ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED 1921 1921 April 27, 25, 2012 2013 September Volume Volume91, 91,Issue Issue43 7
www.laloyolan.com Your Home. Your Voice. Your News. loyola marymount university
Florer throws historic no-hitter SPORTS FEATURE LMU pitcher Matt Florer threw the program’s second no-hitter ever on Tuesday. By Dan Raffety Managing Editor
Senior pitcher Matt Florer defines what it means to be a leader. Not only did the left-handed pitcher throw the second no-hitter in LMU history on Tuesday against CSU Northridge (CSUN) in a 5-0 Lion victory, but his enthusiastic and passionate personality has been a catalyst for the club all season and throughout his career. Florer ’s coaches have used him minimally this season, typically in relief efforts, and when he did start, it was in a “committee by relief” situation in which he would throw two innings to begin the game before handing the ball over to the bullpen. Simply put, although a great guy in the clubhouse, Florer did not receive much time on the mound. The trend was set to continue in yesterday’s ballgame against the Matadors with Florer getting the start, expected to pitch through a few
See No-hitter | Page 15 Loyolan Archives
Undies Run phenomenon comes to LMU LMU Confessions is sponsoring the first LMU Undies Run after receiving five requests on its page. By Casey Kidwell Asst. News Editor
On your mark, get set, take off your clothes! While these may not be the words chanted on Wednesday, May 1 at 10 p.m. at Regents Terrace, that they
will be the rules of the game at LMU’s first Undies Run, hosted by the popular Facebook page LMU Confessions. Students will arrive wearing as many or as few layers as they choose to take part in the run to U-Hall. The two anonymous sophomore female administrators of LMU Confessions say that whatever clothes students choose to wear should be appropriate for donating to charity. Upon arrival, LMU Confessions told
the Loyolan, students will remove their layers, which will be collected for donation. Then, according to Confessions, a mad dash to U-Hall will ensue, and students will disperse from there. The rules of this run are limited in that students are told to wear “asappropriate-as-you-can” underwear and donation-worthy clothes on top, according to LMU Confessions. However, sophomore theatre arts
major Heather Gottlieb, said that she plans to run in her birthday suit. Trevor Megill, a sophomore accounting major, said he likes Gottlieb’s idea but that he may spice it up a bit by donning a cheetah thong. While the undies run may seem like a chance for students to let it all hang out, it actually is an event held across the world with different names, in honor of a good cause. This year in
See Undies Run | Page 3
Construction of science building starts in summer Hannon Field will be used to store equipment next fall while a new science building is built. By Sonja Bistranin Asst. News Editor
One part of the LMU Master Plan will begin to bear fruit beginning in May 2013. A new life sciences building, summarized in the Master Plan, is set to be completed by the summer of 2015. Construction for the new building will involve Hannon Field, Seaver Hall parking lot and the front of Pereira Hall. The building’s construction will span from the Seaver Hall parking lot to what is currently the road between Seaver and Pereira. To compensate for a closing street, a
fence has been built on the west side of Pereira Hall to make the front of Pereira a temporary road. Hannon Field will also be used in the construction process. Tim Haworth, interim vice president of Facilities Management, told the Loyolan that he estimated 27,000 square feet of Hannon Field will be used. “Some materials will be dropped on the site, but since the site is so small for construction you have to have an additional area to handle it,” said Haworth. An email sent to students living in Hannon Apartments, McKay Hall and Tenderich Apartments for the 201314 academic year informed them that Hannon Field would be utilized for said construction in the coming term. The messaged stated, “If you are
:;9,::,+ 6<;& ;HRL ZVTL [PTL V\[ VM `V\Y I\Z` ZJOLK\SL [V LUQV` [OL 3V`VSHU»Z JHY[VVU WHNL
*VMMLL )YLHR 7HNL
See Construction | Page 4
Index
Leslie Irwin | Loyolan
ASLMU president takes oath at awards ceremony The annual Crimson and Blue Awards, hosted by ASLMU and Student Leadership, celebrated student-led organizations on Wednesday, April 24 in Roski Dining Room. At the ceremony, junior urban studies major Shawn Troedson was sworn in at the new ASLMU president. For the full list of awards, see Page 2.
Classifieds................................4 Opinion...................................5 Coffee Break...............................8 Bluff......................................9 A&E......................................10 Sports.......................................16 The next issue of the Loyolan will be printed on May 2, 2013.
THUR
FRI
63˚ - 56˚
64˚ - 58˚
SAT
SUN
69˚ - 59˚
69˚ - 59˚
:>,,; :(;09, 1\Z[ ILJH\ZL [OL JVU[LU[ VU V\Y )S\MM WHNL PZU»[ YLHS KVLZU»[ TLHU P[»Z UV[ LU[LY[HPUPUN
)S\MM 7HNL
NEWS
April 25, 2013 Page 2
UC searches for president NEWS ANALYSIS The UC system hopes to elect a well-liked president, like Burcham. By Carly Barnhill News Intern
Almost three years ago, LMU selected David W. Burcham as the new president of the University. Now, just as LMU did, the University of California (UC) system is searching for its new president. After serving five years as president of the UC system, Mark Yudof recently announced that he will retire in August of this year. Burcham was offered the position as LMU president in October 2010. Most of LMU students cannot look back at former president Robert B. Lawton for comparison, but many seniors can. Regardless, the LMU community can relate to the current situation of the UC system in its search for a president, and they have responded in different ways. Hannah Hauserman, junior management and human resources double major at LMU, was pleased with the installment of Burcham during her freshman year. “I thought it was cool to see a president who is so personable and relatable,” she said. “He is someone who I would like to sit down with and have a conversation with, and I think that shows the signs of
a good president who is doing his job of getting to know the students, especially when he walks around campus to see what we are doing.” The UC committee in charge of the search for the new president is most likely hoping for reactions similar to Hauserman’s about their choice for president. The UC system is made up of 10 different campuses in different locations: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz. Unlike Burcham, who only leads by example for one private university, the UC president must serve as a leader of the 10 UC campuses and oversee all policies of the UC system. Various UC students question whether the new president, when found, will affect their individual campuses and their college experiences. Marisa Weinberg, a freshman molecular environmental biology major at UC Berkeley, said she hopes that the new president will have a positive influence on the universities. “Although the UC system is so large, I think a new president’s rules and regulations will slowly trickle down to each campus and eventually to the students. I just hope that his or her impact is a positive one,” she said. A senior political science major at UC Santa Barbara, Jordan Camacho, touched on
the impact that the new UC system president will have at his school. “I think the new president will have some sort of effect on our school, but it also depends on other factors such as the economy and student organizations. I think we’ll see some change, but it will take more than just a new president to tackle the large issues here,” said Camacho. The UC system isn’t looking for its new president in hope for change, but students hope that the shift in presidency may alter certain UC policies. “Personally, for me as a student, I see most change coming from my own student government. They can act like an interest group, so that might help drive the new president’s policies to be more aligned with student opinion. I think the new guy should work with the UC student governments,” said Camacho. “If anything, I hope new leadership will put an end to the recent tuition increase,” added Weinberg. LMU sophomore mechanical engineering major Christopher Mitts had a similar idea to Weinberg, and also an optimistic one. “He made an influence when tuition and parking costs were raised,” Mitts said of Burcham. “I do think that a university president can be influential if he’s trying to change the direction of the school, but I think LMU is already on an upward swing.”
www.laloyolan.com
Crimson and Blue Award Winners
Cultural: Educational:
Na Kolea Lu’au To Write Love On Her Arms -JWJOH 4UPSJFT #FOFm U 4IPX
Philanthropic: All Greek sororities No Letters, Just Boxes
Service: Creare Service Organization 'SJHIU /JHIU
Social: APSA, BSU & LSU Present: FUSION
Social Justice: Delta Sigma Theta Impact Day
Spiritual: Marians Service Organization Breast Cancer and Domestic 7JPMFODF "XBSFOFTT .POUI 7JHJM
Heart of the Lion: Erik Nelsen, Caitlin Bardos, Shawn Rios, Larissa Sidarto Information compiled by Kevin O’Keeffe, editor in chief; Graphic: Stephanie Schiller | Loyolan
NEWS
www.laloyolan.com
April 25, 2013 Page 3
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bare because you careâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Undies Run from Page 1 February, Cupidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Undie Run took place in 17 locations nationally, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, to raise money for the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tumor Foundation. According to the Cupidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Undie Run website, the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tumor Foundation is an â&#x20AC;&#x153;organization dedicated to ending Neurofibromatosis (NF) through research. NF is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, causing blindness, deafness, learning disabilities and severe chronic pain.â&#x20AC;? As there is currently no cure for this genetic disorder, which affects one out of 3,000 births, the organization is in need of â&#x20AC;&#x153;new discovery,â&#x20AC;? according to the site. With this in mind, 100 percent of the proceeds from the Cupidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Undie Run go to the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Tumor Foundation. With new organizations and new spins on the Undie Run happening across the globe, it was only a matter of time before the trend hit LMU. After receiving about five requests from students on LMU Confessions, the Confessions team decided to make it happen, calling it LMU Undies Run. The official Undie Run website, where starter kits for schools interested in participating are offered, asks students to donate or fundraise $25 and be entered to win the prize package, which includes meeting Will Ferrell, being his special guest on the set of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anchorman 2â&#x20AC;? and being in an extra scene in the movie. All of the money raised by the official Undie Run participants across the nation is being given to Cancer for College, an
organization awarding college scholarships to cancer survivors, according to the Undie Run website. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These kids are heroes and deserve scholarships because beating cancer should be more like winning an Oscar,â&#x20AC;? the website says. However, while the overall Undie Run organization is in support of Cancer for College, other colleges such as LMU often support their own designated charities. LMUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specific charity has not been chosen yet. However, one thing is certain. Students are called by the official Undie Run website to â&#x20AC;&#x153;bare because you care,â&#x20AC;? with the run thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bringing â&#x20AC;&#x153;sexy backâ&#x20AC;? to college campuses nationwide. The LMU Undies Run will be held Wednesday, May 1 at 10 p.m. at Regents Terrace.
via Sarah Maclay
Maclay tells the Loyolan she often has difficulty choosing her favorite style of poetry. She says itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less a question of â&#x20AC;&#x153;whatâ&#x20AC;? than â&#x20AC;&#x153;how.â&#x20AC;?
11BURNING QUESTIONS
with a professor and published poet
This issue, staff writer Kimmy Smith sits down with English professor Sarah Maclay Other  Schools  Participating  In  Undie  Run to discuss her career and passion for poetry. 1. How did you get into teaching? It was not something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever thought of doing, and not something I Arizona  State  University  (ASU) thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be any good at, until a number of poetry workshop mates told me they were getting a lot out of my feedback and that I should be University  of  California  Irvine  (UCI) teaching.
Undie RUNS Arizona State University (ASU) University of California Irvine (UCI) University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) University of San Diego (USD) University of California San Diego (UCSD) University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB)
Information compiled by Allison Croley, News editor; Graphic: Mercedes Pericas | Loyolan
Like us on Facebook!
University  of  California  Los  Angeles  (UCLA) 2. Why English as a subject? University  of  California  Santa  Barbara  (UCSB) English is the department that happens to house my artistic obsessions, University  of  California  San  Diego  (UCSD) since for the most part, they emerge via the word â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but maybe literary arts would be more accurate, since many poems I love are translations University  of  San  Diego  (USD) from other languages, other places, other times. Putting something into language, English or otherwise, is itself an act of translation.
3. Can you share about your published poetry collections? The poems were inspired by love and angst, which I guess is pretty close to love and death. Fortunately, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much to say about death yet, but I do have much to say about loss. And its opposite. And the utter, dazzling strangeness of beauty â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in nature, in life. And, OK, the utter, dazzling beauty of the strange. 4. What is your favorite type of poetry to read and write? I never know what to make of this question. Certainly, subject is immaterial â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for me itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less a question of what than of how. If weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lucky, what we write is what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re discovering as we write it, and it has that freshness. 5. What is the process like with collaborative poetry? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of course different for any pair or group of collaborators â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for me, this grew out of doing a lot of readings and then trying braided readings with poet pals as a way to break up the standard back-Âto-Âback sets that are more common. This led to the idea that maybe alternating voices on the page, in a long manuscript, would also be fun to try, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing this with my poet pal Holaday Mason. 6. What is your best in-Âclass story? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to choose just one, but hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an example of something that touched everyone in the room: One of my very talented students shared a sestina heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d written â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a 39-Âline poem with intense repetition components â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at a celebration of best work. Everyone in the class made it into that sestina â&#x20AC;&#x201C; recognizably observed. 7. How has Los Angeles differed from your hometown in Montana? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with population density â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I grew up in a place that had about seven to 10 people per square mile, though there are more people there now. And of course there are a lot more people here. I could use a little more snow. 8. What is something most people do not know about you? Here are two: One, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also written about 40 songs, which I used to sing in coffeehouses and cafĂŠs and other spots. Two, I drove 4,000 miles last summer, solo, mainly through the forests and mostly uninhabited scenic byways, where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often possible to be the only car on the road. 9. Do you have any interesting hobbies? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just begun singing again. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also gotten into yoga in the last few years, and over the years have been involved with photography, drawing, GDQFH SHUIRUPDQFH DUW Ă&#x20AC;OP $OVR MRJJLQJ , OLNH WR NHHS D IHZ SODQWV DOLYH â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this currently means courtyard gardening. 10. What has been a memorable moment in your career? $IWHU VXEPLWWLQJ P\ Ă&#x20AC;UVW IXOO OHQJWK WR QDWLRQDO FRQWHVWV IRU DERXW HLJKW months, I got a call from [University] of Tampa on a Saturday morning in the spring of 2003 before even being fully dressed. It was Richard 0DWWKHZV WHOOLQJ PH ,¡G ZRQ WKH SRHWU\ SUL]H IRU P\ Ă&#x20AC;UVW IXOO OHQJWK collection, which meant publication in hardback and paper. 11. What is your favorite book? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sorry to disappoint you, but this is an impossible question. Why is it an impossible question? Because I keep reading.
To read the extended version of â&#x20AC;&#x153;11 Burning Questions,â&#x20AC;? visit the News section of laloyolan.com.
NEWS
April 25, 2013 Page 4
www.laloyolan.com
‘No concern for noise’ during construction
Construction from Page 1
choosing a room in the McKay Hall, Hannon Apartments, or Tenderich Apartments, please note that for the 2013 academic year, the Hannon Field will be used as a construction landing zone for the Seaver construction site.” Nan Miller, associate director for resident services, said that though there would be commotion, noise from construction activities should not affect students residing close to Hannon Field. “There is no concern for
noise after normal business hours. … Of course there will be some activity on Hannon Field, and at times there will be some noise during the day, but I really think the impact will be negligible,” said Miller. Haworth similarly said that the commotion on the field will be minimal. “The only thing that’s going on that field that you’ll notice are the construction trailers that will house the management team. … They’ll hold their meetings
in [the trailers]. There will be materials that are brought to the construction site. The tractors may be pulling in and out from time to time. ... But other than that, nothing is going to be constructed in that lot,” Haworth explained. Oscar King, a freshman English and philosophy double major living in Hannon next year, doesn’t think he will be affected by the noise. “I don’t usually study in my dorm and I’m a pretty deep sleeper, so unless the workers are going absolutely ballistic
Alcohol Violation Parking Lot C On April 21, an intoxicated student needed medical attention. The case has been referred to Judicial Affairs.
Alcohol Violation University Hall On April 20, two intoxicated students needed medical attention. The case has been referred to Judicial Affairs.
Drug Abuse Huesman Hall On April 20, a student surrendered alcohol and marijuana during a room search for an unrelated incident. The case has been referred to Judicial Affairs.
Burglary Hannon Apartments On April 18, a student reported credit cards missing from a room. The case is now closed.
Harassment Foley Annex On April 18, a student reported being followed and receiving unsolicited text messages. The case has been referred to Judicial Affairs.
CLASSIFIEDS
Employment
SUMMER DAY CAMP San Fernando and Conejo Val- leys. Counselors, instructors for horses, gym, arts & crafts, swimming, rock climbing, petting farm, music & drama and more. Make a difference this summer! www.workat- camp.com SUMMER JOBS: FUN & FRIENDS! Get paid to spend your summer playing out- doors! Enthusiastic, motivat- ed, and reliable Day Camp Staff & Swim Instructors needed for summer 2013. Vis- it www.pbcstaff.com
RATES 1-‐35 words: $10 36-‐50 words: $15 Additional words: $40
First line bolded: $1
For Rent ROOM FOR RENT Wonderful cottage near LMU available. All utilities included with cable TV. 1 bed/1 bath with a living area and kitchenette. Person must be a quiet con- servative and mature adult. No Smoking! $1000/month. Contact Donna at (310) 670- 2634
All bolded: $2 visit www.laloyolan.com
and select ‘Classifieds’ from the Advertising Tab to set up your account
TODAY!
FREE CLASSIFIEDS FOR ALL LMU CAMPUS CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS! FOR MORE INFORMATION EMAIL: free@theloyolan.com
Fraud Foley Annex On April 16, a lost and found bag contained two fake identifications. The case has been referred to Judicial Affairs.
out there, I doubt it will be a problem for me,” King said. Haworth said that the construction process will involve tractors, cranes and anywhere from 25-50 or more construction staff members, depending on the stage of the construction process. The new building, which will be located at what is now Seaver Science Hall’s parking lot, includes a green roof, an auditorium and a courtyard, according to LMU’s website. The building will also accommodate 24 teaching laboratories along
with 50 faculty and staff offices, according to a press release on LMU’s website.
Thank you for
READING
please recycle when finished!
OPINION Student Editorials and Perspectives
www.laloyolan.com
BOARD EDITORIAL
lmu
Board Editorials represent the voice of the Loyolan. They are written in collaboration by the Executive Editorial Board. Zaneta Pereira Managing Editor Michael Busse Copy Editor
Kevin O’Keeffe Editor in Chief Jenna Abdou Asst. Managing Editor
Dan Raffety Managing Editor Allie Heck Opinion Editor
Quantity of awards overshadows quality
H
ere in Los Angeles, awards season lasts from late winter to early spring, highlighting the renowned work of the rich and famous. But here on the bluff, LMU’s awards season has come and gone in under a week. From last week’s Student Service and Leadership Awards and the Academic Awards Convocation to yesterday’s Crimson & Blue Awards, it seems as though praise is being doled out left and right as the semester ends. Students are being recognized for their commitment to service, academic excellence and outstanding leadership, which is undoubtedly a good thing. Between studying for finals, planning to move out and figuring out summer plans, the end of the year can turn into a bit of a blur. It’s nice to take a moment and praise our students for their hard work. However, with cramped schedules and overcommitted lives, it’s often a struggle to make it to even one award ceremony, let alone all of them. The Loyolan appreciates commending students for a job well done, but feels that the number of people being recognized can take away from the prestige of an individual’s award, making even the most amazing accomplishments seem mundane. It seems as though the abundance of kudos translates into award inundation, and we don’t think that the students receiving honors should suffer as a result of being just another name on the list. While there will always be those whose
achievements make them deserving of repeated recognition, it’s also important that committees look beyond the obvious choices when selecting recipients. We love the idea of giving students credit where credit is due, but there are often many whose hard work and contributions go overlooked. Whether they are naturally retiring or prefer to abide by the Christian adage to “let not your left hand know what your right hand does,” those who work in a less visible manner deserve acknowledgment. On the whole, we do believe that award ceremonies are beneficial for the community. However, the Loyolan urges LMU to make some changes in the upcoming year. Spacing out award ceremonies would allow award recipients to receive the recognition they deserve in an unhurried fashion, and extensively advertising the events would prompt other students to attend. Award ceremonies should not cause a divide between those that inherently stand out and those that work behind the scenes; all students nearing the cusp of graduation are deserving of their diplomas and incorporating a wider variety of voices into the nomination process can bring to light those whose work is less openly visible. In essence, award ceremonies should instill a sense of camaraderie and pride in every student here, calling attention to incredible accomplishments while reminding us all that we are one among many smart, capable lions.
Loyolan Staff Kevin O’Keeffe Zaneta Pereira Dan Raffety Jenna Abdou Liana Bandziulis Nathan Dines Anna Escher Adrien Jarvis Brigette Scobas Allison Croley Sonja Bistranin Casey Kidwell Ali Swenson Carly Barnhill Tilly Rudolph Allie Heck Sierra Sands Jenny Yu Devin Feldman Christopher James Mary Grace Cerni Chelsea Chenelle Mary Carreon Kevin Cacabelos Sam Borsos Carlton Lew David Palomares Katherine Douthit Michael Busse Maddie Flager Ryan Johnson Kelly Kawaguchi Lucy Olson Kaitlin Perata KiMi Robinson Tyler Barnett Sydney Franz Mercedes Pericas Stephanie Schiller Gilles Meunier Jackson Turcotte Leslie Irwin Kevin Halladay-Glynn Matthew Balentine Kasey Eggert Edward Bramanti Kailey Strachan Eddie Estrada Harrison Geron Jennifer Bruner Michael Giuntini Charles Riley Genesis Contreras Sabrina Budhrani Callie Douthit Melissa Carver Ryanne Haymer
Editor in Chief Managing Editor Managing Editor Assistant Managing Editor Senior Editor Senior Editor Senior Editor Senior Editor Senior Editor News Editor Assistant News Editor Assistant News Editor Assistant News Editor News Intern News Intern Opinion Editor Assistant Opinion Editor Assistant Opinion Editor Opinion Intern A&E Editor Assistant A&E Editor Assistant A&E Editor A&E Intern Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor Sports Intern Copy Chief Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Designer Designer Designer Designer Design Intern Cartoon Editor Photo Editor Assistant Photo Editor Photo Intern Web Editor Assistant Web Editor Assistant Web Editor Web Intern Director of Business & Advertising Business Manager Assistant Business Manager Assistant Business Manager Ad Sales Representative Ad Sales Representative Ad Designer Office Assistant Receptionist
April 25, 2013 Page 5
Loyolan Editorial Policy The Los Angeles Loyolan, a studentrun campus organization, publishes a twice weekly newspaper for the greater LMU community. The first copy is free of charge. Additional copies are $1 each. Paid, mailed subscriptions can be purchased through the Business department. The Loyolan accepts unsolicited letters from students, faculty, staff and alumni, and press releases from oncampus and off-campus organizations, but cannot guarantee publication. The Loyolan reserves the right to edit or reject all submissions, including advertisements, articles or other contributions it deems objectionable. The Loyolan does not print consecutive articles by the same author that repeat/ refute the initial arguments. Opinions and ideas expressed in the Loyolan are those of individual authors, artists and student editors and are not those of Loyola Marymount University, its Board of Trustees, its student body or of newspaper advertisers. Board Editorials are unsigned and reflect the opinions of the Executive Editorial Board. Guest editorials are by invitation of the Executive Editorial Board and reflect the views of the author. All advertisements are subject to the current rates and policies in the most recent advertising rates and information materials.
Tom Nelson Director of Student Media
The Los Angeles Loyolan is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the California College Media Association.
O PINION Less is more: Trading up to Trader Joe’s
April 25, 2013 Page 6
www.laloyolan.com
I
t’s safe to say that I’ve made some fantastic decisions since coming to college. It’s also safe to say that I’ve made some pretty dumb mistakes. My choice of grocer fell under the latter up until recently. All of that changed when I went to Trader Joe’s for the first time. Make fun of me all you want, but shopping for groceries is What the Heck my stress By Allie Heck release – my most preOpinion Editor ferred mode of productive procrastination, if you will. After a long day running from St. Rob’s to U-Hall and grabbing subpar food along the way, there is nothing like marveling at the stocked shelves of a local supermarket to really calm me down. But up until recently, I was strolling the aisles of Ralph’s, Bristol Farms and Vons, unknowingly living the ultimate lie. This month I succumbed to my pestering friends and stopped by Trader Joe’s, only to find that it had everything I could ever want or need. Walking into the small store on Manchester Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard, I must say I was slightly underwhelmed. Compared to the competing megastores, Trader Joe’s has a tiny selection of goods –– and they’re proud of it. According to the April 23, 2010 CNN Money article “Inside the secret world of Trader Joe’s,” Trader Joe’s sells around 4,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs), while the average grocery store can carry up
to 50,000. Around 80 percent of Trader Joe’s goods bear their own label. For those of you who haven’t gone been to this grocery store heaven – hopefully a very small number – you might be a little taken aback at the lack of selection upon your preliminary visit presumably prompted by this article. But if you’re like me, it
turns out for the best. I often suffer from paralysis when presented with too many options, decisions or alternatives. Many big stores, like Whole Foods or Urban Outfitters, get me excited when I enter, but soon after I enter I am unable to choose between all of the wonderful things for the taking. Trader Joe’s seemingly limited selection
Jackson Turcotte | Loyolan
actually makes me want to buy more. And I know I’m not the only one, because Trader Joe’s is kicking butt. According to the aforementioned article, Trader Joe’s stores sell an estimated $1,750 per square foot, more than double that of Whole Foods’ supermarkets. While the small amount of products allows me to shop with
ease, there are so many other awesome things about it. When I wasn’t satisfied with the selection of grapefruits, one of the people on staff got me a whole new box from which to choose. I walked out of the store in shock, holding two bags full of delicious, fresh food that cost me – you might want to sit down for this – $26. I couldn’t contain my excitement. My eyes may or may not have started to water, but no worries, the friendly boy in the signature Trader Joe’s Hawaiian shirt ringing me up did not judge. While I might be in bliss, it’s not of the ignorant variety. I realize that Trader Joe’s has taken some hits regarding the extent of its fair trade practices and the validity of some of its signage in the store. But no one is perfect. Although I’m pretty sure Trader Joe’s comes mighty close. Honestly, the main downside of my Trader Joe’s discovery is the quickness and efficiency of shopping. I no longer wander the aisles of giant supermarkets for long periods of relaxation time only to walk out with Cosmic Brownies and glass Tupperware. This bittersweet advantage, however, is more than an even trade. So call it what you want – a coming to Trader Joe’s moment, an epiphany, magic – I have been converted. At my current rate, you will probably see me walking out the doors with a big smile on my face and ridiculous amounts of food in hand before the end of this year. Heck, based on how often I don Hawaiian shirts, I might just try to sneak my way into the Trader Joe’s family.
This is the opinion of Allie Heck, a freshman business major from Dallas, Texas. Please send comments to aheck@theloyolan.com.
www.laloyolan.com
OPINION
April 25, 2013 Page 7
Big Brother watching, learning jeopardized
I
t’s now normal, when raising an infant, for a mother to install a ‘baby cam’ in her child’s bedroom. This radio-powered spy device, sometimes guised as a teddy bear, other times bearing the overt form of a walkie-talkie, serves as a means for monitoring the child. The mother can’t be in the child’s room 24/7, but since the child B-Leigh Dat is too young, too callow and By Brian Leigh too fragile to be Staff Writer left alone, she can’t leave him or her totally unsupervised either. And given the reasons just listed – that infants are too young, too callow and too fragile to be left alone – it’s a practice that few oppose. The same, however, cannot be said about college students. This is why a new, Orwellian feature made available by CourseSmart, an e-textbook retailer, is so difficult to understand. According to the company’s website, this new technology is being used at nine universities across the nation; I’m just hoping that LMU does not follow suit. A veritable baby cam for 18- to 23-year-olds, CourseSmart’s new technology measures how extensively and how fastidiously a student engages with his or her classassigned readings. It compiles information, such as how long the student spends reading, how many pages he or she views and how many annotations he or she makes, then crunches all the data into a comprehensive “engagement score” to be used by the professor. In short, it’s a homework
assignment that watches you as you read it, and then tattles back to your teacher for a grade. Gone are the halcyon days where little Johnny came home and took notes in his textbook. Now his textbook takes notes on him. How much do I hate this new innovation? Let me count the ways. First and foremost, there’s the egregious violation of privacy. These are veritable spy cameras. In an interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education, CourseSmart executive Sean Devine concedes that he does “understand the Big Brother aspects of” his new technology, but insisted that it wasn’t creepy as long as “it helps you succeed.” Need I explain how dangerous that line of thought might be? Devine is entitling himself to play puppet master, proclaiming himself powerful enough to breach our privacy, all in the name of helping us down some subjective path of righteousness – as if he has all of our answers. Devine and his peers seem to praise their product as a revolution, some sort of divine panacea for decades of student apathy. But in practice, it’s not what he purports, a sham of what it claims, more fatuous than futuristic in its effect. In fact, one could easily argue that he’s created the opposite of his intended result – a newfangled way for slackers to circumvent academic engagement, not a method of deterring them. What do I mean? Simple. The engagement score computed by CourseSmart would, ostensibly, become some part of a student’s final grade. Whether it made up all of or part of one’s nebulous participation score, the data mined from CourseSmart would have some sort of tangible effect.
But while weighing the metric so heavily would inspire some to do their reading, it would also encourage others – many others – to look for ways to beat the system. And by God, does the system appear beatable. CourseSmart measures the amount of time I spend reading? Guess I’ll just open (and ignore) my PDF before tonight’s “Duck Dynasty” marathon. I find it hard to believe that a few clicks and arbitrary highlighting won’t get the job done. You didn’t read the book, you don’t talk in class, you tell the teacher you’re shy, you see no effect in your grade. But now? Students who engage in these behaviors might actually see an ironic uptick in their GPAs. CourseSmart isn’t finding a way to counteract scholastic apathy. It’s finding a way to reward it. I love LMU for so many reasons: It’s a healthy and happy community, and a place that, unlike my old school, genuinely concerns itself with my well-being. But if I have one major complaint – and one major reason for believing our school might eventually be interested in this sort of misguided technology – it’s the concept of ‘the bubble.’ Maybe as a freshman, the goal of college is to mold us into better students, and that requires a little bit of hand-holding. But past that initial chapter, the broadstroke goal of college is to mold us into better intellectuals. And intellectuals don’t read and learn and grow because they have to do it. They read and learn and grow because they want to. At least they should. Our first jobs outside these gates won’t have syllabi or voyeuristic textbooks available to help enlighten our path. We’re expected to be self-motivated and
Jackson Turcotte | Loyolan
independent as thinkers – skills we’re supposed to develop as an upshot of undergraduate learning. So, yes: I do understand where Devine and the folks at CourseSmart are coming from. They do have our genuine best interests at heart, and just like LMU, they just want to help us become better students. But at some point, we need to be given
room to breathe, room to grow, room to dictate our own course of action. And by age 18, it’s time to cut the cord, slip on your big-kid underwear and put the baby cam away. This is the opinion of Brian Leigh, a senior screenwriting major from Glen Head, N.Y. Please send comments to aheck@theloyolan.com.
April 25, 2013 Page 8
www.laloyolan.com
By Kristen Pileri, contributing cartoonist
Typical Shenanigans
A typical end statement at Toastmasters International club meetings.
Odd Turtle
By Jackson Turcotte, Cartoon editor
The mad inventor of the pogo stick.
Theories Unwind
By Coralie Eilers, contributing cartoonist
“I‘m sorry, but your heart actually grew ‘two sizes too big’ from coronary heart disease ... not the Christmas spirit.”
www.laloyolan.com
The Bluff
April 25, 2013 Page 9
All content on this page is fictional. And no, Amanda Bynes does not go here.
‘Senioritis’ recognized as public health concern Student Health Center officially recognizes condition for seniors. By Diamond Ruff Staff Pledge
“The fast approaching graduation deadline for the class of 2013 may lead to a lifetime of laziness for graduating seniors,” said Barbara Wataever on the crisis facing LMU’s Student Health Center. This past week, the health center began officially diagnosing several outgoing seniors and some juniors with a severe disease called senioritis. Senioritis is not yet recognized by the Surgeon General as a legitimate illness, but many argue this is because the paperwork keeps getting put off. The reality and severity of senioritis is very dire, and has led the Student Health Center to confidently begin diagnosing and treating students for the disease, despite not being cleared by the FDA. “Of course. I went to medical school. I’m a real doctor and everything. Do you want to see my card? It says I’m a real doctor. That means I can diagnose people with diseases. What do you know? You’re just a reporter,” said Dr. Bradley Brach of the Student Health Center when asked if he thinks the health center has the medical authority to diagnose students with an unrecognized disease. The student health center is reportedly prescribing Ibuprofen and rest, in addition to “maybe putting some ice on it” for the treatment of senioritis.
Every senior who received a doctor’s note for missing class
Student Health Services officially acknowledges “senioritis “ as a condition affecting seniors who are completely over class and other obligations. Also strongly suggested – but not necessary – are vodka Red Bulls, Adderall, half-finished introduction paragraphs, Monday night century pong tournaments and 12-hour shifts browsing Reddit’s /r/aww. “I went in to visit the health center at the beginning of the semester. I received a call about my senioritis and was urged to return for a follow-up. I never went in. I just didn’t feel like it,” said senior philosophy major Letsa Slack. Between thoughts about how she hasn’t even started her senior thesis and how hard she is going to party this Tuesday, Slack continued, “I just don’t care. I looked it up on WebMD, and it said I still have a 15 percent chance of getting a job after graduation if I don’t seek treatment. I’m optimistic.” No cure for senioritis has
been discovered, but Brach says he is not giving up. “Senioritis is viciously contagious,” continued Brach. “We had a junior come in last week who required treatment. He allegedly lives with some seniors. It’s getting out of hand.” The numbers on the disease’s mortality rate are unclear, but so far one student has died from malnutrition and two students are reportedly suffering from bed sores, all allegedly side effects of severe senioritis. “I was told I needed to change my ways, and they gave me a follow-up appointment time,” said senior engineering major Justin Lait. “But it was too early, like 3 p.m. or something ridiculous like that, and I overslept. I didn’t feel like rescheduling so I just ignored it. I’m too busy anyway. This senior thesis isn’t going to not write itself.”
David W. Burcham’s Twitter feed
LMU still undefeated on the gridiron LMU adds a football program – a women’s football program. By Prince James
Ruler of the LOY Kingdom
Thanks to Title IX, LMU has gotten what it has always wanted: a Division I football team. The Lady Lions, LMU’s first all-female football team, is concluding its first season and has done extremely well, finishing first in the NCAA. While much has been made, especially after last year ’s Centennial celebrations, of the fact that LMU has not played host to a football program, a group of concerned students found a solution to increase interest in women’s sports and give LMU the football team it has always wanted. The Female Football Athletes (FFA, not to be confused with Future Farmers of America) took root at LMU, staging protests by blocking the entrance to the gym wearing helmets over their heads. Administrators took notice, especially as delivery men were kept from delivering new treadmills. Within two weeks, the Lady Lions were ready to play. “We strive for excellence in all of our athletic programs,” said Athletic Director Dr. William Husak. “The other
NCAA
With a cry to get Lion football back, the LMU athletic department responded to the LMU community by adding a women’s football program. Although the team has gained success, no one knows the season ever started. five teams in the national what arena they choose to meet a lot of great girls and conference are all made up of pursue their rights in,” said play some football, my second tough, independent, athletic sophomore psychology major love. Right before acting and women, and I’m happy with Britta Perry, the linebacker right after building a fashfor the Riveters. ion empire,” said junior comhow our Lady Lions played.” The plucky Lady Lions drew munications major and new Indeed, LMU was fortunate to unseat the Mount Holyoke upon all groups throughout ASLMU Chair of NeighborRiveters, who had consistent- LMU to form a well-rounded hood Relations and Parking ly won the national confer- and diverse team. From so- Amanda Bynes. “Many people rorities, service organiza- on campus weren’t sure if I ence for the past four years. “We do not like to take a tions, other women’s sports was a student or just hanging competitive stance with our and ASLMU, all avenues and out, but I wanted to put down sports. Our goal as the Riv- groups within LMU are rep- some roots and let them know I’m here to stay.” eters is to nurture women in resented in the Lady Lions. “I just wanted to have fun, Bynes, the team quartertheir endeavors, no matter
back, sported her custom bedazzled shoulder-pads and helmet to the interview, In keeping with LMU’s tradition of reaching excellence in interesting ways, the Lady Lions rose to number one without scoring one touchdown the entire season. In fact, all points have been made off of field goals. “With our baseball team not scoring home runs and our women’s football team not scoring touchdowns, we are practicing a new form of coaching where we take the long road to winning,” said Husak. “It’s not about the pomp and circumstance of the big moves but making a lot of little moves to silently take the lead and win the division.” While turnout for the Lady Lions home games was a bit sparse, team members hope that next season will bring greater number of spectators to the football field that will replace Drollinger Parking Plaza. “We are planning a lot of great new plays and want to defend our national title,” said former LMU women’s basketball player and alltime rebounder Alex Cowling, who also set the national record for most running yards in the league. “Lady Lions will always be the one thing that made me most proud during my years at LMU.”
*The Bluff is a humorous/satirical section published in the Loyolan. All quotes attributed to real campus figures are completely fabricated; persons otherwise mentioned are completely fictional. The content on this page is the work of A&E Editor Christopher James, Opinion Intern Devin Feldman, Asst. A&E Editor Mary Grace Cerni and Designer Tyler Barnett. Photos are from Loyolan Archives.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Film, Literature, Music, Restaurants and Theatre
April 25, 2013 Page 10
www.laloyolan.com
Leslie Irwin | Loyolan
Dance Department’s spring concert showcases a year of hard work by student choreographers
With student dancers performing graceful moves and complex contortions, it’s no wonder the student spring concert is called “Elasticity.” The LMU Dance Department kicked off its four-night recital engagement on Wednesday, April 24, in the Strub Theatre. The event features student choreography in a multitude of disciplines from modern to ballet and will run until Saturday, April 27, showing promptly at 8 p.m. each night. Patrick Damon Rago, professor of dance and co-chair of the department, said of the event, “The LMU community needs to know that dance is a vital and important presence, not just at LMU, but in the local and global community as well. “ Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through Central Ticketing Agency at (310) 338-7588. –Chelsea Chenelle, asst. A&E editor
World Music concert takes students on a journey of cultural sounds
Traveling to the other side of the globe may be expensive, but this weekend the other side of the world is coming to LMU.The Department of Music is hosting a World Music concert on Sunday, April 28, at 3 p.m., celebrating the sounds of Indonesia and West Africa. The World Music concert will feature a collaboration with critically acclaimed sitar artist Paul Livingstone, a longtime student of Pt. Ravi Shankar, world famous sitarist. Music plays a major part of the production on Sunday, but authentic dances from Indonesia and West Africa will be showcased as well. The last of these, however, is invitational, welcoming attendees to join in on the dancing.General admission to the concert is $10 and $5 for students and seniors. –Mary Carreon, A&E intern
Kevin Halladay-Glynn | Loyolan
www.laloyolan.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Professor releases new movie about famed killer
Faculty Spotlight By Christopher James A&E Editor
April 25, 2013 Page 11
Check out the answers at laloyolan.com.
I
tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not every day you see Oscar nominees and Captain America performing your written word. However, LMU School of Film and Television Lecturer Morgan Land is experiencing that as the film he wrote, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Iceman,â&#x20AC;? hits theaters on May 3. The film, starring Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, James Franco and Ray Liotta, tracks the career of Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer in the mob during the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s. The Loyolan sat down with Land to talk about his start in the film industry, writing â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Icemanâ&#x20AC;? and advice for students looking to get into screenwriting. Christopher James (CJ): How did you become a screenwriter? Morgan Land (ML): Ariel Vromen [the director and cowriter of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Icemanâ&#x20AC;?] and I went to the L.A. Film School together and met on the first day. ... After we graduated, he came to me and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Listen, I have this idea for a movie.â&#x20AC;? I wrote [the film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rxâ&#x20AC;?] with him and we got it made right away in 2005. ... It was an opportunity for me to see how my writing translates to the big screen. It is a rare opportunity for writers and one I feel very blessed to have. CJ: What do you hope audiences will take from â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Iceman?â&#x20AC;? ML: I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a meditation on the study of a certain kind of person a lot of people feel comfortable exploring. I think Richard Kuklinski personifies something about the human condition that is worth asking questions about. How does one person compartmentalize incredible violence and murder with genuine love and affection for his family? It was something he struggled with as well. This kind of duality in the human condition is something that begs to be dis-
Morgan Land; Millennium Films
School of Film and Television Lecturer Morgan Land wrote the upcoming thriller â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Iceman,â&#x20AC;? which opens in theaters May 3. cussed: how we find ourselves playing different roles within society and within ourselves. Oftentimes, a lot of human strife and suffering [is] about how we reconcile roles. This is something I explored as a drama therapist, and it was something I brought into this piece. CJ: What was the most rewarding part of writing â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Icemanâ&#x20AC;?? ML: To have an actor the caliber of Michael Shannon bring life to my words. It is almost like writing music to have Frank Sinatra sing your song and you get to experience your song in a way that you could never have imagined when you created it. Michael Shannon brings such a complexity to the words that I never imagined. I think Michael Shannon is one of the greatest living artists working today, and I think people are going to find that out this year after â&#x20AC;&#x153;Man of Steelâ&#x20AC;? and hopefully after â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Iceman.â&#x20AC;? CJ: Who are some of your film role models or inspirations? ML: I always thought I would write movies I would want to go see and I am very interested in darker character studies. [I watch] early Martin Scorsese and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Apocalypse
Nowâ&#x20AC;? over and over again. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a big fan [of Paul Thomas] Andersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work now. Those are the kinds of things I watch, as I watch movies when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m writing. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of my process. I watch a movie a day as Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m writing in and out until I feel Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in the right mindset. I watch Stanley Kubrick, [who was] definitely a huge influence on this particular film for me. CJ: What is your advice for students hoping to become screenwriters? ML: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid of failing. It is a process of failing. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect to be successful right away. Realize it is a lifetime commitment. Realize that you constantly have to learn. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing it for 10 years now and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m constantly learning. If you stop learning, you will stop being good. In my honest opinion, directing is very difficult. You need a specific skill set, but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t compare to writing. Writing is much, much, much more difficult. Give yourself that respect and honor to know how difficult this process is. For an extended version of this interview, visit laloyolan.com.
Graphic: Sydney Franz | Loyolan
April 25, 2013 Page 12
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
www.laloyolan.com
Treat people like you would fictional characters W
hy do we root for unlikable characters to succeed on TV? The reason shows like “Mad Men” or “Breaking Bad” become such addictions is because their characters are far from perfect. When I turn on my TV (or open my laptop), I want to see Don Draper and his Italian mistress or Walter Chris Culture White cooking By Christopher up meth, not Jay Pritchett James and the rest A&E Editor of the “Modern Family” teaching me a life lesson. No matter how hardened humans may be, we constantly strive for empathy. Watching Hannah’s struggle with life on “Girls” is engrossing because we hope that if she can find her way, we can as well. When we see Jackie struggling for sobriety after a horrible prescription drug addiction on “Nurse Jackie,” we pray that we can rid ourselves of our own – hopefully much less lethal – vices. For all the empathy we show these callous and damaged television characters, why are we so reluctant to do so for our fellow human beings, both in our daily lives and in pop culture? All you have to do is turn on TMZ to see the way we treat both the big and little guys badly. We even have trouble treating the workers at LMU with the basic proper respect, as argued by Asst. Opinion Editor Jennifer Yu in the Loyolan’s April 15 article “Appreciating LMU Workers.” It’s OK to revere a serial killer like “Dexter” but is it too
Photos: HBO, Showtime, AMC, TBS, FX; Graphic: Tyler Barnett | Loyolan
Unlikable protagonists are plaguing our favorite shows and, for James, it couldn’t be better.While audiences empathize with adulterers, murderers and drug dealers on television, being civil towards and forgiving not just the celebrities that inhabit these characters, but to ordinary people in general is problematic. hard to look the person in the eye who is ringing up food for you at the Lair? While it may seem appropriate to pick on perennial screwups like Lindsay Lohan or cut down those in the spotlight when they make an admittedly huge mistake, such as Reese Witherspoon’s recent arest, what gives us, as humans who also make mistakes, the right? Even Anne Hathaway is the face of public scorn because she is peppy and over-ambitious. The old justification that it’s because of fame just doesn’t cut it. Don Draper is rich, has his own successful business and is married to a woman as gorgeous as Megan. Yet, people still root for the guy, no matter with whom he is jumping into bed. Take for example my lovable
mother, who texts me day in and day out about “Mad Men.” To quote one telling text, “Don Draper loves his Italian Mistress!! Can’t believe I love it!!! [insert wine and heart emojis].” We let our id fly in fiction so we can continue living our lives. While watching flawed people trying to be good makes sense as an enjoyable pastime, how do we explain rooting for bad people to be bad? Walter White is everyone’s favorite “Breaking Bad” character, but the show rests on the desire of the audience for him to cook meth. Even worse, the final eight episodes left us with a protagonist who no longer is in the drug business to help pay for his cancer treatment and new baby, but for the greed and power it brings the chemistry teacher.
In this case, TV acts as wishfulfillment, the thrill to take control over our lives, no matter who stands in our path. Perhaps that explains how we can relish the flaws in our favorite television protagonists and yet be so rudely critical of the flaws in those around us. We like to see people trying to do right by themselves and not worry about how others perceive them. Yet, college is a growing experience for us as people, especially freshman year when we live in a hall full of new people with only a thin nonsoundproof wall as privacy. Most of us complain and moan about whatever pet peeve our roommate has, overhear people walking down Alumni Mall talking behind their friend’s back and come home to passive aggressive notes re-
garding dirty dishes. We have lost the ability to be empathetic, kind and direct with others, yet we accept our favorite TV characters, warts and all. While it is great to watch flawed people, to identify with and get engrossed in their problems, the fact is we can’t bring their problems in our life. Rather than criticize our fellow people for little things or get angry at the petty reasons, we should take this newfound narcissism and find ways to better ourselves, starting with showing the same empathy we show to fictional characters to our LMU community. This is the opinion of Christopher James, a junior screenwriting and marketing double major from Lodi, Calif. Please send comments to cjames@theloyolan.com.
www.laloyolan.com
SPORTS ALUMNI
April 25, 2013 Page 13
Walter reflects on success Scott Walter looks back at the LMU baseball team that won three titles. By Dan Raffety Managing Editor
When one thinks of LMU sports success, one most likely thinks of the 1990 menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball season, headlined by Hank Gathers, Bo Kimble and Jeff Fryer. But seldom do people think of the three straight West Coast Conference (WCC) championships and postseason appearances by the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baseball team from 1998-2000, including a 40-19 record and a postseason win in 2000. That team finished No. 31 in the nation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thought we could beat anybody,â&#x20AC;? said Benny Bonilla, pitcher for the club and current director of baseball operations on the 2013 team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We legitimately thought we could beat anyone in the country.â&#x20AC;? One of the reasons for the success was the combination of players that Head Coach Frank Cruz recruited and developed in the Lions baseball program. Cruz ended his career with 329 victories for the Lions over a 12year span. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coach Cruz did a very good job of bringing in recruiting classes at that time that really gelled together,â&#x20AC;? said catcher Scott Walter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had a talented group of players, but we also got along, on and off the field. We lived together, hung out with each other and had each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back at all times.â&#x20AC;?
The Lions made it to the postseason in 1998, where they were the No. 6 seed. They defeated topseeded Stanford University before falling to CSU Long Beach and the University of Alabama to end the season. The next year brought more success for the club, as it again won the conference and made it to the postseason, this time as the No. 4 seed. The club, however, lost the first two games of the tournament. The best season was in 2000. With the turn of the millennium, the Lions were a force to be reckoned with, having a unique combination of a powerful lineup and conference All-Americans as pitchers. Pitcher Billy Traber was selected as a first team WCC All-American in 1999 and a second team All-American in 2000. Walter was selected to the AllFreshman team in 1998. Bonilla, who returned to LMU after an assistant coaching job at San Diego State University last season, described his time at LMU as a player on the WCC championship teams. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were a bunch of big bad men who loved each other and the game,â&#x20AC;? said Bonilla. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had a following and we thought we were going to win every game. In 2000, we were stuck to the Fullerton Regional and we were all in the top 10 in the nation. I pitch here or there, and we could have gone farther, but it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The strength of our teams during that time, especially in 2000, was our starting pitching, with Traber, Bonilla and Mike Schultz. Chris
Scott Walter
Scott Walter won WCC All-Freshman Team in 1998 and was on the team in all WCC championship seasons from 1998-2000.
Gray and Brian Felten were valuable guys out of the pen,â&#x20AC;? said Walter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We could also really hit. I think we had one starter who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hit over .300 and we hit a collective .330 as a team with 80-plus home runs. There was no one to pitch around. If it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Anthony Angel, Jason Aspito or Kris Zacuto, it was Jeff Walker, Dave Maffei or Rob Hirsh that would hurt you. Our lineup was pretty scary.â&#x20AC;? Walter was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award as a junior, an honor that recognizes the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best Division I catcher. He played in the Cape Cod Summer League. A career .356 hitter, Walter still ranks in the top 10 in the LMU record book in six offensive categories, including 36 career home runs in only three seasons of play. Walter was drafted in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Kansas City Royals after his junior season in the third round. He played six professional seasons in the Royals organization. Following his professional career, Walter returned to Loyola High School as a coach for his Lion teammate, Brian Felten. His 2007 Loyola High School baseball team won the Division III title. He also returned to the Cape Cod League as an assistant coach with the Orleans Cardinals, now the Firebrids. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it says something about our team that several of us are still in the game,â&#x20AC;? said Walter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At one point, there was about 10 guys who were still in the game of baseball, whether it be coaching or scouting.â&#x20AC;? Walter still keeps in contact with the team, attends games and is still a part of LMU baseball culture. Walter came back to LMU in 2007 to coach the team for three seasons after he received his masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s club seems to be right in the mix for the WCC title,â&#x20AC;? said Walter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There appears to be a lot of parity this year in the conference.â&#x20AC;? When asked if he thought his team could win the conference in reference to the three-straight titles, senior pitcher Matt Florer said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without a doubt I think we can. I know the caliber of teams that have won our conference in the past and our team has what it takes. It will be a fun ride, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to know the history of the program and repeat the successes of the past.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;LMU is a special place for me because of family-oriented environment and tradition. I have personally had several family members attend LMU,â&#x20AC;? said Walter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My grandfather, Hugh Boyle, is in the [LMU Athletics] Hall of Fame as a baseball/basketball player. My father and older brother played basketball and soccer at LMU, respectively. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a small school, so that always brings the students closer together.â&#x20AC;?
Associated Press
From the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading scorer to running 44 for Life, Bo Kimble (above) is returning to basketball in the hopes of coaching a Division I college team.
3 SPORTS QUESTIONS with LMU legend Bo Kimble
This issue, Senior Editor Nathan Dines talks with LMU alum and basketball great Bo Kimble about life before and after LMU and his best friend, Hank Gathers.
&DQ \RX WKLQN RI D GHĂ&#x20AC;QLQJ PRPHQW DV D \RXQJ NLG ZKHQ \RX NQHZ DOO \RX ZDQWHG ZDV WR EH D EDVNHWEDOO SOD\HU" A couple of things jump out at me. One, I played so much from age 10 to 18 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; literally 12 hours or more every day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so by the time I was about 14, I just knew that I was unstoppable. And that only happened because every day from when I was 10, I was playing against grown men. ... By 14, I was able to hold my own against everybody in my neighborhood, in the city, outside of the state. ... Then one day I was 14 and I was watching college basketball on ABC on Saturday, and I was watching those guys dunk and shoot threes, and I was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I can do this. How cool is it to see these people on TV in college playing EDVNHWEDOO"¡ $QG WKDW ZDV P\ Ă&#x20AC;UVW YLVXDOL]DWLRQ RI Âś, ZDQW WR JR WR FROOHJH ¡ Other than that, I played basketball for fun and was better than most people because of the time I put in, and the rest would be history. :KDW LV \RXU IRQGHVW PHPRU\ IURP /08" My fondest memory, well, is really everything. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best four years of P\ OLIH EHLQJ DW >/08@ 3OD\LQJ IRU D GUHDP FRDFK EHLQJ DW DQ DPD]LQJ 8QLYHUVLW\ DURXQG DPD]LQJ ORYLQJ >DQG@ NLQG SHRSOH ÂŤ , UHDOO\ PLVV 2OLYLD La Bouff because she was hands-Âon, even though we may have given her gray hair. One of my greatest moments is when she knew I officially graduated, and the smile on her face I will never forget for as long as I live. She was so happy for me, it was a smile like a mother. It just meant so much to me because it was always treading water the entire time at Loyola. ... One of the greatest feelings in my life was graduating from [LMU] â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it meant a lot to me. It was just as important as making it to the NBA. :KDW GLG LW PHDQ WR \RX WR SOD\ ZLWK D PDQ OLNH +DQN *DWKHUV DQG ZKDW GR \RX VWLOO WDNH DZD\ IURP WKH UHODWLRQVKLS WRGD\" Hank was like a brother, and Hank and I were overly competitive. ... On the court we [werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t] friends, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the Philadelphia brand of basketball. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be friends afterwards, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not friends when weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re competing against each other. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the way we played in Philly, and we brought that to [LMU]. ... %XW , UHDOO\ PLVV KLV VHQVH RI KXPRU ² KH¡V MXVW DQ DPD]LQJ SHUVRQ 3HRSOH link me to him all the time and one person asked, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How do you like living in Hankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shadow?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; And I said Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not living in Hankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shadow. Hank has his own greatness and his own respect as an athlete and a person, and so did I. I was leading the nation in scoring when Hank was alive, and was going to do so if he had stayed alive. We had our own identity, but at the same time, if we are forever always linked like we are, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no better person to be linked to than Hank Gathers, who was like family. We love the Gathers family, I love Hank. And I think of Hank every day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; several times a day. People close to him Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure feel the same way. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget a Hank Gathers.
To read the extended version of this interview, visit the Sports section of laloyolan.com.
A look back at the peak of LMU basketball Gathers from Page 16
one of the most exciting styles of basketball to LMU, with just the right set of players who could execute and perfect â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Systemâ&#x20AC;? and end up thrilling an entire nation. As a small school, it sometimes felt like you knew most everyone on campus, and the campus was significantly smaller then. Some of the many things that made Coach Westhead special were the facts that he wanted to teach English classes, that his wife Cassie attended school while he coached, that his son Paul Jr. was an assistant coach to his father. I think this all contributed to a sense of family we felt with our team. Nearly everyone had a friend on those teams, and it was so rewarding to see them succeed. When Hank first collapsed in December of 1989, it was the second half of the UC Santa Barbara game. I had left at halftime and missed the incident. Most seemed unconcerned, but in the following weeks we realized something wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite right. We faced Oregon State and Oklahoma without Hank, winning one
of two. After the first of the year, a road trip home to Philadelphia was a nice reward for Hank, Bo and Coach Westhead. It also produced one of the most thrilling moments of the season: Boâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buzzer beater against St. Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. I can still remember all of Whelan Hall erupting as we all listened so nervously on the radio. The February LSU game was Hank at his best on the court. All of the anecdotes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard about him and his larger-than-life personality off the court are indeed true. Our only WCC loss that season was at Pepperdine and, as the mascot Iggy, I may have gotten a little heated in my gesturing at a notorious official who had made a typically rotten call. The following week, Hank and then assistant coach Jay Hillock had me convinced for about five minutes that the league was going to suspend me. It was typical Hank, something he loved to do. March 4, 1990 will live indelibly in the minds of so many people. Driving onto campus that Sunday afternoon, I remember distinctly it was a suddenly dark and dreary day when
the wind kicked up and dark clouds were in the sky. I noticed Hank, alone, doing laps around Sullivan Field â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something we later learned he did to help wear off the sluggish effects of his heart medication. The game began excitingly; â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Systemâ&#x20AC;? was perfect. I have always considered it almost fitting that Hankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final play
I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell you why, but He chose not to. I find solace in the fact that through that time, and in the many years since, Hankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life has been an inspiration to so many people, many of whom never met him. The next 12 days were a blur of emotions, followed by 10 days of inexplicable euphoria â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from the always eloquent Coach Westhead reminding us in the memorial Mass that â&#x20AC;&#x153;we went to Hank for points, for rebounds, for lifeâ&#x20AC;? and Bo Kimble demanding one last cheer for Hank in his â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to the thrill of setting 11 NCAA records in demolishing the defending national champion, Michigan. And of course, Bo nailing his left-handed free throws in honor of Hank in all four tournament games. So many stories by so many have been told. Most if not all of the students today were not even born, and as time goes by Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure it seems more and more like the distant past to many of you. But as fresh as your greatest memories at LMU are in your mind today, know that memories of that time for those of us here
The silence was deafening. was maybe his best alley-oop dunk ever. Gersten was as rocking and as loud as I had ever remembered for a good 10 to 15 seconds. Despite that, with my back turned at the other end of the court, I still can vividly recall hearing him hit the floor. The silence was deafening. I watched outside the doors as doctors tried with all their might to save him. I watched his good friend Bo Kimble beg him not to leave us. I watched in disbelief, knowing at any moment God had the power to breathe life into his failing body.
then are just as fresh still today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because they were that meaningful. Not just because it was basketball, but because it was family. ESPNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s excellent documentary, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Guru of Go,â&#x20AC;? in the networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;30 for 30â&#x20AC;? series, is a true representation of that experience. Watch the faces of Derrick Gathers, Corey Gaines, Chip Schaefer and Tom Peabody during the moments capturing Hankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collapse. Those are emotions that best give insight to the moments we lived. Maybe Coach Westhead is right when he states, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Perhaps the truth is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; could only happen once in a lifetime, and it ended with Hankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final fast-break dunk.â&#x20AC;? That May, Westhead was asked to give the graduation commencement address. His parting thought for those graduates leaving was to never say goodbye. So he reminded us that in German, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say goodbye, you say auf Wiedersehen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; until we meet again. It has always seemed too difficult to say goodbye. Thank you Hank, and auf Wiedersehen.
SPORTS
April 25, 2013 Page 14
C
oach's
www.laloyolan.com
Gary Ferrin
Softball head coach
Spotlight
How does the team this year compare to the rest of your coaching career at LMU?
I would say, statistically speaking, this is the worst offensive team on paper. On the other hand, athletically speaking, it’s the best group of athletes that I’ve ever had. We’re young and we make mistakes, and we’ll come around. We’re doing phenomenally.
What has been your most memorable season at LMU thus far? There have been so many. Obviously, the year we went to regionals and beat UCLA would be the highlight of my coaching career. I think we were [OL Ä YZ[ [LHT [OH[ L]LY RUVJRLK [OLT V\[ VM H YLNPVUHSZ BJVTWL[P[PVUD ;V NV over there and do it on worldwide TV – we beat them 4-2. Everybody had a perfect day. To knock them out would be the highlight of my career at this stage.
What’s your favorite thing about coaching?
The most rewarding thing is that I get to see a player for four years and ^H[JO [OLT KL]LSVW 6UJL `V\ W\[ [OLT V\[ VU [OL Ä LSK [OL`»YL HU LU[P[` PU and of themselves. It’s like a chessboard – you’re trying to push them around and motivate them, but now they’re ready to play and they’ll make their mistakes and they’ll develop. You see that transition from a freshman to a player, and that’s your reward.
19th LMU season
>OLU KPK `V\ Ä YZ[ Z[HY[ WSH`PUN ZVM[IHSS&
>OLU 0 QVPULK [OL B<UP[LK :[H[LZD (PY -VYJL ;OL (PY -VYJL L_JLW[ PU ,\YVWL didn’t even have baseball. You didn’t even have an option. You either played slow-pitch or fast-pitch softball, or you played baseball if you were in Europe.
What was your experience like on Spain’s national baseball team?
We were the best team in Spain at the time. We got to go play for the European championships. I remember the highlight of my baseball career was playing for a team that won the league. Our pitcher got hurt, and we ^LYL KV^U SPRL [V UV[OPUN PU [OL Ä YZ[ PUUPUN >L OHK V\Y YLSPLM WP[JOLY come in, and he shut out like 17 pitchers in a row and ended up winning 2412. Just being involved with them was an exciting moment.
Do you have advice for athletes who want to play sports beyond high school or college?
Softball – I grew up with softball. I played baseball in high school, but I’m MYVT 6YSHUKV -SH 4` PUÅ \LUJL ^HZ Z[YVUN [V^HYKZ MHZ[ WP[JO ZVM[IHSS
For athletes who want to pursue sports beyond high school and college, it always starts prior to high school. If you’re thinking about that and you’re a high school player, you’re probably too late. You probably should’ve been thinking about this – or your parents thinking about this – when you’re 10 years old. The athletes of today don’t learn to win. They just play. They take turns – there’s no wins and losses. I think you lose that competitive advantage of the truly great athlete because nobody’s teaching you that you must win.
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Has softball allowed you to do everything you want?
Do you prefer softball or baseball?
I played football, basketball and baseball in high school. When I was in the military, I played volleyball, football, fast-pitch softball – whatever season it was, I played the sport.
Sports in general have, but softball primarily. I was pitching up until 10 years ago, up until the leagues around here just collapsed, and I’m pretty old. I’ve had a good life.
Information compiled by Sam Borsos, asst. Sports editor; Photo: Loyolan Archives; Graphic: Sydney Franz and Stephanie Schiller | Loyolan
www.laloyolan.com
SPORTS
April 25, 2013 Page 15
Florer praised by teammates for his leadership No-hitter from Page 1 send him out for another inning. Another inning passed with an impressive performance by Florer. Same with the next frame, and the inning after that. After six innings, Florer was looking at history. He was only nine outs away. “I made a little joke with myself early, like the third inning, thinking, ‘This is kind of funny,’” said Florer. “After the sixth inning, I thought, ‘This is getting interesting.’ ” The seventh inning gave the Mission Viejo, Calif. native some trouble, as the left-hander walked two batters and was in danger of letting the Matadors back into the game. But just as he did all game long, Florer got out of the jam and entered the dugout just six outs away from the second no-hitter in program history, the first since Bob Seus achieved the feat in March 1980. His pitch count was at 97 pitches, nearly doubling his count for the most in a game the entire season. The Lions’ coaching staff wanted to take Florer off the mound and hand it over to the team’s bullpen. However, the rest of the team had other thoughts. “We were trumped by 30 guys in the dugout who wanted this to happen. We let him go back out there and we had guys ready,” said Assistant Coach Danny Ricabal. “He was going to go until the game was over and he accomplished his goal, or until he gave up a hit. If he gave up a hit, he would have been taken out right away.” Heading into the ninth inning, only three outs away from the most significant thing to happen to the program since its West Coast Conference (WCC) championship in 2000, Florer said that he started talking to himself, keeping everything in perspective. “I kind of made a joke of the whole situation. This is probably my final year playing baseball, so I quoted ‘For Love of the Game,’ the great film starring Kevin Costner,” said Florer. “I’ve adapted the Billy Chapel role. I go out in the ninth inning, take off my cap and quoting him from the movie, I said, ‘Please God, help my arm. I haven’t asked much but please for this moment.’” As the final batter came to the plate and
Loyolan Archives
Senior pitcher Matt Florer only threw 14 innings heading into Tuesday’s no-hit effort on Tuesday against CSU Northridge. He is also the designated bat boy for the club. the crowd came to its feet at Page Stadium, Florer had one thought: “Please just get over the plate. Luckily, the guy swings and misses on a 3-2 changeup [and] then the dog pile happened.” After everything settled down, the congratulations from fans ensued, but Florer’s two biggest supporters were not in attendance. “I called my parents first thing,” said Florer. “They watched it online, and my mom started crying after the last out and tearing up on the phone how she wasn’t there. My dad was like me, kind of in shock, but the funny thing is that a few days earlier he was haggling me, telling me how he wasn’t going to come Tuesday because I was just going to throw ‘another bullpen sesh.’ It’s funny how things worked out.” The win was the Lions’ third in a row, and the club sees itself two games above .500 with 11 games to go, nine of them in WCC play. The team travels up to the University of Portland this weekend for a three-game series versus the Pilots. Florer’s journey to LMU was not typical.
Youthful Lions put experience to the test W. Polo from Page 16 impresses me. We’re usually very calm in the face of adversity. That’s very pleasing to see.” LMU’s only WWPA conference loss came at the hands of the No. 1 seed, UC San Diego (22-13, 7-0), in March. The two teams could meet again in the WWPA Championships, guaranteeing what would be a heated rematch. UC San Diego beat LMU 11-10, scoring the game-winning goals in the final minute. The two teams met in the championship game last season, with LMU squeaking out a 7-6 victory. Witt hopes the team’s experience against the nation’s top teams will pay off in the postseason. In a four-game stretch in March, LMU played No. 5 UC Berkeley, No. 4 UCLA, No. 2 Stanford University and No. 6 UC Irvine in consecutive games. The Lions lost all four. “We approached that with the mentality that we need to worry about us, not worry about the win, not worry about those big teams,” Witt said. “Those teams have Olympians and national team players and
we’re starting 17-year-old freshmen.” With a roster that sometimes starts six to eight underclassmen depending on the match, LMU’s youth is apparent, but improvement has been made according to the team. “In reality, we’re a really young team. It took a lot of growing pains to get us where we are today,” Witt said. “At the end of the season we didn’t win a lot of those games against the big teams, but we showed we could hang with them. The development has been fantastic.” One principal development that has been made by the team is its communication. “We’re talking more in the pool and explaining more to each other on what we need to get better at,” freshman utility player Bridgette Alvarez said. “Our communication has improved like 100 percent,” added freshman 2-meter Ashytnn Nelson. “We’re talking more in the pool to know where each other are at and to know what plays to run when.” LMU’s first-round game against CSU East Bay takes place at 12:30 p.m. on Friday at Santa Clara University.
Kevin Halladay-Glynn | Loyolan
Freshman goalkeeper Claire Wright deflects a shot in LMU’s last regular season game against Occidental College.Wright is one of the younger players whom the team has depended on this year.
Originally, he was recruited by two other schools, but for outfield only, not pitching. After deciding that he didn’t want to attend, the hurler decided to go the junior college route in an attempt to be recruited later. However, after pitching in an all-star showcase, he received a call from his current head coach. “The first thing I asked [Head Coach Jason] Gill was, ‘Am I going play outfield?’, and he said no. [He wanted me] to pitch. So I got recruited the last little month of summer and here I am,” said Florer. “It was trust in the head coach. Who did I want to surround myself with every day? It’s great. I respect the hell out of him.” Despite the enthusiasm and passion, Florer wasn’t seeing much of the field this season, but he said that he was needed in other ways for this team. “Baseball is like the circle of life,” said Florer. “You come in and learn, relating to your freshman year. Your big contributing years are sophomore and junior year, and then senior year, you teach. My biggest thing, no matter how great yesterday was, my ultimate goal
is to go to the playoffs, win a WCC Championship, play in a regional, super regional and Omaha. That would pump me up a lot more than this moment yesterday.” Other than pitcher, Florer occupies another vital role on the team – bat boy, otherwise known on the team as “bats and hats.” Although typically assigned to a freshman pitcher, Florer often volunteers for the position to be closer to the game and feel like he is a part of the action, regardless of whether he is scheduled to pitch or not. “He’s the hardest worker on the team and doesn’t pitch as much as he’d like, but he knows his role on the team,” said senior infielder Joey Boney, who has played with Florer since they were both 14 years old. “He’s the captain of our dugout. He’s the best guy on our team. He will be there whenever you need him.” Boney, who also lives in the same house as Florer, described how the now no-hit pitcher was a tremendous inspiration and source of guidance for Boney, especially through the recruitment process. “He’s been great for me. I talked to him while I was getting recruited and he gave me a lot of good insight. Once I committed, he told me he and some of the current players were getting a house [and] he wanted me to live with him,” said Boney. “He was looking out for me then and he looks out for me now. This whole experience couldn’t have happened to a better person.” After the season, Florer says that relaxation is in order because he has been playing baseball all his life. He wants to enjoy this summer. As for the future, Florer plans on being the center of attention. “Politics. That’s the 10-year plan,” said Florer. “After graduation, who knows, but that’s where my sights are set.” It was the perfect ending to a perfect career for a perfect baseball player. Despite not winning the most games or even getting drafted into the major leagues, Florer’s impact on the 2013 LMU baseball team will never be forgotten, and this game, a Tuesday midweek game against CSU Northridge in the middle of conference play, will always be remembered for this leader of the Lions.
www.laloyolan.com
LION SPORTS
April 25, 2013 Page 16
Heartful thanks to an LMU great Lions set FIRST-PERSON REFLECTION to defend polo title An LMU alumnus shares his experience as a fan during the Hank Gathers basketball era. By Bradley Collins ‘91
LMU hopes its experience against the nation’s top teams pays off in this year’s postseason.
Alumnus Contributor
Loyola Marymount University is a very special place. Obviously, there is little need to convince many of the current students, faculty or staff of this point. For many of us alumni from the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, I believe this to be especially true, and not just because of the success of our men’s basketball team those three glorious years – indeed, LMU is distinctive from the first day you step on campus just to visit. I’m sure all of my friends and fellow graduates during those years have stories and memories from all aspects of life at LMU that they treasure to this day. But we also had Hank. And then we lost him. What many may not realize 23 years removed from that fateful day in Gersten Pavilion is that it was a three-year odyssey for us. We didn’t just have Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble – we had Mike Yoest, Mark Armstrong, Corey Gaines, Jeff Fryer, Enoch Simmons, Tom Peabody and so many more. I was lucky enough to become friends with the youngest son of a family whose members not only lived in the neighborhood and attended and worked at the University, but also lived and breathed Lions basketball. We were full of anticipation throughout our freshman year, waiting – just waiting for Corey, Hank and Bo to join the team after their redshirt seasons. When that season came, it seemed the wait could not have been more worthwhile. Led by seniors Yoest and Armstrong, the little school on the hill in L.A. won 25 games in a row and brought the national spotlight to Westchester in a way that was thrilling and infectious. Lion pride truly arrived in 1987-88, starting a three-year journey of unbelievable highs and, of course, terrible lows.
By Kevin Cacabelos Sports Editor
reminded me of some fascinating anecdotes about our team and the level at which they played. Gaines is a head coach in the WNBA. Gary Payton from Oregon State was just inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. O’Neal is one of the greatest NBA centers of all-time and will soon join Payton. Erik Spoelstra was a guard for the University of Portland and was on the court playing against us the night Hank died. He is quickly distinguishing himself as an elite NBA coach, having coached the Miami Heat to the NBA title last year. It is also ironic to think we almost missed out on all of it, as Jim Lynam was originally hired to coach the Lions in 1985, but instead left to coach in the NBA. As a result, Paul Westhead, who had won an NBA title with the Lakers five years earlier, was hired to replace him, and the rest is history. He was to bring
The Lions have their eyes on the goal, both figuratively and literally. The LMU women’s team (18-12, 6-1) begins the quest to defend and win its tenth Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championships tomorrow in Santa Clara, Calif. “We know how to win. We need to put that good to use and make sure we’re handling this like professionals and not looking past any opponents, one game at a time,” LMU Head Coach Kyle Witt said. “All those stupid clichés are there for a reason.” The No. 2-seeded Lions enter their WWPA first-round match against No. 7 seed CSU East Bay (16-15, 2-5) after a dominating 11-1 effort against Occidental College last Saturday at Burns Aquatic Center. If the Lions win on Friday, they will need to win two more games to win an automatic bid into the NCAA Championships. In a match on March 22, LMU beat CSU East Bay 16-5 during the LMU Invitational. LMU jumped out to a 11-1 lead in the first half, and added five more goals in the third quarter. Freshman driver Danielle Johnson led the team with five goals in the effort. Witt cited the team’s defense and poise as its main strengths this season. The Lions ranked No. 1 in the WWPA allowing the least amount of goals, 220, in the regular season. “Our team defense is definitely our strong point,” Witt said. “Our poise is something that
See Gathers | Page 13
See Water Polo | Page 15
Bradley Collins
The 1990-91 LMU men’s basketball team huddles before tip-off in its NCAA Tournament game against the defending champion, the Michigan Wolverines. The next year was another thrilling 20-win season, only dampened by Bo missing much of the year to a busted kneecap. With his friend sidelined, Hank took over and truly showed what he was made of, leading the nation in scoring and rebounding, only the second player to ever do so in NCAA history. By the time our senior year rolled around, we had scheduled some of the biggest names in college basketball – University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Oklahoma; Oregon State and Louisiana State University, to name a few. What a thrilling year it was to be the team’s mascot. The Louisiana State game in Baton Rouge is considered to this day to be one of the great college basketball games. Even though it was a 7-point overtime loss by LMU on national television, we got to see Hank at his greatest, scoring 48 points on Shaquille O’Neal and Stanley Roberts. Watching March Madness this past month
Lions clinch playoff spot in sudden death The men’s club lacrosse team (4-10) beats University of Nevada, Las Vegas in overtime. By Sam Borsos Asst. Sports Editor
The LMU men’s lacrosse team (4-10) found itself in sudden-death overtime with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) (7-6) on Saturday with not only the game at stake, but also a final spot in the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (SLC) North Division playoffs. After a 7-2 halftime lead, UNLV was able to go on a nine-goal run in the second half to LMU’s four and tie the game at 11 in the last few minutes. With three minutes, 11 seconds left in the first overtime, LMU sophomore midfielder Phil Hughes sank one in the Rebels’ net, clinching the third seed in the SLC North Division for the Lions. Including the gamewinner, Hughes had five goals and one assist. “In that kind of situation, you’re not really thinking about the future,” Hughes said. “You’re thinking about the play right there. It was awesome. It was one of those feelings you don’t get all that often. It’s a team play. I happened to be the recipient at the end of the play. It’s all about the team in the end.” For a team that has had a losing season, the Lions’ victory last weekend was a turnaround for the team’s momentum. The Lions captured wins in their last two games,
doubling their win record within two games. Before beating UNLV, the Lions defeated UCLA. At the time, LMU’s 2-10 record was up against the Bruins’ 4-6 record. In the end, LMU prevailed with a 6-4 win. “It’s been an up-and-down season for us the whole year,” junior team captain Kyle Mendelson said. “All season, we were kind of just waiting for our team to click and everyone be on the same page. Saturday was exactly that. For the first time, our team was 100 percent. For the first time, we were a team, and we didn’t have to rely on individual talent.” Although Hughes scored the gamewinning goal, LMU Assistant Coach Colin Tempelis said that the win was a team effort. Mendelson grabbed two goals for the Lions, as did freshman attack Chris Clifford. Freshman midfield Sterling Hardy, sophomore midfield Marcus Egeck and long stick midfield Zac Beko each contributed one goal. “In our game against UNLV, everyone stepped up,” Tempelis said. “Our goalie [junior] Connor [DeVane] had 23 saves. Every single player has contributed, whether it was a starter or a guy who sits at the end of the bench.” This Saturday at 1 p.m., the Lions will compete in Phoenix against Arizona State University (ASU) (13-2). The last time the two teams met was in January 2006, when the Sun Devils came out on top, 11-7. While the Lions have won their last two games,
Phil Hughes
Sophomore midfielder Phil Hughes scored the game-winning goal in sudden-death overtime against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This was Hughes’ fifth goal of the game. ASU has gone 1-1, falling to Grand Canyon University but beating the University of Arizona. “As opposed to teams who go into the season where everything has worked out, we’re just getting to the point where we’re
getting to the climax as a team,” Mendelson said. “There’s a chance that they could take us lightly, which is really exciting for us.” “We can show that we’re better than our record says,” Hughes said. “We’re just happy to be here and get a shot.”