Mustang News June 4, 2019

C A L P O LY S A N LU I S O B I S P O ’ S N E W S S O U R C E

MUSTANG NEWS

THE MOST

DIVERSE

INCOMING CLASS WITH A 26 PERCENT ACCEPTANCE RATE, 45 PERCENT ARE MINORITY STUDENTS

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JUNE 4, 2019

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MUS TA NGNE WS.NET

Austin Linthicum

President & Editor in Chief Quinn Fish Print Managing Editor

Lauren Arendt Social Media Managing Editor

Rachel Marquardt Digital Director & PR Manager

Rachel Showalter Video Managing Editor

NEWS Cassandra Garibay Editor Ashley Ladin Emily Quesada Isabella Paoletto Hailey Nagma Lauren Kozicki Lauryn Luescher Maureen McNamara Roselyn Romero Sabrina Pascua Samantha Spitz Aidan McGloin

V I D EO Connor McCarthy Chief Anchor Justin Garrido Video Editor Sawyer Milam Sports Video Director Reid Fuhr Sports Video Producer Sydney Brandt Video Producer Kallyn Hobmann Kayla Berenson Jared Smith Emi Powers Intern Lily Dallow Intern

ARTS Emily Merten Editor Sabrina Thompson Michael Barros Caitlin Scott Grant Anderson Kiana Meagher Sydney Sherman OPINION Olivia Peluso Editor Hanah Wyman Abdullah Sulaiman Yervant Malkhassian Lilly Leif Jaxon Silva SPORTS Brian Truong Editor Francisco Martinez Sophia Crolla Garrett Brown Kylie Smith Sydney Finkel Naythan Bryant Prerna Aneja Kyle Har PHOTO Zachary Donnenfield Editor Carolyne Sysmans Kylie Kowalske Alison Chavez Diego Rivera Connor Frost Kyle Calzia Sofia Clark Luke Deal

COPY Amanda Simonich Copy Chief Kelly Martinez Jarod Urrutia D ES I GN Calista Lam Director Michelle Cao Solena Aguilar Julia Jackson-Clark D I V ERS I TY Monique Ejenuko Editor SOCIAL Hanna Crowley Kelsey Luvisa Danielle Lee Candace Lee Kelsey Parmenter PR Alyssa Wilson Dominique Morales Kaitlyn Hoyer Mikaela Lincoln Tess Loarie Intern Christina Arthur Intern S PEC I A L S ECT I O N S Isabel Hughes Editor Ava Fry Sophia Lincoln Lauren Walike Samuel Serra A DV ERT I S I NG DE S IG N Keilani Waxdeck Lauren Marshall Steven Nguyen Von Balanon Kendra Oliver

Bianka Pantoja Advertising Manager

Shea Irwin Advertising Design Manager

BJ Drye Advertising Manager

Jasen Journeycake Distribution Manager

Kylie Goldfarb Advertising Manager

IN THIS ISSUE

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

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A I DA N MCGLOI N | MUSTA N G N EWS

Through salaries, student employee fees, supplies and services, the university spends more than $500,000 on Spring Commencement.

COMMENCEMENT EXPENSES ADD UP HOW MUCH DOES CAL POLY SPEND ON GRADUATION?

BY KAYLA B E RE N S O N Cal Poly students, staff, faculty and supporters will gather in less than two weeks to celebrate the 2019 Spring Commencement ceremony. Beyond the commencement ceremony, celebrations include graduation dinners, hotel accommodations and senior photos. The monumental occasion of graduating college comes with a price tag for both the university and its students.

According to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier, Cal Poly spends about $530,000 per year on commencement ceremonies. This includes staff pay, student assistants, supplies and related services.

The costs are covered by the $95 student commencement fee, Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News.

The commencement fee is a one-time mandatory fee posted to all Cal Poly students’ accounts once their expected academic progress has reached 75 percent or higher, according to Cal Poly’s commencement website. The fee is charged regardless of whether or not a student decides to participate in commencement.

Lazier also wrote the costs are broken down into three categories: $156,000 for

Salary and Benefits, $60,000 for Student Employees and $314,000 for Supplies and Services.

In addition to paying for the ceremony’s staff and supplies, the Commencement Office also pays for a keynote speaker. This year’s keynote speaker is Paul Wesselmann, also known as “The Ripples Guy,” who has spoken to every class of Cal Poly freshmen during Week of Welcome (WOW) since 2006.

Lazier wrote that the office generally does not budget for commencement keynote speaker fees and sometimes offers an honorarium to keynote speakers. Wesselmann, however, will receive $10,000 for his speech.

The $95 commencement fee is not the only expense for students and families when it comes to graduation. Regalia can cost around $88 for a cap, gown and sash, all necessary if a student wishes to participate in the ceremony.

Additionally, hotels in San Luis Obispo and the surrounding areas often fill up long before the event and can be expensive. Cal Poly SLO Mustang Parents Facebook page admin Traci Holmes Libby said hotel prices increase on major weekends like Mustang Family Weekend and move-in weekend and that the prices are highest for graduation weekend.

“Hotels that normally go for $150 a night will average around $300 to $400 a night for Friday through Sunday,” Libby said. “Many hotels in [San Luis Obispo] will double their prices for commencement weekend and will also require three-night minimums with non-refundable payment in full up-front.”

Some families, especially those with a lot of guests, avoid the battle of finding a reasonable hotel to accommodate a large group and instead rent houses for the weekend — but this too can be expensive.

Computer engineering senior Sydney Mendoza said she has 16 family members coming to celebrate her graduation.

“They had to rent a big house for everyone to stay in and get food for everyone,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza said her family has spent a few thousand dollars on graduation but that they are coming up with solutions to cut costs. Instead of going out to dinner after the ceremony, she said they are going to have a graduation brunch at the house they are renting. Additionally, Mendoza had a friend take her senior photos instead of paying a professional photographer.

“They know it’s a really big accomplishment, so they are willing to make a big celebration about it all,” Mendoza said.

COVER

COUNTY IS 150 BEDS SHORT TO TREAT MENTAL ILLNESS

BUSINESS SCHOOL LOOKS TO RENOVATE

PROSTHETICS FOR BOY WHO LOST FINGERS IN FIERY CRASH

THE TITANIUM WOMAN: KATIE IZZO

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THE MOST DIVERSE INCOMING CLASS J U L I A J AC KSO N - C LA RK

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SAY GOODBYE TO POLYLEARN CAL POLY TO GET CANVAS LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

BY A LI E PPL E Cal Poly is adopting a new learning management system (LMS) that will leave PolyLearn behind by Fall 2020.

According to the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology’s (CTLT) website, the university will adopt Canvas and get rid of Moodle, the previous LMS, which powered Polylearn.

According to instructional designer

at CTLT Tonia Malone, the university currently hosts the Moodle system on campus servers with limited storage space. Canvas is a cloud-based software, which means students and faculty will be able to access resources from previous classes. Students are unable to do this with Moodle because the university has to re-purpose space after every couple of quarters and delete content.

Malone said there is already a lot of

familiarity of Canvas among Cal Poly faculty and that many gladly welcome the change.

“There are some who are resistant, and I understand why,” Malone said.

“One of the benefits of Canvas is it’s a very-user friendly tool. Unfortunately, when you create a very user-friendly tool, it means that some of the functionality might be missing because it’s so user-friendly that you can’t do certain things.”

FREMONT HALL TO REMAIN CLOSED NEXT YEAR A WET WINTER AGGRAVATED THE WINTER 2017 MUDSLIDE AREA

BY S E RE N A LO PE Z

A NDRE W E PPE RSO N | M USTANG NEW S

A Winter 2017 mudslide forced the evacuation of the residence hall on Feb. 18, 2017, which has not been occupied since.

Due to the rainy season this year, Fremont Hall will remain closed while the university evaluates long-term repairs, according to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier. The hall was evacuated and closed in February 2017 as a result of a mudslide after heavy rainfall.

The re-opening of the hall was scheduled for Fall 2018, but was pushed back because additional work is needed to prepare for occupancy.

“As a result of this year’s wet winter and spring, the hillside area behind the residence hall developed surface cracking and slow movement of soil in the same general

area where it occurred in 2017,” Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News.

Hillside movement is continuously monitored by Campus Operations staff. Remedial action, including fencing and sand bags, has been taken to protect the building and minimize damage when there is movement, Lazier said.

While the university continues to evaluate a resolution to make the hall safe and habitable again, Fremont Hall will remain closed and fenced off.

Students in 2017 were dispersed throughout different available on-campus housing and were forced to evacuate within hours.

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E-SCOOTER FINES PROPOSED

BY AR IA N A AFS H A R As the City of San Luis Obispo prolongs the adoption of e-scooters, Cal Poly is proposing steps to make it more difficult for companies like Bird or Lime to drop a fleet of scooters on campus.

A proposal by Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) included a $75 fee for scooters left by companies on campus.

Electric scooters are treated the same way as skateboards and have been banned from campus “since they began appearing,” University Spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News. This proposed policy is aimed at stopping companies from bring their products to campus, not students from riding them.

Many campuses have experienced “rogue drops” by companies that have left behind hundreds of e-scooters at a time. In an effort to minimize the possibility of this happening, Cal Poly aims to direct this fee toward companies to charge them for necessary clean-up and storage.

Lazier cited public safety as the main reason for banning scooters.

Due to the walkways and crosswalks becoming very congested between classes, fast-moving devices can create a safety hazard.

Not everyone agrees with the ban.

“As an e-scooter owner, I think they’re not much different from bicycles,” city and regional planning graduate student Mark Pasanen said.

“They’re also equipped with breaks that work pretty well too.”

Pasanen said University Police (UPD) has stopped him for using a manual scooter, but that he has not been cited.

“I think e-scooters should be allowed,” construction management freshman Courtney Martin said. “If bikes are allowed, then why not? I don’t see a problem with it.”

San Jose State University also banned e-scooters and similarly cited collisions and falls as one of the main reasons for their ban.

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

CONNOR FROST | MUSTANG NEW S

In Spring 2020, PolyLearn and Canvas will both be offered. The university will be fully converted to Canvas by Fall 2020.

Despite this, Malone said she believes almost all campus faculty have a Moodle course that would easily work in Canvas with the tools Canvas provides.

The driving force behind the change was the interest in Canvas’ cloud-based feature that will allow Cal Poly to not host its own servers — which are very old — on campus, according to Malone. The university faced the decision to buy all new servers or change to a different system.

In Spring 2020, Moodle and Canvas will both be offered, allowing faculty to choose between the two. By Fall 2020, only Canvas will be offered.

Malone said she anticipates students to transition easily due to the intuitive user-interface.

Computer science junior Camron Dennler is the chairperson for the Student Campus Computing Committee, a student group within the Cal Poly Information Technology Services (ITS) Department, and served as a representative of the Cal Poly student body in discussions about the transition to Canvas.

“Our current PolyLearn system has been in use since 2011, and even with updates and maintenance, it lacks some features that are available on a newer LMS like Canvas,” Dennler said. “Canvas provides a crisp, responsive and attractive LMS experience that Cal Poly students will find very usable.”

According to the CTLT website, Canvas will also offer students a mobile app, a more learning-centered approach, clean design, improved content management tools and a synchronized calendar aligned with the syllabus and course modules.

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

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KY LI E KOWA LS K E | MUSTA N G N EWS

The San Luis Obispo Psychiatric Health Facility only has 16 beds and two round-the-clock employees.

COUNTY IS 150 BEDS SHORT TO TREAT MENTAL HEALTH CRISES

BY SY DNE Y BRAN DT In San Luis Obispo County, there are more than 280,000 residents dealing with a mental illness. Yet, there are only 16 hospital beds for those who have a serious crisis, according to San Luis Obispo Behavioral Health Supervisor Brian Atwell.

One in five people will be affected by mental health in their lifetime, according to National Alliance of Mental Illness.

San Luis Obispo is about 150 beds short of the adequate treatment options locally, meaning people must transfer out of the county to the nearest bed.

“I don’t think our crisis services are adequate enough,” Atwell said.

“We have two people countywide 24/7 to respond from Nipomo to San Miguel and there may be times where we have eight crisis contacts

throughout the county, and two people really just isn’t enough.”

Atwell works directly with patients at the Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF), an inpatient psychiatric unit at the San Luis Obispo Health Agency under the Behavioral Health Department. The Health Agency has other departments, including behavioral health, which consists of mental health, drug and alcohol services, public health and animal services.

The PHF is the receiving facility for all 5150s in San Luis Obispo County. In California, a “5150” is the code used to describe a temporary, involuntary psychiatric commitment of individuals who present a danger to themselves or others due to signs of mental illness.

“What that 5150 application is doing is saying, ‘We’re going to put you in a locked facility and take your rights away for 72 hours, and

SY DNE Y BRANDT | MUSTANG NEW S

PHF also houses the Office of the Guardian, a facility mandated by the courts to be the legal guardian of people who cannot take care of themselves.

we’re going to help you stabilize,’” San Luis Obispo Police Department and Transitions-Mental Health Association (THMA) social worker John Klevins said.

The PHF is the designated facility for the Office of the Public Guardian, which is appointed by local courts to be the guardian for individuals who are unable to care for themselves due to a mental disorder.

However, they are limited in size to only 16 beds, due to their licensing mandate under the Department of Health Care Services. In order to expand, they would need a full working kitchen and personnel.

Additionally, the PHF’s mandate is geared toward individuals with free or low-cost Medi-Cal insurance only or no health insurance whatsoever.

“People with private insurance, their insurance is actually mandated to find them a suitable mental health treatment facility, and unfortunately in our county, there are zero,” Atwell said. “We have none.”

The closest inpatient mental health facility for individuals with private insurance is Vista del Mar in Bakersfield. Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is closer but will not accept 5150s unless a patient has insurance and is willing to go voluntarily, without being on a 72-hour hold. Other facilities for 5150s for patients with insurance include Good Samaritan in Bakersfield as well as facilities in Salinas and San Jose. PHF will transfer people as

far as Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Sacramento, Roseville, San Diego, Newport Beach and Los Angeles.

The PHF is not a medical facility as they do not have medical doctors and staff in-house 24-7.

The facility avoids admitting minors because the medical team only sees all the patients once a day. Patients are essentially losing a day of treatment. It is best for them to be seen at an actual medical facility to do a medical screening and assessment, according to Atwell.

Ultimately, for mental health crises, it is the doctor or psychiatrist whose name is put on the 5150 who has the ability to make decisions, whether that is rescinding a hold or discharging patients.

Aside from law enforcement, Anne Robin is the only person in the county who can designate people to write 5150s. She has designated county staff, county partners and law enforcement. Doctors from outside hospitals would need to call for evaluation by the Medical Health Evaluation Team (MHET).

Although Cal Poly Health Services does not have the facilities to accept 5150s, some students say the Health Center is a good first step.

At Cal Poly, scheduling an appointment, let alone having a walkin appointment with Counseling Services at the Health Center, can take up to three weeks.

“When you feel anxiety, you feel it in that moment and you kind of need to talk to somebody in

that moment,” construction management junior Kian Kemp said.

“Talking to [a therapist] three weeks [later] about how you felt about that moment I don’t really see as too productive.”

Cal Poly only provides three free private sessions for mental health or group workshops before referring a student to outside resources.

“The stigma is just so surrounded by the fact that it’s such a hard topic to talk about, no one wants to really admit that they struggle to get out of bed in the morning or that things are hard,” history junior Mckenzie Leeds said.

Active Minds is a club on campus geared toward mental health awareness. Leeds is co-president of the club, which operates on campus, teaming up with Campus Health and Wellbeing and Associated Students, Inc. (ASI). It is also a national organization and raises awareness off-campus, working with NAMI and THMA. “I’m passionate about mental health because I’ve definitely experience my own mental health concerns and then I have seen how it affects so many people in my life that I’ve just decided that I never want someone to feel like they’re alone,” Leeds said.

According to the San Luis Obispo Police Department’s (SLOPD) annual crime report, San Luis Obispo saw a 31 percent decrease in the number of mental health services calls and a 7 percent decrease in the number of patients transported in 2018.

SLOPD has also trained 100 percent of the staff in mental health intervention to have more tools and better communication with people in crisis.

“There is a position such as mine that is putting a police officer and social worker together,” Klevins said. “Think about that 20 years ago, would you have ever thought that a social worker would be part of the police force?”

At the campus level, Cal Poly hired three early intervention specialists this year in hopes to preemptively help students before mental health issues develop, according to a previous Mustang News interview with Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Health and Wellbeing Tina Hadaway-Mellis.

“There are really great people in a lot of positions in this town, both at the county [and] at the state level,” Klevins said. “We’ve got folks at the city level. There’s a lot of attention to this … we’ve got a system, a good system in place. Could it be better?

Yes, it can always be made better.”

For students who need to speak to someone right away, Cal Poly offers a 24-hour hotline at (805) 783-0607.

Minority Student Admissions 62.3 60.0

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The college opted for a $10 million, two-story addition to the Business Building.

BUSINESS SCHOOL LOOKS TO RENOVATE

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NEW DESIGN FEATURES COFFEE KIOSK, STUDY AREAS & ANALYTICS AGENCY

BY S A M S PITZ Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business (OCOB) is creating a new addition to the current Business Building (building 3). The new two-story addition will occupy the current outdoor courtyard area.

This new 6,000 square-foot building will consist of two floors, each equipped with more study rooms, quiet study labs, group rooms, lounge space, an analytics agency area and a coffee kiosk. The bottom floor will still have an outdoor area in the courtyard and the second level includes an outdoor deck.

“It’s a bit of a bummer to see the palm trees and grass area go, because I know everyone loves that, but I think it’ll be nice to have food and coffee and a place to study,” business administration junior John Castle said.

According to OCOB Dean Scott Dawson, discussion about renovations started back in 2015. The original plan was to remodel the entire building, but it was going to be a $30 million renovation. Instead, they came up with the idea of a smaller add-on that will cost about $10 million.

“Our current building lacks what

people call ‘stickiness,’” Dawson said. “When students are done with class, they basically have no place to hang out.”

The business lab inside the Business Building was recently remodeled to offer another space for students to study between classes.

“The business lab is a good place to hang out, but I don’t think it’s big enough,” Dawson said. “There’s always a war for places to study and do group work.”

According to Dawson, the main goal of the project is to provide students with even more space to meet for group projects, study and relax.

“The idea is to make it so you’re stuck to the building,” business administration senior Taylor Allen said. “There’s no reason for you to leave. You have your food, you have your study space, your classes and your teachers.”

Architect firm AC Martin has finalized the design plans for the new addition, and the college is now in the fundraising stages.

They have raised about $1.6 million out of the total $10 million project cost. Dawson said he hopes to have the fundraising done in two years.

“We need to be better, not the same,” Dawson said.

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2015

2016

2017

Applied

BY LAU RE N KOZ I C KI A total of 16,910 undergraduate students (freshmen and new transfers) were accepted to Cal Poly for Fall 2019 and a preliminary number of 5,769 — 908 transfers and 4,861 first-time freshmen — committed to enroll.

According to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier, all of the numbers included are “current but do not reflect the final official Fall 2019 enrollment.”

Lazier said the numbers are subject to change throughout the summer.

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percent of newly enrolled students are minority students

This new building will house more study rooms, quiet study labs, group rooms, lounge space, an analytics agency area and a coffee kiosk.

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Of the incoming students, 50.4 percent enrolled are men and 49.5 percent are women. For the first time, Cal Poly also included gender non-binary in their admissions trends data. There were 30 non-binary students who applied to Cal Poly. Ten were accepted

Selected

2018

2019

Enrolled

and two enrolled, both as firsttime freshmen.

Of the 65,182 applications, 40,259 of those applications were by minorities, that includes undocumented students, Hispanic/Latino, African American, Asian American, Native American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and Multi-Racial. A total of 9,276 were admitted, and 2,609 enrolled in Cal Poly for Fall 2019. To compare, 24,923 non-minorities (white and other/unknown ethnicities) applied, 7,634 were accepted, and 3,160 enrolled.

What was labeled as “white” on the admissions trends data provided by Lazier received 23,284 applications — 8,045 were accepted and 2,997 enrolled (52.0 percent). Others/Unknown received 1,639 applications-454 were accepted and 163 enrolled (2.8 percent).

The lowest underrepresented minority Cal Poly has seen over the years since 2008 is Native Americans. With just four students enrolled this year, it is the lowest Cal Poly has seen. In 2008, 34 Native American students were enrolled.

This data is preliminary and subject to change. The numbers will be finalized in October 2019.

Class of 2023 Minorities Hispanic/Latino 16,755 applied 3,227 accepted 1,117 enrolled Asian American 15,495 applied 3,822 accepted 803 enrolled Multi-Racial 4,543 applied 1,254 accepted 439 enrolled “Non-resident Alien” 2,046 applied 610 accepted 181 enrolled African American 1,176 applied 190 accepted 47 enrolled Native American 90 applied 19 accepted 4 enrolled Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 154 applied 66 accepted 18 enrolled

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

INCOMING CLASS IS MOST DIVERSE TO DATE

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TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

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MOUNTAIN LION EXPERT TELLS TALES OF THE PUMA

G RA NT A NDERS ON | MUSTANG NEW S

A stuffed mountain lion greeted attendees at a talk with biologist Jim Williams.

BY GRANT AN DERSON The face of a stuffed mountain lion greeted guests upon entering the lobby of Ludwick Community Center for a talk about mountain lions, which have been spotted all over the San Luis Obispo community in past years — including on campus.

Wildlife biologist Jim Williams said he believes conflicts come far and few with the feline animal.

Over the years, he has had many up-close encounters with the cat, and his recent book, “Path of the Puma: The Remarkable Resilience of the Mountain Lion,” chronicles the globe-trotting adventures that

have taken him into the very heart of mountain lion territory.

Hosted by Los Padres Forest Watch and Patagonia Books, Williams signed book copies and talked about his life and career in a multimedia presentation on the evening of May 7.

With a flash, Williams appeared up on the screen holding a mountain lion’s tail as it lay trapped in-between two trees. Although much of his career today revolves around tracking down and ensuring the conservation of mountain lions, Williams’s interests did not always strike land — in fact, much of his earlier career was focused on the world under the sea.

Raised in Southern California, Williams attended San Diego State University and earned a degree in marine biology. He spent time working as a dolphin trainer for SeaWorld before heading to Montana to work in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

From there, Williams’ primarily focused on protecting mountain lion populations in the state and in countries like Chile and Argen-

AL IS ON C HAVEZ | MUSTANG NEW S

The annual obstacle course raises money and awareness for Aware, Awake Alive.

STUDENTS TAKE ON OBSTACLES AT MUSTANG MILE TO REMEMBER CARSON STARKEY

BY S AB RINA THOMPSON Students, faculty and staff gathered on Doerr Field and the Mott Track surrounded by inflatable jungle gyms and athletic obstacles as part of the eighth annual Mustang Mile on May 30.

Mustang Mile is an event honoring Carson Starkey, who died of acute alcohol poisoning after a fraternity hazing event at Cal Poly in 2008.

The event is an obstacle course aiming to educate the community

about the dangers of drinking and the resources available to them.

Mustang Mile began eight years ago. After Starkey’s parents donated to the campus and helped start Aware, Awake, Alive (AAA), the event served as a fundraiser and way to honor Starkey’s memory.

The Starkey family said they wanted to create an event that would help educate people while still celebrating the community — thus Mustang Mile came to be. Originally a 5k walk, it has since changed to

a team-based obstacle course with a resource fair and barbecue for more fun and interactivity, according to Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) Recreational Sports Director Greg Avakian.

“We felt like once you were running we were just waiting for people to come back,” Avakian said.

“With the track and Doerr field we can keep it in one space logistically.”

From 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., every five minutes, four-person teams

tina. Williams said he remembers coming to speak with Argentinian gauchos, who initially felt skeptical about the intentions of a man coming from Montana to talk about conserving the mountain lions around their ranches.

“Generations of gauchos have killed many mountain lions,” Williams said. “California is different.

You have a citizenry to protect them.”

Despite differences, Williams was still able to befriend the gauchos and was invited back to their ranches. He also helped upgrade their fence lines, which had previously been too low a hurdle for the high-jumping prowess of the pumas.

Williams said that even when the land is effectively demarcated, the mountain lions will continue to play a role in ranch life, albeit a subtler one behind the shadows.

They are stock ambush predators, which means they keep a strong watch on their prey, often remaining completely motionless while they do so.

While most mountain lions dis-

tance themselves from humans, in the event of a conflict, Williams advises covering the back of your neck, as pumas instinctually go for the trachea while pouncing.

Conservation director for Los Padres Forest Watch Bryant Baker had some additional tips for what to do in a close or potentially dangerous mountain lion encounter.

“You want to back away slowly, and you don’t want to turn and run,” Baker said. “You don’t want to turn your back to it. If you’re looking at it, and you’re maintaining eye contact, that can be a sign of aggression ... blink slowly.”

Still, Baker said emergencies like these are rare, and the pressing issues concerning mountain lions are the various threats they face on a daily basis living in close proximity to civilization, most recently some cases of rat poisoning in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Jim Williams’ book sales benefit Los Padres Forest Watch’s Room to Roam campaign, which protects mountain lions and their habitats in Santa Barbara and the rest of the Central Coast.

start the race through obstacles such as inflated obstacle courses, a table with trivia, a sack race and more, jumping from platforms and crawling across the grass at various points as well. Though the teams are not timed and there is no winner, the competitive spirit is still a part of it with people hoping to beat their personal bests.

“I would say we destroyed it,” political science junior Chase Maurer said. “I wish they were timing it.

I was going to try and break the world record, but it was fun.”

Teams included a mix of students from various organizations and friend groups. Some staff and faculty also participated to support the event.

After crossing the finish line, teams could pick up t-shirts, water bottles and other swag items and visit the resource fair that was set up at the end of the field. Campus resources such as University Housing, Peers Understanding Listening Supporting Educating (P.U.L.S.E.) and Campus Health & Wellbeing, as well as community organizations such Rockers Against Drunk Driving (R.A.D.D) and Sloco Massage and Wellness Spa were there to educate and remind students of the resources available in the fight for smarter and safer alcohol consumption.

Among these resources was a booth for the newest chapter of WithUs, a research center on campus within Student Affairs, which manages the AAA program. While AAA focuses on preventing alcohol poisoning, WithUs focuses more broadly on bystander intervention, according to Program Coordinator Michael Eberhard. Eberhard said WithUs is working to apply the peer-to-peer model to other social issues college students face. Right now they have a “toolbox” available for students, faculty and staff to use to help in educating and being proactive. Mustang Mile is one of the opportunities WithUs uses to share its message.

“The students are able to have fun, and there is education woven into the experience, and that’s really the point,” Eberhard said. “It’s intentional.”

After visiting the booths, participants were treated to a free barbecue hosted by Greek life. There were also displays and ways to make pledges to help in preventing another incident like Carson Starkey’s. Starkey’s parents attended the event to see their work in action.

“Carson was all about having fun and athleticism, and this is a good representation of his life,” Carson’s father Scott Starkey said.

PROSTHETICS FOR BOY WHO LOST FINGERS IN FIERY CRASH

BY CY D NEY MELTON In April 2018, 10-year-old Julian Reynoso and his family were hit by a suspected drunk driver in Los Angeles. The family’s minivan caught fire and only Julian and his mother Elizabeth Flores survived. Reynoso’s father Juan, younger sister Emma and younger brother Sebastian did not survive the accident.

Reynoso was left with 85 percent of his body burned and had only one functioning finger, along with parts of the nine other fingers.

Cal Poly engineering students will present Reynoso with two custom prosthetic hands on June 8 at the Advanced Technologies Lab (ATL) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“I wanted to provide a restoring force for him,” mechanical engineering senior Ryan Kissinger said.

“That kind of atrocity, those kinds of things that happened to him, it just means something. I think as human beings, showing compassion to other people is what really is most essential and most important.

It’s at the root of everything that we

do as engineers. It’s to provide for people, to provide for people’s ability to live.”

Kissinger heard about Reynoso’s story through the Quality of Life Plus (QL+) club at Cal Poly and was chosen to be the Hands for Julian team lead. From there, Kissinger selected eight team members out of 70 applicants.

The team worked on both a right and left hand for Reynoso for about six months, so he could have the ability to play with legos once again, Kissinger said.

With Reynoso’s severe injuries from the accident, the Hands for Julian team faced many challenges. Reynoso’s scar tissue, changing hand size and distant location forced the team to reevaluate molds and designs for the two hands after working from 30-80 hours per week on the project.

“This is engineering with a purpose,” mechanical engineering junior and co-team lead Austin Conrad said. “Though there is a lot to it — there’s a lot of heartache, there’s a lot of energy and time spent do-

ing this and pushing through design failure after design failure to get to something that works, the most meaningful part, the part that keeps you putting all those hours in, is Julian at the end.”

Since the accident was so recent and so severe, emotions also factor into the project.

“The emotional factor makes it difficult,” Conrad said. “Elizabeth lost her husband and two of her babies, and the last remaining one... is now learning how to try to exist in the world that isn’t designed for someone at that level of disability.”

Kissinger, Conrad and the rest of the team have been working for months on constructing two hands that are each designed differently based on Reynoso’s ability for his existing left and right hand.

Reynoso’s left hand injuries are more severe than the right, therefore requiring a completely different design. The right prosthetic hand, Kissinger said, has no motors or electronics and is just mechanical. The team originally spent hours on a complex design

The students’ work will not only enable Reynoso to do more everyday tasks but will also hopefully show Reynoso that students who did not even know him cared about him and about improving his life, Laiho said.

Conrad said the team is assembling a user manual of videos and photos along with a toolbox to help Reynoso and his mother use, maintain and repair the two prosthetic hands as needed. If there are issues beyond the scope of the user manual and toolbox, Conrad said the QL+ Lab staff will be sent down as needed to help Reynoso and follow up with him post-project.

After the two years are up, the Hands for Julian team will have the process laid out for future QL+ Lab teams so they can progress Reynoso’s prosthetics to something more updated for what he needs at the time, after his hands have hopefully stabilized and improved, according to Conrad.

Tickets to see Reynoso receive his new prosthetic hands from the team of engineers on June 8 at the ATL on campus are available for $15. The ticket revenue will go back to the QL+ Lab, Kissinger said.

The team said they look forward to the smile on Reynoso’s face when they present him with his custom prosthetic hands. Conrad said he is also looking forward to

COLLEGE OF EN GI N EER I N G | COU RT ESY

Ryan Kissinger helps Julian Reynoso try out the prosthetic hand that Kissinger and his team are making for him.

7 TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

COL L EGE OF ENGINEERING | COURT ESY

General engineering senior Janis Lourovitski and biomedical engineering senior Leila Assal are working on Julian Reynoso’s right hand.

for the right hand, then realized the need for a simpler design, sort of “like a baseball glove with finger attachments,” Kissinger said.

The left prosthetic hand is robotic, designed with Swiss motors, and is overall a mechatronic left hand, Kissinger said.

The two prosthetic hands are designed to last about two years, both Kissinger and Conrad said, so the team is manufacturing parts of the prosthetics out of metal and robust materials that will last for the two-year plan. The team left a bit of clearance in the socket of the prosthetic so that as Reynoso’s hands grow, he can get new molds but still use the same socket, made of safe materials for his hands.

Biomedical engineering professor and QL+ Lab Director Lily Hsu Laiho said the team of student engineers worked completely independently on this project and put in countless hours of work without earning class credit or compensation. The students did not learn how to do any of this in classes, Laiho said, so the students did their own research and built everything from scratch.

“They get the opportunity to apply their engineering skills to improve the quality of life for someone, and I think specifically for this one, they can see in Julian’s case the direct impact,” Laiho said.

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

8

S A B R I N A PA S CUA | MUSTA N G N EWS

The new Food Pantry is located in PCV and has been renovated to appear more inviting to students.

CAMPUS HEALTH AND WELLBEING RENOVATES FOOD PANTRY, OPENS ADDITIONAL LOCATION

BY S AB RINA PASCUA White cage-like doors, dim lighting and narrow walkways that made students feel trapped in a corner — that was the Cal Poly Food Pantry before April 2019.

“It was literally just a cage, storage closet that was converted into a food pantry,” Director of Wellbeing and Health Education Genie Kim said.

One year after receiving a $130,000 grant from the California State University (CSU) system to help the 27 percent of Cal Poly students who do not know where their next meal is coming from, Campus Health and Wellbeing used part of the grant to renovate the original food pantry located in the Health Center to make it a more welcoming space for students.

The grant was also used to open an additional food pantry location in Poly Canyon Village (PCV).

The original food pantry located in the Peers Understanding Listening Supporting Educating (PULSE) office below the Health Center opened its doors in Fall 2014 through donations from the Cal Poly Foundation.

According to Kim, prior to the renovation, the food pantry was not earthquake proof and did not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for accessibility. Kim said that the main priority was to address compliance with earthquake codes, fire marshal codes and ADA accessibility. The food pantry was also renovated to make it appear more inviting to students.

“One of the things that we had heard … was there were some physical barriers of walking and feeling this weird sense that, ‘People were watching me,’” Kim said. “Now when you go into the space, it looks more like a mini market, which also de-stig-

SA B R I NA PAS CUA | MUSTANG NEW S

The renovated PCV Food Pantry is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-4 p.m.

matizes the idea or concept of coming in for support or need if you’re food insecure.”

According to a Cal Poly Basic Needs Task Force Report conducted in Fall 2018, more than a quarter of Cal Poly students experience food insecurity, and these students reported “low” or “very low” food security. Students who are food insecure do not have reliable access to sufficient amounts of nutritious and affordable food.

An additional 26 percent of students experience “marginal” food security, meaning these students have consistent anxiety over food acquisition and have problems with food access.

This means that approximately 6,000 Cal Poly students do not have regular access to food and another 6,000 students are on the brink of no access.

Tina Hadaway-Mellis is the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Health and Wellbeing, and in this role, she said she wants to ensure that students’ basic needs are met by increasing access to the food pantry.

“The easier access is, the more supported our students can be and the more students can be supported,” Hadaway-Mellis said.

Hadaway-Mellis said that taking that first step to utilize the food pantry might be scary, but she said she hopes the renovation will make the food pantry appear more welcoming for students.

“Asking for help is hard and some of us want to take care of it ourselves, but asking for help, I think, can be the bravest thing that anyone can do,”

Hadaway-Mellis said.

There are varying levels of need, according to Kim, but she said the hope is that the renovation will help normalize access to the food pantry no matter the level of need.

Basic Need Health Equity Coordinator Emily Lu said many students often assume that there are other students who need the food pantry more than they do, leading them to not access the food pantry themselves.

“We have a campaign slogan, ‘If you think it, you need it,’” Lu said. “What we’re trying to do is to make it more acceptable for students to access resources without feeling shameful.”

Over the last five years, the food pantry has served about 1,500 students annually, according to Hadaway-Mellis. Students can access the food pantry on a “no questions asked” basis, meaning that students can take as much as they need. The food pantry offers food items such as canned beans and vegetables, pasta and rice in addition to fresh produce, toiletries, office supplies and even diapers for student parents.

It costs about $30,000 a year for the food pantry to operate, and the main supplier for the food pantry is the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo (SLO Food Bank). Private donors and donations through food drives also contribute to the maintenance of the food pantry. No student fees are associated with funding the food pantry.

Additionally, once a month, the SLO Food Bank holds a food distribution site on Mott Lawn where fresh pro-

duce and nonperishable items that come directly from the food bank are given out to students and community members.

The PCV Food Pantry located in the Aliso residence hall opened April 2019. Kim said the PCV location was identified to increase accessibility for students who live further from the food pantry located in the Health Center or the food distribution site on Mott Lawn.

“Many of the folks who were accessing the food distribution site had a very real physical barrier of taking three bags of groceries and walking all the way up to Poly Canyon Village,” Kim said.

Lu said that she hopes the additional food pantry in PCV will increase awareness of the resources available to students.

“Even though we are seeing an increase in the utilization of [the food pantry], it doesn’t nearly measure up to how many students are actually food insecure on campus,” Lu said.

“One in four students are food insecure, and our numbers don’t show that utilization.

Lu said the additional PCV location enhances accessibility of the food pantry, but not having enough resources is not the problem. She said [Campus Health and Wellbeing] needs to work more on de-stigmatizing using the food pantry overall.

However, the PCV Food Pantry is still in its pilot stage. This means Campus Health and Wellbeing will assess the utilization of this food pantry site and determine its feasibility at the end of Spring quarter.

“We’re piloting it through the end of spring quarter to test whether or not [the PCV Food Pantry] is something that is actually beneficial for our students,” Kim said. “If it is, then we’ll definitely find a way to either expand hours or ensure we’re providing the resource for students on an ongoing basis.”

The PCV Food Pantry is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-4 p.m., and it will remain open through the remainder of Spring 2019.

Moving forward, Hadaway-Mellis said she wants students to feel comfortable to go to the food pantry no matter what their need is.

“I would want [students] to know that we’re here for them,” Hadaway-Mellis said. “We’re going to do our part here to ensure that our students are supported.”

The grant Cal Poly received is a portion of $2.5 million that was provided to the CSU system with the passage of Senate Bill 85, which supports the CSU Basic Needs Initiative and designates all CSU campuses to be hunger-free. Awards were distributed across the 23 CSU campuses ranging from $40,000 to $155,000. All CSU campuses have a food pantry.

9

HOW NOISE ORDINANCES HAVE AFFECTED SLO’S MUSIC SCENE

BY JA KOB MCQUAD E The windows of a house on Jeffrey Drive are boarded up with mattress pads. The interior feels like a sauna, and the air is filled with moisture — and driving power chords.

Since San Luis Obispo’s 2010 noise ordinance was enacted, life for some students has drastically changed to avoid complaint tickets costing up to $1,000. Though some might see this as a discouragement from having parties and a hindrance to the local music scene, others see this as an opportunity to get creative.

In 2010, the San Luis Obispo noise ordinance was bolstered to crack down on the local party scene. San Luis Obispo’s Neighborhood Outreach Manager Christine Wallace said the noise policies are essential for keeping the streets serene.

“If you want to party and rage, that’s great,” Wallace said. “You probably should find a different place to do it or go camping or do something else.

Find somewhere else to go, because these are the confines we’ve set up for the community we have.”

During the day and into the evening, noise must be audible 50 feet from the property line before a complaint can be filed. However, after 10 p.m., if any noise can be heard over the property line, tenants are eligible for a $350 ticket on the first offense, $700 on the second offense and $1,000 on subsequent violations.

However, noise is not the only target of these laws. The Unruly Gathering Ordinance has a similar effect on the San Luis Obispo community. An “unruly gathering” is constituted by a congregation of 20 or more people who cause a “substantial disturbance

of the quiet enjoyment of public or private property in a significant segment of a neighborhood,” according to Chapter 9.13 of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code. This can include a range of disturbances, from public drunkenness or littering on nearby properties to vandalism.

This law makes it difficult to pull off any musical performance at houses, or even at official venues in town.

Despite the strict guidelines, San Luis Obispo musicians often go to great lengths to express themselves.

The Jeffrey House has caught the attention of students and neighbors alike as a cornerstone of the “DIY” or “do-it-yourself” music scene in San Luis Obispo. Frequent in-house concerts would make a house an easy target for complaints, but their creative preventative measures have kept them off the police radar. One

electricity, Johnson said she found an overwhelming amount of volunteer support from the community.

“That’s what I love about [San Luis Obispo] so much,” Johnson said.

“Even though it is small, everyone really comes together.”

Although it may require some ingenuity to successfully pull off a concert and walk away without a dent in your wallet and a soiled record, Wallace said residents can avoid heartache by planning ahead.

“What party registration is helping people do is helping hosts figure out how to have a more controlled, well-planned event,” Wallace said.

“They’re not having to call themselves and ask for help to get a horde of people out of their home.”

Tested in 2017 and eventually approved in mid-2018, San Luis Obispo launched a system that allowed residents to register parties in advance.

Registration is completely voluntary and must be submitted a week in advance. Registration allows the San Luis Obispo Police Department to issue a 20-minute grace period after a noise complaint before any tickets are issued, which has saved residents $30,450 from potential tickets, according to Wallace. Since the implementation of this policy, noise complaints in San Luis Obispo have hit their lowest in more than two decades. Wallace said that with cooperation these policies have been substantial in easing noise problems in the neighborhoods.

“People are not pissed off,” Wallace said. “If they’re not pissed off, they’re not telling me about it. That means my neighborhoods are getting [a]long better. They may not be having barbecues and block parties, but they’re definitely figuring out a way to exist in a more manageable way.”

It has taken lots of lugging of music gear and mattress pads, but ultimately, San Luis Obispo residents are finding ways to enjoy their local concerts without bothering their neighbors.

“People in this community would do anything to be able to have events like this because it means so much to everyone,” Johnson said.

| MUSTANG NEWS

D IEGO RIVERA | MUSTANG NEW S

Members of the San Luis Obispo DIY music community have adapted to avoid city noise ordinances to host house shows.

tenant of the house, environmental management and protection junior Noah Boland, described exactly what goes into making their house shows possible.

“We have the system down solid now, but there’s not too much intelligence behind it,” Boland said. “We put the music in the middle of the house, and then we use all of our mattresses and block up the windows. We went to Poly Canyon Village and went through the dumpster to collect all the foam pads. We shove those in the windows — those are good.”

The foam pads are dense, so they serve as dampeners for noise. This keeps the band’s noise in the house and prevents any need for noise complaints. However, the pads also keep moisture in and turn the house into a muggy room, sacrificing ventilation and comfort in exchange for soundproof windows.

Boland and two of his roommates are members of the band Dudeo Perez, and together they have played many shows in the San Luis Obispo area. By now they have an understanding of the complexities of the noise laws — almost by process of elimination. After seeing what works and what does not, they now have a concise plan for hosting their own shows.

Near the end of April, Dudeo Perez performed at a show on Cuesta Ridge called “Extravaganza.” Just out of earshot from town, Cuesta Ridge has been a popular venue for San Luis Obispo’s music scene, even serving as the location for the original Shabang music festival.

Art and design sophomore Kelli Johnson, who was in charge of planning and throwing Extravaganza, described the logistics of organizing a concert in San Luis Obispo.

“The planning took a lot more than I anticipated, because I’d never put on a show before,” Johnson said. “We had to rent out a U-Haul truck and a trailer attachment and built everything on-site. We’d been planning this for like three months.”

Despite the logistical challenges of organizing an outdoor concert on a ridge with little cell service and no

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | NEWS

J A KOB MCQUA DE | MUSTA N G N EWS

Members of the band Dudeo Perez have avoided noise violations by DIY sound-proofing their Jeffrey Street home.

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

10

STUDENT RAISES $32,000 FOR HOMELESS COALITION ON STREAMING WEBSITE

MAYA HIGA | COURT ESY

Higa’s friends were waiting to celebrate her 21st birthday, but Higa said she could not get off the live stream.

BY C H ARLOTTE R OSS Before heading downtown for her 21st birthday bar crawl, agricultural communication junior Maya Higa spent six hours streaming on Twitch to raise more than $32,000

for the 5 Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC).

With the original goal to raise $1,000, Higa broadcasted from 3 p.m. until after 9 p.m. Friday, May 24 while her friends gathered in

her home to celebrate.

“Donations kept coming in, and I [wanted to be] there because it was still happening,” Higa said.

Higa told her more than 60,000 followers that if they wanted to

post videos for her to watch live during the stream, it would cost 20 cents per second.

Higa rose to fame on Twitch after a falconry video she streamed went viral. Known as mayahiga in the Twitch world, Higa originally used the platform as a way of sharing her singing, cooking and conservation education videos.

5CHC Executive Director Janna Nichols described the stream as making a world of difference and changing lives.

Nichols said she knew nothing about the fundraiser until around 7 p.m. Friday, when she got a phone call from the 5CHC’s operation manager saying they had already raised $17,000.

“I was checking my emails [that afternoon] and noticed some odd donations coming in for a PayPal account, for weird donation amounts like $4.33 or $6.22,” Nichols said.

When she heard about the charity stream, Nichols had her sonin-law download and sign-up for Twitch so she and her family could watch Higa online together.

“I just said, ‘Say what?’” Nichols

said. “Who knew that community even existed out there?”

When watching Higa online, Nichols said she realized she needed to do something in return. She texted her a few times thanking her but said she thought it was not enough. “[Higa was] delaying her personal birthday party with all these friends waiting to take her out, but she [could not] get off air,” Nichols said. “So we ran over to Madonna Inn and bought one of the last cakes they had in the case.”

Nichols sped over to Higa’s home during the stream to give her the pink champagne cake and thank her for what she had done for the coalition.

Higa had been volunteering with the 5CHC for three years. She works with the “Warming Center,” a program helping the homeless during the winter in colder weather.

In mid-June, Higa said she plans to do another charity livestream for her family in the Bay Area. Her parents own a center for special needs children to interact with animals, so she said she would like to raise money for them as well.

ASI RESOLUTION URGES CAL POLY TO PROVIDE ALTERNATE FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS

BY MIC H AE L BAR R OS Cal Poly does not currently have a protocol to provide jobs for students who do not have a social security number, according to Dream Center coordinator Kathrine Zevallos Pastor. But the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution urging Cal Poly to change that.

The ASI Board of Directors resolution urges Cal Poly to work with undocumented students, UndocuAlly Working Group and the Dream Center to explore alternate forms of financial compensation for students with existing funding.

Pastor said although some students qualified for Deferred Action for Childhood Referral (DACA) and are provided a social security number, many students do not qualify for DACA and are unable to work.

Pastor said approximately 98,000

undocumented students are going to graduate from high school this year without DACA in the U.S. The ASI resolution suggests the university provide payment to undocumented students in the form of stipends for all university jobs, including research opportunities, teacher assistant positions, graduate assistant positions, note-taking positions and student grader positions. The resolution only promotes compensation for Cal Poly jobs and is not a scholarship proposal.

“It’ll be a great important impact on their lives as students in regards to their financial abilities to support themselves,” Pastor said. “For them, a lot of them, they leave their homes, their families, to come to the realization that their financial package does not cover everything.”

The resolution stated that Cal Poly Pomona has developed “campus fellowships for ‘experiential

learning’ where students receive a stipend for engaging in a project-based experience.”

Resolution author and ASI Board of Director Alan Faz said opportunities for undocumented students can be completely transformed in the form of scholarships and stipends.

“It’s something I’ve been working towards for a long time,” Faz said. “To continue to look for ways that we can help these students.”

Pastor said Cal Poly’s support of undocumented students is very new.

“It’s time for Cal Poly to do something,” Pastor said.

Pastor said she believes this resolution could decrease stress and fear often experienced by undocumented students on campus.

“This will help them to not feel like they have to live in the shadows,” Pastor said.

The resolution will been sent to University President Jeffrey Arm-

H A N N A C R OWLEY | MUSTA N G N EWS

The Board of Directors cannot enforce the changes, but can suggest the university do so.

strong, Provost Kathleen Enz-Finken, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, Keith Humphrey, Vice President of Research and Economic Development Renee A. Reijo Pera, Dean of Students Kathleen McMahon, Assistant Dean of Students Bryan Hubain, Dream

Center and the UndocuAlly Working Group.

ASI Board of Directors cannot themselves enforce stipends as a form of compensation for undocumented students. The resolution only suggests that Cal Poly do so.

Support system

D IEGO RIVERA | MUSTANG NEW S

Chris Blevins will travel to Tokyo to race in the test that will determine his qualifications for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

RACING FROM THE DESK TO THE DIRT OLYMPIC PROSPECT CHRIS BLEVINS HAS BIKING IN HIS BLOOD

BY KAY L IN WAIZINGE R & Z ACH DONNENF IE L D At 21 years old, business administration junior Christopher Blevins has been called one of the most exciting prospects in competitive mountain biking. He took second in the 2018 under-23 cross-country race at the World Mountain Bike Championships, rides an average of 300 miles per week and is very likely to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

But performing at the highest level and being a full-time student is nothing new for Blevins.

Born in Durango, Colorado, Blevins grew up in a town where biking is as universal as playing football is in Texas. He began his journey at the age of five when his father saw an article in their local newspaper for a BMX track.

“He put me on the bike and sent me off,” Blevins said.

BMX became the center of his world. He began to race compet-

itively soon after, winning seven national age group titles by age 12.

Once Blevins turned 16, he began mixing in mountain biking and road cycling. Despite there being more money in road racing, Blevins decided to follow his heart and solely pursue mountain biking.

“Mountain biking is really more fun, and in my opinion, a better world and better atmosphere,” Blevins said.

Sponsored by Specialized — one of the world’s largest cycling brands — Blevins sets school aside each spring quarter to train, travel and compete in competitions across the country full time.

Blevins will often head back to his hometown to make use of it’s high elevation for training rides. As of May 17, Blevins is currently competing in the two-week-long UCI Mountain Bike World Cup held in the Czech Republic.

For training rides during the school year, however, it is not uncommon for Blevins to ride up

Highway 1 to Big Sur and back on his road bike or to hit the slopes of Perfumo on his mountain bike.

In October 2019, Blevins will travel to Tokyo to race in the test event that will determine his qualification for the Olympics.

“I’m excited,” Blevins said. “It’s weird thinking nothing about me is going to change, I just might be going to the Olympics.”

Blevins is kind of a big deal in the biking community. At the 2019 Sea Otter Classic — one of the largest cycling events in the U.S. — not only did Blevins have a scheduled autograph signing, but it was not uncommon for a fan to spot him walking the fair grounds and ask for a photograph.

For Blevins’ friend mechanical engineering junior Thomas Smith who attended Sea Otter as a spectator, it was a new experience to see Blevins at a professional cycling event.

“It’s wild to see Chris, someone I see everyday and on a normal ba-

Blevins’ roommate, physics junior Anders Johnson, races cross country mountain bikes too.

“To have somebody that kind of ‘gets it’ with the training … you can help push each other through that [the training],” Johnson said.

What Johnson admires most about Blevins, he said, is his mental strength and ability to challenge himself.

“When it comes to race time, he knows that he can go out there … and fight for the win in most cases,” Johnson said.

Managing schoolwork and his sport comes rather naturally to him now, Blevins said. With a little professor-student negotiation, he said hes managed to make it work.

While other students feel fully immersed in the college experience, at times Blevins said he feels deprived of typical college experiences, like going surfing with friends or going out on the weekends.

“It’s the fomo [or fear of missing out],” Blevins said.

Even so, he said, the fear of missing out would have been worse if he had gone to a prestigious cycling school. Choosing to attend Cal Poly instead has helped Blevins separate his educational experience from his professional career.

“I wanted to choose my college for my college and keep bike racing distinct from that,” Blevins said.

Time off the bike Blevins said he believes his dedication and enthusiasm for the sport would not be there if he did not

take time to actively pursue other passions.

“I’ve really tried to create balance and have interests outside of cycling and a life outside of my racing,” Blevins said.

Blevins said he is determined not to let his sport define who he is as a person. For some professional athletes, the sport can become all consuming and completely strip away anything non-essential.

Blevins prides himself on being an outlier.

When the helmet and riding gloves come off, Blevins spends his time writing music and spoken word poetry. During his freshman year, he made an album titled “Mile Markers” and recorded it in a studio in San Luis Obispo with a few of his close friends.

Blevins minors in sociology and has a strong passion for criminal justice, especially in the juvenile system. Working with the organization Restorative Partners, he volunteers at the Juvenile Hall in San Luis Obispo, helping kids learn how to read, write and play guitar and ping pong.

Blevins said he struggles with the idea that there are serious issues in the world that call for our time — being a little bit better at cycling is not the most important by any means.

Blevins said being a professional athlete means you sometimes have to be selfish, but he tries to supplement that condition by using his platform to help others when he can. Using some of the salary he earns from Specialized, Blevins recently committed to sponsoring a child in the Dominican Republic to help with their scholastic needs.

“I don’t want to be a bike racer,” Blevins said. “I want to be a guy who races bikes.”

Caitlin Scott and Felix Castillo contributed to this story.

S ER EN A MU N R O | COU RT ESY

11 TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | FEATURES | MUSTANG NEWS

sis, treated like a celebrity,” Smith said. “At the same time it’s cool to know that those athletes that are treated with such reverence are actually just normal people … I would know, I know one!”

OP I N I O N

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | OPINION | MUSTANG NEWS

12

C AR OLY N E SYS MA N S | MUSTA N G N EWS

Protests against the bans have been occurring all over campus and the country.

CAN WE STOP POLITICIZING A UTERUS?

BY OL IV IA PELUSO Olivia Peluso is an English junior and Mustang News opinion editor.

The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.

Since the Roe v. Wade decision nearly 50 years ago, women have been granted, in plain terms, a constitutional right to control their own body. This ruling has been challenged and upheld numerous times since its 1973 decision. However, within the past month, several states have proposed “heartbeat bills” that criminalize abortion after just six weeks into a pregnancy, which is when a heartbeat is generally

detected. While many of these bills have been stymied by higher courts, four states have, in fact, made abortion punishable by law: Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Ohio. Alabama’s law is more radical, by not making an exception in the case of rape or incest, essentially forcing victims to birth the child of their rapist or else face legal consequences.

In Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a woman’s right to an abortion is protected by the right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. However, this right must be balanced against the state’s interest in the life of the mother and unborn child. That

is, only a “compelling state interest” could justify any law that infringes on this right. This begs the question: what is a compelling state interest with respect to a woman’s uterus, and who/what moves the needle between a legislature that functions in favor of the woman, and one that favors the fetus?

This is the core of the abortion issue. It is not a question of rights; it is a question of minimizing harm. The pro-choice person does not seek to harm a fetus — he/ she seeks to maintain the health and sustainability of the mother.

It is not that the embryo has no rights, but rather, it is in the mother’s rights that are superior, when circumstances are such that she,

and those who are dependent on her, are harmed if forced to care for and support a child she simply cannot.

The truth is a woman’s decision to abort results from a conglomeration of issues that will only manifest and intensify if she is forced to carry and raise the baby. Our political landscape paints women who get abortions as one archetype: lower income, sexually irresponsible, apathetic. However, one in four women in the US have had or will have an abortion due to financial incapability, medical reasons, rape or incest. Moreover, 59 percent of women seeking abortions already have one child,

CAL POLY SYMPHONY SPRING CONCERT

Tchaikovsky 4 and Café Musique Jacob Gade: Jalousie

Carlos Gardel: Por una Cabeza

Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36 … and more from Café Musique!

David Arrivée conductor

$9 and $12 students $12 and $14 general

Cal Poly Ticket Office: JUNE 8 805-756-4849 tickets.calpoly.edu 8 P.M. SATURDAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Sponsored by Cal Poly’s Music Department, College of Liberal Arts and IRA program. For more information, call 805-756-2406.

according to the Guttmacher Institute. This poses the issue of responsibility — to whom is the woman responsible… herself, her child, or the unborn embryo? To truly value life is to improve the circumstances of the living.

It is shocking how the lawmakers behind the Alabama legislation play the “value human life” card, yet disregard the humans that are actually alive. Ironically, an undocumented woman in Georgia is not recognized as a citizen — but her six-week old fetus is.

As a citizen in the making, the fetus of an undocumented woman may access government benefits, but the mother may not. More women will be having children they cannot support. Lawmakers may congratulate themselves on “saving lives,” but they have completely ignored real-life ramifications.

The very rhetoric surrounding the abortion debate is fallacious. To have one side be “pro-life” is to insinuate the opposition be “pro-death” or “anti-life,” politicizing this highly personal issue. “Choice” and “life” are not mutually exclusive; the question is whose life is valued more, an embryo or an existing, living, breathing citizen? It is not a stretch to say that in the heartbeat states, women will have the most rights while in the womb. After birth, women will relinquish control over their own bodies.

To the females who are pro-life: I seek not to condemn you for your beliefs. There is nothing inherently wrong about wishing life for every embryo. The problem lies in your willingness to surrender the sovereignty of your own body to a patriarchal political structure that ultimately does not respect or value your rights as a woman, whether your opinion coincides with theirs or not.

Unfortunately, the abortion debate is no longer about the rights of women versus the rights of the unborn. Instead, the conversation has been completely drowned in the cesspool of our political climate0. Our discourse is not productive and does not solve the issue. It just yields more content for politicians to exploit during campaign season. True progress will only be attained with the continual decline in abortions, which has already begun, due to increased sexual education and better access to contraceptives. No woman wants an abortion. Legislators must look past the stigma, and support, rather than condemn, the women who need abortions: a true fortification of life.

S AT IR E | TH E H OO F

SIX CASUAL WAYS TO SLIP-IN INFORMATION ABOUT ABORTION BANS

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BY H A NNAH BENS ON Hannah Benson is a journalism junior and satire columnist. The views represented do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.

From class to work to that game night organized at the last minute just so you can give a small wave to that special someone across the room, college is a non-stop cycle of activities. However, this is not an excuse to skimp on conservations about social justice issues. With Alabama passing an immensely strict abortion ban this past week and other states implementing similar legislation, it’s time to talk, Cal Poly. Here at The Hoof, we present to you a how-to guide on maintaining a dialogue that is both informative and casual, at a variety of the different stops college-student life takes you:

1

Dinner with Friends

“I got the check tonight. You know what else I’ll contribute my money to? The Yellowhammer Fund. The fund helps women in Alabama access abortion services in one of the state’s three abortion clinics. Also, how do we feel about getting dessert after?”

2

At your Local Trader Joe’s

Cashier: “Great choice on the Bruschetta Sauce! You can put it on anything! I recommend spreading it on a baguette, throwing it in the oven ... did you find everything alright today?”

You, the Customer: “Almost. I managed to get the last Cookie Butter, but I couldn’t find an answer to the justification of Alabama lawmakers’ decision to restrict abortions, even in the case of incest or rape. To put the mother and

4

Flirting on Tinder

“Hey, so I see you like hiking lol” “Yeah, haha living in SLO really got me into it” “Cool. There’s definitely a lot of trails to choose from here. There’s also a lot of states besides Alabama passing restrictive abortion laws, including Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio.

It’s important to recognize that anti-abortion laws are not unique to the South as we see the trend moving up to the Midwest. Maybe we can check out Bishop’s sometime ;)” “I would LOVE to!”

5

Tests

Answer: Carassius auratus is the scientific name for goldfish. It’s also about not subjecting reproductive rights to the label of “women’s issue.” To suggest any one platform is the responsibility of a specific group is demeaning to the platform and group. Holding ALL politicians accountable, not just the women of the field, is crucial for protecting the right to abortion, achieving equal pay, etc.

6

The Rec

“You got this! One more circuit of pushups! Just 12 more! 11! 10! 99 years of imprisonment for doctors who perform abortions in Alabama if the law is implemented. Eight!...”

We hope you find these helpful in the future. Once you get to talking, you may not want to stop. Individuals who respect bodily autonomy and want to enact change through conversation are usually invited to talk more. Please be my plus one.

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LIBRA – Sept. 23/Oct. 23 This is a week to bring order and organization to your home. Doing so will allow you to focus your attention on important matters, Libra.

TAURUS – April 21/May 21 Taurus, someone you thought was a friend may be looking for something more. If you are in a relationship, you’ll have to set this person straight.

SCORPIO – Oct. 24/Nov. 22 Scorpio, attention naturally comes your way, and you won’t to do anything out of the ordinary to direct more of it to you. In fact, spend some time out of the limelight if you can.

GEMINI – May 22/June 21 Focus your attention on something creative instead of analytical this week, Gemini. You can probably use a break from spreadsheets and bar graphs.

SAGITTARIUS – Nov. 23/Dec. 21 Give yourself a few days to lounge around and enjoy some rest and relaxation, Sagittarius. You can probably use it right now if the pace has been hectic.

CANCER – June 22/July 22 Cancer, too many projects and people vying for your attention make it tough for you to see anything through to completion. There will be time to get it done in the future.

CAPRICORN – Dec. 22/Jan. 20 Avoid making any binding promises this week, Capricorn. Your mind just isn’t fully into things, and you need extreme focus to follow through.

LEO – July 23/Aug. 23 There is a lesson to be learned this week, Leo. But you will not know what it is until you’re in the thick of things. You will come out ahead either way, so don’t fret.

VIRGO – Aug. 24/Sept. 22 Virgo, you have the future on your mind, specifically where you will be in a few months or years. If you are not content, start mapping out a plan to follow.

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DYNN AND LYNN LEAUPEPE FIND SUCCESS OVERSEAS

BY B R I A N T RUONG Despite playing apart for the first time in their lives, former Cal Poly Women’s Basketball guards Dynn and Lynn Leaupepe are making a big impact in their debut season overseas.

While the journeys of the twin sisters have been intertwined their entire lives, their first season of professional play has put them on different paths.

“The last time I saw her was in November, [before] I got to Denmark,” Dynn said. “It’s actually really crazy.”

Dynn has had a standout first season with Basketball Klubben Amager in Copenhagen, Denmark.

She was named the 2019 Dameligaen Player of the Year after leading her team to win the Danish Championship.

“Having finished my senior year the way that we did, it made me want to continue playing basketball,” Dynn said. “It’s been a huge part of my life, so I didn’t want it to end after college.”

Lynn is midway through her first season with the reigning Australian Big V State Champions, the Sunbury Jets. Playing in Victoria,

Australia, Lynn ranks fifth in the league with 21.5 points per game.

“I really just wanted to keep playing basketball as long as I can,” Lynn said. “So I think being able to go overseas sounded really fun.”

The Leaupepes are not only adjusting to life after college – this is also the first time they are both playing and living apart.

“It’s very difficult to not play with your best friend anymore,” Dynn said. “It’s something that we’ve been used to pretty much our whole life, so that’s been a huge change for the both of us.”

“The first couple of practices

Dynn’s team-high 20 points, BK Amager claimed the championship, with a 75-69 win on May 4. After sealing the 3-1 series win, Dynn received the finals MVP award.

“I wasn’t really thinking about the individual accolades at all,” Dynn said. “It felt really great. I never really won player of the year award in college.”

Lynn’s team, the Sunbury Jets, are on a seven-game winning streak and are just one win short of first place in the season standings.

Expectations for the Jets are high, as they have won three straight championships. For Lynn, joining the successful club has been accompanied with a lot of learning.

“We have a lot of different plays that we can run,” Lynn said. “It’s kind of a huge playbook … So knowing the plays to perfection is a really big deal.”

While Lynn started in a majority of her games at Cal Poly, she is often coming off the bench for Sunbury.

“I feel like with this team, I play better coming off the bench than starting,” Lynn said. “I’m still getting used to the team, just trying to get a feel of what’s working and what’s not working for us.”

Lynn scored a season-high 32 points against the Southern Peninsula Sharks on April 13. The Jets are halfway through the season with five games left to play.

While Lynn looks to help power the Jets to a fourth-straight championship, Dynn will soon be playing for a bigger cause. Dynn will join the Samoan national team at the 2019 Pacific Games starting July 7.

“It’s a big deal for me, and especially for my family, to be able to represent the island that our family originated from,” Dynn said.

A total of 24 countries will compete at the multi-sport event, which is held every four years.

Lynn was also invited, but is unable to attend since she will be finishing up her season with the Jets.

For Dynn, this will be a homecoming to her family’s roots, as the games will be held in Apia, Samoa.

“I haven’t been there since I was about 13 years old,” Dynn said.

“Mostly I’m just looking forward to being able to represent the island of Samoa and being able continue to play the sport I enjoy playing.”

As the paths of the Leaupepe twins continue to diverge, they find comfort in knowing their closest friend will always be supporting them, regardless of the difference in distance and time.

“It means a lot,” Dynn said. “It shows no matter where you are, no matter what you’re doing, we have each other’s support.”

15 TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS

BK AMAGER | COURT ESY

Dynn Leaupepe had a standout firstseason with Basketball KlubbenAmager in Copenhagen, Denmark.

were hard because I was always used to having someone next to me,” Lynn said. “Even in the warm ups and stuff, it was so, so different. I definitely miss playing with her.”

Constant phone calls keep the twins in contact, but the 9,906 mile separation between Copenhagen and Sunbury is hard to ignore.

“Being a phone call away from each other is way different than just being able to walk across the room to talk to her,” Lynn said.

“Whenever we do call, we always make sure that we always check up on each other, make sure that we’re okay.”

The Camarillo natives were recruited to the Mustangs as a package deal. Through their four years as Mustangs, the Leaupepes made their mark in Cal Poly’s record book. Dynn is the program’s third all-time leading scorer with 1,636 points. Lynn ranks No. 12 with 1,048 points and is Cal Poly’s fifth all-time best rebounder, with a career average of 6.1 rebounds per game.

Dynn and Lynn credited the guidance of Cal Poly’s coaching staff as essential to their post-college success.

“Definitely making sure, whether it’s during games or practices, that you’re having a voice,” Lynn said.

“Just having a positive and high energy attitude, whether you’re playing a lot or not.”

“Being accountable for what we do when they’re not watching was a big thing,” Dynn said. “They always reminded us to be the best teammate, player [and] person that we can be.”

These lessons, combined with their talent and hard work, have propelled the twins to successful seasons— as it has many times before. But now, they are succeeding as individuals.

“I think we’ve come to realize we can do it without each other,” Dynn said. “But it’s just more fun to do it with each other.”

With BK Amager, Dynn showed she is a balanced player by averaging 25.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and four assists per game. Dynn’s team went 19-8 overall, finishing third in the regular season. According to Dynn, even that was an accomplishment for the team.

“My team and I were able to turn it around when playoff time came around,” Dynn said. “We were the underdogs, just like how it was my senior year at Cal Poly.”

BK Amager powered through the playoffs to reach the finals. On May 1, before the third game of the championship match, Dynn was presented with the league’s player of the year award. Then, lead by

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS

16

THE TITANIUM WOMAN

THE BEFORE AND AFTER OF DISTANCE RUNNER KATIE IZZO’S LIFE-CHANGING INJURY WA DE DEN N I STON | COU RT ESY

Izzo among a group of runners at Hornet Stadium.

BY NAYT H AN BRYAN T The titanium rod inside Katie Izzo’s leg is a reminder to never give up on something you love.

More than two years ago, the Cal Poly Track and Cross Country senior’s promising career was halted in a sudden moment of agony. It happened during a race that was like any other. A step, a step. But then, a snap. The life-changing moment marked the beginning of Izzo’s long journey in rediscovering her passion for running.

Izzo admits her innate love for running may have stemmed from her mother, a standout hurdler and sprinter in high school. The Torrance, Calif. native smiled as she recalled racing against her cousins as a child.

“I have mostly boy cousins and I would always beat them,” Izzo said. “I love to compete, it’s just something I was born with.”

That natural and rare passion for the sport began to materialize into an impressive record during Izzo’s senior year at Los Alamitos High School. Among numerous accolades, Izzo clocked a 1,600m

medley relay performance of three minutes and 58 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational — good enough for No.1 in the nation at the time.

And yet, the top running prospect said she took just one official college visit. Since Izzo’s mother is a Cal Poly alumna, she grew up visiting San Luis Obispo frequently.

“Obviously [San Luis Obispo] is an amazing college town with

her life and running career.

In her first collegiate season, Izzo registered a crucial ninth place finish at the Big West Championships with a 6k time of 20 minutes and 59 seconds. The additional points helped propel the Mustangs over UC Santa Barbara to claim the 2015 Big West title.

Izzo’s momentum snowballed into a record-setting Track and

Once you get [a stress fracture], it’s always hanging over your head and there is some fear and paranoia that you’ll get another. beautiful trails, but that family vibe from the team, everyone just made me feel so welcome,” Izzo said.

“Right after the official visit was over, and even during it, I knew that it was Cal Poly.”

Izzo knew she had found her new home. However, she had no idea of the hardship that was to follow.

Breaking the pace

As just one of two freshmen who traveled during the Cross Country season, Izzo described her first year at Cal Poly as a special time in

Field season. In the 1,500m, Izzo won the seventh heat of the Stanford Invitational, broke the fiveyear standing meet record in the Cal Poly ShareSLO Invitational and secured the tenth-fastest time in program history.

“I guess I used my success from high school, I wanted to continue that,” Izzo said. “I loved Cal Poly so much and it felt so right. I was just running for the love of it.”

Izzo followed up by taking home the Big West Championship in the 5k. It was the second conference

title she had acquired in her first year as a Mustang.

Izzo capped the season with a 25th-place finish at the NCAA West Regionals, a meet she would come to have an incredibly personal relationship with.

“It feels like a lifetime ago, with all the injuries and being out for two years,” Izzo said. “We always look back at it and kind of laugh because it was such a cool, funny experience.”

The success Izzo obtained in her collegiate debut was rare for a freshman, and it only continued into her sophomore year.

Izzo kicked off the following season with a fifth-place 5k performance of 18 minutes and one second at the Lagoon Open in Santa Barbara. By the end of Cross Country season, Izzo and the Mustangs were seemingly unstoppable. The team went on to win a second consecutive Big West Championship. Izzo clocked a ninth place individual finish in route to the title victory.

“We were all on this amazing high,” Izzo said. “But after that race, I could barely walk.”

Izzo showed no signs of slowing down. That was, until she could no longer run.

She was unaware of it at the time, but Izzo had sustained a stress fracture while in Hawai’i.

Two weeks later, she was back on the starting line at the NCAA West Regionals at Hornet Stadium on Nov. 11, 2016.

Women’s Cross Country head coach Priscilla Bayley described what happened next as “a freak accident.” During the middle of the race, Izzo fell to the ground and began screaming. Her tibia and fibula both snapped.

KAT I E I ZZO | COU RT ESY

Izzo’s injury was repaired with a titanium rod that spanned the length of her tibia.

Back on track

“No one was on the course at the time,” Izzo said. “[My leg] was deformed and everything … I was completely numb to any pain.”

Izzo was immediately rushed to the hospital. For her leg to heal correctly, doctors inserted a 12inch titanium rod into Izzo’s tibia bone.

Izzo’s standout career at Cal Poly had nearly just begun. And yet, it came to a screeching halt in one of the worst ways imaginable.

A passion renewed

Understandably, Izzo said she needed time to process her running career after the injury. For an athlete to recover from an injury is one thing. It happens often. Recovering from an injury as intense as Izzo’s is an entirely different story.

Izzo used a medical redshirt for the rest of the season as she healed. Izzo’s redshirt status continued through her junior year.

“I needed that [time] to really

KATI E I ZZO | COURT ESY

Bayley praised Izzo for her ability to remain positive during tough situations.

find my love and passion for running again,” Izzo said. “There were points where I wondered if I would be able to run the same again.”

While Izzo admits she experienced moments of doubt, she also recognized the “fire” to compete was still within her. Izzo said she relied on faith and trusted her body’s ability to recover during this time. Izzo also pointed out the immense amount of support she received from family and friends in the offseason.

Former Cal Poly Cross Country and Track member Maddie McDonald was Izzo’s teammate from 2015-2018 and was at Hornet Stadium when the injury occurred.

According to McDonald, stress fractures for runners are common among female athletes.

“I think she felt like she had something to prove, and not only for herself,” McDonald said. “Once you get [a stress fracture], it’s always hanging over your head and there is some fear and paranoia that you’ll get another. Katie was able to push through hers … to prove to the whole running community that it was possible.”

Izzo knew there was more for her to accomplish, according to McDonald.

“She wasn’t ready to just bow down,” McDonald said.

Izzo’s moments of doubt all but disappeared when she began cross country training for the 2018 season, nearly two years after her injury.

17

| MUSTANG NEWS

W AD E DENNISTON | COURT ESY

Izzo acquired two Big West Championships in her first year as a Mustang.

Now a senior, Izzo made her official return to competition in the Covert Classic and Lagoon Open in September of 2018. Izzo went on to compete in two 6k events before the Mustangs’ Big West Championship appearance.

In a showing of familiarity, Izzo helped lead the Mustangs to a Big West Championship for the third time in her career after placing third individually.

Needless to say, Izzo was back.

However, the Mustangs were set to compete in the NCAA West Regionals less than two weeks later.

It would be Izzo’s first return to the West Regionals meet since her life-changing injury. As if the meet was not daunting enough, the venue was Hornet Stadium — the same course Izzo had broken her leg on.

“I remember going through warmups and it was something that all of us knew and had in our minds, but no one really wanted to say what it was,” McDonald said. “For a lot of people, going back to something so traumatic as that would be really scary.”

And yet, Izzo could not be more excited to return to Hornet Stadium.

“Before the race, seeing the exact spot that I fell and didn’t finish … I knew something special was going to happen at that race because I had so much fire in me to redeem myself and everything I had gone through,” Izzo said.

In what she described as a dream come true, Izzo placed 22nd in the West Regional meet with a 6k time of 20 minutes and 14 seconds. With the finish, Izzo secured the last individual berth to the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wisconsin.

“It was like my fairytale ending, to finally be healthy and happy,” Izzo said. “I was just really proud of myself and I’m thankful for everyone who had helped me get back to that point.”

McDonald said she still gets chills when talking about Izzo’s performance at the West Regionals.

“Everyone that was there, her competitors, were rooting for her,” McDonald said. “And that’s the kind of person that Katie is. She sparks inspiration not only in her team, but she also has the support of everyone in the running community.”

Since then, Izzo has continued to perform at a high level as her time

at Cal Poly comes to a close. Izzo registered an 82nd-place finish in the NCAA Championships with a time of 20 minutes and 58 seconds.

“I just felt like, ‘I made it,’” Izzo said. “Because you’re with all these amazing runners that you always look up to and now you’re a part of the group.”

Izzo will continue her running career as a graduate student at the University of Arkansas. However, before Izzo’s final meet of the year, she told Mustang News she wanted to cross the finish line knowing she gave everything she had.

“I want to have my best race for my Papa, who passed away this March,” Izzo said. “He was always my No. 1 fan and loved watching me compete. I feel like he’s been with me in spirit this season.”

The distance runner ended her Mustang career with a 5k time of 16 minutes and eight seconds — a new personal record.

Izzo’s PR was set at none other than Hornet Stadium, the track that had once held one of her worst memories. Through her resilience, Izzo made it the site of some of her greatest achievements.

Now, every time Izzo steps foot on any starting line, she said she feels fearless.

“That does not surprise me for a second, it just makes me smile,” McDonald said. “That girl is fearless.”

TUESDAY • JUNE 4, 2019 | SPORTS

“As terrible as that whole experience was, it made me the runner that I am and the person that I am today,” Izzo said. “I think it all happens for a reason.”

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