SPORTS | 8
Thursday, May 29, 2014 Thursday, May 29, 20 14
ONLY ONE WILL ADVANCE Cal Poly, Arizona State, Pepperdine and Sacramento State face off in the first-ever San Luis Obispo Regional
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NEWS
ACE | Junior southpaw Matt Imhof will take to the mound for Cal Poly against Sacramento State on Friday. Pepperdine and Arizona State also travel to San Luis Obispo for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Student radio hosts offered penis pics in return for donations Sean McMinn @shmcminn Cal Poly officials are investigating an incident involving the official university radio station KCPR after student hosts on its sex talk show offered to send pictures of their genitals and “butthole”s as part of a radio station fundraiser. Ethnic studies junior Logan Cooper and history junior Sean Martinez, hosts of the Saturday night show “Getting It In,” posted the offer on the show’s Facebook page in late April. “For only $20 dollars, you can have a week of sexy snapchats featuring the hosts of Getting It In! If you’ve ever been curious if which one of us has a birthmark on our penis or which one of us has a tighter butthole, this is your chance to find out!” >>
LE ON STA Y URDA
A THIS S 0 AM! :0 0 1 T A
SEAN MCMINN | MUSTANG NEWS SNAPS | The two KCPR student hosts who offered pictures of their genitals in return for donations could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
see KCPR, pg 3.
FRIDAY, SEPT 12TH AT 8:00 PM
Professor releases latest novel, will hold book signing Kelly Trom @kttrom
Professor Gloria Velásquez will hold a book signing this weekend for her latest novel, “Tommy Stands Tall,” which centers around a gay Chicano male who wrestles with questions about identity. Velásquez consulted with a friend before sending her manuscript off to a publisher. “She told me to think about the discrimination you have faced and think about the discrimination that is from another sexuality faces and that was it,” Velásquez said. “You are able to see that is all about inequality.” The book signing will be held at Barnes & Noble in downtown San Luis Obispo on May 31 from 2-3 p.m. >>
ON S
ALE THIS S ATURD AY AT 10 :00 A M!
SOPHIA LIU | MUSTANG NEWS OPEN THE BOOKS | Spanish and Chicano studies professor Gloria
Velásquez has been teaching at Cal Poly for 28 years.
SATURDAY, SEPT 13TH AT 8:00 PM
PREVIEW
see BOOK, pg 5.
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NEWS | 2
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Cal Poly looks to update finals week office hours policy Suha Saya @SuhaSaya Cal Poly’s Academic Senate is in the process of revising faculty office hours — a policy that hasn’t been updated in approximately 30 years. At a meeting last week, the Senate discussed the issues of office hours during finals week, whether office hours include email time and making it mandatory for students and professors to know final exam days before class registration. In regard to finals week, the current office hour policy may be misleading, Academic Programs Faculty Coordinator Bruno Giberti said. In turn, the Academic Senate came up with a resolution. “The main goal is pretty simple: To make it clear to the campus that (the policy of having office hours) ‘each week’ includes finals week,” Giberti said in an email to Mustang News. The resolution began with a request from Student Ombuds Services for clarification on the policy. “Student Ombud Services let me know that some people were frequently coming to them saying that faculty members are not in office hours,” Academic Senate Chair Steven Rein said. “When they passed that issue on to me, I passed that to the Instruction Committee to take a look at that and the Campus Administrative Manual.” According to the Campus Administrative Manual, the university’s office hours policy requires that each fulltime faculty member schedules and conducts at least five office hours per week.
However, the policy does not specifically include finals week, which is a critical time for students to reach their instructors, Giberti said. “The Academic Senate has a fairly broad purview to deal with faculty issues that are not regulated by the faculty contract,” Giberti said. “In this case, the contract has little to say beyond observing that ‘faculty members have additional professional responsibilities such as … maintaining office hours.’” From the point of the full Senate, that’s where it’s “a bit of a sticky issue,” Rein said. “Some faculty may say that their finals are Monday, and that there’s no need for them to stay for the rest of the week, while others may say that their students contacted them after finals because they wanted to know their grades,” he said. The resolution also acknowledges student-professor email interaction and the possibility of allowing weekend office hours before finals, Rein said. “A faculty member could choose to have the weekend if students wanted additional hours, and that would count toward their office hours,” he said. “The resolution would also include understanding that sometimes email interaction can count towards office hours.” According to mechanical engineering professor Glen Thorncroft, many faculty members weren’t against the resolution, but were instead surprised something like this had to be put into policy. “If anyone seemed to be against the resolution, it
SOPHIA LIU | MUSTANG NEWS
THE OFFICE | Cal Poly’s full Academic Senate will vote on a resolution for Cal Poly’s finals week office hours policy on June 3.
“The main goal is pretty simple: To make it clear to the campus that (the policy of having office hours) ‘each week’ includes finals week.” BRUNO GIBERTI | ACADEMIC PROGRAMS FACULTY COORDINATOR would probably be because we’re shocked that we would need to have a resolution like this,” he said. “The idea is that it comes from a good place — reminding faculty why they’re here.” Provost Kathleen Enz Finken agreed, but added that there may be some
flexibility in the policy. “It’s very appropriate that faculty members make themselves available to students during finals week, but I don’t know that it necessarily has to be during the same hours that they would have their office hours during the regular quarter,” she
said. “Because (during) finals week, there are so many things that change in terms of schedule.” But the main point, Enz Finken said, is the Senate wanted the language to be clear so faculty know when they’re expected to hold office hours.
“I don’t know the percentage of faculty that are on campus during finals week and hold office hours, so I don’t know if it’s really a problem or just a reminder,” she said. The full Academic Senate is set to vote on the resolution on June 3.
NEWS | 3
Thursday, May 29, 2014
California bill could allow underage students to taste wine
JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NEWS
SIP AND SPIT | “This bill is not at all about underage drinking,” wine and viticulture junior Shannon Leary said of Assembly Bill 1989. “It’s about professionally tasting wine, so it’s sip and spit.” Kyle McCarty @KyleMMcCarty A bill that would allow Cal Poly’s wine and viticulture students to taste their craft before they turn 21 has passed through one house of California’s legislature. Wesley Chesbro (D-Arcata) introduced Assembly Bill 1989, which would allow students enrolled in an accredited winemaking or brewing program to taste — but not
KCPR continued from pg 1. Cooper and Martinez could not be reached for comment Wednesday, and KCPR station general manager Tyler Deitz, a liberal arts and engineering studies student, declined to comment. The donations were part
drink — alcoholic beverages for class. Shannon Leary, a wine and viticulture junior, testified in favor of the bill at a committee hearing of the California Assembly on May 7, at the request of wine and viticulture department chair Jim Cooper. “The bill is not at all about underage drinking,” Leary said. “It’s about professionally tasting wine, so it’s sip and spit. There will be no consumption of alcohol for underage students. It’s going to
be tasting the wine, and then spitting it back out.” Leary said the bill would increase the competitiveness of Cal Poly’s wine and viticulture graduates, allow them to graduate sooner and give them more experience to draw upon in their careers. Cal Poly wine and viticulture graduates face competition in the job market from graduates of programs in Washington and Oregon, both of which have bills allowing students 18 or older to taste al-
coholic beverages, Leary said. Washington began allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to taste wine in 2013. If students are able to start tasting earlier, they will have more experience that will benefit them when they enter the wine industry, Leary said. Students would be able to train their palettes earlier and learn about wine-tasting etiquette. A bill easing restrictions for wine and viticulture students will also allow them to gradu-
ate sooner, Leary said. Some of Cal Poly’s wine and viticulture students take a year off to work or travel while they wait to become eligible for classes that require them to be 21. Despite the loosening of rules surrounding the drinking age that the bill would bring, Leary said the law will not be abused. It would only apply to those who have chosen wine or brewing programs as their major. In addition, faculty would supervise classes involving wine tasting, making sure stu-
dents merely taste, not drink, the beverage. “I think there’s also a lot of respect with students in this industry,” Leary said. “They understand that this is important, and it’s not something to be taken advantage of.” The bill passed 73-2 in the California Assembly. Now the bill has been sent to the Senate, where it awaits a vote. If the bill passes the Senate, it will then be sent to Governor Jerry Brown to be signed or vetoed.
of a radio station fundraiser and were only accepted in cash, according to the signup sheet. The Google Form that hosted the sign-up sheet is now closed, and the Facebook posts have been taken down. Cal Coast News, which is managed by Cal Poly journalism professor Bill Loving,
broke news of the incident in a post online Wednesday. Mary Glick, the chair of the journalism department, which oversees KCPR, told Mustang News she started an investigation into the radio hosts’ actions and was looking at the long-term structure of KCPR, but declined further comment.
“We’re just trying to understand what happened,” Glick said. In a written statement, university spokesperson Matt Lazier said the journalism department became aware of the “questionable fundraiser for the station” this past week. “This fundraiser activity was organized and carried out
without authorization from faculty and staff in the department,” Lazier said. “Journalism Department and College of Liberal Arts administrators are investigating the matter to learn the full extent of the facts and determine whether administrative and/or programmatic changes should be made to the KCPR opera-
tion. As well, university administration is investigating the matter to determine if any student conduct violations may have occurred.” Disclaimer: The Cal Poly Journalism Department oversees Mustang News and its professors frequently advise our reporters and editors.
ARTS | 4
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Coffee and community Sally Loo’s celebrates fifth anniversary
MAGGIE K AISERMAN | MUSTANG NEWS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY | Sally Loo’s Wholesome Cafe was created by Jen and Brandon Maunele. The shop is named after their dog Sally Loo (left). The cafe turns five years old this month. Brenna Swanston @Brenna_Swanston Jen and Brandon Manuele settle into two wooden chairs at the corner of a small table, squished against the wall of a coffee shop that’s bursting at the seams with noisy, caffeinestarved customers. Brandon bounces their baby daughter, Frances, on his knee while she bangs a ring of keys on the table, adding to the café’s happy clamor. Sally Loo’s Wholesome Cafe is filled with personality. Artful menus — hand-scripted meal names sprawled on sheets of butcher paper — hang from walls coated with Tiffany-blue paint and local artists’ work. Customers crowd the shop, escaping the foggy spring morning with coffee and warm sandwiches. Even amidst the hustle and bustle — proof of the couple’s success with its
home-grown business — Jen and Brandon take on absolute modesty. “We took a chance on it and didn’t really know what we were doing,” Jen said about opening Sally Loo’s in 2009. “We never really thought we would be busy. We just kind of thought we’d make some good food, serve some good coffee and do that. But it’s kind of grown.” Next week marks five years since the Manueles opened the doors to the cafe, leaving behind their photography careers and taking on a brand new endeavor. Planting seeds Before the spring of 2009, the Manueles family included Jen, Brandon and their pit bull, Sally Loo. The couple worked together in portrait photography, but often dreamed of reinventing their work life, and the idea of opening a restaurant would sometimes come up.
Brandon reminisced about their old tradition of weekend breakfasts: “Sunday morning, we would want to go out and have a nice breakfast and feel really good about the ingredients the restaurant was using,” he said. “And there wasn’t a lot of options for that.” He and Jen theorized that if they owned a restaurant, they would use the best available quality of locally grown ingredients. “Not very seriously, we would just talk about the dream,” he said, “without really any real plan of making it happen.” But then, it did. The Manueles lived next door to the owner of Café Luna, which occupied Sally Loo’s’ current location. The owner eventually decided to sell the place, and though Jen and Brandon mulled over the idea of using the space for their restaurant pipe dream, they eventually decided they were too busy. “Someone else ended up taking over the coffee shop,” Jen said, but the buyer got cold feet and closed the doors the following day. “Then we were like, ‘Crap. We kind of have to revisit this.’” Jen and Brandon bought the building. They gave it a couple months’ worth of decoration, planning and elbow grease, then launched Sally Loo’s in early June. While one door opened, another closed: The Manueles gave up photography and nev-
er looked back. “We have found that we really like customer service,” Jen said. “It’s a different style of business, owning a restaurant, and we like it better than we did being photographers.” She shrugged, and summed it up simply: “This fits us better.” Sally Loo’s began by serving coffee and baked goods. Its small kitchen held only a couple refrigerators and one preparation table. “I remember the first day, opening the door and looking at Brandon and saying, ‘Okay, so they’ll just come?’” Jen recalled. And the customers came. Not just coffee Every part of Sally Loo’s — from hand-crafted mosaics near the register to menu items named after famous pit bulls — represents a part of the Manueles family. But the café’s social atmosphere is perhaps the best reflection of Jen and Brandon. “It’s a collaboration of Jen and myself,” Brandon said. “We definitely wanted it to be a space for interaction, like what’s going on now.” He gestured to the surrounding customers — some clustered around tables in intimate conversation, others laughing loudly over acai bowls and still others standing impatiently, food in hand, waiting for a seat to open up. “That’s the most important thing,” Brandon con-
tinued. “That it provided a space for community, for rubbing shoulders.” Jen fell in love with coffee shops years earlier, while working at The Ugly Mug in Santa Cruz. “My boss called it ‘the third space,’” she said. “It’s not your home, it’s not your work; it’s the third space, and that’s your third space place: in coffee shops.” There, people are free to unwind, relax and be themselves, Jen said. “That’s pivotal in what we try to do at Sally’s,” she said. The “third space” concept has materialized at Sally Loo’s, leaking into every customer and menu item, inviting comfort and conversation. Even after five years, this accomplishment still warms the Manueles’ hearts, Jen said. “I think it’s really cool to see people come here,” she said. “It’s an honor that they want to come and eat our food and hang out here.” The Manueles love their produce providers, as well. Since Sally Loo’s opened, Brandon has spent his Saturdays scoping out local farmers’ markets, buying ingredients and befriending the farmers who sell them. Jen said her and Brandon’s relationships with farmers are more than business — they are friendships. “Knowing when their crops don’t make it, or going out to dinner with one of our farmers
— it’s more than just buying food,” she said. Having recently moved onto a two-acre property with chickens and berry bushes, the Manueles hope to start placing some of their own ingredients on the table at Sally Loo’s. “That aspect I’m really excited about,” Brandon said. “Becoming one of those farmers.” As for their employees, the Manueles don’t even like using the word “employees” to refer to them. They call them the “Loo Crew,” or even their family. “You become close with your coworkers,” Jen said. “Sometimes you end up seeing them more than your actual family members, and sometimes more than your friends. So with that said, we hire people we love. We end up operating like a family. We love each other.” Emily Mayfield has worked at Sally Loo’s since before it opened — when she told the Manueles they needed her help, she said. “I’ve learned a lot,” Mayfield said. “I’ve grown a lot and learned to accept change and growth more. I roll with the punches better than I used to. I feel like it’s really matured me.” Mayfield credits much of this growth to the natural evolution of Sally Loo’s as a small business. The
see COFFEE, pg 5.
MAGGIE K AISERMAN | MUSTANG NEWS
FAMILY MATTERS | Brandon, Jen and their baby Frances Manuele (above) are the faces behind Sally Loo’s Wholesome Cafe.
ARTS | 5
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Spanish professor releases lastest book in series
Book signing WHERE: Barnes & Noble downtown WHEN: May 31 TIME: 2-3 p.m.
SOPHIA LIU | MUSTANG NEWS
READ UP | Professor Gloria Velásquez is a teacher, author and social activist. Velásquez will hold a book signing at Barnes & Noble this weekend for her latest novel, “Tommy Stands Tall.” Kelly Trom @KellyTrom Gloria Velásquez wears many hats. She is a professor of Spanish and Chicano studies at Cal Poly, an author of one of the first series to focus on a racially diverse cast of characters and a social activist involved in the Chicano civil rights movement. Writing unites these roles. “Above all, I am a writer,” she said. “It takes a long time for young people to find out what their passion or gift is. One of my Cherokee sisters said that this is the medicine I give to young people. My Catholic sister said it was my ministry.” Velásquez came to Cal Poly 28 years ago to teach Chicano studies. Eight years later, she published the first book in the Roosevelt High School Series. The series was inspired by Judy Bloom’s interview on “The Joan Rivers Show.” Her daughter had read many of Bloom’s books, but Velásquez never had. As she listened to the author talk about the
Coffee continued from pg 4. café underwent countless changes during its first few years, teaching her to let go of old rituals and embrace whatever is in front of her. More than Sally Loo’s itself, however, the Manueles have impacted Mayfield on a personal level. “I feel like they really just changed my life entirely,” she
different stories, Velásquez realized none of them were about adolescents of different ethnic backgrounds. “Being the dreamer that I have always been, I said, ‘Someone needs to write books that feature Chicanos, African Americans, Puerto Ricans — and I am going to do it,’” she said. The novels center around a cast of ethnically diverse characters and address social issues such as sexuality, teen pregnancy, divorce and abuse. All the characters navigate and overcome these problems. Velásquez grew up without Chicano role models in literature — only recently has there been an attempt to incorporate different ethnic backgrounds. Velásquez has been part of that change. Her latest novel, “Tommy Stands Tall,” is a sequel to “Tommy Stands Alone,” which was published in 1994. The novel focuses on a gay Chicano male who wrestles with questions
about identity. The novel was loosely inspired by her cousin who died of AIDS. As a woman, Velásquez struggled with how to write about a gay male. However, she consulted with a friend who read her manuscripts before sending them to the publisher. “She told me to think about the discrimination you have faced and think about the discrimination that is from another sexuality faces, and that was it,” Velásquez said. “You are able to see that is all about inequality.” Her novels focus on commonalities between all people. Connections with her audience become tangible when Velásquez receives fan mail from teenagers around the country who identify with her characters’ struggles. But the attention hasn’t always been positive. “Tommy Stands Alone” was banned by the Colorado School District because of the topic of Tommy’s sexuality. Velásquez was scheduled
to speak about poetry to a middle school in Longmont, Colo., and some teachers purchased her novels to familiarize their students with Velásquez’s work. A parent complained about the subject matter, which prompted the ban. “It was one of those moments in my life that I won’t forget as a writer,” she said. The event fostered discussion about the issues, which Velásquez considered a positive result. “I want (readers) to learn about compassion for all people, whether someone is older, handicapped, etc.,” she said. “I want my readers to understand that everyone has value, everyone is unique, everyone is worthy.” Writing these novels in San Luis Obispo — which is not known for diversity — seemed fitting to her because it highlighted the need for it. “Coming from Stanford University, where every country was represented, to here was a shock,” Velásquez said. “It always is shocking
for underrepresented students. I came from a fairly redneck country town of 1,000 people. I was able to take my experiences and put them in a global perspective at Stanford.” It’s valuable for undergraduate students to broaden their perspectives through ethnic studies courses, Velásquez said. Her books serve that purpose, but for a larger audience. Recently, she’s seen a change in the classroom. “In the 28 years that I have been teaching, the students in the last five to six years are more open-minded to issues of diversity,” Velásquez said. “I oftentimes have students who take my class and it is an eye-opener for them to see another perspective.” Sociology junior Christina Tlatilpa is one of those students. She took a Spanish class with Velásquez her freshman year and was inspired to minor in Spanish because of Velásquez’s passion for the subject. Tlatilpa has read a collec-
tion of Velásquez’s poems that touched on issues such as poverty, discrimination and sexism. “She has accomplished a lot toward fighting injustices and she continues to do so by bringing awareness to these issues,” Tlatilpa said. “I am glad that I have met her, and because of her, I can say that I feel at home at this campus.” Velásquez’s colleagues also think highly of her. Ethnic studies professor Kate Martin has known Velásquez for years. She has read some of her books and seen many of the students and programs Velásquez helped. “Her dedication to high school and college students alike is really quite remarkable,” Martin said. “She has been at Cal Poly a long time, and I don’t think she has received the recognition that should be paid to someone of her standing.” Velásquez will sign books at the Barnes & Noble on Marsh Street on May 31 from 2-3 p.m.
said. “I didn’t know who I wanted to be or what I wanted to be, then they took me under their wing. They showed me a whole new side of business I never knew.” By observing Jen and Brandon’s relationships with their coworkers and each other, Mayfield said she has learned more than just business tactics. “They’ve taught me how to love,” she said. “I’d say that’s
really what they’ve taught me the most of.”
don rescued her, nursed her to health and raised her. She was not only his business’ muse and namesake, but a family member. Brandon and Jen wed in October 2004. Since then, their family has added Hank and, most recently, Frances, who grinned as she watched her dogs bound from the car. “She definitely changes my life entirely,” Jen said
of her daughter. “My new motto is ‘Twice as fun, but half as efficient.’” Frances will grow up in Sally Loo’s, Jen said. She already plays a role by helping Jen take compost out to the chickens every morning. “She’s going to be a part of it,” Jen said. “She’s going to be a restaurant kid, I think. She’ll do her part and hand out menus or whatever as she gets older.”
Sally Loo’s is unmistakably the product of creative minds — sleepless nights spent crafting decorations and years of casual dreams becoming more serious. But most of all, it is the product — and extension — of a loving family that enjoys serving guests. “We made the space,” Brandon said. “We provided the coffee and the food, and people come here. That’s pretty magical for us.”
A family affair The Manueles left the bustling restaurant space for a few moments to step out to their car, where their two pit bulls, Hank and Sally Loo, waited patiently for attention. More than 11 years ago, Brandon found Sally Loo in a parking lot, abandoned at only a few weeks old. Bran-
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Thursday, May 29, 2014
Don’t be sheeple: Question government Zachary Antoyan is a political science senior and Mustang News liberal columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion or editorial coverage of Mustang News. Prepare yourself, because Professor Zach is about to lay down some heavy political theory. “Credentials?” you ask. “It’s theory, so who cares, right?” I do, and you need to know your underlying reasons and justifications for stuff because otherwise you would just be ignorant sheeple, ready for that meat grinder that is the real world. So strap in and ready your mind-brain for some abstract concepts, because I’m going to tell you about the proper role of government. “But wait,” you naively interrupt. “Isn’t the proper role of government going to be according to you, and have a liberal perspective to it?” The short answer: No. It’s not about politics here, it’s about government, which are two completely different things. It’s not about something that is affected by political partisan crap. We are talking about how a government should be structured, to facilitate the will of the sheeple … I mean people (those are South Park references, two columns in a row). If you want to, in the words of the master Snoop, “Smoke weed every day,” then we can facilitate that. You want to bring your guns to church; sweet, we can facilitate that, too. I really don’t care what you do with your government as long as it responds to the will of the people and protects the individual. In fact, I’m going to argue that the most successful system of government is one that has the least amount of politics. For those of you that
are thinking “communism,” your mind-brain is in the wrong place. Less politics means that government actions are not hindered by partisan bickering. Instead, decisions are made at the individual level, and people are more inclined to converse with others about their personal interests in terms of government action. So in the totally fictional, but somehow always relevant, state of nature, you are naked and alone. How do you act? Well, most people say pretty savagely. Having no basis for rights or protections between individuals, you are in a constant state of survival. Unfortunately for you, the only thing between life and death are your wits and your fists. Too bad Jeff over there is literally twice your size. What this boils down to is that in the state of nature, all humans have equal and full capacity to act. This capacity to act is known as agency. Since it’s the state of nature, you can do whatever you want, so try to fly if you want to, and jump off that cliff flapping your arms. As you’re falling to the ground, think for a moment about how your situation totally sucks, but also how your physical (and mental) capabilities hindered you from succeeding in your flight attempt. So even in the state of nature in which you can act with impunity, even toward other humans, you are still limited by your capabilities. Enter stage everywhere, society. You’ll find out pretty quick that life in the state of nature is noting but crap, literally and figuratively. So you and Jeff high-five because now you are two people strong and can get a lot more done. Except now you make a pact that you can’t kill each other — that is called a norm — and if writ-
the true progressive ten in the form of a law, it might even be a right. Congratulations, you just created rights. I’m gonna make a claim that you might find a little strange: Rights do not exist in the state of nature. Rights are social constructs, because there is no point to them if they are not agreed upon between individuals. Otherwise it’s just you, and no one else has to respect them. Additionally, rights aren’t things. They don’t exist unless you make them exist by turning them into norms or laws. But by accepting these terms to work together, you and Jeff have given up certain aspects of your individual agency in favor of pooling your individual capabilities. There now exists collective agency and collective capability, but you are now constrained in terms of your capacity to act, as it is
no longer at its full capacity. Let’s recap: state of nature, you’ve got full agency, do what you want. Now, you live in society because the state of nature sucks, but you have less agency. This is OK, because now you can do a lot more as a team. It’s important to remember that your agency is what allows you to pursue your personal interest, so you don’t want to give up too much of it, otherwise you’ll be sheeple. Now, the agency you give up as an individual doesn’t just vanish into nothingness, it still exists, but now it is in the hands of the entity that decides what the collective action is: government. Government is the facilitator of agency, and this is a good thing, because the agency gives it the legitimacy to act on your behalf. If it doesn’t act according to your personal interests, it is misusing your agency, and
is illegitimate. That would be the time to flip tables and burn things. To be successful, the proper role of government needs to maximize individual agency, allowing for the pursuit of personal interest, while ensuring all of its members are equal so no member has the justification to act in a way others can’t because inequality leads to sheeple (and sheeple is bad). Finally, it needs to maximize the social benefits available to all. That is the proper role of government, and next week, we get to dissect America’s government and see how it stacks up to this role. I’ll give you a hint: It’s not gonna be pretty. This is Zachary Antoyan, thinking that maybe if he writes more, that picture of his face in the corner won’t be so damn big. Have a fantastic day, everyone.
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