Mustang News October 10, 2023

MUSTANG NEWS

ON THE PICKET LINE

THE CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION PREPARES FOR CSU SYSTEMWIDE STRIKE

Pg. 6

QUICKIE’S PLANS TO EXPAND

Pg. 7

THE TRUTH ABOUT PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

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SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS AWARDS CAL POLY PROFESSORS

LEADERSHIP

Chloe Lovejoy

MUSTANG NEWS

NEWS

Lauren Emo Editor

Leila Touati Assistant Editor

Allison Raisner

Abby Gorman

Caroline Ohlandt

Naomi Baron

Matthew Muren

Owen Lavine

Jessa Rosenthal

Ashley Bolter

Marcela Bonet

Lauren Yoon

Kathryn Clark

OPINION

Zoie Denton Editor

Eden-Rose Baker

Erin Yarwood

Claudia Muñoz

Liz Nancett

Joshua Rodriguez

Neta Horesh-Bar

Caroline Kelleher

SPORTS

Matthew Ho Editor

Jonathan Sze

Noah Greenblatt

Lano Somotun

Sergio Romero

Kylie Hastings

Elizabeth Boland

Jordan Singh

Ty Soria

Dylan Allen

ARTS & STUDENT LIFE

Riya Parekh Editor

Katherine Lu

Sydnie Bierma

makayla khan

Krithi Sankar

Liv Mehran

Abigail O’Branovich

Sarah Mcrae

Teah Swartzon

DESIGN

Claire Lorimor Creative Director

Ariel Sherman

Angel Gaytan

Deanna Nguyen

Alejandro Rearte

Liz Ridley

Brandon Schwartz

Rain Mazumder

Emma Robertson

Managing Editor Claire Lorimor

Creative Director

VIDEO

Ari Lopez Video Manager

Cassandra Garcia

Aydin Gulle

Makena Locsin

Madison Vernon

Natalie Levesque

Izzy Romero

Samuel Hronek

RJ Pollock

PHOTO

Lily Tenner Editor

Shae Ashamalla

Bobby Groth

Owen Roberts

Ashley Spinoglio

Annabelle Fagans

Mia-Isobel Craig

Brandon Bomberger

Maura Shernisky

Visruth Srimath Kandali

Juliete Seo

Alice Sukhostavskiy

SOCIAL MEDIA

Jessa Rosenthal Social Media Manager

Angela Passaquala

Josie Wall

Sophia Pattison

Lily Rivas

Tori Gordon

Tayler Baldwin

Maddie Gorsage

Avery Smigel

DATA & INVESTIGATIONS

Elizabeth Wilson Editor

Archana Pisupati

Cole Pressler

Krithi Sankar

Amelia Wu

Naomi Vanderlip

Jeremy Garza

Masato Nandate

Brandon Kim

Tejasree Kandibanda

KCPR

LEADERSHIP

Emily Tobiason Content Director

Jordan Triebel KCPR News Director

Cindy Nguyen Art Director

Cayley O’Brien Programming/

Music Director

David Aronson Marketing Director

Sam Kohn Podcast Manager

Reilly Yuen Social Media Manager

Ari Lopez

MNTV News Director

Sarina Grossi

Digital Director

KCPR NEWS

Jordan Triebel Director

Emmy Burrus Assistant Director

Sarina Grossi

Trevor Baumgardner

Natalie Levesque

Sarah-Kate McElroy

Aidan Dillon

Layla Shuman

Izzy Romero

Mckenna Rodriguez

Jazmyn Chavez

Jada Griffith

Myrna Waddle

Emma Montalbano

Fiona Hastings

Eden-Rose Baker

Kat Orozco

Jessica Carp

Kelly Willerford

KCPR.ORG

Emily Tobiason Content Director

Amelia Nored Editorial Assistant

Fiona Hastings

Angie Stevens

Kat Orozco

MMG BUSINESS

ADVERTISING & PR

Matthew Ho & Yuka Shindo

Advertising Team Managers

Trevor Baumgardner Special Sections Editor

Katharine Smith Marketing and Public Relations Director

Adrienne Liang Advertising Design Manager

McKenna Hauteman OnCampus Events Coordinator

Mackenzie Ryseff Marketing/PR Researcher

ADVERTISING DESIGNERS

Tristan Naoe

Amanda Wahl

Jenna Yost

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Ruby Beye

Ella Brees

Emma James

Alexander Poroy

Juliet Sasaura

Amanda Tahi

SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITERS

Xiomara Lopez

Tori Gordon

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QUICKIE IS COMING TO A COLLEGE NEAR YOU: STUDENT COMPANY SHARES PLAN TO EXPAND TO SECOND COLLEGE CAMPUS BY FALL 2024

STORY BY Caroline Ohlandt DESIGNED BY Claire Lorimor

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CELEBRITIES AREN’T ACTUALLY YOUR FRIENDS: THE TRUTH ABOUT PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

STORY BY Archana Pisupati DESIGNED BY Alejandro Rearte

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HOW MUSTANG MEMORIAL FIELD IS MAINTAINED FOR CAL POLY SPORTS

STORY BY Jonathan Sze DESIGNED BY Angel Gaytan

ADVISERS

Jon Schlitt General Manager

Pat Howe Editorial Adviser

Kim Bisheff Digital Adviser

Patti Piburn KCPR Adviser

Brady Teufel Department Chair

Richard Gearhart MNTV Adviser

STORY BY Natasha Malinovsky DESIGNED BY Alejandro Rearte

STORY BY Lauren Yoon and Owen Lavine DESIGNED BY Liz Ridley

Discounted drinks & music through midnight:

A guide to SLO bar events

BY NATASHA MALINOVSKY

Turning 21 in San Luis Obispo unlocks a whole new universe for students: bars and nightlife on the downtown Higuera strip. Around the main bars on Higuera St where the majority of people gather on weekend nights, one can quickly discover how much these downtown locations have to offer and learn the ins-and-outs of San Luis Obispo’s bar scene.

Kreuzberg

Located at 685 Higuera St., Kreuzberg California is a coffee shop by day and a bar by night. The nighttime atmosphere is more sophisticated than the other bars on the street, but they offer several fun events during the week.

Kreuzberg general manager James Valdez spoke about their two biggest nights of the week.

“We are hosting an open bootleg comedy that we do Wednesday nights 7-9 p.m. [There’s] a bunch of great stand-up comedy, it’s a great time,” Valdez said. “Booze is flowing, laughs are going and it’s always a good time here on Wednesday nights.”

While being 21 is a requirement to participate and enjoy the Wednesday comedy nights, everyone is allowed to participate in Thursday night trivia, which takes place from 7:309:30 p.m. each week so people can stop by during the Farmer’s Market.

“[It’s] always a good time,” Valdez said. “The season winner gets a huge cash prize. Put your brain to the test.”

Buffalo

Buffalo Pub and Grill, located at 717 Higuera St., is a smaller bar that attracts young people with its upbeat dancing music and cheaper drinks.

Monday is trivia night from 7-9 p.m., while Tuesday is Pint Night where people can get a beer for $4.

Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. is both Grilled Cheese Night and Open Mic Night, and Thursday is College Night, where they offer $4 well drinks and live DJ sets from 9 p.m.- 2 a.m.

On Fridays they also have DJs come from 10 p.m.-2 a.m., and they are looking to make every Friday a themed night.

On Sunday, Buffalo has karaoke to finish off the weekend from 9 p.m.- 2 a.m.

Frog and Peach

Frog and Peach is a staple in downtown San Luis Obispo with its entrance leading straight into a stage and dance floor, accompanied by an outdoor lounge area in the back. This British-style, laidback pub is located at 728 Higuera St.

The establishment has live music nearly every night with a few DJs

mixed in throughout the week. The first Wednesday of every month is Hip Hop Night, where the music is strictly to theme.

Tuesday nights are Pint Nights where Frog and Peach offers discounted pints of beers for all.

The Mark

The Mark is a popular bar featuring a large outdoor space with lounge chairs and open space for socializing. Located at 673 Higuera St., it brings in hundreds of people on weekend nights.

Wednesday nights are karaoke nights, where people are able to sing their hearts out beside the indoor bar.

With the season in full swing, The Mark temporarily has Monday Night Football and Sunday Ticket Football where they dedicate the nights to streaming this season’s football games.

The Mark also has DJs on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at their dance floor by the entrance of the bar.

Occasionally, they have live bands come in to play for their guests. There is no set schedule, but they write the list of upcoming shows on a board above the bar in the front.

F. McLintocks

F. McLintocks Saloon has a true wild-west feel, bringing people in on weekend nights to their location on 686 Higuera St.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights are the bar’s Late Nights, where they are open until 2 a.m. to keep the fun going. They hope to extend their Late Nights to Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the near future.

Micaela Garcia, manager of the saloon, takes pride in the bar’s “cheapest drinks in town.” They also offer weekly deals that differ every week, such as getting a $1 shot when buying another drink during their Late Night days.

From 4-6 p.m. on WednesdaySunday, McLintocks has happy hour where they offer $5 well drinks, $5 draft pints and $2 off their new appetizer list.

Sidecar

Overlooking the San Luis Obispo Creek, Sidecar provides a more elegant night out filled with cocktails and appetizers. Located at 1040 Broad St., the bar is right near where all the action happens.

Sidecar hosts Tiki Night each Thursday from 7- 10 p.m. in their downstairs area, where they feature tiki cocktails with homemade ingredients and specialty rums.

Wednesday is an all-night happy hour night, where several of their cocktails and appetizers are discounted through closing time. Additionally, they offer a happy hour special each day from 4-6 p.m. Jazz Sundays are a new addition to their weekly events. From 8-11 p.m., local jazz band The Jazz Trio Forte plays in their downstairs area where they offer drink specials and dumplings.

Mother’s Tavern

Mother’s Tavern, also known as MoTav among college students, is packed with people on Thursday nights. Located at 725 Higuera St., it is at the heart of the downtown bars.

Sunday nights they offer karaoke from 9 p.m.- 2 a.m.

They temporarily have Thursday Night Football while the football season lasts so that people can watch the games during and after the Farmer’s Market.

Their weekly happy hour is from 4-6 p.m. where those of age can grab a discounted drink.

Whether you’re headed on a friend’s bar crawl or for a coworker’s night out, the SLO bar scene has something for everyone.

ON THE PICKET LINE:

BY LAUREN YOON AND OWEN LAVINE

Laura Quinn splits her weekdays between Cal State San Bernardino, the University of Redlands and her 12-year-old child.

Quinn teaches for ten hours on Tuesday and Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday.

“My schedule is crazy,” she said.

Quinn is among the many CSU lecturers who have to work a second job to make ends meet. Currently, the average salary for a lecturer is $66,159, according to the CSU.

The California Faculty Association (CFA) announced on Sept. 28 that a strike vote would occur on Oct. 21 as the CSU and CFA reach the final stages of bargaining, according to the CFA.

“I’ve already signed my commitment card [to strike],” Quinn said. “Frankly, this isn’t even going far enough, but it’s a start.”

On May 1, the CFA reopened their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which according to the CFA determines the conditions of faculty employment at the CSU. In the reopener, the CSU and CFA would revisit five issues of interest to faculty: salary, workload, paid leave, health and safety.

The most contentious point of bargaining in the reopener is the CFA’s push for a 12% increase in faculty salaries.

The CSU counterproposed a 4% increase in salaries for faculty.

CFA-SLO President Lisa Kawamura said that the CSU is hesitant to increase salaries to the extent that the CFA is asking because of funding gaps in the CSU budget. However, Kawamura said that Gov. Gavin Newsom told the CFA that they should have received the salary increases from the CSU, as those

increases were baked into the 5% budget increase the CSU received earlier this year – an item which was lobbied for by CFA members.

I’ve already signed my commitment card [to strike]... Frankly, this isn’t even going far enough, but it’s a start.

CSU with UCs or California community colleges.

Political Action and Legislative Chair of CFA-SLO Cameron Jones described the study as “problematic” as the data used in the study still has not been fully released.

CFA Bargaining Team Member Steven Filling said that the CSU’s budget deficits, which prevent them from increasing facility pay, are fabricated.

The CFA is also asking for more counselors and lactation rooms on campuses, reforms to campus policing, gender-neutral bathrooms and free parking for faculty.

The CSU rejected these proposals. Hazel said that the CSU provides lactation space and that any changes to campus policing would require the CSU to violate the police union’s collective bargaining agreement with the CSU. Hazel did not address the

LAURA

The CSU denied Newsom’s comment in addition to denying that salary raises were part of the CSU funding increase compact, according to CSU Public Affairs Manager Kelly Hazel.

Hazel said that the Mercer Study – a study conducted by the CSU board of trustees on faculty retention and pay in 2022 – reaffirmed that CSU faculty are compensated similarly to institutions chosen in the Mercer study. However, the CFA maintains skepticism of the Mercer study’s methodology and results, as it did not compare the

CFA’s proposals on increasing the number of gender-neutral bathrooms or free parking for faculty.

Filling said the CFA is “puzzled” by the CSU’s statement on police reform as their proposal “speaks to the safety and wellbeing of our members, not the terms of the police union contract.”

The CFA and CSU are currently at the stage of fact-finding, one of the last stages of bargaining in the contract negotiations. During ‘fact-finding,’ a neutral third party adjudicates the two sides’ proposals and creates a recommendation. If fact-finding fails to yield a contract, then both sides will propose their final proposals. If the final proposals are rejected a strike can be authorized by the CFA.

“We hope a strike – if we do one –won’t last long,” CFA-SLO Political Action and Legislative Analyst Dr. Cameron Jones said. “But we are willing to do what it takes.”

According to Jones, the union believes that a strike will benefit students because it will allow the CFA to retain more faculty and reduce class sizes, making “classes more conducive to learning.”

In the short term, Jones added that the CFA is rearing its members for a strike vote now so they are not caught unprepared in the event that all negotiations fall through. Further, Jones said the strikes will be ‘rolling’ and a complete stoppage has not been ruled out, though Jones noted that the CFA hopes to avoid striking near Thanksgiving break and finals week.

“The CSU remains committed to our students and our academic mission, and should a strike occur, campuses will work to ensure that students are affected as little as possible,” Hazel said.

Faculty speak out on their experience

QUINN CSU Lecturer

When you look around that it’s like we [the faculty] are producing the labor that is providing everything that is necessary for this institution to exist.

LAURA QUINN CSU Lecturer

CFA prepares for a strike as negotiations with CSU near a close

Ex-Chancellor Jolene Koester released a video upon her resignation from CSU on Aug. 28, explaining the CSU’s positions in the contract negotiations.

“As we begin another academic year, please know that I fully appreciate the transformative work – that magic that you do for the students we serve,” Koester said in her address. Many faculty members found the video belittling and out of touch as Koester called the reopener a “momentary challenge” and told faculty members that there was nothing the CSU could do to meet the CFA’s demands.

“In this culture, value is demonstrated by salary, and ours is below where it should be, and has been as long as I have been at a CSU (23 years),” CSUF Professor Benjamin Boone wrote. “If you value us, raise our salaries - don’t feed us hollow words of gratitude not backed up by action.”

Boone’s sentiment was reiterated by hundreds of CSU faculty who commented on the video.

CFA-SLO Faculty Rights Chair Neal MacDougall said lecturers like Quinn are the most under-appreciated

faculty.

“[Lecturers] often do extra work for free, like when they advise students and do stuff that they feel helps students, but it’s usually not the case that a department will include that in their [the lecturers] units,” MacDougall said.

MacDougall also pointed out that Cal Poly is not good at explaining to new hires that they are under CBAs and of the distinction between what department chairs can or can’t order them to do.

Quinn said she is among thousands of lecturers in the CSU system who work a second or third job to make ends meet. Furthermore, lecturers make up a majority of CSU academic faculty.

“When you look around that it’s like, we [the faculty] are producing the labor that is providing everything

that is necessary for this institution to exist,” Quinn said. “I would love to see a video diary of a week of a president or chancellor like, ‘Show me what you do.’”

CFA CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION FACEBOOK | COURTESY

Quickie is coming to a college near you

Student company shares plan to expand to second college campus by Fall 2024

BY CAROLINE OHLANDT

Quickie Delivery, a company founded by two Cal Poly students in Nov. 2021, now plans to expand to a second college campus by fall 2024, business administration senior and Quickie Co-Founder Will Tregenza told Mustang News.

“We want to bring Quickie to as many college campuses as we can,” Tregenza said. “Our goal is to spread our brand and add Quickie to the culture of college campuses everywhere.”

Though Tregenza and Co-Founder Matt Menno are still deciding which college campus to bring Quickie to next, they said their next destination will be somewhere in California. They hope to expand to several more campuses in the years to come.

The company soft launched in Nov. 2021 and officially launched in Jan. 2022. Their success skyrocketed after being awarded $10,000 in May 2022 through the Cal Poly Summer Accelerator Program, a service offered by Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship where students receive funds and mentorship from experts in the start-up field.

With this additional financial support, Menno and Tregenza sought to create the ultimate delivery service for college students with low prices and fast delivery times.

“Delivery services nowadays are super expensive and super slow and none of them can deliver right to the dorm,” Menno said. “In short, our mission is to make everyone’s college experience more convenient and more enjoyable.”

Quickie places an additional focus on their environmental impact; since all of Quickie’s deliveries are made on electric scooters, their services are entirely carbon neutral.

“We’re thinking about creating a bag turn-in program for [used delivery bags],” Menno said. “We’re always looking for ways to be a little better to the environment.”

Biomedical engineering sophomore Ryan Segovi said he enjoys his work as a “Quickie Flasher” – the Quickie company name for their delivery people – because of the student appreciation for Quickie on campus.

“When I’m riding around on the scooter making Quickie deliveries,

Join

people call out and cheer,” Segovi said. “It boosts my morale for the day, so I really enjoy my job.”

concerning both California and the nation!

Breaking the News – Film and Reception

October 26th 7–9 PM | Palm Theatre

Breaking the News documents the founding of The 19th*, a digital news start-up that asks who has been omitted from mainstream coverage and how they can be included. Honest discussions take place around race, gender and identity equity, revealing that change doesn’t come easy.

A reception will follow the screening, featuring a lively discussion with Kate Sosin, LGBTQ+ reporter for The 19th*, moderated by CalMatters CEO Neil Chase.

CalMatters Live Panel

October 27th 12:30–2:15 PM

Advanced Technology Lab, Bldg. 7 | Cal Poly Campus

San Luis Obispo is one of the least affordable areas in the country, where housing has not kept up with demand, and residents and students are often priced out of a place to live. CalMatters journalist Jeanne Kuang will lead a discussion with local civic leaders, exploring how SLO can tackle the housing crisis shaped by a high-cost, coastal location and the demands to grow Cal Poly’s student population.

According to Quickie employees, their brand is in their packaging. All items are hand delivered in green paper bags, each customized with its own comical and often risque message.

“My favorite thing when I deliver is when I hand someone an order and as I’m walking away I hear them burst out laughing when they read the bag,” Menno said. “Every time we see someone read the bag, laugh and post a picture of it is just the best. It makes us feel good about what we’re doing here.”

Jim Hayes Symposium: A Matter of Trust

October 27th 2:45–4:15 PM

Advanced Technology Lab, Bldg. 7 | Cal Poly Campus

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Events are free and open to the public. Register at:

A light lunch will be served before the discussion starting at 11:30 a.m. Thank

My favorite thing when I deliver is when I hand someone an order and as I’m walking away I hear them burst out laughing when they read the bag

MATT MENNO Quickie co-founder

Caroline Ohlandt | MUSTANG NEWS

Carolyn McGourty Supple Head of public affairs, Google Public Sector

Emilio Garcia Ruiz Editor-in-chief, San Francisco Chronicle

Kate Sosin LGBTQ+ reporter, The 19th

Katerina Eva Matsa Director of news and information, Pew Research Center

Neil Chase Chief Executive Officer, CalMatters

Moderator

David Kerley Owner, Full Throttle Newsletter; Former ABC News correspondent

Jeanne Kuang

LIZ RIDLEY | MUSTANG NEWS

Celebrities aren’t actually your friends: The truth about parasocial relationships

BY LIZ NANCETT

Liz Nancett is an English senior and a Mustang News opinion columnist. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.

Lizzo. Matty Healy. Colleen Ballinger. All three names have been buzzworthy but for all the wrong reasons. These past months have demonstrated the precedence that relationships with celebrities take in media and everyday life, and fans have been shocked to witness when celebrities reveal their less-than-agreeable personalities, their despicable moral compass or their abilities to commit heinous crimes. Yet, why do people feel so passionate about people that are clearly being paid to act a certain way?

When thinking about all of the connections one has in life, celebrities have proven that blood is not thicker than water. Since the advent of the arts as a career, people have turned to glorifying artists to a religious extent, and 1956 marked the categorization of this phenomena with the term

“parasocial relationship.” According to Oxford’s Dictionary of Media and Communication, parasocial relationships are “a kind of psychological relationship experienced by members of an audience in their mediated encounters with certain performers in the mass media.”

The creators of this term specifically warned of the duplicitous nature of these parasocial relationships, as fans are subject to neglect the reality of their relationship with someone that they only know through a heavily monitored form of reality. In 2023, this faux intimacy has only grown worse as people have unlimited access to star-studded interactions via social media.

Now, technology presents an uncanny illusion with live streams and vlogs that mimic real-life interactions. In addition to this, mass culture has encouraged and normalized illusionary and invasive celebrity-fan relationships with tabloids and TMZ-esque gossip shows to actively feed fans a romanticized understanding of fame along with a sense of entitlement as the pseudo-sponsors of celebrities.

Yet, with this in mind, I have

realized that fans are not a blameless part of the parasocial cycle. Along with the celebrities listed above, Doja Cat’s scandal has led to recent controversy and speculation surrounding the artists’ personal life. Specifically, the Grammy award-winner has led a new social lifestyle that focuses on encouraging her fan accounts to delete themselves and that “if you call yourself a ‘Kitten’ or f***ing ‘Kittenz’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.” This change in attitude about “Kittenz,” a name that fans of the artist have given themselves, has coincidentally occurred as Doja Cat sheds her pop-girl persona to opt for a new R&B sound with upcoming album Scarlet.

This behavior led to a slew of upset and disappointed fans, but her controversy is rooted in her social media-based interactions turning from thoughtful and appreciative to abrasive and brash. Although this behavior has been branded by many as fan abandonment and apparent “self-sabotage” for her blossoming career, the musician has commented that this “change” in personality is a

method of ridding her community of fans that are overzealously critical of her personal life, especially if it contradicts her persona or expected behavior as a public figure. More accurately, this is about fans hoping to control Doja Cat and other celebrities as one would property.

Meanwhile, the famous crave to be unrestrained outside of their work life expectations—just as anyone would expect when they’re off-duty. This instance, along with this summer’s other drama, reveals a phenomena at the heart of the obsession with celebrity scandal which I have coined ‘the reality of duality.’ ‘The reality of duality’ encompasses the true expectations that fans should have of celebrities as it consists of both their presentable public persona as well as a private and typically unmarketable personality.

Naturally, once a celebrity reveals their unappealing self to the media, fans are awakened from their fantasy of marketable personas which allows them to have an opportunity for self-reflection in relation to their parasocial relationships. Fans tend to realize that celebrities can simultaneously reflect two distorted forms

of reality; one that attributes positive and presentable qualities and one that attributes negative and nefarious qualities. With recent scandals, many fans have experienced the latter type of distortion which may reveal something about a part of themselves they intend on keeping hidden from the world that contradicts their own persona in real-life interactions. Therefore, fans may begin to either excuse or criticize behaviors that are less-appealing but apply to both beloved celebrities and themselves.

This relates back to the normalization of invading celebrities’ lives and feeling an entitlement to knowing their private lives. As a result, many forget that celebrities are talented, but not perfect, and most definitely have their moments for mistakes and immorality. Therefore, it’s time for fans to take celebrities down from their social pedestal and recognize talent and affluence does not nullify the reality of parasocial relationships as relationships between flawed strangers.

ASI EXPLAINED

“Connect students to their ultimate college experience” is the motto of Cal Poly’s Associated Students Incorporated (ASI).

To bring this motto to life, the three branches of the ASI Student Government work together to advocate for student needs, represent student interests and plan events and programs to bring students together. In an effort to advocate for students’ needs and wants, former ASI chair of the recruitment and elections committee Alexandria Raynes said that students are encouraged to come to ASI with any issues they have regarding Cal Poly and ASI will do its best to help resolve them.

“A lot of this year I feel like students have been very frustrated and the board has as well with the university or the corporation,” Raynes said. “We’ve been trying to share students’ opinions about a lot of the different issues on campus like the library closing down, Castro coming to campus, food insecurity and Chick-Fil-A.”

ASI is a private auxiliary organization, meaning that it is a non-profit created to support student success and provide students with a more well-rounded college experience. The organization provides financial support for services that are generally not funded by the state budget.

“As an auxiliary, we don’t necessarily have to follow as stringent

of regulations as other parts of campus administration may have to do,” 2023-24 ASI Chief of Staff Tyler Coari said. “That said, the University President Jeff Armstrong, has a sort of veto power against us as an entire organization and could bring us back into the fold of the university anytime.”

Both elected and volunteer student leaders make up the three branches of ASI Student Government, all of which work together to meet student needs.

The three branches include the Executive Cabinet, the Board of Directors and the University Union Advisory Board (UUAB).

THE EXECUTIVE CABINET

In the Executive Cabinet sits the ASI president, Chief of Staff, and nine secretaries. The ASI president is elected by the student body during the spring quarter of each academic year. According to Raynes, the members of the executive branch function as the most visible part of the ASI Student Government. They regularly meet with President Jeffrey Armstrong and also with city and state officials to represent student needs at every level.

Each of the nine secretaries in the Executive Cabinet has their own focus. Some of these focuses include sustainability, accessibility and internal affairs.

The secretaries work with ASI staff,

members to help carry out the goals put in place by the ASI president.

the size of the college. Coari explains that the Board of Directors serves as the official voice of the student body and the governing board of the organization of ASI as a whole.

“We have oversight of every single employee in this organization, including the executive director,” Coari said. “That’s something that you don’t often see, but it’s an important function of the Board of Directors.”

As the voice of the student body, the Board of Directors passes resolutions that urge Cal Poly officials to listen to the needs of students and act accordingly.

This branch also determines how funds are distributed to different programs under ASI that do not already have funds allocated.

ALEXANDRIA RAYNES

ASI

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors comprises student-elected representatives from each of the six academic colleges on campus. There are 24 members on the Board of Directors including the Chair of the Board.

The number of representatives for

“For instance, the Children’s Center is a mandated program as per student referendum, and so, we have to put aside a certain amount of money that is taken from student fees to put toward the Children’s Center every year,” Coari said. “But, there are things such as how club funding is doled out annually that are under our purview directly.”

THE UNIVERSITY UNION ADVISORY BOARD

The UUAB oversees ASI-managed facilities, which include the Recreation Center, University Union, Sports Complex, the Cal Poly P and

The board is comprised of six repre sentatives from each of the colleges, the UUAB Directors Designee and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the UUAB.

The six UUAB representatives individually advocate for their colleges based on their own judgment, according to former UUAB CAFES representative James Francucci. “If we would like to see, let’s say an artwork be displayed, we can have that recommendation, or if there’s some problem in the Rec center, we can address those issues,” Francucci said.

We’ve been trying to share students’ opinions about a lot of the different issues on campus like the library closing down, Castro coming to campus, food insecurity and Chick-fil-A.

Former

Chair of Recruitment and Elections

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

To get involved in ASI, students can either run for President or Board of Directors or simply work closely with elected members to spark change on campus.

Before running for President or the Board of Directors, students must fill out a candidate packet that asks for some personal and academic information. This packet also provides candidates with a space to write their personal statement that will appear next to their name on the ballot.

“These forms must be submitted by the filing deadline, which is decided by the Board of Directors every year,” Raynes wrote in an email to Mustang

News. “Legally, the filing period must be between 50 and 120 days before the election.”

If the filing period has passed, students may run as write-in candidates by filling out a form. In this case, their name would not appear on the ballot and people would have to write them in themselves.

Students may start telling people that they intend to campaign for a certain position, only after they have filled out all the required paperwork. They may not post on social media or have it in writing that they intend to campaign until the active campaigning period begins.

“Active campaigning starts at least 10 days before the election, in which

candidates may attend events, make social media pages and put it in writing that they are running for a position,” Raynes wrote.

Students still have opportunities to get involved in ASI without officially running for student government by working closely with elected officials.

“They may ask to meet with them, work to write legislation or come to our meetings’ open forum to publicly speak on any issue that is troubling them or that they are passionate about,” Raynes wrote.

The Cal Poly snapchat phenomenon

How social media has led to student fame

BY CARLY HETZEL

Forgoing his iconic studded ‘Cal Poly Mom’ hat, freshman computer science major Ronan Biggs munched on a croissant and sipped orange juice while describing his ascent to micro-stardom among his peers. Before even moving in, Biggs emerged as one of the most recognizable faces – and names – on campus by spam posting to the Cal Poly 2027 Snapchat story.

Each class has a community Snapchat story that anyone who signs in with their school email can post on, resulting in a widely used forum for disseminating information and creating entertainment content. The resulting phenomenon is a subculture with its own lore, storylines and campus micro-celebrities.

For well-known posters like Biggs, it has become difficult to separate their reality from their online reputation. It’s common to see blurry, zoomed in photos of Biggs posted on the story with captions reading “Ronan spotted.” When he meets new people, they already know who he is and often ask to take a selfie with them. He sharpied his ‘autograph’ on several peoples’ chests and arms at a party per their request.

Biggs sarcastically told Mustang News he can feel fame as his calling.

“I knew from the start I was destined for the red carpet,” Biggs said. “This is only the start to my career and celebrity status. I think I’m going big. I’m going big time.”

The posts live beyond Snapchat, making their way into everyday conversation as small talk or becoming contentious debates. Students have gained notoriety and fame from this niche environment in a way that little else can replicate.

Those interviewed for this article said they check the stories anywhere from once a day to every hour. At times there are over 100 “snaps” posted over 24 hours on the class of 2027’s story.

LAUNCHING CAMPUS MICRO-CELEBRITIES

Biggs’ story started off with the opposite of glamor. His boredom toward the end of the summer overtook him until he finally discovered the cure: the Cal Poly 2027 Snapchat story. As a SLO local, he began by posting cool spots he knows and trying to spread a positive message about the town, which originally received little response. It wasn’t

until he began spamming the story with food and self-described videos of him “screaming in public” that he caught people’s attention.

The backlash was harsh and almost immediate. Biggs said there were a lot of haters coming after him on the story. But once he was in person, he said “they all switched up, they all loved me,” and thus his popularity grew.

This is only the start to my career and celebrity status. I think I’m going big. I’m going big time.

RONAN BIGGS

Computer science freshman

authenticity. He said his posts are 100% him being real and genuinely showing his personality. Although, people tend to hyperfixate on certain aspects of his personal brand like his green ‘Cal Poly Mom’ hat.

“I feel like I get recognized more when I wear it,” Biggs said. “That’s not the reason I wear it, that’s just what happens.”

He usually wears the hat because it matches his green jacket. The hat originated from shopping at the university bookstore with his mom and buying a piece of merch of his choice. He added silver studs along the brim himself.

A comparable saga happened last year to computer engineering sophomore Luke Trusheim. Throughout the fall and winter quarters, he posted whatever he thought was funny or relatable to connect with his fellow classmates on the 2026 story. The most notable of these posts happened during the 2022 Week of Welcome when many people were posting their ‘firsts’ of college.

Trusheim took a selfie in his dorm bathroom and captioned it “First shit in college.” Parodies of his post circulated including people with his post saying “First crush in college” or printing out and captioning it “First decoration in college.” Trusheim became instantly well-known.

“A lot of people in person would recognize me, which was really weird,” Trusheim said. “At first, I don’t know, I would say it was kind of flattering, but then it was like, ‘Oh God, what have I done?’”

His association with this first post stayed fresh in the mind of students with some people calling out to him as “shit guy” in public. Trusheim called the post “mildly embarrassing” but ultimately received a positive, lighthearted response.

“I definitely, you know, played it down because you don’t want to sound pretentious,” Trusheim said.

at that point, but he and a friend who also had a presence on the Snap story wanted to use this platform together.

They compiled a list of their picks for the elections and encouraged people to vote, hoping to encourage more civic engagement. He said the election results mostly aligned with their picks so he hopes it had an impact.

DOUBLE EDGED SWORD: CONTROVERSIES

A large platform doesn’t come drama-free. Notable controversies or disputes even described as “small wars” are recurring on the stories with people from both sides broadcasting their support.

The most recent example was when Biggs received hate for spamming the story before school started. A lighthearted example is when people began betting on which of two Gerbils living in the dorms would win in a fight. But the most notable example centers around computer engineering sophomore Ashton

“I did it because I have no humility. I don’t care how other people think about me. And I guess for the jokes, you know?”

gaining access to all the Cal Poly stories he saw the underclassmen posting much more frequently at the beginning of the year, especially the freshmen.

“The older people, I guess they’re maybe more mature in a sense,” he said. “More established kind of. They don’t feel the need to share everything on Snapchat.”

Maxwell described the storylines as fleeting; posts are relevant one week, and history the next. He said the drawback of the stories is people posting things you don’t want to see or just don’t care about. It can get annoying, so he said he thinks the older people get the more conscious of spam posting the older they become. The one exception, Maxwell said, is a student on the 2024 story who posts 10 to 15 videos a day of random and “annoying, stupid stuff.”

“You’re, like, almost a celebrity, but I would describe it as just a common experience.”

Trusheim boiled his stardom down to this: “If you posted frequently, then people recognized your face.”

Last year, city and regional planning sophomore Ethan Keller consistently posted ‘vlog’ format videos of him sitting on a bench while talking, and experienced similar recognizability around campus. He covered all the new things he had experienced in college on a given day to relate to his peers and open up discussions about how fantastic it was that students could connect with each other via Snapchat.

These posts garnered a supportive response and led to him meeting new people both online and offline; in person, his platform mostly served as an icebreaker for people to approach him. Keller recalled the surreal feeling when someone came up to him at a party and asked to take a selfie with him.

“It was nice to see the social aspects of it,” Keller said. “It really, really made me want to talk to more people.”

One of the most frequent comments he received was admiration for his confidence to post on a story with over 6,000 viewers.

“It kind of gave people who were outgoing and confident or any person who posted to give themselves a big platform to talk,” Keller said.

When ASI elections came around last year, Keller hadn’t posted in a while because his vlogs felt repetitive

For a week last school year, Ashton’s name was plastered on memes uploaded to the 2026 story, criticizing him for controversial comments he made. Trusheim said this was one of the most memorable storylines in Snapchat story’s history. After laying low on the 2026 so as not to instigate people more, Gage described the incident from his perspective.

He said it began with someone making a comment about cash on the story. Gage said that he then edited a photo of a trading platform to make it seem as though he had $75,000 in his account to provoke the other person.

“The backlash just came immediately,” Gage said. “Everyone was [saying] daddy’s money, daddy’s money. I’m just kind of like silently laughing in the corner because, you know, it’s fake.”

Most of his motivation was to see how people would react, Gage said, although part of him thought it was funny. He called the memes “absolutely hilarious” and said he didn’t take any offense to them.

Things escalated when a group of people challenged him to a fight in front of the Performing Arts Center and actually showed up. The group posted photos of them standing there waiting for him and threatening to beat him up. Gage didn’t show. He said eventually people on the story were telling others to stop posting hateful content about him.

Beyond the threats, Gage had many people expressing concern for his wellbeing. He said he assured them that he took no offense to the backlash. Some of his friends screenshotted the memes and made a compilation that they posted back on the 2023 story.

“It was just mad hilarious to see how creative people got,” Gage said.

OLDER CLASSES FADE OUT

Witnessing the consequences of his celebrity, Trusheim stopped posting for the most part. So did Keller, along with most of the classes of 2024, 2025 and 2026. The older grades have largely taken a back seat to watching the first years bombarding their story with constant posts.

Trusheim stopped posting after winter quarter began because he grew tired of being associated with his first post in particular. Once he leaves the Cal Poly bubble, Trusheim said, he doesn’t want his name “forever linked” with the things he puts out.

“I sort of realized that the internet is sort of forever, the things you put on there last a long time,” Trusheim said. “And it can definitely be a little overwhelming. So I tried to trim down on how much I posted on there.”

While the entertainment value might decline, less posting is also a natural progression as students move out of the dorm and no longer live in the residence halls.

Keller cited similar reasons for the increasingly sparse content on the older classes’ stories.

“They all can relate that they’re living in dorms with a weird roommate or the inability to cook easily,” Keller said. “The freshman aspect of living on campus is so much more interesting than a senior living in a house.”

A MEDIUM FOR CONNECTION

Another regular face of the 2027 story is Camila Borrero, who runs her business of commissioning art and selling baked goods to make quick cash. Borrero epitomizes another genre of the story where she advertises products and services.

LUKE

Computer engineering sophomore

Junior Jack Maxwell hasn’t posted much on the 2025 story, having used it only to sell a printer. Upon

She checks the story at least once every hour to stay updated with everything that’s going on with her peers and to make new friends. Often there will be posts about people meeting up or holding events in their dorms that are open invite.

Borrero uses the story as an extension of her Instagram business where she draws in a cartoonish style. She said she has posted more times than she has kept track and sells cupcakes, cream puffs, some Dungeons and Dragons character designs, wedding

The backlash just came immediately,” Everyone was [saying] daddy’s money, daddy’s money. I’m just kind of like silently laughing in the corner because, you know, it’s fake.

ASHTON GAGE

Computer engineering sophomore

I sort of realized that the internet is sort of forever, the things you put on there last a long time. And it can definitely be a little overwhelming.

So I tried to trim down on how much I posted on there.

TRUSHEIM

photos and party photos. The story is a relatively successful marketing tool for her, with some people even directly messaging her to commission drawings.

“To generalize, we’re a little more close knit.” Borrero said. “We are pretty close, overall, and really friendly with each other.”

created a connection between everybody that everyone kind of felt under the surface,” Keller said.

Others use the story as a way to brighten peoples’ days through small traditions like the class of 2026’s ‘Funky Monkey Friday,’ in which a student posts the same video of animated gorillas dancing captioned “Thank you for being here with us on this funky monkey Friday.”

Also on the 2026 story, Braeden Alonge posts a ‘Joke of the Day’ daily alongside a poll asking whether today’s joke was funny or not. He has not posted since spring quarter of last year. Alonge said the approval rate of his jokes is usually 65 to 80%.

BRAEDEN ALONGE

When he was a freshman, Keller said the story served as a record for “documenting the niche interesting parts of Cal Poly freshman life;” and whatever people deemed post-worthy molded the culture of the story.

“That was super cool, it kind of just

He finds a new joke from the internet each morning, but is running out of sources. His freshman year he started doing joke of the day for his ‘streaks’ on Snapchat to his friends, then decided to bring it back for the whole story to enjoy.

“If I can put a smile on someone’s face, that’ll make my day,” Alonge said.

If students have something interesting to share that other people look forward to or might also like, then it’s worth posting, Alonge said. Wholesome or not, the Cal Poly Snapchat story is here to stay. The platform has established its relevance in the collective of students

and continues to influence the conversations, content and controversies around campus.

When asked to describe the subculture as a passive viewer, Jack Maxwell said one word: unhinged.

“Sometimes you’ll see people say stuff that’s absolutely crazy and doesn’t make sense,” Maxwell said.

“In a way it’s kinda charming, seeing what’s going on in the minds of people at Cal Poly.”

If I can put a smile on someone’s face, that’ll make my day.

Computer science sophomore

The women reinventing college engineering

BY LAUREN YOON

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) recognized three Cal Poly CENG faculty members as award recipients for their contributions to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in STEM.

Among the recipients are General Engineering Program Director Lizabeth Thompson, CENG Dean Amy S. Fleischer and Cal Poly’s Women’s Engineering Program (WEP) Director Helene Finger. The award ceremony will take

reinventing

place at WE23, a SWE-led conference for women in engineering and technology meant to empower attendees to network, advance their careers and think innovatively. The conference will last from Oct. 26-28 in Los Angeles.

LIZABETH THOMPSON, PHD, PE

In 1977, Lizabeth Thompson took an engineering class while obtaining her bachelor’s in industrial engineering at Cal Poly. In order to “keep everyone awake,”

her professor inserted pictures of girls in bathing suits throughout his slideshow, making Thompson incredibly uncomfortable.

“At that moment, I was like, ‘Well, that doesn’t really keep me awake.’ Or, it actually probably does because I was so like, ‘What?’” Thompson said.

Thompson now serves as the General Engineering Program Director at the very same institution she was prejudiced at and, as of this year, is one of two nationwide

LIZABETH

General Engineering Program

recipients of the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, which she will accept at WE23. “In the Barbie movie they say, ‘Thank you for this award. I worked really hard and I deserve it!’ Part of me wants to say that,” Thompson said. “But part of me wants to also just say I’m really humbled, because I’m just one person doing my job. There’s so many people like all the staff and students who have contributed that could be recognized.”

In addition to her role as program director, Thompson also teaches industrial engineering on campus, where she designs her classroom to be welcoming and inclusive.

According to Thompson, her feminist approach to teaching means collaboration and a sense of community within a field that is predominantly competitive.

“The water we swim in is individual effort and competition and this idea that if you’re going to be a good engineer, what you need to do is work really hard and get really stressed out,” Thompson said. “I think that over time, we’ve realized that’s not exactly the right way to make a good engineer.”

Thompson continues to actively change this socialization and promote diversity in engineering at Cal Poly through four different grants provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Using these grants, Thompson has raised $9.8 million since 2011, according to a Cal Poly news release about the SWE award recipients.

One of the grants is called ENGAGE, a mentorship program with Allan Hancock College and Cuesta College for engineering or computer science majors. It specifically aims to retain underrepresented transfers from these colleges, primarily Hispanic and Latino students, who historically drop the major two years after starting it, according to a CENG news release.

“The idea is to better connect with local people who want to come to Cal Poly,” Thompson said. “And at the institutional level, we’re really

I’m really humbled, because I’m just one person doing my job. There’s so many people like all the staff and students who have contributed that could be recognized.

THOMPSON

Director

DENNIS STEERS | COURTESY Headshot taken of Lizabeth Thompson for CP news release.

Black Women in STEM meeting.

looking at how easy it is for transfer students to come here and feel welcome and feel integrated.”

Not only does Thompson strive to highlight unheard voices within the program she directs, but she also advises Engineers Without Borders, where engineering students work on international projects. She hears critiques of the club that pin its members as “white saviors,” and hopes to deconstruct them in a way that discusses white positionality productively. Thompson emphasizes that activism begins with conversation, especially when it comes to women in STEM.

“We need to keep naming it over and over and over again,” Thompson said in reference to underrepresented groups in engineering. “Like, you don’t need to giggle after you say something important. Over and over again, just keep saying, ‘It’s not you. It’s the system.’”

Amy S. Fleischer is beginning her sixth academic year as CENG Dean as she accepts the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Program Award by SWE, the only one of its kind in the nation.

“I’m humbled and appreciative of the award,” Fleischer said. “And yet, I still see there’s so much work to do.”

Before coming to Cal Poly in July 2018, Fleischer was Chair of Mechanical Engineering at Villanova University, her alma mater, a position which she was elected for by colleagues who were previously her professors. Before being elected, she also became the first full female professor at Villanova’s College of Engineering in 2012, a feat that should not necessarily be a source of pride for the university, Fleischer noted.

Despite becoming comfortable navigating the male-dominated field of mechanical engineering, Fleischer said it was out of necessity, not want. She said she pushes to create a better working environment for incoming generations of engineers.

“It shouldn’t be a question of how women and people of color adapt to the dominant culture, but how the dominant culture adapts to be more inclusive,” Fleischer said. “So that more people can come in and participate and different voices get heard.”

Fleischer and the rest of the engineering faculty recently implemented the 2023-28 CENG Strategic Plan, which focuses on DEI and aims to create a communal spirit within the field of engineering at Cal Poly.

One of the strategies in the plan was to incorporate creativity into engineering through starting the Art of Engineering Challenge, which invites CENG students and faculty to submit visual artifacts that bring art and engineering together. The

selected submissions get displayed throughout common engineering spaces and labs, working to create a better sense of belonging in these areas.

“If you go into a space and it feels like you don’t belong there, you don’t see that space reflecting you, then you’re much less likely to stay engaged in what’s going on,” Fleischer said.

Letting students know that they are meant to be on Cal Poly’s campus encourages them to stay in the program and retain the diversity efforts of both CENG and Strategic Enrollment Management, Fleischer said.

“Each one of our Cal Poly students belongs here,” Fleischer said. “We offered them all admission, we’ve chosen them, they’ve chosen us, and now we’re together as a group. And we all belong.”

Hispanic, Latino and women firstyear enrollment numbers within CENG have increased under the leadership of Fleischer, according to the news release about the award recipients. The engineering program targets outreach towards underrepresented students, which centered Hispanic and Latina women interested in the program this school year, Fleischer said.

Another aspect of the Strategic Plan is concerned with diversifying CENG faculty. The CENG Inclusive Hiring Guidelines were implemented when Fleischer came in as CENG Dean. It includes rewriting job advertisements to appeal to a wide variety of backgrounds and asking interview questions that push faculty to incorporate DEI into their research and educational values, Fleischer says.

“It came from the bottom up – from the students, from the faculty, from the staff – they want diversity, equity, inclusion and for changing

It shouldn’t be a question of how women and people of color adapt to the dominant culture, but how the dominant culture adapts to be more inclusive, so that more people can come in and participate and different voices get heard.

AMY S. FLEISCHER College of Engineering Dean

AMY S. FLEISCHER, PHD, ME, MSME

DENNIS STEERS | COURTESY

Headshot taken of Dean Amy Fleischer for CP news release.

HELENE FINGER | COURTESY

Taken by a conference attendee at WE Local Seattle, one of the nationwide SWE conferences this year.

DENNIS STEERS | COURTESY

our culture to be a key part of our strategic plan,” Fleischer said.

More recently, Flesicher and her team also incentivized new faculty to advance justice, diversity, equity and inclusion by providing them the opportunity to receive up to $10,000 after speaking with the Associate Dean for Diversity and Student Success about improving their DEI strategy.

Fleischer continues to emphasize diversity throughout all facets of CENG, especially with the upcoming quarter to semester conversion for the 2026-27 academic school year. The conversion gives her team a chance to embed curriculum threads throughout all 735 classes under CENG, which will highlight the significance of multicultural perspectives on engineering.

“What I really believe is that if you work to make positive change in your little corner of the world, and everybody else also works to make positive change in their little corner of the world, then eventually the

world becomes a better place for it,” Fleischer said.

HELENE FINGER, PE, F.ASCE, F.SWE

Helene Finger obtained her civil engineering bachelor’s degree at Cal Poly in 1988. After working for PG&E for seven years, she had a child and decided to put her name on the ASI Children’s Center list, even though she thought she’d be a stay-at-home mom. When she got in, she was able to start her master’s program in civil and environmental engineering, a department she ended up becoming a lecturer for.

Now, Finger is entering her 26th academic school year as Cal Poly’s Women’s Engineering Program Director, a program directly coinciding with the Cal Poly chapter of SWE. As a result, she has been recognized nationally as a SWE fellow, an honor bestowed to only three other recipients nationwide.

“SWE has really been instrumental on this campus in promoting women

of all intersectional identities, and to be recognized by this organization at a national level is just an honor of what’s been accomplished here,” Finger said.

During her career at Cal Poly, Finger has done PhD work in mechanical engineering at UCSB and returned back to PG&E for work on the Diablo Canyon power plant near Avila Beach and consulting for tsunami reanalysis after Fukushima. Finger has also advised the Cal Poly SWE chapter since 2000.

“I think the thing that’s most important is to not think that you’re going to have this linear career. Like, you just need to stay open to what presents itself,” Finger said. “Because you never know what doors might open.”

The Women’s Engineering Program began in 1987 under former CENG Dean Peter Lee as a way to get women’s enrollment in the program up, which Finger accomplished. It has since become a student-run organization that focuses more on

making sure the demographics of the program match those of the rest of the state of California, Finger says.

Finger recently partnered with Associate Dean for Student Success Camille O’Bryant to form a community for Black women in STEM, which creates space for conversations about things such as the severe lack of Black representation at Cal Poly in general.

“It’s not this big, huge epiphany,” Finger said. “It’s just the sum of conversations that are supportive to our students that really matter.”

WEP and SWE outreach programs are now also targeting low income K-12 schools that don’t have many extracurricular STEM opportunities. For instance, the SWEeties program has SWE officers reach out to high schools in their local community to hopefully get in touch with firstgeneration students whose parents haven’t gone to college, Finger said.

Finger also mentors and talks to students one-on-one herself, on her

own volition. From SWE officers to students in the WEP study space, she tries to be friendly so that individuals aren’t intimidated by her status as a faculty member.

“I mean, [students] keep me current on so many concepts,” Finger said. “It’s easy to continue thinking a certain way while the world is changing. A lot of times the students need to realize they’re the ones who make the change.”

Finger continues to have these conversations, as she believes having a diverse engineering community yields solutions to the most critical problems within our society.

“When you don’t know it, or you don’t see it, you just don’t know,” Finger said. “If you’re not including stuff that is important for women or stuff that is important for Hispanic communities or African American communities, because none of them are in your design team, then you’re not really developing the most important solutions.”

DENNIS STEERS | COURTESY Headshot taken of Helene Finger for CP news release.

DENNIS STEERS | COURTESY AIDEN HARPER | COURTESY Taken at EWI, or Evening with Industry, an annual SWE event that is one of the largest student-run networking events at UCLA.

16

Seven alternative study locations offered by Cal Poly

BY CAROLINE KELLEHER

Caroline Kelleher is an Anthropology and Geography sophomore and Mustang News opinion and satire columnist. The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily represent the opinions of Mustang News.

With the Kennedy Library renovation beginning over the summer, students have found themselves lacking a consistent place to study. Although the school is providing study tents reminiscent of pandemic-era restaurant eating situations, many are looking for—well, literally anything else. The Hoof’s investigation team reached out to students to find out just where they’re grinding out their next architectural design or statistical spreadsheet - here are a few that we liked best.

1) On the side of the road during move-in:

“Studying next to a shirtless, drunk man holding a sign that says “daughter drop-off” or “MILFS DRINK FREE” can be incredibly productive,” says a third-year child development major.

2) Inside Firestone Grill:

Firestone Grill is one of downtown SLO’s most popular places to eat, but many don’t realize that the consistently peaceful and calm atmosphere cultivates a wonderful ability to get work done.

When it’s sunny, what better place is there to study than by the pool? One student told us: “I love working poolside. There’s never any glare on my screen, and I can always find a seat!” Plus, you won’t have to risk your computer overheating - there’s so much air outside that it’ll just cool it down.

4) Yakʔitʸutʸu parking garage, top floor:

“I love listening to the Mustang Band practicing while I work,” says a first-year physics major. “I can always hear it from inside my room, even if the windows are closed, so I decided to just get closer to the sound instead!” The student added that the consistent repetition of the same song for hours on end helps their memorization, as they associate the sound with whatever they’re reading.

RAIN MAZUMDER | MUSTANG NEWS

5) SLODOCO on a Friday night:

“Seeing people coming back from frat parties helps me analyze behavior better,” says a graduate student working towards their Master’s in psychology. “I get a lot of work done listening to loud drunk people crying and laughing excessively.”

6) Using the machines at the Rec Center:

“Not a lot of people realize that you can also use the machines we have available to study,” says an employee at the Rec Center. They went on to inform us of their personal favorite: sitting down and reading on the bench press.

Seven alternative study locations offered by Cal Poly TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2023 THE HOOF

7) On top of the P:

Carrying your laptop and textbooks all the way up the mountain is a great way to get your brain working before you even study. Plus, the scenic views, high wind, and various bugs and animals add to the light-headed feeling you might get after a steep hike!

No matter what, Cal Poly has our back, even in situations where an incredibly useful place to students was taken away. We can always rely on the administration to provide all 20,000 students with adequate access to a quiet place that provokes education. They’d never take away one of the most crucial places to study while we get our degree finished after we pay tens of thousands of dollars in tuition - they care about us too much to leave us to our own devices!

3) The pool at the Rec Center:

How Mustang Memorial Field is maintained for Cal Poly sports

BY JONATHAN SZE

The crowd buzzes and white smoke fills the air as Cal Poly Football runs out of the green inflatable tunnel onto Mustang Memorial Field. Two horses make a lap around the turf as the Mustangs get ready for the game. But hours or even days before game time, Lead Groundsworker Miguel Torres along with his staff readies the field for all events, whether it be football, soccer or even graduation.

Two years ago, Cal Poly renovated the old grass field into turf. According to Cal Poly administration, the arti ficial playing surface would save approximately 2.8 million gallons of water annually.

Despite Torres and his staff not having to deal with keeping grass alive and fixing divots on the surface, there still are daily maintenance jobs to complete.

Every day, the field must be cleared of trash and leaves to allow for the groomer to flatten the black rubber pellets on the field.

“We try to groom it as often as possible,” Torres said. “We have to schedule it between football practice and soccer practice. It is kind of a tough thing to do.”

Even with the scheduling chal-

STUDY ABROAD Fair STUDY ABROAD Fair

when it was a grass playing surface.

FieldTurf comes with pre-painted lines that come, which eliminates the constant repainting of lines for each sport.

The biggest job that the grounds workers have to complete is the watering of the artificial turf with fire hoses connected to the side of the stadium.

Grass has natural cooling properties that help to keep field temperatures down, but the artificial turf does not have the ability and is usually hotter than the actual air.

elements such as heavy rain.

“The rain is actually good for the field,” Torres said. “It firms it up and the drainage is really really good.”

The grounds workers also maintain the Upper Complex Sports Fields and Doerr Family Field for intramural sports, such as soccer, flag football and ultimate frisbee, in the same manner as what Division I athletes play on every game.

Torres, who started working at Cal Poly in 2004, misses some aspects of the old Mustang Memorial Field grass but is glad that it is FieldTurf

“I don’t miss the maintenance,” he

TO WATCH

We’d spend a whole week painting for football, now the lines are there year round.

MIGUEL TORRES Lead groundsworker

CAL POLY ATHLETICS | COURTESY

MADDIE HARRELL | MUSTANG NEWS

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