May 11, 2017 by Mustang News

Thursday, May 11, 2017

C a l P o ly, S a n L u i s O b i s p o

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

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

Cal Poly caveman Psychology lecturer builds art caves under his house

TREASURE

AUDR A WRIGHT | COURTE SY PHOTO

| For more than 20 years Swenson has built a cave network under his house with different themed rooms. The room pictured above is the Great Hall, also known as the “Pirates of the Caribbean” room. Sara Portnoy Special to Mustang News

Leland Swenson finished his office hours at Cal Poly, drove home and relaxed in his underground cave with his dog. For 20 years, the psychology lecturer built a cave network beneath his property in San Luis Obispo County.

How a comic book started it all Swenson said he felt fulfilled in the scientific area of his life, but his artistic side needed an outlet. Inspired by a comic book series he read as a child, Swenson decided digging a cave would be a way to express his creativity. “When I was a kid, I was a big fan of ‘Batman’ comics, and of course Batman has a cave, the

Batcave,” Swenson said. “I grew up in Michigan and our soil was sand, so I would try digging caves, but they would collapse.” With no previous knowledge about cave digging or engineering, Swenson’s building experience was a process of trial and error. “We moved to this property in 1995, and there was this ridge and there was a little depression in the earth, so I started digging at

it and I got about four or five feet in within a year,” he said. “It was tremendously hard work. Then I tried gunpowder, and that was pretty random and it was faster, and then I rented a jackhammer and that worked. You just learn through experience, and it drives some of my engineer friends crazy because I didn’t use any equations and it’s still here.” One immediate problem that

arose was deciding what to do with the excess material. “All the branches and organic debris, I put it on the edge of the outside of the cave and put dirt on top of it, which is called sequestering, and there’s no carbon release to the environment,” Swenson said. CAVEMAN continued on page 4

Logging team wins first place at regional competition Cecilia Seiter @ cseiter17

The Cal Poly logging team dominated at the Association of Western Forestry Clubs (AWFC) competition in April, taking home the first place title and nabbing four of six spots for top male competitors. Northern Arizona University hosted the competition which consisted of more than 20 logging events, including chopping, sawing, log rolling and wood and plant identification. Cal Poly performed best in the men’s single buck, in which one person cuts through a log with a crosscut saw as fast as possible. The top three spots went to Cal Poly competitors. The team also won first place in dendrology, traverse and wood identification events.

NATHAN DOHERT Y | COURTE SY PHOTO

FUNKY | The magazine was created by two students wanting to showcase the authenticity of the Central Coast.

Respect the Funk: The cornerstone of Cal Poly creativity Michael Frank @ frankmichaelss

LOGGING continued on page 3

UP AND UP

CAL POLY LOGGING | COURTE SY PHOTO

| The logging team traveled to Arizona where they competed in more than 20 events.

One word can create a movement. One word can ignite passion. One word can change the way people look at the world. Sometimes, it only takes one word. For two Cal Poly students, that word was “funk.” Respect the Funk is a new magazine that brings together the creativity of San Luis Obispo artists to showcase a variety of artistic forms. The pictures, drawings and stories throughout the magazine embody the idea of living a free and funky life. The magazine is a countercultural movement created by Cal Poly juniors Nathan Doherty and Marion Beacham. “There are a lot of normalities at Cal Poly and a lot of people that are trying to fit into some

cookie cutter mold,” environmental management and protection junior Doherty said. “We just asked, ‘Where’s the funk, man?’” Both Doherty and art and design junior Beacham emphasized the authenticity of the magazine. “It’s an authentic portrayal of what our life is like here. It’s a collective demonstration of how we see the world,” Doherty said. “It’s a movement of authenticity that they can be a part of. Respect the Funk is an open door. It’s a compilation of art. It’s allowing a child’s drawing to be a sufficient expression of life.” Finding inspiration Last summer, when Doherty went to Burning Man — an annual gathering in Black Rock Desert, Nevada — he saw something that he hadn’t seen before: seemingly crazy ideas coming

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

to life. The event, influenced by 10 main principles including “radical” inclusion, cooperation and civic responsibility, inspired Doherty to bring this vision to life, despite his young age and lack of resources. But because of these limitations, he realized he needed some help. “Amazing things aren’t done by yourself,” Doherty said. “You meet up with other people that are also doing awesome things and you work together to create something better than anything you could’ve done by yourself.” A few months later in December, Doherty told his close friend Beacham about his idea to create a platform showcasing the creativity of the Central Coast. The pair immediately teamed up. FUNK continued on page 5

NEWS 2

MUSTANG NEWS

Artificial insemination: A deeper look into DSCI 330 Katelyn Piziali Special to Mustang News

All eyes were on Rachel Gantman. She was shoulder-deep inside the rectum of a Cal Poly dairy cow when she realized something was wrong. She had explored different cows’ rectal tracts many times before, but never had one felt this warm and sticky. As she heard the plastic glove crinkle on one of her arms, she looked down and saw her mistake — the protective plastic was, in fact, on the wrong arm. Gantman’s ungloved arm was now up to her armpit inside the cow, caked with ripe manure from its rectal tract. As classmates gawked in amusement, Gantman did what any other teaching assistant would — retracted her arm, flicked off the thick manure in one swift thwack and continued helping a student accomplish the task at hand: feeling for the cow’s cervix through its rectal wall. For Artificial Insemination and Embryo Biotechnology (DSCI 330) students, this is just another day of Learn by Doing. A new type of learning Artificial Insemination and Embryo Biotechnology, a course typically offered fall quarter and open to all majors, promises to teach students everything they need to know about artificially inseminating a dairy cow. In lectures and labs, students learn and practice techniques in collecting, evaluating and processing semen, as well as performing insemination procedures. They learn how to diagnose fertility problems and treat reproductive disorders, and become familiar with embryo culturing, manipulation and transfer. Animal science professor Dr. Joy Altermatt warns that the class is not for those who dislike smelling, seeing and touching manure. “If people are not covered with

manure, they’re not doing their job,” Altermatt said. “You can’t be afraid of biological materials to be in this class.” For those who can get past the stench and decide to enroll, be prepared for a new approach to learning, Altermatt said. “They’ll certainly be exposed to a world that they might not have believed had existed,” Altermatt said. “The students have to learn in a whole new way. It’s not just intellectual concepts, it’s a physical challenge. Their hands have to learn concepts that their brain can’t just pick up from reading or a lecture.” To Altermatt, the best part of teaching the course is working up close with the dairy cows. “The cows teach the students even more than I do,” Altermatt said. “It’s very rewarding to bridge the gap between the animals and the students.” Getting their hands dirty For animal science senior Gantman, nothing parallels the hands-on knowledge she gained from this class. “I’m getting practical experience,” Gantman said. “I’m learning more about myself and what I can and can’t do. I’m getting a lot more out of it than I would sitting in a classroom.” Gantman, a dairy science minor, took the course Fall 2015 to learn more about the scientific side of dairy reproduction. By the end of the quarter, she applied to be a teaching assistant for Altermatt and couldn’t wait to get more first-hand experience, she said. “Everything you learn and do in class, you apply the first day of lab,” Gantman said. “First lab, you go out and you stick your hand in a cow. You’re definitely given some guidance, but the teachers want you to explore and learn how to deal with unpredictable situations.” The most challenging procedure students learn is how to pass through a cow’s cervix with

BOVINE INTERVENTION

RACHEL GANTMAN | COURTE SY PHOTO

| Gantman performs an insemination procedure by feeling for the cow’s cervix through its rectal wall.

a sperm pipette gun. “It was just the most satisfying thing,” Gantman said. “The first time you pass the cervix, it’s like having a child. It’s so exciting, but it’s really hard. People think they’ll pass the cervix on the first try, but it takes weeks.” Gantman isn’t the only student whose thrill for learning in the class led her to take a teaching assistant position with Altermatt the following year. Dairy science junior Haley Witt took the course in Fall 2015 and served as a teaching assistant the following year. Witt learned skills both as a student and a teaching assistant that have prepared her for a future in veterinary medicine, she said. After Cal Poly, Witt plans on attending veterinary school

where she will focus on both large and small animal studies. “This class has taught me about different scenarios I may encounter in the real world,” Witt said. “If a cow is unable to retain a pregnancy, I could possibly identify why.” Witt and her classmates were taught how to use an ultrasound to identify if a cow is cystic or not. A cystic cow is one that has cystic ovarian disease, meaning its ovaries are growing cysts that interfere with the cow’s fertility. “If the cow proved to be cystic, then we knew why she was experiencing low fertility,” Witt said. While lectures were valuable for learning new concepts, it was the labs that took it one step further, Witt said. “If Dr. Altermatt had just

shown us a picture, I’m not sure students would have retained as much,” Witt said. “It’s that hands-on experience we received that really solidified all that we were taught.” Agricultural science senior Veronica Lemus took the class in Fall 2016, when Witt served as a teaching assistant. As an animal science concentration, Lemus was looking to learn more about dairy cow reproduction and how the process of artificial insemination works. “We had three or four opportunities to go inside the cow and feel for the uterus, the cervix and all parts that are necessary for learning how to properly artificially inseminate,” Lemus said. “We also got to extract oocytes from a uterus, watch the process

being done from a live cow and learn how to examine a sperm sample. It was a lot of work, but definitely supported Learn by Doing in every aspect.” Lemus plans to use her skills indirectly by becoming a high school agriculture teacher and an adviser for Future Farmers of America. Even though Lemus won’t work on a dairy farm herself, her first-hand experience will benefit the kids she teaches, she said. When it comes to Gantman’s future career in dairy science, all she knows is that it won’t be at a desk. To her, nothing beats being outside and working one-on-one with the dairy cows. “No offense, but I don’t want to sit in a cubicle all day,” Gantman said. “I just want to stick my hands up cows.”

Spending down, turnout up in last ASI presidential election Brendan Matsuyama @ CPMustangNews

The 2017-18 Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) presidential race that ended with Riley Nilsen being named next year’s student body president had a number of firsts. The election was the first in Cal Poly history to feature a spending cap on the presidential campaigns, set at $2,000. Additionally, it was the first presidential

race in the past five years where the winner was not the candidate who spent the most. Turnout increased marginally from 26.8 percent during the 2016-17 ASI elections to 27.14 percent this year. This was higher than any election since the 201314 elections, when voter turnout was at 39.18 percent. When a lower spending cap of $1,500 was proposed earlier this year, current ASI President

This is a special puzzle piece. Collect 2 from every issue of Mustang News for 2 weeks,and turn them into the Mustang News Business office. The first person who turns them in will get a gift card to Blast 825 Pizza and Taproom.

Jana Colombini cited concerns about decreased voter turnout in opposition. The breakdown All candidates spent less than the spending cap of $2,000. The election’s highest spender was business administration sophomore Archie Mitchell who spent $1,795.51 and received 18.72 percent of the vote. Close behind was agricultur-

al sciences junior and now ASI President-elect Riley Nilsen who spent $1,772.97 and received 40.63 percent of the vote. Chase Dean, political science junior, spent the third highest at $929.37 and received 30.67 percent of the vote. Biomedical engineering junior Davis Negrete spent $71.57 and received 9.04 percent of the vote. The cumulative campaign, which includes all candidates’

campaign expenditures, hit a historic low of $4,569.42. Likewise, the average amount spent by each candidate was lower than any election in the past five years at $1,142.36 per candidate. Overall, total spending in the presidential race decreased by almost $1,500 since last year’s elections. The 2014-15 election was the next lowest with an average spending level of $1,825.43 per candidate. Joi Sullivan, that year’s

presidential race winner, spent $2,696.28 on her campaign much more than her competitors. Overall, the vote was more split in the 2017-18 presidential race than in previous races. Riley Nilsen secured 40.63 percent of the vote, while previous winners Jana Colombini, Owen Schwaegerle and Joi Sullivan earned 71.22 percent, 48.14 percent and 63.71 percent respectively.

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017

DOUBLE TROUBLE

CAL POLY LOGGING TE AM | COURTE SY PHOTO

| Two members of the Cal Poly logging team participated in the men’s double buck in Arizona, which is when a team of two cut through a log with a double buck saw as fast as possible.

LOGGING continued from page 1

Will Kraemer, a bioresource and agricultural engineering sophomore and president of the logging team, was named Bull of the Woods for earning the highest point totals of all male competitors. Forestry and natural resources seniors Xander Winter and Chris Daunt placed second and

third for top male competitors, respectively. The top three female competitors for Cal Poly were forestry and natural resources seniors Alicia Streetman and Vanessa Shevlin and liberal studies senior Emma Stringer. Kraemer said that while he didn’t expect to win Bull of the Woods, he was satisfied knowing training throughout the quarter paid off. “What I focused on was all the

little techniques. I would go out to the logging unit probably four times a week,” Kraemer said. “I put a lot of time into chopping events, because that’s where you have to combine both perfect technique with strength to be able to hit the exact spot and work your way up the block.” Biological sciences sophomore and team Secretary Kyle Rozell said the logging team doesn’t have

a coach or a set practice schedule other than its weekly Friday practices. To improve their skills, he said, loggers must train on their own time. “There’s no regimented training plan at all on the logging team,” Rozell said. “Some people join the logging team and they do a few events and just hang out mostly. But you get out what you put in.” Rozell said he hopes the team

can perform just as well next year, when Cal Poly will host the AWFC competition. “I’m just hoping that next year when we’re hosting it, we can put on as good of a show,” Rozell said. “We are losing a lot of seniors this year who clearly made an impact in our victory this year, but we’ve got a lot of up-and-coming people too.” Despite AWFC being a compe-

tition, Kraemer said the inclusive, fun environment the event fosters is the best part about it. “The atmosphere at the competitions — it’s kind of unlike any other sporting events I’ve been to,” Kraemer said. “Everyone hangs out and intermingles and talks and camps together ... there’s no real animosity going on. It’s just everyone is just having a good time.”

Not so super superfoods MISCONCEPTION

CHRIS GATELE Y | MUSTA NG NE W S

| While acai bowls are aesthetically pleasing and seemingly healthy, they contain about 60 to 70 grams of sugar. Though the sugar in acai is natural, it should not be consumed in great volumes.

Cassandra Garibay @ CPMustangNews

Every year, new food trends arise as people prepare for summer. And every year, trends that have little to no nutritional value are mislabeled as “healthy diet” or “superfoods.” Superfoods are primarily a marketing ploy with potential health benefits, according to Megan Coats, Campus Dining’s registered dietitian. Acai, salmon, kale, quinoa and other vibrant foods are not new, yet they have been recently reintroduced as life-changing foods. “Companies are smart and realizing that that is kind of the angle and the direction that consumers are going,” Coats said. “And they will do anything to latch on to the next big thing.” Social media also contributes

to the fast spread of food trends. According to Health Education Action Team (HEAT) member and nutrition sophomore Corrin Kalinich, health blogs and fitness Instagrammers with a lot of followers have major leverage in publicizing these foods. “I think what those people are saying, not necessarily because of their credentials, but because they have a lot of following, it is easy for [them to make] those [foods] become a trend,” Kalinich said. Debunking health trend myths Acai bowls are known for being an aesthetically pleasing healthy food choice. Unfortunately, they are more of a dessert than most people think. Since acai is pure fruit and is typically topped with more fruit, it is extremely high in sugar. Coats

said acai bowls typically range from about 60 to 70 grams of sugar, which is equivalent to the number of grams in a fruit smoothie. Even though the sugar in acai is natural, it should not be consumed in great volumes too frequently. “It is definitely a misconception that they are a very healthful option. There really isn’t a lot of protein in them,” Coats said. “So you’re going to have a spike in your blood sugar and then you’re going to come down and crash and feel pretty crummy afterwards.” Another food trend on the rise is known as a Ketone or Ketogenic diet. It consists of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet which was originally intended to help reduce risk of seizures in epileptic children, Coats said. Despite its purpose, it has become popular among many non-epilep-

tic people. Yet it does not have any apparent health benefits and there is no scientific research to support claims surrounding the diet’s healthiness. According to Kalinich, if the diet is not balanced correctly, it could lead to a disruption in the body’s pH levels, which would lead to ketosis, a potentially fatal illness. “In general, I think that with a lot of these diets, some of them are considered fads and they could have negative affects on your health so it’s always a good idea to talk to a registered dietitian,” HEAT member and nutrition senior Jose Martinez-Luna said. Martinez-Luna said most people do not think of the longterm effects of jumping on a bandwagon. Talking to a registered dietitian and listening to your body are key elements to finding foods that work best for you.

Health trends worth trying Even though sugary acai bowls and misunderstood diets cloud the credibility of new food trends, some are actually a good addition to college students’ lives. Kombucha and other fermented foods are known for their pro-biotic qualities, Coats said. “When you look at real kombucha you’ll see that kind of milky substance in there and that is actually the fermented bacteria that is good for [the] gut,” Coats said. Alternatives to expensive health trends Trends, both actually and seemingly healthy, tend to be over-marketed and expensive. However, there are many other ways for students to live healthfully and acquire the same nutrients while avoiding paying for an overpriced meal.

“I don’t think you have to follow trends in order to be healthy, and even some trends aren’t healthy,” Kalinich said. “You might be eating all those superfoods, maybe one to five superfoods, all the time, but you’re not getting a bunch of variety ... so, in a sense, you’re not getting a bunch of different other vitamins and nutrients.” Simple fruits and vegetables such as apples and carrots are equally as healthy as most advertised superfoods, yet they are not considered life-changing because they are common. “Fruits and vegetables are superfoods as it is. So I think that making sure students are eating a variety of food to make sure they get all of the nutrients that [their] bodies need [is an equally efficient diet],” Coats said.

ARTS 4

MUSTANG NEWS

Students direct One-Act Play Festival HANNA CROWLE Y | MUSTA NG NE W S

BRINGING IT TOGETHER | Thirteen one-act plays will be featured in the annual One-Act Play Festival, all of which are produced entirely by theatre students in the capstone Directing (TH 450) class. Sabrina Thompson @ sabrinaswriting

The theatre and arts department will end its 2016-2017 season by debuting student-directed, oneact plays in the annual One-Act Play Festival June 10-11 in H.P. Davidson Music Center (building 45), room 212. Students who direct these plays are part of a Directing (TH 450) one-act capstone course offered to theatre majors combining performance, technical and script skills into the project. Students act in and direct the plays, written by established playwrights. Theatre professor and department chair Josh Machamer leads the students and helps them choose the best 10 to 15 minute plays to produce. “I give them advice about [the

plays],” Machamer said. “What I think is a challenge with the play, what some of the pitfalls might be with it. But ultimately, it is their choice and part of directing is deciding what they think is a good play.” Most of the shows, which range from comedies to dramas, feature a cast of only two actors per play. Few actors are cast in order to make the productions more focused on character relationships. The shows Thirteen one act plays will be featured in the festival. Student directors are involved in every aspect of production, including collecting props, putting together costumes and marketing. “Warning Signs” Written by Maria Rokas,

“Warning Signs” is theatre senior Meghan Trask’s directorial debut. The story is about Larry and Clarissa, a couple facing trust issues in their relationship. The two characters are simultaneously grieving; Larry just lost his job and Clarissa’s friend died. Larry and Clarissa each lean on different people to cope with their grief, creating emotional and physical distance between them. “I picked it because it deals with actual relationships and communication,” Trask said. “Also it tackles grief and how people deal with that.”. “Scheherezade” Theater junior Ryan Doebler’s directs Emily Roderer’s “Scheherazade,” which tells the story of a man and a girl on a boat looking to believe in something.

Doebler said he hopes to remind people to interact and play with the people around them through this play. To bring the performance to life, Doebler has been taking his actors to Avila Beach to bring them closer to the play’s setting on the ocean. “How I like to direct, you know you have point A and point B, and you have to get there, but how you do it is up to you,” Doebler said. “The Ketchup Bottle” Theatre sophomore Cassidy Cagney chose to direct a play written by Shipley School of Performing Arts. The story is about an elderly couple who get into a fight over a ketchup bottle. Cagney describes the play as a story of people learning to accept each other, even if they don’t necessarily understand one another. A comedic take on relationships, Cagney chose the piece in the hope of inspiring the current generation, which she thinks has lost some hope. Because the story is about

CAVEMAN continued from page 1

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Delving into artwork The cave helps Swenson find a balance between his scientific self and artistic self. Swenson enjoys ceramics, woodworking and oil painting, so he tries to include these things in the cave. Most of the artwork is related to his interest in mythology. “I’m about 30 percent Scandinavian, so Scandinavian myths have always been the most interesting to me, and they’re about primal psychological forces,” Swenson said. “The old gods all had personalities and administered different parts of the human experience. I try to create a space where some people deep in the earth can get in touch with deeper parts of their own personalities.” Each room in the cave is dedicated to a family member or friend. Swenson built his children and wife their own rooms with art reflecting their personalities and interests. For instance, his wife’s room includes a mermaid sculpture to represent her mythical side and one of his son’s rooms has an eagle sculpture to commemorate him becoming an Eagle Scout. To express his grief for the passing of a friend, Swenson constructed a room in her honor, complete with a wine bar and personal mosaics and sculptures. He tries to infuse meaning in each area of the cave, which now includes seven rooms. For Valentine’s Day one year, Swenson brought his wife Debby Swenson down to the cave to show her a carved “Valentine moose.” “It was her favorite animal with a heart over it and [I] said, ‘Here’s your Valentine for today,’” Swenson said. As the cave grew in size and safety became a concern, it didn’t sit well with his family. Debby remembers how much he worked on the caves and how she felt at the time. “I’ve always joked that I was a cave

elderly people, Cagney faced a challenge when looking for actors to portray the older age the script calls for. Her college-aged actors will manipulate their voices and bodies to portray the elderly couple. She called this the ultimate Learn by Doing experience. “I knew that my play was going to be about old people,” Cagney said. “So really I was looking for physicalization and vocalization.” “Jumping” Written by William Borden, “Jumping” is theatre senior Tori Waner’s first time directing. A story that involves suicide, political movements and loss of relationships through infidelity, the play deals with very serious themes. However, the story maintains comedic charm with the use of props and costumes. This is one of the reasons Waner chose to direct “Jumping.” In the play, a man named Jerry debates jumping off a bridge. He widow and the children were cave orphans ... We always had a fair amount of competition for his time in the cave,” Debby said. “I do have realistic concerns as a mom about it caving in, and as a wife that if he’s down there digging and there’s an accident or part of it caves in, I don’t know how I would find him or get him out.” Swenson takes the safety of himself and others seriously. He emphasized that the air is clean and that there’s a way to exit the cave from every room. “I do a little bit at a time, see if it holds up, and all the rooms have at least two exits, so that if there was a problem at one part, there’d be a way to get out,” he said. “The cave as it is now has three exits, so there’s always a bit of air blowing through it.” More than just a piece of art Now, as their children are grown and his wife is aware that it’s his way to express his artistic side, the Swensons have been able to find many different uses for the cave. It’s been a scene of Halloween parties, raves and wine tasting. “Over the years I’ve always been really active in fundraising and it has been a really great tool to use,” Debby said. “We’ve auctioned off [the cave] in silent auctions several times for a wine tasting and cave tour and that’s kind of been a neat side effect of having it. We’ve been able to donate it to basically raise funds for various charities and causes.” Swenson said no one who has vis-

then meets a stranger named Denise who tries to coax him down from the ledge. While Jerry has moved past caring about the things in his life, Denise cares deeply about a variety of topics. “It’s kind of looking [at] how they are in very similar situations and how they see each other very differently,” Waner said. “They start going back and forth until there is this final realization that they’re much more similar than they realized.” Waner said she wants to remind people through “Jumping” that although we sometimes feel alone, we aren’t. “It is important to look up and around before you leap,” Waner said. Waner plans to bring the information and experiences she gains from directing the one act play back into her own acting. The plays debut the weekend of June 10. More information is available at www.theatredance.calpoly.edu. ited his cave has been disappointed or underwhelmed. Business administration senior Maeve Keegan had the chance to explore the cave and get to know Swenson. “I didn’t expect it to be as big as it really was,” Keegan said. “All the artwork and detail he put in the walls was incredible. He’s got a really big personality and really loves art and is really caring about his family.” Even though this project is 22 years in the making, Swenson does not spend all his time in the cave. His educational background includes an undergraduate degree and Ph.D in psychology. While teaching full time at Loyola Marymount, he earned master’s degrees in family counseling and law. Swenson’s educational background has led to a variety of life experiences such as ride-alongs with the Los Angeles Police Department, research studies with monkeys in Japan and baboons in Tanzania and completing “psychoneuro diagnostics” for law firms to diagnose people with brain damage. Though a lot of his time is spent as a psychology lecturer on campus, Swenson still finds reasons to continue working on the caves. Even though he isn’t spending as much time in it, he’s not done yet. “It’s good exercise, I like showing it to people, and as long as I’m still physically able to do it, why not?” Swenson said.

ARTS 5

THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017 FUNK continued from page 1

“I had been wanting to create something since the summer,” Beacham said. “When Nate came to me, I immediately thought ‘This is it.’ I didn’t think it was crazy at all. I thought it was epic.” The pair set off to put together Respect the Funk, named after Doherty’s bike. “I have this really wacky looking bike,” Doherty said. “It has fur on it and is just super funky. It’s really hard not to notice. People would see it and smile and put up peace signs or wave to me. I would ride it to class every day and not lock it up. And no one would ever steal it because they respected the funk.” Bringing it all together Doherty and Beacham’s first task

HIDDEN GEMS

was finding artists to feature in the magazine. They wanted to find unknown people who were making art but weren’t being noticed for it. They hung out at the Craft Center on campus, Dexter Lawn, local art shows and surf spots. They talked to anyone and everyone they could find involved with art in any form. They found 20 local artists and photographers, all younger than 25, to supply content for their vision. One of these artists was local photographer Bryan Palafox. “It’s super cool to be a part of the original funkness,” industrial engineering senior Palafox said. “I want to spread it now. I found there’s this vibrant community of artists that see the world a certain way and if you’re one of them, there’s a place for you.” Palafox mostly photographs

nature, using long exposure to capture the beauty of San Luis Obispo’s natural surroundings. He was involved in the magazine from the beginning. “Nate came to me with the idea and I was just stoked,” Palafox said. “It’s really exciting to be a part of something from the beginning. I knew I wanted to contribute right away.” Palafox said funk can be anything, found anywhere at any time. “Funk might mean music, might mean beautiful art,” Palafox said. “For me, it’s photography. But it’s something that isn’t necessarily constrained by the structure around you. It’s plain expression. I don’t think it’s definable.” For Beacham and Doherty, Palafox was one of many artists they were excited to feature.

“Funky people are so inspiring,” Beacham said. “They’re people you want to look at and want to talk to. They aren’t perfect but they have such good qualities.” The first print Inspired by local music festival Shabang, Doherty reached out to the organizers to sell his finished product at the eighth Shabang. They told Doherty that if he and Beacham could finish the magazine by the spring festival, they would have their own space to sell their finished product. They now had a deadline. After finding artists and setting a date, Beacham worked for four months designing and redesigning the first issue of this project. Through advertisements and Doherty’s own investment, they were able to fund the project.

In early May, Beacham drove alone to Los Angeles to pick up 1,000 copies of the first edition of Respect the Funk. She ripped open one of the magazine-filled boxes immediately. “I was frothing,” Beacham said, laughing with Doherty. “When you see your work in your hands, it’s just crazy. It’s insane.” Four hours later, it was Doherty’s turn to see how his vision turned into a reality. “I can’t stop looking at it. It’s been three days and I still can’t stop looking at it,” Doherty said while flipping through the pages of the magazine. Even Palafox couldn’t believe that his photos were featured. “Sometimes on social media and Instagram you can get lost,” Palafox said. “It was such a gratifying feeling. I put all this work

[in] to get good at my craft and to see my photos with everyone else’s, it was just a great, great feeling. Now that it’s put on paper, it’s a static thing and I can always go back to it.” After a successful Shabang, Doherty and Beacham said they want to sell the rest of their copies and look toward issue number two. People already started reaching out for next year’s edition. Doherty said he hopes everyone who reads Respect the Funk is inspired. “You look at this magazine and see tons of creative art,” he said. “These aren’t professionals. These are people you go to school with. These are people you see at parties. You can do this. Keep trying new things. Keep being adventurous. Find the funk. Be the funk.”

NATHAN DOHERT Y | COURTE SY PHOTO

| Co-creators Doherty and Beacham looked for artists who hadn’t had a chance to publicize their work. They searched the Craft Center, Dexter Lawn, local art shows and surf spots.

Before I die I want to ___ Emily Merten @ CPMustangNews

Death is never easy to talk about, but San Luis Obispo’s Before I Die wall makes the conversation a little easier. Before I Die walls sparked global conversations about life and death through public art exhibitions. These exhibitions invite the public to write on a blank wall in chalk their “before I die,” aspirations. Walls in more than 70 countries were etched with inklings of hope for life by confronting the inevitability of death. Just Looking Gallery and Wilshire Hospice launched San Luis Obispo’s Before I Die wall Friday night during Art After Dark. The original Before I Die wall was erected in 2011 on an abandoned house in New Orleans by artist Candy Chang after the death of a loved one. Chang, along with writer James A. Reeves, developed the project to talk about common anxieties, contemplate morality and bring people together to better under-

stand what it means to be human. Wilshire Hospice volunteer manager Steve Willey said he felt that partnering with the gallery to launch the wall was a natural fit for Wilshire Hospice. He said it creates a mindful way to talk about life and death. “In the world of hospice, we realize that the best part of the future is right now because this is what we get,” Willey said. “This wall takes our present hopes and present dreams and throws them out there into the universe.” Messages on the San Luis Obispo wall ranged from “learn to salsa dance” to “attain enlightenment.” The wall was completely filled with entries within two hours of the launching event. “If you look at the wall, you can see the diversity of peoples desires, of their hopes, of their dreams, of how they feel about their life right now, but also what they think they might want to be doing in the future,” Willey said. Biochemistry freshman Ashley Calloway wrote that she wants to marry the love of her life before she dies. Calloway said she wrote on the wall because she appreciated

the way it could help create action. “You know the things you want to do,” Calloway said. “Those are thoughts that go through your head every day. But when you actually write it down and speak it into existence, it means so much more to you. You can actually go out and achieve it once you speak it.” Industrial engineering freshman Leilani Loo wrote that she wants to “discover the keys to happiness.” When she looked at the wall, she discovered that many others want the same thing. “I think the message is great because it brings together this community that I didn’t have a whole lot of faith in,” Loo said. “I felt like there was a lack of diversity, and I felt that I was different from a lot of people here. But getting to see this, I feel more connected to everyone here.” The wall will be on display at Just Looking Gallery until May 19. The gallery welcomes the public to erase current entries to make room for their own hopes for the future.

EMILY MERTEN | COURTE SY PHOTO

GOALS | Visitors are encouraged to write what they want to do before they die. The wall will be up until May 19.

OPINION 6

OPINION

Brandon Bartlett @ CPMustangNews

Brandon Bartlett is a philosophy junior and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not reflect the viewpoints and editorial coverage of Mustang News. In this article, I am going to talk directly to the people who claim President Donald Trump is “Not My President.” There is no real point wasting my time defending Trump nor in arguing that he may cause good, as many have concluded that he cannot cause any good. Thus, for the sake of this conversation, let us assume that President Trump is the backwards, hate-filled, idiotic bigot that so many claim he is. As such, it would seem only natural that we would want to set ourselves apart from him, to undermine and disrespect the power that a politically favored minority gave him. After all, halt-

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Return to Rationality: #HeIsYourPresident ing progress, which is Trump’s supposed mission, is halting justice. And what better way to oppose his mission of bigotry than triumphantly asserting our own virtues through a catchy slogan and a megaphone? My thoughtful companion below will comment on some alternative strategies for expressing one’s distaste for our current president. But allow me to submit a reason why claiming he is “Not My President” may be a bad strategy: it will damage your ability to create change in the future. You may not want to reject leadership as a whole, you may simply want to bring in a different leader, and this is because you believe that other policies (on, say, health care or the minimum wage) would better serve people. But

there is still a problem here. Seemingly, the reason that you have a “Not My President” sign hanging in your window is because you believe it will actually have an effect. There is

of momentum against Trump’s future actions. Why else would you so obviously make yourself the enemy of the fascist tyrant we are assuming Trump to be? But every attack on Trump’s authority is also an attack on the system which gave him that authority; by claiming that he is not your president, you are arguing that the process by which he was selected is illegitimate. The problem with this is that unless you are planning a full, guns-blazing revolution, the only way for you to enact the policies you feel are necessary is through the very system you are attempting to destabilize. A fair response to this would be “Yeah, but the Republican Party did the same thing to Obama and will do it again to whomever comes next,” and yes, you are

Every attack on Trump’s authority is also an attack on the system which gave him that authority.

hope that, by showing your disagreement to whoever walks by, you can help create some sort

correct. But A) your current action only legitimizes those childish and immature reactions and B) by weakening the system, you are helping to encourage similar responses in the future. So, if your goal is to instate as many of your policies as possible during the next presidency, then it is unwise to chip away at very the structure that will enable you to do so. Government is the great compromise, a system set up entirely because people will always disagree, so we should not be surprised when we are sometimes disappointed with the results. Even if Trump is as awful as you believe, remember that by living in the United Staes, we have all agreed to respect the authority of whatever fool is elected president. After your candidate solves all of our nation’s problems in the next cycle, you will finally get to say “I told you so.”

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Hunter White is a history junior and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not reflect the viewpoints and editorial coverage of Mustang News. It happened. He won Florida. The sky fell. Woe was we. Oh, how hard I tweeted. With righteous indignity, I shared tales of pussy grabbing, fake news and fraudulent universities across every electronic feed my grubby little hands could find. With the conviction of a Russian ascetic, I checked each new and blasphemous campaign proclamation daily, declaring each as the final nail in the coffin for then-President Elect Trump’s Chuck E. Cheese fascism. I was wrong, oh so wrong. To those of us lacking in snappy trucker hats who see not an America on its way to greatness again but instead a Kafkaesque nightmare so beyond the realms of reality satire may never recover, we must ask ourselves: What now? So far the answer has consistently seemed to be “keep whining,” with our #NotMyPresident and our snappy Facebook posts. However, I would like to offer an alternative tactic from a time before hashtags and glowing screens: citizenship. Gross, I know.

The first and perhaps most harrowing option you have is to actually get on your feet and get involved. Horrifying as it may be, volunteering for your local Democratic Party is the most direct way you can assist with the backbreaking and mind-numbing work of registering voters by either cold calling or door-knocking. You may take offense at the Democratic Party, or the very concept that we should govern a nuclear-armed nation of 320 million people on a two-team system, but the fact of the matter is the other team has appointed a figurative petulant toddler who seems to know less about the functions of government than a literal petulant toddler who knows the words to “I’m just a bill.” A far more righteous complaint is, of course, direct interaction with the public. By volunteering you risk running into one of the two sworn enemies of our cynical and overindulged age: either a bright-eyed and cheerful youth that dares to actually care, or a member of the rest of the general population who drowns in daytime television and Buzzfeed lists of the form “Only a True _______ Will Get These References.” If the thought of such people fills you with joy and optimism for the future, get on over to www.slocdp.org/volunteer.com and hit the

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MOVIN’ | Ways to enact change go beyond complaining on social media; you can donate to causes you believe in.

streets doing the heavy lifting that the preservation of a brighter tomorrow necessitates. If, like myself, the very idea of the unwashed masses sends you reeling back into the dark corners of the internet, you can still be of value to democracy and whatnot in the depths of your misanthropy. How? Donate. Go, open your wallet, make your own cup of coffee and donate to those who fight for what you admire. Whether that be

the ACLU, Planned Parenthood or whichever other group or cause you deem worthy. Finally, for the real go-getters, those of us who look in the mirror and see not a human being, but a HOPE poster (or at least decent cheekbones). Those of us who dream not of being in a movement, but being one: run for office. State and local elections are almost entirely ignored in our current global society despite their

huge impact on the lives of average Americans, and it is easier than you think. Organizations such as Emily’s List and Run for Something exist solely to support and encourage that perfect cocktail of egomania and compassion necessary to push the world ahead. Whatever action seems most appealing to you, for the love of God, do something.

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Gladees Prieur: Ultimate Cal Poly student-athlete Naba Ahmed @ nabaahmed

Gladees Prieur always knew she could run fast. At least that’s what her brother, CJ Prieur, had to say about his older sister. Gladees Prier (‘87, English) won a national championship in cross country in 1986 as well as two championships in the 1500 meters for track and field in 1985 and 1986. During her four years at Cal Poly, Gladees ran for the track and field and cross county teams. She also made the AllTime List for Track and Field, holding the fourth-best time in the 1500m (4:16.49), eighthbest time in the 800m (2:07.44) and ninth-best in the 5000m (16:30.34). Despite her success in college and after, her work has not been formally recognized in the Cal Poly Hall of Fame, something Gladees’s coach Lance Harter said is long overdue. “Hall of Fame?” Harter said. “I’m surprised she was never in it.” Her national champion status was a result of her lifelong pursuit of sports. Growing up in a West Los Angeles neighborhood, Gladees was surrounded by boys playing baseball, basketball and football in the streets. “When she was 12, she got tired of boys being boys and sought out a coach,” CJ said. Though she attended a private French high school that was not focused on athletics, Gladees went through her PE teacher to find a coach at the Santa Monica Track Club. It provided her with a roundabout way to compete in Califonia Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and all-state competitions. College Running provided an outlet for her to express herself athletically, but for an academic outlet Gladees entered Cal Poly as

a journalism major, reflecting on her childhood days putting together made-up newspapers for her neighborhood. However, Gladees found a better relationship with English and changed her major. A shift in her academic career didn’t affect her athletic ability. Rather, running for all four years is what kept her centered. “ To have running and school, was a really good balance,” Gladees said. “It kept me disciplined.” In the eyes of Coach Harter, she was ultimate student-athlete at Cal Poly. “I think she’s a source of pride for what Cal Poly produces athletically and academically,” Harter said. Her success did not go unnoticed, especially by her teammates. One teammate, Sydney Thatcher, was in awe of Gladees and the two remain friends today. “Now watching the depth of this team and her individual performance was truly inspiring,” Thatcher said. “When I watched her glide across the course and win, my thoughts were, ‘fierce competitor and pure talent.’” National champion CJ thinks what Gladees excelled at, especially with cross country, was her ability to kick into high gear in the last leg of the race. This was particularly evident in her national championshipwinning run. “It was an amazing race that came down to the last 200 meters. [That’s] when she just turned on the after-burners and left the former champion with no answer,” CJ said. “It still gives me goose bumps when I think about that race.” For Gladees, it was never about winning; her focus was on being the best she could be, shown through her national champion status.

“For me to say I wanted to be a national champion is for me to say that I wanted to be the best I could,” Gladees said. While Gladees was national champion two years in a row for track and field, her cross country national championship was most important to her. “The one I was really excited about was when I won the cross county championship,” Gladees said. “I never saw myself as a cross country runner, so I was really proud of that.” Post-college While balancing various odd jobs, Gladees kept training for a few years after college but was unable to significantly improve. But now? Gladees is putting her journalistic skill set to use. When she moved to New York, she found a job as an assistant photo editor at a small sports magazine. Despite recurring injuries, Gladees joined running clubs while living in New York. She moved on to ESPN where she worked for eight years before transferring to PEOPLE magazine in Los Angeles where she is currently working and has been for 11 years. “It’s funny, I wish I would have gone further; I want to have run longer and improve[d] after college had I not been injured,” Gladees said. “But it’s easy to say that, because I did get injured.” Despite her injuries, which provided setbacks, Gladees knew what it was time to shift her focus. “I stopped on my own terms,” Gladees said. “I really got into surfing and that was it.” Through it all, Gladees never stopped following her passion. “Everyone should really follow their passions,” Gladees said. “You can’t do a million things but you can do what you love and you can do that well.”

GL ADEE S PRIEUR | COURTE SY PHOTO

GREEN & GOLD CHAMPION | Prieur won three national championships in track and field and cross country.