Fawcett returns to tennis after injuries. SPORTS, pg. 8
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
WORD ON THE STREET What do you think WASC stands for?
Volume LXXVI, Number 97
Poly accreditation under review SEAN MCMINN
seanmcminn.md@gmail.com
Cal Poly will try to put its best foot forward today after five years of work preparing for this week’s visit by a university-accreditation committee. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) will send five delegates to campus today. Led by former Washington State University president Samuel Smith, the group will tour Cal Poly and speak to people from different areas in the university, including Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong. During the visit, which typically occurs every 10 years, WASC will evaluate the university on predetermined criteria. To keep the university’s accreditation status, Cal Poly must meet all of the criteria. Director of the Cal Poly Center for Teaching and Learning Bruno Giberti and associate vice president for institutional review David Conn led the effort to prepare for the WASC review. The two said their goal was to make sure Cal Poly is ready for the visit.
“Women’s American Sports Center.’” • Edgar Uribe mechanical engineering sophomore
“Western Association Student Accreditation.” • Steven Chin computer engineering sophomore
www.mustangdaily.net
“In some ways, it’s the culmination of a five-year process,” Giberti said. That process started with a submission of documents to WASC, indicating Cal Poly’s plan on how to self-evaluate the university before the committee comes. The proposal, which WASC accepted in late 2007, focuses on Cal Poly’s identity as a polytechnic university in the 21st century. Giberti said they found that Cal Poly is unique in its work as a polytechnic school. “It combines aspects of different kinds of universities,” he said. “So at this point in the game, it is a complete, comprehensive polytechnic university.” Students will also have the opportunity to speak about Cal Poly with WASC representatives at an open forum Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. Conn said he anticipates students who attend will have very specific issues they want to discuss with the WASC panel, but he hopes that by combining the forum with visits around campus, the committee will see an accu-
rate slice of what it is like to attend Cal Poly. “The team is here to validate what they read in the report and see what Cal Poly is like in person,” Conn said. Cal Poly administrative coordinator Rachel Henry worked to organize committees for the self-evaluation and was one of the editors of the final report. She said though the WASC team will spend most of its time on campus with administration and faculty, she strongly encourages students to attend the forum and become involved in the evaluation process. “It’s a good opportunity for students to take ownership of their own education,” Henry said. As part of the proposal and reports created in preparation for the WASC visit, the teams Henry helped form evaluated the status of current university practices. One of their findings is, though the university has embraced “Learn By Doing” as a philosophy ingrained into the see WASC, pg. 2
GRAPHIC BY MELISSA WONG
Climbing park to open mid-month BRIAN DE LOS SANTOS
bdls.md@gmail.com
“What A Sarcastic Animal.” • Nick Shields kinesiology senior
“Women’s Association Scuba Diving Convention.” • Joi Sullivan political science freshman
BRIAN DE LOS SANTOS/MUSTANG DAILY
The new climbing park at the Cal Poly Recreation Center will feature a climbing tower which is 42-feet-tall and a 13-foot, free-climb boulder.
CHECK OUT
ARTS, pg. 4
MUSTANGDAILY.NET
New poet brings hip-hop to ATOG.
for articles, videos, photos & more.
Cal Poly Recreation Center attendees will soon have another form of exercise to choose from — but it’s a bit different than lifting weights. A new, outdoor rock-climbing park featuring a four-story climbing tower and a 13-foot boulder is set to open as early as mid-April. The park, which is an expansion of the original wall that stood on the Northeast side of the McPhee University Union, is located between the Recreation and Health centers. It will feature more options and routes that range in difficulty from inexperienced to experienced climbers, options the former wall did not have, Associated Students, Inc. outdoor program coordinator Nancy Clark said. “We had a very big climbing group that always came and always climbed,” Clark said. “But the wall itself was so small that if we didn’t change out the routes on a more regular basis, they got bored with it. This one is just going to have more surface area to keep everyone entertained for a longer period.” The routes in the new rock park won’t be that easy, as they fall into the highest class (class five) of the Yosemite Decimal System — which gives numerical values to rate the difficulty of various climbs. According to Climber.org, a grade-five climb is one that requires a safety rope and protective gear, among other requirements. The tower outside the Recreation Center will range anywhere from a 5.5 to 5.8 grade, Clark said. “We do have some systems that go up to 5.10, and you would have to be a pretty good climber to climb 5.10,”
Tomorrow’s Weather: high mostly sunny
72˚F
low 50˚F
Clark said. While the the rock wall itself will have users strap up into harnesses, the new boulder will give members a chance to free climb above a softened landing area. Once students reach the top, there will be an area where they can walk down safely without having to climb, known as a top-out boulder. Adding new features and expanding the climbing park is something that University Union Advisory Board (UUAB) chair Karen Mesrobian said will add to the diversity of experiences at the Recreation Center, and expose people to exercises they might never have had the chance to do before. “It’s daunting, but it’s also amazing,” Mesrobian said. “If we can just get people to try it, to broaden their horizons, and also provide an opportunity for the people who are skilled to have that access, that’s the goal. If people are using it, then we’re successful.” And that includes beginners. Clark said the 10 newly-hired climbing wall supervisors will offer training courses to novice climbers, so the area can accommodate users of all skill levels. Prior to the opening of Cal Poly’s park, climbers had other options at two local gyms, Crux Climbing Center and SLO-Op Climbing. While both specialize in different types of climbing, Clark said she is convinced the new park will not affect membership numbers at the local gyms. “We are so student-based, and I know a lot of my staff climbs at SLOOp, and they are not going to stop doing that,” Clark said. “It’s a different environment. It’s a different clientele. It’s a different feel.” Mechanical engineering senior Myl-
INDEX News.............................1-3 Arts..............................4-5
see CLIMBING, pg. 2
Opinions/Editorial...........6 Classifieds/Comics.........7 Sports...........................7-8
MDnews 2
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Students camp for sustainability
WASC continued from page 1
heart of the school, there is no system to evaluate and quantify the benefits gained by it. This created a problem in communicating Learn By Doing results to WASC. “The whole thing is supposed to be evidencebased,” Conn said. One of the areas looked at was the Cal Poly senior project. Giberti said though the senior project serves as a capstone of what students learn at Cal Poly, it is generally not reflective of the cumulative knowledge that students gain at the university. “(The senior project) was
CLIMBING continued from page 1
COURTESY PHOTO
This is the second Convergence that Cal Poly has hosted. The last had a recordbreaking turn-out of more than 400 students. MERCEDES RODRIGUEZ
mercedesrodriguez.md@gmail.com
More than 300 students from Humboldt to San Diego with a passion for sustainability will come together for camping, yoga and learning at this month’s California Student Sustainability Coalition’s 2012 Spring Convergence. The three-day student-run event, themed “Building A ResoNATION,” will take place April 27 to 29. Participants are asked to bring something that resonates with them to build a greener future. The event is free for all Cal Poly students and is hosted by the local chapter of the non-profit sustainability coalition, the Empower Poly Coalition. Empower Poly sponsors environmentally-minded clubs such as the Cal Poly Surfriders and TOMS Club. Convergence coordinator and anthropology and geography senior Jordan Lambert said the event will begin with dinner and camping at SLO Creek Farms, near Avila Beach. Participants will wake up with sunrise yoga in the nearby apple orchards, and then the event will move to the Cal Poly campus. Students will lead workshops on such topics as agriculture and local jurisdictional politics. Lambert said students can play a crucial role in sustainability activism.
“Students are at that point where we’re learning and connecting with one another,” Lambert said. “We’re going to be organizers in a few years, and we’re going to be around for a long time. We can influence people both younger and older to make a change.” There will also be a keynote speech by Emmy-winning documentarian Larry Lansburgh. Lansburgh will discuss the Achuar people of Ecuador, who successfully maintained autonomy against the influences of big oil companies. Empower Poly Coalition president and natural resources management senior Victoria Carranza said success stories such as that of the Achuar people are good for the image of sustainability. “There’s a doomsday effect that the environmental movement sometimes has, but we want the success stories,” Carranza said. This is the second time Cal Poly will host the event — the first time was in Spring 2009. “We hope to get President Armstrong there, and to get students excited about getting out of their elements,” Carranza said. “We’re in a college setting getting degrees in critical thinking, approaching a problem and really digesting it before you act. Not accepting what is, but really questioning.” Carranza also stressed that
the event is about passion and sharing knowledge, and everyone is welcome. Recent San Francisco State University alumna Tia Tyler has attended multiple Convergences, including the one Cal Poly hosted in 2009. “There were a lot of people,” Tyler said of the event. “I remember being overwhelmed, but a good overwhelmed.” Fellow Convergence Coordinator and city and regional planning junior Tessa Salzman said participants should think of themselves as responsible for causing significant change. “We’re responsible to take action because we’re capable,” Salzman said. “We’re in the best space to be able to make change.” She stressed that responsibility means “the ability to respond,” and shouldn’t be considered an obligation, but an opportunity. According to Salzman, there will be an auction dinner as well. It is held to raise money for the main event. The fundraiser will be April 13 at the Ludwick Community Center. More information about the Empower Poly Coalition can be found at empowerpoly.org. Register for the Spring Convergence 2012 at the sustainability coalition’s website. The fee for the event is waived for all Cal Poly students who wish to attend.
es Wittman, who’s been an avid climber for two-anda-half years, said he thinks the same. “I absolutely think members ... will stay with the local businesses,” Wittman said. “SLO-Op is a very high-quality bouldering gym, so if you are looking for bouldering,
looked at closely as a program for the first time in some time,” Giberti said. He said their findings concluded there is also a large disparity in grades on senior projects, and the WASC committee would like to see less of a gap between high- and low-performance projects. The WASC team will meet with Armstrong at the end of the visit Thursday morning. There, they will present recommendations to him, as well as a summary of their visit. Immediately after, the group will present their findings in a 30-minute public meeting. There are no plans to answer questions from students after
that presentation. “When they give that exit presentation,” Conn said, “although it isn’t necessarily complete, they want it to be as complete as possible and as accurate as possible. Because they don’t want to be saying things, obviously, that people will find inaccurate.” Accredited universities such as Cal Poly are officially recognized as trustworthy universities, according to the WASC website. Only students at accredited schools are accepted for financial aid in the form of Cal Grants. Additionally, units are significantly easier to transfer to other universities from an accredited college.
you will go there. The new wall on campus does have a boulder, but it is nowhere near the size at SLO-Op.” Wittman said he enjoys outdoor climbing as much as he can and is excited to see a climbing park on campus. He said he is the type of student who doesn’t enjoy lifting weights or running on the treadmill. When the new park opens, he plans to be there
at least three times a week. “I am honestly just stoked to be able to train on campus between classes,” Wittman said. “I am into something I can work out on and see improvement. So to me, the Rec Center hasn’t opened yet. It’ll open once the rock wall opens.” The climbing park will be free to all Cal Poly students and Rec Center members.
Court OKs strip searches DAVID SAVAGE
Tribune Washington Bureau
The Supreme Court refused to halt routine strip searches of new jail inmates, including those arrested for minor offenses, saying the need to screen out weapons and drugs outweighs the right to privacy. The 5-4 majority ruled it would be “unworkable” to require guards who at large county jails must screen hundreds of new inmates to spare those who may not appear dangerous. The decision is a defeat for civil liberties groups and a New Jersey man who was strip searched twice after he was stopped on a highway and taken to jail, where he spent six days, over an unpaid fine that he had already paid. “Jails can be even more dangerous than prisons because officials there know so little about the people they admit,” said Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. He noted that Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, was arrested and taken to jail for a traffic offense. Outlawing close “visual inspections” of some new inmates would raise “the risk of
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increased danger to everyone in the facility,” Kennedy said for the court’s conservative bloc. Two years ago, county officials in Chicago agreed to pay a $55 million settlement to a large class of arrested people after a federal judge ruled that routine strip searches were unconstitutional. Lawyers said many states have laws that forbid strip searches except when police or guards have reason to suspect a person entering the jail may have a weapon or drugs. The justices also said counties might want to adopt policies against putting persons behind bars, even temporarily, for unpaid fines or traffic violations. But they refused to adopt such a policy as a matter of constitutional law. American Civil Liberties Union Legal Director Stephen Shapiro said the ruling “jeopardizes the privacy rights of millions of people who are arrested each year.” They can be strip searched, even if they “may be in jail only for a few hours,” he said. Albert Florence, a finance director for a car dealership, was driving his wife and three children in his
new BMW in 2005 when he was stopped by a New Jersey state trooper. Florence was handcuffed, put under arrest and taken to jail because of an outstanding warrant. It was all a mistake. His fine had been paid. But Florence was held for six days in two county jails, including in Newark. He was required to remove his clothes, shower and undergo a “visual examination” by a guard. After his release, he sued the two counties for violating his privacy and subjecting him to a humiliating strip search. Kennedy stressed the court was ruling only on the strip searches, not the circumstances of Florence’s arrest. He also noted that Essex County jail admits 25,000 inmates a year. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. agreed with his opinion. In dissent, Justice Stephen G. Breyer said it was unreasonable to subject possibly innocent persons to humiliating searches. He said at least 10 states limit the use of strip searches for arrestees. The case was Florence vs. Board of Chosen Freeholders of Burlington County.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
SLO COUNTY
STATE
LOS OSOS —
LOS ANGELES —
WASHINGTON D.C. —
RUSSIA —
A woman crashed her car into a parked vehicle, pushing it through the owner’s garage door in Los Osos late Sunday night. The driver — Tania Reann Haub, 33 — was arrested for driving under the influence as well as hit-and-run charges and taken to San Luis Obispo County Jail. Martha Lewis, the owner of the house and parked vehicle, also reported damages to her fence and landscaping. The struck vehicle had been issued to Lewis’ husband by his employer a few weeks ago, Lewis told The Tribune. Cal Poly professor Kendi Root is raising funds to help the Lewises.
A 1996 voter initiative that banned consideration of race in the University of California admissions decisions doesn’t violate the Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled Monday in the latest challenge brought by affirmative-action advocates. Civil rights activists and minority students sued then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and UC President Mark Yudof two years ago, seeking to restore racial preferences to increase the ranks of black, Latino and Native American students. Consideration of race in the state university admissions policy was banned by the state’s Proposition 209.
President Barack Obama hosted the leaders of Mexico and Canada on Monday in a White House summit aimed at boosting the region’s growing economic ties, but the scourge of drug violence in Mexico muddled the message and highlighted friction between the neighbors. Obama met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and the three announced an initiative to cut regulations that constrict trade across the northern and southern borders. But the drug war, which has killed tens of thousands of people in Mexico, dominated the Rose Garden news conference.
Thirty-one people were killed in a plane crash in Russia’s central Siberia region, on Monday, media reports quoting the government said. The Russian plane, carrying 43 people, crashed and caught fire soon after take-off from an airport in Tyumen. Twelve people survived, officials from the Emergency Situations Ministry said, according to the Interfax news agency. There were four crew members and 39 passengers onboard. Many of them were energy industry workers or residents of the oil-producing cities of Nefteugansk and Khanty-Mansiysk, Interfax reported.
WORD ON THE STREET Will you use the new rock climbing wall?
“Probably not. I’m not much of a rock climber.” • Drew Meulman business administration sophomore
“If I’m feeling adventurous.” • Rebecka Runyan modern languages and literatures senior
“Yeah, sure. It looks pretty neat” • Daniel Wheaton kinesiology senior
“Yes. It’s a really fun way to get exercise outside.” • Courtney Jacobsen business administration freshman
NATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL
MDnews 3 Multiple fatalities after Oakland school shooting MATT STEVENS
Los Angeles Times
The man suspected of shooting and fatally wounding multiple people at a religious college in Oakland had previously been a nursing student at the school. Pastor Jong Kim, who founded Oikos University about 10 years ago, told the Oakland Tribune he was unsure if the alleged shooter had been expelled from the school or dropped out voluntarily. He said he heard about 30 gunshots while remaining in his office for safety. Lucas Garcia, a teacher at the school, told KGO-TV he heard a half-dozen shots in the middle of a lesson before someone yelled that someone had a gun. Garcia said there are a little more than 100 students enrolled at the university, but not all were on campus at the time. He said the school teaches
the Bible, nursing and English. “It’s a small school,” he told KGO-TV. Police arrested the suspect several miles away in Alameda at a shopping center Monday afternoon. Authorities had described the gunman as an Asian man with a heavy build and wearing khaki clothing. According to its website, Oikos University is a Christian university that “was established specifically to serve the community of Northern California in general and San Francisco and Oakland areas in particular.” The school is not far from Oakland International Airport and the Oakland Coliseum. Officials said there were “mass fatalities” in the shooting, but it remained unclear how many people were killed. Several media reports said about 10 people were hit but there were conflicting reports as to how many are dead.
Syrian army reported killing civilians, fellow soldiers ROY GUTMAN
McClatchy Newspapers
Former Syrian soldiers who have escaped to northern Iraq are telling grisly stories of how their units executed unarmed civilians for demonstrating against the Assad regime and staged mass reprisals when residents shot back, on one occasion lining up and shooting 30 defenseless civilians. The former soldiers — Syrian Kurds who’ve crossed the mountainous border into Iraq's Kurdistan region in small groups over the past three months, a group that now totals well more than 400 — also brought tales of colleagues being shot for not firing on civilians. One former noncommissioned special-forces officer even said he suspected that other government troops had orchestrated an ambush his unit endured, in an effort to motivate the unit to kill civilians. Members of a special United Nations commission of inquiry said they’d heard many reports of soldiers being shot for not shooting civilians but that they hadn't been able to confirm them. The U.N. investigators said they hadn’t heard reports of governmentstaged ambushes against its own forces. Reports of brutality against Syrian civilians in the year since the government of President Bashar Assad has moved aggressively against demonstrators demanding Assad’s removal are nothing new. But those accounts have come largely from members of the opposition or refugees, who’ve told investigators of them. The testimonies of the former soldiers, however, are the first accounts from individuals who were serving in military units that allegedly carried out the atrocities. They provide new substance to the U.N.’s accusations that the Syrian government may be guilty of “crimes against humanity” for its brutal suppression of the anti-Assad uprising. With foreign reporters largely banned from Syria, there's no way to confirm much of what the former soldiers say. But the accounts of more than a dozen deserters whom McClatchy Newspapers interviewed offered a consistent tale of men in uniform who at first tried to avoid carrying out their orders and then fled their country rather than continue to open fire on
what they considered to be innocent civilians. None of the deserters said they intended to return to Syria to take up arms against Assad. One of the most detailed accounts came from a former soldier who identified himself as Master Sgt. Maxim Kawa, a pseudonym he adopted to protect his family, still in Syria. Kawa, who said he was 26, said he was based in Homs with the Syrian special forces, an elite unit that was deployed repeatedly in the heartland of the uprising to suppress civilian protesters starting last May. Kawa said the unit's mission was to protect and clear the way for one of Syria’s 16 security services to seize civilian resisters, but that his unit’s members also were ordered to execute civilians. This they did until something snapped, and top officers were sent in to give them a two-day “re-education” course. Kawa said the unit mounted repeated assaults on civilian protesters in Baba Amr, a part of Homs that the army retook in February after 26 days of artillery bombardment, in the towns of Rastan, about 12 miles from Homs, and Tel Kalakh, on Syria’s border with Lebanon. Kawa’s unit occupied Rastan for eight days last May, losing one soldier to an armed local. “Our officers told us that we must take revenge for our friends,” Kawa said. “They pushed us to kill civilians.” He said his group of about 50 soldiers dragged 30 men out of their houses, tied their hands behind their backs and took them to the town's main street. “We put them against a wall and shot them,” he said. A truck was sent in to collect the bodies, along with tanks to target the town, but there was a dispute among officers over the next step. A top officer ordered the tanks to retreat, but Kawa’s immediate commander countermanded it, saying he was operating under direct command of the minister of defense. “If the tanks retreat, I will shoot you,” he threatened. “Use up your ammunition,” Kawa quoted his commander as saying. “You must clean the area, so there is no shooting back.” Yet a day later there was another demonstration of 400 to 500 men, women and children, and as the crowd chanted “Allahu Akhbar” — God is great — his commander
ordered the unit to “Shut them up.” First they fired small arms over the crowd. “But they didn't stop,” Kawa recalled. The commander was angry. “He said, ‘Shell in their midst,’ with a rocketpropelled grenade. I saw with my binoculars that people were killed,” Kawa said. Kawa said that he and his group “didn't kill anybody directly. But when they gave us the order to fire a shell, maybe someone has been killed.” The troops were traumatized. After Rastan, Kawa said, “soldiers were breaking down.” That’s when more than a dozen top officers came to his base and gave two days of what he described as “political orientation.” The officers told the troops they were being deployed not to kill protesters opposed to the Assad regime but to counter “radical Muslims” who were planning to set up an Islamic caliphate — terminology used by al-Qaida that means a religiously ruled state. “These people are bad people,” Kawa recalled the top officers telling the 300 soldiers in his group. “Take revenge for your friends. You didn't come here to be killed.” On their next mission, to Bab Sbaa in Homs, Kawa’s unit was ambushed by what he now thinks was another government unit that had been sent there for that purpose. “It was at 3 or 4 in the morning, and we were to search the houses and clear the way for the security forces to arrest,” Kawa recalled. As his unit moved into the area, it came under attack from a large truck that blocked the main street. “They were shooting at us,” he said. One soldier was killed and two were wounded. That same day a close friend in the same unit received a call from his brother, who serves in the Syrian air force intelligence service. “He asked if anything had happened to him,” Kawa recounted. “He told him, 'We have an order to shoot you.’” Kawa said he now thought
that government security forces set up the ambush “just to push us to continue fighting.” The word got around the unit quickly, further depressing morale. The unit was ambushed again two days later. This time, he said, an officer and five soldiers were killed. A deep rift developed in the unit, Kawa said. He said a lieutenant who defected to the rebels later in the year planned the assassination of the unit's commander, who was said to have had a direct connection to Assad. He “laid a trap for him by telling people in Rastan about his movements. They assassinated him,” Kawa told McClatchy. Altogether Kawa's group carried out four missions to
Rastan, eight to Bab Sbaa, five to Baba Amr and many others — as many as 100 in the second half of 2011. Kawa fled Syria on Jan. 5. For the non-elite troops, harsh conditions, poor food, cancellation of all leaves, corruption among officers and indefinite extensions of service prompted many to plot their escapes. Several said they had to take money from their families to buy food from local merchants. But if caught sneaking off base, they faced beatings, humiliation and a week or more in the brig. They described prison conditions as medieval, with 30 to 40 men packed into a small cell.
MDarts 4
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
ATOG goes hip-hop with new poet DAVID LIEBIG
davidliebig.md@gmail.com
The MultiCultural Center (MCC) will host a celebration of diversity and words Wednesday night with the return of its popular poetry event, Another Type of Groove (ATOG). The event offers open mics to attendees before and after showcasing a notable poet hired by the MCC; it usually takes place the first Wednesday of every month. ATOG’s featured artist this month is hip-hop artist Dahlak Brathwaite. Brathwaite’s talents spill over into other mediums besides hip-
There’s a real sense of community. There’s a lot of support and people pushing themselves outside their comfort zone. JOY HARKINS MCC COORDINATOR
hop, such as writing and acting in multiple plays, winning the Brave New Voices poetry slam and helping college students become politically involved as a member of iLL-Literacy: a group which has visited hundreds of colleges to provide entertainment as well as guide stu-
HOROSCOPES TUESDAY, APRIL 3 ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You’ll find that your attraction to others is actually becoming stronger. How this can benefit you will be clearer by day’s end. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — You’ll have to stand by for a while today and watch someone else surge ahead. Pay attention to how and when he does what he does. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — The wishes you have only recently made — whether or not you were conscious of them — are going to start to come true today, in small ways. CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You may have to make a quick getaway of sorts, but the reason is perfectly logical and entirely legal. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Your success will be measured in small increments. What’s important is that you keep moving forward, even in the face of opposition. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — A chance encounter leaves you with the feeling that something important is about to happen. You’ll want to pay close attention! LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — A surprise comes your way today, but you won’t be reacting as if you were surprised; rather, you’ll be on the move just as directed. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — You must maintain a realistic outlook, even though what happens around you defies reason — if only for a short time. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — The conclusion to a long-term contest proves satisfying today, even though you may have to adjust your outlook a bit as a result. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Someone may be trying to solicit your support, but you are loath to give it without first finding out a few more pertinent details. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — You’re not likely to surprise anyone today if you insist on doing what you’ve been planning. Improvisation, however, can work wonders. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — You’ll find yourself halfway through one project just as you are starting another. It’s time, once again, to try multitasking.
dent activism. ATOG assistant coordinator and biomedical engineering senior Jose Beltran said Brathwaite’s hip-hop influences set him apart from past featured poets. “I’m really anticipating a different vibe or a different feel this time,” Beltran said. “This guy — from the stuff that I got to see online — is really good.” Although Brathwaite has a rap-based approach, Beltran said any form of spoken-word art is welcome during the open mic portion of the night. “Some people have rapped before,” he said. “Some people have beatboxed. You can sing. You can really do whatever. Whatever you can do on a mic, you can do at Another Type of Groove.” The open-forum nature of ATOG is one way in which the event furthers the MCC’s goals. MCC coordinator Joy Harkins said the center’s primary objective is “to celebrate and promote awareness of diversity on campus.” “We do that by providing different opportunities for dialog, performance (and) discussion about diversity,” Harkins said. “One of our most popular events is Another Type of Groove.” According to Harkins, approximately 300 to 400 students attend ATOG normally. The MCC is expecting another good turnout on Wednesday. “I get excited about all the ATOG events because I know that they draw a lot of people,” Harkins said. Any one of the many attendees may add his or her name to a list to be called up to the mic. “It’s a really great opportunity for performers, who are primarily students, to express themselves in a safe and creative environment,” Harkins said. “People love it because they love to express themselves.” Harkins said people also like the event because it inspires camaraderie. “There’s a real sense of community,” Harkins said. “There’s a lot of support and people pushing themselves outside of their comfort zone.”
COURTESY PHOTO
This month’s featured poet at the MultiCultural Center’s Another Type of Groove slam poetry event is hip-hop artist Dahlak Brathwaite, winner of the Brave New Voices poetry slam. Industrial engineering senior and former ATOG coordinator Megan McIntyre said she has learned sensitive things about complete strangers by being a part of the event. “Slam poetry is like emotional puke,” McIntyre said. “You stand up in front of a group of people and say exactly what you mean.” McIntyre often performs at ATOG herself. “Being able to share your point of view is an amazing experience,” she said. “I love getting up on the mic.” All students are welcome and encouraged to join in the growing trend of coming to the event. “People should come,” Beltran said. “It’s a really good event. It’ll be amazing, of course. It’s always amazing.” The free event is from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in Chumash Auditorium. DJ Bubbles will provide music when poetry isn’t being shared.
“Window shopping” • PHOTO CREDIT Krisha Agatep •
MDarts 5
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Give into your love of carbs with pasta
WORD ON THE STREET
Heather Rockwood is a food science senior and Mustang Daily food columnist.
What’s your favorite form of carbs to eat?
An attack on carbs was made a few years ago, and by a doctor no less. Well thanks, but no thanks Dr. Atkins. I gladly
after time spent making your own pasta. The types of pasta available for the making are vast and varied. Some are easier, others more time consuming, but all are worth an attempt. However, I’m a carb aficio-
Finally, the west coast is once again on to a new diet fad, and thankfully, carbs are no longer the culprit. “I’m all about really good bread. Any type of really good bread.” • Emily Kerr Liberal studies sophomore
“I’m a huge fan of french toast.” • Erik Bodenbach business administration freshman
“French bread.” • Rachel Crumback biomedical engineering freshman
“Breakfast burrito from VG’s.” • Denny Huang biomedical engineering freshman
stood by carbs’ sides as the hordes of diet-crazed individuals scrammed after the idea of losing a pound or two by avoiding carbs like the plague. Don’t get me wrong, I was not being a nonconformist; it was simply that I could not turn my back on the delicious comfort of carbs. Finally, the West Coast is once again consumed in a new diet fad, and thankfully, carbs are no longer the culprit placed behind disdainful bars of exclusion. But honestly, even if they go out of style in the dieting world, I will remain a faithful fan. My love for carbs began in the backdrop of the romantic rolling hills of Italy — well really an old plate from my cupboard, but reality aside, my love began when I ate pasta. Noodles with butter to be exact. It was simply scrumptious, and that is the sign of a good pasta — good pasta doesn’t need robust red sauce (although there is a time and place where this is a pleasant addition). No; pasta at its absolute best can be accompanied by a small amount of butter or oil, and it becomes mouthwatering perfection. The pasta from a brown cardboard box or clear plastic bag can try to sit in at the dinner table, but once your tastebuds have danced with the delights of fresh, homemade pasta, they can never be fooled again. The head executives of many food companies have fallen upon the secret of homemade pasta, and thus have attempted to bring us one step closer by offering “fresh” pasta that you can cook at home. I will admit this is leaps and bounds better than the boxed stuff, but it still cannot compare to the rewarding taste that culminates
nado, and I have only made homemade pasta a handful of times. In an effort to change that fact, this weekend I was determined to venture out once again on a quest to satisfy my weary tastebuds. I took on my favorite pasta, but with a twist — potato and beet gnocchi. The twist was the beet, but seeing as I love sweet potato and pumpkin gnocchi, I decided to give beet gnocchi a chance. I was thrilled with the results. Not only was this pasta simple to make, but it stood the test of the no additions rule. After all was said and done, I had only spent 35 minutes actively preparing and after two-anda-half short minutes in the rolling boil, I had little ruby jewels decorating my plate. The beets added a color that made the pasta pop off my plate (and into my mouth) and an added flavor complexity that tantalized each tastebud. All this and only four ingredients — I couldn’t believe it. Beets, potatoes, flour and salt — the simplicity stands in stark recognition of the fact that indeed sometimes less is more. Homemade pasta is a culinary adventure I would encourage cooks of all levels to take on. Find the pasta that’s right for you, and in one evening, you can take a trip to where I first found love with carbs. And just before I finish up, I guess I am forced to address some of my more nit-picky readers. Gnocchi is often considered pasta by most, but is also a dumpling — and by some people’s standards a dumpling doesn’t cut it to be proclaimed as pasta. Lucky for me, there is a large majority of people who consider gnocchi pasta. I’ll be taking my stand with that crowd.
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Tuesday, April 3, 2012 Volume LXXVI, Number 97
©2012 Mustang Daily
“You’re a wizard, Harry.“
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Cal Poly Wine Fest ends sour KARLEE PRAZAK
karleeprazak.md@gmail.com
My taste in wine is nothing to brag about. As long as the bottle is somewhere between Trader Joe’s infamous twobuck chuck and $10, I think it’s delicious. One day, if my paycheck permits it, I might bump my price range up. But until then, I’m content with my bottom-shelf bottles. That being said, when I heard the 10th annual Cal Poly Wine Festival was coming up on March 31, I had no choice but to buy a ticket — and convince five of my friends to do the same. The $55 ticket is very reasonable when you take into account the 61 participating wineries and restaurants. I was hoping this year would turn out better than the ninth annual festival, which ran out of wine before the allotted 4 p.m. ending time. By 3 p.m. last year, there wasn’t a drop of wine left in any cups or bottles. My hopes for the event were not fulfilled, unfortunately. I made sure I was early this year, just in case the wine ran dry. So I was standing in line at 12:30 p.m., patiently waiting to be let in with my general admission ticket at 1 p.m. — VIP was allowed to start sipping wine at noon. As soon as the clock struck one, all the soon-to-be wine connoisseurs flooded the event tents, which were erected in a horseshoe-like pattern. People didn’t seem to mind the increasing rain, which had turned from a light sprinkle to a consistent drizzle, and winds that were picking up. Everyone was walking around clutching their engraved, complimentary wine
By 2 p.m., the wind-rain combination was so strong it had volunteers scrambling to put on ponchos ... glasses gratefully gulping down the chardonnays and merlots and zins poured by vendors. A select few were even lucky enough to score one of Mo|Tav’s sliders and Splash’s miniature bread bowl before mother nature stepped in. By 2 p.m., the wind-rain combination was so strong it had volunteers scrambling to put on ponchos, the band had to stop playing and the middle portion of the tent horseshoe was being evacuated amongst rumors of a pole hitting an attendee. No one seemed to be phased, though. Up to this point, people were still standing in lines 20-person-deep to get a taste of Cal Poly alumni Brandon Allen and Chip Forsythe’s Sexual Chocolate wine or get
their picture snapped in the event’s photo booth. Then, the rumblings of the event shutting down began to spread — vendors had been officially ordered to stop serving. No one, to my knowledge, made an official announcement, but by 2:30 p.m., a mere hour-and-a-half into the event, the charter buses were loaded and all the attendees were on their way back to Cal Poly. A few stragglers, such as myself, milled around the empty tent as tables were cleared out while waiting for rides. It might have been the wine that had everyone in good spirits, because for the most part, no one had complained in an over-the-top fashion. It seemed like everyone just kind of took the news as it
was, but voiced the desire for refunds clearly — a plea I feel is valid considering we got less than half of what we were promised. The worst part is, as soon as the last of the attendees were leaving, the sun started to make its first appearance of the day — if only they hadn’t stopped the pouring. Obviously, it would have been impossible for the festival planners to control the weather. But the Wine Festival’s track record isn’t looking too good right now. This year’s ending time paired with last year’s lack of wine calls for some explanations. It’s time to call on the public relation’s team and start offering up some compensations; otherwise, I don’t think next year’s tickets will sell out ... as fast — yeah, the college crowd will keep buying the tickets, even if it’s reluctantly. The Mustang Daily was also unable to send a reporter to the event because the event planners declined to grant a press pass. This is unrelated, but another aspect that I hope to see change in the 11th annual festival.
Nation needs frank health care discussion Daniel J. Stone practices internal medicine and geriatrics in Beverly Hills, Calif. He wrote this for the Los Angeles Times. Mitt Romney marked the second anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by calling for its repeal. Referring to the act as “an unfolding disaster,” he advocated free-market initiatives to improve access to care. Yet Romney never explained how the free market could help uninsured individuals like my longtime patient Joyce. Joyce, a diabetic in her 60s, works for a Los Angeles church and spends much of her time doing charitable work in Africa. The church does not offer health insurance. As a diabetic with high cholesterol, Joyce has been virtually uninsurable for most of the time I’ve treated her. With her preexisting conditions, no insurer would take her even if she could afford the premium. Insurers know that diabetics like Joyce are much more likely to become ill and generate expensive bills, and the free market incentivizes them to identify high-risk individuals and exclude them. Free-market advocates seldom focus on the plight of those priced out of the insurance market. These patients tend not to get care when they need it, and when they do, their physicians face inevitable conflicts between providing high-quality care and keeping costs down. Recently, for example, I received a reminder from my medical group’s pharmacist that Joyce’s cholesterol is too
high despite the medication she takes to control it. The pharmacist recommended switching her to a more potent drug. But when I checked online, the cheapest local pharmacy I could find was charging $120 for a month’s worth of the recommended drug, versus $6 for her current one. I told the pharmacist that I would refill her current medi-
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visited an eye doctor for more than two years. A colonoscopy to prevent colon cancer is now recommended at age 50. Joyce is more than 10 years overdue for hers. Why? It would cost well over $1,000. Joyce’s experiences outside my office have been even worse. When I called to discuss her cholesterol medication, she mentioned to me that she
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cine and that we should recheck in three months to see if the price for the other had dropped. Should doctors really have to follow drug prices like market analysts in order to care for their patients? Welcome to the free market in health care. Despite her tight finances, Joyce makes an effort to get the preventive care I recommend, including mammograms, pap smears and blood tests for her diabetes. Sometimes, though, cost considerations interfere. As a diabetic, Joyce faces risk of retinal eye injury that can cause blindness. Although such injury is preventable with routine eye care, Joyce has not
recently suffered a bout of chest pain and visited a small community hospital near her home. The doctors told her she needed overnight observation. She went home the next day with a hospital bill of more than $19, 0 0 0 , plus hundreds more in physicians’ charges. Were the services Joyce received necessary? She’s not sure. Fortunately for Joyce, her health-care nightmare is ending. She has just turned 65 and will now be eligible for Medicare. Soon she will be able to get the basic tests and medications that she needs after
years of devoting herself to the impoverished in Africa. But I can’t help but wonder why so many of those younger than 65, living in one of the world’s richest nations, must avoid care or risk financial ruin. Despite Romney’s optimism, free markets will never solve the problems Joyce faced. Health insurance for someone like Joyce, if obtainable, would cost thousands of dollars a year, and no free-market approach to health care will make that affordable to her. If universal coverage is the goal, there is no alternative to subsidies funded by employers and taxpayers. These subsidies — along with an individual mandate designed to bring younger, healthier people into the pool — form the basis for President Barack Obama’s health-care plan. Those who call for “repealing and replacing” it should explain who would be covered by the “replacement” and how the care would be funded. The national debate on health care will take center stage this fall as Obama squares off against his Republican opponent. The country deserves a frank discussion of the major policy questions raised by the plight of the country’s many Joyces. We have to ask ourselves the tough questions: Should health-care coverage for the uninsured be broadly subsidized? Are we comfortable with millions of Americans continuing to live in terror that something serious will go wrong with their health? This is a conversation we need to have as a nation, without the partisan political posturing and gamesmanship that so often cloud the issues.
“‘I can’t think of anything to speak negatively on the groups themselves.’ But he said the university’s concern arises from the possibility of the fraternity and sorority changing their mission and further promoting discrimination at Cal Poly.” ADX and AGO have had the same mission ever since they began in 1925 and 1927 respectively. That’s now almost 90 years of existence during which there could easily have been something negative to say about either group. With such a history, there is absolutely no reason to suspect that the guiding principles that lead to such a glowing review of “I can’t think of anything… (negative)” will change in the next few or even the next 90 years to come. — Christina Welch In response to “Christian Greek societies denied affiliation” Honestly, I don’t really see the point of renaming the bookstore. The thing is, part of going to a college is being part of that colleges history. It’s sharing a common experience with other alumni, so that even if you are generations apart, you have some similarities in your college stories. Personally, I think it’s sad that the college wants to keep shoving all the history under the carpet and renaming everything. BackStage was named BackStage because it literally used to be that. If you go behind the stage portion in Chumash, you can see where they used to have it at. The old kitchen back there is totally wasted space full of carts of glasses now. It’s pretty ridiculous that they don’t utilize what they have. El Corral has been named that a long, long time, and it irks me that Cal Poly Corporation wants to pretend it’s not an “ag” school. Guess what? this whole entire area was founded with Rancheros. I find it typical that the upper class white management would want to continue to white wash the history of this school and take away any references to non white groups by changing the name of the bookstore. As a local, I’m offended that this person thinks they can just march in and change the name and it’s all good because they’re just being trendy! Don’t you want a COOL name? They’re creating a “problem” where one does not exist. The current name is fine. If you want to do anything, call it Mustang Corral, or something along those lines instead of just making it some stupid contest. — Melissa In response to “El Corral rounding up new name” NOTE: The Mustang Daily features select comments that are written in response to articles posted online. Though not all the responses are printed, the Mustang Daily prints comments that are coherent and foster intelligent discussion on a given subject. No overcapitalization, please.
MDsports 7
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
FAWCETT continued from page 7
But the path to becoming an everyday force on the court came to an abrupt halt following a successful first season as a Mustang for the senior. Practicing one day in the summer of 2010, Fawcett took a misstep and twisted his left knee in an awkward direction that resulted in a partially-torn ACL, an injury he attributes to the especially sandy courts due to nearby construction of the Recreation Center at the time. To add insult to injury — literally — every effort Fawcett made to return to match action resulted in more pain and inflammation as his knee was healing. The diagnosis: tendinitis. “When you know you can play at a certain level and you’re not playing there, it’s very frustrating,” Fawcett said. “That’s the biggest challenge; not getting frustrated and being realistic about my abilities.” After an 18-month hiatus and a summer filled with consultations with top-notch knee specialists in South Africa, Fawcett is now in his final year of eligibility with the Mustangs. He returned to the courts in
NHA HA/MUSTANG DAILY
Matt Fawcett plays doubles with No. 20 Andre Dome and has helped the No. 55 Mustangs to a 11-5 overall record this season.
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doubles competition with the No. 20 Dome against UNLV on Feb. 24. “It’s always tough to come back from injury because you don’t want to do too much or too little,” Dome said. “(Fawcett) has had some ups and downs, but he’s on the right track and he’s looking stronger every match.” Anchored by Dome and Fawcett’s excellent doubles play — they are the No. 55 ranked team in the country — the Mustangs are 11-5 and 3-0 in the Big West this year. After starting the season on a threegame losing skid, Cal Poly regained its form and rattled off eight straight wins outscoring their opponents 47-6 during that stretch. Since, the Mustangs have gone 3-2 including a heartbreaking loss to No. 17-ranked Washington on March 23. Junior Jordan Bridge evened the match at three apiece defeating Victon Farkas in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4 to set up a decisive final match for Dome against No. 17 Kyle McMorrow. The junior won the first set but dropped the next two 7-6, 6-4 to hand the Huskies the victory. “We know we have the talent,” Fawcett said. “Every spot we got guys that are
just good tennis players. We know we have the firepower, and we’re just trying to find our energy and our mojo. I think we’re due for a massive win like the one we missed out on against Washington.” In its most recent match, Cal Poly walked away 4-1 winners in a rain-shortened affair against Big West opponent Pacific. Senior Brian McPhee secured the win with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Alex Golding as it began to drizzle. Fawcett, plagued by discomfort in his knee, dropped Cal Poly’s only match on the day 6-4, 6-4 to freshman Ben Mirkin. “(Fawcett) has struggled with having his body withstand multiple singles matches,” Carless said. “There’s a lot of wear and tear that goes on in the body in hardcore tennis, especially at the high level these guys play at.” The Mustangs have four matches remaining, including two against conference opponents before the Big West Championships in Indian Wells, Calif., on April 27 and 28. The team hopes to either earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament or an automatic spot as conference champions.
MDsports 8
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Matt Fawcett plays from Cape Town to Cal Poly STEPHAN TEODOSESCU
stephanteodosescu.md@gmail.com
South African-native Matt Fawcett checked his email inbox one fateful night, but decided to go through his spam folder as well. Alongside questionable messages for services and peculiar job opportunities, sat one particularly interesting email — one from thenMustang tennis head coach Justin McGrath. The email offered Matt Fawcett — a 21-year old junior transfer at the time — a fullride scholarship to play tennis for Cal Poly. “I never check my spam folder — I mean who checks their spam folder? But for some reason that day I went through it,” Fawcett said. “It’s weird how things work out. (McGrath) offered me a full scholarship, so I did my research of the place. Being my third time through the recruitment process, I was getting kind of good at it so, I went for it.” It wasn’t a conventional path to recruitment for Fawcett, but being a veteran of the process, and admittedly a bit frustrated with it as well, he decided to take a chance on the Central Coast school that was recruiting him via cyberspace. Fawcett’s path to San Luis Obispo was about as predictable as the location of a lightning
strike. The roller coaster journey began back in his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, in 2006. After a successful high school tennis career, Fawcett was sought after by elite American collegiate programs such as Baylor, Texas and Pepperdine. But, the 6-foot-4 star all but eliminated his chances at attending one of those top10 programs after suffering a devastating ankle injury while playing in Germany that winter. According to Fawcett, those schools “hit the road real fast” once they heard his ankle required surgery. After rehabilitation, Fawcett decided to play for Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Va., on the word of a fellow South African tennis player in early 2008, and began a training regimen for the spring season. But due to the long months of inactivity, Fawcett had a rocky freshman year for the Monarchs. As a result, he had his scholarship cut nearly in half by the head coach. Coupled with the frigid Virginia winter, the Cape Town-native wanted out of Norfolk. “I couldn’t really connect with the place,” Fawcett said. “Being from South Africa, I was used to beaches and beautiful weather and sunshine every day, but Virginia was like indoor tennis for four months out of the season.”
Fawcett decided to stay for his sophomore season at ODU though, a decision he said he used as a “bargaining chip” when it came to recruitment time again. He had a phenomenal sophomore year winning his first 17 matches and finishing with a 24-8 overall singles record in 2009. “It’s kind of strange,” he said. “After the coach cuts (you), you have a good season, and all of a sudden, they want you. It’s college tennis, and it’s a funny thing sometimes.” Fawcett was determined to leave, so he decided to transfer at the end of the season — but the Monarchs’ coaching staff didn’t agree with his decision and wouldn’t grant him his release. After battling through NCAA politics, Fawcett finally received it in June 2009. He had been seeking schools in warm locations such as California and Florida, when Fawcett received the spam email that sent him to Cal Poly in January 2010. “The biggest advantage of having him in our lineup is in the doubles,” current head coach Nick Carless said. “Allowing him to play up there in the No. 1 spot with (Andre) Dome makes them a very formidable doubles team against anybody in the country.” see FAWCETT, pg. 7
NHA HA/MUSTANG DAILY