January 23, 2012

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ESTABLISHED 1921 January 23, 2012 Volume 90, Issue 25 Your Home. Your Voice. Your Newspaper.

Loyola Marymount University

Unusual number of marijuana arrests occur

www.laloyolan.com

DPS Chief Hampton Cantrell contextualizes this semester’s marijuana-related incidents.

By Adrien Jarvis Incoming Editor in Chief

Since the start of the spring 2012 semester, three students have been arrested on LMU’s campus by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for the possession of marijuana with the intent to sell. In comparison, no students were arrested during fall 2011, according to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Captain of Investigations and Record Management Cristina Martin. Martin also told the Loyolan that during the entirety of the 2010-2011 school year, six students were arrested for charges related to marijuana.

Chief of DPS Hampton Cantrell said that this was an unusual number of arrests for a semester at LMU. “We’re speculating it is because of ...

See Marijuana | Page 3

Devin Sixt | Loyolan

Sorority recruitment culminates in yesterday’s bid night reveal Approximately 480 women participated in sorority recruitment this weekend, according to Rachel Rayos, a junior political science major and the co-vice president of women’s recruitment. The weekend’s events ended with the participating women receiving bids, in the form of individual cards, from the six different National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) sororities in St. Rob’s Auditorium. For more photos of last night’s reveal, see Page 2.

Community discusses parking proposals at forum Neighbors voice their concerns at the quarterly “LMU Neighborhood Advisory Committee” meeting.

By Laura Riparbelli Managing Editor

More than 30 Westchester residents sat in Roski Dining Hall Thursday night for the quarterly “Neighborhood Advisory Meeting,” hosted by a panel made up of University officials, neighborhood representatives and members of the community. Attendees were also given a forum in order to

voice their concerns, some of which were in regards to the University’s soon-to-be implemented on-campus parking fee.

The panel – comprised of three LMU staff members, four neighborhood representatives, a member of the LAPD, one student and Nate Kaplan, who is a field deputy for L.A. Councilman Bill Rosendahl – discussed a host of issues, one of which centered upon neighbors’ concerns that on-campus parking permits would cause headaches for the community.

Kathleen Flanagan, vice president

for communications and government relations, said at the meeting that the decision to charge for parking is final, although the University does recognize that this could potentially cause problems for the surrounding neighborhoods as students choose to park off campus.

“I am extremely resentful of having to pay for LMU’s parking,” said neighbor Frances Christensen.

“If you want to give the residents parking permits and stickers, that’s fine, but to make us pay for your parking problems is just totally unacceptable. And if you have a party

By Christopher James News Intern

Devin Sixt | Loyolan

Dance class explores Irish history and culture

Márie Clerkin, a London native who is of Irish heritage, teaches an Irish dance class at LMU on Thursday evenings. Katrina Freitag, a senior mathematics and dance double major, appreciates that the class contains dancers “of a variety of different dance backgrounds” and that it explores the “cultural histories of the different dances [learned].”

Cartoonists provide laughs to brighten LMU's morning.

Coffee Break, Page 7

See Forum | Page 4

LMU to honor MLK tomorrow during Convo

“A Time to Break Silence” aims to encourage spiritual and cultural reflection.

"COFFEE BREAK" RETURNS

and guests, that’s going to cost you … to have guests come to your home, and you tell me what’s democratic about that. And it’s not fair. Deal with your own parking problems and don’t put it on us,” Christensen continued.

Michael Wong, associate vice president for administration services, told the Loyolan in the Jan. 19 issue of the paper that parking will come with a price tag come Spring 2013, although the price per parking permit has yet to be established. The Master Plan also states that the University

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s works are numerous and diverse in subject, theme, content and background.

His actions, thoughts and speeches are the subject of LMU’s annual celebration in honor of King, titled “A Time to Break Silence.”

The event will take place tomorrow in Sacred Heart Chapel at 12:15 p.m. In celebrating King’s message of multiculturalism, a wide variety

Index Classifieds.............................4 Opinion...............................5 Coffee Break.........................7 A&E.....................................9 Sports..............................16 The next issue of the Loyolan will be printed on January 26, 2011.

of groups and members of LMU’s community helped to plan and will participate in this year ’s ceremony.

Each year, the planners of the event choose a specific work of King’s on which to focus. This year ’s topic revolves around King’s Vietnam War speech.

“Dr. King spoke prophetically from a place rooted in pacifism,” said John Flaherty, associate director of Campus Ministry and one of the event’s planners. “The answer [according to King] to end violence is nonviolence.”

King wrote his message of peace and nonviolence in war during the Vietnam War era but has topical significance

See King | Page 4

NEW MOTION-CAPTURE INSTALLATION COMPLETED The technology that brought viewers Avatar now exists in LMU's School of Film and Television.

A&E, Page 9

January 23, 2012 Page 2

News

www.laloyolan.com

Hundreds receive sorority bids PROVOST CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT NAME: Bette Jacobs SCHOOL: Georgetown University Bette Jacobs was the first provost finalist to visit the University on Thursday, Jan. 19. Jacobs addressed the LMU community in a question and answer session in the Von der Ahe Welcome Center.

QUOTES:

“The provost needs to see the big picture. They need to create roads that can be traveled on.”

“I have a gentle touch and a will of iron, and on matters of principle I can sail against the wind.”

“I have a rather actuarial perspective. I listen to data like I listen to people. I like numbers with dollar signs attached because this is the fuel that gets things done.”

“The main reason I am attracted [to LMU] is my sense that this is a community that is aspirational.”

“I want to have a meaningful, challenging contribution with a team of people who are not perfect. I’m certainly not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.”

“I do not have a pedigree that is as flashy as a lot of people, but I am a very good seeker of learning.”

All photos: Devin Sixt and Kellie Rowan | Loyolan

Dan Faill, assistant director of Student Leadership and Development, told the Loyolan that 486 women registered for recruitment and 350 women received bids last night.“The best part of being in a sorority is having around 100 girls you can turn to,” said Deanna Alfred, a junior English major and member of the Delta Zeta sorority.

For access to Jacob’s application materials, including a video of the open forum, visit lmu.edu/provostsearch. ***See the Jan. 26 issue for a recap of the next finalist’s interview.

Graphic: Dol-Anne Asiru | Loyolan, Quotes compiled by Kenzie O’Keefe

www.laloyolan.com

News

January 23, 2012 Page 3

University honors work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King from Page 1 today. “This year’s address shows [that] with student reflections, there is a real opportunity to reflect on living in a culture that sometimes chooses armed conflict over diplomacy,” said Flaherty.

In addition to a reading of King’s speech regarding war, Fr. James Erps, S.J., the director of Campus Ministry, will read Scripture related to King’s mission.

“It’s difficult to choose [a piece of Scripture] because Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister,” said Erps in regards to picking the reading. “Dr. King was a gifted orator ... a man steeped in Scripture.”

President of the Black Student Union Terio Ruiz, a junior screenwriting major who helped plan this year’s event, told the Loyolan that University President David W. Burcham will be in attendance this year, and encouraged students to be as well. “If you are spiritual, you should go because it will be a spiritual event,” said Ruiz.

Erps, who attended LMU at the time of King’s assassination, remembers the impact King’s death had on the University. “I have vivid memories of how the death of Martin Luther King Jr. affected the LMU campus. I remember the Mass in Sacred Heart Chapel,” Erps said.

He added that the Civil Rights Movement and King’s actions helped inspire LMU to embrace diversity, which is now one of the University’s foundations. “[Former University President] Fr.

[Donald] Merrifield helped bring diversity to this campus.

Today, we are blessed with ethnic diversity,” Erps said.

“Martin Luther King Jr. was someone who did things for people, in general,” Ruiz said, who was inspired by King’s nonexclusive ministry in a time of segregation. “He could have easily not said anything.

[He] inspires me to do things even if there are consequences, [as his consequences] included having his house bombed, being assaulted and ultimately killed,” he said.

The effects of King’s ministry have been felt by the many people participating in the event. Dr. Adilifu Nama, an African-American studies professor, will deliver a reflection on the event’s theme as a part of the ceremony. “[Dr. King] is inspirational to marginalized people to assert their voice and contribute

to create the society they deserve,” Nama said.

Nama also emphasized how the work of King is still evident in current events.

“There are all these spots in the world [where] people could rally to help them become more empowered,” Nama said.

“We see this in different parts of Arab regions and here in the pursuit of more economic justice, like the Occupy movement,” he said.

Finding a way to apply King’s lessons to one’s own life was another point made by Nama, who said, “To celebrate Dr. King’s lifestyle, you need to make sure you are doing some actions in your own life and be engaged to make the world you know a better place.”

The celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will take place tomorrow at 12:15 in Sacred Heart Chapel.

LMU AA

The student-led AA group meets at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays in the Bird Nest.

11 Burning Questions with two student AA group leaders

This issue, Editor in Chief Kenzie O’Keefe talks with two student leaders of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on campus about their experiences with AA.The students are referred to as‘A’ and‘B’ to protect their anonymity.

1. How are you involved with Alcoholics Anonymous [AA] on campus?

A: We run the student-led Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on campus.

B: We’re both 25 and sober. We both participate a lot in volunteering with AA outside of school so we wanted … [to] create a sober wellness community on campus, knowing a lot of our peers struggle with addiction and drinking.

Being students ourselves, we’re able to connect to them on a different level than a faculty member or a judicial officer.

2. Why do you wish to remain anonymous?

A: Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all of our principles. It allows me to go sit in class and be an average college student and not have the stigma of being a drug addict.

3. How many people typically come to your weekly meetings?

B: On average about five to six students and then about five to 10 outside friends of ours who are in the program. Although there aren’t as many as we’d like, the ones that do come, seem to be getting a lot from it.

AP Images

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights activism will be honored in a ceremony tomorrow in Sacred Heart Chapel during Convo.

4. How did you two end up in AA? B: Like most kids, I experimented in junior high and high school. I don’t think that I was born an alcoholic, but I was certainly predisposed. When I found drugs and alcohol, they mellowed me out a little bit and for a while it was fun. Then it became a lot of fun with problems, and then it became just problems. I was sent to rehab when I was 16. I did things to get drugs that I told myself I’d never do. I kept erasing that line in the sand. You either get sober or arrested, or you overdose and die. I decided to get sober.

A: I crossed the line in high school, and for me crossing the line was when I started to black out. Then I went to Tulane University and by the time I went down there I had a full blown opiate addiction. ... I’ve been to jail, I’ve been to rehabs and I’ve almost died. I didn’t have any good options left towards the end. ... I’ve got a mom who always stood by me, and I called her up and asked her to send me to rehab one more time and she did. I had bounced around long enough that I knew the only way I could get sober and stop doing what I was doing was through AA. Up till that point I was never ready to do the work. Since then I’ve been willing to do the work on a daily basis. I’ve been active in my sobriety.

5. How has AA worked for you?

A: It gave me my life back. Two and a half years ago I was living [in] downtown L.A. in my car, shooting heroin. Now I’m going to graduate in May with honors, and I have a job lined up. ... If you break the program down and take away the stigmas attached to it, ... you find something larger than yourself, put your trust and faith in that, and try to help other people.

6. What would you say to a student on campus who is thinking about attending a meeting?

A: We’re members of AA trying to extend our friendly hand.

7. Are some students required to attend AA by judicial affairs?

B: That’s common. Our mission is to plant a seed. They can see that there’s another way of life going on here. We’re not trying to ... convince them of anything or change the way they think. ... If you have a problem you know where to come, because we’ll be here.

A: It’s attraction rather than promotion. We’re not trying to wave a banner.

We just try to share with people how [the program] worked in our lives.

8. What’s it like being sober in a college environment?

B: I guess for me it’s different because I’m a little bit older, and I have a pretty solid purpose for being here. I have no problem going out to bars and hanging out with people who drink, but there’s a difference between someone who drinks normally and what I used to be … I just try to be myself. I’ve known people on campus for a year and then they find out I’m sober and it’s a surprise to them because I’m not some weirdo recluse.

9. Describe the average person who shows up at an on-campus AA meeting.

B: I don’t know if I want to generalize the type of person. A lot of students are timid and just listen. Some are really into it, and a lot aren’t 100 percent.

They’re just trying to dip their toes in the water, and that’s cool.

10. What’s something that you know about LMU that most students might not?

B: On a positive note, there are kids with dynamic backgrounds and vibrant life stories that you might not be able to judge just by looking at them.

You might see the average LMU student and think, ‘they’ve had it good their whole lives,’ but that’s not always the case. There are people on campus who have experienced a lot in life. That’s one thing that I’ve learned, to stop and take the time to get to know someone.

A: There is a support group for people who are not happy with where their lives as a result of drinking or using or whatever the main problem is.

They’re not alone, and there are a group of us who go to class like regular students, but we also practice a program that has lead us to be able to be that normal student. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Everybody’s got something, and it just manifests itself differently.

11. When and where are your meetings?

A: They’re on campus on some Thursday nights, 7:30 p.m. at the Bird Nest.

News

January 23, 2012 Page 4

www.laloyolan.com

Spike in arrests Neighbor ‘really concerned’ prompts discussion about proposed parking plan Marijuana from Page 1

a relaxed feeling about the law with our students regarding marijuana,” said Cantrell. “I know Public Safety, as well as Residence Life, continues to emphasize that marijuana is prohibited on our campus, despite issues of medical marijuana, etc. And it is very important for us to emphasize that.”

The Jan. 12 issue of the Loyolan reported that two students in the Tendrich Apartments were arrested for the possession of marijuana with the intent to sell on Jan. 10. According to Cantrell, another student was arrested in Del Rey North on Jan. 16 for the same charge.

In addition to legal action from LAPD, the students’ cases were also referred to Judicial Affairs.

DPS handles marijuana cases itself when it appears that the amount of the drug present – and the marijuanarelated paraphernalia present, if any – is only for personal use.

However, when DPS suspects that there is an intent to sell, LAPD is contacted.

“Otherwise, our general rule is if it is less than an ounce,

a misdemeanor or infraction level, that we do take a report and refer to Judicial Affairs.

The marijuana is confiscated, and it is eventually turned over to LAPD; usually every quarter we turn all of our contraband items over to LAPD,” Cantrell said.

Despite the spike in arrests, Cantrell does not foresee a change in policy at the moment.

“It does prompt discussions around what we can do better in getting the message across that this is serious, and that students should take it seriously because of the possibility of it impacting career,” Cantrell said.

Captain Brian P. Johnson, LAPD Pacific Division’s patrol commanding officer, also cautioned students to remember the implications such legal action can have on their futures.

“I think these individuals have to consider what it’s doing, not only to them or their families or the reputation of the school, but how is it going to impact their ability to get a job or do any type of volunteer work if they have a criminal record?” Johnson said.

“So that’s something they will have to consider into their adult life,” he said.

ON-CAMPUS

MARIJUANA

CITATIONS

MARIJUANA ARRESTS

6 0 3

’10-’11 SCHOOL YEAR FALL ’11 SEMESTER SPRING ’12 SEMESTER

TOTAL MARIJUANA CALLS

68 28 8

’10-’11 SCHOOL YEAR FALL ’11 SEMESTER SPRING ’12 SEMESTER

TOTAL CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE CALLS ’10-’11 SCHOOL YEAR FALL ’11 SEMESTER SPRING ’12 SEMESTER Spring ‘12 semester as of Jan. 21 Photo: Bob Doran of Creative Commons

80 40 8 Dept. of Public Safety Graphic: Dol-Anne Asiru | Loyolan

Forum from Page 1

will allocate up to $24,000 to “support the formation of a parking permit district, and to fund the cost of two annual parking permits per household” in the surrounding area.

Betty Townsend, another Westchester neighbor, stated her concerns regarding the University’s implementation of a parking fee.

“I’m really concerned about this parking that’s going to

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You all speak about it like it’s a done deal. But I don’t think the neighbors are paying that much attention … when that happens I think you’re going to be very surprised how angry [everyone is],” Townsend said.

“One of my neighbors said it will be a living hell every morning and every night. Your parking becomes our problem … I know funding is an issue, but … this is going to be a mess.”

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on-campus permits will go towards the funding of a new parking structure.

This structure will add 190 parking spaces, each of which is estimated to cost $30,00035,000 to construct, according to Flanagan.

“It’s a catch-22 problem, I don’t know what to say to make it any different. There are no easy answers. That’s why if a parking permit district is acceptable, whatever [the neighbors] want, we’ll support it,” said Flanagan.

Loyolan Classifieds

Opinion Student Editorials and Perspectives

www.laloyolan.com

Board Editorial

Board Editorials represent the voice of the Loyolan. They are written in collaboration by the Executive Editorial Board.

Laura Riparbelli Managing Editor

Kenzie O’Keefe Editor in Chief

Michael Goldsholl Asst. Managing Editor | Sports Editor

S

Rule of Thumb

The Loyolan’s Executive Editorial Board weighs in on current topics of discussion.

Standing up for what you believe in

Angelica Cadiente Public Editor Kevin O’Keeffe Arts & Entertainment Editor

Neighbors asking too much of LMU

urrounded by a quiet residential neighborhood filled with family homes, it is inevitable that LMU will sometimes find itself struggling to pursue University objectives related to growth and student housing while maintaining amiable neighborhood relations. However, after hearing the criticism put forth by some Westchester neighbors at the most recent LMU Neighborhood Advisory Committee meeting [See “Community forum discusses parking proposals,” Page 1], the Loyolan thinks that the neighbors should come up with more realistic expectations of what the University can and cannot control.

There is no doubt that sometimes LMU students do not act as respectfully as they should in the neighborhood surrounding LMU. Parties are pretty much synonymous with college life, but that does not justify excessive noise, vandalism and other blatantly disrespectful behavior. There is no excuse for this conduct, and it certainly should not be condoned, which is why the Loyolan supports the efforts of LMU, LAPD and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to crack down on out of control off-campus parties.

It is in the University’s best interest to take such measures to keep LMU-neighbor relations in good standing. The Westchester neighbors have been very involved in negotiating LMU’s Master Plan, and they will continue to help shape the University’s future. The University recognizes this and has created an open dialogue with the neighbors in order to hear and respond to their concerns. Additionally,

January 23, 2012 Page 5

they have catered to the neighbor’s interests and worked to alleviate the problems that many neighbors’ have posed.

As always, there is more work that can be done.

The University could implement more programs to educate students on Westchester-University relations, and the University should continue to implement protocols and punishments for students who cause problems in the neighborhood. Yet the University cannot put students on leashes and force them into a prescribed model of behavior. Much of what goes on outside the back gates is beyond the University’s control, and LMU has shown a willingness to combat the issues that are within their power to address. However, the neighbors seem to remain dissatisfied.

At the LMU Neighborhood Advisory Committee meeting last week, one neighbor expressed concern over student bike riding and asked the University to offer more bike safety training for students. Another person spoke up, asking DPS to publish online their efforts to stop fence jumping in the neighborhood.

In an ideal world, students riding bikes would stop at every stop sign and they would not jump fences when they are late to class or heading home after a party. The Loyolan does not advocate for any of this sometimes dangerous and disrespectful student behavior, but the University is going above and beyond what is required of it in order to ensure good relations. The neighbors need to give LMU a break and recognize what is and is not within the control of University Administration.

The potential end of freedoms on Facebook and YouTube caused such an uproar that in one day, approximately 4.5 million people signed a petition [See “Censoring Censorship: stop SOPA and PIPA,” below] against two anti-piracy laws making their way through Congress, according to a Jan. 18 post on the Los Angeles Times website by Deborah Netburn. Regardless of the 4.5 million individuals’ intentions, the Loyolan gives them a thumbs up for speaking out and standing up for what they believe in.

Brutality becoming torture Acts of abuse and brutality towards inmates remains a constant in the L.A. county jail system, despite being socially unacceptable and just plain wrong by any ethical standards. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, “seeking better training for deputies, and better oversight, investigation and discipline in cases involving prisoner mistreatment,” according to a Thursday, Jan. 19 article posted on MotherJones.com. In the article, it was noted that in recent years, the level of brutality towards inmates by guards has exceeded that of most maximum-security prisons, even crossing the line into what some deem to be torture. The Loyolan slaps such acts with a thumbs down and hopes to see more humane treatment within the nation’s largest prison system.

Facebook ‘creeping’ to a whole new level

Just when you thought the countless hours a day you spend on Facebook were enough, Mark Zuckerberg and his social media cronies whipped out 60 new apps for the company’s recently-released Timeline feature. Hoping to give its users even more of a reason to spend their lives attached at the fingertips to their keyboards, Facebook receives a sideways thumb for being technologically innovative yet potentially creating something that will take online stalking and privacy violation to a whole new level.

Censoring Censorship: stop SOPA and PIPA

“I

nternet censorship” is what many are calling two new bills aimed at combating piracy on the web.

While their goals seem reasonable, these controversial bills are going about solving the issue in all the wrong ways.

The Stop O n l i n e Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and its Over a Glass Senate counterpart, the

By Amanda PROTECT IP Kotch Act (PIPA), Opinion Intern have the potential to end the Internet as we know it. These bills would criminalize any link on any site which leads to illegally hosted copyrighted material. The U.S. government would have the ability to seize domain names, block access to certain foreignand domestic-based websites and order payment processing companies such as PayPal to cease doing business with any site that violates U.S. copyright laws.

Members of the film and music industries have been pushing for both bills, convinced the Internet is to blame for any financial losses. However, Internet giants such as Google, Facebook and Wikipedia, along with free speech activists and web entrepreneurs, are voicing their opposition. While cracking down on Internet piracy seems like a respectable goal, both SOPA and PIPA would grant the government far too much regulatory power over the Internet and would have a direct effect on Internet free speech.

Currently, under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, it is up to the copyright holder

to seek out and flag illegally uploaded content. Companies like YouTube are protected from posts by users who violate copyright laws so long as the site follows a system of “notice and takedown,” removing pirated content whenever a flag or alert is processed.

With either bill in place, this system would be substantially altered, and sites such as YouTube and Twitter could be held responsible for all user-generated content. SOPA and PIPA would allow copyright holders to obtain court orders against any site hosting their copyrighted material. Even if a site is unaware of infringing content posted by an outside party, it could be shut down without trial or notice.

The bills would also prevent American search engines from directing users to any site containing pirated content. Criminalizing the link as well as the actual criminal is going one step to far, and the search engine would be held responsible for merely producing a link to a site in violation of U.S. copyright laws.

Both SOPA and PIPA are so vaguely written that a good chunk of modern media could be thrown into an unwelcome legal grey area. The success of these bills could mean an end to innovative musical artists such as Girl Talk and Pretty Lights, who use samples of other popular songs to create their own.

Another huge issue is that these bills propose using the Domain Name System (DNS) to block infringing web-

sites. DNS is kind of like the Internet’s address book: Every site has a domain name which corresponds to a unique IP address, so that every time

SOPA

PIPA

you feel like doing a bit of cyber stalking, you can type “www.facebook.com” into your browser rather than a complicated numerical sequence. The problem with the government trying to regulate the Internet through the DNS is that it simply wouldn’t work.

Top engineers who have worked to create DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions), a modern Internet security system, have been openly critical of both bills. DNSSEC is intended to prevent Internet hackers from blocking domain names of legitimate sites to lead users

to malicious ones. The problem is that the system cannot distinguish between government blocking and hacker blocking.

Tech-savvy tricksters would have no problem finding a way around the DNS regulation, leading users to restricted or unreliable sites.

Vietnam uses a similar type of system to censor the Internet.

By altering DNS, the government has tried to block access to sites as commonplace as Facebook.

One need not be a technological genius to manipulate the system.

Each day, millions of Vietnamese Internet users access Facebook through the use of uncensored DNS servers and manipulating the IP address system. Undoubtedly, American Internet users would do the same with blocked sites.

Last month, “a group of influential technology figures, including founders of Twitter, Google and YouTube, published an open letter to lawmakers saying that the legislation would enable Internet regulation and censorship on par with the government regulation in China and Iran,” as reported

by The New York Times in Edward Wyatt’s Jan. 14 article “White House Says It Opposes

Parts of Two Antipiracy Bills.”

Now that’s a scary thought.

The Obama administration must have thought so too, as a White House statement was released last week claiming, “We will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet,” also reported by Wyatt.

However, there is no doubt that both SOPA and PIPA will continue to be molded and pushed by those on the other side. The reality, though, is that when it comes to the Internet, the highest seat in politics won’t give you the knowledge that every 16-yearold kid sitting in his parents’ garage on his laptop already has. The world of cyberspace is one that our generation has grown up with, and imposing these harsh regulations would be a futile attempt to control a place which is continously redefining itself.

When asked his stance on these bills, junior computer science major Sam Verhasselt said, “SOPA and PIPA would drastically alter the face of technology’s greatest frontier. They would shut down websites that don’t contribute directly to the problem they are trying to solve. Imagine, a college student’s week without Wikipedia, Facebook, Youtube, Reddit, etc. Quite frankly, I can’t.”

The U.S. Senate begins voting tomorrow, Jan. 24. Go to https://www.google.com/ landing/takeaction/ to sign an online petition to show your support for keeping the Internet in the hands of the people.

Graphic by Alberto Gonzalez | Loyolan This is the opinion of Amanda Kotch, a sophomore art history major from Huntington Beach, Calif.

Please send comments to akotch@theloyolan.com.

Opinion

January 23, 2012 Page 6

www.laloyolan.com

A ‘mistake’ does not excuse punishment

T

he notion of rules existing in war is an interesting one, insomuch as creating guidelines to murder on a mass scale can be constituted as such. Regardless, such parameters exist to create a sort of decorum for soldiers. The act of war then becomes partially justified on the basis that a soldier’s conduct is in keeping with a higher standard.

R e c e n t l y, Don’t Quote members of the Me 3rd Battalion,

By Joseph Demes 2nd Marines Asst. Opinion Editor breached those behavioral boundaries by urinating on the corpses of three Taliban soldiers and videotaping the act. The video began circulating the Internet on Jan. 11, according to a Washington Post article published the same day, “Video appears to show troops urinating on corpses.” The soldiers in question will most likely be court-martialed, as their act violates statues of the Geneva Convention, according to a Los Angeles Times article published on Jan. 16 by Dan Turner, “Perry: What’s wrong with a little corpsedefiling?”

As one might expect, this act has caused a huge uproar on the political scene, especially amid the ongoing presidential race. The Obama administration and various political figures have spoken out against the soldiers, such as Senator John McCain who, in a Jan. 16 Los Angeles Times article titled “Perry calls Obama response to Marine video ‘over the top,’”

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Associated Press

Texas Governor Rick Perry defends the Marines accused of urinating on the corpses of Taliban soldiers, dismissing the act as a “mistake.” described the act as “a breakdown in discipline.” In considerably heavier tones, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta called the act “utterly deplorable,” while Texas Governor Rick Perry defends the soldiers, who range in age from 18 to 19, saying they simply made a “stupid mistake.” Extreme explanations for any occurrence, it seems, are an invariable side effect of politics.

Whether you agree with Turner in saying that Perry’s rationalization of the situation is nothing more than “hillbilly nonsense” or see it as a juvenile mistake, one thing is obvious and unavoidable: Such actions reflect poorly upon the image of

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the United States as a whole and are a violation of an international law. Therefore, the behavior of these Marines merits punishment under the statutes prescribed. It is the way any law works, whether global, local or even on a personal (but just as important) academic scale, such as the academic dishonesty policy at LMU. Without such consequences for violations of the law, people and societies might fall into disrespect of the law entirely.

Why this behavior occurs in war is another question, entirely separate from whether these soldiers ought to be punished, with answers more concerning than we might like to

hear. In a Jan. 13 Washington Post article, “We’re all guilty of dehumanizing the enemy,” Sebastian Junger posits the question of why any sort of similar behavior occurs in war. Ultimately, Junger believes this is a result of a necessary emotional distance that allows soldiers to function, rather than a stereotypical glorification of the death and destruction of one’s enemies.

Junger recalls an instance where, on a tour with soldiers in eastern Afghanistan, soldiers cheered as a dying Taliban warrior crawled for safety and the disappointment he had in these men and their seemingly barbaric glee in the death of

another.

Later, he explains, the soldiers discussed how “they weren’t cheering the enemy’s death; they were cheering their own lives. That particular fighter would never again be able to kill an American soldier.” This is, as Junger admits and anyone can conclude on their own, the irony of war. Soldiers on both sides massacre one another tactically, and yet are expected to behave according to a standard of ethics that allows certain rights that the enemy ought to be guaranteed as a human being.

And yet, Junger, goes on, “when the War on Terror started, the Marines in that video were probably nine or 10 years old. As children they heard adults — and political leaders — talk about our enemies in the most inhuman terms,” which leads to further moral conflicts and confusion. How can such soldiers then reconcile this incongruity of treating enemies that they must not consider as human, if they are to cope with the fact of having to kill another human, while ensuring an expected etiquette of war?

I am not attempting to absolve these Marines of blame for their actions or trying to sympathize their rationale behind what they did. By law, their behavior warrants punishment and the unethical nature of the act is easily recognizable. I will admit, however, that the inherent contradictions of the situation can create conflict that may be overlooked until it is too late. A consistent message in any setting is what creates far clearer decorum and ethics, as do consistent punishments for violation of those rules.

This is the opinion of Joseph Demes, a junior English and philosophy double major from Clayton, Calif. Please send comments to jdemes@theloyolan.com.

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What do you hope to do differently this semester?

Loyola Marymount University

Erin Callier Sophomore

“To spend less energy on crazy people and more on people that make me happy.”

“I want to spend time starting my own business.”

Kevin Bates Sophomore Entrepreneurship Major

English Major

Ryan Marquez Junior Civil Engineering Major

Loyolan Staff

“Not procrastinate, and go to all of my classes.”

“I want to be more spontaneous.”

Shannon Oki Senior

Kenzie O’Keefe Laura Riparbelli Angelica Cadiente Michael Goldsholl Adrien Jarvis Tierney Finster Margo Jasukaitis Zaneta Pereira Brigette Scobas Christopher James Kim Tran Joseph Demes Anna-Michelle Escher Amanda Kotch Kevin O’Keeffe Luisa Barron Jackie Fischer Michael Goldsholl Nathan Dines Dan Raffety John Wilkinson Kayla Begg Hailey Hannan Lexi Jackson Emma Movsesian Lucy Olson Emily Rome Emily Wallace Dol-Anne Asiru Alberto Gonzalez Jackson Turcotte Kasey Eggert Melanie Bolanos Kellie Rowan Jay Lee Casey Kidwell Thomas Finnigan Kirsten Dornbush Michael Giuntini Jennifer Bruner Andrew Sabatine Amber Yin Erin Mallea Isabella Cunningham Brianna Schachtell Tom Nelson

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January 23, 2012 Page 7

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By: Ian Zell

Undercover Wizards

By: Georgia Henderson

Spiritual Enlightenment

By: Ian Zell

Undercover Wizards

Odd Turtle

By: Jackson Turcotte

Odd Turtle

By: Jackson Turcotte

Palm Trees

Arts & Entertainment Film, Literature, Music, Restaurants and Theater

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January 23, 2012 Page 9

SFTV installs cutting edge motion capture technology SFTV Spotlight

By Brandon Cudequest Staff Writer

A

nyone who has been to the third floor of the Von der Ahe Communication Arts Building, home to the School of Film and Television (SFTV), knows the meaning of state-of-the-art.

Some of the many features there include white boards where animation majors can doodle for countless hours and computer labs where digital characters are drawn and designed everyday. However, one facility in particular is receiving a large share of the attention. SFTV just finished constructing a state-of-theart animation studio focusing on motion capture technology.

The motion capture stage was built under the guidance of LMU visiting film professor Justin Denton. Since spring 2011, the third floor of the building has undergone a massive facelift, relieving the animation department of having to dwell in the basement of St. Robert’s Hall.

“Construction began in March 2011 and was completed in August of that year, in time for the beginning of classes in the fall semester of 2011. The design process included Mark Peacor, the LMU architect, and the firm of Gensler, which designed

Kellie Rowan | Loyolan

Mark Allen, the technical services engineer for the animation department at SFTV, shows how students will be able to use the new motion capture technology in the animation studio. the Pixar [Animation] Studios, among others,” John Syrjamaki, head of production, said.

The facilities have also allowed for the animation faculty and staff to offer a new class on virtual cinematography, making SFTV the first film school in the world to offer a program that uses the cutting edge technology.

José García Moreno, chair of the animation department, said “[Virtual cinematography] is correlated with motion capture. It has become the most innovative way to previsualize storytelling in the film industry. It has created a hybrid future for ani-

Kellie Rowan | Loyolan

New animation facilities have enabled SFTV to offer a new class on virtual cinematography, using the motion capture program above.

mation and live action.”

Major motion pictures use this previsualization technology to plan out shots ahead of time.

“When you have a lot of complex elements in a shot, it’s nice to go in with a plan so that the director, the cinematographer and the camera assistants know exactly what is going on. It’s also great for producers because previsualization helps budget shoots in ways storyboarding could not,” said Mark Allen, technical services engineer for the animation department.

The facility is centered on the same technology employed by critically and commercially successful films such as James Cameron’s “Avatar” and Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin.”

The class will be taught in conjunction with the company Halon Entertainment, a leader in previsualization and postvisualization.

Of Denton’s participation on the project, Moreno said, “We are very fortunate to have him with us, as he is the one person in the industry pushing the envelope of this technique in the industry, as we speak.”

With new state-of-the-art facilities, SFTV is looking to gain a competitive edge over other film schools. However, as long as digital special effects have been around, there has been a debate as to whether or not these tools help tell a good story. “Our interest is not in technology itself, but in the use of technology as a tool that better serves the evolution of animation, filmmaking, science and the art of storytelling,” he said.

“We do not teach 3-D but 4-D animation, as it is in the dimension of time that you can breathe life into an object,” Moreno said. “The future of animation will profoundly affect not only art and technology but also human thought.”

Dol-Anne Asiru | Loyolan

The Closet Trading Co. 2708 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90405

Do you have an itch for luxury apparel brands but are not willing to pay the full price? Want to get rid of barely worn designer clothing to make more room in your closet? Fulfill your needs at The Closet Trading Company, a one-stop shop that provides consignment services. The Closet buys, sells and trades high-end items for lesser value. An article of clothing may be sold for cash or traded for store credit, a win-win for starving college students with a sense of style. The Closet’s Santa Monica location is adorned with a plethora of designer dresses, blouses, hats, jeans, shoes and purses roughly 70 percent off the retail price. The city’s little treasure is a haven for fashionistas who value quality, style, brand and price, with an array of unique finds ranging from $4 $2,200 (prices vary by designer and wear of merchandise). It is not unusual to find brands like Hermes, Gucci, Chanel and Burberry, among others. The exposed brick walls and the hanging black chandeliers provide the store with sophisticated elegance and an urban chic aesthetic. The trendy resale shop has additional locations in Santa Barbara and Westlake Village. The Closet is open every day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information about buying, trading and consigning, refer to the store’s website at theclosetsb.com.

– Dol-Anne Asiru, Design Editor

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Arts & Entertainment

January 23, 2012 Page 11

Enjoy the stars at Millions of Milksakes W

e’re halfway through the first month of the new year, and I’m already thinking of ways to ditch the clichéd “eat healthier” resolution. As someone who likes to go against the proverbial flow, the idea of playing along with this clichéd resolution bores me. So instead of Drink to That going along with the

By Angelica oft’ broken Cadiente promise to eat healthier, Public Editor I’m proposing an alternative: See how unhealthy you can get in a year and resolve to get in peak physical shape the next year. Talk about a personal challenge.

OK, so maybe that’s not really the best way to go about spending a year of your life (which would probably be shortened significantly if you went ahead with this). But if there were any virtue to that lifestyle, it would have to lie in being able to eat (or drink) whatever your hungry heart desires. And what could satisfy that primal urge for a cold, creamy, sugary beverage better than a milkshake?

Millions of Milkshakes in Culver City offers a surefire quick fix for those cravings.

You’ve got the option to make your own milkshake or pick one off the celebrity menu, which has dozens of milkshakes named after various celebrities, from the Kardashians to Chad Ochocinco. (Though I was disappointed to see that there wasn’t a Kelis milkshake,

Angelica Cadiente | Loyolan

Celebrities who visit Millions of Milkshakes get to christen a shake recipe with their name. From left to right: shakes named for Vivica A. Fox , Heidi and Spencer Pratt and Jon Gosselin. because I’ve heard that her milkshake allegedly brings all the boys to the yard.)

The first one I tried was the Jon Gosselin Shake which had brownies, Snickers, cookie dough, Ferrero Rocher and Rollos blended into vanilla ice cream. And while I was expecting this shake to taste like disappointment and Ed Hardy T-shirts (like the real Jon Gosselin), it tasted nothing like an embarrassing midlife crisis.

It was, however, definitely as chocolate-y as chocolate shakes get.

Art festival celebrates local artists’ works Art Spotlight

By Kelsey Herman Contributor

A

rt lovers will get to see brief reenactments of famous visual and performance art by the original artists at this month’s Performance and Public Art Festival.

The festival, being held in galleries ranging from the Getty to Pasadena, offers L.A. citizens the opportunity to participate in public art like never before. It is part of the ongoing Pacific Standard Time festival, and gives the public the chance to witness the performance and recreation of art. The festival has been ongoing since Thursday and will continue until Jan. 29, presenting past and present artwork in an interactive way.

“Throughout the 11-day festival, a group of new public artworks will be on view throughout the city,” the Pacific Standard Time website explains. “In addition, new performances will premiere every day, including outdoor visual spectacles, experimental theater and sound art, social and political interventions, and media art.”

Pacific Standard Time is a series of cultural exhibitions happening around Southern California between October 2011 and April 2012. More than 60 institutions are taking part in

exploring the rich artistic history of Los Angeles and beyond.

Although the festival is already underway, there are still exhibitions happening around the city until the closing night.

On Jan. 25 and 26, “The Single Wing Torquoise Bird Light Show” hits UCLA’s Eli and Edythe Broad Art Center. At 8:30 p.m., eight light artists will create a multi-layered visual masterpiece that echoes the popular multimedia light shows of the 1960s. Live music

by Miroslav Tadic and Friends will accompany the psychedelic visuals.

Other events are being put on in coordination with schools like Otis College of Art and Design. An R-rated meditation on gay and transgender issues in Los Angeles is taking place at Southwestern Law School on Wilshire Blvd. Capping off the Performance and Public Art Festival each is the Black Box series – a nightly after-party that offers a social aspect to the festival. Visitors will have the opportunity talk about the exhibits and exchange their experiences at this daily party featuring live music and drinks.

For more information about the Performance and Public Art Festival, including locations and times for all the events, visit the Pacific Standard Time website at Pacificstandardtimefestival.org. All of the events are free.

The chocolate bits give you something to chew on while you sip, and surprisingly, the hazelnut flavor from the Ferrero Rocher doesn’t get lost in the mix of all the ingredients. I wondered why they felt the need to add both Rollos and Snickers, when I’m pretty sure there was enough chocolate and caramel in the Snickers to render the Rollos unnecessary. The brownies added an odd gritty, crumbly texture, and I felt like it would have been better without it. In fairness, though, the kind cashier did tell me that this shake

had way too many ingredients for me to be able to distinguish any stand-out flavors. Can’t say I wasn’t warned.

Next up was the Heidi & Spencer [Pratt] Shake. It wasn’t as sweet as I expected it to be, which was definitely a nice surprise. But what it lacked in sweetness, it also lacked in flavor. According to the menu, it was a mango and pineapple shake, but none of those flavors stood out. It tasted really milky, and you can taste a hint of mango nectar, but the pineapple is barely noticeable. But,

then again, given the bland personalities of the couple it was named after, I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised.

The last I tried was the Vivica A. Fox Cougar Crunch Shake, which had mixed berries and granola blended with vegan ice cream. It was a bit of a healthier spin on a milkshake. After all, you have to keep a hot bod to maintain your cougar rep. (It should be noted that after drinking this shake, I felt absolutely no urge to date younger men.) However, the raspberry, strawberry and blueberry added a nice zing to the creaminess of the ice cream, and out of all the shakes I tried, this one was the only one I probably wouldn’t feel too guilty about finishing. It did, however, have granola in it, which got pretty soggy after a while.

This is another shake you can definitely chew on, and if you can get over that minor detail, it’s a pretty good pick in terms of flavor.

None of the milkshakes I tried were to-die-for, and given the opportunity to buy a milkshake from them again, I would probably stick to the simpler varieties. Millions of Milkshakes gets bonus points for variety, but aside from all the celebrity acclaim, it isn’t really anything worth writing home about. That being said, if a milkshake is your cup of tea, then Millions of Milkshakes might still be your place. Because really, even if all those options leave you with a lot of ways you could go wrong, it also means there are lots of ways you could go oh-so-right.

This is the opinion of Angelica Cadiente, a junior business administration major from Los Angeles, Calif. Please send comments to acadiente@theloyolan.com.

British singer-songwriter Joe Brooks to play The Living Room Music Preview

By Jackie Fischer Asst. A&E Editor

S

tarting his musical career through MySpace at age 17, Joe Brooks became the “Number 1 Unsigned U.K. Artist” on MySpace in 2008. He will be performing live at LMU in The Living Room on Wednesday, Jan. 25, hosted by Mane Entertainment (ME).

“I was aware that he would be releasing some new music and starting a tour, so I reached out to this team and they were excited to have Joe Brooks come to LMU,” said senior communication studies major Tiffany Hunter, who is also the Signature Events manager for ME. Brooks is currently an unsigned artist who made his name in the music industry on his own. He grew up in the U.K. where he attended college for sports development and coach education with every intention of becoming a sports coach. He soon realized that he preferred his music to the debt that he would be in after his college experience. So, he played at small venues and was eventually contacted by Tim Byrne, a well-known manager in the U.K. With a strong interest in coming to America, Brooks arranged to come to California, as well as Nevada, to play small gigs and get his name in the music scene here.

“I moved here when I was 19, determined to make it in the States, I realized that in order to do so I had to grow from the ground up and build slowly,” said Brooks.

His new manager ended up

Associated Press

Brooks, who is set to appear in LMU’s Living Room on Wednesday, is a U.K.-born artist looking to break out in the American music scene. being Ginger McCartney, Jesse McCartney’s mother, as his name became better known in the U.S. One of his most popular songs and first single “Superman,” off of his first full-length album “Constellation Me,” has become a hit in the U.S. A music video was created for it in the summer of 2010, which now has approximately 7 million hits on YouTube.

“I try to pull inspiration from all aspects of life and the mysteries that it brings and because of that most of my songs are about pretty girls,” said Brooks about his inspi-

ration for writing his own songs.

Jomar Jay, an acoustic singer/ songwriter and LMU graduate, will be opening for Brooks and his percussionist, Big Bird.

“Attendees should expect a fun and light-hearted show. I think that this event is a great opportunity for students to come and listen to some music, relax and enjoy themselves,” explained Hunter.

Brooks will be performing a range of music from his last two albums in The Living Room on Wednesday, Jan. 25 with free admission. Doors open at 8 p.m.

January 23, 2012 Page 12

Arts & Entertainment

www.laloyolan.com

The slow and depressing decline of ‘American Idol’

I

t may still be dominating the ratings, but the shadow cast by “American Idol” is nowhere near as long as it once was. While this isn’t exactly news – “Idol” has been losing viewers for years now – there was a ratings uptick during last season, mostly thanks to renewed interest in the show due to strong contestants (like winner It’s K-OK! Scotty McBy Kevin O’Keeffe Creery and A&E Editor third-place finalist Haley Reinhart), as well as a new judging panel that included Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Jenny From The Block herself, Jennifer Lopez.

However, the ratings were apparently too good to last.

According to Entertainment Weekly, in its season premiere last Wednesday night, “Idol” was down 24 percent from last season’s premiere to just a little over 21 million viewers – still an impressive figure, but poor compared to past seasons. There are plenty of excuses to be made: shows like “The X Factor” and “The Voice” dilute the brand, television ratings are down across the board, etc. But none of them strike quite to the heart of what’s wrong in Idolville.

According to a post written

by Josef Adalian in New York

Magazine’s online pop culture blog Vulture, the executive producers of “American Idol” tried purposefully after the derided ninth season to replace outgoing judges Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara Dioguardi with bigger names who wouldn’t be nearly as critical. Cowell, of course, was the king of the harsh critique and introduced blunt honesty into American television following the success of “American Idol” predecessor “Pop Idol” in the United Kingdom. Too many reality shows had become known for having “the Simon” or “the mean Brit” on their judging panels, so it was a conscious effort on the producers’ part not to cast such a stereotype.

In casting Lopez and Tyler, the producers only succeeded in turning “American Idol” into something of a dogand-pony show. While both judges showed promise in the early rounds of season 10, soon enough they descended into strongly praising every single performance of every contestant. When the media backlash against this “nice is the new mean” judging philosophy began, Lopez and longtime judge Randy Jackson started doling out harsher critiques – against third-place finisher Reinhart. All other contestants were immune.

The nicer judgment style became a trend, with judges on “The Voice” left to playfully bicker with each other and ignore any bum notes the contestants might have sung, while a defanged Simon

Associated Press

“American Idol” changed its judging panel last season to add Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez with already seasoned judge Randy Jackson (pictured left to right), spiking its ratings temporarily but failing to keep the show from steadily losing viewers.

Cowell soon appeared on “The X Factor.” Since then, all three shows have begun to look very similar – so much so that with “The Voice” coming back soon and “The X Factor” having just crowned Melanie Amaro as the first season winner, viewers have plenty of chances to see the same old, same old.

“American Idol” is no longer event television – it’s simply a popular television show that peaked awfully early and is living far beyond its expiration date. The winners in recent seasons haven’t been able to live up to the repu-

tation that Kelly Clarkson built. While Reinhart managed to capture the zeitgeist once or twice with inspired renditions of songs like “The House of the Rising Sun” and “I (Who Have Nothing),” most performances barely make a dent in the greater pop culture landscape. Coming from a time when “Idol” was pop culture, it is now a footnote.

The ratings for “Idol” will continue to stay strong for a while, perhaps supported by those fans that want to see another Jennifer Hudson or Carrie Underwood in the making. But FOX would do

Student artists raise rape awareness Art Preview

By Luisa Barron Asst. A&E Editor

Y

ou may notice a few unusual trees around campus this week on your way to class, but rest assured, it’s not art just for art’s sake.

The “Healing Trees” public art installation’s goal is to raise awareness about rape and sexual violence by allowing students to contribute their own messages and thoughts about the subject directly onto the trees.

Senior art history major Amanda Courtney was approached to do the proj-

And it’s not just LMU participating in this project. Courtney said that Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), the organization putting together this project across the city, had asked other colleges, universities and institutions such as UCLA, USC and Otis College of Art and Design to participate as well.

“It’s going to be happening on three different trees on campus,” Courtney said. “I thought it would be a good way to relay this message on rape and rape

culture in a non-threatening way … that would engage the LMU community and not just the artists and the art students, but everyone,” she said.

Another partner on the installation is Leila-Grace Pandy, a senior English and women’s studies double major. Courtney and Pandy had worked together through “Womynhouse” as well and decided to bring their respective majors together on this particular project.

“It’s not us creating the art pieces, it’s the entire community. It’s all about self-empowerment. It means a lot to have people come out and actually participate in the ‘Healing Trees,’”

the open,” Pandy said. “This is an issue that we have to face as a community but the only way to do that is to talk about it. But no one wants to talk about it if they can’t see it. That’s why it’s manifesting into an art piece that is up front, in your face.

You can’t hide it, it’s not in the classroom, it’s not in the art gallery, it’s [on your way] to class.”

Courtney agreed that having the installation out in public, not confined to an art gallery or studio, is part of what will hopefully facilitate more openness about the topic. “You’re forced to engage with it, which is what’s cool about public art,” she said.

Pandy said, “The way I see it is that having these trees represent that there are survivors here on campus, they have stories that need to be talked about.”

Graphic by Alberto Gonzalez | Loyolan

ect after doing the recent “Womynhouse” exhibition in the Thomas P. Kelly Student Art Gallery.

The exhibit, which was a collection of gender-related art put on by a group of feminist artists, relates to artist Suzanne Lacy’s performance piece on rape awareness “Three Weeks in May,” done in Los Angeles in the ’70s. The LMU contribution will be part of the new “Three Weeks in January” project.

Pandy said.

Courtney and Pandy’s main goal with the project is to create an open conversation on this often controversial and taboo topic.

“As a women’s studies major and as a self-proclaimed feminist, this is an important project for me because I believe it will evoke an emotional reaction to the issue of rape and sexual violence, but not only evoking the emotion, but getting it talked about in

well to realize that the show is far beyond its prime. They have “The X Factor,” which they could easily make into a hit if they would just stop acting like it already is one.

“American Idol” is done. The days of Clarkson, Underwood and Chris Daughtry are long gone, and when it’s finally laid to rest, few will show up for the funeral.

This is the opinion of Kevin O’Keeffe, a sophomore screenwriting major from Austin, Texas. Please send comments to kokeeffe@theloyolan.com.

www.laloyolan.com

Sports

January 23, 2012 Page 13

LMU SPORTS UPDATE W. Swimming

W. Water Polo

M. Tennis

W. Tennis

This past weekend, the women’s swimming team finished third in the 2012 Beach Cup in San Dego.

The Lions start the season ranked No. 11 in the nation with a schedule filled with top teams.

The men’s tennis team was shut out by perrennial powerhouse USC.

Women’s tennis struggles as only one Lion ends the weekend tournament with a victory.

The Lions finished behind the University of San Diego (USD) and Fresno State University with 226 points.

The team will begin its quest for a national championship on Friday Jan. 27 against Western Water Polo Association rival CSU Monterey Bay.

The University of Southern California (USC) defeated the Lions 7-0 on Sunday, despite hard efforts from the Lions.

Senior Tammy Choy led the Lions with two individual victories in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke posting a time of 59.14 and 2:06.23, respectively.

The Lions will take on perennial powerhouses Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC San Diego and UCLA throughout the season.

Despite one extra day to train for the No. 1 Trojans, the Lions could not take advantage of the opportunities they created.

Freshman Ana Lucia Fuentes won her first career match over the University of Nevada’s Rymma-Maslova 3-6, 6-4 to highlight the Lion’s weekend in the 2012 Beach Tennis Winter Invitational located in Long Beach, Calif.

Despite finishing behind USD and Fresno State University, the Lions did beat rival Pepperdine University, who finished fifth overall. The victory over the Waves gives the Lions a much needed point in the Pacific Coast Highway Cup, a competition between the two rival schools.

The Waves currently lead the Lions 5.5 to 4.5 in the cup.

On March 16 and 17, the Lions will host a four-game tournament called the LMU Invitational, hosting teams from around the nation in order to break up the difficult schedule.

Compiled by Dan Raffety | Asst. Sports Editor

Compiled by Dan Raffety | Asst. Sports Editor

The team will try to redeem themselves from a conference championship loss to UC San Diego last year and return to national prominence.

Head coach Brad Sceney told LMULions.com, “I was very proud of our team. We created opportunities on many of the courts, but just couldn't take the next step in converting those opportunities. We have to learn how to compete for each point and not allow lapses to creep in at important times. A team like USC is disciplined and relentless in its style, and if you give them half a chance, they are all over it."

Compiled by Dan Raffety | Asst. Sports Editor

Other than Fuentes’ s first victory for LMU, the Lions struggled as they could not register any more tournament victories.

Freshman Tory Parravi and senior Elisaveta Pironkova lost tight matches against Nevada opponents 1-6, 6-2, 7-6, and 6-7, 6-1, respectively.

The Lions will return to action Saturday against Long Beach State in Long Beach at 11 a.m.

Compiled by Dan Raffety | Asst. Sports Editor

Graphics by Greg Smith | Loyolan

Sports

January 23, 2012 Page 14

www.laloyolan.com

Top sophomore Lions ‘fear nobody’ in WCC guards square off Wilks World from Page 16

M. Bball from Page 16 first time all season that LMU Head Coach Max Good had a fully healthy rotation at his disposal.

That luxury did not last long, since redshirt senior Jarred DuBois suffered a concussion in that same game and has not played since.

DuBois was cleared for practice this week and is listed as a gametime decision tonight. The return of DuBois, a 10.4 point per game scorer, would help provide depth for the Lions at point guard, allowing Ireland to sit a little more often.

At 4-2 in conference play, LMU

sits fourth in the WCC standings behind Saint Mary’s College, Gonzaga University and BYU. Santa Clara, despite an offense that averages more than 70 points per game, is still winless in WCC play at 0-5 after surrendering more than 85 points to opponents per game in conference play.

“We’re in it to win it. We’re looking to win the league,” said Hamilton last week.

There is no television broadcast of tonight’s 7 p.m. game, but it can be seen via live webcast on SantaClaraBroncos.com.

KXLU 88.9 will have the radio broadcast.

Standings

M. Bball

West Coast Conference Team No. 23 Saint Mary’s Gonzaga BYU LMU San Francisco San Diego Portland Pepperdine Santa Clara

WCC 8-0 6-1 6-2 4-2 3-5 2-5 2-5 1-7 0-5

Overall 19-2 16-3 17-5 11-8 13-9 7-12 5-15 7-12 8-10

quickly.

You could call the WCC a topheavy league since only the top four teams sit above .500 in conference play, but the talent of teams like the University of San Francisco or Santa Clara University remind you that anyone can pull an “upset” any night.

LMU Head Coach Max Good often says, “You respect everybody, and you fear nobody.” As Good believes, “The minute you think it’s automatic, you’re already beaten.”

That attitude seems to be one that permeates this LMU team.

There is no superfluous swagger or excessive chest pounding, but there seems to be a calm confidence that is ever-present without being too much.

It’s a style that LMU fans should welcome. The long-suffering Gersten faithful have seen plenty of hubris and hype that ended up being unfounded by the end of the season.

This team has plenty of confidence, but the difference is that unlike past years or even earlier this season, they are beginning to feed off of that confidence, not choke on it.

The Lions have done a great job of getting themselves pumped up for big games; wins over ranked UCLA and Saint Louis University teams showed early on that the Lions had the talent to slug it out with top teams. Despite dropping its two most recent top-25 games to Gonzaga and Florida State University (a loss that looks better and better with FSU’s weekly assault on top-5 teams’ home courts), LMU has arguably gotten better as the season has come along.

With four consecutive road wins

to begin WCC play, the Lions have taken pride in playing party-spoiler in other teams’ gyms. The familiarity of double round-robin play, conference play always provides a special set of challenges, especially on the road. “Any win on the road in this league is a good win,” said Good after LMU beat rival Pepperdine University in its raucous home gym. It may have seemed like a classic coach’s platitude if not for the fact that LMU hadn’t won in that building since 1998.

The 4-0 record on the road in a conference shows that this team is embracing a fearless mindset and backing it up with big performances. It they keep it up with a win tonight at Santa Clara University, they might have to start shelling out for hotel rooms the night before home games to mimic the feeling of being on the road, anything to get the Lions playing the same in Gersten Pavilion as they have away from the bluff.

The 0-2 conference record at home, however, does not fairly represent the Lions’ potential.

With the addition of BYU to the conference this year, the old ways of evenly paired travel partners have been ditched for a more helter-skelter, 16-game conference slate. LMU has not received the most favorable layout of the new schedule, with five of its first seven games on the road and the first three home games against the league’s top three teams – BYU, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s – all of which could be losses after the Gaels visit on Thursday.

One of the groups most grateful for modern advances in Internet technology has to be sports fans.

With the beauty of streaming video, you don’t have to rely on box

scores or static filled radio feeds to follow road games, instead most teams now stream every game live on their websites. Watching last Thursday’s game on BYUtv’s webstream shed some light onto the current state of the WCC, through the fans of the conference’s newest team.

Even a friendly place like BYU is not immune to the universal ridiculousness of Internet commenters. Watching the frustrated comments scroll by as the Lions’ lead grew showed how deeply talented and competitive the WCC has grown to be. “We can’t play like this against the good teams,” one commenter said, “but we’ll come back and win by 20,” he reassured everyone. Only they didn’t. BYU may have thought they were joining a two-team league, but with a recent influx of talent and national recognition, the competition is rising everywhere.

For the time being, LMU appears to have placed itself in the upper tier of the 2011-12 WCC race, but LMU fans are smart enough not to get their hopes too high.

Starting with a road test against Santa Clara tonight and a visit from the WCC’s only undefeated team Saint Mary’s, this week’s three games in six days will reveal if the fourth-place Lions are actually ready to compete down the stretch.

They certainly have the talent and seem to have the confidence to take care of last-place Santa Clara, but a single lapse and LMU fans could be the next ones cursing the WCC’s depth.

This is the opinion of John Wilkinson.

Please email comments to jwilkinson@theloyolan.com.

Sports

?

What are your thoughts about the Kim Kardashian/Kris Humphries breakup?

?

What was your favorite movie this past year?

?

Would you ever go on “The Bachelor/“The Bachelorette” to find “Mr./Ms. Right”?

?

“I’ve never watched ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians,’ but my roommates talk about it all the time.”

Men’s tennis

Sport: Women’s swimming

“I don’t follow that whole Kim Kardashian business.”

“I definitely think the whole thing was for money.”

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

“I saw the ‘Ides of March’ and I really liked it.”

“I would rather watch TV like ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians.”

“No, I would never go on that show, especially this season. The bachelor looks like a … peasant.”

“I do not know what ‘The Bachelorette’ is, but I would never go on a reality show.”

“Absolutely not, that show is totally fake.”

“I have never watched that show and have no idea what’s it about.”

Do you have a favorite character on “Modern Family”?

Sport:

“The big, gay guy [Cam]. He’s like a big bear. He’s always very entertaining.”

“I have never seen ‘Modern Family’.”

SOPHOMORE

Sport:

Women’s tennis

NICHOLAS BJERKE ELIZABETH MURRAY SOPHOMORE

ASK AN ATHLETE

SENIOR

?

ELISAVETA PIRONKOVA

JUNIOR

www.laloyolan.com

January 23, 2012 Page 15

TOM PRICE

Sport: Men’s tennis

“My mom is a big Kim Kardashian fan, but I think the whole thing was definitely a set up.“

“I didn’t watch the Golden Globes, but I loved ‘Hangover II’.”

“I do not know what that show is, but the only reality show I would go on is ‘Big Brother.’ I like being in the public eye. “

“I love Cam; he’s a pretty funny actor. He knows how to make people laugh.”

Information compiled by Dan Raffety | Asst. Sports Editor; graphic: Dol-Anne Asiru | Loyolan; Photos: LMU Athletics

Lions feeling more confident after win W. Bball from Page 16 points and grabbed five rebounds.

“We never let any of the losses get us down. We just keep building to get better and better. And it just really showed, in this game, that we’re not giving up. We’re still fighting, and we’re still here as a team together.”

Santa Clara came out of the halftime break hot, scoring eight unanswered points to cut the deficit to just four. However, the Lions did not let the Broncos push them over and used baskets from Cowling and Collishaw, followed by four points for Kerins, returning LMU’s lead to 10 points.

But five straight points from

Santa Clara’s Lindsay Leo and a three-pointer by Ricki Radanovich narrowed the gap to only two points with 8:10 remaining. It was make or break time for the Lions.

In the next possession, freshman guard Danielle Pruitt knocked down a jumper and the Lions never looked back, as sophomore guard Hazel Ramirez converted four of six attempts at the line, and Cowling sunk two of her own in the final two minutes.

“Coach always talks about attitude,” said freshman guard Taylor Anderson. “So I think when the hard moments came in the game, we had the right attitude to kind of push and keeping pushing,” she said.

Standings

W. Bball

West Coast Conference Team BYU No. 25 Gonzaga Saint Mary’s San Diego Pepperdine Santa Clara San Francisco LMU Portland

WCC 7-1 6-1 6-1 4-2 5-3 1-5 1-6 1-6 1-7

Overall 18-3 17-3 15-5 13-5 10-9 8-11 3-17 5-14 8-14

Ramirez converted nine of her 14 attempts from the charity stripe for her only points of the game, while dishing out five assists and snagging five rebounds.

The first half was controlled by the Lions, despite both teams teetering back and forth for the first 12 minutes of play. A jumper by redshirt senior guard Courtney Collishaw gave the Lions an 18-17 advantage, and the Broncos didn’t see themselves on top for the rest of the night. Collishaw’s jumper ignited a 9-0 run for the Lions, who took a commanding 12-point lead, 33-21 into the locker room for the halftime break.

The win lifted a weight off the back of the Lions, who were winless in conference play until the 64-54 victory on Saturday night.

“I think it confirms the hard work that they’re putting in,” Wilhoit said.

“The amount of film work that they are doing, the amount of practice.

The hour that these kids are coming in before practice and staying after practice and working. I think they are saying to themselves, ‘Wow that really is helping me. I really am getting better,’” she said.

The night saw a pair of Lions hit milestones, as Collishaw pulled down an all-time best 11 rebounds and Anderson scored a career-high nine points.

Despite averaging over 14 turnovers per game, the Lions took care of the ball against Santa Clara, only losing possession nine times and forcing Santa Clara into 20 turnovers.

“I think an important thing to take a look at is the turnovers – nine turnovers,” Wilhout said. “I think it’s unbelievable for the kind of pressure that we faced.”

With a three-game road trip beginning on Thursday night at Gonzaga University (which will be nationally televised on CBS Sports), the Lions have a tough challenge ahead of them. Now, they have the momen-

Devin Sixt | Loyolan

Freshman guard Taylor Anderson came off the bench and scored a careerhigh nine points against the Santa Clara Broncos on Saturday evening. tum on their side and plan to use the increased level of confidence as they try and pry a win away from the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

“I think it just builds their confidence to do the work before the game,” Wilhoit said. “That’s where the product and the success are coming from. It’s not the game. I told them yesterday, point blank, you cannot be playing for wins and losses. If you are out here only trying to win games or only trying to prevent a loss, you’re effort will look really weird. You have to come out here and play for the love of the game,” she said.

The Lions tip off play against Gon-

zaga at 6 p.m. in Spokane, Wash. and then will travel to the University of Portland on Saturday. They’ll return home to Los Angeles before traveling north again to take on the University of San Francisco on Thursday, Feb. 2.

“A lot of people say, ‘Well, wouldn’t it be good to be on your home court?’

We take it for what it is. We have a chance to play Gonzaga on national TV. How awesome is that opportunity if you have a joy for the game and the love for the game? That’s were it’s gotta come from. We’re going to be a very good team, and we are building it right now,” Wilhoit said.

www.laloyolan.com

Lion S ports Lions finally lock up a win

January 23, 2012 Page 16

The road is where the heart is

The women’s basketball team ends a six-game losing streak by winning against Santa Clara.

By Michael Goldsholl Asst. Managing Editor | Sports Editor

At 4-2 in conference play,the men’s basketball team remains confident after a tough opening schedule.

When Brigham Young University (BYU) came to L.A. on Jan. 5, it was only the Cougars’ third game in the West Coast Conference (WCC). The Lions were gracious hosts to the conference newcomer, allowing the Cougars to pull away in the second half for a 73-65 win. “We had them, but it slipped away,” senior guard LaRon Armstead said.

This past Thursday, however, LMU traveled to Provo, Utah and returned the favor with a 14-point drubbing Wilks World of the high-powered

By John Wilkinson Cougars.

The most amazing Asst. Sports Editor thing about LMU’s victory in front of 12,751 people was the wholly steady nature of the entire performance. Unlike what LMU fans have become accustomed to, the Lions never looked like they wanted to crumble or give back the lead in the face of the supposedly superior Cougars.

Of course, BYU is a big school with an even bigger fan base and a tradition of winning.

A school with 30 championships in various conferences and 26 NCAA Tournament appearances is one that expects to win wherever it goes. The Cougars knew that joining the WCC would present a new set of challenges, but the depth of the league’s talent was probably not one they were expecting to crop up so

See Wilks World | Page 14

Devin Sixt | Loyolan

Redshirt junior foward Alex Cowling scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds as the women’s basketball team captured its first conference victory of the season. The Lions knocked off Santa Clara University 64-54 on Saturday evening.

The hard work, collective positive mindset and the growing tire of losing finally culminated into a conference victory for the women’s basketball team.

For the first time since Dec. 19, 2011, the Lions found themselves with more points than their opponent when the final buzzer sounded. Led by redshirt junior forward Alex Cowling’s 21 points and six rebounds as well as 34 combined points from five different freshmen and sophomores, the Lions knocked off Santa Clara University (8-11, 1-5) by 10 points, 64-54 and improved their record to 1-6 in West Coast Conference (WCC) play and 5-14 overall.

“It feels great – just to see all of the hard work,” said Head Coach Julie Wilhoit after the game. “I saw it in the game. I saw our defense. I saw our help-line rotation. I saw our boxing out.

I saw our rebounding. I just saw everything paying off. It’s going the right way, and other players are making shots and making reads. There’s still a lot of things. But we have to focus on how these things are transferring into the game and what the results are. I think collectively, this is such a great win.”

Right about the time when the Lions’ youth (nine freshmen and sophomores on the roster) normally would get the better of them and send LMU into the locker room with a loss, they didn’t relinquish the lead and pushed the Broncos right back.

“We’ve just really grown as a team this whole season,” said sophomore forward Mackenzie Kerins, who scored six

See W. BBall | Page 15

Men travel north to face Santa Clara The men’s basketball team will try for its fifth conference victory tonight at Santa Clara.

By John Wilkinson Asst. Sports Editor

Kevin Laughlin | Loyolan

Sophomore guard Anthony Ireland (above) will be pitted against Evan Roquemore of Santa Clara who is averaging 14 points and 5.3 assists per game., when the Lions take the court tonight against the Broncos.

The new nine-team West Coast Conference (WCC) was bound to bring some schedule quirks to the old even-teamed system. The new schedule has not made things easy on LMU, as the Lions wrap up an opening stretch that has sent them on the road for five of the first seven WCC games. LMU’s men’s basketball team now begins a stretch of three games in six days with a 7 p.m. trip to Santa Clara tonight.

LMU has won four straight conference games on the road after defeating the conference’s newest member Brigham Young University (BYU) 82-68 on Thursday. The Lions’ winning effort was spearheaded by their two leading scorers, with sophomore Anthony Ireland leading the way with 27 points while redshirt senior Drew Viney had 21 points, including 15 in the first half.

Playing in one of the nation’s largest collegevenues, LMU did not let the environment rattle them, weathering every BYU challenge en route to the 14 point win. This marks the 17th home loss for BYU in the last 12 years.

“No matter what name is across their chest, I feel like were a good enough team, with the players we have, that we should beat these teams, especially in our conference,” senior guard LaRon Armstead said.

The first game of the week pits the Lions against the team that ended their season last year, the Santa Clara University Broncos. Santa Clara features a returning pair of dangerous offensive weapons in Kevin Foster and Evan Roquemore. Foster, the conferences leading scorer at 17.8 points per game, is a major threat from behind the arc, leading the WCC in three pointers made at 3.6 per game as well as ranking in the conference’s top-10 in three-point field goal percentage. Foster aver-

aged 19 points per game against LMU in three meetings last season. Roquemore scored an average of 16.6 points per game against the Lions last year. This season, the explosive sophomore has scored 14 points per game, good for ninth best in the WCC. The matchup between Roquemore and Ireland pits two of the conference’s top point guards and most effective sophomores against one another. Both Santa Clara and LMU consistently place the ball and their trust in their sophomore guards, with positive results.

Roquemore and Ireland rank neck-and-neck in a number of WCC statistical categories. Ireland holds the edge is scoring per game 15.4 points to Roquemore’s 14 points. Roquemore barely edges Ireland in the assists column at 5.3 per game compared to Ireland’s 5.2. Both rarely leave the court, with Ireland averaging 35.9 minutes per game to Roquemore’s 33.2.

Similar to the Lions, Santa Clara was bit by the injury bug in the preseason but a much more severely. The Broncos’ lone returning senior, forward Marc Trasolini, tore his ACL in a preseason exhibition game. The team’s second-leading scorer, Trasolini averaged 12.8 points and 6.1 rebounds as a junior, including torching LMU for an average of 23 points per game in the teams’ three meetings.

In addition to Ireland, LMU’s offense has been paced by strong performances from the previously injured Viney and redshirt junior Ashley Hamilton. Both Hamilton and Viney would rank among the conference’s top-10 in scoring per game if they had played in enough games to qualify for statistical recognition. After returning from offseason foot surgery, Viney leads the Lions with 15.9 points per game.

Hamilton started the season on a tear but then missed 12 games with an ankle injury suffered on Nov. 19 against Harvard University. Since his return four games ago, Hamilton has continued to help the Lions, scoring 12.3 points per game.

When Hamilton returned on Jan. 7 against the University of San Diego, it marked the

See M. BBall | Page 14