Mustang News Oct. 9, 2018

C A L P O LY S A N LU I S O B I S P O ’ S N E W S S O U R C E

MUSTANG NEWS K AVAN AUGH CONFI RM E D Students react to the newest Supreme Court justice

PAGE 8 OCTOBER 9, 2018

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IN THIS ISSUE

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Nautical Bean PAGE 5

SO L EN A AG U I LA R | M USTA N G N EWS

Cal Poly ranks among the worst universities for Black students

BY ISA B EL H UGH ES The University of Southern California (USC) Race and Equity Center released a report on a nationwide study in late September that showed many California schools are underserving Black students. Cal Poly was one of them.

Every college or university was given a GPA-style equity index score, ranging from 0 to 4. The GPA score was calculated based on four equity indicators: representation equity, gender equity, completion equity and Black-student-to-Black-faculty ratio. In each of these categories, schools received a letter grade — A, B, C, D, F or I. Cal Poly received a D in representation equity, a D in gender equity, a D in completion equity, an A in Black-Student-to-Black-faculty ratio with a ratio of 12:1, and an overall equity index score of 1.75, 0.71 lower than California’s average score. California was ranked third in the nation overall, with an average equity index score of 2.46.

Cal Poly received the lowest score for representation equity in California, with a student population that is only 0.7 percent Black.

The report, done by USC Race and Equity Center Director Shaun Harper and Research Associate Isaiah Simmons, displayed data collected

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from the Department of Education and the United States Census. The data quantifies postsecondary access and student success for Black students across the nation at 506 colleges and universities.

University Spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News that the university is working to make a more inclusive and diverse campus community by creating more programs and initiatives that support diversity and inclusion.

“Still, we know there is much more work to be done in both enrollment and support systems — in particular for black students,” Lazier wrote.

“While state law prohibits the university from enrolling students based on race/ethnicity, the university is committed to its efforts to increase access to lower-income and first-generation students.”

Private schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, military academies, university health and medical institutes, graduate universities and community colleges were not included in the study.

Representation equity is defined in the study as the “extent to which Black students’ share of enrollment in the undergraduate student population reflects their representation among 1824 year-old citizens in that state.”

Gender equity was measured

Sure Sure Interview PAGE 9

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based on the proportion of Black women and Black men enrolled at each school compared to the national gender enrollment distribution across racial/ethnic groups in which 56.3 percent of undergraduate students are women and 43.7 percent of students are men.

Completion equity compared Black students’ six-year graduation rates to overall six-year graduation rates during the same time period at each institution.

Black student to Black faculty ratio was the ratio of full-time, degree-seeking Black undergraduates to full-time Black instructional faculty members on each campus.

The report notes the study’s limitations and indicates that As and Bs are to be taken with a grain of salt. In this case, As and Bs are not necessarily exceptional or redeemable letter grades, but rather always relative.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, University of Louisville and UC San Diego received the highest in the nation with equity index scores of 3.50.

Other California public universities that scored among the highest in the nation include California State University (CSU) Monterey Bay, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside and CSU Fresno, which all received an equity index score of 3.00.

Women’s Volleyball PAGE 15

New brewery & music venue opens

BY M ICHA ELA B A R R O S On Sept. 8, SLO Brew opened SLO Brew Rock, a new events center at their Aerovista location. The brewery and music venue hosts a variety of music genres, including reggae, electronic dance music, rock, folk and country.

SLO Brew opened their new location in March 2017 before adding the new events center. Now, SLO Brew Rock will serve as a space for music and other community events, like weddings and business meetings. The brewery also has a 30-barrel brewhouse, taproom, restaurant and canning line. SLO Brew’s original location on Higuera

Street will continue to host artists as well.

On Sept. 25, students and community members poured into SLO Brew Rock to watch the bands “Family of the Year” and “Houndmouth” perform. For many attendees, this was their first experience at the new venue.

Food science sophomore Julia Portillo said the center’s lighting added a new aesthetic to San Luis Obispo’s growing number of music venues.

“It’s kind of the edginess that San Luis Obispo really needs,” Portillo said.

SLO Brew Rock is equipped with both sound and visual components, moving lights and a 50-foot LED screen wall. In a

FIL E PHOTO | M USTA N G N EWS

Cal Poly students rushed the field after a dramatic home win at last year's Blue-Green Rivalry soccer match.

ASI ALLOCATES $15,000 TOWARDS SOCIAL JUSTICE EDUCATION Underrepresented groups may be eligible for up to $2,500 of additional funding

BY OLIVIA N ELSON Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) Student Government is now accepting applications for ASI Social Justice Program Funding, designed to give eligible groups additional funding to support education programs promoting acceptance, inclusion and respect.

Those eligible for the funding include currently chartered and Cal Poly recognized student organizations and departments.

The budget will be divided amongst organizations “to help support events and programs that are intended to educate students on issues facing underrepresented minority students,” according to ASI’s press release.

In May 2018, the ASI Board of Directors ap-

proved an allocation of $15,000 from the ASI budget for this program. Organizations may be awarded as much as $2,500 to be used towards a maximum of three events per year.

“I think that the Social Justice Funding is a great opportunity to provide resources for underrepresented minority groups on campus, to really educate the student body on what it means to be an inclusive campus,” ASI Board of Directors Chair Mark Borges said.

The funds were redistributed from funds previously allocated to club sports: $5,000 from Club Special Insurance and $10,000 from Club Co-Sponsorship.

The funds will be granted by a committee that includes three representatives of the MultiCultural Centers, one ASI Student

Government representative and the student intern of the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI).

The collaboration between ASI and OUDI aims to “foster a connection … specific to this funding,” University Spokesperson Matt Lazier said.

The committee has been tasked with reviewing applications and making recommendations, but final review and approval will be made by members of ASI Student Government.

Any organizations or departments seeking ASI co-sponsorship through the Social Justice Fund should aim to host events or programs that advance the university’s efforts to bolster social justice, diversity and inclusion.

DIVERSITY IN GENERAL EDUCATION GE policies are changing; Students are being asked to help

BY AI DAN M cG LO I N As part of Cal Poly’s five-year Strategic Plan, administration is revisiting its general education (GE) program and is asking for student input. Although administration is just beginning the process, changes to the curriculum will not take place until the 2020-2021 academic year. Current students will not be affected.

One of administration’s goals is allowing credits to transfer more easily for community college students.

They also intend to create class clusters so that students can receive GE courses more focused on a specific subject, such as sustainability, rather than taking unrelated classes to fulfill GE requirements.

Another goal stated in the plan is to infuse diversity education throughout GE requirements.

“It’s really time to give the entire curriculum a review,” Associate Vice Provost Bruno Giberti said about the program, which was last updated approximately 20 years ago.

The university is considering requiring a second United States Cultural Pluralism class to reach their diversity education goals, according to psychology professor Gary Laver, who serves on the GE Governance Board. However, Laver said all ideas are still in their very early stages.

Students can take part in reviewing the Cal Poly GE program by submitting a statement of intent by Friday, Oct. 19.

Some students have already said they think the program can be improved.

“I don’t think it should be required for us to take the arts,” animal science sophomore Kiarah Gomard said. “I think people should take the ethnic studies classes — like, that should be a required thing.”

Student feedback is an opportunity to change Cal Poly for the better, ASI student representative on the GE Governance Board and environmental management and protection senior Mark Borges said.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to make a difference,” Borges said. “How can we make a GE a memorable, engaging experience that is going to propel students in their majors?”

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SLO BREW TIMES TWO

press release from August 3rd, the brewery wrote that the venue is focused on quality acoustics.

“The venue is ‘made for music’, built with an emphasis on acoustics that includes full sound boarding throughout the entire venue,” the press release said.

“From on-site craft beer offerings to trendy interior aesthetics, the new event center is unique from any venue in California.”

Biomedical engineering sophomore Gage Vogtlin said that he was impressed with the look of the new renovations, and he thought it would bring more entertainment and value to San Luis Obispo’s music scene.

“It’s one of the only bonafide looking venues,” Vogtlin said. “You go there to see a concert. It’s cool to see something else that will attract bigger bands in [San Luis Obispo].”

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INVESTIGATION CLOSED California State Attorney General concludes Kyler Watkins broke no laws

BY ASHLEY LADIN

The California Attorney General’s investigation into the April 2018 alleged blackface incident and other racially insensitive acts, has concluded and reaffirmed Cal Poly’s stance that such acts are protected as free speech by the First Amendment.

“The acts that occurred at Cal Poly, while profoundly offensive and insensitive – and demonstrating an appalling lack of judgment – were protected as free speech by the First Amendment,” University President Jeffrey Armstrong wrote in a campus-wide email last Tuesday.

Armstrong informed the campus community of the report’s findings and included his promise “to do everything in my power to improve our campus environment.”

He wrote of the university’s obligation to obey the law, but the administration’s intent to work toward “enhanced educational programming and fostering an environment in which we learn about and appreciate our differences and how they make us stronger.”

What is within Armstrong’s power?

The email did not expand on what is within Armstrong’s power in regards to racially insensitive acts. University Spokesperson Matt Lazier clarified some of Armstrong’s statements in an email to Mustang News.

“It is not within the power of the university or its administration to dictate what any campus community member can think or say,” Lazier wrote. “It is within the university’s power to make its commitment to diversity and inclusion clear to all who work, study or visit on campus; to call out speech and actions that run counter to our values; and to be vocal and active and in our support for the underrepresented people within our campus community.”

The university is currently focusing on providing educational opportunities inside and outside the classroom geared toward “introducing all campus community members to the benefits of diversity and inclusion and how they strengthen our Learn by Doing education,” Lazier wrote.

After the alleged blackface incident involving business administration senior and Lamda Chi Alpha Kyler Watkins,

everything from protests to hateful flyers were seen around campus.

Below is a timeline of what the university has done in an attempt to improve campus climate since the alleged blackface incident.

While these actions have taken place since the events of Spring 2018, Lazier wrote that Armstrong stated diversity has been one of his main priorities since his first day as president in 2011.

“I want to dispel the idea that the university’s diversity and inclusion programs are only in response to the events of last spring,” Lazier wrote. “Diversity and Inclusion are important issues to the president — both personally and as the leader of this campus — and he and his administration understand the need for comprehensive and continual work in these areas.”

Lazier wrote that the university is also focusing on faculty hiring with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion topics in disciplinary areas throughout our six colleges, offering training for faculty members on Diversity In the Curriculum and offering Implicit Bias training for faculty and staff.

AIDAN McGLOIN | MUSTANG NEWS

Several demonstrations were held April 12-14 following the blackface incident.

WHAT IS THE DIVERSITY ACTION INITIATIVE? The Diversity Action Initiative is a 30-page document outlining 137 ongoing, 21 completed and 34 future Cal Poly diversity initiatives, going back as far as 2011. They are split into three categories, OUDI initiatives, Academic Affairs initiatives and Student Affairs initiatives.

Proposed initiatives include a student diversity advisory committee, which would consist of student representatives to help the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI) understand student concerns and the effect of current initiatives and an expansion of currently offered allyship workshops, which focus on race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality.

Within Academic Affairs, proposed initiatives include a General Education (GE) redesign, which would put a greater emphasis on diversity in each GE subject area, and the creation of an Academic Support Network, which would increase the variety and types of academic services available and provide equal access to free academic support services.

Proposed initiatives within Student Affairs include a 10-week diversity seminar for students, establishing a community space for Equal Opportunity Programs and the Federal TRiO Programs. Expanding the Black Academic Excellence Center and increasing its staff was also proposed.

Other key initiatives highlighted in the document include becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution with 25 percent of Cal Poly’s demographic composed of Latinx and Hispanic identifying students and creating a Cal Poly Core Pre-Orientation for Black, Latinx and Native American students. As well as investing $150,000 of CSU funding to hire as many as 10 faculty positions that focus on diversity and inclusion.

Although the university states they would like to improve diversity on campus to better reflect California’s demographics, the university has said they cannot and will not accept students into Cal Poly on the premise of race.

POST BLACKFACE TIMELINE April 8: A photo of agriculture business administration senior Kyler Watkins dressed in alleged blackface at a Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity event spread on social media during Cal Poly’s annual Poly Cultural Weekend.

April 9: The university and Lambda Chi Alpha’s national chapter suspended the on-campus Lambda Chi Alpha chapter.

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) held a meeting which a group of Cal Poly students attended to voice their frustration.

The IFC meeting resulted in a symbolic vote to suspend Lambda Chi. Cal Poly community members organized a town hall meeting. Attendees discussed the incident and called for administrative action, including Watkins’ expulsion.

April 12: Armstrong, OUDI and Student Affairs held a student forum in Harmon Hall regarding the alleged blackface incident.

When a student questioned why Armstrong will not expel Watkins, he replied “Over the last 15 years, the Supreme Court has protected and protected hate speech.

That’s the world that public universities live under. It is a legal issue.”

April 17: President Armstrong announced a temporary interim suspension of all Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council fraternities and sororities, effective immediately. In the email, he referenced the alleged blackface incident and a racially insensitive photo from a Sigma Nu event six week prior.

April 30: Cal Poly announced Diversity and Inclusion Specialist at the University of North Carolina, Kimberly McLaughlin-Smith, would consult the campus on how to increase diversity and inclusivity.

She spoke at open forums on-campus May 3 and 4, and was hired to continue to work with the university for a 6-month period “to guide us toward change.” McLaughlin-Smith will return to Cal Poly Nov. 8 for a faculty and staff training as well as a student training, according to Lazier. She was not able to be reached for comment.

May 4: In a campus-wide video address, Armstrong stated he learned of a racially insensitive photo posted to a private fraternity Snapchat group. Armstrong announced in the video that the university turned the incident, among several other reported incidents of racially insensitive behavior, over to the California Attorney General for investigation to determine whether or not the students involved had violated any of the universities policies.

June 7: The OUDI shared a document with the campus community titled Diversity Action Initiatives.

Sept. 13: Armstrong announced decision to implement the Cal Poly Opportunity Fee which provides financial assistance for low-income and first-generation California students. The fee will raise tuition costs for out-of-state students.

Sept. 11: Mustang News reported that Armstrong lifted the blanket suspension for Interfraternity Council (IFC) fraternities and Panhellenic Association (PHA) sororities.

Sept. 14-24: Freshmen and transfer students participating in Week of Welcome attended new mandatory diversity sessions lead by Vice President of Student Affairs Diversity and Inclusion James Patton.

Oct. 1: IFC voted to lift Lambda Chi Alpha’s suspension. However, they are still suspended by the national chapter until April 2019.

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Here are some of the biggest concerts coming to SLO County this fall

BY I Z A AC TOM P K I NS | KCP R

GNASH

WHETHAN

Oct 11 | 8:00 p.m.

Avila Beach Golf Resort Gnash is an alt hip-hop artist from LA. His music can be described as soft and buttery, with numerous R&B influences and a massive following. He first broke out in 2015 with his Soundcloud release “U”.

His single “i hate u, i love u” reached number 10 on the Billboard Top 100.

Oct 16 | 8:30 p.m.

Fremont Theater 19 year-old DJ and producer, Whethan, has only been around for a couple of years; but in just a short time, he has garnered tens of millions of listens on Soundcloud and played SXSW, one of the largest festivals in the world. This show will be loud and fiery.

THE GROWLERS

Oct 17 | 8:00 p.m.

SLO Guild This artist needs no explanation: relive your childhood, fulfill your long-forgotten dreams.

Oct 11 | 8:00 p.m.

Fremont Theater Surf rock legends The Growlers have been around since 2006, but with their own festival “Beach Goth” and an upcoming new album, they’re on track for another stellar year.

DRAKE BELL

RHYE Oct 19 | 8:00 p.m.

Fremont Theater

Another Canadian artist, Rhye makes silky-smooth R&B similar to The Weeknd.

Both of his albums have made the charts in the US and internationally, this will be one groovy night.

KAMASI WASHINGTON Oct 20 | 8:00 p.m.

Fremont Theater Lifelong Jazz artist Kamasi Washington can only be described as stunning. Innovative and winner of the 2015 American Music Prize, some have called him the future of the Jazz genre.

SHABANG Oct 20 | 2:00 p.m.

Fremont Theater San Luis Obispo’s very own music festival is returning

ANONYMOUS COFFEE SHOP CONVERSATIONS How 11 student letters found in the Nautical Bean sparked a self-love dialogue

BY ALLY MADOL E

Tucked in a corner of a room dressed in vintage posters and noses buried in computer screens, a particular desk at Nautical Bean Coffee Company contains 11 letters from anonymous writers.

“It makes me really happy that [customers] are comfortable enough to come in and do something like that and be so vulnerable,” Nautical Bean manager Josh Muckey said.

The letters date back to May 16, 2018 and contain personal testimonies regarding mental health and daily struggles faced by ordinary people.

Originally stumbled upon by a curious Cal Poly student, the letters paint a story of unheard voices in the San Luis Obispo area. Environmental protection and management junior Erica Flojo was wandering around the coffee shop when the desk caught the corner of her eye, not knowing what would soon unfold.

“It’s really cool knowing that whatev-

er you are going through you are never alone,” Flojo said. “You think your struggles are unique, but who knows what could be happening in a stranger ’s life.”

The first letter, labeled “Read 1st”, sets the tone of the narrative that follows.

It reads, “I am writing to you [reader] to remind you how accomplished and loved you are.”

Scribed in the corner of the first letter, the Instagram handle @moreloveletters hints at the source of inspiration for the conversations that follow. The non-profit organization The World Needs More Love Letters was founded by Hannah Brencher in 2011 with the hope that small acts of writing love letters could produce a domino effect of vulnerability and compassion, according to its website.

Every proceeding letter is numerically labeled and responds to the previous one. Each contains a common theme of the importance of love and self-care. Although the writers of all eleven letters

once again this fall with acts from all over the coast. Artists such as Leven Kali, The Breathing Effect, and Depressed Specter will be making an appearance at the beautiful Laguna Lake Park, so this event will be one you won’t want to miss.

DENZEL CURRY Oct 28 | 8:00 p.m.

Fremont Theater Denzel Curry has been trailblazing since his first mixtape in 2010. A hip-hop mainstay, Denzel Curry makes endearing trap and experimental rap. He’s collaborated with A$AP Ferg and Joey Bada$$ and he just dropped an album in June, “Ta13oo”.

THE INTERNET Oct 31 | 8:00 p.m.

Fremont Theater Hip-hop collective, The Internet, is chocked full of can’t-miss artists. Two of the members came from Tyler, the Creator’s Odd Future. Steve Lacy, who has now made a name for himself on his self-debut, is also a member. This is the only place to be this Halloween.

BONE THUGS-NHARMONY Nov 3 | 8:00 p.m.

Fremont Theater Classic 90’s hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony are returning to SLO once again. Eazy-E signed the group in the 90’s and (with a couple member chang-

remain anonymous, the letters hint that the subjects are primarily young adults.

Some even mention they are Cal Poly students.

For instance, the last letter, dating back to September 16th, 2018, explains the struggle of a Cal Poly graduate finding a job. It describes how San Luis Obispo is “such a special place here and everyone reading this should not take that for granted.”

Stress is the top mental health concern among college students, according to Penn State Center for Collegiate Mental Health. These letters serve as a reminder that struggling students are not alone. Mental health has been a widely discussed topic in recent years, and

es) they’ve been steadily dropping hits & touring ever since.

SIR SLY Nov 13 6:00 p.m.

SLO Brew Rock LA Indie/Psych rockers Sir Sly have been making the Billboard charts for a few years now. Fans of Tame Impala should check this out.

THE MOWGLI’S Nov 18 | 8:00 p.m.

SLO Brew Sunny indie-pop band The Mowgli’s have been releasing happy, beachside music since 2010.

Their first single, San Francisco, nearly topped the charts on its initial release.

these 11 letters do not shy away from the topic.

Later on, Stranger #2 from an earlier letter responded to the following letters. The stranger wrote in the ninth letter, “When I wrote my 1st entry, I had only been in the area for 2 months.

Now, it has been a little more than 5… things are much better… [and] the magic of the Central Coast is helping fill my heart with light and love and pushing out the darkness.”

If there is one thing the writers of these letters understand, it is compassion.

“There really is a lot of good in the world,” wrote Stranger #4. “So, thank you, strangers #1, 2, and 3.”

TUESDAY • OCTOBER 9, 2018 | ARTS | MUSTANG NEWS

SLO CONCERT GUIDE

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GREEK CHAPTERS SUBMIT MANDATORY DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY PLANS

BY ISA B ELLA PAO L E T TO Although sociology sophomore Anahita Yamouti was born and raised in the United States, she said she had always had a feeling deep inside that she did not belong lined up with the other girls rushing to be in a sorority.

Both the feeling of excitement and the unnerving knot in the pit of her stomach were both undeniable, she said.

That experience pushed Yamouti to foster change within Sigma Kappa, the sorority she joined. Now she is the diversity and inclusivity co-chair, alongside political science sophomore Sophie Ganion.

“I want there to be a new community, in and out of greek life where the students here who feel just a little bit out of place, but don’t really know why, [are] able to come talk to whoever,” Yamouti said. “I want us, and our positions, to be people that are open-minded, open-hearted, unbiased, unprejudiced and just ... [going to] create a safe space, a safe person to talk to about those little, deep, dark insecurities you can’t really even talk about with your best friends.”

After the blackface incident that occurred at a Lambda Chi Alpha party in Spring 2018, Cal Poly fraternities and sororities have adopted new policies and internal positions to try to foster di-

versity and inclusivity within greek life.

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) partnered with Student Affairs, the Cross Culture Centers and the assistant vice president for student affairs in Spring 2018 to create initiatives that will “create a more inclusive and welcoming campus climate,” according to a news release from the university.

The initiative requires quarterly diversity and inclusivity training in collaboration with the Cross Cultural Centers and the assistant vice president for student affairs. It also calls for each Panhellenic sorority and IFC fraternity to elect a diversity and inclusion officer.

“Fraternity and Sorority Life members make up a significant part of our Cal Poly community, and I know they can play an integral role in building this positive momentum on our campus,” Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey said in the news release. “These trainings provide an opportunity for our students to step up and be campus leaders on these important issues.”

The initiatives were recommended by Juan Guardia, the assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of students at the University of Cincinnati. Guardia conducted an audit of Cal Poly greek life in June 2018 at the request of Cal Poly Director of Leadership and Service Jason Mockford.

“Lack of diversity and inclusion within fraternity and sorority life highlighted how fraternity and sorority members should be educated on issues of race, ethnicity, privilege, and socioeconomic class,” Guardia wrote in the audit. “Organizational structure and leadership focused on how the FSL [Fraternity and Sorority Life] area needs to hire additional professional staff in order to accommodate the continually growing FSL community.”

Guardia will conduct a follow-up visit in early April 2019.

Although the initiatives were created in response to the blackface incident, Yamouti said she believes the need for change had been building for some time.

“Cal Poly is the least diverse public institution in California,” Yamouti said. “So I think the need [for these initiatives] has been here for a while, not because we’re so un-diverse, but because the fact that we are makes us, as a whole, more naive and blind to other peoples’ problems and feelings because so many of us come from similar situations of privilege.”

As a result of the initiatives, administration lifted the suspension placed on IFC and Panhellenic fraternities and sororities.

IFC lifted their suspension of Lambda Chi Alpha on Oct. 1. However, Lambda Chi Alpha

remains on the probation imposed by its national chapter until April 29, 2019. Cal Poly has also placed Lambda Chi Alpha on probation until June 15, 2019 for failure to register a social event and for providing false information to the university about the party, according to the release.

Shortly after the incident, National Public Radio produced a story about Cal Poly and exclusion within greek life as a whole. In the interview, University of Connecticut sociologist Matthew Hughey said fraternities have historically been a way for elite, white men to create exclusionary spaces as universities and colleges became more diverse.

“As more and more students started to come into university, and university started to become a little less elite, greek letter organizations were formed. And they were formed as a way for those very elite, propertied, white, male students to create even more exclusionary spaces within college and university life,” Hughey said in the interview. “So they became vehicles, in a way, for the reproduction of inequality.”

However, both Yamouti and Ganion said they are confident in the possibility of creating change within greek life.

“We haven’t even really started yet, but you know what? Even from just talking briefly with the girls this far in fall quarter, I know that there’s this genuine want for change,” Yamouti said.“No one wants to be prejudiced … and half the time, it’s subconscious. So we’re having hard discussions and I know it’s not easy for them. It’s not easy for us to facilitate, but after those hard discussions happen, after we drill and we dig deep and we teach them, the aftermath is such a positive result.”

‘ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR SCHOOL’ Speaker says students must lead the way to make Cal Poly more inclusive

BY GRA N T A N D E RS O N If Damon A. Williams had any nerves walking onto the stage in Spanos Theatre on Monday, Oct. 1, he left them all at the podium — then left the podium behind altogether. Instead, Williams walked along the edge of the stage to get close with his audience during his keynote on Diversity and Inclusion.

Williams, who has served as Chief Diversity Officer in the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, visited Cal Poly for two days as part of his Inclusive Excellence Tour. Through the tour, he visited several colleges across the nation to lecture on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Awareness and action, Williams said, are great first steps in creating a sense of community on campus. Making every voice matter, however, rests ultimately on innovators.

The “innovator,” according to Williams, is a person who always questions their reality and looks for solutions through collaboration and difficult discussions.

“You cannot allow yourself to be frozen,” Williams said, explaining the challenges that come with standing up to racial inequality. “You have to be courageous anyway.”

With last April’s blackface incident, as well as a new study ranking Cal Poly among the worst California schools for Black students, Cal Poly’s student community has a long way to go in addressing issues of diversity.

Ready to accept this challenge is business administration freshman Manmit Singh Chahal, who said he wants to get involved in the larger Mustangs United movement on campus, which emphasizes love, empathy, and respect for all students.

“All communities need to become normalized to the real diversity on campus, which will only happen through increased communication and talks between all,” Chahal said. “One’s difference [should] become something to embrace, not a wall to hinder one from seeing the other as a human.”

For other students, imagining how to make a difference can be difficult. During an open panel discussion in the Julian A. McPhee University Union (building 65) on Tuesday, Oct. 2, Williams admit-

ted that he has not always felt confident about himself or his future.

Growing up in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio, Williams found it hard to adjust to the new ethnic and cultural diversity he experienced while at Western Reserve Academy, a boarding school in Hudson, Ohio.

Lacking a sense of belonging and struggling academically, Williams was on the verge of leaving the school when a faculty member, Frank Longstreth, invited him to tutoring sessions at his house. Williams studied for seven days a week, every week.

He said the discipline helped him to persevere and later earn a Ph.D in organizational behavior and management at the University of Michigan.

Williams said he owes a lot to Longstreth for helping him achieve academic success at Western Reserve. He also said he believes Cal Poly students can touch each others’ lives in similar ways.

“Each and every one of us has the power to include,” Williams said to the audience at Tuesday’s panel. “We all have an opportunity to create a context of inclusion.”

As Williams departed for the next college on his tour, he left each student with one question: “What will you do to help create a more welcoming environment for everyone at Cal Poly?”

G RA N T A N DERSO N | M USTA N G N EWS

Damon A. Williams spoke at Cal Poly as part of his Inclusive Excellence Tour.

Students collaborate with San Francisco muralist to honor Chumash in new residence hall

BY CA R OLIN E GA R C IA Thanks to a muralist and a group of art and design students, the new yakʔitʸutʸu living community is covered in 29 murals to honor the Northern Chumash Indigenous Tribe.

The new yakʔitʸutʸu living community, located at the Grand Avenue entrance to campus, consists of seven residence halls named in honor of the Indigenous Peoples of San Luis Obispo County. yakʔitʸutʸu is now home to 29 murals, created

by San Francisco-based artist Strider Patton with help from students.

After an art consultant who Patton works with heard word of the mural project, Patton knew he had to take on the job.

“Essentially the designs were done. They just needed somebody who could actually paint them,” Patton said.

With Patton’s past artistic expertise — including mostly outdoor and indoor mural work, educational work with collective mural making projects, and sculpture, the project came naturally.

His expertise elsewhere fit the project at hand as well. Patton studied cultural anthropology before becoming a full-time artist.

“I love weaving in culture and the different ideas of tradition and religion into art,” Patton said.

The designs weave many cultural aspects in to create works of art. Each mural is centered around local landscape, local wildlife and local plants.

“All of them incorporate some kind of pattern from the Indigenous Tribe, Northern Chumash,” Patton said. “They have a lot of really beautiful patterns that they’ve used in their textiles and

their art, coming down through their cultural history.”

Patton saw the mural project as a great opportunity to give students hands-on experience.

He reached out to the Cal Poly Art and Design Department and selected three students to help him complete the murals. With their help and the help of one department alumnus, the murals were completed in about six weeks.

He said working with the students was an “awesome” experience for both him and the students.

“I would have loved to have an opportunity like this when I was their age,” Patton said.

Art and design seniors Alexa De Cardenas and Lauren Marshall, and art and design junior Anita Velazquez were Patton’s student interns for the project.

De Cardenas said she had never painted a large scale mural before, and she was excited for the challenge.

“It definitely was a long process, but it was super cool to see the murals once they were all done,” De Cardenas said.

Marshall said working with Patton was an enjoyable experience and that working with multiple murals for one project was inspiring.

“I loved how different each mural was and the different color schemes of each building,” Marshall said.

While the artists were painting the murals, the residential community was still an active construction zone. Used to studios, Patton, De Cardenas, and Marshall all said the project site was unlike anywhere they had worked before.

“These were active construction sights and still very much being built,” Patton said. “That was

STUDENTS CAN NOW NOMINATE PROFESSORS FOR TEACHING AWARDS

BY HA IL EY N AGMA Do you think you have the best professor at Cal Poly? Students now have the opportunity to nominate their favorite professor for Cal Poly’s Distinguished Scholarship Award (DSA) or the Distinguished Teaching Award (DTA).

The two honors are given to six faculty members (three per award) to celebrate educators’ excellence in and out of the classroom. Each recipient of the award is granted $2,000 towards their studies.

Environmental management and protection junior Mark Borges is one of two student assistants at the Academic Senate Office. Each stu-

dent assistant is assigned to the committee of one of the two awards; Borges currently aids the DSA Committee.

He described the DSA as a recognition for accomplishments “outside of the teaching realm.”

The award acknowledges professors’ achievements in high-level learning and research conducted at Cal Poly.

“I think if you’re really passionate about a certain faculty member, it’s a good opportunity for you to present their name and give them the opportunity to receive that stipend for going above and beyond,” Borges said.

In contrast to the DSA, the DTA recognizes the academic achievement of teachers’ work in-

something I’d never really experienced before.”

He said WebCore, the residential hall’s lead construction company, was very helpful accommodated his team with whatever they needed.

“With every project there’s always a new challenge, and I find that so exciting,” Patton said.

Each artist was required to wear safety equipment while painting onsite. This included a bright neon vest, safety goggles, work boots, and a hard hat.

Despite the unusual working conditions of the residence halls — and the project taking place

just weeks before Patton’s wedding — Patton and his team were able to complete the murals. When the project was finished, Marshall said they all “felt very satisfied it turned out the way [they] wanted it to.”

“It was awesome to contribute to the aesthetics of Cal Poly,” Patton said.

The murals now stand in the living community as not only works of art, but also an honor and celebration of the Chumash Indigenous Tribe and the local landscape of San Luis Obispo.

A L EXA DE C A RDEN A S | CO U RTESY

Alexa De Cardenas wore a construction vest while painting since the yakʔitʸutʸu living community was still an active construction zone.

side the classroom.

According to the Academic Senate website, “The award is especially significant since only students and alumni – those who have been touched by the faculty – are eligible to submit nominations. The rigorous evaluation process is conducted by peer faculty members and is based on reviews of written documentation and extensive in-class visitations.”

Biological sciences professor Ed Himelblau was one of the three 2017-2018 DTA recipients. Alongside Himelblau was fellow biological sciences professor Francis Villablanca and architecture professor Thomas Fowler.

“You know, people come and sit in your lectures and then they take off and you never get any real feedback from it, so it was a nice surprise to find out that I had received [the DTA],” Himelblau said.

According to Himelblau, it is important to “give up a little bit of control” when it comes to connecting with students in the classroom. He said that writing a lecture that is 50 minutes of talking is easy, but sometimes educators have to

be flexible.

“I’ve been teaching genetics, both here at Cal Poly and at another school before this, for almost 20 years, and there are some things that I still do the same as the first time I ever did it,” Himelblau said. “But then I’ll be in the middle of one little section and I’ll suddenly think to myself, ‘This is really bad,’ and it will suddenly occur to me, ‘OK, how can I change this around?’ If it feels like just myself talking a lot, what can I do to change that dynamic?”

Himelblau’s interactive teaching style aligned well with computer engineering junior Jacob Rumpf ’s depiction of an exemplary professor.

“It’s when they strike a good balance between motivating and challenging the students,” Rumpf said. “Usually when I’ve seen teachers do a good job of that, they do really well engaging the class so that the students are willing to do the hard work that they wouldn’t normally enjoy.”

Borges said DSA nominations are open now until Oct. 31 and DTA nominations will be open from Oct. 15 until Nov. 28.

TUESDAY • OCTOBER 9, 2018 | STUDENT LIFE | MUSTANG NEWS

29 MURALS, 4 ARTISTS, 1 TRIBE

7

TUESDAY • MAY 15, 2018 | NEWS | MUSTANG NEWS

8 “I feel bad his name was destroyed, regardless of whether he did it or not. But in order to be a Supreme Court justice, you have to be a more respectable person. He’s such a controversial figure.”

“I just don’t see how America can actually allow that to happen based on what he has done. It is very shocking. It is kind of baffling, who honestly is OK with him being in office? What kind of people are OK with that? We will see how long he lasts. I’ll have to see him in office — see what he does and all. I want to hate on him because I can hate on him and he has every reason to be hated, but bad people can do some good things, so we will have to see.”

WILL MATUZAK business administration sophomore

ZOE MOSEDALE kinesiology sophomore

“I feel like it’s a good thing because I think he’s suitable for the position. I’m a strong proponent of innocent until proven guilty, so if you don’t have any evidence, you can’t convict someone of something.”

“It’s just upsetting that we seem to keep putting people in power who want to set back the advances that have been made for women.

It’s just like the protests aren’t working and [women’s] voices mean less.”

JACE COCHIOLO agricultural communications senior

STUDENTS ON KAVANAUGH On Saturday, Oct. 6, judge Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed into the Supreme Court after a 50–48 vote by the Senate. Mustang News asked Cal Poly students what they thought about the controversial vote. Below are their responses. None of the responses below reflect the beliefs or opinions of Mustang News. Trigger warning: sexual assault.

KAITLIN CLEVER software engineering sophomore

“When I heard about the nomination being confirmed, I was disappointed, but I wasn’t surprised. I know that we can’t take back Kavanaugh’s confirmation, but I hope that this will serve as a wake-up call to the U.S. and inspire people to stand up and remind the government that they are here to serve the needs of the people — not their own selfish interests.”

“I had a lot of hope that history wouldn’t repeat itself, but honestly, that was really ignorant of me and of a lot of people. I think that was the same ignorance that occurred during the 2016 election and it’s honestly getting to the point that myself and a lot of other people are losing hope that anything is ever going to change.”

BONNIE ROSE THOMSON psychology sophomore

“I feel like how the final decision was divided kind of represents how we stand right now, because I feel like it’s very split with what people deem as what’s the truth or not, but you should just listen to her tell the truth.”

AUDREY LENT

MIGUEL PRECIADO

agriculture science senior

agricultural business senior

“Prestige doesn’t mean empathy, it doesn’t mean you have the right to be above someone else because you have a title from a major college. That doesn’t mean anything in this world anymore. I hope that the United States can come to terms with that in the end. It is sad that this is a representation of our country yet again, and that our president has now added to mockery of women who have been sexually assaulted.”

FIAMMA PSCHAIDT wine and viticulture sophomore

SURE SURE TALKS TWITTER BEEF, FRISBEE & KCPR’S 50TH BIRTHDAY

BY MARISSA McCUL LOUGH | KCPR

Marissa McCullough: We want to check in with you before you come play SLO for KCPR’s 50th Anniversary. I just want to start by asking Kevin about his ongoing beef with The Chainsmokers.

Sure Sure: *Laughing* SS (Kevin): Look, they came at me real hard. No, I don’t know. I made a Twitter joke. I really did not expect for this question to happen. I made a Twitter joke, I guess at their expense, because I think they’re really silly. And then they saw it and engaged with it. But, here’s the funny thing, they completely misunderstood the joke. That’s it. I think they’re intimidated because we’re just more successful than them.

MM: Yeah, I think so, too. And then just four days ago, you guys released the song, “Lie, Lie, Lie,” and I wanted to know if any of you have any lies that you would feel comfortable sharing. Some eyes might see it, but we were just wondering.

SS: Oh gosh, let me think. How did we not prepare for this?

Yeah, there was one time. This is gonna go way back to when I was a little kid in elementary school. There’s a much longer version of the story, but I’ll tell the abridged one. I put a sweatshirt on upside down and I got made fun of by my teacher in front of the whole class. I immediately tried to play it off like I did it as a joke. We’re generally pretty honest guys.

MM: Do you guys all live together still, or is that not your living situation anymore?

SS: No, pretty much. Yeah, we pretty much all still live together.

MM: Do you feel like spending a lot of time outside of making music helps with your music-making process?

SS: You know, what helps is we take breaks and we go to the park and we throw a Frisbee. That helps. Specifically the Aerobie. Not just a normal disc — it’s a flying ring.

MM: Oh, I’ve seen those. I know what you’re talking about.

SS: They are perfect. It’s honestly a beautiful activity. A-E-R-O-B-I-E, Aerobie. They also make a pretty good coffee press: the Aeropress.

A jack of two trades. If you’re wondering if we

are getting money from them, the answer is ‘No.’ We just love their products.

MM: Not sponsored. Not an ad. Do you guys ever switch up the park that you throw it around in or is it usually the same park?

SS: I’m glad you asked. We’ve got two parks. We used to — two houses ago — we used to only go to this park called the Silverlake Reservoir. Nice meadow there. It’s beautiful. It’s kind of crowded, though.

Yeah, sometimes it’s crowded and we’re throwing over people. Last house, we went to the Glassell Park Recreation Center which was like three baseball fields and you could launch the Aerobie literally hundreds of yards. Yeah, you can’t go wrong there. Now we go to — we live in a place called Atwater Village — we go to a park that was put there because of Arnold Schwarzenegger. You guys know that?

Others: No! I did not know that. Thanks, Arnold.

SS: Yeah, so now we go to this one park primarily. It’s either that or the Silverlake Reservoir one, but we stick to the Atwater one.

MM: Good to know. Are you guys excited to come back to SLO to play another show?

Does this show being the KCPR 50th Anniversary change anything for you guys before you come to play?

SS: I mean, it makes it an historic event. It puts the word “an” before historic, which is always, like, it’s a lot of weight. It’s a big deal.

It’s the first show of our tour, too, so that’s going to be amazing.

MM: What’s your stop after that show?

SS: San Diego. We love to play anniversaries. We’ll do romantic ones. We’ll do marriage anniversaries, too.

MM: Do you come to people’s homes and play their anniversary?

SS: Yeah, we’re an anniversary band. That’s how we got our start.

The SLO show last tour was crazy. It was lit.

SLO is lit. It set the tone for the entire tour. We didn’t know what to expect and then it soldout and it was just nuts. People were crowd surfing and I was like, this is insane. SLO is, first of all, a beautiful place. Every time we’ve gone there, it’s been a warm reception and this time, it’s an anniversary.

KCPR’S 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

OCTOBER 12 // 9:30 PM SLO BREW ROCK 855 AEROVISTA LN

TICKETS $9.13 STUDENT $20 GENERAL PROMO CODE KCPR50

OPINION

FRATERNITY & SORORITY RECRUITMENT SHOULD BE THE SAME

BY NOEMI KHACHIAN Noemi Khachian is a communication studies sophomore and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not represent the viewpoints or editorial coverage of Mustang News.

Despite having the same goal, there are many discrepancies between the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council in recruiting new members.

I don’t think one organization is better than the other. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. However, I believe Panhellenic’s structure of recruitment is one from which IFC can learn. As a proud member of greek life myself, I respect each organization and the way they decide to recruit new members. Still, it is unfortunate that Panhellenic and IFC don’t work together to create an equal standard for everyone going through recruitment.

The process of Panhellenic recruitment begins when potential new members (PNMs) are assigned to a recruitment counselor (RC), a sorority member who is disassociated from her sorority to serve as an unbiased guide through the recruitment process.

She is a trustworthy third-party who gives friendly advice and moral support. Each RC leads a group of 10-12 PNMs that will go through the recruitment process together. Each PNM receives a handbook that contains details about each sorority, including the cost per quarter, their motto, philanthropy and GPA requirement. The handbook also contains an explicit schedule of the times they are expected to be at sorority events—house tours, sisterhood day, philanthropy day, preference day, and bid night.

A schedule? A handbook? A recruitment counselor? RC groups? None of these are available for IFC PNMs. There is no one to remind them what time an event is happening and no one to serve as their unbiased guide. But don’t worry: unlike their Panhellenic counterparts, the fraternities don’t have a list of recruits who are expected to attend each event. While Panhellenic recruits are required to go to all 11 houses at their assigned time to give each house a fair chance, IFC recruits may choose which house they do or do not visit. If a Panhellenic PNM fails to

visit all the houses, she can potentially be dropped from the process entirely.

IFC doesn’t enforce this rule.

This confuses me. Why do Panhellenic PNMs have to go to each event while IFC PNMs do not? Panhellenic enforces this rule for the benefit of everyone involved, whether it’s a house looking for a PNM or a PNM looking for a potential new house. Rather than allowing PNMs to base their decisions off what they have heard about each sorority house, this forces them to consider their personal experiences at each house. I believe IFC should implement this rule to ensure recruits explore every house, meet every member residing within a fraternity and know all crucial information about it.

Instead of glossy handbooks, fraternities hand out “rush cards,” which contain the schedule of events for that specific house. The Panhellenic handbook is far more elaborate, convenient and informative. The PNMs can find all the important information in one place, along with beautiful, colored pictures. It is obvious that Panhellenic puts in more money and time to create these elaborate handbooks and I think IFC should try to implement a similar idea. They should create something more than just a simple rush card and coordinate all the fraternities’ schedules for each event throughout rush week.

The differences between each organization become even more apparent once Rush Week starts. Panhellenic PNMs attend House Tours (Day 1) and Sisterhood (Day 2), a 10- and 12-hour day with little to no breaks. Every event is planned out minute by minute.

All the sororities have the same pre-determined time frame for each day and event. If a house goes over schedule, they are fined. But since nothing is formalized within IFC, it’s entirely up to each chapter to decide how long they wish to host an event. The longest day for IFC recruits is four hours (Day 1), with an average day being only 2 to 3 hours. IFC recruits may come and go as they please within the given time frame. Events become “by invitation” only towards the end of the recruitment process, whereas Panhellenic is invite-only every day after the first.

Transportation can be troubling as

ic achievement. It’s also the only time all the houses are together, so recruits can spend their time as they please. Interestingly, sorority houses are never together during the course of recruitment. Also, sorry girls— no barbeque for you. Maybe someone will provide water with lemon, blueberries, or, if you’re lucky, strawberries!

Overall, IFC recruitment is much more easy-going compared to the structured recruitment of Panhellenic. Both organizations manage to successfully recruit PNMs. Yet they both fall under the umbrella of greek life.

If the outcome is the same, why not recruit the same? Implementing the same rules for each organization will ensure a fairer process for all recruits, giving everyone an equal opportunity for Panhellenic and IFC life. If the two organizations learned from one another, they would create a more successful recruitment process for all.

O P I NION

THE BATTLE OF KAVANAUGH

BY KEN ALLARD Ken Allard is a journalism junior and Mustang News columnist. The views expressed in this column do not represent the viewpoints or editorial coverage of Mustang News.

Oh, rock bottom. We have finally met.

It has been quite the journey to this point, one which we embarked on just a short two years ago, but here we are: Destination Reprehensible.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, secured his seat on the Court with a 50-48 vote split mostly down party lines.

This follows the one requirement that holdout Republican senators had to move forward with voting: an FBI investigation into the Kavanaugh sexual assault allegations.

This investigation was, of course, doomed from the outset. According to multiple sources, the FBI investigation was severely limited in scope at behest of the White House, controlling the timetable and who federal investigators were allowed to interview. In spite of all we have learned about Kavanaugh — and all the skeletons we have yet to pull out of his closet — Republicans have chosen to fast-track him.

We never should have reached this point.

On the surface, Kavanaugh’s credentials are just fine. He graduated from Yale Law School, served on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and, from 1993 to 1994, worked alongside fellow Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch while they both clerked for recently-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Furthermore, he worked with the Office of Independent Counsel headed by Kenneth Starr during the Whitewater investigation that looked into the Clintons’ dubious real estate investments. This investigation later devolved into an examination of Bill Clinton’s extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky, but nonetheless, it required legal and analytical prowess to navigate.

Kavanaugh was one of the lead authors of the “Starr Report,” which attempted to establish impeachable offenses by then-President Bill Clinton. It laid out in excruciatingly graphic detail the sexual encounters between Clinton and Lewinsky-- details which would later be relayed in the form of questions during the hearings. Here is where the question of Kavanaugh’s ability to be impartial begins. Questioning Clinton about these details was a clear case of prosecutorial overkill intended to embarrass him.

But let’s disregard Kavanaugh’s role in the Starr Report and assume he has devel-

11

F I L E PH OTO | M USTA N G N EWS

Potential new members wait on O’Neill Green between house tours.

oped a more judge-like demeanor through his time in the D.C. Circuit. He had a chance to show to the nation that he was a man with a calm, collected attitude that exudes Supreme Court stature. Instead, the nation’s first extended look at the judge in a “live-fire” situation turned into a 40-minute-long emotional tirade, a semi-shouting sob-fest that evoked shadow conspiracy theories conjured by left-wing forces for the purpose of bringing down Kavanaugh via “character assassination.”

It was an act that should have been immediately disqualifying-- and it was, in the eyes of most everyone but Congressional Republicans and their devout followers.

Following the hearing, more than 2,400 law professors from around the country signed an open letter declaring that Judge Kavanaugh lacked judicial temperament. “We regret that we feel compelled to write to you to provide our views that at the Senate hearings on Thursday, September 28, 2018, the Honorable Brett Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court,” read the letter, “and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land.”

In a highly unusual move, retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens openly declared that he felt Kavanaugh is now unqualified to sit on the court. “They [Kavanaugh’s statements] suggest that he has demonstrated a potential bias involving enough potential litigants before the court that he would not be able to perform his full responsibilities,” Justice Stevens said in reply to retirees in Boca Raton, Florida. “And I think there is merit in that criticism and that the senators should really pay attention to it.”

With it being abundantly clear to many

that Kavanaugh lacks the temperament to serve, the question now is: why are Republicans so eager to green light such an unpopular nominee? What is it about Kavanaugh that makes him a must-have Supreme Court Justice? Kavanaugh’s judicial record indicates that he is one of the more conservative judges available, but certainly not one who sets himself apart to such an extent that it’s worth the risk. His former stance on Roe v. Wade is an obvious guess, but one of Trump’s potential nominees, Amy Coney Barrett, has a well-known anti-abortion view as well.

A better guess would be Senate Republicans’ unbreakable loyalty to President Trump. As rumors swirl of Trump’s legal peril regarding Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, he has a distinct reason for sticking with Kavanaugh. During Kavanaugh’s first day of congressional hearings, he refused to give a straight answer when asked whether President Trump would have to respond to subpoenas by the special counsel’s legal team, and whether the President has the power to pardon himself or his associates. That view of presidential privilege and executive power is the answer Trump is looking for, and exactly the answer he would need to escape potential legal jeopardy in the coming months.

Either way, the Kavanaugh hill is one that Republicans are prepared to die on-- a hill which they almost certainly will die on, according to current polling forecasts, and one that can be retaken come November through midterm elections. This victory will hand House Democrats the power to open investigations into Kavanaugh, and, if desired, begin impeachment proceedings.

The battle is lost, but the war may still be ultimately won.

TUESDAY • OCTOBER 9, 2018 | OPINION | MUSTANG NEWS

well. Panhellenic recruits walk with their RC group or, for the farther houses, pile into royal coach buses to reach the location of the next event. But IFC recruits must rely on catching a ride to those far events because a bus is not provided. What if an IFC recruit is unable to attend an event simply because it is too far from campus and they can’t find a ride? I believe transportation should be provided by IFC to ensure that their PNMs can meet with each house.

Luckily, the first day of IFC recruitment is held on campus. All the houses have their own booths, lined up across Dexter lawn. Booths are arranged strategically by the each fraternity’s average GPA the previous quarter. The fraternity with the highest average GPA lines up closest to the barbeque IFC hosts and the rest follow behind based on their respective GPA. This is one way IFC rewards academ-

GAMES Sudoku Fun by the Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku.

This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!

Guess Who? I am a music entrepreneur born in London on October 7, 1959. My dad got me a job in music publishing.

Although I made money as an A&R excecutive later on, I became famous for my acerbic comments to aspiring singers.

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

Word Scramble Rearrange the letters to spell something pertaining to the 1950s.

O T H O D R

CLUES ACROSS

CLUES DOWN

1. Type of cleaner (abbr.)

4. Going out 10. __ Jima, WWII battlefield 11. Closed 12. Air Force 14. Moved swiftly 15. Will not (obsolete) 16. Type of tank 18. Raise 22. Represent 23. Gives a new moniker 24. Adversary 26. Anno Domini 27. Lillian __, actress 28. Bunch of something 30. This (Spanish) 31. A guitarist uses one 34. Small stem bearing leaves 36. Soviet Socialist Republic 37. Actress Rooney 39. Dark brown or black 40. Matter 41. Atomic number 87 (abbr.)

42. Food company 48. Trips to see wildlife 50. Elderly 51. Famed chapel 52. Something to grab 53. City in Oklahoma 54. Muckraking journalist Tarbell 55. Thallium 56. Corroded 58. A Brooklyn NBAer 59. Most liberated 60. Google certification (abbr.)

1. High moral behavior 2. Expects 3. Fanciful notions 4. Spanish be 5. All the people of approximately the same age 6. Berated 7. Trailblazing comedienne 8. Fabric edge 9. South Dakota 12. Amazon ID number 13. A wife (law) 17. Printing speed measurement 19. Wrong 20. Exams 21. Outlying suburb of London 25. Replaces 29. Prints money 31. Accumulate 32. New Zealand conifer 33. College teachers 35. A way of grating 38. Novice 41. Having limits 43. Shining with jewels or sequins 44. Existing at birth but not hereditary 45. __ Caesar, comedian 46. A young male horse under the age of four 47. Russian industrial city 49. Wash off 56. Radio frequency 57. Delirium tremens

13 TUESDAY • OCTOBER 9, 2018 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS

15 IN A ROW

LU K E DEA L | M USTA N G N EWS

Sophomore middle blocker Madilyn Mercer goes up for the block against Hawai’i in front of a soldout crowd

Women’s Volleyball takes control of the Big West Conference with win over Hawai’i

BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ

In their first key test in conference play, No. 13 Cal Poly Women’s Volleyball defeated Hawai’i in four sets (25-19, 25-18, 21-25, 27-25) in a sold-out Mott Athletics Center on Saturday, Oct. 6 to extend their winning streak to 15 matches.

The win against the Rainbow Wahine (9-6, 5-1 Big West) put the Mustangs (16-1, 6-0) in first place in the Big West Conference. The Mustangs have won 17 matches consecutively at Mott Athletics Center and 23 matches in conference play dating back to last season.

Leading the efforts for the Mustangs, junior outside hitter Torrey Van Winden recorded a season-high 29 kills and 14 digs, earning her fifth double-double of the season, while also blocking four shots in the process. Senior outside hitter Adlee Van Winden also recorded a double-double in the match, recording 13 kills and 10 digs. Senior libero Katherine Brouker led both teams in digs with 26 throughout the night.

The match began with the Mustangs and the Rainbow Wahine keeping each other in check, with no team leading by more than three points early in the set. Hawai’i was up 16-15 in the first set before four straight errors by the Rainbow Wahine gave Cal Poly a 19-15 lead. The Mustangs took six

of the next nine points to win the set 25-19, with Torrey van Winden notching a kill to secure the set for Cal Poly.

The second set began with the Mustangs going on a 6-2 run before the Rainbow Wahine tied the set at 9-9. Key assists from freshman setter Avalon DeNecochea allowed the Mustangs to regain the lead and take control of the rest of the set, eventually winning 25-18. DeNecochea recorded

of 25-21. Rainbow Wahine outside hitter McKenna Granato recorded two kills and an ace late in the third set to secure the set for Hawai’i.

“This was the first match in a while, with all due respect to the other teams in conference, … where our opponent really made things difficult for us to score,” head coach Sam Crosson said. “[I]t’s mainly trying to keep [the players] in the moment and be-

“We need to go undefeated in conference and that’s the biggest motivator for us” TORREY VAN WINDEN 49 assists in the match, with two of her three kills in the match coming in the second set.

In the third set, the Rainbow Wahine created some problems for the Mustangs’ offense, leading to eight of the Cal Poly’s total 24 errors. While the Mustangs were able to fight back after being down 7-3 early on and eventually take a 16-15 lead, Hawai’i went on to win the set by a final score

ing able to ... figure out whether or not it’s a tactical thing we want to start changing, or whether or not we are in good situations, but the execution isn’t there.”

The fourth and final set was a back-andforth battle between the Mustangs and the Rainbow Wahine. In the final moments of the set, with Cal Poly leading 24-22, Hawai’i scored three unanswered points to obtain a match point of their own at 25-24.

Two back-to-back kills from freshman middle blocker Meredith Phillips gave the Mustangs the lead and the match point again. A setting error from Rainbow Wahine setter Norene Iosia gave the Mustangs the set, 27-25, and the win. The back-andforth at the end of the match between the Mustangs and the Rainbow Wahine led to a tense atmosphere in the crowd. However, the Mustangs were unphased by the pressure at hand, maintaining their mantra of “execution over emotion.”

“We just have to stay steady and confident and focused, and then just remember when the play’s over, it’s over,” DeNecochea said. “We were good at that, and just keeping that mentality.”

The win against Hawai’i puts the Mustangs, who take on UC Santa Barbara (127, 4-3) at home on Friday, Oct. 12, one step closer to repeating as Big West champions.

This win also sets the team up for a strong showing in postseason play and the possibility of hosting tournament matches in Mott Athletics Center.

“We’re excited about a Big West championship, but the biggest motivator is having the opportunity to host a first round [NCAA tournament match] here,” Torrey Van Winden said. “In order to do that, we need to go undefeated in conference, and that’s the biggest motivator for us [to go undefeated].”

TUESDAY • OCTOBER 9, 2018 | SPORTS | MUSTANG NEWS

14

LU K E DEA L | M USTA N G N EWS

In his first collegiate start, freshman goalkeeper Carlos Arce-Hurtado recorded a season-high 10 saves against UC Riverside.

WORKING OVERTIME

Men’s Soccer forces extra time to kick off Big West Conference play

BY NAYTH AN BRYANT

Cal Poly Men’s Soccer suffered their first loss of the Big West Conference 1-0 against UC Riverside on Sunday, Oct. 6 in Alex G. Spanos Stadium. The Mustangs (4-5-2, 0-1-1 Big West) struggled to find a goal in regulation time, resulting in the team’s second double overtime game in one week.

UC Riverside (3-3-8, 1-1-0) registered the first legitimate chance on goal when senior forward Antonio Lokossou broke through the right side of Cal Poly’s defense and fired a shot on redshirt freshman goalkeeper Carlos Arce-Hurtado.

In his first career start for the Mustangs, Arce-Hurtado proved to be a massive asset as he secured 10 saves total, a new record high for Cal Poly this season.

However, Arce-Hurtado’s efforts fell short as UC Riverside junior defender

Uros Ilic took advantage of a loose ball in the box, propelling it into the back of the net in the 103rd minute of the game.

While the loss was disappointing for Arce-Hurtado, he said he is staying hopeful about the remainder of the season.

“We’ve got to make [the Big West Conference championship],” Arce-Hurtado said. “We’ve got to go for it. Cal Poly has some great players and the goal is always to go for the best.”

Following their defeat, head coach Steve Sampson also expressed confidence in the team’s future. Cal Poly was picked to finish last in the Big West Conference in the preseason coaches’ poll.

“We have to win our games at home, that’s the key,” Sampson said. “Now were going to have to get a win or two on the road, and we can do that. I’m confident that even though the conference

season is very young, that we can bounce back from this.”

The loss comes after Cal Poly forced an away draw at No. 16 UC Davis (7-2-3, 0-11) on Oct. 3 in the Big West Conference season opener. The match saw its only two goals come in the last 10 minutes of regulation time as both teams battled to find the back of the net. It was senior forward Sean Goode’s equalizing goal in the 83rd minute that propelled the Mustangs defense to hold off the Aggies’ attacking efforts through double overtime.

Goode currently leads the team in goals scored with a total of four after Wednesday’s game against UC Davis.

UC Davis (7-1-3) registered four shots against senior goalkeeper Simon Böehme, who is now a vital component of Cal Poly’s team. Böehme, one of the program’s most talented goalkeepers to date, is ranked in the top 30 NCAA Di-

vision I players and has only conceded four goals in the last 495 minutes.

Cal Poly’s record advances to 4-5-2, which includes their 1-0 victory in this year’s Blue-Green rivalry game against UC Santa Barbara. Continuing the pattern of being one of Cal Poly’s most anticipated sporting events of the year, the Blue-Green rivalry match sold out Alex G. Spanos Stadium to its maximum capacity of 11,075. The game not only matched the 14th largest regular season crowd in NCAA history, but also earns the title of being the highest attended collegiate soccer game in the United States.

Cal Poly is on the road for their next two conference games, traveling to CSU Fullerton Wednesday, Oct. 10 and to CSUN, Saturday Oct. 13. The Mustangs will return to Alex G. Spanos stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 17 to host Sacramento State.

MY OTHER CAR MY OTH E R HAS CAR HAS

oneone wheel. wheel.

Zachariah Strassberg-Phillips Architecture, Sophomore

Zachariah Strassberg-Phillips Architecture, Sophomore

Who needs two when one will do? With more than 6,500 bikerack spacesWho peppered pedaling is becoming a needsthroughout two when campus, one will do?

Witharound more than 6,500 bikerack lot more convenient.

Looking for a slightly used ride on the cheap?

The spaces peppered throughout campus, pedaling around is becoming a Recycle Bike Fair runs through Oct. 10 at Cal Poly Police. lot more convenient. Looking for a slightly used ride on the cheap? The

Recycle Bike Fair runs through Oct. 10 at Cal Poly Police.

Dear Cal Poly Students, I’m assuming you attended the men’s soccer match vs. UCSB. We had another sold out crowd, as is always the case with this particular match, with nearly half of all Cal Poly students attending. We all know this rivalry draws the largest crowd in the nation for collegiate soccer, and we appreciate each one of you for your support. ener unrivaled in all of NCAA Division I. This energy is Saturday, September 30 vs. UCSB was an amazing atmosphere with energy all because of you. With all due respect to our amazing student-athletes and coaches, YOU are the key to creating this amazing night. And because of the energy you bring, it makes our team play with greater effort, energy, and enthusiasm.

YOU help Cal Poly win.

Our men’s soccer team plays other universities besides UCSB, and these matches are no less important. You have an absolute blast at the ONE event you attend each year! I daresay, for most of you, this year’s soccer match will be one of the fondest memories of your time at Cal Poly. Why wouldn’t you want to do this more often?

You have NCAA Division I sports right here on-campus, and you’ve already proven that when you attend you have a fantastic time. Your love of Cal Poly manifests itself at Spanos Stadium each year for the UCSB soccer match. Why can’t we do this all the time, in all our venues, against all our opponents? I’d like to invite you to attend another Cal Poly sporting event the next few weeks, and bring that amazing Mustang energy. Admission is always free with your student I.D. Go Mustangs!

Don Oberhelman Director of Athletics

UPCOMING EVENTS #13

VOLLEYBALL

vs. UCSB Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.

MEN’S SOCCER

vs. Sacramento State Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Hawai’i Friday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.

FOOTBALL

vs. UC Davis Saturday, Oct. 20 at 4 p.m.