An inside look at living, studying and working at Cal Poly.

Inside Cal Poly

At a glance, moving a few drops of milk from a truck doesn’t seem so dangerous. But to one group of seniors, it was a lawsuit waiting to happen.



Cal Poly Creamery staff members can now rest easy after the construction of a new safety enhancement project. A group of fourth-year bioresources and agricultural engineering (BRAE) students, with the help of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), fixed a critical flaw in the process of milk inspection.



In the time it takes for milk to leave Cal Poly cows and arrive at your kitchen table, there are many steps that creamery staffers take behind the scenes. One of them is extracting milk samples from large trucks in order to determine if the product meets health code regulations. Only then will the creamery use it to make its renowned dairy products.



Extracting these samples used to involve a lengthy procedure. First, Cal Poly Creamery student assistants climbed to the top of a 10-foot truck using a ladder. At the top, they used a sterile ladle to collect a milk sample from the truck’s hatch. Then, the assistants descended the ladder, all the while making sure the sample was secure.



When the BRAE students first observed this extracting procedure, they noticed several steps that put the creamery assistants at risk. They immediately consulted EHS and went to work to create a safer, more efficient design.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.sanity.io/images/vm929t16/production/c7fe1a5cb297a5efaa3da9cebaa1f0207d7a93a5-800x722.jpg?w=675&amp;h=609&amp;fit=crop" alt="Cal Poly Dairy Truck"/></figure>



Now, the creamery benefits from a much more sound procedure. There is a designated truck pull-up spot with a bridge built conveniently above it. Instead of a ladder, there are stairs — complete with handrails and guardrails — that lead staffers directly to a platform for easy access of the truck’s top hatch.



To accomplish this project, students enlisted the help of Environmental Health Specialist Tim Hastings. Hastings played a role in the design process, and in helping the students assure each element of the project met California building code requirements as well as California Occupational Safety and Health regulations.



Thanks to quick-thinking students and a little help from EHS, Cal Poly Creamery employees can breathe a sigh of relief during the extraction process, and can now focus on making delicious dairy products.

Student Safety Enhancement Project Constructed in Cal Poly Creamery

In a campaign to promote responsible drinking decisions, Cal Poly Police recently collaborated with student athletes and the Interfraternity Council to create&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/insidecalpoly/videos/341798466568353/">public service announcement videos</a>&nbsp;as a part of a new push for alcohol safety on campus.



The brainchild of Cal Poly Police Deputy Chief Brenda Trobaugh, the videos focus heavily on a “Have fun, but please be safe” message, and offer a plea from students to students to use common sense, plan ahead, be aware, don’t binge, and look out for yourself and your friends.



“We need everyone on board in this issue,” Trobaugh said, “And letting people know that student leaders from across campus are behind this effort really helps to emphasize the importance of the message.”



Trobaugh brought together athletes and fraternity members for the creation and launch of the three initial videos in the year-long campaign. Videos that will feature student leaders from other areas of campus are scheduled to be released throughout the academic year.



Drunk driving and excessive drinking are problems on campuses nation-wide and members of the Cal Poly Police Department are dedicated to offering the service and support needed to support the student body in every way they can and to keep our campus safe.



This PSA campaign is part of a grant recently issued to the Cal Poly Police Department to encourage drinking responsibly. The first round of public service announcements is currently showing at sporting events as well as on Cal Poly social media accounts.



For questions about this campaign, contact Police Chief Brenda Trobaugh at 805–756–6647 or btrobaug@calpoly.edu.

Athletes and Fraternities team up with Cal Poly Police to Promote Drinking Responsibly

When it comes to parking on campus, solutions are often hard to find. Many students bring their cars to school, space is limited and it’s hard to get your hands on a permit. But say hello to the newest idea: a lottery system.



This winter, Cal Poly Transportation &amp; Parking Services (TAPS) is launching a brand new process for the way students can access parking permits. The lottery will not only ensure that every student interested in a permit has an equal chance to purchase one, but also that every student has the option to pick their parking location of choice. (<a href="https://afd.calpoly.edu/parking/parkingoncampus/parkinglots/">Check out this map</a>&nbsp;of all the campus parking lots!)



Here’s the breakdown. From now until Dec. 2, students can enter&nbsp;<a href="https://calpoly.t2hosted.com/Account/Portal">through the Parking Portal</a>. On Dec. 3 and 4, each student’s name will be randomized and assigned a lottery number. When a number comes up, the corresponding student will be automatically awarded a permit based on their parking preferences available at the time. These lucky winners will then have the following six days to purchase the permit online.



What happens if the permits sell out? Don’t worry. If they all sell out, a waitlist will keep track of all students’ parking preferences. At the start of winter quarter, the system will release any unclaimed permits to waitlisted students.



Still fuzzy on the whole idea? Here are some frequently asked questions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently asked questions</h2>



Q: How many preferred parking lots can I include on my form?



A: Students will have the opportunity to select two preferred parking lots — a first choice and a second choice.



Q: When will the winners be announced?



A: The lottery will be awarded for two consecutive days during the week of Dec. 3. Not all awards will occur on the same day.



Q: How will I know if I win?



A: Once a permit has been awarded, students will receive an email with instructions on how to purchase. The permit must then be purchased in the following six days.



Q: What happens if I don’t purchase a permit within the six-day window?



A: If the purchase isn’t made in six days, the permit will expire and be awarded to the next lottery number in line.



Q: How will I know if I’m on the waitlist?



A: All names not contacted for an initial parking permit will be included on a waitlist and available for unclaimed permits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Still have questions?</h2>



If you have further questions regarding parking at Cal Poly, please e-mail parking@calpoly.edu or calling 805–756–6654.

Winter Parking Permits Lottery: Explained

At Cal Poly, we work and study in an idyllic environment with its mountain backdrop, tree lined streets and smiling passersby. It’s hard to imagine that while walking from class to class, or from your car to your office, anything bad could happen. UPD’s Deputy Chief Brenda Trobaugh would like to offer the following safety tips to ensure nothing does.



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid walking around while using your cell phone. It is a distraction from the activity around you.</li>



<li>Always walk with a friend. When walking around campus, it is a safe practice use the buddy system.</li>



<li>Cross safely. Look both ways before crossing any street. At controlled intersections, cross only when you have the pedestrian crossing light. Make eye contact with any drivers who may be turning. Make sure they see you. It can be tempting to simply jaywalk, but it can be an infraction and a safety hazard.</li>



<li>When crossing campus after sundown, walk in areas well lighted.</li>



<li>When walking at night, wear light-colored clothing and reflective clothing to be visible. Drivers are often not expecting walkers to be out after dark, and you need to give them every chance to see you, even at street crossings that have crossing signals.</li>



<li>Keep a phone in hand and have Campus Police or 911 on “speed dial” for unexpected emergency situations.</li>



<li>If walking to a vehicle, the keys should be kept in hand and ready to use when entering the parking lot or street.</li>



<li>Trust your instincts. If you see something that looks suspicious, contact University Police and explain the situation. If you are unsure, but it doesn’t “feel right,” then it is probably suspicious.</li>
</ol>

Walk This Way: 8 Safety Tips for Walking Around Campus.

Follett Higher Education assumed mangement of the University Store on July 1, 2017, bringing new products, savings and support for campus store customers. Cal Poly faculty and students will have access to Follett’s wide range of affordable course material choices. Cost-saving print options include used books as well as Follett’s text rental program that delivers significant savings compared to purchasing new.

Cal Poly University Store Management Transitions to Follett.

Recipe for Cal Poly Dining’s October Superfood.



Yield:&nbsp;6 servings



Prep time:&nbsp;15 min



Total time:&nbsp;35 min



Ingredients:



1 tbsp olive oil



1 large red onion, chopped



2 cloves garlic, minced



2 bell peppers, chopped (any color)



1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes



1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed



1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed



1 15-ounce can kidney beans. drained and rinsed



1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling!!)



2 cups vegetable broth



2 tbsp chili powder



2 tsp cumin



2 tsp paprika



1 tsp salt



1 tsp cinnamon



*optional: cayenne pepper and tortilla trip garnish



Instructions:



<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Place olive oil in pan over medium heat with onions and sauté for about 5 min</li>



<li>Add bell peppers to pan and sauté for additional 2 min</li>



<li>In large pot combine bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, beans, pumpkin, vegetable broth, and all spices- stir to combine.</li>



<li>Bring to a boil, turn down heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15–20 min.</li>
</ol>

Pumpkin Chili

Cal Poly Corporation employs more than 3,000 students in our various operations. Working for the corporation, our student employees gain valuable Learn by Doing experience in functions such as dining, retail, event planning, research, agriculture and administration. Bonus: Campus Dining student employees also get a free meal with every shift they work. Apply today: <a href="http://calpolydining.com/jobs">calpolydining.com/jobs</a>

Join the Herd of 3,000 Student Employees

<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Sam is a Dairy Science major. He is one of 5,000 Cal Poly freshmen.</li>



<li>Sam is on the dining plan and uses his declining balance to eat at Mustang Station. He is one of Campus Dining’s 20,000 daily guests.</li>



<li>Sam’s slice of pizza and drink purchase helps fund jobs for 2,000 Campus Dining student employees. It also helps support on-campus facilities like Doerr Field, which Cal Poly Corporation donated $750,000 to build.</li>



<li>Additionally, his purchase funds Learn by Doing initiatives on campus like the student-run Cal Poly Creamery. Cal Poly Corporation contributes $1M back to the university annually.</li>
</ol>

Circle of Life

To understand how Campus Dining’s declining balance works, you first need to know how the balance is split up. When freshmen come to Cal Poly during Week of Welcome, they’ll enjoy meals that are included with the program. After that, they are allocated a declining balance quarterly that allows them to spend money at any Campus Dining venue — all 22 of them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rolling Over Quarterly</h2>



A student’s declining balance money rolls over from quarter to quarter but not from year to year. For example, if a student doesn’t spend all of the declining balance during fall quarter, it will roll over to winter quarter for her to use. The rolling over of her declining balance continues until spring quarter. Any money remaining after spring quarter will not be available to use the following year. So it’s important to spend all of your declining balance by the end of the academic year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Budgeting</h2>



Budgeting for food is one of many life skills a freshman acquires living on their own for the first time. To make it easier to keep track, a student’s remaining balance shows up on the register after each purchase. A student can also check her balance on the portal. Using some simple math, she can divide the amount of her declining balance by the number of days left in the quarter to see how much money she should be spending per day.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stretching your balance</h2>



First year students have a special advantage over everyone else at Campus Dining’s only all-you-care-to-eat option on campus: freshmen only pay $5.50 out of their declining balance for breakfast, $6.00 for lunch and $6.50 for dinner (whereas the price for everyone else on campus is as much as $10.65.) Consider this: freshmen can enjoy an appetizer, entrée, dessert and a beverage for about the cost of a large frappé at their favorite coffee shop. In other words, this venue helps a student’s balance go further.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Running low or high</h2>



It’s not unusual for new students nearing the end of their first quarter to run low or high on their declining balance. If they are falling short, students can add more money for Campus Dining using Campus Express, which can be accessed via the Cal Poly portal “Money Matters” tab. Students with large balances can visit the Campus Dining website for ideas on how to get their declining balance on track.



Visit calpolydining.com/decliningbalance to see where your declining balance should be each quarter.

Tag: College