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Looking for weird and After 20 years, LMU’s fun classes to take next Athletic Director year? The Bluff has the Dr. William Husak is answer. retiring. Page 15 Page 13
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LMU Housing’s Program Assistants shutting down
All Program Assistant events will now be under Mane Entertaiment. Kayan Tara
Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan
All on-campus events and activities will be redirected to Mane Entertainment (ME), LMU’s student entertainment provider, ending Student Housing’s Program Assistants (PA). This change, which will take effect before the Fall 2018 semester, was implemented in an effort to make campus social programming more efficient and coordinated, according to Richard T. Rocheleau, the associate vice president for Student Life. PA’s, run by the Housing department, are the “facilitators of Thursday Night Things (TNTs) and Destination L.A. trips,” according to their Facebook and Instagram pages. ME is mainly known for organizing a variety of events on campus, including inviting celebrity guest speakers, Open Mic nights, outdoor movies and more. “I feel that this will have an overall positive effect — consolidating the creativity of both groups could produce even better events of a wider variety,” said Juan Bernal, a sophomore theatre arts major who works at ME. “I have a lot of respect for the work the Program Assistants do; I think their addition to our teams would fuel a super positive environment for the employees and bolster further our presence on campus.” With PA and ME hosting events throughout the academic school year,
both organizations faced a duplication of certain type of events and activities, according to Trey Duval, the director of Campus Recreation & Campus Activities. “We are having Mane take this on because they have the infrastructure and ability to reach more of the student population,” said Duval. “This move will streamline programming and make it a more coordinated effort.” Not all programs relating to student life will be redirected to Mane, as “ASLMU and RHA are two other important bodies on campus that provide valuable events and experiences for LMU students, not to mention all the events put on by Registered Student Organizations,” said Anna Roueche, the Program Coordinator of Mane Entertainment. The changes to make events and activities on campus streamlined through ME has already begun, with housing not hiring PA’s for the next academic year. Mane is already planning to incorporate some of the programs PA’s were in charge of, such as Welcome Week and certain offcampus trips once the fall term begins, as reported by Roueche. Due to this change, there will also be a change in funds provided to ME, which will impact student workers being hired, as well as additional programs added to their line-up, with events organized for students increasing in the fall, according to Roueche. “Mane Entertainment is very excited to grow and provide more services for LMU students; to successfully grow and use our resources effectively,” said Roueche.
See Program | Page 3
Commencement speakers announced for May Ronan Farrow, renowned journalist, will speak at undergraduate commencement. Mitch Storey News Intern @LALoyolan
In a press release last week, LMU announced that journalist Ronan Farrow and the outgoing Dean of the School of Education, Shane Martin, will be delivering commencement addresses at the end of the 2018 school year. Farrow, the undergraduate commencement speaker, received more recognition recently for his work investigating allegations made into Harvey Weinstein. Farrow’s comprehensive article ran in The New Yorker. Although the The New York Times reported on Weinstein first, Farrow’s article dove into the allegations, unpacking the accounts of numerous victims who had been physically and mentally abused by the producer. His research contributed to the rise of the #MeToo movement, according to Variety. “When they announced him I wasn’t familiar with him, but I know LMU is going to pick someone who is renowned and credible in their field of work and someone who has good guidance to offer those going into the world,” Callie Carlucci, a senior theatre arts
major, said. Farrow’s work in The New Yorker won a George Polk Award in 2017 in the category of National Reporting. According to Long Island University, who presented the awards, “[a George Polk Award is] the first major award of its kind to recognize reporting across all media. This prestigious honor focuses on the intrepid, bold and influential work of the reporters themselves, placing a premium on investigative work that is original, resourceful and thought-provoking.” Before his article in the New Yorker, Farrow worked for the State Department in Afghanistan and Pakistan under the Obama administration. In 2011, he served as Hillary Clinton’s special adviser for Global Youth Issues and director of the State Department’s Office of Global Youth Issues. He is also a graduate from Yale Law School. On Monday, Farrow came out as “part of the [LGBTQ+] community, according to Towleroad.com. “I think Farrow’s journalistic work in exposing Weinstein’s sexual assaults is important and relevant,” Isabel Ngo, a senior theatre arts major, said. “But it would have been awesome to have a commencement speaker who is a person of color, especially considering the activism of many women of color in the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements.” See Commencement | Page 3
Jason Munoz | Loyolan
“The Drowsy Chaperone” Olivia Twiford (left), a junior theatre arts major, and Beau Mantor (right), a senior theatre arts major, will be performing in the play titled “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The play is directed by Jordan Block, a senior theatre arts major, and will take place at the Del Rey Theatre. The show will open on Thursday, April 12 at 8 p.m. and will run through April 21. General admission to the show costs $10 and tickets are available online for purchase. Bring cash to buy tickets at the door! For more information and an interview with the director, go to page 12.
NEWS
laloyolan.com Page 2
Employment
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NEWS
3
laloyolan.com Page 3
Program assistants to end
BURNING QUESTIONS
Program from Page 1
“We hope to have more collaborative events. We also work constantly with all the other departments in Student Affairs to understand the
university calendar, helping us know what kinds of events students want and when events are needed to fill out the LMU student experience.” The Loyolan reached out to a
PA working in the program and they were unable to comment without permission from their supervisors — who did not respond with a comment at the time of publication.
This week, News Intern Zhi Jiao Danielle Goh sat down Rabbi Arthur GrossSchaefer, a professor of marketing and business law at LMU who have published two mystery murder books, “The Rabbi Wore Moccasins” and “The Rabbi Wore a Fedora.”
What inspired you to write a book?
1
The first one is basically a story of my real involvement defending a group of Native Americans, and how I got to know them and then [what happened] when they were almost thrown off of their land. I was very upset with that and very troubled about how our legal system worked.
How do you manage your time in order to write, while teaching at LMU?
2
I make sure I do my academic articles and do all those things and teach. Teaching is my highest priority here. It took me four years to write the last book. I’m so busy with academic articles and therefore its hard to find time to write it. I’m also a rabbi at Santa Barbara and then, lastly, I write murder mysteries.
3
What do you gain from your writing?
I like my books, I like writing them. It’s a journey and when I do it well, I interact with my characters and they argue with me. They really come alive and I love that interaction. I grow from it because they teach me.
Want to read even more questions
WANT MORE ANSWERS?
with Gross-Schaefer? Check them out at laloyolan.com.
Matthew Goddard | Loyolan
An event at The Living Room featuring actess Angela Kinsey hosted by Mane Entertainment on Nov. 8, 2017.
School of Education dean to speak Commencement from Page 1
Shane Martin will be serving as the commencement speaker for the graduate school. He was made the dean of the School of Education in 2005, and the dean of graduate studies in 2012. LMU’s press release cited that Martin is a state commissioner to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and a board member of Green Dot Public Schools and Teach for America Los Angeles. He is also a founding member
of Deans for Impact, “a national organization committed to improving student-learning outcomes by stewarding the transformation of educator preparation,” according to the Deans for Impact Website. Martin will continue his career as the next provost of Seattle University, beginning June 1. Executive Vice President and Provost of LMU, Tom Poon, said in a statement to colleagues last November that, “Thanks to
Shane’s thoughtful guidance, three academic centers, the LMU Family of Schools and multiple initiatives and institutes were developed in key areas such as STEM education, English Learner education, and Catholic education. LMU is a bolder, stronger university because of all that Shane has accomplished here.” Farrow will be delivering his commencement Saturday, May 5, at 9:15 a.m., and Martin will deliver his on Sunday, May 6, at 10 a.m.
laloyolan.com Page 4
RHA and OXFAM host Ethical Fashion Show
via Leah Sullivan
L
eah Sullivan is a sophomore entrepreneurship major and the Social Justice Chair for RHA. She is also the main force behind organizing the Ethical Fashion Show in Regents Terrace on April 12 at 7 p.m. for Sustainability Month. Sullivan says that her first year seminar class, Creating a New World, is what motivated her to bring this idea to RHA. "We had a research project where we had to take that topic in whatever direction we wanted, so I tried to combine my interests in art and fashion and found that there were a lot of environmental problems relating to the fashion industry." The fashion show is an event co-hosted by ASLMU, RHA and OXFAM club, a small club representing the OXFAM organization that focuses on ending poverty and social injustices around the world. There will be booths with different fair trade brands and a fashion runway show with models displaying their fair trade looks.
OPINION Commencement changes are
laloyolan.com Page 5
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a step in the right direction Changes to the undergraduate commencement ceremony were announced by Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas Poon, in a letter to faculty on March 26, 2018. According to Poon’s community letter the changes — implemented by the 2018 Commencement Committee — are an attempt to keep students and families in attendance during the entire ceremony and abbreviate a ceremony that has increased in length proportional to the student population at LMU has in recent years. For many students, undergraduate commencement is the finish line of their academic career. Having put time, money and energy into their education, students deserve a final ceremony that encapsulates their time on campus and that is enjoyable. Students, families, faculty and staff can expect to see the following changes around the commencement ceremonies, according to Poon: • Student award recipients of the Marian Award, Ignatian Award, Scholar of the Year Award and the announcement of Valedictorians, will be announced at the Academic Awards Convocation on April 19. • Award winners will be included, with biographies and photos, in the commencement program listed with
their award and will be shown on screens before the ceremony begins. • The biggest change to the ceremony procedure will be the addition of a second name reader on stage, with students entering on both sides to have a constant procession. • A ramp will be added to the stage as well, for those who cannot walk the steps. • The faculty meet and greet will be moved until after the ceremony. • F a c u l t y award recipients will be announced at the Academic Award convocation and honored again at the First Year Convocation in August, rather than being announced during the commencement ceremony. This year’s ceremony is expected to be only two hours. With more time available, the commencement looks to highlight speaker Ronan Farrow — the Loyolan reported the announcement last week — and student speakers, still to be announced. The changes to this process show that LMU is listening to students and is actively looking for ways to accommodate and make the experiences better for faculty, students and their families.
“Having put time, money and energy into their education, students deserve a final ceremony that encapsulates their time on campus and that is enjoyable.”
Kellie Chudzinski Editor-in-Chief
Emily Rawson Managing Editor
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Managing Editor
Board Editorials represent the voice of the Loyolan. They are written in collaboration by the Executive Editorial Board.
LMU lacked social responsibility abroad Myers for Hire Alex Myers
Asst. Opinion Editor @LALoyolan
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W
hen I scheduled classes for this semester, I never thought that I would be flying to Vietnam for a French philosophy class. The news of this class excited me because I thought the trip would revolve around social justice issues since LMU is a Jesuit university. The syllabus explained that we were traveling to Vietnam in order to understand aspects of the aftermaths of imperial culture in French Indochina. The trip, however, went against what the syllabus described. After sitting in a cramped plane for more than 14 hours, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, at first, seemed amazing with its beautiful buildings and skyscrapers. Palm trees, smog and the sounds of buzzing mopeds stuck out to me, but behind all these new surroundings was a dark reality for many Vietnamese people. A shuttle company packed us into vans and drove the class across the city, dodging the cluster of busy drivers. I noticed the areas we passed on the way were extremely impoverished. People were scattered throughout the streets going on with their busy days and there were parts of families, packed like cans of sardines on mopeds, with the children situated in between the parents. No one truly cared if anybody was a cautious driver. Dropping our luggage off at the hotel, I found the building quite isolated from the rest of Ho Chi Minh City. While there were many tall, beautiful buildings, this hotel stood out because the people who were going into it were predominately white. The only Vietnamese people around us were those working at the hotel. They were dressed up in traditional Vietnamese gowns, which is the equivalent to wearing a cowboy costume in America today. I believe this is evidence of the direct aftermath of Western and French imperialism, but none
Cameron Woodard | Loyolan
LMU global immersion trip is just a tourist trap, and ignores the real status of Vietnam. environment has made an impact. of it was mentioned on the trip. According to the World Bank, Vietnam’s I saw economics and culture work in Vietnam in one way: If it’s Western, then CO2 emissions, metric tons per capita, rose it’s better. If the hotel was filled with from 0.668 in 2000 to 1.804 in 2014. This Westerners, then the customer service was evident as my asthma, which I haven’t was over the top. Every shop, restaurant had problems with since I was a middle and store not associated with or backed schooler, flared up from the poor air quality by Western ways was less than OK. Most caused by pollution. It was also a common restaurants and shops that were old and occurrence to see people throw trash on the worn-out belonged to local Vietnamese street and not give it a second thought. This owners, while any seemingly nice restaurant made Ho Chi Min City a pool for diseases or hotel was swarmed by internationals who from lack of sanitation. According to Save the Children, 22 out of 1,000 children die were mostly Westerners. This is an aftermath of imperialism, and before their fifth birthday in Vietnam, which yet the LMU staff leading the trip remained is a major consequence of environmental conditions and lack of proper health care. silent on this reality. Vietnam’s poverty rate has dropped See Social Responsibilities 40 percent over the course of about 20 Abroad | Page 6 years, according to the World Bank. he quality of life for many Vietnamese people This is the opinion of Alex Myers , a junior French and has not gotten much better; not only are philosophy major from Edmond, Oklahoma. Tweet there still financial struggles, but also the comments @LALoyolan, or email jlee@theloyolan.com.
OPINION
Page 6
Cannabis better than pharma for students Citizen Jayne
Jayne Philbin Opinion Intern @LALoyolan
T
he war on drugs has nothing to do with your health and safety. If this is something you aren’t already aware of, good morning. Our societal knowledge and understanding of the cannabis plant has surged in the past decade. Studying the potential benefits of cannabis became difficult when the plant was criminalized in 1937 in an attempt to put Mexicans in prison according to the Drug Policy Alliance. Yes, you read that correctly. To understand the systematic condemnation of cannabis, you need a quick history lesson. Hearings on marijuana law that took place in the 1930s included more racist attacks. Claims were spurted that cannabis caused men of color to develop violent tendencies and harass white women for sex. This, along with anti-cannabis propaganda videos like Reefer Madness, set the stage for the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which effectively banned cannabis use and sales. The banning of cannabis had little to do with the plant itself and more to do with a racist agenda. There was no conclusive evidence at the time that the plant had any damaging influences. Today, research has uncovered more benefits than follies of the plant. Let’s fast forward to 2018. Medical cannabis is legal in 25 states, including California. This is largely due in part to brave researchers and advocates. Yet, there is still much progress left to be made. School
policies towards the plant are still attached to their racist roots and fear mongering propaganda. The fact of the matter is that cannabis has less dangerous side effects than most pharmaceuticals. Zofran, for example, has been prescribed for nausea, and as a result of taking this drug, many women started giving birth to children with heart defects. GlaxoSmithKline, the drug company that developed and pushed this drug, agreed to pay the largest ever healthcare fraud settlement in history on these grounds. Profit is consistently prioritized over public health through the American healthcare system. The United States is one of only two developed nations in the world that allows commercial advertisement of pharmaceutical drugs. Pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars marketing drugs to doctors to push to the public. I have a few issues with this fact, and you should too. Studies on the plant became limited when it was outlawed, and racist propaganda supported a stigma around using it. Not only were studies limited, but they were disproportionate as well. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, associate chief of the neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital and CNN’s chief medical expert, reported that “Medical marijuana is not new, and the medical community has been writing about it for a long time. There were, in fact, hundreds of journal articles, mostly documenting the benefits. Most of those papers, however, were written between the years 1840 and 1930.” Smoking certain strains of cannabis has been found to help students cope with symptoms
Abby Pollak | Loyolan
Cannabis has been banned on many college campuses due to federal policy, despite it being legalized in LA. of ADHD. Sour Diesel, a sativa strain, is one of the highest rated cannabis strains on Leafly for the treatment of ADHD. Leafly users report that it “shines a new, engaging light on dull activities and tasks.” For the treatment of anxiety, students might prefer an indica strain of cannabis over a pharmaceutical mood stabilizer. Mood stabilizers can cause a number of adverse side effects and prove difficult to stop taking. Also, if pharmacy prices elevate (which has been known to happen), it’s not like users can just drop these drugs. Suddenly stopping mood stabilizers or antidepressants causes extreme mental imbalance and flu-like symptoms. Cannabis has also proved effective in treating seizure patients and boosting the appetites of cancer patients, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Morgan Fox, communications manager of the Marijuana Policy Project, said, “Regardless of marijuana’s legal status, colleges should treat marijuana like they treat alcohol in their own internal policies. Marijuana is much safer than alcohol, and so much less trouble.”In the words of cannabis advocate Timothy Leary, “Think for yourself and question authority.” The fact of the matter is that it is unjust to leave the lives of students in the hands of pharma. It’s about time universities like LMU get hip to the times; if I can buy alcohol and smoke cigarettes on campus, then I should be able to toke up too. The reason LMU claims we can’t smoke cannabis is that our University receives federal funding. Other schools also have waited to allow cannabis on campus, in fear of infringing on the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, according
to Inside Higher Ed. LMU is a private university and is supposed to be able to make its own choices about what policies it enforces, and federal funding has yet to be taken away from a school for disobeying such policies. It’s time for LMU and other universities to stop hiding behind fake excuses rooted in racism and fear, and embrace the pro-cannabis movement. I believe that it’s every student’s right to take charge of their own health in the way that works best for them. Therefore, for the sake of student safety, universities everywhere need to lift bans on cannabis usage.
said. “I feel like as a class, we overlooked much of what really mattered. Granted, our main objective in going was to gain a better understanding of the French influence in Vietnam, but at the same time, I definitely didn’t feel like we served or promoted any core LMU values.” At face-value, the trip fit the syllabus because we could check off tourist must-sees, but it
missed the mark in providing a message based on social justice and advocacy. I hope LMU and BCLA can learn from this adventure, and realize that trips should serve as more than a tourist visit. The trips should highlight that there’s an issue that students need to learn about in order to open their world view. Students do not want to go on school trips
abroad for tourist traps — if that’s the case, then they should go on a vacation with their families or friends, not waste their tuition money.
This is the opinion of Jayne Philbin, a sophomore English and theology double major from Altadena, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email jlee@theloyolan.com
Let’s be more socially aware while abroad
Social Responsibilities Abroad from Page 5
Now, what’s even more mindblowing is that neither my teacher nor the LMU Study Abroad Office educated us about the economic and social conditions of Vietnam before traveling there. The trip seemed even more like a giant tourist trap rather than an educational trip focused on French imperialism’s influence on Vietnam. One day, we went as a class on a boat tour of the Mekong river, but the tour had nothing to do with what we were in Vietnam for. We were supposed to learn about Vietnamese culture; however, we sailed from one island to another, only to be bombarded with locals offering us food to buy. While sailing on the Mekong was a surreal experience that I am grateful for, this experience, along with the whole trip, did not embody the LMU mission and values I was hoping for. We also went to a few museums, including one about the Vietnam war, but there was little time spent there. The few times we were trying to learn about what was stated in the syllabus, we quickly brushed over it, which made me feel robbed of the trip’s educational experience. One of the pillars of the LMU mission statement is “the service of faith and the promotion of justice.” While this was not labeled explicitly as a service trip, every LMU student should be able to use their Jesuit education to understand more about the current crises
of any country they visit while traveling abroad with the school. The trip leaders brought us to the markets of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to understand Vietnamese culture, but nothing was said about the condition of the markets, where people were packed in less than ideal conditions. People work in these markets in awful conditions because they have to make ends meet; they are not some kind of ethnic spectacle for Western tourists to observe. I saw many tourists give money to these people and watched their faces light up because they felt better about themselves in the most selfish ways imaginable. Throwing money at someone you see as less fortunate than you does not solve systematic problems. It’s a false pride that many people partake in so they can pat themselves on the back and jack off their egos. If someone actually wants to help the country, then they should help by educating themselves on the country’s issues and how the U.S. might affect them. None of what I just explained was ever mentioned on my trip, but it should have been in order to understand the effects of imperialism on Vietnam. Now, I am not calling the staff out in saying that my teacher intentionally did a bad job planning this trip, but as a Lion, I expect my experiences with my school to always revolve around social justice. “It felt like we essentially traveled, toured and stayed in Vietnam in a four-star bubble,” Zoë McCrum, a senior studio art and French double major,
This is the opinion of Alex Myers , a junior French and philosophy major from Edmond, Oklahoma. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email jlee@theloyolan.com.
AFTER LMU:
Cap and Gown Pick-Up St. Robert’s Auditorium Tuesday, April 10 – Thursday April 12, 2018 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday, April 13, 2018 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
SENIORS ONLY
LMU LA Career and Professional Development
laloyolan.com Page 8
THE UNDECLAREDS
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL
LMU Student Special
By Abby Pollak, Staff Cartoonist
By Christian Boggs, Staff Cartoonist
PHOTOGRAPHY
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Robyn De Leon Ben Kern Danya Jimenez
Freshman, English and Spanish double major Social Justice Editor at the Loyolan
Hannah McMechan
Sophomore, physics major
Natalia Gamba
Senior, film & TV production and screenwriting double major
Kyanna Johnson
Senior, screenwriting major
Freshman, liberal arts undeclared
“To me fashion isn’t about how much money you spend or which brands you wear, it’s about self care and self love. I express myself to show that I love myself and will no longer allow others to define how I feel.” - Robyn De Leon
Junior, sociology major
Lauren Holmes | Loyolan
life+arts
laloyolan.com Page 10
Convenient resources for your internship search
By Ciara Freeman, L+A Intern
With summer quickly approaching, internship application due dates are closer than they may appear. While it can be daunting to try to choose the perfect internship, the hardest task is often in the search for one. Luckily, there are resources online and in-person available to college students hoping to gain experience in a chosen career field. LMU's own Career and Professional Development (CPD) team states: "We strongly believe that internships provide invaluable opportunities for skill development and career discernment." CPD also offers grant awards for students pursuing unpaid or underpaid internships beginning in the summer of 2018 with the maximum award amount at $2,500. With numerous opportunities available, finding the perfect internship can take some time. Compiled below is a list of the most trusted sources for finding summer and year-round internships.
6. LinkedIn
LinkedIn has repeatedly proven to be a vital source for the world's top professionals. With a unique 'job' feature at the top of the website, more students than ever have over 900+ internship opportunities at the touch of their fingertips. LinkedIn users are able to search jobs and internships by title, keyword or company, and are also able to filter the location to match to a nearby city. Since it is a social media website, consider connecting with recruiters online after applying.
5. Indeed With over 10 million stories shared, Indeed helps students and young professionals alike find thousands of jobs and internships. To help alleviate the repetitiveness of applying to multiple positions, Indeed allows its users to upload their personal information including their resume and cover letter to apply for openings directly from their website. Here, you can also find company reviews, salaries and other career advice. Users are also able to customize their search to locate opportunities in their area through specific keywords. 4. Glassdoor
Glassdoor is an extremely open (hence, the name) resource for the internship hunt. Similar to LinkedIn, Glassdoor users are able to customize and filter their searches to cater to specific job needs. The user interface is outstanding and users are even able to apply to internship opportunities directly from the website. A few aspects of Glassdoor's website that I particularly enjoyed were the ability to 'save' a favorite internship to return to later, the ability to review the company's entire history and the ease of reading reviews of the job and salaries.
3. Alumni Networks
Often the most beneficial resources for gaining internships can be the aid of those that came before you. Put your LinkedIn and Glassdoor knowledge to good use and search for alumni currently working at your dream company. If you're able to connect with them, send them an appropriate, yet direct message about your goals and see if you can meet with them for coffee to learn more about their role within the company. Similarly, job shadowing an alumni in a specific field may be the key to landing your next big opportunity.
2. LMU Career Fairs/Expos LMU offers annual career expos where several employers set up tables with opportunities for student recruitment. Taking advantage of these events is as simple as showing up and getting a foot in the door. Actively seek out the companies that have RSVP'd to the event and prepare your elevator speech and a current resume. Employers often remember those who make a great, eager impression and leave their resumes behind to review. Don't forget to dress the part! 1. Networking Events If you see an ad for any relevant networking event, be sure to attend. These are often the most vital and helpful resources for students planning on landing important internships. Many alumni often attend these events with the hopes of offering career insight and advice to current students, and they can also place students in touch with higher-ups. At the events, ask as many questions as you can and hand out business cards, if applicable. You never know what opportunities may arise from your preparedness, optimism and professionalism. Although the quest for finding internships is often compared to the tedious process of college applications, it can prove to be enjoyable if you simply search in the right areas. Searching in person can be just as effective as searching online, so as college students we must remember to use our communication skills to our advantage. Always jump at every possible opportunity to be a step closer to your dream, and never forget to follow up with a friendly "thank-you" note. Best of luck in your search! This is the opinion of Ciara Freeman, a sophomore communication studies major from Virginia Beach, VA. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to kchudzinski@theloyolan.com.
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Graphic by Allie Crawford | loyolan
Seniors shine at “Multiverse” art showcase Always Ally
Alexandra Boulas Life+Arts Intern @allyrosereads
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homas P. Kelly Gallery hosted the opening of “Multiverse,” an exhibition created by senior art majors which featured a variety of multimedia art pieces centered around important personal topics. “Multiverse,” which was on display until April 10, was the collaboration between 18 students who designed and created their own art works and prepared the exhibit itself. Opening night was a bustle of activity as visitors to the gallery were welcomed with free food, drinks, glimpses of multicolored lights and a chorus of sound from the exhibit beyond. All of the art pieces blended technology with other art mediums, such as video, sound or light. Senior multimedia arts major and senior editor at the Loyolan, Kevin Chan created a 13 minute long documentary titled “Perpetual Foreigner,” which focused on the exclusion of Chinese immigrants and the internment of Japanese Americans in the 20th century. Beneath the monitor were two piles of paper, one a questionnaire used by the government during the internment of Japanese Americans and the other used at the turn of the century, intended for Chinese immigrants. Both were full of seemingly random, very specific questions like, “How many windows are there in your house?”
and “How many steps are there from the sidewalk to the front door?” However, a caption explained that these sheets were given to whole families for them to fill out, and if any answers differed, they’d face deportation. Senior multimedia arts major Sydney Sanders designed “Five” — nine videos projected simultaneously on the wall. There was no sound, and the focus of each video was broad — a city square, a busy street — as people came and went throughout their day. “I’ve always been fascinated with storytelling and societal patterns. I wanted to create a piece that explored these concepts through the lens of voyeurism in a society fueled by technological advancements,” Sanders wrote in the placard beside her piece. “My goal was to create a piece that could be experienced as little or as long as one would like; you can quickly observe and compare the nine videos or you can stay a while and come up with your own narrative/story for each person.” Other exhibits included a short horror film titled “Watch Out” by Tré Irvin, a wall of cinemagraphs (moving photographs) called “Constructed Memories” by Zoe Zafman, a journaling mobile app created by Ava Arshadi called “Reflect,” a wall of vibrant Instagram photos accompanied by interviews with the Instagramers themselves titled “LA Vibes,” by Jana Barakat, a touch-activated LED table titled “Synergy” by Katherine Hanover and a serene surrealist piece that incorporated both still
Matt Goddard | Loyolan Students gathered around an exhibt at the multimedia arts showcase. This year’s exhibit was titled “Multiverse” and featured a variety of art forms for students to interact with. photographs and animated images titled “Beyond” by Idelia Preciosa. “It was actually very fun; the works were very interesting,” said junior communications major and music minor Josh Spaugh, who attended the exhibit in support of his fraternity brother Corey Hambly. Hambly constructed a tunnel lined with reflective material and rows of color-changing lights. A computer was set up nearby to stream music through Spotify, and visitors were encouraged to select a song, step into the tunnel and have an Instagramworthy mini photoshoot. The piece, titled “Like Cave,” drew crowds of curious students and seemed a perfect backdrop for a photograph, and was intended to examined the relationship between art and social media. “‘Like Cave’ examines how art
gains or loses inherent worth when made for the sole purpose of social media,” Hambly wrote on the placard beside the piece. Either way, it was Spaugh’s favorite piece. “I especially loved Corey’s lightroom,” said Spaugh. “It very much appealed to the modern, trendy and usually pop-up museum.” Another striking work was Justice Jackson’s “Black and White” — three black and white canvases splattered with paint and criss-crossed with black strings, in front of which was a book on a podium. When a button on the book was pressed, a poem would be read aloud, which was also printed on the pages of the book. “This project is a reflection of my feelings and experiences being of mixed races,” Jackson explained in the placard beside the piece. “I
combined poetry with drawing and painting, book making, installation and audio recording to create a comprehensive experience that explores the ways in which I have dealt with these feelings throughout my life.” The works featured in the exhibit varied both in theme and composition, and everywhere you turned something visually striking was there to greet you. “Multiverse” really captured the unique approaches students took both in the mediums they used and the topics they covered, and it highlighted the individuality of art itself. This is the opinion of Ally Boulas a junior theater arts major from Sacramento, CA. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to kchudzinski@theloyolan.com.
life+arts
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Alumnus’ new film ‘A Quiet Place’ Review Just Jacob Jacob Cornblatt
Asst. Life+Arts Editor @jacobcornblatt
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ndrew Hyatt (‘05) released his third feature film this week in a wide release. The film, “Paul, Apostle of Christ,” was made for a modest five million dollars and stars Jim Caviezel (who played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s infamous “The Passion of the Christ”) and James Faulkner of “Downton Abbey.” “Paul, Apostle of Christ” follows the legendary Paul, who is an apostle of Christ. The story covers everything from his start as a persecutor of the Christians to his influential relationship with Jesus Christ. Though the film earned mixed reviews all around, Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times called Hyatt’s film “impressively staged, well-acted, thoughtful and faithful.” Hyatt was born in Colorado in 1982 and went on to graduate from LMU’s School of Film and Television. In 2014, the filmmaker wrote and directed “The Last Light,” a dramatic thriller. Then, just one year later, he released “Full of Grace,” also written and directed by himself. This was his introduction into biblical filmmaking, as “Full of Grace” told the story of Mary of Nazareth’s final days on Earth. Hyatt then spent the next three years on his next film, “Paul, Apostle of Christ.”
The LMU alumnus spoke to The Spokesman Review about his experiences making the film. “I grew up in the Catholic Church, but I ended up walking away from that, as a lot of young people do,” Hyatt told reporter Tyler Wilson. “When I went to college, I was interested in fun and parties … if you would have told me I was going to eventually make a Bible film, I would have thought, ‘No way.’ I just didn’t have any interest.” Along with producer T.J. Berden, however, Hyatt brought not one, but two biblical stories to life. “It’s hard to find as much drama in other stories as there are [in the Bible]. You see a very deep sense of storytelling and history,” Hyatt said. Despite being famous and containing epic stories, Hyatt finds relevance in them for himself. “My own conversion was very similar to Paul’s,” he said. “But more importantly, it’s relevant for everyone now in 2018. It’s about how you love people that persecute you … it’s about grace and mercy and forgiveness. There’s such a deep need to hear these really human things again and to approach it without being preachy.” “Paul, Apostle of Christ” opened last Friday to 37 screens in the Los Angeles area. Support your fellow Lion and see it in theaters. This is the opinion of Jacob Cornblatt a freshman film production major from Gaithersburg, MD. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to kchudzinski@theloyolan.com.
Trendy Trevor Trevor Gray
Life+Arts Intern
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@LALoyolan
ohn Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place” is this year’s silent killer of the public’s nerves. The movie is a thrill ride for its audience, but one that lacks the audible roar typical films in the genre have boasted in the past. The viewing experience successfully keeps the audience on their toes, anxiously awaiting the fate of the characters they grow to love over the course of the movie. Your heartbeat will be the only thing you hear while watching this horror film. “A Quiet Place” was truly thrilling and spectacular, a box office hit and a must see for all horror movie fanatics. Set in a post apocalyptic world, the film follows a family who must lead completely silent lives in order to avoid being hunted by creatures that rely solely on sound. Krasinski plays the unnamed father, his reallife wife Emily Blunt plays the mother, and Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds and Cade Woodward play their three children. In a world without sound, their eldest daughter also happens to be deaf, making scenes where she can’t hear what’s coming for her even more frightening. Because there is little to no dialogue, the movie relies almost entirely on visual storytelling. Famed writer Stephen King tweeted praise for the cinematography of the
movie on Friday. “A Quiet Place is an extraordinary piece of work. Terrific acting, but the main thing is the silence and how it makes the camera’s eye open wide in a way few movies manage,” he wrote. This film was strikingly unique to others in the horror genre. The audience has to watch every second and keep close attention to follow the plot. Of course this isn’t very hard, considering the film demands
express themselves in the day to day, and this film challenges its viewers to imagine a world where that form of expression is suddenly taken from you. In the theatre, everyone around you doesn’t just hear you scream at jump scares — they hear even a flinch in the silence. Movies transport you to another world, and the voiceless world of “A Quiet Place” leaves you thinking about it long after you leave the theatre.
via Paramount Pictures
Emily Blunt plays a pregnant mother of three during the apocolypse in the hit film ‘A Quiet Place.’ the audience’s engagement. The whole movie is spent in suspense, waiting for a single sound to break the unnerving silence, and because the film rarely offers this appeasement to its audience, the result is a completely enthralled movie-goer. We live in such a noisy world, especially here in Los Angeles, which makes this film fresh and startling. Sound and voice are how humans
I can confidently say that you’ll be hearing nothing but praise for this new and exciting horror film for the months to come, even if you remain painfully silent during your experience in the theatre watching it. This is the opinion of Trevor Gray, a freshman marketing major from Orange County, CA. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email comments to kchudzinski@theloyolan.com.
life+arts
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Laugh along with ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ Midnight in Paris
and that was when I first was exposed to it. I submitted it to be a part of the Del Rey Player’s season this year in April of 2017.
Paris Shepherd
PS: What is the musical about?
Asst. Life+Arts Editor @parisshepherd51
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ccording to senior theatre arts major and business administration minor Jordan Block, laughter is what inspired her to direct ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ musical and bring it to life with the help of The Del Rey Players. Block originates from St. Louis, Missouri and joked about how laughing is one of her favorite pastimes. Funny enough, she won ‘loudest laugh’ back in high school. I had the pleasure of asking Block about the seemingly hilarious musical that she felt fortunate enough to have directed. Here’s what she said:
JB: ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ is about Janet Van De Graff, a broadway star who has decided to leave the stage to
PS: What was it like for you directing this specific show? JB: It’s been such an incredible experience because even though the show is ridiculous, the actors have wholeheartedly committed to the circumstances. They also do a great
has been working with my peers at LMU, so directing a show with a cast and a crew of over 20 people is the largest project I’ve worked on during my time in college. It has been truly a pleasure seeing my cast grow into the characters they’re portraying on stage. Honestly, some of my actors are unrecognizable up there, which is so fun to watch.
PS: What was it about ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ that made you want to direct it? JB: It’s so funny. Trust me. I have seen the entire show at least 20 times, and I still find myself cracking up at new moments every single rehearsal. My high school actually did the show my sophomore year,
PS: What sets this show apart from past shows that the Del Rey Players have put on and why should students come and see it? JB: ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ is a show that will stick with you long after you’ve left the Del Rey Theatre. It warms your heart and makes you laugh at the same time. Anyone who comes to see our show will leave the theatre smiling. They’ll also leave Del Rey filled with the joy my actors exude onstage. During trying times such as these, people need an escape, which is what this show provides. Come and see ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ if you want to to get wrapped up in a memorable story with ridiculous characters that are a little too relatable.
Paris Shepherd (PS): How did you get into directing? Jordan Block (JB): As a theatre major, I took the class “Introduction to Directing” with Dana Resnick, and I discovered a passion of mine I truly had no idea even existed during that semester. Being able to make my classmates laugh during the final scene I directed was one of the most fulfilling feelings, and before I knew it, I was hooked.
all of the talent my actors had to offer, so one of my actors, Vivian Luther, helped me choreograph a few of the numbers such as “Show Off” and “Accident Waiting to Happen.”
Jason Munoz | Loyolan
Lena Conlon, a sophomore English and dance major, and William Stachniuk, a junior theatre arts majors, perform in “The Drowsy Chaperone.” Conlon plays the role of the “Drowsy Chaperone” while Stachniuk plays the role of the “Man in Chair.” marry Robert Martin, a man she met two weeks prior. Of course, Janet’s producer will stop the wedding at all costs, so chaos is bound to ensue. The show is set during the prohibition era, adding another complication for the titular character. Each character is insane in their own perfect way, and the cast has truly brought this zany story to life.
job of inviting the audience to join them along for the ride. One way that I try to ensure that the actors seem authentic is by making their backstory and on-stage perfmances as personalized as possible. PS: How was it working with a cast of students? JB: My only directing experience
PS: What was the hardest thing about directing this particular show? JB: Being both the director and choreographer for the show has been my greatest challenge. Although I come from a dance background, I wanted to make sure I was utilizing
If you’re planning to buy tickets at the door, then be sure to bring cash. Block shared that she thinks both the musical itself and the cast are equally hilarious. She also hopes that the audience leaves with the understanding that laughter truly is the best medicine. Block expertly pairs the humor of this musical with her love of laughter while directing ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’. The show opens Thursday, April 12 at 8 p.m. and runs through April 21. General admission to the show costs $10 and tickets are available online for purchase. This is the opinion of Paris Shepherd, a junior communication studies major from Ventura, California. Tweet comments to@LALoyolan or email comments to kchudzinski@theloyolan.com.
Graduate Assistantships Graduate Assistantships are available now for the 2018-2019 academic year! Preparation for a career. Education for life. For a list of available positions and to fill out an application, please visit http://graduate.lmu.edu/resources/graduateassistantships/ Graduate Division 310.338.2721 graduate.lmu.edu
Amoeba found in Foley Fountain CELLebrating birthdays in Foley Fountain just got a little bit worse. Amanda Nahin Amoeba Nahin
Happy birthday! It’s time to get thrown into the Foley fountain! And there is no better gift than dangerous amoeba. Spleen eating amoeba, that is. You’re going to want to avoid that midnight Foley plunge this year. The fountain has recently tested positive for an amoeba infestation, and they’re hungry for your spleen. This LMU tradition is dangerous for more reasons than amoeba. Students have broken bones, suffered concussions and gotten ill from the chilling water. In previous years, it has been suggested to use caution when tossing a beloved friend into the water — due to the shallow depths of the fountain, it can be a dangerous situation. “The water always looked hella sketchy. There’s like some
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green fungus stuff growing at the bottom and trash floating. When I got thrown in freshman year, I was worried about the slimy mildew, but I didn’t even think about my spleen safety,” said Millie Mildoo, a sophomore studio arts major. Public Safety has always been opposed to this dangerous tradition. Apparently, you’ll get written up for jumping into the fountain. However, Public Safety rarely enforces these rules against fountain frolicking. “These students man. They never seem to be thinking straight, it’d make sense if this amoeba was brain eating. I’m totally glad it’s not though because, that’d be deadly. But spleen eating amoeba? Those aren’t deadly. Right? Who needs a spleen!” said Officer Dick Richards. Let’s hope your birthday present this year doesn’t have a taste for organs. The fountain will be died green as an amoeba warning. No, it does not mean happy late St. Patrick’s Day. Avoid the splash, save your spleen.
Aurora Occelli | Loyolan
Green water not in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, but rather amoeba.
Students ask for revote after gerrymandering Poor quality wifi and unfair districts are blamed for Iggy’s ASLMU victory. Thomas Richmond Gerry Man
The Iggy and Timothy Law Snyder bobblehead victory in last month’s tight ASLMU election will be contested after it became known that unethical gerrymandering practices swung the vote in the bobbleheads’ favor. Third party ticket candidates Brad and Chad’s crushing defeat, with only 5 percent of the vote, first created suspicions about the election system. While campaigning, they swore all of their fraternity brothers and many sorority sisters to a bloody-mary oath for their vote; yet the final tally doesn’t reflect this. “We were like, whoa, how many of our friends were too turnt to turn out?” asked Brad. It is worth noting that before the
polls opened, Brad and Chad held a “Make LMU Rage Again” openbar rally that gave most attendees week-long hangovers. The pair of rational and boring junior political science candidates, Sarah Clinton and Barry Bush, seized upon these doubts, demanding that their second-place finish be recounted. Newly inaugurated President Iggy and Vice President Tiny TLaw both nodded to opening up the electronic ballot box, without voicing any objections. Although the online vote was supposed to be conducted on the basis of majority rule, the campus’s spotty wifi created 20 electoral districts made up of the residencies, academic buildings and the library. Anyone who cast their electronic ballot off-campus was placed in the single off-campus district. The university election became about winning a majority in individual districts rather than within the overall University.
Newly released results show Brad and Chad overwhelmingly won the off-campus district by hundreds of votes and lost every other district by a mere couple ballots. Iggy and Tiny TLaw were favorites in the on-campus housing and the office of campus spirit. Clinton and Bush won slightly in the library and other academic buildings, but otherwise scored no votes. The ASLMU judiciary branch and election committee are deliberating whether or not a recall election should be held so close to the end of the school year. A single central polling station taking paper ballots would be held in the subbasement of U-Hall where there isn’t any cell reception. The earliest available date for the election would be May 14, a week after work from finals and graduation has passed. Campus housing will have been closed for a week, but the University still encourages every student to participate in the political process, regardless of the inconvenience.
Aurora Occelli | Loyolan
The map supposedly used to rig the ASLMU elections in favor of Iggy
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
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NBA playoffs set to have unexpected results Miles Per Hour Miles Thomas
Asst. Sports Editor @LoyolanSports
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ith the final day of the NBA season taking place on Wednesday, the playoffs are set to begin each team’s quest to capture an NBA championship. Eastern Conference In the Eastern Conference, The Toronto Raptors hold the first seed, followed by the current order of the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards. Here is the prediction for which teams will emerge out of the first round in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Toronto Raptors The Raptors have enjoyed the best season in franchise history, led by All Star guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry as well as the NBA’s most efficient bench unit. The team-first mentality of the Raptors has worked so well for them this season and will allow them to win their series in six games or less. The Raptors could possibly lose the first game of the series, as they have notoriously never won Game 1 of a playoff series, but with the help of a new ball movement heavy, floor spaced style of play this season, they will play like the top seed in the East and move on in their quest to reach their first NBA finals. Whoever faces the Boston Celtics Injuries have plagued the second seeded Celtics and left them without key players for the playoffs, most recently with star guard Kyrie Irving being lost for the season due to knee surgery. Despite the injuries, Coach of
the Year candidate Brad Stevens will find ways to lead his team to strong performances and win a few games. The Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat, led by Goran Dragic and the Wizards, led by John Wall, all have healthier squads that should be able to take down the Celtics in a seven game series and move on to the next round. Philadelphia 76ers The 76ers have trusted the process after only winning 28 games last season to become the third seed in the East. The 76ers stacked talent will quickly take care of business in the first round. All star center Joel Embiid will be healthy and ready after suffering a facial injury near season’s end. Rookie of the year favorite forward/guard Ben Simmons will continue his excellent play and claim victory in the first round in five games. Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James has never lost in the first round of the playoffs and it will not happen this year. No team seeded below the Cavaliers is talented enough or physical enough to stop James and the Cavaliers on their quest to make it to their fourth straight finals appearance. Despite currently being the fourth seed, the Cavaliers are still favorites to make it to the NBA finals for a fourth straight year. Cavaliers will win their first round series in four or five games. Western Conference In the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets have the NBA’s best record and top seed with the Warriors close behind owning the second seed. The rest of the seeding is completely up for grabs. The Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma
via Keith Allison | Wikimedia Commons
With the playoffs coming up this weekend, expect exciting series, such as whichever team plays the Boston Celtics in the first round to advance along with these other teams from the Western and Eastern conference. City Thunder have all clinched playoff spots but the seeding is not set in stone until Wednesday night. The West still has one playoff spot left open, which will be decided in a win or go home game between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. These four teams are the most likely to move on to the next round. Houston Rockets The Rockets are winning their first round series regardless of which team they face in the first round. James Harden is the favorite to win this season’s MVP award and his teammate Chris Paul is still one of the NBA’s best point guards. The rapid scoring of the Rockets will be too much for either the Nuggets or Timberwolves to handle and the Rockets will move on in five games. Golden State Warriors If not for injuries, the Warriors would have had a chance to own the best record in the NBA this season. All Star guard Stephen
Curry will likely sit out the first round of the playoffs due to a MCL injury, but the Warriors’ core of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is still one of the best lineups in the entire league and can take care of the Kawhi Leonard-less Spurs or the Pelicans in the first round, as they look to win their second consecutive title together this season. Utah Jazz Regardless of if they move up to the third seed or stay at number four, the Utah Jazz have been one of the hottest teams since the start of 2018. The Jazz have strung together impressive win streaks, including an 11 game winning streak in February. Rookie guard phenom Donovan Mitchell leads the Jazz in scoring and will lead the team into the next round with his strong play. Joining him is center Rudy Gobert, one of the favorites for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award. The Jazz, who have been winning all year long,
will continue their winning ways in a close seven game first round series. Portland Trail Blazers The Blazers climbed the standings in February and March, but lately have hit a slump. However, star guard Damian Lillard plays with a chip on his shoulder and will leave this late slump behind as he enters the playoffs against a likely opponent of the Spurs, Pelicans or the Thunder. The Spurs and Pelicans have more size and the Thunder have more talent, but the Blazers play well with each other, and with the game on the line, Lillard can hit big shots to send the Blazers to the next round after a close seven game series in round one.
This is the opinion of Miles Thomas, a freshman communication studies major from Los Angeles, CA. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan, or email mrodriguez@the theloyolan.com.
Softball’s future appears promising Softball from Page 16
games. In their most recent game – and conference opener – against University of the Pacific, LMU came out on top. On the first day of the series, the Lions split 1-1 with the Tigers – winning the first game, and losing the second. In the first game, LMU won 2-0. Both of the team’s runs were brought in by senior third basewoman Alicia Brown. The two runs came from a double to right center from Brown, where she scored one herself and Wisz, who hit a single to left field previously. During the second game, the Lions fell two runs short to their opponent, losing 6-4. The Tigers scored the first two runs of the game in the first inning, when Pacific’s Molly Bourne hit a single into the middle.
The team was scoreless for the first three innings, before taking the lead 3-2 in the fourth inning. Grumbo was first to put the Lions on the board when Brown hit a groundout to the shortstop. Senior outfielder Brooke Christensen scored the next two runs for LMU on a homerun to left center – bringing herself and Tebou home. Pacific took the lead in the top of the fifth bringing them to four runs, and a one-point lead. Grumbo scored the Lion’s final run of a hit from Tebou but the Tigers took home the win in the final inning, scoring two more runs. During the third game on the second day, the Lions took home a 4-2 win. The four runs came from Grumbo, senior infielder Lindsey Matoi, freshman infielder Andrea Gonzalez and senior third basewoman Alicia Brown.
SPORTS
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Husak stresses the importance of education Husak from Page 16
conditioning room behind the bleachers in Gersten Pavilion, due to the lack of space at the time. After a while, Husak built the Lions’ Athletic Center, which includes the Chad and Ginni Dreier Strength and Conditioning Center. He also added three additional assistant athletic trainers and three strength and conditioning assistant coaches to help the athletes not only stay healthy, but improve their physique. In addition to creating athletic facilities, Husak also wanted to create a program that educates the mind and body of the student athlete. This philosophy derived from his father, who stressed education as the priority. He used this philosophy at LMU stressing education throughout his entire tenure. He created the academic center in Gersten Pavilion, where student-athletes can go to study. He also created the position of an athletic academic support staff member which helps student-athletes with their studies. The improvements he made to the support system for student athletes helped LMU achieve an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 93 percent in 2016 — seven percent higher than the NCAA average. And while many students find graduation bittersweet, he finds it exciting. “It’s actually quite exciting,” said Husak. “It’s just an indication
that you’ve done your job well ... We have parents who entrust us to further develop their children for the time that they are here and indeed if you can take them to the next level then you have to feel good about it. Graduation is one of those signals that you’ve done that.” Husak not only created a program that allowed his athletes to succeed, but for his employees to succeed as well. “It’s been a time of great growth for all of the coaches, the operating budgets, scholarships and the staff,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director of Business Affairs Maria Behm. “Things have really improved, certainly in [this] time period.” At the beginning of his tenure, LMU had only nine programs that were led by a full-time coach and the rest were led by part-time coaches. Each of these coaches only had a cubicle, given no privacy with their players. Now nearly every program has a full-time coach with an adequate coaching staff, with each head coach having their own office. Husak also created an atmosphere where people felt that it was almost a second family for them. “I don’t know if you are going to find a more caring person than him,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director of Internal Operations Dan Smith. “If you need help, he’s there to help. He’s
Juliana Ferraro | Loyolan
With a doctorate in physical education, William Husak stressed the education of body and mind throughout his tenure. a very giving person, he genuinely cares. He’s with and for others.” The care that Smith described truly displayed when the LMU athletic community experienced the deaths of women’s soccer player Jessica Hanson and men’s cross country runner Adam Bacon, her boyfriend. On Aug. 5, 2005 the two were driving to a family vacation at Lake Havasu, when the van they were traveling in blew a tire and crashed. “Those hit him hard,” said Smith. “They hit all of us hard in different ways but it hit him hard… While he was processing it and mourning those losses he was able to be there for everybody else, to make sure to keep each other’s
spirits up. To try to find something good in the midst of tragedy … That’s just part of who he is.” Putting aside his own grief, Husak organized a meeting for the cross country team with Sister Joanne Connolly and gave the team a space to grieve, to show emotions and to embrace those emotions. But something that seemed to trouble Husak was the fact that the women’s soccer team could not get the same treatment since most of them were not at LMU during the summer. With Husak’s and other’s help, however, the two teams regained their spirit and continued to compete. In his 20 year career at LMU, Husak has shown that one man
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can make a difference. Through the time and care he invested, he has also created one of the best programs LMU has ever had. In his tenure, the Lions have won 35 of its 45 conference championships and have recorded 45 of its 67 NCAA postseason appearances. It has seen immense growth of not only its facilities, but also its staff, creating jobs to support more than 400 student athletes. And last but not least, he created an athletic department where people feel like they are comfortable and a part of a family. “I’ve been very fortunate to work for Bill,” said Smith. “ He’s a great boss, he’s a great friend and I’m going to miss him.”
SPORTS
SCORES UPDATE
Women's Tennis
LION
4-1 L
vs Gonzaga
SPORTS
13-4 L
Baseball
vs. UCSB
Beach Volleyball
4-1 W
vs. Utah
Softball
4-2 W
vs. Pacific
Follow us on Twitter @laloyolan for up-to-date scores.
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LOS ANGELES LOYOLAN | April 11, 2018 | laloyolan.com
Husak renovates athletics during tenure Husak drew from experiences as a child to rebuid LMU Athletics. Matt Rodriguez Sports Editor @LALoyolan
In his senior year, Auburn High School's quarterback William Husak got ready for the biggest game of the season against Rome Free Academy. The match was highly anticipated as both teams we're undefeated so far this season. Husak and his team run onto to the field ready to give it their all. After four quarters, Husak took off his helmet and looked up at the final score: Rome Free Academy 55, Auburn High School 0. “We ran 55 hills every practice, a hill for every point we gave up in that loss,” said Husak. "After getting beat like that, 55 to nothing … It's really hard to come back the next week and play with spirit. Our coach instilled that spirit back in us ... The impact one person can have certainly made an impression on me.” Years later, Husak still remembers the lessons he learned from that game. He used the mindset that one person can make a difference to change the direction course of LMU
Athletics. When he came to LMU he said he had three goals: to compete for championships, get student-athletes their degrees and to have his players grow as people. When Husak accepted the position of athletic director in 1998, he left a strong program at California State University, Long Beach for, at best, a subpar program at LMU. The conditions of LMU Athletics represented something more reminiscent of an AYSO league rather than a NCAA Division 1 school. Husak said that one of the reasons he began to improve was the embarrassment he felt. “Our fields were embarrassing,” said Husak. “They were not up to Division 1 standards. But, quite honestly, they were not up to collegiate standards either. There needed [to] be great attention paid to our facilities.” Prior to the renovations made by Husak, all of the fields used by athletics were either rundown or substandard at best. The soccer field was just an open field with a dirt track around it and the baseball field needed to have its scoreboard replaced. One of the poorly conditioned fields was the softball field. “We literally had a sandlot for a field,” said Husak. “It was embarrassing to have this
Juliana Ferraro | Loyolan
Dr. William Husak stands on Smith Field which he helped build. Prior to this field the softball team played on a sandlot.
kind of facility for a Division 1 athletics program." This sandlot field would cause him more embarrassment early in his career when California State University, Fresno visited LMU for a game. “Fresno State got off the bus, walked to where we were going to play them,” said Husak. “[They] saw the sandlot [and] their coach said ‘Is this the field we are going to play on?.’ We said ‘yes.’ She said 'we're not playing
here.' They got on the bus and they went back to Fresno.” This experience drove Husak to reconstruct nearly every facility. Over the course of his career, $30 million was spent on renovating or building facilities such as Burns Recreation Center, Jane Browne Bove Boathouse and, most importantly, Smith Field, which replaced the sandlot. The money also went into creating something many
schools already had — a strength and conditioning program. “We never had a strength and conditioning program,” said Husak. “It really wasn't [new for the time], but it would have been new to LMU. Our student athletes came to me and said that we really need strength and conditioning.” In response to this, Husak first created a strength and
LMU softball wins two, loses one, in WCC series opener against Pacific.
Wisz’s slugging percentage is senior infielder Sabrina Tebou with a .517 average. Another offensive category the team has shown its strength is in runs. So far in the season the team has scored 26 homers and 118 runs batted in (RBI). Defensively, the team has had some struggles. Compared to the Lion’s 2.79 runs per game, LMU has allowed their opponents to gain 3.29 runs and have allowed 27 stolen bases. Interestingly, the team has 43 sacrificed hits — when a player deliberately sacrifices their run by bunting, before there are two outs, in order to advance a different runner to another base. Another statistic is the team’s number of errors committed: 45. Although the number seems high, considering the team has played in 40 games, and counting, it only averages to a little more than one error per game. The Lions have also had 185 strikeouts in their season. As for their fielding percentage the team is doing well – nearly perfect in fact. In the overall season, the team has claimed a .963 compared to their opponents' .966, and in the conference are outperforming their opponents' .954 percentage with a .980. Despite a few negative numbers, however, the team is still winning
See Husak | Page 15
Softball shows potential in WCC opener Izzy Berrent
Asst. Sports Editor @LALoyolan
Emily Sullivan| Loyolan
Senior third basewoman Alicia Browne (above) bats at home plate during match against the University of Pacific.
After being ranked in a tie for second place during the 2018 Preseason Poll, LMU Softball is proving its worth after defeating the University of Pacific Tigers in their first West Coast Conference (WCC) series. Overall the Lions are 19-21-1, with a 13-12 home record, a 2-3 away record and are 2-1 in the season thus far. This success comes from the Lion’s strength in both the offense and the defense. Offensively, the team has been averaging 2.79 runs per game. This is due to several players who are batting above a .300 average. These players include freshmen catcher/outfielder, Molly Grumbo and infielder Delanie Wisz, who are batting at .347 and .304 averages, respectively, and senior catcher/ outfielder Irma Sanchez, who holds a .340 average so far in the season. As a whole, they’re batting a .245. Wisz also holds the team’s top spot for slugging percentage — the number of total bases divided by the number of at bats — with a .548 percentage. Following
See Softball | Page 14