Mustang News February 14, 2023

INSIDE: EXPRESSING LOVE THROUGH ADVOCACY, ART, COMMUNITY & MORE

LEADERSHIP

Catherine Allen

NEWS

Chloe Lovejoy Editor

Amelia Wu Assistant Editor

Carly Heltzel

Ashley Bolter

Archana Pisupati

Emma Montalbano

Jeremy Garza

Leila Touati

Kate McHugh

Owen Lavine

Shruthi Narayanan

Lauren Yoon

Naomi Baron

Abby Gorman

OPINION

Rebecca Caraway Editor

Grace Schweitzer

Shelbi Sullaway

Neta Bar

Zoie Denton

Erin Yarwood

Eden-Rose Baker

Caroline Kelleher

Alexandra Ruther

Marcela Bonet

SPORTS

Diego Sandoval Editor

Miles Berman

Derek Righetti

Kylie Hastings

Nick Bandanza

Matthew Ho

Noah Greenblatt

Jonathan Sze

Sergio Romero

Jack Bynum

Jackson Inagi

ARTS & STUDENT LIFE

Emma Robertson Editor

Lauren Emo Editor

Sarina Grossi

Mia Anderson

Maya Aparicio

Delaney Jacobs

Kate Hernandez

Makaylah Kahn

DESIGN

Claire Lorimor Creative Director

Kayla Olow

Olivia Frazier

Jacob Boyd

Kaley Schneider

Rain Mazumder

Caitlin Calhoun

VIDEO

Brady Caskey MNTV News Director

Nate Mills Sports Video Director

Matthew Bornhorst Producer

Ari Lopez

Gabrielle Downey

Angelina Salgado

Madison Vernon

Avery Elowitt

Ethan Telles

PHOTO

Shaelyn Ashamalla Editor

Owen Roberts

Fenn Bruns

Kayla Stuart

Chloe Kern

Mia-Isobel Craig

Naomi Vanderlip

Managing Editor Claire Lorimor Creative Director

Bobby Groth

Ashley Spinoglio

Annabelle Fagans

Lily Tenner

COPY EDITING

Morgan Fitzgerald

Payton Swanson

Shalini Sinha

SOCIAL MEDIA

Chloe Chin MN Manager

Clover Hamilton

Alyssa Pacheco

Jackie Espitia

Sydney Spencer

Alina Jafri

Noel Lopez

Angela Passalacqua

Presley Allen

DATA & INVESTIGATIONS

Elizabeth Wilson Editor

Amelia Wu

Victoria Bochniak

Jessa Rosenthal

Cole Pressler

Joshua Blank

Jadyn Ellis

Brandon Kim

Masato Nandate

Tejasree Kandibanda

EN ESPAÑOL

Yarely De La Cruz Editor

Bryanna Hernandez

Liv Collom

Kimberly Garcia

KCPR

LEADERSHIP

Emily Tobiason Content Director

Lauren Boyer KCPR News Director

Maddy Worth Art Director

Zoe Boyd Programming/Music Director

David Aronson Marketing Director

DISC JOCKEYS

Zoe Boyd Director

Liv Collom

Jaxon Silva

Melissa Melton

Nathan Jackson

Maire O’Toole

Arianne Landers

Jordan Bates

Emily Duncan

Charlotte Matthews

Alina Jafri

Cindy Nguyen

Ollie Lamkin

Maile Gardner

Emily Tobiason

Joshua Maxin

Dante Erz

Samay Shah

Maria Langlois

Penny Alioshin

Sam Kohn

David Aronson

KCPR NEWS

Lauren Boyer Director

Jordan Triebel Assistant Director

Nico Vinuela Assistant Director

Trevor Baumgardner

Ethan Telles

Brady Caskey

MNTV News Director

Victoria Bochniak

Digital Director 06

Liv Collom

Eden-Rose Baker

Natalie Levesque

Sophie Corbett

Zoe Boyd

Sarah McElroy

Presley Allen

Victoria Bochniak

Ashley Tuell

Jada Griffith

Maddie Harrell

Avery Elowitt

Aidan Dillon

KCPR.ORG

Emily Tobiason Content Director

Cayley O’Brien Editorial Assistant

Summer Fitzgerald

Claudia Muñoz

Kaelyn Bremer

Sadie Beaumont

Ashley Oakes

Sydney Spencer

Kate Lowpensky

Emmy Burrus

Jaxon Silva

Lily Tenner

Maile Gardner

Samay Shah

Emma Hughes

Alina Jafri

Kaelyn Bremer

Jordan Bates

Emily Duncan

Mckenna Rodriguez

Natalie Venable

Casey James

DESIGN

Maddy Worth Director

Reilly Yuen

Izzy Flint-Gonzales

Cindy Nguyen

Josie Doan

Lexi Berryhill

Jaxon Silva

Ollie Lamkin

Maire O’Toole

Penny Alioshin

Ella Tune

Raja Grossi

MARKETING & PR

David Aronson Director

Charlotte Matthews

Kailey Dodson

Maria Langlois

Sydney Osterbauer

Dante Erz

Nate Jackson

Arianne Landers

Jacquelyn Wong

Emily Duncan

PODCASTING

Samantha Riordan Manager

Ashley Oakes

Cameron King

Rachel Kupfer-Weinstein

Jordan Triebel

Kaitlyn Lam

Avery Elowitt

Cassie Duarte

Sam Kohn

Jacob Sarmiento

Sophia Martino

Emma Hughes

HOW STUDENTS AND FACULTY ARE ADVOCATING FOR MORE GENDER-INCLUSIVE RESTROOMS ON CAMPUS

STORY BY Makayla Khan

DESIGNED BY Jacob Boyd 08

THE INVISIBLE PROBLEM: MENTAL HEALTH WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

STORY BY Sarina Grossi

DESIGNED BY Rain Mazumder

HOW TWO STUDENT DJS ARE IMPACTING SAN LUIS OBISPO’S NIGHTLIFE SCENE, AND THEIR FUTURES

STORY BY Kate Lowpensky

DESIGNED BY Olivia Frazier

A LEGACY OF LAMERS: HOW THREE BROTHERS ARE MAKING THEIR MARK ON CAL POLY WRESTLING

STORY BY Derek Righetti

DESIGNED BY Olivia Frazier

A LOVE LETTER TO HEARTBREAK ON VALENTINE’S DAY

STORY BY Zoie Denton

DESIGNED BY Jacob Boyd

Jon Schlitt General Manager

Pat Howe Editorial Adviser

Brady Teufel Digital Adviser

Patti Piburn KCPR Adviser

Richard Gearhart MNTV Adviser

SLO CITY COUNCIL FINALIZES MAJOR CITY GOALS FOR THE 2023-2025 BUDGET

BY JEREMY GARZA

San Luis Obispo City Council planned the city’s major goals as part of the budgeting planning process for the 2023-2025 cycle on Saturday, Feb. 11. Headed by Mayor Erica A. Stewart, the five councilmembers debated what issues will take precedence over the next two years.

Major city goals are set every two years, each with a statement to explain the goal’s purpose. The major city goals produced by the City Council include Economic Resiliency, Cultural Vitality and Fiscal Sustainability, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Housing and Homelessness and Climate Action, Open Space and Sustainable Transportation.

As City Manager Derek Johnson advised the council during the introduction of the goal-setting workshop, these goals are designed to follow just behind the core services city government provides.

Along with city staff’s input, constituents were able to voice their opinions on Jan. 26 at a community forum.

The goal statements were drafted at Saturday’s workshop, but they continue to be crafted. Final drafts will be published to slocity.org upon completion.

Economic Resiliency, Cultural Vitality and Fiscal Sustainability

“In collaboration with local partners, implement initiatives that reinforce a thriving and sustainable local economy, support a diverse, inclusive, and vibrant community, support arts and culture, and ensure fiscally responsible and sustainable city operations.”

While this goal is similar to one from the previous budget, this one removes language regarding “economic recovery” from the pandemic and now emphasizes “cultural vitality.”

In the 2021-2023 budget planning

process, recovery was a major priority following the COVID-19 pandemic. Councilmember Michelle Shoresman was among those who proposed the removal of recovery from this goal.

“To me, this is about economic passions and activities,” Shoresman said. “So I was one of the ones that proposed reducing it down to economic resiliency and fiscal sustainability. I’m open to the idea of adding a cultural element there.”

Vice Mayor Jan Marx conveyed a previously discussed idea that arts and culture were missing from the major city goals. The councilmembers agreed to include it to the standing economic resiliency and fiscal sustainability goal.

“What I’m always looking for is a nexus — what’s the nexus that holds all of these elements together?” Marx said. “We need to recognize that we are adding more residents to our city. We need to be an inclusive city, at the same time not lose our sense of who we are, our sense of our cultural identity and the flow of people.”

The councilmembers also highlighted the need to collaborate with community organizations to supply more extensive childcare resources for SLO residents.

This goal will also further support the preservation of SLO-owned historic sites and push for the beautification of public spaces.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

“Further our commitment to making San Luis Obispo a welcoming and inclusive city for all by continuing to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into all programs and policies and advance the recommendations of the DEI Task Force.”

Stewart began this discussion by clarifying exactly what DEI means to the city and the use of the word “all” in the goal statement, which other councilmembers resonated with.

“We will obviously keep the word

‘all,’ for we’re talking about age and abilities and everything along with race and ethnicity. DEI is not just race and ethnicity,” Stewart said.

Creating a multicultural center to better welcome all cultures to SLO has been discussed in previous planning meetings for years. The city will now consider shifting away from building a new facility and instead create programmed activities in partnership with existing multicultural community organizations.

DEI phrasing was discussed extensively at the meeting. Councilmember Emily Francis introduced the idea that DEI language should be ingrained into all of the goals being set.

“While I think it’s really important that we have a standalone DEI goal, I also think that it’s important that we don’t look at DEI as something that’s separate from everything else that we’re doing,” Francis said. This sentiment resulted in adding the words “diverse” and “inclusive” to the Economic Resiliency, Cultural Vitality and Fiscal Sustainability statement and pushing for the ability for anyone to “roll or stroll” in public parks and open spaces in the Climate action, Open Space and Sustainable Transportation goal statement.

Housing and Homelessness

“Support the expansion of housing options for all, continue to facilitate the production of housing, including the necessary supporting infrastructure, with an emphasis on affordable and workforce housing as well as accessible connected development. Collaborate with local non-profit partners, nongovernmental agencies, the county, the state, and federal governments to advocate for increased funding and implement comprehensive and effective strategies, including advocacy to prevent and reduce homelessness and chronic homelessness.”

When editing the draft for the goal statement for housing and

homelessness, the councilmembers spoke extensively about how to approach these topics.

Stewart advocated for separating housing and homelessness into two separate goals to address the unique complexities of housing initiative and advocacy for unhoused individuals. Shoresman had a different approach that was ultimately adopted.

“In all the conversations I had during my campaign, [housing and homelessness] were constantly linked,” Shoresman said. “Our city is focused on housing production and as a partner with the county on homelessness. I think those two things together will get us to the best result.”

Councilmember Andy Pease spoke about the importance of advocating for homelessness prevention with a notion from the Human Relations Committee (HRC).

“Our HRC put out an advisory packet recommendation [that states,] ‘Homeless prevention and advocacy at the city goal continue to support and advocate for long-term proactive, sustainable programs that address homelessness and focus on transitioning children’s families and individuals out of homelessness into permanent housing,’” Pease said.

Mayor Stewart built off of the HRC’s recommendations and iterated that the city is not alone in completing this goal.

“We’re not solving this ourselves. This is such a key issue with our community. We are partnering with the county and partnering with the region and seeing very different work efforts of homelessness and housing,” Stewart said.

The councilmembers agreed that advocating for partners to help fund and support continuing successful pilot programs initiated by the city of SLO in the past (Mobile Crisis Units, Community Action Teams, etc.) is vital for further success.

The city will now explore protections for renters, who make up the

majority of SLO residents, and create proactive tax credits to bring more affordable housing projects to the city.

Climate action, Open Space and Sustainable Transportation

“Proactively address the climate crisis and increase resiliency through the implementation of the Climate Action Plan. Use resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reach carbon neutrality by 2035, with a focus on preservation and enhancement of convenient and equitable alternative and sustainable transportation, and preservation of open space and equitable access to parks and open space.”

This goal statement is centered around the successful implementation of SLO’s Climate Action Plan. Adopted in 2022, the plan highlights many initiatives started by the city in order to reach carbon neutrality and reach federal and state requirements for climate conservation (such as California’s 30x30 Plan).

Councilmember Shoresman emphasized the need to prioritize initiatives, which was supported by other members.

“My number one priority is that we need to implement our tier one Active Transportation Plan because we know that the large majority of our greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. Second: enhancing mass transit, as we’ve been discussing,” Shoresman said.

The Active Transportation Plan aims to increase the number of walkers and bikers in the city. The city is alo working on implementing electric public transportation to enhance mass transit.

City Council will meet again on April 18 to approve detailed work programs for the major city goals. The budget is expected to be adopted in June.

An interview with the Holocaust survivor who spoke at Cal Poly

AVERY ELOWITT

After facing six years of forced labor, 12 concentration camps and a death march, Holocaust survivor Joe Alexander shared his story with a new generation of students at Cal Poly.

Hosted by Chabad of San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly, Alexander took the stage at the Performing Arts Center in January to discuss the hardships and preservation necessary for surviving the Holocaust.

Alexander was met with an audience of about 1,300 listeners at the event, organized by Chabad Cal Poly President Yael Shabtay.

“I like to think of all of the events that we do as, if it impacts one person, then it’s an event well done,” Shabtay said. “In this case, I’m hoping to impact 1,300 people.”

Alexander has spoken at various events, as he strives to educate a wide range of demographics through schools, public events, museums and more.

“70% of the kids at the schools never heard about the Holocaust, so this is what I’m trying to do — to let them know actually what happened,” Alexander told Mustang News. “They can hear it from a survivor.”

Rabbi Chaim Hilel with Chabad SLO says that Alexander’s speech is a significant step towards educating the community “to learn about this part of recent history and understand why it is so important to stand up to hatred in all forms.”

Zachary Clare, a Cal Poly history alum, attended the event and acknowledged the recent incidents

of antisemitism.

“It’s really important to me to that these people continue to tell their stories, especially with the recent rise in anti semitism across, not even just the country but in the world, with Kanye, and the stuff he’s been saying and the attention he continues to get is unfortunate, but we just got to continue fighting against it and continue to tell these stories, tell

anti-semetic messages. He recalled how in Germany, antisemitism began with Jews not being able to attend school, then no longer holding a job, eventually expanding to the Holocaust.

“Words spread — millions of people can hear,” Alexander said.

Born in 1922, Alexander grew up in Kowal, Poland until the Nazi Germany invasion in 1939. As a teenager, Alexander endured multiple concentration camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau and Dachau.

Alexander was the only person in his family to survive the Holocaust. He lost both parents, three sisters and two brothers.

From building sewers and an airport to laying railroad tracks, each arduous task took a physical toll, including blood poisoning, skin maladies and typhus, according to Woodbury University. Alexander’s daily struggles consisted of starvation, severe illness and forced labor; all while being stripped of his name.

Permanently inked on Alexander’s forearm is a constant reminder of the dehumanization he suffered — the numbers “14284” remains from his imprisonment in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

what happened, so it doesn’t happen again.”

Alexander told Fox 11 Los Angeles that he used to think antisemitism would disappear over time. Now, he says, “It’s growing. The only thing you can do is educate.”

In an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles, Alexander described the devastating impact of spreading

“When I got this tattoo, I lost my name,” Alexander said in an interview with CBSNews LA. “So, when I look at it every day it’s a reminder that I got my name back.”

Shabtay emphasized how hearing Alexander’s experiences firsthand was invaluable. She stressed that events like this may not be accessible to future generations.

“It’s like the only time they can ever

hear a Holocaust survivor so that’s why this event was so important to me, because I really wanted to find a way to share Mr. Alexander’s story with the Cal Poly community.”

One of the common questions Alexander receives is whether he ever lost faith. In response, he shares how many around him lost faith but he held on.

“When I was in AuschwitzBirkenau, I saw people going to the electric fence because they gave up. I saw people being beaten to death

because they gave up,” Alexander said. “So they ask me always, ‘Did you ever think of giving up?’ I said no, I never did. I never lost faith, I never stopped believing.”

Celebrating 100 years of life, Alexander reflects on the strength and determination contributing to his survival. Throughout the adversity, Alexander says he always held on to hope.

“I may have a bad day today, but I hope tomorrow will be a better day,” Alexander said. “But never give up.”

Scan here to watch Joe Alexander speak at Cal Poly

When I got this tattoo, I lost my name, so, when I look at it every day it’s a reminder that I got my name back.

JOE ALEXANDER Holocaust survivor

AVERY ELOWITT | MUSTANG NEWS Joe Alexander’s papers presentated at the presentation on Jan. 15, 2023.

AVERY ELOWITT | MUSTANG NEWS

Joe Alexander in an interview with Mustang News in January, 2023.

Cafe in Downtown SLO gives the formerly incarcerated a support system

BY LAUREN YOON

Jason Hunter has opened a new cafe downtown as head chef — less than a decade after facing a 12-year sentence in the San Luis Obispo County Jail.

After leaving the military in 1998, a serious PTSD diagnosis led him down a “dark path” of drug and alcohol addiction, which resulted in his arrest and mounting jail sentences. It was in 2013, during a Sunday church program at the Men’s Honor Farm, where he met the founder of Restorative Partners, Sister Theresa Harpin.

“She’s my angel,” he said. “I call her my angel. She saved my life.”

Now, Hunter and the rest of Restorative Partners has opened the county’s first social enterprise, The Bridge Cafe, on Jan. 25. The cafe gives justice-involved residents of SLO County (individuals who have been incarcerated) an opportunity to train for job reentry.

Hunter met Sister Theresa halfway through his sentence, when he decided to appeal to the court. He was able to obtain a split sentence on the term that he would get sent to the VVSD (Veterans Village of San Diego) and complete a year’s residency, which he surpassed by six months.

In San Diego, Hunter discovered Kitchens For Good, a 13-week culinary program that teaches formerly incarcerated individuals basic cooking and life skills. This inspired his two-year education at the San Diego Culinary Institute – paid for by the Veteran Affairs – and led to his current employment with Restorative Partners, a nonprofit in SLO County that is trying to transform criminal justice.

Speakers such as District Attorney Dan Dow, District Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg and State Senate’s Clint Weirick expressed their excitement at the grand opening, as attendees partook in an array of free appetizers and desserts.

“While we’ve been able to change their lives, they’re going to change our lives, too. They have so much to give to us,” Ortiz-Legg said of the cafe’s employees. “We’re going to continue to grow the opportunities for folks who’ve had challenges–who’ve had real, unfortunate situations, and we do this together. We do it as a community.”

Bridge Cafe was in the making ever since Sister Theresa founded Restorative Partners and finally brought to life by a partnership with Cuesta College. The trainees get a chance to practice real-life culinary experience starting Jan. 25. The cafe, conjoined with the County Government Center, officially opened downtown on Monterey Street.

The menu consists of breakfast items, including a variety of bowls, along with sandwiches, burgers, soups and salads for lunch. They also provide “The Vegan Burger” with a beyond meat patty for those with dietary restrictions. Besides hot foods, the cafe will also have several baked goods, grab-n-go’s and sides and spreads.

Blanco stated that employing justice-involved people within SLO’s community was a niche that needed filling and that the cafe is a way to grow partnerships with other organizations not related to incarceration.

“With employment, people get more of a sense of identity and purpose,” Blanco said. “That’s why we wanted to open this social enterprise

and provide the opportunity to give employment to these individuals without questions in regards to their previous history.”

Employment will provide justice-involved employees minimum wage as they complete their 75 hours of workforce experience, along with in-person lectures at Cuesta, another part of Restorative Partners’ Culinary Training & Internship Program (CTIP). This one-semester program is also completely paid for by fundraising and grant money provided by the county.

The initiative will provide students with a certificate of achievement in culinary arts, but Blanco and Hunter have a more encompassing goal for their employees.

“I want to give them the confidence to apply for bigger roles and bigger kitchens in the area where all people are supportive,” Blanco said, along with “the confidence to do their jobs.”

There has been no pushback from the county, both at the community and government levels. If there was any, it would be from neighbors concerned about their proximity to one of Restorative Partners’ five sober living homes, Blanco said.

“Whether people understand it or not, anybody who has been incarcerated, anybody who has been in the justice-involved community, comes back to the community,” Restorative Partners Board of Directors member Traci Kessler said. “It’s credible, organic, farm-totable food that we’re all going to be able to enjoy because we have given these justice-involved individuals an opportunity to develop their skills.”

Kessler works as a compliance officer with sheriff’s departments

throughout the state, after retiring as a deputy at the SLO County Jail. Her family’s past of substance abuse and mental illness, in addition to witnessing young women cycling in and out of the system, pushed her to continue a career in law enforcement and eventually meet Sister Theresa.

After a night of painful stories told by female parolees who had been trafficked, Kessler knew she had to work alongside Sister Theresa.

“In uniform, in the middle of the jail, I broke down in tears, and I said, ‘I can’t—it was too painful to hear and I cannot process this,” Kessler recalled. “And she just wrapped me [up], just gave me a huge hug, and said, ‘We’ll work together and affect a change.’ And at that moment I knew that I had to work and be a part of this movement of healing.”

Sister Theresa launched Restorative Partners in 2011, after Assembly Bill 109, or the Prison Realignment Act, went into effect and prisoners had to serve their time in county jail instead of state prison.

She had a vision for in-custody programming, which she would inform based on her life’s work in social and restorative justice. The organization serves the SLO County Jail, Juvenile Hall, Honor Farm and the California Mens’ Colony (CMC) state prison.

The goal of Restorative Partners is to reduce recidivism, which is the tendency of convicted criminals to reoffend, in addition to rehabilitating incarcerated individuals for integration back into their communities. This rehabilitation is achieved through a multitude of initiatives, including housing in free, sober living homes, mentorship opportunities and job reentry training.

Hunter remembers being stuck in the “revolving door” between addiction and incarceration.

“If it wasn’t for this organization, I’d still be in prison,” Hunter said. “Or dead. One or the other.”

Hunter’s prosecutor, Kelly Manderino, who still works at the District Attorney’s office, is now long-time friends with Hunter, who reconnected with her after his graduation from the Veterans’ Village. She encourages Cal Poly students to reach out to Restorative Partners and get involved, whether it be through volunteering or just visiting the cafe.

“This is the future of what the criminal justice system should be. It’s not incarceration, but rehabilitation,” Manderino said.

Blanco and Hunter said they hope to see other social enterprises breaking through in the county after The Bridge Cafe. Shalimar Restaurant and Laguna Middle School currently employ clients from Restorative Partners, but Blanco said he hopes a new marketing team will expand the program’s reach even further.

Although Hunter had tons of red tape to get through, such as the addition of a brand new hood to the kitchen, a full remodel of the building and completely new equipment for the cafe, he is excited to change the patterns of life which he used to live. The new business is located in the heart of Downtown SLO at 1074 Higuera St.

“This place is gonna change lives and give people a chance to be something that they haven’t been in years,” Hunter said.

Restorative Partners has recently opened Bridge Cafe in Downtown San Luis Obispo.

LAUREN YOON | COURTESY

Restorative Partners held a ribbon cutting at the opening of ‘The Bridge Cafe’ on Jan. 25, 2023.

How students and faculty are advocating for more gender-inclusive restrooms on campus

BY MAKAYLA KHAN

When listing the basic necessities that faculty, students and others that visit campus need, the immediate considerations would be food availability, water fountains and lastly, bathrooms. Many students on campus have the luxury of having their bathroom of choice close by and available for them. However, for those who identify as non-binary or gender non-conforming, bathrooms are either not accessible or not available.

Students protesting against the signs in Dexter

In May 2022, according to the Dean of Students, Joy Pedersen, the faculty made a report that the bathroom signs in Walter F. Dexter building (34) were accompanied by handwritten signs that also read “non-binary.”

According to a flier posted outside of Dexter bathrooms, the signs were up for close to 6 months.

Then, in November 2022, Pedersen received a bias incident report from students that gender non-conforming and transgender students do not have safe and affirming bathrooms in the Dexter building. This report also included that the gendered restroom signs on the first-floor bathrooms in Dexter had been removed, and when they had been replaced, the new signs were also removed.

Campus’ response to reports of inaccessible bathrooms

After Pedersen received the report, she convened representatives from the College of Liberal Arts, the Art Department, Facilities, and Student Rights & Responsibilities to hear more about the concerns and identify how to address them. As a result, she organized a listening session to invite students from the Dexter building to share concerns on Jan. 24 in the library.

During this meeting, representatives discussed the process that it may take to facilitate a gender neutral bathroom within Dexter and on campus overall. Through this session, faculty revealed that through all of campus and facilities, there are only 27 gender neutral bathrooms on campus. Furthermore, according to Cal Poly’s planned giving website, there are currently more than 360 buildings across campus. This means that less than 10% of buildings have

a gender-neutral option, according to Professor Elizabeth Folk, Art and Design Diversity and Inclusivity Chair.

Folk explained in an email to Mustang News that every quarter she hosts transgender, non-binary and non-gender conforming students who are forced to make a walk from Dexter to the Architecture building for an inclusive bathroom.

To accommodate this length of travel, possibly multiple times a day, she provides extra break time for students.

Furthermore, she said a 2015 U.S. Trans Survey reported that “59% of trans folks have avoided bathrooms in the last year

sooner. For example, when AB1732 was passed in 2017, the law required that all single-occupant restrooms be gender neutral. At this time, the school did not have the proper funds to convert any multi-occupant restrooms because they would have had to replace the partition system to allow for more privacy and remove urinals.

The campus attempted to include gender-neutral bathrooms when they could, according to Pedersen. Prior to this law being passed, campus policy

and facilities. The current plan is to replace the Dexter bathroom signs within the next two weeks. Then, faculty will regroup with students in another seminar Feb. 23 in Kennedy Library, room 209 at 11a.m. to discuss new changes and progress that will occur throughout the campus.

Faculty and students are grateful for this change and are hopeful for the progress and action that is soon to

do the lifting.”

Folk also said in an email to Mustang News that “it is unfair to place the burden of this entire conversation on folks who are clearly already feeling cast aside by the infrastructure. This is something that deserves the close attention of all allies across campus.”

Looking into the future, Joy Pedersen wrote in an email that she hopes students will come to a trusted staff member to express any concerns and issues they may have.

because they feared confrontations in public restrooms.”

Folk said that “some trans/non-binary folks will avoid the restroom if there isn’t a convenient gender-neutral option, which causes urinary tract infections and kidney problems, in addition to stress, anxiety, depression, and a sense of exclusion.”

Why installation of gender inclusive bathrooms is taking so long

Students and faculty have voiced that they are upset that this project has taken so long for administration to acknowledge and plan to fix. Art and Design professor Enrica Costello told faculty representatives, “I know you say we are just starting, but we are already late.”

However, the representatives have discussed that there are many things that prevented Cal Poly from acting

stated that if a new building was constructed or substantially renovated, gender neutral bathrooms had to be included.

Faculty representatives also explained that Cal Poly as an institution is underfunded and that the process to create these restrooms for people to use would require planning, prioritizing and budgeting before it is properly executed.

When suggesting that they may have to remove urinals from what is now the men’s bathroom, liberal arts and engineering junior Juno Kilborn said, “Urinals are anatomy specific, not gender specific.”

Students and faculty within the seminar agreed that keeping urials would be acceptable for them. However, there is an issue of fixture counts and ensuring that the school is acting in accordance with California laws and codes.

Additionally, as a matter of funding and building new bathrooms, the faculty confirmed that they have “plenty of funding needed for operations,” and will use money from the Chancellor’s office to supply funds.

Moving forward with the process

The faculty representatives plan on starting with Dexter, then moving forward to other buildings

CHLOE KERN | MUSTANG NEWS

Graffiti drawn on the wall outside of a restroom in Dexter building

come.

Women gender and queer studies professor Alexia Arani told representatives that this is a “cultural shift that is needed at Cal Poly.”

Though many are urging for this

There is also a bias incident reporting form that students can use. Pedersen has also offered herself as someone students can talk to to discuss any issues they may have regarding their experience at Cal Poly. Additionally, the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion is another option for students to voice their complaints about inclusivity and campus climate.

There is no active search for the students responsible for taking the bathroom signs down. Many faculty members have come to the agreement that the main focus moving forward is to incorporate more gender-neutral bathrooms on campus that are accessible and available.

On Jan. 28, the bathroom signs in Dexter, room 136 and 139, were changed to “all-gender restrooms.” Next to the bathrooms, there is also a flier that allows students to scan a QR code that will take them to an anonymous survey, asking about their experience and if they want to see more of these restrooms on campus.

Folk said in an email to Mustang News that she doesn’t think that the “vandalism narrative is a productive part of this conversation” and instead “the important takeaway is that basic needs are not getting met for members of our community.”

process, faculty and representatives want to assure that this will not be a task that is entirely dependent on students.

Pedersen told students during the seminar, “I don’t expect students to

Pedersen said she wants readers of Mustang News to know that this is a collective issue and that “to those who have been negatively impacted by the lack of gender inclusive restrooms in the Dexter building, I want to extend my commitment to making the student experience better.”

To those who have been negatively impacted by the lack of gender inclusive restrooms in the Dexter building, I want to extend my commitment to making the student experience better.

JOY PEDERSEN

Dean of Students

THE INVISIBLE PROBLEM: MENTAL HEALTH WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING THE INVISIBLE PROBLEM:

BY SARINA GROSSI

Mental health — it can be hard to maintain for many college students when dealing with a full-time schedule. Yet, it’s proving to be a silent, ever-growing issue, especially within one of the most rigorous programs at Cal Poly: the College of Engineering.

For students like biomedical engineering junior Gavin Farac, there is a constant feeling of anxiety and stress over the classwork that lingers in the back of his mind.

“I spend hours doing work outside of class, constantly, just on my mind, stressing over it,” Farac said. “Even at times, I can go to the gym and hang out with friends, it’s always in the back of my mind thinking about the next test I have.”

Recently, computer engineering professor Andrew Danowitz collaborated on a study examining mental health in the engineering departments of eight universities across the country.

The project began in 2019 by having engineering students answer patient health questionnaires. Those that provided their contact information were later called upon an interview regarding their mental health. Highlights from the information collected through interviews and the questionnaire in 2019 were recently published on Cal Poly’s College of Engineering news page, CENG Connection.

“We analyzed the 2019 data by itself just to provide a baseline for what does mental health in the engineering programs look like during quote-unquote normal times, non-pandemic times.”

That data had some revealing information: although engineering students don’t appear to be at a higher risk of struggling with their mental health compared to other majors, they

are less likely to receive help for their mental health problems.

A factor that some say fuels this is timing, as the course load for the engineering program gives students little time for anything else in life.

Aerospace engineering junior George Harrison found this to be a huge issue for himself during fall quarter, when he would sometimes spend 13 hours

and both she and his friends had become concerned.

“She told me to go see a therapist, but I just kept telling her ‘I just don’t have the time,’” Harrison said.

Farac also has trouble finding the time to do things he loves, like going to the gym or spending time with friends.

“I’m not able to get that work-social balance or academic and social balance, and it just pushes too much toward the academic side,” Farac said. Another contributing factor behind engineering students not receiving proper mental health resources is the engineering culture. For engineers, there is an expectation that stress is a necessary part of the program, and students essentially sign up for it when they become engineering majors.

Harrison said it’s almost a “rite of passage.”

“If you want to get through engineering, you have to constantly be feeling stressed out,” Harrison said. “And I think some people might embrace that and therefore not seek out mental health resources.”

straight at the library.

“I’d just show up at like, 8 a.m. and I’d stay here until 12 a.m.,” Harrison said. “And that was really mentally draining on me. But, you know, that’s what I had to do in order to pass my classes.”

Harrison, who wanted to get on the Dean’s List last quarter, was solely dedicated to his academic work, sacrificing his social life and isolating himself in the process. He only had time to talk to his girlfriend after getting home late from the library,

Because of this expectation, it’s also harder for engineering students to be taken seriously when it comes to mental health issues. Danowitz noticed this was a problem in his research.

“We’ve had students report to us as part of these interviews that they’ve gone to counseling centers and the counselor has dismissed them,” Danowitz said. “Saying, you know, ‘well, your problem is you’re just an engineering

student, so once you graduate or leave the program, things will get better for you.’”

Danowitz proposes that the faculty within the College of Engineering can help students by offering accommodations for those that are struggling. Faculty can also encourage better habits for students, including better sleep schedules, as well as assigning earlier due dates and coordinating with other faculty on reducing project loads or staggering

assignments. He also proposes that the department can additionally be open about its own struggles.

“If we could be more open about our struggles, the times we failed, that might go a long way in helping students and others go through their own struggles,” he said.

For anyone struggling with mental health, students can find resources as well as counseling services on the Campus Health and Wellbeing page.

If we could be more open about our struggles, the times we failed, that might go a long way in helping students and others go through their own struggles

ANDREW DANOWITZ

Cal Poly Computer Engineering Professor

“LET’S PLAY TINDER”: CAL POLY FRESHMEN NAVIGATE TINDER FOR THE FIRST TIME

BY EMMA MONTALBANO

Anthropology and geography freshman Caroline Kelleher became single right before coming to college. Having just turned 18, she decided she wanted to see what Tinder could offer her.

“I just thought it’d be kind of fun to try and see what I would encounter on there,” Kelleher said.

Tinder gives students the opportunity to meet new people and build relationships without having to interact with strangers in a face-toface setting.

Tinder also functions as a source of amusement, according to English freshman Camden Winton, who said she initially downloaded Tinder for a laugh between her and her friends.

“One random night a month into school, I was like, should I get Tinder? And then I was like, ‘let’s play Tinder,’” Winton said.

The app works by showing users possible matches and their basic information, a short bio and pictures, based on the preferences they have inputted in their profile. The app allows them to either swipe left –suggesting they are not interested

– or to swipe right for a potential match. If two people both swipe right on each other, they are then matched and can begin a chat conversation.

Nick Humphrey, who just downloaded Tinder, said.

Mechanical engineering freshman Justin Gosling said he downloaded Tinder the summer before college because he felt bored and lonely, thinking Tinder was the most casual dating app out of the other popular ones.

“I think a lot of people are just looking to hook up,” Winton said. “So, even though it’s like the whole point of a dating app to find a relationship, I really don’t think that that’s what people are looking for.”

A report by Global Dating Insights found that 84.4% of college students using dating apps were using Tinder.

“I like Tinder the most because it’s like super quick, you don’t have to get too invested and there is just a lot of people on there,” Kelleher said.

people to meet up with.

“It just feels like a game,” environmental engineering freshman Ava Moorhead said in reference to using Tinder. “I do it because it’s funny, but I have never really hung out with anyone.”

While Tinder can seem like a “game” for some students, for other users, the app can pose real-life risks and danger.

Cal Poly alum and founder of SLO Queers Ally Gaeckle said that, as a queer woman looking for other women to date, she has been dissatisfied with the overall experience dating apps have provided.

confidence to say to someone’s face.

“Most of the time you know that they are looking to hook up, but some of the stuff they say is so bold and disgusting,” Winton said. A survey conducted by researchers at the University of Waterloo on American adults who used dating apps found that 35% of users were sent unprompted sexually explicit messages or images. Additionally, 9% of users were threatened with physical harm.

“It’s something I’ve always been kind of against just because I feel like it’s kind of weird and forced, but that doesn’t really actually matter,” mechanical engineering freshman

However, of 288 students polled by Mustang News, 65% of students using dating apps responded that they do not prefer Tinder over the other options and 35% said they do prefer Tinder.

Also, of the 288 students Mustang News polled, 68% of students using Tinder are using it just for fun, whereas 32% are using it to find

“With dating apps, the hardest part is bridging the gap between messaging matches online and meeting in real life. There are so many barriers keeping people from getting together in-person including safety concerns, anxiety/fear, lack of chemistry over text etc.,” Gaeckle wrote.

After matching with someone on Tinder, either party can begin a conversation using direct messaging.

According to Winton, some men are blatantly disrespectful to women with their pickup lines and say things on Tinder they would not have the

In a survey done by Columbia Journalism Investigations, 31% of the 1,244 women that responded reported that they had been sexually assaulted or raped by a person they had met through online dating.

To combat issues that specifically queer women face using dating apps, Gaeckle put together a Valentine’s speed dating event at Bliss Cafe. “By hosting the event in person, participants can skip all the barriers that dating apps present and form relationships face-to-face from the start,” Gaeckle wrote.

With dating apps, the hardest part is bridging the gap between messaging matches online and meeting in real life.

ALLY GAECKLE Founder of SLO Queers

FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NEWS

EL IMPACTO DEL AÑO: EL IMPACTO DEL AÑO:

THE VIBRANT AND SOCIALLY COMPLEX RISE OF REGGAETÓN

BY PATRICK ASHMAN

¿Cómo es una revolución? (What does a revolution look like?) Oftentimes, it resembles advancements in political discourse and cultural reformation. What then, does a revolution sound like? Following the sunset on the musical horizon of 2022, some may associate it with the heightened presence of Spanish lyricism and the quintessential rhythm of dembow in mainstream music.

The rising leader of last year’s auditory coup is reggaetón, a genre born from Afrocentric and Latin musical traditions, civil unrest and multi-ethnic unity during the construction of the Panama Canal, as stated in Philip Samponaro’s article “‘Oye mi canto’ (‘Listen to My Singing’) The History and Politics of Reggaetón.”

Although reggaetón’s sound has changed in the past two decades due to its widening global scope and advancements in music production, the genre’s public image continues to offer a complex answer to the question of what a revolution sounds like — fighting against misogyny while it remains ever present in the industry.

Critics of contemporary reggaetón contemporary point to its lyrical themes, citing a tendency toward sexual, violent and misogynistic themes. However, these problematic elements within the genre exist within a progressive cultural and social climate, which invites a deeper look at its frontrunners.

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, conocido profesionalmente como Bad Bunny (known professionally as Bad Bunny), was certified by streaming metrics as the most listened to artist on Spotify for three consecutive years after releasing his fifth project, “Un Verano Sin Ti.” Bad Bunny has taken a lead role on the global stage, giving him a considerable platform that can, in some cases, be used in confounding ways.

On the one hand, the Puerto Rican artist has significantly contributed to the crowd sourced defini-

tion of what it means “to be a man” in the 21st century. Donning signature painted nails and drag-influenced attire in music videos like the one for “Yo Perreo Sola” suggests a departure from “the profitable subjects of homophobia and sexism” that occupy the masculine tradition in reggaetón, as put by Samponaro.

Por otra parte (On the other hand), Bunny’s appearance at the 2019 Pornhub awards in addition to his lyrical content may send a polarizing message.

“Mientras integrandoeslóganes feministas, o transgrediendo el género, Bad Bunny maltrata simultáneamente a las mujeres en el mismo álbum.,” (“Even while integrating feminist slogans, or transgressing gender, Bad Bunny simultaneously maltreats women in the same album”) as noted by Keylor Murillo.

A similar discussion surrounds Hip Hop, which, like Reggaetón, faces ample scrutiny for its lyricism. As a Latin trap juggernaut and purveyor of Reggaetón, Bad Bunny remains a scapegoat in the eyes of his fiercest opponents — an object of affection for his most ardent fans, and a contradictory model of contemporary masculinity.

Limiting the discussion solely to the Bad Bunnies, J Balvins and Ozunas, however, would only reinforce the gap between the notoriety enjoyed by male and female artists in the genre. It’s a gap that Colombian singer Carolina Giraldo Navarro, professionally known as Karol G, both acknowledges and aspires to narrow.

“The only limit I see at the moment is people accepting our lyrics,” she said in an interview with Grammy Awards. “We have songs about love, about falling out of love … I want to be able to talk about anything … I think there needs to be a little more equality in that aspect.”

The impact of this sentiment is felt by child development senior Karla Espinoza, who spoke about the disparity in attention that female artists like Ivy Queen, the acclaimed “Queen of Reggaetón,” and

male artists like Bad Bunny receive for addressing the sexualization of women.

“Ivy Queen’s message is similar to the one Bad Bunny delivers in ‘Yo Perreo Sola,’” she said. “Women in Reggaeton don’t really get the credit that they deserve, in a sense.”

A contradiction much like the one present in the masculine realm of Reggaetón also applies to the feminine. The same genre that sometimes promotes male bravado at the expense of female dignity also affords women opportunities to incite cultural change, albeit with limitations.

Ivy Queen sheds light on this dynamic through both her lyricism and onstage presentation.

The puertorican singer’s authoritative vocals confidently jab through the mix of “Quiero Bailar,”

tions still transpire within the industry machine, which raises a discussion of creative autonomy. It’s a tricky item to obtain for many high profile artists, including leading women such as Ivy Queen.

tions of gender, Reggaetón has also managed to colorfully burst through the multi-genre soundscape and resonate with the masses.

a track that is part perreo classic, part ode to feminine agency. Within the chorus, Ivy Queen passionately asserts “Yo te digo ‘Sí, tú me puedes provocar’ (Ey) / Eso no quiere decir que pa’ la cama voy” (“I’ll tell you ‘Sure, you can lead me on’ (Ay) / That doesn’t mean that I’m going to bed”).

According to Samponaro’s article, Ivy Queen has also historically followed suit onstage by abandoning the norm of “using all male dancers to support the female artist.” Instead, she relies on a mostly female entourage to convey a sense of “pro-woman solidarity and female sexual agency” that reflects her lyricism.

However, these progressive ac-

In the article “‘En mi imperio’: Competing discourses of agency in Ivy Queen’s reggaetón,” Africana and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies professor Jillian M. Báez said artists sometimes lose independence within “a media industry in which women of color are forced to whiten, thin and hypersexualize their bodies.”

Although criticized by some for facilitating systemic inequality, contemporary Reggaetón nevertheless contains elements that demonstrate the genre’s movement toward inclusivity.

In spite of the obstacles faced by female artists, Espinoza points to an ongoing positive shift in the landscape of Reggaetón. Within Bad Bunny’s music video for “Yo Perreo Sola,” for instance, she noted that “there’s a neon sign behind him reading, ‘Las mujeres mandan’ (‘The women lead’). He’s trying to send the message that women are their own person.”

Beyond its conflicting representa-

“Reggaetón has become more popular, not necessarily because the songs are upbeat, or anything, but I think a lot of people do kind of steer toward Reggaetón for that as well,” agricultural business sophomore Priscilla Vazquez said. “I feel like I’ve seen it being played a lot more now compared to a couple of years ago and among everyone, not just toward a specific race or gender,” she said.

The internet’s expansion of the multilingual listening base has afforded millions of listeners around the globe the opportunity to experience everything from K-Pop to UK Drill. It goes without saying that while the rise of Reggaetón promotes diversity, it does not necessarily resolve inequality.

Sin embargo, como cualquiera revolución (However, like any revolution), the ascent of Reggaetón has inspired countless individuals to raise their voices, raise their hands and raise their eyes toward the possibility that the antidote to inequality does not lie so far away after all.

ISABELLA FLINT-GONZALEZ | KCPR

Women in Reggateon don’t really get the credit that they deserve, in a sense.

IVY QUEEN Queen of Raggaetón

How two student DJs are impacting San Luis Obispo’s nightlife scene, and their futures

BY KATE LOWPENSKY

Two Cal Poly students, Luke Garcia of Sigma Pi and Kaia Aldridge of Alpha Sigma Phi, are bringing electronic dance music (EDM) to San Luis Obispo — with the support of their fraternities behind them.

Garcia began his career two and a half years ago, but his passion for EDM started when he was just five years old. He picked up mixing during the pandemic, unbeknownst that a quarantine hobby would become a lifetime passion. Once he got to Cal Poly in 2020, he asked his freshman-year neighbor for lessons.

Months later, when the opportunity to fill the disc jockey (DJ) spot at Sigma Pi opened up, he took the chance and started as the official fraternity DJ. He played every single event that the fraternity organized. He soon began to receive positive feedback, which in turn, made him excited to grow as a DJ.

“There was a lot more traction at our parties and everyone was saying ‘This fraternity plays great music,’ and it boosted my confidence a little bit to want to do more events,” Garcia said.

Aldridge started mixing in the beginning of 2022. Growing up, he had always been aware of his ability to fit songs together like puzzle pieces. He finally got the opportunity to put his thoughts into action when he learned the ins and outs of the fraternity house’s soundboard. He practiced until he finally felt ready to play in front of his fraternity at their formal in Las Vegas. Once he transitioned seamlessly from one song into another and saw the crowd dancing, his life changed.

“That was really the moment where it clicked for me. There’s something here that really makes me feel good,” he said.

Aldridge said his favorite part of being a DJ is the crowd. Their energy, feedback and passion for music make him come back for more.

and engaging crowd. Getting 500 people to sing the same lyrics that you’re playing or jump to the beat that you just threw on is just awesome,” he said. “I love it.”

As a full-time student and member of a fraternity, Garcia said he has a packed schedule. However, his passion drives him to always make time to create new sets. After studying abroad in Europe, he felt inspired to challenge his music taste and integrate different subgenres of EDM into his traditionally house music sets.

“I sit here until five in the morning grinding out what I think people are going to enjoy and what I’m going to enjoy,” Garcia said.

back-to-back sets before and the creative energy has just flown very well,” he said. “We have very similar tastes and styles when it comes to music.”

In the future, Garcia hopes to create more content for social media in order to grow his audience. He wants to have a following so that he can continue to pursue DJ-ing after he graduates and also organize more events following the success of his first underground rave, which he organized in the winter of 2021. He emphasized that money isn’t a priority — for him, EDM is purely a passion that isn’t distracted by profit.

“The overarching goal is to neither make money or not make money but just be playing gigs that I want to be playing,” Garcia said. Aldridge’s goal is to expand Traveling Haüs into a brand that he can pursue full-time. He wants to travel the world and play music while also connecting to other DJs in the business. For now, he said he is looking for ways to hold events to bring a new energy to SLO’s nightlife scene. After being in the audience of many EDM shows, he said he sees how Traveling Haüs could bring happiness into people’s lives.

“That’s really the goal: there’s no hate, there’s just love on the dance floor. Everybody’s just having a good time. They’re there to dance,” he

Both DJs shared that without the support of their fraternities, they wouldn’t be where they are today. Garcia appreciates how the men of Sigma Pi not only build his confidence but also provide him with constructive criticism that helps him improve.

“The support fuels my motivation,” Garcia said.

“Hearing the crowd sing along to a song and seeing them all dancing to that same song, seeing the smiles on people’s faces [and] when they hear something they’ve never heard before, that’s my favorite part,”

Aldridge said.

For Garcia, knowing that he is the one responsible for the energy of the crowd makes him proud to be a DJ.

“The happiest I ever am is when I’m up there playing for a really fun

Aldridge said he also dedicates hours of practice each week and is working on building his own entertain ment brand. He started Traveling Haüs Productions in the spring of 2022 after realizing that he could create a business out of his passion for sharing house music with his community. The brand’s goal is to bring EDM anywhere by building a team of DJs and holding events in any suitable space.

“My goal is to bring nightlife into [San Luis Obispo],” he said. “By the time I leave here, I want every single person on this campus who’s interested to have at least gotten the opportunity to experience what I want to do.”

Aldridge has held a few events so far, and Garcia is one of the DJs that

are on the lineup. The two also play back-to-back sets together, meaning one will play a song and the other will take over immediately after.

Garcia said he hopes to collaborate with Aldridge after college because he feels that their music styles and passions align.

“I think Kaia and I have a very similar creative flow when we play together and we’ve done some

Like Garcia, Aldridge credits his fraternity for giving him the platform to start his career.

Some of his fondest memories include playing sets for his fraternity brothers in their backyard as they cheered him on. He sees that his love for EDM and his passion for Traveling Haüs is recognized and encouraged by Alpha Sigma Phi.

“And had it not been for the fraternity, I wouldn’t have had any of that,” he said.

In a town where the EDM community is hidden underground, these two DJs are making it their mission to introduce San Luis Obispo to, as Aldridge says, “that bass in your face, the bouncy high hats [and] snappy claps.”

The happiest I ever am is when I’m up there playing for a really fun and engaging crowd. Getting 500 people to sing the same lyrics that you’re playing or jump to the beat that you just threw on is just awesome.

LUKE GARCIA

LILY TENNER |MUSTANG NEWS

KAIA ALDRIDGE |COURTESY

LOCAL BAND PRÓXIMA PARADA GOES VIRAL ON TIKTOK

BY ASHLEY OAKES & KATE LOWPENSKY

In 2019, San Luis Obispo band Próxima Parada released their song “Musta Been a Ghost” from their album “Kind Reminder.” Little did they know that the song would go viral three years later through a Tik Tok video.

The video, released in December 2022, by the creator Matt Firestine (@ fuegostein) now has over 19 million views and three million likes. He called the song a “hidden gem” and wanted to introduce his viewers to Próxima Parada’s music through a short clip of the song. Since the posting of the video, the song has been included in the “My Life is a Movie” playlist created by Spotify, which has received over two million likes.

“When it first came out, we weren’t sure what to expect,” the band’s vocalist, pianist and guitarist, Nick Larson said.

“I don’t think we can ever have expectations of how well or poorly something will do. You have to get it to a point where we really like it and connect with it and resonate with it,

and that we put it out in the world and then once it’s there, it’s kind of up to the world,” bassist Kevin Middlekauff said.

lack of communication. The band found inspiration for their lyrics through the people around them — one common theme they observed is how people often feel “ghosted” or ignored by others. Larson wants listeners who feel this way to know that they are not inadequate or less than because they were left behind.

“It’s not about us convincing other people of our worth but us knowing the people we are and just letting that be enough,” he said. The band also shared that the song is about confronting the awkwardness of disagreement. Rather than ignoring someone, the issue should be addressed.

“It’s okay to not have the exact same perspective as somebody,” Larson said. “I think it’s a lot better to disagree than to just disappear on people.”

inspires Cal Poly students to make moves in the music world.

“I know there are other young musicians at Cal Poly that are super excited about music,” Larson said. “And when we were in college, I don’t know if we really had a band [to look up to].”

Middlekauff shared that the band is planning on touring locally and internationally this upcoming year.

A 13-song album is also on the way with songs in both English and Spanish, each sounding completely different from the other. They are excited for the future and all of the doors that this viral song has opened for them, including a larger fan base to connect with.

a long way from their first show at a local San Luis Obispo donut shop, SloDoCo, but they always plan to keep their close bond with the community.

“There’s something really special about playing at home in San Luis Obispo,” Larson said.

Thanks to a 13-second video, Próxima Parada is ready to be the band from San Luis Obispo that made it big.

According to the band, the song has multiple meanings, and one is about missed connections due to

Band members Nick Larson, Kevin Middlekauff, Josh Collins and Aaron Kroeger met at Cal Poly during their freshman year and decided to start making music together. Larson and Middlekauff lived in the Sierra Madre dorms together, and now they are proud to be members of a band that

One of their new fans includes Norwegian snowboarding world-champion Marcus Kleveland who posted a video of snowboarding tricks to “Musta Been a Ghost,” which stunned the band members due to the number of messages they received from new Norwegian fans.

Próxima Parada is riding the wave of their viral video — and they don’t plan on stopping music or performing any time soon. They have come

Listen to the latest episode of SLO-FI to hear first-hand from Larson about the creation of “Musta Been a Ghost.”

I know there are other young musicians at Cal Poly that are super excited about music, And when we were in college, I don’t know if we really had a band [to look up to].

NICK LARSON Band member

A LEGACY OF LAMERS:

HOW THREE BROTHERS ARE MAKING THEIR MARK ON CAL POLY WRESTLING

BY DEREK RIGHETTI

For many families, the weekend of Jan. 6, 2023 was probably an ordinary one. However, for Chad and Ann Lamer, it was an opportunity to watch four of their sons compete within 200 miles of one another.

On Friday, Jan. 6, three Lamer brothers competed in Cal Poly’s dual against fourth-ranked Michigan, Brawley and Legend for the Mustangs with Chance representing the Wolverines. Michigan defeated

Cal Poly 30-11, with Chance and Brawley earning victories for their respective squads.

It was the first time the three of them competed in a head-to-head dual against each other.

That same Friday, the youngest in the Lamer quartet and recent Cal Poly commit, Daschle, or Dash, was in Fresno competing in the Doc B Wrestling Tournament, one of the premier high school wrestling

tournaments in California.

At the end of the weekend, he claimed a second-place finish in the 163-pound division.

The Lamer connection with the Cal Poly wrestling program dates back to 2017, when Brawley committed to join then first-year head coach Jon Sioredas and the Mustangs. After compiling a perfect 40-0 record en route to an Oregon state title his senior year, Brawley chose to join

one of the only Division-I programs that offered him a spot.

“Cal Poly invited me on a recruiting trip here and I just fell in love with it,” Brawley said. “You come here and you have the beach, the great academics and this wrestling program that had new coaches and a new potential to be this up-and-coming powerhouse.”

In his first two seasons in the program, Brawley put together a

24-20 record. As the first Lamer to grace the Cal Poly campus, a path for more family members to join the Mustang community was opened. Enter Legend.

In his high school career, Legend accumulated a 186-5 overall record to go alongside four Oregon state championship titles. The former top-100 recruit committed to compete alongside his brother and join the Mustangs.

LAMER FAMILY | COURTESY

“There was a lot of influence and that’s definitely why I even started looking at Cal Poly,” Legend said about his recruitment process. “I was getting recruited by a lot of bigger schools, but obviously with Brawley here, it was one of my top choices.” Legend, like many other Cal Poly wrestlers, chose to redshirt his first season in 2019-20. He went 12-5 in open tournaments, winning the Michigan State Open and placing third at the California Collegiate Open.

in our dad’s old singlets,” Brawley said. “We used to not be able to train together because it would end up in a fight, but as we’ve gotten older we’ve come to appreciate the push that the other is giving.”

Legend reiterated the competitive nature between himself and Brawley. Being only two years apart in age, the two have competed against one another often.

“We definitely push each other and I don’t think anyone ever wants to lose to the other,” Legend said. “It will definitely get intense and competitive at times, but it makes us better.”

In their second year at the collegiate level, the Lamers combined for a 16-8 record during the COVIDshortened 2020-21 season. Brawley recorded his second consecutive fourth-place finish in the Pac-12, and Legend brought home a second place in the Pac-12, earning a berth into the NCAA Championships as the No. 9 seed.

That same season, Brawley went 12-13 on the year, but brought home a fourth-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships in the 157-pound division.

For Brawley and Legend, having each other within the same program allowed them to partake in more intensive workouts, largely due to the natural rivalry between brothers.

“We’ve been wrestling our whole lives and our parents have videos of us wrestling in our living room

That offseason, another Lamer hit the recruiting trail. Chance, the second four-time Oregon state champion to emerge from the Lamer household, was the seventh-overall recruit in his senior class. While Brawley and Legend played their part to make him a Mustang, Chance had his eyes set on the Big 10 conference, committing to compete at Michigan.

“Cal Poly was actually my second choice,” Chance said. “It would’ve been really fun going to college with my brothers, but in the end, I decided to go to Michigan because I thought that it was the place where I could become the best wrestler I could be.”

With three brothers now competing at the collegiate level, matches and duals began to mean more. The Lamers all competed in

the Michigan State Invitational in 2021.

big reason for my success and next year we get to show the nation how the Lamers roll,” Dash said. Cal Poly has had a plethora of siblings compete alongside each other throughout the years. Next year Brawley, Legend, and now Dash, will be the first trio of siblings to be affiliated with a program at the same

Lamer legacy on Cal Poly’s wrestling program.

“I’ve never been on any sort of team with Daschle because I’m six years older than him,” Brawley said about returning next year. “It will be really sweet to have the opportunity to coach him and be a guy for him at the beginning of his college career. I’m really excited about it.”

Weekends like the one in early January are special for the Lamers, and in the near future, they will become an every-weekend affair for the family, and one that Mustang fans get to enjoy as well.

This past August, Dash, the youngest in the lineage of Lamers, had to make his choice: follow Brawley and Legend, team up with Chance or pave his own

“I knew I always wanted to be with a brother in college,” Dash said. “Chance and I are really close so it made it really hard to say no to

Dash announced via his Instagram page that he intends to wrestle with Brawley and Legend in 2023.

“I feel honored, my brothers are a

I feel honored—my brothers are a big reason for my success and next year we get to show the nation how the Lamers roll.

As we’ve gotten older we’ve come to appreciate the push that the other is giving.

BRAWLEY LAMER

LAMER FAMILY | COURTESY

‘Come as you are’: Monthly Art & Soul Fair creates safe space for SLO’s queer community

BY CATHERINE ALLEN

When Faith LeGrande started the Art and Soul Fair in her backyard in 2021, she didn’t expect the crowd of 150+ people who began attending. Now, Art and Soul is an official nonprofit with monthly fairs held at the creekside patio of Bliss Cafe, in addition to other events throughout the year.

“There are plenty of art events around SLO County, but I just realized that … there weren’t many that focused on marginalized communities or on the queer community or creating safe spaces,” LeGrande said. “So I wanted to have at least a monthly safe space that the queer community within SLO could get together and connect and create.”

On Saturday, Feb. 4 from 1 to 5 p.m., 14 vendors were present as the San Luis Obispo community weaved through the patio to enjoy handmade products, a communal painting table, live music and more.

“I love the community that it brings — everybody is so kind and loving,” Cal Poly alum and artist Mariah-Kate Saenz said at the fair. “There’s a lot of acceptance, which is hard to find in SLO.”

Saenz makes functional art and jewelry out of resin, with work that often focuses on body type representation. Saenz’s art started as a quarantine hobby and turned into a “lucrative business and a personal joy.” She said businesses sprouting out of quarantine is a common trend she sees — especially among women.

For Celest, a first-time vendor at the fair in February, Art and Soul provided a safe space compared to other events in San Luis Obispo.

“I’ve always wanted to be a vendor and go out to farmers markets and go to the fairs and everything — but I didn’t quite feel safe being queer,” Celest said. “Creating this environment for our community to come and showcase all of our art talent — that’s what brought me here, was that safety and a community. And reassurance that I wasn’t going to be hassled or knocked over.”

Selling crystals, ponchos and more, Celest described the fair’s environment as calm and communal — but with a “sense of energy bubbling underneath.”

The nonprofit is currently a team of four, including LeGrande, and is often accepting applications for volunteers, vendors and performers.

“I wanted to grow a community for myself, and for the people that I love

How Cal Poly is celebrating Black History Month

BY ELISABETH CLAYSON

Cal Poly’s Black Student Union (BSU) and Black Academic Excellence Center (BAEC) are hosting an array of events this month in honor of Black History Month.

around here,” LeGrande said. “They know that, like, if they’re having a bummer day, and they come by Art and Soul Fair, it will cheer them up.”

Wade, a San Luis Obispo local, “stumbled across” the fair once, and knew he had to return the next month.

“I heard music and I was drawn to it,” Wade said. “I want more of this in general — I think this area would definitely benefit from more events like this.”

He said he was met with a supportive environment full of accepting people who “love being who they want to be.” February was his second time attending.

Wade attended with Eve, a dancer who’s performed at Art and Soul events before.

If they’re having a bummer day, and they come by Art and Soul Fair, it will cheer them up.

“I think Faith is truly becoming a powerhouse in SLO for the LGBT community,” Eve said. “And I really appreciate that because we need more variety and more producers of LGBT content.”

Eve also praised LeGrande’s persistence with Art and Soul — despite receiving harassment.

LeGrande said that her own organization, as well as others that also

host queer events, had received “very alarming” harassment through social media for their drag shows. Out of caution, LeGrande canceled Art and Soul’s drag nights until this upcoming fall, allowing time to develop a Queer Event Safety Committee. It’s an effort across multiple organizations in SLO, including Gala Pride & Diversity Center, to provide security at future events.

“We want to be out, we want to be proud, but we want to be safe,” LeGrande said.

Having a sense of safety dates back to the start of Art and Soul. LeGrande said she’s often homebound as someone with chronic pain and mental illness, so hosting the fair in the comfort of her own home was a way to reconnect with her community in a safe way. She didn’t expect Art and Soul to get to where it is today — but she’s set on continuing its growth.

The next Art and Soul Fair will be held at Bliss Cafe on Saturday, March 4.

“You can show up, you don’t have to explain yourself,” LeGrande said. “You’re just welcome to come as you are.”

Some of the events students can look forward to in February include an open mic night and a poetry slam open to the entire campus and SLO community on Feb. 25 and Black History Month spirit week from Feb. 21 to Feb. 24.

The co-president of the Black Student Union, Nailah DuBose, said that these events are important because they showcase and celebrate Black culture.

“Cal Poly has diversity and inclusion initiatives, but showcasing Poly’s diversity by celebrating Black History Month will encourage BIPOC students to come [to the university] because it shows that they will come to a place that supports and celebrates their culture,” DuBose said.

DuBose is particularly excited about “The Vibe: Open Mic Night

Scan the QR code for a look inside February’s Art and Soul Fair

and Poetry Slam,” where BSU is working in collaboration with Black Lives Matter Community Action SLO, and R.A.C.E Matters SLO, a non-profit that aims to amplify Black voices and racial justice.

On Feb. 16, there will be a State of Blackness event where students, staff and faculty can come to discuss the Black experience at Cal Poly.

Two events will also be held in the Chumash Auditorium, one focused on sisterhood and another on Black male-identifying student experiences.

February is the shortest month of the year. DuBose said Cal Poly students should continue to celebrate Black culture beyond February by “supporting Blackowned businesses, supporting the Black Student Union on campus and continuing to educate [themselves] about Black history.”

Those who wish to know more about Black History Month events can learn more at @ calpolybsu and @cpbaec on Instagram.

FAITH LEGRANDE Founder

ERIC MATTSON @ EMORTALMUSIC | COURTESY Portrait of Art & Soul Founder Faith LeGrande.

A Love Letter to Heartbreak on Valentine’s Day

BY ZOIE DENTON

Something about February 14th instills a frenzy in people. All of the sudden my happily single friends are dreading the sight of heart shaped balloons and tacky stuffed animals— and honestly, I can’t blame them. I choose, however, to use this day to celebrate the entirety of love, not just the fluffy bits with chocolate and roses.

So here is my (possibly irrational) pitch to celebrate Valentine’s Day holistically. To do this we have to gather up all the grit we have left and welcome heartbreak into our homes with open arms. Because what is heartbreak if not the universal connector? I’ve had my heart broken by women, men, a father, my dogs, rejection letters, best friends, false hope and quite often myself.

Whether you’ve lost a partner, a friend, a pet or an idol, we’ve all experienced this uniquely painful, deeply pestering type of grief. Yet for some reason it feels stigmatized to grapple with our sadness out loud, and instead attempt to “suck it up” by distracting ourselves or hiding

from these uncomfortable emotions.

So this V-day let’s embrace the full love-cycle, from the shaky hands on the first date to the ones reaching for tissues months later.

While grieving a loss of love myself some time ago, a close friend and forever an inspiration, responded to my pity party with “We are seeing the world through a more profound lens than everybody else right now.”

She, per usual, was right.

Heartbreak, while agonizing, is transformative. It’s a time when you feel incredibly sensitive, but what a great opportunity to judge what definitively improves your mood. The pain you feel, or have felt, is a testament to your personal perseverance. It’s an ode to the courage you had to embrace the insanely vulnerable act of trusting someone.

Losing love is not losing. This world is full of people who have loved each other. This love does not dissipate, it follows you. It mends you, softens your edges and breathes forgiveness into your lungs. And we will love other people, the ones we never expected and the ones we waited

years on.

This fundamentally human urge to connect can’t exist without the pain that comes before, during, and after. Let’s honor that pain

instead use this day to celebrate all the times you did love. Most importantly, celebrate all the times it really, truly sucked. That’s love too. I would tell you to keep trying, keep falling in love, but you don’t need my voice telling you that— you will anyway. That’s what we do, we keep trying and putting ourselves out there because a lot of us just can’t help it.

today, say a silent thank you for all the room it’s made.

I hope you don’t dismiss my ramblings as a gooey romantic, but

You will fall in love again, and I hope it’s great; I hope it feels big. I hope you learn things about yourself; I hope you change; I hope you feel like the connection you’ve made is unbreakable. And then I hope you get your heart broken; I hope you feel your heart cave in; I hope it hurts like hell. And then I hope you’ll try again.

Why is Campus Health and Wellbeing making promises they can’t keep?

BY ELIJAH WINN

America today is plagued with a mental health crisis. People of all ages and groups are being affected by this crisis as two out of five adults detail experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. To this end, treatment and support for these issues are becoming a necessity, especially in American universities. Cal Poly’s Health and Wellbeing mission statement declares that they are “...responsive to the unique needs of students across identities and cultivate spaces of belonging, connection, and healing.” While commendable, this falls flat when applied and grounded in real student experience.

During a late night SloDoCo run, my close friend revealed their experience with Campus Health and Wellbeing as lackluster and concerning for the greater student body. She recounted her desire to seek out counseling services through Cal Poly as we are paying for the services and she had heard good things about on-campus resources from other schools. She had been experiencing grief and pain from familial issues

that finally became too heavy a burden to bear.

Upon receiving consultation from Campus Health and Wellbeing, she was bluntly told that if she was not experiencing chronic depression or suicidal thoughts, she would not be able to recieve individualized help. While she was informed that she could try group therapy sessions she expressed her discomfort with the idea of group sessions and was still told that she would not be able to receive help anytime soon because of a lack of counselors.

Realistically, no organization, university, or business can conjure 20,000 counselors for 20,000 people. Yet, this becomes an issue when Cal Poly sells a pipedream to new students during WOW, pledging tangible and direct resources to all students for their mental health.

This opens up a concerning discussion: Is Cal Poly just completely out of touch with their student body or are they knowingly negligent?

While it isn’t reasonable to expect Cal Poly to be in touch with every single student they should still be aware of the general needs of the student population. Understanding

that there is variation among student needs is critical for a University to truly “be there” for all students that

product that isn’t what it is marketed to be. Which is something far more concerning than any other option. There should be no tolerance for projecting the quality of a service as better than it actually is, especially with something as critical as counseling and mental health services. Conjecture leads me to wonder if this is because of a lack of funding and while that is something that should be discussed, it still doesn’t discredit the fact that they falsely advertise

This becomes an

when Cal Poly sells a pipedream to new students, pledging tangible and direct resources to all students for their mental health.

ELIJAH WINN

Environmental earth and soil science Junior

are told as such during WOW. On the other side, it can be theorized that Cal Poly is simply selling a

how effective Campus Health and Wellbeing truly is to prospective students, new students, and returning students.

Talking with other students has yielded experiences with Campus Health and Wellbeing that lack care and expedition. Students should expect and deserve better help with a university that pledges quality care and treatment for all students on all matters that relate to health and wellbeing.

[The] fundamentally human urge to connect can’t exist without the pain that comes before, during, and after. Let’s honor that pain today, say a silent thank you for all the room it’s made.

ZOIE DENTON English Junior

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