Recent News
Cal Poly’s University Jazz Bands to Send Off Director at Jazz Night Concert June 1
May 1, 2019
Paul Rinzler is retiring as director of jazz studies
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Paul Rinzler will direct Cal Poly’s University Jazz Bands for the last time at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 1, in Spanos Theatre on the Cal Poly campus.
Rinzler has been the director of jazz studies at Cal Poly since 1997. Under his tutelage, the University Jazz Bands have won first place at collegiate jazz festivals and performed hundreds of gigs on- and off-campus.
Cal Poly to Present an Evening of Woodwind and String Chamber Music May 31 at SLO United Methodist Church
May 1, 2019
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Music Department will present an evening of woodwind and string chamber music at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 31, at the San Luis Obispo United Methodist Church.
Several Cal Poly music ensembles will perform a variety of traditional and contemporary repertoire featuring woodwind and string instruments. The concert will include performances by a woodwind quintet, saxophone ensembles, string quartet and cello ensemble.
Cal Poly Music Department Presents ‘RSVP XXIV: Invitation’ May 28, 30
Apr 30, 2019
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Music Department’s student production ensemble RSVP will stage its annual transmedia concert, this year titled “RSVP XXIV: Invitation,” at 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, May 28 and 30, in the Pavilion of the Performing Arts Center’s Christopher Cohan Center.
This is the 24th season of the series, which combines a variety of media elements including music, dance, costume and lighting to convey its story. This year’s production is a thoughtful trace of a famous rock star’s life, the choices he faces during his career, his rise to iconic fame and artistic influence and the invitation to his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Cal Poly Opens New Welcome Center
Apr 30, 2019
The space is the first on campus to showcase the university’s updated branding
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly visitors have a new first stop when they arrive on campus: the university’s Welcome Center.
Cal Poly President Jefferey D. Armstrong and San Luis Obispo’s civic leaders cut the ribbon to officially open the new space in the yakʔitʸutʸu housing community on Grand Avenue. San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Debbie Arnold presented Cal Poly with a special proclamation commemorating the event.
The 3,200-square-foot space serves as a one-stop shop for newcomers taking tours or finding events at Cal Poly. The center includes a 142-seat auditorium that will be used for presentations.
Student-Run Succulent Plant Sale to Be Held May 10-11 at Cal Poly
Apr 29, 2019
SAN LUIS OBISPO — More than 100 varieties of succulents will be available at Cal Poly’s Succulentopia plant sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, May 10, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Horticulture Unit near the Poly Plant Shop.
More than 4,000 plants will be available for purchase. Five students are involved in the student-run project, which is one of several hands-on experiences offered by the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ Horticulture and Crop Science Department.
Student succulent manager Karianne Rydberg, a senior agricultural and environmental plant sciences major who oversaw the student production team, said the experience gave her greenhouse management skills that she will use in her career after she graduates in June.
Cal Poly Student Team Wins Prestigious Helmut Kipphan Cup at Graphic Arts Conference
Apr 29, 2019
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly won the Kipphan Cup, for the second time in three years, at the annual conference of the Technical Association of the Graphic Arts (TAGA), held March 17-20 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Cal Poly’s TAGA team, comprised of 25 graphic communication students, was awarded the top prize for its technical journal, a high-quality student-produced publication that showcases a range of complex printing processes. Scoring is based on technical writing, design, production quality and the quality of an online supplement.
UC Berkeley Professor to Give Talk on Gay Shame, Queer Hate and Direct Action on May 14 at Cal Poly
Apr 26, 2019
SAN LUIS OBISPO — UC Berkeley Gender and Women’s Studies faculty member Eric Stanley, Ph.D., will visit Cal Poly on May 14 to give a talk, “Is Love a Necessary Revolutionary Affect? Gay Shame, Queer Hate and Direct Action in Silicon Valley.”
Stanley, who uses the gender-neutral pronouns they/them, will lead a discussion of Gay Shame, a queer direct action group based in San Francisco, and its work confronting the hyper-gentrification of the Bay Area propelled by the tech industry.
Cal Poly Arab Music Ensemble to Perform Works That Evoke Spring on May 25
Apr 26, 2019
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Arab Music Ensemble’s Spring Concert will celebrate seasonal themes at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 25, in the Spanos Theatre on the Cal Poly campus.
“Our program is blooming with themes of spring,” said Samuel Shalhoub, the ensemble’s acting director. “From exciting travels and warm sunny days, to occasional rainstorms and moonlit nights, prepare to be carried away in an evening of popular Lebanese music, amusing bits of theatre and energetic dances.”
CSU Gender, Race & Sexuality Undergraduate Conference Accepts Five Papers from Cal Poly
Apr 22, 2019
Event is Set for April 26 at Fresno State University
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Five Cal Poly student were accepted to present at the first Gender, Race and Sexuality Undergraduate Conference that will be hosted Friday, April 26, at Fresno State University.
The student-run conference, which is the first of its kind in women’s and gender studies, allows an opportunity for Cal Poly student activist-scholars and faculty to interact with students and faculty in similar departments across the 23-campus California State University system. Topics to be discussed at the conference include cultural representation, history, literature, film, social media, politics and the CSU system, according to the Fresno State website.
Cal Poly Students to ‘Take Back the Night’ April 25 for Survivors of Sexual Violence
Apr 22, 2019
Safer’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month Concludes with Annual Community Event
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly Safer invites the San Luis Obispo community to its annual Take Back the Night Rally from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in Mission Plaza downtown.
The free event is designed to empower survivors of sexual violence, honor victims, and build a strong network of supporters.
Take Back the Night is Safer’s last event of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, an effort to raise awareness about sexual assault on campus and the resources Safer provides to students. The event will feature live music by the Dudeo Perez band from San Luis Obispo, student speakers and performances, interactive exhibits and installations, a march through downtown San Luis Obispo, and a resource fair with representatives from community and campus organizations. The event will conclude with a candlelight vigil led by Mayor Heidi Harmon, followed by a moment of silence to honor those who have lost their lives to sexual and gender-based violence.