May 15, 2017 by Mustang News

Monday, May 15, 2 017

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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

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.

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

NEWS 2

MUSTANG NEWS

Changes coming to 19 Metro Station Charles Rice @ CPMustangNews

This year, students saw major changes to Campus Dining — more specifically to 19 Metro Station. In previous quarters, Metro stuck to the serve-yourself buffet style, where students would grab a plate, use tongs and spoons to load food onto it and then find a place to eat. This quarter however, Metro deviated from the cafeteria format and aimed to provide more variety in their menu. There have been action stations where Campus Dining staff serve food directly to customers. For example, at the Mongolian action station, noodles, vegetables and the customer’s choice of protein are cooked, mixed and served to them in a bowl. “I’ve noticed a lot more rotations in food,” computer engineering freshman Arvind Krish said. Krish frequented Metro since his first quarter at Cal Poly and goes at least three times a week. “It also all-around tastes better,” Krish said. “Not to mention the food seems fresher and service is a lot nicer too.” Because of the timing of these changes, many students said they thought Campus Dining made them in hopes of attracting new students. The changes were put into place a little more

than a week before the start of Open House, when prospective students would eat on campus. However, these changes are purely coincidental. “A lot of people came into places like Sandwich Factory and Metro thinking these changes were made simply for Open House but actually they were made for the whole spring quarter,” Heather Nyznyk, supervisor of Lucy’s Juice and Sandwich Factory, said. “There wasn’t necessarily a big reason for it. But last quarter we conducted a campus dining survey and took into account [what] our customers wanted and we began to implement these things.” The survey, which was open until Feb. 26, was a simple 10-minute quest ionnaire about the quality of Campus Dining. It asked students to rate their satisfaction of various aspects of Campus Dining from speed of service to overall atmosphere. “The survey is done and was followed up by a series of focus groups that garnered participation from 200 members of the campus community,” Kelly Azel, a communication specialist with Cal Poly, said. “The response and participation rate of the survey and focus groups was tremendous.” There is also the issue of seat-

CHRIS GATELY | MUSTA NG NE W S

NEW YEAR, NEW FOOD

| Based on feedback from surveys and focus groups, Campus Dining is implementing menu and dining changes to Metro.

ing all of Metro’s new customers. Unlike the Avenue and Sandwich Factory, students are not allowed to get their food to go; they must eat at Metro. This resulted in a couple instances where staff had to close their doors until enough space was made for people to be seated.

The new system also caused staffing issues, especially during large events like Open House or Poly Cultural Weekend. Work schedules for Campus Dining are usually done on a week-by-week basis, but when there are events happening extra workers need to be called in.

Constant business also makes some jobs, such as running and cleaning dishes from the eating area, much more stressful. These changes may become permanent but right now Campus Dining is experimenting, Nyznyk said. “These changes could extend

past this quarter,” Nyznyk said. “The changes and decision were made by the executive chefs so I don’t have that much input but it’s definitely a possibility. Especially if it works [and] if we see that students really like it, I’m sure [the changes] would come back for fall quarter.”

HomeShare SLO connects students with affordable housing Megan Schellong @ meganschellong

A new program in San Luis Obispo county connects residents who have extra rooms in their homes to students in need of affordable housing: HomeShare SLO. San Luis Obispo is home to nearly 11,000 elderly people who live with extra bedrooms. If those extra rooms were offered to college students, the city could create nearly 2,200 housing units without having to build

new housing, HomeShare SLO Director of Operations Celeste Goyer said. “It’s a sharing economy,” Goyer said. “We are leveraging existing resources to create new housing.” Goyer said older individuals will be the primary providers of rooms rented by students. She also said the program offers students a quieter and more homelike atmosphere. Specifically, the program could be more attractive to graduate students looking for a more serious atmosphere. The program was introduced

to San Luis Obispo in 2016 and is still in the process of taking off. San Luis Obispo’s HomeShare SLO organization is one of more than 60 like it across the country. Currently, HomeShare SLO has 12 available rooms and 15 to 20 home seekers, according to Goyer. Goyer said HomeShare SLO differs from other online buying methods because it does background screenings, verifying the

HOUSING

identities of both the homeowner and the renter. “You know you’re moving in with someone who doesn’t have criminal records or have red flags about them,” Goyer said. HomeShare SLO offers rentals for up to nine months, making it compatible with Cal Poly students’ academic schedules. “It’s not designed for a summer lease,” Goyer said. “It’s more likely the student would rent for

nine months and then not have the unit for summer.” However, Goyer said there could be possible openings for three-month leases as well. The program requires that the renter earns $1,200 monthly. If college students cannot meet the minimum income requirement, their parents can issue a statement of commitment to make up for the cost. The written statement verifies to HomeShare SLO

that the parents will provide the difference between the student’s monthly income and the $1,200. Goyer said the $1,200 minimum monthly income ensures the security of the homeowner. “It’s to protect home providers so that the rent isn’t virtually all the money the student is making,” Goyer said. “We want the home provider to be comfortable that the renter pays rent, and more security is what we’re after.”

HOME SHARE SLO | COURTE SY PHOTO

| HomeShare SLO is a local program that connects students to residents who have extra rooms in their homes. It launched in 2016.

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NEWS 3

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017 NODES continued from page 1

KEEPING UP WITH MARY JANE

OWN continued from page 1

By allowing individuals to submit their work anonymously, the GEC and the production staff of OWN hoped to collect a greater range of experiences while still creating a safe space for women to voice their thoughts. The yearly submission process also helps the production evolve and stay relevant. The GEC wants to foster critical conversations and encourage those who are silenced to speak their minds. “Women’s voices need to be heard. Especially in this country, at this time,” OWN’s student producer Vanaaisha Pamnani said. “This production is doing that in a very positive, in a very fun and in a very serious way.” History junior Pamnani has been involved with the GEC since her freshman year and was in charge of the accompanying art installation for the first production of OWN. In leading the second year of the production, Pamnani said she found a support system and formed a lifelong sisterhood with the entire cast and crew. “I want all women to know that there is support on this campus,” she said. For Pamnani and the rest of the team, one of the most fundamental and important aspects of the event was the idea of intersectional feminism. Intersectionality is a word used to describe overlapping and interconnected social identities as they relate to systems of oppression and discrimination. Specifically, intersectional feminism highlights the importance of taking these different identities into consideration and understanding that each individual’s unique identity impacts the

ANDRE W EPPERSON | MUSTA NG NE W S

| The Grow Nodes app allows the user to monitor and control the growth of a marijuana plant.

“The app provides you with the educational experience and the instant connection to stats,” Kamegawa said. “The node — the actual hardware — has automated controls that automatically water your plant, control the lights and all that.” The app starts off with video tutorials about how to set up Grow Nodes and the plant. The app notifies users when the plant needs to be taken care of, such as pruning and refilling the water, nutrients, and pH dose. Each step comes with video tutorials to ensure proper care of the plant. Yea handles the software side of Grow Nodes and said the technology involved in Grow Nodes is fairly new which presents some challenges. “A lot of things there’s no established procedures for,” said Yea. “You kind of have to see what the other cutting-edge companies are doing and kind of copy them.” Kamegawa said he hopes to break down some of the barriers to growing indoors by making it as automated as possible and prevent common mistakes like overwatering and not having

enough light. “You don’t have to know how to grow before you grow,” Kamegawa said. Grow Nodes is not only a unique product, but, according to Kamegawa, their outreach efforts also make this product stand out. “We’re planning on documenting our grow process this summer,” Kamegawa said. “We’re letting the customers know that we have them in mind more than ourselves.” Currently, the team is on their third iteration of Grow Nodes. But because it takes about three months for a plant to grow and yield, progress is sometimes slow. “We’re going to be working on development over summer and beta testing will go on until next December,” Kamegawa said. “Hopefully it will be available next summer for purchase.” Kamegawa and Yea both plan to continue their work on Grow Nodes after graduation. “Our vision is to be able to get our product designed and be able to test it with at least 50 people,” said Yea. “Since we have data and sensors that we can monitor remotely, we can keep improving our product as more people buy them and use them.”

way they experience life. With the help of the San Luis Obispo community, student directors and performers of OWN brought the idea of intersectional feminism to center stage. Students, local artists and women from the juvenile detention facility contributed artwork for the EmpowHerment Art Gallery, the art installation displayed inside Chumash Auditorium at OWN. “What I love about OWN is that it’s not just a production, it’s ‘art-ivism.’ It’s activism with art,” Pamnani said. Attendees had the chance to see unique drawings, paintings and photographs that addressed many of the themes seen in the performances. After intermission, some performers delivered a VANAAISHA PAMNANI trigger warning to the audience. The stories included potentially triggering events involving sexual violence and assault. On-site resources were available at the back of the auditorium and advisers were there to help guests during the performances. Biological sciences senior Alexandra Wolman attended the event as part of a class assignment, but walked away with more than just participation points. “It was one of the most powerful things I’ve seen during my time here,” Wolman said. “Some of it was hard to hear but you could feel that everyone in the audience was right there with them, supporting them. It was JE SSI ARMSTRONG | COURTE SY PHOTO really powerful and uplifting.” EMPOWHERMENT | Women from the juvenile detention facility, local artists and students contributed artwork for the art gallery pictured above.

I want all women to know that there is support on a this campus.

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ARTS 4

MUSTANG NEWS

Review: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ delves deeper than the first REFLECTIVE

MARVEL STUDIOS | PROMOTIONA L

| While the original “Guardians of the Galaxy” is superior in pacing than “Vol. 2,” the sequel feels like a step up from the original because it further explores relationships between characters.

Greg Llamas @ CPMustangNews

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. In the past, I’ve made my disdain for superhero films very clear; the Marvel Cinematic Universe is no exception. The superhero genre is void of creativity. Seeing the same superheroes have what are essentially the same adventures over and over again becomes tiring after the 10th time. That’s what made the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” a great addition to Marvel films: it’s a fun sci-fi adventure with B-list “heroes” that didn’t take itself too seriously and was unique in a sea of repetitive slog. It was a nice break from the likes of “Iron Man” and “Captain America.” I’m always cynical when it comes to

Marvel films, so I was hesitant when going to see “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” Even with James Gunn returning to write and direct it, there were still plenty of concerns. Would Baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) be too cutesy or obnoxious and turn into a character like Jar Jar? Would this film suffer from repetitiveness like other Marvel films? There are times in “Vol. 2” where it seems the original film is superior in its pacing and action sequences. However, often it feels like a step up from the original, exploring the relationships between characters that weren’t fleshed out before. It’s a more reflective film than the first. I’m glad to say I wasn’t completely disappointed by “Vol. 2.” Picking up fairly soon after the end of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” we’re thrust into the middle of the Guardians protecting valuable batteries from an inter-dimensional monster named the Abilisk as a job for

Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), leader of the Sovereign race. Throughout the battle, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista) and Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) all take beatings while Baby Groot dances to Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky.” In exchange for their service, the Guardians are given custody of Nebula (Karen Gillan), Gamora’s evil sister. It would’ve been a successful mission had Rocket not stolen some batteries for himself. Realizing this, the Sovereign attack the Guardians, and they narrowly escape with the help of a mysterious figure named Ego (Kurt Russell), a Celestial with god-like powers who claims to be Quill’s father. Yondu (Michael Rooker), Quill’s surrogate father, is hired by the Sovereign to capture the Guardians, though he struggles with a mutinous crew. Presented with the opportunity of reuniting with his father, Quill is conflicted between choosing

his biological family or his newfound family in the Guardians. Much like the original, “Vol. 2” is rife with bickering and quips between the Guardians. “Rife” might be an understatement, since those quips make up a good portion of dialogue throughout the film, a decent amount more than in the original. There are plenty of times where the witty dialogue is still funny, especially from the filterless Drax, but it’s more predictable and makes it seem like Gunn is trying too hard to emulate the charm of the first “Guardians,” as the quips come in at rapid-fire pace. While the original film had to focus on origin stories for an ensemble of characters,“Vol. 2” is able to delve deeper into these characters and their relationships with each o t h e r. T h e love-hate relationship between Quill and Yondu is one of the most compelling elements of the film. In the original, Yondu is portrayed as a ruthless pirate that has a soft spot for Quill, despite wanting to kill him. This soft spot is fully fleshed out in “Vol. 2.” Yondu was tasked by Ego nearly 25 years ago to bring Quill to him after the death of his mother, but we learn why Yondu chose to raise him and break the promise to Ego. The reasons run deeper than Yondu wanting to have Quill as one of his crew members. Rocket and Yondu are forced to team up when Yondu’s crew — led by unfortunately named Taserface (Chris Sullivan) — rebels and imprisons the two of

them and Baby Groot. Interactions between the three characters for half of the film seem like a weird mismatch, but there are some genuine moments shared. Rocket and Yondu bond over having similar backgrounds. It’s moments like these that make “Vol. 2” in some places more impressive than the original. The relationship between Quill and Ego starts out fine. Quill inherited celestial powers from his father and in a cute moment, the two play catch with a ball formed from their powers.

18 minutes could’ve been cut. There are some wasted minutes that drag on too long, especially when Rocket and Yondu are locked up together. Baby Groot doesn’t do anything too outlandish for such a cutesy character, but when Yondu tells him to bring a replacement head fin (which controls his arrow), Baby Groot brings different items multiple times. It comes off more as a kid’s show than a funny moment in a “Guardians” film. While the original film saw the Guardians battle an army to take on Ronan the Accuser’s fleet in a large-scale showdown on the populated planet of Xandar, “Vol. 2” lowers the stakes for the galaxy but raises them for Quill. The main battles that happen throughout the film take place on Ego’s remote planet no one goes near, except for the revenge-driven Sovereign. The main focus of the film is on developing the characters and less on saving the galaxy. It might seem like I have plenty of complaints about certain elements of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” but it had something to offer. There are some things the original did better and some things the sequel did better, but they’re both fun. For a sequel, “Vol. 2” went to a place other Marvel movies rarely go: developing the characters. Instead of creating another adventure that’s a rehash of the previous adventure where they beat up a similar bad guy, “Vol. 2” is an enjoyable, unique film that’s much more impressive than recent movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

‘Vol. 2’ is an enjoyable, unique film that’s much more impressive than recent movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Vol. 2” would’ve been better if this relationship was pushed further. Soon after, it becomes blatantly obvious that Ego is hiding something from Quill and the potential father-son dynamic is thrown out. The twist with Ego could’ve been gut-wrenching, but from the first moment he’s on screen, there’s something off about him, making any reveal about Ego unsurprising. One thing “Vol. 2” doesn’t do as well as the original is pacing. With a run time of two hours and 18 minutes, some of those

ARTS 5

MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017

Anthem Poetry Slam inviting professional poets to campus BIG TALENT

KATY BARNARD | MUSTA NG NE W S

| This year’s Anthem Poetry Slam will be emceed by Simply Kat (pictured above), the winner of three Anthem slams. She is among several other famous poets that will be performing at the annual event.

Shanti Herzog @ CPMustangNews

Poets Rudy Francisco, Doc Luben, Terisa Siagatonu, Danez Smith and Janae Johnson will bring diversity and awareness to Cal Poly May 15 in the form of poetry at the Anthem Poetry Slam. Topics covered will include racism, gender, sexuality, mental health and body image. The show will be the 11th anniversary of the Anthem Poetry Slam. English senior Megan Healy said a group of students interested in slam poetry started Anthem after realizing the university lacked a space for the art form. She’s been involved since her freshman year and said slam poetry is a high-energy environment.

“There’s audience involvement, so you get to yell in response to the poem,” Healy said. “It’s a roller coaster of emotions.” English senior Malama Wilson said many first-time attendees think slam is a pretentious, quiet event. “People have this idea of what a poetry slam is, that it’s this quiet event and you sit there and you snap,” Wilson said. “No, that’s not what this is.” Instead, the lines between audience and performers blur. Observers can yell at poignant moments and empathize with the stories. “[Slam] is a very specific kind of poetry that is fast and emotional and has, you know, ups and downs,” Healy said. “Poet-

ry is meant to be read aloud in any case, but slam is meant to be performed. It’s super heart-onyour-sleeve, sometimes there’s [cursing] and mostly it’s about social justice issues and topics and gender, race, sexuality and health, all things that a lot of people don’t talk about. That’s why I love it, it’s bringing to Cal Poly voices that aren’t always heard, narratives that aren’t always told.” Anthem Poetry Slam is different from most on-campus open mic events, such as Another Type of Groove. Anthem organizers are flying in famous poets to perform with host Simply Kat, the winner of three Anthem slams. Anthem’s uniqueness isn’t lim-

ited to its impressive lineup. Poetry slams are traditionally highly competitive with time limits, judges to score the performances and prize money. This year, judges are the winners of Cal Poly’s Student Slams. The panel will select a winner to perform a third encore poem and invite back to next year’s Anthem. However, instead of paying just the winner, Anthem will pay each poet who participates in the slam. Doc Luben, the winner of last year’s Anthem competition, won the crowd with his poem about his struggle with mental health. “That’s something that’s not talked about at Cal Poly, [San Luis Obispo is] the happiest city in America. Thanks Oprah,”

Healy said. When Wilson attended her first slam, she was taken aback by the bravery and vulnerability of those who performed their poetry. “Everybody’s thinking it, you know, everybody’s felt that way,” she said. “So it’s cool to hear it artistically put.” As Healy described it, slam is a way to express voices an audience can identify with so they feel like their own stories are told and voices heard. Healy was particularly excited that Anthem would feature returning Samoan poet Terisa Siagatonu, whose poems about healing and courage were featured on CNN and NBC. She’s also excited to listen to rising

poet Janae Johnson, who speaks about her experiences as a queer black woman. “Voices [like theirs] are not common at Cal Poly,” she said. Healy said Anthem will be a space for touchy subjects to be talked about in a safe environment. In light of recent controversial speakers visiting Cal Poly, Healy said talking about these topics in a way that isn’t combative is the goal. “There’s been a lot of talk about diversity at Cal Poly,” said Healy. “I think this is the calmest but funnest way to bring it to campus from outside.” Admission is free and the event will be held in Chumash Auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m. Doors open at 6:40 p.m.

It’s a roller coaster of emotions. MEGAN HEALY

SPIT TING TRUTH

KATY BARNARD | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Tucker Bryant (pictured above) performed at last year’s Anthem Poetry Slam. This year, poets will cover topics such as mental health, body image, racism, gender and sexuality, among others.

Review: ‘Stupid F**king Bird’ a cutting portrayal of the human experience Emily Merten @ CPMustangNews

It’s not often that a play starts with a phrase like “Start the fucking play,” but “Stupid F**king Bird” is no ordinary play. Cal Poly’s performance of “Stupid F**king Bird” puts the audience in the spotlight like never before. The play, written by Aaron Posney, seats the audience directly on the stage for an up-close and personal portrayal of life in all its arduous glory. The play features a dynamic cast of seven characters, each of whom the audience gets to know layer by layer throughout the play. The range of emotions, from humor to rage to envy to sadness, will keep you on your

toes — as life does. The adaptation of the 19th-century Russian tragi-comedy “Seagull” by Anton Chekhov follows tortured aspiring playwright Conrad (Daniel Cook), as he hopes to write new, innovative scripts that differ from the plays of the prior generation. Conrad’s girlfriend, aspiring actor Nina (Meghan Hornbacker), contrasts his cynicism with a blissful hope for life. Happygo-lucky Dev (Aidan Turner) loves Mash (Maddie Pomaro), whose bleak view of her life matches Conrad’s, explaining her painful, unrequited love for him. Relationship dynamics turn on their heads when Conrad’s mother Emma (Annika Borg-Sundstrom) and her

lover, acclaimed writer Doyle Trigorin (Garrett Lamoureux), come to town. All the while, unassuming Dr. Eugene Sorn (Antonio Mata) finds himself stuck in the middle of the angst. The onstage seating surrounding the set invites the audience to be a part of the play. You can’t help but feel immersed. The audience participation is apparent in more ways than one. Actors often interrupt their dialogue to speak to the audience, even breaking the fourth wall to address their own positions as actors in the play. This is one of the many ways the play seems to make fun of itself. While the audience may find themselves entangled in a trap of love triangles, they’ll also quickly learn “Stupid F**king

Bird” isn’t a love story. The slice-of-life script makes for raw, relatable, heart-wrenching character dynamics. Cook’s performance of Conrad’s passionate monologues leaves the audience hanging on his every last word. Conrad’s strained relationship with his mother brings audience laughs in one scene and eerie silence in the next. The script’s overt gloom is coupled with a self-aware humor that keeps you laughing throughout. The play depicts the human experience and all of its emotional struggles. Yet, the play’s comedic twist is a reminder that while suffering is a universal human experience, so is humor. Both are parts of life. While slow to start, the cast

of “Stupid F**king Bird” creates meaningful, dynamic characters who resonate with the audience as they develop. A beautiful script coupled with a stellar cast made this

play unforgettable. A perfect venue for laughs and perhaps tears, “Stupid F**king Bird” runs for another weekend in Alex and Faye Spanos Theatere May 18 to 20 at 8 p.m.

OPINION 6

MUSTANG NEWS

Ask a Healthcare OPINION

Neil Sandhu @ CPMustangNews

Ask a Healthcare Professional is a series where the Cal Poly health professionals work with Mustang News’ opinion editor and biomedical engineering senior Neil Sandhu to explore health-related topics students suggest. If you have suggestions for future topics, or short questions about this week’s article, send an email to CPGrapevine@ gmail.com with your name, major and year. Short answers will be posted in the following edition of Mustang News, and new topics will be selected once a month. Sandhu writes this column with the guidance of Cal Poly health professionals and all information in these columns is reviewed and approved by members of Campus Health and Wellbeing. The information and column do not reflect the views, opinions or Mustang News. Always consult with a healthcare provider before making medical decisions. Allergy season is here, and if you’re like most Cal Poly students, smell-

Professional: Allergies ing the roses on your way to class has the same appeal as steering your ship toward the Sirens. Allergies invade every aspect of our daily routines, even if we aren’t the ones whose noses are turned into a leaky faucet. Twohour lectures are bad enough without the hollow drawl of your statistics professor being permeated by the sniffs of a stubborn classmate who won’t JUST GO BLOW THEIR NOSE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. Thankfully, the kind folks at Campus Health and Wellbeing have some solutions to make it through the waves of pollen unscathed, or at least make them a little more bearable. Do I even have allergies? The first step is to figure out whether you’re battling pollen or something a little more sinister. Allergies don’t usually come with a fever, so if you’re burning up, it may be a good idea to take a trip to Campus Health and Wellbeing. In fact, if you are unsure of anything the people over in the Health Center

(building 27) can point you in the right direction. Antihistamines Once you have unmasked your enemy, you need to come out swinging. The first tip we have is to run to the nearest drug store and pick up some antihistamines. Benadryl is usually the most effective, but it might just rock you to sleep, which isn’t going to be a net benefit to you if your goal is to pay attention in class. Zyrtek, Claritin and Allegra are all good alternatives, and may offer you better relief. If one medication doesn’t seem to be working, no sweat, just keeping shuffling until you find one that does. Antihistamines don’t need to build up in your system, so they should work just as well on the first use as they do on the 10th. Sometimes, battling allergies can seem less like a science and more like a game of whack-a-mole, to which Health Center Medical Director Dr. Aaron Baker from the Health Center has a cheat code: use two hammers. If one antihistamine

works well for your runny nose but leaves your eyes feeling like the Central Coast in 2014, add eye drops. Medicated eye drops that include their own dose of antihistamines can be bought over-thecounter, and add one more arrow to your quiver of pollen-busters. Nasal steroids are also available over-the-counter and can deliver relief from congestion with the same precision as Seal Team-6. Try mixing and matching oral antihistamines, eye drops and nasal steroids to find a combination that plays together better than Kobe, Shaq and Rice. Make a change Now comes the hard part: changing your lifestyle. No matter how much you plead, the good folks at Campus Health and Wellbeing will not write you a prescription for a hypoallergenic bubble. The first step is to sleep with the window closed. This may surprise some of you, but allergens don’t need a Gold Card to get into your building, so you’re going to have to lock them out yourself.

You should also be washing your sheets often to keep them pollen-free. It also might be a good idea to start showering at night instead of in the morning in order to ensure you wash off any allergens you’ve collected during the day. Let’s just call a spade a spade: Allergy season sucks. It’s hard to have a nuanced conversation about the sniffles, but if you are willing to seek out and employ the advice available from Campus Health and Wellbeing, you can still have a professional plan to fight back. If you have any questions about health, care, preventive measures or anything else that goes “cough” in the night, contact Director of Wellbeing and Health Education Genie Kim at gkim23@calpoly.edu, or stop by the Health Center for normal walk-in hours weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. We’ll see you next month for another edition of Ask a Healthcare Professional. Until then, gesundheit!

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| Cal Poly healthcare professionals offer advice that may help students make it through this particularly potent allergy season unscathed.

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CONCUSSIONS continued from page 1

The science of concussions In the simplest sense, a concussion is when a person’s head moves very quickly, causing the brain to bounce or twist in the skull, which in turn causes chemical changes in the brain. “When there’s a concussion, there is a disruption in the sodium levels in the system,” Laver said. Sodium levels are important, as sodium-potassium ions generate the electrical activity of neurons via pump-like structures in the membranes of cells. This disruption could be made worse by repeated trauma. “What the neurons do is they will develop more sodium channels to compensate for the damage and, if you have a second concussion to a system where the neurons have all these extra sodium channels, you’ll get a double flooding,” he said. “It’s like pouring salt water on the brain.” With disrupted sodium levels, the brain may vary in recovery time depending on the person. That could range from a couple to several months. Still, it can be PHOTO ILLUSTR ATION BY CHRIS GATELY | MUSTA NG NE W S

hard for an athlete to stay away from their sport. “As soon as it happens, I think you know you have one,” Letuligasenoa said. “But the whole mindset of being a football player is you just got to be tough and try not to talk about it.” Being tough could have serious consequences for someone like him. Though most of the research is exploratory due to a relatively small demographic of people suffering multiple concussions, the long-term effects can be dire. “If someone has suffered enough injury repetitively of this sort, they could easily suffer compound brain damage over the decades so that their lifespan is cut by a decade or two,” Laver said. “That isn’t unheard of.” Beyond the gridiron Often, concussions are associated with football, but they can happen in any sport. “Concussions are not limited to blows to the head,” Laver said. “They can occur shy of that. Tumbling or rough housing around or diving for a ball, all of that is fair game.” Journalism sophomore Lauren Pluim has had six concussions in six years while playing volleyball and field events. But some of her concussions occurred when she wasn’t practicing or playing. Her

sophomore year included one during pre-season training for volleyball while doing step-ups on a box with a barbell on her back. When stepping up on the box, her right foot rolled and gave out. “Initially, I thought I just broke my ankle,” she said. “I’m then falling off the box and the [barbell] hit the squat rack behind me and then I went forward and hit my head on the corner of the box. My teammates told me I was out for 15, maybe 20 seconds.” The last one of her playing career was in the track shed, when some pole vaulting poles fell on her head as she was grabbing some javelins before throwing practice. Like Letuligasenoa, Pluim won’t play in professional leagues. She’ll have to live with the consequences of repeated head traumas, but won’t necessarily have the resources to help with any medical problems that even semi-professional athletes enjoy. Some of those consequences were apparent immediately. “In the weeks after, I had decreased focus, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity and memory spottiness,” she said. “My biggest symptom was lack of ability to focus and I still have problems with that.” The immediate symptoms varied for both Letuligasenoa and Pluim depending on where the trauma was in the brain. For Letuligasenoa, it was light sensitivity and shortterm memory loss. Bright lights of any sort caused discomfort after a

couple concussions and he had trouble remembering plays after one of his concussions in high school. For Pluim, she felt nauseous and had trouble focusing. The long term effects may take time to appear. It could be a relative non-factor or, as Laver said, cause a shortened life span. However, Letuligasenoa wouldn’t have done anything differently. “If you really have a passion for the game and really love it, that’s a risk that players are willing to take,” Letuligasenoa said. “Without football, I wouldn’t be [at Cal Poly] and wouldn’t have learned things on the football field you can’t learn in the classroom. It teaches you a lot about how to be a strong person and a part of a brotherhood.” Pluim wouldn’t take anything back either. “The friendships that it brought me and the experience of getting to [play volleyball and track and field], I would never trade that,” Pluim said. For these two, the risk is worth the rewards of experiences and joy from playing their respective sports. It’s a judgment call many players make but can be incredulous for those like Laver. After Laver heard Pluim’s history of head trauma, he couldn’t help circling back to it. “You spoke to someone who had six concussions in that time?” he said. Yes. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, shaking his head.