Los Angeles Loyolan February 6th 2018

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Two students talk on writing and producing their own music. Page 13

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Student Amanda Sadis talks about her experience as a Clippers dancer. Page 18

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Black History Month celebrated Events aim to educate the students on the contributions of the black community. Kayan Tara

Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan

February marks the beginning of Black History Month, the annual celebration of the achievements and contributions of African Americans in the United States. LMU celebrates the historical and cultural contributions of black people through a wide array of educational and entertaining events throughout the month of February. The LMU Black History Month committee chose the theme “Blacks in the Struggle” for the 2018 Black History Month. According to Nathan J. Sessoms, the director at the Office of Black Student Services (OBSS), this has been one of the most collaborative years of Black History Month, with events hosted by and involving several different departments on campus. According to Stefan Bradley, the chair of African American studies, the content and topics discussed during Black History Month are not new. The month provides an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and administrators to reflect on the “travails and triumphs of black people while keeping an eye to the future,” Bradley said. “I believe wholeheartedly that this month makes America shine brighter as a nation,” Bradley said. “At this moment, when people of African descent are being ridiculed for their stances on justice or for merely being from a particular country

or continent, LMU can take advantage of the opportunity to escape ignorance and combat hate by engaging in Black History Month.” The celebration began Feb. 1 with a Black History Month Kickoff in Lawton Plaza. Tonight, Feb. 7, an interview with Amanda Seales from HBO’s “Insecure” will be hosted by OBSS and Maine Entertainment in the Living Room. The Department of African American Studies is hosting National Book Award Winner Dr. Ibram Kendi on Feb. 8, at 6 p.m., at the Ahmanson Auditorium in University Hall. It is co-sponsored by BCLA Office of the Dean and Vice President of Intercultural Affairs. Faculty were also integral in the committee and will participate in events throughout the month, according to Jennifer Williams, a professor of African American studies. Other upcoming events include a celebration of Cuban Art and Culture during Family Weekend, Feb. 10 and 11, as well as the Sweet Potato Pie Social on Feb. 15 between 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Malone 112. Williams will be facilitating a talkback about the Afrofuturism of Black Panther after the Black Panther Movie screening, which will take place at Cinemark at the Howard Hughes Center at 7:05 p.m. Buses to transport students to the movie screening will leave Hannon Field at 6 p.m. The date, time and place for the talkback is still being determined, according to Williams. Black History Month was first celebrated nationally in 1976, according to Williams. It grew from “Negro History Week,” created in 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History

Jason Munoz | Loyolan

See Black History | Page 3

Dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts, Bryant Alexander, performed at Hidden Heroes.

Contingent Faculty Network on campus Adjunct faculty have worked to make their presence and contributions known on campus. Sami Leung

Interim News Editor @LALoyolan

Emily Sullivan | Loyolan

DREAM Call-in event encourages activism ASLMU hosted a booth on Thursday, Feb. 2 in Lawton Plaza from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and encouraged students, faculty and staff to call their legislatures in support of the DREAM Act. Printed scripts and phone numbers were provided to facilitate the calls. For every individual that called, a free donut or slice of pizza was offered. This event was a part of a national effort on behalf of many Jesuit universities across the nation to advocate on behalf of the DREAM Act. There was also a form letter offered by the Ignatian Solidarity Network in support of the DREAMERs. This letter can be edited and automatically sent to congressional representatives. ASLMU hosted LMU’s involvement in this day as part of their continuous effort to support the dreamers.

LMU’s teaching faculty population is made up of full- and part-time faculty members. Full-time positions teach about four courses per semester and are tenured or are on the tenure track. Adjunct or contingent faculty teach around two courses a semester and include positions such as lecturer and teaching professors. There are currently 445 active part-time faculty, 39 visiting professors and 15 postdoctoral teaching fellows employed at LMU. The term active part-time faculty refers to faculty who are currently teaching or have taught within the past 12 months, according to Thomas Poon, executive vice president and provost. “Our contingent faculty are important colleagues and members of our university community who generously contribute their many talents to the education of our students and to the betterment of LMU,” said Poon. “They represent a full spectrum of academic disciplines and specialties. I know that all of our contingent colleagues are committed to providing the best education possible for LMU students and consistently report that they enjoy working with our students.” A networking a support group called the LMU Contingent Faculty Network, formed

in 2012, aims to facilitate communication between contingent faculty and fulltime faculty. They also want to encourage dialogue about the role of contingent faculty on campus. According to the CFN website, contingent faculty teach a majority of core undergraduate and graduate courses but aren’t included in the governance of faculty. This network was approached by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in 2013. SEIU is an organization that has worked to unionize part-time faculty in other locations such as Washington, D.C. and Boston. Contingent faculty at LMU were given the option to vote to unionize, but after policy changes by the University, they voted against unionizing. Part-time faculty are eligible for health benefits — medical, dental and vision — when they have taught at least six units for two consecutive semesters and are scheduled to teach at least six units in the third semester. Professor Lee Greenberg, a lecturer in the theology department, has been a professor for 15 years and was one of the leaders of the adjunct union movement on campus in 2013. When asked about how adjunct faculty are treated now, he said he believes that they “are treated better than at many other universities, but it is still very far from fair in the absolute sense.” “My lack of publishing is the primary thing that has held me back from being truly competitive for these positions,” said Greenberg. “But it is a vicious circle, once someone accepts a position as an See Adjunct | Page 3



NEWS

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BURNING QUESTIONS

This week, Asst. News Editor Kayla Brogan sat down with the Chair of the Recording Arts Department, Mladen Milicevic to discuss his role as the composer of the musical score for the 2003 film “The Room.”

1

What drew you to studying experimental music composition?

I always wanted to experiment and do things that other people did not do.

2

How long have you been composing music for?

I started when I was 18 so that makes it 42 years of composing music.

Music for a theatre play “Empire of the Moon” to be put on stage here at LMU. Directed by LMU professor Neno Pervan and acted by theatre department students.

4

What was it like composing the musical score for the 2003 film “The Room?”

Like working in a freak show.

Have you seen “The Disaster Artist?” If so, was it accurate? I saw the film. I do not know if it was accurate because I did not personally witness anything that was depicted in the film.

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What was it like working with the director, Tommy Wiseau?

He did not participate in the creative process much. It was all done through the editor of “The Room” Eric Chase. You probably do not know but Tommy did not direct the film. There is a book out that talks about that, called “I Directed The Room” by Sandy Schklair who actually directed it.

ANSWERS?

Black History from Page 1

announced the second week of February to be to recognize the role of the African American in American history, according to PBS SoCal. According to Williams, Black History Month has strayed from the original intent of the founder Carter G. Woodson. “It has moved from this time of reflection … to a month of repeating the same significant figures, from the same conservative perspective. Black History Month feels as though it is lacking a radical and scholarly perspective, and thus, its heart. While new histories are being created from the protests against police brutality to the recognition of African Americans in various industries ... these new histories are felt to be more ahead of the past than they really are,” Williams said. “We reflect on certain African Americans and certain ideologies that benefit the facade of an ideal American nation,” Williams said. “We don’t reflect on the reality of the African American experience, nor the lesser known ideologies and people who struggled to expose the root of anti-blackness. We pick and choose which African American History is recognized and ignore that we are dooming ourselves to repeat history.”

3 Contingent faculty 5

Is there something you are currently working on?

WANT MORE

LMU honors black history

Want to read even more questions with Milicevic? Check them out at laloyolan.com.

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Adjunct from Page 1

adjunct, on account of not having access to the kinds of resources that tenure-line faculty have access to, such as sabbaticals and research grants.” Greenberg believes that there is a stigma against adjuncts that plays a part in their treatment at LMU. According to their website, in 2011, LMU’s contingent faculty comprised 52 percent of the total faculty and 42 percent of BCLA’s total faculty population. Currently, contingent faculty cannot serve on committees, either at the departmental or collegewide level, according to the BCLA website. However, contingent faculty are included in the Faculty Senate, which works as the

official voice of the LMU faculty when working with University administration. They are also allowed to submit their works to the Faculty Publications booklet that recognizes research of faculty each year since 2013. Some part-time faculty prefer not to pursue the tenure track due to career or family responsibilities. Danielle Borgia, an adjunct professor of women’s studies at LMU, said that she loves being a part of the faculty at LMU. As a recent mother, she said she has been given classes that fit her child care schedule while still making her “feel valuable to the departments and programs.” “There is more respect given to many of us than at other

academic institutions, and we are not required to have as high of a workload as some public universities and colleges,” said Borgia. “I don’t think contingent faculty have been treated fairly in terms of health care, though things have changed since the University struck a deal with the part-time faculty organization that was starting to unionize.” Borgia has applied for a tenured position in the past, but said that she does not want the tenured position because she prefers “both to spend more teaching time with first and second-year students in introductory courses than research affords” and that she wants to spend more time with her family.


NEWS

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New legislation to impact college students President Trump signed 96 bills this year, here’s a breakdown of a few. Kayla Brogan Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan

President Donald Trump’s first year in office was paired with several new policies that will influence the lives of Americans around the nation. He signed 96 bills into law in 2017, but few represented major legislative achievements, according to NPR. Laws Trump has signed this year can be split into several categories including basic maintenance, implementing new policy, providing one-time disaster relief, repealing rules and regulations, encouraging agency or president to try something new, reauthorizing or modifying existing law, naming something/ making a statement and relating to personnel, according to NPR. “For him, immigration is the topic he thinks he knows best, yet [he] fails to understand that this deal he wants is in fact not a deal but another attack on immigrants,” said Madison Hernandez-Barber, a junior political science major. She added that President Trump thinks he is putting America first, but he is not succeeding. “More than three dozen [bills] modify or extend existing law; 16 repeal rules and regulations using a process known as the Congressional Review Act,” according to NPR. They added that a dozen memorialize people or places by renaming them and the final seven were for disaster relief funding, a one-time government expenditure.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the major bills passed that could impact college students: The third and most recent travel ban issued by President Trump placed a temporary travel ban on refugees from eight nations, six of which are Muslim majority nations. This order exempts green card holders, as well as individuals with valid visas, according to the N.Y. Times. Citizens from North Korea, Chad, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya and Iran will be barred from entering the U.S. Some groups from Venezuela will also be restricted. In most cases, the people will be unable to emigrate to the U.S. permanently and in some instances they will be restricted from working, studying and vacationing in the U.S. President Trump also reversed an Obama-era administration global warming policy called the Clean Power Plan. This order was signed by the Environmental Protection Agency and hinders efforts to combat global warming, according to BBC. This rollback of climate change regulations was met with legal challenges from 17 states led by New York State. To ensure jobs and American energy independence, Trump felt this order was necessary. President Trump chose to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This was an Obamaera international trade policy that would eventually create a new single market, like the EU, between the 12 countries that border the Pacific Ocean and are responsible for 40 percent of the world’s economic output, according to BBC. However, the deal was not yet approved by Congress so it was not in effect in the U.S. A Republican tax bill passed that

went into effect on Jan. 1. Taxes filed in 2018 for the 2017 fiscal year will still follow the old tax plan. An article previously written in the Loyolan explains how this plan is expected to impact Californians, especially. The tax brackets will be changed for both single and joint filers. The rates are lower, incomes adjusted, but there are still seven federal income tax brackets, according to Business Insider. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protects young adults in America brought to the United States illegally. Soon, many of these individuals will be at risk of deportation. More than 800,000 people would be impacted, according to the N.Y. Times. The Trump administration announced they will be rescinding the DACA program in December. They will no longer be issuing applications, but current holders could reapply for the program. Trump gave congress a March 5 deadline to replace DACA or people currently residing in the U.S. that did not reapply for DACA will be deported, according to the Guardian. In the past four months they’ve passed month long budget bills. Trump wants congress to decide if 600,00 people will be deported. They added that a government shutdown is unlikely this week, making small resolutions to maintain government operation. The deadline decision for DACA will most likely be extended into late March. Obamacare’s mandate that require’s all Americans to buy insurance was rolled back as part of Trump’s tax plan. It is expected that this mandate will lead to the demise of Obamacare. However, there will be a few more years of Obamacare, according to Politico.

Dow rallies after biggest drop in history Stocks rallied Tuesday after historic losses on Friday and Monday. Kayan Tara

Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan

The Dow Jones industrial average (DGIA) suffered its biggest one day point drop in history this Monday, Feb. 5, plunging over 1,175 points, as reported by USA Today. As of the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 6, the Dow continued to plunge 567 points, a drop of 10 percent from previous records, sinking into “correction territory,” with the index then rising to a mirror image gain of 567, according to CNN Money. The DGIA is the average price of 30 stocks traded on the stock market, meant to represent the market as a whole, according to the Washington Post. According to James G. Devine, a professor of economics, it is likely that stock prices were too high before the crash and this is only an adjustment, or “correction,” toward what they should have been. Devine thinks the steepness of the crash could create a long “bear” period during which stock prices stay low and even drift down slowly. Several financial experts say the fall this week should be seen as a correction, not a crash. After a long period of rising prices, according to analysts this fall was due a correction, as reported by Express and BBC. “I would just say buy everything, don’t get scared like all the other

pansies,” said Walker Abeyta, a senior finance and economics double major. “Everyone is running around with their heads cut off, I bought a lot of stocks yesterday and today. It’s already rallying right now, it has been extremely intense.” This correction of a 10 percent decline in stocks comes after a recent high. Less than two weeks ago the Dow closed at a record high of 26,616, according to CNN Money. This was the Dow’s biggest percentage gain of 2.3 percent since January 2016, the biggest point increase since August 2015 and the fourth-largest in history. The Dow had previously never lost more than 777 points in a single day, as reported by CNN Money. While Devine believes who hold stock should keep them until they come back a bit. The University might have an endowment that may have been hurt by this crash, Devine speculates. The crash could have affected the value of the portfolio, that may hurt capital projects, such as new buildings, according to Devine. “The stock market is not the economy: It has no direct effect on GDP, the availability of jobs, and the like... It’s mostly a gambling game for rich people,” said Devine. “Unlike Vegas, however, if you diversify your holdings and hold a stock for long periods, you’ll gain. The Federal Reserve may face a quandary: they seem to want to raise interest rates (to fight feared inflation) but that may spook the stock market.”


SOCIAL JUSTICE Spotlight: Harambee mentoring program laloyolan.com

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Lions help guide local Westchester “cubs” to aspire to college careers. Robyn De Leon

Asst. Social Justice Editor @LALoyolan

Working to “empower, enlighten and enrich” the lives of students from Westchester High School, Harambee is an LMU student-run organization that seeks to lead high school students on the path of post-secondary education. They do this by centering themselves around the idea of mentorship, using their own knowledge and personal experience at LMU to show their mentees what college is all about. Harambee is a relatively new club on campus. Still, while many on campus might not know it exists, its members show a clear passion for community activism and engagement in their efforts to facilitate meaningful relationships with the younger students. The organization stretches the idea that service, while it functions as a method of relief, cannot be done without the mentality of achieving social justice, which is their long term goal. The leaders of the group, like Harambee President

in the local community. Yasar quotes one of LMU’s mission statements, “the service of faith and promotion of justice,” to explain why he felt it necessary to be involved in this group personally. He wants to have an impact that is long lasting and meaningful for the betterment of the community, and working with the youths from the Westchester community accomplishes just that. Part of the work Harambee does includes providing extra resources to the students they work with. This includes academic tutoring sessions, college preparedness events and providing safe spaces to have discussions about social justice issues. Harambee members are motivated to offer their services to high schools like Westchester High School because “Traditionally, L.A. schools are underfunded,” according to Yasar. “The idea is to help schools, but typically secondary schools are left out because many feel like high schoolers are too difficult.” Yasar hopes Harambee can serve as a bridge between high school and college, assuring that these students will be provided an equal opportunity at an education. Senior political science major Jasmine Penney is the treasurer of

“... [T]ypically secondary schools are left out because many feel like high schoolers are too difficult.” Makeen Yasar, junior health and human science major, strives to present college as an attainable opportunity to the youth of color

Harambee. She similarly feels a deep sense of compassion for the youth they work with. Penney has been consistent with Harambee for

via Harambee

Harambee members show a commitment to serve the underserved in the surrounding community. They combine social justice and community service to engage with and inspire students at the nearby Westchester high school. three years, and as her last year of college closes, she sends a message of encouragement for more people at LMU to become active in working wth Harambee. “I hope more people get involved to volunteer and for [Harambee] to become something that LMU notices as important … a lot of us go to Westchester for different programs and [the students] run up to us. They show us grades; they tell us about teachers. They

Graphic by: Chloe Cunningham | Loyolan

get really close to us.” Harambee provides weekly tutoring on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 4:15 p.m. on the campus of Westchester Enriched Science Magnet. This Friday, they are putting on a college day where community members reiterate their college experience, followed by a question and answer session. They also hope to expand on the topics they cover in

discussion events by touching on relationships and self-care. Looking forward, the mentorship organization hopes to implement a Black History Month jeopardy game to both entertain and educate the students. For interested students driven toward social justice and looking to get involved with or learn more about Harambee, contact Yasar or members of its current eboard through OrgSync.


OPINION

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Board Editorial

It’s time to support journalism

Kellie Chudzinski Editor-in-Chief

Olivia Round

interim Managing Editor

Isabel Ngo

Managing Editor

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

In August 2016, the Indianapolis Star began years old get news multiple times a day, yet publishing investigative reports on sexual only 37 percent of that age groups pay for news. abuse within USA Gymnastics (USAG) and Even among news subscribers, many consume ultimately reported the accounts from victims their news through Facebook or other content that detailed instances of abuse by Dr. Larry distributors and social media sites. Nassar. The Indianapolis Stars subscriptions range In court, Michigan Attorney General Angela from $12 to $26 per month and the increase in Povilaitis praised the reporting by the Star for revenue provided by subscriptions no doubt their investigative efforts that led to more than played a role in the Stars ability to pay for 150 victims of Larry Nassar coming forward. airfare and dedicate three reporters to a story Later resulting in his prosecution and the for four months. The Indy Stars investigation resignation of leadership at USAG including the shed light on possibly the biggest sexual abuse President and all members scandal in sports history. of the Board of Directors. Recent long investigative “It shouldn’t take exposes, such as those on investigative journalists “Find what you enjoy, USAG by the Indy Star and to expose predators Weinstein by the New the outlet that covers Harvey …” Povilaitis said. “But York Times and Ronan Farrow, thank God we had these the stories that are showcase how integral journalists. And that they investigative journalism important to you, and has become in uncovering exposed this truth and that support them” they continued to cover this stories that lead to criminal story.” investigations. The Indy Star For heavy investigations story led to three criminal trials such as these, we have to be willing to pay against Nassar, for a total of which he will serve for the content we consume. The results of 3 consecutive sentences, a minimum count of investigative pieces show us it’s clear that 120 years. journalism can make an impact. In the age The stories and reports on Weinstein when getting any type of content, music, led to the Los Angeles Police Department movies, pictures and social accounts for free forming a Hollywood Sexual Assault task is easy, being asked to pay for content can be force to investigate sexual assault reports in irritating. But the future of journalism will the industry, as well as an investigation into largely depend on subscribers deciding to pay Weinstein that was launched by the Beverly for their news directly. Hills Police Department. Fortune reported that in 2017 content Paying for subscriptions will allow the distributors Google and Facebook made 60 organizations to continue their work. The study percent of all advertising revenue worldwide, by the Press Institute found that 40 percent while no other advertiser was above five of people with subscriptions paid for them percent. because it is content they enjoy. Find what you A study by the American Press Institute enjoy, the outlet that covers the stories that are found that 70 percent of young people 18-34 important to you and support them.

L.A. needs cyclist awareness Touchdown for Brown Jessie Brown Opinion Intern

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recent article in the L.A. Times reports that over 19 million dollars was paid by the city of Los Angeles to cyclists and their families for injuries and deaths on local streets. According to the article, the Bureau of Street Services stopped inspecting L.A. roads about five years ago, and even with many of the costly legal cases, the city often does not fully repair the damaged streets. About 19 percent of the city’s bike lanes and routes are on streets graded D or F, but officials have conveniently ignored many of the worst streets because they are so costly to repair. Cases such as that of Patrick Pascal truly demonstrate the severity of the problem. In 2015, Pascal’s tire got stuck in a concrete crack on Griffith Park Boulevard, a C-rated street, and he suffered a broken wrist and cracked pelvis. This area is so dangerous that it has been nicknamed “the cracks of death.” The article comments, “A City Council aide told him that officials planned to repave the streets, but they never did.” Biking is such a common, integral part of L.A life that this problem truly cannot be cast thoughtlessly aside. Just on LMU’s campus alone, the amount of bikes that can be spotted while walking around is incredible. On the weekends when the campus often feels deserted and empty, I often become reassured that there is still life just by looking at all those

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We need to talk about bike safety laws unless we want more people to get hurt. bikes. Although LMU’s bike lanes and roads are well maintained, many students commute to campus on bicycles or go on weekend rides around Los Angeles. “It stops people from being adventurous and wanting to ride their bikes, which could potentially result in students engaging with our surrounding community less,” said Remy Rogers, a freshman studio arts major. Improving the safety of bike lanes could also encourage the public to bike more, resulting in less car exhaust related issues. This problem is not just occurring in L.A, but nationwide, and improvements only seem to occur because of fatal accidents. An article in the New York Times discusses how safer

crosstown bike lanes are planned for midtown Manhattan. Although the accidents caused in Midtown are largely a result of unprotected bike lanes and not badly kept roads, the issue of bike lanes being neglected remains the same. As the article comments, proposals to improve bike lanes have also been dropped because of opposition from residents and officials who believe that cyclists are dangerous to pedestrians and themselves. According to the article by the L.A. Times, “City Atty. Mike Feuer and Street Services general manager Nazario Sauceda declined to be interviewed about the rise in payouts tied to bicycle crashes.” See Bike Laws | Page 7

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The Los Angeles Loyolan, a student-run campus organization, publishes a weekly newspaper for the greater LMU community. The first copy is free of charge. Additional copies are $1 each. Paid, mailed subscriptions can be purchased through the Business department. The Loyolan accepts unsolicited letters from students, faculty, staff and alumni, and press releases from on-campus and offcampus organizations, but cannot guarantee publication. The Loyolan reserves the right to edit or reject all submissions, including advertisements, articles or other contributions it deems objectionable. The Loyolan does not print consecutive articles by the same author that repeat/refute the initial arguments. Opinions and ideas expressed in the Loyolan are those of individual authors, artists and student editors and are not those of Loyola Marymount University, its Board of Trustees, its student body or of newspaper advertisers. Board Editorials are unsigned and reflect the opinions of the Executive Editorial Board. Guest editorials are by invitation of the Executive Editorial Board and reflect the views of the author. All advertisements are subject to the current rates and policies in the most recent Advertising Rates and Information materials.

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OPINION

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SHS should not give us doctor’s notes Jenny from the Block Jennifer Lee

Asst. Opinion Editor @LoveLeeJen

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lmost all professors require a doctor’s note to qualify an absence as excused. So even while they are diagnosed and treated here on campus, all students have to seek out another health care professional, God knows where, to do the simple task of writing a note for class. So, why doesn’t the student health center offer doctor’s notes for students? It’s typical of the first couple weeks of the winter season. You walk outside into the brisk air and trek across campus to class as the cold pricks your every pore like thousands of tiny needles. Your hands are red and practically ice. And then, it happens — always at the worst times, too. The girl you like walks up, says hi and your nose drips onto your coat as you’re about to hug her. She sees and awkwardly offers a high-five. You hate yourself and she leaves, but your runny nose is here to stay. You can’t let it drip like that again, so you rub it where else but on the back of your sleeve. It’s go time. The germs are being spread. Every year it’s the same story. A ton of sick students receiving a ton of unexcused absences, with no way to break the cycle. Initially, it didn’t make any sense to me. It seems like a perfectly sensible accommodation for the medical staff on campus to write these notes. This personally affected me earlier this school year when I needed a doctor’s note to confirm my disability with Disability Support Services (DSS). I have a health problem that can occasionally cause me to miss class. DSS was more than ready to help me inform my professors of this problem, but they needed confirmation from a medical professional. To my dismay, my insurance only covers doctors in Northern California, so my only options were to somehow find the time to fly 400 miles home or just

Christian Boggs | Loyolan

Student Health Services works to provide immediate care and stopped writing doctor’s notes after trouble with faculty. tell my professors that I wouldn’t be able to get the note and suffer the consequences of several unexcused absences. Many other students suffer from situations like this, whether it be freshmen who don’t have the means or time to schedule a trip off-campus or students who can’t afford to go to a clinic somewhere nearby. “This policy has been in place for 25 years, and with good reason,” said Student Health Services (SHS) director Katie Arce. “Back when we wrote sick day notes for the students, it put us between the faculty and the student body.” Arce explained that students would get sick notes for all the classes they were missing, and then the professors would be upset because they questioned the authenticity of their students’ illnesses. “It is our job to believe the information our patients provide

Bike laws in L.A. Bike Laws from Page 6

The reason this issue has not been addressed more fully is that it is being kept hushed. We obviously need more dialogue on this issue because there is more going on thanthat meets the eye. Because cycling has become such a crucial part of cit-

ies, we need to spread awareness and fight for our safety and well being.

This is the opinion of Jessie Brown, a freshman film production major from Houston, Texas. Tweet comments to @ LALoyolan or email editor@theloyolan.

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for us,” said Arce. So, for example, if a student reports that they are experiencing migraine pains, they will provide treatment for it. If SHS had the added stress of having to determine which students were faking it or not, they would not be able to perform their job adequately. Students get sick - we all do. Arce suggested that the faculty should work to create solutions for students who miss an occasional class. “I am a faculty member and I ensure to provide makeup quizzes and assignments for students who miss out,” said Arce. Personally, only a handful of the professors I’ve had over the three years have taken it upon themselves to help kids who miss a day of class. Often, I would have to get the

work that I missed from a fellow student because they don’t want to be bothered with it. And more frequently, they do not offer makeup quizzes. So while I was home throwing up, I have to worry about my grades and whether or not my professors really believe I am sick. Arce believes that college students should be treated and trusted as adults. There is a distinct difference between students who miss a class or two and genuinely participate and engage in the course and those students who are gone all the time. If they seriously don’t care about the class, then their efforts and grades will suffer the consequences of missing instructions and fall behind in their class. Not offering sick day notes isn’t a way for SHS to make a student’s

life harder, but rather is a means of mediating a problem between faculty and students. SHS has information on their website to help students find emergency and clinic care when they are closed or, in this case, when they need a doctor’s note. All in all, it works as a two-part incentive, to push students to work through minor illness and encourage faculty to provide reasonable alternatives for students who do need a sick day or two.

This is the opinion of Jennifer Lee, a junior screenwriting major from Sacramento, California. Tweet comments to @LoveLeeJen or email edtor@theloyolan.com



THE UNDECLAREDS

UNNECESSARY JAPES

laloyolan.com Page 9

By Abby Pollak, Staff Cartoonist

By Cameron Woodard, Staff Cartoonist

Check out more cartoons online at LALoyolan.com/cartoons and catch up on your favorites!



laloyolan.com Page 11

The dark underside of the Puppy Bowl Sports gambling is as much a problem in the ring as it is at the pound. Casey Lee Team Fluff Lots of money was made and lost this weekend among the stock market’s massive losses, crypto currencies doing terrible, the Patriots’ loss and, most importantly, the black market trading going on behind the scenes at Puppy Bowl XIV. This year, audiences saw the showdown of Team Ruff versus last year’s champions, Team Fluff. Truly a showdown to see, compared to the lackluster Super Bowl LII. We’re used to Las Vegas betting on everything it can for any kind of contest, such as the Super Bowl coin tosses, starting

play or the 2016 presidential race. The Puppy Bowl was no different. People were betting on everything from which toy was going to have the most play time to which dog would be crowned MVP. Underground betting arenas were popping up all over the country so no one would be left out of this betting fun. The most rewarding bet was on the performance of this year’s referee. He missed many calls, was very slow with throwing the flag and generally bad at his job. Maybe next year they’ll choose someone a bit faster than a sloth, I suggest a bunny — it’ll be fast, agile and cute. Another notable Vegas bet this year was on which team would be the first out of the tunnel to storm the field. The majority of people voted on Team Ruff to be the first out of the tunnel because they are the new team.

This didn’t pan out when one player was distracted by his tail on the way out, resulting in an overall loss of nearly one million dollars for gamesters. What’s underground betting without a major bet on who actually wins? This year put up a major contest between voting for the highlight real season for Team Ruff or the lackluster, but still impressive, returning champs, Team Fluff. Incredibly, the bets on the Puppy Bowl proved to be way safer than the American economy this weekend. My advice to you: forget about crypto or the New York Stock Exchange — put everything into Puppy Bowl betting! You won’t regret it, mostly because those puppies are just so dang cute and even if you lose money, you’ll be laughing about it.

Via Pixabay

The National Football League’s bowl may be super, but it doesn’t have puppies.

How to be married to a president It takes a lot to be married to the “world’s most powerful leader”. Jennifer Lee Amicable Ex-Wife to President

Kay Reilly | Loyolan

Publishers hope this has the making for the next White House bestseller.

dragged into things I don’t want to be a part of. So, I thought it might be helpful to discuss some tips I have on being a proper First Lady, unseen and unheard. 3. ABG (Always Bring Gifts) In other parts of the world, it is customary for rulers and wealthy people to impart gifts (Tiffany’s, of course) upon their guests. In the world of politics, this is incredibly frowned upon. You will get weird looks and uncomfortable smiles, but you receive the best gift in return: They won’t take you seriously, and you won’t get blamed for — I mean, you won’t take any of the credit that the president rightly deserves.

Alumni Mall flagpole where the American flag normally hangs. Efforts to purchase 30 seconds of ad space to broadcast the University’s achievement during the Super Bowl went as far as writing the check. It was only intervened at the last minute when the financial office learned that more than five million dollars would be spent in the short publicity stunt. Instead, marketing will hold off for this summer’s World Cup to release a twelve-part series of commercials

student was forever changed because of a crossing guard. “The entire time, my mom kept whispering under her breath the cost of tuition, but she went silent once she saw the guard directing traffic,” Wellinger said. “At that glorious moment, she understood why it had to be LMU.” The enrollment department was quick to capitalize upon the latest feather in their cap, unveiling a golden-stitched “Crossing Pride” banner on the

If you have a cute-ish tween son at your disposal, it is best to bring him along with you wherever you go. He will distract the crowds with his apathetic looks

Some people may think that it’s all fun and games being married to a president. Well, I have some news for you. It is! I love my husband. He did so much good for this country. No one could dispute the employment and stock market numbers. I don’t believe any other man could have influenced the country the way he has or tweeted the things he’s tweeted. And while I am his wife and his other half, he does most of it on his own accord. I can’t take credit for anything. In fact, I usually try to stay out of things completely. You’d think it’d be easy to keep to myself considering the president always has his hands full, but sometimes I find myself getting

2. Take your son everywhere

and divert attention away from yourself. The president deserves as much attention as he can get, but if someone else should get it over him, it should at least be his own blood. Thank goodness for me, his family is all excellent at capturing an audience. 1. Tweet on Twitter My husband is an avid fan of Twitter, as we all well know. On occasion — very infrequent occasions — he will tweet something he doesn’t mean to tweet. Autocorrect is the bane of his existence. So when this happens, I believe it is the one occasion I must try to get the attention of the media. Usually, he asks me to do it. He can be really persuasive when his tweets aren’t received well. And so I tweet something controversial — he insists.

LMU voted No. 1 in crossing guard quality You can’t score well in class if you can’t first cross the street to get there. Thomas Richmond

Stops Cars with His Body An under-appreciated hero in American communities, the crossing guard risks life and sunburns alongside inconveniencing drivers to ensure pedestrian safety. Why do they clock in day after day? Not for the glory, but for their people. One of the first sights guests notice about campus are the LMYOU banners audaciously showcasing LMU’s academic and other collegiate rankings. Meant to impress visitors and assure current students and faculty of our academic viability, they display single digit numbers in big text hiding possible qualifiers such as “percent,” “in the western region” or “in the Westchester neighborhood.”

This week, the school has been honored best in the nation in a category needing no modifiers: No. 1 in crossing guards performance. Patrol officers are callbacks to elementary school life, back when our parents loved us before putting up with our teenage angst. They signify need for protection from the harsh, unfair world students learn about at depth in every class. Sophomore biology minor Timothy Wellinger remembered how his tour as a prospective

playing during the final tournament stage of matches. After receiving this honor, administration sent the following correspondence to rivals USC and UCLA. “To our brothers in scholarly arms who gloat of their deeper pockets and distinguish prestige, you shall never make a mockery unto us. All college evaluations henceforth are meaningless. Keep your research and your sports - we’ll always have our crossing guards.”

Aurora Occelli | Loyolan

The winner of a heated student competition of creating a mural portraying the crossing guard’s selflessless and commitment to service.

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.


life+arts

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Not just Nashville: Good barbecue in L.A.

L

NIKO KLEIN for L+A

A.’s not a barbecue city.” “Sorry man, I’m from (Nashville, Austin, Kansas City, Houston, etc.) and you just won’t find good barbecued meats in Los Angeles.” If you’re like me and have been victimized by phrases like these, look no further. If you have an insatiable craving for barbecue brisket and other smoked meats but you’ve been told time and time again you’ll never be able to find such southern delicacies along the Pacific coast, suffer no more. All hyperbole aside, there is wonderful barbecue in this city, some harder to obtain than others. One disclaimer: I’ve never been to Texas, Kansas City or Nashville, so I’m no authority on barbecue from coastto-coast. Let’s talk about barbecue in Los Angeles. The assumption that good barbecue doesn’t exist in L.A. stems far from the truth. For a long time, good barbecue existed, but there was nothing truly great. A plate of ribs has always been easy to come by in the city, but the breathtaking meats with a crisp, well-seasoned crust surrounding incredibly tender meat is a relatively new phenomenon. A history of barbecue in Los Angeles is relatively unchronicled, but we can assume the style traveled to the city with migrants moving westward from the Midwest and South in the early to middle 20th century — a boom time for Los Angeles. California historian Kenneth Starr calls these people “The Folks,” and in their search for the middle-class American dream, they brought their beliefs, customs and cooking. The earliest barbecue restaurants in Los Angeles date back to the mid-1940s. Today’s barbecue scene is a mixture of traditional and trendy. A healthy fusion of brick-and-mortar storefronts and popups are sharing the spotlight. Especially exciting are the latter — the pop-up, underground barbecue. Serving incredible food out of driveways and backyards to curious patrons is a very current scene in L.A. food, and it isn’t restricted to barbecue (more to come on underground food in the future). While these weekend gatherings aren’t officially recognized dining establishments, they serve a much-desired role for the city. Barbecue: Smoking meat in a closed, wood-fire environment using indirect heat, usually lasting multiple hours. Pet Peeve Alert: not all outdoor cooking is barbecuing. This is a mistake commonly made and a lesson my father instilled in me at a young age. “Hey Pops, I’m going to go barbecue these burgers.” “No, Niko, you’re going to grill those burgers.” The process of cooking on top of a direct heat source such as gas, coals or a campfire is called grilling. Barbecuing is a long process requiring great patience, as opening the smoker too many times can ruin a final product. Barbecue is also commonly associated with sauce, but it isn’t a necessity. Different regional styles utilize different sauce types, applications and amounts. So, next time you hear someone say they’re going to barbecue some burgers or hotdogs, go ahead and correct them. Or don’t. You’ll probably make friends a lot easier if you just smile and nod, but you can sleep well with the comfort of knowing the difference between grilling and barbecuing. Phillips Bar-B-Que With three locations to choose from, Phillips Bar-B-Que is attainable from just about anywhere in the city. I hopped in a car one bright Sunday with my pals Jack and Grant and headed to the Crenshaw location, just off the 10 freeway in an area known as Historic West Adams. You can smell the hickory smoke almost before fully exiting the 10. I had passed this smoke-spewing wooden hut many a time on my drives to high school in downtown, and it’s a shame it’s taken me this long to

step foot inside. We waited in a short line to place our order, and my eyes immediately spotted a combo option. If a combo option exists, I will almost always order it. This combo gave me my option of any three meats and two sides. I ate sliced beef, pork spare ribs and a beef hot link garnished with potato salad and baked beans. I asked for a mixture of their signature spicy and mild sauces ­— both vinegary. Everything was phenomenal. The sliced beef was brisket and provided the perfect marriage of meat and fat nestled perfectly in messy, handmade sandwiches created from the provided white bread. The ribs, being spare and not baby-back, did not fall off the bone, as that’s a characteristic attributed to the meat on baby-backs, a different cut of rib entirely. Spare ribs, or St. Louis ribs, are preferred by this writer for their tendency — when done correctly — to stick to the bone until tugged with just enough force to get the meat to tear away. Long time lauded as some of the best ribs in the city, these did not disappoint. Lastly, the all-beef hotlink sausage was the best I’ve had, to date. The skin popped with the initial bite and the filling gave a unique, coarsely-ground texture. As for the sides, the potato salad was a refreshing, sweet compliment to the savory foods. The barbecue beans were cooked to perfection in a style in the neighborhood of al dente, popping with each bite. Maple Block Meat Co. This is the most upscale joint of the four I’ll be reviewing. While the prices may be a little higher and the atmosphere more on the side of “nice sit-down” as opposed to “order at a window and eat where you can,” Maple Block packs a punch that had some pundits questioning if the restaurant was “the barbecue messiah L.A.’s been waiting for” upon its 2015 arrival to the Westside. A solid baseball throw’s away, two L.A. food landmarks sit – Johnnie’s Pastrami and Tito’s Tacos. The juxtaposition of modern Maple Block and these two monuments display a changing Culver City. Uniquely, Maple Block smokes using peach wood and specializes in brisket, pork spare ribs and whole chickens. The overall dining experience is a mixture of southern styles, with the meats being more Texas style and the sauces providing a mixture of styles. All meats are served dry, with a healthy skin of peppery dry rub. The brisket is served to the customer with cuts from both the lean end and the fatty end. The meats are served with the house barbecue sauces on the side, both a regular and a spicy, and each with the classic vinegar flavor, but with roasty hints of coffee. In addition, a green chimichurri sauce is given, which is a welcome departure from the barbecue sauces, yet not my favorite. With the chicken comes a mayobased white sauce that I quite liked. Having gone with my family, we went heavy on the sides in order to sample a lot. God forbid I was sentenced to death row and got to choose a last meal, I would be tempted to just go ahead and choose eight of this eatery’s buttermilk biscuits. I may never have a better biscuit than Maple Block had to offer me that night. Aside from the biscuit, the sides were tasty, but nothing mind-boggling. Our orders were smoked baby potatoes, mac-n-cheese, potato salad, coleslaw and baked beans. All comforting in the way barbecue sides can be, but none coming close to stealing the spotlight from the meats and biscuits. This is the way it should be.

Quick to greet us newcomers, Ragtop Fern, or Fernando, is a friendly, talkative UPS driver by day. Not to be confused with Clark Kent and Superman, Fernando and Ragtop Fern aren’t alternating personalities to be switched back and forth; rather, Fernando is always Ragtop Fern. He teaches me that “ragtop” is a colloquial nickname describing soft-top convertible cars, especially in the world of low-riders and hot rods. He identifies strongly with the distinctly California Latino low-rider culture and takes his hot pink ’65 Chevy Impala on weekend cruises and to car shows all around the state. Barbecue is just another hobby he’s picked up. Fernando is self-taught through reading and Youtube. He claims no particular barbecue style, instead crafting his own unique combination style. He says if he had to pinpoint one style he most closely adheres to, it would be Kansas City, meaning thick sauce is king. His homemade sauce is a standout – if it were sold in supermarkets, it would be my brand of choice. While Fernando has some meats he particularly likes to cook, he loves to experiment. He’s smoked an entire hog before, which is no small feat. He intends on smoking a hog’s head at a weekend cookout sometime in the future. My friends and I were lucky enough to come for one of his greatest experiments yet – barbecued pork belly. In addition to the commonplace pork spare ribs and beef ribs, the pork belly was a taste bud sensation. As a meat with a high-fat content, it could have a tendency to be chewy. Fernando, however, is a meat smoking artist and his meat performs accordingly. Take a slice of pork belly and it dissolves in your mouth within a bite or two. The spare ribs have the perfect tug-to-fall ratio in relation to the bone. The beef rib is peppery and allows itself to be torn directly off the bone by hand. This no-frills, no sides affair leads Fernando to give us some wonderful conversation about himself and his craft. We get a tour of his custom stand-up smoker with the moniker “Lucifer.” The name matches its menacing look. Its walls and doors, nearly three inches thick, insulate the inside for the long, lowheat smoking process. A cherry-wood fire below provides the heat. He preps the meat with his signature combination dryrub the evening before and begins the smoking process early in the morning. Where does he buy his meats? Costco. Anyone can make good barbecue, but it takes patience and practice. How do you get ahold of Fernando’s company and food? Give @ragtopfernsbbq a follow on Instagram and drop Fernando a DM. He doesn’t cut all weekends, but if you’re lucky, he’ll let you place a pre-order for a Saturday or Sunday appointment. Trudy’s Underground Barbecue Upon showing up to the Sherman Oaks address given to us by the owner, Burt Bakman, my girlfriend, Emma, and I found a house, nothing more. “I mean, this is the address he gave me.” “Maybe drive around the block and try again.” “I don’t even have a phone number to call the guy.” “I think I smell barbecue.” We park and get out of the car and see smoke rising in the air from the backyard. We know we found the right place. We walk through the gate and we’re greeted by Burt’s friend, Adam, the owner of the house. For more on Trudy’s Underground Barbecue and the rest of Niko’s barbecue adventures, visit us at LALoyolan.com/Arts_Entertainment.

Ragtop Fern’s BBQ Again, with the company of my pals Grant and Jack, we made the Saturday journey to a front yard gathering on the periphery of Koreatown. A setup consisting of an easy-up tent, a folding table, some folding chairs, an insulated box and a custom-built smoker called Lucifer is the kingdom of one Ragtop Fern.

This is the opinion of Niko Klein, a senior business management major from Los Angeles, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email tgage@theloyolan.com.

via Grant Gadbois and Niko Klein


life+arts Students on writing and producing their own music laloyolan.com Page 13

Midnight in Paris

like and appreciate it. Mostly, I was relieved. PS: What were the best and worst parts of this process?

Paris Shepherd Life+Arts Intern

MP: There are no worst parts when you’re doing what you are called to do.

@LALoyolan

W

ith a campus as diverse as LMU, it’s no surprise that it is a breeding ground for talent. Sophomores Micah Peay and Garrett Burley met last year during their residency on the fourth floor of Del Rey South. Burley, an East Los Angeles native and entrepreneurship major, was quick to notice Peay’s unique appearance and equated his flashy clothes to him being an artist or musician. “The man was wearing like six rings with a fit you would only see on Young Thug or Kanye. When I found out he did music, I told him I could do cover art for him. Things moved forward from there,” said Burley. Peay is from Charlotte, North Carolina and is majoring in philosophy. He says that his interest in writing music started as a coping mechanism back when he was in middle school. I had the pleasure of asking both Peay and Burley about their collaboration on the music video for Peay’s song “Kuru.” Here’s what they said: Paris Shepherd (PS): How have your backstories contributed to what you’re currently doing? Micah Peay (MP): In sixth grade, my friends would try to impersonate Gucci Mane or whatever hot rapper at the time, and I decided to go in a different direction. I continued writing throughout the sixth grade, stopped during the seventh grade, started again in eighth grade and [have] never stopped. I started recording once some people I knew began recording. I tried it ‘cause I knew I was better. Ever since then, I’ve been recording. Garrett Burley (GB): Being from

GB: Spending 10 hours going frame by frame blacking out Micah’s eyes for the desert scene. PS: Do you have any favorite moments from the music video? GB: Watching the gasoline fire from the Molotov cocktail was by far the most enjoyable moment. That was cut short when the room filled with black smoke and we couldn’t breathe. I spent the next morning coughing up black soot. via Micah Peay and Garrett Burley

A still from LMU students Micah Peay and Garrett Burley’s collabrative music video for Peay’s new song “Kuru.” L.A., I’ve always been surrounded by media/TV/Hollywood. My dad’s in the industry, doing software design for Disney Animation in Burbank. Anyone from anywhere can pursue film, but there’s something about being in Los Angeles that gives me motivation and confidence to get into it. PS: When and how did you get into production? GB: Over the summer, I directed a short film called “86” in a class at Glendale City College. That was the first time I had ever worked on a film. It’s a little weird, but nowhere near as strange as the video for “Kuru.” Other than that intro media class, I’ve had no other formal education in film. I’ve always been visually creative, so I thought I’d give it a shot ... I think this music video turned out dope for it being the first one. PS: What was the inspiration behind your song “Kuru?” MP: Kuru the E.P. began as

a vision on capturing the perception of the individual on a downward spiral, mostly due to alcoholism, which was a cover up for depression. Essentially, at the beginning of the E.P. he gets kicked out for the alcoholism and by the end of the last track, Blood, he comes to terms with himself and decides to not improve on himself, but rather accepts and becomes complacent with his faults. PS: What was the inspiration behind the music video? GB: The most absolute crazy things I could think of that were in the realm of possibility. PS: What was the process like creating a music video to go along with “Kuru”? GB: I brainstormed some pretty wild ideas and pitched them to Micah. Then we laid out the framework of when and where we would shoot. The scene with the Molotov cocktail was just an excuse for me to make a Molotov

PS: Do you have any favorite lyrics from “Kuru?”

cocktail. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ll admit that most of the process was not legal. That particular scene was filmed underground in an unnamed abandoned missile base. We left school at 10 p.m. for that shoot and didn’t get back until 8 a.m. the next morning.

MP: “They bring you in, show you around, tell you to rent this house, Make a profit / then throw you out, And sell for twice the amount, And now I’m searching shelter shiver melts and makes me a bed, Cut off my toes leave me alone frostbitten with dread, So what is trust.”

PS: Are there other songs or music videos that you guys have produced?

If you’re looking for something new and locally produced to listen to, then I suggest that you visit Peay’s Youtube channel. This is also where you can watch the music video that Burley produced alongside Peay, which, brings his song’s lyrics to life, as well as shows off the extensive amount of work that both Peay and Burley talked about in regards to producing Kuru’s music video.

GB: Micah’s first E.P., “Mauna Kea,” is the only other set of songs out there right now. More music was in the works up until recently, when Micah’s laptop got a virus and it was all lost. Tragic. Hopefully some new projects come out soon. PS: What was is like seeing the final product of your collaboration? GB: Part of me was nervous. When you put an immense amount of time and money into something, you really hope people

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.

The 6th annual CSJ ‘Hidden Heroes’ dramatization

Jason Munoz | Loyolan

From left to right: Luis Selgas, Natasha Aquino, Sharon Madden and Kayan Tara peform in this year’s “Hidden Heroes” dramatizations on Feb. 4. The Congregation of St. Joseph (CSJ) Center for Reconciliation and Justice honors “individuals and groups who exemplify justice and reconciliation in their lives” by having their narratives dramatized and performed at the award ceremony each year in Murphy Hall. The five members of the LMU community who recieved the honor this year included: Norma Bowles, Kea Jose, Tom King, Jonathan Rothchild and Henry Ward.


life+arts

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February events you don’t want to miss What’s Up Hutch Cory Hutchinson

Asst. Life+Arts Editor @lajollahutch

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ow that January is finally over, it’s time to talk about February. Although it’s the shortest month of the year, it’s packed with events on and off campus to make the semester go by quicker. Between art shows, sporting events, family weekend and movie screenings, there’s absolutely something for everyone. Pull out your calendars — you won’t want to miss some of these great events lined up for the month. 8. ARTSmart Exhibition ARTSmart, held at the Thomas P. Kelly Student Gallery from Feb. 9-16, is meant to provide a visual arts education to some of the underserved youth in the L.A. area. The exhibition will be supported by art and art history majors at LMU. They will work together with the youth in order to come up with a lesson plan that is meant to encompass not only art and its techniques, but

social justice issues and the culture of art as well. 7. Lion Family Weekend

This weekend, LMU is holding Lion Family Weekend, and the event is the perfect reason to have your parents come visit and take you out to nice dinners. While on campus, family members will have an opportunity to experience firsthand the service and education-based learning that students receive on a daily basis. The LMU website has the full Lion Family Weekend schedule and also features hotel recommendations and a parking map for campus so that you don’t have to explain it yourself. 6. KaleidoLA: Susan Silton This week, the KaleidoLA speaker series will feature local artist Susan Silton at the Murphy Recital Hall at 12:15 p.m. on Feb. 9. As stated on the LMU Events page, “Silton’s multidisciplinary projects engage multiple aesthetic strategies to mine the complexities of subjectivity and subject positions, often through poetic combinations of humor, discomfort, subterfuge and

Jordan Peele for Hollywood Masters Just Jacob

Jacob Cornblatt Life+Arts Intern @jacobcornblatt

S

eason nine of “The Hollywood Masters” began last Wednesday with one of the biggest names in Hollywood right now: Jordan Peele. Previously famous for his work on the sketch comedy show “Key & Peele,” Peele has recreated his image with his hit social satire and horror “Get Out.” Peele hit the Mayer Theater, alongside The Hollywood Reporter’s executive editor Stephen Galloway, for a nearly 90-minute interview. They discussed Peele’s background in comedy, how it relates to his work now and — most notably —racism in America. Peele, a black filmmaker and actor, offered an extremely unique perspective to the ongoing discourse on race. A self-proclaimed pessimist, Peele argued that even if racism ends, humans will naturally find some way to divide themselves again; he doesn’t use this to disregard racism, however. He still talked about why it was vital for his film “Get Out” to illustrate micro-aggressions, as people need to stop using them. Outside of race, he compared the process of writing his horror flick to his comedy sketches. Both, he argued, bring forward things that people are aware of and argue for/ against them. For this reason, his creative processes for both genres are similar. Students lined up for over five hours to see the filmmaker, but all of them seemed to think their dedication was worth it. Here are a couple students’ reactions to Jordan Peele’s “Hollywood Masters” seminar.

via LMU Magazine

Devon Rosenberg, a junior film production major, said, “Honestly, [asking Jordan Peele a question] was really cool. I was just shaking up there, because he’s so groundbreaking right now. He’s going to do some really cool things—he’s going to change the game in film. He gave me a great answer and he seems like a nice guy.” Sheriden Groves, a senior screenwriting major, said, “It was a great experience. As a black female screenwriter, it’s amazing to see a black man and what he’s been doing out in the industry. It’s really inspiring. I’m really glad LMU is starting to get black people in film to come speak at ‘The Hollywood Masters.’” Luckily, this season of “The Hollywood Masters” is just beginning. Today, Willem Dafoe hits the stage. Galloway also announced that Ava DuVernay, filmmaker and documentarian, will be joining later this month. Stay tuned for more updates about this award-worthy season. 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.

unabashed beauty.” Silton’s work has been seen in many popular galleries, such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A. 5. Elite Racquet Sports Doubles Tennis event at the Ritz Carlton

Elite Racquet Sports (ERS) is hosting their Double Tennis tournament at The Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey on Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. The tournament is divided into three division setups, and the first team to get 21 points wins the game. ERS will have professionals managing the scores and keeping track of the leaderboards so that the tournament itself can move at a highly efficient pace. Each division will have a 90-minute maximum to play in order to discern a winner by the end of the tournament. In order to play, there’s a cost of $45 that features access to the tournament, champagne, prizes and other amenities. 4. LMU Speaks: Off the Rails LMU Speaks is a program put on by the William H. Hannon Library and is now in its second year. Off the Rails, on Feb. 13 in

the Von Der Ahe Family Suite, will feature five LMU representatives to tell their unique story based on this year’s theme: “Tell us about a moment from your life when you felt things went off the rails. Tell us a story of resilience, bravery and/or that time when everything went wrong.”

Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. “Gook” takes place in L.A. during the infamous 1992 riots that nearly tore apart Koreatown after the Rodney King verdict, and focuses on a Korean American family that must defend their shoe store from the chaos of the riots.

3. “Laugh” by Beth Henley

1. Spring 2018 Career Expo

Starting Friday, Feb. 16, “Laugh,” written by Beth Henley and directed by theatre arts clinical professor Dana Resnick, will open in the Strub Theatre through the weekend and continue Feb. 21-24. The play is set in the 1920s and embodies the nature of silent film comedies. Henley is not only an LMU president’s professor of theatre arts, but a Pulitzer Prize-winner as well. General admission to the show is $15, but with an LMU student ID, admission is $10.

On Thursday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m., the office for Career and Professional Development (CPD) will be hosting the Spring 2018 Career Expo in the University Hall Atrium. The Career Expo helps LMU students and alumni meet professionals in various fields in order to facilitate discussions and expand on employment opportunities. CPD advises students who plan to attend to dress professionally to make a positive impression upon the representatives at the expo. To stay updated on the event, you can follow CPD on Facebook and Twitter (@LMUCareers).

2. Movie screening of “Gook” In honor of Black History Month, the Center for Asian Business, Asian Pacific Student Services, Black Student Services and Korean American Student Association will be playing the movie “Gook” at Deja View on

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.



COUNSELING PHILO ADMINISTRATION

HIGHER EDUCATION

TEACHING MATHEMATICS

ELEMENTARY

SECONDARY EDUCATION

EDUCATION

LAW SCHOOL

DOCTORATE IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

MBA

THEOLOGICALREADING STUDIES

ACCOUNTING

LOYOLA

SOPHY AND LEADERSHIP BILINGUALELECTRICAL EDUCATIONENGINEERING

WRITING FOR

YOGA STUDIES EDUCATIONAL STUDIES

THE SCREEN

HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING

EXECUTIVE MBA

SPECIAL EDUCATION

WRITING AND PRODUCING FOR TV

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

CATHOLIC

ADMINISTRATION

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

EDUCATION ENGLISHSCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY BIOETHICS CIVIL ENGINEERING

INSTRUCTION

FILM AND TVMARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPYEDUCATION PRODUCTIONENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

LMU Graduate Open House Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 Loyola Marymount University graduate.lmu.edu/openhouse


Thrive in the Entertainment Industry Gain the business acumen you need to achieve success in the music industry with Azusa Pacific’s Master of Arts in Music Entrepreneurship, or cultivate your storytelling skills with the Master of Arts in Screenwriting. Freely integrate faith and creativity, and collaborate with expert faculty in an innovative arts community, just 30 miles from Hollywood. Online programs with summer intensives in Azusa J O I N U S T O D AY

apu.edu/music-entrepreneurship apu.edu/screenwriting

21688


SPORTS

laloyolan.com Page 18

Foles may leave Eagles LMU women’s basketball following Super Bowl win faces golden opportunity Super Bowl LII from Page 20

interviews, he did not address whether or not he would return next season. Gronkowski has suffered numerous major injuries to his knees as well as several concussions, one as recently as two weeks ago in the AFC championship game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. It is likely that Brady and Gronkowski will return along with their head coach, Bill Belichick, for another chance at a Super Bowl victory and a chance to retire into the sunset with a victory instead of a loss. But for now, the world will have to wait and see what will happen in the offseason between all these key members. The Eagles are also faced with a situation of their own. The team had a successful regular season, as they finished first place overall in the NFC, but this was largely due to the MVP caliber play of quarterback Carson Wentz, who suffered a season ending ACL injury in December in a game against the Los Angeles Rams. Enter Nick Foles. Backup quarterback Nick Foles, who started his career with the Eagles before spending time with the Rams and Kansas City Chiefs, considered retirement due to frustrations in his career, but the injury to Carson Wentz ignited him

back into stardom and put together a historic playoff run for the Eagles. Nick Foles would finish the playoffs throwing for six touchdowns, 971 passing yards (323.7 yards per game), a completion percentage of 72, a passer rating of 115.7 and throwing for only one interception. Foles’s play has earned him high praise and legendary status in the city of Philadelphia, so the question arises as to what the Eagles will do about their quarterback situation. Prior to his injury, Wentz was the favorite to win the NFL MVP in only his second year in the league. The franchise seems set on continuing to go with Wentz, so Foles, after winning a championship with the Eagles, could be on his way to being traded to a team such as the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills or Denver Broncos, who are all seeking upgrades at quarterback. Will Foles still be as effective outside of Philadelphia? This is something that will be solved as next season rolls around.

This is the opinion of Miles Thomas, a freshman communications major from Los Angeles, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan, or email tdevries@ theloyolan.com.

Big Time Timmy Jim Tim De Vries Sports Editor @LALoyolan

F

our games ago, in the midst of their longest losing streak of the season, LMU women’s basketball had fallen to sixth place in the West Coast Conference (WCC). Now, on the heels of their third win in the last four games — a 76-55 home blowout against University of Portland (UP) — the Lions have a golden opportunity in front of them this week. With two wins this week, LMU can guarantee themselves sole possession of third place in the WCC, with potential to climb even higher. With a win over Saint Mary’s College (SMC) and a BYU loss, the Lions can take sole possession of second place, trailing only undefeated Gonzaga with three weeks to play in the regular season. Thursday night’s fixture against the Gaels may prove to be the most important game of the regular season for LMU. The Lions currently trail SMC by one game in the conference standings, with records of 7-5 and 8-4, respectively. LMU won the first contest between the two teams by a score of 69-57 in both teams’ WCC openers. With a win on Thursday, LMU would complete the season sweep over the Gaels, giving them a leg up should tournament seeding come down to a tiebreaker at the end of the season.

With half of the conference within two games of second place, these individual matchups will factor largely into deciding who the Lions will play in the opening round of the WCC tournament. The top six teams receive automatic berths to the quarterfinals of the tournament, while the bottom four must play in an opening round game to qualify. The top two teams earn a de facto bye and play the winners of the No. 7 vs. No. 10 and No. 8 vs No. 9 matchups. Therefore, if LMU were to drop two games relative to the team’s close to them in the standings, they may be forced to win an extra game in order to compete for a WCC title. Following a potential game of the year candidate on Thursday is an all-important matchup with Pepperdine University on Saturday. In the home contest, LMU dispatched the struggling Waves by 15 points. Win or loss against SMC, this PCH Cup tie will be a must-win. Fortunately for LMU, most of the factors indicate a Lion win. However, rivalry games in college basketball often hold unexpected drama. While a misstep this week wouldn’t prove fatal for LMU’s title hopes, two conference wins would certainly be monumental in furthering them. With two wins, the Lions have a golden opportunity to distance themselves from the pack in the WCC. This is the opinion of Tim De Vries a junior mechanical engineering major from Lake Oswego, Oregon. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan, or email tdevries@theloyolan. com.


CAREER EXPO

February 22 Noon–3 p.m. UHall Atrium

Last one for this school year, with more recruiters than in previous semesters!

• Find jobs and internships across all fields. • Learn what employers are looking for. • Develop your professional image. • Complimentary LinkedIn photobooth. Students from all class years, as well as alumni, are welcome. Professional attire is recommended. "PlayStation has had great success hiring from LMU in the past. We have a strong alumni group from LMU and students intern every summer in our LA offices close to campus." -Katherine LaRue Manager, Intern Program, Playstation

Download ‘Career Fair Plus’ in the app store. Learn more at careers.lmu.edu/careerexpo. Stay updated and share experiences using: #lmucareerexpo Join us on:

lmu.joinhandshake.com

LMU LA

Follow us on social media:

Career and Professional Development Charles Von der Ahe Building, Suite 135 1 LMU Drive Los Angeles, CA 90045-2659

@lmucareers


SPORTS

SCORES UPDATE

W. WATER POLO

LION

8-2 L

vs. Hawaii

SPORTS

W. BASKETBALL 76-55 W

vs Portland

M. BASKETBALL

68-66 L

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

Page 20

LOS ANGELES LOYOLAN | February 7, 2018 | laloyolan.com

‘Impulse’ features student choreography and dance

Jason Munoz | Loyolan

This past Saturday, student dancers and choreographers from LMU’s Dance department presented “Impulse,” a collection of 18 dances covering a wide range of techniques, styles and backgrounds. Performances ranged from solos to large group choreography, and the entire event was organized, coordinated, presented and performed entirely by LMU student dancers.

Super Bowl LII result raises questions for both teams Miles Per Hour Miles Thomas

Sports Intern @LoyolanSports

W

ith time running out and only nine seconds remaining in the game, the Philadelphia Eagles led the New England Patriots 41-33. The favored Patriots, led by 40-year-old MVP Tom Brady, ran one final play, a Hail Mary heave into the end zone. The pass was bobbled and bounced around, but the ball hit the ground. The clock read zero seconds and the Eagles pulled off their first ever Super Bowl victory against the defending champions. Embracing their underdog role that they have had since the beginning of the playoffs, the Eagles came out with aggressive trick plays and deep pass plays. After being favored to lose every game they played in the playoffs, the Eagles completed a magical run led by their strong defense and their backup

quarterback, Nick Foles. Foles went on to become the Super Bowl MVP. Both teams played strong offensive games, combining for 1,152 total offensive yards, the most in a Super Bowl game ever. While defense was not present for much of the game, Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett made the biggest play of the game when he recovered the fumble that teammate Brandon Graham forced on Brady, helping them increase their lead and prevent the Patriots from making a game winning drive with time on the clock. Following the game, questions surrounded the future of key members of the New England Patriots. Brady, at the age of 40, was the oldest quarterback to start in a Super Bowl game, but still set the Super Bowl record for passing yards with 505 yards. Will Brady come back for another shot at a title? Does he have enough left in the tank to lead the Patriots to another championship? Along with Brady, his teammate, tight end Rob Gronkowski, has faced similar questions. During the post game See Super Bowl LII| Page 18


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