Skip to main content

Nov. 2, 2015

Page 1

Monday, November 2, 20 15

E s t abl ished 19 16

“Why is it becoming so much more expensive when it’s supposed to be a public education system?” Kajan Moorthy, electrical engineering freshman

w w w.mus t angne w s .net

Why are there different budget cuts for CSUs and UCs? “How can we make CSUs cheaper? I am broke and in debt and am only 19.” Marissa Sanchez, business administration freshman

“How are you going to work on accommodating the students you have now with classes rather than accommodating new students?” Erin Welty, biological sciences junior

Will food pricing and quality improve?

Chancellor White:

Here’s what we want to know What will you do to address the California Faculty Association’s requests?

What are you doing to improve campus culture across all CSUs? How and where do we get our funding?

“Is the cost of tuition going down or up and what factors will affect that in the future?” Nathan Kreiser, aerospace engineering freshman

“How would you implement better transition programs for college students?” Hayden Hutcherson, biological sciences freshman

CSU Chancellor Timothy White will be holding an open forum from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday in Chumash Auditorium.

Jeff Daniels and son to perform at the PAC

ROSS FRENCH | COURTESY PHOTO ON THE RUN | The men’s cross-country team finished second in the Big West Conference Championship.

Women’s cross-country wins conference championship; men finish 2nd Eric Stubben @ericstubben

LISA WOSKE | COURTESY PHOTO FATHER AND SON | Musician and Emmy-winning actor Jeff Daniels will open for the Ben Daniels Band.

Michelle Zaludek @michellenistic

Cal Poly will host a star-studded father-son event this week that should mesh well into the San Luis Obispo atmosphere. On Wednesday, musician, playwright and Emmy-winning actor of works including “Dumb and Dumber” and “The Newsroom,” Jeff Daniels, along with the Ben Daniels Band will perform at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center (PAC). The show, set to begin at 7:30 p.m., will open with Jeff Daniels’ rock-blues style, and his son’s band will then continue as the main act. The Ben

Daniels Band brings together an original sound with Americana, blues, jazz and rock influences, according to the band’s website. “I think that (the event) is a great match for San Luis,” community volunteer Linda Rawlings said, who co-sponsored the event with her husband. “I’m so looking forward to listening to their music and I think that both the student community and the San Luis community are really going to enjoy his presentation — I feel like (Jeff Daniels) fits into San Luis.” The Ben Daniels Band has worked to carve out a reputation for itself, besides just

the connection to Jeff. The band holds “hard work, perseverance and creatively challenging themselves and their audience,” in high esteem, according to its website. It shows through their successful launch of five CDs, including a duel album and movie release titled “Old Gold.” “We love the PAC for allowing us to have these events,” Rawlings said. Ticket prices for the event vary, with adult tickets ranging from $28-48 and tickets for students and Cal Poly faculty and staff ranging from $22.40-38.40. To purchase tickets, visit the Cal Poly Arts website.

The C a l Poly women’s cross-country team won its fifth Big West Conference championship since 2000 at Saturday’s conference championship meet hosted by UC Riverside. The Mustangs’ win marked the 18th conference championship for the women’s cross-country program since 1981. Their 39 team points earned them a finish ahead of UC Santa Barbara (59 points) and last season’s conference champions, UC Davis (69 points). Of the Mustangs’ top three finishers, two were true freshmen. Peyton Bilo continued her successful season with a time of 20 minutes, 36.87 seconds — good for second place overall in the 6-kilometer race. The other true freshman, Katie Izzo, finished third on the team

and ninth overall with a time of 20:59.84. Senior Sara Van Dyke took second on the team and seventh overall at 20:59.27. Rounding out the Mustangs’ top five were juniors Ashley Windsor (21:00.87) and Mary Jo Wright (21:07.33) who f inished 10th and 11th, respectively. Senior Erika Veidis (15th, 21:16.63), sophomore Sydney Szabo (17th, 21:19.69), freshman Hannah Hull (23rd, 21:37.49) and junior Mary Hillis (38th, 22:12) also competed for the Mustangs. After the completion of the women’s event, the Cal Poly men’s cross-country team prepared for a strong performance in the 8-kilometer championship race. Junior Nick Woolf finished fourth overall with a time of 24 minutes, 17.04 seconds, pacing the Mustangs to a second place team finish. The Mustangs’

News... 1-3 | Arts... 4-5 | Opinion... 6 | Classifieds... 7 | Sports... 8

36-point performance was only five points behind UC Santa Barbara’s championship-winning 31-point performance. Following Woolf were redshirt freshmen Garrett Migliozzi and Devin Grove who finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Senior Luis Morales finished 11th with a time of 25:35.69. Junior Swarnjit Boyal, who led the Mustangs in each of their previous meets this season, finished in 24 minutes, 28.27 seconds, good for eighth overall. Redshirt freshman Peter Cotsirilos (18th, 24:59.47), junior David Galvez (23rd, 25:14.60) and senior Al Gamez Jr. (32nd, 25:35.16) rounded out the competitors for the Cal Poly men. Both the men’s and women’s teams move on to participate in the West Region Championships at the University of Washington on Nov. 13.


Monday, November 2, 2015

NEWS | 2

Out-of-state tuition may increase Naba Ahmed @nabaahmed

Individual campuses might be allowed to raise out-of-state tuition at their discretion, per a California State University (CSU) Task Force recommendation. While tuition changes will not be effective in the near future, it is still necessary to reevaluate the current financial model. The Task Force for a Sustainable Financial Model for the CSU system released a draft report proposing that CSUs consider alternative methods for allocating state funds, such as performance and outcome-based funding. “To meet the state’s college degree deficit, the state needs to consider new approaches for funding the university,” Molle said. “The

CSU’s budget is currently discretionary and annual funding is unpredictable and volatile.” In doing so, the Task Force recommends that individual campuses have the authority to propose market-based tuition for non-California and international students. However, an increase in tuition would not be implemented in the upcoming years, CSU Director of Public Affairs Toni Molle said. “CSU has no plans to raise tuition in 2015-16 or 2016-17 and will continue to honor the provisions of the governor’s multi-year funding plan, which includes a commitment to stabilize tuition fees through 2016-17,” Molle said. The draft report will be reviewed and discussed at the November CSU Board of Trustees

meeting, but no action will be taken. Following the meeting, the task force will issue a final report which will be brought before the board at its January meeting. For every California resident student, Cal Poly receives funding from the state, however, the state does not contribute for non-resident students, Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said. “The CSU contributes around $5,000 for every California student, which is the biggest driver of the budget,” Armstrong said. “Non-resident students do not provide Cal Poly with funding from the state, and so they pay $10,000 extra.” To maintain the high education quality Cal Poly currently has, it will require greater financing. Therefore, an increase in tuition

Amount CSU provides per student

? CA resident

Non-CA resident

$5,000

$0

per student

per student

Because the CSU does not provide funds to support out-of-state students, they pay $10,000 more in tuition, a number which rise in the future. would be beneficial for the university, Armstrong said. “I think it’s an excellent time because of the value of the Cal Poly degree,” Armstrong said. “Our Learn by Doing curriculum encompasses three of the four high-investment majors in the CSU system: agriculture, architecture and engineering. So we need to maintain the quality of their educational experience.” This potential funding would be allocated throughout the university.

“If there is an increase in tuition, we would do several things with the funds: Enhance student experience, hire additional faculty and staff and pay them better, and build additional facilities,” Armstrong said. “Another important point is that we need to provide additional scholarships and support for lower income students.” Non-California resident and mechanical engineering sophomore Lisa Kusakabe said there is value in paying additional

tuition because the Learn by Doing motto is integral to her learning experience. “If the funding from an increase in tuition for out of state students would be used for Learn by Doing purposes, it is going to be beneficial for my education,” Kusakabe said. “The thing that makes Cal Poly stand out to recruiters is the fact that we have computer labs and have learned technical skills with programs like SolidWorks and CAD.”


Monday, November 2, 2015

NEWS | 3

More cops, fewer parties: How new policies have changed WOW Kendall Hober Special to Mustang News

There are a few things industrial engineering senior Catherine Cichasky will never forget about her Week of Welcome (WOW) experience in 2011 — an abundance of parties, herds of students wandering Hathway Avenue and the red cups that littered the street. But things have changed since then. “This year, Hathway (Avenue) was very quiet compared to other years,” Cichasky said. “There were a lot of cops out and no parties,” Due to several changes to this year’s WOW in terms of the program’s policy and city laws, Cal Poly’s class of 2019 may have different, less party-related memories than past WOW classes. This year’s WOW class came to San Luis Obispo 10 days before school started as part of a revamped WOW program that, among other things, made attendance mandatory, had daily participation until as late as midnight and made off-campus partying more difficult. Making WOW mandatory With more than 5,300 students participating, 2015 marked the first year that WOW was required for all incoming freshmen. According to an email sent out by Provost Kathleen Enz

Finken and Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey last December, the university’s reason was to connect new students to the campus’ key resources earlier. WOW cost $200 per student this year, but according to an interview in January with Mustang News, Director of New Student and Transition Programs Andrene Kaiwi-Lenting said there would be more financial aid opportunities for those who could not afford the program. “The commitment is to make it all accessible because it’s a really great set of programs to participate in,” Kaiwi-Lenting said in the January interview. Though the orientation program itself was mandatory, students were not penalized if they did not go to WOW activities — kayaking in Morro Bay, silent discos on campus, etc. “It was mandatory to attend and sign-up (for WOW). As far as taking role and keeping track, to a point we stopped being so strict about it,” KaiwiLenting said. There were mixed feelings about the decision to make WOW mandatory, but environmental engineering senior Denise Man felt it was a good choice overall. Long days Though WOW activities were not mandatory, many WOWies decided to stick out the whole

day with their WOW leaders. “The whole day” meant 8 a.m. until as late as midnight, the latest time WOW leaders were allowed to keep their WOWies. “It was fun until we had to wake up at 8 a.m. every morning, and then stay with them until 1 in the morning. That was probably the worst part,” agricultural business freshman Klara Gera said. To freshmen like Gera, this seemed like a way for WOW leaders to keep students from going out and socializing. Kaiwi-Lenting agreed. “We program late on Friday and Saturday nights because one of the priorities we had was to have enough activities that engaged students on campus that kept them, frankly, from wandering the streets,” KaiwiLenting said. The plan worked, Gera said. Few freshmen went out to party at night. “My siblings told me that you could go out at night and it was just crazy … people all over the street, super fun, and I felt like I didn’t get to experience that because there weren’t that many people out,” Gera said. Off-campus partying and the laws that prevented it WOWies weren’t the only ones who experienced change during WOW. Change also came to students who lived in the neighborhoods close to Cal Poly, mostly

GABBY PA JO | MUSTANG NE WS CHANGING FOCUS | New party restrictions and stricter WOW rules have mixed effects on WOW culture.

in regard to partying. These changes came in the form of two amendments to the current city code this past summer, allowing stricter laws on unruly gatherings as well as the expansion of the University Police Department’s jurisdiction to a 1-mile radius off campus to enforce city codes. Similar party-restricting laws have been enacted over the last few years. San Luis Obispo Vice Mayor John Ashbaugh was part of the committee who sat in on these decisions and understood both the criticism and support for the new amendments, especially the one affecting unruly gathering laws. “I’d rather focus on how to incentivize people to have a ‘ruly’ gathering,” Ashbaugh said. “I don’t necessarily want to see more fines being levied; I want to see people be able to have a good time.” On top of these summer changes, there were double fines implemented for unruly gatherings, noise violations, open container and urinating

in public the week before and during WOW. Before school started, Respect SLO — the San Luis Obispo Police Department’s Office of Neighborhood Services — distributed door hangers reminding residents close to campus of these double fines.

Has WOW culture really changed? The changes to WOW — mandatory attendance, long days and anti-party laws and fines — have had mixed effects on traditional WOW culture, mostly characterized by parties and relatively Continued on page 6


Monday, November 2, 2015

ARTS | 4

Haunted Halloween spookily under-attended Brendan Abrams @brenabrams

It exceeded my expectations. I expected it to be just ASI staff (in costume), so it’s cool they actally hired people to do it. Liam Kirsh

GABBY PAJO | MUSTANG NE WS

GABBY PA JO | MUSTANG NE WS

SPOOKY TRANSFORMATION | ASI created a haunted house, laser tag arena and silent disco in the UU.

A SAFE ALTERNATIVE| Haunted Halloween was organized as a fun substitute for wild parties with alcohol.

What’s spookier than a quality haunted house? An under-attended haunted house, no doubt. As the first Haunted Halloween, a two-night event hosted by Associate Students, Inc. (ASI), unfolded Friday night, it was clear that the most crucial thing it lacked was people. The University Union (UU) was fully decorated for the occasion. A makeshift, but incredibly trippy haunted house adorned the center of the plaza. The San Luis Lounge was transformed into an escape room. The Chumash Auditorium hosted what had potential to be an absolutely massive silent disco. A laser tag arena took over Mott Lawn. Early on in the night, ASI

Events staff member Anna Bach was upbeat about the scale of the event as it got rolling. “We really utilized the whole UU,” she said. “There’s food, silent disco ... people really get excited about that.” To some observers, though, the “people” may not have been quite as excited as one might hope. On nights when, historically, thousands of students spend a significant portion of their time just trying to figure out where to go for some fun, it was disappointing (though not surprising) that relatively few felt compelled to join the free, snack-filled festivities organized by ASI. Haunted Halloween was planned as an alternative Halloween event with the goal of

providing a safer brand of entertainment than one might find at a wild, booze-fueled private party. ASI succeeded in this respect, but it may have forgotten its target audience. College students tend to be less than enthusiastic about the safer alternative. That is not to say the UU became a ghost town, at least a couple hundred students filtered through the activities over the course of the night, but it never seemed to be enough to reach the critical mass required to feel like a real success. Take the silent disco, for instance. It’s undeniable that getting down on a huge dance floor with friends is wickedly fun, and the fact that the heavy beats and ridiculous remixes

were provided by wireless headphones added a crucial comical element. What was less funny, and bordering on tragic, was that there were rarely more than 40 revelers taking advantage of the cavernous Chumash Auditorium and the dance floor that spanned it. It was awesome to see some participants dancing their hearts out, but less so to see only a dozen of them. What was the problem? It seems unlikely that 95 percent of the student body had more worthwhile things to do during a triple-fines weekend. The biggest obstacle in the way of ASI achieving a significant turnout was likely ASI itself. ASI’s affiliation with the university tends to turn potential attendees away. Can students be blamed

for not getting excited about a school-sanctioned party? ASI obviously put a lot of work and student fees into Haunted Halloween. ASI Program coordinator Missi Allison-Bullock said that the event was well into the planning stages dating back to August of this year. By most accounts, they did a good job. Computer science junior Liam Kirsh was impressed by the quality of the haunted house. “It exceeded my expectations,” he said. “I expected it to just be ASI staff (in costume), so it’s cool that they actually hired people to do it.” This raises an important question. Should ASI, as a student-funded organization, spend its time and funds on

events that are not particularly desirable to the vast majority of students? However noble the intentions, expecting more than a small crowd at a tame, on-campus shindig during Halloween weekend is awfully optimistic. Perhaps it would make more sense to focus on the events that are virtually guaranteed to draw big numbers. Spring Stampede was a hit; maybe a daytime Halloween concert of similar proportions would be a more justifiable expenditure. Haunted Halloween was not an objective failure by any stretch. Students welcome any effort at entertainment. In this case, they simply cast their vote for a different type of entertainment by declining to show up in huge numbers.


Monday, November 2, 2015

ARTS | 5

A space for women to be women: The Wilderness Mamas welcome all K AT Y BARNARD | MUSTANG NE WS BONDING THROUGH ADVENTURE

Airport bestsellers and pontifical articles preach the same view — the rapid industrialization of technology is ruining us and, most of all, our ability to communicate. We type so quickly our parents’ parents would fall backward from shame. We click and clack, command exit out of depressing articles. Our fingers foster relationships. We “Netflix and chill,” or just chill, how about you? And sometimes we go days having talked to tons of people and yet none at all. The rise of ever-connectivity feels like Dudley Dursley’s birthday. What are we supposed to do with all of these gifts? Lay in them, I suppose. Or, we can take a step back, go out for a hike and think about something — anything larger than ourselves. Take charge of our own volition, instead of staying idle, being suffocated by the sprawl. That’s exactly what the Wilderness Mamas hope to channel.

| By taking a few hours away from technolog y, Wilderness Mamas club members connect with each other during their weekly outdoor excurisions.

Started by a former graduate assistant for the Gender Equity Center (GEC), The Wilderness Mamas is a relatively new establishment to Cal Poly. The club started with the intention of cultivating a space for women to be active and build friendships it’s an oasis for anyone in need. The Wilderness Mamas hike every Friday morning, and embark on miscellaneous trips around the year. The real goal of the club, said Wilderness Mamas member and history junior Rachel Smith, is to nurture the connection between the mind and body. “Being outside and in nature brings out a different side of you,” Smith said. “It’s the atmosphere of the group that makes you feel better about yourself.” For Smith, feeling empowered doesn’t have to come in the form of congratulatory language, it rests on the simultaneous feelings of independence and deep kinship — to her, that’s what makes Wilderness Mamas one of a kind.

The club welcomes all women of varying fitness levels. “A lot of people who aren’t ‘outdoorsy’ could feel a little bit hesitant, but that’s the great thing about (The Wilderness Mamas),” Smith said. “It incorporates everyone.” Animal science sophomore Madison Wells, who is responsible for club logistics, has helped with the group s i n c e it started last year. S h e ’d been involved with the GEC and was asked to help. Wells said the inspiration for the Wilderness Mamas was to create something along the lines of PolyEscapes, but free and for girls. “Maya (the original

founder) really wanted it to be a place for girls who felt sort of ‘in between,’” Wells said. “Like ones that don’t have a car, or like to exercise but don’t like going to the gym and aren’t in a sorority.”

Unlike the gym, The Wilderness Mamas is far more than exercise — it’s bonding with intention. “It’s based around coming together with a common interest — not for intense, judgmental e x e rc i s e ,” Wells said.

“The gym can be intimidating.” And the intentions aren’t so abstract. Before every Friday morning hike, the women come together and discuss their weeks — setting individual intentions, or goals for the next. Sometimes the intentions are as topical as completing a taxing climb, but others dig a little deeper with goals like being nicer or less judgmental. For the ever-revolving Wilderness Mamas, these mornings mean more than just breaking a sweat; the hikes are cathartic, and for some, the only space they truly feel at ease with themselves and their surroundings. “I’m in the College of Agriculture, but I feel I don’t always fit the mold,” Wells said. “It’s nice to be around like-minded people who know what you’re talking about and have something to add.” Atypical of many of the agriculture students, Wells grew up in San Jose, which she says often makes her feel like a

“city outsider.” “A lot of people have opinions that I don’t agree with, and majority always rules in those classes,” she said. “Sometimes it’s scary to speak up.” Wells said the club is a place to feel consistently supported, intellectually stimulated, comfortable in her own skin. A space for women to be women. Sociology junior Madeline White joined the Wilderness Mamas almost immediately after coming to Cal Poly as a transfer student from the Bay Area. For her, being outdoors is a large component of the way she manages stress and decompresses from mental bustle. “It’s a release,” White said. “The girls are really wonderful and super accepting. It’s nice to be around independent people who want to make a positive impact in the world.” The Wildernes Mamas meet every Friday in the Univeristy Union, room 217 (UU 217), at 11 a.m.


Monday, November 2, 2015

OPINION | 6 MUSTANG NEWS Graphic Arts Building Building 26, Suite 226 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

CONTACT EDITORIAL (805) 756-1796 ADVERTISING (805) 756-1143 CLASSIFIED (805) 756-1143 FAX (805) 756-6784

EDITORS & STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kayla Missman MANAGING EDITORS Celina Oseguera, Benjy Egel BROADCAST NEWS DIRECTOR Morgan Butler COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR Melissa Nunez NEWS EDITOR Jen Silva ARTS EDITOR Frances Griffey SPORTS EDITOR Eric Stubben BROADCAST CONTENT PRODUCER Michelle Logan BROADCAST SPORTS DIRECTOR Allison Edmonds SPECIAL SECTIONS COORDINATOR Suha Saya PHOTO EDITOR Georgie De Mattos OPINION EDITOR Liana Riley HEAD DESIGNER Jordan Dunn SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Cara Benson OUTREACH COORDINATORS Hannah Avdalovic, Reilly Roberts WEB DEVELOPER Jon Staryuk STAFF REPORTERS Savannah Sperry, Gina Randazzo, Warren Fox, Naba Ahmed, Tim Wetzel, Alexa Bruington, Will Peischel, Brendan Abrams, Michelle Zaludek, Madi Salvati, Annie Vainshtein, Dillon Payne, Alison Stauf, Keenan Donath, Clara Knapp, Ayrton Ostly, Olivia Proffit, Avrah Baum, Michael Frank COPY EDITORS Tori Leets, Kalynn Carpenter, Gurpreet Bhoot DESIGNERS Zack Spanier, Sabrina Smith, Meghan Legg OPINION COLUMNISTS Amelia Parreira, Emilio Horner PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason Hung, Illiana Arroyos, Andrew Epperson, Christa Lam, Haley Farr, Aleksa Salve, Gabby Pajo, Hanna Crowley ADVERTISING MANAGER Maddie Spivek ADVERTISING DESIGN MANAGER Jordan Triplett PRODUCTION MANAGER Erica Patstone MARKETING MANAGER Ross Pfeifer ASSISTANT ADVERTISING MANAGERS Anna Seskind, Sam Patterson SENIOR ADVERTISING CONSULTANT C.J. Estores ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Luke Bickel, Ashley Safari, Shakti Rajput, Victoria Howland, Darcie Castelanelli

Why political parties are like sports teams Brandon Bartlett @CPMustangNews

Brandon Bartlett is an English sophomore and Mustang News conservative columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the editorial coverage of Mustang News. Being a repressed intellectual who takes a bit too much glee from thinking himself slightly superior to others, I have spent the last few weekends enjoying my contemplations on the phenomenon of tribalism as expressed through arbitrary group power dynamics centered around location and simulated brutality … aka sports. I was thinking about sports. But after about the 100th Yik Yak about how UC Santa Barbara sucks, we really need to start questioning our sanity. I mean, I hate the Gauchos as much as the next guy, but think of how odd it is. During your senior year of high school, recall how many schools you applied to. And if you would have altered course by just a little bit, you may have been cheering for the CSU Monterey Bay Sea Otters instead. And this dynamic is not exclusive to sports. From the type of phone you buy (Android or die), to the type of music you like (instrumental is clearly the best), down to which web browser you use (and it better be Google Chrome), we are constantly forming ridiculous distinctions with which we judge other people. Now, most of these little ingroup/out-group dynamics are harmless and rather fun, but what happens when you apply these same mechanisms to something larger? You get Congress. And everything we hate about it. As of this month, our Congress’ approval rating is at 13 percent; that is one of the lowest ratings since we started counting back in ’75. But why? I’m glad you asked. One of the biggest complaints is the standstill in which Congress

seems perpetually mired. At first, I had suspected this to be more or less a myth repeated around cable news, but it turns out to be dead on. For instance, 2012 and 2013 were some of the lowest years on record for the number of bills presented, and they also held some of the smallest pass/fail ratios. This means that not only are fewer bills being written, but we are rejecting bills at one of the highest rates since our county’s founding. But this is no accident. Our representatives are purposefully opposing the democratic system. And where can this be seen more clearly than in filibustering? The practice has grown nearly 400 percent in less than 20 years. And this should be expected. According to the Pew Research Center, our current Congress is the most politically divided in U.S. history. But that isn’t even the scary part: Not only are we the most divided, but the rate at which the political gap is growing is the greatest yet seen in this country. So now we have problems, and most don’t think we can solve them. But I propose, my reader, that we can reverse this bad blood. (Hey!) But the solution starts with us. There is a very interesting theory in the world of developmental psychology known as spiral dynamics. This theory, to dramatically oversimplify, states that as we grow older, we each go through a certain pattern of development that mirrors the way society evolves over time. But as we move from one stage to the next, we don’t lose the psychological framework of the previous stages; instead, they operate in the background until the environment changes such that an earlier framework is more advantageous. Consequently, the way that our environment is structured will actually change the way we process the world — not because we have changed, but because a more primitive or advanced framework is required for the situation.

This is why you can be the nicest person 99 percent of the time, but totally lose it when your friend launches a blue shell in Mario Kart. (Don’t tell me to calm down, Steve, I was in first place!) So then, what sort of framework do politics put us in? To answer this, we need not turn any farther than the most powerful political machine ever devised: cable news. If you’re like me, then these two words strike a chord of resentment in your heart as you picture an endless assembly line producing nicely packaged bouquets of fear and anger to be gobbled up by the unsuspecting viewer. This is the narrative of fear and power: The idea that we should be terrified of a future in which the speaker, or the speaker’s party, is not in power. The epitome of this narrative was displayed by Marco Rubio in the last Republican debate, “We cannot afford another four years of (Democratic) policies.” All respect to Sen. Rubio, but that borders on absurdity. Sure, four years of an administration could harm a country, but doom it? But this gross demonization of “the other side” is how current politics seem to be operating. Fear is the fuel on which our election cycles are run. So coming back to spiral dynamics, what sort of mindset does fear — especially fear of a powerful other — drive one into? (Hint: It’s the same one that sporting events put us in.) Tribalism. But you may be thinking, “Sure, we bind together to fight off those scoundrels who want to destroy our country (or the environment, or the middle class) and why is that a bad thing?” And this is where it gets weird. In Jonathan Haidt’s revolutionary book, The Righteous Mind, he contrasts the way people believe they think about an issue with the way people actually do. Specifically, he argues that the logic behind why we believe something

return to rationality to be morally or politically right or wrong does not even enter our minds until after we have already made our decision on the topic. This is a further extension of biases in mental processes that we have long known about. His argument is far too long to be presented here, but its validity may be anecdotally displayed by the way the public reacts to events such as the 2012 Benghazi attack. You have a group of people (one of which is probably that crazy uncle of yours) who believes this PROVES that President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are secret Muslim terrorists who hate America; and you have another huge group of people who cannot possibly imagine why anyone would take a second look at this unfortunate attack. How could such drastically differing views exist on the same subject? Simple: biases. For though people make their arguments on the subject from the data, the picture they have created did not originate from the actual event. How can I know this? Part of this is informed by my reading of the aforementioned book; but

also, from my own study of the data, there are simply not enough facts to draw a solid conclusion. Okay, time to synthesize. People most often make judgements based upon intuition and later justify this with logic. The frameworks with which we make these judgements are, at least, partially described by spiral dynamics. And the rh etoric used in politics drives into tribal frameworks. Therefore, the framework from which we often make our decisions is dictated by tribalistic mentalities. And since our political tribes are political parties, we are reasoning politely not through true engagement with facts, but through dedication to parties, dedication which mirrors that of sports teams; thus, further reinforcing partisanship: the very thing we hate. Democrats, like the Gauchos, are people too; which is why I urge you, my reader, to no longer fear your political adversary, for they are not what threaten democracy. But instead, it seems once again, that the only thing to fear is fear itself (and blue shells … always fear blue shells).

ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Micaela Pacini, Sabrina Bexar DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Dylan Ring FACULTY ADVISER Pat Howe GENERAL MANAGER Paul Bittick

WRITE A LETTER Mustang News reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, profanities and length. Letters, commentaries and cartoons do not represent the views of Mustang News. Please limit length to 500 words. Letters should include the writer’s full name, phone number, major and class standing. Letters must come from a Cal Poly email account. Do not send letters as an attachment. Please send the text in the body of the email. EMAIL editor@mustangnews.net ADVERTISING EMAIL advertising@mustangnews.net MAIL Letters to the Editor Building 26, Room 226 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 ONLINE mustangnews.net

CORRECTIONS Mustang News takes pride in publishing daily news for the Cal Poly campus and the neighboring community. We appreciate your readership and are thankful for your careful reading. Please send your correction suggestions to editor@ mustangnews.net.

NOTICES Mustang News is a “designated public forum.” Student editors have full authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. Printed by UNIVERSITY GRAPHIC SYSTEMS ugs@calpoly.edu Mustang News is a member of Associated Collegiate Press, California Newspaper Publishers Association, College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers and College Media Advisors. Monday, November 2, 2015 Publishing since 1916 Volume M, Issue 12

“We will be there. Old people will be there. Paul will be there.”

ILLUSTRATION BY ROSTON JOHNSON | MUSTANG NE WS

Continued from page 3

high emergency calls and citation handouts. Despite strong enforcement of rules and increased fines, students still found ways to let off steam leading up to and during WOW. In fact, according to the San Luis Obispo Po-

lice Department, the number of public intoxication citations the week before and during WOW went up this year — from 47 in 2014 to 51 in 2015. Additionally, the number of DUIs nearly doubled — from 16 in 2014 to 31 in 2015. “This is where we get into the unintended consequenc-

es,” Ashbaugh said. “We need to evaluate the effects of these changes to see if we are in fact creating more risky situations.” However, some numbers went down, such as minor in possession and open container citations. Also, Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center — the

closest hospital to campus — admitted 12 people for acute alcohol poisoning during WOW, a 50 percent decrease from last year according to Sierra Vista spokesperson Ron Yukelson. Whether WOW culture will change or has already changed is a difficult question. Another

important question was raised by Kawai-Lenting, one that had more to do with the purpose of WOW itself. “A lot of good is coming from time spent with our students in WOW, but is WOW the only method for orienting students?” Kawai-Lenting said.


Classifieds TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD:

Order online at www.mustangnews.net or call 805.756.1143 a day prior by noon Ads must be prepaid by check made out to Mustang News or paid by credit card online.

CROSSWORD

CLASSIFIED ADS ARE FREE FOR STUDENTS Stop into MUSTANG NEWS to find out how to place your ad!

POP CULTURE SHOCK THERAPY

F MINUS

SUDOKU

SPONSOR THE COMIC!

SPONSOR THE COMIC!

CALL 805.756.1143

CALL 805.756.1143

$50 A DAY

$50 A DAY


Monday, November 2, 2015

SPORTS | 8

Men’s swimming and diving wins BlueGreen rivalry meet, women barely lose

Alison Stauf A hot Saturday afternoon at Anderson Aquatics Center set the stage for the swimming and diving editions of the Blue-Green Rivalry. The men’s team secured a 154.5-107.5 victory against UC Santa Barbara, and the women’s team narrowly lost 143137 to the Gauchos. This was the first time in head coach Tom Milich’s 10-year stint at Cal Poly that the men’s team beat UC Santa Barbara. Junior Caleb Davies earned

a pair of victories with the best 50- and 100-yard freestyle times of the day, helping the men’s team win eight of 13 events. Sophomore Pearu Pold earned the fastest 1,000- and 500-yard freestyle times. The Mustangs also won the 400-yard freestyle relay thanks to Davies, junior Jack Jenner and freshmen Dominik Folkner and Dominic Dalpiaz. The women’s team collected

@CPMustangSports nine wins in 16 events on the day, with sophomore Sage Speak winning the 200- and 100-yard breaststroke and freshman Meghan Merlihan winning the 1,000-yard freestyle. Mustangs senior Taylor Guy finished first overall with a 56.46 time in the women’s 100yard fly, while freshman Brian Whittington won the 100-yard breaststroke for the men with a time of 56.77. Sophomore Lauren

Pierce recorded a winning total score of 236.145 on the 1-meter diving board. Sophomore Billy Mullis lead the way for UC Santa Barbara with two individual victories in the 100- and 200-yard back. Cheyenne Low took home victories for the Gauchos in the 100- and 200-yard back. The Cal Poly women’s swimming and diving team takes on Pepperdine next week at 10 a.m.

ANDREW EPPERSON | MUSTANG NE WS

Healthy Living Check out the new special edition coming to newsstands November 19th

The best areas to exercise around SLO How to prevent getting sick in college Best classes to take in the Rec Center

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @CPMUSTANGNEWS


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Nov. 2, 2015 by Mustang News - Issuu