Thur sday, October 16, 20 14
Volume L X X I X , Number 10
w w w.mus t angne w s .net
Meet Pleasantly: 5 musicians who’ve carved their own genre and don’t plan on changing Brenna Swanston
@Brenna_Swanston
STEVEN PARDO | COURTESY PHOTO CATHEDRAL POP | A self-described “cathedral pop” band with a “soft touch of velvet,” Pleasantly comprises Cal Poly students (left to right) Kevin Hegyi, Thomas Sykpens, Dan Potts, Javier Torres and Gaby Vakili.
A walk through Pleasantly’s foyer could transform them from complete strangers to familiar friends. The Razor scooter leaning against the porch, the cello propped against a bedroom wall, the bong forgotten on the living room table across from a tattered piano. These were the guys you loved to jam with. They crammed into a tucked-away room, a mess of cords, instruments, sheet music and moppy hair. And for a band with only one performance and a small handful of practices under their belt, their sound was tight. In the humble white house where Pleasantly held band practice,
the 100-degree Saturday wound slowly to an end as the group eased into its signature sound: a modern, catchy take on 1960s psychedelic rock. Pleasantly calls it cathedral pop. Their lazy melodies drifted across the stretch of dead grass before the house: dreamy vocal harmonies, twangy guitar riffs and an upbeat rhythm section, all against a wall of synthesizer. The result — pop-rock blended neatly with the echoey effect of cathedral music — explained the group’s invented genre perfectly. They busted through a couple tunes — including their self-declared “signature song” called “Charlotte” — before deciding they’d
had enough of the stuffy practice room. They filed out of the house and lined up shoulder-to-shoulder on the front porch, chatting and joking with each other. Drummer and electrical engineering freshman Dan Potts said the band members’ long-standing friendships have helped their music progress quickly. “It’s not something new to us,” Potts said. “So it’s actually pretty easy just to mush together.” >>
see PLEASANTLY, pg 5.
Cal Poly, West Coast jump on Yik Yak bandwagon Savannah Sperry @SavannahJSperry
Yik Yak — Twitter without the handles. The anonymous social media application hit the market in 2013, primarily targeting college students. It acts as a bulletin board where anonymous posters share their thoughts with Yik Yak users in a 10-mile radius. According to Yik Yak Lead Community Developer Cam Mullen, the app is very popular on the Cal Poly campus. In fact, 23 percent of Cal Poly undergraduates are on Yik Yak, Mullen said — and the San Luis Obispo community actually crashed the app’s servers in August. The app is mostly known for its outlandish posts. For example, some samples from the Yik Yak feed include: “My anaconda … was actually drunk enough to consider some of that …”, “When you take that extra large bong rip & know things are gonna get freaking weird within the next few minutes” and the ever-so-classy “Up if you got a big cock.” Some posts have malicious intent, targeting specific groups, such as Cal Poly greek life organizations. >> DAKOTA GREENWICH | MUSTANG NE WS YAKKITY YAK | The San Luis Obispo community took a liking to the application, actually crashing the app with all its posts in August.
see YIK YAK, pg 3.
Minter earns big honors, Mustangs hit the road Mustang News Staff Report @CPMustangSports
Fresh off its first loss in nearly three weeks, the Cal Poly men's soccer team will travel east to face Sacramento State on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Mustangs (7-3-3, 2-2-1 Big West Conference) have fared well this season and can thank Chase Minter for their success as of late. The junior — named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week — is responsible for Cal Poly's past three goals. With 15 points on the season, he's the Big West leader in that category. His six goals rank second in the conference. Minter also ranks second in the conference with 39 shots. Sacramento State hasn’t had much luck in 2014. In 13 games, the Hornets have notched 117 shots and 10 goals, the lowest tallies of any team in the conference. Though the Hornets have the only overall record below .500 in the North Division, they’ve pulled out a pair of conference victories, matching Cal Poly, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara in the win column. After a bout with the Aggies on Oct. 22, the Mustangs will head down the coast for the 40th installment (Division I) of the Blue-Green Rivalry. Cal Poly kicks off with UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 25 before hosting the Gauchos on Nov 2. UC Santa Barbara currently owns the Blue-Green Rivalry series edge (25-124), though the past 10 installments have featured four wins for each squad and two stalemates. The No. 1 rivalry in college soccer — according to collegesoccernews.com — kicks off at 7 p.m. next weekend in Santa Barbara.
News... 1-3 | Arts... 4-5 | Opinion... 6 | Classifieds... 7 | Sports... 8
IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NE WS
Thursday, October 16, 2014
NEWS | 2
JOSEPH PACK | MUSTANG NE WS
FIGHT THE FLU | Flu shots will be available from 8-11 a.m. and 2:30-4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. They are also available Wednesdays 9-11 a.m. and 2:30-4 p.m.
Flu vaccinations available soon Maria Zelada @riazelada
Fever, body aches, fatigue — it’s flu season. But the Health Center has you covered and will be providing flu vaccinations starting later
this week. “We have a very limited supplies right now,” Cal Poly Health Center licensed vocational nurse Judy Correia said. “But we expect to have some more within a week or two.” Students can stop by the Health
Center during nursing hours from 8-11 a.m. and 2:30-4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesday hours are from 9-11 a.m. and 2:30-4 p.m. Correia highly encourages students to get flu vaccinations to benefit their own health as well as
the health of others. According to Correia, the virus spreads through coughing, sneezing, kissing and sharing utensils. The close-living college environment, especially in the residence halls, makes college students even more susceptible to catching
the flu. If students do catch it, Correia recommends rest, lots of fluids and — what many students overlook — a good diet. “You never really feel much like eating when you’re that sick, but fluids help,” she said. “It’s really
important to keep well-hydrated.” Correia also warns ill students to keep their distance from healthy students to prevent the spread of the virus. She also recommends frequent, thorough hand washing using antibacterial soap and warm water.
Thursday, October 16, 2014 YIK YAK continued from pg 1. A few of these greek-focused messages include: “The Cardinals are making more errors than Pike,” “Guys don’t forget to check your mailboxes, there’s a ZBT bid in every mailbox this year!! #rushwasoptional” and one from a parody handle named prez Armstrong: “Lambda is hella gay lmao.” When asked about the frequent negative comments on Yik Yak, Mullen said the company is working to make sure the feed doesn’t become too vulgar. “As any social network, we
realize that we have people that misuse the app, and we’re constantly working to calm that,” Mullen said. “Whether that’s us putting in filters looking for different ‘hot words,’ like bullying or racism words, and also we have a moderation team 24/7 that’s sifting through all the content trying to find people misusing it.” Environmental management sophomore Madison Miyamura appreciated the app, but understood Mullen’s concern about people abusing it. “I think that it is a really entertaining app,” Miyamura said. “It’s kind of cool how people can say whatever and not feel like they’re
NEWS | 3 being judged, but it can get a little mean. A lot of times you’re going to say something that’s a lot meaner than you would if you weren’t anonymous.” Yik Yak’s team has implemented precautionary measures to discourage misuse of the app, such as down-voting, a way for users to express their disapproval of a post. Another measure is reporting, Mullen said. “If you really think that a post is inappropriate and doesn’t belong on Yik Yak, you can report it,” he said, “and we have a moderation team that jumps on it and takes action, whether that’s deleting the post or suspending the user
or whether that’s blocking the user forever.” Mullen supports the app’s anonymity and sees it as a platform to share thoughts freely. “By making it anonymous, it kind of levels the playing field,” Mullen said. “It doesn’t matter your race or gender, and people from completely different social circles are talking on Yik Yak.” But not all users are fans of the app’s anonymity. “Yik Yak is funny, but there’s no accountability,” political science freshman Isabella Chayet said. “People can post anonymously and so they say things that they would never actually say in real life.”
Though the app is entertaining, Mullen said it’s more about allowing people to voice their opinions rather than just posting funny comments. “The real mission of Yik Yak is to create an open forum and give a voice to those that might not otherwise have one,” Mullen said. Yik Yak plans to expand its user base with a fall campus tour. Traveling in a 45-foot tour bus, Yik Yak representatives will visit 36 college campuses along the West Coast, including Cal Poly. “Last semester, Yik Yak just started to reach the West Coast,” Mullen said. “It started in
the beginning of 2014. It started to spread in the Southeast at a bunch of big state schools. And then it started to make its way over to California right before the end of school.” Despite criticism, Mullen stands by Yik Yak’s ability to bring people together through social media. “When we go to college campuses, the people that come up to us are probably the most diverse groups of people ever,” Mullen said. “We love that so many different kinds of people can come on Yik Yak and communicate with each other.”
SLOPD grant allows crackdown on alcohol crimes Samantha Pryor @sammpryor
In an effort to curb underage and binge drinking, California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) awarded the San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) a grant of $29,008 to be used from July 1, 2014 until June 30, 2015. The grant is for responding to alcohol-related crime as well as compensation for officer overtime, ABC Public Information Officer John Carr said. “We review grant proposals every year,” Carr said. “We have a panel who determines which agencies should get grants that year.” It’s a competitive process, Carr said. Several agencies send proposals to the panel outlining issues in their communities and their plans to address those issues. SLOPD’s proposal outlined plans to control underage alcohol sales and monitor sales associates in liquor stores, SLOPD Capt. Chris Staley said. In the proposal, SLOPD indi-
cated intent of partnering with the Cal Poly University Police Department (UPD). Part of the grant money will reimburse UPD police officers. Proposal’s plans One of the proposal’s goals is to prevent alcohol vendors from selling to underage drinkers. The proposal also includes plans to make sure legal buyers don’t purchase alcohol for underage consumers. “Our focus is making sure we have people that are selling responsibly both at on- and offsale locations,” Staley said, “and that we’re doing other things that are not directly related to establishments themselves, but for people going in and purchasing alcohol for people who are underage.” SLOPD will also keep an eye out for alcohol vendors who sell to intoxicated buyers. Officers will be stationed inside locations where this frequently occurs to monitor the sales associate and determine if he or she sells alcohol to intoxicated individuals.
Another crime SLOPD plans to address is the “shoulder tap,” where underage individuals approach others with requests to purchase alcohol for them. According to UPD Commander Brenda Trobaugh, the alcohol security measures already in use were effective during the beginning of Week of Welcome (WOW) and the first week of school to prevent alcohol poisoning. Through plain-clothes detail — where officers dress as normal citizens and report law violations — and increased officer presence, UPD found half as many college-aged students in the hospital with alcohol poisoning or overintoxication as in 2013. “In that sense alone, the extra enforcement has made a difference when it comes to the health and safety of DANIEL DEMPSTER | MUSTANG NE WS those consuming alcohol,” Trobaugh said. REQUEST GRANTED | The SLOPD grant was awarded by California Alcoholic Beverage Control. Tro b au g h s a i d U P D’s intent with the safety mea- later on. grant money to focus on events a great time,” Trobaugh said. sures was to address these “We have a health and with a high probability “We were all once college issues at the lowest level, so safety concern,” Trobaugh said. of alcohol-related problems, students, too. We just want you people do not have to be imMoving forward, SLOPD such as Halloween. to be responsible and want you to prisoned or hospitalized and UPD also plan to use the “We want everyone to have be safe.”
Thursday, October 16, 2014
ARTS | 4
Professor Jane Lehr brings interdisciplinarity to Cal Poly
JANE LEHR | COURTESY PHOTO STAND UP | Women and Gender Studies Department Chair Jane Lehr is a polticial activist who has been part of many historically important conversations. Kelly Trom @kttrom
Jane Lehr is a jack of all trades. From her various degrees of education in diverse areas of study to the many job titles she holds at Cal Poly, Women and Gender Studies Department Chair Lehr is busy impacting the university. Lehr came to Cal Poly eight years ago, complete with a Ph.D. and master’s degree in science and technology studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Her concentrations include social, cultural and political studies of science and technology and women’s studies. It would take many paragraphs to thoroughly describe all of Lehr’s roles on campus, but in addition to being department chair, she is an ethnic studies associate professor, a faculty director of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority and Underrepresented Student Participation (LSAMP) program and involved in the proposed launching of three new and one revised interdisciplinary minors in the liberal arts program. “I love being involved in many different conversations that are happening at Cal Poly around inter-
disciplinary and partnerships across disciplines and across colleges,” Lehr said. Lehr is no stranger to actively participating on a college campus, both in the discussion between different disciplines of study and the many other issues she deems important. In fact, that participation helped her juggle responsibilities during her own college education: Lehr balanced her graduate study work with her role as a student activist on Virginia Tech’s campus. “I really think that being a student activist and a graduate student at the same time really prepared me to operate in multiple different arenas at the same time,” Lehr said. “It’s that experience in addition to my educational trainings and work experience that makes it possible for me to do this complicated and awesome job here at Cal Poly.” As a graduate student, Lehr took interest in a broad range of issues, from campus-centered discussions and decision making about affirmative action and sexual orientation discrimination to larger national discussion about the United States’ response to 9/11 and sexual assault. While Lehr realizes many Cal Poly students are nervous or confused about what activism can look
like on a college campus, the role of an activist is very straightforward to her. “For me, what it means to be an activist is about organizing, bringing people together to have discussions and dialogues around issues that are controversial or issues that need attention,” Lehr said.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ACTIVIST IS ABOUT ORGANIZING, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS AND DIALOGUES AROUND ISSUES THAT ARE CONTROVERSIAL OR ISSUES THAT NEED ATTENTION. Lehr’s work primarily consisted of organizing meetings with people on campus and in the community who have similar and differing opinions, doing research about how the issue is really impacting people, running events and creating publications. Lehr’s activism work, specifically around the discussion about 9/11, created less-than-ideal conditions for the safety of the activists involved. This was
especially true during activism events in the Washington, D.C. area and Fort Benning, where there was a large police presence and lack of support for her cause. “It was very difficult to raise questions about how the U.S. was responding to 9/11, about ideas like blow back, what is the history of these particular regions and how did we become targets,” Lehr said. “In fact, it literally became quite dangerous to ask those questions in terms of physical safety, not just mental and emotional safety.” However, Lehr feels that because she had a large amount of privilege and access to higher education, she is obligated to take action when she sees members of underrepresented groups being treated unfairly, she said. “It really pales in comparison to the lived reality of so many people in the United States,” Lehr said. “My experience of briefly being in moments of physical concern as an activist are definitely not huge compared to what it must be like to interact with the police or the military in that way on a daily basis.” On Cal Poly’s campus, Lehr has been impacting people she works with while bridging the gap between many disciplines of academic study. Noya Kansky, an Americorps member working within the LSAMP program, is one person Lehr has positively influenced. Kansky met Lehr while taking her gender, race, science and technology course her senior year. Though she has since graduated, Kansky feels like her academic skills have sharpened as a result of working with her. “I really admire her as an academic,” Kansky said. “Her ability to draw connections between disparate subjects is so relevant, especially at a polytechnic university.” Aside from Kansky’s interest in making Cal Poly a more inclusive institution, Lehr was one of the main reasons she decided to take the position. Kansky described Lehr’s enthusiasm for the program as infectious. Assistant Professor Coleen Carrigan was brought to campus specifically because Lehr’s vision to incorporate new science and technology minors is unfolding. Carrigan admires Lehr’s advocacy on behalf of women and underrepresented groups. Carrigan hopes to emulate Lehr’s passion and talent for effectively communicating on a broad range of scholarly ideas and applying it to subjects her students care about. “I have only been on campus for a month now, but I keep hearing about the boundaries between science and engineering and the technology fields and the liberal arts,” Carrigan said. “If there is anybody that is going to try to bridge those major fields of study, it is going to be someone like Dr. Lehr.”
ARTS | 5
Thursday, October 16, 2014 PLEASANTLY continued from pg 1.
The partnership blossomed when Namvar heard Hegyi covering a Simon and Garfunkel song at a KCPR open mic event last year. He was immediately Potts and lead singer and guitarist Kevin Hegyi have interested in supporting his music, he said. “He was incredible,” Namvar said. “He absolutely made music together since middle school, when blew me away.” they formed their first band, entitled “Gel.” At the time, Hegyi was without a band and Music “It was about as good as it sounds,” Potts Putty was still in its developmental stages, so they said, laughing. The duo improved their musicianship through high put the collaboration on hold. But once Music Putty school with their band Shoot Up the Cat, until He- was off the ground and Hegyi introduced Pleasantly gyi — now a music sophomore — began his Cal Poly on Facebook, Namvar revived the idea. “We want to help this band grow and become the career. Here, Hegyi met music sophomore and bassist best they can be,” Namvar said. “And at the same Thomas Sypkens. They dreamed up the idea of Pleasantly over dorm time, they’re helping us out by allowing us to stream music on our site.” room jam sessions. Namvar set up Pleasantly with Music “We spent literally all of spring quarter just writPutty, which has already helped the ing songs to ourselves and saying, ‘I wonder band raise hundreds of dollars what this would sound like with keys for touring, recording and and drums,’” Sypkens said. connecting with fans. And it wasn’t long before they Namvar said he loves found out. the idea behind PleasSypkens recruited computer antly’s music. science sophomore Javier “That’s when you know you’ve “It just makes Torres on keys and synth. made it,” Potts said jokingly. you feel good,” he Potts enrolled at Cal Poly and “When WOWies leave their said. “For me, it moved to San Luis Obispo for almost took me to Week of Welcome (WOW). A WOW groups.” high school when I week later, the freshly formed was really into clasband played its first gig: the DAN POTTS, on Pleasantly’s sic rock and psych WOW Club Showcase. WOW Club Showcase gig rock and it just took me “We really had to pick and choose back, but it’s this amazing between Wembley Stadium and the ‘02 modern band.” Arena in London,” Potts joked. The group has already accomplished imIn reality, the group had only rehearsed about three times before taking the stage — but the practices pressive recording quality, as well, he said. “This was completely out of the blue,” Namvar said paid off big time. “We had practiced the songs, and we knew what of Pleasantly’s musical accomplishments. “Really we were gonna play,” Hegyi said. “So we just went in well-done, polished and beautiful.” Sypkens said Pleasantly hopes to put together an with the concept that we were gonna jam and play a EP this winter, release a full album by the end of bunch of songs for a really long time.” Their set went better than expected, with WOWies the school year and set up a tour for next summer. Meanwhile, the band will play as many local shows deserting their groups to watch the show. “That’s when you know you’ve made it,” Potts said as possible. When asked where in San Luis Obispo they’d like to jokingly. “When WOWies leave their WOW groups.” Hegyi said the group’s sound has so far developed play, the members came up with some creative answers. Potts: “The Habit.” naturally. Simply put, they play music they love. Torres: “Target.” “We went through our angsty teenaged phase Hegyi: “Olive Garden.” a while ago,” Hegyi said. “So now we’re just writing Torres: “The Sock Drawer. They’re just gonna pay mushy love songs for people, and it’s all good.” They try to keep things contemporary while also us in socks.” In seriousness, Hegyi said the band will hopefully drawing from older generations of music. “We try to sound as modern and cathedral poppy play at local bars such as SLO Brew and Frog and and catchy as possible,” Hegyi said. “But then we still Peach, with house shows in between. “Just playing gigs is a way to get better as a band,” he really want to get back to the roots of the Velvet Underground and all the stuff that made music worth said, “and to get tighter.” It is not all just fun and jams for Pleasantly, though. listening to.” Since its first show, the group has added music Their musical endeavors come with obstacles as well. “The biggest struggle with being a college band is sophomore Gabby Vakili as a vocalist and is working the fact that everyone looks at you as a college band,” to improve and expand Pleasantly’s repertoire. “We’re at the stage where we feel ourselves getting said Hegyi. “Our goal is to be different enough and better with each practice,” Hegyi said. “The songs are provide a sound unique enough that people will recoming together a little bit more. We just take that member us over other bands in college. Once you chemistry we’ve always had with each other and put get out of that hole of being labeled a ‘college band,’ it together.” a whole new door is open to further progressions of Once they’re satisfied with their sound and set list, the band as a whole.” they hope to record and tour. As for other long-term goals, the whole band “We wanna get out there,” Potts said, “because it’s was in agreement. just too much fun to play in front of people.” Torres: “Overall goals? I want to find a wife out of this.” To accomplish these goals, Pleasantly is raising Hegyi: “I’d say my goal is for Javier to find a wife.” funds through Music Putty, a crowd-funding and Potts: “Yeah, I want Javier to find a wife as well.” music-streaming website for local bands. Cal Poly Sypkens: “I think we’d all be pretty content with our graduate Arash Namvar helped found the site. careers if Javier could find a wife.”
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
@cpmustangnews
STEVEN PARDO | COURTESY PHOTO OLIVE GARDEN | Pleasantly plans to gain popularity by playing many local shows at various locations.
OPINION | 6 MUSTANG NEWS Graphic Arts Building Building 26, Suite 226 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
CONTACT EDITORIAL ADVERTISING CLASSIFIED FAX
(805) 756-1796 (805) 756-1143 (805) 756-1143 (805) 756-6784
EDITORS & STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jacob Lauing MANAGING EDITORS Kyle McCarty, Kayla Missman BROADCAST NEWS DIRECTOR Morgan Butler COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR Melissa Nunez NEWS EDITOR Celina Oseguera ARTS EDITOR Katherine Benedict SPORTS EDITOR Nick Larson BROADCAST CONTENT PRODUCER Leah Horner BROADCAST SPORTS DIRECTOR Trent Merfeld BROADCAST SPORTS PRODUCER Ashley DeVriend PHOTO EDITOR Joseph Pack HEAD DESIGNER Megan Heddinger SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Rachel Sun WEB EDITOR Kenny Gurney SPECIAL SECTIONS COORDINATOR Suha Saya STAFF REPORTERS Brooke Sperbeck, Samantha Pryor, Lauren Piraro, Maria Zelada, Savannah Sperry, Lindsy Mobley, Olivia Proffit, Olivia DeGenerro, Brenna Swanston, Kelly Trom, Annie Vainshtein, Sam Gilbert, Will Peischel, Trevor Melody, Rafael Salinas, Erik Chu, Amelia Parreira, Allison Edmonds, Sean McMinn COPY EDITORS Brenna Swanston, Drew Gorman, Kristine Xu DESIGNERS Jordan Dunn, Lauren Wallack, Monique Martinez, Zack Spanier PHOTOGRAPHERS Ian Billings, Sophia Liu, Dylan Sun, Christa Lam, Katie Ullrich, Dakota Greenwich, Evan Noronha ADVERTISING MANAGER Connie Lewis ART DIRECTOR Albert Chang PRODUCTION MANAGER Joseph Hewison MARKETING MANAGER Nikole Knak DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Kalei White ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Anna Seskind, Ashley Safari, CJ Estores, Ian Taylor, Johnny Galvez, Kenney Young, Kristen Corey, Maddie Spivek, Melissa Mubaraki, Phil Ramos, Sam Patterson, Shakti Rajput, Victoria Howland ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Jordan Triplett, Scott Cutler MARKETING ASSOCIATES Kelly Witkop, Ross Pfeifer, Kelsey Payton FACULTY ADVISER Pat Howe GENERAL MANAGER Paul Bittick
WRITE A LETTER Mustang News reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, profanities and length. Letters, commentaries and cartoons do not represent the views of the Mustang News. Please limit length to 250 words. Letters should include the writer’s full name, phone number, major and class standing. Letters must come from a Cal Poly email account. Do not send letters as an attachment. Please send the text in the body of the email. EMAIL editor@mustangnews.net ADVERTISING EMAIL advertising@mustangnews.net MAIL Letters to the Editor Building 26, Room 226 Cal Poly SLO, CA 93407 ONLINE mustangnews.net
CORRECTIONS Mustang News takes pride in publishing daily news for the Cal Poly campus and the neighboring community. We appreciate your readership and are thankful for your careful reading. Please send your correction suggestions to editor@ mustangnews.net.
NOTICES Mustang News is a “designated public forum.” Student editors have full authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. Printed by UNIVERSITY GRAPHICS SYSTEMS ugs.calpoly.edu ugs@calpoly.edu Icons courtesy of the Noun Project Mustang News is a member of Associated Collegiate Press, California Newspaper Publishers Association, College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers and College Media Advisors. Thursday, October 16, 2014 Volume LXXIX, Number 10 ©2014 Mustang News “Cover story by Byrna Swanson.”
Thursday, October 16, 2014
If I were a Republican speech writer ... Eric Stubben @EricStubben
Eric Stubben is a mechanical engineering junior and Mustang News conservative columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion or editorial coverage of Mustang News. If I could write a speech for every Republican candidate running for election this midterm, it would go something like this: I’d have candidates pull out a projector and play a five second clip of President Barack Obama claiming, “Make no mistake, these policies are on the ballot — every single one of them.” Maybe I’d have them play it five times, 10 times. After playing the video, I’d have candidates take the film off the reel — just kidding, Republicans actually know how to use modern technology — and start hammering home alternatives to every single one of President Obama’s strategies. I would have candidates remind everybody about the failures of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its rollout, mentioning that only 35 percent of Americans actually favor the law. Then I’d have candidates focus on the threat of ISIL (ISIS, Islamic State or IS, whatever you prefer) and how President Obama failed to recognize their posed danger. Before getting too far into bashing the other side, I’d have candidates pose their alternatives. Why is moving this country to the right the way to go? What will make Republican leadership different than Democratic leadership, outside of their ideals? My candidates would touch on what they would do, not what Democrats did not do. There’s no point in ripping apart Democrats — the face of their party, President Obama,
has a measly 35 percent favorability rating and only 23 percent of Americans think our country is going in the right direction, according to Gallup. Thanks, Mr. President! That said, persuading the other 77 percent of Americans to vote Republican would be the real challenge. Candidates would diversify the Republican Party and expand its base. They’d support immigration reform that helps secure the border and keep our border states safe, yet provide clear and practical paths to citizenship for immigrants. While 89 percent of the Republican base is white, I’d look for ways to connect with the rest of the country. If I wrote the speech, candidates would supplement their talking with pictures and graphics, tying in younger generations. Maybe I’d even be able to get a few candidates to use social media to enhance their image. Twitter, Facebook and other media outlets would be introduced during their speeches in hope of broadening support. As shown in the 2008 presidential election, the right words and a few retweets can go a long way. If I could, I’d write a speech to put Republicans at the front of a movement toward a new future, but at an equal level to all other Americans. I would alleviate the “rich, white guy” stereotype by having candidates talk about their core values, their stories and how they got to where they are today. Being a bright politician does nothing if you can’t prove that you’re a compassionate, emotional person as well, right Mitt? The fine-pressed suits would be replaced by jeans or slacks and a nice shirt. Nobody cares about how expensive the suit is — they just want to see that the candidate can relate to them on some level. Whether it’s ethical or not, appearance matters.
the right angle Importantly, I’d write candidates’ speeches in a way that attract moderates. Romney stole four moderate voter percentage points away from Obama in 2012 compared to 2008, but the president still handled 21 more moderate points than Romney. According to Will Marshall, president of the Progressive Policy Institute (yes, shocking, I do read things from the opposing side), 37 percent of the American electorate identifies as moderate. Candidates don’t have to win the entire moderate delegation — they
just have to play them. No more lunatic impeachment talks or other outrageous ideas. I’d write a speech for candidates that would focus on how their ideas would help the electorate. Above all, I would write speeches for candidates who have common sense. There would be no stupid answers — no “legitimate rape” remarks à la Todd Akin running for the Senate in Missouri in 2012. There would be no “binders full of women,” no “47 percent.” There would simply be pride and confidence in the
Republican way. Slowly, my speech would end with candidates thanking people for their time and then interacting with them. Often, it’s the interaction and body language instead of the actual speech that makes the difference. The 2014 midterm is almost dead even in terms of the Senate race, but Republicans have nothing to lose — the House is safe and the Senate is up for grabs. Either nothing changes, or Republicans gain the Senate. I would make sure my candidates run to win, but don’t do anything to lose their race.
Classifieds TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD:
Order online at www.mustangnews.net or call 805.756.1143 a day prior by noon Ads must be prepaid by check made out to Mustangs News or paid by credit card online.
CROSSWORD
CLASSIFIED ADS ARE FREE FOR STUDENTS Stop into MUSTANG NEWS to find out how to place your ad!
POP CULTURE SHOCK THERAPY
SPONSOR THE COMIC! $50 A DAY
CALL 805.756.1143
SPONSOR THE COMIC! $50 A DAY
CALL 805.756.1143 F MINUS
SUDOKU
SPONSOR THE COMIC!
SPONSOR THE SUDOKU!
SPONSOR THE COMIC!
CALL 805.756.1143
CALL 805.756.1143
CALL 805.756.1143
$50 A DAY
$50 A DAY
$50 A DAY
Thursday, October 16, 2014
SPORTS | 8
BY THE NUMBERS: WOMEN’S SOCCER TAKES ON UC IRVINE CAL POLY 20
CAL POLY 212 CAL POLY 63 CAL POLY 25
CAL POLY 23
CAL POLY 15
UC IRVINE 132 UC IRVINE 42 UC IRVINE 18
BIG WEEKEND The Cal Poly women’s soccer team (7-8, 2-2 Big West Conference) will head south for the weekend as the Mustangs take on two conference opponents: UC Irvine and UC Riverside. Only a handful of games into Big West play, it’s crowded on the conference table. A pair of wins for Cal Poly could propel it into first place, depending on how Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara — two teams currently atop the standings — fare in their two weekend matches. The Mustangs kick off with UC Irvine at 7 p.m. on Friday and meet UC Riverside at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
UC IRVINE 15
UC IRVINE 15
UC IRVINE 4
Here’s how the Mustangs and the Anteaters match up.
*OVERALL 2014 STATISTICS
YELLOW CARDS
GOALS ALLOWED
ASSISTS
SHOTS
SAVES
GOALS