April 2, 2012

ESTABLISHED 1921 April 2, 2012 Volume 90, Issue 40 Your Home. Your Voice. Your News.

Incoming seniors to live in Hannon

For the first time, all nonguaranteed students avoid waitlist for on-campus housing.

By Kevin O’Keeffe Managing Editor

While LMU’s housing selection procedure has left some juniors and seniors lingering on the waitlist in the past, this year’s process resulted in all applicants with non-guaranteed status finding on-campus housing for the 201213 academic year.

The waitlist-free process, which, according to Director of Resident Services Nan Miller, is a first for the University, came with one caveat: In order to give all the non-guaranteed applicants housing, several students had to be placed in Hannon Apartments, a community that this year housed only sophomores.

“The Class of 2014, the ones who were guaranteed last year, was a big class in general. The amount of students who applied last year took up all of Hannon Apartments,” said Miller. “This year, there’s a smaller class, the Class of 2015, so there are less students in that guaranteed population.”

Seniors who are set to live in Hannon next year have mixed feelings about the situation.

“I’m not too happy about it, just because I feel like Student Housing should have told us living in sophomore housing was a possibility,” said junior liberal studies major Katherine DePonte.

“I feel like four-person junior groups would be better suited to Hannon Apartments, but for seniors, they really should be over in the Leavey area,” said junior business management major Connie Hoang.

While the presence of juniors and seniors in the Hannon Apartments may

See Housing | Page 3

Loyola Marymount University

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NA KOLEA Graphic: Dol-Anne Asiru | Loyolan, Photos: Kellie Rowan | Loyolan

Na Kolea hosts 38th annual lu’au celebrating Hawaiian culture Approximately 200 students attended this year’s event, titled “Aloha Hawai’i Ku’u One Hanau: Love to Hawai’i, Sands of My Birth,” on Saturday in Lawton Plaza. The celebration featured performances of Hawaiian songs, poetry and dances, as well as a variety of Hawaiian food. The proceeds of the event went to support the non-profit organization “Project by Project.”

Parking forum invites student input Panel explains reasoning behind University’s new parking fees and addresses student concerns.

By Jay Lee Asst. News Editor

LMU held an open forum discussion concerning the recently announced parking permit fee in Hilton 300 last Thursday. Rich Rocheleau, the associate vice president for Student Life, moderated the discussion.

The discussion, led by Administration Services Associate Vice President Mike Wong, focused on why LMU deemed the new parking fees, which cost $670 annually for students as

necessary. A total of six students attended the event.

Sophomore business major Hannah Hauserman, was impressed by the panel’s willingness to listen to the students. However, she was concerned about the lack of students present at the discussion.

“I wish that there had been more students here to voice their opinions because we can only speak for a certain amount of people in the school,” Hauserman said.

Wong listed several major reasons for why the University decided to charge for parking permits. Los Angeles requires the University to add 190 parking spaces if LMU begins construction on the new science building in

Two Special Games directors reflect upon their experiences at this year’s ‘Big Day’ event.

By Leticia Duenas and Michelle Figueroa Contributors

LMU club holds concert to raise money for Darfur Junior business major Linda Nguyen performs as a part of Eventually during the “Harmonies for Hope” benefit concert put on by the LMU chapter of Save Darfur. In addition to musical performances, Yves Muya, a survivor of the Congo genocide, spoke at the event. For more pictures and videos of this event, check out laloyolan.com.

"THE BURIED LIFE" OF LMU Mane Entertainment's All Access series brings the men of MTV's "The Buried Life" to campus.

A&E, Page 7

See Parking | Page 4

Special Games marks 35th anniversary FIRST-PERSON FEATURE

Albert Alvarado | Loyolan

2013.

“When the city approved our Master Plan which governs our development for the next twenty years, they said, ‘You have to build more parking,’” Wong said. “They specified that in order for us to build our new science building we have to add 190 parking spaces” which are planned to be completed by 2015.

Furthermore, University President David W. Burcham is reluctant to add to tuition increase, according to Wong. “We wouldn’t add a general fee for parking on top of tuition because some people don’t actually bring cars so those that don’t bring cars would not have to pay an increase in tuition for the parking,”

Last Saturday saw 350 athletes, 300 coaches, 130 volunteers and 14 committee members gather on LMU’s campus to kick off the ‘Big Day’ of LMU’s 35th annual Special Games.

As part of the Special Games Committee, our day began at 5 a.m. that morning as we worked to set up and decorate with the help of volunteers. Four hours later, the athletes

Index Classifieds.............................4 Opinion...............................5 A&E..................................7 Sports..............................12

The next issue of the Loyolan will be printed on April 12, 2012.

began to arrive and we knew that the Big Day was really beginning at last.

We knew the athletes have been anticipating this event all year long, and it is always rewarding when we greet them as they step off the vans and see the excitement in their smiles. The moments spent waiting for everyone to arrive and for the parade to start allow the coaches and athletes to bond with each other and cement the beginning of their relationships.

Jesse Rincon, a passionate athlete beloved by the Special Games community, was chosen to lead the parade and carried the official Special Games torch. From the beginning, the day was defined by a great atmosphere as the athletes, who were given shiny red foil balloons marked with a three and a five to

See Games | Page 4

SURFING WITH A STAR Five LMU students get the chance to shred waves with professional surfer Ian Walsh thanks to Red Bull Tune-Up.

Sports, Page 12

N ews Community serves at Aphiasco and Special Games

April 2, 2012 Page 2

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Junior communication studies major Lauren Hammerson presents an Alpha Phi parent a selection of donation amounts at Aphiasco.

Caroline Paulson, a freshman liberal arts major, makes a bid on one of Communication studies majors senior Jenna Lawson and sophomore Bailey the donated baskets during the silent auction portion of Aphiasco.

Grantz race around U-Hall to collect donations for their Aphiasco philanthropy.

Kent Jenkins, a sophomore theatre arts major performs on his RimChelsea Lei Rabanal, a sophomore biolAlexandra Tinyo,a senior communication A Special Games athlete plays soccer ogy major, and her athlete take pictures during the ‘Big Day’ event. Other activities baTubes for the athletes and their coaches at Special Games. His first- studies major,and Corey Bigoni,a freshman time performance for this audience generated a positive reaction. film production major,dance at Special Games. at a photobooth at the ‘Big Day’ event. included dancing, crafts and puzzles.

Photos: Kellie Rowan and Devin Sixt | Loyolan

Event focuses on religion in politics LMU alumna discusses the relevance of God in politics at presentation.

By Jaide Timm-Garcia Staff Writer

to promote a different message.

“It’s interesting how politics can express ideas that go over the heads of the people,” said Lisa Marroquin, a junior political science major. “I appreciate that the presentation was simple and well laid out, not just figures without explanations.”

Albertson is a 1999 graduate of LMU and earned her doctorate in political science at the University of Chicago. She is currently an assistant professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin, researching and teaching in political psychology and public opinion.

Using her students as occasional subjects, she has tested her research methods by replacing political figures with modern icons such as Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. By including both negative and positive connotations for questions regarding the celebrity candidates, she applied her system to a general public using real political figures. This approach allowed her to communicate her research methods with a younger audience.

Albertson’s PowerPoint slideshow lasted for an hour, leaving time for a question and answer session at the end. Among the audience was Assistant Professor Jennifer Ramos, who teaches political science and international relations. “It’s interesting to know that religious appeals still make a political difference to those who aren’t even religious,” Ramos said.

“Religion within politics is always interesting,” said Michael Morgenstern, a junior history major. “[Albertson] presented controversial information and laid it out in an objective way.”

The event was put on by the Institute for Leadership Studies, the University Honors Program and the Department of Political Science.

YEA YEARBOOK

A small group of 25 gathered into the political science/economics conference room in U-Hall last Thursday night, to listen to Dr. Bethany Albertson give a presentation about the relevance of God in politics. The small setting allowed attendees to engage in open discussion with Albertson during and after the event.

Her presentation, “God on Their Side? The Boundaries On Religious Persuasion in Contemporary Politics,” focused on the different forms of religious appeal used by political candidates and their effect on the public. Using statistics from past presidents and current presidential candidates, Albertson’s research argued that implicit persuasion is more effective on the public than explicit persuasion.

“Politicians who are liked for religious reasons correlate with being disliked for religious reasons,” Albertson said. Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich served as Albertson’s main subject candidates for her hypothesis. She highlighted their history of being punished for making obvious religious appeal, and argued the American public finds multivocal appeals more persuasive than obvious ones.

The statistical data focused on Protestant and Catholic responses to multivocal appeal. “Religious socialization for many Americans begins early,” Albertson said. “Its appeal navigates diversity of preference for religion and politics.”

The presentation highlighted ways in which words representing cultural norms could be used

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News

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April 2, 2012 Page 3

Seniors face ‘split’ Hannon Housing from Page 1 seem unusual, according to Miller it’s actually more common than some students think.

“Hannon, historically, has always been a split community in that sense,” Miller said. “Sophomores, juniors, seniors and even graduate students have lived there [previously].”

Regardless of the historical trend, the primary fear of rising seniors assigned to Hannon is that they’ll wind up living with underclassmen, an idea that is particularly unappealing to future Hannon resident and junior sociology major Melissa Mahoney.

“There’s a possibility that I’m gonna have to live with sophomores or juniors, which I’m not excited about at all,” Mahoney said. “I’ve lived with underclassmen before.

It’s not fun.”

DePonte agreed, saying, “I would not be happy [living with sophomores], just because we’re in different places. We’re finishing; they’d still have two years left. I wouldn’t mind living with juniors, but I feel like sophomores are still kind of immature.”

The process of determining which buildings are available to non-guaranteed applicants is less about the upperclassmen pool and more about the number of rising sophomores.

“It’s really, in a lot of ways, focused on the guaranteed class: How many of them apply, how many of them come in. That starts to dictate how

much of, let’s say, Hannon, we give to non-guaranteed students,” Miller said. “Depending on how many spaces there are in McCarthy, Rains and McKay [Residence Halls], we focus on Tenderich [Apartments] and if there are still some left, we put them in Hannon [Apartments].”

The process is confusing for several students, including Mahoney, who doubts the veracity of the selection process’s random lottery system.

“I’ve heard theories about this, that when you go to the page with the grid with the numbers, the grid is [fake],” Mahoney said. “Juniors and seniors go into the same lottery, while sophomores have their own thing. How could it be random if priority should be going to underclassmen?”

While some students may wonder about how random the process really is, Miller steadfastly defends the fairness of the program. “[The lottery system] is absolutely, 100 percent random,” Miller said, acknowledging that many students doubt the legitimacy of the program.

“It goes back to way back before any of us were here at the University when they would pull numbers out of a fishbowl. What we have online is the same philosophy, a grid put together by an expert in Information Technology Services. I don’t even know what the numbers are.”

Though some seniors may be frustrated with their housing arrangements in Hannon Apartments, Hoang and Mahoney agreed that they’d rather have the security of knowing they have

Correction

housing rather than being left on a waitlist.

“If I wasn’t guaranteed housing, I’d rather just live in Hannon [Apartments],” said Mahoney. “A waitlist is too iffy. I’m not a risk taker.”

However, DePonte would rather have been waitlisted than be assigned to Hannon Apartments.

“Hannon [Apartments] has always been just for sophomores,” she said, “and the environment is just very different than upperclassmen housing.”

With juniors and seniors returning in 2012-13 after a year of only sophomores in Hannon Apartments, it isn’t hard for Mahoney to imagine that Hannon itself will be significantly changed next year.

“I think that it’s going to be completely different. The fact that there’s seniors there who can go to the Loft for a bit and it won’t be a big event will change a lot of things. Hannon [Apartments] is typically for sophomores, so I think having that mix is gonna be different.”

Miller isn’t worried, however.

“I don’t think it will be affected at all. The current year is the anomaly when it comes to Hannon [Apartments] predominantly being entirely sophomore students. … I know that our staff will do a great job at building the community and providing programs that meet the needs of everyone living there, just like they have in the past.”

In the March 29 issue of the Loyolan, a photo caption in the Page 5 photo essay“Beta, Rise Above raise money and awareness”stated that balloons containing inspirational messages were released into the sky. However, they were in fact released inside of the Bird’s Nest, popped, then picked up.

Allison Croley | Loyolan

Sophia Zumot talks about her current role as the President of the American Society of Civil Engineers and her future plans to work in Abu Dhabi this year.

11BURNING QUESTIONS with an engineering enthusiast

This issue, Staff Writer Allison Croley sits down with senior civil engineering major and President of ASCE Sophia Zumot to talk about her experience at LMU and her passion for engineering.

1. When did you decide you wanted to become an engineer?

Well, my dad is an engineer and I have several family members who are engineers, so it was always something I had been exposed to. I applied to the engineering department of colleges because I knew that as a woman it would be a little bit easier to get in, but it wasn’t something I was definitely going to do. I was going to get here and see how I liked it. ... After my first engineering class, I was hooked.

2. What inspires you to be an engineer?

I am involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – I’m the president this year – so being able to serve the civil engineers at LMU in that way really carries me. I’m also involved in Engineers Without Borders, and one of our advisers, Dr. Jeremy Pal, is absolutely amazing.

His influence on me and the civil engineering program in general really inspires me to continue.

3. What is ASCE? The American Society of Civil Engineers is a group on campus. There are maybe 15 executive board members and about 80 or 90 student members.

We had about 30 of us go to the Pacific Southwest Conference, which was in Pomona this year. We haven’t placed in three or four years and we got third place in one event this year, so I’m really proud of our progress.

4. What event did you place in this year?

We won in the scavenger hunt. Not a technical competition, but a competition nonetheless. We were very involved and a lot of our seniors really banded together to work hard at that.

5. What has been the highlight of your time with ASCE? Being the president this year, I really got involved and to see a lot of the behind the scenes work. I also really appreciate the faculty support in the civil engineering department. I don’t think we would have such a successful club if we didn’t have Dr. Jeremy Pal, Dr. Jose Saez, Dr. William Trott, Dr. Michael Manoogian and Professor Joseph Reichenberger.

6. What are some of the difficulties you face as a female engineer?

I recently got a job offer to work in Abu Dhabi in October, so I’ll be moving around then to pursue a career in field engineering. I know that women are a minority in the Middle East and in the field I’ll be working in, so not having that many women around will definitely be a difficulty.

7. You mentioned field engineering, what do you mean by that?

I’ll be working in the natural gas and oil industry, so I’ll be overseeing part of the drilling and casing process of an oil well. It’s a very rigorous position, so I’ll be outside most of the time, maybe extremely long days of 12 hours on a rig, but I’m really looking forward to it.

8. What are some of the rewards of being a female engineer?

I know that the company I will be working for forewarned me that the living conditions aren’t necessarily for women. For example, I might not have a separate bathroom, but they’re very supportive and it seems like they go above and beyond to make sure that women are comfortable and feel welcome – especially since there aren’t many of us.

9. What is your favorite part about working with other students who are passionate about the same things as you?

As I’m graduating in May, it is so cool to have students come up to me and say, “Hey, is this company coming to present to us?” or, “Have you heard about internships or opportunities?” and being able to say, “Yeah, they’re coming next week.” ... Being able to bring those opportunities to my class and internship opportunities to the juniors ... It is so rewarding.

10. What has been your favorite thing about LMU? I’m really sad to leave LMU because the student population is so amazing. I feel like we have such a tight-knit campus – I can’t walk across campus without seeing at least one or two people that I’m friends with. The civil engineering department at LMU is phenomenal and I don’t know if I would’ve stayed here if I didn’t have such amazing professors.

11. What is the most important thing you’ve learned through your time at LMU? I love that my department emphasizes such practical applications of engineering. I think they’ve really prepared me to go into the real world with engineering skills and more. They’ve really emphasized ethics and people skills which I think are extremely important.

To find out what Sophia admires most about the faculty of the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering, finish reading this at laloyolan.com.

April 2, 2012 Page 4

News

Games ‘exemplify’ service Games from Page 1 commemorate the Games’ 35th anniversary, released them into the air after only a few seconds of holding onto the balloons.

The balloons disappeared into the cloudy sky to the sound of everyone’s laughter.

Accompanied by the cheering of volunteers Taiko and LMU’s Japanese drumming club, the parade arrived at Sunken Garden where LMU’s Vice President for Mission and Ministry Fr. Robert Caro, S.J. led the blessing of the day and Charlie Cownie, the moderator of Special Games for the past six years, was commemorated for his dedication and service.

Throughout the day, the coaches

and the athletes participated in activities such as arts and crafts, coloring pages and jewelry making, to name a few.

Special Games would not be complete if Jesse, who led the parade, did not sing a love song to one of the girls present. On Saturday, he serenaded one of the team leaders, Sursum Corda member and sophomore psychology major Annie Stern, by calling her to the stage and getting down on one knee to melt the hearts of all those watching.

Finally, we closed the day with the Special Games awards ceremony. The distribution of medals is a reminder of Special Games’ origin as the Special Olympics hosted at LMU in 1977.

For us, this was the highlight of Special Games as the joy of the athletes receiving their medal was too amazing to be put into words.

The 35th Special Games came to a close as we all came together to sing the traditional Special Games songs that the athletes all know by heart.

For us, Special Games exemplifies LMU’s mission of service. As men and women for others, we are called to serve the underprivileged and the marginalized, and the mission of Special Games is centered on just that. Coaches and volunteers have the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and not just stand in solidarity, but form a kinship with the athletes.

Students discuss parking fee Parking from Page 1 Wong said.

The University is borrowing money in order to finance the underground parking construction.

Wong made it clear that the University does not intend to profit from the fee.

“Everything nets out to zero,” Wong said. “It’s not intended to be a revenue source for the University, it’s just meant to cover expense” – which includes parking construction and the current valet services. In order to finance construction, LMU is taking out a 30 year loan. Wong also acknowledged the shortage of parking spaces.

There will be financial aid for parking permits, based on objective criteria used by the Financial Aid Office in order to determine who is most in need of assistance to pay for the permits.

Because of the low attendance, every student present at the forum had the chance to voice their opinion.

A common concern seemed to be why current students are to foot the bill for the benefit of a parking structure that will not be completed until 2015. According to the panel, the parking permit fee also pays for the current valet service.

Among the student suggestions was a tiered fee, charging freshman the most for parking and seniors nothing. Another student suggested stricter parking enforcement in terms of incorrectly parked cars.

Sophomore film major and photographer for the Loyolan Kevin Halladay-Glynn said the discussion was helpful. He was concerned,

however, that the University did not hold a similar event before implementing the parking fee.

“I genuinely think that they were listening to what we had to say,” Halladay-Glynn said. “But I wish there had been an open forum before

they initiated the policy, rather than retroactively following up with us.”

LMU will continue to charge for the permit after construction is finished. The permit fee starts in January 2013, and the annual permit costs $670 for students.

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Opinion Student Editorials and Perspectives

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BOARD EDITORIAL

lmu

Board Editorals represnt the voice of the Loyolan. They are written in collaboration by the Executive Editorial Board.

Michael Goldsholl Managing Editor

Adrien Jarvis Editor in Chief Brigette Scobas Human Resources Coordinator | Asst. News Editor

Kevin O’Keeffe Managing Editor

The mission of a Board Editorial Due to recent feedback about the Executive Editorial Board, the Loyolan would like to take the time to clarify its Opinion policy and how the Board Editorials factor into the overall mission of the section.

The Loyolan’s Opinion section is designed to share the perspectives of individuals on campus, both on and off the editorial staff, in personal columns, such as Asst. Opinion Editor Anna-Michelle Escher ’s views on the anti-smartphone culture, which are expressed in “The rise of the dumbphone movement” on this page. The section is also meant to share responses from the community, such as the Letter to the Editor “Re: ‘Skin color should not determine status,’” also on this page.

The third aspect of the Loyolan Opinion section is the Board Editorial.

It is a statement written collaboratively by the Executive Editorial Board – in its current incarnation, Editor in Chief Adrien Jarvis, Managing Editor Michael Goldsholl, Managing Editor Kevin O’Keeffe and Human Resources Coordinator | Asst. News Editor Brigette Scobas – about an issue relevant to the community at the time of publication.

The Board Editorial represents the Loyolan’s official position, the only article in a given issue that does so besides the recurring “Rule of Thumb” feature.

The subjects of the Board Editorial can be myriad – from taking a stance in the Trayvon Martin case to reflecting on our

own period of transition. Often, but not always, a Board Editorial is meant to give the Loyolan’s stance on an issue already discussed in the News section.

While it is crucial for a news outlet to be impartial and objective, writing a Board Editorial is important within the college community because it gives the staff an opportunity to voice their collective opinion. In addition to representing the Loyolan’s official opinion, a Board Editorial is also meant to reflect the current climate of LMU. The Loyolan is designed under the maxim “Your Home.

Your Voice. Your News.” It is our goal for our voice to be in the best interest of the LMU community.

Though the subjects may vary, the ultimate goal of a Board Editorial is to be accurate and responsible in conveying the official viewpoint of the entire staff. All members of the editorial staff are invited each week to read the Board Editorial and share their input on the issue, particularly if their personal opinions are at odds with the stance the Loyolan has chosen to take.

Above all else, the Loyolan makes a variety of opinions a priority for the section. With features such as “Uproar: Head to Head” that present two divergent perspectives on an issue, the Loyolan hopes to showcase opinions different from our own. The Loyolan recognizes that not everyone has the same views, and it is imperative to represent that in the Opinion section.

April 2, 2012 Page 5

Letter to the Editor

Re: “Skin color should not determine status” (March 26, 2012, Page 6)

Dear Editor, I am truly disillusioned by the Board Editorial regarding Trayvon Martin. It is fraught with misleading premises and unjustifiable conclusions. Below are just a few errors with the editorial.

First, you make no mention of the fact that police later found [George] Zimmerman with blood coming from the back of his head and his nose. This is pretty odd, considering that Martin was merely “walking home.”

Second, the fact that Trayvon was unarmed is completely irrelevant. In order to use lethal force in defending yourself, generally speaking you must reasonably feel that severe bodily harm or death are imminent. Zimmerman claims his head was slammed into the concrete several times. This can easily lead to death, which is how Don King, the famous boxing promoter, killed someone. Even though Trayvon was “unarmed,” he was in a position where he could have killed Zimmerman. Zimmerman would be entitled to defend himself against an attacker, and not “slay” them. To deny anyone the right to preserve one’s life when faced with imminent and serious harm is unconscionable.

Thirdly, we do not have many facts, and to still somehow conclude that Zimmerman “slayed” Martin is totally unsubstantiated.

Let us all hope for justice, and by justice, I mean truth, not the premature condemning of a potentially innocent individual. If Zimmerman is truly guilty of murder, let him be found guilty of murder. If Martin maliciously placed Zimmerman in a position where Martin could have ended his life, it is unfortunate that Zimmerman had to end Martin’s life in order to preserve his own. What a horrible thing to happen either way.

We need to do what’s right, not what’s popular. Shame on you, The Loyolan, for letting such a deceptive and premature editorial be your voice.

Paul Martinez LEED Green Associate Bachelor of Architecture May 2012 University of Southern California Relation: My wife plays for the LMU choir

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.

The rise of the dumbphone movement

S

hortness of breath, increased heart rate and utter selfloathing are what I experienced when I thought I’d left my iPhone at the grocery store last Saturday. This anxiety was shortlived, as moments later I found it on my desk.

Nonetheless, my minor panic attack exemplifies just a slice of our dependency on smartphones.

Smartphones have become Till the AM a staple of our

By Anna-Michelle g e n e r a t i o n Escher and one of the defining invenAsst. Opinion Editor tions of our time. However, not everyone is attracted to the finesse of phones with Internet connections and applications.

There is a counterculture of mobile phone users who prefer what has been called a “dumbphone.”

This demographic of dumbphone users who are sticking with the early 2000’s mobile technology reject smartphones on the basis that such distracting technology deprives people from being fully engaged in their surroundings, and therefore diminishes the ability to simply enjoy life.

One dumbphone advocate, Nicholas Carr, who is quoted in the March 23 New York Times article “A Smartphone Future?

But Not Yet” by Teddy Wayne, argues, “Because of the brain’s

neuroplasticity, Web surfing rewires people to be more adept at perfunctory multitasking, but diminishes the ability to sustain focus and think interpretatively.

We stop having opportunities to

individual’s skills to think for ourselves implies that our culture has backfired on us. We have sacrificed our analytical skills for the lure of new technology.

The effect of the smartphone on

the brain go over experiences it’s had, solidify them and turn them into permanent, long-term memories. … When the brain is constantly stimulated, you prevent this learning process.” This solidi-

Jackson Turcotte | Loyolan

be alone with our thoughts.” By using a smartphone, one perfects multitasking skills at the expense of our critical, introspective thinking. The ability to interpret the world for ourselves is what defines us as humans, and the theory that smartphones take away an

human interaction is deeper than one might think. In Matt Richtel’s Aug. 4, 2010 New York Times article, “Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime,” a professor of physiology at UC San Francisco, Loren Frank, explains, “Almost certainly, downtime lets

fication of long-term memory is impaired when people become overly dependent on smartphones for entertainment. When waiting at a bus stop, in line at the grocery store or even during a lull in a conversation, people pull out their phones to keep themselves

stimulated. However our personal demands to be kept busy and entertained by using our phones are depriving us of our cognizance of the world around us.

The smartphone user’s demand for connection is fatiguing him or her by overloading the brain with endless data. This is precisely why the dumbphone movement exists – people see that the smartphone devalues face-to-face connection and puts a person at risk for losing their ability to simply think.

There are instances when I am grateful for the iPhone’s many services, such as the GPS or being able to access the Internet to look up a recipe. But the possibility that being accustomed to a smartphone could change something within my personality, as well as decrease my awareness of life, just doesn’t seem worth the ownership of the smartphone.

The dumphone users have taken one step further in the direction of correcting the thoughtless nature of our culture by rejecting phones that promote endless multitasking at the cost of critical thinking.

If you would sooner streak naked across campus during Convo than trade in your iPhone for a dumbphone (let’s face it, most of us would), at least allot some time to switch your phone off. With less focus spent on technology, who knows what we might learn about the world around us?

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

April 2, 2012 Page 6

Opinion

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Flawed marijuana DUI bill

H

ave you smoked weed lately?

Don’t get behind the wheel if you have, as Norma Torres’ California Assembly Bill (AB) 2552 is attempting to make it illegal to drive under influence.

Assemblywoman Torres seems to be following in the footsteps of a long line of politicians who believe creating superfluous laws (refer to Kim Tran’s March 26 article, “Life Over a Glass is not G-rated forever”) will

By Amanda Kotch rectify the flaws Opinion Intern in this country.

Whether an attempt at raking in votes or revenue, or if she actually finds merit in this proposal, Torres’ bit of legislation would make it a crime to drive with any amount of cannabis in your system.

Introduced in late February, AB 2552 “would establish a rebuttable presumption that a person had cannabinoids or synthetic cannabinoid compound in his or her blood or urine at the time he or she drove a vehicle if the substance is present in his or her blood or urine at the time of a chemical test performed within three hours after driving,” according to a Feb. 24 Legislative Council Digest outline of the bill’s text.

Though criminalizing cannabis influence while driving may seem reasonable to some, this proposal is abundantly flawed, considering that THC metabolites, the chemical compound found in marijuana, can remain in one’s system for up to a month. This is why you may hear of young stoner professionals taking “smoke breaks” for a few weeks before a big job interview. “While most drug metabolites are watersoluble and are excreted rapidly from the body, THC [metabolites] are fat-soluble and thus exit the body slowly,” according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) foundation website.

Under the bill, even a legal medical marijuana smoker could be charged with a DUI without having lit up for weeks. Even a person prescribed Marinol, the synthetic THC

pill approved by the FDA, could no longer legally drive.

The assemblywoman’s intention is to amend Calif. Vehicle Code 23152, which currently only pertains to alcohol. “The backstory here is that cops have had a hard time seeing convictions for pot DUI arrests because there’s no scientific standard – like alcohol’s .08 level – for how much would make you impaired,” according to Dennis Romero’s L.A. Weekly article “Smoking Marijuana a Month Ago Could Get You a DUI Today Under Proposed Law” on March 27.

However, the method proposed by this bill to regulate impaired drivers is ridiculous.

According to a 2005 article on Alternatives Magazine, “Medical Cannabis or marijuana impairment,” by Dr. Rick Bayer, the U.S. Department of Transportation is quoted as admitting that a positive urine test alone cannot prove behavioral impairment. Furthermore, fligh simulator tests have proven that after four hours of smoking, there is no significant behavioral impairment.

NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, who plans to testify against AB 2552 at the Assembly Public Safety Committee, believes the bill is “discriminatory, in that it would lower the burden of proof that is necessary for a state to gain a DUI conviction by setting a standard divorced from demonstrable impairment,” according to a March 22 Daily Bulletin article “Marijuana advocates oppose DUI bill.”

Perhaps a more sound solution would be to employ field sobriety tests for drivers who show signs of intoxication. While Blood Alcohol Content limits have been established for drunk driving, the same strategy cannot fully be used when it comes to stoned driving. A zerotolerance policy for marijuana just doesn’t make sense, but testing for reaction time and perception does. Maybe the kid who scarfed down three “special” brownies an hour before heading out on the 405 shouldn’t be behind the wheel, but that doesn’t mean someone who takes a few hits in the morning and goes out for a drive later in the afternoon should suffer the same consequences. There is also extensive scientific evidence to support

the claim that safe driving can be achieved with low levels of active THC in the body or bloodstream.

The Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) organization sent a letter to the California assemblywoman last week urging her to withdraw the proposal. Stephen Downing, a retired Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief, wrote to Torres stating, “Keeping impaired drivers off the road is one of law enforcement’s most important jobs, but this bill has no basis in science. Enacting this legislation would not only be disastrous for our state’s legal medical marijuana patients, but would impede public safety for all Californians,” according to Romero’s article.

Arresting someone for a DUI who is not actually impaired would be a futile attempt at increasing safety on the road. It could in fact have the opposite effect, with law enforcement distracted by these pseudocriminals, and for the person who feels no need to sober up before driving.

In response to Torres’ statement that putting this bill into law would “assist in analyzing stats to determine if driving while stoned actually results in vehicular homicide,” Mark Miller writes, her “comment begs the question: Why couldn’t AB 2552 instead study the statistics first to ascertain whether or not pot causes car crashes?” according to the March 26 High Times article “Proposed Pot DUI Bill Plagued With Problems.”

Maybe that just seems too sane.

In the midst of what may be the worst budget crisis the state has ever seen, California literally cannot afford to place focus on a policy that would put a huge financial burden on an already struggling system.

Imagine the costs surrounding additional law enforcement, drug testing and such, all in the name of cracking down on marijuana users.

There is also the fact that Congresswoman Torres, running for reelection this year, is financially backed by corporations such as Millercoors and the Wine Institute.

Sounds hypocritical? Maybe. Either way, Norma, it’s time to retire this one.

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Skin-deep readings ruin ‘Hunger Games’

T

here is no denying the rapidly rising popularity of the movie adaptation of the novel “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. But now, the wildly celebrated film has become the focus of a racially-fueled debate.

Despite the success of the movie with its fantastic cast including some up and comers, Twitter has All Things blown up by those opposed Written to some castBy Erica Lopez ing choices.

Staff Writer A m a n d l a Stenberg and Dayo Okeniyi are better known to fans as the tributes from District 11, Rue and Thresh, respectively. Yet, despite their stellar performances in the film, these actors are the subject of a racist backlash among a few who are arguably quite challenged in their reading comprehension. The debate is set on the Twittersphere as these jilted fans express their disappointment with the casting of Rue and Thresh, objecting that the characters are played by black actors.

I did not encounter any confusion as to the description of the characters when I read the book.

Even having read the book a disturbing twist on the notion after I watched the film, of survival of the fittest, as “kill I thought that the actors or be killed” is a sport played casted directly adhered to by children – “tributes” – for Collins’ descriptions. She the amusement of the Capitol clearly illustrates Rue as as its way of establishing and having “dark brown skin and sustaining its power. This book eyes” and Thresh as havrepresents the perils of an eliting “the same dark skin as ist government, society and Rue.” One angry fan tweetclass, and the loss of innocence, ed: “Why did the producer sacrifice and survival. These make all the good characthemes are dominant and powters black,” and another erful and have nothing to do agreed that this casting with the race of the tributes, “kinda ruined the movie.” as they are equally exploited [SPOILER] An admitted racfor the entertainment of their ist user on Twitter said that leaders. The tributes serve as “when I found out Rue was nothing but pieces in a game black, her death wasn’t as in which 23 people must die, sad.” where lives are taken for the I’m just curious, are you sake of amusement. And yet, people sure you read the people are still upset by the right book? fact that Rue wasn’t white.

What is most unfortunate The group of angry fans and about these racist Tweets their racist blasts are poor repgoes further than their hateresentations of the audience ful and completely misguidAssociated Press of “The Hunger Games,” and ed ranting. If these “fans” they have succeeded only in Amandla Stenberg playes Rue in “The Hunger were careless enough to publishing their ignorance and miss information as simple Games,” a character being racially scrutinized. displaying their inept readas a character description, ing skills. What this expresses then arguably the entire mes- ence is telling of its depth, despite most clearly is that some people sage of the book was lost to them. the fact that it was written for a read this book (or tried, anyway) Even if producers had disregard- teenage reading level. However, without being the least bit minded the character descriptions in the inappropriate remarks of the ful of what it meant. The poputhe book, race is a detail that does clueless, Tweeting fans is evi- larity of this book has led to a not matter to the main point of dence that the nature of this nov- growing trend of people becoming the story. el’s message is still over the heads hooked on the story, but it is only The appeal that “The Hunger of some of the teens it was intend- worthwhile when people underGames” has to such a vast audi- ed for. “The Hunger Games” takes stand what they are reading,

which this select group clearly did not.

This narrow-minded way of thinking presents more serious implications for our generation as a whole. Despite the growth that has been made in becoming a more accepting age, there is still enough arrogance and hatred in existence, to ensure that our tolerance always has the potential to be degraded.

Moreover, the priority that these fans have placed on the superficiality of the actors portraying the book’s characters, rather than the meaning of the book itself, proves that a higher regard is placed on aesthetics – and in this case (as in most), looks shouldn’t matter. This instance of racism is only the latest example of such judgmental behavior made popular because of the success of the movie, but it confirms that the stigma exists.

The stupidity of a select group is enough to stir a racial controversy, though bringing their foolishness to light is how the good of the majority will prevail in the end.

To the few irked fans of “The Hunger Games”: Next time, pay attention to what you are reading.

This is the opinion of Erica Lopez, a junior communication studies major from Orange, Calif. Please send comments to ktran@theloyolan.com.

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

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April 2, 2012 Page 7

‘Buried Life’ urges students to chase dreams

Event Preview

By Raeesah Reese A&E Intern

W

hat do you want to do before you die? Are there any dreams or aspirations left for you to fulfill? While these questions may seem daunting, four friends from Victoria, British Columbia made it their mission to compile and complete a list of “100 Things To Do Before You Die.” They documented their journey in a show called “The Buried Life,” which MTV premiered on Jan. 18, 2010.

LMU students will have the chance to recall memories from the show and listen to stories from the cast of the documentary reality series when Mane Entertainment hosts “All Access: The Buried Life” on April 11 at 8:30 p.m. in the Living Room.

“The message that the show presents is very inspiring for students to hear,” said senior communication studies major and Signature Events Manager for Mane Entertainment Tiffany Hunter. Hunter was responsible for planning the event with the cast from the show. In her interview with the Loyolan, Hunter explained that the four members of the cast, Duncan Penn, Jonnie Penn, Ben Nemtin and Dave Lingwood, will share their stories and memories of making the show.

Audience members will enjoy a visual and interactive

experience, as they will have the chance to see video clips from the show and to pose questions to the cast. Those in attendance will get a closer look at the group’s journey across North America to live out their dreams.

“We started this because we felt like we needed to do something and we all got inspired by different things that made us believe we could do anything we wanted,” Nemptin said in an interview with Uptin Saiidi from Mtv.com.

Whether it was crashing a parade or making a toast at a stranger’s wedding, in each episode the group of four consistently strove to push the envelope while crossing each new item off of their list. Although the show featured humorous spontaneity, it also focused on helping others achieve their goals.

The group of friends has worked to continue their humanitarian efforts by supporting the non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms, with the proceeds from their new book “What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?” and other merchandise that will be sold at the event on April 11 going to the non-profit. Based in Melbourne, Fla., the organization is committed to finding help for individuals who struggle with addiction, depression, self-injury and suicide.

“To Write Love on Her Arms works to encourage, inform and inspire the people it serves,” said Joe Ward, a ju-

Associated Press

The cast of MTV’s “The Buried Life” – (from left to right) Duncan Penn, Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood, and Jonnie Penn – is coming to the Living Room to ask students, “What do you want to do before you die?” nior communications studies major. Ward is also the president of LMU’s new chapter of To Write Love on Her Arms.

The student club, which was just recently launched, strives to “cut down the stigma that surrounds mental health issues,” said Ward.

Ward and other members from the chapter will be present at the event to show support for the cause which both

groups care about. They will also be providing information about the new chapter at LMU. It is this humanitarian aspect of the show that makes sophomore sociology major Saron Shiferaw want to come to the event.

“The show’s message serves as a reminder that we constantly get caught up in our day-to-day tasks and forget

how to really enjoy life; and that we should all try to cross things off our bucket lists because life is short,” said Shiferaw.

The event will start at 8:30 p.m. on April 11 in the Living Room, while copies of the cast’s new book and other merchandise will be sold at 8 p.m.

All proceeds will go to the national non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms.

‘Other Half’ displays adjacent stories Event Preview

By Khayla Golucke Staff Writer

“I

t’s like a crazy game of sexual telephone,” said junior theatre arts major Joe Hospodor. This is the description he offered for the Del Rey Player’s latest production, “How the Other Half Loves,” which he is directing this month. The play, set in a slightly ambiguous 1970s England, is a comedy of errors about two couples who, through humorous miscommunications, attempt to untangle the web of lies they create for themselves and discover the truth about an affair. Opening on April 12 and running for the next two weekends, “How the Other Half Loves” is a “funny example of what happens when a little gossip goes a long way,” said Hospodor.

After seeing the play performed when he was in high school, the first-time director decided he would like to stage it himself one day. The play was immediately interesting to him because of its unique structure, as the single set consists of two adjacent apartments that allow both couples to be on stage at the same time. While some parts of their separate apartments

mirror each other, neither couple is conscious of the other’s presence. The concept of being intertwined yet oblivious to this fact was a big reason Hospodor felt drawn to the play.

“The whole blurred line spoke to me because love itself is not really clear-cut at all,” Hospodor said. “When you see the two couples on stage, you get to see absurdity playing with reality at the same time, which makes for some really funny stuff.”

The small cast of six has been working hard to master the comedic timing in the play since rehearsals started in late February. In his first show with the Del Rey Players, freshman theatre major Ben Szymanski has found it both challenging and exciting to master the tricky lines of his character, Frank Foster.

“I think I’ve got the record for most line notes so far, but I’m bringing my script everywhere I go and reading it constantly,” Szymanski said. “The show depends on lots of snappy dialogue, and it was hard to get the timing right, especially in the beginning.”

While acclimating to the pacing of the show may have been difficult for the actors at first, Hospodor has found the most rewarding moment

for him to be when the actors became comfortable enough to bring their own personal flair to the characters. For Syzmanski, this came from being able to relate to the scatterbrained tendencies of his character.

“I have Frank moments every once and a while, I’ll admit,” Syzmanski said. “I frequently don’t know what is going on. But I like to think I’m a bit more observant than him.”

Playing a fairly opposite role is sophomore English major and theatre minor Mackenzie Ward, who plays the independent and strong-willed Teresa Phillips. Taking on the role of an angry wife has allowed Ward to draw upon her outspoken side and even learn some stage combat, which she utilizes when Teresa lets out her aggression on her husband. In order to make scenes such as these both believable and comedic, the cast has been forced to become extremely close, which the actors agree has come from lots of team building and a united teasing of their director.

“The cast is ridiculous. We are all a bit crazy and we sometimes have the tendency to make jokes together for about 20 minutes before we actually do anything produc-

tive,” Ward said. “Joe [Hospodor] likes to use metaphors and we’ve started to tease him about it, but we know he both loves us and hates us for it. It’s just a lot of fun for all of us to be together.”

Besides being a close cast personally, another way Hospodor was able to create a better dynamic between the actors was by first rehearsing with each of the couples individually. He explained that approaching it as if he was directing two different plays allowed the actors to explore their own separate relationships, story arcs and levels of energy until they were comfortable enough with their own backgrounds to combine them.

In doing this, Hospodor said he was also able to focus on getting the actors to understand the message of the play and reflect it in their performances. As the play progresses and each character gets lost in each other’s lies, more hilarious mix-ups and chaos ensue until no one is sure of the truth anymore. This problem is one the director feels the audience will be able to relate to, as he finds miscommunication to be a very relevant issue in our technologically reliant society.

“While the play is set in

the ’70s, our modern world is filled with dozens of forms of communication like texting and Facebook, so it’s even easier for the truth to get lost in translation,” Hospodor said.

“What I really want students to realize is how important communication is, especially in relationships, and realize how absurd and complicated these lapses in communication are.”

“How the Other Half Loves” Dates:

April 12 - April 15 at 8 p.m.

April 18 - April 21 at 8 p.m.

Location: Del Rey Theatre Tickets:

General Public $10 Students $7 Del Rey Players Members $5

Purchase tickets through the Central Ticket Agency.

April 2, 2012 Page 8

Arts & Entertainment

I

t only took about two hours.

Less than that if you don’t count setting up. Once the floor manager yelled “action,” it was a frantic 15 minutes until the word “cut.” Just like that, I finished taping my final episode of “Rumble Attack Duel,” the game show I first formulated just about one year ago.

This past S u n d a y It’s K-OK! marked the

By Kevin O’Keeffe show’s final Managing Editor taping. Since the genesis of “Rumble Attack Duel,” producing the program has been a whirlwind of trivia questions, hurried searches for sponsors and contestants, moments of frustration and rare moments of triumph.

“Rumble Attack Duel,” which currently airs on ROAR Network, is the first show I’ve ever worked on – as well as the first for which I acted as an executive producer.

Leaping into a producing role without prior experience was a gutsy (some would say, “idiotic”) move, but I’ve learned plenty of lessons on exactly how to succeed in campus TV without really knowing everything you should.

Lesson one: Find the most competent staff you can. Fast.

I’m better with words than cameras, so I played to my strengths and took on the writer role for the

pilot. I needed people who could direct, find talent, coordinate the production, control sound, operate the cameras and edit the footage.

Immediately I went to friends who had proven their skills for every other field except direction, figuring they would know someone who could helm the show from a technical point of view. Everyone readily signed on in other capacities. No one knew of a director.

I worked at ROAR as the assistant director of programming at the time and my boss recommended someone I had heard of before but never met: now-junior film production major Michael Lange.

(You may recognize him as a contributor for the Loyolan.) I was petrified to even ask him about “Rumble Attack Duel.” In my eyes, I was trying to sell someone vastly overqualified on directing a small-time dog and pony show. As it turns out, I didn’t even need to sell him on it – he was interested from the get go. It was the moment when I knew the show could actually work. With a skilled director and competent crew with me, I knew I wouldn’t be clueless. It was happening.

Lesson two: One good idea does not make a show.

“Rumble Attack Duel” started as “ROAR Wars” in a meeting on the third floor of Del Rey South residence hall last April. I had pitched the basic premise, but the show in its current form wasn’t developed until September. Even then, we had a different host, a different style and no idea exactly where to

begin.

We held regular practice sessions on Fridays where we would brainstorm and run through the show until we got the hang of it. Around this time, a network casting call produced a new host, freshman film production major Chase Ellison, who was a gift from above.

Professional, witty and immensely likable, we cast him on the spot.

Thanks to everyone’s collaboration, the show finally started to take form just in time for shooting in November. Of course, not everything was taken care of – I thought we were on top of our game, but we had forgotten one tiny detail.

Lesson three: Know your personal limits.

Episode two was in post-production. I had just taken on several new commitments at another job.

There were four more episodes to shoot. I was panicking about exactly how we would get everything done. I went to the production team and told them what was going on. I talked to the network and asked them what has been my least favorite part of the entire process: “Can we bring our episode order down to only three episodes this semester?”

If I could have committed entirely to “Rumble Attack Duel,” I would have. But a campus executive producer position isn’t exactly the highest-paying position, and I needed money above all else. Not only that, but I had worked for ROAR Network the year preceding it and had left my position as marketing manager in September

due to time commitment issues. I had given a year of my life to campus TV. I needed to recognize my limits, as painful as it might have been. Producing a TV show in college is fun, but as an executive producer it has to be your priority, which was a constant problem for me.

Lesson four: Find a way to succeed, even in the worst moments.

The official second episode of “Rumble Attack Duel,” “Sigma Phi Epsilon vs. Alpha Phi,” was actually the third episode produced.

The true second episode, a battle between Classroom Management and the Distribution Center, suffered from a massive technical oversight: We had left the camera menus on throughout the shooting process. Since we were shooting live to tape, the menus all showed up on the final footage. While we tried to crop the footage, it looked really poorly done, so we had to scrap it. Cutting an entire episode is not an easy thing to do – it’s saying farewell to a lot of time and energy. However, it’s vital to cut your

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losses, especially when you’ve got an episode order to fulfill.

The new episode two was a blast to shoot. The members of Sig Ep and Alpha Phi were competitive and charming. The episode worked out far better than we could have hoped, and in a way, it was a stroke of luck when we lost the original second episode. Sure, it made more work for us, but we were happier with our final product.

Lesson five: Above all, don’t forget to have fun.

My yearlong experiment in TV production has ended. I’d love to do it once again, using all this experience to my advantage. Producing “Rumble Attack Duel” was simultaneously one of the most draining, frustrating and rewarding things I’ve ever done. But at the end of the day, it was fun. For that very reason, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

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

Stumped? Check out the answers for this week’s puzzle on laloyolan.com.

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Sports

April 2, 2012 Page 9

Lions blow seven-run lead to split series With LMU leading 7-0, Santa Clara scores nine runs to split the four-game series.

By Kevin Cacabelos Staff Writer Loyola Marymount’s softball team stumbled in their leagueopening series against the Santa Clara Broncos this past weekend. LMU split the four-game series with the Broncos in a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday at Smith Field.

“Obviously, it hurts,” said LMU Head Coach Gary Ferrin.

“They walk away from our ballpark with two wins, and that hurts us going forward.”

In the first half of the fourgame set, the teams split their doubleheader on Saturday. The Broncos scored five runs in the first inning and held the Lions to two runs to help them win game one of the series, 6-2.

The Lions’ offense woke up in game two and utilized a big nine-run third inning en route to an 11-3 victory. Four different LMU hitters drove in two runs

Abbey Nelson | Loyolan

Freshman second baseman Sterling Shuster records three RBIs,including scoring once herself,in the Lions’game three win against Santa Clara University.

a piece for the Lions, with seven of the nine runs in the second inning being scored with two outs.

LMU sophomore starting pitcher Stevie Goldstein (1-1) went the distance, giving up three earned runs on six hits. Goldstein also struck out six Broncos hitters.

The Lions’ offense picked up right where it left off in Sunday’s first game of the doubleheader.

LMU beat the Broncos 9-1 in game three behind its surging offense and a strong pitching performance from junior starting pitcher Dana Waldusky.

A three-run home run by junior designated hitter Olivia Alvarez to right center field helped the Lions jump to a 3-0 lead.

In only her fifth and sixth starts of the season coming back from an injury, Alvarez has asserted herself as an offensive weapon for LMU. Alvarez drove in a total of eight runs in the weekend series and is currently batting .428.

“It feels really good to be back, I’ve been working really hard to get back to where I was before I was hurt,” said Alvarez. “I feel almost back to normal, seeing live pitching and getting my stamina back was the most difficult [initially].”

In the fourth inning, LMU freshman second baseman Sterling Shuster singled up the middle and drove in teammates sophomore Meghan Harman and senior Kyle Ahlo, extending the Lions’ lead to 6-0.

LMU scored another three runs in the sixth inning, with Shuster singling up the middle to score Harman from second.

Shuster finished the game going two for three with three RBIs. Starting pitcher Waldusky (94) was nearly perfect until giv-

ing up a two-out sixth inning solo homerun to Santa Clara’s Jamie Wallis. Waldusky did not walk a batter and struck out seven Broncos hitters in the effort.

In the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, the Lions were six outs away from having a successful weekend.

However, a nine-run offensive eruption in the sixth inning by the Broncos ruined LMU’s weekend and any hopes of an early leg up in the conference standings.

The Lions’ large lead gave the team probable cause to believe they would end the day with a victory entering the bottom of the sixth inning with a 7-0 lead.

In her second start of the weekend, junior starting pitcher Molly Medeiros (14-6) was looking to bounce back after giving up five runs and earning the loss in game one of the series on Saturday.

Medeiros struck out five batters and held the Broncos scoreless until the sixth inning. Her only hiccup happened in the sixth inning when Santa Clara left fielder Briana Knight homered to right center field to give the Broncos their first two runs of the game.

“I just knew after yesterday’s performance I needed to come back today and have a better showing,” said Medeiros. “I came in with a different game plan hoping to work more on my spin instead of my speed, and it worked for the most part.”

Ferrin inserted Waldusky to relieve Medeiros after she gave up the homerun. This was Waldusky’s second pitching appearance of the day, after pitching six innings in LMU’s game one victory on Sunday.

The Broncos took advantage of a fatigued Waldusky, knocking in seven more runs in the sixth inning. Knight hit another homerun in the same inning.

Her three-run home run to right field gave Santa Clara a 9-7 lead and an eventual win over LMU. “We went to the best pitchers we thought we could go to in the situations, and they didn’t deliver,” Ferrin said.

“We just got too comfortable toward the end of the game,” said Medeiros.

The Lions were not lacking any offense in their doubleheader on Sunday – the team scored sixteen runs in its pair of games. “[In] the series as a whole, the offense did enough to be successful to win at least three of the four games,” said Ferrin.

In game two on Sunday, LMU’s offense was the first on the board after scoring four runs in the top of the second inning.

Sophomore right fielder Samantha Nelson blasted a two-run homerun to left center field to cap off the four-run inning.

After the second inning, Santa Clara inserted relief pitcher Jessica Turner in for starter Jaymi Bautista-Geiger. Turner held the Lions scoreless for three consecutive innings until third baseman Meghan Harman hit a solo shot down the right field line in the sixth inning.

“Going forward – if we don’t play more proficiently than we just played, it’s going to be a long conference [season] and we’re not going to play well,” said Ferrin.

The Lions head on the road to continue PCSC league play in a four-game series at CSU Bakersfield on Friday and Saturday, April 6 and 7.

Sports

April 2, 2012 Page 10

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Lions’ long ball propels team to series sweep Baseball from Page 12 a weekend sweep of the Gaels.

Senior reliever Ryan Hawthorne loaded the bases and gave up one run to trim the Lion lead to 5-2. Sophomore closer Bret Dahlson came to save the game, inheriting two men on base, and struck out his first batter, infielder Shawn O’Brien. The next batter hit a ball off the glove of senior third baseman Alex Guthrie to score another run. The Lions led 5-3, with two St. Mary’s runners in scoring position.

With two outs and a threetwo count, the St. Mary’s hitter lined a ball back to the box where Dahlson laid out to make the diving catch, securing the Lion victory and the first sweep of the season.

Behind the pitching of senior left-handed pitcher John Lally, the Lion’s offense woke up to score five runs on Sunday.

“We know it’s a new season, playing in conference, and there is a different attitude among the guys because we know we have an opportunity to possibly make the postseason,” Lally said.

With the Lions nursing a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, junior left fielder Matt Lowenstein led off the bottom of the frame with a walk.

Junior centerfielder Zac Fujimoto advanced Lowenstein to second on a well-executed bunt.

Junior second baseman Cullen Mahoney roped a double down the right field line to score Lowenstein. Next, junior catcher Colton Plaia crushed a homerun over the right field wall to give the Lions an additional two runs and a 5-1 lead heading into the eighth inning.

“It was a team offense today,” said Plaia. “We are taking team at bats and executed them.”

Abbey Nelson | Loyolan

Junior catcher Colton Plaia hit a homerun to lead the Lions in a 5-3 Sunday victory, solidifying the sweep over St. Mary’s College.

Prior to the seventh inning offensive outburst, the Lions threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning with the first two batters, Plaia and junior Scott Harkin, who reached base on balls. A bunt down the third base line by designated hitter freshman David Edwards loaded the bases with no outs.

Senior first baseman Shon Roe lined a ball up the middle, which bounced off the pitcher’s

mound and into the hands of the St. Mary’s second baseman for a double play. Roe did get an RBI on the play, as there was originally no one out. Roe accounted for the first two Lion RBIs in the game.

The Lions had a 1-0 lead heading into the sixth inning, before two defensive mishaps cost the Lions the slim lead.

The first was a sharp groundball to Mahoney in which St.

Women’s water polo

The women’s water polo team takes its unbeaten conference record against the nation’s top-ranked team, the UCLA Bruins, on April 15.

Mary’s shortstop Ricky Boas simply beat out the ground ball for an infield single, much to the chagrin of Mahoney. The next batter, left fielder Cole Norton, popped up a ball into left field, which dropped in between Harkin and Lowenstein for another hit.

Lally then hit a batter to load the bases before giving up a sacrifice fly to centerfield to tie the score at one a piece. Lally recovered a strike out in the next St. Mary’s batter to stop the bleeding.

“It’s all about keeping the hitters off balance with a variety of pitches,” said Lally. “It was nice I went deep in the game to help our team get the win.”

Lally followed in the stellar Lion pitching trend on the series. Lally pitched seven innings, giving up three hits, one run and set the Lions up to win the game.

“John [Lally] probably pitched his best game of the season today,” said Head Coach Jason Gill. “He went deep in the game for us, and I’m proud of the work he has put in to getting better.”

The Lions initially struck in the bottom of the fourth inning to break the scoreless tie on an RBI single by Roe, driving the ball between the shortstop and third baseman to drive in Plaia.

The Lions won the second game of the series on Saturday in a pitcher’s duel behind freshman Trevor Megill, shutting the Gaels to no runs in seven innings of work. Megill did not walk a batter and struck out five hitters to improve to 2-4 on the season. Junior relief pitcher Aaron Griffin pitched a scoreless eight innings, holding the door open for closer Bret Dahlson to earn his second save of the season, despite giving up a homerun in the top of the ninth

inning.

The Lions offense was tame throughout the day by St. Mary’s starting pitcher Martin Agosta allowing only one earned run in seven innings of work, striking out 10 Lions in the process.

Alex Guthrie led LMU at the plate, hitting two for three on the day, including a double and RBI. Right fielder Mitch Esser also went one for three at the dish, with an RBI to account for the Lions two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Lions started the series with an offensive explosion in the first game on Friday, scoring nine runs on 11 hits. Plaia led the Lions with five RBIs. Freshman starter Colin Welmon improved to 4-1 on the year, but gave up four runs in eight innings of work. Although his scoreless inning streak ended at 25 innings, he did keep his no free pass streak alive, as the right hander has not walked an opposing batter in 29 and twothirds innings.

The Lions are next in action against CSU Northridge on Tuesday in a non-conference matchup to seek revenge for the Lion’s loss to CSU Northridge on March 20. The Matadors defeated the Lions 12-1 at Page Stadium. The Lions will then head to Provo, Utah to take on the new WCC competitor, Brigham Young University in a weekend series starting Thursday.

“We talked a lot about learning lessons from the first half of the season,” Gill said. “We need to turn the failures of the first half into a learning process, and if we continue to have the stellar starting pitching like we have had and continue to improve on our mental toughness we showed at the plate this series, good things will come.”

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Devin Sixt | Loyolan

LMU women’s water polo swept its way through the weekend at CSU Baskersfield’s Roadrunner Invitational III. All four victories came against opponents from the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA), making LMU 10-0 against conference foes. The Lions are now 15-8 overall.

On Sunday, LMU opened with a 14-6 victory over host CSU Bakersfield. Sophomore Alexandra Honny led LMU’s scoring, matching the host team’s total herself by scoring six times.

The Lions completed the tournament sweep in Sunday’s afternoon contest against Colorado State University. The closest battle of the weekend, LMU held on for a 12-10 victory. In addition to three goals from Honny, freshman Mackenzie Beck scored three times for the Lions. Senior Casey Flacks and senior Kimberly Benedetti both contributed two goals a piece.

On the first day, LMU throttled Santa Clara 14-6 and CSU San Bernardino 21-3. LMU used strong defense to jump out to early leads in both games. In the two games combined, LMU only allowed two goals before halftime.

Honny led LMU’s offense on the first day, scoring four goals in each victory. Beck scored seven goals on the opening day, five of them coming as the leading scorer against CSU San Bernardino.

The No. 7 Lions now have two weeks off before the final three games of the regular season. LMU closes out the regular season with a three-game home stand starting on April 15 against UCLA. Compiled by John Wilkinson | Loyolan

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Sports

April 2, 2012 Page 11

Ian Walsh proves to be a motivation for surfers Red Bull from Page 12 got their wetsuits on and got in the chilly waters of El Porto, a small beach community in northern Manhattan Beach.

“The conditions were a little difficult today,” said Dashel Pierson, a junior humanities major on the surf team. “It was just cool to watch [Walsh]. He was super down to earth and super cool just kicking it with us and hanging out. He was definitely on another level, but I think we did ok.”

Walsh was friendly in his interaction with the studentathletes, talking as if they were friends of his own – not surprising, as Walsh is no stranger to working with kids and young adults.

“I’ve done a bunch of [events with youth],” said Walsh. “I actually just had a surf event on Maui with 150 kids two weeks ago. Each year I try to do at least couple, like I did one earlier this winter in December in Cuba with a bunch of kids there, and I’ve done one in Tokyo, one in Jamaica, one in Hawaii and a couple things here in California.”

Walsh’s rapport with the student surfers was visibly amicable and laid back, something a few students didn’t expect to find.

“We hung out with him for a little bit, and he was really friendly and great to hang out with,” said Shawn Grant, a junior political science major. “[It’s] nice because a lot of times professional surfers aren’t that humble. It was a

good experience. He taught me that you always have to go even if it looks like you’re going to go over the falls and

take a beating. You just go for it.”

“I definitely enjoy surfing with all these guys and hear-

ing their questions, concerns and what they’re trying to pinpoint to help build on their surfing,” said Walsh. “It re-

Ricky Lesser

Twenty-eight-year-old professional big-wave surfer Ian Walsh (above) demonstrates in the water for the 14 surfers (five from LMU) in attendance at Saturday’s Red Bull Tune Up at El Porto Beach.

juvenates me. I’ve been surfing my whole life and to be around them and see how happy they are and how psyched they are, it really brings me back to when I was younger and makes me have that same feeling.”

Throughout the day Red Bull photographers and videographers captured the event, photographing Walsh and the student-athletes in and out of the water. At the end of the day, Walsh was impressed with the students’ ability in the water and only gave minor critiques.

“LMU’s definitely got some talented surfers under their belt,” Walsh said. “All these guys are ripping so it was really tiny adjustments that they were asking about. A couple of them were asking about backside tube riding technique ... but if you just turn it and tilt it so both your shoulders are square, then you’ll stay higher on the face of the wave and come out of the barrel. Tiny little stuff like that.”

Each student-athlete that attended received a T-shirt, a box which contained surf wax, a comb and a beanie. In addition, they had their breakfast and parking paid for.

“Red Bull is killing it, it’s been a blast,” said Ryan Miller, a senior marketing major. “[Riding with Walsh] was like riding with anybody else, with one of your buddies, you know? Just having a good time with you, chatting it up, giving you a few pointers here and there. It was mellow.”

Lions 1-1 in WCC M. Tennis from Page 12

The win Friday served as a much needed morale booster, as LMU tennis had been struggling throughout the past few weeks. “The last few matches have showed that we still have some work to do,” said Van Kann. “We came out today and played very well, which shows that we can play well in conference.”

The Lions continued to play well Saturday, but the dominance of Santa Clara was too overwhelming.

The Broncos, who came in ranked No. 31 in the country, have swept nine of their 16 opponents this season.

“If we’re playing well, we can compete with all of them,” said Sceney. “But if we have an off day, we can’t.”

Coming in as underdogs was one thing for LMU, but adding to the disadvantage were injuries to Bjerke and sophomore Sebastian Bustamante, two of the team’s strongest

players. Competing in matches on back-to-back days for most March weekends finally took a major toll on the Lions, as Bjerke and Bustamante were both extremely sore Saturday. Bustamante (shoulder) was not able compete in his singles match against Santa Clara, while Bjerke (hip) lost 6-1, 6-3 to an opponent he easily defeated last year.

“It made singles a little harder without those two guys at their best, but we just weren’t good enough to win today,” said Sceney.

The lone singles point for the Lions on Saturday was courtesy of Volmari, who won 6-4, 6-4 at the third singles position. “We have to be aware of what we’re trying to do and stick with our game plan throughout the day,” said Sceney.

“That’s our best chance of winning.”

Including a January loss to Pepperdine, the Lions move to 1-2 in conference. Their next match will be at home against UC Irvine on April 5.

Devin Sixt | Loyolan

Despite a 1-1 match play finish,freshman Todd Volmari won both his singles matches,defeating his USF opponent (2-6,6-0,6-1) and Santa Clara (6-4,6-2).

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Lion S ports Surfers tackle Saturday swells

April 2, 2012 Page 12

Talent overrides experience Led by a trio of freshmen, the Wildcats are the favorite team in the 2012 National Championship.

N

o – the University of Kentucky (UK) Wildcats couldn’t beat the NBA’s bottom-dwelling Charlotte Bobcats if the two teams matched up, but they’d still keep the score pretty damn close. Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari is one win away from once again holding the all-time record for total wins in a single NCAA season and freshman phenomenon forward Anthony Davis has locked down every major ‘player of Two Plus the Foul the year’ award, winning it all just seems

By Michael Goldsholl to be the next step for Managing Editor the Wildcats.

While I have personally wavered back and forth on whether Kentucky was national championship material, their last few contests have all but proven they are cut out for basketball immortality. Their age – an entire starting lineup comprised of three freshmen and two sophomores – seemed to be the biggest deterrent. As unequivocal talent might be enough to pile on the wins in college basketball, the five previous NCAA championship-winning teams have all been comprised of experienced players, and I felt the outcome wouldn’t be any different this year.

And even though the Wildcats are pitted against a greatly seasoned group of University of Kansas student-athletes, UK’s core is more than just a wealth of talent and future one-and-done players – it’s a team of disciplined and serious hoopers who seem to actually care about cutting the nets down in New Orleans rather than signing their first shoe contract.

With experience in mind, Kansas’ “veterans” – despite being predominantly juniors and seniors – appear even less disciplined than Kentucky’s starting five, which doesn’t have a player over 20 years old in its first five. Along with Davis, freshman forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is another player who is primed for the NBA, yet is proving to be wise beyond his years. He’s become one of Kentucky’s strongest leaders and from the season’s first game to its finale tonight, he’s stepped up in big situations and sacrificed his numbers at other times, for the betterment of the team.

Kentucky seemed to almost let up the intensity when they blew a second-half lead to University of Louisville in the Final Four, but they held on for an eight-point win – led

by Davis’ historic 18-point, 14-rebound and five-block performance.

While former LMU Lion Kevin Young (this column would be a failure without giving KY a shoutout) will be suiting up (and likely contributing key minutes) for Kansas – even that won’t be enough put the Jayhawks over the edge.

Ultimately, I’m hesitant to pick Kentucky because, one, everyone is picking them to win; and two, Calipari’s karma for illicit recruiting practices will surely catch up with him. But after watching their most recent performances, they just don’t seem beatable. Davis is going to redefine the power forward position once he gets to the NBA, but before that, he’s going to be the first freshman since Carmelo Anthony in 2003 to lead his school to a National Championship.

In the end, Kentucky will win a nail-biter over the Jayhawks and Calipari will avenge his 2008 National Championship loss to Kansas Head Coach Bill Self.

Prediction: Wildcats win a high-scoring battle, 80-74, with Anthony Davis being named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.

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

Ricky Lesser

Five members of the LMU surfing team join nine other surfers for the Red Bull Tune Up at El Porto Beach. Joining the 14 students is professional surfer Ian Walsh (second from right), who answers questions and held a surf session in the water.

SPORTS FEATURE

Red Bull treats students to day of surfing and a question and answer with pro surfer Ian Walsh.

By Nick Kemalyan Staff Writer Despite the lack of warm California sun, Loyola Marymount’s surf team made the best of a cold and wet Saturday morning, shredding sets with big wave surfer Ian Walsh at the Red Bull Tune Up at El Porto

Beach.

Walsh is a 28-year-old big-wave surfer from Maui who most notably rode Jaws, one of the biggest breaks off Maui’s North Shore. On Saturday he, along with Red Bull, met with 14 surfers, five from LMU, to talk surfing.

“It was fun, I was stoked to surf with all the kids,” said Walsh. “We did a lot of talking, cruising, found a couple good waves. We got pretty lucky for surf today with a solid three to four feet and a good little direction of it that made the walls good.”

The day kicked off with Walsh talking a little about himself and his

background before opening it up to a question and answer session with the surfers present.

Their questions ranged from what it’s like to surf Maui and the big waves of Jaws to the training Walsh takes part in to prepare himself to ride 80-foot waves.

“I always saw him surf really big waves and I’ve looked up to the things he’s done,” said Zach Porteous, a freshman business major at LMU. “It was really cool to be out there, see him surf and talk to him.”

After the question and answer session finished, the student-athletes

See Red Bull | Page 11

Lions return to winning ways Behind three quality starts, the baseball team improves to 3-0 in the West Coast Conference.

By Dan Raffety Asst. Sports Editor The Lions outlasted the St. Mary’s College Gaels on Sunday, giving them a home sweep over West Coast Conference (WCC) foe to begin 2012 conference play. Excellent pitching by all three starters and a lively offense that manufactured base runners contributed to the wins, despite two nerve-racking finishes.

The Lions led 5-1 heading into the ninth inning with only three outs to go before securing

See Baseball | Page 10

Abbey Nelson | Loyolan

Senior starting pitcher John Lally pitched seven innings in Sunday’s 5-3 victory, giving up four hits, one earned run and striking out four St. Mary’s College batters.

Men’s tennis wins one of two The Lions take a 4-3 victory over the Dons into Saturday, dropping to No. 31 Santa Clara, 6-1.

By Ray Ferrari Staff Writer After two months of non-conference play, LMU returned to West Coast Conference (WCC) competition at home this weekend, defeating the University of San Francisco (4-3) Friday before falling to Santa Clara University (1-6) Saturday.

Earlier in the week, the Lions were swept 7-0 by No. 5 UCLA, which added to what be-

came a three-match losing streak. However, LMU was able to get back to form Friday to win their first conference match of the season.

After easily winning the doubles point, the Lions and USF Dons competed for six singles matches, which resulted in a close 4-3 victory for LMU. Junior Nicholas Bjerke won 6-1, 6-4 as the second seed, freshman Todd Volmari won 2-6, 6-0, 6-1 as the fourth seed, and freshman Felix Van Kann won 6-1, 6-1 as the fifth seed.

Van Kann acknowledged that the team did not forget about the loss at the hands of the Dons a season ago. “Because we lost to them last year, we all put special effort into it today,” said Van Kann.

Van Kann was the first to finish his doubles

match as well as his singles match, helping the team to two points. “Personally, it was one of my best overall days of the year,” said Van Kann. “I put some extra concentration into the match today.”

After dropping his first set 2-6, Volmari turned things around to beat his opponent 6-0, 6-1 in the final two sets to win the match in three. “He played really well in the first set and wasn’t missing much,” Volmari said.

Head Coach Brad Sceney helped him make some mid-match adjustments. “A few words from my coach telling me to hit it a bit more high and heavy and cut down my unforced errors helped a lot,” Volmari said.

See M. Tennis | Page 11