ESTABLISHED 1921 November 19, 2012
Volume 91, Issue 20
www.laloyolan.com Your Home. Your Voice. Your News. loyola marymount university
Tutoring program recognized nationally TTT program founder and LMU student chosen to speak at national Jesuit conference. By Kasey Eggert Web Editor
If you had the chance to make your vision for a better future to be known across the nation, you would take that opportunity and hope that spreading the word will help your vision come to life. Nestor Pimienta, a senior political science and urban studies double major, had that opportunity with Tutoring Tomorrow Today (TTT), the program that he helped create at LMU. The program was cast into national prominence when Pimienta was selected to be one of the main speakers at the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice (IFTJ) – a national Jesuit conference that took place this past weekend in Washington, D.C. When interviewed for the Loyolan’s Sept. 6 issue’s “11 Burning Questions with a founder of Tutoring Tomorrow Today,” Pimienta explained that TTT is a student-run program that provides subject-based tutoring and mentoring for the families of the Facilities Management workers and the food service workers on campus. The program began last year after being awarded $5,000 through ASLMU’s Inspiration Grant, which funds a project
See TTT | Page 3
Leah Hubbard | Loyolan
Music majors take the stage to present their senior recitals Senior music major Ana Villafañe (above right) was accompanied by LMU alumnus Justin Ramos (‘11) as she performed her senior recital this weekend in Murphy Recital Hall. Senior music major Chloé Pourmorady also showcased her musical talent the same night. For more coverage of the recitals, as well as the LMU music department’s other events this weekend, see Page 10.
OCSL varies responses to noise complaints Off-campus complaints are investigated only if a neighbor contacts the University directly. By Allison Croley Asst. News Editor
Martyr commemoration ends with trip to protest In addition to the candlelight vigil (above) held on campus last Wednesday in honor of the Jesuit martyrs who were killed in El Salvador in 1989, several LMU students also traveled to this year’s protest at Fort Benning, Ga. They joined the thousands that converged at the gates of Fort Benning calling for the closure of the School of the Americas (SOA), now called WHINSEC, a military training school that trains soldiers and military personnel from Latin American countries, some of whom have gone on to commit human rights abuses, such as the killing of the Jesuit martyrs. Liana Bandziulis | Loyolan
TAKE A BREAK Opinion Intern Allie Heck talks about the dramas of going home for the first time since entering college.
Opinion, Page 4
What happens if your roommate decides to host a huge party at your off-campus house while you are away, and your neighbors complain about the noise to the school? According to the Assistant Director of OffCampus Student Life (OCSL) William Sisk, “There are several different responses from the University.” These responses include warning letters, Off-Campus Student Life consultations, phone calls, follow-up investigations, noise seminars and mediations. However, there are limitations to when and how OCSL responds. “We respond only when a neighbor calls or reports via the online system a complaint to the University directly,” Sisk said. Non-LMU residents can either call the University or file a complaint online, but no LMU department can respond to a complaint unless a neighbor contacts the University specifically. According to Sisk, about 90 percent of the complaints filed regard noise, and OCSL’s goal is to help students learn how to be sensitive to the needs of the people they
Index Classifieds.............................2 Opinion.........................4 Business & Technology.........7 Coffee Break.........................8 A&E................................9 Sports..............................16 The next issue of the Loyolan will be printed on Nov. 29, 2012.
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live around. “We live in a very diverse neighborhood,” Sisk said. “We have elderly couples, young families and single-parent families, all of different levels of income mixed in with college students. We are always trying to figure out the best way to educate our students about where they live and about positive and effective ways they can become part of the neighborhood.” OCSL responds a certain way to noise complaints on a case-by-case basis. They email and mail letters to LMU off-campus residents every time a complaint is filed against them, but whether OCSL follows up with more action varies. “There is not a perfect, tiered system to it,” Sisk said. He continued in explaining that the type of response students get due to a noise complaint ultimately depends on an initial report documented by the Department of Public Safety (DPS). Typically, DPS is the first to receive a complaint from a member of the Westchester community. According to DPS Chief Hampton Cantrell, DPS assesses the activity on campus, then goes to the site of the complaint. “The campus comes first,” Cantrell said. “If there are no pending emergencies on campus, then we will send an officer out to investigate
See Noise | Page 3
TURKEY TALK Don’t know how to spend your Thanksgiving break? Check out A&E’s Thanksgiving section.
A&E, Page 9
News
November 19, 2012 Page 2
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HIDDEN GEMS OF U-HALL
FOUR PLACES AND THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW WERE HIDING IN THE DEPTHS OF THE LARGEST BUILDING ON CAMPUS.
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THE MARYMOUNT INSTITUTE
THE TONGVA DISPLAY CASE
Located on the third floor straight out from the escalator and to the right, the Marymount Institute for Faith, Culture, and the Arts (room 3002) was built to honor and maintain the tradition of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. About the size of a large classroom, the room is not only ideal for events, but for study breaks, as well. “It’s also one of the few places on campus where you can access a piano with permission and there’s a great view off its back porch,” sophomore political science and dance major Elise Culliton said.
In the middle of the first floor across from the Wells Fargo ATM and the elevators, a display case sits permanently. A tribute to the Gabrielino/Tongva tribe indigenous to this area, this display holds Native American bowls, pottery and tools. It also features photographs of the Tongva people and their histories. This display accompanies the Tongva Memorial, a stone circle on the bluff to honor the first people to live in this region.
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THE PSYCHOLOGY VILLAGE COUCHES
Did you know that at U-Hall, students have the opportunity to observe letters from the Civil War, real cuneiform tablets, a sarcophagus (ancient receptacle for a dead body) and a mummified cat named Clifford? The Archaeology Center in the 3300 section of U-Hall is made up of several rooms full of collected artifacts and, is open for viewing on weekedays. Most artifacts are focused on the ancient Mediterranean region, but the department is always receiving donations and buying new relics from different time periods. Senior classics major Amy de Harde said about the center, “We’d love to expand but there’s no place for it right now.”
The psychology village on the fourth floor in the 4700 section harbors a few secrets: some of the most comfortable couches and some of the best views within U-Hall. Against the very north wall of the building, the couches in this department make a peaceful place to study with a view similar to the one that President David W. Burcham gets from his office.
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On Campus Prayer-Spiration This may be the only Rosary cycling fitness opportunity you are ever invited to... so check it out! Join the Fitwell community and participate in “PrayerSpiration”, an informal 30 minute Rosary cycling workout. Fridays from 10:00 to 10:30 AM in BRC Studio II. Mix beads of sweat with beads of prayer for combined spiritual and physical wellness. Please contact Alyssa Bellia at abellia@ lion.lmu.edu with any questions.
THE ARCHAEOLOGY CENTER
Information complied by Ali Swenson, News intern; Photos: Liana Bandziulis | Loyolan; Graphic: Joanie Payne | Loyolan
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For the Record In the Nov. 12 article “LMU first in alumni donation participation,” junior history major and the lead caller at LMU Alumni Relations Kathleen Auwarter’s name was misspelled. In the Nov. 15, “11 Burning Questions with an LMU business professor,” Fr. Randy Roche, S.J. was mistakenly identified as Fr. Thomas Rausch, S.J.
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November 19, 2012 Page 3
‘Only neighbors complain’ Noise from Page 1 the complaint.” On an off-campus site, DPS’s role is to “verify whether the complaint is true or not true,” according to Cantrell. DPS goes off campus to confirm the complaint and document anything they observe, even if the complaint is unverified. “If we get there and there is no party and no noise, then we will document that in a report and send it to OCSL,” Cantrell said. “This verification piece is helpful to students because we have identified some complaints that were unfounded.” According to the DPS Statistical
Reference of off-campus incidents, 121 complaints have been filed, but 22 of them were unfounded. However, in cases when verified complaints recur, OCLS will step in and offer mediation. This is not a legal set of agreements or binding guidelines, but an interactive way for students and their neighbors to talk out their issues. Sisk explained that if mediation occurs and students continue to annoy the neighbors, the University cannot hold students accountable. In that case, Sisk advises neighbors to take their complaints to the LAPD. Ultimately, OCLS and DPS are involved in off-campus complaints
only if the University is contacted directly. They do not seek students out or mandate that students attend certain meetings unless there are continued, verified complaints against those students. “It’s important that students know that the University has never complained about an off-campus party,” Sisk said. “Only neighbors complain.” As for other off-campus calls, Cantrell said, “Public Safety does not respond to any off-campus emergencies.” “Our only job is to report the situation when a complaint comes in. We just don’t have the capability to respond [to emergencies].”
DPS STATISTICAL REFERENCE: OFF-CAMPUS INCIDENTS FALL 2012 (TO DATE) Total Incidents:
Referrals Non-Referral to Judicial Complaints: Affairs and OCSL:
Repeat Houses Substantiated Unsubstantiated Unfounded
121 7 102 9 64 35 22
Information: Department of Public Safety; Graphic: Joanie Payne | Loyolan
TTT seeks national success TTT from Page 1 designed by a team of three or more students who, according to the Nov. 7 Loyolan article “ASLMU introduces new scholarships,” “wish to make a long-term impact by initiating a project that can be carried on for a number of years. ... The Inspiration Grant aims to provide inspired students with funds to realize their dreams of a more socially just and sustainable community.” According to Pimienta, by connecting LMU students as tutors and mentors with the campus workers’ families, TTT aims to build genuine relationships. “Being chosen as one of the main speakers for the conference has the potential to change thousands of lives across the country,” said Pimienta, highlighting the future impact this national recognition will have for TTT. Including Pimienta, there were seven main student speakers at IFTJ. Each 10-minute presentation had a similar format and was presented to over 1,200 people from Jesuit universities, and even some high schools, across the nation. According to Ignationsolidarity. net, the event aims to bring members of the Ignatian family
together “in the context of social justice and solidarity to learn, reflect, pray, network and advocate together.” The theme of the 2012 conference was “Imagination Reform: Moving Beyond the Margins,” which, according to Pimienta, relates to TTT since the program moves marginalized groups of people beyond the margins. He explained that TTT is imagination reform because it forces our campus to redefine the notion of what community is. Alex Abbasi, a senior theological studies major and a friend of Pimienta’s, also attended the conference and joined Pimienta during his speech. Pimienta explained that Abbasi is a big part of the vision of TTT and that he is passionate and committed to making this vision a reality, so he wanted Abbasi to speak with him on behalf of the program. While discussing his feelings about presenting his vision in Washington, D.C., Pimienta did not seem nervous at all, but instead seemed passionate and humbled about really wanting to make the most out of this unique opportunity. “I feel very, very excited,” said Pimienta. “Think about the countless lives that can be impacted
over the next few years. I’ve been looking forward to this opportunity, and I’ve been preparing as much as possible to make sure that what I’m speaking about resonates with the audience.” The goal of their speech is to demonstrate how TTT fully embodies all of the Jesuit ideals. “I think this is a perfect opportunity, and is crucial in order to expand TTT over the country,” explained Pimienta. “The goal is to have at least one other institution to be inspired by us to start TTT.” Pimineta was pleased with the amount of positive feedback he received. According to him, students and representatives of Jesuit organizations kept coming up to him and Abbasi wanting to know everything about TTT. “I just want LMU to continue to be a great model for and with others, and [a place] other institutions that want to start TTT can look upon,” said Pimienta. “The next step for TTT is to welcome more support at LMU and from any other institutions that expressed interest so that the program is successful nationwide.” To view Pimineta and Abbasi’s speech in its entirety, visit laloyolan. com.
Tilly Rudolph | Loyolan
Rabbi Ilana Schachter said that she feels blessed to be a part of the LMU community. She finds that there are ‘varying expressions of Judaism,’ and for that reason, feels she is‘representing [her] Jewish identity instead of living [it].’
11BURNING QUESTIONS with an on-campus rabbi
This issue, Contributor Tilly Rudolph sits down with Coordinator for Jewish Student Services and Hillel Rabbi Ilana Schachter to discuss how her faith guides her life. 1. What influenced your choice to a rabbi? When I graduated from college, I didn’t think I was going to be a rabbi at all, but I ended up working in a job that really impacted me. During the week, I coordinated a Jewish non-profit thrift store called UJA-Federation Thrift Shop. It propelled me into thinking about service as a life choice for a few reasons. ... When I looked into seminary, I realized I could be a teacher, a student, do service and be a part of a community. 2. How common are female rabbis? Women have been ordained as rabbis for about 40 years. With the exception of the Orthodox denomination, all the other denominations today accept women rabbis, so it is not uncommon for women to be rabbis. I was ordained with only women, which is uncommon. 3. What is the greatest challenge of being a rabbi in a Jesuit community? There are few challenges. I feel so blessed to being a part of a community that is really embracing faith and welcoming other faiths. The only challenge I’ve had is that I’ve spent the last five years in the Jewish seminary, where there is only varying expressions of Judaism. But here, there isn’t this same Jewish community, so I find myself representing my Jewish identity instead of living that Jewish identity. 4. How do you feel the Jewish community has grown or changed in the two years you’ve been here? When I first came here, my first [task] here was to build a foundation of community. I would get coffee with anyone who would agree, and I would just sit in the Den and listen to students and their stories, in order to build community. Since then, we’ve continued to build. We celebrate all the Jewish holidays, which are open to everyone on the whole campus.” 5. How has your faith guided you in your life? One of the most important parts of being a rabbi is the focus on social justice, and this is a big part of how my faith has affected my life. Every decision, I believe, is rooted in justice. You have to think, ‘How does this affect the people around me? How will this make a better world?’ I think this is one reason why I feel so at home at LMU ... because there is such a commitment to faith and justice here. 6. How do you feel about the influence of faith in American culture today? I struggle with the influence of faith in American culture because I think that when faith is used in the public eye it is more of a manipulation of faith rather than a pure faith. I think that it is really wonderful when people with strong sense of faith can live their lives based on faith tradition. We need to be careful not to cross where we impose our faith, or our beliefs that are based in faith, on other people. 7. Your engagement was covered in the New York Times, and you just got married a year and a half ago. Why did you choose to keep your own last name? It was never really a discussion with my husband. My mother kept her last name and my husband’s mother kept her last name, so we didn’t have a precedent of women changing their last names ... It is because that is how I grew up and what I’m used to. 8. What kind of music do you listen to? I really love some music that’s a little bit older. I’m a huge Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell fan. They’re in my record player all the time, like an actual record player. My husband and I are really big fans of the festival scene, so we were just at Coachella and Austin City Limits. 9. Is there something you want the LMU community to know about you they do not already know? Before I became a rabbi, I studied to be a sommelier, which is like a wine nerd. I ride my bike to work, and also, I’m from New York. 10. What is your favorite place to eat on campus? I like the food on campus. I frequent the salad bar at the Lair. But also, I went for the first time last week to the panini place with the fresh cheeses and Homeboy bread – I was in heaven because it was so good. 11. What is your favorite scripture? One of my favorite verses in the Torah is Deuteronomy 16:20: ‘Justice, justice, you shall pursue it.’
Opinion Student Editorials and Perspectives
November 19, 2012 Page 4
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. Managing Editor
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Joseph Demes Opinion Editor
In defense of academic freedom
re “Catholic university” and “academic freedom” contradictory terms? It’s certainly starting to seem that some people want it that way, both here at LMU and at other Catholic institutions. We’ve written Board Editorials on the topic of academic freedom before, related to the reading of the marriage equality play “8” on campus and Dr. Christopher Kaczor’s talk on his pro-life book (see the Sept. 6 and Oct. 18 issues of the Loyolan, respectively). LMU attracted the attention of Catholic bloggers (like the Cardinal Newman Society) when our president chose to uphold academic freedom and let the marriage equality discussion occur. And consequently, we as an institution have had our dedication to our Catholic identity called into question. This struggle of balancing Catholic identity and academic freedom is not unique to LMU. University of San Diego’s (USD) president, Mary Lyons, recently rescinded an offer to a scholar to serve as an honorary fellow at the university. The scholar, British theologian Tina Beattie, co-signed a letter with dozens of other prominent Catholics in which they voiced their support for marriage equality. Lyons then uninvited Beattie to USD’s campus. In a post on her personal blog, Marginal Musings, Beattie explains, “The cancellation of my visit is not the most important issue in all this. The real issues are academic freedom … and the power of a hostile minority of bloggers.” On the other side of the political spectrum, Fordham University, a Jesuit institution in New York, recently cancelled outspoken conservative Ann Coulter’s visit to campus. A petition calling for Coulter to be banned from campus said, “There is
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Brigette Scobas Asst. Managing Editor
no room at a university whose motto is ‘men and women for and with others’” for Coulter to speak. The president of Fordham, Fr. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., wrote a letter expressing his disappointment that she was being brought to campus. Although he did not call for the organization to cancel Coulter’s appearance on campus, the group announced shortly after that Coulter would no longer be speaking. In response to the cancellation of Coulter’s appearance, President of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education Greg Lukianoff is quoted in an Insidehighered.com post as saying that in issues like this, “when you talk to the students themselves [who scheduled the event], it’s pretty clear that they understood they did not have much choice in the matter.” As the issue of what academic freedom is on a Catholic campus becomes national, we again have to ask why there’s seemingly a push to censor discourse “in the name of” Catholic identity. Abortion, marriage equality and extreme conservatism – and how all of these relate to religion – are topical and important to discuss. Hearing speakers with strong opinions on any such topic, regardless of listeners’ personal stances, will hopefully generate a debate to help students form their own perspectives. Why, then, shouldn’t they be talked about in an academic setting? We’re proud to say LMU stood its ground in its defense of academic freedom this semester. We’re proud to say LMU upheld the Jesuit ideal of teaching how to think, not what to think. But it’s disappointing to witness the pressure Catholic universities face to self-censor, and it’s even more upsetting to know other Catholic schools have succumbed to that pressure.
Loyolan Staff
Adrien Jarvis Kevin O’Keeffe Brigette Scobas Dan Raffety Zaneta Pereira Allison Croley Casey Kidwell Jenna Abdou Ali Swenson Joseph Demes Anna Escher Allie Heck Christopher James Chelsea Chenelle Tyler Barnett Mary Grace Cerni Nathan Dines Sam Borsos Cruz Quinonez Andrew Moore Michael Busse Katherine Douthit Ryan Johnson Chanel Mucci Lucy Olson KiMi Robinson Audrey Valli Jenny Yu Alberto Gonzalez Joanie Payne Sydney Franz Mercedes Pericas Jackson Turcotte Liana Bandziulis Leslie Irwin Kasey Eggert Andrew Bentley Ian Lecklitner Sarabella Muise Michael Rainey Kirsten Dornbush Jennifer Bruner Michael Giuntini Allayah Beamon Melissa Carver Ryanne Haymer Harrison Geron Genesis Contreras Anthony Peres Sabrina Budhrani Callie Douthit
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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.
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Thanks, but no thanks to holiday drama
tchy sweaters and overcooked casseroles are not my only worries this Thanksgiving break. I’ve got beef when it comes to going home. Along with the turkey, I guess. When I jokingly told people that I was never coming home again, I kind of w a s n ’t kidding. I’ve never gotten homesick, going What the Heck and to college in By Allie Heck California is Opinion Intern something that I’ve been looking forward to for years. I wasn’t planning on going back to Dallas until late December, and yet here I am, leaving on a jet plane for the Lone Star state come Tuesday evening. It’s not that I don’t love my home of 19 years. I really do. It’s just that I thought that bigger and better things would compensate for what I was leaving behind. I was halfway correct: My first semester has flown by, leaving nothing but new experiences and fun memories in its path. There’s nothing quite like the comfort of home, though, and I’ll admit to missing just that. About two weeks ago, I made the decision to go back to Texas for Thanksgiving. I called my mom and informed her that I wanted to return to my old stomping grounds. Realistically, I probably forecasted the eventual seces-
sion petition and wanted to get one last visit in prior to Texas breaking off from this fine country. The problem is that when I made the decision to go back home, I envisioned days on days of eating,
my room being rearranged and my closet being empty, but seriously, my dog too? Now that I think about it, it seems pretty obvious that life can and does go on without me, but the fact that my
see all of my relatives, I’m not sure if I can deal with the drama that follows. In addition, I’m worried that hanging out with some of my friends – the usual escape from unwanted family com-
Jackson Turcotte | Loyolan
sleeping and cuddling with my dogs. I just didn’t take into account the other things I might have to deal with too. I forgot that while I’ve been here tending to things like schoolwork and maintaining my tan, life back home has continued on without me. For instance, my mom just recently informed me via FaceTime that my three-year-old dog, Bandit, is randomly having a growth spurt. I can handle
family and friends have been living their lives sans moi is more than a little disconcerting. Going back home for the first time is going to be inevitably strange; everything has changed in some way, and yet the issues are still the same. In my divorced family, Thanksgiving can be a time filled with awkward family dynamics and serious tension, and while I’m stoked to
motion – won’t be the same. I’ve caught myself texting things like “How are you?” and “Is everything going well?” to people to whom I previously texted things like “Come downstairs, I’m in your living room eating a panini.” I can’t tell if this is just one giant step towards adulthood or if some of my longest friendships are starting to dwindle. Either way, I don’t like it. Not at all.
Not to mention, while I’m not visiting friends or entertaining family, I have to tend to real, adult responsibilities including but not limited to haircuts, dental visits and general upkeep. My schedule is going to be packed, minimizing my time for relaxation and rejuvenation – the two things I really need. In the weeks leading up to my move halfway across the country, my worries and fears were at an all-time high. I definitely put a mental block on that time; I seemed to skip straight from having fun with my friends on warm July nights to walking to class on cool September mornings. The moments that happened in between, filled with incredible excitement and endless anxiety, can barely be remembered and I’m scared that going home might recall some of those same feelings. All in all, going home for Thanksgiving means that I have to face a lot of things that I have either been putting off or completely disregarding. I’ll have to address issues that were far enough away to ignore and see people that I probably should have been keeping in touch with far more often than I have been. It’s going to be awkward, and some of it is going to be hard. But I think that it will all end well. That is, if I can find time to eat, sleep and be merry. This is the opinion of Allie Heck, a freshman business major from Dallas, Texas. Please send comments to aheck@theloyolan.com.
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Opinion
UPROAR
November 19, 2012 Page 5
Head to Head
Photos: Associated Press
Privacy and politics: General Petraeus’affair
Upholding a higher standard
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ews media shocked the nation Friday, Nov. 9, reporting that CI A Director Dav id Petraeus had resigned due to an extramarital affair. A CNN article from Nov. 12, titled “ T he Pet r a eu s A f f a i r : A L ot Mor e T h a n S ex ,” repor t s that the incident in question – involving Pet r aeu s ’ p er s on a l b i o g r a p h e r, P a u l a Broadwell – probably t ook plac e bet ween la st Novemb er a nd this July. Petraeus’ resignaIn Medias Res t ion wa s pr ompt e d by a federal investiBy Nick Lepore gation, which began Staff Writer a f t er t he d isc over y of, according to the aforementioned article, “jealous emails reportedly sent by Broadwell to a woman named Jill Kelley,” a family friend of Petraeus. St i l l, t h is sudden a n nou nc ement rekindled an age-old debate about the ethics of the workplace, and how much one’s pr ivat e l i fe shou ld i n f luenc e their professional life. Just when is it acceptable for someone to lose their job – or to be expected to relinquish their position – due to events in their personal lives? As an avid defender of the right to personal privacy, I would argue nine times out of 10 that events, such as extramarital affairs, in one’s personal life should never threaten one’s job security. However, Petraeus’ case happens to fall into the one exc ep tion I’m willing to ma ke: that of gover n ment officials. These off icials – especially Petraeus, who heads the entire CI A – accept with their positions a constant responsibility to represent A merica a nd its people t o the i nt er nationa l community, and are therefore obliged to act according to a higher ethical standard. A government official who cannot live by this standard is unfit to perform their duty. Extramarital affairs like Petraeus’ provide an excellent example. Marriage, by definition, involves the pledging of one’s self to a stringent set of moral standards, perhaps first and foremost of which is fidelity. If someone cannot remain faithful in their ma r r ia ge, then they have fa i led t o live up to the moral standard which t hey set for t hem selves, t hu s demonstrating a weak ness of character unbecoming of someone in a position of governmental authority. As representatives of the United States, these officials cannot display such loose conviction and then expect to retain their positions. So, General Petraeus’ res-
ig nation, in this case, is completely warranted. However, d id Petraeus rea l ly ac t with “poor judgment,” as he himself put it? Though his affair is undeniably inexcusable, his handling of the situation was perfectly appropriate. He quietly and truthfully admitted his fault and asked President Barack Obama to allow his resignation before the media sc a nd a l i zed t he i nc ident . He l ived by his personal philosophy to “recognize [mistakes] and admit them, learn from them,” as referenced by an article from a Nov. 9 Washington Post article titled “Mistakes and exceptions: The Petraeus problem.” So, even though Petraeus most certainly does not deserve his position, in light of his failure to remain faithful to his wife, he deserves commendation for handling the situation so well. Especially in comparison to other recent examples of politicians involved in extramarital affairs, Petraeus’ prudence and honesty in this case deserve some recognition. For i n s t a nc e, t he e x t en s ive we b o f l i e s t o ld b y Jo h n E d w a r d s a n d Anthony Weiner that surfaced in 2008 and 2011, respectively, come to mind. As an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times, “Petraeus case: When should sex cost public of f icials their jobs? ” recounts, Weiner attempted to place blame on conservatives when he was caught sending illicit tweets. Edwards, even more deplorably, fathered a child with his mistress – also his campaign photographer – and then denied both the affair and his relation to the child. The Petraeus i nc ident , though certainly not the first or the last such i nc ident of its kind, does prov ide a n exc el lent veh icle for r e op en i n g this discussion on personal privacy. For a new age and a new generation obsessed w ith shar ing and protecting personal information – especially over the internet – the issue acting in the best interest of that information is more pressing than ever before. Because we sha re more of ou rselves online, in more easily-accessible media, chances are our generation will witness more of these scandals than any other period of history. Even more so than now, political off icials, or any public figure, should consider their private information to be public knowledge in the future, so as to avoid embarrassing scandals. W hen these scandals do inevitably happen, our leaders of the future should follow Petraeus’ example.
“As representatives of the United States, these officials cannot display such loose conviction.”
This is the opinion of Nick Lepore, a sophomore English major from San Jose, Calif. Please send comments to jdemes@theloyolan.com.
S
Separation of life and work
ex u a l m isc onduc t a mon g gover n ment of f ic i a l s i s ab su r d ly c o m m o n . W h e t h e r i t ’s N o r t h Ca rol i na S enat or Joh n Edwa rds cheati ng on h is w i fe wh i le she had cancer, Idaho Senator Larry Craig’s sol ic it ation of a ma le prostitut e i n an airport bathr o o m o r N e w Yo r k Representative A nt hony Wei ner (p e r h a p s t h e m o s t aptly named human bei n g si nc e Usa i n B olt) t we et i n g r i s qué photos to w o m e n h e ’d n e v e r m e t , t h e p e o ple i n By J.R. Snodgrass cha rge of the cou nt r y a r e c o n s t a nt ly Contributor f inding ways to ma ke the nightly news awkward. C a s e i n point: Du r ing the investigation of former P resident B i l l C l i n t o n ’s infamous fellatio f ia sc o, it wa s d isc overed that no less t h a n s i x mem b er s of t he Hou s e of R epresent at ives open ly c a l l i n g for h is resig nation were engaged in affairs of their own. Newt Gingrich, for example, later admitted to multiple affairs – including one with an intern at the same time he was leading the charge for Clinton’s impeachment for the same offense. The most recent incident – the affair between fo r m e r D i r e c t o r o f t he C I A D av id Petraeus and his biog rapher, Paula Br o adwel l – do e s n’t even b e g i n t o appr oac h t he level s of debauc her y previously achieved by the more braz e n m em b e r s o f g ove r n me nt me n tioned above. Yet, the public reacted in a lmost exactly the sa me way: by dema nd ing h is im med iate resig nation a nd d isappea ra nce f rom the public sphere. It seems the substance of the scandal almost doesn’t matter. As long as there’s sex involved, it’s a political death sentence. For what ever reason, people h av e s t r o n g, v i s c e r a l a n d h o s t i l e responses to public figures engaging in sexual impropriety. The Petraeus sca nda l is no exception. But, wh ile his extramarital transgressions may make him a bad husband, they don’t make him a bad director of the CIA. In fact, there’s almost no one better qualified for the job. He has an exempla r y m i l ita r y ser v ice record, du r ing which he became one of the most decorated genera ls in U. S. h istor y; he’s com ma nded coa l ition forces i n Iraq as well as U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan; and he understands the national security threats facing the United States better than anyone in the world.
None of that changed when he decided to sleep w ith Paula Br o adwel l . Ye s , he s hou ld n’t h ave had the affair in the f irst place and, yes, it indicates a lack of moral fortitude. But it was a pr ivate matter. It did noth ing to inter fere w ith h is dut ies, a nd i nvest igat or s fou nd no ev idenc e of a ny resu lt i n g n at ion a l secu r ity breaches. W hy must he be forced to resign in disgrace and end what was an illustrious and promising career in government? The media’s insistence on covering ever y munda ne deta il of Petraeus’s fa l l f rom g rac e ha s less t o do w it h their outrage at his v iolation of the p u bl ic t r u s t , a nd mo r e t o d o w it h A merica’s disturbing societal obsession w it h t he s ex l ive s of it s le aders. Tragically, Americans are exponentially more of fended by political s e x- c a p a d e s tha n politica l i ncompe tence. That’s p a r t i a l l y (i f not t ot a l ly) due t o ig no ra nce. Some Americans don’t know or ca re enough about cur rent events and their own system of government to notice when a publ ic of f ic ia l is fa i l i ng i n h is duties. On the other hand, any one A mer ic a n w it h a pu lse a nd a f i f t h g r a d e e d u c a t i o n (w h i c h i s s t i l l a depr e s si n g ly sm a l l f r ac t ion of t he p opu lat ion) c a n t el l when a publ ic of f ic ia l i s fa i l i n g i n h i s m a r r ia ge. I n f i d e l i t y i s o n e o f t h e c o u n t r y ’s most h at ed si n s. Bi l l Cl i nt on wa s i mp e a c he d for en g a g i n g i n s e x u a l ac t s a nd ly i n g ab out it . G e orge W. Bush was not impeached for autho r i z i n g t or t u re, i nvad i n g a c ou nt r y under false pretenses and stomping on the w r it of habeas cor pus. Both are heinous of fenses to be sure, but what does it say about the cou ntr y that one i nvolv i ng persona l sex ua l impropr ieties inspired more severe reperc u ssions t ha n a n ent i re t er m steeped in death and destruction? Public off icials shouldn’t be g iven a blank check by their constituency as soon as they get into of f ice; they must constantly prove their capability. Society should have high expectations for its leaders. However, assessment of ef f ic ac y a s le ader s shou ld be based on the way they perform at the position they ’ve been g iven, not on their choice of, so to speak, extrac u r r ic u la r activ ities. T here a re, of course, exceptions. If Petraeus’ private life did interfere with their civic duty, it would have become relevant. In this case, it never did.
“Why must [Petraeus] be forced to resign in disgrace and end ... an illustrious and promising career?”
This is the opinion of J.R. Snodgrass, a senior communications studies major from Spokane, Wash. Please send comments to jdemes@theloyolan.com.
November 19, 2012 Page 6
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he Class of 2017 will, no doubt, be overwhelmed by the massive amount of reading they’ll be introduced to – and pleasure reading may go out the window. Straddled between lighthearted and dead serious, The Best American Nonrequired Reading of 2011 (BANR 2011), edited by Dave Eggers, is a perfectly eclectic literary setup for the By Joseph Demes transition to college. Categories in BANR Asst. Opinion Editor 2011 range from “Best
B
etween all those years of assigned reading and the occasional readfor-fun period of my life, there are very few book plots that have stuck with me over the years. Of course, there’s been the love affair recounted in “The Thorn Birds” and the so-shocking-it-can’tbe-true memoir of ‘70s and ‘80s star Mackenzie Phillips, but no story has remained By Katherine with me quite like Douthit that of “The SunflowCopy Editor er,” by Simon Wiesenthal.
Opinion American Wikileaks Revelations” to “Best ‘Call of Duty’ Handles.” The collection also provides a hodgepodge of short stories and magazine features that give both literal and metaphorical insight into the perils of adult life and how we attempt to make sense of it all – such as GQ’s “The Suicide Catcher” and Clare Beam’s story, “We Show What We Have Learned.” The foreword by Guillermo del Toro speaks to a side of education of the whole person that LMU always touts: of self-consciousness, and how, as del Toro says, “what we read and why we do so defines us in a profound way.” BANR 2011 will, I hope, help the Class of 2017 be more aware of themselves. In the first part of the book, Holocaust survivor Wiesenthal details how a dying Nazi soldier confessed his crimes to him, seeking the forgiveness of a Jewish peson. Leading into the second part, Wiesenthal explains how he said nothing in response and poses the question, “What would you have done?” This second part includes responses from political leaders, theologians and other Holocaust survivors, to name a few. What makes this book so remarkable is the examination of and reflection on what is the “right” thing to do. “The Sunflower” sets up future LMU students for this lesson by putting them into one of the most decidedly horrific times in recent history and blurring the lines of what is “right.”
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hen a man rewrites a novel in prison not once, not twice but three times after his initial drafts are destroyed by wardens, you know he has a story to tell. Gregory David Roberts’ novel, “Shantaram,” is that story. The novel is loosely based around the events of Roberts’ own life and follows Lin, a young Australian prison escapee who flees and By Zaneta Pereira settles in India. Hebecomes, at various News Editor times, a resident slum
“L
ittle Children” is Tom Perrotta’s brilliant and biting commentary on the underlying demons of suburban life that peers into four characters’ home lives and how their interactions threaten to dismantle the lifestyle they have built. A homely and mousy mother, Sarah, who is unhappy at home and resents her young daughter, begins to commit too deeply into a relationship with Todd – By Chris James whom the neighborhood A&E Editor moms describe as “the Prom King.”
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doctor, money launderer and guerrilla fighter. The novel’s expansive scope, international focus and gripping storyline make it a book I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone, but it especially stands out as my choice for the common book because of the incredible passion that imbues every word Roberts writes. There are undoubtedly moments of purple prose and tired imagery, but “Shantaram” is a novel that can teach freshmen about committing oneself completely to opportunities and pursing dreams. It’s an engaging adventure that, I’m sure, will inspire the Class of 2017 to great heights. A stay-at-home dad, Todd feels emasculated and tries to find purpose in life through Sarah. Complicating their affair is the neighborhood’s condemnation of Ronnie McGorvey, a sex offender who moves back into the neighborhood to take care of his ailing mother. None are more appalled than Larry Hedges, a disgruntled ex-cop who grows increasingly insane following an accident that got him discharged. The book illustrates that the American Dream is not this ideal suburban image many of us have grown up with. “Little Children” is a provocative and enticing book that will teach students to pursue their dreams because failing at doing what one loves is better than being trapped in a shell of a life one resents.
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Business & Technology
Corporate Culture, Personal Finance and Technological Innovation November 19, 2012 Page 7
CDS seeks to ‘engage, prepare, connect’ students Career Development Services prepares students for life after graduation. By Dan Raffety Asst. Managing Editor
With unemployment hovering around eight percent, what is a student to do to remain prepared in this ultra competitive job market? LMU’s Career Development Services (CDS) has continued to train members of the LMU community to present themselves as likely candidates for occupational positions despite rough economic times. Executive Director of Career Development Services John Carvana ensured that although unemployment rates have gone up, the mission of the office has not changed. “Our ultimate goal has been and will continue to be to engage, prepare and connect with students,” said Carvana. “We want to prepare our students for life after LMU. Whether that be graduate school, service or a job, we want to be a resource now so they can be better prepared for later.” Whether one needs résumé help or doesn’t know where to begin when writing a cover letter, Career Development Services has Career Counselors either by appointment or walk-in to help any LMU student with their career needs. They also host programs such as Graduate School Fairs, Intern-
CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WORKSHOPS OFFERED RÉSUMÉ
NETWORKING
JOB SEARCH
INTERVIEWING
GRADUATE SCHOOL PLANNING
DISCOVERING STRENGTHS
INTERNSHIPS
PERSONALITY
STYLES
*INFORMATION COMPILED FROM CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERVICES’ WEBSITE Joanie Payne |Loyolan
ship Fairs, etiquette workshops and network dinners. “Employers are still hiring students,” said Carvana. “We want to give them every opportunity to compete, by providing as many opportunities on our end so they can feel prepared on theirs.” One of the most popular resources CDS provides is the online portal of LionJobs, which is an online database that allows LMU students to be connected to employers by the click of a mouse. Junior finance major Braden Cluck is one of many
students to use the service and found great success as it led to his current on-campus job as part of the Business School (CBA) Event Staff. “It was really easy,” said Cluck. “I logged on, was able to submit my résumé, and it sent out to employers of my choosing. Next thing you know, I got a call back and I got the job.” According to Carvana, the department has over 200 internships posted on LionJobs, which range from both on- and off-campus employment options.
Although the department has a number of services to help students succeed in the job market, networkig – finding and keeping contacts – is often the key to finding a job. Director of Career Counseling and Education at CDS Cassandra L. Bailey said, “Ninety-three percent of finding a job is through networking, the other seven, that comes down to résumés, cover letters, that type of thing. Networking is so vital in today’s job search.” Despite a woeful economy, Bailey, Carvana CDS
still believe that finding a respectable job is not only possible, but should be expected among LMU students, even if the process takes longer than it used to take. “I teach the students about possessing delayed gratification,” said Bailey. “If it typically took six months to find a job in good economic times, it may take a year [now]. Students need to get used to hearing ‘no.’” Carvana still believes that LMU students themselves are the difference in still being able to find employment. “Employers understand the value of an LMU education and the contributions LMU students and graduates make to their specific employers,” said Carvana. “LMU students not only possess the skills one would expect, but are incredible critical thinkers and possess great teamwork – all things employers really look for in an applicant.” LMU has a distinct advantage because of its central location. “It’s not so much that we are in a big city,” said Carvana. “But Los Angeles is home to the entertainment industry, we have a great business district, public relations and marketing agencies are plentiful. Los Angeles is big, yes, but it is diverse to a number of different programs, which makes it beneficial for our student body.” Long onto the CDS websitefor more information on current workshops and future events sponosred by the department.
Android has nothing on the ‘masterpiece’ of iPhone
The iPhone surpasses the Android in speed, efficency and style.
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n Android is like Las Vegas. You can touch, you can play. It’s a savage journey into the heart of the American Dream. Colored lights and signs flash 24/7. It’s the best thing you’ve ever seen. A n d you can’t stand it for longer than a week. On the o t h e r hand, an iPhone is like the S mithsonian. In Focus The idea of “museBy Liana Bandziulis um” may Asst. Photo Editor e v o k e the word “boring,” but also the word “masterpiece.” You don’t need to see all the art in the world, just the best of it. And you could spend a week in it and not even scratch the surface of the wonders inside. Now, there are two phenomenally different areas in which the iPhone vs. Android argument happens: Average User World, where people just want something to work (and probably look cool while doing so), and Geek World, where people who tweak, hack and create the programs set completely different comparison standards, using words that make most people’s eyes glaze over. The biggest bone to pick in Geek World is the idea of “open source” programming.
Basically, should the information on how to make a phone be a “secret recipe,” or should anyone be able to take someone’s public idea and keep working to make it even better? Androids are opensources; Apple’s devices are not. The hacker in me wants to support the open source philosophy, but the pragmatic in me says that phones should be the exception to this rule. Ultimately, I want my phone to be the most reliable and intuitive device I have, and, as versions of the Android operating system multiply almost as fast as the devices that carry them, it becomes clear that opensource and reliability are mutually exclusive qualities. Here’s why: The rule “too many cooks spoil the broth” applies to all those 1’s and 0’s in your phone. Lots of good stuff in there, but because there is multiple authorship, there are a lot of contradictions and misinterpretations that make certain ideas get very tangled up. Computers aren’t as “smart” as they look – one contradiction can bring your program down, or even crash the whole system. If you’re installing anything more complicated than Angry Birds on your Android, you often have to go through some very complex steps to get through that tangle. The iPhone, on the other hand, is the opposite of an open-source device, keeping the operating system tightly locked up and inaccessible to programmers. Apple decides what can and can’t be found in the App Store. Although this may seem like a scam to keep control over things, there’s two big benefits to this: standardization and what I call “code curation.”
The latter means that there is a group of experts that get paid to make or choose the best code possible to go into the system, which makes the inner workings much more reliable. Standardization means that any other programmer who just wants to make an app won’t have access into the main gears of the system, but will have an excellent toolbox of guidelines and existing code that guarantees their program will work on any device, be it iPad or iPod. The home page will always be a simple collection of little icons, which, although it may not be as flashy as the Android’s home page system of alerts and widgets, allows any iToy user to pick up any other iToy and immediately know where everything is and how it works. However, don’t think that the iPhone Operating System (iOS) can’t be hacked into a super-device; in fact, because of standardization, “jailbreaking” your iPhone is actually easier than analogously “rooting” an Android. This is useful for people who want the slickness of the iPhone without the bells and whistles of an Android, yet pine for the day that Apple lets the iPhone become a hotspot, a feature built-in to the Android. If “hotspot” and “Ice Cream Sandwich” mean nothing to you in Average User World, then the difference between Android and iPhone is significantly reduced. Nowadays, most popular apps run on both devices, so what you are really fighting over is minutia, like how big the screen is or what you can do with your photos. It comes down to what you prefer.
De gustibus non est disputandum – there is no arguing over matters of taste. Now, don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing shameful about making the decision at this level. It does come down to what is most practical for you. And, I am certainly not saying that Apple is perfect. The Apple Maps mistake is a disgrace to everything that Steve Jobs stood for, and even when he was at the helm, FinalCut Pro X and Ping bit the dust. But, it takes a lot of trying, failing and trying again to be truly revolutionary. I love the competition between the two
companies (sorry, Windows) because I think it pushes both to think of new things. Then again, although Android tweaks a lot of things, it has yet to come up with anything as remarkable as Siri was when it was first introduced. Someday, I’ll get an Android to tinker with myself – but I’ll always have my masterpiece to admire when I’m done with the shiny lights. This is the opinion of Liana Bandziulis, a senior psychology major from Palmdale, Calif. Please send comments to ibandziulis@theloyolan.com.
Flickr Creative Commons
The iPhone has transformed from the iPhone 2 (left) to the iPhone 3 (middle) to the iPhone 4 (right).The iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 have since been released.
November 19, 2012 www.laloyolan.com
Page 8
Odd Turtle
By Jackson Turcotte, Cartoon editor
Lassie’s agent at work.
Iggy’s Life
By Stephan Valeros, staff cartoonist
LMU Spring 2013 registration process.
Iggy and Friends
By Stephan Valeros, staff cartoonist
Red Heads
By Jackson Turcotte, Cartoon editor
W
hat better time to figure out what we are most thankful for than after a grueling three months of midterms, projects and the many other stresses that school brings? Luckily, this time of reflection arrives just as good movies are released and TV sweeps are beginning. Entertainment is universal. These stories Chris Culture and lessons are less shalBy Christopher low confecJames tions to make A&E Editor boatloads of money for Hollywood suits, but wonderfully spun tales from the heart that allow one to simultaneously escape life and evaluate one’s own place in the world. Without further ado, here are the people in the world of popular culture for whom I am most thankful for. Ben Affleck Who would have thought that the star of “Gigli” would finally come back in such a major way? Affleck’s career reinvigoration as director has led to the highly underrated “Gone Baby Gone,” the solid and entertaining “The Town” and now finally his near masterpiece, “Argo.” Showing how true mainstream filmmaking should be done – fast paced, always interesting and never underestimating the intelligence of the audience – Affleck has created
a smart thriller that is able to keep audiences on the edge of their seats even when very little is happening. While an engaging lead as CIA operative Tony Mendez, Affleck is truly most talented behind the camera as he crafts one of the most nimble and purely entertaining thrillers, with just the right slice of humor since “The Departed.” Aaron Paul Who began as a young punk kid drowning in wannabe Ed Hardy baggy ghetto clothes has now turned into the most well-rounded and complicated character on TV. Paul’s Jesse Pinkman is the tint that truly makes “Breaking Bad” shine. If Bryan Cranston’s Walter White is the heart of the show, then Paul is the character’s soul. Every episode of this past season sees Jesse explore further and further how his actions impact the lives of others as he struggles to find his path in life amidst a confusing and directionless desert. However, Paul proves that he is not limited to one iconic TV character as he appeared in the little seen but much loved independent passion project, “Smashed.” While that was truly the Mary Elizabeth Winstead show (a tour de force in every sense of the word), Paul grounded the film, giving his unmotivated, slacker husband character so many nuances and subtleties that saved the film from being a one-sided lecture on the dangers of alcoholism and instead a tense high-wire debate that one cannot shake free long after leaving the film. If Paul has proved anything through his work, it is that there is more to him in every one of his
performances, and there is more behind the man who creates these works of art than we will ever know. Daniel Craig In a year where we had Batman, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and The Hulk all appear in critically acclaimed blockbusters, who would have thought that it is James Bond, in his 50th year on film, who would smoke them all out and deliver the best blockbuster of the year? While “Skyfall” owes a lot to the wonderful Judi Dench and the frighteningly engrossing Javier Bardem, it all comes down to the man wielding the gun behind the Aston Martin. Daniel Craig brings back the old, while injecting the franchise with new life. He is quippy and funny, displaying everything that makes Bond the suave and enduring spy figure that has lasted so long in our culture. Yet, Craig goes deeper, exploring the haunted memories that made Bond the man he is today, shaking the foundation on which we look at any of the previous 22 Bond movies. While in 2006, Craig seemed like the wrong choice in so many ways for the role of Bond, he proved then and fully pays off now, how this role is more fitted to him than one of Bond’s famous fitted tuxedos. Marion Cotillard The French beauty just never seems to quit. After starring as Miranda Tate, a beautiful woman with dark ulterior motives, in “The Dark Knight Rises,” the beautiful and seductive actress decided to capture my heart over and over again. The “Big Chill”-esque comedy drama film, “Little White Lies,” finally made its way stateside, fea-
Associated Press
French beauty Marion Cotillard and James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, are two of many pop culture figures to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season. turing the stunning Cotillard as part of an eclectic group of friends who vacations together every year until one of them gets in a horrible car wreck. This extraordinary woman commands every frame of the film, letting the audience in on her character Marie’s happiness, but also her deep pains and worries as her toxic love life seeks to dismantle every moment of solace that comes her way. The magnificent Cotillard has proven throughout her filmography to be a fiery emotive being that, even at her most angry, still looks like the woman that could inspire the most beautiful of portraits. I will have to stop myself as this is becoming less of a Thanksgiving speech and more of a love letter. The James Family Trust me, there are no more wild or dramatic stories going on than those set in my childhood home in
the gloriously small cow-town of Lodi. Being away at college and making sure to stay away for the entirety of the semester up to this point, Thanksgiving has taken on a whole new significance to me. Try as my mother might to create the perfect Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving dinner, I can’t wait to go home and experience the wild “un-politically correct” conversations with my dad, the bottomless bottles of wine with Mother, the company of the people I love, and the endless dinner that will render me unable to walk. From my family to yours, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of loud family conversations and endless amounts of food. This is the opinion of Christopher James, a junior screenwriting and marketing double major from Lodi, Calif. Please send comments to cjames@theloyolan.com.
“THE CRUCIBLE” (1996) Chances are you have already seen this to cheat in your junior English class. However, for those of you who haven’t, take a trip back to the days of the early colonies in this film about the Salem Witch trials. Daniel Day Lewis and Winona Ryder have never been as loud or explosive, but it is Joan Allen’s nuanced, heartbreaking performance as Elizabeth Proctor that really brings the house down.
“MARVIN’S ROOM” (1996) Thanksgiving is all about family. However, for those who are not close, watch “Marvin’s Room” and rejoice in the fact that your family cannot be this screwed up. Chronicling a woman seeking a bone marrow transplant from her narcissistic, estranged sister and her pyromaniac nephew, the film boasts one of the best ensembles ever put on film, including Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
“BROADWAY DANNY ROSE” (1984) The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual Thanksgiving tradition. However, for those of you like me who find them mundane, go watch “Broadway Danny Rose” for the hilarious sight of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow hiding out in the storage room for the floats and inhaling too much helium. Yet, stay for the wildly funny tale of an agent forced to transport a singer’s tempestuous mistress to his big show while on the run from the mob. -Christopher James, A&E editor Images: 20th Century Fox, Miramax, Orion
November 19, 2012 Page 10
Arts & Entertainment
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Classical music takes center stage at LMU While hip hop and rock are dominating the airwaves and music charts, classical music found its prominence on LMU’s campus this weekend. The music department hosted two senior recitals in Murphy Recital Hall this past Saturday, followed by a showcase of chamber music and opera on Sunday. Senior music majors Chloé Pourmorady and Ana Villafañe performed on Saturday, and they had worked “on their senior recital pieces for about a year,” said LMU music professor Dr. Virginia Saya. Although classical music is not usually what current college students listen to, Saya said, “This is music for the ages. When we talk about a piece of music, we might say a lot of things about it. We try to imagine whether it is music for the age. Will this piece be given new interpretations 100 or 200 years from now?” Some of the music in Pourmorady and Villafañe’s recitals dated back to the 1700s, like Vivaldi’s “Concerto in G Minor,” while other music was as recent as the 1900s, like Béla Bartók’s “Romanian Folk Dances.” Pourmorady performed Saturday at 6 p.m., followed by Villafañe at 8 p.m. The music department also presented “An Afternoon of Opera and Chamber Music” and “An Evening of Opera and Chamber Music” yesterday at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively, to round out a weekend of classical music. -Paul Morgan, contributor To read the extended version of this article, visit laloyolan.com.
Photos: Chris Delgado | Loyolan
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November 19, 2012 Page 11
Borrow, don’t buy, with Rent the Runway Event Recap By Chelsea Chenelle Asst. A&E Editor
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ou can rent cars, textbooks and now – designer dresses? For anyone who wants to look like a million bucks – or at least several hundred – but doesn’t want to suffer from potential buyer’s remorse, there is a new solution in this online dress rental service: Rent the Runway (RTR). On Thursday, Nov. 15, LMU’s own Rent the Runway ambassadors held a fashion show at the Living Room, showcasing some of the dresses available for rental on the RTR website. Co-sponsored by Weekend Society, a clothing line launched by senior studio arts major Andres Andrieu and office manager at Student Leadership and Development Jason Joyce, the show sought to raise awareness of the campus group as well as the service provided by the website, hoping to bring in new online members. According to the RTR website’s FAQ, the company rents designer clothing and accessories and has come to be known as “The Netflix of Fashion.” Possible members sign up for a
free membership, place their order, receive the dress and a “back up dress,” then four or eight days later they return it in the prepaid envelope that came with the dress. Their dresses range from those appropriate for a cocktail party to long formal gowns. Members also have access to a variety of accessories as well as multiple web features that allow for shopping by occasion, designer or dress type. The fashion show itself turned the Living Room into a runway, complete with music, refreshments and free gifts ranging from sunglasses to nail polish. Weekend Society also showed off Tshirts on the runway, all of which were available for purchase that evening. “It was great because I’ve never seen these dresses in person; looking online, you don’t think they’ll be this beautiful,” said sophomore theatre arts major Bethany Cannon. “I would use this service, for sure.” As intern for RTR and sophomore theatre arts major Heather Gottlieb pointed out, “It is super big on the East Coast. Our campus group is trying to help [RTR] make its move to the West Coast.” The on-campus group for RTR meets once a week to come up
with ways to promote the rental service at LMU. This is currently the group’s second year acting as ambassadors for the company and bringing “designer dresses at 10 percent of the cost,” said Gottlieb. Senior business major and co-marketing representative for the RTR group Ashley Thompson explained, “The fashion show is required by the program. We decided to partner with Weekend Society. We used our friends as models and the dresses were provided by [RTR]. They sent those out knowing what our demographic was like and these are the ones they thought most LMU students would be interested in.” These dresses ran the gambit in color, fabric and cut, with the majority reflecting fashion’s turn towards the flashy with sequins galore. Each dress was announced with its retail value followed by its rental price. While most rental prices stayed in the ballpark of $60 to $70 dollars for names such as Trina Turk and Nanette Lepore, the show’s most expensive dress, a black Herve Leger, retailed for $1,250 and rented for $150. “It’s great for LMU students because we have so many events, service org and sorority formals and dances. Instead of going out and buying a dress, what’s bet-
through the rejection? What made you want to go back and keep trying? RJ: I just had this inner confidence. I know that I am a beautiful person on the inside and outside. I know that I would really love to do this. This would be a really fun way for me to express myself and show other girls, other tall girls especially, to be comfortable in their body and love who they are. And not let such a harsh, cruel industry change who you are. Modeling is not something that I desired as a career goal. It’s a fun way for me to make money on the side and help pay for college expenses.
you the day of. So, I was working at Macy’s over the summer and my mom called me and said, “Oh my gosh, the designer called and you’re going to be in L.A. Fashion Week!” and then I literally screamed in Macy’s and ran through the children’s section and did my little happy dance.
Albert Alvarado | Loyolan
Models,such as sophomore history major Annie Lundgren (left),walk down the runway wearing designer dresses available for rent thanks to Rent the Runway. ter then renting a dress, having it delivered to campus, then putting it in the mailbox the next day?” Thompson said, “It is cost saving, time saving and everyone gets to look fabulous.” The RTR program on campus invites students to get involved in a group that mixes fashion and business. “As a business major,
this has been a great experience,” said Thompson of the program, adding that it is great hands-on experience. To find out more information on how to get involved, find Rent the Runway at LMU on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For information on rentals, go to renttherunway.com.
Student model storms the L.A. runways Student Spotlight By Tyler Barnett A&E Intern
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he LMU student body is full of talented students; one of which is working model and sophomore sociology major, Ryan Johnson. Having gotten the bug for modeling early, Johnson – who is also a Loyolan copy editor – has been able to sustain her passion for the job throughout her years at LMU. A&E intern Tyler Barnett sat down with Ryan Johnson to learn about how she became interested in modeling, how she booked her first big fashion show and what keeps her motivated to persevere through the tough modeling industry. Tyler Barnett (TB): How did you get into modeling? Ryan Johnson (RJ): Prior to high school, everyone would say, “I know you’re playing basketball or I know you’re playing volleyball.” It was all sports related. And then freshman year of high school, people started coming up to me randomly and asking me, “Oh, are you into modeling? You should definitely get into modeling.” So that sparked the interest in my mind. TB: Describe your experience at the casting agencies. RJ: The experience of being in those open call rooms – you see all these gorgeous people. And then they just collect your portfolio, you sign in your name, put down your height and then they come back and they’re like, “Nope, nope, nope” in front of everyone. The first time it happened, I was pretty discouraged, but then I was just like this is just one agency. The first agency I went to was L.A. Models, and I thought this would be [a] good one because Tyra Banks got signed to this one. And it literally was 10 or 15 people in the room, stick thin, literally every characteristic of a model you would see in a magazine. [They] were sitting all around me and all of them were told no. That first experience was really hard for me; I was so disappointed. TB: What kept you motivated
TB: Do you plan to continue with modeling and make a career out of it in the future? RJ: I’ve thought about it, but my personal opinion is that outer beauty only lasts a certain amount of time, so trying to base a career out of that would be really hard. But, what I really want to do is open up my own non-profit modeling agency/organization for battered women or women who just need extra self esteem who look at magazines and really want to be in the industry. I want it to be an organization for women of all shapes and sizes, and even men, too. TB: How did you get in to runway modeling? RJ: This summer, I was determined to get into modeling, so I went to this casting for a show called “Project Ethos.” I went and I did the walk through, but I wasn’t chosen for the casting. But, a good thing came out of that casting because I befriended this model in line who did commercials and print and she wasn’t signed with an agency, but she had been working a lot. And she told me about this website called Modelmuse.net that posts castings for different modeling gigs. One day, I went on the website and I found a casting for this new designer who was going to be in L.A. Fashion Week, so I was like, ok, what are the odds of me ever getting this? So I just submitted my photos and was like, “I’m never going to hear back from this person again.” I ended up getting an email back to walk for the designer. I went in and walked for the designer, and they don’t tell
TB: What has been your most memorable modeling experience? RJ: I would have to say when I walked in the Concept L.A. Fashion Week show. It was so different because it was in a studio and it felt so real. It was crazy because all these photographers from L.A. Fashion Weekly and apparelnews. net were there, and we had to walk down a staircase instead of a regular straight shot runway. It was so fun to get into character and pose. The memorable moment was after the show when I woke up the next morning and I was wondering if they posted the pictures from the show. I Googled the fashion show and it was on Apparelnews.net and I screamed. It made my day because I had been struggling for so long to get in to this and this little milestone was nice. With all the disappointment, just to have that one positive experience made up for all the “no’s.” TB: What advice would you give to any aspiring models? RJ: I would say within the sea of “no’s,” there’s always going to be some kind of “yes.” Do not give up. Stay determined. The thing with this industry, because it’s so cutthroat and hardcore, a lot of people get lost in it and they feel like they need to change their image and like they need to be this much thinner and this much taller. There are so many girls that each person can represent and each person, if they see that person on a billboard or in a magazine, they’ll be like, “Oh my gosh, this is like me.” So, you just got to know that you make your look. Your look is in if you want it to be. Be very confident in yourself and don’t change yourself for the industry. For more about Johnson’s experiences as a model and her favorite designers, visit laloyolan.com.
Ryan Johnson
Sophomore sociology major Ryan Johnson struts her stuff on the runway.Johnson started modeling in high school and continues to do it on and off campus.
November 19, 2012 Page 12
Arts & Entertainment
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Surf club raises funds for Waves for Water Event Recap By Dwayne Logan Staff Writer
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wo things L.A. is known for - surfing and movie premieres - came together for one LMU event this weekend. A sizeable crowd of people showed up to the LMU Surf Club red carpet premiere of “Bending Colours,” a Red Bull
Media modern surf film shot in various locations throughout the globe. The film follows surfer Jordy Smith and his friend and cameraman Kai Neville as they journey from Smith’s hometown in South Africa all the way to the oceans of Bali and everywhere in between. “You’ll have fun,” Ryan Yamashita, a senior entrepreneurship major, said to the people in line outside of Burns
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Backcourt. They were waiting to pay a $10 donation to the surf club’s charity of choice, Waves for Water, as entry to the screening and a chance to walk down the red carpet. Tubs full of Red Bull were quickly emptied to the tune of Kevin Boyle’s music choice. Boyle, a sophomore accounting major, said the purpose of the event was to put the surf team on the map and gain some new members. “We want to make LMU love [us], love surfing and of course we want everyone to have a good time,” said Boyle. He added that the club is “a community with common interests,” through which he has met a lot of new people, men and women alike, of all ages. A surf-culture-inspired soundtrack was pumping out of the speakers, but was also littered with hip-hop, a little bit of disco and even some New Edition. While the film was being set up, two club members danced away their anxiety on stage, or maybe the Red Bull gave them some extra energy. The surf club on campus put on this premiere to raise money for a campaign called Waves for Water, a charity that works to get clean water to Third World countries, mostly in Latin America. The purpose of this particular event was to raise funds to get clean water to the victims of Hurricane Sandy. For their donations, students got to see a documentary-style film and could enjoy the snack bar set up outside. Christian Chavez, a junior
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Filmed by Kai Neville and starring Jordy Smith, “Bending Colours” is a surfing documentary shown as a part of LMU’s Surf Club’s Red Carpet event. philosophy major, and Spencer Roberson, a junior natural science major, led the event. They spoke about the club, their inspiration and the events they put on. “We wanted to get some exposure for the club and get people interested in surfing,” said Roberson. “We want everyone to see people do things in the water that they didn’t know could be done on a surfboard.” Chavez, a junior philosophy major, also mentioned the club’s tie to Waves for Water and how they will continue in their philanthropic efforts. “This was filmed all over the world. In Fiji, Tahiti, Australia, Indonesia, Micronesia,” said Roberson. “And Hawaii, Colonesia,” interjected Chavez. “The ‘Nesias.” Before the movie itself, the
surf team screened a short documentary, explaining the purpose of Waves for Water. The philanthropy’s film showed members of the organization delivering clean water to Latin countries like Nicaragua. A few seniors on the stage said this screening was something of a send-off for all the graduating members. A senior student from the East Coast also expressed his sadness regarding the Hurricane Sandy tragedy. In line with the red carpet theme, attendees were dressed in semi-formal attire. “Bending Colours” is now available for download on iTunes for those who were unable to catch the documentary at the event. The DVD and Blu-ray are available as well on Sportsflicks.com and Amazon.com.
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Sports
November 19, 2012 Page 13
Steady student turn out goal for department Crimson Campaign from Page 16 “We know that LMU students are spirited, that they have that pride in them,” said Richards. “We just have to bring it out of them.” LMU Athletics Marketing Director Karina Handeland said that the campaign and push for school spirit is aiming to bring back the passion that LMU once had for its athletic teams. “It’s not the number of people we are so much focused on,” said Handeland. “It’s how they act during the game. We want to make a point of not only getting people there, but also getting them there when the game starts or even before tip off. We want them to be engaged during the game. We want to create a great home-court advantage for our teams.” According to LMU Athletics, last season averaged 948 students per home contest, an increase of the roughly 800 average students the
previous five seasons. Despite the increase, Handeland, as well as the members of the campaign, are marketing the consistency as one of their main points. “We need people there every game. An average number is deceiving because some games we will have 1,300 people, but then the next game it’s empty,” said Richards. “We need a consistent number in terms of students.” The expectations vary within the Athletics Department. When asked what will make LMU into a respectable athletic destination for recruits, Dr. William Husak, the school’s athletic director, said, “We need 1,500 students at the start of every home game. If we have a consistent showing, it will elevate us to a national level.” Handeland just wants a steady turnout: “I think the Pacifica game was a good start to what we are trying to accomplish. But again, we need that consistency because
when people show up, it creates one of the best environments in collegiate athletics.” The department values the student section so much that they face their cameras toward the student section, a very unique trait that is rare among other universities. “If you watch almost any other game, the camera is pointing away from the students,” said Handeland. “But we want to highlight our student body. When the crowd is rocking, the camera picks that up. However, it’s a double-edged sword because when it’s empty, you definitely notice.” Additionally, most schools in the WCC cap the number of students they let in. LMU dedicates an entire side of the court to its student section. “At Gonzaga, St. Mary’s, most of them, they cap students at 1,200. We want the team to be ‘the students’ team,’ so we will not cap our student numbers,” said Handeland.
Handeland described one of the traditions of the students that no longer exists: “About 10 minutes before tip, the students would gather right outside the gate and just yell,” said Handeland. “All of a sudden, the entire student section would sprint into the student section. It was so cool because it was so intimidating. As the opposing team would warm up you would hear the charge of the LMU student body coming into the gym. We want to recreate the same excitement for LMU.” One of the ways that excitement is created is through televised games, a system that LMU is definitely a part of. The school has a contract with not only ESPN to show a certain number of games in ESPN networks, and also with Time Warner Cable Sports to broadcast some games. “It creates a sense of excitement that ‘it’s a gameday,”’ said Handeland. “Plus, the televised games are when the giveaways typically take
place. It just makes everything more spirited.” In terms of making students aware of when games are, the department is looking toward social media to alert the community of not only when games are, but the specific giveaways that will take place. “Social media is key,” said Richards. “People check their Facebooks, Twitters, emails, much more than their mailboxes. If it’s a good offer, then people will come. So, let’s make them a good offer.” The Lions will be back home Thursday, Nov. 29 against Long Beach State University, the team’s second home game of the season. The Lions are currently 2-1 on the season and will head to the Carrs/ Safeway Great Alaska Shootout over Thanksgiving Break. “When LMU students are into the game and are there on time, there is an electric feeling on the floor,” said Handeland. “There really is nothing else quite like it.”
us important minutes. [Bakersfield is] scrappy at their place. They’re aggressive and have very good perimeter players. Any win on the road is a good win.” Sophomore transfer guard Chase Flint, who went scoreless and fouled out against SMU, caught fire from deep in the second half, nailing three of his four 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes of play. Flint finished with 12 points (4-5 on 3-pointers), five rebounds and four assists and prevented any chance of a Roadrunners lastsecond comeback by forcing CSUB into a turnover.
Rounding out the box score for the Lions’ was redshirt senior forward Ashley Hamilton and Stover, who each chipped in 10 points. And after converting five of twelve 3-point attempts in LMU’s first two games, junior guard Ayodeji Egbeyemi only got three looks from downtown, but sinked all of them to finish with nine points on the night. Ireland’s 24 rebounds through three games (8.0 average) leads the team and gives the five-foot10-inch junior more rebounds than any guard in the West Coast Conference (WCC). Leading the way for Bakers-
field was senior guard Stephon Carter, who filled out the box score with 22 points (8-15 shooting), six rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks in 38 minutes of play. Despite shooting 50 percent from the field for the game and over 41 percent from deep (10-24 on three-pointers), the Roadrunners were outrebounded 36-27 and gave up 13 offensive rebounds to the Lions. The Lions aren’t scheduled for a game until Thursday, Nov. 22, when they are pitted against Oral Roberts University for a Thanksgiving Day
matchup during the first round of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, AK at 6 p.m. PST. “[Oral Roberts] is going to be similar to Bakersfield,” said Good. “They have similar style. They were very successful last season (27-7) and got a lot of players back. They’ve been good for a number of years. The other teams, Belmont and Charlotte, are good, too. It’s a really stellar field. We’re going to have to be at our best. I don’t know that we are there right now. We’ve got to get our guys healthy. At least the injuries we’ve had are occurring early.”
Great Alaska Shootout awaits men’s team M. BBall from Page 16 seven assist and 14 turnover performance against SMU. Due to injuries, Good was working with a tight rotation again, only allowing seven of his players to see court time. “We only played seven players, [sophomore guard Bruce English] was unavailable to play,” said Good. “We were really short on perimeter players. Sophomore forward C.J. Blackwell was still unavailable. We didn’t know if [freshman forward Nick Stover] was going to play. He had injured his ankle earlier in the week, but he gave
S ports Velazquez earns multiple awards including MVP
November 19, 2012 Page 14
Velazquez from Page 16 scored and was the only rookie to be named to the All-WCC second team. When asked how he felt upon hearing the news, Velazquez said: “Both humbled and honored. I worked pretty hard to get it and the work paid off. Things just went my way and it was good.” Sophomore midfielder John McFarlin led the team in assists with four, which meant getting Velazquez the ball in space to attack. “He’s developed
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well in finding himself in the right spots to score, which is important for a good forward,” said McFarlin. “He’s a creative attacking player that is very good on the dribble, and a great finisher.” Last year, McFarlin was also on the WCC All-Freshman team and was the lone Lion to earn league honors again this year with back-toback honorable mention recognitions. Sophomore defender Bryce Bacic, redshirt sophomore defender Craig Nitti, freshman goalkeeper Paul Blanchette and senior midfielder Sean Sears
Somber finale M. Polo from Page 16
therefore possession went to Air Force after the timeout. The Falcons ran out the clock and advanced to the conference championship game and sent the Lions to the consolation game for their second straight season. “I may not agree with the calls, but the referees are not the reason we lost the game,” said Assistant Coach Marty Matthies. “We did not execute on both sides of the ball and we played a very disciplined team. They took advantage.” The consolation game was not the Lions’ ultimate goal heading into the season and tournament. After all, the team hadn’t played in a consolation game up until last year in 10-plus seasons, and this was the second straight year LMU did not make an appearance in the WWPA Championship Game. “The guys were having fun today,” said sophomore attacker Joe Ferretti, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury and did not play in the game. “They wanted to send the seniors out in style.”
Despite the team not playing in the final game of the conference tournament, Matthies acknowledged how important a game like this was for the program moving forward. “We told the guys to leave everything out in the pool,” said Matthies. “For the seniors playing their last game, to the returners. This game set a precedent for where the guys pick up next season, and it left a taste in the mouth of the wanting more than this.” The Lions look to be a contender once again next season with returners at most of the starting positions. Redshirt senior utility Jon Colton, senior transfer goalkeeper Kyle Testman and redshirt senior attacker Collin Walters will leave the club due to graduation, but the Lions have a crop of young talent in the wings. When asked where the team goes from here, Mikuzis said, “Well, we take Thanksgiving off, have a nice little break, then it’s back to work. We didn’t want it to end this way and we have to work that much harder to make sure it doesn’t next season.”
were all selected to the honorable mention team as well. Redshirt senior center-back Mitch Boland was the other Lion named to the All-WCC second team, along with Velazquez. Despite having the best statistical season of anyone on the team, Velazquez still has a long way to go. “I see myself growing into a better player,” said Velazquez. Mennell also looks forward to Velazquez’s improvement, saying, “I think he is going to be a special player and has a chance to score a lot more
goals for us. He’s good and we’re looking forward to him getting better.” One thing he will need to do is mature, as Velazquez also led the team in yellow cards with seven throughout the season. “I need to work on that,” said Velazquez. “Sometimes I just get angry when things don’t go my way. Sometimes I had to do it, and it just happened.” Mennell agreed, but said, “I think those yellow card numbers will come down because he recognizes how important it is for us to
keep him on the field. We appreciate his passion and how much he wants to win.” At the end-of-the-year team banquet, Velazquez’s teammates named him most valuable player. All the personal accomplishments are great, but Velazquez and everyone else in the program just want to win games. Ending the year on a five-game unbeaten streak along with the individual accolades will hopefully give the Lions confidence and momentum to be at the top of the WCC in 2013.
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Season of growth VOLLEYBALL The women’s volleyball team ended 8-8 in WCC play, but finished strong.
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he thing I love most about sports is the opportunity for redemption. In so many aspects of life, when we make a mistake, that’s it. If you shrink a shirt while doing laundry there’s no ‘controlZ’ way to fix it. If you bomb a midterm, you’re pretty much screwed. But in sports, if you hit a spike long in volleyball or Sam’s Slam air ball a free By Sam Borsos throw, there’s Asst. Sports Editor always at least the chance to readjust and get back into the game. Your athletic ability in sports is never set in stone. And that’s why I’ve enjoyed watching the LMU volleyball team this season. They may not be the best team in the West Coast Conference (WCC) or be nationally ranked, but this season the Lions have played with heart and redeemed themselves by finishing the season on a high note. If you’ve been following the team, you know that they lost their final conference match against the University of San Francisco (USF). So you might be asking, “Why do I consider this a high note?” While wins and losses are easy ways to look at the highs and lows of a sea-
son, the Lions’ upset victory over Pepperdine University on Nov. 8 and the team’s style of play since I first started watching this season makes their .500 record mean so much more. I love volleyball. I played the sport throughout middle school and made the junior varsity team my freshman and sophomore years in high school. But instead of playing on the varsity team during my junior and senior years, I took up journalism and got to cover all the matches rather than playing in them. In short, I’ve seen a ton of volleyball in the past few years. In my eyes, the peak of the Lions’ season was LMU’s match-up against then-ranked No. 24 Pepperdine University. Out of all the volleyball I’ve seen in the past couple of years, this was probably the most heart I’ve seen put into a match. Not only did the Lions execute their game well, hitting .419 against the Waves’ .028 in the first set, but they played with tangible intensity. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen athletes sprinting towards the press table and almost knocking into me like freshman setter Hannah Tedrow, or chasing a shanked ball through a crowd of cheerleaders such as junior defensive specialist Betsi Metter did on several occasions. This is the type of athletic talent that can’t be taught in practice – it’s the same type of adrenaline that mothers utilize when their babies are trapped under a car and they’re suddenly able to lift thousands of pounds. OK, that’s a little exaggerated. But you know what I’m talking about, right?
After interviewing several of the players and Head Coach Tom Black after the match, all of the team members told me the same thing: This type of scrappy play was just “LMU volleyball,” and that it was the effort they’d been giving at practice the whole year. Well, it finally paid off because they played amazingly against a nationally-ranked team. It was the first time LMU had beat Pepperdine since 2006 – that’s the same year the movie “Borat” came out. Doesn’t that feel like forever ago? Anyway, this is the type of endof-season redemption I’m talking about. It’s not about the points you score, your ranking or the championships you win. Sure, obviously that stuff matters. But let’s be real, shouldn’t improving as a player and person count for something as well? The team I saw beat Pepperdine was not the same team I saw play at the beginning of the year. Not to say that the Lions were bad at the beginning of the season. They’re a great team. But the way they’ve grown this entire season, starting from the first match I witnessed to their home victory over Pepperdine is not about their wins and losses. It’s about the way they turned around the beginning of their season and played with heart all the way to the end. If this team has taught me anything, it’s that there’s always a chance for redemption. This is the opinion of Sam Borsos, a freshman undecided liberal arts major from Palo Alto, Calif. Please send comments to sborsos@theloyolan.com.
WITH
HEAD COACH TOM BLACK What got you into the sport? “I was a baseball player [from] six to 12 years old like every other kid, and then decided to try out for my eighth grade volleyball team – I was at a Catholic school. We were playing games out on the blacktop, and in the first set … I just jumped and [swung] as hard as I could and crushed it, and then the second ball, crushed it as hard as I could, and then I think every ball for the rest of the season was 20 feet out of bounds. I just remember how good those first two felt, and it stuck, I just loved it. I really liked basketball at the time, so I was doing both but my last years in high school were all volleyball.”
How was that transition, going from a small junior college to one of the biggest schools in the country? “It was actually the easiest transition because that’s the thing, it’s perception and reality. USC and Pierce College, but Pierce College was the most intense two years of my life. They were back-to-back state champions – they had everybody coming back – so the expectations were sky high. They revered the guy before me and hated me. And ‘Big Daddy’ is standing around there, and if you were in men’s volleyball at that time you knew who he was. But I knew exactly who he was and how good the program was . He’s produced like four Olympians, 50 All-Americans, … so this guy is a legend. This is the guy who’s looking at everything I do, so the pressure was incredible from my perspective. I’m like a 27-year-old kid, so going from that to USC was easy, it was a joke. At USC I learned a lot because the level of play overall was a lot higher, but in terms of the day-to-day accountability nothing [compared].”
Once you got here in 2010, what did you start to realize about the program?
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“Before I even got here, I heard about this great player, Alaina Bergsma, so I call her and she doesn’t even return my call. She transfers, doesn’t even talk to me, just transfers. So she’s out. And then they have the other starting hitter who gets expelled from school. And then the first day I’m here, in the weight room, our starting center collapses, gets hospitalized, never comes back. And I already know how bad we are, so it’s like those three things happen. And I remember the first practice – we were tossing balls to the passers and they couldn’t even hold their hands together. I was just shocked, because you think going to D1 the players are going to be so much better, but it was like, ‘wow.’ But the kids were amazing, the girls you could just tell … the ones who stayed decided [they were going to fight]. We were picked to finish eighth in the conference and we finished fourth with a pretty ragtag group, and they did it for each other. It’s such a cliché, but when people are going to spill it for each other, it’s amazing what they can do. It was a really inspiring year for me, too. It was really rewarding to see people who hadn’t had success before exceed.”
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Visit laloyolan.com/sports for the complete interview Compiled by Nathan Dines, Sports editor Photo: Albert Alvarado | Loyolan; Graphic: Joanie Payne | Loyolan
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Lion Sports
November 19, 2012 Page 16
Velazquez meets high expectations Spirit
campaign ‘starts small’
SPORTS FEATURE
Men’s soccer forward Pedro Velazquez has been named WCC Freshman of the Year. By Ray Ferrari Staff Writer
When freshman forward Pedro Velazquez showed up at LMU last summer, he knew exactly what he came here to do. Velazquez and the coaching staff had big expectations from the start. “My expectations were high. I really wanted to win a starting spot and have a lot of playing time,” said Velazquez. Any questions about how he performed were answered last week when the Conference named him the WCC Freshman of the Year for 2012 season of men’s soccer. “We thought that he would play right away,” said Associate Head Coach Mathes Mennell. “To finish the way he did and to be named Freshman of the Year means our opponents recognized that as well.” The Carson, Calif. native got off to a slow start this season, coming into camp with a broken forearm, limiting his practice time. As a new player, it is crucial to figure out new teammates’ playing styles and working out in a different system. “It was difficult because I didn’t know my teammates and I had never played with them. I was injured at the beginning of the season and didn’t really get a preseason,” said Velazquez. But when healed, Velazquez was ready to go. At home against University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) during the first week of the season, Velazquez scored his first collegiate goal in his very first game. After that game, he described the experience as “amazing,” adding that, “hopefully, there are more goals to come.” And there certainly were. Velazquez would go on to score five more goals during the season along with two assists. The six goals and 14 total points were good for teamhighs. With only 12 shots on goal, Velazquez found the net 50 percent of the time he put the ball on frame. He led all WCC freshmen in goals
See Velazquez | Page 14
SPORTS FEATURE
The Athletics Department begins a push to increase student presence at home basketball games. By Dan Raffety Asst. Managing Editor
Steven Douglas | Loyolan
Freshman forward Pedro Velazquez (9) was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year after leading all freshmen in the league with six goals on the season.
The message is nothing new, but the approach is radically different. LMU Athletics, in conjunction with ASLMU, is revitalizing their efforts to improve student spirit on campus with their campaign “Paint the Campus Crimson,” which debuted at the beginning of the athletic season, but is increasing due to the start of the men’s and women’s basketball. “We are starting small,” said junior business major Bradley Richards, who is the point person on ASLMU’s side to push the campaign through. “We have a pretty lofty goal of drastically improving the culture here at LMU, but we realize that this is not an overnight solution and we need to take baby steps in the right direction.” The men’s basketball team played its home opener Friday, Nov. 9 in a dominating win against Pacifica University and the Lions were predicted to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference [WCC] in the preseason coaches poll. The team is coming off its highest win total since the 1989-1990 season and three of its starters return. And yet, there were roughly 850 students at the game only half of the student section was full.
See Crimson Campaign | Page 13
Season ends in WWPA semifinal round For the second straight season, men’s water polo did not make the WWPA Championship game. By Dan Raffety Asst. Managing Editor
LMU water polo’s quest for a Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championship was cut short Saturday night as they lost to third-seeded Air Force Academy Falcons 10-9 in a controversial contest that came down to the final possession. The Lions bounced back
Sunday afternoon to claim third place in the conference, defeating UC Davis 12-7. “This is obviously where we didn’t want to be,” said junior 2-meter John Mikuzis. “We didn’t expect to see ourselves in the third-place game, but that was the reality and we had to play well.” The Lions dominated the UC Davis Aggies in virtually all aspects of the game, scoring at will in the 2-meter position, and stalling the Aggie’s offense. The Lions built up an 8-4 lead heading into the fourth quarter. But just as they have done all season, LMU gave up a big lead. UC Davis scored the first three goals of the fourth quarter, trimming the lead to 8-7. The UC Davis crowd was enthused and
it looked to be another close contest, the third straight nail biter of the tournament. The Lions, however, responded with a strong defensive effort, blocking shots and preventing UC Davis from tying the game. With just over three minutes left in the game, freshman attacker Milutin Mitrovic pulled the trigger and took a shot from over half the pool length. The ball skipped off the post and in, to extend the Lions’ lead to two goals. “The keeper wasn’t looking so I shot the ball,” said Mitrovic. “I knew it was going to go in.” From that point the Lions added three more goals on counter attack to stretch the lead to a five-goal margin.
“Despite this not being our goal, we didn’t want to lose to a lesser team [Sunday]. We already lost to a lesser team [Saturday]. We didn’t want to make it twice in a row,” said Mikuzis. The Lions played in the WWPA Third Place Game for the second straight year because of the team’s loss to the Air Force Academy Falcons 10-9. After battling all game, the Lions saw themselves in a one-goal contest again, heading into the final minute of play. The Lions had possession of the ball and the team called a time out to try and force the game into overtime. However, the referees said the ball was in the air and
See M. Polo | Page 14
Ireland’s big night leads Lions CHECK OUT The men’s basketball team escapes with a win against CSU Bakersfield, 76-73.
By Michael Goldsholl Staff Writer
Anthony Ireland flirted with a triple double, but men’s basketball came away with a team victory on Saturday night, knocking off CSU Bakersfield (CSUB), 76-73. The junior guard tied his career high with 26 points (8-16 from the field, 9-12 from the free throw line) and showcased his allaround abilities by posting a game-high of nine rebounds and seven assists to go along with three steals. “I think we’re relying a little too much on him,” said LMU Head Coach Max Good. “People are getting really physical with him. I’m concerned for him because he’s not a huge person. Kind of reminds me of a young Allen Iverson, how they would always just be bouncing off the defense. I mean, [Ireland] went to the line 12 times. But he’s tough enough to fight through it.” But it was junior forward Godwin Okonji who locked down the Lions’ win. With only 24
seconds remaining in the game, Okonji, who finished with nine points and six rebounds, corralled an offensive board and put it back up for a score in traffic, to snap a 73-73 tie and gave the game, which saw the scoreboard switch favors seven times, its final lead change of the night. “We had to face adversity to capture this win,” Ireland told KXLU after the game. “They kept trailing and coming back. It was a battle.” The Lions had a week to regroup from their 73-58 loss to Southern Methodist University (SMU) last Sunday before facing off with CSUB, and they did exactly that. Charged by an early 14-0 run by the Lions, they jumped out to a 16-point lead midway through the first half, and they rebounded with improved shooting from beyond the arc, knocking down 10 of their 17 three-point attempts and held on for the close victory. CSUB quickly erased the 16-point deficit, and the Lions took only a four-point lead, 3935, into the halftime break. Both teams remained within striking distance throughout the final frame, as neither squad took a lead larger than eight points. With 14:45 remaining in the contest, CSUB junior guard Brandon Barnes hit a 3-pointer to give the Roadrunners took their first lead, 49-48, since
leading 9-8 at the 15:33 mark of the first half. Ireland made his presence known towards the end of the second half when he scored nine straight points for the Lions. However, the CSUB defense forced him into five turnovers – largely a product of the full court press executed by the Roadrunners in the first half. The Lions registered 11 giveaways in the opening 20 minutes and their 16 total turnover count led to 24 CSUB points. “We’re short in the backcourt,” said Good. “They are at home – we got caught up in it. We should salivate when another team pressures us. We were really playing with two point guards. But, we have got to do a better job against the press. It shouldn’t put us into that many problems. We’ve been trying to work on it in practice, but you can’t simulate with your second team what their first team will do. However, I hope people continue to do it. That shouldn’t be something that is a great deal of trouble.” All the while, the Roadrunners had ball control problems of their own, losing the ball 13 times for 18 LMU points. In comparison to their 16 turnovers, the Lions only posted 13 assists on 23 field goal makes – only slightly improving from their
See M. BBall | Page 13
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