Pepperdine Graphic 2-20-2020

THE PEPPERDINE GRAPHIC VOLUME XLIX

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ISSUE 15 |

February 20, 2020

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Milan loiacono | Photo Editor Night Crime | A transient man broke into the apartment of a Pepperdine student at the Malibu Canyon Village Apartments (“The Stinkies”) and sexually assaulted her.

The suspect, who has since been apprehended, climbed into the complex through a hole in the fence and entered the apartment.

L indsey Su llivan ASS I S TA N T N e wS E D ITOR A transient man accused of breaking into a student’s off-campus apartment was arrested Wednesday, Feb. 19, on suspicion of sexual assault with intent to commit a sex crime.

The LA County Sheriff’s Department arrested Matthew Fairchild, 34, near the 19100 block of PCH on Wednesday morning. He is being held on $1 million bail.

At the time of the incident, the suspect appeared to be intoxicated and was hovering over the student’s bed when she awoke to him poking at her side around 4 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8.

The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, lives in the Malibu Canyon Village apartment complex, home to other Pepperdine students and commonly known as “The Stinkies.” The complex is less than a mile

from campus and is guarded by a security gate and 24/7 security cameras.

The suspect has a history with the criminal justice system. In July 2018, Fairchild was arrested and pled nolo contendere for counts of assault, meaning Fairchild conceded the charge without admitting guilt.

In May 2018, Fairchild was arrested on a count prohibiting sitting or lying in downtown Santa Monica at night, a count from which he was later dismissed.

The student said she was alone the night of the break-in, leaving her apartment’s front door unlocked for her roommate.

“It was absolutely terrifying,” the student said. “In the situation, I completely froze. I couldn’t scream or anything — I also didn’t want to set him off; I didn’t know what he was there for or what he was capable of.”

The student said she was unable to speak in her state of shock but pointed to the bedroom door. The man ran out of the apart-

ment, apologizing and explaining that he was drunk and in need of help.

Camera footage captured the transient man sneaking through a hole in the barbed wire fence surrounding the outer portion of the complex. It also caught the man attempting and failing to enter several other apartments before entering the student’s apartment.

The student contacted police the day of the break-in. She said one of the most troubling parts of the situation was the dissatisfaction she felt with the police’s efforts to ensure her safety.

“They kind of brushed it off and were like, ‘What do you want us to do about it?’” the student said. “They said that since there was no sign of a disturbance, and [the intruder] was nice about it and wasn’t very violent, that there was really not a whole lot they could do about it.”

The student said she wishes there had

been a female police officer present during the initial investigation and questioning.

“It seemed like the officers weren’t fully grasping the fear and trauma that can occur,” the student said. “Especially when you are someone [like me] who absolutely cannot fight back and is caught in a really vulnerable position, such as sleeping in your own bed.

I can’t help but think that maybe a woman would have made sure to be more diligent with the process.”

Apartment management has since fixed the hole in the fence where the suspect entered. Several other transient people — who allegedly live in a field behind the apartment — had access to the inside of the complex through the broken fence.

“It’s been really, really frustrating, but I’m just glad that nothing more severe happened and that this can be a learning experience,

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Student Loneliness Taskforce addresses rising feelings of isolation on campus Emily shaw N e ws A ssista n t Across the nation, loneliness has become increasingly apparent among college students, and schools have been working to address the issue. Pepperdine is no exception.

According to a National College Health Assessment Spring 2019 survey, 68% of Pepperdine student expressed they had “felt very lonely,” which is 3% higher than the national average.

In response to this concerning statistic, Connie Horton, vice president for Student Affairs, started the Student Loneliness and Community Task Force, among other task forces, in the 2018–2019 school year to confront this issue. “[Loneliness at Pepperdine] is not markedly higher [than the national average],” Horton said, “but it is higher, and that’s not who we want to be.”

Horton said these task forces aim to bring together full-time professional staff in Stu-

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dent Affairs across departments and levels to tackle various challenges and propose ideas.

“The idea is there’s some sort of steady challenges that we deal with as a community at Pepperdine, that student affairs is involved with, that I wanted to get some creative thinking going on,” Horton said.

Lucy Man, co-chair of the Student Loneliness and Community Task Force, said the goal for the task force this year is to learn more about loneliness and community specifically at Pepperdine.

Natalie Hagedorn, administrative coordinator for the Student Care Team, Title IX and Operations Planning and Assessment, is also co-chair of the task force.

Hagedorn said the task force last year identified two different dimensions to loneliness they found on campus: social loneliness, which is feeling disconnected due to having a lack of friends or people one can go to; and emotional loneliness, which is having

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News

Pe r s pe ct iv e s

68% of Pepperdine student express they feel “very lonely.”

3% higher than the national average.

When you read a Graphic article, a great deal of thought and care has gone on behind the scenes.

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Pepperdine, adjunct A5- If Pepperdine does not B2A5- At professors earn an draw a line for sexaverage salary of $24,068.

thethe waves waves report report

Gabby DiGiovanni | Staff artist

traffickers or impeached presidents, who will they draw a line for?

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L if e & A r t s

SP ORTS

The city’s annual film festival brings independent filmmakers and moviegoers to Malibu.

Men’s Volleyball won two home matches, beating Concordia-Irvine in five and sweeping USC.

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this we e k o n the g rap h T he g r ap hi c’s Ne ws P o d c ast

Basketball split Pepperdine’s newest B4- Men’s two home games in an fraternity on campus exciting week. highlights professional and community goals for science majors.

Sat:SAT: 3-51ftft

sun: SUN:3-5 1-2ft ft

Mon: MON:2-4 1 ftft

A Crime at Stinkies Lindsey Sullivan reports on the arrest of a man suspectd of assaulting a Pepperdine student just miles from campus.

Available anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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THE DPS REPORTS

REPORTER

THOUGHTS Your data privacy matters

v e r n i e cova rrub ia s N e ws a s sistant Since the start of the new year, California internet surfers may have noticed a new pop-up when opening a webpage: “Do Not Sell My Personal Info.”

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants users the right to request a list of the personal data a company has stored and which third-party vendors the information is shared with. The law also allows consumers to opt out of letting businesses sell their data and request for businesses to delete their information.

Regulation for the CCPA is sporadic; California’s attorney general will conduct only three enforcement actions per year, according to NPR. Additionally, the law does not stop businesses from collecting your data in the first place. In order to access your private information, opt out of it being sold or request a business to delete your information, you would have to reach out to every individual company whose website you have ever accessed.

While the CCPA is a step in the right direction for a safer digital world, it places the burden on an often unaware consumer to opt out.

It is possible companies have access to your creditworthiness, your physical mailing address, your order at a restaurant you visited three years ago or the in-app messages you sent to an Airbnb host, according to The New York Times.

As consumers, we need to be aware of the personal data available to companies and take advantage of the rights the CCPA protects.

Technology is evolving rapidly, and regulation can’t keep up.

We make a trade-off when we sign up for technology. We get free content in exchange for our data. But this deal is nefarious if we don’t know about it.

The Snowden revelations uncovered data breaches in 2013. The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed more in 2018. It happened then, and it can happen again.

It is more important now than ever to protect your data privacy.

You wouldn’t hand out slips of paper with your full name, phone number and address to strangers on the street. So why let companies sell — and potentially misuse — all of this and more?

VER NETTA.COVAR R U BI A S@ P E P P E R DINE . E DU

Check out pepperdine.edu/publicsafety for the DPS Reports every week

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This week In SGA

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Crime: Traffic-Related - Traffic Enforcement - Reckless Driving Location: John Tyler Drive

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2/16/20 12:39 p.m.

Crime: Drug Related - Possesion of Drug Paraphernelia Location: Seaside Residence Hall

Passed a resolution to host a Good Samaritan Policy forum.

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2/16/20 6:41 p.m.

Crime: Alcohol-Related/ Non-Criminal - Possession of Alcohol on Camous Location: Seaside Residence Hall

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2/17/20 10:01 a.m.

Crime: Obscene/Threatening Phone Call Location: Caruso School of Law

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2/18/20 5:30 p.m.

Crime: Vandilism Location: Drescher Apartments

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UPCOMING EVENTS THIS SEMESTER What: W e shall over come WheN: 3/8 wher e: S mother s theatr e

Wh at: or igins and history of mass incar cer ation Wh e N: 3/16 wh e re : Classr oom D

Wh at: Songf es t Wh e N: 3/18 wh e re : smot hers t heat re

W hat: what ’s nex t f or dac a?

W he N: 3 / 2 3 w he r e : c l as s room c

W hat: j oan os b orne/ t he weep i es W he N: 3 / 3 1 w he r e : s mot hers t heat re

c onvo c re dit and othe r e ve n ts this w e e k FRI 21

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THURS W hat: c ommu ni t y c hap el W he n: 6 P. M. w he r e : f i res i de room

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What: c e l ebr ation chapel When: 10 a.m.

Wher e: Amphitheater

What: spanish chapel When: 10:10 a.m.

Where: stauffer chapel

wh at: Ger ma n C hap el Wh e n: 10 a.m .

Wh e re : Stau f f er C hap el

W hat: wednes day c hap el W he n: 1 0 a. m.

W he r e : f i res t one f i el dhou s e

What: A r abic chapel When: 1 p.m.

Wher e: PLC 104

What: Dean’s speaker series panel When: 12:30 p.m.

Where: caruso auditorium

wh at: Italia n c hap el Wh e n: 3 p.m.

Wh e re : Stau f f er C hap el

W hat: C hi nes e c hap el W he n: 1 1 : 05 a. m.

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wh at: commu ni t y c hap el Wh e n: 6:30 p. m.

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Former Pepperdine professor removed from Trump Admin.

Ky le M c Cabe ass i s tant news e dit or A former Pepperdine professor was placed on administrative leave from the White House National Security Council on Jan. 17.

Officials escorted National Security Council’s senior director for European and Russian Affairs off White House grounds Jan. 17. The director, Andrew Peek, taught at Pepperdine’s Washington D.C. program for a year and a half between 2015 and 2017.

Peek has not publicly commented since Axios first reported he had been placed on administrative leave pending a security-related investigation.

Pepperdine senior Hunter Williams had Peek as a professor in D.C. during the Fall 2016 semester. “[Leaving] is fairly par for the position, it seems,” Williams said. “[Since] the [Trump] administration has been in place, they’ve had a lot of trouble filling the NSC.” Peek was the third person under the Trump administration to hold the Europe and Russia position on the National Security Council (NSC). His two predecessors, Tim Morrison and Fiona Hill, both stepped down from the position in 2019 and testified before the House of Representatives in the impeachment proceedings against President Trump.

Peek taught Williams in International Relations.

“I thought he was really cool,” Williams said. “He’s obviously pretty knowledge-

able on the subject … so I really appreciated his experience.”

Peek graduated from Princeton and earned a master’s degree in International Security from Harvard. He went on to work as a national security and foreign policy assistant to multiple U.S. Senators and serve as an army intelligence officer.

“It is common among universities in D.C. to hire faculty who have a combination of both professional policy and academic credentials — especially in the fields of public policy and foreign affairs,” D.C. Program Director Brian Swarts wrote in an email.

Williams said Peek’s experience and teaching style made him one of his favorite professors at Pepperdine.

“He really enjoyed discussing the actual application of the subject,” Williams said. “We would talk about something in class in the theory of international relations, and then we would talk about specific examples and how they manifested themselves.”

Williams said his relationship with Peek was limited to the classroom for the most part but that they would see each other around D.C. at networking opportunities.

“You hate to see somebody be [in the White House] and then not be there, especially somebody [who taught] you at one point,” Williams said. “It’s pretty cool to say that you had this person as a professor.”

After leaving Peppedine’s

courtesy of jean beaufort Light it Up | Lights illuminate the White House after dark. Officials escorted former Pepperdine Professor Andrew Peek off of White House grounds Jan. 17.

D.C. program, Peek joined President Trump’s transition team as a foreign policy adviser. He then took a presidential appointee position as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

He held the position for two years before joining the National Security Council, although the Department of State’s website still lists him in his old bureau position.

Williams said a majority of Peek’s class centered

around Iraq, Iran and Russia.

Peek’s post-Pepperdine jobs centered around those regions as well.

Peek’s three months on the NSC ended before the impeachment trial of President Trump concluded. Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman served as the director of European Affairs on the NSC from July 2018 to Feb. 7, 2019 — less than two days after Trump’s acquittal and the same day the White House removed Gordon D. Sondland from his post as the U.S.

ambassador to the European Union.

Just like Morrison and Hill, Vindman and Sondland testified in the House for the impeachment inquiry. Democrats pointed to comments President Trump made at the National Prayer Breakfast as evidence that Vindman and Sondland lost their jobs due to their testimony.

“There is no question in the mind of any American why this man’s job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it

at the White House,” Vindman’s lawyer David Pressman said to reporters in a statement.

The White House has not yet filled Peek, Vindman or Sondland’s positions. There is an ongoing security-related investigation into Peek, but the President’s prediction that the military would investigate Vindman will not occur, according to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy.

K YL E.J.M C C ABE@PEPPER DINE.EDU

LONELY: Administration responds F RO M A1

milan loiacono |photo editor The Stinkies | An unlocked door stands cracked open at the Malibu Canyon Village Apartments, “The Stinkies,” located less than a mile from campus.

The suspect entered the complex Feb. 8 through a hole in the barbed wire fence, which has since been repaired, and entered the apartment through an unlocked door.

STINKIES: Suspect in custody FROM A1 and the community where I live is a lot safer,” the student said. “They are definitely taking a lot more measures to ensure the safety of residents, which I think is really important.”

Management of the apartment building declined to comment on the situation. The HOA and Lost Hills Sheriff’s Dept. did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Junior Grace Benner, who lives in the apartment adjacent to the location of the break-in, said apartment security sent out a notice to all residents about the break-in the next day, cautioning them to keep their doors locked. Benner also said she and her

roommates were shocked to hear about what happened to their neighbor.

“We were all like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that happened and our apartment could have been next,’” Benner said.

Benner said she and her roommates installed an additional security system in their apartment to alleviate some of the fear caused by the break-in.

“We were really worried that it was just one girl [in the apartment] — we couldn’t imagine that,” Benner said. “We had a lot of compassion ... because that would be really scary for that to happen when you’re by yourself.”

L I N D S E Y.S U L L I VA N @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

friends or being involved and still feeling unknown or lonely.

“If your car broke down tonight, who would you call? So social loneliness would be like, ‘I don’t think I have anyone I could call,’ whereas emotional loneliness is more like, ‘I’m in a room full of people, but I still feel lonely,’” Hagedorn said.

Man said the task force this year will have focus groups to hear from Pepperdine students on whether they relate with those definitions of loneliness and how.

“For now, our action items are to do the focus groups to hear from our students and to engage more of the community,” Man said.

“We’re hoping, out of the focus groups, that students might be able to identify ways where they’ve been impacted with their loneliness.”

Hagedorn said there will be multiple focus groups distinguished by year: freshmen and sophomores, juniors and seniors, and graduate students. The focus groups create a space for students to have an open dialogue about loneliness, and then the task force analyze the data they get out of the groups.

“We’re kind of taking a look at those alarming statistics and wanting to see what that looks like in practice at Pepperdine,” Hagedorn said.

The focus groups will occur March 23–26 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and are open to everyone. Dinner will also be provided.

Stacey Lee — health, wellness and resilience education program coordinator — said she thinks Pepperdine has been consistently higher than the national average in loneliness due to a campus culture of feeling a constant pressure to achieve at a high level.

“Students are such high achievers and are over involved, overcommitted, but something isn’t clicking right,” Lee said. “They’re involved in so much, but they’re not being

seen or feeling seen or heard.”

Hagedorn said she also thinks social media is another major proponent that fosters a greater sense of loneliness. A cultural shift on campus ultimately requires the efforts of students.

Lee said there are many students and staff, including SGA and SWAB, involved in the effort to address loneliness on campus, which gives her hope.

Hagedorn said the task force is also partnering with Professor of Psychology KhanhVan Bui, who has done a lot of work and reali levens | page designer search on the topic of loneliness and student experience.

“Over and over again, research shows social support is for sure one of the biggest differences in resilience predictions,” Horton said. “Loneliness not only is its own kind of suffering, but it also makes it difficult to navigate other challenges.”

Lee said a step students can take is by going to group counseling at the Counseling Center, which creates a space to gain support and get to know people with similar interests and experiences.

“Many of [our students] are so great about even traveling the world to make a difference on a social justice issue or something you care about,” Horton said. “But sometimes, it also is like walking across the cafeteria and saying hi to somebody that you don’t know very well but maybe could use a friend right now.”

Horton said she encourages students to also consider what they can do to address this issue on campus to have meaningful relationships, such as by being more intentional to look out for one another, taking risks to open up more or cutting back on a couple of activities.

“Clearly, relationships matter,” Horton said.

EM ILY.C.SHAW @PEPPER DINE.EDU

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National Prayer Breakfast Hosts Pepperdine Students V er nie C ovar ru bias new s as si sta n t

Four Pepperdine students sat among President Donald Trump, diplomats from over 120 countries and members of Congress at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 6 in Washington, D.C. An invitation-only event, the National Prayer Breakfast conference hosted over 3,500 people and featured a keynote speech by Harvard professor and Washington Post columnist Arthur Brooks. Pepperdine students Scottie Sandlin, Esther Chung, Elizabeth Chung and Connor Bass attended.

College students who attended the National Student Leadership Forum in October 2019 and received a nomination from a prior attendee were eligible to apply for an invitation.

“It felt like I was being a part of a moment in history where people will talk about it and you can say, ‘I was there — I felt the room,’” senior Elizabeth Chung said. “It was amazing.”

Elizabeth Chung said the event centered around a theme of bringing people of all faiths together through reconciliation this year.

“The only way we can reconcile is to really look at the people who

are being persecuted by their religion, because that happens everywhere in the world, no matter what religion you are,” Elizabeth Chung said. “The way we need to come and unite is by ... asking for forgiveness and reflecting on those people who have sacrificed so much for us.”

Junior Scottie Sandlin said the conference offered a space for people to reflect and pray on the theme of reconciliation “I think it’s a place to come together in fellowship and camaraderie and establish a foundation that builds on the teachings of Jesus,” Sandlin said.

Multiple university departments, including the Office of Student Affairs and the President’s Office, provided funding for the four students to attend the National Prayer Breakfast.

In his keynote speech, Brooks said the polarization of current political divisiveness creates an opportunity for people of faith to seek unity.

“Contempt is ripping our country apart,” Brooks said. “Jesus in the gospel of Matthew didn’t say, ‘Tolerate your enemies.’ He said, ‘Love your enemies.’ Love them. Answer hatred with love.”

Following Brooks’ speech, Trump gave his remarks and said he dis-

agreed with Brooks.

“I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong,” Trump said.

“Nor do I like people who say, ‘I pray for you,’ when they know that that’s not so.”

The remarks came a day after a Senate impeachment trial in which Trump was acquitted.

Elizabeth Chung’s sister, senior Esther Chung, also attended the conference.

“I met a senator from the Bahamas and a state attorney from the Bahamas,” Esther Chung said. “It was really cool because I got to have interesting conversations with them.”

Elizabeth Chung said the opportunity to meet influential people from around the world was a humbling experience.

“It was an honor to represent Pepperdine University and attend that conference,” Elizabeth Chung said. “It was just so refreshing to talk to people who do incredible things in their daily lives but also just have a meal with them just share day-to-day life stories.”

Sandlin said she would encourage others to seek out similar experiences to hers at the National Prayer Breakfast.

“Pepperdine is amaz-

ing at letting us go to things like this,” Sandlin said. “Seeking leadership opportunities outside of campus can be really instrumental in challenging ourselves and pushing ourselves outside our own comfort zone.”

At Pepperdine, Elizabeth Chung said she hopes to bring back lessons she learned from listening to the speakers.

“I think the biggest thing that I decided to apply to my life is really to invest in my relationships,” Elizabeth Chung said. “Whether it is through forgiving each other or just being vulnerable with each other, you really need to deepen your relationships in order to forgive.”

Esther Chung said she plans to nominate other students so that Pepperdine can be continued to be represented on a national level.

“I would actually really love to see more Pepperdine students go to these types of events,” Esther Chung said. “I think Pepperdine can actually bring in more diversity to the National Student Leadership Forum because [the Forum] can be very niche.”

Esther Chung said she observed that generations of families are continually invited to attend the conference.

courtesy of elizabeth chung National Breakfast Buddies | (Left to right) Esther Chung, Carly Sandlin and Elizabeth Chung pose for a picture. The trio attended the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. “I think Pepperdine can bring a lot of different perspectives and

a lot of diversity into those groups,” Esther Chung said.

V ER NIE.C OVAR R UBIAS @PEPPER DINE.EDU

Center for Sustainability plans to install new electronic charging stations julie l ee new s w rit e r The Center for Sustainability is responding to requests for electric charging stations by installing 10 at the Drescher Graduate Campus.

The stations are to be installed in Parking Lot S in Spring 2020. The three pre-existing charging stations located at Rho Lot and Seaver Main Lot have saved 29,783 kilograms of carbon emissions, according to an email from the Center for Sustainability.

Students, employees and faculty are allowed one free Electric Vehicle (EV) charging session for up to four hours each day. The Center for Sustainability decided to apply for a grant from the university that would fund the expansion

I love that they’re trying to be sustainable and move toward the right direction. ashley Choo, senior and ev owner

after community members reached out to share their desire for more charging stations.

The Center for Sustainability wrote, “We are adding more charging stations as a response to the community demand. We noticed an increase in electric vehicles and want to support our community members’ needs and further incentivize a ‘greener’ commute.”

EV drivers charge their vehicles according to the order on the ChargePoint app waitlist. The additional charging stations are installed, EV drivers will experience a shorter waiting period and can charge their cars faster.

“I love that they’re trying to be sustainable and move toward the right direction.

With the whole parking issue, I think there is a broader [problem] though,” EV owner and senior Ashley Choo said. “Personally, I would say they need to work on [the lack of] parking first and then EV spots after they have solidified that. Parking has been a really big issue for a lot of students. I feel like they need to tackle that issue first before even thinking about sustainability, but it is good that they have that in mind.”

Students who do not own electric cars are also excited to see the additional charging stations being added to campus.

“I don’t have an electric car, so when I saw [that more EV spots are being added], I didn’t think much of it, and then I thought of the greater impact that it’s having and how it’s becoming more ac-

julie lee | news writer It’s Electric! | An electric charger sits in Rho Parking Lot, ready to be used by eco-friendly motorists.

The Center for Sustainability announced they will install more chargers on the Drescher campus. cessible,” President of the Green Team Scottie Sandlin said. “I think it goes hand in hand with last semester’s partnership with Hyundai.

They had their electric cars on campus, so I think it’s cool that we’re actually seeing action happen after that campaign.”

Pepperdine also offers a Sustainable Commute Program for those without electric vehicles who wish to commute sustainably. Staff and faculty can ride the bus or shuttle, carpool with others, join the university’s vanpool, ride their bike or walk.

Participants then complete a tracking form to mark what days they utilized an alternative commute. Those who participate 10 or more times are entered into a monthly raffle for a prize.

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100-day challenge to focus on Malibu homelessness b r iann a willis s taf f writ e r In 2019, the homeless population in Los Angeles County increased 12% from 2018, raising the number of homeless people to 59,000.

Now a part of Los Angeles County, the City of Malibu is applying for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s initiative to address homelessness in Malibu. At the Malibu City Council meeting Feb. 10, the council unanimously voted to apply for the 100-Day Challenge, a new state-wide program assisting cities in finding unique ways to tackle the issue of homelessness.

“We have a humanitarian crisis in our own world-famous, celebrity-studded town at the beach, and in that way, we’re the same as everybody else,” Malibu Mayor Karen Farrer said.

Farrer acknowledged the City of Malibu can’t solve the entire problem, but the council is looking for ways to help the community and help law enforcement.

While other cities such as Laguna Beach were sued for the lack of resources for the homeless, the City of Malibu looks to address the problem head-on.

“We want to be a model city for a small city in dealing with this,” Mayor Pro Tem Mikke Pierson said.

100-Day Challenge at a Glance Farrer said the 100-Day challenge is a way for the city to look for innovative solutions for a growing issue not only in Malibu but around the nation.

The challenge is facilitated by the Rapid Results Institute, which has empowered and supported

communities in pursuit of ambitious 100-Day goals — and have reported remarkable results, according to a City of Malibu press release.

Rapid Results Institute helped three communities in Washington launch a challenge specifically focused on homeless youth and young adults. Once the 100 days ended, 615 youth and young adults exited homelessness.

Under such models, the urgency of the timeline, high visibility and structured support from coaches and system leaders all work together to inspire and enable communities to achieve rapid progress and sustainable system change, according to the summary.

Rapid Results Institute’s timeline of the project includes “mobilization and direction setting” during the 25-to-40 days before the challenge, “supporting implementation” during the 100 days and “helping leaders lock in the gains” up to 150 days. “[The 100-Day Challenge...] allows for creating something new, it even specifically says in there [to] try and set an unreasonable goal originally — so really try and push yourself.”

If a city is approved to take part in the challenge, state-funded technical assistance such as the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) is offered to implement their goals. HHAP is a $650-million one-time block grant signed by Gov. Newsom in July 2019 that allows jurisdiction funds to support homelessness efforts.

If a city choses to do a 100-Day Challenge, the targeted population and goal will be identified at their discretion, according to a

City of Malibu press release.

Malibu Plans for the 100-Day Challenge If the City of Malibu is approved to take part in the 100-Day Challenge, their goals are to implement a safe parking program and a homeless shelter in the city.

“That’s probably the best plan because [homeless people] don’t have anywhere else to go and just constantly pushing them farther and farther out. It’s, like, all right, you can’t park here, you can’t park there and you don’t really have anywhere else to go,” Lane Green, Malibu News Stand employee said. “What are there other options here — you are literally forcing them into crime, essentially.”

Farrer said the council does not know where the safe parking program will be yet, but the idea is for people to be able to park their vehicles in a locked parking lot from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., and at around 6:30 a.m., individuals are required to vacate.

This resolution is not only looking to address residents issues regarding homelessness, but also the RV parking problem on Pacific Coast Highway.

The city also seeks to explore the opportunity of a homeless shelter at the vacant Malibu Courthouse near Malibu Public Library.

“The county’s asked us to look at what land we might use — something that has facilities sure would be helpful. The courthouse seems like a great place to start — its sitting there, it is not being used, it does need some work — but that’s just one of several options,” Pierson said.

With the implementation of

brianna willis | staff writer these programs, the county is hoping to uphold the recent decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Martin v. City of Boise.

This case prohibits city ordinances like Malibu’s overnight camping ban if the city does not have any safe locations for homeless people to reside.

“If it will help people bettering their lives, then I’m all for it,” a local homeless man Phillip said.

If selected to be a part of the 100-Day Challenge, Rapid Results

Institute will pair up the City of Malibu with two-to-three other cities looking to embark on a similar journey.

Mayor Farrer and Mayor Pro Tem Pierson said whether they are invited to participate in the 100-Day Challenge, they still plan to move forward with the safe parking program and potential homeless shelter in Malibu.

BR IANNA.W IL L IS@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Adjunct faculty teach for students, not money anastassia kostin g u est contrib ut or Across the network of universities in California, little job security and low wages for adjunct faculty remain an issue in higher education.

An adjunct professor position is essentially a contractual, part-time job. Some challenges for adjuncts include low salaries, often on a per-course or hourly basis; non-permanent positions; inability to receive employee benefits like health insurance or retirement plans; long hours and less academic freedom.

Adjunct positions differ from tenured positions, which is an indefinite academic appointment that can be terminated only under extraordinary circumstances, according to the American Association of University Professors. At Pepperdine, adjuncts are specifically hired to teach at most two classes, said Dean of Seaver College Michael Feltner.

“The educational experience you’re getting is dependent on the quality of the faculty, among other factors,” Feltner said. “So one of my highest concerns is to make sure that the quality of our faculty is literally world class, and they are. And so in order to have a world class faculty, one of the things we have to do is pay a salary that’s going to enable us to recruit those faculty to come to Pepperdine.”

Part-time, non-tenure-track faculty not only comprise roughly one third of all faculty at academic institutions, according to the TIAA Institute, but also are paid an average of $3,000 per course. At Pepperdine, an adjunct professor earns an average of $24,068, ranging from $19,625 at the 25th percentile to $27,665 at the 75th percentile, according

courtesy of california faculty association facebook Taking a Stance | California State University faculty members on strike in 2016. The CFA has 28,000 union members the State University system. to data based on 161 profiles on Paysa. This salary is reflective of adjunct professors who teach two to three classes per semester, not including summer courses.

“Ultimately, salary is determined by market,” Feltner said. “We have a scale at Seaver College that determines the salary for the vast majority of our faculty.”

Pepperdine looks to some norming criteria [an evaluation tool that describes the criteria for performance at various levels] which includes local salaries and regional salaries, to determine pay for adjuncts, especially for disciplines that traditionally have to pay more to recruit faculty.

Pepperdine will also refer to a national database from the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business to obtain salary information for business faculty salaries, Feltner said.

Media Law Professor Jon Pfeiffer has taught the same media law class in the Communication Division since 2006, but he is also an entertainment and copyright trial attorney operating out of his own law firm in Santa Monica.

“I don’t know how you could survive as an adjunct professor if that were your only job,” Pfeiffer said.

He said on Thursdays, he usually gets into his office at 7 a.m. for his legal job and doesn’t finish class until 10 p.m.

“My first probably two or three semesters, it was like a second job because you’re learning the material, and you’re learning the material in a way you can teach it,” Pfeiffer said.

He said his favorite thing about teaching the class is the connections with students and having the classroom be more interactive once students “loosen up” and realize he is not there for the paycheck.

“I tell each class, because it’s true — I don’t do this for the money, I do it because it’s fun,” he said. “The first several semesters, I took my check and put it on my Starbucks card. Again, because I don’t do it for the money. If I did it for the money, it would be a real poor investment of time.”

The California Faculty Association is a union of 29,000 professors, lecturers, librari-

ans, counselors and coaches who teach in the California State University system, which spans 23 campuses. One of its goals is to work to strengthen and to improve the status of adjuncts.

Anthony Ratcliff is the Los Angeles CFA Chapter President and assistant professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles.

The number of faculty on the tenure track is declining, Ratcliff said. In fact, tenure track faculty have not made up a majority of all faculty in the U.S. since the late 1970s or 1980s, according to the American Association of University Professor’s “Contingent Faculty Index.”

“Today, it’s like the inverse,” Ratcliff said. “The majority of the faculty at Cal State LA — and actually around the country — are adjuncts or lecturers. And really what that does is it gives the university more flexibility, and that’s kind of the word they use. We see it as a way to exploit certain groups of faculty, because a lot of those adjuncts have no yearto-year contract — they’re just kind of at-will employees —

and so they can be let go after one semester of teaching.”

The California Faculty Association bargains for wages, hours of employment and other terms and conditions of employment for members of the bargaining unit. This culminates in a Faculty Contract, the collective bargaining agreement between CFA and CSU Management. The current contract expires in 2020.

“We’ve [the union] really organized to try to get people to talk more to each other and to get more active and involved and recognize that the only way we could ever stop what’s been happening is by beginning to call it out and using the contract as a way to file grievances,” Ratcliff said.

Another recent trend in higher education that views the student more as a consumer. As the number of higher education administrators increases, the money allocated to reducing student-to-teacher ratios and hiring more tenure-track faculty now goes toward the salaries of administrators who have the power to determine which divisions will continue to exist, according to Inside Higher Ed. Ultimately, this could lead to a decreased emphasis on the arts and other creative disciplines, according to the article.

At Cal State LA, there has been a 55% increase in the number of administrators, while the number of tenure-track faculty members has stayed the same or dropped a little, Ratcliff said.

“So they’re [administrators] making, you know, $150,000 to $200,000 starting when they come in the door,” Ratcliff said. “That’s definitely twice as much as a new tenure-track faculty member is getting paid, but that’s, like, three or four times as much as lecturers get paid, so you can

hire a lot more people for the amount of money that they hire a lot of the administrators. That’s another part of this neoliberal push.”

Ratcliff also said while these administrators have fewer interactions with students, the faculty takes on larger class sizes. Research shows that larger class sizes can negatively impact student achievement. At Seaver College, however, the average class size is 17 students, so as to ensure that each student “receives personal attention and participates in lively, thought-provoking group discussions with peers and faculty,” according to the Pepperdine website.

“That [class size] changes the dynamic,” Ratcliff said. “I can’t engage with my students as much when I’m teaching 50 of them. It’s been a while that [this has] been going on, but definitely in the 2000s, it really kicked into high gear.”

Unions can provide a space for adjuncts to share their experiences with others so they do not come to accept the status quo, Ratcliff said.

“Most students assume all faculty are the same, right, like everybody gets paid the same,” Ratcliff said. “But no, there’s a lot of hierarchy and a lot of dichotomies between what certain people get paid versus other people. So I do feel more optimistic, but there’s still a lot of work to do.”

As adjunct faculty across the nation step up their efforts to increase their pay, whether through joining unions or working at more than one school, the hope is that more schools realize the importance of supporting their adjunct faculty to improve teaching and learning, according to Inside Higher Ed. PEPPGR APHIC M EDIA@GM AIL .C OM

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PERSPECTIVES

STAFF LIST

STAFF EDITORIAL

Madeline Duvall | Art Editor

Opinionated journalism violates ethics Last week’s news story about Kenneth Starr received criticism in the days following its publishing. “Hey Pepperdine Graphic, this is not someone you want to promote as associated with the university,” commented Facebook user Darin Campbell. Another user, Den Herring, mirrored Campbell’s sentiment: “Is this an appropriate flex?”

These comments reflect a common misconception about the media: that when we report on a given topic, we are offering judgment, or in some cases, sponsorship and promotion.

However, the Graphic’s entire journalistic process is crafted to do exactly the opposite.

We intended for our coverage of Starr’s appointment to Trump’s defense counsel to serve as a snapshot into his

time at Pepperdine. Unlike some readers may have expected, it was not supposed to serve as a lambasting of Starr’s resumé in legal affairs throughout the decades.

At the Graphic, when we choose stories, we always start by asking ourselves, “What can we, as a college newspaper dedicated to covering Pepperdine and Malibu news, add to the story that’s not already out there?” A quick Google search of Starr’s name will provide one with an exhaustive history of his career. Whether he deserves it or not, it would be irresponsible of us to add another drop into the overflowing bucket of Starr smear-pieces on the internet.

At the same time, we try to take an objective approach when covering a story, which is

common practice in journalism.

Although some of the stories we choose to cover contain controversial topics or individuals, that doesn’t mean we support or endorse them. By trying to uphold an unbiased approach in covering any news story, we uphold certain ethical standards that every journalist is expected to abide by.

If our online compatriots took the time to read the piece, they would find a few quotes referencing the controversial nature of Starr’s career. We were not reluctant to include criticisms of Starr; in fact, our reporters asked all of their sources for comment about Starr’s contentious history.

Those questions yielded no significant answers, and thus many were not included in the story.

If our reporters were to merely

comment on Starr’s past using buzzwords like “controversial” or “scandalous,” they would be blending the line between editorial writing and journalism, which threatens the integrity of our paper.

When you read a Graphic article, please know that a great deal of thought and care has gone on behind the scenes, and we always try to take an objective approach with the stories we cover. While some stories might contain content that you don’t necessarily agree with, that doesn’t mean it isn’t important to cover. When you expect judgment or bias from a news story, that would require opinion rather than fact. Which would you rather have?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE 'BU YORKER

Letters to the Editor must bear the writer’s name, signature, class standing, major, address and phone number (except in some circumstances determined appropriate by the Graphic). Letters must be fewer than 300 words and will be edited for syntax, grammar and brevity. Letters can be mailed to student publications or emailed to peppgraphicmedia@ gmail.com

CONTACT US

Graphic Pepperdine University 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy. Malibu, CA 90263 310-506-4311

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Madeline Duvall | Art Editor

ex ec u ti v e ed i to r C h a n n a Ste i n m e tz M anag i ng Ed i to r m a d e l e i n e ca r r d i g i tal ed i to r k ayi u w o n g c o py c hi ef B rya n t L o n e y c r eati v e d i r ec to r n ata l i e r u l o n New s Ed i to r James Moore Ass i stant new s ed i to r s K yl e M cC a b e l i n d se y su l l i va n New s as si s tants v e r n i e c ova r r u b i a s e m i ly sh aw L i fe & Ar ts Ed i to r Sava n n a h W e l c h as si s tant L i fe & ar ts ed i to r M a r i a B e l e n I tu r r a l d e L i fe & Ar ts as si s tant Lauren Chivers l i fe & ar ts c o py ed i to r G r ace W o o d S p o r ts Ed i to r K a r l W i n te r s p o r ts ass i stant Tayl o r Gath e r P er s p ec ti v es Ed i to r Ca m ryn G o r d o n P er sp ec ti v es ass i stant A n i ti z M u o n ag o l u P er s p ec ti v es c o py ed i to r Makena Huey pag e d es i g ner s hannah lee Ali levens ellia melin Da n i e l l a Si n g l e te r ry p o d c as t P r o d u c er Kaelin mendez Ar t Ed i to r M a d e l i n e D u va l l as si s tant ar t ed i to r s A l ly A r m str o n g Ca i tl i n R oa r k ar ti s ts e l i z a b e th b r u m m e r ga b by d i g i ova n n i p ho to ed i to r m i l a n l o i ac o n o G New s p r o d u c er m a r i sa d r ag o s P i x el Ed i to r G i a n n i Co cc h e l l a p r o m o ti o ns d i r ec to r hadley biggs adv er ti si ng D i r ec to r so n i r u saga r a Adv er ti s i ng m anag er m aya m cd o w e l l Ad r ep r esentati v e b rya n m u n g u i a MISSION STATEMENT “Pepperdine Graphic Media (PGM) is an editorially independent student news organization that focuses on Pepperdine University and the surrounding communities. PGM consists of the digital and print Graphic, a variety of special publications, GNews, Currents Magazine, social media platforms and an Advertising Department. These platforms serve the community with news, opinion, contemporary information and a public forum for discussion.

PGM strengthens students for purpose, service and leadership by developing their skills in writing, editing and publication production, by providing a vehicle to integrate and implement their liberal arts education, and by developing students’ critical thinking through independent editorial judgment. PGM participates in Pepperdine’s Christian mission and affirmations, especially the pursuit of truth, excellence and freedom in a context of public service. Although PGM reports about Pepperdine University and coordinates with curricula in journalism and other disciplines, it is a student (not a University) news organization. Views expressed are diverse and, of course, do not correspond to all views of any University board, administration, faculty, staff, student or other constituency.”

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Trump Ties Threaten Pepperdine

Say ‘no’ more frequently

alexis scanlon staff writer

It seems as though the word “no” does not exist in the vocabulary of PepPerspectives editor perdine students. From the moment freshmen step onto campus during NSO to the The Feb. 6 edition of the Graphic day seniors walk across the reported that former Pepperdine graduation stage, it feels as if Law School Dean Kenneth Starr there is no time to slow down and recent Senior Fellow appointee and be alone. to the Pepperdine School of Public What seem like thousands Policy, Andrew Puzder, carry ties to of clubs and organizations President Donald J. Trump. ask students to give them their time within the first few When a figure of such controverdays of a new school year. If sy occupies the most powerful ofstudents decide to say “no,” fice in the country, and two nationthere is a fear that doing so al news stories from the last several will minimize their entire weeks have involved Pepperdine undergraduate experience. faculty, students need to question Not even a month into the university’s ethics. The revealed their Pepperdine careers, Samantha Miller| Artist association between these people freshmen are asked to decide which country they will and Pepperdine threatens the value spend a semester or two in of this education and presents an Fox News publications, Puzder, ous and problematic people defy swapped. There are standards that during their sophomore year. image of flailing principality to the who was once nominated to be any further credit of a relationship the institution, the entirety of it, It feels as though there is not American public.

Trump’s Secretary of Labor, focuses to Pepperdine. needs to be held to. an option to stop and think These schools individually state his comments to be largely about In 2008, Starr joined Jeffrey In a community composed of through the time committhey are preparing “public leaders Trump’s economy. However, in one Epstein’s defense team as co-counstudents and faculty of various ments for the next four years. who can work across differences” specific Fox piece, Puzder called sel when the financier was charged socio-economic, racial and ethnic With a culture of saying and have “a special concern” for the impeachment proceedings of with sexually abusing young girls. backgrounds, it is disturbing that “yes” and doing more, how teaching students “the highest the president “farce,” “nonsense” Starr helped to negotiate a “lenient” the university elects fellows who can students prioritize being alone as something positive? principles of professional, ethical, and “dangerous.” Starr, who was ap- plea deal for Epstein, resulting in have a history of fighting against A 2017 survey conducted and moral responsibility.” pointed to and served as co-counsel charges of prostitution and sex policies intended to help them. by the American College While these statements present in the president’s trial, falls in the with minors and a jail sentence of To be tied with historical, politiHealth Association showed themes of morality and value-censame boat. The only difference is just 13 months. cal and powerful figures is an honor that 64% of surveyed students tered education to the public, the that Starr acted on his beliefs and To continue sporting a Pepperbut only so long as those figures felt “very lonely” in the past 12 relation of Trump-friendly faculliterally defended the president to dine connection in the political are not connected with sex-trafmonths. Pepperdine’s campus ty reveals a distinct disconnect. the whole world. world degrades the credibility ficking, corruption and unethical is conducive to feeling isolatWorking across differences, both As an institution that emphaof Pepperdine Law as having the beliefs and practices. This begs the ed, especially if students are not living in suite-style houspolitical and apolitical, requires sizes the importance of integrity “highest principles” of ethics, morquestion: If Pepperdine does not professors to know the ethics and and holds itself to the “highest als and professionalism. draw a line for sex-traffickers or im- ing like freshmen or transfer students. humanity behind policy and leadstandards of academic excellence What message does it send to peached presidents, who will they Whether it is openly ership. and Christian values,” Pepperdine the students and faculty of Pepperdraw a line for? discussed, Pepperdine stuPuzder is not only someone University finds a way to defy its dine University, whose families and dents are likely to struggle who carries deeply dividing views explicit mission. lives have been made a political with loneliness, just like any aligned with that of the president While Starr is credited with playground by President Trump, other college students. But if but also someone who cannot boosting Pepperdine Law’s national when connections such as these students are offered numerprofess the humanity necessary for rankings, putting “Pepperdine on are revealed? ous outlets to overcommit their time, they are not faced creating, implementing and mentothe national stage” and connecting There is no argument here that with downtime to be alone ring public policy to students. the school with members of the would not apply had the politiC AM RYN.GOR DON@PEPPER DINE.EDU and think about how they In a review of his numerous court, his historical ties to dangercal affiliation of these men been compare to others.

This inability to say “no” creates an environment of isolated loneliness versus a healthy and restorative time to be alone. Students are in a state of constant busyness, and the times that they are not preoccupied feel all-consuming.

How, then, can students feel like they are engaging in Anitiz Muonag o l u meaningful work and taking p er s pec t i v es a s s i s ta n t intentional time for themselves without feeling the America has a long heavy weight of isolation? list of horrid history that First, it can be beneficial formed it into the nation it to lay out their potential is today. From the murdercommitments and prioritize ing of indigenous people them. By identifying what is to the slavery and racial extremely important to say subjugation thereafter, the “yes” to and what can fall to United States has an odd the back burner, commitway of acknowledging and ments that are both personallearning from its mistakes. ly valuable and life-giving can When observing history, be given the time to be done the Pepperdine communiwell. ty and the world need to Second, students should acknowledge the transgresbe mindful of why they say sions of the past and help “yes” to things. It is OK to be society continue to heal busy and have a full schedand learn from it. if it is filled with things For instance, the slaughElizabeth brummer| Artist ule that personally matter. But if tering of the indigenous existed only prior to 1900. where they were last seen to the Trump administracommitments that hold no setbacks and errors are people before the 1900s There was ‘nothing,’ she alive — began in 1992, tion? We can choose to personal value are filling up a part of us. Pepperdine brought the indigenous said, about contemporary Peter Eisenman designed ignore these connections space, reevaluate why it is — from an administrative population from “several issues for American Indian the Holocaust Memorial in or embrace them. President and student perspective — a current commitment and million to 237,000,” as repopulations or the ongoing Berlin and the Memorial to Donald J. Trump is known create free time for rest. needs to publicly state its ported by Minority Rights conflicts over land and waHomosexuals Persecuted for his political bluntness Finally, growing in the connections to Trump and Group International. While ter rights or sovereignty.”

Under Nazism opened in and his brash statements ability to be alone has numerits discriminatory history America did give a formal Those who are unaware 2008, as reported by The against women and minori- as well as provide new pol- ous psychological benefits. state of apology and give — of history are doomed to Local. ties. Some believe his treat- icies to counteract it and Solitude allows people to while mismanaged — reprepeat it, and if we continFor the past 25 years, ment toward minorities is prevent it from happening reset their brain, increase arations, is that enough to ue not to recognize it as a Germany has been trying negative. productivity and improve the again. recognize the harm the U.S. critical part of the past, we quality of their relationships. to learn from its transgresPepperdine also has a The world needs to has done?

If students begin to see time will continue to make the sions and educate newer history of treating marencourage historical edMoney doesn’t equivalone as something they mistakes of subjugation and generations on the harm ginalized groups — such ucation and teach future ocate to the loss of huchoose and not as an act of pain. done. This is far more pow- as Native Americans and generations to evaluate man lives, and the U.S. Take note of Germany erful than reparations since LGBTQ+ students — neghistory. This includes going undesired isolation, there is can’t use a check to erase room for personal growth. and how its citizens now the country as a whole atively, including through into depth on the history or ignore history. Some Change in a community’s acknowledge and reconcile must take on the role of instances with the wooden of marginalized groups and schools neglect to teach culture requires action from with their past surrounding learning and repairing the carving or the Freedom having nations lead in the about the history of the the individuals who make up World War II and the Holo- relationships that predeWall. Pepperdine isn’t aldiscussion by encouraging indigenous people after the community. As students, caust. National Holocaust cessors damaged. This way, ways living out its mission more politicians to speak it is important to give each the 1900s, as reported by Memorial Day, which is a issues of this nature don’t statement for “the search out on the issues. other grace in scheduling, Pacific Standard. Students time when memorials and repeat themselves. for truth,” and that won’t commitments and decisions. in elementary and secondart are strung across Berlin, The Pepperdine comget better unless PepperBe mindful of the things ary school education have is Jan. 27. For example, the munity on a local level dine admits its faults and that are worth saying “yes” a “vast majority of referStolpersteine — which also needs to confront its implements change. to, and be OK with the things ences to American Indicommemorates deceased complicated history. How As a school community that need to be told “no.” ans — 87% — portrayed Jews by inscribing their should our campus react to and a world community, it’s them as a population that names in brass on the spot Pepperdine’s connections imperative to realize that

Camryn gordon

Address the past to find a better future

AJ.M UONAGOL U@PEPPER DINE.EDU

L EX I.SC ANL ON@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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LIFE & ARTS

Capturing cinema: The 2020 Malibu International Film Festival

Senior Spotlight: Buddy Kennedy L AU R EN C HI V ER S L I FE & A R T S A SSI STA N T Senior Buddy Kennedy can often be found in Eden House assisting residents as the house Student Life Advisor (SLA).

A Theatre and Media Production major from Plano, Texas, Kennedy spends his time performing for Pepperdine’s Theatre department, working with NewsWaves and hosting Good Morning Malibu. Kennedy sat down with the Graphic to speak about his love for the arts and offer advice to younger students.

What does being an SLA mean to you?

Photos by Savannah Welch Festival Fever | “Greetings From Unicorn California” Producer Jon Cornick and Director Matthew Mendenhall pose outside the Malibu Civic Theatre with Chris Robinson Brotherhood band members Adam MacDougall and Mark Dutton. The film won the Audience Choice Feature award.

Savannah Welch li f e & ar ts e dit or Actors, directors, crew members and film enthusiasts flocked to City Hall on Saturday for the annual Malibu International Film Festival. The festival, established in 1997, is a yearly non-profit event for independent filmmakers to showcase their works to the public.

This year, the festival screened 13 original films, two of which were world premieres. Awards included Audience Choice Short Film (“The Liquor Store Incident”), Best International Short (“Mandala”) and Best of Festival (“Johnny Strange: Born to Fly”).

A full list of official film selections includes “Porch Light,” “Butterfly,” “The Mustangs: America’s Wild Horses,” “Mandala,” “Confessions of a Whittler,” “Content Guidelines,” “Cannonball,” “The Liquor Store Incident,” “Out of Malibu,” “The Game Was On,” “SK8FACE,” “Greetings From Unicorn California” and “Johnny Strange: Born to Fly.” Festival founder David Katz said the event provides a unique experience for moviegoers.

“We want to make sure that people who come to the Malibu Film Festival — that they have a quality experience that’s both visually enlightening and spiritually enlightening,” Katz said. “It’s not just educational, but it’s entertainment — and

empowering.”

Within the production process, organizing the annual event takes months of planning and preparation. Making sure everything runs smoothly is a group effort, festival sponsor Joe Carbonetta said.

“It’s certainly a labor of love,” Carbonetta said. “It’s a year-long process to put this together on the day of production, where you’re basically filling in at any capacity where there’s a loose end.”

Narrowing down the selection from thousands of submissions can be a daunting process, Katz said. Above all else, the creative process relies heavily on quality.

“The ultimate say comes down to our creative director,” Katz said. “To take the opportunity to find forms that pair well together, or have a message that is going to reach the community and the audience in a way that they haven’t had that opportunity to have today — it’s really a group effort. But creatively, we have to curate [the festival] very heavily.”

The festival films covered a variety of topics in various formats, from documentaries to animations to shorts. Running from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., the awards were announced at the Filmmaker Reception following the screenings.

Winner of the Best Local Short award, Benjamin Pollack’s film “Out of Malibu” is an autobiographical look at his life from his arrival in Malibu

WHAT OUR READERS ARE LISTENING TO: WE ASKED STUDENTS ON CAMPUS WHAT’S AT THE TOP OF THEIR PLAYLIST THIS WEEK

“Ballin’” — roddy ricch, mustard

“Body” loud luxury

BK: RA and SLA — both of the positions are very service-driven, and I’m someone who feels like we are our best examples of Christ when we are serving others. It is such a purposeful position in the Pepperdine community, and it can make or break a lot of people’s Pepperdine experiences.

That is a responsibility I don’t take lightly and I am very privileged and honored to have. Being in Eden, the same house twice, you get associated with the house — it’s like your baby.

What has been your favorite part about being involved with theater at Pepperdine?

BK: Theater people are crazy people. I love crazy people because theater people are not ashamed to be 100% of who they are.

Being a part of a community that takes an idea on a page and brings it to life in a way that it will never be brought to life again is a part of the experience that I think everyone should do once. Theater is very, very special and sacred to me.

What are your plans for post-grad?

New Narratives | Members of the Malibu community and greater LA area attend the Malibu International Film Festival, hosted in the Malibu Civic Theatre.

The festival highlights local filmmakers and provides networking opportunities for guests and artists. in June 2016 to the loss of his house during the Woolsey Fire in November 2018.

“It’s more about our love affair with Malibu,” Pollack said.

“The fire took everything away from us. You know, I think the message of the documentary was even though we lost everything, we had a lot more than we thought.”

The significance of the film can be found not only in Pollack’s love affair with Malibu but also in his love for his wife Kelly.

“I tell you, it was a rebirth,” Pollack said. “A real, honest rebirth. Everything we had and thought about ourselves was

done. We had to start from zero at every level, except that we had each other.”

The score of “Out of Malibu” features wall-to-wall music, Pollack said, each song in the film featuring a song with the title “Malibu.”

“The exciting part was that there were a lot of musicians that lived in Malibu,” he said. “So when I put it together, I used the music of Miley Cyrus, Lee Ritenour [and] Joe Walsh. They all gave us their blessing.”

“no time to die” billie eilish

BK: I only applied to one job, and it’s the Oscar Meyer Wiener hot dog mobile driver.

So all you do is go around the country and promote the events and drive the hot dog, and you get interviewed by the news stations. It’s only a year, so it’d be a year to figure my stuff out, but it’d be a year of doing something nobody else is doing. What I don’t want to do is roll into a job, sit in a cubicle and do something to pay the bills — I want to do something that’s unique, weird and fun. I just want to make people smile, and there’s a lot to smile about.

Do you have any advice for younger students?

BK: Put yourself in situations that challenge you and force you to adapt, grow and learn something new. Find the beauty in the people around you because they aren’t going to be there forever, because there’s a lot of really, really cool people at Pepperdine. Give and receive as much as you can from them.

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S AVANNAH.W EL C H@PEPPER DINE.EDU

“say so” doja cat

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maria belen iturralde | life and arts assistant editor Pizza Paradise | New Italian restaurant brings authentic Italian fare to Agoura Hills. Basta offers an extensive menu of fresh pastas and wood-fired pizzas.

PHOTOs COURTESY OF ANDREW FEST Science Society | Founding Class of Beta Psi Omega poses outside of Smothers Theatre on Initiation Day on Nov. 17. The chapter, established fall 2019, has grown into a community for students with a passion for science.

New fraternity provides community for majors of the Natural Science Division NICOLE wITT S TA FF WRITE R Pepperdine’s social and business fraternities, sororities and honor societies provide a sense of community for students on campus. Beta Psi Omega, the university’s newest science fraternity, is no different.

Beta Psi Omega came to Pepperdine in the fall of 2019 and is a professional, co-ed fraternity for those interested in the natural sciences, according to Peppervine.

The organization was founded by two Pepperdine science majors who recognized the university was lacking a group for students in their division. The fraternity joins people outside of their required courses and in turn, provides networking connections and preparation for life outside of college.

“Sierra [Smith] and I actually co-founded this club on campus because we felt there was no real community within the Natural Science Division here on campus,” senior co-founder and co-president of Beta Psi Omega, Danielle Villaruz, wrote in an email.

Approving the chapter through the Inter-Club Council took a substantive seven months, Villaruz wrote. It was important to both Villaruz and Smith that there was a place on campus where science majors could have a support system and utilize resources for their future careers.

“We felt the science division is very large on campus, but we were only connected through the classes being in the same building,” Villaruz wrote.

Smith wrote that members in the organization can reap many benefits, including CV workshops, GRE/MCAT preparation and social events to encourage breaks for hard-working students.

Senior Sports Medicine major Hannah Hazel joined the fraternity when it began last semester. She explained that while Beta Psi Omega is a professional fraternity, it acts similarly to other fraternities on campus.

Lending A Hand | Members of Beta Psi Omega compete in the annual Kappa Kappa Game Day. Participants represented Beta Psi Omega’s Pepperdine chapter at the philanthropy event.

“It’s just a way for natural science majors to get to know one another, so sort of like a social fraternity but the one requirement, or the one thing you have in common, is that you are all science majors,” Hazel said. “We hold chapter, we have date night, we have formal—so everything that you do associate with a fraternity.”

Sophomore Social Media Chair Andy Fest said on Feb. 8, the fraternity hosted a date dash where they went to an escape room. Smith wrote that members additionally participate in other Greek organizations events, have “brotherhood” bonding events and fundraise for a philanthropy.

As an underclassman, Fest said he has experienced the support that the fraternity provides.

“It’s really helpful having all the upperclassmen in there because they’ve all had sports-med internships or nutrition jobs, so they can put us in contact with those employers,” Fest said.

A New Chapter | Two members of Beta Psi Omega’s e-board at a sports-medicine conference. The new natural science fraternity offers professional opportunities for affiliated students.

As a senior, Hazel said she encounters the opposite side of this interrelation. Nearing graduation, she has leaned on Beta Psi Omega to help her with her post-graduate goals.

“I am an upperclassman in the fraternity so I feel like I am the one passing down my knowledge and connections,” Hazel said. “I work at a physical therapy clinic in Malibu, so if someone wanted that job they would have that connection through me. It’s definitely one of the goals of the fraternity, as members graduate, to help those who are in it be able to build connections through post-grad.”

Fest said many science majors endure rigorous course loads. Not only do they have to take their major requirements, and are required to complete their major classes, but they also have to take med-school requirements.

“I can’t really study in groups when it comes to my major classes, and so I spend enough time isolated studying alone,” Fest said. “It’s helpful to have a group of people that also know what that’s like, too.”

According to the chapter’s founders, the purpose of the fraternity was to have space for science majors to connect to and relate with one another.

“We wanted to create something that allowed science majors to be able to have a community that understood how much work we do and the stress we are under constantly,” Villaruz wrote.

Not only have Villaruz and Smith founded the group on campus, but they also work at strengthening the organization at the national level.

“Sierra and I are currently helping nationals build various things regarding rituals and conferences for students as well,” Villaruz wrote.

Beta Psi Omega recruitment has three main parts: an information night, an informal interview and a formal interview.

There is fall recruitment and smaller spring recruitment, which are both held at the beginning of their respective semesters.

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Review: New Italian spot brings fresh, authentic food to Agoura Hills M AR I A B EL EN I TU R R AL D E L I FE & A R T S A SSI STA N T E D I T O R Trailing a scent of warm bread and the melodic hum of Italian comes Basta, Florentine chef Saverio Posarelli’s new restaurant in Agoura Hills. The restaurant, located in Whizin Square, opened five months ago and serves authentic Italian food rangcourtesy of sony pictures ing from fresh pasta to delicate, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas.

The couple behind Basta, Posarelli and his wife Devon Wolf, opened the restaurant in hopes of providing locals with a different take on Italian food.

“We tried to create a menu that was different from what everyone was used to,” Wolf said. “We wanted it to be something different but also something that was neighborhood-friendly and not really high priced.”

Basta shines, not by the opulence of its dining room or the complexity of its dishes, but by the attention given to every part of the cooking process.

The flour kneaded into the pizza dough is flown from Italy, as are the cheeses that generously coat pasta dishes. The produce is locally-sourced from trustworthy providers who have worked with the couple for years. The dishes are made-to-order and freshness is of utmost importance.

“We have no freezers and no microwaves in here,” Wolf said. “We use all-organic eggs, fresh pasta is made every day and organic flour is imported from Italy.”

The pair met while Wolf, a California native, was studying abroad in Florence. They opened Basta — their fifth restaurant — as an ode to Posarelli’s Italian roots and Wolf’s California heritage.

There is, admittedly, no shortage of Italian restaurants in California, but Basta stands out, Wolf said, for its fresh, authentic ingredients, lively energy and enjoyable ambiance.

“It’s got a great atmosphere,” Wolf said. “I love music, so good music is always playing. Any day, I can look at the menu and find so many things I wanna eat. It’s not the same stuff you see everywhere.”

The restaurant’s cheerful character is evident upon walking into the space.

The tantalizing scent of the wood-fire pizza oven ushers customers into a warmly-lit room where they are greeted by the friendly staff. Waiters seemed to be enjoying the experience as much as the patrons, teasing each other in Italian and dancing to Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” before disappearing into the kitchen.

The softly-lit, unpretentious room was decorated with piles of Caputo pizza flour and a variety of picture frames, creating a welcoming, homelike atmosphere.

The food proved equally inviting. The Margherita Classica, a perfect combination of pomodoro and fior di latte resting atop a soft and chewy crust, stands as testimony to the restaurant’s authentic roots. It’s carefully crafted by the pizzaiolo, Antonio, and sure to satisfy even the most stringent pizza purists.

While the Margherita stood out for its simplicity, the other pizza offerings reveled in their complexity.

The San Marzano came, topped with peppery arugula and delicate films of prosciutto brought together by a silky ball of burrata sitting regally in the center. The promise of decadence and flavor hid inside the “Basta Calzone,” Italian sausage and cheese nestled inside a soft pillow of golden, crispyyet-chewy dough.

The menu also features 10 different kinds of pasta, texture-rich salads, several meat entrees and a series of traditional-yet-inventive side dishes, including red baby potatoes with mascarpone and parmigiano, and broccolini with hazelnuts. The menu is extensive, ready to please all and bound to leave patrons thinking about what they’re going to order on their next visit.

Basta is Wolf and Posarelli’s respective backgrounds materialized into one space where cultures, ingredients, traditions and generations meet.

Wolf has simple goals for the future.

“We just want to keep growing,” Wolf said.

“The name of the restaurant means ‘enough.’ After five restaurants, my husband says the fifth one is enough!”

Basta has affordable lunch and dinner menus, with entree prices ranging from $16-24, and is located a short drive away from campus.

28863 Agoura Rd., Agoura Hills, (818) 865-2019, bastaagoura.com, Instagram: @eatatbasta BEL EN.ITUR R AL DEC HIR IBOGA@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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Men’s Volleyball overcomes two-set deficit to defeat Concordia at home al i l ev e ns staf f w rit e r The nationally ranked No. 7 Men’s Volleyball team put down a five-set nail-biter victory over the Concordia University Irvine Eagles to celebrate 50 years of the program.

“I think our guys are constantly reminded that a lot of people have put in hard work before them for them so that they can … contribute to that legacy,” Head Coach David Hunt said.

The beginning of the match looked promising for the Waves.

Since the match’s first serve, the Waves led the Eagles for the majority of the set, but the margin didn’t ex-

pand more than three points.

Unfortunately, the Waves were unable to hold on and gave up two crucial points at the end of the set, falling 22–25.

“We really were just trying to focus on each other and not worry so much about the environment or what the other team was doing,” outside senior Noah Dyer said, who had the team-high of 18 kills.

“We just like to stay together as a team and really pull off of each other’s energy.”

The Waves’ point-less streak continued into the second set, with the Eagles going up 0–2. Again, the Waves managed to take back the less-than-three-point advantage until the Eagles tied the set at 14.

“[It was] just a battle,” junior outside Alex Gettinger said. “I get to a point where I don’t even think — I just kind of play, and that’s all we had to do.”

No team could escape the other; both teams would gain an edge just to have it chopped off the next point.

This pattern continued past the regulation of 25 points until it hit 29–all. CUI managed to pull off a final set win with two successive kills, 29–31.

The Waves had the most kills of the match in this set with 22. The team usually averages 11.96 kills per set.

“A lot of [post-set discussion] was just tactical feedback about things we can change to do a little bit

better,” Hunt said. “We were playing good volleyball — they just could play a little bit better.”

The team wiped their slate clean and got to work during the third set. With redshirt freshman opposite Jacob Steele’s serves, Gettinger fired down two of his 16 kills to bring the Waves to an early 4–1 lead.

Predictably, the Waves allowed the Eagles to catch back up to tie at 11–all. Two blocks from redshirt freshman middle JT Ardell and freshman setter Joe Karlous established a turning point in the set and the rest of the match.

Gettinger and Ardell’s solid block finished the set, 25–22.

“After winning that set, I think we … saw that we really can play some good ball,” Dyer said. “[We were] like, man, let’s just go out there and win it because why not.”

The Waves finished off the fourth set a little quicker and brought their point advantage to five to make the score 19–14. To tie the match, redshirt junior middle Austin Wilmot and Dyer finished at the net while CUI missed a serve to complete the set 25–20.

“I thought, after the third set and fourth set, we really had the momentum,” Wilmot said. “I think we just took control in this set, and even though it’s close, I feel like we were in control for the majority of [it].”

Now that the fifth set was fair play, the Waves wasted no time in establishing themselves as leaders on the court. With nine kills, two of which were from Dyer and Gettinger for the final points, Pepperdine brought the evening to a close to send CUI home with a loss of 15–13.

“I think everyone has to work together as a team, as a unit,” Wilmot said. “Tonight, I feel like we did a really good job at talking and communicating and playing together.”

Although the Waves have one victory this week, another is still up in the air when they face the University of Southern California Trojans on Friday, Feb. 14 in Firestone Fieldhouse.

AL I.L EV ENS@PEPPER DINE.EDU

photos by ali levens | staff writer Bring It In | (left) Men’s Volleyball does a group huddle to celebrate junior outside hitter Alex Gettinger after a big-time kill. (right) Redshirt junior middle blocker Austin Wilmot and Gettinger combine for a block on Concordia’s outside hitter Wednesday in Firestone Fieldhouse.

Men’s Volleyball sweeps USC paxt o n ritchey staf f write r Pepperdine Men’s Volleyball rebounded from a five-set test against Concordia to sweep USC 25–21, 25–23, 25–22 Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Jacob Steele led the Waves with 12 kills and eight digs, while JT Ardell had nine blocks at the net.

Freshman setter Joe Karlous contributed 30 assists. USC had the lead in every set, but Pepperdine used decisive runs in key moments to get the match done in three sets.

“They got a lot of fire, so we had to respond early and keep pushing,” Karlous said. “We knew the score would go back and forth, but … one of the mottos for us is to keep pushing no matter what.”

Responding early carried extra importance for the game after Wednesday’s five-set match against Concordia. Heavily favored at home, the Waves surprisingly dropped the first two sets before rebounding to win three straight and take the victory.

Steele said taking control of the game early was a focal point for the team leading into Friday’s game.

“That’s something we’ve been talking about lately, coming out a little slow in some of the past few matches,” Steele said. “But we really made a good correction this match.”

Karlous said the pregame message was pretty simple.

“Let’s not go to five, and let’s not be down 0–2,” Karlous said, with

a laugh. “Let’s not do what we did last time.”

This time, Pepperdine found themselves down 6–2 in the first set, but a 5–1 run of two Austin Wilmot kills and three consecutive Alex Gettinger aces brought the Waves level at 7–7. After taking the lead for the first time at 10–9, the Waves never trailed again in the set, but the 25–21 final margin was only one off Pepperdine’s largest lead of five.

With the second set tied at nine, Pepperdine scored seven straight points to take a 16–9 lead, using two Ardell kills, two Noah Dyer aces, and some help from the Trojans in the form of three attack errors. However, the Trojans immediately responded, and a Noah Franklin ace capped a run that tied the score at 17. The teams continued to battle back and forth until Steele’s crosscourt kill from the right-hand side ended the second set at 25–23.

The third set followed more of the same formula. Both Pepperdine and USC were evenly matched throughout the first part of the set, but after USC pulled ahead at 12–11, the team made a series of mistakes at an inopportune time. A service error gave Pepperdine the opportunity to serve, an attack error gave the Waves the lead and yet another Gettinger ace gave the Waves a two-point cushion and all the momentum.

The Waves went up 24–20 on an Austin Wilmot kill. USC staved off the first two match points, but Wilmot snuffed out any hope of a

USC rally with a perfectly-placed tip shot over the middle blockers to end the third set at 25–22.

“We just made a lot of good volleyball plays,” Head Coach David Hunt said. “We didn’t rely on one great play — just a lot of good plays we strung together. They went on some runs here and there, but I think the consistent play ultimately played out.”

The Waves hit .287 for the match, including at a stellar .423 clip in the third set. They also took far better care of the ball compared to their opponents. The Waves had only 10 attack errors compared to 21 for USC, as well as seven service errors to USC’s 13.

“Our coach emphasizes to outteam every team,” Karlous said.

“We have a plan. We stick to the plan, or we adjust. The game’s always going to flow in different ways.”

Brandon Browning and Kyle Gear had nine kills apiece to lead the Trojans, who hit .234 for the game. Cole Paxson contributed 12 digs. The win improves Pepperdine to 6–3, with a 3–1 record in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The Trojans, just a year removed from falling to Pepperdine in the MPSF championship game, currently sit at 2–10 and with an 0–3 conference record.

For the Waves, Wednesday’ and Friday’s matches were a welcome opportunity to play in Malibu after going over a month between home matches.

“It feels awesome [to be at home],” Steele said. “I love the

courtesy of Martin A. Folb |pepperdine athletics Bombs Away | Freshman setter Joe Karlous sends a thunderous right-handed serve. Karlous had 30 assists in the win. fans we have. It’s definitely great to have them jeering at the other guys instead of us. We have a good crowd here.”

Pepperdine heads back on the road to face third-ranked UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 21.

“We know they’re well coached

and they’re a veteran team,” Hunt said. “We scrimmaged against them in the fall, so we know who’s on their team and how volleyball-savvy they are. We gotta get better.”

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m. basketball splits exciting weeK taylor gather | assistant sports editor

photos by taylor gather | assistant sports editor

Waves Work | (left) Junior point guard Colbey Ross scans the court as he comes across the half-court line. (center) Sophomore forward Kessler Edwards goes over the Torero defense and finishes above the rim. (right) Sophomore forward Victor Ohia Obioha backs down a San Diego defender.

Ross buzzer-beater bails out Waves vs. San Diego

Richard Photos by Courtesy Ali Levens of | Asst.

SportsDavis Editor

Tay lo r gather as si stant s port s e d itor aust in hall staf f w rit e r In their 13th conference game, Pepperdine Men’s Basketball defeated the 9–17 San Diego Toreros 72–69.

In a game where Pepperdine trailed for over 33 of the 40 minutes and had 16 turnovers, the Waves’ offense staged a comeback that was completed by some Colbey Ross magic.

The Toreros, one game ahead of Portland at the bottom of the West Coast Conference standings, started hot. With the Waves coming off a last-second loss to Pacific, they were also clicking offensively early in the first half.

Around the halfway point in the first half, Pepperdine’s offense halted, and their defense broke down on multiple possessions. Their 16–15 lead with 13:09 in the first half evaporated into a 33–43 deficit at halftime.

Ross, Pepperdine’s leading scorer, played all but two minutes in the first half. The Torero defense held Ross to four points off 1–2 shooting. The Waves’ typical statsheet stuffers, Ross and Kessler and Kameron Edwards, had a combined 12 points.

Head Coach Lorenzo Romar said he knew his team couldn’t play down to their competition.

“We were lethargic in the first half,” Romar said. “USD has been playing really good basketball, and we informed our team prior to the game this week that we’re gonna have to take that game from them. They weren’t gonna give it to us.”

Pepperdine started the second half more focused but still susceptible to defensive miscues. The Toreros often relied on spacing most of the floor with a “four out, one in” offensive look that drew the attention of the Pepperdine defense.

This would often result in a kick-out pass to the threepoint line where they hurt

the Waves early in game.

San Diego was due for a solid outing from threepoint land, as the team has shot a combined 15–49 from downtown in their past three games. The Toreros went 10–27 against the Waves for a lethal 37%.

In the second half, Romar said he knew the adjustments he needed to make.

“We decided to put more pressure when they caught the ball inside,” Romar said.

“They were really hurting us with that. And that made a difference. When we started to it, woke us up and got us going.”

Pepperdine faced their largest deficit after a fastbreak three by USD’s Braun Hartfield, bringing the score to 52–40 with 14:37 remaining in the game.

The Waves’ offense ignited under the pressure, going on a 22–11 run to bring the Torero lead to two.

Graduate senior Kameron Edwards had a better second half, scoring eight points and grabbing seven rebounds.

He said he was confident Ross said he knew that the team would turn things the team’s defensive ability around in the second half. would give them a chance “We needed to turn late in the game. around our execution,” “We weren’t defending Kameron Edwards said.

“We early, but we wereAthletics never out Courtesy of Pepperdine knew that we weren’t play- of it,” Ross said. “I knew that ing anywhere near as good if we kept chipping away, as we could have. So the we’d have a chance.” team knew we had to turn Off of a missed threethat around, and we started point shot, Pepperdine ran a to do that.” fast break and got the ball to The two teams traded Kameron Edwards, who was baskets for the last six min- fouled. This time, Pepperutes of the game. A turning dine had the opportunity to point was a drive-and-kick by take the lead at the charity Kameron Edwards to the left stripe. wing, where freshman guard While he only hit one, Sedrick Altman knocked- Kameron Edwards said he down a three-pointer to was confident they still had deadlock the score at 65. a chance.

Two minutes later, USD “I knew I needed to forward Yauhen Massalaski make at least one of the free fouled Skylar Chavez on a throws to at least tie the pull-up jump shot from the game up,” Kameron Edwards baseline. With the score now said. “I’m thankful I did that, at 69–67 in San Diego’s favor, but I’m a little upset I didn’t Chavez had a chance to tie make a second one. But at the game at the free throw least I was able to tie the line. game up to put us in a posiHe made the first but tion to win.” missed the second, and with The USD offense took the less than two minutes left, miss with 33 seconds to go the Waves needed a stop. in the game. With the col-

lege basketball shot clock being 30 seconds, Pepperdine would have a chance to score, once again barring an off-the-ball foul or USD offensive rebound.

Hartfield had Davis another and Sheridan open three-pointer with six seconds remaining but missed. Redshirt junior Keith Smith snatched the rebound and immediately flipped it to Ross. He went straight to the top of the three-point line and created just enough separation to put up a shot. Mid-flight, the buzzer sounded and Ross’ heave was on target.

“Me and our graduate assistant practice those situations every day after practice,” Ross said. “I’m confident in shooting those; I feel like those moments I’m made for.”

After the buzzer-beater, the team swarmed Ross before he emerged and took a bow at center court.

TAYL OR .GATHER @PEPPER DINE.EDU AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU

No. 2 Gonzaga outlasts Waves in conference battle aust i n hall staf f write r For the third time this season, Pepperdine Men’s Basketball went shot-for-shot with one of the best teams in the country. While the Waves lost by 12, the game hung in the balance for the entirety of the first and the majority of the second half.

Earlier this season, Pepperdine was just a Colbey Ross three-point buzzer-beater away from taking the Bulldogs to overtime in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

The Waves also lost by two to the Arizona Wildcats in November, at the time the No. 14 team in the country. Saturday, in a rare sellout contest at Firestone Fieldhouse, the Waves again had an opportunity to pull off an upset. Ultimately, one of the nation’s best teams executed that much better down the stretch, increasing their win streak over Pepperdine to 39 games.

Unlike on Thursday versus USD, Pepperdine’s offense did not struggle to score early. The Waves went after the bigger Bulldog frontcourt, scoring 12 of their first 18 points in the paint.

Gonzaga responded by exposing Pepperdine’s weakness of a true, defensive-minded center in their starting lineup and constantly fed their 6’11” sophomore center from Serbia, Filip Petrušev.

Petrušev’s role has increased this season after his teammate and star big-man Killian Tillie injured his ankle Jan. 30 versus Santa Clara.

Tillie dressed for the game and went through warmups, but Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few chose to sit him for at least another game.

Gonzaga isolated Petrušev one-on-one with a Pepperdine defender, predominantly either Kameron or Kessler Edwards. The sure-handed center often had his way with both and scored 11 of the

Bulldogs’ first 19.

“We definitely had mental errors on coverages,” Head Coach Lorenzo Romar said. “As the coach, I’ve got to do a better job of making sure the guys know what they are.

A couple times it was rotations.”

Pepperdine also got into foul trouble. With 8:25 left in the first half, Ross picked up his second foul and was subbed out until the last two minutes of the half.

With Ross on the bench, the Pepperdine offense continued to have pace and space. In the first half, seven of the eight Waves who stepped onto the court scored at least once.

An energy surge off the bench was sophomore guard Daryl Polk Jr., who played all but five minutes of the first half, scored on one layup, had an assist and grabbed five rebounds, which led to multiple instances of Pepperdine pushing the ball and challenging Gonzaga’s transition defense.

Polk Jr. said he embraces making the plays that don’t always light up the stat sheet.

“My role came through me working hard and doing some of the dirty work,” Polk Jr. said. “That’s what gives me confidence — coach is always on me about doing the little things, and if I can do them, it makes things easier for the team.”

Pepperdine’s biggest struggle was cashing in from behind the three-point line. The Waves started 0–6 from downtown and went into the second half 1–8. Although Gonzaga has the fifth-best three-point field goal percentage in college basketball, they did an excellent job not forcing the long ball and went into the half shooting 3–7.

Petrusev played the entire first half and scored 20. Gonzaga led at halftime, 40–36.

Pepperdine scored the first two baskets of the second half to tie the score at 40. Despite Gonzaga being

photos by taylor gather | assistant sports editor ultra-efficient and shooting nearly 50% from the field, the Waves continued to fight.

“We competed for the entire game,” Ross said. “We played all 40 minutes extremely hard. Everyone’s going to get something out of the game if you play like that.”

As the second half rolled on, the Waves’ offense continued to struggle from three while Gonzaga buried five of 10 attempts.

A huge factor in the game was the officiating. There were constant bang-bang plays in the second half where the referees would blow their whistles, which not only slowed Pepperdine’s defensive tenacity but gave Gonzaga easy points from the free-throw line.

The Bulldogs were in the bonus with eight minutes remaining in the game. Pepperdine finished with a total of 20 personal fouls.

Gonzaga’s offense played even better in the second half, and the Waves could not catch up. Ross said a lot of Pepperdine’s self-inflicted errors were a factor in the loss.

“That’s a good team we just played,” Ross said. “We had too many mental mistakes, and they capitalized on it. Regardless of

Sellout | (top) The Pepperdine faithful watch in anticipation during the second half Saturday night. (bottom) Freshman guard Sedrick Altman creates separation with a step-back. how good they are, we had a lot of chances but couldn’t get it done.”

On the Pepperdine Basketball staff, there’s a coach who’s extra familiar with Gonzaga — second-year Graduate Manager Connor Griffin played there from 2013 to 2015.

Griffin said while it’s strange coaching against his alma mater, he enjoys seeing his former coaching staff.

“It is a little weird at times, but for the most part, it’s always nice to see them,” Griffin said. “They come

up to me and joke with me about being a traitor and things like that.

But I learned a lot from those guys, and I’ve been able to carry that over here and make some suggestions to our staff.”

Pepperdine, now 14–13 and fifth in conference, will travel to Portland to play the 9–18 Pilots Thursday, Feb. 20.

AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU