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Thur sday, October 1, 20 15

SOLD OUT: Long-term general parking permits no longer available

ANDREW EPPERSON | MUSTANG NE WS

Tara Kaveh

@TaraKaveh

As of September 23, annual and quarterly parking permits for Cal Poly students have sold out and are not available to purchase, according to the University Police Department (UPD). With a high influx of students on campus and a major parking lot completely under construction, parking permits have sold out at an unusually rapid rate. Now, students with cars who missed out on the limited number of permits are left wondering what to do. “It’s a combination of both losing parking to construction projects and more students coming here each year,” UPD Chief George Hughes said. “And more people are wanting to bring vehicles than before.”

living on campus through a waitlist. With the closing of the G1 lot, UPD had to limit residential parking to make room for additional general parking and to accommodate special events. A waitlist process was instituted for any on-campus residents needing a parking pass. Though most students who applied for residential parking passes have received them by now, a few are still waiting. Some students on the waitlist who were awarded a residential parking pass have still not physically paid for or picked up their passes. Once these issues are resolved, UPD will distribute the remaining passes among those on the waiting list.

3,300

2,775

general parking permits sold

general parking spaces

On September 15, Cal Poly closed the G1 parking lot with 484 parking spots to begin the Student Housing South construction process. The project, due to be completed in July of 2018, is intended to create additional on-campus housing and parking spots for students. With the G1 lot under construction, UPD opened a new K1 lot to provide 431 parking spots behind the red bricks. Between the opening and closing of parking lots, only 53 total general parking spots were lost. Though the loss of spots is not a dire hit, the inconvenience of the new parking lot’s location compared to the old lot’s close proximity to central buildings is a concern. “We know parking is a challenge,” Hughes said. “We know the change in parking lots closing and opening has created some frustration and anxiety, so we want to limit the problems for

While quarterly and annual general permits are sold out, students can still purchase motorcycle and evening permits (valid after 5 p.m.). For the majority of students who commute to campus during the day in a car — hourly, daily and weekly general passes are alternative options to the sold out long-term passes. These passes are available to students unlimitedly through purchase at a pay station, online or at the UPD office. Hourly passes are sold for $2, $3 and $4 for 1, 2 and 3 hours respectively. Depending on how many classes a student takes and how much time they need to spend on campus, these hourly passes can add up quickly. Daily general passes cost $5, and Weekly general passes are $15. Though general quarterly and annual passes are the cheapest option, weekly passes add up to only be $55 more per quarter.

$125

$180

price of fall quarter general parking pass

combined price of weekly general parking passes for Fall 2015

people finding parking on campus.” With 3,300 general parking permits sold by the third day of classes and only 2,775 general parking spots in total, UPD decided to stop selling long-term parking passes to ensure parking for those who already purchased permits. Overselling is a common practice in parking management. All 3,300 people with parking passes won’t all be on campus at the same time; overselling is a way to maximize the use of available spots. “Last year, before we lost the G1 lot, all year long we only sold 300 more permits than we have sold this year,” Hughes said. Though general long-term permits are sold out, a limited number of residential annual permits are still available for students

This may not be a life-altering price difference for many, but there is also an issue of inconvenience in terms of having to physically purchase a ticket daily or weekly. “We don’t want to get to a point that we can’t provide parking for people on campus,” Hughes said. “We are going to continue observing parking habits and parking counts, and we will reassess opening annual and quarterly passes up if we need to.” Until then, students can continue to purchase shortterm parking passes. Students might also consider choosing to carpool, bus, bike or walk to school to steer clear of parking issues, save money and reduce their carbon footprints.

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News... 1, 3 | Arts... 2, 4-5 | Classifieds... 8 | Opinion... 9 | Sports... 7, 10


Thursday, October 1, 2015

ARTS | 2

Dance ‘big’ with Cal Poly’s Swing Club Dillon Payne @bubba_d61

This is the first installment of Mustang News’ “Let’s Go Clubbing” series exploring various Cal Poly clubs. The sound of chatter, laughter, and, more importantly, big band music echoed through Madonna Inn. It was like a scene from a 1920s film noir; people were out on the dance floor, bodies flailing, feet moving alongside a partner’s at a fast, jazzy pace. It’s a dance style not often practiced today, but one Cal Poly group can be found jiving and swaying in Madonna Inn every Monday night: The Swing Club. “We just love to dance to the music of the ’30s through ’50s,” environmental management and protection senior Indigo Bannister said. “It’s a great time.”

Bannister, along with city and regional planning senior Emily Foley and mechanical engineering senior Alex Haughton, have been in the club since their freshman year. All had some type of experience before joining the club, so it’s no surprise that they bring a particular liveliness to their dancing. “I grew up listening to big band swing with my dad and going to (see) live jazz musicians. And then I found a way that I could actually participate in it because I am not musically inclined at all,” Bannister chuckled. “So you’ve got to dance.” There are a variety of dance moves involved in swing, each one with its own signature beat and rhythm. Every dancer tends to have a favorite they like to perform on the dance floor. “My favorite dance move would be the Charleston because it changes your pulse,” Foley said. “You’re bouncier,

you’re kicking — it lets you be a little bigger in your dancing and more expressive and have more fun.” Dancing “big” is something the club prides itself on — the ability to express yourself through the movement that takes hold of you. While the club attends social dances, like the one at Madonna Inn each week, it also holds lessons for beginners and intermediates. Stopping by one of its lessons on a Sunday afternoon may be surprising, as the chants of “shark bait, ooh ha ha” bounce off the walls and transform the group into a tribe of exotic dancers. “What we realized while we were lesson planning is we wanted to make it more fun,” Foley said. “We wanted to figure out a way to really make it accessible and easy to understand so we thought about ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘shark bait oh ha ha.’”

JASON HUNG | MUSTANG NE WS DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

| Swing dancers show off their moves Monday nights at Madonna Inn.

The beginners and intermediates aren’t the only ones improving their dancing style during the lessons. “I get a lot better at dancing as well when I teach because when you’re just dancing, even if you’re really good, you may not entirely understand where all that greatness is coming from,” Haughton said. “But when you

teach, you have to break down each move into its component parts and really understand how those parts build to make the whole.” The Cal Poly Swing Club meets from 8-11 p.m. on Mondays at Madonna Inn and 8-9 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Julian A. McPhee University Union (building 65), room 216. Sun-

day lessons are from 2-4 p.m. in Architecture and Environmental Design (building 5), near (often outside) room 225 and costs $3. “Have fun, get out and be social,” Bannister said. “It’s my form of exercise for the week, my form of social entertainment for the week. It’s how I express myself artistically and it’s just a lot of fun.”

America versus England: Fashion Leah Horner @leahlingo

Leah Horner is a journalism junior and study abroad columnist. Before arriving in Brighton, England for my fall semester abroad, I was told to expect a small coastal town filled with students from surrounding universities. It sounded like the English version of San Luis Obispo. But the town is, in fact, the complete opposite. In many ways, it seems completely opposite of America in general. In only 12 days, I’ve seen drastic differences between the United

States and the United Kingdom. From public transportation to education to gun rights, I plan on delving into the differentiations of two countries that used to be one. First: Fashion. England is a fashionable place. Many Europeans go with the “less is more” approach to shopping and therefore have fewer articles of clothing which are higher quality, rather than following the American approach and having an abundance of T-shirts and jeans. Alexis Godoy, a junior at California State University, Stanislaus, is studying abroad in Brighton. When she got off the airplane in England, she said, she instantly felt out

of place. “I was in sweats, super baggy,” she said. “I just felt like I had no fashion sense whatsoever.” Godoy noticed the other women were wearing fancy clothes and had their hair and makeup done in the airport — a place where she and her American friends were dressed casually. Godoy is not the only American to notice the trendy change. Monika Hershey, another U.S. exchange student from the University of Houston, also spotted the differences in style. Continued on page 5

LEAH HORNER | MUSTANG NE WS FANCY | One California student studying abroad said she noticed that women in England tend to dress up more.

Name: 6450/Cal Poly Compliance Servic; Width: 32p6; Depth: 30p0; Color: Black; File Name: :10-1-15 MD:6450-Cal Poly Compliance Service; Comment: -; Ad Number: 6450


Thursday, October 1, 2015

ASI ASI launches launches ‘Flex ‘Flex Your Your Right’ Right’ to to vote vote campaign campaign

NEWS | 3 Naba Ahmed @nabaahmed

With the upcoming presidential elections in 2016, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) has introduced the Flex Your Right campaign to help students register to vote. While this task has been passed down through former ASI presidents and chiefs of staff, the 201516 ASI executive branch rebranded the project with a new title: Flex Your Right. Philosophy senior Jonathan Lampkin, ASI chief of staff, said this project stems from the Anchor with Owen campaign. “The purpose of the whole event and the whole team is to get people anchored within their community,” Lampkin said. “And what that entails is getting people involved in the civic process whether that be voting for local elections, state elections or national elections. We believe that democracy is not a spectator sport and it is really important to use the gifts you have been given as Americans.” Additionally, ASI is collaborating with the San Luis Obispo Office of Government Relations. Political science senior Annalee Akin, an intern at the office and the ASI representative for the College of Liberal Arts, coordinates between the two organizations. “It is so important for Government Relations that students are registered to vote,” Akin said. “The student government lead-

ership team made it a priority this quarter, which makes it convenient for coordination.” The Flex Your Right team began its efforts by reaching out to Interhousing Council (IHC). Within one day, they spoke to every resident hall and registered 835 students. “That initiative to go to the res halls and speak with the WOWies was really effective, and we plan to do that in the future since it was kind of groundbreaking for

sophomore Matt Boer said. “We have had huge success with our booths and we are halfway to our goal,” Boer said. “We are trying to get as close to students through meetings and booths so that we can educate them on how and why they should vote.” The team is using a targeted digital campaign in coordination with a digital company called Turbovote to make it easier for students to register. As of Sept. 23, 978 students had registered on Turbovote. Due to the high registration, Cal Poly was featured on the Turbovote website. The goal for the team is to get 2,016 students registered to vote before the end of fall quarter. “We really want people to get engaged in politics,” Lampkin said. “We are not worried about which party they vote for, who they vote for; we just want them to vote.” There is more in store for the Flex Your Right initiative. In the future, the team hopes to expand its effort to involve Inter Fraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic, Akin said. “When someone registers on Turbovote, they can enter their organization,” Akin said. “It would be easy to do a competition because you can enter your organization, like a sorority, after you register on Turbovote. After, we could go in and see how many people registered from each organization.” However, nothing has been finalized and that part of the project is still in the works.

We really want people to get engaged in politics. We are not worried about which party they vote for. JONATHAN LAMPKIN

us,” Lampkin said. Before the team went to residence halls, they educated the resident advisers (RAs) and prepared them for any questions. One RA posed a theoretical question that an incoming freshman may have, “I’m only here for three or four years, why should I vote?” Flex Your Right was promoted at the Week of Welcome (WOW) Resource Fair, WOW Club Showcase and the sunset concert featuring Watsky, political science

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @CPMUSTANGNEWS

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGIE DE MATTOS | GRAPHIC BY JORDAN DUNN WE CAN VOTE | ASI is promoting its Flex Your Right campaign to gather 2,016 voters in the 2016 elections.


Thursday, October 1, 2015

ARTS | 4

An ode to the avocado Brendan Abrams @brenabrams

I’ll come right out and say it. We, as humans, don’t deserve the avocado. We lie, cheat and steal. We engage in war and bigotry. We allow “culinary” establishments like Taco Bell to thrive. Why should we be given the right to possess, let alone ingest, this wondrous, pitted fruit that is so beautifully exquisite in its subtlety of flavor that angels cannot help but shed tears of joy when they allow a mere thought of eating one to pass through their heavenly minds? That is a complex question that shall remain unanswered. Let’s just enjoy what we’ve got. What we’ve got, as residents of Central California, is access to the finest avocados available. One can dare to dream of all the slicing, dicing, mashing and even ice-creaming creations for which these bliss-inducing beauties are ideal. Tackling the idea of avocados is no simple task, due to their sophisticated and understated character. Sixteen years passed before I could fully appreciate their magnificence. These dimpled, deep green, subtly flavored balls of mush have captured the hearts and stomachs of a hugely diverse population. “Subtly flavored” might actually be the key to the universal adoration they have. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to flavor, but the avocado is not a flavor so much as it is a personality. In this case, it’s irresistible. Adventurous, yet homely. Bold, yet malleable. Suave, but not too talkative. Avocado is the Dos Equis guy of the farm stand, but with more versatility. It invigorates even the most boring foodstuffs, yet can add a lustful aura to an already beautifully variegated and fragrant dish. It might be shocking, then, that the avocado only became an American obsession around the year 1994. Dr. Lauren Garner, an associate professor in the Horticulture and Crop Science department and the faculty supervisor for Cal Poly’s own orchard that contains avocados, said that the huge increase in the popularity of avocados about 20 years ago was due to a shift in marketing more than

anything else. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect in 1994, resulting in (among other things, of course) an influx of avocados imported from Mexico. To offset their lost profits in the newly oversaturated market, American avocado growers began aggressively advertising their crops, leading to far more widespread consumption in the U.S. “You couldn’t get a decent avocado on the East Coast until (NAFTA),” Garner said. It’s almost inconceivably fortunate that we can swing by the store and pick up a handful of these buttery ambrosia-orbs on a whim, because growing avocados is not nearly as simple as growing other, more common crops. Dr. Garner has firsthand experience raising avocados from seedlings to harvestable maturity. “To go from flowering to an avocado that you can harvest takes more than a year, which makes them challenging and expensive to grow,” she said. “That’s a lot of oil that needs to accumulate in a piece of fruit.” Furthermore, avocado crops are highly sensitive to frost, which means that in the U.S. they can only be grown in a few year-round warm climates, like those of Southern California and Florida. Regardless, we still receive our fresh, verdant avocados each year, and there are usually plenty to spare. Excess opens the door for decadence and experimentation, and in the last 20 years Americans have wasted no time exploiting their seemingly unending supply of avocados for those purposes. The Internet is awash in recipes and suggestions. The California Avocado Commission website suggests using its namesake fruit in anything from buttermilk pancakes to blueberry muffins. Garner, however, prefers to stick to the basics. We’re talking guac: “If it’s just me, it’s avocado, a little lime, a little salt — done.” You’ll have to move quickly if you expect to conjure a quality avocado-infused concoction anytime soon. The California avocado season is almost over, and won’t be back in full swing until spring.

Avocado-Blueberry Muffins Recipe originally posted on californiaavocado.com

YIELD 12 muffins

This recipe for blueberry muffins is perfect for breakfast or anytime. With a California Avocado replacing half the butter normally used, these muffins have reduced calories, fat, sodium and cholesterol with increased “good fats.” There’s nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients in avocados, not to mention the nutrition in blueberries. And the taste? These streuseltopped muffins are moist and seriously delicious.

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 ripe, fresh California avocado, seeded and peeled 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup plain yogurt 6 oz. (1 ¼ cup) fresh Naturipe® blueberries

Streusel Topping

As needed Streusel Topping 1/4 cup flour 1/3 cup sugar 3 Tbsp. butter, softened 1 tsp. cinnamon

4. Add the egg, beating until completely combined. Add the vanilla and the yogurt and mix well.

COOK TIME 25 minutes

Serving suggestion: Serve warm with a little butter or your favorite jam.

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. 2. Add the butter, and mix in using your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. Set aside. Muffins 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. 2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 3. Spoon avocado into a stand mixer and beat until almost smooth. Add sugar and beat until well blended.

5. Put the flour mixture into a sifter and sift half of the mixture into the batter and mix until just combined. Sift in the remaining flour and mix until blended. Gently fold in the blueberries. 6. Using a spoon or an ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the 12 cups. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter in the 12 cups, dividing evenly. 7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden tester comes out clean. 8. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes before removing. 9. Serve warm or at room temperature.

cut out and save!


Thursday, October 1, 2015 Continued from page 2

“I feel like in university in America if you dress up, all of your friends are wearing sweats and they all comment and they

ARTS | 5

all try to ask you where you’re going — when you just dressed up for class for no reason,” Hershey said. Patrick Lyall, a University of Brighton student who lived

in Cambridge, England for a majority of his life, agrees with Hershey and Godoy. He visited the United States multiple times, seeing places like Santa Barbara, Los Angeles

LEAH HORNER | MUSTANG NE WS SUIT UP | Seeing locals walk around in dapper attire is normal in many parts of England, dressing more “smart.”

and Manhattan. Looking back on his times in the states, he remembers Americans would go to shops wearing what the English would consider their pajamas. “People wear flip flops a lot in America, and I say that because I think it sums up the attitude there a lot from what I gather,” Lyall said. “People are very comfortable to dress down and they don’t seem too concerned with what other people are going to think of them. They’re just going to kind of slum it.” Lyall describes his own country’s fashion as a class system. Their lowest class would still wear name brand track suits, like Adidas. The next class up would wear polos and as Lyall puts it, more “smart” and “ele-

gant” clothing. The next step after that is even fancier: a group who would not be caught dead in denim. Lyall and other English men, like Luke Bachelor, enjoy wearing decorative scarves, a trend that has not hit the majority of American men. Bachelor also grew up in England and says European men have the confidence to dress well and not be worried about gender stereotypes. “I don’t know why, but it seems like there’s a lot of guys out there that dress that very metrosexual way that a lot of people would look at some guys and go ‘they’re gay,’ but they’re not,” Bachelor said. “I think there’s a confidence to dress well and dress very smart.”

Both Lyall and Bachelor commented on American men’s lack of comfort in their own skin and the need to be part of the “beef culture,” as Lyall put it. “I know that — what are they called — fraternity houses are a big thing in the states. It sounds as though American males seem to have quite a complex around asserting their masculinity that perhaps we don’t … I think maybe we’re more comfortable here in our skin, or at least in our masculinity,” Lyall said. “I can wear a scarf and I’m still a man.” A question both the Americans and the English had is “why?” Why is it that Americans puts less effort into their looks on a daily basis? None of them could answer that question.


Thursday, October 1, 2015

SPORTS | 7

Men’s soccer cruises past Loyola Marymount

Mustang News Staff @CPMustangSports

The Cal Poly men’s soccer team closed out the nonconference portion of the season with a win over Loyola Marymount on Sunday. The Mustangs (5-2-1) beat the Lions 2-0, coupling a brilliant defensive effort with scores from junior forward Justin Dhillon and senior midfielder Chase Minter. Loyola Marymount (5-5-0) failed to get a shot on goal during the entire match. Last year’s Big West Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, senior

Wade Hamilton, didn’t need to show up as the Mustangs’ defense proved more than capable in the field. The shutout marked the 56th straight start at goalkeeper for Hamilton. Mustang midfielder Austin Wilcox came close to scoring with a shot off the cross bar just 1 minute into the game. Dhillon eventually scored with a shot off the far post in the 23rd minute. Both Wilcox and Minter received credit for the assist to Dhillon. Minter was not done yet. He extended the Mustangs’ lead in the 84th minute with a commanding free kick

from 25 yards out. After the first eight matches, the state of the men’s soccer team looks promising. Its two losses of the year were away matchups against UCLA and Santa Clara, with its lone tie coming against Gonzaga in a 1-1 stalemate after double overtime. The next match for the Mustangs will be at Cal State Northridge on Thursday, the first of 10 Big West Conference matches of the year. Cal Poly looks to continue its fine play during the toughest stretch of the season.


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EDITORS & STAFF

How sports can transform you Amelia Parreira @AmeliaParreira

Amelia Parreira is a journalism senior and Mustang News sports columnist. These views do not reflect the editorial coverage of Mustang News.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kayla Missman MANAGING EDITORS Celina Oseguera, Benjy Egel BROADCAST NEWS DIRECTOR Morgan Butler COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR Melissa Nunez NEWS EDITOR Jen Silva ARTS EDITOR Frances Griffey SPORTS EDITOR Eric Stubben BROADCAST CONTENT PRODUCER Michelle Logan BROADCAST SPORTS DIRECTOR Allison Edmonds SPECIAL SECTIONS COORDINATOR Suha Saya PHOTO EDITOR Georgie De Mattos OPINION EDITOR Liana Riley HEAD DESIGNER Jordan Dunn SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Cara Benson OUTREACH COORDINATORS Hannah Avdalovic, Reilly Roberts WEB DEVELOPER Jon Staryuk STAFF REPORTERS Savannah Sperry, Lindsy Mobley, Gina Randazzo, Warren Fox, Naba Ahmed, Tim Wetzel, Alexa Bruington, Will Peischel, Brendan Abrams, Michelle Zaludek, Madi Salvati, Annie Vainshtein, Dillon Payne, Alison Stauf, Keenan Donath, Clara Knapp, Ayrton Ostly, Olivia Proffit, Avrah Baum, Michael Frank COPY EDITORS Tori Leets, Kalynn Carpenter, Gurpreet Bhoot DESIGNERS Zack Spanier, Sabrina Smith, Meghan Legg OPINION COLUMNISTS Amelia Parreira, Emilio Horner PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason Hung, Illiana Arroyos, Andrew Epperson, Christa Lam, Haley Farr, Aleksa Salve, Gabby Pajo, Hanna Crowley ADVERTISING MANAGER Maddie Spivek ADVERTISING DESIGN MANAGER Jordan Triplett PRODUCTION MANAGER Erica Patstone MARKETING MANAGER Ross Pfeifer ASSISTANT ADVERTISING MANAGERS Anna Seskind, Sam Patterson SENIOR ADVERTISING CONSULTANT C.J. Estores ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Luke Bickel, Ashley Safari, Shakti Rajput, Victoria Howland ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Micaela Pacini, Sabrina Bexar DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Dylan Ring FACULTY ADVISER Pat Howe GENERAL MANAGER Paul Bittick

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NOTICES Mustang News is a “designated public forum.” Student editors have full authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. Printed by UNIVERSITY GRAPHIC SYSTEMS ugs@calpoly.edu Mustang News is a member of Associated Collegiate Press, California Newspaper Publishers Association, College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers and College Media Advisors. Thursday, October 1, 2015 Publishing since 1916

“Just, like, Google something funny.”

OPINION | 9

For my first column of the year, I’m going to take a step back from my usual focus on professional sports and bring something more personal to the table. With that, I’d like to ask you one question: What are you passionate about and what has motivated you to stay so enthusiastic? In my case, the answer to that question revolves around playing and watching sports. I bet you never would have guessed. Whether I’m sprinting through an open field or on the couch cheering for my favorite team, I just can’t get enough of the adrenaline I feel when surrounded by the sports world. However, I can’t tell you how many times in my life I have digressed to sports-related dialogue, only to find rolling eyes or blank stares of disgust or boredom on the other side of the conversation. Not to mention the sarcastic comments. And that is why I chose to write this article — not to alter the beauty of life by changing everyone’s opinions to simply fit my own, but with a completely different purpose. Instead I wish to build understanding and acceptance to show the world (or at least this community) that sports are not a waste of time, money and energy. When it comes to sports, it’s

not all about what you sacrifice or what you put in — it’s about what you learn and get out of the experience. Maybe not everybody has the same experience, but involvement in sports can have many positive effects on a person’s character. For me, I have normally been known as a shy, reserved individual, especially as a child. After I joined a local soccer league at the age of 7, I gradually branched out as communication with teammates became essential to my success in the sport. These activities also fostered teamwork and critical thinking skills I still use today. Established relationships with others is one of the greatest parts of sports participation, as well as the relationship you build with yourself. There’s nothing quite as uplifting as hearing that ball swish through the net and realizing that it was you who just made the winning basket. Or feeling the rush of an ecstatic crowd after scoring your very first grand slam and seeing forty smiles greet you as you return to the dugout. That one moment of self-confidence can change someone’s life forever. Looking back on my gymnastics career, I still remember the first time I performed a perfect front handspring. Every doubt in my mind slipped away as my feet successfully reached the floor. Three months of trying to master that one skill had finally paid off, and I felt like I could do anything. One of the most important things I find in sports participation is the sense of peace it brings. Not only does exercise lower blood pressure in general, but focusing your mind on a sporting activity can help you

GEORGIE DE MATTOS | MUSTANG NE WS

clear your mind of any stress or negativity. It reduces the effects of stress by decreasing muscle tension, and it improves the respiratory system. Now comes the part that I’ve been most criticized for: my sports fandom. I’m not going to lie. When I watch sports I transform from this calm, quiet girl that never talks into a loud, obnoxious creature that screams at the television over every unfair call. It’s no wonder people think I’m crazy for loving something that sparks such obsessive behavior. But look past that and you’ll

discover that much good comes out of sport fandoms. One of the best parts of a fan nation is the connections that form between fans. Every time I go to a baseball game I end up making friends with every person sitting near me. The best part is that it didn’t matter how many differences we had; all that mattered is that one thing we had in common with each other — the team. When you’re a sports fan amidst other sports fans, it’s hard to feel alone. According to a Jan. 2015 Huffington Post article, life as a sports fan can actually enhance

your social life, decrease feelings of loneliness and boost overall happiness. With all the excitement that occurs in a typical sports game, it is easy to become fully enthralled along with others. Even if your team doesn’t win, it’s hard to keep from feeling happiness for the team that did. So next time you change the channel and land on ESPN or get stuck in the middle of a heated conversation about the upcoming World Series, take the effort to open your eyes, your ears and your mind and go beyond what you perceive. See what’s really there. Chances are you’ll find something incredible.


Thursday, October 1, 2015

SPORTS | 10

This week in sports

JOHN SHAFFER | COURTESY PHOTO DRAW | Pepperdine’s Emily Tanaka (right) scored the tying goal against the Mustangs shortly after halftime last weekend. On Sunday, women’s soccer heads to Hawaii (3-6-1) for a late-night matchup against the Rainbow Wahine.

Mustang News Staff Report @CPMustangSports

Conference play begins this upcoming weekend for Cal Poly’s two soccer teams, while three other athletic programs will also square off against opponents between Thursday and Sunday. The men’s soccer team (5-2-1) opens Big West Conference play to begin the weekend, traveling to Cal State Northridge on Thursday. The Matadors began the season 4-3-1 and are on a three-game winning streak. The Mustangs will look to stifle the Matadors and extend their own winning streak to three games.

Later in the week, men’s soccer travels once again to UC Irvine to take on the Anteaters (2-5-2) that are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss at UCLA. Women’s soccer also opens conference play over the weekend. Senior forward Elise Krieghoff, fresh off her conference-record ninth Big West Conference Player of the Week honors, leads the Mustangs (4-2-5) against UC Davis (7-3-1) on Thursday in Davis. The Aggies enter the match on a two-game winning streak. On Sunday, women’s soccer heads to Hawaii (3-61) for a late-night matchup

against the Rainbow Wahine. Volleyball hosts two home matches this week, one on Friday and one on Saturday. The Mustangs (8-4, 0-1 Big West) look to pick up their first Big West Conference win of the season on Friday as they take on No. 24 Long Beach State at 7 p.m. in Mott Athletics Center. Long Beach State comes to San Luis Obispo having won 10 of its last 11 matches, lifting them into the Top 25 nationwide. Following Friday’s hosting of Long Beach State, volleyball also plays host to Cal State Northridge (3-11, 2-0 Big West) on Saturday. The match will also be held in

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Mott Athletics Center and begins at 4 p.m. Men’s swimming and diving, which is coming off last weekend’s strong performance at the Cal Poly Invitational, will host USC on Saturday at 11 a.m. USC finished last season ranked No. 11 in the country.

The Cal Poly football team (13, 0-1 Big Sky) looks to rebound from three consecutive losses as it plays host to Idaho State at Alex G. Spanos Stadium on Saturday. This weekend’s game begins at 6:05 p.m. and features the annual Cal Poly Hall of Fame ceremony at halftime.

The Mustangs enter into an easier part of their schedule after beginning the year facing three Top 25 FCS teams and an FBS team. Idaho State began the year with a convincing 55-0 victory over Black Hills State University, but has since gone 0-3 and has been outscored 22-166 in those three games.


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