Student Success – Cultivate Spring 2024
Definition of Success
1 a: degree or measure of succeeding b: satisfactory completion of something c: the gaining of wealth, respect or fame 2: a person or thing that succeeds
Cal Poly Logging Team Takes Second Place
In mid-November the Cal Poly Logging Team hosted an all-day Cal Conclave event at the Cal Poly campus, with eight teams from three universities competing. Student teams from Cal Poly, UC Berkeley and Cal Poly Humboldt competed in events, including chopping, chain sawing, dendrology, axe throwing, pole climbing and more. More than 20 alumni volunteered to make the event a success. The Cal Poly “A” team took second place, the “B” team took third place, and the “C” team fourth place. For the women’s team, fourth-year forest and fire sciences major Kelly Schwenger was named the Belle of the Woods (top female competitor), second-year forest and fire sciences major Cadence Eastermann won fifth place and fourth-year forest and fire sciences major Eden Eliahou won sixth place. On the men’s team, third-year forest and fire sciences major Nolan Hayes won second place, second-year agricultural systems management major Ben Holtzen won fourth place and fourth-year forest and fire sciences major Joey Klugg won sixth place.
Gold Medal in Homebrewing Competition
Food science graduate student Alex Kivela and fourth-year food science major Lauren Thoen won a gold medal for a homebrewed blood orange sour beer they developed for the 2023 Southern California Regional Homebrewing Championship in the mixed style, experimental and alternative sugar category. The students are members of Mustang Zymurgists, mentored by Associate Professor Luis Castro, a brewing club where students learn the basics of brewing science, develop recipes to submit to national homebrew competitions and develop research project ideas.
Cal Poly Dressage Team Advances to Nationals
The Cal Poly Dressage Team is advancing to the national competition in Tryon, North Carolina. The team will represent Region U April 21-23 with the following riders: second-year biomedical engineering major Lily-Rose Bacon, first level; third-year agricultural communication major Lauren McEwen, upper training level; second-year animal science major Kaileen Grace, lower training level; and first-year animal science major Caroline Kargenian, introductory level. In addition to the team, McEwen, Kargenian and Grace will compete as individuals in their respective divisions.
Second Place in Collegiate Discussion Meet
Reagan Dahle, a second-year agricultural communication major placed second in the California Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Collegiate Discussion Meet in Reno, Nevada. First-year agricultural communication major Emiliano Ruiz also placed in the top four. The competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic, with participants building basic discussion skills, developing a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and exploring how groups can pool knowledge to reach a consensus and solve problems.
Soil Science Students Advance to National Competition
A team of soil science students from the Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department placed first at the Soil Science Society of America’s Region 6 National Collegiate Soil Competition, advancing them to the national competition this spring in Iowa. The contest was divided into five sections, and included soil morphology, profile characteristics, site characteristics, USDA soil taxonomy/classification and interpretations. Students from universities throughout the west participated in the judging competition hosted by Cal Poly Humboldt, including teams from UC Davis, New Mexico State and Fresno State. In addition, six of the 10 students also placed in the top 10 as individuals, including fourth-year environmental earth and soil sciences majors Kylee Nielsen in first place, Nabila Wildman in second place and Cody Cameron in fourth place.
Visit Cultivate Spring 2024 to read more stories.