Campus conversations
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The Cuestonian
Early mornings at The Luffa Farm in Nipomo usually begin under layers of Central Coast fog as rows of luffa plants stretch across the property. Like many specialty crop farms in San Luis Obispo, the farm depends heavily on water to sustain production. But as California continues to enforce stricter groundwater regulations under the Sustainable...
The Cuestonian
Katy Pankey spent weekends making cheese with the milk from a single cow. Her first cow, Patience, was a Christmas gift from her husband. Because equipment stores were closed for the holidays, Pankey spent three weeks milking Patience by hand, every morning and night. She learned the ins and outs of animal care, husbandry, and...
The Cuestonian
The sound of typing fills the classroom as students switch between tabs and submit assignments on their screens. At the front of the room, the teacher pauses mid-instruction to remind students to stay on the correct tab, while several heads remain tilted down instead of watching the board. Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to...
The Cuestonian
For many students in San Luis Obispo, visiting friends or staying out late can come with a cost. Residential parking restrictions near Cal Poly are intended to protect resident access, but because many of the affected neighborhoods are largely student-occupied, some question whether the permits place an added burden on student life. San Luis Obispo...
The Cuestonian
Kayla Cecena knew returning home to San Luis Obispo would mean more than just returning to school. It meant balancing college classes with work, finances and rising costs of living. After attending Boise State University, Cecena decided to come back to the Central Coast and continue her education at Cuesta College. But staying in school...
The Cuestonian
Recently paroled, Byron Williams began serving a life sentence at California Men’s Colony at 19 years old. He was there for 23 years. When Cuesta College’s Rising Scholars program began offering education to inmates at CMC, it became the key to regaining his freedom. “At first, I tried to play the game of pretending like I...
The Cuestonian
On November 4, 2014, San Luis Obispo County voters approved Measure L, a $275 million general obligation bond measure that allowed Cuesta College to address longstanding infrastructure, technology and debt-retirement needs. The bond required 55% approval from SLO County voters to pass, and it achieved 62%, making Measure L the first bond Cuesta had received.
The Cuestonian
Following a complex past, the Cuesta College Culinary Arts program has been equipping students with the tools of the trade for nearly a decade. Offering classes at both the SLO and North County campuses, the program has gained considerable momentum that the faculty aims to carry forward. As a sign of its growth, full-time enrollment...
The Cuestonian
If you drive out to the Carrizo Plain today, the landscape looks almost untouched. Green grasses and wildflowers stretch across hillsides that burned less than a year ago, framed by the surrounding mountains. It is hard to imagine this was the center of California’s largest wildfire just months ago. On July 2, 2025, a wildfire...
The Cuestonian
When Ryder Gangemi walks into the Cougar Pantry, she is not just looking for a quick snack between classes. Sometimes she is looking for the start of dinner. If she finds tortillas, she can buy meat later and make tacos. If there are fruits, vegetables, milk or bread, those items can help shape what she...
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