ARTS pg. 4: What type of beer are you?
SPORTS pg. 8: Lassiter follows in father’s footsteps
Thursday, October 17, 2013
www.mustangnews.net
Volume LXXVIII, Number 10
Connecting on the spectrum ARYN SANDERSON @ArynSanderson
“ I also sometimes talk a lot, like too much, when I first meet people, and that can overwhelm people a bit. But it’s funny because for me, when I’m talking so much, it actually means I’m comfortable.”
N
atalie Belton’s eyes lit up with excitement at the mention of film and animation. She rattled off dates and names, her words practically toppling over each other. As she demonstrated near-encyclopedic knowledge, her eyes — bright blue, striking in contrast to her dark brown shoulder-length hair — looked forward, making direct contact. Her hands flapped at the wrists with excitement. But at the mention of large groups of people, those blue eyes shifted away. Her hands fumbled toward her hair, and she began to twirl a lock. “I’m fine talking with a small group of people or one-onone,” she said. “But in large groups, I guess I get quiet and very, very nervous. I also sometimes talk a lot, like too much, when I first meet people, and that can overwhelm people a bit. But it’s funny because for me, when I’m talk-
ing so much, it actually means I’m comfortable.” Still, she’s come a long way, she said. “When I was younger, I’d share so much miscellaneous information. I would think, ‘Oh, I find this so fascinating. Everybody else must think so, too, right? Oops, I guess not, because they just left … Okay,’” she said. “But that happens a lot less now. I’m more aware of my actions and have gotten more control of that.” Belton still freezes up in big groups, though. “When there are a lot of people or things seem to be moving very quickly, I have slow reaction times, and it’s usually in situations where it’s very loud,” she said. “Like big parties or raves, a lot of people like going to big parties or offcampus raves or that sort of thing, but that would probably scare the crap out of me.” Obsessive interests, discomfort in social settings and even
Belton’s sound sensitivity are common traits often found in those on the autistic spectrum. Belton, 21, was first diagnosed with Asperger’s at age 9 and self-identifies as having Asperger’s, although the term was recently folded into the umbrella definition of “highfunctioning autism.” During the past 12 years, Belton has come up with strategies to cope with her tendencies. She blogs about her passions to avoid overwhelming others, she heads off on runs when anxiety takes over, she pushes herself to join new clubs to create social connections. Connections: Those are the goals behind a push within Cal Poly’s Disability Resource Center to help students on the spectrum meet and support each other. That effort includes the creation of a peer mentor program see CONNECT, pg. 3
GRAPHIC BY MEGAN HEDDINGER
WEEKLY COLLEGE UPDATES WHO: Orfalea College of
WHO: College of Liberal Arts
WHO: College of Architecture &
WHO: College of Science &
WHO: CAFES
WHO: College of Engineering
WHAT: “Meet the Dean and
WHAT: CLA Ambassadors
WHAT: Hearst Lecture Series,
WHAT: Résumé workshop
WHAT: Résumé workshop
WHAT: Engineer-in-training
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 18
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 18
WHEN: Oct. 19-20
WHERE: bldg 33 room 289
WHERE: bldg 124 room 117
WHERE: ATL bldg 7
Business
Seniors of Orfalea” WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 17 11 a.m. to noon
WHERE: bldg 3 room 207
Information Session WHEN: Friday, Oct. 18 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
WHERE: bldg 65 room 220
Environmental Design
Part 2 WHEN: Friday, Oct. 18 5 p.m.
WHERE: bldg 3 room 213
Mathematics
2:10 p.m. to 3 p.m.
exam review session
11:10 p.m. to noon
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Toast to the pub Half marathon unites students SUHA SAYA
@suhasaya
Cal Poly officials, including University President Jeffrey Armstrong and Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) President Jason Colombini, are considering the possibility of opening a pub on campus, Colombini said Monday.
CHECK OUT MUSTANGNEWS.NET for articles, videos, photos & more.
SOPHIA LIU/MUSTANG NEWS
The first City to the Sea race got started 18 years ago — making it the oldest half marathon in San Luis Obispo. It began as a fundraiser for Cuesta College’s track and field and cross country teams.
ARTS pg. 8 Lassiter follows in father’s footsteps
As the sun began its usual race against time this past Sunday, a group of energized individuals prepared for a race of their own. The renowned City to the Sea Race — consisting of a half marathon and a 5K — brought a record 2,500 runners to downtown San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach this year. Both the 13.1-mile half marathon and 5 kilometer race sold out a month before the event. “The participating base was great this year,” race director Brian Locher said. “Five hundred people (ran) in the 5K and 2,000 in the half marathon.” The half marathon, which began on the intersection of Court and Higuera streets downtown, is the oldest half marathon race in San Luis
Tomorrow’s Weather: high cloudy sunny
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Obispo, Locher said. “The race began 18 years ago at a fundraiser for the track and field and crosscountry facilities at Cuesta College,” Locher said. “Two gentleman decided that a half marathon would be a good way to start raising funds, and it’s turned into a fundraiser for both of our teams ever since.” The money helps provide transportation, equipment and room and board for away races for both the cross-country and track and field teams at Cuesta College. Cal Poly students and staff in particular are known to be great contributors and participators in the fundraiser, Locher said. “I came up with 38 entries of registered calpoly.edu emails for this year’s race … see RACE, pg. 2
Opinions............................6 Classifieds........................7 Sports................................8 light rain
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news 2
Thursday, October 17, 2013
New political science minor promises a broad view SHAUN KAHMANN
@CPMustangNews
A new generalized political science minor is now available to students looking to diversify their credentials. The minor requires participants to take 12 units of courses that cover broad topics, such as comparative politics, and 16 units’ worth of any 300-400 level political science classes of the student’s choosing. Unlike law and society and global politics — previously the only minors available within the department — the new minor will encompass a broader range of topics within the subject according
to political science professor Matthew Moore. “If what you’re interested in is politics more generally, without focusing on one of those areas, the political science minor is set up for that,” Moore said. Computer science junior Kevin Le, currently taking an American government course, heard Moore announce the minor in class. Le said he felt the topic was too broad to be condensed. “It’s probably not the best idea,” Le said. “To distill the topic down to only 28 units might skew students’ perspectives.” Michael Latner, a political science professor who sat on
the curriculum committee responsible for developing the minor last year, said it’s designed to do just the opposite. Students interested in the minor would be required to take the same core classes political science majors take, Latner said. “It’s for the students who want to gain some of the insights that the major track offers without having to pursue a political science degree,” Latner said. Students who are interested may contact Moore or stop by his office in Faculty Offices North (building 47), room 14 for more information.
RACE continued from page 1
but I’d guess the true number is many times that,” Locher said. “Safe to say there are a lot of students, staff and family running in the race.” Kevin Miller, an architectural engineering senior and Cal Poly Triathlon Club member, trained for the race in hopes of beating his goal. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done a half marathon, so I was just excited to get out there and race,” Miller said. “I even set a goal for myself, so I definitely wanted to see if I could beat that.” Miller beat his goal with a 1:32:11 time and finished in the top 100. “Overall, I thought the race was amazing,” Miller said. “Fun course and great atmosphere … I would definitely do it again.” Graphic communication senior Catherine Wang, who also ran the half marathon, agreed. “I really just liked everything about this race,” Wang said. “Running with all these people and everybody cheering you on — it’s great.” Aside from the number of Cal Poly students and staff who ran the race, many runners also happened to be Cal Poly alumni. Cara Hallam, a class of 2011 alumna, has participated in the half marathon for three consecutive years and hopes to come back in the future. “It’s just a really fun race and very scenic,” said Hallam. “I like that it starts in downtown
SOPHIA LIU/MUSTANG NEWS
“I really just liked everything about this race. Running with all these people and everybody cheering you on — it’s great,” said graphic communications senior Catherine Wang. and is local … it’s just that great community feeling.” Jennifer Syed, who also graduated in 2011, agreed. “It’s fun to see everyone out here and being active,” she said. The race ended with 43-yearold Jason Cannon in first place with a time of 1:01:53 for the half marathon and 20-yearold Jacob Schwarm winning with a time of 18 minutes and 10 seconds for the 5K. For women, 31-year-old Kara Thorne placed first in the half marathon with a time of
1:22:25, while 12-year-old Rebecca Laurence placed first in the 5K with a time of 22 minutes and six seconds. Despite top running times, it was evident many participants simply ran to embrace a community feeling of working together for a good cause. “The mission of City to the Sea is to provide a top-quality, positive, family-friendly event that helps promote a healthy, active lifestyle on the Central Coast,” the City to the Sea team stated on its website.
SOPHIA LIU/MUSTANG NEWS
The race ended with Jason Cannon in first place with a time of 1:01:53 for the half marathon and Jacob Schwarm with a time of 18 minutes and ten seconds for the 5K. For women, Kara Thorne placed first in the half marathon with a time of 1:22:25, while Rebecca Laurence placed first in the 5K with a time 22 minutes and six seconds.
news 3
Thursday, October 17, 2013
CONNECT and a social support club, said Vanessa Dominguez, the center’s access specialist and internship coordinator. Belton is one of 20 Cal Poly students registered with the Disability Resource Center as having an autism spectrum disorder. But for every student registered with the center, there are at least one or two more that have chosen not to disclose, Dominguez said. That group of 20 also does not include five students registered with the center for other disabilities with traits commonly associated with autism spectrum disorders, she said. Of those 25 students, five are female and 20 are male, she said. This corresponds with the national trend; autism spectrum disorders are almost five times more common among boys than girls, according to a 2012 study released by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 88 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder by age 8, according to the study. That number represents a 78 percent increase in autism diagnoses over the past decade. Cal Poly’s experience mirrors that trend. Cal Poly has seen a major increase in students identifying on the spectrum, Dominguez said. Six years ago, only three students registered with the center. A “giant leap” in those numbers, particularly over the past three years, Dominguez said, has led to the need for better support. “This is the biggest resource we have on campus for these students, which isn’t good
enough,” Dominguez said. The autism spectrum disor- was on the spectrum, and “We need to be doing a better der program will also include other students didn’t really job, and that’s why we’re start- the creation of Connections understand that, and they ing a program.” Club, a social support group would make fun of him and This year, the center is creat- for Cal Poly’s growing popula- bully him and just sort of ing an autism spectrum disor- tion of autistic students, said snicker because they didn’t der program so students can Nathan Billings, one of the understand that he thought receive support from Cal Poly center’s interns and the pro- of things in a different way.” peers in similar situations. gram’s coordinator. This sort of misunderstand“We’re trying to create a pro“We don’t want to brand stu- ing isn’t rare, said Billings. gram that entices these students dents, and we don’t want them “People will say that stuto eventually better their social to think they need the diagno- dents on the spectrum don’t skills, that brings them together sis of ‘autism’ to be included,” empathize well because many instead of letting them do what Billings, a political science aren’t good with eye contact many students on the autistic senior, said. “There are many or recognizing facial expresspectrum prefer to do, which students who are borderline, sions, but it’s kind of almost is stay in their the opposite,” own little silos,” he said. “NeuroPeople will say that students on typical people — Dominguez said. The idea for the spectrum don’t empathize which is how we the program has refer to people well because many aren’t good been around for not on the specthe past five years. trum — tend to with eye contact or recognizing But the center just not have symnever had the for people facial expressions, but it’s kind of pathy money. Student on the spectrum. Success Fee fundIt’s almost as if almost the opposite. ing helped secure we don’t sympaNATHAN BILLINGS interns who are thize with them, PROGRAM COORDINATOR helping organize not the other way the program. around, when we The center will encourage stu- who might have some kind of don’t try to understand how dents on the spectrum to join social or communication dis- each of their minds work.” a peer mentor program, which order, or who are neurotypical, Connections Club will take was piloted last spring with 12 who would find it useful or fun influence from the Central mentors of various disabilities. or enjoyable to participate in a Coast Autism Spectrum CenTwo mentors and five men- club like this.” ter’s young adult support tees who are on the autistic Connections Club will group, Billings said. spectrum are participating in primarily be a social supKim Richards, coordinator of the first official cycle of the port group that does activi- the young adult group, is excited peer mentor program this fall. ties like hike or play board by what’s happening at Cal Poly. A formalized support system games, but study and social “I think it’s so great to see is necessary because, at times, skills workshops will likely the Disability Resource Cencollege life can be a challenge be added in over time, said ter ramp up support and try for this special population of Billings, whose brother is on to improve the quality of life students, Dominguez said. the spectrum. for young adults struggling “Sometimes, professors might Billings said the intense social- with Asperger’s or autism,” get frustrated with a student on ization inherent in dorm life can she said. “The nature of bethe spectrum because they don’t often be a difficult adjustment. ing on the autism spectrum respond quickly enough,” she “When they come to col- is that these individuals have said. “So many times, the pro- lege, they have the adversity so many strengths and talfessors will either think the stu- of living in the dorms, which ents, but one area most really dent doesn’t know the answer or can be really difficult,” he struggle with is developing wasn’t paying attention and will said. “My first year, in the and maintaining friendships.” pass over them.” res halls, I had a student who What helps, she said, are or-
BEER
Cider
continued from page 1
continued from page 4
The stout is a big, burly individual who appears to be tough as hell, but on the inside is a giant teddy bear. Their looks are intimidating, but fear not, they’re sweet and kind. Think of the stout as a Ron Swanson around a miniature horse, or Hagrid around a Hippogriff.
GRAPHICS BY MEGAN HEDDINGER
To be honest, we don’t really know how ciders are made. Apples. Fermentation. Magic? Who knows … Do not feed this person anything containing gluten. The only reason to drink a cider is if your body physically cannot process the ingredients of beer. Cider is not beer, it is apple juice.
DAVID JANG/MUSTANG NEWS
Belton self-identifies with having Asperger’s — a subcategory of “high-functioning autism.” She was diagnosed at age nine and has developed coping methods such as running and joining new clubs to make social connections. ganized activities or groups that help facilitate positive social interactions. “Having a positive, safe space on their college campus where they have people to talk to, I think, has the potential to make these students a lot more successful, socially and academically.” So when will the changes happen? The peer mentor program is already in progress, and the center hopes to see the club have at least five active members by spring. Belton, who is signed up to be a peer mentor, calls these
new programs a step in the right direction. “I’ve never met another girl with Asperger’s,” she said, “and I’d be really interested in meeting another girl on the autism spectrum.” Connections.
arts 4
Thursday, October 17, 2013
The person behind the beer NICK LARSON JAKE DEVINCENZI
@njlarson8 @jake_devincenzi
Kinesiology senior Nick Larson and aerospace engineering senior Jake Devincenzi are Mustang News beer columnists. As we mentioned in this past week’s debut column, our goal is to entertain and inform. This week we delve into the world of different types of beer and what makes them unique. On top of that, do you ever wonder what type of person your beer would be? Is that just us? Is that weird? We hope that after reading this column, you’ll know what beer you want to drink, and also what beer you want to hang out with during the weekend. Lager As opposed to ales, lagers are fermented at colder temperatures (45 degrees Fahrenheit rather than 70) and became extremely popular in the 19th century. This process of cold fermentation is creatively called “lagering.” Most lagers, such as the famous Boston Lager from Boston Brewing Company (Samuel Adams), are pale lagers, though other varieties include lighter pilsners, stronger bocks and German Dunkels. The lager is that person who always seems to be around, but you never really notice. He’s not a bad guy. You may work on a project together in class, but once the class is over, you never talk to him again. When you find his number in your phone two years later, you think,
“Who the eff is that?” Pale Ale The most versatile and all-encompassing type of beer, a pale ale is typically more earthy and floral than a lager. Pales tend to range from moderate to heavy in terms of bitterness, but the possibilities as far as additional ingredients are near limitless. So much possible variation in such a simple-to-brew beer often leads brewers to think their ridiculous recipes are better than they really are (ourselves included). The pale sle is the person who swears they are God’s gift to Earth. They brag about hooking up with the hot guy or girl, but when you investigate a little further, you realize it was really just a split-second kiss because they were mistaken for somebody else. India Pale Ale A twist on the pale ale, India Pale Ales (IPA) are heavily-hopped, usually ranging from “Heavy” to “Oh hot damn!” on the Jake and Nick Bitterness Scale (roughly 60-120 International Bitterness Units). IPAs tend towards more bitterness, with only subtle notes of additional flavors and aromas. It is an acquired taste that took us more than a year to finally enjoy, but once you get hooked, good luck kicking the IPA habit. The pale ale might be able to talk the talk, but the India Pale Ale can walk the walk. Better yet, the IPA makes walking look more graceful than an 8-time gold-medal ice skating champion riding a unicorn over amber waves of grain with a purple
DAVID JANG/MUSTANG NEWS
Something’s brewing mountain backdrop. It’s the person who brags about hooking up with the hot guy or girl, when in reality, it was a moonlit dinner on a hidden beach in the Bahamas, accompanied by Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn. Wheat beer A pale and cloudy beer brewed with a higher ratio of wheat to malted barley than other beers, wheat beers are usually lower in alcohol, with a lot of added fruit flavors. Common wheat beers include Blue Moon, Shock Top and Hoegaarden. Do not be disillusioned by any promises of
“Belgian Style.” No mass-produced wheat beer is masterfully crafted in the style of ancient Belgian monks. The wheat beer is a naturalist, also known as a hippie. It says “screw you” to showers and would rather bathe in a vat of orange peels and other assorted fruits. It is representative of the people who walk around campus with no shoes on. Wheat beer believes this will help thirdworld children get shoes, yet refuses to buy a pair of TOMS. Belgian Style Blonde Ale Brewed in the traditional methods of Belgian Trappist Monks, Belgian style blondes are wheat beers containing a higher alcohol content (8-12 percent alcohol by volume), with a thick creamy head, sweet yeasty flavor and fruity aroma. Belgians are typically categorized as simple, dubbel, tripel and quadrupel, denoting the amount of malt used in the brew (and proportionally, the alcohol content). Unlike IPAs, Belgians get better with age as the yeast are given more time to munch through
the subtle ingredients, bringing out fuller flavors. The Belgian style blonde is a saint. It’s Mother Theresa, Florence Nightingale and Dumbledore all mixed into one sweet, refreshing glass of goodness. If this beer were an article of clothing, it would be yoga pants. If you find a person like this, don’t let them go. They feed the poor, care for you when you’re hurt and are probably a badass wizard.
as the Giants postseason seats). The red ale is the soft-spoken undercover rager sitting on the third floor of the library. You see her working on homework diligently from Monday through Friday. Then, to your surprise, you see her drinking beers and taking Irish Car Bombs at SLO Brew on Friday night. It’s unexpected, yet you are inevitably drawn to it.
Red (Amber) Ale
Brewed using roasted malts or barley, stouts have a distinct, heavy taste. Although the name originated due to the high alcohol content of stouts, the common Irish stouts we know today are less alcoholic but have a dark, thick consistency. There are many variations of stouts, including the also popular porter, as well as many different types of stout using ingredients such as chocolate, oatmeal and coffee. Guinness is the most popular stout, and is a prime example of how much of an acquired taste the stout is.
“Red” and “amber” are used to refer to an ale that is usually more red in color than a pale (surprise!) but isn’t dark enough to be a strong, dark ale. The red hue usually comes from an increased amount of malt added to the boil. This results in a fuller, smoother beer than a pale ale. Reds tend to be slightly more on the hoppy (bitter) side, while ambers are generally more malt-intensive, geared toward slow sipping while sitting on the couch watching the Major League Baseball playoffs (also known
Stout
The Belgian style blonde is a saint. It’s Mother Theresa, Florence Nightingale and Dumbledore all mixed into one sweet, refreshing glass of goodness.
see BEER, pg. 3
arts 5
Thursday, October 17, 2013
KCPR aims at accessibility with open mic
DAVID JANG/MUSTANG NEWS
ARYN SANDERSON
@ArynSanderson
Cal Poly’s radio station, KCPR, is hosting an open mic event in the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center Pavilion on Oct. 17 as part of its new push to become more student-friendly. “KCPR only takes in a certain amount of people as DJs each quarter, so we’re trying to plan more social events where anyone can come,” KCPR event director and business administration junior Parker Glenn said. “KCPR is planning a lot of events involving the community and outreach because we want people to feel like we’re approachable.” Typically, KCPR has approximately 80 different DJs on air per year, and KCPR only lets in approximately 12 to 20 new DJs per quarter, Glenn said. But KCPR is still a student radio station, KCPR promotions director and graphic communication junior Haley Brown said. “I know there are a lot of talented students at Cal Poly, and this open mic is a great chance for KCPR to get to interact with those students,” Brown said. “We spend a lot of time at the station, so it’s nice to get out there and become more accessible.” Currently, 35 performers are signed up for the open mic, even though the limit is approximately 20, Glenn said. Organizers are in the process of dealing with the overflow. Improvisational comedians, beatboxers, slam poets, songwriters and musicians are signed up to perform, Brown said. Organizers expect approximately 80 to 100 attendees in the PAC Pavillion, which has a capacity of approximately 150 people, Brown said. It should be “a fun, comfortable, not too cozy” environment, she said.
KCPR has always tried to showcase talent through its student-produced radio shows, KCPR DJ and wine and viticulture senior Maddie Mori said. Mori plans to perform some of her poetry, including “Ten Cents,” a poem that recently won the Academy of American Poets contest. “Above all, we support selfexpression and self-confidence to be yourself and do whatever makes you happiest,” she said in an email. “Open mic night is just one of many events we hope to host that will allow students to do just that.” Though community members are welcome at the open mic, and a few have already signed up to perform, the focus is on students, Glenn said. “We want this to be a part of student life where students can drop in, support their fellow classmates and it be more casual,” he said. Moving forward, organizers hope to see the open mic become a quarterly event at the PAC, although they’re looking for it to move “toward a more coffeehouse vibe,” Glenn said, “where students are able to come and go and get coffee, snacks or even study to music.” Along with its open mic event, KCPR has more open social events on the calendar. Next up is a new music record
night on Oct. 24. More information will be announced on its Facebook page. And starting as soon as next week, KCPR will be broadcast in the University Union as the radio station, Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. The open mic is Thursday at 8 p.m. The event is free, and coffee and snacks will be provided.
GRAPHIC BY VICTORIA CHAU
opinion/sports 6
Thursday, October 17, 2013
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WRITE A LETTER Mustang News reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, profanities, and length. Letters, commentaries and cartoons do not represent the views of Mustang News. Please limit length to 250 words. Letters should include the writer’s full name, phone number, major and class standing. Letters must come from a Cal Poly email account. Do not send letters as an attachment. Please send the text in the body of the email. EMAIL md@mustangdaily.net
Representation limits our flexibility Zachary Antoyan is a political science senior and Mustang News liberal columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion or editorial coverage of Mustang News. This past week while I pitched my tent in line at Starbucks in the University Union, I noticed the television on the wall was, like clockwork, playing one of those national news stations that isn’t NPR. Fascinated as I was by their devotion to endless coverage about the shutdown, I began to see a pattern develop around the arguments that members of congress were using to justify their ... let’s call it moral fortitude in not voting to re-open the government. The 30 or so hard-line conservative members of congress, Tea-Party backed and grassroots organized, are using their strategic position to hold the Speaker of the House John Boehner by the balls. They simply refuse to budge on one central issue, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). And their reasoning follows the pattern that 1) the ACA will be devastating to the American people (because their in-house fortune teller said so) and that 2) their constituents all voted them into office so they could fight big government. What is interesting about this is that they at-
LASSITER continued from page 8
At Great Oaks High School in Temecula, Calif., Ari was the recipient of the U-17 Golden Ball award as the most outstanding player at the 2012 United States Youth Soccer National Championships. The four-year letter-winner also finished high school as a two-time Inland Empire High School Player of the Year. Now a true freshman at Cal Poly, Ari is taking advantage of his time in college to help advance his team and to im-
tribute their tenacity towards the ACA to listening to their constituents. And indeed, the role of a representative is to be exactly that, representative. However, to what degree should elected officials at the federal level act, petition and vote according to the sentiment of their constituents? Additionally, should it be the duty of the representatives to recognize when they should be representative of their constituents, and when to employ their knowledge and understanding of national issues to deal with national problems? The difficulty in this is asking representatives to disregard their constituents and possibly even compromise values for the betterment of the nation. Imagine it this way; the bears in Canada decide to take back the land that is rightfully theirs and to do this, create a massive bear army. So Vancouver is in ruins, Iceland is secretly giving the bears munitions and the bears are slowly approaching the American border. Members of Congress from the northern states are worried that the war will spill over onto American soil, but ultra-liberal environmentalists don’t want to use lethal arms to combat the bear menace; instead they want to use non-lethal bear mace. The cost to ship bear mace from Russia, because they use
a lot of it over there, is astronomical, and paying for bear mace is going to require social programs defunded and decreased tax incentives for everyone. Even though the entire military of Canada, one tank, two bi-planes and ten moose-mounted soldiers, couldn’t stop the army of bears from decimating the Canadian populace, representatives from the districts with these ultra-liberal environmentalists want to maintain their image by sticking to the platform of environmental protection at all costs. All this despite the fact that General Fluffypaws of the 1st Armored Bear Division is moving in on Seattle. Even though the representatives know that there isn’t enough bear mace in the world to beat the bears back, they stick with their constituents in their convictions and attempt to derail all efforts to buy regular arms. Political theories on this issue often times have the representative consistently listening to the constituents, and acting strictly on their behalf. And if they don’t follow the sentiment exactly, then they should at the least stick to their own values and morals. These actions should be taken in order to better serve in the role as a representative and also maintain moral consistency. Many people consider waffling to be a bad thing, even with
apples on top. But what kind of moral code requires a person to disregard and neglect blatant facts in favor of moral consistency? Perhaps representatives should more closely examine their values and values of their constituents in the context of the political climate at large, then make decisions based on those observations. Maybe then we would be more accepting of waffles and more scornful of moral and political entrenchment.
For some reason, the idea of maintaining basic government functionality is a more difficult concept to grasp than keeping thousands of Americans out of work for the sake of listening to your constituents. And sometimes it’s difficult to grasp the concept that first it’s pants, then belt, but not everyone gets it on their first try. This is Zachary Antoyan, wondering what happened to the mountain lion, because he is being upstaged by this bear. Have a fantastic week.
prove as a competitor. “I’m just doing whatever I can for the team,” Ari said. “If that calls for goals and assists, then that’s what I’m going to try to do. I’ve got to do whatever it takes to help the team win.” If he can’t get on the score sheet, he wants to get an assist. If he can’t get an assist, he wants to create space for his teammates to do so. Nobody appreciates his team-oriented attitude more than the coaching staff. “Ari grew up with soccer in his blood,” head coach Paul Holocher said. “He is what you call a soccer player’s soccer
player. He’s very comfortable on the ball, he loves the game passionately and he wants to go as far as he can in the game.” Cal Poly’s eight-year head coach took notice of Ari early in his career. “I saw (Ari) when he was 14, and man, was he tiny,” Holocher said. “He was a little guy, but you could see his skill, you could see his technique and you could see his soccer mind. We kept close tabs on him, and we always wanted him here; we knew he would fit in wonderfully with how we play the game.” Out of high school, Ari received numerous scholarship
offers from top-ranked soccer programs across the United States. The recreation, parks and tourism administration major could have opted to play professionally in Germany. But Ari made the decision to come to Cal Poly on his own. “At the end of the day, I’m never going to pressure Ariel to do what he wants to do,” Roy said. “He told me at an early age that he wants to be a professional soccer player. Since then, I’ve been teaching him everything he needs to know. I want him to be able to surpass everything that I’ve ever done.”
And while Cal Poly attracts students and athletes from around the nation with its Learn by Doing approach and San Luis Obispo’s picturesque scenery, those factors had little to do with Ari’s decision to compete on Holocher’s squad. “The real reason that Cal Poly was so eye-opening for me was because of their style of play,” Ari said. “It’s a very significant way of playing that not too many teams play and even fewer play well. Cal Poly is honestly one of the best teams I’ve seen in college right now in being able to move the ball up and down the field and to keep possession of the ball. That’s why I think we’re currently leading the nation in goals.” Along with Ari’s five goals this season, freshman Justin Dhillon has also made his mark on the team, scoring a single goal and recording five assists. Mackenzie Pridham continues to lead the team with seven goals, but to the senior forward, it can make a substantial difference when the upperclassmen get assistance on the field from the younger players. “It’s good to have a few freshmen that can contribute right when they come in,” Pridham said. “It’s definitely rare, but this year, it’s good that we have a few that have stepped up. (Ari) is a very technical player. He’s very good at attacking, and offensively, he’s been creating opportunities for others. We’re just helping them get all parts of their game used to the level and speed of play.” And after spending his whole life consumed by the sport, Roy continues to remind his son that even if he makes soccer his profession, the game is just that — a game. “I always tell my son to enjoy himself,” Roy said. “My biggest thing is that he continues to love the game and have a passion for the sport. I never want him to treat it like a job.” But for the young man who has wanted nothing more than to make the game of soccer a career, it may seem difficult for him to think of it as a job. “Since I was a little kid, that’s all I wanted to do,” Ari said. “Seeing my dad, I’ve just put that in my brain that I want to be a professional soccer player. So I will, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get there.”
LIBERALcolumn
The Weekend Ahead
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sports 8
Thursday, October 17, 2013
International affair: Lassiter has pro aspirations JEFFERSON P. NOLAN
@jefferson_nolan
By the age of four, Ariel Lassiter knew he wanted to grow up to be just like his dad. And as the son of a renowned professional soccer player, it seems fitting that the future Cal Poly winger's first soccer experience was when the coaches of the Tampa Bay Mutiny told him he needed to leave the locker room. Ari stood amongst the lockers, the professional athletes towering over the wide-eyed boy. Ari's father, Roy Lassiter, was suited in his striped shin guards with the number 11 stitched across the back of his jersey. “I remember that when the coaches started to talk, I had to leave,” Ari said. “I went to all of the home games, and being in the locker room with his professional teams made me want to live the life of a pro. It made me want to play
professional soccer.” It was another home match at Tampa Stadium for the professional soccer club, and the players and coaches needed to talk strategy before they took to the field. "He’d always have a soccer ball," Roy said with a laugh. "Everywhere he went … he always had a soccer ball." Born in Costa Rica, Ari lived in the tropical country during the time his father played with Costa Rican clubs AD Carmelita, Turrialba and LD Alajuelense. But when Ari was three, he and his mother, Wendy, packed their bags and moved to Tampa — Roy had landed a new gig. It was in a Mutiny uniform that Roy began a career that would eventually make him one of the best forwards to ever play Major League Soccer (MLS). In 1996, his inaugural year in Tampa Bay, Roy record-
ed a league-leading 27 goals — a record that still stands. Roy eventually concluded his soccer career after playing nine years in MLS and 14 total years as a professional. Before coming to Cal Poly, Ari spent time playing for United States national teams. His first experience playing for his country came on the 15-and-under national team. And in addition to being an alternate for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, Ari was also a member of the U.S. National Team youth player pool. “At that time, I was one of the only players that was in high school,” Ari said. “Being on the national team is always fun. It was hard work, but it was really nice to wear that jersey and to have that patch on your chest of the national team and be in that scenario.” see LASSITER, pg. 6
IAN BILLINGS/MUSTANG NEWS