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Thousands take to the streets in SLO for ‘Truth to Power’ Women’s March PAGE 10 JANUARY 22, 2019
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TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
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C A L P OLY | COU RT ESY
After seven years at Cal Poly, Kathleen Enz Finken said she is ready for the next chapter of her life.
PROVOST ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT KATHLEEN ENZ FINKEN TO STEP DOWN IN 2019 AFTER UNDERGOING SURGERY SEVERAL YEARS AGO BY RACH EL M A RQUA RDT After almost seven years at Cal Poly, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Kathleen Enz Finken announced her retirement on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Though the date is not concrete, Enz Finken said she will most likely retire after the end of the 2018/2019 academic year. University Spokesperson Matt Lazier said there are currently no details about hiring her replacement. As provost, Enz Finken served as the senior member of the President’s executive management staff and President Jeffrey Armstrong’s second in command. She provided guidance and support for leadership, faculty and staff in all six of Cal Poly’s colleges, along with other offices, including Financial Aid and Admissions, according to the Academic Affairs website. Enz Finken wrote in a letter to employees and faculty yesterday that she made her decision based on con-
fidence in her dedicated team, Armstrong’s excellent leadership and the current stability of the President’s Cabinet, who will provide support during the transition of leadership. “The Academic Affairs leadership team is outstanding,” Enz Finken said in the letter. “Members of the leadership team are highly collegial, collaborative and have a shared vision for Cal Poly. They are dedicated to making this the best place it can possibly be.” She also said four years is a typical term for a provost, whereas she has served seven. “I’ve come to understand over the years that there is never a ‘perfect’ time to step aside from a position such as this,” Enz Finken wrote in the announcement. “There is never a time when everything is done, the work is completed, and one can move on knowing ‘it’s all set.’ If that time ever came, it would mark the end of progress, growth, and change for the betterment of the institution, our students, and society.”
Enz Finken is retiring from not only seven years as provost at Cal Poly, but a total of 26 years in higher level education and 11 years as a provost. Prior to working at Cal Poly, from 2008 to 2012 Enz Finken was provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She had formerly served as the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Minnesota State University, where she began her career as an art history professor. The provost stepped away from her position for six weeks due to cancer-related surgery in 2015. Enz Finken said her health is not a reason she is leaving but rather a reminder. “The experience served as a reminder of what is most important to me, and I am anxious to spend more time with family and friends,” Enz Finken wrote. “In addition, there are many personal interests and projects that I have put on hold that I look forward to pursuing.”
CORNEL WEST HEADLINES ‘FIRESIDE CHAT’
VSCO FOUNDER’S UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
CURTAINS REMOVED AT LATEST ORCHESIS SHOW
IT’S TIME TO END THE BAN ON BOARDS
DONOVAN FIELDS HITS 1,000 POINTS
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SIGMA PI SUSPENDED
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BY MUSTA NG NEW S T E A M The Sigma Pi fraternity has been suspended until June 15, 2019 and placed on social probation until Spring 2020 for violation of health and safety code, violation of alcohol use, violations of law, and violation of hazing and conspiracy to haze. The suspension is effective immediately, as of Monday, Jan. 14, according to Cal Poly Fraternity & Sorority Life. Sigma Pi was investigated after the university received reports that the fraternity was involved in hazing recruits in Fall 2018. The hazing included humiliation of pledges, causing mental and emotional distress, according to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier. It is unknown how many reports of hazing the university received. The fraternity was also found in violation of providing alcohol to pledges and minors during the recruitment and pledging process.
The university asked the Sigma Pi national chapter to review the chapter’s membership and the chapter’s executive board is required to complete an educational training, according to Lazier. The fraternity received a notice of suspension Monday and was banned from Winter 2019 rush events, starting today. The chapter has not commented on the sanctions at this time. Mustang News has reached out to the Cal Poly Interfraternity Council and Sigma Pi national headquarters, but have not received a response from either. Sigma Pi is known on campus for their annual Suicide and Mental Health Awareness Week and for notable alumni, such as iCracked Founder AJ Forsythe. The chapter has 91 brothers as of 2018, according to their website. This is the second fraternity found in violation of hazing this school year.
S I GMA P I | FAC EB OOK
The Sigma Pi fraternity was suspended until June 15, 2019 for being violation of hazing and conspiracy to haze, along with other violations.
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
REPORTS SURFACE OF THE FRATERNITY ENGAGING IN HAZING DURING FALL 2018
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
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CORNEL WEST TALKS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, BLACK LIVES MATTER, KANYE AT FIRESIDE CHAT
“I’m especially encouraged by the young people, but their biggest challenge is always going to be, ‘What is the moral content of your movement?’” West said regarding youth activists spearheading social movements today. When he taught as a professor of African American studies at his alma mater, Harvard University, West said he told his Black students that fighting white supremacy is a conscious, daily effort, and that he struggled with “deposits of white supremacy” in his mind every day. West also made jokes about Kanye West’s political views during the fireside chat, saying that Kanye’s support for President Donald
Trump shows his obsession with attention that “reinforces [Kanye’s] sense of being a genius.” According to West, the largest problem facing modern society is whether or not the planet will exist in the future. He also said that being able to understand other individuals, especially those who have been systematically oppressed, is the foundation of quality political engagement. “It’s a profound thing to be understood,” West said. “People can learn a lot from those who were wronged.” Hosted by the Cross Cultural Centers and the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion, the free event honored the late Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrated Cal Poly’s diverse campus community, according to an email sent by Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Jozi De Leon and Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the Cross Cultural Centers Bryan Hubain. Psychology senior Erin Regan said that the hour she spent listening to West speak was an hour well spent. “He brought up a lot of practical, actionable things. At big talks, you expect to hear some message about changing the world, but [West] always brought it back to love and the individual,” Regan said. San Luis Obispo native Michelle Arata said she celebrated her birthday and commemorated the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by attending West’s fireside chat. West’s message of being a “love warrior” was Arata’s biggest takeaway. “He reinforced my mission of finding commonalities with people whom I don’t always
agree with and showing love to people whom I don’t necessarily like, because that’s how you create change,” Arata said. “We are honored to welcome Dr. West to our campus for this amazing event,” Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey said in a press release. West is a frequent contributor on CNN, C-SPAN and the Bill Maher Show. He is best known for his works “Race Matters” and “Democracy Matters,” his memoir “Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud,” and his most recent book, “Black Prophetic Fire.” West met with several other groups on campus during his Jan. 16 visit and headlined the second annual Cal Poly Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner after the fireside chat. OUDI partnered with Damon Williams and will introduce details of Cal Poly’s Transformative Inclusive Excellence Initiative the following week on Jan. 24 through 25, according to a campus-wide email from President Jeffrey Armstrong. The event will take place Jan. 24 at 12 p.m. in Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre. Transformative Inclusive Excellence Initiative is intended to advance efforts of the Collective Impact process, a current approach of advancing diversity and inclusion at Cal Poly through initiatives and collaboration between multiple campus organizations, according to a campus-wide email from Armstrong. The initiative does not substitute the Collective Impact process but will assist in tracking development being made and directing Cal Poly into the next step in improving diversity and inclusion on campus.
feet and typically cost a few hundred to thousands of dollars. The mice were housed in a Styrofoam cooler attached to the balloon. A window was fitted to the cooler in hopes of catching images of the mice in space, but the window quickly froze over before the balloon reached its peak altitude. Agarwal also ensured the mice had enough oxygen supplied for the duration of their journey. Inside the cooler, the mice were placed in a jar padded with hand warmers to combat the frigid conditions of high altitudes. The balloon returned to the ground just two miles from the launching point. Unfortunately, the mice did not survive their expedition. Agarwal said he suspects the hand warmers did not supply enough warmth and the mice likely died from the cold. Agarwal first dreamed of this project as a senior in high school, when he watched a video of a Lego figurine sent up into space also using a weather balloon. This inspired Agarwal to try his own hand at the challenge. Taking the task to the next level, he decided to use live mice as the weather
balloon’s passengers instead of a nonliving object. The undertaking required extensive tinkering with the design through trial and error. Agarwal achieved the final model all by himself, without the help of a team or sponsor. Although images of the launch captured by a GoPro camera show the brand’s sticker on the Styrofoam mouse vessel, it was in no way associated with the project. The Styrofoam container also displays an American flag sticker. In addition to the GoPro camera, the final design was equipped with a GPS to track the balloon’s flight and relocate it once it returned to earth. Friends and family of Agarwal knew how enthusiastic he was about the project. His biggest supporters were his parents, he said, who financially backed it. Agarwal said he was thrilled by the images the camera captured. He later shared his success in an Instagram post and thanked his parents for making “Space Mouse” a reality. As of Monday, the post has more than 500 likes and 46 comments. Agarwal said inspiration and education were
his motives for taking on this extensive task. “I was inspired by somebody else’s project,” Agarwal said. He said he hopes others will see what he accomplished and be inspired too.
C AL P OLY | T W IT T ER
Cal Poly hosted activist, philosopher and author Cornel West to hold a “fireside chat.”
BY R O S ELY N R OM E R O Cal Poly community members filled the Performing Arts Center Pavilion Wednesday evening to listen to activist, philosopher and author Cornel West in a moderated questionand-answer-style “fireside chat.” West discussed hard-hitting topics ranging from the government shutdown to sustainability, as well as light-hearted subjects like rap and soul music and social media. Social movements like the Black Lives Matter and the #MeToo movement uplift West in what he described as the current “dysfunctional and polarized” political climate.
ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MOUSE-KIND STUDENT LAUNCHES MICE 111,000 FEET UP BY A B B I E LAU T E N -S C R I V N E R Aerospace engineering sophomore Evan Agarwal accomplished a feat more than two years in the making when he sent two mice on a trip to space on Jan. 12. Transported by a weather balloon, the mice ascended to an elevation of more than 111,000 feet, Agarwal estimated. A weather balloon is made of latex and filled with helium so that it rises to altitudes higher than 100,000 feet. The balloon then bursts and a parachute deploys, safely returning the cargo to earth. The balloons range from five to ten
EVA N AGA R WA L | COU RT ESY
Aerospace engineering sophomore Evan Agarwal cut a window out of the Styrofoam cooler he sent to space, hoping to get an image of the two mice it housed inside.
BY ISABELLA PAO LETTO
S LO P EAC E COAL IT ION | COU RT ESY
The SLO Peace Coalition and Students for Quality Education are planning to protest the Cal Poly Career Fair for the third time.
CAREER FAIR RAYTHEON PROTEST PLANNED BY ASH L EY LA DI N While most students prepare for Cal Poly career fairs by printing out resumes and practicing elevator pitches, students from SLO Peace Coalition and Students for Quality Education have other priorities. The student activists will be going over chants and making anti-war signs for the Thursday, Jan. 24. Winter Career Fair, which will be their third career fair protest highlighting Cal Poly’s funding from defense contractors. “We’re calling attention to the tremendous amount of money and contracts Cal Poly is invested in with companies like Raytheon that create military defense weapons,” ethnic studies senior and event co-organizer Gianna Bissa said. “These weapons are being sent to different countries and ultimately murdering and displacing many people, as well as destroying the environment. Cal Poly is complicit in war.”
The student groups’ last war industry protest at the April 2018 career fair received media attention after the university sent warning letters to the five students involved. The letters cited a “Time, Place, and Manner” policy regarding campus demonstrations in Cal Poly’s Code of Conduct and threatened formal disciplinary action if the students stage another protest inside a career fair. A petition condemning the letters received more than 3,600 signatures, prompting the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities to formally state the protest was not in violation of any policies. Bissa said they believe students should especially care about Cal Poly’s war industry connections as diversity becomes a bigger topic on campus. “We are always talking about diversity and inclusivity now, but we can’t have a university that embraces diversity and inclusivity if we
are complicit in murdering thousands of people in countries that are mostly brown and black folks,” Bissa said. “The relationships our university has with the world reflects upon our education. All of us attending Cal Poly are somehow invested in this military industrial complex by our attendance at a school so heavily funded by these companies.” A list of demands for the university are posted on the protest’s facebook event page, which include the demand for Cal Poly to make no new investments or sponsorships with weapons producers. Bissa said they believe a future where these companies are not welcomed on Cal Poly’s campus is possible. “This protest is about bringing awareness to students and the administration, because they will without a doubt see what’s going on,” Bissa said. “It’s their responsibility as our administration to understand students are against this and to listen.”
POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENT WINS DISTRICT ASSEMBLY POSITION BY NICO L E T R OY A Cal Poly student will be helping advise the state Democratic party after winning a seat as an Assembly District Delegate on Sunday, Jan. 13. Political science sophomore Rob Moore is a new assembly district delegate for Assembly District 35, which includes both San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara Counties. “The reason I decided that I wanted to run was that I feel that there [are] not a lot of young people in these positions,” Moore said. “I feel I am relatively qualified and I have things to say, and I want people to know about them,” Moore said. This is the first official government election Moore has run in. The only other seat he ran
for and won was a seat on the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) Board of Directors in Spring 2018 for the College of Liberal Arts. As a political science student, Moore said he is passionate about multiple policy initiatives, but his two main goals as a delegate are to address health care for all and help the environment. “I want to do good for issues that I think will be big for our generation, like climate change,” Moore said. “Climate change is a one-and-done kind of deal.” In order to affect change, Moore will work alongside other delegates to vote and help shape the party platform that helps decide which candidates will run and be endorsed. The election took place Sunday at Sierra Vista Medical Center, and all 14 candidates support-
ed by the SLO County Progressives won seats. According to Moore, about 500 democratic residents in District 35 showed up and voted. Moore’s two-year term as a delegate will begin in May 2019 when he is officially sworn in as a full-fledged voting member.
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced Monday, Jan. 14 it will be declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy later this month, after not being able to pay billions of dollars in liability claims from the past two years of wildfires, according to the company’s website. The company estimates it is facing a total of $30 billion in liability damages for the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, according to the New York Times. The New York Times also reported that investigators determined PG&E to be the cause of at least 17 of 21 Northern California fires in 2017, and some of the fires in 2018, such as the fire in Paradise that killed 86 people and destroyed an entire town. In the past, PG&E has been a large donor to the university. In 2012, the utility donated $20,000 to Cal Poly’s student-athlete scholarship fund, according to a PG&E news release. Before that, PG&E had donated $28,000 to the Cal Poly student-athlete scholarship program. The company’s 2017 charitable contributions records also show that $2,500 were donated to Cal Poly Corporation and $57,900 to Cal Poly State University Foundation for education. In Fall 2018, social sciences students discovered the remains of a Chumash Village while excavating land on the PG&E owned Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant for the Archaeological Field Methods (ANT 310) class. After the discovery, PG&E began to focus on conservation and preservation of the land and granted two students the Richard A. Clarke Environmental Leadership Award, as well as $5,000 to the Social Sciences Learn by Doing fund, the Social Sciences Department wrote in a newsletter. PG&E announced on their website that their charitable program would be on hold for 2019 and no donations would be made towards events, programs or partnerships. University Spokesperson Matt Lazier did not respond in time for comment on how the bankruptcy would affect Cal Poly’s donations and funds.
CON N OR F R OST | MUSTA N G N EWS
JAKE DOUGLAS | MUSTAN G N EWS
PG&E was found to be responsible for the Camp Fire, the deadliest fire in California history.
5 TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
MAJOR CAL POLY DONOR PG&E FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
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MORE WOMEN ARE GRADUATING FROM CAL POLY THAN MEN 86.4 PERCENT OF FEMALES GRADUATED, WHILE 78.7 PERCENT OF MALES GRADUATED IN 2018 BY S A M A N T H A S PI TZ Cal Poly’s gender gap in graduation rates shows more women graduating than men. This gender gap exists not only on Cal Poly’s campus, but nationwide as well. In 2018, 86.4 percent of females graduated, while 78.7 percent of males graduated from Cal Poly. The university’s 2018 gender gap in graduation rates was 7.6 percent — an increase from 2017’s 6.8 percent gap. Although this is a slight increase, the gap is catching the attention of the students and staff. “The first thing is the awareness that it’s there and then trying to figure out and build academic programs to study the different aspects of what’s going on,” Director of Enrollment Planning & Management Joseph Borzellino said. Cal Poly data shows the gender gap is decreasing in most colleges but not all. The College of Architecture is the only college at Cal Poly without a gender gap as of 2017. Senior Vice Provost for Academic Programs & Planning Mary Pedersen said she thinks one of the main reasons for the difference in gender gaps between colleges depends on the curriculum. The architecture curriculum, for example, forces students to go through sequences together, which is different compared to others. “One of the things we have to do is just talk to the students who are not graduating on time and ask them directly,” Associate Vice Provost for Academic Programs &
Planning Bruno Giberti said. “We tend to want to go into the academic record and find something in the records that tells you why, but I think we also have to approach it from a more direct point of view.” The California State University (CSU) Graduation Initiative 2025 was set to help increase graduation rates while removing achievement and equity gaps. The initiative lists several strategies, including hiring more faculty to teach additional classes and increasing the number of online courses to boost student success and graduation rates. “As part of our graduation initiative we have a group, specifically the ‘Student Success/University Research,’ that is focused on studying the gap,” Pedersen said. “That is one of our focuses this year.” There is no specific answer for the cause of the gender gap, but research teams nationwide are studying this phenomenon. “I think one of the reasons could be because male and female students are being socialized differently before they get to college,” Giberti said. Through the university’s advising program, Cal Poly is running small programs to see what is effective and making a difference before moving it to a larger scale. “We want an integrated, cohesive effort really focused on looking at the data, talking to the students, figuring out why and coming up with some concrete action items about how we can approach it,” Pedersen said.
2017 Six-Year Graduation Gender Gaps by College 12%
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AIDAN MCGLOIN | MUSTANG NEW S
VS CO | COU RT ESY
VSCO founder Joel Flory said he wanted to make an app where likes and comments did not matter.
VSCO FOUNDER’S UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE BY K I A NA M EAG HER To Cal Poly students, Learn by Doing means getting experience in your field from day one. For alumnus Joel Flory, it means founding a $70 million startup that reaches creatives in 160 countries. This generation’s photography enthusiast, app user or Instagram lover likely knows of VSCO, the camera app equipped with tools to let users explore their creative sides through photography and editing at the convenience of their smartphone. But the app creates more than photo presets; it is a social community of artists and content creators. Flory and his co-founder Greg Lutze initially set out to go into the website building business. Flory, a wedding photographer, paired with Lutze and his eye for web design, wanted to give a platform to other similar creatives. Their dedication to the creator became the formula for VSCO’s success. VSCO presets are filters that mimic film effects for images edited with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. “The second I put it in Lightroom, I knew this was amazing,” Flory said. In November 2011, they made a simple website to sell the desktop presets. Within 48 hours of being online for sale, they had made more than a quarter of a million dollars. In April 2012, the paid photo app was launched. The first version of VSCO Cam was originally made to raise awareness for the website. “Within a week we said, ‘Forget desktop and website building,’” Flory said. “Once VSCO Cam was out for one week as a paid app, we knew this was the future. So we put our heads down and became dedicated to innovating for mobile and the next generation of creators.” Especially at its early stages, VSCO rose in popularity through the hashtag #VSCOcam that was posted on other forms of social media. “It’s had a very natural, viral effect,” Flory said. “We are also very fortunate at the time we came up because as other platforms were
on the rise, VSCO became synonymous with all these other platforms if you wanted to share quality content. People would just ask, “How’d you get that photo to look so good?” And that always stems the VSCO side.” Even though the company gained traction during the social media age of platforms like Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram, VSCO is in a league of its own. “With other platforms, what they presented needed to be really perfect and aspirational, and in a lot of ways how the world wanted them to see them,” Flory said. “With VSCO, we wanted to create a place to share how you saw the world. There was no ability for anyone to be trolled for what they were posting or how much they were posting. There didn’t need to be a ‘theme’ and your feed didn’t need to be ‘on point.’ Some photos were great, but also some were just of everyday life. Our mission is to help everybody fall in love with their own creativity.” Flory and Lutze sought to build a place to channel creativity with accessible tools and to find inspiration and education. Early on, the company began to curate content to share with their users when looking through user’s images, they realized 95 percent of the users had less than 500 followers. “We needed to create a platform where that
VS CO | COU RT ESY
Flory went from being a wedding photographer to creating an app that focuses on content creation.
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CON N OR F R OST | MUSTA N G N EWS
Through a Facebook page, women from the community gather for mountainbiking trips throughout San Luis Obispo County.
SLO DIRT GIRLS ALL WOMEN MOUNTAINBIKING GROUP BY M I CH A ELA B A RROS With her hands tightly gripping the handlebars and her eyes on high alert, 29-year-old mountain biker Alexandra Anderson carefully and quickly adjusted to each new turn and patch of rocks on the rugged downhill terrain of Madonna Mountain. “Your bike is actually better at faster speeds if you have a full suspension bike,” Anderson said. “If you go slower, then you can get hung up and you’re more likely to crash, but if you just relax your body and let gravity do it, you’ll be fine.” Anderson is a member of the Facebook group “SLO Dirt Girls,” a community of over 280 women who share a love for mountain biking. Anderson has raced at the pro level, but her community prides itself in welcoming anyone with little to no experience on the biweekly rides. “SLODirt Girls is a cool way to bring all mountain biking girls together, and within that group you grow a large sense of community, but you can also find the niche kind of riding that you want to do group rides with as well,” Anderson said. As clarified by Anderson, not all mountain biking is flying downhill at an average of 35 to 40 mph. For many members of SLO Dirt Girls as well as Anderson, mountain biking is about climbing for hours, the sense of community, trust within each other and shared adventure. Danilu Ramirez is a leader within SLO Dirt Girls and the mountain biking community overall in San Luis Obispo. She is a trek women’s advocate and has used the SLO Dirt Girls platform to bring in skills clinics for beginners in the area. “Girls would say, ‘Well I’d never be on my
bike if we weren’t having these rides,’ and that’s when I’m like, ‘Yes!’” Ramirez said. Ramirez is a trained docent on private land owned by the land conservancy at the Pismo Reserve. In the past, the group has held rides at the reserve that had larger turnouts, about 15 cyclists on each ride. “It gave everyone a safe feeling because a lot of the trails are easier,” Ramirez said. “Sometimes, people get nervous with other people running or hiking or biking and there’s a lot going on, but at Pismo, it was just us.” Ramirez said the largest challenges they face in recruiting more women for the sport is the high risk of injury. For many of her friends who are mothers, she said they feel it is too dangerous. “I’ve heard from women that have kids it’s like, ‘Well I have to pick up my kids, you know, I can’t have broken arms,’ or ‘I need to do all this stuff for my family,’” Ramirez said. “I get that, too. For me that’s not a factor, but I get that women have told me before that they can’t afford to break something. Even for work, we have women that are engineers and architects and they don’t want to be broken for work.” Anderson and Ramirez said although it is a generalization and there are exceptions, they have seen that men in the sport typically engage in riskier behavior on the bikes, while women tend to be more cautious. This becomes extremely apparent in co-ed competitions. “[In the race] there’s usually five women and 200 men – it’s my worst nightmare,” Ramirez said. “I just wake up sweating the night before because they have no mercy when they pass you. They’ll knock you over; some guys are really mean.” Cal Poly alumna and SLO Dirt Girls mem-
ber Liz Schtiden said SLO Dirt Girls is a great community for beginning riders because the rides tend to be more casual. “There’s a little less pressure sometimes than when you’re riding with a group of guys,” Schtiden said. “So sometimes it’s also more approachable, especially for newer riders.” Schtiden said she tends to be more cautious on the bike, but that she loves the sport because it forces her to face her fears. “I think it’s a balance of overcoming your fears and challenging yourself to take risks but also managing those risks as to not get hurt,” Schtiden said. “I think that sometimes I can be a little bit more cautious than others, but it’s been fun to find where that balance is and push my boundaries and grow in the sport.” For many members of SLO Dirt Girls, their love for the sport all comes down to adventure and building a stronger connection with other cyclists and the outdoors. “It’s not just great for your physical body, but your mental capacity as well,” Anderson said. “You can let go of stress, forget about anything that might be bothering you for the time being and let it all go because you’re out there on your bike in nature. Seriously, what could you worry about?” According to Anderson and Ramirez, a beginner should never purchase a “cheap” mountain bike. Instead, Ramirez recommended finding a friend who will allow them to borrow a bike for a ride or to reach out on the SLO Dirt Girls page. “Don’t go buy a bike from Walmart for $300 under no circumstances,” Ramirez said. “You’ll probably get injured and actually spend more money trying to fix yourself,” Anderson said. Schtiden said she finishes each ride with a new skill learned and more love for the sport. “You come off the end of the day and you’ve covered so many miles and seen so much, but you’ve also had a really good time doing it,” Schtiden said. “I think that’s kind of what I love the most about it.”
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | STUDENT LIFE | MUSTANG NEWS
content would not be discovered based on how popular that person was, but if people found that content inspiring,” Flory said. “We wanted to build a place for people to share where the number of likes, comments or followers of a person didn’t dictate whether or not content was good.” Editorial Brand Marketing Manager at VSCO and fellow Cal Poly alumna Jen Giese found in VSCO a company that shared a similar ethos of supporting creators. Working with Flory and the company allowed her to combine her passions and past experience in the photography and tech worlds. “[Flory] is a photographer himself which I think really helps with doing what he does now, in that he has a first-hand account in relationship and experience with the creative world and with photographers,” Giese said. Giese, a KCPR alumna, attributes her self-starting and self-motivating foundation to her experiences at Cal Poly and working at the station. The community Giese surrounded herself with during her time on the airwaves solidified her appreciation for a company that values the creator and the community, such as VSCO, she said. Flory came to Cal Poly in 1998 with high expectations from family members who were alumni and older friends who attended. Coming in as an electrical engineering freshman and eventually switching to information technology, Flory said school was a humbling experience. Flory took an unconventional path his sophomore year, taking time off winter quarter to live in Whistler, British Columbia. He resumed his studies in San Luis Obispo for summer quarter. The next year, he took fall quarter off and traveled through Africa. As an industrial technology student, Flory enjoyed the mix of business and engineering. “A lot of the labs and a lot of the classes instilled the mindset that you needed to have in order to succeed in the classes where you couldn’t get frustrated or stuck,” Flory said. “You had to like, figure it out and find a way by working in a team. A lot of those team dynamics carried over in starting a business and the importance of collaboration and communication were all really ingrained into me at Cal Poly.” Flory advised current students who feel unsure of their path not to worry. “Cal Poly was definitely a period of time for me of figuring it out, and for many people, college is exactly that,” Flory said. “The rules aren’t exactly clear, and each year you start to learn a little more about how to be successful. Don’t take failure as the closing of a door — rather, a new skill you need to learn.” As for the future, Flory will continue to apply the lessons he has learned from Cal Poly into his company. “I went from a husband-wife photography team to now a CEO of a company in which we have members in over 160 countries with over 100 employees, and I’ve been learning by doing it,” Flory said. “Like the Learn by Doing value of Cal Poly, one of the core values of VSCO is ‘Always Moving Forward.’ When faced with a challenge, it’s not an option to give up, be done or defeated. It’s all with the mindset that progress is the direction we are going to move and we are going to keep going.”
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | ARTS | MUSTANG NEWS
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CURTAINS REMOVED AT LATEST ORCHESIS SHOW DANCE COMPANY’S 49TH ANNUAL CONCERT THEMED TABULA RASA
BY S A B RI N A T H OM PS O N Remove the curtains and wipe the stage as clean as a blank slate, and you have Orchesis Dance Company’s 49th annual concert, Tabula Rasa. Spanos Theater’s stage has been transformed into an open space and will no longer mask the backstage areas. The dancers will sit lining the back of the stage for the entirety of the show. Directed by professor Christy McNeil Chand, the show ran from Jan. 18-19, and Jan. 24-26 at 8 p.m. “I am not ever going to say this hasn’t been done before,” Chand said. “But it has not been done in an Orchesis concert before, which is exciting. I think that you are going to see more than what you usually see. You as an audience member have more agency.” With this design of the show, audience members can choose to watch the dancers that are moving onstage, or pay attention to the dancer sipping from her water bottle or warming up backstage, which, according to Chand, makes this year’s concert a “fuller” show. The show features a variety of styles, choreographed by Chand, Cal Poly Professor Diana Stanton, faculty member Michelle Walter, guest choreographers including David Dorfman and his wife Lisa Race, Texas Woman’s University professor Matthew Henley and a group of student choreographers. “It is important to present multiple voices in hopes of creating a diverse dance concert,” Chand said. “Additionally, I aim to expose the DANC345 (Orchesis class) students to a variety of choreographic and teaching styles. This is done by inviting two to three guest choreographers that reside outside of San
AL IS ON C H AVEZ | MUSTA N G N EWS
Tabula Rasa, Orchesis’ 49th annual concert is completely student-choreographed.
dancers the opportunity to showcase Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing motto, creating their own pieces based on the knowledge they have learned through their time with the dance company. Architecture sophomore Emily Chung choreographed one of the larger numbers in the show in a modern and contemporary style, incorporating elements of hip hop. When coming up with the idea for her number, Chung thought of the theme as starting over, and the impact we have on each other. Chung incorporated duet work and introspective individual movements to convey the theme. “I took that as starting over, almost,” Chung said. “Every time you have this blank slate, you start over. The decisions you make are important decisions but they are always going to be affected and always affect the people around you.” As a student choreographer, biochemistry senior Maile Crowder saw her work transformed. From the conceptualization of her dance to seeing the end result onstage, it has shown her how much a piece can change. “It’s been hard, but it’s been wonderful because I have an amazing cast,” Crowder said. “Like, when I first started I had no idea what the piece would look like and after finishing it, it’s weird how it looks like nothing you would have ever imagined.” For many of the dancers in the show, dance is something that they have done for a long time. For some, this concert is their last chance to perform with the troupe before graduation. “I really like Orchesis because none of us are trying to be professional dancers, but we all love dance so we put all this extra time into it because we love it,” Crowder said.
Behind the scenes of Tabula Rasa
AL IS ON C H AVEZ | MUSTA N G N EWS
The show exposes the inner-workings of the show to the audience between numbers.
Luis Obispo and one local choreographer, employing three faculty choreographers and choosing three to four student choreographers. Some choreographers work linearly, meaning that the piece is taught from start to finish, while others work in chunks that are then assembled to create a full dance. These experiences help to diversify the skills of each dancer.” The show’s design includes work from students in Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies (LAES) under the direction of Professor David Gillett, in projections and lighting that
will appear during some of the dance numbers and transitions.
Student choreographers
Student choreographers were selected by Chand, Stanton and Walter after presenting their ideas for a piece to include in the show. In selecting the students, they looked at how the students would showcase the theme and ideas in their dance, if this could be their last opportunity as a senior or if more opportunities for the student would be presented. This chance to choreograph a piece gives student
The show’s theme itself breaks away from the tradition of hiding the backstage areas of the theater, inviting audience members to experience the show in a more intimate and open way. “We decided this year we should maybe try and scale everything back and maybe present dance in more a blank space, a blank slate idea,” Chand said. “Then in thinking about it further I got the idea of having all of the dancers be present on the stage.” Now an audience member can see every moment of a dancer’s performance onstage, from entrance to exit and warming up in between numbers. In a traditional stage design, curtains create a box for audience members to view the performance in. By getting rid of these walls, you can see the sources of light, and how they affect the perception and look of the dancers. Tickets for “Tabula Rasa” can be bought at the Performing Arts Center Ticket office, by phone at 805-SLO-4TIX and online at pacslo.org for $20 for the public and $12 for students, seniors and children.
KEEP CALM AND CURRY ON Now there’s one more reason to love the end of the week. It’s FriYAY themed dinners at Canyon Café. Get together with friends and celebrate the beginning of the quarter with a delicious Indian meal on Jan. 25 from 6 - 9 p.m.
SUSTAINABILITY Campus Dining incorporates Imperfectly Delicious Produce (IDP for short) into its dishes where the look of the produce is not as important as its flavor.
#CHOOSEWELL Choose whole-grain ingredients when possible. For example, ask for a whole wheat bun at Bishop Craft Burger or Chick-fil-A. It’s a healthy and delicious choice.
SAVE THE DATES! Mark your calendars! Chef’s Table is moving to Wednesdays, starting Jan. 23 and will be featuring a curry chicken sandwich on Lavash flatbread! Got Meal Credits? Check out the Triple Swipe Meal at 805 Kitchen on Jan. 24 starting at 11 a.m. and enjoy a Santa Maria Style BBQ with all the fixins! Don’t miss next week’s Cooking in the Canyon cooking class and learn some handy meal prep tips. Visit our Facebook page for more information.
GET THE DISH DELIVERED HOT TO YOUR INBOX WEEKLY. SUBSCRIBE AT CALPOLYDINING.COM/ THEDISH
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
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H T U R T G N I K A E P S R E W O P O T
THOUSANDS TAKE TO THE STREETS IN SLO FOR ANNUAL WOMEN’S MARCH BY M AU REE N MC N A M A RA The 2019 “Truth to Power” San Luis Obispo Women’s March (WMSLO) took place this past Saturday, Jan. 19. The roughly 5,000 demonstrators gathered at Mitchell Park and proceeded to march through the streets of downtown. This year’s “Truth to Power” theme was shared by several of the marches that took place in California, including Women’s March Los Angeles, Women’s March San Francisco, and Women’s March Santa Barbara.
“[Truth to Power] is really about the power of speaking one’s truths,” Dawn Addis, the lead coordinator of WMSLO, said. “The women we’ve voted into power ran as themselves. They ran as mothers, as sisters, as LGBTQIA women, as women with disabilities, as women who have been victimized by gun violence or systemic police brutality. We’ve seen all these women use their truths in their campaign and in their messages to the public.” The most diverse Congress the United States has ever seen was sworn in after the most re-
cent election. The first two Muslim American women were elected to Congress and the first openly bisexual woman was elected to the Senate, along with a record-breaking number of women elected. “We saw some changes this election year,” WMSLO volunteer Christina Delekta said. “But it’s time to keep going, we’re not stopping.” Delekta, along with a few other demonstrators who attended both this year’s and last year’s marches, noted that the 2019 march had a much smaller turnout than the preceding year.
“[Last year] this park was overflowing,” march attendee Craig Jacobson said. “There was not grass left on the ground.” Delekta said it might be due to the champion diversity in the newly elected Congress that people are “slacking back” because of a shared sense of accomplishment, causing the relatively smaller turnout. The coordinators of this year’s march in San Luis Obispo are working to keep the momentum of the movement even as the country undergoes political change. “[We want] to keep people motivated and
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K ELS EY LUVI S A | MUSTA N G N EWS
The march proceeded through the streets of downtown, eventually making a loop back to Mitchell Park.
“[Truth to Power] is the triple track of speaking truth to power, speaking truth when in power, and using our truths to get into power.” DAWN ADDIS
Women’s March Lead Coordinator
KY LI E KOWA LS K E | MUSTA N G N EWS
S OFIA C LARK | MUSTANG NEW S
Demonstrators met before and after the march at Mitchell Park, where there was live music and a few speakers.
People of all ages attended the march, many being Cal Poly students.
unified,” Addis said. “We need to stay true to the cause and true to the course. We’re making long lasting change. We started in 2018 and we’re continuing that into the 2020 elections and beyond.” The Women’s March movement, Addis noted, needs more work to achieve the desired unification and inclusivity. There are various grassroots Women’s March movements across the nation, and while many of these organization share some continuity in their messages, they are distinct and separate organizations, according to a statement from Women’s March California. Women’s
March Inc., which held the march in Washington D.C. on Saturday, is an entirely separate organization from Women’s March California. “We’re not just committed to this section of the population, we’re committed to women’s rights and human rights for all sections of our community,” Addis said. “[We need] to make sure women’s marches are inclusive of all people.” The coordinators of WMSLO hope the movement begins to unify and remain alive and strong in the years to come. “We’re not done yet,” Delekta said. “Not by far.”
S OF I A C LA R K | MUSTA N G N EWS
People gathered at the rally before marching.
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS
S OF I A C LA R K | MUSTA N G N EWS
Demonstrators’ signs addresed a wide variety of subjects, including women’s and LGBTQIA rights.
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | OPINION | MUSTANG NEWS
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GUEST COLUMNIST
THE REAL COST OF THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
BY IAN LEVY Ian Levy is a political science sophomore and Cal Poly Democrats co-president. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.
OPINION S OP HIA O’KEE F E | MUSTA N G N EWS
IT’S TIME TO END THE BAN ON BOARDS BY Y ERVA N T M A LK H A SS I A N Yervant Malkhassian is a English sophomore and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News. Skateboards, scooters and rollerblades are all illegal to use on Cal Poly’s campus. I don’t believe we’ve ever been provided with a proper explanation. To my knowledge, I don’t think most students are even aware of this rule, considering there is only one rickety, insignificant-looking board hidden on campus indicating that skateboarding is prohibited. I happened to discover this lovely board only after being interrogated by a bike-riding UPD officer. I had been using a longboard due to an ankle injury. I thought to alleviate my pain by having my injured foot resting on the longboard while my healthy foot pushed and braked. Despite the downside of receiving a ticket, I found it amusing that it was delivered by a bike-riding officer who is paid to leisurely cycle around campus hunting down college students commuting to class. However, after contemplating the entire situation, the idea became less entertaining and more sinister. It was disturbing to see the man bearing the honorable, dignified position within law enforcement conduct himself in an unprofessional manner. It was only after he burdened me with a $300 ticket that I discovered — through my own initiative and not his prerogative — that I could alleviate my financial situa-
tion. The officer did not inform me of any kind of reprieve, including the option to pay a significantly lesser amount and attend a traffic class to avoid paying the ticket. I do not intend to make this article’s subject my sob story or a vindictive criticism of law enforcement; I hold the utmost respect for the men and women who protect and serve us. Instead, I wish to question the law regarding the use of skateboards on campus. After conducting some personal research into why skateboards are illegal to use on campus, I have discovered that UPD claims San Luis Obispo’s landscape is the cause. Skateboarding is regarded as dangerous because a
contain light traffic, and have bike lanes which can be shared? Zones where skating would be allowed and zones where skating would be prohibited could both be indicated by visible signs. If Cal Poly’s main concern is that skaters will perform tricks on rails and ledges and damage them in turn, they have no reason to worry because those rails and ledges are already equipped with blocks that prevent any form of sliding on them. Now, many might ask, “Why not just get a bike?” To start, bikes lack the same versatility that skateboards possess. It is not easy to hop on and off a bike. Secondly, despite the number of existing bike racks on cam-
After giving me my ticket, the officer had told me to start a petition if I wished to potentially legalize skating on campus. I am doing just that. rider cannot really stop while skating down a hill, potentially leading to injury and even death. However, I believe Cal Poly students are intelligent enough to comprehend that risk and prevent those accidents, considering those who skate typically use boosted boards. Boosted boards are electrically powered skateboards, providing riders with the freedom to efficiently accelerate and brake by balancing weight on the board. Even if boosted boards are not reason enough to allow skating on campus, the law should at least be amended to the convenience of the students in a safe fashion. Instead of completely prohibiting skating, why not only allow skating in certain zones that are flat,
pus, a student cyclist may not always find an open spot outside his or her class or apartment due to the high volume of bikes on campus. Skateboards on average are less costly than bikes. And sincerely speaking, if skateboards are illegal because they pose a physical threat, so should bikes. Bikes are big, carry greater momentum and would cause a bigger impact in a collision. I know I have been almost hit by one many times. It is time to become more open-minded about the use of skateboards on campus. After giving me my ticket, the officer had told me to start a petition if I wished to potentially legalize skating on campus. I am doing just that.
There are many consequences to a government shutdown. Confusion is rampant about who can get their food stamp SNAP benefits, our national parks are being entirely disregarded, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers likely won’t see a paycheck for their time furloughed. With that said, one of the biggest problems of the shutdown is actually a problem hiding in plain sight - the cause of the shutdown. The shutdown is not the result of anything other than fear and ignorance to facts, and while all the consequences of the shutdown are surly important and should be covered, this is an equally prevalent issue. For some background, we are currently witnessing the longest ongoing federal government shutdown this nation has ever seen. The shutdown, which began on December 22, is only occurring because of $5 billion dollars that President Donald Trump wants for his border wall. Some see this as a necessary step to securing the U.S border that might benefit the U.S, others see through this front and realize that there is a deeper meaning to the wall - that immigrants aren’t welcome. Clearly, this is a tense political issue. The message that immigrants aren’t welcome isn’t anything new. There has always been a hidden narrative of immigrants taking jobs in America, and President Trump’s comments are just a different manifestation of the same message of fearing the unknown. This fear is caused by a lack of understanding on the parts of Americans and Mustangs alike about what is happening at our border. Through this narrative, many have manipulated fear to say that drugs are being peddled through our border, that only the worst people are coming through, and that a wall is necessary. I present to you a more factual analysis, not predicated on fear. But this isn’t a one way road. Fact check everything you
Deals of the Week
Despite conventional (and late Ming Dynasty-esque) reasoning, a wall will not solve the problem of “illegal immigration,” nor will it prevent undocumented immigrants from coming to America. I challenge you to find a truth today. Look at the data about how much undocumented immigration
If our country needs to shut down its government and force confusion on the economically disadvantaged just to appease ignorance and fear, then we have truly stooped to a new low. is an attack dog. His house is generally open from the sidewalk, but of course security is present as it is at any former U.S President’s estate. Secondly, the myth that gang members, rapists, and drug smugglers are coming into our country through Mexico, is exactly that, a myth. Even Donald Trump, the main faucet of this hateful lie, has cited no evidence that it’s true other than, “talking to people at the border.” According to Politifact, a binational study found that there is no evidence of these claims, and that migration from Mexico has almost primarily been for U.S labor demand. If you look back through history, you’ll find all kinds of evidence that the U.S is often the instigator of immigration when they need labor, such was the case with the 1942 Bracero program. We do this because many (not all) economic studies show that immigration of unskilled laborers actual tends to grow overall GDP both in the short term, and down the road. The idea that there is some deep rooted problem in America of drugs coming through our border is a lie created by Trump to defend his explicitly racist views. Ever consider why no drug smugglers have ever come from Norway or Switzerland? Thirdly, let’s tackle the issue of the wall.
comes from the Mexican border, and what you’ll find is that most sources agree that the Mexican border is not where “illegal immigrants” are coming from. In fact, overstaying a visa is by far the largest method of becoming an undocumented immigrant in the U.S. How do you overstay a visa, you might ask? By flying in a plane - the mortal enemy of the archaic wall. So what does this mean? If our country needs to shut down its government and force confusion on the economically disadvantaged just to appease ignorance and fear, then we have truly stooped to a new low. I urge you not to go along with a poorly conceived lie about drugs coming through the U.S border, or about walls around Obama’s home, and open your eyes to the true victims of the shutdown. The final food stamps were issued Sunday January 20, and currently, no food stamps will be issued for the whole month of February. At the end of the day, what do we care about more, our citizens who now need to find food for the next month, or appeasing a false idea that all Mexicans push drugs into this country, a country founded on the backs of immigrants. The people hurt by the shutdown are every single one of us.
CREED BRATTON TALKS ‘THE OFFICE,’ GRASS ROOTS BY K EL LY M A RTI NEZ Today, actor and musician Creed Bratton may be best known for his role on the “The Office” – but his first love is rock and roll. Bratton’s musical roots can be traced back to his childhood, when he spent his days learning guitar chords from his grandfather in the mountains of Yosemite. By age 17, he was working as a professional musician. He performed music at dances all through college, then spent over two years touring Europe as a member of the band the Young Californians. Soon after, he joined another group, the 13th Floor. But Bratton’s music career really took off when he became the lead guitarist for the rock band the Grass Roots. In the summer of 1967, the band’s single “Let’s Live for Today” became a Top 10 hit, the first of many Billboard successes. Bratton recorded four albums with the Grass Roots, and they went on to become one of the best-known American rock bands of the 1960s and 70s. But in 1969, Bratton broke from The Grass Roots. “We had problems,” Bratton said. “I had problems with them, and they had problems with me… it was the ‘60s, you know?” After leaving The Grass Roots, Bratton’s focus fell on acting. After some time in plays and movies, Bratton landed a role on “The Office”: the role of himself. Bratton’s character, also named Creed Bratton, is an odd, eccentric figure whose life remains largely a mystery. The character is a self-proclaimed former addict, homeless man and hippie with a rather dark edge to him.
“That was the most lovely, wonderful experience,” Bratton said of his time on the sitcom. “Nine seasons with these amazing actors and we were all family, friends. We laughed and laughed and laughed.” Nowadays, Bratton is back to focusing on music and has been touring for ten years now. This January, he performed at the Fremont Theatre with the band The Walnuts. “Each [show] is just different,” Bratton said. “I’ve dusted off a few old [songs] that I’d forgotten about, one song called “Move to Win” and one I call “Faded Spats.”
F R EMON T | COU RT ESY
Creed performed at the Fremont Theater Jan. 10.
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | OPINION | MUSTANG NEWS
read on the news (including this article) and you’ll be better for it! Firstly, let’s try and agree on some facts. Despite what you’ve heard from the news or read on flyers posted around campus, the 10 foot concrete wall barricading Barack Obama’s home is as much a wall as a corgi
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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 a singer and songwriter born in New York on January 24, 1941. During my final year at NYU, I was offered a job writing music for a publishing company. It would help me become a prolific songwriter and a successful artist.
Word Scramble Rearrange the letters to spell something pertaining to slow cookers.
R O H S U
1. Political action committee 4. One point north of due east 7. Marital 12. Religious building 15. Intrinsic nature of something 16. Safe to drink 18. Letter of credit 19. Single Lens Reflex 20. Keeps you cool in summer 21. Monetary unit 24. The Eye Network 27. Moving with a bounding stride 30. Figures 31. Of the pia mater 33. Male offspring 34. Indicates near 35. Calvary sword 37. South American plant 39. Doctor of Education 41. Something to take 42. Remove the edges from 44. Inattentive 47. Pick up 48. Latch for a window 49. Region of the U.S. 50. Windy City ballplayer 52. The NFL’s big game (abbr.) 53. Be permanently present in 56. Novice 61. Pirate novel 63. In a law-abiding way 64. Where one sleeps 65. Criticize CLUES DOWN
1. Bullfighting maneuver 2. Egyptian Sun god 3. Predatory semiaquatic reptile
4. Register formally 5. Eating houses 6. Japanese port 7. Genus of rodents 8. Nigerian city 9. Milliwatt 10. Mistake! 11. Women’s __ movement 12. Greeting 13. Songbirds 14. An arrangement scheme 17. Heartbeat test 22. Push back 23. Intended for the audience only 24. Cycles per second 25. Impartiality 26. Polio vaccine developer 28. Bowel movements 29. South American Indian 32. Queen of Sparta 36. Confederate soldier 38. Emerged 40. Death 43. __ and flowed 44. Folk singer DiFranco 45. Email folder 46. Throbbed rhythmically 51. English rockers 54. Disaster relief operation 55. American model and TV personality Katherine 56. Potable 57. Tough outer layer 58. __ Spumante (Italian wine) 59. Troubles 60. Negative 62. Camper
HOROSCOPES ARIES – March 21/April 20 You can’t predict how people will react, Aries. What you find humorous may bend someone else out of shape. If you suspect a joke won’t go over wll, keep it to yourself.
LIBRA – Sept. 23/Oct. 23 Libra, sometimes it can be easy for you to fixate on a particular way of doing things. Consider if others have a better way to tackle the same task.
TAURUS – April 21/May 21 Keep your eyes open and you just may stumble onto something new and fascinating this week, Taurus. Now is a good time to explore new ideas and integrate them.
SCORPIO – Oct. 24/Nov. 22 Expect to reach a big milestone in your life in the next few days, Scorpio. This likely has something to do with your family or career. The praise is warranted.
GEMINI – May 22/June 21 You are not one to walk away from a challenge, Gemini. This week you may be confronted with a challenging obstacle. Devote all of your attention to the task at hand.
SAGITTARIUS – Nov. 23/Dec. 21 You need to focus and get back to work this week, Sagittarius. If things have slipped through your fingers, it could take a little time to regain your momentum. You can do it.
CANCER – June 22/July 22 Something will bring a smile to your face early in the week, Cancer. There is pretty much nothing that will wipe this smile off of your face.
CAPRICORN – Dec. 22/Jan. 20 Shop around for the best deals before making a large purchase, Capricorn. Take inventory of your finances so your next move does not prove a setback.
LEO – July 23/Aug. 23 Leo, try not to push yourself too much this week. Maintain a low profile and go through with your normal routine; otherwise, you might ruffle the wrong feathers. VIRGO – Aug. 24/Sept. 22 Do not panic when a glitch occurs in your bestlaid plans, Virgo. With a few easy modifications, you can work through it quickly. Look at the situation from a different angle.
AQUARIUS – Jan. 21/Feb. 18 You may be ready for something or someone new, Aquarius. Right now is a good time to connect with a new passion that can bring you even more success than you had imagined. PISCES – Feb. 19/March 20 Try to focus your energies in a positive way, Pisces. You can accomplish what you set your mind to with the right attitude and perseverance.
See answers at mustangnews.net/games-answers
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS
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B R I A N T R U ON G | MUSTA N G N EWS
Averaging 29 minutes a game, Hana Vesela plays a big role for the Mustangs in all areas of the court.
CZECH TRANSFER HOPES TO BE A DIFFERENCE MAKER FOR THE MUSTANGS BY NAYT HA N BRYA N T As a child growing up in the Czech Republic, Hana Vesela said she was always intrigued by America. From an early age, she wanted to learn the language and culture of the United States, and to partake in what some call ‘the American dream.’ So, when the opportunity arrived for Vesela to enter an exchange program during her junior year of high school, she took it. She moved over 5,000 miles away to the town of Brimley, Michigan. “Before I came to the states, I was hoping for a big city, like the stuff you see on TV, like High School Musical,” Vesela said. “I was like, ‘Yeah! The high school is going to be just like that!’”
cruiters as a result. “Michigan State was the biggest school to notice me,” Vesela said. “I kind of wanted to stay in Michigan to have some people I know from high school and to be close to my second home, so that was an easy decision to make.” After returning to the Czech Republic to finish her senior year of high school, Vesela began her collegiate basketball career at Michigan State. During Vesela’s time as a Spartan, Michigan State made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-4 power forward averaged 7.4 minutes per game in her 39 appearances and averaged 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds while shooting .458 overall as a sophomore. However, Michigan State is not the
Everybody is jealous of me back home. There’s no snow, I can just walk around in a t-shirt in January.” only team Vesela would play for during this time. Vesela’s skillful knowledge of the game granted her an opportunity most athletes only dream of — to represent her national team at the 2016 FIBA European Championship in Podgorica, Montenegro. “It was a really cool experience. You know, the pride and everything that comes with that, it’s really nice,” Vesela said. “There were only 12 girls representing the Czech Republic, so it was really special.” While Vesela was enjoying her time at Michigan State, a couple factors led the player to consider transferring to
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While the small town with a population of just over 1,000 was not exactly the ‘American dream’ Vesela had hoped for, it did have a high school basketball team. Over the next 10 months, Vesela picked up English while playing basketball and became fond of the small town. “I think the small community really fit me because I need people to rely on,” Vesela said. “It was really nice to have a smaller community and to fit in quickly.” Vesela dominated her time on the court in Brimley and was recognized as the Eastern Upper Peninsula League Player of the Year in 2013-14, catching the attention of several collegiate re-
a new school. While looking at different colleges, Vesela said her visit to Cal Poly was amazing. The facilities, coaching staff and location of the school all prompted Vesela to transfer to Cal Poly in 2018. San Luis Obispo was more like the ‘American dream’ Vesela had been expecting. “Everybody is jealous of me back home,” Vesela said. “There’s no snow, I can just walk around in a t-shirt in January.” Since officially becoming a Mustang, Vesela has already made an immediate impact for Cal Poly Basketball. In her debut game, Vesela registered a team-high of 17 points and led the program to a 60-50 win over Seattle U. Since then, Vesela has averaged 28 minutes per game, solidifying her spot as one of the program’s top players. With two games of conference play behind them, Vesela hopes to bring success to the program this season with her shooting potential and rebounding abilities. “We’re hoping to win the [Big West Conference],” Vesela said. “It’s going to be a long season and we kind of have a new team, so now we’re getting the chemistry together. It’s fun to see how it’s developing, so we’ll see how it goes.” Whether the Mustangs can pull off a Championship season or not, Hana Vesela is here, and she is here to stay.
HOW CAROLINE WALTERS IS TRANSITIONING TO THE POSITION
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In his senior year, Donovan Fields is averaging 17 points and 4.5 assists per game.
DONOVAN FIELDS HITS 1,000 POINTS SENIOR POINT GUARD HITS MILESTONE BY KYLE HA R Cal Poly Men’s Basketball’s senior point guard Donovan Fields hit a remarkable milestone amidst a tough season for the Mustangs. Fields scored 1,000 career points on Saturday, Jan. 12 during Cal Poly’s 7874 defeat to CSUN in overtime. He became the 24th player in program history to score 1,000 career points, achieving the feat in less than three years. “It is an amazing feeling,” Fields said. “I sacrificed a lot of things for basketball, so it is good to see some positive results out of it.” The team’s captain has scored double-digit points in 11 of the 15 games played. He kicked the season off with a career-high of 30 points in a victory against Menlo College. He later tied that career-high, with another 30 points against CSUN. Not only does he lead the team in scoring, but he also leads the team with 71 assists and averages 2.3 assists per game. Fields is from Newburgh, New York, where he played basketball at Newburgh Free Academy. He then attended Odessa College for one year before transferring to Cal Poly after his freshman season. “I wanted to play Division-1 basketball ever since I was a kid,” Fields said. “Whether
it be in New York, Texas, or wherever, I was willing to go anywhere as long as I was playing at the highest level.” During his first season at Cal Poly, he averaged 11.3 points per game. Fields’ scoring gradually improved all three seasons, as he is now averaging 17 points per game in his senior season. “His improvement over the course of three years has been astonishing,” head coach Joe Callero said. “The best thing about Donovan’s growth is that we can watch film, talk about things and he can just implement it into the game.” Being an undersized player at a listed 5 feet 10 inches, Fields said he plays with a chip on his shoulder. He gets extra shots off by himself after practice every day and has set individual workout that he does every day as well. “I have always been the shortest on my team, so being the shortest guy I have to play a little bit harder and make fewer mistakes than everybody else out there,” Fields said. With the recent defeat to CSUN, Cal Poly falls to 4-11 in the season and 0-2 in conference play. Fields and the Mustangs will be playing their next game at UC Davis on Saturday, Jan. 19.
Caroline Walters brings in 10 years of experience as a part of the Cal Poly Volleyball coaching staff.
BY FRA NCI SCO M A RTI N EZ For many sports teams, the transition between head coaches can be tumultuous. Newly-named volleyball head coach Caroline Walters might be an exception to the rule. “This transition will be rather seamless,” Walters said. “I feel like I have a good grasp on things and I’m very excited for the future.” Walters, who was named head coach after Sam Crosson left to take over the head coaching job at California, was an assistant head coach to the team since 2009. In between that time, she witnessed firsthand the program’s rise to become a nationally-ranked program and the ups-and-downs along the road. “I think you learn more from the down seasons, honestly. It was the time where we really put our heads down and worked,” Walters said. “ I think it’s a testament to those hard years [and] all of our success that we’ve had the past two seasons and we look forward to continuing that as we move forward.” Walters trek forward began with making her first call as head coach to bring back Jason Borchin as an assistant coach to the program. Borchin, who was an assistant coach at Notre Dame during the 2018 season, played a factor in Walters’ seamless transition to her position. “Bringing Jason back was a huge part of that because he did recruit a lot of these kids,” Walters said. “I thinking having that continuity between the things has been really special, especially with our incoming recruits.” Borchin attributes his return to his and
Walters’ mutual respect for the sport and their shared goal of making taking the volleyball program to the next level. “I respect Caroline a lot,” Borchin said. “We have the same views and beliefs for the program and when she got [the head coaching position], I just felt like coming home.” Although the team is losing graduating seniors Adlee Van Winden and Katherine Brouker, many of the this season’s players will be returning to the squad for next season. Their departures created holes in the squad that Walters will be looking to fill this upcoming season. “Some kids that haven’t been on the court for us a ton, I think, will have the ability to step in some roles very nicely that were created and that Katherine and Adlee set the tone for,” Walters said. “They really have taken this program to the next level, and I think all of our kids are ready to step into those roles as well.” Crosson advised Walters to make the program her own, knowing that she can add her own unique flavor to the team after building the program over their tenure together. For Walters, this means setting the team’s bar higher for the next season, and preparing them for postseason play through tougher non-conference opponents than in seasons prior. “I would love to take us to the second round, third round,” Walters said. “I think Sweet 16 is something that will be achievable with this group. We have a lot of time between now and then, so it’s really gonna be about getting the most out of every day between now and that time.”
TUESDAY • JANUARY 22, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS
NEW VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH
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