March 6, 2017

E s t a b l i s h e d 1916

w w w. m u s t a n g n e w s . n e t

Smile. Sip. Strip.

The life of a Cal Poly student working as a webcam model

Cecilia Seiter Special to Mustang News

College students often make ends meet with a part-time job in retail or food service. Others don't.

Cal Poly junior Julia strips for strangers on the internet under the username Preddles. (Editor’s note: Last name and major have been omitted to protect the source from potential harassment and to not affect her future job opportunities.)

Preddles started her career in the sex industry five years ago in Dallas, Texas. Fed up with the

$2.13 federal minimum wage for waitressing, she began stripping at a club to earn extra cash. Now, the 26-year-old student performs as a “web model” on MyFreeCams. com, where she’s paid to do things like twerk, take her clothes off and drink wine from a glass. Regardless of the social stigma surrounding her work and the objectification she faces, Preddles said her job is a passion of hers, one that she wants to stick with for a while.

A day in the life Because of the scarcity of strip

clubs near San Luis Obispo, Preddles shifted to webcamming when she transferred to Cal Poly in Fall 2016. It’s an easier alternative than driving to the nearest strip club in Santa Maria, and it allows her to set her own work schedule. Once online, she can be asked to do anything from rub her own feet to have sex on camera, but it’s up to her to call the shots as to what she does.

“Ever since I got into the sex industry, I’ve mostly sold my personality,” Preddles said.

She offers uplifting and “positive vibes” via chat, she said, “because

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MATT LALANNE | MUSTANG NE W S

Monday, March 6, 2 017

there are plenty of men who are lonely, sad and just want that emotional connection.”

Preddles does perform sexual acts for clients, but never without a price. Her host website, MyFreeCams.com, allows clients to tip web models using digital tokens, each of which is worth 10 cents. Preddles is considered an independent contractor for MyFreeCams.com, she’s allowed to decide how many tokens each act is worth.

WEBCAM continued on page 3

Mustangs win their final home game Ayrton Ostly @ AyrtonOstly

SAMMI MULHERN | MUSTA NG NE W S

DEBUT | Próxima Parada held their album-release show for "Big Seven" at Fremont Theater in downtown San Luis Obispo on Feb. 24.

Próxima Parada releases new album ‘Big Seven’ Mikaela Duhs @ CPMustangNews

“Can everybody just take a deep breath in right now with me,” Próxima Parada keyboardist and singer Nick Larson asked the audience at the release party for his band’s third album “Big Seven.”

Chests rose and fell with Larson’s as Próxima Parada took the stage.

Soon, deep breaths were replaced with cheers as the band prepared to debut their newest album.

Próxima Parada has gone through many changes since their start in 2012, but some things remain the same, like founding members Larson and Kevin Middlekauff ’s love

for music. Larson and Middlekauff met as freshmen at Cal Poly, both living in Sierra Madre Hall.

“Fall quarter freshman year, we became friends,” Larson said. “Kevin is the whole reason that I started singing in public. I had no confidence to do that. You can thank Kevin or you can be mad at Kevin if you don’t like the way I sing.”

The pair have jammed together since, Larson on the keys and vocals and Middlekauff on bass.

Bryson Bailey was another core member of the group on guitar and vocals until he moved to Denver in 2015.

Later in 2015, guitarist and vocalist Josh Collins joined the

band to record “Big Seven” with Larson, Middlekauff and drummer Andy Olson.

Olson contributed to “Big Seven,” but is not touring with the band as he is working toward his teaching credential at Cal Poly.

“Big Seven” also features the trumpet stylings of Myles Wittman, who has been on and off in the band since 2012, according to Larson.

New album According to Larson, the new album has a different sound than previous Próxima Parada records, which were rooted in rock ‘n’ roll sounds.

The women’s basketball team split the final two games of the regular season, winning 73-57 over Cal State Fullerton Wednesday before losing 77-63 to UC Santa Barbara Saturday. These games wrapped up the regular season for the Mustangs before the Big West Tournament starts on Tuesday.

Against Cal State Fullerton This game marked the end of an era for the Mustangs as senior forwards Hannah Gilbert and Amanda Lovely

played their final games in Mott Athletics Center.

The Mustangs (11-17, 7-9 Big West) got off to an early 2013 lead by the end of the first quarter in a game in which they never trailed. Cal Poly’s defense held the Titans (4-25, 1-15) to just 36 percent (4-for11) shooting from the field in the opening quarter.

The Titans closed the gap slightly in the second quarter, but the Mustangs still maintained a 38-32 lead headed into halftime.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL continued on page 8

“This is definitely more of a soul album, there are more folk elements than when we started,” Larson said. “This album grooves hard; there are powerful vocals, [it] feels good.”

Próxima Parada said that because of the many recent changes in the band, “Big Seven” is meant to reestablish their sound as a group.

“When Josh came in, it really changed the whole dynamic of the group,” Larson said. “We wanted something to highlight how we sound today, which is different than our first few albums."

PRÓXIMA continued on page 4

SPLIT

NOAH SADLER | MUSTA NG NE W S

| The team won at home Wednesday, but lost at UCSB Saturday.

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

NEWS 2

MUSTANG NEWS

What ‘25-35’ means to working students Megan Schellong @ meganschellong

“Study 25-35 hours.”

Though this motto is told to students daily, is it feasible to study two hours per unit per week?

In his letter to students, Phil Bailey, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and founder of the “25-35” motto at Cal Poly wrote: “If you are significantly employed to pay for school expenses or have a time-consuming co-curricular or extra-curricular activity that is important to you, it is reasonable to take more than four years so that you can be successful and truly achieve your potential.”

Many students have found that working part-time in addition to studying makes them more successful.

According to the American Association of University Professors, students who work part-time 10 to 15 hours per week perform better in school than both unemployed students and students working more than 15 hours per week.

Computer engineering senior Tyler Hall works 20 hours per week while maintaining good academic standing. Since he knew that he wouldn’t receive

financial support from his family, he took the initiative upon himself.

“I’ve worked out of sheer necessity,” Hall said. “That’s partly why it’s taken me forever [to graduate].”

Hall is financially independent and married. He pays for his rent, gas, groceries and all other personal expenses.

If students need to work parttime to support themselves, Bailey respects and supports it. However, he stressed that it takes time to grasp a concept and students won’t develop full understanding if they can only dedicate three or four hours to studying.

“I don’t teach you chemistry.

I teach you how to learn chemistry,” Bailey said.

It’s only by putting in 25 to 35 hours of studying per week that students can then understand and apply the principles of their subject, Bailey said.

A strategy Hall uses and finds effective is the Pomodoro technique, a time organization method that helps to maximize productivity. Hall has his own version of it in which every detail of his life is scheduled.

“If you’re sitting looking at a paper while watching Netflix, then that’s five hours of lazy work that could be three hours

of hard work,” Hall said.

By planning out his days hour-by-hour, Hall said he was forced to meet reality and build his own budget.

Psychology and child development professor Gary Laver said learning to manage time is an integral part of college.

“What it means for a student to go through a quarter managing time is a real skill,”

come f irst, followed by sleeping and socializing. Zia works 30 hours Wednesday through Saturday, leaving San Luis Obispo to work in San Francisco. Between working and studying, he maintains good academic standing and pays for rent, gas and groceries on his own. Even though Zia spends less time with friends now, he sees the value in

Students who work

10 15

hours per week perform better in school Laver said.

It’s a real skill because balancing time allotted to academics, extra-curricular activities and oneself can come with sacrifices.

“I follow the triangle where there’s sleeping, studying/working and socializing and I choose two,” business administration senior Marshall Zia said.

For him, school and work

investing time in work.

“I’m doing something which is applicable to my future career and that is rewarding, but the social sacrifice is something I’m conscious of,” Zia said.

According to College Board, the organization that administers the SAT and ACT, student performance decreases if they work more than 15 to 20 hours a week in college. Specifically,

students lose their opportunities to develop friendships if they spend most of their time working, according to its website.

However, because Zia is a senior and established his friendships earlier in college, he holds onto those while maintaining his new lifestyle.

Zia is the former president of the Chinese Students Association, a group to which he dedicated much of his extra-curricular hours as a junior. While Zia spends less time at social outings and more time at work now, he understands the value in allocating his time differently now.

Other students such as electrical engineering graduate Angelo Gallardo can also relate. He had to switch the way he chose to use his time since working.

Gallardo works part-time as a professor while also balancing his graduate homework, sleep and social life. On occasion, when work and school can’t both get done, he has to leave one homework assignment incomplete so he can dedicate time to preparing his lesson plans for class.

Nonetheless, the way he decides to balance his time is different now with work being the number one priority.

“I [used to] play basketball randomly and go over to someone’s place and play Call of Duty on a Tuesday,” he said.

“But now if it’s a Tuesday, I have to grade papers and work on my thesis.”

Even though Gallardo allocates his time differently now, he sees the value in spending more time studying, in part because classes have become more challenging.

“At Cal Poly, you are a ‘professional learner,’” Laver said.

Cal Poly is a huge proponent of the study 25-35 motto because it places responsibility on the student to study.

While students at Cal Poly are committed to their studies, Laver said the most important part to balancing school, work and extra-curricular activities is sleep.

“You’re shooting yourself in the foot if you’re not getting enough sleep,” he said.

Despite studies that showing how sleep helps the memorization and learning processes, some students, including Gallardo and Zia, sacrifice sleep in order to study the recommended 25-35 hours.

While the motto rings true for some, studying two hours per unit per week looks different from student to student.

Verisky software better prepares greek life for pilot party registration program Megan Schellong @ meganschellong

With the new pilot party registration program underway as of Jan. 17, San Luis Obispo residents will have a 20-minute window to quiet down before a citation is issued.

Using Verisky — a party registration software reserved for greek life — sorority and fraternity members are more prepared than non-affiliated members going into the pilot party registration program, Interfraternity Council (IFC) president Danny Halprin said.

“Greek life already has a bunch of measures [like Verisky] to prepare for events and coordinate risk management procedures,” business administration junior Halprin said.

“Other students don’t have someone guiding them on best practices and this program is the first primary form of risk management for them.”

Through Verisky, members submit a risk management plan including a list of sober drivers, time and location of the event, number of guests and any third party vendors, if any, that provide alcohol. At the event, third-party vendors are responsible for checking IDs for legal age, Halprin said.

All risk management within Cal Poly’s greek life organizations are required to abide by California State Law regarding

alcohol consumption.

“The pilot party registration provides at least the basic opportunity for the unaffiliated students to put preparation and thought into the events they’re planning,” Halprin said.

Fraternities and sororities across the IFC, Panhellenic Council and United Sorority and Fraternity Council use Verisky. It is paid for by the office of fraternity and sorority life. Verisky is a website made to ensure that greek life holds safe events and that if any emergencies occur, greek life can show the process behind the approval of the event, Panhellenic president Shirin Beroukhim said.

The office of fraternity and sorority life adopted Verisky in 2014, but before that it used Survey Monkey to collect data on parties, university spokesman Matt Lazier said.

Greek life eliminated Survey Monkey because it didn’t serve the needs of Cal Poly’s greek life. Prior to party registration within greek life, chapters applied national organizations’ outlines for risk management policies, but didn’t have a specific system to plan events, Lazier said.

Greek life adheres to a list of concerns addressed in a risk management document including house and door regulation policies, sober brother and sister responsibilities, exchanges,

sports, philanthropy events and formals.

Also outlined in the risk management document are alcohol consumption policies for each event, including house parties, which align with each chapter’s national risk management policies, Halprin said.

Cal Poly’s greek life chapters adhere to the rule prohibiting chapter dollars from being spent on alcohol. Instead, chapters must adhere to a “bring your own beer” policy, outlined in IFC’s risk manage-

PRECAUTION

ment document, in which chapter members purchase alcohol out of their own pockets if they wish to bring it to a house party.

While Verisky works as a means of planning and consideration before an event, it doesn’t prevent rules from being broken.

“It’s two-sided,” Halprin said.

“Each step in the system attempts to control that the information logged is true, but on the other side, if we are notified of policies being broken, we have strict judicial review.”

If a chapter gets notified for violating a policy, the consequences could vary in severity, Halprin said. Possible outcomes could extend to the chapter’s vice president of risk management helping to revise a chapter’s risk management policy to social probation, suspension or the Dean of Students’ becoming involved, he said.

In situations when a fraternity does not comply with the risk management document, Cal Poly greek life gets notified and acts accordingly.

Previous instances of code violations occurred in February 2016 when Alpha Gamma Rho was put on social probation by greek life due to hosting an unregistered party. Some measures taken included the removal of some fraternity members from the house on California Boulevard, according to a Mustang News article.

“Through Verisky, it’s evident that our chapters put time and energy and thought into [the] coordination of our events,” Halprin said.

FILE PHOTO | MUSTA NG NE W S

| If the nature of a greek life event is questioned or an incident occurs, Verisky can show the process behind the approval of the event.

NEWS 3

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

PREDDLES’ PRICES

OLIVIA PROFFIT | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Preddles performs a number of sexual acts for her clients, charging various prices for each act. For example, Preddles will flash clients for 10 tokens, with users paying 10 cents per token.

WEBCAM continued from page 1

“So, for example, at 500 tokens, I’ll take my top off. And you can change that any way you want,” she said. “Like, for 50 tokens, I will take a drink of my wine glass … 10 tokens, I’ll flash you.

Something really quick.”

Because Preddles received a full scholarship to Cal Poly, webcamming pays for her groceries and other necessities.

MyFreeCams.com takes 50 percent of each web model’s profits and the amount of money she earns per session varies, depending on how long she’s online and how many tips she gets.

For a three-hour webcam session, she said her income can range between $30 to $300, but she typically earns $1,000 biweekly.

“I’m making money doing what I want. I love working in the sex industry,” Preddles said.

“As long as you don’t let it devour your soul, you’ll be fine.

It’s enjoyable. It really is.”

Sex and tech Preddles witnessed firsthand how technology has changed the nature of the sex industry. She said five years ago, it was easy to make $1,000 in the club on a Sunday. Now, because the web makes sex widely available for anyone with an internet connection, sex itself is cheaper.

Esquire Magazine reported that in 2015 alone, more than 4 billion hours of porn were watched on Pornhub.com, the web’s largest pornography site. What’s more, it’s estimated that porn takes up approximately 37 percent of the internet. With sex so easily accessible online, Preddles said, it’s harder to make as much money in clubs, and web models are now likely to do more for less.

However, sex industry workers still can and do use technology to their advantage. Utilizing social media platforms, webcam models and other sex industry workers

can easily attract and engage with customers. It also helps them earn a little money on the side, an opportunity that wasn’t available five years ago.

Twitter and Snapchat are two of the biggest social media outlets webcam models use to their advantage, according to Preddles. Web models primarily use Twitter to promote themselves and charge customers for access to their Snapchat username. Once a customer pays, he or she will have access to all Snapchat content posted by that model, which includes anything from private chats to naked shower videos.

Some models choose to charge for Snapchat on a monthly basis; for others, it’s a one-time deal.

Preddles said Facebook isn’t as prevalent in her industry anymore, though the social media platform definitely stirred up some talk in 2011 when it was found that sex workers were using Facebook to recruit customers.

Jane Lehr, associate professor

of ethnic studies and department chair of women’s and gender studies at Cal Poly, said there are both advantages and disadvantages to using technology in the sex industry.

“In terms of camming, I think there is excitement about that as an option because it does seem to reduce risks. It reduces risks of bodily fluids, risks related to being in physical environments that you might not have control of,” Lehr said. “That said, we know, even in web-based interactions, horrible things can still happen … there’s still the opportunity for somebody to not have control, or to have their emotional or mental boundaries violated.”

While Preddles’ experience with webcamming is overall enjoyable for her, she has experienced the online abuse and objectification that comes with working as a web model. “[Some customers are] just so blunt, like, ‘Show us your pussy!’ And if you say, ‘No, you need to tip me,’ they’ll be like, ‘I’m not going to fucking tip for an ugly bitch like you,’” she said.

“That’s frustrating to deal with and you get that a lot. Especially

more on webcamming.”

Finding empowerment in the sex industry Despite it being frustrating at times, working in the sex industry is fun for Preddles. Even in the face of objectification and rude customers, she finds ways to keep herself sane.

“I love it when a customer just makes me mad. Because then I’m just going to fart on them and then leave. That is the most satisfying thing ever,” she said.

In the academic world of women’s and gender studies, Lehr said there’s debate about whether or not sex work can be truly empowering for women. However, she said there’s no way to come to a general conclusion; each individual case must be analyzed contextually.

For Preddles, working in the sex industry is both empowering and safe. She said she feels particularly safe working in the webcam modeling business, and though some of her co-models have encountered issues with stalkers, she said she’s never had that kind of issue before.

While her work may be em-

powering to her, other people sometimes feel uncomfortable with her profession. She said because of the stigma surrounding sex workers, it can be hard to start new relationships with people.

“Men are too insecure to handle a woman in the sex industry, let me tell you,” she said. “Unless they’re a pimp and then they’re all for it.”

In addition, Preddles said her family doesn’t know about her part-time gig as a web model.

Though she plans on telling them at some point, she said her family has a don’t-ask, don’t-tell attitude, and it hasn’t come up in conversation yet.

“I just can’t break it to them,” she said. “My poor grandma!”

Still, Preddles sees herself continuing to work in the industry, even after she graduates from Cal Poly.

“I’ll probably work at a club.

It’s just so fun and so empowering. Like, people pay to go out and drink with their friends,” she said. “I get to go, all my drinks are paid for and I get to go home with some money in my pocket. I love it.”

HOUSING FAIR 2017 As long as you don’t let it devour your soul, you’ll be fine. It’s enjoyable. It really is.

Thursday, March 9 th 11am–1pm

PREDDLES

Cruise through this housing season with some help from Mustang News.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MATT LALANNE | MUSTA NG NE W S

ARTS 4

MUSTANG NEWS

PRÓXIMA continued from page 1

“When I joined the band, they became good,” Collins said, laughing.

Together, the band agreed to play more new songs than old.

The result was positive collaboration from all members of Próxima Parada.

“It was really an exciting time.

Very creative, very invigorating,” Collins said. “I had never played with them very much and sparks just started flying. It was great.”

One of the songs on the album, “Better Now” was written during the time Collins first joined the band. It makes sense that it’s his favorite track on the album.

“It has this hopeful, powerful feeling to it,” Collins said. “It’s nostalgic and hopeful. It’s very uplifting. It’s kind of complicated.”

Collins joined the band in August of 2015. He knew about Próxima Parada from their local presence and Próxima Parada knew about him. Collins has a strong background in jazz and formed several local jazz bands, including Sperdak and Five Minus Two. Larson said that Collins’ adaptability made it easy for him to fit in with Próxima Parada’s style.

“I had a big musical crush on Josh,” Larson said.

“I used to watch him play jazz at Linnaea’s [Café]. I used to just stare at him because I was too afraid to talk to him. To play with him, man, it’s like playing with my heroes.”

Aside from their shift from a rock ‘n’ roll sound to a soulful rhythm and blues genre, Collins said the band’s overall flow has improved and draws a new crowd.

“Well thought out, the songs are better arranged,” Collins said.

“It’s less oriented towards a pop audience. It’s more of a [rhythm and blues] type of thing. It has that Motown type of feeling, type of character, less than a rock ‘n’ roll album.”

With Collins’ jazz influence, the band has taken towards folky, blues styles songs on their newest album, but still finds it hard to nail down a specific genre that describes them.

“Genre is complicated ... It’s hard to categorize yourself,” Larson said.

“We pull from a lot of different influences, but mostly we just play whatever we want. It comes out in a lot of ways.”

“I usually feel like it depends on what song it is,” Middlekauf said.

“Usually there is the music first.

Then you try to figure out which life experience would go well with that particular music.”

Despite their differing approaches, their creative processes have one thing in common.

“In other words, pure agony!”

Larson said, laughing.

The creative process Despite their changing genre, Próxima Parada said their fan base hasn’t changed. Instead, the fans have adapted to the new sound and are taking joy in the transition.

“People who have been with us from the beginning think we are getting so much better,” Larson said. “Everyone likes the music more. I don’t think we lost fans or our audience changed, but it’s more of a musical development.”

Larson and Middlekauf write Próxima Parada’s lyrics, but each take different approaches to the creative process, drawing inspiration from Vulfpeck, Khruangbin and Alabama Shakes.

Changes and the future Próxima Parada will play small gigs in Los Angeles and San Francisco, but don’t have set plans for a tour. Larson explained that it would be a huge financial loss for the band to go on tour unless they toured with a bigger band.

“Ideally, if there was a huge band and they wanted us to tour under them, that would be great,” Larson said. “Until we get to that point, we are just spinning our wheels.”

Ultimately, the band is grateful for any opportunities that come their way.

“Whatever we can do to spread our music more,” Larson said.

“Hopefully this album will be able to open more doors for stuff like that. I don’t know what the hell we will be doing in five years ... We aren’t thinking about the end of the road.”

From the release of their first album “Songs of Music” in 2014 to “Próxima Parada” in 2015 and now “Big Seven,” the band feels San Luis Obispo is the perfect breeding ground for local bands.

Próxima Parada said they think they are able to do so much more with the support of the community.

“You can’t ask for better people to play music for than San Luis Obispo,” Larson said. “They are a very attentive audience, they have a good time, they dance, they listen.”

The fact that San Luis Obispo is a college town also helps foster this positive attitude toward local bands, Collins said.

Próxima Parada said their fan base hasn’t changed. Instead, the fans have adapted to the new sound and are taking joy in the transition.

“For me, it’s just life experiences, trying to make sense of my experience and my reality,” Larson said.

“Not understanding things and then through writing it, I learn to understand things.”

Middlekauf ’s process is the other way around.

SAMMI MULHERN | MUSTA NG NE W S

NEW SOUND | Próxima Parada draws on R&B influences for “Big Seven,” straying from their usual rock ‘n’ roll.

“They are proud of their community, they want their local band to be good and want to support them,” Collins said. “You get a lot of young people and a lot of new people from the college . It’s a really awesome area.”

The San Luis Obispo community has done more than just be attentive listeners. To cover the costs of producing “Big Sev-

en,” Próxima Parada turned to their neighbors and peers by creating a kickstarter campaign that ultimately helped pay for the album.

“This album was paid for by the community,” Larson said.

“It’s fucking amazing. It’s not just like, ‘Yeah it’s cool to have the community.’ They like actually make it happen.”

Próxima Parada anticipates even more changes in the future, like new drummer Aaron Kroeger, who joined just after “Big Seven” was recorded. Larson, Middlekauf, Collins and Kroeger will perform at shows from now on, including a performance at the Julian A. McPhee University Union Plaza for the Concert in the Plaza series May 4 at 11 a.m.

Review: ‘The Red Turtle’ Grag Llamas @ CPMustangNews

SUPER FOODS FOR SUPER MOODS Stop by 19 Metro March 13-17 to enjoy super foods like brussel sprouts, blueberries and quinoa and experience their mood-boosting powers. Don’t miss this special event to supercharge your batteries right before dead week!

#HEALTHYHACKS Take a break from beef and try a tasty black bean quinoa burger from Campus Market. It’s a lower-fat and flavorful alternative that’s just as satisfying!

(Registered Dietitian approved)

FINALS MIDNIGHT BREAKFAST Finals week prep calls for breakfast time anytime. Come enjoy a St. Patrick’s Daythemed Midnight Breakfast at 19 Metro on Friday, March 17 from 9:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.

The first 200 guests eat for free so don’t wait!

RECYCLE AND COMPOST Help divert waste by disposing of your trash in the appropriate bins. If you are unsure what goes where, refer to the pictures above the recycling, composting, and landfill containers. When in doubt, always recycle.

Greg Llamas is a journalism senior and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints and editorial coverage of Mustang News.

Lately, it seems that animation studios like Pixar and Disney have been drawn to the intricacy of water-filled environments. “Finding Dory” and “Moana” are prime examples of the power computer animation has to create life-like and sensational depictions of water and characters interacting with it. It’s interesting that the famed Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli also tried its hand at the recent water obsession, co-producing “The Red Turtle” with European distribution company Wild Bunch.

“The Red Turtle” is the feature-length debut of Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit. Unlike the powerful animation used to produce “Finding Dory” and “Moana,” “The Red Turtle” was produced on a much lower budget and is mostly hand-drawn.

Combined with the film absolutely lacking in dialogue, it might seem

that “The Red Turtle” is shallow and pretentious, trying too hard to be artsy. Yet this inherent minimalism, for the most part, makes the film’s atmosphere more palpable than powerhouse animation from big studios.

When an unnamed man washes ashore on a deserted tropical island, he attempts to escape several times by building rafts. However, each time he tries to set sail, a large red turtle breaks apart his raft, keeping him bound to the island. After taking out his frustration on the turtle, a woman appears on the island under mysterious circumstances.

Faced with a decision of whether or not to abandon her, the man decides to create some semblance of a domestic life and the two face the dangers of the island together.

From start to finish, the characters of “The Red Turtle” are embroiled in a struggle with nature. After the man is washed ashore during a powerful storm in which he almost drowns, the island is portrayed as hostile. The first minutes of the film establish that in this struggle, nature is out to get the man. From being trapped under rocks to having his rafts destroyed by the red turtle, nature is never kind to him.

Another element the man struggles with is his mental state when dealing with the conflict alone.

He routinely hallucinates a string quartet playing on the beach and his dreams of flying away from the island show, without any words, his crippling loneliness. The direction of “The Red Turtle” also displays this loneliness. Before the woman appears, the film showed long shots of the island surrounded by a vast wasteland of water, giving a sense of isolation. Without saying a word, “The Red Turtle” says a whole lot.

This ruthless and isolating portrayal of nature progresses into something different after the woman appears. As the man and woman bond, the island becomes their home. Instead of being portrayed as a wasteland of danger and loneliness, the couple becomes an integral part of life on the island. Joined by families of crabs and birds, the island encompasses a true feeling of home.

Eventually, the couple even raises a son, proving the man’s relationship with the island and nature changed into something harmonious.

RED TURTLE continued on page 6

THE BEST OF SLO FOOD 1. Best Slice of Pizza

11. Best Hangover Food

2. Best Bargain Meal

12. Best Vegetarian Resturant

3. Best Sushi

13. Best BBQ

4. Best Thai

14. Best Food on Campus

5. Best Mexican

15. Best Place for Late Night Munchies

6. Best Italian

16. Best Dessert

7. Best Burger

17. Best Grocery Store

8. Best Sandwich

18. Best Fries

9. Best Breakfast

19. Best Wings

10. Best Salad

20. Best Acai Bowl

SCHOOL - RELATED

ENTERTAINMENT

1. Best Movie Theater

1. Best Movie Theater

2. Best SLO Radio Station

2. Best SLO Radio Station

3. Best PAC Event

3. Best PAC Event

4. Best ASI Event

4. Best ASI Event

PAMPERING

AUTO

1. Best Nail Salon

1. Best Auto Shop

2. Best Haircut

2. Best Car Wash

DRINK

ACTIVE

1. Best Coffee House

1. Best Bike Shop

2. Best Happy Hour 3. Best Local Beer 4. Best Local Winery 5. Best Bar 6. Best Sports Bar 7. Best Weekly Bar Deal

2. Best Beach 3. Best Golf Course 4. Best Rec Center Class 5. Best Getaway 6. Best Hike

8. Best Liquor Store 9. Best 21st Birthday Drink

SHOPPING

MONEY

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OPINION 6

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Hollywomen: OPINION

MUSTANG NEWS

Feminism in movies

Abbie Lauten-Scrivner @ CPMustangNews

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

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With the rise of feminism in Hollywood, I hear more and more movie narratives described as feminist. These films tend to be driven by a predominantly female cast and depict provocative, unusual women who challenge gender norms. I took a look at four movies from 2016, which received buzz in the media and from the public for their feminist nature. Then, I sat down with other feminists and discussed to what extent we agreed with these classifications, as well as what brand of feminism each film promotes.

(Warning: spoilers.)

'The Girl on the Train' This thriller follows the entangled lives of three women caught in the intricately obscure web of one sociopathic man (Tom). The three female leads fall into the character types of the pathetic ex-wife (Rachel), the new picket-fence wife/mother (Anna) and the seductive young mistress (Megan), who is murdered.

Only once Rachel and Anna band together do they discover the truth: each -woman has suffered through sinister abuse secretly inflicted by one man’s devious conspiracy. By listening to and helping each other, Rachel and Anna liberate themselves from the clutches of their murderous abuser and avenge Megan’s death.

As business administration sophomore Micaela Lofy pointed out, “The movie really emphasizes the power of female comradery to fight patriarchal oppression.” The persistent ambiguity of the truth behind Tom’s violent duplicity is symbolic of the struggle against patriarchal dominance. Rachel knows something heinous is afoot, but is unable to explicitly name it until the film’s end.

She and Anna must literally fight for their lives to reveal the truth. This parallels the obscene amount of effort women must go through to prove experiences of oppression like sexism and rape.

Lofy also complimented the film’s portrayal of those struggling with addiction, mental illness and a history of abuse.

“It moved the viewer through how someone in an abusive relationship might see the situation, only clearly seeing the reality at the end,” she said. “It brings attention to the insidious nature of abusive relationships and the danger of gas lighting.”

However, the movie’s feminist message is weakest in its intersectionality. Lofy called its feminism “selective.” While each female’s personality is different, all three are white, upper middle class and conventionally attractive. The film does little to challenge stereotypical clichés of “types”

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CERTIFIED FEMI-FRESH | In recent Hollywood blockbusters, more women have been filling lead roles typcially played by men.

of women.

For these reasons, I give “The Girl on the Train” two-and-ahalf feminist stars out of five.

'Ghostbusters' This movie received some of the more intense public and media conversation as the gender-bent remake of a beloved American classic. Reactions ranged from excitement for the new spin on the reboot to appalling sexist, racist commentary. The latter included Milo Yiannopoulos bullying actress Leslie Jones on Twitter.

Political science sophomore Katie Ettl pointed to the success of a film driven by a quartet of quirky, unconventional, powerful women to be inherently feminist. It directly challenges historical Hollywood norms.

The severe reactions the movie provoked proves this.

Furthermore, the movie passes the Bechdel Test with flying colors. This test measures whether a film includes at least two named female characters who actually talk to each other about something other than men. It serves to expose films that use female characters solely as a medium to continue male narratives when there are no men currently present onscreen.

Only about 50 percent of movies pass this test.

But the female Ghostbusters indisputably belong to themselves. Their ambitions and interests within the context of the film do not support a convincing romantic subplot. The women work too hard to worry about the troubles of men, they’re too busy being heroes. It is so refreshing to see a movie with heroic women stay true to its message without tainting their story with a forced, unnecessary and unbelievable plotline about romance. (Remember Black Widow and Hulk in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”?)

However, Ettl is apprehensive about the movie’s stereotypical

casting of the “street smart” Ghostbuster, Patty Tolan, as the only black woman in the film.

She stands alone in her street expertise among three highly educated white women. This plays in to the tired and toxic image of black intelligence being limited to street smarts.

Additionally, despite insinuating that the character Jillian

personality, but identity that one woman can have: female, black, white, leader, mathematician, engineer, friend, mother, wife, lover, etc. It then shows how these identities allow different levels of privilege or marginalization.

The distinct contrast between the level of power Kirsten Dunst’s white character has compared to Katherine Coleman, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson sharply reveals the intersections of gender and race in defining privilege.

Both the white and black women share the experience of not being taken seriously by the patriarchal powers in charge. But the black women face sexist male perceptions from incredulous black men within their community, as well as from the racist white hegemony.

One disappointing plot device was the film’s commitment to the white savior trope through the fictional actions of the benevolent white boss. He fights for the equality of his black female employees. He sees people, not color (“Here at NASA we all pee the same color,” he said), enforcing the problematic ideology of today’s color-blind racism.

His character was showy, stole from the independent strength of the female leads and was essentially fictitious.

“I feel like it was meant to be a justification for white people,” Ettl said. “People can point at him and say that not everyone was so bad.” Mainly, his character served to dilute the overt racism at NASA into a more palatable form.

“Hidden Figures” is worthy of four feminist stars.

"Moonlight" definitely deserves four-and-a-half feminist stars.

Holtzmann is queer, the movie fails to be bold enough to declare it. Post-production, director Paul Feig was asked in an interview with the Daily Beast whether Holtzmann was a lesbian or not.

He responded, “I hate to be coy about it, but when you’re dealing with the studios and that kind of thing…” Thus, giving fans their answer. A weak move indeed.

“The movie could have gone a lot further,” Ettl says. “But if you like this movie, you’re a feminist.”

“Ghostbusters” gets threeand-a-half feminist stars.

'Hidden Figures' This film features a female driven cast of an entirely different kind: a trio of black women working for NASA in the 1960s. Compared to the previously discussed movies, this is without a doubt the most successful in demonstrating intersectional feminism.

The movie refuses to categorize women. It demonstrates the vast complexity of not only

'Moonlight' Despite focusing on men rather than women, this film exemplifies feminist attitudes toward masculinity. The film’s commentary about the psy-

chological and social effects of toxic masculinity challenge patriarchal norms. The characters defy stereotypes. This bold, raw critique demands all the attention the film has received.

Following the life of Chiron, a queer impoverished black boy from Miami turned Los Angeles drug dealer, the movie illustrates the harm in conforming to societal pressure to perform the patriarch’s brand of masculinity. After years of homophobic bullying, Chiron runs from his queerness.

This shame moves him to overcompensate through exhibiting hyper-masculinity. He has the car, the muscles and the gold grill. He is strong, serious and in control: the spitting image of rugged heterosexuality.

“If someone saw grown Chiron. White people would probably be afraid,” Ettl said. “There would be so many stereotypes.”

Yet, the film shows the viewer through context that Chiron’s depth is infinitely more than that. He is a victim of society, surviving the only way he saw available to him.

“Mo on l i g ht” d e f i n it e ly deserves four-and-a-half feminist stars.

I would hesitate to ever give a movie a full five feminist stars.

The concept of a “perfect” film that is completely representative seems unenlightened and presumptuous. No single movie could show the tenets of feminism in their entirety. Only through the culmination of many intersectional films that challenge presumptions of the norm and strive for the truthful, raw depiction of the underrepresented will Hollywood’s feminism be bettered. Intersectional feminism in Hollywood allows mainstream movies to show as many majority and marginalized identities as possible. With the recent movies I have seen, I am optimistic this is the future that feminism in Hollywood is headed toward.

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NOTICES RED TURTLE continued from page 4

Even though there’s not a single line of dialogue during “The Red Turtle,” with the exception of some grunts and angry yells, there’s still enough expression from the characters and how they act to get a sense of what they’re feeling or what they want to say. This is especially apparent at the beginning of the film. With no words, we are able to see the man’s desperation to escape from the island. Through fast-paced and reckless movements that the simple animation style

captures well, and the man’s hallucinations, we are well aware of the man’s motivations and desires without him having to say a single word. This carries through the rest of the film. We are privy to when the characters are happy, angry or sad. It’s a prime example of showing instead of telling.

This dialogue limitation that “The Red Turtle” deals with isn’t the only issue in the film. The animation style is very simple. The characters’ faces are essentially what would be expected from a drawing from a child: black dots for the eyes and a line for the

mouth. However, this doesn’t mean the animation is unimpressive. Even with these simplistic features, we’re able to see how the characters feel. Just from looking at the man’s face when he’s managing his ill-fated attempts at escaping, we can see his hopes and frustrations etched onto a simplistic palette. This animation style makes “The Red Turtle” able to communicate emotions in a way those big budget animation studios can’t, no matter how intricate and astounding their characters may be.

The no-dialogue limitation

at times gives “The Red Turtle” more depth. Sometimes, words aren't necessary to get the meaning of a scene across. Having no lines during some scenes enhance the atmosphere of the island, something that would be lost if the characters were constantly talking. Yet there are times in the film where a bit of dialogue would make the scene better.

For example, whenever a character is on their own, the lack of dialogue makes the scene more immersive. However, when the family is all together and they don’t talk with each other (some-

times awkwardly staring at each other), it doesn’t feel real. There are some things that make more sense when communicated through dialogue and the interactions between characters are sometimes strained throughout the film because of this absence.

It’s nearly impossible to surpass the legacies of memorable Studio Ghibli films such as “Spirited Away” or “Princess Mononoke.”

And while “The Red Turtle” doesn’t approach its legendary predecessors, it’s a great reminder that sometimes simplicity is better than complexity.

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SPORTS 8

MUSTANG NEWS

Mustangs drop senior night matchup Erik Engle & Brian Truong @ CPMustangSports

After a 76-70 victory against CSUN at home Thursday night, Cal Poly men’s basketball team pushed their win streak to three.

The streak came to an end Saturday against UCSB, as the Mustangs lost their regular season finale 57-44.

Against CSUN The Mustangs found themselves behind 14-5 four and a half minutes into the game. On the other end of the floor, the Matadors connected with the net early, making six of their first eight shots.

Men’s basketball head coach Joe Callero called a timeout to stop the run. The Mustangs came back on the floor making a 13-5 run to narrow the deficit. With 8:35 left in the first half, the Mustangs were up 19-18.

With 3:45 to play before the half, the Mustangs regained the lead 26-24 after senior guard Ridge Shipley dropped in a reverse layup. Shipley was one of four Mustangs to score in the double digits, leading the team with 17 points.

Two minutes later the Matadors’ Darin Johnson drilled a contested three from the corner

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL continued from page 1

Junior guard Dynn Leaupepe scored all of her team-high eight points in the second period to spark the offense.

“We wanted to make sure our defense was our best defense that we’ve played all year,” she said after the game. “So we wanted to focus on locking in on our players.”

Though the Mustangs’ defense

to tie the game at 28. Senior forward Zach Gordon transitioned from a dunk to blocking a CSUN shot to secure a 30-28 Mustang lead heading into halftime.

“My whole mindset is dunk everything that you can and then protect the rim,” Gordon said. “I was just in the right place at the right time.”

After halftime, the game’s intensity heated up. Shipley was fouled hard on a transition layup attempt with 14:26 to play, his body awkwardly slamming to the floor. He laid on the floor momentarily before getting up to shoot his free-throws. Shipley came out of the game after splitting his two attempts from the line, but returned to the game five minutes later.

The Mustangs advanced their lead through the ball work of sophomore point guard Donovan Fields. Just before the six-minute mark, Fields stripped the ball away on defense before faking out a defender on his way to an uncontested layup, giving the Mustangs a 54-45 lead.

“It’s two on one and the guy’s just standing there, so I just tried to be creative and make something out of it,” Fields said.

“It just happened, I didn’t really think about it. That’s what I do in the park back at home.”

On their next possession, Fields lobbed an alley-oop to redshirt freshman forward Hank Hollingsworth to push the Mustangs’ lead to 11, their biggest of the night.

According to Callero, Fields’ play was made possible because of Shipley’s consistency on the floor.

“Ridge is the steak of the team right now; Donovan is the dessert,” Callero said. “He’s tasty, he’s got flavor and he’s fun to watch. He makes plays, comes up with steals and charges, makes shots, but I think he’s able to do that because we have that stability in Ridge.”

The Matadors fought back to bring the game within single digits, but the Mustangs converted their free throw attempts and secured the victory.

allowed the Titans to shoot 43.5 percent on the night, Cal Poly was effective on the other end in shooting 55.8 percent and holding a 36-26 advantage in points in the paint. The Mustangs outsc ored the Titans by 10 in the second half to secure the win.

But for Gilbert, this game signified the first step to life beyond the court. In her final home game, she tallied 10 points and one rebound.

“It’s surreal. It hasn’t quite hit

me yet, but it’s really exciting,” she said. “I’m proud of the team, proud of how we’re playing.”

Against UCSB The Mustangs’ seventh consecutive loss to UCSB (5-22, 3-12) came on senior night, where three seniors — Shipley, guard Kyle Toth and Gordon — were honored before tip off.

Already eliminated from the Big West Conference tournament, the Gauchos had nothing to lose.

“They were playing for the ability to upset Cal Poly in their home

Against UC Santa Barbara Despite junior guard Lynn Leaupepe’s 24 points and 10 rebounds, the Mustangs couldn’t overcome a nine-point deficit by halftime against the host Gauchos (14-15, 9-7).

UC Santa Barbara went on a 8-1 run to close the first half and run out a 37-28 lead.

court in the last game of the year,” The Mustangs’ efforts were not took a free throw,” Callero said.

Callero said. enough, as the Gaucho’s mainThis loss places Cal Poly in the The Gauchos opened up the tained a lead over the final stretch seventh seed for the Big West scoring two minutes in and didn’t of the game.

Conference Tournament, where let up the entire game.

Overall, the Mustangs only they will face off against second “They came out and punched us made 25 percent of their beyond seed UC Davis in Anaheim on in the face,” junior forward Luke the arc attempts and 30.5 percent Thursday at noon.

Meikle said. “It’s hard to play of shots on the field.

Despite the upset, Callero make-up ball, especially when “It’s pretty deflating, not ev- is hopeful for the upcoming you’re not making shots.” erything goes your way,” Shipley tournament.

Fields, led with 10 points, said. “It’s part of the game, and “At one point we were 0-5 in knocked in two shots from it’s how you react to it.” conference play. A lot of teams beyond the arc to answer the For the first time under Call- pack it in there,” Callero said.

Gauchos’ early scoring. Fields’ ero, the Mustangs had zero free “This team, with Shipley’s leadresponse wasn’t enough, as the throw attempts. ership, Gordon’s consistency and Gauchos regained the lead.

“I can’t remember coaching a effort, Toth’s laser like focus…

Shipley’s three-pointer brought game in my life where we never they just bounce back.” the Gauchos’ lead down to 27-23.

That score remained over the final four minutes of the half.

“Credit them for sticking with it and really having a nice tight zone,” Callero said. “We had seven assists and 12 turnovers.

You can’t beat a zone [defense] with that.”

A steal by junior guard Victor Joseph 30 seconds into the second half led to a jump shot by Meikle, creating a two point deficit for the Mustangs at the top of the half. However, with 12 minutes left in the game, the Gauchos were leading by 16 points.

With 6:30 remaining, a second steal by Joseph and a defensive board by Gordon cut the Guacho NOAH SADLER | MUSTA NG NE W S lead in half, making it 49-41.

UCSB | The team’s seventh consecutive loss to UCSB came on senior night.

The Mustangs came out cold, shooting just 11 for 32 in the first half. Apart from Lynn’s 12 points, it was tough going for the Mustangs’ offense on a night when they only shot 38 percent from the field.

After halftime, the Gauchos went on a 9-2 run after Lovely’s jumper to start the third quarter. With two minutes left in the third quarter, UC Santa Barbara got out to a 17-point lead that proved too much for

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th

the Mustangs to overcome in the final quarter.

Despite sitting sixth in the Big West heading into this week’s conference tournament, the team remains optimistic about their chances.

“That’s what so crazy about our conference,” Gilbert said.

“Anyone can beat anyone, the rankings really don’t matter.”

The Mustangs have seven conference wins this season, three of which came against the top

two teams in the Big West. With the strong defensive effort in the win against Fullerton Wednesday night, Dynn said the team has the right mindset heading into the tournament.

“We needed this energy going into the tournament next week,” she said. “And now we have so much confidence going into the tournament.”

The Mustangs open the tournament Tuesday night against Hawaii (10-17, 6-9) at 8:30 p.m.