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Knocked out Concussions in college athletes
HEAD TR AUMA
PHOTO ILLUSTR ATION BY CHRIS GATELE Y | MUSTA NG NE W S
| College athletes may have concussions that lead to problems with brain function, preventing them from playing professionally and therefore keeping them from receiving resources to help with any medical problems.
Ayrton Ostly @ ayrtonostly
Noah Letuligasenoa has played football since he was nine years old. But as of last spring, he will never play another snap. The reason? Seven diagnosed concussions in 11 years. The impacts may have differed in nature, but his mental state was often the same. “You feel like you’re in a fog. You feel like you’re dreaming or watching yourself do all these
things,” communication studies junior Letuligasenoa said. “It’s a weird and very scary thing to go through.” Concussions recently became a major talking point in the sports world. One may remember the 2015 film “Concussion” starring Will Smith based on the discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative condition of the brain found primarily in athletes with repeated head traumas. The discovery
made by Dr. Bennet Omalu (portrayed by Smith) shows that repeated concussions from contact sports, especially football, could have a lasting degenerative effect on the brain. This condition afflicted many deceased professional football players, including Hall of Famers Frank Gifford, Junior Seau, Ken Stabler and Mike Webster. Unlike those players, Letuligasenoa won’t have a chance to make it to the professional lev-
el. The 20 year old had to medically retire from Cal Poly football after suffering his seventh diagnosed concussion during spring practice last season. “After speaking with the coaches and the trainers, we all thought it was best for me,” he said. Letuligasenoa may have a shorter career than many of his college teammates, but the problems of CTE or conditions similar to those associated with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s
could still be a problem. “What is the result of [multiple concussions] over time? That is just a nightmare,” psychology professor Gary Laver, whose research includes memory and cognition with aging, said. “The nature of the damage can vary from person to person. And depending on where the damage is or was can result in different specific symptoms.” CONCUSSIONS continued on page 8
OWNing the stage: Cal Poly women share their stories Rachel Mesaros Special to Mustang News
For the second year in a row, the sold out show ended in a standing ovation. Original Women’s Narratives (OWN): PowHerful Voices of Storytelling returned to Chumash Auditorium April 28 and featured a cast of Cal Poly women sharing their stories of intersecting identities and performing personal poems, letters, testimonies and monologues. Graphic communication senior Morgan Gutierrez was an audience member when she saw the show last year, but immediately knew she had to get involved in production. “After I saw it, I felt instant regret. I had to be a part of it this year,” Gutierrez said. Gutierrez works with the Gender Equity Center (GEC) and offered to help with graphic design and marketing for OWN. At the last minute, she decided to audition and was cast to present two different pieces for the show. The event was inspired by the well-known episodic play “The
Vagina Monologues.” The GEC put on that play for several years but decided an original, more inclusive platform would empower female-identifying students to present stories of their own. The on-campus organization is not alone in their thinking. Other colleges around the country also started looking for new ways to share the experiences of women outside the confines of tradition. Both this year and last, OWN performers covered topics such as feminism, gender, race, family, mental health and the life of a woman in college. Students of any year, major and background could submit a piece about a topic of their choosing. However, selected writings were not always read by the authors. Guiterrez read anonymously submitted pieces. “It is such an honor to be able to deliver these stories of Cal Poly women,” Gutierrez said. “It’s hard being a woman here. It’s hard being any sort of underrepresented group at Cal Poly.” OWN continued on page 3
Grow Nodes: A new approach to growing marijuana James Hayes @ jimbles_hayes
In November, California voted yes on Proposition 64 allowing everyone older than 21 to grow up to six marijuana plants in their home. However, growing marijuana plants indoors has many variables, and can be a complicated process to learn. In an effort to make growing a possibility for everyone, five Cal Poly students are creating a device that streamlines the growing process and educates the user on how to grow effectively. Business administration junior Andrew Kamegawa, along with business administration sophomore Rees Bayba, business administration freshman Lysander Mahilum, computer science junior Alexa Drenick and industrial technology senior Kevin Yae, developed an automated growing system they named Grow Nodes. The device is paired with an app that lets the user know when to care for the plant. NODES continued on page 3
JESSI ARMSTRONG | COURTE SY PHOTO
POWHER | OWN producer Vanaaisha Pamnami wore a vagina costume.
POT PROGRESS
ANDRE W EPPERSON | MUSTA NG NE W S
| Five Cal Poly students are creating a device, Grow Nodes, to educate users on how to grow marijuana effectively.
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