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Five women engineering students were honored for excelling in leadership, work experience and grade point average at the 34th annual Evening with the Industry gala last Thursday at the San Luis Obispo Embassy Suites. The event was put on by the Cal Poly Society of Women Engineers (SWE). At the event, the winners of the engineering and technology award were announced, $27,500 worth of scholarships were awarded, the SWE president was named an emerging leader, and Lee McFarland, a lecturer in mechanical engineering, was named “Most Supportive Professor.”

The women engineers recognized were five out of 18 nominated by their department. Nominees were evaluated on faculty recommendations, demonstrated leadership, work experience and grade point average. All of the winners were also involved in multiple extracurricular activities.

Once each student was nominated, they completed a questionnaire and submitted a résumé as well as one letter of recommendation. The selection was done by a group of three faculty from across the college of engineering.

Some of the winners have had internships with companies like Google, Raytheon Missile systems and Boeing. Allison Holmgren, is an industrial engineering graduate and past intern with Raytheon Missile systems. In the process, she became a Certified Raytheon Six Sigma Specialist. Cameron Schelmeris, an industrial engineering senior, had an internship with Boeing in Washington. Alyssa Daw is a software engineering senior who worked as a Google software engineer test intern and has a 3.99 cumulative grade point average. Other winners worked on projects and led campus groups. Roshani Patel is a civil engineering senior and participant in a project at University of California, Davis dealing with the interaction of seismic soil-structure. The final winner, Jessica Paz, is an industrial engineering senior and president of Cal Poly’s Engineering Student Council.

The recipient of 2010’s Outstanding Women in Engineering and Technology Award, Alyssa Daw, has been a member of Society of Women Engineers since 2006. She has held leadership positions such as vice president of public relations and network director.

“My favorite part is the outreach. I kind of get to give back to the next generation,” Daw said. “I like to feel like I might be paving the way for them to become engineers.”

In addition to recognizing these students for their achievements, scholarships were given out out the event.

Students apply for these scholarships ahead of time. Some of them are through the college, while others are from outside companies. A total of 35 scholarships were given out and the awards ranged from $500 to $1,500.

Another yearly award at the banquet is to choose the “Most Supportive Professor” from within all engineering departments. After the club receives nominations for this award, a committee of club members interviews the candidates and make a decision. This year, the award went to former club adviser and lecturer Lee McFarland.

“I think it is quite an honor,” McFarland said of being chosen out of 14 nominated faculty members.

Another leader recognized was Society of Women Engineers’ president Lesley Telford. She was named the collegiate emerging leader for the region, which includes Southern California, Southern Nevada,Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.

Telford didn’t really become interested in science until she watched the Crime Scene Investigation shows and wanted to be a forensics scientist. After she took biology she decided she wanted to do more than just research.

“Being president of Society of Women Engineers has allowed me to makes contacts in the industry and meet people in companies that I would eventually like to work in,” Telford said.

It was a memorable night for junior forward Kristina Santiago, but not for the reasons everyone thinks.

Despite her Thursday night assault on the Cal Poly basketball record books, junior forward Kristina Santiago’s focus was on propelling the Mustangs over the visiting Cal State Fullerton Titans.

Mustangs head coach Faith Mimnaugh was satisfied with the win.

“It was an incredible game, both teams played, I thought, incredible basketball and obviously either team could have won,” she said.  “I’m thrilled and grateful that we were the ones that came out on top.”

Santiago finished the night with a career high 34 points while becoming the ninth mustang to score 1000 career points and just the fourth Mustang to do it in under three season.

“She did everything on the court for us tonight …  if tonight’s performance didn’t convince at least two coaches the she’s the best player in the league then I don’t know what else would,” Mimnaugh said.

Rachel Clancy helped out with 17 points, including a marksman-like 5-for-6 from three-point range. Desiray Johnston contributed with career-high nine assists.

An unexpected part of Thursday’s game was the play of freshman forward Kayla Griffin. Griffin,  filling in for an injured Becky Tratter, played a career high 26 minutes and posted a career high 9 points.

It was a back and forth game that included everything from buzzer beaters to pressure free throws.   Both the Mustangs and the Titans could not separate the score for 40 minutes.

Near the end of regulation, Cal Poly had the ball with about five seconds between the shot clock and game clock. Santiago caught the ball at the top of the key, reverse-pivoted and drove left. She drew a double team and then spun right, scooping the ball up and into the basket with five seconds left on the clock.

“My mindset was I’m probably going to drive, they’re probably all going to collapse and I’ll kick it,” said Santiago. “There was no one really on my left wing so I spun, thinking I was going to get another kick-out. She kind of rolled off on me and I had the basket.”

After a Fullerton timeout Lyndsey Grove was able to take the ball the whole length of the court and get fouled while shooting the ball. She sank two free throws to force overtime.

In the extra period, Cal Poly won the tip and got an immediate lift from junior guard Rachel Clancy, as she immediately put the Mustangs up from the onset of overtime.

“She was definitely clutch. That was a huge shot for us,” Santiago said.

Clancy and Santiago pulled their weight in the game;, both players logged over 40 minutes essentially playing the entire game. After Clancy opened overtime with her three, Santiago took care of the rest. Starting with their next offensive possession Santiago went: two point basket, defensive rebound, missed shot, two point basket, two point basket.

Santiago described her mindset as aggressive because she knows it will bring good results.

“I’d definitely say I was in attack mode,” she said.

After the teams exchanged scores,  it came down to Fullerton’s final possession. A swarming Mustangs’ defense left the Titans with a step-back three as their only open look. Thesai final shot missed right.

Coach Mimnaugh said she felt like it was a benchmark win and that team showed good poise and promise.

“We’ve been battling injuries and all kinds of things but the team stuck solid together and I think that we’re playing some good basketball, (but) we still have more room to grow,” she said.

No, Sarah was not raped, but she was sexually assaulted. In the weeks that followed the incident, Sarah’s symptoms could be categorized as acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a normal reaction to a frightening event. She would jump when a male friend would touch her and wanted nothing more than to put the experience behind her. She didn’t ask for help because she didn’t want people to know, but later in life, should she put down the event when filing for insurance, she could be denied or ruled ineligible as a result of something that wasn’t her fault.

The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) reports that 248,300 sexual assaults were reported in 2007. In the United States, a sexual assault or rape happens every two minutes, and 60 percent of the incidents are never reported to the police. Following an assault, many victims feel guilty or ashamed and believe that the incident was their fault. “If only I hadn’t worn that skirt.” “If only I hadn’t flirted with him.” The list is endless, and none of it’s true.

In an investigative article published Oct. 21 by the Huffington Post, women were found to be routinely denied health insurance or long-term coverage because of protective medical measures they had taken following their assault. Christina Turner told the newspaper that her doctor prescribed her a month’s worth of anti-AIDS medication as a precaution. When Turner applied for new health coverage a few months later, she was denied because her records indicated she had taken AIDS medication even though she had explained about the assault. As a result, she went without health insurance for three years and now wonders if she made the right choice in taking the medication.

Turner isn’t alone. Several women spoke to the newspaper about being denied based on PTSD stemming from earlier attacks. Now instead of receiving basic coverage for therapy or gynecological exams, some women are going without or paying out of pocket at Planned Parenthood. Doctors and nurses around the country are having to fight insurance companies on what is medically necessary. How is a rape exam, preventative AIDS medication or therapy not medically necessary? Asking a victim if the therapy is medically necessary is like asking if he or she is sure the event really happened. Victims don’t need to be second-guessed; they’re bound to get enough of that from the defendant’s attorney. The fact that women are being denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions such as PTSD stemming from a sexual assault or rape is not only unfathomable, it’s absolutely disgusting.

The United States population is just over 308 million with approximately 46.3 million people reported uninsured in 2008. How many of those people are without insurance because they took AIDS medication as a precaution? A better question may be how many victims have insurance but are going without therapy because insurance companies say their treatment isn’t medically necessary? We’re in a recession, and with the poverty rate at an 11-year high of 13.2 percent, people are penny-pinching at every opportunity. But cutting costs shouldn’t come at the expense of sexual assault victims. They don’t need someone telling them they don’t need therapy, or that they will have to pay for their own rape exam because of an assault that happened years previously.

Sexual assault is one of the most under-reported crimes, and victims are six times more likely to suffer from PTSD, three times more likely to suffer from depression, and four times more likely to contemplate suicide. If women and men believe that by reporting their sexual assaults to their doctor is going to result in being denied health care coverage for their therapy and rape exams, no one is going to step forward. As it is, RAINN reports that 15 of 16 rapists walk free. What kind of message are health insurance companies sending to victims if they’re going to be penalized for receiving help and medical attention?

The purpose of medical examinations and therapy sessions for rape and sexual assault victims is to help them see that what happened to them was not their fault, that they didn’t “ask for it.” But by denying health coverage based on “pre-existing” conditions such as PTSD stemming from a rape, that’s the exact message they are receiving.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much when it comes to health care, even though I work in a doctor’s office. What I do know is that I am a 21-year-old college woman, making me four times more likely to be sexually assaulted. If I were to be sexually assaulted tonight walking to my car, my first instinct would be to call the police, report it and do whatever I could to put that bastard behind bars. But if I know that by receiving therapy or taking AIDS medication as a precaution is going to affect my chances of receiving coverage as an independent adult, what would I do?

I realize that insurance companies follow the CYA philosophy to the letter, but these denials shouldn’t be occurring. All around us, people are concerned with politics and money, and I understand that, but how would you feel if your mother had to endure constant flashbacks of a man forcing himself into her because she didn’t want to be penalized by her insurance policy? What if every time you went to hug her, she erupted in tears because she didn’t receive the therapy she needed to overcome her trauma?

We don’t have the answers to these questions and honestly, I don’t have an answer on how to fix this. But these men and women shouldn’t be denied, and as a nation, we need to work to provide care for these victims. It’s a heartbreaking story when it happens to a stranger, but it’s downright maddening when it happens to someone we love.

Cal poly awaits the NCAA selection show on Monday for a tournament berth. Photo by Nick Camacho- Mustang Daily

The Cal Poly women’s soccer team’s season comes to an end after penalty kicks once again. The Mustangs lost to UC Santa Barbara in the Big West Conference Championship in a shootout at Alex G. Spanos Stadium Sunday.

The Gauchos will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Cal Poly still has a shot to get into the tournament if they receive an at-large bid. The tournament brackets will be decided today at 5 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN News.

UCSB, the No. 3 seed, won two road games to claim the tournament championship, having first beat CSU Northridge 2-1 in Thursday’s semifinal.

“I think (Cal Poly is) on the outside looking in,” Santa Barbara head coach Paul Stumpf said. “Do I think they are a playoff caliber team? Yes.”

The Mustangs were first to get on the board Sunday when Morgan Miller got her second goal of the tournament in the 40th minute. After a series of passes between Tiffany Gummow and Bianca Burright on the left side of the field, Burright crossed the ball into the box, where it deflected off a UCSB defender to Miller, who put the ball past the goalie into the lower-right corner.

“I think the team played with a lot of heart,” Miller said. “I think we all really wanted this game.”

Stumpf said it would be hard to score points against the Mustangs and told his players that their defense had to be in top form to win.

“We’re gonna have to keep them under two because they are not gonna give up three,” Stumpf said.

The Gauchos evened the score in the 69th minute with a goal from Katy Roby. Roby received the ball in the middle of the field on the Mustang’s end and dribbled into the box and fired one past Mustang goalkeeper Coral Hoover from about 13 yards out. It was the first goal scored on Hoover and the Cal Poly defense since Oct. 4. The Mustangs hadn’t allowed a goal in 747 minutes, the longest streak in school history.

Hoover said she knows that she will get scored on every once and a while, and that knowledge helps her to be successful in the goal.

Both teams continued to have chances in the match but were unable to connect. UCSB’s Genelle Ives could have had a second goal for the Gauchos but was out of position when a cross came across the front of the net and hit her in the back of the leg.

Cal Poly, who scored both goals on set plays against UC Irvine, was unable to take advantage of the 11 corner kicks or the 10 free kicks they were awarded.

“We had our chances, and we just weren’t able to put the second goal in,” Miller said.

Neither team had a shot on goal in either overtime period but Cal Poly had a good opportunity in the 116th minute when Kristina Condon-Sherwood, who leads the team in assists, took a free kick from 39 yards out and put it just over the head of Julianne Grinstead.

Stumpf said that while they did want to win the game in overtime, he was confident that his team would be able to win in a shootout.

“I felt coming up here (Cal Poly) had a pretty good shot at it,” he said. “I felt like once we get to PKs the chances really kinda change to like 60-40 maybe in our favor.”

The Gauchos switched their goalie for the shootout, replacing Tammy Lenham with Ali Cutler. Cal Poly’s Whitney Sisler took the first penalty kick in the shootout and shot one just outside of the left post. One miss was all the Gauchos needed ,scoring on all five of their attempts, while Cal Poly was able to score on the other four shots.

Cal Poly head coach Alex Crozier said he thought his team played well but felt helpless during the shootout.

“Penalty kicks is just a crap shoot really,” he said.

Cal Poly was the No. 1 seed in the tournament after claiming the Big West regular season championship with a conference record of 7-1. The Mustangs defeated UC Irvine 2-0 at home Thursday evening to get to the tournament finals.

The Mustang’s season will be over if they do not receive an invitation to the tournament. Hoover said that going to the NCAA Tournament was one of the team goals at the beginning of the season.

“I’m crossing my fingers big, and I am praying and hoping, and I think the team deserves it with what we’ve done this season,” Miller said.

A presentation on violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo drew 34 people at the third Soup and Substance gathering on Tuesday. Students stopped in during UU Hour to eat a bowl of soup and pasta and listen to the brutality women and young girls are facing in Africa.

Psychology senior Clare Teagle led the presentation, reading facts and narrative accounts about the women who have been raped by soldiers, who use sexual violence as a war tactic to terrorize and destroy communities. She said that 3,500 cases of rape were reported in the regions of North and South Kivu in the first six months of 2008 alone.

Kaitlin McCormick brought up a YouTube video that featured young women who had been so brutally raped that they had serious problems with their reproductive and digestive systems.

The PowerPoint presentation used during the hour was borrowed from last year’s Change the Status Quo event.

A photo in the PowerPoint slideshow showed a picture of a room that had just been exited by rape victims after a meeting. Pools of urine covered the floors of the room because the rape victims were unable to control their damaged digestive systems. Women wait days to be checked or to have vaginal reconstructive surgery after their traumatizing rape experiences.

In the YouTube video, a 22-year-old rape victim said that women’s lives are destroyed after they are raped because not only are they physically assaulted, they are humiliated and unable to find husbands.

Other problems occurring in the Congo were also presented during this presentation. Teagle mentioned that there is an extreme amount of conflict over minerals used to make electronic devices sold worldwide. More than one million people have been displaced, breaking up families and causing more exploitation and violence against women.

Near the end of the presentation, Teagle presented a few courses of action that could potentially help the women in the Congo fight rape. She encouraged the group to write letters to the president of the Congo, Joseph Kahila, urging him to protect the thousands of women and young girls being raped by soldiers. Other ideas included buying gifts from organizations that aid women in the fight against brutality and donating cell phones to minimize the mineral exploitation occurring in mines.

Biology senior David Hansen, who regularly attends the gatherings, was unsure of how effective the plans of action would be in these cases of extreme brutality.

“I really don’t think that writing a letter to their president would make much of a difference,” he said.

Environmental management junior Nelson Lau thought that the solutions were a step in the right direction.

Lau said that this meeting was lacking a discussion, which usually happens during the gatherings.

When the Soup and Substance committee met to brainstorm discussion topics, they knew they wanted to bring awareness to violence in the Congo, said philosophy junior and director coordinator of Student Community Services, Michelle Fox.

“A lot of people don’t know about it,” Fox said. She noted that attendance was higher than normal for their Soup and Substance gatherings.

Virginia Fay is an English sophomore and her book column "Sweet Story Scribbler" will appear in the online edition.

Pearls, twinsets and proper English etiquette. In today’s world, these are probably some of the farthest things from most of our minds. Not so for Betsy Phillimore, the main character in Hester Browne’s “The Finishing Touches,” a novel about an English finishing school and all that goes into being “finished” in today’s world.

“The Finishing Touches” begins with Betsy’s return to the finishing school where she grew up on the occasion of her adopted mother’s memorial service. Though she never actually attended the Academy, she grew up knowing it as nothing less than a flourishing school that all the best young ladies attended. But upon her return, she finds it in shambles – attendance is down, the building itself is in disrepair and the company is on the verge of bankruptcy.

All of this turmoil coincides nicely with Betsy’s dead-end job back in Edinburgh and her newly re-sparked interest in finding her birth mother. Her adopted father, Lord Pelham Phillimore, asks her to fix up the Academy and bring it back to the standards her beloved adoptive mother would have wanted – giving Betsy a chance to find a new career that doesn’t involve managing a shoe shop and allowing her access to information that may help her track down her biological mother.

A novel about revitalizing a British finishing school might sound more than a little dull; however, I was delighted to find this book exactly the opposite. Browne’s writing is so clever and lively that I was pleasantly surprised at every turn. I found myself laughing out loud at the understated British humor and rooting for Betsy and the rest of the quirky and often outrageous cast of characters every step of the way.

Betsy’s mission to bring the Academy back to its glory days is filled with colorful characters and unexpected twists. Browne interweaves a love story that is sweet without hijacking the story line into a simpering romance. Betsy’s encounters with her best friend’s brother (and lifelong crush) and the sensible but lovable accountant of the Academy kept me curious about what the outcome would be, but not to the point that they overshadowed other plotlines.

The very concept of a finishing school seems so foreign that reading about the ins and outs of the Academy and Betsy’s efforts to bring their lessons up to date was an intriguing and entertaining learning process. Any finishing school worth its salt is intended to turn young girls into perfect ladies ready to enter society – and what girl hasn’t dreamed of being a society princess at one point or another?

The problem Betsy faces is figuring out how to educate the Academy’s dwindling (four, to be exact) pupils in subjects of use to them in the ever-evolving London scene. It was this overhauling of the lessons I enjoyed most – in part because I picked up so many useful tips. “The Finishing Touches” is chock-full of helpful hints on everything from how to walk in heels to what to look for in a man judging by his handshake and tipping habits.

Throughout Betsy’s work to bring the Academy back to its former splendor, she is also struggling to find her true identity by searching for the mother who abandoned her on the Academy’s doorstep 27 years prior. Her search for her mother brings her closer to her previously distant adopted father, while enabling her to finally feel a sense of belonging and confidence in herself that she has longed for her entire life.

All in all, “The Finishing Touches” was thoroughly charming. Browne writes with a sharp wit that pinpoints the things you’ve always wanted to know but were never taught (like how to eat sushi properly and the absolute essentials to have in your purse) in a completely entertaining way. Browne had me wanting to jump into the book and enroll in the Academy myself, and I’m sure you will too by the end of the novel.