MUSTANG NEWS CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO’S NEWS SOURCE SEPTEMBER 09, 2022 | MUSTANGNEWS.NET KRISTIN SMART MURDER TRIAL FROM 1996 TO NOW: Trial for murder of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart begins 26 years later Read about the case that sparked a push for a safer campus on pg. 14.
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Cal Poly’s COVID-19 proto cols were dropped for fall quarter, backed by new CDC guidelines and lower risk, Armstrong told Mustang News.CalPoly decided not to implement pre-arrival testing, a weekly testing requirement for unvaccinated indi viduals nor a mask mandate for fall quarter. Students will continue to isolate in place if they test positive for COVID-19. The university is scrap ping its own creation of a COVID-19 saliva testing lab starting after the first week of fall quarter, now only offering PCR tests in the Health Center for those with symptoms.
Out of students enrolled in the most recent term, summer quarter, 92.8% of all students are vaccinated, and 90.3% of faculty and staff — both higher than vaccination rates in the county.Armstrong said “there’s not zero risk in anything we do,” but that risk has gone down recently. Because recent variants are more infectious but less severe, Armstrong said the campus is in a better position than it was when COVID-19 first began.
Now, after a summer with the majority of people away from campus, Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong has said the campus community is in an “endemic” and the risk is low enough to return to normal.Mostof
Armstrong said that each loca tion is different, yielding a differ ent response to fit what is best for each community. Cal Poly aligns with what the CDC and CSU system suggests, he explained.
quarter.“Wecan do our part to keep our mask on if we’re not feeling well,” Hadaway-Mellis said. “We can do our part to, you know, help those in those situations and be mindful that not all of us are the same.”
A CDC senior epidemiologist, Greta Massetti, wrote in an August
CAL
However, no other CSU has removed their testing programs or coronavirus dashboards at time of publication, similar to the UC system. CSU Fullerton limited test ing on campus to those who need it, though still has a dashboard for trends of positivity rates on campus. The university will work to provide financial support to those who need
One regulation still in place from last year is the self-reported Daily Campus Screener pass, which has previously faced criticism for the lack of accountability and enforcement, as many professors do not check these passes. Armstrong said that not all human behavior can be changed. Moving to an endemic stage means there is “more responsibility” on the individual, Armstrong said.
Mustang News asked Armstrong and Hadaway-Mellis how such students would be supported going into fall
found via public records requests.
If there is a change in COVID-19 levels, the university will “revamp” protocols to fit county guidelines as needed, Armstrong said.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, NEWS8
news release that we are still in a pandemic, but vaccinations and treatments have helped us “move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.”
There’s always more we could do, but you have to do what is reasonable and in line with best practices.
A study published by Yale in July determined that COVID-19 will not be endemic until 2024, based on models of infection with animals.
Although Armstrong said the community is in an endemic stage and that health experts agree, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department says we are still in a “Whilepandemic.COVID-19 has unfortu nately been with us for several years, it is not yet predictable enough to be considered endemic,” County Public Health spokesperson Tara Kennon wrote in an email to Mustang News.
About 98% of classes are set to be taught in-person fall quar ter compared to about 87% last fall. Through the Americans with Disabilities Act, professors can still request accommodations and teach classes online if it’s not safe for them to do so in person.
‘THE BEST THAT WE CAN’
POLY ADMINISTRATION DROPS COVID-19 PROTOCOLS FOR FALL QUARTER: DOING ‘THE BEST THAT WE CAN’ Mustang News asked readers what they wanted to know about Cal Poly’s COVID-19 plans for fall quarter. From an interview with President Jeffrey Armstrong and Campus Health and Wellbeing Director Tina Hadaway-Mellis, this is what we learned. CHECKLIST OF RESTRICTIONS FOR FALL 2022 COMPARED TO FALL 2021 Mask Pre-arrivalmandatetestingWeeklytestingrequirement for unvaccinated individuals COVID-19 saliva testing lab PCR tests in health center Daily self-screener required Campus dashboard that tracks positive tests (now available through public records requests) 98% of classes are to be in-person fall quarter 87% of classes were in-person last fall quarter VS.
In spring, closing out a year of backand-forth with COVID-19 regula tions on campus, Cal Poly reinstated a mask mandate for the last three weeks of the quarter.
JEFFREY ARMSTRONG Cal Poly President
The CDC defines endemic as the ongoing presence or prevalence of a disease in a given geographic area, whereas a pandemic is the increase of disease cases across multiple locations affecting large numbers of people.“There is not a neat definition, a single metric or threshold that defines ‘endemic,’” Armstrong wrote in a follow up email to Mustang News. “We — Cal Poly, our local community, and even the broader state and nation — are moving out of the pandemic phase and into a more stable and predictable phase of our battle with COVID-19.”
BY ELIZABETH WILSON
“We don’t think that the dashboard will present a complete or accurate picture of positive cases on campus,” Armstrong said. “Isolation and quar antine numbers will no longer be applicable as both on and off campus residents will isolate in place.”
Campus Health and Wellbeing Director Tina Hadaway-Mellis said the county will have access to the data, and such information can be
Last school year, 2,000 students were noncompliant with testing on the first day of fall quarter. As the year progressed, less students were completing the Daily Campus Screener, with many professors not checking the screeners in the first place.“There’s always more we could do, but you have to do what is reason able and in line with best practices,” Armstrong said.
Instead of using a dashboard, Cal Poly will be relying on county and CDC data to inform the decisions that are made regarding public health.In2021, Cal Poly developed waste water testing to detect coronavirus in on-campus housing. This was discontinued during last school year and will not operate this year either.
to purchase an at-home COVID-19 test, Hadaway-Mellis said. Details on how finances will be distributed has not been announced as of time of publication.TheCDC updated their recom mendations on Aug. 11, determining that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 can end their quaran tine after their fifth day. Those with a weakened immune system are advised to consult a doctor before ending their Immunocompromisedisolation. students
at higher risk of coronavirus infec tion raised concerns when Cal Poly lifted its mask mandate last spring.
“There’s no way that we’re going to have zero cases, there’s no way that we’re going to be able to force indi viduals to do X, Y and Z, even when we were clearly in a pandemic,” Armstrong said. “So we want to do the best that we can.”
The university has also stopped publicly tracking positive tests through its campus dashboard, though Armstrong said they track COVID-19 trends internally and will be using this information to help decide which measures to imple ment. The exact number of cases will not be provided due to a concern of accuracy, not transparency, Armstrong said.
Sin embargo, ninguna otra CSU ha eliminado sus programas de prueba o paneles de coronavirus al momento de la publicación, de manera similar al sistema de UC.
En comparación del 87% de clases que fueron enseñadas en persona este año pasado, este otoño aproximadamente 98% de clases serán en persona. A través de la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades, los profesores aún pueden solicitar adaptaciones para dar clases en línea si no es seguro para ellos hacerlo en persona.
LA CAL POLY ELIMINA TRIMESTRE OTOÑO: HACIENDO QUE PODEMOS’
Los estudiantes inmunocom prometidos que tienen un mayor riesgo de infección por coronavi rus, expresaron su preocupación cuando Cal Poly levantó su mandato de cubrebocas esta primavera pasada. Mustang News preguntó a Armstrong y Hadaway-Mellis cómo planean apoyar a esos estudiantes este trimestre que viene.
‘LO MEJOR
están de acuerdo, el Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de San Luis Obispo dice que todavía estamos en una pandemia.
Armstrong dijo que cada local ización es diferente, lo que genera una respuesta diferente para adap tarse a lo que es mejor para cada
De acuerdo con Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) una endémica es clasificada como la presencia continua o la prevalencia de una enfermedad en una área geográ fica determinada. Sin embargo,
Una regulación que aún está vigente desde el año pasado es el pase Auto-reportado Daily Campus Screener. Anteriormente, esta aplicación ha enfrentado críti cas por la falta de responsabilidad y cumplimiento, ya que muchos profesores no verifican estos pases. Armstrong contestó diciendo que no todo el comportamiento humano se puedeSegúncambiar.Armstrong, llegar a una etapa endémica significa que hay “más responsabilidad” en el individual.“Nohay forma de que tengamos cero casos, no hay forma de que podamos obligar a las personas a hacer X, Y y Z, incluso cuando clara mente estamos en una pandemia”, dijo Armstrong. “Así que queremos hacer lo mejor que podamos. Pero no podemos construir capas y capas
LOS PROTOCOLOS DE COVID-19 PARA EL
Cal Poly decidió no implemen tar pruebas de COVID-19 antes de llegar, un requisito para los estudi antes que no son vacunados de pruebas semanales, y ni el mandato de cubrebocas para el trimestre de otoño. Si un estudiante prueba posi tivo de COVID-19, deberá aislarse en su lugar. La universidad está creando su propia versión de un laboratorio de pruebas de saliva para detectar el COVID-19 a partir de la primera semana del trimestre de otoño. De mientras, la universidad solo ofrece pruebas de PCR en el Centro de Salud para aquellos con síntomas
La universidad trabajará para brindar apoyo financiero a quienes necesiten comprar una prueba de COVID-19 para tomar en el hogar, dijo Hadaway-Mellis. Los detalles sobre cómo se distribuirán las finan zas no se han anunciado al momento de la Lospublicación.CDCactualizaron sus recomen daciones el 11 de agosto y determin aron que las personas que salgan positivos después de tomar la prueba de COVID-19 pueden finalizar su cuarentena después del quinto día. Se recomienda a las personas con un sistema inmunitario debilitado que consulten a un médico antes de finalizar su aislamiento.
‘LO MEJOR
Si hay un cambio en los niveles de COVID-19, la universidad “renovará” los protocolos para que se ajusten a las pautas del condado según sea necesario, dijo Armstrong.
Siempre hay más que podemos hacer, pero hay que hacer lo que sea razonable y acorde con las prácticas.mejores
y capas de un sistema”. El año escolar pasado, 2,000 estudiantes no cumplieron con las pruebas el primer día del trimestre de otoño. Ya que regresó el año, los datos mostraron que menos estudi antes estaban completando su Daily Campus Screener. Algunos estudi antes informaron que sus profesores ni estaban revisando los pases en el primer“Siemprelugarhay más que podemos hacer, pero hay que hacer lo que sea razonable y acorde con las mejores prácticas”, incluye Armstrong.
una pandemia es definida como el aumento de casos de enfermedades en varias regiones que afectan a un gran número de personas.
ADMINISTRACIÓN DE
Una epidemiológica mayor de los CDC, Greta Massetti, escribió en una prensa de noticias del mes de agosto que todavía estamos en una pandemia, pero el aumento de las vacunas y los tratamientos ha ayudado. Massetti dijo en el comu nicado de prensa que, “[Esto] nos ayuda a llegar a un punto en el que el COVID-19 ya no interrumpa grave mente nuestra vida diaria”.
La directora de salud y bienestar del campus, Tina Hadaway-Mellis, dijo que los socios del condado tendrán acceso a los datos, y esa información se puede encontrar a través de solici tudes de registros públicos.
comunidad. También explicó que Cal Poly se alinea con lo que sugiere el sistema CDC y CSU.
En un correo electrónico a Mustang News, la portavoz de Salud Pública del Condado, Tara Kennon, dijo, “Lamentablemente el COVID-19 ha estado con nosotros durante varios años, y aún no es suficientemente predecible como para ser consider ado un endémico.”
Hadaway-Mellis contesto con, “Podemos hacer nuestra parte para mantener nuestra cubreboca puesta si no nos sentimos bien.” También agregó, “”Podemos hacer nues tra parte para, ya sabes, ayudar a quienes se encuentran en esas situ aciones y tener en cuenta que no todos somos iguales”. QUE PODEMOS’
En 2021, Cal Poly desarrolló prue bas de aguas residuales para detec tar coronavirus en viviendas del campus. Esto fue descontinuado durante el año escolar pasado y tampoco operará este año.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, 9NEWS
La universidad también dejó de rastrear públicamente las pruebas positivas a través del tablero de su campus, aunque Armstrong dijo que rastrean las tendencias de COVID19 internamente y usarán esta información para ayudar a decidir qué medidas implementar. No se proporcionará el número exacto de casos debido a una preocupación de precisión, no de transparencia, dijo Armstrong.“Nocreemos que el tablero presente una imagen completa o precisa de los casos positivos en el campus”, dijo Armstrong. “Los números de aislamiento y cuaren tena ya no serán aplicables, ya que los residentes dentro y fuera del campus se aislaron en el lugar”.
De los estudiantes matriculados en el trimestre más reciente, el 92.8 % de todos los estudiantes están vacu nados y el 90.3 % del los profesores y personal, ambos por encima de las tasas de vacunación en el condado Un mensaje que Armstrong ha repetido durante el manejo de la pandemia es que “no hay ningún riesgo en nada de lo que hace mos”. En vez, dice que reciente mente el riesgo ha disminuido.Dice Armstrong que debido a que las vari antes recientes son más infecciosas pero menos graves, el campus está en una mejor posición que cuando comenzó COVID-19.
TRANSLATED BY YARELY DE LA CRUZ
Ya que pasó un verano con la mayoría de las personas fuera del campus, el presidente de Cal Poly, Jeffrey Armstrong, ha dicho que la comunidad de la universidad es “endémica”, y que el riesgo es lo sufi cientemente bajo como para volver a laArmstrongnormalidad.le contó a Mustang News que los protocolos de COVID19 en Cal Poly se relajaron para el trimestre de otoño porque las nuevas pautas de los CDC han cambiado y bajaron los riesgos.
“No hay una definición clara, una sola métrica que defina ‘endémica’”, escribió Armstrong en un correo electrónico de seguimiento a Mustang News. “Nosotros, Cal Poly, nuestra comunidad local e incluso el estado y la nación en general, esta mos saliendo de la fase pandémica y entrando en una fase más estable y predecible de nuestra batalla contra elAunqueCOVID-19”.Armstrong dice que la comunidad está en un periodo de endémica y que expertos en salud
En vez de usar un tablero, Cal Poly se basará en los datos del condado y de los CDC para informar las decisiones que se van a tomar con respecto a la salud pública.
Por tantos cambios con las regula ciones de COVID-19 durante el año escolar, Cal Poly restableció el uso obligatorio de cubrebocas durante las últimas tres semanas del trimes tre de la primavera.
Un estudio publicado el 1 de julio por Yale en la revista PNAS Nexus determinó que basándose en modelos de infección con animales, COVID-19 no será endémica hasta 2024.
JEFFREY ARMSTRONG Cal Poly Presidente
DE
CSU Fullerton limitó las pruebas en el campus solo a aquellos que las necesitan, aunque todavía tiene un tablero para saber las tendencias de casos positivos en campus.
In the Poly Canyon Village (PCV) on-campus apartments, a singlebedroom apartment costs about $1,500 a month and a two-bedroom is about $1,300. According to a University Housing report on rates as of March 4, the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom option off-campus is about $1,135.
Ellie Angold opened her laptop to register for classes for Spring 2022. Claiming a seat in a class at Cal Poly is notoriously tricky, so Angold said she was excited to be sitting high on her class waitlists. She went to confirm her classes.
Angold, along with about half of Cal Poly’s students, is a part of the two-year housing program that requires students to live on-campus for two years, depending on which college they are enrolled in.
The Mustang News survey showed that 98.5% of respondents thought sophomores should be allowed to bring cars to campus.
is also really expensive,” Row said. “How am I gonna afford to pay $1,500 a month? Like, to just have shelter?”
The hold, from University Housing, stated that Angold had yet to pay for housing damages. Except it wasn’t a housing damage — Angold couldn’t register for classes because she didn’t sign up to live on-campus for the upcoming academic year.
Facultyon-campus.payanannual fee ranging from $62 to $140.40 to park on campus, depending on location.
However, at the time, associate statistics professor Steve Rein
“But that kind of came with the expensive price,” Roseman said.
To verify her mental health reasons, the exemption process required a note from a professional, such as a psychiatrist, therapist or school counselor. Obtaining a note was difficult for Row.
Then, a hold appeared on her screen. All of the classes she registered for had disappeared.
Currently, freshmen cannot bring cars to campus. TAPS Director Marlene Cramer said she expects that ban on cars to likely extend to on-campus sophomores, as the university’s expansion has meant fewer parking resources.
science sophomore Rebecca Row lived in the Sierra Madre dorms last year. After finding a more affordable place off-campus, she attempted to get an exemption for her second year on the premise of financial and mental health reasons.
Looking into how disabilities or financial reasons could harbor an exemption, Roseman considered the option after a “chaotic” freshman year in isolation.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, HILLTHE10
This story comes from The Hill, a team of data analysts and reporters focused on data-driven and investigative stories at Mustang News.
Out of factors such as safety, location and social environment or a combination of such factors, 53% of students surveyed said cost was the most important factor in their housing search.
Currently, students living on-campus are expected to pay an average of $677 per year if they choose to bring a car, compared to about $462 for off-campus students to park
For those that might not have a car or choose not to bring one, there are options on campus.
Cal Poly Set to Expand Its Two-Year OnCampus Housing Requirement Despite Student Opposition
“I wasn’t sure about the timings of things — I wasn’t sure how the whole system worked,” Roseman said. “So I looked into exemptions of saying, ‘Hey, I do have some disabilities that I may have been able to utilize to get anRosemanexemption.”ultimately decided not to apply for the exemption, swayed by the guarantee that he’d have a place toAnimallive.
Animal science junior Josh Roseman said it was nice to not have to stress about finding a place to live in San Luis Obispo’s infamous housing market.
For the 2021-22 academic year, 513 exemptions from incoming first years and those part of the two-year housing program were submitted, and 462 were approved. This year (2022-23), 677 total exemptions were filed, with 96% approved. Row was one of the 605 continuing students asking to live off-campus.
10000800060004000 Triple Room Rate Double Room Rate 20212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008 Academic Year ($)LivingofCost
In May, after emailing the Dean of Students about financial needs twice, Row had yet to get a response. She was also told to email the Disability Resource Center to get approval for mental health needs. Yet a part of the paperwork was official approval from a professional.
And a strong majority– 73%– of students surveyed said living on campus was not worth the price.
HOUSING ALL STUDENTS MAY RUN THE RISK OF COMPROMISING THEIR FREEDOM
“Graduation and retention are only part of the reason we are in the process of implementing the two-year requirement,” University Housing director Jo Campbell said. “More broadly it has to do with providing students with a comprehensive support network and energizing campus community that serves their academic and extracurricular needs.”
When living on-campus, Angold, diagnosed with celiac, became sick from eating cross-contaminated Campus Dining food– to the point she couldn’t leave her bed most mornings.96.7%of survey respondents say students should have the choice to live on- or off- campus, Mustang NewsMustangfinds News sent a survey to the 4,395 students from the colleges requiring living on-campus for two years, and about 10% replied.
DON’T WANT TO PAY $1,500 A MONTH? TRY APPLYING FOR AN EXEMPTION.
BY AMELIA WU
Cal Poly’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) will also
TAPS subsidizes Zipcars, staff carpools, vanpools, EV charging, bikes and partners with rideshare programs to promote cleaner transportation and incentivize students to not bring a car, although spreading the word on programs has been a “challenge,” according to Cramer.
The university’s Master Plan aims to house 65% of Cal Poly’s student
96.7% of studentsrespondentssurveysaidshouldhavethechoicetoliveon-oroff-campus
“It’s just a lot of steps that seem really unnecessary,” Row said. “I do have a psychiatrist, but I can’t talk to them until I go back home. But what about the students who don’t have any of them? What are they going to do?”This leg work isn’t always the case with exemptions. For example, the Cal State University COVID-19 vaccine mandate allows students to apply for both medical and religious exemptions — neither of which require actual proof, such as a doctor’s note, in order to be accepted.
be involved in the Master Plan, ultimately affecting the new students that are required to live on-campus.
After leaving in the fall for health reasons, Angold did not fulfill the two-year housing requirement for her major; she had only lived on-campus for a year and a quarter. Because of this, there was a hold implemented until she signed up to live on-campus for the next academic year. Now, Angold said she’s behind on classes and her degree.
body and all of first- and secondyear students by 2035. To achieve this goal, students from the seven colleges will gradually be phased into a requirement to live on-campus for two Mustangyears.News surveyed students from the colleges that already have a two-year housing requirement. Of the students who responded, 96.7% said students should have the choice to live on or off campus.
PEOPLE ARGUE TWO-YEAR HOUSING REQUIREMENT IS BASED ON ‘BIASED’ STUDY
Seven years ago, in 2015, the university presented a case for student retention and living on-campus to the 2015 ASI student board in an attempt to understand the student opinion on the secondyear housing requirement. After this presentation, the ASI board strongly opposed the proposal—citing the study as “biased” and without “significant data,” as outlined in an ASI
Last year, agricultural systems junior Blaze Swan only lived on-campus in PCV for the fall quarter and agreed it came with a hefty cost, leaving him to decide to live off-campus the following quarters. As a Paso Robles local, he qualified for an “$1,500,exemption.Iguess that’s the going rate for San Luis Obispo, but I’m pretty staunchly middle class,” Swan said. “I’m kind of a little bit falling between the cracks here.”
“It’s insane — you have to pay gas for your car, groceries, all that stuff
According to civil and environmental engineering professor Anurag Pande, the faculty union contract subsidizes parking, allowing it to be “too cheap.”
Theresolution.studystated that students living on campus were more likely to graduate and complete their degree, given that they had more access to on-campus resources.
However, Roseman said the transition period where some colleges are required to live on-campus for two years while other colleges aren’t can create a social divide. Roseman said he couldn’t
in isolation, Wright appreciates the guarantee of on-campus housing to meet new people.
“I’ve definitely had struggles throughout the last year and a half that have made it times it feels like the worst possible situation for me was being stuck on-campus,” Wright said.Reflecting on his experience in the apartments during COVID19, Wright said that the two-year housing requirement can be “counterintuitive” to students’ mental health and well-being.
pointed out that the study had its faults: a biased sample, an assumption that correlation showed causation and a lack of significant data to show the change in retention and graduation rates for on-campus students.Despite this opposition, the two-year housing requirement was implemented in 2017 by President Jeffrey Armstrong. Of the six colleges, the College of Architecture and Environmental Design set the precedent.Alongside the university-wide Master Plan is the Housing Future Plan — which laid out a plan to house more students. The university would build more residence halls over the next 13 years to hold about 15,000 total beds across campus.
“It doesn’t feel like I’ve been required to for two years,” Wright said. “I haven’t minded it because COVID took away my first year. Having the requirements gave me a chance to have a guaranteed spot on campus, which is what I personally wanted.”However, Wright has felt “trapped” at times living on-campus, despite having a car.
“For people that are maybe shy or are struggling with mental health, anxiety, depression and things like that, on-campus makes it so much worse,” Wright said.
Roseman said he appreciated the security of guaranteed, on-campus living.“There are some pros like the fact that if you really don’t know what you’re doing for housing, [Cal Poly] can kind of help direct you into that. You know you’re signing back up on the campus,” Roseman said.
room with his friend for his second year due to the requirement. When it came time for Roseman to find off-campus housing for his third year, his friend had already been living with other roommates for a year and he’d have to choose between them.
“You are kind of isolated with the people who are in your same housing situation — they’re the people that you’re probably going to have to house [with] for the rest of the college experience,” Roseman said. “They’ve almost divided groups into people who are required and people who aren’t.”
For Row, it took a couple of months to finally receive an exemption for campus housing. Now, she lives in an off-campus apartment at a fraction of the cost if she had lived in PCV.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, 11HILLTHE
Agricultural business junior Kaleb Wright lived in the Cerro Vista Apartments his freshman year and the PCV apartments the following year. Having his first year of college during the COVID-19 pandemic and
“For a really well-renowned place — really?” Angold said, “You guys can do better.”
As more housing is built, more students from the unphased colleges will be required to live on campus for two full years. There’s not a particular order to phase in colleges. University spokesperson Heather Young said the number of beds available in the buildings will correlate with the number of students in the college. For example, if there were only 1,000 beds and CLA had under 1,000 students while CSM had more than 1,000, CLA would be phased in first.
SHAE ASHAMALLA | MUSTANG NEWS
‘SOME STUDENTS CAN’T AFFORD IT’: REFLECTING ON THE EFFECTS OF THE TWO-YEAR HOUSING REQUIREMENT
Sydney Sherman contributed reporting to this article.
IS LIVING ON CAMPUS WORTH THE PRICE? YesNo 72.7% 27.3% YesNo10.3% 89.7%
Row said living on campus as a freshman helps people branch out, but she remains against the two-year requirement.“Makethe exemption easier, or have it be more of a recommendation instead of a requirement,” Row said. “But just don’t make it a requirement, because some students can’t afford it.”For Ellie Angold, repeating her experience of living on-campus again wasn’t an option. Due to multiple reasons, including the housing issue, Angold transferred out of Cal Poly this fall.
putting it to the state legislatures.
MICHAEL LATNER
be amended to drop the filibuster requirement, which would then only require a simple Court-packing,majority.which would expand the court to be larger than nine justices, has also been floated.
You’re seeing nearly 50 years of precedent being thrown out.
“Congress [or the state legislatures] can always change the law,” Latner
In an interview with Mustang News, Cal Poly political science professor Michael Latner reflected on the implications of the recent rulings and what precedent they set for the future of the nation’s political climate.Mostnotably, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the court found the previous Roe v. Wade decision to be unconstitutional.
The court’s decision to overturn the landmark abortion rights case, Roe v. Wade, among other recent rulings on environmental regulations and voting rights, have all been followed by an unprecedented low point in public confidence in the court’s legit imacy, according to a Gallup poll published in June.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas refused to recuse himself from cases involving the Jan. 6 insurrection despite his wife, Ginni Thomas, being in contact with Mark Meadows, the White House Chief of Staff, during the insurrection. Some voters have begun to ques tion whether impeachment of a justice would be possible. However, it would be highly unlikely that Democrats would be able to impeach a justice under the current rules since it requires a two-thirds major ity vote. Senate procedures could
One of those cases is Robinson v. Ardoin, a similar racial gerryman dering case that would, according to Latner, nullify section two of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Section two “prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color, or membership.”
The Supreme Court’s decision to leave it up to the states has extended beyond Roe v. Wade. Latner said this reasoning is also being applied to election law cases.
The court heard a number of cases regarding voting rights and election law in its previous judicial session.
*Cal Poly offers free digital subscrip tions to The Wall Street Journal to students and professors. Gain access at education.wsj.com.
the Supreme Court struck down the Chevron doctrine in the case West Virginia v. EPA. The Chevron doctrine is a court precedent stat ing that, in the event of a conflict between legislatures and a regu latory agency, the Environmental Protection Agency in this instance, then deference would be given to the regulatory agency when interpreting legislation.TheChevron doctrine comes out of the case Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc. where Chevron argued that the 1963 Clean Air Act did not explicitly outline what defines a “source” of pollution.TheCourt ruled in that case that instead, it was not the job of Congress to decide specific regula tions but rather the expert or regula tory agency’s, in this case, the EPA. In the absence of the Chevron doctrine, deference to the EPA will not be given when interpreting legislation that does not specifically define limits for clean air standards or any other environmental regulation within the legislation itself.
PUBLIC TRUST IN US SUPREME COURT DECLINES UNPRECEDENTEDAFTER RULINGS
Pro-choicesaid. advocates argue that the court is criminalizing abortion by
Supreme Court session beginning in October, would all be instrumental in making Latner’s prediction true.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTERMBERFRIDAY, NEWS12
BY OWEN LAVINE
The United States Supreme Court concluded their 2021-22 session with a tranche of rulings that can fundamentally alter American life — from the steps of the Supreme Court building to the downtown streets of San Luis Obispo, where students and community members have protested in recent months.
In June, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that expand ing the court is not something US President Joe Biden agrees with. Biden did however form a biparti san commission that created a report in 2021 assessing Supreme Court controversies, according to The Wall Street Journal*. While this commis sion was not asked to provide policy recommendations, its report described the arguments for and against possible solutions, including court expansion and term limits.
In environmental regulatory law,
THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS TO SUPREME COURT LEGITIMACY PROBLEM
This sentiment has been echoed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who dedicated an executive order and a portion of the state budget to secur ing reproductive services to people in the state.
In one case out of Alabama, Merrill v. Milligan, the Republican legislature redrew congressional districts in a process known as gerrymandering to put the majority of Alabama’s Black
In reaction to these rulings, as well as developments in the Jan. 6 insurrection hearings, some voters have called for accountability for members of the Supreme Court.
According to the New York Times’ tracking of abortion laws, at least 12 states have banned abortion nearly entirely, and two other states banned abortion around six weeks of preg nancy — often before a pregnancy is known.Apoll conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion shows that a majority of voters do not support criminalizing abortion.
Cal Poly political science professor
When the Supreme Court became more conservative amid Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death in 2020, Latner told Mustang News this new imbalance would likely result in justices ruling based on their own political ideology rather than showing judicial restraint, making the court a “political weapon.”Among other options, the commis sion’s report addressed the option of letting the executive and legislative branches make decisions on cultural and political issues rather than the judicial branch — a move that could address the increased politiciza tion of the Supreme Court in hopes of restoring public confidence in its legitimacy in the future.
OWEN LAVINE | MUSTANG NEWS Protesters gather in Downtown Los Angeles on June 25, 2022, a day after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Latner said that crucial to this ruling is the court’s claim that they are returning the issue of legalized abortion to the people to decide.
population into one congressional district. According to the US Census, Black people account for a quarter of Alabama’s population, yet the new maps would place them into one of seven congressional districts.
Latner said that another case, Moore v. Harper, would endorse the independent legislature theory, This theory argues that state legislatures, not state supreme courts, should have more authority over election laws. The Supreme Court’s ruling on this case would help determine to what extent a state’s supreme court can dictate election regulations for senators and congress members based on its interpretation of the state constitution.
Latner predicts that the frame work could be set for the Supreme Court “to effectively overturn the Voting Rights Act of 1965.” Merrill v. Milligan, in addition to two other cases that will be heard in the next
“You’re seeing nearly 50 years of precedent being thrown out,” Latner said.After the Supreme Court’s opinion draft to overturn Roe v. Wade was first leaked in May, hundreds of San Luis Obispo students and locals took to the streets to protest for abortion and reproductive rights.
A crowd of pro-choice protesters gather in Downtown San Luis Obispo.
It is also recommended to com plete an inventory checklist of the unit upon move in so that the condi tion of the unit is kept track of.
San Luis Obispo’s DSA chapter meets in a neighborhood before setting off to do canvassing.
Cal Poly’s Basic Needs Task Force is one resource that can help students find and afford housing. Joy Peders en, the university’s dean of students and co-chair of the task force, told Mustang News that the Cal Poly Cares Emergency Fund assists stu dents with financial challenges such as providing them a security deposit or first month’s rent.
To enter a rented unit, the land lord has to alert the tenant 24 hours before legally entering, the guide writes.
VIEW THE ONLINE TENANT’S GUIDE HERE:
If there are issues such as leaking pipes, damage, inadequate garbage collection or large gaps behind kitch en drawers where insects can enter, a landlord must address them and not charge the tenant to do so instead.
• Retaliation
The lease, containing the length of the tenant’s stay, is decided between the landlord and tenant. Addition al time following the original lease term may be charged on a month to month basis, according to the Cali fornia Tenant’s Guide.
• Access barriers
Ethan Stan was nearly evicted when he was a graduate student at UC Berkeley.Hislandlord put pressure on him and his girlfriend, suggesting they had lived in their apartment a while and should leave so the landlord could complete repairs. Eventually his girlfriend, now wife, said “hell no,” Stan said. His girlfriend at the time emailed the city of Berkeley, which ended up having a rent stabili zation board that helped resolve the issue.This moment inspired Stan to join San Luis Obispo’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) years later, where he realized that some cities did not have codified renters’ protections – including San Luis Obispo, Stan said.
RENT COSTS, SECURITY DEPOSIT ADDITIONALANDFEES
“It is ALWAYS okay to ask for ac commodations and it is ILLEGAL for landlords to punish or evict you for requesting reasonable accommo dations or modifications,” the guide states. “The disability doesn’t have to be permanent; a broken leg will heal eventually, but it doesn’t mean that life isn’t harder in the meantime.”
• Your landlord treats you dif ferently than they treat anoth er renter.
Examples of discrimination to look out for include:
COURTESY
• The place is less clean than when you first started renting
cusing on on-the-ground work that directly affects people.
Cited in the California Tenants Guide, a landlord should disclose if the property has been contaminated with materials such as asbestos or other carcinogenic materials.
The website emphasizes that rent ers, when in the process of deciding on a place to live, “document every thing, take photos, get it in writing.”
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, 13NEWS
BY ELIZABETH WILSON
• You owe rent
• You fail to restore the prop erty’s furniture or belongings besides regular “wear and tear”
Cal Poly Cares served 163 students during the 2015-16 school year and 183 students during the 2016-17 year, according to the university’s 2018 Basic Needs Report. The 2018 report found that 12% of Cal Poly students experience homelessness, and “as college tuition and living expenses continue to increase,” housing inse curity would likely worsen.
The security deposit, worth two months of the tenant’s rent, depends on whether the unit is furnished or not. For a furnished unit, the deposit is increased to three months worth of rent in addition to the first month of rent, the Online Tenant’s Guide writes.Tenants must alert their landlord a month before they plan to move out. Upon leaving, the landlord has
TENANT RIGHTS
“It’s a matter of learning our com munities,” Stan said. “It’s really easy for, sometimes, activism to kind of float off into the ether.”
The fact that people have contin uously shown up to help confirmed to Stan that “this is the right thing to work on.” Stan said his group is fo
RENTING IN SLO?
The DSA website contains various resources under its guide for renting in each of the subsections listed. The website also walks renters through the renting process, from filling out an application to moving out.
• Harassment
The DSA in San Luis Obispo pub lished an Online Tenant’s Guide for renting in California, outlining the rights and procedures involved in the renting process. As part of a cam paign to increase transparency on housing, the guide offers an explana tion of what renters can expect.
• Not providing accommoda tion for a disability
• Your landlord showing a pref erence for one tenant over an other
If, as a tenant, accommodations are needed, the steps to ask for them include obtaining a doctor’s or thera pist’s note and writing a formal letter to the landlord for specific requests.
Local group works to raise awareness of renter’s rights with this handbook
Legally, landlords are able to in crease a tenant’s rent. Such costs throughout the renting process might additionally include an ap plication fee, screening fee or new tenant processing fee.
the right to keep some of the security deposit based on damages sustained or other reasons outlined in the Tenant’s Guide:
Stan is the former co-chair of the DSA’s Housing Justice Committee. The group holds monthly “canvass ing” events, where they distribute flyers to educate tenants on their rights.Around 10 people show up to can vass, where the group decides on a location or neighborhood to go to beforehand. On one given day, the group knocked on a “couple thou sand” doors, Stan said.
• Refusing to rent to you be cause of your identity
DISCRIMINATION
If a tenant is recognized to have
Julien Powell, co-chair of the Hous ing Justice Committee and DSA volunteer said group tries to canvas once a month, determining where to go during meetings held the second Tuesday of every month.
SIGNING A LEASE
• You have damaged the prop erty beyond normal measures
any disabilities, they are able to make adjustments to the lease upon agreement between the landlord and tenant.Theguide also warns against oral agreements and unwritten leases. While these are legal, the website states that “it is probably safer to get your lease in writing.”
It is illegal for landlords to refuse renting to someone based on their identity or preferences, though land lords can refuse renting to someone based on income level, according to the California Renters Guide.
Isla Vista’s tenants influenced the guide DSA first made in 2019, Stan said. The guide was most recently launched in April of this year.
Monthly rent may be increased by the landlord. In San Luis Obispo, rent can be increased by 60% of the Consumer Price Index, according to the San Luis Obispo County Govern ment website.
ACCOMMODATIONREASONABLE
Smart went missing May 25, 1996 after attending an off-campus party on Crandall Way. Visibly incapaci tated and unable to walk alone, two students, Cheryl Manzer and Tim Davis, helped walk Smart back to her Muir Hall dorm room.
MARGARITA CAMPOS
“It was just crazy to me that it took that long for the developments when her family is just kind of sitting there scratching their heads for so long,” Basich
COURTROOM POOL PHOTO | COURTESY
Steven Fleming, another Cal Poly freshman at the time, bonded with Smart over their height and how they both loved sports. A close friend of Smart’s, Fleming described her in court as someone with an open and kind“Shepersonality.wasjustlively,” Fleming said. “That was the good thing about her, she was alive.”
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, NEWS14
Now, the prosecution argues that Paul Flores murdered Smart in his dorm during the commission of rape, and his father Ruben Flores helped him bury Smart in the back yard of their home in Arroyo Grande.
Margarita Campos, Kristin Smart’s friend, testifies in court on Monday, July 25, 2022.
University Spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News that the reason the Smart case has not been heavily covered in training at Cal Poly is due to a request from the Smart Family to not do so.
While there are many different media outlets covering the Smart case, incoming Cal Poly students arriving to the area are often uninformed on Smart’s story.
Basich wondered when learning that Smart’s disappearance happened 26 years ago. “But some of her remains have been found now; they’re find ing pieces of the case. It’s unbeliev able to Whileme.”Smart’s body has yet to be found, according to the prosecution of the case, blood stains found on Paul Flores’ dorm mattress and in the soil of his father’s backyard, indicate traces of Smart’s presence.
grew as days progressed, and Mederios called local police before being redirected to the Cal Poly Police Department, which has juris diction over university property.
Media such as the “Your Own Backyard” podcast helped resurface the circumstances of Smart’s disap pearance with witnesses and former students voicing their observations.
Basich was surprised at how long this case has been investigated for –and how long it took them to start.
Before Smart attended the Crandall party, she and her friend, Margarita Campos, went to a different party before. The two disagreed about returning to campus and split–Campos wanted to study for an upcoming test while Smart wanted to search for other parties.
As a result, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office gathered enough evidence in 2021 to charge Flores with Smart’s murder and his father, Ruben Flores, with helping to bury Smart.
“You know, hindsight is 20/20,” Campos said. “I shouldn’t have left her by herself, and she shouldn’t have left me by myself.”
Outside a house party in 1996, two Cal Poly students noticed 19-yearold Kristin Smart lying down near the driveway. Concerned, they helped her walk back to campus.
Paul Flores, now 45, is the last known person to have seen Smart. Her body has yet to be found.
to be smart with your decisions and you got to go on with daily life,” Khorashadi said.
orientation.“Youjustgot
Campos has “replayed” the moment she parted ways with her friend on the night of May 25.
Paul Flores approached the group and volunteered to take her back to the residence halls as he lived in the neighboring Santa Lucia Residence Hall. Flores is the last known person to see Smart, claiming she walked the rest of the way to her dorm by herself, and he returned to his.
Former Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart’s disappearance has echoed beyond the Cal Poly community, leading people to ask questions of what exactly occurred the night Smart went missing – and what has happened in the investigation since.
You know, hindsight is 20/20. I shouldn’t have left her by herself.
Former Cal Poly student, friend of Kristin Smart
The case that pushed for a safer campus: Murder trial for Kristin Smart underway 26 years later
From when Smart went missing the Memorial Day weekend based on witness testimonies in 1996, to when the trial began in July of this year, her case has revealed to the public, espe cially Cal Poly students and faculty, the reality of ongoing safety concerns on college campuses.
“People do things like this all the time,” Mederios recalled police tell ingTheher.Cal Poly Police Department would not begin investigating until four days after Smart’s disappear ance. Flores’ dorm would not be inspected until June 29, 1996, after students had moved out for the school year and rooms had been cleaned.Smart’s sudden disappearance was out-of-character, raising concern from her close family and friends. Smart, the eldest of three, would engage in weekly Sunday calls with her family. The day before she went missing, Kristin left her mom a voicemail about good news to share on their Sunday call, a call she never made.“Kristin Smart was not only pres ent but involved — everything you would want from a sibling,” Matt, Smart’s younger brother, said.
‘PROTECTING EACH OTHER’: WHAT NEW STUDENTS TAKE AWAY FROM THE KRISTIN SMART CASE
freshman Ellie Khorsahadi attributes her distance from San Luis Obispo to being unaware of Kristin Smart’s disappearance. She first heard Smart’s name in a quick overview mentioned during a sexual harrass ment training of her online SLO Days
Jennifer Mederios lived across the hall from Kristin Smart at the time of her disappearance. Her concern
SMART FAMILY | COURTESY
Journalism freshman Sam Basich said he was unaware of Smart’s case until Mustang News reached out to him about it. This grew his curiosity and led him to a quick Wikipedia search. He was surprised at what he found.“Why are we even talking about it?”
From Orange County, nutrition
When calling the campus police, Mederios was met with little concern from them, as they suspected she had just gone away for Memorial Day weekend without telling anyone.
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF KRISTIN SMART
Basichsaid.also consulted his family about the Smart disappearance. Sam’s mom, Jennifer Basich, said she did not hear any mention of Smart’s case during parent welcom ing sessions.
BY AMELIA WU & ELIZABETH WILSON
“I do wish they had brought up protecting each other and really looking out for each other,” Jennifer Basich said. “They didn’t have to dwell on it, because it’s such a sad thing. But that would have been nice.”Campus safety was a factor that she considered when helping Sam deter mine where he would end up going to college. It was still a concern even though he identifies as male, she said.The two organized a “system,” where Sam knows to pick up the phone from any of his female friends and to walk them home or make sure they walk home in a group.
Now, 26 years later, those students are testifying in the murder trial where a jury will decide – after years of public suspicion – if fellow student Paul Flores is guilty for the crime.
Safer is a university department created in Fall 1996 to provide confi dential services to people who’ve experienced sexual assault, harass ment or intimate partner violence.
Safer also offers violence preven tion education to other campus organizations.TheKristinSmart Campus Security Act was also added to the California Education Code in 1998, mandating that all public colleges have written agreements with local police depart ments regarding the responsibility of reporting cases involving violence
The toolkit informs the community of things like the “red zone,” a time period of increased sexual assault and violence during the first months of college. The red zone is signifi cantly more dangerous for freshmen, according to SAFER.
TRIAL EXPECTED TO GO THROUGH OCTOBER
“I think that people that come to the San Luis community deserve to be a part of this case and to keep Kristin Smart’s legacy alive,” Tarica said.
Now having a general knowledge about Smart’s case, Basich said he feels “more comfortable,” saying that there has been progress in new safety measures at college campuses.
KYLE CALZIA | MUSTANG NEWS
Students hold a candlelit vigil in honor of Kristin Smart outside Santa Lucia and Muir Halls on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, the day that Paul and Ruben Flores were arrested for the murder of Smart..
“I know campuses are much more secure now and have access to on-campus security at all times,” Basich said. “I think back then was a little bit of an anomaly.”
During SLO Days, Jennifer Basich came to pick up her son from the yak tityu tityu dorms in the middle of the night since he didn’t bring all his bedding with him. Orientation students, or ‘Daysies,’ are required to stay on campus during the program ming. Jennifer Basich knew this, so she said she found it odd that no one tried to stop her from picking up her son – who she was waiting outside in the dark Jenniferfor.Basich does not recall seeing any patrols that night or any campus security.
The Flores’ trial is expected to last through October. The trial’s initial delay is largely due to the lack of physical evidence, and the constant change in the investigator, from San Luis Obispo Police to the FBI.
vigil that night to honor Kristin Smart – outside of the red brick dorms where Smart used to live. There have also been petitions for more safety measures and community gath erings for campus safety in recent years.
“Not that parents don’t know how to have these conversations, but it can be really uncomfortable if they haven’t really thought about this yet before,” Samaniego said.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, 15NEWS
For the school year, she hopes there are more safety protocols than what she experienced.
Cal Poly’s Campus Safety Plan 2022 also includes campus updates of what the university has done and will start to do in upcoming months to address campus safety. New changes expected to be made include hiring more police officers, implementing video cameras across campus and further communicating on educa tionalWithoutreach.theongoing trial of Paul and Ruben Flores that has left both witnesses and jurors in tears, the memory and circumstance of Kristin Smart’s disappearance has resurfaced.Afterthe Flores’ arrests in April 2021, students held a candlelight
Several expert dog handlers have testified in court to discuss their dogs’ alerts to human remains in the Smart case. From blood on Paul Flores’ dorm mattress to the soil in Ruben Flores’ backyard, a ques tion in court remains how strong of evidence this is without a direct link to Kristin Smart.
KRISTIN SMART’S IMPACT ON CAMPUS SAFETY
On-campus resources for sexual assault and intimate partner violence can be found through Safer’s website. Safer Prevention Specialist Kara Samaniego said that a toolkit on discussing sexual assault is included in Safer’s programming for parents and supporters of Cal Poly students.
According to Cal Poly’s Annual Security Report data, reported sexand dating- related crimes increased significantly from 2018 to 2020. From 2018 to 2019, reports of rape cases increased from seven to 20, Mustang News previously reported.
Music and psychology sophomore Josh Tarica grew up in Atascadero and remembers learning about Kristin Smart when he was 10 years old, as his parents are Cal Poly alumni. Tarica also recalls listening to the “Your Own Backyard” podcast by Chris Lambert.
“Your Own Backyard,” was created in 2019 and has grown into a plat form with 91.7K Instagram follow ers, as Lambert investigates Smart’s disappearance with a primary goal of helping the Smart Family find her body.When Tarica attended Cal Poly, he didn’t learn about Smart during orientation or at school. Considering Smart’s impact on the community, Tarcia was surprised her story was not included in the Week of Welcome awareness gallery, which brings awareness to sexual assault and similar subjects.
About 71% of students who responded said Cal Poly is not doing enough to address sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus.
In a student survey Mustang News conducted in November 2021, about 43% of respondents, 236 students, said they knew someone who had faced sexual assault or harassment at Cal Poly in the last 10 weeks. A vast majority of respondents said they felt unsafe walking on campus at night, with 94.4% of women who responded saying they felt unsafe.
“I just hope they have a lot of patrols,” Jennifer Basich said. “And I just, I really hope they reach the buddy system.”
against students or missing students.
Kristin Smart’s story is not the only case of sexual assault or partner violence concerning the Cal Poly community. Five Cal Poly students are named on Cal Poly Safer’s website as a reason for the program’s creation: Kristin Smart, Rachel Newhouse, Aundria Crawford, Kristina Hogan and Laci Peterson.
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MAKES GETTING AROUND CAMPUS AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3...
Mustang Shuttle, a free convenient shuttle that gives students and employees a ride across campus, offers a daytime shuttle from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and a nighttime shuttle from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. seven days a week.
DAYTIME SHUTTLE STOPS NIGHTTIME SHUTTLE STOPS MAP UPDATED: 12/2018 CARPOOL STATEPARKINGROVERPERMITPARKINGSPONSOREDPARKMOBILEMOTORCYCLEMETERSLIMITEDEVDISABLEDCOMMUTERPARKINGPARKINGSTATIONTIMEPARKINGGUESTDISPENSERPERMITVEHICLEPARKING ICONS PARKING MIXEDCOMMUTERRESIDENTIALFACULTY/STAFFLOTSPARKINGLOTNUMBERSA1EDUCATIONALOPERATIONALRESIDENTIALAG.FACILITIESSERVICEFACILITIESFACILITIESBUILDINGSONE-WAYUNPAVEDLIMITED ACCESSPED. MALLROADS GENERAL OTHERSTREETSPRIMARYTHROUGH-ROUTES BLUE EMERGENCY PHONES BUS STOPS CaliforniaSanwww.maps.calpoly.edu(805)756-1111LuisObispo,CA93407PolytechnicStateUniversity 200 MLKJIHGFEDCBAMETERS 10987654321M T V R R R R R R O O O FROM CAL POLY EXIT101 SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CAL POLY PROPERTY SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CAL POLY PROPERTY CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO CAL POLY PROPERTY CAMPUSWAY CUESTAAVECOLLEGEAVE UNIVERSITYDRMOUNTBISHOPRD MOUNT BISHOP RD VIACARTA N.CHORROST N.PERIMETER RD CALIFORNIABLVD MOUNTBISHOPRD GRANDAVE FERRINIRD HIGHLAND DR RDCREEKSTENNER VILLAGENDRPERIMETERVILLAGE VILLAGE VILLAGE DR VILLAGEDR GRAND GRANDCALFORNIA CALFORNA HIGHLAND HIGHLAND HIGHLAND DRPRINCEONADRJEFFREYDRJEFFREYY ALBERT DR N. PERIMETER RD DEERRD SLACK ST WE LNLONGVIEW CAMPUS WAY MONTEVISTAPL DEXTERRD VIACARTA VIACARTA VIACARTA PACHECOWAY PRIVATE SLACK ST SPORTS COMPLEX RD TRUCKEE RD SAFETYWAYE. FELTON WAY TOLOSA WAY DARTMOUTH DR WESTMONTCOUPERDR AVE DRTASSAHARAN. DRCUESTADRLUCIASANTA DRCANADALA CUESTADR CREEKSTENNER STANFORDDR CERRO ROMAULDO CANYONCANYONCIRCLECIRCLE POLYCANYONRD CARPENTER S POLYVIEW DR N POLYVIEW S PER METER SPERIMETERTAHOERD V STA POLYCANYONBRIZZOLARA OLYCANYON CERROVISTA KLAMATH MOUN A N LANE UNIVERSITYDR ECREEKRD PNNACLES ECREEK STENNER BRZZOLARA STENNERCREEK MUSTANGDRMUSTANG CRANDALLWAY EFOOTHILL BLVD E FOOTHLLBLVD KENTUCKYSTHATHWAYAVE HATHWAYMAVEOTLEYALEYBOYSEN AVE NSANTAROSA SPORTSCOMPLEXRD ANDERSONPOOL DAVIDSONMUSIC COHAN CTRTHEATRESPANOSCITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ENGR WEST YOSEMITE SIERRA MADRE ALUMNICTR HEALTH WELLBEING&CTR HILLCREST RECREATION CTR GRAPHIC ARTSPRESS DINING ADMINISTRATIONDIABLOWHITNEYSHASTASANTA LUCIA LASSEN SEQUOIATRINITY TENAYA FREMONT PALOMAR �������� ������� ��������� ������������ ���������� ���������������� ���������������� elewexe ������������ tiłhini UNIVERSITYUNIONSCIENCE ENGR EAST FACEASTOFC Vista Grande ConstructionZone JESPERSENSTUDENTSERVICESCHASEHERONNATATORIUM COMPPILLINGSCI SOUTHENGR CHILDREN'SUNIVERSITYHOUSECTR ENGINEERING DEXTER ARCHITECTURE & DES BUSINESSCOTCHETTEDUCATION ENGLISH MATH & SCIENCE CROPS UNIT FACNORTHOFCSCIENCENORTH BRAEWELDINGPROCESSINGFOOD&MARKETAGSCIENCESFARM SHOP ENV HORT SCI ADMINCORP COURTSTENNIS VISITOR'SINFO MILKING PARLOR HOSPITALVET RESEARCHCTREQUINE CTR POOLS MUIR ATHLETICSMOTT CTR CRANDALLGYMKENNEDYLIBRARY SCIENCEFISHER POLICEUNIV KINESIOLOGY STADIUMSPANOSCADRESEARCH SPORTS COMPLEX SPORTS FIELDS SOCCER SOCCER SOCCER ADVANCEDTECHLABS TRACKGRANDI-FIELDPARKING PARKINGSTRUCT. SWINE UNIT POULTRY SCIENCE B. C. E. C. PARKER RANCH RODEO RESERVOIRSHEPARD CERRO VISTA JANSSEN FIELD BAGGETT STADIUM BROWNENGRENGRIII LEANING ARBORETUMPINE POLYVILLAGECANYON PAC MONTANABELLA REINHOLDAERO ENGINEERINGBONDERSONVCTR CONSTRUCTIONBRAESHOPINNOVCTR LEPRINO DAIRY HOUSING ORGANIC FARM ROMAULDOHOLLISTERCABRILLOMORROBISHOPISLAYSANLUIS E.H.S. FACILITIESTRANSPORTATION RADIO TOWER KVEC 920 AM WAREHOUSECORP PARKTECH A.N.C. DEXTER LAWN CORRALITOSBUENAALISOVISTA DOVER ESTRELLA FOXEN GYPSUM HUASNA INYOPARKINGVILLAGECANYON PARKING BOONE DAIRY SCIENCE COMPLEX O'NEILLGREEN ROSE FLOAT ITRC BEEF UNIT RESERVOIRDRUMM FACFORBESOFC UNIVERSITYSTORE MAT’L DEMO LAB PLAZAENGR MUSTANGWAY BAKER SCIENCE ERHARTAG VILLAGE BONDERSONIV CONSTRUCTION HOLLISTERCABRILLO ISLAY SAN LUIS 41B41A 192 82 83 18 57 17 4 13 25 3 35 34 1607 161 77 50J50K 17J 50L 137 18A 48X 197 10 22 4660 26 4832 2411 38 21 14 20A20 40 52 19 65 65 25 1 16 26A 186 314753 33 42 4544 61 124 51 43 43A 113 109112107110108 106 105 100 101 102 172F172G 172C 172E172D 172B 172A 172H 103104 15 74 58 80 70 71 1306 131 170170 170D170C170B170A170E170F170G 81 42A 171 8A 8 36 9 48Q 171B171A 171D 171E 171F 171G 171H 171I 371 136271 153 116117 133 11576 28 27 114 172 117T 122 134 122A 171C 56 15055 154 187 52B 180371B 92 H11H4a H4f H4d H4e H4b H16H14aH12H13 C7 C4 C4 C3 C5C2 C1 C6 R1 H2b H14cH14bH15 H1 H2a H2c R3 R4 G-S S-131 G2 K1 K2 H4c 2 3 4 9 1 3 6 7 45 86 21 5
Mustang Shuttle
Scan the QR code for a full list of shuttle stops.
MUSTANGS!WELCOMEBACK, -PRESIDENT JEFF ARMSTRONG STUDY ABROAD fairSTUDY ABROAD fair DEXTER LAWN THURS., OCT. 6 | 10 AM - 2 PM To learn more, please abroad.calpoly.edu/?go=StudyAbroadFairvisit
Sept. 29
Sept. 15
SEPT
California International Guitar Fes tival at the PAC at various times
The California International Guitar Festival is returning to San Luis Obis po with masterclasses, performances and keynote speeches from artists around the world. The three day festival will be held in the Perform ing Arts Center (PAC) on Cal Poly’s campus. A daily schedule and ticket availability can be found at ainternationalguitarfestival.com.californi
Your guide to upcoming community events
MADDIE HARRELL | MUSTANG NEWS
Cal Poly’s Homecoming Weekend will feature activities for current stu dents and alumni to indulge in all that SLO has to offer. Students can join in on the festivities at Thursday night’s Farmers’ Market or Saturday’s Homecoming football game against Sacramento State. Other available ventures include a guided tour of Poly Canyon’s Architectural Grave yard and T-shirt making with the Graphic Communications Depart ment. A detailed schedule can be found at coming-2022.alumni.calpoly.edu/home
Welcome SLOme
On the last day of Cal Poly’s Week of Welcome (WOW), more than 350 campus clubs and organizations will be set up to chat with students and showcase some of their work.
BY EMILY TOBIASON
This SoCal-based band will be per forming at the downtown theater with their ‘60s-inspired, beachy
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, LIFESTUDENT&ARTS22
Sun Room at the Fremont Theater
Sept. 24
Sept. 17
Sept. 23
Cal Poly and KCPR DJ alum Weird Al is coming to the Vina Robles Amphi theatre in Paso Robles for The Un fortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour. Opening with comedy by Emo Philips, the show will feature his non-parody tunes alongside some of his classics. Tickets can be purchased at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com.
Allah-Las at SLO Brew Rock (doors open at 7 p.m.)
Sept. 18
SLO Brew Rock brings beer, food and entertainment to their location on Aerovista Place, hosting hun dreds of artists yearlong. Allah-Las is a four person band that performs psychedelic and garage rock music throughout California. Tickets can be purchased at slobrew.com.
Cal Poly Football plays their homecoming game in Fall 2021.
Sept. 16-18
Weird Al Yankovic at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre (6:30 p.m.)
Art & Soul SLO hosts monthly events for artists and the LGBTQIA+ com munity. Join several Queens at this
local vegan restaurant for a night of performances and community. More information about tickets and per formers can be found at @artand soulslo on Instagram.
Student Diversity and Belonging Fall Welcome (5-7 p.m.)
Sept. 29- Oct. 1 Homecoming Weekend
Student Diversity and Belonging of fers resources and community events to students through multiple centers: LGBTQ Campus Life, Gender Equity Center, Men & Masculinities, Black Academic Excellence Center, Dream Center, Multicultural Center and Na tive & Indigenous Cultural Center. SDAB will hold a welcome event on Sept. 29 in the Performing Arts Cen ter to share more information about its centers, while giving out free meals and exclusive SDAB merch.
Art & Soul Drag Night at Bliss Cafe (6-8 p.m.)
WOW Club Showcases & Performances (1-4 p.m.)
sound. Tickets can be purchased at the venue’s website, fremontslo.com.
Oct. 6
Makeshift Muse in an organization that works to assist local creators in growing their businesses through market pop-ups in SLO and through out California. This curated market will include shopping, live music, and food and drink during the first weekend of October.
The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA) offers free self-guided art walks onsite and through downtown on the first Friday of each month. Tours take visitors to various loca tions showcasing an artist’s work or a performance.
The San Luis Obispo Oktoberfest will bring German beer, food, mu sic and games to the Madonna Inn. There will be food by Beda’s Biergar ten, music by Hazelnuss Oktoberfest Band and activities by Doughboy from Wild 106.1 and Lee Samways of Humdinger Brewing. Participants must be 21+ to attend. Tickets can be purchased at brownpapertickets. com.
Oct. 14
Oct. 21-23
MATTHEW BORNHORST | MUSTANG NEWS Community crowds the San Luis Obispo Farmers’ Market reopening2021.in
JACKIE ESPITIA | MUSTANG NEWS Cal Poly’s campus community gathers for the 2021 CultureFest.
OCT
The Cal Poly Multicultural Center’s annual CultureFest is returning in October to celebrate diversity with cultural organizations. Booths shar ing traditional foods and club infor mation will be set up in the Univer sity Union Plaza, as groups put on performances from various cultures on the UU stage.
Cal Poly’s Family Weekend held in October will include an array of campus activities, including college and department specific events and performances by students and fac ulty. For extra cost, families can see comedian Michelle Wolf live on Oct. 21 or attend Cal Poly football and women’s soccer games.
Oct. 4
LILY TENNER | KCPR Sun Room performs at SLO Brew Rock on March 31, 2022.
Makeshift Muse Pop-up at Field Day Coffee (8 a.m.-3 p.m.)
Cal Poly’s Center For Leadership hosts an annual event aimed to empower students to create social change. This year’s Student Leader ship Institute (SLI) will be a one-day event focusing on “Emotionally In telligent Leadership.”
Cal Poly Mustang Family Weekend
Halloween at Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market (5:30 p.m.)
Student Leadership Institute Fall 2022 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
Every Thursday, community mem bers and students crowd the down town streets of San Luis Obispo for the Farmers’ Market. But the Thurs day before Halloween will come with themed festivities and plenty of cos tumes as an extra treat.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, 23LIFESTUDENT&ARTS
Oct. 27
SLOMA’s Art After Dark (5-8:00 p.m.)
Trivia Night at Mustang Station (6-8 p.m.)
Oct. 7
Sustainability Festival on Dexter Lawn (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
Cal Poly’s 2022 CultureFest (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
Oct. 8
Join ASI for a night of team trivia right on campus.
The Cal Poly Green Campus orga nization will host an event on Dex ter Lawn to celebrate Sustainability Month in October, an internation al day to promote sustainability in higher education. Various environ ment-focused clubs will be a part of the festival, in addition to hosting several other events throughout the month.
Oct. 1-2
SLO Oktoberfest at the Madonna Inn (12:00 p.m.)
Oct. 22
WE ' RE HIRING POSITIONS STARTING AT $16 – $19/HOUR CAL POLY STUDENTS SOME SCHOOLS GET ALL THE PERKSFREEDRINK WHEN YOU PRESENT YOUR STUDENT ID IN-RESTAURANT ONLY. Must show your school ID for discount. Excludes alcoholic or bottled beverages. Cannot be combined with any other o ers. Sorry, not valid with app, online, phone or delivery orders. 892 EAST FOOTHILL BLVD SEPTEMBER 15 - OCTOBER 15
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Cal Poly sophomore
“I think it is one of the most inclu sive communities in SLO. It doesn’t matter what year you are or what major you are — everyone is just there to enjoy good music and that’s all that matters,” @slo.underground said.
NEWSMUSTANG SEPTEMBERFRIDAY,09,2022 KCPR30
KEEPING THE CULTURE:
a platform for themselves to put out into the scene. @slo.under ground refused to see such a pivotal pillar
said. “I knew I would do it again — from that moment.”
AN INSTAGRAM PAGE DOCUMENTS
San Luis Obispo’s music scene has supplied students with an opportu nity to not only listen to music, but to live it. Students can feel every note and lyric with their whole bodies. They are able to sing right alongside the bands who have devoted them selves to their craft, and be part of something bigger than what they are. So when Friday night comes around, and you find yourself look ing for somewhere to be, don’t be afraid to check out @slo.under ground. The wide variety of talent in SLO caters to plenty of tastes, guar anteeing something for everyone. While it may seem intimidating, try to remember that the hardest part of every new experience is starting. All you have to do is open your ears and your mind and you’ll find it — this hidden heart beat of SLO.
SLO’S INDIE MUSIC SCENE
@ SLO.UNDERGROUND
“You just walk in and see all these
It doesn’t matter what year you are or what major you are — everyone is just there to enjoy good music and that’s all that matters.
Withdisappear.alittleencouragement from friends, she decided to take on the role. “It really was a no-brainer,” @slo.underground said. “For me, it’s always been about keeping the culture over anything else.” With this, everything was put into motion and an old Instagram being used for random photo dumps was revamped into the account that it is today.
A red Solo cup being held up to the night sky has become a famil iar image for many music lovers in San Luis Obispo. This is the profile picture for @slo.underground, an Instagram account dedicated to spreading the word about upcoming local house shows. The account is run by an anonymous Cal Poly soph omore with a deep love for the music scene in SLO. Bands send in their flyers and posters for her to post on the account, allowing them to reach a larger audience than, say, if they hung up posters around campus.
MADDY WORTH | KCPR
different people of different years socializing,” @slo.underground said, “and then you walk into the actual room where the bands are play ing and it’s stressful — but at the exact same time it’s so thrilling. Like despite all of the stress, you want to be a part of it,” @slo.underground said.Itwas cramped and hot, yet the atmosphere seemed to be humming with energy, as if the venue itself was alive. It’s impossible to not be completely absorbed into the excite ment and feeling of a house show and @slo.underground’s experience was no exception. She moshed and danced the entire time, only briefly heading outside for some fresh air. As the night came to an end, she felt herself reluctant to leave, only doing so when her friends said it was time to go. “I came out being the sweatiest I’ve ever been, but the most fulfilled I’ve ever been,” @slo.underground
Little did she know how inter twined she would become with the SLO music scene.
BY CLAUDIA MUÑOZ
The account, with its feed full of brightly colored, eye-catching posters advertising different house shows, has been promoting for about five months. This journey began with the sudden announcement from a previous show promoter, @slo.diy, that they had decided to shut down their account entirely. It was a loss felt by the music scene community, particularly by @slo.underground. “I remember thinking to myself, we’re going to lose the house concert culture in SLO,” @slo.underground said.@slo.diy had been a connect ing thread between music lovers alike throughout San Luis Obispo, connecting members of the community and giving local bands
When asked if she had any advice for students looking to get into the music scene, her answer came instantaneously: “Do it.”
@slo.underground has been attending house shows since she was a freshman, but the first one she ever attended was brought up to her at a Cal Poly Hammocking Club meet ing. Local fan favorite bands Couch Dog and Kiwi Kannibal were playing later that same night. Intrigued, she and three other members decided to check things out after the meet ing. Together, they put away their hammocks and caught the 4A to the show. She remembered being slightly overwhelmed at first.
Q. How did the band start?
We chatted with band members Abby, Lucas and Jack in the KCPR studio. Take a look at the exclusive interview below to learn more about
Jack: It’s a nice contrast because “Roro n’ Digs” was written off of Lucas and I making a joke off of Mordecai and Rigby from the “Regular Show”… but I remember sitting in Nilav’s room because he asked me to help him write some lyrics and we were just sitting and writing actual poetry.
Abby: It’s our first track where Nilav’s shown his lyricism.
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH LOCAL SURF ROCK BAND, THE SANDSPITS
Lucas: The one we’ve released from the three, “Melacoda,” is a little bit different from the rest of our tracks. It still has some of the reggae rock, but it’s a little bit more mature and dark. Nilav took a lot of creative freedom on it… and it was the first time he got to sing in a song because in the past it’s just been Jack and I.
the band, their history and their plans for the future.
BY ASHLEY OAKES
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, 31KCPR
What’s your favorite thing about performing in SLO?
The group’s first single titled “Jeanjacket” was released in 2021. They went on to release an album, “Save Trestles,” and another single titled “MGB” in 2022.
A. Lucas: Probably “Jeanjacket.” We start all our shows with the first song that we ever released,
FIRST LAST
In Spring of 2022 the Sandspits had the opportunity to record three new songs in an LA studio as well as borrow the Cuesta College record ing studio. They plan on utilizing the Cuesta College studio further to record new songs.
Combine the Central Coast surf scene with catchy beats and ener gized lyrics and you have the San Luis Obispo-centered surf rock band, The Sandspits. Cal Poly engi neering students, bassist Abby Neal, singer Lucas Erickson, guitarist Nilav Maulik and Los Angeles music school student drummer Jack Vitek, have managed to become a popular listen among students and Central Coast locals.
since September 2021, the band has become a large part of the DIY style house concert scene around Cal Poly’s campus. Additionally they’ve played shows at local bars, concert venues and campus events.
A. Lucas: We started the band in December of our freshman year [2020] and dropped our first release on Feb. 18, 2021. Then a little while after, Nilav moved into the dorm next to me, and we ended up just meeting him like that.
Q. What was the first song you ever played together?
ABBY NEAL E ngineering Major and Bassist TO WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH THE SANDSPITS, CHECK OUT KCPR’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL OR SCAN THE QR CODE BELOW!
THE SANDSPITS | COURTESY
PlayingMorty.”shows
Their music graces over a range of topics, with a focus on the Central Coast beach scene. However, the inspiration for their music ranges from their experiences living in Utah to even their favorite TV show, “Rick and
“Jeanjacket,” because it’s nice and easy. It’s a warm-up song, but it still sounds good and fun.
Abby: I was walking behind my dorms one night and [Lucas] was just belligerent and yelling at nothing. There’s no one with him and he’s fighting the air … and he was yelling, “I need someone that knows how to play bass.” I had just gotten a bass for Christmas, but I didn’t really know how to play, but I was like “Yeah I play bass.” Then we spent two months blowing each other off because I thought he was a Soundcloud rapper … but then “Jeanjacket” came out and I thought “Yeah, I can get behind this.”Q.
Q. What’s your recording process?A.Abby: We got to record three songs in the Cuesta studio which was a really cool opportunity.
It’s so cool because the same community is all a part of the house show scene.
A. Abby: Since September, we’ve been consistently playing the DIY house shows and it’s so cool because the same community is all a part of the house show scene. So we go play a show, and it’s kind of like we are playing for our friends even though it’s a crowd of people.
“Weadditions.lostsome
Crozier believes the mindset has changed. Going into last season, the Mustangs were picked to finish seventh in the Big West standings by the conference’s head coaches. This season, they are picked to finish second with five first-place votes. According to Crozier, the shift in expectations has led to an “increased level of play.”
offense this season.
all kinda builds to get us ready for conference.”Thisconference schedule starts at home against rival UC Santa Barbara in the annual Blue-Green game on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.
BY NICK BANDANZA
The Mustangs dominated the Big West conference last year, going 8-2 without dropping a game inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium. The team’s winning is expected to continue thanks to the return of their top two goal scorers: Lafaix and senior forward Nikki Trucco. The dynamic duo accounted for 18 goals and four assists in 2021. However, their roles have evolved into more than just
“We have a pretty experienced group coming back,” Crozier said. “Our goals are obvious; we want to finish first in the conference, win the conference tournament and go deep into the NCAA tournament. I think those are all realistic. I think last year was a realization that ‘hey, we can do this, we can get this done.’ Within that, the level of training has been pretty high. They know what it takes.”
With all that returns, the Mustangs still lost key players in defensive
After sharing the regular season Big West Conference title and losing in the Big West tournament title match last season, the Mustang women’s soccer team is poised for a defining year.“Just saying ‘a goal away’ is just a slap in the face,” senior midfielder Camille Lafaix said. “It reminds me of how angry and upset the whole team was last year, and honestly, because we got so close, it makes us even hungrier. Getting so close makes everyone believe that we can do even better.”
key players like Brooke Rubinstein in her assisting,” Trucco said. “That’s the biggest way we play and score goals: locating those balls wide and driving them across to the goal. We are missing that connection right now and need to figure it out.”
Lafaix was named to the Hermann Trophy Watch list, an award presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the Women’s National Player of the Year — colle giate soccer’s most prestigious indi vidual award. Lafaix became the first Mustang to be named to the presea son watch list.
Lafaix is among the six starters returning for the Mustangs, a group led by head coach Alex Crozier, who’s entering his 30th year at the program’s helm.
Sophomore forward Emily Nedom celebrates goal at a women’s soccer game against Westmont College on Aug. 10, 2022 at Spanos Stadium. Mustangs won the game 2-0.
With all that returns and new start ers’ leaps, the question was imposed on team captain Lafaix; is it champi onship or bust?
Women and Men’s Soccer Gear Up for Big West Tournament Runs
“Yeah, fully, we all know that’s the end goal,” Lafaix said. “If that doesn’t happen, it is an opportunity missed.”
I think they do a good job of showing that. It’s important for the players to see their teammates’ work rather than just what they say. It’s that type of leadership, and it’s infectious.
Trucco echoed the team-first message that has been permeating throughout summer camp.
“I want to win — I love winning,” Trucco said. “Last year I was a goal scorer. That’s how I fit into the team. However, if I have more of an assist ing role this year or whatever role I can do to help the team win, that’s my biggest thing.”
OWEN MAIN | CAL POLY ATHLETICS
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, SPORTS32
“[Lafaix and Trucco] are demand ing of their teammates what they demand of themselves,” Crozier said. “I think they do a good job of show ing that. It’s important for the players to see their teammates’ work rather than just what they say. It’s that type of leadership, and it’s infectious.”
OWEN MAIN | CAL POLY ATHLETICS Senior Midfielder Camille Lafaix in home game against Westmont College on Aug. 10, 2022.
ALEX CROZIER Head coach
Women’s soccer begins new season ‘even hungrier’ for championship
leader Danielle Anderson and forward Brooke Rubinstein. According to Trucco, these boots are still trying to be filled by the influx of new
Crozier will look to lean on fresh man forward Emily Lieber to follow Rubinstein as the wide wing player and sophomore defenseman Aynsley Connor to finalize an already strong backWithfour.the mixture of an experi enced core and some new faces, the team will look to be ready to go by the conference schedule thanks to a tough non-conference set of matchups.“Ourpre-conference schedule this year, I know, is more difficult than it was last year,” Crozier said. “It
She was also named a “Midfielder to Watch” by the United Soccer Coaches, alongside teammates soph omore defender Emma Brown and Trucco, who were named “Defender to Watch” and “Forward to Watch,” respectively. Both Trucco and Lafaix were selected to the Preseason Big West All-Conference team as well.
EMMY SCHERER | MUSTANG NEWS
website. Each school’s logo flashed with a number indicating its ranking. The number six flashed next to Cal Poly, in the bottom half as Sampson predted.Partof the reason why they might have polled so lowly is the lack
Mustang News interviewed Coach Sampson just days before the confer ence announced their preseason polls on Aug. 19.
The team lost many of their starting defenders, which has led to Sampson shifting sophomore captain Nate Colley from the midfield to the back line. Sampson said that he moved Colley to the backline because he can utilize his communication and feel for the game to set the lines for theColleydefense.ran the captain’s camp before the season, a sign of the lead ership that he will bring to the team thisHowever,year.
This year I see understandingtalent,andgoodchemistry.
Despite these external expectations this season, the team’s expectations of themselves remain high.
Cabrera-Trujillo, sophomore Logan
This season, the team has 17 new players on the roster, three being upper-class transfers while 14 are freshmen.Intheory, with that drop-off in numbers and talent, there might be an assumption the team is in a rebuilding year, but the team doesn’t believe that’s the case.
offensive attack, Sampson also noted that sophomore Ocean Salari and senior Max Kleinhammes will be contributors on that end.
The preseason polls were announced via video on the Big West
There are no worries about the Mustangs’ ability to score goals. However, the area where the Mustangs must shore up is on the defensive end.
Last season the Mustangs came in eighth in preseason polling. They exceeded external expectations by finishing third in the conference and were close to reaching the semifinals in the Big West tournament.
DREW PATTERSON Sophomore striker
We graduated a lot of players last year and someone needs to step up and fill the role as someone who the team looks to score goals.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, 33SPORTS
BY MATTHEW HO
STEVE SAMPSON Head coach
Cal Poly men’s soccer head coach Steve Sampson watches a game during the 2021 season.
Along with Patterson being a signif icant component of the Mustangs’
One of the key players to fill that offensive void is Drew Patterson, who finished third in shots on target last year and was voted to the Big West preseason team. Patterson said he’s ready to fill the vacancy in the scoring department left by Perez and Glass.“Ialways believe in myself,” Patterson said. “We graduated a lot of players last year and someone needs to step up and fill the role as someone who the team looks to scorePattersongoals.” had a big summer in terms of gaining experience. He played in the USL League Two, a North American semi-professional developmental league with some of the top players around the country. He also had a tryout with Boston FC of the MLS.
Thralls and redshirt freshmen Oscar Baudey as players who could step in asOffensivebacks. and defensive tactics aside, the Mustangs have a strong foundation that bodes well for the program this season and looking into the future. Sampson credits the seniors from last season for that culture-building.“We’renottop-heavy in terms of seniors compared to last year, but
those seniors actually truly helped bring along younger guys returning this year to play a brand of soccer that allows us to be competitive with the best teams in the country.”
of upperclassmen. The team had 15 upperclassmen last year. That number dropped to six total upper classmen this season.
‘Let them sleep on us’: Men’s soccer gears up for Big West Tournament run
“If they want to keep voting us on the bottom half of the conference, so be it,” Sampson said.
“[Kleinhammes] gives a solid, consistent effort on the field,” SampsonSophomoresaid. Connor Leber is another intriguing player for the Mustangs. He’s listed as a defender, but will often make his way up onto the offensive side of the field for throw-ins and corner kicks. Sampson noted his great speed and stamina, which allows him to impact both sides of the pitch.
“Everyone is saying this is a rebuild ing year,” Sampson said. “Well, to heck with that.”
When asked about his expecta tions for the upcoming year, Cal Poly men’s soccer head coach Steve Sampson responded passionately.
Watch a Mustang News recap of the women’s soccer home opener here:
KYLE CALZIA | MUSTANG NEWS Sophomore Drew Patterson during the 2021 season.
MADDIE HARRELL | MUSTANGNEWS
“That’s okay, let them sleep on us,” said sophomore striker Drew Patterson, who finished their open ing exhibition match against Fresno Pacific with a hat trick. “With the kind of environment we’ve been creating at practice, this team is capable of great“Anythingthings. less than a Big West championship would be a disap pointment,” Patterson added.
For Salari, Patterson mentioned that they had developed good chem istry“Metogether.and[Salari] have a great connection,” Patterson said. “Every time he gets the ball I don’t even hesitate to make a run in behind because I know if it’s on he’ll find me.”Kleinhammes, on the other hand, functions more as the glue to the front lines with his steady play.
All of that for Patterson accumu lated in helping him “build confi dence coming into the year.”
It’s not only that there was a drop in numbers — but it was also the qual ity of their seniors. On the offensive side, Emmanuel Perez and Jacob Glass led the Mustangs in shots on target with 26 and 15 last season, respectively, and each of them are no longer with the team.
it’s important to find the right fit around Colley to give proper organization on defense. Sophomore Sebastien Maza has gotten time in the backline next to Colley after not playing much last season. Sampson also mentioned junior transfer Erik
On the defensive side of the ball, the Mustangs lost a “very good goal keeper” in Carlos Arce-Hurtado, along with numerous outstanding defenders, according to Sampson.
Patterson concurred, adding that “the way [last year’s seniors] approached every day, practice and lifts” created a positive environment they are trying to replicate this year. Sampson is confident in the team’s outlook not only this season but moving forward as well. The team doesn’t have many players gradu ating after the year, so many of the players will return after another year of“Nextplay. year, we are only going to bring in four or five recruits,” Sampson said. “We should have a lot of experienced players and a very competitive team for the following years.”On the topic of this season, Sampson said he hasn’t “been this excited for a team ever since I got here.”“This year I see talent, understand ing and good chemistry,” Sampson said.
“SLO is such an Appreciatecommunity.awesomeit while you live there! It takes time to find your people and isadjustmentwithincommunityCalPoly!Anperiodnormal.”
SCANCASKEYTHE QR CODE
Business team. We’re a group of more than 200 students who love storytelling and want to share that love with you.
“Eating alone is completely normal. Everyone has different schedules and that’s okay.”
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Together, these stories memorialize the history of Cal Poly, a document of our time here that we can look back on for years to come.
As a predominantly white institu tion, this is especially important. This year, you can expect more town hall meetings and events that give us a chance to meet and work together to improve our campus, while also providing an opportunity for us to hear your feedback and ideas.
How experienceyourNewsMustangcanmakecollegebetter
“I wish I knew to follow my instincts with toevenfriendshipsifittakestimefindgoodones.”
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“Don’t do laundry on Sundays. You will be fighting with everyone else.”
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“It’s okay to not make friends in WOW/first few weeks. You will find YOUR people at CP soon enough.”
MUSTANGS SHARE WHAT THEY WISH THEY KNEW GOING INTO THEIR FIRST YEAR AT CAL POLY BY BRADY FOR
BY CATHERINE ALLEN
Dear
WhenReader,Ienrolled in Cal Poly as a freshman during the pandemic, I didn’t experience WOW or moving into a dorm. Instead, I would set up my laptop in my bedroom or favor ite coffee shop in my hometown, preparing to make the most out of a unique start to college.
We’re here to be the best place for you to find information about break ing news, crucial investigations or even a student club you never knew existed before. You’ll find concerts and other events hosted by us, and you’ll find stories that center you and our local communities.
MustangEditor-in-Chief,Catherineyou,AllenMedia Group
“How much you need to advocate for yourself to actually get what you need.”
MMG consists of Mustang News (publishing online stories daily and producing a monthly print issue), KCPR 91.3 FM (our student radio station), Mustang News TV (our broadcast program) and our MMG
Members
Our team has also been work ing over summer and will continue working this year to address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within our own organization.
POLYCAL
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“Go to office hours.”
“Join clubs to explore your interests! Not all have to be career oriented... Have fun [ with] it!”
“I wish I knew that getting a job afterwards would be hard.”
LETTERFROM THE EDITOR:
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Thankyours.
One of my favorite quotes about journalism is that it is the “first rough draft of history.” Everyone has a story, and those stories can shed light on pressing issues, evoke empa thy, give us hope and so much more.
We’re here to bridge the gap in communication between campus leaders and our student body, and we’re here to amplify the voices of those in our community who often go unheard. You have a community, and we’re here to help you find that.
Creating an equity reporting guide to better train our staff and starting an Equity Oversight Board to moni tor gaps in our coverage are just two ways that we are finally weaving DEI into our everyday practices and how we interact with our campus. No matter your background, your identity or what college you’re in, we want to hear and share your story. Thank you for picking up our paper, for following us on social media, for making time to speak with report ers (including me) when presented with the opportunity and for giving us the platform to advocate for a better Cal Poly. We couldn’t do what we do without your trust in us. Along the way, MMG has helped give me a community. Let us help you find
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“Don’t waste your time. Join clubs related to your major, willinternshipsgettinglaterthankyoufor it .”
CASKEY’SREPORTERVIDEOTHREE-MINUTEAOFMNTVBRADYCAMPUSLIFEHACKS.
Despite the distance, there was one thing that kept me connected to a campus I had yet to fully experience: joining Mustang News.
of the Mustang Media Group staff in the newsroom in Spring 2022HAVE A STORY TO SHARE? SCAN THE QR CODE TO GIVE US AN ANONYMOUS TIP: WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN MMG? EMAIL US AT EDITORIAL@MUSTANGMEDIAGROUP.COM AND FOLLOW US @CPMUSTANGNEWS ON INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER.
As college journalists, MMG is our “Learn by Doing,” and a large part of that is improving our practices to make everyone feel heard and welcome through our reporting.
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Before classes even started, I began telling the stories of Cal Poly and the San Luis Obispo area, through break ing news and investigations. Now, going into my third year and becom ing Editor in Chief of the student-run Mustang Media Group (MMG), I want to tell you a little bit about the role we play on campus, and our passion for serving our community through journalism.
Explore campus beyond the parking lots.
Whether it be floral design, horse back riding or even a biology class that isn’t in your degree progress report, just take it. Think about it: When will there be another time in your life when you are surrounded by so many people who are knowl edgable in a specific field that you are interested in? The answer is, who knows — so might as well try it. You might learn you have a knack for photography and become the next National Geographic sensation. At the very least, you will have a cool skill to add to your Hinge bio or resume.
10 THINGS I WISH I
So you graduate and realize that graphic design isn’t the end-all-beall that you thought it was? It’s all good. You’re young, you’re fun, you have time. This is the time to figure out who you want to be and when that random cooking class might come in handy, and you go off to become the next Bobby Flay instead.
We all know the one: [Insert generic college-goer] finishes their degree, gets a job in the city and lives in some high-rise apartment that no one is sure how they can afford. Through trials and tribulations, they find their place in the workforce, while also meeting the love of their life and everything comes together for them in the end.
leading movements that impact the campus and community.
Take that unusual course – even if it is outside your major or Degree Planner.
I have to say, as a College of Liberal Arts major, it was easy to feel like I wasn’t doing something monumen tal for the greater good and feel guilty about it. And now, as a graduate, I see some of my classmates doing extraordinary things, while I, frankly, amButnot.that doesn’t mean I won’t be, and it doesn’t mean you won’t, either. Be patient with yourself and give yourself time. Everyone is on their own path.
Take a coding class or some thing (Skip this one if you study computer science).
Sydney Sherman is a Cal Poly Journalism alum. The views expressed in this piece don’t neces sarily reflect those of Mustang News.
Hello! My name is Sydney Sherman, and I graduated from Cal Poly in 2022. With my undergrad only recently coming to an end, I’ve realized some things I would have liked to have known before entering college.Asa disclaimer, all experiences are different. While this may not be relatable to everyone, freshman-year Sydney would certainly have wanted to know.
Did you know that there is an entire vineyard at Cal Poly? A creamery with actual cows? Maybe you did, but it’s still worth checking out! Take a drive or a stroll down Mt. Bishop Road to find the Cal Poly Cat Program, the rodeo team, the butcher shop and more!
take it seriously until my senior year. To be fair, a global pandemic did rob me of two years of in-person classes, but no excuses. Your professors are (usually) really cool people who have whole lives and careers outside of teaching (crazy, I know!). And more importantly, they are there to help you, whether it be to find a good spot to eat in town or specific career advice. You might even make a new friend.Plus, when you are applying to jobs or some kind of post-graduate study, you will need letters of recommen dations and references, so you might want to have a professor or two to ask.
BY SYDNEY SHERMAN
KNEW WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, FROM A CAL POLY GRAD
After the excitement of Week of Welcome died down, I remember not fully understanding why every one loved Cal Poly so much. It was a small town in between L.A. and S.F. and there was nothing to do here, and the food sucked. Because of this, I felt isolated from my peers and not super motivated to make friends. It takes time, it takes patience and it takes putting yourself out there, to find the community that you feel a part of and the people that make you feelJustbest.know that you are alone, and that I am rooting for you.
SYDNEY SHERMAN | COURTESY
Look, I don’t even like the gym that much and barley used it my first two years of college, but let me tell you –most likely, you will not have access to a facility like that for a long time after graduating. Whether you just tan by the pool or play ping pong in the lounge, get your money’s worth; you are already paying for it! Take a spin class for Christ’s sake (IT’S INCLUDED).
USE THE GYM.
Don’t compare yourself to those around you.
Don’t get me wrong, I was told the same advice as a freshman and didn’t
Your roommates do not have to be your best friends.
Don’t expect a movie ending.
Not to burst your bubble, but it might end up looking more like moving back in with your parents and writing articles for a newspaper at a school you don’t even attend anymore, while you take some time to figure it out. Not to point any fingers.Ifnoone else does, I am here to tell you that it’s okay. You might not get your dream job right away, but you will figure it out eventually.
It’s okay to not love it.
This one is a toughie. You go to a school where some students are winning awards for their advance ments in science and research, others are working on devices to launch into the upper atmosphere and others are
If you get along with your roommates and love them, great, happy for you. If you hate your roommates, good luck. As a person who has now had many roommates, I would recom mend somewhere in between. In my experience, it can easily go from the first scenario, to the second, so maybe just be friend-ly.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, 35NEWS
Your degree does not define you.
God, do I wish I had taken a coding or technical class during my undergrad. If you are like me, nothing sounds worse. But wow, will it help when you are applying to jobs. If you can write code, craft UX design, develop websites or anything like that, you are a hiring manager’s wet dream. Could I still take a coding course online? Probably. Will I? No.
Cal Poly 2022 grad Sydney Sherman shares 10 things she wish she knew when she was a freshman at Cal Poly.
Get to know your professors, like really, get to know them.
The state budget for 2022-23 funds Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch
and Cal State University farms in order to improve the university’s agricultural production units. The ranch was largely destroyed in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire and Cal Poly is in the process of restoring the ranch and building an on-site education center, where students can participate in fire recover research.
release.CalPoly’s
“We believe the establishment of The Noyce School of Applied Computing comes at a pivotal time, when there is a major deficit of new graduates in the fields of comput ing and computer sciences, and the need and demand for these skilled workers remains very high,” Michael Groom, a trustee, said in a Cal Poly news release.
TANYA FLUSHMAN Cal Poly Education Professor
“It’s really trying to promote longterm heart health in families who have been historically minoritized, underrepresented and low-re sourced in our region,” public health professor Suzanne Phelan, the center’s director, said in a news release.
Cal Poly’s Center for Health Research also received $5.6 million in National Institute of Health grant funding to conduct a seven-year study on cardiovascular health among pregnant women and infants and address health dispar ities in low-income communities. About five students per year, or 35 students over seven years, will be involved in the project. Cal Poly students and professors are work ing with Brown University and other centers to complete the study.
Loan relief will be applied within four to six weeks of submitting an application, according to the White House.Signup for the Dept. of Education subscription page for further noti fications on loan borrowing. The Dept. of Education will accept applications until Dec. 31, 2023.
Cal Poly Secures Millions in Funding for ProgramsAcademic
The Department of Education is promising $20,000 in debt cancel lation to Pell Grant recipients with loans held by the Department of Education, according to the White House statement, in addition to $10,000 in debt cancellation for students without the Pell Grant — however, some restrictions apply based on individual income.
According to the chancellor’s response, approximately half of the CSU’s undergraduate students receive the Pell Grant – a federal financial award given to students who demonstrate high economic need – and will “be better posi tioned to strengthen the California
BY CATHERINE ALLEN
elementary teachers, middle and high school teachers and special education master’s will receive $7,000 each from the grant. In total, the CSU system produces the most teachers in the state of California, according to Cal Poly education professor Tanya Flushman, who is a director for the CSU Center for the Advancement of Reading and Writing.“Studies have shown that skilled teaching makes the biggest differ ence in a dyslexic child’s educa tional experience,” Flushman said in a news release. “Teaching is an extremely challenging endeavor, and our intent is to prepare and support new teachers by providing them with research-based guid ance for teaching.”
The White House announced on Aug. 24 a three-part plan to cancel $10,000 of student debt for borrow ers with low to middle incomes — a move that could benefit about half of undergrad students in the California State University (CSU) system.Theplan is intended to deal with the economic stress many fami lies are dealing with following the pandemic, according to a news release from the Biden-Harris Administration.CSUInterim Chancellor Jolene Koester sent out a statement assur ing the CSU’s commitment to reducing debt for students.
Teaching is an extremely intentendeavor,challengingandouristoprepareandsupportnewteachersbyprovidingthemwithresearch-basedguidanceforteaching.
School of Education received $21,000 to update its curriculum to align with the state’s guidelines for teaching students with dyslexia. Cal Poly received the largest portion of the statewide grant program out of all colleges. The Cal Poly programs for
“That has left many students from low- and middle-income families with no choice but to borrow if they want to get a degree,” the White House news release states.
The Pell Grant, a federal finan cial award for students with high economic need, used to cover about 80% of the cost of a four-year public college for students in need. Now, it only covers a third, accord ing to the White House.
JOLENE KOESTER CSU Interim Chancellor
Biden StudentsCSUforLiftingStudentCancelsLoanDebt,BurdenAboutHalfofUndergrad
“I applaud and thank the BidenHarris Administration for their dedication and ongoing efforts to support our students,” Koester said in the statement.
The statement cited research from Collegeboard.org that indicates the cost of four-year undergraduate education has nearly tripled since 1980, after accounting for inflation.
The state has granted $39.5 million to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) to keep the university’s infrastructure and production units resilient against intensified climate change. This one-time grant helps address the predicted double-digit job growth in the agricultural and environmental science fields over the next 10 years, according to CAFES Dean Andrew Thulin said there’s a predicted double-digit job growth in the agricultural and envi ronmental science fields in the next decade amid environmental chal lenges, and this funding prepares students for that future.
workforce and communities” with the addition of federal debt relief.
“To ensure a smooth transition to repayment and prevent unneces sary defaults, the pause on federal student loan repayment will be extended one final time through December 31, 2022,” according to the White House fact sheet.
NEWSMUSTANG 202209,SEPTEMBERFRIDAY, OPINION36
The Administration said federal support for students has not kept pace with the rising costs of college.
BY CHLOE LOVEJOY
More than 4,100 students are in ag-related programs at Cal Poly, working on the nearly 6,000 acres of on-site operations on campus, according to a university news
I applaud and thank the supporttheirAdministrationBiden-Harrisfordedicationandongoingeffortstoourstudents.
Cal Poly is set to establish The Noyce School of Applied Computing upon receiving a “transformational” gift from the trust of Intel-founder Robert N. Noyce, known as the “Mayor of Silicon Valley.” The donors intend to also make an eight-figure bequest to the College of Engineering for the Noyce School, which blends electrical engineering, computer science and computer engineering.
From a new interdisciplinary computing program to nearly $40 million granted to agriculture programs, Cal Poly was the recip ient of several big funding awards that flowed in over the summer.
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