from mot t to the moon from mo mot t to the moon
How Victor Glover's dual-sport career at Cal Poly shaped his path to space
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NEWS: SLO’S WARM WINTER IS FUELING A HOVERFLY SURGE DOWNTOWN
Pg. 08
GUIDE: FROM COASTAL VIEWS TO PEAKS, HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST HIKES IN SLO
Pg. 14
KCPR CONTENT: FROM THE CLASSROOM PROJECTOR TO THE BIG SCREEN
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from the
Student café in San Luis Obispo centers culture through menu and sourcing
BY GRACE GILLIO & LIA GRIFFITHS
BY NATALIA CELEBRINI
Cal Poly students turn bake sales into immigrant support
Hercules, the four-legged beach volleyball ‘Director of Player Morale’
BY CHLOË SCHAUERMANN DESIGNED BY AVA DONALDSON
ADVISERS
Dear Readers,
Congratulations, you made it to May. Ahh scary, scary. We all have postShabang depression in the newsroom. Graduation is incoming. There are like three Thursdays left before being a college student is a behavioral excuse. That’s basically how we’re feeling. We have a long laundry list of vain things to accomplish over the next few weeks — solo grad pics, group grad pics, outdoor grad pics, etc..
But, in all seriousness, this year has been a whirlwind to say the least. We are already mourning our college experience — and the quarter system. Senioritis and summer-readiness is hitting the Mustang Media Group staff hard right now, but we are still beyond motivated to get you the stories you need. We’re just slacking on class responsibilities.
Let’s start with the cover, a man we are all familiar with at this point.
A lot of Victor Glover’s passion and drive was rooted in his love of sport during his time at Cal Poly. Sport takes many forms in these pages — team members with four legs and four wheels alike.
The culture of San Luis Obispo is coursing through these pages too.
Beautiful photos capture excitement and haze at Shabang. Reporters tell the story behind the student-created stories that graced screens at SLO Film Fest.
This is our last traditional print newspaper of the school year. June looks a little different, where we cele brate the past four years at Cal Poly for the Class of 2026. Keep an eye out for that edition next month as you walk across the stage or cry because your best friend is a year older than you.
Some of the most impactful memo ries from the past year made their way into various print editions. We used to be weary of print — sorry, it is archaic sometimes. Yet, we have been reminded about the power of physical media. In a time of uncer tainty, no one can delete printed news.
And on that note, we wish you luck finding your path and swatting the hoverflies downtown.
SINCERELY ,
ARCHANA PISUPATI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
JEREMY GARZA MANAGING EDITOR
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ELENA VAUGHAN
POD FROM THE EDITORS
Please make the subject line [Letter to Editor, Topic — First name/Last name]. We require all letters to the editor to be signed with a name.
We discussed last month’s MMG recap and current stories in San Luis Obispo.
SLO’s warm winter is fueling a hoverfly surge downtown
A warmer-than-average season has extended breeding conditions for the harmless but highly visible insects
GRACE GILLIO
MEHER ANKLESARIA
San Luis Obispo may soon see a surge of unexpected guests making a home in the airspace in front of downtown businesses as summer approaches.
Swarms of hoverflies, named aptly for the way they “hover” in flight, have become a familiar sight in downtown doorways and storefronts in recent years. This year, however, an unseasonably warm winter and lack of a freeze period may lead to a population boom, presenting challenges for business owners in the area, according to Ryan Perry, assistant professor of entomology at Cal Poly.
Due to the mild winter, insects became active much earlier in the season, according to Perry. Warm, sunny weather also accelerates the hoverfly’s life cycle, causing extra generations of the insect to appear each year.
The plethora of foliage and trees that line the streets draw hoverflies to downtown San Luis Obispo. These plants usually harbor aphids, small insects that feed on plant sap. The unusual weather this winter and spring caused aphids to boom in population, leading to more food for hoverflies and prime conditions for their populations to grow, Perry said. Hoverflies are parasitoids, meaning they will lay their eggs near clusters of aphids, sometimes finding
them by picking up chemical signals. Once the juvenile hoverflies hatch, they pierce into the aphid, sucking out sustenance then moving on to the next, Perry said.
“They’ve basically just got this buffet of insects to go find, lay their eggs near and have the cycle continue,” Perry said.
In a typical year, hoverflies will keep the aphid population down through their consumption, but the warmer winter has caused both insect levels to soar.
“In a year like this, where it’s just super warm, it’s an arms race, and the aphids are winning this time,”
Perry said. “You know, there’s more of them. Yes, there are more hover flies, however, they are unable to achieve complete control.”
In 2019, the city faced an overpopulation of houseflies, linked to an increased number of pigeons and whiteflies in downtown, as previously reported by The Tribune. Methods like putting pigeons on birth control and trimming the ficus trees infested by white fly — whose secretion attracted the houseflies, were used to control housefly population.
BUSINESS OWNERS RESPOND TO INFLUX OF HOVERFLIES
Although houseflies and hoverflies are different species, the irritation
they present to downtown business owners is similar.
Cherisse Sweeney, owner of Basalt Interiors, has worked at her Higuera Street location downtown for 15 years. She said the number of flies downtown has gotten “progressively worse” over the years.
Sweeney said there are times where she needs to sit in front of the store and shoo away the flies from the door to prevent them from swarming inside. Other times, she will close the door to her showroom to keep the flies out, which Sweeney says makes her showroom feel less welcoming and open.
“It’s not pleasant to have to walk through a funnel of flies to get into the show room,” Sweeney said. Still, Sweeney said she would not like to see pesticides used on the ficus trees and plants downtown to diminish the aphid population.
“I don’t know what the right abatement solution would be that’s the least toxic,” Sweeney said. “I think to start with just if we can’t get rid of them easily, at least making the sidewalks feel like they’re clean. It just feels dirtier when the sidewalks are dirty, the streets are dirty, the atriums are dirty then there’s hover flies flying around.”
If the streets were to be cleaned with the consistency they once were, the hoverflies would be a “little more
tolerable,” Sweeney said. Management strategies for aphids need to start early and be “more strategic” due to the mild winter and summer-like conditions this spring, according to Perry. Once populations start increasing to unmanageable levels, a pest management strategy might be considered, he said.
“If the numbers get too high, you would then go in and spray the insecticides to just knock down that population to something that’s manageable,” Perry said.
Business owners also use mesh-door curtains, strategically-placed fans and even Irish Spring soap to keep hoverflies away from their stores.
Steven Wick, one of the owners at Zen Shak, has resorted to using an electric fly swatter to prevent the flies from coming into the store. During hot months, he notices the flies get “pretty bad” out front, and eventually, they try to make their way into the cooler store.
“Sometimes I have to go out there and use [the electric fly swatter],” Wick said. “Just because if they’re out there, they’re gonna eventually come inside. But it gets rid of them real quick, [I’m] doing my part.”
While some business owners are bothered by the flies downtown, others see them as a trade-off to having a tree-lined downtown.
Angela Hemler, the manager of Zen Shak, says she was initially “appalled” by the swarms of flies when she moved to San Luis Obispo. For Hemler, having an ecologically rich downtown, especially the ficus trees, which she calls a “staple,” is worth instances of overactive insects.
“Over time, I actually noticed that as you walk through them, they don’t hit you, they don’t bother you,” Hemler said. “It actually didn’t really seem to make an impact on me.”
Although their presence might be an annoyance, hoverflies are harmless and beneficial to the environment, according to Perry.
“It’s just people, they, you know, they have this natural gut reaction to see a fly,” Perry said.
“They’re gonna see flies, they assume filth and gross, these ones that are, you know, basically just hovering around like this, no, they’re, they’re looking for a mate, and then they want to go lay their eggs somewhere else.”
Perry said the increase in hoverflies is part of a natural cycle, influenced by changes in the climate and the local ecosystem.
“It’s really just understanding this circle of life, if you will, of excess plants, excess heat equals excess herbivorous pests, or what we call pests. Because of that, there’s more of the predators and the parasitoids,” Perry said.
RYAN PERRY | COURTESY Hoverflies are parasitoids, meaning they will lay their eggs near clusters of aphids, sometimes finding them by picking up chemical signals.
Student cafe in San Luis Obispo centers culture through menu and sourcing
STORY BY GRACE GILLIO & LIA GRIFFITHS
DESIGNED BY NATALIA CELEBRINI
Editor’s note: Full names have been removed from this story due to a notice from the San Luis Obispo Department of Public Health regarding home kitchen operations.
Luna has always liked coffee. Growing up in a Mexican household, the psychology senior has fond memories of her parents drinking café de olla, and her first job was fittingly at a coffee shop in her hometown.
When Luna moved to San Luis Obispo for college, she realized how prevalent coffee culture was here. Out of the 20 plus coffee shops in San Luis Obispo, Luna says she has been to almost all of them and realized how coffee shops serve to build community and a space for people to connect.
Luna’s passion for coffee started to take shape when she hosted a home cafe for her friends this quarter, who encouraged her to bring this idea to the public and create her own pop-up coffee shop. Initially, Luna
was hesitant, but with some encouragement Luna thought it would be a fun project to pursue.
Luna brought the idea to her friend Meza, an aerospace engineering senior.
“I remember telling [Meza], I was like, ‘Should we end up doing this? Like, do you think it would be fun?’”
Luna recalled.
While this is Luna and Meza’s last quarter at Cal Poly, the pair decided it would be fun to try to create their own pop-up coffee shop, Luna Cafe, before they graduate.
Luna Cafe, based in San Luis Obispo, has only been open for a little over a month but since the beginning Luna has been committed to making sure her cafe operates with quality and intentionality in mind.
It started with friends helping Luna and Meza — taking photos of the drinks, spreading the word around and sharing about the pop-up cafe on Instagram, where they do most of their advertising.
“A big one of them has been just talking,” Luna said. “So like one person will be like, ‘Oh yeah, I just got a coffee from here.’ Or they’ll be walking around and then my friends
I’m
Mexican, and Meza is Salvadorian and Honduran, So I always knew that I wanted to represent, I guess, each other in a way, and that’s also why our bunny’s brown.
LUNA Psychology Senior
will text me, 'oh, my god, someone just asked for your Instagram.'”
When thinking about how she wanted to source the matcha and coffee beans for her drinks, Luna prioritized sourcing from small businesses or businesses owned by people of color.
“My parents are eloteros in Bakersfield, so they’ve already been in, like, the wholesale market,” Luna said. “So they helped me find a lot of different websites and like people who produce.”
Luna sources her coffee beans from a small Native American-owned business called Sunflower Coffee, and her matcha from Desnudo, a Texas-based company run by two Latino brothers who source their matcha from Japan.
“I’m Mexican, and then Meza is Salvadorian and Honduran,” Luna said. “So I always knew that I wanted to represent, I guess, each other in a way, and that’s also why our bunny’s brown.”
The Luna Cafe logo, a brown bunny with pink rosy cheeks and orange bows on each ear, was designed by Meza, who manages the social media for the pop-up and runs the cash register during opening hours.
For Meza, the best part of the experience at Luna Cafe so far is the chance to interact with the community when people visit the pop-up.
“Meeting a bunch of new people, just seeing their faces after they have the coffee is surprisingly enjoyable,”
Meza said. “I’m always the customer at coffee shops, so being on the other side is funky fresh. It’s kind of cool.”
Getting Luna Cafe running for the weekend is a three-day process, Luna said, with Friday devoted to prepping and trialing and Saturday and Sunday opening the pop-up to the public.
Some of the menu items Luna serves at the pop-up are an iced vanilla latte and an iced brown sugar latte with cinnamon and vanilla cream foam. Other rotating offerings include the banana cream matcha, the iced banana latte with cajeta foam and banana cinnamon rolls, according to Luna Cafe’s Instagram.
“I did my Cit latte based on what I drink every day, or like, where, when I go to a coffee shop, what am I looking for?” Luna said.
As for the future of Luna Cafe, Meza says he’s open to wherever this journey takes him.
“I would really like to see it get bigger. It’d be pretty cool,” Meza said. “Right now we’re seeing where it goes with like, this quarter the 10 weeks, see how much hype we can build up.”
LA LUNA CAFE | COURTESEY
La Luna Cafe features drinks with cultural ties and sources from small businesses.
SCAN HERE FOR FULL VIDEO STORY
BEYOND THE SUMMIT
New trails and old favorites shape San Luis Obispo’s hiking possibilities
BY DYLAN WHITE & CHLO Ë SCHAUERMANN
DESIGNED BY ELENA VAUGHAN
As the summer hiking season begins, San Luis Obispo’s trail system is drawing more residents and visitors outdoors while continuing to expand to meet growing demand. Known for the amazing views said hikes have to offer, the city offers a range of hikes that vary in difficulty, scenery and accessibility. Not only that, but the local hikes are most enjoyed when you’re with your group of friends.
For many, hiking remains one of the most accessible outdoor activities in the area. From short climbs to longer, more technical routes, San Luis Obispo County’s trails play a role in defining the region’s outdoor culture.
For those seeking a shorter but steeper climb, the Sycamore Crest Trail provides an amazing view along a tree-lined path above Avila Beach. The hike is roughly three-quarters of a mile to the summit, with about 600 feet of elevation gain. While conquering this steep incline of the dusty dirt trail will have your calves burning, the view at the top makes this effort well worth it. The shaded sections early on transition into a more open coastal view near the peak, complete with a cooling ocean breeze.
Further south, Pismo Preserve offers more than 10 miles of interconnected trails across coastal hills overlooking the ocean. The routes range from gradual fire roads to steeper climbs, making the preserve accessible to hikers with varying levels of
experience. The area features open grasslands and seasonal patches of wildflowers, as well as an abundance of roly-pollies and the occasional fuzzy caterpillar.
Together, these trails provide options for hikers looking for more scenic views without committing to a longer or more physically demanding hike.
WHAT’S THE TRI-TIP CHALLENGE?
For hikers looking for a goal to complete, the Tri-Tip Challenge has become a well-known Central Coast tradition. The challenge consists of summiting “the big three”: Bishop Peak, Cerro San Luis Obispo and the Cal Poly “P.”
The challenge blends recreation with a bit of local culture, as participants often celebrate completing all three hikes with a tri-tip sandwich, usually from Firestone Grill. The blend of physical endurance and a strong sense of local identity has created a unique experience for hikers in the area.
Each trail has differing challenges. Cerro San Luis Obispo — popularly known as Madonna Mountain — is one of the hills with a more moderate climb offering several paths, including the Lemon Grove Loop, a shaded section with views overlooking the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo. Bishop Peak is considered the most challenging of the three, requiring a round-trip of about 3.5–4 miles and more than 1,200 feet of elevation gain. The last section is steep,
We have just summited the final hike of the day. We are now on top of the ‘P’ which has a fantastic view of both the Cal Poly community and San Luis Obispo as a whole. Not only that but it also has fantastic views of both Bishop’s Peak and Madonna Mountain, also known as Cerro San Luis.
DYLAN WHITE Journalism Junior
rocky terrain that leads to a complete 360-degree view of the entire city of San Luis Obispo.
The Cal Poly “P” is the shortest of the three hikes, though still steep. Located near campus, specifically behind the “red brick” dorms and the Vista Grande Dining Complex, the trail offers footpathers the option to stop at the “P” — or continue beyond it — to get sweeping views of the city and the aforementioned peaks.
Some hikers try to finish all three climbs in one day, while others spread it out over time.
TRAIL EXPANSION AND THE CITY’S INVESTMENT
As hiking activity increases, the City of San Luis Obispo is expanding and updating its trail system to improve access and long-term sustainability.
Recent additions at Righetti Hill Open Space include the Bunny Hops trail, designed primarily for bikers and featuring elements such as jumps and rock gardens. The trail is part of a larger network of biking routes within the open hiking space.
The newly completed Expert Line at Laguna Lake Park is now adding more advanced jumps, as well as a beginner track, which is in progress, to help younger or less-experienced riders and hikers who wish to attempt those trails.
The City of San Luis Obispo is continuing work on additional trail projects at Reservoir Canyon Open Space, including the Backburn Trail, a new hiking-only route that officials say will create more loop options and
provide a less steep alternative to the existing Firefighter Trail. Other open space areas have also undergone some improvements. According to the city’s Ranger Service, crews recently completed changes and repairs to the Stenner Flow Trail at Stenner Springs Open Space, including improved drainage and redesigned trail features. These projects are part of the city’s broader trail connectivity and conservation efforts outlined through San Luis Obispo’s open space and trail planning initiatives, which focus on improving public access while protecting natural resources.
With residents in abundance and an increasing number of visitors seeking outdoor recreation, San Luis Obispo’s trail system reflects the area’s tradition of hiking as well as the city’s ongoing commitment to its future. It continues to provide opportunities for residents to explore local trails and assist in volunteer and trail-building activities across the region.
Gabby Gerster and Roman Noravian contributed to reporting this story.
GUIDE
LÉA BOURGES-SEVENIER | MUSTANG NEWS
Bishop’s Peak, sitting 1,559 feet above sea level, which is known as one of the most difficult hikes in the Tri-Tip challenge.
A RECIPE FOR CHANGE
Cal Poly students turn bake sales into immigrant support
AUDIO BY LAUREN QUIJANO DESIGNED BY ELENA VAUGHAN
Cal Poly students and alumni are selling homemade cultural desserts, like conchas masa orange cookies and Vietnamese coffee treats, to raise money for undocumented immigrants in San Luis Obispo County.
For environmental engineering senior Mytam Le, the idea came from a mix of frustration and creativity.
“I think we all kind of felt a little useless when the ICE raids were going on,” Le said. “I was also in my baking era, so I was like, ‘Guys, what if we make a bake sale?’”
A group of five students started Raising Together last summer, when they were looking for a way to support those being affected by immigration issues throughout California. Proceeds from the bake sales are donated to organizations such as 805Undocufund and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.
What began as a small idea has grown into three bake sales that draw more people each time. Other than fundraising, Le said the bake sales also offer connection.
“When you have community and friends and do something as silly as a bake sale to earn a couple hundred dollars, it’s really nice,” she said. “It reminds you that you are not completely alone.”
The sense of purpose also extends to the group’s visual branding. Art and design alum Jenni Martinez creates all the flyers, menus and artwork sold at the bake sale.
“As someone who comes from immigrants, this cause really hits home for me,” Martinez said. “I try to create art that resonates with me and my heritage as being a Mexican American.”
Le said the timing and location of each bake sale depend on logistics, including where they set up and how busy their schedules are. They set up in San Luis Obispo neighborhoods with a lot of foot traffic.
Many of the baked goods reflect the cultural background of the
group’s members and emphasize bringing different communities together. Some of their members are Vietnamese and Hispanic, so they’ve sold different desserts like conchas and chè thái, which is a Vietnamese fruit cocktail dessert.
“We were like, ‘okay, maybe we can kind of hone in to that and kind of embrace their culture while also trying to raise money for them,” Le said. “Kind of combining different cultures and flavors to kind of unite us.”
Customers said the bake sale stands out not only for the cause but for what they have to offer.
Andres Hernandez is a research and assessment analyst at Cal Poly who said he stopped by after seeing the table while on a walk through an off campus neighborhood.
“It was a nice day and I was starting to get hungry, and I saw this,” he said. “Usually I don’t even go to bake sales, but some of the stuff looked good.”
Local resident Miranda Donaldson has attended every bake sale since the group’s first sale last July and said that supporting the effort is important.
“These are people [immigrants] who are literally like our neighbors, who are feeding us and helping us and we can’t turn our backs on them,” Donaldson said.
Although the future of Raising Together is undecided, as many of the members are seniors or recent graduates, the group hopes to continue to hold bake sales and build support in San Luis Obispo.
HOW VICTOR GLOVER’S DUAL-SPORT CAREER AT CAL POLY SHAPED HIS PATH TO SPACE
After graduating in 1999, the work ethic and lessons Glover learned from sports helped him become a NASA pilot, eventually leading him to fly the Artemis II around the Moon
STORY BY DYLAN ALLEN DESIGNED BY ANIKA LOGANATHAN
Four years before he flew the Artemis II around the Moon, Victor Glover sat down for lunch inside Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong’s office. It was April of 2022, almost a year since Glover returned to Earth from the International Space Station orbit ing Earth.
The NASA astronaut was meeting with Jon Sioredas, the head coach of Cal Poly Wrestling, and Adam Kemp, a recruit Sioredas was trying to bring to the program.
Glover is a 1999 general engineering graduate who wrestled and played football for Cal Poly. When Sioredas asked if he could meet Kemp, he happily obliged.
The four sat down, and Glover pulled out a sealed bag which he had aboard the ISS with him. Inside was
may have been opened a few times, said the actual smell was not potent or distinct.
“Maybe someone that’s been in space can smell it, but for someone that hasn’t, it was hard for me to really tell,” Sioredas said.
Glover went on to become the pilot of the Artemis II mission, a 10-day expedition that flew around the far side of the moon last month. The four-astronaut crew flew 252,756 miles, marking the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.
The mission was NASA’s first
inspired Kemp to become a Mustang — the two have talked multiple times. One of those included Kemp’s graduation in 2023.
“I was thinking to myself, ‘Having wrestling alumni that is an astronaut, what more could you ask for?’” Kemp said. “It’s just crazy.”
Before Kemp captured a 174-pound title at the Pac-12 Championships in 2023, Glover texted to wish him luck, telling him: “Rumble, young man, rumble.”
Before Glover was floating in zero gravity and eyeing the details of
shape his career, and ultimately help him pilot the first mission around the Moon.
HOW SPORT SHAPED GLOVER’S LIFE
Before he arrived on the Central Coast, Glover competed in wrestling, polevaulting and played both running back and quarterback for the Ontario High School football team in California.
In 1994, his senior year, he won sixth place in the California Wrestling
State Championships at 160 pounds, and would later win Ontario High School Athlete of the Year.
For the Mustangs, Glover played defensive back for the football team and wore No. 23 under Head Coach Andre Patterson, who was Cal Poly’s coach from 1994–96.
On the wrestling mats, Glover was trained by Lennis Cowell, who led the program from 1985–2003. Cowell, a legendary wrestler himself, was inducted into the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
“The hardest thing I ever chose to do in my life was walking in space,” Glover said to Armstrong on a call while aboard the ISS. “The second hardest thing I ever chose to do in my life was wrestling practice with
ROBERT MARKOWITZ | COURTESY OF NASA NASA Astronaut Victor Glover.
Coach Lennis Cowell.”
When Kemp would talk with Glover, he felt a deep bond because of the “chosen suffering” they endured in wrestling.
“Before wrestling, I thought I knew where my ceiling was,” Kemp said. “After a coach forces you past your ceiling, the old version of you kind of dies. In that way, wrestling prepares you for life because it pushes your ceiling further than anything really could.”
Kemp, who now runs his own business, said wrestling prepared him for a lot of challenges he’s faced. He said he didn’t want to speak for Glover, but thought Glover would feel the same.
“I’m guessing he would owe wrestling a lot because it’s a good teacher of life,” Kemp said. “It’s investing in yourself, like a stock.”
Redshirt senior wrestler Zeth Romney, who attended Glover’s keynote speech at Cal Poly Wrestling’s 75th anniversary
celebration in 2023, wasn’t surprised by the heights Glover reached.
Romney, a 2025 NCAA All-American, described on The Gallop, a KCPR podcast, that a wrestling match can “sometimes feel like life or death.”
“When he was put in the position of who was going to space or who was going to get the job, I feel like that’s where work ethic comes into play,”
Romney said. “The mindset of being comfortable competing with others, that’s where wrestlers thrive.”
HOW HIS HEROICS IMPACT CAL POLY
Glover’s pilot career began shortly after graduating from Cal Poly, with Naval Aviator training in Pensacola, Fla., in 2001. Over the next 12 years, he accumulated 3,500 hours of flight time in over 40 different aircrafts for both the United States Navy and Air Force.
In 2013, NASA selected Glover as one of eight members of the 21st astronaut class.
About seven years later, Glover embarked on his first space mission as the pilot of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, where he spent six months aboard the ISS, begin
on four different spacewalks on the ISS — and he referred to them during his speech at the wrestling anniversary dinner.
“He had a video of his spacewalk and how it related to wrestling,” Sioredas said. “He absolutely crushed it. Our guys love him.”
The team quickly became a huge fan of Glover, with Sioredas noting his “awesome” personality as one reason. But beyond the team’s appreciation for him, Sioredas believes his success will bring a lot of attention to Cal Poly Wrestling.
“I think it brings a lot of eyeballs to our program and to our institution,” Sioredas said after the Artemis II landed. “I can’t even tell you how many text messages I’ve gotten over the past week or so, with those guys orbiting the moon and coming back in.”
No matter the time, place or whoever he’s speaking to — whether it’s millions of people watching a NASA broadcast, a room full of Cal Poly engineers or catching up with Kemp — Glover notably inspires each to believe in themselves.
“He made me feel like I was on his level, you know?” Kemp said when asked about their first interaction.
“He’s like this huge, heroic figure. But
Meet Hercules, Cal Poly Athletic’s first canine staff member
With Herc’s help, the beach volleyball team has softened their hearts on and off the sand
VIDEO BY CHLOË SCHAUERMANN
DESIGNED BY AVA DONALDSON
Most dogs make great companions, but not all dogs are on the roster for a Division I sports team.
The Irish setter golden retriever mix, Hercules, also known as Herc, has fueled the success of Cal Poly’s Beach Volleyball team with his playful energy as an official staff member.
His owner, Ella Connor, a fifth-year beach volleyball player, who holds the record for the program’s all-time career wins, credits Herc with getting her to where she is today.
“I got him my sophomore year after I was having a lot of mental health issues,” the kinesiology senior said. “He’s been the best thing ever.” Herc is a certified service animal for panic attacks and can sense when they are coming based on smell and breathing patterns. After six months of training with Doggy Do Good in Arroyo Grande, Connor adopted Herc.
Connor was forced to redshirt as a sophomore due to her struggle
with mental health to keep her year of eligibility, but she did not let that stop her from coming back stronger.
With Herc alongside her, she went on to be recognized as a first-team All-American player by the American Volleyball Coaches Association following the 2023 season.
LOYAL COMPANION TURNS INTO THE HEART OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL
There was no doubt that Herc’s presence had positively impacted her performance, but what Connor quickly realized was how loved Herc was not only by her, but by her whole team.
Brody Badham, a practice player for the team and agricultural science sophomore, emphasized how important Herc was to him.
“I love Herc. He’s a huge morale booster,” Badham said. “If you’re going through something, he’s
always there.”
Head Coach Todd Rodgers and Assistant Coach Angela Rock are also dog owners, and Connor felt like having Herc around improved their mood.
“He’s just been a light to everyone,” Connor said.
Once Herc started attending practices and games regularly, a joke about putting him on the roster became a reality. Within a week of mentioning the idea to Connor Leary, the director of athletic communications, Herc got his own biography on the website.
He is a member of the support staff as “Director of Player Morale,” and his description talks about his love for playing in the sand and making new friends. He is also recognized for his features on an ESPN broadcast and the NCAA Volleyball social media.
The 5-year-old pup earned his five minutes of fame because he attends
every practice and goes with the team to attend away games. Herc is an easy traveler, usually just curling up and falling asleep under the seat on planes, according to Connor.
With so much of his time spent with his teammates, he has become accustomed to liking people more than other dogs and struggles to be away from Connor.
“When we play games and when I have practice, he doesn’t like it as much because I have to be at least 10 feet away from him at all times,” she said.
Herc’s teammates don’t like to be too far from him either, and as Connor finishes up her final season with the Mustangs, she feels like Herc’s absence will change the team dynamic.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do next year without him,” she said.
If there was a good final season for Herc to have, however, it would be this one. The team has had a
consistently strong record, with Connor recently named a semifinalist for AVCA Player of the Year. For the remainder of his time, Herc plans to sit on the sidelines cheering on Connor and all his favorite teammates. When he’s not watching volleyball, he can be found eating peanut butter, chasing shadows and showcasing all his adventures on his Instagram page.
JOE CAPRA | MUSTANG NEWS Herc sits courtside at a tournament.
LLOYD ESOLA | MUSTANG NEWS
Thomas Pierce drives the SAE car.
CAL POLY RACING IS RELYING ON TESTING AHEAD OF FORMULA SAE
Cal Poly Racing is going through its final stages of testing and manufacturing ahead of Formula race in June
VIDEO BY JOSLEN JIMENEZ
DESIGNED BY AVA DONALDSON
On Monday and Wednesday nights inside Cal Poly’s Aero Hangar, the sound of machinery rarely stops.
One group fine tunes the design’s aerodynamics, while another adjusts the suspension on a half-built frame nearby. Across the mechanical engineering shop, students take on specialized roles to design, build and test Cal Poly Racing’s Formula car so it can be ready just in time for competition.
But late nights spent designing is only part of the process for Cal Poly’s Racing team.
What the team builds year round is ultimately aimed at one thing: competing in the spring Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International competition in June.
“We all work together with one goal which is winning competitions,” Formula Team President Ria Mehta said.
The grind has already been well
underway. In fact, it never really stops, according to Mehta, a mechanical engineering sophomore.
Just two weeks after competition ends, the team is already laying the groundwork for the following season.
“We take two weeks off, then we immediately jump right back into it,” Mehta said. “Those two weeks I don’t really know what to do with myself, honestly. It’s a little more free time than we’re used to, and I think everybody on the team feels the same way because we all love the team so much.”
Each year, the formula car undergoes upgrades to meet new regulations and improve performances. The design process begins with early concepts and drafts before moving into finalized builds.
Cal Poly Racing revealed its formula car, Natalie, last month offering a first glimpse of the team’s livery before hitting the testing phase.
The fully electric vehicle powered
some components carry over from previous years.
This keeps the competition focused on engineering development and prevents teams from refining the same car over multiple seasons.
Yet this season, the changes run much deeper than looks.
New rules for 2026 SAE competitions place tighter scrutiny on all-wheel drive systems and require more detailed structural validation and testing.
“Obviously since it’s an electric vehicle and it’s built by students, it has to be safe,” Mehta said. “So a lot of the rules are safety related and making sure the drivers are protected.”
Though no rules explicitly state that the car needs to be test driven prior to competition, Cal Poly Racing prioritizes its testing phase for the best possible outcome come competition week.
Who gets behind the wheel matters just as much as how well the car is built.
The team allows interested drivers to test on a simulator that replicates the car’s vehicle parameters, helping them understand what it feels like to operate the vehicle. Although the sim doesn’t replicate the full physical forces experienced on track, it gives the team a baseline for evaluating each candidate.
“It’s not just pure data that we’re looking for,” Formula Team Lead John O’Donnell said. “It’s also their confidence and control behind the wheel. We want to make sure that the person driving feels comfortable, knows how to choose a racing line and has general racing knowledge.”
by an EMRAX 208 motor marks the second year the team has operated on an electric program and is now undergoing testing to evaluate whether the design meets performance expectations.
The livery, or custom design, features a new vinyl design layered over exposed carbon, built to keep sponsors visible without fighting the car’s aerodynamics.
The car also features a front wing, underwing and tray wing — a configuration that gives the car what is known as an “arrow” silhouette, shaped almost entirely by the aerodynamics packed into its openwheel frame.
THERE ARE NEW DESIGNS EACH YEAR
Under Formula SAE rules, teams are required to build a new chassis each season, meaning every car starts from the ground up, even if
competition.
Spanning 22 kilometers on an autocross-style course, the event pushes both the car and drivers to their limits. Midway through, teams must complete a pit stop, shut the vehicle fully off, swap drivers and restart before heading back onto the track.
In a perfect world, teams would complete every event without any issues. But in a sport where machinery and engineering are pushed to their limits, problems are almost inevitable.
“During our endurance, if a part breaks, the car’s done,” O’Donnell said. “You’re not allowed to do any repairs, so if anything faulty happens, if electrical stops working, mechanical stops working, your time is pretty much out of the window.”
To mitigate the risk of any malfunctions, the testing phase prior to the competition is crucial.
The Santa Maria Autocross track is where Cal Poly Racing’s Formula team tests out its car to iron out some of those electrical issues and mimic the demands of competition, ensuring the team extracts the maximum amount of performance out of its vehicle.
O’Donnell said the team mimics the different events the car will perform to assess its reliability and consistency.
With just over a month until competition, O’Donnell said testing has gone smoothly. The team gathers on Monday and Wednesday nights inside the Hangar to refine the build, working through both the electrical and mechanical systems to make sure everything is functioning as expected.
From there, the team selects four drivers, each assigned to two of the competition’s four events based on who they believe is best equipped to handle the car when it counts, according to O’Donnell, an aerospace engineering senior.
THE COMPETITION
When competition arrives, everything the team has built gets measured across four events: acceleration, skidpad, autocross and endurance — each one targeting different aspects of what the car can do.
Acceleration tests straight-line speed over 75 meters, while the skidpad evaluates handling through a figure-eight course focused on lateral movement. Autocross then brings it all together, placing drivers on a cone course where one lap can determine how well the car translates power, speed and control to post the fastest lap.
The fourth and final test is endurance, held on the last day of
“From my experience here at Cal Poly, I’ve never seen our electric car finish an endurance test during our testing phase,” O’Donnell said. “And yesterday was the first time we did it with our new car. It brings us a lot of confidence, but I know that we still need to keep our heads down and push to make sure that we are ready with everything else, and still improve up until that time.”
Cal Poly’s Formula Team will head to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., to compete in the four-day Formula SAE Electric Competition in June.
Mustang Film Society co-president Joshua Arrich embraces Reagan Bones after an emotional end to the students’ hard work on their independent films.
From the classroom projector
TO THE BIG SCREEN
Seven student-made films premiered at the San Luis Obispo Film Festival
STORY BY SARAH JAGIELSKI, AYLA BOOSE, ROWAN SHUMWAY, MAKENA LOCSIN, ELSA FUENTES-VIRABYAN, MCKENNA ZOLTY & CAYDEN
TAN
DESIGNED BY KENNEDY RAY
These are snippets of KCPR’s Short Cuts series, highlighting Cal Poly student films that debuted in the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival on April 27.
As a collaboration between Cinematic Processes (ISLA 341) with Randi Barros and Advanced Digital Video (ART 483) with James Werner, the two classes collaborated throughout winter quarter to make the films come to life. The Short Cuts premiere annually at the Fremont Theater alongside a film from the Mustang Film Society.
SQUARES
“Squares” tells the story of what can happen when the distinction between fantasy and reality becomes a bit too muddled. The short film focuses on a young woman in search of connection, who begins writing secret messages in a café notebook. When a mysterious stranger begins writing messages back, a new relationship is born and ends up
taking precedence over her existing connections. How does “filling in the blanks” and imagining what could be with this new bond affect her, and is this fantasy romance worth losing a real friend over?
Contributors include screenwriter and director Annabelle Fagans, producer and co-director Josh Arrich, cinematographer and colorist Itzel Camarillo-Gonzalez, editor Maddie Morelos and set designer Elsa Fuentes-Virabyan. The film also features original music by Ashton Blaiir, a Cal Poly alumni and San Luis Obispo local.
“I think it is a very accurate snapshot of what life could be. And it’s done very casually,” Morelos said.
“I hope people take to it as fast as we did, and just enjoy the story. I felt like my mind was open to why film directors and composers do certain things, and I think the ways that I watch and experience films are forever changed.”
FLATLINE
“Flatline,” directed by Asher Dolinger and Lucas Vergara, portrays a teen who is grappling with the pains of losing a parent.
“The film is about someone we know and their experience based on them losing their father. It’s not
so much about the fact that they lost their father, but their process of how they grieved and how that looked different for them,” Vergara said.
The making of the film was characterized by four- to eight-hour shoot days, weaving around the schedules of the auditioned actors and crew. Even though Vergara was the sole cinematographer, each shot was a culmination of creative collaboration.
”The world isn’t really built on people doing things themselves, everything is done with each other,” he said.
Vergara hopes viewers leave the screening with a little more empathy for the people they interact with.
“Everyone deals with things differently and everyone has their own experiences and feelings,” he said. “I think it’s really important to be able to at least try and respect that, you don’t have to understand it, but see where people come from because everyone’s life is different. Everyone, themselves, is different.”
GIRL NEIGHBORS
College is a time of chaos: trying to impress people, trying to make connections and watching your entire plan fall apart all while attempting to stay true to yourself.
This disarray is hilariously embodied in “Girl Neighbors.”
The film follows Joe and Luke, two nerdy roommates who carefully constructed a game night to impress the girls who live across the street. Calamity ensues as the night unfolds in a series of events that writer Riley Moller describes as “desperate guy humor.”
“You have to take the comedy seriously,” he said. Moller described “Girl Neighbors” as the only true comedy in this year’s Short Cuts, upping the pressure to make people laugh.
Moller, an environmental engineering graduate student, has been pursuing filmmaking for five years, including editing a drama called “Picks” for last year’s Short Cuts. “Girl Neighbors” is the first film Moller has written, along with editing and starring in the film.
“It’s not pretty, but it’ll be fun,” Moller said. For a film meant to represent the chaotic life of a college student, this feels like a perfectly fit description.
CAREER FAIR
“Career Fair,” follows the painfully accurate reality of networking in 2026. In a world dominated by endless LinkedIn posts, social
climbing and corporate psychological warfare, the film is a refreshing reminder that maybe some things don’t need to be taken that seriously.
The plot centers on two collegeaged students competing for the presidency of a club. Set against the backdrop of a party, the students attempt to sabotage and one-up each other for the position.
“Career Fair” was written and directed by communications senior Ryan Quisol. With the plot focusing on competitive extracurriculars, Quisol found his time in other clubs to be critical when developing the script.
“I’m really new to this whole film thing,” he said. “When I watched the final cut, I was like, oh s---.”
Without a traditional background in film, Quisol drew on his own experiences and the experiences of those around him to bring the characters to life.
“Last year, I was actually like a co-president of the Filipino Club,” he said. “I knew I wanted that to be the inspiration because I knew how to write about it.”
YOU JUMP, I JUMP
Directed by Cal Poly communications juniors Reagan Bones and Riley Petrocco, Mustang Film Society’s
DIEGO FERNANDEZ | KCPR PHOTO
short film, “You Jump, I Jump,” is a coming-of-age story centered around a teenage friend group whose first taste of independence unfurls after being left unsupervised by a parent. Over the course of a single night, they explore and unveil different dynamics present in their friendship.
Bones and Petrocco were inspired to create the film based on some of their own shared experiences and feelings they had as young teenagers. They wanted the film to be a change of pace emotionally compared to short films of the past.
Reflecting on her involvement with filmmaking at Cal Poly, Bones hopes that more students who have an interest and passion for filmmaking will take advantage of the resources available to them.
PEN PALS
“Pen Pals” explores the slow process of communication with an older loved one through traditional letter-writing and discovering connection from afar while finding similarity in their days as one of them nears the end of her life. The framework was inspired by a fond personal narrative of memories in early childhood, sending letters back-and-forth from Minnesota to California. Initially receiving a prompt of
“discovery” from a screenwriting class, Teagan Dees wrote the narrative based on her first experience with death and grief as a child.
“It sounds more dramatic than it is, and the film is, but it’s my first experience with death kind of. But also, more about the relationship between me and my great-grandmother. We exchanged letters back-and-forth through the majority of when I could write, and when I was alive when she was alive,” said Dees, writer and co-director.
In the short film, Dees included a personal scene of her grandma rollerskating in the neighborhood.
“An ode to my great grandmother. She was rollerskating, I want to say, into her 70s. She used to roller skate with my grandma and aunt, so I’m so overjoyed with how that part turned out,” Dees said. “Our actresses were willing to put on skates, kind of for the first time.”
TEDDY
Interdisciplinary studies sophomore Laurel Franz is part of the ISLA 341 Cinematic Processes class with Randi Barros, where she worked on the short film, “Teddy.”
The film follows a young girl who really wants to play with her older brother who is uninterested and brushes her aside. Throughout the film, her relationship with her
brother evolves while they navigate their disoriented home life.
Franz was a producer of the film and reached out to the actors, handling scheduling to make sure everyone was on task.
“My favorite part was definitely working with everyone on it; it was a really fun experience,” Franz said.
“I loved going to the set on the shoot days and working with the actors. It was really fun.”
One of the challenges the team faced early on was the struggle to find an actor to play Dean, the older brother character.
“We were even thinking of switching the gender to make it like a sister’s story, but we ended up finding someone really great for that,” she said.
To read the full features, visit kcpr.org.
DIEGO FERNANDEZ | KCPR PHOTO
The lead actresses of “Pen Pals” share their experiences working with students.
DIEGO FERNANDEZ | KCPR PHOTO
Asher Dolinger, co-director of Flatline, reflects on the experience working with his team to make his film idea come to life.
KCPR PHOTO DESIGNED BY NATALIA CELEBRINI
KRISTEN CONLIFFE | MUSTANG NEWS
Pictured from left to right: Magdalena Bay, Avalynn, Fcukers, The Backseat Lovers
Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3
B ECCA GUTIERREZ | MUSTANG NEWS
The 12th annual festival took place at San Luis Obispo’s Dairy Creek Golf Course on
¿LOS MEJORES TACOS DE SAN LUIS OBISPO?
HAY UNA GRAN VARIEDAD DE TAQUERÍAS EN SLO, PERO
¿CUÁL ES LA MEJOR? VAMOS A DESCUBRIRLA.
OPINIÓN BY ALEXIS RIOS-SOTO DESE Ñado BY KENNEDY RAY
Alexis Rios-Soto es una columnista de opinión de Mustang News. Las opiniónes expressadas en este artículo no necesariamente reflejan las de Mustang Media Group. Tacos. Son satisfactorios, consoladores y, en general, una comida rápida y confiable para cualquier momento del día.
San Luis Obispo no es ajeno a los camiones de tacos ni a los restaurantes mexicanos que ofrecen estos deliciosos bocados caseros.
Están por toda la ciudad, ofreciendo una plétora de otros platos mexicanos que los acompañan. ¿Pero en realidad, cuál es el mejor lugar de tacos en SLO?
Después de visitar cinco de los innumerables camiones de tacos con dos de mis amigos más cercanos, tomamos en cuenta el sabor, el precio, la distancia y el ambiente para decidir cuáles eran nuestros favoritos. Además, escogimos las mismas carnes en cada lugar: carne asada, al pastor y pollo. Los clasificamos en una escala de 1-5, con 5 siendo lo mejor.
ELECCIÓN FAVORITA: LA BOTANA 805 TACOS
El interior era increíblemente nostálgico para mí: se sentía muy tradicional y muy acogedor.
Una cosa que me llamó la atención fue que la trabajadora me preguntó
qué nivel de picante quería para la salsa de mis tacos y si quería la piña en el taco de al pastor. Está cerca de Cal Poly, aunque la ubicación no es la mejor, al lado de una carretera principal.
Cuando los tacos salieron, quedamos inmediatamente impresionados; estaban más grandes de lo que esperábamos y el sabor de todos era excelente por $3 cada taco.
El pollo no era ni tan seco ni tan jugoso y tenía un sabor a parrilla que uno de mis amigos prefirió.
La carne asada y el pollo al pastor estaban preparados a la perfección. La carne asada estaba jugosa y tierna, y el aderezo aportaba sabor y la complementaba. La marinada al pastor sabía exactamente como debe saber el al pastor, con un perfil fuerte y ahumado, y la adición de piña le dio un sabor dulce sutil.
El equipo le dio un 4 de 5 estrellas por el sabor auténtico y por el precio, es perfecto para un antojo.
EN SEGUNDO LUGAR: TAQUERÍA EL GÜERO
En segundo lugar estaba Taquería
El Güero, un lugar popular con una calificación de 4.4 en Yelp. Ubicado en el centro de SLO, era el lugar más constante para tacos, a $5.25 el taco.
Este lugar tiene un estilo mexicano moderno mientras todavía mantiene elementos tradicionales.
Apreciamos la presentación, las tortillas hechas a mano con limón y salsa anaranjada y las
porciones grandes.
A la primera mordida, estos tacos estaban buenos, pero pensaba que la salsa era muy fuerte para la carne. No podía identificar, a mi juicio, cuál era la estrella del plato.
Pensamos que el pollo estaba jugoso y sabroso, y que la carne asada tenía buen balance entre el picante y la acidez de la salsa, y que se sentía recién hecha de la parrilla.
El taco al pastor se sentía de buena calidad y, mientras a mis amigos les gustaba mucho este lugar, yo pensaba que el taco estaba, al menos, muy mojado.
Si quieres pagar un poquito más por tacos, Taquería El Güero es una buena opción con una calificación general de 3.8. Para mí, tenía un poquito de salsa, pero si te gusta un perfil de sabor más marcado, este es tu lugar.
TERCER LUGAR: TACOS DE ACAPULCO
La ubicación de Tacos de Acapulco me recordaba a mi ciudad natal, Santa Rosa. Era el lugar más cercano para caminar desde la universidad, solamente a 18 minutos, pero también costaba lo más con cada taco a $5.99.
Cuando nos trajeron la comida, pensábamos que las porciones eran de las más grandes, con trozos de carne gruesos en vez de carne picada fina.
En cuanto al sabor, el pollo estaba jugoso y tenía un matiz más ácido. A
una de mis amigas le encantó y le dio un 4.5.
La carne asada no nos impresionó mucho, pero sí nos gustaron el sabor ahumado y la suavidad de los grandes trozos. Pero pensamos que no era nada tan especial, solo bueno.
Lo mismo con el al pastor: me gustó que pudiera enterrar tus dientes en la carne y la grasa le dio más sabor, pero no podía saber la marinada y se sintió mucho más destacable. Deseaba que tuviera algo más de sabor fuerte, pero todavía estaba bueno.
Aunque todavía es un buen lugar, en cuanto a la ubicación, el precio nos tiró. La carne es más abundante si te gusta eso en un taco.
MENCIONES HONORABLES: TAQUERÍA SAN MIGUEL
Taquería San Miguel es bien conocida entre estudiantes y sus ventas de “Taco Tuesday” son populares por su precio accesible y su conveniencia. El precio es excelente, con un precio de tres dólares por taco y un servicio amable, y es una caminata fácil por Foothill Boulevard. En general, estos son tus tacos. Cuando buscas una bocada rápida y fácil, no son los mejores del mundo, pero, por supuesto, hacen el trabajo a un precio inmejorable.
Nos sentimos como que el pollo estaba un poquito seco y el al pastor estaba bien. Lo que más me llamó la atención fue la carne asada, mejor que el promedio.
Sin embargo, solo le dimos un tres de cinco porque los precios y la distancia están fabulosos, pero los tacos no eran ni especiales ni malos.
TAQUERÍA SANTA CRUZ EXPRESS
Nuestra segunda parada estaba debajo de la calle en Taquería Santa Cruz Express. Otra vez, un lugar cerca de la universidad y otro de noche, popular entre los estudiantes. La primera cosa que vimos fue lo animado del interior, con decoraciones, música alegre y una gran selección de carnes, incluida la de pollo desmenuzado a la parrilla. Un gran punto fue la barra de salsas, con tres opciones a elegir, sin costo adicional.
Cada taco costaba $3.50 y, otra vez, era relativamente económico y nada fuera de lo común en cuanto a los precios de los tacos.
Encontramos que el pollo era más jugoso, pero tenía menos sazón, lo que afectó su sabor, y la carne asada era rica, pero nada que nos sorprendiera.
La estrella para nosotros era el al pastor que encontramos: tenía más profundidad, especias más intensas y, en general, un sabor muy rico. Estos tacos eran más elevados, con un poco más de carne en los tacos y tenían diferencias de sabor, pero no nos ganaron el corazón. Aunque sí, por el ligero aumento de precio, estaban bien.
JDAWG SAYS: Stay unemployed
Working is overrated
STORY BY JDAWG
DESIGNED BY AVA CHEUNG
JDAWG SAYS is a satirical advice column written by a Mustang News staff member. This content is intended to be satirical and does not necessarily represent the views of Mustang News.
This article contains adult content, and viewer discretion is advised.
I have written 20-some cover letters and optimized my resume with AI and have stacked my Linkedin and have gotten nowhere. At this point, who gafs? I think I was never meant to have a job.
“The future is bright!” “You’re so talented!” “You have such good experience!” Okay. So, where do I go from here? I fear the future is not so bright, I’m kinda mid and experience answering the phone in an office.
Here are things I plan to do instead of getting a job:
Travel
I want to see the world — Europe and Asia — and experience different cultures — of my ancestors and what’s trending. I’ll probably write a little bit about my experience on a new Substack newsletter.
Shop
So many screenshots of Instagram ads are sitting in my camera roll right now, and I’m itching to hit the “place order” button. My taste is curated and fresh and minimal but also alternative and refreshing. Now, where the money is coming from… we all know.
Stalk
One roommate is going to Italy, and another will be in Iowa. The road really splits post-grad, and I cannot wait to see where people are in five to 10 years. I’ll make sure to post occasionally and vaguely, gotta move in a cloud of mystery.
Grovel
Gotta show my parents that I am feeling sad about unemployment, but I’ve actually never been more excited in my life. I need to prove to them that I regret going out every Thursday but make sure they don’t think I’m depressed. It’s a balancing act ultimately.
Watch Real Housewives of Rhode Island
This is where unemployment gets good. Catching up on reality TV is perpetually listed on my notes app and RHORI is number one. I keep seeing clips on my feed when I’m procrastinating a cover letter, and this is lowkey some of Bravo’s best work.
Soft launch nepotism
Maybe, I should just work for my dad after all. A little office job with a silly title and an expense card. Who needs to make an impact anyways? I can just be another cog in the machine, but a slight detached cog that doesn’t do much.
MAY CROSSWORD
ACROSS
3. Satirical “soft launch” career path involving a job at a parent’s office.
4. One of four musical artists featured in the Shabang photo essay spread.
6. Small insects that serve as a “buffet” for juvenile hoverflies.
9. First word in the name of the top-rated $3 authentic taco spot.
10. Traditional Mexican sweet bread sold by Raising Together to support undocumented immigrants.
11. Irish setter-golden retriever mix serving as the “Director of Player Morale” for Beach Volleyball.
DOWN
1. Type of media, like printed news, that cannot be deleted in times of uncertainty.
2. 1,559-foot peak considered the most difficult summit in the local Tri-Tip Challenge.
3. Name of Cal Poly Racing’s fully electric Formula SAE vehicle.
5. NASA mission piloted by Victor Glover that flew around the far side of the Moon.
7. Student film about a young woman writing secret messages in a cafe notebook.
8. Green tea beverage at Luna Cafe sourced from a Latino-owned company in Texas.
