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Volume L X X V I V, Number 4 0
Professor gender gap a work in progress Maria Zelada | Special to Mustang News Think for a minute. Try to remember how many female professors you’ve had at Cal Poly. If it’s a small number, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the ratio of male to female faculty is dis-
proportionately low. Cal Poly data has consistently shown a higher number of men filling positions. Barely one-third — 37 percent — of professors at Cal Poly are women, according to a 2012 institutional plan-
ning and analysis report. The gap is even wider among tenured and tenure-track faculty numbers, of whom only 31 percent are women. With national polls showing overwhelming support for women’s work equity and
President Barack Obama declaring a need to make women’s pay equal in January’s State of the Union, a debate has begun exploring the historical context of the issue and other effects inequality has on institutions.
“Things are changing; I think that’s a really important thing for people to recognize,” said Jody Lisberger, a visiting women’s and gender studies professor who gave a talk at Cal Poly about the lack of
women in universities nationwide. “They change slowly, because there is such a weight of history in the gender division of labor.” >>
see WOMEN, pg 2.
CARLY RICK ARDS | MANAGING EDITOR
THE 37 PERCENT | Jody Lisberger (above), a visiting women’s and gender studies professor, said historical divisions of labor make it difficult for women to close the salary gap with men.
At least 3 students running for ASI president Bengy Egel and Sean McMinn @BenjyEgel @shmcminn With the Associated Students, Inc. candidate filing deadline nearing on Friday, at least three students have said they will run for the student government presidency in 2014. Political science senior Joi Sullivan, civil engineering junior Connor Paquin and agricultural business junior Jacob Rogers have all told Mustang News they are running for president. Mustang News will provide more information on each of the candidates as it becomes available. >>
JOI SULLIVAN
CONNOR PAQUIN
JACOB ROGERS
see ASI, pg 3.
PASS THE BOTTLE: Beer sharing in SLO Nick Larson & Jake Devincenzi @njlarson8 @jake_devincenzi PREVIEW
JOSEPH PACK | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Fortier brings pro look to men’s hoops Jefferson P. Nolan @Jefferson_Nolan DAVID JANG | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PREVIEW Former Washington assistant coach and pro basketball player Paul Fortier joined the Cal Poly men’s basketball team this year looking to improve the Mustangs’ recruiting efforts and play in the post. >>
see FORTIER, pg 12.
Having attended their first bottle sharing party, your trusty beer columnists Nick Larson and Jake Devincenzi are back with a column on their experience. And, if you’re intrigued, they cordially invite you to their very first whale party. Sit down, drank.>>
see BOTTLE, pg 6.
News... 1-4 | Arts... 5-7 | Opinion & Arts... 8 | Best For... 9 | Classifieds... 10 | Sports... 11-12
NEWS | 2
Thursday, February 27, 2014
CSSA urges Chancellor White to hear student input on semester conversion Hannah Croft @hannahcat7 The California State Students Association (CSSA) is on Cal Poly students’ side. The CSSA voted to submit a resolution to California State University (CSU) Chancellor Timothy White regarding the quarter-to-semester conversion of Cal Poly as well as Cal Poly Pomona and California State Universities East Bay,
San Bernadino, Bakersfield and Los Angeles. In their January meeting, the CSSA read the resolution, which they began working on in December. This past weekend, they read it again and voted to pass the resolution on to the chancellor’s office. It urges Chancellor White to allow for student input on the switch from quarters to semesters. The CSSA represents the entire CSU system and carries more weight than individual
APRIL President Jeffrey Armstrong introduced the possibility of converting to semesters: “If I had to make a call today, I’d say we should look really seriously about converting.”
voices, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) President Jason Colombini said in an earlier interview with Mustang News, and their support may mean more to the chancellor. Colombini has been at the forefront of the resolution from day one and has expressed a desire to maintain Cal Poly’s quarter system. “We wanted to see if we could take it one step higher,” Colombini said. The goal of the resolution,
NOVEMBER
OCTOBER Semester Review Task Force began meeting to study what it would take to convert to semesters. Associated Students, Inc. administered a survey to gauge how semesters would affect students.
The issue is not unique to Cal Poly, with universities throughout the nation discovering problems with unequal pay and disproportionate ratios of women to men, as well as minorities. “At Cal Poly, and at every university in the country, women — for the same job — are earning less than men,” Lisberger said. At Cal Poly, there are only 197 female tenured and tenure-track faculty, while there are 436 men — a significant disparity, Lisberger said. Lisberger said departments that traditionally have more female professors, such as those in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), pay their employees considerably less. “You can see that faculty in
the College of Liberal Arts, a field believed to be less sophisticated and worthy of less money than these other highly commodified productoriented occupations, are almost across the board paid substantially less than other faculty,” she said. Out of the university’s six colleges, the College of Liberal Arts has the most female tenured or tenure-track faculty at 46 percent, according to Martha Cody, Cal Poly’s employment equity director. While the average salaries of faculty in the College of Engineering and College of Architecture and Environmental Design (CAED) — two typically male-dominated areas — are above $85,000 and $79,000, respectively, Cody said the average salary for CLA faculty is only about $73,056. Even within departments,
DECEMBER
the ones that have the most vested interest in this, are the ones who are determining whether or not we switch,” Colombini said. Each CSU has a particular strength, Colombini said. Whether it’s nursing or architecture, those strengths contribute to a diverse 23-campus system. “What’s to say that being on quarters or semesters isn’t also part of the diversity of the CSU?” he said.
The resolution was approved in a 23-0 vote, which sends the “strongest message possible,” according to Colombini. The CSSA executive board will send the resolution to White. It will be treated much like an advisory vote on campus, and does not need to be honored by White. “It’s up to his prerogative,” Colombini said. “But we’ve done everything we really can. This is the last thing we can think of.”
MARCH
Results of the ASI survey were inconclusive about whether students would want to stay on semesters, but students and groups across campus were opposed.
2012
Women continued from pg 1.
he said, was to ensure the decision-making processes would be dialogues, not demands. Three schools — Bakersfield, Los Angeles and San Bernadino — are already in the process of converting. The CSSA wants to see students and faculty included in the conversion process as well as in the decision-making process for those who have yet to start the conversion. ‘“We want to make sure that the students and faculty,
Cal Poly announced it would begin converting to semesters by the end of the decade, per a compromise between campus presidents and CSU Chancellor Timothy White.
2013
The Semester Review Task Force released a lengthy report, advising administrators to keep Cal Poly on quarters.
differences can be seen. In the CLA, College of Engineering and CAED, women are, on average, paid less than their male colleagues. Not only are female faculty receiving less pay and less presence in colleges, but females in male-dominated departments can be forced to overcompensate in their skills to compete with their male counterparts. Lizabeth Schlemer, an industrial and manufacturing engineering professor, said she knows it all too well. “Women have to work harder, be smarter, which isn’t very fair, but it’s the way that I’ve survived,” she said. Women, Schlemer said, are often forced to chose between a family and a career. “It’s kind of a hard road to get to be a professor; you have to go to school forever,” she said. “A lot of the time
that you’re doing this hard work is just around your child-bearing years. I think a lot of people don’t choose it for that reason.” The issues facing Cal Poly are definitely a problem, Cody said, and the university is working to combat it. “Having more women as faculty is important because it provides students with role models, and we want to take full advantage of all the talents that women have in the workforce,” she said. “We are really cheating ourselves if we don’t.”
President Jeffrey Armstrong said there could now be flexibility with semester conversion, and a time frame for switching isn’t as concrete as it seemed in March.
SEPTEMBER
FEBRUARY Ninety percent of student voters declared support for quarters in an advisory vote.
NOVEMBER
Semesters appeared to be off the radar for President Jeffrey Armstrong, who said he wasn’t going to focus on conversion for at least four years, and would keep quiet on the issue in the meantime.
Several initiatives have recently been set in motion, including a review and revision of academic personnel policies to increase diversity, as well as a campus climate survey that will gauge attitudes toward diversity at Cal Poly. With all these steps, Cody said, there has been a slow progression in the situation. “The trend is going in the right direction,” she said. “We have more women in many departments and colleges, but we need to continue our efforts. We’re not where we want to be yet.”
Lisberger, whose visiting professorship will finish at the end of winter quarter, said to have a more equitable workforce to take place, privileges may have to be shared. “When you have these gendered systems that are so historically entrenched, it takes time to change them,” she said. “It not only takes time, there is only a finite number of resources. In order to bring a certain group up, it is possible that a number of groups will need to give up or share some of their preferential treatment.”
“Having more women as faculty is important because it provides students with role models, and we want to take advantage of all the talents that women have.” MARTHA CODY | CAL POLY EMPLOYMENT EQUITY DIRECTOR
CARLY RICK ARDS | MANAGING EDITOR
WORKING WOMAN | “Women have to work harder, be smarter, which isn’t very fair, but it’s the way that I’ve survived,” Lizabeth Schlemer, an industrial and manufcaturing engineering professor, said.
NEWS | 3
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Inter Housing Council rolls out new office Aja Frost @ajavuu As Cal Poly’s on-campus population continues to grow, the organization responsible for transmitting those students’ voices is growing as well. Inter Housing Council (IHC), the student government group that represents all on-campus student residents, has doubled its number of officers in the past year, added a new Representative at Large position, increased programming two fold and opened a new office, called ROLO. “ROLO stands for Residential Outreach and Leadership Office,” IHC President and mechanical engineering sophomore Marcus Pereira said. “If you have an issue on campus, you can go there and find someone to talk about it with. And get Rolo candies.” The office — located in the Cerro Vista community center — is staffed by IHC officers, the Cal Poly Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary and the presidents of each hall and apartment complex’s Community Council. ROLO is open Monday 10-4 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 9-4 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. It exists as
a place for students to ask questions and share concerns related to housing. “We take what people say and discuss it at our Friday meetings with the president of each residence hall and the executive board,” Pereira said. “We may not be able to solve the problem ourselves, but we’re probably students’ best shot at being heard. We have direct communication with a lot of those housing administrators.” Recent issues students have brought to IHC’s attention include Campus Dining and inadequate lighting on one of the paths to Poly Canyon Village (PCV). “We haven’t seen too many people come in,” Pereira said. “But we think that’s mainly because people don’t know about it.” According to coordinator for the Transitions and Connections learning communities Ben Meoz, ROLO gets approximately one to three visitors per week — and they’re usually the same one to three people. “Right now, the on-campus voice only comes out when there’s a catalyst — something specific,” Meoz said. “There isn’t a constant voice for our on-campus students, so that’s why IHC wanted an office.” Before, there was an office in PCV, but it was inconve-
nient for freshman and difficult to find, so they moved to Cerro Vista, Meoz said. Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) President and agricultural business senior Jason Colombini was president of IHC when the office was located in PCV. “It was hidden away in Huasna,” Colombini said. “An office like the Cerro Vista one was what we always dreamed of.” The physical move characterizes IHC’s shift towards having a bigger presence at Cal Poly. “In our future, I can see us taking on a much, much stronger role — because as we move toward a residential campus, the number of students that IHC represents and that ASI represents grows closer and closer,” Pereira said. Colombini and Pereira meet at least once a month to strengthen the partnership between the two organizations. “It’s a great connection,” Colombini said. “There’s a huge on-campus population now, the highest percentage out of all the CSUs. So IHC helps us figure out what’s going on with the freshman and the on-campus students and the pulse of the population.” Colombini and Meoz agreed as IHC grows, it will have to figure out how to balance the
SOPHIA LIU | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
#ROLO | Inter Housing Council’s newest office answers students’ housing-related questions.
“ROLO stands for Residential Outrech and Leadership Office. If you have an issue on campus, you can go there and find someone to talk about it with. And get Rolo candies.” MARCUS PEREIRA | IHC PRESIDENT increased interests it’s responsible for protecting. “The more and more current students who live on campus, the more and more issues are important for IHC,” Meoz said. “It chang-
es the nature of what issues they engage in and how they react.” However, Pereira, Colombini and Meoz expressed confidence that IHC will be able to adapt.
“It’s changed a lot in the past two years, and that’s encouraging; that means it’s getting better,” Colombini said. “If it were the same as when I left it two years ago, I’d be concerned.”
Meet 3 potential ASI presidential candidates Benjy Egel Sean McMinn @benjyegel @shmcminn Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) presidential candidates have until Friday to officially file their candidacy, but three students have already thrown their hats into the ring. Connor Paquin Civil engineering junior Connor Paquin’s decision to run didn’t come from decades of interest in politics or a longstanding vision of topping Associated Student, Inc.’s (ASI) organizational chart — he just thinks he’d fit the job. “Having information I have, two years in ... I know what the students need, and I know what the students deserve — and their qualities in a leader,” he said. “And that is why I’m running, because I know I can get the students to that point.” Paquin has served on the ASI Board of Directors for two years, most recently holding a spot on the business and finance committee. Recently, he’s worked on legislation to “support students” regarding the ongoing policy discussions of greek life party registration. Paquin is involved in current discussions to present a resolution to the Board, but he declined to go into detail before the proposal
reaches an ASI committee. The most recent recommendation from ASI to keep Cal Poly on semesters also included Paquin’s name as a co-author, and he said at the time he wanted to show California State University Chancellor Timothy White that “this is not a dictatorship with the chancellor on top.” “If we don’t like something he does, let’s tell him about it,” Paquin said. Citing campaign rules, Paquin declined when asked to go into specifics about his platform. But he said ASI, under his administration, would see a larger emphasis on pushing campus officials to adhere to students’ requests, rather than just relaying their concerns. “I think that’s something we can definitely improve on,” Paquin said. “That’s something we can always improve on. It’s not necessarily knowing we need to do that, but it’s also, ‘How do we get there?’” Joi Sullivan Joi Sullivan, a political science senior who will graduate in June after just three years at Cal Poly, is hopeful this election cycle will give her a better result than the last. In 2013, she was the campaign manager for lastplace candidate Nate Honeycutt, who netted fewer than 1,000 votes. She also lost her own bid for the Board of Directors in the College of Liberal Arts.
Citing campaign rules, Sullivan declined to comment for this article other than confirming she would run for president. But longtime friend and ASI coworker Daniel Wasta said if Sullivan turns it around, she would have an “efficient and effective” presidency. “I know when I talk to her about some things she wishes she could do, she always says she would want there to be a lot of outreach to students,” said Wasta, who ran for president and lost in 2013. “She’s a very determined leader and very energetic leader, and she’s really good when she’s able to go along with a project — and she always sees it through to the end.” Earlier this year, Sullivan praised ASI President Jason Colombini for his work reaching out to students and having a more student-driven focus than his predecessors. She’s also a supporter of his office hours, a new program this year to further reach out to students. Sullivan is currently a member of the ASI executive cabinet, which was appointed by Colombini. During the year, she sat on the recruitment and development committee, which shapes the rules for campaigning and governs ASI elections. When asked about her involvement on the committee, Sullivan said she recently switched to the outreach and communication
committee. She referred further questions to Board of Directors Chair Tatiana Prestininzi, who said Sullivan was moved after a discussion between herself and the recruitment committee chair. Recruitment committee bylaws require candidates for student government to become nonvoting members when they decide to run. Jake Rogers This year’s ASI president is from a walnut farm in the Central Valley — could another ag man be headed for office? Agricultural business junior and Agriculture Student Council President Jake Rogers confirmed he will run for president, but declined to interview about his campaign. Most of Rogers’ contributions to Cal Poly have come from his work in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES), though he has no current position in Cal Poly’s student government. Rogers has been involved in the Agricultural Business Management Club since he was a freshman, when he first caught the eye of the club’s current president, agricultural business senior Jacqueline Van Ruiten. “He was that freshman who was always asking me how he could help and introducing himself to make sure we were aware of him,” Van Ruiten said. “By spring
quarter everyone was like, ‘Oh, Jake. I know him.’” Van Ruiten got to know Rogers even better after he became a board member in his sophomore year. He also joined the National Agricultural Marketing Association and is the vice president of Young Cattlemen at Cal Poly. Cattle, however, don’t ask their leader to fund concerts and lower tuition costs.
But Van Ruiten said Rogers’ skills and drive in the agricultural world would translate easily to student government. “His work ethic is so amazing,” she said. “He’s someone I admire just (because) of his ability to handle the challenges that come his way ... He’s so aware of what’s going on. He’ll always use his experiences to look forward and make a positive impact.” MUSTANG NEWS FILE PHOTO
THE RACE BEGINS | Presidential candidacy filing ends Friday.
NEWS | 4
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Cal Poly’s extended education programs out of this world Sam Sullivan @ssulli04 Cal Poly is offering a new type of program that’s “out of this world” — a certificate in space systems technologies. The certificate was developed in keeping with the idea of the working engineer, aerospace engineering department chair Eric Mehiel said. More specifically, the certificate is aimed at the engineer who works in the aerospace industry but is not an aerospace engineer, he said. The idea is to allow them to learn more about the specific technologies that would traditionally be considered aerospace engineering technologies. “So somebody who, say, is a programmer with a com-
puter science background,” Mehiel said. “But is working up at one of the big contractors that wants to know more about orbital dynamics, and how all that works, and how their software piece would fit into that spacecraft that’s orbiting the earth.” The certificate is offered as a hybrid program, similar to many others offered through Cal Poly. The program can, therefore, be taken online. Cal Poly facilities will be used to broadcast the class, so students are not required to come to Cal Poly at any point in the program, according to Mehiel. However, they can if they are local, he said. While the certificate program isn’t the first of its kind, Mehiel said there
aren’t many schools doing “purely the space side of the aerospace industry.” Certificate programs are smaller than regular master’s programs. The space systems technologies program is 16 units. Certificates are also more focused, said Brian Tietje, vice provost of international, graduate and extended education. “It’s designed to be a pretty narrow, specialized area of expertise,” he said. Requirements to get into the program include a bachelor’s degree in engineering (or relevant field) with a minimum 3.0 GPA and at least two years of engineering work experience. The space systems technology program is a selfsupported program, meaning the fees students pay
cover the full cost of the program. Tietje said they estimate what the enrollment will be, factor in salary for the lecturer along with other costs and charge the students accordingly. The courses are all graduate courses, so if the student decides to go to a full master’s degree later, credits from the certificate can apply toward it, Tietje said. According to Tietje, the target audience for the program probably doesn’t live in San Luis Obispo, or they are students who might have a degree from another university. They probably can’t afford to quit their jobs and “live in SLO and pursue their academic pursuits,” he said. “We’re doing that to meet the needs of the market,” Tietje said.
DYLAN SUN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
FLIGHT | Cal Poly’s aerospace engineering department also has plenty of its own space technology, including a flight simulater.
Exhibit chronicles Civil Rights with old newspapers Elyse Lopez Special to Mustang News “Strive and Struggle” is a traveling exhibit that documents the history of the Civil Rights Movement on Cal Poly’s campus through old Mustang Daily articles. The articles focus on the black student leadership of the time, said Catherine Trujillo, who oversees the exhibit program. “(These students) laid the groundwork for all the change that came to Cal Poly,” Trujillo said. After Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, campuses around the country erupted in violence and protests. “Our students — although it was very tense — they remained peaceful in their protest and created change,” Trujillo said. One of the results of black student leadership in the 1960s is the selection of ethnic studies courses available
today, she said. “Before, there were no ethnic studies courses,” Trujillo said. “Black students taught ethnic studies off campus.” Other contributions the students made were establishing the MultiCultural Center, creating black sororities and fraternities, forming a black student union and having major activists, such as Myrlie Evers, speak on campus. Trujillo said she hopes students will be inspired by the alumni. “We want students to know that their voice matters, and to ask questions and advocate for positive culture on campus,” she said. The exhibit was created by the Robert E. Kennedy Library and history department graduate students. The exhibit will remain in the Julian A. McPhee University Union (UU) until March 3.
PHOTOS BY JOSEPH PACK | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE PAST IN PRINT | Cal Poly’s University Union exhibit tells the story of the Civil Rights movement using old Mustang Daily articles.
ARTS | 5
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Laugh it up at SLO Comedy Fest Brenna Swanston @BrennaSwanston The fourth annual SLO Comedy Festival will have San Luis Obispo buckled over in laughter this weekend, bringing in 48 comics from around the country to perform at the four-day event. Festival director Mark Fry has worked with the SLO Comedy Festival since its inception. Fry and his fellow festival directors live in Los Angeles, but chose to hold the festival in San Luis Obispo because the town is so much fun, Fry said. “Everybody who comes here is like, ‘Oh my gosh, this town is awesome,’” he said. “It makes you want to bring a good show to the town. We show the town the comics, but also, the comics want to see the town.” San Luis Obispo has turned out enjoyable audiences for the festival in past years, Fry said. “It’s so awesome,” he said. “It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. There are such great crowds, and people are coming just to have a great time.” Comic Jessica Michelle Singleton will perform at the SLO Comedy Festival this year for the second time. “I’m looking forward to it,” Singleton said. “It’s one of my favorite festivals. Every show we did last year was super packed, and everyone was really supportive and excited for the comedy. I really just like the people of the town.” Singleton enjoyed the camaraderie among the festival’s talented group of com-
ics, she said. “The energy of the comedians and the group — it’s like going to comedy summer camp,” she said. The festival runs Thursday through Sunday, with various locations at 10 venues around San Luis Obispo. Each venue fills to the brim for festival events, raking in anywhere from 50 people at the Steynberg Gallery to 800 at Fremont Theater. Fry said the festival’s attendance has grown every year, in part because it accommodates all types of comedy tastes. “If you like clean comedy, or if you like middle of the road — not so clean, but not crazy dirty — and if you like dirty, we have a show that can tickle your funny bone,” Fry said. Creekside Brewery hosts a series of festival events on both Friday and Saturday nights. The first event of the evening is “SLOcase” at 6 p.m. on both nights, which permits all ages to enjoy clean comedy. The second, at 7:45 p.m., is “The Quipsters,” for ages 18 and over. Finally, “Only the Nasty Survive” starts at 10 p.m. and is reserved for ages 21 and up. The festival offers specials for college students. Both “SLOcase” and “Battle of the Sexes,” which runs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at Marston’s Bar and Grill, will sell tickets for $5 with a student ID. “It is a college town,” Fry said. “The students run the town. We were here one time when school was out of session, and it was literally like a ghost town.”
The festival mostly consists of stand-up comedy, with the exception of musical duo T&A as well as Kris Rubio, who performs comedic music using a looper. “In years to come, we’d like to branch out to podcasts, to sketch, improvisation,” Fry said. “The sky is the limit, and the festival can only get bigger.” The festival is held “European style,” meaning it is a showcase of comics rather than a contest between them. “It makes it so much better,” Fry said. “All the shows are showcase style, so it’ll be eight comics, including a host, and they’ll be doing eight minutes each. So you’ll have a comic who’s been doing it five years in with a comic who’s been doing it 25 years.” The festival is selective; 48 comics are chosen from a pool of more than 400 applicants. Comic Charlene Mae applied for the SLO Comedy Festival twice in the past before getting accepted this year. Mae most looks forward to working with other attending comics, she said. “The backdrop is really beautiful, but to work with all this talent and all these headliners is going to be really fun,” Mae said. The festivities kick off at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday at Tap It Brewing Co. with “Tap the Funny,” for ages 21 and up. Events will run throughout the weekend until the allages 7:30 p.m. Sunday show at Fremont Theater, entitled “Best of the Fest,” when the top six audience-voted comics will perform.
COURTESY PHOTO
LMAO | SLO Comedy Festival is set for this weekend and will feature comics from around the country.
ARTS | 6
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Pass the bottle: Beer sharing in SLO Nick Larson and Jake Devincenzi @njlarson8 and @jake_devincenzi Kinesiology senior Nick Larson and aerospace engineering senior Jake Devincenzi are Mustang News beer columnists. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Beer people are the best people. Period. Over the past five months of writing this column, we have had the opportunity to meet dozens of fantastic people willing to spend hours enjoying, talking about and nerding out over nothing but beer. Trying different beers, though extremely enjoyable, is only a small fraction of the reason we enjoy learning this craft so much. The stories you hear, the people you meet and the experiences you never
even imagined possible are why getting involved in the growing beer world is so rewarding. This story is a testament to that fact. After our early columns, one of the Central Coast’s craft beer distributors sent us an email introducing herself and inviting us to join her and her husband at a “tap takeover” in downtown San Luis Obispo to meet some people in the craft beer world and, of course, drink beer. After quickly casting aside the notion that a Thursday night immediately before one of us had to give an 8 a.m. presentation might not be the best time to enjoy 19 New Belgium craft beers on tap ... we accepted. We went, drank beer and met some awesome people. As promised in the email, the Central Coast’s “cutest beer-distributing couple” conversed about
The stories you hear, the people you meet and the experiences you never imagined possible are why getting involved in the growing beer world is so rewarding.
beer with us to our young livers’ content, and the necessity of future such beer excursions were obvious. Flash forward two months and 100 or so beers: our favorite beer couple invites us to what they called a “Whale Party.” Naturally, we were intrigued. A little confused, but certainly intrigued. As we would come to find out, a “whale” in craft beer is a highly sought-after beer, usually on the more expensive and rare end of the craft beer price spectrum. We were “jokingly” told that we would not be let in if we didn’t bring some impressive bottles — ”jokingly” in quotes because we did not want to risk it. After much deliberation, we finally settled on a few bottle-aged reserve beers from Deschutes, The Bruery, Dogfish Head and pre-buyout Goose Island, and made our way, widemouthed and bushy-tailed, to what would turn into the most impressive display of craft beer we have ever experienced. If you have ever been to or seen pictures of our house, you might have noticed our walls are adorned with nearly 400 unique 22-ounce bottles we have consumed since moving in. We’ve heard it can be slightly overwhelming. Now imagine walking into a room and seeing that same thing ... except that every bottle is full ... and barrelaged ... and you are allowed to drink all of them. That is essentially what this party consisted of. We were
Something’s Brewing handed a glass and told two rules: “If you brought it, you open it,” and “anything open and on the table is fair game.” It was like being handed the keys to beer heaven, and we wasted no time swimming with these angelic whales. We got there a little late because of some trivial previous engagements (class or something), so fermented goodness was already flowing. We cracked open our 2012 Pere Jacques and poured small tastes for ourselves and a few beer nerds around us. It was enjoyable, but other bottles caught our eyes. A magnum (aka a big-ass bottle) of Stone’s 10th Anniversary IPA was just being popped, and our jaws dropped. For those of you who are unaware, Stone Brewing Co. was started in 1996, meaning their 10th anniversary was in 2006. Doing a little bit of math, that means this brew
was bottled when we were adorned with braces, virginity and terrible hair — 14 years old. You don’t normally age IPAs, but hell, rules were meant to be broken. It was like drinking craft beer history, and boy, oh boy, was it some tasty history. Throughout the next two hours, we tasted more beers than we could count (an inevitable side effect of unlimited beer). Some highlights consisted of a nice tasting of Deschutes’ Barrel-Aged Black Butte porter (XXIII, XXIV and XXV Anniversary), a hearty fix of oldstyle barrel-aged rareness in The Bruery’s 2012 Fruet, and a rare, 12.5 percent abv, 100+ IBU “Black Label” version of Drake’s Hopocalypse. The Drake’s brew was particularly interesting, as it was a barrel-aged Imperial IPA in which the typical sweet body of a barrel-aged Imperial somehow accen-
tuated the strong bittering hops that stuck around long after each delicious sip, as well as the aromatic tropical hops that pleased our nasal passages upon tasting. We were also given the opportunity to taste a whale we had been chasing for a while: The Bruery’s Black Tuesday. This stout, clocking in at more than 18 percent abv, had a pleasingly heavy malt body, coupled with cocoa, bourbon, coffee and caramel notes. It was so intensely enjoyable that, in comparison, we could barely taste one of our favorite Proprietor’s Reserve bottles that we sampled soon after. That bottle will remain unnamed, but know it normally pleasingly overpowers any palate with its 4-year aged bourbon body. The only stout that put up a fight was from
see SHARE, pg 7.
ARTS | 7
Thursday, February 27, 2014 Share continued from pg 6. a new brewery to our young palates: Nebraska Brewing Company. The best thing out of Nebraska since ... ever, the brandy barrelaged, bottle-conditioned Sexy Betty Imperial Stout blew us away. This 10 percent abv stout pleased every taste bud with a pleasant initial chocolatey sweetness and lasting dry bitterness upon swallowing, all
the while hinting at a sweet, fruity hop profile heightened by the brandy barrels. If you ever see it in this area, please let us know! We could write all day about the experiences and beers we shared at what can only be described as a full-blown beer orgy, but we are only allowed so much space. However, this event inspired us to hold a Whale Party of our own. Whether you are just starting to like craft beer or you know more
about beer than we do (we know plenty of you do), we would love nothing more than to meet and talk with fellow beer enthusiasts and aspiring beer nerds. So, if anything in this column got your juices flowing, you want to try a bunch of good beer, win a prize with some trivia and hang out for a couple hours talking about beer, we’re inviting you to the first-ever Nick and Jake’s College-Budget Whale Party!
Nick and Jake’s College-Budget
Whale Party DATE: Friday, March 7th TIME: 6 - 9 p.m. LOCATION: 860 Del Rio Ave., San Luis Obispo
Beer Rules: 1. One bottle per person entry fee. $10 minimum bottle price. 2. Bring something new! The more obscure or rare, the better. We’ve tried a heck of a lot of beers, so shoot for something unique. 3. We will have a fun, quick trivia game covering multiple topics, including beer. The winners get a cool prize. 4. All-you-can-drink, but be respectful. The purpose of this party is to taste and talk about a variety of different beers, not to get drunk. Safety Rules: 1. If you come, you have to be 21. No exceptions. DD’s are fantastic, but we won’t let anyone in that is not 21. Sorry. 2. Be safe. The location is a few miles from campus, so make arrangements to take the bus or buy a friend a beer to drive you. More Information: If you have any questions about the Whale Party or what to bring, follow us on Twitter and shoot us a message.
Getting crafty at SLO Craft Beer Fest
Kelly Trom @kttrom Beer geeks, unite. The fourth annual SLO Craft Beer Festival is bringing more than 40 different breweries together on March 1 from 1-5 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo Veterans Memorial Building. Attendees certainly won’t be tasting the average Coors Light and Pabst Blue Ribbon brands. Instead, more obscure beers that are soured and higher octane will be featured at the festival. “The reason we like to do events like this is to encourage people to try beers they might not try otherwise,” festival organizer Michael Gasbarra said. “Beer has been a part of our culture around the world for many centuries. Now, with the current craft beer move-
ment, people are discovering craft beer has its own culture.” The event is sponsored by the Craft Beer Coalition and has grown every year since its start in 2011, Craft Beer Coalition official spokesperson Terence Collins said. “It started off very small and intricate,” Collins said. “Every year, we have been able to get higher-quality beers and more participation in the event. I would say that we are growing by around 30-50 percent every year.” The festival draws beer enthusiasts from all over California. They flock to beers aged in bourbon, scotch or rum barrels, beers that have been intentionally soured or beers that have had unusual additions to them. Central Coast Distributing is one of the companies responsible for bringing new beers to the festival. Bryan Rounds, the on-premise sales manager for Central Coast Distributing, said San Luis Obispo is a great city to bring together many different breweries. “We are in the middle of California,” Rounds said. “You can drive three or four hours north or south and you are in some of the greatest beer areas in the world, and we are right smack dab in the middle of it.” Central Coast Distributing is bringing approxi-
mately 75 different beers for attendees to try from all over California. New Belgium Brewing Company will bring its new Snapshot Wheat and Spring Blonde to the festival, instead of its more widely known Fat Tire. “What I try to bring to this particular festival are brands that are new, that haven’t been released or are just released,” Rounds said. “Or that aren’t as widely available, maybe more beercentric or geeky-type beers.” Some of the more well-known beers will have a slightly different twist to them. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Torpedo will be served in cans. “Cans are gaining in popularity,” Rounds said. “It is a new way to store and serve beer. With this festival, we can show the average consumer that canned beer is not just for cheap beers, the 30-pack that you can pick up at Albertson’s.” Brewery reps and brewers themselves will be at the various booths to serve beer and educate festival-goers about the different beers they will be consuming. “There is going to be a lot of brewery reps on hand where you can really, as a beer fan, get to talk to the people who represent the beer day in and day out,” Rounds said. “You can learn a little bit more about the different beers that you are about to taste.” If that’s not enough to
see BEER, pg 8.
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Thursday February 27, 2014
‘Stand your ground’ saves no one Zachary Antoyan is a political science senior and Mustang News liberal columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion or editorial coverage of Mustang News. I’ll start with a full disclosure: I don’t own a gun. And here is another one: I’ve never been in a potentially life-threatening situation. Sure, I’ve come close to hitting a car on my longboard, but I’ve never been threatened by another person. I cannot imagine the fear; I cannot imagine the rationale. So, in some sense, I am in no way qualified to comment on the legislation that permits a person to use lethal force when they feel threatened by another person. Nevertheless, here I stand totally and utterly opposed to laws supporting anything that involves “standing your ground.” This legislation has, for the past few years, been the driving force behind numerous landmark cases in which someone took the life of another because they felt threatened. Trayvon Martin is the most notable of these instances, but more recently, we can look to the altercation between Curtis Reeves and Chad Oulson. Sitting in a movie theatre, Oulson pulled out his phone to text the babysitter about how his child was doing. Seeing this, Reeves, a retired police officer, started an argument over the use of the phone. Things escalated,
and Oulson threw popcorn at Reeves. Reeves responded by pulling out his gun and fatally shooting Oulson in the middle of the theatre. I like to poke fun at political events. Watching others get heated and argue over legislation is funny if you come at it from the right angles. I cannot find a single way to poke fun at this, just as I cannot see a single reason for a person to respond with a bullet to popcorn being thrown at them. Here is the most difficult part: Reeves claims a punch from Oulson was thrown, and, most importantly, Reeves felt as if he was truly in danger. This is is where “stand your ground” laws complicate things, by allowing the use of deadly force in the protection of their property or their body. This is different than, say, self-defense cases in which a person is only allowed to use lethal force if there is no other option. Instead, stand your ground laws permit that should you genuinely feel that you are being threatened, you are justified in killing the aggressor, even if you have the option to flee. A recent article in the New York Times by Firmin DeBrabander responds to the proliferation of these laws very succinctly: “I believe that Stand Your Ground has already done damage to civil society by encouraging gun owners to carry their weapons in public, and reach for them quickly, instinctively. It promises to escalate minor altercations into deadly conflicts. And the law will surely motivate others to be armed, too, if only to protect
Keenan Donath is an economics sophomore and Mustang News sports columnist. Primetime college sports are at the height of their popularity. Big athletic programs now have the ability to reach a national audience and attract a diverse portfolio of corporate sponsors — and these schools are reaping the benefits. After winning last year’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship, the University of Louisville reported earnings more than $25 million. This opportunity for profit has created an incentive for many programs to recruit big-time talent, even if the athletes are vastly underprepared for college coursework. A recent investigation conducted by CNN found that between seven and 18 percent of athletes in the profit-driven sports (basketball and football) read at an elementary
school level. But the injustice doesn’t end there. Many universities have also been known to give improper and favorable academic assistance to their studentathletes. While the NCAA has cracked down on many schools, including recent BCS National Champion Florida State, for academic scandals, these practices still exist and have become ingrained in a college culture where student-athletes are seen as less student and more athlete. How, then, does Cal Poly — a school known for its academics — deal with this compromising situation? Carly Head, academic advisor for Cal Poly Athletics, stressed the importance of responsibility. “For every student, they have challenges depending on what quarter it is and what classes there are, but our students know that it is their responsibility to take care of their academics first, because without their academics they aren’t going to have their athletics,” Head said.
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“My pussy is.”
themselves from triggerhappy citizens like Reeves … Stand Your Ground propels us into the worst kind of armed society.” Compared to self-defense laws, these new laws promote a “shoot first, ask questions later” mentality, in which we naturally feel use of deadly force is permissible whenever we feel threatened. Speaking of which, thresholds for feeling threatened remain a vague and abstract concept. If my initial instinct when I start to get uncomfortable is reactive or even preemptive, and I grab my concealed weapon and fire, what does that say about my expectations going into any social situ-
ation? Have we really fostered a society that fears going outside without a firearm? Can we instead carry non-lethal weapons such as Tasers? As stated before, I cannot attest to what it feels like to be threatened, but is it too much to ask for cooler heads to prevail in these heated situations? “Stand your ground” laws have emboldened citizens to believe the most real form of freedom and autonomy is carrying something that has the power to end the life of another human being. It then provides the legal justification for anyone who “feels threatened,” a loose term that can be defined
and used in too many ways. And so far, it has resulted in the unintended escalation of confrontations into murders. Zimmerman got off because of these laws, and so did Michael Dunn, a man who thought he saw a shotgun (even though there wasn’t any weapon to be found), and fired his pistol into a car full of teens, killing one of them, when he could have just driven away. He could have just driven away. He could have just moved to a different seat. He could have just left the boy alone. But he didn’t. This is Zachary Antoyan, thinking that I’d rather you tase me, bro, than shoot me. Have a safe week everyone.
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In addition to responsibility, Head thinks Cal Poly’s focus on studious habits has an effect on athletes. “When you go to the library and you see that there are hundreds of other students there studying, that makes it easier to get up and go to the library,” she said. Student-athletes are also motivated by their coaches, who keep a watchful eye over their players’ grades. Head meets with coaches often, she said. “Our coaches here at Cal Poly are so much a part of the success of our studentathletes; their responsibility is to keep these students accountable,” Head said. The minimum GPA the NCAA requires for an athlete to compete is 2.0, but Cal Poly coaches have a higher standard. Head said coaches often set their minimum team GPA significantly higher. Athletes have the option to receive one-on-one tutoring that is meant to accommodate a hectic schedule. Head is in charge of the
athlete-tutoring program at Cal Poly and makes sure all the student tutors she employs know the regulations of the NCAA. Tutors are even warned not to buy any meals for their students, as it could be seen as an “extra benefit.” When asked if she is ever concerned about possible NCAA infractions, Head coolly responded: “We haven’t had a violation; part of the reason for that is hiring the correct people, people that understand the significance of the NCAA.” And the results are in the scores. Many Cal Poly athletic teams have achieved outstanding academic NCAA recognition. The Academic Progress Report, released for all Division I schools several weeks ago, returned above average scores for all athletic teams. The report labels 900 as the minimum score for any athletic team to compete in their respective seasons. Thirteen of Cal Poly’s 20 athletic teams improved their scores from the previous report, with the women’s swimming and diving team and the men’s golf and tennis teams achieving perfect scores of 1000. But there are more meaningful statistics, Cal Poly Athletics Director Don Oberhelman said. “For me, the ultimate goal is how you graduate your student-athletes, and we are at the same percentage as the regular students,” he said. When it comes to graduation rates, mere percentage points separate studentathletes and their peers. Student-athletes graduate at a 77.6 percent clip while the student body resides at 77.2 percent. The CNN investigation also found a significant “achievement gap” between athletes
and the general student population at many universities. This is not a problem at Cal Poly because of a high academic standard set during the recruiting process, Oberhelman said. “I don’t believe (that gap) exists here,” he said. “Our admissions standards for athletics are very close to what they are for the university. We have some special admits, as many other groups on campus do, but it’s not like we are admitting a student with a 2.3 high school GPA. We’re not. Because they can’t compete academically with the other students here.” Oberhelman believes the admission standards for athletics are among the most rigid in the state, but maintains
see ACADEMICS, pg 11. BEER continued from pg 8. quench attendees’ thirst for knowledge, they can also attend lectures at the event that will compare the different types of beer. This educational aspect is not something that can be found at every beer festival. “Some of the festivals that I have been to, they herd you like cattle; ‘Here’s your beer, go away,’” Rounds said. “Those are the kind of festivals that aren’t gaining in popularity. People want to walk away with something other than a hangover the next morning or a buzz that afternoon.” Online tickets for the festival are sold out. Those interested are encouraged to check with local ticket outlets Luis Wine Bar, Spikes Pub, Central Coast Brewing and Boo Boo Records.
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SPORTS | 11
Thursday, February 27, 2014 FORTIER continued from, pg 12. of what it would be like to be a coach. “We started watching video, and I started helping in recruiting and seeing who I wanted to play with,” Fortier said. “That’s how it started. I was a veteran, and there were these guys just out of college. I spoke
the language, and I would help them with everything. That’s when I decided that I wanted to stay in basketball and that I wanted to coach.” Following his retirement from professional basketball, Fortier returned to Seattle, where he finished his degree and served as a student assistant for the Huskies. After two years at Cornell University, Fortier returned
to Washington and was offered an assistant coaching position that specialized in mentoring post players. Those who went on to play professionally after Fortier’s guidance include Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes and Memphis Grizzlies forward Quincy Pondexter. During his eight seasons at Washington, Fortier assisted the Huskies to four NCAA
Tournament appearances, in addition to making the Sweet 16 in 2006 and 2010. Cal Poly sophomore forward Zach Gordon grew up watching Huskies basketball, and he remembers meeting Fortier when he was in high school attending a “Big Man” camp run by the then-assistant coach at Washington. Designed to develop the skills and abili-
JOSEPH PACK | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
FRENCH FORT | Assistant coach Paul Fortier played 17 pro seasons in Europe before joining Cal Poly’s coaching staff this year. ACADEMICS continued from, pg 8. that the athletic program is still faced with an expected amount of problems. “We have 550, total student-athletes and out of that number ... there is always
going to be one or two that aren’t getting done what they need to get done,” Oberhelman said. “There is going to be someone that is on academic probation. Out of 550, there are going to be a few that we have to worry about.” One athlete Oberhelman
doesn’t need to worry about is Kelsey Engel, a member of the swimming and diving team and a mechanical engineering senior. “It is difficult, sometimes, to keep up with the demands in the classroom and on the pool deck,” Engel said.
She explained the academic rigor of Cal Poly had a big impact on her decision to come to San Luis Obispo. “Cal Poly is a highly ranked engineering school, and that was very important to me, to go to a school with a good engineering program,” Engel said.
ties of post players, Gordon got a preview of the mentoring he would later receive at Cal Poly. “I was actually really excited when I found out Coach Fortier was coming to Cal Poly,” Gordon said. “I’ve been a giant Washington fan since I was born, and I was always going to games. He and I have a certain connection that allows us to speak freely. He helps whatever I need to do to get better.” But Fortier’s journey to San Luis Obispo didn’t come without a little conflict. In the fall of 2012, Fortier’s youngest daughter, Marissa, was touring colleges. And after visiting San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly was first on her list. She was accepted. “We talked about it, and she didn’t know if she should push the button,” Fortier said. “She wanted to wait to see if she got into the University of Washington … Which she eventually did.” Marissa decided she wanted to be near her family — her sister Kassia is a senior on the Huskies’ women’s basketball squad — and she committed to Washington. About a month later, Cal Poly assistant coach Omar Lowery left for San Jose State, and Callero immediately called Fortier. “I told Marissa, ‘I’m going to Cal Poly to go check it out.’ She said, ‘You can’t do that. That was my No. 1 choice. That’s where I was going to go.’”
Fortier is aware of the motto that there will always be millions of reasons not to do something. He sold his house, and he and his wife moved to San Luis Obispo. Fortier was all in. After less than a year with the team, the veteran coach has been accepted by his second family. “We embraced him as soon as he came in,” senior forward Chris Eversley said. “He’s moving from Washington, and he’s bringing his family here. In order for us to be successful on the court ... off the court, we need to be a family.” Height aside, with his playing experience and prolific know-how on the court, Fortier brings a calm, professional demeanor to Mott Athletics Center. He serves as an example to student-athletes that they can make a career of playing professional basketball, and having returned to school to complete his degree, he imparts the importance of school to his young protégés. In addition to his coaching duties, Fortier helps oversee public relations, recruitment and media relations for the basketball program. After almost a year, Fortier can just about finish Callero’s sentences. “When I’m with the family, it’s tough to cut the phone off sometimes,” Fortier said. “My wife thinks I’m crazy sometimes, but I do love it.”
The example Engel has set, along with many other academically astute student-athletes, speaks volumes about the priorities of Cal Poly Athletics over other institutions. In a time when many universities have put winning ahead of academic integrity,
it is refreshing to be a part of a university that still values learning above all else. Not to say the university’s teams have not succeeded on their respective fields of play — it’s just that Cal Poly’s athletes keep the student in student-athlete.
SPORTS | 12
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Fortier brings
pro look
to men’s hoops Jefferson P. Nolan
@Jefferson_Nolan
PHOTO BY: JOSEPH PACK
I
n speaking with Paul Fortier, you would never guess he’s fluent in French. The newly appointed associate head basketball coach dabbles in Spanish, too, he said, but the French rolls off his tongue. That’s what happens when you spend 17 years playing professional basketball in Europe. The 6-foot-9 Bay Area native is currently in his first year at Cal Poly, serving as head coach Joe Callero’s right-hand man. Stand the two next to each other, and 5-foot-9 Callero is shrouded by the the ex-post player’s size. “I was looking for an older, more experienced coach,” Callero said. “Someone who would embrace the quality
of character and work ethic at Cal Poly. It was a grand slam that he was interested in coming here.” The duo may not necessarily look like the typical superhero and sidekick, but according to Callero, Fortier has just what his basketball team needs: experience. Out of the University of Washington, Fortier was drafted by the Washington Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in 1986 and decided to play one year of basketball abroad to gain experience as a post player. A year later, he got an offer from the Golden State Warriors to compete in the team’s Veteran’s Camp. However, Fortier already had a guaranteed contract with the
European league — which started much earlier. “I just thought, ‘I’ll try just one more year in Europe,’” Fortier said. “Well, you know how it is … One year turned into 17.” After playing in Greece, Italy, Spain and France, in his last year abroad, a new head coach was appointed to Fortier’s French team. Fortier was a year older than his new coach, and he realized he was pushing the envelope with his professional career. The young coach delegated responsibility to Fortier — from watching tapes with him to helping with recruitment — and he got a taste
see FORTIER, pg 11.