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Alum-directed film "Among Thieves" premieres on streaming platforms. Page 13
October 16, 2019
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University plans new athletics pavilion The sports venue will likely be in what is now the Hannon parking lot. Jacob Cornblatt Editor-in-Chief @LALoyolan
via LMU Marketing and Communications
LMU plans to build a new home for its basketball and volleyball sports teams on the current location of Hannon parking lot. Shown above is the 2018 Family Weekend game at Gersten Pavilion, which was built in 1981.
LMU Athletics is taking the next step in a major expansion of its facilities, in hopes that the construction will modernize the program and bring it to the forefront of collegiate athletics. The University is looking to build a new basketball and volleyball pavilion in what is currently the Hannon parking lot, according to Mason Stockstill, assistant director of media relations and communications in Marketing and Communications. Gersten Pavilion, the current basketball stadium, will be renovated and kept as a practice facility. “Although we are making strides in enhancing our existing facilities, we are still behind many of our competitors,” said Craig Pintens, LMU athletic director. He noted how the current facilities' academic and training spaces are not big enough for the number of people using them. “With a new competition venue that can host basketball, volleyball and campus events, we can cease to use Gersten for events and renovate it into [a] useful practice facility,” he said. See Pavilion | Page 3
ASLMU pushes for access to period products The new initiative will provide free menstrual hygiene products on campus. Sofia Hathorn Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan
ASLMU is hosting Period Justice Week from Oct. 14 to Oct. 19, with a number of events focused on inequality relating to menstrual health, according to LMU This Week. This comes as ASLMU President Ken Cavanaugh works toward their initiative for the University to provide free period products in campus bathrooms and residence halls. This initiative was one of the central campaign platforms for Cavanaugh and Vice President Emily Sinsky when they ran in March 2019. It builds off of a larger movement regarding equal access for menstrual hygiene products that has been spreading across the country and globe. According to The New York Times, in the last three years there have been laws
passed in several states, including New York and Florida, to provide menstrual products in correctional facilities, schools and shelters. Activists are also pushing to get rid of the sales tax on period products that currently exists in 35 states, according to The New York Times. California Gov. Gavin Newsom backed a policy in May that would repeal sales taxes on period products and diapers, according to the Sacramento Bee. "This movement is something that has been happening on a lot of other college campuses for a number of years," said Cavanaugh. "It's about realizing that menstrual hygiene products are a basic need and should be provided just like toilet paper and paper towels." Cavanaugh met with Facilities Management (FM) to discuss the proposal on Wednesday, Oct. 9. ASLMU plans to implement the first phase of the process over the next month, according to Cavanaugh. In this phase, ASLMU
Cartoon: Ellen Na | Loyolan
ASLMU President Ken Cavanaugh has started a new initiative to provide menstrual hygiene products on campus. "Menstrual hygiene products are a basic need," said Cavanaugh.
will fund period products in a few bathrooms around campus. Martin Alvarez, the senior director of FM, said that FM offered “advice and
counsel” to ASLMU and that they “look forward to the opportunity to collaborate further” on the initiative. See Period Justice | Page 3
NEWS
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LAX plans rideshare pickup change this month Ban on ridesharing services will impact arriving passengers. Grace McCauley and Kennedi Hewitt Asst. News Editor and News Intern @LALoyolan
With the holidays around the corner and peak travel seasons on the way, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has announced that it will no longer allow taxis or rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft to pick up travelers from the arrivals area. The ban will go into effect on Oct. 29, a little less than a month before Thanksgiving break at LMU. Travelers flying into LAX will have to take a shuttle to a separate parking lot near Terminal 1, called “LAX-it,” according to Forbes. The shuttles are expected to arrive every three to five minutes. However, travelers also have the option of walking to the parking lot, which is about a 20-minute walk from the farthest terminal, according to Forbes. This new policy is expected to reduce airport traffic, which has dramatically increased in the past few years due to the popularity of rideshare vehicles crowding the pick-up lanes, according to Forbes.
Students who utilize rideshare apps are not looking forward to this new policy. Noah Bradley, a sophomore theatre arts and international relations double major from the Bay Area says he is reconsidering his travel options. “This is definitely making driving seem like a better option.” Matt Lamantia, a sophomore film and television production major, is not looking forward to
the change.“I actually kind of understand it, but that doesn’t make it good,” said Lamantia, “That sounds like a terrible idea. I guess I’ll have to see how it works.” Uber has shared its concerns for the new program. In a letter from Uber Global Security to Angela Jamison, the program manager of airport operations and emergency management
at LAX, Uber called for a “complete test run prior to opening day” and expansion of the rideshare lot. Currently, the lot is allocating 37 spots for Uber, according to the letter. According to the same letter, Uber sees 500 pickups per hour on average and 1,000 pickups per hour at peak travel times at LAX. At the smaller Portland International Airport (PDX)
where a similar program was put in place, Uber was allocated 16 spots for 200 pickups per hour at the peak times. In the letter, Uber said that its level of service would be “poor” if LAX does not expand the lot size significantly. Madison Chang, a sophomore screenwriting and environmental studies double major, says that she has strongly relied on Ubers to get back to LMU from LAX. “[I feel] a little nervous because I know there’s a lot of people that take Uber from LAX, so the fact that there’s only [37] spots gives me no guarantee that I’ll [get] one of those spots.” Chris Wilson, a freshman accounting and management major, shared his thoughts about the lot set-up. “That’s not cool. I’m not a fan,” said Wilson. “I mean traffic just sucks, but that’s because the roads here are not built properly, it’s not because there are too many people driving [for] Uber, so they’re missing the problem.” LMU’s next break is Thanksgiving from Nov. 2729. For students returning to campus, the busiest travel day is the Sunday after Thanksgiving, according to ABC 7.
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National Coming Out Day
Page 3
Period initiative moves for ward Period Justice from Page 1
After implementing the first phase, ASLMU will collect data from students about how they feel about the program, and then use that data to present to other departments in order to secure funding, according to Cavanaugh. If they receive funding and the go-ahead from FM, the second phase of the initiative will include supplying period products in all bathrooms on campus. “[FM] asked me more about the specifics of pricing and the logistics of the second phase,” said Cavanaugh. “They said they were super open to working with us over the next semester
to figure out more of what a comprehensive program would look like.” Period Justice Week started off with a screening of the Academy Award-winning documentary “Period. End of Sentence.” For the second event, students created hygiene kits for the Downtown Women’s Center. This event was co-sponsored by Marians Service Organization and the LMU Panhellenic Council. There will also be a panel discussion, a Fashion Society fashion show and a Fitwell fun run. Learn more about the events on LMU This Week.
Photos: Gloria Ndilula | Loyolan
LMU’s Gender Sexuality Alliance club hosted a photoshoot to celebrate National Coming Out Day, an annual LGBT+ awareness day that is observed on Oct. 11. Pictured above is Matthew Williams (top left), Raymond Cang Kim Vo (right), and photographer Gabby Kaatz (top below).
New venue coming to Hannon lot Pavilion from Page 1
“We’re definitely not building over any existing spaces,” said Stockstill. As for how the proposed location will affect those living in Hannon, Stockstill said, “it’s too soon to say … that impact is something we’ll be taking into consideration.” Pintens shared his excitement for the new venue. “We will take the best elements from various sports facilities across the country,” he said. “Above all, we want to provide incredible sight lines and ensure the student and fan experience is the best it can possibly be.” The new venue will seat up to 6,000 people, according to Stockstill. Gersten Pavilion will also be renovated in the process. “We might spruce [the exterior] up a bit,” said Stockstill. “Our teams would use it as a
practice facility, and the space would include modernized training areas, locker rooms, offices and academic spaces,” according to the LMU website. It will be at least two years before any construction takes place, especially because the University is waiting for the construction in East Quad to finish before beginning another project. According to Stockstill, building this new venue is not without challenges. In working with the LMU Master Plan (the city-approved layout of the campus), the neighborhood council and the Los Angeles City Planning Department, the school has kept in accordance with some of the restrictions in place. The venue entrance cannot face the neighborhoods, and a new campus entrance can’t be built. There are also limits on height, sound, light, parking spaces and much more.
Additionally, LMU had to submit a proposal to amend the Master Plan to the City Planning Department and neighborhood council. The amendment is not necessary for building the new venue, but it will give LMU “flexibility to renovate and keep Gersten Pavilion,” according to Stockstill. The amendment will need to be approved by the City Planning Department, the city council and Mayor Garcetti. Stockstill said that none of this will likely take place before 2020. The new venue will be paid for through fundraising—not student tuition—according to Stockstill. These changes are “essential for the success of our athletic program and, by extension, the University as a whole,” Pintens said. “We want to provide a world-class studentathlete experience.”
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Our leaders over at ASLMU are attempting something that has not successfully been done before: providing the LMU community with free period products in on-campus restrooms. While this is an issue some might see as irrelevant in the larger scheme of University life, period products are vital to those who menstruate, and they come with a high price tag. As we are in the middle of Period Justice Week hosted by ASLMU, we must make ourselves more aware of the importance of menstrual justice and hygiene. Such education, along with providing students with free or tax-free period products, is a key step forward when it comes to gender equality on a larger scale. Our ASLMU President Ken Cavanaugh has been working toward this goal since becoming president this year. It was one of several initiatives on which they ran his campaign for president. After a meeting with Facilities Management (FM), the first step of this process will be ASLMU funding period products in certain bathrooms around campus, as previously reported by the Loyolan. As our university has a food pantry for those struggling with food access and financial insecurity, we should also consider the benefits of providing free menstrual products to those who cannot afford such a basic necessity. There is a lot about menstrual education that is not addressed in schools or on college campuses. We have an immense cultural and social shame attached to menstruation, and a shortage of products for those on their period at most schools, including ours. Through Period Justice Week, we are provided with an opportunity to expand our knowledge on such issues affecting a large percentage of our menstruating University population. There are a handful of states in the U.S. where
“ASLMU is breaking the norm by addressing the issue of menstrual hygiene head on.”
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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. The Loyolan accepts unsolicited letters from students, faculty, staff and alumni, and press releases from on-campus and offcampus organizations, but cannot guarantee publication. The Loyolan reserves the right to edit or reject all submissions, including advertisements, articles or other contributions it deems objectionable. The Loyolan does not print consecutive articles by the same author that repeat/refute the initial arguments. Opinions and ideas expressed in the Loyolan are those of individual authors, artists and student editors and are not those of Loyola Marymount University, its Board of Trustees, its student body or of newspaper advertisers. Board Editorials are unsigned and reflect the opinions of the Executive Editorial Board. Guest editorials are by invitation of the Executive Editorial Board and reflect the views of the author. All advertisements are subject to the current rates and policies in the most recent Advertising Rates and Information materials.
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The danger of college meme accounts Story Time with Alyssa
Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Business Intern Advertising Manager Ad Intern Ad Intern Ad Designer
there are tax exemptions on feminine hygiene products, but 35 states still charge sales tax for menstrual products, according to Fortune. California has repealed its period tax in the budget as of 2019, as reported by the New York Times. Period poverty, as defined by Global Citizen, is the lack of access to “sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, hand washing facilities and/or waste management.” As a private university where students are paying high tuition prices, we must be able to provide those menstruating with the products they need. At LMU we have more female students than male, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. If we are unable to provide free menstrual products, the University is sending an open message to students who experience periods that their needs aren’t important. The growing movement for gender equality around the world often begins with providing those menstruating with basic necessities. If LMU provided free period products it would be powerful and important for the rights of people who menstruate. Menstruation still remains an extremely taboo topic in society, and while many would rather talk about anything else, ASLMU is breaking the norm by addressing the issue of menstrual hygiene head on. The Loyolan couldn’t be prouder to stand in solidarity with the efforts being made. Regardless of the outcome, we promise to fight for menstrual justice and hygiene through our role as student journalists. Furthermore, we urge you to use the remainder of this week to continue to educate yourself and those around you on menstrual health and justice through events such as the Health and Wellness Panel on Thursday, Oct. 17, the Fashion Society Fashion Show on Oct. 18 and the Fitwell Fun Run on Oct. 19.
up disrespectful. These accounts are supposed to be representations of our student culture, so when they
post irresponsibly, we must challenge these accounts and their intentions. See Meme accounts | Page 5
Alyssa Story
C
Opinion Intern @LALoyolan
ampus meme accounts on Instagram and Twitter like Barstool LMU and The Grid create community and common culture, as well as a way for students to voice stressors and annoyances. However, as a student body, it is our responsibility to hold these accounts responsible when they make a misstep in the name of laughs. LMU currently has two wellknown meme accounts. Barstool LMU (@barstoolLMU) on Instagram and Twitter is a more established account with over 7,700 Instagram followers. It serves as a direct affiliate of the popular sports-focused entertainment website Barstool Sports. The newer, independent account The Grid (@thegridlmu) has over 1,600 Instagram followers. Both accounts are relatively new, with Barstool creating its first post in 2017 and The Grid starting its account at the beginning of this academic year. While much of the content on both pages is harmless attempts at satire, some of the posts are in bad taste or even just straight-
Cartoon: Harrison Klein | Loyolan
Campus meme accounts can warp our perception on issues like objectification and discrimination. They should reflect our voices accurately and productively.
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YAF hid hateful politics at abortion event Speck and Spielmann Cristobal Spielmann Asst. Opinion Editor @LALoyolan
Lila Rose, an anti-abortion activist and founder of the group Live Action, came to speak in Roski’s two weeks ago. The event, hosted by the LMU chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), was called “Planned Parenthood: Exposed.” But while YAF might suggest otherwise, this event was not about abortion — it was a conservative pow-wow meant to cover up untrue assertions and hateful politics. The feature speech was nothing if not inaccurate. Rose defended fellow anti-abortion activist David Daleiden’s heavily edited videos from 2015 attempting to paint Planned Parenthood as fetal tissue traffickers, an accusation that has been proven false, according to Snopes. In one of the more conspiratorial segments of her speech, Rose falsely linked Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger to Hitler, a popular smear that’s long been analyzed and debunked, according to NYU. Though the speech offered a flaccid attempt at balance by giving a shoutout to audience members with prochoice or neutral views on abortion, the overall tone was characteristically hostile toward left-wingers for supposedly not valuing human life. Rose even presented the idea of there being no reason to take a human life as unquestionable rather than a complicated idea involving various movements, such as the right-to-die movement. Rose has mischaracterized this movement in the past as doctors pushing elderly people to die sooner. Perhaps the most questionable part of the event was the supplementary
material available at some tables, much of which had nothing to do with abortion. The only pamphlet (not a button or sticker) provided about abortion was a Live Action “Impact Report” for the summer, which claimed that Live Action was both “dominating the conversation around abortion online” and being totally censored by Big Tech.
Problem?,” which blames Detroit’s economic decay on “socialist-style policies.” Another brochure called “How Universities Violate Your Free Speech,” had a postive attitude toward the Alliance Defending Freedom, a homophobic hate group that has supported anti-sodomy laws in Jamaica and anti-LGBT+ expression laws in Russia.
Photo: Cristobal Spielmann | Loyolan
These are some of the materials YAF and Live Action handed out during the Lila Rose event. They expressed Islamophobic and overall hateful politics.
However, the idea that conservatives are being targeted by tech companies has been shown to be a weak one. The Economist reported in 2018 that Google searches don’t show political bias, and even conservative commentators like YouTuber J.J. McCullough and DeWitt Wallace Fellow James Pethokoukis have been skeptical of this claim. Both commentators point out that most suspensions on Twitter or YouTube against conservative or Trumpist accounts were actually against conspiracy theorists or Neo-Nazis. Some other samples provided by YAF at the event included a brochure titled “Is Income Inequality a
The most egregious of this propaganda was a pamphlet called “Is Concern About Jihad Terror Just Islamophobia?,” written by antiMuslim extremist Robert Spencer. The pamphlet takes every opportunity to paint nearly the entirety of Islam and the Quran as violent while creating a paranoid “us vs. them” narrative about the West being in a moral struggle with Islam. This isn’t the first time that the LMU chapter of YAF has engaged in Islamophobia. Last fall semester, YAF posted a counter-jihad poster in St. Robert’s Hall around the anniversary of 9/11, according to YAF’s publication
Libertas and the Loyolan. The poster contained the same pictures found in the Islamophobia pamphlet. “It’s misrepresenting and demonizing the Muslim religion when this blatantly Islamophobic poster asserts that their knowledge on the religion is minuscule,” said Zach Rubin, a junior philosophy major at the time. Past YAF speakers on LMU campus have included Michael Knowles, who called murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi a “radical Islamist,” and Andrew Klavan, who joked about Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) wearing a suicide-bomber belt. Let me reiterate that I am not calling members of YAF bigots, nor do I plan to. Like any other LMU students here on campus, no matter their politics, they should always be treated with respect. That respect, however, goes both ways. If YAF wants students on campus to engage with its community, maybe it shouldn’t be spreading xenophobic propaganda and inviting speakers to share decade-old conspiracies as fact. Lila Rose’s speaking event was never intended to be an open forum on abortion. It was simply an opportunity to give a platform to spread discredited lies to people who don’t know better while disguising a parent organization’s extremist talking points. The Loyolan reached out to the YAF president as well as another member of the organization twice over the last two weeks to provide them an opportunity to give additional context and further explain the speaker and the materials provided at the event. As of the time of this publication, we have not received a response.
This is the opinion of Cristobal Spielmann, a sophomore environmental science major from Brentwood, Tennessee. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email editor@theloyolan.com.
Barstool and the Grid are negative, not funny Meme accounts from Page 4
The Barstool LMU account creates content aimed at a traditionally masculine audience with posts mainly being about sports and party culture, while the Grid has a more general approach and focuses on a satirical headline-style content. While some of the posts achieve the goal of making people laugh, others are insensitive and outright rude. For example, The Grid often represents Public Safety officers as pigs. After being reported by an anonymous Instagram user, one of the posts was even flagged as “sensitive content.” This is a uniquely upsetting trend because posts like these reinforce a negative public opinion about the Department of Public Safety for no reason other than them doing their jobs.
Additionally, on Sept. 11, The Grid posted a picture of the Sacred Heart Bell Tower that evoked the imagery of the 2001 World Trade Center, pre-attacks, with the caption “Never Forget.” Not only is this post tasteless, it also makes light of a tragedy that the owners of the account were probably barely old enough to actually remember.
“Posts like this need to be challenged.” The post was met with swift disdain— the top comment from Hadley Talty (@htalty29) read, “On behalf of all New Yorkers, I can tell you that
this is a really f***ed up and insensitive joke about a horrible tragedy that shaped and affected our entire lives.” Posts like this need to be challenged. The Grid has influence over students, and the things they post about inevitably become topics of conversation all over the University. For them to support unnecessary negativity and disrespect, and for us to not challenge it, does not fit in our campus culture of productivity and inclusivity. Barstool LMU, on the other hand, evokes the deeplyrooted problems of the parent company—as explained by The Daily Beast and the Washington Post—and nearly all the posts are problematic in some way. Their content either objectifies women, mocks a student or glorifies destructive campus behavior.
Posts like “Smokeshow of the Day” blatantly objectify women and student-submitted photos and videos glorify risky, rule-breaking behavior in the name of amplifying the party culture at LMU. Junior liberal studies major Lucy Brandstrader said, “[Barstool] is trying to show [that] LMU is cool, but I feel like their posts [have] a negative connotation because they’re either being mean to someone, or an aspect of the campus or exposing someone doing something embarrassing or illegal.” Brandstrader goes on to say “I think we’re obligated to have a reaction because we’re part of what they represent.” Not all aspects of these meme accounts are negative. Many posts manage to actually be satirical, especially on The Grid. And Barstool, despite its many flaws, does try and
promote the University’s various athletics. Yet, when we are letting an account serve as a voice for the campus, we must make sure they truly represent us and our values. While these accounts make light of shared campus anxieties, tensions and problems, they also fester a problematic narrative about the way our student body thinks. These meme groups have a huge impact on student opinion and many people look to their posts as a voice of the general campus population. As a student body, we have the responsibility to hold these pages accountable and to try and make our campus culture not just funny, but productive, respectful and inclusive. This is the opinion of Alyssa Story, a freshman film, television and media studies major from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tweet comments @LALoyolan or email editor@theloyolan.com.
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Hygiene kits compiled for disadvantaged
Photos: Gloria Ndilula | Loyolan
As a part of Women’s Health Month, Marians Service Organization and the LMU Collegiate Panhellenic Council put together hygiene kits for the Downtown Women’s Center in Skid Row. Each kit contained shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, soap, a hair tie, a toothbrush, toothpaste, sanitary pads and a personalized note written by students.
Week long event shows value of daily meditation
Photos: Gloria Ndilula | Loyolan
Yogi Swami Ma Radha Bharati’s session on Tuesday, Oct. 14 focused on body posture, proper breathing and relaxation. Titled “Meditation and Yoga in Daily Life - A Himalayan Meditation Tradition,” this intensive week long course runs Monday, Oct. 14 through Thursday, Oct. 17, meeting for two and a half hours each morning in University Hall.
EDQ Page 8
Darn Things Kids SAy
GALLOWS
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By Ellen Na, cartoonist
By Harrison Klein, cartoonist
FALL SIGNATURE EVENTS Join fellow classmates, accomplished alumni, and deans from the LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering, the LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts, and the LMU College of Business Administration as CPD kicks off this Fall’s signature events!
CBA Career Discovery: October 22, 2019 ROSKI DINING HALL, 6:00–8:00 P.M. Learn from the Dean, Dayle M. Smith, Ph.D., and fellow students from the LMU College of Business Administration about the variety of exciting career opportunities available with your business degree. » careers.lmu.edu/cbacareerdiscovery #lmucareerdiscovery
Seaver Connect: October 23, 2019 ROSKI DINING HALL, 7:00–9:00 P.M. Talk to the Dean, Tina Choe, Ph.D., and fellow students from the LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering (SCSE) to learn the many ways you can forge a career with your SCSE degree. » careers.lmu.edu/seaverconnect #seaverconnect
CFA Career Connections: October 24, 2019 ROSKI DINING HALL, 7:00–9:00 P.M. Meet the Dean, Bryant Keith Alexander, Ph.D., and fellow students from the LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts and learn how a CFA degree may help your career. » careers.lmu.edu/cfacareerconnections #cfacareerconnections
Career and Professional Development 1 LMU Drive, Von der Ahe 135 Los Angeles, CA 90045-2659 310.338.2871 | careers@lmu.edu
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Film boy says he’s ‘meh’ about ‘Pulp Fiction’, asked to leave School of Film and Television The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of film boys. Gabi Jeakle
Not Ashamed
Cartoon: Ellen Na | Loyolan
Oct. 4 started out like any normal day. Chase Johnson woke up, packed his bags and headed to his film lab. During a casual conversation about DSLRs vs. mirrorless cameras, the boys around him began discussing recent “quintessential films.” “We all agreed ‘Citizen Kane’ was a masterpiece,” comments Brice Robinson, a sophomore production major. “Then we moved on to “Whiplash”, “Schindler’s List”, “Inception.” Just the basics.” “The best ... ‘Pulp Fiction’,” commented sophmore Max
Berger. “Oh yeah, man, that Chase Johnson opened his mouth and regretted it. After voicing his opinion on “Pulp Fiction,” his follower count dropped to three (his family). is truly the greatest film of all
time. It has it all. Sex. Drugs. Quentin Tarantino playing a dramatized version of himself. What more could you need?” But something didn’t seem quite right. As the crowd “ooh” and “aah” with approval, a lone student—Johnson—sat stonefaced and replied with a “meh.” The students turned with astonishment to Johnson. It was at that moment that Johnson knew he had made a grave mistake. “I knew it when I said it. That was it for me,” he later told the Bluff. “If I kept living this lie, they would keep making ‘Pulp Fiction’ references in front of me. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t dress as Vincent for one more Halloween. And quite frankly, spending too much time looking at John Travolta gets to you,” he admitted. Some students gasped. Some screamed. One didn’t
make a sound; he just pulled out his phone as a single tear streamed down his cheek. Johnson knew what he had to do. He packed his things and accepted his fate. “It was easier to just give in than to fight it. I was no longer one of them,” he said. Public Safety met Johnson at the door to escort him out. This isn’t the first occurrence of a student being exiled for their unpopular film opinions. In 2013, a sophomore was caught watching “Transformers” in his dorm and was never seen or heard from again. “I mean… yeah, I guess that’s fair,” the student’s mother responded. “Was it worth it? I don’t know. But I’m kind of free now. I can watch ‘Entourage’ in public,” Johnson said. Johnson will continue his film studies at UC Santa Cruz. SFTV has not responded to our request for a comment.
An open letter to the president of the U.S.
This letter was taped to the wall of a bathroom stall under a poem about bowel movements. Andrew Dazé
Someone Like Him
Dear Mr. President, You are a reality television star. You share more commonalities with the cast of “Jersey Shore” than you do with the general public. It’s mostly the bad tan and the annoying voice, but a part of it is that, at one point, a lot of people liked you from a distance. Though, unlike the gods of “Jersey,” you haven’t quite faded away yet, and we hate that. But by forcing your way into the spotlight this long, you’ve created the most compelling reality TV show possible — “American Politics.” Thank you for making politics a mirror image of your likeliness. Now that news and media play like a reality TV show, it gets people hooked. This is especially true for younger
generations. Children are boycotting school because of politics these days. That’s never been done before. Yes, we watch every time you’re on TV. Yes, every tweet you post will likely be nationally broadcasted. And yes, your daily mood swings can alter the stock market, but let me make myself clear: we are not obsessed with you. We just love you in “Politics.” If we don’t, we at least have an opinion on what’s going on. You made daily political life as unbelievable as “The Biggest Loser” and as scandalous as “Big Brother.” It caught everyone’s attention and, like they say in showbiz, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” I just wonder what the spinoff will be. Hopefully something with more of your wife and less of you. With much thought,
Cartoon: Harrison Klein | Loyolan
Someone Like Me
Students’ exposure to politics has them tuned in to the political world, which is great for 2020, but they’re turned off to Trump. Can he survive without ratings?
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.
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LGBTSS celebrates 10th anniversary Our community takes pride in observing LGBT History Month. Francesca Bermudez Life+Arts Intern @LALoyolan
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GBT Student Services (LGBTSS) has a wide variety of events planned this month to celebrate the University’s LGBTQ+ community. This year is especially significant, as LGBTSS is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. LGBT History Month was created by Rodney Wilson in 1994. As a high school teacher, Wilson believed that students should be taught about the LGBTQ+ community’s history. The month of October holds significance for the LGBTQ+ community, as Oct. 11 marks National Coming Out Day. According to information on LGBTSS’ site, they are unique in the way they “place a particular emphasis on … the University ethos of Interculturalism and the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.” Simran Porwal, a sophomore film, television and media studies major, is grateful to be on a campus that continually strives to be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. Porwal expressed the importance
of inclusivity and said, “It’s very comforting to know that we’re represented here.” Porwal recognized that not all universities are accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. “Generally … religion does not really go well with sexuality in terms of [the religious] stance on it, but LMU is one of the few [universities] that’s actually supportive of the community.” During the final week of October, The Gay Rub will have an installation in University Hall. According to their website, “The Gay Rub is a project devoted to collecting rubbings from LGBTQ historical markers, signs, tombstones, cenotaphs, plaques and monuments.” To conclude LGBT History Month, LGBTSS will screen “The Gay Rub: A Documentary” at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30 in Ahmanson Auditorium. LGBTSS welcomes all students who identify as LGBTQ+ and allies, so come show your support for the LGBTQ+ community on campus this month! Although October is halfway over, there are still plenty of events left to participate in.
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Alum-directed film, ‘Among Thieves,’ now streaming A team of LMU alums launch their indie film set to stream on online platforms. Sammi Su
Life+Arts Editor @sammi_susu
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ction-thriller film, “Among Thieves,” written and directed by LMU alumnus K.C. Schrimpl, is now available for streaming online. The film previewed on Tuesday, Oct. 15. The film is based on a botched heist located in an unnamed Latin American desert town, as a group of American thieves embark on their getaway in a semi-trailer truck. Shortly after the escape, one member of the group takes off with the truck and the remaining members are left to their
own devices, according to Schrimpl. All the while, a detective attempts to bring the thieves to justice, but his efforts are hindered by internal corruption. In response, the detective teams up with an ex-officer, who has a history of violence. Together, they work together to hunt down the now-stranded thieves. Inspired by the “real and gritty” aspect of foreign action films, Schrimpl wanted to have a “culture clash” of the classic Hollywood style and the nuance of foreign films. At LMU, Schrimpl was a double major in screenwriting and entrepreneurship. He said, “Having both backgrounds was crucial in this endeavor. Business problems could be solved through the creative process and vice versa.”
Schrimpl described the experience of creating his film by using an analogy he learned from a professor, who said, “an indie movie is the acoustic version to Hollywood’s full orchestra … You basically don’t have all the manpower and instruments to play with. Yet we all know songs that are at their best when it’s just a guitar.” Using this mindset, Schrimpl wanted to “create a story that played to the strengths of a lowbudget movie.” Along with crediting his Lion roots, Schrimpl also wanted to add that this film is dedicated to his father, Chris Schrimpl, who passed away shortly before filming began. Working alongside Schrimpl were many other Lion alumni, including Cinematographer Toma Pena (‘10),
First Assistant Director Kimmy Evans (‘11), Sound Supervisor Fletcher Alliston (‘08), Editor Nico Litonjua (‘12) and many others. The film will star Aaron Farb, Phil Miler, Joe Connolley Jr., Jeremy Sless, Evan Judson, Roberto Medina and Randy Vasquez. As a disclaimer, the film is rated R with violent themes and includes explicit language. “Among Thieves” is available on the following streaming platforms, among others: Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play and YouTube. You can also watch the film on video-on-demand services such as DirecTV, Spectrum and Dish Network. You can find the trailer by searching “Among Thieves” on Vimeo.
via K. C. Schrimpl
Pictured above is the crew at work (left), cinematographer Tom Pena (‘10) reviews footage with the crew (center) and a screencap from the film (right). The film was created by Schrimpl after finding inspiration for the film from foreign action films and classic Hollywood films.
Laser Squad Bravo improvises through life Get to know LMU’s comedic improv team Laser Squad Bravo. Jordan Boaz
Asst. Bluff Editor @LAloyolan
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aser Squad Bravo (LSB), a student-run improvisation team oncampus. The group started over a decade ago and is currently going strong with a crew of 10 members, including four girls and six boys. Tristan Varma, a senior film and television production major, has been a member of LSB’s improv team since his freshman year. He always finds the pre-performance nerve-wracking, but once he gets into the swing of the show he gets a full rush of adrenaline. He said he never draws a blank while onstage. “If you need to say something, then you’ll just say something off of intuition. You don’t have to consciously think through it,” he said. Olivia Oreskovich, a senior theatre arts major and team member of LSB since her junior year, feels similarly. “Improv is one of my favorite, favorite things,” she said. “The shows feel like they go by in 20 minutes because it’s just all so thrilling. I love performing.” Her comedic inspirations include Amy
Poehler and Iliza Shlesinger. According to Oreskovich, no part of the show is preplanned except for the rules of the games. “Everything ... is completely improvised based on audience suggestion and in-the-moment thought,” she said. Her favorite improvisation games are Pan Left and Alphabet Shakespeare. Pan Left involves a square in which each corner has a designated set of circumstances that players must quickly rotate through. “It takes a lot of listening,” Oreskovich said. “It’s a high-energy one.” Alphabet Shakespeare requires that the actors speak in a Shakespearean style, but with a twist: each of their sentences must begin with consecutive letters of the alphabet. Varma’s favorite game is called New Choice, in which other team members can make the actor re-do their previous actions — including sentences, types of laughs, character developments and more. “You have to do a new version of whatever you just did,” Varma explained. Oreskovich agreed that New Choice is a hilarious game. “That one is so pure [and] inthe-moment that it makes everyone laugh,” she said. One of Varma’s favorite LSB jokes came from a game called 185: “185 underage Jesuses walk into a bar. The bartender
says ‘Sorry, we don’t serve your kind here.’ Jesus says, ‘That’s okay, I’ll have a glass of water.’” The actors practice as a group two hours a week and spend their weekends with each other making taquitos and playing WarioWare, according to Oreskovich. The group is tight-knit offstage, which helps to promote cohesion onstage. “Nothing’s really
embarrassing because we all have each other’s backs,” she said. “It’s all about listening. I feel we like we have a really good ensemble feeling within our team … Someone’s always listening and there to support you when you do take a risk.” She continued, saying, “It’s kind of your job to go up [on stage] and forget about societal norms and just jump into this world of acceptance.”
LSB performs on select Thursdays. Their next show is titled “Lumpkins, Spumpkins, Bumpkins,” a play on their team name LSB. It will be on Oct. 24 at 10 p.m. in the Living Room. For more information regarding auditions to join the team, and the schedule fo r upcoming s h ows, students can vist LSB’s Instagram, @lmulsb.
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Rivalry Weekend takes over the Bluff
Photos: James Shannon | Loyolan
The women’s soccer team (top left, bottom right) and the volleyball team (bottom left, top center) both hosted Pepperdine while the men’s soccer team (top and center right) hosted Gonzaga during Rivalry Weekend. The men’s soccer team was the only team that came out victorious, with a 1-0 overtime win over their conference rival.
SPORTS NBA needs to stand up to China EDQ
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Miles per hour Miles Thomas Sports Editor @LALoyolan
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aryl Morey, the General Manager of the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets, sent out a now-deleted tweet in support of Hong Kong on Oct. 4. The tweet read, “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong.” The tweet was in response to the months-long Hong Kong anti-government protests. As a representative of the NBA, Morey and his tweet immediately became the subject of criticism from the official Chinese Basketball Association. The Chinese consulate in Houston released a statement that expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with Morey’s tweet, according to CBS Sports. The lack of support for Morey’s stance continued when Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta distanced himself from Morey’s tweet, stating that Morey does not speak for the Rockets organization, all in an effort to not lose revenue from China’s media market, which is estimated at $4 billion, according to the Atlantic. The NBA has been praised in recent years for being a league that addresses and support conversations about social justice issues, but in this situation they are being hypocritcal by silencing the
Graphic: Alena Copeland | Loyolan
The NBA has been at the center of debates surrounding recent protests against China in Hong Kong. Various league figures have been criticized for their responses and for putting too much emphasis on economics.
discussion of this issue among members of the league. The NBA’s initial response called Morey’s tweet “regrettable” for offending fans and people in China. This response was met with backlash from Chinese NBA fans for the league not standing up to China on this human rights issue. The NBA, along with other companies in the media, are too deep in China’s pocket and are too influenced by China. Along with the NBA gaining an estimated $4 billion in revenue from China, Nike gains annual revenue of $1.6 billion in China, according to Market Watch. The NBA needs to stop bending to China’s influence. They have to choose their own morals instead of allowing China to enable censorship of
the anti-government protest in Hong Kong. After its initial statement, the NBA appeared instead to show that they prioritize their business relations with China. In a revised statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned how “the NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say on these issues. We simply could not operate that way.” In addition, Nike pulled all Rockets-related merchandise from several of their Nike stores in major Chinese cities amid the outcry following the tweet, according to the Daily Wire. Nike’s response to Morey’s tweet shows how Nike’s iconic slogan “Just Do It” seemingly only applies with China’s permission. When journalist Laura Ingraham told NBA star LeBron
James in 2018 to “shut up and dribble” following political comments, he used that quote to help create a platform for himself to discuss social justice issues and politics, saying he was “more than an athlete.” On Monday night, James spoke for the first time about the incident, calling Morey “misinformed” before sending out his controversial tweet and also saying, “We all talk about this freedom of speech— yes, we all do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications and the negative that can happen when you’re not thinking about others and you’re only thinking about yourself.” In his response, James essentially called Morey selfish for tweeting out in support of his beliefs about a social justice issue. James has been the face of the NBA for over
10 years at this point. He has been very outspoken on social issues, such as racism, politics and education for children, and he should be praised for it. He even helped build and fund his own school for at-risk children in Akron, Ohio. Now, however, after being silent on the issue for nearly two weeks, he commented and not only refused to speak out against the events happening in Hong Kong but also responded in a way that attacked Morey. As the most influential member of the NBA in terms of global recognition, James should have instead supported Morey and should have spoken out against China, even if it might cost him and the league potential revenue. It is understandable why athletes do not want to get involved in this incident, since there is a strong possibility the NBA would lose close to $4 billion in revenue. However, if athletes, the NBA and associated companies come out to make social justice statements and marketing campaigns that support their brand, they need to stay consistent and speak out to support others, including against the violence in Hong Kong. This is the opinion of Miles Thomas, a junior communication studies major from Hermosa Beach, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to mthomas@theloyolan.com.
SCORES UPDATE M. Soccer M. Water Polo W. Soccer Volleyball
W W W. L A L O Y O L A N . C O M
1-0 W
vs Gonzaga
14-12 L
vs. UCSD
1-0 L
LION SPORTS
SPORTS
vs. Pepperdine 3-1 L vs. Pepperdine
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Men's water polo looks to sustain upward trend The No. 11 team in the nation prepares for the remaining ten matches of the regular season. Jameson O'Neil Asst. Sports Editor @LALoyolan
With their first 14 matches of the year complete, the No. 11 men’s water polo team has notched a 6-8 overall record as they look toward their final 10 opponents of the regular season. And though some may see the team’s current record as lackluster, there is strong reasoning for their high national ranking. Of the Lions’ six victories, three were wins against top-15 opponents, and all eight of the Lions’ losses were to teams that, at the time of the match, ranked 10th in the nation or better. The team hopes their success this season will lead to a better postseason performance than in 2018. Last season, the Lions recorded a 14-14 record and went 5-2 in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA), finishing in third place out of the eight teams in the WWPA Championships. This year, the program is looking to make up for that postseason finish. “Last season, we were a little bit disappointed,” said redshirt junior defender Alexandros Athymaritis. “We thought with the team we had we would
Photo: LMU Athletics
Redshirt junior defender Alexandros Athymaritis (10) shoots in a home match. The Greece native won conference Player of the Week honors on Oct. 3 and has led the team to their No. 11 ranking.
end up higher [in the tournament]. We didn’t perform in the game that we had to, and that cost us.” This season, the Lions currently sit at 1-1 in conference play, with the majority of WWPA matches yet to be played. Five of the Lions’ remaining 10 games will be against WWPA opponents, and will determine the Lions' seeding in the WWPA Championships. In addition to Athymaritis, who last season earned conference Second Team honors, this year's group is led by sophomore attacker Blazo Mitrovic. Last fall, Mitrovic earned WWPA First Team honors to go with the conference
Freshmen of the Year award. In addition to the two players and a number of other returners, this year’s squad brings to the pool seven true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen. With this many new players, the group has been forced to learn each other’s roles and figure out how to work as a cohesive group. “Getting those guys in the team [and] finding them roles — as the season goes on, that’s going to get better and better,” said Athymaritis. Mitrovic is proud of his new teammates' work ethic thus far into the season. “I'm really satisfied
because I know that [the new players] are hard working,” said Mitrovic. “I'm not worried.” These new players along with the returners have put together a strong year so far, according to the rankings of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Coaches Poll. The squad reached its highest national ranking on Oct. 2, when the Lions tied for No. 10 in the nation. Athymaritis said he is proud of the high ranking and how his team has fared in the pool so far. “We have performed pretty well,” said Athymaritis. “We beat UC San Diego and UC Irvine [earlier in the season], so that was the main key for us— getting in the top 10. The hard part will be getting us lower, under 10." With each game, the group has continually been working on creating a strong team culture. “Team spirit— we’re trying to build that as much as we can,” said Mitrovic. “The biggest goal is to build some unique culture like other teams have.” And it will be necessary to execute these skills as the squad looks to improve leading into conference and postseason play. “We have a young team,” said Athymaritis, “so the [main] thing that is going to help us is time. Progress, progress, progress.”
Lions face off in three weekend rivalry matchups Multiple teams hosted conference rival games over the weekend. Ellie Kinney Sports Intern @LALoyolan
Over the long weekend, LMU hosted a series of games against West Coast Conference rivals Pepperdine and Gonzaga. The rivalry weekend featured three extremely close matches. Ultimately women’s volleyball and women’s soccer came up short against Pepperdine, but men’s soccer prevailed in an overtime thriller to defeat Gonzaga. Women’s volleyball On Friday night, women’s volleyball (10-8) sought to beat Pepperdine (9-8) for the first time since 2017. Entering the night, both LMU and Pepperdine were 4-1 in the conference and on a twogame winning streak. The matchup appeared to be in LMU’s favor, though, because the Lions had swept their first four WCC opponents at home while Pepperdine was 0-3 on the road. Despite their success at Gersten Pavilion, LMU ultimately fell to Pepperdine after four sets.
“We knew Pepperdine was going to be a tough opponent, and they proved to be … but I was really proud of how our team prepared and competed,” noted head coach Aaron Mansfield. One significant obstacle LMU had to deal with was injuries. Several members of the team did not dress, including star freshman outside hitter Rose Booth, who sustained an ankle injury on Sunday, according to Mansfield. Booth led the team in kills entering the game with 224. While Booth’s presence was certainly missed on the court, several of her teammates stepped up with huge offensive nights to keep the Lions in the game. One of them was redshirt junior outside hitter Megan Rice, who led the team with 25 kills, setting a new career-high in kills per game. “[Rice] has worked really hard to get to where she’s at … she’s an extremely competitive kid, so when the lights are on and she gets to put the jersey on, she just gets after it,” said Mansfield. Men’s soccer On Saturday night, men’s soccer hosted Gonzaga for
their first conference game of the season. LMU came into the game with a record of 5-3-3, while Gonzaga struggled at just 1-6-1. Neither team was able to score until the third minute of overtime, when sophomore defender Dylan Shockey scored his first goal of the season to win the game for the Lions. LMU’s defense was unstoppable throughout the game, allowing just six shots and no corner kicks. The Lions’ goalkeeper, sophomore Jacob Jackson, secured his seventh shutout of the season. This game marked the fourth game out of the last five for LMU that went into overtime. Women’s soccer In the final match of rivalry weekend, women’s soccer faced off against Pepperdine on Sunday afternoon. Sullivan Field was packed with fans supporting both LMU and Pepperdine, and the tense atmosphere made for a very physical and passionate game. Coming into the day, LMU was 2-0 in the WCC and riding a three-game winning streak. Pepperdine was 1-1 in the conference after a huge 5-1 loss at BYU earlier in the week.
Photo: James Shannon | Loyolan
Junior forward Skylar Robledo (left) attempts to gain possesion of the ball. The team lost to Pepperdine 1-0 during the rivalry weekend.
LMU eventually lost to the Waves in the fourth minute of double overtime due to a Pepperdine score, the only score of the game. “Pepperdine’s always a great team … [for] at least the last two years, it’s been a one-goal game,” said head coach Michelle Myers. The match contained 30 combined fouls between the two teams. LMU committed more fouls, resulting in two yellow cards and a red card on freshman defender Gabriella Marchal in the 88th minute that forced the Lions to play with one less player for the remainder of the game.
While LMU was unable to come away with the win, freshman goalkeeper Sadie Kenny put up another impressive performance with several outstanding blocks and saves. Kenney's efforts have not gone unnoticed by her teammates either. “Sadie’s been huge for us,” senior defender Ali King praised. “It’s always hard coming in as a freshman and being a starter in that tough of a position, but she’s doing great.” See Page 14 for more pictures