September 10, 2012

ESTABLISHED 1921 September 10, 2012

Volume 91, Issue 3

www.laloyolan.com Your Home. Your Voice. Your News. loyola marymount university

Public Safety more prominent off-campus

DPS Chief notes that officers only respond to in-progress complaints, do not patrol neighborhood.

By Adrien Jarvis Editor in Chief

Liana Bandziulis | Loyolan

Fraternities and sororities compete during for annual Lip Sync and Stroll Off Alpha Phi, Lambda Chi Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta emerged as the victors of Saturday night’s contest, winning in the sorority, fraternity and Stroll Off categories, respectively. For more photos from Lip Sync and Stroll Off, see Page 2.

Zero Tolerance Week sets stage for discussion

2012-13

Nationally-recognized experts will speak on campus about intercultural awareness and peace.

WINTER

By Allison Croley Staff Writer

Bias, discrimination and hate crimes affect communities every day, and the small community of LMU is no exception. In response to past instances of insensitivity towards different individuals and groups on campus, ASLMU, in collaboration with LGBT Student Services, Ethnic and Intercultural Services, LIONS Garden Club, Human Resources, the Office of the Vice President, Student Housing and Student Leadership and Development, are presenting a Zero Tolerance Week starting tomorrow during Convo and continuing through Thursday, Sept. 13.

“Zero Tolerance Week is all about taking a stance against discriminatory acts and allowing all

students on campus to feel wanted and appreciated for their cultural backgrounds,” said Kiana Williams, a senior communication studies major and ASLMU’s Director of Social Justice.

Zero Tolerance Week is packed with events geared toward intercultural awareness and peace. With film screenings, guest speakers and educational workshops, the goal of this week is to inform students about the importance of acceptance and motivate them to learn more about different cultures.

“Many people do not know how to respond to or speak against hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents.

My hope is that by having experts on our campus this week, our students will gain concrete tools in addressing bias-motivated incidents and will feel empowered to stand up against such injustice in our world,” said Ilana Schachter, Hillel rabbi and

RECAPPING THE CONVENTIONS The Loyolan's political team give their takes on the 2012 Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

2012 Elections, Page 5

“It does feel as if we are responding to more complaints off campus [this year],” Department of Public Safety (DPS) Chief Hampton Cantrell told the Loyolan regarding students living in the neighborhood.

But, he added, “there are reasons for that.”

According to Cantrell, DPS and Off-Campus Student Life (OCSL) have developed a “better complaint system for our neighbors, which is a good thing. They have a clear pathway for expressing their concerns.”

The system has two options: a “Report a Concern” webpage where someone can log a complaint, as well as calling DPS. The system, Cantrell said, has helped ease tensions in the neighborhood regarding student partying.

“All of that has been advertised and put out to the public for quite some time, and neighbors are utilizing those portals,” said Cantrell.

Junior business management major Andrew Kelley, who is living off campus for the first time this year [outside the LMU back gates], feels “like there’s more [of a DPS] presence this year” in the neighborhood. Although he is a first-time off-campus resident, Kelley noted that he’d been to parties in previous years which had been broken up by DPS. Earlier this semester, DPS came to his house.

“We had Public Safety come to our place because I think we had a noise complaint,” Kelley said. “They were professional … [and]

ALTERNATIVE BREAKS

Immigration: Awareness of Border Region and Urban Issues Tucson/East L.A. (Jan. 4-Jan. 12) Sustainable Development/Women's Cooperative Haiti (Jan. 3-Jan. 12) Peace & Conflict Resolution Rwanda (Dec. 29-Jan. 12) Human Trafficking & Sustainable Development Philippines (Dec. 29-Jan. 12) Civil Rights Movement & Disaster Relief New Orleans (Jan. 5-Jan. 12)

SPRING Indigenous Rights San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala Youth & Families/Poverty: Direct Service/Cultural Immersion Quito, Ecuador Mountain Top Removal Appalachia, West Virginia Refugee Services Dallas, Texas Food & Environmental Justice Oakland/Bay Area, California Special Needs Issues: Direct Service/Cultural Immersion Lima, Peru Migrant Farmworker's Issues San Diego

See Tolerance | Page 2

Index Classifieds.............................4 Elections.........................5 Opinion.........................6 A&E................................8 Sports..............................12 The next issue of the Loyolan will be printed on Sept. 13, 2012.

See DPS| Page 4

Joanie Payne | Loyolan

MON

WED

TUES

THURS

LIONS TIE NATIONAL TOP TEAM LMU women’s soccer took on No.1 UCLA and tied in Friday's close game.

Sports, Page 12

September 10, 2012 Page 2

News

www.laloyolan.com

Medal-worthy performances from Greeks

Members from all of LMU’s 16 fraternities and sororities came together to put on Lip Sync and Stroll Off routines in support of local and national philanthropies last Saturday in Gersten Pavilion.

All photos: Liana Bandziulis and Leslie Irwin | Loyolan

Experts to speak regarding tolerance the discrimination and adversities they face as a result of their ethnicities.

This film is geared towards the American education system, emphasizing techniques that can help create stimulating, profound discussions within a short period of class time.

Another event on Thursday, Sept. 13 features Ariella Schusterman of the Anti-Defamation League.

Schusterman is an expert regarding bias clashes on college campuses. According to Schachter, “Schusterman will present hate crime statistics in Los Angeles and draw the distinction between bias-motived incidents and hate crimes.” Following this presentation, there will be a discussion about how to react to discriminatory actions.

“In the end, we hope to strengthen our community and our Lion spirit,” said Nancy Flores-Grajeda, a senior Spanish and political

science double major and ASLMU’s director of intercultural affairs.

In addition to these featured events, the week will consist of a Zero Tolerance rally, a peace pole commemoration and several interactive discussions. The lead coordinators of this week have high hopes that these efforts deeply move the LMU community.

“I hope this week will encourage students to appreciate the importance of culture and understand that all students deserve the right to feel safe and comfortable on LMU’s campus,” Williams said. “We all come from different backgrounds and are all exposed to various cultures, both on and off campus, and it is important to understand that we must not simply tolerate each other, but understand and appreciate one another for our differences as well.”

For the Record

ASLMU

TOLERANCE

FOR BIAS, IGNORANCE & HATE

WEEK

2012

Tolerance from Page 1 coordinator for Jewish Student Services.

One featured event of the week is a workshop for students and faculty tomorrow, the director of StirFry Seminars and Consulting, will lead this workshop. Wah is a diversity training expert who specializes in directing and producing documentaries and seminars.

According to Stirfryseminars.com, Wah’s goal is to teach people how to facilitate multicultural dialogue in their communities. He has been so successful that Oprah Winfrey highlighted him in a one-hour special about his life and documentary, “The Color of Fear.”

Following this workshop will be a screening of Wah’s film, “If These Halls Could Talk.” It follows the lives of 11 college students, exploring

TUESDAY SEPT. 11 PEACEPOLE WHEN? Convo WHERE? LMU Community Garden IF THESE HALLS COULD TALK FILM SCREENING WHEN? 7p.m.-9p.m.

WHERE? Ahmanson Auditorium (UHall 1000)

WEDNESDAY SEPT. 12 OWNING THE ‘I’ IN INTERCULTURALISM WHEN? 12p.m.-1p.m.

WHERE? The Living Room CELEBRATING DIVERSITY AT LMU WHEN? 4p.m.-5p.m.

WHERE? SAC

THURSDAY SEPT. 13 ZERO TOLERANCE MARCH WHEN? 12:15p.m.-1:15p.m.

WHERE? O’Malley Lawn to Sunken Garden “NOT ON OUR CAMPUS: TOOLS AND STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING BIASMOTIVATED INCIDENTS AND HATE CRIMES” WHEN? 6p.m.-8p.m.

WHERE? Hilton 300

Information complied form event flyer; Graphic: Joanie Payne | Loyolan

In the Sept. 6 article “Assistant to president takes leave from Jesuits,” Fr. Felix Just, S.J. was incorrectly named Fr. Felix Hughes, S.J. Additionally, he was listed as the rector of the LMU Jesuit Community. He was a professor in the theology department.

News

www.laloyolan.com

September 10, 2012 Page 3

Burns Rec charges its part-time staff members Gym membership fee aims to be ‘consistent and fair.’

By Casey Kidwell Asst. News Editor

While Burns Recreation Center part-time Campus Rec staff members have been afforded the privilege of utilizing the gym facilities for free in the past, the 2012-13 school year is changing that.

In an Aug. 2 email, Danielle Harris, coordinator and front line supervisor with campus recreation and membership services, and Jennifer Westendorf, the assistant director of fitness and wellness, addressed all part-time Burns Recreation Center staff members: “As of August 1, 2012, in order to work out in the facility (swim, fitness center, basketball courts, group x classes, etc.) outside of your job duties you must purchase a staff membership to the Burns Recreation Center.”

Director of Campus Recreation Trey Duval said that this

FRESHMEN REACT TO AUTHORS’ VISIT Brian Thomas Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker, the authors of “Journey of the Universe,” this year’s summer book for freshmen, spoke on Thursday, Sept. 6 in Gersten Pavilion.

change, discussed and finalized over summer, “keeps our policy consistent for everyone,” since all “students, faculty, alumni and staff who chose to use the Rec Center pay a membership fee.”

While Duval said that he has personally not received any feedback regarding the change, the Loyolan received an anonymous letter from someone personally affected and angered by the fee.

As a part-time instructor at the Burns Rec Center, the source saw this new “university policy” as being “slammed on us without any warning or discussion that [the individual] was made aware of.”

The source went on to explain that, while “part-time Rec Center employees make good wages, [they] have no benefits other than access to the use of the Rec Center, which is effectively not going to be an option for many of us with this change in policy.”

The Aug. 1 fee will be $11 per month per part-time staffer wishing to utilize the facilities.

They will need to provide a Visa or MasterCard for the monthly payment, according to the email sent out by Harris.

“It really puts into perspective how little of the universe’s history humanity takes up, and how much of an impact we’ve had on it in such a short amount of time.”

Taylor Kay urban studies major

If these “personal trainers, group exercise instructors, master swim instructors, swim lesson instructors and summer lifeguards,” to name a few, do not wish to use the facilities, then they are not required to purchase a membership, according to the3 same email.

However, Harris said, “If you are caught working out and have not purchased a membership, you may jeopardize your position here with the University.”

The decision to implement this fee was considered at great length by the Campus Recreation staff beforehand. Duval said over the summer the Campus Recreation team examined “a number of policies and made the change in an effort to be consistent and fair.”

Even though the anonymous source felt blindsided by the fee, Duval said that “the few people that were affected were told in the middle of the summer with the change happening at the end.”

Harris encouraged any parttime staffers with questions regarding the membership charge to direct them to their respective supervisors.

“They didn’t answer any questions that were posed to them. People would ask direct questions, and Tucker would just drop some kind of roundabout language and move on to the next question.”

“I expected more out of it before I read it. It was a very factual book. I felt like they were just spewing out scientific facts. From what I gathered, it was just them repeating themselves. It was not thought provoking.

I was pretty disappointed.”

Austin Holland finance and Spanish double major

Katie O’Hearn psychology major

Information compiled by Audrey Valli, News Intern; Graphic: Joanie Payne | Loyolan

Zaneta Pereira | Loyolan

Edgington’s books were published as ebooks and paperbacks through Createspace.com, and are available for purchase on Amazon.com.

11BURNING QUESTIONS

with a self-published student author This issue, News Editor Zaneta Pereira sits down with freshman entrepreneurship major Derek Edgington to talk about his novels and passion for writing.

1. As an incoming freshman, why did you choose to come to LMU? I liked the creative environment, more so than any of the other schools that I toured. It drew me in. I’m from northern California … so it’s just the right distance from home and there’s a great climate.

2. You’ve self-published two novels – “The Seven” and “Leviathan.”

Can you tell me a little more about them?

Well, they’re both urban fantasy. … One’s about 140,000 words and the other is like 100,000 words. And I’m starting an epic fantasy now. I’ve been outlining and planning for the past five months.

3. When did you first start writing seriously?

When I was going through my room and throwing out stuff before coming to college, I found notebooks of my old stuff and it’s just so funny to read through them. I have this amateur 60-page thing on my computer that I wrote when I was 14. But it was really when I was 17 that I started my book.

4. What made you want to publish and put your work out there?

I wanted to know how I was doing and get reader feedback. I mean, I already know that I’m never satisfied with any of my writing, so I’d like to know how bad it is. ... I wanted to publish just to see what would happen, and at the time I didn’t like the way traditional publishing influences the rights. I like having control over that kind of stuff.

5. What do you think is the future of publishing; do you see traditional methods dying out?

I don’t think that traditional publishing will ever truly die out just because they have such a stranglehold on the industry, and for traditional publishing to die out would mean big-bookstore browsing would be gone.

I like going into a bookstore and spending two hours finding a book or two. I think that eventually we may transition to ebooks, but not in this generation.

6. Where do you stand on traditional books versus ebooks?

I used to be so bad that I wouldn’t even look at ebooks, but I read all my books in like a day, so it takes too long for me to order the book and wait or go down to the store and get the book. So I go on Amazon.com, order like five and then I have them on my Kindle in seconds. It’s just easier for me.

But the majority of my books are still traditional.

7. Why did you decide to write urban fantasy in particular?

There’s quite the story behind that. The short version would be that I’m very well-read, but horribly read. I know that’s a contradictory statement, but I basically have read 800 to 1,000 books, but they’re all fantasy. I have my little world up here [in my head] and so that’s what I wrote about.

8. Who would you say were the inspirations behind your writing?

It’s hard to define [them] because I know that I’ve read a lot of books so my mind just picks it all up, jumbles it up and spits it back out with a twist on it. But Jim Butcher was one of my big inspirations, he’s [an] urban fantasy [author] as well and he has the humor aspect that I also like to put into my work.

9. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

There’s a quote I like [by Richard Bach]: “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” I talked to Patrick Rothfuss – he’s pretty wellknown, top of the New York Times Bestseller List – and he told me not to publish but to keep writing. I’d say just keep writing because it takes a long time for you to find your voice and the more you write, the better you get.

There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong. Make Army ROTC part of your Loyola college experience and you may be eligible for up to a fulltuition scholarship. When you’re finished, you’ll earn the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Army.

To get started, visit www.goarmy.com/rotc/theloyolan ADD STRENGTH TO YOUR CLASS SCHEDULE! ENROLL IN A MILITARY SCIENCE CLASS! Find out more about LEADERSHIP AND OFFICERSHIP from the Army ROTC program!

Contact an enrollment officer today at 310-825-7351 or visit www.milsci.ucla.edu to learn more.

10. Apart from writing, what would you say your passions are?

That’s hard, because writing is like my life, but I run a lot. I found martial arts my junior year of high school and that really helped with my confidence because, you know, it’s high school and high school is just this cesspool of hate and anger and it’s horrible. I also like anything extreme.

11. With all you’ve achieved already, what are your goals for the future?

I wanted to get 10 books written by the time I got out of college. I don’t know how realistic that is. It’s an ambitious goal, so it’s probably going to be more like at least six or seven. Seven’s a good number. … I want to take a lot more time and make my plots more complex.

To find out more about Edgington’s novels, what he’s reading right now and his book reccomendations, visit laloyolan.com.

September 10, 2012 Page 4

News

Students are ‘neighbors too’ DPS from Page 1 didn’t step on our property. … That was the good part of it.”

Kelley added that DPS asked whether their house was affiliated with a Greek organization and that their names were taken down. So far, there has been no follow up from the University, according to Kelley.

“They took our names on record, but I don’t know what they are doing with that information,” said Kelley. “It would have been nice if I asked.”

Kelley also noted that in the past, he saw more of a presence from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) but this semester, it seems as though DPS is more involved in the neighborhood.

Assistant Dean for Student Engagement, Retention and Transition Jade Smith – who works in OCSL – has not noticed much of a change in off-campus life. However, she stated that the beginning of a semester often sees “more activity,” largely due to the fact that each year presents a “new batch” of students living off campus. She added that there has been a slight increase in the number of commuter students, which seems to have resulted in more houses in the neighborhood being rented to students for the first time.

According to Cantrell, DPS’s role is to respond to complaints regarding in-progess situations. Any reported issues that occurred in the past are handled by OCSL. Then, an officer responds to the scene, establishes that the house belongs to current LMU students and informs and advises the residents.

“If they are not LMU students or the students have graduated

or separated from the University for whatever reason, we don’t have jurisdiction over them,” said Cantrell. “A big part of what we do is [also] to verify if, in fact, the complaint is true.”

Cantrell went on to explain that the responding officers look for evidence of a party and make notes for a report that is sent to OCSL. They inform the students that a complaint has been made against them, and, if the officers know, alert the students if LAPD has been called, according to Cantrell.

“Oftentimes, our officers do arrive before the [LAPD] arrives,” said Cantrell.

Cantrell added that DPS only goes into the neighborhood in response to an in-progress complaint and that they usually remain within a one-mile radius of the University; however, they operate on a case-bycase basis.

“We do not patrol the neighborhood at all, it is only based on a complaint. … We take no enforcement action whatsoever, and you have to understand that [DPS] has no enforcement jurisdiction in the neighborhood,” Cantrell said.

He added, “The only reason that we are out there is for administrative purposes with respect to our student code of conduct.”

According to the Student Conduct Code, as stated in the 2012-2013 Community Standards book the University issued at the start of the semester, “Loyola Marymount University may hold students accountable for Student Conduct Code violations committed off campus which adversely affects LMU, its community standing and/ or the pursuit of the mission, goals and objectives of the University.

… Jurisdiction extends to conduct which occurs … on or off campus.”

In addition to the revamped complaint system Cantrell described, he added that DPS recently hired a new investigator: Chris Woodson, whose “primary responsibility is to handle off campus issues.”

As for OCSL, Smith said that they follow up with students to make sure they are aware a complaint has been filed about them, as well as to address the situation in hopes of keeping it from escalating.

“Our jobs are really to communicate and outreach and advocate for our off-campus students,” Smith said, adding that OCSL is a “fairly new department.”

Overall, Smith believes that offcampus students are “pretty civil” and that, for the most part, students and neighbors get along.

“The extremes on both sides drown out the rest on what’s really happening in the community,” said Smith.

Both Cantrell and Smith emphasized that their roles are not simply to respond to neighbor complaints about students and off-campus parties. They each mentioned their hope to educate students regarding neighborhood issues, such as theft and robbery.

Additionally, Smith encourages students to learn about local ordinances and how they may affect their off-campus lives.

“I really want the students to also understand that the investigator and [DPS] are there for them as well,” Cantrell said. “If they’re having issues, it’s OK for them to call us or to use our ‘Report a Concern’ website as well, because they’re our neighbors too.”

For Rent

www.laloyolan.com

Classifieds

Newly Remodeled 3 BDR 2BTH Home in Westchester Area. Near Loyola Marymount College. Has one small den area that can be used as a 4th bedroom. Perfect for families and college roommates.

(310) 418-1411

Services

RATES 1-35 words: $10 36-50 words: $15

Tutor Wanted English writing and conversation partner For Adult ESL student. $1112/ hr Manhattan Beach. email drgmelnick@yahoo.com

On Campus

Additional words: $40

First line bolded: $1 All bolded: $2

LMU Club Baseball Did you miss Club Baseball at ClubFest? You still have a chance to sign up! If you are interested in playing club baseball this year email jmoe@lion.lmu. edu. Go Lions!

visit www.laloyolan.com

and select ‘Classifieds’ from the Advertising Tab to set up your account

TODAY!

Can you spot the mistakes?

Apply to be a Copy Editor for the Loyolan.

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

2012 Elections

www.laloyolan.com

September 10, 2012 Page 5

All photos: Associated Press; Design: Alberto Gonzalez | Loyolan

National conventions set narrative for 2012 presidential election

Republican National Convention

“The RNC conveyed a platform for the next four years that will recognize American hard work.”

The 2012 Republican National Convention (RNC) two weeks ago showBy Erica Casciano cased some of the Contributor nation’s newest, diverse talent already hard at work. These officials have brought businesses to their states, lowered taxes and decreased state spending, thereby proving the effectiveness of the GOP’s strategy.

Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico told the story of how she came to be a Republican, how she ridded New Mexico of its deficit and the barriers she never allowed to affect her. Martinez was only one of many elected officials who illustrates how the newcomers are the source of actual progress across the country and who would be reinforced by Mitt Romney as president.

Later, the current economic situation was the main topic in vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan’s speech. It is a subject he knows well – he’s an economist and congressman, not a lawyer. At 42 years of age, Ryan is

the first of his generation to be nominated to a national political ticket.

Contrasting Obama’s apathy towards economic development and private enterprise, Ryan spoke of problems that were not fixed and need concrete solutions. Ryan’s frustration with the lack of jobs available to young Americans is one that every college student shares. Ryan stated, “College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life.” It is not the “rising of the oceans” that Americans are concerned about – it’s paying off college loans, saving for a down payment on a home and building something out of the investment young Americans made in themselves.

But most importantly, the RNC served to define the party and Mitt Romney in a clear way. Between the crops of diverse speakers to an extraordinary speech by Mitt Romney himself, the RNC conveyed a platform for the next four years that would recognize American hard work.

“From ... the RNC, I sensed a very predominant feeling of showmanship rather than politics.”

There’s something about announcing yourself as the next president of the UnitBy Joseph Demes ed States, the next Asst. Opinion Editor first lady or the next vice president that really puts me off. What it does is shift the messianic complex that surrounded President Barack Obama in the 2008 election – which really bothered me – to former Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan.The “U.S.A-U.S.A” cheer rallies and the weird booing during candidate speeches gave the Republican National Convention (RNC) the air of a sports arena.I half-expected a group of portly men to have “MITT” painted sloppily on their bellies.

Really,from what intermittent and piecemeal following I gave the RNC, I sensed a very predominant feeling of showmanship rather than politics. I think it was most apparent when Clint Eastwood made the remark,“We own this country.”Slack-jawed isn’t the cliché I’d use to describe my reaction,but I was stunned by how loaded that comment was. And Ryan’s remark that

‘[Obama] assumed office four years ago.

Isn’t it about time he assumed responsibility?’ only demonstrates their complicity in the microwave attention-span of current politics, rather than concretely illustrating ways in which their platform would implement the tangible, progressive change that the American people have been hoping for since the last election.

I realize the “we” he is addressing is not merely the Republicans at the RNC but the people of the United States – but that’s not the first impression you’re going to get when he’s talking to a room full of Republicans.

Are the Democrats just as full of themselves? I wouldn’t put it past them. But when you’re up to bat first and that’s the rhetoric you start throwing around, it really sets the tone of the whole election akin to a schoolyard fight. There shouldn’t be booing in a political atmosphere. There shouldn’t be rally chants. There shouldn’t be such unbridled, headstrong behavior. It sets up an arena where debate can’t exist, where all we have are yes-and-no’s without room for discussion.

Democratic National Convention “The President ... gave a very strong speech and has likely gained major momentum in the race.”

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) last week featured strong

By Cruz Quinonez speeches by key Asst. Sports Editor figures of the Democratic platform.

Some highlights were keynote speaker and San Antonio’s Mayor Julian Castro, who gave a very moving speech to which I personally related. Another highlight was that not one speaker tried talking to a chair. But to me, there were three true highlights.

Regardless of your feelings about President Barack Obama, everyone loves the First Lady. Michelle Obama nostalgically recalled when she and her husband first started dating, as well as more specifically about policies like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and how the President is working hard to increase student financial aid. The First Lady’s recollections of the Obamas’ financial strains growing up served the crucial cause of identifying them with middle-class Americans. The First Lady’s speech was a spectacular combination of storytelling and policy.

In comparison, President Bill Clinton’s speech was long. Really, really long. But it was also superb. Most impressive to me was how Clinton ad-libbed major parts of his speech. Even more astounding is how much better those ad-libs are compared to the original speech.

The speech itself sounded formal and political, but Clinton made it all so personal and relatable – everything from job numbers to plans to remove debt.

Clinton is a great speaker, but, more importantly, his reputation as an atypical Democratic president will help Obama win over some non-Democrats and Independents.

Finally, President Obama’s speech was arguably even better than his 2008 speech. The President eloquently described his plans for the next four years should he win. In a departure from his 2008 speech where he focused on “hope,”Obama spoke specifically about what he wanted to do. Though political pundits haven’t been as receptive to his speech as they were to Clinton’s and Michelle Obama’s, the President still gave a very strong speech and has likely gained major momentum in the race.

“True leadership ... should have been the focus of the DNC, not an oversimplified jobs statistic.”

My issue with the Democratic National Convention (DNC) has nothing

By Austin Collell to do with President Contributor Barack Obama and President Bill Clinton’s speeches. Frankly, I thought both men delivered exceptional oratory. No, my issue is with the statistic that everyone at the DNC seemed to plug at every possible opportunity: that President Obama has created 4.5 million jobs.

According to CNN in February 2009, during Obama’s first full month in office there were 111 million private jobs in America. Now in 2012, as he runs for re-election, there are 111.3 million. That’s only a gain of 300,000 jobs – hardly over 4 million. Looking at the total number of jobs in America, both private and public, that number actually goes down even further from 133.6 million in 2009 to 133.2 million in 2012. So, where did Obama get the 4.5 million statistic?

According to Democrats, the 111 million jobs in 2009 plummeted to 106.8 mil-

lion jobs in 2010 when the economy finally hit rock bottom.From 2010 to 2012,jobs in America went up by 4.5 million.So technically, 4.5 million jobs were created even though 4.2 million jobs were lost. Were these 4.2 million jobs lost Obama’s fault?

No. But the average unemployed American does not care about placing political blame. They only see their bills and mortgage rising with no job to pay for them.

This is where Democrats failed to grab a huge opportunity: They tried to create a political sound bite rather than focus on the true victory they had achieved.It could have been argued that President Obama was able to take America from its worst economic crisis in 50 years and turn us in the right direction. This is what he campaigned on: the “hope” that he would be able to bring “change” to the U.S. after the economic meltdown.

True leadership during times of crisis is much more admirable than creating jobs, and it’s what separates a good president from a great one. This should have been the focus of the DNC – not an oversimplified jobs statistic.

The opinions on this page reflect those of the individual authors. Please send comments to Managing Editor Kevin O’Keeffe at kokeeffe@theloyolan.com.

Opinion Student Editorials and Perspectives

September 10, 2012 Page 6

BOARD EDITORIAL

lmu

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

Kevin O’Keeffe Managing Editor

Adrien Jarvis Editor in Chief Dan Raffety Asst. Sports Editor

Brigette Scobas Human Resources and Photo Editor

Diversity week starts year off right

Whether it’s different ethnic cultures, socioeconomic statuses or even location, it’s very hard to define a “typical LMU student.” LMU’s celebrationof this diversity is nothing new, but the University’s support of LMU’s Zero Tolerance Week, which kicks off tomorrow during Convo– is not only progressive, but also completely necessary to lay the foundation of why diversity is so important to the LMU community.

The week is centered around dissecting and celebrating the aspects of differnt cultures and groups on campus (See “Zero Tolerance Week sets stage for discussion,” Page 1). The Loyolan wholeheartedly supports the weeks planned talks and events.

The next step is utilizing this unique opportunity to make LMU even greater.

On April 28, 2012, the Loyolan reported online an incident in which the Department of Public Safety investigated the use of offensive language and symbols on a freshman student’s door in Del Rey North. A swastika was drawn on the student’s door along with the words “Jew Die.” This hate crime and incidents like it have a strong, negative impact on the University that requires University lead-

ers to address the disconnect between LMU’s values and such behavior. This is where Zero Tolerance Week comes into play. It’s a week to show freshmen in their first few weeks of school, and everyone else, what makes LMU different than just any other school. Although diversity is important in theory, it is essential in practice.

The events this week will explore how diversity manifests itself at LMU and how we can use these differences to create the best possible community. The scheduling of the week, corresponding to the 11th anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, will bring up issues recognizing diversity locally, nationwide and globally.

The concept of zero tolerance is not new to LMU. In 2009, there was Zero Tolerance Day, recognizing similar beliefs of preserving intercultural values. However, this will be the first full week the University has dedicated to recognizing these issues.

Zero Tolerance Week presents LMU community members with an opportunity to stand up and take action. The Loyolan urges all students to attend these events and take the chance to not only discuss diversity, but also embrace it.

Loyolan Staff

Adrien Jarvis Kevin O’Keeffe Brigette Scobas Zaneta Pereira Casey Kidwell Audrey Valli Kim Tran Joseph Demes Anna Escher Tierney Finster Christopher James Amy Lee Nathan Dines Cruz Quinonez Dan Raffety Joseph Demes Katherine Douthit Chanel Mucci Lucy Olson Emily Wallace Jenny Yu Alberto Gonzalez Joanie Payne Jackson Turcotte Liana Bandziulis Leslie Irwin Kasey Eggert Andrew Bentley Ian Lecklitner Kirsten Dornbush Jennifer Bruner Michael Giuntini Harrison Geron Anthony Peres Callie Douthit

Editor in Chief Managing Editor Human Resources and Photo Editor News Editor Assistant News Editor News Intern Opinion Editor Assistant Opinion Editor Assistant Opinion Editor A&E Editor Assistant A&E Editor Assistant A&E Editor Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Designer Designer Cartoon Editor Assistant Photo Editor Photo Intern Web Editor Assistant Web Editor Assistant Web Editor Business Director Assistant Business Director Assistant Business Director Advertising Coordinator Ad Sales Representative Ad Designer

Tom Nelson Director of Student Media

www.laloyolan.com

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.

The Los Angeles Loyolan is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the California College Media Association.

www.laloyolan.com

Opinion

September 10, 2012 Page 7

Siri,why did you sue Samsung for a billion?

F

or Apple, imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery. And they have an extra billion dollars to explain why.

We are in the afterglow of the biggest technology patent trial ever.

The Apple v. Samsung lawsuit has k n o c k e d Samsung, the South Korean conglomerate and largest BanAnnaGram mobile phone company in

By Anna Escher the world, Asst. Opinion Editor back $1.05 billion in damages paid to Apple. The reason? Apple is patent trolling. Apple claimed that Samsung willingly infringed on seven patents, including those of utility (patents reserving the way the phone works) and design (how it looks) in regards to their iPhone and iPad products. On Aug. 24, Samsung was found guilty of infringing on six of the seven patents and was ordered to award Apple $1.05 billion in damages. Apple has also listed eight Samsung products it wants banned.

There’s no doubting the similarities between the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy 3S. The smartphones have rounded edges, touch screens and multi-finger use touch systems. Your grandmother probably couldn’t tell the devices apart. This goes for the iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tablet as well, as these products also played a role in the tech trial.

The differences are in the operating systems. Apple functions with iOS, and Samsung with the Android operating system powered by Google. Apple attacked Samsung for allegedly copying utility features of the iPhone, like double tap to zoom and bounce back scrolling. Samsung failed to convince the jury that these socalled innovative features of the iPhone were not unique to Apple, and had in fact existed in earlier cellular devices. Yes, Apple is creative. But creative enough to sue a competitor for over a billion dollars because they also made a black rectangle that allows you to play games and talk to people?

The case has reaffirmed the ridiculousness of patent law.

Apple’s reason for suing completely clashes with the way the capitalist American economy is supposed to work. When a company realizes that they could face competition or that their ideas are catching on, they throw every single legal accusation they can think of at their competitor rather than

ideas.” This is true, seeing that back in the 1980s, Apple got much of its inspiration from a computer model designed by Xerox.

The world’s infatuation with Apple is understandable. We are smitten with the sleek, sexy iPhone. Who doesn’t love pondering the meaning of life with Siri?

There is no denying the genius behind Apple. But the conglomerate’s recent business strategies are reprehensible, specifically in the Samsung patent war.

Take the spotlight off the corporate lawsuit and onto the consumer. Instead of draining the judicial system with this tedious case, these companies should focus on what they do best: creating quality consumer electronics that continue to amaze us and make our lives easier. In the Aug. 28 Inquirer article “Apple v. Samsung patent result is a loss for innovation,” by Dave Neal, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) staff attorney, Julie Samuels is quoted as saying, “Apple and Samsung would be better off – and their consumers would be better served – if the tech giants took their epic patent battle out of the courtroom and into the marketplace.”

Behind this lawsuit is the notion that Apple should dominate the consumer electronics industry. The company’s victory has only solidified this notion and will result in stifled innovation for all other competitors, which will hit consumers with less variety in smartphones on the market and higher prices for them. Despite Samsung’s

“Suing competitors just because you can . . . is a contradiction to the way a capitalist society should function.” accepting that their genius has set a standard for the way consumer electronics should be created and distributed. Steve Jobs himself loved to quote Picasso, saying, “‘Good artists copy, great artists steal.’ We have always been shameless about stealing great

attempt to countersue and determination to reclaim the creative rights over its products, the company will surely suffer as Apple demands the Samsung Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S2 AT&T, Galaxy S2, Galaxy S2 T-Mobile, Galaxy S2 Epic 4G, Galaxy S Showcase, Droid Charge and Galaxy Prevail be taken out of U.S. market, The Examiner reports in the Aug. 19 article, “Apple asks U.S. Court to ban 8 Samsung phones” by Rajesh Hingoranee.

Anyone who doesn’t own an Apple product should be mad.

More cell phone companies will become restricted in terms of what they can and cannot include in their product as well, crowning Apple as the victor not by innovation and fair competition, but by legal force. This is unfair from an economic standpoint. Was our country’s economic system not founded on competition? As

Samsung argued, suing competitors just because you can instead of accepting a competitive challenge is a contradiction to the way a capitalist society should function.

Apple is a conglomerate willing to make a plethora of false claims to deceive a jury in the interest of gaining billions in undeserved profit at the expense of a competitor and thus hurting their consumers. What they really should be doing is continuing to innovate and better their product in a way that no other company can simulate rather than cut off their competitor by legal force and stop wasting everyone’s time.

This is the opinion of Anna Escher, a senior communication studies major f ro m S t a n fo rd, Ca l i f. Pl e a s e s e n d comments to aescher@theloyolan.com.

Letters to the Editor Re: Should “8” play?, Thursday, Sept. 6 Dear Editor, The gay marriage debate ignores children. I’ll limit my objection to adoption situations.

If gay marriage is legalized, children up for adoption must be made equally available to both gay couples and non-gay couples: An adoption agency can not legally favor one over the other. Are gay parents the equal of heterosexual parents? Do two gay men provide the balance of a female and male couple to a child? I doubt it, but I don’t have the burden of proof. Do we know all the benefits derived from female mothers, benefits of which the child will be deprived if adopted by a gay male couple?

Has there been sufficient studies to measure the effect of the absence of a female adult when two males adopt (or vice-versa)?

What if a child experienced his biological mother prior to being placed for adoption: Do advocates know the effect of placing that child with two gay males? Absent knowledge of the consequences, should gay marriage be legalized, at least in adoption situations? Gay couples considering having children need to study the impact such a relationship can have on a child’s wellbeing. And consider civil unions instead.

I believe females bring to mothering (and males to fathering) a unique set of benefits that people “acting” as substitutes cannot.

The benefits of motherhood may stem from hormonal, psychological, instinct or some other source. I don’t believe lesbians are adequate substitutes for fathers. While I’ve heard anecdotal stories of “exceptional gay parents,” which I believe are true, I have not heard any coherent argument or research supporting substitutes as equal to the opposite gender. The issue is all but ignored.

Gay marriage advocates, as those seeking the change, carr y the burden of explaining clearly why children up for adoption don’t deserve what they had before the adoption: a heterosexual upbringing and the benefits derived from it.

The lack of proof that same-sex parents bring identical benefits to children is among the reasons even many conscientious gays oppose gay marriage but favor civil unions.

Ron Slater, child advocate Alumni, Class of ‘77 Re: Should “8” play?, Thursday, Sept. 6 Dear Lauren Rockwell, I just wanted to give you some extra information that might change your “one-sided” ar ticle. “8” does indeed promote gay marriage. However, the play is based almost entirely (aside from a few personal plaintiff monologues) on actual testimony from the court case. Thus, the court case itself promotes gay marriage because the marriage opponents came to court with a small fraction of the witnesses and evidence the equality supporters had.

All the play does is bring the court case to the public eye – the case promotes marriage all by itself. So you see, this isn’t just another example of LMU bringing liberal-biased material to campus, it’s an example of them bringing a completely factual play to campus.

Also, the head of LGBT Student Services that put the play on guaranteed that there would be panel members for the talk back from all sides of the debate, including Catholic figure heads. He wanted to promote an intellectual discussion between people of all beliefs and opinions.

Thanks, Hannah Faust Senior communication studies major

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

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

September 10, 2012 Page 8

www.laloyolan.com

Latest VMAs live up to high expectations T

he MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) has always been quite a collection of surprises.

Dating back to Kanye’s famous mic snatching and beyond, the VMAs has been the most exciting televised musical event I can recall. I remember watching the VMAs entering junior high for the first time and seeing Diddy hand his gold watch to an audiBy Dwayne Logan ence member before Contributor saying, “It’s the VMAs, anything can happen.”

Since then, this particular award show has been my favorite topic of discussion in the opening weeks of school. As a night of popular music and the newest talent in the music industry, the VMAs takes the cake as the most fun and engaging awards show on television.

Rihanna emerged from the underworld (well, under the stage) clad in blood red, casually sprawled across a leopard print, gold-plated throne in the mouth of a lion to open the show. Behind her minions dressed in gold Egyptian garb, Rihanna rose to perform “Cockiness (Love It).” She was joined by rapper A$AP Rocky, entering the stage in his signature all-black aesthetic, delivering his lyrics flowingly and moving across the stage with impeccable presence.

Rocky finished his guest appearance by giving Rihanna an impromptu kiss on the neck, possibly making him the newest member of Rihanna’s love triangle (quadrangle? pentagon?). Floating into the crowd, Rihanna concluded with the club anthem “We Found Love” as backed

by resident DJ Calvin Harris.

After last year’s host-less antics, MTV took a clue from the rest of the entertainment world and hired comedy giant (sorry, I had to) Kevin Hart. Our host for the evening entered with a Hart 2012 presidential gag, featuring a gang of verticallychallenged Secret Service agents designed to make the grown little man look taller. Hart took a couple of shots at celebrity mistakes and blunders in the past year, including Drake and Chris Brown’s nightclub brawl, Snooki’s childbirth and Kristen Stewart’s fling with her “Snow White and the Huntsman” director.

He topped it off with a stage dive and let the awards presentations begin.

The talented boys of One Direction (I’m biting my tongue pretty hard right now) won their first award of the night for Best Pop Video. While not a fan of the boy band scene, One Direction has enjoyed a following that has been almost unparalleled. I cannot avoid seeing the band in the trending topics on Twitter or hearing its song “What Makes You Beautiful” in just about any fast food restaurant I’ve been to in the past year. In short, congratulations, One Direction. You have a promising career ahead of you.

The performance we were all waiting for finally came with Frank Ocean. He took the stage with nothing but his voice and a guitarist in the middle of an ethereal campsite under stars, the so-called “northern lights” (a nice touch) and a bright moon. Seated near the fire and bowing his head slightly, letting the light hit his signature red and white headband, Ocean moved into the alltoo-familiar first lines of his breakout hit, “Thinkin Bout You” (you just sang them, didn’t you?). Ocean absolutely kills during every performance, including his album release

concert at The Wiltern in July, which I was so lucky to have attended. The man’s voice is impressive, but his stage presence is superb. Even more so is his falsetto, which welcomed a great deal of applause before he quietly left the stage, leaving his guitarist to close the song alone.

One Direction later beat out Frank Ocean, the presumed top contender, for Best New Artist. Ocean’s reaction was one of silent disbelief, slowly mouthing “wow” almost in sync with my suitemates and me (who weren’t nearly as silent). Although a well-deserved award on the boy band’s part, Ocean left Staples Center empty-handed, unable to join his cohort Tyler, the Creator in the ranks of Best New Artist.

Cue One Direction in a stage performance surrounded by screaming girls. Very original, guys. Yet those little boys can sing. Shortly after I turned the channel back to MTV, Nicki Minaj and her ridiculous outfit, addressed here as its own separate entity, accepted Best Female Video for her song “Starships.” I cannot tell a lie: That song was stuck in my head for the majority of this summer. Not with her to accept her award, Lil Wayne rolled out to the stage on his skateboard, following 2 Chainz, performing what I think was a song off of 2 Chainz’s debut album, “Based on a T.R.U. Story.”

I am only speculating because, due to censorship, I could actually only hear half of the song.

Drake accepted the Best Hip-Hop Video award for his song “HYFR,” bringing his Young Money family on stage with him. Drake’s V-neck silk shirt coupled with Nicki Minaj’s usual attire and Lil Wayne’s TRUKFIT army looked like, if I can steal a joke from Tumblr, the band at Chuck E. Cheese (remember them?). Lil Wayne especially looked like the kid no one really invited to the party. He

just kind of showed up.

I snapped back to seventh grade again when Green Day took the stage, because it reminded me of the last time they tried to make a comeback. While outdated in content and outnumbered in loyal fans, Green Day held its own. The ’90s rock band performed down in the dance floor, eventually becoming surrounded by screaming audience members who were just as wistful as I was, save for any younger spectators who had no clue who they were.

How could I forget the song ringing in everyone’s head on any given Friday, the song that has yet to win an award? Video of the Year was awarded, of course, to Rihanna for her smash hit, “We Found Love.”

Prevailing over Katy Perry for Video of the Year, who was sitting next to her playing nice all night, Rihanna snatched the microphone from a shrieking Kevin Hart, giving an exciting and lovely thank-you speech.

Closing the night was a performance from the quirky, misunderstood songbird of our generation, Taylor Swift. Emerging from a studio booth on stage, she danced through a crowd of young adolescents into a

Photo: Albert Alvarado Graphics: Alberto Gonzalez

Wednesday Every Wednesday Night 7:30pm - 8:30pm Bird Nest

Open Meeting

For more information on these meetings and other resources, email: recovery@lmu.edu

Broadway-inspired routine. Dancing in the middle, dressed in red and white, she may as well have been dancing through a “Where’s Waldo?” book. Sure enough, there she was, expressively leading the crowd through another one of her ex-boyfriend-inspired high school anthems, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”

Full of exciting performances and moments, this year’s has definitely been my favorite VMAs ceremony show. Rather than taking the most popular and mainstream artists and awarding them from the point of view of the older generation (I’m looking at you, GRAMMYs), the VMAs is a young man’s game, filled with our favorite artists. Big and small, old and new, the VMAs brings our best, most popular talents together in an engaging performance brought together by exciting surprises and run by a great host. Like Diddy said in 2005, “It’s the VMAs, anything can happen.”

This is the opinion of Dwayne Logan, a sophomore business management major from Fullerton, Calif. Please send comments to tfinster@theloyolan.com.

Information provided by DejaView Movie Lounge

www.laloyolan.com

Arts & Entertainment

Greek Life Feature

By Amy Lee Asst. A&E Editor

F

ollowing in the spirit of this summer’s London Olympics, LMU’s annual Greek Life event Lip Sync and Stroll Off showcased a night of skits, dance and friendly competition with its theme of the Greek games. Fourteen sororities and fraternities battled it out on stage at Gersten Pavilion on Saturday night. But who were the brains behind the moves? Asst. A&E Editor Amy Lee got to know the event’s very busy choreographers.

Alpha Delta Gamma: Nick Kemalyan Senior English major

What is your favorite part of Lip Sync?

“The best part is seeing all the frats and sororities put on a performance for the entire school. The LMU community is so tight-knit that everyone has a good time.

There is a lot of positivity that night and lots of smiles, which is one of the great things LMU can offer.”

Alpha Kappa Alpha: Michel’le Brown Senior sociology and African American studies double major

What are you most excited about for your sorority for Lip Sync & Stroll Off? “This is our first Lip Sync, so it’s great to see all of us are able to do it together. Most of us are seniors, so it’ll be a beginning and an end for us.”

What is the work entailed in choreographing for Lip Sync?

“It consisted of picking the hot new songs with certain beats. We also had to find music that incorporated with the sorority and audience in one. Then making up the strolls and steps towards the end.”

Alpha Phi: Dawne Stanley Senior communication studies major

How did you become the choreog-

rapher?

“I was a dance major, but I got injured sophomore year. The other choreographer Christie Afzal, a senior communication studies major, and I have been dancing since we were 3, so the opportunity fell into us when we became seniors.”

What’s your favorite song to dance to? “‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ by Taylor Swift.”

Beta Theta Pi: Dre Griffin Senior finance major

What is your favorite part of Lip Sync?

“It’s cool seeing everyone out of their comfort zone. Not everyone is a performer or dancer, so it’s nice to see people giving their best effort to do something they wouldn’t typically do, which is the most entertaining part of it.”

What is the work entailed in choreographing for Lip Sync?

“I just listened to the songs and tried to visualize the concepts and work them with our story. It was a

lot of repetition, and we had to be patient. Most of the guys are not comfortable with dancing so we had to systematically go through everything as much as we could.”

Delta Delta Delta: Anna Keathley Junior mathematics major

How did you become the choreographer?

“The head of Greek Week asked me to do it. I was one of the assistants last year for Lip Sync.”

What is your favorite part of Lip Sync?

“My favorite part is the practices.

It’s so much fun spending time with everyone. A lot needs to be done, but my sorority handles it in a fun and entertaining manner.”

Delta Gamma: Kelly Jacobs Junior psychology and dance double major

What are you most excited about for your sorority/fraternity for Lip Sync?

“It’s exciting to get to know the new girls. We have about 60 new girls, so it’s the best way to finally get the chance to know each other.”

What’s your favorite song to dance to? “‘Check On It’ by Beyoncé.”

Delta Sigma Theta: Imani Hayes Junior dance major

What are you most excited about for your sorority for Lip Sync & Stroll Off? “I’m excited to see everyone be together. The chapter is bigger now so it’ll be exciting for us to stroll together in a long line. I’m excited for everyone to perform and have a lot of fun. I want others to see us in a different light, a performing light.”

What’s your favorite song to dance to? “‘Rock With You’ by Janet Jackson.”

Delta Zeta:Tori Harris (TH) Junior dance and communication studies double major Catherine Beard (CB) Senior sociology major

Liana Bandziulis | Loyolan

Out of the five fraternities that performed, it was the choreography created for Lambda Chi Alpha by LMU alumnus Brantley Jittu (above, ‘12) that shined brightest.

details

What are you most excited about for your sorority/fraternity for Lip Sync?

TH: “We’re excited because we’re going with an edgier theme than we’ve had in the past. It’ll portray the different personalities of our chapter.”

What is your favorite part of Lip Sync?

CB: “Favorite part is getting to know everyone better. We’re always practicing and meeting more people.

We’re constantly together, and we talk to people we might not usually talk to.”

Kappa Alpha Theta: Jordynn Otto Junior dance major

What is the work entailed in choreographing for Lip Sync?

“There is a lot of work for choreographing Lip Sync. Some of the details include communication between members about attending rehearsals (via text, email, Facebook), scheduling rehearsals and booking rooms at LMU or finding other locations, organizing and being on top of your game so you know who exactly is participating, making formations, communicating with Rina Kirima [co-choreographer] and with the members, making up the dances, changing the dances, using constructive criticism, always staying positive, the list goes on.”

Lambda Chi Alpha: Brantley Jittu Alumnus class of 2012 dance major What is the work entailed in cho-

September 10, 2012 Page 9

reographing for Lip Sync?

“It’s an intense amount of work and dedication. Choreographing [includes] creating a vision and putting people in the right spots. It is methodical. Everything needs to be planned out and run smoothly back to back from piece to piece. It’s a collection of pieces strung together, and there are transitions between them where you have to be artistic. You have to link people through. It’s a lot of work, practice and communicating. Before every rehearsal, we do a group warm-up to get us united and focused. This is one of the most important things. It’s all about getting together for one purpose. It’s about the mind and body and experiencing something together. This is one of the defining factors of performing well. This is what unites us.”

Pi Beta Phi: Deanna Walker Junior business major

How did you become the choreographer?

“My cousin was a Pi Phi at LMU, so I’ve known about Lip Sync since I was about 16. We danced together competitively, so I knew that if this was something she was interested in then I should check it out. I participated in Lip Sync my sophomore year once I became a Pi Phi. Throughout the entire process I couldn’t help but come up with my own ideas of what it would be like if I had the opportunity to be a choreographer my junior year. I started spreading the word that I was interested, showed off my groundbreaking moves many times throughout the year and demonstrated my ability to take a leadership role pertaining to dance amongst my peers.”

Sigma Chi: Chase Lehner Sophomore communication studies major

What are you most excited about for your sorority/fraternity for Lip Sync?

“I’m excited because it’ll be different from what we’ve done before.

The format is different, and it’s a lot of high-energy dancing. It’s a fastpaced dance. We really wanted to incorporate the strengths, such as comedy, of our chapter because we have a lot of writers and actors. It’s a huge jumbled thing of everything we’re good at with a lot of dancing.”

What’s your favorite song to dance to?

“I love dancing to anything from the Dougie to Blink-182. I love anything upbeat.”

Sigma Lambda Gamma: Michelle Lara Senior sociology major

What are you most excited about for your sorority for Lip Sync & Stroll Off? “I am most excited to showcase to other Greeks and the LMU community our tradition of strolling. I am glad that we have an opportunity to show others part of our Greek culture.”

What is your favorite part of Lip Sync?

“My favorite part is being able to spend more time with the girls in my organization during practices.”

Sigma Phi Epsilon: Ena Kirima Junior dance major

How did you become the choreographer?

“I’m a dance major here at LMU, and I had the privilege to be asked to choreograph Sig Ep’s Lip Sync.”

What are you most excited about for the fraternity for Lip Sync?

“I’m excited to see everyone’s final product on stage since so much hard work has been put into Lip Sync.”

September 10, 2012 Page 10

Sports

www.laloyolan.com

Are you ready for some football?

Two Plus the Foul from Page 12 are going against? Second, how have they performed against the same defense in weeks past, or against defenses with similar characteristics? Disclaimer: This formula does not guarantee you fantasy football glory. Michael Goldsholl is not responsible for the weekly production of your fantasy football team or the overall outcome of its season.

Stay away from teams/ players involved in on-field scandals with the league: The example this year is obviously the New Orleans Saints.

Due to the sanctions imposed on the franchise by the bounty scandal, the Saints have been left with Head Coach Sean Payton suspended for the season, Lead Assistant Joe Vitt banned for six games and Gen-

eral Manager Mickey Loomis out for eight. Not only will they be working with an interim coach (Offensive Line Coach Aaron Kromer) for the interim head coach (Vitt), but their entire defense will be under tight scrutiny by the NFL and its referees. You can be sure that the team will be playing with a lighter touch on the defensive end to avoid any allegations that the bounty program is still in place. We saw the same thing happen to Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison’s production last season, when the league clamped down on his hard hits and proceeded to fine and suspend him until he figured out a way to alter his style of play on the defensive end. Quarterback Drew Brees will struggle to perform at his accustomed level, and running back (RB) Darren Sp-

roles will not repeat as a fantasy stud this year, since Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas will likely steal touches from him.

Barring injury, tight end (TE) Jimmy Graham may be the safest bet on this team – but then again there are no “safe” bets with a team in turmoil.

The average QB with a very good offensive line and underrated offensive weapons will actually perform exceptionally well. Enter San Francisco 49ers QB Alex Smith.

Skill-wise, he’s nothing out of the ordinary: He doesn’t have the size and speed of a Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) or Robert Griffin III (Washington Redskins), nor does he have the throwing ability and leadership skills of Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) or Tom Brady (New England Patriots).

But this season, he will per-

Mitrovic shines in loss M. Polo from Page 12 Mitrovic led the Lions with three goals on the day, with two of them coming from the five-meter line after Pepperdine penalties.

He has scored nine times in two games, leading the team in scoring as a true freshman. Junior Peter Olson scored in the second quarter to give the Lions the onepoint edge. Freshman Vuk Cvetkovic also added a goal on the day.

The victory gave Pepperdine the first point of the

Wells Fargo Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Cup, an annual competition between the two schools located only 19 miles from each other.

The Waves have won the competition the last two seasons.

The Lions rebound from the loss by playing in the NorCal Invitational on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15 and 16, a tournament that hosts top teams in the nation. Seeding for the tournament has not yet been decided.

“We feel we are a bet-

ter team than what we are ranked,” said senior utility man Jon Colton. “We just have to go out there and prove ourselves.”

Two years ago was the last time LMU appeared in the tournament, with the team going 2-2 on the weekend.

“The results of the tournament will dictate what national rank we are coming out of the weekend,” said Colton. “We have a really young team and we need to focus on who we are playing now instead of who we could possibly play.”

form at the level the franchise expected him to when they drafted Smith No. 1 overall in 2005. With an incredibly deep receiving corps of Randy Moss, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham, he will have plenty of options when moving the ball through the air. And on the ground, he has a top-10 RB in Frank Gore, whose rushing capabilities command attention from the defensive side, further opening up the passing game for Smith to succeed (think Matt Cassel in 2008 for the Patriots during Tom Brady’s injury season).

Never accept the first trade offer you get. As someone who likes to send daily trade proposals, I can tell you from personal experience the first trade offer is never with the recipient’s best interests in mind. In fact, it’s generally

with the hope that the recipient of the proposal will somehow be extremely intoxicated or in a hallucinogenic state at the time they receive the offer, and accept a deal that gives the league’s best team another superstar for pesos on the British pound.

Maybe you’ll finally win your fantasy league this year, but the odds are you probably won’t. Unless you’re in a fourteam league where you control every team, get used to an early playoff exit or a season of close losses where you were “really just five points away from being in the championship game.”

Sure, buddy, we all were. So keep telling yourself that.

This is the opinion of Michaell Goldsholl, a senior English major from Santa Barbara, Calif. Please send comments to ndines@theloyolan.com.

SUBMIT YOUR BEST

LMU SPORTS PHOTOS

TO: ndines@theloyolan.com AND HAVE THE CHANCE TO SEE YOUR ARTWORK

IN A FUTURE LOYOLAN SPORTS SECTION!

S ports Following tie at UCLA, Lions shut out Idaho State

September 10, 2012 Page 11

www.laloyolan.com

W. Soccer from Page 12 Myers said about the team’s defensive play: “Our whole defensive unit did a great job. That goes from our goalkeeper, all the way to our four backs and our midfielders – who battled very hard – and our forwards who were basically tracking their [UCLA’s] outside backs that were trying to get forward.”

Last Sunday, the Lions fell to the at-the-time No.11ranked University of Wisconsin. The Lions allowed a ghastly four goals against the Badgers and ultimately lost 4-2. Myers viewed their defensive performance against UCLA as a form of redemption for the team.

Myers said, “Tonight, I think, was a very important night because it showed how good they can be and how good they are. UCLA is a very talented team; we withstood a lot of their attacks. But our kids were there and they were able to get it out, and that says a lot because normally against a fast team like UCLA, it just takes one little mistake and the ball’s in the back of the net. And tonight we really, really defended well.”

The score was 0-0 through most of the first quarter, until the 27th minute when redshirt sophomore combination defender and midfielder Jenni Benger scored off a corner kick by freshman midfielder Jocelyn Blankenship. LMU managed to keep the Bruins scoreless throughout the rest of the half and entered

D E L I V E R Y

halftime up 1-0. UCLA came out of the half tenacious and scored quickly in the begin-

ning of the half in the 48th minute to tie it up at 1-1. The Lions stepped up their de-

fense after that quick lapse and the Bruins were shut out the rest of the half, despite

Leslie Irwin | Loyolan

Senior defender Whitney Sharpe (middle) led the Lions down the field against Idaho State on Sunday, assisting senior midfielder Cori McGovern for the second and final score of the 2-0 shutout.

multiple shots taken. Most of those shots were far and wide of the goal, due to pressure put on by the Lions not allowing UCLA to get close to the box.

LMU normally plays an uptempo and aggressive style, but Myers decided to change things up a bit to keep pace with UCLA. Myers said of the style change: “Our depth isn’t as good as their depth by far, so our bodies by that time are super tired. We wanted a result, and a tie is a good result for us. At that point, you’re just trying to get that result and also help our kids because they’re dying out there. So were trying to kill the clock as well as get fresh legs out there at times.”

LMU’s use of substitutes helped to slow the match down for the Lions as it progressed through the first and second overtimes. The slower tempo helped the team regain its stamina against the constantly fresh UCLA squad. It also helped to give UCLA less time to score by running off time UCLA could have used to take more shots. When time ran out in the second overtime, the Lions had earned a tie against the best team in the nation and proved itself a force to be reckoned with.

The Lions followed up their impressive game with a 2-0 win against the Idaho State Bengals on Sunday at Sullivan Field. LMU’s next game is against the Arizona State Sun Devils and will take place on Friday, September 14, 5 p.m., at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.

D E L I V Located @ 4730 A Lincoln Blvd. - Marina Square E Next to Panera Bread and US Bank R (310) 822-6869 Open Mon - Sun: 11 AM - 10 PM (9PM-10 PM Take Out Only) Y • • • • • •

Create your own 10 piece roll or bowl: $7 - 9 Side & Drink combo only $2.45 Online ordering available August 27 @ howdoyouroll.com To use Flexi / One Card order online @ tapingo.com Delivery 7 days a week from 6 PM - 10:30 PM Lunch Delivery for 6 or more if ordered by 10:30 AM

www.laloyolan.com

Lion Sports

September 10, 2012 Page 12

Women tie No. 1 UCLA Bruins Behind strong defense, the LMU women’s soccer team draws 1-1 with the top-ranked team in the nation.

By Cruz Quinonez Asst. Sports Editor

Playing away under the lights of UCLA’s famous Drake Stadium and more than 1,000 pairs of eyes on Friday night, LMU’s women’s soccer team came up big.

“I’m super proud. Super proud of the team and excited for them,” Head Coach Michelle Myers said after the game. “They worked hard tonight and left everything on the field. It was a great team effort and I’m proud of them.”

The Lions had to withstand an intense volley of shots from UCLA throughout the game. The final shot count was 27 shots for UCLA and four shots for LMU. The Lions had trouble getting the ball up against the Bruins’ stout defense, but made up for it by stopping UCLA practically every time they tried to score.

Part of LMU’s incredible defense was redshirt junior goalkeeper Brittany Jagger’s great play. Jagger had six saves on the night helping the Lions to stay in the game. However, it wasn’t only Jagger who was responsible for the Lions defensive stand.

See W. Soccer | Page 11

Leslie Irwin | Loyolan

Redshirt sophomore defender/midfielder Jenni Benger (17) scored the lone goal for the Lions against top-ranked UCLA on Friday night. Pictured here in Sunday’s contest, Benger helped the team record a 2-0 shutout against unranked Idaho State.

Lions lose to rival Pepperdine despite late comeback The men’s water polo team loses to crosstown rival Pepperdine 8-7 on Saturday.

By Dan Raffety Asst. Sports Editor

Three, two, one – and the buzzer sounds.

The No. 10 LMU Lions’ comeback came up short by milliseconds against cross-town rival No. 8 Pepperdine University this past Saturday, Sept.

8, in Malibu, Calif. during a non-conference water polo showdown.

The Lions found themselves down three goals midway through the fourth quarter, but mounted a come-

back that nearly tied the game going into overtime.

Down 8-7 with seconds to play, the Lions took over possession with three seconds left and looked to score.

Freshman Milutin “Milo” Mitrovic tipped in redshirt senior Robert Pusic’s shot after Pepperdine’s goalie saved the ball from entering the goal, but was a tenth of a second late as the buzzer sounded with zeroes on the scoreboard.

The Waves team and their fans erupted in cheers while Head Coach John Loughran and the Lions were dismayed with the result.

The Lions led by one heading into the half, but Pepperdine scored the first two goals of the second half to not only take the lead, but also the

momentum.

“I thought it was the first four minutes of the third quarter that was the difference,” said Loughran. “We came out flat defensively and they scored some goals that really didn’t go in during the first half. Our guys played flat the first four minutes of the third quarter and it cost us the game.”

With Pepperdine’s 8-5 lead in the final quarter, the Lions scored two goals: one by redshirt freshman attacker Seth Coldren and the other by sophomore utility man Joe Feretti, to trim the Waves’ lead to one. But that wasn’t enough, and the Waves defeated the Lions for the third year in a row.

“We showed some good character to come back in the fourth quarter,”

said Loughran. “But, again, they scored some goals in the fourth quarter that really shouldn’t have gone in.

I thought our defense had some letdowns that were a little disheartening. Overall, we had a solid team effort and now we have to build on this and work on our defense heading into [the Nor Cal Invitational].”

Senior goalie Kyle Testman recorded 14 saves on the day to keep the Lions close, adding the nine he had in the team’s first game. His total count has climbed to 142 saves.

“As the goalie, I’m the quarterback of the pool,” said Testman. “I direct traffic and communicate with the defense.”

See M. Polo | Page 10

Dos and don’ts from a back-to-back fantasy champ With championship experience, Michael Goldsholl enlightens those striving to win fantasy football.

T

Associated Press

Quarterback Alex Smith (above) led the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship last year and looks to improve both on the field and fantasy level with an improved receiver core.

hink you have what it takes to win your fantasy football league this year? Trying to win nice chunks of change (or “stacks,” as Tyga would say) and bragging rights as the Don of football knowledge among your friends, co-workers and message board enemies?

Then take a look at this checklist of dos and don’ts that could provide a few wins for even the biggest Two Plus the Foul novice of fantasy

By Michael Goldsholl football.

Repeat after Staff Writer me: “I will never draft Chris Johnson in the first round of a fantasy football draft.” As an owner, the expectations for him are too high and the eventual payout too low. I made this mistake last year in the keeper league I’m in with my family (eightteam league counting points per reception (PPR) and using individual

defensive players (IDP)). For some bizarre reason, I did so again this year in a two-quarterback [QB], 12team league (eighth pick) that I’m in with my friends. And so, my first NFL Sunday of the 2012 regular season was spent screaming at the TV as I watched my No. 1 pick rush for four – count ‘em, four – yards on 11 attempts without even sniffing anywhere near the endzone. It almost made me wish I was hung over so I could have just slept through his psychologically draining performance.

“Projections” mean absolutely nothing. If you plan on basing your weekly strategy on what the “experts” at ESPN or Yahoo! say a certain player is going to score that week, make sure to stock up on the Kleenex, because you will spend every Sunday night soaking your pillow(s) in tears.

Sure, they are a good foundational barometer of which players are going against favorable opponents, but when you make those numbers your bible, enjoy being the butt of every joke on your league’s message board.

A good rule of thumb is to look at two things when picking your lineup each week. First, if they are an offensive player, how strong is the defense they

See Two Plus the Foul | Page 10