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Categorized by seemingly endless menus and even more mouthwatering delicacies behind a glass deli counter, I’ve decided to stick to these two classics: a pastrami on rye and a cup of matzo ball soup. While some people may claim loyalties to their Reuben sandwich, potato knish or corned beef sandwich, a great Jewish deli relies on its high-stacked pastrami as a benchmark. Any fan of Seinfeld will remember George’s love interest, Vivian, claiming “I find the pastrami to be the most sensual of all the salted, cured meats.” I have to say I agree. If you’re willing to spend upwards of $15 on a sandwich, there’s hardly anything that quite satisfies a lunch hunger like hot pastrami stacked high on seedy rye.
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Students march across L.A.
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Los Angeles LOYOLAN
Los Angeles didn’t invent the Jewish deli, though we have adopted it and perfected it. The birthplace of the classic Jewish deli is New York, specifically the Lower East Side, which was an immigrant hub at the dawn of the twentieth century. Nineteenth century German immigrants brought the idea of the Delicatessen to America, and Jewish immigrants later borrowed the idea in order to provide a kosher offering to the growing Jewish population in The Big Apple. While European Turks had created meats similar to pastrami in centuries past, the pastrami we know today was an American Jewish invention upon coming to America and encountering previously untold quantities of cheap beef. According to the documentary "Deli Man," the Jewish deli is on the decline, with thousands in New York in 1931 and now only 150 in all of North America. This astonishing statistic proves Los Angeles to be nothing less than a hub of the Jewish deli, with over ten in the city.
Jewish Delis Pastrami on Rye
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Hi, my name is Niko Klein. I’m a senior business management major, and I have a serious love for good food and Los Angeles. My goal is to combine the two and share my dining adventures in the city we live in. I’ll be writing about L.A.’s great restaurants, some famous and some more hidden. For each article, I’ll write about two to four restaurants, all tied together with a common theme.
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Pastrami: While both corned beef and pastrami can begin as beef brisket, or the chest of the cow, pastrami is typically taken from the navel, directly next to the brisket. The navel makes a better pastrami due to its particular fattiness, allowing for hours of cook time. Both start in a spiced saltwater brine, therefore curing the meats. Beyond this step is where the two meats differ. Corned beef gets boiled, while pastrami gets a spice rub and is then smoked.
Matzo Ball Soup: Matzo balls are Jewish soup dumpling balls made of matzo meal, eggs, water and some sort of fat. The balls
are typically a served in chicken at broth or soup. Take look one Women’s basketball gets senior’s take on the best back on track despite Jewish delis in L.A. free throw struggles. Page 11 Page 14
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Langer’s Deli 704 S Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Factor’s Famous Deli 9420 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035
Founded in 1945, Nate n’ Al was one of the first Jewish delicatessens on the West Coast. Al Mendelson and Nate Rimer moved from Detroit to open up shop in Beverly Hills, and the establishment has stayed in the Mendelson family ever since. When the deli first opened, Beverly Hills was a mere residential town, overshadowed by glitzy Hollywood and Downtown L.A. However, as Beverly Hills has grown into the land of abundance that we know today, Nate n’ Al has remained traditional and reliable in the land of opulence. When asked what makes Nate n’ Al different, David Mendelson had one word: “Location.” Its home in Beverly Hills gives Nate n’ Al a unique customer base consisting of tourists, celebrities and everything in between. New York import Larry King is known to eat breakfast every morning at Nate n’ Al. Running the restaurant with his brother Mark, David takes pride in continuing the legacy of his late grandfather, Al. According to David, his grandfather claimed to have the best pastrami available west of the Mississippi river. He recommended a wonderful documentary called "Deli Man" that helped paint a picture for me of the sort of labor that goes into running a deli.
The interior screams classic, unchanged Jewish deli, with classic delicacies behind a long glass display case, brown leather, wood paneling and charismatic servers who seem to be transplants from decades past. While Langer’s itself hasn’t changed much since its 1940s founding, the surrounding area has. Across the street from L.A.’s infamous MacArthur Park, Langer’s lies in a surrounding black and white to that of Nate n’ Al. Langer’s sticks out like a sore thumb amongst discount clothing shops, storefronts brimming with images of Christ and corner fruit vendors. In an area once known for gang violence, the deli not only survives, but thrives. Langer’s exists shoulder-to-shoulder with the Dodgers, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the city’s other great historic institutions. Some will tell you that Langer’s offers the best hot pastrami on rye in the whole United States of America, always neck-to-neck with Katz in New York. This author has never been to New York, so I’ll continue to side with Langer’s as my deli of choice. Maybe it’s atmosphere, maybe it’s nostalgia or maybe the pastrami sandwich is truly superior, but I have an undying affection for this delicatessen that is less than a mile from my beloved Loyola High.
Aside from Mark and Dave Mandelson, there’s another sibling duo owning and operating a classic family deli. On Pico Boulevard, the Markowitz sisters, Debbie and Suzee, show that deli ownership is a woman’s game, too. According to Debbie, it’s the only deli out there run by two women. Factor’s opened in 1948 and came under Markowitz ownership in 1969. The décor is classic deli, but with a twist. The wood paneling and brown leather are still present, but sports and cinema memorabilia hang everywhere, including signed photographs of famous past patrons. A receipt of Dean Martin’s is especially eye-catching. Additionally, Factor’s is “more than just a deli,” as the sisters offer a catering service and the entrance room offers plenty of other treats behind glass.
414 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
I very much enjoyed my meal. I ordered the “New York” sandwich on rye, a cup of their matzo ball soup with noodles and a side of delicious potato salad, gleaming yellow. I also enjoyed the company of my father, who had taken me to Nate n’ Al throughout my childhood. Before our food was served, our waitress brought out the obligatory plate of tart deli pickles, a favorite of mine. While their rye may not have the soft middle of Langer’s or Factor’s, the fixings in the sandwich created an oomph that any pastrami lover would crave. The coleslaw was sweet and cold, perfectly complimenting the hot, savory strips of pastrami that crumbled and scattered around my plate as I ate the sandwich. In Los Angeles, we are spoiled with wonderful pastrami, and Nate n’ Al ranks right up there with the best.
via Isabel Brown
The second Women’s March took place in Los Angeles and around the globe with between 1.6 million and 2.5 million people attending. Times. From Chinatown to Los Angeles of reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, LMU students marched in State Historic Park, thousands gathered workers’ rights, civil rights, disability protest at the Women’s March in the third annual OneLife LA march to rights, immigrant rights, Indigenous celebrate and support the dignity of the peoples rights and environmental and OneLife L.A. March. human life from conception until death, justice, according to their website. The according to their website. march ended near City Hall and featured Sami Leung “The [Women’s March] was an amazing speakers such as LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, Interim News Editor reminder that even when the world looks Viola Davis, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie @LALoyolan bleak and a little hopeless, people can Portman and Laverne Cox. The slogan and will unite regardless of age, race, of the event was “Hear our vote,” hoping LMU students were among the hundreds gender, sexuality or socioeconomic to inspire democratic voters across the of thousands of protesters across Los status,” Ciara Osorno, senior political nation to vote in the midterm elections Angeles this past weekend attending science and history double major, said. this November. the Women’s March in Downtown Los “Standing in a crowd of that size makes “I went to the Women’s March because Angeles and the OneLife LA march near you feel empowered and invincible … I wanted to show that I stand in solidarity Chinatown. From Pershing Square to women have a lot more to fight for but with all the women who are still fighting Grand Park, protesters and speakers progress is being made and we are doing for equality in our country,” Kyle attended L.A.’s second annual Women’s it together. I think that was the most Schoener, a freshman physics major, March for equality for women and the beautiful part of it all.” said. “It was a truly electric experience.” protection of a wide range of liberties, The Women’s March was held with Taleene Armen, a junior psychology from disability rights to Indigenous See March | Page 3 the goal of fighting for the protection peoples rights, according to the L.A.
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LMU ranked third for Latino student success
Nate n’ Al
While she acknowledges the quality of other L.A. pastramis, Debbie said Factor’s pastrami “can beat any pastrami in a taste test.” In fact, a recent blind taste test at the Wilshire Synagogue had Factor’s pastrami coming out on top. Debbie attributes the delicious pastrami to a recipe and process change made three years ago, notably changing the spicing and also adopting a steaming process of three to four hours, in order to soften the meat. A thick, hand-cut option is available by request, and this truly shows off the meat properly. I had a “sky-high” pastrami, consisting of Russian dressing, coleslaw and thick-cut pastrami. With it, I had potato salad and a cup of matzo ball soup. The soup was tasty and provided the sense of comfort that only a good matzo ball soup can. The potato salad was delicious in its simplicity. The sandwich pleasantly surprised me. While most would say you’d be hard-pressed to find a better pastrami on rye than Langer’s, I’d have a hard time telling the two apart. The sandwich insides were cradled properly by delicious double-baked rye.
Based on Latina/o graduation rates, LMU is ranked third in the nation in recent report.
The difference lies in the cut. Langer’s has always hand-cut their pastrami. While most delis machine slice their pastrami, Langer’s hand-cuts in order to avoid drawing out the meat’s moisture, as a machine-cutting process does. With a Langer’s sandwich, you’re guaranteed a melt in your mouth experience. This consistency can be attributed to Langer’s steaming process. The pastrami delivered daily to the store is ready for consumption, but Langer’s steams the pastrami for a few hours in order to get the product as soft as possible. The #19 is their most famous, with swiss, Russian dressing and coleslaw; however, I opt for the #1, as I don’t care for Swiss. The bread is a big competitive advantage for Langer’s. Though most delis will claim a double-baked rye, this downtown delicatessen delivers big time. A hard, crispy crust and a heavenly, soft inside make this the best rye bread around. Nate n’ Al has Langer’s beat on the Matzo ball soup, but Langer’s still delivers a good cup. I usually get an order of French fries, extra pickles and occasionally a chocolate malt, if I’m feeling indulgent. Go in and get a sandwich, but don’t mistake the adjoining park for a pleasant picnic spot.
Kayla Brogan
Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan
Graphic by Chloe Cunningham | Loyolan
In a report released by Education Trust, Loyola Marymount University ranked third in the nation for Latino student success. LMU was only behind the University of San Francisco which was ranked second, and Whittier College which was ranked first. There were five California colleges that made the nations top ten list, according to the L.A Times “Often times, the academic ability of Latina/o students is brought into question, and this report truly shows that stereotypes and biases against Latinas/ os are just simply not true,” Christopher Reynoso, a senior psychology and Chicana/o and Latina/o studies double major, said. “However, even though we may be excelling academically, there are still some areas where Latina/o students may need more support, which often include financial aid.” The report analyzed 613 public and nonprofit private nonspecialized institutions. The report centers its analysis around two pieces of information: graduation rates for Latino students and the completion or graduation rate gap between Latino and white students. “In the study, the two institutions performing better than LMU on graduation percentages and scores were USF and UCI, both very high research activity institutions, as Carnegie classifies them,” said Deena J. González, Ph.D.associate provost for faculty affairs and professor of Chicana/o studies. She stated that these campuses are larger and “LMU offers a better one-to-one ratio, See Success | Page 2
LMU’s School of Business Administration gets new dean Dayle Smith will be coming from Clarkson University to LMU to take over as dean. Kayla Brogan
Interim News Editor @LALoyolan
LMU will welcome a new dean to the College of Business Administration (CBA) beginning June 1, 2018. Dayle M. Smith, Ph.D., will succeed Dean Dennis W. Draper, Ph.D., as CBA’s newest dean. According to CNBC, Dean Draper announced last year that he will be stepping down as the college’s dean after 11 years of service. According to an LMU This Week bulletin, which first announced Dean Draper’s replacement, Smith will be joining LMU from Clarkson University in upstate New York. She currently serves as the Dean of the David D. Reh School of Business at Clarkson. The decision to choose Smith was made by a variety of sources including the search committee, the Committee on Rank and Tenure, faculty and senior leadership.
When asked about the strategies she plans to implement, including changing or altering existing ones, Dayle said she would be going on a “listening tour” inspired by Anne Mulcahy, former CEO of Xerox. “I want to meet and listen to each member of the faculty and staff in the CBA and have them share their perspective and aspirations with me,” Smith said. “I’ll also want to meet with representative undergraduate and graduate students to learn from them as well as meet leaders across the institution.” She added that she wants to work with everyone to learn how President Snyder’s vision for LMU can be best achieved. Smith holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. degree in organizational communication from USC. She earned her B.A. degree in communication studies at the University of Texas, Arlington. She holds the Elmer Gates Endowed Professorship for Innovation Culture and spent five years at Clarkson where she “[grew] a diverse faculty; [developed] new programs; [merged] two business schools; [fundraised] for student start-up funds, See Dean | Page 3
Jose Aguila | Loyolan
LMU holds Homecoming Tailgate before basketball game LMU held a Homecoming Tailgate on Saturday, Jan. 20 in Lot A, near Hannon Field. The tailgate took place right before the LMU men’s basketball team faced off against the University of Portland and lost 65-72. The event featured onsite grilling, DJ music and ice skating sessions and was hosted by the LMU Athletics, BCLA, Marketing & Communications, Community Relations and University Relations in collaboration with ASLMU. See page 16 for more.
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LMU has third highest Latino student success rate in nation Success from Page 1
internship and mentored opportunities, and community engagement … ” to an extent that makes a difference. Especially to graduate and undergraduate students according to research. Gonzalez added that “LMU is also known for recruiting very resourceful and persistent Latina/o students who might not come from privilege, and so have learned to find opportunities where they can.” Faculty, administrators, and staff, let students know about various opportunities available to them. There are networks put in place to assist and advance students; information is readily available and Latina/o students see the impact of their presence due to LMU’s campus size. “Our LMU faculty — diverse in their experiences, perspectives, and identities — are committed to developing meaningful mentoring relationships with students, supporting and celebrating their achievements, and helping them prepare for their lives after graduation,” Provost Thomas Poon said. He added that the Chicana/o and Latina/o faculty and staff are a group of hardworking and dedicated individuals that invest personally in the success of their graduate and undergraduate students. They act with the goals of social change in mind, Poon said. Education Trust found LMU’s average graduation rate for Latino
students to be 80.2 percent and for white students 77.1 percent. Meaning that LMU has a weighted -3.1 graduation gap between Latino and white students. The report states that the average Latino graduation rate out of the 613 colleges sampled was 56.5 percent, which is 10 points less than the white student graduation rate which sits at 66.5 percent. Success among Latina/o students has been well-documented at LMU, said Herbert Medina, associate dean for faculty/staff development and
professor of mathematics. “Given this success, it is surprising that the University has not made the strategic move to increase the percentage of LMU Latino undergraduates which has hovered around 20-21 percent for the past decade and more,” said Medina. He added that LMU offers a variety of resources to their ethnic minority students, including living-learning communities which foster a sense of community and are essential to student success. Other resources offered through
Chicano Latino Student Services, Office of Black Student Services and Ethnic & Intercultural Services help “students live out their culture and share experiences with others like them on campus.” He emphasized that most of the credit should be given to the hard-working and talented Latino students that attend LMU. “This sense of community definitely helps motivate me to continue to succeed and try my absolute best in school,” said Bri Ortiz, a sophomore
communication and Chicana/o and Latina/o studies major. Since 2002, college graduating rates for Latino students have gone up 7.9 percent, according to Education Trust’s report. The report explains that peer institutions can have vastly different outcomes when it comes to their Latino student success rate. This suggests that what institutions do for, and with their students, has a large impact on their success. Student characteristics aren’t the single factor for student success, according to the report.
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BURNING QUESTIONS
This week, Interim News Editor, Sami Leung, sat down with freshman film production major Genevieve RoederHensley, who is training for the Santa Cruz Ironman 70.3 while raising money for charity.
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How long have you been training for this Ironman?
I started training about two and a half months ago, with the idea that I would sign up eventually if I decided it was something I was serious about. Then, I found out about the charity partnership, and that was when I decided to sign up.
Two marches in one day March from Page 1
major and Maya Pegler-Gordon, a freshman computer science major also attended the women’s march and both emphasized the importance of continuing to allow women to share their stories and fight for what they believe in. “I feel that at times movements like that can become performative and those participating think that simply going is enough,” Emily Sinsky, a sophomore international relations major, said. “It’s great to post pictures on Instagram and raise awareness about the issues, but I think especially students at LMU and those with an enormous amount of privilege have a responsibility to go beyond the performative. If your idea of feminism excludes any … groups, it’s not feminism — it’s white supremacy.” The OneLife L.A. march, organized by Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, is the largest pro-life event in Los
Angeles and brought together over 30,000 people, according to U.S. News. It concluded in an event at Los Angeles State Historic Park, where speakers such as activist Karen Gaffney, who was the first person with Down Syndrome to swim the English Channel, and Bishop Charles E. Blake, presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, spoke about supporting all life. “I attended OneLife LA because, as the … sign I held stated ‘I was adopted, not aborted.’ Being pro-life has been a result of the opportunities I’ve received in life because my mom chose life,” Laurel Mooney, a sophomore psychology major, said. “I listened to a number of speakers who covered topics such as adoption, mental illness and the justice system, which gave me a broader perspective on what it means to be pro-life.” OneLife L.A. partnered with organizations that feed the homeless, liberate trafficking
victims, find adoptive families for foster children, provide lifeaffirming services for pregnant women, and accompany the dying through their final days, according to their website. The event ended in a mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, where participants lit 180 candles and had 180 seconds of silence to honor the 180 babies that were aborted in California that day, according to Delano Perera, a senior philosophy and theology double major who has attended the OneLife L.A. march three times. “Defending the unborn is a huge part of OneLife L.A., but for us, it’s more than just defending them until they are born,” Maya Leann Washington, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said. “We also discussed helping mothers, families, the sick and the elderly. It really is about defending all lives, but defending all lives starts at the very beginning, when they’re in the womb.”
Why are you so passionate about running to raise money for charity?
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In the past, I’ve done a lot of races where you pay these high fees, and its not really going towards anything and you just run and you get a medal, which is fine. But I knew that it would motivate me, especially when training for this event, if I was training for something more. I have a lot of compassion for the non-profits it partners with, a lot of them support children, such as the Children’s Tumor Foundation, Make-A-Wish and Smile Train. That really encourages me to keep training even when I don’t want to.
Can you explain a little bit about where the money that you’re raising is going?
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The money is going to be distributed to two kinds of places. First and foremost, it’s going to the national and international nonprofits. Save the Children, Zero, Children’s Tumor Foundation, Smile Train, Team Fox and a couple others, such as Stop the Monster. Secondly...the money within the Santa Cruz community will be given to high schools and impoverished parts of the county that need it to support their arts programs and teachers and basic stuff that they need. I’m covering my race bike the names of all of my donors.
What has been one of your biggest or proudest accomplishment?
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I think when I ran my first marathon. I broke down at mile 18, and walked pretty much the rest of it. It was really hard, I had to call my mom near the end and was like crying and didn’t want to keep going. But eventually I made it, and I was happy with the time, but that was probably it, just crossing the finish line. I was 17.
Do you have any role models that you look up to?
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I follow a lot of female Boston runners on Instagram, and I’ve met some of them in person, and they really inspire me. My gym coach in high school can run the Boston [marathon] in 3 hours, which is insane. I really look up to her. I was like, if she can do it, then maybe one day I can qualify.
To support Roeder-Hensley, donate to the link included in the 11 Burning Questions posted online at laloyolan.com.
WANT MORE Answers?
Want to read even more questions with Roeder-Hensley? Check them out at laloyolan.com.
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via Victoria Zobrist
LMU students Celine Altamura (left) and Shannon Hayes (right) attend the OneLife L.A. March in Los Angeles.
New CBA dean to start in June Dean from Page 1
two new endowed faculty chairs, and the naming of the school,” according to the LMU This Week Bulletin. Additionally, Smith helped to accredit Clarkson’s business school with Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education, and Middle States Association of Colleges and School accreditations. Along with the dean of engineering at Clarkson, Amith co-leads an innovation hub and initiative program. She was accepted into the “international collaborative of deans and directors named to the Globally Responsible Leadership Institute (GRLI) to engage in dialogue and joint initiatives developing leadership and business practices worldwide,” according to the LMU This Week Bulletin. Smith said what set LMU apart from other schools, other than its beauty and Silicon beach entrepreneurship energy was that LMU is an “institution with deep appreciation for the history and values of a Jesuit mission coupled with a quest for preparing the next generation of leaders to repair the world through an interdisciplinary perspective.” “When I researched LMU and interviewed with both President Snyder and Provost Poon, I was struck by the feeling that LMU could truly be a ‘playground for the mind and a play space for
the imagination,’” Smith said. She added that this is the kind of culture she was looking forward to contributing to in the next phase of her career. Incoming Dean Smith is the chair of the Women Administrators in Management Education (WAME) Affinity Group at the AACSB, which includes more than 600 leaders in business education. The Bulletin added that “she has been active in service learning in an academic environment, receiving numerous awards for her work in curriculum design and leading university-wide
service-learning curriculum initiatives.” “I truly believe that no leader can go it alone and open communication is critical for building trust and inspiring others. Leadership is built upon a foundation centered in values, integrity, trust, and inclusion,” Smith said. Her research in leadership, communication, and organizational behavior have “provided [her] with the tools, strategy, and attitude to be a servant leader and meet the needs of our faculty, staff, and students in the CBA.”
via LMU website
Dayle M. Smith, Ph.D. will become the new dean of CBA on June 1, 2018.
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via Emily Rawson, Camila De Pierola, Sam Noble and Victoria Zobrist (clockwise from left)
Lions took to the streets of L.A. this past Saturday to support the OneLife Movement (left) and the Women’s March (right). The theme for the 2018 Women’s March is Power to the Polls, a year long campaign effort to increase voter registration and political participation among women and minorities for the midterm election year. Among OneLife LA’s focuses were inclusion and diversity, along with dignity and a right to life for people from all backgrounds and circumstances. Regardless of what causes the students were supporting, they were partaking in political activism and engagement.
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Two weeks ago the website Babe published Aziz Ansari and see an everyday, reasonable an article that accused actor and comedian Aziz sexual interaction. But part of what women Ansari of sexual misconduct. The woman who are saying right now is that what the culture came forward with the story (the article names considers ‘normal’ sexual encounters are not her Grace) described their date and the night working for us, and oftentimes harmful.” at Ansari’s apartment, in which he reportedly We need to expand the discussion of consent pressured her to have sex and remained to examine the ways in which our culture unaware of her discomfort and lack of consent. portrays sex, how certain forms of coercion are Some have defended Ansari with reluctance normalized as a game or as seduction. “[The] to label the situation as sexual assault. Others entire metaphor of ‘bases’ is about women thought that the story discredited the rapes and being gatekeepers and men getting past them,” assaults which led to the #MeToo movement. writer Andi Zeisler tweeted. Writer and editor for The Sociologist and writer Eve Atlantic Caitlin Flanagan “We need to expand Ewing explained the need for called the Babe article “3,000 a “fuller conversation” about the discussion of consent. Ewing tweeted, “For words of revenge porn.” Some reactions adopted victim consent to examine every moment that’s easy to blaming language by focusing identify as assault, most of on Grace’s “mixed signals.” the ways in which us have dozens that are more But many neglect to take into our culture portrays like the Aziz story - halted, account how men have been uncomfortable, ‘I didn’t want sex.” socially taught to be sexually to but I did but then I felt sick insistent and aggressive. afterward.’ We all need to While it is important to allow all sides to have a fuller conversation about what consent share their perspectives, it is equally important means & looks like.” to hold all men accountable. We do not yet have LMU CARES emphasizes: Consent must be the language to explain the entire spectrum of clear, coherent, willing and ongoing. These sexual assault and harassment and the everyday words themselves might not immediately cross situations in which these occur. This makes the either party’s minds in a sexual encounter, conversation around wrongdoing even more whether they are enjoying themselves or are difficult to have, but the conversation is crucial. frozen in fear and shock. But by these standards, Criticism of the Babe article was mostly the situation shared in the Babe article does not concerned with its aggressive outing of include clear, willing or ongoing consent. Ansari, calling it an unprecedented end Yes, it is important for people to vocalize to his career. While the story described is what they do and do not want in sexual indicative of the way sexual interactions encounters, but we must not blame victims can be harmful, the article in its present when they are unable to “push off” an form could hold the conversation at a aggressor or to immediately leave an unsafe stalemate, leaving people fighting in defense situation. In situations of unclear consent, so of Ansari — instead of fighting in defense of much is based on how society has portrayed women and the need for a more complete sex in terms of power, control and passion. understanding of sexual consent. When discussing consent and sexual On the other hand, each interaction is education, we need to recognize these social important and must be seen as a microcosm of and cultural pressures and instead normalize the larger issue at hand. Writer Jessica Valenti and encourage ongoing communication tweeted, “A lot of men will read that post about between both parties during sex.
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he BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire Programme recently revealed that one in eight employees work more than 48 hours a week in the U.K., according to an analysis completed by The Trades Union Congress of England and Wales (TUC). That’s working about 9.6 hours a day Monday through Friday, which many companies in Europe are starting to stray away from. A BBC News article, titled, “Superheros don’t work 90-hour weeks,” discusses the pros and cons of having shorter work days, illustrating the negative effects caused by working for so many hours. Our American culture prides itself on the American Dream — the idea that the person who works the hardest will succeed. Working after hours is not only seen as a positive work habit, but often a necessity. We grind ourselves down and critically analyze every step of our progress in the name of drive and aspiration, but these culturally imposed conventions can have negative consequences on our mental capacities. As the BBC News article explains, this mindset of having to work long hours results in lower retention rates, unhappy workers and lowered performances. These long workdays have the influence to negatively impact a person’s mental health and cause unnecessary stress and anxiety. Many companies and institutions have already begun to look at this data and try to improve their working environments. The staff at Pursuit Marketing, for example, “have worked a four-day week since a successful
Christian Boggs | Loyolan
Other countries may have better systems to help maintain a balance in work and personal life. trail in 2016 … productivity increased initially by about 385, settling to about 30 percent over the past year, with turnover rising from 2.2 to 5 million pounds,” as stated in the BBc News article. Education systems are also being remolded to be more fluid and less demanding, allowing students to pursue their passions with less apprehension. According to the World Economic Forum report, which releases Global Competitiveness Reports every year,
the U.S. did not even make the cut for the top 11 schools in the world last year. Finland, which is ranked number one, continues to dominate the evolution of education. If you just do a quick Google search of “Finland education,” a ton of articles will pop up discussing their unorthodox methods.
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Finding balance can have long term benefits Work life from Page 5
while also reducing the importance of homework and exams, Finland has established integral values that the U.S. lacks and is in need of. Imagine how much better our lives would have been in high school if we did not have to wake up before the sun rose, hitting snooze three times in agony, hoping it was all a terrible dream. Imagine how much more productive and happy you will be in the future if your job does not require you to overextend yourself to the point where your physical and mental health is impacted. Now, it seems this model with shorter work days does not work for all companies. According to the article by BBC News, some companies, after moving to Swedish style six-hour days, had a difficult time meeting clients’ needs. But in general, taking more time off for yourself has been shown to have infinite benefits that often get overlooked. Gemma Godfrey, chief executive of the investment management company Moola, said in the BBC News article, “Workers in Germany, for example, could actually stop working on a Thursday and yet still produce more than we do… longer working hours doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re more productive, especially when it negatively impacts our health and our ability to do our job.” We need to design our workplaces in more progressive and creative ways. Looking at countries such as Finland for inspiration, we can come up with a model that is ultimately more beneficial not only to the companies we work for, but to our own personal health and happiness. This is the opinion of Jessie Brown , a freshman film and television production major from Houston, Texas. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email editor@ theloyolan.com.
OPINION
Predatory men can’t empathize with consent Jenny from the block Jennifer Lee
Asst. Opinion Editor @Lovelejen
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his past year, we have come to realize that rape and sexual harassment affects everyone. As a violation, it is non-discriminatory. Race, privilege and gender are of no consequence — sexual assault impacts all. Women we see as powerful and mighty are still susceptible. This week, the survivors were female Olympic athletes, gold medalists violated by a disgusting man who abused over 140 teenage girls. I think this
particular piece of news hit me differently than the actresses who accused Weinstein and other men in Hollywood. I asked myself why this was. Athletes are powerful and strong. We see Olympians as indestructible. They defy the boundary of the human body and we sit in awe of their accomplishments. Female athletes, in particular, throw typical gender stereotypes for a loop. Women, who tend to have smaller builds than men, are often depicted as physically inept, or they have to use tools and outof-the-box tactics to accomplish the same tasks as a man. I personally carry pepper spray with me everywhere I go because I know that most men could physically overpower me if they wanted to.
Weinstein allegedly overpowered a number of women, including actress Natassia Malthe, after they refused to have sex with him. Most female athletes are stronger than the average man — they don’t seem like the kind of women who would need extra tools from my perspective. So, when a woman who has the strength to fight off men still finds herself subject to the power dynamics in play that overpower victims of sexual assault, I feel obligated to call it unnerving, and I feel just in doing so. But more importantly, it is another example of why every person in America needs to take this issue seriously. Disclaimer: For the purposes of this article, I am going to speak candidly of the rape that men
Aurora Occelli | Loyolan
Men don’t truly empathize with victims, and if we want consent to be implemented fully, we have to end this. conduct, but I fully acknowledge that rape can be performed by all genders. Why do we rape? Why do predatory men consistently assault and harass women and think that it is perfectly acceptable behavior? I saw a post circulating this past week on social media from Facebook user Melvinder Singh wherein he detailed a conversation with his boss who was fed up with his inability to call his female employees pretty. Singh suggested that they should be able to call whoever they want pretty, and proceeded to call his boss pretty. You can probably guess how that ended. His boss scowled and asked Singh to stop, saying that it creeped him out to be called pretty. Oh, the hypocrisy! What predatory men don’t seem to be able to grasp is how sexual harassment and assault feel for the victims. There is a lack of empathy toward women and the situation. They know rape is wrong, but only in extreme cases. While a more concentrated effort must be made on the male gender’s part to remedy this situation, there is only so much we can do as a country with the gender binary set up the way it is. Most men define themselves as men by specific standards of masculinity, as well as by what they are not. They are not weak. They are not emotional. They are not reserved.
They are not women. For men to be men in this country, they must act the complete opposite of femininity. This is harmful for a number of reasons, but in this instance in particular, it suggests that they would have a terrifically hard time understanding the emotions that result. Men can sense the issue with calling a coworker pretty if they are on the receiving end, but that so rarely happens to the typical straight male that it’s no wonder he doesn’t understand. This is not to excuse behavior, but rather to explain it. So many men champion themselves for not being at fault in situations like these, and I am not here to give them praise for it. I am just suggesting a reason as to why things are the way they are. Sexual harassment is running rampant in every city and town across America, and I am scared for myself and my friends. A piece in the New York Times titled “What Experts Know About Men Who Rape,” by Heather Murphy, suggests that men start early by breaking barriers of consent. There are, of course, different levels of harassment, assault and rape. Not every man is guilty or even capable of such things. I focus on rape because it is the most extreme case and the article suggests that harassment is the slipperiest of slopes. “Men who rape tend to start young ... likely crossing a line with someone they know,” according to Neil Malamuth, a psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. While some men commit one or two assaults and eventually learn their lesson, others continue committing assaults for years, even picking up the pace. Antonia Abbey, a social psychologist at Wayne State University, explained that men who blame their victims — those who accuse women of dressing too revealing or being susceptible because they’re intoxicated, for example — are more likely to continue committing assault. The one difference Malamuth found between predatory men who commit assaults and those who don’t is whether or not they scored highly on measures of empathy. There is obviously a societal error in how we raise men to think only as men. Thinking from a female perspective and raising men’s standards of empathy could really make strides in the predatory male’s ability to grasp the gravity of non-consensual sex. The first step to fixing a problem is always to acknowledge it, so please don’t take this article lightly. We must change the way society teaches men to think. Let them be emotional. Let them be empathetic. Let them be female, and then maybe they will begin to understand.
This is the opinion of Jennifer Lee, a junior screenwriting major from Sacramento, California. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email editor@theloyolan.com.
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Biology department accidently spawning rodents A search into the Life Sciences budget has found illegal activity. Sami Leung
Professional Rat Wrestler Students have brought to our attention the alarming rise in rodent and pest sightings on campus. The Bluff, forever loyal to our audience, investigated and has found that the source of the animals is none other than our own science department. According to chemistry professor William Calliph, the biology department in particular are the ones to blame for the rodents. The Life Sciences Building has provided professors and students with new equipment and a
heightened sense of power. This disastrous combination has led to a secret underground program called Rodents Are Terrifyingly Spawned, or R.A.T.S. “We never meant for our creations to escape the underground labyrinth we built for them,” said research assistant Frank Stein. “It wasn’t until the Loyolan article about the rats came out that we realized some of our subjects had gone missing.” The program originated after a couple of students wanted to see if they could clone a rat they caught in the Lair. Once they were able to duplicate the rat dependably, they expanded the program to include raccoons, possums and even spiders. “I’m shocked that the cause of all the terror on campus has been because of our own tuition money,” junior psychology
major Buddy Dorse said. “I’ve been fast walking at night to avoid eye contact with all the raccoons and possums. It’s honestly intimidating.” Its unclear at this time whether the program will be shut down by President Snyder for its destructive effects on campus or whether its efforts will continue on to include other, more helpful animals, such as squirrels. “We need to end this program and let the rest of the animals free,” said senior environmental science major Taylor Banks. “They deserve an education just like the rest of us.” Whatever your view on the program, professors in the program warn students to stay away from all furry animals, as the effects of the cloning process are not quite clear.
Cameron Woodard | Loyolan
Scientists have created strange, cloned versions of vermin to roam campus.
California regions asking for separation to work on self The relationship is too one-sided. It’s time to fix that with some time away. Jenny Lee & Thomas Richmond
Left Cheek, Right Cheek
Aurora Occelli | Loyolan
New California declares to motorists how great the breakup has been.
This country’s “more perfect Union” has been far from that ideal. States have split before over financial stress (Maine and Massachusetts), infidelity (Virginia and Kentucky) and alleged abuse (Virginia and West Virginia). This past week spells trouble in paradise for the West Coast as the California Love committee released a formal plan to initiate a mutual separation among several regions of California, such as between the under-appreciated Modesto and Bakersfield. California Love is the legal team speaking on behalf of the eastern interior regions that wish to separate themselves under the empowering name, “New California.” To ensure a clean
breakup, they’ve laid out New California’s own Declaration of Independence. They’re aiming for an open statehood to allow the non-coastal regions to rediscover themselves. “It’s a classic case of natural barriers creating distance,” Katherine Hoverset, a geographical relationships specialist, said. “Too often, toxic relationships persist into endless squabbling, with one side receiving more recognition than the other. I welcome the bravery here as encouragement to all those trapped in loveless relationships.” California Love believes that the large size of the state has made the inland regions starved for attention and love from their residents. With the whole state enthralled by the beaches of Los Angeles and Santa Cruz and the dramatic cityscape of San Francisco, cities like Fresno feel lost. The regions that the proposed New California comprises have been feeling unappreciated for years, but never until this moment had the
resources to strike out on their own. New California doesn’t expect life to be drastically uprooted. It’ll still return California’s texts, and custody arrangements can be made for million of coastal residents to visit on weekends and holidays. “We want to try things out, you know? Just see what some time apart does for us,” said California Love chair Tuscan Shaller. “We just think the valley and mountain regions should really be focusing on themselves right now. Self-care is as important as self-governance.” According to Shaller, the separation would allow the states to work on truly understanding their value as part of the United States. “We’re hoping that the noncoastal regions will try out a few new hobbies, maybe declare a second official language,” said Shaller. “It’s possible partnering with another state that better suits New California’s needs might be a healthy change. I hear Utah is open to a lot of things.”
Protecting your goods more important than ever
LMU worried about the health and safety of your most important assets. Casey Lee
Uses Second-Hand Protection LMU has warned of some concerns on campus that address issues with safe interpersonal conduct across campus. These concerns stem from an influx every weekend of students reporting symptoms such as scratches, penetrating odors and overall poor function of their goods. LMU health experts suspect nights of drinking to have a major influence on carelessness students have with their goods. Dirk Braekman, a senior theology studies major, reported his personal story of poor function to campus
authorities and told us, “I started the night with no expectations, and I thoroughly enjoyed my night, but the next morning was rough to wake up to seeing that in my bed.” Student support groups have sprung up around campus to help students affected by these sad events. “I know students like to party, I like partying too! But when I party, I make sure to do it safely,” Dick Rodman, Head of the Inadequate Health Committee, said. “I protect everything that needs to be protected and don’t get too drunk so I don’t wake up the next morning feeling disappointed.” Sarah Green told us she saw “people are exposing their goods at frat parties, in their rooms, on Alumni Mall, even in class! It made everyone cringe.” Treatment for these symptoms can be up to nearly one thousand dollars
if a student doesn’t have the proper insurance. Some sketchy businesses nearby offer treatment for cheap, but sources say more issues arise later in the future, sometimes ones that are untreatable. Some tips for preventing and treating symptoms are: Make sure you’re protected. This is key to staying safe. Don’t get too drunk. Drinking can affect your mental and physical stability. Have insurance. It’ll save you from emptying out your wallet. It’s not the end of the world. You could always get another. Finally, protecting your phone with a case could cost thirty dollars now, but it’ll protect you from scratches, cracks, faulty buttons, broken screens and waking up from a night of drinking to a phone that’ll need a couple hundred dollars to fix. Jason Munoz | Loyolan
Some students laugh at the misfortune of others, while the rest hide in shame
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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THE UNDECLAREDS
PIXELLANEOUS
By Abby Pollak, Staff Cartoonist
2014 Classic!
By Hannah Kim (‘17), Staff Cartoonist
Want to draw for the Loyolan? We’re hiring! Email jobs@theloyolan.com for more information about being a Cartoon Intern!
T E N T H
A N N U A L
Undergraduate Research Symposium ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS DUE F R I D A Y, F E B R U A R Y 9 T H For more information, please visit our website: www.lmu.edu/symposium
ARTS SHOWCASE Friday, March 23 rd Burns Fine Arts Center
SYMPOSIUM Saturday, March 24 th University Hall
Design by Kevin Chan ‘18 & Julian Kehle ‘19
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Taylor Gage | Loyolan
life+arts
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Breaking down the ‘negligent’ shutdown What’s Up Hutch Cory Hutchinson
Asst. Life+Arts Editor @lajollahutch
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ollowing last Friday’s announcement of a government shutdown due to the Senate’s inability to pass a spending bill for 2018, Senate Democrats recently agreed on a short-term bill that would provide funds for the government until Feb. 8. While this is a crucial obstacle that’s been overcome in terms of reopening the government, they still have a long way to go: They must come up with a spending bill for the year and reach an agreement on an immigration bill. Both would require House and Senate approval, plus President Trump’s approval. As soon as the shutdown announcement was released, Twitter blew up with political rants, citing a now hypocritical quote from Trump during Obama’s presidential term: “A shutdown falls on the President’s lack of leadership. He can’t even control his party and get people together in a room. A shutdown means the President is weak,” Trump tweeted in 2013. Clearly, while the nation was up in arms about the matter, the rest of the world took the opportunity to give their two cents about how the shutdown makes us look as a country. One op-ed reporter for Britain’s Financial Times, Ed Luce, said, “In addition to being unable to uphold a deal with Democrats, Mr. Trump disagrees with crucial White House officials. The president’s own people are in a state of rolling confusion about what he wants.” Most people would agree with Luce, considering half of the Senate is in the dark about which terms of an immigration bill and
Graphic by Chloe Cunningham | Loyolan
a spending bill are appealing to Trump. At the same time, the Republicans in the Senate are seeking pre-approval before drafting a bill. As for immigration, many Democrats in the Senate are standing up for undocumented immigrants, hoping the new bill protects the Dreamers. Others, however, would say that this shutdown is just another political soap opera, magnified by the effects of social media. James Robbins, a USA Today columnist, wrote, “Shutdowns are high drama but essentially low impact ... Whoever ultimately gets blamed, the larger issue is the ‘budgeting by crisis’ that has become the norm.” In the case of this shutdown, it’s the nation blaming Trump and Trump blaming the Democrats. Neither party can seem to put the blame on themselves and just work together to come up with some sort of agreement. “[A shutdown] might help our elected officials focus on fixing the broken system before voters decide that they are non-essential and tell them to stay home,” Robbins said. Aside from the opinions of op-ed writers and U.S. politicians, some opinions closer to LMU’s campus highlight the important implications of the shutdown and what it means for more than just the functions of the federal government. Senior English and biology double major Mekleit Dix said, “Initially I was called back to 2013, and I remembered being 16 years old
or so at the time, and I was shocked at how obstructive to justice the shutdown ultimately was.” Dix explained that government shutdowns come from the inability of both the executive and legislative branches of government to produce legislation for governmentally funded agencies. “Last time it was healthcare; this time it’s immigration,” Dix said. Without the proper legislation, the government essentially flops. While these shutdowns are somewhat common, this is the first shutdown where the president’s party controls both the House and Senate — meaning the president is going against his party as a whole — and people aren’t accepting the excuses being made for face value. “I find these shutdowns to be grossly negligent. In these instances the legislative and executive bodies are hesitating over what — I believe — are issues of human justice and access to quality of life,” Dix said. Senior theology major Melissa Cedillo shared her disappointment for what this moment in U.S. politics reflects on society. “I wish it didn’t have to come to this. We had a real shot at bipartisanship, but I’m proud of my government for taking a stand for Dreamers,” Cedillo said. Cedillo also made a point on the notion that some people think the current issue is choosing immigrants over the nation, but Cedillo said she thinks immigrants are a crucial part of the U.S. “Whether people like it or not, those who are undocumented are part of this nation. I think
this shutdown is a way to stick up for a very vulnerable part of our nation,” Cedillo said. One of Dix’s additional points to the shutdown was that legislators receive pay while many other civil servants and government employees often go without pay during a time like this. Sophomore biology major Malaika Ngwana said, “I just think it’s ridiculous that it’s so polarized and that there was no way reach an agreement or compromise for the benefit of society as a whole.” What many politicians preach is that they work for the people in order to give them a better life, but there’s a divide between what politicians are saying and what the people are believing. “As a member of the federal government, you’re supposed to forfeit your private interest to best serve the needs of the country, and I don’t think that’s what is actually happening,” Ngwana said. While the storm has momentarily settled, this is an opportunity for the people to educate themselves on what shutdowns actually mean and how any proposed bills affect the nation on a grander scale. The last solutions might not be perfect, but it’s an opportunity for there to be a national discourse on political issues that have global consequences. This is the opinion of Cory Hutchinson, a junior sociology major from Palm Desert, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to tgage@theloyolan.com.
Rise of the box office: Anticipated movies of 2018
Just Jacob Jacob Cornblatt Life+Arts Intern @jacobcornblatt
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ith Sundance Film Festival already in full swing, the 2018 film scene is starting to get exciting. The year will be full of sequels (“Avengers: Infinity War”), remakes (“Overboard”) and universe-expansions (“Solo: A Star Wars Story”), but those aren’t even close to the most exciting movies that this year has to offer. Here are my five most anticipated American films of 2018. 5. “First Man” After 2016’s “La La Land,” director Damien Chazelle was given the chance to make whatever movie he wanted. So what did he choose? A Neil Armstrong biopic, starring Ryan Gosling himself. The film is slated to be released around October, and it’s looking like it will be great. 4. “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” I know I said that this list wouldn’t contain sequels, but I have to let my love of Harry Potter shine through. “Fantastic Beasts” was a great introduction to another piece of J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world, and after two years, the sequel finally arrives. Rowling is writing the script once again, which is a great sign.
via Wikimedia Commons and Flickr Creative Commons
3. “Eighth Grade” Bo Burnham meets A24? Yes, please. Premiering at Sundance with great reviews, Burnham’s directorial debut follows an eighth grade girl leading up to the most stressful time of her life so far: middle school graduation. The film has been hailed as the first in a new line of modern high school movies, and has been praised for its spectacular writing. 2. “If Beale Street Could Talk” Riding the success of his directorial debut “Moonlight,” Barry Jenkins purchased the rights to a novel by activist James Baldwin. The film will be another evaluation of individualism, race and gender, telling the story of a woman in Harlem whose husband is wrongfully convicted of a crime. This should be a great addition to Jenkins’ filmography. 1. “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” In 1957, Orson Welles failed to create his adaptation of the legendary novel, “Don Quixote.” Many more directors tried to do the same, and yet, all of them failed. Then, in 1998, Terry Gilliam began working on an adaptation titled “The Man who Killed Don Quixote.” For a variety of reasons, the production failed. Gillam tried eight times to make the movie, and every time it got stuck in development or couldn’t finish production. The film
is so legendary that a documentary was released in 2002 about one of the attempts at production. Finally, 20 years later, a new cast and production team led under Gilliam
have finished production and the film will finally be released. Will it live up to the decades of hype? We’ll have to wait and see.
This is the opinion of Jacob Cornblatt, a freshman film production major from Gaithersburg, Maryland. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to tgage@ theloyolan.com.
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Allison Crawford | Loyolan
Recruitment through the eyes of a potential member Midnight in Paris Paris Shepherd Life+Arts Intern @LALoyolan
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he announcement made by my roommate that recruitment had officially begun was met with an unapologetic eye-roll that fully captured my disinterest in all things concerning Greek life. Recruitment is best defined as the period in which sororities and fraternities hold social events with the purpose of allowing potential new members, as well as current members, to familiarize themselves with each other. Although I have have had an indifferent or negitive view of greek life in the past and it may seem that I’ve already made my mind up about what Greek life is good for, I also realize that I don’t know much about it — aside from the hazing horror stories that have been frequenting the news as of late. Despite the apparent drawbacks of joining these organizations, I am a firm believer in the age-old saying that there are two sides to every story and, then, somewhere in between the two, lies the truth. I approached the topic with this way of thinking and was able to find out more about what the sorority pledging process is like by speaking with a willing participant. Catherine Azaula, a sophomore marketing major, transferred to LMU last fall from the University of Arizona (U of A).
From the many conversations that we’ve had in our shared dorm room, I’ve understood that Greek life was a huge determiner of social life for the students attending U of A. Azaula was only in attendance for her freshman year of college, so she didn’t have much of an opportunity to join a sorority. Now that she’s started her second semester here at LMU, she feels at ease with her surroundings and views joining a sorority as a good way to meet new people, as well as to get more involved with campus life. “I’m also interested in exploring all of the different philanthropy aspects that are a large part of each sorority,” said Azaula. She recently attended recruitment orientation put on by current members of our on-campus sororities and held in St. Robert’s Hall. According to Azaula, a lot of hopeful potential new members (PNMs) attended. As the meeting progressed, she even made friends with someone near to her. All seemed to be going well, until that same girl she had recently befriended anxiously asked one of the current sorority sisters if they were going to be checking for any criminal records. From what I’ve been told, many sororities keep personal files of their pledges on hand, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they already knew about any of the PNMs’ past transgressions. Since LMU is such a small campus, the presence of Greek life isn’t as prominent here as opposed to larger schools, such as UCLA — UCLA stands out to me in particular
because of the extensive housing provided for Greek Life members that has been dubbed “Greek Row.” I can assure you that these rows of houses are exact replicas of every Hollywood depiction of Greek life that you have ever seen and, in my opinion, the resemblance is slightly terrifying. According to LMU’s website, there are 14 registered national Panhellenic Sorority and Interfraternity Council (IFC) organizations on campus. LMU also offers eight CulturallyBased Fraternal Organizations that interested students also have to partake in a recruitment process for. With so many different sororities to choose from, it’s natural to gravitate towards some over the others when deciding to rush. When asked if she had a preference for one sorority over another, Azaula quickly remarked that she’s trying to keep an open mind. “I don’t want to rule out or single out different sororities because they are all different, so I’ll be happy with wherever it is that I fit in,” said Azuala. Despite her open mindedness, she is aware that some sororities are viewed as being more desirable than others. “There’s definitely a trend and there are stereotypes that go along with that. I know that some girls really do want to get into those top houses, but its just going to be that much more heartbreaking if they aren’t accepted into them,” said Azuala. Some of these known stereotypes stem from observations that have been made, regarding which girls
are routinely being chosen to join certain sororities and which ones are not. Despite the stereotypes surrounding some sororities, many of LMU’s female population are trying their best to join one. The recruitment process officially began Friday, Jan. 19 and came to a close Sunday, Jan. 21. Over the course of three days, PNMs are required to participate in certain recruitment activities, the first being a meet and greet. Potential new members are given the chance to familiarize themselves with each sorority during timed verbal exchanges. These conversations are usually very brief, so making a good first impression is key to moving on to day two. The second day is all about familiarizing the PNMs with the sororities’ philanthropies, which are notable causes that each respective orgnaization supports. A few of these include domestic violence awareness, children’s cancer research and speech and hearing services. Day two is followed by preference
day, which allows and encourages PNMs to ask questions of the one to two sororities that showed interest in them. Usually, the person(s) that the PNMs end up conversing with are ones that they have spoken to in the days before. Not only is this a chance for PNMs to really get a feel for the sororities that have invited them back, but it’s highly emotional. Azaula made it very clear that the second and third days were very emotional. With that being said, the PNMs’ tears were met with the suggestions of recruitment counselors to talk to someone about what they were feeling. PNMs receive their “bids,” or invitations to join the sorority, when both they and the sorority that’s expressed interest in them officially accept the other’s invitation. As excessive as that all may sound, their system works, because swarms of college-aged students still rush to join. This is the opinion of Paris Shepherd, a junior communication studies major from Ventura, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to tgage@theloyolan.com.
䐀漀 琀栀攀 䴀愀最椀猀⸀ 䜀伀 䰀䤀伀一匀匀
ጠ 䰀䴀唀 䨀攀猀甀椀琀 䌀漀洀洀甀渀椀琀礀
SPORTS
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Women’s basketball fails to convert on offense Matty Light Matt Rodriguez
A
Asst. Sports Editor @LALoyolan
fter a four game losing streak, women’s basketball recovered with a win against the worst team in the league, University of Portland, 63-60. The Lions currently sit sixth in the West Coast Conference (WCC), one spot behind their predicted position in the WCC preseason poll. The Lions began this conference season well with a three game win streak against Saint Mary’s College, University of Pacific and Santa Clara University. In the next game against Gonzaga University the Lions dropped their first conference game. This is where their struggles at the free throw line began to hurt them in the conference games. Earlier in the season after a loss to USC, where the Lions missed 15 free throws, Head Coach Charity Elliott said that she wanted to improve her team’s free throw percentage. However, with an abysmal .618 free throw shooting percentage, the Lions have dropped from sixth in the WCC in free throw percentage to dead last tenth place. It’s not like the Lions have not been getting any practice at the line either. In the WCC, the Lions lead the league in free throw attempts with 419. In the game against Gonzaga the team had 34 attempts, only converting 18 — that’s 16 free points LMU failed to convert. The Lions lost that game 77-67. In the game against BYU, the Lions missed 15 free throws. They lost 67-55. It seemed the Lions finally got the message of making free throws against Portland, missing only six, but another one of their issues manifested — field goal percentage.
Against the worst team in the league, the Lions shot 38.2 percent overall and 20 percent from beyond the arc. In the last five games the Lions failed to shoot above 40 percent from the field. They have also only shot above 30 percent from beyond the arc once in the last five games. This season the Lions are the the second worst in field goal percentage, .399 and sixth in threepoint percentage, .299. Although the Lions are struggling to convert on the offensive end, they are playing well on defense. In the WCC the Lions have the third best defense keeping their opponents below .382 field goal percentage. They also allow the lowest percentage of three-pointers with their opponents converting on only 27 percent of their attempts. The Lions are also second in the WCC for blocks with two players, redshirt juniors guard Gabby Green and forward Bree Alford, in the top 15. In steals the Lions are third with Green as the WCC leader in steals. The Lions have been exemplary at grabbing rebounds as they are second in the conference in offensive and third in defensive. Alford leads the WCC in offensive rebounds and is second in defensive rebounds. She is joined by junior guard/forward Cheyanne Wallace who is seventh in offensive rebounds and Green who is tenth in defensive rebounds. However, as the Lions have learned, defense can only do so much to help you win games. If the Lions want to turn their season around they need to convert on their attempts and increase their offensive output. This is the opinion of Matt Rodriguez, a junior political science major from Milpitas, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan, or email tdevries@theloyolan.com.
Emily Sullivan | Loyolan
Freshman Chelsey Gipson was the standout shooter in the game against BYU shooting 40 percent overall and 66 percent from beyond the arc. The team went 19-63 overall, a dismal 30 percent.
Tensions flare between players and officials NBA from Page 16
via Wikimedia Commons
LeBron James earned his first ejection of his career. He is one of 33 players that has been ejected this season.
Derozan said it felt like they were playing “five on eight” down the stretch, a reference to how he saw the officiating being in the Warriors’ favor. The players are clearly frustrated with the officials. It has reached a point where there is no longer respect for referees from the players. They are constantly yelling, insulting and challenging officials on calls — whether they are right or wrong on the subject. From the officials perspective, they are upset with the lack of respect they are receiving from the players, which could be a reason for the increased number of high profile ejections that have taken place in the first half of the season. From a player perspective, one can understand their frustration when an incorrect call by an offical directly affects the outcome of the game. At the same time it would make sense that a referee is unlikely to enjoy working with the players when they are in their
face debating fouls throughout the entire game. During a recent game between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors, commentator Mark Jackson spoke on the tensions between the players and referees, saying the players are guilty of intensifying the issue. “If I were the referees, I wouldn’t meet with them,” Jackson said, referring to how the players need to be more respectful to the referees before civilized meetings can take place. In the same game, commentator Jeff Van Gundy said an official told him that this is a player issue, where the players — instead of venting their frustrations out on each other and their opponents — are taking it out on the referees. This conflict between referees and players is a problem that needs to be addressed. When players are arguing and getting ejected frequently, the product on the floor loses the quality and
civilized entertainment that it is supposed to provide. NBA referees are not going to get every single call correct, and they may in fact make calls that are entirely wrong and affect the outcome of games, but these are human mistakes that are a biproduct of the pace of the game. NBA players should put an end to the harassment towards the referees. It is understandable to debate certain calls and talk to the officials, but to shout expletives, get in their face or, in the case of Warriors guard Shaun Livingston, physically attack them with a headbutt, is uncalled for and needs to end. A meeting is necessary to ensure the players and referees are on the same page and the NBA can avoid this needless drama on the basketball court.
This is the opinion of Miles Thomas, a freshman commnications major from Los Angeles, California. Tweet comments to @ LALoyolan, or email tdevries@theloyolan. com.
SPORTS
SCORES UPDATE
W. WATER POLO 12-2 W
LION
vs. Cal
SPORTS
W. BASKETBALL 63-60 W
vs. Portland
M. BASKETBALL
72-65 L
at Portland Follow us on Twitter @laloyolan for up-to-date scores.
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LOS ANGELES LOYOLAN | January 24, 2018 | laloyolan.com
Homecoming weekend brings community to LMU
Jose Aguila, Jason Munoz & Emily Sullivan | Loyolan
LMU men’s and women’s basketball each hosted events as part of Homecoming weekend. On Thursday, the women welcomed thousands of children from local schools in the community for their annual Education Day matinee game. On Saturday, the focus turned to the men’s team with a homecoming tailgate featuring food, games and an ice rink ahead of their clash with Portland.
NBA players and officials need to find common ground Miles Per Hour Miles Thomas
Sports Intern @LoyolanSports
T
hroughout this NBA season, the strained relationship between the players and referees has reached a point where a meeting between the two parties is being planned to address the issue. Tensions are high, with nearly every game seeing players getting in the face of referees, berating them for what they believe are incorrect calls. The officials respond by handing players technical fouls or ejecting them, making the players more upset. The issue stems from the players and officials being unable to meet each others’ needs to be content in their respective jobs. The players want more consistency with the calls in the games, while the officials want to have a controlled and non-hostile working environment, attempting to avoid getting harassed and abused by the players night in and night out.
Confrontation between players and officials is nothing new, but this season has seen superstar players get ejected more frequently than ever before. Last season, star players such as Kevin Durant, Lebron James and Anthony Davis did not get ejected at all. This season, Durant has already been ejected three times, while James and Davis have both been ejected for the first time in their careers following disputes with officials. Recently, it has gotten to the point where players are getting called for technical fouls while not even playing in the game. Last week, Brooklyn Nets guard D’Angelo Russell, who was inactive and on the bench due to injury, picked up a technical after clapping at an official’s call that he did not agree with. From the players side, it seems like after every game the players from the losing team are complaining about the officiating of the game. After their loss to the Golden State Warriors last week, Toronto Raptors all star guard Demar See NBA | Page 14