Junior Shawn Lewis scored 26 points and added 10 rebounds in a 91-84 loss to UC Irvine last Saturday. Lewis has scored double digits in the Mustangs’ past eight games and has averaged 18 points per game in those contests. Photo by Ryan Sidarto- Mustang Daily

“UC Irvine is the sweep we should have had,” senior forward Ryan Darling said. “It’s time to finish the house cleaning.”

In the Mustangs’ first game of the Big West Tournament today, Cal Poly will square off against UC Irvine, a team that defeated them 91-84 in overtime less than a week ago.

In last Saturday’s game, the Anteaters sank four three-pointers in the final 38 seconds of the game, including the game-tying three with less than a second to go. Sophomore forward David Hanson feels that the tough loss will provide motivation for their rematch on Wednesday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“They got us here at our place and made a comeback in a game that we kind of held the lead the whole time, now we get to play them again and we’re probably going to be more hungry,” Hanson said.

In last weekend’s game both Cal Poly and UC Irvine had four players each score in double figures. Shawn Lewis led all scorers with 26 and added 10 rebounds. First team all-conference guard, Lorenzo Keeler, scored 21 points in his last game at Mott Gym.

Callero hopes his team can repeat that type of effort because he felt like his team was in control for a majority of the game.

“We feel confident as a team that we can play with anybody in the Big West,” he said. “We’re playing our best basketball of the year.”

He said not much would change in terms of preparation from last weekend as he pointed out that the Mustangs were either ahead or tied for all of but 50 seconds of regulation. It wasn’t until overtime that the Anteaters took the lead for good. He also added that facing the same opponent back-to-back gives the team an advantage because they don’t have to spend as much time scouting their first round opponent as they normally would.

If anything is going to change in the strategy from last week, Callero said the Mustangs might not focus so much of their defensive attention on Michael Hunter and Eric Wise. Those players were held to 19 and 17 points respectively, while two other Irvine players were able to score in the twenties.

Callero said he feels confident because, with the exception of Pacific, every team they could face before the finals they have beaten at least once this season.

This season the Mustangs have exceeded expectations. In multiple pre-season polls, Cal Poly was projected to finish last in the Big West. At the end of the regular season, the Mustangs have four more wins than last season’s win total.

Standing at No. 6, Cal Poly will have the longest road of any team to the tournament championship. Hanson knows that this team can compete with anyone in the conference but it will take a special effort to win four games in a row.

“The games are so mentally, emotionally and physically draining, that it’s going to take every single guy on this team to win all four games,” Hanson said. “Those are four games we know we can win. We obviously have to play well and shoot the ball well. We’re very close, we are right there and we know we can take any of these teams.”

The lowest seed that advances from the first round will take on No. 3 seed Long Beach State Thursday. The higher advancing seed will take on No. 4 seed UC Davis. Cal Poly split the season series with both potential opponents, winning at Long Beach State and at home against Davis.

If the Mustangs make it past the second round they will face one of the top two teams in conference, Pacific or Santa Barbara in the semifinals. Pacific swept the season series against the Mustangs winning both games by a combined total of 16 points. Cal Poly split with rival Santa Barbara as the home team won both games.

If Cal Poly can piece together four wins, the Mustangs will find themselves at the stoop of the NCAA tournament. For seniors Keeler, Darling and Charles Anderson, it would be the culmination of a long journey and an experience that would be tough to put into words.

“It’d be a dream come true,” Darling said. “Words can’t explain how important that would be to me. It would be amazing and that’s all that I’m focused on.”

Students and faculty came out to protest budget cuts to the CSU system March 4. The protest started on Dexter Lawn and then moved to the front of the Administration Building. Photo by Ryan Sidarto- Mustang Daily

“Fire the politicians, not the teachers” read one woman’s sign at a rally outside Sen. Abel Maldonado’s office in San Luis Obispo, one of hundreds of events that took place all over California and the rest of the nation on March 4, “a day of action for public education.”

Nationwide reports cited protester arrests, shutdown freeways, and police using pepper spray to disperse crowds and car windows were broken throughout the 17 states that held protests.

For Cal Poly, the day began with a walk-out at 10:30 a.m. where a brigade of roughly 60 students, faculty and staff met at Dexter Lawn to march to the Administration building. In front of the building, Jane Lehr, assistant ethnic studies professor, and Jose Montelongo, of the office of education, spoke out against budget cuts. Students also spoke, including social science sophomore Jose Montenegro, an organizer for the days events and member of the group “United to Save Public Education” at Cal Poly.Their demands included admission for all eligible CSU students, democratization of the university and ending furloughs, pay-cuts, tuition hikes and lack of class availability.

The group then went to the third floor of the administration building to talk to Provost Robert Koob. Montenegro said Koob was reluctant to answer questions at first, but ended up marching with the group.

“It shows what organized students can do,” Montenegro said. “I think they were energized that something was finally being done.”

Montenego’s advice for student involvement beyond March 4 is to read up and stay educated on budget cuts.

Following the rally, the group traveled back to Dexter Lawn where anyone was invited to discuss concerns about budget cuts and how to improve the situation. At 2 p.m. there was a teach-in at theUniversity Union on how budget cuts affect students.

Not everyone was on-board with the walk-out or missing class for the day’s events. Jason Iijima, a biomedical engineering senior, said  walking out of class was not the most effective solution to make a statement about our education system.

“If the problem is that we’re not getting as good of an education with budget cuts and what not, to walk out on class is to further deprive ourselves of education,” Iijima said. “When you’re taking out thousands of dollars for loans, your classes seem a little more valuable.”

Iijima said he found out about the day of action from a flier he was handed while standing in a line of roughly 300 students and faculty who waited for hours to get free burritos at the restaurant Chipotle’s mock grand opening. Most of the students were throwing the fliers on the ground, Iijima said.

On March 4, the crowd waiting for free burritos was larger than the one that stood in front of Sen. Maldonado’s office to fight for education just a few blocks away.

About 200 individuals, including Cuesta students, Cal Poly students, k-12 students, community members, teachers and academic professionals marched outside the building for two hours. They chanted phrases like “Education is a human right, students and teachers are here to fight” before listening to speeches from students to public educators to Sen. Maldonado himself.

The first to approach the senator’s steps was Glen Thorncraft, vice president for the California Faculty Association. He said the size of the crowd was way more than they anticipated. Some points made in Thorncraft’s speech included the CSU system cutting 40,000 students from enrollment and students paying 182% more for their education since 2000.

“It’s a scary prospect if we don’t invest in education,” Thorncraft said. “We may be the canary in a coal mine.”
Senator Maldonado then spoke briefly.

“I support and I agree with what you’re doing here,” Maldonado said. “I hope Sacramento is hearing you right now.”

Eric Fernandez, architectural engineering junior at Cal Poly and member of the “United to Save Public Education” group spoke as well.

“Our leaders have forced me to miss class in order to demand my education back,” Fernandez said.

He also talked about furloughs creating an incomplete education and the effects of classes being cut.

“They deny us classes of liberal arts … further throwing us into a factory, making drones out of us.”

“We’re not robots,” a protester then yelled from the crowd.

Fernandez said he was glad students were actually speaking up earlier in the day.

Other speakers included Allison Merzon from the Cuesta College Federation of Teachers, James Lynett from Paso Robles Public Educators, Tom Comar from People United for Health Care, Jobs and

Education in Atascadero and Joshua Shepherd, Associated Students of Cuesta College president.

Cal Poly ASI President Kelly Griggs came up at the last minute to speak as the group was beginning to disband.

As members of the crowd shouted “Where were you at Cal Poly today?” Griggs commented through the mega phone that she had class and was unable to attend.

“Education is important to everyone,” Griggs said. “This effects our economy and our community. Fight for education and continue what you guys are doing.”

Natasha Weldon, a senior at Cuesta college attended the the rally. Weldon said she’s upset because she can’t go to summer school now at Cuesta because of budget cuts and she had to wait a month to see a counselor because so many were fired.

“A lot people don’t really think that it affects them when it really does,” Weldon said.

Natalia Walicki, political science junior at Cal Poly and a member of the executive cabinet for ASI came to rally after a day of class and work. Walicki said she’s angry because none of her concentration classes that would normally be offered are being taught next quarter. She also said she wishes there were more city council members at the rally.

“I don’t want them to cut my classes. I’m pissed,” she said.

The group trickled off the sidewalk around 5 p.m. as the lone police car parked across the street drove away.

Clancy still deciding whether she will play basketball for another year. Photo by Ryan Sidarto- Mustang Daily

Ireland’s own Rachel Clancy is potentially finishing up her last season with the Cal Poly women’s basketball team as she plans to graduate and return to her home country.

With one more year of eligibility after a red-shirt first year at Cal Poly, she has the option of staying and playing or moving on.

“Coach said I can wait as long as want to decide,” Clancy said. “It will probably be a month or so before I make a decision.”

Clancy has the second most minutes on the team, just behind the Mustangs scoring leader Kristina Santiago, but has nearly 160 more minutes than Ashlee Stewart who is in third.

“We’ve tried to not bother her too much about it,” assistant coach Kerri Nakamoto said. “She’ll make the right decision. Whatever happens we will adjust, but we’d love to have her come back for another year.”

Clancy is planning to graduate in June with a degree in biological sciences. She is applying to a one-year global health masters program at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland for this fall or the following year.

“My academics are definitely my number one priority,” Clancy said. “Basketball is just something fun I get to do along the way.”

She says she really likes science and health but doesn’t want to be a doctor. She would want to study disease outbreaks or other aspects of health, such as how to improve health care. She says she definitely sees herself moving back to Ireland.

“I came to the States just to play college basketball as an opportunity to improve,” Clancy said

“In Ireland it’s just an amateur sport,” Clancy said. “I put way more time in on the court over here than at home. I spend more time in weight room and there are more staff to help. It’s a whole other level of professionalism.”

Clancy explains there are differences in the style of play from Ireland to America

“Players don’t get positioned by height, so they are more skilled in other areas. Here if you are tall you kind of get dropped in that post position.”

Her fondest memory while being at Cal Poly thus far is beating UC Riverside at the buzzer last year in the conference semifinals.

Making it to the Big West championship game last year and having grasped the number one spot in the Big West Conference for much of the season this year, the team has high expectations for tournament play starting next week.

“In the past we’ve been underdogs and now we are expected to win,” she said. “We deserve it for all our hard work. To see that become a reality would be amazing.”

When she’s not playing for Cal Poly, Clancy competes on the Irish national team. She captained Ireland at U-16, U-18 and U-20 levels and now plays on the senior team. She says four other players from the team are in the States for college, but most are based in Ireland.

“It’s fantastic,” Clancy said about the Irish team. “I’ve been on it since I was 12. The last three summers I played on the senior team.”

Clancy received Ireland’s National Under-20 Player of the Year award for 2005 and 2006. She’s been in 61 international appearances for Ireland. The senior national team is disbanding this year for financial reasons.

“It’s the first summer in ten years I won’t be playing on the Irish team,” she said. “Since we’ve been playing together a while now we were just getting good. It’s kind of a disappointment.”

Nakamoto says she has a running joke with Clancy where they interact with stereotypes from the Irish culture.

“She started playing along with me,” Nakamoto said. “When I see her in the mornings she always says ‘top of the morning to ya’ which she says they don’t really say all that often in Ireland.”

Freshman guard Caroline Reeves says Clancy is an extremely hard worker and her character and personality will be missed if she leaves.

“Whenever she’s on the court she’s doing something for us,” Reeves said. “She is a leader in terms of what she says. She is always analyzing situations and is the one during the huddles telling us what we need to do better.

“Half the time I wish we were the same year so we could have played basketball together all four years.”

Ashley Cascio, a math sophomore, says her and Reeves have an Ireland fund to visit Clancy this summer.

“I have 35 dollars right now,” she said. “It’s a little small, but it will get there.”

Nakamoto says Clancy is always willing to do what is asked of her by the coaches.

“She’s mature and she works her butt off,” Nakamoto said. “All the other girls admire that and look up to her for it.”

After falling from the first place position to third place over the weekend, Clancy says the team is buckling down on defense and rebounding and staying focused on the championship.

“My favorite part about the game is the fact that it’s a team sport,” Clancy said. “If I didn’t have all those girls to see every day at practice it wouldn’t be as fun for sure.”

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Leaders of Cal Poly’s Interfraternity Council (IFC) recently announced a new policy that will defer first-quarter students from joining a fraternity.

The changes will take effect fall quarter 2010 with the intention of giving new students a chance to adjust academically and socially before considering the demands of the greek system, according to Student Life and Leadership director Ken Barclay.

“The concern is that first-time freshmen aren’t given enough time to get comfortable with the university,” Barclay said. “Students will have a quarter under their belt to get to know leaders of a fraternity before rushing.”

The university’s new mandate makes it so incoming freshmen and transfer students will only be allowed to formally join a greek fraternity beginning their second quarter.

“I have to give credit to the IFC for taking the initiative to do this,” Barclay said.

The alcohol-related death of Carson Starkey in 2008 sparked questions about the pledging process. Starkey was part of an alleged hazing incident in Dec. 2008 while pledging Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He was a freshman finishing his first quarter at Cal Poly at the time of his death.

Assistant IFC director Matt Lancara said the climate in the greek system is definitely different after the Starkey incident, but there is not necessarily a direct relationship between the mandate and the tragic event.

“We are acting in a way that is responsible and proactive to shape the greek system to prevent tragedies like this from happening again,” Lancara said.

Since the IFC proposed the change from previous years, the rule only applies to the 17 fraternities. Sororities will still be allowed to have newcomers rush during fall quarter, but the Panhellenic council is considering the idea of deferring rush as well.

“We can better prepare men for what they are getting themselves into,” Lancara said. “They can get their bearings around campus … and when winter comes around, they can make a more educated decision.”

Deferring rush is not new to Cal Poly. It was mandated in the past but only for brief periods of time.

“It’s something that’s indefinite,” Lancara said. “We want to see if it will actually change numbers. It’s pretty much an experiment.”

Wishing to remain anonymous, a Cal Poly senior who has been in the fraternity system since he was a sophomore, said the majority of his fraternity and other people in the greek system he has talked to are not thrilled about deferring rush for fall quarter. Even alumni are upset, he said.

“It’s really unfortunate,” he said. “It’s going to force all the frats to impress people during fall quarter, which could mean even more parties without the structure of rushing. Fall rush is about 90 percent freshmen … so it makes our whole situation that much more difficult.”

Concerned about the number of available pledges, he said fewer members will also mean fewer people for fall philanthropy, such as food drives.

Barclay explained members of the greek system in the past have asked to have deferred rush reconsidered because of a fear of losing numbers. He believes the recent mandate won’t hurt membership.

“That’s just an assumption,” he said. “There is no data to prove that they lost members. I think this is best for everybody. It’s best for the greeks, and it’s best for the students.”

IFC President Andy Farrell said this is the right move for the fraternity system.

“I believe the good this will do is greater than the damage,” Farrell said.