SPORTS, pg. 9: Men’s soccer looks to future
ARTS, pg. 4: Music columnist w(raps) up the year’s best albums
Monday, December 2, 2013
www.mustangnews.net
Volume LXXVIII, Number 22
Psychology professor brings Glass to campus BROOKE SPERBECK
@BrookeSperbeck
Imagine being able to send an email, check the weather or record video hands-free as you walk around campus, all by using a pair of glasses. Seem too good to be true? Not to psychology professor Laura Freberg, who was recently invited by her daughter to become a Google Glass Explorer. “My daughter Karen is a social media professor at Louisville,” Freberg said. “We all love tech. We’re all kind of geeky in our family.” After winning her Glass through a social media contest over the summer, Karen invited her mother to join. “She had this opportunity to invite, and I said, ‘Yeah, sure, I’d like to try,’” Freberg said. The Glass — eyeglass frames with a small screen and camera in the corner of the right eye — has capabilities similar to an iPhone or computer and is navigated by voice commands and a touch-sensitive bar on the side of the right frame. “The Explorer Program launched earlier this year and is designed for people who want to get involved early and help shape the future of Glass,” the Google Glass website states. “We’re expanding The Explorer Program little by little and experimenting with different ways of bringing new Explorers into the program.” After her daughter recommended her for the program, Freberg emailed back and forth with
Google representatives to confirm her background. As a blogger and psychologist, Freberg was an ideal candidate. Ultimately, Google looks for users who will experiment and provide feedback on the product, Freberg said. “They want to make sure that you have something to bring the table,” Freberg said. “They want a variety of people. I think what they’re trying to do is find out what all the possible uses are.” Freberg is now part of the Glass Explorers community group on Google, where she can connect with
other Glass users and see how the product is being used around the world. The group, which has approximately 18,000 members, shows people from doctors to race car drivers all
using Glass. Though Freberg jokes about putting the Glass on her dog for a “dog’s-eye” view, she already has some ideas about how to use it in the fields of psychology and academics. “I teach sensation and perception, so my initial interests academically are just kind of the Cal Poly Learn By Doing. What does this do for divided attention?” Freberg said. “It’s actually really unobtrusive; it’s extremely unobtrusive.” Freberg is also interested in potentially using Glass as adaptive technology for people with physical handicaps. One of her students, psychology junior Amber Garman, is a quadriplegic and has trouble using her hands. “This is perfect for her,” Freberg said. “It’s voice activated, she can take notes by speaking. She can do all of the functionality by tapping the side.” Since Garman has limited use of her fingers, voice recording notes could make lectures easier, Garman said. She said she could also use the Glass instead of a computer at home. “The coolest part that was unexpected was it was really comfortable,” Garman said. “I thought it was going to be not so comfortable, and when I put them on, it was like, ‘Whoa, I’m wearing, like, nothing.’” Though Garman only used the Glass briefly, she sees the benefits both academically and for entertainment purposes. “Especially for the disabled community, this is really, really advanced technology that will really help us,” Garman said. see GLASS, pg. 2
CEA president ‘saddened’ by Yount’s death in Spain SAMANTHA SULLIVAN
@ssulli04
Business administration junior Matt Yount drowned in Sevilla, Spain while on a CEA Global Education study abroad trip on Nov. 21. CEA’s local team has worked closely with the authorities, the United States Embassy and students on site to memorialize Yount and to determine the cause of the accident, CEA President Marcie Schneider said. “This impacts all of CEA as well as Cal Poly,” Schneider said. “We’re all very saddened by the lost of a student on one of our programs.” Before a student departs for a trip through CEA, they are educated on best traveling practices and safety tips, Schneider said. This advice is reiterated when students arrive on site through an orientation program, she said. Student safety is critical and of the “utmost importance” to
CEA, Schneider said. The organization will continue to reemphasize its safety orientation with all students that come to its locations, she said. There are no plans now for any immediate changes because of Yount’s accident, Schneider said. Schneider has been with CEA for three years. Senior Vice President for Program Management and Development Caroline Walsh has been with CEA for 14 years. To their knowledge, CEA has not had a tragedy like this before, Schneider said. Approximately 5,000 students a year go on the CEA program, Schneider said. “We value each student that goes on our program, and it’s very important to us,” Schneider said. “We’re all very saddened and looking for ways to support see CEA, pg. 3
Writing Center hopes to widen its scope KAYLA MISSMAN
@kaymissman
The Writing and Rhetoric Center plans to expand its services to help students communicate on different platforms, not just with writing. The ultimate goal is to create a multi-literate center, where students can brainstorm for an assign-
ment, get feedback on outlines and essays, unpack hard data, practice presentations and receive help on multiple levels, Writing and Rhetoric Center Director Dawn Janke said. “It’s not just the written word anymore; it’s how written modes of communication interact with other modes,” Janke said. “A lot of writing
experts these days are focusing on how — because technology shapes culture and shapes communication so strongly these days — we really need to expand the ways in which we help students communicate effectively.” Currently, the Writing and Rhetoric Center focuses on writing, but aims to help students realize skills they have
— beside grammar and punctuation — that will translate to other aspects of their lives, lead tutor and English senior David Llamas said. “It tends to go beyond what professors are looking for on an assignment sheet, to go and provide them things beyond the classroom,” Llamas see CENTER, pg. 3
Starkey’s death reverberates five years later BROOKE SPERBECK
@BrookeSperbeck
It’s been half a decade since Julia and Scott Starkey sent their son Carson to Cal Poly as an architectural engineering freshman to begin what were supposed to be some of the best years of his life.
CHECK OUT MUSTANGNEWS.NET for articles, videos, photos & more.
Instead, it was the last year of his life. After being hazed at a Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity event, Carson died on Dec. 2, 2008 from alcohol poisoning with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.40. Five years later, his legacy lives on at Cal Poly through
Aware Awake Alive, a nonprofit organization Julia and Scott started to make sure what happened to their son doesn’t happen again. Though hazing was one of the main causes of Carson’s death, the Starkeys felt alcohol poisoning was the “last straw.” “Two factors that stood out
were the young people that surrounded him did not recognize the severity of his situation, meaning they didn’t understand what alcohol poisoning looked like, and secondly they were afraid to act because they didn’t want to get in trouble,” Scott explained. “Those were the two tips of
SPORTS, pg. 10
Tomorrow’s Weather:
Women’s basketball sweeps weekend games sunny
high
the spear, so to speak, that we decided to go after with Aware Awake Alive.” Cal Poly has been a supporter and partner of Aware Awake Alive since it started in 2011, Julia said. After the Starkeys put together the resources see STARKEY, pg. 2
INDEX News...........................1-3 Arts.............................4-6
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GLASS continued from page 1
Freberg is also exploring the benefits of the Glass as a classroom tool, both for professors and students alike. She and her daughter are proposing a presentation on best practices in the classroom for an academic conference, and Glass is one method they’ll be looking at, she said. “There’s everything from kindergarten teachers up through university teachers using Glass, so we want to kind of sift through all of those entries and see what seems to make the most sense,” she said. “Right now, the demonstration capabilities seem really promising.” The ability to show students a demonstration by recording a professor’s line of sight has numerous opportunities to be used academically, Freberg said. Students could watch virtual office hours, field trips and online classes remotely through the Glass via Google “hangout.” “It’s probably going to untether the learning experience from the physical location of the university,” Freberg said. Though the technology is still new, Freberg is already thinking about how equipping students with Glass could revolutionize the classroom. “The other question is what
STARKEY continued from page 1
for Aware Awake Alive’s programming, Cal Poly “took that and ran with it,” she said. “In the fall of 2011 orientation took ahold of it, housing took ahold of it, greeks, even the ROTC program, and it just bred through the campus,” Julia said. “That’s really what Aware Awake Alive is today.” Though Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong, an Aware Awake Alive board member, said the program’s effect on Cal Poly has been “tremendous,” alcohol-related incidents are still occurring years after Carson’s death. The disaffiliation of Sigma Phi Epsilon in 2011, suspension of Alpha Phi in 2011 and suspension of Delta Sigma Phi in 2012 all show that problems
can students do with it? What if we equipped everyone in the class with Glass? How could we use that as a collaboration tool?” she asked. Now several weeks into being a Glass Explorer, Freberg is enjoying playing with her new technology. As a psychologist, she’s a people watcher, and is having fun observing people’s reactions when she wears Glass in public. “I was almost late to school yesterday because I was trying to get out of the parking lot and a student just stopped dead in his tracks and wanted to know everything there was to know about it,” she said. Though some people are fascinated, others are concerned. The Glass has been criticized for possible invasions of privacy, Freberg said. Rest assured, though, she’s not using it as “stalker cam.” “It’s like any tool, it depends on the user,” Freberg said. “You can use it effectively or you can use it for great evil. I hope to use it as effectively as possible.” Freberg encourages students interested in learning about Glass to come by her office hours for a “test drive” and bring ideas about how she can best use it. “I’m trying to be creative with it, but students are way more creative than I am,” Freberg said. “Certainty with the collective wisdom of 18,000 of you, somebody’s got some good ideas.” related to alcohol and hazing haven’t disappeared within the greek system. “To be candid, the greek life is the area of campus that has been the slowest to adapt to Aware Awake Alive,” Scott said. “They’ve done a lot. They’ve come a long way, but to answer your question, I think that a lot more could happen.” According to Diego Silva, former coordinator of sorority and fraternity life, Carson’s death resulted in a “180-degree switch in direction” for the hazing atmosphere on campus. Though Aware Awake Alive partners “extensively” with Cal Poly’s greek community, hazing isn’t something that has gone away, he said. “I wouldn’t say that it’s completely absent on this university, I think that we carry a lot of the same ongoing issues that a lot of our
To be candid, the greek life is the area of campus that has been the slowest to adapt to Aware Awake Alive. They’ve done a lot. They’ve come a long way, but to answer your question, I think that a lot more could happen. SCOTT STARKEY CARSON STARKEY’S FATHER
ZACH MAHER/MUSTANG NEWS
Psychology professor Laura Freburg is researching different applications for Google Glass as a tool in classrooms. other partner universities do,” Silva said. “I don’t think that the hazing culture is anything near to what it was in 2008, let’s say.” Carson’s death resulted in some direct changes to greek life, such as the disaffiliation of Sigma Alpha Epsilon from campus and the adoption of deferred recruitment for Interfraternity Council (IFC) fraternities in 2010. According to Silva, deferred recruitment made some fraternity members feel like they were paying the price for Carson’s death, even though most weren’t on campus when the incident took place, Silva said. “For the longest time, a lot of our students felt that they were being punished for something that students years before them did, and they never got a fair chance to prove that they have changed and become different and really elevated the expectations of greek organizations,” Silva said. Fall recruitment for fraternities was reinstated this year, along with a “tiered compromise” between the greek community and administrators, said IFC President and business administration junior Domenic Hjerpe. The compromise includes a series of policy changes to greek life, such as registering social events and alcohol management, he said. “I think it will definitely im-
prove the greek community because it will help keep everything under wraps and definitely a lot safer,” Hjerpe said. Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey was instrumental in bringing back fall recruitment. He said he thinks the change will benefit students’ connection and engagement with Cal Poly. “We know that students who are engaged are more likely to be retained and graduate quicker than those who are not connected,” Humphrey said. However, Julia and Scott opposed the idea of reinstating fall recruitment. They were “involved” during the process of making the policy change, but not comfortable endorsing it, Armstrong said. “We still feel strongly that deferred rush is another lifesaving factor, and we still support deferred rush,” Julia said. Though they disagree with administrators on the issue of deferred rush, the Starkeys are “thrilled” with some of the other policy changes made as parts of the compromise, Julia said. These changes will hopefully foster student success and eliminate the negative aspects of greek life, such as hazing, Armstrong said. “That’s what we’re trying to do with regards to some of our policy changes, is to be very careful as we move forward to reduce and elimi-
nate the chances where people will binge drink, where they’ll be underage drinking, and where problems can occur,” Armstrong said. The issue of alcohol poisoning isn’t just a problem for the person drinking, it’s a “Cal Poly family issue,” Armstrong said. The Mustang Way and Aware Awake Alive both emphasize picking up fellow students when they fall, he said. “It really is about watching out for one another,” Armstrong said. “Someone makes a mistake, let’s get them to the hospital. Let’s not let them suffer from that mistake.” Since Carson’s death, students have been more responsive to this message. In 2008, University Police Department (UPD) received 23 alcohol- or drug-related medical aid calls, and this year they have received 65 calls for aid, according to Fred Mills, UPD records manager. Though he has only been on campus since February, Humphrey believes Aware Awake Alive and Carson’s story have made students more likely to call for help in an alcohol-related emergency. “We are seeing students more comfortable getting medical help when their friends have consumed too much alcohol,” Humphrey said. But there are still improvements to be made. A college student dies every 44 hours from alcohol poisoning, just as Carson did in 2008, Julia said. “I think that Carson’s story is really important, because
Carson could be any one of the 20,000 students on campus,” Julia said. “It happened to him, but I think his story is not unusual.” By sharing Carson’s experience through Aware Awake Alive, Julia and Scott hope to not only save lives, but honor the life of their son. “Cal Poly’s overwhelming endorsement helping us build the program is a great tribute and honor to Carson,” Scott said. Memorials around campus help honor his legacy as well, such as the bike rack dedicated to him in 2011 and the tree recently planted by the football stadium this fall, Julia said. “Just recently, this past October, we planted a tree in his honor and hope to see it grow big and strong,” Julia said. The ceremony for the tree was small but meaningful, and it included people from the San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly and Aware Awake Alive communities, Armstrong said. “That tree’s going to be there for years and years and years to remind people of Carson,” Armstrong said. Though most of this generation of students were not on campus when Carson died, they all know his story. It’s important his story continues to be told, so another “senseless death” won’t occur again, Armstrong said. “I think it’s going to be impacting freshmen and transfer students, students in general, students in greek life, for years to come,” Armstrong said.
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Monday, December 2, 2013
The difference between ‘Hazing’ and ‘hazing’ EMMA PATTERSON
@CPMustangNews
The term “hazing” gives a negative connotation to the greek community — especially at Cal Poly. Carson Starkey died in 2008 because of a preventable hazing situation, and his memory reminds the Cal Poly community why it’s important to adhere to the rules. “I don’t think that the hazing culture is anything near to what it was in 2008,” said Diego Silva, former coordinator of fraternity and sorority life. “I think that the issues that we come across are minimal, or hazing with a little ‘h’ as opposed to hazing with a big ‘H’.”
Cal Poly has implemented strict policies in conjunction with California Penal Code Section 245.6 to combat future dangers as a result of college hazing. Big ‘H,’ little ‘h’ “As a university, whenever we hear about anything that comes across our desk, we do a thorough follow up,” Silva said. According to Silva, largescale hazing, or big-’H’ hazing situations, would be cases such as “forcing new members to consume certain amounts of alcohol or do something that really puts them in a direct line of physical, emotional or mental danger.” Little-‘h’ hazing, or smaller-
I think Aware Awake Alive has had a tremendous impact on this campus. The students have embraced Aware Awake Alive, they’ve embraced Carson’s memory, and they’ve made it work. JEFFREY ARMSTRONG CAL POLY PRESIDENT
CENTER continued from page 1
said. “We have an all-encompassing way of looking at the way students communicate, more ideas than getting an A on that paper.” But nationally, the approach to communication is changing. Many on-campus writing centers have made the switch to tutoring different forms of communication rather than just writing, Janke said. “A lot of what we call ‘multiliteracy centers’ are popping up, or writing centers are morphing into those kinds of centers, and I find that to be quite intriguing,” Janke said. “And I think it’s an important move, that our center is looking to evolving into that kind of space.” A center focused on developing multi-literacy would help students work on skills not necessarily taught in their majors, University Librarian Anna Gold said. Some students might be proficient at analyzing data, but unable to translate and communicate it effectively, for example. “I think the key is that not all students are equally literate in the same skills,” Gold said. “Our challenge in the library and Dawn’s challenge is to make sure that all of those skills are developed at a strong, basic level across all of our students, because they’re all important.” Developing those skills would make students more valuable in their classes and future careers, Gold said. “The kinds of jobs that our students want are going to be complex jobs,” she said. “They’re going to be complex socially, in terms of problemsolving; a blend of awareness and communication skills are going to be needed.” Students can’t only focus on their particular field; in the increasingly competitive job market, Gold said students will have an edge if
scale activities, are activities that put new members in a situation where they have to “do something they otherwise would not normally do in day-to-day life, but has more implied risks and indirect situations that come out of it,” Silva said. Silva said little- ‘h’ activities could include scavenger hunts or making members wear the same color on campus. He said these can be “telltale signs of potentially other bigger problems, but they’re not things that are causing an immediate or direct harm to the individual.” According to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities policy on hazing, “Hazing refers to any activity that causes physical or emotional harm, degradation, or humiliation during initiation into a student organization.” Hazing is most commonly associated with binge drinking, but in actuality, the Cal Poly policy on hazing includes a very wide variety of activities, including “binge drinking, sexual harassment and assault, ridicule, sleep or food deprivation, personal servitude, physical beatings,
embarrassing outfits or actions in public, or water intoxication.” The foundation of Cal Poly’s no-hazing policy is California Penal Code Section 245.6, which states, “‘hazing’ means any method of initiation or pre-initiation into a student organization or student body, whether or not the organization or body is officially recognized by an educational institution, which is likely to cause serious bodily injury to any former, current, or prospective student of any school, community college, college, university, or other educational institution in this state.” The code, however, does not mention little-‘h’ hazing restrictions — as defined by Silva — but focuses more on what Silva considers big-‘H’ hazing, or hazing that would put students in a direct line of physical, emotional or mental danger. For Cal Poly, it’s the university’s job to to define what hazing means to its community. The greek community Cal Poly’s Student Life and
Leadership Greek Life No Hazing Policy mirrors the policy stated by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities — helping to maintain a clear understanding of the policy both on and off campus. To prevent hazing, the greek community has been working with the Cal Poly administration to establish rules as part of the compromise to end deferred recruitment for the Interfraternity Council (IFC). “We’ve taken a more organized and thoughtful approach towards greek life,” Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said. “Recently, through a discussion that was talking with the greek community, a whole series of rules have been put into place and they will be phased in over the next couple of years.” IFC President Domenic Hjerpe said the series of rules are a tiered compromise, which begins with a full riskmanagement policy for the entire greek system that was established this year. These rules will also require greek organizations to register off-campus parties, adopt new alcohol-management
policies and provide hazing, alcohol and sexual assault awareness education to new members, Mustang News reported in September. “I think it will definitely improve the greek community because it will help keep everything under wraps and definitely safer,” Hjerpe said. Aware Awake Alive In addition to these rules and the hazing policies already in place, Aware Awake Alive — a non-profit organization geared toward the prevention of alcohol poisoning through education — was created by Julia and Scott Starkey, Carson’s parents, to aid in hazing prevention. “I think Aware Awake Alive has had a tremendous impact on this campus,” Armstrong said. “The students have embraced Aware Awake Alive, they’ve embraced Carson’s memory, and they’ve made it work.” Aware Awake Alive was created in August of 2011 and continues to shape hazing intervention at Cal Poly. “I really believe there have been lives saved at Cal Poly because of Aware Awake Alive,” Armstrong said.
their knowledge spans many forms of communication. “You can’t be that person who never learned how to do that thing, because you’re going to be sidelined,” she said. The evolution of the Writing and Rhetoric Center, however, will take time, money and space — which are all in high demand on campus, Janke said. “It takes a different infrastructure and a different training program, and all kinds of things that we might not exactly be prepared for tomorrow,” Janke said, “but I think that that is the direction in which we’re hoping to move.” Writing and Rhetoric Center tutors are trained through a 4-unit upper-division English course, which mostly prepares them to help with essays. Recently, Janke, who teaches the course, has been introducing the potential tutors to the concept of multiple literacies. She said they are apprehensive but excited about the possible change. Janke said she has talked to other units on campus that might be willing to share their expertise and help the center evolve in the future. Kennedy Library currently shares space with the Writing and Rhetoric Center to provide additional hours for tutoring, and they are looking to make that partnership more permanent, Gold said. “We are exploring whether a more long-term, permanent, more expansive space for the writing center in the library is architecturally possible, programmatically possible,” Gold said. “Without having surveyed our users, if space were not an issue, we’d leap to this and say, ‘This seems like the right thing to do.’” Janke agreed. “If we had some sort of green light that said, ‘Here’s SOPHIA LIU/MUSTANG NEWS your space, here’s your monWriting and Rhetoric Center tutors are trained through a 4-unit upper-division English course, which mostly prepares them to ey, go have fun,’ it would happen,” Janke said. help with essays, but they are training tutors to teach multiple literacies, Writing and Rhetoric Center Director Dawn Janke said.
CEA
ALBUMS
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our students and staff, as well as the families of students that are on our programs.” Schneider and Walsh plan to be in attendance at Yount’s memorial service, Schneider said. The service will take place after the Thanksgiving break, according to a campuswide email from Cal Poly President Jeffery Armstrong and Vice President of Student Affairs Keith Humphrey.
might be the only singer alive whose emotive voice can sell gut-punches such as “State Hospital” and “Nitrous Oxide” without veering into melodrama. Released all the way back in January, Pedestrian Verse is a thoroughly wintry album. Do yourself a favor this December and fight back the Christmas spirit with this Scottish masterpiece.
arts 4
Monday, December 2, 2013
PARKER EVANS
@parker_evans
The best albums of 2013 Parker Evans is an economics senior and Mustang News music columnist.
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random access memories — daft punk Do other artists get mad at how easy it is for Daft Punk? “Get Lucky,” the most infectiously inescapable song of this summer, seems totally effortless in its breezy melody and disco-chic atmosphere. Beyond that smashing single is a meticulously-crafted dance album that brings a wide range of influences under a garish ’70s umbrella. The title of Random Access Memories is a coy reference to that variety of inspiration, but the most important aspect of the album is its naked need for you to move; the dance floor guitars on “Give Life Back to Music” and “Lose Yourself to Dance” might as well be marionette strings. As far as puppetmasters go, we could do a lot worse than Daft Punk.
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the worse things get, the harder i fight, the harder i fight, the more i love — neko case The year’s longest album title is a perfect microcosm of Neko Case’s music — fiercely confident and poetically forthright. On The Worse Things Get, Case drops the gloves and bares her teeth more than we’ve ever heard from her. This time around, she seems largely frustrated with perceived femininity and gender roles. “If I puked up some sonnets / Would you call me a ‘miracle?’” she spits on the razor-sharp “Night Still Comes.” This is now two albums in a row with art depicting Case with a sword, and she seems hell-bent on using it. On “Man,” her angriest rock song in some time, she threatens “my proxy is mine / You’ll deal with me directly.” After listening to The Worse Things Get, you won’t just want to get out of Case’s way, you’ll want to fight alongside her.
run the jewels — run the jewels In a year filled with great summer albums, Run the Jewels is the one I come back to the most. Remember the hubbub after Kendrick Lamar’s “Control” verse? Most rappers and critics called it a welcome throwback to the days when mainstream rap was angry, violent and fun, more than a laundry list of ownership. Run the Jewels is that kind of throwback. It’s forceful to the point of being infectious, but the violence is much more boisterous than grim. More importantly, it’s the album of 2013 that made me smile the most, and fans of all walks of rap are guaranteed to find something to love here. see ALBUMS, pg. 5
Monday, December 2, 2013
ALBUMS
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yeezus — kanye west Yeezus was indisputably the musical event of 2013. The leaked tracks, uncomfortable videos and “Saturday Night Live” performances created a maelstrom of hype that threatened to swallow everything around it. Even post-release, Yeezus probably inspired more thinkpieces than music reviews, but lost in the cacophony was an album that was just as innovative and dangerously creative as its creator. In truth, the sonic assault of Yeezus was Kanye’s only real option after the grandiose, operatic brilliance of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The unnverving computerized seizure that opens the album is designed to throw us off, and from there, we’re in Ye’s world. From start to finish, it’s a short, intense ride filled with Nina Simone samples and Chief Keef, but for all the hullaballoo around the album’s unmistakable dissonance, there’s a method to the madness.
trouble will find me — the national The National deserve more than the “sad bearded men” tag they’re often stuck with. More Tom Waits than Glen Hansard, singer Matt Berninger is seemingly always ready with a self-effacing quip and a bottle of red wine. Trouble Will Find Me is filled with trippy time signatures and drum patterns built to make us as off-balance as the songs’ narrators, and Berninger’s weary baritone is sure to resonate with a certain group of listeners who will empathize with the self-hating regret of “I Should Live In Salt” or the party claustrophobia of “I Need My Girl.” The National is still quite capable of churning out a bursting ball of rock-as-catharsis, as shown by “Sea of Love,” but the album’s drunken paranoia and melancholy reaches its climax on the crescendo of “Demons” with a moment of depressing realization: “When I walk into a room / I do not light it up,” he sings. Even so, the despondency of Trouble Will Find Me is incandescent.
the electric lady — janelle monae Janelle Monáe might be something that the Internet age has made woefully rare: an artist that everybody likes. Full of knock-your-socks-off dance moments, The Electric Lady is the penultimate entry in Monáe’s ArchAndroid series, and its influences are a refreshing pastiche of music history. Soul and R&B lovers get a duet with Miguel and a handful of Marvin Gaye shoutouts, fans of ’90s pop will put the title track in heavy rotation and historians of black funk and jazz will hail Monáe as the modern standard-bearer of Afrofuturism. Really, it’s a mystery why Janelle Monáe isn’t a household name. She’s not lacking for singing chops, dance moves, youthful creativity or pop expertise. I was convinced “Dance Apocalyptic” would be a radio hit, but for whatever reason, she seems to be just off the mainstream radar. The Electric Lady (especially the sizzling first half) is a fantastic preview of what we’ll see when she inevitably gets there.
reflektor — arcade fire Enough ink has been spilled on the sprawling, massive Reflektor over the past month to drown the whole 10-piece band, so we’ll keep it short. A couple weeks ago, the band released the video for the album’s most transcendent track, “Afterlife.” Directed by Spike Jonze, it is a masterpiece. Brutally affecting, Jonze teases out the emotional core of the song, giving us a window into the life of a small Southern California family. It should be enough to get you excited for the release of Jonze’s next full feature film, “Her” — scored by Arcade Fire.
check out the rest of the column for honorable mentions
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arts 5 acid rap — chance the rapper Leave it to a previously-unknown 19-year-old kid fresh out of high school to give the most mature, definitive description of Chicago in 2013. As the follow-up mixtape to 10 Day (which was recorded over the length of a school suspension), Chance’s Chicago is alternately ecstatic and fearful. It’s the ecstatic parts that make Acid Rap nothing short of a joy to listen to, and after one listen you’ll want to kick back and hang out with Chance, whose easygoing demeanor is infectious. With the amount of praise Acid Rap received, Chance’s official label debut next year might generate the same hype that surrounded good kid, m.A.A.d City, but the most joyful musical moment of 2013 is the intro to the second verse of “Chain Smoker,” which finds Chance overcome. “This part right here, right now / Right here, this part my shit / I play this so loud in the car / I forget to park my whip” he sing-raps breathlessly. We do too, Chance.
modern vampires of the city — vampire weekend The rate at which Vampire Weekend has matured since that first self-titled album is staggering. Ezra Koenig and company haven’t completely abandoned their highfalutin preppy Ivy League core, but Modern Vampires of the City is a brilliant album from a mature band. At the core of the album is a religious/existential crisis — nearly every song has some overt religious imagery — but Vampire Weekend is compelling, no matter what the subject matter. The chilled-out travelogue “Hannah Hunt” has a tension riding beneath the surface before exploding in the last minute with a rapturous catharsis. For the most part, Koenig controls the cheeky smirk that marks much of the band’s output, but he allows himself a little bit of freedom on “Step,” which might be the best track of 2013. “I just ignored all the tales of a past life / Stale conversation deserves but a bread knife,” is the mantra for a host of Vampire Weekend fans. Fortunately for us, within all the Latin liturgy and one-sided conversations
pedestrian verse — frightened rabbit Pedestrian Verse is the Great Scottish Novel. It is at once euphoric and miserable, grounded and wildly passionate. The atmosphere is gray and cloudy, and the lines between songwriter Scott Hutchinson and his characters are hopelessly blurred, but perhaps the highest praise I can give Pedestrian Verse is it is the rare piece of art that effectively, uncomfortably probes the human condition. If The Midnight Organ Fight was the world’s best, messiest breakup album and The Winter of Mixed Drinks was the sonic embodiment of existential fear, Pedestrian Verse is about desperation. Across 12 expertly crafted songs, Hutchinson fearlessly opens his veins across the liner notes. Frightened Rabbit is no stranger to melancholy, but Hutchinson see ALBUMS, pg.3
arts 6
Monday, December 2, 2013
COURTESY PHOTO
Cal Poly choirs get in the holiday spirit ARYN SANDERSON
@ArynSanderson
Winter is coming. And with that, the holiday season. The annual Cal Poly Choirs’ “A Christmas Celebration” will be held on Dec. 7 in Harman Hall of the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center. Polyphonics members often sneak into the crowd to hear the other featured choirs — The University Singers and the Early Music Ensemble — Polyphonics first alto Alexandra Ongman said. “It’s always fun because there’s more than one group, so when the other groups are performing, we all crowd in the wings and get to listen to them perform, and sometimes we even sneak up into the upper rafters in the seating when we’re done or when we have a long break,” Ongman, an environmental management and protection sophomore, said. “And so, we’ll go up the stairs
and sneak into the audience to listen, so that’s really fun.” The show, “A Christmas Celebration,” is Ongman’s favorite choir performance of the year “because the audience is getting in the Christmas spirit,” she said. Her favorite moment is the choirs’ traditional finale, “Silent Night.” “We did this last year, and I’m pretty sure we’ll do it this year too, but we stand around the audience and we dim the lights, and we sing ‘Silent Night’ out around them,” she said. “It’s very Christmas-y — very, very Christmas-y — and it gets everyone excited to go on break and for the holidays. It’s a very magical, holiday moment.” Polyphonics bass and statistics senior Leland Bailey agrees, calling the show “powerful” and “unique.” “We’re giving new twists to traditional Christmas songs,” he said. “We’re singing different versions of traditional Christmas songs that people probably have
never heard before.” Tradition, though, remains the backbone of the annual performance. Conductor Thomas Davies has hosted “A Christmas Celebration” for 31 years. “And the title of ‘A Christmas Celebration’ even precedes me, so it’s probably been 35, maybe even 40 years, in total since we started having this holiday concert,” he said. “And it is always a favorite. It’s a favorite of the students and a favorite of the audience. At the holiday, particularly the Christmas season, people think of music, so it naturally fits together and becomes a special occasion.” The performance will feature a variety of musical styles and instrumental accompaniments, including the Cal Poly Brass Ensemble, harp and flute, he said. “I didn’t want a concert full of only slow, beautiful things,” Davies said. “One could do that very easily during this time of year. There’s a lot of slow, beau-
tiful, warm, even mushy music, but we try to mix it up with some faster pieces, some slower pieces ... We have a piece that’s choir and organ, a piece that’s harp and flute, so you get lots of different colors of instruments along with the voices, as well as some a capella pieces as well.” The holiday show will feature Hanukkah and secular winter music as well. The season is the perfect time to show support for Cal Poly students, including nonmusic majors, Davies said. “Especially for a lot of students who are non-majors, who are the scientists and the agricultural majors and the engineers, people should come up and see what they do with the other side of their brains and see what they do with their hearts when they sing so beautifully,” Davies said. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $14 and $12 general and $9 for seniors and students.
We’re singing different versions of traditional Christmas songs that people probably have never heard before. LELAND BAILEY POLYPHONICS BASS AND STATISTICS SENIOR
Country flair added to Mid-State Fair lineup COURTESY PHOTO
MUSTANG NEWS STAFF REPORT
@CPMustangArts
Country twang is making its way to the California Mid-State Fair this summer, with two big names in country added to the current list of set performers. Grammy-winning trio Lady Antebellum will perform at the Chumash Grandstand Arena at 7:30 p.m. on July 22. The Nashvillebred band, consisting of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, is known for its hits “I Run to You” and “Need You Now.” Tickets for the show range from $41 to $121 and a sale date has yet to be announced. Country folk and Grammyaward winning group Zac Brown Band is slated to perform at 7:30 p.m. on July 16 at the Chumash Grandstand Arena. The now seven-man band’s most notable songs include “Chicken Fried,” “Toes” and “Colder Weather.” Tickets for the show range from $56 to $131, and a sale date has yet to be announced.
opinion/sports 7
Monday, December 2, 2013
A thank you to our great country Eric Stubben is a mechanical engineering sophomore and Mustang News conservative columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion or editorial coverage of Mustang News. America today lies in a critical place. We sit at the corner of history, where our rich past meets a progressive future. The ideas of our Founding Fathers are constantly tested and questioned by modern sciences and technologies. Globalization expands opportunities, but raises tensions. Whether we believe it or not, America is still the best country in the world. Our economy is the strongest in the world, with a GDP more than $3 trillion higher than the second-ranking country, China. We are second in the world in electricity and natural gas production, and third in crude oil production. We have the most established system of roads, railways and airports in the world. Yes, our education system needs change, but don’t let that fool you. More than 99 percent of Americans are literate and thousands of talented young professionals graduate from colleges every year. Nearly 31 percent of Americans hold a Bachelor’s degree, far more than the world average of 6.7 percent. During the Thanksgiving holiday, I once again realized how important it is for everybody to be thankful for living in America. Not only are we living in the top economic country in the world, but we
are also blessed with ample freedoms, a strong military and a beautiful country. The mere fact that I am able to sit down and write what political beliefs I have, even though they are typically critical of the current president, is a freedom many people around the world do not have. In the United States, we must be thankful for living in a country with the perfect balance of economic success and social freedoms. Compare us to European Union countries like Greece, Spain or Portugal. On the outside looking in, they seem great: beautiful countries, an average of 20 to 30 hour work weeks and direct access to all of Europe. But underneath all the glamor, each country holds a sputtering scapes. What’s even more im- and women. Of course, the economy where riots and bail- pressive is that our country’s story of Thanksgiving comes outs are the norm. In America, beauty isn’t just in one place, to mind. What would we be both are rare. it can be seen everywhere in without the determination of With as much as our coun- any form. From our coast to the Pilgrims and the help of try is compared to China, the mountains and lakes in the Wampanoag tribe? be thankful we aren’t actu- Alaska and Hawaii’s beachBe thankful for the Foundally China. Yes, ing Fathers who their economy created the most More than 99 percent of is growing at impressive counthree times the try the world has Americans are literate and rate of ours, but ever seen. Their thousands of talented young it comes at the founding docuexpense of civil ments created an professionals graduate from and social liberunprecedented ties. Be thankclarity and struccolleges every year. ful we don’t ture that we abide have to trade a by today. growing economy for a Com- es all the way to the rolling Be thankful for the men and munist country where each wheat fields of the heartland, women who have donned the family is limited to having a America is beautiful. United States uniform and certain number of children. The most important thing served our country. Without Then there is America’s to be thankful for in America them, our rights and freebeauty. Living on the Central is our past. Not necessar- doms may not be here today. Coast, every Cal Poly student ily the past we lived, but the As Cal Poly students, be has to be thankful for Ameri- past created by generations thankful we have the opporca’s inherently beautiful land- of brave and courageous men tunity to attend such a won-
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Sophomore forward Brian Bennett led the Cal Poly men’s basketball team with a season-high 11 points and nine rebounds, but the Mustangs dropped a 82-61 decision to No. 14 Oregon on Sunday night in Eugene, Ore. Cal Poly, playing its third game in as many days at the Global Sports Hardwood Challenge hosted by Oregon, dropped its second straight game after a 73-71 loss to Pacific on Saturday. The Mustangs shot 40 percent from the field, but managed to hit six of 27 attempts from 3-point land in their loss to the fourth-highest ranked opponent in program history. With the defeat, Cal Poly dropped to 2-5 on the season. The Mustangs return home to face Santa Clara on Dec. 7
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sports 9
Monday, December 2, 2013
Volleyball ends season with loss MUSTANG NEWS STAFF REPORT
@CPMustangSports
The Cal Poly volleyball team lost in three consecutive sets in a match at Long Beach State that concluded their season Saturday. With the loss, the Mustangs fell to 12-17 overall and 6-10 in conference play. The Mustangs failed to follow up their dramatic five-set victory over UC Irvine on Friday, in which they came back from a twoset deficit to win in five sets. The Mustangs were led by outside hitter Megan McConnell’s nine kills against Long Beach State, marking the sixth straight game in which McConnell led the team in that category. The senior also led the Mustangs the previous night with 25 kills. The senior found her 9 kills on 24 attempts, good for a .250 hitting percentage Saturday. Freshman middle blocker Taylor Gruenewald contributed eight kills and outside hitter Lexi Reddick had six. However, the Mustangs hit at a .090 clip whereas Long Beach State enjoyed a .394 hitting percentage. Senior libero Steffi Sooter led the team in digs with 15. The 49ers edged the Mustangs in digs by a slim 45-44 margin, but controlled all other aspects of the game. They outblocked the Mustangs 15-2. Overall, the 49ers won their sets by scores of 25-12, 25-16 and 25-14.
MUSTANG NEWS FILE PHOTO
Rafael Salinas contributed to The Cal Poly volleyball team lost its final regular season match 3-0 at Long Beach State on Saturday. The Mustangs overcame a two-set deficit to defeat UC Irthis report. vine 3-2 in their Friday match. Cal Poly finished the season with a 12-17 overall record (6-10 Big West) and tied for fifth place in the conference with UC Davis.
Men’s soccer looks forward to future ALISON STAUF
@alisonstauf
“Stick out the four years; it’s worth it. You will not only grow as an athlete, but as a person.” This was the advice given to senior forward Mackenzie Pridham as he decided whether or not he wanted to continue his soccer career after suffering an ankle injury his sophomore year. Pridham chose to continue playing, winning two Big West Offensive Player of the Year awards and, more
recently, is up for nomination to win the NCAA Senior Class Award. “Those words have helped me to become who I am today,” Pridham said. “The coaches implemented if I really wanted to take myself to the next level as a leader and as a player. The day-to-day grind with my teammates and the extra hours with my coaches really paid off.” This grind came to a halt, however, as the Mustangs lost 4-1 against Cal State Northridge in the opening
round of the Big West Conference playoffs. The Mustangs were without injured Pridham, who now holds the school record for the most goals in a season with 27. “It was really tough for me to take,” Pridham said. “I told my coaches that I wanted to be on the bus and I had to be there for them. Being able to go through normal team preparation and meals allowed me to talk to individual players, and I was also able to say a few words in
the locker room to thank the team for a great season. I’m glad I was able to be there, because all in all, it’s been a great experience being a Cal Poly soccer player.” Sophomore outside back Kip Colvey scored the only goal of the game and his first of the season against the Matadors. “My teammate John Chronopoulos had the ball on the right wing and slipped a pass to me. I hit it low and it slid in past the goalkeeper,” Colvey said. “I was really ecstatic and happy because that put
MUSTANG NEWS FILE PHOTO
Mackenzie Pridham in Cal Poly’s October loss to Cal State Fullerton. Pridham is one of eight seniors this year, including Brett Finkelstein, Chris Bernardi, George Malki, Ronald Medrano Williams, Kevin Atkins, Mike Hocker and Connor Dreschler.
us back at level terms with Northridge.” The men’s soccer team entered the game following consecutive losses against UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara. “We lost a few seniors this year, but we had younger guys stepping into their roles nicely,” Colvey said. “It was a good team feel and chemistry this year, which is what led to more goals, but we also gave up a lot of goals as well, which led to elimination from the playoffs.” Freshman winger Justin Dhillon is among the new talent the Mustangs acquired this year, and he scored the only goal for Cal Poly in the home game draw against UC Santa Barbara. “Words can’t even describe how I felt scoring the goal in front of all of the fans,” Dhillon said. “There was adrenaline flowing everywhere, and Cal Poly showed so much passion and love for the soccer team. The fans make playing so much more meaningful.” The Mustangs’ success as an overall unit this season can be attributed to the change in the team’s dynamic. “In the past two years we have really come together and jelled, and our players and coaching staff have come together at a better level,” Pridham said. “There is a positive change in the connection that has been built over the past two years. The chemistry and togetherness between the players and the coaching staff really pushed the team to the next level this year.” Even though the season just ended, the men’s soccer team has already started training for the 2014 season. “I’m involved in a weighttraining program that helps me to get better at conditioning,” Colvey said. “I might play in the Premier Develop-
ment League over summer, which will allow me to keep my game sharp.” One goal that the team looks toward is eventually winning an NCAA Big West championship, Colvey said. Pridham is one of eight seniors this year, including Brett Finkelstein, Chris Bernardi, George Malki, Ronald Medrano Williams, Kevin Atkins, Mike Hocker and Connor Dreschler. “I’m graduating in December, and my direct goal is to play at the professional level,” Pridham said. “I’ve been talking to professional coaches and agents, and I’m grinding to get myself ready for the combines in December. I want to go pro, whether that be in the MLS or overseas, and I want to keep pushing myself to see what I can accomplish and how far I can go.” Now that the season is over, the team reflected on how appreciative they are of the Cal Poly community. “I want to give a shout out to the Manglers for always supporting us,” Dhillon said. “It makes the team so much more pumped up, and it gives us a reason to keep fighting for our school. “It means so much to us, and the support helps us get through the tough times,” Pridham added. “We want to keep building the program and we want to get as many fans out there as we can. We’ve had some great times and good experiences, and some memories that I will never forget. I want to thank the coaches for the commitment that they have put into the program, and I hope to continue my legacy and represent Cal Poly as a whole in the future.” The Cal Poly men’s soccer team finished the 2013 season with a 10-9-2 overall record.
sports 10
Monday, December 2, 2013
Women’s basketball improves to 4-4
MUSTANG NEWS FILE PHOTO
MUSTANG NEWS STAFF REPORT
@CPMustangSports
The Cal Poly women’s basketball team won both games in the Holiday Beach Classic tournament held this past weekend. Cal Poly beat Akron
84-74 on Friday and then defeated San Francisco 76-65 on Saturday to improve to 4-4 on the season. In the victory against Akron, Cal Poly outrebounded the Zips 53-35 in a balanced team performance. Four players scored in double digits and
two had 10 or more rebounds. Senior center Molly Schlemer led the Mustangs with 23 points and recorded her fourth double-double of the season. Junior Ariana Elegado tallied 16 points with three shots converted from behind the arc. Senior guard Jonae
Ervin put up 14 points and 10 rebounds while junior Taryn Garza came off the bench to score 13. On Saturday, Cal Poly took down San Francisco with the help of 32 points from the bench. Junior Kristen Ale led the reserves in scoring with 12
points while sophomore Beth Balbierz tallied 11 points and Hannah Gilbert had seven points. Schlemer made nine of 12 from the floor to score a total of 21 points with 10 rebounds. Junior Ariana Elegado added 15 points and
Ervin scored eight. The Mustangs are now 4-4 and will face CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 7. Cal Poly has five games left until beginning conference play. Evan Morter contributed to this report.