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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Volume LXXVII, Number 70

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The chef and the teacher Lauren Scott is a 24-year-old reality television contestant. Rebecca Mieliwocki is an award-winning California middle school teacher who has met the president. So what do the very different pair have in common? Cal Poly, of course. COURTESY PHOTOS

Lauren Scott, a Cal Poly journalism alumna, first appeared on ABC’s cooking television show “The Taste” on Feb. 12, and since then has wowed the judges with her culinary skills. Now, in her own words, this alumna dishes on how she got the chance for a taste of fame. LAUREN SCOTT

Special to Mustang Daily

The first six months after graduation are terrible. You’ve been warned, so now you can’t act like it’s a surprise when you get there. Even if you happen to land the perfect job in your field immediately after college, those six months will be filled with transition — which, in my opinion is the most difficult phase of life. They say nothing is certain except death and taxes. I say nothing is certain except death, taxes and transition.

I experienced the biggest transition of my life after graduating from the journalism department at Cal Poly in December 2011. Less than a month after shaking President Armstrong’s hand, I was driving to Mississippi in my champagne-colored ‘89 Cadillac DeVille filled with all my earthly possessions. If it wasn’t for “The Hunger Games” series on audiobook, I’m convinced I would’ve fallen asleep at the wheel and that would’ve been the end of my story. I made it to Laurel, Miss.,

and began to embark on my new, exciting journey, degree in hand. I got a job as a restaurant manager making $10 per hour (Whoop! Makin’ big money!). Perhaps it was the fact that I was practically living in another country, or perhaps it was the fact that my job had absolutely nothing to do with my new, crisp, expensive degree; regardless, I was miserable. I felt like my life was heading nowhere fast. While at Cal Poly, I was going to school full-time while working as a cook full-time; my busy schedule had given me a feeling of accomplishment, like I was moving forward. I didn’t realize that stepping off Cal Poly’s campus would feel like stepping off a conveyor belt while attempting to balance an encyclopedia on my head. Right when I started feeling like I had re-established some balance in my life, I was “let go” from my job. In my pit of unemployment, despair and Top Ramen, I decided to do see CHEF, pg. 2

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

JACOB LAUING

It’s like the San Francisco 49ers asking the Oakland Raiders how to play football. But teachers in countries that outscore the United States in standardized tests are looking to American educators for inspiration, 2012 National Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki said. Mieliwocki, a 1990 Cal Poly alumna, spent the past year away from teaching, traveling the globe and visiting countries that academically outperform the United States. Mieliwocki said she found that these countries, despite their academic success, still strive to teach the American way. “Everyone wanted to know how we do it and no matter where I went, even at the best school in the entire world, Shanghai No. 4, they wanted to know,” Mieliwocki said. “That blew me away.” Critics dismiss the American education system using comparisons with other nations. But Mieliwocki has seen firsthand that, despite the United States’ relatively low

Tomorrow’s Weather:

The man who makes dreams wearable. ARTS, pg. 4

Last year, seventh grade Luther Burbank Middle School English teacher Rebecca Mieliwocki was picked from a nationwide pool of educators to be honored as National Teacher of the Year. Yesterday, Mieliwocki returned to her alma mater to share her philosophy on teaching.

jacoblauing.md@gmail.com

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international standardized testing rank, American teachers are still doing a good job, she said. “While the rest of the world is looking to just boil kids and teachers down to a number, we are doing incredible things and are just waiting for the rest of the world to see them,” Mieliwocki said. Since being honored by President Barack Obama this past April, Mieliwocki has visited schools in China, Japan and Singapore. She’s also Skyped with classrooms in Uganda and Ukraine.

In the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment test of 15-year-old students in 65 countries, the United States finished 23rd, 17th and 32nd in science, reading and math, respectively. Even so, teachers in other countries are using American approaches to education, Mieliwocki said. “We have areas to improve, but what I saw overseas was teachers teaching the way we teach and teachers using our ideas to educate their children,” see TEACHER, pg. 2

INDEX

Opinions/Editorial..............6 News.............................1-3 ClassifiedsComics..............7 Arts...............................4-5 Sports..................................8

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MDnews 2

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Cal Poly engineers celebrate eWeek JESSICA BURGER

jburger@mustangdaily.net

NHA HA/MUSTANG DAILY

National Engineers Week at Cal Poly is a week-long event featuring presentations and student showcases, as well as fun events such as a scavenger hunt called The Workday Amazing Race (last year’s event pictured above).

National Engineers Week (eWeek) began on Tuesday with a week-long series of events made up of tech talks, games, raffle prizes and free food. This year’s theme, Innovate your Dreams, will focus on showcasing Cal Poly’s “Learn By Doing” philosophy, and how it applies to engineering. A committee within the Engineering Student Council organizes the event every year to create a series of events that bring in corporate sponsors and engineering students across many diverse fields. Graduate student and eWeek Director Sean Youra said the committee wanted to host events that would bring in non-engineering students as well. “It’s a great way for all engineering and non-engineering students to network with the corporate sponsors,” Youra said. The week began with a club showcase — a new event this year which brought out different clubs across the 11 diverse engineering fields and was sponsored by Apple — according to aerospace engineering senior and Cal Poly Engineer-

It’s the hands-on activity that engineers love. MICHAEL WADDINGTON CAL POLY ENGINEERING COUNCIL PRESIDENT

ing Student Council President Michael Waddington. “It’s our best opportunity to showcase what engineering is really about,” he said. Mechanical engineering sophomore Robby Potter agreed with Waddington on the benefits of the showcase. “It’s the first time you get to see the actual projects your peers are working on,” Potter said. Today’s events include an obstacle course-like scavenger hunt, called The Workday Amazing Race, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., followed by Woodstock’s Pizza trivia at 3 p.m. and a series of five-minute talks presented by the Ignite Club in the Bonderson Project Center. Friday’s events will include a build-a-boat challenge at the Poly Canyon Village pool at noon, followed by the Future Fuels Expo at 2 p.m. in the engineering courtyard. The expo is another new event and is the first alterna-

tively fueled car expo to be featured at Cal Poly. Waddington said the build-aboat challenge has always been a fun event in the past. “It’s the hands-on activity that engineers love,” he said. Casino night in the Advanced Technologies Lab will end the week with poker and prizes from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m, and also has plenty of student participation. “I’m gonna wear my suit and deal cards,” mechanical engineering sophomore Cameron Naugle said. You don’t have to compete to win prizes though — eWeek attendees are entered in a chance to win a 32-inch high-definition TV, GoPro, iPad Mini or $50 dollar Amazon gift card through a digital passport system which tracks the number of events attended. A full list of the events for Cal Poly’s campus, times and locations can be found online.

Website creators look to flip ASI upside down MUSTANG DAILY STAFF REPORT

news@mustangdaily.net

Four Cal poly engineers are going beyond their majors to address a problem they say exists in one of the campus’ highest entities: Associated Students, Inc (ASI). Biomedical engineering senior Aaron Rowley is working to develop “Informe,” a website his team hopes will facilitate student discussion about Cal Poly and show topics that are important to students. Once a post reaches a certain threshold of popularity on the website — which Rowley hopes to have ready by ASI elections in April — his team will bring the issue to ASI and

demand a response. “I’ve worked a lot with Student Life and Leadership, and I’ve been a little frustrated in terms of communication between students,” Rowley said. “Even between Student Life and Leadership and ASI, it’s difficult to get a good amount of feedback.” Rowley envisions “Informe” functioning similarly to Reddit, which brings the day’s most popular online content to millions through an upvote/down-vote system. He expects new ideas to emerge from “Informe” that students haven’t yet had the opportunity to share with ASI and Cal Poly administrators. “Students are so busy, it’s kind of unrealistic to have them

show up to a board meeting or ask for them to send an email,” Rowley said. Rowley said there are issues ASI does a good job outreaching to students about, namely the recent semester debate. But he feels these efforts often originate with Cal Poly administrators, then trickle down to students. After attending an ASI Board of Directors meeting, Rowley said he saw new ideas being met with empty nods from student representatives, but little action. “I don’t think there’s a particular amount of leverage or pressure you bring when you do that (bring an idea to ASI),” Rowley said. “ASI, all the political process has become a top-

down process. ASI says they’re the voice of the students, but they don’t go and ask for a voice until it’s something the higher-ups think about.” Joe White, a graduate student and member of the “Informe” team, said he sees similar problems with the way student government functions. Those who are close to the process have their ideas heard, he said, but the majority of students are excluded. That’s why “Informe” aims to target as many students as possible, White said. The four students working on it — computer engineering senior Daniel Hall, computer science freshman Jared Shumway, White and Rowley — want to ensure the plat-

form is not so tech-heavy it leaves people behind. “We don’t want to make a platform to just exclude another opinion,” White said. “Because that’s just what we’re trying to prevent.” Reaching untapped student voices is what Rowley says will make “Informe” refreshing to campus — and possibly controversial. He plans to meet with ASI President Katie Morrow soon, but said informal talks with ASI members have brought lessthan-positive feedback. “I do genuinely struggle to see what their issues would be with it,” Rowley said. “I think if it was portrayed as something that was disruptive to their process, that could be seen as a

negative to them if it was seen as a distraction in some way.” Morrow declined to comment on the project Wednesday. Even if ASI is not supportive of “Informe,” Rowley said the team plans to keep moving forward. The graduating senior has no problems rocking the boat, but is hopeful ASI will be receptive to his idea. “I think the political process should be a two-way street,” Rowley said. “I think the president should be able to mention things they care about, but I also think the people should be able to say, ‘We care about this and we want you to do something.’”

TEACHER

teachers from local school districts and universities to attend Mieliwocki’s presentation at the Clark Center, she said. “We especially wanted this in February because teachers are going to be tired and worn thin at this point in the school year,” Guise said. “We wanted this to be this pick-me-up to help them be motivated and realize that the work they do every day is important. “I think especially since she went from being a communications major to being an English teacher, the fact that she can talk openly about how she made that decision is going to be really helpful.” After graduating from Cal Poly in 1990, Mieliwocki earned her credential in secondary English education from California State Universi-

ty, Northridge, and was named the 2005 California League of Middle Schools Educator of the Year for Southern California, a 2009 PTA Honorary Service Award winner and a Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment mentor. Mieliwocki’s passion for the education profession is reflected by her unique methods of teaching in the classroom, and impact on the school community at Luther Burbank. They make her a prime representative for American educators, former Luther Burbank Principal Anita Schackmann said. “I can’t think of a better spokesperson for a teacher across our nation,” Schackmann said. “I can’t think of anybody that would be more motivating and an inspiration to teachers around the country.”

The 2009 International Student Assessment test shows a vast difference between the scores of students in the United States and the scores of students in countries Mieliwocki visited. Japan, Singapore and two of the three participating regions in China placed in the top 10 of all three categories, while the United States hovered in the bottom half. Mieliwocki sees it differently, and looks past the statistics. Despite what the numbers suggest, the United States education system is just fine, she said. “This relentless focus on numbers and statistics is really killing the profession,” Mieliwocki said. “No matter how challenging the times seem right now, 3.2 million American teachers are doing incredible things in this country.”

CHEF

call in Los Angeles. For a few months I lived through the exciting anxiety of callbacks, screen tests and paperwork. I eventually got a call inviting me to Los Angeles to be one of 60 contestants to audition in front of Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre and Brian Malarkey. The night before I left for filming, I cried. I didn’t cry because I was scared or because I felt un-

qualified. I cried because I was handed an amazing opportunity, and I didn’t want to drop it. Right now I’m in the top 10 of the competition, and I’m living in the middle of the most amazing experience of my life. Perhaps, my awkward, clumsy transition out of college was worth it.

continued from page 1

Mieliwocki said. Mieliwocki, a seventh grade English teacher from Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank, returned to the area Wednesday to speak to Cal Poly students and the public about the teaching profession and education in the United States. She spoke to students in informal classroom talks yesterday afternoon, and then headed over to Arroyo Grande for a presentation at the Clark Center of the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. Megan Guise, an assistant English professor who has been coordinating Mieliwocki’s visit since May, expected administrators and

continued from page 1

something spontaneous and impractical: I auditioned for a reality TV show. At the time, the show hadn’t been given a name yet other than, “ABC Cooking Show.” I bought my plane ticket on credit (I already had $20,000 worth of student loan debt ... what’s $500 more, eh?), and I got myself to the open casting

Sean McMinn contributed to this staff report.

Lauren Scott will appear on “The Taste” next Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ABC.

MDnews 3

Thursday, February 21, 2013

WORD ON THE STREET

Latino population up 47 percent in 11 years

What are your thoughts on immigration?

MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

The growing Latino population in the United States has President Barack Obama formulating a new immigration policy.

“I think that this is an awesome country and there’s a lot of people who want to live here. If they can make it, yeah, let them in.” • Erica Bilodeau chemistry sophomore

“The system isn’t tough enough. We’re letting people in and letting them stay. But the path to citizenship is too hard.” • Ben Harmon agribusiness freshman

“I don’t think (the current system) is super effective right now. I think there should be a better way.” • Lauren Watson nutrition senior

JOHN LANTIGUA Palm Beach Post

A new national survey shows that the Latino population in the U.S. rose 47 percent from 2000 to 2011. The Pew Research Hispanic Center in Washington, a respected demographic research institute, found that the Latino population in the U.S. during those 11 years swelled from 35.2 million to 51.9 million. The total U.S. population as of 2011 was 311.6 million, meaning that 16.7 percent of people living in the U.S. were Latino, compared to 12.5 percent in 2000. And that percentage is expected to increase. Of all births in the U.S. in 2011, 23.1 percent were to Latino women. The 2011 numbers are based on the American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which surveyed 3 percent of the households in the U.S. and extrapolated total numbers from those interviews. The households were contacted during 2011 and the numbers were compiled over the past year. The 2000 numbers were based on the census from that year. The center says its figures include undocumented people. There are thought to be 11 million to 12 million undocumented people in the U.S., 80 percent of whom are Latino. The growing numbers of Latinos, especially the increase in Latino voters, is affecting U.S. political life. Democratic President Barack Obama defeated Republican Mitt Romney for the presidency in November, in part by winning the Latino vote by 71-26 percent. Republicans’ hard-line position against the legalization of undocumented residents cost them many Latino votes. GOP members of Congress have since begun negotiating with Democrats on a comprehensive immigration law

overhaul, to improve relations with Latino voters. By far the largest Latino community in the U.S. is people of Mexican descent, with 33.5 million, or 64.5 percent of all Latinos. Many people of Mexican descent come from families that have lived in the U.S. for many generations. Two-thirds of all persons of Mexican descent in the U.S. were born here. Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens from birth, number 4.9 million; Salvadorans, 1.95 million; Cubans, 1.88 million. Guatemalans, who have a large community in Palm Beach County, number 1.22 million nationwide. Not only did the number of Latinos and their percentage of the U.S. population increase, but the percentage of Latinos in the U.S. who are U.S.-born increased from 59.9 percent to 63.8 percent. Latinos have the lowest median age of any population group, 27, compared to 33 for blacks 36 for Asians; and 42 for whites. Florida is home to the thirdhighest total of Latinos: 4.35 million, or 22.8 percent of the state’s population. It is far behind California, which includes 14.4 million Latinos, and Texas with 9.8 million. Both those states are 38.1 percent Latino. The breakdown by country of origin is very different for Florida than for the nation as a whole. Among Florida Latinos, 35 percent are of Cuban descent, 26 percent Mexican and 23 percent Puerto Rican. Charles Zelden, a Nova Southeastern University political scientist, said his campus has a growing number of Latino students. “We are the future of America,” he said. “The Latin population is growing even faster than the common wisdom would assume.”

“I’m all for immigration, but not if it’s illegal. If you’re going to come to America you should have to know about its history.” • Jerry Hansen agribusiness freshman

HEAR IT. SEE IT.

WATCH IT. “I believe that people should be free to live wherever they choose to, and there shouldn’t be boundaries based on race.”

CLICK IT.

• Danielle Biesanz communication studies junior files.mustangdaily.net/multimedia

Zelden said the report and the election outcome make it evident why the Republican Party has made a Latino, Cuban-American Sen. Marco Rubio, the face of the party. “It makes sense, although given the numbers, it would make even more sense if he were Mexican and not Cuban,” Zelden said. He wondered whether newly elected Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who is already making his voice heard on Capitol Hill, may eventually challenge Rubio as the Latino face of the party. At least 10 states saw increases in their Latino populations of more than 100 percent since 2000. In the South, Georgia and North Carolina saw large increases and both now have more than 800,000 Latino residents. The survey shows that educational levels of Latinos rose over the 11 years studied. The high school dropout rate among Latinos ages 16 to 19 plummeted from 17.5 percent in 2000 to 6.8 percent in 2011. The percentage of Latinos 18 to 24 enrolled in college rose sharply, from

20 percent to 32.9 percent in the 11 years. The median income of a Latino household in 2011 was $39,000. That compared to $67,000 for Asian households, $54,400 for whites and $32,600 for blacks. Thirteen million Latinos live in poverty, 25.9 percent of the total Latino population, and 22 percent receive

food stamps. Only blacks have higher rates in those categories, with 27.9 percent living in poverty and 28 percent receiving food stamps. But Latinos have by far the highest percentage of people without health insurance, 30 percent. That compares to 10.8 percent for whites, 15.4 percent for Asians and 18.6 percent for blacks.

MDarts 4

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Putting the ‘canvas’ in canvas shoes DAVID LIEBIG

PHOTOS BY DAVID LIEBIG/MUSTANG DAILY

arts@mustangdaily.net

t once, the colors steal your eyes. Complimentary hues blare from various canvases hung about the bedroom. The abstract swirls of color form neon octopi, dripping skulls. A banner of exotic, tessellate patterns cascades down one wall. Besides the sanitized glare of a desk lamp beating down at his work, only the winking flame of a candle lights the room. The dreary, syncopated melody of The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” seeps out of the speakers of the iMac in front of him. Here and there, a heavy breath from the dust-colored pit bull sprawled out on the floor can be heard over the music. He doesn’t make a sound. His burgundy, “whatever” plaid shirt is betrayed by his no-strand-out-of-place, dirtyblonde part. He pauses, rears his head slightly to get a better look at the shoes he is painting. The large, black leather Nikes seem like the least fitting thing to adorn with bright blue cartoon bubbles encircling a nearly flawless rendition of the Pokémon Squirtle — but that’s what the customer ordered. He sips from a mug that reads “Tommy’s Brand Coffee” in vintage-ad lettering. His name is Tommy, too. He licks his lips and gets back to work. “It’s just like homework, really,” Tommy Nickerson says of the hobby-turned-business that paid for the iMac on his desk. He says this in the same matter-of-fact tone he uses to mention he’s friends with members of the band he’s listening to, which is slated to play at Coachella this year.

His Coachella ticket — the shoes paid for that, too. In this bedroom garnished wall-to-wall with canvas works of his own creation, Nickerson paints slip-on Vans, Toms Shoes or Chuck Taylors with custom designs and sells them online. The Nikes are a first for him. The music senior uses Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade goods, to sell his creations. His personal gallery on the site has drawn international attention and currently features approximately 40 designs. These include depictions of Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Edvard Munch’s iconic painting “The Scream” and the cover of Joy Division’s “Unknown Pleasures.” Nickerson also personalizes shoes with original images. Customers can provide him with a direction — sometimes as vague as the concept “change” — and he’ll realize it on the shoes with paint pens. “I have these ones with a mermaid and an octopus,” Nickerson says. “They’re super girly, but they just turned out amazing.” A lot of people ask for octopi, he says. Nickerson has painted some of his more popular designs ad nauseam. His most popular pair is modeled after the album cover for alternative rock band Brand New’s “Deja Entendu,” which features an astronaut suspended over a body of water. Nickerson estimates he has reproduced this image on Vans 40 to 50 times. “I can whip them out in like four hours because I’ve painted them so many times,”

he says. Having garnered a steady flow of customers, Nickerson has raised his prices and charges up to $310 per pair (not including the price of the shoes and shipping, which the buyers cover). His orders come from all over the world, and he has shipped shoes to Belgium, Australia and Afghanistan. Almost half of Nickerson’s orders come from outside of the United States, he says. Once, Nickerson painted a pair — another octopus — for a woman who worked at a snowboard factory. She agreed to send Nickerson a snowboard in exchange for two pairs of custom shoes. “It’s all off of Etsy,” he says. “The cool thing about Etsy is not only can I sell my art off of it, but if you Google Circa Survive Vans or Brand New Vans — Deja Entendu Vans, especially — mine are up there within the top eight Google images. So Etsy popularizes my stuff.” With a steady increase in demand, Nickerson has had to hire out sketches for some of his designs to a highschooler in his hometown — Moorpark, Calif. Rohith Gopal, 16, first heard about Nickerson when his local newspaper, the Moorpark Acorn, published a feature on his custom shoes. “I thought it was unique that people would pay this much money for shoes,” Gopal (to Nickerson, he’s just “Ro”) says. Gopal reached out to Nickerson, sent him samples of his drawing and the partnership grew from there. Gopal, who has been drawing most of his life, particularly helps Nickerson by drawing hands, faces and bodies — things Nickerson admittedly struggles with. But when it comes to coloring the images, Gopal says Nickerson’s talent is unmatched. “I don’t know how he does it,” Gopal says. It was a chance meeting that delivered some of the skills Nickerson says now account for all

of his luxury spending. When he came to Cal Poly, Nickerson was assigned a dorm room with then-stranger Eric Cunanan. The two quickly realized each other’s interest in making art, and Cunanan taught Nickerson the color blending technique he says adds depth and vibrancy to the shoes. “I just explained to him how I get colors to blend with paint pens, and he took off with it,” Cunanan says. Cunanan says he’s impressed with the shoes Nickerson makes now. “You look at the work he’s doing now and that can’t be taught,” he says. “He’s put in the time and effort to develop his style and take it to the next level.” With all the shoe orders Nickerson is getting these days, that time and effort is apparently paying off. Business administration sophomore Adam Murray ordered a pair of Nickerson’s “Celestial” design, which features abstract bursts of color — blue on one foot, orange on the other. “The way Tommy puts the colors together is amazing,” Murray says. “He’s a great artist, and I needed a new pair of shoes.” Murray says it was a pleasure doing business with Nickerson, and he strongly recommends his services. “If anyone wants any amazing art they can walk around in,” he says, “Tommy’s definitely the guy to go to.” This spring, Nickerson will graduate, after which he is intent on making a future out of music and art. He plans to move back in with his parents in Moorpark, where many of his friends live and an active music scene can satisfy the other half of his creative appetite. The Southern California town may be suburbia, as Nickerson calls it, but it’s a “little slice of heaven” for the inventive young artist who’s making people’s dreams wearable.

MDarts 5

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Singer-songwriter Tyrone Wells to bring acoustic sound to SLO Brew KASSI LUJA

kassiluja.md@gmail.com

“Grateful.” That’s how accomplished singer-songwriter Tyrone Wells describes the experience he’s had as a musician thus far and his ability to make a living out of something he loves. With an ever-increasing following in San Luis Obispo — having performed at Cal Poly in years past — Wells will be performing at SLO Brewing Co. (SLO Brew) this Friday with singer-songwriter Graham Colton. The 6-foot-4 musician describes himself as a soulful singer-songwriter who puts a lot of heart and thought into his work, he said. Wells said while some of his music could be considered rock ‘n’ roll, some could be considered soulful. “I think that serves me well because my fan base is really wide,” he said. “It’s high school, college students and people that like music from back in the ’70s and ’60s.” This is a fan base that continues to grow along with the success he’s had throughout his career. But before he began performing at various venues and getting his name out in the world, Wells grew up in Spokane, Wash., the son of a preacher man. “When I was in high school I wanted to do music, but it wasn’t until I went to college that I was able to start, you know, more of a realistic career (out) of it,” Wells said. “All of my sisters sang but I was the first one to make a career out of it.” No longer a rookie in the music world, Wells has played shows across the country and has released several albums,

some that even held a position or two on the iTunes charts. His album “Where We Meet” reached No. 1 on the iTunes singer-songwriter album chart (and the top 10 overall on iTunes), his album “This Love” reached No. 2 on the iTunes singer-songwriter album chart and his 2010 independently released EP “Metal & Wood” spent almost three weeks as the No. 1 iTunes singer-songwriter album. Having gone from an independent career to signing with Universal Republic Records, to going the indie route again with his 2010 album “Metal & Wood,” Wells is happy to have had the success he’s had with that independently released album. “It was really exciting to release (‘Metal & Wood’) independently and see it do so well because I didn’t have this big machine behind me, it was just the music,” Wells said. Musicians don’t need a record company or the signing of a major deal to make a mark in the music world, he said. “Like anything, it just takes hard work, dedication and learning how to really connect to an audience,” he said. All of his hard work has paid off not only with his albums being on the iTunes album charts, but also in having his music featured on television shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” a promo for “The Bachelor” and “American Idol.” Even with all of these accomplishments, Wells’ manager Mark Chipello said Wells isn’t a musician just looking for fame and fortune. “He’s definitely one of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” Chipello said. “(His music) is really more about an emotional experience a listener can have.” Agribusiness junior Alex

COURTESY PHOTO

Chart-topping soul-rock singer-songwriter Tyrone Wells will return to San Luis Obispo on Friday with a headlining performance at SLO Brewing Co. Beeler echoes Chipello, having been to one of Wells’ previous concerts. “I just happened to be there after his concert was over,” Beeler said. “(He) expressed (a) genuine interest in his fans (and) stayed around until everyone was gone. He made a point of introducing himself to every single person and remember their names.” As a performer, Beeler said Wells keeps fans entertained. “He’s not there for show, he’s there just to enjoy himself,” she said. “It feels very personal ... he’s not just here because he has to be.” When Wells isn’t performing, he is home with his wife, Elina, and their 1-year-old daughter, Aria. “I love being a dad,” Wells said. “(Elina and Aria have) influenced my life the most. I do

Here come Mid-State Fair tickets ARYN SANDERSON

asanderson@mustangdaily.net

In case you need another reason to spend your summer under the Central Coast sun, the California Mid-State Fair is ready to give you three: Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and John Mayer. Throwback sensation Huey Lewis & The News, the pop-punkers known for the “Back to the Future” theme song “The Power of Love,” will also hit the main stage. These big names lead the 2013 Mid-State Fair lineup, revealed Feb. 1. Mid-State Fair tickets go on sale Friday. Vivian Robertson, chief executive officer of the Mid-State Fair, works closely with the fair’s booking agent. Robertson said finalizing the lineup decision is an intricate process, focusing on “diverse genre.” “It’s all about routing and availability, very similar to plotting out and working on a giant puzzle,” she said. “We buy the best entertainment available and are nationally known for stellar entertainment.” Last year’s standouts included classic rock band Journey, R&B crooners Earth, Wind & Fire and country sensations Zac Brown Band and Alabama. This year’s lineup isn’t finalized just yet, with many nights still being booked. “The four concerts announced thus far have garnered great response,” Robertson said. “We have booked the very best available that are routed our way, and fans seem to be excited.” English senior Veronica Flores is one of those excited fans. She’s ecstatic to see some of country music’s finest on the list. “It really sells it for me when they get such good country artists to come,” Flores said. “I don’t really like fairs all that much, but I’m willing to go just for the concerts.” Flores says her toughest decision won’t be whether or not she’ll attend the Mid-

State Fair, but rather which concert she’ll choose. “Really, it’s a hard decision,” she said. “I’m excited to see Tim McGraw or Rascal Flatts. I’ve seen Rascal Flatts before, and they’re so great live, but Tim McGraw’s a huge deal. And when they have great opening acts that we’ve heard of — they’re big artists, too — it just makes me that much more excited.” The fair’s supporters are stars in their own right. “Somethin’ Bout a Truck” country heartthrob Kip Moore opens for Tim McGraw. The Band Perry, best known for chart topping hit “If I Die Young,” will return to the Mid-State Fair as support for Rascal Flatts. John Mayer’s opening act, “American Idol” winner Philip Phillips, is best known for his smash hit “Home” — the highest-selling coronation single from any “Idol” winner in the reality show’s past 11 seasons.

Huey Lewis & The News will also hit the big stage. This year marks the 13th anniversary of the band’s anthemic album “Sports,” so fans may hear the band perform many of its classic hits. Both Tim McGraw’s and Rascal Flatts’ cheapest tickets clock in at $50 a pop. John Mayer tickets are slightly less expensive, with the cheapest seats going for $45, and Huey Lewis & The News’ cheapest tickets also go for $45. As for how much the MidState Fair will spend financing the performances this year, the answer is still up in the air. “This is the million-dollar question,” Robertson said. “Until all 10 days of grandstand entertainment is booked, it is hard for me to say.” The Mid-State Fair will take place July 17-28. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

GRAPHIC BY ARYN SANDERSON

get a lot of fuel for songwriting from those relationships, but I’m not someone that always writes autobiographically.” While his wife and daughter have influenced his life, Wells has influenced the lives of his listeners. “I feel like so many people will take away different things from a song and maybe not even what I intended,” he said. “That’s the beauty of making art. I’ve had the unbelievable experience of people telling me that they heard one of my songs right before they intended to take their own lives and it changed their mind. So you know I could never have imagined that would be something that happened in a song that (I) wrote.” In regards to this, Wells said although he writes a hopeful song, he feels there is a lot more going on than just him; he thinks

there’s something spiritual happening and he was “a catalyst, an instrument so to speak.” Though Wells has written several songs that give hope to his fans, he has also covered well-known songs such as “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon. Whereas the Kings of Leon version is alternative rock, Wells’ version of the song is acoustic and mellow. “I really liked (the song) and wanted to give it a different spin,” he said. Other than his musical talent, Wells also has another talent he said fans would probably be surprised to find out about him. “I’m a wicked pingpong player,” he said. While he may not (currently) have a career as a master pingpong player, Wells will continue to pursue his music career with his spring tour beginning on

Feb. 21 in Santa Barbara, followed by his show on Feb. 22 at SLO Brew. “I think (the audience) can expect to just have a great experience, hear some great music ... that I mean, that’s mine, but I think it’s great,” he said, laughing. “I have a lot of people tell me they leave my shows feeling really inspired and that to me is one of the highest compliments that I could receive. I think people can expect to be inspired.” As far as the future, Wells said he would love to “have another little kid or two” and hopes to continue making music for anyone who will listen. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show can be purchased via SLO Brew’s website with general admission at $14 and $12 for students. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for $16.

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Patents vs life at stake in court GEORGE KIMBRELL AND DEBBIE BARKER

Los Angeles Times

On Tuesday, attorneys for the largest agrochemical corporation in the world, Monsanto, presented arguments before the Supreme Court asserting the company’s rights to the generations of seeds that naturally reproduce from its genetically modified strains. Bowman v. Monsanto Co. will be decided based on the court’s interpretation of a complex web of seed and plant patent law, but the case also reflects something much more basic: Should anyone, or any corporation, control a product of life? The journey of a 75-yearold Indiana farmer to the highest court in the country began rather uneventfully. Vernon Hugh Bowman purchased an undifferentiated mix of soybean seeds from a grain elevator, planted the seeds and then saved seed from the resulting harvest to plant another crop. Finding that Bowman’s crops were largely the progeny of its genetically engineered proprietary soybean seed, Monsanto sued the farmer for patent infringement. The case is a remarkable reflection on recent fundamental changes in farming. In the 200-plus years since the founding of this country, and for millenniums before that, seeds have been part of the public domain — available for farmers to exchange, save, modify through plant breeding and replant. Through this process, farmers developed a diverse array of plants that could thrive in various geographies, soils, climates and ecosystems. But today this history of seeds is seemingly forgotten in light of a patent system that, since the mid1980s, has allowed corporations to own products of life.

One of Monsanto’s arguments is that when farmers save seed from a crop grown from patented seed and then use that seed for another crop, they are illegally replicating, or “making,” Monsanto’s proprietary seeds instead of legally “using” the seeds by planting them only one time and purchasing more seeds for each subsequent planting. This logic is troubling to many who point out that it is the nature of seeds and all living things, whether patented or not, to replicate. Monsanto’s claim that it has rights over a self-replicating natural product should raise concern. Seeds, unlike computer chips, for example, are essential to life. If people are denied a computer chip, they don’t go hungry. If people are denied seeds, the potential consequences are much more threatening. Although Monsanto and other agrochemical companies assert that they need the current patent system to invent better seeds, the counterargument is that splicing an already existing gene or other DNA into a plant and thereby transferring a new trait to that plant is not a novel invention. A soybean, for example, has more than 46,000 genes. Properties of these genes are the product of centuries of plant breeding and should not, many argue, become the product of a corporation. Instead, these genes should remain in the public domain. The seed industry also claims that if patents are made narrower in scope, innovation, such as devising environmentally sustainable ways to farm, would be stifled. However, evidence casts doubt on the prevalent assumption that positive environmental impacts have resulted from their seed technologies. Take the example of the genetically engineered soybean in question. Its innova-

tive trait is that it is resistant to the herbicide Roundup, whose primary ingredient is glyphosate. However, weeds are developing a rapid resistance to glyphosate. In January, Farm Industry News reported that the area of U.S. cropland infested with glyphosate-resistant weeds expanded to 61.2 million acres in 2012. These “super weeds” are gaining momentum, increasing 25 percent in 2011 and 51 percent in 2012. In response, farmers resort to more soil-eroding tillage operations to combat the weeds, and they turn to more toxic chemicals. Based on data from the USDA, as much as 26 percent more pesticides per acre were used on genetically engineered crops than on conventional crops. And what is the industry’s response? Monsanto is planning to seek approval for dicamba-resistant soybeans, corn and cotton. Dow AgroSciences is seeking USDA approval of soybeans and corn resistant to 2, 4-D, an active ingredient in Agent Orange. It is difficult to understand how such innovation is enhancing the environment. Finally, the agrochemical industry claims that its seed innovation has provided farmers more choices. Yet the market concentration of 10 agrochemical companies owning about two-thirds of global commercial seed for major crops has narrowed the choice of seeds for farmers and resulted in higher seed prices. Over an 11-year period, the cost per acre of planting soybeans has risen a dramatic 325 percent. Our organizations interviewed hundreds of farmers across the nation for a recent report, “Seed

Giants v. U.S. Farmers.” They explained that the high adoption rate of genetically engineered seed is largely because the companies have stopped offering conventional seed. One way to recoup the high investment that Monsanto and

others say is spent on genetic engineering is to ensure that farmers have few other purchasing options. When arguments from both sides have been presented, the Supreme Court justices will have to thoroughly consider the many complexities of patent law as it pertains to selfreplicating organisms. But taking a few steps back from the microscope and the lawbooks, they may find that there is a discussion to be had about a much deeper question: the appropriate role of ownership and control over the very elements of life.

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White House continues tradition of American prudence, not taking drone strikes lightly MICHAEL SMERCONISH

The Philadelphia Inquirer

The debate over the use of deadly force against an American who is on foreign soil and has ties to al-Qaida sounds like a hypothetical straight out of my first-year Constitution law class at Penn. I can picture the back and forth on whether such killings violated the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable seizure or the Fifth Amendment’s dueprocess clause. But this is no academic exercise, as the recent release of a 16-page Justice Department “white paper” makes clear: “Targeting a member of an enemy force who poses an imminent threat of violent attack to the United States is not unlawful. It is a lawful act of national self-defense.” That would seem to describe the decision to kill Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen born in New Mexico in 1971, before he could strike again. Awlaki has been linked to Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009; Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called underwear bomber who attempted to blow up an airplane bound for Detroit on Christmas 2009; and Faisal Shahzad, who tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square in the spring of 2010. Awlaki also had an association with two of the 9/11 hijackers. Back in law school, someone would have argued that President Obama’s decision to kill Awlaki met the requirements of anticipatory self-defense, which requires that the “necessity of that self-defense is instant, overwhelming, and leaving no

choice of means, and no moment for deliberation.” The decision to kill Awlaki fits the depiction of the commander-in-chief put forth by Jo Becker and Scott Shane last May in an almost-6,000-word New York Times story on Obama’s handling of the terror target list: “Mr. Obama has placed himself at the helm of a top-secret ‘nominations’ process to designate terrorists for kill or capture, of which the capture part has become largely theoretical.” Obama, they wrote, “approves lethal action without hand-wringing.”

group read and discussed Peter Bergen’s fine account, “Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden — From 9/11 to Abbottabad.” Specter suggested that there was more to the president’s decision to send in Navy SEALs (rather than bombing Abbottabad) than ensuring a positive ID on bin Laden. Remembering the Times coverage, he argued the president maintains a certain matrix for those cases in which he will personally authorize the killing of an al-Qaeda member. Specter further theorized that part of

NEWSART

That Obama doesn’t take this responsibility lightly is perhaps best evi denced by the approach to getting Osama bin Laden, a point I had not considered until a friend, Shanin Specter, raised it at a recent book club. Our small

that matrix requires positive identification of the target. When the time came for a decision to move against Abbottabad, that positive ID was missing, so bombing was ruled out. Instead, 40 or so SEALs were dispatched

to learn whether it was actually bin Laden, and if so, to kill him. Put differently, instead of risking the killing of an innocent, the United States sent 40 of its finest “canaries” into a “coal mine” with authorization to kill the 9/11 mastermind only after they established it was him. That deference toward potentially innocent human life, even in a time of war, is in the finest traditions of the United States. And it helps define Obama’s policy toward foreign entanglements. The approach to finding, identifying, and killing bin Laden was nuanced and principled, as is the drone program, which requires positive identification and an order to act by the commander-in-chief, at least with respect to those targeted. (It’s the opposite of an approach that would arm rebels, which would be uncontrolled and pose the risk of turning weapons against us or our allies.) That same level of caution is evident in our decision not to risk our soldiers in Syria, Libya, and Mali, and to leave Iraq and Afghanistan sooner than later. The totality of each of these decisions gives definition to an emerging Obama doctrine: a strong presumption against the use of force by the United States unless the territorial integrity or political independence of the United States is in imminent risk. Obama is prepared to use force only where we control the force without delegation, and where the force used is proportionate to a verified threat. In other words, he’s willing to fight as long as it takes, where the fight makes sense, and only as long as the fighting is merited.

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

HOME SWEET HOME

IAN BILLINGS/MUSTANG DAILY

MUSTANG DAILY STAFF REPORT

sports@mustangdaily.net

The Cal Poly campus plays host to six Division I athletics events Thursday to Sunday, including

the baseball team’s home opening series, a nonconference men’s basketball game and two women’s basketball games that could position the team for a late push for a third consecutive Big West regular season title.

MUSTANG DAILY FILE PHOTO

Baseball Four games. Four wins. The baseball team (4-0) brings its undefeated record to Baggett Stadium for the first time this year for a three-

MUSTANG DAILY FILE PHOTO

The baseball team swept San Francisco in its opening series last weekend and went on to defeat Santa Clara 5-4 on Monday. The team plays a three-game series at home this weekend.

game series against Seattle this weekend. The opening pitch on Friday will come at 6 p.m. The Mustangs lost just three position starters last season and return David Armendariz, who moved from left field to center. Armendariz ended the 2012 season on a tear, going 14-for-23 and recording 15 RBIs during the Mustangs’ final seven games. He continued his hot-hitting to start the 2013 season, recording three RBIs and three runs scored over his first 18 at-bats. However, it has been the Cal Poly catchers who provided most of the Mustangs’ power so far. Elliot Stewart, the Mustangs backup catcher, has belted two home runs, including one against San Francisco that kicked off a seven-run sixth inning. That inning was capped off by a grand slam from catcher Chris Hoo. The Mustangs also rallied for a victory against Santa Clara on Monday night, using back-to-back two-run innings in the sixth and seventh to earn a 5-4 win. Against Seattle, Cal Poly will send senior Joey Wagman to the mound on Friday night. He threw six innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits to earn his first win of the season against San Francisco. Matt Imhof will start on Saturday and will be followed by sophomore right-hander Bryan Granger on Sunday. The Mustangs have won their past 10 games, dating back to

NHA HA/MUSTANG DAILY

last season when they fell onegame short of tying Cal State Fullerton for the Big West title. Men’s Basketball The Mustangs (12-12, 8-6 Big West) will look to extend their nine-game home winning streak on Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Loyola Marymount in a 2013 Ramada Worldwide BracketBuster matchup. It will be Cal Poly’s final nonconference game of the season unless the team makes the NCAA Tournament in March. While the Mustangs have only lost to Fresno State at home this season, they are 2-11 on the road. At the postgame press conference following Cal Poly’s win over UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 16, head coach Joe Callero said Chris Eversley, who injured his leg against UC Davis on Feb. 9, would not play unless he makes significant improvement. Callero said he would rather let Eversley, the Mustangs’ leading scorer, rest during the nonconference game and use him for Big West matchups. Cal Poly currently stands in fifth place in the Big West with four games to play. Women’s Basketball

on Thursday night at 7 p.m., then welcomes Hawaii to Mott Athletics Center for the first time at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Mustangs lost to both the Matadors and Rainbow Wahine on the road in January. In its most recent game, the team defeated UC Santa Barbara 65-56 in Isla Vista on Feb. 16. The victory moved the Mustangs into third place in the Big West Conference. The top two finishers in the Big West at the end of the regular season receive bye weeks into the semifinals of the Big West Tournament. After losing Woodard for the season, junior center Molly Schlemer has become the team’s main offensive weapon. The tallest player in the Big West, the 6-foot-4 Schlemer is tied with redshirt sophomore Ariana Elegado in scoring, both averaging 11.9 points per game. Schlemer has scored in double figures in 10 of the Mustangs’ past 11 games. Senior guard Jonae Ervin leads the NCAA in assist-toturnover ratio, dishing out 3.14 assists for each time she coughs up the ball.

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The loss of Brittany Woodard has hardly slowed down the women’s basketball team (149, 8-4 Big West), which is 5-3 since Woodard suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. The team takes on Cal State Northridge

Road woes continue

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The men’s basketball team fell 77-60 on the road to Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday night. Reese Morgan (center) had two points as the Mustangs dropped to 2-11 away from home.