Pepperdine Graphic 4-15-2021

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THE PEPPERDINE GRAPHIC VOLUME L

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ISSUE 18 |

April 15, 2021

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pepperdine-graphic.com

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HRL rehouses students AFTER COVID-19 outbreaks on campus

photo BY Beth Gonzales Drescher Life | Drescher Apartments’ capacity shrinks to single occupancy April 11. HRL moved students after a COVID-19 outbreak in late March. ASHL EY MO W R EADER new s EDI T O R Pepperdine moved 65 students receiving hardship housing in Drescher Campus Apartments on Sunday, April 11, following three COVID-19 outbreaks on campus. Drescher has housed students who qualified for hardship housing for the 2021 academic year — two students lived in each apartment, allowing students to have their own bedrooms. Due to the outbreak, Housing and Residence Life moved randomly selected residents to first-year residence halls in an attempt to reduce capacity and allow for single-occupancy apartments and suites.

“Out of an abundance of caution, and because of this uptick in positive cases in students living in this residential area, we are moving students to one per apartment or suite proactively as an additional infection control measure,” according to the April 11 email sent to students living in Drescher. “We anticipate this relocation to last for a duration of approximately 2 weeks. However, this could continue for a longer period of time dependent upon additional cases.” Between March 25 and April 7, 36 Pepperdine community members tested positive, including several student-athletes — the first epidemiologically linked outbreaks to date, according to an April 7 Public Relations

email. The three campus outbreaks linked student-athletes, Lovernich Residential Complex residents and Drescher residents. The University has recorded 118 COVID-19 cases for spring 2021 as of April 13, 92 of which were on campus. In an April 7 President’s Briefing recap provided by Public Relations, the University provided control measures to further reduce COVID-19 risk on the Malibu campus, including reducing the capacity of Lovernich to one student per room. Randomly selected Lovernich students moved into Seaside over Pepperdine’s four-day weekend April 2-5, following a visit by LA County Department of Health on April 2. The decision to rehouse Dre-

scher students came Sunday, April 11, following an uptick in cases in that hall following a COVID-19 screening testing of all students living on campus, said Chief Business Officer Nicolle Taylor. “The decisions we’ve made this week are due to what the county health has asked of us,” wrote Drescher Resident Director Katy Flinn in the Drescher residents “New Drescher Spring 2021” GroupMe chat on April 11. “They required we get the testing and then when a certain number of people can back positive they said we needed to go to single occupancy.” The decision to move students was not based on LA County Department of Public Health

regulations but rather preventative guidance and proactive measures on the part of the University, Taylor said. The Drescher residents received an email around 8:15 a.m., informing them of the potential move and 65 randomly selected students received new housing assignment around noon and instructions to relocate that same day. “Failure to comply may result in referral to Community Standards,” according to the April 11 email sent to relocated students. “Additionally, failure to comply may impact the ability for Pepperdine to continue housing residential students on our campus.”

SE E D R E SC H E R, a3

Students consider the future of Convocation AB BY W ILT NEW S ASS I S TA N T It’s been over a year since COVID-19 forced Pepperdine to suspend Convocation, and the usual spiritual life requirement now has an uncertain future. But what do students think about Convocation? In a March 30 anonymous survey organized by the Graphic of roughly 50 Pepperdine students, 54% said they would not be upset if there wasn’t Convocation next year, and 58% said they don’t think Convocation is a necessary part of a Christian university.

News

Wh at ’s AH E AD

Facing Pressure to Practice Religion

“I think that when you force students to go to chapel, it kind of gives that force of religion down somebody’s throat, which is something that I hear a lot at Pepperdine,” said Launnie Phillips, junior and president of Word Up. “Not everybody at Pepperdine, although it’s a Christian campus, is religious.” At the same time, 67% of surveyed students said spiritual life at Pepperdine drew them to the University. Phillips said that while she appreciates the religious aspect of the University, she doesn’t think students want to feel forced to practice their faith.

Assistant A2- News Annabelle Childers

shares her perspective on future plans.

Typically, the University requires students to attend 14 Convocation events per semester to complete the Convocation credit, which is 0.5 units. The University offers Wednesday morning Convocation, Friday Celebration Chapel, Club Convocations and numerous weekly events to complete the requirement. Some students, like sophomore Harper Tramm, said they enjoy Convocation but wish it wasn’t a requirement. “It should be less about a grade and feeling forced [to go]

L if e & A r t s

Pe r s pe ct iv e s of color must B1A6- Students prioritize their mental health.

the COVID-19 Lisa A7- Why A8- Pepperdine’s vaccine should be Wengler Center for the Arts reopens.

the the waves waves report report

required for students.

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and more as an opportunity to grow,” said sophomore Harper Tramm. At the same time, students, including Phillips and Tramm, said they liked Club Convocation and University Church of Christ House Church, since those events were small settings and opportunities to get to know students personally and connect with others over their faith. “I think encouraging students to find groups that they connect with is more important and impactful than forcing them to go to a chapel that they may not even understand or be able to handle,” Phillips said.

introducing

SP ORTS

Alumna Julia Donlan B4- Women’s Volleyball preps for the NCAA sparks conversation over tournament. coffee. Meet some of the fresh faces of Pepperdine.

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Tennis beats B5- Men’s Loyola Marymount and St. Mary’s.

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Phillips has led Word Up, usually a Club Convocation, on Zoom for the past year. Word Up attracts roughly 30 students per week, and it aims to create an inclusive space where students feel comfortable to worship. “We are not church, and we are not trying to be church,” Phillips said. “We’re just trying to create dialogue and discussion around the Bible. We all have different perspectives that are important and should be heard; we can all learn from each other.”

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SE E C O N VO, a3

RE: CONNECT Join host Misha Semenov in RE: Connecting with alumni Austin Hurwitz (class of 1997. Available anywhere you listen to podcasts.

TUES: Tue: 3-4 2-3 ft ft


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