February 16, 2012

February 16, 2012 Volume 90, Issue 31

L L LMU at 100

LIONS WIN BIG.

To read the recap of LMU’s 75-60 upset over No.16 St. Mary’s College, turn to Page 16.

laloyolan.com

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Established 1921

University reacts to city’s new trash plan The city of Los Angeles’ proposed plan would franchise garbage disposal services.

By Kevin O’Keeffe Managing Editor

Devin Sixt | Loyolan

Annual blood drive attempts to break last year’s record 674 pints Event specialist staff member Elmo Johnson (above) donated blood in St. Rob’s Auditorium yesterday. Khachao Shahnazarian, a registered nurse from UCLA, praised “the behavior of the donors, their patience, willingness and it’s so well organized – we look forward [to] coming here. We keep coming back and always get record donors. If I can go to any blood drive, this is the one.”

The city of Los Angeles is currently considering a new garbage disposal plan that would see the hauling of all waste performed by a single, assigned private contractor. The plan, which is purported to be an instrumental step in reaching the “zero waste” output goal, is generating controversy due to its potential to shut down smaller contractors.

While officials supporting the plan argue that the greater L.A. area would likely see a major boost in the

See Recycling | Page 4

Tutoring program for campus workers kicks off The winning Inspiration Grant project aims to provide academic aid and college application advice.

By Jay Lee Asst. News Editor

Campus workers and their families are now able to receive tutoring on campus. Students for Labor and Economic Justice (SLEJ) was awarded ASLMU’s Inspiration Grant to implement Tutoring Tomorrow Today, a program that will provide campus workers and their families with access to tutoring and other resources.

Every year, ASLMU’s Inspiration Grant awards $5,000 to a team of three or more students who, according to ASLMU’s website, “wish to

make a long-term impact by initiating a project that can be carried on for a number of years. … The Inspiration Grant aims to provide inspired students with funds to realize their dreams of a more socially just and sustainable community.”

According to Kimberly Tomicich, a senior environmental science major and ASLMU vice president, SLEJ has three sessions planned this semester during which workers and their families will have access to tutors, mentors and other University resources.

Sophia Pavlos, a psychology graduate student and the president of SLEJ, explained that this event is a joint collaboration of several student groups, including SLEJ, Sigma Lambda Gamma, Black Student

Alumni reflect on finding love at LMU NEWS FEATURE

With 25 weddings a year in Sacred Heart Chapel, alumni who married fellow Lions describe their courtship.

By Brigette Scobas Human Resources Coordinator | Asst. News Editor

They were friends at first, both seeing other people, until he “had the guts to ask her out.” He waited until the spring semester of his senior year at LMU to finally take her out to dinner.

Will Salvini ’90, manager of Academic Publications in the Office of the Registrar, was the student who “had the guts” to ask out his wife, Tanya Salvini ’91, Academic Records Coordinator in the Office of the Registrar. Will and Tanya, however, are

far from being the only couple made up of two LMU graduates.

Tony and Teresa Loren ’83 as well as Robert ’82 and Fran Marick ’83 are all LMU graduates who married fellow Lions.

According to Fr. John Galvan, S.J., campus minister, each year there are about 25 weddings in Sacred Heart Chapel, and about half are weddings where both the bride and groom are alumni, while the other half are couples of one alum and one non-LMU grad.

“The weddings started back in the 1960s very sporadically because the chapel was built in 1953 … and I guess it picked up in the 1970s to the point where we have quite a few each year,” Galvan said.

QUIT ARGUING AND GIVE THEM HELP Asst. Opinion Editor AnnaMichelle Escher criticizes the continual debate on birth control.

Opinion, Page 7

See Wedding | Page 2

Union, Sociology Society, ASLMU and Underwings Praxis.

Pavlos was part of the team that helped found Tutoring Tomorrow Today and, according to her, the inspiration for the event came from the realization that, although LMU is a university, it fell short in offering its full resources to campus workers.

“The best thing that we have as a University, as a place of higher learning, is our academic resources, our educational resources,” she said. The team aimed to extend these resources to campus workers in order to create what Pavlos describes as, “a more inclusive environment, one where every member of the campus community can have access to the educational resources.”

In order to rectify this shortcoming, Tutoring Tomorrow Today aims to provide assistance to campus workers who wish to take advantage of such resources as Pavlos explains that the program “came from our relationships with facilities management and Sodexo workers, and from those relationships some of them asked us to help tutor and mentor their children.”

Pavlos described the process of organizing the event, stating that students have been working closely with campus workers to “find out if they or any of their family members need help, need tutoring or guidance.” Additionally, she noted that the tutoring will not focus solely on academic and

See SLEJ | Page 5

Emily Loren

Tony and Teresa Loren ’83 (middle couple) are just one of many married couples where both partners are LMU alumni. The Lorens started dating during their senior year and are pictured above on their graduation day with mutual friends.

Index Classifieds.............................5 Opinion...............................6 A&E...................................9 Sports..............................16 The next issue of the Loyolan will be printed on Feb. 20, 2012.

AN INTENSE AND MASTERFUL SHOW Managing Editor Kevin O’Keeffe reviews the theatre arts and dance department’s latest performance, “The Bacchae of Euripides.”

A&E, Page 12

News

February 16, 2012 Page 2

www.laloyolan.com

Couples’ marital bliss begins on the LMU bluff Wedding from Page 1 “I preside over some, not all.

Usually they get the Jesuits they have in class. Fr. Falco [Sigma Phi Epsilon moderator] is a popular priest ... and he gets a lot of Sig Ep boys,” Galvan said.

However, there are many alumni who choose not to wed in Sacred Heart Chapel, such as the Lorens.

While the Salvinis, Maricks and Lorens share their life with someone from their alma mater, each couple has a distinct love story.

“Apparently she liked me,” Will said about when he asked his friend and now wife to a local restaurant he was reviewing for an article in the Loyolan at the time

he was the Features Editor.

“That was March 9, 1990, and the reason I know that is because it was the week of Hank Gathers’ death. He had died on March 4 and the funeral was right before our date,” Will said.

Both of them worked in the Learning Resource Center, now known as the Academic Resource Center, and had tutored Gathers.

Will was also involved in the Ignatians service organization and said, “If Ignatians had a formal [dance], she was my date.”

Will popped the question at a restaurant by pre-ordering Tanya’s favorite dessert and putting the ring under the dessert tray. Will turned to Tanya in the interview

for this article, smiled and asked his wife jokingly, “Now when I proposed, did you ever say ‘Yes?’” Tanya responded laughing, “No, I was crying. … You’re just caught up in the moment and you realize you don’t say ‘Yes’ and think it’s assumed, but he actually needed to hear the words.”

“It’s a scary moment for someone proposing,” Will said.

They got married on July 16, 1994 in Sacred Heart Chapel with Fr. Richard Rolfs, S.J., one of Tanya’s favorite professors, presiding over their wedding. Their reception was in the Bird Nest.

According to Salvini, “They have really strict policies on who can get married [at the chapel] since it’s not a parish in the Archdiocese officially. You have to get a letter from the local bishop saying that it’s OK to get married here and in the meantime the records are kept at the most local parish.”

That did not stop Robert ’82 and Fran Marick ’83 from also getting married in Sacred Heart Chapel.

“I really had such a great experience at the school. The chapel is so beautiful and I felt connected to it and [therefore] really liked the idea of getting married there,” said Fran.

Fran, who was in Belles service organization, had three of her roommates from LMU in her wedding party, with Fr. James Erps, S.J., presiding over their wedding.

While the Salvinis met on campus, the Maricks met at a Halloween party after both of them graduated from LMU. They only crossed paths a couple times while at LMU but were never friends.

Four years after graduating, Robert proposed on one end of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. They have been married for almost 25 years.

“It’s really fun to see my daughter at Loyola Marymount now,” Fran said. Their daughter is junior psychology major Ali Marick.

Unlike the Maricks, Tony and Teresa Loren ’83 met right away in their freshman year at LMU. They had a mutual friend who lived next to Tony in Rosecrans Hall. Tony was a DJ for KXLU, worked for the Loyolan, sang in the choir, was the projectionist in Mayer Theater for the film department and did stage tech for the Del Rey Players. Teresa was part of the Del Rey Players and acted in a few plays.

“I guess back then I was hoping I’d meet someone at LMU,” Teresa

said. “It was important to me that my husband be a Catholic, and I figured that was my best bet at finding someone. I had to go to Mass at 12:05 p.m. daily for a couple years, praying that Tony would see the light. It took until about senior year, but prayer works. You just have to give it time.”

Tony responded, “[Marrying someone from LMU] was the furthest thing from my mind.”

Teresa said, “Tony proposed, actually in the hotel room. I don’t think he could wait until dinner. … We married at my home parish in La Jolla, California It’s La Jolla.

Need I say more?”

The Lorens celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in August.

They also have a daughter at LMU: junior communication studies major Emily Loren.

Whether the couple met at LMU or met after graduating from LMU, each couple enjoys sharing the memories that were connected to their alma mater. All couples were close friends at first before they took the plunge to date and then to finally say their “I do’s.”

Tanya said, “Since we started off as friends at LMU, it was a good way to start the marriage.”

“So far, so good,” said Fran.

For the Record

Correction: In the Feb. 9 issue of the Loyolan, a photo caption on Page 2 incorrectly read that the Loyolan hosted the Open Mic Night on Monday, Feb. 6. Open Mic Night was actually co-hosted by Mane Entertainment and the Loyolan that evening.

Emily Loren

Tony and Teresa Loren ’83, who met at LMU their freshman year, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in August.

Clarification: In News Editor Zaneta Pereira’s Feb. 9 article titled,“Recession influences collegiate motivation”(Page 1), it is stated that the liberal arts major saw drop rates of 84 percent.While this number is true, it went unmentioned that students cannot graduate with liberal arts undeclared as their major, and students are required to drop that status and enroll in another major in order to graduate from LMU.

www.laloyolan.com

News

February 16, 2012 Page 3

Black Men’s Tribute aims to ‘instill a sense of community’ Tonight’s event will include dinner, artistic performances and a keynote speaker.

By Casey Kidwell Asst. News Editor

The Sisters in Solidarity (SIS) will be hosting the Black Men’s Tribute tonight, Feb. 16, from 7-9 p.m. in conjunction with Office of Black Student Services (OBSS) and provided with sponsorship

by ASLMU. Senior business major and President of SIS Lindsey Rose described this event as “our time to step aside and say ‘Thank you’ to all that these men do on a regular basis to help our community thrive.”

In LMU’s centennial year, Dr. Gail F. Buck, director of the Office of Black Student Services (OBSS), acknowledged that the “premise for the 2012 Black History Month is to raise campuswide awareness of Black History and LMU’s mosaic community.”

“For as long as I can remember anyone telling me, Black Men’s Tribute has always been a part of Black History Month,” Rose said. As a component of this month, Rose said that “Sisters in Solidarity, formally known as Sistah Friends, has been around for over 20 years and has a strong tradition of honoring these men within our

community.”

Buck connected LMU’s centennial sub-theme of “R.A.C.E.: Rejuvenate your faith, Achieve greatness, Celebrate advancement and Encourage progression,” into the focus of this event tonight.

“Men who have been honored at this event have exuded great leadership and have displayed supportive roles in the issues of black women, their communities and within academia,” Buck said.

According to Rose, the event will also include “various forms of artistic performances, with dance numbers performed by prominent groups here on campus, singers and spoken work poets.”

In addition to these artistic performances by fellow LMU Lions, Rose revealed that dinner will be served prior to having Bryce Brown ’11 as a keynote speaker.

“He will come in to deliver an address that is intended to inspire and motivate those present, as well as show what it means to be a strong black leader within the community,” Rose said.

Rose hopes that from this evening others will see that the “goal is to put on a heartfelt program that not only shows our appreciation, but continues to motivate these men to push themselves to always seek change and betterment of the world around them.”

In recognizing these men, Rose looks to “instill a sense of community and promote a standard to continue to strive for.”

Rose calls students to attend because “not only is this event full of life and entertainment, [but] it is important that we recognize not just those who paved the way in the past, but also those who are continuing to do so in the present.”

Zaneta Pereira | Loyolan

The founder of LMU’s Harry Potter club Erin Callier became obsessed with the Harry Potter series after her dad started reading them aloud to her.

BLACK MEN’S

11 Burning Questions TRIBUTE with the founder of LMU’s Harry Potter Each year, Sisters in Solidarity (SIS) host a tribute to honor the black men in our community and for all that they do both on and off campus. There will be dinner, live performances, a keynote speaker and presentation of awards to honor those men who have done an outstanding job of representing our community.

Co-sponsored by Office of Black Student Services and ASLMU.

When: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Where: Hilton 300

club,‘Dumbledore’s Army’

This issue, News Editor Zaneta Pereira talks to sophomore English major Erin Callier about new LMU club‘Dumbledore’s Army’ and the Harry Potter series.

1. Can you explain exactly what the club is and what you all do as part of Dumbledore’s Army?

Every semester, the members will be sorted into one of the four houses, and by going to our Harry Potter-themed events and activities, they earn house points and compete for the House Cup. We’re going to have big events like a Quidditch tournament and a Yule Ball. It’s all celebration, you know?

Just a way for us to say we like Harry Potter, we all love it in our own way.

It’s all about hanging out and creating a community of people who just like Harry Potter.

2. How did you get into the Harry Potter fandom?

When I was in third grade, for Christmas my grandma gave me the first three Harry Potter books. At first I was like ‘Books, really?’ because you know, for Christmas you expect toys, but then my dad started reading them out loud to me at night and I was just obsessed. I fell in love, they were just the best books ever.

3. If you had to rank them, which are better: the books or the movies?

I always separate them in my mind as two totally different entities. … Of course there are moments when I get frustrated with the movies. Sometimes I’m just like, ‘How could you change that? That never happened!’” So if I had to pick, I’d pick the books because they’re the root of it all, but for me they’re really two very separate things.

4. What was it like for you when the last book came out?

I remember I just locked myself in my room, and we had to get three copies of the book so my mom, my dad and I could all read it at the same time. So I had my own copy and … I remember getting mad at parts and just throwing the book, crying and just going non-stop. I think it took me a little less than 48 hours. I just locked myself in my room and I just read – that’s all I did.

5. If you could be one character from the series, who would you be?

I’d be Hermione because she gets to hang out with Harry and Ron, and that’s the best! And who wouldn’t want to be played by Emma Watson?

6. What was the worst death in the series for you?

Fred’s. I can’t even imagine losing a sibling, let alone a twin. That was just the hardest for me because the Weasleys, and Fred and George especially, they were the older brothers who were just always there and to actually see one of them die was devastating.

7. If you could pick one object from the books to have in real life, what would you pick?

The Time Turner! Are you kidding? I would just study, study, study and then just go back and sleep. I would use that thing to catch up on sleep!

8. What do you think it is about the Harry Potter series that has made them so wildly popular and makes them continue to be such a global and enduring phenomenon?

I think partly it’s the magic … and, of course, the characters. There’s a character out there for every single person and they’re all so relatable. You fall in love with them, when they die you feel as if you’ve lost something, you really hate some of them … so the characters become real people and they’re a huge part of it.

9. With all the books and movies out now, do you think the next generation will be missing out a little when they get into the series?

Definitely! They won’t have the waiting into the Barnes and Noble line and excitement because literally, when a Harry Potter book came out, the world stood still. All we did for two or three days is read. They’re not going to have that anticipation, which is unfortunate.

10. If you played Quidditch, what position would you play?

I think it would be fun to be a Beater, to just smack bludgers at people’s heads, but I think I’d be too hesitant and I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone.

So I think Keeper because I’m kind of lazy. Plus maybe I’d get a date with Oliver Wood. Wouldn’t that be a dream?

11. What’s your favorite magical creature form the series?

I really like Buckbeak the Hippogriff, he’s pretty sick. I’d love to ride him to classes and just be like, ‘Buckbeak, chill out here and I’ll get you some rabbits later and you can take me to all my meetings, it’ll be great!” Plus, no traffic on a Hippogriff, right?

To find out which Harry Potter actor is Callier’s favorite read the extended interview on laloyolan.com.

February 16, 2012 Page 4

News

www.laloyolan.com

L.A.’s new waste plan prioritizes recyling Recycling from Page 1 amount of waste recycled if the plan was implemented, LMU would likely be only minimally affected by the change due to its current emphasis on recycling. The University has already chosen to oppose the measure due to the potential dip in quality of services such a plan would provide.

“The University feels like the franchise system will limit our free market choices when it comes to solid waste hauling at the University,” said Bill Stonecypher, the manager of the Solid Waste Management and Recycling departments at LMU. Student and faculty members, however, don’t see the plan as being quite as harmful.

“It probably won’t affect us,” said environmental science professor Dr. John Dorsey.

“If anything, it’ll probably be better, because more of what we put in the waste stream will be recycled.”

Junior urban studies and Spanish double major Natalie Hernandez, who works as a sustainability outreach coordinator with Green LMU, agrees that the plan will have minimal impact on the University.

“LMU already recycles a lot of its waste, so I feel like it wouldn’t affect our recycling efforts too much,” said Hernandez. “It might just affect how much waste is hauled from here.”

The plan, according to the Feb. 12 Daily News article “L.A.’s new trash plan: better for recycling or a big mess?”, will allow for greater control of recycling and could lead to unionization of workers in the sanitation field.

“I think it has a lot of potential,” Hernandez said of the initiative. “It will hold the [garbage collection] companies more accountable in their recycling efforts.”

However, Stonecypher disagrees, stating that while the zero waste goal can be achieved under this new plan, “we think the goals of that policy can be achieved through a variety of other methods that don’t include limiting a customer ’s options.”

“By taking away choices, the answers to disposal issues as we strive to become even greener can only come from a single source,” he said. “Currently, the solid waste hauling industry in the greater Los Angeles area is exploding with all these new customer options … for greener solutions, and we think this should be encouraged and flowered, not hindered.”

The additional controversy around the plan arises from the requirement of only one collection company to service each of the 11 distinct regions in L.A., meaning most smaller agencies would be put under immediate threat of being shut down, thus creating a monopoly.

“We feel like the quality of services rendered by a disposal contractor in a regional monopoly would significantly degrade the quality of service,” Stonecypher said.

“Sure, it could definitely do that,” Dorsey said of the possibility of a monopoly.

“Everyone needs their fair shake. But even the smaller groups have said that they need to do a better job of recycling.”

The new plan could also

potentially raise disposal prices for the University and for the greater L.A. area.

“According to the city’s own data, consumers pay almost 33 percent higher rates in exclusive franchised cities,” Stonecypher said. “And that’s really tough for us in this time of fiscal crisis because we’re doing everything possible to keep our infrastructure costs down so we can keep tuition down.”

Currently, LMU recycles 56 percent of its waste output, according to the Recycling and Waste Management information section on the University’s website.

LMU has been recycling since 1990, reaching state mandates for increasing the reuse of discarded materials a full five years ahead of the deadline at the turn of the millennium.

“But LMU needs to continue

working on reducing our overall waste stream by cutting down on what we throw away, what we reuse,” Dorsey said.

Debate over the new garbage transfer initiative began in City Hall this past Monday and will continue until the measure reaches a vote. If approved, the new program wouldn’t be implemented fully until 2016.

The City of Los Angeles is proposing a new plan that would assign private garbage collection collectors to specific districts. Opinion are mixed on the new plan and while Bill Stonecypher, head of the Solid Waste Management and Recyling departments at LMU, believes that the plan will “limit our free market choices, “ LMU environmental studies professor Dr. John Dorsey states that, “If anything, it’ll probably be better, because more of what we put in the waste stream will be recycled.”

News

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L.A. COUNTY MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO POLLUTION-RELATED

February 16, 2012 Page 5

New program offers resources for workers SLEJ from Page 1

The county of Los Angeles was noted as the

riskiest in California for death related to air pollution.

Percent of deaths attributable to PM*2.5: 9 percent Percent of deaths attributable to ozone: 1 percent Percent of deaths attributable to PM2.5 and ozone: 10 percent (this is the highest in the country) PM and ozone-related premature deaths: 5409 Information compiled from: “California Watch and Estimating the National Public Health Burden Associated with Exposure to Ambient PM2.5 and Ozone” *Particulate Matter Graphic by: Dol-Anne Asiru | Loyolan

Classifieds

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Good Food, Great Entertainment, Unforgettable Fun! More details to follow.

will also offer “mentorship through the college application process, through the transfer process [and] how to fill out financial aid applications.”

Pavlos expects approximately 25 pairs of tutors and tutees to attend. Though only three sessions are planned, Pavlos fully expects the program to continue after this semester.

Megan Attore, a junior sociology major and SLEJ member, is on the budget committee that decides how to appropriate the grant money. She plans on tutoring a Sodexo worker’s daughter.

“Just listening to what’s going on with the workers and how difficult it’s been over the past few months is a great opportunity for us to get to know them in a different way,” said Attore. “We have a responsibility to give those to people who may not have that same privilege.”

SLEJ has sessions planned for Feb. 18, March 24 and April 14. This Saturday’s session will be held at the Academic Resource Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you are interested in signing up to tutor at the event, visit http://www.slejstudents. org/tutor-sign-ups.html.

NEWS INBrief

Cal Grants facing 44 percent reduction in new budget The State of California’s recently released budget proposal would cut Cal Grant awards for students attending public colleges and universities by almost half. LMU President David W. Burcham sent a message to the community yesterday urging everyone to sign a petition designed by the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities to reverse the cuts.

U.S. News & World Report names LMU dorms among the“coolest”in the country LMU’s dorms were chosen among those of Brandeis University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology as some of the“coolest”in the nation.

The list included eight different schools and featured O’Malley Residence Hall’s view as the primary reason for LMU’s selection.

Student arrested on charges of battery A student was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning after assaulting a Department of Public Safety (DPS) officer. “We responded to a call of vandalism for a broken window,”said DPS Captain Cristina Martin.

Following DPS’s arrival at the scene, the individual became aggressive.“We responded to the issue and the individual became extremely agitated and struck my officer in the face. ... He was arrested on charges of battery and was released the next day,”said Chief of Public Safety Hampton Cantrell. DPS responded to the call Saturday morning at 2:26 a.m.The department would not release the name of the arrested individual.

Can you spot the mistakes?

Apply to be a Copy Editor for the Loyolan.

Contact Editor in Chief Adrien Jarvis at ajarvis@theloyolan.com.

Opinion Student Editorials and Perspectives

February 16, 2012 Page 6

Board Editorial

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

Michael Goldsholl Managing Editor

Adrien Jarvis Editor in Chief

Kevin O’Keeffe Managing Editor

Loyola Marymount University

Loyolan Staff

Brigette Scobas Human Resources Coordinator | Asst. News Editor Laura Riparbelli Senior Editor

Kenzie O’Keefe Senior Editor

Angelica Cadiente Outgoing Public Editor

A season of change and reconfiguration

T

ransitions can bring both renewals and challenges. The process of change calls for countless alterations and can be a rebirth for an institution, especially when it involves a fresh start. Sometimes, however, the ultimate goal is consistency. This is especially true for the Loyolan. As we move past our 90th anniversary, the Loyolan seeks to continue acting as not only a source of information about and for LMU, but also as an integral part of the community.

The Loyolan has always viewed transparency and open communication as fundamental to the success of the LMU community. The Loyolan is in a period of transition – bringing in a new editor in chief and a new executive editorial board while also restructuring staff positions – and it seems only fitting to convey to its readers that the Loyolan’s commitment to accurate, responsible and relevant information will continue regardless of those changes.

As the semester progresses, the Loyolan plans to achieve several goals.

Those goals include improving the website, laloyolan.com, and making the site

more accessible and informative to readers. The Loyolan also plans to bring that same commitment to quality reporting to all aspects of the newspaper.

Above all else, the Loyolan is proud of the dialogue it inspires within the community, be it through letters to the editor, guest editorials in the Opinion section or comments on the website. The variety of voices makes the Loyolan so much more than just a dialogue between a select few on campus.

The ultimate purpose of the Loyolan remains constant, though modifications may be made to help better fulfill that purpose. The names in the bylines might be new, but the voice of the Loyolan is consistent: We will always strive to be accurate, relevant and responsible.

Though staff members may come and go, and though there may be shifts in the dynamic and structure of the newspaper’s leadership roles, the Loyolan is still committed to providing news and diverse perspectives to the LMU community. And regardless of the changes that will inevitably come, the Loyolan will continue to be “your home, your voice, your news.”

A front against the SOA A

s we, the students of LMU’s Campus Ministry’s Human Rights Coalition, drove down the roads of Fort Benning, Ga. just two and a half short months ago, I couldn’t help but feel a chill go down my spine. A desolate feeling enveloped me as our SUV progressed further on down the street. Just as we came to the end of the road, an American flag

By Melanie caught my eye.

Mihaljevich This weekend would be Contributor different than most weekends for all of us. This weekend, we would be devoting ourselves to standing up to injustice. We would be protesting one of the biggest misuses of American military power in the history of the United

States: the School of the Americans (SOA) – now renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC). The school has been renamed multiple times for reasons that are actually not too difficult to understand. With a brief history of our country’s foreign military involvement, the reason for the name change will become more evident. The corruption and exploitation that the SOA is responsible for over the past 40 years is evidence for why the school needs to be closed.

According to Joel Andreas, author of the graphic novel “Addicted to War,” the United States has attempted to impose its own ideology on the rest of the world ever since the concept of Manifest Destiny was developed in the 1840s. Manifest Destiny was the start of the overwhelming desire the United States had to expand militarily and economically. In our recent history, we have taken it upon ourselves to intervene in other countries for

Photo: Melanie Mihaljevich

Protestors take to the streets,advocating the shutdown of the School of the Americas.

various reasons, often because we want to gain power and control of resources. Over the decades, the United States has gone to war with other countries, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, not only to install our own type of government, but also to gain resources like oil.

Countries that have weak or unstable governments are often the ones that are most prone to U.S. foreign military involvement.

Sometimes this involvement is good – like when the U.S. helps to install democracies in countries that are controlled by fascist regimes. But usually the United States has different motives. It often has more to do with selfinterest than in trying to help liberate citizens from unstable governments.

In Latin America during the 1970s and the ’80s, the United States backed dictatorial regimes in order to gain political and economic control. It even armed and trained military forces in these Latin American countries to suppress the native people. According to the website of grassroots movement “SOA Watch,” hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have been killed in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala due to graduates from the SOA who have committed horrible human rights atrocities in these Latin American countries. SOA soldiers have used various interrogation techniques such as false imprisonment, torture and execution on innocent civilians.

Over the years, the SOA has trained over 64,000 graduates in warfare methods. Furthermore, the graduates of the SOA have specifically targeted human rights activists, trade union activists, labor leaders and striking workers – basically anyone who dares to speak out and stand up for those who are exploited. Manuals that were released by the SOA in 1996 state that these techniques should be employed on those who “support union organizing or

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2012

Adrien Jarvis Michael Goldsholl Kevin O’Keeffe Brigette Scobas Margo Jasukaitis Kenzie O’Keefe Laura Riparbelli John Wilkinson Zaneta Pereira Casey Kidwell Jay Lee Brigette Scobas Kim Tran Joseph Demes Anna-Michelle Escher Amanda Kotch Tierney Finster Luisa Barron Christopher James Nathan Dines Dan Raffety Hailey Hannan Lexi Jackson Emma Movsesian Lucy Olson Emily Rome Emily Wallace Jennifer Yu Dol-Anne Asiru Alberto Gonzalez Nadine Jenson Joanie Payne Jackson Turcotte Kasey Eggert Kellie Rowan Devin Sixt Weston Finfer Andrew Bentley Kirsten Dornbush Jennifer Bruner Michael Giuntini Harrison Geron Amber Yin Isabella Cunningham Brianna Schachtell Olivia Casper Erin Mallea Andrew Sabatine Tom Nelson

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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 Devin Sixt 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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The Los Angeles Loyolan, a studentrun campus organization, publishes a twice weekly newspaper for the greater LMU community. The first copy is free of charge. Additional copies are $1 each. Paid, mailed subscriptions can be purchased through the Business department.

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recruiting, distribute propaganda in favor of the interests of workers, sympathize with demonstrators or strikers and make accusations that the government has failed to meet the basic needs of the people.” So why has the SOA continuously targeted such innocent people? What is the real reason behind this brutal behavior? Could it have to do with the powerful government (or dictatorship) that these human rights workers are speaking out against?

Could it be that the United States favors a dictatorial government that allows us to have economic and political control of certain resources like oil?

Very few people know about such blatant misuse of American military power. The United States has managed to keep the dirty deeds that the SOA has been involved in away from the ears of the public for quite some time now. One way they have succeed-

ed in doing this is by continuously changing the name of the SOA. The less identifiable the school is, the less people will know about it and the more corruption the SOA can get away with. A tarp that covers up the big sign in front of the school serves as a reminder that the SOA really is trying to hide something. What we would experience in the next couple days in Fort Benning, Ga. would open up a whole new world of secrecy and tragedy that we never knew existed. This experience would paint a graphic picture of who the SOA really is and instill a strong drive into all of us to continue the fight to shut down the school.

For the second part of this article, go to www.laloyolan.com.

This is the opinion of Melanie Mihaljevich, a junior political science major from Grass Valley, Calif. Please send comments to ktran@theloyolan.com.

Opinion

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February 16, 2012 Page 7

Escher/Obama 2012: Birth control for all

T

he age-old debate of how birth control should be used is once again being dominated by elderly, celibate men telling young women what to do with their bodies. Beginning Aug. 1, 2012, Obama’s Affordable Care Act will make all forms of birth control (including Plan B) obtainable for all women through their employment insurance. It Till the AM will be conveBy Anna-Michelle niently provided without Escher deductibles or Asst. Opinion Editor co-pay.

The daring policy has come under fire by Catholics and conservatives. While those affected are young women, the conflict has essentially become a power struggle between the Obama administration and the Catholic Church. My wish is for them to stop wasting time, turn down the volume on this conflict in the media and start focusing on the circumstance at hand: This is an opportunity to give help to women who need it.

Naturally, some religious institutions object to providing insurance that covers contraceptives to its employees, seeing as contraceptives are not permitted by the Catholic Church. Because the Catholic Church in particular has such a large influence, Catholic institutions (such as LMU, nonprofits and other charities) by proxy serve non-Catholics

and have non-Catholic employees who could benefit immensely from having access to free methods of birth control. According to Healthcare.gov, nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended.

Unplanned pregnancy and all of the moral, physical and emotional complications that come along with it are preventable realities that affect many women, and it is inspiring to see government admini s t r a tion take action in this area of need.

Many hardworking leaders of Catholic organizations feel disrespected by Obama’s new law. On Friday, Feb. 10, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement saying that Obama’s plan “continues to involve needless government intrusion in the internal governance of religious institutions, and to threaten government coercion of religious people and groups to violate their most deeply held convictions.” While this view is understandable, it is detached from the needs of millions of women. It seems that the majority of people debating the

Letter to the Editor Re: “Solutions to LMU’s Parking Problems” (February 6, 2012, Page 2 of the Special Bluff Edition) Dear Editor, I wanted to respond to the editorial entitled “Solutions to LMU’s parking problems” by Sailor Joey. Many of us know this edition is meant to be a spoof on aspects of campus life and should be considered all in fun. Although my staff in [the Department of ] Public Safety (DPS) can take a joke like anyone else (we have heard every doughnut and mall cop joke in the book and laugh at them ourselves), I do believe that the reference to a DPS officer’s physical appearance, with an accompanying photograph of him while in the course of his duties, was over the line.

Spoofing a person’s physical appearance seems to run afoul of one of LMU’s most recent social justice concerns: that we don’t judge or make fun of how people look, although their ideas, decisions and character are fair game. Thanks for your understanding.

Chief of Public Safety, Hampton N. Cantrell

We’d LikeTo Hear FromYou: Loyolan Letters Policy Letters@theloyolan.com The Loyolan welcomes letters to the editor. All submissions must include the author’s first and last name, phone number, e-mail address and year in school or relation to the University (i.e.alumnus,professor,etc.). Submissions should be typed and no more than 300 words.

Correction In the Jan. 30 article, “Democracy intact even with S u p e r PA C , ” a c o u r t c a s e w a s m i s t a k e n l y c i t e d a s “ C i t i z e n’s U n i t e d vs . Fe d e r a l Co m m i s s i o n . ” I t i s a c t u a l l y “C i t i ze n’s U n i t e d vs. Fe d e ra l E l e c t i o n Commission.”

issue ignore the crucial factt that this is primarily a women’s issue.

Within this particular qualm about how birth control should or shouldn’t be made available to women, the term “pluralism” has been reiterated throughout the news. This is the philosophy that must be adopted in this situation.

To live in a pluralistic society is to

accept many levels of power and influence throughout a country, as well as to recognize diversity, like we do in the U.S. We need to recognize that people align themselves with many different religions and moral beliefs. We must treat each other with respect, not public uproar and vicious threats, especially when dealing with a subject as delicate as a woman’s access to birth control.

Within this topic of contraceptives b e i n g m a d e readily available and virtually free for women, there is a point of contention between religious liberties and the power of the government. Each is a group of highly influential and powerful people acting insensitively toward a fragile issue. They should put aside their selfish interests and do what’s best for the people.

In an update on the birth control compromise televised Feb. 10, Obama made a series of profound statements including “no woman’s health should depend on who she is, where she works or how much money she makes. We’ve been

mindful that there is another principle at stake here, and that is the principle of religious liberty.”

Behind this vicious controversy is the intention to make health care more accessible to women.

In an Aug. 1, 2011 ABC News article “Birth Control Free for All: New Insurance Rules Affect Millions of Women,” White House advisor Stephanie Cutter, stated that, “We know that half of women, according to studies, forego or delay preventative care because they can’t afford it and under the Affordable Care Act, that all changes.” Despite the area where this policy conflicts with religious ideals, it is encouraging for women to know that resources are becoming more available.

The people in charge are making executive decisions to help the perpetual problem of unplanned pregnancies. When it comes down to it, family planning is part of reproductive health, and it must be treated that way by political policy.

Throughout our nation’s history, the laws around family planning politics have and will continue to change. For now, the controversy will undoubtedly continue as bishops fight the government for their religious and moral influence over their institutions, and some women fight for attainable contraceptive resources. Obama has made a daring step toward aiding the reproductive health of American women as well as the well-being of our nation, and that alone should be celebrated.

Graphic by Alberto Gonzalez | Loyolan This is the opinion of Anna-Michelle Escher, a junior communication studies major from Stanford, Calif. Please send comments to aescher@theloyolan.com.

February 16, 2012 Page 8

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February 16, 2012 Page 9

Alumnus screens ‘playfully grim’ show Event Coverage

By Raeesah Reese Staff Writer

A

large line of students formed outside of the Communication Arts Building as nearly 160 people filtered into Mayer Theater for a special screening and Q&A of “American Horror Story.”

Students and faculty from the School of Film and Television (SFTV) and other colleges were in attendance at the Q&A session for FX’s original series “American Horror Story,” an erotically and emotionally charged television show.

The event, featuring LMU alumnus James Wong, a writer and producer on “American Horror Story,” took place on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. It commenced with an episode titled “Smoldering Children” from the show’s first season.

The episode inspired squirms and gasps in the audience while packing many twists and turns throughout the episode. The episode kept its audience on their toes while also showcasing the innovative and daring qualities that have won it so much attention in its first year of being on air.

Theatre arts Professor Kevin J. Wetmore began the Q&A with his question about challenges the show has encountered due to its sexually provocative and often violent nature.

While maintaining that this series could definitely not have been produced for television audiences in the past, Wong insisted that the show “is not hostile in its approach to horror, but rather playfully grim.”

This inventive thinking, Wong claimed, is responsible for the

positive and sometimes negative responses to the show. While developing the show, Wong and his fellow writers knew that it would “push people’s buttons, and that some people would hate the show, but [he] still wanted to make it.”

While creating a show that would have plenty of shock value, Wong made it clear that the goal of the writers was to “balance drama with horror.” They wanted the characters to have the edge that they would normally have in a horror film while still making them compelling and empathetic to the audience.

The group of writers particularly had trouble with Constance, played by Jessica Lange, the sinister yet ladylike next-door neighbor to the show’s lead family, the Harmons. Constance, described

by Wetmore as Tenessesse Williams’ “Blanche DuBois with a homicidal tendency,” is the subject of a love/hate relationship with many of the show’s audience members.

When Wetmore turned the Q&A over to students, they questioned Wong on how he and the rest of his team were able to keep the audience coming back every episode. Wong discussed the difficulty of creating genuinely unique moments of terror for each episode.

“I find that as an adult, it is more difficult to feel scared than it was as a child because of all that I have seen,” Wong said.

“However, what truly frightens me is the reality of the world.”

This is an idea that he used in his 2006 film “Final Destination 3,” which he also wrote and produced. Wong and his team of filmmakers sought to taunt the audience with an invisible antagonistic force rather than a physi-

Kevin Halladay-Glynn | Loyolan

“American Horror Story” Writer/Producer James Wong (left),an LMU alumnus,returned to Mayer Theater to screen an episode of the show and particpate in an interview moderated by Associate Professor Kevin J. Wetmore. cal person as the villain, such as in films like “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street.” Danger came from a variety of ordinary sources, from dentists’ tools to kitchen utensils. Wong believes that this creative use of the world around him is key to inciting fear, as it forces the viewer to constantly question what will happen to the characters.

“We see some creepy guy with a chain saw, and we can handle him as an audience. However, if I don’t know what is haunting me, I’m much more likely to be fright-

ened,” Wong said.

In addition to its content, “American Horror Story” is unique in that season one will be a stand-alone season. While some of its actors may return, the show’s primary location of the “murder house” will change, and season two will feature a different storyline with different characters. Wong said that this will be a change that followers of the show will either hate or love for its innovation. One of the great aspects of working to make the show as creative and unique as possible

has been working in a writer’s group, Wong shared. “American Horror Story” employs a smaller writer’s group than most, as each person tackles a specific act of each episode. This is a skill he credited to learning while attending LMU. “I learned to work well with others, and the experience with networking with my peers was very significant.” Wong said.

Wong said he is looking forward to continuing his work on the second season, which will begin airing in fall 2012.

February 16, 2012 Page 10

Arts & Entertainment

ROAR finds a ‘Perfect Match’ ROAR Spotlight

By Luisa Barron Asst. A&E Editor

O

ne of ROAR Network’s original offerings this year is “Perfect Match,” a show based on the people who apply to a dating service called Luveopoly. Created by sophomore film production major Joe Slavin, who executive produces the show, “Perfect Match” centers around an ensemble of characters unwittingly being experimented on by Doctor Jarvis, the mastermind behind Luveopoly.

“He wanted to find out what creates chemistry between people, so he did this experiment where he put up a dating website … to lure them in to do the experiment. He basically wants to observe them as a social experiment. It’s a narrative comedy about what would happen if this crazy scientist was watching you [through a dating service],” Slavin said.

Development of the show started over the summer. Slavin recruited assistant director and producer Sam Greenhouse, a sophomore film production major, to work on the show as well.

“Most of my work happens before we shoot, just making sure everything is scheduled out properly, that we have the equipment that we need, that everything’s in order so we can

shoot,” Greenhouse said.

During the summer, they also did application videos for each of the characters before all getting together to shoot the pilot. “[The application videos are like] the cheesy, old-school dating video stuff where they ask you questions and you answer,” Slavin said. With questions like “Do you believe in love at first sight?” and “Are you currently sexually active?” the application videos were a way to fit in information about each of the characters without having to load the pilot down with background information.

“There are people who loved the application videos. They thought it was a really fun and unique way to give out expository information about the characters without being totally obvious about it, in terms of story development,” Slavin said.

In addition, the dating website on the show was made into an actual website at the suggestion of ROAR Director of Programming Jamie King, a second-year graduate student. “I suggested that maybe he [could make] it a real dating website, make it this kind of interactive thing … so it looked kind of like an attempt at viral marketing. I kind of helped him develop that aspect, which makes it cool and sets it apart from our other shows,” King said.

At the start of the semester,

the writers and crew got moving, getting a cast of 11 different characters together, for the first two episodes that have already been produced and are currently up on the ROAR Network website to view. Now they’re working on the final three episodes, with production ongoing.

“It’s pretty complicated due to the fact that we have so many cast members. The first episode we had one scene where we needed literally every single person in a room at one time. So we had to coordinate, work out times that would work for 11 different people. That’s next to impossible,” Slavin said.

But both Slavin and Greenhouse commented on the show’s use of LMU theatre arts majors as their acting talent. “As I was writing it, I realized through some of the projects I’ve done before that the theatre [arts] majors we have here are so incredibly talented … and I wanted to do a character-driven show,” Slavin said.

“A lot of times [LMU film students] try to bring in actors from the outside … [but they should consider] actors at LMU. There are really a lot of talented individuals here,” Greenhouse said.

The first two full episodes, along with each character’s individual video, are all online at Roarnetwork.com and the show’s own website Luveopoly. com.

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Arts & Entertainment

February 16, 2012 Page 11

‘Voice of the post-Civil Rights’ era dies T

he music industry lost a true star when Whitney Houston’s dead body was found in a bathtub at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Saturday night.

Houston was nominated for 26 GRAMMY awards during a career that spanned more than three decades. Her rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Totally Tierney Always Love You” went

By Tierney Finster on to become A&E Editor the best-selling single of all time by a female artist, and her 1987 self-titled album “Whitney” was the first by a female artist to enter at the top of the Billboard 200 chart.

Houston’s professional accomplishments are undeniably impressive, but her colossal stardom and enduring industry presence are not the simple results of her stellar singing ability. While her music entertained and inspired many individuals, Houston became a cultural icon because of the larger ideologies that she both represented and subverted. Anything but fleeting, both Houston’s work and personal history indicate the performer’s commitment to herself – a quality that many of today’s manufactured stars tragically lack.

Houston began working with Clive Davis, president of Arista Records between 1975 and 2000, while she was still a teenager. A legendary producer, Davis is often credited as making Houston into the star that the world knows and

mourns for today. “Under Clive Davis’ Guidance, Whitney Houston Became Music Superstar,” a Feb. 12 ABC News headline not-so-subtly reads. Davis’ knack for cultivating talent is indisputable – he also played a heavy hand in developing the careers of the likes of Sean “Diddy” Combs and Carlos Santana, according to the same ABC article.

However, the long and storied Davis-Houston relationship appears to be so successful because of the independent integrity and strongwilled artistic vision that Houston brought to the partnership.

“A diva has control. ... I already had my own little stuff in my pocket and Clive knew that. ... It wouldn’t be to try to make me a star because I would have been a star without Clive,” Houston told Vanity Fair magazine in December 1992.

Houston was aware of her own strengths as an artist and collaborated with Davis instead of plainly taking commands. Unlike many of the women in popular music today, Houston had an air of humanity that freed her from being puppet to any producer. Today, young people are often left to experience products rather than people. With five albums in five years, a discussion of current chart-topper Rihanna’s creative process almost seems laughable. Her albums show the crude attempts of industry executives to capitalize on passé Internet trends, and in the case of records like 2010’s “Loud,” a post-Millennial brand of pre-manufactured provocation.

Similarly, Internet celebrity and blogger darling Lana Del Rey emerged in 2012 spouting her love for the famous Chateau Marmont Hotel and the famously illusive cultural scene associated with it.

Her videos and fashion choices pay homage to vintage Hollywood

and the classic Lolita tale, continuously painting the picture that Del Rey is not your average commercial pop star. However, one only has to rewind a few years to meet Lana’s original persona, Lizzy Grant, a blonde pop singer that embodies a more traditional, wholesome popstar. It appears that the more alternative Lana Del Rey (and her more affected voice) was a construct cultivated only after Lizzy’s unsuccessful 2008 EP “Kill Kill.” Houston didn’t need a gimmick like the ones present in modern day pop.

“God gave me a voice to sing with, and when you have that, what other gimmick is there?” Houston famously sang in her song “Yes Jesus Loves Me.” Unmarred by over-production and shtick, the many years of Houston’s career represent her own personal progression as an artist.

Houston’s first, self-titled album was released in 1985 and included hits like “You Give Good Love” and “How Will I Know.” With soul legend Aretha Franklin for a godmother and R&B pioneer Dionne Warwick as an elder cousin, Houston was well aware of generic conventions upon beginning her career. A young Houston paired the authentic conviction and fervent topicality of her predecessors with a fresh exploration of the modern American experience. Most importantly, this exploration occurred through the lens of a young, black female.

Referred to by writer Ronda Racha Penrice as the “voice of the postCivil Rights generation,” Houston’s early career represented the work of liberated black females able to fully use the newfound opportunities of the age. Her ability to break through to the larger white audience only affirmed this ideology, and her image became synonymous

Associated Press

Houston (above) performed at the 2011 pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute To Industry Icons. She was scheduled to perform at this year’s pre-ceremony event on Saturday, the same day as her death. with the African-American dream.

Houston’s sudden and systematic success quickly made her a household name. To some women, Houston’s career felt in part like their own success. This exaltation made Houston’s eventual fall from grace that much more tragic. Houston suffered widely from addiction, but many reports indicate that she was more specifically afflicted with a crack cocaine habit.

“Crack came into its own in the late 1980s,” the District Judge Reggie Walton, the White House’s former associate director of the office of national drug policy, has stated.

Houston was not immune to the national crisis. The crack epidemic permeated many black communities, and the extremely harsh punishment of crack cocaine cases in comparison to those involving the powder cocaine has made the crack discussion firmly embedded within the historical legacy of institutionalized racism. In this way,

Houston not only represented the remarkable capabilities of black women, but also the harrowing effect of institutionalized racism on even the most successful of black individuals.

Although Houston admitted to absuing drugs in her lifetime, toxicology reports have not yet confirmed her cause of death. ABC News has, however, reported that multiple perscription medications were found in Houston’s room at her time of death.

Houston’s complicated persona and self-driven nature led her down a tumultuous path, but in the end, only further solidified her place in the greater American narrative.

Houston was a star, but not a star removed from the difficulties and dangers of her fans’ larger reality.

This is the opinion of Tierney Finster, a sophomore screenwriting major from Los Angeles, Calif. Please send comments to tfinster@theloyolan.com.

February 16, 2012 Page 12

Arts & Entertainment

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‘Bacchae’ brings dramatic power and acting prowess men in drag is beyond me. Additionally, there are several scenes of both the comic and tragic variety that seemed to last forever, affecting the pacing of the show negatively. This production is at its best when it is fast-moving and there’s plenty going on – watching one actor lecture another for 10 minutes is nothing but a hindrance.

Those scenes and choices, though unfortunate, cannot derail what is ultimately a brilliant production. “The Bacchae of Euripides” is more than just a play. It is art in motion with commanding performances by committed actors. It is not to be missed.

“The Bacchae of Euripedes” is now in the middle of its run at Strub Theatre. It has three shows remaining, starting with tonight’s performance, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Theater Review

By Kevin O’Keeffe Managing Editor

I

t can be said that “The Bacchae of Euripides,” the newest production by LMU’s theatre arts and dance department, is a strange show. It is an intense show. It is a challenging show. But most importantly, it is a masterful show.

Based on “The Bacchae,” a Greek tragedy written by Euripides, and first performed in 405 BC this version, written by the President’s Marymount Institute Professor in Residence Wole Soyinka, is an African interpretation with powerful musical moments. It requires incredible levels of commitment from each member of the ensemble cast and sky-high energy levels, and under the direction of theatre arts professor Kevin Wetmore, “The Bacchae of Euripides” is a success because it achieves both.

The story is based on the myth of King Pentheus, a man who refuses to follow Dionysus, the god of wine (amongst other things). Pentheus and his mother, Agave, are both punished, as she is possessed by the same bloodlust and passion as Dionysus’ other female followers. Behind the basic plot are greater themes, including the battle between creation and oppression. This production communicates these themes through commanding dance and music.

Wetmore chose to create a sense of controlled chaos in the production, with modern and classical sensibilities merging in powerful fashion. The set, designed by theatre arts professor Maureen Weiss, is absolutely incredible, almost a jungle gym on a sparse stage that is used as setting, prop and musical instrument. Every inch of the stage is used, with actors venturing into the audience for even further exploration of the space. The costumes, which were created by visiting theatre arts professor Sara Ryung Clement, are an interesting mix of African and post-apocalyptic design, a fascinating choice and one that works really well.

While the play is incredibly visually appealing, it could only reach truly masterful status with the help of a strong, committed ensemble of actors. The dialogue is challenging and the choreography demanding, so both require nothing less than top-notch work from all involved. Luckily, there are only a few weak links here – almost every performer does stunning work. Sophomore theatre arts

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

Devin Sixt | Loyolan

The drama and passion of ancient Greek tragedy was aptly captured, according to Kevin O’Keeffe’s review, by the theatre arts and dance department’s new production of “The Bacchae of Euripides.” major Julian Garcia is especially stunning as King Pentheus.

From his first line, he commands attention and owns the stage with volume and authority. His range is awe-inspiring and his sheer skill is impressive.

Many other members of the ensemble join Garcia in energetic and expressive work. Two that stand out are senior theatre arts major Jeremy Larrere as Tiresias, the blind priest, and freshman theatre arts major Keeley Miller as Agave.

Larrere fully inhabits his character, playing not only the dramatic moments but also making the awkward attempts at humor bearable. Miller’s Agave is all about the drama and is something of a one-scene wonder, only appearing during the play’s final moments. But the revelation of her character’s actions is ambitious and impressive.

Several members of the ensemble are given powerful monologues that rarely slow the pace of the show – instead they act as showcases for each performer, even those in otherwise minor roles. Freshman theatre arts and communication studies double major Gabriel Gonzalvez truly wrings every dramatic drop out of his monologue, breaking out of the simple Officer role and making an impact. Junior theatre arts major Nelia Miller gets multiple monologues as the leader of the slaves and knocks each and

every one out of the park.

“The Bacchae of Euripides” is not without its faults, however.

As mentioned previously, there are several incredibly lowbrow stabs at humor that fall short,

especially considering the powerful scenes surrounding them.

Why the otherwise devastatingly potent production chose to dilute the drama with painfully unfunny penis jokes and

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SportsLMU drops St.

February 16, 2012 Page 13

Softball loses to No. 13 UCLA. Visit laloyolan.com/sports

to read Staff writer Ray Ferrari’s summary of the softball team’s 24-2 (5) loss to 13th ranked Bruins on Tuesday afternoon.

Mary’s to 23-4 M. Bball from Page 16 down five rebounds.

“We’re all pretty confident, everybody is pulling for each other. We’re just playing together, we’re playing the right way and things are falling into place,” Ireland said.

St. Mary’s was led by a doubledouble performance from senior forward Rob Jones, pouring in a gamehigh 25 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. LMU kept junior guard Matthew Dellavedova in check, limiting the WCC’s second-leading scorer to 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, including an 0-for-3 mark from three-point range.

LMU took a 34-29 lead into halftime thanks to a bucket from redshirt senior forward Tim Diederichs.

After running out the majority of the clock, Ireland drove into the paint, drawing the defense before zipping a pass to Diederichs for the layup. Ireland almost stole a pair of points before the halftime buzzer by jumping the St. Mary’s inbounds pass, but he could not get the shot off before time expired. “[We] were talking right before the game started that we needed to, not literally, but figuratively punch them in the face, because [if we did] they were going to back down. If we made the first punch, they weren’t going to be ready for us,” Viney said.

“We had the fire tonight and it paid off.”

After a cold shooting first half, Dellavedova started the second half with back-to-back buckets to bring the Gaels within one. After St. Mary’s 6-0 run gave them a 35-34

lead, LMU did not back down, countering with a 6-0 run of its own.

“We knew that right when we made our run, they weren’t going to be able to catch up with us,” Viney said. “We were like ‘Hey, lets pick it up a little bit,’ but we weren’t scared at all. We didn’t back down at all.”

It looked like LMU might be in trouble when Ireland was whistled for his fourth foul at the 9:10 mark of the second half. Ireland finished the contest without ever fouling out, recording three assists and knocking down two free throws after returning for the game’s final 5:21.

“I’m extremely proud, I’ve been proud of them all year long,” LMU Head Coach Max Good said. “We’re healthy now. When we’re healthy, we’re pretty darn good.”

The win moves LMU to 10-4 in WCC play and 17-10 overall. LMU sits in fourth place in the conference, just fractions behind 9-3 Brigham Young University. The Lions have locked up, at worst, a fourth place finish in the conference standing. St. Mary’s falls to 12-2 in the WCC and 23-4 overall.

“We tied up fourth, but s***, we don’t want to finish fourth. We want to [get] 20 wins going into the tournament. Every win is huge,” said Good.

LMU returns home for a nationally televised game on Friday against Valparaiso University at 6 p.m. The Sears BracketBuster matchup will be broadcast on ESPNU as LMU welcomes the first place team in the Horizon League. The Athletics Department is sponsoring a pregame tailgate starting at 4 p.m.

February 16, 2012 Page 14

Sports

Six starters return Baseball from Page 16 Gill, in his fourth season at the helm of the Lions, says that he has been impressed with his team’s ability to bond together thus far.

“This is the best team chemistry I have had in my [four] years here.

There are also a lot of guys that have proven to be leaders for us.

However, it’s easy to have chemistry when there hasn’t been any adversity. Everyone has been playing everyday. We will see how we respond once we establish our roles on the team,” Gill said.

With a potentially lethal bullpen, the focus comes on the starting pitching and how much depth there is on the rotation. Senior starting left-handed pitcher John Lally, who will start the series finale against University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Sunday at 1 p.m., is one of the leaders on the pitching staff.

“It all comes down to throwing strikes,” Lally said. “If you throw strikes, you control the game.”

After a third-place conference finish last season, the Lions spent most of the off-season getting healthy and rested, yet working on the simple fundamentals of baseball.

“We spent most of the offseason developing players, not keeping statistics, but getting the most out of out players and getting used to playing together,” Gill said. “We want to create the foundation of intelligence. Anyone can have talent, but intelligence can separate good from great players.”

The Lions’ offense has created an athletic mindset to support the pitching staff. “This season we have five or six guys that can steal 15 to 20 bases. We are no longer a stationto-station team, but rather can put

pressure on the defense and find other ways to score,” said Gill.

One of the intriguing storylines coming into the season will be the competition for shortstop with senior infielder Shon Roe as the favorite to start the season at the position.

“I’m excited,” Roe said about the competition at shortstop. “We push each other to become better everyday. Because we are all so close, we want each other to succeed and it is all about the team’s success as opposed to individual accomplishments.”

The Lions’ schedule is highlighted by trips to Austin, Texas to face the perennial powerhouse University of Texas for a three-game series and, across Interstate 10, carpooling to Southern California counterpart the University of Southern California. The Lions also have key home games against Big West Conference teams such as CSU Fullerton, UC Riverside and Long Beach State.

“One of my biggest goals as head of the program is to develop our name so talented players want to play for LMU. Kids grow up and dream of playing at certain places: at Texas, at Stanford. Those coaches have the whole state wanting to play for them. That’s where we are trying to get,” Gill said.

The Lions took a big step forward this off-season being named No. 23 in the country in recruiting classes.

“It’s a step-by-step process,” Gill said.

Despite the Lions’ recruiting class being named in the top 25 in the country, the Lions start the 2012 season picked to finish fourth by other conference coaches and ranked No. 76 in the nation according to Perfect Game’s Top 100.

www.laloyolan.com

Congratulations to LMU Hall of Fame baseball player Billy Bean ‘86,

one of nine inductees into this year’s West Coast Conference (WCC) Hall class being honored on March 3. Stay tuned for more Loyolan coverage of Bean’s journey to the Hall on March 23rd.

Joanie Payne | Loyolan

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Sports

February 16, 2012 Page 15

Women look for future success with new coach W. Soccer from Page 16 Mallia gathered his players in the locker room and informed them of his decision to leave on Thursday after one of the team’s weight workouts.

“The day he told the players he was leaving, there was not a dry eye in the room. This says a lot about him as a head coach and how he felt about his players and how he cared about them,” Myers said. “He invested a lot of his own personal time in them and he was very mindful on how he treated them. He wanted them to know it was about more than just winning games, it was [about] the whole experience.”

Mallia was named LMU’s head coach in 2007 after spending two seasons as an assistant at UCLA, and seven years before that as head coach at Loyola College in

Maryland.

At Tennessee, Mallia will join Head Coach Brian Pensky, who served as an assistant under Mallia at Loyola College.

“On our visit to Knoxville, we were struck by the facilities, the resources for the athletes, and of course the excellence of all of programs at Tennessee,” said Mallia in a release on the University of Tennessee’s official athletics website. “This move comes with consequences, as I leave behind a team and staff of which I am very fond. I thank them for all of their support, and the great memories of LMU.” Despite finishing in the top half of the WCC in four of his five seasons at LMU, Mallia was unable to lead the Lions to a coveted NCAA Tournament berth.

Mallia’s 2011 campaign was his worst. The Lions finished in seventh place in the WCC

with a 1-6-1 conference record and a 7-10-3 overall record.

Senior Whitney Sharpe, a transfer from Texas Tech and previously from UCLA, is used to transitioning to a new head coach. She had to sit out the 2011 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

“We all understand, we think [the move] is what’s the best for him,” said Sharpe. “I can help other people be optimistic, I know our coaching staff is behind us.”

Myers takes over as interim head coach and brings with her a wealth of experience. She just finished her 15th season as an assistant coach at LMU. “The goal is just to continue to move forward. We had an unlucky run in the second half of the season,” Myers Loyolan Archives said. “The girls are adamant about moving forward and Senior defender Jaide Garcia embraces former Head Coach Joe Mallia in a working to win a conference game against Seattle University, a double overtime 0-0 tie on Nov. 5, 2011. championship next fall.”

LMU battles Irvine Saturday W. Polo from Page 16 year, my main goal is to be more of a leader and motivate the team.”

While LMU continues to get better in the water, the sky is the limit for the Lions. “I want to be undefeated in conference,” said Benedetti. “I think we could even win NCAAs, but we have to take it one step at a time.”

Despite the team potential, we

are taking it one game at a time.

“We need to use every game to prepare ourselves for the next,” Witt said.

The next step comes this weekend, when LMU hosts No. 7 UC Irvine. This high level of competition is no stranger to the Lions, as five of their first eight games have come against top-10 teams.

But this test comes at home, where Honny said, “We need more support and more fans.”

It will take a total team effort to upset the visiting Anteaters, who finished second in last weekend’s tournament.

“It’s going to be a very tight game,” Witt said. “We can’t rely on one player to beat this team.”

LMU’s Centennial Family Weekend is packed with quality sporting events, but the only top10 matchup featured on campus will come Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Burns Aquatic Center.

L ion Sports Lions do it again on the road

February 16, 2012 Page 16

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Mallia moves on to Vols

Men’s basketball upsets its third top-25 opponent of the season, beating No. 16 St. Mary’s 75-60.

By John Wilkinson Senior Editor There were just over two minutes left in Wednesday night’s game when redshirt senior forward Drew Viney delivered what would be the exclamation point on LMU’s eventual 7560 win over the No. 16 St. Mary’s Gaels.

Controlling the ball and leading 69-57 with just over two minutes left to play, sophomore guard Anthony Ireland milked the shot clock in the backcourt and drove into the lane before kicking out to Viney in the right corner. A quick pump fake got his defender up in the air, allowing Viney to blow by and get to the hoop for a one-handed slam. The dunk put LMU ahead by 14 and effectively shut the door on a comeback for the favored home team.

St. Mary’s could not narrow the deficit much more as LMU closed out the final two minutes with solid free throw shooting en route to handing the Gaels their first home loss of the season. The upset victory also marked the third time this season that LMU knocked off a top-25 ranked team.

All season long, LMU has taken pride in its “us against the world” mentality on the road.

The ability to focus in raucous opposing gyms had helped the Lions accumulate a 6-1 record in West Coast Conference (WCC) road games heading into Wednesday night’s clash with the nationally-ranked Gaels.

“We just come together [away from home].

I wouldn’t say we’re different at home as we are on the road, but we just bring the fire on the road,” Viney said. “That’s a good thing to have when you’re going to go play in Vegas and hopefully in the postseason, because you’re not going to have any home games.”

Unlike in their Saturday loss to Gonzaga, LMU got a balanced scoring effort with four players scoring in double digits. Viney scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting to lead the Lions, while Ireland put in an all-around strong performance of 16 points and seven assists while only committing two turnovers. Two redshirt juniors rounded out the LMU leading scorers as forward Ashley Hamilton added 11 points and five rebounds and guard Jarred DuBois came off the bench to score 15 points and pull

See M. Bball | Page 13

Women’s soccer Head Coach Joe Mallia is leaving LMU to join the University of Tennessee.

By Kevin Cacabelos Staff Writer

Associated Press

The men’s basketball team handed St.Mary’s College their first home loss of the year. Redshirt senior Drew Viney (17 points) led the Lions to their first win in Moraga, Calif. in eight years. With the victory, LMU has reached 10 wins in conference play for the first time since its historic 1990 run.

The LMU athletic department announced on Feb. 10 the resignation of women’s soccer Head Coach Joe Mallia after the former women’s head soccer coach accepted an assistant coaching position with the University of Tennessee women’s soccer team.

Assistant Coach Michelle Myers will serve as interim head coach for LMU. Mallia’s decision surprised many, especially the players on his team.

“It was devastating — a huge shock. No one expected it,” said team junior midfielder and co-captain Rachel Fell. “[But] he left with us the impression that together we’ll get the job done and that he believes in us.”

LMU athletic director Dr. William Husak will be looking to hire the school’s fifth women’s soccer head coach.

When asked when she expects a full staff will be in place, Myers said “in the next month or so.”

In his five seasons as head coach, Mallia compiled a 50-34-11 overall record. Mallia’s .584 winning percentage was the highest among all four of his predecessors. He posted double-digit victories in every year except this past year, and he also led the Lions to two top-three finishes in the West Coast Conference.

“Joe always credited the staff before him for what they had built and was very adamant on building upon that. He did a great job of always including the former players and really getting to know them,” Myers said.

See W. Soccer | Page 15

Lions begin title hunt The LMU baseball team begins Opening Day with a solidified bullpen and athletic offense.

By Dan Raffety Asst. Sports Editor Despite entering the 2012 baseball season with a lot of new faces, LMU is poised for another West Coast Conference (WCC) title run with a deep and solidified bullpen, filled with versatile arms, and an offense that creates runs by athleticism and timely hitting.

According to Head Coach Jason Gill, in his fourth season at the helm of Lions baseball, the team’s bullpen has “a potential to be the strength of the team.”

The team has a three-headed monster in junior right-handed pitcher Aaron Griffin, senior left-handed setup-man Ryan Hawthorne and sophomore closer Bret Dahlson.

“Griffin could be a starter any other year on this team, but we will use him in long relief and

in the bullpen. He has such a versatile arm that he can do damage starting a game and in the later innings,” Gill said.

Hawthorne led the Lions with 10 saves last season, but will be primarily used as a set-up role in the eighth inning.

Dahlson, who could also see time at first base, will be the Opening Day closer for the Lions.

The team returns six position starters, including senior third baseman Alex Guthrie, who will start the season batting third in the Lion’s lineup, and junior centerfielder Matt Lowenstein, the team’s leadoff hitter and starting centerfielder.

Last season, Lowenstein recorded a .349 batting average, scoring 32 runs, recording nine doubles and a triple, while knocking in 21 base runners. Lowenstein ended the season with 19 multi-hit games, which was three short of the team record, set by catcher Matt Koch, who is now in the Minnesota Twins organization.

See Baseball | Page 14

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Junior centerfielder and leadoff man Matt Lowenstein will try and improve upon his outstanding sophomore season, in which he batted .349, doubled nine times and knocked in 21 runs.

Water polo puts national ranking to the test The women’s water polo team faces a tough early matchup, battling UC Irvine on Saturday.

By Ray Ferrari Staff Writer Despite not always receiving proper recognition, the women’s water polo team heads into Saturday’s matchup with UC Irvine ranked No. 10 in the nation, not to mention

leading LMU’s athletes in grade point average.

“We work hard in and out of the pool,” said sophomore utility Alex Honny.

Her work certainly paid off last weekend, as Honny was named Western Water Polo Association Player of the Week in recognition of her 10 goals, 10 steals and three assists in the four games. This effort helped lead LMU to a fourth place finish at the UC San Diego Triton Invitation, which featured many of the country’s top teams.

“We know we can beat those teams,” Honny said. “We have some stuff to work on, but

we’re definitely on our way.”

Playing in California (the Mecca of the water polo kingdom) means LMU gets to face numerous big time contenders. “Any time we have a home game, it’s usually against a nationally ranked opponent,” explained Head Coach Kyle Witt. “They’re all season-changing games for both teams.”

If that isn’t enough to bring out more fans to the games, there are other factors that can help. LMU women’s water polo features Witt, who is the reigning WWPA Coach of the Year, along with senior two-meter player Kimberly Benedetti, the 2011 WWPA Player of the Year.

That’s a lot of star-studded recognition for one side of the pool.

There’s some real talent on this team – enough to win a conference championship and even make a run at the NCAA tournament.

“We need to get back to the conference championship and win it this year,” said Witt.

Benedetti enters the 2012 season ranked sixth all time in LMU scoring, and is looking to make her senior season one to remember.

“It’s a lot of pressure to stay at this level and keep getting better,” Benedetti said. “This

See W. Polo | Page 15