Stories from Mustang News on KCPR

Scammers have found a new hunting ground at Cal Poly, and they're hiding in plain sight.  Fraudsters are infiltrating GroupMe chats and digital spaces that students rely on to connect with clubs and organizations, impersonating their peers with convincing fake profiles designed to fly under the radar. Reporter Lia Griffiths tells us more about how this has been affecting Cal Poly students and beyo...

Cal Poly Jazz students and alumni are fighting to keep the jazz community alive in San Luis Obispo. In the heart of Downtown SLO, a hub of alumni from Cal Poly to Cuesta College, come together to share their love of jazz. They regularly appear at local venues like BA Start Arcade and Taproom, Libertine Brewing Company and others. Reporter Sophia Moreno takes us into the current local jazz scene.

Blue skies and a warm breeze set the scene this past weekend at santa rosa park, where rows of vendors gathered for Art in the Park. The two-day outdoor market brought together creative minds from all over. Reporter Lia Griffiths spoke with the vendors and shoppers at this year's event.

Cal Poly’s annual Out of the Darkness Walk raised a record $20,125 this year, bringing together students, families, mental health advocates and suicide loss survivors in support of suicide prevention and mental health awareness. Reporter Alyssa Parikh tell us more.

The 2026 FITS x SFC Fashion Show provided a platform for its designers and a transient experience for the audience with every model that strutted the runway in Chumash Auditorium on the night of May 17. Surrounded by friends, parents, mentors and fashion-lovers alike, storytelling through clothing was apparent —  not just the show itself but the audience who dressed their best and showcased their...

When Kristine Ruiz attended the Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center resource fair with her two sons on Sunday, April 26, she was able to sign her son up for the Camp Expedition summer camp.  Featuring over 50 booths, including support services, food trucks, vendors and a silent auction, the purpose of the event was to raise awareness and acceptance for people with autism. Reporter Katy Clark tell...

As all good things must come to an end, the Shabang Music Festival concluded on May 3rd this year with headliners Chris Lake and Magdalena Bay bringing in thousands of people to finish out the weekend. Gates opened at 2 p.m. with musical talents B & the Hive, Pollos Hermanos, Brass Mash and many more to fill out the day. Reporter Larsen Jensen takes us through day 2 of Shabang.

Thousands of Cal Poly students spent their weekend in the hills of the Dairy Creek Golf Course for the annual Shabang Music Festival, which kicked off on Saturday, May 2, at 2 p.m. Shabang had a lineup drawing massive crowds into five different stages across the venue. Reporter Larsen Jensen takes us through day one of the annual music festival.

Cal Poly Women’s Tennis’ Alexandra Ozerets officially rewrote program history in late March. Entering the dual against the University of Texas, Arlington, Ozerets was tied with former teammate Peyton Dunkle for the most career singles wins in Cal Poly history, with 52 total victories. Sports reporter Andrew Aguiniga tells us more about Ozeret's journey to her record-breaking moment.

The tide washed in yet another gem for this year's Surf Nite at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival on April 24. Reporter Aneka Edwards takes us through the annual celebration of surf and skate on the Central Coast. 

A new program called the loop launched this week as a pop-up shop inside the surplus building warehouse. The Mustang Shuttle stops directly at the location giving students another way to access the site. Students could take up to five items and organizers weighed donations to track how much material was being kept out of landfills. Reporter Lauren Quijano tells us more about what students thought...

It's less about spotlight and more about the community and people behind the scenes at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival mixer on April 27. The event was held at Edna Contemporary in Downtown SLO, and was filled with filmmakers, SLO Film Fest crew, volunteers and a small red carpet where stories were shared from the creators themselves. Reporter Alyssa Parikh spoke to some of the voi...

Whether it’s the sway of the ocean or the bright sun flushing over your face, Shell Beach's outdoor yoga group brings a sense of reflectiveness that is hard to find in many other places across the central coast. The group’s beginnings started with Shannon Bailey, the former yoga instructor who took her original love for yoga as a young child and turned it into reality with her community group onli...

In downtown San Luis Obispo, finding parking can often take longer than the drive itself. A new parking structure in the City’s Cultural Arts District is aiming to change that experience, offering more spaces and an updated experience for visitors and residents alike. Reporter Dylan White tells us more about what local residents think about parking developments in San Luis Obispo.

The KCPR News team sat down with political science junior and ASI Chief of Staff Tanner Schinderle, who was recently elected as the next ASI President starting June 15. News reporter Aneka Edwards spoke with Shinderle about his campaign and upcoming plans for the next academic year.

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival will host its annual Shortcuts event on Monday, a collection of eight short films written, directed, shot and edited by students. One of the featured shorts, “Career Fair,” follows the painfully accurate reality of networking in 2026. In a world dominated by endless LinkedIn posts, social climbing and corporate psychological warfare, the film is a re...

Interdisciplinary studies (ISLA) sophomore Laurel Franz is part of the ISLA 341 Cinematic Processes class with Professor Randi Barros, where she worked on a short film with a group called “Teddy.” KCPR News Reporter Cayden Tan sat down with Franz to discuss the production behind the short film. 

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka is coming to the Performing Arts Center this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., as part of The Big Bowl Tour. The show is marketed as being for ages 18 and up. Known for her Hulu comedy standup Father and HBO Max standup special The Intruder, Okatsuka also voiced Yuri in the movie Spider Man: Across the Spiderverse, according to IMDB. Reporter Katy Clark has more on the comedian's st...

A group of Cal Poly students and alumni are raising money for undocumented immigrants through a series of bake sales in San Luis Obispo. Reporter Lauren Quijano tells us more about the organization behind the bake sale and their mission.

After only three months as a band, Sol Arc has landed a spot at Shabang Music Festival — a milestone many local college bands spend years chasing. Reporter Delaney Ridder spoke to the band about their journey from their fraternity to the Shabang stage.

Last Friday on Dexter Lawn, members of Cal Poly's Iran Student Cultural Organization (ISCO) hosted a candlelight vigil due to recent events in Iran, honoring the lives lost. Reporter Alyssa Parikh tells us about the event and students' reactions. 

It's a foggy day at the Morro Bay traffic circle, and a handful of Morro Bay In Bloom volunteers arrived with gardening gloves in hand, ready to work.  Founder and president of Morro Bay in Bloom Walter Heath drives to a new location each week to facilitate an organized gardening plan out of his trailer of gardening tools. The organization relies on community volunteers to help improve public land...

Morning on the Green returned to Cal Poly this year as the university’s organized alternative to the long-running St. Fratty’s Day celebration, drawing thousands of students for an early-morning event built around live music, food and a more structured form of campus celebration. Reporter Dylan White tells us how the event went and spoke to students about the development of the St. Fratty's celebr...

The North Mountain Halls are tentatively set to be permanently unoccupied in Fall 2028 and torn down in alignment with Cal Poly’s Future Housing Plan , according to University Spokesperson Keegan Koberl. Some current North Mountain residents have expressed their feelings about North Mountain being torn down. Reporter Katy Clark spoke with students about the housing shift.

The stage is set, microphones are strategically placed, and music cases lie ajar as rose-colored lights reveal a recreated scene of Led Zeppelin 1969. However, it's 2026, and a crowd rushes into SLO Brew Rock awaiting Legend Zeppelin. The cover band was ready with the determination to express a raw and genuine take on the musical styling of a Led Zeppelin performance. Reporter Larsen Jensen spoke...