The Los Angeles Loyolan April 3 2019

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APRIL 3, 2019

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Students to showcase their designs for a charitable fashion show.

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Ben Shapiro to speak on campus Shapiro's appearances have caused student demonstrations in the past.

Austin Woods

Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan

Ben Shapiro, co-founder and editorin-chief of The Daily Wire and prolific conservative political commentator, will be speaking on campus in Burns Back Court today at 7 p.m.

Shapiro was secured to speak at the University by YAF through their parent organization, Young America’s Foundation, according to Adam Duarte, a senior economics major and chairman of the LMU chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), Every year, Young America’s Foundation allows a certain number of universities to host Shapiro. An application is put out by the organization every year, through which universities are selected to host Shapiro.

“Our last semester was really active and successful, especially with our event in which we had Michael Knowles and Andrew Klavan, who are part of The Daily Wire,” Duarte said.

“I think it made a big difference in why we got Ben Shapiro this semester, being that he’s the patriarch of The Daily Wire.”

Duarte said that the event will have a certain amount of time dedicated to Shapiro speaking on various topics, particularly those tied to the central theme of “mainstream media lies.” After that, there will be a Q&A session open to all members of the audience.

“Usually what happens is Ben Shapiro says, ‘if you disagree with me, you can move to the front of the line,’” Duarte said. “At that point, we’ll have people who disagree with him ask questions first, probably.”

The rapper and entrepreneur was killed just months after his visit to LMU. Sofia Hathorn Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan

Rapper and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle was shot to death in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 31. Nipsey, born Ermias Asghedom, was a South L.A. native who was paying forward his success as a rapper by helping to transform the area.

Nipsey was shot outside his clothing store in Hyde Park and died of gunshot wounds to the head and torso, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. Hyde Park is only seven

miles away from LMU. Authorities arrested suspect Eric Holder in Bellflower for Nipsey’s death. The case is still developing.

A decade ago, Nipsey started selling clothes and his mixtapes out of his car on the corner of Slauson and Crenshaw. He later reached mainstream success with his Grammy-nominated album "Victory Lap." With that success, Nipsey turned back to his roots in South L.A. to uplift the community there. As of 2019, he owned half of that same lot, including his own store, Marathon Clothing.

In September of last year, Nipsey and real estate developer David Gross came to LMU to speak on their company, Vector90. Vector90 is a co-working space in the Crenshaw district of South L.A. that is meant to be a place for underserved entrepreneurs and

See Shapiro | Page 4

creatives to come together and work.

The aim of is to “heighten the economic and social fabric of the neighborhoods [Vector90] enter[s],” according to their website.

“He uplifted the community where I live. I saw him as a local hero.”

Rai Bates, a freshman African American studies major and L.A. native, said she saw the transformation that Nipsey helped propel. “He uplifted the community where I live. I saw him as a local hero,” Bates said.

See Nipsey | Page 2

Special Games Big Day brings communities together The annual event welcomes participants of all abilities to partake in activities.

Molly Jean Box Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan

Special Games Big Day 2019 was held on Saturday, March 30 in Sunken Gardens. People with special needs from anywhere in L.A. were welcome to come and participate.

"Our whole focus is [seeing] people before [seeing] disability. We really try to focus on building bonds in the community," said Kammy Carbone, a junior liberal studies major with a special education focus, regarding this year's Special Games.

The participants, referred to as athletes, came from a range of backgrounds and ages. Some of the activities the athletes could partake in were yoga, badminton, painting, basketball, soccer and dancing.

"It’s important to bring awareness ... and educate other people on their community and how much ability they

really do have," said Carbone. "Making people realize they are the exact same as all of us."

Carbone has been volunteering for Special Games as a coach since her freshman year. This year was her first serving as one of the volunteer coordinators.

According to the LMU website, the event has been held annually since 1977 and is hosted by a student-run committee. The games were originally created as a "celebration for the mentally and physically challenged of the Los Angeles community."

Volunteers came from surrounding areas and within LMU, including the water polo team. Luke Chandler, an undeclared freshman, and Alex Davis, a freshman liberal studies major, were two of the volunteers.

Davis said his favorite part of the day was making the snow cones for the athletes and other volunteers. "It brings a lot of joy to a lot of people; once you get a snow cone you’re happy," said Davis.

"My favorite part is seeing everyone dance and having a good time," said Chandler. "[Special Games] gives everyone

an outlet to enjoy each others company."

Chandler remarked that his favorite

part was dancing and spending time with the participants.

O'hara Riffel | Loyolan

Participants hold a banner at the Special Games to promote inclusiveness. The event aimed bring awareness and enhance community for those with special needs.

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California pushes universities to change policies Following a USC court case, universities are forced to change their policies.

Grace McCauley News Editor @LALoyolan

In light of a recent USC court case, the state of California is mandating all universities and colleges change their sexual assault code of conduct.

LMU is changing its Student Code of Conduct due to a recent California court of appeals decision. The decision mandates that “sexual and interpersonal misconduct processes” be changed at universities in California and colleges, according to “LMU This Week.”

The changes will allow accused students to crossexamine any witnesses.

This comes after a California appeals court case, Doe v. Allee, involving two University of Southern California students.

One anonymous student accused another of sexual assault. The accused student did not believe they received a fair hearing before a neutral witness.

Dr. Terri Mangione, dean of students and vice president for Student Affairs who helped rework the code of conduct, said,

“The court’s decision requires us to allow the respondents to cross-examine witnesses at a hearing … The gist is that the accused should be allowed to question witnesses.”

“The court’s decision indicates that the person accused wasn’t being treated fairly ... USC’s process was not like ours,” said Mangione.

“We will continue to make it fair and equitable for both the complainants and the respondents.”

Francesca Piumetti, associate dean of students and chief judicial officer, who also helped change the code of conduct, stated that these changes had to be made quickly. She also said that cross-examination

Nipsey’s death affects LMU Hussle from Page 1

Nipsey’s community outreach didn’t just stop at his store or Vector90. He invested in Destination Crenshaw, a permanent art installation, and helped to bring back World on Wheels, a roller rink that was an important scene for the early days of West Coast rap. Nipsey also provided jobs and shelters for the homeless and renovated local playgrounds and basketball courts.

Nipsey’s death is part of an alarming amount of recent deaths in the L.A. area.

There have been 10 homicides and 26 shootings in the past week, according to LAPD Chief Michel Moore.

in hearings would take place over video conference and that everyone involved would receive the same resources.

“We are following state law, and it could change again. We will try to maintain fairness and equity. This process will be more confrontational. We will make sure students feel comfortable in an adversarial

situation,” said Mangione.

In “LMU This Week,” the University said that these changes will not “in any way alter, impair nor diminish the support and resources provided

by LMU and LMU CARES.” In Nov. 2018, the U.S. Department of Education published potential new Title IX regulations for universities and colleges. These new regulations have not been approved, and LMU is not aware what they will be. The changes are alleged to cover some of the issues presented in the court case.

Any changes made to the LMU Student Code of Conduct are considered interim changes until the University can access the new Title IX regulations and make sure they align.

“LMU has been and remains committed to providing fair and equitable processes for all parties involved in cases of sexual or interpersonal misconduct,” said Trivedi. “These interim changes are intended to further ensure fairness in Student Conduct Code proceedings. Fairness and safety are not related.”

Want to read more stories? Visit us online at LALoyolan.com

Special Games 2019

His death is a huge loss for the L.A. community, said Bates. “It was really tragic just because of how much everybody felt connected to him. A lot of us felt like we lost a family member,” she said. “We’re all just trying to do our best and make smart decisions in order to keep on his legacy and make him proud.”

A vigil was held in celebration of Nipsey’s life in the Sacred Heart Chapel on Tuesday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m.

The Loyolan is following this story as it develops. Follow the Loyolan on social media for updates.

Nipsey Hussle Vigil

Owen Markham | Loyolan

Ohara Riffle | Loyolan

Brendan Towns, junior management major, speaks at a vigil for rapper Nipsey Hussle, who died by gunshot on Sunday night. The vigil was held at Sacred Heart Chapel for the community to gather and honor Hussle’s memory.

Kids in the community attend the 2019’s Special Games’ Big Day. LMU hosts the event every year for adults and kids with special needs to participate in sports and other outdoor activities.

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Executive order prioritizes free speech This order requires that colleges be funded based on their support of free speech.

Tom McMahon News Intern @LALoyolan

President Trump signed an executive order on March 21 that required federal agencies to withhold funding for colleges that fail to enforce free speech on their campuses.

During the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump said that the order was directed toward “professors and power structures seeking to prevent conservatives from challenging rigid, farleft ideology.” The move was welcomed by conservatives who experience resistance when attempting to speak on more liberal college campuses.

That resistance is currently on display here at LMU, with the intense controversy over the upcoming appearance of conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro on April 3. Posters were put up on the walls of St. Robert’s Hall to promote the event, which read “only fascists tear down signs.” Many of these posters covered the floors by the end of the day, serving as a visual representation of the intense divide in opinion on campus.

College officials across the country, from schools such as the University of Utah and the University of Illinois System, expressed their disagreement over the executive order. There was also concern over how the order would be implemented, which has not been specified. Some do not even see free speech as being under attack on college

campuses at all. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeley Law, and Howard Gillman, chancellor of the University of California, Irvine, attacked the executive order in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, calling it “unconstitutional” and claiming that “the cacophony of diverse speakers [on our campuses] is readily apparent.”

Students on campus like Tyra Cecilio, a junior screenwriting major, reiterated her support for free speech, while also questioning whether an executive order was a step too far. “For people to grow as individuals, they need open dialogue about things that make them uncomfortable,” said Cecilio. She cited Ben Shapiro’s upcoming appearance as an example of this.

Cecilio also expressed her support for the presence of conflicting ideas on college campuses. “[I believe] that if you are going to have one group of people speak freely at a school, you should allow the other side as well,” she said. “I just don’t think it’s right to shut out one group just because we don’t agree with them. People should be able to share opposing views.”

Christopher Jacobs, a senior communications major, offered his opinion on the matter. “Although I wouldn’t go that far to say that free speech is under attack, I do think that this order could be good if it helps to make conservatives feel more welcome on liberal campuses.”

Although LMU has welcomed speakers

across the political spectrum without major disruptions, there have been intense protests over conservative speakers at nearby colleges. For example, there were riots resulting in over $100,000 of damages at UC Berkeley when right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was scheduled to appear, as CNN reported.

Trump cited events like these during the signing, saying that “people who are confident in their beliefs do not censor others.” In a reassuring promise to those on the far-right feeling victimized and shut out of these institutions, Trump said, “If a college or university does not allow you to speak, we will not give them money.

It’s as simple as that.”

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YAF sponsors Shapiro’s campus visit BURNING QUESTIONS

This week, Assistant News Editor Molly Box sat down with professor Evan Gerstmann to discuss his book, “Campus Sexual Assault: Constitutional Rights and Fundamental Fairness”

Can you tell me a little bit about your newest book?

“Campus Sexual Assault” is about two things, really. It’s about due process issues — how universities respond when someone says they’ve been sexually assaulted. Do they get a hearing? [And, if so,] what kind of hearing [do] they get? [It’s about] how you have a hearing that is fair and respects the rights of both the accusing students and the accused student.

The second is about something called affirmative consent.

In California, consent for sexual activities has been defined much more narrowly than in any other case. [My book] is about whether or not that violates the sexual autonomy of college students, and I argue that it does.

1

When did you first start writing the book and what inspired you?

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I’ve been working on it for about a year and a half. I tend to write about what I think other people aren’t saying. I was drawn to this issue because I felt people at universities weren’t talking about this. No one wanted to sound like they were unsympathetic to the people who said they were sexually assaulted; no one wanted to seem like they were soft on the issue. As a result, [there were] many unfair procedures that were neither helping the accused nor accusing students.

What does the Constitution have to do with sexual assault?

3

The Constitution protects due process of laws for a public university.

A public university can’t suspend or expel you without giving you a proper hearing — that’s been the law since the early 1960s, since a case called Dickson v. Alabama State University. [In the case,] there were a number of African American students who ate at a segregated cafeteria and were expelled from college because of that.

As the court ruled, before you can expel students from college, they [must be] entitled to a fair process.

What was the most difficult part about writing the book?

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Shapiro from Page 1

Shapiro is well-known for the reactions his speaking events at college campuses have garnered.

For instance, a 2017 event involving Shapiro at UC Berkeley was met with an off-campus protest called “Refuse Fascism,” which resulted in at least nine arrests (although there were no reported injuries due to violence, nor was there any damage to property), as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

According to Duarte, barricades will be set up at the event to create a protesting area for students who plan on demonstrating. This was planned at the request of the Student Reserve Board, Duarte said.

Duarte also said that there are other plans in mind to account for students potentially trying to interrupt Shapiro’s speech.

“We heard rumors that [students] were going to pull fire alarms [to disrupt the event], so we definitely have contingency plans for that,” Duarte said.

While details are kept confidential for security purposes, a “comprehensive security strategy” for the event has been developed in conjunction with the LAPD, Danny Martinez, Interim Chief of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) said.

“DPS’s top priority is maintaining security on campus so that those in the LMU community who choose to attend may do so safely,” Martinez said.

Martinez acknowledged the probability of student protests at the event, and said that DPS has collaborated with the public safety departments at USC, UCLA and California State University Fullerton to prepare best practices.

These universities have hosted similar events that resulted in student protests.

In regards to the possibility of demonstrations, Duarte emphasized that he strongly supports students’ free speech and freedom to protest as long as it remains peaceful. However, he said that any protestors’ disapproval of Shapiro is likely predicated on misinformation.

“What they’re going to do is espouse lies about [Shapiro] being hateful,” Duarte said. “You can’t say ‘he’s an evil, hateful guy’ unless you know him personally. He hasn’t killed millions of people like a lot of the people on the left [or] like the communists and socialists that we’ve seen throughout history.”

Duarte said that he thinks a more productive use of one’s free speech would not be to protest, but rather to attend the event and ask Shapiro a question.

As for the source of the misinformation surrounding Shapiro, Duarte said he believes this comes from people losing their sense of virtue and morality.

David Fabian, a freshman theatre arts major who is going to attend the event, said that he is interested to see how the event plays out and what students’ reactions to it will be.

“I’m most excited to watch him speak and do a Q&A session,” he said. “I’ve seen videos but I’ve never actually seen it live, so it should be interesting to see how he has these conversations with people in person.”

Fabian said he hopes that Shapiro tackles the issue of how free speech is handled and discussed on American college campuses.

“I know there was a professor here who didn’t want LMU to host him, and obviously he’s had other problems before on campuses — people not letting him speak, or protestors blocking entrances or shutting down the event by pulling a fire alarm,” he said. “I think it’s going to be interesting, and I would like to see him talk about that. Hopefully [our students] are better at not causing those problems.”

Fabian said that he supports students’ rights to protest the event, as long as it doesn’t become violent or obstruct the ability of people to enter the venue.

However, Fabian said that if a speaker he disagreed with came to speak at LMU, he would most likely opt out of protesting and choose instead to ignore the event completely.

“I can understand people wanting to acknowledge their disagreements,” he said. “They’re worried about the ideas, and they don’t want to appear complacent to them. So I can see both sides, but I personally would just ignore it.”

“A ‘comprehensive security strategy’ has been developed in conjunction with LAPD” Rowan Oliver, a senior theater arts major who will not be attending the event, said they believe that protesting will likely not do much good, because situations like that are actually beneficial to Shapiro.

“The main thing Ben Shapiro likes to do is fight with his audience, specifically the people who are there to protest him,” Oliver said. “He engages with them and [it] makes them angrier and just inflames everything rather than ever finding a solution to an issue. He just makes everything a controversy.”

Oliver said they don’t think Shapiro is someone that should be supported by LMU. However, they still support his right to speak at the university.

“LMU is an institution that values justice, the truth and high morals,” Oliver said. “I don’t think Ben Shapiro reflects those at all. I don’t think he has morals that align with our mission statement.

I think he’s a toxic person in the media … It’s not something I’m going to shut down. I’m just not interested in it.”

It’s so complicated. [There are] so many different parts to it and people tend to write about it so emotionally. You really have to give in and separate fact from fiction. It’s also very important to treat everyone respectfully. It’s very hard to write a book about how universities can deny accused students of fair process without making it sound like I’m unsympathetic to victims of sexual assault.

Of course, that’s not the message I want to send at all.

What is one thing readers might be surprised to find in your book?

Women are almost as likely to sexually assault men as vice versa.

We all think, “Oh, of course, sexual assault is something that men do to women.” It’s so ingrained in our heads that it’s actually built into the very measurement systems we use to measure it. In 2013, the FBI crime reports actually defined rape as involuntary sexual intercourse of a woman by a man. It was literally defined [so that] if it happened to a man, it wasn’t rape. They changed that, but it still requires penetration. So, if a woman forces a man to have sexual intercourse, it’s not considered rape, which of course leads everyone to think this is something that only men do to women because it’s built into the definition.

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Want to read even more questions with Gerstmann?

Check them out at laloyolan. com.

Isabella Murillo | Loyolan

Drew Alcorn, freshman recording arts major, is a member of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) — the on-campus club hosting Ben Shapiro. The club set up a tabling event to promote Shapiro’s talk and get students involved.

FIRST GENERATION GENERATION AWARENESS AWARENESS WEEK WEEK FIRST

By Xochitl Pasten, senior editor

First-generation students are those who are the first in their family to go to college, specifically students whose parents have not obtained a college degree in the United States. First-generation students and their families typically struggle with navigating the application process, the financial aid process and the new cultural environment that higher education provides. According to the Center for First-Generation Student Success, “the term ‘first-generation’ implies the possibility that a student may lack the critical cultural capital necessary for college success because their parents did not attend college.”

The First to Go program on campus works to combat the many difficulties first-generation students face when coming to LMU. First to Go creates a community of support for all who identify as first-gen students, assisting in the transition into higher education as students learn to navigate a new culture for their own success at LMU. This week, LMU’s First to Go program hosts its annual First Generation Awareness Week (FGAW) in which the planned events will highlight the community, provide conversation on life after college and offer tools for success.

For more information, check their instagram @ftglmu. These are the stories of a few first-generation Lions.

Dion Dang Junior marketing and accounting double major Involvements: Admissions tour guide, Gryphon Circle, First to Go Scholars Program, Accounting department research assistant, Accounting Society, Beta Gamma Sigma, Alpha Sigma Nu

What has been one of your greatest challenges as a first-generation student? I think a lot of it was self-doubt just because I thought I wasn’t good enough

compared to other people. I feel like this comes a lot with a lot of first-gen students where it’s like you constantly compare [yourself to others]—and I feel like that is a normal human thing too—there’s just something about knowing that other people’s parents have gone to college that [makes them] a step ahead of you ... And then just being away from my family kind of made me feel guilty because I should have just stayed in the area since everyone else in my family stayed there and the majority of my family is in San Jose. So is it bad if I just leave? Also, I didn’t want to get the title in my family of being the person that leaves and never comes back because that is what happened to my cousin who went to NYU. So I don’t want that to happen—I still want a close relationship with my family—but I’m still out here and not with them, which is kind of hard. And then just the comparing myself, thinking sometimes I’m not worthy enough, but then realizing after, talking to different people about their experiences, [that] you are where you belong … It’s like you are meant to be here, in a way.

Do you have any advice for first-generation students? It sounds so cliché, but I think to know that you are worth it and to

remind yourself to focus on self-love ... I think it is important to take a step back and say no every once in a while just for your own mental health and sake ... It’s important to replenish yourself and take the time to be able to focus on self-care. Even though college gives so many different opportunities, you do have to say no because those could present even better ones in the future.

Alezae Cary Senior sociology major film, television & media studies and African American studies double minor Involvements: Belles Service Organization, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Rains Hall resident advisor

What do your degree and education mean to you? Going to LMU, my

biggest thing was education. I wanted to learn things I hadn’t been able to learn before.

So for me, my major means a connectedness to the world ... Due to sociology I see things through a whole new lens. It’s unfortunate sometimes cause I stay analyzing [things] … but it’s helped me connect with people, it’s helped me understand people. It’s helped me understand not what’s wrong with the world but why we are still in this loop—this historical loop—and why it seems like there are so many boundaries we can’t break through as a society, despite it being 2019.

So, my degree means that I am now capable of digesting material critically, in a way that will help me make better choices and better decisions in a way that will better not only my life, but my community and the people around me. Because if I am aware and I know what is happening around me, I can pass that on. So, for me it is less about the money I am going to get after, and more so about making sure that my community and the people around me don’t have to wait till college to find out about half the things I found out about. That baffles me. Me walking across that stage and taking that diploma is affirmation that I am a resource now ... I am a certified resource for my family, my community, for my ancestors. I am now a source of knowledge for people who may not have access to that, unfortunately.

Do you have any advice for first-generation students? Trust your process.

Photos: Alyssa Reece; Graphic: Allie Crawford | Loyolan

first first generation generation awareness awareness week week Giovanni Recinos Freshman management major Involvements: Athletics department, Open Mic Night, First to Go Scholars program What is one of your favorite moments, experiences or opportunities at LMU? I dropped a music-related thing, like an album. And one of the coolest things was

spreading that around the school. I put posters up and it was really cool having people know who I am and they would be like, “Oh you’re that guy on the posters. I like the music.”

That was really cool.

What is your main motivation for earning your degree? Definitely to accomplish my dream overall. I just want to spread music and make it obvious to people that it’s not impossible to spread their ideas and spread their feelings. To think outside of the norm of how school makes you think you have to think to be in society. So that’s basically what I want to do. I think the smartest way to go about it is to start in school.

Do you have any advice for first-generation students? Network through clubs and opportunities as quickly as possible.

Jazmin Quezada Junior environmental science major Involvements: McNair Scholar, First to Go, Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority, Inc.,

Alternative Breaks trip leader, Gates Millennium Scholar

What is one of your favorite moments, experiences or opportunities at LMU? Definitely I give thanks to the First to Go program, mainly because they

opened the doors to everything that came after. First to Go was the program that I went into, talked about my passions and what I was looking for. They always reminded me of my worth, how important I am and how I work so hard for everything—everything is going to fall into its place eventually. But basically First to Go opened the doors for me to EIS [Ethnic Intercultural Services], Joel specifically, who has always been there to support me and guide me, [and] has opened the doors to Campus Ministry and Latino Retreat. They have also opened the doors for me to McNair ... One of my fears going into college was the idea of me being first-gen and that we come from all different backgrounds—I was afraid that I wouldn’t be good enough in science, I wouldn’t be someone who was worthy of being here, especially because of how hard it is to be in the sciences—and First to Go was that support system. My number one fear was changing my major. I didn’t want to change out of science. I was like "I came here, I have this passion for research, I want to continue regardless." Having conversations with [First to Go] , and them giving me an open space—I would say are [my] dearest memories ... They reinforced the love I have for my major and my passion and told me to stay with it. I give everything to First to Go.

Do you have any advice for first-generation students? Take time to get to know yourself, reflect on your values, importance and what motivates you, trust in your abilities and that everything will fall in place eventually. Overall, be passionate and excited for every challenge that comes your way because being first generation is beautiful and where you are the start of a new chapter for all of your family, community and friends.

Judith Chavez-Cardenas Freshman undeclared Involvements: First to Go Scholars Program, Grupo Folklórico de LMU, El Espejo, MEChA

What is your main motivation for earning your degree? Definitely I want to say my family. I think of all that we have experienced in life, and all that they have done to help me get me to where I am today. So definitely my parents, my family and my little brother. I think also myself, you know, I’ve worked hard and I deserve it.

What do your degree and education mean to you? It means a lot. It’s a part of your life where you get to experience a lot of things, you have good times and you have bad times, and I think it’s just a stage in your life where you are learning a lot. I think it shows a lot that you’re learning, you’re grow[ing] and [overcoming] everything. Being able to even use what you have learned to help others in your community [is helpful]. It’s not just one thing.

Do you have any advice for first-generation students? Ask for help and use the resources available to [you], and remember that [you] deserve to be where [you are] because [you] have worked hard to get there.

Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

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Gloria Ndilula | Loyolan

Afro-Latina journalist, political commentator and scholar-activist Rosa Clemente discusses topics of racial politics, national emergencies and self-care with students and faculty.

Clemente was the first Afro-Latina woman to run for Vice President in 2008 on the Green Party ticket and is the president and founder of Know Thy Self Productions.

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We must educate ourselves on the issue of gun violence

For several members of the University community, the tragic death of Nipsey Hussle hit home. Not only did Hussle come to speak on campus in September 2018, but he was also shot in Hyde Park, which is about seven miles from LMU, as reported by the Loyolan. On top of that, Hussle was an inspiration for many, having used his voice to fight against gang violence.

Hussle was shot multiple times outside his clothing store on Sunday afternoon, with police speculating that while the killer might have gang-related ties, the motive seemed to be personal, as reported by the L.A. Times.

That being said, the shooting of Hussle is an unfortunate reminder to us that gun violence is an important issue yet to be discussed and tackled proactively in our country.

We must work together to raise more awareness on the issue of gun violence and gang culture.

Hussle’s death has generated widespread mourning and outrage both nationally and internationally, with hundreds having gathered at the scene of the shooting on Sunday night to both mourn and celebrate the rapper’s life. Unfortunately, violence broke out at the vigil, with one person stabbed and 19 injured.

Hussle’s shooting is a reality check: inequality and violence do not end with the introduction of success and fame for people of color and people from other marginalized communities. Hussle is also not the only victim of violence on the streets of L.A. He is one of the many recent victims in a troubling surge of violence in the Los Angeles area. The policing of areas

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LOYOLAN EDITORIAL POLICY The Los Angeles Loyolan, a student-run campus organization, publishes a 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.

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Board Editorial Jacob Cornblatt Editor-in-Chief

Kayan Tara

Managing Editor

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

Ignorance is deadly in politics Kayla’s Kolumn Kayla Brogan Senior Editor @LALoyolan

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with spikes in gun violence and gang related violence more often than not leave impoverished communities “feeling violated, invaded and disrespected.” This leads to more anger and resentment, and sometimes more violence.

As students at a Jesuit university in L.A. that values social justice and service to others, we must stay informed and be proactive on such issues.

There are ways of tackling these issues. Several famous artists who have grown up on the streets of L.A. have used their voices to tackle the issue of inequality.

Hussle himself was scheduled to meet with Steve Soboroff, the president of the Los Angeles Police Commission, and LAPD Chief Michel Moore on Monday afternoon to discuss ways of combating gang violence.

In mourning Hussle, we need to remember that many young people, who have yet to make names for themselves, have lost their lives to violence on the streets.

Hussle’s death is an unfortunate wake-up call: young Americans in impoverished communities deserve to thrive without gun violence, gang violence and incarceration being the norm.

Educating ourselves about these issues and looking for ways to change the system is vital.

Hussle’s dedication to activism and leadership in his community and beyond is inspirational. We should strive to emulate his actions through helping people less fortunate than ourselves. Use your privilege to make a difference in all of the communities with which you interact.

“Hussle’s shooting is a reality check: inequality and violence do not end with the introduction of success and fame for people of color.”

Kellie Chudzinski Kayla Brogan Sami Leung Xochitl Pasten Diana Raynes

BUSINESS STAFF

laloyolan.com

he increasing political polarization in America is hard to ignore, especially with controversy over Ben Shapiro coming to speak at LMU. The ideologies of the political parties we choose to associate with were often ingrained in our minds from early childhood.

We should be knowledgeable about different political affiliations in order to build empathy and create room for discourse.

Early political socialization can lead to children adopting very different political views from their parents, according to a study from the British Journal of Political Science that uses data from both the U.S. and U.K. The more politics are discussed in the home, the more likely the child will seek out political discourse once in school, thus becoming more informed about other political viewpoints.

In an article published by The Atlantic, they also discussed the frequency at which children adopt their parents’ political viewpoints.

Regardless of whether an individual adopts their parents’ political viewpoints, if they are raised in a household that discusses politics, the individual will likely seek out political discourse as they grow older. Sometimes their viewpoints change; sometimes they do not. However, once a political stance is solidified, we do not do enough to challenge our own affiliations.

Moderates are a growing minority in this country. In 2004, 49 percent of Americans identified as possessing moderate political

views. In 2014, that number dropped to 39 percent, according to BBC. People are now more likely to associate themselves with a certain political party such as Liberal or Conservative.

People are also more likely to view the opposing party as unfavorable. According to the same poll, 38 percent of Democrats viewed Republicans as unfavorable, while 43

percent of Republicans viewed Democrats as unfavorable, according to BBC. Ignorance is deadly in politics. Unless you are a politician — they are banking on voter ignorance. A survey was conducted in 2018 by the Pew Research Center to study “political awareness” among U.S. adults.

See Political education | Page 10

Abby Pollack | Loyolan

Ben Shapiro is coming to campus on Wed. April 3. During the event, supporters and detractors of Shapiro should make an effort to understand each other.

OPINION

Page 10

Bravo Trump for combating censorship Fill in the blank Phillip Nieto

Asst. Opinion Editor @LALoyolan

“

K

eep your hate speech out of this campus. Keep your hate speech out of this campus. Keep your hate speech out of this campus,” yelled a visibly angry woman during a lecture at University of Massachusetts at Amherst that hosted conservative commentators Milo Yiannopoulos, Steven Crowder and Christian Hoff Sommers. The woman’s convulsive arm-flailing, complemented by her pudgy stature, turned her into a viral sensation in 2016. She was given the name “Trigglypuff” and is viewed today as the stereotypical social justice warrior (SJW).

I can only imagine Trigglypuff’s outrage when on March 21, President Trump signed an executive order protecting free speech at colleges as well as mandating that agencies withhold funding to universities that do not protect and foster an environment of free inquiry.

Thank you, Mr. President. Trump’s executive order was a major victory against the pseudo-intellectual academics that plague universities like LMU and is the first of many steps that should be taken to protect free speech.

Trigglypuff is the perfect comedic example of how the left has practically gone insane by their adoption of the social justice method of shutting down anyone who disagrees with them. Yet for many, the suppression of free speech isn’t as amusing.

One such case took place on April 15, 2017 at Berkeley during a “free the speech” rally. Eric Clanton, a community college

professor and member of the domestic terrorist group known as Antifa, hit students over the head with a bike lock for the crime of simply disagreeing with him.

Clanton was originally charged with three counts of felony assault, but last year had all those charges dropped. He never served a day in prison.

That same year during the February of 2017, riots broke out across UC Berkeley over a speech that was going to be held by right-wing political commentator, Milo Yiannopoulos. Thugs and rioters in

Harrison Klein | Loyolan

Social Justice censorship of free speech on college campuses has led to President Trump signing an executive order protecting free inquiry and expression.

We need to listen more in politics Political education from Page 9

Being well-versed in politics is important, but being knowledgeable about both parties’ political viewpoints and how they arrive to them is equally so. Here are a few reasons why you should care about the other side: 5. You will sound and be more educated when engaging in political discourse with an individual that identifies as an opposing party member.

4. The opportunity may arise in which you have the ability to educate someone on the “hows” and “whys” of your stance, and I’m sure you would want your opinions to be greeted with an open mind 3. It may, once you learn the ideologies behind their beliefs, affirm or challenge your own political viewpoints.

2. A perspective outside of your own will become more apparent, it will build empathy and understanding among those you are pursuing a conversation with.

1. You may learn something new.

There are many ways to increase political awareness, including news articles, television, movies, social media and even through conversations among our peers.

One of the best ways to challenge yourself is by attending an event outside of your own political affiliation. Remain open minded, but do not be afraid to challenge their beliefs and change

black masks associated with the domestic terrorist group, Antifa, set fire to buildings causing more than $100,000 in damages for the university.

Several people were assaulted, and one man was beaten unconscious by a mob of thugs with wooden sticks. Another woman was pepper sprayed in the face for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. Four individuals injured from the riots are now suing the city and the university.

All this trouble because one gay conservative wanted to speak his mind at

the discourse of the conversation.

Kendra Dawson, a senior communication studies major, encouraged those “with privilege to take on the emotional labor of protest, resistance and questioning,” in this case to the upcoming Ben Shapiro event being held on campus.

She encouraged the community to allow this event to occur but to give it no attention. She called into question whether the speaker aligns with university values — if the message aligns with our core beliefs.

I encourage those who feel safe to attend events in opposition to their political beliefs. Those with the privilege and ability to attend these events without placing their bodies on the line should, while simultaneously working to challenge and change the discourse being used.

For those people who do not or simply cannot endure the emotional labor of attending an event, get informed in a safe place. Do research, read news articles, watch videos and engage in intellectual debates.

Whatever you decide to do, stay informed. Doing so can only make your side of the argument that much stronger.

This is the opinion of Kayla Brogan, a senior communications studies major from Boston, Massachusetts. Tweet comments to @LAloyolan or email comments to editor@theloyolan.com.

an institution that is meant to promote higher education and free inquiry.

Even Bill Maher, a famous liberal comedian, said, “Berkeley, you know, used to be the cradle of free speech. And now it’s just the cradle for f—king babies.”

Professor Bret Weinstein, a self described liberal biology professor who worked at Evergreen State College, was harassed by a left-wing mob of students who later demanded he leave campus because his skin color was white.

April 12, 2017 was deemed the “Day of Absence” by the university where all white students and faculty would be encouraged to not come on the university’s property.

Professor Weinstein refused to leave the school even for a day and was met with a mob of protesters screaming in his face.

Weinstein later resigned and was paid a large settlement due to how the university allowed the racist mobs of students to harassed him.

As reported by the Washington Times, in 2016 DePaul University banned Ben Shapiro from speaking on campus because of security concerns that protests might ensue if he was to arrive on campus. Shapiro ignored this blatant assault on free speech and showed up to the campus anyways.

He was physically blocked by Chicago PD and public safety officers from entering an event featuring Cristina Hoff Sommers.

Shapiro said to the campus safety officer, “Just to be clear, if I attempt to enter that hall right there, and sit down, just to listen to somebody speak, or if I attempt to ask a question, or engage in free speech, you will have me arrested?”

The public safety officer responded, “At this point, yes, sir.”

See Free speech | Page 11

OPINION

laloyolan.com Page 11

Free speech on campuses must be protected Free speech from Page 10

Even here at LMU we have our known authoritarians looking to stop the free exchange of ideas, in the form of Dr. Nina Lozano.

Dr. Lozano, a communication studies professor, has called for Ben Shapiro to not be allowed to speak on campus because of his ties to the alt-right and his promotion of hate speech.

I guess Dr. Lozano did not think to use Google. She apparently cannot do the basic research on the individual she plans to protest.

Ben Shapiro has stated time and time again that he believes the alt-right are “an evil movement having nothing to do with—and actively opposing— Constitutional conservatism.”

As reported by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Ben Shapiro was the number one target of antisemitism for any figure in the media during the 2016 election. I guess

I missed the memo that revealed Orthodox Jews were suddenly secret Nazis.

“The crackdown on free speech on college campuses is on the rise ... nine percent of institutions do not maintain any politicies that compromise student expression.”

The crackdown on free speech on college campuses is on the rise. These aren’t just isolated incidents.

A 2018 report by Fire shows that nearly nine in 10 American colleges restrict free speech. “9 percent of

institutions (42 schools) do not maintain any policies that compromise student expression,” according to the report.

Free speech is under attack not just for conservatives but for liberals like Bill Maher and Dr. Weinstein. College campuses have become corrupted by intersectional lunacy of the far left.

President Trump understands that there are many young conservatives and liberals that support free speech. If he wants to have any chance of being reelected in 2020, he needs to make fighting censorship a focal point of his campaign.

Fighting for everyone to have the right to speak is generally not a bad policy to run on.

Academics should be ashamed of themselves that free expression had to be rescued from the insane clutches of social justice by a 72-year-old reality TV star.

This is the opinion of Phillip Nieto, a freshman political science major from Fresno, California. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email editor@loyolan.com.

Social platforms should combat extremism Speck and Spielmann Cristobal Spielmann Opinion Intern @LALoyolan

I

n the wake of the Christchurch shootings being livestreamed on its services, Facebook decided to ban content related to white nationalism on March 27 after determining that it fell within the guidelines of previous bans on white supremacy.

While Facebook’s actions should be commended for combating the spread of violent extremism, it’s worth saying that social media companies have been horrifically inadequate in their fight against hateful content.

As I’ve written previously, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are designed with shareability in mind, meaning users are incentivized to share increasingly polarizing news aligned with their interests. The algorithms in place to automatically serve more of the content people want cannot differentiate the levels of conspiracy in these posts, whether it’s about an innocuous hobby or toxic politics.

Problems also arise with how this extremist content can often intersect with well-known creators by virtue of both the algorithms of these sites and collaborations between figures. YouTube, a site where 400 hours of content is uploaded every minute, perhaps inadverteently supported a hive of far-right demagogues that garner attention through social networking and collaboration with the site’s biggest stars.

This story of social media failing to competently counter extremism on its platforms has been heard time and time again. In 2017, Facebook and other social media companies announced a joint forum on counter-terrorism in order to target

extremist content after previous criticisms.

In 2018, representatives of social media sites were criticized for not being able to block terrorist content on their platforms, despite advances in machine detection and removal.

Often, the measures implemented have been woefully ineffective and only come to fruition as a knee-jerk reaction to a tragedy or scandal. For instance, after white supremacy was banned from of the platform last year, Facebook had still grouped white nationalism in with broader ideas of nationalism, like American patriotism.

However, many have argued that this line of reasoning operates in distinctions — without differences that repeat the desired rhetoric of bigots to make their ideas palatable. Similar to how the term “altright” serves as a euphemism instead of directly calling out racism and Neo-Nazism.

Methods can also prove to be overcorrective and target unrelated nonextremists, as was the case for the “Adpocalypse” on YouTube that removed ads from creators involved in

any controversial subject matter. One of the more insidious impacts of this demonetization included restricting LGBTQ+ positive content and running anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-immigrant ads before videos. We cannot let this story keep happening.

No one is arguing that this will be an easy task, nor that all extremist online content can be eliminated, nor that there won’t be any unintended consequences for combating this extremism. That does not mean the effort is not worth it.

On an international scale, governments can cooperate with social media companies to take down larger extremist operations in the same way as dark-net markets.

Looking at our community, LMU students can help fight online extremism on multiple fronts. Being present on multiple social media platforms, we can use existing site measures like flagging and reporting any time we find dangerous content, and pressure these same companies to implement stronger measures.

As citizens, we can contact our representatives to push for legislation that will hold social media companies accountable for hosting extremist content and enforce regulatory practices on bad actors. The EU, for example, had been working on a draft resolution in 2018 to have mandatory takedowns of extremist content within the hour of it being posted or risk potential fines.

It’s frightening enough to see the state of our world threatened by nationalist movements seeking to create fear and violence in the real world, knowing full well that their influence can cross oceans and influence someone to incite hatred.

It becomes worse when their message is passively encouraged by the companies we trusted to connect the world and do good things on a global scale.

This is the opinion of Cristobal Spielmann, a freshman environmental science major from Brentwood, Tennessee. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email editor@theloyolan.com.

laloyolan.com

Page 12

LMU sued by local elementary school LMU has been stealing ideas from children — and it has backfired big-time.

Sami Leung Art Investigator In a shocking twist of events, local elementary school Little Artists School for Gifted Youngsters is suing LMU for their new logo redesign, claiming that the University plagiarized the work of one of their students. They have evidence of drawings very similar to LMU’s new logos and claim that the University stole the drawings from a child and used them as inspiration without giving credit.

“The drawings are just so similar. I don’t want to say that LMU is profiting off of child labor, but the similarities are too glaring to be ignored,” Lee Child, principal of the elementary school, said. “We just want our students’ work to be recognized.”

The suit claims that a marketing executive by the name of B. Arnold visited the school under the pretense of a potential donation, but stole drawings from the children’s art exhibit. He then created all the new logos based off of their drawings and presented them to LMU as his own.

This controversy has created a craze across campus, as people argue whether or not the drawings look similar to the logos.

“I mean, the logos do look pretty simple, like a child drew them,” senior marketing major Jessica Diggs said. “I could see these being the logo of a primary school, actually. I hope the school gets the credit they’re due.”

Others think that the logos are clearly not the work of a child, as they are too simple and basic.

“There’s no way that that’s all the imagination of a child would come up with,” Lisa Blase, a junior psychology major, said. “A child’s work would be much more colorful and spirited than ours.”

LMU has denied the claims in emails, social media posts and has even bought another unneeded flag in the new bright, obnoxious blue of the redesign claiming that they did not steal the logos.

“LMU has a strict no-plagiarism policy,” LMU Marketing and Communications said to the press. “We deny that these logos were stolen from an elementary school. Although, those drawings look pretty good. Could we see more of those?”

The suit was only recently filed, so we’ll have to wait and see if LMU will give credit where credit is due, or if they’ll get a zero and fail this redesign.

Ellen Na | Loyolan

This drawing was found at an art exhibit for elementary school students. It looks strikingly similar to LMU’s new logo and the school is suing LMU for plagiarism.

Super Ls to bring crime down “What if Iggy curbstomped someone?”

-@overheardLMU Andrew Dazé Living for Ls

Gabrielle Ouellette | Loyolan

LMU student vigilantes wear their make-shift superhero costumes.

These are the costumes they wear while fighting campus crime.

Crime is up around campus.

Thefts are being reported at an increased rate in the common and living areas. Public Safety crime alerts show that backpacks, laptops and Social Security number (SSN) cards are being targeted the most.

The crime wave has sparked life into a long lost LMU club that call themselves “Super Ls”.

At the first Super L meeting, Robb Ette, a second year, recalled being robbed in the library. Ette said, “They took my calculator.

Texas Instrument has cornered the market on calculators and they are far too expensive. Take my phone next time. At least I have insurance

on it.” He connected this story to how he planned to reignite the Super L tradition.

“I love history,” confessed Ette. “I know all of LMU’s history and this club has always been my favorite piece. I’m torn on being excited or disheartened that I get to start it up to stop the crime around here.”

The Super Ls take patrol 24/7 as undercover students. At any moment they are trained to take action and incapacitate theft across campus. “Tackle, tickle or talk” is the club motto. It describes the range of action the L’s are willing to take to stop crime. Ette decided to take it upon himself to wear the Iggy costume while on patrol to boost PR. The group is having tryouts this upcoming Wednesday. The tryout will consist of combat, deescalation and conversation tests.

The position is paid which is likely why there is so much attention on the club after such a short time.

Siuox Mé reported her SSN card was stolen along with her backpack which had her keys in them. “This allowed the thief to steal everything from my room. I was only in the bathroom for like two minutes and now all I have are the clothes on my back and my mattress.”

If the Super Ls were in place, could this be possible to prevent?

The crime seems to have many moving parts, but if life is anything like a superhero movie, then this may work.

An unknown, anonymous source sent a note to me while I was covering this story. It reads, “I have your SSN card. If you or someone you are related to has done 23andMe I can now clone you and it will be as real as you. REPLACED!” The message is quite threatening and brings to light many potential outcomes.

The Bluff is a humorous and satirical section published in the Loyolan. All quotes attributed to real figures are completely fabricated; persons otherwise mentioned are completely fictional.

laloyolan.com Page 13

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life+arts

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Students strut to support women

via “Walking with Women”

In first picture, left to right: Amaya Lorrick, Grace Wrobleski, Sam Wilson, Mya Hudson. Members of Her Campus and sororities on campus are models for the spring fashion show.

Students Troy Salmans and Trevor Gray spent months planning “Walking with Women,” a charitable fashion show to promote female designers at LMU.

Students create fashion show to support women on campus and beyond.

Ally Boulas

Life+Arts Editor @allyroseboulas

For sophomore marketing major Trevor Gray and freshman film, television and media studies major Troy Salmans, the past several months have all been leading up to one grand event — the charity Spring Fashion Show in Sunken Garden, titled “Walking with Women,” this Saturday, April 6, at 6:30 p.m.

“Walking with Women” is a one-day event, partnered with Her Campus LMU and the University’s Alliance of Women Philanthropists (AWP), and sponsored by companies like Icelandic Glacial Water, Ritual and MEALZAC, a catering company founded by freshman theatre arts major Thomas Mulzac Jr. “Walking with Women” features four female designers whose looks will be showcased on models from campus sororities and Her Campus LMU. Three of the designers, Carly Agopian (@ coolshitbycarly on Instagram), Chlo Subia (Sad Clothing Co.) and Morgan Moto (@morgan_moto on Instagram) are LMU students.

“Our fourth designer, [Problem Society], is based in Orange County,” said Salmans. “And they’re actually seniors in high school. They just launched their brand and clothing company and so we wanted to give them a platform on LMU’s campus.”

In fact, their entire mission statement is about creating an environment where women are allowed to shine and uplift one another­—hence the title.

“We wanted the show to have an all-inclusive meaning, so it’s all women designers supporting women models, and everything [from the show] is supporting homeless women,” Salmans said. “All of the proceeds go to the [Homeless] Period Project.

That’s why the title is ‘Walking with Women.’ Being [at the show] is supporting women at LMU, and being [at the show] is also supporting homeless women.”

Even while in the planning stages of the event, Gray and Salmans saw the whole core meaning of their show manifest around them.

“It’s been amazing to see all the women involved become friends,”

Gray said. “And they’ve all been so supportive of their designers and of our vision. For a long time, it was us just talking about proposals and on-paper visions with our team, but once it started to manifest itself into actual women on campus, we really saw our vision play out and it was really cool.”

Thinking back on the process, both Salmans and Gray say that their favorite memories involve seeing all the women at the their inner confidence.

For Gray, the most rewarding part of the process so far has been the first dress rehearsal of the show in Sunken Garden.

“The editorial shoot was great, but to see all the girls walk and everyone looks so good and so confident, and to see that in the early stages and to see how all the girls have become friends, that’s when I knew this was going to be great,” Gray said.

What started as a project for their events management class quickly took on a life of its own, and Gray and Salmans have spent the last few weeks working tirelessly to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch.

When asked about the amount of work that goes into creating something like this, Gray and Salmans laughed and in unison said, “A lot.”

“I can tell you that since January, we have talked about this everyday,” Gray said.

A big part of their preparation involved reaching out to companies and organizations to partner with, and Gray and Salmans were blown away by the generosity of each.

“We could not have done this show without the AWP,” Salmans said. “They allocated their funds from next year to put on this show.”

“To see an organization of women support our event and all the women involved has been like a dream, it really is,” Gray said.

Her Campus has also been instrumental to their success, according to Gray and Salmans. “[Allison Taplin, the Her Campus LMU president] has been so full of support for this and it was kind of last minute for us to go to their event and tell them about what we were doing, and we just threw it out there and what we’ve seen come back to us has been amazing, I can’t even explain it,” Gray said.

Even Instagram has gotten in on the action. “So many random good things have happened, like [on Wednesday], Instagram reached out to us and gave us $30 credit

to sponsor our pictures as ads,” Salmans said. “We don’t know why or for what reason, but now it’s been promoted to the whole area.”

And while they are enjoying this wave of support, Gray and Salmans are the first to admit that it came only after a lot of hard work.

“This month has been great but the initial months were hard. But once we got the support of AWP and our sponsors, that’s when it really started to [take off],” Gray said. “But we got turned down multiple times before. But it’s been so good this month and we’re so excited.”

After months of effort, the fashion show team is finally in the homestretch, and for Gray, they’ll finally get a chance to kick up their feet.

“We put so much of our heart and our soul into this, and I think we are just going to relax,” Gray said. “We have eaten, breathed and dreamed this whole event. So what are we going to do after?”

“Start planning for next year,” responded Salmans.

Tickets for “Walking with Women” are $12 general admission, or $18 for VIP, which gets you front row seating, swag

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from sponsors and designers and according to their website, an “interactive experience during the show.”

Tickets are for sale on Eventbrite but Gray and Salmans recommend purchasing directly through Venmo to avoid fees, sending the money to @springfashionshow and specifying your name and ticket type.

Be sure to bring your cash as well, because there will be popup stands selling one-of-a-kind pieces from all the designers after the show is over.

life+arts

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Page 15

New flag exhibit explores artists’ identities Electric Emma Emma Averill

D

Life+Arts Intern @laloyolan

ream Wavers is an art installation that features a collection of over 30 unique flag designs made by both LMU students and other invited artists.

This outdoor installation can be seen from March 18 to May 12 in the Dunning Courtyard at the entrance of the Laband Art Gallery.

Thirteen graphic design students contributed to this installation after completing Professor Garland Kirkpatrick’s Social Design course last semester.

The students featured—Daniel Akavi, Mariam Al Nahedh, Allison Crawford, Jane Estrada, Katherine Ford, Ana Laughrun, Anthony Lopez, Kelli Nagasawa, Brandon Nam, Aurora Occelli, Nicholas Tarricone, Yue Wang and Emily Zech—created double sided flags that explore identities.

Many of the students’ work combines a symbol of their nationality, such as a country’s flag, with a personal design.

In addition to the students, 22 working artists from all across the country were invited to contribute an original piece.

This section of Dream Wavers was organized and curated by artist Sage Dawson and Katie Kirk, an artist and LMU alumna (‘10).

Dawson is also the founder and

Alyssa Reece | Loyolan

Dream Wavers provides a nice place for both flags and cultural expression to fly high. Student artists worked with Professor Kirkpatrick to create flag designs that repersented themselves. director of STNDRD, a nonprofit arts space that partnered with the Laband Art Gallery for this project.

The artists featured in this art show challenge the limitations of vexillography, or flag design, by featuring a variety of colors, shapes, texture and medium.

Some of the flags show intricate and colorful pattern work, others have three-dimensional components and a few have giant cut-outs that stray away from the conventional rectangle flag shape

This eclectic collection of shapes, colors and prints highlights each artist’s unique interpretation of on the topic of identity.

Each artist designed their flag to reflect notions about personal identity within the current political and social context. Many artists tackle issues like urbanism, human rights, political struggles and erased history. Artist Yvette Mayorga’s flag, titled “An Immigrant Died Today,” features cherries, pink hearts and happy

faces that contrast with violent shadows of armed individuals and the striking title in the center.

Mayorga’s bubblegum pink flag includes vinyl, textile and silver chain.

“I want to show my cultural background through my flags. My cross-cultural experience fulfiled me as a whole,” said Yue Wang, a senior studio arts major. “So I used both a recent image of me as well as one from when I was a little boy living in China. Additionally, I also

use geometric shapes to represent my journey.”

I visited Dream Wavers this weekend. The idea of representing personal identity and political struggles through hanging flags is powerful and impactful to viewers. And, from a strictly aesthetic viewpoint, this colorful installation is definitely worth seeing. The installation also perfectly complements its outdoor location.

The bright designs of the flags contrast beautifully with the blue sky above and blooming purple flowers around the flags. When a slight breeze happens to come through the courtyard, the flags float delicately to perfectly create the quiet and pensive environment you’d hope for in any installation.

While there are a ton of incredible art museums to explore in Los Angeles, we shouldn’t forget that there are great opportunities to view contemporary art right on campus, often at any time of the day. Dream Wavers is a perfect example of LMU students getting the opportunity to get engaged with a community of artists on a national level, which is something worth recognizing and supporting.

Dream Wavers is on display until May 12. Admission is free.

This is the opinion of Emma Averill, a sophomore civil engineering major from Porter Ranch, CA. Tweet comments to @laloyolan or email comments to aboulas@theloyolan.com.

Alyssa Reece | Loyolan

LMU students and other L.A. artists create a wide display of flags highlighting their individual cultures and identies. Students have the opportunity to view this instillation until May 12.

life+arts

laloyolan.com

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Secret Movie Club is no longer secret Sammi Side Up

Sammi Su

Life+Arts Intern @laloyolan

W

ith the Marble Club being a recent hit, other noteworthy clubs are catching attention, one of which is the Secret Movie Club. Based off of the Secret Movie Club in downtown Los Angeles, LMU’s very own Secret Movie Club is an unofficial club that screens 35mm films every Saturday at 6 p.m. at various locations on campus.

Their motto: “Great movies, big screens, custom posters, fascinating trivia and amazing people” embodies their goal of one day screening 35mm films, open for public viewing, at SFTV’s Mayer Theater.

Open to all, the Secret Movie Club screens movies suggested by the members and curated by the organizers of the group for free every weekend to create a casual environment where filmmakers and film-lovers alike can feel right at home.

The club was founded by President Nathan Keowen, a freshman film and television production major and Vice

via Secret Movie Club

The Secret Movie Club encourages member participation by taking conducting polls and sharing film fun facts during screenings.

President Carson Bennett, who is also a freshman film and television production major.

The group formed originally as a small circle of friends watching films together on a small projector, and has now expanded into a group that screens films every weekend.

Since starting up in midDecember 2018, the Secret Movie Club has screened approximately 20 films, including popular titles, such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark,”

“The Evil Dead” and “Back to the Future Part II.” Also, as of this week, the club recently submitted their constitution and is now hoping to join the LMU official club roster next fall.

While discussing the unique aspects of the Secret Movie Club, one thing that differentiates them from the on-campus film screening service, DejaView, is their emphasis on community.

Bennet comments, “We’re

all about the format and the community… [and] we want to watch movies where they are meant to be watched on the big screen.” The club focuses on engagement with their members through trivia questions at the beginning of the film, discussion on technical and emotional aspects of the film and fun facts to accompany each film.

They also host excursions to the original Secret Movie Club location in downtown Los Angeles to watch films shot on 35mm film.

They have also made trips to the original shooting locations after viewing a film, such as their trip to the Griffith Observatory after watching “La La Land.”

The screened films are suggested through an anonymous box and voted upon by members.

The system allows the participants to watch films that they love— not just the newest available films—as presented by DejaView.

After establishment, Keowen and Bennett hope to preserve the open-voting system, except they will select the films with more careful curation to make sure that members are interested.

For those who may be uncertain of the differences between 35mm film and digital, Bennett clarifies that “35mm can have higher

quality in itself than digital … but the main draw [is that it] gives it life. It’s a kind of feeling and it’s just very nice.”

Keowen reflects on their excursion to the official Secret Movie Club theater when watching “The Return of the King” and notes that “it’s got flaws and the film feels aged and natural. It’s a part of the experience.”

Keowen and Bennett encourage avid movie-goers to join the unofficial Secret Movie Club, because “if you want to watch a movie, you come to us, because we’re all about watching movies on a big screen,” Bennett said.

“We are trying to build a community of people who want to watch films together,” Keowen said.

Whether you are a film enthusiast that needs an inclusive group to feel at home with or just someone who loves to watch films with a touch of nostalgia, the Secret Movie Club is definitely one to watch out for.

As for this coming Saturday, the Secret Movie Club will be screening “Jurassic Park” at 6 p.m.

The location will be announced the day of the event through their Instagram @secretmovieclublmu.

This is the opinion of Sammi Su, a freshman marketing major from West Covina, CA. Tweet comments to @laloyolan or email comments to aboulas@theloyolan.

Best indie music releases of March 2019 DJ Donna Donna Borges Life+Arts Intern @donnaborgess

M

arch is drawing to a close, so now’s the best time to take a look back at the month in music.

Here are my top five new releases from March: 5. Album —“Nothing Happens”

by Wallows Los Angeles-based band Wallows released their highly anticipated debut album “Nothing Happens” towards the end of the month. The group has been gaining momentum and attention due to its lead singer Dylan Minnette, known for playing Clay Jensen in “13 Reasons Why.” Minnette also plays guitar in the band, alongside Braeden Lemasters on guitar and vocals and Cole Preston on drums. The album is filled with upbeat feelgood indie tunes that will most definitely be the soundtrack to my

summer. My personal favorites are “Treacherous Doctor,” “Ice Cold Pool” and “I’m Full.”

4. Album­ — “Sellout” by King Shelter King Shelter is another Los Angeles band with a more rockinfluenced sound. I’ve been a big fan of the group for a while now, and I was so happy to finally hear their second release “Sellout.” The whole album is so cohesive, with each song flowing into the other.

My favorites on the album are “Paradigm” and “Calamity.”

3. Single — “Lo/Hi” by The Black Keys If you were an indie kid back in 2015, I’m sure you’re excited to hear that The Black Keys are back with a new single “Lo/Hi” after a five year hiatus. The band is known for their blues influences and the unique vocals of frontman Dan Auerbach.

2. EP — “Mourning Sickness”

by Skin Mag Orange County group Skin Mag released their debut EP “Mourning Sickness” this month. The EP combines influences from surf, indie and psychedelic genres.

via Michael O’Neal

Steve Lacy (left) and Ezra Koenig (right), with puppies. The two artists collaborated on the single “Sunflower” this spring.

My favorites from the EP are “An Exercise in Hindsight” and “Mirror and Daylight.”

1. Single — “Sunflower” (feat. Steve Lacy) by Vampire Weekend Let me start by saying: collaboration of the year. When

I heard that Steve Lacy was featuring on the new Vampire Weekend single, I was ecstatic.

Steve Lacy, known for his solo work and his role in the band The Internet, apparently reached out to Vampire Weekend’s lead singer Ezra Koenig via Twitter and said

they should work together. This led to the creation of “Sunflower,” a groovy and summery track that pleased both artists’ fans.

This is the opinion of Donna Borges, a sophomore marketing major from Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Tweet comments to @donnaborgess or email comments to aboulas@theloyolan.com.

life+arts

laloyolan.com

Page 17

Students respond to Smullet case Cormac ‘n Cheese

Cormac Dolezal

Asst. Life+Arts Editor @cormacdolezal

I

n the past couple weeks, one of the most prominent features in the news has centered around “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett. Smollett, an openly gay black man, was subject to a supposed hate crime in late January. However, through a deeper examination by the Chicago police, Smollett quickly turned from a victim to a possible suspect.

The case has been extremely polarizing for the public and prominent figures such as Chris Rock and the cast of SNL have been quick to criticize Smollett. As with any case of this magnitude, LMU students have a lot to say on the matter.

“I understand the supposed motivation he had, you know, furthering this cause. I just think the excuse he gave was very fake.

He’s using the oppression of other people [Trump supporters] in order [to] achieve his own personal goal,” said Adriel Van Etten, a sophomore psychology major. “He’s using these Trump supporters to make people feel more sympathy for him, and I wish he could have found another way to go about it.”

For those not as versed with the circumstances of the case, the story began on January 22. Jussie Smollett, a prominent actor and activist known for his role on the Showtime series “Empire,” received a very homophobic death threat from an envelope labeled “MAGA,” in reference to President Trump’s campaign slogan of “Make America Great Again.”

A week later, Smollett was attacked near

his Chicago apartment by two masked men at around two in the morning. The men verbally assaulted him with homophobic and racist slurs. They also poured an unknown chemical substance on him and wrapped a rope noose around his neck.

Smollett was rushed to the hospital and was released shortly after in good condition.

After an investigation by the Chicago authorities, Ola and Abel Osundario, a pair of Nigerian brothers from Chicago, were brought in for questioning as potential suspects. Through a closer examination of the brothers, the police began to formulate the conclusion that Smollett had possibly fabricated the incident, paying the two brothers to pretend to attack him.

Smollett was brought in on March 8 and then charged with 16 felony counts for lying to the authorities. Smollett repeatedly pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On March 26, the Cook County State’s Attorney Office declared that the charges against Smollett have been dropped.

Smollett had to forfeit his $10,000 bond payment and do two days of community service. Chicago authorities spent a total of upwards towards $130,000 dollars on the investigation.

Both LMU students and the media have differing opinions on the case.

On one end, you have Smollett calling attention to something very important: the growing number of unreported hate crimes against gay people and people of color in America. On the other hand, you have Smollett abusing his star power to go about it in the wrong, taking money and time away from the police in the process.

This sentiment was shared by students.

Frankie Staluppi, a sophomore screenwriting major, said “the word that comes to mind is

via Wikimedia

Smollett has been the center of country wide debate since he was attacked in January.

OJ-ism, where our obsession with pop culture allows famous people to commit crimes that would put poorer people in jail.”

There is a definite recurring theme of this idea of “abuse of power” among students.

However, for some, there is still something to take away from this.

Kyle Saavedra, a freshman communications major, said “the whole case has become so sensationalized that people are forgetting the real problem that should be addressed: hate crimes are still happening every day against

gay men and black trans women and almost no one is talking about it.”

Regardless, of what you feel personally about the case, it is safe to say that you can definitely see where both sides are coming from. It will therefore, be interesting to see how the case progresses in the near future.

This is the opinion of Cormac Dolezal, a sophomore film and television production major from Woodbury, MN. Tweet comments to @cormacdolezal or email comments to aboulas@theloyolan.com.

L.A.’s artsy sleepover Writing Robyn Robyn De Leon Life+Arts Intern @laloyolan

A

n L.A. art event had a lot of the art and creative communities buzzing with dreamy excitement awaiting the immersive experience of Eternal Sleepover, an interactive two-day exhibit hosted by The Messy Heads and Ghost Gallery.

The theme of the event was "Bedroom Mall," which suggested participants to come along in their fanciest pajamas or fantasy cocktail attire to truly experience the immersion of the exhibit.

Featured artists were Shamshawan Scott, Paige MacCready, Carlos Semedo, Kaitlynn Crosby, Jheyda McGarrell,

Sandy Taboo, Cybelle Corwin and Emma Czerwinski. Each artist created an installation that represented their room. Each room encouraged viewers to interact with the material whether that be doodling and scribbling on Crosby's chalk wall, getting your hair dyed in Scott's "The Dream Salon" or catching a quick nap on Semedo's low-lit and intimate room.

"You could tell everything was made with love and that you were in on a secret, like inside someone's diary. It was like a big sleepover," said senior psychology and marketing major Erica Brown, who attended the exhibit on the second night.

I'd say that was the exact purpose of the exhibit – to elicit those nostalgic feelings of what it was like to have a sleepover as a child. People were jumping on the beds, eating cake, coloring,

via Instagram

Shamshawan Scott’s installation, “The Dream Salon.”

via Instagram

Kaitlynn Crosby’s installation for Bedroom Mall. dancing in the downstairs disco floor and collectively vibing off each others' energies. There was a sense of child-like joy to the whole experience and the exhibit cultivated a safe environment to give the inner child the freedom to express itself for at least a couple nights.

"I found it to be really nostalgic, it felt like I was in a diorama, like a little doll house amongst the models of bedrooms. It felt intimate and surreal. Each room had its own distinct personality," said studio arts and psychology double major Rachael Moreno.

If you missed the Eternal Sleepover Bedroom Mall, don't feel too bad. The Messy Heads have an interactive digital form of Eternal Sleepover on their website with music, videos, art, writing and more created by young artists from all over the globe.

This is the opinion of Robyn De Leon, a sophomore English and Spanish major from Thousand Oaks, CA. Tweet comments to @laloyolan or email comments to aboulas@theloyolan.com.

SPORTS

laloyolan.com Page 18

Delgado’s start to freshman season is a hit Delgado from Page 20

During his sophomore year at Bonita High School in La Verne, Delgado stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, which is extra innings at the high school level.

With a runner on third base and two outs, Delgado got down in the count 1-2. The pitcher threw him a fastball and he knew exactly what to do with it, launching the ball over the fence for a walk-off home run.

“It was the first time I’d ever done that, so that was pretty awesome,” he said.

Though Delgado has great memories of his time at Bonita, the direction of the school’s baseball program was, to put it mildly, volatile.

The varsity team had a different head coach all three years that Delgado attended, so he wanted to go to a school that had a more stable program. This led him to transfer to South Hills High School in West Covina for his senior year.

Delgado chose South Hills because he liked the team’s head coach, Darren Murphy, and because he appreciated how the school emphasized a balance between the present and the future.

“A lot of the administration is willing to help their studentathletes succeed later on in college,” Delgado said. “So it worked out. It was perfect.”

Although transfer rules made him eligible for only 18 of the team’s 29 games that season, he put up excellent numbers when given the opportunity, recording 18 hits and an onbase percentage of .451 during

those 18 games, according to MaxPreps.

At the same time he found success at South Hills, Delgado began trying to determine where he wanted to play in college. He not only wanted a school with a strong baseball team, but also wanted to go somewhere with a good business school. He preferred to remain in Southern California. He was looking at a variety of schools, including USC and UCLA, but once he took a visit to LMU, he knew it was the right school for him.

“I just fell in love with the campus,” Delgado said.

“Obviously, it’s beautiful. The weather’s always amazing.”

Delgado was also impressed by the coaches and the ways in which they help their players succeed in all aspects of college.

“At some programs, they’re very much just about baseball,” he said. “But here, they’re more about their players. They ask you how your classes are going, not just about what’s happening on the field.”

Now that he’s transitioned from high school to college, Delgado is learning countless life skills, including time management and balancing the schedule of an NCAA student-athlete.

“There’s got to be a time slot for everything, or you get behind,” he said. “Some people take it as a bad thing, but I love it. With more work comes more fun.”

Delgado is also enjoying the start of his time on the LMU baseball team. He appreciates the constant opportunities to bond with his teammates. His roommate is one of the team’s other freshmen, catcher Matthew

Alyssa Reece | Loyolan

Tommy Delgado bats in a win over Pacific on Friday, Mar. 22. Delgado has had an outstanding start to his freshman season, becoming one of the team’s better offensive players.

Elizalde, but Delgado is becoming part of a brotherhood with the entire team on and off the field.

“We’re not in [fraternities] or anything, because the baseball team is our [fraternity],” Delgado said. “We’re around each other every single day. We’re practicing, we’re doing weights ... it works out. It’s cool hanging out with the guys.”

Delgado has received a lot of playing time right out of the gate, easily the most of the team’s seven freshman position players. But he isn’t just playing — he’s excelling. He is currently

first among freshmen in a wide variety of statistical categories, including batting average, onbase percentage, runs batted in, total bases and walks.

In addition to his work ethic, Delgado has cited the importance of finding his place within the program.

“Baseball is mostly a mental game, and if I tell myself I belong in this arena, things [will work] out,” he said.

It’s not just Delgado who has had a great start. The LMU team, picked to finish seventh in the West Coast Conference (WCC) preseason poll, currently stands

in second place in the conference with a 18-10 overall record and a 7-2 conference record. However, Delgado knows that the season is nowhere near finished, and looks for himself and his teammates to remain locked in for the rest of the year.

“There might be some hurdles we have to overcome — good teams, maybe injuries and stuff like that,” he said. “But I feel like focus is the main thing. If we all focus on just getting our job done for the team and staying together as a unit, we can fight to stay in a lot of games.”

Flint uses professional success to inspire Lions Flint from Page 20

“Coach John Mayer has been an inspiration to me, as a coach and as a friend,” said Flint.

“He’s always giving me great advice and he’s been giving me confidence to be the best player I can be.”

“We played in a number of qualifying events this summer.

We’re doing well in the Olympic rankings, but it’s a long game,”

said Flint. “It’s your 12 best finishes and right now we’re in the top 25 in the world, but we have a ton of USA teams as well ... There’s a lot of really good teams and we only get to send two teams to the Olympics.”

Flint’s drive to compete at the highest level, in addition to balancing her coaching career at LMU, has been an inspiration for the team. Head coach John Mayer noted the impact Flint’s work ethic has had on the team.

“She’s a really good role model.

She’s committed to learning, to getting better, with all things in her life,” said Mayer. “She’s always focused, she’s always working hard, she’s always eating right, she does all the little things really well. It’s really infectious.”

Mayer also saw the value that Flint brings in, being a professional, potentially Olympic-level player on the Lions’ coaching staff. Her high level of play comes with her strong passion for the game, which has been reflected in her coaching, in addition to her professional play.

“She’s a really good teacher.

She knows the game at a really

high level and she’s really passionate about seeing people grow and making people better,” said Mayer. “She’s relentless in her feedback in practice. If she sees a way to make someone better, she’s going to stay on them and continue to push them to get better at a fundamental.”

“She’s a really good role model ... It’s really infectious.”

Flint and Day currently have 2,180 points accumulated in the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), placing them second in the women’s rankings in qualification for the 2020 Olympics, according to the FIVB’s official website. With much time left between now and the Olympics, Flint’s love for volleyball is her driving force in her goal of making history.

“I love to compete. I love volleyball,” Flint said.

SPORTS

laloyolan.com Page 19

Samantha Manti Q&A Jameson O’Neil, asst. sports editor

Junior right-handed pitcher Samantha Manti was named West Coast Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week on Monday, March 25 for her performance for the week of March 18. Manti recorded three straight wins over Harvard, Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State, notching 17 strikeouts and allowing just 11 hits and six runs. This is Manti’s first year at LMU after transferring from the University of Washington. Asst. Sports Editor Jameson O’Neil caught up with Manti to discuss her strong season.

Jameson O’Neil (JO): Overall, how has this season been going thus far?

Samantha Manti (SM): We’ve had some ups and downs, but it’s been a good learning experience for everyone. We have three transfers and I’m one of them, and we have a pretty big freshman class. So we all have been trying to get to know each other, learn more about each other and become a cohesive team. I think we had a good schedule and were able to learn a lot.

I'm excited to start conference [play].

JO: How have you adjusted to a new school and new program?

SM: It’s definitely been hard, but in a good way. I knew it was going to be different. I was definitely surprised with some things I struggled with, but it’s been better than I could have imagined or expected, and I'm definitely happy I’m immersed in it. It was definitely an adjustment, as expected, but it's been nothing but good things so far.

JO: What do you think you have been doing well recently that has led to your strong performances?

SM: We talk a lot [here] about the whole team working pitch-to-pitch. I just really love that, working pitch-to-pitch. It kind of just works for everything in life, not just softball — like trying to be in the moment completely. I think I struggled with that a little bit at the beginning of the season, because it was a new program and I had new people behind me, and I think I’m finally starting to actually be able to work and do that. That’s been a big difference I've seen in the last couple weeks.

JO: What would you say is the biggest difficulty or roadblock of the team so far this spring?

SM: Trying to play in the moment. I think sometimes we’ll struggle in a certain inning, but [it will] change the pace of the game, and so I think sometimes we get a little ahead of ourselves. [We try to] play pitch-to-pitch and inning-to-inning [because] a game isn’t won and lost in one moment of one play. It's a much bigger stage that we’re playing on.

JO: What do you personally want to focus on this spring?

SM: Trying to be more efficient. Sometimes I get behind in counts, or I’ll get to 0-2 and then they get a hit. The less batters you can face the better, so [it's about focusing on] being more efficient. If I do get to a 0-2 count, [I want to] finish right then and there, and not throw two or three more pitches and fall behind [in the count]. Even though I may get them out, I [may] pitch like five or six more pitches than I needed to.

GRAPHIC: AUTUMN COLLINS | LOYOLAN

The fresh U M L tudeonnts mlb season s Christian Agbayani

Alex Farrell

sophomore biology major

I just hope [the Dodgers] manage to repeat last year's success. It was pretty fun watching their run last year, and I hope guys like Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner and obviously Clayton Kershaw manage to do well this year again. I think this year is gonna be really competitive and some different teams are gonna end up in the postseason.

I’m excited to see who the teams are that come out and end up in the postseason. I'm also excited for the general atmosphere of baseball.

Baseball is one of my favorite sports, and my team is the Giants. Hopefully this year they can take away the third maybe almost-World-Series from the Dodgers. Unpopular opinion, but overall, I’m just excited for this season.

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Jason Poon

junior economics major

sophomore computer engineering major

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I’m hoping that the Dodgers can keep the energy that they currently have going, especially after that hitting showcase on opening day. It’s been rough since October, but they’ve made some solid changes that will hopefully pay off. This season, I’m excited to see how some of the new rules, like shortening the inning breaks and reducing mound visits, will be affect gameplay, if they do at all. via to ho

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via P oto h P Information compiled by Miles Thomas, sports editor, Zach Johnson, sports intern; Graphic: Aurora Schnurr | Loyolan

SPORTS

SCORES UPDATE 3-5 L

Baseball

LION

at Portland

SPORTS

11-7 W

W Water Polo

vs. Fresno State

W Tennis

4-1 W

at Pacific

W Beach Volleyball 5-0 W

at Santa Clara

Follow us on Twitter @laloyolan for up-to-date scores.

Page 20

LOS ANGELES LOYOLAN | April 3, 2019 | laloyolan.com

Assistant coach aims to reach Olympic dreams

credited her experiences and lessons learned at LMU for her success at the professional level.

“Being at LMU really prepared me to play at the professional level,” said Flint. “The way we talk about the mental game and ... the team part of the game, we’re not just focusing on [physical] skills. We’re focusing on mental skills as well.”

Betsi Flint hopes to be part of one of the two U.S. teams selected for women's beach volleyball in 2020.

Miles Thomas Sports Editor @LALoyolan

While the on-campus beach volleyball team (17-7) continues their quest for a championship this season, assistant coach Betsi Flint is working towards participating in next summer’s 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo for beach volleyball.

Flint grew up in South Dakota, where she played basketball before falling in love with volleyball. She went on to play volleyball at Desert Vista High School in Arizona and then found herself at LMU for her college career, playing both indoor and beach volleyball.

At LMU, she would graduate as she graduated LMU as the school’s all-time leader in total digs and aces in indoor volleyball. For beach volleyball, a sport that did not exist at LMU during her freshman year, Flint played three seasons for the Lions, twice becoming an American Volleyball Coaches Association AllAmerican selection.

Following her standout career with the Lions, she was approached by former indoor and beach volleyball head coach Tom Black and current beach volleyball head coach John Mayer to be a part of the coaching staff at LMU. They wanted to keep her with the program for longer than her playing eligibility would allow. Wanting to stay connected with the University, she joined the staff as an assistant coach for the beach volleyball team, where she has been for the past four years.

“Being at LMU really prepared me to play at the professional level.”

via FIVB

Betsi Flint (pictured) celebrates a victory on the beach. She hopes to make it to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo for beach volleyball.

Flint has also been a professional beach volleyball player since finishing her college playing career in 2015. She started her career with the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) when

she and her partner Kelley Larsen notably became the youngest team to win an AVP tournament in September 2015.

She also was the recipient of the 2015 AVP Newcomer of the Year award. Flint

Her focus, along with coaching the LMU beach volleyball team this season, is to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She has practiced regularly with with Lion alumna Emily Day ('15) for the past two years. The two aim to be one of the two American duo representatives to make it to the Olympics. Should Flint and Day qualify for the Olympics, they would become the first Lions to represent the United States for beach volleyball.

In getting so close to reaching her Olympic dreams, Flint finds inspiration from her father, who she plays each match for. Flint also receives encouragement from Coach Mayer, who she credits for making her the player she is today.

See Flint | Page 18

Delgado propelled by passion for baseball The lifelong baseball fan has found success early in his college career.

Alex Hutton

Asst. Sports Editor @LALoyolan For Tommy Delgado, the key to the strong start in his LMU baseball career is driven by a love of the game and a desire to improve every day. “[Succeeding at baseball] is a great feeling and I just got addicted to it,” said Delgado, who is currently a freshman utility player on the LMU baseball team. “I started getting better [by] working on it more.”

For nearly his entire life, baseball has been Delgado’s sport of choice.

He began playing at age four and has stuck with it ever since. It was a sharp contrast from the athletic background of his father, who was a boxer and a football player, but from early on, Delgado could tell he wanted to focus on baseball.

“Ever since I was five, I knew baseball was going to be my sport,” he said.

From that point on, Delgado’s life was always intertwined with baseball. Growing up in La Verne, CA, he followed professional baseball closely and became a die-hard Los Angeles Dodgers fan, which he is to this day. He grew up playing Little League and worked hard to develop his game, both in team practices and on his own time. Despite being slightly shorter than average for top-level baseball at 5 feet, 10 inches, he has the talent to become a highcaliber player.

“Growing up, there [were] a lot of people that thought I couldn’t get to LMU [or] the [Division I] level,” Delgado said. “I’m not some huge guy, and they thought that in order to get a decent scholarship at a good baseball school, you had to be some big dude. But me and my dad, we just worked hard.”

The mentality to work hard was one that Delgado carried into high school, a period that gave him some of his favorite memories as a player, including the at-bat he names as his all-time best.

See Delgado | Page 18