C A L P O LY S A N LU I S O B I S P O ’ S N E W S S O U R C E
MUSTANG NEWS A 30-YEAR-OLD CITY ORDINANCE IS FORCING STUDENTS INTO ILLEGAL MEANS OF LIVING
OFF THE
PAGE 6
G N I LIVLE ASE FEBRUARY 20
|
MUS TA NGNE WS.NET
Austin Linthicum
Lauren Arendt
Quinn Fish
Rachel Showalter
Rachel Marquardt
Claire Blachowski
NE WS Cassandra Garibay Editor Isabella Paoletto Roselyn Romero Lauryn Luescher Sabrina Pascua Stephanie Garibay Samantha Spitz Ashley Ladin Maureen McNamara Hailey Nagma
V I D EO Justin Garrido Video Editor Sawyer Milam Sports Video Director Reid Fuhr Sports Video Producer Sydney Brandt Video Producer Kallyn Hobmann Kayla Berenson Jack Berkenfield Lauren Powers Intern Lily Dallow Intern
Editor in Chief
Print Managing Editor
Digital Managing Editor
ARTS Emily Merten Editor Sabrina Thompson Michaela Barros Caroline Garcia Caitlin Scott Grant Anderson Kiana Meagher Ally Madole Intern OPINION Olivia Peluso Editor Zachary Grob-Lipkis Hanah Wyman Abdullah Sulaiman Bailey Barton Sierra Parr Yervant Malkhassian Brett Baron Noemi Khachian Ken Allard Lilly Leif Kendra Coburn Jaxon Silva SPORTS Brian Truong Editor Lauren Kozicki Naythan Bryant Francisco Martinez Sophia Crolla Garrett Brown Sydney Finkel Prerna Aneja Intern Kyle Har Intern SPECIAL SECT I O NS Isabel Hughes Editor
IN THIS ISSUE
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
2
Social Media Managing Editor
CUESTA STUDENT DIES FROM POSSIBLE BACTERIAL MENINGITIS STUDENT HAD ‘TIES TO THE CAL POLY COMMUNITY’
Video Managing Editor
PR Manager
P H OTO Zachary Donnenfield Carolyne Sysmans Kylie Kowalske Alison Chavez Diego Rivera Connor Frost Luke Deal Intern COPY Kelly Martinez Amanda Simonich Jarod Urrutia D ES I GN Calista Lam Director Michelle Cao Solena Aguilar Julia Jackson-Clark D I V ERS I TY Monique Ejenuko Editor PR Alyssa Wilson Dominique Morales Kaitlyn Hoyer Mikaela Lincoln Tess Loarie Intern Christina Arthur Intern SOCIAL Emma Kumagawa Hanna Crowley Danielle Lee Candace Lee Intern A DV I S O RS Paul Bittick General Manager Pat Howe Print Advisor Brady Teufel Digital Advisor
CU ESTA COLLEGE | COU RT ESY
Bacterial meningitis shows itself with flu-like symptoms that often go untreated.
BY CONNOR M CCA RTH Y The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department confirmed they are investigating a possible bacterial meningitis case after a Cuesta College student passed away in a local hospital on Feb. 14. The student is believed to have been infected somewhere in the San Luis Obispo region. The death prompted the Public Health Department to work with local hospitals, Cuesta College and those who were in close contact with the student to see who may be at risk of infection. Health Officer of the County of San Luis Obispo Penny Borenstein said she is devastated for this loss. “Our hearts go out to the family, friends and everyone who cared about this young person,” Borenstein said. Student Affairs sent out a campus-wide health notification sharing the same sentiment. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), meningitis is a swelling of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Bacterial meningitis is more of a cause for concern because death can happen within a short time after infection. This type of meningitis can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early on. Viral meningitis, which is also common, can be treated naturally by a healthy immune system, and most people have a normal recovery. There are no recent reported cases of bacterial meningitis at Cal Poly. The last case at Cal Poly was in 2017, when two students contracted the disease from attending social events. Bacterial meningitis can spread easily through bodily fluid. Borenstein said this makes it easy for the bacteria to spread in an environment like a college campus where students are in close proximity and are most likely to share food and drinks with each other. She added that as much as 10 percent of the population carries the organism already. “It is not known why people don’t get sick who have it,” Borenstein said. “Those who have never been exposed to the disease are the ones who get sick.” According to the Public Health De-
RAINN WILSON AND SHABNAM MOGHARABI TALK FINDING JOY
ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS ARE REDESIGNING PARADISE
MEN’S BASKETBALL’S JOB ALEXANDER FEATURE
MEN’S SOCCER’S BRECC EVANS GOES PRO
PAGE 7
PAGE 8
PAGE 12
PAGE 17
partment, symptoms of bacterial meningitis include sudden fever, headache and a stiff neck. The symptoms are very similar to the flu and will often cause vomiting, nausea, rash, confusion and increased sensitivity to light. Health officials said to help prevent infection avoid sharing drinks, food, cigarettes or anything that can allow for the transfer of bodily fluids. This includes being weary of coughing. The university advises students who may be experiencing meningitis symptoms to seek help. Two types of vaccines are available, and the CDC recommends those who are of high school or college age to get at least one shot in the three-shot series. These vaccines are available at the Public Health Department, pharmacies or through any personal physician. Borenstein also said bacterial meningitis’ immediate and devastating impact is why the disease makes headlines more than similar diseases like the flu. “Meningitis can lead to rapid, awful consequences,” Borenstein said. “So it gets noticed.”
Cover Photo Illustration:
Many students in San Luis Obispo are forced to live off the lease, meaning students living in garages or other spaces they are legally not allowed to live in. CONNOR FROST | MUSTANG NEWS
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
4
NEW MULTICULTURAL CENTER UNOFFICIALLY OPENS
INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL RE-DEFINES THE “BRO CODE”
THROUGH HEALTHY MASCULINITY WEEK BY MEGA N DAY
AUSTIN L IN THICU M | MUSTAN G N EW S
The Multicultural Center office spaces have opened in the former Rose Float design space.
BY SA MA N T H A S P I TZ The MultiCultural Center (MCC) unofficially opened Feb. 13 in their new location downstairs in the Julian A. McPhee University Union (UU). The space is only open to the Cross Cultural Center (CCC) staff (Pride Center, MultiCultural Center and Gender Equity Center), but will open up to the public sometime in April, according to MCC graduate assistant Kevin Joseph. An advisory board of students and staff voted for the expansion in Spring 2017. The center was scheduled to open in Fall 2018. The office opening was then pushed back to the beginning of Winter 2019 and then again to Feb. 22 — but it is still not open to the public. According to Joseph, the grand opening is still in the works, but they plan to open during the second week of April 2019 after PolyCultural Weekend. The MCC unofficially opened first to the
CCC staff to give them time to adjust to the space and make any last minute changes before it becomes a space shared with the public, according to PolyCultural Weekend Coordinator Tim Guerzon. The new space includes a kitchen, a study space equipped with tables and chairs for students and a lounge area decorated with couches and comfy seats. “I literally got here an hour ago and I couldn’t stop smiling,” Guerzon said. “The first 10 seconds I was so mesmerized.” Moving into a bigger space will allow the MCC to host larger events and provide more service to interested students, according to Joseph. “I feel like it’s going to have more recognition in terms of where we are on campus and what other events and other resources we have yearlong, so that’s one really big step to how we are recognized on this campus,” Guerzon said.
Cal Poly’s Interfraternity Council (IFC), Fraternity and Sorority Life, and the Men and Masculinity program are hosting its second annual Healthy Masculinities Week from Feb. 19 to Feb. 24. The Healthy Masculinity Week events aim to educate and create critical open discussions with fraternity members about what it means to practice healthy masculinity, according to a news release. “We hope this week allows [fraternity members] to discover their own definitions of masculinity and gain greater understanding of their power and privilege,” Fraternity and Sorority Adviser Shawnna Smith wrote in an email to Mustang News. This year’s theme is “Reimagining the Bro Code: Exploring Healthy Masculinity in Fraternity Men,” with the intention of educating individuals on what it means to practice healthy masculinity in everyday life.
“Our goal in hosting this week-long event is to allow male-identified members of the IFC and Cal Poly communities to explore and learn more about their identities,” Smith wrote. Healthy Masculinity Week will consist of a variety of events held on campus, the first being “Defining Bro Code,” an information table on Feb. 19, followed by the “Bro Code Stories” information table Feb. 20. Both information tables will be in the University Union Plaza and will take place from 10 a.m.to 1 p.m. At 7 p.m. on Feb. 20, the council is hosting a screening of the documentary “The Bro Code,” followed by an open discussion. “Bring an open mind and join us,” Smith wrote. “You never know what you’ll learn about yourself and those around you. It’s just a great opportunity for personal exploration and growth.” All events are open to everyone with the overarching goal of creating inclusive, thoughtful conversations about gender.
LU K E DEA L | M USTA N G N EWS
The Interfraternity Council is hosting their second Healthy Masculinity Week open to everyone.
GRADS OFFICIALLY LAUNCH SAFETY CROWD-ALERT APP ULZI BY H A SA N IQB AL
U L Z I | IN STAGRAM
Ulzi, a sexual assault prevention app, was started by Cal Poly alumni and launched Feb. 12.
Cal Poly graduates Maxwell Fong and Elan Timmon officially launched Ulzi on Feb. 7, hoping to prevent sexual assaults with their new app that crowdsources safety. The free Ulzi app allows users to track and be tracked by loved ones, share their location with local emergency services and assist nearby users who are in dangerous situations, according to Ulzi. Triggering a yellow alert lets the user customize who responds in an uncomfortable or escalating situation. Users can activate a red alert when they want law enforcement and emergency contacts to know they need help. If someone is in trouble nearby, for example, users in the vicinity can receive notifications. Then they are guided to the location to help and can record video to assist law enforcement.
Users can also use the app’s route-planning feature to plan their path to a location beforehand, which friends and community members can then view and use to survey their progress to make sure they get home safely. The app is available now on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Ulzi went viral after starting a platform where women could share their stories of sexual assault. They have since been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post and Buzzfeed. After reading the stories and understanding the challenges the women who shared their stories faced, the Fong and Timmon said they were ready to implement a real solution. By launching an app emphasizing strong values like community and safety, the company hopes to ensure that people do not have to worry about their loved ones walking home late at night.
CONNOR FROST | MUSTA N G N EWS
The Hispanic Student Business Association helps connect Latinx Orfalea College of Business students with potential employers.
BY G RA N T A N DERSON A variety of opportunities await newly-arrived Cal Poly students who want to get involved in their school community: clubs, greek life or even just saying “hi” to the student with the open door down the residence hall. While Cal Poly is well-known for its strong college-town feel, it still takes some students, like business administration sophomore
in his neighborhood, while San Luis Obispo felt instead like “almost the same thing over and over.” Although Perez participated in the Cross-Cultural Experience during the Week of Welcome, which creates focused orientation groups for underrepresented students to bond, he said the first two weeks of class were lonesome. “When it’s a class of 35 and you feel like one or two are the only cultural students in the
When it’s a class of 35 and you feel like one or two are the only cultural students in the classroom... you feel like you shouldn’t be here, but obviously that’s what you’re here for, to prove them wrong. Nicholas Perez, some time before they can comfortably say they have found a new home away from home. What made Perez’s transition to college life especially challenging during his freshman year was a change in the environment — particularly, the lack of diversity. Remembering his hometown of La Mirada, California, Perez explained he could see a person of any race or ethnicity anywhere
classroom ... you feel like you shouldn’t be here,” Perez said. “But obviously that’s what you’re here for, to prove them wrong.” Luckily, Perez was able to find self-fulfillment in the Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA), a student club connecting Latinx Orfalea College of Business (OCOB) students with potential employers in the human resources, accounting and entrepreneurship sectors, to name a few.
The club was founded in 1984 by alumna Maria Rodriguez, who wanted to create a support system among students who felt underrepresented in the Cal Poly student population. Perez attended weekly Thursday meetings at 11 a.m. in Business (building 3) and made lasting friendships in the club, most of them stemming from conversations where older members would give advice on how to study for midterms. At the end of the day, Perez said he believes
in the power of individual students to change campus climate for the better. “It’s power to us, it’s power to the people,” Perez said. “Are we gonna make the impact or not? Because I feel like administration here doesn’t do enough, so it’s all in our hands.” HBSA takes action by participating in cultural events on campus like ID Week in January, where they facilitated dialogues of inclusion and identity in the workplace alongside other clubs, including the Multicultural Business Program, Women in Business and the Cal Poly Accounting Club. HBSA is effective at getting Latinx OCOB students involved with the club, but HBSA President Nancy Mora said she wants to expand their reach to students from different colleges. “I feel like we definitely lack a little in being involved in the campus as a whole,” Mora said. “I definitely want to see if HBSA can reach out to other cultural clubs and just kinda maybe plan some sort of event and coordinate something together, just so they know that we’re also here to support everyone and not just [OCOB].” Business administration junior Samantha Gonzalez said she can attest to the effectiveness of HBSA’s support system. Gonzalez felt homesick during her freshman year fall quarter and considered leaving Cal Poly before her counselor recommended joining HSBA. “[In] all my business classes ... [I was] kinda intimidated to speak and raise my hand and stuff like that as a freshman,” Gonzalez said. “Multicultural business program and HBSA, just having them … helped me feel more empowered and encouraged to be the one … who shared during class.” For everything HBSA gives to students like Perez and Gonzalez, many members agree they feel a sense of giving back to a community that has made their home at Cal Poly more comfortable.
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
CREATING A SUPPORT SYSTEM WITH THE HISPANIC BUSINESS STUDENT ASSOCIATION
5
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
6
A 30-YEAR-OLD SLO CITY LAW IS CAUSING MORE STUDENTS TO LIVE “OFF THE LEASE” THE ORDINANCE MAY BE ILLEGAL & IS DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE BY A S HL EY LA D I N It was mid-November 1989, and San Luis Obispo City Council members were hearing the same complaints they always heard. In a classic town-and-gown battle, locals were concerned about the increasing number of Cal Poly students, and how those students went on to become neighbors of the obnoxious, loud sort. To appease citizens and better control the “nuisance impacts” from multiple students living in one house, the council passed an occupancy ordinance restricting the maximum number of tenants in typical homes to five adults. The fewer students in a house, the less burdening they are to neighbors. Problem solved. Thirty years later, anthropology senior Stevie Page has to hide his mattress and leave the house when his landlord comes to visit. Page lives with five other students in a house close to campus, but because of the 1989 ordinance, he cannot live there legally. “Living off the lease” refers to living with legal tenants of a dwelling without signing a lease or notifying the landlord. It is a popular option for students like Page, and it is easy to see why: one or two additional tenants in a dwelling means lower rents for all residents. As Page points out, affording rent with just five tenants is a difficult feat in San Luis Obispo. “I was hesitant to go off-lease, but the price difference is pretty crazy,” Page said. “I’m only paying $450 a month — in [San Luis Obispo], it’s hard to find something under $700.” While living off the lease means lower costs, it also brings unwanted stress for students. Agricultural business senior Sam Senet lived off-lease her entire junior year and the beginning of her senior year but moved into legal housing in Winter 2019. “When you’re off-lease, your roommates are basically your landlords and any trouble you have, you have to go through them to get it done,” Senet said. “It was too stressful. I wouldn’t do it again.” The question is: do Page, Senet and the many other Cal Poly students who live off-lease need to put up with the complications of secret residency to cut housing costs between six or more people? San Luis Obispo’s ordinance says yes, but California occupancy laws say otherwise. Local landlords, who students must typically outsmart and avoid while living off-lease, follow San Luis Obispo’s occupancy ordinance — which is much stricter than state occupancy limits. California adopted the federal Uniform Housing Code with slight alterations and generally uses a “two-plus-one” rule for occupancy. A dwelling can have two people
CON N OR F R OST | MUSTA N G N EWS
While living off the lease means lower costs, it also brings unwanted stress for students.
per bedroom, plus one additional person in a living space. While San Luis Obispo has a strict limit on maximum adult tenants, California occupancy limits are based on the amount of space in a dwelling. If Cal Poly was located in a different city in California that followed the state’s set occupancy limit, some students currently living off-lease would be able to stay in their homes as legal tenants. Is SLO allowed to have more restrictive occupancy limits than the state? According to John W. Fricks, a 1987 Cal Poly alumnus who specializes in real estate law and is a partner at local law firm Ogden & Fricks LLP, the answer is unclear. In what he refers to as “a push-pull battle between cities and the state,” California wants higher occupancy limits to create more affordable housing, but San Luis Obispo and other cities want lower occupancy limits to avoid high-density issues like increased traffic and noise. “I’ve looked at occupancy ordinances in several different areas, and I would think San Luis Obispo is in the top 10 percent for most restrictive of occupancy,” Fricks said. “It certainly impacts students. Students may be more willing to live in a more dense environment with more people.” Fricks said he thinks the city’s occupancy ordinance is ripe for legal challenge. He cited a decision made by a California appellate court
in 1992 that ruled city law cannot be more restrictive than state law — unless a city finds, with actual facts, that more restrictive policies are “necessary because of local climatic, geological or topographical conditions.” San Luis Obispo would need to convincingly prove its five-person occupancy rule is necessary under one of these categories for the ordinance to be legal. Just as living off the lease is an open secret in the campus community, the questionable legality of the occupancy ordinance seems to be known by the city council. San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon said that while the ordinance “is definitely still on the books,” the ability to enforce it is weak and it can be seen as more of a “guidepost.” “The intention is to try to make sure there is an equitable situation in context of neighborhoods. Many students in a single home can put undue burden on neighbors for parking and noise,” Harmon said. “I don’t think it causes harm at all — maybe just in the way that some people don’t like the rules.” Property owners can apply for High Occupancy Use permits through the city to legally rent to more than five adult tenants without breaking city code, but the process is long and has little, if any, financial benefit for owners. In fact, since 1990, the city has reviewed only 23 High Occupancy Use permit applications. Out of the 23 applications, only eight permits
were approved — and seven of those permits have since expired. This means students who live in a home with more than five adults in San Luis Obispo either have some tenants living off the lease, live on lease because their landlord is not following city law, live in a greek house that has different city occupancy limits or live in the one remaining house that has a High Occupancy Use permit. Susie Brans, a local realtor and landlord who helps manage more than 100 properties in the city, said she thinks a handful of her own listings could easily accommodate more than five tenants. “I think [the ordinance] does affect the housing in San Luis [Obispo] — in some cases it hurts with students, and in some cases it helps limit the density in larger homes closer to campus,” Brans said. “But if you have a house that can easily accommodate six, it’s difficult to understand the rule.” Brans follows the ordinance, as most San Luis Obispo landlords do, to avoid potential code-violation fees. However, it is still likely that in some of the 100-plus properties she helps manage, there are off-lease residents like Page, whose mattresses and existences are kept hidden from her. Many are just students trying to make do in San Luis Obispo, in a house they might be able to legally live in anywhere else in the state.
the steak and he goes, ‘Man, I know that this is an illusion, but it tastes so good and it’s unbelievable, but I know it’s all an illusion?’ That’s kinda how the world is right now.” Although Mogharabi and Wilson both said current society has its issues, Mogharabi said she has still found joy in her life, especially within her work with SoulPancake. She said she frequently receives feedback that SoulPancake is making a difference in people’s lives. “My favorite part of my job isn’t the millions of views,” Mogharabi said. “The best part of my job is seeing the emails or comments where people say, ‘This video changed my life,’ ‘This video saved my life,’ ‘I never would’ve talked to my dad had I not seen this video.’ I mean, really beautiful things, and that kind of service that we can do for the world.”
New beginnings EMILY MERT EN | MUSTA N G N EWS
SoulPancake founders Rainn Wilson and Shabnam Mogharabi said their main message was finding happiness even in the most uncomfortable situations.
BY MIC HA ELA B A RROS At the beginning of Associated Students, Inc.’s (ASI) “For the Love of Joy” Feb. 13, the audience was given a sheet of paper with two questions to answer: “What has been one of the most painful struggles you’ve experienced?” and “What has brought you the most joy in your life?” Keynote speakers and viral media empire SoulPancake founders Rainn Wilson, known for playing Dwight Schrute in “The Office,” and Shabnam Mogharabi covered many topics during the event, but they said their main message was finding happiness even in the most vulnerable and uncomfortable situations in an interview with Mustang News. On the topic of being uncomfortable, Wilson shared a story from one of the most difficult times in his life to a crowd of 800 people in Chumash Auditorium, according to ASI Events. When he was cast for his first Broadway play in New York, Wilson said he thought it was his big break. Shortly after beginning rehearsals, however, it became one of the worst times in his life. “I got so wrapped up in all of these weird idol thoughts, idol fantasies and egotistical kind of thoughts that created a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed and be great in this role,” Wilson said. He said the pressure caused him to forget nearly everything he learned from his theater education as critics tore him apart. “It was my first Broadway play and I was terrible,” Wilson said. “I got terrible reviews. People really thought that I was miscast.” He fired his agents after the performance and decided to remain authentic to himself
as an actor. His biggest failure became his largest victory. “I would have never gotten the role as Dwight had I not gone through that excruciating experience,” Wilson said. He said that throughout his life, he has been very thankful for the comfort being an artist has provided for him. “I feel really lucky to be trained in that way, because no matter what happens if I get fired or if I never work again as an actor, or people hate my work and everything falls apart in my life, I can make things,” said Wilson in an interview with Mustang News. “I can tell stories and I can make things that are interesting. That’s a salvation for me.” He said that he hopes SoulPancake will inspire creativity in it’s predominantly young audience. “SoulPancake isn’t necessarily a venue for me to express my artistry or my aesthetic, but it is a venue to inspire other young artists to be creative, to think of themselves of artists. To ignite them, and their imaginations in a fresh new way.”
Redefining joy
SoulPancake’s YouTube series Kid President, featuring a young boy named Robby Novak, is one of their most viral projects. “What a lot of people don’t know is that [Novak] has a brittle bone condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta,” Mogharabi said. “What that means is that his bones just break way more easily than anyone else’s. He’s had about 80 breaks in his life.” Mogharabi said that despite Novak’s condition, he is as positive as he presents himself in the viral videos. She said sharing positivity
despite hardships in life is what the company aims to represent. “If [Novak] can have that perspective in his life and that attitude, then there is nothing in my life that should keep me from having that perspective,” Mogharabi said. “The whole way that the Kid President was born was because a grownup said, ‘This kid has so many challenges, and if he can be joyful, then so can I.’”
Growing up
Mogharabi said her mission to improve the world through SoulPancake was greatly inspired by her family’s influence growing up. “I grew up in a Persian family, a first-born child of immigrants, and so I was also told to achieve something awesome and be of service to the world while doing it,” Mogharabi said. When asked what advice he would give his college self, Wilson said it is crucial young adults remain curious and question what they are told to consume. “Don’t buy into the matrix,” Wilson said. “In other words, do you remember in ‘The Matrix’ when the guy sells out his friends and they set him up as a rockstar and he’s eating
At the end of the evening, the sheets of paper that each audience member filled out were folded into paper airplanes and flown throughout Chumash Auditorium. Members of the audience picked up a new plane and read it aloud to acknowledge another person’s largest struggle and source of joy. Alumna Joanna Phillips said she found both the event and the company very inspiring. She said the campus could benefit from more of the positivity and inclusivity that SoulPancake represents. “I think that we should definitely be spreading more empathy, especially on this campus,” Phillips said. “If you see someone sitting alone studying, invite them over. That was always huge for me.” Wilson said his book “SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions” was directed toward college students to inspire social change. “College students have the ability to think for themselves and think clearly, and when rebellions start, they always start with the college kids,” Wilson said. “This isn’t necessarily an angry rebellion of flipping cars and going down streets. It’s not that kind of rebellion, it’s a different kind of rebellion. It’s a spiritual rebellion, to see the world for the way it really is and what humanity, sharing this globe together, what humanity really needs.”
EMI LY MERT EN | MUSTA N G N EWS
The Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) event was held in Chumash Auditorium with a crowd of 800.
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
RAINN WILSON AND SHABNAM MOGHARABI TALK FINDING JOY IN LIFE’S MOST DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
7
WEDENESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | STUDENT LIFE | MUSTANG NEWS
8
CAL POLY STUDENTS ARE “RE-IMAGINING PARADISE” AFTER CAMP FIRE DESTROYED TOWN
SOFIA CLARK | MUSTAN G N EW S
Architecture juniors are helping redesign the town of Paradise, after it burned in the 2018 Camp Fire.
BY LAU RY N LU E S C H E R Cal Poly architecture students are helping redesign Paradise, California after the November 2018 Camp Fire burned most of Butte County, killing 86 people and destroying 13,900 homes. Two architecture studio classes, taught by professors Stacey White and Kent Macdonald, are reimagining Paradise throughout their
two-quarter course where students will redesign the buildings and many aspects of the overall community. Architecture junior Zoey Fox said the hardest part of the project is that the students are not only physically redesigning the city, but are also trying to rebuild a broken community. “It’s very intimidating because in architecture, we are taught to create a place for people, and it
SO F I A C LA RK | M USTA N G N EWS
Students visited Paradise in January to meet the community and they will return with five concepts Feb. 22.
serves people, but it’s interactive with their life,” Fox said. “We are trying to recreate something that they already had and create something new and move them toward the future.” Fox said the best way for students to capture the community’s needs is to frequently visit and talk to the residents. The students first traveled to Paradise in January to meet with the people of Paradise and Chico. They will return there Friday, Feb. 22 to present the community with 36 projects and five concept plans, according to White. From there, the community will vote and narrow 36 projects down to 20 and five concept plans down to one. Students will then partner up and move 20 projects through until the completion date, June 7. White said traveling to Paradise was extremely eye-opening and that she was able to see the challenge once she was put in the residents’ situation. “The thing that was a big takeaway is how resilient the residents are and that they have suffered a huge trauma with 2,700 people evacuated, and they can’t go home still,” White said. “They are working hard every day to figure out what their town should be and how it should be built, and that was impressive. We went and it had only been six weeks since the fire, and the wildflowers were blooming and growing through, so nature was resilient and that was pretty inspiring.” Fox said while the students are focused on building and redesigning the community, the project is more than that. “These people have nothing, and the thing about our project is we aren’t there to give them a building that they are going to build — it is to give them hope and to show our appreciation and our care as architecture students,” Fox said. “It’s the way we can help.” The students in these studios select projects
to work on that they think will be a positive investment in the Paradise community, based on a month of research they did on urban planning, disaster recovery and economic development. White’s students are currently focusing on designing their own buildings, while Macdonald’s are working on putting together a downtown area and surrounding buildings to fit the town’s needs. Architecture junior Foster Westover said he and his classmates are thinking about what will draw people back to that area while creating this community. “We are going to create a bunch of different programming that would make people want to return to Paradise that lived there before and maybe even draw in new people who didn’t live in Paradise before and be like, ‘Wow this is great, let’s move there,’” Westover said. Westover said this project is more realistic than other architecture projects he has done at Cal Poly. “It’s really real,” Westover said. “[With] a lot of projects I have worked on before, a professor will choose a site in Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Luis Obispo, and everybody will design a building that will go on that same site, but then in this project, we have one giant site and each of us are choosing different places within that site to put buildings. Each of us is working together to create this community of buildings.” White said this project is about giving students the tools to create amazing work they never thought was possible. “What I love about this studio is watching these students become the architects they were meant to be,” White said. “They come in never having designed a building this big, never having done anything close to this complicated and they generate amazing work by the end and they shock themselves, and I love that.”
A celebration of the power of love through music and dance WITH GUEST ARTISTS: FA I S A L Z E D A N , P E R C U S S I O N FAT H I A L - J A R R A H , V I O L I N ELIAS LAMMAM, ACCORDION SAMUEL SHALHOUB, ACTING DIRECTOR
Feb. 23, 2019 Saturday at 8 p.m.
Miossi Hall Performing Arts Center
$9 AND $12 STUDENTS, $12 AND $14 GENERAL C A L P O LY T I C K E T O F F I C E : 8 0 5 - 7 5 6 - 4 8 4 9 , T I C K E T S . C A L P O L Y. E D U Sponsored by Cal Poly’s Music Department, College of Liberal Arts and Instructionally Related Activities program. For more information, call 805-756-2406, or visit music.calpoly.edu/calendar.
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | ARTS | MUSTANG NEWS
10
MEET YOUR LOCAL FUNK ROCK BAND
GOLFDADS
Z AC H DON N EN F I ELD | MUSTA N G N EWS
Golfdads performed a house show in downtown San Luis Obispo on Feb. 9.
BY KI A N A M E AG H E R Faith, trust and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are the foundation of golfdads, the San Luis Obispo-based funk rock band with influences ranging from jazz to reggae to rap. On paper the members of golfdads are quite different. Journalism senior Casey Sublette is a former Cal Poly football player. Brad Johnson and music junior Brian Mendez both have experience working at KCPR. Music seniors Drake Freeman and Justin Liu both play for the Cal Poly Jazz Band — and thus contribute to golfdads’ heavy jazz influences. Zachary Ragozzino has a computer science background and has worked with big tech companies. But despite their differences, what unites the band is their ability to communicate musically. “Everyone in the group is very musically inclined, very talented and has a level of musicality where they could play professionally,” Freeman said. “That’s something that’s hard to come by. It’s really nice to be able to communicate it on a higher level musically because we all know so much.” Freeman likened the band’s ability to communicate to that of twins. “[Twins] don’t have to say anything, they can just look at each other and know,” Freeman said. “We have just all listened to the same kind of music growing up and all just been in
the same environment, where we can just look at each other and change a song in the middle for fun.” Though influenced by many different bands and genres, golfdads realized a unifying factor for the band was the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Liu’s first drum song, Johnson’s first band’s setlist and one of Freeman’s first-ever albums learned were discography of the Southern California-based rock band. “How I learned to sing was [the Red Hot] Chili Peppers actually,” Johnson said. “I used to work at In-N-Out, and I’d have to take orders outside. And when it’d get really, really slow at night I would literally be singing in the drive-thru by myself practicing every day.” An infusion of rock, funk, punk rock and psychedelic rock to jazz, golfdads do not limit themselves to one genre. Their self-titled EP, out on Spotify and Apple Music, is the product of two recording sessions over one weekend. The EP showcases four songs that seamlessly infuse jazz and punk. “It shouldn’t sound as good as it does,” Sublette said. “We recorded that in my garage studio back home and mixed it ourselves. We recorded it ourselves and my dad helped produce it with us. So now that we understand the process, we’re working on our second EP. We were really excited about the quality of it because we know so much more about the process.”
After meeting in the residence halls their freshman year, Sublette and former saxophone player Kyle Nixon found lead singer Johnson through an ad on Facebook. Soon after, Freeman and Liu from the Cal Poly Jazz Band were recruited as lead guitarist and drummer. “We were playing for the very first time and it was very cohesive,” Freeman said. “We started working on songs immediately, and instantly from there it kind of worked.” This six-man band consists of musicians with all different backgrounds and experiences brought to the table. Because of this, during
an idea of a bass line. Other times, band members will present lyrics or old demos. “We all kind of write based off of what that person presents, and so all of it is collectively put together,” Freeman said. The band is currently working on their second EP, practicing two to three times a week and adding variety and range to their setlist. A few of their newer songs are more pop-based, while some add in an element of funk to go along with their saxophone-heavy sound. As for what’s next, it is still early on, but golfdads have high hopes for the future. Each
We have just all listened to the same kind of music growing up and all just been in the same environment, where we can just look at each other and change a song in the middle for fun. the creative process, there is often opportunity for conflict. However, for golfdads, it feels different. “We all get along,” Freeman said. “I’ve been in so many groups where there’s tension and it just makes it difficult. Being a creative entity leads to a lot of problems, but everyone in the group is on the same wavelength.” Like their diverse backgrounds, the creative process for golfdads’ music is ever-evolving. Sometimes they will start with a guitar riff or
member of the band is dedicated to making their Guitar Hero fantasy a tangible reality. “I’ve been with a lot of people that are like, ‘Let’s start a band,’ but nobody sticks to it, and nobody actually wants to do all the work,” Johnson said. “These guys are just way different than other bands I’ve been in. They actually write a ton of material and actually really want to be successful.” The golfdads can be seen in action March 7, 11 a.m. to noon, in the University Union Plaza.
11
GUEST COLUMNIST
BY B EN EL I S A RRA RA Z Ben Elisarraraz is a political science senior. The views expressed in this letter to the editor do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News. This letter has been edited for clarity. On April 8, 2018, members of Lambda Chi Alpha dressed up for a photo op that would forever associate the chapter with racism. In the photo, the brothers were dressed in ‘gangster’ clothing with one member wearing black face paint. This sparked outrage as people of color on Cal Poly’s campus protested and demanded swift action. The incident provoked condemnation of not only Lambda Chi Alpha, but greek life as a whole. In response, the administration temporarily shut down greek life and permanently altered the offending chapter. While some were critical of the administration’s response, many were relieved to see the swift action in support of Cal Poly’s minority community. Imagine, however, a different scenario in which President Jeffrey Armstrong and top officials in his administration were guilty or suspected of these and worse acts. This is the reality for the citizens of Virginia after photos brought to light by right-wing news site Big League Politics in the medical yearbook of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam depict two men, one in blackface and the other in KKK robes. Northam apologized for the incident, but then insisted that he was not in the photo the next day in a bizarre press conference where he admitted to having donned blackface in a separate incident while dressed up as Michael Jackson. In a truly Michael Scott-esque moment, Northam insisted he could do the moonwalk, Jackson’s signature move, and was about to bust out said move in front of the press corps at a press conference about blackface, when his wife abruptly interjected and stopped him. The Democratic Governor has been skewered by top federal and state party officials insisting on his resignation. Just as it looked like Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax would step up and take the top office, another bombshell dropped on Sunday, Feb. 3, just two days after Northam’s yearbook pictures surfaced. A piece by the same right wing newssite, Big League Politics, detailed a 2004 sexual assault allegation by a former Democratic National Convention staffer against the lieutenant governor at the DNC national
convention that year. Fairfax has insisted that the encounter was consensual but his accuser is adamant. After a roiling two years of the #MeToo movement bringing down many prominent men in positions of power, the liberal, democratic base is struggling to cope with a situation where they feel they must believe the accuser, but also don’t want to prematurely push out one of their own without due process. Then, just as things seemed they couldn’t get any worse for the Old Dominion state, the third in line for the governorship, Attorney General Mark Herring, admitted to donning blackface at a college party in 1980. In a statement released via Twitter on Feb. 6, the Virginia attorney general said, “In 1980, when I was a 19-year-old undergraduate in college, some friends suggested we attend a party dressed like rappers we listened to at the time, like Kurtis Blow, and perform a song. It sounds ridiculous even now writing it. But because of our ignorance and glib attitudes — and because we did not have an appreciation for the experiences and perspectives of others — we dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup.” If you thought this story couldn’t get any weirder, you are wrong. The fourth in line to
the governorship is Republican Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Kirk Cox. With an even number of Democrats and Republicans elected in the 2017 statewide election, only one seat hung in the balance to determine control of the State House. The race was so close that lawmakers decided, no joke, to decide the winner by pulling a name out of a bowl, which gave a majority to Republicans
behavior is continuing today, but when the people who built such a pervasive culture of ignorance remain in prominent positions of power, suddenly things make more sense. America is not living in a post-racial society as some would like to believe, and these incidents highlight the fact that this is not a political problem for one party or the other, but a deeply-rooted rot that has remained
Imagine, however, a different scenario in which President Jeffrey Armstrong and top officials in his administration were guilty or suspected of these and worse acts. and thus the speakership to Kirk Cox. All three top Virginia Democrats have been asked to step down by other top party officials and mounting public pressure, so the next Governor of Virginia could very likely have been decided by literally pulling a name out of a hat. As ridiculous as this situation is, it is a microcosm of the problems facing America today, specifically concerning academia. These blackface incidents occurred on college campuses in the relatively recent past. It may seem beyond the pale to us that this
behind the façade of American society even after MLK, Malcolm X, the Civil Rights Act and the first Black president. We will not see a change in the broader societal landscape if we do not start right here in institutions of higher learning. I am proud to be a Mustang, and part of that is recognizing injustice and being an ally to all communities affected by it. So, please, take care not to indulge in ignorant behavior, especially in an age where every picture you take and every word you say is cataloged for future inspection.
F I L E | M USTA N G N EWS
On April 8, 2018, members of Lambda Chi Alpha dressed up for a photo op that would forever associate the chapter with racism.
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | OPINION | MUSTANG NEWS
VIRGINIA MOONWALKS TO DISASTER
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS
12
FROM SIDELINES TO STARTER
JUNIOR GUARD JOB ALEXANDER
DI EGO R I VERA | MUSTA N G N EWS
Junior guard Job Alexander went from not playing in Cal Poly’s conference games to earning a spot on the starting roster.
BY NAYT HA N BRYA N T In the first two conference games of the season for Men’s Basketball, junior guard Job Alexander’s name did not appear on the roster. Alexander was not in the starting five, and he was not a reserve. However, when the team dropped their first three conference games of the season, head coach Joe Callero did what many coaches in his po-
sition would do — he looked to the roster for a spark. When the Mustangs faced off against UC Riverside on Jan. 23, Callero undoubtedly found the spark he was looking for. The Mustangs had a quick start to the match and held control throughout most of the first half. However, shortly before the halftime whistle, UC Riverside seemed to take over. The Highlanders’ rebounding ability hindered the Mustangs’ chances at scoring, and the momentum fell to UC Riverside as a result. That is when Callero subbed in Alexander for his first appearance in the Big West Conference. “Now, you can see how quickly I went to the bench tonight,” Callero said. “I was looking for some energy, and we got Jared Rice in and we got [Alexander], who would have been not playing very much at all. We got [Alexander] in the middle of the zone. I thought he made some good passes and I thought he did a really good job off the bench for us.” While Alexander was only able to register four points and two assists against the Highlanders, his performance was nonetheless impressive. The six-foot-four-inch, 200-pound transfer from Trinidad State drove at the bas-
ket with unexpected pace and helped mesh the team offensively with his clever passes. It was no surprise Alexander had earned himself another appearance in the Mustangs’ next game against Cal State Fullerton. The junior
guard knew it was his shot to prove himself. “It’s all about having confidence,” Alexander said. “I just kept bringing it to practice, and when I got in the game, it wasn’t any different.” That confidence was apparent in the way
B R I A N T R U ON G | MUSTA N G N EWS
Head coach Joe Callero credits Alexander as a smart player.
Deals of the Week
Alexander took control of his possessions against Fullerton. Drive after drive, Alexander continued to convert his chances. The hard-fought game left the Mustangs down by only six points with seven minutes left to play. While the remaining minutes resulted in a 17-point Fullerton victory, the loss could have been worse without Alexander on the court. By the end of the match, he totaled a career-high 14-points and added four rebounds off the bench. Alexander’s pace and strength are apparent in his play, but Callero believes his most important asset is his knowledge of the game. “Probably the most important thing he’s brought is great basketball IQ,” Callero said. “He’s a very smart player, so he’s been very
effective against zones. We’ve had him at the high-post at zone, we’ve had him against other teams where he’s been able to drive.” In Cal Poly’s next game, the team was set to face UC Riverside. It had only been eight days since the Highlanders’ 74-51 victory against Cal Poly. However, for the first time all month, Alexander’s name did not appear on the reserves list. Instead, Alexander was listed as a starter. It had only taken the transfer player two chances to earn his spot on the team. While many fans were just starting to see Alexander’s talent, what they did not see were the months of hard work that led up to that moment. “The work ethic has never changed, it was just constant,” Alexander said. “I didn’t let
that I wasn’t getting in the game discourage my work ethic. I kind of stuck with it and it showed when I finally got my chance.” In his first start with the team, Alexander did the same thing he had been doing all month — he took his shot. Alexander’s first layup of the night came only two minutes into the game. He registered the first of many defensive rebounds only minutes later. In the first half alone, the junior not only led the team in points, but also led in minutes played. Alexander’s performance in the second half was no different as he made each possession count. When the final whistle was blown, Alexander had set two new career-highs, totaling 15 points and six assists. Even better, Cal Poly had just won
their first game in the Big West Conference. “It’s been a great find. He started off early in the year getting some playing time. He needed to make some adjustments,” Callero said. “He’s been outstanding and it’s been critical. The big win we had at Riverside, [Alexander] was very, very important in.” In the games since, the Mustangs have struggled to find success. However, Alexander said he hopes to contribute as much as possible in the years ahead. For now, the guard has his eyes set on the Big West Tournament. “Obviously, in the immediate future, [to make] the Big West Tournament,” Alexander said, stating his main goal. “All these games are going to help our seeding and prepare us for that tournament, so that’s an immediate goal.”
PUZZLES Sudoku Fun by the Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3
boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
CLUES ACROSS
Guess Who? I am an actress born in Spain on February 19, 2004. Despite my youth, I have enjoyed much success already. I currently star in a sci-fi series about a group of children caught in a mystery.
*See answers at mustangnews.net/games-answers/
Word Scramble Rearrange the letters to spell something pertaining to heart.
S F L H U
1. Civil rights organization 5. Cause to lose courage 10. Outside entertaining area 14. Botswana currency 15. Comedic Actor Tim 16. Barbary sheep 17. German river 18. Take 19. Catches 20. Eating houses 22. Consumed 23. Lawyers try them 24. Hugh Jackman character 27. Basics 30. No (Scottish) 31. Duct 32. Athlete who plays for pay 35. Unit of distance 37. Female bird 38. Predatory reptile 39. Regions 40. Dishonorable man 41. Dry white Italian wine 42. A way to understand 43. Actors’ organization 44. Beach hut 45. Disappointment 46. Police officer 47. Digital audiotape 48. Western Thai people 49. Of a polymer 52. Secret political clique 55. Sound unit 56. Cavalry sword 60. Whale ship captain 61. Eastern Austria spa town 63. Holds food 64. Filippo __, Saint 65. Holds bottles of milk
66. Intestinal pouches 67. Arab ruler 68. Chicago political family 69. “Transparent” actress Kathryn CLUES DOWN
1. Detailed drawing 2. Class of comb jellies 3. Musical symbol 4. Hall of Fame ballplayer Rod 5. Pouch 6. Split 7. Having wings 8. Set aside 9. Midway between northeast and east 10. Daughter of Acrisius 11. Periods of time 12. Rapper Ice __ 13. Any of several candies 21. Units of loudness 23. Central nervous system 25. Resinous secretion of insects 26. 007’s creator 27. Separate from 28. Exposes to view 29. Harsh squeaking sound 32. Fishing vessel (Naut.) 33. Western Ukrainian city 34. The sea 36. Unhappy 37. Old miserable woman 38. Corn comes on it 40. Guinea pig-like mammal 41. Self-immolation by fire rituals 43. Fifth note of a major scale
44. Automobile 46. Military title (abbr.) 47. Expunge 49. Chadic language Bura-__ 50. Something you win 51. Grab 52. Town in Galilee 53. Polite interruption sound 54. Italian Seaport 57. La __ Tar Pits 58. “To __, his own” 59. Tom Clancy hero Jack 61. These three follow A____ 62. One of Napoleon’s generals
ARIES – March 21/April 20 A sense of magic os in the air this week, Aries. Some may conspire to keep you in the dark about a situation. Don’t worry … it will have a pleasant culmination.
LIBRA – Sept. 23/Oct. 23 Libra, even if you might be afraid of confrontation, you should not use that as an excuse that prevents you from righting wrongs. You will find your voice.
TAURUS – April 21/May 21 Taurus, once someone earns your love, that bond is not easily broken. You will find new ways to show your affection this week for a person close to you.
SCORPIO – Oct. 24/Nov. 22 Scorpio, your focus and commitment to the task at hand are unrivaled. Others may not understand your passion, but all will be happy with the results.
GEMINI – May 22/June 21 Gemini, sometimes your mind is too quick to speak before you fully think through your thoughts. This can get you into trouble in some instances. Find ways to address any faux pas.
SAGITTARIUS – Nov. 23/Dec. 21 Sagittarius, be there for someone who comes up to you and asks for help this week. Every little bit helps, and your generosity will be greatly appreciated.
CANCER – June 22/July 22 Past relationships do not have to get in the way of current ones, Cancer. Things aren’t always as complicated as you make them seem. Just go through with your daily business.
CAPRICORN – Dec. 22/Jan. 20 Think about what you have to offer this week, Capricorn. Run your plan by someone you trust. You may not be ready for the spotlight.
LEO – July 23/Aug. 23 Leo, things will seem like a piece of cake this week, so much so that you may wonder if there’s a catch. There is no catch. Enjoy your good fortune and lightened workload. VIRGO – Aug. 24/Sept. 22 Virgo, you may enjoy an unexpected respite in the next few days. Initially you may not know what to do with your time off. But soon enough you will figure it out.
A SILENT DISCO
Z AC H DON N EN F I ELD | MUSTA N G N EWS
AQUARIUS – Jan. 21/Feb. 18 Aquarius, a string of misunderstandings will soon get worked out. All will be right in the universe once more, and you can get on with all of the plans you have in mind. PISCES – Feb. 19/March 20 Pisces, take a few extra moments each
morning or evening to slow down and think about all the good luck that has recently come your way.
There were DJs from SubSessions at the silent disco at Shabang this Fall.
BY EMMA KUMAGA WA SubSessions will hold its first official silent disco, Silent Sessions, on Saturday, Feb. 23. The 18+ event, sponsored by event production company HUSHconcerts, will take place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the San Luis Obispo Guild Hall. “It’s kind of a way to kick off our year,” SubSessions Co-Founder and business administration senior Wes Berger said. “We want to introduce and see how the silent disco aspect is responded to, so people enjoy it and want to make it a thing here.” The event will feature eight DJs in total, but two will play at a time on each channel, battling one another for listeners. One channel will have house, disco and techno music, while the other will have bass, hip-hop and experimental music.
The lineup will primarily include SubSessions members and local artists, such as those of KCPR’s Club 91, but not all artists have been announced yet. Berger said visual artists will show live projections, and hangout areas will be dispersed throughout the venue. “I am constantly seeing a lack in space for artists to express themselves, so I constantly want to give them more places to go, as well as just bring people together,” Berger said. “We’re experimenting. We’re trying to get by. We’re doing the best we can, but we’re still throwing parties for our friends to some extent.” Berger said SubSessions hopes Silent Sessions will create momentum for its Stoke the World festival in the summer, which will be their biggest event yet. Silent Session tickets can be purchased online for $15.
ZAC H DONNENFIEL D | MUSTA N G N EWS
Z AC H DON N EN F I ELD | MUSTA N G N EWS
15 WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | ARTS | MUSTANG NEWS
HOROSCOPES
SUBSESSIONS HAS FINALLY HAD ENOUGH OF NOISE ORDINANCES. THEIR SOLUTION:
WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS
16
NO. 6 BEACH VOLLEYBALL STARTS SEASON ON THURSDAY
F I L E PH OTO | M USTA N G N EWS
Beach Volleyball finished the 2018 season with a program-best 27-7 overall record.
BY B RI A N T R U ON G After a historic 2018 season, the Cal Poly Beach Volleyball team has set their expectations high. The Mustangs received their highest preseason ranking in program history at No. 6 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason coaches poll. “It’s super exciting and an honor to be part of that,” junior Emily Sonny said about the team’s ranking. “We’ve worked from my freshman year and now we’ve gone up this ladder. The trajectory is so high as far as our skill and talent on this team.” Last season, the team recorded a program-best 27-7 record. A 14-match winning streak in the middle of the season propelled Cal Poly to earn its highest national ranking ever at No. 4. However, despite the record-setting season, the Mustangs were not able to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Cal Poly was eliminated by Long Beach State in the semifinals of the Big West Conference Tournament. “I think we can do nothing but improve from last year,” Sonny said. “So I’m really excited to compete against new teams, like UC Davis … and to see new competition and work hard.” The Mustangs bring in an experienced team, returning four Big West All-Conference play-
ers, including the Mustangs’ No. 1 pairing of junior Torrey Van Winden and sophomore Tiadora Miric. Van Winden and Miric took first place at the Big West Tournament Pairs Championship, winning four matches in a row to claim the title of best duo in the Big West. Last season, the pair boasted a 19-8 overall record in the No. 1 spot for the Mustangs. Sonny also earned the All-Conference honors along with sophomore Macy Gordon. Last year, Sonny recorded a 29-5 overall record while paired with Samantha Manley in the No. 2 spot. Over the summer, Van Winden and Sonny competed internationally. Representing Team USA, the duo won seven-straight matches at the Porec Open in Croatia to earn gold medals. At the World University Games in Munich, Germany, the pair earned bronze medals. “Overseas the competition is definitely different as far as the way people play,” Sonny said. The pairing had to change their playing style, which Sonny said was a confusing adjustment at first. “We didn’t know how we well we were going to do, but it ended up working out really well,” Sonny said. “So it was all just a big shock, which was really exciting.”
The Mustangs also added seven freshman to the program, including AVCA High School Beach All-American Jayelin Lombard. The Indio, California native played for Team USA’s U19 Girls Junior National Beach Team and is Cal Poly’s first recruit to earn the All-American honor. Cal Poly plays its first match of the season against No.1 ranked UCLA on Thursday, Feb. 21. Taking on the defending NCAA Tournament champions is just the start of a tough opening schedule for the Mustangs. Cal Poly
will stay on the road to play four straight matches against ranked opponents. Cal Poly plays No. 7 LSU, No. 3 Florida, No. 9 South Carolina and No. 18 Tulane in one weekend, starting Saturday, Feb. 23. The Mustangs’ first home match will be against CSUN and CSU Bakersfield, Saturday, March 9 at Pismo Beach. “It’s going to be some really great competition, but we’re always up for that,” Sonny said. “It’s a great way to start the season, you never know what could happen.”
F I L E PH OTO | M USTA N G N EWS
Cal Poly will open the season at UCLA on Thursday, Feb. 21.
BRIAN TRU ON G | MUSTA N G N EWS
Evans was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team.
FRESHMAN DEFENDER
BRECC EVANS GOES PRO
BRIAN TRU ON G | MUSTAN G N EW S
Evans will be a founding member of North Texas SC.
BY NAYTHA N B RYA N T After his first season with Cal Poly Men’s Soccer, freshman defender Brecc Evans is going pro. On Jan. 3, North Texas SC announced the signing of Evans to a two-year contract, with an option for the 2021 season. North Texas SC
is the reserve team of Major League Soccer club FC Dallas and will be a founding member of USL League One, the third division of American soccer. USL League One’s inaugural season kicks off in March. While his time at Cal Poly was limited, Evans’ impact was immense. The six-foot-four
freshman was just one of three players to start all 16 games in the 2018-19 season. In front of goalkeeper Simon Boehme, 19-year-old Evans helped lead the Mustangs to five shutouts during his career. Evans played more minutes than any other player on the roster, earned a spot on the Big West All-Freshman Team and even registered a goal and an assist in the process. After making life-long friends and gaining valuable experience in his one season as a Mustang, Evans said he will miss the soccer program at Cal Poly. “Being able to train with [my teammates] every day definitely helped me,” Evans said. “Coach [Steve] Sampson also has a wealth of knowledge, obviously, with his resume. I think I got a lot out of the program and I’m grateful for the opportunity they gave me.” Head coach Steve Sampson said he was not surprised Evans was one of the first to sign to the club. Sampson will look to a mix of current players as well as incoming transfers to make up for Evans’ departure. Still, as Sampson admits, there are certain players you just cannot replace.
17 WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 20, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS
“Brecc is very special,” Sampson said. “He’s an intelligent young man, very balanced emotionally, yet passionate, driven. One of those individuals that is extremely internally motivated.” That driving motivation became evident long before Evans’ arrival at Cal Poly. For five years, Evans played for the FC Dallas United States Soccer Development Academy program. At the highest level of competitive youth soccer in America, Evans helped lead his team to a national championship in 2016. According to Evans, the FC Dallas franchise established North Texas SC to bridge the USSDA program to the MLS first team. “It’s pretty special being a founding member,” Evans said. “Being one of the first-ever signings and to play in the first season, it’s special considering I contribute a lot of my development to FC Dallas.” While there is still much in the air regarding the new league and team, Evans said he is happy to be back on his feet. By the end of next month, he will appear in his first professional soccer game with North Texas SC. “Obviously, the goal is to win the USL,” Evans said. “To win [the league] in its first year, that’d be pretty awesome. You could wear that on your sleeve forever. This is a pretty big year for me and I’m excited to work hard and achieve as much as possible.”
WINTER CONCERT OF CAL POLY’S UNIVERSITY JAZZ BANDS AND COMBOS
The Art of Improvisation PAUL RINZLER, DIRECTOR
C
A
MARCH 2, 2019 SATURDAY AT 8 P.M.
L
PO
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER LY
TI
CK
ET
$9 AND $12 STUDENTS $12 AND $14 GENERAL OF
FICE
K : 805-756-4849, TIC
ET
S.C
AL
PO
.E LY
Sponsored by Cal Poly’s Music Department, College of Liberal Arts and RA program. For more information, call 805-756-2406,or visit music.calpoly.edu/calendar.
D
U
FEB
21 FEB
22 FEB
23
F EB
24
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL vs. UCR at 7 PM Faculty-Staff Appreciation
BASEBALL vs. California at 6 PM Home Opener
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL vs. Cal State Fullerton at 2 PM FREE shirts for the first 500 fans!
BASEBALL vs. California at 4 PM MEN'S BASKETBALL vs. Hawai’i at 7 PM BASEBALL vs. California at 1 PM
STUDENT REWARDS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Sign-up for just $10 and be a member for life! Get an official Stang Gang T-shirt with your membership! Swipe your ID card and earn points by attending athletic events! Receive great rewards when you reach certain point levels! Repeat steps 3 & 4 all year long!
FOR MORE INFO OR TO JOIN, VISIT GOPOLY.COM/STANGGANG!