March 8, 2012

ESTABLISHED 1921 March 8, 2012 Volume 90, Issue 34 Your Home. Your Voice. Your News.

Loyola Marymount University

www.laloyolan.com

LMU community hit with increased costs Annual parking fee aims to resolve current parking issues in line with the Master Plan.

By Loyolan Staff The decision about LMU parking charges has been made. Beginning in January 2013, LMU will begin requiring all students who choose to bring a car on campus to pay a $670 annual fee – or $335 per semester – according to a University-wide email sent out by Senior Vice President of Administration Lynne Scarboro on Tuesday, Mar. 6.

The annual permit will give students, faculty and staff parking privileges for the fall, spring and summer. However, if students do not want to buy the all-inclusive parking package, they can purchase the permit on a per-term basis, which costs $335 for each semester and $200 for the summer.

In her email, Scarboro imparted her understanding that the extra costs for some members of the LMU population. To offer assistance, parking fee waivers will be given to those facing “significant financial hardships,” which will be recognized and assessed prior to August 2012, according to Scarboro.

The decision to institute a fee for oncampus parking is directly related to the need for more parking spaces, according to Associate Vice President of Administration Services Mike Wong. Director of Parking and Transportation Mario Inga told the Loyolan that there are currently 4,253 parking spots on campus and more than 7,300 parking

See Parking | Page 3

Rises in tuition and housing not as large as other Jesuit universities.

LMUSTUDENT THE AVERAGE

WILL PAY THE UNIVERSITY

+

$48,998.68

Tuition increase

$1,299.30

IN THE 2012-13

ACADEMIC YEAR, NOT INCLUDING

+

THE COST OF AN LMU

MEAL PLAN OR FOOD.

Annual student $670.00 parking permit cost

THAT’S AN $2,167.68

INCREASE.*

$198.38

*The Loyolan generated this average cost based off of the increases in tuition and housing fees, as well as the cost for parking permits. The numbers used were taken from pricing listed on LMU’s website for the 2011-12 academic year and the official email from Senior Vice President for Administration Lynne Scarboro on Tuesday regarding parking fees. It does not reflect the cost of having an LMU meal plan.

+

Average housing increase

Information complied by Loyolan Staff; Photo: Devin Sixt | Loyolan; Graphic: Dol-Anne Asiru | Loyolan

By Margo Jasukaitis Senior Editor

The cost of earning a degree from LMU will be higher than ever in 2012-13. On Tuesday, the University announced a 3.52 percent increase in tuition cost for both undergraduate and graduate students in the coming academic year. In addition, LMU also announced that the cost of housing would increase by 2 percent.

While LMU’s tuition increases incrementally each year, the University communication from President David W. Burcham, issued Tuesday, stated that, over the course of the past three years, the increases in LMU’s tuition have been 28 percent below the average national increase for private universities.

LMU is currently the ninth most expensive of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities nationwide.

The most expensive Jesuit university for the 2011-12 school year is Boston College, which cost $41, 480 annually.

The costs for tuition at LMU in 201112 was $36,912.

While not all universities have released their tuition for the 201213 academic year, of those that have,

See Tuition | Page 2

Meal plans to be revamped for 2012-13 LMU hopes to boost attendance at Community Table with new point system.

By Adrien Jarvis Editor in Chief

LMU and Sodexo have implemented a new “LION” meal plan system for the 2012-13 academic year, which will focus on fostering attendance at the all-you-can-eat buffet in the Lair known as Community Table. Starting next semester, if a student purchases an

“L,” “I” or “O” plan, they will get a portion of the money to be spent as LION dollars, and the rest of the money will go toward paying for “points” to enter the Lair for Community Table. If students elect to get the “N” plan or “S” dollars, they will not receive any points.

The hours of all other dining locations on campus will remain the same, and none of them will be a part of the point system.

The purpose of the point system is so that instead of paying the door price, students will be charged one point per entry into the Lair for Community Table. Currently, LMU offers Community Table Thursday – Sunday nights, with a door price of $7.99. However, starting

the Fall 2012 semester, the price will increase by a dollar to $8.99, and for Saturday and Sunday the buffet will switch from nights to brunches.

The point aspect of the new meal plan system is aimed to save students money if they regularly attend Community Table, according to Sodexo Resident District Manager Jason Adams. He explained that the system offers “bulk by discount,” and that the cost per point is less than the cost of the door price. The “L” plan, for example, offers 60 points per semester, averaging a cost per point of $8.50 – about 50 cents in savings per Community Table visit.

According to President David W. Burcham, this step is a direct result of the travel warning issued Feb. 8 by the U.S. State Department.

The warning was expanded to cover northern Mexico, where De Colores is based, which prompted a discussion by the University Council in consultation with Doug Moore, the University’s Risk Manager. Burcham explained, “Our University Council was of the strong view that it would be inadvisable for our students to be in that area until the State Department changes its position.

And so with that kind of advice from University Council, I had no choice but to suspend our trips down there until the situation improves.”

This decision has been met with much dismay amongst students.

“We’ve built a really strong relationship with the community

we serve, and they become more like friends and family,” said Katie Kinney, a senior communication studies major who joined the project in October through her involvement with the Belles service organization.

This weekend would have been Kinney’s fifth trip.

“The people just touch my heart.

We’re coming to do them a service by the looks of it, but it’s really such a beautiful mutual exchange of love and service,” she said.

Americans have been urged to refrain from all non-essential travel to nine states in northern Mexico and in eight states in the South. For northern Baja, where De Colores is based, the government urges visitors to exercise caution, a sentiment that has been unchanged since the last warning issued on Apr. 22, 2011.

University suspends De Colores trips U.S. government travel warning results in trips being canceled for safety reasons.

By Weston Finfer Web Editor

Government warnings against travel to Mexico due to drug-related violence and crime have caused LMU community service program De Colores to be suspended for the next six months. Minister for Social Justice Marty Roers posted on the De Colores Facebook page Tuesday night saying, “We have been instructed by the President’s office to suspend the De Colores program and any travel to Tijuana for six months effective immediately, due to the U.S. government’s state department travel warning level for Mexico.”

SAY NO TO CABLE Managing Editor Michael Goldsholl challenges cable companies to provide a more convenient service.

Business & Technology, Page 6

See De Colores | Page 4

Index Classifieds.............................5 Bussiness...............................6 Opinion................................7 A&E...................................8 Sports..............................16 The next issue of the Loyolan will be printed on March 12, 2012.

“We don’t want price to be the determining factor on whether you are able to eat with your friends in the Lair on Thursday night or not,” Adams said.

The new meal plan system was “augmented as an initiative by Student Affairs,” according to Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Management and Business Affairs Ray Dennis. Various groups of students and faculty members across campus were asked for input during the formulation of the plan.

This included the Resident Housing Association (RHA), according to its president,

See Sodexo | Page 5

ASLMU BEGINS ELECTION PROCESS

To check out Asst. News Editor Casey Kidwell’s coverage of the ASLMU Senatorial Debate and a video of the event, visit laloyolan.com.

Photo: Liana Bandziulis | Loyolan; Graphic: Dol-Anne Asiru | Loyolan

SPEAKING OUT AGAINST NEW FEES In a special full-page board editorial, the Loyolan questions the recently assessed fees.

Opinion, Page 7

News

Cost increases lower than most universities

percent higher than tuition increases at private schools.

California’s public four-year institutions in particular had the highest tuition increase by percentage for the current academic year, according to the report.

Students at schools in the University of California system are protesting their respective institutions’ tuition hikes, especially in the wake of the proposed Cal Grant reduction.

The California State University Board of Trustees approved a 9 percent increase in tuition for the 2012-13 school year last Fall, according to the L.A. Times’ website.

“At the end of the day,” Steward said, “I’m going to pay [the tuition]. There are pluses and minuses to the increase, but, when it comes down to it, most [students] will pay.”

STUDENT HOUSING AT A JESUIT UNIVERSITY

Gonzaga

$ 4,580/yr

Seattle University

$ 6,595/yr

Boston College

$ 7,600/yr

Creighton

$ 9,238/yr

Fordham

$ 12,056/yr

Loyola Marymount

$ 12,772/yr Joanie Payne | Loyolan

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SKIN CARE STUDIO

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LMU’s 3.52 percent increase is one of the smallest increases.

Fellow Jesuit institution the University of San Francisco, whose tuition for the 2011-12 school year was closest to LMU’s, increased its tuition by 3.91 percent for the coming school year, from $37,040 annually to $38,490.

“In terms of value,” said junior communication studies major Gina Steward, “I feel like [students here] get a lot out of this University. We certainly pay a lot, but that’s what you get with private universities.”

“I’m happy [LMU’s] tuition increase is less than other schools,” said sophomore biochemistry major Sara Sievers. “I just wonder where it all goes.”

The increasing cost of operating the University is one of the factors behind the tuition increase. “We have significant additional costs,” said President Burcham in an email to the Loyolan.

Those fees include the cost of utilities and contracted services for LMU, which will increase by $1 million next year according to a University communication issued Tuesday. In addition to paying for this increase, the higher cost of tuition will also subsidize $13 million worth of on-campus work and

research jobs for students, $70 million worth of financial aid (a 10 percent increase from last year ’s financial aid) and allow $4.5 million to increase compensation for faculty and staff.

The University will also be investing $3.6 million in technical capital projects.

“I understand that a lot more goes into running a university than I [or] … a lot of my peers are aware of,” Steward said. “We pay for all those benefits. I see that it takes a lot more than we know to keep up the University and all its programs.”

Even though students like Steward understand why the tuition increases incrementally on an annual basis, University officials expressed dissatisfaction at the increase, and seemed disappointed to be placing an increasing amount of financial burden on students and their families.

“Am I satisfied with [the increases]?” asked Burcham in an email to the Loyolan.

“I’m satisfied only in the sense that the increases are among the lowest of all the colleges and universities of which we are aware.”

The tuition increases for public schools are even more drastic.

According to the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center ’s “Trends in College Pricing 2011” report, average tuition increases at public schools were 2.2

$

AVERAGE COST OF

To check out a graph of the increases in tuition since 2006, visit laloyolan.com.

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Tuition from Page 1

www.laloyolan.com

2011-12

March 8, 2012 Page 2

www.laloyolan.com

News

March 8, 2012 Page 3

LMU announces parking fees for next year Parking from Page 1 permits have been distributed. The Master Plan stipulates that LMU add 609 parking spots over the next 20 years in order to realize the future vision for the University.

“It is a little ridiculous considering the cost of the school already. I think it is just extra money in their pocket. I don’t think it is necessary and I think it is not right,” said Asha Moore, a junior psychology major.

But Wong assures that the new fees are “not a revenue source for the University.” Fees incurred

from the permits will go directly towards funding the creation of a parking structure in conjunction with the new life sciences building where Seaver lot currently stands.

Wong said the groundbreaking of the new building will likely take place in the summer of 2013 and the parking structure will add 191 spaces. Along with its construction, Wong said permit costs will also go towards parking operations (such as valet, improving the Lion Express, possible developing a shuttle service to and from the Metro Green bus line, etc.) and permit-funding assistance to

students, faculty and staff. This will come in the form of waivers for some students, and salary increases for some employees.

“We, as a university, we don’t have a choice, we have to build [the new parking structure],” said Wong.

“The other thing that we want to make sure we do as a university is remain competitive and remain in perpetuity into the future. And part of what we need to do to stay in the market is to be competitive academically, athletically and just as an entity in the city.”

“I think of course whenever you announce a change there are going to be some people who have something to say about that. And the same thing happened when we announced we were going to be charging for parking [in August],” said Wong. “Part of announcing this now is to give people a head start on planning. … Part of it is to give people as much time as possible to wrap their heads around what’s going to happen and to plan for it.”

Although members of the LMU community will not be subjected to parking fees until January 2013, visitors will be asked to pay throughout Fall 2012 based on length of stay or by a daily rate of $10.

At this point, there is no plan to cap the number of distributed permits. Wong expects that this new fee will deter on-campus parkers by 20 percent.

The announcement that the University would be charging for parking initially came on Aug. 23, 2011. Rumors began to circulate regarding how the University would begin charging its students and employees. After discussions amongst the Parking Advisory

Committee and open meetings with the LMU community, solutions such as eliminating freshman parking or charging varying prices for residents versus non-residents were rejected and a flat fee has been instituted.

“At this point, we’re trying to keep the program as simple as possible,” said Wong, citing concerns that a more complicated program would be tougher to enforce, making costs rise.

President David W. Burcham said adding parking is essential and that those who use the lots should be the ones to bear the cost.

“The thought was that those costs ... shouldn’t come out of those who don’t bring and park cars on campus, but it should be primarily borne from those who cause us to incur the costs. So that’s a user fee as opposed to taking the money out of the general operational budget, which is generated by tuition dollars,” said Burcham.

The parking situation on LMU’s campus has been a controversial topic for years, and despite attempts to improve it, complaints about parking continue to persist.

LMU, however, is currently one of few universities in the area where parking comes without a price tag.

Although Pepperdine University’s lots remain free, the University of Southern California charges $414 for the majority of its student lots.

UCLA charges $204 per quarter for commuter students and $258 per quarter for students living in the residence halls. As for Chapman University, there is an annual $300 flat fee for full-time students and $150 for part-time students.

But some LMU students remain upset regarding the new fees that

will take effect next spring.

“The new fees for parking are only going to weed out the people who are struggling with paying for LMU already,” said Alex Bartlett, a sophomore business management major.

Some students and Westchester neighbors worry that an oncampus parking fee will push cars off University property and out into the streets surrounding campus.

“The back gate neighborhood is going to be a mess. People that don’t want to pay are just going to park out the back gates,” said Ryan Marquez, a junior civil engineering major.

“I am unhappy about the parking plan; everyone will go outside of the campus and park there. It is not going to solve the parking problem and the community will not be happy about it,” said Andrew Kowalczyk, a sophomore computer science major.

Members of the Westchester community have voiced their opinions about their displeasure regarding the fee implementation.

Back in January, the Loyolan reported that Frances Christensen, a neighbor, spoke out at the LMU Neighborhood Advisory Committee meeting, outraged at the new policy.

“I am extremely resentful of having to pay for LMU’s parking. … 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,” she said at the meeting.

Wong maintains that the University will support the formation of a permit parking district if the neighbors decide to vote it in.

News

March 8, 2012 Page 4

www.laloyolan.com

De Colores safety issues to be reviewed in six months

De Colores from Page 1

Cindy Lefferts

Katrina Freitag poses with Doña José in Cuentapec. Her experience in Mexico made her want to ” change the way I live”.

11 Burning Questions with an Alternative Breaks participant This issue, News Editor Zaneta Pereira talks to senior dance and mathematics double major Katrina Freitag about her experiences from participating in LMU’s Alternative Breaks program.

1. Which Alternative Breaks trips have you been on?

I went to Morelos, Mexico over Spring Break, and last May I went on the Cambodia trip.

2. How would you describe the Alternative Breaks experience in one sentence?

They put you in a place of gratitude for what you have in your life and for the ways that other people live.

3. What would you say was a highlight of your trips?

Being able to just have an exchange of cultures and getting to know people from different parts of the world at the same time that I’m getting to know people from LMU. 4. What made you want to attend an Alternative Breaks trip?

I studied abroad in Germany the spring of my sophomore year and traveled all around Europe so ever since I got back, it’s just like, alright where’s the next place I’m going? I totally got the travel bug so I’m just [taking] every opportunity I can get to travel.

5. What kinds of service did you do in Mexico?

The women in one of the towns we were working in make pottery by hand, so one day we went out to this like open, desert-filled area and collected cow dung, which they use for fuel for firing the pottery and the next day we went out and collected clay to make the pottery. When we went out to the field, we took a truck there and it took about an hour to get to where we needed to be and we collected like 20 huge sacks of cow dung.

6. Did you get to experience the culture of the places you were in?

Yeah, we also had cultural activities where we’d go on a hike to see some ancient cave paintings or we’d go to ancient city ruins. One day, we had an opportunity to go to this man’s house because he was one of four people left in the town who knew how to basket weave, and we watched him weave.

7. Was it difficult to come back to LMU after being on an Alternative Breaks trip?

I think it’s hard because you’re used to having an experience where you might not be relaxing but doing many, many activities every day. So having to go back and do schoolwork is hard, but also it’s hard to have to step away from the relationships you’ve built, and it’s always questionable how you’ll see your own life after having such a removed experience.

8. Has the experience challenged you in any way?

I’m someone who always looks for challenges, so I think it’s made me really want to change the way I live in just striving for simplicity, trying to lead by example rather than trying to change others and just finding a way of always expressing joy and gratitude in my own life.

9. Did you ever have any really strong moments of culture shock on your trips?

One of the things that’s just funny for me is that I’ve gone to places that are much more conservative in the way that they dress, and so in Mexico we were working with indigenous communities and we weren’t allowed to wear shorts of any kind or to change in front of anyone. I’m someone, especially being a dancer, who’s like, ‘Oh I’ll wear whatever I want,’ and ‘I’ll change in front of whoever I want,’ so I had to learn to be really modest. … With everything you do you want to be sure that you’re not offending anyone because you don’t know the details of their culture.

10. Would you like to go back where you’ve visited or travel elsewhere?

Absolutely, it’s just a matter of having the money and time. The hard part there is that, if I had the choice, would I go back to a place that I felt really attached to, or would I go out and go to a new place and have a completely new experience that I’m bound to fall in love with also?

11. Why would you recommend people go on an Alternative Breaks trip?

It’s a chance to reflect on how you live your life here and how your society functions, and also a chance to travel, see a different part of the world and learn about a different culture form the food to the transportation and the living conditions. And to just have fun with people, you build a great community with the people you go on the trip with and it opens up connections if you wanted to do [something like this] sometime down the road.

To find out about Freitag’s favorite encounter in Mexico, visit laloyolan.com to read her full interview.

With regard to the length of the six-month suspension, President Burcham explained that, “The six-month period was just sort of a time frame so people could plan their activities accordingly and they wouldn’t be living day by day. If the State Department were to revise and reduce its concern level tomorrow, we would resume the De Colores trips tomorrow.” However, he stressed that, “if the State Department looks at and repeals that warning before six months, we would immediately resume De Colores.”

Alexa Garcia, a senior communication studies major, student leader for De Colores and member of Belles, understands why the issue of safety would be a concern for the University.

“I know other universities have had similar trips that have stopped going all together already, and LMU has been very welcoming to the idea of going down to Tijuana for the weekend. Although, [the] warnings don’t seem remotely close to where we are at all, it’s been the same advisory:

‘exercise caution,’ ” she said.

Burcham also recognized the fact that many people may believe that De Colores is no more dangerous than walking around streets in Los Angeles and noted that there may be truth in such a viewpoint.

Once again, however, he stated that the decision came as a direct result of “the official position taken by the U.S. State Department and then by the advice of our council, which [for] me, as a person who has to safe guard the University’s interests and our students, it truly gave me no choice.”

A key concern for students involved with De Colores is what they see as relatively short notice and a lack of explanation from the Office of the President.

“We don’t really have closure.

No one has talked to us directly, especially the people who’ve made the decision,” said De Colores student leader and Belles member, a junior political science and dance double major, Semhar Dory.

“There hasn’t been a formal ‘this is what’s going on and this is why it’s happening’ and as students, as people, it affects

us of course, but it affects the people we’ve built these relationships with, which is part of our mission statement that we’re people for and with others.”

Dory sees the suspension of De Colores as keeping students from fulfilling LMU’s mission statement and believes that, “taking away De Colores would do so much harm to so many people who, first of all, go consistently, and for the students who never got the opportunity to go, so I would even say it affects the whole campus.”

Dory said De Colores is currently working towards gaining a better understanding of the University’s safety policy and how it is implemented, and finding a way to address safety concerns in order to fulfill the desire from the group to continue their work across the border. In line with this effort, students who have been on De Colores trips previously are being asked to submit a picture that best illustrates their experience on the De Colores Facebook page. This is intended to raise awareness of the positive impact of De Colores.

Curious about the gas odor on Thurs, February 23?

Check out Human Resources Coordinator | Asst. News Editor Brigette Scobas ‘ article for the full story at laloyolan.com.

Walter Lantz Foundation makes donation to LMU LMU’s School of Film and Television recently received a $540,000 donation from the Walter Lantz Foundation. A pioneer in the field of animation, Lantz is best known for creating the character Woody Woodpecker. According to the University’s press release, the donation will be used to equip the new Animation Lab with“state-of-the-art digital equipment and technology.”

Dorm rooms burglarized over Spring Break The Department of Public Safety received reports that four laptops and one Xbox were stolen from various freshmen dorms between Feb. 24 and 25. According to Department of Public Safety (DPS) Captain Cristina Martin, it is believed that the incidents occurred over night in Huesman, Sullivan, Del Rey South and Del Rey North.

details

www.laloyolan.com

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March 8, 2012 Page 5

New meal plan system to be implemented for next year Sodexo from Page 1 junior marketing major Amanda Baduria. She told the Loyolan that RHA first learned about the new meal plan system at their monthly meeting in November. They were asked to then discuss with their building councils and students in their housing facilities what their thoughts were on the plan and report back at the next meeting.

According to Baduria, the feedback was generally positive.

“I would have liked to have had [the new meal plan system] my freshman year,” Baduria added.

Baduria, Dennis and Adams all emphasized the goal of “fostering community” with the new meal plan system.

“It gives people the chance to engage with others and hang out,” said Dennis. “It is not designed to penalize any group [or type of student].”

Adams stated that Sodexo hopes to continue to receive feedback about the new system, as well as the food offered at Community Table.

A chef has been hired solely to focus on the Community Table menu, and the food will be different from the Lair’s usual menu and served in “restaurant style,” according to Adams.

“We’re going to be creating a committee of students, a Food Advisory Board, that’s going to

be making the menus with us.

So they’ll sit down with the chefs each month … and they’ll help us gauge what people are looking for,” Adams added, highlighting that the meal plan system will help Sodexo have a better idea of how many students will be at each Community Table, fostering the chance for “menus that are a little more vibrant.”

According to Dennis, on average, 500 to 525 students attend each Community Table, but his hope is that the new system draws a 200-person increase.

Adams told the Loyolan that the new meal plan system and Community Table is the main focus for Sodexo currently. This includes exploring different features for Community Table, like having nights or brunches

be themed, sponsored or with live performances by student bands.

Additionally, Adams emphasized Sodexo’s push to become more sustainable, and said that Community Table will have food served on china.

“I hope people can really see the value [of the new plan],” Adams said.

“I think it is going to work.

It’s going to create a whole lot of friends and community, hopefully,” Dennis said.

“Students will be the better for it because it will allow students the opportunity to get out.”

To learn the details of each LION meal plan, visit Sodexo’s website dining.lmu.edu/plans.

To read Opinion Editor Kim Tran’s view on this new plan, refer to Page 8.

Liana Bandziulis | Loyolan

Students who choose meal plans “L”, “I” or “O” next year will receive points that go toward all-you-can-eat nights at the Lair.

Business & Technology

Corporate culture, personal finance and technological innovation

March 8, 2012 Page 6

5

www.laloyolan.com

THINGS

TO REMEMBER WHEN

APPLYING TO SUMMER

AND

JOBS INTERNSHIPS:

Associated Press

Apple announces new iPad, set for March 16 release Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller (above) discusses the newly updated iPad that was announced on Wednesday, March 7. The new iPad, which will be released on March 16, was reported to have a high-definition screen and a faster wireless connection, among other improvements.

Cut the cord and stop paying for cable Instant video services are growing in availability to provide more freedom to the consumer.

D

oes anyone actually watch 400 channels of television? While the occasional outlier might take full advantage of his or her gluttonous cable access on a regular basis, the reality is that most people don’t. Cable companies are using their ability to bundle hundreds – sometimes thousands – of TV channels together, basically forcing the consumer into spending an egregious amount of money on their monthly cable and Internet bill. And for those still residing on the bluff, or those who are unaware of Pot of Gold what a cable bill looks

By Michael Goldsholl like, a rude awakening is coming your Managing Editor way if you think its a cheapy commodity.

However, there is a solution: á la carte television. Á la carte television is as simple as watching it: The consumer chooses and only pays for the channels that he or she wants. And that’s

Joanie Payne | Loyolan

it. So, instead of paying a premium price for a predominantly useless double-bonus luxury, viewers have exactly what they want – and nothing undesired in between. Seems simple enough, right?

Wrong.

The cable companies have found themselves positioned in a unique monopoly. Since such a service has not yet been made available, they are able to continue bundling the channels together in mass form, while charging $60, $70, $80 to over $100 per month just for TV access.

In a Jan. 9, 2010 article published on Money.cnn.com titled, “Why cable is going to cost you even more,” staff reporter Julianne Pepitone wrote, “The average digital cable customer already pays almost $75 a month, according to research firm Centris. And many subscribers pay more than $100 to tune in to everything from ‘The Daily Show’ to ‘Jersey Shore.’”

I realize that these are statistics from two years ago, but they are still signify that the system in which viewers subscribe to respective cable companies is extremely flawed and outdated.

Additionally, Pepitone wrote, “Customers see an average annual price hike of 5 percent, analysts say – which means that in five years they’ll be shelling out more than $95 a month for TV.” $95 per month – for TV! Something is seriously wrong with that number. But the price isn’t what’s wrong with TV. What’s flawed is the system. Those who want to watch TV and contribute to a national audience are forced by the cable companies to pay for hundreds of channels they may never even click to, and they are stuck with an all-or-nothing alternative.

Although it seems conceivable that á la carte television would lower the financial burden for TV subscribers, James Surowiecki of The New Yorker’s website offers opposing sentiments. In a Jan. 25, 2010 article titled “Bundles of cable” posted to the magazine’s website, Surowiecki wrote, “The prices for individual channels would soar, and the providers, who wouldn’t be facing any more competition than before, would tweak prices, perhaps on a customer-by-customer basis, to maintain their revenue. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Bravo would suddenly cost $15 a month, but there’s little evidence to suggest that à-la-carte packages would be generally cheaper than the current bundles.”

But would those prices that Surowiecki talks of actually increase? Such an implementation would ignite so much competition for networks for individual subscribers that it seems even more likely that prices would actually go down.

For the cable companies, the uncertainty of what would happen to them as a result of á la carte television is valid. Such freedom provided to the customers likely would prevent

many cable companies from getting enough customers to be a financially feasible business and ultimately becoming obsolete – an outcome they would likely hope to avoid.

Additionally, it would cause problems for smaller, less-popular networks to survive, as their lack of content (quality and/or quantity) could result in their overall revenue being less than the amount of money it takes to produce programs.

At this time, no current cable provider offers a pure “from the menu” TV service to its consumers. However, there are certain devices and outlets that have began giving viewers a slight variance of paying for only what they want.

Apple’s iTunes store allows customers to purchase a wide variety of shows – ranging from “The Office” to “Top Chef” – as they are aired. Amazon also produces a similar service that offers the most recent episodes of top shows, such as “The Walking Dead” or “The Bachelor,” for paltry prices as instant video from its channel store.

Additionally, services such as Hulu Plus and Netflix – which, unlike iTunes, charge a small monthly fee – allow subscribers to watch an extraordinary amount of television shows and movies at their leisure.

Premium cable channels, such as HBO and Showtime, also offer applications that allow viewers to watch full seasons of their networks’ shows, as well as movies. Unfortunately, such features are limited to those (for no added charge) who already get those channels as part of their cable television subscription, for now. But in a March 7, 2012 article published on ThinkProgress.org, writer Alyssa Rosenberg brought up the possibility that HBO might offer its on-demand application as a standalone product in the future. However, according to the article, an unnamed “HBO spokesperson declined to comment.”

Devices such as the Roku player and Apple TV, as well as smart TVs, give consumers the ability to view such applications easily. While the Roku player and smart TVs provide more freedom to users in terms of the applications they can and cannot utilize through their device, Apple TV is classic Apple; it is extremely exclusive to its own content and materials to ensure that you are pretty much only using their products – in this case, the iTunes store and Netflix (not an Apple product).

While á la carte television might be outof-reach and blocked by cable companies for now, it is not out of the realm of possibility.

The benefits of services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus and Apple and Amazon’s online stores are growing – primarily bang for your buck.

This is the opinion of Michael Goldsholl, a junior English major from Santa Barbara, Calif. Please send comments to mgoldsholl@theloyolan.com.

1)

Apply for everything: Remember, you’re not the only one looking for a job. You’re not just going up against undergraduates – you’re competing against graduates too.

2)

It’s not always what you know, but sometimes, “who you know.”

That’s why you should build and maintain as many connections as you can.

3)

When applying for jobs, remember to have contact information for your references on hand.

4)

First impressions matter! In job interviews, remember to dress professionally and appropriately.

5)

Always update your résumé. Keep it neat and organized, but make sure that it reflects why you stand out.

Graphic: Joanie Payne | Loyolan Compiled by Michael Goldsholl | Loyolan

A MESSAGE TO THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY

www.laloyolan.com

Board Editorial

March 8, 2012 Page 7

Board Editorials represent the voice of the Loyolan. They are written in collaboration by the Executive Editorial Board: Editor in Chief Adrien Jarvis, Managing Editor Michael Goldsholl, Managing Editor Kevin O’Keeffe and Human Resources Coordinator and Asst. News Editor Brigette Scobas.

What is the limit?

T

he average LMU student will pay the University $2,167.68 more in the 2012-13 academic year than the previous one.

Tuition and housing costs have increased, and anyone who parks a car on campus will be charged for it, starting in the Spring of 2013. The community literally cannot afford to stay silent.

It’s hard to be an LMU student right now and not feel registered cars as they are now, there is a good chance like you’ve been sucker punched. Within a 24-hour period, you will not find a space. If you pull into any typical offLMU announced a hike in tuition and fees, an increase in campus parking garage and cannot find a spot, you are not room and board costs and new fees for parking permits for required to pay for the time looking. Why, then, should we the 2012-13 school year. That’s a lot of negative news for at LMU? Why must we pay for a service we are not guarthe community to take in at once, and a lot of dollars out anteed? At LMU, parking may be a privilege, not a right, but it becomes an issue if we must pay for something that of our pockets.

University President David W. Burcham sent out an we are not guaranteed to receive. email Tuesday morning informing the community that The possibility of parking fees has been on the commuundergraduate and graduate tuition will increase by 3.52 nity’s radar for months. That said, after all the time spent percent for 2012-13 and room and board will go up by evaluating the situation, why is paying for parking per2 percent. Later that same day, Senior Vice President mits the only solution to the parking problem on campus? for Administration Lynne Scarboro emailed the commu- Why hasn’t the University yet released any dates or even nity regarding the institution of parking fees. Starting in a set plan for when more parking spaces will be added?

The Master Plan gives LMU 20 January 2013, “students will pay years to add 609 parking spaces. $670 for an annual parking permit Why we’re sending this message Why should the current commuor may purchase a permit each nity shoulder the financial burden term … and faculty and staff will On every issue of the Loyolan, three simple of the parking problem when the pay $696 for an annual permit,” expectations are written beneath its front-page majority likely will no longer be wrote Scarboro. She also stated masthead: “Your Home. Your Voice. Your News.” that visitors will pay time-based or Following the University’s announcement of new on campus by the time solutions increasing fees for the LMU community, the come into fruition? Why doesn’t daily fees of $10, beginning in the and Loyolan staff felt the need to clearly embody the the University take out a loan to Fall 2012 semester. second expectation: “Your Voice.”

The truth is, it is expensive to be a student in pay for the parking structure and Though the increases in tuition higher education these days.

And while tuition spaces, and then impose the fees and room and board were relative- and housing costs increasing has seemed inevito pay back the loan upon the comly low when compared nationally, table for the past few years, implementing parkmunity that will actually have the they mean more money spent on an ing fees is a more-recent development. We have benefit of the new spaces? already very expensive LMU edu- heard the sentiments shared by many across campus, and we agree: Do not extract thousands LMU is a great University to be a cation. This community and the more from us without proving it is worth it. Do part of, for the great environment it nation at large have come to expect not burden us with the bill for services we will provides that fosters education and the cost of college to rise every year, never benefit from.

Accordingly, we felt the need to issue this spebut one has to ask what our limit is cial full-page board editorial, not just as the word a positive experience, but the facts for mortgaging our future to pay for of the Loyolan, but to deliver the voice of the com- are there. For the average fullit, especially when the logic behind munity – “Your Voice” – to the University about its time undergraduate LMU student who lives on campus and has a car, the added and increased charges decision. the new cost for that experience is comes into question.

- Adrien Jarvis, editor in chief $48,998.68, and that doesn’t even The Loyolan has done the math. include the cost of food.

According to the tuition and housIn an interview with the Loyolan, Burcham said, “We ing costs listed on LMU’s website for the 2011-12 academic year, tuition will increase by $1,299.30 and housing will go cannot become a university that is accessible only to the up by $198.38 per student next year. Annual parking per- wealthiest among us. I, for one, wouldn’t want to be presimits will cost $670 for students. That equals an additional dent of that university.” However, with these rising costs, $2,167.68 that the average LMU student must pay for the it seems as though LMU may be headed toward just that.

There are some measures put in place – LMU’s Financial 2012-13 academic year, not including a meal plan or other Aid Office helped LMU students receive roughly $168 milfood and book costs.

The Loyolan’s main concern is the legitimacy of the lion for the 2011-12 academic year, according to Director of parking fees. According to Director of Parking and Financial Aid Catherine Graham. But the recent threat Transportation Mario Inga, there are currently 4,253 to over 825 LMU students’ Cal Grants (see “California parking spots on campus, but approximately 7,330 total proposes cut in Cal Grants” in the Feb. 20 issue of the cars are currently registered with the Department of Loyolan) illustrates that despite LMU’s efforts, the growPublic Safety. If every registered car was to drive on cam- ing financial strain is a reality. Scarboro stated in her pus one day, roughly 3,077 would be space-less – and that email that “a limited number of parking fee waivers will be does not even factor in visitors and unregistered vehicles. offered to students with significant financial hardships,” With these facts in mind, how can the University ratio- but the vague nature of that statement does not assuage nalize charging the community to park on campus? Even the real fears many students have.

Now the question goes to Burcham and the University: after paying $670 if you are a student or $696 if you are a member of the faculty or staff, you will not be guaran- How high can costs rise before community members reach teed a parking spot on campus. And with the number of their limit?

pinion OOpinion Student Editorials and Perspectives

March 8, 2012 Page 8

Sodexo: All you have to eat

T

he perpetual battle between students and Sodexo is not new to anyone on this campus.

From gripes about the quality of the food to the price, there has never been a shortage of complaints against the LMU Dining Service, and here’s something to add more fuel to the fire.

Sodexo is trying to rip us off. Now, some of you Run n’Tell Dat may laugh and wonder what

By Kim Tran else is new.

Opinion Editor But let me tell you, Sodexo’s got some tricks up its sleeve. This fall, Sodexo is implementing a new meal plan. According to the LMU Dining website, “Three LION plans (‘L’ plan, ‘I’ plan and ‘O’ plan) now allow access to the Lair Community Table Dinner and Brunch meals via ‘Lion Points.’ Why pay the $8.99 door price for Community Table meals when you don’t have to?”

What this means is that some of our LION dollars will be converted into LION points. Each point is worth an entrance into the allyou-care-to-eat buffet, and brunches that are provided Thursday through Sunday.

But the catch is, you aren’t actually saving that much money in addition to being forced to eat at the Community Table. Without touching upon the quality of the food at these all-you-care-to-eat buffets, let’s do some math.

The “L” meal plan this academic year was priced at $4,400 which would give you a total buying power of $4,600 with Sodexo’s generous

bonus of $200. Next year, the “L” meal plan will still cost $4,400 but you will only actually have 3,380 LION dollars to spend freely.

However, you have the privilege of not paying the door price of the Community Table Dinner by swiping for the 60 LION points that you have per semester. Congratulations.

If you multiply 120 (for the total number of LION points) by $8.99, you end up with a total of $1078.80.

If you add this to the LION dollars that you will have, the total comes out to be $4458.80. So, Sodexo is technically saving you a whopping $58.80.

But then, if you divide $58.80 by the 120 times that you would hypothetically be going to the Community Table, the result is that Sodexo is actually only saving you 42 cents per time you swipe. In other words, instead of paying the door price of $8.99, you only have to pay $8.57.

What a bargain. Except, if you remember the $200 bonus that came with the original meal plan, Sodexo is actually denying you $141.20.

Thank you, Sodexo.

And while saving money, no matter how little, is never a bad thing, let’s factor in the restriction of choice being imposed upon us by this new meal plan. Plainly stated, there is no actual benefit. $58 more buys you approximately a week of meals, but truthfully, Sodexo is not saving you anything. These $58 become LION points, which basically has you still paying roughly the same amount for all-you-care-to-eat. The actual LION dollars that you can spend freely will only be $3,380.

This new meal plan basically forces you to eat at the Community Table if you want to be fed throughout the year. What if you would rather spend your LION dollars at

the C-Lion or Jazzman’s Café for dinner? Too bad. You have to use the LION points if you want to get your money’s worth.

This is the problem. Our spending freedom is being forfeited to a system of points. There is no actual benefit to the students and it is simply a way of allowing Sodexo to gauge how many students they’d have to prepare meals for when the time comes.

I hate the Lair Community Table.

I’ve gone maybe five times this year out of convenience. I consciously made this choice because I wanted to spend my LION dollars elsewhere, and because all I care to eat at the Community Table turns out to be very little. Plus, don’t you think the choice of deciding to eat at the buffet or have a quiet dinner in one’s room should be left up to the student, whether or not you enjoy the eccentric mixture of foods at the buffet?

Loners, this is the time to panic. No one wants to eat alone at a buffet, but now you might have to.

It just seems to me that no one benefits that much from this decision. And if someone does, it’s definitely not the right people. As students who already pay hefty tuition (which, by the way, will be increased by 3.52 percent next year) you would think that we’d have more say as to where our money goes.

Whether or not you enjoy the overly greasy and overly salty food produced in the kitchens of Sodexo, this new meal plan doesn’t have to take any of that into account to make sure that it’s a rip-off and yet another restriction to the already limited choices we have of food on campus.

This is the opinion of Kim Tran, a sophomore marketing and communication studies from San Jose, Calif. Please send comments to ktran@theloyolan.com.

www.laloyolan.com

Correction

In the Feb. 23 article “Rape is never deserved, in the U.S. or overseas,” it was mistakenly stated that, “Women should be blamed for government spending on counseling programs.” The story should have read, “Women should not be blamed for government spending on counseling programs.”

Loyola Marymount University

Loyolan Staff

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 Chanel Mucci Lucy Olson Emily Rome Emily Wallace Jenny 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 Anthony Peres Olivia Casper Andrew Sabatine Tom Nelson

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Opinion

March 8, 2012 Page 9

Ideological conflict doesn’t permit insults

Y

ou would think, after the ridicule of Rick Perry’s “Strong” campaign video, the current presidential candidates would learn to choose their words carefully. I suppose you can’t teach an old elephant new tricks, as evidenced by some of the comments Republican candidates Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney have been making Don’t Quote over the past week.

Me While the

By Joseph Demes subject matAsst. Opinion Editor ter is vastly different, one thing seems to be clear: There is an agenda of partisan politics that allows anything to be said as long as it gets attention (and potentially, votes). For Santorum, that meant once again calling into question President Barack Obama’s faith and bringing up a supposedly anti-religious agenda.

Romney simply managed to be uncouth in his flippant mentions of personal wealth, but nevertheless offensive. In either case, it seems deeply troubling and saddening to me that such behavior and lack of thought are demonstrated on such a public level.

In a CBS online report by Jan Crawford published Feb. 20, “Santorum remark on Obama ‘theology’ draws ire,” Santorum made comments during a campaign stop in Ohio regarding Obama’s “liberal environmental views,” calling them a “phony theology . . . not a theology based on the Bible.”

These comments were seen, rightly so, as a direct affront on the president, especially considering the controversies regarding his religious affiliation early in his term of office. Although Santorum later stated that he was referring to an ideology Obama espouses and not his religious affiliation, Santorum’s press secretary, Alice Stewart, committed what appears to be a major Freudian slip.

On an MSNBC report by Andrea Mitchell on Feb. 20, “Clarifying Santorum surrogate’s slip of the tongue,” Stewart attempted to explain within the first couple of minutes by saying that Santorum was referring to the “radical Islamic policies the president has,” and not necessarily questioning Obama’s “character” or “religion.” Later, Stewart called the offices of MSNBC to state that she did not mean to make such claims about the president.

While Romney’s comments may not have been accusatory, he still managed to make an ass out of himself when, during a speech to the Detroit Economic Club, he mentioned that his wife “owns a couple of Cadillacs” (and that the trees in Detroit are of the “right” height), besides the two others that he owns.

According to a New York Times article from Feb. 24 by Michael Barbaro, “Romney’s Cadillac comment highlights his wealth,” his wife owns two Cadillac SRX models,

which can range from $35,000 to $50,000.

While owning a luxury car is not a faux pas in any regard, Romney’s careless remarks in the midst of a recession certainly are. This is not the first time he has flaunted his wealth. A Feb. 28 article from the New York Times, “Memo to Mitt Romney: We get it. You’re rich.,” brings up his $10,000 bet with Rick Perry at an Iowa debate, as well as his recent comments to a group of NASCAR fans at the Daytona International Speedway that they “really sprung for the big bucks” by purchasing plastic rain ponchos, and the fact that he has “some great friends who are Nascar team owners.” On the lighter side, it did prompt a humorous video from the Huffington Post titled “Rich Kids for Romney” that is worth watching.

Romney has also demonstrated, over a long haul, an inability (or unwillingness) to keep his stories straight. In a Feb. 22 Slate article by William Slatean, “The Conversion: How, when and why Mitt Romney changed his mind on abortion,” a video narration of the article documents the inconsistencies.

As the video notes, the problem isn’t that Romney has changed his mind, but rather that he seems hesitant to admit that he has switched stances. One instance in the video compares Romney’s rhetoric in 2002, when he decided to run for governor of Massachusetts, stating he Jackson Turcotte | Loyolan did not “take the position

of a pro-life candidate,” to a Fox News interview in 2007 wherein he stated that he “didn’t feel that [he] was pro-choice.”

Even advocates of these candidates have made incredible and conflicting remarks. In a Feb. 21 MSNBC interview during the program “The Morning Joe,” Rev. Franklin Graham stated that he could not comment on whether Obama was a Christian and that he “cannot answer that question for anyone,” but immediately advocated for Santorum’s Christianity because “[Santorum’s] values are so clear on moral issues,” exposing a blatant double standard. Other comments included Santorum’s belief that “Islam has gotten a free pass under Obama,” and his fear that the government will overstep boundaries. Similar to how he believes the government has with the recent health care issue, and not allow Obama to “discriminate against people who don’t believe the way I believe” in a hiring process.

The astounding lack of tact coming from these candidates and prominent figures points to a very alarming resort in current politics: extreme stances and accusations to generate attention and votes. I believe individuals, regardless of the scope their comments reach, ought to choose their words carefully. Perhaps that’s more difficult at the personal level. But when you’re on national television, please don’t say the first thing that comes to mind.

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

Letter to the Editor Re: University communication from President David W. Burcham and Senior Vice President for Administration Lynne Scarboro issued on March 6, 2012.

Dear Editor, I believe I represent the sentiments of many students, faculty and staff when I say that I was astonished, disappointed and frustrated with the parking fees decision. But more than ever, I feel totally let down by the LMU system, our new president and the administrators who have clearly failed us in being transparent, balanced and sensitive to our mission in announcing this decision. And before a lengthy debate is sparked weighing the merits of the decision and the sticker-shock of the amount, I hope the community digs much deeper to see the layers at work here. The best I can tell, the University engaged in deal-making with the neighbors during the master planning process and made promises to accommodate parking it couldn’t afford. So there was never going to be a fair process in leveraging fees against us because the administration already struck a deal knowing it was going to charge the community to make it true. The irony is that we don’t have to look to Washington to see dirty politics at work. We can just look in our own back yard. And better than that, we are all getting the short end of the stick because the neighbors who fought for more on-campus parking are now going to experience what a neighborhood parking lot really is when we all park on their streets. See how well that worked out?

Janet Sommers Junior undecided liberal arts major

We’d Like To Hear From You: 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.

Associated Press

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

March 8, 2012 Page 10

D

o you ever wish that you could change the fate of your favorite television characters?

ROAR Network’s show “Choose Malone’s Adventure” allows the audience to do just that.

Each week, audience members go online to vote for the direction that they would like to see the show’s protagonist, Malone, go in next. Malone is an average college student who wakes up one morning in Sunken Garden. With no idea how he got there, Malone begins to travel to varying locations to seek out how he began in Sunken Garden, and encounters friends and enemies alike along the way. Whether it’s his angry girlfriend or a vengeful enemy, Malone is always running into someone of the audience’s choice.

The interactive and dynamic nature of the show is what sets it apart from other shows on ROAR network, according to ROAR General Manager and junior film production major Ryan Kelly,“ because people do vote, and we use their input to write the next episodes.”

The pilot left off on a cliffhanger where the audience determined

whether Malone should either try to stop his girlfriend from discovering another woman in his room, give his friend his pants before some girls walk by to see him naked or take revenge on his archenemy. Filled with a team of evil doers, crazy one-night stands and mornings waking up naked on the Bluff, “Choose Malone’s Adventures” packs many crazy scenarios in quick nine-minute windows.

The connection with the audience is rooted in traditions of improvisational theater.

“The show is influenced by my theatre background with the San Francisco theater company, PianoFight. They do a show called‘Forking,’which is a show where a live audience interacts with the play-byvoting on the outcomes of crucial plot points,”said the executive producer of the show, Jamie King, a second-year graduate student in the writing and producing for television program.

King is also the director of programming for ROAR network.

This effort to involve LMU students and the campus itself in the show’s creative process was of chief concern to the creators upon its conception.

“I’ve made a big effort to cast, shoot and showcase LMU,”says

King. “Students can see friends and places they interact with [in the show], including some humorous takes on places they see all the time.”

Ben Herrera, a junior communication studies major, draws from both dramatic and comedic sources in playing the title character, Malone.

“I based my approach on the character first from the honest, confident, genuine performance of Omar Little from HBO’s ‘The Wire’. Second from the frantic, innocent, lovable performance of Eddie Murphy in the critically acclaimed film‘Norbit’,” Herrera said.

As for the show’s overall production aesthetic, Kelly emphasized a clear, story-driven design from the show’s origin.

“In a lot of student work, you see this desperation of the student to be recognized for their camera or lighting work,”Kelly said. “They care so much that they try and impress.

[This show] relies a lot on writing and acting.”

After the completion of the pilot episode, freshman film production major Austin Klingner took over for the remainder of the series as the show’s director of photography. “I am proud to say my work has achieved an increased quality, and I [now]

www.laloyolan.com

Jamie King Ben Herrera (left) as Malone attempts to avoid June, a drunken fling, played by Sarah Ho (right).

know more about what to look for as we shoot,”Klinger said.

While the show is characterized by its energetic comedy, the creators also emphasize the underlying message behind its unique concept.

“As college students, I still feel like we avoid making tough decisions and revert to ignoring problems or having others deal with it for us,” said Tabatha Laanui, freshman film production major and first assistant director for the show. “By seeing Malone struggle with his situation, I think the viewers are encouraged to learn from Malone’s mistakes and remember his experiences when choosing their own adventures.”

The final two episodes of “Choose Malone’s Adventure”are currently in production, but for those who have yet to tune in, the first four episodes of the program are still available on the show’s website, roarnetwork.com.

Alberto Gonzalez | Loyolan

www.laloyolan.com

Arts & Entertainment

Veggie Ventures

March 8, 2012 Page 11

2.0

Splendid samosas and naan at Samosa House T

here are only two things that I dislike about Indian food. One is the fact that because I like it, I can’t make the gross generalization that I don’t like Asian cuisine (they involve too many pungent sauces).

The second reason is the chorus of sniffling you hear in any Indian restaurant that’s too quiet, due to us pansy Americans Veggie havVentures 2.0 not ing nostrils

By Luisa Barron that can Asst. A&E Editor handle the array of spices and curry.

Indian food was never on my radar – again, because of my prejudice against foods that require too many sauces – until college when the conveniently located Taj India Palace on Lincoln Boulevard entered my life. But with one too many trips down Washington Boulevard toward Culver City, I passed by Samosa House enough times to trick myself into believing I had already tried it.

Half of the space is a small grocery store with some intriguing items, many of the vegan variety. There was a TV blasting some grainy footage of Indian singing and dancing, and a few somewhat sad-looking tables and chairs were scattered off to the side by the windows.

I waited behind a couple of passive-aggressively irate women. Apparently their previous server had given them a less than satisfactory experience. The server who helped them and me wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, and I could see the judgmental look in her eyes when I ordered both a combination meal and two samosas all for my greedy self – but that’s forgivable.

The combination meal is a pretty good deal at $8.50.

There’s a hot food bar with various entrées, at least half of which were vegan, and all of which were vegetarian.

With the combo, you get your choice of three entrées, a side of brown or white basmati rice and plain or garlic naan.

Granted, the entrées are only a scoopful, but with three of them, it’s plenty filling.

The alu curry excited me the most, as it sounded closest to my delicious alu vindalu at Taj India Palace, but alas,

there was no tomato gravy to be found here. The potatoes were cooked in a much thinner sauce, but a nicely spiced and flavorful one still. I was a bit wary about the eggplant stew, and its strange alternating taste of sweet and savory threw me a bit – but overall it was satisfying. However, my third entrée didn’t pass the first bite muster. It was barbequed soy, with chunks of soy fake meat in a thick brown barbeque sauce. Should’ve trusted my instincts – the sauce was that sickly sort of sweet found in bad barbeque sauce bottles everywhere.

I appreciated that they served brown rice as well as white – am I the only one who finds our national bias against any rice other than white rice subconsciously racist? – but it was disappointingly dry. I still scarfed it all down, and the sauces admittedly helped to add moisture and flavor.

The naan did not disappoint. It was hot and fresh out of the oven. Just a bit crackly but nice and doughy at the same time, it was naan heaven. I don’t know how we can settle for regular bread when naan exists. Admittedly, I went through a phase a few months ago where I bought

Luisa Barron | Loyolan

Although the entrées on the combination plate were okay, the delicious and fresh samosas (above) and naan really redeemed the meal. no form of carbohydrates save naan. It was a delicious time.

Lastly, their namesake, the samosas. The guy serving them used a plate instead of making them to-go like the server had requested, and her death glare was a bit frightening. Thankfully, I had meant to eat them on the spot all along. And they did not disappoint. They were warm from the oven too, stuffed with potato and boiled peas (the one instance I will eat peas willingly) and perfectly nu-

anced in their spices. I could only gobble down one on the spot, but I wrapped the precious second samosa in the paper plate my naan had been served on. On the way home, its lovely potato scent filled my car. In my ever humble opinion, that definitely beats an air freshener.

This is the opinion of Luisa Barron, a junior screenwriting major from Houston, Texas. Please send comments to lbarron@theloyolan.com.

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March 8, 2012 Page 12

Arts & Entertainment

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Iranian film is relatable despite subtitles L

iving in Los Angeles allows better access to independent and limited release films than almost anywhere else in the country. It’s that sort of access that allowed me to see “Black Swan” on its opening day in 2010.

Such opportunity is a gift, but it doesn’t allow residents of the City of Angels to see absolutely evIt’s K-OK! erything.

By Kevin O’Keeffe Case in Managing Editor point: I saw the best film of 2011 in March of 2012. The movie was “A Separation,” an Iranian film that just recently won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The story follows a couple that goes through a divorce and a legal battle with hired help simultaneously. It is, in almost every way, a perfect film, yet because of its status as a foreign film, not to mention an Iranian film, I couldn’t see it until almost two months after 2011 had ended. Those in other cities may never get the chance to see it in theaters.

“A Separation” is a wrenching portrait of a family falling apart, as well as the greatest legal thriller I’ve ever seen. The screenplay and direction, both

by Asghar Farhadi, are superb in equal measure. The ensemble of talent is worthy of the masterful film it inhabits. The plot is irresistibly human and relatable.

It is only foreign through its language – the story could be told about any culture or any family.

This isn’t the first example of

a good film getting lost in translation when distributed in the U.S. With very few exceptions, including Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and this year’s Best Picture Oscar winner, “The Artist” (a French film, albeit with several American influences), international movies are constantly relegated to the foreign dumpster despite easily relatable themes largely because American distributors are convinced that the language barrier will simply be insurmountable.

Unfortunately, those distributors are proven right time and time again by American audiences that would rather see sequel upon “threequel” instead of fascinating stories that happen to be in different languages. It’s a shame that so many in America and beyond won’t get to see “A Separation,” for example, because it has so much to offer, not only to fans of foreign cinema, but to general audiences everywhere.

That’s where the “foreign” label really fails: it creates a barrier between its American audience and the film itself. A story like “A Separation” would work in any language because it’s so relatable – yet the subtitles at the bottom of the screen drive away audiences.

It’s likely that “A Separation” will see some success thanks to the publicity generated on Oscar night. Rentals of the DVD will probably be quite high for some time on Netflix. A story this great deserves better than that, though. It deserves a place among the classic titles we all regard so highly. It deserves a wide audience and huge grosses.

It deserves so much more than it

Associated Press

Leila Hatami (left) and Shahab Hosseini (right) star as Simin and Hodjat in the acclaimed Iranian drama “A Separation.” Currently in limited release, the subtitled film is “in almost every way, a perfect film.” will ever get simply because it’s a human story told in a different language.

Since we do live in Los Angeles, “A Separation” is still playing in several art house theaters around the city, including Laemmle’s Royal Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard less than 10 miles from LMU. If you have the time, do yourself a favor and go see it. You likely won’t get the chance to see such a compelling, heartbreaking story from American cinema any time soon.

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

Nadine Jenson | Loyolan

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Sports

March 8, 2012 Page 13

Lions can’t handle Waves, lose in Sin City Two Plus the Foul from Page 16 school hoops to Division I coltaking bad shots and firing miscued passes time and time again. However, as evident by the nine freshmen and sophomores on the roster, the team was young – it was obvious that there would be growing pains and a reality check for the freshmen when transitioning from high

lege basketball. So next year I want to see the team’s freshmen and sophomores (turned sophomores and juniors) fluidly running an offense that produces high-percentage shots and less turnovers. If this happens, things will start to fall into place for the Lions.

They work hard, are active on defense and on the glass

and communicate well. An offensive improvement will provide the team with a more balanced attack and make it more difficult for the opposing defense to zero in on Cowling.

3. A bit of luck: I realize that this is something that is ultimately out of control for the Lions, but for two straight years, injuries to key players have stunted the Lions’ seasonal growth. Last year, it was Renahy Young (‘11), Cowling and now-senior guard Candice Nichols – this year, it was Nichols and redshirt senior forward Courtney Collishaw. Just like any quality, winning team, the Lions

will need a touch of luck to reach the top of the mountain.

They have been short on luck and its time to see the tables turned in their favor.

They came into the season with low expectations – picked to finish fifth in the WCC – and although the team managed to maintain a positive mentality through a frustrating 8-22 season, they failed to meet those expectations.

However, the Lions’ record is no longer the focus because if the 2011-12 season were to be defined by wins and losses, it will have a very hollow meaning indeed.

But that is now a part of the

past. Sure, it is fine to reflect then forget – but once the Lions return for a new season of hoops, the focus needs to be on taking what they learned from this past season and using new maturity, experience and skill to take the WCC on by storm. The talent, the work ethic, the hunger are there.

And once all of that comes together (with a bit of luck), all will be well for LMU women’s basketball.

This is the opinion of Michael Goldsholl, a junior English major from Santa Barbara, Calif. Please send comments to mgoldsholl@theloyolan.com.

Kenzie O’Keefe | Loyolan

Redshirt junior forward Alex Cowling (above) scored 13 points and snagged six rebounds in a losing effort as the Lions lost in the second round of the WCC tournament.

Sports

March 8, 2012 Page 14

www.laloyolan.com

More sports than basketball and drinking at LMU The basketball season is over, yes, but the sports culture of LMU lives on.

T

he sun and sand of Cabo San Lucas drew hordes of LMU students to the “dangers” of Mexico this Spring Break.

For a handful of others (myself included), basketball provided an excuse to visit the lovely Las Vegas. But for LMU’s o t h e r student athletes, S p r i n g Break was chock-full Droppin’ Dines of competition.

A

By Nathan Dines sports fan’s Sports Editor dream vacation, if you will. If only I was around to witness it.

Yes, readers, despite your skepticism, there are other sports at LMU aside from basketball and recreational drinking. In the spring season alone, we have nine teams competing on any given day, and throw in the completion of the basketball and swimming seasons and you have an even dozen. Why is everyone not more aware of all the sports on campus? It’s not my job (well…), but I would love to take this opportunity to catch everyone up on the wide world of LMU sports. And by everyone, I’m hoping at least my parents become a little more informed.

But I digress.

Standouts: Yes, this will be

one of those articles that use bolded words to catch the reader’s attention. I’m hoping it did the trick, unless you’re looking for another reason to be pissed off. Then you might want to turn to the front page and read about the new parking fees.

With Spring Break now a mere glimmer (or hazy memory) in many students’ minds, it is crucial to spotlight a few standout performances. In softball news, senior shortstop Sam Fischer continues to wreck opposing pitchers this season with a .547 batting average, 12 home runs, an ongoing 16-game hitting streak and four consecutive Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC) Coastal Division Player of the Week honors.

Redshirt senior Tara Erdmann, on track to be the fastest woman in the history of the universe, continues to astound, qualifying for her eighth trip to the NCAA National Championships. Setting yet another personal record last Saturday (9:08.85 in the 3000m at the University of Washington Final Qualifier), sixtime All-American Erdmann will take her talents to Nampa, Ind. this weekend in an attempt for a national indoor track and field title.

In the golfing world, LMU has three athletes this year with top-10 finishes in tournament play. Junior Bryan Bergna was the most recent Lion to lead the team, finishing in a tie for fourth in the North Ranch Intercollegiate that took place in West Lake Village, Calif. on Feb. 2728. Senior Jake Sarnoff finished in the top-10 twice during the fall season, and sophomore Tyler Torano leads the team with four

top-10s, including two tournament finishes atop the leaderboard.

In the pool, two LMU swimmers were awarded All-Conference honors. Senior Tammy Choy and junior Camille Hopp both received second team recognition, Choy for the 100-meter backstroke and Hopp the 50-meter freestyle. The swimming team as a whole was also honored and named to the Scholar All-American list by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) with a combined 3.27 GPA. Streak Breakers: Two LMU teams turned things around by breaking out of losing slumps, while one ended a three-game winning streak. On the improvement side, both the baseball and women’s tennis team ended fiveand six-game skids, respectively, with the women’s tennis team recording its first win of the season over UC Riverside on Thursday, Feb. 23. The team also won its second match (and first at home) on March 3 against Eastern Michigan University. Junior April Bisharat, sophomore Claudia Razzeto, freshman Tory Parravi and sophomore Reka Rohonyi all won their matches in both victories, with Parravi winning three of four over the break.

The baseball team bounced back from four losses to Cal Poly and one to Cal State Fullerton to take the series against UC Santa Barbara last weekend 2-1. In the decisive Game 3 tiebreaker, junior Colton Plaia broke a 10th inning 5-5 tie with a two-RBI single to win the game 7-5.

Men’s tennis, on the other hand, ended their three-game

winning streak in a loss to No. 51 Rice Univeristy on March 1 in La Jolla, Calif. before last weekend’s 123rd Annual Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championships.

Against Rice, junior Nicholas Bjerke registered the sole victory for the Lions and his third straight in singles play. Bjerke continued his hot hitting, teaming up with sophomore Sebastian Bustamante in the Doubles Championship and losing a close match, 7-5, 6-2, to the No. 3 seed in the consolation finals.

Ranked Play: As per the norm, the women’s water polo team continues to play the top teams in the country week in and week out. Spring Break was no different, with the women facing the No. 2, 7, 9 and 12 teams in the country. The Lions ended the break with two more wins and two more losses, beating No. 7 UC Irvine and No. 12 University of Michigan and dropping close contests to No. 2 USC (8-6) and No. 9 San Diego State (9-5).

The now-No. 7 LMU team (previously ranked 10th) has played eight straight games against teams ranked No. 12 in the country and higher.

Crew Success: If LMU students do not stray far from Gersten Pavillion then they are most likely not familiar with the rowing team, but both the men’s and women’s teams had great successes over spring break. The women claimed a key victory in the season opener against UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 25, winning both the varsity eight and second varsity eight races that took place at the Jane Browne Bove Boathouse. For the men’s team at home as well, the Lions swept three races against the USC Trojans on March 3.

The Sports World Lives On: Now that basketball season is pretty much over (c’mon postseason!), there’s no need to go into a sports depression. Plenty of excellent sporting events take place throughout the week, so go show some support for the athletes. Besides, everyone can last another eight weeks until threeplus months of all the sun and sand you can imagine.

This is the opinion of Nathan Dines, a junior communication studies major from Medford, Or. Please send comments to ndines@theloyolan.com.

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S ports Club tennis seeks support

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Club Tennis from Page 16 at cheap places, carpooling to matches in as few cars as possible and using T-shirts as the team’s official jersey.

With the low budget, the team can only take 10 players to each tournament, which is why there is also a leisurely element to the club team. “We have the recreational side of club tennis and the competitive side. When you join, you can choose to try out for the traveling team to be able to compete,” said Closs. Laura Fryer, vice president of the club and a senior psychology major added, “We only have played a few tournaments this year … we have a lot of fun together.”

The team is co-ed, but the tournaments are usually split up by gender.

In order to determine which players compete in each category, Fryer said that the team leaders decide who plays what but they take into account the other play-

ers’ opinions and what is best for the team.

Fryer said, “We all have a joint effort.”

Though most of the team has played tennis before,Fryer explained that it is not necessary to being a part of the club.

“All the [players] on our traveling team played competitively in high school, but we encourage all people to come out if they are interested … Everyone is welcome,” Fryer said.

The team practices with the Tennis 101 classes two times a week with an optional practice on Sundays.

At the beginning of the year, the traveling team goes to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to play in a tournament. All three seniors agree that these are the best memories they have had on the team.

“It is the time of the year that we get to meet everybody, and just hang out with each other and really get to know each other,” Hu-

INTERESTED IN WRITING FOR

bregsen said. Closs added, “It’s a great way to kick off the season.”

The team is still growing and not well-established yet, but the players do hope to change this in years to come.

“My hope is that … [the club] continues to grow and do new things,” Closs said. “We have some good people that will take over the responsibilities of the club once the seniors leave, and I think they will do an excellent job to keep [club tennis] going.”

In addition, Hubregsen hopes that in the future, the LMU community will know “when the matches are so that they can come out and support us and se us play.”

Closs added that students should know that “club tennis is a great way to meet people that you can play tennis with.”

If one is interested in joining the club, the team has tables at Convo and all club information is on the club sports website lmu.edu/clubsports.

March 8, 2012 Page 15

Lions look toward future following quarterfinals loss

SPORTS ?

Contact Sports Editor: Nathan Dines at ndines@theloyolan.com

Kenzie O’Keefe | Loyolan

Redshirt senior forward Drew Viney (above) had an off shooting night for the Lions in their quarterfinal matchup,scoring nine points on 3-12 shooting.

Wilks World from Page 16 up the lead too early, giving up a 9-0 USF run that would swing the balance of the contest in less than two minutes.

In a year where LMU had shown that it could play toe-to-toe with any team in the conference, it was the most tangible shot at a NCAA bid in a while. Now it is a memory of what could have been and hopefully, at best, a sign of where the program is going.

This was clearly a special group of seniors, a group that featured plenty of talent but specialized in heart. A number of younger players mentioned after the loss that they specifically did not want the seniors’ final run to end like that.

“I just really feel for the seniors,” redshirt junior Ashley Hamilton said. “It was amazing to be a part of this season. We didn’t want it to end; we had high expectations, high hopes for the season.”

“I just wanted this for the seniors,” Ireland said. “I didn’t want [La]Ron [Armstead] to go out like that, I didn’t want Tim Diederichs to go out like that. I just wanted to fight for them.”

Diederichs defined the role of hustle player, his long, blonde hair flying around the court and providing energy off the bench when the Lions needed a lift. Armstead had been through everything with this program and proved that perseverance paid off by having the best year of his career and emerging as the heart of the resurgent team.

Kelsey Chine and Daniel Latimer both rarely played, but had worked their way from walk-on positions to scholarship athletes and quality teammates.

Redshirt senior Drew Viney, with the most talent of the group, finished his career with an All-WCC honor in a season that was shortened by an early injury. In only three seasons on the court, Viney left his mark, leaving the program as one of 13 players to score more than 1,000 points and grab 500 or more rebounds.

Down the Lions’ stretch run, however, Viney struggled, scoring less than his season average in the Lions’ final four games. Against USF, on the biggest stage of the season, the Lions best scorer could not find a rhythm, finishing with nine points on 3-of-12 shooting. Every time it looked like Viney was ready to take over the game like he is capable,

he would clank a shot, a brutal reminder of a bad night at the worst of times.

Hardly a postgame went by (especially after losses) where Viney did not reference the “midnight rule” that his high school coach taught him. The strategy goes that you can dwell on a game, bad or good, until the clock strikes midnight. Once the calendar flips to a new day, however, you have to forget about it and move on to prepare for the next contest.

Viney did not speak with the media after the quarterfinal, hanging back in the locker room longer than just about any Lion. This game, however, will clearly stick with Viney and the Lions much longer than a couple hours. Such a quality opportunity squandered is the kind you cannot simply wipe away with the ticks of the clock; it slowly wears away, the pain lingering in the back of your mind.

“It hurts. Words can’t even describe it,” Ireland said. “We felt like we’re the best team in the league, we just fell a little bit short.” That confidence helped LMU in big games all season and fans had begun to believe it, but standing in the basement of the Orleans Arena after being eliminated by a team it had bested twice previously, it was impossible for them not to sound a little hollow.

LMU now waits to see if there will be any kind of postseason competition to cap its 19-win season. Of course it would be exciting to see this squad lace it up a couple more times and play for a consolation championship of some sort. However, after having such a realistic shot at the best postseason in college sports, you’ll have to understand if LMU fans can’t get too excited quite yet.

Always one to face a tough situation with positivity, Armstead was pleased overall with the senior season and the Lions’ character. “We were a family from start to end,” Armstead said. “We had our bumps and bruises during the season, but we overcame a lot of stuff. Just as a senior, we had a really good season.

I’m walking out of here with my head up.”

After such a frustratingly disappointing ending, it is tough, but with the overall success of the season, LMU fans should try to do the same.

This is the opinion of John Wilkinson, a senior screenwriting major from Phoenix, Arizona. Please send all comments to jwilkinson@theloyolan.com.

www.laloyolan.com

Lion Sports

March 8, 2012 Page 16

Basketball teams fall early in WCC tournament A disappointing end to an inspiring men’s season leaves players and fans longing for a different outcome.

The women’s basketball team needs support for Cowling and a balance of luck and consistency.

T

I

he abrupt end to the 2012 men’s basketball team’s West Coast Conference (WCC) Tournament run was an unequivocal failure and disappointment. After a wildly successful bounce-back season, the Lions had fans and pundits believing in them as a contender to shake things up in Vegas and possibly steal a ticket to the NCAA Tournament by winning the WCC tournament.

Instead, the Lions fell short, stumbling out of the gates and losing, 67-60, to the lower-seeded University of San Francisco.

Wilks World It was a swift blow to

By John Wilkinson the confidence that Senior Editor fans had developed in this squad. Don’t take this as me bashing a great team that sputtered at the wrong time -– I’m just applying the standards they set for themselves.

“Championship or bust,” LMU redshirt senior forward Tim Diederichs said after the final game of the regular season. A quarterfinal bust it was.

“If we’re not playing Monday, we feel like we’ll have let everyone down,” sophomore AllConference guard Anthony Ireland told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in an article that ran the morning of the Lions’ defeat. Instead of playing on Monday, the Lions and their fans were back in L.A. watching from the couch. For those of us who had hoped for an excuse to stay in Vegas until Monday and watch LMU cut down the nets, it certainly was a gut-wrenching letdown.

Even for the most positive of LMU fans (of which there don’t seem to be many), it is impossible not to be frustrated with what transpired in Vegas. The most successful team in 20 years earns a bye into the quarterfinals and a scenario of three wins in four days to punch a ticket to the Big Dance.

The Lions held a lead at halftime and through the beginning of the second period.

Clutch free throw shooting all season made LMU Head Coach Max Good and Lions’ fans confident that if only their team could go into the final minutes with a lead, they would not choke. The problem was that LMU coughed

See Wilks World | Page 15

Photos: Kenzie O’Keefe | Loyolan

While the men’s basketball team (pictured top) was upset in their quarterfinal matchup against San Francsico at the WCC Tournament last Friday in Las Vegas, Nev., the women (pictured below) won the play-in game against San Francisco before losing to Pepperdine on Thursday.

t would be too depressing to hand out end-of-season grades for the women’s basketball team. So I’m going to do something different. For the Lions, 2011-12 was all about growth amidst facing a massive learning curve.

Which hopefully means that 201213 will be all about the Lions putting that new-found experience and development to the test.

So here’s what I want to see happen next year when the women’s basketball team takes the Two Plus the Foul court for the 201213 season.

By Michael Goldsholl 1. A consisManaging Editor tent competent sidekick for Alex Cowling: Cowling, a redshirt junior forward who is less than 500 points away from shattering the conference’s scoring record, is the type of player who makes the game of basketball so much better. She’s hungry, driven and could care less about personal accolades as long as her team is winning. While she wasn’t presented with the hardware to represent the award, Cowling was without a doubt the player of the year in the West Coast Conference (WCC) this past season. But while she posted a WCC-best 22.3 points per game, she had no consistent support throughout the season. Sophomore guard Hazel Ramirez and freshman forward Taylor Anderson both came on strong towards the end of the season, so this role could fall onto either of them. This will be one of the team’s biggest challenges: finding that second option so that Cowling isn’t responsible for nearly half of her team’s points.

2. An offense that the players can understand and run: Aside from inexperience and youth, the Lions’ biggest weakness was on the offensive end.

They shot a dismal 36.8 percent from the field and turned the ball over 15.6 times per game. Frequently the team’s players seemed lost in the offense,

See Two Plus the Foul | Page 13

Club tennis performs with students at helm SPORTS FEATURE

LMU club tennis thrives despite a lack of funding and school-wide recognition.

By Emily Wallace Copy Editor One of the newer club sports at LMU is the club tennis team. This small team is categorized in the University’s NAVY level, making them semi-competitive.

Though there are competitions and tournaments, the student-run team is closeknit and plays for the love of tennis.

With no hired coach, senior business major John Closs is president of the club and serves as the leader. “I like that the team is student-run,” he said. “A hired coach would just add to the cost of joining the club right now … for our purposes we really wouldn’t benefit from a hired coach.”

Senior business major Patrick Hubregsen had an opposite view on the matter. “I think it would have been nice to have a hired coach to make it a little bit more serious.”

The team also funds all of their own travel and any other expenses.

Because of the team’s limited budget, the team tries to save by lodging

See Club Tennis | Page 15

Photos: John Closs

Club tennis is one of 10 NAVY-Level, semi-competitive teams at LMU. Each fall semester, the team searches for more members to fill its vacant spots left by senior graduates, recruiting the most new members with a table at the annual Club Fest.