The Los Angeles Loyolan November 20 2019

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Read about why political opinions should carry more weight than other opinions.

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November 20, 2019

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| ISSUE 13

Sodexo workers protest Employees want to renegotiate their contracts, including a higher wage.

Isabella Murillo News Editor @LALoyolan

Photo: JP Shannon | Loyolan

Sodexo employees protest outside of the Lair. The workers held the protest in order to pressure Sodexo to renegotiate their contracts. Sodexo responded that they will be meeting with the Union bargaining committee next week to reach an agreement.

Study abroad suspended amid violence in Hong Kong The decision was made as protests and police response moved to college campuses.

Sofia Hathorn Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan

An exchange program that sends LMU students to the Chinese University of Hong Kong has been suspended for the upcoming semester.

The decision has been made in the midst of an increasingly volatile situation in Hong Kong. This past summer, pro-democracy protests began in Hong Kong against an extradition bill and more broadly, the partial power the Chinese Communist Party has over the semi-autonomous territory, according to The New York Times.

Lisa Loberg, the director of study abroad at LMU, said that the ongoing situation in Hong Kong is "of concern" and cited safety as the reason for pausing the program. Two students were going to attend the program this spring: Andrew Seaman, a sophomore computer science major, and Veronica Backer-Peral, a sophomore film and television production and history double major and Loyolan intern.

For months, civilian protesters in Hong Kong have faced violence from the police, while the protesters themselves have used increasingly extreme tactics.

The tensions moved to Hong Kong’s universities on Nov. 11. At Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University, police stormed the campus and arrested protesters after they had rained molotov cocktails, arrows and petrol bombs down on the police, according to the Washington Post.

"I think everyone regardless of what side they’re on has been shocked by the violence from the protests. I don’t think anyone saw it spiraling this much out of control," said Zach Johnson, a junior international relations major from Hong Kong. "I know my high school canceled school because of the protests, and a lot of Western expat families are starting to leave Hong Kong out of [fear for their] safety."

At the Chinese University of Hong Kong, protesters formed barricades in order to stop police from entering the campus, according to CNN. Protestors threw petrol bombs and bricks while the police used tear gas and rubber bullets. This caused the University to cancel classes and end the semester two weeks early, according to CNN. See Hong Kong | Page 2

Sodexo workers staged a protest outside of the Lair on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Protestors held up signs reading "UNITE HERE! Sodexo Unfair/ Sodexo Injusto" as they walked in a circle and chanted. Organizers handed out signs and clappers to people passing by and encouraged students to join the protest.

In an interview conducted in Spanish, Rosa Ojeda, a food preparer for Sodexo at LMU and one of the organizers of the protest, said the reason for the protest was that "Sodexo does not want to give a fair contract to its workers."

According to Ojeda, the group is protesting to negotiate a better contract with Sodexo, including higher wages.

See Sodexo | Page 2

Men's soccer makes NCAA tournament

Photo: JP Shannon | Loyolan

The team on the field after a recent game. The Lions will host a game against Seattle University on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. See page 12 for additional coverage.

Page 2

Sodexo meeting Union Sodexo from Page 1

“Right now with $14.40 [hourly wage] we cannot affordably live in California,” said Ojeda.

At the protest, many students joined in while officers from the Department of Public Safety stood by.

“During any protest on campus, LMU’s priority is the safety of our campus community ... LMU is not involved [with this protest]. The dispute is between Sodexo and its employees,” said Andrew O’Reilly, the senior director of Auxiliary and Business Services at LMU. O’Reilly also said the protests would not affect LMU’s contract with Sodexo and that the University “does not anticipate a disruption to on-campus services.”

Before the protest, flyers were spread around campus that stated “Sodexo refuses to listen to our needs in negotiations! So we’ll see if they’ll listen to us on campus! Join us on Wednesday, 11/13 at 3:30 p.m. in front of the Lair!” with a cartoon of a woman holding a “UNITE HERE! Local 11” sign. Local 11 is the name of the union Sodexo employees are a part of, according to Ojeda.

Ojeda went on to explain that

the negotiations with Sodexo have been going on for over a year with no agreement in sight.

Ojeda explained that they had reached a standstill and are protesting because the workers want change.

When the Loyolan reached out to Sodexo for a statement, the company responded that Sodexo is in the process of negotiating with the Union for a “renewal contract.” They want to come to a consensus that represents their food service employees.

“We are scheduled to meet with the union and its bargaining committee again next week. We look forward to reaching an agreement that is fair to both parties.”

Students were especially involved in the protest, marching along workers .

“I think it’s a good cause because I do hear what the workers are saying about working in the Lair and [for] Sodexo in general ... they don’t get treated fairly,” said Camya Brazil, a freshman biochemistry major.

“It’s nice to see our school allows us to protest.”

See pages 5 and 7 for more coverage.

Hong Kong trip canceled Hong Kong from Page 1

Seaman said that once he heard the news of the violence at the university, he brought his concern to the study abroad office. The decision was then made to suspend the program. “[Seeing the news] I felt a little uneasy, but I felt like it wasn’t going to affect me. I felt like it wasn’t going to affect the campuses especially. It was a shock when it was on the actual campus I was going to be staying at,” said Seaman. He said that although he was excited for the program, the decision to suspend it was “logical.”

Seaman and Backer-Peral have now been forced to find

last-minute plans for next semester. Neither will be studying abroad at another location, according to both Backer-Peral and Seaman.

Although the reasons are unrelated, this is the second study abroad program LMU has suspended or canceled this year. The Casa de la Mateada program in Argentina was canceled three weeks before students were supposed to depart for the program this semester, as previously reported by the Loyolan.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong will continue to be a partner institution to LMU, according to Loberg.

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Dorm construction underway

Photo: Gloria Ndilula | Loyolan

The new dorms beside Doheny Residence Hall make progress. Doheny residents continue to cope with loud noise and dust from the construction.

As construction of the east quad dorms continues, students get a peek of what it will look like Molly Jean Box Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan

Construction of the two buildings on either side of Doheny Hall is scheduled to be completed before Fall 2020 move in.

The new building intended for first year students will look similar to Del Rey North and South: each room’s layout will include built in closet space, but no sink, according to Beth Crowell, associate director for resident services.

The building will also provide students with a communal kitchen and other shared spaces, as well as a number of both single-use and gender neutral restrooms on each floor.

While the building being constructed on the former site of Huesman Residence Hall will look similar to the Del Reys, the building being constructed on the former site of Sullivan Residence Hall will be the first of its kind on campus. The second building will be a mix of apartment and pod-style living and will house over 300 continuing students, according to Crowell.

Pod style living is made up of a series of interconnected double or single rooms that share a living room, kitchen and bathrooms with separate stalls. Each pod will house 18-19 students, as previously reported by the Loyolan.

Crowell stated that the pod-style living will be especially beneficial to the Living Learning and Theme communities on campus. Living Learning

Communities are programs where students who take one or more courses together also live together, according to the LMU website. Living Learning Communities available on campus include Honors Living Learning Community, Life Science Early Awareness Program (LEAP) and Sustainable Living Experience (SLE).

“We are really excited that we were able to take student feedback and incorporate their ideas into the design of the buildings,” said Crowell. “For the first time single rooms in apartments will be available and our current number of single rooms on campus will more than double. Each building will have a number of common spaces including large event spaces and smaller areas where students can study or talk on the phone outside of their room.”

The buildings are currently in the framing stage of construction, according to Crowell. The walls used during this stage were made off-site to decrease the amount of noise pollution. However, some of the residents in Doheny are still affected by the construction.

Shadron Nash, a freshman biology major, said that the dust and noise from the construction are what affects him the most as a Doheny resident.

“All of the [Doheny] residents don’t like having to deal with the construction but it’s what we ended up with, so we just deal with it regardless,” said Nash. “I wouldn’t say it’s the best living arrangement but it could be worse … a little extra noise and dirt isn’t gonna kill us.”

Construction is scheduled to be finished before Fall 2020 move-in, according to Crowell.

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We must end gun violence

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very time a mass shooting happens we wonder, “why do innocent people keep dying?” Maybe instead, we need to be reminding each other that gun violence has to end, and actually take proactive steps to prevent more members of our communities from being murdered.

We added two more places to the list of mass shootings this month: Santa Clarita on Thursday, Nov. 14, and Fresno on Sunday, Nov. 17. These news stories have become so familiar to us that we no longer feel the urgency the haunting issue of gun violence requires from us.

In Santa Clarita, a student opened gunfire at a high school, killing two students and injuring three before attempting to kill himself.

This all happened in a matter of seconds. It only took 16 seconds for a teenager to forever alter the lives of his community by taking the lives of innocent young adults. The shooting in Fresno has potential links to gang violence and occurred at a family gathering at home; 10 people were shot, with four dying from gunshot wounds.

Time and time again we face the issue of gun violence with more deaths each year, yet nothing has been done. If you are wondering if we should be angry, then you are right. If you aren’t enraged at this point, you are not paying attention. Every time people die due to gun violence, we fall into the predictable cycle of

thoughts and prayers and debates over changing gun laws, but nothing changes even when the next time more members of our communities are senselessly murdered.

In the U.S., we are sending the message that it is okay for innocent citizens to continually die because the economy and the National Rifle Association (NRA) are more important.

We should be ashamed that our country has such a high rate of gun violence.

Americans are 25 times more likely to die from gun homicides than citizens in other wealthy countries, as reported by Time.

Here are a few active steps our country can take to prevent gun violence. We should create a culture of gun safety, where firearms should not be in the hands of people who might be at risk of harming themselves or others. We need to stop protecting the NRA and others in the gun industry. Manufacturers of such weapons must be held responsible for the misuse of their products.

Moreover, there must be mandatory training for gun owners.

While many of us argue that we must get rid of guns to solve the problem of gun violence, maybe the first, smaller step is to acknowledge that will not be happening anytime soon. Instead, we need to be thinking about alternative shortterm solutions, because every day we don’t do anything is another day innocent Americans are killed.

“If you aren’t enraged at this point, you are not paying attention.”

Board Editorial Jacob Cornblatt Editor-in-Chief

Kayan Tara

Managing Editor

Shannon Tormey Managing Editor

Board Editorials represent the voice of the Loyolan.

They are written in collaboration by the Executive Editorial Board.

Take political opinions seriously Jump in with Jordan Jordan Boaz

Social Justice Editor @LALoyolan

M

y mom doesn’t like cats; I do.

My friend prefers art classes; I prefer sociology classes. My sister enjoys one TV show; I enjoy another. None of these things will impede my relationships with any of these people, because there is room for differing opinions. In fact, diverse opinions should not only be tolerated, but welcomed and celebrated because they allow the world to grow in dynamic and creative ways.

But political opinions are more than just opinions. With political opinions, there is much more at stake than the taste of a pizza when pineapple is added — human lives can be healed or devastated due to changing political climates. Those who fail to recognize that political opinions are more than just opinions are often cozied into a nook of privilege that bars them from seeing that, when it comes to politics, lives are often carelessly tossed around and damaged due to changing ideologies, policies and laws.

Holly LaPlante, a junior women’s and gender studies and environmental studies double major, agreed that too often, political apathy is enabled by privilege. “I feel that people who say that they aren’t into politics or that politics don’t really matter often have the privilege to not be involved,” she said. She believes that all political opinions hold weight and importance because they “affect people’s lives– some people’s more than others.” She said that because these opinions have

“real outcomes” for “real [people],” they are “not something that we can simply agree to disagree about and leave it at that.”

This is about who counts as a person, who deserves basic human rights and whether weapons deserve more protection than people. Within politics, there is hardly room to agree to disagree, because lives are on the line. Political apathy is selfish when people are dying due to high costs of medical care, being deported to countries they are unsafe in or being killed because of their type of body.

These things are not okay, and how people should be cared for is more than a matter of harmless opinion.

Lila Roades, a sophomore history major, has found that political opinions often lead to serious

consequences. She mentioned that these opinions can result in dangerous scenarios like the El Paso shooting, a mass shooting that was motivated by racism. “When political opinions are voiced, it empowers people to take action, especially when a lot of people are saying the same thing. So, like, when we elect an openly racist president whose followers are very loudly and publicly supporting his message, people are empowered to act on it,” Roades said.

In the case of El Paso, the result was 22 racially-motivated murders.

Opinions on race and immigration hold more weight than normal opinions.

These opinions are truly causing death and tragedy for too many families.

See Political opinions | Page 4

Cartoon: Camille Bautista | Loyolan

Political opinions and ideas must be taken more seriously than other opinions because they can vastly alter the quality of life for many people and communities.

OPINION

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Five ways to better your mental health A few tips for wellness from the director of SPS as the fall semester comes to a close.

Kristin Linden, Ph.D. Contributor @LALoyolan

W

hile juggling the demands of classes, co-curricular activities and a social life, it can seem like there’s barely time to think, let alone take care of yourself. However, it’s important to prioritize your emotional and physical health in the whirlwind of college activities.

Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to mean making major lifestyle changes, though. It can simply mean taking steps

to keep your stress in check and relax when it gets to be too much.

Here are a few easy steps you can take to improve your well-being: 5. Get some exercise. First off, exercise doesn’t have to mean spending hours running on a treadmill or lifting weights. It can mean taking the long way to class while listening to music, heading to a nearby beach to swim or surf or trying one of the FitWell Center’s many classes. Find your favorite way to get moving and do your best to squeeze it into your regular routine.

4. Be social — laughing is good for you! Like a muscle, your brain needs to take a break after focusing on a task for a long period of time. Taking a study break with friends can calm your

nerves and help you decompress. Make time to catch up with friends and loved ones, because talking—and laughing— might be exactly what you need when you’re stressed.

3. Prioritize “me time.” It’s natural to feel pressure to take advantage of all the opportunities available at LMU. But, you don’t have to do it all. It’s okay to decide not to run for president of your club, take an extra class or even attend a party when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Rather than continually overloading yourself by saying yes to everyone and everything, concentrate on what’s most important to you.

2. Take breaks with Buster. Attention, dog lovers: did you know that Buster, LMU’s therapy dog, goes on daily walks

from Student Psychological Services (SPS)? You’d be surprised by how quickly playtime with Buster will turn your day around. Sign up for a time slot on LEO. 1. You should never forget to be mindful. Mindfulness is the practice of cultivating a focused awareness on the present moment. Being fully present for a few minutes a day can make a lifetime of difference on your mental health. You can find a free library of mindfulness resources along with relaxation and meditation guides at Therapy Assistance Online (TAO). Just log on with your LMU email at lmu.edu/TAO.

This is the opinion of Kristin Linden, the director of LMU Student Psychological Services. Tweet comments @LALoyolan or email editor@theloyolan.com.

Share your opinions Political opinions from Page 3

I’ve heard that people should avoid discussing religion and politics with those they want to keep as friends. I disagree.

Failing to discuss politics— and failing to know where your friends or family stand on political issues—leads to a dangerous society.

There are certain political opinions that leave room for disagreement, like tax brackets and percentages, but when it comes to the lives and dignity of

people, it is important to know others’ opinions. While binary labels like Republican and Democrat should not determine who you hold as friends, ideologies like human rights— and who deserves them— should. Political opinions are perhaps the most important opinions of all, and deserve to be treated as such.

This is the opinion of Jordan Boaz, a sophomore women’s and gender studies major from Denver, Colorado.

Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or please email the editor at editor@ theloyolan.com.

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We need to remove Sodexo from campus Jump in with Jordan

Jordan Boaz

Social Justice Editor @LALoyolan

Sodexo—the company that runs LMU’s campus food system—“has a long history of exploiting just about anyone they can,” including workers and inmates, said philosophy professor David Kovacs.

After a recent announcement that Sodexo

will initiate a change in holiday pay to the detriment of its employees, a protest ensued outside the Lair demanding better treatment for Sodexo workers.

Students, professors and Sodexo employees all joined in on the protest to show solidarity with the workers who “make our food, open early mornings, stay late hours and come on weekends to accommodate our needs,” said Mariel Fuentes, an undeclared freshman.

Photo: Gabi Jeakle | Loyolan

Students, professors and Sodexo workers protest outside the Lair. The protest took place on Nov. 13, partly in response to the annoucement that Sodexo will change holiday pay for its workers.

“The people I interact with every day are suffering and need to be heard,” she said, stressing that, as a community, we must advocate for each other’s needs.

Sodexo workers do need better treatment. However, as Sodexo is an international company, it may take too long before workers receive the working conditions they desire. A better course of action LMU can take to support its own workers is to end its partnership with Sodexo. And, while the way that Sodexo treats its employees is enough of a reason for LMU to end its partnership, the reasons do not stop there.

Sodexo is in charge of 122 separate prisons and immigrant detention centers outside of the U.S., according to Medium. In addition, during the protest, Sodexo employees expressed feeling underpaid and undervalued for the type of work they are doing.

LMU needs to rethink its dining system and whether its dollars are going to ethical vendors. By allowing Sodexo to hold a space on campus, the University is remaining complicit in a system of private prisons and in worker exploitation. The grievances mentioned at the event including low wages, disrespect and sexual harassment at the hands of Sodexo. Is this what our University should stand for?

LMU has the money, power and resources to do the right thing, and yet continues to support a system that runs counter to its Jesuit values.

While the protest brought attention to the issue, it is not a new one. It is past time for the University to take action and begin looking for other companies to support — ones that treat their employees in a morally sound way.

Sodexo does not deserve a place at this University, so LMU needs to begin taking concrete steps towards this end. Speakers at the event called for students to assert that all workers must be given dignity. As part of a University community, it is our job stand together with those saying they are not being given this dignity.

“If one group is suffering at the hands of the powerful, we all have an obligation to step up,” said Kovacs. Catholic Social Teachings call for the dignity of work and the rights of workers. This is entirely attainable and, by removing Sodexo from campus, LMU can begin to give its dining workers the dignity they deserve.

Additional reporting by Gabi Jeakle, Bluff intern.

More coverage of this event can be found on pages 1 and 7.

This is the opinion of Jordan Boaz a sophomore women’s and gender studies major from Denver, Colorado. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email editor@theloyolan.com.

Filmmaker reimagines black girlhood Breaking Ground with Gloria Gloria Ndilula

Asst. Social Justice Editor

@LALoyolan

Coming-of-age stories focus on the growth of a protagonist from youth to adulthood. Some recent coming-of-age movies include “Booksmart”, “Eighth Grade” and the re-imagined “Little Women.” In a time where coming-of-age movies are making a come back, only one film in Refinery29’s list of the best coming-of-age stories featured a young black woman as the lead role.

Jabree Webber, USC School of Cinematic Arts alumna, noticed the lack of representation of black girlhood in cinema. Webber is a Detroit native who discovered her love for filmmaking through her exposure to different types of storytelling. “As an artist, I authentically believe that, in order to change the narrative in media, we have to change the people responsible for telling those stories,” said Webber. Her short film “It Happened One Night” screened this year at two separate film festivals.

Weber grew up watching 90s sitcoms and films that feature young black women. However, when they got canceled, she felt that entertainment became boring and out of her reach. “I no longer related to the shows and no longer had an investment. It took attending film school for me to understand that these characters are more than deserving of being depicted and that I wasn’t the only person yearning for diverse content,” said Webber.

In coming-of-age movies such as 2019’s “Booksmart” and “Little Women,” young women are portrayed as happy-golucky. They are confused, falling in love and figuring out what they want from their lives. These movies play an important part in helping the transition from being a child to an adult. Young black women aren’t afforded the same liberties that are available to other young women.

Movies that involve young black women often depict them through the lens of struggle and tragedy, like the films such as “Precious” and “Roxanne Roxanne.” These types of film reduce the girls to their struggles and don’t allow them to be multifaceted. “Every movie that has to do with a black woman usually has some sort of trauma tied to it. As a black woman, I want to see movies that are uplifting and not just movies that bring me down,” said Brianna Samuels, a senior biology major.

The last popular movie to include a dark-skinned girl in a coming of age story was “Queen of Katwe,” which was released in 2016.

Webber is currently working on producing and directing her short film, “SK8,” which is a coming-of-age story about black girlhood. “Rarely, however, do [coming-of-age] stories center around and feature young black girls. That’s problematic for many reasons. Some of which begs the question: ‘are black girls allowed to come of age?’ Or are we always deemed to be adults, capable of making life decisions even before our brain is fully developed?” asked Webber. She hopes for her short film to guide and inspire young black women.

SK8 is inspired by her own love of roller skating as a child.

“Coming to LA, especially before the roller rink reopened, I noticed that there was an amazing skateboarding culture here. Furthermore, I noticed how diverse that culture was, as well,” said Webber. This encouraged her to highlight that world and also encourage other young people to discover healthy and fun hobbies.

Utilizing her many talents, Webber has committed herself to impacting social change, enriching young people and transcending social inequalities.

This is the opinion of Gloria Ndilula an economics major from Windhoek, Namibia.

Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email editor@theloyolan.com.

Melissa Hillier via Flickr Commons

“Queen of Katwe” is a vibrant coming-of-age film about a young girl from the streets of rural Uganda. Representation of black girlhood in cinema is necessary for the maturing of young black women.

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GALLOWS

By Harrison Klein, cartoonist

Isn’t it Ironic

By Sarah Cheung, cartoonist

Student Debt. Universal Healthcare.

Jobs for the Future. Climate Change.

Gun Control. Immigration. Taxes.

It's the most important election of your lifetime.

Register to vote. Register for the class.

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editor’s pick

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Workers, students protest Sodexo conditions

Photos: JP Shannon | Loyolan

Many joined Sodexo workers and the Local 11 branch of the international labor union UNITE HERE on Nov. 13 for a protest against poor working conditions under Sodexo. The company “has a long history of exploiting just about anyone they can,” said LMU philosophy professor David Kovacs. More coverage of the event can be found on pages 1 and 5.

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The Habit is a secret bed and breakfast If you were looking for a more expensive, smaller place to stay on campus than your dorm, we’ve found the place for you.

Gabi Jeakle

Uses Buns as Pillows

At first, LMU tried to hide the endeavor, claiming “a problem with the boiler” as a reason for their prolonged closure. But a disgruntled employee soon revealed the truth behind the absence.

The employee, who has asked to remain unnamed, was fired after turning on the stove without first removing the bedding that had been placed there to dry after a guest wet the bed, which set off the fire alarm in McKay. In late September, per the administration’s request, the Habit staff tried the bed and breakfast idea out for the first time. Employees placed a mattress topper on the griddle and charged $170 a night for what they called “a secluded getaway in the city of stars.”

“It made sense at first,” said the employee. “We close at 2:30 a.m. and we open at 11 a.m. That means we are losing 8 1/2 hours of potential profit.”

After a successful few weeks of business, it was

time to step it up a notch.

“We were making more money from the room than from food,” said the employee. They put three more mattresses in and marketed it as a “hostel.” On Tuesday, Nov. 12, the entire restaurant shut down completely for an indefinite amount of time.

At first, students cracked it up to a broken milkshake machine, or maybe a small grease fire.

But after a few days, rumors began to spread. “I heard lots of things — rats, mold, unionization.

I did not really know what to believe,” said freshman and frequent customer Jack Reed.

Students may have to grow accustomed to going to the Lair for their hamburgers. The Habit bed and breakfast has been a success. With 4.9 stars on Yallp, it’s one of the best-rated stays in the area. “It’s the cheapest room you can get in the area. Clean and free Wi-Fi!” said Norman Bates, a very satisfied customer. “My one complaint?

The ice cream machine did not work.”

For more Bluff visit us online at: www.laloyolan.com/the_bluff/

Cartoon: Ellen Na | Loyolan

The Habit has been put on indefinite hiatus after its bed and breakfast mishap. Why do the good die young?

The ‘boomer’ insult that could pick the president Many candidates are not actually “boomers.” Will that stop misinformed “zoomers” from mislabeling them?

Connor Rose

Hates the Phrase “Old Soul”

Cartoon: Jacob Johanson | Loyolan

Candidate Joe Biden has shaken the nickname “creepy uncle Joe.” “Boomer” may be a more formidable title.

The word boomer strikes fear in the hearts of many of the middle-aged, a word implying their inability to be in touch with the zeitgeist. None, however, are more fearful of this dreaded word than the Democratic presidential candidates. This fear has caused campaigns to limit the amount of students allowed to attend the Democratic presidential debate being held on campus this upcoming December.

With the rise of the use of the word “boomer,” presidential campaign analysts believe that there will be a rise of the word used in the debate setting, especially on a college campus.

“Not many people know this,” says Cam Paigner, a representative of the Bernie Sanders election campaign, “but, during the 2016 debates, Sanders was referred to as a boomer after responding to a question from the audience. He cried in the green room as soon as he was allowed offstage.” Paigner was relieved, however, that it did shift the conversation away from Sanders’ uncanny resemblance to a muppet.

These verbal attacks on older candidates are expected to rise this election cycle. Many of the campaigns are already preparing for the worst. In a joint decision between the Biden, Harris and Sanders campaigns, they agreed to limit the number of what they deem “boomer-accusers” at events. Due to this policy, the debate held on campus later this year will not be made up of many LMU students.

Many are unsure of what this means for future elections, given the age range of typical presidential candidates. What is certain, however, is future candidates growing up with a fear of the dreaded b-word.

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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Curbside co-hosts winter fashion show at exhibit WalkingWithWomenshowcased original clothing pieces created by four student designers.

Francesca Bermudez Asst. Life+Arts Editor @LALoyolan

C

urbside, the artistic collective comprised of five LMU juniors, co-presented the LMU Winter Fashion Show along with the LMU Alliance of Women Philanthropists, Volunteers Around the World and Boxed Water. The fashion show took place in their latest exhibit, titled "Since 199X" in the Thomas P. Kelly, Jr. Student Art Gallery on Sunday.

Four student designers showcased their collections at the event. The brands featured on Sunday included Speechless, Sophia Nieser, Problem Society and Troveesamo.

The show had a purpose beyond artistic expression. All proceeds were donated to Dress For Success Worldwide West, an organization which promotes financial independence among women by providing professional attire and offering programs that lead women on the path to success.

Curbside member Jack Alving, a junior studio arts major, said, “we thought it was [important] because the whole [point] of Curbside is trying to collaborate with other young artists who may not have the right platform to get their message across.”

According to the fashion show’s website, the event aimed to “promote inclusivity by representing every shape, size and color women can be through fashion.” This season, the theme was “Winter Is Coming.”

Each designer interpreted the theme differently. Everything from mini slip dresses and structured short suits

to faux fur coats appeared on the runway. During each set, the music changed to match the desired vibe of each collection.

The runway the models walked down was actually a sculpture in Curbside’s current exhibit. Jacob Johanson, a junior studio arts major and cartoonist at the Loyolan, emphasized the all-inclusive attitude of the artistic collective. “I think the whole idea behind the show was … that we wanted to host people in this space where it’s not only a platform to literally raise us up … but for others as well.”

Curbside’s exhibit, "Since 199X," was inspired by their childhoods and the struggle of not fitting in as a 1990s baby or a 2000s kid. Alving described this middle ground as the “missing space in time where other individuals like us who were born in

Photos: Annie Kapila | Loyolan

Student models bring designs of four student-powered brands, Speechless, Sophia Nieser, Problem Society and Troveesamo to the stage. The fashion show was held at the Curbside exhibition at the Thomas P. Kelly, Jr. Student Art Gallery.

Photo: Annie Kapila | Loyolan

Curbside members Alving, Johanson and Sutton (left to right) holding up boxed water, another sponsor of the fashion show. The artistic collective co-hosted the show in their exhibit.

those years don’t really know where we sit.” The exhibit also aims to dispel the unrealistic expectations social media feeds us. Johanson said, “where you’re at is where you’re supposed to be.”

Curbside dabbles in art, fashion, film and music, according to its members. The artistic collective doesn’t want people to define them.

Curbside’s freedom to create is unlimited because of their labelfree identity. Bobby Sutton, a junior film and television production major, said, “we [can] be this fluid, malleable group influenced by everything that we see and everything that we’ve experienced.” You can expect the group to continue thinking outside the box.

'Lazy Susan,' a look inside the world of drag Get to know the kings and queens of L.A.'s API drag community.

Sammi Su

Life+Arts Editor @sammi_susu

A

ntonius-Tín Bui recently coordinated "Lazy Susan: An Experimental Drag Lecture." Bui, the artist in residence at the Laband Art Gallery, brought the audience behind the scenes of what it’s like to be a drag queen or king in the Asian-Pacific Islander (API) community as they got ready for the evening. The event featured seven artists — Bui, who goes

by Manifestx (@buimonster), Bytch Nastee (@bytchnastee), Lea Salonganisa (@lea_ salonganisa), Miss Shu Mai (@ missshumai), Skirt Cocaine (@ skirtcocaine), Meta Worldpiss (@metaworldpiss) and Lady Tiger Balm (@ladytigerbalm).

Bui commented, “It’s been wonderful working with LMU, specifically Karen Rapp, the director and curator, who has granted me complete freedom in designing a residency … We have been able to work together to create an innovative performance ... it’s been a labor of love … to find ways to support one another.”

The artists talked about both interesting and difficult moments during their careers as they got ready for the performance. Some topics they discussed included public

Photos: Maeve Sullivan | Loyolan

Bui (lower right) performed with local API artists, including Meta Worldpiss (lower left) and Miss Shu Mai (lower center).

They stand together (pictured above) after discussing what it means to be part of the API, LGBTQ+ and drag communities.

responses to people in drag, responses to the LGBTQ+ community and what their familial relationships were like after coming out. During the discussion, Bytch Nastee, Lady Tiger Balm and the others all mentioned that they felt more comfortable with themselves after opening up

to their families and friends about their API, LGBTQ+ and drag identities.

To finish the discussion, Bui asked the round table what they hoped to see in the future of drag and LGBTQ+. Miss Shu Mai hoped to someday be able to walk out in drag and feel safe, recalling how she often

feels unsafe when walking out at night after shows or out in public in drag. However, most just expressed their hopes for more acceptance, understanding and inclusion of the API, LGBTQ+ and drag communities in the future.

After the conversation, the kings and queens wrapped

up the preparations and performed a stunning set together, showing the audience what it means to be an API drag artist.

After the show, Alex Kwong, a junior management major said, “I came to support some of my friends, but there’s so much more here that I decided to stay … I learned about a lot of the challenges that they face in their everyday lives that I don’t really think about.” Kwong also said that it was important to support our community in any way we can.

Similarly, freshman recording arts major Zoe Cannon said, “I wasn’t aware of the Lazy Susan, so I just knew about the art gallery but then I saw the queens and kings … I was really surprised but I’m really happy.”

Both Kwong and Cannon said that it was eye-opening to learn about the benefits and challenges of being part of the API, LGBTQ+ and drag communities.

Both Bui’s solo exhibition and special event are part of the “[IN]visibility Series,” an educational and social program run by the Asian Pacific Student Services and the Vietnamese Student Association to promote API culture. If you missed this event, check out Bui’s main exhibit, "Finding Heart (tìm tim)," which will be open to the public for viewing at the Laband Art Gallery until Dec. 14.

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Men’s water polo ready for playoffs Men’s water polo team prepares for WWPA championship run.

Nick Rossi

Asst. Sports Editor @LALoyolan

This week, the members of LMU’s men’s water polo team are gearing up for their team’s appearance in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Conference Championship tournament.

The competition will take place this weekend at California Baptist University in Riverside, California.

The Lions’ appearance in the tournament marks the end of their regular season. It has been a season of up and downs, close wins and close losses. The team began their journey back in September, ranked No. 14 in the nation. However, to an outside observer, the program did not start off like one that was so highly rated.

The Lions dropped five of their first six matches over the course of two tournaments, which featured some of the other nation’s best water polo programs. All five of these losses came to teams ranked in the country’s top 10.

Redshirt junior defender Alexandros Athymaritis commented on this start, stating, “We started slow this season, but as we progressed,

we played better and better.

So, I think now we have reached that point going into conference [championships] that we know what everyone’s role is and we’re ready to perform and do our best.”

Despite the losses, LMU maintained their high national ranking of 14 at the time due to the quality of opponents they were facing.

The Lions’ luck turned around on Sept. 25 with their first win against a ranked opponent. Facing off against No. 11-ranked WWPA rivals UC San Diego away from home, LMU was able to pull off a close 17-16 victory.

With their season in full swing, LMU faced off against a variety of other ranked opponents — culminating in a mixed bag of results. The program secured victories against No. 14 Princeton and No. 10 UC Irvine, but fell to No. 4 University of the Pacific and No. 9 UC Davis.

Commenting on the mix of wins and losses his team has been through this season, junior utility Joseph Shaw said, “I feel like we’ve been more together in losses this year in comparison to last. We’re definitely more motivated to win.”

In mid-October, the team entered a streak of good form which made up for its early-season lapse. From

Photo: Gloria Ndilula | Loyolan

LMU water polo breaks toward the goal against Long Beach State on Thursday, Nov. 14. The Lions lost the game, but are now gearing up for WWPA tournament play.

Oct. 19 through their regular season’s concluding game this past Thursday, the Lions won six of the nine games they played.

This streak included wins over No. 19 Cal Baptist University and No. 15 Bucknell University. LMU’s season concluded with an enthralling 21-20 overtime loss to Long Beach State — nearly besting the No. 8 Beach.

Looking back at the season, redshirt sophomore attacker Daniel Roth commented, “I think we’ve grown a lot — actually tremendously. We’ve improved in all aspects of the game, we’ve had some guys step up. Overall, we’ve

improved drastically and our team chemistry has only gotten better.”

With the regular season in the books, the Lions now look forward to their conference championships. Entering as the competition’s No. 3 seed, the program has high hopes of winning the tournament and returning from Riverside as champions.

Two major obstacles stand in the way of this goal: conference rivals UC Davis and UC San Diego. The Lions split their two regular season games against UCSD, but lost both matches against Davis.

Roth made it clear that in order to overcome such quality

opponents this weekend. The team must tighten up in the back and rely on their defense to allow in fewer goals from the opposition.

When asked how LMU can overcome the two seeds above them, Roth answered, “Basically defense, our offense has always been very good.

We’ve been able to score more than 15 goals on some of the more competitive teams we’ve played against. Defense is the only thing lacking that allows them to catch up to us.”

LMU kicks off WWPA Championship play this Friday at 4:30 p.m. against Santa Clara at Cal Baptist University.

SCORES UPDATE M. Basketball W. Basketball M. Soccer Volleyball

W W W. L A L O Y O L A N . C O M

74-64 L

vs. Colorado St.

79-74 L

vs. CSU Fullerton

2-0 W

@ USF 3-1 W vs. Saint Mary's

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Page 12

Men’s soccer defies odds with tourney berth Hut Hut Hutton Alex Hutton

Asst. Sports Editor @AlexHutton35

W

hen the 2019 season started, did anyone in the West Coast Conference believe that the LMU men’s soccer team could get to where they are now? For that matter, how many people actually on the LMU men’s soccer team believed that they could?

On Monday, Aug. 26, the Lions were picked to finish dead last out of the WCC’s eight teams in the preseason coaches poll. On Monday, Nov. 18, they were selected to the NCAA Tournament after finishing the year as the WCC’s second-place team. It’s one of the most incredible stories in college sports this year.

Quite frankly, at the beginning of the season, it’s easy to see why expectations for the team were so low. They finished sixth in the WCC last season and lost two key players from 2018, in leading goal scorer Kris Fourcand and primary goalkeeper Paul Lewis, both of whom transferred to Cal State Northridge.

Confidence isn't instilled when the two biggest concerns going into the season are scoring goals and preventing goals.

The opening game of the season offered hope. Tied 1-1 late, LMU conceded an 89th-minute goal to fall to No. 16

Virginia Tech. Maybe the goal should have been waived off for offsides, maybe not. Either way, the result was still a positive for the Lions. Virginia Tech was seen by some as one of the best teams in the country and LMU had gone back and forth with them for almost the entire game. It offered the possibility that this team could make a little bit of noise.

What happened next, however, shattered everyone’s expectations. The team put together a six-match unbeaten streak. Sophomore Jacob Jackson emerged as the top goalie and, with some help from a terrific back line, conceded a grand total of zero goals over those six matches. They weren’t just competitive.

They were nationally relevant, peaking at No. 2 in the men’s soccer Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings.

The rest of non-conference play was a step back. The Lions didn’t get another win outside of the WCC the rest of the regular season. But once the conference schedule began, a different story emerged: three straight extra-time wins to open the conference slate and a road win over No. 23 San Diego. The only conference loss came in a closely-fought contest against conference champion Saint Mary’s. By the time the Lions closed the regular season with a 2-0 win over San Francisco on Saturday, Nov. 16, it was abundantly clear that they deserved to make the NCAA Tournament.

The Lions played as a team in the truest sense of the word. Rather than seeing any star players emerge, numerous players

Photo: JP Shannon | Loyolan

Men's soccer starters stand on the pitch with youth players ahead of a match against Gonzaga on Oct. 12. The Lions earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2013.

stepped up when they were needed.

No Lion scored more than four goals.

Twelve players scored at least one, and 15 players registered at least one assist.

Up and down the lineup, players could be counted on to deliver.

The coaching staff also deserves a massive amount of credit. It frequently felt like every personnel decision made by 22nd-year head coach Paul Krumpe was the right move. Entering the team’s match against Gonzaga on Saturday, Oct. 12, sophomore defender Dylan Shockey had played fewer than 90 minutes across just three appearances all season. But Krumpe put him on the pitch in extra time and Shockey rewarded his faith by scoring the golden goal. On a

similar note, junior defender Cesar Oliva received very little playing time for most of the season, but Krumpe trusted him on Saturday, Nov. 2 against Santa Clara, and Oliva turned in 33 minutes of mostly stellar defense to help the Lions earn a shutout win.

The Lions have worked to prove everyone wrong so far. Now it's time to keep doing so.

The Lions open their NCAA Tournament run by hosting the Seattle University Redhawks at Sullivan Field on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m.

This is the opinion of Alex Hutton, a junior journalism major from Oakland, California. Tweet comments to @AlexHutton35 or email comments to mthomas@theloyolan.com.