Volume xLiX | Issue 10 | november 14, 2019
Freedom Wall Saga Casts Light on Relationship between Pepperdine and LGBTQ+ Students
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Art Student Pushes Boundaries
with Nude Photography Exhibit; Administrators Push Back V ER NIE C OVARRUBIAS New s Assista n t An art major’s photography of nude female students depicting the seven deadly sins is pushing boundaries on what Pepperdine administrators deem appropriate to display in public spaces. Senior Alessandra Guth said she is attempting to deliberately provoke administration with the religious subject of her art exhibit project, which will debut Nov. 21. “I am an artist who will never follow the rules because rule followers don’t get anywhere in the art world,” Guth said. “I’m using this Biblical reference and poking fun at the fact that Pepperdine teaches us about the seven deadly sins — how you need to have some sort of a clean slate from God and how, to do that, you need to believe in God. But everyone sins.” Her artwork features seven photographs of seven completely nude Pepperdine students’ bodies, without showing their faces, printed on canvas and cut out. The shapes are suspended to metal frames by wires. “This is me saying, ‘Let’s not make our students feel like sinners because they have normal characteristics [a sinful nature, nude forms] that everybody holds,’” Guth said. “It also doesn’t mean we’re sinners if we are naked. It’s a body. That in itself is art in my opinion.” Guth said she has received
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advice from professional artists to consider depicting subjects that her school would be shocked by. “I just immediately thought: anything that goes with religion that they don’t like,” Guth said. Guth’s classmates’ artwork will be displayed in the Sandbar until the end of the semester. However, Guth’s work will be displayed in the mobile art gallery next to the Sandbar on the night of the opening reception. Dean of the Fine Arts Division Bradley Griffin said the reason for separating her work is that it necessitates a forewarning about what an audience member is about to encounter. “There’s no way we can close off entrances to the Sandbar and [put up signs that] say, ‘There is work in this space that could be triggering for some individuals,’” Griffin said. “We have to make a decision about what we are going to hang in a completely public space like that — one that’s not technically a gallery space.” Griffin said Guth’s work will not be covered up in any way, and it will be presented as the artist intended in the mobile art gallery. “I’m not interested in having anything to do with determining what to do with her work,” Griffin said. “What I am interested in is the way in which patrons will interact with the work and being responsible to the community in that interaction.”
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Guth said she feels it is unfair for her work to be displayed separately from her peers’ work. “Just because they’re not making me cover the body part doesn’t mean they’re not censoring it,” Guth said. Griffin said he does not consider separating Guth’s project to be censorship. “The Fine Arts division is not in the business of censoring art,” Griffin said. “There’s no denying it is separate from the work that’s hanging inside the Sandbar. But by putting it in the mobile art unit for the opening, we’re not saying, ‘This is not a part of the show.’” The mobile art gallery will be moved off campus after the exhibit’s opening night. Guth and Griffin both said they believe it would be unfair for Guth’s work to no longer be displayed for the remainder of the semester, as her peers’ work will be. “My work deserves to be seen with everyone else’s fairly,” Guth said. “These are not pornographic images. So the fact that they are sexualizing my work and making it into something that it is not is also very annoying because everyone has a body, and there’s no faces.” Griffin said he is working closely with Guth’s art professor, Gretchen Batcheller, to find a solution for Guth’s work to be displayed for the same amount of time as her peers’ work. Batcheller said she believes the issue of how to display
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Courtesy of Alessandra Guth Risky Art | Guth works on her art exhibition. She depicted the seven deadly sins through nude photography. Guth’s work brings to light a greater issue in the Fine Arts Division. “I don’t know that this is as much an issue of censorship as it is of [the need for] a dedicated student gallery space,” Batcheller said. Currently, the mobile art gallery is the only dedicated space for student work available. Batcheller said she has been pushing for a space for students to display their work as well as a nude figure drawing class on Pepperdine’s Malibu campus. “Historically, the human
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form has been this sort of litmus test of if you can draw the human form, you can draw anything,” Batcheller said. At the same time, Batcheller said she understands the pushback from the university. “Most often, human experience of the nude form is in intimate partnership with another person or within the realms of pornography,” Batcheller said. “So if those are your only experiences of the human body, of course it’s a sexual object in front of you because that is your only experience of it.” V ER NETTA.C OVAR R UBIAS@PEPPER DINE.EDU
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Remove the stigma of STD testing channa steinmetz news editor Cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia in the United States reached an all-time high in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 2.4 million Americans reported to have sexually transmitted disease (STD) in 2018, and thousands of other cases go unreported. The U.S. is facing a STD epidemic. Regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation, everyone is susceptible of contracting an STD. On a brighter note, antibiotics can cure STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. But one has to get tested to receive these antibiotics. Left untreated, STDs cause risk of lifelong health outcomes, infertility and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Here’s what one can do: Get tested. Every time one interacts with a new sexual partner, it is smart to get a routine STD testing — and in person, not via social media. WebMD released an article Nov 5. 2019, revealing that people are more likely to turn to social media to receive a diagnosis versus seeing a trained professional. Centers that offer confidential STD testing include Pepperdine’s Student Health Center, CVS MinuteClinic and Planned Parenthood. One can also see their personal physician. Go with a friend. STDs testing can be awkward and scary; it shouldn’t have to be. Asking a trustworthy friend to come with for the company and support can elevate some of the stress. Talk openly about STDs and responsible sex habits, such as using condoms. Although condoms are not 100% effective in preventing disease, they are highly effective if used properly. Getting tested is as important as the conversation that follows. If one were to find out they tested positive for any certain STD, it is their responsibility to have that conversation with previous sexual partners. Not all STDs have symptoms, so there is a likely chance they are unaware. Acknowledging that there may have been an exchange in bacteria allows the other person to go get tested and also receive the appropriate antibiotics. This then reduces the spread and ricks of STDs. Sex is already a complicated topic. It is easy to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about intimate topics and sexual health. But at the end of the day, everyone deserves to have a healthy sex life, and working to end the STD epidemic through conversation and testing is one way to do so.
THE DPS REPORTS Check out pepperdine.edu/publicsafety for the DPS Reports every week
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11/7/19 4:03 p.m. Crime: Traffic-Related, Reckless Driving Location: Seaver Drive
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11/8/19 12:05 p.m. Crime: Larceny/Theft, Petty Theft - Misc. Location: Firestone Fieldhouse
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11/11/19 6:26 a.m. Crime: Vandalism Location: CCB
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11/12/19 8:25 a.m. Crime: Assault/Battery - Simple Battery or Fighting Location: Lower Tennis Courts 11/12/19 10:20 a.m. Crime: Traffic Related, Traffic Enforcement Reckless Driving Location: Seaver Drive
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UPCOMING EVENTS THIS SEMESTER What: th anksgiving celebratio n WheN: 11/25 Wher e: lon v smith atr ium
What: guitar chamber concert When: 11/26 Where: raitt recital hall
Wh at: women’s b as k et b al l vs. cal state l a Wh e N: 11/29 Wh e re : fir est one f i el dhouse
W hat: c hri s t mas t ree l i g ht i ng W he N: 1 2 / 3 w he r e : mu l l i n t own s qu are
W hat: c hoi r and orc hes t ra c hri s t mas c onc ert W he N: 1 2 / 5 w he r e : s mot hers t heat re
c onvo c re dit and othe r e ve n ts this w e e k FRI. 15
What: c e l ebr ation chapel When: 10 a.m. Wher e: Amphitheater
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What: spanish chapel When: 10 a.m. Where: stauffer chapel
wh at: Ger ma n C hap el Wh e n: 10 a.m . Wh e re : Stau f f er C hap el
WHAT: artist talk with fiona amundsen when: 6 p.m. whe re: sur fboar d r oom
wh at: italia n c hap el Wh e n: 3 p.m. Wh e re : stau f f er c hap el
peppgraphic Graphic //The PLUG IN: // PLUG IN: // PLUG IN: Plug in: CHANNA.STEINMETZ@PEPPERDINE.EDU
@PeppGraphic
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W hat: s u rf c hap el W he n: 7 a. m. W he r e : zu ma b eac h t ower 1 3 W hat: wednes day c hap el W he n: 1 0 a. m. W he r e : f i res t one f i el dhou s e
peppgraphic TheIN: Graphic peppgraphic The Graphic // The Graphic PLUG
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W hat: c ommu ni t y c hap el W he n: 5 p. m. W he r e : el k i ns au di t ori u m w hat: j u ni or art ex hi b i t i on w he n: 5 p. m. w he r e: s andb ar
@Peppnewswaves
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Pepp’s sex policy raises LGBTQ+ questions Alex Neis and James Moore New s Assista n ts
For the past four years, SGA senior Senator Daniel Iturri said he has felt a disconnect between Pepperdine’s administration and its LGBTQ+ students. “I just feel like Pepperdine is on the wrong side of history,” Iturri said. “In 50 years, we’ll look back and say, ‘This is insane that Pepperdine was doing this.’ But now we’re living through it, and we have to fight so we can get to the end.” Iturri and others say that life at Pepperdine can be challenging for LGBTQ+ students because of university policy and ongoing incidents of exclusion. In mid-October, controversy erupted on the Freedom Wall over anonymous comments posted in response to a student’s counter-petition on bringing a Chick-fil-A to campus. SGA then passed a resolution written by Iturri denouncing hate speech and homophobia. SGA posted a pride flag quoting Bible verses on the Freedom Wall, along with a copy of the resolution. Just days later, the flag and the resolution were no longer there, and the anonymous individual posted another response on a piece of notebook paper denouncing sodomy for religious reasons. The recent events of the Freedom Wall and statements from SGA cast light on a larger, ongoing conversation about the relationship between Pepperdine and its LGBTQ+ students. Freedom Wall The second note doubled-down on the anonymous writer’s initial statement, defending Chick-fil-A’s alleged stance against the LGBTQ+ community. It stated that “scripture infallibly teaches that sodomy is an objective moral evil.” Psychology Prof. Steve Rouse, who is the faculty adviser for the campus LGBTQ+ group Crossroads, said the back-and-forth on the Freedom Wall affected Pepperdine’s queer students. “To almost immediately have a counter-statement come up felt painful to a lot of the students,” Rouse said. “After just being able to see a statement that you belong here, you are accepted here, you are valued here, to get another statement that said, ‘You are not accepted here, you are not valued here, you do not belong here,’ really felt demeaning to a lot of students.” Rouse said he had concerns with the language used in the notes. “That word, ‘sodomy,’ was used very inconsistently,” Rouse said. “It was used as kind of a stand-in or synonym for non-straight orientations; that feels very dehumanizing to a lot of people from the LGBT[Q+] community.” The Graphic reached out to the anonymous student for comment via the Freedom Wall, and received an anonymous email claiming responsibility for the notes. The source of that email could not be confirmed. The student defended their statements on the Freedom Wall, claiming that they are not anti-LGBTQ+ but rather anti-sodomy. They wrote that they would have posted similar comments on other Freedom Wall posts that supported sodomy. However, nowhere on the original anti-Chick-fil-A display was there a statement in support of sodomy or sexual relations. The writer’s use of scripture
brings into question how Biblical passages can inform opinions on sexual relationships. Rouse said these interpretations were misinformed. “There are only a few translations of the Bible that include that word at all, and they’re even some fairly fringe versions of the Bible,” Rouse said. The Student Code of Conduct and the Traditional Christian Sexual Ethic
The Student Code of Conduct outlines acceptable sexual relations as those between a married man and woman. On page 83 in the sexual relationships section of Pepperdine’s Student Code of Conduct, the university states: “Pepperdine University affirms that sexual relationships are designed by God to be expressed solely within a marriage between husband and wife. This view of sexuality and marriage is rooted in the Genesis account of creation and is maintained consistently throughout Scripture.” Dean of Students Mark Davis wrote in an email that the wording of Pepperdine’s sex policy was added in 2002 from a joint-effort between Pepperdine’s staff, students and administrators. “The administration at the time agreed that the statement was vague and benchmarked several statements on sexuality at other Christian universities,” Davis wrote. Below Pepperdine’s sexual ethics policy is an FAQ section, which states that “Pepperdine affirms the dignity and worth of every person and seeks to create a campus culture where each person is treated with love and respect.” Iturri said several administrators at Pepperdine take LGBTQ+ inclusion seriously and seem to be less concerned with religious doctrine. “[The Code of Conduct] says ‘We reject all homophobia, we’re supportive of all LGBTQ[+] students.’ I mean, that’s the wording, I don’t know how real that is,” Iturri said. “After talking to a lot of people in administration and faculty, the support for queer students is overwhelming. I don’t want this to appear like ‘Pepperdine sucks, and they’ve been horrible to us!’ No, I think individual people in faculty and administration have been fighting for the rights of queer students.” The Code of Conduct The cover of the Code of Conduct includes a statement that reads, “Each student is responsible for knowing and adhering to the University’s Student Code of Conduct and its related policies.” When students enroll at Pepperdine, they sign a contract confirming their awareness of the Code of Conduct and agreeing to comply with it. However, in a survey of 275 students conducted by the Graphic on Nov. 6, 36% of students answered “no” when asked if they were aware of the sex policy in the Student Code of Conduct. Additionally, 47% of respondents said they were unaware of the fact that they had signed paperwork affirming this statement when they enrolled to Pepperdine. Junior and Vice President of Crossroads Madison Thacker said her leadership position in Crossroads prevents her from speaking in favor of policy change (due to Pepperdine’s organizational constitution barring political activism). However, she did say she personally doesn’t agree with the university’s policy on sexual ethics. “It is frustrating, and at
times it feels unfair,” Thacker said. “Signing ECLOM every year, it’s just disheartening because you’re agreeing to something that you don’t agree with.” In the survey, 77.8% of students responded that LGBTQ+ relationships should be accepted at Pepperdine. Also, 52.8% of students answered that they either “disagree” or “strongly disagree” with the part of the Student Code of Conduct pertaining to the traditional Christian sexual ethic. During the survey, one student — who requested anonymity — expressed their appreciation for the function of the policy as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. They defended the passage, saying that it appealed to the beliefs of some parents. “It allows closeted LGBT[Q+] people, if they have very conservative, very religious parents, to go someplace where they can feel safe and feel accepted for who they are and, at the same time, maintain that face with the parents back at home,” the student said. “That’s something that’s often overlooked.” The student said the guidelines pose no actual threat of disciplinary action to students but are merely symbolic. “Without these tokens of adherence to conservative principles, Pepperdine would not be a safe place for those seeking freedom from oppression from within their own families,” the student said. Faculty Perspective
In 2003, Pepperdine added a similar sex policy to the Faculty Code of Conduct without properly notifying them, which immediately sparked outrage. The Graphic reported in 2003 that “many faculty members interviewed by the Graphic said the policy overstep[ped] the boundaries of affirming the Christian ideal of keeping sexual relationships within the realm of marriage between a man and wife.” Religion Prof. Chris Doran, who hosts a club convo on homosexuality and religion, said he thinks Pepperdine needs to have a new discussion about its sex policy. “I wasn’t around when they put the official, traditional position together,” Doran said. “But what I would like to know is who was in the room when they put that together. Because I think it’s really easy to think that this position was dropped in from God-on-high.” Doran said the lack of clarity in the policy leaves a lot to be desired and fails to address bigger questions about sexual morality. Doran continued to say the administration is selective with the implementation of its policy. “I think Pepperdine has kind of shied away from these questions,” Doran said. “There’s lots of unions on this campus, people in heterosexual, cisgender unions, doing weird stuff that we would not necessarily say is charitable or loving or Christfilled.” Crossroads The student-group Crossroads was formed in 2016 as a space for LGBTQ+ students on campus to connect with a community. Rouse said the Crossroads organization acts as a social haven for students who otherwise would feel alienated. “[Crossroads is] an opportunity for forming connections with other people who have similar life experiences and have similar feelings about
Milan Loiacono | Currents Editor Outspoken Student | Daniel Iturri poses by the Freedom Wall. Iturri wrote a SGA resolution in October, donouncing hate speech and homophobia. their position within the university,” Rouse said. “It’s an opportunity for people to be able to know that they’re not alone — to be able to know that there are other people who are similar to them here on campus.” Members of Pepperdine’s Crossroads said they particularly see the effects of the sex policy from the Student Code of Conduct. The organization’s constitution contains a controversial statement, preventing members from participating in organized political activism. “Built into the Crossroads constitution is a statement that the organization recognizes that Pepperdine affirms a traditional sexual ethic of sex between a married husband and a wife,” Rouse said. “As part of its founding document, the organization is not allowed to make any kind of advocacy against that type of understanding of sexual ethics.” Rouse said the wording of this clause in the Crossroads constitution makes it difficult to know what actions or words dictate “political speech.” Thacker and Crossroads President Juan Carlos Hugues said the prevention of political activism on campus changes the way LGBTQ+ students approach change. However, they have not advocated for any kind of policy change. “I definitely think [LGBTQ+] activism would look different at Pepperdine if Crossroads didn’t have that part of the Constitution,” Thacker said. Iturri said he believes it is time for the constitution to be changed. “I think it’s possible for Crossroads to change their constitution, and I know there’s talk within Crossroads to do that,” Iturri said. “In my personal opinion, it’s stupid to not let an organization like Crossroads be political; that makes no sense. Being gay on campus is political on its own; it’s impossible to separate the two, especially at a place like Pepperdine.” Davis wrote that he became involved with the process of drafting the Crossroads constitution when students approached him in 2015. He added that he was in support of the founding of Crossroads. “President Benton and I presented the proposed Crossroads constitution to the Faith and Heritage Committee of the Board of Regents in March 2016 and they shared our support,” Davis wrote. “The recognition of Crossroads remains one of the most positive experiences in my tenure as vice president for Student Life and dean of Student Affairs.” The Rock In 1992, Jimmy Radosta was a junior at Pepperdine and editor-in-chief of the Graphic.
That fall, Radosta reported on an incident in which a student repeatedly painted over an undercover LGBTQ+ group’s statements on “the Rock.” At the time, Radosta knew he was gay but had not come out. “Friday’s rock featured an upside-down pink triangle, which is a symbol for homosexuals, along with two male symbols, two female symbols, and the word ‘OUT.’” Radosta reported. “Monday’s rock read ‘You can’t cover our pride.’” The student responsible for covering the messages claimed in the article that he did so in defense of the university’s Christian values. “I just don’t think that is the kind of values that need to be expressed; it doesn’t cover the mission of Christian values,” the student said in 1992. The student’s statements later in the article prompted a number of calls of safety concerns to both the Seaver Dean’s office and the Campus Life office, Radosta reported. “[In] no way is homosexuality tolerated or should be tolerated,” the student continued. “If they want to paint it during the day, I’ll watch over them with my baseball bat.” Radosta, now in his 40s, remembers the event as a turning point in the inclusion of LGBTQ+ students at Pepperdine. “When I went to Pepperdine, nobody was out,” Radosta said. “I don’t know anybody who felt safe and accepted on campus. That incident really woke people up. When they saw the ugliness of the words that [the student used], I think they saw in a more tangible way what bigotry looks like. It became pretty clear in the weeks following that incident that nobody really wanted to be associated with that except for a few on the fringe.” Radosta said in recent visits to Pepperdine, he observed a large cultural shift. “I’m actually really impressed to see how far things have changed in the past quarter-century,” Radosta said. “I’m still friends with a couple of classmates who are LGBTQ[+]-identified, and I think we’re all in agreement that the university has come a long way but still has a long way to go.”
AL EX .NEIS@PEPPER DINE.EDU JAM ES.M OOR E@PEPPER DINE.EDU
Listen to the story on PGM’s news podcast, The Graph:
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Pepp trails behind LMU, SCU in Hyundai contest v er nie c ovarrubias new s assista n t
The Center for Sustainability challenged students to participate in the Fill it Forward competition to reduce waste from single-use plastics and win $100,000 for sustainability initiatives on campus. The competition, sponsored by Hyundai, is between three southern California schools: Pepperdine University, Santa Clara University and Loyola Marymount University. Each school distributed 1,000 reusable water bottles and stickers with barcodes on them, encouraging students to scan their code every time they refill their water bottle. Center for Sustainability Director Camila Pupparo said it is important to bring this challenge on campus because single-use plastics are one of the biggest contributors to the world’s pollution problem. “They are non-biodegradable,” Pupparo said. “Yes, they are recycled sometimes. But, as many people already know, China has stopped accepting our plastic since January of this year, and now it’s basically all ending up in landfills.” Between Nov. 4 and Nov. 22, students can participate by picking up a water bottle or sticker from Center for Sustainability’s office, downloading the Cupanion app and registering with their Pepperdine email address. “Once you’ve registered, there are prize pools every couple of days,” Pupparo said. The app enters eligible participants into a random drawing for individual rewards including an eco-friendly surfboard, wetsuit, Outdoor Voices gift card and Patagonia gift card. Students can fill their water bottles a maximum of four times per day. Tracking the Impact The Cupanion app keeps track of the participant’s im-
pact on plastic, waste, power and emission conservation based on the number of water bottle reuses the participant logs. Furthermore, the competition is linked to the initiatives of a clean water nonprofit, WaterAid. “Every time people scan their barcodes for this contest, it’s also giving funds towards a clean water project in a developing country,” Pupparo said. “So it has that charitable aspect to it as well.” “I like how the app tells you how much all the schools have saved,” junior RJ Manke said. “It says how many pounds of waste or how much plastic you saved, so I definitely think it’s adding up.” Manke, who has been using a Hydro Flask for the past three years, said he thinks the challenge will encourage others to do the same. “I think it’s a great way to get people to stop using plastic bottles and think about the environment more,” Manke said. Pupparo said she hopes to help students see the impact a single individual can have through their participation in this challenge. “There is a significant amount of impact that one individual can have in this particular behavior shift,” Pupparo said. “So even though it may not seem like a lot, it is, because what you are doing ripples onto the people around you.” Pupparo said the build-up of habits over time creates longterm impacts. “In one day, one individual might drink four or five bottles of water,” Pupparo said. “Now over a period of a year, and over a period of a lifetime, that’s a whole lot of plastic that you are keeping out of landfills.” The winning university will receive $100,000 for the school’s sustainability department. Pupparo said Pepperdine would use the funds to install more water bottle refill sta-
Courtesy of Katy Schamberger Waste-free Water | Hyundai distributed 1,000 reusable water bottles to three southern California schools for the competition. Participants can scan their bottle or sticker each time they refill to add to Pepperdine’s overall score. tions around campus. “We have received really good feedback from students that they like the [refill stations] that are already in existence, but would like to see more in other places on campus,” Pupparo said. Pupparo said the new stations would be added to residence dorms. Hyundai Initiative Throughout the three weeks the contest runs, Hyundai, Pepperdine Athletics and the Center for Sustainability are collaborating on a variety of events to promote the Fill it Forward challenge. On Nov. 5, the Art for the Earth exhibit displayed students’ and a professional artist’s work made entirely from recycled materials. Students stopped by to view the art, en-
joy a vegan ice cream and learn more about the challenge from Hyundai representatives. The Athletics department is promoting Hyundai’s initiative through an event called Ride and Drive before the men’s basketball kickoff game. “We will have Hyudai alt-fuel vehicles [at the Firestone Parking lot] for students to check out firsthand and to test drive or just ride in,” said Katy Schemberger, a Hyundai representative. Atheltics Director of Marketing and Communications Sarah Otteman said this is the first time Athletics has partnered with the Center of Sustainability and Hyundai. “[The partnership] brings to light the issue of sustainability on campus,” Otteman said. “It also brings to light the opportunities for students to do more. Every time you
scan, you give a cup of water to someone in need. So it’s not just advocating for sustainability on campus, but also in our society and in the world.” Hyundai will be showing electric vehicles in the Firestone parking lot such as the Kona, the Ioniq and the Nexo, which is hydrogen powered and only emits water. “We wanted to tie in a larger sustainability connection, because all three of the campuses that are participating already have tremendous efforts and initiatives going on,” Schemberger said. Participating students said that the Fill it Forward challenge has been them motivated to scan their water bottles. As of Nov. 13, Pepperdine is in last place with 8,170 refills. V ER NETTA.C OVAR R UBIAS@PEPPER DINE.EDU
SWAB hosts Healthy Relationships Week al l ison lee execu ti ve e d itor
The Student Wellness Advisory Board (SWAB) is hosting Healthy Relationships Week from Nov. 18 to 22. The week consists of different opportunities for the Pepperdine community to learn the qualities of healthy relationships and engage in difficult conversations surrounding the topic. Stacey Lee, the health, wellness and resilience education program coordinator, said healthy relationships do not only pertain to romantic relationships, but also the relationship with yourself, friends and co-workers. “We want to provide education and resources about all the different types of relationships,” Lee said. Throughout the week, SWAB will host Do’s and Donut’s, Happy Honey Hour and convocation, a screening of the “Laughing Matters” documentary, Take Back the Night and a clothing drive. Students and faculty are invited to attend all events. Senior and SWAB co-president Alex Case said their organization has been mindful of the intersectionality of the topic and how it can affect various groups differently. They have reached out to groups on campus such as Student Government Association (SGA), Greek life, Crossroads and Intercultural Club Affairs (ICA). “We really want to include everyone in the conversation,” Case said. “I think that’s so important because this is something that affects everyone.” Lee said the event she is most looking forward to is Take Back the Night. This event will be focusing more so on domestic dating violence
Infographic by Allison Lee | Executive Editor Lessons in Love | SWAB planned a week of conversations and learning opportunities centered around making and maintaining healthy relationships. The four-day series kicks off with Do’s and Donut’s on Nov. 18. and sexual assault. Different groups perform a medium relating to the topic, such as spoken word, poetry and dance by Dance in Flight. “It gives me so much hope to know that people want to be involved in this work,” Lee said. “They want to help and partner with us to really make sure that our campus community knows that healthy relationships.” Lee said this will be a place for both students and faculty to be vulnerable in sharing their experiences with violence or how they may be impacted by violence. “I think that it’s most powerful when you hear it from a
peer, or you hear it from your professor or you hear it from someone that you work with,” Lee said. “I really want to make sure that people know — yes, this happens, but we’re a community that doesn’t stand for it.” In regards to Take Back the Night, Lee said it is important for students to take care of themselves and to know when they should stay in a room or leave if they feel uncomfortable. “We really want to educate in a sensitive manner, so that we don’t bombard people with information or make them feel overwhelmed,” Lee said. “Because I don’t think that true
learning or experience works that way.” The first thing to do when knowing someone who is experiencing difficulty in a relationship is offer an empathetic and nonjudgmental space for them to talk, Lee added. “People who have experienced violence have been in a situation where power and control has been exerted over them,” Lee said. “Then they no longer have the power and control or agency over their body or their choices. We, as supporters and friends, need to stand beside them and give them as much power over their life as they can.” Case said she wants stu-
dents to know that their team provides a continuing space for these individuals. They have relaxation rooms, mental health awareness week and therapy dogs. “I would say the main takeaway is just to know that they’re supported,” Case said. “We’re really a community that’s here for each other, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of what happened — just really creating that safe space for those students and to have these meaningful conversations.”
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Pepp addresses inclusivity issues within Greek life Grace Wood G u est Con trib ut or
Silver and bordeaux. Garnet and gold. Wine and silver blue. All of these are colors selected by national Greek organizations with chapters at Pepperdine, specifically chosen to represent a Greek group’s distinct values and to provide recognition. However, one overarching color exists within Greek organizations that is hard to miss: White. Students of color comprise a small percentage of Greek life on campus, according to Fall 2018 statistics from Pepperdine’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness. The OIE reports that out of about 800 students who participate in Greek life, only 5% is made up of ‘“nonresident aliens,’” 12% is made up of Hispanic or Latino students, 4% is made up of Black or African American students, and 8% is made up of mixedrace students. These findings show that White students comprise 66% of Greek life, and it’s worth noting that the data excluded ethnic groups with fewer than 20 students. “I think it’s no secret that within our Greek population, it is skewed toward being less diverse in terms of race and ethnicity,” Assistant Director for Student Activities Allison Green said. After noticing the lack of diversity within fraternities and sororities at Pepperdine, Greek life intern (and former Pepperdine Delta Tau Delta member) Hudson Casiple said he wanted to shed light on the issue. At Pepperdine Casiple, Green and representatives from Pepperdine’s Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils (IFC) organized two mandatory forums for all members of Pepperdine’s Greek organizations Aug. 28. It was there that Casiple used powerful statistics and diversity activities to show Greek students just how homogenous the Greek system is. “I don’t think exclusion is necessarily bad … but who are we excluding that we probably shouldn’t be?” Casiple said. “[Fraternities and sororities] can take steps toward making them[selves] more inclusive in the sense of what type of people are [they] looking for? And that’s not limited to upper middle class White folk.” Pepperdine is home to two National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated organizations: Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha. The NPHC, colloquially referred to as the “Divine Nine,” is comprised of nine historically African American fraternities and sororities. While Casiple recognizes the worth that Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha have at Pepperdine, he said that their very existence is indicative of larger, systemic issues. “[Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha] started as a result of there not being a space for people who are not White in the existing fraternities and sororities,” Casiple said. “But while we recognize and appreciate their presence on this campus and what they have to offer, the fact that they exist is just a sign of the failure of IFC and Panhellenic to be inclusive in the way that they should be.” How Did Greek Organizations Reach their Current Level of Sameness? Multicultural organizations started forming at universities in the early 1900s, according to “Going Greek: The Organization of Campus Life and Class-Based Graduation Caps,” by Laura T. Hamilton and Simon Cheng. Hamilton and Cheng agree that these cultural organizations started as a result of existing Greek organizations “maintain[ing] sharp class (and race) boundaries in the face of increasing heterogeneity on college campuses.” Pepperdine Psychology Prof. Tomas Martinez said he relates the analogous nature of Greek life to acquaintance and ease. “It’s simply the idea of comfort familiarity,” Martinez said. “People who are just like us, we tend to be more comfortable with, more secure with ... people who come from different values or norms or cultures we may see as not the same as us. And so our tendency would be not to seek out those folks.” Speaking from personal experience, Martinez spoke about the danger of tokenism in relation to race or ethnicity. “[Tokenism] can create a certain level of resentment,” Martinez said. “[The token] isn’t really seen as a part of ‘our group,” but it represents the facts, the numbers, the statistics.” After experiencing tokenism first-
hand during her time in a Greek sorority at UCLA, Green agreed that Greek organizations should not make people of color feel as though their skin color is the only reason for their presence. “It was a little daunting at first, feeling as if I was the token so-and-so ... I was being matched with people of color in the recruitment room,” Green said. “It’s a really delicate balance I think for our chapters to be careful not to ‘otherize’ or tokenize our students of color.” Another barrier that may contribute to the lack of diversity within Greek life is money, because not every student at Pepperdine has access to a dispensable income for extracurricular activities. Numbers from Pepperdine’s Panhellenic Association and IFC showed that membership in a sorority or fraternity for four years could cost up to $5,900 and $4,900, respectively, according to a 2018 Graphic article by Christian Sanchez. Even if a student chooses not to join a Greek organization, they still have the opportunity to engage in different Greek philanthropies on campus. However, most of these philanthropy events still cost money for students, which may hinder a student from participation. Green discussed the issue of the ‘Greek bubble’ in terms of financial obligations. “[The Greek bubble] definitely exists in terms of who we invite to philanthropy,” Green said. “[Greek organizations] invite people out just to watch, and if they want to play they have to get five friends, and the entry cost is over $100. That’s not something that non-Greek students would want to do.” While Greek organizations claim to invite the entire Pepperdine community to participate in their culture, Green said they often don’t realize what is really being asked. “[Greek organizations] say ‘anyone can join’ … [They] want people to show up, but [they] want people to show up and pay money,” Green said. “I think that is a huge turn off for a lot of other people.” The opinion that Greek organizations are unnecessarily exclusive isn’t just shared by Greek life advisors and professionals. A Pepp Post poll of 50 Pepperdine students found that 46.5% of students don’t believe Pepperdine Greek life is racially and ethnically diverse, and 54.8% of students said that this lack of diversity bothers them. Another facet that may deter students from the Greek recruitment process is how quickly into freshman year they are asked to sign up. Junior Franki Hooks said one reason she didn’t rush was because she was already overwhelmed during her first semester at Pepperdine. “[Recruitment] came very soon at the beginning of the year,” Hooks said. “I didn’t even know when it was until other people started doing it. It just all kind of hit me.” Hooks, who identifies as African American and White, said she noticed a lack of diversity after the new members received their bids. This realization affirmed her decision not to join a Greek organization. “I didn’t realize the lack of diversity until bid nights when I saw the new pledges,” Hooks said. “Once I saw them, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, you all look the same.’”
Sauter pointed out that an essential point in the process of linking cultural and Greek organizations is something that seems relatively simple: calendar-sharing. “Organizations other than Greek life aren’t aware of our calendar at all,” Sauter said. “We do all these great philanthropy events all the time and nobody else on campus knows what’s going on … Something basic like calendar-sharing is a big thing.” BSA Co-President Payton Silket stressed that BSA isn’t only a space for African American students at Pepperdine. “BSA is open for everybody, whether you’re Black or not,” Silket said. “It’s an open space for you just to come and learn and have fun and be with your friends and be with people you love.” After participating in Alpha Tau Omega’s philanthropy event, Gladiators, Silket said he had an enjoyable experience, but he wondered why he hadn’t ever heard of the event before. “I knew maybe 50 to 75 percent of the people in [that] room, so I was like, ‘Why is there such a disconnect?’” Silket said. “After that I realized just how siloed we are, whether it’s in our cultural clubs or Greek life or any other groups on campus.” After this realization, Silket said he became more motivated to help BSA engage with Greek organizations on campus. “I wanted to spark a way that we can begin to mesh together, not losing our identities but collaborating,” Silket said. “I’m making sure that we share our calendars and that we share events.” When asked what greater impact he thought these collaboration could have, Silket cited one of Pepperdine’s oldest adages. “We’re purpose, service and leadership on this campus — not for our own organizations, but to be world-changers,” Silket said. “If we can’t be world-changers and bridge gaps on our own campus, how are we supposed to do that in a much bigger arena?” A cornerstone of increased inclusivity within Greek life seems to be negating harmful stereotypes. Sauter said the unfavorable light that media portrays Greek students in is one of the toughest obstacles that must be overcome to increase diversity within Greek organizations. “You hear Greek life, you hear obnoxious frat boy or stuck-up sorority women,” Sauter said. “You see horrible racial or hazing incidents, and you have a bad taste for it. We’re at Pepperdine, and it’s meant to be different here; we should actively be a voice for difference. So why is it that we’re not?” Members of NPHC groups on campus want to diminish their own stereotypes and to be included in Panhellenic events. Junior Justus Bell serves as the vice president, chief membership intake officer and step team choreographer for Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He said that many people at Pepperdine misunderstand his chapter. “Unfortunately, a lot of people kind of think of it as the Black fraternity or like it’s only for Black people,” Bell said. “Although we do have a historically African American influence, it’s not exclusively [African American].”
Junior Brianna Willis, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, said if she could give any message to the Greek community at Pepperdine, it would be to include her sorority in Panhellenic and IFC events. “I’ve noticed that Panhellenic or IFC organizations don’t really give us a chance,” Willis said. Willis said many sororities and fraternities on campus have philanthropy events, but never inform AKA about these events or invite them at all. “Sometimes, we don’t even know that an event is going on until we see it,” Willis said. “But we do want to be a part of these things.” As far as concrete measures to recruit women solely based off of values, sororities at Pepperdine faced additional challenges when the recruitment process was shortened to just three days in 2018. Senior Maggie Gianvecchio, president of Delta Delta Delta, said that her sorority re-examined their recruitment process after the change. “We’ve worked on the intentionality of our conversations … Just making sure that the women going through recruitment feel comfortable with us to share their values with us,” Gianvecchio said. Green said making prospective Greek members feel welcomed and desired is a key aspect of making recruitment more inclusive. “It’s all of our duties to be more proactive and reach out,” Green said. “If you’re the only Greek person that someone knows and they have a positive interaction with you, it can help change people’s perceptions of what they think they know about Greek life.” Sauter said maintaining a pro-Greek attitude is the way to attract prospective members who may not be sure if Greek life is meant for them. “We need to have more of a go-Greek presence versus ‘My sorority or fraternity is the best one,’” Sauter said. “Breaking down those stereotypes that Greek life is a scary thing is how we’re going to get [people] to join our chapters who may not have been certain that they wanted to join.” Casiple said the main message he wanted to give at the mandatory Panhellenic and IFC forums was to encourage Greek members to use their privilege in a positive way, rather than ostracizing those who may not be as fortuitous. “This was not to say, ‘You should not be privileged’; you can’t help that,” Casiple said. “It was more to say, ‘You have these factors going for you. So how can you use those factors to benefit those without them?’” Casiple wrapped up his discussion at the forums with a reminder of the positive results that increased diversity can bring about, including an increased perspective and a richer life experience. He ended his talk with a call to arms for Greek members to seize the opportunity to incite changes within their organizations. “Be excited, be encouraged, because you can do stuff that others cannot,” Casiple said. “So how do you want to use that?” GR AC E.W OOD@PEPPER DINE.EDU
How Can Greek Organizations Become More Inclusive to People of All Backgrounds? Sydney Sauter, former Panhellenic president and current philanthropy chairman for Kappa Kappa Gamma, said the start of true inclusion comes from asking hard-hitting questions. “When we say we’re doing values-based recruiting, are we really doing that? Why are certain people not attracted to Greek life?” Sauter asked. “Why is it that Greek life is primarily attracting this one type of person; what is it that we can do to make it more welcoming and inclusive?” Sauter said an important step away from homogeneity is reaching out to cultural groups on campus, like the Black Student Association (BSA) and Crossroads. “It made sense to start talking about what we can realistically do to create these spaces where Greek life can be an approachable person at the table instead of this news report that you see and you think, like, ‘I don’t want to ever do anything with them,’” Sauter said. “So these walls start to come down, and stereotypes are broken down on both ends.”
Courtesy of Brianna Willis Living Greek | (from left to right) Treasurer Karrington Baisden, President Brianna Willis and Vice President Alexis Fant of Alpha Kappa Alpha smile for a photograph. The trio attended the Far Western Regional Undergraduate Round Up conference this past October.
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PCH is both scenic and deadly anastassia kostin g u es t con t rib ut or
This past Friday, Nov. 8, Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) claimed another life. Commuter students take PCH every day, perhaps unaware of the growing list of fatalities and injury accidents due to reckless driving along the iconic roadway. The highway carries about 37,000 cars near the Malibu Civic Center on an average day. In the summer, those numbers increase by 3,000 to 5,000 a day, according to the Los Angeles Times. A higher volume of cars means a higher risk of accidents. In 2018, there were three fatal accidents and 131 injury accidents due to issues including unsafe speed, unsafe lane change, following too closely, improper turning, driving under the influence and right of way violations, according to the UC Berkeley SafeTREC Transportation Injury Mapping System. From 2015 to 2018, there were 633 injury accidents and 17 fatal accidents. Under California Vehicle Code 23103, reckless driving is defined as driving a vehicle “in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property,” according to California Legislative Information. Chris Frost, chair of the Malibu Safety Commission, said that reckless driving is an umbrella term. “Reckless isn’t usually what’s written, it’s speed,” Frost said. “That’s a tough one to track because it’s usually a preemptive ticket if it’s something else that’s going to drive that ticket besides reckless. It does show up, but not as often.” California Highway Patrol Officer Wes Haver said the crime of reckless driving is highly dependent on the circumstances of each individual case. “If they’re arrested, not just cited, it would be a misdemeanor,” Haver said. “If they killed someone, it might be bumped up to involuntary manslaughter, which means they didn’t mean to do it, but they knew the risks associated with that reckless driving.” Things like drifting and tire screeching help build the case for the officer to prove to a court that the reckless driving charge is justified, Haver said. During the weekends, the mountain roads in Calabasas and Agoura Hills are known spots for reckless driving incidents; Haver said he gets multiple complaints from residents about dangerous drivers. “Mulholland Highway attracts people from all over the world,” Haver said. “Whether they’re from overseas or from Orange County just here for a day ride … we pretty much get it all due to the beautiful scenery.” Pepperdine alumna (1982) Carol Hahn has lived in Malibu since 1997. Hahn said she is all too familiar with reckless driving, as her daily commute includes PCH. “I think living here and knowing how dangerous the highway is and can be, it’s ingrained into my mind to drive defensively … [I] look out for people coming up behind me real fast, look out ahead [to see] if somebody is drunk or speeding too fast,” Hahn said. Hahn said driving on PCH was safer during her student years and that current efforts to make PCH safer do not focus as much on prevention. “We didn’t have the cameras at the intersections, and now the only way they can use those is after the fact, after there’s been a smash up and a death,” Hahn said. “Then they go back to the cameras and they look for the cars that were involved.”
In 2018, Hahn wrote a letter to the editor of the Malibu Times about a particular reckless driving incident when a sheriff did not respond to her 911 call. Hahn ended the letter with, “Please, help!” “I was calling 911, I said ‘Get a sheriff out here, this guy will not move. I think I’m going to be rear-ended,’” Hahn said. “[The dispatcher] told me it’s going to take 20 minutes for an officer to get there. I could have been plowed into by then.” Frost said part of the problem with reckless driving on PCH is the lack of traffic enforcement. “We can enact laws, we can do all kinds of stuff, but you need people to enforce them, and we’ve got a 21-mile stretch of ground here and we need more law enforcement than we’re putting on the ground,” Frost said. Frost said this was the first year that there was not a fatality in the summer, thanks to Lt. Jennifer Seetoo — the Malibu representative of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station — and her efforts to curb accidents on PCH. “Jennifer Seetoo was successful in starting a zone enforcement that broke Malibu up into zones and assigned patrol cars to those zones, so they were able to work that zone instead of driving from Topanga to County Line,” Frost said. “That meant that you had all the zones covered and that helped a lot.” Frost said until people start driving better, however, PCH will remain just as dangerous, or get even worse. “Speed on the highway is a big deal, but distracted driving, running red lights, curbto-curb U-turns are a big one; I almost got into an accident tonight with somebody turning through the cones at Sycamore Park where the road is being fixed,” Frost said.
Anastassia Kostin | Guest Contributor Beautiful but Dangerous | (top) There was three fatal accidents on Pacific Coast Highway in 2018. Just this past Friday, a deadly crash shut down stretches of PCH for six hours. (Bottom) The Malibu Beach Team on Zuma Beach. The team will sometimes enforce traffic in the summer if they are not busy patrolling the beaches.
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We can enact laws ... but you need people to enforce them, and we’ve got a 21-mile stretch of ground here and we need more law enforcement than we’re putting on the ground. chris frost CHair of Malibu Safety commission
Another big issue is entitlement, Frost said. “People think they’re entitled to do these things and the law doesn’t count for them because they live here; they’re rich, they’re a movie star, there’s something else,” Frost said. PCH safety concerns are brought up during every Public Safety Commission meeting, Frost said. “The problem is, for us to [make PCH safer], we need to double the number of deputies
we have on the highway, and we have to teach them good traffic enforcement,” Frost said. Frost said prior to Malibu’s incorporation as city in 1991, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was responsible for patrolling PCH and issuing tickets for traffic violations. That changed when the city incorporated and contracted with the county sheriff’s department for police services. “So the one thing that will make our highways safer? Put [California] Highway Patrol back on,” Frost said. “But we can’t, because when we became a city, they passed a law that unless you want to hire them and pay for them out of your pocket, the state’s not going to provide them.” Frost said Malibu pays over $8 million dollars to the Sheriff’s Department to both enforce the law and ticket people that are breaking traffic violations, but added that they do a “crappy job of traffic enforcement.” “There’s individual people that do a good job, but some of them concentrate too much on speed and the radar gun
Courtesy of LA County Sheriffs’ Twitter
and not enough on all the other things they should be looking at — people going over the double [line], people not paying attention, people swerving, running red lights, you name it,” Frost said. In addition to the zoning enforcement, Frost said the Malibu Beach Team at Zuma Beach is instructed to enforce traffic during the summer if they are not patrolling the beaches. “We also have officers on bicycles,” Frost said. “People driving along see them and it’s a deterrent, so that’s a good thing. But they need a lot more officers on the highway or the [California] Highway Patrol. If they have that presence with both … that’d be gold.” Increased numbers of tourists during the summer is not the sole reason for increased police presence, Frost said. “It’s not like we’re specifically saying, ‘They don’t know the dangers of PCH, so we’re going to go out and protect them’; it’s to protect everybody, ” Frost said. “In many cases, they are the dangers of PCH because they do things on the highway that are unsafe.”
So what can be done? Individuals such as Michel Shane are currently working on “21 Miles,” a documentary exploring why so many people are killed in Malibu on PCH, after a reckless driver struck his 13-year-old daughter Emily Rose Shane along PCH in 2010. On a larger scale, the City of Malibu conducted a Malibu Safety Study in 2015 to “examine current road conditions, determine accident patterns, assess traffic conflicts and develop strategies to improve safety on PCH.” Hahn said there should be an updated report. “It’s almost five years now since 2015, and I think it’s about time to do another traffic study,” Hahn said. Students can practice time management and defensive driving to avoid driving recklessly on PCH. “PCH is dangerous; it’s just the reality of it,” Hahn said. “Always allow more time to get to campus, instead of racing down the highway. Just be defensive.” NASTASSIA.KOSTIN@PEPPER DINE.EDU
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Rabbi unites religious communities at Pepp Lindsey su llivan Sta ff write r Celebrating his third year as rabbi in residence, Ari Schwarzberg has been providing mentorship for over 30 students and continues to enrich students’ experience by leading the Jewish Culture Club’s convocation program. The convo is a requirement for Brenden Mann scholars of the Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish Studies, but it is open for all students to attend. “I think it’s a beautiful model for all religious communities to be very committed to your own identity ... but also to accommodate [other religions] of the university and to want those students to feel welcome as well,” Schwarzberg said. “As a religious person I am inspired by that.” After being raised in a modern orthodox Jewish culture, Schwarzberg attended a Yeshiva program in Israel — a Jewish school focusing on the study of traditional religious texts and later received his rabbinical ordination at Yeshiva University’s Theological Seminary. To expose himself to a different social experience that was not strictly Jewish, Schwarzberg attended Harvard’s School of Divinity and received his Master of Theology, where he said he was one of only two students to wear a yamaka — a traditional Jewish cap.
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The truth is that it’s always healthy for anyone, and certainly for me, to get out of their own enviornment. Ari Schwarzberg Rabbi in residence
“The truth is that it’s always healthy for anyone, and certainly for me, to get out of our own environment,” Schwarzberg said. “To be in a Christian environment [at Pepperdine], and to be working with the Jews and Christians, I found it to be a real challenge for me and something that would keep me engaged with something outside of my community.” The university invited Schwarzberg to be the rabbi in residence after a survey conducted by the president’s office revealed that Jewish students were being underserved, Schwarzberg said. The Glazer Institute partnered with Law School professor Michael Helfand to create the position to better serve Jewish students and students of all faiths alike. “I think we have had a very profound experience, learning and growing together,” Schwarzberg said. “It becomes fertile ground for rich conversation and interfaith conversation that I think has made both Jews and Christians very comfortable.” Founded in 2008, the Glazer Institute has provided opportunities for students of all faith backgrounds to learn more about the tradition of Judaism and its historical relationship to Christianity. The institute offers educational grants for Seaver faculty to enhance courses and incorporate Jewish literature and culture. It also offers the Brenden Mann Foundation Scholarship program for students who are looking to supplement their educational experience with Jewish studies. “There are so many things we can learn from each other through different cultures and different experiences,” said Monica Welsh, program coordinator for the Glazer Institute. “I think that’s partly what the Glazer Institute is about, is bringing those to light — the history, the education, the tradition and the culture.” While Welsh said many students may be unaware of the institute or its programs, Glazer continues to open up events to the student body and greater surrounding area, and plans to continue to do so in hopes that student awareness of the institute’s programs and opportunities will grow. “The Glazer Institute is trying to
Courtesy of Ari Schwarzberg Going Green | Ari Schwarzberg speaks at the Jewish Culture Club’s convocation. It is his third year as Rabbi in Residence. build this community within Pepperdine and the [Malibu] community itself,” Welsh said. Helfand said a sizable portion of funding for the Glazer Institute comes from the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. “What is really exciting about this [funding] is that it represents the way in which the broader Jewish community wants to be present at Pepperdine,” Helfand said. Senior and Brenden Mann scholar Luke Vorster said he has enjoyed his experience as a scholar of the Glazer Institute as well as the Jewish Culture Club’s convo. “I think there is a lot of value in this club convo, and especially in the mission of the Brendan Mann program,” Vorster said. “It not only opens our perceptions and horizons to evaluate these other faith systems as well, but it also just gives us a better understanding of our own faith and what we believe — which is a really cool opportunity and something that is unique to the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.” Vorster said the club convo is a time
where students of various faith backgrounds can come together, share a meal and talk through different religious topics. During one convo meeting, Schwarzberg discussed prayer and read excerpts from Jewish prayer books. Then students were able to have a conversation with one another about their experiences and beliefs on prayer in their own lives. Schwarzberg said he believes that his role on campus, together with the Glazer Institute, provides an opportunity for students to be exposed to Judaism in a healthy way. “I always look forward to Tuesdays and other days that I come to Pepperdine and meet with the students,” Schwarzberg said. “It forced me to think about how I want to articulate parts of Jewish tradition to an outsider; how I want to think about inspiring Jews that are at Pepperdine to care more, or invest a little bit more in their Jewish identity.”
L INDSEY.SUL L IVAN@PEPPER DINE.EDU
SunLife announces goal of being plastic-free by 2021 jessica stomberg sta ff write r Owner of SunLife Organics Khalil Rafati has made it his mission to be completely plastic-free by 2021, in an effort to take care of the Earth. SunLife will be incorporating cups and lids made from cornstarch, as well as straws made out of corn fiber. These cups will disappear in a landfill within 24 months (at the longest), versus plastic, which doesn’t break down. Rafati said he eventually wants even the bottles they put their juices in to be made out of hemp, corn or some other alternative. “I have to be the change I want to see,” Rafati said. Because the plastic alternatives will be more costly, Rafati said he is anticipating a $1 price increase per menu item, beginning this July. Junior Annie Little, manager of the Cross Creek Malibu SunLife, explained why it is important for SunLife to strive for greater sustainability practices. “All of our ingredients are organically grown and come from the earth…so giving back and taking care of our source of life is very important to us,” Little wrote in an email. Little wrote that she is “very blessed to be a part of both the SunLife Organics team and the Pepperdine community in their awareness and intention of caring for the earth in this way.” Junior Layne Patry, employee at SunLife, shared her thoughts on SunLife’s commitment to going plastic-free. “I think it’s an amazing thing that they are doing,” Patry said. “I am so proud to be working at a place like this and hope that it makes people think twice about the plastic that they use.” Being a popular spot among the Malibu and Pepperdine community, Patry said she believes it will set a good example. “By showing our commitment to going plastic-free, it may encourage others as well, to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in Malibu,” Patry said. Two Pepperdine Integrated Marketing Communication majors, Blair
Bonifield and Andrea Romero, said they approached Rafati about working with SunLife for their senior capstone project. Their class was asked to create a sustainability marketing campaign with the Plastic Pollution Coalition, by finding creative ways to spread information and promote living a more sustainable lifestyle. Bonifield said Rafati is passionate about running a company that has integrity, so much so that their campaign idea to promote SunLife’s plan to eliminate plastic was met with great excitement from Rafati. Their campaign will run from Nov. 11 to 15 at the Point Dume and Cross Creek Malibu locations of SunLife Organics, where they will be giving $1 discounts to all customers who bring in their own reusable jar or bottle for their smoothie, juice, tea or coffee. These customers will also be entered into a raffle to win a $100 SunLife gift card, Hydro Flask and merchandise. This will all be in celebration of SunLife’s commitment to being plastic-free, which they are hoping to achieve by 2021. Bonifield said she hopes this campaign can inspire other SunLife teams — outside of the Malibu locations — to partake in a similar campaign. She also said she sees it as a push for individuals to go out and buy their own jars and reusable cups. “What I would really hope would come from this would be that people, through SunLife’s large Instagram following, will become aware of the harmful effects of plastic,” Bonifield said. “That’s what I’m most excited about, for people who don’t live here to get more information on why it’s not just this California trend, but it’s actually really, really important.” Rafati said he hopes that SunLife’s initiative to go plastic-free will have an impact well beyond just the Malibu community. “I’m looking to inspire way beyond Malibu,” Rafati said. “I’m looking to inspire companies all over the world, that — yes it’s more expensive and yes it’s very difficult and challenging — but it’s the right thing to do.” J E S S I CA .S T O MB E RG @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U
Photos by Jessica Stromberg | Staff Writer
Going Green | SunLife sells merchandise including reusable Hydro Flasks and bamboo water bottles (below). The brand has two Malibu locations: the Country Mart and the Point Dume Plaza. Photos by Sherry Yang
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The Graphic
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PERSPECTIVES
STAFF LIST
Caitlin Roark | Art Editor
STAFF EDITORIAL Graphic defends Freedom Wall request
The Student Government Association (SGA) passed a resolution Wednesday, Oct. 23 denouncing hate speech on campus in reaction to a homophobic message anonymously left on the Freedom Wall on top of the anti-Chickfil-A message. After SGA took down the homophobic message, replaced it with an LGBTQ+ flag and officially passed the resolution, the same anonymous student took down the flag and put up another message denouncing sodomy in its place. The Graphic posted flyers on the Freedom Wall, Twitter and Instagram in an effort to reach out to the student for comment. The flyers had two photos of the message the anonymous student posted and the Graphic’s email address for the
student to contact. Although the Graphic staff knew posting these flyers would cause a reaction from the student body, it is standard journalism protocol to cover all sides of a story. Since the Graphic upholds the highest standards of ethical journalism, the writers were obligated to reach out to the anonymous person to find out all of the facts. This was not giving the student a platform but covering a story. According to the American Press Association, the first principle of journalism is an obligation to tell the truth. “The ‘journalistic truth’ is a process that begins with the professional discipline of assembling and verifying facts,” according to the website of the American
Press Association. By posting the message on the freedom wall, our reporters were trying to gather and verify all of the facts. Getting the facts right is the cardinal principle of journalism, according to the Ethical Journalism Network. Similarly, journalism is only as good as the information given to the journalists from their sources, according to the Ethical Journalism Network. All major newspapers follow these practices. The anonymous student was a critical aspect of an issue that SGA responded to with the resolution denouncing hate speech and homophobia. As journalists, we hold a responsibility to reach out to the person in question. In doing so, we were doing our due dili-
gence to not ignore a viewpoint. If SGA were to pass a resolution in response to an action President Jim Gash does, for example, we would have to reach out to him for comment. At the same time, the Society of Professional Journalists includes the responsibility to minimize harm in its code of ethics. In reaching out to the anonymous student, we aimed to minimize harm by reporting both viewpoints and gave the individual a chance to respond. We did this by putting posters up for fewer than 36 hours. We chose to take them down as soon as possible to avoid provoking the issue any further. As soon as we received an email response, we took the flyers down.
Finally, the article necessitated comment from various sources, though onlookers only saw us reaching out to one. Other sources that we reached out to include Crossroads, SGA, students and Admissions. Because the source was anonymous, the only way for us to contact the student was through public means of communication. However, the anonymous student was just one of many sources whose viewpoints and actions we are covering for this story. We encourage anyone who is still concerned to reach out and send us a letter to the editor.
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ex ec u ti v e ed i to r a l l i so n l e e M anag i ng Ed i to r madeleine carr So c i al M ed i a M anag er sava n n a h w e l ch P i x el Ed i to r k i l e y d i ste l r ath o nl i ne p r o d u c er k ayi u w o n g G New s p r o d u c er m a r i sa d r ag o s c o py c hi ef ga b r i e l l e m ath ys c r eati v e d i r ec to r n ata l i e r u l o n New s Ed i to r ch a n n a ste i n m e tz New s Ass i stants v e r n i e cova r r u b i a s James Moore Alex neis S p o r ts Ed i to r k yl e m c ca b e ass i stant sp o r ts ed i to r Ali levens sp o r ts c o py ed i to r b rya n t l o n e y P er s p ec ti v es Ed i to r m a ry m a r ga r e t dav i s P er sp ec ti v es ass i stant c a m ryn g o r d o n L i fe & Ar ts Ed i to r g i a n n i c o c ch e l l a as si s tant L i fe & ar ts ed i to r r o wa n to k e L i fe & Ar ts as si s tant E m i ly Sh aW l i fe & ar ts c o py ed i to r makena huey l i fe & ar ts d esi g ner M e l i ssa L o c k e p o d c ast d i r ec to r Kaelin mendez Ar t Ed i to r c a i tl i n r oa r k as si s tant ar t ed i to r s a l ly a r m str o n g m a d e l i n e d u va l l ab r oad c o r r esp o nd ents a sh l e y m o w r e a d e r sawa ya m a k awa adv er ti s i ng d i r ec to r so n i r u saga r a Adv er ti s i ng m anag er m aya m cd o w e l l D i r ec to r o f P ep p er d i ne G r ap hi c M ed i a E l i z a b e th Sm i th As si s tant D i r ec to r O f P ep p er d i ne G r ap hi c M ed i a Co u r te n ay Sta l l i n g s MISSION STATEMENT “Pepperdine Graphic Media (PGM) is an editorially independent student news organization that focuses on Pepperdine University and the surrounding communities. PGM consists of the digital and print Graphic, a variety of special publications, GNews, Currents Magazine, social media platforms and an Advertising Department. These platforms serve the community with news, opinion, contemporary information and a public forum for discussion. PGM strengthens students for purpose, service and leadership by developing their skills in writing, editing and publication production, by providing a vehicle to integrate and implement their liberal arts education, and by developing students’ critical thinking through independent editorial judgment. PGM participates in Pepperdine’s Christian mission and affirmations, especially the pursuit of truth, excellence and freedom in a context of public service. 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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It’s OK to create disunion Cam ry n Gordon p e rs p e c t i v e s assistant
Most parents try rather quickly to resolve disputes between their children. Whether the conflict originated due to control over the television or chores, quarrels between siblings tend to be brief for the sake of familial unity, as it is necessary for balance and comfort. However, most conflicts in the home end when someone yields his or her argument for the sake of reconciling, not because the parties found a resolution. This is also how many treat politics today. It is often said that people should maintain friendships with others of the opposite ideology, continue to date others with the opposite ideology and even work in places where employees hold the opposite ideology. But in an age when politics is personal for so many, those arguments have lost all grounding. Today the world is faced with great and long-drawn disunion between peoples and politics. This disunion not only exists in the United States but everywhere, including Pepperdine’s campus. As students study and prepare to enter this ever-changing world, it is important to be knowledgeable about the reasons for disunion within one’s life and figure out how to handle it healthfully, even if that means ending relationships. Recently, a petition circulated the university asking
students to sign for Chick-fil-A to be brought to campus. This petition, sponsored by the Student Government Association, was met rather quickly with backlash from another petition from the on-campus organization, Crossroads, due to the popular food chain’s anti-LGBTQ+ history. While Pepperdine ultimately decided to pass on adding Chick-fil-A to campus dining, the issue is still an accurate example of how political unity is hard to come by, even when the matter may seem apolitical. Today, however, nothing is apolitical. Right now the world is struggling to remain united on everything from the refugee crisis to the conflict between Turkey and Syria to Brexit to climate change and so much more. Disunity engulfs the world making it difficult to understand the intricacies of division and lack of union between peoples. Quite frankly, political division is not reserved for any one person, group or party. It can occur anywhere and anytime. When it comes to political unity and maintaining it, it is important to take into consideration people current policies affect, leaders and so much more. This is not a call for unity. In fact, this may be the opposite. In the current state of political turmoil, many rely on unity to blanket the differences between people with scenes of harmony. Politicians calling for unity despite the details of policies that harm minority groups or student governments suggesting restaurants despite looking into donation history are two ways disunity occurs today. By leaving out important voices and failing to consider the ef-
alexis scanlon staff writer
Caitlin Roark | Art Editor fects of potential policies on all people, it forces groups to speak out against others. No one has to unite with their peers because the world is fractured, no one has to forfeit their beliefs, morals or values to mend an already broken political system and no one has to feel bad for speaking out for what one believes in. As young adults and college students, it is important to know where one stands when it comes to making a decision between complacency and action. The days of feeling like one has to conform, be the bigger person or cede beliefs for someone else’s comfort are long gone. It
is OK to perpetuate disunion if the option for unity is one that is problematic for others. As the holidays approach there are some easy ways to kick-start healthy debate techniques. Political topics do not have to be ignored, but if they are brought up voice one’s opinion and back it up with evidence so that it is irrefutable. Always remember to be respectful of other people, family members and friends.
C AM RYN.GOR DON@PEPPER DINE.EDU
Seek truth in LGBTQ+ equality at Pepp
anitiz muonagolu s ta f f w r i t e r Growing up religious or being surrounded by a Christian community can be very hard for many people in the LGBTQ+ community. This hardship on the LGBTQ+ has now extended to Pepperdine University, creating an imbalance and negative stigma with the community. It is true that the LGBTQ+ community on Pepperdine’s campus has made some headway in recent years like with the formation of Crossroads and LGBTQ+ convocation events. However, it seems to be at the cost of their own ability to progress the LGBTQ+ movement on campus. Pepperdine needs to reevaluate and revise its statements that blatantly discourage and put down the LGBTQ+ community on Seaver’s campus. Crossroads is the first official LGBTQ+ club on Pepperdine’s campus, yet in its charter it only describes itself as a support group for LGBTQ+ students. This is different from other
Madeline Duvall | Assistant Art Editor clubs that represent marginalized groups on campus, as it states on Peppervine, “This organization holds on to the firm belief of respecting Pepperdine policies and ethics and will not advocate for any policy changes.” For instance, organizations such as the Black Student Association (BSA) or the Latino Student Association (LSA) are both capable of taking political stances as organizations on and off campus. However, “the administration considered and approved Crossroads to have a space on campus with a caveat that it would not pursue political agenda or change the stance of Pepperdine,” current Crossroads President Juan Carlos Hugues
Extend a hand during wildfire season
said. This means that Crossroads has an unequal balance of how it can represent its student body. Furthermore, this leaves a gap in the improvement and change that is normal and crucial on campus. Pepperdine reflects the Church of Christ values as a Christian university and this could actually be a benefit to explore the link between Christian faith and homosexuality instead of barring force. This example can be seen in the Community Standards’ position on sexual relationships. “All members of the University community are encouraged to consider and respect the teachings of Jesus and historic, Biblical Christianity,” the Pepperdine
Community Standards states. “Pepperdine University affirms that sexual relationships are designed by God to be expressed solely within a marriage between husband and wife.” While the debate between Christian marriage and homosexuality is ongoing, at Pepperdine this type of description can be discouraging to the LGBTQ+ student body. “It’s very exclusive toward the LGBTQ+ community,” Hugues said. However, this can change. Just by re-examining the given statement, Pepperdine can choose to be inclusive and remember the teachings of Jesus and his commandment to love one another. This doesn’t change or take away from the statement that sexual relationships aren’t encouraged on campus, but it does remove the fact that it explicitly accepts only heterosexual marriage. Pepperdine also claims to reflect the Church of Christ values in its Affirmation Statement. Specifically, the Affirmation Statement states “that the quality of student life is a valid concern of the University,” and “that truth, having nothing to fear from investigation, should be pursued relentlessly in every
discipline.” Both administration and student body need to come together to make sure that its affirmation and core values are being represented in all aspects. This means possibly changing policy or the wording of certain handbooks and changing the caveat presented in the charter of Crossroads. Pepperdine cannot become stagnant in its prospect of truth in all areas of the campus, and it’s possible in the future Pepperdine will need to take a new or a refreshed standpoint of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s time to push forward and engage in more LGBTQ+ issues and its positive relation to the Bible. “We need to engage in [truth],” Hugues said. “It’s time! We should be empowered by knowing what the Bible says and have no fear in seeking truth.” The administration needs to reevaluate and change its biased policies especially if it demeans the voices and personalities of other students. Furthermore, as a community, students need to band together and fight the injustices that Crossroads and the LGBTQ+ face on campus. AJ.M UONAGOL U@PEPPER DINE.EDU
In the wake of what feels like a never-ending fire cycle, students are thrust into another season of unknowable weather conditions and past emotions. Even with Pepperdine’s consistent email updates assuring students that administration is monitoring everything, there is always the human fear of the unknown. Yet, there is a strong sense of comfort in knowing that Pepperdine is insured, has precautionary steps to follow and prioritizes safety. Many Californians do not experience any sense of comfort amidst evacuation warnings and directional shifts in the infamous Santa Ana winds. A study published amidst the 2018 wildfires by researchers from the University of Washington and the Nature Conservancy show that wildfires disproportionately affect low-income people of color. How do we, as a state and a university, justify the inequality? Elizabeth Ferris, a research professor at Georgetown University, argued that a problem often encountered in a natural disaster is unequal access to assistance. Not only does unequal access provide barriers in evacuation, but there is also an increased health risk to low-income residents who have been displaced to locations within the vicinity of the wildfires. Without the option to leave the state or relocate to an unaffected region, many residents are left with the harmful effects of pollution and toxins. Students have felt the effects of the surrounding fires through smoky air and ash that require safety masks to be worn. The impact of air pollution in the areas directly affected are much greater than what has reached campus. The issue of unequal access to basic human rights is one that can often be forgotten under the protection and safety of a university like Pepperdine. The student body is made up of individuals who care for those around them and seek to enact change, yet it can be easy for anyone to become centric-minded in the face of natural disasters. What can Pepperdine do to combat the effects of inequality in times of fear? Whether it is providing temporary housing relief to low-income residents who have been displaced or assisting in food and clothing provision, there are opportunities for Pepperdine to assist and provide for those in need in our community. Los Angeles is full of opportunities to partner with outreach organizations. The United Way of Greater Los Angeles is a non-profit on a mission to end cyclical poverty and has provided disaster relief and recovery funds to low-income families affected by the Woolsey Fire. There are many people who do not currently have the capacity to evacuate and do not have a sense of comfort in these times. It is essential that we are both aware of our privilege as a university and utilize that privilege effectively to provide support and resources where we can. L EX I.SC ANL ON@PEPPER DINE.EDU
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Alex Neis | News Assistant Creativity Flows | Characters from Pepperdine’s production of “Ragtime” stand off in a dance showdown during a dress rehearsal. The musical portrays the stories of three characters: Mother, Tateh and Coalhouse Walker Jr. The production opens at Smothers on Friday Nov. 15.
Preview: ‘Ragtime’ showcases ‘incredibly compelling’ storytelling Emily Shaw Li f e & A rts ASsista n t
Pepperdine’s production of “Ragtime” is set to open Friday, Nov. 15 in Smothers Theatre after the work and collaboration of numerous students, faculty and staff. Set in eary 20th century New York, “Ragtime” centers around the journeys of three distinct yet intertwined people all striving to do what is right in the midst of an unjust and harsh society. “Ragtime” follows the story of three individuals: Mother, a compassionate and capable upper-class White woman; Tateh, a determined immigrant from Latvia; and Coalhouse Walker Jr., a passionate African American musician from Harlem. Playwright, Terrence McNally, wrote the musical, based on E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel “Ragtime,” with the help of composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens. The musical made its Broadway debut in 1998 and won a Tony Award for
Best Book of a Musical and for Best Original Score. Kelly Todd, Pepperdine director and choreographer of “Ragtime,” said she was very excited to direct this musical because of its relevance to issues seen today. “It felt like the most recent headlines were all displayed in this show, even though it was 100 years ago,” Todd said. The Performance and Cast Members Junior Sydney Demaria plays Mother, and senior Nathaniel Thompson plays Father, Mother’s husband. “Every character in the show is profoundly human, I believe, and I think Father is no exception,” Thompson said. Demaria said she brings her individual strength to the character of Mother, while also showing her deep knowledge of the nuances of “Ragtime.” “Kelly and I talked about how I don’t have to play [the character] as an older woman,” Demaria said. “I don’t necessarily need to put on this fake, inau-
thentic maturity that I don’t necessarily have, and [I am able to] embrace my own spunk and my own fire and passion that I bring to Mother.” Performing with an Eastern European accent, Noah Archibald plays Tateh, an immigrant from Latvia, who struggles to find success for himself and his daughter in America. Archibald, who plays a father, performs with one of the children in the cast, who is his character’s daughter. “To dive into a show with that youthful energy right next to you has changed my whole perspective on it,” Archibald said. Junior George Preston plays Coalhouse Walker Jr., and junior Leyla Dillig plays Sarah, the mother of Coalhouse Walker’s child. Preston said he prepared for his role by journaling through the mindset of Coalhouse Walker and by reading the novel “Ragtime.” He said each night of rehearsing and journaling he discovered something different about his character.
“I don’t want to go out there and do the same thing each night,” Preston said. “Is [Coalhouse Walker] thinking about revenge right now, or is he just in the moment, or is he confused? I’m trying to figure out the truth each night.” Dillig plays Sarah, who is a mother, and one way Dillig prepared for her role was by talking with her own mom along with other mothers she is close with. “Talking to all these beautiful women was really inspiring for me and really helped me connect to who Sarah is,” Dillig said. There are also several characters in the musical that are fictionalized versions of historical figures, including Emma Goldman, played by sophomore Lauren Drake; Evelyn Nesbit, played by Brooke Moltrum; Henry Ford, played by Jack Gerding; JP Morgan, played by Adrian Patiño; Booker T. Washington, played by Josh Fredenburg; and Houdini, played by Julian Duncan.
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Malibu Film Society brings a delightful taste of English class to Malibu Mar ia B elen Itu rralde staf f w rite r
Sitting in the outdoor patio of the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue, over a hundred members of the Malibu Film Society (MFS) and their guests gleefully sipped tea and savored delectable bite-sized sandwiches, both essential components of the traditional British high tea being served in honor of the evening’s featured film: “Downton Abbey.” The sound of teacups clinking and the pleasant hum of conversation dominated the room Saturday evening as attendees discussed favorite characters and plot lines of the famous British saga over crumbly scones generously coated with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Guests took their last sips of Earl Grey as the Society’s executive director Scott Tallal announced that the movie was starting soon and reminded guests to stay in their seats after the movie for a scheduled Q&A with one of the
film’s actors. The evening’s guest was Allen Leech, the Irish-born actor playing Tom Branson in the film and one of the many guests Tallal has hosted at the Malibu Film Society. The Malibu Film Society is, according to their website, an all-volunteer non-profit founded to engender a strong sense of community by bringing local film-lovers together for exclusive film screenings. “Our goal was to have a community gathering place where people could come on a regular basis,” Tallal said. This is certainly what the Society represents for senior International Studies major Luke Whartnaby. “It’s nice to have that community here,” Whartnaby said. “It’s nice to have that intimate setting right next to campus, and it’s a great enrichment to the experience at Pepperdine.” Both Tallal and Whartnaby spoke of the unique nature of the screenings. They said showings go beyond
Phyllis Yu | Staff Writer
Photos by Maria Belen Iturralde | Staff Writer Poppin’ Films | (left) A woman pours tea into a teacup in honor of the “Downton Abbey” showing at MFS on Saturday Nov 9. (right) A MFS volunteer scoops fresh popcorn into a container from an old-fashioned popcorn machine to give out to guests before the screening.
what everyone can see in conventional movie theaters, providing a oneof-a-kind experience in which film-lovers can learn about featured movies and about the
people who make them. “Whenever they have a guest, it’s a very candid conversation,” Whartnaby said. “It’s very lowkey, and you can always ask questions.”
Celebrities ranging from directors, producers, writers and actors have at times sat beside Tallal for frank conversations about their work, spilling quirky
details of the making of specific films and sharing unique perspectives of their craft.
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Photos by Vernie Covarrubias | News Assistant Art Advocacy | (left) Pepperdine students gather behind the official sign at the art display at Upper Mullin Town Square at the Malibu campus. (right) The main sculpture of the exhibit shows a figure raising a ‘crumbling earth’ toward the sky while standing on a pile of trash.
Art show in Upper Mullins encourages sustainability at Pepp V er nie C ovarrubias New s Assista n t
The Center for Sustainability unveiled a sculpture titled “World at War” alongside student artwork on Nov. 5. Artist Blake McFarland said he created the piece as a way to bring awareness to the issue of human waste in the ocean and landfills. “The figure is rising up out of a pile of trash, holding a crumbling earth,” McFarland said. “It symbolizes how we as a society are destroying our earth with our bad recycling habits and climate deterioration activities.” The sculpture is made of
100% recycled material. McFarland said he collected the materials from beaches and landfills in the Bay Area. “My goal for this piece was for someone to walk by it and see something that they would consider trash and transform it into something very unique and thought-provoking,” McFarland said. At the bottom of the sculpture, items such as nets, wires, plastic crates and discarded signs are piled together. The hero character is made out of recycled tires, which McFarland said come in many different forms of tread. “The interesting thing about tread is you can depict muscle structure very well,” McFarland
said. “So I went straight to the anatomy books and made the muscle structure as anatomically correct as I could.” McFarland said he considers it crucial for college students to be exposed to the artwork’s subject of human waste. “You see talk about ocean populations going down, you see overpopulated areas with trash everywhere,” McFarland said. “I think it’s really important to show that we can change our habits by eliminating single-use plastics and being better about recycling.” In addition to McFarland’s piece, the exhibit displayed artwork that various art students and art club members made from recycled materials.
The Art for the Earth event was a part of a greater initiative the Sustainability Program is pushing on campus. An Enjoyer ice cream cart was present at the exhibit with a variety of vegan popsicle flavors for students to choose from. Additionally, representatives from Hyundai were present to promote the Fill it Forward Challenge, a $100,000 competition between Pepperdine University, Loyola Marymount University and Santa Clara University. The challenge encourages students to track each time they refill their water bottles with a barcode sticker. “There’s an awareness al-
ready at Pepperdine about the importance of using a reusable water bottle,” Center for Sustainability Director Camila Pupparo said. “But I think that could expand to more people in making them aware of how much plastic we waste. Most of it ends up in our landfills that are overcrowded or in our beautiful ocean.” The awareness about waste that the Fill it Forward Challenge aims to spread closely aligns with the inspiration behind his project, McFarland said. Pepperdine will display “World at War” until Nov. 13.
Students run the show in Pepperdine Student Players al ex n eis New s as sista n t
Student acted. Student written. Student produced. Pepperdine Student Players (PSP) puts students in the spotlight and behind the scenes. The student-run theater company is planning a modern musical, professional workshop and a curated showcase this year, according to the group’s president, junior Natalia Escobedo. PSP, which began in the 2018-2019 school year, provides students from all disciplines and majors with the opportunity to participate in theater. Seniors Christopher Jerabek and James Moore, PGM news assistant, said they started Pepperdine Student Players last year to enable more students to participate in student-led theater productions. Jerabek and Moore had led multiple student-run productions for which they needed the university’s approval and funding. “There were people who were still interested in performing, but because they weren’t theater majors, it was harder for them to perform in the big theater shows,” Jerabek said. There was no organization behind these early projects, but it was still student-organized theater, Jerabek said. Moore said he envisioned a more organized and established student theater company. Moore and
Jerabek founded Pepperdine Student Players for this reason last year, and this year is the second year Pepperdine recognizes the student led group. “James’ idea was to take what we’ve been doing, give it an official label and make a company out of it,” Jerabek said. “That gave us more opportunities to do workshops and to explore different routes of performance.” PSP also provides an outlet for non-theater majors to participate in theater. PSP continues to function as a creative space where students can do theater regardless of their major, Escobedo wrote in an email. “Though most of our members are theater majors, there are also music majors and screen arts majors,” Escobedo wrote. “We receive all levels of experience and all majors with open arms.” The mission of PSP, Escobedo wrote, is to give students a space to express their talents. “We’re centered around developing new works and cultivating multi-disciplinary collaboration,” Escobedo wrote. “At the core of what we do, we provide rising artists with a vital platform for uninhibited creative expression.” Escobedo wrote that this semester PSP has added a musical theater program to its repertoire. “We will be staging three performances of Lin Manuel Miranda’s ‘21 Chump Street,’ which ex-
EM ILY.C.SHAW @PEPPER DINE.EDU
Photos courtesy of Kyle Wurtz
Courtesy of Kyle Wurtz Showtime | Junior Leyla Dellig and alumnus Corbin Ford perform a scene from Pepperdine Student Players’ inaugural production “Stay Because. . .” in Spring 2019. Senior Nate Bartoshuk wrote the play and the Graphic News Assistant James Moore directed the production. plores the ramifications of peer pressure set in a high school,” Escobedo wrote. “21 Chump Street” tells the story of a high schooler who falls in love with an undercover police officer, according to This American Life. The true story originally aired on the “This American Life” podcast in 2012. Auditions for the musical were Oct. 12, and the performances will be in December in the Mini Theater. In preparation for its productions, PSP members attend rehearsals and monthly meetings. “The director of each production is also in charge of working
around the actors’ schedules to create a rehearsal schedule that works best for everyone involved in the performance,” sophomore Clara Fermanian, a member of the group, wrote in an email. Additionally, PSP plans to collaborate with Los Angeles artists and theater companies to host workshops throughout the year in order to expose student performers to professional mentors. “We’re excited to collaborate with industry artists and bring their knowledge directly to our company,” Fermanian wrote. Next semester, Escobedo wrote PSP plans to host curated showcases to highlight stu-
dent writing, directing and acting. This spring, the spotlight will be on American playwright August Wilson. Professor Nic Few and junior acting major George Preston are collaborating with PSP to create a showcase of Wilson. The performances will take place Feb. 23-25. Preston said the showcase marks not only Black History Month but also the fifteenth anniversary of Wilson’s death. “We’re going to be playing some scenes and excerpts from Wilson’s Pittsburgh cycle,” Preston said. “It was a 10-play series, covering each decade of the 20th century of African Amer-
ican life.” Preston brought his idea for the showcase to Few, saying that he wanted Few to direct the production. The two reached out to Escobedo, who connected them with the space and funding to make the showcase possible. “We wanted to be able to get the space and the lighting right,” Preston said. “If we were going to do it, we wanted to do it the right way.” Look for “21 Chump Street” on Dec. 7 and 8 in the PLC Mini Theater, and for more information about PSP performances and events, check its Peppervine page or find the group on Facebook. AL EX .NEIS@PEPPER DINE.EDU
Photos courtesy of Warner Bros
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by Alex | News Assistant PhotosPhotos by Alex NeisNeis | News Assistant Practice Makes Perfect | The cast of “Ragtime” hones its craft during their first official dress rehearsal. (left) Sophomore Lauren Drake passionately speaks as her character, portraying a fictionalized version of historical figure Emma Goldman. (right) Junior George Preston and other cast members dance on the stage. “Ragtime” opens Friday, Nov. 15 at Smothers Theatre with tickets on sale online and in person.
RAGTIME: ‘The Human Story’ performs on Smothers Theatre’s stage F R OM B 1 Drake said the people playing historical figures are not directly carrying the story; rather they are a bit like historical mementos interacting with some of the characters of the show. There are many other characters who move the story forward in its plot and add more depth to the musical, including Younger Brother, played by Joseph Hebel; Grandfather, played by Brit Hope; Little Girl, played by Maddie Robinson and Elizabeth Muller; and Little Boy, played by Ryan Robinson and Nicholas Board. Furthermore, the ensemble sang in unison and danced in a variety of different numbers, setting the tone for several scenes. “Everyone in the cast has a moment where you get to just see their heart, and it’s gorgeous,” Drake said. Music Todd said the production will feature the Pepperdine University Orchestra with conductor Pierre Tang. “The score is phenomenal, and we have an incredibly talented cast that sings just like angels,” Todd said. “Aurally, it’s going to be amazing, and the story is incredibly compelling.” The timing and expressive dynamics of the music that Tang and the orchestra produce move the story of each scene. “The music is incredible,” Drake said. “It is so full and rich and powerful … It feels like it just builds and builds, and it’s like this train and then you just go.” Demaria echoed Drake’s sentiment. “Another thing about the music that’s so brilliant is that the storytelling is actually pushed forward through the music,” Demaria said. “[The music] is so important to the
story that we’re telling, and without the songs, it would not be as powerful and moving as it is.” Costumes and Set Design
Serving as stage manager for the musical, senior Emma Inglehart has numerous responsibilities. She wrote in an email that she is responsible for the coordination between all the different moving parts, which include the actors, the orchestra and the crew members. She ensures that the show runs smoothly and is also in charge of telling the light and sound board operators exactly when to change cues. “The audience can look forward to a performance with gorgeous design elements in lighting and costuming especially,” Inglehart wrote. Inglehart also mentioned that the costumes they rented are from the original Broadway production of “Ragtime.” The set design is also a major part of the visual component of the musical that adds to the authenticity of the stories the actors tell. Additionally, the musical includes video projections by video projection designer Nick Santiago. “I’ve worked with [Santiago] before and so had Yelena, our lighting designer, and when we knew we wanted to do video projection, we both thought of him, and [we’re] just so blessed that he was able to work on this project,” Todd said. Outlook of Cast and Others The cast and others involved in the production said they believe that the story of “Ragtime” is extremely important and relevant, especially for the Pepperdine community. “I think it’s a show that is so ahead of its time when it premiered in 1998 on Broadway,” Preston said. “Reading and see-
At The Theatre | Members of the Immigrant Ensemble point accross the stage during a musical number. The members of the cast wear the costumes, which are accurate to the time period, from the original Broadway production of “Ragtime.” ing that there’s so much depth to each character, it really fired me up and inspired me to work on the musical.” Demaria said she thought “Ragtime” was also important to the Theatre department at Pepperdine. “It’s a very important show for the Theatre department because usually we do more uplifting, happy musicals, and this is definitely a more heavy, challenging show,” Demaria said. Drake said she thinks “Ragtime” is important for the Pepperdine community because it forces people to be uncomfortable. “I think a lot of times at Pepperdine, we’re full of incredibly nice people that prohibits everyone from having the hard conversations because when you’re having a conversation like this, you can’t be nice; you have to be honest; you have to be vulnerable,” Drake said. Producing “Ragtime” had a profound impact on the cast and others involved in the making of the musical. Dillig said she was initially
worried the cast would be divided like the characters in the musical are, but she now feels like the cast is very united in its goal to tell this important story. “I think we’ve actually gotten so close as a cast that I’m really comfortable and really excited to tell the story with these people,” Dillig said. “It’s really great how far we’ve come.” In order to examine and understand the racial history and tensions that are prevalent in “Ragtime,” Associate Dean of Student Affairs Eric Wilson led forums for the faculty, cast and crew. Todd said Wilson has an extensive background in theatrical performance and is very knowledgeable about African American history and the history of African American performance. “It helps to know what mindset [the characters are] in at the time and what the custom [was],” Thompson said. Drake said she thought the forums were also helpful to the faculty. “I think [the forums were]
very beneficial for the faculty to connect with the students’ needs and the students realities,” Drake said. Demaria said the story of “Ragtime” has made her more aware and empathetic. “I think the story is so important to learn about other people’s stories and realize that there’s so many issues outside of yourself that you need to be aware of,” Demaria said. Todd said she hopes the musical will inspire people to be more brave in their own lives by seeing the characters’ courage to do what they think they need to do. “The story of ‘Ragtime’ is a human story,” Demaria said. “It’s a story of humans coming together and learning how to unite together for a common purpose.” The Pepperdine community and others can see this “human story” in Smothers Theatre, starting Friday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. until Saturday, Nov. 23. Tickets cost $10 for students and are available online and at the Smothers box office. EM ILY.SHAW @PEPPER DINE.EDU
FILM SOCIETY: Film Society brings fun opportunities to movie lovers FR OM B 1 On Saturday, for instance, Leech admitted to having jokingly bet a co-worker that his character’s final dancing scene — which he learned on the aisle of the train on the way to the filming site — would not make it into the movie. The Society will show over 80 movies this year, several of which are screened at MFS before their official release date. “We offer student memberships for $150 a year,” Tallal said. “It’s like 2 bucks a movie!” Last Sunday, Tallal and the Malibu Film Society launched a podcast titled, “Hollywood Unscripted” to further profess their love for films, which goes
beyond the on-screen product and into the intricate and enthralling process of production. Tallal, a lifelong movie lover and film enthusiast said he wanted to bring films to Malibu, noting the absence of a local movie theater, the desire to build community and the beauty of filmmaking itself. “Yes, there are beautiful paintings, yes, there are beautiful photographs, yes, there’s beautiful music,” Tallal said. “But film is the only art form that brings it all together.” Treated to the usual complimentary popcorn buckets and glasses of wine, guests watched “Downton Abbey,” appreciate the art of filmmaking and relish the warmth of
community. They laughed in unison to Maggie Smith’s witty remarks and uttered a collective “aw” upon hearing Leech share that the next big project he is working on includes the baby he is expecting with wife Jessica Blair. The Malibu Film Society, Tallal said, is more than a theater; it is the epitome of community. It is a group that gathers to foster a sense of sharing and appreciation for the beauty of the age-old tradition of storytelling. It is also, conveniently located exactly 0.5 miles away from campus and eager to welcome more students as active members. B E L E N . I T U RRA L D E CH I RI B O GA @P E P P E RD I N E.EDU
Maria Belen Iturralde | Staff Writer Tea Time | Guests at the Malibu Film Society enjoyed fresh scones and jam before the screening of “Downton Abbey” Nov. 9. Members were also able to hear from the Irish-born actor Allen Leech after the film.
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Fresh Face: First-year aspires to transform people’s diets Rowan Toke
L ife & Ar t Ass i s tan t e dit or Originally from the southeastern city of Guangzhou, China, firstyear Cecilia Li is an international student who went to high school in Searcy, Arkansas, while living with a local host family. During this time, Li said she found her passion for nutritional science, which has encouraged her to pursue a career in this field. Li wrote in an email that she did not anticipate how many international students there would be at Pepperdine and greatly appreciated the New Student Orientation (NSO) for international students. “The faculty take special care of all the international students ... because they know we are away from our home and they want us to feel like home when we live here,” Li wrote. While living with her host family, Li said she learned about the Churches of Christ, which strengthened her faith and exposed her to opportunities like studying at Pepperdine. Li and her host family would often read and study the Bible together. “My host family [has a] huge impact on my faith,” Li wrote. “They are living examples of Jesus’ servants.” After attending a Church of Christ high school in Arkansas, Li said she knew she wanted to come to Pepperdine University for multiple reasons. Li said her host family always encouraged her to go to a
faith-based university. When they saw that she was not applying to any re l i g i o u s ly- a f f i l i a t e d schools, her host mother gave her a list of Church of Christ colleges to apply to. “[My host family] really wanted me to [go to] a Christian environment so that I [would] not lose my faith in God,” Li said. Li said her host family supported her decision to get baptized in the United States. She considers every member of her host family a role model but especially admires her host mother for her selflessness. “My host family [is] very loving and they care about others a lot,” Li wrote. At Pepperdine, Li said she is very involved with the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) and runs its social media accounts. Li said she also works for the Office of International Student Services (OISS). She converts students’ grades from other countries to the 4.0 scale that Pepperdine uses. Li wrote that she also participates in a dance group called RnD Crew that meets weekly to learn Korean Pop (KPop) music dance. Her six-person group is currently preparing for a Chinese New Year Party performance. After living in Arkansas, Li said her favorite thing about Pepperdine is how different it is. “My high school was [in the] countryside,” Li said. “There’s not much of anything going on in that small town. People basically know everybody.”
Madeline Duvall | Assistant Art Director Healthy Living | (above) First-year Cecilia Li has a passion for nutritional sciences and aspires to work in the nutritional counseling field. (below) Li smiles for a photo after graduating from high school in Arkansas. She moved to the United States from Guangzhou, China. Li said there is a lot going on in California, and she loves the diversity at Pepperdine. “There are people here from all places,” Li said. “I sometimes like people to tell me their story, and it seems like everybody gets used to it here, but there are so many [diverse] people.” In addition to appreciating Pepperdine’s diversity, Li wrote that she has been passionate about nutritional science since she began eating healthier in high school. “I tried to prepare my own lunch every day, and I found myself learning about the food’s nu-
trients,” Li wrote. With a degree in nutritional science, Li said she hopes to become a dietitian. She is interested in helping people through the counseling side of the profession. After graduating from Pepperdine, Li wrote that she wishes to stay in the United States and get a master’s degree in nutritional science. “After that, I might work for others first, but [eventually] I want to have my own business,” Li wrote. “I want to own a gym and also help the customers with their diet.” RO WA N .TOK E@PEPPER DIne. EDU
Courtesy of Cecilia Li
Courtesy of Focus Features
Courtesy of Disney A Villainous Re-Telling | Released Oct. 18, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is a sequel to the 2014 movie “Maleficent.” Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning returned to their respective previous roles, and Michelle Pfeiffer joined the cast. The movie made $433.4 million in the box office and received mixed reviews. While some people praised the performaces by Jolie, Fanning and Pfeiffer, some claim the plot is underdeveloped.
Review: ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ conveys a gloomy family rivalry R ac e Dalton S taf f Write r
“Maleficent” was one of the first Disney live-action movies, and the announcement of a sequel excited many fans who were eager to experience more of the alternate version of “Sleeping Beauty.” Despite the aesthetics displayed throughout the movie, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” was underwhelming as a follow-through with a poorly developed plot that disappointed many fans of the first film. The film is set in the kingdom of the Moors, a fairy kingdom where Elle
Fanning’s Aurora rules as queen. Aurora has fallen for Harris Dickinson’s Phillip, the prince of Ulstead — a neighboring kingdom filled with humans who believe that Maleficent and the other fairies are evil. Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent, Aurora’s motherly figure, is accused of putting the king of Ulstead under a sleeping spell during a tense dinner between the two families. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Queen Ingrith is Aurora’s future mother-in-law who hates fairies and acts suspicious during the dinner. What unfolds is a gloomy Romeo and Juliet plot involving a genocidal scheme that may make some parents squeamish.
The main plot seems unsuitable for the movie’s target audience of young children. When Aurora finds out about the genocidal plot, she does everything in her power to stop it. While it is notable for Disney to showcase genocide — one of the most desolate facets of humanity — for children, the movie goes about it in the wrong way. Some children may still be too young to tackle this difficult subject matter, and many may not understand the dismal themes the movie is presenting. Although “Maleficent” is a visually darker version of “Sleeping Beauty,” the sequel only seems to be trying to intensify this tone,
leading the plot astray. The movie’s most positive aspects come from the setting and the visual effects. The aesthetic shots of fairies flying around the scenic kingdom of the Moors creates the perfect fantasy atmosphere, but this atmosphere feels out of place due to the ominous plot. The acting in “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is another strength. Jolie reprises the titular character and, as always, delivers a strong performance. Fanning and Pfeiffer also showcase phenomenal performances, especially with the glum material the script provided. If the film’s plot utilized the dark subject matter in a
more effective manner, the sequel would have had the potential of becoming another great Disney live-action film. However, the underdeveloped plot left room for disappointment for fans of the first film. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” was not a terrible film overall, but it certainly was not a great one either. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is currently playing in theaters. Although there is no confirmed release date for personal home viewing, there are predictions that the film will be released to the greater public in January 2020.
R AC E.DALTON@PEPPER DINE.EDU
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Women’s Soccer returns to NCAA tournament aust in h all staf f w rit e r Their ticket is stamped. Pepperdine Women’s Soccer will play in their sixth NCAA Tournament in eight seasons. They will face the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who posted a 15-3-2 record in the regular season. For Pepperdine, the season has been a rocky one. Their first loss was the third game of the season to an unranked, out-of-conference Illinois Fighting Illini. After a contested 1-0 loss to highly-ranked Vanderbilt two days later, Pepperdine dropped their third straight to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Despite the discouraging stretch, the team responded with an upset against Stanford, the second year in a row that the Waves took down the No. 2 ranked team in the country. The team played UCLA to a 2-2 tie in September and went 7-2 in West Coast Conference play. Junior midfielder and leading scorer Joelle Anderson said she feels that the battle-tested group has improved significantly this season.
“Our preseason schedule was probably one of the toughest in the country, and I think it has prepared us well for the tournament,” Anderson said. “Playing teams like UCLA, Stanford and BYU this season was a challenge, but it helped us get to where we are at right now.” As a team that returned eight key contributors from last season, expectations were high and the team was projected to contend for the conference title as they did last season. History repeated itself as Brigham Young University and Santa Clara finished atop the conference standings once again with Pepperdine at third place. One of the only differences from last season is Pepperdine’s invitation to play in the tournament, as they barely missed the cut last season. The Waves are no strangers to the tournament, as the team’s seniors participated in both the 2016 and 2017 postseason and the team’s juniors played in the latter. Pepperdine lost in the second round in both seasons.
File Photo Back Where they Belong | The Waves hold hands during team introductions before a game against the University of San Diego during the 2018 season, in which they missed the NCAA Tournament. Anderson said she was ecstatic to have the opportunity to play in the tournament. “It means so much that we are able to go back to the tournament this year, especially after not seeing our name up on the board last year,” Anderson said. “I think we proved that we are more than capable of playing against some of the top teams in the country and the NCAA committee recognized what a special
team we are.” The Waves have a small but significant history with the Red Raiders. The two teams battled early last season to a 1-0 Pepperdine loss. Anderson vividly remembers their style of play, and she feels they can exploit it this time around. “Last season, it was a very challenging game for us,” Anderson said. “Their physicality, along with their speed up top, was dangerous, but now
we know what to expect when we play them.” Pepperdine will travel to Texas for the first time this season. They will be playing in John Walker Soccer Complex on Tech’s campus in Lubbock. The reputation of the stadium and the Red Raider crowd is high, but Anderson said she is confident the team will make the most of the opportunity. “The atmosphere at Texas Tech is lively, and
their fan base is always big,” Anderson said. “But we are excited to be a part of the experience on Friday. It will be a great soccer game, and I know it is going to be a battle until the very end. I am confident in our team and all of the hard work we have put in over the past few months.” The game will kickoff this Friday at 4:30 p.m. AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU
Photos by Ali Levens | Assistant Sports Editor Welcome Back Party | (left) Head Coach Kristen Dowling discusses an issue with redshirt senior guard Paige Fecske on Sunday in Firestone. (right) Senior guard Barbara Sitanggan reaches for a ball as junior forward Monique Andriuolo communicates about an incoming screen.
W. Basketball begins campaign under new coach al i l evens as si stant sp orts e d itor
The new Waves women’s basketball head coach made her debut Sunday, Nov. 11. After coaching Claremont Mudd Scripps to a 147-46 record over seven years, Kristen Dowling, previously an assistant coach at Pepperdine for two seasons, returned as the new head honcho. Pepperdine outscored the California Polytechnic State University Mustangs, 63-53, the victory doubling as Dowling’s first win as head coach and the first season home win. “[The] first home game as a head coach here is awesome, such a blessing,” Dowling said. ”I’m very grateful.” Two starters used the home opener as a time to shine, nailing down 36 of the 63 points themselves: sophomore guard Malia Bambrick scored 21, and redshirt senior guard Paige Fecske followed with 15. The Waves posted a sound 48-85 defeat for their first game of the season Tuesday, Nov. 5, versus the Washington State University Cougars.
“We’ve been preparing for our first home game since summer,” Fecske said. “[We’ve had] lots of hard workouts, practice every day. All of it adds up to be prepared for today.” The Waves were ready for tip-off when they received a technical, allowing the Mustangs to put up the first points on the scoreboard before the clock even began. Once the game started, Bambrick’s two baskets put up the Waves’ first four points, but that didn’t stop the Mustangs from running away with the first quarter. Pepperdine was down 9-17, and not even a full quarter had been completed. After a slow start with a 33.3% field goal shooting percentage, the Waves were not in a favorable place. Fecske, one of the team’s leading scorers, was 0-6 in the field and behind the arc in the starting quarter. “I definitely told myself to slow down and to finish my shot,” Fecske said. “And [to] just keep shooting; they’re going to fall at some point.”
Once her shot got back in place in the second quarter, there was no stopping her from dominating on the floor. All within 54 seconds, Fecske scored a three-pointer off a Cal Poly turnover, made one of two free throws, then swished a left wing shot to tie the score at 25-all. The team took control of the court, rattling off a 13-0 scoring run in just under four minutes’ time. Pepperdine trailed Cal Poly for almost 18 minutes but once Bambrick made a three and put the Waves up, 28-25, there was no turning back. “[We were] focusing on rebounding, playing for each other, moving the ball more on offense — just the little things that we didn’t do at first,” Bambrick said. A pick-up in the Waves defense held the Mustangs to a mere six points in the second quarter. The Waves held on to their lead through the second half, with Bambrick hitting her stride and doubling her points, shooting a true percentage (three-pointers, field
goals and free-throws) of 81%. third quarter. They held their “Every practice, we’re consistent lead until the end working on our offense [and] buzzer. shooting,” Bambrick said. “My “All the girls on this team teammates [are] doing what have a lot of heart,” Fecske they can to get me open.” said. “They really, really want Even though the two lead- to win, so I think at the end ing scorers were starters, the of the day that if they have bench contributed 16 points, heart, that’s really all that 10 of them inPhotos the firstCourtesy half. Ju- matters.” of Pepperdine Athletics nior forward Monique AndriPepperdine contributed uolo scored eight, making her their win to their defense surthe third-highest team scorer rounding post players. of the day. “We were trying to work on “When people sub in from our defense and helping the the bench, it should be a pick- posts out there,” starter seup, not a drop off, and we had nior guard Barbara Sitanggan no drop off,” Dowling said. said. “Our defense was our “It’s a team game.” key factor today.” Despite solid scoring, the The defense translated into Waves managed to get into offense, as almost a quarter foul trouble. Redshirt se- of Pepperdine’s points were nior forward Ashleen Quirke because of forced defensive fouled out a minute into turnovers. the fourth quarter, redshirt Being this early in the seafreshman guard Jayla Ruf- son, Dowling said she wants fus-Milner had four and start- the team to improve on reer redshirt senior guard Han- bounding but the team took nah Friend received two of her care of the ball well. three early on in the game. The Waves are back at The Waves did not let the home Friday, facing off with double bonus deter them the University of Hawaiʻi from finishing the game Rainbow Warriors at 7 p.m. in strong, taking on a whop- Firestone Fieldhouse. AL I.L EV ENS@PEPPER DINE.EDU ping 14-point margin in the
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Courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics It’s a Sign | Freshman power forward Jan Zidek holds a basketball in front of Firestone Fieldhouse’s Pepperdine sign in April 2019.
Heritage, heart and hoops: Jan Zidek’s journey aust in hall staf f w rit e r The Kingdome Arena in Seattle, Washington. The year is 1995. A 40,000-person crowd filled to the brim. A oneseed versus a two-seed. This is what the curtain call of The Big Dance, or NCAA Basketball Tournament is all about. After being just a one-point game at the half, top-ranked UCLA outlasted Arkansas by a score of 89-78 and won the National Championship. This callback isn’t to focus on UCLA star Ed O’Bannon or the matchup of future Hall of Fame coaches Jim Harrick and Nolan Richardson. It’s to talk about Pepperdine freshman power forward Jan Zidek, but his story can’t be told without first focusing on the career of his father George. George Zidek Jiři “George” Zidek was born in what was formerly known as Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia, now called Zlín, in the Czech Republic. He comes from a basketball pedigree – George’s father, Jiří Zídek Sr., was a player for USK Slavia Prague in the 1960s and 1970s and led them to victory in the European 2nd-tier level 1968–69 season’s European Cup Winners’ Cup. George was a local basketball star from an early age. After his prep career in his home country, the 7-foot 250-pound center chose to play collegiate basketball on full scholarship at UCLA. After George’s freshman season, Head Coach Jim Harrick hired a 33-year-old first-time assistant coach named Lorenzo Romar, the current Men’s Basketball head coach at Pepperdine University. Romar said he quickly respected George and his discipline. “He was just such a hard worker,” Romar said. “As a coach, you’re
drawn to somebody like that. There would be opportunities where I’d go in the gym to work some guys out, and he would always be in there working on things. He just couldn’t get enough.” After playing just four minutes per game his freshman season and nine during his
“ I didn't think of recruiting that much. I was always the best among my peers. It was not until three years ago when I saw that it could happen. Jan Zidek, pepperdine freshman power forward
sophomore campaign, he did not stop improving and never thought about returning home to play professionally in Europe. The UCLA coaches noticed. “He had a passion for being as good as he could,” Romar said. “He did all of it with a 3.8 GPA and was a very squared-away, takecare-of-business guy. Coaches want to see guys like that do well.” Beginning his junior season, George did just that. He started every game and averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per contest. As a fifth seed, UCLA was upset by 12th-seed Tulsa in the first round of the 1994 NCAA Tournament. Harrick, who was at the helm for UCLA for seven seasons prior, did everything in his power to not let that happen again. In the 1995 regu-
lar season, the Bruins stormed through the regular season going 31-2 and securing a number-one seed in the Midwest division. They took down Florida International, escaped Mizzou, handled both Mississippi State and UConn before bouncing Oklahoma State in the Final Four. Their final task was the defending champion Arkansas Razorbacks, with Richardson, a future NCAA Hall of Famer, as the head coach. UCLA ran past Arkansas to win its 11th NCAA title, the first since John Wooden’s final season in 1975. In the game, George scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, both stats slightly higher than his season averages. After his senior season, George entered into the NBA Draft, where he was selected in the first round, 22nd overall by the Charlotte Hornets. He was the first Czech player drafted into the league. He played for the Hornets, Denver Nuggets and Seattle SuperSonics in three total seasons before returning to Europe to play for the Lithuanian powerhouse Žalgiris, where he won a EuroLeague Championship. George’s European career took him to several other teams before he returned to the Czech Republic, where he helped ČEZ Nymburk to Czech national league titles in 2004 and 2005 before retiring in 2006 due to knee injuries. It’s a Basketball Life
Jan was born on Dec. 13, 1999, in Prague. Last season, he played with the BK Wolves Radotin during the 2018–19 season, which won the championship in the Czech Republic’s second division. He began playing with USK Praha (Prague) at the age of nine and stayed with that club throughout his junior career. “I really come from a
basketball family,” Jan the same interest in Jan. have to defend opposing said. “Ever since my sec“I talked to Cal Berke- 4s and 5s. That leaves ond grade, I knew that’s ley and Northern Ari- the door wide open for what I wanted to do. I zona,” Jan said. “I was Jan to push for playing played with USK all my in contact with UCLA time as a valuable bench life, and I feel it’s done for a little bit, but they scorer. a good job preparing me didn’t offer me a scholHis playing style has for here.” arship. They only had the potential to rise to Growing up, Jan fo- one scholarship of- the occasion. cused on mastering his fer left, and they were “I think my biggest craft in Prague instead looking for a guard. I’m strength is my shot,” Jan of actively looking for a power forward, so it said. “I can knock them opportunities to play in didn’t work out. Regard- down from almost every the U.S. It wasn’t until less, I’m happy I landed spot on the court. I’m he was a teenager where here.” also trying to be an allhe realized that Courtesy playing of Pepperdine Athletics around and player, Calvinworking Wood in college was a possibil- Jan’s Role on the Team in some low-post game. ity. I also like to one-dribble “I didn’t think of reZidek said he looks pull-up — I can get set cruiting that much,” Jan to add depth and some with long-range threesaid. “I was always the scoring to a thin Pepper- point shots. The biggest best among my peers. It dine front court. Pepper- things I’m working on wasn’t until three years dine saw Darnell Dunn are the physical sides, ago when I saw that it graduate last season, like getting stronger could happen. I talked a senior who was only and a bigger frame to a lot about it with my 6’6” but started all but play on the highest levdad because it’s impos- six games at the center el.” sible to get an educa- position. Exciting OreRomar agreed that tion while playing bas- gon transfer M.J. Cage Jan’s style adds a dimenketball. They’re both left the team this off- sion to the offense. full-time jobs in a sense. season. That left sopho“There are few playThere’s just no chance.” ers in the country who Romar said he can recan shoot the ball at 6’9” member the day during the way that he shoots his first season back as the basketball,” Romar the head coach of Pepsaid. “Such a phenomeperdine that he found nal shooter — when he out about Jan. gets his feet set, you’re “I knew that George actually surprised when had a son, but that was a the ball doesn’t go in. He while ago,” Romar said. also can put the ball on “We were sent videothe floor and get to the I think my tape that someone had rim. Overall, a very talbiggest strength ented basketball player.” shot and that George got together, and that’s With the season unis my shot. when we first saw him. derway, Romar said he I can knock We quickly realized is ready for Jan and the that, OK, George has a team to keep making them down son that can play.” strides. from almost As he became a pros“If we’re the best every spot on pect, Jan said he was we can be, then there’s thrilled at even the posnothing else that can be the court. I'm sibility of following in said,” Zidek said. “We’re also trying to be trying to get better from his father’s footsteps. He said he remembers last year. We’re trying an all around the first time he met his to get better from last player. head coach. week. Hopefully, we’ll “I met Coach Romar be the best version of on a recruiting trip ourselves come game Jan Zidek, here,” Jan said. “It was time.” pepperdine freshman April 2019 and such a Jan said he is ecstatic power forward good experience. The for the rest of the seafirst time I spoke with son. him I knew he was a more Victor Ohia Obio“I’m really excited for skilled coach just by ha as the only center on my first college season,” how he could talk bas- the roster that started a Jan said. “There’s going ketball, and I knew that game last season. to be some new experihe was a really good perPepperdine is a team ences, and I will try to do son.” that traditionally goes my best to help the team Jan was offered a small, as both Kameron do the best things.” full-ride scholarship to and Kessler Edwards, Pepperdine will travel Pepperdine shortly af- 6’5” and 6’8” respec- to Abilene Christian to ter. Despite his father’s tively, will often be the play the Wildcats this great success at UCLA, biggest players on the Saturday at 5:30 p.m. the Bruins didn’t show court for the Waves and AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU
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Photos by Karl Winter | Staff Writer Get Defensive | (left) Kessler Edwards rises for a block attempt in the second half. (right) Redshirt junior Keith Smith defends a UC Irvine’s shooter. Smith scored two points in his first game after sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Edwards brothers lead men’s hoops to home opener win Kar l Winter s taf f writ e r
Redshirt junior Keith Smith defends UC Irvine’s John Edgar Jr. Smith scored two points in his first game after sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Waves were able to remain close in the first half due to the efforts of Kessler, who scored 13 points to keep the Waves offense afloat. “I just tell myself every game I’ve got to do everything I can for the team to win,” Kessler said. “It involves being aggressive on offense and doing everything I can on defense.” Sharpshooting guard Skylar Chavez also scored eight of his 13 points in the first half, the first career points in Firestone Fieldhouse for the junior transfer. The Waves trailed 41-38 at the break as the Anteaters shot 56% from the field in the half. The defense tightened right out of the gate in the second half, as Pepperdine went on a 7-0 run and earned four defensive stops in a row. “All the guys that [had] experience, we had been there before, so [trailing] wasn’t anything new,” Kameron said. “We knew to just keep our composure, play hard and we knew we could come back.” The Anteaters — coming off their best season in program history, in which they won 30 games including one in the NCAA Tournament — were seeking another road win against a West Coast Conference team. They had beaten San Diego by three Tuesday, Nov. 5, and were not about to go down quietly. Worku scored nine points as Irvine reeled off an 18-6 run between nine minutes
With the clock ticking toward two minutes remaining in Saturday’s game, Pepperdine trailed UC Irvine 73-64. The energy in Firestone Fieldhouse seemed deflated, as the Waves appeared bound for an 0-2 start to their season. In a 20-second span, the tables turned, as the sophomore forward Kessler Edwards and junior guard Colbey Ross connected on three-pointers to bring Pepperdine within three. “At the end, we were able to hit a couple big shots, create some turnovers and come up with the victory,” Head Coach Lorenzo Romar said. The biggest shot of the evening came from senior forward Kameron Edwards, older brother of Kessler. With 44 seconds to play, a possession after he made a floater to bring the Waves within one, Kameron took a pass from Ross and drilled a go-ahead three-pointer from the right wing, which put the Waves ahead 75-73. Ross added two free throws with six seconds remaining, capping a game-ending 13-0 run for Pepperdine, which came away with a 77-73 win in front of about 1,500 fans. “[Ross] drew two defenders — I was wide open, so I just rose up with confidence, and I luckily knocked it down,” Kameron said. Romar said the bench could tell that Kameron was confident in the shot. “You could see on Kameron [Edwards’] face that as he was lining up, he shot that ball as if to say, ‘I bet I don’t miss this one,’” Romar said. Kameron finished the game with 21 points and 10 rebounds, completing a double-double to lead the Waves in both categories. “That’s what fifth-year seniors do down the stretch — they make big plays,” Romar said of his starting big man. Kameron and the Waves endured a cold-shooting first half, in which UC Irvine jumped out to a 13-point lead with 9:02 remaining in the half. Anteaters’ senior guard Eyassu Worku torched Pepperdine for 17 points in the first 11 minutes. Worku would eventually cool down, but he finished with a game-high 26 points. “If you don’t guard, it doesn’t matter if you’re making shots,” Romar said. Courtesy “We didn’t guard very well in the first half.”
remaining and the final twoplus minutes. “We had dropped our opener [against Cal Berkeley on Nov. 5], so to lose one at home and start off the year 0-2 would not bode very well with any of us,” Romar said. The Waves’ dominant final two minutes, sparked by the Edwards brothers and Ross, who had five points and two assists in that span, ignited an excitable opening night crowd. “We felt it tonight,” Romar said. “The crowd was behind us, and it was great as we gave them something to cheer about at the end.” Ross finished with 13 points and eight assists, elevating him to fourth on Pepperdine’s all-time assists list. He is well on pace to reach the top of the list by the end of the season. The victory was Pepperdine’s ninth consecutive home-opening victory and their fourth consecutive against UC Irvine. “This is a good win for us, especially this early in the season,” Kessler said. “[After the loss to Cal], this is a good comeback for us.” The Waves took the momentum from the home opener into Tuesday’s game at Cal State Northridge, where they blasted the Matadors 94-82 behind a combined 44 points and 20 boards from the Edwards brothers. The road stretch will continue as the Waves, now 2-1, play 2019 NCAA Tournament team Abilene Christian in Texas on Saturday, Nov. 16 and then Pac-12 foe USC in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
of Pepperdine Athletics
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On the Ball | (left) Kameron Edwards drives against UC Irvine forward Collin Welp. (top) Kameron Edwards follows through on the game-winning shot. (bottom) Ross directs the offense against UC Irvine Saturday.
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