Pepperdine Graphic 10-22-2020

THE PEPPERDINE GRAPHIC VOLUME L |

ISSUE 8 | october 22, 2020

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SPP Dean Responds to Controversial response to Email As hley mowreader n e ws e dit or On Oct. 12, the School of Public Policy, in association with political fundraising campaign organizer Active Engagements, shared a petition with Conservative News subscribers against the use of “far left indoctrinating” curriculum in schools. On Oct. 21, SPP Dean Pete Peterson told Pepperdine community members it was a mistake to send the petition without prior authorization.

The Pepperdine community exploded with reactions following the Graphic’s Oct. 14 publication of Peterson’s petition, with two alumni petitions, a dozen letters from the Seaver community and hundreds of Instagram comments and tweets created within the week. Peterson and President Jim Gash addressed the community during the Oct. 21 President’s Briefing.

“I believe in civil discourse, inclusive engagement and viewpoint diversity,” Peterson said. “And unfortunately, this email promoted none of these.”

Peterson started his address by referencing his public image as modeled through his 15-year career at Pepperdine and his various other public roles, including leading a nonprofit, building the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and campaigning for public office, among other speeches, opinion pieces and media appearances. Peterson said he strives to model several commitments including viewpoint diversity, civic participation and civil discourse.

Peterson then addressed the email campaign, which he said abandoned the principles he holds in public addresses.

“While the emails were written by copywriters that I contracted outside agency — and while I hadn’t consented to have my own image used an email, nor seen the final email — I approved the copy for this first round of a pilot program, and this was a mistake,” Peterson said. “The email tactic used polarizing and crass language completely unbecoming of SPP, of Pepperdine and of me.”

Peterson said he believes he has demonstrated over the years the ways he speaks, writes and thinks, and he said this email did not model his standards.

“I have no excuse,” Peterson said. “It was a decision I deeply regret and a serious error in judgment.”

As confirmed by an Oct. 15 email from Provost Rick Marrs to the Graphic, Peterson reaffirmed the email cam-

paign is canceled and the contract between the School of Public Policy and Active Engagements has ended, per University demand.

“I can say without hesitation that no message like this will ever again go out from my office, and I take full responsibility for it,” Peterson said.

Peterson also discussed the controversy in the Pepperdine community surrounding the topic and said he regrets this issue created division in the community. While individuals may disagree with one another, Peterson said he believes Pepperdine must always model a culture of honor in how they disagree.

“On this point in this email, I have fallen short,” Peterson said. “To those who have been hurt by my bad judgment, I offer my unreserved and complete and heartfelt apology.”

After Peterson spoke to the community, Gash reaffirmed Pepperdine’s commitment to civil discourse and debate.

“Our university seeks to be a place that welcomes diverse points of view and invites respectful and productive dialogue about controversial topics in a Christian environment,” Gash said. “This university will always support academic freedom and freedom of speech, including the freedom to engage in political discourse.”

Peterson’s message, however, fell short of respective dialogue for several reasons, Gash said.

“The email Dean Peterson was speaking of was an unauthorized solicitation that expressed partisan political views, along with divisive commentary, with a specific call to political action, all as if it were on behalf of the institution,” Gash said.

Gash echoed that the University administration did not approve the email and petition nor would it have done so, as Pepperdine has set precedence to not make political statements in order to create a space for civil discourse.

“The institution itself as a matter of policy does not engage in divisive political rhetoric or take positions with respect to partisan agendas,” Gash said. “We leave these important debates — and they are important — for the academic and educational conversations by our scholars and students engaging in thoughtful discourse by appropriate avenues in their individual capacities.”

Moving forward, Pepperdine will review marketing and communication policies and create additional “quality control processes,” Gash said. Neither Gash nor Peterson gave

photo courtesy of juan carlos hugues Peterson’s Public Address | Dean Pete Peterson speaks at the President’s Briefing on Oct. 21. Peterson addressed the controvery surrounding his Oct. 12 email and petition. comment regarding the call from alumni to remove Peterson from office, but Gash said the University will take appropriate administrative action consistent with University policy.

“Let me also acknowledge the pain, hurt and divisiveness experienced as a result of this,” Gash said. “I am more committed than ever to fostering a strong sense of belonging in this community. It’s clear to me there’s more work to be done. I look forward to doing that.”

ASHL EY.M OW R EADER @PEPPER DINE.EDU

Shanghai Director: life is ‘back to normal’ in Shanghai Ashley Mo w r eader New s Edi tor In most parts of Shanghai, life returned to normal. Restaurants filled with diners, movie theaters packed with viewers, but the Pepperdine Shanghai Jia remains devoid of students.

Shanghai Program Director Charlie Engelmann recounted his experience leading the first suspended International Program, quarantining in the U.S. for seven months and planning his family’s careful return to a city where most lives are normal except his.

“As directors, we do this job for the students first and foremost, and not having that direct access to investing in students takes away a huge aspect of meaning in my life,” Engelmann said. “I’m craving for that to come back, probably more than anything; but I know we need to do it in the right way.”

A Seaver alumnus (2001) and former Heidelberg program participant, Engelmann credits studying abroad his sophomore year as the catalyst for his career in international education.

“I fell in love with learning about other cultures and experiencing places that were different than what I was accustomed to,” Engelmann said.

After graduation, Engelmann took a teaching opportunity in China, only planning to live abroad for a couple of years, but ended up teaching for seven because he loved it. Engelmann then moved back to

photo courtesy of Charlie Engelmann Chinese New Year Celebration | Charlie Engelmann, his wife and his kids smile for a photo celebrating Chinese New Year in February. During the family’s trip, Engelmann learned of the Shanghai program suspension. the U.S. for five years to work and to complete his master’s degree when the Shanghai program director position opened, bringing him back to Pepperdine.

“I believe in Pepperdine’s mission, I believe in International Programs — especially how transformative it can be — and to help support that as the program director was a dream come true,” Engelmann said.

Sending Shanghai Home The Shanghai spring 2020 program was the first Interna-

News

What ’s AHE A D

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thethe waves waves report report

L if e & A r t s

Pe r s pe ct iv e s

A3- Pepperdine Ambassadors Council serves as liason for students and admin. underwent extensive renovations during fall 2020.

tional Program to ever be suspended in IP’s 57-year history. Engelmann said the University pulled a team together in January to assess COVID-19 as it first impacted central China, posing questions about the viability of keeping students in Shanghai.

Ultimately, Pepperdine decided to pull program participants from Shanghai.

“There were a lot of questions about that from the students, and I empathize with where they were at about whether it was legitimately a concern in Shanghai and whether we should have waited a little lon-

Staff Editorial: Pepperdine students should not ignore the conflict in Armenia.

Barrett should not be confirmed to the Supreme Court.

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B4- Baby Waves from

changes to better serve members.

across the country join their teams in Malibu.

Student Alliance emphasizes community to display diverse cultures.

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Life in the U.S. The Shanghai cohort experience wasn’t meant to end with the return to Malibu, Engelmann said. IP understood students’ loss and tried to make up for it through alternate Shanghai-only programming, such as a weekend trip to Catalina.

“I was going to help the Shanghai students continue to have a significant group experience together, just in a new context,” Engelmann said.

Shanghai participants spent only a month on campus, however, because the University closed March 14, forcing students to return home again.

Engelmann and his family booked a flight to return to Shanghai after, but China closed its borders March 28 and suspended all foreigners’ visas. Unable to return home, the Engelmanns moved to a house in Oregon.

Being in quarantine was difficult, Engelmann said, from homeschooling three kids with his wife to being away from home for sevenand-a-half months.

“That took a toll on us,” Engelmann said. “Even though we had great situations in Malibu and in Oregon, we wanted to be back to the place that physically we connected to as home.”

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prior to moving into faculty housing on campus.

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ger,” Engelmann said. “But I think everyone has since looked back and said, ‘Yeah, it was the right decision.’”

The suspension happened during the program’s two-week travel break for Chinese New Year, a national holiday in which Chinese citizens receive a seven-day break from work. Few students remained in Shanghai during this time, Engelmann said.

Engelmann wasn’t even in Shanghai at the time of the suspension; he was with his wife and three kids visiting family in Malaysia. Engelmann and Shanghai staff scrambled to help students leave China, booking flights and making last-minute plans. Engelmann took a one-day trip to Shanghai to gather some belongings, and then he and his family flew to the U.S. “Malaysia is a tropical place; I literally didn’t have a pair of long pants — it was just shorts and flip flops — so I came back to get proper clothes, grab a few important documents,” Engelmann said. “At that time, we weren’t sure how long this thing would be — maybe it would be a month, maybe two, we didn’t know.”

Pepperdine required students to return to their permanent addresses to quarantine for two weeks prior to coming back to Malibu to finish the semester. Engelmann and his family, at the urging of the University, also made plans to finish the semester in Malibu. The Engelmanns spent the two weeks in Seattle, where Engelmann is from,

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Hosts Ivy Moore and Lindsey Sullivan talk to PGM reporters and community members about the School of Public Policy controversy.

Listen on Spotify and SoundCloud.

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Covid-19

THE DPS REPORTS

by the numbers

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

Pepperdine Community:

59 1 2 two Deaths

2 10/12/20 7:49 p.m.

Crime: Trespassing Location: Alumni Park

Known Cases

10/18/20 2:37 p.m.

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

1

Malibu:

107 Cases

three Deaths

3

PRESIDENT’S BRIEFING & OTHER NEWS YOU MISSED Admin still lookin g to f ill positions President Gash updated the co mmunity that the sear ch is still on for a new VP o f Advancement, a chief diver sity officer and a provost.

Los angeles county:

6,944

Deaths

U.S.:

8.35M

the p e p p e r d i ne co m m u ni t y lose s a m e m b e r o f t he pe p p e r d i ne fa m i ly Lori s p ep p erdi ne, g eorg e pep p erdi ne’s dau g ht er-i nlaw and wi dow of g eorg e pep p erdi ne i i , di ed oc t. 1 .

a lu m ni i nv t i e d t o v i r t u a l a ffi ni t y r e u ni o ns P ep p i s hos t i ng vi rt u al aff i nt i y reu ni ons f or al u mni of s eaver and g eorg e p ep p erdi ne c ol l eg e t o c onnec t wi t h f el l ow f ormer waves whi l e p hys i c al ly di s tanc ed.

v i r tu al eve n ts f or the upc om in g w e e k

290,486 cases

Ne w pe ppe rd ine c ovid -19 da sh boa rd is live P hil phillps announced P epper dine’s new online dashboar d, wher e all Covid-19 r elated infor mation for the P epper dine community can be found.

THURS 22

What: The gathering When: 7 p.m. PDT hosted by: the well and celebration chapel

FRI 23

no events scheduled

MON 26

What: jewish culture club When: 7 p.m. PDT Hosted by: jewish culture club

TUES 27

What: alumni industry mixer When: 4 P.m. PDT Hosted by: alumni affairs

WED 28

What: swab domestic violence instagram live When: 10 a.m. PDT Hosted by: swab What: come as you art virtual halloween party When: 5 P.m. PDT Hosted by: art history student society

What: Greek Life: Virtual Game Night recruitment event When: 7 p.m. PDT hosted by: Sigma phi epsilon

cases

week

222K Deaths Worldwide:

41.1M cases

1.13M

Deaths Malibu reopening phase:

3

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Recently finished remodel revitalizes Lovernich Apartments for spring Natalie hardt New s as si sta n t Housing and Residence Life completed extensive renovations to Lovernich Apartments over the summer, including updates to building exteriors and each apartment unit.

HRL updated Lovernich in response to student feedback revealing a distaste for surface-level finishes. HRL did not significantly alter semester housing rates for Lovernich this year. Depending on how late in the year Pepperdine announces whether on-campus occupancy will be increased in the spring, students may not be able to select specific living spaces.

“It is a lot nicer with these improvements for sure,” said Robin Gore, the associate dean of Student Affairs and director of Housing Operations.

Renovations improved building infrastructure, including the HVAC system, landscaping and roofing. In each unit, workers installed new LED lighting, blinds and flooring. The kitchen has new countertops, stainless steel appliances, cabinetry and an updated sink.

Bathrooms have a new vanity and cabinets with lower storage, new plumbing, fixtures and ventilation system and a larger shower area.

Gore said most upper-level students viewed Lovernich as less desirable than George Page Apartments despite having an identical layout. Student surveys revealed the finishes, appliances and lighting as major reasons for this, prompting

HRL to pursue a larger scale renovation when Lovernich was already slotted for updates to the roof and HVAC system, Gore said.

Chloe Henry, the graduate Resident Adviser of Lovernich this semester, said she believes the updated look of Lovernich helps students coming back to campus feel more welcome.

There are no undergraduate RAs this semester due to remote instruction and limited on-campus occupancy.

Budget constraints limited the project slightly — only some of the new floors are vinyl rather than carpeted, and HRL deferred refurnishing the units to a later year, Gore said.

Budget constraints limited the project slightly — only some of the new floors are vinyl rather than carpeted, and HRL deferred refurnishing the units to a later year, Gore said.

The standard semester rate for a double occupancy room in Lovernich is $6,800, compared to $7,000 in George Page. Gore said the difference is due to variation in style rather than amenities.

“The amenities are all the same now,” Gore said. “The look is just a bit different.

George Page definitely has a George Page look that’s a little bit more regal looking and high end.”

Pricing did not change significantly as a result of the updates, and the semesterly housing rate only increased about $100, Gore said.

The current housing rates will continue for students who are permitted to live on-campus in the spring.

In planning for the spring semester, housing contracts will look a little different.

HRL canceled all existing housing contracts for the spring, and if on campus housing allowances are increased for the spring semester, there will be a new room reservation process, Gore said. The decision to increase on-campus occupancy depends on LA County health protocols for higher education.

HRL does not yet know whether students will be able to pick living spaces or roommates in the spring if campus occupancy increases, Gore said. She said the earlier Pepperdine makes a decision about the spring, the sooner students will receive notice about options for living on campus.

If the University makes a decision by early December, HRL will fulfill roommate requests, Gore said. If there is no decision until January, however, the turnaround will likely be too soon to fulfill roommate requests.

“If it’s a late decision in January, we will just go with, ‘Hey, you got a spot, and we hope you are content with that,’” Gore said.

Photo courtesy of Lucy Man, HRL Lovernich Face Lift | New lighting illuminates the renovated kitchen and living space in Lovernich, photographed Aug. 11. In the past, students have complained about dim lighting and dated finishes, prompting HRL to update Lovernich.

Photo courtesy of Lucy Man, HRL

N A TA L I E . H A RD T @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

Lovernich Face Lift | New shower, cabinetry, plumbing and finishes decorate a newly redone Lovernich bathroom, photographed Aug. 11. HRL updated Lovernich’s finishes and fixtures to be more on par with George Page Apartments, which students felt had superior features.

Pepperdine Ambassadors Council builds a bridge between students and administration Addie Whiten New s a ssista n t Creating a connection between Pepperdine students and administration, especially now as both groups are physically distanced from each other, is no easy task.

The Pepperdine Ambassadors Council aims to do just that — and welcomes the challenge. PAC works to build a bridge not only between students and administration but also between the Pepperdine community and the surrounding Malibu area, according to its website.

PAC comprises of Seaver students who are passionate about representing their peers while working with administration to close the gap between students and Pepperdine as an institution.

Junior Lindsey Marian, external community liaison for PAC, said the members hope to do good work for students within their roles.

“The main goal in terms of students is to bridge the gap and serve as a liaison between the student body and the president’s office,” Marian said.

Marian’s role within PAC is focused on connecting students and Pepperdine as an institution with the Malibu community. Recently, she and her team partnered with Howdy’s, a project she said helps promote supporting Malibu businesses by offering the 2020 Deal — a 20% off discount for Pepperdine students, faculty and staff for the rest of the calendar year.

In addition to projects like this, Marian said one of the responsibilities she and her co-liaison share is to inform other PAC members about local community news at their weekly meetings.

Junior Madison Callahan serves as an event coordinator for PAC. Her role involves planning group bonding events as well as coordinating volunteer opportunities.

Callahan said members recently participated in a virtual volunteer event, cleaning up their local beach or park.

Callahan said being part of PAC is important to her and a great opportunity to learn valuable life skills that she can use far beyond Pepperdine.

“It’s plenty of work, but it’s also not intimidating,” Callahan said.

“Everyone genuinely wants to help each other out and just grow as people and working adults.”

Senior Cassidy Woodward holds the title of vice-chairperson for PAC, second-in-command to the chairperson, overseeing members in their individual roles.

Woodward said her team builds the bridge between students and administration by raising awareness on issues students may not completely understand, like the increase in tuition and emergency operations.

“Working with administration to demystify some of those things — that’s our primary goal this year,” Woodward said.

This effort to erase the disconnect between students and administration is necessary work, especially during remote instruction, Woodward said.

“For students, there have just been more questions this year than ever — and a lot of misunderstandings as well,” Woodward said. “I think students want to trust the administration, but they aren’t quite there yet.”

Being a PAC member is an honor that comes with unique privileg-

addie whiten | new assitant es as well as the opportunity to do meaningful work, Woodward said.

“You get to be the students who represent Pepperdine at Malibu events and lots of events in LA,” Woodward said. “You get to go to the Associates Dinner and be a representative of all of the Pepperdine student body to people outside the community.”

Marian said she was inspired to join PAC after interacting with former members when she attended Malibu Reception as a prospective Wave.

“I remember my parents and I were speaking to them, and we were really impressed,” Marian said.

“They helped me decide I wanted to go to Pepperdine through what

they had to say about their experiences.”

Woodward said she decided to become a member because of the interaction PAC has with administration at Pepperdine.

“It sounded like a neat opportunity, and I knew you got to interact with administration and go to interesting events, and so that was what sparked my interest,” Woodward said.

Prospective PAC members must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, complete at least 60 unit hours by the time their term begins, have at least a year remaining as a student, be involved now or in the past with at least three other areas of student life, be in good standing with the

University’s code of ethics, have a recommendation from a Pepperdine faculty or staff member and complete an application, according to the PAC website.

Marian said she encourages anyone who thinks they may be interested in becoming a part of PAC to reach out and apply online.

“If you’re passionate about Pepperdine and you want to help out or learn more about the school, I think it’s a good opportunity,” Marian said.

ADDIE.W HITEN@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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MADELINE DUVALL| ART EDITOR

S T A F F E D I T O R I A L Pepp, we can’t ignore what’s happening to Armenians As the pandemic rages on, the U.S. presidential election approaches and Pepperdine students await news about the spring semester, across the ocean in an Armenian-populated region called Artsakh — known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh — a conflict teeters on the edge of war between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

For weeks now, Azerbaijani forces, backed by Turkish support, have attacked predominantly Armenian civilians using rockets, artillery and drones. In addition to affecting Armenians across the globe, this conflict could have international ramifications and become a regional war if world powers with the ability to intervene and stop it choose not to.

As global citizens, Pepperdine students have a responsibility to educate themselves on this important issue and support their fellow Armenian Waves despite everything else vying for their attention.

“The reality of everything is that students don’t care unless they’re directly affected by something, which is the sad, cold truth,” said senior Ani Harutyunyan, social media and public relations chair of the Armenian Student Association.

Armenians have populated Artsakh for thousands of years, and the region has been a de facto state struggling to achieve self-determination since 1991, when the Soviet Union fell, according to the Los

Angeles Times.

Although this issue may not directly impact all Pepperdine students, they should all care not only because it deeply affects their Armenian classmates but also because this conflict is a humanitarian issue.

“This is literally like a form of ethnic cleansing — a form of genocide — that’s happening right now,” said senior Shant Ganoumian, president of ASA and Pepperdine Graphic Media staff writer. “[Azerbaijan and Turkey are] literally trying to displace us from our land, so that they can take it even though 97 to 99% of the population has ethnically been Armenian for hundreds of years.”

According to the LA Times, Armenians view the Azerbaijan attacks as attempts to revive the Armenian genocide of 1915, which claimed the lives of almost 1.5 million Armenians.

Ganoumian said there are people his age and younger fighting on the frontlines for the Armenian cause and dying to protect their families and home in Artsakh.

“In a different world I could have been in their shoes and they could have been here,” Ganoumian said.

“And that just pains me.”

Harutyunyan said she recently lost a family member in Artsakh who died fighting for the Armenian cause. As she and her family grieved their loss, she was forced to consider whether she would ever get the opportunity to travel to her family’s

THE 'BU YORKER

homeland.

“Am I actually going to even see my country?” Hartyunyan said. “Am I actually going to meet the family that I have there or are they just all going to die?”

In 2017, ASA worked with Student Government Association to draft and pass a resolution that called for the Pepperdine administration to formally recognize the Armenian genocide, a step that has been taken by other schools including University California, Los Angeles and Loyola Marymount University.

Now, almost four years later, the administration has yet to make any official statement in recognition of the genocide or fulfill what the resolution that passed within SGA called for.

“It’s very degrading — almost dehumanizing — because we are your students and we want to hear [the administration] speak publicly,” Harutyunyan said.

The Graphic understands that, as it is a geopolitical topic that is not occurring within the U.S. and can seem controversial, administration may be hesitant to speak on it; however, Pepperdine has a responsibility to show that it supports its Armenian students, especially as a Christian institution with many international students and abroad campuses.

Just as Pepperdine owes it to its Armenian students to be outspoken in its support of them, students also need to take action by educating

themselves and using their platforms on social media.

“Even if one person paid attention to what you posted, that is one more person that we didn’t have,” Harutyunyan said. “That one person makes a difference.”

Greek life and other Pepperdine cultural student organizations have recently partnered with ASA for a social media campaign to raise funds and awareness for the cause. Ganoumian said people tend to quickly move on to the next news cycle, leaving marginalized groups who receive little coverage forgotten; therefore, students must continue collaborations like these to help to amplify the voices of Armenian students.

ASA plans to host an informational session in the near future, and Ganoumian said he encourages everyone in the Pepperdine community to attend this opportunity to learn more.

The best way Pepperdine students can become strong allies is by educating themselves and others and standing up for their Armenian peers by continuing to call for administration and the world to recognize their struggle.

“You’ll do your research, and you’ll know more than you did yesterday,” Ganoumian said. “And that’s, at the end of the day, what we want; that’s all we ask.”

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Madeline Duvall | Art Editor

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

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M ANAG I NG ED I TO R M AKE N A H U E Y D I G I TAL ED I TO R B R IAN N A WIL L IS C O PY C HI EF B RYAN T L O N E Y NEW S ED I TO R AS H L E Y M O WR E AD E R NEW S AS SI S TANT ED I TO R G R ACE WO O D NEW S ASS I STANTS U M E E S H A D’ALWIS N ATAL IE H AR D T AD D IE WH IT E N S eni o r R ep o r ter E m ily S h aw L I FE & AR TS ED I TO R R O WAN T O KE L I FE & AR TS AS SI S TANT ED I TO R S O F IA L O N G O L I FE & AR TS AS SI S TANTS CH R IS TIN KAR R S am an t h a To r r e J e s s ica Wan g L I FE & AR TS C O PY ED I TO R N ICO L E WIT T S P O R TS ED I TO R K AR L WIN T E R SP O R TS AS SI S TANT ED I TO R PAX T O N R IT CH E Y S P O R TS C O PY ED I TO R Wh it n e y b u s s e l l SP O R TS AS SI S TANT J U S T IN T O U H E Y SP O R TS D ESI G N ASS I STANT IN E Z KIM P ER SP EC TI V ES ED I TO R CAR O L IN E S H AR PL E S S P ER S P EC TI V ES AS SI S TANT AJ M U O N AG O L U P ER S P EC TI V ES C O PY ED I TO R T IF FAN Y H AL L L EAD D ES I G NER M E L IS S A L O CKE HEAD P O D C AST P R O D U C ER K AE L IN M E N D E Z P O D C AS T P R O D U C ER S IV Y M O O R E L IN D S E Y S U L L IVAN AR T ED I TO R M AD E L IN E D U VAL L AR T Ass i stant ED I TO R AL LY AR M S TR O N G AR TI S TS L E AH B AE GAB BY D IG IOVAN N I S AM AN T H A M IL L E R P HO TO ED I TO R AL I L E V E N S ASS I STANT P HO TO ED I TO R J AY L E N E R AM L I P HO TO G R AP HER CH AR L O T TE WAL K E R V I D EO P R O D U C ER M AR IS A D R AG O S P I X EL ED I TO R B ryan t L o n e y B U SI NESS D I R EC TO R H AD L E Y B IG G S 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.

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OCTO B E R 2 2 , 2 0 2 0 | PE RS PE C TIVE S | P E P P E R D I N E G RA P H I C ME D I A

Judge Amy Coney Barrett should not be confirmed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died 46 days before the upcoming presidential election. Yet, Republicans are pushing to have Barrett confirmed before Election Day. Scalia died nine months before the election. Considering the Republican objection to Garland was based J o s h u a A . E va n s on election proximity, this rush s ta f f w r i t e r to confirm a new justice is grossly With less than a month until partisan and unfair. the presidential election, RepubliIn addition to the blatant hycans are rushing to confirm a new pocrisy of her hurried nomination, Supreme Court justice. Judge Amy Barrett would drastically reshape Coney Barrett is a highly partisan the Supreme Court by replacing a judge whom President Donald liberal justice with an ultraconserTrump nominated to entrench vative originalist. conservative values and his perThe first legislation on the sonal political agenda into the chopping block if Barrett is conSupreme Court; this confirmation firmed before Nov. 10 will likely be would create an ultraconservative the Affordable Care Act. Barrett politically partisan Supreme Court wrote that the 2012 ruling upthat fails to represent the mainholding the constitutionality of the stream values of the United States. ACA was wrongfully decided. The Voters should have a say over close decision was 5-4, with Chief the direction of the Supreme Justice John Roberts and all four of Court, as Republicans argued in the Court’s liberal associate justices 2016 after the death of conservavoting to uphold the ACA as contive icon Antonin Scalia. At the stitutional. If the Senate confirms time, Republicans refused to hold a Barrett, future Supreme Court hearing to assess President Barack decisions on this subject will likely Obama’s Supreme Court nominee be different. The gutting or overMerrick Garland’s fitness to serve turning of the ACA with Barrett on in the Supreme Court. the Supreme Court is likely, given

her originalist views.

The Supreme Court overturning the ACA risks millions of Americans losing their health care coverage. Protections against preexisting conditions and anti-discrimination statutes are also threatened if the ACA is gutted. In the midst of a pandemic, the one surefire way to make things worse is to take away people’s health care.

Aside from health care, reproductive rights would be in jeopardy with a more conservative Supreme Court upholding punitive state restrictions on abortion and contraception or allowing them to be banned totally. Barrett has given public speeches and signed petitions arguing against abortion, confirming she takes a strong anti-abortion stance.

LGBTQ+ rights would also be eroded if Barrett is confirmed. The Republican platform states that it wants to overturn gay marriage.

Barrett is on the record defending Supreme Court dissenters in the marriage equality ruling Obergefell v. Hodges.

Barrett wrote a legal opinion advocating that the use of a racial slur in the workplace does not constitute workplace harassment. Legal

scholars are concerned her confirmation puts affirmative action and some workplace harassment cases at risk.

Disability rights would likely suffer from the new Supreme Court balance. In P.F. v. Taylor, she ruled a school district should be allowed to reject transferring students with disabilities because it had not accounted for these students’ extra support needs in budgeting.

If the Supreme Court is to undergo such a radical shift to the right, the American people’s voice should be heard. Whoever wins the presidential election should have the right to appoint someone to fill the vacant seat.

Sen. Lindsey Graham told Americans, “If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.”

By supporting the rushed nomination of Barrett just days before the presidential election, Graham has not kept his word. He is not willing to risk Republicans losing the opportunity to cement a

conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court.

President Trump seeks to seat a highly partisan justice as a way to increase his odds of staying in power if the election results are contested. Republicans also want to utilize Barrett’s ultra-conservative views on the Supreme Court to tip the balance in favor of conservative Republican values.

Adding a highly partisan justice into a hotly contested election dynamic puts American democracy at risk. During her confirmation hearing, Barrett refused to answer questions about how she would rule if Trump refused to leave office after the election if he lost.

The Republicans are rushing the Barrett confirmation in bad faith with the intention of undermining progressive values and the presidential election results. To ensure that President Trump cannot thwart the will of the American people, through the judiciary or otherwise, people have to vote in substantial enough numbers that the election results cannot be successfully contested.

JOSH.EVANS@PEPPER DINE.EDU

The world needs to respond to the Earth’s fire alarms

Aileen Blomdal Staff Writer Since August, fires have decimated at least 3% of California’s land, making 2020 a record-breaking year for the largest California wildfire in recorded history.

California, Oregon and Washington are not the only victims of natural disasters — fires also destroyed land in other states, and a devastatingly high number of hurricanes continue to hit the East Coast. Temperatures, as well as sea levels, are also rising each year. The numbers point to one explanation: climate change.

The world may not be ending, but the

Earth’s climate is shifting, and Americans need to pay attention.

Every degree matters, according to Hoegh-Guldberg. If the world limits the Earth’s average temperature to 1°C instead of 2°C, 10 million people would be saved from losing their homes to rising sea levels and half of the people who experience water scarcity would be spared.

“The global land and ocean surface temperature for March 2020 was 1.16°C (2.09°F) above the 20th century average of 12.7°C (54.9°F) and the second-highest in the 141year record,” according to National Center for Environmental Information.

The increase in average global temperature is a result of fossil fuel and other emissions humans have been producing since the beginning of the industrial age.

As one of 8 billion people, it is daunting to think about reversing the damage, but anyone, and everyone, can become an agent of change.

On an individual level, students can contact the Pepperdine Volunteer Center and seek out opportunities to serve with the Sustainability Team. The Green Team as well as the Food Recovery Network provide opportunities for students to gain more knowledge in environmental sustainability.

For students and faculty who seek opportunities outside the Pepperdine bubble, there are many other ways to decrease one’s ecological impact on Earth.

Fast fashion, factory farms, transportation and large corporations are Earth’s current enemies. Those with a passion for fashion can buy second-hand or upcycled clothes, support local sustainable brands, recycle denim items and purchase less low-quality items.

People can also be mindful of food consumption by eating less beef and other meats, purchasing in-season products from local farms and using or composting leftovers.

Anyone can travel more sustainably by riding

trains in lieu of planes, walking or biking instead of driving.

Researching government representatives and candidates and contacting councilmembers with ideas and concerns regarding environmental sustainability policies will also help environmentalists exercise their voices.

These actions will make people feel better about themselves more than drastically changing the world. Unfortunately, it’s because large corporations create most pollution; however, these companies have little power without consumer support.

Once one person changes their behavior, others around them can be influenced, allowing ethical decision-making to become the norm. This will ultimately create a new culture focused on taking care of our natural home so that the next fire will not burn it down.

AIL EEN.BL OM DAL @PEPPER DINE.EDU

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

T O T H E G R AP H IC : C LU BS S P E A K O U T A GA I NS T DE AN P ET E R S O N Editor’s Note: Opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author, and publication in the Graphic in no way represent an endorsement of any opinions published. This space is provided to allow public response and commentary on articles and issues which are covered by the Graphic and important to its readership.

On Oct. 15, we read the Graphic article “School of Public Policy Dean Shares Petition Against ‘Far Left Indoctrinating Curriculum,’” and we are incredibly disappointed with Dean Peterson’s inconsiderate words and actions. In this letter, we hope to lay out why we think Dean Peterson’s actions are deplorable and list our demands for the Pepperdine administration.

Dean Peterson’s actions are reprehensible because they are a rebuff to the student leaders who attended the Presidential Action Advisory Team meetings. While PAAT meetings were a space to talk about tangible steps toward more equity, diversity and inclusion at Pepperdine, these meetings were also a space for self-reflection to wrestle individually with biases and racial identity. On multiple occasions, colleagues engaged with Dean Peterson about the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion by hiring the Chief Diver-

sity Officer and implementing social justice GE courses. But as seen through Dean Peterson’s recent “Far left Indoctrinating” petition, even after all of these dialogues, Dean Peterson failed to grasp the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion in curriculum at Pepperdine and in daily life.

Additionally, those who witnessed Dean Peterson commit to racial healing in the U.S. during the Jericho Challenge see his words at the Eric Metaxas Radio Show as antithetical to his commitments. His direct and indirect actions against the 1619 Project contribute to additional marginalization of the Black community in the United States rather than racial healing.

Most importantly, Dean Peterson’s actions are deeply hurtful to Black students at Pepperdine, who are already yearning to feel heard, valued and respected. His statements come across as an attempt to suppress history and neglect people’s racialized experiences. A significant part of the fight for justice is exposing the truth and telling stories that have been hidden for so long; Dean Peterson’s actions function as a deliberate attempt to block collective consciousness to oppression. The same students this university claims to care for are exhausted — tired of having to continually fight for our collective dignity at the very institution we attend. We are

tired of repeatedly feeling forced to speak up and address this institution’s leaders’ outlandish actions. From the severity of COVID-19 to the relentless terror of police brutality, and now the overt disrespect for Pepperdine’s students of color, our feelings of hopelessness in the University’s care for marginalized groups are at an all-time high.

As members of various organizations on campus dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion, we find Dean Peterson’s actions out of line. We cannot overstate the hurt we feel as a result of his behavior. As such, we demand that paid professional Pepperdine leaders publicly denounce Dean Peterson’s heinous actions and provide an apology to all students at Pepperdine’s five schools. Furthermore, we ask that serious thought is given to Peterson’s position as of the School of Public Policy since his actions are hostile to students of color at Pepperdine.

— Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Black Student Association; Crossroads Gender and Sexuality Alliance; First Generation College Students Club; Indigenous People’s Club; Student Government Association; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council

TO TH E G R A PH I C: ST U DENT S S HO U LD C A R E A BO U T T HE NAGO R NO -KAR AB AKH CO NFLICT The Armenian community is fighting a battle on two fronts. We are fighting against ethnic cleansing and persecution in Nagorno-Karabakh. But we are also fighting for your attention.

On Sept. 27, the Republic of Azerbaijan launched an attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave situated between Armenia and Azerbaijan consisting of a majority of ethnic Armenians. After more than two weeks of ongoing warfare, the conflict has reached new heights. With Azerbaijan refusing to back down and Armenia fighting to defend itself, there is little hope that the end is near.

Over a hundred years ago, the Ottoman Empire took advantage of the international community’s involvement in World War I by committing the first genocide of the twentieth century — the Armenian Genocide. From 1914 to 1923, the Ottoman

government unleashed a series of mass murders against Armenians. More than 1.5 million Armenians died. Those who survived were displaced across the world, resulting in a diaspora of nearly ten million people. We are a nation that is sorely divided by space but never by spirit. It is this spirit that has ensured our very existence for all these years.

Today, the Republic of Azerbaijan is using the current state of world affairs as a cover for the extermination of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. The social upheaval regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, upcoming national election and impending Supreme Court confirmation hearings have drowned the gut-wrenching cries of the Armenian community. We are all sobbing and screaming at the top of our lungs.

But you are not listening.

The people of Nagorno-Karabakh are

fighting for their existence every day.

They are fighting for their right to live and fighting for the survival of their culture — a culture which has persevered through genocide, war, famine and persecution.

They never experience a moment of peace, for they know that the sounds of raging gunfire can make everything change in an instant.

Before Adolf Hitler embarked on the Holocaust, he referenced the Armenian community in a now-famous speech by asking, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” The Armenian Genocide’s lack of recognition sowed the seeds of Hitler’s “Final Solution.” And so, history repeated itself.

But history should not have repeated itself. The stain of denial has long plagued the world. It will never be fully erased, but under the right conditions, it may gradu-

ally fade away. It is up to us to ensure that our stains fade away, and this begins with a mutual understanding of one another.

We are all united by the same human dignity. We are all capable of goodness and love Our differences should not divide us, but rather draw us closer together. Our actions should not harm one another but rather heal one another. Our words should not hurt one another but rather comfort one another.

And so, I urge you to stand in solidarity with our movement. I urge you to be on the right side of history. Most importantly, I urge you to act now so that history does not repeat itself. For if you do not, then who will?

— Ani Khachatryan, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law student

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P E P P E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | N E W S | O C TO B E R 22, 20 20

DIRECTOR: Shanghai director prepares for future participants FR OM A 1 China reopened a special visa process for foreign workers in June, allowing the family to reapply for entrance. Engelmann and his family returned to China in late August.

Life in Shanghai In Shanghai, the other program staff adjusted to remote work and a lack of students as well as new COVID-19 regulations. Restaurants and schools closed in March, and a mandatory mask policy was in place in public spaces, but there was no stay-at-home order, Engelmann said.

“There was a period — mainly in February and probably early March — where everybody was having sympathy toward the staff members in China,” Engelmann said. “That pivoted quickly as things got under control there and they were concerned about us in the U.S.” As case numbers dropped in China and rose in the U.S., the Shanghai staff did their best to support Engelmann and his family; Program Coordinator Gigi Zhang even offered to send masks during the PPE shortage in March.

“I think there was a perception at one point that things were apocalyptic in China,” Engelmann said. “They never were, especially in Shanghai, and in many ways, it was handled really, really well here [and] continues to be.”

In returning to the city, Engelmann’s family faced strict re-entering procedures, he said. Engelmann took four separate COVID-19 tests during the visa reapplication process alone.

Upon arrival to Shanghai, the family received additional tests and spent a night in a hotel room in quarantine. Because they were a family with young children, the Engelmanns received transportation to return home and quarantine there for 14 days. They weren’t allowed to leave their home under any circumstances, and a nurse came by daily to take temperatures and check for virus symptoms. At the end of the 14 days, they received a QR code allowing them to leave their house and travel freely throughout the country, Engelmann said.

“At that point, there’s a confidence you don’t have COVID,” Engelmann said. “In that confidence, you can see people live life normally.”

Churches and schools have reopened, Engelmann said; there is no social distancing, and only in few instances, like riding in taxis or using public transportation, do people wear masks.

Looking Forward to the Shanghai Program

Despite Shanghai’s suspension, Engelmann and his staff are taking advantage of this time to improve the program and hope for students returning soon.

“This has given us the opportunity to do a lot of long-term things we otherwise never have the time to do during the normal craziness,” Engelmann said.

Engelmann is developing a well-being curriculum, he said, focusing on students’ mental and spiritual health to help develop resilience and give meaning to their life — all key components of the abroad experience. In the mean-

Photo courtesy of charlie engelmann Long Summer Days | Shanghai Director Charlie Engelmann and his kids smile this past summer in Oregon. Engelmann and his family spent seven months in the U.S., unable to go home. time, however, he misses the energy of students in the Jia. “This place feels so dead,” Engelmann said. “And so sad — quiet without students around. Gosh, I miss that a lot.”

Associate Director William Wu, Academic Assistant Mona Chen and Zhang continue to work, Engelmann said, but faculty and other

staff have found employment elsewhere for the time being.

Engelmann remains in contact with Pepperdine students, reaching out to future program participants and answering questions for applicants. One of the biggest questions for students revolves around spring semester, Engelmann said, much of which depends on safety con-

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cerns from the University.

“Right now, students still can’t get visas to come back to China, so that’s really the main hurdle,” Engelmann said. “Once we’re over that, we can ask some of these ancillary questions.”

ASHL EY.M OW R EADER @PEPPER DINE.EDU

October 22, 2020

The Graphic

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pepp e rd in e - g ra p h ic.co m

LIFE & ARTS

Greek life reevaluates meaning to members gr ac e w o o d n e w s ass i s tant edit or Editor’s Note: Grace Wood is a member of Pepperdine’s chapter of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women.

In a year that has witnessed a global pandemic and a demand for racial justice, the meaning of Greek life is changing as Greek organizations reconcile their online existence and navigate a political and social climate that won’t tolerate racist practices any longer.

Pepperdine University is home to eight Panhellenic sororities, four fraternities governed by the Interfraternity Council, two business fraternities and two historically Black Greek organizations that fall under the National Pan-Hellenic Council, among other special interest fraternities.

This year, sororities and fraternities at the University have addressed the circumstances brought on

by COVID-19 as they also wrestle with the racial reckoning taking place in the U.S. The changing social and political climate within the country begs the question: What does it mean to be a member of Greek life in 2020?

“The important part of Sigma Chi is not social, it’s not mixers, it’s the character of the members who compose it,” said senior and Sigma Chi Consul Antonio Gutierrez. “Everyone in our fraternity is responsible for cultivating a better culture.”

Virtual Recruitment This fall, several Greek organizations decided to hold virtual Recruitment for potential new members. While senior Alpha Phi President Millie Para-

Photo courtesy of Pepperdine Sigma Chi Student Activism| Sophomore Sherwin McDonald joins a Black Lives Matter protest in Atlanta. on May 29. McDonald joined Sigma Chi’s Empowerment Committee this semester. schiv said she was initially disappointed to not be able to hold Recruitment events in person, she felt like she could get a good sense of the potential new members’ personalities once virtual Recruitment began.

“But people are happy to meet new people and do activities with sisters outside of the more official events that we have to do,” Paraschiv said.

Paraschiv said she encouraged active members to ask questions that delved beneath the surface level so they could have the chance to get to know the PNMs as much as possible over Zoom.

“A lot of them were saying they wanted to make

sure they found genuine relationships,” Paraschiv said. “We asked women what they wanted to see in a chapter as opposed to us being like, ‘OK, so this is what Alpha Phi values.’ It was more of asking them what they were looking for and what they wanted to get out of this whole experience.”

Senior Ruffina Silva-Garcia, the chair for Tri Delta’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, said initially, she didn’t expect many women to sign up for virtual Recruitment.

Silva-Garcia said her expectations were exceeded when she learned that 232 women would be participating.

ally armstrong| artist “We did have a lot of people sign up; they wanted that sense of community, even though we were in a virtual environment,” Silva-Garcia said. “And I think that they did find it because they’re meeting new people. Although it’s not in person, they have a group to come back to on campus.”

Paraschiv said while Alpha Phi members are still very enthusiastic about their relationships with each other and the new members, existing in a virtual space makes it difficult for the chapter to get excited about official sorority activities, like philanthropy events that have had to be moved to an online format.

Eight members of Alpha Phi chose to drop out or take inactive status in the sorority this semester because they didn’t want to pay to participate in online events, Paraschiv said.

Delta Sigma Pi President Elizabeth Hyde said her fraternity’s existence online can pose unique advantages that may not have happened if DSP had the opportunity to gather in person. DSP also held online Recruitment this fall.

Hyde said the online space creates more opportunities for guest speakers who would not usually be able to travel to Malibu to speak to the chapter. Hyde also said the chapter has not forgotten about its phil-

anthropic endeavors and is still working on partnering with Alpha Kappa Psi and other DSP chapters in the region to create initiatives that members can participate in wherever they are.

“We’re keeping our high expectations, high standards and our high fun and enthusiasm and brotherhood while also adapting to the online environment,” Hyde said.

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Resources allow students to RISE with resilience al exa b o r s tad s taf f w r i t e r

One in five students claimed their mental health has “significantly worsened” during COVID-19, and over 80% of college students claimed COVID-19 has “negatively impacted” their mental health, according to an Active Minds survey in April.

In spring 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Pepperdine’s Student Health Survey reported that over 65% of students had felt overwhelming anxiety, 55% had felt things were hopeless and 44% had felt “so depressed it was difficult to function.” Pepperdine is also known to have a higher rate of loneliness than the national average, according to the National College Health Assessment.

“I think we’re gonna see a spike in loneliness with all of this, which, I feel is kind of self-explanatory,” said Amanda Fricker, Student Affairs Intern.

“Even though we’re seeing each other face to face virtually, it’s not the same as being physically face to face.”

To combat the effects of worsening mental health and loneliness, many studies have shown the importance of developing resilience skills. Resilience skills are important because mental resilience is essential for individuals to function, according to The Wall Street Journal. To help students cope during this time, Vice President for Student Affairs Connie Horton said she hopes both students and faculty will embody the message of resilience this semester through the current virtual health, wellness and spiritual offerings.

“Resilience matters now,” Horton wrote in a follow-up email. “Healthy cognitions remind us ‘This too shall pass’ when it seems the pandemic is going on forever.”

Health and Wellness The Health and Wellness Departments at Pepperdine consist of the Student Health Center, the Counseling Center, Office of Title IX and Resilience-Informed Skills Education.

Due to state restrictions, state-licensed medical providers

are not allowed to administer care to patients outside of state bounds. Therefore, the Student Health Center and the Counseling Center continue to offer both in-person and virtual telehealth appointments only for students residing in California. Along with free-of-charge appointments, the Counseling Center is offering counseling groups, such as Thrive!, Understanding Self and Others and Finding Your Calm exclusively for in-state students.

Nivla Fitzpatrick, director of the Counseling Center, said the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment Act is being introduced in Congress.

This would allow temporary reciprocity for health care professionals in all states, allowing therapists or health care professionals to treat students outside of their licensed jurisdiction.

“When COVID went down back in March, many states across the country set up emergency kind of guidelines that allowed therapists to practice across state lines, but those were 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, and they’re all drying up now,” Fitzpatrick said.

In the meantime, all students, whether domestic or international, have the option to attend support groups such as the International Student Support Group, the Recovery Peer Support Group, the Graduate Student Support Group and the Black Student Support Group. The Counseling Center offers other psycho-educational workshops as well, including Healthy Coping, Alcohol and COVID: What Do We Know?, Deep Breath: Skills for Anxiety Management and a drop-in meditation group.

Although the Counseling Center has some resources for outof-state students, junior Alicia Yu said she thinks there should be more resources and help for students staying at home, especially for those experiencing difficult family dynamics, F.O.M.O. or isolation.

Senior Allison Kwan said in the past she would usually hear of the Counseling Center’s resources by word of mouth, and keeping up-to-date with the new Instagram accounts for Pepperdine is sometimes hard. However, Kwan said she thinks it is en-

leah bae| artist couraging to see more resources and groups being offered during this time, especially for Black students.

The Health and Wellness Departments all have their own student-run social media accounts on Instagram, where they feature a plethora of advice, self-help techniques, as well as announcements and information on future events.

Pepperdine also has the Student Wellness Advisory Board, a student organization that invites all students to get involved with health and wellness and potentially earn volunteer hours. The organization is comprised of student representatives, faculty advisers and students, and it has three branches — Healthy Minds with the Counseling Center, Healthy Bodies with the Pepperdine Health Center and Healthy Communities with the office of Title IX. “We’re pretty excited to just see how we can adapt to this virtual community and still support

students in as many ways as possible,” said senior and co-President of SWAB Emma Mattingly.

Along with promoting Pepperdine’s current Health and Wellness resources and encouraging mental health awareness, SWAB also monitors student feedback relating to each of these departments.

Anyone is allowed to become a member. First-year Jackson Buck said he decided to join SWAB after attending the organization’s presentation during virtual New Student Orientation. Although he was initially hesitant to join an extra-curricular, Buck said he thought it was important to be a part of an organization dedicated to helping students.

Pepperdine’s Student Care Team, Part of the Title IX Office, is another resource available for students. According to its website, the Student Care Team still provides counseling, academic support, housing and emergency relief for students during the COVID-19 crisis. If students

are looking to receive support through the Student Care Team, they should reach out to the office via email to contact a case manager.

Sense of Belonging According to the Mayo Clinic, a sense of belonging is crucial for physical and mental health.

University Chaplain Sara Barton said finding a sense of belonging will be tough during COVID-19, not just for first-year students but for everyone.

“Think about the people who were studying abroad last year, or, you know, think about transfers,” Barton said. “There also may be a student who’s in South Carolina, but all of their friends are together in California.”

While it’s hard to navigate social and emotional needs online, Barton said Pepperdine students have opportunities to take advantage of, including spiritual mentoring.

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PEPP E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | L IFE A N D A RTS | O CT O B E R 22, 20 20

The Latino/a/x Student Alliance emphasizes community to display diverse culture So fia Longo li f e & ar ts assista n t e dit or The Latino/a/x Student Alliance is an organization for Pepperdine students to share and embrace their culture while connecting with a unique campus community. The club is focusing on bringing new and old members closer together this semester through a variety of ways, including creating small groups within the club for members to connect more easily.

Senior co-Presidents Amy Zelaya and Priscilla Merlo are striving to adjust the club to a virtual format for the fall 2020 semester. Zelaya and Merlo said this fall, they want all members to feel welcome and comfortable.

“LSA is open to anyone — to those belonging in the Latinx community and those who don’t belong in the Latinx community,” Zelaya said.

“We hope that we can spread our culture and ideas as well and have a good time together.”

New Virtual Format During a regular school year, LSA would host in-person meetings and events on campus. Now, it hosts online bi-weekly meetings over Zoom on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. On weeks without a club-wide meeting, members meet in five separate small groups, led by executive board members.

Zelaya and Merlo both created the small groups so the club would work better virtually. Zelaya said each small group has a different theme to target the different interests of club members. Members can choose which small group to attend.

“This gives a better chance for members to be able to form that intimate connection with other members with the interests that they like,” Zelaya said.

One small group is named Voluntarias del Corazón, or Volunteers of the Heart. Zelaya said it is designed for members who are looking to volunteer and provides online resources and service opportunities. The second group is called Chismes Políticos, or Political Gossip, and students in this group talk about current political issues in the Latinx community.

Another small group is called Literario Revolucionario, or Revolutionary Literature. Zelaya said this group is a safe space to talk and learn more about Latinx authors. There is also Latinos Athleticos, Athletic Latinos, which is targeted toward members who are interested in sports. Members can watch sports games or even work out together online.

Merlo, who was co-president last year, said she enjoys having creative freedom. She pays attention to what people may be struggling with and tries to talk about these struggles in ways that bring healing to members of the club.

“I enjoy the work — having the ideas and then seeing the ideas basically bear fruit,” Merlo said.

This year, junior Moises Vargas is on the e-board as the media chair.

He is also one of the leaders of Círculo Espiritual, or Spiritual Circle.

This small group is for students to come for prayer and healing and to talk about faith and spirituality.

“We’re Latinos, and we come from a specific background and specific values, and it’s really important to maintain this spirituality so we can make sure we have good mental health as we’re going into this online transition,” Vargas said.

To make the LSA community more close-knit, Vargas said the club creates “big” and “little” assignments for members. Senior and junior leaders are assigned to a new member to help them navigate Pepperdine.

“It’s a way to have someone that you can directly talk to and become close to so that you don’t have to feel like every single time you enter the space, you have to talk to someone different,” Vargas said. “You can always have that one person to rely on.”

leah bae | artist Past and Future Events Junior Isabella Mendoza is on the e-board this year as the vice president of external affairs. She said LSA hosts many events throughout the semester to bring members and other clubs together.

One popular LSA event is Carne Asada de la Independencia, which celebrates the various independence days of Latino countries. First-year students enjoyed traditional food of the Latino culture, and members encouraged them to sign up for the club. There are no current plans to translate events like these online yet.

Another event is the Baila Conmigo Dance, which LSA hosts with the Black Student Association. The club incorporates a fundraiser component as well and chooses a different organization to spread awareness and raise money for each dance.

Even though LSA’s in-person events have been put on hold this semester, Mendoza said she is still planning events for the club. She wants to coordinate interaction with the Photos outside Latinxof community, Courtesy Brianna cannonincluding volunteer opportunities through high schools. She also wants to plan a guest speaker, such as an immigration lawyer, to come and speak at a meeting as well.

Mendoza said she is able to see the of beryl humatobebrightPhoto side Courtesy of the virtual format cause the club is now more accessible to students. It is easier for speakers to come and for students to tune into meetings from their laptops instead of coming to campus.

“We’ve been able to have a larger turnout,” Mendoza said. “But I guess the sacrifice with that is the community aspect we really work on so much is harder because we’re not seeing each other face to face.”

Photo courtesy of celeste benitez Latinx Proud| (Above) Benitez (right) decorates a colorful Día de Los Muertos cookie with her friend and fellow LSA member Madalen Carrera. The pair tabled by the rock to promote LSA’s Noche de Altar event in November 2018. (Below) Latino/a/x Student Alliance members bond during the LSA beach day last February (From top left, Olivia Robinson, Prisiclla Merlo, from bottom left, Katrina Valenzu-

Club Community Celeste Benitez is the spiritual chair on the e-board and also leads the Círculo Espiritual small group with Vargas. She said LSA used to be centralized around Mexican heritage rather than all the other Latin countries. She felt this changed when LSA changed its name from Latino Student Association to Latino Student Alliance.

“You get to learn about so many different beautiful cultures, and I think that’s something that’s very valuable that I really like,” Benitez said.

Almost all LSA members interviewed said they feel a deep sense of community within the club.

Junior Anahi Casas Perez is the financial chair on the e-board. Since Pepperdine is a predominately white campus, she said it is important for members of the Latinx community to be proud of their heritage.

“I think it’s very easy to lose your way when you are not encouraged by other people that look like you and have those same experiences,” Casas Perez said. “It’s very easy to try and hide that and cover up your heritage and try not to be proud of it.”

Casas Perez is a leader of the Chismes Políticos small group. She said because politics have become so po-

Photo courtesy of ISABELLA MENDOZA larized, this group pokes fun at politics while still becoming educated on current events.

“What we’re really hoping to do is gear it toward political issues that anyone wants to talk about that either affect the Latino community or other minorities and how we can be allies,” Casas Perez said.

Merlo said it is important for Latinx students to join LSA to celebrate what makes their ancestry unique.

“It’s so extremely vital to have a space like that on campus where folks can come and not have to justify themselves or overextend themselves and feel like they can have brothers and sisters or family around them,” Merlo said.

Voicing Hispanic Heritage In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, LSA held a Speak Your Heritage essay competition that ended Oct. 11. This opportunity provided Latinx students to share their heritage through the reflection of cultural identity. The first-place winner won a $100 gift basket and a certificate of excellence. LSA partnered with the Graphic, and the winning essay will be published online.

“We wanted to open up a safe space where students can proudly display their culture and create sympathy toward the Latinx community and solidarity for the diversity of our culture,” Zelaya said.

SOF IA.L ONGO@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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PEPP E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | L IFE A N D A RTS | O CT O B E R 22, 20 20

GREEK: Chapters speak up on racial injustices F R OM B 1 Many fraternities at Pepperdine decided to postpone their Recruitment to the spring 2021 semester.

Junior Josh Leow, vice president of Recruitment and Marketing for IFC, said the decision to delay Recruitment was essentially unanimous among fraternity presidents and IFC. “I kind of wanted to see how the girls’ virtual Recruitment goes so we can take notes from it, learn from it, because ultimately when we’re planning the spring recruitment, there’s a good chance that it will also probably have to be online,” Leow said. “We’ve just got to be ready for whatever; prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.”

National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternities and sororities typically have Recruitment in the spring but are still awaiting guidance from their national headquarters on how to move forward with membership.

“Our intake process, it’s centered around to help men enter into the fraternity on the caliber of an Alpha level man,” sophomore Kenzi Bishara, president of Alpha Phi Alpha, said. “That’s just very difficult to do when you’re not in person, face to face.”

Black Lives Matter and @BlackatPepperdine Shortly after the murder of George Floyd, nationwide protests broke out asserting the importance of Black lives. These instances led to the creation of the Instagram account @BlackatPepperdine, which amplifies the voices of Black students at Pepperdine, both past and present, and provides them the space to share their experiences within the Pepperdine community.

Several posts from @BlackatPepperdine highlight the racism experienced by Black students within Greek life. The posts detail instances of blackface, derogatory slang used both in person and on social media, unfair treatment from Greek executive boards and several microaggressions.

As of Oct. 2, Sigma Chi has at least seven posts written about it on @BlackatPepperdine describing incidents of racist practices and language. Gutierrez said the posts disturbed him and made him question the values of the fraternity as a whole.

“I was disgusted and taken aback by reading those things, but I think on a deeper level, I felt really kind of foolish,” Gutierrez said.

“I just didn’t know that members of my fraternity could have had it in them to do things like this.”

Gutierrez said he is usually concerned with Sigma Chi’s image on campus, but in this instance, damage control and saving face never came to mind.

“Usually, I would expect myself to be like, ‘Oh, this looks terrible for us’ — that didn’t even pop into my head,” Gutierrez said. “Usually I’m so consumed by the rep-

Photo Courtesy of Ruffina Silva-Garcia Big-Little Reveal| Senior Ruffina Silva-Garcia (third column, fourth row) gathers with Tri Delta members on Zoom for the Big-Little Reveal on Sept.

19. Tri Delta appointed Silva-Garcia as head of the new Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Committee. utation of Sigma Chi, and this is the first time where I felt personally offended by the fact that those were things that members of my community had done.”

Bishara said he was not at all surprised by the posts about Pepperdine and Greek life that appear on @BlackatPepperdine.

“I don’t need to see an Instagram page for someone to tell me that Pepperdine is a racist place,” Bishara said. “I’m very grateful that that page has come about because it’s definitely shown a lot of people what the reality is for Black students at Pepperdine.”

At Pepperdine, Bishara said he has felt racism of varying degrees since he arrived on campus his first year. A Regents’ Scholar living in Miller House, Bishara was the only Black man in the entire house and said students asked him if he was living there because there was an extra bed available. Bishara said he was also often asked if he was on the basketball team.

“The underlying assumption is I can’t make my way into a prestigious academic school from my academic merit,” Bishara said. “It has to be, you know, off of something that Black people do.”

Greek Groups Address Racism On Oct. 5, Pepperdine Panhellenic released a statement on diversity, equity and inclusion acknowledging racial injustices within Panhellenic and around the country, condemning racism and outlining their plan of action for fall 2020.

Panhellenic’s plan includes: adding diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum to the Panhellenic New Member Forum; revising Panhellenic bylaws to include language about diversity and creating a process to provide “racial reconciliation” among organizations; creating a diversity, equity and inclusion officer position on the Panhellenic board; contributing to a Greek Life Code of Ethics to

hold members and organizations accountable for racist, sexist and homophobic actions; and seeking out opportunities to donate to Black or women of color organizations.

Many Greek groups at Pepperdine have made changes to their executive structures to address racist practices that may exist within their own chapters. Sigma Chi revamped its Empowerment Committee to address institutional racism, Alpha Phi created a diversity chair position and Tri Delta elected a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Senior Alpha Phi Diversity Chair Puneet Mann said she will work to educate the chapter on how to combat racism by inviting guest speakers and hosting panels in chapter meetings to educate members on how to be an ally to people of color.

Mann said she has experienced many microaggressions at Pepperdine, so it is important to her that members of Alpha Phi understand microaggressions, why they are offensive and how they can avoid making them toward people of color.

“I think it comes from a good intention, but I think it’s important that we teach a lot of our members who might not understand how things can be hurtful so we can prevent similar situations from happening in the future,” Mann said.

Paraschiv said she is urging members to recognize the importance of the @BlackatPepperdine page and acknowledge their own privilege as they do so.

“I wanted to make sure that people understood that it may not happen to you, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not happening,” Paraschiv said.

Gutierrez said before @BlackatPepperdine came about, there were no rules or practices in the Sigma Chi bylaws for how to address racism within the chapter.

After he saw the Instagram

Photo Courtesy of kenzi bishara Student Volunteers| Senior Justus Bell, alumnus Matthew Paster and sophomore Kenzi Bishara of Alpha Phi Alpha pose for a photo during a food drive May 30. Bishara is the president of the fraternity. posts, Gutierrez said he and the chapter’s executive committee conducted full judicial reviews for each individual post and tried to gather as much information as possible before confronting members accused of racist actions.

“The first thing we did was add in a zero-tolerance policy,” Gutierrez said. “Any member is subject to an immediate judicial review board for being implicated in an incident like this, which immediately puts their membership at stake.”

How To Be an Ally Gutierrez said he believes one of the first steps to be an ally to the Black community is to prioritize accountability over the loyalty that Greek culture fosters.

“It’s hard to call out someone for something they do, [...] especially in a culture that inherently prioritizes loyalty over justice,” Gutierrez said. “We’re trying to flip that on its head.”

Silva-Garcia said she is encouraging members of Tri Delta to not be afraid to have uncomfortable conversations with each other about race, and she is trying to produce an environment conducive to those conversations.

Education is an essential part of being an ally to the Black community, but Silva-Garcia pointed out that it is not the job of people within that community to educate others about the issues they face.

“It’s being willing to do your own research to figure out how it is you can help,” Silva-Garcia said.

“You can’t help if you don’t know what’s going on.”

Bishara said a good way to measure whether or not a person’s activism is performative or not is by examining what sacrifices they have made for that cause.

“How much are you sacrificing?” Bishara asked. “Are you speaking up for Black people when there are no other Black people in the room? Are you talking to your

white family members who may not be aligned with what you believe in? If everything you’re doing is preaching to the choir, then you’re not doing anything at all because the choir doesn’t need you. The people that need you are probably your own people, the ones who have found themselves within those systems of oppression.”

Gutierrez asked Bishara to speak to Sigma Chi about the struggles of being Black in America. Bishara said the message he had for the chapter related to how members can use their privilege to help the Black community and amplify Black voices.

“My voice, unfortunately, carries less weight, and it travels less distances than your voices do,” Bishara said. “To me, what it means to be an ally [is] utilizing your privilege, your ability to make your voice heard amongst people who won’t listen to me and affect change.”

Silva-Garcia said she believes real diversity can only come about when Greek organizations engage and seek genuine friendship with cultural groups as well as the historically Black Greek organizations on campus.

“It’s our responsibility to try to bridge the gap,” Silva-Garcia said.

“To be friends can help get rid of the stigma that Greek life is inherently racist because then people get a feel for what it actually is.”

Ultimately, Bishara said the worst thing a person can do in 2020 is to stay silent on the issues plaguing the Black community.

“People don’t realize, whether you’re Black or white, the default setting in this country is anti-Blackness,” Bishara said. “If you don’t have an opinion, if you’re not being actively pro-Black, then you’re contributing to the oppressor.”

GR AC E.W OOD@PEPPER DINE.EDU

HEALTH: Pepperdine promotes emotional growth FR OM B 1 For the Spiritual Mentoring Program, the Spiritual Life Program’s office pairs a student mentee with a faculty member. Barton said the office already has a list of mentors ready, but students can also reach out to someone they already know.

“Students probably think of belonging as peer-topeer, but part of belonging is also connecting to faculty and staff at Pepperdine,” Barton said. “Our highest number of students who have signed up for mentoring are first-year students; that’s really promising, and I think that shows they’re already seeking belonging at Pepperdine.”

Barton said another good way to seek belonging is by joining a small group through Zoom.

“These groups are exploring spiritual and biblical topics, and that’s a great chance to get to know others outside of the classroom,” Barton said. “I know a lot of people are Zoomed out and tired, but this allows you to explore topics that help you in your spiritual, emotional and mental life.”

Barton said the Office of the Chaplain still offers spiritual care to students and addresses everyday concerns, including virtual hospital visits or clergy support in an emergency situation.

“We want students to know that chaplains are available to support them spiritually and emotionally with a ministry of shared presence, listening and support,” Barton said. “Maybe that’s just what they need right now during the pandemic and distance learning.”

Photo Courtesy Of Georgr Preston Iv

Photo Courtesy of Pepperdine Counseling center

RISE-ing To the Occasion | Pepperdine Photo Courtesy of Pepperdine conducts virtual RISE pods to promote the Pepperdine’s Practicing Faith resource aims to guide skill of resilience. These pods are used to both Spiritual Self | students spiritually. The resource includes a variety of links walking teach students resilience strategies and offer students through different kinds of worship. community.

For additional spiritual activities, Barton said she encourages students to attend The Gathering on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m., PDT, which the Well, Word Up, Celebration Chapel and Koinonia Campus Mission co-host. Barton said there is also a speaker and optional discussion groups following the service.

“By hearing Pepperdine people and singing and worshiping, we are hoping [that] will give a sense of belonging to a spiritual community,” Barton said.

To illustrate the strength of the Pepperdine Community, Pepperdine students,

faculty and staff performed the song “The Blessing” by Elevation Worship. Barton said this collaborative effort was intended to promote the message of belonging during a remote semester with the message of God’s love and blessings for all.

Along with other virtual spiritual life programs, the Office of the Chaplain also has launched a new resource called “Practicing Faith,” a step-by-step hub of “curated spiritual practices designed to guide you through practices of faith and community,” according to the website.

Ultimately, the health, wellness and spiritual de-

partments at Pepperdine hope students will embody the message of resilience this semester by seeking assistance and utilizing resources, Horton said.

Pepperdine’s resources represent a joint effort promoting Resilience-Based Skill Education), an initiative to promote resilience.

Horton said the program centers around helping students develop physical, cognitive, spiritual, social, service and life skills.

“I think the really beautiful thing about resilience is that we all have a story in our lives where we have been stretched or been chal-

lenged, but we’re able to bounce back and get back up,” Stacey Lee, the Health, Wellness & Resilience Education Program Coordinator said. “You’re not alone in your struggles, and oftentimes if you are vulnerable, others will have a story that they can reflect back to you to encourage you.”

Pepperdine students are not alone with the struggles surrounding an online semester; the majority of fouryear universities in California are primarily online, according to a study by Davidson College. Learning to RISE with the help and care of the Pepperdine Com-

munity, however, will be an important step in overcoming this difficult season.

“My big message would be to take care of yourself so that you can continue to take care of other people,” Lee said. “And you can’t support other people, or even yourself, unless you’re giving yourself the same care and attention that you would give to your friends and loved ones.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255.

AL EX .BOR STAD@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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october 22, 2020

The Graphic

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SPORTS

Baby Waves: Athletes from all corners of the nation reach Malibu tay l o r gat her staf f w r i ter The Pepperdine experience for freshman athletes has been anything but usual. From weekly COVID-19 tests to socially distanced training, first-year Women’s Basketball player Isabel Montoya said this new normal hasn’t been a setback but instead fueled her motivation to be the best player possible.

While the West Coast Conference postponed the fall season for numerous teams, Montoya as well as fellow first-year athletes Kendyl Carson have lived on campus for the past two Photos COURTESY OF Pepperdine Athletics months, training as much as possible following Los Fresh Faces| Carson (left) leads a play with direction from Head Coach Kristen Dowling during an Oct. 14 practice in FireAngeles County’s set health stone Fieldhouse. As a senior at Juneau-Douglas High School, Carson averaged 24 points and 8 rebounds per game. Firstprotocols. year basketball player Isabel Montoya (right) practices dribbling drills before starting the team workout Oct. 14. Montoya, a Although there’s a lev- guard, joined the Waves after averaging 10 points and five assists per game as a senior at Cibola High School in New Mexico. el of uncertainty regarding future WCC seasons, Mon- a little different than she to put Pepperdine back son said she hopes to bring toya said she doesn’t let the expected, Montoya said where it should be.” a new energy that pushes fear of the unknown affect she’s happy to be starting a Growing up in Juneau, her teammates to perform her training.

20-hour-per-week training Alaska, first-year Carson better.

“The fact that there schedule. said she took up basketball “I’m always trying to be might not be a season is Montoya said their to follow in her dad’s foot- talkative and bring energy,” always in the back of your makeshift weight room is steps.

Carson said. “That’s a huge head, but we can’t let that set up on the tennis courts “I’m from a small town, thing for me because it’s a affect us right now,” Mon- with squat racks partitioned so it was either you hike constant. I can be having toya said. “When you’re with tape six feet apart. All mountains and ski or you a bad day, but as soon as I picking up weights or athletes must wear masks play indoor sports,” Car- step onto the court, I have shooting the ball, you can’t while training and spread son said. “My dad was a big to be there to pick up my say, ‘Oh, you can slack be- out as much as possible. basketball player. I touched team.” cause it isn’t happening.’

Although COVID-19 a ball when I was little, and Carson said she’s not You always have to be ready threatened the idea of team I haven’t put it down.” worried if there will be a at any given time.” bonding, Montoya said the Carson said she never season but rather if there The Graphic caught up pandemic has strengthened thought her basketball ca- will be fans in the stands. with Montoya, Carson and the team’s dynamic and reer would lead her to Mal“I just want to stay hopeDavis about their collegiate chemistry. ibu. ful — hopeful that we can athletic experience since “I feel like our team got After making a name get some fans here,” CarPhoto COURTESY OF skylar davis they committed to Pepper- more in tune since we have for herself as Most Valu- son said. “I know my pardine. less time on the court to fig- able Player of her region ents want to come watch.”

New Beginning| First-year runner Skylar After making the Mc- ure each other out,” Mon- and making Alaska AllLike Montoya, Carson Davis runs the 3200 meters in her final high Donald’s All-District First toya said. “It’s like, ‘Let’s State First Team her senior said she not only wants to school track meet that she would compete.

Team and being named a use this time off the court season, she gained the at- win but make a name for McDonald’s All-American right now to get to know tention of college coaches herself in the collegiate bas- Davis, a former swimmer, joins the Waves after running cross country for only two years in nominee her high school each other as an individu- across the country. ketball realm and beyond. senior season, Montoya al instead of as a basketball “I actually got recruited “However many games high school in Georgia. said she was hungry to play player.’” pretty late in the process my we have this season, we at a higher level.

Montoya said being the senior year,” Carson said. want to win most of them,” thought it would be an honRegardless of setbacks, Montoya said her love new player to an established “One of my coaches came Carson said. “I want to see or to train under her.”

Davis said she still hopes to for the game developed at team can be tough at times, down here with a middle where basketball takes me.

While the WCC post- accomplish the goals she set the early age of 6 in her but she hopes to bring the school team and toured I really enjoy sports, so poned the cross country for herself, during quaranhome state of New Mexi- positivity to her teammates. the campus and talked to hopefully one day I can play season, Davis said she’s tine or in future seasons. co. After seeing kids play“Whether I’m on or off coaches. They were looking overseas, but right now, it’s happy she is able to contin“My short term goal is to ing basketball at recess, she the court, I’ll be the first for someone in my position, just working on the future ue training with teammates break 19 [in the 5K], since begged her parents to put one cheering them on,” and the coaches actually and our little goals we have in Malibu. that’s the next obstacle to her in a league.

Montoya said. flew to Alaska. I know a lot as a team.

“I’m thankful that one tackle,” Davis said. “I just “It was game time from Montoya said she’s of people don’t do that.”

First-year runner Da- unique opportunity in this want to be as fast as I can there,” Montoya said. leaned on the team’s upCarson said her decision vis competitively swam for season is that, with all of possibly be.”

Montoya said playing per-level players through- to play for Pepperdine was most of her childhood. us freshmen being stuck on basketball not only gave her out the past two months. an easy one.

Despite her years spent campus together, we’ve all TAYL OR .GATHER @PEPPER DINE.EDU access to higher education “I look up to a lot of my “I always did well in in the water, Davis said gotten really, really close,” but allowed her to pursue teammates,” Montoya said. school, but I never thought she found more success Davis said. “It’s been nice her passion for four more “Every older vet player of going to school to do on land, quitting swim for having the freshman runyears. who’s on the team gives me something unless I really cross country her sopho- ners as my little close-knit “I came on my unoffi- something different every knew what I was going to more year of high school. community.” cial visit, and the girls and day from their own experi- do,” Carson said. “But PepDavis quickly rose in the coaches were so nice — it ences.” perdine gave me the oppor- ranks of the Savannah Arts was just a great vibe,” MonMontoya said she’s ap- tunity to play basketball at Academy cross country toya said. “You could tell preciative she gets to be the highest level I can right team in Savannah, Ga. She right away it was just com- with her team in Malibu now and get a great Pepper- ended her senior season pletely genuine. There was and looks forward to the dine education.” with a school record in the a type of pace and tempo upcoming season.

Echoing teammate Mon- 5K and a 3A cross country that I like to play at, and “We’ve been trying to toya’s sentiments, Carson regional title, and led her so I knew this is the place I look at it not as the glass said she’s looked to old- high school to consecuwant to be.” is half full or half empty; er players and coaches for tive top-10 team finishes at Montoya said she prac- we’re just thankful that the guidance throughout sum- state with a 2019 3A perfect ticed as much as New glass is even filled,” Mon- mer and fall. region race score.

Mexico mandates allowed toya said.

“The coaches have held Initially attracted to the during her summer quaranWhile the spring season everything together,” Car- campus’ beauty and strong tine, including getting shots lies in the balance, Mon- son said. “It’s not one academics, Davis said she up, running on a track and toya said she has set high coach checking up on you chose to attend Pepperjumping rope. goals for her first season as — it’s all four. They know dine for the education. It “It’s been crazy,” Mon- a Wave. it’s a hard time; they check was Head Coach Sylvia Photo COURTESY OF Dave Wieczorek toya said. “I’ve been doing “I definitely want to on you individually, but Mosqueda who persuaded the things that I can con- make the [NCAA] tourna- they’re also seeing if you her to join the cross countrol; you can control that ment, which means we’re want to get shots up or go try team.“I really liked you can go outside.” going to win some rings,” get more reps.” her,” Davis said. “She has While her transition to Montoya said. “I want to Self-proclaimed as loud a phenomenal background on-campus training looked take the WCC, and I want on and off the court, Car- of distance running, so I

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P E P P E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | S PORTS | O CT O B E R 22, 20 20

Men’s and Women’s Volleyball recalibrates for winter season aust in hal l s taf f w r i ter Pepperdine indoor volleyball teams are in the midst of an unusual buildup to their season. Seven months after the university sent all on-campus athletes packing March 11, the wheels of both squads are in motion and their first games are months away.

The women’s team — which typically starts their preseason matches in August — will compete in the spring.

Both men’s and women’s programs have over 90% of their rosters on campus or in the Malibu area to start practicing. The design of the practices are much different, and their schedule will be smaller, but the athletes and coaching staff accept the compromise.

“We’re just so excited to have a season,” Women’s Head Coach Scott Wong said. “And we feel for all the teams that weren’t able to finish theirs back in March.

Now our girls are hungry to compete and have big things coming their way with how hard they work.”

Women’s Volleyball Aims for WCC Title Currently, the men’s and women’s teams must practice in groups of 10. This means that each practice pod is two players short of playing an intrasquad, or a 6-on6 scrimmage where the team is separated evenly.

On top of the split practices, Pepperdine made changes to the practice drills themselves. Senior outside hitter and All-Conference selection Shannon Scully said two defenders cannot jump in tandem to attempt a block during kill/block drills.

Despite the precautions that make the workouts unrecognizable, Scully said there is a benefit to the adjusted practices.

“The one nice thing is that we have this entire fall to train,” Scully said. “Usually we’re playing in the fall and we only have this summer to get ready. So even though it’s different, we’re getting more

practice time now before we start playing. Just getting the opportunity to play again is what we’re all super excited about.”

Another challenge for the women’s team along with many other Pepperdine sports is gym time. Firestone Fieldhouse will be split four ways next semester with two volleyball teams and two basketball teams.

Although Women’s Volleyball is aiming for a 22–24 match regular season instead of a typical 28–30, the way the matches are played will look a lot different.

“There may be some double-headers,” Wong said.

“There may be some games where we play early in the morning. With one gym and four teams we really have to accommodate what’s best for everybody. If we attack the schedule no matter what it looks like, there will be nothing to complain about afterward.”

Twelve of 15 players on the 2019 roster are back.

The three departures were seniors Tarah Wylie, Hannah Frohling and Hana Lishman.

As a middle blocker and outside hitter on the front row, Wylie and Frohling were third and fourth on the team in kills with 285 and 258, respectively. Lishman, a libero, led the team in digs with 390 and was third on the team in sets with 80. Frohling and Lishman were also four-year starters.

Wong said replacing them will be a challenge, but he’s ready to see a different team identity.

“It’s not often where you have three young ladies like that who contribute to a team for such a long time,” Wong said. “Recruiting is something that we feel we’ve been doing well and we have suitable replacements. They have different strengths, but they are pieces that are going to add to the team immediately.”

The Waves offense attacked from all sides last season. Wylie and Frohling were two of four players that had over 250 kills, as junior opposite hitter Rachel Ahrens

file photo Reaching Out | Senior outside hitter Shannon Scully goes up for a kill against a blocker from Saint Mary’s University on Nov. 14, 2019.

courtesy of pepperdine athletics

file photo Terrific Teamwork| The Women’s Volleyball team (top) cheers after a point in a match against the University of San Diego on Oct. 24, 2019, while the Men’s team (bottom) celebrates overcoming a two-set deficit to defeat Concordia University Irvine on Feb. 12. After losing their fall season to COVID-19, the women’s season moved to the winter, where they will be playing at the same time as the men for the first time. Both teams are scheduled to start in January. had 291 and Scully had a whopping 368.

Scully said she expects the offense to score by committee this season as well.

“We’re going to be even stronger in the pins,” Scully said. “Last year, with Tarah and I, we ran a lot of two-hitter rotations, and Rachel and Hannah would play off of that. We won’t have as much offense from our middles, but with me, Kayleigh [Hames] and Rachel [Ahrens], we’re gonna have more three-hitter rotations, which will be fun.”

In just two seasons, Scully’s career at Pepperdine is historic. After transferring from the University of Utah, she was on the WCC Honorable Mention selection in 2018 and an All-Conference selection last year. She has 732 career kills and 674 career digs, and the captain said she’s far from finished.

“There are goals that will make my last year surreal,” Scully said. “I want to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in my career. If I carried over my stats from Utah I’d be a lot closer. I just want the satisfaction from doing it only three years in a Pepperdine uniform.”

Scully said her goals stretch further than individual stats.

“What’s also really important is to make a deep run with this team,” Scully said. “It was at the front of our minds after last season, and it’s still there now.

We want to take down the USD’s and we want to take

down the BYU’s.”

Men’s Volleyball Seeks Return to Top 5 The men’s team is off and running as well, having split practices and weight training. Their schedule will also have some adjustments, targeting a 24-game schedule.

The typical 12 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference matches, six home and six away, will stay the same. They’ll also play eight matches against Big West teams, a familiar and competitive conference to the MPSF. They open the season with Princeton on Jan. 3 and NAIA power Vanguard University on Jan. 9 and Coach Hunt said the team is looking for additional opponents whenever there is an opening in their schedule.

“This time of year feels like Christmas,” Hunt said, laughing. “Everyone wants to get out there to play each other and compete. The teams and staffs are all nice before the season, and the same can be said right now.

Everyone wants to help each other out.”

With a spring start date, the NCAA plans to have the DI Men’s Volleyball tournament selection at its original May 6–8 slot. Hunt said the volleyball community is under the impression that the tournament will not be reduced to less teams if basketball can successfully field a tournament in March.

The 2021 team has higher hopes than the previous year. 2019 was a historic run for the Waves headlined by three AVCA All-Americans Michael Wexter, Kaleb Denmark and David Wieczorek.

The trio accounted for 70% of the team’s offense that year. The 2020 team’s rocky 8–6 start before the season ended pointed toward the team’s abundance of inexperience.

“There is no substitute for in-match time,” Hunt said. “We were chasing a national championship the year before. With our schedule, we’re never playing cupcakes. There isn’t time to throw the backups or young guys in to get experience.”

Hunt contrasted last offseason to his current practice routine, which has far more experienced players.

“Who doesn’t love bringing back just about your whole team?” Hunt said.

“We’re already in the gym together. We’re talking about some pretty advanced concepts that they only scratched the surface of last year.”

One of the key players who got his feet wet last season is rising redshirt sophomore Jacob Steele.

The 6-foot-9-inch opposite played in 48 of 51 matches last year and was second on the team in kills, behind only MPSF First-Team selection Noah Dyer.

Steele said the start of 2020 was a minor hiccup and the team is on a solid pace.

“We just weren’t used to playing with each other,” Steele said. “But to end the short season we started to do well in conference and had a great showing against BYU. We lost in four but all were close sets. The team is pumped to get back on the court together.”

Pepperdine also added six players with its 2020 recruiting class and acquired one transfer.

Hunt said he’s looking forward to utilizing the team’s different strengths and design some new plays.

“With COVID, we almost had too much time to analyze things,” Hunt said, laughing. “So maybe I really tuned-up our offensive or defensive philosophy by thinking outside the box or it’s gonna be a total disaster cause we overthought it.

In all honesty, we always try to change things up and get creative.”

Steele said he and the team are poised to exceed expectations.

“I’m just looking forward to getting another shot at it,” Steele said. “Last year was my first year starting and first year playing at all, and that season ended up getting cut short. Now I think our team has a really good shot at competing for a conference championship and even going far in the NCAA Tournament.”

AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU

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P E P P E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | S PORTS | O C T O B E R 22, 20 20

World Series begins at neutral site just in t o uh ey s por ts ass i sta n t Major League Baseball is entering the last part of the season as the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers play in the World Series.

The American League Championship Series and the National League Championship Series each went to seven games, as the Rays defeated the Houston Astros and the Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves.

For the Rays, it is the first time they will play in the World Series since 2008, while the Dodgers are making their third appearance in the past four years. The Rays have never won a World Series.

For the first time in its history, MLB has played its league championship series at neutral sites, and for the first time since 1944, the World Series will be at a neutral site.

The sites for these games were in California, split between Los Angeles and San Diego, and Texas, split between Arlington and Houston.

The World Series is set to be played at Arlington, Texas, in the new Globe Life Field, home to the Texas Rangers.

The playoff structure is unique, as 16 teams entered with a Wild Card Round (best of three), Divisional Series (best of five), Championship Series (best of seven) and the World Series (best of seven).

MLB has had some difficulties in 2020 regarding COVID-19, team scandals and contract disputes.

In January, an investigation by MLB found that the Houston Astros had used technology to steal signs during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The sign stealing resulted in Astros players having prior knowledge of the pitch being thrown to them.

Commissioner Rob Manfred suspended the Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow and Manager A.J. Hinch for the 2020 season.

inez kim | sports design assistant

photo courtesy of mlb.com

No Home Field | (left) For the first time, MLB will play its playoff games in neutral sites. The locations are Arlington, Los Angeles and San Diego. (right) Tampa Bay and Los Angeles are the final two teams standing in the largest-ever MLB playoffs. The World Series continues with Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Saturday.

Manfred did not take away the Astros 2017 World Series championship despite the findings.

In March, MLB canceled spring training due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Manfred and the MLB Players Association began discussions of how the season will be structured.

Several proposals for the season between MLB and its Players Association put the season on hold until June 23.

On May 26, MLB proposed an 82-game regular season with a sliding scale salary that goes down as salaries go up, according to an article from ESPN. The Players Association responded with a 114-game proposal with full prorated salaries for each game.

A prorated scale is when a player gets paid the amount of their salary proportionate to the number of games they play. A sliding scale salary is when wages are increased as the prices rise to maintain the power of the player even if there is inflation.

Owners favored fewer games and paying less of the players’ salary, while the players wanted more games and full prorated salaries.

Eventually, the two sides reached

an agreement June 22.

The agreement had the league play 60 games and each player received 37% of their normal salary.

Players agreed to report to camp by July 1, and Opening Day was July 23. MLB decided not to play in a bubble, which the NBA and NHL had decided to do.

The bubble is a concept in which people live in one place and non-essential people are not allowed in it to preserve the health and safety of people. The MLB decided not to do it because the players were opposed to it.

Four days after MLB’s first game, the Miami Marlins experienced a COVID-19 outbreak with a total of 20 cases. Due to the outbreak, other teams such as the Phillies and the Yankees canceled their games due to both teams having played the Marlins prior.

Through an investigation, MLB found that Marlins players failed to follow COVID-19 protocols on a road trip by going to bars and congregating at hotels.

A similar incident happened later in the season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Thirteen members of the Cardinals tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 1.

Despite the positive tests and outbreaks among teams, Manfred announced the season would be moving forward. Manfred said there is no reason to quit and that COVID-19 is manageable.

To prevent future outbreaks, MLB and its Players Association implemented new safety protocols.

Players and staff are required to wear face masks everywhere except the field, including the dugout and bullpen.

Other initiatives like social-distancing for rain delays by providing outdoor spaces were also put into effect.

With the unusual circumstances around the 2020 MLB season, new rules were made for the season.

The designated hitter has been in the American League since 1973. The DH is a player who only bats and does not play the field, according to Pro Sports Outlook.

For the first time, the National League implemented the DH, and it became universal for the 2020 season.

Another rule change is that teams could enter a 60-player pool for their roster as opposed to the usual 26 players allowed for two weeks of the season. After that, the

roster needed to be trimmed down to 26.

There is also a new extra innings rule that greatly impacts strategy.

The new rule states that starting in the tenth inning, each team will allow a runner on second base when they start their half of the inning.

This rule is an effort to speed up extra innings and add more excitement to the game, and baseball has struggled to attract fans who have complained about games being too long. The runner on second base will be the runner who made the last out from the inning before unless a manager uses a pinch runner.

The rule is not being used in the postseason.

The last major rule change deals with ejections and suspensions. MLB enforces strict social distancing guidelines, so the league could suspend players who disobey COVID-19 standards, like fights or confronting the umpire, during games.

MLB is considering using the designated hitter in 2021, and most of the other rules will only stay for the duration of the 2020 season.

JUSTIN.TOUHEY@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Opinion: Sports desk picks NFL Week 7 kar l w int er s por ts edi tor Week 6 of the 2020 NFL season was one of highs and lows.

On one hand, the Steelers and Titans continued to cement themselves as American Football Conference (AFC) contenders as both remained undefeated.

The Giants and Falcons each earned their first wins of the season. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers put together their most complete performance of the season.

On the other hand, the Jets were shut out and seem to be no closer to a first win. The Jaguars and Washington Football Team have not won since Week 1. The Cowboys, in their first game, without injured quarterback Dak Prescott, committed four turnovers and were destroyed at home in primetime.

The Vikings conceded 40 points at home to a previously winless team that had just fired its head coach.

The NFL continues to deal with positive COVID-19 tests across several teams, but it has yet to cancel games or require teams to forfeit.

Our picks reflected the ups and downs of the league itself. Staff Writer Kyle McCabe led the picks for the first time this season, hitting on his beloved Broncos upsetting the Patriots in New England. Sports Assistant Justin Touhey moved into second place, as he was the

only one to correctly pick Atlanta and San Francisco to win.

Meanwhile, Assistant Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey and Staff Writer Austin Hall dropped the game they picked up in Week 5, finishing at 9–5 this week.

Week 7 should include some fantastic games, with equally bad teams (Jaguars and Chargers), equally average teams (49ers and Patriots) and equally good teams (Steelers and Titans) facing off across the slate.

Without further ado, allow McCabe, Hall, Touhey, Ritchey, Photo Editor Ali Levens and Sports Editor Karl Winter to make their selections.

Keep in mind, these are simply a select few key games in Week 7. Our picks for all 14 games are available online at pepperdine-graphic.com.

Pittsburgh Steelers (5–0) at Tennessee Titans (5–0) (Sunday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Titans Paxton: Steelers Austin: Titans Ali: Titans Kyle: Steelers Karl: Titans “I was looking at rankings in the league on different stats and what really jumps out — they’re very close on everything — the thing that’s night and day between the two teams is sacks. Pittsburgh has like

15 and Tennessee has like two on the entire season. [...] I think that shows the strength of the Pittsburgh D-line. Although [Titans quarterback Ryan] Tannehill is a decent quarterback, I think that their true strength lies in [running back] Derrick Henry, and with the defensive line that Pittsburgh has, I think that he’ll have a rough day.” — Kyle “The Titans are a legit threat to get to the Super Bowl. Last year, I think people thought it was a fluke, but they proved this year that it is not a fluke.

They have Derrick Henry, who just popped off, and I think just everything clicks sure that team. They had a close game with the Texans obviously but they [also] played the Bills and they played really well against them. They played really well against really good teams.” — Justin Carolina Panthers (3–3) at New Orleans Saints (3–2) (Sunday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Saints Paxton: Saints Austin: Saints Ali: Saints Kyle: Saints Karl: Saints “As long as [Saints wide receiver] Michael Thomas doesn’t punch the security guard on his way into the Superdome, the Saints are going to win.” — Paxton

Inez kim | sports design assistant Seattle Seahawks (5–0) at Arizona Cardinals (4–2) (Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1:05 p.m., PDT) Justin: Seahawks Paxton: Seahawks Austin: Seahawks Ali: Seahawks Kyle: Seahawks Karl: Seahawks “The Seahawks are coming off a bye week and the Cardinals are coming off a short week. [Arizona] destroyed the Cowboys, but the Cowboys turned the ball over four times and there’s no way that the Seahawks do that. I think that the Cardinals might still put up a lot of points, but I’m going take the Seahawks anyway.” — Karl Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4–2) at Las Vegas Raiders (3–2) (Sunday, Oct. 25 at 5:20 p.m., PDT)

Justin: Raiders Paxton: Buccaneers Austin: Raiders Ali: Buccaneers Kyle: Buccaneers Karl: Buccaneers “[Buccaneers tight end Rob] Gronkowski in Vegas?

He probably didn’t pack a shirt. I don’t know how the Buccaneers’ defense is so much better than their offense. The defense just somehow, with like a really good linebacking corps and good [defensive backs] that are all still super young — they’re playing so well. […] When you look at the Raiders schedule, there isn’t a game that’s a red flag to me, whereas the Panthers were relatively competitive [with the Bucs] and then they lost to the Bears. […] I think this is winnable for the Raiders if they play the game on their own terms. I definite-

ly think [Raiders quarterback Derek] Carr can outduel Brady, which is shocking to say.” — Austin “While I still would not call [the Bucs] a Super Bowl contender just yet, what their Packers victory did show me is that they’re more than just two good receivers — their defense is pretty legit as well. That sort of good linebacker corps that they have is going to be necessary to shut down Derek Carr. Derek Carr is basically like if you mated Aaron Rodgers with Teddy Bridgewater, so he’s not going to make a ton of mistakes, but the Bucs will probably force him to anyway.” — Paxton

K AR L .W INTER @PEPPER DINE.EDU