May 31, 2016

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Sex trafficking in the ‘Happiest city in America’ Olivia Proffit & Georgie de Mattos

GEORGIE DE MATTOS | MUSTANG NE WS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK | A 16-year-old said she was recently sex trafficked in San Luis Obispo.

She was 15. He was 16.

She liked him. He knew it.

He was dangerous. She didn’t know it.

He courted her. It worked. In late July 2015, Emma (Editor’s note: Name has been changed to protect the source’s identity) left her hometown Manteca, Calif. to spend time with Nikko Anaya. They went to a coastal beach far from home to have a picnic. She said it was the happiest day of her life.

But the next city in Northern California held a much darker future. It was there that Emma said she was sold and forced into sex slavery.

Emma’s captor, Anaya, and three others — Brianna Day Morales, 20, Fabio Bettencourt Silveira, 20, and Elijah Joel Wolfson, 19 — allegedly created and controlled social networking sites where they posted photographs of her, and “Johns” (buyers) would respond with interest. The trafficking ring controlled her phone, negotiated the deals, determined the costs and picked the locations, she said.

This continued for four days.

According to the San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) Lieutenant John Bledsoe, Emma was driven to residences in at least three cities, where police think she was forced into having sex eight to 10 times per night. As the traffickers would call it, she was “pulling tricks.” She had no money and just a few belongings. All of her moves were controlled by this trafficking ring, headed by the boy who had betrayed her, she said.

The group eventually made it to a motel in San Luis Obispo, where the manager said he recognized men suspiciously coming and going, some with guns. It wasn’t until the traffickers left her alone for a short period of time in the motel that she was able to call her father, who then contacted the police.

SLOPD put together a team and went to the motel where Emma was staying. When they got there, she was terrified and alone, according to Bledsoe. They rescued her and arrested her captors.

All are being faced as adults for the sex trafficking, including Anaya, who was underage at the time of the crime. And all defendants have

pleaded not guilty in the case against Emma and are scheduled to appear in court for their hearing on Aug. 8 in San Luis Obispo.

Emma’s story is not an isolated incident. Human sex trafficking is the “fastest-growing business of organized crime and third-largest criminal enterprise in the world,” according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Major hubs in California include Los Angeles, San Francisco and Fresno, but it happens in smaller cities too — even San Luis Obispo. Whether the victims of sex trafficking are brought in, sent out or sold on the way to other major cities, it’s happening in the “Happiest City in America” and Bledsoe said he thinks it is a growing trend.

“San Luis Obispo is a target-rich environment for this type of crime,” Bledsoe said.

“Most of the time it goes unnoticed and many people are either naïve to its existence or not willing to get involved by reporting it.”

Full article at MustangNews.net

Cal Poly to suspend early decision option for applicants

Cheaper books?

Academic Senate votes to lower textbook prices HANNA CROWLEY | MUSTANG NE WS MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK | The Academic Senate and Cal Poly agreed the cost of textbooks for students needs to be lowered.

Naba Ahmed @nabaahmed

The Academic Senate passed and Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong endorsed a resolution, which states a significant rise in the cost of textbooks is a barrier to college attendance, student access and student success.

Specifically, the rising cost of textbooks and supplies affects all students, but disproportionately students of lower income.

According to Open Content and Digital Publishing Librarian Dana Ospina, who is also a member of the Open Educational Resources (OER) Taskforce, open educational resources is a way for faculty to provide course material for little to no cost.

“It contributes to student

success particularly for students who are economically challenged because they don’t have to worry about where they are going to get money for the

We need to address a specific problem: textbooks are expensive and the costs are only escalating.

DANA OSPINA

textbook,” Ospina said.

OER course materials are openly licensed, which means that they can be distributed freely.

“We need to address a specific problem: textbooks are expensive and the costs are only escalating,” Ospina said. “Our goal is to produce resources for the lowest cost possible.”

On Oct. 8, Assembly Bill 798 “College Textbook Affordability Act of 2015” was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. The bill creates an incentive program for California State University (CSU) and California Community College campuses to receive funding when they adopt OER. In order to receive funds, first, the Academic Senate at each university must adopt a resolution in support of increasing access to high-quality OER. Next, it must create a plan in collaboration with students and campus administration that outline the faculty’s com-

mitment to use funds to support the adoption of OER. They are currently creating the plan, which will be submitted before the deadline on June 30, Ospina said.

“It is very significant that the campus is aware and involved because it’s going to provide faculty who are interested in open educational resources with the support to be able to make that transition, if they choose to do so, from traditional textbooks to OER,” Ospina said.

Faculty who adopt these resources are able to provide low and no-cost resources. However, faculty still maintain academic freedom — they can choose which resources would work best for their class.

“Sometimes the best resource is a traditional textbook, but now faculty has another option,” Ospina said.

HANNA CROWLEY | MUSTANG NE WS WAIT

| Students must wait until spring to find out if they got into Cal Poly.

Jen Silva @jesilva345

The Cal Poly administration recently decided to suspend the early decision option on the Cal Poly application starting in the 2016-17 academic year.

University spokesperson Matt Lazier said the change is to ensure equality and fair access for all prospective students.

“Careful evaluation of admissions data showed that the early decision option creates a disadvantage for lower-income students because it requires applicants to make a binding commitment before knowing their full financial aid status,” Lazier wrote in an email.

But for some students, it may

make their lives harder.

Architectural engineering sophomore Lindsey MacDonald said she always knew she wanted to go to Cal Poly. Without the early decision option, she would’ve been stressed all senior year or possibly wouldn’t have been accepted.

“Everybody said if you applied early decision you’d have a better chance (of getting in),” MacDonald said.

According to Lazier, administration made its decision to improve equality on campus.

“Suspending the early decision option is the right thing to do and upholds the university’s commitment to providing equality and fair access for all,” Lazier said.

UPD plans to expand

Rise in festival culture

Spring dance concert

Club Sports recap

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

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

NEWS | 2

UPD plans to expand as Cal Poly grows Connor McCarthy @Conr_mccarthy

The University Police Department (UPD) is looking to expand its resources over the next five years as the Cal Poly administration plans to increase student enrollment and on-campus living.

The university announced the Cal Poly Master Plan at the beginning of the school year. The plan introduced Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong’s vision of having 65 percent of the student body living on campus. UPD Chief of Police George Hughes is hoping his department will be able to expand with the outlined growth of Cal Poly.

“We are asking for an additional two more officers once we open the new residence hall in fall of 2018,” Hughes said. “When that new residence hall opens, our enrollment numbers aren’t going to be much bigger, but we will have another 1,500 residents living on campus. We are increasing our on-campus population, which means our service demands will increase and stretch our resources.”

So far, some students said they are indifferent about a larger police force on campus.

Animal science freshman Aldo Marquez thinks the change won’t be noticeable.

“Since the campus will be getting larger, nothing will seem different,” Marquez said.

“The proportion of students to officers will be the same.”

In the past four years, there have been Hughes is hoping UPD will be fully staffed 631 traffic tickets handed out for fail- by the beginning of the next school year. ing to stop at a stop sign, 211 criminal “We are hoping to have a minimum of tickets issued for skateboard violations, three officers on at all times,” Hughes said.

319 alcohol-related arrests and 592 petty “We are also hoping to have at least four theft crimes. With a larger campus popula- or five officers during our busy hours of tion, there is a higher chance more citations Thursday, Friday,and Saturday evenings.” and arrests will be made.

Despite trying to bring up Hughes said when he bethe current full-time came chief of police staff, Hughes isn’t four years ago, there worried about trywere a total of 18 ing to meet the sworn-in officers, demands of which included the universihimself and the ty’s Master commander.

Plan.

UPD hopes to “We got add two more, some time,” for a total of 20 Hughes officers. said. “We Even though got some time UPD can employ to figure out ALEX CURIEL 18 officers currently, where the monit is still short-staffed. ey is going to come “We’ve had several refrom and identify those tirements, we’ve had people folks and get them trained.” out on injury, so even though we’ve been Training the department’s first K-9 approved for 18 positions, very rarely do unit will help UPD keep a growing Cal Poly we ever had 18 full-time police officers on safe. Hughes said they have finally raised at one time,” Hughes said. “Right now we enough money to purchase the K-9 and are six people down.” to conduct the training. There is currentEven though the department is stretched ly an officer-in-training with the dog. The thin, Hughes said they are actively recruit- addition to the team may not be able to ing to meet the demands of the university. complete its training by fall quarter, but

You know they’ll crack down on a lot of drugs, but the give is they will be providing us extra protection.

Hughes is expecting the dog to be on the force next year.

“It’ll be a patrol dog and then we are also going to train it in tracking,” Hughes said. “We can also train it in drugs and bomb sniffing.”

However, students like bioresource and agricultural engineering junior Alex Curiel think the K-9 unit will have its pros and cons.

“The purpose of these dogs probably won’t be for sniffing out bombs, but primarily (to be used) like a witch hunt to track down all the drugs on campus,” Curiel said. “But I feel like when I see the dogs on campus, I’ll feel more protected. You know they’ll crack down on a lot of drugs, but the give is they will be providing us extra protection.”

The department already uses dogs to sniff out explosive devices at large events on campus, but they are borrowed from other agencies. They also borrow dogs to sniff out drugs in the residence halls.

Even with the new addition of the K-9, Hughes wants to have enough officers to keep Cal Poly safe.

“I want to make sure we grow with (Cal Poly) appropriately to continue to provide a very proactive police force,” Hughes said. “I would love to see we get to the point where we are more proactive than reactive. I think the campus will start seeing more that next year when we are fully staffed.”

FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NE WS GROWING NUMBERS

| UPD hopes to add two officers when the new residence halls open in Fall 2018. The department can currently employ 18 police officers, but is rarely able to do so.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

NEWS | 3

The rise of festival culture Carly Quinn @CarlyaQuinn

From Coachella to Ultra, festival culture is booming with young adults.

As with most social situations and young people, drugs have found their way into these events.

Alcohol is sold at most festivals, but many people turn to different drugs for festivals and concerts. MDMA, better known in the form of ecstasy or molly, is one of the most popular drugs of choice, according to Sam*, a Cal Poly student. Sam said he goes to concerts often and has expe-

rienced MDMA firsthand.

“Molly is everywhere at these events,” Sam said. “If you can’t get your hands on some before, you can find it inside; people will sneak in tons just to sell.”

MDMA, or methlyenedioxymethamphetamine, is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

It produces feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth and distorted sensory and time perception, hence its nickname “ecstasy.”

But these drugs are not always pure MDMA, accord-

ing to PULSE peer educator and psychology junior Mackenzie Morrison.

“The thing about molly is it comes in powder form and it’s so easy for other substances to be used as fillers in it,” Morrison said. “Getting drugs at festivals, you just don’t know what’s in it.”

With the already straining conditions of a concert, such as dehydration, exhaustion or famine, drugs and alcohol can make it even easier to slip over the edge of safety.

At Hard Summer, a festival put on in Los Angeles, two young women died from a mix-

ture of a drug overdose and the extreme conditions of a 60,000-person gathering.

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) in Las Vegas went sour in 2015 with the death of Nicholas Austin Tom, a UC Irvine graduate.

His death was confirmed as an MDMA overdose.

While drugs such as these may be prevalent, they aren’t necessary in order to enjoy a festival or concert, according to some Cal Poly students.

Business administration journalism sophomore Gabi Trapani attended Coachella in Indio, Calif. area this year. She remembers

her experience fondly.

“People kept saying if I didn’t do (drugs) I wouldn’t have fun, which ended up not being true at all,” Trapani said. “While there definitely was drugs there, it’s obvious who’s on a different level.”

Going sober, or consuming a safe and legal amount of alcohol, prevents mishaps such as the ones mentioned above from happening. Mixing any of these substances may also be hazardous.

Safety is the most important thing to consider. Whether festival-goers partake in these activities or not, PULSE advises everyone to stay hydrated, nourished

and well-rested.

“I would say the big danger at festivals is heat stroke, and all those things (drugs and alcohol) aid in heat stroke,” Morrison said.

“Go with friends you trust and they can help you out.”

If you or someone in your group may be in danger, always seek out the event staff or call 911.

TLC through PULSE is available for anyone who wants to talk about drugs or related topics, in person or at (805) 756-6181. *Editor’s note: Full name is not given in order to protect the source’s identity.

GETTING DRUGS AT FESTIVALS, YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT’S IN IT. MACKENZIE MORRISON

EVERETT FITZPATRICK | COURTESY PHOTO GET TESTED

| Some festivals offer booths that test drugs to ensure that attendees are taking safer drugs, and that they know what’s in them.

EVERETT FITZPATRICK | COURTESY PHOTO DON’T TAKE CANDY FROM STR ANGERS

| Drugs are often cut with different substances and can be dangerous if these substances are unknown.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

ARTS | 4

Arab Music Ensemble owns improvisation and interaction

HANNA CROWLEY | MUSTANG NE WS SP IR I T

| Saturday’s performance was full of energ y, with audience members frequently voicing approval throughout songs, shouting “ya salam” (“oh peace”) and “ya aini” (“oh my eye”).

Megan Schellong @meganschellong

Under red and yellow lights, the Arab Music Ensemble brought life to the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre Saturday evening.

The Ensemble incorporated student musicians, dancers and singers in addition to renowned guest performers, percussionist Faisal Zedan, violinist Adel Eskander and qanun player Ishmael.

The evening was one of both a relaxed, yet upbeat, atmosphere.

Incorporating instruments not usually seen, like the oud, buzuq, bouzuki and qanun, the ensemble brought a rich cultural and different musical experience to audience members.

“It takes me to a different place,” San Luis Obispo resident Lynette Bayless said. “The instruments make me feel like I’m in a different culture.”

The unique and distinct

sound of the Middle Eastern string instrument, the qanun, was a particular stand-out for audience members.

“People see the guitar and the similarities to the bouzouki, but this instrument (the qanun) is very Middle Eastern,” audience member Anfal Awwad said.

For those unfamiliar with the qanun, director of the Arab Music Ensemble Ken Habib described it as “a piano without the box, legs, pedals and keys.”

The qanun is different from the other instruments played — like the buzuq, a long-necked lute — because its whole notes are split into nine “commas,” as opposed to quarter or half notes.

“It’s very complicated,” Awwad said. “It’s not that simple and it’s beautiful to make it a solo — that was one of my favorite parts.”

With each new number during the first set, the director would explain to the audience how Middle

Eastern music works.

“The audience dynamic is not one of Western European classical music,” Habib said.

Comments, feedback and enthusiastic hollers from the audience were encouraged.

“Ya salam,” meaning “oh peace,” was commonly shouted out in response to the musicians as a means of expressing their amusement.

Another commonly expressed phrase was “Ya aini,” meaning “oh my eye!” and can be translated to convey amusement by a performance.

According to Awwad, these words are said because, “you just love it so much, you can’t stay quiet. A clap isn’t good enough.”

These frequent phrases of praise were tossed onto the stage of Spanos Theatre during the twohour ensemble.

Audience members would begin clapping to accompany the

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upbeat rhythm of the drums and singing to communicate a sense of unity.

“It’s fun, it’s got a lot of energy,” audience member and sixth-time attendee Kourosch Bagheri said.

Bringing more of this energy to stage were the dancers who shuffled on stage in bright velvet tops of rosy pinks and turquoise.

“The dancing was very vibrant,” Bagheri said.

Bayless also said the dancing and costumes, in addition to the music, made the ensemble different from anything she has ever seen.

“It gave me a better understanding of their culture … It’s good to experience different cultures, and how else can we do that in San Luis Obispo?” Bayless said.

Other audience members thought the Arab Music Ensemble fulfilled its role of sharing Middle-Eastern culture with the community.

“It’s hard in the United States to see Middle Eastern instruments played, so it’s nice to see a nice collection of Middle Eastern and Arabic instruments,” Awwad said.

Part of the Middle Eastern culture of music is that it is focused more on melody rather than harmony, which Western music is most classified as, according to Habib.

“It’s about melody and how people converse through melody,” he said.

What is interesting to note about melody in Middle Eastern music is that it works with a mode, analogous to a scale. Normally, music is played according to this scale, but in the Arab Music Ensemble the guest performers didn’t play to a scale, but rather improvised on it.

“His (Adel Eskander’s) idea of demonstrating mode was immediately improvising around those pitches,” music professor emeritus

Clifton Swanson said.

Improvisation played a key role in the evening’s set of numbers, as several improvised songs were played.

“It’s interesting that there’s such a strong structural dimension to the rhythmic and pitch patterns,” Swanson said. “They have such strong control over that that it gives a basis for improvisation.”

For those without a music background, the general pattern of music could be described as, “revolving around the same pitches and spinning out the same pitches,” according to Swanson.

Overall, the complexity of the music did not overshadow the joy and relaxation felt by the audience members that night.

Clapping and shouting “Ya aini!” until the final number, the Arab Music Ensemble created a warm and welcoming environment with its dynamic levels of audience interaction and improvisation.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

ARTS | 5

‘RSVP XXI: Evangeline’ to explore love and politics

CAL POLY MUSIC DEPARTMENT | COURTESY PHOTO RELEVANT

| The show deals with political and social issues in the 18th centur y involving refugees and interfaith relationships, topics still pertinent to people around the world today.

Megan Schellong @meganschellong

The Cal Poly Music Department will host the 21st RSVP ballet, titled “Evangeline,” at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center (PAC) Tuesday, May 31 and Wednesday, June 1 at 8 p.m.

“It’s a ballet, but it is not a ballet in the traditional sense,” Cal Poly sound design and theory composition professor Antonio Barata said.

The ballet deviates from traditional classical music and in-

stead employs more electronically-made sounds, straying from the typical.

Not only is the performance an unconventional ballet with its wide variety of sounds, but it is also a combination of two diverse plots — the Acadian Deportation in present-day Canada and a love story between two people from opposing religions.

“The ballet gets its name from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, ‘Evangeline,’” Barata said.

The performance brings the audience back to the 18th cen-

tury, during the time of the Acadian Deportation, when the separation from home and loved ones were two hardships grappled with.

According to Barata, it’s a tale of the difficulties of a young couple — specifically a Jew and a Muslim who find love in each other despite opposition and apprehension of interfaith betrothal and marriage of their respective religions.

Every year, the student production ensemble RSVP puts on a different show, but one aspect has remained the same:

the entirely student-composed music. According to Barata, Cal Poly students composed the music for this year’s performance as well as in years past.

“There’s no live orchestra,” he said. “It’s all electronic.”

What also makes this year’s performance noteworthy is the relevance of the issues addressed in the performance.

“There’s a scene where the actors (refugees) drop dead on stage, and it relates to today because it’s very timely — taking a look at the horrors and political issues that have been part of the

Middle East,” Barata said.

While the show will address political issues, Barata said there’s more to the performance than the matter at hand.

Specifically, Barata said the symbolic meanings of the keys the refugees use in the play will show the auditorium that there’s more to this ballet than just the dance aspects, there’s emotional ones too. “ They break the wall,” Barata said.

In theater terms, breaking the fourth wall means interacting with the audience in some way

— whether it’s acknowledging them, or in the scene for “RSVP XXI: Evangeline,” holding keys up to their faces.

“It’s very intimate because the audience is very close to the actors,” Barata said.

Overall, “RSVP XXI: Evangeline” will incorporate dance, electronic sound and the complexities of love and politics into one performance.

Tickets are $14 and available on the PAC website. Student rush tickets will be sold for $10 one hour before the show with a PolyCard.

Cal Poly’s ‘Inertia’ propels students into motion Regine Smith @regine321

For more than two decades, Cal Poly has hosted a Spring dance concert, an entirely student-led performance that students direct, choreograph and dance. The tradition has grown in success, enough to be comparable to a professional composition. This year’s cast boasted a handsome troupe of 200 student-dancers.

A unique aspect of the concert was that all who auditioned, regardless of experience, were accepted. This accounts for the sizable cast in this year’s performance, titled “Inertia,” which showed this past Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. in the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre.

Co-director and biological sciences senior Claire Levine explained why this year’s performance was titled “Inertia.”

“We really liked the idea that we are taking all of the positive, awesome changes and positive

values that the show has had in the past, and we’re moving forward with that,” she said. “We’re pushing forward at that speed and that amazing performance quality that we have given. So we’re pushing forward, we’re giving inertia to move forward, and that was our inspiration.”

And that inspiration turned to reality in a diverse array of performances that promised not to disappoint.

Highlight reel Students swayed in a foggy, mysterious performance of psychedelic indie hit “Gooey” by Glass Animals.

Describing the dream-like dance, performer Nathaniel Abrea said, “The song is just weird. If you actually listen to the lyrics, it makes almost no sense at all. But it just feels kind of ethereal. It’s like this hazy, transcending-esque, sort of light feeling — like you’re discovering a new sense of self, in a weird way. And the movement is inspired by that; you’re kind

of going with the flow, but you don’t necessarily understand everything ... Essentially we describe it like a hazy sort of feeling, except you’re not lost, you’re just kind of wandering and it’s okay.”

A color splash hit the background as smiling girls in tap shoes bounced across the stage in sparkly gold tops to “Animal”

by Neon Trees. The peppy dancers tapped to the upbeat baseline and clapped at guitar riffs. The beat was fun and playful, and the dancers’ exuberant smiles infected the crowd.

In “Absence,” a more somber and poignant piece, performers embodied lost love to “The Wolves (Act I & II),” by contemporary folk artist Bon Iver.

Dancers wore rugged grey and white attire, and moved slowly and fluidly to the cadence of the song. Two bodies of male and female dancers ebbed and flowed at each side, expressing distance as the ballad professed “what might have been lost.”

At VG Café’s Monday night barbecues, try grilled fish, meats and veggies for a healthy barbecue option that’s RD Approved (approved by Campus Dining’s Registered Dietitian).

SAY GOODBYE TO VISTA GRANDE Join us on June 3rd from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. to celebrate Vista Grande’s long history.

Students, staff, faculty and alumni are welcome to enjoy light refreshments and say goodbye to one of Cal Poly’s most memorable dining locations. Vista Grande is closing to make way for a new dining complex scheduled to open Fall 2018.

Continued on page 6

BIKE MONTH GIVEAWAY BONUS! Last chance to ride away with a free bike.

To enter the bike giveaway contest, follow Cal Poly Campus Dining on Instagram and like their “Friday Freebie” photo.

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Topped with strawberry, coconut, banana and granola, these new bowls will be give you the energy you need during dead week!

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

OPINION | 6

‘Stop being so politically correct’ Erica Hudson @CPMustangNews

Erica Hudson is a journalism junior and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints and editorial coverage of Mustang News.

Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump has made it clear he is against the idea of political correctness, a term that has been used to dismiss ideas that are not fully represented in society.

In the Republican debate, he stated: “I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I’ve been challenged Continued from page 5

“Werk” was an energetic piece blatant in sex appeal. Dancers in burlesque attire and platform heels dominated the stage to Sevyn Streeter’s “How Bad Do You Want It? (Oh Yeah).”

Sharing her inspiration for “Werk,” choreographer Larissa Clawson said, “This is the first time I’ve ever danced in heels myself, and I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s go crazy and see if we can make a piece out of this.’

So it was really just the novelty of seeing these tall dancers get even taller with six-inch heels, and pushing them to their limit to see what they can do in heels.

I had a base idea, but working with the dancers was my inspiration to finish the rest of the piece. It was so much fun.”

“Money Talks” was another sensual performance, but in a 1920’s “Chicago”-esque sort of way. The Broadway original “Big Spender,” by Valarie Pettiford and Voss Ensemble, brought audience members

by so many people, and I don’t frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either.”

I understand why political correctness could be seen as a time commitment, but dismissing political correctness comes from a place of oppression and privilege that is not being recognized.

The push against political correctness is a form of social control that has been largely used to silence marginalized groups. The concept is often criticized as prohibiting the free exchange of ideas; however, I believe that the purpose of political correctness is to do the opposite.

When someone is asking for political correctness, they are asking for complete understanding of a cause that is being misrepresented.

But it is seen as a weakness in those who seemingly aren’t equipped to handle the not-so-politically-correct real world.

Yes, the real world isn’t politically correct. But when you fail to understand what could be a great teaching moment about diversity, you’re reinforcing the harmful prejudices that are keeping marginalized groups from speaking up and being represented equally.

You are telling them that their concerns do not deserve a voice. That is coming from a place of privi-

lege, a lack of understanding and, most importantly, a lack of desire to understand.

America has never been great, and it definitely won’t be great with someone who does not see the importance of correcting all the discrimination that has led us to need political correctness.

If you’re not too white-washed from your history textbook’s version of American history, you’d remember that this country was built on diversity.

So next time you want to call someone a social justice warrior demanding political correctness, you probably should be calling yourself an ignorant bigot stuck in your priv-

back to a sultry, old-school jazz club. A red curtain backdrop paired with seductive hip-swinging and hair-flipping allured the audience.

“Rogue” moved further away from modern dance era with a traditional Spanish flamenco number. Bright red flowy skirts and sparkly black hand fans added ample movement to the piece, which was to a variation of Don Quixote’s “Kitri” and “Spanish Dance of Mercedes” by León Minkus.

“Black and Blue” brought a different kind of energy. The fierce hip-hop showcase incorporated remixes of “Here” by Alessia Cara, “Down for the Click”

by The HBK Gang, “Acquainted” by The Weeknd and “Yel-

low Alert” by Dumbfoundead and Awkwafina.

Co-choreographers Ryan

of a happier vibe, then kind of a slower, sexier vibe and a kind of hard-hitting vibe. It’s mainly just trying to portray the same type of choreography through different music. There’s no real theme behind it. It’s kind of just Kelby and I expressing our choreography.”

CHRISTA LAM | MUSTANG NE W S

Sutardji and Kelby Hertanu wanted to show “just a generally swagged out dancing style.”

Sutardji said, “We have kind

Pe r fo r m e r plugs The various performe rs s h are d what “Inertia” means to them, and why it should matter to Cal Poly students.

“Black and Blue” choreographer Hertanu said, “It’s a student-run show, so first and foremost that’s already an amazing feat.

It’s amazing to see all these different choreographers and dancers bringing all different kinds of skills, personalities and cultural

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ileged identity categories. If that doesn’t sound like how you view yourself, ask yourself why you’re so uncomfortable with political correctness. Is it because learning about other people’s identities is too much work for you? Who is the special snowflake now? tendencies to these performances. I think it’s an excellent aspect of the humanities and arts program here.”

“Inertia” co-director Cheyenne Liu said, “It’s just like any art. It’s very satisfying to see an idea in your head come out and be on 16 bodies. To have an idea, to communicate it and then have it there … It’s just such a satisfying process ... So come to the show! It sells out almost every year.”

Choreographer and sociology sophomore Anna Charney encourages all students to come to the Spring dance show.

“It’s something where if you’ve never seen a dance show, it’s definitely a great show to see because there are so many different ranges of styles, and it’s really fun,” she said. “You’re definitely going to see someone you know because there’s over 200 people in the show. It’s just a lot of fun for Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo.”

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CHRISTA LAM | MUSTANG NE WS INERTIA | One unique aspect of Cal Poly’s “Inertia” was that everyone who auditioned — ­ regardless of experience — wss accepted. This resulted in a large cast for the show.

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SPORTS | 8

Cal Poly club sports on the rise

LACROSSE CLUB | COURTESY PHOTO CLOSE ENOUGH FOR COMFORT

Erik Engle @CPMustangSports

In recent years, Cal Poly has been a force to be reckoned with in almost all club sports. This season was no different for the Mustangs, as three different club teams — men’s lacrosse, rugby and men’s ultimate frisbee — earned a spot in the national championships for their respective sports.

Men’s lacrosse The lacrosse team, mostly made up of freshman and sophomores, lost a “heartbreaker” to the always-dominant Chapman University in the national championship after a season that had some issues getting off the ground.

“We conducted a coaching search all summer, but couldn’t find anyone,” junior team captain Sean Pihl said. “We knew we had a really good freshman class coming in, and our goal was to keep them on the team.”

According to Pihl, some people quit lacrosse during rush week to join fraternities. This, combined with a coaching search that lasted until early January, could have spelled disaster for the team. Fortunately, the Mustangs were able to stick together through the hard times and were

| In a season that almost didn’t occur because of coaching changes, the Cal Poly men’s lacrosse club team finished second in the nation at the end of its season.

subsequently rewarded when the team announced its new coach, Bobby Dabrieo, who went on to win Coach of the Year for 2016.

“I love the guy,” sophomore left attacker Andrew Laron said. “He’s not just a coach, he’s a friend. He really takes the time to talk to his players and see what’s going on in their life. He understands physical mistakes, but, if you’re ever making a mental mistake, he will stop the entire play and make you run it again until you get it right.”

According to Pihl, the team first realized its potential during an early-season road trip to Arizona.

“We were the seventh-ranked team and we played Arizona State University, which was the third-ranked team at the time,” Pihl said. “The following day we played Grand Canyon University, who was the defending national champion. I listened to a podcast the week leading up to the tournament and the guy predicted us to get shelled out by both teams.”

Cal Poly went on to beat both ASU and Grand Canyon, leaving the team members feeling that if they played at this same level all season, they could beat anyone.

According to Laron, the closeness of the team is really what separates it from everyone else: “There’s not one person on the

team who’s selfish. Looking to win game, rather than to score individually, is really what helped us when we played the top teams this season.”

The team dominated in the box score as well as on the field. Some facts: sophomore midfielder Austin Lord won 203 of 301 faceoffs, junior goalkeepter Sean Pihl allowed just 5.1 goals per game and freshman attacker AJ Guralas finished fifth in the league with 2.8 goals per game.

Despite all of the success this season, the Mustangs are still not satisfied with their finish to the season. After losing to Chapman on its home field, Cal Poly is more motivated than ever to win the championship next season.

“Guys know it’s in reach now,” Pihl said. “If losing to Chapman on their home turf for the national championship doesn’t fuel you and get you excited, you shouldn’t be playing next year.”

Rugby While the lacrosse players leaned on team communication, the Cal Poly Rugby 7s team had a slightly different approach to get to its national championship tournament: when the going got tough, the team got tougher.

“Our biggest strength is the

work ethic of the team,” senior rugby club president Zach Markow said. “We all come together really well and put in a lot of work in throughout the season to improve our strength and speed to compete against teams with a lot more funding and access to facilities that we don’t. But we compete against those kinds of teams because of our willingness to work, our fight and our tenacity.”

What the team has in brawn, it seems to lack in communication, according to Markow.

“On the field, when it’s 40 minutes into the game and you’re breathing heavy, that’s when our communication starts to die down,” Markow said.

After winning two games Saturday, the Mustangs advanced past pool play to the knockout round where they went 1-2. This eliminated Cal Poly from the tournament after a stellar run.

This year’s rugby team has embraced the underdog role, because it plays against varsity level club teams but is not technically a varsity level club sport. This results in a lack of funding and facilities, but rather than letting it bring them down, the team members use this to motivate them.

“Embracing that role has helped us become so successful because

we know we have to work twice as hard, and we know we have to fight and put in double the effort because we are underdogs,” Markow said. “It helps us build and grow as players and has allowed us to succeed in the ways we have.”

After the success of the club this season, the Mustangs will try to carry their strong play into next year.

“Next season we really want to make a push further into nationals; we want to bring a championship back to Cal Poly,” Markow said. “As soon as summer starts, we need to hit the weights and the track and just get bigger, faster and stronger.”

Ultimate Frisbee Cal Poly men’s ultimate frisbee has “grown exponentially in the last few years, in both the number of players and the talent level,” men’s ultimate frisbee president Joel Anton said.

Like the lacrosse team, the men’s ultimate frisbee team’s strength is team unity. According to Anton, it is a “rather boisterous” team whose energy on the sideline directly translates to its effort on the field. It also shares similarities with the rugby team, as the team’s biggest strength is its athleticism.

“We know the guy at the bottom of our roster is always going to be more athletic than the bottom guy on the other team,” Anton said.

This season, men’s ultimate frisbee was able to secure the 20th seed overall, the 17th seed in the national championship tournament and the South Western Conference Championship. The team’s victory in the conference championship came in dramatic fashion, with a victory over Stanford. Cal Poly was the only team to advance to the national championship tournament from its conference.

“We came out and steamrolled them on the first point,” Anton said. “Seeing the team take the energy from the locker room to the field was the best moment of my eight-year ultimate career.”

When the season began, the men’s ultimate frisbee team’s goal was to be competitive all season, and to make it to one of the play-in games for the national championship. The team was able to accomplish this and a little more, as it was able to make it to and play competitively in the tournament. Cal Poly was eliminated from the tournament, but the team is looking to build onto this season’s success and continue to grow next year.

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