A local mom’s son suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him with limited mobility, so she reached out to the Cal Poly club Tikkun Olam Makers for help, and they provided her with a free 3D-printed mobility trainer and six writing tools.
Author Archives: Sydnie Bierma
Sydnie Bierma is an Arts and Student Life reporter, a special sections writer and a journalism major. After she got involved in her high school newspaper, she wanted to continue her journalistic career with MMG. She is glad to be part of the team and loves to interview local community members. In her free time, she loves traveling around San Luis Obispo, hiking, camping, thrifting and trying different coffee shops. She also loves to read, listen to music and spend time with friends.
Posted inFeatures
Waves of feminism on the Central Coast
Part One The Diva Cup Community Helplessly trying to untangle the hooks locking her in the impact zone, then middle schooler Sierra Emrick realized she was stuck and needed immediate help. At a Pismo Pier surf contest, Emrick got her bun mangled in a mess of gear from nearby fishermen. She locked eyes with a […]
Posted inFeatures
Tikkun Olam Makers empower Cal Poly students
Opening the medicine cabinet, grabbing a toenail clipper and putting your foot over the toilet to trim your toenails is a universal experience and often overlooked. Yet, for local resident Janie McInturff who was born with one arm, this is something that is not possible. Now with the help of Tikkun Olam Makers on Cal […]
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Student instructors bring rhythm, energy and community to campus spin classes
Animal science senior Gina Taurian always loved going to the Cal Poly spin classes, otherwise known as Breakaway. From the upbeat music to the fast choreography, she loved it all. She especially loved a specific instructor who taught during her freshman year. “I really loved her teaching style, she was the only one that did […]
Posted inTop Stories
Tappy hour: An open tap workshop for all levels
Tappy Hour, a free event held on Fridays from 4 to 5 p.m., provides an accessible and low-impact dance experience for all experience levels, with a warmup, “across the floor” and a final combination taught by a student or assistant professor of dance.
Posted inFeatures
Shabang, ‘A good old Central Coast time,’ celebrates its 10th anniversary
After being frustrated with music venues getting shut down in San Luis Obispo, a group of college students hiked to the top of Cuesta Ridge and put on their own “house show.” This happened 10 years ago.
“House shows and concerts were really important to us,” Greg Golf, founder of Shabang and ‘16 alum, said. “A lot of our social scene was based around that.”
Originally termed as ‘The Last Shabang,’ Golf said the show was a way to end the 2014 school year and now has become a San Luis Obispo tradition for 10 years, “[putting] the central coast on the map.”
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SLOPD extends enhancement zones as a deterrent for the annual St. Fratty’s block party
Twenty years ago between California and Foothill Blvd. pepper bullets were fired and tear gas was dispersed into the crowd. What started as a civil celebration turned into a day filled with more than 180 arrests.
After this, the 9.22 ordinance was introduced.
The 9.22 ordinance enforces designated sections of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code and subjects those who violate these codes to double the fines.
This has continued since 2004, but recently residents of San Luis Obispo “have been experiencing some greater impacts from noise of large gathering type calls associated with traditional holiday times such as St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween,” Chief Scott said during the city council meeting on Jan. 9.
To combat this SLOPD has added some changes for this upcoming “St. Fratty’s Day” and Halloween Safety Enhancement Zones.
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Cal Poly’s Line Dancing Club: Finding community through social dancing
In the midst of 200 other students for quarter plus, two freshman girls, Maddison Hagglund and Caitlin Lee, tried line dancing for the very first time. Line dancing is a social dancing experience where a choreographed dance is learned and then repeated in a sequence. It can be done with or without partners. Hagglund and […]
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Front Porch: ‘Where every person and moment matter’
After the pandemic, Front Porch, a faith based nonprofit coffee house opened its doors to all students and is now full to the brim at all hours of the day. It is located off of Foothill Boulevard near the Health Center on campus.
Front porch offers free coffee and espresso during the day and hosts other events such as a free meal on Wednesdays each week. It stays running through donations from local churches, community members and student volunteers.
Posted inSponsored Content
Gear up with The Switchback and The Mountain Air outdoor stores
The Mountain Air, a specialty outdoor retail store has been a part of the San Luis Obispo community since 1975. To provide more affordability and access to the outdoors, owners Josh and Lindsey Haring opened a sister store, The Switchback, at the end of August this year.
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SLO Botanical Garden brings back ‘Nature Nights’ for a second year
In 2022, over 9,000 people visited the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden for an evening of lights, art and nature, according to SLO Botanical Garden executive director Janine Stillman. This year the garden is bringing back Nature Nights, an immersive outdoor experience covering over eight acres of the garden, from Nov. 17 to Dec. 31. […]