John Washington

Recent Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo journalism graduate living in Long Beach, CA.

My Work - News, Features, Commentary

EdSource •

Future farmers grow real-world skills at Cal State’s working farms

In the heart of California’s bountiful Sacramento Valley lies Yuba City, a small town of about 68,000 people that is rich in agriculture and community.  

This is where Taryn Chima, a fourth-year animal science major at California State University, Chico, grew up.  

Growing alongside her were orchards of peaches, walnuts and almonds. Born into a third-generation farm family, Chima knew she wanted to pursue a career in agriculture from a young age. In 2021, Chima began her animal science educati...
Mustang News •

Hung out to dry: Uncertain future for Cal Poly swim recruits amid program cut - Mustang News

While riding the bus to a high school field trip on March 7, Kale Lozano received a text message saying the college swim team he committed to no longer existed. The text came from another signed recruit who was visiting Cal Poly’s campus at the time. 


Athletic Director Don Oberhelman had suddenly announced that Cal Poly cut the men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs, effective immediately.


CONTEXT: Cal Poly Swim and Dive athletes battle for reinstatement after team cut


“I kind o...
The DVC Inquirer •

Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble Honor Female Composers with “Limitless” Concert

When Dr. Kaitlin Bove received the DVC Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble’s concert date of March 2, she quickly set on a theme.

Aware that March is Women’s History Month, the director of the bands decided to feature female composers with every song performed.

“I think it’s important to highlight women’s contributions,” said Bove, “because when a lot of people think about band, they think about this old-timey marching music, show tunes or stuff from the classical era that would have all been wri...
Mustang News •

Cal Poly students face rent hikes in on-campus housing - Mustang News

Molly Mejia didn’t learn she could apply for a financial exemption from Cal Poly’s two-year housing program until it was too late. The deadline had already passed, so Mejia, a business administration junior, was required to live on campus her second year because of her status as a Cal Poly Scholar, a program designed to help low-income students succeed via scholarships and resources. 

If given the choice, Mejia said she would have lived off-campus to avoid the high rental pricing. Instead, sh...
Mustang News •

OPINION: Riley Gaines’ fight against transgender people in sports is pointless and purposefully harmful - Mustang News Trans people belong in sports

In 2022, collegiate swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender NCAA Division I national champion when she won the 500-yard freestyle. Riley Gaines, who tied with Thomas for fifth in another event at those championships, made her own headlines by speaking out against sharing a changing room with Thomas. She then parl...
The DVC Inquirer •

‘You Can’t Use It To Plagiarize’: DVC Teachers Prepare to Adapt to Life with ChatGPT

Students have abundant resources at their fingertips with the new technologies available to them, some of which can pose threats to teachers concerned about their students cheating on papers or exams.

Now, the new generative conversational chatbot ChatGPT is raising fears of new-era plagiarism in schools across the country—but surprisingly, many instructors at Diablo Valley College don’t seem all that worried.

“I hope [students] use it,” said John Fogli, a business professor at DVC. “I think i...
EdSource •

COMMENTARY: What do you miss when your college doesn’t have a library?

When I arrived at campus at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, ahead of the 2023-24 school year, I decided to walk around and get the lay of the land. As a transfer student from a community college, I was wildly impressed with the facilities and started feeling energized for the heavy workload ahead of me that quarter.

That was, until I walked by the library. It was completely fenced off, so I checked online, hoping to find out it was off limits during some summer construction. I shortly figured out it...