Jan 28, 2016 by Mustang News

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JACK OF ALL TRADES From strength coaching to playing football, Max Betkowski can do it all.

Eric Stubben @ericstubben

The first day Max Betkowski arrived on Cal Poly’s campus, he was nothing more than a 6-foot-2, 195-pound industrial engineering student hoping to find his way through college’s maze of experiences. But records are meant to be broken, goals are meant to be achieved and ceilings are meant to be shattered. Betkowski dreamed of being more than the average college student. Upon arriving at Cal Poly, the lanky freshman was determined to walk on to the men’s basketball team. “I played high school basketball and I was very interested in trying to play in college,” Betkowski said. “And I had a couple of (Division II) and (Division III) offers, but I was looking for (Division I).” Though Betkowski was far from deprived when it came to talent and

athleticism, it was his unique character that stood out to men’s basketball’s head coach Joe Callero. “Max has the passion to compete,” Callero said. “He competes in the weight room, he competes on the basketball floor, he competes on the football field and he competes in the classroom.” Just weeks after arriving at Cal Poly, Betkowski was officially a member of the men’s basketball team. Despite his status as a walk-on and the fact that he was only months removed from high school in San Francisco, Betkowski was quickly determined to improve his game. His improvement began with squats, bench presses and deadlifts. “I knew nothing about the weight room,” Betkowski said. “I wasn’t opposed to it, I just knew nothing about it. I didn’t do it in high school. My dad and I would just go on runs, do pushups and sit-ups together. That’s just what we did.”

The same determination and dedication that Callero noticed on the hardwood translated to the weight room. “He’s a strength coach’s dream because he wants to get strong and he wants to get fast,” said head strength and conditioning coach Chris Holder. “He wants to do those things that most people are not willing to do in terms of pushing it to those dark places of discomfort and fatigue.” Though Betkowski’s efforts didn’t translate to the stat sheet — he never scored a point in six career games — his efforts didn’t go unnoticed. “He’s had startling physique changes, but it completely revolves around the idea that he comes in and sells out every day,” Holder said. Continued on page 8

GEORGIE DE MATTOS | MUSTANG NE WS T R A N SI T I O N

| Max Betkowski began his college career on the men’s basketball team, but transitioned to being a strength coach. Now he’s completed his first season playing for the football team.

‘The Cat in the Hat’ stays true to Dr. Seuss in imaginative performance

See page 3 for a timeline of the Cal Poly ‘P’

GABBY PA JO | MUSTANG NE WS MISCHIEF | Imagination had no bounds for Sally and her brother, who spend their day playing with new friends.

Sabrina Thompson @sthomp_jour

There are endless possibilities to a child’s imagination. On a rainy day when they can’t play outside, a young boy or girl might make up crazy stories — stories that can involve a talking fish, a cat in a red and white hat and even two little rascals they call Thing One and Thing Two. The popular children’s story by Dr. Seuss was brought to life with a whimsical showing

of “The Cat in The Hat” Sunday afternoon. The story of Sally and her brother was played onstage, under the direction of David Barker by the cast and crew of the Childsplay, Inc. from Arizona. The show opened with Sally and her brother sitting in front of their window on a rainy day. Kate Haas as Sally and Nathan DeLaTorre as Boy synchronized their movements as they talked about how little fun they are having as “all we do is sit, and sit, and

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

sit and sit.” They didn’t stay seated for long as their imaginations take off and through the door walked a tall cat, standing on two legs, wearing a red-and-white-striped hat. The cat tells them, “There are plenty of ways to have fun, you just have to know how.” Elizabeth Polen as The Cat in the Hat was mischievous and energetic, playing tricks and getting into all sorts of trouble. Continued on page 5

Thursday, January 28, 2016

NEWS | 2

Poly ‘P’ reopened after months of renovations Naba Ahmed @nabaahmed

A grand reopening ceremony took place on Jan. 25 for the Poly P. Renovations to the P and surrounding trails have been ongoing since Summer 2015. The ceremony took place on Spanos Lawn at 10 a.m. and consisted of a ribbon cutting and ceremonial hike to the P. To commemorate the reopening, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) is hosting a photo contest. Students can hike to the P and take a photo of themselves with the #PolyP. Winners will be announced at the

Cal Poly men’s basketball team’s home game on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. Photos with the most spirit will be featured during the halftime show. Students can make reservations to decorate the P through the ASI Epicenter, Chair of University Union Advisory Board (UUAB) and child development senior Sevelyn VanRonk said. “The UUAB is currently working on a policy so that it is easily accessible to students,” VanRonk said. The P has been around for almost a century and is used as a form of student expression. “In the past, what I have noticed is that it is really a student

thing,” VanRonk said. “It serves as an icon on this campus and I appreciate that students It serves as an icon are able to use it.” on this campus and I You can see a hisappreciate that students tory of the are able to use it. Cal Poly “P” on the following page, SEVELYN VANRONK and view an interactive timeline on MustangNews.net. Continued on page 3

GABBY PA JO | MUSTANG NE WS BACK OPEN | The P has been closed to hikers since the end of spring quarter last year. It was reopened this week.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The “P” as of Jan. 28, 2016.

Physics professor and students to study particle collisions in Switzerland Savannah Sperry @SavannahJSperry

Physics professor Jennifer Klay is bringing students to Geneva, Switzerland to try to recreate the first millionth of a second after the Big Bang — the prevailing cosmological model for our universe. Klay and her students will study relativistic heavy ion collisions this summer at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland, a kind of mecca for physicists. “We are trying to understand one of the fundamental forces of nature,” Klay said. “It’s called the strong nuclear force, and that’s what holds (a) nucleus together.” The physicists will attempt to understand the nature of strong nuclear force and how it causes particles to behave with each other when they’re confined to a hot, high-density region. This means colliding togeth-

er the nuclei of heavy elements like lead and gold at nearly the speed of light, producing extremely dense and hot regions replicating what physicists theorize were the conditions of our early universe. “When you collide two things at really high energy you produce little explosions,” Klay said. “We call those ‘Little Bangs.’” The objective is to create these collisions and study the resulting debris. According to the prevailing physics theory, a similar combustion sparked the origins of the universe. “We basically count up all the particles that come out, we measure their energy and momentum, and we try to figure out from all of that debris what the conditions were in the little fireball that exploded,” Klay said. “We need to understand how that stuff, as the universe cooled and expanded, condensed into ordinary matter

that makes up you and me now.” When she came to Cal Poly in 2007, Klay had been working with CERN on A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE) for five years. She immediately began bringing students to CERN to work on the project. Mathematics and physics junior Patrick Steffanic went to CERN last summer to do data analysis for ALICE. “CERN is, as far as the physics world goes, like going to the NBA or something,” Steffanic said. ALICE is run in CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 27-kilometer long doughnut of superconducting magnets and the world’s most powerful particle accelerator. Beyond data analysis, Steffanic also did shift work in the control room of the LHC, assuring the proper functioning of its various instruments and detectors. Continued on page 6

According to Cal Poly Environmental Health and Safety, the “P” was painted red, white and blue because it was too dangerous for workers to carry paint and tools up.

2014

2015

The first major renovation project for the “P” since 1997 began in July 2015. The “P” need to be reconstructed due to safety concerns.

2004

In May of 2004 edition of the Poly “P” was printed rainbow colors by members of the Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals United and Pride Alliance.

1972

2016

Due to vandalism, the Rally Committee gave a survey on whether the students wanted to maintain the “P.” After getting support, the Rally Committee took over maintence.

According to the May 3, 1957 edition of El Mustang, the brothers of Delta Sigma Phi constructed the fourth and most current concrete “P.”

1960

According to the March 29, 1960 edition of El Mustang, the “P” was defaced by a Nazi swastika. Administrators said it was not anti-Semitic, but it was removed the following day.

1970

According to the University Archives, the “P” has been used to spell out different words or changed into symbols. As pictured here, POT was spelled out in 1970.

1957

History of the Cal Poly ‘P’

In 1919, university students decided to change the San Luis Obispo High School “H” to a “P.” In 1919, the Poly “P” became the icon of California Polytechnic School.

1919

NEWS | 3

Thursday, January28, 2016

ARTS | 4

A culture of reverence Brendan Abrams @brenabrams

Humans of the last few thousand years assume perhaps the most fortunate space-time position in the known historical universe. A bold claim, to be sure, but not unfounded on the surface. Our species has seen unprecedented technological innovation, unbounded artistic expression and unending philosophical discourse. But none of those things account for the real reason the modern human is so lucky. The real reason is cheese. Don’t worry, dear reader. This love note to milk’s most glorious consequence will be brief, sort of. Why exactly are we so lucky? To bear witness to the general notion of “cheese” is one thing, and a fine thing at that. Where we really struck glistening, meltable gold was when the world became inundated, or even, dare I say, saturated with the stuff. Now, cheese is not so much a particular food as it is a loosely defined category of fermented milk product. The variation is astounding. The results often approach levels of holiness reserved for the gods, and I’m not only referring to swiss. Cheese plays a culinary character in every production put on by the Shakespearean edible theater. It is a sweet and gentle sheep’s milk brie in the wistful “Romeo and Chewliet.” It is a hardened and sour aged cheddar that begins to crumble over time in a menacing “Macbreadth.” Who can forget the performance by the indecisive gruyére in “Hamlet,” which was once fruity and

nutty despite its dense and tough outer appearance? Cheeses play all those full-bodied characters, and thousands more, with style and flair. Those performances make up a world of artisanship akin to that of fine wine, which is likely why the two food groups (they ought to be their own food groups) traditionally go so well together. The artisans are the stars of the cheese world. Whether on a massively commercial or oneof-a-kind scale, cheesemaking is a surprisingly complex art form. Dairy science professor Phillip Tong is, predictably, very well acquainted with the process on both ends of the quantity spectrum. He spent time working for Kraft before teaching at Cal Poly, where he has led classes on smaller-scale cheesemaking. No matter the quantity, “the basics of cheesemaking are the same,” Tong said. “But the questions to ask are totally different.” “Industrial cheesemaking is about yield, profitability and consistency, while artisanal cheesemaking is more about selecting the right ingredients and adjusting to biological variation,” he said. That is why, for instance, every block of Kraft cheddar is the same bright orange hue, while artisanal cheddars can be colored anywhere between dull white and orange-yellow. Large manufacturers engineer a product to meet strict guidelines, while small operations craft (not Kraft) their milk into

ILIANA ARROYOS | MUSTANG NE WS C U L IN A RY C H A R AC T E R

| With countless shapes, sizes, colors, flavors and textures, there’s a cheese out there for everyone.

more unique expressions of dairy heaven. Almost any cheesemaking process involves four main ingredients: milk, a bacterial culture, an enzyme or acid coagulate (usually rennet) and salt. The production steps, outlined by Tong, are as follows. First, milk is poured into an aptly-named “cheese vat,” where it is kept warm while a bacterial culture is added. Soon, the culture becomes active and starts reproducing, at which point the enzyme coagulate joins the party in a very small quantity. Within half an hour, the whole mixture achieves a Jell-O-like texture, allowing it to be cut into tiny cubes by a series of wires. Due to the cutting, the small coagulated curd cubes release

liquid whey, leaving only fat and the protein casein, the main components of cheese. When everything is stirred back together, the whey and curd are separated completely and the whey can be thrown out or repurposed for protein supplements or infant formula. What is left weighs about 10 percent of the original combined weight of the ingredients. At this point, reaching a final, edible product takes time. Cheeses can be aged in many different ways, depending on the cheesemaker’s desired qualities. Firmer, drier and more acidic or bold-tasting cheeses tend to be aged longer. Some, like Parmesan, are often put in a saltwater brine to toughen up the outer edges and add a

salty flavor. For many cheeses, including blue (bleu) and brie, the aging process includes the promotion of mold growth to add some tangy flavor or cause the cheese to develop a smooth, creamy layer just below the outer surface. Tiny alterations to the process usually result in entirely different cheeses. Those alterations give distinct character traits. In the production of swiss cheese, for example, a carbon dioxide-producing bacteria is distributed throughout the block so that it releases gas and forms those defining bubbles. There are an almost overwhelming number of cheeses out in the world, so how does a wide-eyed enthusiast decide

where to start on their dairy odyssey? One place to look is toward the experts. “I like a nice aged Asiago or something from that family of cheeses,” Tong said. “They have a little sweet character, but they also have a little more flavor, and they’re harder. Pork pairs really well with those types of cheeses.” My personal favorite (so far) is Kerrygold Dubliner, a dry Irish cheddar that is both sweet and very sharp, perfect for pairing with fruit and crackers, but equally at home on an everything bagel with egg and avocado. It has been a pleasure to pen this ode to the most marvelous of food groups, but I fear that continuing on from here would constitute milking my privilege.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

ARTS | 5

‘The Cat in the Hat’ stays true to Dr. Seuss in imaginative performance

GABBY PA JO | MUSTANG NE WS NOSTALGIA

| “The Cat in the Hat,” the revered children’s story of a mischievous afternoon involving a pair of siblings’ wild imagination, was brought to life in a spot-on performance Sunday.

Continued from page 4

It wasn’t long before Cat brought in his two friends named “Thing One” and “Thing Two.” Like children who have had way too much sugar before bed, the Flatz sisters, Joy and Claire, jumped, ran, spun and pranced

around stage as blue-haired and high-pitched Things. Leaving the house in disarray, they were quickly told to go home, back into the red crate Cat lugged into the house. It was after much pleading that Sally and her brother’s fish get their wish that Cat leave. The

realization that their mother was on her way home had the three in a panic as they saw the disastrous ruins of their fun and games. Kaleena Newman as the Fish spoke as the voice of reason throughout their playtime, and in a world like the ones Seuss creates, reason often goes unheard.

Cat quickly came in, joined by two look-alike feline friends as they swiftly moved the mess offstage. As quick as they help, they are gone, all in time for the kids’ mother to come home. When the mother asked about her children’s day, they turned and asked the audience, “Well what

would you do, if you mother asked you?” During the entirety of the show, the cast had an almost dance-like way of moving. Their movements often matched as they walked and ran across the stage. The classic images of the picture book were translated into

the set and costumes designed by John Emery and D. Daniel Hollingshead respectively. At the curtains close, Childsplay’s adaption of the beloved children’s book by Dr. Seuss proved to be a delightful glimpse into the possibilities of a child’s imagination.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

OPINION | 6

And the winner is ... a mystery for now Amelia Parreira @CPMustangNews

Ameila Parreira is a journalism senior and the Mustang New columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News editorial. I can still remember it all. Two years ago, almost to the day, I sat on the couch in my living room with the rest of my family, hyped with excitement, eager to see my all-time favorite NFL player Peyton Manning win his second Super Bowl. I couldn’t believe what happened next. He blew it. Manning completely gave it up. It was like he was a completely different player, a different person. I silently watched as the Seattle Seahawks scored touchdown after touchdown, field goal after field goal, while Manning and the rest of the Denver Broncos drove in a measly eight points. I still remember my heart tighten in my chest as the Seahawks took the field in celebration once the final whistle was blown. It was a nightmare, an embarrassment. Two years later, Manning will Continued from page 3

“Behind the scenes there’s this crazy energy, things are spinning around really fast and smashing together. Physics is happening and it’s really cool,” Steffanic said. Alumnus Jacob Gamble went to CERN in the summers of 2013 and 2015. “It was great, I got to work in

lead the Broncos in the Super Bowl once again, possibly for the last time. Though I am ecstatic, I can’t help but feel a little uneasy about the Broncos’ opponents, the Carolina Panthers, led by quarterback Cam Newton. I know that Manning is beyond good, but I also know that he is not great with high-pressure situations, like in his last Super Bowl. Not only that, but Newton, 26, still has young energy in his blood. That alone gives him an advantage over 39-year-old Manning, who is on the brink of retirement. This past season, Newton put a total of 35 touchdowns on the board, while Manning only has nine on the season, though he did miss 10 games. The Panthers also exceed the Broncos in total yards per game with an average of 366.9, and have an average of 142.6 rush yards. The Broncos have an average of 107.4 rush yards per game with a 355.5 total per game. If that still leaves doubt about the Panthers’ potential, just look at this year’s playoff game they played against the Arizona Cardinals. an international lab,” Gamble said. “As a summer student there, you attend summer student lectures, which are hosted by Nobel Prize winners.” But part of the difficulty with these experiments is they take 10 to 20 years to design, construct and prepare for. Moreover, the collisions require building detectors at least the

Finishing the regular season with a 12-4 record, I saw nothing but strength and momentum from the Cardinals, and was sure that they would get a shot at Super Bowl 50. However, the Cardinals barely even shared possession of the ball, and could not overpower the Panthers as they fell 49-15. But it’s not like the Panthers don’t have competition in the upcoming Super Bowl matchup. The Broncos obviously earned their place in the game, as they are ranked with the No. 1 defensive lineup in the league. The Broncos have strong playmakers like safety T.J. Ward, who made a total of 61 tackles this season. Outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller are also great at rushing and help add to a successful defense. It is no doubt that the upcoming Super Bowl, which airs Feb. 7, will be thrilling and intense. With the Panthers’ fierce offense and the Broncos’ solid defense, it is hard to make a clear prediction. It would be great to see Manning win the championship before entering retirement, but I won’t get my hopes up. I’ll just leave it up to fate. May the better team win. size of a house in order to be seen. “You do these experiments, you design a detector to measure all of this stuff and by the time it’s ready to operate and the machine is ready to run, your detectors are already out of date,” Klay said. “You have to work with what you’ve got.” Now, Klay is helping plan for

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the next decade. She co-authored a proposition to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to build a detector which could used by scientists, including Cal Poly students, from 2020 to 2030. Data analysis is central to the work that Klay’s students do at CERN. The skills students learn working alongside Klay can be

applied to a multitude of fields, she said. “Businesses want people who can crunch data. Government, military, everything is data- and information-driven these days,” Klay said “Students who work with me on my projects are building skills that they don’t have to become a physicist to use.”

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SPORTS | 8

GEORGIE DE MATTOS | MUSTANG NE WS WALK-ON

| Betkowski beat out more than 20 other aspiring student-athletes for a spot on the basketball team as a freshman, but that was just the beginning of his involvement in Cal Poly Athletics.

Continued from page 1

After Betkowski and the Mustangs advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2014, beating Texas Southern before falling to top-seeded Wichita State, conversation began swirling about Betkowski making the switch to football. “Talks were sort of tonguein-cheek in the beginning, then started to get more momentum as things continued on that year,” Holder said. “I actually had an impromptu meeting with Coach Walsh and said ‘Hey, would you be interested in having a basketball player change over?’ And immediately Coach Walsh knew who Max was because Max was (in the weight room) a lot.” Betkowski’s athletic career wasn’t the only thing in question either. He began to question whether he was pursuing the right major and whether industrial engineering was part of his future. “Max had kind of hit a cross-

roads in terms of what he wanted to do in terms of his major,” Holder said. “He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do in terms of his career after school’s over. And of course because he has such an affinity for this room and what we we’re doing, the idea of becoming a strength coach became more of a reality for him.” With that, Betkowski decided to switch his major to kinesiology and began focusing on strength and conditioning coaching. After gaining more than 40 pounds of muscle, increasing his weight from 195 pounds to 235 pounds, Betkowski’s basketball career hung in the balance. “I was initially an industrial engineering major, and I was unsure whether I wanted to be that, so I ended up switching to kinesiology,” Betkowski said. “(Coach Holder) knew that I was a hard-working kid and he thought, ‘you know the strength and conditioning program as well as I do now; you might as

well just come help me out with strength and conditioning.’” Taking advantage of a unique opportunity, Betkowski spent the 2014-15 academic year as the strength and conditioning coach for the men’s basketball team. Under Holder’s guidance, Betkowski quickly learned about workout programming and coaching. He spent early hours and late nights in the weight room, focused on his new craft. After one year in charge of the men’s basketball team’s strength and conditioning program, Betkowski’s athletic career would once again change course. Though rumors of Betkowski’s switch to football had floated around for more than a year, they became a reality. The only problem was that Betkowski had never played a down of contact football. The last time he had played in an organized game was when he was 10 years old, running around trying to rip Velcro flags off ball carriers’ waistbands.

True to his values, Betkowski hit the ground running. He battled his way through spring camp and the annual spring game, earning a spot on the team as a tight end. “The learning curve was steep and spring ball is intense. It’s a lot of information to absorb in a short period of time,” Betkowski said. Five games into the season, Betkowski experienced his first dose of collegiate football. His first play from scrimmage turned into a lifelong memory. “We ended up scoring a touchdown on (my first) play,” Betkowski said. “Kyle Lewis ended up scoring a touchdown. I don’t even think I ran the play right, but Kyle Lewis scored a touchdown and I got to celebrate in the end zone with him, and that was a great experience.” “Most efficient player on the football team, I guess. One play, one touchdown,” Betkowski added jokingly. After appearing in two more

games over the course of the season, Betkowski had completed his first season of college football and continued to hit the weight room harder than ever. After finally breaking the former Cal Poly clean record of 170 kilograms (about 375 pounds) held by former NFL linebacker and FCS All-American Chris Gocong, Betkowski now trails current defensive lineman Josh Letuligasenoa, who can clean 185 kilograms. If records are meant to be broken, Betkowski will be the one to break them. Betkowski will have one more year to catch Letuligasenoa, but in the meantime he’ll continue striving toward his goal of owning his own athletic training facility in the Bay Area upon graduation. “I’m just trying to make the most of my own opportunities,” Betkowski said. “Every door that opens, I’m just trying to make it the best as I can possibly make it. Cal Poly’s a great place. I’m

so lucky to be here and to get all the opportunities I have. I don’t think I’d have the same opportunities anywhere else. And I think people sometimes don’t realize how many doors can be opened at a place like Cal Poly with teachers and mentors.” If goals are meant to be achieved, Betkowski is one to achieve them. “He’s been fantastic for us,” said Holder. “I’ve had a million interns, a million volunteers. I’ve had a million assistant coaches. And he’s kind of a once or twice in a career type guy where you get the opportunity to mentor a guy who’s probably going to exceed any expectations I’ve ever had for him or he’s ever had for himself because of his drive. And I’m just excited that I got to be the one to help him point things in the right direction and get him going. He’ll be a success no matter what he does.” If ceilings are meant to be shattered, Betkowski will be the one to shatter them.