Mustang News February 12, 2024

MEET

NEW

Emma Robertson

Chloe

NEWS

Lauren Emo Editor

Leila Touati Assistant Editor

Ashley Bolter

Kathryn Clark

Caroline Ohlandt

Abby Gorman

Alex Kohm

Rocco Brichler

Kaitlyn Knopf

Matthew Muren

OPINION

Zoie Denton Editor

Erin Yarwood

Claudia Muñoz

Liz Nancett

Neta Bar

Tess Whitsett

SPORTS

Matthew Ho Editor

Nate Mills Social Media Director

Jonathan Sze

Noah Greenblatt

Lano Somotun

Sergio Romero

jack bynum

Katie Wright

Jordan Singh

Ty Soria

Dylan Allen

Charlie Wiltsee

Michael Hernandez

ARTS & STUDENT LIFE

Riya Parekh Editor

Sydnie Bierma

Carly Heltzel

Katherine Lu

Makayla Khan

Liv Mehran

Maya Ziv

Arabel Meyer

Vinithra Seshan

Bailee Isackson

Teah Swartzon

Krithi Sankar

Makena Locsin

DESIGN

Claire Lorimor Creative Director

Ariel Sherman

Angel Gaytan

Deanna Nguyen

Alejandro Rearte

Liz Ridley

Brandon Schwartz

Rain Mazumder

Tayler Kang

Kennedy Ray

Aviv Kesar

Maya Rotstein

VIDEO

Ari Lopez Video Manager

Cassandra Garcia

Mckenna Rodriguez

Madison Vernon

Natalie Levesque

Izzy Romero

Samuel Hronek

RJ Pollock

PHOTO

Lily Tenner Editor

Shae Ashamalla

Bobby Groth

Owen Roberts

Ashley Spinoglio

Annabelle Fagans

Mia-Isobel Craig

Brandon Bomberger

Maura Shernisky

Visruth Srimath Kandali

Juliete Seo

Alice Sukhostavskiy

SOCIAL MEDIA

Jessa Rosenthal Social Media Manager

Angela Passalacqua

Josie Wall

Avery Smigel

Lily Rivas

Tori Gordon

Sophia Pattison

DATA & INVESTIGATIONS

Elizabeth Wilson Editor

Archana Pisupati

Cole Pressler

Krithi Sankar

Amelia Wu

Naomi Vanderlip

Jeremy Garza

Masato Nandate

Brandon Kim

Tejasree Kandibanda

BILINGUAL

Edgar Bustillos Morales Editor

Emilia Pirir

Isabel Cruz Santiago

Jazmin Zarate

Kate McHugh

KCPR

LEADERSHIP

Emily Tobiason Content Director

Jordan Triebel KCPR News Director

Cindy Nguyen Art Director

Cayley O’Brien Programming/ Music Director

David Aronson Marketing Director

Sam Kohn Podcast Manager

Reilly Yuen Social Media Manager

KCPR NEWS

Jordan Triebel Director

Emmy Burrus Assistant Director

Sarina Grossi

Trevor Baumgardner

Natalie Levesque

Aidan Dillon

Layla Shuman

Izzy Romero

Mckenna Rodriguez

Jazmyn Chavez

Jada Griffith

Emma Montalbano

Fiona Hastings

Kat Orozco

Jessica Carp

Cole Pressler

Sergio Romero

Nate Mills

Mark Robinson

Riley Sullivan

Ryan Giacomini

KCPR.ORG

Emily Tobiason Content Director

Amelia Nored Editorial Assistant

Fiona Hastings

Angie Stevens

Kat Orozco

MMG BUSINESS

ADVERTISING & PR

Matthew Ho & Yuka Shindo Advertising Team Managers

Trevor Baumgardner Special Sections Editor

Katharine Smith Marketing and Public Relations Director

Adrienne Liang Advertising Design Manager

McKenna Hauteman OnCampus Events Coordinator

Mackenzie Ryseff Marketing/PR Researcher

ADVERTISING DESIGNERS

Tristan Naoe

Amanda Wahl

Jenna Yost

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Ruby Beye

Ella Brees

Emma James

Alexander Poroy

Juliet Sasaura

Amanda Tahi

Xiomara Lopez

Tori Gordon

The ‘domino effect’ that built

BY CATHERINE ALLEN

At the counter of Antonia’s Pizza, a man waits patiently to give his order. Samantha Elhajhasr chats with the man from behind the counter as he points to the display of pepperoni pizza and Coke.

“That’s one of our regulars,” Hitham Elhajhasr tells me, as his daughter Samantha serves him. She doesn’t ask for payment.

She doesn’t ask because her mom, the restaurant’s namesake, makes a point to give food to those who can’t afford it. She doesn’t ask because, growing up, Samantha’s family couldn’t always afford food, either.

“[My mom] knows what it’s like to have to feed her kids and not being able to,” Samantha said.

The Elhajhasr family opened Antonia’s in Downtown San Luis Obispo one year ago, but they first got into the pizza business in 1987 thanks to a chance encounter. While

pizza shop with her dad. She called it the “typical American dream.”

But before that dream, Samantha said her and her family were “starting from the bottom.”

After an electrical fire burned down their home in Berkeley, they went shelter to shelter, a social worker helping to get them food and jobs. While losing her home, Antonia was nine months pregnant with twins, and lost them too. Antonia and Hitham take every chance they can now to talk about their five children and 14 grandchildren (with one more on the way).

Hitham grew up in Kuwait and came to the U.S. to become a pilot. While attending flight school, he met Antonia through a mutual friend. He wasn’t Samantha and her sisters’ birth father, but he says he fell in love with Antonia’s kids just as much as her. Being apart from his family, he says Antonia’s daughters reminded him of his own sisters around the

exposed him to people of different cultures. In the end, he realized he’d make more money in the pizza business.

When asked if he regrets anything, Hitham pauses to think.

The silence breaks when Samantha answers a call behind him.

“Thanks for calling Antonia’s…For 20 people?”

His smile grows until he admits he can’t think of anything he regrets.

“I was just trying to make more for my kids,” Hitham said. “And I did, so I really can’t say that I regret it.”

Samantha and her sisters’ childhoods consisted of solving riddles Hitham gave them while they made pizzas after school. Samantha said she most valued the protection of Hitham during her childhood.

“A man takes on a wife, three kids and takes us from literally nothing,” Samantha said. “That’s when everything started to happen. It was like a domino effect.”

their experience here. They enjoy the food.”

The organization Downtown SLO reported that 16 storefronts closed from January to August 2023, but 23 new businesses arrived. The family says it’s been challenging, but Hitham appreciates the sense of community.

“We treat everybody as a family; that’s how we’ve run all of our loca tions,” Hitham said.

As Hitham speaks, his eyes follow each passerby outside the restaurant’s windows, ready to spring up for anyone who enters.

A year from now, Hitham and Antonia hope to pass the business on to Samantha and her brother.

“I really don’t know how long I can do these hours,” Hitham said.

The 4 p.m. lull ends thanks to a delivery order. Samantha’s unsure how to get to the address provided, and the father-daughter pair have to call Antonia — sick at home that day — to figure out how to enter the credit card information.

The chaos continues as they throw on small red aprons and head to the kitchen to start the hand-tossed pizzas.

“Oh — white sauce,” Samantha says as she scrapes off the scoop of marinara sauce she prematurely plopped onto the pizza.

As she turns her back, Hitham swings the pizza under the faucet and rinses off the remaining red stains. He cracks a smile as he presents to her a clean slate.

Cal Poly is working toward Hispanic-Serving Institution status.

What should the university be paying attention to?

BY AMELIA WU

When arriving to Cal Poly, Isabella Jimenez-Melendrez immediately noticed the void of the Spanish community she had grown up with in her hometown Tijuana. Since then, she’s been taking Spanish classes for her minor, but also to feel closer to home.

Before her arrival, JimenezMelendrez didn’t know of Cal Poly’s Predominately White Institution label, or the university’s 2018 blackface incident that sparked national attention. As a first-gen student, she said she didn’t think much of it when applying to colleges.

“I think as soon as I got here, I was like ‘I do care about that’,” JimenezMelendrez said. “But these five years, I’ve never let it affect me because if I did, it’s like them winning over me, and I’m not going to let them disturb my peace.”

When Jimenez-Melendrez enrolled at Cal Poly in Fall 2019, she was a part of Cal Poly’s first-ever “most diverse” class. However, this didn’t mean that she was surrounded by faces that looked similar to hers.

“In my year, it was only me and my friend,” Jimenez-Melendrez said. “And as for Hispanic students, we all know who we are because of how small the community is and because of how little of us there are.”

TASK FORCE TO IMPLEMENTATION

Along with Cal State Maritime, Cal Poly is one of two CSU campuses yet to become a Hispanic-serving institution. In 2018, Cal Poly was ranked as one of the nation’s seven worst institutions for Latinx student success, according to Education Trust.

Over the past five years, Cal Poly’s incoming class racial diversity demographics increased. In 2022, the students of color population increased by 8.7%, primarily seeing growth in Latinx/e enrollment, according to the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI)

ALICE SUKHOSTAVSKIY MUSTANG NEWS

In 2022, 21.1% of the student body reported identifying as Latinx, according to the HSI executive summary report. With efforts for an inclusive environment for the Latinx/e community, started with one “essential” recommendation in 2021 pointed to creating a Hispanic-serving task force, an effort dedicated to getting Cal Poly a designation as a Hispanic-serving institution.

Becoming an Hispanicserving institution (HSI) only requires a numerical status — a campus population with over 25% of Latinx/e students enrolled. Additionally, the designation allows universities to apply for federal grants. However, these grants don’t necessarily require universities to send the funds to these communities.

The university projects earning the designation in 2026, according to the task force’s web homepage.

The task force stresses on working within a “servingness” framework, a concept that came from multiple consultations with Dr. Gina Garcia, a researcher that specializes on Hispanic-serving institutions and how they can help with identity in a university setting.

committed to HSI efforts from the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion, according to the HSI executive summary.

“I am a first-generation queer Latinx woman on this campus, in this world,” Makekau said. “This work is deeply personal to me. It was the cultural associations, staff and faculty that helped me make it through college, creating those spaces that reminded me that I belonged here.”

SERVING ALL STUDENTS: “RISING TIDES RAISES ALL BOATS”

I’m gonna show them who I am and why I deserve to be here too.

ISABELLA JIMENEZ-MELENDREZ

Architectural engineering senior

The task force’s co-chair Beya Makekau describes servingness as a Hispanic-serving institution that “moves” beyond the numerical quota, also considering “holistic success and well being” of the Latinx/e campus community.

“That means we’re hoping to be an institution that is going to equitably yield, retain and graduate Lainx/e students that enacts a culture in which their educational and racial, ethnic experiences as students is enhanced and celebrated,” Makekau said.

Now, the task force is in a stage as an implementation team, Makekau added.

Moving forward, the implementation team is looking to increase recruitment efforts to the Latinx/e community, focus on issues that involve inclusive curriculum, and creating a data dashboard.

For the academic years of 2023-25, over $100,000 has been dedicated for the Hispanic serving initiative, according to Makekau. In the 2022-23 academic year, $60,000 was

Mechanical engineering sophomore Eliza Moto hopes the HSI task force will be able to acknowledge and educate others on the “beneath the surfaces” experiences, not just the big incidents that occur at Cal Poly. She added the “uncomfortable experiences” in the classroom aren’t necessarily obvious remarks, but an undertone of her past “lacking” some knowledge or experience to be considered qualified.

Moto said part of her reason for coming to Cal Poly was for its Hispanic student engineering clubs and programs – in particular, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).

When she found her interest in mechanical engineering through high school robotics, her focus when applying was to find community at a university, especially with an interest in an industry where she didn’t see a lot of representation. She said SHPE helped her adjust to Cal Poly.

“It did determine which colleges I wanted to apply to and attend based on who had that— an empowering community for me to be a part of,” Moto said.

Another place that Moto feels a sense of community is at La CASA, Cal Poly’s Latinx/e Center for Academic Success and Achievement, which opened November 2022.

One of the common university recommendations to remedy the lack of some cultural presence on campus is to turn to student organizations like SHEP and culturally-affiliated centers like La CASA.

“I love coming to La CASA and

just hanging out,” Moto said. “It’s fun because you just do anything in there, [such as] homework. If you can’t do homework, you can talk to your friends hanging out.

Joanna Gazcon also thinks supporting La CASA can truly impact the Latinx/e community at Cal Poly. Currently, there’s assistant students and an interim director— but Gazcon said having a designated and more permanent director, La CASA could have the attention and care it deserves.

According to Makekau, there’s currently a search for a director underway, and is talking with the Office of Student Affairs through the hiring process.

Business administration senior Gazcon is also an intern with OUDI working on the HSI task force; she knows that others in the student body have concerns of Cal Poly trying to just reach a numerical quota.

“I think a lot of people are scared that they’re just doing it for the numbers for that title,” Gazcon said.

Gazcon entered Cal Poly knowing about the university is a predominately white institution and the “controversies,” such as the anti-Semetic and the black face incident.

Going into Cal Poly, and from a predominately Hispanic high school, Gazcon was concerned.

“I know my personal experiences will vary within the Latinx community,” Gazcon said.” I’m like a lightskinned Latina so it’s very difficult for someone who’s brown skin or darker skin. There are definitely multiple narratives and that should be portrayed and experiences that should be taken into account.”

Makekau said partners and allies can best support by spreading awareness of efforts for a Hispanic-serving institution. She added that becoming Hispanic-serving benefits everyone, creating a culturally rich educational environment and preparing the student body to enter a global workforce when they leave Cal Poly.

“To steal a quote from a good friend of mine,” Makekau said. “Rising tides raises all boats.”

Portrait of Isabella JimenezMelendrez

Cal Poly está trabajando en convertirse en una Institución al Servicio de los Hispanos.

¿A qué debería estar prestando atención la universidad?

Al llegar a San Luis Obispo, Isabella Jiménez-Melendrez notó de inmediato la falta de la comunidad habla hispana con la que había crecido en su ciudad natal, Tijuana. Durante su tiempo en Cal Poly, ha estado tomando clases de español para completar su minor académico en español y también para sentirse más cerca de casa.

Antes de su llegada, JiménezMelendrez no sabía acerca de la etiqueta que Cal Poly tiene de ser una institución predominantemente blanca, tampoco sabía del incidente de blackface de 2018. Como estudiante de primera generación, dijo que no le dio mucha importancia a esos temas al aplicar a las universidades

“Creo que al llegar aquí me di cuenta de que eso sí me importa”, dijo Jimenez-Melendrez. “ Pero en estos cinco años no he dejado que esto me afecte porque si lo hiciera sería como dejarlos derrotarme, y no voy a dejar que perturben mi paz.”

“ Les mostraré quién soy y por qué yo también merezco estar aquí.”

Cuando Jiménez-Melendrez se inscribió en Cal Poly en el otoño de 2019, ella formó parte de la primera generación “más diversa” de Cal Poly. Sin embargo, esto no significaba que estuviera rodeada de rostros similares a los de ella.

“De mi año, éramos solo mi amigo y yo”, dijo Jiménez-Melendrez. “Y en cuanto a los estudiantes hispanos, todos sabemos quiénes somos por lo pequeña que es la comunidad y por los pocos que somos”.

Jimenez-Melendrez encontró su lugar en la comunidad y es ahora la presidenta del club SHPE (Sociedad de Ingenieros Profesionales Hispanos).

LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DEL EQUIPO DE TRABAJO

Junto con Cal State Maritime, Cal Poly es uno de los dos campus de CSU que aún no se han convertido en una institución al servicio de los hispanos. En 2018, Cal Poly fue

clasificada como una de las siete peores instituciones del país en cuanto al éxito de los estudiantes latinxs, según Education Trust. Durante los últimos cinco años, la diversidad demográfica de las generaciones entrantes de Cal Poly ha seguido aumentando. En 2022, la población de estudiantes de color aumentó un 8.7%, principalmente viendo un crecimiento en la inscripción de Latinx/e, según el sitio web de la Oficina de Diversidad e Inclusión Universitaria (OUDI, por sus siglas en inglés).

En 2022, el 21.1% del alumnado informó identificarse como latinx, según el informe del resumen ejecutivo de HSI.

Los esfuerzos por un entorno inclusivo para la comunidad Latinx/e empezaron con una recomendación “esencial” en 2021 que apuntó a crear un “equipo de trabajo” para el servicio de los hispanos, un esfuerzo dedicado a lograr que Cal Poly se convierta en una institución al servicio de los hispanos (HSI).

Convertirse en una institución al servicio de los hispanos sólo requiere de un estatus numérico: una población del campus constituida por más del 25% de estudiantes latinx/es inscritos. Además, la designación permite a las universidades solicitar subvenciones federales. Sin embargo, estas subvenciones no necesariamente requieren que las universidades envíen fondos a estas comunidades.

El equipo de trabajo proyecta alcanzar esta designación en 2026.

El equipo insiste en trabajar dentro de un marco de “servicio”, un concepto que surgió de múltiples consultas con la Dra. Gina García, una investigadora que se especializa en instituciones al servicio de los hispanos y cómo pueden ayudar con la identidad en un entorno universitario.

La copresidenta del grupo de trabajo, Beya Makekau, describe el servicio como una institución al servicio de los hispanos que “va”

más allá de la cuota numérica, considerando también el “éxito y el bienestar holísticos” de la comunidad universitaria Latinx/e.

“Eso significa que esperamos ser una institución que produzca, retenga y gradúe equitativamente a estudiantes Latinx/e que promulgue una cultura en la que sus experiencias educativas, raciales y étnicas como estudiantes se mejoren y celebren”, dijo Makekau. Ahora, el equipo de trabajo se encuentra en una etapa como equipo de implementación, añadió Makekau.

En el futuro, el equipo de implementación busca aumentar los esfuerzos de reclutamiento para la comunidad Latinx/e, centrarse en cuestiones que involucran un plan de estudios inclusivo y crear un panel de datos.

en este mundo”, dijo Makekau. “Este trabajo es profundamente personal para mí. Fueron las asociaciones culturales, el personal y los profesores los que me ayudaron a terminar la universidad, creando esos espacios que me recordaron que pertenecía aquí”.

AL SERVICIO DE TODOS LOS ESTUDIANTES: “EL AUMENTO DE LAS MAREAS ELEVA TODOS LOS BARCOS”

Joanna Gazcon es una pasante en la Oficina de Diversidad e Inclusión Universitaria que trabaja en el grupo de trabajo de HSI y es presidenta de la Asociación Cultural Latinx (LCA).

Al llegar a Cal Poly, al igual que Jiménez-Melendrez, Gazcón quedó desconcertada ya que creció en una escuela con un 98% de estudiantes hispanos.

reconocer y educar a las personas sobre las experiencias “debajo de las superficies”, no solo sobre los grandes incidentes que ocurren en Cal Poly. Dijo que las “experiencias incómodas” en el aula no son necesariamente comentarios contundentes, sino una presencia de su pasado que “carece” de algún conocimiento o experiencia para ser considerada calificada.

Les mostraré quién soy y por qué yo también merezco estar aquí.

ISABELLA JIMENEZ-MELENDREZ

Estudiante de último año de ingeniería arquitectónica

De acuerdo a Makekau, más de $100,000 han sido dedicados a la iniciativa de servir a los hispanos para los años académicos de 2023 a 2025. Según el resumen ejecutivo de HSI, la Oficina de Diversidad e Inclusión Universitaria comprometió más de $60,000 para los esfuerzos hacia una HSI durante el año académico 2022-23.

“Soy una mujer latinx queer de primera generación en este campus,

“Sé que mis experiencias personales variarán dentro de la comunidad latina”, dijo Gazcon”. Soy como una latina de piel clara, así que es muy difícil para alguien de piel morena o de piel más oscura. Definitivamente hay múltiples narrativas que deben retratarse y experiencias que deben tenerse en cuenta”.

La CASA, el Centro Latinx/e para el Éxito y el Logro Académico de Cal Poly, abrió sus puertas en noviembre de 2022 entre los otros centros del Centro Estudiantil de Diversidad y Pertenencia. Gazcón destacó la importancia del centro para servir a los estudiantes hispanos.

Eliza Moto, estudiante de segundo año de ingeniería mecánica, compartió sentimientos con Gazcon y dijo que asignar atención y recursos a espacios como La CASA es esencial y empoderará a los estudiantes.

“Me encanta venir a La CASA y simplemente pasar el rato”, dijo Moto. “Es divertido porque allí haces cualquier cosa, como la tarea. Si no puedes hacer la tarea, puedes platicar con tus amigos”.

Moto agregó que espera que el equipo de trabajo de HSI pueda

Moto dijo que parte de su razón para venir a Cal Poly fue por sus clubes y programas de estudiantes hispanos de ingeniería, en particular, SHPE. Cuando descubrió su interés en la ingeniería mecánica a través de la robótica en su escuela preparatoria, su enfoque al aplicar a las escuelas fue encontrar un lugar que pudiera respaldar su educación y crear un sentido de pertenencia en una industria donde no veía mucha representación. Dijo que SHPE la ayudó a encontrar una comunidad en Cal Poly y adaptarse a Cal Poly.

“Determiné a qué universidades quería aplicar y a qué universidades quería asistir basándome en quién tenía una comunidad empoderadora de la que yo podría ser parte”, dijo Moto.

Makekau agregó que convertirse en una HSI beneficia a todos, creando un ambiente educacional rico en cultura y preparando a los estudiantes a entrar a una fuerza laboral global cuando salgan de Cal Poly.

“Para robar una frase de un buen amigo mío”, dijo Makekau. “El aumento de las mareas eleva todos los barcos”.

New cafe brings traditional Korean desserts to the central coast

BY MCKENNA RODRIGUEZ

The new Touch By Angels Cafe on Marsh Street in San Luis Obispo offers a menu not typically found on the central coast, including Bing soo, taiyaki and organic teas of many flavors.

Working in the cafe since its soft open in December, Brittany Tapia has found few favorites off of the menu.

“I definitely love the bing soo. I love the coffee bing soo and the chocolate bing soo. Those are probably my favorite ones,” Tapia said.

Behind the drinks and desserts is owner Young Won. Won wanted to open a cafe that modeled the food she grew up with in Korea while in a more accessible location for those who do not live in bigger cities such as Los Angeles or San Francisco. But, Won was also not satisfied with the food she tried in either town.

“They’re adding way too much sugar and I didn’t really enjoy it,”

Won said. “So, I went to Korea two years ago, and the Korean people love all the fresh fruits and less sweet. And they had all the different fruit options and I really liked it, and that gave me the idea too.”

On top of running the cafe, Won also runs a home for girls with disabilities, which served as another inspiration for opening the store. As her daughter with Down Syndrome got older and started looking for jobs, Won realized there were not many choices for those with special needs. This realization encour aged her to open the cafe and employ the girls in her home. And with running two businesses, Won stays busy.

“It’s crazy. I work twelve hours these days,” Won said

The ASI Craft Center reopens after renovations

BY BAILEE ISACKSON AND CAROLINE OHLANDT

On Jan. 22, Cal Poly’s Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) Craft Center reopened after six months of renovations, offering new classes and updated safety features, according to ASI Assistant Director of Student Engagement and Assessment Jill Baxter.

The Craft Center now offers quarter-long classes in surfboard shaping, ceramics and stained glass as well as workshops in jewelry-making, knitting, crocheting and painting, Baxter explained. The primary reason for the Craft Center’s $250,000 renovation was to add updated fire sprinklers as well as other safety features, Baxter said.

After removing its bike shop, flameworking and woodworking areas due to safety concerns and liability issues, the Craft Center revamped and expanded its surfboard shaping, ceramics and stained glass studios. The Craft Center will be adding further workshops in the coming

months as well, Baxter said.

Playing a key role in the stained glass studio renovations is Ella Tune, a stained glass instructor and graphic communications junior, who helped design and build the stained glass studio from scratch.

“We’ve gotten a lot of creative freedom on how we want to build the studio,” Tune said. “We’ve had a much bigger budget than I thought so we’ve gotten to buy a lot of new materials and [equipment] we’ve never had before like a ring saw and a kiln.”

Tune first fell in love with the art of stained glass at the Craft Center last year and is now paying it forward as an instructor teaching stained glass classes twice a week.

“It’s really cool to describe a creative process to someone and see how it hits people in different ways and what they create out of it,” Tune said. “Teaching is such a fun way to meet people, and it’s so cool to see people get into their niches within the class they choose to take.”

Business junior Avery Simpson, a

student in one of Tune’s stained glass classes, said she is excited to be back in the Craft Center exploring a new art form.

“I’ve seen stained glass before and it’s obviously so beautiful, but you’d never think, ‘Oh I can [make] that myself,’” Simpson said. “There’s definitely a lot involved in [stained glass] that I didn’t expect there to be, so I’m really excited to learn more.”

Students must pay to enroll in quarter-long classes and workshops, with workshop prices around $30 and quarter-long classes ranging from $65 to $350 depending on the

course, according to the Craft Center website. The Craft Center also offers monthly and quarterly passes in ceramics and surfboard shaping for those who do not require instruction, with prices ranging from $30 to $60.

Baxter emphasized that one of her primary focuses during this renovation was to make the Craft Center more affordable than outside studio spaces for students.

“Using a studio space and getting to fire your work [and] use clay is typically a couple of hundred dollars [at other studios, and our prices are] $60 a month,” Baxter said. “We tried to

make this as affordable for students as possible while still making sure we have the funds to [maintain] a safe space.”

Though Tune greatly appreciates the artistic opportunities offered at the Craft Center, her favorite aspect is the community the Craft Center provides.

“It’s a nice place [for everyone] to be creative during the middle of the day in between classes. Humans are creative beings and people are meant to be creative – I hope that people are not intimidated by [the Craft Center],” Tune said.

TAYLOR OH | TOUCH BY ANGELS

MIA ISOBEL-CRAIG | MUSTANG NEWS Young Won, Owner.

Cal Poly’s Black History Month Kickoff: ‘Black excellence is 365 days a year’

BY VINITHRA SESHAN

On Feb. 2, the Black Academic Excellence Center (BAEC) hosted their annual Black History Month Kickoff at the Multi Activity Center. In a celebration of Black joy, several campus partners, clubs, food vendors and live performers gathered at the Multi Activity Center.

“It’s a big message to our Black student community,” BAEC Coordinator Christina Sholars Ortiz said. “It’s about standing 10 toes down and feeling firm in who we are as individuals and not having to apologize.”

This is the second time BAEC partnered with Cal Poly Admissions to organize the kickoff, who also hosted their fourth annual United by Excellence event for Black scholars, according to Admissions Director Melissa Furlong.

During this event, high school students from historically underrepresented communities came to Cal Poly.

The day-long event included a guest speaker, student panel and topic-centered discussions such as “The Struggle for Black Liberation: Voting and Beyond,” concluding with the Black History Month Kickoff.

According to a 2022 article from CalMatters, under 0.7% of Cal Poly students identify as Black. As a Cal Poly alum and first generation student, Sholars Ortiz is passionate about empowering Black students to succeed.

“It’s important for them to know they deserve to be here,” she said.

The Black History Month Kickoff featured a resource fair for prospective and current students to explore. The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Black Student Union (BSU) set up booths and spoke with people in attendance.

“When I came to Cal Poly, I didn’t know that the Black community on campus was so small,” BSU graphic arts designer and software engineering sophomore Sanaia Pierre said. “It’s so important to give

them support early on so they can succeed.”

Some of the Campus partners who collaborated on the kickoff included Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI), Campus Health and Wellbeing (CHW), Safer and the Cal Poly Food Pantry.

“It’s a great opportunity to connect with prospective students,” CHW Strategic Communications Director Diego Abeloos said. “We want to show them the levels of support they

Ogilvie said.

Morgan, Nanninga and Ogilvie said that they have been playing drums for over 20 years. They have practiced in Africa and locally in San Luis Obispo.

Later, the Fortune School drumline performed a rendition of “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe, among other songs.

The drumline was followed by a performance from the Cal Poly Mustang Band, who performed instrumental adaptations of “MONTERO” by Lil Nas X and “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk.

We really want Black students to feel seen beyond being recruited — they are not just student athletes.

CHRISTINA SHOLARS ORTIZ BAEC Coordinator

have on campus to make the transition from home to college.”

Also featured were R.A.C.E Matters – an organization that focuses on increasing racial and social justice engagement in SLO – and motivational speaker and communication studies student Jasmine Phipps, who hosts the podcast “Spilling Tea with a POC.”

Performances by the Central Coast Afro Rhythm and Dance members

Tracy Morgan, Bob Nanninga and Bruce Ogilvie were set to West African drum rhythms and celebrated Black heritage.

“The African people have given us their blessing to share their culture,”

The event culminated in a lively drum battle between Fortune School and Mustang Band and concluded with a speech emphasizing the power of the Black community.

“Black excellence is 365 days a year, 24/7,” Cal Poly Admissions Outreach and Recruitment Director Dimitrous Chattman said.

In honor of Black History Month, BAEC will be hosting more commu nity wide events such as the State of Blackness and Love Your Crown.

BAEC page on Cal Poly Now at now.calpoly.edu/organization/ baeccommunity/events

CASSANDRA GARCIA | MUSTANG NEWS

Freshman wrestler Zeth Romney’s rise to stardom: A surprise to none

BY SERGIO ROMERO

As redshirt freshman Zeth Romney stood on the winner’s podium –accepting a third-place award – at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships earlier this season, he looked around and realized who he was standing next to.

The No. 31 ranked 133-pounder at the time stood among notable wrestlers such as Mason Leiphart, ranked No. 27 from Franklin and Marshall; Dylan Shawver, ranked No. 26 from Rutgers; Michael Colaiocco, an All-American from the University of Pennsylvania ranked No. 8; and Sam Latona, a two-time All-American ranked No. 5 from Virginia Tech.

Romney wasn’t expected to get this far in such a prestigious tournament and he also wasn’t expected to pull off the upsets he did. He wasn’t expected to place the second-highest any Mustang has finished in the tournament. He was only a redshirt freshman, but he showed everyone in this tournament that this was only the beginning.

Since then, Romney has skyrocketed up multiple wrestling outlet rankings and is currently ranked No. 12 in Intermat Wrestling’s 133-pound weight class rankings.

A LIFE IN LOVE WITH WRESTLING

Romney started wrestling early on at six-years-old, mainly due to his high energy as a kid. His parents tried putting him into football and a couple of other sports, but nothing spoke to him like wrestling. However, it was an adjustment for him at first.

“I just fell in love with it, [but] it was hard growing up with wrestling as a kid,” Romney said. “You get beat up a lot.”

Romney stuck with wrestling and ended up becoming a three-time California state place winner across three different weight classes at Chaminade College Prep, which earned him a spot in FloWrestling’s top 100 high school recruit rankings, according to FloWrestling.

He was a highly touted recruit out of high school and garnered plenty of attention from a number of schools, including Cal Poly.

The recruitment process was a unique one, since much of the

recruiting was done over Zoom during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This didn’t allow Romney to tour most college campuses, which is unusual for a top tier recruit.

“[We] had some good quality conversation with both him and his parents, and we were able to talk throughout our core values and our vision for the program,” Sioredas said. “It just seemed to be a great fit from day one.”

After much deliberation and consideration of his options, Romney announced his verbal commitment to Cal Poly via California USA Wrestling’s Instagram page on Aug. 25, 2021.

Despite having interest from a variety of programs, Romney felt there was something about Cal Poly that no other school could offer him.

“When I came here, I saw that you can grow as a wrestler and work hard and also have fun and enjoy what you’re doing,” Romney said. “The team and coaches just made that point that we’re trying to be better people… it doesn’t matter our wins and losses.”

LESSONS FROM A REDSHIRT YEAR

Once Romney stepped on the mat for the Mustangs, there was a lot of fine-tuning to his technique, but Sioredas and the coaching staff knew what they needed to do.

“A lot of the work last year was trying to settle him in a little bit and be a little bit more strategic,” Sioredas said. “He’s always been a wrestler that just throws the whole kitchen sink at you.”

As a result, the coaching staff decided to redshirt Romney for his first season, which gave him the opportunity to sit behind some of the key starters on the team and learn from them.

That opportunity to sit for most of the season and get acclimated to the college experience allowed Romney to focus on getting better without the pressure of having to wrestle every single time there was a dual or a tournament.

It also showed him that he wouldn’t be treated any differently from the guys who were actually wrestling every bout.

“It taught me to just come in

everyday and have fun when I wrestle,” Romney said.

With that mindset, the coaching staff could hone in on his technique and elevate his capability as a wrestler.

NCAA wrestling rules allow five appearances for redshirt athletes, whether that be in tournaments or duals. In those five appearances, Romney had an overall record of 7-2 and won both of his dual appearances, capturing the 141-pound title in the Menlo Open and placing fourth at the Tiger Style Invitational, according to Cal Poly Athletics.

These appearances provided the coaching staff many opportunities to provide feedback on his game, including finding the perfect weight class to wrestle in.

During this past offseason, Romney wrestled in a U20 tournament in Las Vegas to test what a move down to 133 pounds would look like after sitting between 133 and 141 pounds when he wasn’t on the mat.

But that tournament didn’t go as smoothly as planned in the weight-cutting department. So, the coaching staff immediately helped put Romney on a diet that would put him in a position to be as successful as he has been this season.

“He’s done a good job with his nutrition and his discipline with his diet,” Sioredas said. “He’s at his optimal performance weight and doesn’t have to worry about cutting weight.”

LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE

Since the start of this season, Romney has climbed the national rankings in his weight class.

He co-led Cal Poly to a No. 23 team ranking in the NCAA Coaches Poll, along

with No. 5 ranked 149-pounder redshirt sophomore Chance Lamer and held a seven-bout winning streak, prior to their dual with No. 20 Little Rock, with a 17-6 overall record on the season, according to Cal Poly Athletics.

The No. 12 ranked 133-pounder also placed third in the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships and Tiger Style Invitational earlier this season, along with earning two Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week awards, the first time in program history that a Mustang won the award twice in one season.

Despite all of these early successes, accolades and high rankings, Romney is keeping his head down and not letting all of the noise affect him.

“It doesn’t matter the number

associated with me or who I’m wrestling, more so just becoming a better person and a better wrestler and seeing how I can grow my craft,” Romney said.

SCAN TO WATCH!

Student Ombuds Services is a safe place where students can seek confidential guidance on university related concerns or complaints.

An Ombuds is a neutral person who listens to a student’s issues or conflicts off the record and helps them to explore different solutions.

LOCATION: Building 26 Room 111

HOURS: Monday – Friday | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

VISIT: ombuds.calpoly.edu

E-MAIL: ombuds@calpoly.edu

PHONE: (805) 756-1380

EYASU BETWAS | CAL POLY ATHLETICS

Cal Poly wrestler Zeth Romney has been a crucial component for the Mustangs in his redshirt freshman season.

Your best friend just landed a significant other – now what?

BY NETA BAR

Neta Bar is a business senior and Mustang News opinion columnist. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.

Your best friend is a good person. They are funny, they are hot, they are smart. You have spent months, maybe years, telling them how much of a catch they are, motivating them to be brave with romantic prospects and offering your sympathies when it doesn’t work out.

Until one day it does.

It’ll happen, rest assured, and if it hasn’t happened yet, the day will come. Once it does, you must remain calm. This is no time for panic — it’s time for resilience and an action plan. You must reject the notion that you will never see your best friend again. You have options, don’t forget it; each with their own respective pros and cons. Read on to learn the appropriate courses of action at this juncture, so you can prepare the most effective crisis response.

THE CARDBOARD CUTOUT APPROACH

The cardboard cutout method is the more laissez-faire of the bunch. If one would like to avoid head-on confrontation with the matter, this option is the way to go. Best practices here include choosing a photo that appears neutral yet inviting, so

other loved ones in your life, but have no illusions; the shrink will understand.

BI-ANNUAL MEETING METHOD

If you’d like to concede to the fact of the matter, the bi-annual meeting method may be your move. This one is for the pragmatists–those who are

I hope, for your sake, that your best friend never finds romantic love. I hope they die alone.

NETA BAR

Senior business major

create a meeting agenda, for bonus points. Orders of business: 1) obligatory update about their relationship, 2) discussion of mutual friends and/ or pop culture, 3) miscellaneous banter and jokes.

THIRD WHEELING TECHNIQUE

Perhaps you can psychologically handle constantly being around your replacement. This one is difficult to reconcile for some, but it works if you don’t mind spending sustained periods of time with the ol’ ball and chain. They can be cuddling on the couch – you’ll be there. Having dinner with the parents – you’ll be there. Watching a movie at the theater – maybe a row behind, but you’ll be there, too. You will be subjected to verbal cues and gestures indicating that you have overstayed your welcome, but you pay them no mind. You were there first, and as such, have a right to be around.

TAYLER KANG MUSTANG NEWS

THE DECEITFUL DEVICE

For those in search of a more proactive (read: aggressive) approach to retrieving your friend, I’d put forth the option of trapping them, whether it be via siren song, taking their significant other hostage, or the

has been completed.

practice of disguise. They might be angry at first, but in the long run, gratitude will come. Some may argue the ethical concerns raised by swindling your best friend back into your life, but there are principles to follow to ensure that everyone walks away satisfied. If you take their significant other hostage, that’s a fabulous opportunity for quality time with the new lover. If you effectively disguise yourself as their new partner, that’s one new skill acquired.

I hope, for your sake, that your best friend never finds romantic love. I hope they die alone. If you do find yourself in this position, godspeed. You have my deepest sympathies. If it does happen, and all else fails, my fool-proof recommendation is as follows: connive an elaborate conspiracy to break the couple up. But that one’s off the record.

Cal Poly students rally for safe housing

BY BELLA SLOSBERG

After scrambling to find a place to live weeks into the school year, three Cal Poly undergraduates walked into their new rental house, excited to finally have a long-term place to live. However, their excitement quickly faded as they explored the 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home.

A moldy stench filled the air, wood dust fell from the windowsills and small pieces of the popcorn ceiling crumbled to the floor. They investigated further and saw a broken window, fist-sized termite holes filled with white tissues – and a single piece of plywood shielding the house from outside elements.

After pointing out the significant discrepancies between the house’s condition as described in the lease and the actual state of the home, Madere and his three housemates were able to terminate their lease. They went back on the hunt for another place to live, marking their third time moving during fall quarter.

Problems like this have plagued young renters for years. San Luis

Obispo has tried implementing various programs and policies to monitor rental housing conditions, but currently, it’s up to renters to report code violations. Many student renters feel that this complaint-based system doesn’t work and highlights power imbalances between tenants and landlords.

For those reasons, a group of Cal Poly students is taking matters into their own hands.

Roughly 30 students knocked on over 350 household doors near Cal Poly’s campus since April to raise awareness about renters’ rights. They hope to spark a conversation about tenant advocacy in SLO and encourage leaders to make tangible change.

“We’re really interested in getting the word out about renter’s rights, making people aware of what they have at their disposal as a renter in SLO and then also trying to build momentum to eventually ask for some bigger changes from our local leaders,” political science junior Tyler Coari said.

Over the summer, Coari and seven other students spoke at the June 6

As far as the things that fly around here, I don’t think [the property manager] ever would’ve tried to move a family in there, I don’t think he ever would’ve tried to move anyone in there except students.

ALFRED MADERE

Computer science senior

city council meeting. Coari shared his experiences going door to door talking to student renters, and the others shared their personal stories regarding housing in San Luis Obispo.

While their accounts varied from sickness caused by black mold to simply feeling unsafe and stuck in poor living conditions, they all pleaded for change regarding code enforcement and the protection of renters’ rights.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Renters’ rights and the safety of rental units in San Luis Obispo have been a topic of debate for the past two decades. In 2013, 79% of all code enforcement violations within residential zones were from rental units.

In 2015, the SLO City Council passed Ordinance NO.1616, which established a Rental House Inspection Program (RHIP).

Under the RHIP, rental properties were subject to inspections once every three years. The city created a checklist outlining the criteria that

rental properties are required to pass. Some parts of the list included working smoke detectors, properly functioning heaters and walls without peeling paint or deterioration.

In total, 915 rental units were inspected under the RHIP between May 2016 and Feb. 2017, but only 16% of the units passed during the first inspection.

While some groups, such as the Residents for Quality Neighborhoods, favored the program, it sparked much debate and backlash, primarily from landlords who were unhappy about paying what amounts to about an additional $120 per year in fees and the possibility of being forced to complete expensive repairs.

Some renters also feared they would lose their housing if inspectors found major violations or worried that rent prices would be raised if landlords tried to place the costs of repairs on renters, according to an investigation by The SLO Tribune. Others viewed the inspections as a violation of privacy.

Ultimately, the SLO City Council voted to repeal the program in 2017.

MIA-ISOBEL CRAIG | MUSTANG NEWS

At the end of the meeting, the people attending were tasked with calling Gov. Gavin Newsom to tell him that the SLO Renters Coalition would like to form a tenant union

After its repeal, city staff sought alternative ways to promote safe housing without mandatory inspections. Staff members conducted community interviews, and feedback supported focus on safe housing and prioritizing code enforcement. Soon after, city staff presented recommendations to the City Council on code enforcement priorities, tools and a Safe Housing Outreach Program.

The Council supported most recommendations but rejected a voluntary inspection program. A Safe Housing Specialist position was created and briefly filled in late 2021 through early 2022 and again from April 2022 to Jan. 2023. During these periods, efforts were made to develop the Safe Housing Outreach and Education Program, including outreach to stakeholders and focus group sessions.

Program development stopped in 2023 due to staff vacancies, a hiring freeze and increased duties for existing staff. Recruitment for the vacant Safe Housing Specialist position is ongoing.

There are no mandatory

inspections today, making code violation enforcement complaintbased. Renters can submit code enforcement requests via the Ask SLO mobile app, online or by phone.

Renters can submit code enforcement requests and violation reports anonymously. However, the complaint-based method still raises some concerns from students who worry about the consequences of requesting code enforcement, according to Coari.

In his time going door to door, Coari found that many students were hesitant to enforce their rights or even talk about their living situation for fear of losing their housing.

Some students expressed to Coari that they were willing to bear unsafe conditions if it meant being closer to campus or paying lower amounts in rent.

Sociology sophomore Maya Rodriguez had this mindset when choosing where to live.

Her current house fits within her group’s price range and is an eight-minute drive from campus.

However, the price and proximity to

campus came with a cost: broken windows, inoperable light switches, broken smoke alarms and a balcony ridden with termite damage.

The group of four filled out their move-in condition form, hoping that property management would take care of the issues. Instead, they were ignored for weeks.

“They were very dismissive and told us that someone would be reaching out to us in a couple of days, but we never got anything,” Rodriguez said.

They called the property management company multiple times and even were hung up on. Fed up with the lack of action, they spoke to the managers in person and finally had a repairman fix a few of the house’s issues.

Unfortunately, many problems still weren’t addressed, such as the damage to the balcony. For now, the four roommates stay off of it to be safe.

“People just want to live near campus, they want to live near their friends, etcetera, so they’ll fight for that, and fighting for that may include living amongst black mold or living amongst a failing structure,” Coari said. “People are also very, very concerned that they’re going to face extreme backlash upwards of eviction from their landlord if they do take action, and rightfully so.”

Backlash is not unheard of, but it is illegal, according to attorney Frank Kopcinski, who has been involved with landlord/tenant cases for over five years.

“I would say that there’s always a risk if a tenant complains about anything to be retaliated against

by the landlord, but there’s specific provisions within the law within the California civil code that make that illegal,” Kopcinski said.

In 2018, Kopcinski was a Directing Attorney at California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) in SLO. In his four years at CRLA, Kopcinski was involved in over 100 landlord/tenant disputes. He was also in charge of implementing the CRLA’s Fair Housing Initiative Program.

“There is a big lack of affordable housing in the county, and there is a trend of people not wanting to make complaints or really be forceful in enforcing their rights against their landlord because housing is very difficult to find,” Kopcinski said.

CITY’S CURRENT APPROACH TO THE ISSUE

In response to Coari and the seven other students sharing their thoughts and experiences at the June 6 meeting, the City Council requested a study session to inform City Council and the public about the current policy regarding code enforcement and plans moving forward.

While there are currently no plans to bring back mandatory inspections, the city is working to increase public outreach and education regarding renters’ rights and code enforcement, according to a recent staff report.

While waiting for the Safe Housing Specialist job to be filled, staff has initiated actions for near-term Safe Housing efforts, such as creating an informational guide and webpage for tenants and landlords, according

MIA-ISOBEL CRAIG | MUSTANG NEWS

City and regional planner senior Andrew Darrell plans to help the SLO Renters Coalition with social media so they can gain traction.

MAYA RODRIGUEZ | COURTESY Sociology sophomore Maya Rodriguez doesn’t go on her balcony anymore because of the termite damage.

12 to interviews with multiple sources.

“Absent any policy changes, I really think where the most positive change can happen is just us as a city doing what we can to think creatively about how we can make sure everyone — landlords, tenants, all renters — whether student or not have the information they need to make sure that they have a safe living environment,” City of SLO’s Director of Community Development Timothea Tway said.

STUDENT RESPONSE

Political science junior Diego Cervantez, who also spoke at the June 6 City Council meeting and knocked on doors alongside Coari, said he would like to see the return of a mandatory inspection program similar to the previous RHIP. But with critical changes to ensure that students living in unsafe housing are not left unhoused, he thinks that landlords should be responsible for providing temporary housing to their tenants if they are displaced due to extreme code violations found during inspections.

“The policy and the [mandatory inspections] are not putting people on the street. It’s the landlords and property managers who refuse to keep a habitable home for their tenants,” Cervantez said. “It’s just wrong to kick somebody out onto the street without providing them a plan because the person that was supposed to be ensuring their health and security in their living situation failed.”

What the students are working toward

Coari, Cervantez and others continue going door to door, attending regular meetings regarding housing, and working closely with SLO Rent Coalition. Moreover, they are working on social media outreach and forming partnerships with community groups to extend the message to as many people as possible.

Some of their goals include the creation of a tenants union and additional funding and support for organizations that advocate for renters. They hope to make the initiative a community-wide effort where all renters will work together and get involved. They believe that more voices are the key to expanding the movement, as it will pressure the city to pass additional laws to help address landlord/tenant power imbalances and keep renters safe.

“Nothing is going to change until every single person who pays rent and pays tuition in this city does something about it,” Cervantez said. “We need renters to organize our voices, and we need to organize our efforts in order to put pressure on the city and put pressure on the university to stop price gouging and stop forcing people to live in these unsafe

housing conditions unless they go homeless.”

Currently, Cervantez, Coari and the other students involved in the initiative seek more people to help expand their reach. They’re seeking passionate renters to help with social media outreach, knocking on doors, attending SLO Rent Coalition meetings, and more.

RECOGNIZING SETBACKS

While there are no current plans to bring back mandatory inspections, City Council members Andy Pease and Emily Francis said the current approach is not as effective as they’d hoped it would be.

“I think we can do a lot more,” Pease said. “ I don’t think we’ve done what we want to be doing right now.”

Pease stands behind her vote against the RHIP, but said factors such as COVID-19 and staff shortages have affected the effectiveness of the city’s current education and outreach approach.

Francis, who took office after the vote to repeal the RHIP, shared a different take.

“I sort of lament the death of that program,” she said. “I think that had it remained in place, we would be looking at a much different situation citywide as far as the health and safety of our rental units.”

Francis said she doesn’t anticipate a return to mandatory inspections in the near distant future but suggested some alternate approaches for both the city and the community to take.

Francis and Pease agree that increasing housing inventory is a key part of solving the issues at hand.

“If we have a lot of housing, then landlords don’t have people trapped,” Pease said.

6 months for $0.