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The essential quality of hardiness: A veteran’s story

BRYAN COCHR AN | COURTESY PHOTO GROUNDED | During the grueling physical and emotional trials he faced on duty, Cochran stayed grounded through the support of his friends and phone calls to his wife. He vowed to never forget about his life before the military.

Annie Vainshtein @annievain

Cal Poly’s Veterans Success Center is showcasing themes relating to diversity, leadership and military service throughout the week to honor those who served for Veterans Awareness Week. Bryan Cochran is a city and regional planning junior, but he’s also a war veteran. This is his story.

Bryan Cochran joined the

militar y to give himself another chance. Near the end of high school, Cochran was at odds. His grandparents, who had raised him, passed away. He soon found himself encircled in a turbulent cloud of distress with the rest of his family. Confined to only the barest of choices, Cochran moved in with his girlfriend and her parents. He had only just graduated high school. “I kind of didn’t have anywhere to go,” Cochran said. “I felt like I didn’t have anything and the military itself was kind

of a way out.” For Cochran and many others like him, the army was an opportunity to reinvent himself. He chose the Marine Corps because it was the “toughest one.” “At that time, I’d been a bull-rider, played sports my entire life,” he said. “That was the kind of person I considered myself.” Cochran married his then girlfriend — now wife — at age 19, just 10 days before departing for boot camp at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. During those 13 weeks, he was put into extreme situations of physical and emo-

tional stress that prepared him for the soon-to-be arduous undertaking of the U.S. Military. Post-training, he was allotted 10 days of leave, then returned, only this time he would combat training and then combat engineering school, where he would learn the overview of his entire field and the specifics of his MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) which primarily focused on explosives and demolition, specifically targeted toward IEDs (improvised explosive devices). Continued on page 6

Theatre and Dance Department to debut fall show, ‘The Little Prince’

JASON HUNG | MUSTANG NE WS PROBATION | Alpha Epsilon Pi and Phi Kappa Psi are both on social probation until the end of Fall 2015.

AEPi and Phi Psi placed on social probation Gina Randazzo @Gina_Randazzo1

CAL POLY THEATRE AND DANCE DEPARTMENT | COURTESY PHOTO INSPIRED | The play is based on the French novella, which recounts the adventures of a pilot and a prince.

Annie Vainshtein @annievain

The Cal Poly Theatre and Dance Department will debut its fall show, “The Little Prince” on Thursday, Nov. 12. The play is based on the renowned French novella, originally published in 1943 by pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The novella is the third most translated book in the world and was voted the best book of the 20th century in France. It tells the story of a fallen aviator, stranded in the desert, who meets a young prince.

The two form a deep bond, captivating each other with stories of various travels and intimate mystics. The stage version is adapted by Rick Cummins and Josh Scoullar. Cummins wrote the music and Scoullar wrote the script and lyrics. Theatre arts senior Kimberlee Vandenburg is the costume designer and will be assisted by others from the department to put on the show. The performance is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and the Instructionally Related Activities Program. Full-time faculty, director

and designer Al Schnupp chose “The Little Prince” as the featured fall show after recently finding out its success as a play. “I think the script follows the novella very closely in terms of the plot and characters,” he said. “Visually, it’s pretty inspiring.” Performances will take place over two weekends — Nov. 12, 13, 14 and Nov. 19, 20 and 21 in the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre. General admission is $20.00. Students, faculty and staff, children and senior citizen tickets are $12.00. To purchase tickets, call 805-756-4TIX or visit pacslo.org/tickets.

Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) and Phi Kappa Psi (Phi Psi) were placed on social probation last week due to violations of Cal Poly’s party registration policies. Both fraternities’ social probations will last until the end of Fall 2015. Under social probation, the fraternities cannot hold social events, including gatherings involving alcohol. Mustang News reached out to Dean of Students Jean DeCosta for an interview, and was redirected to university spokesperson Matt Lazier. According to emailed responses from Fraternity and Sorority Life sent through Lazier, both of the fraternities held parties that weren’t registered through Cal Poly during this year’s Week of Welcome (WOW). AEPi president and aerospace engineering junior Jake Margulies said that AEPi’s probation resulted from the investigation of an event held at the fraternity house on Hathway Avenue on Friday, Sept. 18. Margulies said the AEPi members were having Shabbat dinner that night when some asked to invite friends over to the house.

Knowing that there would be loud music playing, two members volunteered to go to the front gate of the house and ensure no outsiders were coming in, only friends the members had invited. At 11:30 p.m., Margulies said, three men that were not from San Luis Obispo and did not attend Cal Poly tried to enter the house, offering money and alcohol to the doormen. The doormen denied them access, so the three broke through the side fence, he said, and AEPi members immediately kicked them out. Afterward, Margulies said undercover University Police Department (UPD) officers confronted the three men, who were holding open containers. Each man received a minor in possession ticket. As UPD officers were writing the tickets, the men told the officers they got the alcohol from members of AEPi inside the house. Margulies says that this statement was false and that the men were never inside the house. From there, Margulies said that UPD became suspicious about the nature of AEPi’s event, and

News... 1-2 | Arts... 4-5 | Opinion... 6 | Classifieds... 7 | Sports... 8

determined that it was a party with alcohol. Margulies said that there were approximately 80 people at the house that night. The event was not registered, and after an investigation by the Fraternity and Sorority Judicial Council, AEPi was found to have broken the university’s party registration policy. The fraternity has been on probation since Wednesday, Nov. 4. “In my opinion, the social probation is completely fair based on our current registration policy,” Margulies said. “I think this was just kind of a wakeup call that we do need to take more things into account, especially little things going on in the house that we may oversee.” Margulies said that AEPi is reviewing its current risk management policy and plans to improve it in the future. Executive members of Phi Psi declined to comment on the fraternity’s probation. Disclosure: Benjy Egel, the managing editor for news at Mustang News, is also a member of AEPi. Egel was not involved in the writing or editing of this story.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

NEWS | 2

Cal Poly on aTHE mission COOPER alumnus EHLERS’ TRIP ACROSS COUNTRY to volunteer in 48 states In an effort to make the most out of his gap year, Cal Poly alumnus Cooper Ehlers has decided to drive cross-country to do volunteer work in each of the states within the U.S., excluding Alaska and Hawaii for now. The states he has visited as of Nov. 2 are highlighted in gray.

Source: Cooper Ehlers ‘ personal site

Savannah Sperry @ SavannahJSperry

Five years ago on the drive to Cal Poly to begin college, now-alumnus Cooper Ehlers had a conversation with his father that left an impression on him until graduation. “We started talking about what the ultimate pre-college trip would have been, and we decided that a road trip to every state would be really cool,” Ehlers said. “For some reason, that two-minute conversation stuck with me for the next five years.” Ehlers began as an electrical engineering student at Cal Poly, but switched to kinesiology when he decided to eventually attend medical school. In his time at Cal Poly, he also served as the Interfraternity Council’s Chief of Staff as well as the secretary and scholarship chair of his fraternity, Delta Chi. When he was getting ready to graduate, he chose to first take a gap year before applying to medical school, combining a mission to volunteer with a cross-country road trip to lend a hand in each of the continental United States — with hopes to hit Alaska and Hawaii at a later time. “I knew I wanted to travel and I knew wanted to help, so there wasn’t much thought process past that,” Ehlers said. Ehlers’ trip has taken him from working in a medical tent at a blues festival on the Portland riverfront to helping Spanish-speaking families find meal plans at a Harlem food bank. In South Dakota, he taught children how to canoe, kayak and fly fish at Outdoor Campus West, a subset of the state’s Game, Fish and Parks department. Keith Wintersteen is the Outdoor Campus West group program coordinator and was enthused to have Ehlers volunteer with the organization. “We’re happy to have any volunteer we can get, but when it’s somebody

of Cooper’s quality it’s just outstanding,” Wintersteen said. “To have somebody like that who’s so good with kids, knowledgeable, always has a smile on his face, just fun to be around, the kids just eat it up.” Wintersteen said Ehlers’ volunteer trip is of equal value to Ehlers as it is the groups and people he works for. “I think the benefit is 50-50,” Wintersteen said. “The individuals and organizations that Cooper volunteers to assist benefit greatly, because he’s just that kind of person, but I also think it gives Cooper a very well-rounded view of everywhere he visits.” Ehlers is also taking advantage of the opportunity to explore the country. His favorite destination thus far has been Glacier National Park in Montana, he said, and he’s most excited to see New Orleans. Ehlers earned $1,600 toward financing his trip from donors on his GoFundMe fundraising page, but said he wouldn’t survive his trip if not for two thing: gas prices lower than in his hometown of Los Angeles and the generosity of his hosts. “All the places I’m staying, with friends of friends or family friends or things like that, they’ve helped me pay for food or fed me dinners,” Ehlers said. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without them, that’s for sure.” Ehlers has also spent nights camping or sleeping in his car, which he said is fine, except when it storms. He is now approaching the back half of his trip. “In spring I’m going to have to loop back around and do Colorado and Wyoming and Idaho because 20 miles in snow is okay, but 2,000 miles is just way too much,” Ehlers said. There, he’s eager to see Yellowstone National Park and Zion National Park and to visit the Grand Canyon for the first time. He hopes to begin medical school next fall and is applying now, though he said the process is timely. “My goal is to be home for Christmas,” Ehlers said, “because my mom would kill me otherwise.”

Thursday, November 12, 2015

ARTS | 4

America vs. England: Equality and expression through uniforms Leah Horner @leahlingo

Leah Horner is a journalism junior and Mustang News study abroad columnist. At Abbotsfield School for Boys in West London, students are required to dress in formal attire almost every day of the year. This includes black slacks, a white buttonup shirt, a red and black striped tie and black loafers. This is not an unusual requirement for schools in England. In fact, almost every English school has a similar dress code. In England, students wear uniforms in both primary and secondary school, until the age of 16. It doesn’t matter if a school is public or private; all have similar dress codes. Robert Dan, a second year English literature student at the University of Brighton in England, attended Abbotsfield. Not only did they have certain clothing requirements, but they also had specific

ways they had to be worn. The boys’ ties had to have a particular amount of stripes to ensure they were long enough, shirts had to be tucked in, buttons done up to the very top button and black dress shoes were to be worn at all times. “(It) was really big on its values and morals and saying that every time you wear this uniform, whether you’re in-

side or outside of school or on your way to school, you’re an ambassador for the school,” Dan said. Cal Poly music sophomore Viola Cella alternated between both public and private school in Utah while growing up. Unlike Dan, she and most other Americans associate private schools with uniforms and public schools with free dress. However, areas in the U.S. are m ov i n g t o ward England’s standards. According to the Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach, California was the first district in the U.S. to require all students at both public and private schools to wear a uniform, starting in January 1994. Other schools are also aiming to have stricter dress codes. In a study done by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and Lands’ End School Uniform in 2013, U.S. school principals found many positive reasons to switch to uniforms. Eighty-six per-

LEAH HORNER | MUSTANG NE WS PRO CODE | Louise Hambridge appreciates dress codes for her kids, pictured above, for various reasons.

cent of leaders of schools with formal dress codes see a positive impact on peer pressure and 64 percent see a positive impact on bullying. Classroom discipline, community image, student safety, school pride and ease of getting ready were also surveyed, with a majority of leaders seeing an improvement in all areas. These surveys reflect what Cella experienced when she wore free dress to school. Growing up was a tough time, and Cella felt the pressure. In middle school, the kids in her class would judge each other based on what they were wearing. She felt most comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt, but the other kids had a different idea of what should be worn. “There was definitely a lot of Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister, and you didn’t get made fun of if you weren’t wearing those but people immediately judged you … You got put into a certain clique or a certain group based on what you

were wearing,” Cella said. In England, this isn’t an issue. Every student is dressed the same at school sochildren, so can’t critique each other’s clothes. Dan said it was actually fun to get to know a person for who they were, not what they wore, then be surprised on a free dress day when they showed up in something completely different than expected. Louise Hambridge is a mother of two young students in Brighton, England. Her kids, Shylah-Rose and Mitchell are just starting school. She sees both economical and social advantages to a uniform. “For parents who don’t have a lot of money, if their children are not dressed as well as other children they will be penalized from the other children themselves,” Hambridge said. “I think it’s good that all the children are wearing the same, they can’t be bullied for

what they’re wearing.” Cella agrees. “I think uniforms are equalizers,” she said. “I think they put the focus on the academics and not so much where you are or where you come from, but what you can do. And I really appreciated that in high school.” Looking back on her time with a uniform, Cella says it was mostly positive. Expressing yourself is important when growing up, but she believes there are other ways to show who you are that aren’t through clothes. She says wearing a uniform encouraged self-expression through her music, which has helped her become the person she is today. Today, Cella wishes she could throw on the same skirt and blouse every day. “It was such a God-send,” she said. “Like, God bless uniforms. I know a lot of people hate them, but I wish I still had a uniform.”

Thursday, November 12, 2015

ARTS | 5

Journalism alumna Kelsey Gerckens travels far and wide on ‘The Amazing Race’ Michelle Zaludek @michellenistic

A Cal Poly alumna reflects on her experiences after completing her own amazing journey. Kelsey Gerckens, a 2010 journalism alumna, has been competing in the 27th season of “The Amazing Race” with her boyfriend and co-worker, Joey Buttitta. The show features 11 teams of two, which race around the world for the chance to win a $1 million grand prize. Gerckens and Buttitta — “The Reporters” as dubbed by the show — work for KEYT-TV, a news station covering Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Gerckens is a news reporter and anchor, and Buttitta is a morning news anchor. As of Nov. 6, “The Reporters” were second place, with five legs of the competition to go that could take the couple to the Netherlands, Poland, India and China. Gerckens was recently able to talk about her travels and the competition thus far. The following is a Q&A with Gerckens, which has been edited for space and clarity. MN: What motivated you to try out for the show? KG: I had always been a really big fan of the show — I grew up thinking “Wow, I’d love to do that show.” Then my boyfriend and I were talking about it and we decided to put in an application, and we didn’t think anything would come from it. But a year later here we are, actually on the show. MN: Have you been able to incorporate anything from your time at Cal Poly into “The

Amazing Race?” KG: Well, I studied abroad when I was at Cal Poly. And actually, when I was choosing what college to go to, I was looking for a study abroad program, and Cal Poly had its own study abroad program. So they actually have Cal Poly professors going and teaching abroad. I went to Thailand with the Cal Poly Thailand study abroad program my freshman year. That was definitely an incredible experience … Traveling on my own and getting directions and going in and out of airports — it definitely helped me prepare. MN: How do you think you two have done as a team? KG: I think we did great as team, obviously I can only talk about what’s been aired so far on the show, but what we can say is that we really felt comfortable with each other, and we work really well together. And we have a working relationship, so I think that helped us. MN: If you could change one thing you two did as a team, what would it be? KG: I think just maybe to take in the sights a little bit more. We’re in a race in a competition, so we didn’t really have time to … I wish we could have enjoyed it a little bit more. We were in Paris and we didn’t even see the Eiffel Tower when we were literally right next to it. So I think just taking a breath and enjoying it more. MN: Has the show impacted your relationship with Joey? KG: It has. I think if anything we’re closer because of it. Being able to travel and see places to-

CBS | COURTESY PHOTO NOT CAMERA SHY | Being on TV was nothing new to Kelsey Gerckens and her boyfriend Joey Buttitta, who are both anchors for KEYT-TV.

gether definitely brought us closer together. MN: Where were your favorite and least favorite places that you’ve been? KG: So far, my favorite leg was definitely the leg in Zimbabwe, in Africa. Being able to dive with crocodiles and see lions was really exciting. Just, being so close to the wildlife — we were literally crossing the street and there were baboons right there … Being that close to the wildlife was

CBS | COURTESY PHOTO

really exciting. I don’t think I have one (place) that I disliked. I’ve really loved every minute of it. MN: You’re both anchors for KEYT-TV, so you’ve been in front of a camera before — did it feel different being in front of “The Amazing Race” cameras? KG: Joey and I both worked for KEYT for quite a few years, so we were definitely comfortable in front of a camera. So I think that helped us during the first couple

of legs, because we weren’t worried about the camera. But once you’re running the race you kind of forget it’s there, which actually made it harder for us, I think. Because we’re so used to facing the camera directly and we couldn’t really do that. MN: You mentioned in your “The Amazing Race” bio that Paris was one of your major hopeful destinations. Could you explain more about why you wanted to see Paris?

KG: Well, I mean, I’m doing it with my boyfriend, and Paris is the city of love. So there was that. But I was able to travel a lot growing up, and I had never been to Paris. It was everything I thought it would be. And now we’ll have to go back and actually enjoy it, because we were literally in and out of there in a few hours. “The Amazing Race” airs Fridays at 8 p.m., with full episodes available for free on CBS’ website.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

OPINION | 6 MUSTANG NEWS

Big West: Do the Mustangs have what it takes?

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Amelia Parreira @AmeliaParreria

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Amelia Parreira is a journalism senior and Mustang News columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the editorial coverage of Mustang News.

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It’s probably too rhetorical of a question to ask, but who hasn’t seen or heard about the Cal Poly men’s soccer team’s incredible 2015 season? Well, in case you haven’t, let me give you the rundown. The 2015 season marked one of the most successful in Cal Poly men’s soccer history. The regular season resulted in an 11-3-5 overall record and a 5-14 record in conference play, putting the Mustangs in a school-best second place in the Big West Conference. This season’s men’s soccer team is nearly unstoppable, advancing to its first Big West semifinal match in Cal Poly history. Sitting in the bleachers, looking down on the field, I can see the passionate fire the players have in their

hearts. It would explain why both the offense and defense are so explosive. Between September and October, the Mustangs went unbeaten in six straight matches. While much of the credit goes to the team as a whole, the Mustangs may not have earned as many wins if it weren’t for senior goalkeeper Wade Hamilton. This past season alone, Hamilton had 66 saves in 19 starts with eight shutouts overall. The goalie will be essential for Cal Poly to win the championship. The team will also be successful thanks to key offensive scorers, including senior forward/ midfielder Chase Minter, senior forward Matt LaGrassa and junior forward Justin Dhillon. Minter has scored seven goals this season along with six assists, putting his career statistics at 16 goals and 18 assists. LaGrassa has scored 17 goals in his career as a Mustang, with five goals and three assists this season. Dhillon scored three goals and two assists

throughout the 2015 regular season, totaling eight goals and 10 assists in his career. Senior defender Kip Colvey also made scoring contributions this season, knocking in three goals and two assists as well. Cal Poly freshmen also played a key role in this season’s matches, and look to continue that in the postseason. That young energy is just what the team needs to not only win this year, but to carry achievement through years to come. I am excited to see how forward George Grote grows throughout his Cal Poly career. He’s already shown potential stardom with a team-leading six assists this season, landing in third place for assists in the Big West. Jared Pressley, another freshman forward, is bound to go far as well, and should shine in postseason games. He already has two goals on his record. I was lucky enough to witness Pressley’s first career goal as a Mustang, the winning goal against UC

At the minimum, he was working 14-hour days, walking miles to work, and staying up most nights building fighting posts. His platoon spent a couple weeks teaching the Iraqi army sustainable construction methods, a sort of act to “hand over the reins.” And while the days often felt never-ending, Cochran would be the last to

say he ever thought about giving up. He recalled his first 22hour day in Camp Baharia, a military outside of Fallujah where he spent seven grueling months of his life. He’d been up all night after a full day carrying sandbags to and from the base, building fighting posts. When the squad finally finished working at 5 a.m., they

Riverside on Oct. 10. I even got the chance to talk to Pressley after that close match, and learned that he is not only a talented player, but also focused on the team. “Seeing my teammates come support me was really huge; it just shows how we have great camaraderie as a team,”

Pressley said. “Not only did I score, but our whole team scored.” Pressley expressed his team’s desire for a Big West championship victory. “This year we want to make a splash in the Big West,” he said. “We don’t want to just be a mediocre Big West team; we want to get a berth to the NCAA,

and hopefully win the national championship.” Well, lucky for Pressley, that dream may come true very soon, whether it be this year or the year after that. I have a good feeling that the Mustangs are close to the big win they’ve wanted for so long and have worked so hard for.

would be back at work at 8 a.m. to start all over again. And though his narrative may position around the technicalities of wartime, to describe his experience in the army as a prolonged session of manual labor would be a stark minimization. Because for Cochran, and perhaps a large portion of army veterans, it seems easier to talk about the intricacies of war within the context of military jargon and various three-letter acronyms than to remember the feelings attached, and with good reason — the experience is, to a certain point, indescribable. But, of course, there are a few moments Cochran will never be able to forget. Most of them occurred between September 2010 and April 2011, during his second tour which was in Afghanistan. He had risen in rank — he was a corporeal, and second in charge to the squad leader. Cochran was fighting as part of a QRF, or quick reaction force, which meant he and his platoon were the first in line to react to any violence or explosive activity. He remembers Afghanistan as being, in comparison, much more kinetic — sleeping was a mere afterthought. Nothing was stable; at any point, day or night, Cochran was expected, with immediacy, to support the area the explosion had struck. “I was in front or behind of every single vehicle that got blown up,” he said. “Those images will probably always stay with me.” But he got used to it.

Like so many others who enter the U.S. military, there is a point, Cochran says, to where you just feel numb. “It happens pretty quick,” he said. “You go through it every time, but you’ve trained for that. Your whole preparation is to be able to deal with that kind of stuff.” And though he was subject to some of the most afflicting emotional and physical sensors imaginable, Cochran vowed never to forget about his life before the military. He made it “a point” to call his wife as much as he could, just to talk. “It was the only thing that helped me recharge, to motivate me to keep going,” he said. “Some people felt the opposite — they didn’t want to bother their wives or felt they needed to keep their minds focused — but I felt like it was nice to just get away, even for a second.” The only other thing keeping him sane enough to call was the strength he amassed through his friends, Cochran said. “The bond you have with them, you wouldn’t imagine,” he said. “I would give my life for any one of those guys.” And many times, it came close. One of his best friends lost both legs and an arm. Cochran was so ingrained in the unimaginable totality of war, the long march of panic — all that kept him going was the indestructible bond he shared with the men he had grown to so revere. When he came home, however, he found himself wanting to go back. He’d been “on guard,”

mentally and physically for the primal part of his early adulthood. “Especially after I got back, I was kind of a wreck,” he said. “You’re surrounded by these people with these petty problems, these superficials attitudes — people who have no idea what’s really going on.” The return to trivialities felt so foreign, so minuscule — the now 27-year-old found himself struggling to assimilate back into modern living. “When you’re in it, it sucks, but it does for e ver yone,” C o chran said. “And when you come back, you’re alone with it all.” Time hasn’t healed — all it has done is run its course in helping him reintegrate back into the world he used to know. He’d spent so much of his time soaked in the essential quality of resilience — giant to the overpowering forces of true danger and harm. Suddenly everything has become so quiet. Silent as he finds a way to weave through the ill-informed screams of pro-peace, grasping for navigation where the biggest issue at hand is too much food in the grocery aisle. Towering more than 6 feet tall, Cochran and I part ways, splitting at the seams of a story still unfinished, entering into an alternate galaxy where squabbles over that girl’s Snapchat story dematerialize, unravel, ceasing to a buzz. A hollow place where quiet will just have to do.

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Continued from page 1

Cochran didn’t leave for Iraq until February of 2009, having just turned 21. His first tour of duty in Iraq consisted of hard labor — Cochran and his platoon mostly worked on mine sweeping for weapons cache, which were sometimes buried under civilians’ homes.

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Thursday, November 12, 2015

SPORTS | 8

Busy weekend ahead for Cal Poly athletics

TONY MASTRES | COURTESY PHOTO

PHOTOS BY CHRISTA LAM | MUSTANG NEWS

JUST DO IT | Cal Poly athletic teams compete in a bevy of events this weekend. Beginning on Thursday, the Mustangs compete in 10 events over four days as fall sports season rounds up and winter season begins.

Eric Stubben @ericstubben

As fall season sports wrap up and winter sports begin, Cal Poly athletics teams face a busy weekend. Ten events are scheduled between Thursday and Sunday and one more could be added if the men’s soccer team takes care of business Wednesday night. The men’s basketball team begins its long weekend Friday night with a matchup against perennial Division I powerhouse UNLV in the Maui Invitational Opening Round in Las Vegas. The Mustangs finished last season with a 13-16 record, but return three starters and last season’s top five scorers. Though expectations are high around campus for the ensuing season, the Mustangs were selected to finish sixth in the Big West Conference media poll.

After the trip to Las Vegas, the Mustangs head to Los Angeles on Sunday for a nationally televised matchup against UCLA. Fresh off a trip to the NCAA Tournament last season, UCLA was selected to finish fifth in the Pac-12 Conference media poll. Beginning head coach Joe Callero’s seventh year, the Mustangs defeated Division II Cal State San Bernadino 73-60 last Thursday in Mott Athletics Center. Senior guard David Nwaba led the way for the Mustangs with a team high of 19 points and nine rebounds. Both the men’s and women’s cross-country teams also look to continue their seasons’ successes this weekend at the West Coast Regionals in Seattle. The women’s team won the Big West Conference championship and the men’s side finished a respectable second place on

Halloween morning. Since the conference championships, the Mustangs have won a slew of awards. Big West Conference coaches voted freshmen Peyton Bilo and Garrett Migliozzi the winners of the Freshmen of the Year awards. Head coach Mark Conover received the women’s cross-country Coach of the Year award, his 14th time winning the award between the men’s and women’s teams. Bilo finished second overall in the conference championship meet with a 6-kilometer time of 20:36.87. Migliozzi finished sixth on the men’s side with an 8-kilometer time of 24:25.50. The Cal Poly football team heads to UC Davis for its lone rivalry game of the season, the Battle for the Golden Horseshoe. The team’s season motto, “Faceless except for Davis,” comes to

a head as the Mustangs (3-6, 2-4 Big Sky) take on the Aggies (18, 1-5). UC Davis’ lone victory came against Northern Arizona on Oct. 10. The Aggies dashed Cal Poly’s playoff hopes last season with a 48-35 win in Alex G. Spanos Stadium. Going into the matchup, the 6-4 Mustangs had an outside chance at making the FCS playoffs, but the 1-8 Aggies had other plans. The Aggies racked up 564 yards of offense on the Mustangs’ home turf before bringing the Golden Horseshoe back to Davis. Cal Poly’s women’s basketball team, volleyball team and wrestling team all compete in a pair of events this weekend. The women’s basketball team begins its season with a trip to Texas to take on Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and Texas Rio Grande Valley in the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton

Islanders Classic tournament. Cal Poly is coming off of a 1514 season and a trip to the Big West Conference quarterfinals. The Mustangs defeated Corpus Christi 63-48 last season. The Mustangs are selected to finish third in the Big West Conference preseason media poll and return seniors Lisa Marie Sanchez and Beth Balbierz in the backcourt. The Cal Poly volleyball team (17-6, 9-3 Big West) looks to bounce back from a loss to UC Davis at home last Saturday. The Mustangs have matches on the road this weekend: one on Friday at UC Riverside and one on Saturday at Cal State Fullerton. Cal Poly swept both teams in matches earlier this season. Both matchups should be tune-ups for the Mustangs’ Nov. 19 matchup against Hawaii. UC Riverside (9-16, 4-8) is the most

formidable opponent for the Mustangs this weekend, but still ranks sixth in the conference standings. On the other side, Cal State Fullerton (0-23, 0-11) has yet to win a match this season. The Cal Poly wrestling team continues its season with the weekend’s lone home event on Friday against Drexel. The Mustangs fell 35-6 in their Pac-12 Conference opener against Stanford on Nov. 2, but bounced back with a 29-8 nonconference win over San Francisco State last Saturday. Following Friday’s matchup, the Mustangs travel to Fresno for the Roadrunner Open, hosted by Cal State Bakersfield. Though all but one event is on the road this weekend, it should prove to be a pivotal weekend as fall sports look to finish their seasons strong in time for playoffs and winter sports look to hit the ground running.

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