Stephanie England is an English senior and Mustang Daily political columnist.

Everyone knows the story of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” George represents the average, family-oriented, kind-hearted American. He runs a small community bank geared toward helping the average family own their own home and achieve the American dream. Life is wonderful for George until a villainous large bank owner, Mr. Potter, nearly ruins his life and the lives of the residents of Bedford Falls by attempting to monopolize the small town and absorb George’s bank in the process.

As an American consumer, I feel betrayed by our large financial institutions — much like George in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I grimace at the similarities between the attitudes of our bank executives and Mr. Potter. A New York Times report Tuesday revealed that “Bank executives are grappling with a question that exasperates, even infuriates, many recession-weary Americans: Just how big should their paydays be?”

The sickening report continues, “Goldman Sachs is expected to pay employees an average of about $595,000 each for 2009, one of the most profitable years in its 141-year history. Workers in the investment bank of JPMorgan Chase stand to collect about $463,000 on average.”

I understand that because our economy was in such disarray as a result of the Bush administration‘s economic policies of deregulation and free market capitalism, it became necessary to bail out the banks so that credit would be more readily available to consumers.

The thing is, credit isn’t really more available to consumers, and after being in such dire need of taxpayers’ help, these banks clearly rebounded rather quickly — especially when their most pressing moral dilemma revolves around garnering the highest salary possible without raising eyebrows or inciting a social movement.

And it’s not just Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase who are receiving profits disproportionate to the reality of this recession. The Times reports, “During the first nine months of 2009, five of the largest banks that received federal aid — Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley — together set aside about $90 billion for compensation. That figure includes salaries, benefits and bonuses, but at several companies, bonuses make up more than half of compensation.”

It seems that the entire financial system of America is built to penalize the consumer. I was reading about the calculation of credit scores, and I had the impression that simply thinking about my credit score would lower it. Maybe the rationale to bail out the banks was logical according to economics and business, but it seems today that nearly everyone in America has felt the effects of the recession, except for these large financial institutions. I think it’s time that we, as Americans, do something about that.

A simple movement has begun through a Web site called MoveYourMoney.info, which seeks to send a message to banks that were deemed “too big to fail.” The general idea is for people who belong to Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America to move their money and credit cards out of these large financial institutions and into small community banks.

This idea transcends political ideology, empowers the consumer, and supports local communities — and it’s not just an unknown grassroots organization. In the past week, the founders of the site have been on MSNBC and even The Colbert Report.

We can’t rely on our government officials to affect change in our financial institutions because politicians are generally crooked. Instead, we must make the first move to show these licentious financial organizations that if they want our business, they must change their practices. I can assure you that as soon as I decide where I’m going to graduate school, I’m pulling my money out of my current gluttonous, morally decrepit bank, and changing over to the credit union in that city.

Courtesy photo.

A Cal Poly recreation, parks and tourism administration class is hosting the second annual Campus Midnight 5k Fun Run tonight. More than 175 people have registered for the event, which funds San Luis Obispo Special Olympics competitions.

The 32 students in Introduction to Program Design (RPTA 210) are putting on the event as a class project, planning everything from promotion to sponsorships, registration and entertainment. Last year, each group of four students in the class worked with different events; this year, the entire class has spent fall quarter devoted to this race.

The event’s theme of “Ready, Set, Glow!” emphasizes its novelty as a nighttime run, which Nick Howell, a recreation, parks and tourism administration senior, said inspires more people to sign up.

“Running at night with a bunch of people is a fun experience. It’s fun to do things at night,” he said.

Lauren Rosen, a recreation, parks and tourism administration junior, said the project was a good start to her future career as an event planner. Being able to work with such a large class and with three Special Olympics staff members was helpful, she said.

“They have been there not as someone we can fall back on but as someone we can go to with questions,” she said. “For the most part they want this to be a learning experience.”

Cynthia Moyer, the RPTA 210 lecturer, said the students are finding the need to apply their skills with program design and communication, meeting the course objectives.

“The students have really taken ownership of this event,” she said. “We’re letting them make the decisions.”

Over the past 16 years she’s taught the class, Moyer estimated her students have volunteered more than 25,000 hours in the community.

Howell offered several reasons why people should sign up to run, including the event’s tie to Special Olympics.

“Special Olympics does a lot of good work in our community; it’s another opportunity to build your own community on campus,” he said. “It’s healthy, it’s fun, it’s safe and it’s a way to enrich your life.”

Beginning at 10 p.m., there will be a DJ, instructors leading warm-up exercises and icebreakers to entertain people and get them to mingle. Howell added that they will try to make sure every participant gets an event T-shirt, which glow in the dark. Runners are also invited to compete in a costume contest, another aspect he thinks adds to the event. Last year tutus were a popular choice.

“We like to throw in a little bit of a twist. We did costumes last year and people really had fun with it,” Howell said.

Michael Lara, regional sports manager for Special Olympics, said the proceeds of the 5k will go directly to more than 700 athletes in San Luis Obispo County by funding the 12 year-round sport programs; around 300 athletes will be competing in a floor hockey tournament Jan. 16, 2010 at Santa Maria Fairpark. Last year the event raised $3,500 for Special Olympics.

“The money raised helps athletes do various competitions, it helps our area host competitions, it helps buy the uniforms and things like that,” Lara said.

Lara said the relationship between Cal Poly students and Special Olympics has been amazing because both sides benefit.

“They have a wonderful partnership,” he said. “It’s win-win on both sides.”

Since registration tends to speed up closer to the race, Howell said he expects to have more than the 300 participants of last year. He added that people have been very supportive in getting their friends to sign up.

“We’ve been targeting the student population; there have been people in the community who have expressed interested, though,” Howell said. “I’m sure people from around San Luis Obispo will come participate.”

The race begins at midnight. The course starts at Mott Gym, runs around campus to California Avenue, then to Poly Canyon Village and Cerro Vista Apartments and back to Mott Gym. The event planners are taking safety precautions to ensure everyone has a safe race. The entire course will be lit and visible and the course is on major roads. The University Police Department will also attend.

After the race there will be an award ceremonies for the top three male and female racers and for those wearing the best costumes. Moyer said at least one Special Olympics athlete will attend the ceremonies. In addition, every runner will get a raffle ticket as part of their registration fee; the prizes include cycling and running gear.

Registration costs $25. Those interested can sign up Thursday from 10 to 11:50 a.m. at the booths by Dexter lawn and in front of the Rec Center. Procrastinators can even sign up at the event up until 11:55 p.m. The event will last till around 1:30 p.m.

The community tie and the unusual timing of the 5k make it worth attending, Rosen said.

“There’s always 5k races people can go to, but it’s rare that you’ll find a race in the dark, ” she said. “That’s a really unique aspect you’re not going to find anywhere else.”

“Flying High” by Sylas Stephens and “A Living World of Colors” by Robert Maja (left to right) are just two of the artistic cans revealed Friday night. Photo by Erin Hurley- Mustang Daily

Shell Beach has a few new additions to its main street that are both ornamental and functional. On Friday night, community members revealed their “ARTcans,” a set of 12 painted trash and recycling cans along Shell Beach Road.

Before the inauguration on Nov. 13, there were no trash or recycling cans in the city. The Shell Beach Improvement Group (SBIG) had been trying for a few years to bring cans like these to the city and have local artists paint them, but they had faced some difficulty finding willing artists. Then Colleen Gnos, a Shell Beach resident and artist who recently heard about the project, organized a group of 12 artists whom she knew would be enthusiastic.

“This event is a big step for Shell Beach — we really are a community of artists, but it’s hard to see it most of the time,” Gnos said. “I really want this to be a chance for Shell Beach artists to meet and feel supported.”

Gnos helped the SBIG move the cans, find sponsors for the project and garner public attention for the show, in addition to painting a can herself.

“There is little support for recycling in Shell Beach, and creating these cans not only helps make the city more beautiful but also promotes environmentalism,” Gnos said.

Each artist painted a trash or recycling can under the theme “Sand, Waves and Caves” and created 12 unique and beautiful works of art with images of mermaids, beaches and similar scenes. The fourth-grade students at the Shell Beach Elementary School painted a can together as well.

The businesses on the main street of Shell Beach held an open house for the event, offering free refreshments and a place for visitors and artists to mingle. Local musicians wandered up and down the street, adding a friendly and fun atmosphere to the event. The artists who painted cans, as well as other local artists and photographers, displayed their work in various shops and restaurants.

Tyler Aldrich, wife and representative of Dominican-born artist Robert Maja, another Shell Beach artist who painted a can, said that Robert “is really proud to live here in California, and it is so great for him to be able to be part of the Shell Beach community and share his culture. This event is a wonderful way for Robert and other Shell Beach artists like him to be able to express themselves through their artwork.”

The community of Shell Beach supported their local artists in several ways. Not only did local businesses offer the artists a welcoming place to display their work to the public, but the financial support for the creation and unveiling of the cans came solely from local residents and businesses.

The Old Vienna Restaurant was one Shell Beach business that sponsored a can.

“The SBIG has been working on this for three years,” restaurant owner and SBIG member Zoa Musick said. “When it was finally decided that the cans would be painted, I wanted to be involved, so I volunteered right away to sponsor a can.”

The event drew a large attendance of both Shell Beach locals and visitors. Most came to support family or friends and be part of a good cause.

“It’s a community event, and it’s a really great idea,” Shell Beach resident Kate Flynn said. “I know some of the artists personally, and so I was able to see these cans evolve from the beginning — I watched the artists paint them in their driveways!”

The event also attracted Cal Poly students like biology freshman Jena Epperson.

“I find this type of event to be a great way to get to know people as well as a great way for a city to show their ideals about saving our planet one recyclable at a time,” Epperson said. “The intricately painted recycling cans were unique and beautiful; they stand out and depict trash-free environments that everyone can recognize and relate to. My personal favorite was the jellyfish can.”

A mandala consists of millions of grains of colored sand placed in geometric shapes and ancient spiritual symbols. Courtesy image.

Tibetan Buddhist monks will create a sand-painted mandala and perform sacred music and dances this week at Cal Poly. San Luis Obispo is hosting the 10 monks, members of the Drepung Loseling monastery, as they travel the world with The Mystic Arts of Tibet 15-month tour.

A mandala consists of millions of grains of colored sand placed in geometric shapes and ancient spiritual symbols; in Tibetan this art is called dul-tson-kyil-khor, which literally means “mandala of colored powders.” The monks will perform an opening ceremony for the sand mandala Tuesday at noon next to the information desk in the University Union (UU). They will work on the mandala, set on a 6-foot table, until Friday. They will first outline the mandala and then lay the sand by running a thin metal rod over traditional hand-held, metal funnels called chak-pur, which are skinny tubes about a foot long.

This is the third time Cal Poly Arts director Steven Lerian has seen the monks create a mandala. It’s an amazing experience he thinks the community will appreciate, he said.

“Watching them make the sand Mandala in the UU is an absolutely fascinating process,” Lerian said. He added that seeing the monks’ progress over the week is interesting.

Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted the monks last week. Chelsea Guenther, a religion and social justice senior, said seeing the mandala created was a rewarding and fascinating experience.

“The mandala was one of the most beautiful and interesting things I’ve ever seen. It’s just such an intricate art, so very detailed,” she said. “One of the monks told me it takes them five years to learn how to do the mandala because they memorize all of the designs,” she said.

Guenther said the weeklong visit was a good way to connect people with Buddhism; the mandala brought people who don’t usually attend similar events, she said.

“I’ve had little no experience with Buddhism so it was really interesting to see that part of their culture,” she said.

The monks started touring in 1988 as a way to share and spread awareness of their endangered culture, contribute to world peace and healing and to raise support for the Tibetan refugee community in India. There are now more than 2,500 monks living in the reestablished monastery in South India, which was built by 250 surviving monks after the 1959 Chinese invasion demolished their original monastery, which housed 10 to 15 thousand monks. In 1991, the monks established a nonprofit organization in Atlanta, Georgia, called Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc., according to the tour Web site.

In addition to the monks’ mandala, visitors will be able to create a smaller 2 to 3 foot mandala on an adjacent table. The design for the community mandala was created by Cal Poly art and design senior Mai-Chi Vu, who works for the University Art Gallery and designs ads for the Mustang Daily. Her design is made up of three flowers all native to San Luis Obispo.

“They wanted something more meaningful to Cal Poly but not like the Mustang or the logo. So I used things that can all be found in Poly Canyon,” she said.

On Friday, the monks will perform a closing ceremony. Lerian said it is even more interesting than the opening of the program. The monks will distribute half of the sand from the mandala in small vials to the audience; the rest will be deposited into an urn. Then they will lead a procession to the nearest body of water, which in this case is Stenner Creek in Santa Rosa Park, and place the sand into the water, which carries the sand’s healing powers out into the world to re-consecrate the earth and its inhabitants. This destruction of the mandala is done as a metaphor of the impermanence of life, according to The Mystic Arts of Tibet Web site. Both of the ceremonies are free and the mandalas can be viewed anytime the UU is open.

Missi Bullock, Associated Students Inc. (ASI) program coordinator, said she expects the creation of the mandalas will be very well attended by students and visitors.

“It seems like it is going to be much more far-reaching than just the students,” she said.

Bullock said this event is representative of ASI’s mission to offer varied events to students.

“It’s about providing unique entertainment, innovating thinking,” she said. “That’s what we’re about.”

In addition to the sand mandala, the monks will also be performing their Sacred Music Sacred Dance program. The two-hour show is comprised of 11 selections, which have titles like “Dance of the Black Hat Masters” and “Dance of the Celestial Travelers.” The monks of the Drepung Loseling monastery are famous for their multiphonic singing, which Lerian said transports viewers to a different place.

This event will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Christopher Cohan Center of the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center. Tickets range from $20 to $31 for students and from $20 to $38 for adults. More than half of the nearly 800 seats in the theatre were sold.

Make a Difference Day is recognized nationally and organized locally by the Cal Poly Community Center. Photo by Ryan Sidarto-Mustang Daily

More than 500 Cal Poly students and county residents sported working gloves, power drills and dirt-covered sweats to volunteer their time during various Make A Difference Day events Saturday.

Make A Difference Day, one of the nations largest single-day volunteer events, enlists students and community members to participate each year at environmental cleanups, senior centers and women and children’s shelters in local communities.

In San Luis Obispo County, organizations such as United Cerebral Palsy, Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County and 48 others benefited from the volunteers’ efforts.

Dominating the crowd of volunteers were 10 Greek fraternities and sororities including Delta Chi, Alpha Phi Omega, Sigma Kappa, Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) and Alpha Epsilon.

Make a Difference Day is recognized nationally and organized locally by the Cal Poly Community Center. The center’s program assistant Heather Demosthenes coordinated this year’s event.

“(We) want to get students involved in volunteer opportunities that give back to the surrounding community,” Demosthenes said. “We copied off 500 volunteer forms and had to run back and make more.”

Kinesiology senior Dylan Conrad said his fraternity, PIKE, participates in the Make a Difference Day event every year to give back to the community. The greek system’s often negative representation inspired PIKE to demonstrate that it cares, the fraternity’s community service chair Michael Jones said.

“I’m personally excited to see almost all of PIKE here today,” Conrad said. “We are out here to make a difference in our community.”

Growing Grounds Farm, a not-for-profit wholesale nursery in San Luis Obispo, invited volunteers to assist in grounds maintenance and planting as part of Make A Difference Day.

“We hardly have the time to do anything other than planting,” said Wayne Tyo, staff member at Growing Grounds. “The impact of these volunteers (was huge. It means we can get things done that we can’t normally do.”

San Luis Obispo residents Mardi Hall and Christine Escartin heard a radio segment about Make A Difference Day that sparked their interest.

“I’ve lived in San Luis Obispo for six years and I’ve wanted to volunteer,” Hall said. “I’m finally here this year with my sister … we’re ready to plant a garden.”

Hall and Escartin decided to volunteer at Growing Grounds because they often support the nursery by purchasing plants and flowers. When they were spotted covered in dirt planting tulips Escartin said “it’s going to be fun to one day come back and buy the same tulips we are planting and continue to support this garden and what it does for the community.”

Hall and Escartin decided to volunteer at Growing Grounds because they often support the nursery by purchasing plants and flowers. When they were spotted covered in dirt planting tulips Escartin said “it’s going to be fun to one day come back and buy the same tulips we are planting and continue to support this garden and what it does for the community.”

In June, the San Luis Obispo City Council directed Police Chief Deborah Linden to come up with strategies to reduce the number of noise and party-related disturbances. She will report at tonight’s 7 p.m. ‘study session,’ held at the council chamber on Palm Street. Students are encouraged to attend the city council meeting to testify for or against the proposed ordinances.

“In order to reduce noise and party violations and related crime, staff recommends council consider: modifying the existing noise ordinance; enacting new unruly gathering and nighttime curfew ordinances; increasing use of the Safety Enhancement Zone ordinance; and evaluating options related to residential rental property licensing,” Linden writes in her report to the council.

Linden and her staff reviewed the existing noise ordinances within San Luis Obispo and the Safety Enhancement Zone ordinance, researched procedures in other communities, options for licensing residential rental properties and strategies to deter young adults under 18 from attending parties and developed a program to ensure greek houses are obeying their permits.

Linden will present the strategies tonight and consider feedback from the council when generating ordinances or procedural changes. She will return to the council with her recommendations in Jan. 2010.

Mayor Dave Romero expects a full house at tonight’s session, but believes most audience members won’t be college-aged.

“The majority will be residents, people who have been dealing with the problem for a long time,” he said.

The situation is unfortunate, Romero said, because while many activities are fine, some are becoming out-of-control.

“If everyone acted responsibly, we’d all get along well. It’s unfortunate we have to come up with tighter regulations because the ones we have aren’t doing the job,” he said.

The students who are most likely to attend tonight’s session are the responsible ones and the ordinances to be considered aren’t directed at them, Romero said.

Despite the San Luis Obispo Police Department’s efforts to educate students about noise and party laws — presentations at orientations, given to student groups, fraternities and sororities; the establishment of SLO Solutions conflict resolution program; marketing and increased fines — the number of complaints from San Luis Obispo residents has generally increased over the past five years. The number of Disturbance Advisement Cards (DAC) (warnings) and citations issued has also increased since 2004, especially in 2007 and 2008, the report said.

Linden’s staff believes there are multiple contributing factors, including the “Pervasive presence of alcohol and party behavior in the student culture; annual turnover in students; lack of sense of neighborly responsibility by violators; violators plan for noise violations (i .e. ‘pass the hat’ to pay the subsequent fine), ability of violators to receive multiple warnings for noise violations each year and lack of adequate enforcement resources to respond to all complaints in a timely manner.”

Noise ordinance

Of the noise/party complaints investigated between 2004 and 2008, about 80 percent were not on the police department’s premises list. Linden writes that warnings are effective and necessary given the need for Student Neighborhood Assistant Program (SNAP) employees, who cannot issue citations. However, the current noise ordinance lets a residence receive a DAC every 60 days without being added to the police department’s premises list, meaning violators may receive several noise violations each year without receiving a citation.

Linden recommends that that any residence that receives a DAC be put immediately on the premises list, eliminating the 60-day time period for repeat violations, extending the current six-month term of the premises list to one year, enabling property owners to petition to lift their residence from the premises list after a turnover of residents, allowing responding officers to leave a notice of violation and mail a citation when residents are uncooperative, and monitoring SNAP and officer responses to make sure they’re applying consistent enforcement and using discretion appropriately.

The first violation of the noise ordinance costs $350, the second $700, and subsequent violations $1000 within one year.

Unruly gathering ordinance

Linden also writes about unruly gathering ordinances near other universities like Sonoma State University, University of California, Berkeley and the University of Arizona. Violation of the ordinance could result from a gathering of 10 or more people that, resulting from unlawful conduct, substantially disturbs a significant portion of private or public property in a neighborhood. Indicators that could result in a violation include excessive noise or traffic, obstruction of public streets by crowds or vehicles, public drunkenness, service of alcohol to minors, fights, urinating in public or littering.

The officer is allowed to break up the gathering and issue citations. A notice posted at the residence states that any subsequent unruly gatherings there within a defined period of time (usually a minimum of 60 days) will result in civil citations and fines to the residents, property owners and contributing guests.

The rental property owners are also sent the notice; those who show they’re trying to prevent further violations are not held liable for violations. Monica Guevara, an office administrator at McNamara Real Estate, says that her company passes any fines issued by the San Luis Obispo Police Department to tenants, along with additional fees.

“We already have something in place so if there was a DAC, we do have administrative fees from $300 to $600. Those would be in addition to any fine from the police department,” Guevara said.

Linden’s report says that in Tucson, Arizona, the unruly gathering ordinance is known as the “Red Tag” program. Hosts are initially fined $100 for unruly gatherings and the notice, printed on red paper, is posted. After that, subsequent violations begin at $500 and go up to $1,500. The fines are given to the host, property owners and unruly guests. In addition, the “red tags” remain posted for 180 days and removal, defacement, or concealment of one results in a $100 fine.

Cal Poly journalism junior Owen Beck says the SNAPs have come to his house twice but officers have never been called. However, if the “red tag” program were implemented, he might think twice about throwing a party, he said.

“Even if the SNAPs are called on my house I receive a $300 fine from my real estate agency, but I think the “red tag” would seriously affect my decision to throw a party,” he said.

Nighttime curfew

At the city council session, Linden will also recommend a curfew between 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. (or similar hours) for those under 18. Her staff thinks this will reduce the number of illegal acts juveniles in San Luis Obispo are involved in at night. Her report says that in 2008, “35 juveniles were arrested in San Luis Obispo between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Twenty of these arrests were for alcohol-related crimes; three were drug arrests; and three were related to burglaries. Other charges included felony battery, resisting arrest, trespass, and various offenses.”

Safety Enhancement Zone ordinance

The city council can designate a specific area as a “safety enhancement zone” for a specified time period if it finds that increased penalties would reduce the threat to public health and safety. When this ordinance is in effect, possessing or consuming alcohol in public, hosting a gathering where minors consume alcohol, excessive noise, possessing a dangerous weapon and urinating in public mean fines equal to those of violating the noise ordinance.

When the ordinance was adopted in Dec. 2004, it was effectively provided a clear message to and deterred potential violators when the council designated the entire city as a safety enhancement zone.

The police department says the ordinance could be effective for other events like Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day, as well as the first and last weekends of Cal Poly’s academic year, the report says.

Biological science freshman Lindsay Baldwin said that from her experience during the Week of Welcome and last weekend, the San Luis Obispo Police Department isn’t as strict as at other campuses.

“From my friends that go to other colleges I’ve heard it’s worse than here,” she said. “Their main job is to patrol the street at night because it’s so crazy. I think it’s a good thing they’re there.”

Greek permits

All fraternities and sororities that operate a house are required to have an administrative use permit, but the police department has found that not every organization has a permit, some that do aren’t abiding by the conditions, and some permits need to be updated.

The Neighborhood Action Team will review each greek organization’s permit, then staff from the police, fire and community development departments will meet with newly elected officers to review the permit conditions and arrange for annual inspections. The Neighborhood Action Team will review each organization’s compliance every summer.