Marc Cabeliza elected ASI president

Author

Carly Heltzel
April 25, 2025

Good morning. It’s Friday, and I’m reading about the Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival that kicks off today. Onto the five Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and California stories you need to know for today.

1.

Marc Cabeliza will be your next ASI president, winning nearly 45% of votes cast (2,751 out of 6,167 votes). Only about 26% of the student population voted. Cabeliza has been in ASI for two years and served as the University Union Advisory Board chair, in which he made the UU a 24/7 study spot and increased club funding. “I really want to ensure that every student’s voice feels empowered,” he said.

2.

University President Jeffrey Armstrong will not sign a letter condemning the Trump administration’s “unprecedented government overreach” in higher education. The joint statement has been signed by over 400 university presidents nationwide, including 15 Cal State presidents and nine UC chancellors. All universities that have been called in to testify to Congress on antisemitism have signed it, with the exception of Cal Poly and DePaul University. “The university has no role in determining public policy and therefore will not be signing on to the letter,” a university spokesperson said.

3.

Local organizations could be forced to fade out certain LGBTQ+ support programs after the Trump administration canceled $125 million in grant funding for LGBTQ+ health. The national suicide prevention line, or 988, is being targeted for cuts, and local agencies have already felt the increased demand for local hotlines. Suicide is the leading cause of death in SLO County, and LGBTQ+ individuals have higher rates than others. “We're truly living in survival mode right now,” one director said.

4.

LA County firefighters just fought the worst fire of their careers, earning widespread, public praise for their dedication and heroism from the politicians that control their salaries. Now, they’re asking those same people to give them a raise. The firefighters released a 30 minute documentary about the first day fighting the fire to remind people what they faced as officials drag their feet. While budgetary challenges make it difficult, the firefighters are finding it increasingly hard to reconcile the profound thanks with being ghosted when it matters.

5.

What happens when California runs out of license plate numbers? We’re about to watch it happen for the first time in a half century. The DMV predicts that the last of this series will come sometime in 2026 when they issue the plate “9ZZZ999.” Once that happens, official will start issuing the inverse pattern of three numbers, three letters then a number, such as “000AAA0.” The change is coming faster than anticipated after car sales spiked with the announcement of universal tariffs.