Back to School 2014

Back to SchooL 2014 EdItIoN

Monday, Sept. 22, 2014 | Volume LXXIX, Number 3 | www.mustangnews.net

NEWS | 2 MUSTANG NEWS Graphic Arts Building Building 26, Suite 226 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

Monday, September 22, 2014

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Monday, September 22, 2014 Volume LXXIX, Number 3 ©2014 Mustang News

“I bet there were strobe lights.”

JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NEWS

LIKE A BOSS | Journalism junior Jacob Lauing is the editor-in-chief of Mustang News. He has been on staff for two years, working as a sports reporter and news editor.

Jacob Lauing @jlauing I cringe when people call us a newspaper.

Sure, we offer a printed product twice a week, and newspaper writing is a skill at the core of any modern reporter, but the days of print-first journalism are long gone.

Mustang News is no longer a one-headed beast.

If you’re a relatively new reader, I’ll offer a quick history lesson. We were called Mustang Daily for as long as any recent Cal Poly student can remember.

The production reflected the name, with our content hitting newsstands every morning on school days.

MustangDaily.net, however, was an afterthought.

Then, on a late September morning last year, a mere 15 minutes before the start of staff boot camp and days before the school year commenced, the journalism faculty dropped a bomb: Mustang Daily was dead. From that moment forward, we were known as Mustang News, an organization that would house the print, broadcast and public

relations operations (traditionally separate entities) all under one roof. The newspaper moved to a two-day-per-week print schedule, allowing us to adopt a digital-first mentality and shift our focus to MustangNews.net.

With the name change came a clean slate and a chance to reinvent ourselves.

It breathed new life into our staff, a contagious creative spark that led to all kinds of innovative ideas.

From parallax scrolling features to interactive quizzes, we tackled new projects that definitely characterized the type of year it was, along with our new, multifaceted identity.

It became clear that we weren’t just a newspaper, and that’s the brand I want to build moving forward.

Mustang News is a blank canvas.

It’s a platform to produce engaging content of all varieties, and this year, we’ll continue to push the boundaries that previously confined us to tabloid news spreads.

Don’t expect us to only churn out run-of-the-mill print news stories every day — we’ve become so much more than that. We’re not a newspaper. We’re not a

broadcast news station. We’re not BuzzFeed.

We’re Mustang News.

We’re defined by the product you see right here, and that’s MustangNews.net, the perfect culmination of everything we create and a mirror image of the digital-first trends going on in the journalism industry.

What’s next for us?

We’ve got plenty more tricks up our sleeves this year, including a few big projects that will further dilute any preconceived expectations you have about Mustang News.

I recently came across a quote from Mike Markkula, Apple Inc.’s angel investor, former board member and brief CEO. He offered Steve Jobs some wise words during the aftermath of Apple’s collapse in the mid1990s.

“Lasting companies know how to reinvent themselves,” Markkula told Jobs. “You’ve got to be like a butterfly and have a metamorphosis.”

A year ago, Mustang News was given that rebirth, and step by step, we’ve caterpillared our way to a revamped, re-established and reinvigorated brand.

Now, it’s time to spread our wings and fly.

News... 1-16 | Arts... 17-24 | Sports... 25-32

NEWS | 3

Monday, September 22, 2014

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAKOTA GREENWICH | MUSTANG NEWS

DOOR TO SUCCESS | “Some students wait too long and the hole is too deep to dig out of,” said Bill Sydnor, coordinator of Student Academic Services. “Seek advice early and be proactive, not reactive.”

Tips for starting the quarter off strong Samantha Pryor @sammpryor New quarter, new you — right?

With a fresh set of classes and coursework, it’s important to start the quarter off positively and with an organized approach. Here are a few tips to find balance and conquer the next 12 weeks triumphantly.

Manage your time Creating a balanced schedule to manage your time is the best way to go.

It is essential to find an organization system that works best and commit to it, Mustang Success Center director

Shannon Stephens said. Planners, phones, notes, sticky notes — essentially, the system does not matter as long as you stay committed and don’t put things off.

“I always recommend that students create a spreadsheet that shows their commitments: class, sleep, eat, study time, free time, et cetera,” he said. “I like students to do this at least once so that they can see what their day looks like.”

When it comes to managing time for academic classes, spreading effort uniformly across the quarter is the perfect remedy for success, economics professor Steve Hamilton said.

“Do not have down weeks then cram during exam weeks,” he said. “Read textbooks, recopy notes, compare homework solutions and re-do problems.”

Establish a routine According to coordinator of Student Academic Services Bill Sydnor, routines are crucial for staying on task and completing assignments in a timely fashion.

“Getting up at about the same time each day and going to sleep at about the same time each night is an example of a helpful routine,” he said.

Other helpful routines include establishing a workout time to go to the Recreation

Center or studying around the same time and location each day, he said.

For a routine to be effective, it must be successful. Key components of a healthy routine consist of eating, studying, going to class and creating personal time as well as time to concentrate on a hobby or another interest, such as hanging out with friends, Stephens said.

In the words of mechanical engineering professor Andrew Brock, “routines are important, except when they are bad.”

Find a routine that is effective and works for you.

Create a balanced study schedule As many Cal Poly students

know, a general guideline for studying is to set aside 25-35 hours per week to focus.

But according to Stephens, some courses are more demanding than others. Students also have different strengths, he said.

“Finding that balance is key,” Stephens said.

Determine what courses require more effort and set aside time to focus.

Seek help when you need it Adjusting to a new living space, a demanding academic pace, difficult classes and competitive peers are struggles that students commonly face, according to Sydnor.

“I encourage students to visit their academic advisor as soon as they realize they are struggling too much; it’s a good place to start,” he said.

The sooner the problem is addressed, the sooner it can be fixed, Stephens said.

“Some students wait too long and the hole is too deep to dig out of,” he said. “Seek advice early and be proactive, not reactive.”

Other resources include advising centers, resident advisors, Career Services counselors and other campus faculty.

“Students need to identify a few key people on campus that they can trust and rely on to give accurate and timely advice,” Stephens said.

NEWS | 4

Monday, September 22, 2014

Catching up on Brooke Sperbeck

Greek party registration

@BrookeSperbeck7

After the Interfraternity Council (IFC) agreed with administrators on a deferred recruitment compromise in Spring 2013 to lift a ban on deferred rush, all three greek councils were expected to pass a draft party registration policy by Winter 2014.

IFC, Panhellenic Council and United Sorority and Fraternity Council (USFC) were not able to draft a policy they felt comfortable with, so they were placed on social probation until a draft was finalized.

Nearly five weeks later, administrators announced in a press release that a draft policy had been finalized and greek organizations were lifted off social probation.

The draft policy — ­ which requires greek organizations to register their parties in advance, mandates guest lists and wristbands for guests of legal drinking age and bans drinking games and hard alcohol — must be finalized prior to the beginning of fall quarter, according to the document.

The policy, which received national media attention, was criticized by the campus community and had both greeks and non-greeks questioning its effectiveness from the start.

Sexual assaults Two similar sexual assaults during spring quarter — one in Mustang Village and the other in Cerro Vista Apartments — called for a combined investigation between the San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) and University Police Department (UPD) to see if the crimes were linked. By late May, UPD and SLOPD were exploring several leads.

In both instances, a person approached the victim from behind and grabbed under the victim’s skirt. The times of both attacks and the descriptions of the suspects — a white or Hispanic male in his 20s — also gave UPD and SLOPD reason to believe the assaults were related.

The attacks were all too familiar to Cal Poly students. In 2012, a string of four assaults occurred on and near campus where a suspect approached a woman from behind and tried to grab her underwear.

Two similar attacks also occurred on Foothill Boulevard in February 2013.

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NEWS | 5

Monday, September 22, 2014

n campus news Registration system revamp

Campus Dining

Changes to Cal Poly’s registration system last school year have impacted the way students at Cal Poly are signing up for classes this fall. PolyPlanner, a tool for students to plan their future course selections, was released in Winter 2014.

The system allows the Office of the Registrar to inform academic departments about course demand, so the departments can plan their upcoming class schedules accordingly.

In late February, the Registrar said students who don’t use PolyPlanner will be assigned the last registration rotation and not allowed to use priorities for that quarter.

By early April, the Registrar announced another change to the registration system: Beginning in Fall 2014, graduating seniors will receive priority registration for their last quarter. The new registration rotation places those seniors after special populations and graduate students but before priority registration.

Then, in late April, the Office of the Registrar announced that

by Fall 2015, students’ registration priorities will be determined by their degree-applicable units.

In an effort to make Cal Poly a more residential campus and to meet student needs, the Cal Poly Student Affairs Division announced in February that it would begin to work more closely with Campus Dining.

Led by Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey, the Student Affairs Division is now able to hear student input regarding food on campus and work with Campus Dining to make adjustments or changes.

In an interview this July, Humphrey said students can expect to see changes to on-campus dining this year. A venue selling protein shakes at the Recreation Center, a “Pluto’s-like” chopped salad restaurant and switching up current menus at existing facilities are all plans Humphrey hopes to implement this year.

The possibility of a pub on campus also excited students last year. At a Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) meeting in April, Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said he predicted Cal Poly would have a pub on campus by 2022.

Though administrators are on board with the idea for a pub, Humphrey said the university must first adjust its alcohol policy and look for a possible location before any planning.

Diversity

A lack of diversity on Cal Poly’s campus was a common theme in the news last year. In November, university officials launched an investigation into a fraternity and sorority party that was deemed “offensive” to Native Americans and women by administrators.

The party, held in November, was unofficially themed “Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos” and garnered attention from national news outlets.

Though the party was initially deemed “a social fraternity and sorority event” in an email to students, administrators later called it an “offcampus party” and the investigation was dropped.

Though this fall’s incoming freshman class will be the most diverse in school history, Armstrong has made it one of his goals to significantly increase diversity on campus by 2022.

NEWS | 6

Join the IHC selfie and run for community council Inter Housing Council is a student leadership program for all on-campus residence halls. IHC plans, coordinates and implements events in order to include all residents and build a community. IHC also advocates for all on-campus residents.

Sept. 22 - Community council elections info session Sept. 29 - Elections: meet the candidates; voting begins Oct. 6 - First council gathering Oct. 11 - IHC conference

Monday, September 22, 2014

NEWS | 8

Monday, September 22, 2014

You’re paying $300 per year for a fee you might not know exists Sean McMinn

@shmcminn

If you take the time to look at the list of Cal Poly’s fees online, it quickly becomes clear that students are paying a lot more than just “tuition” (even tuition, technically, is listed as just another “fee”).

And while you might not have heard of it, you’ve almost certainly seen the effects of the instructionally related activities (IRA) fee on campus. In fact, you’re seeing one of those impacts just by reading this article.

The instructionally related activities fee, which every student pays to the tune of almost $100 each quarter, is used by dozens of different groups on campus — and some may surprise you.

In spring quarter, Cal Poly’s budget services department predicts how much money IRA fees will bring in. Most goes toward Athletics, but the remaining is broken down into two categories: one for programs in the “university interest” and the other for those housed in Cal Poly’s six colleges.

The fee is supposed to be for programs “integrally related” to Cal Poly’s formal classes, but Cal Poly has chosen to take a liberal interpretation of that wording. Because of this, a wide range of programs are able to apply for IRA funding, which totals more than $1 million for the upcoming year.

Some of those programs are ones you’d expect — dairy cattle judging is obviously related to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, while Landscape Architecture Design Week benefits Cal Poly’s landscape architecture department.

But what about Soup and Sustenance and the Latino Heritage Series? Or Safer and the Vagina Monologues?

After a 2006 student vote to increase the IRA fee by $10, Cal Poly opened up IRA eligibility to Student Affairs programs, which previously didn’t receive any money from the fee.

Jessica Carson, an administrative analyst for Cal Poly’s academic programs and planning division, said that though it’s not immediately clear how these relate to specific colleges or departments, IRA money also goes to organizations that meet one of Cal Poly’s seven university learning objectives.

Those objectives are incredibly vague (one is to “work productively as individuals and in groups”; another is to “engage in lifelong learning”), leaving what constitutes as an “instructionally related” activity open to a lot of interpretation.

The California State University (CSU) system doesn’t strictly enforce what can and cannot receive IRA money. Its original mandate says the programs must be “integrally related to its formal instructional offerings,” but CSU spokesperson Liz Chapin said it only uses this to “offer guidance to campuses.”

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“Campuses then have the flexibility to establish policies specific to their unique student populations and operating environments,” Chapin wrote in an email to Mustang News.

Cal Poly labels the Student Affairs IRA programs and

other ones that affect the whole campus as “university interest.” Several university interests IRAs, such as the rose float and Poly Reps, include students from several majors and aren’t housed in any specific academic department.

On top of these, IRA money also goes to colleges, which receive funding proportional to the percent of Cal Poly students they have in any given year.

After allocating the Athletics and nonStudent Affairs “university interest” IRAs, the colleges receive 75 percent of what’s left over (the Student Affairs programs receive the remaining 25 percent). This year, Cal Poly allocated the colleges $625,000.

University interest IRAs don’t take up money from each college’s annual IRA budget, so a college that can get its programs listed as “university interest” is able to free up more money for its yearly allocations.

Cal Poly’s largest college, the College of Engineering, has taken in the most money since 2011, when it surpassed the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. The smallest amount of IRA funding goes to the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, which will receive $57,000 this year.

Still, “university interest” IRAs will receive more than twice as much money as the College of Engineering, while the Student Affairs IRAs receive more than Cal Poly’s three smallest colleges.

NEWS | 9

Monday, September 22, 2014

University interest IRA allocations 2014-15 Annual School of Education Film Event – $2,500

Women’s Programs & Services: Safer Week & Run to Remember Planning Team – $11,200

Women’s Programs & Services: Vagina Monologues – $14,400

Arab Music Ensemble – $6,500 Cal Poly HEAT (Health Enrichment Action Team) – $9,203 Civic Engagement Programs: Change the Status Quo – $8,000 Civic Engagement Programs: Soup & Substance – $1,500

Women’s Programs & Services: Safer – $16,000

Combined Choirs – $17,500

Wind Orchestra – $27,000

Community Based Learning: Americorps/Student Mentors Program – $15,000 CPTV - Cal Poly Television – $15,000

University Jazz Bands – $9,500

Cross-Cultural Seminars – $5,000

University Art Gallery – $9,000

Drama – $6,000 Fitness Assessment Team – $4,000 Health Ambassadors – $2,000

Symphony – $19,000

KCPR 91.3 Cal Poly Radio – $17,500

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Program: PRIDE Film Series Committee – $16,000

Rodeo – $30,000

PolyFit – $3,500

Multicultural & Ethnicity Diversity Program: Latino Heritage Series – $25,646

Poly Reps – $3,000 Orchesis – $8,000

Multicultural & Ethnicity Diversity Program: Polycultural Committee – $15,000

Open House – Admitted Students’ Preview Day and Campus Showcase – $32,500 Mustang News – $43,000

GRAPHIC BY JORDAN DUNN | MUSTANG NEWS

NEWS | 10

Monday, September 22, 2014

Without debate, international student fee takes effect Sean McMinn @shmcminn When administrators wanted to raise tuition by $260 per quarter in 2012, there was an intense information campaign featuring infographics, forums and speeches.

There was a fervor of campus debate. And, ultimately, there was a student vote.

But when administrators wanted to raise tuition by $300 per quarter for degree-seeking international students in 2014, there was an email telling students to pay up.

In early May, Cal Poly International Center director Caroline Moore sent an email to international students informing them of a new fee set to begin in Fall 2014. That was the first many of

them had heard of the fee, which Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong approved on March 27.

But now the fee has encountered resistance. Students, including recent alumnus and former Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) President Jason Colombini, are dismayed at Cal Poly’s decision to design and pass the fee with no student input.

“It does kind of leave a bad

taste in my mouth, I’ll give you that,” said Colombini, who was aware of the fee but said he did not know it would be levied without student input until a Mustang News reporter contacted him in late July.

Resources for future students Moore said that though she values students’ perspectives, she did not go to them with information

about the fee before planning it and ultimately gaining approval from Armstrong.

Consulting with students on fee increases is only required for fees that all students must pay to enroll in or attend the university, according to California State University (CSU) spokesperson Liz Chapin.

Brian Tietje, Cal Poly’s vice provost of international, gradu-

ate and extended education, said the fee is aimed at helping future students, so reaching out to current international students — who will begin paying $150 per quarter next year as the fee phases in — wasn’t part of their plan.

The fee will only apply to

see FEE, pg 11.

SUHA SAYA | MUSTANG NEWS

THE FUTURE | “This fee is about future resources to support future students,” Brian Tietje, Cal Poly’s vice provost of international, graduate and extended education, wrote in an email to Mustang News.

NEWS | 11 FEE continued from pg 10. those looking to get their degree at Cal Poly, not visiting or exchange students.

“This fee is about future resources to support future students,” Tietje wrote in an email to Mustang News. “Those students aren’t here at Cal Poly yet, so it’s not possible to consult with them on the fee.”

The International Center, Moore said, was running on a budget deficit when she arrived at Cal Poly in August 2013 and was relying on outside funding to pay for its current staffing level.

She declined to say how the center made up the difference, but said the fee was needed to level the budget and make improvements as it grows, such as new software that will help the university comply with post9/11 immigration requirements as the number of international students increases.

The fee is also expected to go toward recruitment, marketing, office space, equipment and workshops for campus. A working group will be established in the fall to advise the International Center on how to best spend revenue from the fee.

“We did look at what the needs of the unit were … looking at what other institutions are doing in terms of implementing an international student fee,” Moore said. “For the education students are receiving here, looking at some of our comparable schools, it still keeps us far less expensive than those.”

After approving the fee in March, Armstrong sent a memo of approval to the Campus Fee Advisory Committee, which is required under CSU policy.

After fee passes, student reactions flair Former ASI President Colombi-

ni, who co-chaired the committee when Armstrong approved the fee, said he didn’t know the fee hadn’t been run by students.

According to Colombini, it’s best practice to ask for student input before creating a fee they will have to pay. He was surprised to hear that wasn’t done for international students.

“That’s kind of standard whenever we do anything like this; there’s outreach to that group,” he said. “That’s kind of a problem. That’s not something I like to hear.”

Colombini said he will bring the issue up with current ASI President Joi Sullivan. When contacted by Mustang News, Sullivan said she would look into the fee.

The way international students learned of the fee didn’t go over well among them, said Kerry Sun, a graduate student from China who also completed his undergraduate aerospace engineering degree at Cal Poly.

Sun sent an email to several international students in early August asking for support in sending a letter to Moore that condemns the fee and makes six requests. Among them, Sun called for a vote from all international students similar to the Student Success Fee referendum in 2012.

“We have never been asked about this fee increase prior to your emails,” Sun wrote. “This change shocked many of us.

We felt we have no voice in this matter.”

The fee traps international students, Sun said, because they are on U.S. visas to study at Cal Poly. Forced to choose between paying the fee or having to leave the country, Sun said it is unfair for administrators to hike up their tuition mid-way through their time in school.

“I learned a lot of stuff in this

country,” Sun said. “I watch the news all the time, and it just feels like the fee could be treated in a more democratic way. Why don’t you ask everyone and see if they agree with it?”

International Center looking to grow This past fall, there were 211 international students at Cal Poly.

But the university is looking to increase that number. The fee will help with a university push to boost the number of international students at Cal Poly, Tietje said.

With a “comprehensive support ecosystem” for international students, which Tietje said this fee will help provide, administrators expect they can bring in between 500 and 800 international students by 2022, bringing the total number to nearly 1,000 international students.

As of July, 246 international students had registered to take classes in fall.

Based on that tally, revenue from the fee is expected to be at least $50,000 during its first year. By the 2016-17 academic year, it could reach $300,000, according to financial estimates attached to an internal Cal Poly memo.

Enrolling more international students could do more than just help the students who are coming to study at Cal Poly, said Que Dang, assistant coordinator of the MultiCultural Center. It can also help with a larger university initiative to enhance diversity.

“It helps Cal Poly, for sure, in making us all more wellrounded and having global citizens, having students around you that are different,” she said. “I definitely think it would be beneficial to increase international students.

It just brings more diversity to campus.”

NEWS | 13

Monday, September 22, 2014

PRESENTS

SLOFEST October 2nd

11am – 2pm Mott Lawn RafflES, PRizES, food, aNd muSic fRom all of youR favoRiTE local buSiNESSES

NEWS | 14

Monday, September 22, 2014

How to juggle jobs and college Lindsy Mobley @lindsymobley Time is money. And in college, you have neither.

To make ends meet, many students try balancing jobs with schoolwork.

Art and design senior Danielle Hadley has held both part-time paid internships and off-campus jobs during her time at Cal Poly.

Hadley worked off campus as a sales associate at Ambiance,

a women’s clothing boutique in downtown San Luis Obispo.

She worked three or four times a week, depending on her availability, Hadley said.

At Ambiance, Hadley was paid hourly and also made commission. Her hours varied from 10-20 per week. However, when she was working the most, she would work approximately six hours a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the four- to six-hour closing shift on Saturdays and sometimes

all day on Fridays, she said.

At the time, Hadley was advised to take 12 units because that quarter was expected to be one of her hardest at Cal Poly. However, balancing school and work still proved to be difficult.

“I got my lowest grade that quarter, which was a huge deal,” she said. “There isn’t a lot of free time.”

Because she was unable to study on the job, time management was crucial.

“My advice would be to get used to scheduling yourself if you’re going to be working and going to school; it’s going to come down to hours and minutes for studying,” she said.

“Like waking up at eight in the morning to study for four hours before work.”

In addition, Hadley would look at her schedule for future due dates and get started ahead of time.

Hadley also held two internships, both with small marketing,

design and advertising agencies.

One internship was with Whizbang Marketing and the other was with Poor Richards Press Companies (PRP Co.). These internships gave her experience for her degree, she said.

“Those ones were no more than about 12 hours a week, and shifts were no longer than four hours, usually,” Hadley said.

Typically, her internships were more flexible with her time.

They closed at 6 p.m. — mean-

ing no late nights — and didn’t require any out-of-office work.

“I feel like it was a little more flexible with the internships, like they understood that I was a student,” she said. “It’s not that the other jobs didn’t understand, but I just felt like my internship was more flexible.”

Communication studies senior Aryanna Azmoudeh had unpaid internships. She interned at Big

see JOBS, pg 15.

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NEWS | 15

Monday, September 22, 2014

JORDAN DUNN | MUSTANG NEWS

WORK IT | On-campus employers can offer more flexibile schedules. “This is a huge advantage compared to off-campus jobs,” environmental management and protection junior Alex Degregori said.

JOBS continued from pg 14.

Brothers Big Sisters and later at the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters, Azmoudeh was the event-planning intern for the main event last June. Her work mostly consisted of administrative duties.

Azmoudeh worked Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Her schedule was even more

challenging because along with school and her internship, she babysat.

“I had class from 7-11 every day and then had to go to work and then had babysitting,” she said. “When I would get back home, I’d be really tired, but would have to start my homework at night and stuff … It was fine, I just didn’t have time to work out.”

According to Azmoudeh, writing everything down really helped to keep track of your time and what needed to

be done.

In addition, Azmoudeh said she liked her internships because they understood that school comes first.

“I definitely recommend getting internships while you’re in school because a lot of internships are unpaid — you don’t want to do that after you graduate,” she said. “It’s just a really good résumé builder.”

For some — especially those who have difficulty with

transportation — on-campus jobs may seem more ideal. Almost all of these can be found in a student’s portal under MustangJOBS. Environmental management and protection junior Alex Degregori works at the Performing Arts Center (PAC), selling tickets for events. According to Degregori, a typical shift lasts between two and four hours and tends to work around students’ schedules.

“It was very easy to juggle with school due to the flexibility of my hours,” he said. “I was also able to finish homework at my job.”

Though many jobs lack computer access or don’t allow time to do homework, according to Degregori, most — if not all — on-campus jobs work around class times and have more flexibility.

“This is a huge advantage compared to off-campus jobs,”

he said.

So whether you’re looking to pay for tuition, earn some extra money or gain degree experience while at Cal Poly, there are pros and cons to every job type. But with any option, time management is key in finding the balance between school and work.

“Make sure your job is convenient enough so that you can still have enough time for school,” Degregori said. “It’s the reason why you’re here.”

ARTS | 18

Monday, September 22, 2014

How to get on your professor’s good side

DAKOTA GREENWICH | MUSTANG NEWS

‘SUP | “I love it when students come up to me and say that they are really excited about something on the syllabus,” Inclusive Excellence Specialist for the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology Robin Parent said.

Kelly Trom @kttrom Meeting new people and getting a fresh start are two of the many benefits of going away to college. However, lifelong friendships aren’t the only relationships you should create in college. Getting to know and respect others, especially professors, is just as important.

Professors can help enrich your education and even help you later on in life.

Industrial engineering senior and mentor for Student Support Services Phillip Ramos learned that lesson his freshman year at Cal Poly. Even though he wasn’t struggling in his calculus class, he went to the professor’s office hours to learn more about him. A few years later, he got a job grading for that professor because of the relationship they formed.

“One of the most important things about college is forming connections,” Ramos said.

“When you get out into the workforce, it’s nice to have someone say positive things about you. Whatever credibility your professors have will be transferred to you.”

There are several ways to build a good relationship with your professor.

Introduce yourself Most professors want to know their students individually, but they don’t have time because of their class load. Students are responsible for helping bridge the gap.

Inclusive Excellence Specialist for the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) Robin Parent notices students that introduce themselves to her the first week of the class.

“I love it when students come up to me and say that they are really excited about something on the syllabus,” Parent said.

“From that point on, I am much more likely to recognize that student, be tuned in to what that student is doing in my class, and I will also probably remember the name of that student much more quickly.”

In large lecture classes, you can stand out by making a point to say your name before answering or asking a question in the first couple weeks.

In addition to making sure professors can match a name to your face, it’s important to show them you know what is expected in class. One way to do this is to ask a question about the syllabus that hasn’t already been answered. The best way to do this is to read the syllabus thoroughly, said Instructional and Web Support Supervisor for the

CTLT Catherine Hillman.

“Your instructor is going to be really thrilled if you are asking questions about the syllabus, if you are showing a lot of initiative to find information,” Hillman said.

Go to office hours All faculty are scheduled to spend at least five hours per week in office hours. During that time, students can ask for help, discuss things that interest them about the class and more. Though it might seem intimidating at first, office hours can be a great resource if you are struggling with a project or just want to know what kind of research your professor is working on.

You don’t necessarily have to be doing poorly in the class to go to office hours, but if you are having difficulty understanding the concepts during lecture, it could help to speak with your

professor outside of class.

“The very first thing you should do is go tell the teacher exactly what you are struggling with,” Ramos said. “If you go to office hours, they might be able to adjust how they present the information to where it makes more sense to you individually.”

Your professor will become more tuned in to your learning style, which could help your overall efforts in the class.

Use proper email etiquette Email is one of the most common ways that students and professors communicate outside of the classroom.

“Remember that communication is between you and your professor,” Parent said. “It’s not you and your buddy. It is an adult-to-an-adult conversation, so you step up the level.”

Professors expect proper grammar, capitalization and punctuation. You should also check the syllabus to see if there are any format guidelines, such as putting the section number of your class in the subject line.

It’s more professional to use your Cal Poly email address.

Remember to edit the email before sending it to catch any mistakes and make sure your question is clear.

Embrace non-major classes Sometimes, students don’t enjoy classes because the subject matter doesn’t come naturally to them, or because it’s a general education course that doesn’t directly relate to their major.

One way to combat a poor grade in these classes and, conversely, a poor relationship with those professors, is to ask how that subject can relate to the courses you are interested in and your future career.

“If a student doesn’t approach me and ask for those connections, I have no way of knowing and cannot make it relevant for them,” Parent said.

“Every single class you take should be able to connect and help strengthen your experience on campus.”

Be considerate of their time Professors are much busier than you might expect. Just as students have a life outside of the classroom, so do professors.

“For the first seven years of a professor’s experience, they have almost a second job, which has to do with attaining their tenure,” Hillman said.

“They are busier than anyone

see IMPRESS, pg 19.

ARTS | 19

Monday, September 22, 2014 IMPRESS continued from pg 18. ever gives them credit for.”

Keep this in mind when a professor doesn’t answer your email right away or return your essay quickly. Their lives in academia are busy, but most professors enjoy the time they put

in because they love the subject they teach.

“I think that sometimes students don’t realize how passionate some professors are about the subject that they are teaching,” Parent said. “I think that is where the misconception comes from that students think professors only think

they have that one class.”

Students and professors need to realize that while class might be the only time they meet, they both have other obligations and responsibilities to deal with.

Avoid common mistakes The most important facet of the student-teacher relation-

ship, as with almost any other relationship, is honesty and communication.

“I would say the biggest mistake students make is trying to cover up not doing something with a lie,” Hillman said. “Admit to your mistakes and say what you learned from it.”

Students are completely

responsible for how much they gain from their educational experience. Students will make mistakes, such as sleeping in, missing an exam or not turning in an assignment. Recovery from that mistake is much easier if you have already built a good relationship with your professor

and they know you care about the class.

“The No. 1 mistake is not making a connection with a professor at all,” Parent said. “When you make that connection, you become a co-learner; you become part of the construction of that class.”

4 WAYS TO...

IMPRESS YOUR PROFESSORS INTRODUCE YOURSELF •Introduce yourself on the first day •Say your name before you answer or ask a question •Show interest in the course material

GO TO OFFICE HOURS • Use office hours to ask any questions you have about course material • Attend office hours even if you aren’t struggling • Discuss how the course material relates to you

USE PROPER EMAIL ETIQUETTE •Edit for clarity, grammar, punctuation and capitalization •Use your Cal Poly email address •Check the syllabus for format guidelines

AVOID COMMON MISTAKES •Don’t lie or make excuses •Admit your mistakes and say what you learned •Always make an effort to connect with your professor

ARTS | 20

Monday, September 22, 2014

One-day study breaks Annie Vainshtein

@annievain

The school year has just begun — but once next week rolls in, it might feel like the work never ends. It won’t seem like too long ago that professors were passing out syllabi and you had time to do all the things you wanted: hang out with your friends, go to the gym or even eat. How can you escape the perils of the unforgiving and rapidly moving school year? We’ve come up with four places around San Luis Obispo and the Central Coast to guarantee solitude, joy and tranquility — no textbooks found here. These places are optimal for short one-day trips and work well if you have a car. All of these excursions are affordable and unique day trip choices for a student wrestling with the stress of the new school year. So take a couple hours, cleanse your mind and reboot.

ALL PHOTOS BY DAKOTA GREENWICH | MUSTANG NEWS

KAYAKING AND PADDLE-BOARDING IN MORRO BAY Morro Bay, just a half-hour drive north from Cal Poly, offers a fair amount of outdoor adventures. If you’re looking to get active and move around, this might be a great place for you. The Morro Bay State Park offers kayak tours, where you can rent a paddleboard or kayak from Kayak Horizons.

MONTANA DE ORO STATE PARK This state park has everything you could ever need — rugged cliffs, soft beaches, coastal mountain views, huge dunes, rocky canyons, hiking trails. Montana de Oro State Park, only a 20-mile drive from campus, is one of the largest state parks in America. If you want to camp out overnight, contact the supervising ranger’s office at (805) 772-7630. An easy way to get there is to take Highway 101, get off on Los Osos Valley Road and continue until you reach the park.

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Monday, September 22, 2014

ARTS | 21

SAN LUIS OBISPO BOTANICAL GARDEN Tired of looking at genome flashcards? Feast your eyes on some actual plants and animals instead. The entire park stroll doesn’t take long, and the venue also includes various restaurants and cafes, a 4,000-seat amphitheater, meditation areas and paved trails. If a hike to see plants and trees native to California and the Mediterranean area sounds interesting, take a short break from your schoolwork and learn a little bit about the nature around you. Don’t forget your close-toed shoes and EpiPens for those allergic to bees. The Botanical Garden is located on Highway 1 in El Chorro Regional Park between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay.

PIRATE’S COVE Pirate’s Cove, a little nook of a beach, sits right between Pismo and Avila beaches. It’s known for its nudist attendees and spacious cave — home to a grand view of the coast. A half-mile roundtrip hike leads to the beaches and cave. Pirate’s Cove is right on the coast and rarely ever gets too crowded, so it’s a good secret spot if you’re seeking detox from the clamor of the school year.

There, you can cool off, relax and bare all.

ARTS | 22

Monday, September 22, 2014

6 ways to stay on top of a tough class schedule Brenna Swanston @Brenna_Swanston A lot can happen in 10 weeks — sometimes too much.

Cal Poly students often find themselves balancing jobs, clubs and the most difficult classes of their lives, all while attempting to maintain their personal lives and sanity. The task might not seem possible, but, in fact, it is — with the right strategy.

Computer engineering program director John Oliver, elected Cal Poly’s Outstanding Faculty Advisor for 2014, said students’ first hurdle occurs before school even begins. Even the most brilliant students are often unprepared for college’s demands.

Learn how to learn Oliver surveyed Cal Poly comput-

er engineering students, most of whom said they studied between five and 10 hours per week during high school — the same amount of studying recommended for each class at Cal Poly.

“Some students need to learn how to learn,” Oliver said. “They’re not efficient with their studying. It takes them a little bit of time to get up to speed, and it’s demoralizing when you’re used to being an all-A student in high school.”

Before taking on an overwhelming class schedule, students should assess their own learning strategies, he said.

“Be honest with yourself,” he said.

“Are you really studying with the intensity that we require? Dedicate yourself to that.”

Breaks between classes often tempt stressed-out students to

lounge on Dexter Lawn or nap in the Julian A. McPhee University Union’s quiet room. However, Oliver recommended that students deny those temptations and instead hole up in the library for study time.

After dedicating to their studies, students’ next step is to find people to hold them accountable.

Find study buddies Oliver said that in his experience, students on academic probation tend to describe themselves as lacking a strong social network on campus.

“I think a lot of them feel displaced,” Oliver said. “They don’t feel well-connected on campus, they don’t feel like they have somebody to talk to, they don’t have a study group or work with people. That’s a major challenge.”

The best way to create a social net-

work while keeping up with studies is to find study partners, he said.

“You’ve got to be social in the context of what you’re learning,” he said.

“It makes you more efficient.”

Mustang Success Center director Shannon Stephens also recommended partnering up with a mentor to relieve academic stress.

“You need to have an avenue where you can call somebody and go talk to them, and they’re willing to sit down with you,” Stephens said.

These mentors could be professors, advisors or career counselors who know how to help students understand their study material and organize their schedules. Such partners are necessary to help keep a clear head during a jam-packed quarter.

Unfortunately, many new students feel apprehensive about approaching professors to ask for help. “ A lot of students feel intimidated by faculty early on,” Stephens said.

“But most of the faculty here are super friendly. You just have to make the effort to go and talk to them. I think that’s the biggest hurdle.”

Start early During the toughest class schedules, Stephens suggested that students get a head start on tutoring before homework starts to bog them down.

“A lot of students come in and think, ‘I’m a straight-A student. I don’t need tutoring,’” he said. “But all of a sudden, it’s the fourth or fifth week and they need tutoring.”

It’s much more difficult to find an available tutor halfway through the quarter, Stephens said, than it would be at the beginning. Therefore, students should seek tutoring at the start of each quarter, even if they don’t think it’s necessary.

Oliver said tutors also help keep students accountable for studying at designated times each week. Studying is harder to avoid when it is part

of a strict weekly schedule.

Have a plan Organization is an absolute musthave for an intense class schedule, and it begins with note-taking, Oliver said.

While taking notes in class, students should write any questions they might have for the professor in the margins, he said. They should also write all their professors’ office hours in their planners and attend them as often as possible to ask the questions they wrote down.

“The professor might say something a little bit differently,” Oliver said. “It might spark a different question, and then you’ll understand the topic more clearly.”

Recent environmental management and protection graduate Mansi Joshi claimed to be an expert in managing academic insanity, having survived a quarter with 19 units, four jobs and a commitment to choir.

Joshi recommended meticulous organization in every aspect of life to minimize stress.

“Schedule everything and learn to prioritize,” she said. “If you can’t prioritize, there’s no way you’re going to dig out of that heap of work alive. And also realize that you can’t win them all, and that that’s perfectly okay.”

Keeping an organized schedule means ordering priorities ahead of time, Joshi said.

Prioritize activities Oliver said one of the most common mistakes college freshmen make is overloading their schedules with extracurricular activities.

In high school, he said, most students find themselves successfully managing five or six activities at a time. At the university level, however, that simply is not an option.

“Something’s going to give,” Oliver said. “You’re either going to be just a member of all your clubs on paper, or your grades are going to suffer.

You’ve got to pick and choose.”

He said students should inch into extracurricular commitments bit by bit, starting with just one activity before committing to multiple.

Take care Oliver said the best stress management includes regular exercise as well as eating and sleeping well.

Students often ignore these responsibilities by cramming for classes.

“I highly recommend not cramming,” he said. “Just a nice, steady stream of sleep and studying and good food.”

Lack of sleep, he said, prevents the transference of short-term memories to long-term ones. Losing shuteye to cram for exams might result in a good test score, but it would lower the likelihood of remembering important information for later use in related, higher-level classes.

Joshi’s personal experiences echoed Oliver’s warnings.

“I wish I could have eaten better rather than the garbage I was eating every day for lunch and dinner and planned out how I was going to eat healthy that quarter,” Joshi said.

Eating fast, unhealthy meals often cost her energy, she said.

“Macaroni and cheese makes you feel exactly like that: like you’re some hard-shelled pasta coated in cheese with absolutely zero nutrients in you,” Joshi said.

“I wish I had found the time or energy to just eat something healthy once a day.”

She also had to choose self-care over academic success on some occasions, she said.

“You have to take the hit on some assignments sometimes, meaning it’s okay if you don’t get a stellar grade,” Joshi said.

“If it means feeding yourself decently and getting at least four hours of sleep, taking care of yourself is the most important thing there is.”

ARTS | 23

Monday, September 22, 2014

The Mustang News

GUIDE TO HANDLING A TOUGH CLASS SCHEDULE EASY AS 1, 2, 3 ... 4, 5, 6

1 2 3

LEARN HOW TO LEARN Study efficiently 25-35 hours per week

STUDY BUDDIES

Find a study buddy and motivate each other

START EARLY

Get a tutor at the beginning of the quarter

4 5 6

HAVE A PLAN

Take neat notes | Organize everything

PRIORITIZE ACTIVITIES Don’t overload with extracurricular activities

TAKE CARE

Eat healthily | Exercise | Sleep eight hours each night

GRAPHIC BY LAUREN WALLACK | MUSTANG NEWS

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK @ MUSTANG NEWS

ARTS | 24

Monday, September 22, 2014

ASI’s upcoming events Will Peischel @CPMustangArts Fall quarter is just beginning at Cal Poly, but the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) staff has been hard at work all summer, planning and booking events for the university. ASI provides entertainment to students —for a subsidized cost or without charge — ­ and has the bar set high this year.

The organization thinks the 2014-15 school year will be its most ambitious yet, with

plans to host at least one event per week. In addition to two new student outreach positions, ASI hopes to expand the number and scope of concerts on campus.

Haley Brown, a graphic communication senior, holds a student outreach position that has only existed for a few months.

“Through my position, we’ll be able to reach out to more students and make them aware of what’s going on,” she said. “It’s hard when the whole staff is trying to produce these events. Now, we’re trying to reach as many

students as possible.”

ASI has already started to act in accordance with its new dogma. A short survey is available to gauge which events the student body wants most. The questionnaire covers topics from movie genres to potential speakers to possible oncampus concert locations.

In addition, ASI has a range of new activities that haven’t been available in past years, such as roller disco.

“Right now, we’re just filling out our fall calendar,” Brown said. “In terms of special events, we have

some really cool things we haven’t planned in the past.

We’re going to have a latenight event very early in the quarter: roller disco. There’ll be a roller rink in the UU Plaza and a DJ. We also have something new in the end of November called ‘Create and Correct.’ We’re working on partnering with student organizations on campus to have an art gallery in the downstairs UU featuring Cal Poly artists.”

However, some things aren’t broken and don’t need to be fixed, she said.

“We’re going to continue

Concerts in the Plaza, because I think that’s a staple here at Poly,” Brown said.

ASI does plan on expanding available concerts, though.

Last year, Cal Poly hosted one large concert on campus. This year, ASI plans to hold three. The weight of planning the concert this year falls on business administration senior Parker Glenn, who is responsible for booking shows and contacting agents. With that comes negotiating several moving parts.

“There are so many variables,” Glenn said. “The first

is the availability of the artist. The venue has to be open.

The money and music has to be right for both parties.

It’s a tug-of-war amongst all those things. There are hundreds of acts Cal Poly would enjoy. It’s about finding what acts at the moment in time are going to best achieve all of those facets.”

The work of planning rapidfire events that require such logistics is no easy task. However, it’s not thankless — at least not according to Brown.

“It’s great seeing how grateful students are,” she said.

“It’s the best feeling.”

SHOWS TO CHECK OUT AT VINA ROBLES AMPHITHEATRE SEPTEMBER 24 | Modest Mouse with special guest Mimicking Birds SEPTEMBER 27 | Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, co-founders of the

Beach Boys SEPTEMBER 30 | An Evening with Crosby, Stills and Nash OCTOBER 10 | Ray LaMontagne with special guest The Belle Brigade

FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NEWS

SPORTS | 26

Monday, September 22, 2014

Meet Cal Poly’s fall coaches Nick Larson

@CPMustangSports

Cal Poly fall sports are a showcase of talent and excitement, whether it’s on the court, the field or the pitch. The players may play the game, but the coaches control it. However, they don’t get the attention or glory and can even walk across campus unnoticed. Until now.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

RAY AMBLER | CAL POLY ATHLETICS DAKOTA GREENWICH | MUSTANG NEWS

Alex Crozier is the only coach the Cal Poly women’s soccer program has ever known. He’s led the Mustangs since 1992, when they began intercollegiate play. After 23 years, the program is in excellent shape.

Boasting a 256-142-41 career record, Crozier has been named the Big West Conference Coach of the Year four times. In addition, he has the most victories (92) in conference history.

Crozier led his squad to a 7-1-0 conference record last season and a Big West Conference title, the program’s eighth. The Mustangs were both efficient and entertaining. Their triumphant success last year was largely because of sophomore forward Elise Krieghoff — the nation’s lead scorer on a per-match basis — who netted 21 of last year’s 33 goals. Additionally, the Mustangs shut out their opponents seven times.

Thanks to its Big West Conference title last season, Cal Poly will be hosting the Big West Conference Tournament in November.

MEN’S SOCCER In a crazy turn of events, the reins of the Cal Poly men’s soccer program were turned over just weeks before the start of the season to former assistant coach Phil Ruskin.

Paul Holocher resigned on Aug. 11, two days before the men’s team was set to begin practices. Second-year assistant Ruskin was immediately named interim head coach, his first head coaching job.

Ruskin was a four-year letterwinner at Elmhurst College, a Division III school in Illinois. He held multiple assistant coaching positions at Valparaiso and Stony Brook before coming to Cal Poly in 2013.

Ruskin plans on keeping much of the same philosophy and style that Holocher implemented in his eight seasons at the helm.

Monday, September 22, 2014

SPORTS | 27

FOOTBALL

DAKOTA GREENWICH | MUSTANG NEWS

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Sam Crosson begins his third season in charge of the Cal Poly women’s volleyball program this fall.

The former California assistant is credited with the design of new offensive and defensive schemes, which led the Golden Bears to a program-high 30 wins in 2010, along with 26 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2011.

Crosson was a star athlete at Pacific from 1994 to 1997. He finished his collegiate career in the top 10 in multiple offensive categories and was his team’s Most Valuable Player in his senior campaign.

In addition, he earned his bachelor’s degree in sports sciences while working as an assistant at his alma mater in 2005.

After taking over a program ready to be rebuilt, Crosson’s first season was forgettable at best. A 4-26 record in 2012 was majorly improved upon in the 2013 season, which saw the Mustangs triple their victories. The 12-17 record, while not stellar, is an improvement and likely a show of better things to come. In the summer of 2014, Crosson and his staff compiled the nation’s 23rd-best recruiting class, according to PrepVolleyball.com.

COURTESY PHOTO | CAL POLY ATHLETICS

Tim Walsh assumed the Cal Poly football head coaching gig in 2009. The UC Riverside alumnus has accumulated 23 seasons as a head coach in college football, with four seasons at Sonoma State, 14 at Portland State and now five at Cal Poly.

Entering his sixth season with the Mustangs, Walsh boasts a 32-25 record. Since Cal Poly joined the Big Sky Conference two years ago, they are 12-4 in conference play despite a 6-6 overall record in 2013.

Walsh has brought a new look to Cal Poly’s offense by introducing a triple-option scheme. The run-heavy attack has terrorized defenses, which led to the Mustangs having the No. 1 rush offense in the Football Championship Subdivision last year, as well as ranking No. 2 in sacks allowed.

The Cal Poly football team takes on Northern Arizona on Sept. 27.

SPORTS | 28

Monday, September 22, 2014

One and don Rafael Salinas Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and Ariel Lassiter all have one thing in common: They were “oneand-done” college athletes.

The “one-and-done” college player ­— an athlete who spends one year in school and then departs for the pros — is becoming more and more common.

Lassiter spent his freshman year at Cal Poly as the starting forward on a soccer team that scored a school-record 43 goals last season.

In “one-and-done” fashion, Lassiter has elected to leave Cal Poly and sign with second-division Swedish pro soccer team GAIS. “I feel blessed for the opportunity,” Lassiter said. “This is the next step in what I hope is a great soccer career.”

Lassiter spent the summer playing soccer in Sweden. Despite offers from Swedish Division I teams, he said he felt a second-division team such as GAIS would give him the opportunity to play the most and grow as a player.

“Like Poly, this team emphasizes positioning, but we’re more free with the ball,” Lassiter said.

“The coach is demanding on both offense and defense. The difference now is that everyone is a pro, and that’s what gives me the best opportunity to grow.”

His father, Roy Lassiter, was a successful professional soccer player. He played in 30 games with the U.S. men’s national team and had a successful career in Major League Soccer (MLS). Adding to the athletic pedigree, Ariel’s grandfather, Roy Lassiter Sr., played for the Washington Redskins.

“My dad has told me he’s proud of me and he knows I will always be successful,” Lassiter said.

Lassiter looks back at his career at Cal Poly as an important step in his development and integral to his career.

“There was a test of physicality in the transition from

@CPMustangSports

club to college,” Lassiter said. “(Former head coach) Paul (Holocher) really helped me develop.”

Even before his time at Cal Poly, it was clear Lassiter had special talent. He spent time with European developmental squads for major clubs such as West Bromwich Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon. He also had experience with the U-23 United States and Costa Rican men’s national teams.

In high school, Lassiter received the U-17 Golden Ball Award, given to the most outstanding player at the United States Youth Soccer National Championships.

Lassiter was born in Costa Rica and moved to the United States at age 3. Soccer permitted him to experience a variety of cultures and playing styles, which he said contributed to his development as a player.

“In Portugal, every player was so talented,” Lassiter said. “They knew all their strengths and weaknesses. But beyond that, there was so much passion in the stands.

They are raised with soccer. It’s part of life in Portugal.

A lot of times, it’s soccer first, then school.”

Lassiter’s goal for the year is simple: to create a name for himself. At age 19, he has an early start to his professional career. He wants to make an impact and develop into a forward-thinking player with great flair.

He said he hopes to resemble great names such as Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo — players he described as always “going forward and having fun on the pitch.”

Beyond soccer, Lassiter is an example of the athletes Cal Poly attracts. While a 19-year-old playing professional soccer in Europe is not necessarily typical, last year’s soccer team sent two players into the MLS draft and six Cal Poly baseball players into the Major League Baseball draft.

This past year was likely one of the most successful athletic years in Cal Poly history. Men’s basketball not only made the NCAA Tournament, but also won its first game at the Big Dance. Baseball enjoyed its first-ever No. 1 regular season ranking.

Cal Poly’s success should generate more elite athletic talent such as Lassiter. Nonetheless, Lassiter now stands as an example of what a “one-and-done” athletic career at Cal Poly can produce.

SPORTS | 29

Monday, September 22, 2014

ne: Ariel Lassiter

ALL PHOTOS BY IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NEWS

SWEDEN BOUND | Ariel Lassiter has elected to leave Cal Poly and sign with second-division Swedish pro soccer team GAIS. “This is the next step in what I hope is a great soccer career,” he said.

FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NEWS

SPORTS | 30

Monday, September 22, 2014

BIG GAMES to look forward to this year

FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NEWS

GOLDEN HORSESHOE | Cal Poly secured the trophy in last year’s Battle of the Golden Horseshoe, an annual matchup between the Mustangs and UC Davis. The 2014 installment kicks off on Nov. 15.

Erik Chu @CPMustangSports Mid-September in San Luis Obispo may mark the dreaded beginning of classes, but it also marks the start of athletic events Cal Poly students simply cannot miss.

The Cal Poly football team kicked off its home schedule at the Alex G. Spanos Stadium, where it met Portland State on Sept. 20. Another key game will be the Mustangs’ face-off with Montana on Oct. 25, during Parent and Family Weekend.

Both the Vikings and Grizzlies are expected to be in the top tier of the Big Sky Conference, making these games pivotal in determining whether the Mustangs will qualify for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Cal Poly also received a favorable schedule by

avoiding Big Sky Conference’s favorite and preseason top-ranked team, Eastern Washington. This factor helped the Mustangs earn Top 25 rankings in a pair of preseason NCAA Division I FCS polls.

The Cal Poly women’s volleyball team also has high expectations — the team looks to continue its upward trend of improvements each season.

It finished with a 12-17 overall record and a 6-10 conference record, tying for fifth in the Big West Conference.

Coming off the 23rd nationally ranked recruiting class, the Mustangs will feature nine talented freshmen, balanced by five returning letterwinners, including All-Big West Honorable Mention middle blocker Taylor Gruenewald.

Head coach Sam Crosson has steadily resurrected the volleyball program at Cal Poly and plans to lead the Mustangs toward an exciting upcoming season, he said.

“The goals for our team are always the same:

to improve on a daily basis and to win the Big West Conference championship,” Crosson said in an email to Mustang News. “We will be implementing a very fast offense this year, something that will certainly be attractive for our fanbase and supporters, as our style will be fun to watch. Overall, it is the start of a new chapter for Cal Poly volleyball, and we couldn’t be more excited to get into the gym with this great group of student-athletes to start working toward accomplishing our goals this year.”

Key matches for the Mustangs include Santa Clara on Sept. 20 and the conference opener against rival UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 27.

The Cal Poly men’s soccer team will be looking to improve from last season’s finish of 109-2 overall and 3-5-2 in the conference, which placed third in the North Division.

This year’s team will be young, featuring only one senior. However, the Mustangs have an influx of talent at a number of positions, anchored by junior goalkeeper Wade Hamilton and sophomore forward Justin Dhillon.

The Mustangs feature an offensive style of play, but the team will look to solidify its defense through the leadership of junior outside back Kip Colvey and freshman defender Kody Wakasa.

In addition, the Mustangs have a favorable schedule — they play eight of nine games at home, including opening the Big West schedule against 2013 South Division champion UC Irvine on Oct. 2.

The Mustangs dominate at home, where Cal

Poly holds a 42-15-10 record at Spanos Stadium since the venue opened in 2007, giving the team a huge advantage.

On the other hand, the women’s soccer team will look to repeat as Big West regular-season champions, hoping to duplicate last year’s dominating 7-1 in-conference record.

This year, they certainly have the personnel to achieve their goal. Junior Elise Krieghoff comes off of a historic 2013 campaign, in which her 21 goals finished as the nation’s leading goal scorer on a per-match basis (1.105) and ranked third all time in Big West history.

Paired up top with Krieghoff is sophomore forward Megan Abutin. She is coming off of a fantastic freshman year with selections to the All-Big West Conference Second Team and the All-Freshman Team.

Head coach Alex Crozier is entering his 23rd year in leading the Cal Poly women’s soccer program. He plans to guide the Mustangs to another successful season. However, the Mustangs have a challenging road ahead of them — they have matches on the road against both UC Irvine and UC Riverside, two of the top teams in the league.

“Every game in conference is going to be huge,” Crozier said. “Since we won the regular season championship last year, we are going to be hosting the postseason tournament. We hope to capitalize on this opportunity and advance into the NCAA Tournament.”

SPORTS | 31

Monday, September 22, 2014

FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NEWS

ATTACK | The Cal Poly men’s soccer team takes on UC Irvine in the Big West Conference opener on Oct. 2. The Mustangs will look to sophomore forward Justin Dhillon (above) to spark their offense.

FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NEWS

FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NEWS

SOPHOMORE SURGE | Forward Megan Abutin was an All-Big West Freshman Team selection in 2013.

SPIKE! | The Cal Poly volleyball team takes on rival UC Santa Barabara on Saturday, Sept. 27.