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When President Andrew K. Benton first stepped onto the Malibu Campus in 1984, the future of the university hung in the balance, but not in the way one might think.

“We didn’t have enough wastewater treatment for the future of the university,” Benton said.

Benton began at Pepperdine working on university regulatory matters, specifically the development of the Drescher campus.

Thirty-four years later, Benton not only addressed these issues, but brought the university into a new millennium as president.

President Benton turned down an opportunity in Dallas in favor of representing Pepperdine in their expansion efforts.

He’d only planned on it taking two years, but before he knew it, that two-year adventure turned into 15 years and then 34.

“Pepperdine offered something that Dallas didn’t,” Benton said.

“Along comes Pepperdine and they offer me a legal challenge [and] a spiritual opportunity in a very different place. I thought I would come out here with my wife and our daughter and solve this little problem in two years and then go back to America. So that’s how I used to say it. Took me 15 years to solve that little problem … by that time, you know, we’d fallen in love and I’d been given greater responsibility.”

Benton said he knew the Pepperdine community was unique from the beginning.

“I knew that it was a special community because it was definitely a community predicated on faith [and] a lot of different faiths, which I liked,” Benton said. “I saw faculty who were really determined to achieve excellence in the classroom and that’s not always true at a college or university. So the both put together were perfect.”

Before he was president, Benton acted as executive vice president of the university.

“When I was executive vice president for nine years, I thought I had the best job at Pepperdine,” Benton said. “Then I became president, and I think that’s the best job here.”

Benton said he started his presidency with five goals: expand university scholarship, increase diversity, hold on to Pepperdine’s heritage, improve the university’s resources and develop the community to create stronger relationships between students and faculty.

“I remember in my inaugural address talking about my desire that Pepperdine would have a billion dollar endowment,” Benton said. “I could hardly say that – a billion dollar endowment. It seemed so far out there. But today we do have a billion dollar endowment.”

He’s worked on each of these points throughout his presidency, Benton said. However, this does not mean he has finished working on these areas of the university.

“Those are the five points and I’ve stuck with them,” Benton said. “There’s hardly a day that I don’t pray about some aspect of that. Have we accomplished everything? No. Have we made progress in all five areas? Yes.” Progress toward these goals hasn’t been without struggle, Benton said.

“I second guess myself all the time,” Benton said. “I think my worst decisions have been when I didn’t trust my instincts. Because I am conservative and not in a political sense, but just kind of conservative in my approach to life, I think I was slow to respond to social issues.”

During Benton’s 18-year presidency, Pepperdine has faced many social issues such as increased LGBT awareness, Benton said.

With each new generation of students, Pepperdine has adapted to support students of all views and backgrounds.

“I would rather hold to our values, being ever thoughtful about the need for awareness and change,” Benton said. “With every generation of student that comes to us, they’re different. They have different needs, different expectations. Trying to respond to those while remaining Pepperdine – that probably takes as much wisdom as anything that I do.”

Benton, known as the “Students’ President,” works to understand these new generations by reading to understand their perspective, he said.

“It is difficult, but very, very important and the last thing that I want to do is be thought of as an out-of-touch president, somebody who’s not paying attention, who’s resting on his laurels,” Benton said. “I’m not much of a laurel-rester.”

For Benton, one of his major challenges during his time as president was personal, not professional. In 2012, police arrested Benton’s adult son, Chris Benton, after he made threats toward his own family. The incident occurred in the midst of New Student Orientation activities and attracted attention from beyond campus.

Around that time, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges had an accreditation visit

Womens’ Volleyball vs. LMU

Courtesy of University Archives

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Benton Back Then | President Andrew K. Benton introduces a colleague at a university fundraiser decades ago. at Pepperdine and brought up the arrest in their review of the university, Benton said. That week’s issue of the Graphic included an editorial cartoon that said, “AKB’s had our back for a decade … now will we have his?”

“That incident should have had no part of their inquiry in my humble opinion, but it did and I was able to point to the Graphic and said, ‘That’s really what I want to say about that, that this community is going to let me work through that with dignity and I am going to work through it,’” Benton said.

Benton said the difficult experience helped him be more understanding to the plights of individuals and other families.

“It was a chance to be embraced or rejected and we were embraced,” Benton said. “I don’t know very many families that are perfect and some imperfections are louder and noisier than others, but all families have struggles.

If there’s a silver lining in that incident, it is that I really softened at that point and when students would find themselves in difficulty or when parents knew of their son or daughter being in

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THE MAN OF FEW WORDS AND MANY RESPONSIBILITIES: ANDREW K. BENTON

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Pepp debuts STAPLES Center Classroom c hanna st einmetz soci al medi a man age r Pepperdine University partnered with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) to unveil the first-of-its-kind educational programming and classroom at the Staples Center.

AEG and Pepperdine communities celebrated the grand opening of the branded classroom through brief speeches and a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the classroom Thursday, Oct. 18. Before the event, Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton shared his excitement of the classroom’s potential.

“I love the return vibrancy of downtown Los Angeles,” Benton said. “And I am so grateful that Pepperdine is going to have a chance to be able to be a part of that as a consequence of having real estate at Staples. We are going to be in the middle of what I think is going to very, very bright future.”

In an area like downtown LA that has a multitude of surrounding universities, President and Chief Executive Officer of AEG Dan Beckerman said the initiative to work with Pepperdine specifically came from their ambition to do something new and innovative.

“I think what stood out [about Pepperdine] was their desire and commitment to really be engaged and to try to do something unique,” Beckerman said. “They collaborated with us to find a way to reach students and educate them in a way that really no one else in the market was doing.”

Along with the Staples Center being located in the heart of downtown LA, it is home to four professional sport franchises and the four million spectators who come to watch, President of the Staples Center Lee Zeidman said.

The Staples Center has hosted notable performers such as The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Prince

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Courtesy of Ron Hall Grand Opening | Pepperdine’s classroom at the Staples Center is intended for students pursuing degrees in sports, media and entertainment. The university partnered with Anschutz Entertainment Group to launch the classroom in downtown Los Angeles.

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College students don’t vote, let’s change that

kayiu wong a s s i s ta n t n e ws e d it or I stood in the Los Angeles Convention Center last summer alongside 4,000 people to take the Oath of Allegiance and swear in as an American citizen.

As naturalization ceremonies complete the process of becoming an American citizen, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services dedicates these ceremonies to explaining what civic rights and duties come with American citizenship.

Immigration officials then handed us forms to register to vote, and the woman sitting next to me started crying as she filled in her information.

I turned to ask her if she was alright, and she replied that she was crying because she was in awe she was actually able to vote in America.

“I’m from Lebanon,” she said. “Women cannot vote there.”

This encounter has been on my mind a lot lately as the Nov. 6 midterm elections quickly approach. For those who have the opportunity to vote, it is important to remember the power and privilege that going to the polls and casting ballots have.

The constant hostility between today’s political parties can often be disheartening and make individuals question whether their political participation can actually cause positive change.

However, nations are built on votes.

Deciding who has seats in city councils, state governments, the House of Representatives and the Senate can change the course of local communities and the nation.

Additionally, young people have historically had abysmally low turnout rates in midterms elections.

In the last midterm election in 2014, only 19.9 percent of 18- to 29-yearolds voted, according to data from the 2014 U.S. Census’ Current Population Supplement report.

Youth turnout and registration for the 2014 midterm election was the lowest the country has seen in 40 years.

Let’s change that.

Vote to tell lawmakers what values and issues matter as young constituents and rising leaders.

Vote to ensure that America’s democracy is truly for the people and by the people.

After all, if citizens don’t speak up for their interests, who will?

P E P P E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | N E W S | O C T O B E R 25 , 20 1 8

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

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Crimes: Alcohol Related/ Non-Criminal - Individual(s) Drinking or Intoxicated on Campus Location: Eaton House

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Drescher (North)

10/17/18 10:53 p.m.

Crimes: Assault/Battery Criminal Threats Location: Fifield House 10/18/18 10:37 p.m.

Crimes: Larceny/Theft Theft from a Vehicle Location: West LA Campus 10/19/18 11:20 p.m.

Crimes: Alcohol Related/ Non-Criminal - Individual(s) Drinking or Intoxicated on Campus Location: Heroes Garden

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Crimes: Alcohol Related/ Non-Criminal - Possession of Alcohol on Campus Location: Seaside Residence Hall

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Alumni field (South)

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O C T O B E R 2 5 , 2 0 1 8 | N E W S | P E P P E R DIN E G RA P H I C ME D I A

A Profile of AKB:

Meet the ‘Students’ President’

Mary c at e l o ng seni or r epor te r

Over the course of a 19year presidency, President Andrew K. Benton earned a reputation as the “Student’s President.” As he prepares for the end of his time at Pepperdine, Benton and students look back at the times they shared together.

On a typical day on the Pepperdine campus around noon, students are buzzing around the cafeteria. The line at the Oasis Pizza and Noodle Bar is flowing and people linger around the grill, waiting for their order to be called out. However, in addition to the tables of chattering students on the lefthand side of the bright, sunlit space, a silver-haired man in a suit often occupies a seat at a table.

President Andrew K. Benton said he eats in the cafeteria with students whenever he is on campus at noon, about three times a week. He even has a favorite spot.

“I sit by the dish room,” Benton said. “You may ask why I sit by the dish room?

Because students can’t get by me. I can catch a student’s eye and ask them about their day. I would hate to think a student could go through the day with no one to say, ‘Hello, how are you? Are you having a good day?’ Saying that you care. And I do care.”

Benton’s ritual of eating in the cafeteria is just one thing many students pointed to as proof toward their perception of Benton as a student-focused president. Over the course of his 19-year presidency, showing individual attention and availability to students in the cafeteria and beyond, the community dubbed Benton as the “Students’ President.”

Students describe Benton, familiarly known as AKB, as “sweet,” “wise,” “humble” and “a great guy.”

Junior Maia Minnix said she saw Benton as an endearing grandfatherly figure.

“He’s just like a sweet grandpa that everyone loves,” Minnix said. “I’m sad that he is leaving. I mean, who could ever replace him? He’s been a kind and positive face for Pepperdine.”

Junior Kevin White spoke about his respect for Benton’s ability to see different perspectives.

“When there was talk about removing the Columbus statue from campus, I’m not sure if [Benton] and a lot of the older board members agreed,” White said. “But I really respected how President Benton was able to look at it from a different perspective and say, ‘If the students are upset about it, I’m going to do something about it.’”

Junior Jordan Aldrich recalled a time her freshman year that she sent a desperate email to Benton when she found out that his email was easily accessible online. There had been some mistakes in her freshman class schedule and she said several weeks of emailing and visiting One Stop proved fruitless

in her efforts to correct it.

“I didn’t really expect a reply, but I sent an email listing what had happened and voicing frustration that Pepperdine had messed up enrolling me,” Aldrich said. “Within two days, [Benton] referred me to someone and the problem was resolved in one week.”

The President’s Home, the Students’ Clubhouse: The Brock House

Benton said his favorite spot on campus is the backyard of his own home, “sitting out on this concrete pad of the Brock house with my dog, watching planes take off and land at LAX.” The president’s home, known as the “Brock House,” overlooks Pepperdine and the Pacific Ocean.

Benton said the home not only has been a source of joy to the Bentons, but has been a resource to the students.

“It’s our home but I kind of view it as [the students’] clubhouse,” Benton said.

It would be difficult to earn a degree from Pepperdine’s undergraduate college, Seaver, without stepping foot in the historic presidential mansion once or twice.

During students’ first month on campus, they shake the hand of Benton as they enter the Brock House for the President’s Reception. This event, previously known as “My Tie,” (“It will be ‘My Tie’ forever as long as I’m in charge,” Benton said), is an event hosted at the beginning of each year to welcome new students. There is food, beautiful views for selfies and live music by Benton’s own band, Mesa Peak.

The President’s Reception is a tradition dating back to before Benton’s time, although it’s notable that the previous presidents did not host a party in the backyard at which they themselves played an electric guitar.

However, the seniors’ swan song at the Brock House, known as Rock the Brock, originated with Benton.

“I was talking to some seniors one day and they said ‘You know, President Benton, our senior class hasn’t been together since freshman year,’” Benton said. “I said, ‘I need to fix that!’ So then we created RTB.” Rock the Brock echoes the first-year’s President’s Reception experience, including a similar party, food and musical performance by Benton and his band.

“To have all the students up as freshmen ... and then to have all the seniors: it’s a nice bookend experience for me,” Benton said.

Senior Kenichi Ri attended the 2018 Rock the Brock and said he had fun at the event.

“It’s stuff like that when [Benton] invites people into his home that shows how much he cares about the students,” Ri said.

However, these two parties are far from the only opportunities students have to spend time at the Brock House.

Junior Elle Harding

said she attended a Regents’ Scholars event at the house before she even committed to Pepperdine.

It was raining that day, so people were taking shuttles down the hill at the end of the party. However, Harding said she skipped the shuttle service when Benton offered to drive her and her family to Firestone in his own car.

“He was just like, ‘Hold my speech!’ and drove us down to Firestone where he was speaking at the opening ceremony for Waves Weekend,” Harding said.

Senior Daniel Ramli said when he approached Benton this year with an idea to have a Campus Recreation-sponsored campout in the backyard of the Brock House, AKB met it with nothing but enthusiasm.

“He got really excited about it and offered to bring a griddle in and make breakfast,” Ramli said. “He just really made it seem like he wanted everyone to join in and experience his home with him.”

Benton said if he had ever been a student at Pepperdine, he would’ve been involved with Campus Recreation and a founding member of the Pepperdine Hammock Club.

Presidential Duties (Sometimes Including Golf Carting) Benton not only welcomes students into his home, but also has the reputation for being around main campus, according to multiple students.

“I think his availability to the students is incredible,” senior Thea Riley said. “You can’t hang around campus for long without seeing him ... I think it’s safe to say I see him around two or three times a month.”

When asked how he balances his busy schedule of formal presidential meetings, calls, emails and informal duty to be available to students, Benton said both sides of his job are just as important, especially considering Pepperdine’s relatively small size.

“It would be shameful if I didn’t have a good relationship with the students,” Benton said. “This is a very intimate campus.”

“ Every day is different and I like that. I like new challenges.

I like to have to stay light on my feet. andrew K. benton, president

Benton said. “When we stop paying attention to fundamental truth and immutables, our republic is in trouble.”

This semester, Benton’s law class covers jurisprudence and jurisdiction. Senior Lily Spirtos said she knew about Benton’s class ever since freshman year.

She received lots of advice from upperclassmen to take the course, so come senior year, she enrolled.

“It’s super fun to have the president as your professor because he is so connected,” Spirtos said.

“He has all of these side stories. We’ll be talking about a case and then he’ll say something like, ‘Well, I met Justice Scalia at this conference and he has this opinion on the subject.’”

Spirtos estimated there is about 14 people in her class, meaning that each student receives individual attention from Benton.

“He talks to each one of us and even though he has such a busy schedule, he highlights that he is open to meeting with us whenever,” Spirtos said.

When the class went to the Brock House for a test review, Spirtos said Benton made sure to ask about what food everyone would enjoy to munch on while they studied.

“He was just really trying to serve us,” Spirtos said. “That’s something I would’ve imagined him as, but I don’t think I would’ve known just how service-oriented he is if I wasn’t in his class.”

A Day in the Life With this broad range of duties, playing the part of law professor, golf cart transport extraordinaire and presidential speech-giver, Benton said no two days in the job look alike.

“Everyday is different and I like that,” Benton said. “I like new challenges. I like to have to stay light on my feet.”

Usually, the only commonality in his days are the mornings, Benton said. He wakes up at 5 a.m. and makes a cup of black coffee before his prayer time. Next, Benton said that he sometimes has to

give himself a “pep talk.”

As surprising as it may seem, Benton said all of the socializing and mingling, whether in the Brock House, on main campus or beyond does not always come easily to him. Benton considers himself an introvert, but said he learns to push himself outside his comfort zone daily.

“I do not have the privilege of living inside my own little world,” Benton said. “I must live my life out loud to be an effective Pepperdine president. I rally to it. It’s not hard for me; it’s just that my happy state is with a book, with my wife, or doing something with music. It’s not going into a noisy crowd.

Yet.” Throughout 19 years of presidency, Benton said he noticed his extroverted side strengthen and his judgmental side soften.

He learned to take more calculated risk and to resist fixating the mistakes of the past.

Benton said, ultimately, his 34 year journey in several different roles at Pepperdine was worth it because of the students. “[My wife and my ] warmest memories are experiencing good times and bad times with students,” Benton said. “Experiencing heartache and courage. The mountain tops and valleys.”

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The Presidential Professor Teaching is another commitment that Benton makes to students. Benton went abroad four times in years past to teach different international programs. In addition, he teaches a law class every year.

Both his love for students and a deep love for the law drives this commitment. After all, Benton went to law school at Oklahoma City University School of Law and was a practicing lawyer for about five years before moving to California. He’s also known for keeping a worn copy of the Constitution of the United States in his pocket at all times.

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AKB: Benton reflects on legacy A4

P E P P E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | N E W S | O C T O B E R 25 , 20 1 8

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difficulty, I was much more able to help, given some of the things that our son went through.”

While this incident marked one moment in Benton’s presidency, on a professional level, he faces new challenges every day.

One of these challenges is keeping up with the “conscientious consumers” that students are nowadays, Benton said.

Students seek ways to improve their education and the administration works to keep up with them through projects such as the updated Payson Library and Pepperdine’s top-ranked international programs.

“Do I think we spoil students?” Benton said. “No, I do not. Do I think we enable students? I certainly do. We do it because we love the students and we want to be a good value when you come here. We want to make sure that you make lots of memories and that you feel engaged and appreciated. ” Leader For the past 34 years, Gary Hanson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the university, has worked alongside Benton. While their positions at the university have changed over that time, they still continue to work together.

“In circumstances where many would be tempted to turn attention on themselves, [Benton] always steered recognition to Pepperdine,” Hanson wrote in an email. “In difficult times, he has responded with the utmost humility, dignity and grace.

I could not ask for a better colleague, mentor, confidante and friend.”

Hanson wrote that as a leader, Benton upholds the importance of both Christian values and academics.

“When an organizational mission has two components – for us, academic excellence and Christian values – it is not easy to elevate an institution under both aims, and in fact, many schools have chosen to allow one to fall by the wayside,” Hanson wrote.

Benton’s leadership style centers on the concept of an “open table,” Hanson wrote. “[Benton] has impacted Pepperdine through the people he has recruited and retained: he has surrounded himself and promoted other leaders who bring different perspectives, with whom he doesn’t always agree, and who represent a wide repertoire of differing talents – all attributes of a confident leader,” Hanson wrote.

This open-minded perspective extends beyond Benton’s interactions with administration and faculty and applies to his interactions with students and members outside the Pepperdine community, Hanson wrote.

“He is universally well-respected by government officials on both sides of the aisle; in higher education organizations across this country, where

he has held a number of leadership positions, and in the greater faith community,” Hanson wrote.

In everything Benton’s done and led, he’s simultaneously worked to advance the university while upholding its founding principles, Hanson wrote.

“I believe George Pepperdine would be pleased with [Benton]’s leadership and proud of the institution [Benton] has helped shape,” Hanson wrote. “I am most thankful for all God has helped [Benton] accomplish here – there is no question that Pepperdine’s success is a reflection of [Benton]’s tireless work and the abundant goodness in his heart.”

Colleague

Jeff Pippin, senior vice president for investments and chief investment officer, has also been a longtime colleague of Benton’s.

The two have been working together since 1991, Pippin said.

Pippin was a member of the group Benton led that enabled the creation of the Drescher Campus, Pippin said. This group, referred to as the “Dream Team” by the late Charles B. Runnels, former chancellor emeritus of Pepperdine University, encompassed lawyers, engineers, consultants and more who collaborated to get approvals from the California Coastal Commission to expand the university, Benton and Pippin said. “[Runnels] thought it was a very talented team of people and I think over time has proved that it has been, but with our leader being there to guide us all,” Pippin said.

As a leader, Benton encourages “sure-footedness” in approaching matters, Pippin said. Before decisions are made, Benton analyzes from all perspectives.

“One of the things about [Benton] that almost everybody can appreciate is a calm, steady, confident demeanor,” Pippin said.

“He’s always been very sure-footed in the way he approaches things and the decision he makes. I’ve rarely heard people question his decision making or his judgment. He just has great judgment.”

Pippin said Benton’s focus is on the students in everything he does.

“He truly made students the center of the enterprise,” Pippin said.

Like Hanson, Pippin mentioned Benton’s focus on an “open table” centers on including students in the ongoings of the university.

“I’ve heard so many people say, ‘I didn’t even know the president of my college or university,’ or ‘I would have never been able to sit with the president of my college or university and eat lunch,’” Pippin said.

Benton’s openness is evident in how he makes himself available to others, Pippin said.

“He’s open to everybody,” Pippin said. “I don’t know many college presidents that answer all the emails they get and they actually give their email out to almost everyone.

But he gets a lot of emails

from people and he responds to them. So he’s always listening.”

Like Hanson, Pippin said under Benton’s leadership, Pepperdine has held onto it’s Christian origins. “[Benton] has always seen it as a special trust that he has been given to keep the university true to its mission,” Pippin said.

“Everything that [Benton] is, I think, emanates out of his faith and his relationship with God.” These Christian values remain a fundamental aspect of the university, Pippin said.

“It is of paramount importance to him that the university keeps its Christian tradition and that it is strong and it’s not just something we talk about, but it permeates the culture of the university,” Pippin said. “Pepperdine’s a place where people are really true to those convictions and really treat each other in a different way than you might see at another institution.”

Not only has Pepperdine maintained its Christian roots, but it’s increased in its standings alongside other universities, Pippin said. This year, Pepperdine ranked 46 in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges and is the only non-Catholic Christian institution in the top 50 schools.

Pippin also cited Benton’s role as a leader beyond the Pepperdine community as a representative of the Pepperdine community.

“He’s well known among his colleagues and his peers at the presidential level around the country,” Pippin said.

Builder Marnie Mitze has been Benton’s vice president and chief of staff since 2007. In those years, Mitze said she watched him build up the community and infrastructure of the university.

“His greatest accomplishment is how he has built community at Pepperdine, not just structurally, but spiritually and socially,” Mitze said.

Benton has overseen and led countless changes at the university, Mitze said. Some of these projects include additions to the Seaver Campus such as spiritual life advisors, Rock the Brock, the Christmas tree in Mullin Town Square and the renovations at Payson Library.

This isn’t to say Benton hasn’t faced challenges, however.

A common issue he faces now is the external push for him and the university to pick sides on various issues, Mitze said.

“It’s not easy trying to not take a stand, but to take a middle ground,” Mitze said. “We are ultimately an educational institution and all sides must be represented and heard. The president has worked hard to promote civil discourse on campus with a keen eye towards our constitutional right to freedom of speech. This is just one example of the many hundreds of things that he’s had to navigate.

I would say he’s done this very well.”

He also works alongside other higher education groups as chair of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and served on other boards, representing Pepperdine in conferences, meetings, and even Congress, Mitze said.

“The other challenge he’s now facing along with all of higher education is the over regulation of higher education and a one size fits all [mentality],” Mitze said. “He’s actively engaged in higher education regulation at a national level and works hard lobbying to make higher education better, and balance the needs of the Yales and the Pepperdines and the Biolas. He’s a major voice in higher education.”

In the midst of calamities, such as the 2008 financial crisis, Benton shows incredible leadership through his use of communication, Mitze said.

“The way he managed the [2008 financial crisis] was, I think, a textbook example of how to manage well,” Mitze said. “Everyone was very unsettled at that time – from faculty and staff to students to donors. The time necessitated layoffs and reallocation of assets and a whole financial juggle of the institution. It was masterfully managed. I give him top credit.”

Mitze said Benton’s attention to the university’s Church of Christ mission and the needs of students are key elements of his presidency. While other universities drifted away from their Christian roots, Pepperdine continues to hold Bible lectures and various other programs.

“I think of our spiritual life on campus as very organic,” Mitze said. “And I think that’s why it works.

It’s embedded into the university in so many ways.”

Father Hailey Thomas, Benton’s daughter, grew up as a faculty kid in the Pepperdine community and was a sophomore at Pepperdine when her father began as president. Thomas had a baby this past year, making Benton a grandfather.

Now that she’s older, Thomas said she sees more of what Benton does for the students.

“When you’re younger and looking up to your father, you don’t necessarily see all the wonderful things that they are,” Thomas said. “Hearing [students] chant ‘AKB,’ watching him have lunch with his random students in the lunch room – it’s really special. It’s special to watch the president that he became.”

Despite all Benton has done for the university, Thomas said she thinks he’s happiest with the connections he’s made with students.

“So many presidents, they have different things that mark their tenure,” Thomas said. “[Benton’s] had a lot of success in fundraising and moving the college even further to

becoming a well renowned Christian college and just a generally a fantastic college, but I think what he’ll probably be most proud of and what I love about it is just how many individual student lives he’s changed – the good ones and some of the struggling ones. I’ve seen him take time for students that have experienced some tough times.”

In the same way he’s fostered personal relationships with students, Thomas said Benton also worked to deepen the relationships between students and faculty. He acted as a role model, inviting students to spend time at his house for Bible studies and other activities.

“He really set the expectation from the administration that academics should be more personal, not just something that one size fits all, but he really wanted everything to be available and reachable for each and every student,” Thomas said. “He certainly didn’t do that alone, but that’s something that was important to him.”

Outside of Benton’s work with students, Thomas also cited the work he’s done in moving Pepperdine forward.

“There’s always kind of been the barrier between the Christian colleges and some of the mainstream schools and he broke through that barrier and that was a really big deal for Pepperdine,” Thomas said.

Benton’s accomplishments also include his work with opening a Pepperdine classroom in the Staples Center, Thomas said.

“Those are really big deals that will move Pepperdine of even another echelon and set it apart from its peers in the area,” Thomas said. “Pepperdine got that relationship with Staples, not USC or UCLA. That’s pretty awesome.”

Benton’s willingness to listen to others’ opinions helps him in his role as president, Thomas said.

This quality is one she remembers playing a role in her childhood.

“He’s always been really fair-minded and open-minded,” Thomas said. “He will always hear someone out and be open to their ideas and suggestions rather than just being set in his ways, which I think is unique in someone as intelligent as him because a lot of times he’s right.”

Even growing up, Thomas said she remembered Benton was always willing to listen to her perspective.

“He would let me talk it out before just explaining to me that in fact that was not the way that the world works,’” Thomas said. “In the adult world, it’s easier said than done. At his level, a lot of executives will just make a decision and pass it down and that is the way it is, but he’s always wanted to give a voice to the minority, the disenfranchised as well as the majority.”

Husband Andrew Benton and his wife, Debby Benton, have been married for 44 years

and arrived on the Pepperdine campus with their then 1-year-old daughter, Thomas, in 1984. Pepperdine’s problems in its building and expansion endeavors played a role in their relocation to Southern California, Debby said. “[Benton] always has liked challenges and so just hearing that people were having trouble getting things passed,” Debby said. “So he thought, ‘Well, I’ll try to do it. I think I can.’”

As president and first lady of Pepperdine, the two work as a team at events and gatherings to support the university, Debby said.

Benton, a self-stated introvert, works to include quieter individuals in discussion, where the more extroverted Debby engages with the talkative individuals in a room.

“We’re a team in that I can travel with him and help him make conversation because some nights when you’re out with four or five people, often one person will try to get you cornered. It helps to have two people there speaking,” Debby said.

During his time as president, the couple’s relationship has only grown deeper, Benton said.

“Presidencies sometimes are hard on couples, but I can say that our marriage is stronger today than it was when we started, now 18 years ago, and so I’m pretty proud of that,” Benton said.

Debby agreed, saying their marriage has been strengthened through their years of teamwork together.

“I think this is a great job for marriages. I guess it could become difficult if you had someone really difficult you’re working with, but he’s kind and he gives me a lot of credit when I’m standing at the back. He’s very sweet about that,” Debby said.

Debby said she hopes he’s acknowledged for his other accomplishments.

“He has a heart for students and he’s always gotten along with young people,” Debby said. “But his work nationally to get Pepperdine more known and the name out there, I think, is something [that] is valuable. But he loves being the Students’ President – not to take anything away from that. We truly care about young people. [They’re] our future, [they’re] what Pepperdine does.”

Looking ahead Benton’s a man of many hats, of many passions and many positions. He’s a teacher of constitutional law and a new grandfather.

Despite all of the roles Benton fills and all that he’s done, he’s still pushing ahead.

“I’m committed to continuing to pedal as fast as I can all the way through the finish line tape on July 31 of 2019,” Benton said.

“I don’t want to focus on what’s next, I don’t want to focus on what could have been, I want to focus on what we’ve done and what we’re going to do in this final year.”

M ADEL EINE.C AR R @PEPPER DINE.EDU

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STAPLES: Pepp partners with AEG FR OM A 1

and many others.

Zeidman said the Staples Center looks forward not only to hosting Pepperdine professors and students, but also to teaching some of the courses.

“A lot of us here are very excited to have the opportunity to talk about our experiences and what we did to get to where we are in the industry,” Ziedman said. “This is very innovative for Pepperdine, and I think it is very cutting-edge for AEG and Staples Center to be a part of it as well.”

Likewise, AEG’s Chief Operating Officer Russell Silvers said executives from AEG are eager to share their extensive knowledge in the sports and entertainment industry with the students who walk through the classroom.

Luc Robitaille, president of the National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings — one of the Staples Center’s professional sport franchises — presented Benton with a custom-made “Pepperdine” hockey jersey during the celebration.

Whitney Williams, who graduated in the Seaver Class of 2017 and is in her second year at Pepperdine School of Law, also spoke at the event. Williams worked as the first Pepperdine intern at AEG through the Global Partnerships Division during

Photo Courtesy of Ron Hall Pepp Goes Big | University administrators and AEG executives cut the ribbon for Pepperdine’s new classroom at the Staples Center Oct. 18. This marks the beginning of a partnership with AEG for programming related to sports, entertainment and media. her senior year. She said it was exciting to see the project come to fruition.

“AEG and Pepperdine are two of the best decisions that I’ve made in my life, so it feels so good to know they’re coming together to have students learn in the Staples Center,” Williams said. “It’s great that we now have the opportunity to come out of Malibu and come to downtown LA and be immersed in the sports and entertainment capital of the world.”

Pepperdine Chief Marketing Officer Rick Gibson said this classroom is something for the entire Pepperdine community, including past and present students, to be enthusiastic about.

“It is trying to extend the reach of the Pepperdine name, and that creates more value for the students,” Gibson said.

“As the reputation grows, it does for all of us. It is innovative. It is new. We have never done anything like this.”

Alumnus of the Seaver Class of 1977 Clerk Cowen said he was behind Pepperdine in their willingness to take a risk and pursue the ambitious project.

“This is a phenomenal, phenomenal venue for the University and the students,” Cowen said. “It is outside-the-box for the University which is great to see — especially in the media market of LA.” The classroom is intended for both undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees

in the world of sports, media and entertainment. It can seat up to 30 students in an academic setting and has the capacity of 50 for events, according to the University’s postevent release statement.

The classroom features leading-edge technology

by Toshiba. Toshiba also partnered to create a promotional video for the classroom, which broadcasted to the public later that night during the Kings’ game.

The Staples Center

classroom is not anticipated to be the only collaborative project between AEG and Pepperdine.

Benton said Pepperdine feels this relationship is family. Silvers commented on the humbling process of working with amazing, smart individuals and the possibilities to do more.

“I believe that there are a number of other opportunities that we can partner with Pepperdine on,” Silvers said. “The sky is the limit on what we can do.”

C HANNA.STEINM ETZ@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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The Graphic

oct o b e r 2 5 , 2 0 18

PERSPECTIVES STAFF LIST M anag i ng Ed i to r m a r i a va l e n te So c i al M ed i a M anag er c h a n n a ste i n m e tz P i x el Ed i to r ella gonzalez o nl i ne p r o d u c er o m a r m u r ph y G New s p r o d u c er sava n n a h w e l c h c o py c hi ef rya n h a r d i n g New s Ed i to r Madeleine Carr new s s eni o r r ep o r ter s m a ry c ate l o n g nicola wenz Ass i stant New s Ed i to r Caitlin Roark | Art Editor k a i yu w o n g New s As si s tant Da ly B r i ste r S p o r ts Ed i to r g r ac e w o o d P er s p ec ti v es Ed i to r ga b r i e l l e m ath ys graduation, the begging As a student body, question is: What does regardless of differing As si s tant P er s p ec ti v es Pepperdine offer to its opinions and political Ed i to r alumni? optics, we hope Peppercaroline archer For those who achieve dine can continue to L i fe & Ar ts Ed i to r great success, Pepperstand behind and supC a r o l i n e e d wa r d s dine offers a recognition port its alumni. From l i fe & ar ts seni o r to its “40 under 40.” the events of last month, r ep o r ter Pepperdine’s “40 under it is clear that there is a ella gonzalez 40” are alumni who lack of recognition when as si s tant L i fe & ar ts are innovators in their it comes to the difficult ed i to r fields, inspirations in issues.

H a i dyn H a rv e y their communities and As for Ford, UNC L i fe & Ar ts As si s tant leaders by example as Chapel Hill nominated A n a sta ssi a Ko sti n the next generation of her for a Distinguished P ho to Ed i to r Pepperdine Waves, acAlumna and Alumnus Kaelin mendez cording to the website.

Award according to an as si s tant p ho to Pepperdine also offers article written by the ed i to r s benefits, discounts The Daily Tar Heel. “I Sa m a n th a Fi n n e ga n and access to all of its thought this would be m i l a n l o i ac o n o graduates. According a way to signal that we, Ar t Ed i to r to Pepperdine’s Alumni as her undergraduate c a i tl i n r oa r k Affairs website, alumni alma mater are supportC o py ed i to r s receive a variety of local ing her,” Jennifer Ho, k i l e y d i ste l r ath and national deals with professor of English and pi pe r w r i g h t the Pepperdine PerksComparative Literature, Adv er ti s i ng m anag er Connect Program, access said. b e n h u ya r d to campus facilities As a community, we D i r ec to r o f P ep p er d i ne and the Career Center, a want to see active and G r ap hi c M ed i a network to other alumni productive communiE l i z a b e th Sm i th via PeppConnect and cation in both the easy As si s tant D i r ec to r O f additional benefits in and the tough times for P ep p er d i ne G r ap hi c the form of a myriad of Pepperdine. RecognizM ed i a discounts. ing the challenges our Pepperdine consisalumni face does not Co u r te n ay Sta l l i n g s

STAFF EDITORIAL What does it mean to be alumni?

As students at Pepperdine, we hear a lot about the alumni. They are a central target of the annual Give2Pepp movement, they bustle around in their designated T-shirts during Step Forward Day and they even sit in the Caf during Waves Weekend.

Along with the occasional celebrities to set foot on campus, Pepperdine also has some star-studded alumni . It’s easy to claim “Twitches” Tia and Tamera Mowry or “Gossip Girl’s” Chase Crawford as our own, yet it seems to be more complicated to acknowledge other important and controversial alumni.

It’s no secret that Pepperdine alumni are involved in the community. However, how does Pepperdine support its alumni once they’ve graduated?

Recently, the nation tuned in to see Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testify against Brett Kavanaugh, but the Pepperdine community watched from the perspective of witnessing an alumna take the stand.

Cable news networks and major broadcasters livestreamed the hearing, which had “an estimated 20.4 million adult viewers,” according to The Atlantic.

While students, staff and professors tuned into the hearings, there was no official comment from the Pepperdine administration. In the days before the hearing, the Graphic published an article about Ford and her time at Pepperdine.

Ford was a 1991 graduate from the Graduate School of Education and Psychology with a master’s in clinical psychology and served as a visiting professor at Pepperdine from 1995 to 1998.

This is a recent story of a Pepperdine alumna who received national coverage for a controversial event, so how does Pepperdine engage these difficult topics? Alumni involvement is crucial to the university, yet support for graduated students is important to our school as well.

In the first Give2Pepp Day in 2017 the community raised $562,049 for

the university, according to the event’s website.

Of the total amount raised in 2017, alumni accounted for 1,295 of the gifts out of the total 1,775 donations from students, faculty, staff, alumni, family and friends, according to the website.

Pepperdine alumni Marylyn M. Warren, vice president of eHarmony. com, and Glen A. Holden, a U.S. ambassador, initiated the “Campaign for Pepperdine: Changing Lives” in August of 2005, according to its website. The initiative began as a silent phase but then went public in 2011. As of January 2015, Pepperdine’s “Changing Lives Campaign” raised $470 million from alumni, staff and friends in all 50 states and 65 countries.

While alumni giving is weighted at 5 percent, Pepperdine ranked 46 out of 312 national institutions of higher learning because of alumni and other contributing factors.

With alumni remaining so involved in Pepperdine after

tently highlights the achievements and involvement of its alumni, yet fell silent when faced with the controversy of the Ford hearings.

necessarily have to come in the form of an award, but the least Pepperdine could do is acknowledge national events involving an almuna.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE 'BU YORKER

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

CONTACT US

1.

SGA passed a resolution to fund a portion of Late Night Breakfast put on by Student Affairs scheduled for Sunday, April 23 from 9:15 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Waves Cafe.

2.

Caitlin Roark | Art Editor

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

3.

peppgraphicmedia@gmail.com peppgraphicadvertising@gmail.com

MISSION STATEMENT “Pepperdine Graphic Media (PGM) is an editorially independent student news organization that focuses on Pepperdine University and the surrounding communities. PGM consists of the digital and print Graphic, a variety of special publications, GNews, Currents Magazine, social media platforms and an Advertising Department. These platforms serve the community with news, opinion, contemporary information and a public forum for discussion.

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

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Fill the polls this term This column serves as the voice of the Black Student Association and is written by Amani McCalleb, a member of the BSA e-board.

Ta h t e ’a n a N e l s o n S ta f f W r i t e r

The time that many people have been anticipating has finally come around: Midterm elections. With political tensions at an all-time high over the last year or two, movements such as the ‘Women’s March,’ ‘Black Lives Matter,’ ‘Me Too,’ and ‘March for our Lives’ impact which side of the spectrum to fall on.

As millennials begin to take the lead on voicing their demands for justice, it is expected that they hold the power in this upcoming election. However, they tend to show up to the marches more often than they do the polls. In relation to their political interests, their turnout is quite low.

The lack of encouragement and knowledge when dealing with voters of certain demographics has an impact on voting.

“In fact, millennials continue to have the lowest voter turnout of any age group.

Only about 46 percent voted in the last presidential election; compared to 72 percent of the Silent Generation,” according to Asma Khalid’s article “Millennials Now Rival Boomers As A Political Force, But Will They Actually Vote?” published May 16, 2016 by National Public Radio.

Ally Armstrong | Staff Artist Although the voting results may not affect them as much, older generations continue to exercise their right to vote.

Even within the voting age gap there’s a demographic gap as well.

“Whites made up 65.3% of voters in 2016, Blacks made up 59.6%, Hispanics made up 47.6% of voters and Asians made up 49.3% of all voters,” according to Jens Krogstad and Mark Lopez’s article “Black Voter Turnout Fell in 2016 US Election,” published May 12, 2017 by Pews Research Center.

As minorities continue to have the lowest voter turnout, many often wonder why they don’t show up to the polls.

Many families in low income neighborhoods can’t afford to miss work in order to vote

or they may not even know where they can go to vote in their neighborhood. The idea of “my vote doesn’t matter” also plays a key factor in turnouts because if people of different demographics believe they alone can make no difference in the election or feel as though neither candidate is fit to be elected, people purposely won’t vote.

When it boils down to millennials voting, being a college student affects turnout.

Students who attend school out of state may assume that they cannot vote during this term since they won’t be home during election day. There are resources available, such as the Absentee Ballot that allows voters to mail in their ballot within a given time period; however,

many college students either don’t know about these resources or don’t have the time to go out and do the necessary procedures to request and mail out their absentee ballot.

Why don’t millennials vote?

Why are the loudest, most active the least to show up to change those in office? Society is approaching an age where change is inevitable and it’s believed that millennials will have more power at the polls.

They have the ambition, now they have to just do it.

The future of millennial’s lives, education and jobs can all be changed by one vote. Be a part of America’s future, find out ways to can get involved and vote this election.

AM ANI.M C C AL L EB@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Unite Pepp by positive changes gabr i e l l e m at h ys per sp ec t ives ed it or

Unite Pepp started out this semester with another demonstration.

For the second time since this group’s creation last semester, they took over the Freedom Wall to bring a message to the Pepperdine community: Even though the Good Samaritan Policy was rewritten, more steps need to be taken for students to use it confidently.

In order to keep all students safe, Pepperdine culture needs to change, and it’s up to students — not just faculty and administrators — to make that happen. Freshmen need to be able to make their own educated decisions, and Pepperdine student culture is getting in the way of that.

Students need to encourage others to use the policy. According to the interviews in Unite Pepp’s Part 1 video, freshmen don’t trust the policy because upperclassmen told them not to use it. These new students are brought into a new environment with open minds, and

Don’t idolize celebrities

the first thing they hear about the policy is to not use it because of events like the disbandment of DTD last semester, even though the policy did not cover organizations before the policy was changed.

Many first years might not know as much as they think they do about these situations, and it’s affecting how they see the policy.

In the Graphic article published Oct. 4 about the Unite Pepp movement this semester, freshman Hannah Douglas said she wouldn’t use the policy and hadn’t gone to the NSO information session on it.

“I had already felt like I knew plenty about it from talking to people,” Douglas said.

The policy still needs administrative clarification, such as more specificity on what won’t be covered by the policy. Students need to have confidence in what will happen, and since the policy has a clause that says the associate dean of students for community standards can decide whether or not students are covered, students can’t be completely certain that they are covered until after they use it.

Even though it’s understandable that there is some vague-

Caitlin Roark | Art Editor ness involved, and the policy is applied on a case-by-case basis, students need to know explicitly how the Good Samaritan Policy works.

The recent changes are a step in the right direction, but there is still doubt in the back of students’ minds, and this doubt needs to be completely resolved for students to be truly convinced to use the policy.

However, not all of the doubt is the result of the policy itself.

Freshmen want to believe in the policy, but they are already jaded about it because of the attitude Pepperdine students have toward it.

Students should take

the initiative to use the policy. That bit of uncertainty is not enough to risk someone’s life.

No matter what the circumstances, the fear of risking reputation for oneself or the opinions other students say about oneself should not outweigh someone’s life. People’s safety matters above all else.

“Campus culture needs to change, students need to be looking out for other students and their own safety,” Elijah Zoarski, one of the founders of Unite Pepp, said in an interview.

Students can’t and don’t know what goes on in administration,

but the faculty and staff truly care about students. Students need to create an atmosphere that can be receptive to these changes. Only through working together can Pepperdine work through these issues and create a safe and trustworthy environment for everyone.

GABBY.M ATHYS@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Celebrity addiction could be a symptom of self-esteem issues. It could potentially cause confusion as to whether being content with one’s outward appearance is merely related to having high self-esteem. This is detrimental because it could potentially produce a likelihood that some young people will fall into a false reality of what they consider true beauty to be and what it entails.

The average person will spend more than five years of their life on social media — five years and four months, to be exact. That breaks down to nearly two hours (116 minutes) a day spent on social media sites according to Carolyn Sun’s Article, “How Do your Social Media Habits Compare to the Average Person’s,” published in Dec. 14, 2017 on Entrepreneur.

The combined exposure of screen time from television sets, computers, tablets and cellphones has allowed fans to follow their icon’s lives at a closer proximity. In turn, this may have given birth to a newer, more disconcerting generation of idolatry, stated in Samatha Olson’s article, “The Psychological Effects of Idolatry: How Celebrities Crushes Impact Children’s Health,” published in 2015 on Medical Daily.

John Maltby, along with several other psychologists, found evidence to suggest that celebrity worship is significantly related to poorer psychological well-being, according to the article “Personality and Coping: A Context for Examining Celebrity Worship and Mental Health,” published in the British Journal of Psychology in September 2004.

Being able to successfully prioritize one’s self-value is a healthy start.

These influencers are respected because of the power they hold, but what good is that power if they are not using it in the most ethical way? Students need to appreciate the true beauty they possess that is internal rather than external.

To do this, one needs to be aware of the idolization and be willing to let go of one’s distorted reality for a self-appreciative one.

Be willing to set aside the phone and not feel the constant need to pick it up.

In essence, prioritizing a student’s self-esteem is essential for a healthy psychological well-being.

Having a strong ability to differentiate a celebrity’s life versus one’s own actual reality will benefit both the celebrity and the fan.

Students need to prioritize becoming the sole creative force in their lives and focus on their well-being.

TAHTEANA.NEL SON@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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Students react to Kavanaugh confirmation Madiso n Nic ho ls gu es t contr i bu tor Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination is confirmed and the media is talking, but Pepperdine students are concerned that their fellow classmates are not saying enough.

“I think all college students should look at this case and know that there are consequences for their actions,” sophomore Jade Smith said.

Pepperdine alumna Christine Blasey Ford and her sexual assault accusation against recently appointed Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh stirred up conversation about what justice looks like for sexual assault survivors. #BelieveSurvivors and #WhyIDidntReport are the new hashtags circulating social media feeds, but many Pepperdine students said they fear their fellow classmates are missing these notifications.

“People are more focused with their own problems rather than like actual American and governmental stuff,” junior Shea Corwin said.

“I think that plays a part in why we are blocking ourselves off, because we don’t really care to look.”

Like Corwin, sophomore Tiger Ashtiani said he believes that Pepperdine students keep

a divide between themselves and politically-oriented issues.

“I think students could have been unaware of the Brett Kavanaugh case because not many people seem to be super politically oriented when other things come into play, such as classes or extracurriculars,” Ashtiani said.

“The students probably just feel too busy to care about certain political things that are going on.”

Other students said they believe that the real problem is not separating college students who steer clear of political issues, but rather furthering the divide already implemented in America.

“I think the Brett Kavanaugh trials really amp up the idea that our country is currently in a time of divide,” sophomore Jack Kieran said. “I also think that this idea of division, having parties go at one another and this consistent negativity in the news and in media is contributing to a greater divide in our country.”

International student and sophomore Helen Gee said she did not notice a divide when she first came to America but Kavanaugh’s election reveals a disappointing feature of this country.

“I come from a differ-

Courtesy of AP Photo New Justice | Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice on Oct. 6, despite facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Some Pepperdine students said they were unaware of the news story, arguing the news wasn’t presented in an engaging manner. ent country, and America was always a country I thought was very fair and just,” Gee said. “It completely baffles me how a man like this can be nominated for the Supreme Court.”

Senior Kyra Skievaski said she was unable to comment on the case because she did not keep up with all the different media sources that covered the topic.

And Skievaski is not alone.

“There was just so much coverage of the topic it was hard to follow,” sophomore Kian-

na Maghsoudnia said. “I was interested though. I just didn’t know where to start.”

Ashtiani said he believes news organizations do make a sincere effort to engage millennials in politics through social media platforms.

In terms of Instagram and Twitter, Ashtiani said he feels the case did not reach his generation in an engaging manner that would encourage them to follow along and keep updated.

“They think that millennials are a ‘lost cause,’ when in fact, we

will have the most voting power in a couple of years,” Ashtiani said.

Sophomore Alessandra Gesiotto said following along with what is happening in the America is part of one’s duty as an American citizen.

“You don’t have to be super involved and have like a super hard core opinion on it, but like at least know what is going on in the world,” Gesiotto said. “It drives me nuts.”

Gesiotto, who is also a contributing writer for Young Generation Nation, said her gener-

ation tends to be quick to disregard beliefs that do not align with their own, but it is important that they stay informed.

She suggests that students look at all sides of the story to really understand the issue at hand and to consider different viewpoints.

“That is the most irritating thing – [when] fellow students don’t know anything about [politics],” Gesiotto said.

“You at least have to know something.”

M ADISON.NIC HOL S@PEPPER DINE.EDU

october 25 2018

The Graphic

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Bob Goff loves everybody

Photos by Kaelin Mendez Love Does | Bob Goff, a Pepperdine law professor and author, hosts a convocation event in Elkins on Oct. 17. Goff told students that if they wanted to love Jesus more, they needed to love each other, which he taught through his three-part message about being authentic and full of love. anastassia kostin life and ar ts assista n t From helping build schools for girls in Afghanistan to arranging a parade for his neighborhood mail carrier, Bob Goff spoke of lessons derived from his many unconventional life experiences with the bottom line: “Just love people!”

Goff’s points about loving others tied back to being authentic with oneself and others.

“We’re defined by the way that we love people and you’ll be remembered by the way you love,” Goff said. “Jesus doesn’t need your help. What He wants is your hearts. The authentic ones. Not the ones you’re showing to everybody. It takes a little bit of courage to get there.”

Bob Goff practiced law for 25 years before giving up his law firm to pursue writing and speaking full time. Goff currently serves as the honorary consul for the Republic of Uganda to the United States and is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine School of Law. He has done work for children in conflict areas such as Uganda, Somalia and Iraq through his nonprofit Love Does and is the author of “Everybody, Always” and “Love Does.”

Pepperdine hosted Goff at a convocation event at Elkins Auditorium Oct. 17, where he said if people want to love Jesus more, they need to start by loving each other more.

Whether it was the colorful trail of balloons or Bob Goff’s joy, energy, humor and commitment to loving people no matter what that drew students and faculty alike to the event, the simpleness of the message resonated with the audience.

“His message was so relevant and so genuine,” freshman Alison Kiasaleh said. “He doesn’t make it complicated.

It’s all about love, and he shows that through his actions and his experience. He talks a lot about how he lives his life and that’s very applicable to us as Christians.”

The East Africa Connection Club was instrumental in getting Bob Goff to come speak at Pepperdine.

President and founder Amelia Hemsley said Goff’s work inspired her to pursue humanitarian work of her own.

“After reading his book, I went to Uganda and started this club,” Hemsley said. “It broke down all these walls I didn’t know I had.”

Goff’s message is broken down into three main parts: “Love people without an agenda,” “Know what you are and what you want,” and “Use what you’ve got.”

Students said his message resonated with them, as it was simple but profound.

“He’s the best type of person for college kids to listen to because we’re at the age everyone’s telling us to figure everything out,” sophomore Chris

Jerabek said. “He finds a way to calm us down. He legitimately wants us to figure it out instead of wanting that end goal of success.”

Goff said one of his favorite verses is Matthew 25:35-40, which deals with God providing Matthew with food, drink, clothes, care and welcoming.

“Love is sacrifice and commitment,” Goff said. “Jesus wants us to love hungry people, thirsty people, naked people, sick people, strange people and people in jail. That’s it. That’s what I’m trying to do. It’s a weird business card. I want to help people.”

Goff provided an anecdote about his lousy mail carrier who planned to retire after 20 years. Goff said even though he was a bad mail carrier, Goff always made it a point to celebrate the people around him, even if they are on the outskirts of society.

“We got a convertible and put 1,000 letters in the back,” Goff said. “800 people that had bad mail service for 20 years showed up to say, ‘Sure you’re a lousy mailman, but you’re a great guy.’ He was so moved by this compassion that he called and told me he’s coming out of retirement.”

It is this belief that pushed Goff to put his cell phone number in his book, even though he said there is someone who calls him just to cuss him out.

“We’ve never gotten to what he’s mad about,” Goff said. “But I’ll tell him, ‘I will always take

your call. I want to be the one safe place for you.’”

Goff mentioned what Mary said to people before and after Jesus’ 37 miracles.

“Mary said do whatever He tells you to do,” Goff said. “We shouldn’t be telling each other what to do, but God tells you to what to do. You could off-road a little bit. Do something that lasts, something that matters.”

He related this idea to something Al Andrews, a counselor who leads Porter’s Call, an organization that supports artists, told him.

“A porter is someone that goes down and greets people at the gate and asks, ‘How can I help you on your way?’” Goff said. “Something beautiful happens when we stop trying to manipulate people.”

Goff said he wanted to live like Jesus and since has dedicated his life to being there for people, whether that be through his nonprofit work, writing or career as a lawyer.

The most important thing Goff said as he connected this to Ephesians 4, which talks about living to God’s glory, is realizing that our roles in other people’s lives is to not tell them what they want.

The ultimate goal is to strive to live like Jesus and in that sense be a porter, Goff said as he related this idea to his marriage.

“When we got married, they say two will become one,” Goff said. “Well, she thought we were going to become her. I

said ‘Heck no!’ I’m not trying to be like her and she’s not trying to be like me. We’re trying to be Photos

by Lawrence Liu like Jesus.”

Goff met a boy during his work in Uganda named Ivan whose parents were killed by the Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group and heterodox Christian group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Goff said Ivan figured out he wanted to be an artist but did not possess a paintbrush or canvas.

“All he had was a box of books, a spear and bed sheet,” Goff said. “He used what he already had to get what he wanted. It’s easy to think ‘I’ll do this as soon as I get out of school, or get out of debt.’ But you have to figure out what you want and do what it takes using what you’ve got.”

In the end, Goff acknowledged that people fail all the time, which is something he reiterates in his Wednesday evening law class. However, people are neither their successes nor their big screw-ups but who God is turning them into, according to Goff.

“God is wowed by men and women that are willing to take courageous steps,” Goff said.

“Do you ever see someone taking a photograph and they’re smiling? That’s what God feels like. You’re His beloved. Just be His.” NASTASSIA.KOSTIN@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Everybody, Always | Goff poses and meets with students after the hour-long convocation event. Goff was energetic, humorous and passionate during this talk and freshman Alison Kiasaleh said that his message resonated with her because it’s so simple: to love everyone, always.

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Photo by Maggie Davis Eat Your Veggies | Two vegetarian options for students are displayed in Waves Cafe. The vegetarian lifestyle is becoming more popular, as students and faculty alike call for more options in the vegetarian and vegan cuisine. As of today, the Caf serves only two vegetarian options at lunch and dinner.

October brings World Vegetarian Month

Photo courtesy of Lounge FM Photos Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

mag gie davis staf f w r i te r October brings with it many awaited events: the Santa Ana winds, football games and Halloween. However, one less frequently discussed event in October is World Vegetarian Month. This is an opportunity for Pepperdine students to look into the benefits of eating a plant-based diet.

Vegetarianism has many benefits, including health and sustainability, according to Pepperdine’s Center for Sustainability and nutritionists. One benefit, Religion and Sustainability Professor Christopher Doran said, is how much a vegetarian diet can impact a student’s diet.

“Maintaining a vegetarian diet is probably the most significant thing the average Seaver student can do to mitigate climate change and thus live a more sustainable lifestyle,” Doran said. “Far too many climate change-causing gases are created by the typical American meat-heavy diet that emphasizes eating cat-

tle, pigs and chicken daily.”

In fact, Doran said agriculture and meat production produces more climate-causing gases than all planes, trains and automobiles on the planet combined. If more people went vegetarian, the vast majority of plant agriculture that currently go to livestock could instead be fed to humans. Doran said this could be critical for relieving world hunger.

Plant-based diets have increasingly grown in popularity and show no sign of slowing down. This is true at Pepperdine as well, Elizabeth Nepute, director of operations at Sodexo said.

“Vegetarianism has always been kind of an underdog,” Nepute said. “But people are becoming more conscious of what they’re eating. It has definitely raised in popularity.”

As more students transition into meatless diets, the demand for vegetarian and vegan options in school cafeterias also grow.

“We’re trying to get creative with our options, so that if [students] are getting the vegetarian option, it’s balanced,”

Nepute said. “We have the fresh station, which is where you can primarily find vegetarian and vegan options. The salad bar is another great option, and people can get a vegetarian sandwich at the Deli.”

However, many people remain critical of Pepperdine’s limited meatless options, including Doran.

“It certainly is very feasible to eat a vegetarian diet in the Waves Cafe at Pepperdine, but I’m not sure how varied the diet would be,” Doran said.

“The vegetarian fare tends to be rather repetitive and often lacks enough varied protein options. This is a sad state of affairs considering I was at a conference recently, and a global Sodexo representative from the corporate office said that it is one of Sodexo’s goals to educate their clients about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet.”

Another person critical of Pepperdine’s meatless options is junior Bethany Adamski.

“The workers don’t really understand the difference between vegetarian and vegan, and the labels are of-

ten wrong,” Adamski said.

“I emailed the managers of Waves Café to urge them to be more strict with their vegetarian and vegan options since there’s not much else we can eat. I didn’t get a response.”

Despite the difficulties of eating a plant-based diet at Pepperdine, Adamski said she still recommends this diet.

“I think that everyone should be vegetarian, and veganism is a bigger commitment,” Adamski said. “But it is much more rewarding. I feel healthier than I’ve ever been because I eat so many fruits and vegetables.”

Many others also experience health benefits from switching to a vegetarian diet, including junior Summer Spath.

“The benefits that I’ve seen from eating a plant-based diet have been that my skin has cleared up, and my digestion is better,” Spath said.

“I don’t get big breakouts, I don’t need to spend big money on skin care. I don’t get the headaches I used to get and I feel energized after I eat.”

For those who wish to eat a plant-based diet but don’t know

the best approach, the Pepperdine Student Health Center provides students with the option to meet with dietitian-nutritionist Katherine McCune to discuss a healthy transition.

“During the initial interview with a student I ask a series of questions regarding their health, nutritional history, goals for nutritional counseling and eating behaviors,” McCune said. “At the conclusion of the initial session, I can then prescribe a personalized nutrition plan that will include health concerns and goals.”

Although plant-based diets were once considered a fad, its benefits and popularity prove they are here to stay.

There are many opportunities for a Pepperdine student to explore a meat-free diet, particularly during World Vegetarian Month. To explore the options available, visit Pepperdine’s Sustainability page or contact the Student Health Center for more resources.

M AGGIE.DAV IS@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Image Courtesy of Visit Films

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ARTIST CORNER: NATE BARTOSHUK

Photos Courtesy of Nate Bartoshuk Jack of All Traders | Junior Nate Bartoshuk plays Josh in Pepperdine’s fall production of “Falling.” Bartoshuk said he didn’t plan on being an actor; he dreamt of playing ice hockey, but after a fateful injury, he said he found acting as his new passion. haidy n harvey l i f e and ar ts assista n t e dit or Nate Bartoshuk’s dreams began when he was forced to start over.

Bartoshuk had big plans to play ice hockey. The future looked promising.

He had committed years of his life and traveled the world to play. During his sophomore year of high school, he began preparing to move to a new school in Canada where he would join their varsity hockey team. But during the last game of his season, Bartoshuk suffered a fateful injury.

“I got severe concussion syndrome, and I was told that I wouldn’t be allowed to play contact sports again,” Bartoshuk said. “So I needed to find something new to do, and I just kinda went into this downward spiral of the vacuum of time ... when [ice hockey] was taken away, I didn’t have something to put myself to.”

When forced to start over, Bartoshuk discovered a new passion for theater.

“I started writing when I was in fourth grade,” Bartoshuk said. “And

one thing that I thought was really great about theater, initially for me, is the thrill and the joy of putting on different characters was really fun. In the same way [with] writing, I love that you could create anything you wanted to.”

By the end of high school, Bartoshuk, who is now a junior Theater major, knew he wanted to pursue a career in acting. During his time at Pepperdine, he has performed in a number of productions, including “The Abode,” which premiered at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“I think that art, as I like to see it and do it, is just to celebrate life,” Bartoshuk said. “I think that to me the most beautiful art is stories or songs and things that make you just step back and realize the beauty of life.”

Most recently, Bartoshuk portrayed Josh, a character with severe autism, in Pepperdine’s production of “Falling.”

“I was absolutely terrified originally going into playing that role because I wanted to be as respectful as possible in it and I think that could be a really

touchy subject if done poorly,” Bar- in 48 hours,” Bartoshuk said. “I got the toshuk said. idea for it and I basically just shunned Bartoshuk prepared for the role all my other responsibilities and did through extensive research and by that.” spending time with families directly Audience members were able to doimpacted by autism. nate however much money they felt “We as a cast also got to go with their “Call Center” ticket was worth.

Hand in Hand, which is a group here Bartoshuk and junior James Moore, Photos Brackett in Malibu for non-neurotypical people who Courtesy also writesof forBecca the Graphic, used and spend a day with them and talk this money to start Pepperdine Student with the families and hear their expe- Players, an on-campus theater compariences,” Bartoshuk said. ny where actors and writers can exerBartoshuk said sharing the experi- cise their craft outside of class. ences of these families by playing Josh “One thing that ‘Call Center’ was, was really rewarding. was the determination of a small group “I have the voice and the means and of theater students setting out and saythe privilege to have my voice be heard, ing, ‘We’re going to make an opporand there are a lot of people out there tunity for ourselves to grow in these who need their voices to be heard more ways,’” Bartoshuk said. “And we wantthan I need mine to be heard,” Bar- ed to use the revenue that we got from toshuk said. that to make that process easier for the Outside of acting, Bartoshuk is also a department in the future.” musician, a member of the Pepperdine Bartoshuk keeps busy with his work, Improv Troupe and a writer. but it’s his work that keeps him going.

Last semester, Bartoshuk saw his “For me, it’s primarily a catharsis,” original play come to life in the student Bartoshuk said. “It helps me just kind ran production of “Call Center.” of process life a bit.”

“I wrote the first draft of ‘Call Center’ HAIDYN.HARVEY@PEPPERDINE.EDU

Ashley Chavez | Staff Writer Tell Me More | Laughing Dog Story Bus provides a space for people to write letters, relax and take a moment. Malibu artists Cindy Short and Lisa Spear created the bus and said they want people to be able to slow down and take a break and that they want the bus to be an anchor and peaceful place.

Vintage bus connects people with stories ashl ey c havez s taf f w r i t e r

The car’s name is Prudence and its quirkiness instantly draws people to it. The bright turquoise, vintage 1972 Volkswagen bus was a birthday gift to local Malibu artist Cindy Short. Short said it is the bus’ character and a desire to connect people to one another that helped inspire Short and her friend Lisa Spear to create the Laughing Dog Story Bus. “We’ve always discussed the idea of stories, place and Malibu,” Spear said. “It’s natural for us to want to add Prudence into that mix. There’s something the bus does that facilitates the slowdown here I am, I get it now,” Short said.

Prudence made its debut at this year’s Malibu Chili Cookoff after three years of being worked on by mechanics. Spear and Short said the bus provided a space for people to take a

minute for themselves, relax and communicate with others through a simple letter. Short said the car was a place where stories could be told. Short said she had the interior completely redone, along with everything needed to get the bus running.

“It is a time for community, laughter and to get to know Prudence — the vehicle behind all of this goodness,” junior Sara Boesen said.

The bus was open on display with crafts outside and free letter writing inside. Spear said that some people admitted they had never even written a letter, while others got emotional during their writing.

People had the opportunity to write and address a letter to anyone they knew. It was a way to check up on people and let them know they were being thought of by others. Short said over 100 letters had been written that weekend.

“You’re not racing from one

thing to the next in this bus,” Short said. “You can’t; she won’t let you. Folks are invited to slow down, just chill, talk and be. It’s amazing.”

Short and Spear said they witnessed Prudence’s effect on people while at the Malibu Chili Cook-off. They said that they had originally hoped Prudence could be a refuge for people and a place where they could come together to comfortably communicate. The success of the bus’ debut surpassed their expectations.

“This is about stories, connection, things that are lost and left behind,” Spear said. “Especially here in Malibu, people are over-connected and then can become disconnected.”

Short said she has always been intrigued by the idea of stories. Short said she has owned a long-running pet portrait business, Laughing Dog Art Studio, in an attempt to convey those stories onto the

canvas. Short said it is this desire for storytelling and honest communication that sparked the idea for Prudence.

Both Spear and Short said that they had no specific goal for the success of Prudence.

They said they are simply providing a space in which people can have the opportunity to slow down, gather together and communicate with one another. In an increasingly busy and technology-oriented Maria Valente world, both women see the value in slowing down and taking time in life.

“The story bus allows for everyone to connect and makes it possible for stories to be told,” senior Michelle Maemone said.

Short and Spear said they hope that Prudence can be an anchor and place of rest for people. They want the car to be a place to feel grounded and take the time to be introspective and communicative.

“I think part of the goal is

to see where things go,” Spear said. “As we move forward we’re trying to bring things back and slow them down.”

Short said that they are focusing on the moment. They only have a loose plan and are mindful of providing some direction without completely facilitating Prudence’s journey.

Their only requirement is to provide joy and opportunities for people in the present. As they move forward with the |story Lifebus & Arts Assistant their plan is to meet more people, create meaningful connections and some smiles.

“There’s just something about Prudence that makes people come,” Short said.

Follow their Instagram, @laughingdogstorybus, for information on visiting Prudence.

ASHL EY.C HAV EZ@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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Pepp professor speaks about her latest book anna m ilt o n s taf f w r i ter Pepperdine professor Roslyn Satchel brings her own legal, religious and media expertise to her book “What Movies Teach About Race: Exceptionalism, Erasure, and Entitlement,” originally published in 2016 and just released in a paperback edition. As an activist, scholar and professor, Satchel said she has a lifelong passion for justice, which led her to write about what movies can tell about a non-dominant racial group.

While attending Howard University from 1991-1995 earning her bachelor’s degree, Satchel was an activist for women’s rights and racial justice issues. Her passion continued beyond college and into her professional career.

“For me, activism really wasn’t an option that I chose,” Satchel said. “It was really a part of family customs.”

Satchel continued on to receive her Ph.D. in Media and Public Affairs, which would lead to her book topic. Satchel said her dissertation examined how people in other parts of the world learn about peo-

ple through media content and what it teaches people about each other.

“Ultimately my dissertation came to look at what are the messages in media content that have the largest global viewership?” Satchel said. Satchel said she examined what this teaches the world about people who are part of a non-dominant racial group.

This was the groundwork for what would later become her book. Satchel said she looked back at this dissertation and reflected on lessons learned from the study that can improve media content.

Writing about the problems Satchel learned from activists around the world also contributed to the message of the book.

“What I hold consistently from those activists was that their cultural values and ethics were being eroded by American media content that was then being globalized into their countries and communities,” Satchel said.

Satchel wanted her book to address the media’s influence on culture. The book explores how audiences make meaning from the content they see in movies.

Satchel said when you

have a dominant cultural group, and they are the majority group creating that media content, they will create content that they can relate to.

“When it comes to people in a subordinated racial group, those groups see themselves through the white content creators,” Satchel said. “The media content we have today continues to cycle those old ideologies.”

Satchel hopes the book can encourage her students to make a difference.

“I really want my students to get from the book that active audiences can change the problematic traditions of our media content,” Satchel said.

Satchel is continuing her passion for justice while working on two new books. One piece will be written with a former student, Nicole Bush, focusing on media coverage in the Black Lives Matter Movement. In collaboration with Pepperdine professors Tanya Asim Cooper and Thema Bryant Davis, Satchel is working on a different book that focuses on improving the church’s response to domestic violence.

A N N A . MI LT O N @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

Photos Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

Photo courtesy of Roslyn Satchel Activist at Heart | Professor Roslyn Satchel said activism wasn’t an option for her, but is a part of her family customs.

Image Courtesy of Visit Films

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Photos Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures Photo Courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures GabrielleofNorte | Staff Photographer Cool Kids | Echosmith bandmates Graham Sierota (front left) and Noah Sierota (front right) jam out for the ninth annual Waves Weekend.

The band, which started as a passion project by the siblings, debuted in 2013 with their album “Talking Dreams” and has since toured the world.

Van Alden and Echosmith Play At Waves Weekend haidy n harvey life and arts assistant e d itor

Van Alden and Echosmith lit up Alumni Park, where alumni, students and their families gathered for the ninth annual Waves Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 13.

Echosmith, a Southern California-based band traveling the world with their album “Talking Dreams,” headlined this year’s Waves Weekend concert. Van Alden, the solo project of Pepperdine alumnus Paul Abrahamian, opened for Echosmith with the help of his friend and music producer Zaya Leavitt.

The large crowd spread across Alumni Park on blankets and in lawn chairs. Food trucks lined the field, serving food like pizza and grilled mac ‘n’ cheese. Balloons, “#WavesWeekend” lights and a photo booth offered plenty of Instagram opportunities for students and their families.

Senior Rahool Arun said the best part was enjoying the bands with his friends.

“I would say the concert, one of the best parts about that, was probably just the people around there,” Arun said. “I went with a couple of friends, and we just enjoyed and grooved out together.”

Senior Olivia Belda said she enjoyed the stylish flair Van Alden brought to campus. “The opener was a different vibe than what Pepperdine is used to, and I liked that,” Belda said.

Van Alden is the self described “popnoir” solo project of Abrahamian, a clothing designer and former Big Brother contestant. During Waves Weekend, they played songs off their self-ti-

tled EP, including “Never Die.” They also played a revamped cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”

Abrahamian said his music draws inspiration from his Los Angeles roots.

“There’s just so much history and old texture and cool stuff that happened in the valley of Los Angeles, and I grew up on a street called Van Alden, and it just brings back a lot of nostalgia, memories, kind of reflecting on simpler times,” Abrahamian said.

Abrahamian began playing music when he was 12 years old. He played in various bands growing up, but he said he didn’t make the leap into solo work until recently.

“Looking at it from the other side, it was terrifying,” Abrahamian said.

“I was like, ‘Ah, there was no way I can do that.’ But now that I’m actually doing it, I’m like, ‘Why haven’t I been doing this the whole time?’”

Abrahamian started his Van Alden journey after becoming a returning competitor on Big Brother.

“Big Brother gave me a platform,” Abrahamian said. “It gave me a fan base, and it gave me people who are paying attention ... it was a tough pill to swallow at first because I went from being captive for three months to having fans, which is a weird thing to say, you know what I mean?”

Abrahamian said his company, Dead Skull Apparel, and Big Brother were stepping stones in a larger journey that’s led him toward his dream.

“I tried, I put my energy toward this.

I worked hard for this, and playing music was a dream, and it was an unattainable dream in my mind,” Abrahamian said. “But I took different steps, and

I still got to that dream. So the point I want to make to the students, or at least the philosophy I want to instill is there might not be a one-way road to you getting what you want. You might have to make a couple of pit stops in order to get there, but you’ll still get there.”

Looking toward the future, Abrahamian said the goal is to “just keep going.”

“I think I’m at my best when I’m playing music,” Abrahamian said.

“I’m happiest. I love it. It’s fun. I love traveling and I love playing music, and if I can combine those two things and make money while doing so, there’s nothing else that I need to do.”

Students crowded in front of the stage to watch Echosmith perform songs off their album, “Talking Dreams.” The family band played their fan favorite “Cool Kids” and a new release, “Over My Head.” In the middle of the set, they posed for a selfie with the crowd for their Instagram. After the show, they met with excited fans.

“The fact that we actually got to meet the band was really nice because they’re a family and they’re so wholesome and they’re so amazing,” Arun said. “So meeting them in person and getting that connection with them was really nice.”

Echosmith released their debut album “Talking Dreams” in 2013. The band, a passion project of Southern Californian siblings Sydney, Noah and Graham Sierota, has since toured the world.

After releasing their debut album, Echosmith said they were amazed by the way their music resonated with people across the globe.

“We were so excited at all the possibilities. You make this art and then present it to the world and wait and

see how it reacts,” Echosmith wrote in an email. “We were blown away at how everything built and how these songs seemed to connect in a deep and personal way to people across the world.”

Echosmith’s breakout song “Cool Kids” peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100 Billboard.

When it comes to writing music, Echosmith said they draw from their personal lives.

“We write from our own personal experiences and all the art we’ve taken in and the stories we’ve heard from our fans,” Echosmith wrote.

“We more than anything want to spread hope and love with our music.”

The self-described “dreamy pop” group work, record and tour together not only as artists, but as family.

“The advantages are that we really know each other so well and when you travel with a band you become like family anyways,” Echosmith wrote.

“We know what works and doesn’t work. We can be really honest with each other in the creative process.”

Echosmith lists Singapore and Amsterdam among some of their favorite tour stops but said they love playing local shows too.

“We love playing college shows because we are all the same age,” Echosmith wrote. “Pepperdine might be the most beautiful campus on the planet!”

HAIDYN.HARVEY@PEPPERDINE.EDU

High Energy | The large Pepperdine crowd spread out across Alumni Park to watch Sydney Sierota of Echosmith sing her heart out (left) and Paul Abrahamian of Van Alden play the keyboard (right). “We love playing college shows because we are all the same age,” Echosmith said.

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Pepp Beach Volleyball documentary released

winner-take-all match five.

In the final match of the day, it was Roh and Corinne Quiggle, an alumna, clinched the victory for the Waves in a narrow third set win, 15-13.

Over the course of the day, the Waves were tested by two great opponents.

Droppivdng the first match, they could have easily folded against USC but instead displayed their mental toughness and rebounded to win.

aust in hall jac o b resendiz staf f write rs Seaver Films released a 12-part documentary on the Pepperdine Women’s Beach Volleyball team called “Compete With Purpose.” It highlights the highs and lows that the veteran players endured during their careers. The series, which premiered on Oct. 3, also shows what the team did in the offseason to prove that they are one of the best in the NCAA. The Pepperdine University Youtube channel released three chapters per week for three weeks so far. Each chapter focuses on something different, ranging from how far the team has gone in previous years to highlighting individual players and their journeys and what what an offseason for an elite team looks like.

The agenda for the 2018 Pepperdine Women’s Beach Volleyball team is not revenge but redemption. After losing the 2017 National Championship Final by three, the Waves are fully focused on the season that lies ahead.

Compete With Purpose: Chapter 1 The first chapter focuses on how previous success fuels the Waves and the mindset of senior Maddy Roh as she enters her final year.

Although ending each of the last two seasons so close to being a National Champion, the Waves are in the same spot as all the other teams in the NCAA: the bottom of the mountain. In the chapter Roh says she looks forward to the challenge that lies ahead.

“We’re out there for, not revenge ... but we’re out there to go take care of business and finish what we started last year,” Roh said. “I have no idea what the outcome is gonna be, but all I know is that we only take it one game at a time.”

The USC Trojans beat the Waves each of the last two years in the NCAA Tournament. Roh acknowledges the losses of past but is excited for when the teams cross paths again.

“With USC it is like, wow, we lost the championship to them by two points,” Roh said. “This year it’s going to be dif-

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Compete With Purpose: Chapter 4 Chapter four highlights what makes this Waves team different: their commitment to faith, the classroom and lastly the court.

When blessed with the ability to play Courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics beach volleyball on an actual beach opDive on in | Senior Beach Volleyball player Skylar Caputo jumps off the posed to a man-made sand court, greatness is to be expected. court to track down a stray ball. Caputo discusses athletics and faith in the The Waves earned a No. 1 ranking in web series, as well as her hope to secure a National Championship in 2019. the nation courtesy of their seven-game games that would eventually launch win streak, which featured a victory ferent.” the Waves into the incredible success of over UCLA. Compete With Purpose: Chapter 2 However with No. 1 ranking, the their season. andaSheridan Davis Pepperdine began their 2018 jour- hunter becomes the hunted, and teams The second chapter is a profile on seney back to the top of the beach volley- will always bring their best to take the nior Skylar Caputo.

Caputo was born into the sport of ball mountain against two giants, No. crown.

Versus No. 5 Florida State, the Waves beach volleyball. Her parents met while 3 ranked UCLA and defending nationexperienced this firsthand, yet proved playing at Rosecrans in Manhattan al-champion No. 1 ranked USC. “It’s time to compete. It’s time to take worthy of their ranking, beating FSU, Beach, California.

Pepperdine was Caputo’s dream this place and put it on fire,” said Assis- 4-1.

At Pepperdine, even playing for the school and she believes that God had tant Head Coach Marcio Sicoli said.

In the first game against UCLA, No. 1 women’s beach volleyball team in a plan for her to attend this university. Caputo has high aspirations for the things heated up but Pepperdine was the nation does not change the prioriteam this season and credits faith as her not the one on fire. UCLA was victori- ties for a student athlete: student first, ous in a back and forth affair, ultimately athlete second. The women work equalmotivation for playing. ly as hard in the classroom as they do on “I’ve always found my identity on winning 3-2.

“No one’s going to give you a darn the sand. whether I can get that next award, that This Waves team believes one’s edunext ranking, and that next place,” Ca- thing … you have to earn it,” Head Coach cation includes not just lectures inside a puto said. “Slowly over the years I’ve Nina Matthies said.

In the second match of the day, the classroom, but the growth of one’s spirit realized as a Christian and child of God, that that’s not the reason why I’ve been Waves took Matthies’ words to heart outside of it as well.

“I can safely say, if I didn’t come to and seized the opportunity for redempable to have this opportunity.”

Pepperdine, I wouldn’t have found God Caputo’s time competing at the high- tion against USC. The Waves won the match 3-2, aveng- … and that’s already a success in my est level and strengthening her faith at ing the national championship loss to book,” Caputo said.

Pepperdine broadened her perspective.

The Waves look to continue to prove “Success isn’t defined by the wins and USC just last year.

In the first flight, Caputo and sopho- their worthiness of their No. 1 ranking losses,” Caputo said. “It’s by the ups and downs and what journey you’re able to more Alexis Fillipone won their match, on the court, but strive to balance thembut UCLA won their next match and selves off the court as well. take throughout the process.”

Finding the balance between the two evened the total, 1-1. of Pepperdine Athletics Wood will be the key toand theirCalvin sustained sucIn the secondCourtesy flight, sophomore Compete With Purpose: Chapter 3 Brooke Bauer and Roh won their match cess, and journey back to the top of the Chapter three starts at the begin- but senior Heidi Dyer and junior Gigi mountain.

AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU JAC OB.R ESENDIZ@PEPPER DINE.EDU ning of last season, highlighting two Hernandez lost their match leading to a

Courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics

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

SPORTS

Photos courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics

Courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics Set for Success | (Left) The Waves celebrate after taking down the LMU Lions; (right) Senior setter Blossom Sato prepares to set to one of her hitters.

Women’s Volleyball defeats LMU in PCH Cup ky le m c c abe staf f w r i te r

Pepperdine Women’s Volleyball swept the Loyola Marymount University Lions on Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Junior Hannah Frohling led the Waves with 14 kills while freshman Rachel Ahrens was close behind with 13.

Pepperdine improved to 13-5 on the season and remained in second place in the West Coast Conference while LMU fell to 15-4 and fourth place in the WCC. “It was a very big time team effort,” Head Coach Scott Wong said. “I think the win here [comes] … from our practice gym [where] our 17 girls are competing and getting after it.

And then you see this product of seven or eight players out on

the court playing well.”

The scoring went back and forth in the first set. The Waves started to gain control after the set was tied at seven, streaking ahead to a 20-14 lead when the Lions called a time out. Frohling and Ahrens scored five of Pepperdine’s last seven points to help the Waves take the set, 25-18.

Ahrens recorded five of her 13 kills in the second set. Once Pepperdine got the lead early in the set at 2-1, they never let it go. The Waves scored five points in a row twice in the set, leading them to the same result: a 25-18 victory.

Pepperdine scored first in the third set, but LMU scored twice to take their first lead since the first point of the previous set.

The Waves scored four points in a row to take a 5-2 lead. The

Lions kept it interesting for most of the final set, coming within two points of Pepperdine at 18-16, but the Waves’ subsequent 7-2 run gave them another 25-18 win.

The rivalry between Pepperdine and LMU made the Waves’ victory even more significant.

“We try not to look into it too much,” Wong said. “But there’s been a huge history of LMU volleyball because they’re a great program that has done great things and we like playing great teams. They’re down the street too, so there’s a ton of significance, but I think the bigger thing is that we got to play a really good team and we played really well.”

As a freshman, this was Ahrens’ first experience with the rivalry.

“I heard last year we lost

to them,” Ahrens said. “So it’s pretty amazing that we came back and crushed them and beat them in three.”

The Waves secured a significant PCH Cup win, but they are already focusing on their next matchup.

“We have a big tough team to play against with the [University of] San Diego team,” Wong said. “That’s going to be our next match, our next focus, and then after that we’re halfway through our season for conference.”

Frohling said beating LMU was a big deal for the Waves, not only because of the rivalry, but because it further separated the two teams in the conference standings. She will not spend too much time celebrating the win though, as she too looks ahead.

“We have another tough week coming up,” Frohling said. “We play USD and BYU next week, so we’ll see if we can beat them too.”

San Diego is ranked just behind Pepperdine in the WCC at No. 3 while Brigham Young University is ranked No. 1. The Waves lost to BYU earlier this year, but the matchup against San Diego will be the first this season.

The Waves look to keep it rolling through the rest of the year.

“We want to keep on focusing on every practice, every contact and get better as the year goes on,” Wong said. “Our team has done that. It’s been fun to see, but we’re not done, and our team knows we’re not done, and we got to keep on going.”

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

Six honored at Hall of Fame induction event kar l winter sam finnegan s taf f write rs The Pepperdine Athletics Board and the Hall of Fame committee recognized four accomplished athletes and two new recipients of the Distinguished Service Award during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Firestone Fieldhouse on Oct. 14.

All current Waves athletes were invited to the reception and dinner event, which included opening remarks by Athletic Director Steve Potts prior to a special video and speech for each inductee.

The Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame program came into existence in 1980.

Since its commencement, 125 individuals joined this select group of coaches, administrators, and student-athletes.

All of these individuals made resounding accomplishments and shaped Pepperdine athletics to where it is today.

This year, Pepperdine inducted four former student-athletes into the Athletics Hall of Fame: Julie Evans Castillo (‘89), Carolina Llano (‘06), Matt Rigg (‘88) and Marilyn White (‘67). President Benton and his wife Debby were also honored with a Distinguished Service Award for their commitment and service to Pepperdine athletics.

Evans Castillo, a Women’s Volleyball player, arrived at Pepperdine in the fall of 1984 as the first big recruit under new head coach Nina Matthies, and she won the first-ever West Coast Conference (WCC) Player of the Year Award

guys with a ton of heart and those are the guys I loved to compete with.”

White, who attended George Pepperdine College before the move to the Malibu campus, was one of the first female athletes to receive an athletic scholarship from the school. White received a scholarship before the school officially sponsored Women’s Track and Field at all, and she went on to earn bronze and gold medals at the 1963 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

“This is the highlight of my athletic career,” White said. “Just being able to share theofhappiness of competing and Photos Courtesy Pepperdine Athletics the strength of competing.”

The Bentons, the 11th and 12th recipients of the Special Achievement honor in Pepperdine history, were the final honorees of the evening. During Courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics their 35 years in Malibu with unwavering support of Pepperdine athletics, the Past & Present| Rigg, Castillo, Llano, White, Debby and President Waves celebrated 106 WCC titles and Benton pose with their awards. The six recieved honors at the Peppernational championships in three differdine Athletics Hall of Fame Induction in Firestone Fieldhouse on Oct. 14 ent sports. in 1985. She would go on to win the alist at the WCC Championships.

“We have never served an ace in volaward a second time in 1987 and lead “Success is a journey not a destina- leyball or tennis ... but we are Waves for the Waves to three NCAA Tournament tion,” Llano said as she broke down in life,” President Benton said. appearances and two WCC titles. tears as she addressed the crowd. “Pep“It was great to be a part of celebrat“My time here at Pepperdine was perdine was a journey, a great journey.” ing the past legends that competed probably the most influential and imRigg, a native of Hawaii, was one of at Pepperdine,” Scotland Garapedian, pactful of my life, outside of marrying four brothers to play men’s volleyball for a current senior on the Men’s Tennis my husband or maybe my children,” Ev- Pepperdine. Rigg was both an All-Amer- team, said. “Each honoree made an imans Castillo said. ican and a two-time NCAA champion pact at the university by not only helpLlano, who hails from Colombia, led under the guidance of legendary head ing their team win, but also finding a the Waves Women’s Golf team to be- coach Marv Dunphy. way to make everyone around them come the top-ranked team in the nation “My time at Pepperdine started way better.” during her freshman year in 2003. She before my playing days,” Rigg said of went on to earn All-American status his family’s tradition. “The Pepperdine K AR L .W INTER @PEPPER DINE.EDU three times and was a three-time med- program and [Dunphy] attracted great SAM .F INNEGAN@PEPPER DINE.EDU