February 10, 2026 Mustang News

MUSTANG NEWS

Cal Poly students balance classes and legal observation work with 805 UndocuFund amid local ICE activity

ON THE FRONTLINE

Pg. 04

RECENT FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS RESHAPE STUDENT RESEARCH WORK

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FROM DOHA TO DIVISION I: HAMAD MOUSA’S BASKETBALL JOURNEY

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OPINION: VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTS TO FIT YOUR PARTNER’S PREFERRED LOVE LANGUAGE

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Cal Poly history lecturer Cameron Jones waited nearly six months to receive the $150,000 federally-funded research grant awarded to his team’s project, AfricanCalifornios. org, when a two-sentence email hit his inbox and changed everything.

Federal o cials stated in the email that the grant was “administratively withdrawn,” canceling the grant and preventing Jones from $ling a complaint. He followed up to $nd out why the grant was cancelled, but never received a response.

“Most of my money was going to go to hire students,” Jones said. “!at’s job opportunities, that’s opportunities for ‘Learn By Doing’ by working on these projects.”

Jones’s project is among 14 federally-funded Cal Poly projects that faced funding cuts or termination since President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, according to uno cial documents obtained by Mustang News. Jones’ grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is the $rst and only NEH grant the College of Liberal Arts has ever received.

!e NEH noti$ed all grantees

across the country that funding for their projects was slashed, leading to the cancellation of virtually all the institutions’ grants in April 2025, although Jones was not noti$ed until two months later.

Michael McDonald, who was appointed by the Trump administration a month earlier, informed senior NEH leadership that upward of 85% of the agency’s grants would be cancelled, according to !e New York Times. !e NEH implemented these cuts in early April, citing “recent implementation of Trump administration executive orders.”

While some projects had their funding reinstated, others remained in limbo. Jones and his team were left to rebuild their budget model by developing a crowdfunding site, which launched at the start of February.

Although Jones hopes the site will generate enough revenue to keep some student interns employed for a quarter or two, the crowdfunding goal is only $10,000 — one-$fteenth of the original NEH grant. Jack Martin, a Cal Poly graduate and research intern for the AfricanCalifornios.org project,

is the sole intern who remained on the project as an unpaid “visiting scholar.”

You’re not just coming to college to do college. You’re actively taking part in a process of making a difference.

JACK MARTIN Cal Poly Graduate

“I’m more mad because this could have forwarded so much for what we’re trying to accomplish, so it’s less about me personally,” Martin said. “It’s more about what we could do with that money besides me.”

Martin said the project taught him how to be a historian and guided him

to the particular niche he focused on in his master’s thesis. For Martin, this project embodies everything the “Learn By Doing” philosophy stands for.

“You’re not just coming to college to do college. You’re actively taking part in a process of making a di erence,” Martin said.

GRADUATES AND FACULTY FEEL REAL WORLD IMPLICATIONS

Academic Senate Chair Jerusha Greenwood said she and her colleagues have felt a “chilling e ect” in the higher education sector, as the Trump administration targets Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion e orts, according to a White House press release in April 2025.

“It’s tough to measure if there’s been a chilling impact in terms of what new courses faculty might propose in terms of the content that they might want to explore. But, there’s no way to really measure that because you can’t measure a negative in that respect,” Greenwood said. “You can’t measure what isn’t happening.”

To counter federal pressure, the Academic Senate passed a resolution calling on Cal State universities to create a compact among universities similar to that of the Big Ten schools. !e Big Ten Mutual Defense Compact is a proposed initiative led by faculty senates across the Big Ten Academic Alliance to protect member universities against federal, political or legal pressures.

“If, by chance, the federal government comes after our schools in terms of lawsuits, investigations or any sort of disruption to academic freedom or to limit academic freedom, we would form an impermeable wall that said ‘No, not here,’” Greenwood said.

Despite the resolution’s sendo to the Cal State University Chancellor’s O ce and the CSU Academic Senate, Greenwood said that the initiative “didn’t really go anywhere.”

Looking ahead, Cal Poly leaders are trying to strengthen the campus’s protections against executive orders, such as those involving research and immigration that have already a ected campuses.

FROM DOHA TO DIVISION I: Hamad Mousa’s Basketball Journey

In his first year at Cal Poly, Mousa solidified himself as the top scorer on the team

BIA SOMMERS | MUSTANG NEWS

Mousa scored almost 500 points at the time of publication — making the most of his time on the court.

STORY BY OLIVER MARBURG

DESIGNED BY KENNEDY RAY

At the age of 15, when Hamad Mousa left his hometown of Doha, Qatar, he was unsure how to navigate an airport. !e only certainty was his goal: to play collegiate basketball before eventually reaching the NBA. !at leap of faith resulted in Mousa being one of two Qatari players to ever reach NCAA Division I. Nearly a half-decade after leaving home, Mousa now leads the Big West in scoring as a sophomore at Cal Poly. His path to San Luis Obispo is undoubtedly unique and began

thousands of miles away from the Central Coast.

Basketball in Qatar is growing fast in popularity, but the country of just over three million people doesn’t yield the representation in the U.S. that other overseas nations do — at least not yet.

For Mousa, the game was embedded in his life from a young age. His father, Yassin Mousa, is considered a basketball legend in Qatar, as he was the $rst player from the Middle East invited to the 2000 Nike Hoop Summit and helped Qatar capture a FIBA 3x3 world title in 2014.

When he retired from playing in

2016, Yassin became more active in Mousa’s development. He served as a trainer and a resource.

“When you have somebody [like my dad], you just want to follow his footsteps,” Mousa said. “It helps you and motivates you to get better.”

As Mousa continued to grow taller and show promise on the court, he began to attract interest from coaches at the NBA Academy in Australia. Mousa was on the academy’s radar since middle school, but stayed in Qatar until he was 15, before taking the leap to chase his dreams.

“When I left home, I knew it was on from there,” Mousa said. ”I know I’m

gonna stay there for another three years, and then I’m gonna have to go to college and hopefully the NBA one day.”

MOUSA’S JOURNEY TO THE STATES

Mousa spent three years in Canberra, Australia, learning English while simultaneously trying to attract the attention of universities.

After putting up impressive numbers in Australia and at various camps, Mousa’s agent connected him with sta at the University of Dayton in Ohio. Trusting in his

agent’s connections and intrigued by the opportunity to play highlevel Division I basketball, Mousa committed to Dayton in the summer of 2024.

Mousa’s freshman season at Dayton did not go as planned, averaging 1.3 points in a mere 7.6 minutes per game.

Feeling unsatis$ed and looking to take on a bigger role, Mousa entered the transfer portal after his freshman year. With Mousa’s recruitment reopened, his agent contacted another coaching connection, this time Cal Poly’s Mike DeGeorge. “We felt like he didn’t get an

opportunity at Dayton, but his other $lms showed that he could play on pick-and-rolls. And was a good distributor and could handle it,” DeGeorge said. “We were con$dent he could be a major contributor for us.”

After conversations with the Cal Poly men’s basketball sta , Mousa traveled to San Luis Obispo to con$rm the $t.

“When I came to visit [Cal Poly], I just liked pretty much everything,” Mousa said. “I like how it never gets cold over here, especially. I got traumatized this last year going to Ohio.”

Less than a year after getting to Dayton, Mousa was o cially a Mustang.

ARRIVING AT CAL POLY

DeGeorge’s free-%owing, fastpaced system also appealed to Mousa. !e Mustangs currently rank second nationally in adjusted tempo on KenPom. !e team gets up the court in a hurry and shoots the $fthmost threes in Division I, a perfect $t for Mousa’s propulsive playstyle.

“I really like how we play our game,” Mousa said. “[Our] style’s really, really quick, and [we] shoot a lot of threes, which I like to do.”

!e six-foot-eight wing has %ourished with a change of scenery and has quickly become the number-one option for the Mustangs in his $rst year at Cal Poly, scoring a conference-best 20.6 points per game.

Mousa’s impressive sophomore campaign has featured a careerhigh 34 points against CSUN and zero games in single-digit scoring. He’s done it e ciently, too, shooting almost 40% from three on the

I’m just excited, you know, I’m just gonna be really excited playing against all these big teams, and playing in my hometown, in front of my family and friends,

HAMAD MOUSA

Interdisciplinary Studies

Sophomore gonna get here too, real soon, and some of my other teammates back home.”

second-most attempts in the Big West. !e lanky guard-forward’s seven-foot wingspan allows him to shoot over defenders and guard multiple positions on the other end. Mousa’s $t with the Mustang’s system prepares him for the next level as well.

“It really $ts my playstyle, how I play, and it’s just fun,” Mousa said. “It’s just quick, and I could almost compare it to an NBA team. !at’s how most NBA teams play.”

Beyond leading the conference in scoring and drawing national attention, Mousa’s greatest source of pride is representing his country, as the only current Division I player to do so.

“It means a lot to me,” Mousa said. “Hopefully, my younger brothers are

Both of Mousa’s brothers play basketball and have represented Qatar internationally in FIBA tournaments. !e middle Mousa child, Abdulla, scored 20.8 points per game in the 2024 U18 Asia Cup, ranking second in the tournament.

For Mousa, having his father in his corner is a constant source of guidance and a reminder that he’s

not navigating this journey alone.

Despite the 11-hour time di erence and his demanding job as Qatar’s national team director, Yassin remains the same teacher he was when Mousa was growing up.

“He just watches the game and just calls me, like, two days after, or just tells me what he’s seen and what he sees that I could have done better,” Mousa said. “Not a lot of people have that. Just to talk to a guy who’s been playing basketball for almost 25 years. I’m thankful.”

Seeing family in person hasn’t been something Mousa has been able to do often over the last $ve years, as he’s been busy chasing a dream. !is season, Yassin made the long journey from Doha to San Luis Obispo to watch his son play.

“I was so thankful, you know, and not a lot of [international students] get to see their family,” Mousa said. “It was just good to see him.”

Soon, Mousa has the chance to do what his father did during his playing career: cement himself on the world stage. In 2027, that opportunity will come at home when Qatar hosts the 2027 FIBA World Cup.

Mousa has played for his national team before, averaging nine points in the 2024 Asia Cup Qualifying Tournament. But the World Cup is di erent — more eyes, more noise, and a chance to show the world who you are.

“I’m just excited, you know, I’m just gonna be really excited playing against all these big teams, and playing in my hometown, in front of my family and friends,” Mousa said.

What started as an uncertain journey as a 15-year-old has now become clear as day. From Doha to Canberra, Dayton to San Luis Obispo, Mousa’s path is original, still unfolding and will soon take him back to where it all started.

Dorm construction disrupts current students’ ability to sleep and study

The new dorms will also affect over 700 existing

parking spaces

CELEBRINI

DESIGNED BY NATALIA

Construction behind the Red Bricks dorms is projected to end fall 2026 as part of an ongoing plan to build more student housing on Cal Poly’s campus. In the meantime, on-campus students struggle with sleeping and studying in dorms during construction.

As Cal Poly moves to require on-campus living for underclassmen starting next fall, the university starts the $rst phase of its Future Housing Plan that will house over 500 students. !e second phase of the university’s plan will house an additional 700 students within another building by fall 2027, according to Cal Poly’s website.

Construction occurs MondayFriday from 7 a.m.-5 p.m., though work can be extended further into the evening and on academic breaks, university spokesperson Keegan Koberl wrote. University Housing provides students with notices in

advance during more “disruptive activities.”

Cal Poly plans to add 3,500 new beds within the next ten years to support enrollment growth. Cal Poly currently has 22,000 undergraduate students and plans to reach 25,000 by 2030, according to previous Mustang News coverage.

According to Koberl 735 parking spots for students and sta once sat where construction is now taking place. While 40 new on-street parking spaces have yet to be implemented along Poly Canyon Village, the university has added 48 sta spaces to the Fleet Lot as of last fall.

Residents are not allowed to park in commuter spaces, according to Koberl. All student commuter and resident permits are assigned to speci$c parking areas:

• Commuter permits are allowed in H-12, H-14, H-16 and H-1 lots.

• Residents with permits are only allowed to park in their assigned residential area.

• !e Grand Structure is only available to permit holders for Grand

speci$cally and sta or faculty with permits.

CONSTRUCTION IS AFFECTING STUDENTS’ WAY OF LIFE

Students living in Red Bricks buildings are growing frustrated at the noise from the construction.

Nutrition freshman Lucy Worms lives in Tenaya Hall and said the construction has been a constant disruption, especially to her sleep schedule.

”It’s de$nitely annoying getting woken up at 7 a.m. to stu banging outside of your window,” Worms said. “I bought AirPods to sleep with but it’s still pretty loud, enough to wake me up.”

Dylan Smith, an architecture freshman who also lives in Tenaya Hall, said the construction noise wakes her up often. !e constant construction also makes studying in her room di cult.

“Normally, I stay home to study,” Smith said. “But now I usually go to Scout and sit outside because

it’s usually quieter.” Chris Hamel, a computer science freshman living in North Mountain, is experiencing the same situation.

“Sleep schedules are getting messed up,” Hamel said. “I keep hearing noises until 10–11 p.m. [and this morning] I was woken up at 6 a.m. because I heard [the construction].”

Saranzaya Rice-Connor, a civil engineering freshman living in Red Bricks, said the construction noise disrupts the study space of Santa Lucia’s common area and hinders accessibility to other areas of campus.

“It’s a pretty big thing for everyone to study in the common area,” Connor said. “People have tended to either work in the UU or library.”

CONSTRUCTION IS ALSO AFFECTING MOBILITY AROUND CAMPUS

!e construction closes some sidewalks and paths by dorms. Connor said it is di cult to get to Vista

Grande for food. Genevieve Blaney, a biology junior who lives in Cerro Vista, said she often walks or bikes to class.

“Certain sidewalks would be unavailable when walking back [to Cerro Vista],” Blaney said. “It’s kind of unexpected. You kind of have to work your way around [the construction] when it can change [daily] depending on what they’re doing.”

Hailey Gomez, a computer science freshman living in North Mountain, said the construction makes her living area a lot more congested as students tend to pass through narrow sidewalks walking to class, forcing her to adjust her walking schedule. “I try to leave earlier now to make sure that I don’t get stuck in tra c or in the construction,” Gomez said. “I’ve had to take other routes to get to certain places.”

Calvin Anderson contributed to this story. is story was previously published digitally earlier this quarter.

On the frontline, between classes

Cal Poly students juggle school and local immigrant advocacy work

Central

Coast

immigrant advocacy group, 805 UndocuFund, gained over 700 volunteers — a portion of those Cal

Poly students

DESIGNED BY NHI DUONG

PHOTOS BY LIZ BENNET

An engineering student woke up to his phone buzzing one Wednesday morning.

!e text message he saw sent him quickly out the door and over to the San Luis Obispo County Jail. Federal immigration agents, he was told, were planning to detain someone.

Around the time he and other volunteers for the Central Coast immigrant advocacy group 805 UndocuFund got to the jail to document what was going on, the person was already in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Some ICE agents at the scene

began to threaten the group of volunteers with pepper spray, the agents hands resting on their guns, the $fth year said.

“And then I went home,” he said. “I made breakfast, and I went to class.”

!is lifestyle is not uncommon for the $fth-year mechanical engineering student at Cal Poly, who spoke under the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation from the federal government and future employers due to his activism.

More than a year into President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, 805 UndocuFund gained over 700 volunteers in the Central Coast — a portion of those Cal Poly students — who provide everything from legal observation of ICE activity to $nancial relief for a ected families, according to Cesar Vasquez,

rapid response coordinator for the non-pro$t organization.

Student volunteers juggle the responsibilities of school and their volunteer work — which in most cases puts them at risk of harm or even death following recent events in Minneapolis. Most volunteers take the risk due to a strong commitment to the community and supporting those who are a ected by the immigration policy in the country.

Alongside the engineering student, Mustang News interviewed three other Cal Poly student volunteers for 805 Undocufund under the same condition of anonymity. !ey are also all friends outside of the organization.

But their work as volunteers typically ranks highest in priority.

“I want to further my education, but

I feel like these people’s lives are immediately at risk, and I am the only one in a position to step in,” the engineering student said.

805 UNDOCUFUND SEES AN UPTICK IN RAPID RESPONSE VOLUNTEERS

!e rapid response network for 805 UndocuFund works with over 700 volunteers who document ICE activity, provide education on individual rights and assist people a ected by immigration enforcement.

As of Saturday, Feb. 7, 69 people have been detained by federal immigration agents in San Luis Obispo, according to data collected by 805 UndocuFund since January 2025.

In San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, nearly 1,580

people have been detained since Trump took o ce, 805 UndocuFund data showed.

Volunteers for the non-pro$t organization give what they can when they can, and trust that others in the network help to $ll any gaps, said a female architecture student volunteer interviewed by Mustang News. When thinking about how she juggles school and the organization, the $fth year sees it like any other extracurricular students would take on at Cal Poly.

“A lot of full-time students are a part of clubs on campus, and that takes up a lot of time,” she said. “!is is what that is for us.”

Vasquez, the rapid response coordinator, said since he had been hired in the fall, the volunteer base has grown almost triple the size it was

before he joined the organization. He has been advocating and organizing for multiple causes since he was 12, but immigrant rights have always been personal for him.

He said most of the Cal Poly students he sees at the university are white, but the ones who volunteer for his team use their “privilege to $ght against the system and to support the communities.”

Vasquez said some students use their expertise in engineering and computer science to help the organization with coding and looking through inmate release data under the county Sheri ’s O ce to know who may be at risk of being detained by immigration agents.

“!ey’ve brought a lot of manpower, you know, but they’ve also brought a lot of their expertise that they’re learning in class,” Vasquez said. He has held rapid response training on Cal Poly’s campus to encourage others to help volunteer for 805 UndocuFund.

“Realizing just how much activity was really happening within like 10 minutes of Cal Poly was de$nitely sort of something that’s helped me encourage more people to join,” said a female engineering management master’s student and volunteer Mustang News interviewed.

She has been volunteering for 805 UndocuFund since the beginning of 2025. At Cal Poly, the master’s student said she feels a sense of isolation between students and the broader community in San Luis Obispo, but tries to make people aware of how close immigration enforcement has been near campus.

‘IT’S NOT ABOUT ME, IT’S ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE’

!e engineering management student believes her care for the community and those being a ected by the current immigration policy is

an inseparable motivation from any other reason behind the volunteer work, and her friends in the organization would agree.

“I should not really be interviewed, but someone needs to be saying something,” said a male architecture student volunteer. “It’s not about me, it’s about other people.”

Most of the student volunteers

We’re

not really doing this because we find it fun or that it’s fulfilling. We’re doing this because it has to be done.

Architecture 5th Year

Mustang News spoke to joined 805 UndocuFund in September last year after hearing about ICE activity in Southern California.

During the nationwide shutdown against ICE on Friday, Jan. 30, many San Luis Obispo County businesses donated portions of their proceeds to 805 UndocuFund. Some of those businesses included Field Day Co ee and Kismet Fitness, among others the organization shared on their Instagram.

On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors hosted a special forum regarding the Sheri ’s O ce cooperation with ICE as it pertained to releasing inmates to the federal agency throughout last

year.

Dozens of people spoke during the public comment section of the forum, including Vasquez who hoped to make people aware of the power they have in their community.

Vasquez and the other volunteers said at the end of last year, someone from 805 UndocuFund had a gun pulled on him by an ICE agent while legally observing.

After Christmas last year, ICE agents reportedly raided multiple cities across the Central Coast, including San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Nipomo, Paso Robles and Santa Barabara, !e SLO Tribune previously reported.

Hearing about the events that were transpiring, the male and female engineering students cut their winter breaks at home short to drive back into the area and volunteer for 805 UndocuFund, with some days lasting from around 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“We’re not really doing this because we $nd it fun or that it’s ful$lling,” the male architecture student said. “We’re doing this because it has to be done.”

Following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in January, the $fth year said he was frustrated at how little people spoke about what Good was $ghting for than the interaction between her and the federal agent.

“Renee Good and her death is inseparable from the deaths and kidnappings of all these other people,” the male architecture $fth year said.

!e male engineering student agreed that while he sees Good as a “friend in this $ght,” she “is not the $ght.”

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS PLAN FOR THE FUTURE AFTER GRADUATION

Each student volunteer carries their own supplies needed in the

event that they choose to respond to an alert of ICE activity at a given area.

Supplies include $rst aid kits, face masks, water, extra jackets, snacks and toothbrushes, to name a few.

!e volunteers prepare for anything, never knowing how long their support will be needed during a confrontation with federal immigration enforcement.

As they each begin to start thinking about graduation, some are unsure what that means for their volunteer work with 805 UndocuFund.

!e male engineering student plans to continue doing anything to help advocate for immigrant

rights, keeping his career separate from his personal beliefs. Others are trying to incorporate what they plan to do after graduating with similar activism.

But volunteers like the female architecture student see no end in sight yet for their pursuit of stopping federal immigration agencies from continuing to roll out their enforcement in and around San Luis Obispo, and hope to continue sending out their message.

“I do not see this slowing down anytime soon,” she said.

Finding your third space in the SLO community

GUIDE BY MCKENNA ZOLTY DESIGNED BY AVA CHEUNG

McKenna Zolty is sta writer for the KCPR Content team and created this guide to highlight third spaces in the community. e opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily re ect those of Mustang Media Group.

As spring slowly approaches, community-oriented nights can be found tucked away in the least expected places. O the beaten path from Cal Poly’s campus, there is more outside of these concrete buildings and grassy hillsides. A quick hop in the car with a curious mind may lead you to your next community third space.

Initially, the term third space was coined by Ray Oldenburg, an American sociologist who de$ned the phenomenon of third spaces as a place aside from home and work or school — people’s two main spaces — where people can gather without the need to rush and connect in a greater community.

A third space is where you go when you need a distraction and escape from reality’s stress. It’s where you $nd yourself continuing to return to outside of school and work. Without realizing it, many of us are already partaking in a third space.

Generally, the places we tend to frequent as regulars such as cafes have a cost alongside it. Ideally, third spaces are at no cost to lower-costs establishments. !rough this guide, discover local businesses who are actively creating inviting third spaces in San Luis Obispo County.

Cosmic Heroes sits tucked away, paralleled by the freeway on ramp. !e card shop contains a lively community that gives locals the opportunity to play with others who have similar interests. Cosmic Heroes, has a lively hum of conversations surrounding the tables with

open seats to easily join in a game. !e shop has an established community that is easy to get to know in the tight space. At the shop, there are light snacks and soft drinks available for purchase. It’s %exible to arrive when you can, so having time con%icts is not a concern. Some stay for hours while others arrive for one round of game before their next commitment.

Cosmic Heroes practices a community-$rst mindset and the shop hosts evening game nights daily. Attendees can choose from 18 di erent games and occasional tournaments on a rotational weekly schedule posted inside of the shop. If there is a game that is not featured in the future, pitch it and they will likely feature it.

Although some games are on a rotational schedule, others games such as Magic: !e Gathering and Pokémon will stay consistent on being featured weekly. To stay up- todate on what is currently featured for game nights, the shop posts a white board with a tentative schedule of games featured in the shop.

“I’ll tell people, this is your store, this is our earth, you know this is your building, this is your store, and anyone who comes in here and sits down for $ve minutes is like ‘oh wow, I feel safe, I feel at home’, we don’t judge anybody in here. If someone has the wrong attitude I ask them to leave.” Joey Graves, manager at Cosmic Heroes said.

For more information about their event and activities stop by the store from 11 a.m to 9 p.m. and ask for the discord to experience the store’s o erings beyond the premises.

In the center of Downtown Morro Bay lies a new edition of a $ber arts shop: Morro Bay Yarn Shop. !e large, east-facing windows highlight the shop donned with screenprinted fabric bags strung along the white walls adjacent to various vibrant colored yarn lining the shop’s shelves. Paper lanterns hang over the large, pine- colored table, lending to a warm sense of community and belonging. !is is the type of shop you have pinned to your Pinterest board.

Beyond aesthetic , the shop is widening its o erings beyond just a retail shop and is curating a community. Once doors opened in late November 2025, the store started weekly community nights on !ursdays for other local creatives looking for a third space to gather

and simultaneously work on their current projects and socialize. Although it is primarily a $ber shop, any small project that is not messy and can be cleaned up relatively easily is welcome. In this space, all levels are welcomed from beginners to experts, providing the ability to create alongside other likeminded creatives.

With a common purpose of creativity and accessibility, this is an event to chat and build a community with other crafters. !e shop o ers two variants of community nights: $rst and third !ursdays of each month are community nights for anyone to participate and the second and fourth !ursdays are speci$cally for queer community nights.

SLODOCO

SloDoCo provides a warm laid back environment to lock in your last-minute weekend procrastination on a project and pair it with a sweet treat. Yet, it’s Saturday evening and a lingering electric sound is humming outside of SloDoCo. !e majority of the time SloDoCo is packed with students studying, but periodically throughout the month SloDoCo turns into the return of the recurring treble of a local band performing in the lobby. Often, local clubs and bands will host DIY shows in the study lobby for a couple of hours of low-cost entertainment. For a more unique, lowcommitment activity, wander in to support peers in the music scene or other bands who are passing through San Luis Obispo. Due to the unconventional location, no two events will ever be the same, which can make for an interesting experience.

TIPS FOR FINDING YOUR THIRD SPACE

During your time at Cal Poly, leaving the campus and exploring communities outside your comfort zone is something that is strongly encouraged; you never know what experiences or relationships may potentially form.

• Explore an interest you’ve been thinking about dabbling in.

• Return at least a couple of times to the same place. Become a temporary regular to try out the space.

• Keep an open mind on activities. Some %yers may lack but the event might not!

• Wandering around browsing? See if any %yers or events appeal to you.

DYLAN ALLEN | MUSTANG

The four seniors that helped lead Cal Poly Women’s Volleyball’s back into the Sweet 16 were honored on Nov. 15, 2025, a er their match against Hawai’i for senior night.

A er historic Sweet 16 run, Women’s Volleyball seniors leave Mo Gym

Four seniors led the team the farthest they’ve been in the

NCAA Tournament since 2007

STORY BY DYLAN ALLEN

DESIGNED BY MEHER ANKLESARIA

Cal Poly Women’s Volleyball will have big shoes to $ll come next fall.

After capturing two upset wins in the NCAA Tournament and reaching the Sweet 16 for the $rst time since 2007, the graduating class of setter Emme Bullis, outside hitter Annabelle !alken, libero London Haber$eld and medically-retired Brooklyn Burns will all be moving on from Cal Poly.

!e four seniors, with their veteran experience and coaching leadership, helped fuel an extended postseason run that saw Cal Poly turn into this year’s NCAA volleyball Cinderella story.

After earning the No. 12 seed and capturing thrilling $ve-set wins over No. 5 seed BYU and No. 4 seed USC, the Mustangs were just one of two mid-major schools remaining in the third round.

It was the program’s second Sweet 16 appearance since the 64-team $eld began in 1999 and their seventh all-time, according to GoPoly.

For a mid-major program — schools outside the Power Five conferences — a Cinderella run like Cal Poly’s is rare. Mid-majors usually cannot sustain success in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament, as the 64-$eld team is dominated by Power Five schools.

But, there was a reason this team was ready for college volleyball’s brightest stage. According to Head Coach Caroline Walters, they returned from the o season as “the most polished [team] we’ve had.”

“!at’s a testament to the standard the seniors set as soon as the preseason practices set,” Walters said. “!ey set the tone. We’re not in the gym with them.”

Not only were all four of them great on the court, but Walters praised their personalities as what had the biggest impact on the program.

“It’s about the volleyball they’ve played, but beyond that it’s about the people these four are,” Walters said. “It’s been really special for our program. You try not to have favorites as you coach, but this senior class will go down as one of my favorites ever.”

Emme Bullis arrived in 2021, quickly becoming the starting setter the following year. Over the next four years, Bullis racked up over 4,000 assists, becoming one of four players in program history to do so.

“I’ve put everything into this program, so it’s sad, but I know this place will always be something so special to me,” Bullis said.

With her playing career over, Bullis will be joining the University of Nevada’s Women’s Volleyball program to coach underneath former Mustangs’ associate head coach Jason Borchin.

Bullis shared the court with !alken and Haber$eld, while Burns — medically retired — served as an assistant coach on Cal Poly’s team.

!alken, who rotated in and out of the lineup during her career, solidi$ed herself as one of the team’s best hitters and started in every single set this year. She was extremely ecient as an outside, hitting at .291% while also totaling 85 blocks, third on the team.

In the upset wins over BYU and USC, !alken recorded 21 kills and eight blocks.

Haber$eld, a key part of the defensive line, shares a special connection with Burns, as they grew up playing club volleyball together in Encinitas.

!ey both committed to Cal Poly together in 2022, right before Burns was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in her senior year of high school.

Haber$eld said her story put the sport into a humbling perspective.

“It was awesome just to look back to the bench and see her,” Haber$eld said. “She always calms me down, like she would hold my hand if I was looking anxious. Every time I see her it’s just a reminder of how special these moments are.”

She returned to the court in 2023, playing for the Mustangs her freshman year before medically retiring following the season. As an assistant coach, Burns was there every step of the way with the team, all the way through to the match at Kentucky.

!ey meant the world to her, becoming her “second family.”

“It’s my home away from home,” Burns said. “!ey’ve been there for me through all my ups and downs, and I just wanted to be there for them

in my last season. And I want the girls to know this is their family, too. I’ll be in their family for life.”

!ere’s no doubt that the departure of these four seniors will leave big holes on the roster, but Walters is con$dent in what they are leaving behind.

“You’ll see it in future years,” she said. “!e foundation is laid by these kids.”

A fresh start: Behind Ceasar Garza’s transfer to Cal Poly Wrestling

A er three years of wrestling for Michigan State, Garza is now climbing the national rankings as a Mustang

STORY BY TYLER O’NEAL WESTERWECK

DESIGNED BY MEHER ANKLESARIA

After three seasons of wrestling at Michigan State, Ceasar Garza was in need of a fresh start.

He accumulated a 38-34 overall record as a Spartan and competed in the Big Ten Championships twice, but there were moments in his $nal year where Garza felt lost.

“I was pretty unhappy with the culture and how the coaches were running things,” Garza said. “I felt like I lost my identity with the sport of wrestling. !ere was a lot of sad times. A lot of down moments.”

Garza entered the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining and was recruited by a few other schools, including Pac-12 rival Oregon State. But as soon as he visited Cal Poly, he knew where he wanted to be.

“!e coaches were really excited about the possibility of me coming here,” Garza said. “As soon as I got on campus, the guys, the coaches, everybody was so welcoming. I knew it was a great spot for me the moment I stepped on.”

After $nding that fresh start he was looking for with Cal Poly Wrestling, Garza has been nationally ranked the majority of the season and has recorded 14 wins to only two losses.

Garza’s hometown is just under a four-hour drive from San Luis Obispo, which was another factor in coming back to California.

When he arrived in San Luis Obispo over the summer, Head Coach Jon Sioredas said he knew he got the right guy. At one of their Cal Poly Wrestling camps, Sioredas said Garza was dancing and singing in front of 200 young wrestlers.

“You can feel the camaraderie with him around,” Sioredas said. “He’s fun to work with. And that transitions

nicely into him having that deep ingrained con$dence.”

After the Cal Poly roster saw a lot of turnover entering the 202526 season, Garza slotted in at 184 pounds and carried a preseason national ranking of No. 29 in the $rst match against Purdue.

After a 10-7 upset win over the Boilermakers’ No. 23 ranked James Rowley, Garza had the crowd at Mott Athletics Center on its feet.

“Every win is great, but that $rst win at Mott really sticks out,” Garza said. “Just being in the environment with the crowd was awesome.”

From there, he took o . Garza placed seventh at the Las Vegas Cli Keen Invitational in December 2025, helping the Mustangs secure ninth place out of 30 teams — the program’s best $nish since 2009.

Now, he sits at 14-2 on the year, holding a national ranking of No. 27, according to FloWrestling.

Garza has created a close bond

with redshirt junior 125-pounder Koda Holeman, who said the team likes to say they “wrestle a lot alike.”

“I think that’s slowly becoming more and more true,” Holeman said. “More fakes, that’s the style. [Garza] walks out there to ‘Suavemente.’ It’s just all fun out there.”

A Clovis, California native, Holeman said he and Garza would see each other at various tournaments. But, they didn’t o cially meet until becoming teammates at Cal Poly.

“We’re just trying to have fun with whatever it is, whether it’s lift, practice or cutting weight,” Garza said. “Speci$cally, I think Koda and I are always smiling and goo$ng around and it translates to the way we wrestle.”

With Pac-12 Championships around the corner on March 6 — which will be hosted at Mott Athletics Center — Garza has made his mark in his $rst season representing Cal

Poly and will look to represent the school on the national stage.

For Coach Sioredas, he thinks there’s a lot more to come.

“Each week you see a better version of Ceasar,” Sioredas said. “I think he’s one of those guys that you can look back $ve, ten, $fteen years from now and say ‘Oh, remember Ceasar?’”

‘Pay the farmer now or the pharmacist later’

How RAD Juice built a business around being health-conscious

RAD JUICE

YOUTUBE

VIDEO RAD JUICE AUDIO

RAD Juice has never drifted from the simple philosophy that shaped owner Jason Plough’s raw juice company from the start.

“You could pay the farmer now or the pharmacist later,” Jason Plough said.

!e San Luis Obispo-based beverage business focuses on raw, coldpressed juices made from organic fruits and vegetables, intentionally avoiding pasteurization, preservatives and plastic packaging.

RAD Juice is currently sold at local farmers’ markets and, starting in March, will be o ered from a kiosk at SLO Ranch Market. Founded

in 2023, RAD Juice operates on a local-$rst model and was built from Plough’s dream to live a healthier lifestyle after working in motocross $lmmaking.

“I was living on the road half the year,” he said. “We were, you know, partying a lot, living the rockstar lifestyle, drinking beers every day, eating processed foods.”

After reevaluating his lifestyle, Plough said he needed to adjust his diet and habits.

“I changed my diet, I got rid of processed sugars and lowered my beer intake,” he said. “And so just those few shifts, I ended up losing 55 pounds.”

!ose changes became the basis for RAD Juice’s approach to nutrition, which emphasizes raw

ingredients, minimal processing and short supply chains. According to the company, RAD Juice works with organic distributors and local farmers to source produce for its blends.

!e company sells its products in glass containers and uses a cold-pressure process that avoids heat. According to the company, each bottle contains two pounds of organic produce, allowing consumers to ingest fruits and vegetables in liquid form without cooking or processing.

But, since the juice isn’t pasteurized, RAD Juice products have a shorter shelf life than grocery store juices. Plough said it aligns with the company’s broader goal of prioritizing nutritional value over scale.

“RAD stands for Raw and

Delicious,” Plough said. “We’re anti-pasteurization.”

Plough said one of the biggest downfalls of raw juice is its six-day shelf life.

“If we press it on a Monday, it’s good until the end-of-the-day Sunday. But that’s also what’s so special about it,” he said.

EXPANDING DISTRIBUTION

Plough said recent growth has been driven by an increasing community demand, which led to expanding distribution.

“Man, we’ve been making a lot of juice,” he said. “!e demand that we’ve received from our community has been insane.”

As demand for RAD Juice

increased, production scaled with it. Plough said the business now produces between 12,000 and 15,000 bottles per month across all distribution channels, including private labeling for other companies.

RAD Juice now sells at $ve farmers markets each week, with plans to increase to eight during the summer months. In addition to markets, the company operates refrigerator placements at local businesses, residential delivery subscriptions and private labeling services.

“We have a lot of people who are on weekly subscriptions that get juice delivered every Tuesday to their door,” Plough said.

Plough said rapid growth has created both opportunity and strain.

“Growing so quickly, it is a love-hate

relationship,” he said. “Obviously super thankful for all the sales that have come our way, but you also have to be able to ful$ll those sales.”

RAD Juice is distributed through local grocery stores, co-ops and markets rather than national chains due to regulations surrounding raw juice.

SCALING UP OPERATION

RAD Juice’s growth has required additional sta and formal management roles. Hansen Steiger serves as RAD Juice’s production manager and oversees daily operations.

“We do a little bit of everything,” Steiger said. We all wear a lot of hats.”

!e pace of work varies daily, but Steiger is happy the company has remained collaborative.

“One of my favorite things about this job is that no two days are the same,” Steiger said. “It’s always a little di erent, which is a lot of fun. We’ve got a great crew.”

Tyler Black works in prep at RAD Juice and previously spent seven years as a sushi chef. Black said he

$rst encountered RAD Juice as a customer before joining the team.

“I actually saw it a while ago, the juice at Food Co-op,” he said. “And then one day I was like, ‘You know what? I’ll just give them a call.”

MORE PRODUCTS

While cold-pressed juice remains the foundation of the business, RAD Juice has branched into functional beverages aimed at o ering cleaner alternatives to mainstream sports drinks and protein shakes.

!e company’s alternative to sports drinks was creating and selling an electrolyte drink called RAD Power, made primarily from raw coconut water. Plough described RAD Power as “a Prime or a Gatorade without the chemicals.”

Since its release, RAD Power has become one of the company’s top-selling products.

“When we released RAD Power, it was perceived really well by the community,” Plough said. “It’s one of our number one sellers, and I think it’s going to turn into its own

lane, its own category.”

RAD Juice built on the success of RAD Power by debuting a new product, RAD Fuel, at local farmers markets on !ursday, Feb. 5. RAD Fuel is a coconut-based, preservative-free protein shake designed as a grab-and-go alternative to mainstream options. Each bottle contains 25 grams of protein.

Plough said the drink maintains the company’s focus on simplicity and freshness, and that it was a natural next step because RAD Juice can use the same coconut supply it already sources for RAD Power.

“We have our coconut supply that we already use for our hydration drink, Rad Power,” Plough said. “So really it’s just another extension of that, which I think is going to be awesome. Everyone’s protein-de$cient, and it’ll be good to get people some clean protein.”

Rather than chasing every new idea, he said he views RAD Fuel as a natural extension of the company’s core philosophy.

“One of the hardest parts about being an entrepreneur is you get

all these ideas that come into your head,” he said. “But one of the hardest parts is just staying within your lane.”

STAYING LOCAL AND LOOKING AHEAD

For now, Plough said RAD Juice is not focused on expanding beyond the Central Coast. Instead, he is prioritizing consistency and re$nement at home, and views the business as still being in its early stages.

When Plough $rst outlined his vision for the business, his goals were ambitious.

At the time, he set a target of pressing 100,000 pounds of produce, a milestone that felt signi$cant for an operation that had only recently been limited to small batches for a handful of farmers’ markets.

In three years, the company accomplished nearly four times their goal.

“We’re almost at 400,000 pounds of produce pressed,” Plough said. “And we just completed year three of the business. We’ve crushed that goal.”

Today, Rad Juice produces

thousands of bottles each month, supplies multiple locations throughout the Central Coast and continues to diversify its product o erings, all while remaining $rmly anchored in San Luis Obispo.

Plough said any future growth would likely follow a localized production model rather than a single large operation.

“It is a lot of work to make even just a single bottle of RAD Juice, let alone the thousands that we do each week,” Plough said, adding that the e ort remains worth it.

“You have good weeks and bad weeks. But one of the most special things about the business is we’ll have a rough week, like, ‘Can we make all this juice? Can we get there? Can we get to the markets in time?’ … and just this last week we completely sold out of everything, and you look back, and you’re like, ‘!is is insane.’ So at least we’re getting rewarded for the e ort that we’re putting in.”

e video and audio versions of this story have been previously published digitally.

OPINION

Valentine’s Day gi s should be more specific:

Something to fit your partner’s

preferred love language

OPINION

BY

MADDIE KUHNS

DESIGNED BY

MAYA SHINDEN

Maddie Kuhns is a journalism senior and Mustang News opinion columnist. e opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily re ect those of Mustang Media Group.

It’s that time of year again! Time to equate our love into a plastic box of chocolates and a last-minute card bought from Walgreens. Or not! We’re adults now, so it’s not the time for lazy gift giving and last-minute presents.

How hard could it possibly be?

For those of us who aren’t born with natural gift-giving superpowers, nailing the perfect Valentine’s Day gift is a daring feat.

You may also be questioning: Am I spending too much? Too little? Am I spilling my guts for someone I’ve been seeing for two months?

Before you drive yourself crazy over searching far and wide for the perfect gift, take a few steps back. Valentine’s Day is about connection and showing appreciation to that special person who makes your life better. But not everyone loves a box of chocolates or fancy jewelry. How do you shop for somebody who just wants to spend time with you?

!is Valentine’s Day, I propose getting to know your partner’s love language before you decide how to show your love. A love language is the way that we as partners prefer to give and receive love. Do they love fresh %owers, quality time together

or are they more of a words person?

No matter how you and your partner give and receive love, you both deserve to feel appreciated and valued. !is guide will help you give the best gift this Valentine’s Day — and maybe even one-up their ex from last year.

WORDS OF AFFIRMATION

If you have a partner who is a big fan of saying “I love you” over the phone, takes compliments well and is a big texter, words of a rmation may be one of their top love languages.

A good gift: a hand-written card

I am a big lover of card-writing. Writing your love avoids the pressure to have a perfectly practiced speech to say to your partner. Describe your favorite things about them or share a favorite moment you had with them. Just remember to keep it simple and truthful.

Even better: an original poem !is is your chance to tap into your creativity and rhyming schemes. Love poems are a personal favorite of mine. What better way to tell your partner you love them than by comparing them to the warmth of the morning sun or the way their eyes twinkle like the stars above?

Best: a jar full of “reasons I love you” !oughtful gifts are speci$c gifts. Writing the speci$c reasons you love your partner shows thoughtful time put into planning a gift, and is unique to the person. A word of

a rmation-er will go crazy for a jar full of compliments.

PHYSICAL TOUCH

If your partner is someone who loves to always be holding hands, is a big hugger and prioritizes physical intimacy, physical touch is probably one of their top love languages.

A good gift: plan an at-home movie night with cuddling, snacks and their favorite $lm.

!is is your time to just be close to your partner and have some alone time.

Even better: take them dancing. A night out on the town, or even better, a dance class, is the perfect chance to be hand-in-hand with your partner. In my opinion, one of the most appropriate ways to show PDA is through getting groovy with someone.

Best: a personal spa day for your partner.

Plan an at-home spa day for your partner. Get them bath bombs, lotions and body oils to pamper them with a massage.

RECEIVING GIFTS

If your partner loves it when you bring them a co ee unannounced, likes “the $ner things in life” and is a big shopper, their love language may be receiving gifts.

A good gift: their favorite baked goods .

Take the time to make or buy your

partner’s favorite sweet treat and wrap it up in a nice little package.

Even better: jewelry with their initials or name

Personalized jewelry is a classic V-day gift to impress your partner. Make sure you know what metal your partner prefers to wear. If you want to go a step further, get your partner’s birthstone or get a message engraved.

Best: $nd their secret wishlist, and study hard.

If they have a Pinterest account, see what they’ve been saving, or try to think of something they’ve been talking about for a while. Nothing beats a “How did you know I’ve been wanting this?!”

QUALITY TIME

!is person likes to have their calendar marked o with your name and appreciates one-on-one activities. !is love language is all about being around each other and sharing experiences together.

A good gift: take them on a hike with a picnic, or stroll through a park/museum with co ee.

People who love quality time don’t need the most expensive or elaborate plan; they appreciate one-onone time. A long hike gives you the chance to get lost together for a few hours, and a museum could be a chance for a couple of hours of quiet re%ection.

Even better: take a skills class like cooking, painting or crafts together.

Learn something fun together that takes teamwork, and is an experience you can remember. After you take the class, you can try the activity at home together and could even become a new hobby for you two.

Best: plan a weekend excursion somewhere for the two of you.

A long drive somewhere equals even more quality time spent together on top of fun time at the destination.

ACTS OF SERVICE

!is person loves when other people take care of tasks for them and receive help in the places they would normally cover themself.

A good gift: o er to be their chauffeur for the week.

Drive your partner to all the places they need to be, with bonus points for stocking the console with snacks and water.

Even better: a home-cooked meal (or many meals).

!e best way to the heart is always through the stomach. Especially for a partner who has had a busy day and just wants a comforting meal, not having to cook for themselves relieves a big burden.

Best: personal assistant for the day.

Need laundry done? On it. Been meaning to pick up a book from the library? Already checked out. Whatever they need, you’ve got it covered.

JDAWG SAYS: How to post your lover

From age gap to lab partners, here’s how to create the perfect Instagram post

SATIRE BY JDAWG

DESIGNED BY JULIA HAZEMOTO

e Manure is Mustang News’ satire content. JDAWG SAYS is a satirical advice column written by a Mustang News sta member. is content is intended to be satirical and does not necessarily represent the views of Mustang News.

is article contains content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

College is crazy. Some of you will be getting a ring before spring and others still have not had a $rst kiss. !e art of crafting the perfect post of your boyfriend or girlfriend or $ancé or “partner” can be challenging.

Publicly associating with them can be nerve-wracking. Posting your lover is basically like saying, “Mom, here is who is cracking me in the room you pay rent for.” Let me guide you through the process of posting for every type of college relationship.

The age gap

Posting your older man might be more brave than running your hands through his toupee. But, hey, if that is where your heart lies, I say just hit post. Choose the absolutely most innocent picture of you guys on a hike and turn on Do Not Disturb. It’s time to rip o the bandage and let everyone know you may have daddy issues.

The coming out

!is type of post is nice sometimes, I guess. Let me be clear, JDAWG has gay friends. BUT, you guys, I can’t stand the awkward kissing sel$es with big rainbow %ags shooting out of cannons in the background to prove your love. So save that for June, and just post a cute dinner picture that is devoid of dairy, beans or spicy food.

The rebound

If you and your ex still follow each other, this is going to feel good. You should post something slightly scandalous and include a song that you and your ex used to listen to. No regrets are needed here because you’re going to archive this post in a few weeks when your rebound inevitably gives you the ick.

The since freshman-year

Your followers either love or hate you by now, which is basically how you feel about this relationship. As graduation nears, the will-they-won’t-they get together from the dorms has turned into will-they-won’t-they move in together post-grad. You should just post a poll at this point to see what your friends actually think.

The long-distance

Posting this type of relationship is the most challenging logistically. Posting a FaceTime screenshot is cheugy, and posting a story of the stu ed animal they got you is creepy. !e best way to go about this is clear: photoshop their face onto a sel$e with that friend you told them not to worry about.

The situationship

Do not post them. !ey do not deserve your public declaration — other than maybe a soft launch story to make the rest of your roster a little jealous.