Cougars & Mustangs 

With the motto “honor the whole,” SUSTAIN-SLO brings Cal Poly faculty members and students together with local government and business in a merging of minds to give sustainability a legitimate voice and an active role in our community.

SUSTAIN-SLO features 100 students from different majors working on assorted projects with four faculty members and other community partners. The projects will be coupled with the students’ regular curricula, for which they will earn 16 quarter units toward their degree requirements.

The original SUSTAIN (Sino-US Strategic Alliance for Innovation) partnered faculty from Tongji University, California Polytechnic State University, and Stanford University. Originating in 2008, SUSTAIN was formed as an institute committed to innovating for sustainable design of rural Chinese communities.

Realizing that credentials were weak on our end, the U.S. founders decided to create a local chapter that mirrored their Chinese partners’ collaboration between universities, local government agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and citizens.

According to its website, SUSTAIN-SLO serves as a “social container that holds several activities, all aimed to bring forth living examples of alternative ways of creating thriving communities that ensure well-being for both social and natural systems.”

With a focus on sustainability through learning by doing, the group is working on systems and relationships between community entities. The group has initiated activities and projects that address critical issues like our relationship with food systems, water systems, energy systems, and education systems.

The aim so far has been discovery and innovation in real fieldwork and community projects and making the world a greener and better place.

In other Poly news, the university’s women’s volleyball team concluded its season with a loss to CSU Northridge. The Mustangs lost their first set 0-6, won the second 17-15, and lost the third 17-25. The team ended the season with an overall record of 12-17. Most Cal Poly sports fan will recall the shift in leadership in early September when Cal Poly tapped assistant coach Caroline Walters to assume coaching responsibilities after former coach Jon Stevenson was relieved of his duties. In late October, Cal Poly came to a separation agreement with the coach prohibiting him from contacting university staff and former players.

Cal Poly has given little indication of what direction they plan to take for future volleyball seasons.

Intern Jason Keedy compiled this week’s Cougars and Mustangs. Send comments or items for consideration to [email protected].