, you’re also now the new 2017 Panhellenic President and a sister of Alpha Chi Omega.

Are you also involved in other organizations on campus?

A: I’m actually Jewish, so [my] first day coming to campus, I got myself involved in Hillel and Chabat. That’s given me a home on campus. I found other students who value that religious aspect. I have this community as well, other than Poly Reps and my Alpha Chi Omega sisters.

Q: What will you be doing in your role as the Panhellenic president?

A: I run the Panhellenic meetings every Tuesday with representatives from each of the ten sororities. I make sure that the goals and messages relayed through Panhellenic go to each chapter. In my role, right now they’re doing Greek Week applications. And I’m here to say, “I’m here if you need me.” There are other people on my board giving tasks and those things are run through me. I make sure those things align with Panhellenic values.

Q: What are some of those Panhellenic values?

A: I think three values would be: respect, honor and sisterhood.

Respect: We are a board of 10, mostly from different sororities.

It’s important to know that we all come from different sisterhoods, but respect is something that applies to all of us and just making sure we hear each other out beyond this competitive environment. It’s nothing I’ve ever had to tell the board, but it’s always there and it’s a special thing to have.

Honor: We are also representing the Panhellenic community that almost every university has. I am honestly so humbled to have this position, knowing that there’s about 2,200 sorority women at Cal Poly, and that’s almost 20 percent of our campus.

And knowing that, I’m honored to have this position and to repre-

sent my personal values but also represent how large Panhellenic is across the nation. There’s an honor in what I do and there are people that I don’t want to let down.

I’m meeting with Kathleen Enz Finken, the dean of students, and I will make sure the goals of greek life are equal to those of the administration. So there’s an honor in not letting them down.

Sisterhood: It’s something pretty much across everyone in a sorority. It’s the “I’ll do anything for you” aspect. You need to say, “I am here for you regardless of which sorority you’re in.” It pushes the boundaries of just your chapter. It’s “I’m here for you as a sorority woman.”

Q: What’s a goal you set for this year?

A: One of my goals especially is just making sure that if Panhellenic is on a certain page, that all the chapters are also on the same page. In the past, people haven’t really known what Panhellenic is.

My goal is to stress that we’re not just the people who find you for recruitment. We’re here for you.

We want to be your resource, so just being that face for Panhellenic and the sororities.

Q: Have you held previous leadership positions?

A: My freshman year, I was president of Junior Panhellenic board.

In that position, I shadowed Kristen Henry, the Panhellenic president [at the time]. I went with her to meetings, I took minutes, made sure she was where she needed to be and learned what it’s like to draft something like the status plan. She was definitely working at a difficult time — we had just been on social probation in winter quarter. Much of the SLO community wanted to see change. The St. Fratty’s day incident happened and we wanted to relay to the community that it wasn’t a greek event. I saw the great aspects of Panhellenic; bonding with the board and seeing unity. During that time, greeks came together. It

was such an awesome thing to see.

After that, I ran for assistant Panhellenic delegate on Alpha Chi Omega’s junior executive board. So this is my first year in a leadership position since then.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in greek life this year?

A: I’m most excited for Greek Week in spring and Values Week that bring us together with IFC [Interfraternity Council] and USFC [University Sorority & Fraternity Council]. I’m excited for [the] dance marathon and ideas that my board comes together with. One of our biggest strengths as a board is relationship-building, so building relationships between the PHA [Panhellenic Association] council and moving that forward as a bigger idea within the sororities. That’s one thing Panhellenic is stressing, is let’s see more bonding not just in one house, but across all the houses.

That can happen as recruitment comes around and when Values Week comes around. We are sorority women, we are not just one chapter. And that’s something I’m excited to voice.

Q: If you or your friends were to describe yourself, what are three qualities they would say you have?

A: I think the first is passionate.

I think I don’t put my foot into things I don’t love. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t love it — same with Poly Reps, same with the Jewish community. These are things I take seriously and that I am passionate about. I hope they’d say I am hardworking. If I am passionate about something, I put my all into it. It’s not just a foot. It’s really everything that I am. If I am dedicating myself to something, I am trying to do that to the very best I can. The last is confident. This position can be hard, and being a communications studies major, I just kind of have to own my words and be confident.

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017 GREEN continued from page 1

It will be difficult for the administration to allocate that kind of money, according to Hedden.

The purpose of TGIF is to provide a pilot program for students to propose ideas relating to sustainability, receive funding for experiments and refine these ideas into workable business models.

“TGIF is an initiator, not only

REFERENDUM

for student experimental or creative thinking, but also lowering risk for the university to make investments,” Hedden said.

The fee proposed by the EPC would bring in about $300,000 per year to fund the program.

EPC is looking into several strategies to bring TGIF to Cal Poly, one being a referendum similar to the University Union (UU) referendum last winter.

EPC hopes to put the issue to vote

Fall 2018. A display explaining details of TGIF is currently located in the UU showcase window across from 19 Metro Station.

The TGIF program possesses real potential to improve lives on campus, Hedden said. At University of California, Berkeley, TGIF provided the initial funding for the Berkeley Student Food Collective, a student-run, locally produced grocery co-op providing cheap, healthy and lo-

NOAH SADLER | MUSTA NG NE W S

| In order to bring TGIF to Cal Poly, EPC would need to put the program up for a vote.

Affordable Care Act repeal may affect students Cecilia Seiter @cseiter17

Students nationwide may have to rethink their post-college health insurance policies if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is repealed by the new United States administration.

The ACA, widely known as “ObamaCare,” is a federal statute that was signed into law by Former President Barack Obama in 2013. The law mandates that every American purchase a health insurance plan and forbids insurance companies from denying users coverage because of pre-existing conditions, among other provisions. President Donald Trump and republicans in Congress promised to repeal and replace the ACA, but it’s unclear what the law will be replaced with.

Just hours after being sworn in, Trump signed an executive order allowing federal agencies to grant waivers, exemptions and delays to ACA provisions that would place costs on individuals or states.

However, if the ACA is repealed without a similar replacement, many college students and recent graduates will lose key healthcare benefits provided to them by the law.

Staying on parents’ insurance One of these benefits, political science associate professor Jennifer Denbow said, is the provision that allows individuals to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until

they turn 26. Without this provision, college students and recent graduates will lose their current plans and have to pay for their own health insurance — if they can afford it, that is.

“If healthy young people aren’t forced to get health insurance, they won’t. And therefore costs for people who have health insurance and who really need it will go up,” Denbow said. “Insurance works because everyone pools their risk, and it only works if there are low risk populations and high risk populations pooling their resources.”

Pre-existing conditions For college students with pre-existing conditions who may lose coverage under their parents’ policies, repealing the ACA could mean even more trouble.

“You can’t be denied insurance under the [Affordable Care Act] if you have a pre-existing condition,” Denbow said. “So if suddenly a lot of college-aged students lose their insurance because they’re no longer covered under their parents’ insurance, then it could potentially be harder to find alternative insurance.”

Even for those without pre-existing conditions, repealing the ACA could have major consequences for women and low-income students.

“Another important aspect of the Affordable Care Act is that it provides coverage without a copay for contraceptives,” Denbow said. “That’s really important to

college-aged people, generally. So suddenly the cost of paying for contraceptives will, if the [ACA] is repealed, go up.”

The ACA also expanded Medicaid coverage in the states that agreed to it, including California.

Medicaid offers insurance coverage to low-income people — so, if the ACA is repealed, low-income students would face higher costs.

Cal Poly Health Center For Cal Poly students, repealing the ACA would primarily impact those looking for treatment outside of the campus Health Center.

Murphy said in a statement emailed on behalf of Dr. Aaron Baker, medical director at Cal Poly Health Services that there would be little effect on the Health Center.

“The [Affordable Care Act] has little effect on the care provided at the Health Center because we are not dependent on insurance for the services or prescriptions we provide to students,” said Yukie Murphy, director of marketing and communications for Student Affairs.

However, if prices for medications like birth control rise, Murphy said the cost at the health center could rise as well.

“The student’s medication charge depends on the price of the medication,” Murphy said.

“If the cost to the Health Center for a medication increases, and we are unable to find it more affordably, that increased cost is passed on to the student.”

cal food to the campus and community. Hedden said the same model could be applied at Cal Poly to increase availability of organic or healthy food options.

Although TGIF could improve student life, there may be opposition from those who feel Cal Poly should focus on other aspects of campus life before spending time and money on sustainability.

“When you start talking about

something new and looking to the future, it’s hard because we have to balance that with the fact that we have classrooms in serious need of upgrade right now,” academic advisor for the Cal Poly Prototype Vehicles Laboratory Graham Doig said. “However, I think it’s completely vital that we show students that we care and get involved in sustainability because that is what we as a society need from the future.”

The TGIF program at Cal Poly is still in the works.

“Our main goal for right now is to educate the students about TGIF,” Hedden said.

In the end, it’s all up to the student vote.

“This is really bigger than us; it’s an opportunity for us to change campus and leave a lasting mark,” Hedden said. “This is for students ... They can use it how they want.”

ARTS 4

MUSTANG NEWS

Voices of the SLO Women’s March Anjana Melvin @ CPMustangNews

Eight to ten thousand women, men and children took to the streets of downtown San Luis Obispo on Saturday for the Women’s March.

Signs of protest and empowerment bobbed above a sea of people standing in solidarity with millions of other protesters around the

world. Messages of equality among gender, race, religion and sexuality were shared, along with messages of resistance against the election of President Donald Trump, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the defunding of Planned Parenthood.

Some of these marchers told Mustang News why they decided to join the movement.

ANJANA MELVIN | MUSTA NG NE W S

Pat Crowe

Christopher Rose and Susi Bernstein

Crowe: “I was brought up by refugee parents who fled the Holocaust. The hatred, the bigotry, the [misogyny] — those are stories I grew up with when my parents talked about fleeing Hitler. That was when I realized I had to do something proactive. But the other part of it is that though I’m a real-

tor by profession, I volunteer for Make-A-Wish. Many of my Wish kids, like this one [the girl on the sign], are covered by the Affordable Care Act. And when they talk about life and death, it feels like an exaggeration, but the truth is that these children were born with pre-existing conditions. This little girl Zoe

was born with half a heart; what’s going to happen if she loses her Affordable Care Act insurance? I have a lot of MakeA-Wish kids with cancer. So as a mom and a grandma and now a great grandma, it scares me to death that the Affordable Care Act will be repealed. That’s my main stand today.”

Bostedt: “I’m here to make sure our rights are protected, the ones we fought for in 1960s and ‘70s, that we feel are at risk right now. And also diversity, that that’s embraced by everybody and not forgotten by this administration.”

was a terrible experience, one that I’ve never forgotten. And I think all young women should feel safe.”

my head explode.”

Metzler: “And women’s right to choose. It’s not up to us to say ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ or judge anyone.”

Bostedt: “I was sexually assaulted by a man when I was working in my late 20s. Grabbed me like Mr. Trump bragged about grabbing women. And it totally offended me that people could vote for a man who bragged about doing such a thing. It

Metzler: “I had one chase me around a desk. He was married, I was married. But it didn’t make any difference, but during that time they got by with it because there was no accountability for men harassing women.”

Bostedt: “Planned Parenthood provided me my medical care in college. Not just birth control, but my [medical] exams, everything. And the idea that they want to take support away from that makes

Bernstein: “I just wanted a large number of people to show up so the government knows that not everybody is the same as the president and his cabinet. I want to make sure that people around the world know that we’re not all the same and we don’t tolerate some of the things that

have been said.”

Rose: “I support the success of our new President Donald Trump, for some of the things he’s saying such as income equality. But this is a warning that our constitutional rights need to be defended firstly. As we move

forward, we just want to make sure that we enjoy freedom of gathering, freedom of speech, equal rights for everybody including women [and] minorities. This is just a notification to him that we will firstly defend the constitutional rights of all Americans.”

Metzler: “When I was going to Planned Parenthood, I never heard anything about abortion.

When I was going, that’s how I stayed healthy; that’s how I got my yearly exams because a lot of young women don’t know to get their yearly exams. So when I became aware, I went to Planned Parenthood because they were cheaper.”

Bostedt: “I didn’t have insurance when I was in college. And college students in a year won’t have insurance, will they?”

Metzler: “Yeah, we have quite a few pet peeves.”

Pat Crowe

Carly Rogers and her daughter, Rylan

Joyce Metzler and Jane Bostedt

I’m crying right now looking at the fact that all these beautiful people have to get together to say that we’re equal. Being women, being proud, but that we have to say it in 2017, I’m speechless. I

just can’t believe we have to do this. And to have a two-year-old daughter, I told her we’re coming today to march with women because we are equal and we are able and we deserve respect.

David and Sherrie Amido Sherrie: “We’re here because we’re a mixed couple and we want a society that’s going to accept us and our children and to go forward and not backward. We just feel that Trump has divided the country in regressive ways, not progressive ways. And we’re here to

voice our concern.”

David: “[I’m marching] in support of women.

It’s a moral issue also in how we teach each other. So when we treat each other better, then we can move forward progressively.”

ARTS 5

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017

‘Dare to Be Diverse’ celebrates the many faces of Cal Poly Nicole Horton @ CPMustangNews

Cal Poly’s MultiCultural Center (MCC) hosted its first fashion show “Dare to be Diverse” on Saturday to celebrate diversity on campus and educate students on the many cultures represented in the student body.

After a Bollywood dance performance by Cal Poly’s Bhangra Team, models dressed in traditional attire from a variety of cultures walked down the runway.

The scene was filled with vibrant music, bold clothing and tireless cheering from the audience. The models beamed with confidence as they marched, adorned in traditional pieces from their roots.

SYNERGY continued from page 1

The standout jazz piece “Round Midnight” was a trio number performed by software engineering senior Fina Beauchamp, biochemistry sophomore Maile Crowder and kinesiology junior Jackie Schloemp. A battle between seduction and wit, the dance switched from awkward teetering poses to controlled, fluid motions with the swing of the piano. When the music turned seductive, so did the dancers, swiveling their hips toward the audience and showing off their legs.

The strong performance from the three dancers was full of depth and passion, giving the entire piece a strong sense of female empowerment.

One of the most unexpected performances of the night was “I

The show featured designs from Assyria, India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Africa, America, Japan, Mexico, China, Nigeria, Palestine and Iran.

For many of the models, including business administration sophomore Isha Kumar, wearing clothing that represented their heritage and culture brought a tremendous sense of pride.

For Kumar, the opportunity to show off her lengha, a traditional Indian garment, was the highlight of the night.

“I just love Indian clothing; all the colors and different designs,” Kumar said. “I love wearing it so others can appreciate it and our culture as well.”

The MCC serves as a platform of support for underrepresented students on campus. It is located

in the Julian A. McPhee University Union.

Sociology senior Violet Nguyen created the event with a team after her empowering catwalk in the Indian Student Association’s (ISA) fashion show two years ago.

“I used to be really embarrassed of my heritage and culture, but as I got older I began to appreciate and find pride in my background,” Nguyen said. “After walking in the ISA show I was inspired to create a space for students of all different cultures to showcase their diversity and be proud of it.”

Instead of ignoring Cal Poly’s lack of diversity on campus, the MCC encourages the open and frequent discussion of the issue.

Graphic communication freshman Carolyne Sysmans is espe-

... even stories we’ve heard a thousand times can be reinvented in new and refreshing ways.

Do?,” a ballet number set to Billy Idol’s “White Wedding.” The concept had the potential to be a dissonant disaster, but the Orchesis dancers managed to kept the form and finesse of ballet while dancing to the heavy classic rock. The unlikely combination turned out to be comedic and enchanting to watch.

The night ended with all of Orchesis joining in for the jazz number “Sweet Suite Ella.”

Jumping on each other’s backs, stage-fighting and screaming over the music, the dancers completely let loose, creating a finale with an enormous amount of collective energy.

The dancers descended into the aisles of the theater, making the audience a part of the stage and performance.

cially appreciative of these efforts.

“I am very thankful that the MCC knows that Cal Poly isn’t the most diverse and wants to hold programs that showcase the percentage of diversity that lies within the campus,” Sysmans said. “They took something that everyone can relate to — fashion — and turned it into a learning opportunity for many. Fashion is all over the world, but each place has its own unique spin on it. It is one of the many reasons why the world is beautiful and every culture must be represented, respected and celebrated.”

To learn more about Cal Poly’s Multicultural Center, visit its website www.deanofstudents. calpoly.edu/content/multicultural/index.

STRUTTIN’ IT

CARL A PANGAN | COURTE SY PHOTO

| Models wore clothes that reflected their heritage.

SAMMI MULHERN | MUSTA NG NE W S

UNEXPECTED | The dancers performed many surprising routines, combining genres of dance and music that normally don’t mix.

This creat i v e u s e of space was seen throughout the show. The stage never felt empty during the performance, since the movements of the Orchesis dancers brought them from one side of the stage to the other in a moment’s notice.

“Synergy” didn’t have a clear theme that unified one piece to the next throughout the show, it told 12 different stories. The Orchesis dancers proved that even stories we’ve heard a thousand times can be reinvented in new and refreshing ways.

“Synergy” will be performed for a final weekend from Jan. 26-28 in the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre. Tickets are for sale online between $12 and $20.

OPINION 6

OPINION

Abbie Lauten-Scrivner @ CPMustangNews

Abbie Lauten-Scrivner is a journalism sophomore and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints and editorial coverage of Mustang News.

Go ahead and ask anyone which country they think is the most commanding in the world.

My bet is they will say the United States.

In terms of industrialization, military and general global influence, this country is consistently ranked at the top of many lists. Yet despite boasting to be a developed and modern nation, the U.S. continues to be shamefully ranked at the bottom of a list that directly impacts American families. When it comes to treatment of parents requiring family leave, the U.S. is dead last.

We are one of only two developed countries that does not mandate any paid leave to parents. Although some workers are granted 12 weeks of unpaid leave, almost half of American workers do not actually meet the requirements for this time off. To qualify, one must be employed at a workplace with at least 50 other employees, or within the public or private school system for at least one year. Of those who do qualify, many cannot support their families without 12 weeks of pay.

A mere 12 weeks is below

MUSTANG NEWS

Paid parental leave: Not America’s forte the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) minimum recommendation of 14 weeks.

No other developed country has a leave time as short. And before we hand the U.S. a participation trophy for almost reaching the bare minimum, I should mention that the ILO also advises that parents receive two thirds of their original paycheck during leave, paid for by the state or Social Security. The U.S. is the only developed nation that fails to meet any of these suggestions.

The current family leave model puts businesses first, at the expense of parents. There is a misconception that by breaking away from the trend set by the rest of the developed world, we are somehow being savvy and strategic. The U.S. has this idea that every other country is wasting its money on requiring superfluous handouts and that by not requiring paid leave, we are helping businesses prosper efficiently, which in turn will help the parents who work there to prosper as well.

This delusion about the nature of efficiency ignores the insurmountable collection of evidence in favor of paid parental leave. As seen in the three progressive states who have implemented paid family leave insurance (California, New Jersey and Rhode Island), profit and productiv-

ity rise when parents receive this benefit.

This mirrors results in every other developed country: both employers and families benefit from a strategy of paid family leave. Countries that employ such a policy save money through higher rates of worker retention, less need for temporary workers and decreased cost of training new workers. Worker morale and employee reputation increase as well. People want to work for an employer that values

to their changed life without fear of becoming financially unstable. It encourages both parents to bond with their new baby. Evidence shows that more parental attention towards infants makes the entire family happier and healthier. Countless studies show how paid family leave is directly linked to less postpartum depression, lower infant mortality, increased breastfeeding and stronger family ties.

The current approach towards family leave in the U.S. is cold and neglectful. It forces parents to choose between a paycheck and their child. In most 21st century families, both parents work full-time jobs to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. A new baby means significantly higher expenses. If both parents work to keep their family afloat, they must put their child in the hands of a nanny or daycare at least five days a week. While these services are extremely helpful, complete reliance upon them for extended time causes both parents to lose priceless bonding time. This current state forces a decision between supporting new children emotionally or financially.

Another approach forces one parent to stay at home and claim the bulk of responsibility around raising the child. The other takes on the role of pro-

...profit and productivity rise when parents receive this benefit. the crucial time parents need to recover from pregnancy and bond with their new baby.

Additionally, most employers who have independently offered paid family leave have done so without taking a financial hit themselves.

For parents, paid leave guarantees the chance to settle in

vider and misses out on hours of time with their new baby. In traditional households, the mother is typically the one forced to put her career on hold. This creates a trap that makes it that much more difficult for a woman in the workplace to advance her career.

My mother’s career was one of many unpaid-parental leave casualties. The day I was born effectively ended my mother’s long-time profession as a social worker. My mom adored her job; it had been her dream career since high school. But when she had me at age 42, she was forced to quit. Unable to afford a nanny or daycare five days a week, someone had to stay home and raise me. Since my dad made more money, that responsibility fell squarely on my mom’s shoulders. When I got older and my mother was ready to return to work, she had to begin with low-paying service jobs far below her skill level. Because of her age and extended hiatus from work, it took her years to break into an actual career again.

By not properly caring for American families, this country is hurting itself while every other industrialized nation is moving forward. Parenthood in the U.S. should not be a threat to one’s career. It is time for this country to do better so that Americans like my mom have the freedom to be both a doting parent and a thriving professional.

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Thursday, January 26, 2017 Publishing since 1916 Volume N, Issue 25 “My resume definitely contains some alternative facts”

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SPORTS 8

MUSTANG NEWS to some west coast colleges, including Cal Poly.

“I came on a visit and I just fell in love,” said Bilo on the first time she was in San Luis Obispo.

With a spot lined up on the team, she committed to Cal Poly during her senior year.

She went on to finish 12th at the CIF State Championships in the 3,200 meters, with a time of 10:31.67.

DETERMINED

PEYTON BILO | COURTE SY PHOTO

| Bilo focuses on what’s ahead during her races.

BILO continued from page 1

The high school years When talking about her high school cross country coach, Bilo immediately started to smile. She credits him for teaching her about mental toughness.

“He’s a big reason why I’m here,” Bilo said. “He taught me how to race.”

Bilo was a solid runner in high school. Not spectacular, according to her own standards, but steady.

She gradually improved until her junior year, when she received news all runners dread.

She had a stress fracture.

Bilo suffered the injury early

in her junior year cross country season. She cross-trained for eight weeks and was determined to come back later in the season.

She returned for the state meet, but wasn’t ready. One bad race and a few months later, Bilo suffered another stress fracture.

Her junior year, the year that colleges look for high school prospects, was gone.

“No one was really looking at me,” Bilo said. “No one would email me back, and I really wanted to run in college, but a lot of coaches didn’t see that I had potential.”

That didn’t stop Bilo from reaching out to schools. A few responded, and Bilo took visits

Her ascent at Cal Poly After a difficult junior year and a bounce back senior year, Bilo had clear goals in mind. She wanted to make the top seven on the team so that she would be allowed to travel and compete at meets.

Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mark Conover saw her potential immediately.

“Fantastic work ethic. She wants to do whatever amount of work is given,” Conover said. “Top distance runners tend to want to do more, but less is more, and she understands that.”

Her goal was accomplished immediately. Bilo finished in Cal Poly’s top seven in the first meet of her freshman year. There was no looking back.

From there, she led the team in five meets and won Big West Freshman of the Year. But she wasn’t done.

“Making nationals was a crazy dream of mine that I never thought I’d be able to do,” Bilo said.

Her dream came true after she finished 12th at the West Regionals in a rainy, windy race in Seattle, Wash. She was sick, tired and still only a freshman alone at the biggest race in college cross country.

Unfortunately, the nerves showed and Bilo didn’t do as well as she had hoped. She finished 172nd with a time of 21:20.9 in the 6k race, but Conover thought it was still a great experience for the freshman runner.

Freshman year track showed off more of Bilo’s speed. She won the Big West Conference championship for the 10,000 meters, earn-

ing her a trip to the NCAA West Regional meet where she finished 18th, only four spots shy of qualifying for NCAA championships.

With a solid freshman year behind her, Bilo settled into a new role on the team and looked toward her sophomore year.

“One of my goals was to focus on leading the team, not only in races, but more so in practices,” Bilo said.

“Thinking happy thoughts when you’re running naturally makes you run faster.”

The positivity paid off for Bilo in the biggest way. She was blistering on each and every course this season, leading the women’s cross country team to a stellar year. She capped off the Big West competition with an individual win and lead the team to an overall win at the Big West Conference championship in Hawaii.

“Everyone looks up to and respects what she’s done,” Conover said. “She’s their teammate and they all support each other. She definitely has leadership qualities, and she’s definitely someone that people root for, and say ‘She’s one of us.’ It bodes well for team chemistry.”

After a great regional race, Bilo made the NCAA Cross Country Championships once again. This time, she was ready to travel to Indiana.

National championship meet Bilo was alone once again, but she wasn’t nearly as nervous. Born in Ohio, her grandparents, aunts, uncles and parents decided to make the trip to Indiana for the race.

Her parents went to every race this year, and they weren’t about to miss this one.

On the day of the race, it was about 35 degrees with winds gusting around 20 mph. Simply put, it was freezing. Bilo was completely bundled up until two minutes before the gun went off.

For the first two miles, Bilo tried to zone out — one of her strategies for staying mentally strong during a race.

“I think about my feet hitting the

ground, and staying with the girls ahead of me,” Bilo said. “I always think of what’s ahead of me, not what’s behind me. And I’m always trying to have fun.”

Around the third mile, she started to gain as many spots as she could. She forced herself to smile through the pain, and let those happy thoughts flood her brain.

Twenty minutes and 14.4 seconds later, Bilo was an All-American. She finished 23rd out of 255 runners.

As a sophomore, Bilo was only the eighth runner in Cal Poly history to earn AllAmerican honors.

“She’s very level-headed and puts a good perspective on

running,” Conover said. “It’s never one factor that leads to All-American status. It’s a combination of a lot of factors, [including] doing things correctly for the other 22 hours of the day when she’s not with the coaches.”

It capped off an incredible season for a woman that, only three years ago, had multiple stress fractures and no college offers.

As the track and field season approaches, Bilo is already looking forward to her next race.

She loves running, and why wouldn’t she?

She is already one of the best runners in Cal Poly history.

And she's just getting started.

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