In the Midst of Tragedy by marycatelong

in the

of tragedy A Special Edition by Pepperdine Graphic Media in tribute to

Alaina Housley, the Borderline Shooting & the Woolsey Fire

Cont 4 Editor’s Note

6 Hour to Hour: A Timeline 8 Where is God in All of This? 10 A Tribute to Alaina Housley 12 A Letter from Debell F Suite 14 Students React to 307th Shooting 16 Survivor Recounts Shooting 20 Social Media & the Shooting 22 “Curtains”: One Night Only 23 Abroad Students React 24 Hot Topic: Fighting the Flames 28 Student Journalists 2

ents Back to Malibu: Photo Series 29

Shelter In-Place Experiences 32 Social Media Fire Misinformation 36 Disaster Safety 38 The Biology Behind the Fire 41 Why Does Pepp Shelter-In-Place? 42 History of Fires Near Pepperdine 46 Professorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Acts of Kindness 48 Fire FireRelief ReliefEfforts Efforts 50 How Fire Affected Athletics 54 Fake Fire News 56 The New Abnormal 58 3

Editor’sNote By maria valente The Borderline shooting and Woolsey fire left our campus bruised and battered. Before we could sit and mourn the beautiful life Alaina Housley led, we were scrambling to evacuate our homes. It did not feel real, with every moment after moment adding more fuel to our anxieties, fear and vulnerability. As we return to campus and begin to recuperate, the Graphic intends for this special edition to be a piece of literature that not only helps students understand the events that occurred but also guides them to rebuild. This edition answers the community’s most pressing questions surrounding the shooting and fire. It also honors who we’ve lost and who helped saved our campus. It offers a chance for our community to mourn, to remember and to understand. Those 48 hours will be forever etched in Pepperdine’s history, and it is our job as the etchers to ensure the story is told right.

CONTRIBUTORS Managing editor

Photo editor

Maria Valente

Kaelin Mendez

Design editor

art editor

Mary Cate Long

Caitlin Roark

news editor

artist

Madeleine Carr

Madeline Duvall

copy chief

Page Designer

Ryan Harding

Madeleine Carr

Special Edition Team Leaders

Photographers

Madeleine Carr Araceli Crescencio Mary Cate Long Maria Valente Kayiu Wong

News editor Madeleine Carr

perspectives editor Gabrielle Mathys

sports editor Grace Wood

Life & Arts Editor Caroline Edwards

Online Producer Omar Murphy

Social media manager Channa Steinmetz

Milan Loiacono Sherry Yang

Reporters & Writers Caroline Archer Sara G. Barton Hadley Biggs Haley Brouwer Madeleine Carr Annabelle Childers Araceli Crescencio Pari Cribbens Kiley Distelrath Lauren Drake Samantha Finnegan Ella Gonzalez Makena Huey Bridget Johnson

Anastassia Kostin Mary Cate Long Danielle Mastin Gabrielle Mathys Ashley Mowreader Christian Sanchez Channa Steinmetz Maria Valente Kathleen Vodhanel ZoĂŤ Walsh Nicola Wenz Karl Winter Kayiu Wong Alicia Yu Kaelin Mendez

Advisers

Elizabeth Smith Courtenay Stallings

Hour to hour

By maria valente

Pepperdine Experiences 48 Hours of Horror

N o v e m b e r th

11:20 pm

Call of shots fired at the Borderline Bar & Grill.

8â&#x2020;&#x2019;

3:02 pm

2:00 pm

NOON

Freshman Alaina Housley is confirmed dead to Pepperdine community by President Andrew K. Benton at a prayer service in Smothers Theatre.

Fire ignites in Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks area (specifically in Hill Canyon in Santa Rosa).

Authorities in Camarillo Springs area order mandatory evacuations.

3:58 pm

Pepperdine confirms several students are at the scene.

7â&#x2020;&#x2019;

3:30 am

8:18 am

5:16 am

Pepperdine Public Relations confirms active shooter in email. Classes to meet as scheduled.

5:23 am

Shooter and weapon identified. Confirmed fatalities rise to 13.

Pepperdine Public Relations releases second email. Stauffer Chapel is open all day for community to mourn.

Pepperdine Public Relations issues statement detailing 101 closure: closed in both directions from Ventura Park through Santa Rosa.

4:26 - 5:44 pm

City of Calabasas and Agoura Hills issue voluntary evacuations, suggesting evacuees head south toward Los Angeles.

7:40 pm

Authorities announce mandatory evacuations for residents in Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Hidden Hills.

10:28 pm

Malibu Canyon Apartments in Calabasas orders mandatory evacuation of residents (several of which are Pepperdine students).

From the late hours of Nov. 7 to the early morning of Nov. 10, the Pepperdine community experienced the back-to-back traumas of the Borderline Shooting and the Woolsey fire. Each hour brought more news and updates that students ravenously searched for, as they were confused and without viable information at times. This is an hour-by-hour timeline of the roughly 48 hours during which Pepperdine mourned, sheltered and prayed.

→

12: 34 pm

Pepperdine releases students from shelterin-place and allows them to return to their dorms.

1:12 pm

→

PCH opens all lanes eastbound for evacuees.

12:10 am

Fire is on Malibu campus hillsides. LAPD fights fire from campus.

8:03 am

2:11 pm

4:39 am

Pepperdine Malibu and Calabasas cancel classes due to proximity of Woolsey fire.

7:07 am

Malibu campus initiates shelter-in-place protocol, administrators call students to move to Firestone Fieldhouse and Tyler Campus Center.

12:12 pm

Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) closes in westbound direction from Webb Way to city limits.

10:13 am

City of Malibu issues mandatory evacuation of entire city, including areas south of the 101 freeway, from Ventura County line to Malibu Canyon Road.

Pepperdine reinstates shelter-in-place and calls students to return to shelter locations.

4:25 pm

Fire shifts southwest toward coast, not directly impacting Malibu campus.

6:03 pm

Students move from Firestone Fieldhouse to Payson Library. Students in Tyler Campus Center remain sheltered in place there or move to library. Shelter-in-place protocol extends to morning.

1:55 am

Flames begin to intrude onto campus, but no permanent structures have been lost. Firefighters continue to fight fire from campus.

All on-campus fires are extinguished, and shelter-in-place policy is lifted. Pepperdine cancels classes at the Malibu and Calabasas campuses and closes campuses for remain-

11:08 am

Pepperdine cancels classes from Nov. 11 through Nov. 13 on Malibu and Calabasas campuses.

11→

10:28 pm

Pepperdine cancels classes on Malibu and Calabasas campuses through Thanksgiving holiday.

?is

W here

G O D IN

ALL THIS? of

A Letter from Chaplain Sara Barton

photo by Zach le

Editor’s Note: The following was written by University Chaplain Sara Barton in the week following both the Borderline shooting and the Woolsey Fire.

By Sara Barton

I sit on Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus as the Santa Ana winds relentlessly pound us for yet another day. This is day six since a man with a gun terrorized our students, killing our first-year student, Alaina Housley, and 11 others at Borderline Bar and Grill. This is day five since the Woolsey Fire burned through hundreds of our neighbors’ homes and threatened our campus and town. I watch in awe as a Los Angeles Fire Department helicopter pilot navigates high winds to expertly hover over the pond of reclaimed water on Alumni Park for about 60 seconds, withdraw 2,500 gallons of water and take off to drop it on a fire along Malibu Canyon Road. Our firefighting heroes still fight. Woolsey fights back.

The mother of one of our students rushed from Arkansas to Los Angeles as soon as she heard that her daughter survived the Borderline shooting. They settled down for the night at a hotel in Calabasas, only to be evacuated due to the fire. Another set of parents drove from Washington to be with their daughter who was also at Borderline, only to be stuck a few miles away in Santa Monica while she sheltered in place at Pepperdine as Woolsey raged through the night. One wave knocked us down, and then another wave hit before we had time to recover. But we know what it’s like to be Waves. In normal times, it makes for an arguably creepy mascot

and plenty of corny metaphors, but in times of trial and sorrow, the Wave is an opportunity. I pray that we will live into our name like never before on the journey before us. We have been knocked down, and we will never be the same. We will not be overcome. Indeed, we will rise again. For we are Waves — not just those of us at Pepperdine, but all of us, as human beings made in God’s image, have the power to overcome. Like waves on the sea, we go on and on, as we are conquered and achieve victory. This is not some trite self-help message or prosperity gospel. History and theology and science attest that somehow, despite all the challenges we face, humans find a way to overcome great obstacles.

Yale professor and theologian Willie Jennings says God’s merchandise is expensive, but not in the way we often associate with Malibu. God’s costly merchandise is peace, hope and joy. For those of us who want to overcome life’s waves of sorrow and own God’s merchandise, we have hard work to do that no amount of money can buy. Advertising may promote the mall’s merchandise as the answer to life’s problems, but it’s time to take back what advertising says about life and call it out as crap. The work before us begins now. Let’s first admit that peace, hope and joy can be consistent with great sorrow. Avoiding sorrow only perpetuates sorrow. Even though everything in us wants to avoid it, there’s no way through sorrow except straight through the middle. Some of the most peaceful souls I have known were those who experienced great violence. Sarah Bizzu Schewe, a Ugandan woman whose parents were killed when she was a teenager, refuses to let her peace die with them and resists despair by greeting everyone with “Shalom.” Civil Rights activist and preacher John Perkins endured racism and physical beatings in jail cells, and yet he does the hard work of resistance against hate as if he owns stock in hope. In fact, John and his daughter Priscilla were among the first to call with a word of hope for Pepperdine when they learned about the violence our students endured. Katie Kilpatrick, one of my former students, knew the worth of God’s merchandise, and that became clear as she angled her diseased and cancerous body against despair and toward joy. When she died, people spoke of her inexplicable joy.

art By Caitlin roark

Jesus, an insider to God’s merchandise, taught us that suffering will not have the last word and showed us how to overcome. Admittedly, it takes concentrated discipline and practice to follow him. I think you could say it takes focus akin to a helicopter pilot who can land on a pond in high winds and fight fires for several days straight.

Let’s first admit that peace, hope and joy can be consistent with great sorrow.

And now, Alaina Housley’s family is teaching us the same lesson. From their first public responses, Alaina’s parents’ message was clear: Alaina’s voice can live on and help us make a change, and that change will be the hard work of human kindness. While donations and peace vigils can help, they won’t make the long-term change that’s needed. Change will come when human beings are kind and sincere, when they look up from technology and get involved in each others’ lives. The Housleys are encouraging us to stop the next senseless act of violence by being there for each other in community with peace, hope and joy. That, my friends, is God’s merchandise, and it is costly. But it’s what makes us human beings. It’s what makes us Waves.

Alaina housley

A ‘Strong Light’ Whose Voice Lives On By Kayiu wong PHOTOs courtesy of Alaina’s voice website

Junior Emma Ujifusa remembers feeling “so moved” the first time she heard freshman Alaina Housley sing. “We had a studio gathering at our professor’s house, and everyone was getting up and singing something that they were working on,” Ujifusa said. “She got up and sang ‘On My Own’ from ‘Les Mis,’ and she was super nervous. It was just for like five or six of us but she was really, really nervous to sing in front of us.”

tion. She didn’t want everyone looking at her, but she got up and did it anyway,” Ujifusa said. Ujifusa said Housley’s voice resembled her personality: “really beautiful and really sweet.” “She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met,” Ujifusa said. “[She was] super hard working and just a really kind-hearted person.”

Ujifusa said their voice teacher had Housley close her eyes to fight the nerves.

Housley was among the 12 killed by a gunman at the Borderline Bar and Grill on Nov. 7.

“She didn’t want to be the center of atten-

Housley, an 18-year-old Napa Valley native,

was a freshman at Pepperdine and sang with the university’s concert choir. Her voice filled Ida Nicolosi’s office in the music building every Tuesday during their private singing lessons. “When she sang, she just lit up, and she just let it out,” said Nicolosi, an adjunct Music professor. Nicolosi described Alaina as a thoughtful and generous person who was “really silly and funny” around her friends. “She was a hugger,” Nicolosi said. “She was a light. A strong light. I know she’s singing.”

Housley had a passion for music and was planning on auditioning to be a Music minor at Pepperdine. “She was the kind of student that had the passion and the skill and the work ethic and the beautiful voice that she probably could’ve been a Voice major if she really wanted,” Nicolosi said. Nicolosi said Housley especially loved musical theater and was working with Nicolosi on classical singing. “[Housley] told me ‘I know that it’s like dance; if you want to be a really good modern dancer, you have to take ballet, and I understand if I want to be a really good musical theater or pop singer or jazz or whatever the genre, I need to study the classic style first,’” Nicolosi said. “She really embraced it, and I think she was really finding a passion for that.”

worship. “She was able to think things through in a way that others couldn’t,” junior Julian Lee,

her parents, Arik and Hannah, her uncle Adam, a former Fox News correspondent, and her aunt Tamera Mowry-Housely, who is a host on the talk show “The Real.”

She’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.

The page has raised $82,068 as of Nov. 20. The motto of the Alaina’s Voice campaign is “Voice of Song, Voice of Strength, Voice of Spirit, Voice of Change,” according to the campaign’s website.

Junior Gabby Mathys, who serves as the Graphic’s Perspectives Editor, was Housley’s Regents’ Scholar mentor. Mathys described Housley as a caring friend. “She was willing to listen, and she just wanted to be the best person that she could be,” Mathys said.

Housley’s father, Arik, posted on Facebook Nov. 18 that the board for the campaign will look into using the “Alaina’s Voice” fund for scholarships, mental health support and political action to ask the media to stop glorifying those who commit acts of violence.

Housley loved writing and was planning to study abroad in Florence, Italy, next year.

Housley’s voice filled the home of Religion professor Chris Doran every Wednesday night for a club convo that discussed topics from LGBTQ+ issues to what it means to

“I personally like having [alumni reunions and parents’ weekend] combined because it’s cool to see all of the generations kind of coming in,” Housley told the Graphic.

Housley’s voice lives on through the fundraising her family is doing to raise her voice “for goodness, love and life,” according to the “Alaina’s Voice” GoFundMe page.

Housley was majoring in English and was a Regents’ Scholar who lived in DeBell House.

“She told me she wanted to publish a book one day, and she said maybe she could start when she went to Italy, when she stepped on the ground where all these great artists and authors were,” Mathys said.

In a recent article about her family’s legacy at Pepperdine, Housley shared with the Graphic that she remembered attending a few Waves Weekends with her parents before becoming a student.

Pepperdine has created the Alaina Housley Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund to honor Housley’s legacy and her time as a Seaver student. another member of the club convo, said. “She was this steady, kind woman who knew what she believed and wasn’t afraid to debate it.” Housley was among several in her family who attended Pepperdine, including

The fund has raised $104,000 as of Nov. 20 and will be used for scholarships for future students. The Pepperdine community is invited to celebrate Housley’s life at a memorial service on Nov. 28 at 9:30 a.m., in Firestone Fieldhouse.

Ala

A letter from Debell f suite

Editor’s Note: The following was written by Alaina’s suitemates: Haley Brouwer, Pari Cribbins, Lauren Drake, Bridget Johnson, Ashley Mowreader, Zoë Walsh and Alicia Yu. Organized by Madeleine Carr

Alaina meant a lot. She meant a lot as a Pepperdine student, as a daughter and as a sister. She meant a lot before she was a part of a senseless act of violence, “the youngest victim” in a terrible crime, or a “beautiful soul who passed away too soon.” Alaina meant a lot to us because of who she was as our friend and suitemate, and that’s who we miss. Alaina brought the suite together in May of this year. Being the social butterfly and top scholar she was, she made sure she had her roommates picked out ahead of time. She was so excited to decorate — coming up with ideas for tissue paper states and buying Lauren and herself matching bedspreads. Alaina was a person who jumped right into things. The first day of NSO she marched into DeBell, Coffee Bean mocha in hand, ready to take on the year. We all knew from the moment we met her that this was a girl with a big heart and a fast mouth. She claimed to be anti-social, but her constantly buzzing phone would tell you otherwise. She loved staying connected to us, even if it meant sending memes at 1 a.m. when the rest of us were asleep. As soon as you were friends with Alaina, she didn’t let you go. Shafer F suite can attest to that — one My Tie date and a group chat later and Alaina became crazy close with all of those boys. Alaina was a major mom friend. If any of us were sick or needed coffee or a snack, she was the first one to offer to help. If Lauren, her roommate, ever left her key in their room, which she did often,

Alaina made the trek across campus to deliver it with a smile (and a mild scolding). She was exceedingly kind, even when we got on her last nerves. She loved each of us for who we are and didn’t expect anything in return. But as much as she was our mom, she was open to any and all advice we gave her. She would ask our opinions on whether or not to buy clothes online or if she should buy another pint of ice cream or more coffee. Our advice was almost always no, at least in terms of clothes and ice cream, but she never heeded our thoughts on more coffee. She was open, earnest and willing to offer her thoughts and constructive criticism, and — most of the time — listened to the advice she was offered in return. Alaina constantly made us laugh, but she laughed at herself as well. She was the first to admit that she’s not always the brightest candle on the table, but that never slowed her down. She never got upset that she made a mistake, and she’d often laugh right along with us. In her own words: “I’m a little annoying a lot of the time.” Alaina constantly made us laugh, but she laughed at herself as well. She was the first to admit that she’s not always the brightest candle on the table, but that never slowed her down.

aina One Eighth of Us

Her loving, easy-going and accepting nature made her ready for any adventure like a 21st Night of September party, a trip to the Getty Villa, Coffee Bean runs, movie nights and pizza dinners, proclaiming “Oasis is always good!”

She never got upset that she made a mistake, and she’d often laugh right along with us. In her own words: “I’m a little annoying a lot of the time.”

She loved taking photos of the group, with or without us knowing it. You had to be careful of what you said or did because you never knew if it was going to end up memorialized in Alaina’s Snapchat memories or stories. But she’s the one to thank for all of our great Instagram posts because she’d be the one to stop and remind us to take a selfie. She was a fantastic listener and was known for her willingness to be there. Whether it was boy problems, class difficulties or family trouble, she made an effort to really listen and give any advice she could offer.

Alaina was our friend, suitemate and sister in Christ. She was bold in how she lived and how she loved others, and we want to honor that legacy. Alaina truly cared for people, no matter who they are, and we want to continue that vision with Alaina’s Voice.

Alaina’s Voice is a nonprofit designed to unite people of all backgrounds and beliefs to join as one against gun violence. We will not watch as victims of gun violence fade into the background, forgotten behind those who commit these acts. Alaina’s Voice demands more, that we speak up for those who cannot and promise to remember them as more than just a name. Just as Alaina brought the eight of us together as a suite, her voice — a voice of song, voice of strength, voice of spirit and voice of change — has the power to bring us together in the wake of tragedy. Alaina Maria Housley is not just a headline. She is one-eighth of us.

She enjoyed quality time with people, no matter what it was. She’d be the first to propose getting a midnight snack, typically a pint of Ben & Jerry’s from the HAWC, and made sure to invite everyone. She was the first one to agree to grab a meal with you, no matter what her schedule looked like or if she was hungry or not. She would even sit with you late at night in the suite just because. She didn’t need a reason to be with you — being with you was enough. Alaina never ran out of things to say, even when you weren’t sure why she was saying it. She was full of funny stories, silly jokes and snarky remarks and she knew it.

The Borderline Bar and Grill mass shooting was the 307th mass shooting in America within the past 311 days — nearly one mass shooting a day for the 2018 calendar year, according to USA Today.

StudentsRespond to the

3o7th shooting By channa steinmetz photo By kaelin mendez

Sixteen Pepperdine students were present at the Borderline shooting the night of Nov. 7, and freshman Alaina Housley was killed. With this high-volume of mass shootings, the average American will only read or hear about a small portion of these tragedies. NPR covered a story on the mass shooting that occurred in Lawrence, Kansas the same day as the massacre in Las Vegas. With the Las Vegas death toll at a disturbing 58 people, the severity overshadowed the shooting in Lawrence. Although only a small portion of mass shootings are nationally publicized, concerns are raised about mass desensitization — the extinction of an emotional response to stimuli that previously induced it. In January of this year, Time Magazine wrote that “exposure of violent media may make people less receptive to the pain and suffering of others in real life.” This could be a matter of how the story is portrayed. Junior Allison Lee, who was present the night of the Borderline shooting and is the editor-in-chief for Pepperdine Graphic Media’s Currents Magazine, said she now sees how the news dehumanizes the shootings by rarely going in depth on the story of the survivors and the reasons behind why the tragedy occurred. “We can’t have an overgeneralization,” Lee said. “Every shooting is different, different victims and different reasons why it happened … When people are looking at it like a routine, it doesn’t hit as personal as it used to.”

Desensitization Pepperdine students shared their immediate and long-term reactions to mass shootings, before the intimate tragedy at Borderline. Junior Sydney Sauter said as mass shootings have been more frequent, she has seen less of a response. “Back when the Sandy Hook shooting occurred, I remember it left my entire high school in a lot of sorrow,” Sauter said. “Shootings weren’t as normal and as common. Now, you think it’s awful and sad, but don’t really pay attention to it and then move on. The next one happens, and you hope it doesn’t happen to you one day.” As Time Magazine reported, the violent media coverage becomes so routine that what was outrageous five or ten years ago is now ordinary. With shootings occurring in various venues from synagogues to nightclubs to schools, junior Natalie Rulon said she is no longer surprised by shootings. She added she was previously afraid to go out to venues such as nightclubs or music festivals, but now realizes nowhere is completely safe. “Shootings have become so normal that there is no way to avoid the possibility of being involved,” Rulon said. “The only option is not to live in fear at all.” Freshman Margot Knight said she notices herself and others react upon first mention, but the distractions of everyday life take over. “I feel frustration,” Knight said. “It transmits into feeling anger, sadness and helplessness. But it’s easy to have that immediate reaction. It’s more difficult to continue with those feelings in daily life.”

In agreement, junior Shea Corwin said along with the normalization of mass shootings, desensitization comes from the challenge to genuinely imagine what it would feel like to go through a shooting or have it happen to one’s community. “I get sad at first, but then go about my day,” Corwin said. “It’s so hard to relate. A shooting is difficult to conceptualize. It seems like it just couldn’t happen, that is until it does.”

The Borderline Shooting The way in which someone processes mass shootings may change once their community is affected by one. Rulon was on campus the morning after the Borderline shooting and said she had never seen a community in such immense mourning, as though “a dark cloud covered the campus.”

Whereas other shootings have been said to be difficult to remember long term, junior Sarah Blase said she will never forget the Borderline shooting and the effects it had on her personal community. “The proximity of the situation has made an immense impact on not only me, but the community of Pepperdine as a whole,” Blase said. “I went to the vigil last week for the victims and could not stop crying once I saw the impact on my community. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, even if I tried.” Recovery is a process everyone affected by a shooting needs to go through. For someone who was present at the shooting, Lee said she is unsure of what she needs quite yet. “I know I need peace and healing, but I don’t know what that looks like yet,” Lee said. “My friends made a post telling everyone we have this love that is supposed to overcome all else. We may not know how yet, but it will.”

Variety of Solutions

infrograph by channa steinmetz

“[I felt] guilty because I had no idea that 306 other communities had experienced the same dark cloud in this year alone, and I simply said ‘Oh dang, another shooting, that sucks,’” Rulon said. “I was angry because, statistically, I knew that there would be a 308th community feeling the dark cloud only one or two days from then.”

“There will always be the argument that if people want guns, and guns are illegal, they will just get illegal guns,” Blase said. “Although this argument has validity, the key is that placing restrictions on guns will make it significantly harder for people to obtain guns.” Sauter said the easy answer for ending shootings would be gun control, but it would not actually fix the problem at hand. It takes a change in society’s approach and dialogue when it comes to toxic masculinity and funding mental health programs, Sauter said.

The discussion of what must be done about mass shootings is ongoing. Students talked about issues regarding gun control, mental health, the rehabilitation of returning soldiers and as Lee put it, “truly “Men aren’t really encouraged to be vulnerable,” Sauter said. “Especialusing love to combat fear.” ly when you look at the population that [comes] back from the war and [doesn’t] have the resources to talk about what’s happening in their mind, In order to stop the violence, the issue must be combated at the root, because then they would be less masculine. I think that wears on them Lee said. Understanding that all humans need love and receive it mentally.” differently is the first step, she added. “If you look at the five love languages, there are different ways to give and receive love,” Lee said. “We need to be able to give love in the way someone else wants to receive it, in a way that would grow them.” Some students said they think change must be implemented in legislation. Knight said it comes down to putting restrictions on who can purchase a gun. “I do not advocate for taking away the right to the Second Amendment,” Knight said. “But making background checks more extensive, so those who should not have guns cannot legally purchase them.” Blase agreed that to end the cycle would be to introduce a form of gun control.

The shooter from Borderline was reported to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Lee said in order to relieve and end the pain, it takes one being the bigger person. “I don’t want to be mad at the shooter,” Lee said. “I don’t want to be mad at the government for bringing back young boys with PTSD ... The next time we see someone who is a veteran or someone who is struggling, we need to look out for them, care for them. Everyone needs someone who is ready to talk to you.” Since Borderline, there have been nine more mass shootings, according to Gun Violence Archive. The total number of mass shootings is now 316 within 324 days as of Nov. 20 at 8:50 p.m. PST.

Survivor Annabelle Childers

r e c o u n t s

Borderline Shooting 16

By annabelle childers PHOTOs By araceli crescencio

10:15 p.m. We first arrive at Borderline and walk to the front door. I drove Hattie Pace and Janie Souza, and, as we walked to the door, Janie realized she had forgotten her driver’s license. We headed back to Pepperdine, Janie picked up her I.D., and we made our way back to Borderline.

11:10-ish p.m. We walk toward Borderline for the second time. We enter the front door and turn to the right to the front desk area and pay to get in. I call Allison Lee, my friend who had been there for a little while, and see where they are inside. She tells me they are near the dance floor, and we make our way over to them. Janie and I go to dance, which we are struggling with because we had never learned the dance they were doing. After failing at that song, Chris Brown’s “Turn Up the Music” began playing, and we were even further out of our league because the dance was even more complicated. Laughing, we made our way off the dance floor and returned to stand with our friends behind a half wall/countertop that looked out onto the dance floor. We had only been there for a minute when we heard the first series of gunshots.

*pop. pop. popopopopop* I vividly remember a loud noise and then eerie silence. I dropped to the floor and crawled behind something. I saw my roommate, but she didn’t see me. She continued crawling toward the back of the restaurant, and I didn’t follow. A man had put his arm around me keeping me down and telling me I was OK and everything was going to be OK. The room was silent except for sounds of glass shattering in increments. Then the second round of shots began. That second series of shots seemed to spur movement in us, because we realized we couldn’t stay put. The guy with his arm around me got up and ran, and I turned my attention toward where the people around me were running. I got up and ran after them, and I remember coming to a window. There was still a large piece of glass in the top right corner, but the center of the window had been completely broken. I remember looking down and seeing a barstool on the ground among a pool of glass. I saw girl working to get up off the ground after taking the jump badly. I remember thinking I was nervous, looking at the 6-foot drop, and then I heard “JUMP!” and the third round of shots went off. I don’t remember the jump or running through

the parking lot. All I remember is that I made it to my car. I hopped into the front seat, looking around to see if any of my friends had headed in my direction. I saw cars peeling out of the parking lot, but I stayed put, afraid that I would hit someone or something. In two minutes, the parking lot went from a crazed mess to a silent wasteland.

11:20 p.m. I call Hattie, my roommate, twice, and it goes straight to voicemail. I start breathing heavy and tears begin to fall. I call my friend Allison next, and she answers. She’s crying, and so am I. She was in her car and had driven away from Borderline. We were desperately trying to locate everyone in our group to make sure everyone was OK. We had located everyone through text, and then Allison said I should call my mom. I call my mom, and by this time I am crying hysterically, and I can’t breathe well. I’m terrified that the shooter is in the parking lot. She answers the phone, and I am completely incoherent. I work to gain some composure and control of my voice, and she eventually finds out what is going on. Police have begun to show up at Borderline, and they offer me little comfort. I’m terrified that if I get out of the car, the police will see movement and think I could be the shooter. I tell my mom that, and we decide that I should

call 911. I call them, which results in nothing. I tell them what car I’m in with hopes that they will tell an officer, and I can get out safely, but she simply tells me to stay put or try to exit the parking lot in my car. The exit was barricaded by police cars. I hang up and call my mom back. I go off and on in phone calls with my mom as I also talk with my friends over the phone checking in to make sure everyone is OK.

12:10 a.m. I have to get out of the car. I’m starting to have another panic attack because I don’t want to continue being alone. I’m on the phone with my mom, and she finally says that I can leave the car, so I hang up with her on the phone. I run out of the car with my hands up, and a man runs to me, picks me up and carries me behind a police car. Another man picks me up from behind the police car and escorts me to an area with around 20 police cars to where I am safe. I stand there for a while, in the middle of many flashing lights. All of the police have headed toward Borderline, and I’m still scared and still alone. I start walking toward the gas station where I see other people.

As I walk, I see Ashley Fricker, who I had not known was at Borderline. I run to her and we hug for a while, later telling each other our stories. In the time that followed, we were asked for statements by the FBI, and we began to play a waiting game. Two of my friends who had been stuck in the bathroom were rescued by the police, and we waited with them for two hours. Around 2:30 a.m., we were cold and decided the area wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to clear out anytime soon. The freeway was blocked off, but we decided to walk down the street to an area where we could meet up with our friends who had run far enough to not be caught up in the aftermath of the shooting.

2:45-ish a.m. We make it to our friends and begin to drive back to Pepperdine. My car is still

in the parking lot of Borderline. Allison Lee drives four of my friends, and her dad drives four of us to campus.

3:15-ish a.m. We get back to campus where we are directed to the HAWC. Inside the HAWC, we are greeted by our Resident Director and two counselors.

4:45 a.m. I climb into bed and go to sleep.

6:45 a.m. I wake up. The day after the shooting, I went to the Pepperdine Counseling Center with Tanner Provencher, Allison Lee, Jake Nichols and Hannah Kate Albach, all friends who were at Borderline.

We talked to a professional trauma counselor who told us all of the ways that people react to trauma and what we could expect for the future. We learned that everyone processes trauma differently and our reactions could take different or multiple forms. So far, I have felt very numb to a lot of things. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cry much, but I feel really tired a lot of the time. Talking to lots of people for extended periods of time is really draining at this time, which is a surprise because it has never been hard for me in the past.

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like dark places or loud noises, but I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say that fear is solely dictating where I go or what I do. The trauma specialist said that we may feel OK in this moment, but things might grow harder as life goes on.

social media Plays Crucial Role After Borderline Shooting

By makena huey

Following the Borderline Bar and Grill shooting, social media allowed members of the Pepperdine community to share information and cope with tragedy and violence in a variety of ways.

In the days following Nov. 7, students and their families, faculty, staff and alumni shared their perspectives on different online platforms. These individuals prayed for the well-being of others, expressed a need for change and honored the memory of those who were lost, including freshman Alaina Housley. “I have been impressed with many of the thoughtful reflections I have seen from our students and faculty on social media,” Sarah Stone Watt, dean of the Communication Division, wrote in an email to students. “In a time when these platforms can be divisive, it is wonderful to see so many of you communicating in ways that invite unity and healing.”

Facebook On Nov. 8 at around 5:30 a.m., Pepperdine confirmed that several students were at Borderline’s College Night at the time of the mass shooting. This post received hundreds of comments from concerned members of the community.

As students marked themselves safe using Facebook’s crisis response feature, their loved ones expressed simultaneous feelings of relief and disbelief immediately after the horrific event.

David Johnson: I haven’t heard yet if anyone from Pepperdine was shot. My nephew was there, but he’s safe. OMG, so tragic. Thank you to Pepperdine for offering updates and counseling. Janet Starr Grzybowski: Praying for everyone. Thank you Pepperdine police for checking on my daughter and making sure she was safe! David Boone: So sad. I have 2 children and 1 daughter-in-law who graduated from Pepperdine. When they were students, among other things I felt it was one of the safest places in the world. Just proves evil can happen anywhere. My thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy. Alumni reassured the Pepperdine community that they would keep everyone affected by the act of cruelty in their thoughts and prayers, often offering help and praising the university’s leadership. Cheryl O’Brien: Sending my thoughts to all Pepperdine students, alumni and faculty impacted by this senseless act of violence. Healing thoughts from this alumni...

Scott Cowperthwaite: So sad, everyone. As a Pepperdine alum and having a lot of history and friends with the Borderline, this is just shocking. 100% sending love to everyone ... everyone. Do what you do best, Pepperdine be strong.

Carlos Morales Miramontes: This news breaks my heart. As an alum of Pepperdine Univeristy, I’m here to help in whatever is needed. Stone Watt said social media called attention to worship services and fundraisers and allowed individuals to serve their local communities by preparing food for shelters, aiding first responders or filling sandbags. Alaina’s Housley’s own Facebook page is now a memorialized account to honor her memory and offer comfort to those left behind. Katelynn Quick, a senior Rhetoric and Leadership major, said acknowledging diverse perspectives and striving to achieve unity are crucial components of effective social media use. “Some of the best advocacy that I see on social media is the kind that does not name call or yell, but looks to inform and seeks feedback to become more informed,” Quick said. “We now all have a face for a victim of gun violence ... and we can use this experience to advocate for change.”

Twitter As Pepperdine continuously updated followers with information regarding the shooting, including counseling and prayer services, Twitter users embraced the platform in order to raise awareness about the act of violence and catalyze change. Senior Advertising major Amelia Edmondson said the content on social media has caused many people’s beliefs on important issues, such as gun control, to evolve. “Social media makes the fight for changes such as this trendy and, therefore, more powerful,” Edmondson said. Following the shooting, the Housley family created the hashtag #alainasvoice, which led to the Alaina’s Voice Foundation — an organization that promotes acts of kindness, honors the victims of gun violence and advocates for improved leadership. Alaina Housley’s uncle, Pepperdine alumnus Adam Housley, shared his support for the foundation. Adam Housley @adamhousley: You may think this is all of a sudden personal for me/us ... but you don’t know me/us. It has always been personal, but now ... we have a voice. A voice we never wanted to see elevated for this reason, but #alainasvoice is just that. Many others also communicated through tweets, commenting on the community’s profound loss and doing their best to comfort those in distress. Ashley @amowreader: My suitemate [Alaina Housley] is still missing, she is wearing denim shorts, a blue flannel and sneakers, pls let me know if you know anything #Borderline Matthew Robinson @robinsonishyde: Been to borderline several times as a student my heart sank the moment I saw the headline I knew Pepperdine students were there. This is awful. #ThousandOaks Greg Lee @abc7greg: Never thought I’d have

to write this but a note from @pepperdine president to the university community after the #Borderline shooting in #ThousandOaks. Heading to my alma mater for our coverage and to be with the people that will always be part of my family. Andrew K. Benton @PresidentBenton: Many are burdened by a sense of certain loss for many in the Borderline shooting and, in our own community, fear of the unknown for one of our own. May God grant comfort to all impacted by this senseless tragedy. Our students are resilient, but the burden is great. Alicia Jessop @RulingSports: The last day has really reminded me what matters: Friends and family. Everything else is ancillary. Hug your loved ones. Let people know you care. Tell someone you forgive them. Realize tangible things at the end really don’t matter. This life is about relationships and love.

Instagram Although Instagram typically emphasized eye-catching and heavily-filtered photos, the friends and family of Alaina chose to focus more on the captions of their posts when honoring her legacy and sharing their own experience in the Borderline shooting. Edmondson appreciates that individuals now have a wide variety of accessible platforms through which to share their insights with others. She believes that social media inspires individuals to take action. “There were a number of posts on Instagram and Facebook that touched me very deeply,” Edmondson said. “It was difficult to put these feelings into words, but there were some thoughts shared that were eloquently written and brought peace to many.” A fellow Pepperdine student displayed her emotions after learning of her friend’s death. Cybele Jung @cybele.jpeg: Love one another, for love is of God. Remembering Alaina,

a fellow student, and other victims who were senselessly gunned down in Thousand Oaks. Praying for healing for those involved, as well as their families. Loving and appreciating everyone still in my life. A Pepperdine student present at Borderline during the time of the shooting posted the following photo. Annabelle Childers @annabchil: I am okay. I’m not injured beyond minor cuts, and I and the people that I went with to Borderline are all safe. What happened last night was the single most terrifying thing I have ever experienced in my life. We had been at Borderline for no more than 10 minutes, when we heard the first round of shots go off. We heard glass shattering, we all scattered and I can say for me everything that happened next was a blur. Everyone there has their own story of how they reacted and what happened and where they were hiding, but everyone needs prayer. For those of us who got out safely, please pray that we learn how to handle this, because it’s not easy. For those who didn’t, please pray for their families and loved ones as they handle this loss. Alaina Housley’s aunt, Pepperdine alumna Tamera Mowry Housley, expressed her grief surrounding the immense loss. Tamera Mowry Housley @tameramowrytw0: Alaina. My sweet, sweet Alaina. My heart breaks. I’m still in disbelief. It’s not fair how you were taken and how soon you were taken from us. I was blessed to know you ever since you were 5. You stole my heart. I will miss our inside jokes, us serenading at the piano. Thank you for being patient with me learning how to braid your hair, and I will never forget our duet singing the national anthem at Napa’s soccer game. I love you. I love you. I love you. You are gonna make one gorgeous angel. My heart and prayers are with every victim of this tragedy. “I have been encouraged by posts from students affirming their care for one another, their support of the community, and their reflections on how their faith has brought both comfort and questions in this difficult time,” Stone Watt said.

CURTAINS runs for one night only

The cast and crew of “Curtains” reunites for their one-time performance after it was canceled due to the Woolsey Fire.

By DANI MASTEN PHOTO By Kaelin Mendez

the good news,” Demaria wrote.

The cast and crew of “Curtains” will perform a one-night engagement Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m., in Smothers Theatre.

Directed by Theatre Professor Kelly Todd, “Curtains” is set in Boston and is a story about the investigation of a girl who faints and dies on the opening night of a musical.

The cast and crew of Pepperdine’s Theatre Department “Curtains” had to cancel their show on the same day as their opening night due to the Woolsey Fire. On Nov. 9 the cast and crew of “Curtains” was in the middle of their last dress rehearsal when they were notified they needed to evacuate and seek shelter. “Curtains” was scheduled to run from Nov. 9 until Nov. 17. “I was heartbroken and so disappointed,” sophomore Theatre and Music major Sydney Demaria wrote in an email. “Months of work went into this show, and we were in the final stretch of the rehearsal process and ready to share our show with an audience.” She said she was glad to be safe but could not wait to find out when she would be able to perform again. “The wait to receive the email about our onenight only performance was excruciating, but there was unbelievable joy when we received

The cast and crew of the musical are all suspects, and throughout the whole show the audience is trying to figure out who is guilty. The cast consists of 23 students and of those students, 13 have named parts. “It’s a comedy and more of a whodunnit type of thing,” Todd said “It sounds serious, but it is not at all. It is a slapstick silly comedy.” The cast auditioned for the musical during the first week of school and went through several rounds before they chose the members of the cast. Todd said working with the students is the most rewarding thing for her and loves that she gets to watch them grow each year. “In a university setting, you get students [in their] freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year, and you get to see them grow and how they develop as artists and sort of launching

their careers,” Todd said. “It’s really a joy and a pleasure to get to work with students for four years on making musical theatre.” She said she and the cast are ready to be back together to enjoy this one-time performance. “We were all disappointed to not have been able to do the entire run with all of the technical elements, but the joy of being able to do this one performance when we get back together is such a beacon of light during this challenging time,” Todd said. Todd said the audience can expect to see “sick” production numbers, lots of singing, dancing and a bit of a love story. She said it is a fun mystery to follow and solve as the musical goes on. “I am more than excited to be back on stage with the people I love most, doing what we love most,” Demaria wrote. “I cannot wait to hug everyone and to get to finally share our show with an audience. We are definitely ready to make people laugh and to present the culmination of months of work.” Tickets are free and open to the public and can be found at the Pepperdine Arts website.

By hadley biggs art By Madeline duvall When I first heard about the Borderline shooting, I was at a cafe in Morocco. It was 10 a.m. I immediately tried to get in contact with my friends in Malibu, but they were not answering due to the ninehour time difference.

Abroad Students

REACT

Not knowing whether my friends were safe was one of the scariest feelings I’ve ever encountered. The next day, when news broke out about the Woolsey Fire, everyone I was traveling with stayed close to their phones and kept checking Twitter for updates on Malibu.

to the Borderline Shooting & the Woolsey Fires

Although we were 6,000 miles away from home, the Pepperdine community felt closer than ever. Over 200 Pepperdine students, like me, are studying abroad right now. Upon hearing about the back-to-back tragedies, many of us abroad are feeling shocked and helpless but proud of the strength and resilience our fellow students and faculty have shown in the face of adversity.

said.

The Impact of Distance Another common theme was the feeling of denial and guilt. “I felt denial because I did not want to believe it,” sophomore Taylor Ramirez, who is studying in Florence, Italy, said.

Students Feel Powerless

Ramirez said she found out about the shooting while exploring Disneyland Paris.

Many students abroad said they felt useless because they were so far away from the Malibu campus.

“I was making every excuse to not believe something bad had happened to Alaina,” Ramirez said.

Students studying abroad wanted to fly back to Malibu in hopes they could do something to help those impacted by both the shooting and the fire.

Sophomore Shelby Reif, a student studying in Florence, also mentioned the guilt she felt.

“Helpless is how I would describe how it has felt,” sophomore Sydney Griffith, who is studying in Buenos Aires, wrote in an email. Sophomore Derek Pinto wrote in an email he first heard about the shooting and the fire when he was on the metro with the rest of the Shanghai group. “[I] felt so helpless being so far away from it all,” Pinto wrote. Pepperdine students all over the world experienced this same feeling. “I felt helpless, but I realized that the only thing I could give was my love and support to those who were being directly affected,” sophomore Kaitie Yocum, who is studying in Heidelberg,

“I felt guilty, how there is a shooting and there’s a fire, but don’t mind me because I am traveling throughout all of Europe,” Reif said. The majority of the Florence program said they felt the same way as Reif. Many Florence students said they felt guilty because while they were having free travel, their home community of Pepperdine was enduring great loss.

The Power in People The Pepperdine community is one of strength and passion. “It was beautiful to see how everyone immediately came together and began comforting each other,” sophomore Caroline Chance, a student in Lausanne, Switzerland, wrote in a GroupMe message.

Sophomore Anthony Bosco wrote in a text message he also felt the same feeling all the way in Washington D.C. “The true character of Pepperdine came out during the times of the shooting and the fires because Pepperdine is a very kind community,” Bosco wrote. Everyone I spoke to that is studying abroad abroad said they had a similar experience in how quickly their fellow peers and faculty members came together. “It’s been a really heavy and almost isolating week but with prayer, community and perseverance, I know this is just an aspect that will shape and empower any Pepperdine student to keep moving forward,” sophomore Zeke Bongiovanni, who is studying abroad in London, wrote in a message over Instagram. “I was very proud of all our IP leadership during this crisis … directors, staff, the IP Malibu office, student leaders and overseas faculty were outstanding in their response,” Dean of International Programs Charles Hall wrote in an email. Associate Dean Ron Cox found out about the news from students and faculty members overseas. Cox wrote in an email he felt a sense of powerlessness that turned into a sense of caring for the students. “I am very proud to be part of the IP team, and of the university generally, because I see how sincerely and actively the IP office and the whole university care for and work on behalf of Seaver students,” Cox wrote. “It makes me care even more for all our students.”

hot topic

pEPPERDINE HEROeS FIGHT THE FLAMES BY nICOLA WENZ

More than 100 firefighters, including the strike team and hand crew, responded to the Woolsey Fire at Pepperdine University, according to Mark Lauren, Pepperdine lieutenant of Fire and Life Safety Preparedness. Around 2.5 million gallons of water and one million gallons of flame retardant were used in the Helitack and Bomber Air assault to contain the fire, according to the Cal Fire Incident Command. How much more water and flame retardant used in suppression operations is unknown. In a phone interview with Lauren, Pepperdine Fire Inspector and Specialist Jason Jensen, Pepperdine Communications Manager Cesar Lopez and Pepperdine Lieutenant for Patrol Luis “Q” Quiroz, each one described their own experiences with the Woolsey fire — what happened the moment they received the “call to action” and how Pepperdine prepared them to ensure absolute safety for all. What was it like to get the “call to action?” Lauren – The planning really starts before the incident really [begins], and that is the red flag warning monitoring the national weather service, tracking the fire weather conditions in advance. Pre-planning is critical from our operational standpoint. When I first became aware of [the fire], I already responded to the Borderline incident and was at Thousand Oaks at the Reunification Center. I went right from that incident to the Woolsey Fire incident; there was no time to decompress. Jensen – Once learning about the fire, working in the fire division, it is part of our responsibility and also our interest to stay on top of any information and what is happening when fire is in the area. I talked to Mark [Lauren], and we discussed the potential for the path for whether we thought [the fire] would get to campus or not, what was happening, whether

it was growing and started to work out a plan as far as who would go to the command post and what our process would be. Lopez – During [a] red flag warning event, we tend to pay attention to the Blue 8 radio frequency of the LA County Fire [and] monitor any brush fire or structure fires in the area. Around two in the afternoon on Thursday, we overheard over the radio that there was a fire off the 118 near Woolsey Canyon, and so, from that moment forth, me and the other dispatchers in the communication center were tracking all activities related to the fire and were reporting on details. Quiroz – We have a protocol whenever we have a red flag warning to go ahead and establish a modified schedule for everyone on patrol. So we had established that for our Friday where we had 12 on and 12 off, and that was it. We were ready Friday morning. When the fire approached Pepperdine, what was it like for you? Quiroz – We came up with a plan and decided we were going to work as a team. Once the fire was in our backyard, that’s when we began to use all our training and just jump on it. Jensen – We were still monitoring at that time. The fire was still a couple canyons over as we were watching it, and then I was just planning in my head how I would approach the campus and what I expect the fire activity to be. So we were coordinating with Q [Quiroz] and his group. We basically had two different groups of fire departments, and we came up with a tactic of where we were going to start and modify that as the fire conditions needed. As it then first approached campus, it was very hot and very windy, a pretty extreme fire behavior. And then, well, we just went to work.

PHOTOs courtesy of LUIS Quiroz

What were your thoughts when you saw the fire? Jensen – Based on my training and experience, although it was extreme, at no time did I think we were in a compromised position. Campus had a very good plan as far as the brushing goes and as far as the way it is laid out, if a fire is supposed to come through. We relied a lot on our training and working together. Everybody did a great job, communicated well and worked well. How long did you stay on campus? Were you able to reach out to family members? Lauren – I never went home. I assumed the role of the incident command post. I was initially in Thousand Oaks and was transferred to Camarillo and worked as the liaison for the university with all the different fire agencies, law enforcement and infrastructure services. I worked handin-hand with those same agencies as far as the repopulation procedures [go] to get everyone back into Malibu. Jensen – I was able to reach out to my family probably once or twice a day and talk to my kids. That was nice. Lopez – I reached out to my family as well. I let them know that I was very busy at Public Safety and that I was limited on how often I would be reaching out to them. It gave me piece of mind letting them know I was fine. Quiroz – I was either texting or trying to give my family a phone call once a day to let them know I was fine. *All officers stayed at the Malibu campus from Thursday Nov. 8 until Friday, Nov. 16, and Lauren stayed at the command post for the entire week. What was the hardest part for you during this time? Lauren – I think as a born and raised resident of Malibu, having gone through four previous fires, to [then] go through this again ... the devastation that is going

to follow it and [affect] so many friends, families and business owners that live in this area ... is the hardest part. As far as our plan and the concern for the students and the community here, I felt confident in our pre-planning and working with all the other stakeholders on campus. There are so many layers of consideration, care and contingency to ensure the community is well-served. Jensen – I’d have to say the hardest part was the back-to-back situation with the Borderline incident — not fully being able to process that as a community or a department and then right into the fire mode, which is a completely different emergency management mode. That was pretty tough. Lopez – I think one of the more difficult tasks during this event was the volume of calls we were receiving in dispatch from dozens of parents, calling concerns for the safety of their sons and daughters. Some of the parents were very emotional, so we reassured them, letting them know their sons and daughters are safe. In some cases, they couldn’t get into contact with them, so we would dispatch Public Safety officers to conduct welfare checks on the students to make sure that the students [were] fine and in turn reach out to the parents and telling them they are okay. From the moment the fire hit, we were getting calls after calls after calls, and it started 24 to 48 hours earlier with the Borderline event. Quiroz – I think the hardest part was [students] not knowing how the fire was going to act. I mostly wanted to make sure the students didn’t go into panic mode. I wanted to assure them that everything was fine, sheltering them in place to Firestone Fieldhouse and the cafeteria, stopping by and just saying hello to them. How has Pepperdine trained you for moments like these? Lauren – We have all the tools here and the commitment, the facts, the training — everybody’s heart is in this. This is a choice and not an obligation; we feel compelled. It is a privilege to serve and an honor to protect.

student journalists

By Madeleine Carr & Araceli Crescencio It was right before midnight Wednesday, Nov. 7, when we got the text that catapulted us into the next 48 hours. “BREAKING: shooting at Borderline in Thousand Oaks around 30 minutes ago” Shortly after, we met in the newsroom, along with another reporter, Kayiu Wong, and one of our advisers, Elizabeth Smith. We split into two groups, one heading to the scene of the shooting for live coverage and the other staying behind to manage updates on the Graphic’s website and social media. There was an otherworldly atmosphere as we reported on such tragic events as they unfolded, knowing the importance they had on our university. Bearing witness to a mass shooting was heartbreaking and difficult. Seeing victims struggle to understand what just happened, family members anxiously waiting to see their loved one come out and hearing firsthand testimonies from survivors was painful. No matter how heartbroken or emotional we personally felt, we felt compelled to provide our community with as much information as possible, as soon as possible. We worked through the night and did not have much of a chance to analyze our own emotions

discuss reporting on tragedies

until much later in the day, when there were lulls in news coverage. On Thursday afternoon, we received the tragic confirmation we sadly suspected. A fellow student, Alaina Housley, was fatally shot at Borderline. Sitting in the newsroom, trying to grasp this, was something we hoped would never happen. Sadly, it’s something we fear we’ll continue to have to do as we move onward in our careers as reporters. The following morning, we awoke to another round of breaking news due to the Woolsey fire. Yet again, we broke into groups for coverage. We worked against power outages and misinformation in the media to ensure the community was aware of the firefighters’ progress, the university’s status and the condition of students. Being a student reporter amidst all of this tragedy was a struggle in that it prevented us from fully processing the news we were delivering. There was no time to consider the personal implications of these events — our priority had to lie in our reporting. With our university in the center of this much news, we not only were reporters, but interviewees as well, as dozens of news outlets reached out to us for comments. We tried to maintain a balance of answering media requests, but also

prioritizing our own reporting. The experience showed us what it feels like to be on the opposite side of reporting and taught us a lesson or two on how to communicate with those involved in traumatic or stressful events. However, one of the greatest takeaways from this experience was the resilience of our community. We watched as worlds were torn apart and individuals broke down, just to be comforted by another grieving member of the community. Despite what other news outlets reported, our university remained strong and level-headed in the middle of unprecedented turmoil. No matter how shaken someone was, they still took the time to check on those around them. The Pepperdine community showed love and patience as they processed really hard events. Many parents opened their homes to students who didn’t have a place to go, students offered rides to their peers, and professors reached out to their students to ensure they were safe. We may be reporters, but we’re students, too. We’re healing and grieving alongside the rest of our community. The recovery process for Pepperdine has only begun, but the compassion and generosity of many around us signal a community of strength and hope.

→ BACK Malibu to

Photo Series: A Week after the Fire By Kaelin mendez

I returned to campus Saturday, Nov. 17, with a few friends to pick up personal belongings we left behind and to observe the surrounding areas of Malibu and Calabasas. Here is what we came across at some local spots.

Firemen look out at the view and take in the recently burned surroundings. The fireman with the Los Angeles Dodgers hat asked if I was a student from Pepperdine. I told him I worked for the school newspaper and was taking pictures of the view from up there. He said, “Why wouldn’t you?” as he took pictures of the ocean from his phone. He didn’t know how it looked like before the fire. All I could see was the destruction left behind.

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Ralphs A fire truck rests in the shade of Ralphs in Malibu Colony Plaza. Although the plaza was not as busy as usual, there were quite a few residents shopping. The fire department used the side of the store as a parking area for other emergency vehicles.

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Heroes Garden

Starbucks A remnant of a burnt animal hides in the bushes outside of the Starbucks in Malibu Colony Plaza. One of my friends found it, and while I believed it to be a piece of burnt tree bark, he pointed out the preserved paw.

→ Alumni park

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Firemen pump water from a fire hydrant to their fire engine on Alumni Park. Fire trucks from various states could be seen on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and on the freeway.

Pepperdine The burnt hills around Pepperdine stand in the background. Driving around campus, I was surprised by how much the fire affected my school. Because I could think of no other words, I found myself repeating, “Oh my gosh.”

→ 30

pch

→ RALPHS BEACH

Melted trashcans are left on the street half a mile north of John Tyler Drive. We were stuck in a line of cars trying to head northbound on PCH. After several minutes, we got to the front of the line. We tried explaining to the police officer that I worked for the Pepperdine newspaper and was trying to get pictures of Malibu Seafood, which should have been accessible to the public, according to the update we received. She curtly told us to turn around. I couldn’t even be upset with the way she talked to us because I’m sure she had had to deal with difficult people in the days leading up to Saturday. We turned around.

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An older man speaks harshly to a cop, while another man films the altercation on his phone. This road block was set up where Malibu Road and PCH meet. We were also told to turn around here.

The Commons at CALABASAS Firefighters sit in front of SunLife and Pick Up Stix, finishing their lunches. Because of road closures, it took longer to commute to places through the canyon. Some places remained closed to the public.

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Pepperdine community recalls shelter in-place experiences By gabrielle mathys & caroline archer

Even though some students and faculty members left campus before the Woolsey Fire reached the outskirts of campus, many stayed, sheltering in place in the library and cafeteria. The following includes some of their perspectives. Rebecca Pankratz, senior The majority of the fire I felt like I was on “go mode,” so I didn’t have many feelings till later. When we evacuated to the library, the air began to smell like a campfire, and it became stuffy and difficult to breathe. This was probably the hardest part for me. I am very grateful for the people who prayed with me when I was feeling stressed. This gave me the ability I needed to remain calm and at peace even in the midst of the storm. People were very encouraging to me and would often ask me how I was doing. I am so grateful for the Pepperdine community. Gavin Lewis, sophomore I honestly was not that concerned about the fire. The primary source of stress was from

other people outside of the fire trying to get me to leave. I really did not doubt the ability of Pepperdine University to keep us safe, not even when the flames were coming up over the hill by the library. I am guessing between the amount of people that stayed and the fact that people cheered whenever a helicopter dropped water on the fire, I don’t think that a lot of other people were that worried either. At the same time, I am aware that a lot of people were stressed out about the fire, even though they knew they were safe. The fact that the fire was closer to campus than I thought surprised me, although I still would stay on campus again in the event of another fire (God forbid). This certainly has been a trying time for the Pepperdine community, but I am confident that we will be able to make it through and persevere.

Madison Field, senior I am used to hurricanes and blizzards but not fires. I will admit that my heart started racing when I watched the flames come over the top of the ridges surrounding campus and climb down the hill. However, I had full confidence and trust in the Pepperdine officials and first responders. I was very disappointed with the negative, if not hostile, reactions from students, especially those off campus, about Pepperdine’s shelter-in-place protocol. I have met personally with one of the people who plan for emergencies on a daily basis, and I am thoroughly impressed with his work and his team’s efforts. To respond to a comment that I saw the other day [on social media], yes, some people that had relocated to the library and cafeteria were understandably scared and perhaps

expressed that they felt unsafe. The response to an emergency is personal, and everyone has a right to their feelings, especially in the face of flames. However, any feelings of being unsafe on campus were caused by a lack of trust in those who had been working tirelessly to protect and shelter us. As a resident adviser, it became tremendously more difficult to care for students when people began sharing misinformation and panic over social media. Brandon Oddo, sophomore One of the best words I’ve heard to describe those few days is “surreal.” Sure, it was strange to look outside the window and see flames cresting the hills. Often, though, I would find myself very reassured after conversation with administration; I mean, they were in communication with fire-fighting professionals, so I chose to trust them more than my uninformed reactions. The more surreal aspect of it all, however, was what had been going on inside of those windows. I hesitate to say I felt much in terms of emotion during the fire. I spent more of my energy on thinking. I noticed how powerful the authenticity of the moment was. Conversations seemed truer. I paced the library contemplating, finding things to do and talking to people. Forty hours had gone by, and I realized I had only slept two. I don’t think I’ve yet had enough time to comprehend what has happened. The abruptness of my going home didn’t necessarily aide in my ability to process it. It doesn’t seem like the fire at Pepperdine ended. When I think of it, it feels as though it was just paused. Bailey Laughlin, senior Seven o’clock Friday morning, I woke for the day, excited to have made it through the night without being relocated. This sense of peace lasted only a few minutes before I got the message that shelter-in-place protocols were being initiated. With slight panic, my roommates and I flung ourselves out of bed, grabbed our bags and headed out the door. Everything going on didn’t seem real. I did not think that the fire would ever reach our campus. Once we arrived to Firestone, my biggest concerns were not about whether our school would burn down but rather when was I going to have service to contact my family and when was breakfast. Most of the day was very calm and actually

photo By sherry yang

photos By kaelin mendez

After reinitiating the shelter-in-place, the fire seemed a lot more real. Many people were leaving campus, but I saw no reason to; I trusted Pepperdine and their plan. I was being fed and cared for, and I didn’t know the conditions around us. I did not know where the fire was; my friends and I searched and searched but could not find the information we were looking for. This concerned me slightly and was the primary reason I did not leave campus. The day dragged on, and we were all getting a little antsy. When they announce that we were relocating again, confusion swept across the room. Luckily, they were only moving us to the library for comfort and, boy, were we grateful! Most of us felt right at home, since we practically live there anyways. I was happy and excited. It seemed like a giant sleepover with all my friends, until a sheriff stormed in telling us to evacuate and sent the room into a whirlwind of panic, frantic packing and tears. A little after 10:30 p.m. as the excitement was settling down, I finally found out where the fire was … it was roaring down the hillside right before my very eyes. The fire became real that minute and for the first time I felt a glimpse of true fear — fear for my life. I wondered if I had made a mistake by passing up all the opportunities to leave. Realizing that I could have been long gone by this point, I did the only thing I could do: remind myself why I chose to stay. I trusted the Lord, I trusted the firefighters, and I trusted Pepperdine. So I sat by that library window with my eyes glued to [the] scene waiting to get word that we were safe. The shelter-in-place was lifted the next morning and, to my surprise, campus and our belongings

were safe. I did not have a single regret, only joy and graciousness. My heart was so full of love and gratefulness for my friends, my family, the firefighters and my Pepperdine community. I can’t imagine going through those few crazy days with any other community than ours. Friday, Nov. 9 was perhaps the craziest day of my life. There were moments of panic, stress, confusion and fear but also moments of fun, laughter and joy. Despite the chaos all around us, the feeling that resonated with me the most was love. I felt so greatly loved and cared for by our Pepperdine community as I too felt so much love and care for them. We were all going through a difficult time, but we were going through it together and leaning on one another. I also felt loved by and from people outside of our community, especially the firefighters, who risked their lives to save ours although we had never even met. I have unbounded gratitude for the firefighters and the Lord who protected us. Laura Duffield, junior There was a lot of fear, I guess. I took pictures throughout the weekend, but I didn’t take any pictures of the fire when I saw it because I didn’t want to remember how it felt to see the fire coming at us. Even throughout that whole thing, though, I remember seeing the people around me who were comforting others and being a source of stability. I can’t say how much I appreciate everyone who acted as an anchor of support during the weekend.

Jiji Mielke, freshman After spending a day gathered in mourning and prayer, we had been moved to the cafeteria for safety from the growing fire. When I looked out the window, I saw to the left, cars clustered along PCH, desperate to leave the area. To the right, I noticed the dark, enormous cloud of smoke, which appeared to increase in size and decrease in distance each time I looked. Amongst sorrow, panic and fear, I also felt an increase in faith and gratitude. My friends and I were just grateful to be safe and together. We were provided drinks, meals and masks to reduce smoke inhalation, proving that our safety and well-being were important. The fear that I felt from watching the news coverage was ultimately outweighed by the faith I had in the firefighters who were risking their lives to keep us safe. Despite the recent, tragic event and threatening condition with which we were facing, the Pepperdine community was truly making the best of the situation. Al Sturgeon, preacher at University Church My wife and I spent all day Friday and Friday night in the Caf alongside many others. I mostly stood near the makeshift microphone where announcements were made from time to time; in retrospect I think I wanted to be somewhere looking like a “dad” in case anyone wanted to look up and see such a thing. I have

a daughter in college a thousand miles away, and if she wanted such a thing, I hope someone would do that for her.

photos By sherry yang

There are many memories from that night, but I especially remember noticing the fire cresting the ridge west of campus outside the windows of the Oasis after many had gone to sleep. With time, several others noticed, and a small crowd of us stood watching in awe, mesmerized by the flames. When President Benton came to visit, I told him that the flames were visible and that several students were gathered to watch, and he immediately wanted to be with the students. I will never forget the tender way he talked to the students, inviting questions, and patiently answering them even though I am sure he had a few other pressing matters. I remember that he never said, “Well, I have to go”— he just patiently invited more questions until he was sure everyone was heard and comforted. Like a parent at bedtime, he seemed to want everyone to be able to rest easily — except himself, of course. I tried to look like a dad for everyone that Friday. I remember President Benton acted like a dad for all of us.

social media spreads

Misinformation during woolsey fire

by channa steinmetz

taken information.

Social media played a key component in the spread of misinformation the night of Friday, Nov. 9, as the Woolsey Fire grew in close proximity to Pepperdine’s Malibu campus. The shared false claims of the fire arose from a lack of communication and misunderstandings. It caused confusion and heightened worry among students both on and off campus and their loved ones.

“One news organization said we were being airlifted out by helicopters,” Jaycox said. “That was a completely ridiculous claim.”

Sophomore and RA Justin Rorick stayed on campus the night of the fire to attend to his residents. Rorick said he used his personal social media to provide updates to his friends when he saw others posting extreme claims. “At one point someone posted this screenshot from some random tweet that said some building was on fire,” Rorick said. “I went outside, and there was nothing.”

Freshman Meagan Jaycox also followed the shelter-in-place protocol Friday night. Jaycox used Facebook to update her family and friends, and saw news outlets reporting mis-

The LA County Fire Department brought their helicopters on campus to use Alumni Park for air operations support and draw water out of the campus lakes, according to an emergency update from the University. Rorick said more confusion spread after a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer asked students in Payson Library why they had not evacuated, as the city of Malibu was under a mandatory evacuation. The CHP officer was not aware of Pepperdine’s safety-in-place protocol until students informed him, Rorick added. “The problem with that being a misunderstanding is then everyone’s like, ‘Wait, why does he not know? Do we need to leave?’” Rorick said. “Someone tipped off the news, and then they spun the story, saying students were forced to stay there.”

The university encouraged students to stay on campus, but they had the option to leave if they wanted. As flames grew over the Santa Monica Mountains in the early hours of Saturday, more worry of fire spreading to main campus circulated within the University, as well as online. Jaycox said once one student said the fire was on campus, it was difficult to think otherwise. Fear and intimidation took over. “Some students really believed the fire was on campus after they saw the flames come over the mountains,” Jaycox said. “It was dark, and there wasn’t an accurate way to tell.” The Woolsey Fire did spread to the outer perimeter of campus, burning some cars and brush, but no permanent structures were lost, according to Pepperdine’s Twitter. All individuals remained safe. Those who were not on campus said they relied on news sources and social media for updates on the safety of those sheltering in place. Freshman Helena Blackman said she left Pepperdine Friday morning but continued to scroll through Twitter for news alerts.

“We watched a video of a news anchor standing at the corner of John Tyler and PCH, spouting false information about the proximity of the fire and the safety of the students,” Blackman said. “We were worried.” Blackman said she continually called her friends who were still on campus, who reassured her they were fine. Freshman Isabella Fusco chose to drive home Friday morning. Fusco said she checked every source possible to find out more information on the status of the fire and those on campus. “I couldn’t tell what was fake or true,” Fusco said. “I felt that I was never certain about what was actually happening, and this just added to my worry and stress about my friends on campus.” Although the worry has since decreased for Fusco, the confusion from the overwhelming amount of information lingers on. “I still do not know which parts of the news I heard that night were true and which were false,” Fusco said.

IN THE LEAD UP TO THE DISASTROUS WOOLSEY FIRE, STUDENTS ARE UNSURE HOW TO RESPOND TO NATURAL DISASTERS. By Kathleen Vodhanel The Woolsey Fire ripped through the city of Malibu, reminding its residents that although the seaside town is beautiful, it is also fragile. This fire caused mass devastation to the city, and forced Pepperdine University’s Safety Team to enact certain disaster protocols to keep students and faculty safe. Students, however, are unaware of many of these protocols. “I think as a freshman, they haven’t really introduced a lot of those protocols to us but I think as those disasters occur, [and] as we discuss it with upperclassmen, that we’d be able to figure it out pretty easily,” freshman Katelyn Romeike said. A poll of 51 students taken in the spring 2018 semester found that 47 percent of students do not think Pepperdine has done enough to spread disaster safety awareness. About 71 percent of students would not know what to do if there was a mudslide, around 67 percent are unsure of what to do during a tsunami, and about 41 percent have no knowledge of earthquake protocols. But roughly 78 percent of students said they think they know how to stay safe during a fire. The main resources available to students are the emergency website and the 2018-2019 Emergency Preparedness Brochure. Both of these sources require students to do their own research to become informed. Pepperdine also utilizes a program called Everbridge that sends out calls, texts and emails to alert the community of urgent disaster, Jonathan Weber, interim director of insurance and risk, said. Pepperdine also has a variety of bigger-picture protocols and drills in place to address the worries of students, faculty and parents on campus, Weber said. As time progresses and new issues arise, safety officials are constantly improving these protocols.

Pepperdine students know LITTLE about natural disaster safety

Shelter-in-place program The university’s sole philosophy in dealing with disasters — especially during brush fires — is shelter-in-place. This strategy encourages the community to stay on campus, where there is an abundance of resources available to provide for everyone for an extended amount of time. Those who attempt to flee risk getting stranded on PCH or in one of the canyons due to traffic and road closures, Weber said. “Pepperdine is like a small well-equipped city: with fire trucks and emergency response personnel, capable facilities personnel on campus 24/7, medical supplies, food and water, health and counseling centers and numerous other resources upon which to call if needed in an emergency,” President Andrew K. Benton wrote in his letter about Pepperdine’s planning for emergencies. Staying in one place also makes it much easier for firefighters and other first- responders to work because roads are left open for use, according to Pepperdine’s shelter-in-place page on their emergency website. During major fires, students and faculty evacuate to either the Tyler Campus Center or the Firestone Fieldhouse. Pepperdine is also known for taking in other members of the Malibu community who’ve lost homes to flames, Mark Lauren, lieutenant of fire safety and preparedness, said. “Geographically, the way that the university is set, it’s probably one of the safest places in Malibu, and we become a hub for all different kinds of agencies responding,” Lauren said. Weber said the LA County Fire Department often uses Pepperdine’s Drescher Campus as their command post during critical emergencies. During the 2007 Malibu fires, the university hosted about 500 firefighters and all of their trucks on campus. In situations like these, firefighters fly their helicopters to and from Alumni Park, picking up water from the lake to help distinguish flames.

photo By kaelin mendez FIRE DRILLS Fires are a very common natural disaster in Pepperdine’s location. “We’re in a valley with a lot of trees and dead brush which can catch on fire, especially in California,” sophomore Jacob Fleck said. For this reason, safety officials do not take preparing for them lightly, holding annual fire drills in September to spread safety awareness. Throughout the entire history of fires that have broken out near campus, no one has ever gotten hurt — there has only been building damage, Weber said. Weber said there is also always an ice cream truck that is strategically placed at these drills so that during real emergencies, students and faculty are reminded to go wherever the truck was.

Does Pepperdine do enough to make students feel safe? “I think Pepperdine is one of the best prepared universities when it comes to natural disasters,” Weber said. “I was recently at a national conference and when people see that I’m from Pepperdine and learn that, they have questions about it — it’s instant credibility; they know we’ve gone through it over the years.” While many do not know specific safety procedures, this does not influence the fact that the majority of students still feel safe on campus. “I don’t really fear any natural disasters here because I’m from Colorado, so we have tornadoes, which are actually kinda scary, but we don’t have hurricanes here … we have low-key earthquakes, but that’s it,”

junior Tristan Faust said. Faust said he knows very little about Pepperdine’s safety protocols but still feels very safe. Pepperdine takes many precautions to promote the safety of those on Malibu’s campus. One precaution Pepperdine takes is clearing brush around campus buildings annually to prevent fires from coming too close, according to the shelter-in-place page on Pepperdine’s emergency website. Pepperdine also builds with fire-resistant materials whenever possible.

“GEOGRAPHICALLY, THE WAY THAT THE UNIVERSITY IS SET, IT’S PROBABLY ONE OF THE SAFEST PLACES IN MALIBU, AND WE BECOME A HUB FOR ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF AGENCIES RESPONDING.”

“The reason why [the dorm room paint is] so expensive, especially keeping nails and stuff in the walls, is because it’s all like covered with this fire retardant material,” sophomore Levi Maguire said. His RA explained to him that this is why there are so many guidelines as to what can and can’t be used to hang things in the dorms. Weber said students can email him if they have any further suggestions or concerns regarding safety issues.

things for which we simply cannot plan or control,” Benton wrote in his letter. Earthquakes, for example, are much more unpredictable than other disasters, and are thus much harder to prepare for. “Honestly, other than standing under a door frame, I don’t know what else you can do,” senior Courtney Ruud-Johnson said. Many students said this is concerning, considering the likelihood of one occurring in California. “We’re overdue for a really big earthquake,” junior Laura Duffield said.

Preparing for the unpredictable “The only things which may impair our communications plans are

Earthquake safety information is available on Pepperdine’s emergency website. The site offers advice on what students should do if they are indoors during the shaking versus outdoors. In the event that major damage is done to Malibu’s campus, the Department of Public Safety will announce and implement relocation procedures. After large earthquakes, building engineers must inspect buildings before people are allowed back in them, Weber said. If communication lines are out, Weber also said that there are satellite phones and other sources outside of Malibu that the university has access to that can be used to send messages to loved ones with earthquake news. DMV.org, a private nonprofit website, also recommends that students keep an emergency kit in the car with medication, water, perishable food etc.

Adapting protocols with experience Pepperdine is constantly adapting emergency procedures to accommodate new issues that arise during disasters, according to the Pepperdine emergency website. “I’ve worked in risk management since I started 13 years ago, and I’ve seen us continue to try and stay on the cutting edge of it,” Weber said.

Photo by lyle nelson

Pepperdine officials studied Hurricane Katrina and realized that if there was a powerful earthquake, Pepperdine could be isolated because of the campus’ location. As a result, while the university used to only have three days worth of supplies to take care of the community, there is now significantly more, Weber said.

Uncovering the

biology behind the

woolsey fire By christian sanchez photo By sterling gualtieri

In the afternoon of Nov. 8, the Woolsey fire began its rampage on the Santa Monica Mountains. A combination of high winds, low humidity and drought conditions led to the burning of over 800 structures and almost 100,000 acres, which included 83 percent of Santa Monica Mountain federal parkland, according to CAL FIRE and the LA Times. However, this is far from a rare occurrence on the Pepperdine campus. While the average time between fires in the Santa Monica Mountains is 32 years, some areas like the Malibu campus have a fire frequency of around 10 years, according to an article published by the Southern California Botanists on the National Park Service website.

The frequency of the fires does not allow for the appropriate amount of chaparral to repopulate the hillsides. In its place, weeds fill the landscape. In a year like 2018, which has the lowest recorded rainfall for Southern California, these weeds become a flashy fuel that is more easily ignited and allows fires to move faster across the region, Davis said. Climate change is also complicit in the fires, Davis said. In recent years, the fires have become larger and more deadly due to human activity, causing increased temperatures and more severe droughts. “Nature and our native plants are adapted to wildfire and rejuvenated by fire,” Davis said. “But that assumes a natural fire cycle, without human caused fires, human introduction of weeds and no overlay of climate change.”

The reason for this dramatic difference is human activity, explained Pepperdine Biology Professor Stephen Davis, who has been studying these fires since his arrival in 1974.

The Woolsey Fire has also begun to take its toll on local fauna as well. Thousands of animals likely died in the fire, said Lee Kats, Pepperdine Biology professor and vice provost for Research and Strategic Initiatives.

With humans igniting 95 percent of fires, the native chaparral vegetation is not able to keep up with constant burning, Davis said.

“Just a few trips around campus and we have seen a dead owl, several dead native wood rats and two injured deer,” Kats said.

“With higher fire frequency, there is not enough time for some chaparral species to build a seed bank before the next fire,” Davis said. “These are non-sprouting species. They cannot sprout from roots and must rely on seed to germinate post-fire.”

The greatest effects, however, will be the disturbance of native species habitats immediately and for years to come. For example, the wood rats, also known as pack rats, live in huts made of dead sticks above ground. With their shelter destroyed, those rats who survived fre-

quently tend to move toward standing buildings or homes, which would make wood rat sightings on campus more frequent, Kats said. Not even aquatic life is spared. “My students have demonstrated in previous fires that local streams are radically altered by wildfire,” Kats said. Due to the fire burning off the canopy, animals sensitive to UV-B are at greater risk of damaging exposure. With a lack of strong root systems to hold the hillsides together, deep stream pools, which are the best habitat for native amphibians, will become filled in by mudslides. “Some of these pools will not be scoured out by flooding rains for many years. The streams will be different, and the habitat will be tremendously altered,” Kats said. However for some species, it may already be too late. “Already biologists are greatly concerned about how the endangered red-legged frog will do post-fire,” Kats said. “With the help of government agencies, they had recently been expanding to new habitats around Malibu and it appears that all of those habitats have burned.” Though Pepperdine’s Malibu campus may not have another fire of this magnitude for another decade, the local ecosystems need as much time as possible to recover from this event.

why

doe s pepperdine By mary cate long & araceli crescencio photo By cassie denham

shelter in-plac

rce?

The Woolsey Fire burned 96,949 acres, destroyed around 1500 structures, and became one of the most destructive and costliest fires in Southern California. However, as many communities were evacuated, students at Pepperdine University sheltered-in-place on campus, an action that drew a lot of criticism to the university’s fire response. The entire city of Malibu was under mandatory evacuation beginning early morning Friday, Nov. 9. When residents were allowed to return to their homes many found nothing left. In accordance with a 33 year-long shelter-in-place policy, students and faculty sought refuge at Pepperdine that same night, as flames advanced on and eventually breached campus borders. In the end, no lives were lost or structural damage done. However, as the fire surrounded campus and flames came closer to students, controversy over Pepperdine’s shelter in-place policy ignited and caused many to wonder if the policy was a good decision.

Community Calls for Student Evacuation Malibu residents voiced their concerns and disapproval of Pepperdine’s shelter-in-place policy on social media and at public meetings. At the Malibu evacuee public meeting held in Santa Monica High school Nov 13, a Malibu resident asked “Why didn’t they evacuate at Pepperdine?” while another shouted “Where were all the fire trucks?” A major worry was that by sheltering students in place, firefighters were forced to protect the school instead of saving other areas or homes. However multiple people have spoken to debunk the claim that Pepperdine keeps students on campus to protect its structures. At the Santa Monica town hall meeting for evacuees, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Deputy David Richardson said the shelter-in-place policy is a viable option to implement when a fire threatens the campus. “It is something the fire service utilizes as a tool and will continue to use throughout the years,” Richardson said. City Manager Reva Feldman said the firefighters who went to Pepperdine not only protected the Pepperdine campus and the Pepperdine students,

but they also protected the rest of the city of Malibu. “We are all one community whether we’re in 90265 or outside of the city boundary,” Feldman said. “We are all one community and Pepperdine is part of our community.” Feldman also reminded people at the town hall that many students on campus are far away from home and do not own cars. “There’s no way to quickly evacuate 3,500 18- to 20-year-olds without vehicles,” Feldman said. Los Angeles County Fire Public Information Officer AJ Lester said firefighters’ priority during a fire is to save lives, property and the environment. Lester said he understands why people might be frustrated with the policy. “I think the anger of residents has a lot more to do with just the size and breadth of how fast this fire spread and the amount of damage that it caused,” Lester said. However, as far as the public being concerned with the shelter-in-place protocol taking resources away from other other areas in Malibu, Lester said it is not necessarily true. Connie Horton, vice president of Student Affairs, said she also understands why Malibu residents were upset. “A number of the Malibu residents ... lost their houses tragically, so I can understand why they’re so upset,” Horton said. “But, they lost their homes hours before we had any of that fire support here. It’s an understandable distress time for them. But later, when we see the whole timeline laid out and emotions are calmed, I think it’ll be easier to have some of these conversations.”

Creation of the Shelter-in-Place Policy 15 years before his presidency during the 1985 Piuma Fire, Pepperdine President Andrew Benton said there was no effective policy to deal with students during fire emergencies. He said many people, administration, students and himself included, just left campus. “I went over to Westlake Village and I got to thinking that there was probably no one on campus who was helping manage students who were stuck,” Benton said. “So the vice president and I got back on campus and it was true. There was no coordinated activity on campus at that time. It was really quite dangerous and so immediately thereafter, we began to put together a plan.” The plan that emerged was the shelter in-place policy. Pepperdine worked thoughtfully with the Los Angeles County Fire Department to develop the best plan for the university in the event of a wildfire.

“We first used shelter in-place in the 1993 fire,” Benton said. “And fortunately, prior to that fire, we had worked our plans with the county fire department and they approved those plans. And so we never deviated from it. And over all the … five fires that we sheltered inplace, we’ve never had anyone hurt.” The Woolsey Fire was the sixth time the policy was used.

Pepperdine’s Reason to Stay The design of the Pepperdine campus provides natural fire breaks, and is one of the major reasons why the shelter-in-place policy continues to be used. Campus buildings are constructed with fire-resistant materials such as tile roofs and glass windows. Benton said brush is cleared 200 feet from habitable structures on campus and 50 feet from roads to minimize fire danger. “We have constructed our campus to be safe,” Benton said. “Our buildings are stucco with tile roofs and not a lot of wood exposed.” During fires, the fire department uses Pepperdine’s lakes on Alumni Park to refill their helicopters’ water tanks. Lester said Pepperdine is an area the fire department can use to stage resources to try mitigating problems as they come up. “Whether it’d be a structure that starts catching fire or a canyon that flares up, we use that area as kind of a staging location,” Lester said. Benton said Pepperdine’s conviction is that it is far safer to remain put than to leave campus.

We would be willing to change our mind [on the shelter in-place policy] if we thought we could treat students more safely in a different way.”

Dangers of Evacuating Early morning Friday Nov. 9, the City of Malibu issued a mandatory evacuation notice which led thousands of residents to take Pacific Coast Highway and head towards Santa Monica for safety. Many leaving Malibu spent hours in traffic. photo By sherry yang “Adding another 3,500 people to that evacuation process is only going to take to make the process longer and have more people clogged,” Lester said. There are limited numbers of ways to travel from the campus. Power outages and spurious cell service made it difficult for people to know what roads remained opened and closed. Roads stayed congested nearly all day, as emergency responders tried their best to evacuate all residents and fight the fire. Pepperdine administration worried students safety would be compromised if they decided to get out on the roads. “Traffic was moving very slowly much of the day and so part of why we would not have encouraged students to make that choice individually is because you don’t want to start going and then get stuck,” Horton said. “We have students that tried it then ran out of gas and then the gas stations maybe weren’t able to help them. So while it seems like the easy option, it doesn’t always turn out to be that way.” Sophomore student Juan Carlos Hugues also shared this sentiment, which is why he said he decided to stay. “I’ve been on PCH,” Hughes said. “People don’t put blinkers on even when it’s daylight and it’s sunny and people are driving 60 to 70 miles per hour. Now imagine under pressure [and] anxiety – all of that – a fight or flight kind of mentality.” For the entirety of the time students were sheltered-in-place, various resources were available to them, which is why administration heavily advised students to remain put. “We have a lot of water stored on campus, we have food that is here on campus,” Benton said. “We have doctors. We have counselors. We have satellite phones. We have a caring community here who can look after our stu-

dents just like they would look after their own children.”

Flames on Campus: The Night of Nov. 9 Whether for fear of safety on the roads, lack of a place to escape to or transportation to get there, Benton said about 600 people, including students, faculty and staff, chose to shelter inplace on Friday rather than evacuating. Horton said the morale was high during most of the day while shelter in-place protocol initiated starting at 7:07 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 9. “As students were leaving their residence halls and walking towards the Waves Cafe, for example, I was so struck by how orderly and calm everyone was,” Horton said. “They had their pillows and their blankets and small bags, just calmly walking down to the area.” Students sheltered in Firestone Fieldhouse gym, the Waves Cafe and, later in the day, Payson Library. People set up tents, sang songs and played games. “The initial part was almost like a slumber party kind of feel,” Horton said. Senior Graylen Goff works for the university’s Health Center and volunteered her time working in the makeshift first aid clinic set up in the cafeteria Fireside Room during the fire. Goff said she experienced a sense of “community and calm” among those who decided to stay on campus. “Even with the disaster going on right outside of our doors, at one point students started singing “Don’t Stop Believing” and Christmas songs on the piano,” Goff said. However, as the day progressed, night fell and flames spread closer to Pepperdine, emotions “heightened,” Horton said. Goff said, at one point, she could smell smoke

Hugues said seeing the flames and hearing people from outside spread misinformation heightened his fears. “It was also the fear from outside – people rattling up situations, putting up fake news,” Hugues said. “They were falsely claiming that the president was keeping us hostage against our will.”

photo By graylen goff inside the buildings. It became so bad that workers in the first aid clinic had to barricade the cracks of the doors with wet blankets to keep smoke from coming through. “Once the fire hit at night was when we started to see more breathing problems coming in,” Goff said. “I think it was a mix of the anxiety as well as the smoke.” Pepperdine Medical Director Lucy Larson wrote in an email that “smoke inhalation” is a major concern during fires. Breathing in smoke can lead to dangerous exposure to carbon monoxide and other small particles. Larson masks, oxygen, antibiotics, fluids, medically trained providers, and other emergency supplies were all available in the first aid station in the Fireside Room during the fires to address any medical problems the smoke may cause. The Health Center passed out masks to everyone taking shelter on campus. As flames approached, students could see the blaze from the windows of the library and the air quality grew increasingly worse. “I could feel it getting worse and even like hurting a little bit to breathe,” Hugues said. “Even though Pepperdine told us that we would be kept safe, the smoke scared me.” Connie Horton addressed students on Friday evening saying they would continue to see flames, but was totally confident they would remain safe. “I think some of the flames that were on the hills that the students could see from Payson were more frightening to them, but that wasn’t as frightening to some of [the administration] because we were confident that the firefighters could get that,” Horton said. “We knew we had the brush clearance there and it wasn’t directly near a building, but it was a visual that was pretty stunning from the library.”

photo By sherry yang

Miscommunication the Night of the Fire Several sources confirmed that sheriffs came on campus at one point Friday night and urged the people there to evacuate. “The biggest moment of confusion... was when, I’m sure well-intending, but misinformed sheriffs gave some direction that was opposite to what our plan is and opposite to what the fire department has agreed our plan is,” Horton said. “So they were saying, ‘You need to go! Evacuate!’ at one moment. Clearly that is not the plan, and so I can understand why that was confusing and upsetting [to students].” Despite some rumors that door guards were stationed to prevent people from leaving, Horton said students were allowed to make the decision for themselves whether to evacuate or shelter in-place. Benton said around this point in the night, after firefighters and flame arrived on campus, the number of people sheltering at Pepperdine dwindled from about 600 to 300. Addressing the people remaining in the cafeteria, Benton said he was “irritated” and nervous that the miscommunication “frightened some of your brothers and sisters out into the roadways.” He pointed out reasons to stay in his brief speech. “When people get into a big hurry, fire department, sheriff’s department, they move on instinct, and their instinct is to just get everybody out of harm’s way and move them, move them, move them,” Benton said. “The question is, where do you go? How do you get there? What’s there when you arrive, wherever it is you’re going? We don’t think that’s best.”

Hugues said he trusted Pepperdine through the process, but believes Pepperdine could avoid misinformation from spreading by explaining the shelter-in-place policy to students and community members before an emergency. “I knew that Pepperdine had a protocol in mind, that I knew specifically what that protocol was, what would happen – no I don’t think so,” Hugues said. “Maybe in the future say, okay, please stick with us through the process and then… tell us, ‘Hey, it’s going to clear up in the night. And then in the morning you can make your way out.’”

The Future of Shelter-in-Place Policy At the public meeting, Feldman said the City of Malibu would talk to Pepperdine about the shelter-in-place policy and look at different options. Pepperdine administrators said they are confident sheltering in-place works, but are willing to look at options that could make it safer for students. “The only thing that would cause us to turn away from shelter in place would be if there were dramatically changed circumstances,” Benton said. “I don’t know what would cause us to change our minds, but we would be willing to change our mind if we thought we could treat students more safely in a different way.” Given the combined force of Pepperdine’s recent efforts to grow in size, increased on-campus housing and Malibu’s remote location with only two major arteries along the coast to go in and out from, the number of people impacted by wildfires will continue to grow. The shelter-in-place policy will have to be analyzed for the safety of both the city and the university.

Another area of confusion arose when rumors spread that students were being held hostage on campus, and not allowed to leave.

History of fire near Pepperdine By Kiley Distelrath photos courtesy of Courtenay stallings from the 1993 fire “No one will ever forget,” President Andrew K. Benton said regarding the recent tragedies the community faced. Regarding the wildfire, Benton said Woolsey is “[a]rguably one of the worst wildfires in Malibu.”

a mark as distinguishable as Woolsey’s: the acreage burned, the buildings destroyed and the duration of the fire’s life is incomparable to the previous six fires.

The Woolsey Fire will forever go down in history as among the largest fires the LA County has seen in 100 years, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said in a Los Angeles Times article.

Burning a total of around 11,300 acres of land and destroying six homes, both the Piuma and Decker Canyon fires surged the Malibu area on Oct. 14, 1985, according to The Malibu Times. They were the first major fires in 14 years, relating in significance to the 1971 fire, according to the Pepperdine Newsroom.

While the community deals with the mind-boggling effects of Woolsey, it is important to take note of the past sets of flames Pepperdine and the surrounding area have fallen victim to. There are six significant fires that have affected the area since Pepperdine moved to Malibu in 1972, one each in 1985, 1993, 1996 and 2003 and two in 2007. As of Nov. 21, 13 days following the fire’s start, the flames were 100 percent contained, according to CBS Los Angeles’s Twitter. KTLA 5 reported Woolsey peaked at 98,362 acres. The fire destroyed 1,130 structures, damaging 300 more in 11 neighborhoods and cities in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to the Cal Fire incident update report for Nov. 18. The fire claimed three lives, two of which were in Malibu, according to KTLA 5. While multiple wildfires have affected Pepperdine over the years, none have left

1985: The Piuma and Decker Fires

During this time, three major fires roared, these two in Malibu and one in Ventura County, claiming more than 20,000 acres during early stages, according to the Los Angeles Times. The New York Times reported about smaller fires that plagued the Los Angeles County and Ventura County areas during the same time. The Piuma fire was labeled the “most dangerous” out of the three, according to the Los Angeles Times. Piuma threatened the Las Flores, Latigo and Corral Canyons. The Decker fire attacked the Pacific Coast Highway near Leo Carrillo State Beach and made its way into Ventura County. Four helicopters and eight aircrafts aided in the flame fight, throwing water and chemical retardants upon the fiery glow, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The fires reportedly ended Oct. 17 early in the morning, three days after the fires’ beginnings. The cause of these fires was expected arson, since the three major fires were close-by and popped up within 45 minutes of each other, Capt. Gordon Pearson, the county fire captain at the time, said in the New York Times article. Pepperdine learned how to properly act in any bad situation from the 1985 fires, Benton said. “I was fairly new to the university. I had never experienced a wildfire ... So many of the university leaders had left campus,” Benton said. Realizing that it was wrong to leave campus when students were left behind, Benton returned to campus to be with the students. “We vowed to never let that happen again,” Benton said. “We learned the hard way.” The Piuma and Decker fires facilitated the development of the fire procedures Pepperdine currently follows, Benton said.

1993: Old Topanga Fire With Santa Ana winds gusting at 60 mph, the Old Topanga Fire started at Mulholland Highway, made its way through Topanga Canyon and the Santa Monica Mountains and reached PCH in a matter of hours

on Nov. 2, 1993, according to The Malibu Times. The fire destroyed approximately 16,800 acres, leaving 268 homes burned to the ground in Malibu, killing three civilians and injuring hundreds of firefighters, five injuries which occurred in Malibu, according to The Malibu Times. This fire was known at the time as “the largest deployment of firefighters in the history of California.” The fire lasted 10 days, ending Nov. 11. From the devastation came new recovery methods, such as weekly town gatherings where the community dealt with their trauma. The Malibu Times highlighted these efforts in a specially-made section called “Operation Recovery.” The Greater Malibu Disaster Recovery Project (Gumdrop) was also created, with help from Pepperdine Senior Vice Chancellor Louis Drobnick, according to The Malibu Times. This project is a non-profit that served to provide financial aid to those affected in the ‘93 and ‘07 fires without other means of help, like insurance coverage.

1996: Calabasas Fire A fallen power line and 50 mph Santa Ana winds instigated the 1996 Calabasas brush fire that raged from Oct. 21 to Oct. 28, according to Firehouse, a leading media source for the fire industry. A 15-year record low in humidity of 5 percent also facilitated the flames. During this time, another serious fire was burning in Orange County. The flames ravaged 13,000 acres in the Malibu Canyon and claimed 10 homes,

according to The Malibu Times. Firehouse reported that the flames appeared on Pepperdine grounds and the university initiated a shelter-in-place in the gymnasium.

2003: Pacific Fire The Pacific fire threatened PCH as the flames sparked to life near Broad Beach, according to The Malibu Times. The flames raged from Jan. 6 to Jan. 10, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The fire singed 759 acres, damaging three homes, according to The Malibu Times. Fires in Latigo and Corral Canyons also hurt 20 acres of land. More flames roared in the Santa Monica Mountains, burning a total of 2,200 acres, according to Firehouse. The proposed cause was malfunctioning power lines.

2007: Malibu Road and Canyon Fires 2007 saw two fires that affected Malibu and Pepperdine. The first, Malibu Road fire, was in January, according to the Malibu Times. Beginning at Malibu Buffs State Park and reaching Malibu Road, 20 acres burned, ruining five homes and damaging six others. The believed cause for these flames was wrongly disposed smoking materials. Fire helicopters used Pepperdine’s ponds for water, according to The Malibu Times. The second, known as the Canyon fire, began on Oct. 21 at 4:50 a.m., and while it started as a brush fire possibly from fallen power lines, the flames began jumping rooftops, according to Firehouse. The flames lasted until Oct. 23, according to The Malibu Times. It was the worst fire

Malibu had seen since the Old Topanga Fire. The fire ravaged 4,565 acres, destroying six homes, according to The Malibu Times. The flames affected 15 other homes. The fire department ordered evacuations and 2,100 residents followed suit. These flames physically affected campus, blazing acres as well as plant life surrounding the Phillips Theme Tower, which marks the entrance of campus, wrote Edwin L. Biggers, chair of the Board of Regents, in his letter in the 2007 Annual Review, The Journey. Benton tried to pacify the students’ fears with his words and the school community held a time of worship.

Returning from the Woolsey Fire As the student body repopulates campus in the coming week, Benton said he believes the community will come back “stronger and more united than ever before.” The journey to healing will start with a “beautiful worship service” Sunday at 7 p.m., Benton said. It will help students and faculty process the recent events that afflicted the community. As for academics, Benton said it will be the job of the faculty to get students back into the mindset of studying, but the motto of the school ever since the start of the fire has been “compassion first.” “No one on campus is unaffected,” Benton said. With plenty of experience with wildfires, Pepperdine and Malibu will rise tenaciously in time from the current devastation.

Pepperdine Professors Perform

acts of kindness in Response to Shooting and Fires

Photo by kaelin mendez

By makena huey Countless professors have reached out to students following both theBorderline Bar and Grill shooting, which resulted in the death of freshman Alaina Housley, and the Woolsey fire, which resulted in the destruction of several students’ homes. These professors offered students everything from their homes to their hearts. “This is the greatest crisis Pepperdine has ever experienced, and students should know that the faculty will support them in every way,” Loretta Hunnicutt, associate professor of history, said. “I want all of my students to know that I am committed to them and to their recovery from this very difficult time; I sincerely hope they feel loved and cared for.” Following the fires, Hunnicutt welcomed her History 204 students into her family, giving them her address and cell phone number. Several days later, she sent them the following email: “I think of all of you all the time. While I am glad you will have the next two weeks to rest and take care of yourselves, I am also saddened that I will not be able to see your faces for that long ... Please know that all of you are very important to me. I am always available to hear your stories and provide you with whatever assistance I can.” Hunnicutt said God has called her to serve her students in their time of need and, as a professor during a time of tragedy, her role is one of

leadership and care. She realized many of her students were experiencing trauma for the first time, so her goal was to alleviate their fear for their safety and their anxiety about academic success. She has been encouraging them to receive help. “As a parent, I wanted to do for my students what their own parents might not be able to do,” Hunnicutt said. “I care about them as people, and it pains me to see them in distress, so I want to do what I can to alleviate their suffering.” Freshman Lauren Miles said she appreciates professors’ compassion during the recent tragedies. Joi Carr, professor of English and film studies, sent her class the following email: “Each of you are on my heart. I am sending love your way and wish each of you safe passage literally and emotionally and spiritually. If you have opportunity, please let me know that you are in a safe place — I know some of you will be staying on campus. I am here for you: if you need to talk and/or need a virtual hug, if you are at a distance.” Miles said she was moved when several of her professors provided students with their cell phone numbers if they needed assistance or wanted to talk. “The level of empathy the professors have conveyed through their correspondences has

shown how much they really care about their students,” Miles said. Although it is harder to maintain contact with her large Humanities 212 class in Elkins, English Professor Cyndia Clegg said she reaches out to students every day through emails, encouraging them to contact her with any questions and concerns: “I want you to know that you are safe and have options,” Clegg wrote in one of these emails. “We have many offers to our students of places to stay. Please let me know if you need somewhere to live. But more than that, please reach out to me with any other needs you may have. This is a big class, but I work very hard to know who you are, so please do not be afraid to reach out to me.” Clegg said she believes that to care for their families and students, professors must care for themselves first. “The role of faculty, and everyone else at Pepperdine in a moment such as this, is to do the best we can, encouraging each other with God’s grace, which we need to remember, nourishes and heals,” Clegg said. In addition to helping her students, Clegg said she also reached out to colleagues in evacuation areas, welcoming Jane Kelley Rodeheffer, Fletcher Jones chair of Great Books, into her home.

In an email to her Great Books III class titled “I am safe — please keep yourselves safe,” Rodeheffer praised Pepperdine’s compassion during challenging times. “Pepperdine has shown itself to be a tremendous community this last week, and I wouldn’t want to teach anywhere else,” Rodeheffer wrote. After 30 years of teaching, Rodeheffer said her response to tragedy is simply to offer her presence. The day after the shooting, she spent time with her students and colleagues on campus, acknowledging their painful emotions. “The Pepperdine administration has given the faculty a brilliant directive: We are to offer compassion to our students first, followed by latitude in our approach to administering our courses,” Rodeheffer said. “I hope that this tone will only be magnified when we return to campus.” Adjunct Professor Sarah Dhillon offered her Nutrition 313 class a place to stay and a home-cooked meal, junior Miriam Knopp said. Dhillon said in order to rebuild houses and lives, the Pepperdine community must support one another, offering kindness, time and resources to those in need. She was motivated by a genuine concern for others. “I just wanted to make sure that my students were safe and had a place to stay,” Dhillon said. “I was very scared, and I can’t imagine what students may have felt with their families so far away. I told my students that my offer for a home is indefinite.” Senior Veronica Sams said when her home was in jeopardy during the fires, Chris Stivers, professor of communication, kindly invited her family to stay in his home. “The boundary between teachers and students [was] definitely broken,” Sams said. “My teachers became more like friends and were making sure our well-being came first. These times have been so hard on everyone, and they have showed so much love.” Many professors asked students to share their locations after the Woolsey fire in order to ensure students were safe. “I have been praying without ceasing for your safety and well being,” Christina Littlefield, associate professor of Journalism and Religion, wrote in an email to the Currents Magazine staff. “I hope by now most of your are with your families or heading that direction, but would you send me a quick update when you can, just so that I know you are all safe?”

Instead of lecturing her Mass Communication 371 students, Professor Katherine Parsons took her students to the prayer service for the victims of the Borderline shooting. During the fire, she constantly sent emails to her students, extending assignment deadlines and prioritizing their emotional health. “Dr. Parsons has been a beacon of light in a truly devastating situation,” senior Courtney Jobe said. “Her openness and understanding of emotional trauma has truly helped me cope and heal … She even offered students her home as a place to house their pets, as well as assistance moving anything if they needed it. She sets the precedent for living by example.” Religion Professor Nicholas Zola, who also

My teachers became more like friends and were making sure our well-being came first. attended the Nov. 8 prayer service with many of his students, reached out to his Religion 102 class, explaining that the stressful experience during the fires made the loss of Alaina Housley even more difficult to process.

their professors. He wrote the following email to his Humanities 111 class: “It’s been a terrible day for all of us. I wanted to let you all know that I’ll be in my office (PLC 108) most of the day if anyone would like to stop by. I don’t have any answers, but I’m here if you’d like to talk.” When sheltering-in-place during the Woolsey fire, faculty and staff reassured students of their safety while helping them remain positive and feel cared for. Freshman Kiley Distelrath, a copy editor for the Graphic, said when she was sheltering-in-place, Rob Shearer, associate professor of decision science, and his dog cheerfully checked on her. He was trying to set up the karaoke system so students could have fun while waiting. “It was encouraging to see my professor, a resident on campus, carry so much positivity during an uncertain time,” Distelrath said. “It amazed me, but also boosted my spirits.” Sophomore Rachel Miner described Ida Nicolosi — music professor and Alaina Housley’s voice coach — as a source of solace during the night spent in the library. Miner said she witnessed Nicolosi reassuring several students who were panicking at the sight of flames. “She even walked outside and talked to the policeman outside to get more information and then came back inside and explained in detail why we were completely safe where we were,” Miner said. “She was a very comforting and calming presence.”

Philip Freeman, Fletcher Jones chair of Western Culture, said he does not understand the senseless tragedy and said he believes the best way he could help his students is to continuously listen to them.

Graduate student Megan House said she witnessed countless individuals performing remarkable acts of kindness. Professor Tyson Moore, and his wife Geneva, bought hotel rooms for the Humanities Division Office student employees. Briana Holder, a strength and conditioning coach, offered her home to students in need. President Andrew K. Benton told House he was sorry she had to carry her luggage when sheltering-in-place. A faculty member walked around the library at 2 a.m. ensuring that every sleeping student wore a face mask.

“The professors at Pepperdine are the most caring community I’ve ever known in my many years of teaching,” Freeman said. “Most of us aren’t trained therapists, and we don’t always know what to say, but we do care about the students and want to help.”

“This made me realize that the connections and relationships we form with faculty and staff on this campus go beyond the classroom,” House said. “I witnessed the unconditional love they have for us and how that has transformed Pepperdine from a school to a home.”

“I would like to hear from you if you care to share an update of how you’re doing,” Zola wrote. “During times like these, I think it helps to tell your story ... Please feel free to reach out to me if you need a listening ear.”

Freeman said he hopes his students will resist the temptation to withdraw into themselves in order to avoid pain and instead reach out to

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By SAM FINNEGAN

The Woolsey Fire burned nearly 100,000 acres, destroyed about 1,500 structures, claimed the lives of three civilians and impacted many in the Ventura County and Los Angeles County communities. However, in the wake of tragedy, many organizations stepped up to help victims of the Woolsey Fire through support on the ground and in the water.

Red Cross

Country. These shelters bring relief to evacuees through health care services, emergency supplies, food, shelter, emotional support and health care to individuals in affected areas. According to the Red Cross, as of Nov. 14, 2018, the Red Cross served 34,100 meals and snacks to all evacuees in the Woolsey, Camp and Hill Fires.

The mission statement of the American Red Cross is to “prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors,” written on American Red Cross Mission & Principles webpage.

The Red Cross shelters opened their doors to not only humans but also their beloved pets. There were four shelters for animals of all sizes, as well as Zuma Beach in Malibu for the evacuees who could not reach safety going north through the canyons or south on Pacific Coast Highway.

The American Red Cross opened eight shelters for Woolsey and Hill Fire victims — four shelters in Ventura County and four in Los Angeles

The Woolsey Fire displaced not only domesticated household pets, but also livestock like horses, donkeys, goats and sheep. Pierce College,

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Photo by milan loiacono

The Woolsey Fire displaced not only domesticated household pets, but also livestock like horses, donkeys, goats and sheep. Pierce College, Hansen Dam Equestrian and City of Industry Expo Center were the three main evacuation sights for large livestock.

During the Woolsey Fire, the Humane Society assisted in evacuating animals from properties, provided emergency medical treatments and cared for the evacuated animals. As of Nov. 16, 2018, the Humane Society evacuated 269 animals during the peak time of the fire.

LA County Animal Care and Control Spokesman Danny Ubario told LA Daily News four dogs, 15 ponies, one pig, three sheep, eight donkeys, six goats, four chickens and four alpacas were taken from Zuma Beach to Hansen Dam Equestrian in Lake View Terrace.

According to the Humane Society of Ventura County’s Facebook page, on Nov. 13, 2018, “two volunteers transported 22 chickens, 6 ducks, and a peacock who had been evacuated from Big Heart Ranch in Malibu to the Humane Society of Ventura County for safekeeping.”

Humane Society of Ventura County The Humane Society of Ventura County, an animal welfare organization, is located on 4.4 acres of property in the Ojai Valley. The Humane Society provides veterinary programs to the community, emergency shelter in times of natural disasters, animal rescue missions and sanctuaries for animals in need.

The Humane Society is a nonprofit that relies on donations to sustain the organization. Generous donations are crucial to the organization especially in times of crisis. Actor Sandra Bullock donated $100,000 to the Humane Society to help with the evacuation and rescue of animals during the calamitous fire.

Stanley the Giraffe Stanley the Giraffe, a celebrity of Malibu who resides in the Saddleback Ranch at Malibu Wine Safaris, gained a lot of attention over social media when questions and rumors began to arise whether or not Stanley was safe. Stanley is safe. Dakota Semler, the owner of Malibu Wine Safaris, spoke in an interview with ABC7 news, stating that the company practices evacuation protocols. They are put in place in the event that a natural disaster occurs or a wildfire breaks out, like the Woolsey Fire. One of the rumors that spread across social media was that Stanley the Giraffe was neglected. The staff at Malibu Wine Safaris said they stayed with him the entire time, and they did not leave him behind as many individuals on social media claimed. When an animal is spooked or in distress, it is dangerous trans-

porting them to an evacuation site. They could hurt themselves or go into shock from the stress of the situation. “As a veterinarian with 33 years of experience, the fire protocol of moving the animals into the central area was the most prudent and realistic plan to get the animals to safety,” Stephen Klause, wildlife and exotics veterinarian, wrote on the Malibu Wine Safari’s website. “No animal moved into that area perished as a result of a fire that destroyed 95 percent of the structures on the property, which is a testament to the viability and enactment of the ranch’s fire protocol.”

Boat Relief The city of Malibu was inaccessible by car for the majority of the evacuation period of the Woolsey Fire. Some Malibu residents did not evacuate and were left without necessities such as food, water, toiletries and pet food. The only way supplies could be brought into Malibu was through boat. Many volunteers and organizations stepped up to help the Malibu community by donating their time, supplies and boats to deliver necessities to Paradise Cove in Malibu.

Photo by kaelin mendez

In Redondo Beach, the Dive N’ Surf shop owned by the Meistrell family requested supplies for the residents of Malibu. Their request was received with open arms from the Redondo community as people lined the parking lot with crucial living supplies. The Meistrell family also founded the water sports company Body Glove. They own two boats and were able to load up their 73-foot boat, the Disappearance, and their 40-foot boat, the Que Paso, to deliver the supplies. The Mistrells were not the only ones using their ves-

sels to help bring relief to the victims of the Woolsey Fire. Many other families and companies used their boats and jet skis to assist in the relief effort. The Redondo Beach Police Department escorted the boats to Paradise Cove to ensure a safe delivery of supplies to residents, firefighters and animal rescue groups.

Fundraising United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Rams, CBS 2 and KCAL 9 started Fire Relief Fund, which raised over $1,173,905 for the United Way’s Southern California Disaster Relief Fund. According to the United Way LA, this fund will “support our low-income neighbors whose lives and livelihoods are affected by the current wildfires in Southern California ... The fund primarily provides longer-term support to help low-income individuals and families rebuild their lives.” This was a multi-platform fundraising effort where individuals could call to donate, text, mail a check or donate online. Throughout the fundraiser, LA Rams players, as well as numerous celebrities, answered telephones to support the fundraising effort. Corporate donors stepped up to the plate as organizations such as IBM, JP Morgan Chase & Co., 21st Century Fox and many more donated generous amounts of money. According to the LA Rams website, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles will not only help others through their own organization but will also donate 25 percent of the funds raised in the Fire Relief Funds to the American Red Cross.

Photo by laurence cottrell

athletics affected by fire By karl winter

photos courtesy of Pepperdine athletics website The physical and emotional aftermath of the Borderline Shooting and the Woolsey Fire affected all aspects of Pepperdine life, including the various athletic teams. The threat of the fire on the Malibu campus and the resulting smoke gave fall and winter sports teams no choice but to reschedule, relocate or cancel games and practices. Despite the losses suffered by the Pepperdine community, including Athletics, players and coaches said the teams overcame chaotic circumstances. “We’ve got a lot of great people that focus on relationships and focus on who we are as people,” Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Scott Wong said. “To see [that response] after this is no surprise. It’s something that is so right on with Pepperdine; it’s not about where we are, but who we are.”

Women’s Volleyball The Women’s Volleyball team was in the heat of the West Coast Conference season with their eyes on the postseason when the Woolsey Fire began, so they attempted to remain focused. The Waves practiced Nov. 8 with emotions running high from the Borderline Shooting. As the fire struck the Malibu campus and the team evacuated, their scheduled Nov. 10 game against Loyola Marymount University was postponed to the following week. “How can you perform athletically when the emotions are that high?” Wong said. “There were a lot of people on our team that were processing things, and we all process things differently.” The team came together for practice Nov. 12 in San Clemente while uncertainty swirled about whether or not homes had been lost, Wong

said. They had a team breakfast that included prayer and working to move on.

NCAA Division 1 Selection Show the evening of Nov. 25.

“Things that came to light are ‘What do we have?’ ‘What are we thankful for?’” Wong said. “We have our health, we’re all safe. In the big picture of things, we didn’t lose much.”

Men’s Water Polo

Ultimately, none of the women or coaches lost their homes in the fire, and the team responded in a big way. They defeated Gonzaga, Portland and Loyola Marymount in succession in four days, despite the former two games being played at UCLA’s Wooden Center rather than Firestone Fieldhouse. The team defeated the University of San Diego 3-2 Tuesday on the road in their final regular season game for their fifth consecutive victory. The Waves finished the regular season 21-8 overall and in second place in the WCC, and after a few days off for the Thanksgiving holiday, they will return to practice Saturday. The Waves are making a strong case for an NCAA tournament appearance, and will find out if they have received an at-large bid on the

Waves Water Polo was also forced to complete the most important part of its season away from home. The team’s home Golden Coast Conference matchup against UC Santa Barbara scheduled for Nov. 10 was cancelled, and the entire GCC Tournament was moved away from Malibu. Pepperdine was originally slated to host the conference tournament at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool, but Pepperdine Athletics and the GCC moved it to Lindgren Aquatics Center at Long Beach State University. The Waves, seeded sixth in the country and second in the conference, fell at the hands of the Long Beach State 49ers 5-4 in the GCC semifinals before defeating the UC Irvine Anteaters 10-8 to finish third in the conference. The team finished its season with a record of 16-11 and ranked number eight nationally.

Men’s Basketball The Men’s Basketball team kicked off its season Nov. 7 with a big 100-66 victory over Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills, but were unable to enjoy the victory for long. “We’ve got a good, talented group here,” redshirt senior guard Eric Cooper. Jr. said after the win. “We just have to build on that and hopefully have a great season.” After the win, the team practiced Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 but the Woolsey Fire forced Pepperdine to postpone their scheduled home contest against Cal State Northridge until Dec. 3. The Nov. 9 practice actually took place in Firestone Fieldhouse while students were sheltering in the building from the fire and the power was out. The Waves have been mostly on the road since then, as they fell 88-80 at the hands of the Northern Colorado Bears in Greeley, Colorado on Nov. 13 before traveling to Nassau, Bahamas for the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase. The team won two of three games in the Bahamas to finish third in the tournament. Head Coach Lorenzo Romar, back for his second stint at Pepperdine, confirmed on Twitter that his home was not harmed in the fire “by the grace of God.” Catch the Waves when classes resume as they play Nov. 26 against Idaho State University at Firestone Fieldhouse.

caused Pepperdine Athletics to postpone the Waves’ Nov. 16 home game against UC Irvine to a later date. The entire team attended the Women’s Volleyball game Nov. 15 against Gonzaga to support their fellow Waves. They will now travel to San Luis Obispo for the ShareSLO Holiday Beach Classic, and they open the tournament Friday against Sacramento State.

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Fourteen members of the Cross Country teams traveled to Sacramento Nov. 8 for their final race of the season, the NCAA West Regional. Most of the runners never had a chance to return to the Malibu campus. Both teams raced on Nov. 9, wearing white ribbons on their uniforms to honor Alaina Housley and the Pepperdine community. The team sheltered in Bakersfield that night and watched the fires approach campus on television before scattering with friends and family in the following days. Four members of the men’s team, senior Nick Heath and juniors Jalen Frantal, Adam Fahey and Treet Allison, lost their home near Calamigos Ranch in the fire. Heath also lost his car. “I felt so powerless, like there was nothing really I could do,” said Heath, the team’s captain and only senior. “[We could] just hope and pray, but we couldn’t really change anything.”

Women’s Basketball

Pepperdine is offering the four runners a place on campus for the remainder of the 2018-19 school year.

The Women’s Basketball team also won its Nov. 7 season-opening game, defeating the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine 65-64 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Senior guard Paige Fecske led the Waves to the thrilling victory with a 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining.

“I was pretty impressed by how many donors came to support Pepperdine,” Heath said. “They raised so much money and stuff so fast. It was nice that a bunch of people from Pepperdine contacted me . . . it was really meaningful.”

However, unlike the men’s team, the women have not played since. The Woolsey Fire

Women’s Swim and Dive

The Swim and Dive teams practiced the morning of Nov. 8 as normal but not that afternoon. “We did not practice Thursday afternoon because of the shooting,” Head Coach Joe Spahn said. “We attended the athlete memorial service for Alaina and then our team did a team dinner that night just for team bonding.” The team was not able to practice on Nov. 9 or throughout the extended Thanksgiving break as most of the student-athletes went home. Spahn confirmed that a few of the women lost their homes in the Woolsey Fire and that his own house suffered smoke and ash damage. The teams will return to practice when classes resume and compete Nov. 30 at San Diego State University.

Men’s Volleyball The Men’s Volleyball team also practiced the morning of Nov. 8 as many of the players were initially hearing details about the Borderline Shooting. The next day, the team received the evacuation notice before they could begin practice in Firestone Fieldhouse. “Friday [Nov. 9] we came down for practice and the power was out,” sophomore setter Ben Hancock said. Since the evacuation of Malibu, the team has not been able to practice as the players have traveled home. Head Coach David Hunt said that Head Coach Emeritus Marv Dunphy successfully protected and saved his Malibu home from the Woolsey Fire. None of the other players or coaches lost homes or cars either. “Our team is resilient, finding comfort in the company of each other,” Hunt wrote in an email. “Pepperdine, as it has been for years, was a safe haven in the midst of chaos and uncertainty in the outside world.”

misinformation plagues pepperdine after fire By ella gonzalez

Photo by buddy kennedy The week of Nov. 5 was catastrophic. Even this word does not fully encapsulate what transpired or how the Pepperdine community has wrestled with the tragedies it has endured. Before students, faculty, staff and all of the Pepperdine community could fully process the aftermath of the Borderline shooting and the loss of freshman Alaina Housley, students awoke from their slumber confronted with the news to evacuate and relocate to Firestone Fieldhouse or the Tyler Campus Center. While the Woolsey Fire raged on and students received many updates from Pepperdine throughout Friday, criticism and misinformation spread like the wildfire ravaging Malibu. In an age of constant information, the experience lay bare how far we have to go to keep up with it. Media literacy won’t save us, but sure, it can certainly help. However, what will are the abstractions of trust and faith that demand more from us during these times. For most, the gravity of what was to come — loss of houses, and even what can now be viewed as the minor inconveniences of revised class schedules — was mitigated by the camp-like atmosphere among students: pillows and blankets set up in the gym, even a tent (laudable, indeed) for those who fully thought through the evacuation notice and grabbed the essentials. Throw in clusters of students playing volleyball and basketball and video footage of students singing

Photo by emmet pierson

in the cafeteria, and there you have something unmistakably Pepperdine about the reaction to all this—the remarkable ability to forge connection and retain more than a modicum of positivity in the midst of tragedy. Throughout the day, tweets with erroneous information about the fire, the school and law enforcement’s orders spread on Twitter. Among these tweets was the false “news” that Pepperdine University’s roof was on fire to reports that the campus was evacuating. The spread of information was not limited to the peanut gallery of Twitter, however, as KTLA news misreported (and later issued a correction) that students were being or-

Photo by skye uldrich

dered by law enforcement to leave

s Photo by BUDDY KENNEDY

ed students through the 1993 Old Topanga fire, Calabasas fire in 1996, and Canyon and Corral fires in 2007.

Concern for the safety of this option was evident, from the vociferous debate that followed on social media and even conversation among Pepperdine students. It seemed that some people were unsure about what the shelter-in-place policy entailed, possibly due to their own lack of information (and subsequent spreading of misinformation) symptomatic of personal anxieties and fears. campus. The reports, understandably, were alarming. Many individuals took to social media, some with a connection to the university, others merely strangers, to voice their concern about the fire and add their two cents about Pepperdine’s shelter-in-place policy. Pepperdine’s shelter-in place policy elicited the most criticism the past several days, and a host of articles from news outlets were quick to report on this criticism and the University’s response. To provide some historical background, the University, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, established the shelter-in-place protocol after the 1985 fire. The school, as well as the LA Fire Department, have safely followed this protocol and protect-

Some were concerned that Pepperdine should have to follow the same evacuation protocol as the rest of the Malibu. Members of the Malibu community convened on Sunday, some contending that Pepperdine diverted resources from the rest of the Malibu community, according to a Los Angeles Times article. This, however, was incorrect as Pepperdine did not receive any additional resources because of the shelter-in-place policy, according to Phil Phillips, the vice president of administration. The most worrisome issue with this debate derives not from the question of whether there are safer or more equitable options than the shelter-in-place option, but from the suggestion that the university, especially one as student-focused as Pepperdine, would put their students’ lives at risk or compromise their integrity by doing anything but offer the best for its students. This is, after all, the same university where faculty and staff convene in the cafeteria before finals to serve students a late-night breakfast;

the same university that welcomes students into its arms with, yes, a barrage of overly excited students at NSO but also into the house of the president, which would be bookended their senior year. Parents trust Pepperdine with the lives of their daughters and sons, and students trust Pepperdine with their own lives. That trust is rooted in Pepperdine’s strong track record and experience in dealing with natural disasters with clear communication, attention to safety and, most of all, with the love and community that are the hallmarks of Pepperdine’s mission. Professors offered their houses, gave their personal phone numbers, wrote lengthy and thoughtful emails, and the community was brought together through this kindness that somehow grows and permeates in the midst of tragedy. But this is not time to demonize those that spread misinformation and criticism either. The trend of “fake news” in the genuine (and not Donald Trump) sense, is endemic in our digital age, it just became more pronounced because it is an issue and most of all a place that is close to us. Time and time again, George Pepperdine’s motto “Freely ye received, freely give” is invoked to capitalize on its relationship to some aspect about Pepperdine—pejorative or not. Perhaps this time, we can heed the wisdom in this motto that is plastered on the wall as we make our way out of the cafeteria. It’s not a hollow maxim, but one we should undertake in order to fully give back to the University that has given so much to us. What we gave Pepperdine is our life, and what we received in return for our trust, love, faith, and strength, is just that.

Pepperdine deals with the new

Abnormal 58

The 72 hours following Nov. 8 seemed a never-ending nightmare, beginning with the senseless shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks. No sooner was the loss of Alaina Housley announced when word of the first flames of the Woolsey Fire reached campus, the Santa Ana winds pushing the blaze toward campus. Since Friday’s evacuations, flames consumed hundreds of structures and homes, many of them belonging to Pepperdine students, faculty, staff or their families. Malibu’s ocean blues and palm greens became overshadowed by thick heavy gray smoke and the orange-red blaze. The Pepperdine community will forever hold memories clouded with the smoke from the fires and the shooting at Borderline Bar. These events hold roles as defining moments in which students can draw strength and resilience from instead of weakness. Such strength can only happen after one heals and reestablishes a sense of safety. Life after trauma involves finding healing for the soul, the body and the mind. Pepperdine students, instead of striving to find a new normal, should realize that this is a new abnormal. For students like Pepperdine senior Monica Pereda, the trauma has been all too real. On Oct. 1, 2017, the largest mass shooting in America’s history occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada, resulting in 59 killed. Pereda’s mother attended the event and suffered a bullet wound to the arm. Pereda said she was supposed to attend Route 91 as well. However, she could not miss school. An almost deja vu experience occurred for Pereda in regard to the mass shooting that killed 12 at Borderline on Nov. 8, 2018, an event Pereda said she almost attended as well if it were not for an exam. “I was sound asleep when people first started messaging me, including my mom and best friend,” Pereda said. “My reaction to this specific shooting was numbness. It was difficult dealing with another mass shooting, but I became more frustrated with myself for letting the shooting feel like just another day.” “I was sound asleep when people first started messaging me, including my mom and best friend,” Pereda said. “My reaction to this specific shooting was numbness. It was difficult dealing with another mass shooting, but I became more frustrated with myself for letting the shooting feel like just another day.”

By anastassia kostin photos By kaelin mendez

Pereda’s concerns about whether anything is being done to change the status quo echoes similar sentiments by many others who have fallen victim to going through the motions and

becoming desensitized to the shootings. A staggering 308 shootings took this year as of Nov. 12, 2018, according to ABC News. Pereda said she thinks because the shooting and fires took place in Malibu’s backyard, many students were caught off-guard. “You can advocate for these shootings to be stopped in a number of ways, but when you have a personal relationship to the shooting, things change,” Pereda said. “This was many people’s first experience with a mass shooting, therefore the effects were extraneous.” Pepperdine freshman Annabelle Childers was present at the Borderline shooting and recounted the emotions she felt after the fact. “So far, I have felt very numb to a lot of things,” Childers wrote. “I don’t cry much, but I feel really tired a lot of the time. Talking to lots of people for extended periods of time is really draining at this time, which is a surprise because it has never been hard for me in the past.” Pepperdine freshman Annabelle Childers was present at the Borderline shooting and recounted the emotions she felt after the fact. “So far, I have felt very numb to a lot of things,” Childers wrote. “I don’t cry much, but I feel really tired a lot of the time. Talking to lots of people for extended periods of time is really draining at this time, which is a surprise because it has never been hard for me in the past.” What helped Childers, and four other friends that were with her at Borderline, was seeing a counselor at the Pepperdine Counseling Center. “We talked to a professional trauma counselor that told us all of the ways that people react to trauma and what we could expect for the future,” Childers said. “We learned that everyone processes trauma differently and our reactions could take different or multiple forms.” Shelle Welty is a psychologist and associate director of the Pepperdine Counseling Center. She analyzed the effects these recent traumatic events can have on students and how to move forward. Welty said a traumatic event is formally defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as one of the following: 1) an individual’s life was in danger 2) an individual’s life was threatened 3) serious injury was experienced by an individual 4) an individual experienced sexual violence

Welty said the primary responses to such traumatic events are feelings of horror, helplessness, isolation and the loss of power and control. “Therefore, recovery moves a traumatized individual toward feelings of safety and empowerment,” Welty wrote in an email. “The severity and type of trauma will affect the length of time expected for recovery.” The best way to approach recovery is in stages, Welty wrote. “The most important step is the re-establishment of safety,” Welty wrote. “Traumatized individuals tend to feel unsafe in their own bodies, in their relationships and in the world in general. It is important for them to first learn ways of stabilizing their physical and emotional symptoms in order to feel more safety in their own bodies and control over their lives.” After there is a more consistent feeling of safety, it is important for traumatized individuals to put words and emotions to their experiences. “This allows them to make meaning of what happened and integrate it into the greater narrative of their lives,” Welty wrote. “It is a time of remembering their strengths and mourning their losses.” After there is a more consistent feeling of safety, it is important for traumatized individuals

to put words and emotions to their experiences. “This allows them to make meaning of what happened and integrate it into the greater narrative of their lives,” Welty wrote. “It is a time of remembering their strengths and mourning their losses.” The final step involves moving forward in life with a new understanding of one’s self and the future. “Individuals in this phase will begin to develop meaningful relationships out of their new narrative of themselves and the world,” Welty wrote. “The trauma is now part of their life story but not all of it. While memories and some effects of the trauma may still exist, the individual is still able to move forward in a way that is empowered and meaningful.” t is important to realize that there are things that students do not have control over but also things that students can control and make progress in, like physical health. As healing is a multifaceted process, perhaps it can be more easily understood if broken up into the following categories: healing the body, mind and spirit.

The Body The body is a great starting point for the reestablishing the feelings of safety, which Welty mentioned as the most important step. “Traumatized individuals can find empowerment in learning to calm and understand their bodies,” Welty wrote. “This involves returning to regular bodily rhythms, such as regular schedules for eating, sleeping and exercising.” As strange as it may seem, returning to a routine helps foster that feeling of safety. “The body has been thrown into survival mode and needs to be assured that the individual is now safe and that basic needs will arrive on a predictable schedule,” Welty wrote. Healing the body can also include spending time with relaxed and attuned people.

“Incorporating regular social times with the same people also helps restore calm,” Welty said. “A regular practice of mindfulness and meditation will also, over time, provide a greater sense of calm and empowerment.”

The Mind After dealing with shootings where lives are lost or going through natural disasters where material possessions are compromised, one can find strength in community. Intentionally surrounding oneself with people who are reassuring and comforting is an integral step to take. Following both shootings, Pereda said her family spent the days together to regroup and find ways to deal with the trauma. “Some family members felt angry, some felt sadness and some just shut down,” Pereda said. “There isn’t a specific feeling a mass shooting causes or a specific reaction that occurs. Every human being is different.” Pereda said that surrounding herself with family helped provide her with peace and comfort. “I needed to be with my mom, my sisters and my brother to feel safe,” Pereda said. “Every person must find that sense of comfort in order to stabilize their mental health. Crying is OK. Shutting down is OK. But each person must be proactive in taking care of their own needs and those of their friends.” Other sources of comfort can come from talking with friends dealing with the same situations, or even engaging with animals. Mini Therapy Horses, a nonprofit charity, for example, has mini horses on-call 24-7 to provide comfort to those involved in traumatic incidents. They were present at the blood drives set up following the Borderline shooting. Welty wrote that traumatized individuals will need to be intentional about understanding the world in new ways. “The safety of community can provide spaces for them to renew their trust in other people and express and understand the traumatic circumstances more clearly,” Welty wrote. “Traumatized individuals will benefit from choosing a few trusted friends, mentors and spiritual leaders who can walk with them in the weeks and months following a traumatic event.” The Pepperdine Counseling Center continues to be a resource for students, and is reachable at 310.506.4210 or student.counseling.center@pepperdine.edu. The Counseling Center provides free, confidential emotional/psychological support to all Pepperdine students.

“Traumatized individuals can expect to experience their spiritual beliefs and communities in new ways after a trauma,” Welty wrote. “This can feel disorienting and sometimes feels as if their spiritual foundation has let them down. It is their spiritual communities and beliefs that can ground them at this time though, if they allow themselves to be honest with themselves, God, and their communities and move forward into a new, possibly deeper understanding of their faith.”

“Most will benefit from counseling to help them express and think in new ways about the events that have occurred,” Welty said. “While space to regroup and find calm is helpful, too much isolation can be detrimental to a traumatized individual. Finding a regular rhythm with trusted friends and groups of people can help to restore trust and feelings of initiative and empowerment.”

The Spirit Students took to social media following the traumatic events to find answers in the midst of shock and grief. “At first, it was, ‘God, what?’” senior Megan House wrote in an Instagram post accompanying a shocking picture of smoke rising above Malibu. “Then as confusion and shock turned into broken-hearted grief, it was ‘God, why?’ And then came the exhaustion and wide eyed wonder and it became ‘God, who?” Students can expect a traumatic event to shake the foundations of their life, including their understanding of God, faith, and fellow believers, Welty wrote. “Regardless of particular religious/spiritual beliefs, a loss of faith in the benevolence of the universe/other people/God can leave a traumatized individual feeling at a complete loss when looking for a place of security, stability, and peace,” Welty wrote. However, regardless of what religious tradition or spiritual foundation one follows, each comes out of a desire to understand the place of human beings in the universe. This means such foundations can also offer direction for dealing with the loss of understanding and confusion that accompanies trauma.

Pastoral support is available to the Pepperdine community through the Office of the Chaplain. Students can contact Chaplain Sara Barton at sara.barton@ pepperdine.edu or Associate Chaplain Eric Wilson at eric.wilson@pepperdine.edu. Spaces like the prayer service honoring Borderline shooting victims allowed students to come together to unite, pray and mourn. Similar opportunities to get together with others affected by either the Borderline shooting or Woosley fires, took place. Santa Monica High School put on a Friendsgiving Nov. 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. for all impacted staff and families from the Malibu area. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, organizations including City of Malibu, Malibu Chamber of Commerce, Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue, Malibu United Methodist Church and Pepperdine hosted a Malibu Strong Community Thanksgiving from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Waves Cafe. On Nov. 18, 1000 people gathered at Vintage High School to remember the life of Alaina Housley, the freshman Pepperdine that died in the Borderline shooting who was also a daughter, sister and friend. At the event, Arik Housley urged the audience to “put down your phones” and take an interest in their families and those around them. A memorial service honoring the life of Alaina Housley will be held at 9:30 AM on Wednesday, November 28, at Pepperdine’s Firestone Fieldhouse. Events such as these can help students and families find direction in such a time of uncertainty and questioning. “Allowing the struggle and expression of frustrations and disappointments in a safe community will lead toward a new understanding of their spiritual lives that fits with their new experiences,” Welty wrote.

Sarah Stone Watt, Communication Division divisional dean, echoed the idea of intentionally making time to reconnect with others. Stone Watt said she has benefited from opportunities to connect with friends, family, and her church community in the week following the traumatic events. “Talking through what has happened, listening to friends’ experiences, praying and worshiping together and finding ways to meet needs in our community have all been healing for me,” Stone Watt wrote in an email.

Returning to a New Abnormal As students return to campus, the hope is that students recognize that everyone on campus will be processing grief and traumatic events, and that they are not alone. “I hope that they will notice that everyone on our campus, from their fellow students to professors, administrators, chaplains and staff are part of a community that is in this together,” Stone Watt wrote. “Most of all, I hope that they will feel comfortable talking to someone in this community about what they are experiencing, and feel open to accessing the resources available to help them.” As students return to a regular schedule, Pereda hopes students do not forget what has taken place at Pepperdine and the surrounding community, especially in regards to the Borderline shooting. “These mass shootings receive attention for maybe 24 hours; however, the world moves on,” Pereda said. “I am proud of the Pepperdine community for mourning and creating a community after the shooting, however, even if their attempts were overshadowed by the wildfires.” The Pepperdine community truly remains strong and is ready to rebuild. The Unite Pepp Movement, led by seniors Elijah Zoarski and Julia Donlon, created a video made of several clips from the fires and shootings with voiceovers of Pepperdine students to show that Pepperdine remains an unbroken community. With school starting up again on Nov. 26, Welty wrote that Pepperdine needs to be a trustworthy community to one another, acting with kindness and compassion as everyone does their best to cope with all that has happened. “In this place where we, as a community, find ourselves, we are all trying to figure out how best to cope, help others and meet the demands of school,” Welty wrote. “We will all make mistakes as we do this. We all need to be forgiving of ourselves and others as we move forward together.”

Heroes Garden photos By kaelin mendez

Before.

After.