May 18, 2017 by Mustang News

Thur sday, May 18, 2017

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

Party hard, pay the price

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

House parties continue in SLO despite the costs SOPHIE KELLE Y | COURTE SY PHOTO

HEADS UP | With the party registration system, events hosted before holidays that receive noise complaints and that are registered with SLOPD are given 20 minutes to control the noise before receiving a citation. Lexy Solomon Special to Mustang News

In a city that houses more than 20,000 college students, house parties are common. However, in a city that constantly increases penalties for house parties, students who live in popular party houses must juggle school, social life and run-ins with the law. So-called “party houses” are not average college houses. Known for throwing

outrageously themed gatherings and some of the most memorable parties, these houses are characterized by their receival of one or more noise violations within the last year. After the “St. Fratty’s Day” roof collapse in 2015, the San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) enacted the Safety Enhancement Zone Ordinance for traditional party weekends like Halloween, Week of Welcome and St. Patrick’s Day. During

these times, fines are doubled for public intoxication, public urination, open alcohol containers, unruly gatherings, serving alcohol to minors, possession of dangerous or deadly weapons and noise violations. Recently, the City of San Luis Obispo and SLOPD developed a party registration system that launched May 5. Residents who plan to host events Friday, Saturday or Sunday before a holiday can register the event

with the police department for free. If events are registered and there’s a noise complaint, the hosts are called and given 20 minutes to control the noise without immediately receiving a citation. SLOPD Neighborhood Outreach Manager Christine Wallace talked about the reasoning behind the new party registration system. Wallace explained the less time police spend at party houses, the more proac-

tive enforcement officers can be in neighborhoods. “We are billing [the party registration program] to every single person,” Wallace said. “It can be a kid’s birthday party to a wedding reception to a greek event, to a game night or a church group. You name it. We want to know and will want to help you avoid citations.” PARTY HOUSES continued on page 2

Exploring Cal Poly’s Dungeons & Dragons culture Sabrina Thompson @ sabrinaswriting

A large white table is scattered with papers and dice. Five players surround it. In the corner of the room, one person sits behind a short custom-made screen with a sign designating them Dungeon Master. They don’t wear capes or cloaks, but the players immerse themselves in the fantasy world of the game. During the next several

hours, the group will forge a narrative, their dice determining their characters’ fates through random chance. The game is Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). D&D is a tabletop role-playing game created in 1974. Often seen as just a stereotype of nerd culture, there is more to D&D than one might assume. D&D continued on page 4

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDRE W EPPERSON AND Z ACK SPANIER | MUSTA NG NE W S

MCLOVIN | For a fake ID, one must submit a photo that has a plain light background and is taken from the waist up to match real licenses.

How students get fake IDs Charles Rice @ CPMustangNews

ROLL PL AY

TABATA GORDILLO | MUSTA NG NE W S

| The success of a character’s actions is determined by a dice roll.

In a college town permeated with party culture, sometimes minors can feel pressured to obtain alcohol. Because of this, some students go out of their way to obtain fake identification cards (IDs) or driver’s licenses so they can buy alcohol on their own. Freshman Daniel (editor’s note: name and major are omitted to protect his identity)

recently jumped hurdles to obtain a fake ID. “Usually when I want to drink, I have an upperclassman buy alcohol for me,” Daniel said. “But there are times when it’s hard to get together; having a fake ID means that at any time I can go. It gives me a lot more freedom.” Getting the ID All Daniel had to do for the fake ID was pay the fee, which came out to about $80 to $90, provide a photo that met certain require-

ments, such as a plain light background and taken from the waist up, and provide whatever information he wanted printed. These requirements were shared with Daniel through social media. Daniel was approached by a member of an organization he’s part of and was asked if he was interested in purchasing a fake ID. While there are multiple ways to obtain fake IDs, Daniel said he thought buying one from someone he knew would be safest. Other ways to get

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them include buying them from online sources or even making them yourself. While some Cal Poly students are equipped with the materials and resources necessary to make fake IDs, such as laminators and heavy card stock, not everyone has access to them. Because of this, it is considered safer and easier to buy one that is professionally made. FAKE ID continued on page 2

NEWS 2

TR ASHED

MUSTANG NEWS

SOPHIE KELLE Y | COURTE SY PHOTO

| Between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., noise that can be heard across your property line violates the San Luis Obispo city noise ordinance. Fines start at $350 for the first violation, $700 for the second and $1,000 thereafter.

PARTY HOUSES continued from page 1

As far as those reporting noise complaints, Wallace said there’s a decent amount of students who make the calls in the neighborhoods near campus. “A 10-week quarter flies by, and if you have a really rigorous schedule, your focus on your academics may be vastly different from your next door neighbors’ not so rigorous schedule,” Wallace said. “We actually get many complaints written under noise-related from students complaining about other students, based specifically on the academic schedule.” The San Luis Obispo city noise ordinance states “between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., it is a violation to make or allow noise that can be heard across your property line.” Fines for noise violations start at $350 for the first citation, $700 for the second and $1,000

after that. If tenants are issued a noise violation while on the No Warning List — meaning they’ve already received a formal warning in the form of a Disturbance Advisement Card — the property owners are given a separate citation and are required to pay the same fine amount. The driveway house Computer science senior Johnny Abercrombie said the location of his house is one of the main reasons it’s a successful party house. Located at the top of a long driveway less than two miles from campus and nestled into the hillside, the multi-room house has two decks, a giant living room with couches set up movie-theater style and a lot of outdoor space. Abercrombie said it’s a prime party spot. “We have this huge driveway, so we are separated from the street. Cops don’t ever happen to drive by and see or hear us,” Abercrom-

bie said. “But we did get a $1,400 ticket that we’re still trying to figure out how to pay.” Whether it’s a holiday, a random Tuesday night or the weekend, Abercrombie’s house can be heard bumping loud music and there’s usually a group of people hanging out, often into the early morning hours. Abercrombie also thinks the timing of parties contributes to its successful party house reputation. “Sometimes we’ll start our parties after 2 a.m., and whenever we start late, we don’t get tickets,” Abercrombie said. “It’s only when we start at 10 p.m., which is regular party time, that we’ve gotten tickets.” The giant house Business administration senior Danny (editor’s note: last name is omitted to protect the source’s identity) said his house is the perfect party house because of the large amount of space. Located

less than a mile from campus, the house is essentially two properties connected by a large yard. Danny had a double-whammy when he received a citation. “We got a $700 ticket, so we had to pay $700 and our landlord had to pay $700,” Danny said. “We had to pay her $700 ticket, so it was $1,400 total.” Tenants’ and property owners’ citations are completely different. If property owners choose to appeal citations and the appeal is accepted, it doesn’t mean the tenants’ citation is automatically dismissed too. “[SLOPD] partying laws are really vague and they’re not really tailored to a student atmosphere, I think, when they should be,” Danny said. The notorious house Construction management senior Armando (editor’s note: last name is omitted to protect the source’s identity) said he and his

FAKE ID continued from page 1

ILLEGAL

PHOTO ILLUSTR ATION BY BJ YEBISU | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Some students buy fake IDs by meeting with the seller in person and paying them cash.

After paying for his ID, Daniel had to wait several weeks for it to arrive. Fake IDs are produced in bulk; therefore, a certain number of orders is required before the seller can fill the entire order. These deals are usually spread by word of mouth and through a long chain of people. All Daniel knew was the ID was being forged somewhere out of state. Until recently, social connections were required to get a fake ID. But now, things are different. There are several websites where they can be purchased. These websites price IDs differently based on what state they’re from — some states such as California are harder to forge for than a state like Ohio — and how many are being bought. Payment for these

roommates received five noise violations within the last year. He also said that one police officer doesn’t even ask for his ID at this point because he knows them. “Since I’ve been here, we’ve spent probably like $8,000 to $10,000 on tickets” Armando said. “One of the reasons we get so many tickets is because there is a retirement home next to us. We always try talking to our neighbors, we made them cookies and stuff, but the retirement home just hates us.” Armando’s house is on the No Warning List. If residents receive a Disturbance Advisement Card (DAC), they are put on the No Warning List for nine months. During the nine-month period, if the police department gets a noise complaint about the house, citations are automatically issued. “Our landlord doesn’t care. He’s super chill, he’s just like, ‘As long as you guys pay for my part I could care less how many tickets

you guys get,’” Armando said. “At the end of the day, you graduate with the memories and the good times that you have.”

are usually made in one of two fashions: bitcoin or Western Union, a website that allows buyers to meet with sellers directly and pay them in cash.

er Rammy Aburashed said. “I think they’re attracted by our variety in beers. We have around 16 beers on tap and a whole variety of bottles available for sale. But when we catch people with fake IDs, we are required to call the police. All of our staff does a good job with spotting fakes; they go through their training and if they accidentally sell beer to a minor, the employee can get fined around $5,000.” Daniel is among students with fake IDs who choose to brave venues such as Petra rather than bars. “I don’t think I’d ever try and sneak into a bar, though,” Daniel said. “For me, it’s just too risky and I feel like it’s not the place for me. I would much rather buy from a place like BevMo or Petra, not necessarily a bar but somewhere that still sells beer and stuff.”

The risks Most restaurants and bars that serve alcohol require their staff to go through Licensed Education on Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) training. The LEAD program is a free course offered through the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The program helps small businesses reduce the risk of liability and possibly even reduce insurance premiums for restaurants. While many restaurants require this training, the licenses obtained at the end of the course do not expire. “We actually catch a lot of people with fake IDs,” Petra co-own-

The spirit lodge Microbiology junior Zach Landry has had a positive experience living in a more family-oriented neighborhood. Landry’s house is smaller, but full of unique decorations, curtains and tapestries, which led to it being nicknamed the “spirit lodge.” “The first day that these neighbors moved in, he met me and I was talking to him, and told him I was having some friends over tonight,” Landry said. “He was like ‘Oh okay great’ in a surprised tone; ‘I don’t call the cops.’ They just kind of do their own thing.” The San Luis Obispo City Council is responsible for determining the cost of noise violations. Specific noise ordinances are on their website.

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017

STUDENT ACTIVISM

HANNA CROWLEY | MUSTA NG NE W S

| When Milo Yiannopoulos spoke at Cal Poly in January, students protested his talk in front of the University Union and lined the fences that surrounded the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre.

How much has Cal Poly’s political climate changed? James Tweet Special to Mustang News

Thousands of guests attended this year’s Open House. As prospective students and families toured the event promoting campus life, they came across a jarringly different scene: a student protest underway near Robert E. Kennedy Library and Dexter Lawn. Members of Students for Quality Education (SQE) and Queer Student Union (QSU) gathered in opposition to the recently voted-in California State University (CSU) tuition increase and social inequalities on campus. Increase of student activism on campus College campuses were part of the political activism that surged during 2016. Cal Poly was no exception. The university’s student activism this academic year is significant because of its imp ac t and c o nt r a s t to previous years. Political science s enior Hanna h Quitugua said she noticed this increase during her time at Cal Poly. “The political climate on campus has changed so much,” Quitugua said. “When I was a freshman, I don’t think I ever saw a student protest.” Quitugua is currently taking a course on activism and thinks the overall political climate is reminiscent of the 1960s. She said the contrast with previous years of no student activism at Cal Poly can partially be explained by the campus’ demographic. “I think [the conservative majority] has a really big part as to why there hasn’t been as much activism before [at Cal Poly], and I feel like a lot of liberal voices kind of felt silenced by that a lot of the time,” she said. Quitugua thinks the election served as an important lesson for activists and inspired the voices of liberal minorities at Cal Poly. “People are kind of learning with this last election that your voice does matter a lot more than you think it does,” she said. “A lot of people didn’t expect Donald Trump to win the presidency, and then a bunch of people who normally have underrepresented voices came together and elected him.”

collaborate as Student Collective. Groups involved in this collective are QSU, Triota, SQE and Black Student Union (BSU). “We have that understanding within each other and I think we’re stronger when we work together,” Lofy said. “I think it’s more on the side of a good thing because having a diversity of goals is important and having a diversity of ideas and tactics.” Similar to Quitugua, Lofy mentioned Cal Poly’s demographics as reason for the absence of student activism in the past. “I definitely feel like the general overall political climate here is [a]

away from this political apathy because of new visibility of political and cultural issues. However, Lofy also said she hasn’t encountered any protests or activism from more conservative voices or groups aside from exchanges at the Milo Yiannopoulos event in January. “In response to the certain events that have occurred, like the election and Milo coming to campus, it brings things a little bit closer to home and people are starting to think about politics a little bit more,” she said. “The statements that the president has made about women and disabled folks and undocumented folks, it personalizes it a little bit more because it’s not just this distant, nebulous political discussion that people don’t have understanding of.” Lofy said she hopes the rise of political activism continues at Cal Poly. “I feel like people are more inclined to be active now than they were before,” she said.

I would still say that this campus is really politically apathetic.

An activist’s perspective Business administration sophomore Micaela Lofy said her involvement in activism was a snowball effect. It started her freshman year during Week of Welcome when she was looking for feminist groups to join. Now, she is heavily involved with Triota — the feminist activism community — and QSU. According to Lofy, many activist groups on campus

MICAELA LOFY

little bit center right,” she said. “I would still say that this campus is really politically apathetic.” However, she said this gave student activism at Cal Poly its own identity. “It feels like student activism here is a little bit unique because it has to perhaps push a little bit harder and work a little bit harder to stay intact on this campus,” she said. She described a growing shift

The future of activism This rise in activism will impact Cal Poly’s future identity, according to political science junior Matt Klepfer. Klepfer is highly involved with QSU, SQE and Triota. In an email exchange, Klepfer said he thinks Cal Poly could become the next University of California, Berkeley in terms of student activism. Berkeley is known for being highly poitical, especially after Yiannopoulos’ event on the campus was cancelled after violent protests broke out in February. “The campus that I arrived at in Fall 2014 is significantly different

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than the one that [it] is today: in my opinion, a lot more students have found a voice and realized that they can make transformative change at Cal Poly and beyond,” he said in an email to Mustang News. The future of this change may already be taking root. Program Director for the Office of Diversity and Inclusivity Kari Mansager said freshman students are witnessing this rise of activism and seeing it as a norm on campus while upperclassmen question it. “I just think it’s an interesting clash of this incoming class,” she said. “From now on they’re all going to be hearing this and this outgoing [class] still has feelings of, ‘Does Cal Poly really care about this?’ and the first years are hear-

ing these stories of how it got to be and getting this message now.” Mansager interacts with student activist groups on campus. While she has only been at Cal Poly for one year, she has felt the rise. “Being new here and hearing that Cal Poly’s not really a protest-activist campus, I was surprised,” she said. Mansager participated in student activism at University of California, Davis during the beginning of the Iraq War and described how the success of activism can be challenging for students specifically. “In the short term, it can be very frustrating,” she said. “You don’t know until there’s been time to know if and how you’re having an influence.”

Her perspective on activism is that it’s good if it’s for the good of the public, which is why intersectional messages are important. “I think if it’s good activism, it should be for the good of most,” she said. “I think if you’re only thinking for the good of yourself or your immediate group, that’s not social change.” Through her experience and her time at Cal Poly, Mansager offered her advice to bystanders encountering student activism on a college campus, especially one that is witnessing an emergence of student activist groups. “Listen with the aim of understanding,” she said. “Try to turn off that judgement that folks may have.”

ARTS 4

MUSTANG NEWS

I like playing it for the friendships, and it lets you assume different identities. KEVIN BENDER

BUILDING A COMMUNIT Y

TABATA GORDILLO | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Unofficial Dungeons and Dragons group Mostly Associated started playing at the beginning of Fall 2016 and the members have been playing once a week since.

D&D continued from page 1

The rules While the rules are not set in stone, most games begin the same way. Each player creates a character with specific characteristics and ability scores — strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom and charisma. The methods that determine these scores differ with each game. These, along with the characters’ backstories and descriptive characteristics, are recorded on character sheets used during gameplay. The Dungeon Master serves as the storyteller and referee, moving the characters through stories they either make up or find online. Campaigns can last for a few hours to a few weeks or even months.

The story details are made up as each player describes what their character would do in a given situation. The success of the character’s actions is determined by the roll of a polyhedral die. The dice can have four, six, eight, 10, 12 or 20 sides and what the roll signifies is determined by the Dungeon Master before the player tosses the dice. The campaign ends when the story reaches a resolution. There are different aspects that enhance game play, like figurines and maps as props. However, all the game technically requires is dice and imagination. “Remember when you were five and all of your friends sat in a circle and would play pretend?” graphic communications sophomore Casey Everitt said. “It’s the same thing, but when

you’re five you don’t have as many dice.” More than a game The group of students, who named themselves Mostly Associated, play on a weekly basis. Members include Everitt, architecture sophomore Erika Kessler, chemistry senior Max Beck, electrical engineering sophomores Kevin Bender and Gabe Sartori and computer science sophomore Joseph DeLuca. Many members’ favorite part of playing is the social aspect of the game. Mostly Associated came together at the beginning of Fall 2016, and the time they spend together is not restricted to their D&D sessions. “When people say, ‘If you play D&D, you’re antisocial,’ it’s actually the opposite, because you literally have to be social to play,”

DeLuca said. “I like playing it for the friendships, and it lets you assume different identities,” Bender said. In assuming character identities, the players create fun and interesting stories, from robbing trains to burning down police stations. Each campaign is unique and creative. “I really like it because it allows me to be more creative in storytelling, which is something I want to get better at,” Everitt said. Nerd culture and beyond D&D is a large part of pop culture, its popularity shown by references in the media, such as in CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” and Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” DeLuca said though the Dungeon Master tells the story during campaigns, the players create the

most interesting quips often mentioned in movies and television. “I am basically convinced elements of storytelling that come up during D&D through random chance and between a bunch of people goofing around shows up so often in movies,” DeLuca said. “It makes me think these types of games are behind a lot of different stories.” Though a niche community, D&D players are present at Cal Poly and on the Central Coast. For 35 years, Cal Poly has hosted PolyCon, a mini convention for gaming enthusiasts. This year’s convention is June 23 to 25 in Julian A. McPhee University Union and includes a three-round D&D competition. Comic book store Captain Nemo Comics and Games on Higuera Street hosts weekly campaigns Wednesday nights.

Store clerk Benjamin Williams said sales of D&D paraphernalia increased since “Stranger Things” premiered. In the show, the main characters frequently play the game. Williams said regardless of age, people can appreciate the whimsy of D&D. “We all played imaginary games when we were kids,” Williams said. “It becomes kind of a release when you are older.” Cal Poly’s Game Theory club occasionally holds D&D campaigns during their weekly meetings, Fridays 5 to 10 p.m. in Bioresource & Agricultural Engineering (building eight), room 122. “I think the enjoyment comes from the escape from the day to day, the ability to be anything and have a sense of adventure while also socializing with friends.” Game Theory member Mellisa Ter’Avest said.

Protect and serve: Policeman teaches racquetball on campus Sophia Levin Special to Mustang News

AMANDA NE WELL | COURTE SY PHOTO

MATCH | Bill Proll teaches Beginning Racquetball as a volunteer lecturer.

Rackets swish and balls whiz through the air, slamming off the walls of the echoing white cube. Onlookers chat and pair up as they prepare for their next game in the tournament. It’s a familiar scene for Bill Proll, instructor for Cal Poly’s one-unit Beginning Racquetball (KINE 132). Proll tallies scores on a dry erase board as students take turns playing each other, emerging from the courts out of breath. As the last two students finish their game, Proll steps into one of the Recreation Center’s six courts to warm up. Now it’s his turn to play. One of the students, realizing his fate, nervously laughs and picks up his racket. Proll serves the ball, and the game begins. Only a minute in, it’s clear that this is not Proll’s first time playing. He’s in his element.

A history on the courts Proll is a sporty, stoic and quietly confident part-time racquetball instructor at Cal Poly. But that’s not all. He’s many things: patrol lieutenant, Cal Poly alumnus and county director for the law enforcement torch run for Special Olympics. But on Monday mornings, he dedicates his time teaching students racquetball, just as he’s done for more than 20 years. Proll is not an average Cal Poly lecturer — he’s a volunteer. Growing up in Danville, California, Proll was a tennis player. Somewhere along the way, he picked up racquetball and was hooked. He’s never looked back. “I switched to racquetball for some reason before I came to Cal Poly,” Proll said. “It’s a great cardio sport, a great strategic sport and I really just love the sport.” While attending Cal Poly, Proll spent his time studying political

science and playing racquetball. He said it was common for faculty to play racquetball at the time. Noticing his aptitude for the sport, the head of the kinesiology department asked him to help teach a racquetball class. “That was 20-something years ago … and I’ve been doing it ever since,” Proll said. Volunteering in the classroom Being a volunteer lecturer is not much different than being a regular lecturer. Proll attends mandatory meetings, diversity and sexual harassment training, and first aid and campus emergency training as other faculty members do. The only difference is he isn’t paid. His reason for dedicating his time to teaching the class for more than 20 years? “I just like it,” Proll said. “I like interacting with young people and it’s a great sport for people to learn.” On patrol The Recreation Center isn’t the only place Proll interacts with Cal Poly students: sometimes he sees his students at one of his other jobs, a patrol lieutenant for the San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD).

“I don’t announce to my class where I work, but somewhere along the way they find out,” Proll said. With a smile, Proll described run-ins he’s had with students off campus over the years. “A girl in this class was working at Lincoln Market the other day. I was buying a sandwich, and we looked at each other like ‘Oh my God,’” Proll said. “I was in uniform and she’s like, ‘You’re my racquetball teacher.’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, I am.’” Other run-ins with students are not so innocent. “People that have been drinking at night, I’ve had a conversation with them and I know that they’re in my class, but they have no idea who I am,” Proll said. “And I’m like, ‘So what classes do you take? … Aren’t you in racquetball?’ And they’re like, ‘How did you know that?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m your teacher.’” Though Proll said not a lot has changed since he was a student at Cal Poly in the 1980s, he noted one major difference. “I would never get into the school nowadays,” he said. “You guys are brilliant compared to when I was let in here.” CONTINUED ONLINE mustangnews.net

ARTS 5

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017

ART FOR THE COMMERCIAL WORLD

HANNA CROWLE Y | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Some of the artwork on display includes rebranded packaging for commercial products, such as art and design senior Matt Brennan’s redesign for Lucky Jack Organic Coffee Co.

Students showcase their work at the University Art Gallery exhibition Sabrina Thompson @ sabrinaswriting

The University Art Gallery has student work on display until May 19 for the annual Juried Student Exhibition. A long-standing tradition in the art and design department, the exhibit features student work made from a variety of mediums. From amateur artists to veterans, any student taking art and design classes had the opportunity to submit their work to the gallery. The gallery hosts original paintings, photographs, sculptures, videos, posters and product designs made by students. The 60 pieces in the gallery were chosen out of 150 submitted to two judges, who picked the works based on quality, attention to detail, execution, presentation and originality. This year’s jurors were Hillary Amborn, founder and creative director of Graphic Design of Seachange Studio, and Emma Saperstein, gallery coordinator at the Harold J. Miossi Gallery

ENERGIA

at Cuesta College. “Overall, I think it was a really eclectic mix of styles and looks,” Amborn said. “It was a really good mix of creatively executed pieces, all so unique in their own way.” The pieces on display range from mixed medium decoupages that use a variety of techniques and materials to large sculptures like a suspended desk and an overstuffed chair bursting at the seams. Some pieces are loud statements, others more subtle and understated. A selection of the works on display are for commercial products, either original ideas or re-branding for local companies. Art and design senior Antonio Flamenco has two pieces on display. Both are posters; one showcases a music-sharing app and the other is a new take on sushi restaurant SLO Roll’s branding. “For SLO Roll it was about taking what they had already established and giving it a new identity,” Flamenco said.

The poster shows Flamenco’s ideas for a new SLO Roll logo, fonts for menus and design templates for an app and website. “They always insist students submit one or two pieces. The fact that both of my pieces were selected had me really excited, since I only thought one would get in,” Flamenco said. Feedback The gallery held their reception April 20, giving the artists a chance to meet and discuss their works with each other. “I think every time you do art, you do it so people can see it,” art and design junior Linda Wald said. Her piece, titled “Overwhelming Greed,” is a painting of a woman with her knees pulled to her chest and her head bowed. The paint faintly covers newspaper clippings with headlines about the economy. “I never used to like to put my work out in the public eye, but now every chance I can, I do,” Wald said. “I think it is good for

HANNA CROWLE Y | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Art and design junior Zack Spanier’s design for Jarritos energy drinks is on display at the exhibit.

all students at Cal Poly to get their work out there and to have it seen because ultimately that is our goal, to be in the public and be making statements out in the world.” For some students, the Juried Student Exhibition is a chance to receive feedback. This is an essential part of landscape architecture senior Juliana Welch’s artistic process. “You always have those opportunities to do more work when you have someone look at it,” Welch said. On inspiration Though many of the pieces were class assignments, the

art showed depth and thought drawn from the artists’ imagination and expression. Some of the works on display were commentaries on society, others reflections on self-discovery. Art and design sophomore Grace Wodecki titled her piece “Reflection.” The painting is of a young woman’s face, surrounded by aluminum foil, some of it covering her face. “The inspiration, or the idea, was of self-reflection and the importance of self-reflections, the importance of being aware of yourself, your being, how you think about things and also the dangers of being too reflective,” Wodecki said.

A sense of pride For some artists, showing their work at the Juried Student Exhibition led to opportunities to create commissioned pieces. The gallery’s professional atmosphere also serves as validation. “It feels good to see people look at it and try and figure out what it means,” art and design sophomore Stephanie Indaheng said. “Also, seeing it in an actual gallery, a really professional environment, rather than on a desk or in a classroom [feels good].” The University Art Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Juried Student Exhibition will remain on display until May 19.

OPINION 6

OPINION

MUSTANG NEWS

We know more about penises than we do about vaginas

MUSTANG NEWS Graphic Arts Building 26, Suite 226 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

CONTACT Abbie Lauten-Scrivner @ CPMustangNews

Abbie Lauten-Scrivner is a journalism sophomore and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not reflect the viewpoints and editorial coverage of Mustang News. We have yet to discover 95 percent of the world’s oceans, and space may be the final frontier, but there is a far more terrestrial realm which continues to be shrouded in mystery. According to a study of 236 U.S. college students, 80 percent of men and 62 percent of women do not know where it is located. Many adults would be unable to even accurately draw a general representation of it. I am of course speaking about the vagina. Despite roughly half of humanity possessing one and much of the other half coming in to contact with one at some point in their life, the ambiguity of the vagina persists. Even the more visible external anatomy associated with the vagina is clouded with an uncertainty that lingers from adolescence into adulthood. This stands in stark contrast with the almost aggressive prevalence of the penis. From the time kids reach grade school, it seems nearly impossible to go a single day without witnessing a classmate crudely scrawling an image of a penis somewhere. Flash forward to college and you’ll still be hard pressed to find a classroom without an im-

age of a penis etched into a desk or on the back of a chair. Although this is silly, the message is this: we all know what penises generally look like from a young age. On the other hand, few young people could even describe the generic shape of a vagina let alone draw one. Although penises are more easily seen by virtue of being external genitalia, I see this a poor excuse for the stubborn, overwhelming unfamiliarity of vaginal anatomy that endures past young adulthood. The generic shape of other body parts is familiar to most people by this time. As an

organ so critical to the conception of life, there is no reason that such obliviousness regarding the vagina should persist. Even though adolescents are taught the same amount of information on vaginal anatomy as

There is no reason such ignorance regarding the vagina should persevere.

penile anatomy (admittedly, both tend to be woefully limited), the vagina is treated with extra indignity. It is so seldom discussed that those who have one are often extremely confused about it. Furthermore, this unfamiliarity can lead to many feeling ashamed of how the externally-associated parts (labia, clitoris, etc.) may look and function. Shame, embarrassment and misunderstanding of critical body parts is certainly dangerous for one’s mental and physical health. Lack of formal education means information tends to come from alternative sources. Often,

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA O’KEEFE | MUSTA NG NE W S

it is in the form of television, magazines and other media, which habitually promote a single, extremely simplified depiction of how a “pretty” vagina looks. Pop culture’s emphasis upon how the vaginal area should look is sanitized of variance and intricacy. The norm that mainstream media perpetuates is that this region left in its natural state is something to be embarrassed of. Size, shape, color and hairiness must be controlled and maintained to be desirable. The vast majority of those without this cookie cutter image are made to feel freakish. By the time teenagers become young adults, perhaps with a more comprehensive understanding of the body, years of lack of information or misinformation have already burrowed deep. This often manifests in embarrassment and self-consciousness over the way one’s body naturally looks. Resenting something that is a physical part of you can create feelings of self-loathing. The solution to this problem obviously needs to be a little more developed than scrawling pictures of vaginas on the back of desks. We need to find a way to eradicate the taboo associated with vaginas as that will lead to the extermination of the shame one can feel about their own. The first step is to simply be willing to talk about them. It’s past time we celebrate the vagina.

Go for broke: The JapaneseAmerican heroes of World War II Elias Atienza @ CPMustangNews

Elias Atienza is a history sophomore and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not reflect the viewpoints and editorial coverage of Mustang News. If you’ve stopped by Robert E. Kennedy Library in the past few months, you may have noticed a display on Japanese-American internment during World War II, when 120,000 Japanese-Americans were interned as a result of Executive Order 9066. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the order because of fears that Japanese-Americans were spies and saboteurs. Few people resisted the order at the time and many even championed it. When the war was over, many Japanese-Americans lost their property and jobs and were driven out of the communities

where they once lived. Despite these longitudinal injustices, thousands of Japanese-Americans still gave their lives for the United States during World War II. These Nisei — second generation Japanese-Americans — from Hawaii and the mainland formed the core of both the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Infantry Battalion. The 442nd remains the most decorated World War II unit in terms of its size and duration of duty. Over the course of one year of combat service, the unit of only 4,000 men earned more than 9,000 Purple Hearts. Twenty-one soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor, though 20 of these weren’t only delivered until the 1990s because the government’s refused to grant them because of the recipients’ Japanese heritage. A large number of the medals were awarded for bravery

and heroism committed during the 442nd’s rescue of the so called “Lost Battalion” a unit that was stranded in enemy terrain. In this mission, 442nd sustained more than 800 casualties and rescued 211 men.

The American Dream is meant for all people, even those who don’t have access to it yet. In their final act of the war, they broke through the Gothic Line to liberate northern Italy from Germany. Their motto was “go

for broke,” and by God they did, earning themselves eight separate Presidential Unit Citations, the highest award given to units for extraordinary heroism. We often forget that white Americans were not the only soldiers who fought during World War II. African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Latino-Americans and other minorities gave their lives by the thousands and the tens of thousands to fight Nazi tyranny and Japanese imperialism. We must never forget their sacrifices and the struggles they faced in the theater of battle as well as back home. The 442nd, along with other ethnic minorities, fought to liberate a continent controlled by people whose ideologies were built on racism, discrimination and the extermination of certain ethnic and religious groups, only to return to their own country and face discrimination, racism

and sanctioned segregation. They fought for the freedom of others despite not yet having freedom of their own. The 442nd represents the best of America. They fought for the freedom of a conquered Europe and gave their lives to liberate people they had never met before. They served their country despite the prejudice much of the U.S. held against them due to their ethnicity. Harry Truman later told the 442nd “You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice, and you have won.” They proved real Americanism doesn’t have to do with one’s skin color, only being united in the cause of liberty. They proved the American Dream is meant for all people, even those who don’t have access to it yet. May we never forget their sacrifices and continue to remember what they fought for: civil rights, liberty and the freedom of all people to live their lives.

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Printed by UNIVERSITY GRAPHIC SYSTEMS ugs@calpoly.edu Mustang News is a member of Associated Collegiate Press, California Newspaper Publishers Association, College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers and College Media Advisors. Thursday, May 18, 2017 Publishing since 1916 Volume N, Issue 52

FREEDOMLESS FIGHTERS

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA O’KEEFE | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Japanese-Americans, or Nisei, fought for others’ freedom during World War II despite not having freedom of their own back home.

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MUSTANG NEWS

Spencer Howard: Cal Poly’s next pro? Erik Engle @ erik_engle

As Spencer Howard prepared for his senior season on the Templeton High School baseball team, he contemplated what it would be like to play volleyball in the spring instead of pitching for the Templeton Eagles. After all, no notable recruiters scouted him for baseball, his best friend was going to be on the volleyball team and his coach, Brad Macomber, was considering leaving the baseball team. But Macomber decided to stay and, in doing so, changed the course of Howard’s life more than either could have imagined at the time. “I was naturally pretty good at volleyball so I was going to play that senior year but coach Macomber was the reason I didn’t,” Howard said. “There was some rumors going around that he wasn’t going to coach because of some political stuff, but he ended up staying. That’s what kind of convinced me to stay too.” During his senior season, Howard performed well as the team’s go-to starting pitcher. He could chuck a 80-plus mile per hour fastball with some sideways movement as well. Still, nobody came to scout him. Howard eventually decided to attend Cal Poly, even though his dad and sister both graduated from rival UC Santa Barbara, and try his chances as a walk-on. He made the team and, since redshirting his first year of eligibility, has been a magician on the mound. “It wasn’t life or death for him,” Macomber said of Howard. “He enjoyed playing and once he got to college and he got stronger and velocity kept going up, I think he realized ‘Let’s go for this and see what happens.’” Now, just a little over a month away from the Major League Baseball draft, the 6-foot-3-inch redshirt sophomore is on the doorstep of

reaching every little leaguer’s dream — playing professional baseball. In a recent article by FanGraphs, one of the leaders in college baseball data analytics, Howard was rated as the pitcher with the best big league potential in the Big West. As the data shows, Howard has been electrifying on the mound this year for the Mustangs by posting an ERA of 2.12 over 72 1/3 innings pitched. Perhaps his two most impressive statistics are his 26.4 strikeout percentage and 6.4 walk percentage, which show he throws a lot of strikes and not many batters can hit them. He still has two years of collegiate eligibility after this season, but all signs point to Howard going pro if his name is called at the draft June 12. “I’m considering it for sure,” Howard said. “It’s more and more of a possibility. Coming into this year, it wasn’t really on my radar at all.” Though Howard is doing his best to avoid speculating about what his future career might be, Cal Poly baseball manager Larry Lee sees Howard as a “perfect pro,” and

... he hasn’t let who he’s pitching against affect his mindset ... LARRY LEE

thinks he will go somewhere in the top 10 rounds with the potential to go even higher. “I think he’s cut in the mold of a pro guy because of his mechanics, his arm slot and the looseness of

his arm,” Lee said. “If you had seen Spencer as a freshman to where he is now and see the progression, that’s what speaks more to his possible chances of success at the next level.” This type of praise from someone like Lee is something to be noted. During 14 seasons at Cal Poly, he sent 63 players to the professional level, including three players from last year’s squad: Brett Barbier, John Schuknecht and Justin Calomeni. If Howard is drafted as highly as Lee thinks he will be, he will most likely forgo his last two years of collegiate eligibility and sign with whichever team drafts him. “Stats say if you’re a top 10 pick you’re signing,” Lee said. “I think each year seven or eight players don’t sign out of the top 10 rounds. I would assume that he would be gone [from Cal Poly].” As Lee pointed out, Howard’s journey was a rather improbable one. While his numbers seem to show that he has breezed through the competition, he had to work tremendously hard for the opportunity to play for the Mustangs. The backstory In his first year at Cal Poly, Howard’s spot on the roster was anything but certain. After making the team as a walk-on, Howard redshirted his freshman year to give himself an additional year to condition his body for the jump from the Los Padres League in high school to the Big West. “He wasn’t ready as a freshman but he got a chance to be on the field every day and learn about what it takes to succeed at this level,” Lee said. “He got in the weight room and worked on his nutrition, long toss program, everything that is involved.” Once Howard finally took the field in a Cal Poly uniform, he was ready. With one electrifying performance after another as a relief

ACE

MATT LALANNE | MUSTA NG NE W S

| Howard is second in the Big West in earned run average and strikeouts per nine innings.

pitcher in his first season, he became one of the Mustangs’ most reliable arms out of the bullpen. He earned his first career start against UC Irvine toward the end of the season and only surrendered one run in the victory. By the end of the season, Howard accumulated an ERA of 2.95 and 39 strikeouts over 36 ⅔ innings. Though he had some success in his first full season, Howard needed to improve his skills to continue playing a starting role. According to Lee, Howard was a “one-pitch guy” and needed to develop some secondary pitches to complement his fastball. Furthermore, Howard needed to work on pitching from the windup, something he had yet to do before his redshirt sophomore season. He took that next step forward last summer in Bellingham, Washington. He played summer baseball for the Bellingham Bells, a team comprised mostly of college players from divisions like the Big West and the Pac-12. Howard’s main goals during his time with the program were to fix his pitching motion from the windup, throw more pitches for strikes and develop additional sec-

ondary pitches to couple with his fastball-slider combination. “Over the summer I really wanted to try to throw more pitches for strikes, and basically just learn how to pitch rather than just being a thrower,” Howard said. “That was a big thing for me, transitioning from throws and pitcher to thinking about what to throw in what count and analyzing guys’ swings.” Howard credits most of his development over the summer to Bellingham Bells’ pitching coach Jim Clem, who he described as too overqualified to be a summer pitching coach. “I think he had head coach offers from [University of Arizona], University of Washington, [Arizona State University], a bunch of big PAC-12 schools,” Howard said. “His wife likes it there so he’s just staying there and coaching over summer.” In addition to developing his knowledge of the game, Howard came back with a fastball about 95 miles per hour and a mechanically sound pitching motion. He was ready to roll in the starting rotation. “From a mental standpoint, when we told him he was going to start at the beginning of the

season we didn’t know how he would handle it,” Lee said. “He’s been real good and he hasn’t let who he’s pitching against affect his mindset, or his routines or how he goes about competing.” For those who know Howard well, it comes as no surprise that he was able to handle the pressure that comes along with playing baseball at such a competitive level. Howard’s laid-back demeanor on and off the field has been the key to his success in a game as cerebral as baseball. “I’ve heard from a lot of people that baseball is incredibly mental, so this year has been trying to focus more on just doing what I can do rather than panicking,” Howard said. “It’s kind of like a chess match, there’s always more going on than what people see from the stands.” Howard already proved he can win the mental chess match through his determination to push forward, even when nobody expected his baseball career to continue after Templeton High School. He has his work cut out for him, but if he can stay humble and keep his motivation, there is no telling where his talent could take him.