March 3, 2026 Mustang News

MUSTANG NEWS

EYES THAT NEVER BLINK

In March of 2025, Cal Poly signed a contract with surveillance company Flock Safety

NEWS: UNIVERSITY HOUSING

LEADERSHIP

ARCHANA PISUPATI

Editor in Chief

JEREMY GARZA

Managing Editor

AVIV KESAR

Creative Director

CAROLINE OHLANDT

Print Editor

LEILA TOUATI

Digital Director

MUSTANG NEWS

NEWS

Carly Heltzel News Editor

Bella Cox Assistant News Editor

Kaylin O’Connell Assistant News Editor

Katy Clark

Angel Corzo

Everlynn Dionne

Sam Fickett

Grace Gillio

Abby Gorman

Alan Ko

Alexander Kohm

Emilia Valero Martínez

Riya Minglani

Nishita Mukherjee

Ginger Perez

Seth Pintar

Ashley Strain

Rebecca Von Tersch

OPINION

Landon Block Opinion Editor

Kaylie Wang Assistant Opinion Editor

Avery Adelini

Ash Pickett

Larena Tannert

Madi Taylor

Madeline Kuhns

Mariko Garrett

Shayna Gayer

Malia Mundy Satire Columnist

SPORTS

Amanda Avila Sports Content Director

Charlie Wiltsee Sports Editor

Dylan Allen Sports Video Editor

Ty Soria KCPR Sports Director

Joslen Jimenez Sports Social Media Manager

Matthew Muren Assistant Sports Editor

Ava Acuesta

Andrew Aguiniga

Noemi Bascara

Jacob Binder

Rocco Brichler

Isabella Fierros

Ava Keshtkar

Colby Love

Lilia McCann

Giada Mennucci

Grace Nishanian

Oliver Marburg

Samantha Roach

Jonathan Sze

Ali Tafesh

Quinlan TeSelle

Tyler O’Neal Westerweck

MUSTANG MEDIA GROUP

DESIGN

Aviv Kesar Creative Director

Meher Anklesaria

Natalia Celebrini

Ava Cheung

Ava Donaldson

Nhi Duong

Julia Hazemoto

Anika Loganathan

Kennedy Ray

Maya Shinden

Elena Vaughan

VIDEO

RJ Pollock MNTV Director

Lauren Quijano Assistant MNTV Director

Parker Cinque

Kimber Draughon

Aneka Edwards

Sedona Harris

Delaney Hill

Mia Muzzi

Roman Noravian

Chloë Schauermann

Dylan White

PHOTO

Soha Roy Photo Editor

Emma Arredondo

Liz Bennett

Ben Blaylock

Léa Bourges-Sevenier

Chloe Briote-Johnson

Joe Capra

Mia Dahlgren

Lloyd Esola

Amery Gill

Henry Miller

Bia Sommers

SOCIAL MEDIA

Gabrielle Ottaviano Social Media Manager

Chloe Gilb

Eva Grove

Sedona Harris

Sydney Hecht

Kaitlyn Knopf

Leah Orsini

Olivia Roman

Maya Ziv

DATA & INVESTIGATIONS

Beck Schemenauer Data Editor

Julia Aptekar

Dilraj Dhaliwal

Amy Truong

Kaviya Veerasingam

Addie Weaver

Nicole Yee

BILINGUAL

Suri Moreno Bilingual Editor

Isabella Beltran

Evelyn Santa Rosa

Addison Uhl

KCPR LEADERSHIP

Amelia Nored Programming/Music Director

Fiona Hastings News Director

Marley Logan Content Director

Linnaea Marks Art Director

Ben Shane Podcast Director

Jeremy Okmin Marketing Director

Bailee Isackson Photo Editor

Peyton Kelly Social Media Manager

KCPR NEWS

Fiona Hastings News Director

Riley Sullivan Assistant News Director

Ty Soria Sports Director

Andrew Aguiniga

Amanda Avila

Katy Clark

Aneka Edwards

Diego Puga Escobar

Giselle Espinoza

Ryan Giocamini

Lia Griffiths

Larsen Jensen

Makena Locsin

Suri Moreno

Sophia Moreno

Keegan Oates

Alyssa Parikh

Lauren Quijano

Delaney Ridder

Lily Segelman

Cayden Tan

Dylan White

Charlie Wiltsee

KCPR CONTENT

Marley Logan Content Director

Olivia Nieporte Editorial Assistant

Ayla Boose

Max Brode

Lorenzo Cano

Ishaani Dhanotra

Elsa Fuentes Virabyan

Ella Giuliani

Sarah Jagielski

Iris Langen

George Meza

Kat Orozco

Emilia Pirir

Angie Stevens

MMG BUSINESS

ADVERTISING & PR

Logan Teixeira Advertising Manager

Sydnie Bierma Special Sections Editor

Zoë Laureta Marketing and Public Relations

Director

Nicolas Parrott Marketing Assistant

Ruby Beye Small Team Manager

Angie Ho Small Team Manager

ADVERTISING DESIGNERS

Teia Kornienko Design Team Manager

Christine Kim

Lucas Winger

Maya Shinden

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Katelyn Carrera Senior Account Executive

Tara Davari KCPR Account Executive

Wesley Bea

Ruby Beye

Julia Moore

Akshay Perumal

Maz Reeder

Quinn Southall

Kyle Stefan

Janalee Taguia

SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITERS

Sydnie Bierma Editor

Ishaani Dhanotra

Lillian Dolph

Abby Moran

Julia Nunez

Samantha Orradre

Ginger Perez

Kate Roarke

Maxine St. Sure

Allison Weil

Ava Welcher

ADVISERS

Schlitt

Piburn

Some would say you are holding the most important issue of Mustang News in print of the year. This issue is the one we will take with us to our annual conference for judging. Critics and other newsrooms will see this paper and decide if we are creating an engaging product.

While the awards rush is exciting, that is not what is keeping us up late at night — no offense to the lovely judges. Our staff puts in long hours of reporting, writing and recording the community to the best of our abilities because this is our passion. We want to get you the stories that matter in your hands and minds.

The world and school and even some of the stories in these pages can be overwhelming. We want to also be a source of meditation, so take a second and pull out those crayons. This page was intentionally left blank for you to declutter your mind and color a little bit.

This is a special edition of our print because nearly every team in our organization is represented. From all three of our news teams and en Español team, to our sports and culture reporters, a wide variety of storytelling is printed on these pages. There’s even a little goonmogging satire to make you laugh.

This month is already feeling nostalgic. It’s the last month we’ll be the sole editorial leaders in discussions about MMG. Starting April, we’ll begin training the new Editor in Chief and Managing Editor to make important strides for our organization. It’s in times like these we reminisce a lot about how our paths have converged and separated since our freshman year on the news team. We loved piecing these stories together for March print. We hope you love reading it — maybe with a little charcuterie board and glass of wine. As always, reach out! We want to hear from you, and we’re serious. If you got a story or an idea for us or even a gripe, let us know. Find that email at the bottom of the page. But for now, over and out.

SINCERELY,

ARCHANA PISUPATI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JEREMY GARZA

MANAGING EDITOR

Turning seaweed into sustainability: Ecoplasticity shapes the future of eco-friendly products

Sargassum seaweed floating in the ocean and covering the beach. The Gulf of Mexico and the eastern coast of Florida are among regions at high risk to the invasive species.

When Mayela Fernandez used to visit the Caribbean with her family, she witnessed the effects of sargassum, a decomposing seaweed that releases toxic chemicals into the air.

Piles of decaying brown seaweed stretched across the shore, filling the air with a noticeable stench.

Since 2011, several coastal zones from Cancun to Havana to Miami have endured serious economic, environmental and public health concerns caused by the invasive species.

Fernandez knew there had to be a way to stop sargassum from harming communities and restricting beach access. After observing product

developers in Southeast Asia making sustainable packaging with kelp and seaweed, she speculated sargassum could be an opportunity to turn poison into a positive impact.

Fernandez, now a master’s of business administration graduate student, and Michelle Cullen, a polymers and coatings master’s student, are bringing a bio-derived product called Ecoplasticity to life. Officially founded in 2025, the sustainable alternative to plastic linings on food service containers uses toxinfree sargassum seaweed as the product base.

“We all have one goal in mind with Ecoplasticity,” Fernandez said.

“It’s to develop a 100% bio-based, high-performance coating without compromising the nature of it.” Ecoplasticity has now secured

$100,000 of funding from private organizations, pitch competitions, the Cal Poly Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship summer accelerator and the Cal Poly Baker & Koob endowment, supporting their newest hire, lab development, travel and more.

Ecoplasticity’s seaweed lining allows food service companies to swap out plastic for fully compostable and recyclable seaweed coatings. These linings are applied to paperboard food packaging, similar to what students use daily at Cal Poly. Linings help stop grease, oil and liquids from soaking through or altering the container’s rigidity.

There is a California law that holds companies accountable in their sustainability practices, fining up to $50,000 a day for corporations

without fully compostable or recyclable packaging.

“Fortunately, these laws actually give our product a competitive edge over other products on the market right now,” Cullen said. “We’re able to claim that our product is plastic-free, compostable, biodegradable, bio-based and recyclable.”

HOW A PASSION FOR SUSTAINABILITY DRIVES ECOPLASTICITY

Early on, Fernandez used guidance from Tom Katona, director of Student Innovations Programs for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, to jumpstart the business, even when the technical requirements for Ecoplasticity were unfamiliar to her.

“It didn’t matter that she wasn’t a material scientist or a chemist,” Katona said. “She was just trying to figure stuff out, and I thought that just showed a lot of initiative.”

Cullen joined the project to complement Fernandez’s expertise in business with her own experience in materials engineering. As a team, they worked towards turning a toxic problem into a sustainable solution.

“I really like the innovative space,” Cullen said. “That’s why I wanted to work on this, because it was something new. I’ve always been really interested in sustainability.”

Chemical engineer Adam GrosvirtDramen, the newest addition to Ecoplasticity’s technical team, experimented out of his garage for the first four months. The recent switch to a small incubator space has provided access to lab equipment, more advanced chemical testing and lab space, according to Grosvirt-Dramen.

“The best part has been working on something that I’m not only fully interested in, but also something that has a real-world impact,” GrosvirtDramen said.

Grosvirt-Dramen is continuing to develop Ecoplasticity’s coating formula while they send out samples to potential customers. Last summer, during their

participation in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Summer Accelerator, the co-founders conducted the most customer discovery interviews they had done in such a condensed time span, according to Cullen. Client reviews are valuable, providing constructive feedback and affirming they are heading in the right direction, Fernandez said.

Ecoplasticity is also supported through a senior project in the materials engineering department.

Four Cal Poly students are currently experimenting with cross-linking ions, trying to trigger their release to create solid coatings. This opportunity provides students with hands-on experience and contributes additional effort to Ecoplasticity’s mission, materials engineering professor Seamus Jones said.

Jones supervises the senior project and supported Cullen through an independent study course focused on Ecoplasticity’s initial lab development.

“We have a lot of students who want to do impactful, industry-relevant things,” Jones said. “I like that our students can feel prepared to do things that they didn’t expect to do.”

From the beginning, Cullen and Fernandez were very specific in their mission, according to Jones.

Competitions such as Innovation Quest in 2025 helped prepare the founders to speak in public and feel more confident explaining their product’s purpose, according to Cullen. Ecoplasticity is one of six finalists in AngelCon 2026, competing for the prize funding this April.

Currently, Ecoplasticity is partnering with businesses to build the best product possible, Fernandez said. Cullen noted that their next steps include filing for a provisional patent and continuing to work towards their final formula.

“At the beginning, my confidence was based on motivation and hope,” Fernandez said. “Right now, I have motivation and hope and also evidence that it’s working.”

University Housing stiffens exemption criteria, leaving students left uncertain

Student’s financial- and disibility-related requests complicated after University Housing alters on-campus housing exemptions

STORY BY EMI VALERO MARTINEZ AND LIZ BENNETT DESIGNED BY MAYA SHINDEN

As first-year students began receiving their on-campus housing exemption decisions this year, some were surprised and frustrated by denials they had not expected. In previous years, exemption criteria was broader and allowed for appeals once a decision was made, but this year Cal Poly University Housing changed the process.

University Housing now requires a FAFSA for proof of financial need and does not allow for appeals. The decision was made to make exemptions more equitable, according to University Housing spokesperson Chris DeMoville. However, students feel it leaves less room for individual circumstances.

First-year students in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences; College of Engineering; and College of Architecture and Environmental Design are required to live on-campus their second year.

Student-athletes, Cal Poly Scholars and TRIO Achievers will also have to live on-campus for two years. In years past, they could request a housing exemption which allows students to bypass the mandatory two-year on campus residency requirement.

For international student Luca Fontes, the updates to the financial exemption criteria have put him and other international students in a confused state.

As an environmental management and protection major paying the high costs of international tuition, any savings he and his family can get matters. Fontes found a place off-campus that could save him nearly $1,000 per month, and he attempted to file for an exemption underneath the financial need category, but had a hard time proving financial need.

“I don’t have any family members or anyone that lives here that pays for taxes or any service, so I can’t apply for financial aid, which would help with the exemption,” Fontes said.

Fontes visited multiple different offices on campus, including

University Housing, the Disability Resource Center, Financial Aid and Dean of Students, searching for help to receive an exemption.

DeMoville says the criteria of housing exemptions itself have not changed, but they were modified to ensure exemptions are applied fairly, consistently and in alignment with the established standards.

However, the elimination of the exemption review committee and appeals process has removed the flexibility from a process that can carry significant financial consequences. Without the opportunity for case-by-case review, students who do not meet the criteria have little formal recourse.

In the exemption committee review process, “requests were reviewed holistically, which often meant evaluating a wide range of personal narratives and supporting documentation,” DeMoville said.

“While this approach was intended to be responsive to individual situations, it ultimately introduced subjectivity and inconsistency into decision-making.”

Cal Poly Scholars, Athletes and newly admitted CAED (second year was 2020–21)

Added newly admitted CENG (second year was 2022–23)

Added newly admitted CAFES (second year was 2021–22)

Added TRIO (second year was 2024–25)

All students are required to live on campus for 2 years

The exemption appeals process has been discontinued. Since the criteria has been changed to be objective, exemptions are determined by whether a student meets the standard or does not, and DeMoville said allowing for appeals would negate that change. University Housing is aiming to create a process that is clear, predictable and applied the same way for all students, according to DeMoville.

Reece Denham, a nutrition freshman and member of Greek life, was denied her exemption within three hours of sending it in.

“I’ll say I’ll live with my sister, I had a letter that she wrote saying ‘I hereby state that Reece Denham will live with me, I put in her electricity bill.” Denham said, “About three hours later, they declined it.”

Denham initially sought an exemption for the ease of being able to participate in Greek life. Before filing for an exemption, she had talked to many upperclassmen who had previously got an exemption and thought it would be a simple process. Her plan was to say she was going to live off campus with her sister, who is also a student at Cal Poly, for the next year. However, her home address on the Cal State application was not her sister’s, and University Housing denied the exemption due to the new local address criteria. With the appeals process being eliminated, Denham was left with no other choices.

CHANGES TO BROADER UNIVERSITY HOUSING PLANS

As written in Cal Poly’s 2035 Master Plan, the university has started the phasing of requiring certain groups live on campus for two years. The Master Plan outlines

the goals Cal Poly wants to achieve by the year 2035 — which includes 65% of students living on campus. Previously, only certain colleges and programs were required to live on campus for two. Now, for the incoming class of 2030 and beyond, it will expand to all students.

University Housing’s reasoning for the requirement is to deepen students’ connections to campus life, foster collaboration and strengthen the Learn by Doing experience. They hope it will alleviate pressure on the San Luis Obispo housing market and the similarity to Deltopia, which has been a concern for city officials for many years.

San Luis Obispo County officials have been working towards creating programs to find solutions for the infrastructure shortage in San Luis Obispo and surrounding cities. The shortage has many Cal Poly students looking at housing and filling out applications in the end of fall quarter and signing leases as early as January.

THE CRITIQUES OF THE ON-CAMPUS HOUSING PROCESS

Cal Poly typically opens the request forms for exemptions in early January. The interest list for students who are not required to live their second year on campus but would like to add their names opened Feb. 12. Residential advisor results come out mid-February, according to University Housing. The timeline of these processes leaves little wiggle room for students who may not know about their RA decision to find adequate housing and sign a lease while competing with thousands of other students.

THE CRITERIA THAT HAS BEEN CLARIFIED:

• Have documented medical or disability circumstances as noted by the Disability Resource Center

• Living locally with your parent or legal guardian at their primary residence within San Luis Obispo County, Santa Maria, Orcutt or Gudalupe at the time of admission to Cal Poly. The address listed on your Cal State application will be used to determine eligibility for this option and cannot be updated. Second or additional local homes owned by the parent or legal guardian do not qualify under this criterion.

• For financial hardship consideration, students must have a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $15,000 or less, determined from the financial aid application.

Although many students received denials, a first-year College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences student, who requested to remain anonymous due to discussing a disability, successfully received her exemption under the medical circumstance category. Her process began before the exemption request form opened in December. She got approval from the Disability Resource Center prior to the application opening so that she knew she was approved before January, and she was clear to sign a lease elsewhere.

The DRC offered her accommodations such as choice for unit location and size within on-campus housing before approving the exemption.

“I was ahead of the game, before most people were thinking about it. I don’t know what it would be like filing it in early January, when the majority of people did,” she said.

A contributing factor to the criteria clarification was to allow decisions to be made efficiently across a large volume of requests. It may be efficient, but it can still leave students in limbo due to the time of year the decisions are released. Denham saw her friends looking for off-campus housing in November and signing leases early winter quarter, while her parents would not allow her to sign a lease until she officially got an exemption.

“It was just a lot of, like, unknown for a while,” Denham said, “It would be nice to be able to have [exemptions] happen earlier in the year because you can’t control when all of the students are going to figure out their housing in the neighborhoods.”

• Living in a fraternity or sorority house. Second year students who are approved to live in an official chapter house. Confirmation from Fraternity and Sorority Life is required.

THE CRITERIA THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT/NO LONGER APPLY:

• Students who are 21 years of age or older

• Students who are changed to a college without a second-year housing requirement; approved Individualized Change of Major Agreement required

• Other requests are considered on a case-by-case basis

Cal Poly installed Flock license plate readers last year, sparking student backlash

In March of 2025, Cal Poly signed a contract with surveillance company Flock Safety

Every time a vehicle, bike or motorcycle enters or exits Cal Poly’s campus, it’s being tracked, often without the driver knowing.

Its license plate is scanned and make and model noted — along with the exact date, time and location by a network of license plate readers monitored by the Cal Poly Police Department.

These readers also record a car’s color, any present damage, bumper stickers and type of tire, allowing cameras to identify vehicles based on cosmetics rather than just a license plate.

In March of 2025, Cal Poly signed a contract with Flock safety, and installed license plate readers and live video cameras at all campus vehicle entrances and exits, according to university spokesperson Matt Lazier. The decision, which was made with limited community input, incited condemnation from students and staff who are concerned about Flock’s potential to have a negative impact on the security of the Cal Poly community.

Flock Safety, a controversial “public safety technology ecosystem,” manufactures license plate readers, drones,

video cameras and audio detectors to provide “safety solutions” to neighborhoods, law enforcement agencies and businesses nationwide. Their license plate readers record billions of monthly reads, according to their website.

Cal Poly currently has 10 Flock license plate recognition cameras, and seven Flock live video cameras, according to the contract between Flock Safety and Cal Poly obtained by Mustang News. At the time of contract signing, the university paid a fee of $42,500 to Flock. A annual fee of $46,500 is required to retain

Flock’s technology on campus.

“As part of its continual efforts to enhance public safety on campus, the university chose to place security cameras to provide law enforcement with additional resources when investigating criminal activity,” Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News.

Flock’s data is “community controlled,” meaning that footage collected on campus is owned by Cal Poly. Data is stored for 30 days and is accessible only by CPPD personnel. Only personnel approved by CPPD have access to the university’s Flock

system, according to Lazier. Jeffrey Lewis, Support Services Lieutenant for CPPD, has been designated as the automated license plate reader administrator, according to guidelines for Flock Cameras usage on CPPD’s website.

To increase police transparency and accountability with the public, Flock Safety launched a public-facing transparency portal that agencies who use Flock can opt-in to, according to Flock Safety’s website.

On Feb. 26, 2026, nearly a year after Cal Poly signed a contract with Flock Safety, CPPD decided to opt-in to a

transparency portal. The cameras have detected 55,070 vehicles in the last 30 days, and CPPD has made 21 searches of the data, according to the transparency portal. CPPD conducted 406 searches through Flock data from June 1 to Feb. 3, 2026 according to Kevin Cushing, public records access officer.

COMMUNITY REACTIONS

Cal Poly had “general discussions” with ASI leadership before the Flock cameras were installed, according to Lazier. However, Mustang News found no formal Cal Poly announcement that Flock Safety’s plate recognition technology was to be utilized on campus. Some students and staff are left

wondering where the line is drawn between safety and surveillance.

Ryan Jenkins, professor of philosophy at Cal Poly and associate director of the Ethics and Emerging Sciences Group, says he’s worried about the normalization of surveillance in general, especially the expectation that citizens have to “submit” to technology like Flock without knowledge or consent.

“We’re told that it’s being done in our interest and for our benefit. I think that it’s fair to demand more than that in terms of an explanation,” Jenkins said. “I think it’s fair to understand how the data are used, who has access to them, what real kind of technical safeguards we have.”

Regardless of whether CPPD is

trying to increase campus safety by implementing Flock cameras, Jenkins believes Flock is still a risk for the community.

To Jenkins, the danger that Flock might put the Cal Poly community in must be weighed against the potential benefits. It is concerning to him that the data Flock collects can be weaponized against Cal Poly students without CPPD or the university’s knowledge.

According to Jenkins, multiple communities have had their Flock data queried by the federal government by overriding settings put in place by police departments to allow them to access this data without administrator knowledge.

The Mountain View Police Department temporarily shut

off their Flock cameras this year after finding that federal agencies accessed data from the cameras without the department’s knowledge, according to a press release from the city of Mountain View.

“That should be chilling to everyone on campus, even the people who have our safety as their primary mission,” Jenkins said.

That should be chilling to everyone on campus, even the people who have our safety as their primary mission

RYAN JENKINS

Professor of Philosophy

Whenever personal data is amassed to the degree that Flock cameras are capable of, “that data is going to be very tantalizing for a lot of bad actors,” Jenkins said. That can take the form of hackers who want to blackmail people, or even community members who have access to the data who then will use it for stalking, according to Jenkins.

STATEWIDE ADOPTION

Flock is involved with controversy over unlawful data sharing across California. In October 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the city of El Cajon for sharing Flock data with federal and out-of-state law enforcement agencies. Under California Senate Bill 34, sharing license plate recognition data with out-of-state or federal law enforcement is prohibited.

In San Francisco and Oakland, local law enforcement agencies have allegedly repeatedly violated this bill by sharing Flock data with federal law enforcement agencies, as previously reported by The San Francisco Standard.

Business administration freshman Tobias Halpern first became aware of the Flock license plate scanners when he returned from winter break this year. Back at home in the Bay Area, various police departments are using Flock cameras, and Halpern was alarmed to learn that Cal Poly was utilizing this technology too.

“It kind of pissed me off,” Halpern said. “I was like woah, no way Cal Poly is putting these here. I thought that was just something big police departments did in like Oakland or Berkeley.”

Halpern decided to take action,

creating a Change.org petition and educating fellow students about the technology through Reddit and Instagram. Halpern’s petition details his complaints with Flock’s technology’s use on Cal Poly campus and encourages Cal Poly to rethink its contract with Flock to protect student freedoms.

Halpern’s main concern with Flock Safety is abuse, especially sharing data with outside law enforcement in ways that disproportionately affect marginalized communities.

“Even though we have administrative policy of not sharing data with ICE, if they have a buddy that’s in ICE or any federal law enforcement agency really, that’s not supposed to be shared data with, they could just do a search on their behalf,” Halpern said.

CPPD shares data with other law enforcement agencies on a case-bycase basis with the approval of Cal Poly’s chief of police. By Cal State policy and California state law, CPPD will not share data with immigration officers unless required by a court order, according to Lazier.

Flock, however, reserves the right to collect and anonymize customer data to train their “machine learning algorithms.” Flock also can share footage with law enforcement, government officials or third parties when legally required or if Flock has a “good faith belief” that such action is “reasonably necessary” to comply with legal obligations or address security and emergency issues, according to the contract between Flock and Cal Poly obtained by Mustang News.

To Jenkins, Flock claiming the right to indefinitely retain data is a red flag. If some degree of privacy is sacrificed for security by utilizing Flock on campus, significant work needs to be done to ensure the sacrifice is minimal.

“It doesn’t mean that cameras are always the wrong move, but it means if you’re going to use them, we need bulletproof assurances about how that data is being collected and used,” Jenkins said.

It doesn’t mean that cameras are always the wrong move, but it means if you’re going to use them, we need bulletproof assurances about how that data is being collected and used

RYAN JENKINS Professor of Philosophy

Block the Flock: Put our community’s freedom and privacy first

OPINION BY

LANDON BLOCK DESIGNED BY ANIKA LOGANATHAN

Landon Block is a political science senior and the Opinion Editor at Mustang News. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.

“Smile, you’re on camera!”

You might see this sign entering a pharmacy or when using self-checkout, but you probably don’t imagine seeing it every time you enter campus. As it turns out, Cal Poly has had 17 Flock Safety cameras, several sporting advanced license plate recognition systems, placed around campus entrances since March 2025, according to documents obtained by Mustang News. The City of San Luis Obispo has had four more around town since 2023, according to San Luis Obispo Police Public Affairs Manager Christine Wallace.

These camera systems might be intended to protect our safety, but they are putting us at risk. They enable enhanced surveillance that can be used to target Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo students, families and visitors. Even just partnering with a company like Flock enables the targeting of similar communities across the country.

Flock’s cameras don’t just record passively. They identify, collect and store information like vehicle license plate numbers, color, make, model and distinguishing features, according to university spokesperson Matt Lazier. The cameras don’t use facial recognition software, but they do capture people alongside vehicles passing through.

The real danger of Flock’s camera system comes with the national license plate recognition network, which allows law enforcement agencies from across the country to access any participating agency’s footage. Cal Poly’s cameras do not participate in this network and have stricter release requirements, according to Lazier. Cameras around San Luis Obispo do participate, according to Wallace.

There have been 406 Flock searches conducted by Cal Poly police from June 2025 through Feb. 3, 2026, according to Public Records Access Officer Kevin Cushing. CPPD has not

sent the data to any outside organizations, according to Lazier.

There have been 561 requests sent to the San Luis Obispo Police Department by outside organizations from January 2023 to November 2025, according to documents obtained by Mustang News. These searches came from police departments in California, Nevada, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and Idaho.

By law, SLOPD isn’t allowed to share any data with agencies outside California, according to Wallace. Still, sanctuary state laws may not protect residents from exposure, as previously reported by 404Media, tech-focused investigative journalism organization.

While Flock claims not to share data with ICE and other federal agencies, 404Media found ICE uses “friendly” local law enforcement to process their requests for them. That means, with the right query, ICE can still search SLO’s streets for their desired license plates.

Here in California, ICE and external law enforcement have allegedly received illegal access to cities’ Flock data, as previously reported by ABC 7 and CalMatters. Local police in Mountain View found federal agencies accessed their data even though they didn’t opt in to the national lookup network, as previously reported by KQED.

While noble law enforcement may be a valiant goal, ICE’s actions in recent months are anything but just. Cruel raids in the last year ripped longtime community members from their homes and jobs, sent people without a criminal record to a foreign torture center, killed two American citizens and at least 31 more immigrants in ICE custody.

Even if SLOPD wasn’t potentially benefiting ICE, these cameras still introduce enough surveillance to worry residents because they put too much consolidated information in one place. Flock’s proprietary “Vehicle Fingerprint” technology allows more detailed tracking of vehicle details, beyond technology we’re used to seeing.

Flock’s cameras track your movements, schedule and patterns. While they aren’t designed to track people, and there are laws in

place meant to prevent this, this very system has shown loopholes in similar situations.

If laws and policies meant to stop ICE and other federal agencies from accessing Flock data can be bypassed, it’s easy to imagine further abuses of power could misuse Flock systems against Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo. We can’t continue supporting such activities, both rhetorically and financially.

CPPD pays Flock $46,500 annually for hardware and software services, according to documents obtained by Mustang News. SLOPD also pays $10,000 per year to fulfill its contract, according to Wallace.

At the very least, Cal Poly and SLOPD need to publicly and loudly make full use of the transparency portal, to accessibly show who is searching for their data and what types of data are included. Cal Poly quietly released its portal in late-February, but SLOPD has yet to take similar action. Every student, faculty member, and visitor should know where they can find updates on the surveillance that tracks them every day.

Beyond transparency, it’s time we cut these contracts. Flock isn’t a trustworthy partner and is being exploited to victimize the very communities they claim to make safer. Communities in Los Altos Hills and Santa Cruz have come to the same conclusion and severed ties with Flock after community backlash. Other companies provide similar services that don’t run the same community risk.

I understand this will come at a significant financial cost to Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo. But this cost is tolerable, if not necessary, to prioritize community safety. After all, safety doesn’t just mean catching criminals. It extends to upholding the freedoms and liberties we deserve: protecting our privacy and security, even if it makes it harder to follow cars.

It doesn’t sit right with me to work with Flock at any level. This technology is being misused across the country to unlawfully target our immigrant neighbors. We can’t continue to be complicit in letting it happen to them, and we shouldn’t have to wait until it happens to all of us.

Student club gears up for satellite launch into orbit

PolySat lab prepares for March 29 SpaceX launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base

STORY BY PARKER CINQUE

DESIGNED BY AVA DONALDSON

Students are working on projects all over campus, but not many can say their project leave the planet.

A student-made satellite developed at Cal Poly’s PolySat Lab is scheduled to launch into space on March 29 aboard a SpaceX rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, according to PolySat Education and Outreach Director Sage Russell.

Students in the Engineering IV-based lab have been building the satellite since 2023 under director John Bellardo, with support from

local launch partner Maverick Space Systems, according to Russell.

The SAL-E satellite is an acronym for Streamlined Assembled Learning Experiment. The satellite is named after United States astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, electrical engineering junior Berfredd Quezon said.

The satellite will carry two payloads: a microchip being tested as a new technique for sensing radiation and a new radio communication device, according to Quezon.

Mechanical engineering sophomore Matthew Fletcher is grateful he gets the opportunity to work on

satellites so early on in his college education.

“It’s fairly unique that a college allows you as an undergrad to build satellites,” Fletcher said. “Being able to come as a freshman and say, ‘hey, I want to make a satellite,’ and then being given that opportunity is really amazing.”

Different teams handle everything from control systems and body manufacturing to electronics and software. These teams come together in the lab space to get these projects off the ground and into low Earth orbit.

“The main purpose of this lab is to give everyone an educational opportunity and an experience with satellites, but then also supporting their coursework,” said aerospace engineering sophomore Harper Dame.

CAL POLY’S REVOLUTIONARY SATELLITE DESIGN

The PolySat lab developed a type of satellite called CubeSats — small, cube-shaped satellites designed to be relatively low-cost and easy to construct. The satellites are roughly the size of a Rubik’s Cube and can be combined to make space for extra equipment.

CubeSats were first developed in a joint project between Cal Poly and Stanford in 1999 as a way for students to have a more hands-on approach

to aerospace development, according to Dame. Although the first CubeSats launch occurred in 2003, the standard wasn’t finalized until 2004, according to the European Space Agency.

The CubeSat standard has helped revolutionize space travel, enabling organizations that previously had no access to space hardware to make satellites of their own at a small size and cost, according to the European Space Agency.

Cal Poly’s first successful launch was in 2007, deploying satellites CP3 and CP4 into orbit from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, according to the PolySat lab’s website. The team carried devices called magnetometers and experimental energy dissipation hardware, respectively. Since then, PolySat has successfully launched 11 satellites into orbit, and they have many more projects in the works.

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREERS

Both the students themselves and Ballardo are proud of their work and the future of PolySat graduates.

“I think it’s really important to recognize the hard work everyone puts in here at this lab,” said aerospace engineering junior Drew Stannard-Stockton. “They’re really kind of going out of their way to put in hard work to make this dream come true and get some stuff to space.”

Bellardo noted over the last two decades, many alumni have continued pursuing their interest in space, leveraging their education to build careers across diverse aerospace and technology firms. They worked on technologies like Starlink and cell phones using the skills they learned in the lab right here on campus.

As SAL-E heads into orbit and the participating students get to see their hard work and passion come together, the PolySat lab continues to empower students for their future and make a lasting impact on the aerospace sector and beyond.

ST FRATTY’S DAY IN SAN LUIS OBISPO

A MUSTANG NEWS RETROSPECTIVE

STORY BY DYLAN WHITE DESIGNED BY NATALIA CELEBRINI

This timeline is based exclusively on past Mustang Media Group reporting, live coverage, opinion columns and letters to the editor.

Roof collapse. Block party. Riots. What started as informal student gatherings tied to St. Patrick’s Day has morphed into one of San Luis Obispo’s most coordinated annual public safety efforts.

The event grew from house parties into large, unsanctioned neighborhood celebrations near Cal Poly. Injuries, resident advocacy, policy changes and increasing institutional involvement have changed how the city and university handle the weekend.

But the event didn’t randomly show up one March. Community members frequently compare St. Fratty’s Day to earlier student traditions that ended after escalating disorder.

2004: MARDI GRAS RIOT

1990: POLY ROYAL ENDED BY RIOTS

Poly Royal began in the 1930s as Cal Poly’s annual open house, featuring agricultural exhibits, parades and rodeos. By 1990, the event drew more than 100,000 visitors to a city of roughly 41,000 residents.

On the night of April 27, 1990, crowds spilled into off-campus neighborhoods after a bicyclist collided with a vehicle, prompting police response. The situation escalated as people threw rocks and bottles at officers, who deployed tear gas and high-pressure water hoses to disperse the gathering.

Police arrested thirty people that night. The following evening, another crowd of about 2,000 people gathered, breaking car windows, lighting bonfires and throwing debris at police. By the end of the weekend, 80 people were arrested and about 100 were treated at local hospitals. Multiple officers were injured, including some who suffered broken arms and wrists.

In response, Cal Poly President Warren Baker announced Poly Royal would be canceled indefinitely. While portions of the tradition later returned in smaller forms such as Open House, the original large-scale festival never resumed.

By the early 2000s, Mardi Gras in San Luis Obispo had grown into what Mustang News later reported as “the biggest celebration west of the Mississippi,” drawing thousands of students and visitors.

That ended on Feb. 21, 2004, when an estimated 5,000 people crowded streets near campus. Revelers threw rocks, bottles and firecrackers at officers, prompting police to deploy tear gas, pepper spray, non-lethal bullets and beanbags. 180 people were arrested that night, multiple officers were injured and the city later reported spending roughly $100,000 on enforcement.

2005: MARDI GRAS CELEBRATIONS OVER

San Luis Obispo launched a major enforcement campaign for Mardi Gras in 2005, bringing in hundreds of officers in riot gear, tripling fines for public drunkenness, noise and public urination and promoting messaging that “the party is over.” Arrests dropped to about 82, a 58% decrease from 2004.

By the late 2000s, Mustang News reported Mardi Gras had largely disappeared as a party weekend. Residents would later reference both Poly Royal and Mardi Gras when urging action on St. Fratty’s Day.

Unlike Poly Royal or Mardi Gras, St. Fratty’s Day developed informally through student networks and social media, expanding from house parties into neighborhood-wide celebrations near campus without official organizers.

MARCH 7, 2015: THE ROOF COLLAPSE

At 6:21 a.m. on March 7, 2015, a garage roof collapsed during a St. Fratty’s Day party on Hathaway Avenue.

Nine people were injured. Two required assisted rescue and one suffered severe but non-life-threatening injuries. Police estimated nearly 1,000 people were nearby, and the building was declared a total loss.

Two weeks later, Cal Poly Greek leadership submitted a letter apologizing and calling the collapse a “wake-up call,” and noted the party was not officially registered.

2018: COMMUNITY REFLECTION

In the years following the collapse, San Luis Obispo introduced voluntary party registration and Safety Enhancement Zones with doubled fines.

In 2019, 2015 survivor Leah Piddington told Mustang News debris narrowly missed a major artery in her leg and said roofs had remained empty in later years.

FEB. 21, 2023: RESIDENTS DEMAND PREVENTION

Residents packed City Council in February 2023 calling for St. Fratty’s Day to be canceled and for expanded enforcement windows.

MARCH 2024: DAMAGE MOUNTS AND ENFORCEMENT INTENSIFIES

Ahead of St. Fratty’s Day in 2024, San Luis Obispo police prepared expanded Safety Enhancement Zones across the first three weekends of March, with doubled fines and increased staffing.

Police also deployed surveillance tools including neighborhood cameras and drones, and discussed the use of undercover officers.

Despite these measures, the 2024 St. Fratty’s block party resulted in more than $24,000 in damages at the Red Bricks residence halls and a record high of 150 reported criminal offenses, including unruly gatherings, public urination, noise violations and public alcohol consumption.

Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong condemned the damage in a campus email following the weekend.

MARCH 2025:

THE FIRST ‘MORNING ON THE GREEN’ — A MUSTANG MUSIC FESTIVAL

On March 10, 2025, Armstrong urged responsible celebration and promoted Morning on the Green as an alternative to off-campus block parties.

Students arrived at the festival by 3:15 a.m., lines surged by 5:20 a.m., barricades collapsed around 6:15 a.m. and hundreds attempted block parties near Hathway Avenue by 7:45 a.m. Four arrests were reported.

San Luis Obispo reported spending roughly $115,000 on containment. Cal Poly disclosed spending $1,167,157 on the weekend.

2026: THE PLANS FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY 2026

Cal Poly announced the festival capacity doubled to 10,000 for this year, along with Odd Mob and Walker & Royce headlining. Later, to deal with the demand, four thousand additional tickets were released during the Feb. 19-20 window. Finally, the city announced a zero-tolerance enforcement plan with Safety Enhancement Zones across all March weekends.

THE EVOLUTION

St. Fratty’s Day has transformed from casual, student-run student parties that it once was into something more coordinated, involving campus festivals, Safety Enhancement Zones, multi-agency policing and seven-figure spending.

Poly Royal and Mardi Gras are examples of how the earlier traditions ended in the wake of unrest.

St. Fratty’s Day, instead, has been reformed with containment, programming and enforcement.

BEHIND THE CUT: HOW WRESTLERS DROP

10

POUNDS

IN TWO DAYS

VIDEO BY ROCCO BRICHLER DESIGNED BY AVA DONALDSON

Two days out from an open tournament in Menlo Park, freshman wrestler Christian Garcia needed to cut nearly ten pounds.

Garcia competes in the 125-pound weight class. But that’s not standard for his typical bodyweight.

“Right now I’m fighting out of 125 (lbs.), and I’m probably walking around at like 134 (lbs.) during the week, and then I’ll slowly drop down,” Garcia said, ahead of the Feb. 7 bout.

When Cal Poly wrestlers prepare for a match, they go through a series of intense practices and workouts to sharpen their skills. Some players, like Garcia, have to go through a serious transformation before they hit the mat on match day.

Head Coach Jon Sioredas explained how the cutting process intensifies over the week, with athletes cutting portions and checking their weight multiple times a day.

“When you get about a day out, you start to take out the water. So normally, at that point, your last workout or two you just won’t hydrate. If you do, it’s very minimal — getting a little bit of electrolytes, but not a ton,” Sioredas said.

Meanwhile, practice doesn’t stop. Wrestlers must power through grueling training on the cut.

“It is definitely a little hard,” Garcia said. “But honestly, I think it’s just more mindset and having faith, and just keep pushing forward.”

In practice, his wrestling partner is the nationally-ranked junior Koda Holeman, who also wrestles in the 125-pound weight class. Garcia wore a hoodie, expecting a light practice, but his coaches had an intense practice of one-on-one matchups planned.

“I knew if he wore that sweater the whole practice, he wasn’t going to be able to wrestle. When you start trying to cut weight, and you’re worried

about sweating instead of wrestling, you’re not going to be able to go out there and compete the whole time,” Holeman said.

Older, more experienced wrestlers often match up with younger ones to help them train. Here, Holeman offers Garcia support, but not sympathy.

“No, there’s no pity for people cutting weight, to be honest,” Holeman said. “It’s part of the sport.”

That sentiment is shared by most wrestlers, but that doesn’t mean they are left on their own. Leading up to match day, coaches guide players’ nutrition, hydration and sleep to set them up for success.

As of March 3, Garcia has never missed weight.

“I think I’ve always been pretty good at it just because I always want to wrestle,” he said. “I kind of like the feeling, because then when I drink water, I feel amazing. And I just love that feeling of chugging water afterwards.”

Garcia’s process seems to be working. He went on to win the Menlo College Oaks Open tournament.

“If you do it properly, it will not negatively affect your performance,” Sioredas said. “You can get down to weight and then fuel back up and be ready to go. So, Chrissy (Christian) does a really good job,” Sioredas said. “Our coaches give us kind of what we need to do. But at the end of the day, it’s up to the person to choose the right decisions, you know, outside of the wrestling room,” Garcia said. Prior to Cal Poly, his dad helped him with his weight management in high school, which set him up for success at the collegiate level.

With each tournament win, Garcia moves closer to joining the experienced members of the wrestling team in more competitive tournaments. Sioredas believes that eventually Garcia will be a contributor.

“Being a first-year freshman, there’s a ton to learn. For someone like Chrissy who works that hard, it’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when. So, we’re pretty excited for him,” Sioredas said.

‘Unfinished business’: Peter Bandelj’s sophomore stint

VIDEO BY JOE GIACALONE

DESIGNED BY NATALIA CELEBRINI

At the end of his freshman season, it seemed Peter Bandelj’s time at Cal Poly was coming to an early end. The Slovenian guard entered the transfer portal, leading many to believe he was leaving San Luis Obispo.

Bandelj served as the sixth man for Cal Poly Men’s Basketball during his freshman season, playing a key role and flashing significant potential in first-year head coach Mike DeGeorge’s run to the Big West Tournament semifinals.

However, Bandelj opted to stay at Cal Poly for his sophomore season, and pointed to the loss in the postseason last year as a main reason for returning.

“I felt like I had unfinished business. I believed staying one more year with the coaches in such a strong program would help me become a better basketball player,” Bandelj said.

Since then, he’s emerged as a major contributor. This season, he is averaging 14 points, four rebounds and three assists per contest, showing growth across the board.

Most notably, his three-point shooting has improved from 32% last season to 37% this year. DeGeorge credits that growth to Bandelj’s work ethic.

“He’s driven, goal-oriented and stubborn,” DeGeorge said. “Once he sets his mind to something, he sees it through.”

FROM SLOVENIA TO SAN LUIS OBISPO

Bandelj’s journey to Cal Poly is as compelling as his development on the court. He hails from Ljubljana, which is Slovenia’s capital city of roughly 300,000 people.

While soccer is the country’s most popular sport, basketball has brought Slovenia its most significant international sporting success.

The sport’s popularity has been especially elevated by NBA stars Luka Dončić and Goran Dragić, both native to the city and regarded as national legends.

“It’s probably our most successful sport, especially since we’re not strong in football,” Bandelj said.

The Slovenia men’s national basketball team has seen impressive success in the past decade, winning the European Basketball Championships in 2017 and placing fourth place in the summer games in Tokyo in 2020.

Bandelj especially connects with Dragić, citing him as a major role model in his international journey.

“He’s not the tallest or most athletic, but he’s a true fighter, and that really inspired me,” Bandelj said.

Before coming to the U.S., Bandelj played for Slovenia’s Men’s National Basketball team, competing in FIBA tournaments in Greece and Serbia. After, he attended Royal Crown School in Toronto, and helped win an Ontario Scholastic Basketball

Association title and scored in double figures 11 times.

DeGeorge learned about him through assistant coach Ron Dubois, who had connections to one of Bandelj’s coaches up north. After some deliberation and conversations with the coaching staff, they decided to recruit him to be a Mustang.

After he reached the Big West semifinals just one year ago, he believes Cal Poly has another opportunity to compete for a conference title. With his growth and determination, the team is counting on Bandelj to play a pivotal role as they wrap up the regular season and enter the Big West Championships.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

ILLUMINATE 2026 IN PHOTOS: CELEBRATING DANCE,

CULTURE AND CREATIVITY

Quiet hums, flashes from digital cameras and quick footwork filled the backstage moments before dances came alive at Illuminate 2026. Dancers arrived at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo early the morning of Feb. 21 to get ready in the dressing rooms. Performers touched up their braids, put on their costumes and shared excited giggles. They were almost ready to light up the stage.

As the show began, dancers experienced a mixture of nerves and excitement while making final touches in dressing rooms before heading to the stage. The floors vibrated with the sound of opening acts as dancers glanced up at the TVs mounted on the dressing room walls, watching friends in the first number — performed by the non-audition hip-hop club, United Movement.

Some dance teams, like Take Out Kidz (pictured), have “particularly energetic and powerful pieces,” according to United Movement Co-President Lea Graham. To prevent injuries, dancers take time to warm up and stretch before going on stage. Some groups even head outside to run their routines one last time, making final corrections and warming up further while the show is in progress.

While breaking is often asso ciated with street culture and competition, SLO Breakers also emphasizes athleticism, creativ ity and individuality in their performances.

Trăm Phần Trăm is the Vietnamese Student Association’s traditional fan and hat dance team. The team name translates to “100%,” which members say reflects the precision and grace of their fluid choreography.

“I just think that having this large dance community and having the ability for us to come together and perform on the same stage is a type of unity that you can’t get anywhere else,” said Ryan Lampitok, Pilipino Cultural Exchange Kasayahan coordinator.

Riah Leoiki, culture chair and hula coordinator of Hui o Hawai’i, hopes Illuminate encourages students to take interest in ethnic studies classes, such as a Pacific Islander history course. “Prior to western contact, [dance] was how my ancestors perpetuated culture and stories. Everything was passed down verbally through dance,” Leoiki said.

AUDIO BY LAUREN QUIJANO

DESIGNED BY AVA DONALDSON

Stand-up comedy at Cal Poly doesn’t always begin on a stage. For members of Can of Worms comedy club, it often starts in a conference room, where students sit around a table and talk through ideas, jokes and personal stories.

Founded last spring, the club was created to revive a stand-up focused space that had faded from campus over time. Club President Jules Wood remembered that Cal Poly once had a small comedy group that gradually disappeared as students graduated. She said the goal was to rebuild it–not as a competitive performance group, but a workshop.

“I want to create a place where people can sort of work out their ideas and gain confidence before they sort of make the leap to go on stage,” Wood said. “My main goal with this club, it’s less to create comedy for myself and more to give people the space to do it for themselves. It’s quite literally just

conversation of funny people in a room together.”

Unlike other comedy organizations, Can of Worms does not require auditions. Meetings are intentionally loose, and there’s no pressure to perform immediately. They often begin by simply asking, “how was your week?” and letting those conversations go naturally from there. As time goes on, these conversations become bits for their end of the quarter showcase as members build off each other’s ideas. Wood encourages members to work toward about five minutes of content.

“Five minutes sounds like it’s not a lot,” Wood said. “It feels like eternity.” For experience industry management freshman James Ramsey, joining the club was originally about meeting people, not performing.

After attending one of the club’s shows, he realized stand-up felt approachable and he could see himself on stage. Ramsey, who describes himself as introverted, said performing was intimidating, but the workshop setting helped make the

leap to performing feel doable.

“Having this as a space where I can talk through a joke before I say it in front of an audience is really helpful and takes away some of the fear,” Ramsey said.

Business senior, Andrew Ibarra, had a similar reaction when he first discovered the club at its end-ofyear showcase. He said that seeing students like himself on stage made the thought of performing feel possible.

“These are people who go to my school and it wouldn’t be very difficult,” Ibarra said. “I would love to be a part of that.”

The flexibility of the club is what kept him coming back. Unlike other campus comedy performance groups that require auditions and weekly attendance, Can of Worms allows students to participate as their schedules allow. For students balancing midterms, part-time jobs and internship or career searching, that accessibility matters.

Although the club promises its members flexibility, the club does

not promise comfort. Members openly talk about bombing — the moment when a joke doesn’t land right. Failure, they say, is part of the process.

Environmental engineering sophomore Marco Matolonggo said what sets the club apart is its focus on the individual. In improv or sketch comedy, performers rely on their group. In stand-up, the responsibility is solely on the comedian themself.

“In this club, it’s more about bringing out what’s funny about you,” Matolonggo said. “I can just do what I think is funny directly to the audience.”

For club treasurer Shira Hirschel, this independence is what makes stand-up meaningful.

“I think standup is an art form,” Hirschel said. “We want people to feel like they are in a space where they can share their art with no judgment. You’re up there all alone. It’s all on your own.”

In that small conference room, though, no one is alone yet. Laughter bounces off the walls and rings out

throughout the UU hallway. Ideas are tested, fleshed out and sometimes killed entirely. Confidence in oneself and public speaking skills build gradually long before anyone touches a microphone. For Wood, this growth is the entire point.

“It doesn’t have to be good. Doesn’t have to be funny,” Wood said. “It has to be something.”

LIFE CAN BE HARD, BUT IMPROV IS THERE TO LIGHTEN THE LOAD

VIDEO BY KIMBER DRAUGHON

DESIGNED BY ANIKA LOGANATHAN

When Victoria Koenitzer was a kid, she was scared to walk by her classmates to use the restroom during class. Her social anxiety and fear of public speaking was crippling, and she feared it would impact her future career as a litigator.

Now, Koenitzer is the founder of Divergent Improv, cultivating a stronger improv community in San Diego. She also teaches the core curriculum at Finest City Improv and has received training from several comedy schools, according to Central Coast Comedy’s introductory instagram post.

“My favorite part about improv is also my favorite part about being human, which is just really the ability to connect with one another regardless of the significance of the context,” said Koenitzer.

Central Coast Comedy Theater hosted San Luis Obispo’s first annual One-Day Improv Festival. The 12-hour event earlier this year brought together attendees from across California and throughout the country. Aspiring improv performers participated in three masterclasses, a mini jam session and a ticket to the evening show.

Koenitzer performed at the festival with Randy Thomas in their duo "Life Less Frightening", improvising with a classic bit of two kids in a closet for “Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

Festival instructors Craig and Carla Cackowski, known in the stand-up world as the husband-and-wife improv duo Orange Tuxedo, met around 20 years ago.

Craig currently works at World’s Greatest Improv School in Los Angeles. His festival workshop “SELL IT!” challenged students to own their impulses and bring confidence into their short-form practice skits.

“EXPAND YOUR RANGE” encouraged students to develop characters

and collaborate with scene partners.

“We are the only raw material that we have when we improvise,” said Craig. “So it’s like tapping into our own personal energy, sense of humor, experience. As a teacher, you’re trying to unlock what is unique about every person.”

For the evening show, Orange Tuxedo explored the complex social realities before spaceship liftoff, alternating between several pairs of characters.

Alongside Orange Tuxedo, Koenitzer shared her knowledge of improv. “Armando Premise-Based Imitations” grounded students in specific scenes to build on a clear reality while “Find and Frame Game” encouraged participants to find the most memorable parts of the scene.

Alongside Koenitzer at the evening show was Peter and Sabrina Pratt’s Strange Fish. Central Coast Comedy Director Dane Larkin joined the teams for the final longform group skit.

Larkin remembers his time in college and young adult life being riddled with anxiety. Family gatherings and trips to the grocery store felt impossible at times. He felt confined to himself and stuck.

But when he started improv eight years ago, Larkin realized he was far more extroverted than he previously thought. He joined Central Coast

WATCH THE VIDEO

Comedy Theater and began teaching, sharing the joy and peace improv has brought with him to students of all ages and backgrounds.

“It’s those moments when you’re completely engrossed in a pretend reality, that you are completely free,” said Larkin. “It’s the willingness to not take yourself so seriously. Improv is actively asking you to put all that down for a second and just play.”

For these teachers, festival attendees and students, improv is a way to play as adults, momentarily displacing life’s worries to embrace the possibilities of a pretend reality.

DESDE CAL POLY A LOS GRANDES ESCENARIOS MARGOT SINCLAIR

ESCRITO POR ADDIE UHL DISEÑADO POR KENNEDY RAY

Addie Uhl es una columnista de opinión de Mustang News. Las opiniónes expressadas en este artículo no necesariamente reflejan las de Mustang Media Group.

Lo que alguna vez fue nada más que hermanos de una fraternidad divirtiéndose en el otoño de 2022, se ha convertido en una banda que hace tours, actúa en espectáculos con entradas agotadas y tiene un estilo propio.

Margot Sinclair, compuesta por Kyle Mix (voz), Carson Bear (guitarra), Luke Sutherland (guitarra), Donovan Hess (batería) y Owen Rice (bajista), quienes se conocieron aquí en Cal Poly, es un ejemplo de cómo las pasiones pueden guiar la vida. Según el bajista Owen Rice, todos ellos vinieron a Cal Poly desde orígenes musicales y crecieron no solo tocando, sino viviendo en la cultura de la música viva. La banda no empezó con la intención de convertirse en estrellas del rock; querían seguir viviendo como antes de la universidad.

Margot Sinclair empezaron haciendo shows donde podían - lugares como Libertine, espectáculos en casa, o cocheras, enfocándose más en la diversión de tocar música una con otra, y menos en donde eso sucedió. No fue hasta que ganaron el concurso de bandas que su pasión por la música se manifestó a gran escala.

Desde esa victoria, Margot Sinclair tuvo la oportunidad de tocar en el festival de música llamado

Shabang de San Luis Obispo en la primavera de 2024—lo que fue un gran momento en la historia de su banda. Según el bajista Owen Rice, este concierto les hizo realizar que tuvieron una oportunidad real, una plataforma para tocar y música original que le gustaba a la gente.

“Esto, esto es real,” dijo Rice.

Rice es el único miembro que todavía asiste a Cal Poly, y él explicó que la energía trajo de regreso a Margot Sinclair para poder tocar otra y otra vez, incluso antes de su éxito.

“Hay algún tipo de electricidad. Siempre se ha tratado de eso, y de disfrutar la música juntos,” dijo Rice.

Este sentimiento es algo que vibraba en el alma de la gente musical, aun en los tiempos más ocupados de la vida, como en la universidad. Se podría decir que, para los que valoran la música, el ritmo hace parte del latido de sus corazones, de la misma manera en que la respiración lo hace.

La música, aunque los estudiantes la escuchen mientras caminan a clase, no es un enfoque de su vida. En Cal Poly hay una jerarquía de especialidades que no favorece las artes, o el camino de pasión en vez de seguridad. Siguiendo la pasión (especialmente en las artes), no recibe los mismos elogios de otros tipos de trabajo.

Aun en la cultura de Cal Poly, Margot Sinclair ha perseguido. Ellos se dieron cuenta de que el camino de un trabajo de 8 horas justo fuera de la universidad no es el único que existe.

“Venimos de la misma escuela, hacemos las mismas cosas, y ellos están persiguiendo algo muy

diferente, sea o no, si eso significa algo para alguien más,” dijo Rice. En adición a compartir la música, Margot Sinclair está compartiendo otra manera de pasar tiempo en la juventud. A estudios y a sueños al mismo tiempo. Porque los dos no existen aislados.

Seguir tus sueños te enseñará más de lo que podrías imaginar. ¿Cuántas cosas aprendieron los miembros de Margot Sinclair a través de desarrollar su banda? Por mencionar algunas cosas, las habilidades importantes como encontrar oportunidades y aprovecharlas, hacer conexiones, colaborar y encontrar equilibrio. Una banda no se hace y ya. Una banda crece — se define con cada canción, práctica, conversación y ritmo. El proceso de tener algo completamente formado, el cual

tuviste que hacerlo solo e ir de cero a diez, es el aprendizaje en su forma más bella. Le enseñará a una persona no solo sobre sí mismo, sino también sobre qué valoran en la vida. Margot Sinclair encontró que la música vale la pena.

Ellos no hicieron esto sin dificultad.

Los cuatro miembros, Kyle, Carson, Luke y Donovan tienen trabajos, y Owen está terminando su último año en Cal Poly.

“¿Estoy haciendo este trabajo para hacer qué? Para poder pagar el alquiler y vivir,” dijo Rice. “Pero también tengo esta pasión mía, y quiero seguirla, pero los valores de la sociedad me dicen que no debo, porque es inestable o inseguro.”

Los de la banda han decidido pensar diferente de lo que la sociedad normalmente piensa. Esto es

exactamente lo que seguir los sueños requiere. No es un camino para los que no pueden aguantar con fracaso, juicio, subas y bajas, y la gente que no va a entender.

Ahora, Margot Sinclair está floreciendo. Acaban de terminar con su primer tour y están trabajando en su primer álbum, que estará disponible durante 2026. Su nuevo single, “Stupid POV,” fue publicado el viernes, el 6 de febrero. Creyeron en sus pasiones, en contra de lo difícil que eso puede ser, y ahora Margot Sinclair está viviendo una vida que ninguno de ellos pudo imaginar. Para seguirlos en su viaje, visite @margotsinclairband en Instagram y en cualquier plataforma de música.

BRASS MASH PREPARES FOR FREMONT AND SHABANG PERFORMANCES

THE LOCAL BAND IS EXPERIENCING GROWTH TO NEW HEIGHTS

BY KENNEDY RAY

On the first Friday of February in San Luis Obispo, college students, families and community members gathered at SLO Brew Rock to hear brass-powered mashups of iconic hits spanning across decades and genres. A frenzy of sound produced by the nine-piece ensemble — composed of brass, woodwind and percussion instruments — urged the audience to contribute vocally in the art of blending songs.

The band that filled the venue with familiar faces and jumping bodies

was none other than local sensation Brass Mash.

Since its founding in 2015, Brass Mash had the San Luis Obispo music scene in a chokehold. The band gained recognition for their recurring first-Friday performances. Currently, the band is preparing for their biggest shows of the year. On March 6, Brass Mash will perform at Fremont Theater, a huge venture for local bands. Bandleader and founder Collin Dean expressed that Brass Mash will be the only local band to play this venue this year, making community support all the more impactful. Performing at the

Fremont Theater “opens up a little bit of daylight for other local acts,” Dean said.

“This is not just for us,” Dean said to the crowd at SLO Brew Rock last month. “It’s very difficult being a musician here on the Central Coast, and we need to show downtown that good shows can be happening here in San Luis Obispo.”

Fans can also expect to see Brass Mash perform at Shabang Music & Arts Festival in May. The band has previously performed at local music festivals such as Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival in Paso Robles.

SMALL TOWN ROOTS

Brass Mash performed their first Friday of the month show in March 2020 at Liquid Gravity — an independent, family-owned brewery in San Luis Obispo. Now, over four years later, the band faces changes to their residency due to temporary closure of Liquid Gravity.

The band preparing for the Fremont and Shabang stages consists of nine core members with additional support from roughly 30 substitutes. The stage is always set with two trombone players, two trumpeters, three saxophonists, a bassist and percussionist.

While every player is either classically or jazz trained, Brass Mash attracts members from vastly different age brackets and calls of life. The band’s newest member is Cal Poly junior Anna Wilson, a baritone saxophone player.

While obtaining local fame, the band began to recruit itself. However, in its early days, the band’s description was unfamiliar to most.

The notion of an instrumental cover band was novel to San Luis Obispo and was subject to speculation at

because of capacity,” Sullivan said.

“For a little small town band like Brass Mash, we are just completely flabbergasted that you guys all want to come and watch us play.”

The opportunity to jam at the Fremont Theater will allow the band to accommodate around 900 guests.

“They’re taking a risk on us,” Dean said. “I need my community with me for this one because we got to fill up the Fremont.”

“This is beyond my wildest dreams,” Dean said.

When asked if the college town atmosphere of San Luis Obispo influences the setlist, Dean confirmed the band panders to its audience and the persistent Cal Poly student body presence.

first glance.

“I kinda sounded like a raving lunatic,” Dean said.

Now, the band is a household name for San Luis Obispo county locals and students. Brass Mash was voted “Best Band in San Luis Obispo County” by the New Times Annual Readers Poll for the past two years in a row.

While discussing the band’s trajectory, Dean expressed how local engagement has led the band to where they are today. From reserving tickets and tables ahead of time to waiting through chilly long lines to feel the band’s intoxicating energy, fans have consistently surpassed Dean’s expectations.

With a chuckle, Dean confessed, “This is bananas. It’s a total blessing to have people show up every month.”

Drummer Sean Sullivan, an original member of the band, shared how audience demand combined with capacity limits has resulted in many fans waiting, unable to watch the band perform.

“Last March, we had 200 people that stood in line for our entire show, and they couldn’t even get in

Audience members can expect to hear tunes ranging from throwbacks to songs Dean imagines people play in the car. The band leans towards tracks that have deep emotional resonance to a diverse audience. Their set list often includes artists ranging from Chappell Roan and Lady Gaga to Ozzy Osbourne and The Cure.

By creating their mashups with the audience in mind, the band prompts listeners to contribute vocally to the band’s sound. Instead of treating the band and listeners as separate entities, Brass Mash blurs the barrier between stage and audience, performer and consumer.

Alongside their notorious first Friday shows, the band also plays local public and private events. Brass Mash recently participated in San Luis Obispo’s “Concerts in the Plaza” series in September 2025, serenading summer listeners with free live music in Mission Plaza.

Dean assured Brass Mash fans that first Fridays will continue, despite temporary relocation from their home base at Liquid Gravity.

In the meantime, fans can expect to find the brass band rotating among other local venues including Libertine Brewing Company and SLO Brew Rock. Locations will be routinely posted on the band’s social media and website. The recurring monthly event will continue to invite audiences of all ages and provide a place for the whole community to convene.

JDAWG SAYS: Start goonmogging

We’re all jobless, might as well be the best at wasting time

REALITY TV

Your little USB stick that has Tetris on it does not do anything for you. Honestly, any nicotine product — Zyns and cigs included — are just pure goonmog material. Smoking a little mary jane is at least semi-productive and kind of mogmogging to an extent. So keep that vape on lock if you want to mog everyone at Frog’s goon.

Watching TV with no plot except screaming and bickering is clear goonmog central. You get nothing out of it and lose some brain cells in the process. But, if you’re a

WRITE SATIRE

JDAWG is lowkey goonmaxing and mogging every single one of you. The concept of JDAWG was born as a means of procrastination and I take this very seriously. Yes, I am still creating a product, but JDAWG is literally not needed. I could be using this time to apply for jobs or fold my laundry. Yet, here we are.

ACROSS

2. The facilities where students construct satellites.

6. The company that manufactures license plate readers used on Cal Poly’s campus.

8. What members of various dance clubs in the Cal Poly dance community come together to achieve on the same stage.

9. The one-on-one sessions for Christian Garcia’s wrestling practice.

10. The avenue in which Cal Poly media provides statements.

11. A local festival where Margot Sinclair has performed.

13. The role held by Seamus Jones for the Ecoplasticity materials engineering project.

15. __Sat lab

16. The term used by stand-up comedians to describe the moment a joke does not land correctly.

18. “___ Mash”.

19. Another name for a wrestling match.

21. The insect Cal Poly’s comedy club is named after.

22. The last name of the Slovenian guard for CP Men’s Basketball.

DOWN

1. The type of license plate tracking technology monitored by the CPPD.

3. What drives the Ecoplasticity team to develop 100% bio-based coating solutions.

4. Sustainable alternatives to plastic linings used on paperboard food packaging.

5. One of the lifestyle factors coaches monitor to ensure wrestlers are set up for success.

7. The university law enforcement agency that monitors the data collected by campus security cameras.

12. The theater in San Luis Obispo where Brass Mash will perform.

14. An activity satirical columnist JDAWG suggests doing at a coffee shop while drinking an expensive matcha.

17. The instrument played by Owen Rice from Margot Sinclair.

20. The last name of the founder and bandleader of the local sensation Brass Mash.