The Los Angeles Loyolan December 4, 2019

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The Editor's Pick: A decade in review through The Loyolan Page 8

December 4, 2019

Happy Holidays, Lions!

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| ISSUE 14

Impeachment inquiry progresses President Trump condemns Democrats for hosting impeachment hearing while he is at NATO summit.

Molly Jean Box Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan

Photo: Owen Markham | Loyolan

The holiday season is officially in full swing as the Christmas tree and nativity scene is set up in University Hall. More decorations on campus include another Christmas tree on Alumni Mall. The latter will be lit during the annual Christmas tree lighting celebration.

House Democrats released a 300-page report on their impeachment investigation into President Trump’s exchanges with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

The document claims that President Trump “engaged in this course of conduct for the benefit of his own presidential reelection, to harm the election prospects of a political rival and to influence our nation’s upcoming presidential election to his advantage.”

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff held a press conference earlier on Tuesday, Dec. 3, to address the case against President Trump.

During the press conference, Schiff referred to Trump’s decision to freeze military aid to the Ukraine as a “scheme” to benefit him in the upcoming election, at the cost of sending the wrong message to governments across the globe.

“Withholding of that aid, even for a period of time, sends a disastrous message to friend and foe alike, that the United States does not have the back of its ally,” said Schiff during the conference.

With the first House Judiciary impeachment hearing quickly approaching, on Wednesday, Dec. 4, both President Trump and President Zelenskiy have been vocal about the accusations that led them here.

See Impeachment | Page 2

AKA initiates eight new sorority sisters Alpha Kappa Alpha encourages members to thrive by creating a support system on campus.

Kennedi Hewitt News Intern @LALoyolan

The Tau Kappa chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (AKA) welcomed eight new members in an initiation ceremony hosted on Wednesday, Nov. 20. The event took place in Sunken Garden as friends, family, supporters and Greek members of local fraternities and sororities stood by to watch.

The AKAs were founded in 1908 on Howard University’s campus as the

first African American female sorority, according to their website. Chartered on LMU’s campus in November of 2011, Tau Kappa, a growing and prideful chapter of AKA, hosted a beautiful ceremony that was intended for their newest members to proclaim and reveal their position as an AKA to the world.

This organization helped pave the way for the emergence of many more African American female sororities to follow, some of which are chartered on our campus as well, such as Delta Sigma Theta and Sigma Gamma Rho, according to LMU's Student Affairs.

The event began with Tau Kappa initiates, as well as LMU alumnae, walking down a brightly lit walkway in Sunken Garden. Following them was

the current AKA chapter composed of three returning members and eight new members. The three returning members wore white dresses and were decorated with green and pink accessories, the colors of the sorority.

The eight new members wore pink dresses, white heels, green head wraps and sunglasses to disguise themselves.

Tau Kappa President Kenzie Hunt, a senior entrepreneurship major, explained what being an AKA means to her. “An Alpha Kappa Alpha woman is holistic in her experiences, whether it’s professional experience, academic experience or social experience,” said Hunt.

Hunt explained why she wanted to become an AKA. “I had an aunt who was an AKA, and a lot of my

mom’s friends are AKAs, so just being surrounded by the strength and the courage of these women was heavy on my decision to become an Alpha Kappa Alpha woman. I’m also an only child, so to have sisters is something I’ve always yearned to have,” said Hunt.

Alexa Walls, a sophomore dance major, crossed into the organization on Wednesday. Walls explained the process of preparing for the ceremony: “I invited a lot of people, my family lives in Atlanta so my dad and my mom flew out. My sister lives in L.A. so she came out from the Valley and I had friends come out from USC as well,” said Walls.

See AKA| Page 2

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BURNING QUESTIONS

This week, News Intern Kennedi Hewitt sat down with with John Burton, the props master in the theatre department.

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

1

There was a show called “I and You.” It’s a two-person play and there’s a moment where the whole stage is set like a girl’s bedroom and then it has to convert to a hospital immediately.

So in about 25 seconds, we converted this room. Things flip into the walls, things fall off the walls, rugs get whisked under all the seating. Six people backstage pull levers and flip everything and the whole room converts … It happened with lights up [and] the audience watched the whole transformation.

What are you most excited for in the future?

I want to create a social and skill building organization called “Theatre Samaritans” ... It is intended [to be] an organization that will bridge the gap between theatre companies who need help but don’t really have the time to train anyone, and the volunteer base at any theatre company who wants to help, but doesn’t feel like they have the skills yet. So in an effort to keep our graduating seniors and theatre students busy and for a reasonable wage, I want LMU to be a feeder and help foster this organization.

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Want to read even more questions with Burton?

Check them out at laloyolan.com.

Impeachment update Impeachment from Page 1

President Trump publicly condemned Democrats for hosting the hearing while he is abroad, according to the Washington Post. The President left for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in London on Monday, Dec. 2, and will be absent for the inquiry scheduled for Wednesday, also according to the Washington Post.

Along with reprimanding the chosen date of the hearing, while departing for the summit, Trump also stated that Zelenskiy had absolved him of wrongdoing in an article published earlier that day, according to NBC News.

In the interview to which Trump was referring to, Zelenskiy spoke with reporters from Time and three European publications about the accusations against the American president. Zelenskiy denied there having been a political barter concerning American military aid, but criticized the decision to freeze it, according to Time.

In the article, Time quoted Zelenskiy: “If you’re our strategic partner, then you can’t go blocking anything for us. I think that’s just about fairness. It’s not about a quid pro quo.”

As for the first impeachment hearing,theWhiteHouseinformed House Democrats that it will not be participating. A five-page letter addressed to Democratic Congressman Jerrold Nadler,

who is scheduled to chair the impeachment hearing, referred to the upcoming hearing’s purpose as vague and having a “complete lack of due process.”

In the letter, signed by Counsel to the President Pat Cipollone, Cipollone echoed Trump’s earlier remarks, stating that the hearing was “no doubt” intentionally scheduled for a time that the president would be out of the country. The letter also declared,as the White House has done before, that the president is innocent.

“Despite the fundamental unfairness of those hearings, the facts that emerged even from Chairman Schiff’s carefully controlled and blatantly unfair process served only to further confirm that the President has done nothing wrong and that there is no basis for continuing your inquiry,” stated the letter.

The letter was written in response to Nadler requesting President Trump provide a decision by Sunday, Dec. 1 to the House on whether himself or a White House representative would attend the hearing, according to Politico.

The identities of the witnesses to be present at Wednesday’s hearing have yet to be released but, according to Politico, Republican Rep. Doug Collins requested that the panel be made up of “an equal number of Democratic- and GOP-selected scholars.”

via Kenzie Hunt

The new members of the Tau Kappa chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha pose during their initiation ceremony. The sorority was founded at Howard University as the first African American female sorority.

AKA members find ‘safe place’ in sorority AKA from Page 1

Walls described the feelings she felt in her initiation. “I wasn’t nervous, but it was something I was waiting for for a long time and I think it is a very personal journey,” said Walls. The opportunity to express their “love,” “knowledge” and “passion” is what Walls’ believes is the “true meaning for the new membership presentation.”

Each new member reintroduced themselves to the world one-by-one as a new representative of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. They each announced their excitement and honor to pledge a part of a historical organization.

LMU alumna Megan Castillo (‘19) explained why she opted to join the organization.

“AKAs have been such a beacon for the black community and a safe place for black women, it was just a unique way for me to be involved and have a support system moving forward,” said Castillo.

Castillo described the changes Tau Kappa underwent while she was a member. “When I crossed there were only five of us, and then two of us graduated and then there were three. So I’m excited to see the legacy that will continue and all of the new things that they do given that they are newly initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.,” said Castillo.

Examples of service projects that Tau Kappa has organized and been involved in include the breast cancer walk and their pillowcase project, where they collect pillowcases and sew them into dresses which are then shipped to Haiti for young women to wear. Every semester they host their “Skee-Week,” a week filled with programming and service.

Their fall semester’s Skee-Week included a panel of black female entrepreneurs, exposure to black art through painting sessions and a focus on women’s health and wellness through nutrition classes.

Additionally, they have monthly impact days which are days sorority members dedicate to service and giving back to their community.

“It’s not easy to be an AKA and a dedicated AKA at that. It does take work. You do have to do the work of the chapter and you do have to do the work of the organization,” said Castillo. “I hope to see it continue to grow and continue to introduce more black women to the organization and that they continue to thrive on the campus.”

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Controversy is okay. Just use our tuition properly.

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erhaps students at the University of Florida (UF) thought their tuition money was safeguarded before it was uncovered that the university spent $50,000 of tuition money to host Donald Trump, Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, on their campus this past October. This predictably caused outrage among the student body and raised questions about how universities should be spending students’ tuition money — especially because spending tuition money in support of a political party is against UF’s student body statutes, according to AP. It is our belief that, while universities should absolutely use tuition dollars to book speakers that engage, challenge and educate students­—no matter where they stand on a political spectrum—that money needs to be specifically designated for events.

We at LMU are no strangers to controversial speakers. Last year’s Ben Shapiro event, for example, initiated weeks of intense discourse. The difference, however, funding for that event did not come from the University directly.

LMU policy on guest speakers states that costs and activity for hosting a guest speaker are “the responsibility of the Registered Student Organization or Departmental Student Program.”

“As someone who has had to review funding regulations for ASLMU extensively, it is bizarre to

me that the [UF] student body president had this much freedom with such a substantial amount of funding,” said Emily Sinsky, the vice president of ASLMU and a senior international relations major.

Many may argue, however, that a university should not spend students’ money on speakers that challenge or go against the general opinion of the student body. We disagree and believe that controversial or unpopular speakers should be hosted

by LMU. Challenging voices can help students grow more than popular voices. A speaker is only a problem when the money used to host them is supposed to be used for University advancement.

“We also have to look at the framework in which [UF’s student body president] was acting, because if their guidelines allow this type of behavior, then they should change them,” Sinsky said. “That’s not even an issue with hosting someone as politically charged as Donald Trump, Jr. That’s just bad practice for student government itself to give the president so much power.”

Elected leaders in ASLMU, as well as institutional leaders like the University’s president simply need to be transparent about what said money is for and how it is spent. As long as a university follows the guidelines it sets for itself, there shouldn’t be any problems.

“Challenging voices can help students grow more than popular voices.”

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Board Editorials represent the voice of the Loyolan.

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Mandatory service is a bad idea Speck and Spielmann Cristobal Spielmann

O

Asst. Opinion Editor @LALoyolan

ur current election cycle has brought up a wide variety of unique ideas with some historical backing.

Unfortunately, a once-buried idea has gotten more attention than it deserves: compulsory military service.

This isn’t a completely new idea; plenty of countries already have some form of compulsory service, from Israel to Cuba to Singapore.

“I was ... in charge of a battery of about 90+ guys running 15+ vehicles of the HIMARS system,” said Tobias Egold, an undeclared freshman. Egold was an officer in the Singapore Armed Forces and served two years as part of Singapore’s National Service policy.

In the U.S., about half of all Americans support one year of mandatory service (military or nonmilitary at home or abroad) for young adults, according to a 2017 Gallup poll. Two Democratic presidential candidates are pushing for (or at least nudging toward) mandatory service: Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, and former U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-MD).

Delaney says that his National Service requirement of a minimum of one year could include military service, a Community Service program, National Infrastructure Apprenticeship or a Climate Corps program. His tweet announcing this plan was ratioed with over 3,000 replies and only 81 retweets. The replies included hostile comments comparing the idea to slavery and criticizing the lack of inclusion of concrete benefits like Medicare for All.

Buttigieg’s plan, “A New Call to Service,” is a lot softer, and though it doesn’t include compulsory service, the plan does include various avenues to expand service to as many communities as possible, echoing sentiments he expressed in April for one year of service to be an expected norm.

Buttigieg also cites an internal document from Service Year Alliance (SYA) that states 73% of current high school students want to serve in government, military or civic society.

However, a 2015 study from the Harvard Institute of Politics found that 85% of Americans between 18 and 29 years old probably or definitely would not join the military if more

troops were needed to combat ISIS. The Gallup poll from 2017 also broke down the responses to the question of mandatory service by age. Adults between 18 and 29 years old were the least likely to favor the measure at only 39%. Those who were 65 and older were most likely to favor compulsory service at 66%.

While these opposing estimates aren’t one-to-one with Buttigieg’s numbers, since they don’t explicitly sample high school students, they do show a dissonance between the massive desire for and the lack of interest in compulsory service between two wildly different demographics.

See Mandatory Service | Page 4

Photo: Cristobal Spielmann | Loyolan

Pete Buttigieg has proposed a plan for expanding national service. While encouragement might be fine, making this service mandatory does not reflect our current interests.

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Cast your vote, no matter where The Life of Riley Riley Hetherington Opinion Intern @LALoyolan

freshman political science major Gabe Schoenmann. “I think everyone should voice their opinion because they have the opportunity to. Also, say there are enough others like you, turning the other cheek, saying ‘oh,

it doesn’t matter, my state always votes the other way,’ you could all collectively change the outcome by casting a vote, but you’ll never know if you don’t vote.”

If voters trap themselves in a reality

A

s the presidential election of 2020 quickly approaches, many new voters may question the weight of their vote — especially in states with historically opposing viewpoints.

Since American presidential elections are based on the electoral college rather than popular vote, individual votes carry less weight if they do not align with the state’s majority. However, the political alignment of a state should not discourage its voters from voting.

The anti-voting mentality must be extinguished, as every vote does in fact matter.

Regardless of the state, it is vital that all American citizens exercise their right to vote at every opportunity. As a foundational value of this country, the principle of voting should be taken seriously as a responsibility to ensure the best leadership for the country.

Americans are given the opportunity to have a say in the country’s leadership, why waste it? In the 2016 presidential election, only 60.1% of the voting-eligible population cast a vote, according to the United States Election Project. That leaves about 93 million American citizens who chose not to cast a vote on election day — an immensely large group that could have seriously impacted the outcome.

The choice to vote should be a simple one, and given the current turbulent political climate, every opinion deserves to be heard equally.

“I personally think that [not voting based on contrasting state orientation] is a very stupid reason not to vote, because that’s not using the little voice you have to try and make a difference,” said

that assumes the outcome before the vote, the political culture will never progress. Those who feel their vote does not matter must remember that change is possible. Given the 93 million Americans who chose not to vote, an unexpected turnout could swing a state and influence an election.

Changing turnout rates drastically influenced the presidential election of 2016, as decreasing numbers in Wisconsin and Ohio acted in Trump’s favor, as reported by PBS. Although voting should not be easily written off, the weight of a Democratic vote in a historically Republican state, or vice versa, can understandably overwhelm voters as the majority may seem unchangeable.

Freshman entrepreneurship major Nicholas Chang agrees, saying “If you live in a historically red state like Oklahoma, a Democratic vote won’t matter because the state will likely end up red. Since electoral votes solely decide the winner, a vote for the losing party does not contribute to the end result.”

Even if an individual vote contrasts with a state’s alignment, candidates and political analysts use votes within local counties to collect data for projections, which can influence future campaigns.

The Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses trigger the start of the presidential primaries, and with around two dozen candidates vying for the Democratic nomination alongside a motivated President Trump, the primary election season will pave the way for a volatile election season. Voters can use the primaries to choose the best representation for their group but must be registered under the political party of their choice.

This is the opinion of Riley Hetherington, a freshman communication studies major from San Diego, California. Tweet comments @ LALoyolan or email editor@theloyolan.com.

Mandatory service is not the right solution Mandetory Service from Page 3

“I’d think it’d be almost impossible to implement,” Egold replied when asked if the U.S. should require compulsory service. “And I don’t think it’s entirely practical for the U.S. They don’t need to dedicate that much manpower to defending themselves.”

I do steer clear of calling mandatory service in the U.S. “slavery,” as some hardcore libertarians, like Art Carden, have argued in the past. Hyperbole like this misconstrues the real problems with mandatory service while simultaneously downplaying the horrors of honest-to-God slavery.

Of course, there are circumstances like in Eritrea where compulsory service involves inhumane labor, affords zero freedoms and constitutes indefinite slavery, as detailed by Human Rights Watch. At the same time, there is a huge distinction between the human rights abuses of an autocratic regime and whatever plan someone like Delaney is proposing for the U.S.

The National Service requirement under a Delaney administration is one to two years of service in a plethora of options. Military service in Eritrea is a matter of life or death.

aspects like the military-civilian gap, as explained by the Department of Defense, and failed recruiting goals intensifying in recent years, as reported

by The New York Times, could be fixed

“If we’re going to solve these issues, we need to look for better solutions that don’t bring back the problems of compulsory service. ”

If we’re going to solve these issues, we need to look for better solutions that don’t bring back the problems of compulsory service.

This could include funding early educational opportunities to have more future applicants meet the military’s eligibility requirements and expanding volunteer opportunities above mandatory service. If we are to have mandatory service, relegate it to community service like the Peace Corps or a future Climate Corps, an idea proposed by both Mayor Buttigieg and former Rep. Delaney.

Above all, this election cycle should be an opportunity to explore new ideas, not revert back to old ones.

To read more articles Cristobal Spielmann, go LALoyolan.com/opinion.

Conflating the two is ridiculous.

We do have a real problem with low military engagement, and troubling

with compulsory service widening the pool of applicants. However, it should not be our first solution.

by to

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

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Aliens visit L.A. to protest Global Citizens Day Borders are made to oppress.

Open intergalactic borders and make Earth for more than Earthlings.

Andrew Dazé Mars Man

If Leif Erikson Day wasn’t proof that there is a day for everything, then surely Global Citizens Day will prove that point. While Global Citizens Day is a celebration of everyone on Earth getting along without the tension and separation of borders, there were, of course, people to protest this day.

Perhaps people is the incorrect term and “beings” is a more apt description.

For these were no global citizens but, instead, galactic citizens. Aliens from all over gathered here in West L.A. to protest the entire meaning of Global Citizens Day. Hugh Min, an alien with sharp teeth and scales, attended the protest with ladyfingers, his favorite Earthly snack (these ladyfingers were still fresh and bleeding from the

knuckles), and said, “Global citizenship sounds cool and all but you’re still an eon behind with this. Try becoming universal citizens.”

Hundreds of different aliens marched, floated and crawled their way down the L.A. streets in efforts to have their voices, beliefs and telekinetic messages heard. “You hoard this healthy blue and green planet all for yourselves. Learn to share,” exclaimed an angry protester whose name cannot be dictated or expressed in any Earthly language.

“Just because you were born here and became the dominant species, you think no one else should have access to your resources.”

But what effect did the protests have?

Allie Unn, a local coffee shop frequenter, seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal when she said, “Oh, they’re aliens? Huh. I thought Comic-Con was in town or a group of people were live action roleplaying or something,” as she turned away and continued to sip on her mocha.

Is our scope too small as global citizens? Perhaps there is much more to

gain if we focus on unifying ourselves with our planetary neighbors rather than our global ones. Aliens may be able to open our eyes to sciences, arts and philosophical ideas we wouldn’t be able to fathom otherwise.

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves,” said a ragtag team of counter protesters, consisting of mainly homeless people and drivers with “I believe” bumper stickers.

“They are here to exploit our lack of defenses and use our population for slave labor.”

As the observation of Global Citizens Day—and the protests against it—came to a close, everyone left peacefully. After the aliens departed into deep space, I reflected on their visit and demands. If history has taught me anything, it’s that if a group can travel to you and you can’t travel to them, you’re likely getting or going to get the unfavorable side Cartoon: Ellen Na | Loyolan of the stick.

The counter protesters were staunch in their universalist agendas. Picketing transcends language.

The race to save the most water gets violent The Hyundaye Refill It initiative brought out the best in many people. It also brought out the worst in a certain environmental group.

Connor Rose

Enjoys Telling You How Small His Carbon Footprint Is

LMU Greenie Babies’ involvement helped our school go from third to second place in Hyundaye’s Refill It Challenge — showing the world we are, in fact, the second best at recycling. But what lengths did LMU Greenie Babies go to for our school to receive such a prestigious title? Some would argue that we went too far.

In the aftermath of the Refill It Challenge, a multitude of students have come forward to speak out about the methods taken by the eco-friendly group. What started out as innocent acts, such as offering free pizza outside the Hannon Library or establishing scanning stations, became so much darker than that. The more scans LMU gathered, the more the ambition within the organization grew. This led to acts of aggression in order to get more scans.

“So, I was walking past the library during one of their free pizza events,” said Rex Aikle, a freshman

and aspiring resident advisor, “and I had a Hydroflask hanging off my backpack.” Recollecting the incident, Aikle shuddered in horror when he said “and I heard someone yell ‘He’s got a bottle!’ Next thing I knew, I was being pinned down by upperclassmen who took my phone to scan it over a dozen times.”

These acts of aggression occurred not only on campus, but outside the school’s gates. Reports have come out that members of LMU Greenie Babies have been tracking down individuals who passed by the scanning stations without actually scanning.

“I forgot to put my Snapchat on Ghost Mode,” said Paul Oohtents, a junior and Hummer connoisseur, “and I think a couple of students followed me home over Thanksgiving break. I was at a restaurant eating dinner when they ganged up on me. I’m just glad they didn’t hurt James.”

For context, “James” is the name of his Hummer, named after global warming denier James Inhofe.

So far, no reports have shown evidence of death threats, though many do not put it past LMU Cartoon: Jacob Johanson | Loyolan Greenie Babies to go to such lengths. They needed the scan. They wanted the scan. And they got the This student was proud of the fact that she made three scan, no matter the cost. freshmen cry that day. She did get 12 scans, though.

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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Ways to show faculty Personal workouts your appreciacion with Sonki Fitness Mischievous Michael

Michael Carandang Life+Arts Intern @LALoyolan

T

he semester is almost over and it’s not just students who have been working hard. The faculty and staff at LMU have been working just as hard to teach students, grade homework, prepare tests and more. What better time to give a thoughtful gift? Here are five ways to express appreciation for a professor or staff member you enjoy being around.

5. Kind words The most sincere way of showing appreciation for any faculty or staff member at LMU would be writing to them. Whether it be an email, card or handwritten letter, it shows that you have put thought, time and effort into thanking someone.

4. Books Since all faculty and staff do their best to assist you in getting a better education at LMU, it would be nice to return the favor with a book. Choosing a book as a gift is a great way of giving the gift of knowledge back to the person who has taught or assisted in your academic or personal endeavors.

3. A cup of coffee If a teacher is shy about receiving gifts, spending time getting a drink together is the way to go. Office hours

are a way to meet with the professor and get some help on academic work, but getting drinks is the best way to relax and talk freely. Getting a coffee at Starbucks or a small treat at The Habit while thanking your favorite professor or staff member is easy and shows that you appreciate them. If you want, you could also offer to pick up the tab for a small item as a gesture of gratitude.

2. Plants Almost all faculty and staff have their own personal space, so a plant like a small succulent or holiday flowers might help decorate that place.

A red poinsettia could be a good festive gift for your professor to bring home or place in their office. Otherwise, a bouquet of flowers or some roses is also a way to show appreciation for a mentor you care about. Flowers and plants both look nice and are a nice gesture to give thanks.

1. Holiday treats In consideration of the holiday season, a small box of cookies, candy canes or chocolates would be a tasty way to show your appreciation. Choosing the right items shows that you have put in the work to find out what they like.

The person you’re giving a holiday treat to would probably love your gift even more if it was something they enjoyed.

This is the opinion of Michael Carandang, a freshman computer science major from San Diego, CA. Tweet comments to @LAloyolan or email comments to ssu@theloyolan.com.

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Keeping up with Kayan Kayan Tara

Managing Editor @LALoyolan

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orkout gear is the latest trend in L.A. with everyone sporting Lululemon and Avocado leggings. But as you return home from class in your workout gear, do you ever feel a severe lack of motivation to actually go to the gym?

Welcome to the club. While we’re all on Instagram considering taking that cool new hot yoga or kickboxing class, the year goes by.

As we say goodbye to 2019, two editors at the Loyolan were still looking for the motivation to work out, and not just any workout — the sort that keeps us motivated. This is where Sonki Fitness comes into the picture. Sonki offers morning and night bootcamp classes almost every day during the week.

In case you were wondering if Sonki’s bootcamp program is worth the hype, we reviewed their five week bootcamp. Yes, we actually worked out at 6:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and certain Fridays at Playa Vista Sport Park on Bluff Creek Drive.

But, is it worth it?

Though Sonki’s bootcamp is a group work out, the trainer provides you with individual attention, making the training sessions as intensive as you want them to be. In each session, there weren’t more than five people in our group. Our trainer, Natalie Seitz, was able to focus on us individually by modifying the exercises based on our abilities and injuries.

All workouts focused on cardio and isolating muscle groups. The muscle group that is focused on changes depending on the day. Mondays are upper body and abs; Wednesdays are legs; on Fridays we use equipment, such as ropes, horizontal ladders and even pumpkins (during spooky season) for complex movements.

In the gym, it can be easy to only work out your biceps through pushups and bench pressing, or neglect your hamstrings by focusing solely on squats and seated leg pressing. But, at Sonki, there is an effort to work out all

muscle groups.

The bootcamps also have several locations in Los Angeles, which makes them accessible regardless of whether you live close to campus or at home in Pasadena. While we found it extremely challenging to be at the workouts by 6:30 a.m., they also have training sessions at 6:30 p.m. if you are a night person. The facility is just down the hill from LMU, and it was nice to start the day exercising outdoors on a field, rather than inside a gym.

Sonki's basic training, which we did, costs $250 for five weeks and $150 for three weeks for full-time students, teachers and nurses. This is a great price, considering L.A.'s standards these days. On the other hand, LMU has an incredible gym (the Burns Recreation Center) with free group classes at all times of the day, throughout the week. Since Sonki has limited bootcamp training sessions, it seems more feasible in the long run to use LMU’s fitness center and all that it has to offer.

LMU’s group classes tend to be bigger, while Sonki’s usually has fewer than 10 people. So, if you have several injuries and issues with your body, trainers at Sonki’s bootcamps are able to better tend to your personal needs.

Our trainer Natalie was great — she made sure we never pushed ourselves beyond our body’s capacity but still challenged us to keep going.

There’s a time in an athlete's life where they realize going pro isn’t in the cards, but staying healthy and fit is still important. Sonki Fitness is a great place to go for these types of people. The intensity is selfmonitored and the group dynamic of the workouts can fuel the competitive side in an athlete. But at every step of the way, the trainer checks in to see how you’re feeling, so the risk of injury is very low.

A quick 60-minute workout is a great way to get your heart pumping, burn calories and not have too much time taken out of your day. But the short classes also require you to be on top of your game right away. There is no room for waiting for slowpokes or skipping workouts you don’t like.

If you are willing to commit for a full hour, this bootcamp might be worth your money and time.

This is the opinion of Andrew Dazé, a senior English major from Pasadena, CA, and Kayan Tara, a senior English and theatre arts dual major from Mumbai, India.

Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to ssu@theloyolan.com.

APPLY ONLINE NOW: www.cpc.mednet.ucla.edu/emt UCLA CENTER FOR PREHOSPITAL CARE:

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Photos: Alyssa Reece | Loyolan

Andrew (left) and Kayan (right) participate in a 60-day workout program with a trainer from Sonki Fitness. Programs are tailored to the clientele based on their preferences and physical abilities.

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Page 11

Men’s water polo places fifth in conference The 3-seeded Lions finish fifth of eight in the conference tourney.

Nick Rossi

Asst. Sports Editor @LALoyolan

Two weekends ago, the LMU men’s water polo team made its appearance in the Western Water Polo Association Championships. Unfortunately for the Lions, the tournament did not go as expected. LMU lost to Santa Clara in its first match by a score of 11-10, hindering their progress into further rounds. In the Lions’ second match of the tournament, they defeated Concordia University 21-10 in a consolation victory.

This combination of results led to a fifth place finish of the weekend for the men.

LMU entered the WWPA conference championships with the goal of a first place finish. Entering the competition as its No. 3 seed of eight teams, the Lions were given a realistic chance of returning home from Riverside as champions. LMU was hoping to have a shot at taking down the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds of the tournament, UC Davis and UC San Diego, respectively. This opportunity would never come after a first

round match that did not go as planned.

Tournament play began on Friday, Nov. 22 when LMU faced Santa Clara in their first game of the weekend. Earlier in the season, the Lions earned a comfortable 15-9 victory over the Broncos. Santa Clara went into the competition as the six-seed. Heading into the match, LMU was the clear favorite.

Senior attacker Austin Clark opened the scoring of the match partway through the first period, giving LMU a 1-0 lead.

However, Santa Clara responded with a goal of their own less than two minutes later. The two sides went on to exchange multiple goals, leading to a halftime score of five apiece. The Lions struggled to assert themselves early on, giving Santa Clara a window of opportunity to pull off an upset.

The second half resumed in similar fashion with neither team able to create breathing room from the other.

With less than one minute remaining, junior Joseph Shaw fired past the Santa Clara goalie, giving the Lions a 9-8 lead. All LMU needed to narrowly avoid an upset was to hold on to this lead for 54 seconds.

Photo: Gloria Ndilula | Loyolan

Men’s water polo faces off against Long Beach State in their last regular season match before the WWPA postseason tournament. The Lions fell to Santa Clara and defeated Concordia to finish fifth in the tournament.

However, the Lions could not close out the victory. In dramatic fashion, Santa Clara scored and tied the game at nine in the last second of regulation.

With nothing to split the two teams, the match would have to be decided in overtime.

The score remained tied until freshman Jonny Rimlinger broke the deadlock with 1:51 to go in the extra period. In similar fashion to the fourth period, the Lions would give away their lead late. Santa Clara tied the game with 43 seconds on the clock. Still deadlocked at the end of overtime, the game

would require double overtime to find a winner.

Santa Clara scored the lone goal of the second overtime period. After an exhausting double overtime game, the Lions fell by a score of 11-10 to their WWPA rivals.

LMU continued tournament play against No. 5 seed Concordia University the next day. This time around, the Lions looked determined to avoid defeat. After a very strong first half showing, LMU entered the second half with a 13-4 lead.

The second half followed suit and LMU dominated their

opponents once again. The match ended 21-10 in the Lions’ favor, ending the weekend, and the season, on a strong note.

This combination of results notched LMU a fifth place finish in the conference championship tournament. UC Davis went on to claim first place in the tournament, a spot LMU was hoping to find themselves in when the competition concluded. With their season now finished, the Lions can look forward to starting with a clean slate and returning home from this tournament next year as champions.

SCORES UPDATE M. Basketball

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

61-51 W

vs. Southern Utah

81-65 L

W. Basketball W. Basketball Volleyball

vs. Yale

64-53 L

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Page 12

Takeaways: early-season basketball tourneys Hut Hut Hutton Alex Hutton

Asst. Sports Editor @AlexHutton35

O

ver the break, both basketball teams competed in earlyseason tournaments. The men’s team posted a record of 1-2 at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas while the women’s team went 0-2 in the LMU Thanksgiving Classic at Gersten Pavilion. Here are three takeaways from LMU’s performances at the respective tournaments.

Men’s Basketball 3.

T h re e-p oi nt sho ot i ng determines success: The formula for the Lions during the tournament was simple: if they shot well from long range, they would have a chance to win the game. If they shot poorly from beyond the arc, they wouldn’t. In a 78-64 win over Air Force, they hit 50% of their three-point tries, but posted marks of 21.4% and 33.3% in losses to Indiana State and Duquesne, respectively.

2. Improvement in avoiding foul trouble: LMU is relying heavily on a number of inexperienced players this season. Often, players who are not used to college basketball will commit fouls frequently as they struggle to keep up with the play on the court.

Over the course of the three games in the Bahamas, the Lions made progress in this category. They fouled 22 times against Air Force and 24 times against

Indiana State, but picked up just 16 fouls against Duquesne.

1. Eli Scott emerges as the team leader: With as many new players as the Lions have, at least one of the veterans was going to have to take the reins of the team at some point. At the tournament, as he has been doing throughout the season, junior forward Eli Scott filled that role. Scott scored in double figures in all three games, grabbed 10 rebounds against Indiana State and dished out nine assists against Air Force. He was named to the Junkanoo Jam All-Tournament Team for his efforts. He currently leads the team in both rebounds and assists and is second in scoring. The Lions will continue to rely on him in all facets of the game.

Women’s Basketball 3. Too many turnovers: In each of their two losses, which came against Georgetown and Yale, the Lions turned the ball over too often to have a chance to win. They committed 17 turnovers against Georgetown and 14 turnovers against Yale. The turnovers came in a variety of ways, such as illadvised passes, losing the handle and offensive fouls. Additionally, many of the turnovers came at crucial stages in the game. Often when the Lions had a chance to get back into the contest, they would commit a costly turnover and kill a potential rally. Turnovers have been an issue for LMU all season.

In the first seven games of the season, the Lions have committed 62 more turnovers than they have forced.

Photos: Gloria Ndilula | Loyolan

Women's basketball center Raychel Stanley (22) and men's basketball forward Eli Scott (0) were both key players in their respective teams' early-season tournaments.

2. Unable to keep opponents off the offensive glass: Defensive rebounding was another area where LMU struggled.

Against Georgetown, the Lions allowed 15 offensive rebounds and 12 secondchance points in a game they lost by 11.

Their rebounding improved slightly against Yale with only 12 offensive boards allowed, but the Bulldogs managed 18 second-chance points en route to a 16-point victory.

1. Raychel Stanley excels despite losses: Even though LMU went winless over the course of the tournament, senior center Raychel Stanley was a major bright spot. The team counted

on her to score a lot out of the post. The Lions frequently turned to her and fed her the ball when a bucket was needed and she answered the call. She scored 13 points against Georgetown and 15 points against Yale, both of which led the team. She has now scored in double figures in five consecutive games and is LMU’s leading scorer thus far in the season. Her defense was also strong throughout the tournament, especially in the game against Yale, where she recorded three steals.

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.

Volleyball seniors look to pass the torch Transitioning to a new era, the team will miss departing veterans.

Ellie Kinney Sports Intern @LALoyolan

The women’s volleyball team is losing an accomplished group of seniors this year, but the talent of their young stars indicates a bright future ahead.

The team posted a .500 record this season, going 15-15 overall and 9-9 in the conference. The Lions had success at home, going 6-3, but struggled on the road at just 4-10.

While they did not achieve a winning season, several players posted outstanding individual performances and received All-WCC awards.

Two seniors, outside hitter Savannah Slattery and setter Tess Reid, closed out their collegiate careers by being named to the 2019 All-WCC First Team, and freshman middle blocker Emmelyn Walters was named to the WCC All-Freshman Team.

Photo: JP Shannon | Loyolan

The LMU volleyball team huddles up during a home match against Saint Mary's on Saturday, Nov. 16.

The Lions finished the season with a record of 15-15 and 9-9 in conference play.

Slattery has been a valuable leader on and off the court for the Lions over the course of her entire career. Establishing herself as a key player from day one, Slattery was named the LMU Female Freshman Athlete of the Year during her first season with the team. She continued to post incredible numbers throughout the rest of her time at LMU, culminating in her All-WCC honor this year.

This season, Slattery led the team in kills with a total of

411, including 258 against the WCC. She also led the team in kills per set with 3.57.

Reid, as the team’s primary setter, also played a huge role in helping the new players adjust and play to their highest potential. She commanded the court, leading the entire conference in assists with 883 on the season and 455 against the WCC. While Reid makes the game look easy, her outstanding success did not come without difficult obstacles. About

halfway through her freshman season, Reid tore her UCL diving for a ball and effectively ended her season. Reid underwent a difficult journey to recovery, both physically and mentally, but came out even stronger; she earned prestigious awards every subsequent season, including LMU Female Athlete of the Year in 2018.

Another graduating senior who will be severely missed is Bo Culo, the Croatian hitterturned-libero. Transferring to LMU from Florida State

before the 2018 season, Culo quickly became a fan favorite, posting 230 kills as an outside hitter in 2018 and 284 digs as a libero in 2019.

This talented group of seniors will be greatly missed, but impressive younger players have everything it takes to achieve a winning season next year. Walters, the WCC AllFreshman, posted 115 kills and 65 blocks in just 18 games this season. Other impactful freshmen include outside hitter Rose Booth, an extremely talented player who posted 242 kills despite missing the last third of the season.

The outstanding group of hitters will be supplemented next year by recently signed incoming freshman Kari Geissberger, a 6'6" outside hitter from Kentfield, California. A full three inches taller than the tallest players on the current roster, Geissberger will add menacing height to the Lions’ front row. If they can avoid injury, this young group will provide an unstoppable offense for LMU next season.