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Find out which five teams made the list for best teams in LMU history.
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Why you should be proud to be a fan girl.
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Students discover mice on campus, Facilities Management responds
Michael Busse | Loyolan
The Western Exterminator Company has been seen by students on campus on at least two occasions. The exterminators are contracted with Sodexo, which operates the on-campus Starbucks.
The university has yet to comment on the alleged mouse problem. Jackie Galvez, Michael Busse Asst. News Editor, Senior Editor @LALoyolan
Sophomore entrepreneurship major Pierce Wasserkrug was working on homework early Wednesday April 20 morning in his living room in Rains when he heard scratching noises coming from a pizza box behind him. Wasserkrug opened the box and a mouse jumped out, startling him as it scurried over to the couch to hide. It is no secret that LMU is home to a plethora of squirrels, but very seldom do students hear of the other rodents residing throughout the University. In the past semester, Wasserkrug and a number of other students have reported mice sightings, particularly near William H. Hannon Library and its surrounding areas. After the first mouse encounter, Wasserkrug, along with his roommates, fashioned homemade traps in an attempt to capture the mouse, but after a few days of no sightings, they assumed it had left the room. Some time later, Wasserkrug was sitting on the couch, which had been moved into his bedroom, when he heard squeaking noises. Suspecting the mouse they had been searching for was nearby, Wasserkrug and his roommates picked couch cushion and several baby mice fell out from the cushions. In total, they found five mice within the cushion. While LMU has yet to release a statement on a mouse problem, several students have described similar experiences with the creatures. Clara Hill, a sophomore film and television production major, was working at the circulation desk in Hannon Library late one evening when she was informed of a mouse
running around by the computers and printers on the first floor. Hill told her supervisor she would attempt to catch the mouse with a box and magazine the creature without harming it. While Hill did not end up finding the mouse, she said that the sighting was a surprise to her and her supervisor, as this sort of rodent encounter had not been reported before. And this has not been the only report of mice within the library. Senior political science major Amie Gonzalez has also seen rodents near the library twice this academic year. During the fall semester, Gonzalez saw a mouse at the Starbucks patio area just outside the library around midnight one evening. Her second encounter occurred this semester, when she saw a mouse ruffling around the foliage near Hilton one night. “Considering that I myself saw [mice] twice, I think that obviously there’s rodents in that area … it’s not just a one-time encounter,” Gonzalez said. “The school has a duty for pest control so I definitely think that should be a concern of theirs.” Despite the absence of a University statement regarding the rodent situation on campus, there have been pest control efforts around Hannon Library and the Starbucks located in the building. Western Exterminator Company trucks have been seen parked outside the library on at least two occasions this academic year. The Loyolan first confirmed the exterminator’s presence on campus on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, when one of the company’s trucks had been parked in front of Starbucks after midnight. That night, baskets of packaged food inside the Starbucks were covered with plastic but remained full. Exterminators came to campus again as recently as April 19, when the same See Mice | Page 4
The return of Straw Hat Man Andrew Brumfield details his return back to campus as well as his plans for the future. Austin Gay
Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan
After almost a year away from LMU, Andrew Brumfield returned to his position on campus as the University’s most popular crossing guard in Spring 2016. Brumfield took off the entire 2015 fall semester and the majority of the 2016 spring semester to attend a police academy. He currently has one class remaining in the pursuit of becoming a full-fledged officer. Aside from his time spent at the police academy, Brumfield took a part-time job as a deckhand on the Catalina Express, a passenger ferry service that travels to Catalina Island daily. He has also continued in his studies for a degree in criminal justice administration, worked his security job at the StubHub Center and spent as much time as possible with his loved ones during his time away from campus. “A student asked me earlier, ‘What brought you back?’ and I told him, ‘It’s you guys,’” said Brumfield. “If I didn’t feel that love or feel like I wasn’t doing a decent job at saying ‘hello’ or motivating the students, I wouldn’t have come back.” However, Brumfield won’t remain as the crossing guard for long. He plans to begin working as a security guard with the Department of Public Safety in early May, but explained that a stipulation of
the job was that if he wanted to return to his position as crossing guard, he would be allowed to do so. “I think working with [Public Safety] gets me more involved with the students and the staff. At the crosswalk you can only speak for so long, but if people see me as a security officer at their school, they can come to me for all sorts of things,” Brumfield explained. It wasn’t an easy path here, according to Brumfield, but he says the journey is what matters, not where you were in the past. “About seven years ago, I was 19 years old. I was a totally different person,” said Brumfield. “All I cared about was making money and hanging out with friends, and then I realized that the path I was going down wasn’t going to help anybody, and I wanted to help people.” The beloved crossing guard credits his past for getting him to where he is today. He also credits his past for the famed straw hat that we all know and love. “There’s a reason for the straw hat, besides the sun of course. My grandpa always wore a straw hat, and I lost him around that time. It was a very hard time for me; I was just trying to get my life straight. So now, I wear that hat in his honor.” The straw hat appears to be a trending fashion in LMU’s workforce. Other crossing guards have been seen sporting them, as well as maintenance workers and other faculty members. “It’s cool seeing other people wear it,” said Brumfield. See Straw Hat Man | Page 3
NEWS Students and faculty hold silent protest for LGBTSS
laloyolan.com
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At 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, April 20, students, faculty and LMU community members gathered along the University Hall bridge to stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ individuals and other marginalized groups on campus. This protest was a response to an alleged discriminatory incident involving an Alumni Relations employee on Thursday, April 14.
Caroline Burt | Loyolan
Information compiled by Amanda Lopez, Asst. Managing Editor; Graphic by Xian Wong | Loyolan
NEWS
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Crossing guard returns to LMU
BURNING QUESTIONS
This issue, News Editor Kellie This issue, ChudzinskiManaging sat down Editor Dan Raffety with Lash Nolen sits down Head (LM) andwith Marina Coach Max Good, Marmolejo (MM), head coach of the incoming ASLMU LMU’s men’sand basketball president vice team to talk about president. the upcoming season.
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What does it mean to be strong female leaders for incoming and current students?
LN: It is truly humbling and it’s just a very huge blessing. I always wanted to inspire other people. That’s always been a huge goal of mine because my mom has been such a huge inspiration in my life. The fact that Marina and I could be such — not role models — but for people to come in and see [us], that’s unusual to see two women in that position and I think that is so powerful. It shows we are starting to break these barriers and these norms, and it is very, very powerful. It’s cool that it’s Marina and I, but I’m happy to see women in this position.
MM: All the women in my life have shaped me in such a unique way and I’m so excited, specifically for the incoming class — the freshman females — to be able to relate to students in ASLMU and students in student government. When you can be relatable, when you can connect, when you can have a talking point with someone who can be a voice for you then you automatically feel like you belong. Yes, I want every freshman to feel like they belong, but every single freshman female to know we are here for you.
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Have David or Andriana given you any advice for the upcoming year?
MM: One of the most beneficial pieces of advice is [that] the work comes in waves, so there [are] going to be times when there’s a lot of work and there [are] going to be times when there isn’t a lot of work at all. So, trying to anticipate those times of not [having] a lot of work in ASLMU, we’ve been brainstorming thus far. We really want to capitalize on every second that we have next year.
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If you guys could be each other for a day, what would you do?
MM: I would ride her Penny board! I am so uncoordinated — my balance is off in so many ways. I don’t even like going on hikes and jumping on too many different rocks because I think I’m gonna fall. I can just ride her Penny board around the town! LN: If I was Marina for a day, I would just stay in the Den, all day. The people at the Den are so hipster and cool. I feel like I’m just not ready to fit in with them yet. I’d just wear my little hat with the Den’s logo on there and they have a little area where only the Den people can sit, so I would sit over there and do my homework and really just take in the experience.
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You went skydiving together when you were in Portugal. How was that, and do you have any other adventures planned?
Straw Hat Man from Page 1
said Brumfield. “I hope it’s something that sticks around LMU for a long time.” For now, Brumfield cherishes every moment working at LMU and is looking forward to the possibilities his future holds, but understands how important every day is. “My goal is to be a probation officer. It’s what I’m in school for. And, as some might have seen in the [student documentary “Straw Hat Man,” by junior film production major Chelsea Renner], I’m a youth pastor as well. If I can do probation during the week and gospel on the weekends, I’ll be happy. I feel that’s my calling,” he said. Brumfield believes aiding the youth is what really motivates him. One moment in particular helped him to realize this was his calling. “Once I came across a guy [and] he looked upset. I asked him what was going on, but he didn’t want to talk. I let him know I was here
to listen to anything he had to say. He told me he wanted to commit suicide,” Brumfield said. “So, I spent two hours trying to talk him down. After we finished talking, he began to realize why his life is valuable. It brought tears to my
Jay Coffey | Loyolan
Back at LMU as a crossing guard, Andrew Brumfield intends to begin working for Public Safety after he completes his training.
Teach-In inf luences action for Sub-Saharan refugees LMU hosts speakers to discuss awareness, action and activism. Julia Campion
Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan
The Sub-Saharan African Youth Refugees Teach-In took place on Saturday, April 23 in Malone 112 to emphasize awareness, action and activism for helping children in Africa who face unfortunate circumstances. The two-hour teach-in was sponsored by Amina Humphrey, visiting assistant professor of African American studies, and included presentations from guest speaker and congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) and LMU senior African American studies major Anna Eme. While Humphrey inspired many to enforce efforts of intervention, Eme discussed the importance of bringing awareness to the realities of these refugees
and avoiding the resistance that comes along with it. Between each presentation, students were able to engage in a Q&A session with each presenter to get a better understanding about what LMU students can learn to help make a difference for refugees in other countries. Eme shared her experiences of visiting Morocco and how she thinks LMU can help African youth refugees in their fight for survival. “Being black in Morocco and representing LMU, I didn’t get the same introduction as others. They looked at me and wondered where I was from,” Eme said. “There’s no one-step solution to any of these problems. This is stressed to not be a one-moment thing. Learning and speaking about this should be enough to not let this [problem] pass.” After Eme’s presentation, Humphrey talked about how she’s reached out to contact these refugees and what she plans to do in the future to help take action.
LN: It was great; it was something we decided before we even went abroad. We were supposed to do it in Switzerland, but that was too expensive. MM: Ballin’ on a budget. LN: I’m sure. Marina’s the planner; anything she says, like, ‘Hey let’s go bungee jumping,’ — I’m, like, ‘Okay, fine.’ Probably something, if she plans it. Maybe the hike to nowhere! MM: Lash and I both love to travel. It’s funny because if anyone were to propose something, Lash and I are both down — just spontaneity. Just if this would be a good memory, let’s do it.
MORE QUESTIONS
Want to read more questions with Nolen and Marmolejo? Check them out at laloyolan.com
eyes. He just wanted somebody to talk to.” Brumfield uses his past experience to fuel his future interactions. “And that’s why I say ‘Hi’ to everybody. That’s why I get more personal than some.”
Julia Campion | Loyolan
Students listened to Amina Humphrey’s speech surrounding activism and awareness for young refugees in Africa.
Attendants of the event consisted of LMU students, high school students from surrounding areas, community members and people who have previously worked with Humphrey. “I take one of Dr. Humphrey’s African American studies classes, and you can tell that she truly loves what she does through her teaching,” said freshman communication studies major Willow Wittliff. “I’m not surprised that she goes to such great lengths for something she’s so passionate about, and I fully support her in her efforts to help such an important cause.” Towards the end of the teach-in, Humphrey welcomed Bass to speak about her past accomplishments in accordance with African refugees, including her U.S. - Africa Policy, which promotes the communication and engagement between Africa and the U.S., and enforcement of the African Growth and Opportunities Act, a trade preference program with eligible African nations. “You might feel powerless, but you have a lot of power. It’s important to reach out to Congress — it makes me feel like you guys have my back; it gives me the power to say that I’m doing this in response to my constituents,” said Bass. At the conclusion of the event, participants were encouraged to write on posters hung along the walls of Malone regarding what they plan to act on for these refugees. Some responses included “Inform family and friends,” “Spread awareness through social media and word of mouth” and “Contact congressmembers.”
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NEWS
Earth Week turns Third Thursday green ASLMU partners with enviromental organizations this month. Sydney Majd News Intern @LALoyolan
This month’s Third Thursday event celebrated Earth Week with an environmental twist. Alumni Mall was filled with food trucks, free clothes and even bike-blended smoothies. ASLMU, Fossil Free LMU, GreenLMU, LMU Recycling, the Bay Foundation and the Center for Urban Resilience co-sponsored this Earth Week celebration. ASLMU President and senior finance and economics double major David Tassone described the reason behind making this Third Thursday a combined effort between numerous LMU societies. “We mainly wanted to bring the campus community closer together and allow the different clubs and organizations the chance to advertise their events,” Tassone said. The festivities took place on April 21 from 12-2 p.m. and included clothing donation tables where students could swap any item of clothing they wanted for free. The remaining clothes were donated to Midnight Mission, a homeless shelter located in Los
Riis Irving-Peterson | Loyolan
A clothing exchange table was set up on Alumni Mall allowing students to pick up clothes of their choice while the left overs were donated to charity. Angeles. “We are trying to encourage people to realize that buying secondhand is a great way to purchase clothes. It’s way cheaper and it’s better for the environment. It’s reducing and reusing,” said Kelly Cote, a senior civil engineering major. Freshman communications
studies major Ellie Martorano was humbled upon seeing these items being offered as an exchange, rather than just a free-for-all. “I immediately assumed that you would either have to pay for everything or just take whatever you wanted for free,” Martorano said. As music was blasting,
passersby stopped to watch a man blending a fruit smoothie on a bicycle by pedaling. This invention — the smoothie bike — increases people’s heart rate as a healthy way to make smoothies. “I was on my way to lunch when I saw a guy making a smoothie in the middle of the walkway on a bike,” said junior English major Mollie Davis. “I had never seen anything like it.” While this event was certainly entertaining, many people also appreciated the purpose behind the fun. “I feel like this event had really good timing in regards to environmentalism. The world is so beautiful and we have to keep it like that,” said freshman theatre arts major Ray Weisz. ASLMU Director of Special Events Elise Belcher described the hard work put into creating successful events throughout the year, such as this one. “We have actually had some great collaborations for this event over the past year with various on-campus entities,” Belcher said. “We partnered with the Loyolan, SLD’s Clubfest, Housing and the ASLMU’s Director of Environmental Responsibility’s semester events such as Water Week and this month’s Earth Week.”
Graduating LMU great uncle and niece duo walk the stage only weeks apart The end of the year means more than a cap and gown for these two students. Gillian Boss Staff Writer @LALoyolan
Senior applied mathmatics major Aleesa Amador and her great uncle doctoral candidate David Chambers are set to graduate within weeks of each other. The fast-approaching end to the second semester means different things for each person: the near completion of their first year of college, the beginning of summer and, for many, the end of their career at LMU. For Chambers and Amador, graduation day means much more. Chambers will be graduating just a few weeks after Amador upon completion of his dissertation within the School of Education professors. Chambers is currently the principal of Bishop Alemany High School, a Catholic high school in Los Angeles. He has worked in Los Angeles Archdiocesan schools for 34 years, but decided to take classes at LMU for his doctoral degree in education. Although not an easy decision to return to school at 62 years old, Chambers wanted to take his career in a new direction while continuing his leadership position at Bishop Alemany.
“I am … older than most folks who go back to school and at least 20 years older than anyone else in my cohort at LMU,” he said. “I didn’t want my career to end without doing something important and helpful for Catholic education. I wanted a true university experience without taking online classes alone at my desk.” Chambers wants to spend the remainder of his career researching and writing about issues that affect Catholic education. “I am very blessed that [LMU] is here in Los Angeles and gave me the opportunity to study at a premier Catholic school of education that is respected worldwide. I will always be grateful for the dedication, commitment and cheerleading from the LMU School of Education professors,” Chambers said. As Amador’s proud godfather and great uncle, graduating within weeks of each other means more than anything to them both. Amador transferred to LMU at the beginning of her sophomore year, just as Chambers was starting his doctoral program. “Imagine watching your niece from her infancy into adulthood, year after year working hard at her studies, knowing that she was special and really going places, and then discovering that you are going to graduate with her from the same university at the same time,” Chambers said. Chambers already misses sitting with his cohort in class
and working with great professors, but he is grateful for his time at LMU and looks forward to continuing his work in Catholic education as well as witnessing Amador continue to grow. Amador explained her time at LMU and the sense of community that she has felt throughout campus. “I transferred to LMU my sophomore year of college, the fall of 2013. I fell in love with how beautiful LMU’s campus is. The professors are very invested in their students’ education, and they create an environment where students are able to engage in discussion with them.”
She talked about Chambers and how he is not only her great uncle and godfather, but also someone she’s always looked up to. “[Chambers] has always been a role model in my life, and to share this experience with him is very special,” she said. “I was unaware that he was applying to LMU when I applied. We were both extremely excited when we discovered we would be attending the same university.” Chambers and Amador are excited for their graduation days, but they are much more excited to have two generations graduating from the same family within a short period of time of each other.
Caroline Burt | Loyolan
Two LMU students, both graduating within weeks of each other, make each other proud as commencment quickly approaches.
Mice found on campus Mice from Page 1
company’s yellow truck parked in the same place outside of Starbucks in the early hours of the morning. According to Western Exterminator’s website, mice can range from three to seven inches in length and their bodies are collapsible, so they can fit into small spaces. Their teeth are built for chewing through hard materials such as seeds and grains, but they can also easily chew through wood and rubber. Mice can carry diseases including salmonella, hantavirus and tick-borne diseases; these may be spread through the rodent’s urine and fecal matter. Left untreated, some of these conditions may have serious effects upon the inflicted, resulting in fever, nausea and even death in the most serious cases. According to Brian Holtzapfel, director of facilities management (FM), Western Exterminator has a contracted pest control partnership with Sodexo, while FM uses Ecolab for its pest control issues. Holtzapfel reported that mice sightings are not uncommon, and whenever FM is made aware of an issue, there is an effort to stop it. “We do get mice sightings and occurrences around campus; it’s pretty common,” Holtzapfel said. “We have a pest control company that’s here every week that we work with as well as [our] on-staff pest control coordinator [Edgardo Gomez] that handles only pest control issues on campus.” Holtzapfel explained that there has been an increase in rodent sightings at LMU in recent years, attributing this influx to the construction efforts in Playa Vista that began in the early 2000s. “A lot of the previously untouched land that was down [in Playa Vista] is now being developed, and it’s forcing the rodents that were down in those areas to search for new homes and new locations,” Holtzapfel said. “We’re seeing that there’s a lot more activity coming up the Bluff from the wetlands below.” Holtzapfel said that over the past five years, FM has been implementing preventative pest control measures across campus; there are barriers around the perimeter of every building which attempt to prevent mice and other rodents from entering the area. In addition to these preventative measures, FM is currently in the process of revising its pest control contract in an effort to increase service to students and faculty as well as stay on top of the recent increase of rodent sightings across campus. “I think students pay enough tuition dollars to have things like this treated and controlled; so, if it’s something that’s not addressed soon I think it should be,” said Gonzalez. In the meantime, FM encourages all students to keep their living spaces and work areas clean and free of trash in order to prevent mice from entering their building, and urges anyone who spots a mouse or other rodent on campus to submit a work request or contact Facilities Management directly.
NEWS
Q&A 1
laloyolan.com Page 5
with Desean Terry LMU alumn of ‘00 and television and theater actor dedicates his upcoming performance to a former LMU instructor.
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What made you want to pursue acting?
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I started as a teenager. I thought it was fun. As a shy kid, it was also instrumental in breaking me out of my shell and discovering my voice. How did Judith Royer inspire you, and why did you decide to dedicate the play you're currently understudying in to her?
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What is your favorite TV show, movie and play?
As of recent, some things that I have loved are the first season of the French version "The Returned," the second season of "The Leftovers" was amazing, the film "Dope" was incredible and “Twelfth Night" is my favorite play. If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
My mom. I love her dearly, and we don't spend enough time together.
Set during the Civil War, a slave named Hero, the character I portray, is offered his freedom if he joins his master, played by Michael McKean, in the ranks of the Confederacy. The choice is to leave the woman and people he loves for what may be an empty promise. His decision brings him face to face not only with a nation at war with itself, but with what freedom truly means.
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Judith inspired me as an instructor. She opened my eyes to the hard work and dedication that is required when choosing a career in the arts. I dedicated the performance to Judith because she has been a very strong guidance through the years. She helped inspire the dream of performing on that stage.
What were your favorite appearances that you have made in television/theatre and why? My favorite professional experience was doing "The Royale" by Marco Ramirez at the Kirk Douglas. I fell in love with that play immediately. It felt as if that play was truly kindred to me as an artist. My favorite television experience to date was working on E.R., simply because I played a character really outside of myself. I allowed myself to let go and I really surprised myself.
What is the play "Father Comes Home From The Wars" about?
What parts of the play are you performing in?
The plays are a part of a larger cycle of plays. This production will cover the first three plays and my character, Hero, is the focus of these plays. He is seen in all three.
How did you first get discovered in the entertainment industry? After LMU, I did conservatory work at Juilliard. Graduating from Juilliard did open many doors for me. However, my first film job was through another LMU instructor that I love dearly, Sharon Madden. It was the first professional role I booked. Do you enjoy theatre or television acting better? I love them both. However, I have to say my favorite medium is theatre. I love the rehearsal process. It gives you the opportunity and time to really see where the character resonates within you. However, I love the spontaneity of television. That can be exciting as well.
What advice do you have to students interested in pursuing a similar career? All things are possible. Also, it is very common that people give you formulas as to what you need to do to make it in the entertainment industry. However, the more years I spend in the industry, the more I let go of formulas of what you "should do," and I instead focus on doing the things that I love to do. Interview by Sydney Majd; Graphic by Xian Wong | Loyolan
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For Rent LEAVING FOR THE SUMMER? Sublease your apartment/room to an intern. University research center in Playa Vista is looking to connect our summer interns with housing opportunities in the area. If you are interested please contact Jann Manaka in Human Resources manaka@ict.usc.edu FOR RENT: Large, airy single 2 blocks from campus. Separate entrance, en suite bathroom & balcony. Perfect for a student on the campus meal plan. Includes basic water & power, premium cable, microwave, refrigerator and new carpeting. Available immediately. $1,295/month. Please contact at fergieedh@aol.com
On Campus NEED A BREAK FROM STUDYING? Join us for BURN: Night of Prayer and Worship on April 27th from 9 PM - 12 AM on Regent’s Grass by the palm trees. All are welcome to come! Fire Prayer Group and students from nearby campuses will be mobilizing to worship and pray together on LMU’s campus. We will also be meeting the night before on April 26 at 6 PM in front of Sacred Heart Chapel for a pre-event prayer walk. Please join us for LMU’s first ever BURN to see God move on this campus!
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Board Editorial Karis Addo-Quaye Editor-in-Chief
Gracie McManus Executive Editor
Elliot Britt
Managing Editor
Christie Calucchia Managing Editor
Amanda Lopez
Asst. Managing Editor
Xian Wong
Visual Director
Janine Leano Digital Director
Board Editorials represent the voice of the Loyolan. They are written in collaboration by the Executive Editorial Board.
OPINION
This year’s graduates inspire the next as commencement draws nearer This week, we want to pay special attention college will be the best time of our lives. to the graduating class of 2016. The names It is so important to use our time at LMU and photographs displayed around campus to explore our interests and get out of our on LMYOU banners show only a fraction of comfort zones. College is a time to learn, not the accomplishments that lie ahead of the only in the classroom, but about ourselves students who will walk across stage in a as well. It is a time for understanding who little less than two weeks. We are so excited we are and who we want to become. Ask to see how they will embody their class any senior this week and they will tell you motto: “Go forth and set the world on fire,” to enjoy your time here, because it goes said by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of too fast. They will tell you to appreciate the Jesuits society. the beautiful relationships you will have These are students who have filled with people who will come in and out of the pages of the Loyolan with their your life. They will tell you to be open to academic achievements, everything this campus has athletic accomplishments, to offer. And they will also “We’ve written entrepreneurial pursuits, probably tell you to watch philanthropic involvements more sunsets on the Bluff about these and opinions on current and spend more time laying students’ events. They’ve posed for in Sunken Garden. our pictures and responded involvement on the While some say our college to our unending questions in years are the best years of our attempts to encapsulate Bluff and now it’s our life, LMU provides us the broad range of voices four fundamental years time to look into with represented in LMU’s that will guide us in our their futures.” community. We’ve written pursuit of living our lives about these students’ to their fullest potentials. involvement on the Bluff Let’s listen to the stories and now it’s time to look to their futures. our seniors have to tell so that we can make While the class of 2016 is about to head the most of our time here with the hopes of off into the real world filled with full-time finding our paths just as they are beginning jobs and other grown-up responsibilities, to. With the desire to showcase our seniors’ those of us who have more time left to spend bright futures, we will be creating an at LMU should think about how to use that interactive map of where our graduates time wisely and take advantage of the many plan to go post-graduation in next week’s things that we often take for granted as commencement issue. Graduating seniors college students, looking to our graduating can be a part of this project by filling out a seniors for inspiration and encouragement. survey located on our Facebook page. It is As soon as college acceptance letters fell time for seniors to step off of the Bluff and into our hands, parents and other adults set the world on fire. were drilling into our brains the idea that
Letter to the
EDITOR
This letter is a response to the alleged verbal confrontation between an Alumni Relations employee and LGBTQ+ students, as covered in the April 20 issue of the Loyolan. Dear fellow LMU employee, I wanted to address the events that took place on April 14, in which you took it upon yourself to [allegedly] verbally attack students who were posting sanctioned signs for Rainbow Week. The unknown is very scary and it is difficult in this era of constant change to maintain a specific belief system unchanged. You clearly have very strong beliefs regarding gender identity, and you were offended that signs were posted that challenged your beliefs.The problem is, you chose to [allegedly] engage with these students in a non-constructive way. Your actions were those of a bully. In your efforts to affirm your personal truth, you deliberately attempted to make those students feel bad about themselves by [allegedly] condemning their personal truths. But the truth is, as strongly as you feel about your sexuality and your gender is EXACTLY as strongly as these students feel about their sexuality and gender. Sadly, your [alleged] actions left no room for conversation or reconciliation.We work at a University, with nascent adults who are exploring and learning about the world, who have left many different kinds of homes to study at our campus, who have many different life experiences and faith traditions about which we have no idea. As employees, we have a tremendous responsibility to be resources of trust, compassion, strength, and examples of how to interact with the world. Your [alleged] actions completely abdicated that responsibility. We all have the absolute right to believe how we will, and to even deny any deviation from those beliefs. However, none of us have the right to attack someone because their beliefs are not the same as ours. The choice involved in this incident was not about gender identity or sexuality, it was the choice you made to [allegedly] bully, intimidate and condemn. Alexis Dolan, M.A. Sr. Administrative Coordinator LMU Philosophy Department
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OPINION
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My Nightmare, Our Shared Reality: Sharing My Story of Sexual Violence Kennedy Roberts Contributor @LALoyolan
Editor’s note: The following article contains sensitive content.
I
’ve had the same nightmare every night for the last 18 months. In it I see a bedroom, tucked in the right corner of a basement apartment. The sheets haven’t been washed all semester, and twisted among them is a girl who looks exactly like me. Nine drinks in, her hair is a mess and there is mascara shading the rosy parts of her cheeks. She’s sweet, innocent and just barely 19. After a few minutes, I can hear her whimpering: “Stop. Please don’t.” A boy, who also looks terribly familiar to me (probably because I dated him for three months) moves on top of her. He grasps her wrists and says terrible things I can’t repeat. He unbuttons her pants and she whimpers one more time, “Please don’t.” When I wake up in the morning after this nightmare, I’m always hit with the tragic realization that this girl doesn’t just look like me, she is me. And on the night of October 23, 2014, this nightmare was sadly my reality. That night, after being left outside a house party for an hour in the dark, I found myself in the backseat of my friend’s car in tears. Their response to this was to tell me to go see the boy I had been dating and that “maybe he would care.” A week prior to this, he had tried to pressure me into having sex, to which I had soberly told him no. My friends had all agreed that it would be a bad idea for me to see him if I had
been drinking — we knew how nights like that turned out. But through their guidance I ended up at his apartment that night. The morning after my assault, my bruises hadn’t purpled yet and my dry mouth had no idea how to form the words “I was raped.” So instead, I whispered the story between tears to a small group of my friends. Their failure to hear what I was really saying caused them to respond with strings of “Get out of bed,” “It’s totally natural to feel this way after you lose your virginity” and “You can do it.” These phrases mostly sounded like, “Get over it.” And as so many people I thought loved me invalidated my story, I began to believe that maybe I was being overly dramatic. It became easy to blame myself; I was drunk, I didn’t say no loud enough. I’d dated him for three months anyway. I know now that it was entirely his responsibility to read my drunkenness and my no’s (however quiet they may have been in my fear) as the absence of permission. But for
“I began to believe that maybe I was being overly dramatic. It became easy to blame myself.” 12 months after the assault, I lay handcuffed to a shame that told me I couldn’t be sad because it was my fault. But during those first 12 months I spent the majority of my time in bed truly believing that I didn’t deserve help, because the times that I had asked for it, people assumed the blame belonged to me. I stopped enjoying the things that made me who I was and spent a lot more of my time trying to drink and sleep away the pain. Every time I looked at myself in the mirror I heard his voice, reminding me what he had done, that no one would
ever believe me and that I was disgusting and worthless — because of him no one could ever want me. For that entire year, he stole everything from me. I drowned in this silent pain until this past October when I decided to share my story with
“I stopped enjoying the things that made me who I was...”
a friend. Sharing this with her took a type of courage I never thought I had. It felt like an open invitation for her to tear open all my wounds. You see, every time I’ve shared this story I’ve had to really work to make people understand just how horribly it hurts. A lot of people assume that because I knew him, or because it doesn’t fit into our traditional understanding of violence, that it can’t possibly hurt that much. Having to continuously tell people what I feel, and what I need is the most difficult part of recovery. I’ve found that a lot of people get angry with the situation, and a lot of other people assume that it could be worse. Through both these reactions I carry the burden of having to try and help people understand. And while it was no different when I shared with this friend — I still carried the burden of having to explain just how horrible it really was — unlike anyone else, she chose to stand faithfully beside me through my recovery. A recovery that has included dozens of hours of therapy, hundreds of missed social events, at least 60 panic attacks (in class, on the way to class, in my apartment, at parties, in elevators), 18 months worth of nightmares, 15 scars on my wrists, 200 miles driven to tell my mom
what happened, way too many conversations wondering how I could possibly share this with any new romantic partner, 10 phone calls to suicide hotlines and thousands of missed opportunities. I’m sure if you asked this friend, she would tell you that she felt unequipped, frightened and unsure at the best of times. Living through my recovery has been the most difficult year and a half of my life. And I know that loving someone who is recovering can at times be just as hard. You will say the wrong thing and spend a lot of time feeling helpless — but what’s important is that you stay. All you really have to do is stay. With April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we will all hear a lot of stories about terrible nightmares that have become the reality of some pretty incredible men and women. When we hear these stories we will be tempted to hear them as warnings not to rape and to be careful to not get raped — because our culture often teaches us that’s what
“And I know that loving someone who is reconvering can at times be just as hard.”
this conversation is about. My story is not that warning. I know that warning doesn’t do a whole lot. There will always be selfish people who use violence to get what they want. Instead, I hope that my story acts as a very direct call to conversation towards LMU regarding two very basic things that through my recovery I’ve found to be lacking on this campus. It’s time for a change. The first, that sexual assault is very real, and happening at LMU. Sometimes when it does, it doesn’t look like a televised version of sexual violence.
Sometimes the victim knows their assailant — it’s still an assault. In these instances,
“Sexual assault is very real, and happening at LMU.” we might have to listen to the story beneath our immediate assumptions to be aware that someone needs help. The second, that we are each called, both by our humanity and Jesuit values, to take on the responsibility of supporting survivors and our fellow students through this reality. I hope that the next time we encounter someone begging for our help, we decide that we will no longer make the excuse that we aren’t equipped to help. I hope that if you take away anything after reading this, it’s that you never shy away from having the tough conversation. A conversation where your only answer might be, “I’ll hold your hand on the way to SPS” or “I’ll love you through this, I promise.” Every single day I wish that someone had chosen to have that conversation with me a year sooner. And I hope that you learn that you should never stop yourself from intervening when a situation doesn’t seem quite right. If my friends had, this would have never happened to me. Above all, I hope that we understand that this nightmare we so often hear described during the month of April is indeed our own reality as college students; a reality that we each have a responsibility to take part in changing by empowering and caring for each other. This is the opinion of Kennedy Roberts, a junior sociology major from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan, or email mgaydos@ theloyolan.
OPINION
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Free speech in relation to technology Deeksies’ Dish Daralyn Kee Chong
I
Senior Editor @LALoyolan
f you had to choose between your freedom of expression and protection from the possibility of harm, which would you pick? Though this may sound like an extreme question to ask, it might be the one technology companies like Apple, Facebook and Twitter will have to answer for us in the near future. The Internet allows us to message, post and share virtually anything in the world at any time. But with the good comes the bad: the internet also allows people to communicate in ways that others find hurtful, threatening and even dangerous, putting companies that facilitate our communication in a game of tug-of-war between free speech and user safety. Despite good intentions, the consequences of seemingly small limitations on free speech could have bigger implications in the ways we use communication technology. Take, for example, Twitter, the online social networking service that was created in 2009. In its earliest years, Twitter’s co-founder Biz Stone posted a statement outlining Twitter’s intentions and views regarding the importance of freedom of speech. “Our goal is to instantly connect people everywhere to what is most meaningful to them,” Stone wrote. “For this to happen, freedom of expression is essential.” Stone continued on to assert that freedom of expression is an ethical human right the social media site would strive to maintain by not actively censoring user content.
“The internet allows us to message, post and share virtually anything in the world at any time.”
But this was five years ago, and since then, the pendulum has swung away from valuing the right to say whatever you feel to valuing political correctness and the right to be protected from harmful language. We’ve seen the crusade for political correctness directly challenge freedom of expression, especially on college campuses. University after university has seen student body protests calling for changes in administration and policies in order to create safe spaces sheltered from triggers and uncomfortable words or ideas that might cause students emotional or mental distress. Intellectual institutions founded on principles of free flowing ideas and speech are being criticized and condemned for not providing a sensitive enough campus climate by the very students that benefit from open discourse. Now, even private, international corporations like Twitter — also founded on these very same principles — are beginning to yield to the same censoring trends. Earlier this year, Twitter announced its new Trust and Safety Council, an appointed group of more than 40 third party organizations to help craft policies aimed at fighting abuse, threats and violent language, especially
Kevin Chan | Loyolan
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are made for us to exercise our free speech, but there is a rising pressure to monitor what is posted.
against minority groups. In their blog, Twitter released a statement explaining the purpose of the council: “To ensure people can continue to express themselves freely and safely on Twitter, we must provide more tools and policies. With hundreds of millions of Tweets sent per day, the volume of content on Twitter is massive, which makes it extraordinarily complex to strike the right balance between fighting abuse and speaking truth to power.” Though the intent of this council is admirable and not meant to prevent people from speaking their minds, it’s hard not to consider the seemingly contradictory statement without a certain amount of skepticism. Is enacting a tool for censorship really the best way to promote free speech? Twitter has already been criticized for prioritizing progressive and liberal leaning viewpoints, having removed the verification of a provocative right-leaning British journalist and banned another popular controversial conservative blogger Robert Stacy McCain along with the hashtag that emerged for his support. Further, it has been noted that all the organizations appointed in the council are progressive or liberal, but none are conservative. For a platform that services over 300 million people around the world, it’s easy to understand the need for some sort of regulation, but it seems that they might be valuing the protection of certain voices over others. Silencing someone’s voice in favor of someone else’s is the opposite of free speech, the very idea that Twitter was originally built upon. To be fair, Twitter is a private company it has no legal obligations to actually provide a platform for unconditional free speech and it is free to enact whatever policies and rules it sees fit. But what happens
when the lines between corporate rules and policies become intertwined with governmental and political agendas? Twitter, as well as Google and Facebook, are already beginning to see this occur in Germany. In light of the recent Europe migration and refugee crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a deal with Facebook, Twitter and Google to forgo their own corporate policies of censorship in favor of stricter German government laws. However, many Twitter users in Germany are now fearful of expressing their political thoughts and opinions about the crisis on social media sites because they could be punished for it by the government. Technological and governmental censorship and punishment of certain ideas or opinions — however unpopular — is the beginning of a slippery slope that could see communication technology become a political tool rather than a space for free flowing exchange. Because social media sites like Twitter are only recently beginning to confront these types of issues, it is difficult for people to agree upon their solutions. Just over these past few months, we’ve seen the battle between Apple and the FBI unfold and expose just how many legal and ethical gray areas there are left when it comes to the government’s jurisdiction within technology, free speech and safety. Though the First Amendment was not originally written to include communication technology, coding and the creation of computer programming are now being considered forms of free speech that should be protected. After the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, the FBI called upon Apple programmers to create an encryption code that would allow them to hack one of the terrorists locked phones to gather information. Apple denied the request, claiming that doing so
would set a precedent for private tech companies to create code that could jeopardize user security and privacy. When the case went to court, Apple cited their First Amendment rights as to why the government legally could not force their programmers to create the encryption code for the same reasons they cannot force a newspaper to create articles in support of their own agendas. Though the case has since been dropped, it likely won’t be the last time technology companies will see these types of issues arise.
“...the volume of content on Twitter is massive, which makes it extraordinarily complex to strike the right balance between fighting abuse and speaking truth to power.” Dr. John Dionisio, computer science professor at LMU, weighed in to attest that so much is uncertain when it comes to drawing concrete lines between computer coding, free speech and government authority. “Because coding is still very human, it’s not as mechanical as building a hammer, I would still lean that there is an element of free speech and that the code I write should not be subjected to government intrusion,” he said. Dionisio went on to state he believed part of the problem is that technology as a whole has developed so quickly that society has a difficult time adjusting and
accepting new norms that come along with it. Despite this, Dionisio said, “When you’re in the business of software development, it would be good to not be blind to these issues, to be mindful and be careful to see if you’re crossing the line. That’s my personal opinion, there might be people who disagree and say we’re solely just technicians and our job is just the expertise to produce something, but I think the nice thing about being in LMU — or having any kind of education similar to LMU — is it makes us aware of the ethical questions. I can’t say I have the answers, but at least we should be aware of the questions.” The increasing pressure to sanitize and control communication technology will cause companies to resist or comply and the government to abstain or interfere. There are no obvious right answers, but it is important as avid technology users that we decide on which side of the fence we stand when it comes to these issues. When companies and the government decide to censor what we can or can’t share in the cyber spaces we inhabit everyday, the ability to interact with our world using these tools becomes limited. The amazing power of communication technology and social networking sites serve us as uninhibited spaces to share, learn and be exposed to truths that are happening in the real world, whether they are things we agree with or not. Granted, there can definitely be harm — and even danger — caused from certain ideas, but there can also be harm in being shielded from them.
This is the opinion of Daralyn Kee Chong, an English major from Honolulu, Hawaii. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan, or email mgaydos@theloyolan.
OPINION
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Are we ready for real world challenges? Clay By Clay Clay Sontag Opinion Intern @LALoyolan
O
n April 19, the President and CEO of the Silent Marketing Firm, Kyle S. Reyes, penned an open letter to college students on NewBostonPost. The article has been met with controversy on social media, so I decided to give it a read. Although I was initially taken aback by Reyes’ harsh perspective on millennial students, I read his piece all the way through — and, to my surprise, I wound up agreeing with many of his points. In the article, titled “An open letter to college crybabies from a CEO,” Reyes explains that college was one of the most constructive times of his life. Between engaging in passionate debates and gaining wisdom from life-changing professors, the experience changed him for the better. But that doesn’t mean that college was easy. In fact, the opposite is true. For Reyes, college was full of the right sort of challenges that built him up to be an opinionated and well-rounded human being. Today, college still presents such challenges to us, but we do not face them head on.
Instead, Reyes explains that we millennials “wussify” ourselves — as in, we turn into wussies. We search for a safe place. We run to be praised and reassured instead of dealing with serious matters. We complain and whine about insignificant concerns. That, in his eyes, is how millenials act in the face of adversity, hardship or generally any situation that deviates from the ideal. In response, Reyes wrote this letter, urging us to accept how tough reality is sooner rather than later — and I’m all for it. Though Reyes is a bit brutal when it comes to his description of modern day college students, I think it was with the right intention. If Reyes celebrates the tough love college experience so intensely, then why should he infantilize us or communicate with us any differently? His harsh realness grabbed my interest at the start of the article and led me to reflect. Here is what I realized: In the past few weeks alone, LMU has experienced a few controversial events that put the minds and opinions of our community to work. However, while a majority of students partook in meaningful debates and/or stood up fearlessly for their beliefs, not everyone was willing to participate in these challenges.
Hannah Kim | Loyolan
Modern day college students might not understand that college is tough in order to prepare us for the real world.
Our campus’ homeostasis was shaken, and not everyone reacted maturely. Those accustomed to their nurturing safe place were thrown off-guard. Students with the college crybaby persona surfaced, and we can’t deny that. Wussification does not only occur in the face of big events — it can occur on a day-to-day basis as well. We are not always excited to get pushed past our normal thinking capacities when we go to class each day. When things don’t go our way, we turn to Twitter, Yik Yak or Facebook to express our grievances and receive accolades through comments and favorites.
As Reyes explains, we uphold an “entitled hall pass,” and anything that potentially disrupts that is unacceptable to us. But the real world doesn’t always work in our favor, and college is training us for the lack of safe places out there in the real world. By challenging and interrogating us, we build a necessary toughness that leads us through life. That’s the beauty of it all, and we must remember that. In a few years, we will be thrown into a world that is anything but safe. If college is the stepping stone to getting there, we should at least experience a taste of what’s to
come, right? In the conclusion of his letter, Reyes warns us: “Revel in the time you have at the world’s most expensive daycares across the country. Because soon, you’ll be in OUR world. And it’s about to get real.” We hear you, Reyes — but don’t go back on your word if us millennials come out of college tougher than ever. You asked for it.
This is the opinion of Clay Sontag, a freshman communication studies major from Smithtown, New York. Tweet comments to @ LALoyolan, or email mgaydos@theloyolan.
I’m about to be a sophomore next year and I still haven’t made any friends: Is this normal?
CALLING ALL
LIONS!
One of the hardest parts about freshman year is making true, lasting friends and feeling alone or overwhelmed is 100 percent normal. Don’t let your social media feeds deceive you — there are other people who feel the same way. Making friends freshman year is like speed dating meets Hungry, Hungry Hippos: It’s a big, chaotic scramble of new people trying to get to know one another and become BFFs overnight. It’s fun and exciting, but there’s also nothing wrong with hanging back to find the people who really get you. Once sophomore year rolls around, you’ll find that people have since settled down and it will become easier to start creating relationships that go deeper than just small talk and passing conversation. My biggest advice for you: Be patient and get involved. Find what piques your interest — service orgs, culture clubs, student media, campus ministry, club sports — and put yourself out there. Don’t worry, your future pals are out there, but good friendships take time.
• Over 2,000 career-defining summer positions available for students, recent grads, and working professionals • Over 50 locations in the Bay Area, SoCal, and Chicago • Develop the skills employers look for with a personalized professional development plan • Love what you do: 97% of our previous summer staff recommend working with us
WWW.GALILEO-CAMPS.COM/JOBS Column by Daralyn Kee Chong, Graphic: Ashley Ma | Loyolan
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PIXELLANEOUS
By Hannah Kim, Staff Cartoonist
FOREVER FAIL
By Emily Noriega, Staff Cartoonist
UNNECESSARY JAPES
FISHBLUB
By Mikey Barreto, Staff Cartoonist
By Cameron Woodard, Staff Cartoonist
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Bob Marley poster attracts unwanted, uninvited guests to Del Rey dorm room Blazers approached Montano to hang out and chill and stuff. Lil’ Deb
Laffy Staffy After a few days spent home during Easter break, freshman political science major Keith Montano arrived back on campus with a new love: the music of Bob Marley. Montano bought a brand new poster to reflect his love for the musician, but was forced to take down the poster following students’ reactions. “I put the poster up on Sunday night,” said Montano. “By Monday afternoon, there were like, ten different stoners in my room that I had never met before. It was getting pretty distracting, so I took the poster down.” Bob Marley is well-known for his mellow and lyrical reggae music. However, among certain college students, Marley has become an icon for something else: marijuana. When these students see someone displaying Bob Marley memorabilia —
via Wikipedia
The Bob Marley poster that allegedly started a queue of bad eggs in However, that is simply not t-shirts, stickers, posters — they automatically take it as a calling the case for Montano. “Over break, I spent a lot card that he or she be one to of time with my cool older partake in the devil’s lettuce.
freshman Keith Montano’s room. cousin, Skippy. He showed me the majesty of Marley,” said Montano. “I love the chillness of his music. It relaxes me. The
dude was a poet.” But as for the wacky tobbacky? “I was never a fan of it,” Montano said. “I tried it once. Got way too paranoid. I thought my dog was trying to murder me.” Montano’s hope in hanging the poster was to show his fellow students that he was a fan of Bob Marley and perhaps attract new friends who appreciate Marley’s music as well. He is deeply saddened that he can’t keep the poster up on his wall. “Look, some people like to smoke a joint or two, and I totally respect that. It’s just not for me,” said Montano, who has decided to get into some new music and put aside his love for Marley, at least for now. Montano was last seen exiting Amoeba Records with the entire discography of Hall & Oates. When asked why he chose to get into the ‘80s hitmakers, he said, “I feel like people will most likely stay away from me if I hang up a poster of these guys in my room.”
Freshman allergic to dogs to remain stressed out The freshman plans to study for finals uncongested, pissed off. Jordan Sernia Buff Editor Sneezing her way through a statement made last Sunday, freshman economics major Allison Borgo indicated that she was allergic to dogs. Because of her exceptionally low tolerance to doggie dander, Borgo planned to remain stressed out for the impending finals week, foregoing the reported health benefits of
puppy therapy. “When I come into contact with a K-9 the first thing to go is my eyesight,” said Borgo as she squinted her eyes. “If I touch a dog, my throat swells and it becomes difficult to breathe, so I think it’s best that I just stay completely filled with anxiety as I prepare for 20 units worth of finals.” It’s not the first time students have had to sacrifice certain luxuries provided by the University to help them relax in the face of finals. Last semester, a junior mathematics major was unable to participate in the Relax
in the Stacks massage program because of his fear of human contact. “The University seems to take little care of student’s needs when it comes to allergies on campus,” said Borgo. “I hope that one day future Lions will be granted an equal opportunity to play with animals that won’t cause their nasal cavity to swell shut and experience the wonder of a stress free finals week.” In the time since her last statement, Borgo has resorted to pillow screaming to help remain calm.
Furrycushion | via Google Images
The squirrels have been resorting to empty birdhouses for shelter as their economies have collapsed.
Squirrel economy in deep recession Squirrels across campus struggle to maintain work. Tucker Just, Tucker Experts hailing from the LMU economics department released alarming statistics on Tuesday detailing an inevitable recession coming for the economy of LMU squirrels. The experts have long forewarned this possibility and believe that it was ultimately inevitable. “Acorn production has skyrocketed, causing prices to
plummet and throwing off the entire system,” squirrel economics expert David Winter commented. “It’s like these animals have not even the slightest concept of economics.” The squirrels appear to be unaffected by the discomforting news. When reached for comment, one squirrel stared absentmindedly at our reporter before doing something really cute that we just had to post on Instagram. “I’m honestly really worried for them. With university prices rising, there are a lot of squirrel children who won’t get the education they need,” said Winter.
The Bluff is a humorous and satirical section published in the Loyolan. All quotes attributed to real figures are completely fabricated; persons otherwise mentioned are completely fictional.
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life+arts
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Five students living it up this summer Finals are just around the corner, which means if you’re like most LMU students, you’re hurriedly working around the clock to figure out what you could possibly do for the upcoming summer break. It’s hard to prioritize a job, traveling, seeing friends and relaxing in the sun, and on top of that, you definitely want to have some sort of proof that you weren’t just sitting around for three months. If you’re looking for inspiration, fear not: Here are five LMU students who h ave already prepared plans to make the most of their summer. - Arun Gulati, Asst. Life+Arts Editor
Freshman biochemistry major Thomas Ashton “This summer, I’ll be working for Great Basin Scientific, a molecular diagnostics company in Salt Lake City, Utah. My dad is the CEO of the company and he got me an interview with the head scientist. I had taken a
“I’ll be working for Great Basin Scientific, a molecular diagnostics company in Salt Lake City, Utah.” biochemistry course in high school and so I got the job. I work in the lab doing basic biochemistry on clinical trials for new tests. Last summer, I worked on the clinical trial for our staph infection test. This summer, I will be working on a new clinical trial for strep. Fortunately, I won’t be spending all summer in the lab because I’m spending a week boating in Lake Powell in southern Utah.”
Sophomore film production and history double major Timothy Vassallo “[This Summer, I will be interning at] a production house in Culver City called London Alley Entertainment. The office manager is a former LMU alumna and they’re a London-based company with an L.A. branch that produces and distributes music videos for some of the biggest names in music like Kendrick Lamar, Calvin Harris and Vic Mensa to name a few. What’s great is that their offices are only a five-minute drive from my summer house out the back gates that I’m subleasing with some friends. I’ll hear back this next week too from another possible internship from a global film distributor in Melrose called IM Global. If I get that position, I’d work directly with a media agent — unpaid and overworked, but exciting nonetheless.”
Junior communication studies major Chandler Wright
Sophomore psychology major Antonio Porras
Senior dance major Christy Kochenderfer
“Knowing that this is the summer before my senior year, I plan to live it up to the fullest. While most LMU students will be starting their summer after their last final, as a member of the Student Worker Program I will be setting up and taking down the 16,000+ chairs for Undergraduate Commencement. [Afterward] the most exciting part of my summer ... will undoubtedly be spending the month of July studying abroad in Greece. I look forward to the beautiful places we will see and the rich culture that we
“I’ll be returning to work as a cabin counselor at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut, which is a camp for kids with serious illnesses. It has things from fishing, pool, archery, horse riding ... and more, but most importantly it’s a chance for them to learn they aren’t defined by their illnesses. It puts them in an environment with other kids who are going through the same challenges, so they no longer feel isolated or as if they are battling alone. It’s hard to describe because the camp is defined by these kids who choose to fight every day, and it’s an incredible opportunity to be a part of their summer camp experience that goes further than camp itself and goes on to affect many lives. Every day and week is exhausting for everyone but there is always constant encouragement for them to, as the founder Paul Newman always said, ‘raise a little hell.
“This summer, I will be backpacking for six weeks — three through Central America and three throughout South America. I will be starting in Mexico City, heading through Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa
“The most exciting part of my summer ... will undoubtedly be spending ... July studying abroad in Greece.” will experience. I am so fortunate to have been given this opportunity. I am sure that summer 2016 is bound to be one of the best yet!”
“This summer, I will be backpacking for six weeks — three through Central America and three throughout South America.” Rica and Honduras. I’m really excited because I’ve never been to South America before and I’ve only visited one country in Central America. I’m eager to improve my Spanish!” This is the opinion of Arun Gulati, a sophomore film and television production major from Seattle, Washington. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email nmuldoon@theloyolan.com.
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Recounting the rise of ROAR Studios Britt Wit Elliot Britt
Managing Editor @LALoyolan
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en years ago, a group of students from the School of Film and Television (SFTV) realized they wanted more than what was being offered to them in the classroom. They wanted a place “to learn, to grow and to master the skills of producing the content [they] want[ed] to create,” as stated in the club’s list of main objectives. With this mission in mind, LMU TV was born. LMU TV struggled in the beginning without a regular meeting space, production studio or any kind of budget to fund their content. As a student-run club, the responsibility fell on the students involved at the time to make the network a success. A few years after the start of the organization, LMU TV became one of the Student Media oulets on campus recognized by the University. Consequently, LMU TV became ROAR Network in 2005. Today, ROAR Network, which has since been changed to ROAR Studios, has undergone a complete remodel. The name, which was changed this past summer, was altered to emphasize the greater context of ROAR Studios’ productions. “The students felt like with a digital-first model, it didn’t make as much sense to have ROAR Network,
because network kind of implies television. So, they came up with a name that they thought better explained the direction they were going in: [ROAR Studios],” said Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, assistant director of student media at LMU. ROAR Studios is completely student-run, which means every comedy short, web series and short film produced through ROAR Studios is the product of students. Programs like “The Writers Room,” a behind the scenes mockumentary following the day-to-day shenanigans of the ROAR writers, and “Behind the Scoreboard” which explores the lives of LMU athletes, help illuminate student organizations and leaders on campus, making them more accessible to other students. While ROAR Studios has succeeded in providing a window into the lives of different students on campus, the organization is trying to expand its news content division to include more voices than just those of students. While keeping in mind that ROAR’s self-proclaimed description is “content for students, by students,” as stated on their many online outlets, the organization hopes to include more voices from interested professors or Jesuits around campus. As ROAR Studios continues to grow, more opportunities become available for students to find ways to share their original ideas for content. “When I first got here, ROAR was
producing six comedy sketches a semester. Now, we’re producing around 70 pieces of content this semester. And that’s not only comedy, but it’s also news, web series and our Greenlight division, which is comprised of web series pitched by other students on campus,” said junior recording arts major and ROAR Studios General Manager Ryan Pawlak. With the addition of the Greenlight division, students outside of ROAR Studios have the opportunity to pitch ideas for short films, music videos, comedy shorts or web series to a committee composed of mainly students. If the pitch committee decides to greenlight an idea, ROAR Studios will help produce the content by offering the budget, planning, cast and crew necessary to help students make their ideas come to life. “Any student across any major can come and pitch something to Greenlight,” said Hansen. “We want Greenlight to become a place where students can make their dream project, and overall bring the campus together with their awesome piece of work,” said sophomore business management major and Director of Greenlight Greyson Hansen. “My hope for Greenlight is that it becomes the premiere place on campus for students to express themselves. There are many students who don’t know where to get started, and I believe that Greenlight is the best place to do so.” ROAR Studios encourages all students who have potential ideas
Cameron Woodard | Loyolan
From LMU TV, to ROAR Network to the most recent ROAR Studios, the organization brings students’ original content to the LMU limelight.
for content to pitch them through the Greenlight division. To do so, students must complete pitch forms that can be found on the ROAR Studios webpage and, along with any supplemental materials, send them to greenlight@roarstudiosla.com.
All of ROAR Studios’ content is available on their YouTube channel and can also be viewed on campus on channel 3.2. This is the opinion of Elliot Britt, a sophomore finance major from Maple Grove, Minnesota. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email ebritt@theloyolan. com.
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LMU alumna’s talents shine in web series Taykin’ It Easy
communication studies], and Judy Battaglia [who teaches courses in representation in media] really inspired me to be bold and stand up against these issues.
Taylor Gage
Asst. Life+Arts Editor @LALoyolan
TG: What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far on the project?
M
eredith Yinger (‘15) has been up to quite a bit since her departure from thr LMU film and communications departments. Her captivating work on the web series “Hurry Up and Wait” has dominated her time and influened her career. I sat down with Yinger to find out what this project was all about and how it’s setting out to make a change.
MY: The hardest part about this project so far has been getting enough traffic and views on our site. We’re trying to fundraise and build a fanbase, so if you could share or tweet about us that would help immensely! TG: What’s the end goal for “Hurry Up and Wait?”
Taylor Gage (TG): First of all, what have you been up to since graduation? Meredith Yinger (MY): After college was a bit of a whirlwind. I knew what I wanted to do, but I felt completely disoriented for a period and didn’t know where to start. When I started this project I thought, ideally this is what I want to be doing long term. I mean if I could get paid to write, produce and perform projects, that would be a dream. So I just went for it. TG: What exactly is “Hurry Up and Wait?” And what is your role in this project? MY: “Hurry Up and Wait” is a web
via Meredith Yinger
Almuna Meredith Yinger (‘15) is currently an executive producer, writer and actress in a web series titled “Hurry Up and Wait.” Her ultimate goal is to see the web series on video streaming services like Netflix. series about eight entrepreneurs [in their mid-twenties] who are trying to change the world and make it in L.A. at the same time. I am the executive producer, writer and the character Michelle.
wanna change the world.” Submit.
of what was expected.
TG: What did you do here at LMU that prepared you for this or got you interested in this type of production?
TG: How did you get involved in a project so early on out of college?
MY: LMU made me realize I can do more than one thing. I was in two colleges and normally people don’t dual degree with anything in the film school, or so I was told. My time there really pushed me to do everything I wanted regardless
TG: I know “Hurry Up and Wait” is about featuring social issues as well as the millennial entrepreneurial struggle. What’s been the closest issue to your heart or favorite storyline to work on?
MY: It honestly happened on a whim. The creator posted on Backstage and I thought, “Hey I
MY: My favorite issue we tackle is the roles and portrayal of women in the film industry. My classes with Pat Oliver, [professor of
MY: The end goal for “Hurry Up and Wait” is to be available on a known video streaming service like Netflix or Hulu and continue on to create more projects with these characters. TG: Do you have any advice for us [college students] still in school? MY: My advice would be to go after what you want and not be afraid to make a path for yourself — there’s no one set formula for success. This is the opinion of Taylor Gage, a freshman studio arts major from Napa Valley, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email nmuldoon@ theloyolan.com.
Be a fangirl — and don’t be ashamed of it Keepin’ up with Jones Jackie Jones
Senior Editor @jackieeejonesss
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ast Tuesday, I walked into the Shrine Auditorium after my day of work and was looking, not for any person in the crowd, but for a pathway to the stage. Because as all of my friends were attending The 1975 on other nights of their tour, I decided to take on the night solo. Most people may not choose to go to a concert alone because it’s nice to share an experience with friends and it can be awkward to stand alone. However, I was not worried. I knew that I could rely on the fangirl community for comfort. The term fangirl tends to have a stigma of a young female who is overly in love with musicians, makes a Twitter account devoted to them and stalks their every move. People think we give celebrities zero privacy. We scream too loud at concerts. We have no lives outside of our fandoms. However, a fangirl merely finds happiness and a relatable connection to certain musicians. Our music idols allow us to get to know their stories through their music, Twitter accounts and interviews. We enjoy listening to the few bands we love a million times rather than listening to a million bands only a few times. And we can always remember an era of our lives by the fandom of the time. When I was 14, my mom told me I would eventually grow out
Emily Noriega | Loyolan
For many millenials, being a fangirl is more than a pop culture obsession — it’s a community, as well as a mode for self expression. of my obsession with the Jonas Brothers. She was right — I did. But then One Direction came along and I was back to square one. I have always been intrigued by pop culture and can remember being a fangirl throughout my whole life. It all started when Britney Spears was a teen pop queen. I remember every time we would go to a pizza party after a sports game, I would spend millions of quarters in the sticker machine so I could have every single Britney Spears sticker they had. I remember the hit clips and the Barbie dolls. Then, as time goes on and musicians wash up, fans move onto the next phenomenon and learn
about new stories of people who accomplish their dreams. After Britney, the Jo Bros, and 1D — while they will always have a special place in my heart — I have found new music love similar to many females my age: The 1975. Attending their show by myself was anything but lonely. I found myself in the middle of a crowd full of rowdy people who had the same energy and enthusiasm for the androgynous and quirky Matt Healy and company as I did. Like me, they knew every song, every lyric and anticipated every surprise. Despite my annoyance with the millennial tendency to throw phones in the air or the inevitable moshing, I found
a greater appreciation for my fellow fangirls because despite not knowing anyone, it felt like I did because we all had common ground that gave the feeling we belonged to a true community. While many find having a pop culture obsession to be shallow, people forget that it can create a positive community and allow women— or men for that matter — to find a passion they enjoy. My life in the music fandom has taught me to come out of my shell, be independent, take pride in my passions and to ignore people’s negative opinions. The middle-school girl with High School Musical and Hannah Montana posters would have never believed that she would
be able to learn so much about herself and others as well as use her passion for the entertainment industry to potentially channel into a career. Just like sports fanatics and comic book nerds, it is important to put in perspective that everyone has their own unique interests and should not be judged for their dedication to One Direction, Five Seconds of Summer or Justin Bieber, etc. Being a fangirl has taught me it is okay to be quirky and enthusiastic, and these traits make me both relatable and unique. This is the opinion of Jackie Jones, a senior English major from La Habra, California. Tweet comments to @LALoyolan or email nmuldoon@theloyolan.com.
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LMU Student Special
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SPORTS
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Lopez works hard, plays smart and wins big Junior Cassie Lopez earns Club Sports Female Athlete of the Year. Michael Mariscal Sports Intern
@LoyolanSports
In most competitive sports, height is often considered a prerequisite for success. Despite this popular belief, many athletes find success no matter their height. Five-foot-five-inch junior management major and women’s club volleyball setter Cassandra Lopez proved to be one of those athletes by winning Female Club Sports Athlete of the Year last week at the annual LMU EXP Awards. The event was organized by the Center for Service & Action, Student Leadership & Development and Campus Recreation. The annual LMU EXP Awards acknowledge the significant contributions that students, organizations and programs have made to strengthen campus life. Lopez began playing volleyball at the age of 10 but struggled with picking up the sport. After gaining support from her family to keep trying and working on her skills, she tried out for a club volleyball team a year later and has been playing ever since. Lopez, a natural setter but also experienced in being a libero and other defensive specialist positions, attended the freshman volleyball camp upon entering high school. At camp, the varsity coach noticed her skill and encouraged her to try out for the varsity squad, where she made the team. Lopez and her friend from camp were the only freshmen to make the team, so she felt the pressure to keep proving herself throughout her high school career. “We were the only freshmen to make the varsity team in our four years there, so it was pretty intimidating playing with people who were up to four years
older than I was,” said Lopez. Although Lopez feared her height would prevent her from playing after high school, she was certain volleyball was in her future. “I would go crazy if I just dropped it from my life, since I had been playing it year round for eight years, including beach volleyball in the summers,” said Lopez. Joining the LMU club team was an easy transition for her since the other girls had the same passion for volleyball, making Lopez feel right at home. Along with her passion for volleyball, Lopez’s busy schedule in high school motivated her to get involved in LMU campus life. “Time management was so much easier for me if I had a schedule that would give me time frames to complete assignments,” she said. Lopez is no stranger to being recognized for her accomplishments; she has been the recipient of team awards such as the Coach’s Award and named the MVP. In the West Bay Athletics League, the league her high school competes in, she received an honorable mention along with a nomination for Second Team All-League. Although Lopez has been recognized for her hard work, she knows there is still room for improvement. “I feel like there’s always something for me to improve on, whether it’s a personal goal like keeping my number of trap sets limited to, say, four in a match, or it’s focusing on placement or timing in one practice,” said Lopez. She considers herself to be her toughest critic, and she is always working to develop good habits and leadership skills. When asked about whether the team plays to compete or merely for the love of the game, Lopez signaled there is a good balance. “Honestly, it’s sort of hard to tell the difference between having fun and being intense [or] having a great practice,” said Lopez. “We have fun when we’re playing well and we play well when we’re hav-
Jay Coffey | Loyolan
Lopez accepted her Female Athlete of the Year award at the LMU EXP Awards last week. After losing a handful of seniors, Lopez stepped into a much larger role this season, leading her team both on and off the court. ing fun. Our team seems to combine the two really well and that’s part of the reason I love my team.” The women’s club volleyball team participates in the Southern California Collegiate Volleyball League (SCCVL), specifically in Division I North. Other club teams from universities such as USC, UCLA and UCSB compete against the Lions in the North division. Other schools such as SDSU, UCSD, USD and the University of Arizona compete in the South division. The club team also participates in crossover tournaments, which allows them to play against teams in other divisions, like ASU or UC Irvine. Lopez and her squad improved so much this season that she said “[it] felt like our best yet.” When she joined her freshman year, Lopez became a part of a young team that was attempting to rebuild after losing many seniors. This year’s additions to the club volleyball squad made Lopez con-
fident they would be a great team, both on and off the court. The team had a thrilling victory in February over the UofA. A talented Wildcats volleyball team took the Lions to three sets, with Lopez and company winning 2-1. After three sets of back and forth play, the final scores were 25-23W, 22-25L and 24-22W with a crazy last set. “Game three usually goes to 15 points and we ended up winning with 24 points; so, if that doesn’t show you how much we battled, I don’t know what does,” said Lopez. With no intentions of pursuing a career in volleyball, Lopez is focused on a career in human resources. LMU club volleyball may be the last time she competitively plays the game, though she admits she cannot accept that quite yet. “I’m still in denial that my volleyball career is coming to a close after LMU,” said Lopez. “I was thinking of maybe joining an adult league after graduating or maybe I
could help with a middle school or high school team nearby.” With height as a predetermined disadvantage, along with early difficulties learning the game of volleyball, Lopez has proved herself wrong. She started off as a 10-year-old who had trouble realizing her talent and now stands in front of her club volleyball team as reigning Female Club Sports Athlete of the Year.
With six minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Lions would experience their first scoring drought of the night. After Nelson’s goal had made the score 3-2, the Lions were held scoreless until halftime. CSUN scored three unanswered goals during the span and led 5-3 at the midway point. LMU would start the third quarter with a patient, well-executed possession, resulting in an easy shot and a goal for Castro with more than seven minutes remaining. The Lions would not score again until
there were 30 seconds left in the third, when freshman driver Hana Vilanova beat the shot clock with an outside shot. The fourth quarter transpired in a similar manner to the third, with the Lions trailing 7-5. Vilanova scored again in the Lions’ first possession, giving them just a one-point deficit with more than six minutes to play. However, the team’s offense sputtered, not adding another goal until Kingsley Hill found the narrow side of the net with a minute to play. At that point, LMU trailed 9-6,
eventually reaching the 9-7 final score. On Friday, LMU will begin to play in the GCC Championship Tournament, which will take place at San Diego State University. The Lions will play fifth-seeded Santa Clara in the opening game of the tournament, with game time set for 3 p.m. LMU won the only meeting between the two teams this year by a score of 10-7.
(213) 260-0144
Lions’ five seniors honored in home loss Saturday was a day of celebration for the Lions despite falling 9-7. Tim De Vries
Asst. Sports Editor @LoyolanSports
Saturday afternoon marked the final home game for the five seniors of women’s water polo as they took on CSU Northridge (CSUN) at Burns Aquatic Center. The Lions would ultimately fall by a score of 9-7. With conference tournament seeds set, the focus was on honoring the seniors — whose names are all over the LMU record books — rather than the result of the game. The seniors — utility Ivana Castro, two-meter Erin Byrne, utility Bridgette Alvarez, driver Ashtynn Nelson and driver Kingsley Hill— have now played a combined 566 games for LMU. In the process, they have won two Golden Coast Conference (GCC) championships. Of those 566 games, a combined 375 were wins. This week, Castro and Alvarez were selected to All-Golden Coast Conference teams. Alvarez, who has played more games for the Lions than anyone else on the roster, finished eighth all-time in exclusions drawn at LMU with 142 and 20th all-time in goals with 102. This year she was selected to the second All-GCC team. Byrne, on the other hand, recorded 208 career drawn exclusions for LMU — good enough for fourth all-time. Castro made All-GCC’s first
team, becoming the first player in the conference to make the first team in all three seasons of its existence. She will finish her LMU career ranked eighth all-time in goals with 157, and is tied for sixth in assists with 98. Hill shares this spot on the list with Castro after playing just six games her freshman year. All season, LMU Head Coach Kyle Witt has stressed the importance of his senior class for the program and in the pool. On a team that plays a lot of young talent, the seniors’ experience and focus has been a driving factor for LMU’s success this year. They will look to accomplish their goal of a third-straight conference title next weekend. Saturday’s atmosphere was calm, with the Lions appearing relaxed in the pregame and a good crowd on hand. After a two-hour delay due to a scheduling error with the officials and the senior day festivities, the teams finally took the pool. The game itself would prove to be much more competitive, as No. 25 CSUN suppressed the No. 20 LMU offense for better parts of the second, third and fourth quarters. This was ultimately the difference in the game, with the Lions falling by two. In the first quarter, both teams were held to a stalemate as defenses took precedence. Freshman goalkeeper Sky Flores made a big difference early on for the Lions, recording six saves in the period. Flores would finish the game with 10 saves.
Riis Irving-Peterson | Loyolan
Senior Ashtynn Nelson was the first senior to score a goal for the Lions in the loss She finished the regular season with a career high 14 goals.
SPORTS
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Westhead finishes atop LMU History from Page 20
the team also featured three second-team All-Americans — pitcher Tim Layana, third baseman Chris Donnel and outfielder Billy Bean, each of whom saw big league playing time. The 1986 squad was inducted into the LMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. 2. Football: 1969 While LMU football culture is non — existent today, the University has a rich history as a West Coast football powerhouse. In 1951, LMU — then Loyola University — quarterback Don Klosterman led all of college football in passing. Aside from its on-field success, Loyola Football is also renowned for its civil rights impact in 1950 — about three years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball — when they refused to play Texas Western College (now University of Texas, El Paso) after officials had informed Loyola that its black players were not allowed to play. However, years after the program had been cut due to funding reasons, the students voted to increase tuition by $100 each to pay for team expenses, and Loyola University joined the National Club Football Association (NCFA) in 1967. Widely acclaimed high school coach Jim Brownfield led Loyola to a 6-3 record in his first season as head coach, finishing No. 6 in the national rankings. After finishing second the prior year, the Lions went 8-1 in 1969 and were named NCFA National Champions. Loyola had a talented team, featuring five All-Americans: offensive tackle Bill Crone, defensive end Pat Ward, tailback Dean Jelmini, linebacker and center Bill Eller and quarterback Jim Ertman. As Loyola was and still is known for its strong law school, Jelmini, along with a few
other teammates, found success in law after his days on the field were over. This team was inducted into the LMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. During Brownfield’s final season in 1971, Loyola again finished ranked No. 1, but was not awarded another title. The program was canceled due to funding reasons in 1973, the same year that Loyola University merged with Marymount College to become the LMU that we know today. The students were not ready to give up their football team, according to Mario Palladini (‘78) who enrolled at LMU in 1974; just one year after the football team had been canceled. Many of those who were on the team and did not graduate remained at LMU, dominating their peers in flag football. These players also started to get involved with rugby, which triggered success in the late 70s for the force that is Loyola Rugby of LMU. 1. Basketball: 1989-90 During the 1989-90 college basketball season, LMU was making national headlines with its run-andgun offense that averaged a record 122.4 points per game. This Lions would finish 26-6, with a No. 19 national ranking by the USA Today/ Coaches Poll, on its way to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Lions ran “The System,” installed by Head Coach Paul Westhead, which would revolutionize the college game. Westhead’s offense relied on fast transitions, getting shots off in seconds. They would even sacrifice allowing a two-on-one layup to hit a three just seconds later. LMU dictated high-scoring affairs so frequently that the NCAA reached out to the athletics department, which put them in contact with official scorer Dale Marini. At the time, the official scorecard only went up to 80,
so the NCAA needed Marini’s assistance in crafting a new number. When asked how he had to adjust to LMU’s run-and-gun style, Marini replied, “I had to have more pencils handy.” Under Westhead, the Lions led the nation in scoring each year from 1988 to 1990, also making the NCAA Tournament in each of those seasons. Additionally, the Lions used a fullcourt press on every play. Palladini, a color commentator for many of these games, recognized that the Lions would interchange “real” pressure with “token” pressure. Under real pressure, LMU would look to trap its opponent in corners, seeking to cause a turnover. When they brought token pressure, they were not looking for turnovers, but causing the opponent to sustain the fast pace, eventually wearing them down. Due to the fatigue LMU’s pace would cause on opponents, players would soon learn tricks to slow down the game just enough to catch a breath. In fact, whenever Santa Clara would host LMU, they would replace the nets so they would be stiffer than normal on game day, adding the slightest bit of time to the basketball’s path from the hoop to the floor. Players would also intentionally knock the ball further out of bounds before an LMU rebound, and referees eventually had to catch on and issue warnings and technical fouls. This delay-of-game violation is now well recognized in the sport. Seniors Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble had transferred to LMU from the University of Southern California, drawn to both Westhead’s system and their common Philadelphia ties. Gathers became the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in both scoring (32.7 points per game) and rebounding (13.7 rebounds per game) in his first
Kevin Chan | Loyolan
year in the system. The following season, Kimble would lead the nation in scoring, averaging 35.3 points per game. Tragedy struck in a WCC semifinal game in Gersten Pavilion versus Portland University. After throwing down his signature tomahawk allyoop dunk, Gathers headed towards the near-side foul line to faceguard Pilots’ point guard Erik Spoelstra (current Miami Heat head coach). Gathers suddenly collapsed to the court and was later pronounced dead at a nearby Marina Del Rey hospital. The historic run that LMU would go on to have in the NCAA Tournament would be a tribute to Gathers. In the first round, No. 11 LMU would upset No. 6 New Mexico State University 111-92. Then, the Lions shocked the world, taking down defending champion No. 3 Michigan University 149-115, followed by a 6260 win over No. 7 University of Alabama. The Lions’ run would finally come to an end in the Elite Eight, as LMU lost to the eventual champion No. 1 University of Nevada, Las Vegas 131-101. Kimble swears that if Gathers had played, LMU would have won the tournament. Both Palladini and Marini agree that the caliber of talent on the UNLV team is what was able
to offset the endurance of the LMU team. This LMU team was exciting. Gersten Pavilion would be a madhouse on game days with students lined outside the building long before tipoff — the place was loud too. Specifically, games against Pepperdine brought “the loudest crowd noise that I experienced in all the years that I [broadcasted],” said Palladini. Even when the Lions were down 15 points, fans would remain on edge due to the blitzkrieg nature of LMU’s offense — a comeback was almost always inevitable. The system also brought substantial media attention to the school not just locally, but nationally as well. In 2010, Bill Couturié released Guru of Go as part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series, featuring Paul Westhead and highlighting his LMU days. In addition to its magical tournament run, the excitement and recognition the 1990 basketball team brought to the school is why it is the greatest team in LMU athletic history. They were inducted into the LMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. This is the opinion of Jackson Tave, a sophomore finance major from Wall, New Jersey. Tweet comments to @LoyolanSports, or email rhartnett@theloyolan.com.
SPORTS
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Lions’ hit parade leads them to easy victory Baseball blew out Hawaii to win their third straight game. Michael Mariscal Sports Intern
@LoyolanSports
Ding, ding, ding. No, that’s not an iPhone going off, it’s the Lions as they scored seven runs in the bottom of the third against the University of Hawaii, making it an 11-0 lead. The Lions (21-20, 10-8 WCC) cruised to a 13-2 victory against the Rainbow Warriors (18-20, 7-5 BWC) Monday evening at Page Stadium. After freshman third baseman Niko Decolati hit a three-run home run in the first and senior right fielder Joe Christian hit a solo shot in the second, the Lions took an early 4-0 lead. But that was just the beginning. The third inning was thrilling for the Lions as the middle of their lineup started off the inning on a high note. Back-to-back RBI triples by sophomore first baseman Jamey Smart and Decolati extended the lead to 6-0 and spurred momentum for the rest of the lineup. Junior catcher Cassidy Brown drove in three runs with a massive double before the Warriors’ relief pitcher, Cody Culp, finally closed the inning. The score heading into the top of
the fourth was 11-0. The game eventually slowed down, but the Lions never let the Warriors creep back into it. The Warriors ended up scoring twice in the fifth, with the Lions following suit in the bottom half of the inning. Since the game became lopsided so early, many reserve players got to see playing time, including redshirt freshmen pitchers Jack Brkich and Alex Strizak, who made their first collegiate appearances Monday evening. Brkich and Strizak helped the Lions secure a final 13-2 victory. The dominant offense overshadowed freshman pitcher Codie Paiva’s first career start, but he impressed the crowd through six innings. Paiva, who was raised in Pearl City, Hawaii, allowed two runs and six hits while recording seven strikeouts. His solid performance stumped the Warriors up until the fifth inning, when he began to approach 100 pitches. Lions head coach Jason Gill was happy with Paiva’s performance. “He keeps getting better and better and obviously he deserved the start tonight,” said Gill. Paiva also impressed Brown, who caught for Paiva’s first career start in Monday’s game. “He set the tone, coming out throwing strikes and making them hit the ball,” said Brown. “He was able to throw zeros and we were able to
put up some runs.” Prior to Monday night’s game, the freshman pitcher had allowed five hits, struck out twelve batters, and held opponents to a .128 batting average through seven appearances and 11.1 innings. On the offensive end, Brown was named West Coast Conference (WCC) Player of the Week on Monday. Last week, he went 7-for-17 batting .412, along with three runs scored, four doubles, five runs batted in (RBIs) and two walks. The Ohio native catcher helped the Lions win three out of their four games last week, including a series win against WCC opponent, University of the Pacific. Tuesday, Brown went two for two, including two RBI doubles, two runs scored and four RBIs. After asking him if the early offensive rally affects the mood of the dugout, he agreed, saying, “Yeah I mean, it definitely makes it easier ... makes us more calm. However, regardless of the score, the team tries to maintain a modest mentality and play the game the same way.” Overall, the Lions’ offense has been exciting, as they have scored seven or more runs in four of their last five games, including an offensive showcase last Wednesday against Cal State Bakersfield when the Lions won 17-5. Brown is happy with how easy it has been for the Lions to get runs in. “It’s been good now,
Josh Kuroda | Loyolan
Brown (pictured) earned WCC Player of the Week honors after batting .412 last week, picking up three runs scored and five RBIs. where it doesn’t matter what inning it is or how much we’re down, we don’t feel out of the game,” said Brown. “We have a lot of confidence in our offense, one through nine; it’s not just certain guys.” The Lions head up north to the Silicon Valley to take on the Santa Clara Broncos (17-20, 5-10 WCC) this weekend. This is a crucial series for the Lions as they take on Gonzaga University (24-13, 12-6 WCC) and St. Mary’s
College (22-15, 10-5 WCC), who sit in the number one and three spots in the WCC standings, respectively. Gill says he is taking it one game at a time instead of focusing on the upcoming series against WCC rivals. He did, however, comment on the competitiveness of the WCC. “This is how our conference is,” said Gill. “There’s a lot of parity in it and anybody can beat you at any time.”
LMUTA: Seniors leave Bluff after top performances Sully Speaks Jack Sullivan
Senior Editor @LoyolanSports
S
eniors on the Bluff are coming to the end of their time at LMU. It is a time for reflection on what they accomplished while being students here. However, for student athletes, their accomplishments can be found in the LMU record book. While many Lions had great years, this batch of seniors left their mark on campus with their terrific play on the field, in the pool or on the court. These athletes have a lot to be proud of and it’s time they were recognized for their efforts. Here are the top senior athletes of the 2015-16 school year. 5. Meghan von Behren, senior outfielder, softball: The softball team has gotten off to a great start this season. The Lions are 28-19 and 6-3 in conference. The team has also already beaten the school single-season record for doubles with its 96th double in the last
game against Santa Clara University. One of the team’s main sources of this high scoring offense comes from von Behren. Among all Lions with at least 10 plate appearances, she leads the team in batting average (.440) and hits (70). She is also second in slugging percentage (.692) and third in on-base percentage (.468). Von Behren is 16-16 in stolen base attempts and has 13 doubles, 26 RBIs and nine home runs. She is one of only two players on the softball team to start every game, and has been one of the major reasons for the team’s success.
4. Jocelyn Blankenship, senior midfielder, women’s soccer: Blankenship has been a staple of the women’s soccer team’s lineup since her freshman year when she started every game for the Lions. She has been around for the low points of the team, such as when they went 3-16-1 her sophomore year, to the triumph of reaching the Sweet 16 in her senior year. This season, Blankenship played incredibly well. She was by far the leading point-earner on the team with 22 as she led the team in both
goals (seven) and assists (eight). She once again started every game and played the second most minutes on the team. Her efforts on the pitch allowed her to beat the school record for career assists with 22 points. She was the playmaker and her leadership on the field helped the team earn its NCAA bid. 3. Hannah Tedrow, senior setter, volleyball: The volleyball team was another extremely successful group this past year. They returned to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row and made it to the Sweet 16. Tedrow was a key component for the team’s tournament run. As the setter, almost all of the offense went through her. Because of this, Tedrow finished with 1430 assists for the year and 11.63 assists per set. Her assists per set ratio was good enough to be 12th best in the country. Tedrow also had 70 kills and 20 service aces throughout the season. She played all but two sets this season when she was sidelined by an injury and started every game. She was the vocal leader of the squad, and will be hard to replace come fall.
2. Sophie Taylor, senior forward/guard, women’s basketball: The women’s basketball team struggled this season, but did improve from last season to finish 11-20. They played well in the conference tournament before being eliminated by the No. 2 seed Saint Mary’s College. Taylor was not only the leader during the final stretch of her LMU career, but also throughout the season. She started 30 of the team’s 31 games this season and played more minutes (899) than any other Lion. Taylor finished the season with 10 double-doubles — the most on the team. She had a team-high average of 12.7 points per game and grabbed a teamhigh average of 8.5 rebounds per game. Taylor’s play allowed her to be an All-WCC first-team selection in the preseason and an All-WCC second-team selection at the end of the year. Clearly she put all her effort on the court and her presence will be missed in Gersten next season.
pected before the season started. After a 6-0 start, the Lions went on a six-game losing streak before finishing the year 9-9. However, one person trying his best to keep the team on track was Blanchette, who had eight shutouts this season. This means that the Lions were 1-9 when they conceded a goal, so a lot of pressure fell on Blanchette. Because he did not play in three games for the team, it was more likely for Blanchette to earn a shutout than to concede a goal this past season. He allowed 16 goals in 15 games, made 59 saves and had a .787 save percentage for the season, which earned him a spot in the top 50 in the nation. The stability of having Blanchette in the net will soon be gone as he graduates. The men’s soccer program will have to find a new person to take on the role of defending the net. Head coach Paul Krumpe will choose from current red shirt sophomores Dante Pezzi and Carl Rubschlager and incoming freshman Paul Lewis to guard the net for next year’s team.
1. Paul Blanchette, senior goalkeeper, men’s soccer: The men’s soccer team did not have the success that they ex-
This is the opinion of Jack Sullivan, a senior communication studies major from Las Vegas, Nevada. Tweet comments to @LoyolanSports, or email rhartnett@theloyolan.com.
Kevin Chan | Loyolan
SPORTS
SCORES UPDATE M. TENNIS
LION
5-0 W
SOFTBALL
7-3 W
W. WPOLO
vs. Gonzaga
SPORTS
BASEBALL
vs. CSU Bakersfield
8-0 W
vs. SCU
9-7 L
vs. Cal State Northridge
Follow us on Twitter @loyolansports for up-to-date scores.
Page 20
LOS ANGELES LOYOLAN | April 27, 2016 | laloyolan.com
The top five teams in LMU history Action Jackson Jackson Tave
Asst. Sports Editor
I
@LoyolanSports
t is safe to say that LMU carries a low profile these days regarding athletics. The basketball program — a revenue generator for the school — has made little noise since its 1989-1990 tournament run. While women’s soccer and volleyball have encountered recent successes with both teams making the Sweet 16 in each of their respective NCAA Tournaments, this year they do not carry profiles large enough for national attention. Despite its current absence from the spotlight, LMU Athletics has a rich history of talented athletes and teams that have made impacts on the national level. Here are five of the greatest teams in LMU Athletic history: 5. Women’s soccer: 2015 In the fall, the women’s soccer team reached the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Head Coach Michelle Myers led the Lions to a 15-5-1 overall record, setting the program record for wins in a season. In the NCAA Tournament, the Lions defeated UC Berkeley and the University of Minnesota 1-0 in the first and second round respectively, before losing 5-2 to the University of West Virginia in the Sweet 16. Meyers earned the West Coast Conference (WCC) Coach of the Year honor, becoming the first coach in program history to win the award. Furthermore, senior Callie Taylor was named WCC Co-Defender of the Year and senior midfielder Jocelyn Blankenship and senior midfielder/forward Morgan Hilby were named to the WCC AllConference Team. 4. Women’s volleyball: 1996 The 1996 women’s volleyball team was one of the most dominant in program
LIONBITES BEACH VOLLEYBALL This past weekend, women’s beach volleyball competed in its first WCC Championships in Santa Monica. LMU advanced to the winner’s bracket as one of three remaining teams, where they had to battle Pepperdine University and Saint Mary’s College. LMU first played Pepperdine on Saturday, but lost at the end of three sets, 16-21, 21-16, 15-11. With that loss, the Lions then moved to the loser’s bracket to face Saint Mary’s. The match was a very close one between both teams, but Saint Mary’s ended up pulling away as LMU fell 3-2. The Lions then rebounded with two victories on the final two courts as sophomore Lindsay Carr and freshman Veronica Nederend won their match with scores of 19-21, 21-16, 15-9. Freshman Sara Kovac and sophomore Kristen Castellanos of LMU were the other group that claimed victory on the fifth court, 21-7, 21-9. SOFTBALL The softball team swept the Santa Clara Broncos and broke the record for most doubles in a season for LMU history (96).
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history. Head Coach Steve Stratos led the Lions to a 26-3 overall record and their third WCC title in four years. Additionally, the Lions went undefeated in conference play for the second consecutive season. LMU defeated UC Santa Barbara in the second round of the NCAA Tournament 3-1 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Washington State University would go on to defeat the Lions 3-1 in the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual champion Stanford University 3-0. The Lions would not reach the Sweet 16 until just this past season, when the University of Kansas defeated them 3-1. LMU earned a No. 9 national ranking at the end of the season in the American Volleyball Coach’s Association (AVCA) poll. The Lions boasted five All-WCC players, including WCC Player of the Year Kim Blankenship. Stratos also received recognition, as he was named WCC Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season. This team was inducted into the LMU Hall of Fame 2015. 3. Baseball: 1986 In 1986, baseball made its first and only appearance in the College World Series, an eight-team double-elimination tournament in Omaha, Nebraska, that determines college baseball’s national champion. After losing the first game of the West Regional, the Lions won their next four games in a row to win the region and advance to the College World Series. LMU opened the tournament with a 4-3 victory over Louisiana State University. The Lions then lost 7-5 to the University of Arizona — the eventual champions — before being eliminated after an 11-5 loss to Oklahoma State University. The Lions finished 50-15 overall that season under Head Coach Dave Snow, the most wins in program history. During the regular season, LMU was ranked No. 1 in the April 22 ESPN/Collegiate Baseball National Poll, before finishing the season at No. 6. In addition to seven all-conference players, See LMU History | Page 18
Mikey Barreto | Loyolan
Hank Gathers (depicted) reads a book containing the history of LMU athletics. Lion fans have been graced with some amazing teams over the past six decades.
Bacall honored at LMU EXP awards Club volleyball player Micahel Bacall earns Club Sport’s Male Athlete of the Year at LMU. Jessica Perez Sports Intern
@LoyolanSports
Club Volleyball President, Team Captain and senior management major Michael Bacall took home the Male Club Sports Athlete of the Year award last week at the LMU EXP awards. The Division of Student Affairs recognizes and awards outstanding students, student groups, club sports and student organizations every year at the award ceremony. This year, the Center for Service and Action, Student Leadership and Development and Campus Recreation recognized significant student contributions that have enhanced campus life. The award Bacall received was not something he was seeking or expecting; he was recognized for playing the sport he loves. “It means a lot to me to win this award,” said Bacall. “When I joined the team my freshman year, the program was not very good. And when I started my sophomore year, I knew I wanted to work to get this club in a better place, and I did.” Bacall’s efforts have greatly helped the success of the club volleyball team. He has been a leader in games and in practice, and his current teammates look up to him greatly and see him as an inspiration. “Michael Bacall, or Bacall, as we call him, is an absolute beast on and off the court,” said senior video production and design major Christopher Helkey, a current teammate. “I remember one time, he called our coach at 3
a.m. during our Vegas tournament to talk the night before a big game. Once he gets into the zone, nothing can stop the Bacall. He has an attitude and desire that inspires us all.” Bacall didn’t get to where he is overnight. He has played volleyball for most of his life, including competitively throughout high school. He knew that wherever he chose to go to college, he wanted to continue pursuing the sport. “Coming out of high school, I wanted to keep playing it, but I didn’t want it to be my whole life. I wanted to have a good balance between academic, social and athletic life,” said Bacall. Playing a competitive club sport isn’t always easy. With club sports not receiving
the same type of recognition as the Division I sports here at LMU, there are a few challenges, but that doesn’t stop Bacall from doing what he loves most. “I would say the biggest challenge for me would have to be accountability; we are a club that’s supposed to be social and fun, but it’s also competitive and serious at the same time. It’s just about finding that balance.” The team finished up its season at the three-day Nationals tournament on April 4. They ended the season ranked No. 3 in the nation, which is the highest finish at Nationals in men’s club volleyball history. Six out of the seven starters will be returning next season — all but Bacall.
Jay Coffey | Loyolan
Michael Bacall (left) accepts the LMU EXP Club Sports Male Athlete of the Year Award. Bacall has transformed the volleyball club team into a national powerhouse over the past four years.