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They did it again: Cal Poly Rose Float team wins award for ‘Most Beautiful Non-Commercial Float’ for second year in a row
BRENT HOLLINGER | COURTESY PHOTO TEAMWORK | Ian Davidson (left) and John Catalano (right) serve as the Cal Poly Rose Float leads for San Luis Obispo and Pomona, respectively. They were excited to recieve the Leishman trophy once again.
Geovanni Ximenez-Monteon Special to Mustang News
The Cal Poly Rose Float team’s “Sweet Shenanigans” float won the Lathrop K. Leishman trophy for most beautiful non-commercial float at this year’s New Year’s Day Rose Parade in Pasadena. This is the second year in the row they’ve won this award. John Catalano, the Cal Poly Pomona Rose Float program lead, was elated but surprised to receive the award. “I wasn’t expecting that one, but I was pleasantly surprised,” Catalano said. “I’ll take it; it’s a great award.” Though the team was happy to receive the award, the path to Pasadena was anything but easy — it never is. The teams put in a large amount of work before seeing its float march in line with the others. The road to Pasadena: A behind-the-scenes look The first Rose Parade float built by California Polytechnic students was back in 1949. It was put together by a team from Cal Poly’s then-satellite campus in Pomona, California. They were given a $258 budget. Since then, the two schools have teamed up to create 68 floats with themes ranging from “To the Rescue” to “Tuxedo Air.” Over the past few decades, the two universities have received 46 different awards for theme, animation, humor, decoration and viewers’ choice. Last year, the universities earned the Lathrop K. Leishman Trophy for the most beautiful non-commercial float for their 2015 submission “Soaring Stories” that included a castle and a flying griffin. When this year’s float rolled down the 5.5-mile route in Pasadena, hundreds of students from both schools joined the millions of television viewers to watch the parade’s only entry designed and constructed entirely by full-time students. But there was a long road to travel
before getting to Pasadena, a road filled with constructing, designing and overall hard work between the two Cal Poly campuses. Beginning the journey: Deciding on float concept and design With the new year comes the
open to the public. The contest winner receives either two tickets to the Rose Bowl Game or $500. Last year, they received approximately 200 submissions, Cal Poly Rose Float program lead Ian Davidson said. The leadership teams from
beginning of a new float for the Cal Poly teams. After receiving the overall float theme from the Tournament of Roses president in January, the Cal Poly universities choose the design concept for their float through a concept contest that is
both universities get together to narrow down and rank the submissions to their top five choices. They then send them to the Tournament of Roses for a “draftstyle lottery.” After they are approved, they can begin working on the float.
SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL TIMELINE Approving special features
Animation design and creation
Finalize overall design
Construction team designs, tests and creates everything that moves on the float.
Plant, maintain and harvest flowers
Tournament of Roses Design Variance Committee approves any special animations on the float.
Begin shaping steel structures
Begin construction
Most fresh flowers are supplied by outside growers but a significant portion are grown on the Cal Poly campuses.
SLO travels to Pomona The Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus transports their half of the float to Pomona to join it with the Pomona team’s half.
PARADE DAY Jan. 1, 2016
Inspections
Finish construction and steel shaping
The Tournament of Roses sends out an inspection committee to make sure the float is safe and reliable.
Foaming the float The float is covered in foam so the vials of freshly grown flowers can be stuck into it.
Finish decorating
Judging Happens the day before the parade. The results are relayed the next day around 6 a.m.
WINTER TIMELINE Deconstructing the float
Concept contest
After being on display in Pasadena for a few days, the team deconstructs the float, salvaging what they can.
After the Tournament of the Roses president announces the theme of the coming parade, the Cal Poly universities send out an invite to their communities to pitch their ideas. They choose three to five of those ideas.
Approving the concept
Design process begins
The two universities propose their concepts to the Tournament of Roses. If their number one choice is denied, they propose the other five until one is chosen. GRAPHIC BY CELINA OSEGUERA | MUSTANG NE WS
2013 Rose Float
Continuing on the road: Building the float The concept the universities chose for this year’s float was “Sweet Shenanigans” to illustrate the Rose Parade’s theme “Finding Your Adventure.” Catalano said this float was a change from last year’s, which had a more serious theme. “This float, ‘Sweet Shenanigans,’ is gummy bears playing in a winter wonderland enjoying the fun times,” Catalano said. “It’s a more whimsical, playful, cartoonish float. This theme is kind of what Cal Poly is known for. You look at this and you just want to smile because it’s so cute.” The construction of the float usually takes most of spring, summer and fall. Both teams work mostly on their own campuses until they join their halves of the float in mid-October in Pomona. Since they began participating in the competition, the Cal Poly universities have spearheaded the integration of technology within their floats, including the first use of hydraulics for movement, front wheel drive and propane for cleaner emissions, according to the Robert E. Kennedy Library’s University Archives. “One thing Cal Poly universities is known for in the float world is that we are innovators. We aren’t scared to go out and try something. We’re responsible for a lot of new things that a lot of rose float builders use,” Catalano said. This year was no exception. The “Sweet Shenanigans” float included another first for the parade — gummy bears launching a snow ball across the float. It was new to have a projectile launch out and recycle through the float, Catalano said. The 2016 float also included a skating gummy bear, giant lollipops, ice cream cones and more. Continued on page 4
2015 Rose Float
CAL POLY POMONA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS | COURTESY PHOTO
CAL POLY POMONA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS | COURTESY PHOTO
News... 1, 4 | Back to School... 2-3 | Arts... 9 | Sports... 10-11
Monday, January 4, 2016
BACK TO SCHOOL | 2
Back to school blues Carly Quinn @carlyaquinn
Coming back to school may not be the only thing getting you down. Seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), according to Mayoclinic.org, “is a type of depression that’s related to the changes in seasons.” Winter weather causes some people to fall into an unfortunate state of mind. Our definition of “bad weather” may be mild in San Luis Obispo, but that doesn’t mean this disorder can’t affect the residents of this coastal city. According to mentalhealthamerica.net, people between the ages of 18 and 30 are most susceptible to S.A.D. The darkness of winter tends to cause our bodies to produce more melatonin, a hormone related to sleep. Melatonin has been linked to people developing S.A.D. “Don’t brush off that yearly feeling as simply a case of the ‘winter blues’ or a seasonal funk that you have to tough out on your own,” Mayo Clinic states. “Take steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year.”
Some symptoms a person with S.A.D. may be experiencing include sad or anxious feelings, loss of interest, fatigue, irritability, difficulty sleeping or concentrating and even thoughts of suicide or death, according to www.nlm.nih.gov. Not ever yone struggles through the same symptoms of S.A.D., and this does not discredit anyone’s case of the disorder just because someone may be experiencing different effects. If you are experiencing feelings or difficulties that indicate S.A.D., seek help with a doctor or counselor. If someone you know is showing signs of S.A.D., be there for them and attempt to speak with them about it. Urge them to also seek medical or therapeutic help. Peer health educators are also available to speak with on campus at the PULSE center. Light therapy, according to Mental Health America, proves the most common treatment for more serious cases of this disorder. “Patients remain in light up to ten times the intensity of normal domestic lighting up to four hours a day, but may carry on
normal activities such as eating or reading while undergoing treatment,” Mental Health America stated. Treatment proves to be 85 percent effective in most serious cases. Theresa Fagouri, the PULSE director, remembers her parents keeping her busy while she grew up in Alaska, a place where seasonal affective disorder is quite common. She also recalls people treating the disorder with tanning beds. For less severe cases, simply spending more time outdoors can have effects on a person’s mood and overall state of mind. Take a break from studying and go on a walk, or even consider studying outside. Anti-depressant drugs have also been known to help patients with S.A.D., though one should thoroughly discuss this option with their doctor before taking further actions. Don’t let temporary feelings of sadness lead you to believe you have S.A.D. Wait until the feelings and symptoms affect your everyday life and impede you from performing daily activities before seeking out a doctor’s help.
with the reading for the lecture, I get a better understanding of the subject matter,” Dueñez said. I recognize the terms my professor is using and I have plenty of questions to ask from the reading,” Peer learning can easily be overlooked by some students. Forming study groups offers benefits that are overlooked when one is studying alone. One benefit is the ability to get new perspectives from the course material. This may help you get a better grasp on some of the fundamentals, or force you to think more about your position on a particular issue. Therefore, this will develop your critical thinking skills while helping you study. Biological sciences sophmore Emily Hermann, a study session leader, said it is good to have a a balance of both. “Group learning is critical to share ideas and strategies for how to learn the material,” she
said. “Using a group to practice teaching the concepts is one of the best ways to retain information because you can really test yourself.” The most common piece of advice that you hear around campus is to go to office hours. Most people attend office hours if they are having trouble on a certain topic in class, or need advice on how to succeed. However, it is good to drop by their office and get to know them. By developing a relationship with a professor you may feel more comfortable approaching them for help in the future, or asking questions in class. No matter what classes you are taking, it is always possible for you to do well. It doesn’t matter what major you are or how knowledgeable you are on a certain subject. There are always resources available to make sure you succeed.
GEORGIE DE MATTOS | MUSTANG NE WS GLOOMY MOODS | Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression related to the change in seasons.
Study tips for the new quarter Prakash Ravikumar @p96kumar
With winter quarter starting, most students want to make sure they can maintain high marks throughout the quarter. Here is some guidance that may help students improve their grade point average. A useful tip is to read or work ahead in the course material. This could include reading the textbook before your professor lectures on the material or working on an assignment early if it is listed on the syllabus. This will not only give you plenty of time to work on the assignment, but to learn the material better. By simply working ahead, you will avoid the stress of trying to learn material a few days before a deadline or midterm. According to civil engineering sophomore German Dueñez, this is important. “When I go to class prepared
K AT Y BARNARD | MUSTANG NE WS IMPROV E
| Remember that every past quarter is a learning experience when it comes to study habits.
On-campus events to look forward to this quarter Amanda Cranston @Cranlynn
Every quarter, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) seeks to meet students’ needs by putting on events that will cater to them. The outreach and special events assistant for ASI Samantha Pryor shared information about upcoming events for this quarter — events meant to leave students surprised and with lasting memories.
Welcome Back Show The first event of the new year and winter quarter will be a welcome back concert on the University Union (UU) stage on Jan. 7. The show features X Ambassadors and Freedom Fry.
Create and Connect This will be a laid back event in the UU Craft Center on Jan. 14 with live music provided by Nesrine Majzoub. Free food will also be provided. Students will be given the opportunity to decorate mugs, mason jars and canvas squares.
Late Night Glow Bowl Happening Jan. 22, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., free bowling, food and shoe rentals are offered in this quarterly event. Students can make reservations up to the day of the event for certain time slots throughout the evening.
Acoustic Coffeehouse Series This quarter, the Starbucks lounge area will be home to three sessions of the acoustic coffeehouse series. On Feb. 4 Kyvon Brown, Kyle Erickson and Calvin Noetzel will be performing. Addison Rifkind will perform on Feb. 18, and Rowan McGuire will perform on March 3. These events will be at 11 a.m. on each of those dates. Free food will also be provided.
Valentine’s Day Crafts Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. That’s the Key, one of the university’s acappella groups, will perform in the UU Craft Center while people create Valentine’s Day-themed crafts. Free food will also be provided.
Movie Night Mockingjay Part 2 will be shown in Chumash on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. The movie is not set for release on DVD or Blu-Ray until March. Popcorn, candy and drinks will be provided.
Color Me Calm On March 10, ASI will have its quarterly finals and dead week pick-me-up, this time with a hint of nostalgia. It will be a way to de-stress. The event will include stress-reducing activities such as coloring.
Other Events HBO plans to have events on campus. Divya Thirunagari, an HBO campus agent, said that while nothing specific is planned, there will be three to four events planned by the HBO campus agents next quarter.
MUSTANG NEWS FILE PHOTO
Monday, January 4, 2016
BACK TO SCHOOL | 3
11 attitudes of exceptional students Regine Smith @regine321
I will confess that as a freshman, I was a bad student. And as a senior, I can look back on my experiences and recognize that it was not due to a lack of intelligence or capability, but the fact that I needed an attitude adjustment. High school came more naturally, and I didn’t have to put in much effort to be successful. So getting bad grades on a regular basis felt demoralizing at first. But learning to improve upon yourself is part of the process. Once I learned to readjust my views on my education, being a successful student became much easier. In light of a new year and a new quarter, here are 11 mantras I would share with my freshman self. 1. Being present is important You, your parents, a scholarship donor or someone is paying thousands of dollars a year so that you can sit in that classroom. According to a study from Harvard and the Asian Development Bank, fewer than 7 percent of people worldwide get that privilege, so recognize that your education is a privilege. Every minute you are in class is an opportunity to learn relevant information. Every time you miss class, you’re missing an opportunity you won’t get back. So show up early — don’t get there barely on time, at 9:09, rushing in the door. Arrive early and mentally prepare to focus for two hours. You may not think you’re missing out on much by coming in two minutes late, but running in the door out of breath, versus being the first face the professor gets to say “good morning” to, are two actions that communicate wildly different messages. Don’t just be physically present, be mentally present as well. Put away the cell phone, pay a little
less attention to the social atmosphere of the classroom and get the most out of what your professor has taken time to prepare. 2. Take everything as a learning opportunity The main reason you came to college is to learn. And this goes much further than the course curriculum. Say you failed a test, consider what you could have done differently, and don’t do it again. Maybe you have a teacher you aren’t particularly fond of, or your group project members are difficult, but working with difficult people is a part of life. You may have to learn to balance a part-time job while in school, or figure out how to study effectively with distracting roommates. Learning to deal with interpersonal conflicts and juggling all of your time commitments will help you grow. Recognize you are being prepared for the workplace, and being taught to grow into a well-rounded adult in general. 3. Your professors are reasonable people You may feel swamped with work, but most teachers won’t assign more than what is reasonable for a person to get done. Before you begin blaming your professor, be self-evaluative and recognize how you could have managed your time better. Go on to practice effective time management on a regular basis. If you really are having a hard time with an assignment, communicate. People go into teaching because they want to mentor others, and most of your professors would love to get to know you. If you genuinely think your teacher’s expectations are unreasonable, have a mature conversation with them. Keep in mind that if you’ve made the effort to establish a rapport with them, and if you
make it a habit to be on top of your work, they are more likely to be flexible with you. And remember that they are not only reasonable, they are your allies. Your success is important to them. 4. You are just as capable as anyone else No one started out great at anything. It takes practice and hard work. You learn more from making mistakes than from being right initially. So don’t get discouraged if it seems like everyone around you is doing better than you are. Ernest Hemingway said, “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” Focus on improving upon yourself and everything else will fall into place.
K AT Y BARNARD | MUSTANG NE WS NEW YEAR, NEW YOU | An exceptional student is someone who suceeds academically and has a good attitude.
5. Give yourself every opportunity to succeed It is unlikely to assume that if you do not regularly get enough sleep, you will have a long attention span in class. If you don’t set aside time to write an essay, the last minute research paper you throw together will probably be garbage. So give yourself every opportunity possible to succeed. Get enough sleep, schedule time in your day to study, make going to office hours a priority. You aren’t going to get good grades because you’re naturally smart, so work hard and do what you need to do to accomplish all of your tasks efficiently.
class. This way you have no reason to miss a due date, and everything is in one convenient place. Be prepared to be on campus as well. Have a way to transport yourself to and from campus, bring all of the books and materials you will need, have food or money if necessary, bring a charger or headphones if you think that’s important. Read everything your professor assigns you. It may seem tedious and at times useless, but they didn’t assign it to torture you. Exposure to information is always going to give you a leg up on an exam, and who knows, maybe you’ll need the information sometime in the future.
6. Come prepared This goes hand-in-hand with the preceding statement. I would recommend getting a planner, and at the beginning of the quarter take stock of all of your syllabi. Write down every due date, including the reading schedule, for the entire quarter. Color code each
7. Your education is a means in which you can help others It’s easy to focus on your future earning potential, or obsess over how your resume looks, but remember that your education gives you the power to facilitate a role in helping humanity. Don’t take this for granted.
8. Quality is better than quantity Sometimes it is better to focus your attention of doing a few things exceptionally, rather than spreading it thin over too many obligations. It might be wise, in some circumstances, to take fewer units, work less hours or focus your free time on a few friends who are worth investing in. 9. Take advantage of your resources Very few times in your life will you have access to mentors, academic and mental health counselors, a gym, an extensive library, career providers, medical care, classes on countless topics, the ability to use advanced technology, connections to learn hands on experience and the opportunity to meet leaders in your field, all in one place. You’re paying for everything Cal Poly has to offer, so take advantage of it all. These services exist to enrich your educational experience, and you won’t want
to miss out on that. 10. Ask for help You probably aren’t a mental health expert, you don’t hold a PhD in physics and you don’t have well-established relationships with every major employer in your field. The good news is that Cal Poly hired someone who does. So be willing to ask for help. Acknowledging that you can’t do everything on your own is a strength, not a weakness. 11. Be persistent College is really hard. And you can do it, as long as you don’t give up. A degree will get you far in life, and that’s because it isn’t an easy thing to attain. There will always be some reason you can justify to yourself why you can’t. But finding one reason to motivate yourself, and pushing through your desire to give up, is what sets you ahead in society as a college graduate. If nothing else, college will teach you to be resilient.
Monday, January 4, 2016
NEWS | 4
New Panhellenic president is ready for anything
K AT Y BARNARD | MUSTANG NE WS HAIL TO THE CHIEF | Psychology junior Michelle Georgette will be the 2016 Panhellenic president. She also works at the Associated Students, Inc. children’s center. Georgette is most excited to make new connections this year.
Gina Randazzo @CPMustangNews
Michelle Georgette has been elected as Panhellenic president for 2016. Georgette is a psychology junior with a minor in communication studies and is originally from San Jose, California. She said she feels confident to take on the presidency after having been vice president of risk management (VPRM) for her sorority Alpha Phi. Mustang News sat down with Georgette to learn more about her and her plans for the year. Tell me about yourself. What do you like to do in your free time? I love to run, walk or fit in any cardio I can do. I love to be active. There’s so much to do around San Luis Obispo. I’m a huge foodie, so I love to explore food options around here, there are many good places to eat. Other than that, I like to hang out with friends, go on hikes, things like that. Why did you choose to come to Cal Poly? I had an older sister who went here, and I just felt comfortable on the campus. It wasn’t too big of a school or too small and I felt like I could fit in. And it wasn’t too far from home. I felt like it was perfect all around. Are you involved in anything at Cal Poly other than greek life?
Continued from page 1
Student-made Davidson said this project was the embodiment of Learn by Doing. “We have many, many technical disciplines involved in the construction of the float and that is literally the etymology of polytechnic,” Davidson said. “It should be the poster child program for Cal Poly because of the Learn by Doing aspects and its interdisciplinary nature.” One of those Learn by Doing aspects is building a professional-level float with a team of students, Cal Poly Rose Float decorations chair Cecilia Allor said. “We’re building this float from the ground up and there’s not really any involvement from staff or other people. It is all designed, decorated and planned by students. We’re the only college that does anything like this,” Allor said. Home-grown One of the Cal Poly Rose Float Pro-
I have a job with ASI (Associated Students, Inc.) at the children’s center, so I keep busy with that. Were you on Alpha Phi’s executive board? How was that? Yes, I served as Vice President of Risk Management. So basically, it was the safety side of things. Like implementing safety seminars and being in charge of all the social events, as well as making sure everything runs smoothly with things like transportation. It was a lot of event planning, but it was also cool because I got to see the other side of registering events with campus and doing all of that fun busy work. Did you find it challenging? I think it is challenging because we have so many members and it’s just a lot to keep track of, but I just stayed on top of things as best as I could. I actually really enjoyed it. I thought it was a really good position for me. How do you think that position prepared you for being Panhellenic president? I got to see a lot of behind-thescenes work, such as registering events with campus. It was a lot of problem solving, like when things come up that you don’t expect. When it comes to day-to-day jobs, there are so many concerns for members and issues that come up that you have to deal with. So I think that prepared me for this role, just because it’s a lot of unexpected things that come up. gram’s biggest donations is for the fresh flowers that cover the float. The tournament requires that all visible parts of the float must be covered in organic materials, including but not limited to fresh flowers, dried flowers, tree bark, vegetables and plants. This year, a large amount of those flowers were donated by the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC), Catalano said. The CCFC is an organization that partners with flower farmers throughout California. It works with the Cal Poly universities and coordinates the donation of fresh flowers to the universities’ float. “We work with the CCFC to communicate with the growers and they donate all of our fresh flowers each year, which is amazing. In return, we get a California grown certification,” Allor said. In order to be certified as California grown a float must source a minimum of 85 percent of flowers Continued on page 10
It’s a lot of managing people. Why did you decide to run this year? I think I just wanted to expand my leadership experience, first and foremost. But I wanted to do something different than my own chapter. I wanted to branch out and meet new people and get more involved. I think Panhellenic in general is a cool system that’s in place, so I just wanted to learn more about it. What is the election process like? It’s an interview, that’s the determining factor. It’s with the Panhellenic Council, so the 10 members and then the greek advisor (Evan Razor). Before the interviews are conducted, you have to have a recommendation from your chapter president. I think there are around 28 applicants. Did you only run for president? I also ran for Judicial and Risk Management. Those two were my top choices. Why do you think you’re qualified for the job? I feel like I had so much experience with the risk management job I had with Alpha Phi. I think that’s a lot of experience with leadership. I really like that kind of work where it’s unexpected, and it’s about being on top of things and dealing with issues that come up. I like to think I’m a people person, too. I mean,
there’s so many different people who are in greek life, not everything is going to run smoothly in your chapter. I think I got to deal with that side of things, so I think it prepared me well for Panhellenic president. Did you always know you wanted to be Panhellenic President? Well, I definitely got pushed by some of the members in my chapter, but it was always in the back of my mind. I always knew that I wanted to do Panhellenic in general, not necessarily president, but I wanted to be involved with it early on. This is just the right time and opportunity. I would have been happy with any position I got because I just wanted to be more involved with the council. What are your duties as president? Once a month, I host round tables with presidents from each chapter, so it’s a lot of communication. I also team up with (Interfraternity Council) IFC and (United Sorority and Fraternity Council) USFC to make sure everything is up to date. Like the STATUS plan, for example. That was a huge project that they took on last year. Basically, I am a liaison between greek life (specifically Panhellenic) and campus administration. So it’s making sure everything is running smoothly between those lines. It’s also keeping in constant communication with the presidents. I also have a hefty
role with recruitment, which happens in the fall, but it’s a year-long planning process. W h a t a r e yo u m o s t nervous for? Things do happen, like last year there were the sexual assaults that occurred. As a member of Panhellenic, we have to be the face of sorority life, and I think that’s a big role to take on. I think I just want to make sure that the council is always on the same page with that and how we’re going to represent sorority life in the best possible way. Do you have any ideas for this year? I definitely want to be more transparent with recruitment. There’s not always been the best communication between Panhellenic and sorority chapters in terms of recruitment fines, specific rules and the nitty gritty stuff that goes on with the process. I think more transparent communication between chapters and Panhellenic is essential during that crucial time, making sure everyone is on the same page. I’m thinking to maybe implement some kind of presentation that would happen spring quarter that would prepare chapters more. Other than that, just keeping up communication with IFC and UFSC and campus leaders. W h a t a r e yo u m o s t excited for? I’m probably most excited to
make new connections. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know so many of my own sisters, but I think it’s important to build a network. So I want to make connections with leaders and presidents from different houses, and the girls on Panhellenic. I think it will be a really unique and fun experience to get to know everyone. How do you feel about working with your fellow board members? I think everyone on the board is extremely qualified and they have experience with this. I’m excited just to get to know them and work together and I’m confident in what we can accomplish. Do you have any advice for people trying to get involved with leadership positions? My only advice is to just do it. Apply. Get yourself going. The worst that can happen is that you try again another time. A lot of people don’t want to put themselves out there, they’re afraid of competition. I think it’s such a great experience to get involved and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. How do you feel about being elected? I think excited is a good word to sum it up. Excited to get to know all the girls and confident in what we can accomplish. I think it will be a good year.
KENDALL HOBER | SPECIAL TO MUSTANG NE WS WORKIN’ IT | Both campuses share the float construction load, including shaping steel structures, such as the gummy bears in this year’s float.
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VALID JAN. 4, 2016– MAR. 18, 2016
Study Abroad Returnee Conference DID YOU STUDY ABROAD? DON’T MISS THE RETURNEE CONFERENCE! Attend the conference and learn how to: •
Explore various perspectives on the meaning of your study abroad experience.
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Monday, January 4, 2016
ARTS | 9
MICHELLE ZALUDEK | MUSTANG NE WS A SHEEPISH PASSION | Ibrahim Abuhilal, owner of Chateau Fresno Organics, has been involved with sheep farming for decades. He works hard making and selling aged sheep cheese at local farmers’ markets.
While the getting is gouda: Vendors’ perspective on farmers’ markets Michelle Zaludek @michellenistic
Like many San Luis Obispo County farmers’ markets, the Wednesday morning Arroyo Grande event is a bustling hub. People ranging from certified chefs to home cooks move through the long row of booths stretching over the parking lot, while vendors promote a little bit of everything, including fruits, vegetables, flowers, baked goods and salves. With his tent tucked in the middle of all the bustle, Ibrahim “Abe” Abuhilal, wearing a massive yellow cheesehead hat, calls out to those passing by, encouraging them to take samples of his sheep cheese. Abuhilal, who owns the Fresno-based cheesemaking company Chateau Fresno Organics, sells aged sheep cheese. The rich, 2-pound yellow rounds are the product of a lifetime spent around sheep farming that he shares with Central Coast farmers’ markets. “I came from a farming family,” he said. “I’m Middle Eastern and we used to milk the sheep because the sheep is a more domes-
tic animal. We learned to take the sheep to graze out near the Dead Sea … but unfortunately, we can’t anymore because (the military) controls the area there now.” After graduating with a degree in viticulture, Abuhilal went to earn his master’s in agriculture in Sardinia, Italy where he was further exposed to the sheep farming lifestyle. “There are 4 million sheep to 1 million people there,” he said. Abuhilal then came to the Central Valley, one of the world’s most productive agriculture areas, to raise sheep and sell their cheese. He explained that Chateau Fresno Organic’s cheese, while similar to pecorino, manchego or romano, isn’t the same because the cheese is made from his own recipe. “This is Californiano, not Italiano,” he joked. When working farmers’ markets, Abuhil explained that one of the best things for him is to be able to educate people on what they’re eating and to talk to them and answer their questions about the food. “This is not like a big chain,” he said. “We’re, you know, small farmer artisanal. People come here and they ask me, ‘What do
you feed (the sheep)? What do you give them?’” Glenna Evans, co-owner of San Luis Obispo-based Breaking Bread, which entered the farmers’ market scene about six months ago, added that it’s nice for her to be able to see buyer’s involvement with their food. “I’m finding that the people who go to the farmers’ markets, they’re serious foodies,” she said. “They want good quality food. They love to be able to come and actually talk to the people that own it and make it.” Similarly, Rafael Castellanos, who works for Best Apple Co., an apple orchard and bakery based out of Nipomo that has been involved with farmers’ markets for the past 20 years, likes to involve himself in the farmto-table process because he sees it as a positive influence on the entire community. “Farmers’ markets are awesome for the community, for people with kids, for jobs. Just — it’s good for everyone,” he said. “You get out of the big corporations that, I feel, don’t really care about you. And you get these farmers who you talk to and they usually live on the farm — it’s
more personal.” Cal Poly students who may want to look into farm-to-table eating but can’t necessarily make it out to farmers’ markets on a regular basis have the opportunity to participate in the farmers’ market community on campus. The Cal Poly Organic Farm, hosted in the Horticulture and Crop Science Department, is a certified organic farm that opens a booth on campus at the edge of Highland Drive on Wednesdays from 2-6 p.m., according to Cal Poly’s website. Evans added that for her business, location was a key factor in choosing to join the farmers’ market circuit, because not all of her potential customers have the opportunity to make it to the downtown San Luis Obispo shop. For her, being able to bring the food to the customer and find out what they’re looking for in food is important. “It’s great to get that person feedback straight from the customer in between the merchandiser,” she said. “It’s nice to see people that really care about the quality of the product and really want to know what’s in it. And they usually spur you on to good
ideas. Like, for instance, today I had several people ask if we made rye, and we do — so they’re all excited now that they know that I can bring rye because I know I have the right customer base for that.” Further, for the vendors themselves, just being involved in the famers’ market culture and being able to talk to different people about what they sell is a huge plus. Castellanos explained that one of the best things about farmers’ markets, for him, is easily “the people, and the connections you get from meeting other people.” Being able to consistently talk to different people from all over the world who come through the San Luis Obispo area, along with the regulars that visit his booth is a nice juxtaposition, according to Abuhilal, as well as a climate that can change drastically depending on what market he is set up at. The Thursday night downtown San Luis Obispo and Saturday afternoon Village in Arroyo Grande farmers’ markets usually attract a mass of tourists, but others are more likely to bring locals and repeat customers. “Every day it’s a new day,”
Abuhilal said. “You see different people probably from all over the nation and internationally. That’s what makes us different.” In the upcoming months, as Abuhilal’s business grows, he plans on setting up a farm area off Highway 1. The secondary site, he said, would include a greenhouse and area to raise sheep, and would allow customers to find his products at a set location so they wouldn’t have to follow the farmers’ market circuit. Ideally, he said that he would enjoy having college students help with farming. “I want to use the students to help me with the farm,” Abuhilal said. “To give them a chance to come and understand their study, so they come practice and they can do a job in their specialty.” That way, he said, students and the community in general would have another opportunity to connect with the food that they eat. “(People) need to know from where their food is coming,” Abuhilal said. “They need to ask, ‘Who’s your farmer?’ … And then you understand your produce or your cheese or your kiwis or your grapes. Know ‘Who’s the owner?’”
An American in Portugal: The complete opposite of San Luis Obispo Will Peischel @CPMustangArts
Will Peischel is a journalism junior and Mustang News study abroad columnist. This article is satire. The train across the Portuguese countryside evokes nostalgia; the landscape resembles the hills that surround San Luis Obispo. The crisp yellow is exactly the same, stunning and familiar. I feel like I’m returning to Cal Poly on the Pacific Surfliner after a weekend trip to Los Angeles. That’s why I was so devastated to find Portugal to be such a disappointing travel experience. My compatriot, University of Nevada, Reno student Austin Slaughter, and I expected a smooth experience based on the fact that the nation is geographically very Western European. We expected to arrive to agreeable weather and plenty of good backdrops for social media posts. I came to Europe as an upper-middle class cisgender white male for two reasons: adding travel experience to my deck of conversation topics without challenging any predispositions, and Tinder swipes. I like my worldview and understanding, so I wouldn’t want to challenge them and let them change. If you, reader, are looking for a similar experience, delete any Google Chrome bookmarks that involve the Iberian Peninsula. Here is my scathing review. I arrived by airplane in Lisbon. The airport seemed normal. It had places and bathrooms and monitors. Little did I know, it was a shelter, albeit a momentary one, protecting me from the harsh winds
of cultural exposure and different ideas outside. I exited the airport to find the actual wind very agreeable to my preferences. At least they got one thing right. A taxi driver offered to drive me to the hostel, but he didn’t take my backpack off of me or open my door. Strike one and strike two, good sir. The taxi driver tried to make conversation, but we quickly ran into a dilemma. I asked him how he felt about the gentrification of Brooklyn-Stuyvesant in New York City. He had very little to contribute, despite the topic being a hotspot of controversy and dialogue with many potential tangents. Suddenly, I was the one accommodating him, in his own country. I changed the subject to something a little more accessible: the debate over the pronunciation of the acronym GIF. Again, he had nothing to say. Clearly, I wasn’t speaking to a fellow Redditor. Strike three. The next several minutes of the conversation fell silent, as I cooked up the negative Yelp review this man would receive. The next morning, I set out to meet my friend Austin in a café, where we would plan our day of looking through camera lenses and not reading plaques. After reassuring the woman behind the counter that we were both heterosexuals (two men at one table leaves all sorts of ambiguities) I had to settle for a plain coffee and non-descript pastry. The concept of a “red eye” was far too complex for her and they served no bear claws. No formal job training there, I suppose. If someone had just colonized
Portugal when they had the chance, I’m sure Lisbon would carry far more provisions from the developed world. Alas, one unsatisfying meal later, we were off, down the cobblestone. We marched up and down little side streets, past sun-bleached brick and stray cats. Men collected outside little bodegas and smoked cigarettes. Women hung up linens, which contrasted against the backdrop of tiled walls. Old couples sat outside doors on plastic chairs and watched the street. The uneven streets and perfect messiness of everything in their asymmetrical places perfectly paralleled the tight, albeit unique community bond. I was completely threatened by it. Austin, however, faced the greatest adversity. I may have lacked the certain swarthiness of the Portuguese, but my one-size-fits-all hair color and facial structure afforded me some level of mutual identification with the people here. I could blend and keep cool. Austin stands 6-foot-4 with blond hair — a regular sheep in a field of Mediterranean black sheep. Poor man. How could he identify with people who weren’t even considerate enough to look like him? Austin’s height was just one of the exploitative moments of the Lisbon experience. The major inhibitor was the language barrier. It seemed to me that city residents preferred to speak their mother tongue, effectively excluding us visitors. Even further, street signs, while admittedly written in both Portuguese and English, featured the English text in a different font, backseat to the defiant Portuguese text. I felt like a second-class citizen in a country I was contributing to the
WILL PEISCHEL | MUSTANG NE WS C H A N G IN G W O R L D V IE W
| A visit to Portugal proved the entire world isn’t like San Luis Obispo.
tourism economy of. Most young citizens spoke English, but never with expertise to speak about the finer things, like obscure literature or other unique interests of mine. Thanks to the western-style navigation applications I previously downloaded on my phone, we were able to catch the main sites without any help. They were stunning. Massive, old institutional buildings, lush with curves and intricacies in faded white outlined the city’s squares. However, the impressive legacy of proud generations of Portuguese men from ages past was tainted by my experience with the current inhabitants. I stood before the statue of an old explorer with an important sounding name and matching posture.
Camera flipped to selfie mode, I flashed my Greek letters and represented my brothers with pride — the townies seized the opportunity to shoot me with their dirtiest looks. Their collective intention to infringe on my sacred personal right to identify with myself nearly killed my vibe, so I held my hands even higher. Greek Life is a proud, American tradition with deep roots. Maybe they didn’t understand. The statue of the explorer, Whats-hisface, stood proudly behind my unapologetic stance. The weekend was long, but fortunately iMessages and web browsing prevented me from being oppressed by Portugal much more than that. Soon enough the
airport, an enclave from the burn of too much exposure to something foreign, delivered me out of that place. As an upper-middle-class male, I expect to be accommodated, especially when I find myself in vulnerable rare form: a minority role. Portugal completely failed to deliver that, and instead presented me with the insecurity of confronting my own rooted understanding of the world. Apparently, everything on earth isn’t like San Luis Obispo, and the hegemonic role my race and gender established doesn’t carry me as far as I’ve been raised to believe it should. Color me disappointed. I award the country a downvote.
Monday, January 4, 2016
SPORTS | 10
NCAA implements changes to men’s and women’s basketball Hannah Stone @CPMustangSports
Earlier this year, the NCAA approved a handful of changes to both men’s and women’s basketball, which are currently in effect for the 2015-16 season. Players, coaches and fans are intended to benefit from the adjustments. Some refer to these policy and format changes as the first steps to achieving a much-needed cultural shift in college basketball. Women’s basketball games will no longer consist of two 20-minute halves, but will be played out in four 10-minute quarters. According to senior point guard Lisa Marie Sanchez, the new format is a step in the right direction for the future of Division 1 NCAA
women’s basketball. “Women’s sports can seem slow,” Sanchez said. “The quarter format is definitely beneficial for our team and the future of the sport. Things will appear to move faster for people who come to watch.” Four-quarter games are the standard for high school basketball, the WNBA and international professional leagues. Incoming freshmen and graduating seniors will no longer be obligated to adjust to format disparities across different levels of the game. The new format is accompanied by a series of other modifications including dropping the double-bonus rule and reducing the amount of media timeouts from eight to six. “With the double-bonus no
longer in place and the changes to media timeouts, things are more interesting,” Sanchez said. “You just have to be more prepared, mentally and physically.” The NCAA is making it a top priority to boost fan engagement by eliminating any excessive dead periods for Division 1 women’s basketball. Seeking to achieve similar results, a package of proposals was also passed and put into effect for men’s basketball. The men’s basketball shot clock has been reduced from 35 seconds to 30. By allotting less time to shoot, the NCAA is hoping to combat the extremely low scoring patterns that Division 1 men’s college basketball has seen in recent years. “With a shorter shot clock we really have to get going,” junior guard Ridge Shipley said. “Next
thing you know, it’s under 20 seconds and you don’t have time to run a play.” Though it is still early in the season, the Cal Poly men’s basketball team is already seizing the opportunity to put more points on the scoreboard. “We’ve adapted to it really well,” Shipley said. “You can see we are averaging way more points and possessions than last year.” In an initiative to increase the pace of the game and give players the ability to move more freely, an additional 20 modifications have also been introduced to men’s basketball this season. For example, a series of hand-checking rules have been moved from guidelines and placed into the official rulebook. “Having to show your hands at all times makes it harder on the defender. It gives the offensive player more confidence to be able to drive,” said Shipley. Media timeout procedures,
penalizations for fake fouls and restrictions on timeouts are just a few of the additional changes. Though the Mustangs are experiencing what they describe as a backlash of exaggerated calls in their preseason, these interruptions should subside as the season advances. “I think you’ll start seeing more and more flow once people understand and adapt to the new calls,” Shipley said. “Overall, the changes are working out for us and have molded what we hope accomplish this year.” As the Mustangs march forward into their preseason competition and prepare for Big West Conference play, both teams are motivated to use the new rules to their advantage. The Cal Poly women’s basketball team begins conference play at UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 7. The Cal Poly men’s basketball team opens up conference play against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 14 in Mott Athletics Center.
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CHRISTA L AM | MUSTANG NE WS FOR THE BETTER | The team now averages over 70 points per game.
Continued from page 4
grown in the state. Cal Poly Universities’ float was the first to be certified as “California grown” five years ago and has been certified each year since. This year, theirs was one of four floats in the parade to receive that recognition. Cal Poly Rose Float adviser Josh D’Acquisto said the parade was started as a way for California to show that flowers could be grown in the state year round. However, most of the roses used in the parade today come from Central and South America. He said that supporting California farms is important to the Cal Poly Rose Float. “It’s important for two California agricultural universities to align themselves with the California-grown movement and instate agriculture,” D’Acquisto said. Cal Poly Pomona Rose Float program’s decorations chair Anh Nghiem and Allor met to discuss what organic materials they would use to cover the visible parts of the float. Selecting the right material is important because the audience will understand what the different components of the float are, Nghiem said. “We have to keep in mind to match the color and texture because we have about 3-5 seconds of the audience’s full attention on parade day,” Nghiem said. “So we try our best to make it as simple and straightforward as we can so they can enjoy the float, too.” The float for 2016 included a variety of fresh flowers such as roses, daisies, and mums. It also included other materials such as seaweed, statice, and almond bark. Students from both universities — along with more than 1,000 volunteers — added these materials onto the float during decoration week in late December to get it ready to be shown at the Rose Parade. Driving from two directions: The dynamic between the Cal Poly teams The Cal Poly Rose Float program is one of the key programs that continues to con-
nect both Cal Poly universities, D’Acquisto said. There are approximately 50 students from both campuses that have committed to the 12-month role with Rose Float, he said. Each campus has a program lead, assistant program lead and three chairs for the float — design, construction and decorations. Though the students in leadership positions communicate often with the corresponding student at the other university, there are some challenges that arise. “It’s a communication challenge because they are 300 miles away and we don’t see them for half the year. The biggest challenge is communication, making sure that they know what we know and that our plans coincide with their plans and that we’re lined up for the same goal,” Davidson said. Cal Poly’s budget for this year was $103,000. It receives funding for being an Instructional Related Activity (IRA) and is managed through Student Affairs, D’Acquisto said. Cal Poly Pomona had a similar budget through the university. The two universities shared the resources and donations they receive when they came together in the fall. The end of the road Watching the float in the parade at Pasadena can be an emotional event for the entire Cal Poly Rose Float team. “I started crying — half of it was from sleep exhaustion,” Allor said of last year’s Rose Parade. “It’s amazing, just everything you’ve worked for the whole year. Everyone is screaming their heads off, they’re so excited. There’s no way to describe it, you have to be a part of it. It’s like your baby coming down those parade routes.” This year was just as celebratory. “I don’t think there’s a much better feeling than to have something you’ve spent the whole year in, poured your blood, sweat and tears into with 50 other people,” Catalano said. “It’s just incredible to see all their work accumulate into a great project for the world to see.”
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“Happy new year!”
Monday, January 4, 2016
SPORTS | 11
A look back at fall sports Eric Stubben
@ericstubben
Volleyball Finishing the season with four All-Big West Conference First Team selections, the Cal Poly Volleyball team posted its best season in five years. Junior middle blocker Taylor Gruenewald, sophomores setter Taylor Nelson and outside hitter Raeann Greisen, and freshman outside hitter Adlee Van Winden were all-conference first team selections. The Mustangs got out to a blistering start, winning their first five and seven of their first eight matches. After beginning conference play by losing to thenNo. 11 Hawaii in three sets, the Mustangs went on to win eight of their next nine matches. With an outside chance of an NCAA Tournament bid, the Mustangs needed to finish the season strong. Unfortunately, the season’s fatigue set in and the team dropped three of its final five matches to ANDREW EPPERSON | MUSTANG NE WS
finish third in the Big West Conference. Despite the disappointing ending, the Mustangs finished the season at 19-8, 11-5 in conference play. The 19 wins were the most for the Mustangs since 2010 and the four first-team all-conference selections were the most since 2007. Of those all-conference first-team selections, Van Winden stood out as the brightest of them all. Van Winden earned a conference record seven freshman of the week selections en route to being named Big West Conference Freshman of the Year. The Mustangs will look forward to next season when they return all but three players from this season’s campaign. Of the returners, the Mustangs return their team leaders in kills (Van Winden), assists (Nelson) and blocks (Gruenewald).
Football Describing the Cal Poly football team’s season as a letdown would be an understatement. Coming into the season with a talented senior quarterback in Chris Brown and a bevy of running backs, including sophomore Joe Protheroe and junior Kori Garcia, things looked promising for the Mustangs. Despite an ominous schedule that featured six ranked FCS teams and one FBS team in Arizona State, the Mustangs stepped out onto the right foot, travelling to No. 12 Montana and defeating the Grizzlies 20-19 in Missoula. The Mustangs put up another solid showing the next week, giving FBS Arizona State a scare until the Sun Devils posted two late touchdowns to pull away for the victory. Looking like a complete team with playoff ambitions, the Mustangs had the opportunity to play five ranked teams in its next six games. Despite close
losses to Eastern Washington and Portland State and a win over Idaho State, the Mustangs dropped five of those six games to fall to 2-6. Ending the season on a more positive note, the Mustangs finished by winning two of its last three games, including a 17-point victory over UC Davis to bring the Golden Horseshoe back to San Luis Obispo. Overall, the Mustangs finished the season 4-7 and 3-5 in Big Sky Conference play, good for 10th out of 14 teams in the final conference standings. One bright spot for the Mustangs was the breakout play of Protheroe this season. The running back racked up 779 rushing yards and six touchdowns in only nine games and was named to the Big Sky Conference First Team. The Mustangs may have a bit of a learning curve going into next season as they try to replace Brown, leading receiver Willie Tucker and leading tackler, linebacker Tu’Uta Inoke among others.
Men’s soccer CHRISTA LAM | MUSTANG NE WS
CHRISTA LAM | MUSTANG NE WS
Providing the most drama and the most successful season out of all of Cal Poly’s fall sports seasons, the men’s soccer team’s first year under head coach Steve Sampson was a success. After beginning the season by going undefeated in its first five matches, the team began to pick up notoriety. The Mustangs’ first drama-filled moment came at the end of the home installment of the Blue-Green Rivalry against UC Santa Barbara. After four goals in the first half evened the match at 2-2, neither the Mustangs nor the Gauchos scored during the second half or the first overtime. Junior defender Kody Wakasa scored his first career goal into the waning minutes of the second overtime to give the Mustangs the sudden death victory over the Gauchos. One week later, the Mustangs produced another memorable moment, again at the hands of the Gauchos. Freshman forward Jared Pressley scored a goal with six seconds remaining in regulation to tie the match at two. The Mustangs went on to tie the Gauchos in Santa Barbara. Cal Poly finished the regular season with only one conference loss and the second seed in the Big
West Conference North Division going into the Big West Conference Tournament. The Mustangs slipped by UC Irvine, 1-0, inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium to begin the conference tournament. By beating the Anteaters, the Mustangs earned themselves a spot in the conference semifinal game at Cal State Fullerton. Unfortunately, the Titans proved too much for the Mustangs and came away with a 3-1 victory. Despite the disappointing ending to the conference tournament, the No. 23 Mustangs still earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. Travelling to UCLA for the second time in 2015, the Mustangs looked to defeat the Bruins. An early second-half goal by the Bruins coupled with an inconvenient own goal allowed the Bruins to advance with a 2-0 victory over the Mustangs. The future is bright for the men’s soccer program. After coaching the U.S. Men’s National Team and the Los Angeles Galaxy, Sampson’s notoriety should give the Mustangs a recruiting bump that is needed to move to the top tier. Strong performances from underclassmen, especially freshmen, this season give the Mustangs hope for next season and beyond.
Women’s soccer Many believed before the season that star senior forward Elise Kreighoff and her cast of fellow Mustangs would stand tall in the Big West Conference this season. Those beliefs never came to fruition. Krieghoff scored only six goals, added only one assist and the Mustangs finished 6-8-5 overall (2-6 in the Big West Conference). After winning only one of their first five matches, the Mustangs seemed to find stride in mid-September. They defeated Fresno State, San Jose State and Dayton in three consecutive matches.
However, the Mustangs won only two of their final 11 matches to finish eighth out of nine teams in the Big West Conference. Shedding some light on the season, four Mustangs earned All-Big West Conference honors. Despite her down scoring year, Krieghoff earned first-team honors for the fourth consecutive season. Senior center back Robin Mertens was also selected to the all-conference first team. Senior goalkeeper Alyssa Giannetti was selected as third-team all-conference and freshman forward Caitlyn Kreutz was named to the Big West Conference All-Freshman Team.
Cross-country
HANNA CROWLEY | MUSTANG NE WS
MUSTANG NEWS FILE PHOTO
Strong showings from both the men’s and women’s cross-country programs highlighted the 2015 season. Freshman Peyton Bilo stood out over the course of the season and advanced to the women’s NCAA Cross Country Championships, finishing a respectable 172nd. Bilo’s efforts earned her the Big West Conference Women’s Freshman of the Year award, marking the sixth time a Cal Poly runner has won the award in the past 10 years. Not to be lost among Bilo’s success, the Mustangs captured two other awards at the end of the season. Freshman Garrett Migliozzi captured the Big West Conference Men’s Freshman of the Year award and head coach Mark Conover won his third Big West Conference Women’s Coach of the Year award in the past four years. Despite strong individual success, both teams ran
well as a whole this season as well. After the Mustangs won both the men’s and women’s meets at the Fresno State Invitational in mid-September, both teams posted strong showings at the Stanford Invitational and at three meets in October. When the Big West Conference Championships rolled around, both teams caught their strides (pun intended). The men’s side finished second and the women won the conference championship before heading off to the NCAA West Coast Regional Championships. While neither team qualified for the NCAA Championships, both posted impressive seasons. The young talent on both sides should continue to grow and develop for successful seasons next year and further down the road.