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DAKOTA GREENWICH | MUSTANG NE WS WORKING DAY ‘N’ NIGHT | During the time Cal Poly Vice President of Student Affairs Keith Humphrey worked at the University of Arizona, students were advised to adhere to a study system similar to Cal Poly’s.
Haley Colombo Special to Mustang News
From the time they enter Cal Poly, students are inundated with the concept of studying 25-35 hours per week — or two hours per unit per week. Journalism senior Brittany Graham said that as a Week of Welcome (WOW) leader this year, she was directed to hand out magnets reading "Study 25-35 hours per week" — a phrase that can also be seen on posters around campus — and tell her WOWies to be prepared for long days of class in addition to studying for at least
six hours each day. “They didn’t really know what to expect, so they automatically thought that Cal Poly wasn’t going to be something they could handle — at least my WOWies thought so," Graham said. "They were seriously freaking out." But Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey thinks this is a realistic expectation for students. "Yes, I do think it is realistic for a student that wants to academically achieve and graduate on time," Humphrey said in an email. "Academics are the first priority at a university, especially one as rigorous as Cal Poly, and students who enroll here should be will-
ing to commit the time it takes to fully master their subjects." He also explained that Cal Poly is not alone in promoting these academic guidelines — most universities want to help students when it comes to balancing time. At the University of Arizona, Humphrey's former employer, students were advised to spend two hours a week studying for every hour in class, he said. Despite these guidelines set by colleges, many students do not adhere to them.
see STUDY, pg 2.
Wrestling takes the mat outside Watch live on Youtube & campus channel 4.1
JOSH HOLL AND | COURTESY PHOTO TRAVEL IN STYLE | The Guidekick team explored Machu Picchu with a tour guide and was unsatisfied with the experience, which ultimately inspired the Guidekick concept. (Left to right: CCO Josh Holland, Machu Picchu tour guide, CTO Aaron Rivera and CEO Mark Paddon.)
Guidekick: The pocket-friendly historical sidekick Brenna Swanston @Brenna_Swanston
Guidekick’s story began with three Cal Poly graduates and some 15-century Inca ruins. Josh Holland, Mark Paddon and Aaron Rivera had thoroughly prepared for their post-graduation trip to Machu Picchu in October 2012. They read travel guides, listened to audiobooks and even hired a personal tour guide — but their efforts weren’t quite enough. “We were still having a lot of trouble learning exactly what we were looking at when we were physically there,” Guidekick Chief Creative Officer Holland said. “So we knew that a rock pillar was significant in some way, shape or form, but we were having trouble figuring out exactly what it was we were looking at and sort of the story behind it.” Their problem sparked an idea. Now take a travel guide, an audiobook and a tour guide, wrap them all into a cell-phone-sized package and slip it in users’ pockets or purses. It becomes their tour guide sidekick — a Guidekick.
see GUIDE, pg 4.
IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NE WS AFTERNOON DELIGHT | After the popularity of last year’s outdoor meet, the Cal Poly wrestling team will continue the tradition Friday against Northern Colorado.
Mustang News Staff Report @CPMustangSports
The Cal Poly wrestling team (0-3) will host the first of two outdoor meets this Friday when it takes on Northern Colorado in the University Union Plaza. While the Mustangs have competed in three dual-meets this year, the outdoor meet will be Northern Colorado's first. Despite losing all three meets, the Mustangs have some standout individuals. Freshman Yoshito Funakoshi placed fourth at last week's Roadrunner Open and has won seven of his 12 matches this year. Another freshman, Nick Fiegener, secured fourth place as well in the 184-pound division. Senior Dominic Kastl, the 2012 Pac-12 champion at 165 pounds, is 3-1 this year at 174 pounds, while sophomore Travis Berridge placed fifth at the Roadrunner Open and is 9-4 this year at 165 pounds. A year ago, when the Mustangs faced Northern Colorado, the Bears defeated the Mustangs 19-17. Admission is free, and the meet is set to begin at 3 p.m. Nick Larson contributed to this report.
News... 1-3 | Arts... 4-5 | Opinion... 7 | Classifieds... 8 | Sports... 9-10
Thursday, November 20, 2014
NEWS | 2
Greek community creates Standards of Excellence system to evaluate chapters Olivia Proffit The Cal Poly fraternity and sorority community is planning to implement a new online program called Standards of Excellence to track each chapter’s activity. According to Coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life Kathryn O’Hagan, the new Standards of Excellence program will bring a better structure to the assessment of chapters. “It’s just a way to evaluate and assess each chapter and each organization within a community to make sure we are meeting our goals and accomplishing things we say that we’re doing,” O’Hagan said. In the past, the Standards of Excellence program has been an essay-based model. Chapters would send O’Hagan their own essays about how they were doing and what they were accomplishing. But that model wasn’t covering the full scope of the greek community’s activities, she said. Influence for the new system came from other national chapters who have a similar structure in place. “Looking at what other institutions were doing, we needed to step it up a bit,” O’Hagan said. The new and more detailed model of the Standards of Excellence will track tangible requirements such as community service hours, academics, leadership positions, chapter incentives and more. “It’s not about following policy,” O’Hagan said.
STUDY continued from pg 1. Environmental earth science sophomore Liz Jacobs could see the value of hours of studying, but couldn’t find the time. “Of course it’s ideal, because you would get A’s in all your classes if you studied 25-35 hours per week,” Jacobs said. “But no one has the time.” Like many other students at Cal Poly, Jacobs engages in extracurricular activities. She studies for a maximum of 20 hours per week and maintains good academic standing. “I sleep about six hours a night — I’m
@ojproffit “It’s about showing the really amazing things they do as a chapter so we can provide opportunity for them to not only do those great things but set goals to do even better.” The Standards of Excellence program is not meant to rank or compare the chapters to one another. Rather, it is focused on helping individual chapters grow, she said. But the system has not been implemented yet. Since spring, greek leadership has been creating the categories by which each chapter’s progress will be evaluated. This quarter has been focused on tweaking the draft. Interfraternity Council (IFC) President and communication studies and kinesiology senior Alex Horncliff is involved in the process. “The Standards of Excellence is going to improve infrastructure, give clear expectations and show how chapters are excelling and where the IFC board can improve its programming,” Horncliff said. Considering the continual growth of the greek community, each chapter will likely create a Standards of Excellence program committee to help manage the system on behalf of their chapter. There will be a chair position to track how the chapter is doing, O’Hagan said. According to O’Hagan, the plan is for the revamped Standards of Excellence to be implemented by winter quarter.
a full-time student, a student-athlete and I also have a part-time job,” she said. “So I work about 20 hours a week and spend about 20 hours swimming.” Aside from athletics, Cal Poly’s Associated Students, Inc. website lists more than 300 clubs students are encouraged to take part in. The combination of class time, four to six hours a day, and an additional six hours a day for homework and studying could deter students from engaging in extracurricular activities that could be as beneficial as academics. “I tell students oftentimes, ‘Don’t let school get in the way of your education’, because there is so much to learn outside of the classroom,” agricultural education
JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NE WS HIGH STANDARDS | The system will track greek organizations’ academics, philanthropy and other factors.
and communication professor Scott Vernon said. Being involved in clubs, sport teams, jobs or internships is just as important for student success as academics, Vernon said. The amount of time a student spends studying is dependent on many factors. Different majors, quarters or weeks in the quarter can affect study time. The way each student learns changes this, too. The 25-35 ideal is a guideline, according to psychology professor Laura Freberg, and students should adjust it to their own strengths and weaknesses. But it is useful to remind students that they need to put in time to be a great student, she said.
Though she has worked late into the night when necessary, Freberg does not recommend cutting sleep as the answer to lack of time. Sleep is important for memory consolidation, she said, and if students don’t sleep after they study, they will retain information less efficiently. “The best thing any student can do is to spread learning out over time,” she said. “Even if they aren’t doing 25-35 hours a week or whatever, if they do one hour of work a day that’s better than doing seven hours of work in one day— which doesn’t work. There’s a lot of psychology out there that says you space it out.” As an adult, Freberg found herself
working until 4 a.m. — the long hours don’t stop after students graduate, she said. “Everybody is working 24/7, and I don’t think it’s necessarily a good thing,” she said. “I think we need time to be people.”
Visit mustangnews.net for the full multimedia story.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
NEWS | 3
Deer and squirrels and skunks, oh my: Road kill on campus
Small animals are usually hit near the core of campus.
Deer are usually hit on roads further from the core, like Via Carta. Source: Bob Selders, Cal Poly Facility Services
FILE PHOTO | MUSTANG NE WS A RARITY
| Though road kill at Cal Poly is rare, it most commonly happens during summer and fall.
Samantha Pryor @samanthapryor94
Road kill, though not a pretty thing, does happen at Cal Poly. According to Facility Services pest control and spay specialist Bob Selders, summer and fall are when road kill most commonly occurs on campus. Animals hit include deer, tree squirrels, possums, skunks and raccoons. “Deer like our campus,” Selders said. “There is always water and food; it’s irrigated.” Deer are populous on campus during sum-
mer months because of the low student population. However, when fall arrives, they retreat because of the rainy weather and increase in students, director of facility operations Scott Loosley said. Because of the drought, deer are now migrating toward campus looking for food, Loosley said. Though they are seen dashing through campus streets, it’s rare that deer are hit, Selders said. It happens approximately four times each year, usually on roads further out from campus, such as Highland Drive and Via Carta — one deer was killed on Via Carta this past Monday.
Deer are often skittish, and their impulsivity makes them a target for road kill. “There’s a lot of truth to a deer in headlights,” Selders said. “(They) are blinded by headlights and freeze.” According to Loosley, slowing down when driving is the best method to avoid killing an animal. However, if a driver does encounter a deer and is unable to avoid it, it is better to accelerate than to try to stop the car quickly. Hitting the brakes hard makes a car’s nose go down, meaning the deer could hit the windshield and potentially harm passengers. Increasing speed brings the front of the car up, so the deer would go under the car. After deer, bushy tailed squirrels are the most common animal hit. Smaller animals such as squirrels are hit in the core of campus, Selders said, and it happens approximately two to four times each year.
“(They) just don’t get across the road fast enough,” Selders said. When an animal has been killed on campus it is usually reported by public safety, which contacts Selders. He is responsible for removing animals during the day. At night, however, there is usually a representative from engineering services or public safety on duty who can respond to the call. A person who works for custodial or landscape services is also qualified to address the situation. The best way to avoid road kill, Loosely said, is to go the right speed. “If you see an animal on the side of the road, slow down,” he said. “You will have more time to stop.” Also, having a general awareness when driving can help a driver more easily spot wildlife, Selders said.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
ARTS | 4 GUIDE continued from pg 1. If a user approaches an item of historical significance, Guidekick detects the location via GPS and vibrates to signal a notification. It then provides an array of historical information about the site via text, audio and graphics. “It’s very much up to the visitor how he or she wants to learn,” Holland said. Holland, a graphic communication graduate, collaborated with his computer science graduate teammates in spring 2013 to officially implement the idea. Though a Peru trip had initially inspired Guidekick’s concept, the team started off by tackling a historical site a little closer to home: Hearst Castle. They approached museum director Hoyt Fields and pitched the idea of apply-
ing the Guidekick concept to Hearst Castle. Fields was all for it. The team developed the application, called the Hearst Castle mobile app. They released it in spring 2014 on iTunes, which placed it in the “best new app” list in the the travel category. Fields said he saw many young Hearst Castle visitors use the application after their tours to learn more about the castle’s history. For example, when they would approach one of the castle’s 3,600-yearold statues, the app showed photos of William Hearst when he first bought the statue and different iterations of the statue by other sculptors. The app also offers oral histories from people who saw the castle in its hey day. “The young people love to mess around with their gad-
gets and things,” Fields said. “They all have a phone or an iPod or a thing and they can read about it if they want or listen to it if they want. It really is a wonderful application.” Fields said that while Hearst Castle was the perfect starting point for the Guidekick team, he could see the concept spreading to all historical destinations. “We were in their backyard,” he said. “But I can see it being used by other institutions, other museums. It’s just a fabulous application to enhance visitors’ experience.” And that’s exactly what the Guidekick team intends to do. The official Guidekick app is slated to drop by the end of 2014, with full guides to historical destinations in San Francisco including Golden Gate Park, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and the Sutro Baths,
Holland said. Meanwhile, the team is conducting user tests for the application to gauge whether people would like the app or find it useful. “The hope was always that it would turn into something we could continue to work on,” Holland said. “But like any upand-coming business, there’s a lot of uncertainty. We had the confidence we could build something awesome. We just didn’t know if it was something people would want to use on a large scale.” But as it turns out, people want to use Guidekick. “We’re testing people and seeing how excited they become,” Holland said. “It’s really boosted the energy level of the team and our confidence and how happy we are to be working on something we think will change people’s way of learning about these places.” The team is eager to see how Guidekick users benefit from the app, he said. “Before, we were building something for ourselves,” Holland said. “But it’s evolved to be something larger than that.” Guidekick’s model resembles applications that give historical tours of specific targeted areas, such as Gettysburg. Holland said he didn’t consider these apps serious competition because they have no goals to expand beyond their singular areas of interest. Business professor and founder of Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Jonathan York mentors the Guidekick team at the San Luis Obispo HotHouse. The team has open ears for customer feedback, which is necessary for entrepreneurial success, York said. “They listen to what the customer is saying, they don’t fall so in love with their idea that they’re unwilling to change it when they need to and they work really fast and really
JOSH HOLLAND | COURTESY PHOTO HISTORY LESSON | Holland and his teammates debuted
Guidekick’s concept with the Hearst Castle mobile app, which gave virtual historical tours of the castle and its grounds.
hard,” he said. York can see Guidekick growing in popularity and success in the future, he said. “I think it’s great,” York said. “I think they found what appears to me to be a real opportunity. It’s just going to be a matter now of continuing to work hard and make it happen.” Having seen users’ reactions, Holland said his team is ambitious and dedicated to the app’s future. “We know that there is a demand if it’s communicated to people clearly that something like
this exists,” he said. “Now it is definitely a long-term goal and something we want to keep doing.” In fact, the Guidekick team intends to take over the world. “Ideally, some form of Guidekick — whether it’s a mobile device or another device in the future — would exist at every historical location in the world,” Holland said. “Every time you visit one of these locations, you’d know you’d be able to learn about it as deeply as you want. That would be the sort of ultimate vision we have for it.”
ARTS | 5
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Guy I met in the pub last night: Volume IV
BENJY EGEL | MUSTANG NEWS
1,000 HATS | Lynch said he looks forward to holiday pub crawls. Benjy Egel @BenjyEgel
Benjy Egel is a journalism junior studying abroad in Cork, Ireland, where he frequents local pubs in search of lively conversation and a good time. He writes a recurring column about the people he meets entitled “Guy I met in the pub last night.” This week, he interviewed a barman named Keith Lynch. With no Thanksgiving in Ireland, Christmas celebrations are just around the corner. It’s bartender Keith Lynch’s favorite time of the year. Lynch isn’t most excited by seeing what Santa Claus brings or for religious reasons — rather, he’s ready to hand out hats to the thousands of customers who will come into his pub, Cissie
Young’s, ready to start Cork’s holiday pub crawl. Groups start at Cissie Young’s and make their way down to the city center, spending approximately half an hour at each of the 12 pubs along the way. Every barman hands out trinkets, such as the 1,000 plastic hats Keith recently bought. “Some people have rules for every pub, like you maybe can’t call people by their names or it’s left-handed drinking over there,” Lynch said. “And the big one is you can’t speak to the barman, so you just have to point and grunt. Sometimes girls come in and (the rule is) they have to kiss the barman, so that’s always great.” Cissie Young’s is a traditional Irish pub named after a woman who used to own the bar. It’s located in a residential area about a mile from the city center, so many
customers are old men or young couples looking for a quiet night. Lynch’s grandfather purchased Cissie Young’s in the 1970s before he was born, and his father, Tom, took over years ago. When Tom finally decides to retire, Lynch said he will likely buy him out to keep the pub in the family. Even someone unfamiliar with the Lynches might guess Tom and Lynch were related, given their circular eyes, tight smiles and similar jaw structures. Tom had Lynch washing glasses in the back of the pub when he was 12 years old and bartending when he was 15 or 16. Lynch’s mother and brother also work in Cissie Young’s, along with four other cooks and two bartenders. His sister chose college over full-time employment at the pub, but worked in the kitchen as a teenager. Though he never went to college, Lynch traveled a bit after graduating secondary school, working at bars in Belgium and Australia. The Belgians stocked more unique beers, including one bar with over 300 on tap, but Australia produced more interesting characters. “There’s a big beer culture in Belgium, mainly bottled beers. Less binge drinkers, in a kind of way,” he said. “Australia was just all parties … you’d get lots of backpackers coming through.” One of Lynch’s responsibilities at Cissie Young’s is ordering alcohol from vendors, so he decides which specials the pub will serve besides standards like Guinness and Beamish. Since he’s on a Blue Moon kick right now, bottles of the Colorado wheat beer are behind the counter. Murphy’s Irish Stout recently ran a promotion called “When It Rains It Pours,” where patrons could get a free pint
every time it rained in Cork at participating bars. Lynch signed Cissie Young’s up for the deal. Murphy’s even repaid them at five cents under what pints were normally sold for because the increase in customers was worth the small loss per individual beer. Beer in Ireland is chilled, not served room-temperature like English beers. Stouts are poured three-quarters full, left to sit for a few minutes then filled up to the brim. These are Lynch’s favorite drinks to make, since they require a little skill on the barman’s behalf. Ireland is just getting into the India Pale Ale (IPA) craze currently thriving on the United States’ West Coast, Lynch said. Small breweries like Franciscan
Well, built where an old monastery used to stand in Cork, have just recently started selling their beers in local liquor stores called off licenses. He drinks at other bars more frequently than his own, often in the city center after returning from a tiresome rugby match with the lads at Musgrave Park. Players range from 19 to 37, so 30-year-old Lynch has a few years left to play, he said. Lynch normally starts at one of the wing forward spots next to a 6’7”, 350-pound monster of a man. While Lynch is nowhere near as large as his linemate, steady training has packed about 230 pounds onto his 6’2” frame. A teammate’s father sponsored all 25 members of the
club on a series of exhibition matches throughout the United States in March, Lynch said. The Irishmen bussed between Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis and Nashville to play American teams for 10 days at just 500 euro per person. Despite being surrounded by fine beers and liquors and living in a flat above Cissie Young’s, Lynch rarely samples the products he serves. Too many of his bartender friends drink seven days a week, and he’s seen the toll this habit takes on their personal lives. “I try to stay away from it. It’s a bad habit to have,” he said. “I’ll have a drink (at Cissie Young’s) maybe once every two weeks or so … if I need a cure or something.”
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OPINION | 7
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“Did you guys collect rollie-pollies and put them in a box?“
I am conservative, and so are you Zachary Antoyan @CPMustangNews Zachary Antoyan is a political science senior and Mustang News liberal columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion or editorial coverage of Mustang News. I guess that what I should say, truthfully, is that I want to be conservative. I want to be of the conservative disposition. Because being of the conservative disposition means I am content with the status quo. It means the world around me exists in a state that I see no reason to change or alter. To be of the conservative disposition also means that I value and appeal to the experiences of the past. I trust that history has many lessons to teach me and that careful observance of what has come to pass can inform what actions I and others should take in the future. It is in this sense that I am indeed a conservative. I do not, however, subscribe to the contemporary conservative movement. I do not subscribe to that movement in the same way that I do not subscribe to the liberal movement (despite title of this column), or any other movement that espouses a political agenda. To do so would oversimplify my perspective; it would associate me with the mindless and the ignorant. Those movements are labels, as constricting in their definitions as they are vacuous in their content. If I were to describe the political climate among humans, it would be that they are misled and confused. The number of times I have heard some-
one claim to be a liberal and subsequently make arguments steeped in conservative reasoning, or heard someone claim to be a conservative and tout progressive and radical reforms, is beginning to outnumber the amount of political theory classes I’ve taken. And I’ve taken way too many of those. It is as if building a border fence is somehow not radical. Or as if the slow yet methodical transition into equal marriage rights for all sexual orientations is not conservative in nature. The conservative temperament does not fear change, it does not reject new developments. It simply holds that change, when it occurs, must happen slowly. Because if change were to be radical, if there were to be a sudden and unprecedented shift, chaos would ensue. I cannot fault someone for having this attitude, and in many instances, I believe such an attitude to be valuable. I cannot condemn the mentality that holds the appeals to history or principles of conservatism as more convincing than the appeals to rationality or opportunism of progressives. In fact, if there is fault to be found in either, it would be in the neglect of the other as a legitimate method of thought. Our collective conception of political ideology is historically and inherently exclusive. This is wrong. We have been taught, and indeed our current political landscape reflects our assumption that conservatives and progressives, conservatives and liberals, conservatives and radicals stand at odds with each
the true progressive other. The political spectrum has only two vectors, left and right. We are fools to hold it to such constraints. The game of politics and the puzzle of government cannot and should not be simplified to such a dichotomy. There is value in political prudence, just as there is value in experimenting with risky governmental reforms. Yet here we are, with a deadlocked political system that barely understands the underlying concepts it claims to employ. Each side touting that their way is the path to utopia, while at the same time stifling the movement of another group, which in turn stifles half the population. They, you and we, must wake
up. We must understand that there is more to our ideologies than a mere line that places us on one end or the other. The conceptual barrier we have placed between these two sides has necessarily created enemies of our brothers. Simplistic and uninvested attitudes, subscriptions to fleeting movements with poor philosophical comprehension, dogmatic faith in the mobs that are political parties — all of these contribute to a toxic outlook of the world and create an inhospitable environment for all. Be complex in your beliefs and challenge them every day. Hold yourself and others to a greater political and philosophical standard. Understand the difference between a conservative attitude and the conserva-
tive movement. Because I want to be conservative. I want to feel as though the world around me need not change. Because I know that you desire to be comfortable in your environment, too. But it is because the world around me is so rife with issues for myself and others that I seek out changes to the status quo. Does this in your eyes make me a radical? Does it make me a progressive? Well, first you have to explain to me what those concepts even mean. And from there, we’ll work out the solutions together. This is Zachary Antoyan, telling you to read the article before you read the send-off. You know who you are. Have a fantastic week, everyone.
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SPORTS | 9
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Despite new faces, women’s basketball still a contender
IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NEWS STARTING FRESH | Despite opening the season with a loss, the Cal Poly women’s basketball team looks to contend for a Big West Conference championship and a return to the NCAA tournament once again.
Erik Chu @chu_erik
The Cal Poly women’s basketball team was one game away from the Big Dance a year ago. However, a loss to Cal State Northridge in the Big West Conference Tournament championship ended its hopes of recapturing the magic of the 2012-13 season, when the Mustangs captured the conference crown. Nevertheless, the Mustangs will have an entirely different cast than years past. They lost multiple starters from last year, including center Molly Schlemer and guard Jonae Ervin. Schlemer finished her Cal Poly career as the fifth-leading
scorer and rebounder in school history, averaging 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Mustangs last season. She is now playing in the Damen Basketball Bundesliga in Germany. Ervin was an all-around stud for the Mustangs. She averaged 11.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists and finished her Cal Poly career as the all-time assists leader. Despite the loss of these key players, the Mustangs were still picked to finish third in the preseason Big West Conference media poll rankings, speaking volumes to Cal Poly’s talent this year. The Mustangs feature a balance of experienced upperclassmen and talented newcomers.
Returning to the court are senior guards Ariana Elegado and Kristen Ale, as well as senior forward Taryn Garza. Elegado was Cal Poly’s leading scorer last year with 17 points per game and was selected to the preseason All-Conference team. After graduating last summer, Elegado chose to use her final year of eligibility for one last chance to make it to the Big Dance. The Mustangs will rely on her experience and leadership throughout the season. Ale was a key reserve last year, averaging 8.2 points per game on 36 percent three-point shooting. She now moves into the starting lineup at either the shooting guard or the small forward position, depending
on whether or not Elegado becomes the primary ball-handler or remains a shoot-first guard. In the paint, the absence of Schlemer will be filled by Garza and sophomore center Hannah Gilbert. Garza is a rebounding machine, averaging 6.8 per game last season, earning her the Big West Conference’s Best Hustle Award. Gilbert, after backing up Schlemer last year, will be inserted into the starting lineup and will look to provide a major presence in the paint for the Mustangs. “We will be banking on our defense this year, especially at the beginning,” Ale said. “We are focusing on becoming a defensive team — we’re excited to see how well we rebound
and communicate.” In addition to the returners, the Mustangs brought in twin guards Dynn and Geralynn Leaupepe. Both were highly recruited out of high school, and head coach Faith Mimnaugh said the twins have the potential to be some of the best players Cal Poly has ever had. “We have added ... a number of weapons this year, most notably upgrading our athleticism,” Mimnaugh said. “Our athleticism makes it possible to (have) a lot of different offensive and defensive schemes, which is a luxury because it gives us great versatility.” Despite a 67-56 loss against Fresno State in the season opener, the Mustangs have a lot to
look forward to. The Leaupepe twins combined for 24 points in their debut, with Dynn leading the entire team with 15. Ultimately, Mimnaugh is very excited with the group she has this year. “There is a lot of optimism,” Mimnaugh said. “We have a great balance of experience and youthful enthusiasm. That’s going to be exciting.” The Mustangs travel to Loyola Marymount on Nov. 21 and have their home opener against Portland on Nov. 23. They also have another tough road trip against New Mexico State, New Mexico and Colorado State all in five days before opening conference play at home against Bakersfield in January.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
SPORTS | 10
Defense, big plays down Gators in home opener Harry Chang
@harrychangmn
The Cal Poly men’s basketball team (1-1, 0-0 Big West) won its home opener against San Francisco State (0-1, 0-0 CCAA) on Tuesday night 65-44 in front of an excitable Mott Athletics Center crowd. The Mustangs, playing in their first home game since Cal Poly’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearance last season, bounced back after losing 65-49 to Nevada in their first game Saturday to get their first win of the year. “I think with tonight, one of the things you have to understand is there was a lot of adrenaline for our guys,” head coach Joe Callero said. “The guys have been looking forward to coming back here for eight months.” The excitement showed. The Mustangs got out to an early 8-0 lead in the first six minutes and were able to hold the Gators to only two field goals through the first 10 minutes. The fast start was due in large part to strong play up front by junior forward Brian Bennett. The 6-foot-9, 253-pound junior asserted himself early, going 3-of-3 from the field with two free throws while also recording six rebounds, a block and a steal in the first half to help stifle the Gators attack. Bennett finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. “Knowing that I have size to throw around down there (helped me),” Bennett said.
“(San Francisco State’s) big men are athletic and just knowing that if I could take that athleticism by hitting them early that I could be aggressive helped. It went pretty good, I’d say, for myself and our team tonight.” The solid defense in the first half did not go unanswered by the offense, who contributed some big runs and momentous plays of their own to keep the lead comfortable. Junior guard Reese Morgan, who did not start after leading the team in points against Nevada, came off the bench with 15 minutes to go in the half. Morgan made a big impact minutes later, sparking the offense with a three-pointer that emphatically responded to the Gators’ first three-pointer of the night the play before. In the final seconds of the first half, sophomore guard Ridge Shipley found junior guard David Nwaba, who was cutting behind the Gators defense, with a lob pass for a huge alley-oop. The play sent the crowd into a frenzy and the Mustangs into the half with a 12-point lead. “Our fans (keyed the run),” Nwaba said. “Our fans got the best of them, I think. They were loud and we were playing aggressive.” Nwaba, who came into the game with questions about his readiness after injuring his ankle Saturday against Nevada, quelled any health doubts by turn-
ing in a 13-point, sevenrebound performance. The hungry crowd got another exciting play from the offense in the second half when a fast-breaking Morgan found his trailing runner, junior forward Joel Awich, for an off-the-backboard jam. Midway through the half, the Gators got as close as they would all night, going on a 10-3 run helped by a layup from junior forward Jon McMurry and a few untimely turnovers by the Mustangs that brought the Cal Poly lead down to eight. “(We had one or two issues with) the control of the ball,” Callero said. “A few turnovers here and there that I didn’t think we had to have where we just were not expecting the trap. And they did a good job, give them credit there.” The Mustangs, however, responded with a 7-0 run of their own, which the Gators would never overcome. “Our concentration and focus I thought was the best part, that ‘we answered their answer,’ as I told the team,” Callero said. “It’s a game I’m pleased with, an effort I’m pleased with, and most importantly a game plan, a concentration from our guys that I’m really pleased with.” The Mustangs will host Delaware on Friday in the first-ever game on the Central Coast featuring two teams coming off an NCAA tournament appearance. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NEWS OPENING JAM | Junior forward Joel Awich slams home a dunk in the Mustangs’ 65-44 victory over San Francisco State. Awich finished the home opener with 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks.