Monday, April 21, 20 14
Volume L X X V III, Number 51
w w w.mus t angne w s .net
A CHAIR
TO FILL Sean McMinn
@shmcminn
JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NEWS
Dining. Skateboarding. Alcohol on campus. These issues come up nearly every year, but the ability of Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) officials to carry out the demands of students doesn’t get any easier. And when push comes to shove, candidates’ promises to carry out what students want can be difficult to deliver. “The key is when someone’s running for office, not to promise the world,” said Butch Oxendine, the executive di-
Oxendine, who is a former student body president and rector of the American Student Government Association. “They ultimately don’t have authority, and they’ll look stu- editor-in-chief of two campus publications, said students often make the mistake of using stories from individual stupid. And ultimately, they’ll lie.” At Cal Poly, the middle ground between what students dents to demonstrate what an entire student body wants. This strategy, Oxendine said, has little persuasive power. >> want and what ASI can do lies in a concept called “shared governance.” Because of this doctrine, the voice of the students is at least represented in all high-level discussions see CHANGE, pg 2. through ASI representatives.
A new senior
‘Cutthroat Kitchen’ gets taste of Central Coast cuisine
tradition
Kelly Trom @kttrom PREVIEW
Kait Freeberg Special to Mustang News
JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NEWS BROOMS | Cal Poly baseball dealt Cal State Fullerton its first Big West Conference sweep since 2007.
TITANIC SWEEP PHOTO COURTESY OF NHA HA COMMENCE | The commencement fair kicks off this Thursday.
Hosted by the University Store, the Spring Commencement Fair will take place in the Julian A. McPhee University Union (building 65), room 220. The fair will allow students to order graduation tickets, take senior portraits and purchase caps, gowns and class rings. >>
see FAIR, pg 7.
Keenan Donath @CPMustangSports PREVIEW Sophomore right-hander Casey Bloomquist threw a complete-game shutout in Saturday’s series finale to help No. 3 Cal Poly baseball sweep No. 19 Cal State Fullerton at Baggett Stadium. The Mustangs have won 10 straight games and improved to 34-5 on the season. >>
see BASEBALL, pg 12.
ANNE KNAPKE | MUSTANG NEWS NOM NOM NOM | Apple Farm Inn’s Chef de Cuisine Steven Smeets competed on Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen.”
Apple Farm Inn’s Chef de Cuisine Steven Smeets appeared on March 30’s episode of Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen.” “I enjoyed the show and the whole process, and learning how TV is made,” Smeets said. >>
see CUISINE, pg 4.
News... 1 | ASI Elections... 2, 3 | Arts... 4, 8 | Spring Commencement Fair... 5-7 | Opinion/Classifieds... 8, 9 | Sports... 11-12
ASI | 2
Monday, April 21, 2014
ASI presidential race lacks greek presence Celina Oseguera @celinaoseguera As soon as the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) presidential candidates could, they dispatched their election teams to plaster signs and flyers around the campus for the upcoming ASI presidential election. The names of the three candidates — Joi Sullivan, Connor Paquin and Jake Rogers — were plastered across campus, accompanied by vibrant colors and punchy slogans. What some may not have realized is that none of the three candidates are part of Cal Poly's greek life community. When Panhellenic President and business administration junior Danielle Durante heard no one from greek life was running for ASI presidency, she was disappointed. But after learning about the three candidates, that feeling subsided. “Initially, I was a little disappointed that none of the greek students wanted to run,” Durante said. “But I really think that the candidates that are running are qualified.” Former Interfraternity Council (IFC) President and business administration junior Domenic Hjerpe had similar sentiments when he heard who was running. “I believe all the candidates are strong,” Hjerpe said. Though they did say all the candidates seemed qualified, greek life leaders said it would take some work to
represent the greek community as a non-greek student. “As far as the next president, I think it’s extremely important for them to understand what’s going on in the (greek) organizations and the administration,” Durante said. Rogers, an agricultural business junior, admitted getting familiar with how greek organizations work would not be easy, but would be necessary if he were to become ASI president. “It could be a bit of an obstacle,” Rogers said. “You can’t fully understand greek life if you aren’t in greek life.” But Rogers said he has a plan to open up the ASIgreek relationship if he were to become president. A part of this plan is to meet with greek organizations once a month. Sullivan had the same idea. The political science senior said she would meet with the greek community regularly, whether that’s on a weekly or monthly basis, to listen to their concerns. For Sullivan, listening to the greek community would be vital if she were to become president. “My goal is to have my door open at all times,” Sullivan said. Paquin, a civil engineering junior, did not feel he was going into the ASI-greek relationship empty-handed. He said he already knew many of the greek community’s issues and was working to help. “I understand the things
“We come in thinking we have the avenue to really voice our concerns and make changes early and fast. But the way the university is set up, ASI doesn't actually have power over those types of things.” CONNOR PAQUIN | ASI PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
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they go through and the issues they’ve been dealing with,” he said. Paquin has helped by spearheading an ASI greek party registration resolution. The resolution will be presented to the Board of Directors next week. Sullivan said she would also address party registration during presidency. “I don’t think it’s the administration’s job to be their parent,” Sullivan said about the Cal Poly administration’s involvement with greek life parties. Rogers also mentioned his plans for greek life if he were to become president. One thing he wanted to focus on was possibly installing a greek row — a street or area containing only greek homes — if the surrounding community approved. According to Durante and current ASI President and agricultural business junior Jason Colombini, only three of the 13 presidential candidates from the last five ASI presidential elections were involved with greek organizations. Two of the last five ASI presidents were a part of greek life, including Colombini. United Sorority and Fraternity Council President Edward Yanez said he would like to see more greek involvement in the ASI elections. “I would like to see somebody from greek life running in the future, just to get our voices heard easier,” Yanez said.
Change continued from pg 1. “If I were a university president, to your face I’m going to be, ‘Yeah, that’s a great idea. Thank you for sharing that,’” Oxendine said. “Behind the scenes I’m saying, ‘They have not done their homework. I want proof. I want data.’” Instead of using anecdotes to prove a point, statistically valid surveys and studies are more effective at convincing administrators to reconsider or change campus rules, Oxendine said. Cal Poly’s ASI has used this technique on hot-button items such as semesters vs. quarters and university alcohol policies. These surveys often have predictable results. For example, nearly 90 percent of students voted to stay on quarters in a campus advisory vote held by ASI in 2013. But having that backing can lead to more concrete actions, such as official resolutions and advisory documents that can help hold administrators accountable to what students want. If student governments conduct surveys to back up
CELINA OSEGUERA | MUSTANG NEWS
THE RACE | None of the three Associated Students, Inc. presidential candidates are in greek life.
“Initially, I was a little disappointed that none of the greek students wanted to run. But I really think that the candidates that are running are qualified.” DANIELLE DURANTE | PANHELLENIC PRESIDENT
their claims, Oxendine said, “then they’ll find out that it’s something students really want or are demanding. Then they have a right to speak.” This reality is something newly elected student government officials might not understand, civil engineering junior and ASI presidential candidate Connor Paquin said. Paquin, the only candidate for president who's won an ASI election before, said it's easy for enthusiastic student representatives to take on issues that might not be in student government’s jurisdiction during the beginning of their terms. Doing this blindly doesn’t guarantee results. “We come in thinking we have the avenue to really voice our concerns and make changes early and fast,” Paquin said. “But the way the university is set up, ASI doesn’t actually have power over those types of things.” Instead, representatives sit on committees, which formalize the process of getting information to administrators. ASI’s website lists 35 committees that students serve on. Some of the most widely recognized are: · Campus Dining Advisory Committee
· Campus Fee Advisory Committee · Student Success Fee Allocation Advisory Committee · Sustainability Advisory Committee Committees such as the Student Success Fee Allocation Advisory Committee have a majority of students, while others, such as the Substances Use and Abuse Advisory Committee, have few little as one student representative. The committees with the most students on them are: · Student Success Fee Allocation Advisory Committee (7) · Instructionally Related Activities Advisory Committee (4) · Campus Fee Advisory Committee (4) · Athletics Governing Board (4) On several university committees, however, Cal Poly employees outnumber students. The power of the stu-
dent representatives comes not from a majority voting bloc on these committees, but from the representatives’ ability to effectively argue the students’ position to administrators. “If you don’t sit on that committee, it’s harder for you to voice your concerns,” Paquin said. Paquin said during his time in ASI, he’s seen Cal Poly administrators put forward a genuine effort to listen to student input on these committees. It’s not always the same, he said, at other universities. But even at Cal Poly, student representatives have to make an effort to make their voices heard. Pushing for what students want can be a difficult task when they so often have less knowledge than administrators about campus issues. “They (administrators) say, ‘Oh, there’s a reason students are thinking that way, and it’s because there’s information they don’t have access to,’” Paquin said. “And when that happens, things just die.”
#TOPHARVARD JOIN THE MOVEMENT
ASI | 3
Monday, April 21, 2014
A voter’s guide to the 2014 Associate Students, Inc. elections ASI presidential candidates
Jake Rogers · Two-year member of the National Agricultural Marketing Association (NAMA) team · Vice President of Cal Poly Young Cattlemen’s Association · Agricultural Student Council President · Campaign Slogan: “Be The Difference”
Joi Sullivan · College of Liberal Arts ambassador · Co-President of Pi Sigma Alpha (political science honors society) · College of Liberal Arts peer advisor · Campaign Slogan: “Choose Joi”
COURTESY PHOTOS
Connor Paquin · President of Poly Canyon Village (2012-13) · Board of Directors Representative (College of Engineering) for the past two years · Cal Poly Homecoming Prince (2012) · Campaign Slogan: “Poly Wins With Paquin”
Board of Directors candidates College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES): 15 candidates, five available seats. Madison Albiani, Nicole Billington, Seth Borges, Gabriella Bragoli, Kaitlin Carpenter, Angus Baldwin Chang, Jana Colombini, Jesse Gibson, Logan Hon-
eycutt, Rebecca Scanlon, Owen Schwaegerle, Garrett Stolz, Haley Warner, AJ Zekanoski. College of Architecture and Environmental Design (COA): Five candidates, two available seats. Young Choi, Elliot Gert-
ner, John Herrero, Emilie Morse, Jacob Ruiz. College of Engineering (COE): 18 candidates, five available seats. Mark Berry, Kyle Boland, Jack Divita, Tyler Fox, Grant Haug, Dane Jordan, Samantha Kin, Nelson Lin, Myra Lukens, Vittorio
Monteverdi, Jose Parra, Nicolas Pitchon, Mallika Potter, Kyle Potthast, Varsha Ravi Kumar, Alles Rebel, Alfredo Sanchez. College of Liberal Arts (CLA): Nine candidates, four available seats. Annalee Akin, Jeff Bowden,
Lauren Cool, Cyrus Ebadat, Chris Giuffré, Alex Leonetti, Christopher Lopez, Sevelyn VanRonk. Orfalea College of Business (OCOB): Seven candidates, four available seats. Leo Fahmie, Samantha Foster, Sydney Johnson,
Yashar Moayedian, Brandon Scott, Cameron Shahidi, Miles Wix. College of Science & Mathematics (COSAM): Four candidates, four available seats. Brooke Bernardy, Lexie Bonestroo, Alex Horncliff, Kevin Londerholm.
Sullivan leads the way among decided voters for ASI president Benjy Egel @BenjyEgel A preliminary poll of the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) presidential race showed most students remain undecided on where their political preferences lie, and many others simply don’t plan on voting at all. In a 280-person survey conducted by Mustang News, 51 percent of students said they had not
yet decided whether to vote for political science senior Joi Sullivan, agricultural business junior Jake Rogers or civil engineering junior Connor Paquin. Another 23.6 percent said they didn’t plan on voting in the April 23 election. Among likely voters, Sullivan led the way with the support of 16 percent of those polled. Paquin was close behind with 13 percent, and Rogers had 4 per-
cent. Approximately 2/3 of likely voters hadn’t yet made a decision." "It’s encouraging to see — I wouldn’t call it quite a majority — but a number of students have decided to vote for me,” Sullivan said. “It gives me a little bit more confidence, but there’s still five days left (until voting).” Candidates had been openly campaigning for only three or four days when the survey
Election day information Voting takes place from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday.
Voters can select a presidential candidate and ASI Board of Directors candidates for their respective college.
Log on to my.calpoly.edu to cast a vote.
Results will be announced after Atmosphere's performance in the main gym of the Recreation Center on Thursday at 11 a.m.
was conducted on Wednesday April 16-17, a possible reason for the large amount of undecided voters. Many students were not aware who the candidates were. Even people who stated a clear preference sometimes seemed ambivalent about their choice, like environmental engineering junior Courtney Thomas. “I don’t really like any of the candidates, but I like
Joi’s ideas the best so far,” Thomas said. Both Paquin and Sullivan said they thought the election would come down to the last few days, though neither disclosed what tricks they had up their sleeves. Many voters only started paying attention near the end of the campaigning period last year, Paquin said. He worked with Sullivan on Nate Honeycutt’s unsuccessful bid
for ASI president. “Once it gets close to the election, they’ll realize, ‘Oh shoot, I need to get informed,’” Paquin said. “We see that every year.” The election results will be announced immediately after hip-hop duo Atmosphere’s performance Thursday in the Recreation Center, Paquin said. Unlike years past, candidates will not be allowed to campaign the day of the election.
ARTS | 4
Monday, April 21, 2014
‘Cutthroat Kitchen’ tastes Central Coast cuisine
ANNE KNAPKE | MUSTANG NEWS
HOW DO YOU LIKE DEM APPLES | Apple Farm Inn Chef de Cuisine Steven Smeets was on “Cutthroat Kitchen” on March 30. Smeets said he enjoyed competing on the show even though he didn’t win. Kelly Trom @kttrom San Luis Obispo’s style of organic, natural food was personified in Apple Farm Inn’s Chef de Cuisine Steven Smeets on an episode of Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” on March 30. Smeets is no stranger to food competitions; he participates in several per year when he isn’t busy cooking Apple Farm’s traditional comfort food. In fact, Smeets was discovered at a competition in Orange County where they were casting for the show. The “Cutthroat” competition was a little different, as competitors were able to sabotage each other by taking away ingredients, cooking mediums or other necessities. “I enjoyed the show and the whole process, and learning how TV is made,” Smeets said. “But being sabotaged, I
didn’t like the fact that I was unable to show what I could actually do.” Though Smeets didn’t advance to the final round after a sabotage took away kitchen utensils such as mixing bowls and pans, it didn’t have to do with his lack of experience. Homemade Smeets started cooking for himself on a camping trip when he was 12. “When I first realized I wanted to be a chef, I was in Boy Scouts,” he said. “We would go fishing for fresh trout and cook over the open fire. We would wrap potatoes in foil and cook them in the coals.” This basic introduction to cooking turned into something more a few years later, when he started helping his mother in the kitchen. In fact, it was a kitchen utensil that got him excited about the cooking process
in general. “I was really into knives; that’s why I was in Boy Scouts,” Smeets said. “I had all the pocket knives and then wanted to explore other types of knives. I got my first set of kitchen knives and helped my mom in the kitchen by chopping vegetables.” His love of cooking kicked up a notch when Smeets took a food class at Newport Harbor High School that lead to him competing in the California Restaurant Association Student Invitational. His former teacher, Janet Dukes, helped Smeets and his teammates to first place in the state and second place nationally. “(Smeets) was enthusiastic, always wanting to learn,” Dukes said. “He was one of my top students.” Dukes led several teams to victory, and knew what it took to participate in a competition that tested culinary skills. “It is hard to put yourself out there and have everyone critique you,” Duke said. “Being willing to step out and do that makes you think outside the box. You become more creative. I think that what makes (Smeets) a great chef is his creativity.” Smeets went on to be trained formally as a chef at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. After completing his education there, he went on to work at fine-dining establishments in the city such as Spruce, BIX Restaurant and the Sir Francis Drake Hotel restaurant. This shaped Smeets’ early love of what he calls “fancy food.” However, his style as a chef has evolved since then. “When I first started cooking, I was really into gastronomy and fine dining,” Smeets said. “It has kind of evolved into using fresh, local, organic produce, sustainability and local farming practices.” Moving to the Central Coast After working in several restaurants in San Francisco, Smeets wanted a change
of scenery. He visited San Luis Obispo while wine tasting and fell in love with the atmosphere. Soon after, he got a job at Apple Farm Inn as Chef de Cuisine. Stephen Walls, executive chef at Apple Farm, wanted to hire someone to change some of its menu items. “We have always been a real comfort food type of establishment, with mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, homemade meat loaf, house-cooked turkey,” Walls said. “We wanted to keep the comfort food experience, but we wanted to expand on it.” He saw the passion and creativity Smeets possessed and decided to give him a chance. “He has taken the available proteins and added his creative eye to presentation and flavor elements to the plate,” Walls said. In the two years Smeets has worked at Apple Farm, he has improved in his artistic plate presentations and his creativity by combining certain flavors with the proteins he uses, Walls said. The Central Coast and the organic food Apple Farm serves has influenced Smeets. “I think the San Luis Obispo atmosphere changed my philosophy on food,” Smeets said. “I was ready for a change when I moved from San Francisco. I still really like fine dining, but that is not so much my emphasis. It is not so much to make the plate look beautiful as to make the food taste really good.” Smeets has led an initiative at Apple Farm to order produce directly from local farmers, instead of shopping at farmers’ markets with the masses. The farm-to-table theme found throughout the Central Coast is now central to Smeet’s style, and is incorporated in what he describes as his new type of cooking. “I like to describe my cooking style as how a farmer would cook if they were a chef,” Smeets said. “I take organic, fresh produce and highlight
You get in (the pantry) and you are just frantic and can’t think straight. You are thinking of everything you need, but you can only grab one thing at a time. STEVEN SMEETS it in the simplest way possible.” ‘Cutthroat Kitchen’ Smeets wasn’t the only competitor on “Cutthroat Kitchen” with a diverse culinary background. He competed against a high school cooking teacher, a former “Hell’s Kitchen” contestant and a Jamaican restaurant owner. “They were good competitors,” he said. “It was close the whole time. I think there were moments when they got lucky and moments when I got lucky.” The show consists of three different rounds in which competitors could get sabotaged. They have 30 seconds to go into the pantry to gather ingredients and plan their meal based around certain parameters. “You get in (the pantry) and you are just frantic and can’t think straight,” Smeets said. “You are thinking of everything you need, but you can only grab one thing at a time.” To prepare for the hectic atmosphere of the show, Smeets practiced with his girlfriend, who came up with three random ingredients and had him mentally plan out the dish he would make in one minute. He also prepared by making specials at Apple Farm. Coming up with specials for the day was helpful because chefs on the show are supposed to use whatever ingredients are available in the kitchen. Smeets also planned out how to best get around sabotages —
a component of the show. “One of my strategies for the show was to get all of my things that needed to be cooked done right away, because they have a mid-round sabotage where they take something away from you,” he said. “I would try to get all my cutting and cooking done in the first round.” But unfortunately, all the preparation in the world could not make up for the sabotage Smeets had to endure. Ultimately, Smeets was eliminated when he prepared a Hawaiian lunch plate with no protein. “My chicken wasn’t fully cooked, so I couldn’t serve it,” Smeets said. “I called it a vegetarian Hawaiian lunch plate just to be kind of funny. I pretty much knew I was going home at that point.” Walls and others at Apple Farm watched Smeets’ episode and were proud of the effort he put into it. “His creativity showed through with the limitations of what he had to work with,” Walls said. Walls was especially impressed with the response of Alton Brown, the host of “Cutthroat Kitchen.” “Even Alton Brown said that some of the greatest chefs could not survive some of the sabotages that round,” Walls said. “That was really a compliment, in my opinion. I think he was trying to let him know that he was brutally sabotaged and there wasn’t much he could have done with what he had to work with.”
COMMENCEMENT FAIR | 5
Monday, April 21, 2014
Helpful tips for graduation weekend dining
ANNE VAINSHTEIN | MUSTANG NEWS
FINE DINING | The San Luis Obispo area provides several options for celebratory graduation dinners. Some options include dining in a restaurant, cooking at home and picnicking in the park. Annie Vainshtein @annievain As graduation draws closer, a great deal of planning is required to make the weekend run smoothly — especially graduation dinner. Whether it’s Italian, Asian fusion or steak, the San Luis Obispo area has a variety of restaurants to seat large parties for graduation dinners. Here are several options to consider. Ciopinot Seafood Grille This seafood restaurant, located at 1051 Nipomo St., seats large parties as well as small groups in their dining room, bar and patio area. Ciopinot does not start taking reservations until May 1 for graduation weekend, but it does fill up quickly after that. They do not have a cap on people per party. They are offering a special corkage deal, with the first four bottles free and $10 for each bottle after that. The restaurant will be serving their normal menu and nightly specials. The general pricing per plate ranges from $20-45. In addition, the restaurant offers takeout and catering. Contact info: (805)-547-1111 Novo Restaurant and Lounge Known for its outdoor patio seating along Mission Creek, Novo started taking reservations in January for graduation weekend. They still have availability for each day and night of graduation, but are almost full for Saturday evening, especially between 5:307:30. Their Sunday brunch
is almost booked, but they do offer a walk-in table with a waitlist. Novo allows two hours for all groups on graduation weekend because of the traffic flow, and typically requires a set family-style menu for parties larger than 16. Additionally, Novo does have a corkage fee ($15 per bottle) and dessert fee (also $15). Each plate ranges from $9-40. The food is served in a Mediterranean/ American style. Contact info: (805)-5433986 or events@novorestaurant.com Luna Red Located at 1023 Chorro St., Luna Red offers tapas, Mediterranean and American dishes, with prices ranging from $10-40. Big groups are welcome. Luna Red — Novo’s sister restaurant — has patio seating on the creekside. Normally, the restaurant caps the party maximum to nine people between Thursday nights and Sunday brunches. Parties of 20 are allowed between Sunday evening and Wednesday. For graduation weekend, Luna Red is offering a special menu for parties who pre-order; the dishes will be served family-style. They offer takeout, but don’t cater. Contact info: (805)-5405243 Sidecar Sidercar is located at 1127 Broad St. and offers seating to large parties, as well as a full bar and takeout. Priced at approximately $15-30 per plate, they recommend making reservations at least two months prior.
For graduation weekend, they are offering their normal menu with a few specials dictated by the fresh produce and meat they have available. Additionally, they are offering a celebratory cocktail or glass of champagne to each graduate on the house. They are still fairly open for reservations. Contact info: (805)-5405340 Ventana Grill Pismo Beach If you’d like a coastal view and wouldn’t mind eating a bit farther away from campus, this is a good option. This restaurant is a fusion of seafood, Latin American and American styles and is priced at approximately $10-40 per dish. Located just off the beach, it houses large and small parties, but does not offer takeout. Contact Info: (805)-7730000 Since most of these restaurants offer takeout, it’s possible to have a meal outside. Here are some parks to consider. Laguna Lake Park This large park space offers two group barbecue areas, a sand volleyball court, groves of trees and three small picnic areas. The entrance is at the corner of Madonna Road and Dalidio Drive, and it surrounds Laguna Lake. Meadow Park On the corner of Meadow and South streets, Meadow Park offers individual as well as group picnic and barbecue areas. There are also two sand volleyball courts, a basketball court,
walking trails and a softball field. The park is open from dawn to dusk. Johnson Park Johnson Park is bordered by a creek on one side and offers a large space to roam and barbecue. There are basketball courts as well. The park is located on Southwood Drive, just before Sinsheimer Park. Mitchell Park Mitchell Park is located within the city block surrounded by Santa Rosa, Pismo, Buchon and Osos Streets. It is a small park and is crossed with the San Luis Obispo Senior Center, but offers individual picnic tables, a barbecue area for up to 30 people and a Rotary Bandstand.
To reserve a space at any of these parks, you can go to the City of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Department website. Besides downtown and outer areas, there are other options if you’d like more privacy. Recreation, parks and tourism administration senior Ashleigh Allard’s family has decided to rent a house in Pismo Beach, where they will cook their own graduation dinner. The house comes with a fully stocked kitchen and barbecue set. Allard said buying groceries and cooking a homemade graduation meal was cheaper than reserving dinner plans and separate hotel rooms for her family of 15.
“We don’t have to deal with the storm of people heading downtown who either haven’t made reservations and are waiting or are trying to get parking,” Allard said. “This way, we can relax and enjoy our meal for as long as we want and have more freedom in our choices.” Allard got the idea from a former coworker who graduated last June and had rented a house on Avila Beach. After realizing how much cheaper it would be, Allard told her mother about the idea, and they booked the beachside house in January. Whether you opt to dine in or dine out, graduation is around the corner and spots are filling up — make sure to plan ahead.
COMMENCEMENT FAIR | 6
Monday, April 21, 2014
Grad weekend impacts local hotel community Lindsy Mobley @LindsyMobley Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn. Business is booming for San Luis Obispo’s local hotel community with graduation just around the corner. Those who plan on staying in town for graduation weekend need to make a reservation now, before the entire county is booked. “I’d say you really ought to start planning now for graduation weekend,” Madonna Enterprises President Clint Pearce said. “It’s important,” Pearce said. “If you know you’re coming, you need to start figuring out your head count and reserving rooms at least a couple months ahead of time. Because the closer you get, you know there’s always cancellations and things, but the hotels book up fast.” Grace Allen, the director of visitor services for the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, advises visitors to book rooms as early as eight to nine months in advance. The already high number of graduating students multiplies when each student has family members coming, she said. “Our city is going to be impacted by all these people that are going to be graduating,” she said. Allen pointed out that it’s a busy weekend not only in the city, but throughout the county as well. “People will notice the hotels will be booked right away in our city because, of course, it’s easy access,” Al-
len said. “And then there’s always bed and breakfasts that you can stay at and there’s camp sites you can book. But hotels throughout the county will be booked.” The longer you wait, the fewer choices you will have. And vacancies are rare on graduation weekend, Pearce said. Some visitors book reservations for big events such as Open House and graduation a year in advance, Pearce said. “Some people start that far in advance,” Pearce said. “You know, (there are) really good planners out there. And then there’s folks that don’t really think about it much, I guess, and try to get it almost the day of.” Fortunately, those who fit into the latter category still have options. “I think that sometimes the day of, or very last minute, you almost have a better chance than two weeks out,” Pearce said. “There’s always last-minute cancellations with hotels.” Pearce suggests getting the closest room available, whether that be as far as Atascadero, Paso Robles or Santa Maria. Then, the week leading up to graduation, continue to call your desired hotel and make sure you’re on the list to get a room if any cancellations occur. Some hotels have no-cancellation policies, though, so do research before calling, Allen said. “You can always contact the visitor’s center here at the (Chamber of Commerce), and we’ll be more than happy to help you
JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NEWS
GET A ROOM | Hotels often book up for graduation weekend far in advance. Bed and breakfasts and camp sites are other alternatives. find any place, and we won’t stop until we find you somewhere,” Allen said. Another option, she said, is getting a vacation home for a more relaxed atmosphere. “That way, they are able to have barbecues and they can host parties at their vacation home, rather than going out,” Allen said. “Because more than likely, the restaurants are going to be booked as well.” For desperate situations, she said families can camp, since there are many great camping areas in the county, including El Chorro Regional Park, Montaña de
Oro, Morro Bay State Park, Pismo State Beach and Santa Margarita Lake. Camping is also a cheaper option, since hotel prices rise during the summer season. It’s normal in the hotel industry to raise prices during big events such as graduation because it will raise hotels’ revenue, Pearce said. These events have positive economic effects for the city, Allen said. When people are here, they want to go to wineries, restaurants, concerts, art museums or explore shopping options, which means Cal Poly
makes a positive impact on the community, she said. “Graduation weekend is a huge benefit and boost to the local hotel industry,” Pearce said. “Just as Open House — or Poly Royal, as I like to call it — is. It almost goes without saying how much business comes to our local economy during those big events from campus. It’s a great piece of business that we benefit from.” Allen also pointed out that it’s special to see the visitors’ support, not just as a tax boost to the city, but as
a community helping the graduating students’ success in the world. “Our hotel community in San Luis really embraces all the Cal Poly events, especially graduation and Open House,” Pearce said. “And we do everything we can to accommodate those guests. The city works with hotels from providing shuttles to alleviate traffic congestion and things like that, too, so it’s a great time to stay during those big Cal Poly events. You can just enjoy the beautiful community.”
“Graduation weekend is a huge benefit and boost to the local hotel industry. Just as Open House — or Poly Royal, as I like to call it — is.” CLINT PEARCE | MADONNA ENTERPRISES PRESIDENT
COMMENCEMENT FAIR | 7
Monday, April 21, 2014
New senior tradition:
Spring Commencement Fair
PHOTO COURTESY OF NHA HA
HATS OFF | The Spring Commencement Fair will kick off graduation. “Commencement fairs are actually common on a lot of campuses,” University Store director Bill Hockensmith said. Kait Freeberg Special to Mustang News The first-ever senior Spring Commencement Fair is right around the corner. Hosted by the University Store, the event will take place in the Julian A. McPhee University Union (building 65), room 220 on April 24 and 25. The fair
will allow students to order graduation tickets, take senior portraits and purchase caps, gowns and class rings. “It is the kickoff to graduation,” University Store director Bill Hockensmith said. Helpful information about graduation weekend will also be available at the fair, including parking tips from the University Police Department. “The purpose of the grad
fair — we wanted to add to the excitement of the students, and we also wanted to share our space with others,” Hockensmith said. Though the exact number of seniors expected to show up is unknown, Hockensmith believes approximately 1,500 students will attend over the two days of the fair. Hockensmith, who is rela-
tively new to Cal Poly, suggested the fair a few months ago with the help of Preston Sirois, customer service merchandise manager for the University Store. At the time, no one knew what he was talking about, Hockensmith said. “Commencement fairs are actually common on a lot of campuses,” he said. “When I first got here, I was surprised
we did not have one here.” Hockensmith had organized a number of commencement fairs at other institutions, so he had a good idea about who to invite. “We expect this to grow, once you do the first one,” he said. “We are expecting more every year.” Sirois said the event was a group effort. “We couldn’t have just done
this on our own,” he said. The fair will feature the alumni association, graduate schools, Cal Poly Athletics, Career Services and more. “We want it to be that: a celebration,” he said. “It should be a festive event.” If seniors cannot make it to the fair, the option will stay to purchase cap, gowns and announcements at the University Store in mid-May.
What are your plans after you graduate?
DAVID ROTH
AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS SENIOR
“I will be in Alaska the whole summer, and then I’m getting married.”
ALYSSA BORBA
GARRETT WORSEY
COLIN PORTER
NUTRITION SENIOR
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SENIOR
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SENIOR
“Stick around and try to work in a nutrition office to build my résumé.”
“I’m applying to dental school in June.”
“Not move home with my parents.”
ARTS | 8
Monday, April 21, 2014
Welcome to festival season Your guide to summer’s best lineups
Parker Evans @parker_d_evans Parker Evans is an economics senior and Mustang News music columnist. Coachella regret is at an alltime high right now. We may have missed out on Solange bringing out her sister Beyoncé and Justin Bieber making a surprise appearance with Chance the Rapper, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on the impromptu camaraderie and unique artist-crowd relationships music festivals are designed to create. The list below is by no means comprehensive. Lineups for Las Vegas’ Electric Daisy Carnival, Sacramento’s Launch Festival, Los Angeles’ FYF Fest and Monterey’s First City Festival, among others, have yet to be announced. The West Coast has an answer for any and all music tastes, but these four manage to cover more than a few bases. What: Outside Lands Where: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Calif. When: Aug. 8-10 Price: Sold out, $450 on StubHub Headliners: Kanye West, Tom Petty, The Killers, The Flaming Lips Other performers: Run the Jewels, Jenny Lewis, Phosphorescent You’d be hard-pressed to find
a better concert venue than Golden Gate Park, and San Francisco’s premiere music festival is geared up for another record-breaking turnout with some of the chillest crowds in California. Northern California’s antiCoachella focuses on rock, indie-pop and psych-pop acts at the expense of hiphop, but this year marks the most well-rounded lineup in a long time. For the 21-and-over crowd, Wine Lands and the new Beer Lands are perfectly suited to the pervasive Bay Area vibe. What: High Sierra Music Festival Where: Quincy, Calif. When: July 3-6 Price: Advance four-day passes on sale for $207 Headliners: Lauryn Hill, Trampled By Turtles, STS9 Other bands: Punch Brothers, The Budos Band, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down High Sierra is where the hippies go. Famous for its jam bands and long set times, Quincy plays host to a fourday fest that manages to stay family-friendly. Stations set up around the festival and campgrounds offer yoga, pilates and an extensive arts and crafts fair. The late-night shows are full of jammy psychedelic groups that play until morning in the forest. For those looking for an escape from the rah-rah of Fourth of July weekend, High Sierra might have what you’re looking for.
The audio files What: Sasquatch! Festival Where: Gorge Amphitheatre, Central Wash. When: May 23-25 Price: Sold out, $450 on StubHub Non-Outkast headliners: The National, Queens of the Stone Age, M.I.A. Other performers: Chance the Rapper, Waxahatchee, Phantogram The Gorge is a venue that needs to be seen to be believed. Located in remote central Washington, the biggest names gather in the greenest space. Aside from Outkast, which is playing most of the nation’s biggest festivals this summer, the lineup reflects a staunch indie rock ethos reflective of the Pacific Northwest. If you can manage to sneak out of midterms
and catch a flight up north, Sasquatch! does it right. What: Pickathon Where: Happy Valley, Ore. When: August 1-3 Price: Tickets still available for $260 Headliners: Nickel Creek, Blind Pilot, Warpaint
Other performers: Mac DeMarco, Courtney Barnett, Foxygen Positioned in part as the West Coast’s answer to the Newport Folk Festival, Pickathon places songwriters center stage. Most importantly, this might be one of only a handful of chances
to catch the Nickel Creek reunion while it’s still touring, and missing Chris Thile on an intimate stage is not a good life decision. This tastemaking festival seems to always be one step ahead of everyone else, showcasing the next generation of songwriters before they hit it big.
“We may have missed out on Solange bringing out her sister Beyoncé and Justin Bieber making a surprise appearance with Chance the Rapper, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on the impromptu camaraderie and unique artist-crowd relationships music festivals are designed to create.”
OPINION | 9
Monday, April 21, 2014
MH370 highlights international issues Eric Stubben is a mechanical engineering sophomore and Mustang News conservative columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion or editorial coverage of Mustang News. Yes, I’m that kid who constantly shakes his Christmas gifts under the tree to see if I can figure out what’s under all the wrapping paper. And yes, I’m the same kid that reads the last 10 pages of a mystery book first because mysteries just aren’t my thing. It takes an impressive mystery to keep me entranced. However, when Malaysian Airlines flight 370 (MH370) “disappeared” last month, it created “that kind” of impressive mystery. It helps that aviation is a guilty pleasure and interest of mine. I was fixated on CNN’s continuous, nauseating coverage of the flight, and on commercial breaks, I’d flip over to see what Fox News had to say; I craved any piece of information I could find. The constant misleads, false starts and restarts gave me time to think outside the box. Of course, we have no idea what happened to the flight. I mean, seriously, it hasn’t even been found yet. I’m not going to speculate on what happened to it, but whether or not it was a terrorist event,
MH370 is still a major concern when it comes to our own national security. Malaysia, the origin of the flight, is a hotbed for terrorism. Along with the Philippines and Indonesia, the South Pacific region is chock-full of terrorist cells. In fact, the beginning stages of the 9/11 attacks were plotted in the Philippines, with some of the originators arrested in Malaysia. Because of the region’s rocky terroristic past, the lack of communication over the disappearance of MH370 is not a good sign. The United States Navy and intelligence offices were given small helping roles, even early on, when many suspected the disappearance to be terror-related. Malaysia wouldn’t allow other countries to lead the investigation until it was determined the plane went down in the remote southern Indian Ocean. Even after Malaysia turned over search duties to Australia, the search was mangled. It took over a week to get “ping locators” in the area to search for the black boxes (cockpit recordings and flight data). Keep in mind that the boxes stop pinging approximately 30 days after they’re activated. Now, picture the whole world’s reaction in a different scenario: a true terrorist attack. How much could a ter-
“We have to make sure that the hard work of our domestic terrorism intervention programs isn’t nullified by poor international cooperation and communication.” ERIC STUBBEN | CONSERVATIVE COLUMNIST
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the right angle rorist group accomplish in three weeks while the rest of the world dwindles their time away with poor cooperation and communication? A terrorist group could commit a second attack, maybe even a third or a fourth. Terror masterminds could flee their position, evading capture for months, years or forever. Numbers of senseless deaths could occur as attacks spurned physical and emotional pain on innocent civilians worldwide. The disappearance of MH370 not only displays the blatant corruption of international communication, it also creates motivation for terrorists to create an event with the same outcome. They’ve seen Chinese families torn over the uncertainty of loved ones’ fates. Terrorists are now certain that by turning off a transponder, they can hide a plane for hours. Perhaps most importantly, terrorists have seen China threaten and harass Malaysia over the disappearance of the airplane. In theory, a
well-planned terror attack could cause countries such as China, Russia and the United States to turn against each other (more than usual). That’s what terrorism is all about. Terrorists don’t just want to kill as many foreigners as they can because they know they can’t win a conventional war. Terrorists aim for strategic attacks that pit countries against each other, create havoc within countries and cost the western world valuable time and money. Up to this point, most of what I’ve written is theoretical. But it’s important to note that the lack of international communication has cost us before. Last year’s Boston Marathon bombers snuck through the cracks of our national defense even after Russia warned us about one of the attackers. Poor communication between Russia and the United States and within our own domestic intelligence teams cost senseless deaths that led to a dangerous manhunt.
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As the National Security Administration faces heavy criticism and government promises to dwindle down domestic “spying,” we must still be mindful of how successful the program has been in combating terrorism. Along with the FBI and CIA, we’ve foiled shoebombing plots, a water bottle bomb plot and countless other terror plots. As a country, we have to make sure that the hard work of our domestic terrorism intervention programs isn’t nullified by poor international cooperation and communication. As the West did against Communism in the 1980s, today we must collaborate to share clues and evidence about possible terrorists and attacks. Terrorism is the biggest threat to the western world since the Iron Curtain, and every country needs to come together to defeat it.
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SPORTS | 11
Monday, April 21, 2014
Men’s tennis secures No. 2 seed in Big West tourney Stephan Teodosecu @steodosescu Despite starting off its 2014 season 0-7, the Cal Poly men’s tennis team bounced back to win nine of its remaining 14 matches, including the regular season finale over rival UC Santa Barbara 4-3 on Saturday at Mustang Courts. With the victory, the Mustangs (9-12, 4-1 Big West) clinched the No. 2 seed and a first-round tournament bye. Cal Poly will advance directly to the semifinals of the Big West Conference Championship Tournament on Friday. Hawaii secured the top seed with its win over UC Irvine. “I tell the guys to play your best tennis in your last shot of the year, and I think we’re in a little bit better position to do that than we were (on Friday),” head coach Nick Carless said. The Mustangs took the doubles point with an 8-6 victory from senior duo Marco Comuzzo and Matt Thomson combined with a win by freshman Ben Donovan and senior Jurgen De Jager by the same score. UC Santa Barbara’s Zlad Sultan defeated Donovan in singles, but Thomson came back to seal the match for the Mustangs with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) victory on the No. 4 court. Comuzzo, Thomson and junior Naveen Beasley won their singles tilts as well. De Jager was pulled from his match because the Mustangs had already clinched the win. Carless said he wanted to save the senior’s surgically repaired knee. “He’s a competitor, he wanted to keep playing, but I told him, 'Look, I can’t really risk
MUSTANG NEWS FILE PHOTO
GAUCHO BALL | Senior Marco Comuzzo won both his singles and doubles matches against the Gauchos on Saturday, and reached the 100-career win mark in dual matches. you doing something to your knee and not have you for the conference tournament,'" Carless said. De Jager — playing his final match at home — finished with a career .723 singles winning percentage in duals, a figure that ranks second at Cal Poly over the past 20 years. “It’s bittersweet; I didn’t want it to finish,” De Jager said. “It’s actually really sad and surreal. I love these courts, especially with the new scoreboards, and this is defi-
nitely the best support we’ve ever had at a game.” Cal Poly may face UC Santa Barbara in the conference tournament depending on who wins the first-round matchup between the Gauchos (8-13, 3-1) and UC Riverside (2-21, 0-5) on Thursday. Four of the last five matches between the Mustangs and Gauchos have come down to a 4-3 margin. Jefferson P. Nolan contributed to this article.
BIG WEST TOURNAMENT SEEDS No. 1 7-11 overall 4-0 Big West
No. 4 13-10 2-3
No. 2 9-12 4-1
No. 5 11-17 1-4
No. 3 8-13 3-1
No. 6 2-20 0-4
SPORTS | 12
Monday, April 21, 2014
Baseball wins series finale
3-0 JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NEWS
STREAKING | The No. 3 Cal Poly baseball team extended its win streak to 10 games and has now won 16 of of its last 17. The Mustangs outscored Cal State Fullerton 15-3 this past weekend. Keenan Donath @CPMustangSports After the Mustangs' 4-3 walkoff victory on Friday — a game that lasted more than four hours and spanned 13 innings — Saturday’s series finale was just the opposite. The No. 3 Cal Poly baseball team turned in a sub-two-hour game that resulted in a 3-0 win and series sweep against Big West Conference foe No. 19 Cal State Fullerton (18-16, 3-6 Big West) at Baggett Stadium. The sweep of the Titans gives Cal Poly (34-5, 11-1 Big West) the top spot in the conference standings after second-place UC Irvine was idle in conference play this weekend. Cal Poly has won 10 straight games. Junior starting pitcher Casey Bloomquist turned in arguably his best performance of the season, and this year the righthander has been automatic on
the rubber. He went the distance, collecting his first collegiate complete-game shutout, allowing three Cal State Fullerton hits and managing eight strikeouts along the way. “I wanted to throw strikes and get ahead of these guys; I didn’t want to fall behind, because I know they are some really good hitters … my off-speed (pitches) kind of saved me today, it got batters out early in the count,” said Bloomquist, who picked up his ninth win in as many starts. Sophomore second baseman Mark Mathias led off the game with a home run to left center, the first of his Cal Poly career. The Mustangs tacked on two more when sophomore shortstop Peter Van Gansen's triple in the 5th inning plated junior outfielder Zack Zehner, and a throwing error allowed Van Gansen to come all the way home. Van Gansen, who also had four hits in Friday night's win,
credited a couple batting tips senior catcher Chris Hoo gave him for his recent hot bat. “He told me not to grip the bat so hard, to just wiggle my fingers up at the plate and to get my mind off the whole hitting aspect,” Van Gansen said. Cal State Fullerton’s righthanded pitcher Grahamm Wiest did his best to quiet one of the nation’s hottest lineups. The redshirt freshman went eight innings and allowed three runs, one of which was unearned, while striking out nine. He was outdueled by Bloomquist, however, who made run support for Wiest difficult to come by. Bloomquist (9-0) lowered his ERA to a team-leading 1.36. With his homer, Mathias kept his average above .400 for the season (.404) and Hoo ended up with two base hits. Check MustangNews.net for the full recap