Pepperdine Graphic 9-24-2020

THE PEPPERDINE GRAPHIC VOLUME L |

ISSUE 6 | September 24, 2020

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BA Director discusses

atypical first year in Buenos Aires

Ashley mowreader| news Editor Double Decker Day Out| London isn’t the only city featuring double decker tour buses. The city of Buenos Aires, called the Paris of South America, is home to museums, cafes, bookstores, tango dance halls and more. The Pepperdine BA house is in the neighborhood of Belgrano.

A s hley mo w r eader new s edi tor Argentine culture is one of physical intimacy — from exchanging kisses on first greeting to sharing a cup of mate and dancing tango cheek-to-cheek. In the midst of COVID-19, however, Buenos Aires has enforced the longest and one of the strictest quarantines in the world.

Prior to quarantine, Buenos Aires Director Travis Hill-Weber had an atyp-

ical start to his career in International Programs. He shared his experiences as a young father, a new International Program director and resident of Argentina.

“It’s still the same great city it’s always been,” Hill-Weber said. “We’re still thrilled to be here — our commitment to being here hasn’t changed because of this.”

Hill-Weber said he was drawn to the Buenos Aires director position because both he and his wife, Har-

mony, attended International Programs during their time at Pepperdine and found the experience to be “life changing.”

“We, Harmony and I, had always said that if this opportunity ever presented itself for us to come to Argentina, we would love to do that, and so it was a natural fit to return to Pepperdine in that way,” Hill-Weber said.

Hill-Weber began his first year as director in the fall of 2019 working from

home in Tennessee, because he and his family had trouble securing a visa to move to Argentina. He first joined the Buenos Aires cohort in-country in October with a temporary travel visa and later moved with his family over winter break.

The 2020 spring cohort arrived in Buenos Aires on Jan. 17, and students flew home March 14, resulting in a little less than two months in the city.

“All of us in International Programs — we all do

this work because we believe in it and we love having the students with us,” Hill-Weber said. “We think that the International Program is a particular highlight of the student experience at Pepperdine, and so to send students home, that’s the opposite of what we want to do.”

On March 16, the Argentine government announced a strict quarantine for all residents, closing borders, shutting down schools and limiting all

public spaces. Regulations required everyone to be in their homes and only allowed them to leave to shop for groceries or seek medical care, Hill-Weber said.

The Buenos Aires program staff quickly adjusted plans to work from home; they had previously assumed they would have access to classrooms and other resources available at program house Casa Holden, but this was not the case.

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Student employees adapt to online jobs Mil es C am pbell S taf f W r i te r The virtual world doesn’t just stop after online classes for student workers; it continues in the form of remote employment.

Student employees continue to serve in their jobs online but face challenges when working remotely, which takes a toll on student-employment opportunities and job engagement. Available remote jobs for students vary in time commitment, remote duties and challenges.

“There are definitely moments where it doesn’t feel the same,” said junior Lanie Jones, a student intern for the Office of Admissions.

“We’re at five to six hours a week, where normally we’d be 10 to 12.”

Each fall, Pepperdine hires roughly 1,700 student workers in over 200 departments across all five schools. As of Aug. 27, the University projected a 10% decrease in the number of student workers due to the remote nature of the fall semester, Shelby Bowman, director of Student Employment, wrote in an email.

When polled, 87% of student employees viewed their position as an opportunity to learn and grow, according to the Student Employment website. Student employees

What ’s AHE A D

are the largest employee base at Pepperdine — more than faculty and staff combined.

Some departments declined to hire student employees for the remote semester because they are not operating at full capacity or the work simply cannot be done remotely. These departments include Athletics, libraries and the Center for the Arts, Bowman wrote.

The Office of Admissions withheld applications from students for the 2020–2021 school year due to a lack of necessity for remote workers, Jones said. The office normally hires seven to nine students each school year.

Another major cut within the department is the number of campus tours for prospective students.

Typically, the office gives 15 campus tours per week, which student employees lead, but the Office of Admissions has scaled back to seven virtual tours per week, Jones said.

Students like Jones also hope to gain professional experience as Office of Admission interns, and while remote work is a new normal, students still lack the mentorship aspects of an in-person job, Jones said.

“In terms of professional development, we’re all just figuring it out,” Jones said. “Just changing our

News A3- Greek life

organizations saw average Recruitment numbers despite the virtual format.

A6- Pepperdine students share their

experiences working from home as interns.

thethe waves waves report report

Pe r s pe ct iv e s A4- Staff Editorial:

Students and SGA should commnicate intentionally.

Bhasin A5- Sahej explores the future of remote work in a post-COVID workforce.

THURS: Fri: 3-5 2+ ft

expectations has been the hardest thing.”

Students employed as teaching assistants and tutors must also adapt to academically assisting students virtually.

Taylor McSpadden, a senior Anatomy TA and tutor for the Student Success Center, said she finds her job to be more difficult online and had questioned whether there would be TA or tutoring positions available due to the nature of the fall semester.

“The professor wasn’t even sure if she was going to be able to have TAs,” McSpadden said. “I think because of remote [instruction], no one really knew what was going to happen.”

Regardless of the online setting of her tutoring services, McSpadden said she eagerly seeks out ways to help students academically.

“I think a lot of people don’t know about the resources still being offered, or they don’t want to make time for them,” McSpadden said. “If they were in the library, they’d walk by the Student Success Center and be like, ‘Oh, maybe I should stop in and get tutoring.’”

In some student employee roles, student workers find themselves in a work environment similar to an on-campus job despite having to work remotely. Student workers for

L if e & A r t s B1- Students adapt their study habits to best conquer virtual classes.

B2- Meet four new firstyear students in this week’s fresh faces.

Sat: FRI: 1–2 3-5 ft

Samantha Miller| Artist Waves on Call reach out to potential donors over the phone to raise funds to support student scholarships, campus resources and international programs — a task that can be done from anywhere.

“It was really easy to come back this year even though it was a remote setup,” said Kaleo Nelson, a sophomore in his second year working for Waves on Call. “All we had to do was just confirm with our manager and download the software on our computers.”

Nelson said working at home actually provided an easier, more laid-back environment because he’s able to concentrate on his calls to donors without other workers

SP ORTS B5- Pepperdine Athletics continues to battle against COVID-19.

M I LE S.CAM PB E LL@PE PPE R DI N E . E DU

this week on Sportswaves T he g r ap hi c’s sp o r t s P o d c ast

senior was B5- Pepp one of the youngest

drivers in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

MON: sun: 3-5 3–5ftft

around him.

“The job is convenient,” Nelson said. “That’s kind of why I’m still doing it now, so it’s nice that we were able to transition.”

The Office of Student Employment encourages students interested in employment through Pepperdine to apply to open positions on Handshake.

Mon: TUES:2-4 3–5ftft

The second episode of SportsWaves will be available this weekend.

Available on Spotify and SoundCloud

Tue: WED:3-43–5 ft ft

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SE P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 0 | N E W S | P E P P E R DIN E G RA P H I C ME D I A

Covid-19

THE DPS REPORTS

by the numbers

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

Pepperdine:

56 1 9 2

Known Cases fall Cases

two 3 Deaths

3

9/14/20 7:19 p.m.

Crime: Larceny/Theft Petty Theft - Misc.

Location: Facilites Services 9/16/20 8:24 p.m.

Crime: Vandalism Location: Alumni Park

1

9/18/20 4:03 p.m.

Crime: Larceny/ Theft - Petty Theft Location: Lovernich Student Apartments - B Block

2

Malibu:

101 Cases

three 3

Deaths

PRESIDENT’S BRIEFING & OTHER NEWS YOU MISSED P r e sid e n t Ga sh a nn ounc e s new pre sid e n tia l spe a ke r se rie s to continue civil discour se at pepper dine, P r esident Gash announced futur e plans for a P r esidential s peaker ser ies.

Los angeles county:

6,401

Deaths

U.S.:

6.92M

C h i e f d i v e r s i t y o ffi ce r se ar ch co nt i nu e s the s earc h f or a new chief di vers i t y of f i c er at P ep p erdi ne c ont i nu es, and adm i ni s t rat i on i s work i ng with a nat i onal s earc h fir m as wel l as AN i nt ernal s earc h c ommi t t ee t o fill t he new p os i t i on.

s p r i ng s e m e s t e r p la ns r e m a i n u nce r ta i n admi ns i t rat i on hop es t o p rovi de more i nf ormat i on f or s p ri ng 2 02 1 s emes t er arou nd novemb er. p l ans remai n u nc ertai n f or i n-p ers on c l as s es f or b ot h mal i b u and i nt ernat i onal c amp u s es.

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

262,133 cases

Pe ppe rd in e lobbie s for pe rforming a rts in LA C oun ty Athletes r etur n to campus to begin tr aining for next season; however , P epperdine, along with otHER LA univer sities, is lobbying for per for ming ar ts students to r etur n to campus to study and tr ain.

THURS 24

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

FRI 25

What: Cooking show with SWAB When: 5 p.m. PDT Hosted by: SWAB

MON 28

No Events Scheduled

What: Coffee with Jim: Dallas mayor Eric JohnsoN When: Noon PDT Hosted by: President Gash

cases

TUES 29

What: Pepperdine nonprofit and government virtual industry fair When: 10 a.m. PDT Hosted by: career center What: Managing Difficult Conversations: Leading Conversations in Difficult Times When: 1 P.M. PDT Hosted by: Straus Institute

WED 30

What:Restoring relationships: how churches can help people heal & develop healthy connections When: 10 a.m. PDT Hosted by: Boone Center for the Family

week

201K Deaths Worldwide:

31.7M cases

972K

Deaths Malibu reopening phase:

3

Looking for more?

subscribe to the p(S cianxande ls c rolnletowthesbottom l e toftt hee rpage)

@Peppnewswaves

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S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 0 | N E W S | P E P P E R DINE G RA P H I C ME D I A

Greek life navigates fall 2020 online Recruitment Ky le M C C ab e Staf f w r i ter Pepperdine’s Greek life organization cannot recruit normally without in-person classes. Sororities and professional fraternities chose to do online Recruitment, while the social fraternities postponed to the spring.

Pepperdine canceling all in-person instruction for the fall 2020 semester meant the University’s Greek organizations would have no chance of holding their typical in-person Recruitment events. Despite the difficulties with online recruitment, the majority of Greek organizations elected to hold recruitment in the fall and saw normal turnout levels in potential new members.

Without on-campus community, joining Greek organizations have become a way for students to meet new people. Senior Matt Hempy, Alpha Tau Omega’s Recruitment chair, said fraternities want to have traditional in-person Recruitment in the spring but will still hold online events this semester to garner interest from potential new members.

“We’re in the process of figuring out what that looks like,” Hempy said. “It’s tough, you know — it’s tough to get creative with that.”

Social Fraternities Pepperdine’s fraternities decided to wait until the spring to do their Recruitment. Hempy said ATO executive board members made the decision shortly after Pepperdine moved the fall semester online.

The fraternities’ executive board members spoke to each other after ATO made its decision, and Hempy said they all supported postponing Recruitment.

It’s tough, at least, in our experience, to get to know dudes just from talking. I think you need to have different physical activities to see how potential new members carry themselves and operate. matt hempy, ato recruitment chair ATO moved its recruitment to the spring mainly because it hopes to have a normal Recruitment process next semester. Hempy said executive board members from other fraternities shared ATO’s concerns about the efficacy of online Recruitment.

“It’s tough, at least in our experiences, to get to know dudes just from talking,” Hempy said. “I think you need to have different physical activities to see how potential new members carry themselves and operate.”

Although postponing Recruitment gives active members and potential new members a better chance of having the full Recruitment

experience, Hempy said it also runs the risk of lowering engagement levels all around.

Hempy said active members could become less engaged without the normal Recruitment events, and potential new members might not go out for Recruitment at all without the typical events in the fall.

“Every year, there are always kids who are on the fence,” Hempy said. “I think we’re definitely running that risk this year because maybe some of the people who are on the fence about it might not choose to do it in the spring because they’ve already found their groove, or they’ve found their people and their niche.”

Hempy said ATO and the other fraternities will hold at least two online events each this semester to interest firstyear students in joining their organizations. He said the fraternities already put on a Meet the Chapters event and are in the process of planning other get-togethers.

Business and Fraternities

Science

Alpha Kappa Psi and Delta Sigma Pi, Pepperdine’s business fraternities, held online Recruitment this semester. AKPsi President Alex Melnik said her experience taking Zoom classes made putting Recruitment online a hard decision.

“I was worried about our chapter experiencing Zoom fatigue,” Melnik said. “How would transitioning to virtual operations affect participation and attendance and our commitment to build brotherhood?”

Melnik said more than half of active AKPsi members, including herself, graduate this year, and that greatly influenced the decision to have Recruitment online.

She said Recruitment went well and her expectations were exceeded.

Melnik said AKPsi and DSP normally recruit separately and made their decisions to have Recruitment online independently of each other.

Beta Psi Omega, Pepperdine’s natural science fraternity, held a three-day online Recruitment two weeks after AKPsi, DSP and the sororities.

Sororities Pepperdine’s Panhellenic Association oversees the University’s seven sororities, and Kappa Kappa Gamma President Leila Anawalt said Panhellenic made the decision to hold sorority Recruitment online. Anawalt said she enjoyed the virtual events and thought Recruitment went well.

“Some people were worried that you couldn’t get a good sense of someone based off a video and Zoom call,” Anawalt said. “But it actually translated nicely, and we got to know the girls pretty well.”

Kappa gave out 22 bids this year as opposed to the normal 25, but Anawalt said all the sororities’ pledge classes were smaller than most years.

First-year Valentina Muñoz joined Kappa this semester. Muñoz said she had no intention of joining a sorority when she applied to colleges last year because all she knew about American Greek life was what she saw in movies.

“When I finally got accepted into Pepperdine and saw how the school was, I was able to talk to people and ask them about what rush was like and what it meant at Pepperdine,” Muñoz said.

“From pretty much everyone, I got the same answer

that it’s not anything crazy and scary and intimidating — it’s just a process that you go through where you can meet people and connect with them and socialize, have a good time.”

Muñoz said holding Recruitment online meant she never felt intimidated, but she felt she did lose out on some of the traditional in-person activities.

“We definitely miss out on such a big aspect of that social, intangible part,” Muñoz said. “I’ve seen Instagram pictures where the girls on bid day are screaming, having a good time, hugging each other — that’s something so personal.”

Munoz, however, said online Recruitment saved her time and energy.

“I was talking to the girls, and I remember how they told me, ‘Recruitment in person is just so exhausting — you’re out there for hours running around back and forth talking nonstop,’” Muñoz said. “Over Zoom, I think it was even better for me — it was manageable; I was able to like take a break, and when the cameras were off, I could take a breather.”

Originally from Brazil, Muñoz and her family moved to Miami earlier this year. She moved to the Los Angeles area to live with a roommate for the semester.

Muñoz said joining a sorority gave her an opportunity to meet people to spend time with around L.A., something that junior Peyton Lee had fewer concerns about before she joined Delta Delta Delta this semester.

Lee lives in San Clemente, CA, about 90 miles south of Malibu. Lee said she considered joining a sorority her first year but decided against it when her academic adviser expressed concerns about committing time to a sorority

while majoring in Chemistry.

She instead joined Beta Psi Omega, Pepperdine’s natural science fraternity last year, but said she still craved more of the social aspect of sorority life.

“I felt like I still had enough time, having been into upper-division classes for my major and being in Beta,” Lee said. “So this year, I decided that I was finally going to join a sorority as well.”

Lee said she participated in Recruitment this semester because she had already made up her mind before it went fully online. She said she thought she might meet fewer new people with an online Recruitment, but she felt comfortable in the virtual setting.

“As an upperclassman rushing, I felt like the online format was not as bad because I knew a lot of people, so it wasn’t intimidating,” Lee said. “I think as a freshman, it would have been a lot harder to face it in an online format.”

Despite the virtual Recruitment, Lee said she has been able to connect with her new sisters online and occasionally in person. Lee visited Malibu earlier this semester.

“I have a lot of sisters living in Malibu, so I was able to see a couple of them while I was up there,” Lee said.

“This week, one of the sisters was in Orange County, so she was dropping off our new Tri Delta stuff — like our backpack and T-shirts and our bids — to Orange County girls, so I was able to see her for a bit as well.”

Muñoz and Lee both said they connect with their outof-state sisters through group chats and online events that their sororities plan.

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

Director: BA Director describes challenges from life in quarantine f r om a1 Hill-Weber and his assistant directors, Maria Schwartz and Constanza “Tati” Guerrini, continue to meet once per week to develop the program, working on new curriculum and making plans for spring 2021 students. The Casa will also undergo some changes in accordance with California and Argentine COVID-19 regulations, Hill-Weber said.

“In many ways, we want to mirror what we’re doing in Malibu, but if something in Argentina requires us to do something differently, then we might have to alter that a little bit,” Hill-Weber said.

A few Buenos Aires faculty teach online classes for the Malibu campus during the fall 2020 semester, including Humanities professors Sebastian Provvidente and Rafael Sassot as well as Spanish Professor Laura Moldes.

Other program staff have also continued to work, including administrative assistants Valentina Monteagudo and Pedro Varon and bookkeeper Katia Aguilera.

House staff — including Claudio Bibiloni, Liliana “Lili” Blanco and Miguela Godoy — are all still employed and working remotely “teletrabajo,” Hill-Weber said.

The Buenos Aires program is

the only academic year program in which students live in homestays.

The majority of homestay families are single, older women who program participants and staff affectionately call “madres,” or “mothers.” Schwartz continues to stay in contact with the madres throughout quarantine, Hill-Weber said.

“I know [the host families] miss you all immensely,” Hill-Weber said. “They want nothing more than to have students again, and like us, students bring a lot of energy and excitement, and so to have no students right now is certainly sad for all of us, including the host families.”

Being in a strict quarantine provided unexpected blessings for his family, Hill-Weber said.

He and Harmony have two young children, Elora and Elias, who grew immensely over the past six months.

Elora celebrated her fifth birthday in August, and Elias turned 1 in July. Elora started school in March, following the typical Argentine academic calendar, and had classes in person for two weeks before transitioning to remote instruction. Elias has since began walking, running and climbing and went from having zero to seven teeth, Hill-Weber said.

Hill-Weber said quarantine

led to more walks and bike rides with his family as well as exploring more of their neighborhood.

We love to have students with us — in the classroom, on the patio, sharing asado on Thursdays. We’re looking forward to having students again and sharing what this beautiful city has to offer.

Travis Hill-Weber Buenos aires Director “One of the things that’s come out of this for us as a family is we’ve really learned Belgrano very

well because we’ve taken to walking everywhere,” Hill-Weber said.

“We’ve gotten to know the city but especially our barrio.”

Hill-Weber and his staff also look to stay in touch with the 2021 spring cohort and future Buenos Aires program participants. He said program staff hosted a Zoom call for the spring 2021 cohort last week to remain available and connected to students.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm and interest in building community and getting to know each other and learning about Argentina, even in the midst of this strange semester,” Hill-Weber said.

The International Program application priority deadline for the 2021–2022 academic year closed Sept. 21, bringing a lot of excitement for the coming year as he talks with applicants, Hill-Weber said.

The city itself remains in strict quarantine, with public transportation open only to essential workers and indoor seating closed for restaurants, Hill-Weber said. Plazas and parks have reopened, but playgrounds remain blocked off.

Despite the long quarantine, Hill-Weber said the city and locals continue to feel warm and hopeful.

“There’s really a sense that

we’re in this together,” Hill-Weber said. “There’s a sense of valuing and prioritizing community and what we need to do collectively as a community, as a country.”

Hill-Weber said he also remains hopeful for the coming semester and for the next group of Buenos Aires program participants to enjoy the city.

“We love to have students with us — in the classroom, on the patio, sharing asado on Thursdays,” Hill-Weber said. “We’re looking forward to having students again and sharing what this beautiful city has to offer.”

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

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S EP T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 2 0

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STAFF LIST

MADELINE DUVALL| ART EDITOR

STAFF EDITORIAL

Students and SGA should work in symphony After the postponement of spring Student Government Association elections due to COVID-19, Instagram, Twitter and Change.org became platforms for students to voice outrage and disappointment over University decisions this summer.

While the online protests were proof of students taking a stance, few names appeared on this fall’s SGA ballot, prompting even more complaints. Students who hold opinions but choose not to run for office must acknowledge SGA’s role and use the structure to voice their own concerns.

SGA to fulfill that role, students need to communicate their concerns.

Considering Seaver College is a relatively small school, it’s likely an elected class official is at least an acquaintance of an acquaintance. Students can use these connections to put faces and names to the impersonal organization of SGA. While posting reactions on social media may attract viral attention and gather grassroots support, forwarding comments and concerns directly to SGA members is apt to establish an action item with an administrative audience.

A Call to Action for Students All students are allowed to attend open SGA meetings, review As elected representation, minutes and even join commitSGA’s initiatives should reflect tees. These are effective ways to issues the students experience. ensure students’ grievances are This can only happen if students addressed. speak up about their concerns in Student–citizens have the productive ways. right to officially present The SGA constitution states thoughts throughout the year the organization acts “on the by submitting a resolution to directives of students” as an sgaadminvp@pepperdine.edu. “intermediary council” between Students may also directly email students and administration. For sgapresident@pepperdine.edu

THE 'BU YORKER

or a class representative.

Tensions are still high following the fall 2019 SGA impeachA Call to Action for SGA ment. SGA should be intentionally transparent in its reporting Citizen pleas for action will of proceedings. only work if SGA representatives To best communicate with do their part to address students’ students, the SGA website needs concerns. Though SGA allows to become a central hub where students to attend online meetstudents can watch recordings of ings, students feel Zoomed out the meetings, read the minutes from being on their computand receive any other necessary ers all day for class, work and information. extra-curricular commitments.

Adding an SGA meeting to their Two-Way Street agenda may be understandably difficult for many.

The responsibility falls on SGA needs to find innovaboth representatives and the tive solutions to keep students represented. If students are frusplugged in. trated, they should bring issues SGA offers committees for to the table, join a committee or students to get involved, accord- run for future candidacy. In turn, ing to its 2016 website. Students SGA must do its best to ensure can only be active virtually this transparency and communicate semester, so having an updated intentionally. website is more important now As the press, the Graphic than ever. has a duty to hold SGA repreImplementing a weekly sentatives accountable for their newsletter highlighting the items actions. You, as student–citizens, covered and the actions accom- must do the same to ensure our plished during each meeting student government effectively could go a long way in keeping advocates for the wellbeing of students informed. all students.

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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S EPTE M B E R 2 4 , 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

Remote working is the future Sahej Bhasin s ta f f w r i t e r In response to COVID-19, there are now more people working remotely than ever before; most of Pepperdine’s on-campus jobs and internships are now remote. Despite the difficulties that come with virtual employment and learning, students must prepare for a future that largely consists of working online.

Although COVID-19 eliminates students’ ability to grow professionally on campus, the opportunity to work online prepares students for the future in a different way. Scotland Garapedian, a Pepperdine alumnus and call center program manager at The Pepperdine Fund, said having experience working in this new normal is going to positively affect future alumni when searching for career opportunities.

“If people can see that they can do their job efficiently from home, then they are more entitled to work remotely and do as good of a job,” Garapedian said. “I think we will see a lot more remote opportunities in the future.”

Companies such as Google have already announced initiatives to keep over 200,000 employees working remotely until the summer of 2021, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Many other businesses like Facebook, Twitter and Slack will allow their employees to continue working from home after the pandemic, according to CNN. When applying for jobs after graduation, highlighting remote experience will demonstrate a candidate’s ability to adapt to any environment they are in, whether it be in person or at home.

Students should not fear remote work. Working from home can increase productivity, cut transportation

ALLY ARMSTRONG | ASSISTANT ART EDITOR

End monuments to racism

Samantha Miller| ARTIST costs, prevent office interruptions and lower overall business expenses. Most important, employees are less likely to contract COVID-19 because they will not be exposed to other people.

Despite the difficulty of being confined at home to work, there are many positive attributes.

Remote working is as important as ever with almost 46 million individuals in the U.S. being laid-off or furloughed, according to Gallup survey data. With many companies moving their operations online, it is important that people adapt to this new norm to become more competitive candidates.

A permanent switch to remote working, however, contains some serious disadvantages. Remote workers are unable to reap the social benefits of being in an office environment, which is critical for not only developing organization and customer service skills but also establishing friendships with fellow coworkers. Employees may also be required to pay for technology and stable internet connection, which can be expensive. Working

J o s h u a A . E va n s s ta f f w r i t e r

at home is prone to creating distractions, extensive costs, an unhealthy work-life balance and loneliness.

As remote working becomes increasingly common around the world, it is important to find ways to promote self-care. Employees should spend time going outside for fresh air, maintaining an organized workspace and scheduling breaks when available.

Once an employee creates a positive work environment at home, they will feel more productive in the work they complete.

COVID-19 has made it difficult for alumni to search for work. With remote working becoming more prevalent, it is necessary for people to acclimate to this new lifestyle. Handshake, PeppConnect and the Career Center are valuable resources for current Pepperdine students and alumni who are in need of a job during these uncertain times. Taking advantage of remote working is critical because it continues to impact the careers of millions of people around the world.

Tearing down Confederate monuments is an important step to publicly reckon with the sin of slavery. Keeping those monuments up is a visual reminder of ongoing white privilege and white supremacy, which need to be destroyed along with the monuments.

Allowing Confederate monuments to stand demonstrates political and moral hypocrisy in a nation that claims to be against slavery and racism. The external symbols of our nation should match the expressed external values of our country.

Let’s contrast the treatment of Confederate monuments in the U.S. with Nazi monuments in Germany, which were all systematically taken down. What does this difference say about how systemic racism is managed differently in the two countries?

While no country is perfect in curbing racism, the German model of addressing racist monuments shows more sensitivity.

Letting racist statues stand is a systemic racist macroaggression on the part of state and local governments.

Given how most people are aware that S A H E J.BHASIN@PEPPER DINE.EDU these monuments are deeply triggering and discomforting, regional governments keeping them up is racially insensitive.

The choice of regional governments to fly Confederate flags and keep up Confederate monuments in public spaces is a form of complicit racism.

When people claim preserving Confederate monuments is vital to maintaining American Southern history, they gaslight those whom the monuments hurt. They imply people who want them taken down are illogical. They minimize the trauma people experience seeing these objects. That behavior is a form of racist microinvalidation. This undermines the history of the Black community's oppression in America under the yoke of slavery and ignores those who feel triggered seeing public icons of racism that some Americans still respect.

It’s the same attitude as people who insist they have the right to fly the Confederate flag even though it represents Samantha Miller| ARTIST a racist history. The people in power in ist and living a pre-pandem- American regions keeping Confederate monuments up are deliberately making the ic lifestyle only exasperates the problem; it’s hypocritical choice to value the thoughts and feelings of some people over others. They are for students to constantly pandering to those who want to be proud of advocate for a return to their southern heritage despite its bigoted campus while continuing history. with behavior that caused Confederate monuments were originally universities to close down in crafted to designate public spaces as white the first place. dominated.

Constructed during the Jim Everyone wants to go Crow era, they were used to assert white back to normal, but as of supremacy. right now, being overly In the words of civil rights lawyer and cautious and aware of our social justice activist Bryan Stevenson, surroundings — both virtu“The North won the Civil War, but the ally and in reality — needs South won the narrative war.” to be the current normal.

Confederate monuments glorify the Students must focus on the narrative behind the Southern lost cause; goal of returning to campus the monuments tell the story of the Civil and decide to act appropriWar from a white Southern Confederate ately during COVID-19. lens paying tribute to Confederate heroes.

Encourage one another, These monuments idealize Confederate make good decisions and be patient. Everything will take generals and politicians who were traitors time, and waiting will make and fought to preserve slavery and destroy the Union. They are monuments paying it better when things finally return to normal. Resuming tribute to men who championed keeping fellow humans in bondage. risky activities too early inThat racist behavior should not be flicts more harm and prohonored anywhere. These are not men longs the time it takes to go worthy of being held in reverence in our to a pre-pandemic normal. nation’s monuments.

Pause the partying until after the pandemic

a n it iz Muo nag o lu p e rs pecti ves As si sta n t Edi tor Contrary to some students’ actions, the pandemic is far from over. While being cooped up for eight months can be emotionally draining, students need to maintain caution and understand the severity of the virus.

Since the start of the semester, students across the nation have been dismissing the virus by failing to wear masks or throwing parties in spite of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations against indoor gatherings.

For instance, reports showed that students in Alabama had COVID-19 parties and placed bets on who would catch the virus first. Students, of course, were reprimanded with a misdemeanor charge and $500 fines, but this is an eye-opener to how some students are showing little concern for the disease.

Careless behavior like this is all the more dire when taking into account that since reopening, universities and schools are already reporting high numbers of COVID-19 cases among students. A recent CNN report shows that schools across the nation have caused the infections of 513,000 students.

“These numbers are a chilling reminder of why we need to take this virus seriously,” said Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Furthermore, this means COVID-19 cases among children increased by 16% since campus reopenings, according to the same CNN report.

At the University of Texas, parties resulted in 600 new cases of COVID-19, which subsequently caused universities to quarantine 2,000 students total.

Pepperdine students also walk a fine line when remembering how seriously they should take the virus.

For example, sororities and fraternities need to be more cautious and aware of their social media posts.

Several members of Pi Beta Phi displayed themselves on Instagram in groups with no masks and in close proximity on the beach. The Panhellenic Instagram page also featured

the president of Delta Gamma walking into the apartments of multiple students who were neither six feet apart nor wearing masks.

Posts like these minimize the severity of the virus and influence other students to adopt reckless behavior.

Pepperdine also hasn’t issued public statements on how these organizations should behave and manage their social media accounts.

College is a chance for students to explore and grow, but fraternities and sororities should encourage those options in a safe manner.

Students also post pictures and videos going out with their friends on Snapchat, Instagram and other forms of social media, but doing so contradicts what students truly want to do — resume in-person classes as soon as possible.

The goal of every administrator, professor and student is to return to campus safely. However, acting as though the virus doesn’t ex-

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Students reflect on working from home as virtual interns Umeesha D’Alw i s new s as si stan t

A pandemic upends a lot of plans, and while some plans can be postponed, most — like the cancellations of internships — can leave students at a disadvantage.

With a lack of in-person internships available, the University changed the fall 2020 requirements for academic internships. Students are now allowed to receive credit for virtual internships, and Pepperdine students share their experiences of working remotely as they reflect on the pros and cons of their new remote environments.

“The search for an internship can be a daunting one, but finding an internship during a pandemic is a whole different ball game,” senior Cameron Cardy-Sterling said. “As companies shift their hiring processes to an online-only format, the pursuit of an internship can be even more competitive.”

Academic internships are structured, supervised, professional work experiences that allow students to learn about a sector while receiving academic credit, learning goals and reflective assignments.

College internships are an essential conduit to students’ first job after college, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Internships provide valuable work experi-

ences for students — experiences that can’t always be found in college textbooks.

Students are sympathetic to COVID-19’s impact on employers, according to Yello’s May 2020 research on virtual internships. Of the students with rescinded internships, 70% say they are disappointed but understanding of the situation, while 26% say they are upset. In-person interviews are difficult to find because safety measures call for nonessential offices to conduct work from home, and of the employers who canceled internships, 64% offered no compensation.

The Challenges of Virtual Interviews With remote internships as the new norm, students also face the challenge of virtual interviews.

Video interviews can be stressful for candidates who are uncomfortable using technology. Others may find discomfort being on camera and feel self-conscious.

Candidates also struggle with getting a fair chance in interviews because the video acts as a barrier that keeps their personality from shining through to recruiters, according to Yello.

Junior Austin Zell experienced this firsthand as he interviewed for various virtual jobs in software engineering.

“Body language is significantly harder to see and survey on a Zoom call,” Zell

said. “Having that disadvantage will prevent you from being able to understand the person you’re talking to further. The same applies for when you’re trying to sell yourself.”

As difficult as it may be to secure a virtual internship, they give students the chance to demonstrate their ability to work independently, which can be great preparation for the real world, Zell said.

Pepperdine Students Reflect on Virtual Internships Virtual internships also provide flexibility for location and time. Students no longer need to calculate the distance and time needed to commute from school to their internships. These opportunities are also cost-effective for employers because offices no longer need to allocate additional physical workspace, according to Chegg Internship’s research on the benefits of virtual internships.

Some employers expect virtual interns to have their own computer, internet connection and basic office supplies.

Junior Nicolas Armenta said he believes it is acceptable for student interns to have basic office supplies.

He disagrees, however, with the requirement for a computer and internet connection because some people have socio-economic difficulties and cannot afford

The search for an internship can be a daunting one, but finding an internship during a pandemic is a whole different ball game.

Cameron Cardy-Sterling Senior a computer or an internet connection that can run certain programs.

As businesses transition to an online-only format, Pepperdine students like senior Caitlin Fogg said they enjoy the virtual experience.

“I love virtual internships because of the innate human desire to connect,” Fogg said. “While it’s not ideal to be a virtual intern, I do think it’s fun to see people’s homes and learn more about their lives. In a time of cosmic disruption, it is inspiring and humbling to feel connected, even if it’s

via Zoom.”

Fogg said virtual internships provide an intimate experience with colleagues because everyone is presented with the same challenges in terms of unstable WiFi connections and frozen video screens.

Even with the technological challenges, Pepperdine followed suit when University departments like Student Affairs, Student Employment and Admissions transitioned to remote student internships.

As an intern for Pepperdine’s Office of Admission, senior Jon Fehrer said he believes virtual environments diminish interpersonal aspects of professionalism.

“However, since virtual work is innately individualized, there is a greater emphasis on personal initiative and task completion, which are important skills,” Fehrer said.

New University Policy for Academic Credit for Internships Some majors at Pepperdine like Journalism, Integrated Marketing Communication and Public Relations are required to complete an internship for academic credit to graduate. In the past, Pepperdine did not offer academic credit for remote or online internships; Pepperdine’s Career Services, however, announced a COVID-19 accommodation in which Seaver College will allow remote internships to be eligible for academic credit

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through the fall 2020 term.

Seaver College defines an academic internship as a “structured, supervised, professional work experience within an organization,” according to Pepperdine’s Career Services. The internship must be guided by learning goals and reflective assignments, and a faculty member and internship supervisor monitor the intern’s work. The University approves all academic internships in advance, and approved students must be concurrently enrolled in academic internship units for the internship to be accepted.

Students are learning how to communicate via technology at a rate that has never happened before, and the University is making significant changes to help students receive academic credit with a remote internship this fall 2020. Some outside companies like Twitter and Square announced a “Work from Home Forever” concept in which employers can work remotely even after the pandemic.

As students become accustomed to the world of remote internships, it is possible that remote internships will continue to thrive post-pandemic, according to research from The Atlantic.

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Students adapt study habits to online semester Sam t o r r e lif e and ar ts as si sta n t For junior Chemistry major Peyton Lee, science labs are completely different.

Last semester, Lee and her peers would perform lab work inside of a laboratory alongside fellow students and a professor. Now, she and her peers must complete their labs remotely on their own.

“For physical chemistry, we are doing a bunch of experiments at home that we can do, and then for the rest, we are looking at data or watch videos of the lab being done in its entirety,” Lee said. “In organic chemistry, we are just going to watch the labs being done, record the data and then process it.”

With midterms approaching, students face the challenge of adapting their study habits.

“I felt like everything was separate in a good way, but now everything is on my computer — and that’s the part that gets exhausting,” Lee said. “It all feels the same.”

Students change study habits

their

Lee said as a result of Zoom, there is a need to make distinctions between tasks, whether it be taking a break or transitioning to a new area of the house.

“I enjoy the coursework I’m doing right now, but it takes me a while to get into the rhythm of studying and doing my work,” said

Esther Chung, a first-year graduate student at Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy. “If I take a break, while I intend for it to be 10 minutes, it goes on for, like, two hours.”

Lee said she found that remaining in one room for the entire day causes aches and a feeling of stagnation, leading to a lack of motivation in addition to sitting in front of the computer all day can lead to exhaustion.

Sophomore Creative Writing and History double major Christine Kuenzi said while she found she has built up a slight resistance to the long hours on the computer, multiple classes in one day can still cause her to feel Zoom fatigue.

“It definitely saps my energy,” Kuenzi said.

Chung said exposure to the computer for long periods of time can lead to headaches and the need to wear blue light glasses more often.

In addition to a lack of energy, Lee said the lack of routine during online schooling has led her to find other ways to maintain normalcy.

“The thing that feels normal for me at this point is doing the school work,” Lee said.

Lee said taking the time to go outside or get a change of scenery is important for staying engaged.

An isolated environment helps students focus, but it makes it harder to conduct peer review and group study sessions, junior Media Production major Rachel Lando said. Group discussions can often help bring clarity

beth Gonzales | staff writer

Ally Armstrong | assistant art editor to other subjects and offer the opportunity to bond with classmates.

“It hasn’t been fun; there is no community behind it,” Lando said.

Philip Hong, a second-year at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, said feelings of isolation affect him more than Zoom fatigue. He said he beats the feelings of isolation by calling rather than texting and using media platforms that

allow for video conferencing.

Resources for Students Cory Robertson, student support coordinator in the Student Success Center and academic coach, said even though studying online can feel removed from campus and other students, there are resources and people willing to help students adjust to the online

environment. The Student Success Center has set up multiple programs and resources, such as workshops to teach study skills, to keep students successful despite the difficulties they may be facing.

Robertson said she helps students approach heavy course loads and adjust to the new methods of learning.

“Academic coaching and how we’re doing it through

Zoom is more important than ever because it provides that accountability and that opportunity to check in with an academic coach and really take stock of where you are as a student and any adjustments that you might need to make,” Robertson said.

Robertson also helps train students as tutors and coordinates learning skill workshops and videos.

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Review: Katy Perry’s album makes listeners ‘Smile’ beth gonzales sta ff write r After countless rejections from the music industry, knocking on doors and performing on streets, Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson finally caught the attention of Capitol Records in 2007, Perry said in the “Katy Perry: Part of Me” documentary. Perry, who is from Santa Barbara, CA, released her first song, “I Kissed a Girl,” with Capitol on April 28, 2008.

After putting out five studio albums, Perry announced she would release her sixth album, “Smile,” on Aug. 28. While “Smile” is joyful and adventurous, it lacks the lyrical depth and diversity from her past musical catalog.

The moment Katy Perry stepped onto the pop music scene, she captured the hearts of millions around the world. She defined an era in the early 2010s by uplifting the confidence of Katy Kats around the globe with songs like “Firework” and bringing a generation to the dance floor with songs like “California Gurls.”

Perry said she knew she had a lot to deliver musically, and she said her new album “Smile” would revive her roots of novelty-themed and character-based music.

These older song themes and characters include the Egyptian theme of “Dark Horse” and the character Kathy Beth Terry in “Last Friday Night (TGIF).” Perry said this new album would have island, carnival, old Hollywood and circus themes.

After the 35-year-old singer released her album “Witness” in 2017 and it was not well received, fans expressed how they craved the ethereal, bubblegum pop music Perry always delivered. This includes her extravagant performances, props and dances. Fans want her to perform as the pop princess she is.

Perry’s first single from this album, “Never Really Over,” has a playful, fast-tempo chorus. The lyrics remind listeners that just when people think a relationship or memory has vanished, it has a way of coming back into their lives. This song resembles Perry’s older music as well as her elaborate music video visuals.

Perry’s music video for another “Smile” single, “Harleys in Hawaii,” showed an entirely different side of the album — mystical island vibes with an enjoyable and easy R&B sound.

While Perry may be known for catchy beats and surface-level fantasies, she showcases some of her stronger lyrics and messages of empowerment through songs such as “Resilient” and “What Makes A Woman.” Lyrics such as “The darker the night the brighter the stars glow / You’re gonna see this flower grow right through the cracks” give listeners a sense of confidence.

With Perry’s powerhouse vocals, the songs on this album sound bigger and more evolved than ever before.

“Daisies” and “Not the End of the World” demonstrate

Photos courtesy of vevo Seeing Double| The music video for “Champagne Problems” features Katy Perry embodying old Hollywood glam, singing and posing in an over-the-top sequin costume. Perry said the ups and downs of her relationship with fiance and actor Orlando Bloom were the inspiration for this ’80s-vibe disco bop on her album, “Smile.” Blooom and she just had their first child, Daisy Dove Bloom, on Aug. 26. her ability to hit soprano and alto notes and all the ones in between. Perry’s vocal range never disappoints.

“Smile” is no exception.

While paying homage to her previous silly, dance-worthy songs such as “Waking up in Vegas” and “This Is How We Do,” Perry’s more superficial songs on this album include “Champagne Problems” and “Smile,” resembling the anthems Perry is known for.

The lyrics “I wanna see you soon as I wipe the crust from my eyes / Till the day I die, could you be the love of my life?”, appear on “Champagne Problems.”

As Perry grows up, her audience does too. Perry has received a lot of criticism for her music not maturing with her audience, and “Smile,” while being pleasurable and exhilarating, is still cartoonish and simple. This may not be the album for embracing vulnerable emotions, but it is perfect for blasting in the car with friends or dancing through Zoom classes.

As Perry announced the birth of her daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, on Aug. 26, many are curious and excited about what the future holds for the pop icon.

If that future means touring, new music or simply just expanding her family, there is no doubt that her music holds a special place in the hearts and minds of millions. “Smile” and its electric bounce will surely reside in those hearts too.

B E T H .G O N Z A L E S @P EPPER DINE.EDU

Pearly Whites| The official cover for Katy Perry’s latest album, “Smile,” depicts Perry posing with a red nose. Perry released “Smile” Aug. 28.

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Soccer player plans to take on the business world S o f i a L on g o L ife & A r ts a s s istant E d i t o r

Fresh Faces features first-year and transfer students to unite Pepperdine students, regardless of where they are.

Photos Courtesy of Sophia douville Showstopper| Douville performs the role of Clara in the University of Wyoming’s production of “The Nutcracker” in December 2018 at the University’s Arts & Sciences Auditorium. She said she danced throughout high school on the varsity dance team and was a captain Photos Courtesy of Brianna cannon for three years.

Dancer brings math passion to Pepperdine So fia Longo li f e & ar ts assista n t E dit or First-year Sophia Douville is a passionate student drawn to many different activities, including dancing, singing and advocating for mental health. Now, Douville wants to focus her interest on mathematics and teaching.

Douville is from Laramie, Wyo., and she has always been drawn to the subject of math. As a Math major at Pepperdine, Douville said she hopes to eventually become a high school math teacher.

“I chose math because it’s always been a subject I’ve loved a lot,” Douville said.

“I’ve had some really great teachers in it that have kind of helped me to decide that to be my career path.”

In addition to her interest in math, Douville said she was a member of her high school varsity dance team and was a captain for three years. She was also a member of the National Honor Society.

Douville said she started dancing at the age of 3. She primarily danced ballet and pointe but loved contemporary, jazz and hip-hop. She also did tap and Irish step.

Douville’s favorite memory while dancing was her state competition her senior year because she said she got selected to participate in the All-Star State Team. She remembered feeling lucky because her competition was the day before everything began to shut down due to COVID-19.

“I’ll never forget driving back home and hearing about the other sporting events being canceled but being so grateful that we still had our competition,” Douville wrote in an email.

Douville also sang in a choral group for three years. She said she has been singing since the fourth grade and has made a lot of friends through choir.

“I just love the artistic expression it gives me,” Douville said. “I’ve always been a very musical person, but I’m not the greatest at learning to play an instrument, and I just found it was simple and easy for me to start singing.”

Another one of Douville’s passions is mental health, as she has struggled with it in the past. Now, she said she wants people to know there are ways to get help.

“In the beginning, I didn’t really know what to do,” Douville said. “It was kind of hard for me to accept the fact, but I found counseling and other things that really have helped.”

Douville said when she came to visit the campus in August 2018, she fell in love with Pepperdine and its location. An-

First-year Marie McGrath said her dream is to come up with the next million-dollar idea. McGrath is a Business Administration major from West Los Angeles, and although she doesn’t know what her idea is just yet, she still finds the world of business fascinating.

McGrath said before becoming interested in business, she considered going into politics. In high school, she was a member of the youth and government club and the Penn Model Congress club.

In spring 2019 of her junior year, McGrath said she had the opportunity to travel to the East Coast and debate the bills she and other classmates wrote. However, she said this made her recognize politics wasn’t her biggest passion.

“I realized I just enjoyed doing it, but I didn’t know enough about anything,” McGrath said. “I’m very bad at keeping up to date with things, so I realized I couldn’t really see myself in that sort of career.”

McGrath said after this realization, she decided she didn’t want to work in politics and would rather be a part of the business world.

In addition to participating in various clubs, McGrath said she also played on her varsity high school soccer team and was a goalkeeper for American Youth Soccer Organization. She joined AYSO in the fifth grade and played for the organization for 12 years. She said she experienced personal growth playing soccer because it helped build her confidence, and she loved the bond she made with her teammates.

“When I first started playing soccer, I was really shy,” McGrath said. “As a goalkeeper, they were al-

Photo Courtesy of marie mcgrath Time to Celebrate| Business Administration major Marie McGrath proudly holds her diploma from Alexander Hamilton High School in West Los Angeles after she and her friends hosted their own graduation ceremony in June.

The first-year Wave said she is looking forward to becoming a part of Pepperdine’s tight-knit community. ways like, ‘You have to talk more, you have to tell us what’s going on.’”

When looking at colleges to attend, McGrath said she did not consider Pepperdine at first because her brother, Jack, had attended and graduated in May 2019; she thought of Pepperdine as her brother’s school, and she wanted to go to her own separate university. Her mindset began to change, however, once she started looking into Pepperdine.

McGrath said she was drawn to the small class sizes, the strong sense of community and the opportunity to participate in International Programs at Pepperdine. She used to visit her brother during Waves Weekend, and Pepperdine’s campus was the best college campus she visited.

“When I was walking around, I could always potentially see myself as a student there,” McGrath said.

McGrath said she felt Pepperdine would give her

unique experiences and opportunities. She wants to join the intramural soccer team because she thinks it would be fun to play on the weekends and after classes.

“You come into Pepperdine and you leave a well-rounded citizen,” McGrath said. “You know lots of different people [and] about lots of different religions and beliefs and cultures around the world.”

McGrath said she is most excited to live in Malibu and join the Pepperdine community in person. She said she felt the love from the Pepperdine community during New Student Orientation when her group leader reached out to her.

“That’s what makes me so excited about being a Pepperdine student — people actually care about each other and they actually want each other to succeed,” McGrath said.

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Future physician assistant follows her Pepperdine dream S o f i a Lo n g o L ife & A r t s assi stant e d i t o r

Senior Celebration | Douville poses for her senior portraits in Laramie, Wyo., in May. Since snow still blanketed the ground for her spring photo shoot, she said she was excited for the California weather. other important aspect for her when deciding between schools was Pepperdine’s Christian campus. Douville was raised in a Christian household and wanted to be in a faith-based environment at college.

Douville said her aunt and uncle live in Valley Village, Los Angeles, and she is thinking about living with them for a while because she absolutely loved California when she came to visit in 2018. Regardless of her travel plans, when she arrives on campus, Douville is most excited to visit the beach.

“It’s very much my type of place,” Douville said. “I just loved the weather, and I loved being near the ocean.”

At Pepperdine, she wants to join the Pepperdine Math Club and possibly the choir. She recently participated in online sorority recruitment and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta chapter. She enjoyed getting to know other women and finding a sense of community.

“Since I’m coming from Wyoming, it is kind of hard not knowing as many people, so it’s nice to be able to meet people and kind of create that family,” Douville said.

S O F I A . L O N G O @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

When junior transfer Sierra Marquez did not receive her acceptance from Pepperdine as a senior in high school, she said she was heartbroken. However, she still was determined to attend her dream school and decided to go to community college in hopes of later transferring to Pepperdine.

“When I toured as an incoming senior, I knew right away,” Marquez said. “I was like, ‘This is my school.’ I felt right at home.”

Marquez, who is from San Jose, CA, attended De Anza Community College and graduated Magna Laude with an associate’s degree in June.

As a Sociology major on the pre-med track, Marquez said her dream job is to become a physician’s assistant. Originally, she was interested in becoming a nurse and then later changed her mind to pursue becoming a doctor.

“I’ve always wanted to be in the medical field, but I never knew about the PA,” Marquez said. “You’re kind of in between a doctor and a nurse.”

Marquez said Pepperdine stood out to her because of the mix of strong academics and the Christian community. She went to public school her whole life and always wanted to attend a Christian university.

“I just fell in love [with] the location and how you could go to chapel and that was required, and I loved that,” Marquez said.

After graduating Pepperdine, Marquez said her plan is to attend graduate school to complete a physician’s assistant degree.

Since she lives 20 minutes away from Stanford University, her goal is to attend its Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program or University of California, Davis’ program.

While at Pepperdine, Marquez said she would like to join a sorority and is planning to participate in Spring Recruitment because she did not get the chance to participate this fall. She is currently a member of the First Generation Club and the Latino Student Association.

Marquez said she was apprehensive about joining the Latino Student Alliance at first but changed her mind because of the opportunities she hopes it will provide.

“I was kind of iffy about it,” Marquez said. “I’m Mexican, but I don’t speak Span-

Photo Courtesy of Sierra marquez Malibu Bound | Marquez celebrates graduating from De Anza Community College in June. She said she worked hard to get into Pepperdine and is majoring in Sociology. ish, and so I went in, and you know, it’s pretty cool. It’s something different.”

Marquez said when she found out Pepperdine’s classes would be held online, she was unsure of how a virtual format would work. Now, she thinks that online school at Pepperdine isn’t bad when compared to large, public universities.

“The one thing I really liked about Pepperdine was the small classes, so I think having that online is way better,” Marquez said.

“I couldn’t imagine being in a class with 300 students and I’m online. You’re kind of just a number.”

Marquez said she appreciates that her professors at Pepperdine know her name and are constantly asking her questions in class.

“Every time I actually go down for the summer, I love the environment, and the campus is so pretty,” Marquez said. “I’m looking forward to being on campus and seeing everyone every day and going to chapel.”

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 | S E P T E MB E R 24 , 20 20

STUDENTS: Pepp libraries help students adjust F R OM B 1 These workshops help students learn valuable skills for succeeding in a college setting.

The videos are a resource for students who cannot always make meetings, as many of them are recorded, Robertson said.

In the Tutoring Center, Caitlin Scheckel, assistant director of Student Success, works closely with the tutoring process and offers assessments.

Scheckel said in the wake of online education, the Tutoring Center arranged sessions for students and utilized Zoom to increase accessibility.

“We’ve worked this past summer to really research the platform — which features it has — and then determine a streamlined process for both the tutors and the students,” Scheckel said.

“It’s just been helpful to make sure I get out of the house — even if it is just going for a walk around the neighborhood and just being active in the time that I don’t have to sit in front of the camera.”

Kaylee Hoy Junior

Courtesy of Kendall Ross

Photo Courtesy of Phil Lester

Photo Courtesy of rachel lando

Distance Learning| (Left) Junior Rachel Lando types on her computer for her remote classes. She said detaching from her computer helps her stay engaged while studying at home. (Right) Law student Philip Hong completes classwork with his laptop and notebook. Hong said making a conscious effort to speak to people creates a sense of community and keeps him in touch with his distanced friends.

Scheckel said data received from sites such as Zoom allows the Student Success Center to track interest via attendance.

Using the attendance information received, it then notifies students of upcoming tutoring sessions in that class.

Pepperdine Libraries Assist Research Pepperdine Libraries have also set up a variety of programs to help students adapt. Since the beginning of online school

in March, the libraries have been collecting and uploading resources to their website. Dean of Libraries Mark Roosa said one program to help students is the Research Foundations program. Two research librarians run this program, consulting with groups or individual students and offering guidance.

“It’s our goal to meet students where they are to try and be responsive and to give them all that they need in terms of online support, as we get into the fall,” Roosa said.

Students Stay Engaged Chung said a helpful way to keep track of assignments is by using a calendar or agenda to block out study times and provide a routine for each day.

In addition to keeping track of assignments, students need to have the energy to do well on them, junior Screen Arts major Kaylee Hoy said.

“For me, it’s just been helpful to make sure I get out of the house — even if it is just going for a walk around the neigh-

borhood and just being active in the time that I don’t have to sit in front of the camera,” Hoy said.

Robertson said she encourages students to remember they are human and to take mental and physical breaks when needed.

“Be kind to yourself and know you will have to make some adjustments,” Robertson said.

SAM .TOR R E@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Creative writer discusses her goals after graduation So fi a Lon g o L ife a nd a r ts A s s is tan t E d it o r Senior Amanda Cooper prepares to graduate with a Creative Writing degree and is ready to find a good home base to start her writing career. Cooper originally considered attending graduate school right after Pepperdine, but due to COVID-19, she now plans to take a gap year and possibly move to Chicago to dive into the thriving art scene. Her biggest goal for the future is to write and sell a screenplay.

Why did you choose to go to Pepperdine?

Amanda Cooper: I chose Pepperdine because my brother was forced to apply to one Christian school when he was looking for colleges, and he just picked Pepperdine from a random list of Christian colleges.

When he got in, he actually received the Regent scholarship. He ended up going to a state school, but once I saw the potential for going to school in beautiful Malibu for a really good scholarship, that’s kind of what I started to work toward. So, all throughout high school, I kind of kept that in mind that it was a possibility to attend Pepperdine one day.

What are you involved in at Pepperdine?

AC: Right now, I’m the editor of Expressionists Magazine. That is something I’m really excited about. I’m also the vice president of new member experience for Pi Phi. I really enjoyed holding both that position and being a Rho Gamma during recruitment. As far as music goes, I have been involved in the Pepperdine Concert Choir, the wind ensemble and the percussion ensemble. I’m also a teaching assistant for two humanities classes, and I’m in the Pepperdine Feminist Club. I was supposed to be this year and will be next semester an SLA, which I also was last year in freshman housing.

How has your Pepperdine experience been for you?

AC: It’s definitely been an experience punctuated by surprises. Another reason I came to Pepperdine was because when I was looking it up at 14, I saw that they had a program that went to Switzerland, which was my dream destination. And so, [with] my experience at Pepperdine, I can’t divorce that from how incredible the abroad program was.

Say Cheese| Emily Ambler, Cooper, Emily Tortora, Caroline Chance and Megan Offutt celebrate a Pi Beta Phi Galentine’s Day party in February. This year, Cooper was a Rho Gamma and the vice president of new member experience for Pi Phi.

Photo Courtesy Of Georgr Preston Iv

If you had advice to any first-year students at Pepperdine, what would you say?

AC: It’s easy to be jaded about this type of format and feel like something has been taken from you this way. But I would say just think of the stories that you’ll be able to tell your children and your children’s children, and now it may seem frustrating that we’re stuck in such an important historical event, but one day people will look at you and be grateful that you have that perspective to offer.

Photos Courtesy oF amanda cooper

What has been one of your favorite Pepperdine memories?

AC: My favorite experience was being an au pair in Laussane for the [program director’s] three children. Especially the week that their parents were away, I took them to the fair or up to the mountains, and it felt like I was living in the “The Sound of Music.” It was every mountain dream I ever could have had. It made me excited to have my own family someday and possibly even live abroad myself.

S O F I A . L O N G O @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

Photos Courtesy of amanda cooper Big Smiles | Senior Amanda Cooper smiles during a brightly colored photoshoot in her friend’s garage in September. Cooper is a Creative Writing major, and she said she plans to take a gap year after graduating from Pepperdine to move to Chicago, Ill., so she can experience its art scene before pursuing graduate school.

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s eptember 24, 2020

The Graphic

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SPORTS

Theegala wraps up Pepperdine career, starts fast on PGA tour Aust in Hal l Staf f W r i ter Sahith Theegala accepted the Nicklaus Award over a Zoom call June 7, in his hometown of Chino Hills, CA. This rounded out a clean sweep of all three national player of the year honors for men’s college golf: the Fred Haskins Award, Ben Hogan Award and the Nicklaus.

Theegala is the fifth player all-time to receive the three awards in the same season. His name being etched into NCAA history less than three months after the West Coast Conference canceled spring sports outright, leaving the dreams of both Pepperdine’s only National Player of the Year and the No. 1 team in the country unfulfilled.

“It’s almost funny how many people ask me about it,” Theegala said. “In these tournaments I’ve been playing in, I still have Pepperdine head covers on and my yardage book has the logo on it. People ask me how the season was, and I tell them it was great, but we had a theme that we were building on for a while and all of a sudden, it ended. It definitely still hurts.”

While Theegala will never compete in a Pepperdine polo again, the fast start to his PGA career shows he’s not done with earning hardware.

A learning curve accompanied Theegala at his first three tournaments as an official pro. At the Travelers Championship and Rocket Mortgage Classic, he was two strokes shy of making the cut. Two weeks later the 3M Open saw Theegala miss the cut by four.

Theegala said while nerves were a factor in his performance, he knows a large part was the competition in the talented group

Name | Position PhotoS COURTESY OF Sahith Theegala Hot Start | Pepperdine alumnus Sahith Theegala hits a wedge shot during a practice round for the Safeway Open in Napa, CA. The Safeway Open was Theegala’s first top-15 finish as a professional. Theegala hangs out with his caddie, Aaron (left) and friend, Zack (right) at the Silverado Country Club in Napa Valley, CA. The golfer traveled 400 miles from his home in Chino, CA, to compete at this tournament. of players around him.

“I was nervous, but it wasn’t a scared nervous,” Theegala said. “I’m playing with guys I’ve watched my whole life on TV, and then all of a sudden I’m there against them. All of those guys were the best when they were in college too, and now they’re all in one place.”

Theegala said there was one day in particular when he had to pause and remember that he was a player and not a fan.

“I’ll never forget the Travelers, my first tournament,” Theegala said.

“The field was so strong. I saw [Jordan] Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson. I was thinking, ‘Are you kidding me? These are the guys I have to compete against now?’ That was huge, and the next week I was hitting drivers next to Bryson [DeChambeau] at Rocket Mortgage in De-

Fresh Face |Theegala shoots a 64 on the third day of the Safeway Open in Napa, CA. He recorded four birdies on both the front and back nines.

troit. The guy looks like a linebacker and hit drivers for an hour and a half.”

Theegala’s fourth tournament was the Barracuda Championship in Truckee, CA, where he made it to match play and secured a top-50 finish.

Five weeks later Theegala qualified for the Safeway Open, where he shot under par all four days of the tournament and finished tied for 14th. Theegala bogeyed on just five of the 72 holes.

After improving his score on the second and third day, Theegala said he likes to get to know the golf course as the tournament progresses.

“The more times I see the golf course during tournament conditions, the more comfortable I get,” Theegala said. “It can sometimes be hard with fatigue and you have to preserve your physical and mental energy.

Luckily, I’ve always loved doing that. The course gets harder with the greens getting a little bit firmer with harder pin placements and I like the challenge.”

With his impressive finish, Theegala won $100,650 of the Safeway Open’s $6,000,000 purse — or pool of prize money that’s split among golfers who make it to match play.

Theegala said it’s surreal to get paid for something he’s trained for his whole life.

“It’s a joke,” Theegala said, laughing. “You can’t think about it when you’re playing. It definitely doesn’t cross my mind at all until just before the tournament or after it’s done. During the tournament it still feels like college, playing it shot by shot.”

Theegala said despite the payout, he hasn’t thought about what his first big purchase will be.

“I haven’t made enough money to think about spending,” Theegala said.

“The way I see it right now is most of my expenses are taken care of, which is great.

It’s so surreal to think that I

have an opportunity to do what I love for a good part of my life and earn off of it.

No big shopping sprees yet — I haven’t even looked for a new car.”

Theegala is still waiting for sponsorship opportunities as well. He swings the same PING clubs he did in college, wears LINKSOUL polos just like the Pepperdine team and laces up FootJoy shoes as he walks courses ranging from Southern California to the TPC Highlands in Connecticut, where he played the Travelers Cup. What comes next for Theegala is a difficult process. For younger or lesser-known players, invitations to PGA Tour events aren’t delivered to their mailboxes. A lot of the communication between the PGA and its athletes is by the golfers themselves as Theegala or his agency contacts tournament directors to see if an upcoming tournament has open spots.

Theegala said it often pays off for players. As tournament directors are incentivized when dealing with amateur stars.

“The tournaments are typically great at giving younger guys a shot — even the ones that are still in college because if they’re the next big thing, they get to say that they played in their tournament first,” Theegala said.

Even with a top-15 finish, Theegala has a ways to go before he’s competing in an elite tournament like the Masters. The 23-year-old will have to win an event or climb into the Top 50 Official World Golf Rankings.

Theegala’s next competition is a Monday qualifier, or a stroke-play tournament held days before the professional tournament where the top finishers earn a spot in the field. On Sept. 28, he’ll be in Canton, Miss. for the Sanderson Farms Championship Pre-Qualifier. He also plans on attending the Shriners Hospital Section Qualifier in

Hot Start | Pro golfer Theegala swings his 9 iron toward the 10th green during the Barracuda Championship on Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood Course in Truckee, CA. He tied for 41st in the tournament.

Boulder City, Colo., to earn a spot in the official event in Las Vegas. All Monday qualifier contestants have to pay for all their expenses.

While it’s typically a large and talented field competing in the Monday qualifiers, Theegala said he likes his chances.

“They’re both going to be big groups, anywhere from 70 to 90,” Theegala

said. “There will be two to four spots available for the tournament, so you have to play ridiculous. You’re not getting into the tournament without shooting a 62 or 63. I’m excited for it, and think I have a legitimate chance out there.”

AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU

PE P P E R DINE GR A P HIC M E DIA | S PORTS | SE P T E MB E R 24 , 20 20

Pepp Athletics continues the battle against COVID-19 just in t o uhe y s taf f w r i ter The Athletics Department’s plan to bring student-athletes back to campus moves forward as on-campus student-athletes enter Phase II of Pepperdine’s four-stage plan.

Off-campus student-athletes will begin COVID-19 testing, physicals and antibody tests to enter Phase I. Kevin Wright, the assistant director of Athletics for Sports Medicine, and his staff are leading these efforts.

“We have had to tackle ongoing changes from the University and the LA County Department of Health,” Wright said. “Our team physician, Dr. Gary Green, who is the medical director for Major League Baseball, has been a good source, and we are breaking new ground because we have never done this before.”

The plan is outlined into four different phases. Each are a couple of weeks long as student-athletes gradually return to practice.

Steve Potts, director of Athletics, was also heavily involved in the plan to bring back student-athletes safely to campus this fall.

“We put together our plan

graphic by ali levens | Photo editor and distributed it to our student-athletes on campus,” Potts said. “I think we put together a great plan, and I am thankful to Kevin Wright and his staff to create the healthiest and safest environment.”

The expectations for student-athletes are the same for those living on or off campus. The Athletics department requires students who are living on campus

to practice the guidelines the University and the LA County Department of Public Health has put in place.

“If this thing is going to work, then it’s not just following the rules on campus, but making sure you follow them when you are off campus as well,” Potts said.

Many student-athletes have had different levels of training this summer in regards to intensity, time and

resources. The plan will allow not just a safe return to practice and training to prevent COVID-19 but also a safe return regarding injury prevention.

“We do not want to bring everyone back and put too much stress on the bodies and they break down,” Wright said. “Part of the reason for this Phase I is to reintroduce strength work so that the athletes are stressed

appropriately and are gaining strength and conditioning at the appropriate level.”

Those student-athletes who are living on campus are living under strict rules and guidelines to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and reside in apartment-style living arrangements.

There is also a daily wellness check to indicate if you have any symptoms or a fever, and temperatures are taken daily.

The population of students who are living on campus is small, and many of them are student-athletes.

Those living on campus had to adjust to this new lifestyle.

Tia Harrison, a freshman on the Women’s Soccer team, moved onto campus last week.

“It’s definitely an adjustment and most people on campus are student-athletes,” Harrison said. “We have been hanging out in areas like the lounge or outside playing. It is tight right now but I look forward to meeting other people.”

Masks are to be worn everywhere on campus except a student’s dorm, and no one is allowed to go into other people’s rooms.

Tay Thomas, a freshman on the Swim and Dive team,

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moved onto campus in August and has been able to start a more focused training program with the athletic training staff.

“I’ve never done weights before, and I am ready to go,” Thomas said. “It’s nice to see my teammates, trainers and coaches even if it’s with social distancing.”

Despite the restrictions for those living on campus, student-athletes are in support of Pepperdine’s protocols and guidelines.

“All of the regulations are important, and I feel they have done a good job of enforcing it and keeping everyone safe,” Harrison said.

The NCAA Board of Governors has approved a proposal to move the 2020 fall championships to the spring of 2021. This includes men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, soccer and water polo.

It also agreed to support flexibility to allow teams to meet specified minimum competition requirements due to the NCAA, recommending a reduction of competition by 50%.

JUSTIN.TOUHEY@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Senior drives in 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race tay l o r gat her s taf f w r i ter Senior Max Root made his dream a reality at just 15 years old, becoming one of the youngest professional race car drivers of his time.

Root said his road to racing began not in a car but on a motorcycle. His father and uncle introduced him to motorcycle racing when he was 5 years old, and he quickly developed a love for the adrenaline rush.

“It was kind of like a rite of passage in my family to get on a bike,” Root said.

“And I immediately loved it and had a passion for it.”

Root said racing dirt bikes for eight years gave him opportunities he otherwise wouldn’t have had, including his introduction to race car driving.

“In my early teens, I had the opportunity to drive a race car for the first time,” Root said. “Immediately, there was a lot of speed and talent there, so that was kind of a career changer.”

Since then, Root has competed in numerous races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans that took place in Le Mans, France, on Sept.

19-20. He, along with Jan Magnussen and Richard Heistand, comprised the JMW Motorsport team. Together, they drove a Ferrari GTE EVO, earning them 30th place out of 59. Magnussen, 47, is a veteran Danish racer and Heistand, 37, is an American racer.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans started in 1928 and is the world’s oldest active sports car race. The car that travels the greatest distance in 24 hours is deemed the winner.

Root said his weekend was filled with several firsts,

photos courtesy of max root Full Speed | Senior Max Root (left) and the Ferrari GTE Evo he drove at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (right). Root, along with teammates Jan Magnussen and Richard Heistand, raced 335 laps at the famous event, 52 behind the winning team. from meeting his team to driving a Ferrari.

“It was pretty spectacular,” Root said. “It was my first time driving in a 24hour race and my first time driving at night and the first time with prototypes, which are cars that are much faster than the GT cars. You have to manage the traffic in a way where you don’t lose lap time, but you can be competitive.”

Root said while the experience was daunting, he relied on his pre-race preparations to carry him throughout his 10 hours of driving.

“You’re put in a car, and immediately you have to go out to do 200 miles an hour on a straightaway; you have cars passing you at 220 miles an hour,” Root said, “It’s dark at night, you can’t really see a lot and you really have to drive off of your raw talent and natural instinct.”

Root said racing takes a physical toll on his body, pushing him to his limit. Because of this, he spent two

months racing on a mock simulator as well as actively going to the gym to stay in peak physical shape.

Root said practice looked a little different following COVID-19 quarantine restrictions.

“On one side of things, it gave me more time to focus on my training and all my simulator work,” Root said.

“So I would say it was a big positive, but it definitely took a toll on just overall preparation because we stopped racing completely for those three months.”

While Root raced for 10 of the 24 hours, he said he was able to maintain his momentum by driving for a couple of hours and then taking an hour to sleep, eat and readjust over the course of the day and night.

“I’m a very goal-focused person,” Root said. “So when levens staff writer Iali have a goal|set, I stick to it.

I pushed myself to achieve that goal.”

Root had a quick turnaround, landing in the U.S.

mere hours after the race had ended. He said exhaustion prohibited him from taking in the gravity of his feat once crossing the finish line, but after some sleep and a warm meal, he was able to reflect on his experience.

“I definitely want to continue on the path I’m on, competing at the highest level of the world,” Root said.

“Le Mans is the biggest race in the world, so I was able to put myself on the global scale and to really push myself.”

Root said he has no intentions of stopping here; he hopes to continue his racing career with Porsche beyond graduation — as long as his body will allow.

“You know, I definitely want to pursue racing until it’s a closed door,” Root said.

“There’s only a certain window when you’re competitive physically. Being such a high demanding sport, I do believe I want to compete as long as I can.”

Driven in both his educa-

tion and racing career, Root said finding the time to balance classes, racing and extracurriculars can be difficult at times.

“Some professors have worked with me and some professors I’ve definitely struggled with more,” Root said. “I’ve had to put in extra hours where instead of doing things I’d like to, it’s been me reading on planes and reading when I have time and everything of that nature. But I’ve wanted to pursue both, and so I made it a point to do that.”

Along with racing, Root said he aspires to use his degree in Business Administration to build a career in commercial real estate and development.

“I plan to pursue after school some form of job in real estate development, where I can kind of employ all the lessons learned at Pepperdine as well as lessons from internships and previous experiences to create environments where people

can work, play, be happy, enjoy life, everything of that sort,” Root said.

Root said to take up race car driving, one must be extremely motivated.

“With any professional sports career, you have to be extremely dedicated and get a little lucky as far as to actually have a career in those fields,” Root said. “I would just say for anyone interested to push themselves as hard as they can because when you set your mind to something, you never know what’s possible.”

Root will compete in the 2020 Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid Ohio from Sept. 25-27 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Oct. 2.

TAYL OR .GATHER @PEPPER DINE.EDU

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PE P P E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | S PORTS | SE P TE MB E R 24 , 20 20

Baby Waves: Two freshmen with big-time bloodlines boost M. Tennis, Beach rosters aust in ha ll s taf f w r i te r Adam Schaechterle of Men’s Tennis and Marcio Sicoli of Women’s Beach Volleyball were in the middle of promising seasons — both as sophomore head coaches at Pepperdine — before the NCAA-wide spring sports stoppage in March.

Sicoli inherited beach volley in 2019 after the retirement of Nina Matthies, a 25-year Pepperdine legend and American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Famer. There was no drop-off to the team’s routine success, as the Waves went 20–11 and finished No. 7 in AVCA coaches rankings.

Last season was an enigmatic year for Sicoli and the team. After starting as No. 6 on the AVCA preseason poll, the team dropped their first two matches against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and LMU, the No. 7 and No. 8 ranked teams, respectively, in the preseason poll.

After bounce-back wins versus South Carolina and Stetson, the team dropped three straight against Long Beach State, USC and No. 1 UCLA. While the 2–5 start was a surprise for the team, Sicoli lost only four seniors and brought in six freshmen.

One of the freshmen is Gracie Pedersen, a 5-foot-11-inch prospect with serious power. From Brentwood, Tenn., she was a lifelong outside hitter in indoor volleyball before she found beach.

Pedersen said she’s loved the sport ever since.

“I fell in love with beach volleyball very late in the game,” Pedersen said. “I didn’t find out about it as a college sport until I was a sophomore in high school, and Pepperdine was a big reason why.

A lot of girls start to train for it as early as eighth grade.”

Pedersen said while Tennessee isn’t known for producing beach volleyball prospects, she benefited from training with a professional this year.

“I had to travel around a lot,” Pedersen said. “Not just to play

photo courtesy of gracie pedersen

photo courtesy of gracie pedersen photos courtesy of lisa zaar

photo courtesy of tom grosjean

Skilled Southerners | (left) Freshman Beach Volleyball player Gracie Pedersen goes in for the tip during a national championship match in Los Angeles. (center) Walk-on freshman Men’s Tennis player Tom Grosjean eyes the ball as he prepares to return the hit to his opponent at Tennium Academy in Delray Beach, Fla. (right) Pedersen reaches over the net for a block during the match in LA. Pedersen made up for her late discovery of beach volleyball by attending a variety of tournaments during her junior and senior years. but to be recruited too. We just had John Hyden, who’s an AVP pro, move to Tennessee this year, so it was a little late, but I was happy to have him train me before college.

I have not been trained at such a high level anywhere.”

Volleyball runs in the Pedersen family. Pedersen’s mother played indoor volleyball and basketball at Iona, and her sister, Ellie, plays indoor at University of the South.

While being an indoor star in college was a dream for much of her life, Pedersen said she was drawn to beach for multiple reasons.

“First of all, the atmosphere is so much more enjoyable than indoor,” Pedersen said. “It’s not just because you’re on the beach but also because you’re playing with one other person and able to really connect, where indoor is all very rigid and methodical. Second, the two-on-two aspect gives you so much more contact and action.”

Pedersen had her sights set on attending Pepperdine before Sicoli had his sights on her. She went to the 2016 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala. She watched the Waves and the University of Hawaii, which ended up being her No. 2 school.

Pedersen said she’s just as much a fan of the team as she is a player.

“Ever since I saw them in 2016, I’ve been watching YouTube videos about them all the time,” Pedersen said. “I’ve watched them live against Pac-12 teams like UCLA and USC. I went to national championships again in 2017, 2018 and 2019. I can tell you all the pairs, who won which matches from any year. It’s pretty funny.”

Pedersen said five out of the six freshmen are living on campus and doing everything they can to practice at local beaches. There is no projected start date or schedule for beach volleyball at this time.

For Men’s Tennis, Schaechterle did not have the luxury of inheriting a top-tier program in 2018. The team was easily one of Pepperdine’s weakest in the year before Schaechterle’s hiring, going 7–16 — the first time they had a losing record in the 2000s.

The Northwestern alumnus — who was hired away from Notre Dame’s staff — turned heads in his first season, nearly going .500 with an 11–13 season with eight players on the roster and no seniors. The promising debut was the precursor for a historic 11–0 run and the No. 19 national ranking in 2020.

Schaechterle brings back the entire team, including Adrian Oetzbach for a fifth year, for the

2020–2021 season. He signed Tom Grosjean as a walk-on and Guy Den Ouden in this year’s recruiting class. Den Ouden won’t join the team until the spring to compete in the 2020 French Open Junior Tournament. That leaves Grosjean, who is not on campus but at home in Boca Raton, Fla., to train.

It’s a familiar environment for the freshman, who is the son of Sébastien Grosjean, a former professional with nine combined titles in singles and doubles play who finished as the No. 4 overall player in the world in the 2002 season.

Grosjean said his dad pushed him to be the player he is today.

“It used to be easier,” Grosjean said, laughing. “As I got older, things got harder and harder with him, and at the same time, the competition got tougher, so it paid dividends for me. He’s always been so supportive of me, and with his knowledge and skill, he’s the best coach I could ever have.”

Grosjean said his recruiting process and getting to know Schaechterle was a memorable experience.

“I visited Pepperdine two years in a row,” Grosjean said.

“I always loved the school, and Adam [Schaechterle] and Tassilo [Schmid] are such great guys to believe in me and put me on the team.

I talked to a few other California schools, but it was tough finding schools with such a good program like Pepperdine.”

While Grosjean isn’t on campus, he’s training daily at his dad’s academy in Boca Raton, Fla. The only other American on the Pepperdine Men’s Tennis roster, Robert Shelton, is training there with Grosjean.

Shelton is on pace to be the sixth and final player in the starting rotation this year. There are no tennis players currently living in California.

Grosjean said his strengths can be utilized on Pepperdine’s lineup in the near future.

“Being a shorter guy at 5-foot10, I rely on my speed,” Grosjean said. “I have a high stamina, so I like when the points are long and I can work the guy. I don’t ever go for winning stuff early, but I like to draw it out.”

Schaechterle, Grosjean and the other nine Pepperdine men’s players await details on the adjusted season in the spring.

AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU

Opinion: Sports desk picks NFL Week 3 kar l w int er spor ts edi tor Week 2 of the NFL season brought pain — not for us, but for plenty of the players.

Each Graphic staff member equaled or bettered their Week 1 win total, with Sports Editor Karl Winter even finishing the week with a sparkling 14–2 record. Assistant Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey was not far behind at 13–3 on the week, with Staff Writer Austin Hall hot on his heels at 12–4.

Conversely, a league-wide spate of injuries crippled some teams. The 49ers lost their entire core of key players. New York Giants’ star running back Saquon Barkley will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Panthers’ star running back Christian McCaffrey and Broncos’ starting quarterback Drew Lock are out for several weeks. The list goes on and on.

The lack of preseason conditioning is beginning to take effect on teams and players, but some have shaken off the rust. Hopefully our staff is in that boat.

At first glance, the Week 3 schedule appears much less predictable than Week 2. There is unlikely to be a 14–2 record this week. With mouthwatering Sunday and Monday Night Football games to complement

many teams trying to right the ship during the daytime slate, it should be a doozy of a weekend.

Without further ado, allow Staff Writers Hall and Kyle McCabe, Photo Editor Ali Levens, Ritchey, Winter and Sports Assistant Justin Touhey to make their selections, starting with the Thursday night matchup.

Keep in mind, these are simply a select few key games in Week 3. Our picks for all 16 games are available online at pepperdine-gaphic. com.

Los Angeles Rams (2–0) at Buffalo Bills (2–0) (Sunday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m., PDT) Justin: Bills Paxton: Bills Austin: Bills Ali: Bills Kyle: Bills Karl: Bills “You soften up a little bit when you’re playing indoors and [the Rams are] going to be playing in Buffalo. That [Bills] defense is still really good. [Bills quarterback] Josh Allen threw for 300 yards and then 400 yards back to back. The Rams have [cornerback] Jalen Ramsey, but it’s not like that Rams secondary is lethal by any stretch. I think the Rams might be that Week 1 to Week 5 fools-gold team

right now. Even though they’ve looked good, I’m kind of doubling down on everything I saw in the offseason.” — Austin Dallas Cowboys (1–1) at Seattle Seahawks (2–0) (Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:25 p.m., PDT) Justin: Seahawks Paxton: Seahawks Austin: Seahawks Ali: Seahawks Kyle: Seahawks Karl: Seahawks “The Seahawks have looked really, really, really good, just top to bottom, even though they kind of almost blew that game [against the Patriots] — but they didn’t, ultimately. 2–0, looking super, super strong, one of the best 2–0 teams I think we have right now. I’d love to see a 21-point victory on this one.” — Austin Green Bay Packers (2–0) at New Orleans Saints (1–1) (Sunday, Sept. 27 at 5:20 p.m., PDT) Justin: Packers Paxton: Packers Austin: Packers Ali: Packers Kyle: Saints Karl: Packers “An all-time QB matchup for this one. I think that the team around [Saints

Inez kim | sports design assistant inez kim | sports design assistant quarterback] Drew Brees is better than the one around [Packers quarterback] Aaron Rodgers this year, so that’s why I’m going with New Orleans.” — Kyle “That bad man [Packers quarterback] Aaron Rodgers will win this game. [...] He’s dropped 42 and 43 points. He’s a man on a mission. People have been calling him a baby for years, telling him he’s soft, telling him he’s passive-aggressive, telling him to get over his bad relationship with his parents and his brothers and siblings, that he has no good relationships, no friends — his relationship with the football is not a struggle because he can sling that thing, and he’s gonna win this game.” — Justin

Kansas City Chiefs (2–0) at Baltimore Ravens (2–0) (Monday, Sept. 28 at 5:20 p.m., PDT) Justin: Ravens Paxton: Chiefs Austin: Chiefs Ali: Ravens Kyle: Ravens Karl: Ravens “Give me the MVP. I don’t care if it’s not the playoffs yet, I think [Chiefs quarterback] Patrick Mahomes shows up in big games. It’s not that [Ravens quarterback] Lamar Jackson won’t, but I just think the Chiefs are a more complete football team. [...] The Chiefs did struggle offensively against the Chargers last week; they were great defensively. [...] I think that

Patrick Mahomes is going to be mad that the NFL players who, for some reason, voted Lamar Jackson is the number one player in the NFL Top 100, which was ridiculous.” — Paxton “The Chiefs have just been less convincing in their two wins than the Ravens have, especially this past week where they easily could have lost the game. It took them a while to even score a touchdown against the Chargers, and with Baltimore being at home, as good as they’ve looked, I think that they will get it done at home. The Chiefs are due to be dealt a loss here.” — Karl

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