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Drollinger will finally have Former Angels’ trainer more parking, now that moves to the Bluff to administration has split help student athletes. existing spaces in half. Page 14 Page 13
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Alumna and KXLU host passed away Christine Palma (‘94) recently passed away, leaving the KXLU community. Sami Leung
Managing Editor @LALoyolan
Jose Aguila | Loyolan
KXLU Fest IV brings artists and families to the Bluff The fourth annual KXLU Fest lit up Lawton Plaza on March 18, from 12 - 6 p.m. The event was free for audience members and featured music artists Mndsgn, SEXTILE, Wild Wing, Band Aparte and Pinky Pinky. There were also pop-up shops selling clothes, records and other merchandise, as well as a variety of food trucks. According to the Facebook event, over 280 students reported that they were going, with another 670 interested in the event. Families from around the community were also welcome to picnic on the grass and enjoy the music from the bands and set playlists from student KXLU DJs.
Christine Palma, public affairs director for KXLU, host of KXLU’s public affairs program “Echo in the Sense” and an LMU alumna, passed away on Feb. 25 after a short illness. She was 47. “She was a person of very generous heart and spirit, radiated love and light, exceedingly kind and caring and a peaceful and gentle presence one could always count on,” said Lydia Ammossow, KXLU advisor, in an email to the KXLU community. “Christine cared deeply for the station and for her work on her program. It will be impossible to imagine our Sunday evenings without her.” Palma graduated from LMU in 1994 with a degree in creative writing and literature and had been with KXLU for over 24 years. Her show, which took place on Sundays, explored current events, feature pieces and long-form interviews, according to her website. She began as a student DJ before beginning her public affairs show after she graduated. “I’ve known Christine 13 or 14 years,” said Peter Ludwig, also known as Mystic Pete, another KXLU host. “Her program was unique ... I was often struck by how compelling they were because I listen to a lot of radio and it’s not often that I’m hearing things that are new, but almost every show she did was an important See KXLU | Page 2
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KXLU honors Palma
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show. You don’t meet people like that very often who are just good natured and friendly and always helpful.” Palma’s shows were mostly about progressive politics, the arts, new thought or visionary ideas and were always greatly researched and compelling, according to Ludwig, which was a sentiment echoed by Chris Johnson, another host who worked the show before Palma’s. “Public affairs programming, mandated by the federal government, is often buried or viewed as an inconvenience by broadcasters. This was not the case with Christine and her show,” said Johnson. “Christine conscientiously researched and played lectures and discussions on the deeper and more important matters to our society and culture ... Beyond that socially progressive stance, from which she never wavered, Christine was a good and true friend. Her impulse
NEWS
was always to help. She was a giver more than she was a taker. With her public devotion to art a vehicle for social betterment, KXLU has lost a champion. With her inclination to engage and help, I have lost a friend.” KXLU will hold a tribute program for Palma on Sunday, April 29 from 7 to 10 p.m. in celebration of Palma’s life and contributions. A memorial service will be held at the Church of St. Mark on Saturday, March 14 at 10:30 a.m., officiated by Father Michael Tang, a professor of art history at LMU. “She was very kind hearted person and she embodied the real spirit of KXLU of that we’re all family and support each other and our shows, but she was even more so than that,” Pat Murphy, host of KXLU’s “Alien Air Music” and a longtime friend of Palma’s, said. “We can honor her memory by emulating her positive support, her patience and her dedication to our programs, as well as the other shows on KXLU.”
via KXLU Christine Palma (‘94), pictured above was known for her kindness and contributions to KXLU.
T E N T H
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Undergraduate Research Symposium ARTS SHOWCASE Friday, March 23 rd Burns Fine Arts Center
S SY YM MP PO OS S II U UM M
th Saturday, Saturday, March March 24 24 th
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BURNING QUESTIONS
This week, News Intern Editor Zhi Jiao Danielle Goh sat down with senior film production major Keyshawn Garroway to discuss his experience working behind the scenes at the Oscars.
Student Worker Program reaches 60th anniversary Student worker program remains unique on anniversary. Mitch Storey News Intern @LALoyolan
What was it like working behind the scenes?
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Being backstage at the Oscars is wild. We were the trophy presenters. We were there for like four to five days of full rehearsals. A lot of that is sitting around and keeping an open ear and open eye, making sure to know what’s happening around us. Eventually, they started bringing in different performers who were going to be handing off the awards and that was just crazy. It was a revolving number of celebrities coming by. Some surprise you how shy [they are] and some of them are very outgoing. Some of them who you expect to be outgoing are even more outgoing. All of them [are] lovely people and nice to be around. At first, I thought I would be more star struck and have stage fright. When I was out there and did it, I just got with the program and it was wild. It was beyond the scope of anything I have experienced so far. It is the “Super Bowl” for our industry. Being an important part of the process was beyond my expectation.
2
What kind of tasks did you have to complete at the event?
I was the trophy presenter. They had four of us for the job. We have to take the trophy out and envelopes out and hand them to the award presenter. We stand by and when the winner is announced, they get their trophies and their speech. We escort them off stage and make sure they know where to go. After they win their Oscars, they are disorientated, they don’t know where to go because of the excitement. We just make sure the event is carried out smoothly and elegantly.
LMU’s Student Worker Program celebrated its 60th Anniversary this month. The program gives students the “opportunity to live and work on campus on a year-round basis while earning money” and is currently comprised of 24 members, according to the LMU website. The students in the program work around 20 hours every week while maintaining a full course load, though during break periods they are required to work 40 hours per week. The program has changed over time, although it maintains its original purpose since its establishment in 1957, which is “to give students with significant financial need an opportunity to earn a college education in exchange for their contributions campus-wide.” Members must maintain a 2.0 GPA to continue participating in the program, and are given access to year-round oncampus housing. Jade Smith, the associate dean of Student Affairs and overseer of the Student Worker Program, said that “there is no other program like it at any university
in the country.” “The future of the [Student Worker] Program is strong and bright,” said Smith. “We continue to serve in various departments on campus, and look to create new placements every year. We continue to support campus events and activities and seek new opportunities to support even more campus programs, and are looking to expand the program so that more students have the opportunity to participate and reap the benefits of the program.” Freshman marketing major Trevor Grinsell, one of the program’s newest members, said that he loves the program so far. “As a first year student worker, we all work in the recycling yard,” said Grinsell. “It’s kind of like how we all pay our dues — waking up at 6 a.m. in the morning, working eight hour days. We’re all just grinding hard together. It’s cool to work with like-minded people.” The handbook for the Student Worker Program cites the recycling program, which is is worked by seven of the 24 students, as “one of the most successful University recycling programs on the West Coast. This program has won several awards for its outstanding recycling efforts, and benefits the University in many ways.” Grinsell also said that the
Student Worker Program has changed a lot since its founding. “In the past, they were doing more dirty work. Now, we’re working in offices. It’s really good for gaining that type of work experience also,” he said. The Student Worker Program holds its members to high standards, expecting workers to go “above and beyond the call of duty,” according to the handbook. Although the program gives strong preference to its members with the most seniority, it also gives preference to members who display a strong work ethic and positive attitude. A member with seniority, or who excels in the two aforementioned qualities, is given priority when it comes to choosing volunteer jobs, crew jobs and selecting roommates and apartments. The program also holds elections and members can run for leadership positions. The program’s leadership team consists of an executive body, and various committees. Student workers are paid for completing committee work. Smith said that the program is currently recruiting new members, and is “eager to welcome new energy to the program.”
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Did you get to help any famous people?
The highlight of the night has to be when best actress Frances McDormand shook my hand. She came on stage and she turned to me with a 120 percent energy. It knocked me off guard because we did not rehearse for that. Suddenly, she was reaching out her hand, she stretched and shook. She said thank you and I was like thank you. She then goes on to give a phenomenal speech where all the female nominators stood up. I was there on the step and being part of that was beyond words.
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Would you do it again?
Are you kidding? Of course. A whole night of wonder. During the event itself, we got to walk the red carpet. Seeing like Meryl Streep [or] Kobe Bryant at only arm’s reach and being screamed at from the red carpet, that’s [irreplaceable]. Feelings were over the top. We got to go to the Governor’s ball.
How did you get the opportunity to work at the Oscars?
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Last summer, I was part of this new academy program called the Academy Gold Program, initiated by the Academy Motion Pictures and connecting with about over 20 different companies in the industries, pulling about seventy interns from production, development, marketing, tech, PR, etc. It virtually represented every department. It’s an effort to grow inclusion and increased opportunity for students who are entering the workforce in the film industry. I was interning at Panavision with a joint internship with the Academy Gold Program internship. I spent my Wednesday night[s] going to meetings, screenings and networking events. I met a whole bunch of people. The director of the internship called in a bunch of people for interviews and chose four out of seventy.
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Why #WalkUp is a harmful form of activism for gun reform Between De Leons Robyn De Leon
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Social Justice Editor @LALoyolan
ast week, schools across the nation, including LMU, took 17 minutes of their time to 'walkout' in respect for the 17 victims of the Parkland High School. However, many people argued that "walking out" doesn't actually accomplish anything, whether that be socially or politically. Various arguments that poured through social media, like Twitter and Instagram, explained that the act of walking out as activism should be replaced with showing kindness to others — which insinuates that kindness will supposedly prevent these tragedies. This form of activism is better known as the hashtag #WalkUpNotOut. A victim's father, Ryan Petty, spoke in favor of this alternative form of activism. "Instead of walking out of school ... walk up to the kid who sits alone at lunch. Walk up to the kid who sits quietly in the corner of the room," Petty said.
According to CNN, Petty seemed to express hesitation toward the form of activism that many people partook in on March 14. While Petty's reasoning, like many others, seems relatively noble, why shouldn't people 'walkout'? Why is the focus of the issue shifting from guns being the problem to the problem being that people are not kind enough? Many can sympathize with this father for his loss and agree that kindness is an element of activism, but why is public protest looked down upon? As of March 19 of this year, there have been 67 shootings, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker. It should be taken into account that there is a difference between mass shooting and mass murder. The FBI defines a mass murder as three or more people murdered in one event. However, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker, they define a mass shooting as four or more people shot in a shooting spree, but no death is required for the event to be considered a mass shooting. For schools, there has been at least one shooting every week of the year so far, according to CNN. One can understand the frustration many children and teens face when it is their
education and their supposed safe space that is being attacked when how often these events occur is taken into consideration. It makes sense that after so many instances of terrorism, these groups of young people finally want to stand up and raise their voice to make a change by bringing awareness to the cause. Claiming that these teens shouldn't 'walkout' but 'walkup' can invalidae their method of coping and activism, as well as put the blame on the victims for supposedly not being kind enough to students who tend to isolate themselves or portray worrisome behavior, like the Parkland shooter has displayed multiple times in his life, according to CBS news. In addition, contradicting the 'walkout' movement with the 'walkup' movement diverges from the focus on the violence of guns. It distracts from the fact that it is the guns in the equations between victim and shooter that causes these tragedies. Attempting to interject a contrary point in this conversation by making it a thing of kindness belittles the severity of how necessary gun reform is in the grand scheme of things. In no way is kindness not an element of activism, but when kindness is not enough,
sometimes action has to be enforced. A perfect example of the youth rallying together to protest in the past was for the anti-war movement. During the Vietnam War, young people gathered around the fact that they were considered old enough by the government to go to war, but not old enough to vote. Their protest, and efforts brought about the 26th amendment — the right to vote at 18. There is proof in history that these sort of public demonstrations can and do bring about change, and ignoring the power of freedom of speech and the right to peacefully assemble does a disservice to situations like these when activism is perhaps most necessary. On March 24, there will be a march on Washington D.C. for the March For Our Lives campaign, where it is expected that half a million people will attend just in Washington D.C., according to the Washington Post. Locally, the protest will be happening in Downtown L.A. at 9 a.m. This is the opinion of Robyn De Leon, a freshman economics and English major from Thousand Oaks, California. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email bdeleon6@theloyolan.com
OPINION
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As students attempting to live up to make progress, we have to communicate LMU’s mission statement “the service of and eventually cooperate. It takes work to faith and the promotion of justice,” we have make a difference that lasts. to pay attention to political issues — even While we as students do not vote in state after the national demonstrations end. Last legislatures and we do not sit in the House week, there were 17 crosses and several or the Senate, we can work to better inform stones placed to honor the 17 students ourselves so that beyond protesting gun and staff members lost in Florida, and we, violence, we can advocate for concrete as a university, walked out of class for 17 solutions and inform ourselves on the minutes of silence. It is now the minutes, individuals we vote into those positions. We days and weeks after those can research and investigate 17 that truly matter. possible options, like Social media platforms required background checks have an incredible power “Our duty is to learn for the purchasing of arms to spread information and or consideration of whether gather people, as National and create our own public schools need more Walk Out Day and other informed opinions armed officers. events prove. Through Our duty is to learn and on ideas like the create their activism, regular our own informed people have, as Shaun King second amendment opinions on ideas like the wrote for NY Daily News, amendment right right because we second “[amplified] highly local because we don’t have to stories in ways that force don’t have to live in live in a world where two them on to the international polarized opinions blame landscape.” Our mourning a world where two each other — this can actually for the 17 and our desire to polarized opinions prevent any progress from end gun violence has been being made. When we have heard across the country, blame each other ” informed opinions, then and perhaps the world. we can continue action by But the mere voicing of calling the state governor’s an opinion is not enough. As Lions, we are office or state representatives and advocate called to instigate real change, and that that they pass specific bills into law. In the requires more dedication and time than time following these shootings, solutions participation in a single event. We are need to be found and tough questions need called to research deeper and start difficult to be asked. As students, we have a power to conversations with other groups, because push for change if we put in the work after our nation is divided between different a protest like National Walk Out Day ends. opinions over these kinds of issues. To
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OPINION
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Star Parker incites contradicting responses The Real McCoy
Elizabeth McCoy Opinion Intern @LALoyolan
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ast week, African American conservative speaker Star Parker spoke at LMU in The Negative Consequences of Identity Politics, Ethnocentrism, and the Welfare State — an event hosted by Young American’s for Freedom (YAF), as reported by the Loyolan. The chairman of YAF, Adam Duarte, an economics major, was very pleased with how the event went. He thought that she brought a great critique of liberal economic and educational policies to the table, along with some alternative, conservative ideas that could remedy these problems. Taylor Clark, a psychology and sociology double major and a member of the Black Student Union (BSU), did not report the same take aways from this event. Clark, a selfdescribed liberal, attended in order to hear a conservative perspective and to challenge her thinking. She, however, was left put off in the ways Parker approached, defined and described issues. After meeting with each of them separately, it almost seemed that they attended two different events. In Duarte’s description Parker said that single-parent households are a major societal issue and cited statistics which supported this. These studies show that kids who grow up in single-parent households “aren’t trained to use that work ethic that we see usually coming from two parent households.” He went on to say, “The data shows that … people who come from single parent households ... typically they are more likely to end up in jail and do things that are not good for society. That is just a data question, that’s just descriptive; it’s not a value judgement.” Clark, who is from a single-parent
Cameron Woodard | Loyolan
Star Parker interrupted a student during a discussion on how gay marriage and infringement on religious rights are leading to America’s demise. household, said in contrast, “I was Americans. However, when looking to defend herself.” Clark, then, saw conversations when it seems as raised by a single parent household, at the size of those populations, this audience participation in a much though, at any given point, people are and I would say that I have a good 49 percent of police shootings are different light than Duarte. hearing two different things? When work ethic, that I have good morals white and 24 percent black, while the Duarte talked prominently empirical facts are used to discount and ethics.” In Clark’s opinion, the population as a whole is 62 percent about how Star Parker described lived experience, it is difficult to statistics that Parker produced did white and 13 percent black. This how different systems within the have a common understanding and not tell the whole story, and she means that “black Americans are 2.5 government actually function to it becomes easy to dismiss the other heard them as more of an assumption times as likely as white Americans to keep people down, as that was what entirely, creating the division we all rather than just plain facts. be shot and killed by police officers.” stuck out to him. Clark agreed with know and feel. With that division Duarte also told me that during the What’s interesting is that Clark’s the point that welfare often inhibits comes silence, and with silence, Q&A section, an audience member perception seemed completely economic activity, but that was not issues remain unresolved. talked for around 15 minutes, “giving different. “One guy grew up in what stuck out to her about this I don’t know how to fix this, but rhetoric on his experience [of police Missouri, close to where Michael talk. Parker’s focus on whole, two- I think I know where to start. A brutality]” and that “just because it’s Brown was shot. He was basically parent families being a catalyst for starting point, a first step, is to his experience does not mean that saying it is disrespectful to say that large-scale change in poverty caught engage in conversations and listen it is statistically significant. I’m not Michael Brown was shot because Clark’s attention, as well as Parker’s carefully — to not just wait to rebut denying his experience that he went of his education and not because stance against gay marriage. Parker a point, but to understand where through, but that doesn’t mean that of police brutality and was getting equated the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag these points are coming from, and what he went through is true across very worked up about it, and she with the Confederate flag, as both tell what presupposes their arguments. the board. In fact, it’s untrue across was like, ‘Since you’re going to certain groups of people — Christians If there is a talk that sounds like it the board.” He thought that this was ramble on and rant, I’m going to and African Americans, respectively might counter your way of thinking, a disrespectful use of Parker’s time. take a seat.’ And she left the podium — that they are unwelcome. go to it, and see what could happen In my own research, however, and sat in the audience because However, the LGBTQ+ was not to your thinking. I found different information. he was talking too long. She kept formed because of a hatred for According to Snopes, it is true that interrupting people and rolling her Christians; some of this community This is the opinion of Elizabeth McCoy, a sophomore English major from Sammamish, there are more white people killed eyes and she was automatically are Christians themselves. Washington. Tweet comments to by police officers than African aggressive and automatically having How do we have coherent political @LALoyolan or email jlee@theloyolan.com
Students should follow their hearts, not the job market Lost in the Devansh Devansh Nahata Opinion Intern @LALoyolan
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n 1939, journalist Napoleon Hill published his masterpiece, “Think and Grow Rich” in which he wrote, “Do what successful people do and follow your heart, not your wallet [because] in the end, your wallet will be happy you did.” People of our generation seem to align with the mantra “follow your passion,” which has worked wonders for the leading entrepreneurs. On the contrary, there has been a trend towards choosing a career over doing what truly motivates you. I think that passion is created, not a given, an avenue in which time is invested and skill is
developed. Entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos invented a unique product or idea, which paved the way for further advancement and captivated them — thus, forming their passion. However, this process is not a common occurrence, which forces people to stick with the conventional route until they discover a passionate path. “You’ve got to find what you love,” Steve Jobs said during his 2005 commencement address to the graduates of Stanford University. Read the rest of this article on www.laloyolan.com This is the opinion of Devansh Nahata, a freshman undeclared major from Bangladesh, India. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email jlee@theloyolan.com.
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life+arts Unpacking a niche: Nashville’s hot chicken in L.A.
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Niko Klein, L+A Contributor (@niko_eats_losangeles)
via Niko Klein
This edition of Niko Klein’s (top left) food series features a popular Nashville foodie-classic. Pictured above are seniors Alexander Lorenz (bottom right, left) and C.J. Stone (bottom right, right).
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eat is the name of the game in this fried chicken sub-division hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. Hot chicken has been a tradition in Nashville since the 1930s, but didn’t make its way to Los Angeles in earnest until the opening of Howlin’ Rays, a Chinatown crowd-pleaser since 2015. While Los Angeles has a wealth of fried chicken options (and quite good ones), I’ve decided to focus on this particular category as I believe it deserves its own special attention, both for its flavor and story. The flavor is unique enough to deserve its own write-up, but the history belongs in its own league. The Prince family of Nashville is widely credited for creating the dish. However, the dish was not created for enjoyment, but rather as a punishment for a womanizing Thornton Prince who had stepped out on his woman one too many times. Upon his return home from a night spent away, Prince’s wife prepared him a plate of fried chicken, but with a bit more “love,” we could say. This love came in the form of extra hot pepper, meant to torch the mouth. The effect was immediate, but different from his wife’s objective — Prince loved the taste. He loved the correctional dish so much that he took the recipe and started sharing it with friends and family, who encouraged him to open an establishment. Now, this was the mid 1930s in the segregated south, and a black man was running one of the most popular joints in town with a flavor popular to both black and white. In an interesting historical note, Prince allowed white patrons to get their hands on his chicken, but only through the back door! That original shack is open and serving to this day. The hot chicken tradition has spread all over the United States. Even fried chicken giant KFC rolled out a temporary promotion of their take on Nashville Hot
Chicken within the last two years. It’s a flavor described by some (this writer included) as addictive. What makes it special? Beauty through simplicity and consistency. Hot chicken is typically bathed in buttermilk, sometimes overnight. The buttermilk helps the chicken retain juices when fried. Like other fried chicken variants, the chicken is breaded and put through a deep-fry or pan-fry process. Immediately upon being pulled from the fryer, the hot chicken is doused with a sauce. While every restaurant’s sauce is different, the two near-constants are fat and cayenne pepper. The fats range from bacon fat to chicken fat, and sometimes even a combination of multiple fats. Cayenne is the dominating spice, but chefs experiment with different, complex flavor profiles and heat levels. After the sauce is applied, some add a spice rub that can be made up of garlic, onion, powdered vinegar or a variety of other spices. Since our city was introduced to hot chicken in 2015, Angelenos have shown willingness to fight traffic, brave long lines and scald taste buds — all to feed a craving that can only be satisfied by this special breed of bird. The scene has been dominated by two major players: Howlin’ Rays and Dave’s Hot Chicken. All your favorite parts of the bird are typically offered; I would recommend cutting to the chase and order sandwich style, including sauce, coleslaw and pickles. Hot chicken sandwiches seem to be the claim to fame for L.A.’s triumvirate. Each offers their own variation on a mayonnaise-based aioli sauce for topping sandwiches and dipping fries. The Restaurants Dave’s Hot Chicken Dave’s Hot Chicken started off as a
late-night unofficial pop-up looking to perfect a craft. Just three months ago, owners Arman, Dave and Tommy were lucky enough to find a vacant space to lease in an East Hollywood strip mall. Lines have stretched out the door ever since. I was lucky enough to chat with one of the owners, Arman, despite how busy the place was on the night of my visit. Ironically, I pulled him aside to ask for the owner, and was surprised to learn that he was one of them. He was plating, bagging and calling out orders in the trenches with his employees. In the time I got to chat with him, I learned that he, Dave and Tommy were inspired by Howlin’ Ray’s. The three were lovers of fried chicken and spicy food, and hot chicken provided them a combo they never knew they needed. I went with my girlfriend, Emma, who carried with her the baggage of a low heat tolerance. We can pray that her spice tolerance improves, but until then, she’s sticking to the heatless offerings. Again, I went mild. By now, I have a predictable hot chicken order: a sandwich on the middle of the heat spectrum and fries. I order their two-slider and French fry meal, and Arman threw in a complimentary mac n’ cheese. Immediately, the bun strikes me as a standout — buttery and spongy. The coleslaw provides the perfect cooling component for the heat of the chicken. The pickle adds a crunch, but also an acidity that cuts right through to compliment the chicken. Howlin’ Rays Believe the hype. Husband and wife team Johnny and Amanda are credited with bringing hot chicken out of Nashville to Los Angeles. Since their 2015 inception, a line shorter than two hours is a near-impossibility in this unassuming Chinatown strip mall. Your meal and the impeccable customer service you’ll
receive will more than makeup for your wait time. That being said, I’d recommend bringing a book or someone you wouldn’t mind talking to for two hours. Luckily, I had my friend JP to help me kill time in line. Upon reaching the front of line, music is blaring, and the workers are excited to greet you. After ordering, I was greeted by a staffer who asked, “Hey man, you like pickles?,” to which I responded, “Yeah, I like pickles.” Immediately, he handed me a cup of sliced pickle chips to snack on. That, my friends, is customer service. My snacking pickles pushed the experience over the top. The staff, from top to bottom, has a way of making each customer feel like he or she is the most important customer of that day. You’ll have six heat options ranging from country (not spicy) to Howlin’ (their hottest flavor and topic of a Buzzfeed video). I ordered “The Sando,” the famous sandwich that includes a boneless breast, coleslaw, aioli sauce and pickle slices. I chose to have my chicken medium heat, which is in the middle of the spectrum, heat-wise. I also ordered fries, sprinkled with their spice dry-rub. Medium was the perfect heat for someone who likes a kick, without succumbing to a full-inferno. JP donated an extra wing to my meal, letting me experience the chicken outside of the buttered bun. The chicken on its own holds up — it’s delicious. Howlin’ Rays is surrounded by hype, and the hype is well-warranted. Nashville hot chicken is a craving that can truly only be satisfied by Nashville hot chicken, and I’m hooked.
This is the opinion of Niko Klein, a senior business management major from Los Angeles, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to chutchinson@theloyolan.com.
life+arts
laloyolan.com Page 12
Black artists lead box office, bestseller list Always Ally Ally Boulas
Life+Arts Intern @LALoyolan
R
yan Coogler’s “Black Panther” was released just over a month ago and it has already sped to the top of the box office, breaking records as it goes. According to Forbes, it has become the fourteenth highest grossing film ever worldwide and the seventh highest grossing film ever domestically since the film’s release on Feb. 16 and is likely to grow even further. But “Black Panther” isn’t the only film by a black director to shine at the box office this month. “A Wrinkle In Time,” directed by Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay and adapted from the novel of the same name, debuted at second place in the box office on March 9. This is the first time big budget films by black directors have occupied the first two box office positions. These directors are not only colleagues, but friends and supporters. Coogler penned an essay for DuVernay in ESPN to celebrate the release of “A Wrinkle In Time” where he made his admiration for his fellow director apparent, calling her his big sister. DuVernay and Coogler are leading the way in an industry that historically has not given black filmmakers a chance. According to a study conducted by USC of the top 100 grossing films each year from 2007 to 2017, only 5.6 percent of those films were led by a black director. Writer, director and comedian Jordan Peele made
history this year by becoming the first black writer to win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay with his 2017 horror film “Get Out.” Black artists aren’t only shining at the box office — they’re leading the New York Times young adult bestseller list as well. Tomi Adeyemi’s West African inspired fantasy novel, “Children of Blood and Bone,” debuted at number one on the list on March
back to a land where it is outlawed, began when she wanted to write a novel she needed as a kid. “I had a lot of different reasons for writing the book, but at its core was the desire to write for black teenage girls growing up reading books they were absent from,” Adeyemi told The Guardian. “That was my experience as a child. ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ is a chance to address that. To say you are seen.”
adaptation of Thomas’s novel, with Amandla Stenberg playing Starr. The authors show their love not only for each other — frequently referring to the other as “queen” on Twitter — but for “Black Panther” as well. Thomas has changed her Twitter display name to “T’ChAngie Thomas” in reference to the film’s main character T’Challa, and Adeyemi has nothing but praise for the film and its representation.
via Wikimedia Commons
The success of stories by black artists are proving the need for more representation in both film and literature. 6 and has already swept the book community by storm. With a solid five-star rating on Amazon as of March 19 and with the film rights already sold, the novel is poised to become one of the most popular of 2018 among readers. Adeyemi said that “Children of Blood and Bone,” which follows the story of a young girl named Zélie who fights to bring magic
In second place on the list is Angie Thomas’s novel “The Hate U Give,” which was released in February of last year. The novel, which has spent an incredible 54 weeks on the list, tells the story of Starr, a 16-yearold girl who witnesses a police officer shoot and kill her unarmed friend and finds her voice in the aftermath of his death. Filming has just wrapped on the movie
said. “And I think it’s been very much to our interest to be listening.” AMPAS issued a statement: “The Academy treats any complaints confidentially to protect all parties. The Membership Committee reviews all complaints brought against Academy members according to our Standards of Conduct process, and after completing reviews, reports to the Board of Governors.” When deciding how to respond to issues of representation in the film industry or a movement like #MeToo or #TimesUp, Bailey and Littleton work together. Littleton said, “We have a lot of conversations to sort out how we feel about things and ways to approach a problem or situation.” “I think our respective jobs — what we do with our lives — is a reflection of the way we think,” Bailey said. Littleton laughed and said, “I am opinionated and John pulls me back from the brink.” Having been married for almost four decades, Bailey (who is a cinematographer) and Littleton (who is an editor) are able to bounce ideas off of one another. Their dialogues do not feel like dialogues, but rather one continuous thought. They both also work in what is known as below the line positions in the film industry. Below the line refers to most positions on the film set, as the above the line crew generally include only the director, screenwriter, producer, casting director and actor. Only
one other below the line person has been president of the Academy, so Bailey works hard to make strides for the crew who are often underappreciated in the film industry. Below the line jobs are also ones that have the least amount of diversity. Bailey knows this, and a goal of his is to have greater representation by 2020. “It’s not going to change overnight,” he said. “Each of the branches has a subcommittee on diversity and inclusion ... their goal is to work and do research for highly qualified, overlooked cinematographers from around the world and put them up for consideration [for Academy membership].” Littleton added, “When I first started as an editor, it was 17 percent [women]. Even though there are more editors and there are so many women, the percentage hasn’t moved that much. It’s a flashing red light.” On representation at the Academy Awards, however, Bailey said the Academy is more limited in what they can do. “The Academy doesn’t create the movies. The Academy doesn’t have executive suites at the studios. They don’t decide who the producers and the directors and the writers are. Or the actors. We get these movies,” he said. Though the student turnout was not as high as usual for this “Hollywood Masters,” the 90-minute interview proved to be one of the year’s most insightful. Students finally gained
“That’s why the success of ‘Black Panther’ has been so significant — black and marginalized audiences have the chance to see themselves as heroes depicted in a beautiful and empowering way, and white audiences get to see new stories told, and it becomes easier for them to picture a black superhero,” Adeyemi told The Guardian. “Imagination is a funny thing — we
sometimes need to see something before we can truly picture it.” But while the success of these artists is worth a moment of celebration, this is not the final step. Adeyemi warned that society can’t collectively “Obama” this, where we assume that just because filmmakers and authors of color are more visible than before, there is no longer an issue of race in the respective industries. “Our books aren’t there to magically fix publishing, but maybe they’ll start the changes moving so that in six months we’ll have even more great stories, where we see ourselves and are heard,” Adeyemi said. Junior theatre arts major and avid reader of young adult fiction Emma Whitley reaffirmed these statements. “No longer are white authors the sole topic of conversation in young adult fiction,” Whitley said. “Still, we need to keep it up. We can’t just applaud two books and call it quits. Celebrate black authors. Celebrate black stories. Let the black community have their voices heard.” Audience members and readers have great power when it comes to securing the future for aspiring artists of color. Being vocal about support for a project, whether it’s a movie, a novel, a comic book or an album, communicates to those in charge that there is a demand for stories that are more than just white. This is a start of a shift in the entertainment industries, but it is just a start. It’s up to the average person to keep building momentum. This is the opinion of Alexandra Boulas, a junior theatre arts major from Sacramento, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to chutchinson@theloyolan.com.
Academy president comes for ‘Masters’ finale Just Jacob Jacob Cornblatt
Asst. Life+Arts Editor @jacobcornblatt
I
n the final “Hollywood Masters” of the school year, host Stephen Galloway sat down with LMU alumni and president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) John Bailey and legendary editor Carol Littleton to discuss the current state of Hollywood, as well as what it means to be a “below the line” crew member in film. Littleton and Bailey have also been married for 46 years. Hours after the interview with Bailey, Variety reported that three women stepped forward with sexual harassment allegations against the Academy president. In a time where women are standing up to the men who sexually harassed or assaulted them and minorities are calling upon Hollywood to represent them, being president of the Academy is a difficult position to hold. Bailey was elected into the job in August, and the #MeToo movement began in October. Littleton said, “This took not only us, but the Academy quite by surprise ... there were rumblings, but no one ever stepped out.” “It’s very difficult for a man to speak regarding diversity or issues of sexual harassment and everything, because women have been so strongly voiced in all of this,” Bailey
Juan Tallo via SFTV
Students gather outside of SFTV with Bailey and Littleton after ‘Masters’ a glimpse into the lives and work of crew members, not movie stars. “What I really am glad about is that this season finally managed to get representation from women and minorities that I’ve struggled to do (and failed to do) in the past,” host Stephen Galloway said. “I am really, really glad to see that change.” In particular, this year’s “Hollywood Masters” have been exciting, profound and educational. Both LMU and The Hollywood
Reporter worked hard to gather dozens of major talents in the film industry and bring them to our school, so I believe I am not alone in reciprocating the words that Galloway gave to LMU at the end of his interview: thank you. This is the opinion of Jacob Cornblatt, a freshman film production major from Gaithersburg, Maryland. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to chutchinson@theloyolan.com.
laloyolan.com Page 13
Drollinger to double the available parking Even smart cars are becoming too large for LMU’s compact spots. Amanda Nahin
My car – yeah, she thicc Do you feel like you’re trying to squeeze into everything lately? There’s that almost full class you desperately need, or those shrinking jeans from freshman year and, of course, that parking space in Drollinger. Well, you may be dismayed to hear what LMU is hoping you can fit into this coming semester. Complaints of limited parking
in Drollinger have been heard, and LMU’s quick fix is to cut spaces in half. Let’s hope you’re comfortable with squeezing a little more in your schedule. “I find this to be a ridiculous idea. I drive a yellow Range Rover and she a thicc girl. I can’t be squeezing her into the regular compact spaces as is, and now they’re cutting the spots in half?” said Sally Smith, a sophomore psychology major. Maybe you’ve noticed how Drollinger already has more compact than normal spaces. But it is also a known fact that it’s nearly impossible to find a space while running late for your 9:40 a.m. class. Due to LMU forcing
students to park in designated parking structures, it is quite impossible to expect to fit half of the campus in Drolli. Bradley Bradferson, a junior business major said, “Yeah, sure, cut stuff in half, LMU — as long as you’re also cutting our tuition in half. ‘Cuz like, yeah, that’d be cool. I mean I don’t have on campus parking, though. I ride my bike and park him outside the back of U-Hall so I don’t have to deal with that parking strug.” So, if you’re feeling like you need a little more space in your life, this increase in spaces might not be the right fit for you. Rumor has it, lot H has full sized spaces, but only three.
Drollinger wasn’t even repainted, so park between the red lines.
The Woman’s Guide to Mansplaining LMU purchases arrogant handbooks about arrogance of man. Thomas Richmond
Why not silence them?
Jenny Lee
Shut up, Thomas
In preparation for next semester classes, the women’s and gender studies department placed a massive order for the controversial newly released best-seller “The Woman’s Guide to Mansplaining.” The book markets itself as the authoritative guide to mansplaining everywhere. It spotlights the ubiquitous forms of mansplaining, dissects the
practice’s social and cultural roots and, most notably, coaches female readers on how to skillfully mansplain to ignorant male chauvinists. One of its more demonstrative recommendations is to always have a portable whiteboard on hand whenever belittlement from constant reiteration and deliberately talking slow won’t
Aurora Occelli | Loyolan
The Womans’ Guide to Mansplaining has plently of advice on how to deal with the way boys talk.
suffice. The book notes, “Putting your explanations in pictures helps bridge the understanding gap. I’m sure you agree that crayons and bright colorful markers really make the point come across.” It also suggests answering simple questions with broad storied responses and keeping the words “well, actually” always ready as a fallback interrupter for any situation, however correct the other person may be. Certain literary circles have lambasted the book as a condescending instruction of how to casually act condescending. As reviewer Gail Frances writes, “It becomes openly evident how little self-awareness is in the author’s mind. The first chapter hastily explains what mansplaining is through pop-up pages and childish metaphors.” Defending their newest release, the publishing company Simon & Schultz forgave the book’s critics for being unable to understand what they were trying to teach. LMU’s bookstore said it is the largest order of textbooks they’ve ever had, especially considering how far in advance it was placed,
but the school seems to have anticipated its wild popularity. Hours after the order was placed, Amazon reported book clubs curious over the attentiongrabbing name began heated bidding wars for the remaining copies in stock. A spokesperson said, “Auctioning off chart-toppers isn’t typically how we operate, but we had to do something before people remembered that physical bookstores exist.” Women’s and gender studies professors were alert to the book’s patronizing nature, intentionally assigning it as a case study of poor execution on well-intended attempts at social progress. The professors were also pleased to — at least momentarily — have less copies available on the open market. Not known by most of the public, a hidden history behind the book’s development reveals its problematic essence. Cultural critic Angela Chau conceived the original premise which was then seized upon by the credited author Aaron Kingsley. Kingsley is currently using the success from his book to lobby for a women’s empowerment award.
Graphic by Chloe Cunningham | Loyolan Article by Casey Lee, Mediocre Bracket Maker
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.
SPORTS
laloyolan.com Page 14
Men’s tennis team ranks No. 43 in nation After a rough 2016-2017 season, the men’s tennis team bounces back, earning a top-50 ranking. Riley Smith Sports Intern @LALoyolan
The men’s tennis team won their last seven matches to earn a spot among the top 50 in the country. One notable attribute of the LMU men’s tennis roster is its diversity. Of the 12 men on the team, almost half are from outside the states; Germany, Chile, Spain and Australia are all represented among the players. Here on the Bluff, all of these men from around the world have come together to form the highest ranking tennis team in LMU history. So far this season, the team has put up a 12-2 record. One of their losses, suffered in the first match of the season, was a tough match against the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), currently ranked fourth in the country. “We barely lost,” said redshirt sophomore Nick Borchenko from Los Angeles, who often plays first team doubles for the Lions. “After that — kind of [for] the first time ever — we’re like, ‘Okay, we can hang with these guys.’ And since then we just kept rolling.” That they did. Immediately following that loss, the Lions went on an impressive run, shutting out their next three opponents to rise to a record of 3-1 in convincing fashion. After dropping another match to Arizona State, currently ranked 34, the team really turned a corner and took their place among the country’s greats.
Since that Feb. 9 loss, the team has been undefeated. They have given up a miraculously low six total points in the seven matches since then, entering unfamiliar territory as the No.43 ranked team in the country.
He was out. That was missing last season.” The return of Boyce, a Texas native who is the most senior member of the team, has been appreciated. Although he has been playing fourth or fifth singles this year instead of first, he has been a powerhouse
Alex Farrell | Loyolan
Sophomore Gabriel Diaz Freire follows through on a forehand swing against UT San Antonio.
“We are ranked now [among the top 50] for the first time in school history,” Head Coach Tom Lloyd said. “With that comes an unfamiliar pressure. We are the hunted for once.” Max Kaiser, a sophomore from Berlin, attributes significant improvement in this year’s team to the return of several key athletes. “This year, we have a lot of people coming back to the team … like our number one player, graduate student Charles Boyce,” said Kaiser. “He was injured last season. He was like our leader.
for the Lions, losing only once in his eight dual matches played this season. Borchenko, who often played first singles last year in the absence of several players, has continued to put up solid numbers in the fifth or sixth spot for singles. The new number one — sophomore Gabriel Diaz Freire from Gijon, Spain — has been no less impressive, winning seven of his 10 singles appearances in dual matches. This newfound depth of skilled players is critical. Last year, in addition
to the injury to Boyce described by Kaiser, several other players were unable to take the court for because of injuries and problems with academic probation. “To take a quote from our coach, he said: [Last year] was just about [having] a heartbeat on the court,” Kaiser added. “Sometimes we played with walk-ons.” “It’s just a completely different team,” said Borchenko. “We had the guys last year, they just weren’t on the court with us.” Aside from impressive depth and equally impressive performance from all men on the roster, the camaraderie of the team is apparent. “We’re like our own frat kinda,” said Borchenko. “A lot of us want to have that … social life, and we have just an unreal team culture.” Lloyd said the team culture is the most important thing to him, offered up a slightly different — but no less positive — view. “The team has created a very competitive environment with everything that we do,” he said. “Within that, we are always pulling the rope in the same direction and the guys know that we are here for something greater than any individual.” On and off the court, it is evident that this group shares a strong bond, one that no doubt has helped them succeed in every match this season. To perfectly sum up the team feelings, Kaiser offered up one last thought: “We played in Irvine, which is not at home,” he said. “But … we took the whole team, so it feels like home.” This tennis team is a group of 12 endearing and spirited gentlemen who also perform at a high level. Going forward, this sportsmanship and team connection will carry them far. The Lions play next against Yale at home Wednesday afternoon.
Softball struggles through season so far Matty Light Matt Rodriguez
F
Sports Editor @LALoyolan
reshman infielder Delanie Wisz was announced as the West Coast Conference (WCC) Softball Player of the Week on Monday, March 19. She earned the award with her spectacular hitting performances last week. Wisz hit four home runs with nine runs batted in (RBI) in 10 hits. She recorded a .429 on-base percentage and .960 slugging percentage. She also had six runs scored with two bases stolen and a .986 fielding percentage. Wisz has been one of the shining stars in this freshman class. Catcher/outfielder Molly Grumbo and infielder Andrea Gonzalez join Wisz as three of the top five hitters on the team. Although the Lions have stellar young talent to carry them, they have still struggled to win games in the beginning of the season. The Lions have a losing record with 15-17-1. The main problem the team has is that they are inconsistent. For example, in the end of February and beginning of March the team slid into a five game losing streak. During this streak,
the Lions gave up 34 runs while only hitting nine. During this losing streak, one game ended early due to the mercy rule. Accoring to the NCAA, the mercy rule is when a team is ahead by eight or more runs after five or more equal innings. The Lions lost 13-0 to the University of Florida. In the three games following, the Lions scored 12 runs winning all three. This trend is apparent throughout most of the season. In the 33 games so far of this season, there have been only seven games that have had less than five runs from both teams. The Lions struggle in these tight and low scoring games. In games where the Lions hit zero to two runs, they have a record of 2-13-2. In games where the Lions hit zero home runs, they have a losing record of 6-12-1. The Lions are fine when their opponents struggle, recording a winning record of 14-2-1 whenever their opponents’ score zero to two runs. The outcome of the game depends on their ability to connect the ball to the bat. When their opponents score three to five runs, the Lions have only won a single game out of seven. The Lions have yet to win a game where their opponents scored more than five runs. The Lions also struggle to
Alex Farrell | Loyolan
Freshman catcher/outfielder Molly Grumbo (above) has 30 hits, 13 runs and a .345 batting average for the season.
bounce back when they give up a lead. Overall, when the Lions are trailing in a game, they have only won five games. They struggle in games when they give up runs in the first inning, as they have only won one out of five games when doing so. When the Lions are trailing in late game situations, which is
from the fifth inning onwards, they have yet to win a game. The Lions need to capture the magic they have in games where they win by wide margins, and take that into games where every hit, run and strikeout matters. The Lions hope to rebound from their most recent loss against Long Beach State as they
face California State University Fullerton on Thursday, March 22 at 6 p.m.
This is the opinion of Matthew Rodriguez, a junior political science major from Milpitas, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan, or email mrodriguez@theloyolan.com.
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SPORTS
SCORES UPDATE 9-6 L
SOFTBALL
LION
vs. Long Beach St.
SPORTS
9-4 W
BASEBALL
vs. BYU
Men's Tennis
4-1 W
vs. South Florida
Beach Volleyball
5-0 L
vs. UCLA
Follow us on Twitter @laloyolan for up-to-date scores.
Page 16
LOS ANGELES LOYOLAN | March 21, 2018 | laloyolan.com
LMU trainer spends decade on the Bluff
Prior to LMU, Cortez trained the LA Angels' minor league team Izzy Berrent
Asst. Sports Editor @LALoyolan
Every year, March represents National Athletic Training Month — this year’s slogan is "compassionate care for all." It is precisely this motto that motivated Assistant Athletic Trainer Steve Cortez to pursue a career in sports medicine. “I think that helping people out, as well as being involved in athletics and sports," Cortez said — "it was not so much the medicine part that drew me into it, but helping people and getting athletes back to where they need to be.” Cortez was born in Houston, Texas but raised in Whittier, California, about an hour away from LMU’s campus. Like most people, discovering what career path he wanted to follow took a bit of time. Starting off at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a mechanical engineering major, Cortez then went back home to Whittier, and attended Rio Hondo Community College for a year, and after, transferred to Cal State Fullerton, where he ended up graduating from.
“Once I transferred over [from Rio Hondo], I did a little bit of interning in [Cal State Fullerton's] athletic training room, and their strength and conditioning room," Cortez said. "To get a wellrounded experience, but I wasn’t really in their [Athletic Training] program yet. Then, I applied to their program, and got in for the next semester." Cal State Fullerton’s Athletic Training Program was, at the time, a five semester program, requiring about 200 to 300 hours per semester of work with the school’s athletes, under supervision of certified athletic trainers. He completed that program, cum laude, took a certification test and graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology. After graduation, Cortez took an internship with the Los Angeles Angels Baseball Club in 2003, which landed him a job with the Angels’ minor league team, located in Mesa, Arizona, for the 2004 season. Following his stint with the Angels, he spent a few years working the graveyard shift for FedEx, helping their workers with any injuries they came down with. He then became the head athletic trainer at St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs, California, before settling down at LMU in January of 2008 —where he has been for the past 10 years. He
Juliana Ferrero | Loyolan
Steve Cortez, one of LMU's assistant athletic trainers, has spent 10 years helping heal wounded Lions.
said coming to LMU was “good timing and luck.” Cortez works primarily with the baseball team, men’s rowing and golf teams now, but up until this year worked with the women’s volleyball team as well. He says the most common injuries among these teams have to do with the shoulders and elbows. “These days I’m working
anywhere from 50 to 60 hours per week," Cortez said. "Being consistent, showing up, being there, knowing what you know and knowing what you don’t know, and being confident in what you know and who you are all important [for the job].” As for advice for those that want to go into the sports medicine field, he believes it’s a
“great field” to go into, but it does come with challenges. “You’re gonna work hard and it’s going to be different every day," Cortez said. "It’s something that, at the end of the day, you’re going to find enjoyment and satisfaction out of; but just be prepared to be adaptable and not be afraid to hit some bumps in the road.”