Pepperdine Graphic 9-19-19

Volume xLiX, Issue 4 september 19, 2019

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AnA stassia Kostin Sta ff Write r The City of Malibu hopes to create a Climate Commission to develop and implement a climate change mobilization plan.

All but one Malibu City councilmember endorsed the declaration of a climate emergency and requested regional collaboration to restore a safe climate at a Malibu City Council meeting Sept. 9.

A declaration of climate emergency is a “resolution passed by a governing body such as a city council, a county board of supervisors, a state legislature or even a national government,” according to The Climate Mobilization website. Of the 1,000-plus governments that declared a climate emergency, 32 are located in the United States and over half of the 32 are in California, as of Sept. 12. The an-

nouncement is timely with the Global Climate Strike — a movement to rally communities around the world — taking place Friday, Sept. 20. near the Pepperdine sign at Pacific Coast Highway near John Tyler Drive.

By the Malibu City Council declaring that the global community is in a climate emergency and committing to addressing it in time, the hope is that this action inspires other governments to do the same, according to Malibu Councilmember Mikke Pierson.

“We want to join 950 other cities around the world and set a direction for the future on our environmental stewardship and responsibility in many ways, including being carbon neutral, but that’s just the start,” Pierson said.

Climate mobilization is a possible solution to climate change — here are its goals. Though Peak and Pierson

put the resolution on the city council agenda, the resolution is largely the result of the efforts of local activists.

Lance Simmens is a political activist, author and vice president of the Malibu Democratic Club, among other positions. Simmens delivered over 100 presentations worldwide on climate change as part of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project.

“This is one of the most, if not the most important thing that we can do for our children and our grandchildren,” Simmens said. “This is all about future generations.”

Kraig Hill, City of Malibu planning commissioner, said to be mindful of calling it an emergency, which “connotes hasty action in a short period,” whereas “the climate problem calls for more permanent societal remodeling that suggests a deliberate process.”

Some of Hill’s sustainable solu-

For MORE, see A 5 tions included creating a climate commission charged with doing research and making recommendations to counsel about chronic longterm issues. The members would be from diverse backgrounds (University of California Los Angeles, Natural Resources Defense Council, community members and agencies). The commission’s work plan would be adjustable as real world conditions change.

Another solution was to tackle sectors within Malibu with the greatest greenhouse impact — emissions from transportation vehicles, electricity use by residential housing and

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Pepperdine Drops to #50 in 2020 U.S. News & World Report College Rankings Ja mes moore News A SSISTAN T Pepperdine University ranked 50th in the 2019 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s college rankings list, a four-spot decline from the 2018 rankings.

U.S. News published their annual rankings in the beginning of September. This is the fourth year in a row that Pepperdine has placed in the top 50 of the rankings. The college edition of U.S. News and World Reports receives attention from academia and high school students alike. Robert Morse, chief data strategist for U.S. News, wrote in an email that Pepperdine’s drop was a result of three main criteria.

“Pepperdine University moved down four spots in the ranking, which is not a significant change,” Morse wrote.

“Pepperdine had year-over-year gains in some areas relative to other national universities, specifically in peer assessment and selectivity. While Pepperdine remained consistent in financial resources, it declined in faculty resources, alumni giving and graduation-rate performance, relative to its peers.”

Dean of Seaver Michael Feltner said he believes the drop is rather a change in the ranking criteria.

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“It’s not like there was a fundamental change to Seaver College or at Pepperdine; it’s just that the methodology changed,” Feltner said.

The U.S. News and World Reports website outlines the six criteria they use to rank schools as well as how much weight each category is given: • Outcomes (35%) - Graduation and retention rates, graduation rate performance, social mobility, Pell Grant graduation rates • Faculty Resources (20%) - Class size, faculty salary, proportion of fulltime faculty with the highest degree in their fields, student-faculty ratio, and proportion of faculty who are full time.

• Expert Opinion (20%) - A two-year weighted average of ratings from top academics.

• Financial Resources (10%) - Spending per student.

• Student Excellence (10%) - SAT/ACT, high school class standings • Alumni Giving (5%) Feltner said U.S. News omitted high school counselor surveys from the 2019 criteria, which hurt Pepperdine.

“Last year, 5% of the ‘expert opinion’ ranking was high school counselor’s ratings of colleges,” Feltner said, “The other

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Natalie Rulon | Creative Director 15% was for what they call ‘peer assessment,’ which are ratings from other universities. This year, the full 20% is peer assessment.”

Feltner said historically Pepperdine has done best at high school counselor’s ratings, but not as well on peer assessment. Morse’s blog “Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings” justifies the omission.

“U.S. News discontinued that rank-

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ing factor in part because U.S. News had greater confidence in the data and the significantly increased response rates from the peer assessment surveys,” Morse writes. “Thus, expert opinion remains at 20% of the methodology.”

The provost and chief academic officer for Seaver College, Rick Marrs, votes for the U.S. News ranking every year.

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Pay (some) collegiate athletes

karl winter S ta f f Writ e r The California State Senate unanimously passed a recent bill known as the “Fair Pay to Play Act.” The bill is now on the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom.

The bill does not force universities to pay student-athletes, but it does allow student-athletes to hire agents and to profit off their own names, images and likenesses.

The current NCAA rules are, frankly, ridiculous.

This bill is not asking for all collegiate student-athletes to be paid.

It’s not really asking for any student-athletes to be paid.

It’s simply stating that restricting student-athletes from marketing themselves and from earning their own money via endorsements is illegal. Student-athletes can be legally defined as employees, and while some are compensated in the form of scholarships, they are barred from earning their own actual money on the side, unless it is entirely unrelated to their status as student-athletes.

If Nike wants to pay a collegiate student-athlete to endorse a product, the student-athlete should be able to accept the money. If a student-athlete’s jersey number makes millions in merchandise revenue, they should see some of that cash. If a student-athlete can’t afford books or rent, they should be able to receive a stipend if the school is willing to provide one, since they have little-tono time to work a side job.

The first two examples above apply to only a small percentage of student-athletes. Most student-athletes, including probably all of the student-athletes at Pepperdine, are not making merchandise money for their school. Most collegiate athletics programs spend more than they earn. No one is asking for every student-athlete to be paid.

However, the extent of the NCAA amateurism regulations to include restrictions on endorsements, names and likenesses is absurd.

Hopefully, California will have some success in its legal standoff with the NCAA and universities around the nation. These institutions are clearly reluctant to release any inch of control over their student-athletes.

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

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09/11/19 7:00 p.m.

Crimes: Assault/BatterySex Crimes - Sexual Assault with an Object Location: Drescher Student Housing

Drescher (North)

09/12/19 1:27 p.m.

Crimes: Larceny/Theft Petty Theft Location: CCB 09/13/19 8:12 p.m.

Traffic Related: Traffic Enforcement - Reckless Driving Location: Seaside Residence Hall 09/14/19 10:51 a.m.

Crimes: Traffic Related Hit and Run, Non-Injury Location: Huntsinger Circle

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Alumni field (South)

09/16/19 9:34 a.m.

Crimes: Larceny/Theft - Theft From Building, Burglary Location: CCB

FIRST CASE OF SEXUAL CRIME REPORTED OF THE SEMESTER

This is the first sexual crime reported this semester (see incident 1).While sexual assault is “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient,” sexual battery is “an unwanted form of contact with an intimate part of the body that is made for the purposes of sexual arousal, gratification or abuse” and can include intimidation or threats, according to Her Campus at VCU.

UPCOMING EVENTS THIS SEMESTER What: be atles in your be atle s WheN: 9 / 3 0 Wher e: a lumni par k

Wh at: blue a nd orang e madness Wh e N: 10/11 Wh e re : fir est one f i el dhouse par kin g l ot

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W hat: men’s wat er p ol o vs. u s c W he N: 1 0/ 1 9

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What: spanish chapel When: 10 a.m.

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Wh e re : Stau f f er C hap el

what: Pit when: 8 p.m. wher e: e lkins auditor ium

what: pepperdine presidents and churches of christ when: 1 p.m. where: payson

wh at: inaugu rat i on k eynote lectur e Wh e n: 7 p.m.

Wh e re : smothers t heat re

what: global climate s trik e when: 10 a.m. wher e: joslyn plaz a

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W hat: i nau g u rat i on s t udent c el eb rat i on W he n: 6 p. m.

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CLIMATE: Emergency declaration demands drastic actions from city and students alike FROM A1 from transportation vehicles, electricity use by residential housing and food consumption. This could include partnering with the state to incentivize electric cars (such as designating lanes on some parts of PCH where electric vehicles would get priority), incentivizing use of sustainable building materials involving zero fossil fuels and getting people to eat less meat.

California cities that have thus far declared climate emergencies in 20182019.

This July, the City of Los Angeles became the first government to create and fund the Office of the Climate Emergency Mobilization.

Now it’s Malibu’s turn.

The plan is to form a citizen commission to begin developing and implementing mobilization policy locally, though the timeline for this is unclear.

In the event of a citizen commission’s creation in order to deal with long-term issues of climate change, similar to those already existing in Washington State and Oregon, Simmens said the commission should start to identify the kind of qualitative measures that make for a sustainable community.

“They will include things like clean air, clean water, less congestion on the highway, economic indicators, whatever it is that the community feels makes this place a better place to live,” Simmens said. “It is almost like an environmental or sustainable report card.”

Because these indicators are mea-

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One of the things which we need to accept unfortunately, is we are beyond mitigation. It’s all about adaptation at this point. We are going to have to learn to adapt to what we have created.

Lance Simmens, VP, Malibu Democratic Club

surable, cities will be able to see whether they are proceeding in a forward direction toward sustainability or standing still.

Hill warned that the declaration of a climate emergency calls for dramatic action from here forward.

“You’ll have to come up with carrots and sticks incentives or regulations dramatic enough to inspire and influence others in the world,” Hill said.

Some areas in which Malibu is already succeeding environmentally include banning single-use plastic straws, stirrers and utensils and pushing California legislators on issues of climate change and pollution.

“You just have to start local,” Pierson said.

Councilmember Rick Mullen, however, said he believes there is no such emergency and that among the “doomsday predictions,” people forget about the good things that have happened, including an increase in gray whale and pelican populations, cleaner water and less smog.

Yet, in addition to drought conditions and sea levels rising, the Woolsey Fire of last fall resulted in permanent damage to Malibu ecosystems.

“Climate change is already identified scientifically as the number one culprit in these big wildfires,” Pierson said.

This call to action is timely because September is National Preparedness Month and next month on Oct. 24 is International Day of Climate Action.

The Malibu City Council discussed not only endorsing the declaration of a climate emergency but also requesting regional collaboration county-wide, state-wide and on the global stage. The goal is to get other cities that are part of the Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments (COG) to make the declaration as well.

“One of the things which we need to accept unfortunately is we are beyond mitigation,” Simmens said. “It’s all about adaptation at this point. We are going to have to learn to adapt to what we have created.”

Citizens can get involved by signing the petition to Congress, spreading the word to friends and family in other cities, organizing a local campaign or getting involved in a local chapter.

File Photo

Photos Courtsey of PBK Press Release

Infographic by Anastassia Kostin

A N A S TA S S I A . KO S T I N @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

RANKINGS: Marrs and Feltner respond FROM A1 “I get materials from U.S. News, and on a scale of one-to-five, I go through and rate every school in the country,” Marrs said. “Some schools I’ve never heard of.”

He said the high school counselor category was a significant data point.

“High school counselors tend to make their decisions based on not just what they know about the schools,” Marrs said. “But when their students come back, high school graduates send them notes and say, ‘I recommend Pepperdine. It’s phenomenal. I love it.’”

Marrs said Pepperdine should be happy to be in the top 50 because the criteria doesn’t work in the university’s favor.

“The metrics tend to privilege the research universities and the wealthy universities, particularly the Ivy’s, and we are not either of those,” Marrs said. “The fact that we end up in the top 50 is pretty remarkable, because

we tend to be young and don’t have the same endowment of schools we’re competing against.”

Morse wrote in his email that the rankings are a good starting point for prospective students in their search for schools.

“College is an important and costly investment,” Morse wrote. “U.S. News has always recommended that prospective students use the rankings as a start, not an answer. The rankings are a jumping-off point to create a list of schools, narrow down that list and compare overall academic quality.”

Provost Marrs said there are qualities Pepperdine has that the rankings do not portray.

“You have parents looking at Stanford and Pepperdine, and they’re really apples and oranges,” Marrs said.

“What I tell parents is, ‘What you get at Pepperdine as a freshman is full professors — people who are top of the heap, teaching entry-level classes.’

There’s no metric for that.”

Feltner acknowledged the importance of the rankings.

“I read a number of things that either speak positively to the rankings or speak against them,” Feltner said. “In some ways, it doesn’t matter whether we have an opinion on it, because we know that it influences the decision making of prospective students.”

He said in the future, Pepperdine will not pander to the ranking criteria but rather look at what the school is doing right and keep moving the right direction.

“You know, if we look at all the things we’ve achieved: we’re top 50 for undergraduate business programs, top 50 for veterans, we’re number 11 for study abroad,” Feltner said. “There’s a lot of really good information that I think speaks to things that we value. Unquestionably, no one likes to go down. But to stay in the top 50? Yes, outstanding performance for Pepperdine.”

JAM ES.M OOR E@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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The fact that we end up in the top 50 is pretty remarkable, because we tend to be young, and don’t have the same endowment of schools we’re competing against.

Rick Marrs, Provost

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Big hearts rebuild Big Heart Ranch lindsey sullivan sta ff write r

Big Heart Ranch, a Malibu local community wellness center and animal rescue sanctuary, is still recovering from this past November’s Woolsey Fire.

The ranch, like many members of the Malibu community, experienced significant damages because of the fire.

Pepperdine student volunteers joined with Big Heart’s Community Relations Volunteer Denise Degarmo to restore the losses.

“The propane exploded, and everything was set in flames [during Woolsey],” Degarmo said. “Not only did we lose structures, but we lost electricity, drainage […] Now we are in the process of rebuilding.”

During the evacuation, members of the ranch had approximately 15 minutes to secure themselves and all of the animals from the fire, Degarmo said.

“We had no transport and one neighbor came with a four-horse trailer,” Degarmo said. “We managed to get the big animals in there, put chickens and ducks in trucks, pigs in someone’s car, and we got them all down to Zuma Beach.”

The ranch hosted residents of Pepperdine’s Lovernich Apartments and other members of the community for Step Forward Day to assist with the repairing process.

Junior Aracelli Chang said those who attended helped build and stain furniture for the ranch, cared for the animals and cleaned the ranch grounds.

“Throughout our time there, we were surrounded by wonderful staff that clearly love their job,” junior Taylor Mathews said. “They were excited to share it with others, which made it all the more enjoyable and instigated an enthusiastic willingness to get hands on — and even a little dirty.”

Local businesses offered donations for volunteers at Step Forward Day, with meals provided by Lily’s Malibu and Whole Foods, water from Ralph’s and coffee from Starbucks.

“As someone who has grown up in Malibu, I can definitely attest that Big Heart Ranch has its place in the community,” Mathews said. “It was amazing to see other volunteers from the area show up. Even Lily Castro herself, of Lily’s Malibu, came to the ranch to donate food and help out. If a stamp of approval from Lily doesn’t solidify your place in the Malibu community, I don’t know what would.”

With the generosity of various organizations like the Malibu Foundation, Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, Sustainable Solutions and others, Big Heart Ranch has made strides to recovery, Degarmo said.

“When disaster hits, these corporations open their doors,” Degarmo said.

Ranch Members | Kevin the rooster stands inside the ranch’s chicken coop. Volunteers feed and take care of the animals.

Photos by Lindsey Sullivan Animal Love | Degarmo extends a kiss to one of her animals. Tenny is a blind horse that provides therapy for war veterans.

“This community opened their hearts.”

The horse stable at Big Heart, where rescue horses are free to roam and play.

Big Heart Ranch has been home to hundreds of farm animals since 2006 and now cares for 77 animals including horses, donkeys, chickens, bunnies, goats, pigs, alpacas and deer.

The intention behind Big Heart is “to provide a safe, supportive and empowering space for people to disconnect from the unnatural world and reconnect to their natural wisdom,” so that people may “learn to live in harmony with nature and each another,” according to their website.

By providing love and care for the animals they rescue, Big Heart is able to offer animal therapy sessions for underserved families alongside other members of the Malibu community.

“Every animal is a rescue that is here,” Degarmo said. “Every one of them has overcome incredible hardship, in their own right. That is why I think that they provide so much healing for people. I think there is inherent in the animals, an ability to feel where the person is.”

The ranch offers many different types of trauma healing and wellness sessions for both individuals and groups.

Among the many different community members that have benefited from the programs offered, Big Heart has most recently provided sessions for victims

of domestic abuse, children from foster homes, those rehabilitating from drug and alcohol abuse and parents who have lost children.

“Animals create a safe space, the earth creates a safe space,” Degarmo said. “I think Big Heart Ranch is such a magical gift to the community. I want everyone to know about it.”

The ranch also offers nature-based therapy, including an herbal healing garden and meditation sessions. Big Heart’s herbal healing garden provides a therapeutic space for exploring the five senses.

“That’s where the healing starts,” Degarmo said. “You can’t think yourself into not being sad, into forgiveness, into wellness. So working with soil, plants, horses, goats, chickens, it is all an experience. I think the inherent part of this work and why it is so powerful is that it is experiential.”

To get connected with Big Heart Ranch, visit their website at bigheartranch.com.

L INDSEY.SUL L IVAN@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Waves Food Cabinets battles food insecurity at Pepp emily morton sta ff write r

The Food Insecurities Committee created four food cabinets across campus to combat food insecurities among students. The cabinets are called the Waves Food Cabinets. The cabinets contain non-perishable items for students to take for meals and snacks.

A fair number of students at Pepperdine experience food insecurity, according to a survey conducted by Student Affairs. Food insecurity is the lessened availability of food and the decreased accessibility of food to a student. The food cabinets came into place over the summer with the goal of making progress against students struggling with food security.

“I myself did not know, until I started with more students and meeting with them, that food insecurity existed at Pepperdine,” Stacey Lee, health wellness resilience education program coordinator, said.

Lee serves on the Food Insecurities Committee along with Stacy Rothberg, associate dean of student affairs for commuters. The rest of the team is made up of transfer students, Student Affairs interns and students who have experienced different types of food insecurities.

“Students will start telling you stories of people eating off the rotator in the cafe where you put your dishes away when you are done,” Lee said.

The food is split up between four cabinets across campus. One inside the Student Affairs office, one on the president’s floor of the Thornton Adminis-

Food Heros | Student Insecurities Team members show the Waves Food Cabinet. The food cabinet is located in the TAC. tration Center (TAC), in the Counseling Center at the SAC and in the School of Public Policy on the graduate campus.

The team toured other universities in California and chose to use cabinets instead of pantries because it allows professors to have their own cabinets in their offices.

“Sodexo donated $700 worth of food to us,” Rothberg said.

The cabinets contain pasta, pasta sauce, milk, granola bars, rice and fruit snacks. All the food is packaged and sealed.

The cabinets also include a variety of options including vegan and gluten-free. Choices such as almond milk and gluten-free pasta quickly eliminate the problem of students dietary needs conflicting with finding a source of food. At the TAC location, Jody Semerau, associate provost of academic finance, has a sign up for students who want to have a hot meal.

Administrators can sign up as well to host students.

“We like to keep it pretty anonymous,” said Semerau. “Whoever needs it, and whoever needs support, then they can have it whenever they like it.” “[The goal of the hot meal is] to have someone in the administration say we care,” Semerau said. “We want to help, and it might be a desperate time for them.”

The Waves Food Cabinet is one of the initiatives being taken to combat food struggles.

“Last year we were really grateful that dining services had offered 150 dining services guest meal cards,” Rothberg said.

Rothberg added that the dining guest meal cards supplied by Sodexo carried $13 a piece, which roughly equates to one meal in the Waves Cafe.

Pepperdine also has a Student Care Team. They allocate more resources

to students struggling to find meals on campus. They have an emergency fund for immediate student troubles, such as missing a meal between paychecks or struggling with food for a period of time. The care team also has a fund specifically for the Waves Food Cabinet.

Right now the Student Care Team is focused on finding out which items are most popular for students, and which items run out fastest. That way, the team can focus more of the budget on foods that students will seek out.

In the future, the team is looking to grow the food support on campus.

Lee said she wants to provide fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables. One of the main goals down the line is to offer students healthy yet sustainable choices, Lee said. Pepperdine has farmers markets in Mullin Town Square (separate from the food insecurity team), allowing students to buy fresh produce right on campus.

Rothberg said she is hoping to set up a texting platform. This would allow students who need food to be able to hear announcements about extra food from games, conferences and other social events around campus.

That way, food doesn’t go to waste, and students struggling will be able to grab a meal or snack.

EM ILY.M OR TON@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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Santa Ana winds return to Malibu alex neis News A ssista n t

Falling trees, allergy flare-ups, fire risks and hotter temperatures are on their way, and the Santa Ana winds are to blame.

Santa Ana season starts in early autumn and stretches through the entire winter in Southern California. During this time, strong and warm winds blow through coastal regions due to the pressure, topography and temperature of the area.

“Wind is the horizontal movement of air mass,” Gerard Fasel, assistant professor of physics, said. “In this case, that mass is moving to the relative low pressure at the coast.”

The science behind the winds Fasel explained that winds move from high to low pressure areas, which is why the Santa Ana’s affect coastal regions the most.

“Think of rolling a marble down a hill,” Fasel said. “The greater the distance between the high point and low point, the faster the marble will move down. Likewise, the higher the high pressure area and the lower the low pressure area, the faster the air mass will slide down. That’s why we get those huge winds.”

As winds pick up, traveling to low pressure areas, they accelerate even faster by channeling through narrow canyons. The air mass picks up speed when it is forced into a smaller space, Fasel said.

The effects on fire The faster the wind moves, the hotter it gets, which explains why the wind is fast and warm during Santa Ana season.

“Temperature has to do with how fast things move,” Fasel said. “As the air particles move faster and faster, the temperature increases. That’s what we see happening when the wind picks up speed as it comes through the canyons.”

This hot, moving air makes this season especially conducive to fires, and for many people living in Southern California, Santa Ana season is fire season.

“During the Santa Ana season, we get a lot of fires,” Fasel said. “That’s because of the really dry conditions and the increased motion of air particles due to high wind speeds.”

The Santa Ana winds partly fueled the Thomas Fire in 2017 in Northern California and the Woolsey Fire this past November in Malibu. Experts agree that many people associate the winds with traumatic events like these, and the winds are a time of anxiety and stress.

“I have friends that, when the wind

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People realize that when we have the winds, there’s probably going to be a fire, and we know how devastating fires can be.

Gerard Fasel professor

starts, start to worry,” Fasel said.

“People realize that when we have the winds, there’s probably going to be a fire, and we know how devastating fires can be.”

Fasel said he does not feel this way during the Santa Ana season. In fact, he looks forward to the winds.

“I love the winds,” Fasel said. “I find them really relaxing. I love sitting outside at night or hearing the winds as I’m going to bed.”

The effects on allergies

Fire danger isn’t the only thing on people’s minds when the wind comes.

For some, it is a season of sneezing, sniffling and other allergy symptoms.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that a year-round warm climate creates a diversity of allergens, which could create problems for residents who are sensitive.

“Even though San Diego has ideal, year-round weather, the downside,” said Dr. Bryn Salt, an allergist at Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, “is that ... nothing dies,” the article said.

The Santa Ana winds contribute to these symptoms by blowing in more pollen from inland.

“Additionally, windy weather can quickly transport pollen from place to place,” the article said.

The article recommends allergy shots to build tolerance to allergens and over-the-counter antihistamines to combat allergy symptoms.

The potential risks on campus Another way students can prepare for the winds is by understanding Pepperdine’s safety protocols for severe wind conditions.

In the Emergency Preparedness Guide, the Department of Public Safety advises students to monitor weather alerts and, in cases of severe winds, avoid going outside as much as possible, staying inside permanent structures.

Power lines, trees and street lights are all potential victims of severe wind storms. Even a parked car could be at risk. The Emergency Preparedness Guide instructs students, in the case of a power outage, to move to a well-lit area and notify DPS.

AL EX .NEIS@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Blown Away | Strong winds blew over a tree on campus and damaged a student’s car this past October. The Santa Ana winds can be strong enought to knock over trees, powerlines and street lights.

Spiritual Life Blogcast starts season 2 Ha dley biggs sta ff write r Season two of the Spiritual Life Blogcast has started. There are new guests that will be joining this season.

The Office of the Chaplain started season two of the Spiritual Life Blogcast.

The blogcast — a combination of a podcast and a blog — features students, alumni, faculty and guests of Pepperdine who write or speak about the spiritual life at Pepperdine. Chaplain of Pepperdine Sara Barton has guests lined up for season two of the blogcast.

Leading contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura and founder of Homeboy Industries Father Gregory Boyle will be featured in season two of the blogcast, Barton said.

“The blogcast is an opportunity for people to listen and to read into what God is doing in the community, and how people are living out the Kingdom of God around the world,” Assistant Chaplain Lauren Begert said.

The Spiritual Life Blogcast was launched Jan. 1. The first guest on the show was President Emeritus Andrew K. Benton.

“Part of my job as the university chaplain is to connect the community university-wide,” Barton said. “I saw the need university-wide to come together around spiritual life topics.”

Hope Mueller graduated from Seaver College in 2019. She was the first woman to graduate from the Christopher Parking classical guitar program.

Mueller talked about her academic journey as a woman and her spiritual journey on the episode of the blogcast she was featured on.

“It was a unique opportunity to share my story and reflect on my spiritual journey,” Mueller said. “It was a great way to honor everyone who has helped me along the way.”

The blogcast is not only for Seaver faculty, but for members of all areas of the Pepperdine community.

“The main audience for the blogcast is the Pepperdine community,” Barton said. “When I ask questions to guests on the podcast, I ask them to talk about what Pepperdine is doing for spiritual life.”

Season two began Sept. 4. The first episode of the podcast featured President Jim Gash and First Lady Joline Gash. They discussed their spiritual journal.

Guests on the shows are chosen in various ways. The Pepperdine Alumni Affairs Office can nominate people for the show, or Pepperdine faculty who work with writers can nominate the writers to create a blog post, Barton said.

“We have a lot of good writers in the Pepperdine community, and I saw this as an opportunity for them to write about spiritual life,” Barton said. “We featured more Seaver College writers in season one, but in season two, I want to make it a point to get more writers from Pepperdine School of Law, Graduate School of Education and Psychology and our other professional schools.”

Senior Olivia Robinson was featured on season one of the blogcast. In the episode, she spoke about her TEDx talk.

“I really enjoy how Sara and the guests on the podcast are really genuine,” Robinson said. “I hope the blogcast will continue to amplify the voices of people that associate with Pepperdine.”

The Spiritual Life Blogcast is available now on the Office of the Chaplain’s website, on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.

H A D L E Y. B I G G S @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

A Second Season | The Office of the Chaplain started season two of the Spiritual Life Blogcast. It is available now on the Office of the Chaplain’s website, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Caitlin Roark | Art Editor

STAFF EDITORIAL

Healthy lifestyle is more than just going to the gym There’s a plethora of evidence for the benefits of a regular gym routine, but having a healthy lifestyle is more than going to the gym.

Regular exercise can have the same effect as antidepressant medication, according to Harvard Medical School. A study from Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology found it can boost the brain’s ability to retain new information. Another 2018 study from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), showed it can also help with living longer.

Some readers may already be afforded these benefits, as it is not uncommon for Pepperdine students to spend at least an hour per day at Firestone Fieldhouse or at other places on campus engaging in regular exercise. Some students, however, foster a problematic depen-

dence on their exercise routine.

The gym closed Thursday, Aug. 29 due to a water leak and a rat problem, and students felt as if they were done a disservice. The gym is small compared to those of other national universities, and for it to be closed during only a few weeks into the semester added insult to the injury. The reactions against the gym closing exposed an underlying problem at the heart of college life: a lack of holistic wellness.

Holistic wellness consists of many different pillars: solid relationships, proper nutrition and hydration, adequate sleep, regular exercise, as well as spiritual and occupational fulfillment. Wellness depends on maintaining balance in all of these factors. The job of humans is to make all these pillars as strong as possible.

Often, when lacking in one

pillar, it’s easy to compensate by going to the extremes of another. Not feeling well from that night out this weekend? Do a three-hour treadmill blast or fast for a day. Either (or both) will work — one will look good and maybe even feel better for a while — but what happens when one starts to depend on this? When it becomes your weekly routine? How healthy will one be then?

If someone is pulling frequent all-nighters and binging on junk food, going to the gym to make up for those choices will be as effective as trying to fix a shattered window with a Band-Aid. Putting all of one’s faith in one single pillar is not enough to have a healthy lifestyle.

If students’ overall health took a nosedive as a result of the gym being closed, what does that say about how they’re han-

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dling the other pillars of their wellness? Is it healthy to have one’s entire well-being dependent upon that one hour per day in the gym?

Surveys show that only 18.6% of Americans have a gym membership. After graduation, how many students will be in that minority paying for a gym membership? If they choose not to pay for a membership, what will they do when they can no longer rely on regular exercise to maintain their physical condition?

College students are not monks. They’ll never be able to achieve perfection in every single pillar of their health. This is the reason that striving for holistic health is essential; if one pillar falls, the others can take over. In the ensuing chaos of everyday life, this is the most sustainable objective to strive for.

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

CONTACT US

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Caitlin Roark | Art Editor

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STAFF LIST 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 As si s tants hadley biggs v e r n i e cova r r u b i a s James Moore Alexander 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 s p o r ts c o py ed i to r b rya n t l o n e y P er sp 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 co cc h 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 es i g ner M e l i ssa L o ck e p o d c ast d i r ec to r Kaelin mendez Ar t Ed i to r ca 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 si 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 c d 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 C o 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.”

Teachers deserve more

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C am ry n Go r don pe r spe c tiv e s assistant Every morning about 56.6 million kids attend schools spanning from Pre-K through 12th grade in the United States with the expectation that they are receiving an education that promises a bright future.

However, teachers in the United States suffer from a severe lack of proper compensation, thus affecting a student’s ability to be successful.

The average salary for a teacher in the United States in the 2017-2018 academic year was $39,249, according to the National Education Association. With the responsibility of educating America’s future, the minuscule salaries that teachers currently receive are problematic.

At Pepperdine, only 1.5% (about 51 students) of the undergraduate class is pursuing degrees in education, according to Seaver College data. With the lack of pay that teachers receive in the United States it is important to understand that the issue of teacher underpay is not only affecting current students and educators but also the number of undergraduates who are pursuing the profession.

Since 2012, the number of students who graduate college with a degree in education has fallen from 104,698 to 87,217 which is about 17%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. As the population of the United States continues to grow, so does the need for teachers. With the drop in teachers nationwide, America’s schools are at risk.

When paid sufficiently, both teaching quality and student achievement improve, according to a report by Michigan State University. When teachers are paid more not only will the American education system advance, but students will

Madeline Duvall | Assistant Art Editor see changes to their performance as well.

In 2018 the United States witnessed teacher strikes erupt in multiple states over the issue of teacher salaries and more. With wages across the country having “generally” raised from 2000 to 2017, teacher salaries nationwide have fallen 1.6%, according to a report by CNN. Teachers hold in their hands the resources for success for millions of kids in the United States. Teachers save lives every day through education. They provide students communities to learn in, making them an essential part of life.

The power of a passionate teacher goes far beyond the classroom. For many students, including myself, passionate and dedicated teachers have the ability to change one’s entire trajectory.

For some, educators have inspired entire career paths and for others, they have driven students to explore new worldviews and ideas through challenging curriculum. However, it is important to realize that teachers are not just educators -- they are counselors, mentors, advisors and leaders.

It is not too crazy to dream of a world where we respect teachers like soldiers and pay them like doctors. In today’s society the pursuit for education is becoming increasingly divisive, according to a report from Pew Research. This new development makes the need for teacher accreditation and fair pay more import-

ant than ever, and it could be closer than we think.

Last week presidential candidates took the stage in the third Democratic debate and expressed their belief in raising teacher pay and supporting the public school system.

The community at Pepperdine University has a responsibility to bring the conversation of teacher pay to campus.

While there may not be something one can do to create an immediate change for the 3.2 million public school teachers in the United States, there are opportunities to encourage change.

Start by demanding that the United States government pays them what they deserve. Let the issue of teacher pay and the success of students be an issue that influences voting patterns in the 2020 election. Start petitions that will pressure Congress and state legislatures to consider raising wages and support the school system.

The education system is the most important institution in the United States.

With the power to educate and create future leaders, scientists, inventors, business people and so much more, the education system decides the success of a nation.

C AM RYN.GOR DON@PEPPER DINE.EDU

Students spend more money, save less Ta h t e ’A n a N e l s o n guest contributor

Nothing screams wealth like a student pulling up in a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon and getting out with a Gucci belt.

Pepperdine is luxurious in more ways than one, showing many young people paying a high price for their materialism. It can also serve as a case study in the ramifications of materialism.

Well-being is an investment.

Neglecting this priority in favor of the empty calories that is material consumption could be detrimental to the long-term functionality of one’s well-being.

Giving so much energy to perishable items for gratification is unfulfilling and has long-term damages that impact your life. This is the time to be mindful in developing a genuine sense of self and to prioritize wellness.

“The percentage of Americans who own homes has hit a record low, according to The Washington Post and Millennials are a big part of that, as just 34% are homeowners,” according to Andrew Josuweit in the article “5 Industries Millennials Are ‘Killing’ and Why,” published Oct. 22, 2017 by Forbes.

A millennial is anyone reaching young adulthood born between the years of 1981 and 1997 and are presently, 22-37 years of age.

More young people are renting homes or apartments

Ally Armstrong | Art Editor to have extra money to spend on desired items — money that could have gone toward buying a home but instead goes to buying material things, according to Josuweit.

“College students are becoming more confident and less competent when it comes to managing their personal finances, a new survey finds,” according to Calley Hair in the article “Student Spending Becoming Increasingly Reckless,” published in April 2015 by USA Today. It outlines the research conducted determining the likelihood of a student saving versus spending. Students’ focus is not on saving money, which could be detrimental in the long run when college loans need to be paid back or over-maxed credit cards ruin

their credit score.

Getting sucked in by the materialism in society wreaks havoc on future savings. Giving in to the impulse to shop and to invest in name brands is altering the value systems and priorities of young adults across the country. The outcome could result in poor productivity in life.

“When people spend their effort pursuing material goods in the belief that they will bring happiness, they’re ignoring other, more effective routes to happiness,” according to Cary Goldberg in the article “Materialism Is Bad for You, Studies Say,” published in 2006 on The New York Times. Letting one’s inability to decrease the urge to purchase or indulge in materialistic things or behaviors does

not result in a healthy, happy lifestyle. Actively engaging in activities or behaviors that do not involve spending money but involve spending time with one self could yield more beneficial results.

Students who chase after Gucci, Mercedes or other brands are not investing the appropriate energy to spend less and save more. The latter behavior can result in a more managed well-being by removing the financial stressors that come with spending money one does not have or spending money on luxury rather than necessity. Students can prioritize wellness and be less materialistic if they appreciate the little things rather than the luxurious things.

PEPPGR APHIC M EDIA@GM AIL .C OM

Listening to the silence within can help individuals stay grounded and self-aware during college.

Finding time for oneself during a busy college schedule can be difficult. Between classes, internships, jobs, relationships and extracurriculars, the life of a college student is involved, challenging and demanding. It’s filled with balancing academics, a social life and the most important but the least achieved, sleep.

At times, it can seem as if there aren’t enough hours in the day for it all, leading to burnout.

The life of a college student is one of constant noise.

Unless there’s an intentional search for silence within one’s schedule, the ongoing droning of distractions won’t stop.

As someone who says yes to almost everything and fits the Pepperdine stereotype of being overcommitted, finding time for myself can almost be an afterthought.

Norwegian author Erling Kagge wrote in his book “Silence: In the Age of Noise”, “Routine is like that too ... Busying oneself becomes a goal in and of itself, instead of allowing that same restlessness to lead you somewhere further.” Within the clamor of schedules, it can be easy to overlook the importance of silence.

Noise is everywhere. It comes from both internal and external sources. Thoughts and emotions consume as much of the day as activities and to-do lists. Ongoing sounds flood daily routines, distract from what needs to be accomplished and potentially hinder from finding time to recharge. Maybe watching Netflix or hanging out with friends isn’t the answer. Maybe what is truly being sought after is silence.

Silence is tricky. It’s unnerving, heavy, loud. Silence pulses in the midst of everything, lying steadily beneath noise. Silence flows through conversations, woven between schedules and commitments. New apartments, new jobs, new ambitions surface because what’s on the other side of these distractions is uncomfortable.

Meditation and reflection are essential to the human experience and are especially important during these college years, as stated in a 2013 Psychology Today article. Since college is such an influential time in one’s life. It’s important to have these quiet moments to reflect and ground oneself.

Regardless of religious preferences, making time and space in one’s schedule to write, meditate, pray, exercise or even just sit in the quiet is a great way to become more present. Focusing on one’s feelings and mental state will help overwhelming emotions and allow for deeper connection internally. Clearing one’s mind can lessen the clutter in one’s life, as being responsible for one’s mental space is just as important as being responsible for one’s workspace.

Finding room in the day for this time apart can be difficult, especially when a schedule doesn’t provide much flexibility.

However, being intentional in adding this quiet time to one’s routine will encourage it to become habitual. Even 10 to 15 minutes a day is enough to ground oneself.

So be still. Acknowledge and listen to the silence. It might have something to say.

SAVANNAH.W EL C H@PEPPER DINE.EDU

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A fifth-year senior is seizing the opportunity to create something Pepperdine has lacked since her freshman year: a running club.

Blair Bonifield started Malibu Run Club as a way to promote the idea of exercise as something to relax and enjoy, Bonifield said. The club meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. to run two miles at Westward Beach.

Bonifield said she was inspired to make the club with the goal of helping others achieve a healthy relationship with exercise. She had seen many of her friends use exercise as a way to cope with the challenges of college, she added.

“I think exercise in college can kind of be a mess,” Bonifield said.

“People either don’t exercise at all, or they end up exercising too much. In reality, it’s just something we need to stay healthy. It shouldn’t be something that we’re addicted to.”

Bonifield will graduate in December, making this her final semester at Pepperdine.

“I can’t miss this opportunity of having an extra semester here and not do something that could really benefit a lot of people,” Bonifield said.

Bonifield co-founded the club with Katie White, admissions coun-

selor and 2019 Pepperdine alum.

White said she was never an avid runner until Jan. 2018, when she made a New Year’s resolution to run a half marathon.

“A lot of people are intimidated and scared to start running,” White said. “Because they don’t think they can, or they think the idea of running a half marathon sounds crazy. But once you start running, you realize it’s not as hard as it seems.”

Malibu Run Club will provide a welcoming environment that is free of expectations and encourages anyone, regardless of experience, to get moving, White added.

“We want to have a really diverse group,” White said. “The goal is to empower people and to show them that they are capable of running. We want to get people who have never run before, or who think running a mile is too much — like I once did — to see that they are capable.”

Freshman Mallory Finley said she joined Malibu Run Club after hearing about it through her Spiritual Life Advisor, Taylor McSpadden, who is also in the club.

As a runner for Pepperdine’s cross country team, Finley practices six times per week. Adding a weekly beach run into the mix serves as a way to meet people and have

fun, she said.

“To be able to go after classes, hang out with people and run a little bit is a really nice break,” Finley said.

Finley said the diversity of the club members has broadened her perspective and her experience of college so far.

“What’s cool is that [the other members] are not all current students here,” Finley said. “Some of them are doing grad school or they work at the school. So it’s really neat to meet people that are doing something different from you.”

Malibu Run Club has promoted itself entirely on Instagram and through word of mouth.

Pepperdine alumnus Lyle Nelson created a logo and graphics for the club to share on Instagram. Bonifield said the target for the graphics is to show how relaxed the club is.

Every meeting, Bonifield and White lead a light stretch routine before taking off to run two miles at a moderate pace.

“We all run together,” Bonifield said. “At the end, we just stretch, and then it’s been happening where we stand there and talk for 20 minutes or so because, I don’t know, everyone has endorphins.

So, they’re happy.”

VERNETTA.COVARRUBIAS@PEPPERDINE.EDU

Photo courtesy of Blair Bonifield Break a Sweat | Inagural members of the Malibu Run Club pose for a post-run photo on Zuma Beach. They meet every Tuesday.

Graphics courtesy of Lyle Nelson

Pepperdine kicks off Inaguration Ali levens spor ts assisan t e dit or

Pepperdine University planned eight days worth of events for the inauguration of the university’s eighth president and chief executive officer, Jim Gash.

The inaugural celebration started Tuesday, Sept. 17, and will conclude Thursday, Sept. 26.

President Gash described why it is important to attend and get involved in the university’s momentous occasion.

“The events have been carefully selected to highlight who Pepperdine is and what it represents, as well as to appeal to the various members of our community,” Gash wrote in an email.

Monday On Monday, Sept. 23, look no further than Firestone Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. for a night of prayer and worship, led by music group Hillsong Worship. Additionally, Bob Goff, best-selling author and founder of Love Does, and Ethos Church Pastor Dave Clayton will give monologues. Registration is requested for this event.

Tuesday The Pepperdine community can join astrophysicist and astronomer Jennifer Wiseman on Tuesday, Sept. 24, while she gives her inauguration keynote lecture at Smothers Theater at 7 p.m. Registration is requested.

at Alumni Park at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25., which is also Founder’s Day. Upholding many traditions, the ceremony will include a procession of other delegates from colleges and universities and the official appointing of Gash, followed by his inaugural address. A luncheon will follow afteward. Registration is requested. There will be a livestream starting at 10 a.m. if one can’t make it to the ceremony.

Thursday

The celebration concludes Thursday, Sept. 26, with the student celebration event. It will take place at 6 p.m. in Alumni Park. Celebrate alongside the president and first lady with a night of food trucks, music and games. The WolfTribe Experience will be available as an educational leadership and unity lesson, demonstrated and conceptualized through the wolf tribal systems.

“The WolfTribe Experience with Philip Folsom on Thursday is designed to vividly illustrate the importance of leadership and community,” Gash wrote. “I can’t give too much away, though; students need to experience this for themselves.”

There are two sessions for this event: Orange Session 1 at 5:30 p.m. and Blue Session 2 at 7 p.m.

Spots are limited, so registration is requested.

Wednesday Join Gash, faculty and students at the inauguration ceremony

A L I . L E V E N S @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

Infographic by Natalie Rulon

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LIFE & ARTS New BA director looks forward to ‘journeying’ with students Emily Shaw Li f e & A rts Assista n t The culturally rich “Paris of South America” — Buenos Aires (BA) — will become home to not only Pepperdine students studying abroad but also to new Director of the BA International Program Travis Hill-Weber.

Alumnus Travis Hill-Weber (Seaver College 2005) said as the director of the Pepperdine BA international program (IP), he oversees all of the program operations, including student affairs, academic programs and educational field trips (EFTs). He also liaises with Pepperdine in Malibu.

Hill-Weber said he grew up in Oklahoma in the Churches of Christ. In high school, after learning about Pepperdine through a youth program and visiting the campus, he fell in love with the university and decided he wanted to attend. At Pepperdine, he studied abroad in Heidelberg and was an RA, a Campus Ministry intern and a Religion major. “[Pepperdine] set me on a trajectory that I’m still on today, which is thinking really seriously about how to love God and love neighbor more fully,” Hill-Weber said.

Post-graduation, Hill-Weber said he went on to Yale where he received his Master’s in Divinity. After receiving his masters, he came back to Pepperdine and served as the Coordinator of the Spiritual Life Advisor Program from 2008 to 2011.

Before returning to Pepperdine as the director of the BA program, Hill-Weber said he most recently worked as a pediatric chaplain at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

“Families who find themselves in a children’s hospital are often facing some of the most difficult challenges of their lives,” Hill-Weber wrote in an email. “While the spiritual needs of each family and patient are dif-

ferent, the common need is a calm presence in times of crisis.”

As a pediatric chaplain, Hill-Weber served the emotional and spiritual needs of patients, families and staff.

“I love journeying alongside people who are asking big questions about their life, about meaning,” Hill-Weber said.

Sophomore Kyle O’Neill, an RA of the BA program, said he is particularly excited for the spiritual guidance Hill-Weber will bring to the students of the program. “[Hill-Weber] has such a solid foundation in Christ that I think he’s going to ... be a great spiritual mentor … [for me] personally, which I’m really excited about, but mostly everyone in the program who seeks a relationship with the Lord,” O’Neill said. “He’s someone who I feel like is going to be very approachable with questions about faith, and he’s going to be able to answer them very effectively with his background.”

Executive Director of International Programs Beth Laux echoed O’Neill’s excitement for the spiritual guidance Hill-Weber will bring to BA. “Travis has a passion for students’ spiritual development,” Laux wrote in an email. “I think that his experience as an SLA and hospital chaplain will really take the spiritual dimension of the program to the next level.”

Hill-Weber said he is excited to return to Pepperdine and be a part of the Pepperdine mission in the context of the BA program.

“I love … Pepperdine’s mission of having … a dual commitment to faith and learning that centers the student experience, that brings a holistic perspective to the educational experience,” Hill-Weber said. “I think that [the BA program] is really an exciting place … where questions of faith, questions of meaning and purpose and questions of justice intersect with the homestay model and the immersive cultural experience of Buenos Aires.”

Photo courtesy of Travis Hill-Weber Rowing in the River | Travis Hill-Weber kayaks in the Pameroon River in Kabakaburi, Guyanain in 2013. Hill-Weber lived in Guyana for two years while serving in the Peace Corps.

Hill-Weber and his wife Harmony, who is a Pepperdine alumna, said they had a deep cultural experience themselves when they volunteered in the Peace Corps together for two years in Guyana in South America. Travis Hill-Weber and his wife, Harmony, smile at Hosororo Falls outside of Mabaruma, Guyana.

The Peace Corps is a volunteer service opportunity for people who want to immerse themselves in a community in another country and foster peace and friendship that extends across international boundaries, according to the Peace Corps website.

Hill-Weber said he was a community health education promoter focused on the education of basic healthcare, diet and sanitation within the community.

H a r m o ny taught second graders in

the elementary school.

“The Peace Corps experience was … an opportunity to learn from [and] learn alongside the villagers that we lived with,” Hill-Weber said. “It was an opportunity to do a lot of self-reflection and self-learning, checking assumptions that I brought, paying attention to power differences and power imbalances as a White US passport holder, as a male in this culture.”

After a lot of self-reflection during his experience volunteering, Hill-Weber said he learned to have humility.

“I learned that God is just so much bigger than I thought God was … that God is the God of all people, including people very different from myself, so [this understanding] brings a humility to interactions with other people,” Hill-Weber said.

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ICC approves new clubs to join Pepperdine community Munguia said he was working in the Seaver College Career Center when Sundance reached out to them. Due to Pepperdine’s close proximity to Los Angeles, the festival invited a group of students to attend,

R ac e da lton s taf f w rit e r Pepperdine’s new clubs have just arrived on campus this semester, and they include everything from honor societies to cultural communities. Before a club can form on campus, it has to go through a process with the Inter-Club Council (ICC).

The ICC has facilitated and helped support the new organizations in their beginning phases, ICC Adviser Sabrina Willison said. So far, there have been 11 new clubs that have arrived on campus this school year.

A club needs 10 members, a full-time faculty member and a completed digital club application to be approved, Willison said. Club founders must create a constitution of bylaws as well as a calendar of meetings and events and provide a reason for forming the organization.

“A new change that we are trying this year is to add extra touch points throughout the year and

“

Photo courtesy of Valentina Crespo New Clubs | Students table for clubs at Mullin Town Sqaure Sept 4. ICC hosted a club fair for students to learn more about the different clubs at Pepperdine. Visitors were given treats and information at each club booth. extra programming to our specialized areas to build support,” Willison said.

Club founders have to request funds from ICC. Based on its budget, ICC has to figure out whether or not it can approve these requests.

Below are three of the

11 new clubs approved on campus this fall.

Pepperdine IGNITE Club Senior Bryan Munguia said the Pepperdine IGNITE Club is a film club with its priority on attending the Sundance Film Festival — an an-

nual event that screens independent films.

Munguia said being a founder of a club has “brought out the Capricorn” in him.

“Making the Pepperdine Ignite Club has made me more detail-oriented,” Munguia said.

A new change that we are trying this year is to add extra touch points throughout the year and extra programming to our specialized areas to build support.

Sabrina Willison, ICC Advisor

prompting Munguia to organize a group.

“As someone who has always been super passionate about film and wants to pursue a career in that field, I took [cre-

ating the club] upon myself because the Career Center could not do anything,” Munguia said.

Munguia said the Pepperdine Ignite Club is centered not only on Sundance but also on film as a whole.

“We are essentially more of a film club even though we do not have that title,” Munguia said.

The Ignite Club is open to everyone interested in film, and Munguia said its members are hoping to be a smaller part of a larger film club. He said it is expected Ignite will be a prong of an actual film club planning to form next semester.

The Ignite Club is planning on meeting once a month with its most pivotal event being the Sundance Film Festival.

Munguia said the club is planning on having guest speakers from Sundance come and screen the winning shorts from the year before.

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SE P T E M B E R 1 9, 2 0 1 9 | L IFE A N D A RTS | P E P P E RD I N E G RA P H I C ME D I A

First-year strengthens his faith at Pepp

was incorporated in my R o wan Toke life every single day, and A ss i s tant Li f e & A rts E dit or

First-year Brent Young said his two main values — family and faith — align with Pepperdine’s mission. The mission is a commitment to the “highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership,” according to Pepperdine’s website.

Young said it is one of the reasons why he came to Pepperdine.

“A really big thing was coming here for the Christian aspect,” Young said. “I wanted to strengthen my relationship with God.” Young, who is from Highland, California, which is in San Bernardino County, said he wanted to be close to his family because they are important to him.

Young said he is very close to his three younger siblings: two twin brothers who are 12 years old and a younger sister who is 6 years old.

“I’ve had a big impact on their lives, and leaving them, even though it’s not very far ... it’s still kinda hard leaving them because I know I was becoming the man of my house,” Young said.

Young said his parents have had a big impact on his life. His mother showed him what was right and made sure that God was in his life.

“She made sure faith

I’m very thankful for that,” Young said. “She had me at a young age so it was really hard for her, and she still powered through where it was just me and her against the world until my dad and her got married when I was 4.”

Young said his father taught him the importance of hard work and is also one of his reasons for coming to Pepperdine.

“A big part [of coming to Pepperdine] was I wanted to help my dad with his business,” Young said.

Young said his father owns a wholesale auto-parts business called Young Automotive Distributors that sells parts to dealerships across the nation. He believes that with a strong education from Pepperdine, he can help his father’s business grow even more.

“Hopefully after I get my undergraduate degree in business administration then I can go to graduate school either here or somewhere else ... and then after that I can move back and start working with him” Young said.

Young said he was always committed to his faith, but he became very involved in his church, Red Chapel in Rancho Cucamonga, California, during high school. He was also involved in varsity basketball, men’s concert choir, Christian club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“I’ve always tried to be involved, but I got really involved my senior year and that’s when my faith really took a turn,” Young said.

Young said his uncle started the church about 10 years ago.

“I was always close to and loved God, but it wasn’t until I started volunteering and serving Him until I actually started to realize what being a Christian and doing His works meant,” Young wrote in an email.

Young said he was involved as a worship team member, Sunday school teacher and a greeter.

“Singing in my church and teaching kids Sunday school made myself realize I’m an example, so I wanted to start living a more godly life,” Young wrote.

“I’ve still been there every Sunday since I’ve been in college, driving back home and going to church on the weekends,” Young said.

Young said he has been at church with his family every Sunday since beginning college and intends to continue that. He hopes to get involved with University Church of Christ (UCC), club convocation and other Christian clubs on campus while continuing to grow in his faith.

“I felt like coming here would be better for my future and make me a better man, a better future husband and better future father,” Young said.

RO WA N .T O KE @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

Photos courtesy of Brent Young

Family Time | (Above) Young sits on a log for his senior photos.

(Below) The Young family stands in front of a festive wreath for their family Christmas pictures. Young has three younger siblings.

HILL-WEBER: New director commits to life in BA

Photos courtesy of Travis Hill-Weber Couple of Travelers| (Left) Hill-Weber and his wife, Harmony, smile in front of Hosororo Falls outside of Mabaruma, Guyana. They enjoy serving and traveling together during their time in the Peace Corps. (Right) Hill-Weber and Harmony pose on a large rock at Bariloche, Argentina.

FROM B1 Hill-Weber said his experience volunteering at the Peace Corps taught him to be flexible and let go of control.

“We learned to let go of the need for things to happen the way we expect them to and learned to improvise … and ask our neighbors and our community for help [and] work together,” Hill-Weber said.

When meeting the students in the BA program, O’Neill said Hill-Weber encouraged the students with one word: openness.

“Openness to trying new things and new experiences and immersing yourself into that culture rather than impose your culture on others,” O’Neill said.

In addition to living in Guyana, Hill-Weber also lived and studied in Spain, Israel and even Buenos Aires. He

said he loves diving into and learning about different cultures.

“To me culture is so much more than just music, food, language,” Hill-Weber said. “Culture is kind of a way of seeing and understanding oneself and seeing and understanding the world and who God is … When I enter into new places, I learn something about who I am and who God is and how all of this kind of fits together. I think I’m able to see more expansively the Christian call to love and justice.”

Laux wrote that Hill-Weber’s experience serving in the Peace Corps and passion for different cultures have prepared him for the position of program director of BA. “BA is a unique environment, and we really wanted a director who excelled in a variety of ways,” Laux wrote. “We looked for someone who could support students academically, spiritually and culturally throughout the experience … [and] had the leadership skills to

support our BA team and faculty in the future.”

Hill-Weber said he has not only previously lived in BA, but he also has a family connection to the vibrant city.

“My mother-in-law is actually born in Buenos Aires,” Hill-Weber said.

“When we lived in Buenos Aires, we lived with some of her family, studying the language and just having a culturally immersive experience, so I absolutely love the city.”

Hill-Weber said he likes that the BA program in particular is set up in a way that allows students to experience the city in depth.

“The Buenos Aires program … is unique because of the homestay model that allows this really rich culturally immersive experience … The program has a really rich history of service learning, and I love that aspect of the program as well,” Hill-Weber said.

Hill-Weber said he is excited to support the BA program and help make it

even stronger. Although Hill-Weber is working as director of the BA program, he is currently working from Memphis, Tennessee, waiting to secure his visa.

“The process of securing a visa can be complicated and can take time ... so we’re still in that process,” Hill-Weber said. “I think we’re very, very close to finalizing the visa.”

Hill-Weber said he was able to video-in and talk to the students in BA during their orientation, and he is very excited to finally arrive there and get to know the students.

“I’m just excited to step into a program that is already very strong and that already provides such a rich, transformative experience for students,” Hill-Weber said. “My goal is to support what’s already so good and whatever we can do to enhance the program.”

EM ILY.C.SHAW @PEPPER DINE.EDU

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P E P P E R DIN E GR A P H IC M E DIA | L IFE A N D A RTS | S E P T E MB E R 1 9 , 20 1 9

Blue Bottle brings Malibu a new coffee wave V er net ta Covarru bias New s a ssita n t

Blue Bottle Coffee celebrated 10 weeks since its grand opening in Malibu’s Park at Cross Creek on Sunday.

The establishment officially opened July 6, one week after the new Whole Foods. It joined Starbucks and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf as another major coffee chain in the area. Blue Bottle prides itself on its practice of achieving and serving its coffee at peak flavor, according to the company’s website.

Consistent quality and a positive customer experience are central to the company’s ethos, Barista Ethan Walker said.

“I love coffee,” Walker said.

“Working here is like coffee school; you learn all the ins and outs and details of how to make great coffee consistently.”

Walker said he began working at Blue Bottle in July when the location first opened. After each order he takes, he strikes up a conversation.

“I love interacting with the community,” Walker said.

“There’s a lot of cool people coming in, mostly students and people that live and work around here.”

Blue Bottle is a key thirdwave coffee brand, meaning it creates a fairly-traded, specialty product that focuses on customer experience, according to Business Insider.

“It takes an extraordinary amount of effort, starting from the moment coffee trees flower to the arrival of green coffee shipments at Oakland’s pier, to bring coffee to market that’s free of physical defects and tastes consistent and clean in the cup,” the company shared in a blog post.

The location boasts floor to ceiling windows and a clean, light colored wooden interior.

While Pepperdine students

said they appreciate the new addition, they also said the cost for a drink is causing them to shy away.

“For the price, I would probably just go to Starbucks,” junior Savannah Montalvo said.

“Even the coffee in Whole Foods is pretty good. But the environment [at Blue Bottle] is definitely nice.”

Blue Bottle sports a simple menu with four categories: espresso, drip coffee, iced coffee and specialties. Prices range from $3.50 for a single shot of espresso, $5 for a latte and $9 for a slice of avocado toast. The only cup size option is 12 ounces.

An alternative milk choice, such as almond milk, is an additional $1.50.

Students said they also consider the seating options when weighing the benefits of how conducive a coffeehouse is for studying.

“They don’t have any seating inside,” Montalvo said.

“It’s all outside, which is nice, but not the best for studying because you can’t really stay there for too long.”

The location does not have its own Wi-Fi. Senior Aman Chandi said this was a dealbreaker for her.

“I think it’s a nice place, but I was surprised they didn’t have Wi-Fi like you would expect at any other coffee place,” Chandi said.

Blue Bottle’s commitment to sustainability follows the ban on plastic straws in Malibu that went into effect last year.

“They use biodegradable cups,” Montalvo said. “It was interesting. I could tell they were made from recycled material, and obviously they don’t use straws. But overall, I think it’s great for the environment.”

Vernetta Covarrubias | News Assistant

VE R NE T TA .COVA RRU B I A S @P E P P E RD I N E . E D U

Art by Melissa Locke

Maya McDowell | Ad Manager Caffeine Fix | (Above) The Blue Bottle Coffee in Malibu officially opened a week after the new Whole Foods in June. The Park complex provides plenty of parking, including EV parking, as well as indoor and outdoor seating. (Below) The succulent wall at Whole Foods acts as a background for pictues. Students posted pictures of their Blue Bottle coffee cups.

CLUBS: Students create 11 new clubs on campus F R OM B 1 Manguia said the club is helping further Pepperdine’s mission of community and service through its volunteer efforts at Sundance and bringing together a community passionate about film. “[Creating the Ignite Club] has been an enriching experience as it has helped me connect with people who have a similar passion as me which has been the best part so far,” Munguia said.

Les Petites Conversations Senior Valentina Crespo founded Les Petites Conversations — French for “small conversations” — to create a space for students learning French to interact with each other in the language.

“Last year, I missed using French so much that I got together with my friends to start talking about creating a French club,” Crespo said. “I wanted to make the club

inclusive, and I didn’t want to create any barriers because I wanted to fill the void for a casual culture conversation for French on campus.”

Crespo said she has always loved the French language and culture.

She originally took French in high school and continued to utilize it at Pepperdine when she studied abroad in Lausanne.

Les Petites Conversations is having its first meeting Thursday, Sept.

19 at the Sandbar Patio, and Crespo said she invites anyone passionate about French to come.

“Even if you’re in first-level French, I think taking a step in being comfortable with it outside of the classroom will help you grow in your skills,” Crespo said.

European Horizons European Horizons is a new club with an emphasis on European politics. Senior Filippo Margheritini, founder of the club, said the club is for those interested in inter-

national affairs.

“Our club’s purpose is to give access and a platform for students at Pepperdine who are interested in international affairs to express themselves and to foster this dialogue on the topic of European politics,” Margheritini said.

The club is going to have conferences held both nationally and internationally. Margheritini said the club is a place where students can speak freely about their political opinions.

“I believe we are furthering Pepperdine’s mission of community because we are giving a platform for students to discuss politics and their opinions, thus creating a place for diversity of thought,” Margheritini said.

Margheritini said he is excited for the club’s beginning, as he has personally experienced the student body at Pepperdine become more interested in international affairs. He invites anyone interested to attend an info session Sept. 26 at 6

p.m. in Room 191 at the Plaza Classrooms.

“Students at Pepperdine are continuing to grow eager in getting to know what is happening around the world, and bringing European Horizons now is going to enhance that feeling and international awareness among students,” Margheritini said.

The other new clubs at Pepperdine include Beta Psi Omega, Food for Thought, Lambda Pi Eta, Nourish, Pepperdine Gaming Club, RnD Dance, Taiwanese Student Union and the Pepperdine Philosophy Club.

For more information about these new clubs or to check out a full list of the fall 2019 clubs, visit the Pepperdine Community website under the Clubs and Organizations tab on the left sidebar.

Peppervine also has a full list of clubs, and it includes an overview, upcoming club events and more in-depth information.

RA CE . DALTON@PEPPER DINE.EDU

For more info, visit the icc website Graphic by Rowan Toke

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SE P T E M B E R 1 9, 2 0 1 9 | S PORTS | P E P P E RD I N E G RA P H I C ME D I A

Water Polo gets off to scorching start Aust in H All staf f w rit e r

Pepperdine Men’s Water Polo is picking up where they left off last season.

With their terrific 2018 recruiting class already making strides in their sophomore seasons, three fifth-year seniors and a favorable schedule, Pepperdine could make a strong postseason push once again.

It’s been 22 years since Pepperdine won an NCAA title in water polo. Within that drought, the crown of NCAA champion has been in a rotation of USC, UCLA, Cal Berkeley and Stanford.

After a third-place finish in the Gold Coast Conference last season, Pepperdine is off to an 8-1 start and has already beaten the team that they could not get past at the end of the season last year: Long Beach State. Even after the near-perfect start, players feel they still have ways to go before reaching

their goal.

One of those players is junior center Coleman Carpenter. Carpenter already has 49 career games under his belt. When thinking back to last season, Carpenter said he is still not happy with the result.

“I still have a bad taste in my mouth from last year,” Carpenter said. “We planned on winning it and we really had the potential too. I don’t want to make excuses because we had our opportunities.

We were traveling a lot last season because of the fires.

Not sleeping in our own beds for two weeks affected us, but we could have executed better.”

One of Pepperdine’s most talented players is sophomore attacker Bolazs Kosa. Carpenter had high praise for his teammate after seeing him play for the first time last year.

“Balazs Kosa is an absolute beast,” Carpenter said. “He’s a cheat code.

His stats were unreal as a

freshman. Every year, he’s just gonna get better and that’s scary.”

Kosa was born in raised in Budapest, Hungary, and said that playing in the United States is a completely different experience.

“The whole mentality is different,” Kosa said.

“The coaches here respect and appreciate you more.

The sport is then seriously here but not as serious as back home. There, we were treated like professionals, and the sport is a full-time job. It’s better in the States because of the relationship with the coaches.”

Kosa was part of a promising freshman class in 2018. He said he believes that his class is on pace for another consistent season.

“Those guys are getting better every day,” Kosa said. “We’ve all been practicing really hard. This class is good because they continually get better. Our

Jazz Hands | A Waves attacker reaches back to fire a shot as the UCSB goaltender protects the cage.

File Photos Bench Mob | The Waves bench celebrate during a 2018 game against University of California Santa Barbara. plays are complex and said. “I definitely have a take a lot of practice, my better mindset. Last year, group and this team un- I was frustrated and didn’t derstands that we have to come out the way I was Courtesy of supposed Pepperdine Athletics stay disciplined.” to. Injuries can Pepperdine is currently make or break someone the No. 8 team in the coun- mentally, and my concustry. They jumped the rank- sion taught me to move ings by three spots after a forward.”

5-0 performance in two Pepperdine boasts one tournaments, the WWPA of the most decorated inv.s. GCC Challenge Cup dividuals in the sport of and the Inland Empire Water Polo. Head Coach Classic. The Waves scored Terry Schroeder is a twodouble-digit goals in ev- time Olympic Silver Medal ery performance and had winner, and he was capnotable victories versus tain of the U.S. Olympic ranked teams Loyola Ma- team for 10 years and a rymount and Long Beach National Coach of the Year.

State.

Alongside him as the The offense has been assistant head coach is firing on all cylinders, and Merrill Moses, Schroeder’s the team has recorded 107 former player and captain goals in nine games. Al- of the 1997 championthough Carpenter is more ship team. Carpenter said of a defensive player, he the dynamic between the has six goals so far. Car- two coaches is vital to the penter missed eight games team, and their differing last season with a concus- styles complement each sion, but he said he’s hap- other every day in pracpy to be back out there tice. scoring goals.

“We have two very dif“I’m definitely off to a ferent coaches,” Carpenbetter start,” Carpenter ter said. “Schroeder is the

greatest, he’s like a wizard.

He directs practice most of the time — he’s not as much of a yeller. And then Merrill played at such a and high Sheridan caliber onlyDavis a few years ago. He’s very ferocious and loud and gets us hyped. They’re a perfect yin and yang.”

Thursday, the team will travel to Santa Barbara to face the Gauchos and Ottawa University Arizona.

They will have a one day rest before Saturday, their biggest game of the season so far versus the No. 2 ranked UCLA Bruins.

Kosa said he is confident in his team’s ability going forward.

“The coaches and players have been setting a new culture,” Kosa said. “We’ve been reading books as a team and having Wednesday morning meetings to focus on the big picture.

Everybody’s doing their job and it’s going to pay off later in the year.”

AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU

Photos by

by Kyle Kyle McCabe McCabe || Sports Sports Editor Editor Photos Rising Stars | (Left) Freshman forward Shelby Little celebrates scoring her first-half goal against San Diego State; (right) redshirt freshman goalkeeper Kinsey Ehmann unleashes a throw downfield. TopDrawerSoccer named Ehmann their National Player of the Week.

Waves roll past SDSU for second straight home win ky le m c cabe s por ts editor

The Waves took care of business Sunday afternoon, defeating the San Diego State Aztecs 2-0. After a quick first-half goal, Pepperdine dominated the statistics box the rest of the game but only managed one more score.

The Waves are no stranger to protecting an early lead. In their win over No. 2 Stanford on Friday, Pepperdine scored in the 19th minute before sitting back and protecting their one goal lead.

The Aztecs and the Cardinal are two different teams, though, and the Waves employed different strategies against each.

“I would definitely say Friday was a lot faster of a tempo,” senior Hailey Stenberg said. “Today, I think it was nice to be able to control that tempo.”

The pace of play was fundamental to Pepperdine’s success against the Aztecs. The Waves dictated the tempo more in this game than they have all season.

“We pride ourselves on generally being the team that controls the tempo and pace of the game,” Head Coach Tim Ward said. “I thought today was better. But we’re in process in that area. But it was much better than it has been.”

Pepperdine’s first goal Sunday came off the right foot of freshman Shelby Little. In the 10th minute, redshirt freshman Olivia Packer and junior Brie Welch worked the ball in close to the San Diego State goal area, where Little battled for position and put the ball into the top of the net.

“Brie [Welch], one of our forwards, got a touch

on it, and I was just in front of the goal,” Little said. “I just did anything I could to get it in.”

The Waves kept the pressure on throughout the rest of the game, outshooting the Aztecs 14-4.

The pressure resulted in another goal about halfway through the second half.

In the 69th minute, a San Diego State defender blocked a shot by sophomore Nicolette Lewis.

Stenberg collected the rebound, shook off another defender and ricocheted a shot off the right post and into the net. ”I just got on top of the box,” Stenberg said. “I just felt pressure. Just cut it back, and we’ve been working on shooting all week, so it kind of just felt natural.”

This is Pepperdine’s second straight win and third of the season. San

Diego State extends their winless streak to five games and falls to 1-5-1 on the season.

The Waves have played three teams ranked in the top 12 this season. In those games, they won one, tied one and lost one.

Ward said that his team’s record does not represent how good they really are.

“Our schedule is not for the faint of heart,” Ward said. “We’re capable of beating anybody on any day. But it’s day by day, game by game. And I hope that our girls play with a lot of confidence in Hawaiʻi.”

The Hawaiʻi games are part of the Rainbow Wahine Shootout, which features Pepperdine, No. 13 Washington State, No. 5 University of California, Los Angeles and Hawaiʻi.

The Waves will play UCLA on Sept. 19 and Washington State on Sept. 22.

“I think we have two really good opportunities to make a statement with the teams we are playing,” Little said. “I think we’ve kind of been known as the underdogs, so it’ll be good to make a statement.”

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Kinsey Ehmann made her third start Sunday. Her first appearance came against Vanderbilt on Sept. 1 after Zoe Clevely exited the game due to injury. Ehmann is 2-1 as a starter with a shutout in each of the wins. “[Ehmann]’s a Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Arizona,” Ward said. “I think she’s showing everybody right now that she’s got the goods even though she might be young. I think she’s got a great career ahead of her.”

Ehmann’s second shutout came easier than the first. She made nine saves

against Stanford but did not face a shot on goal against San Diego State.

Little said Ehmann’s performance against Stanford motivated the team to lighten her load Sunday.

“We knew [Ehmann] was back there,” Little said. “We knew we had to protect her, so we really just wanted to work for her because she was amazing.”

Pepperdine only has three more non-conference games this season, including the two in Hawaiʻi. Ward said that the team is not thinking about conference play yet, though.

“We’re sort of just taking it game by game,” Ward said. “We’re just trying to finish non-conference strong.”

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

SE P T E M B E R 1 9, 2 0 1 9 | S PORTS | P E P P E RD I N E G RA P H I C ME D I A

B5

File Photo Photos by Ali Levens | Assistant Photos by Sports Ali Levens Editor Net Worth | (Left) Senior outside hitter Hannah Frohling quickly attacks the incoming set against a Pitt blocker. (Middle) Senior middle blocker Tarah Wylie successfully jousts a Cal Poly blocker. (Right) Junior middle blocker Alli O’Hara reaches high to deflect a Mustang tip.

Women’s Volleyball loses three straight games ali levens ass i s tant sports e d itor Succeeding a two-three record at Pepperdine’s home tournament last weekend, the Waves were set to compete in the Asics Classic Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Sept.

13 and 14. Their contenders are No. 16 University of Utah, California Polytechnic State University and No. 6 University of Pittsburgh.

The decision to establish the team’s setter continued at the forefront of the tournament.

Freshman Isabel Zelaya and redshirt freshman Tayah Mahi are vying for the position, and Head Coach Scott Wong tested both in this tournament.

Zelaya played the first two sets against Utah, with Mahi rotating in midway through the third set. Mahi started the fourth set, but Zelaya subbed when Utah led Pepperdine, 6-2.

In the matches versus Cal Poly and Pitt, though, Zelaya maintained her setting position.

“We’ve pushed [Zelaya] mostly by just helping teach her along the way, like decision making technique,” Wong said.

“We’re bombarding her with all kinds of stuff, and she’s handling it well. She’s responding, and as she continues to grow, so does our team.”

As Wong makes a call for who will be in the setter’s position, Zelaya said she looks to her team

for guidance.

“I think the team trusts me and Tayah [Mahi] both, and I think [the setter does] a really good job of whoever’s in, they give it their all,” Zelaya said. “[The team has] helped me a lot just with all the pressure and everything. And it’s really easy to do when you have great teammates.”

Among the setter toss-up, Hannah Frohling, senior outside hitter and team leader, returned to the court for a few points against Utah and Cal Poly but played the entirety of the Pitt match.

“It’s good to have Hannah back,” Wong said. “She’s been a great leader for us the last three years, and then she continues to lead well.

Frohling was previously unable to play due to a lower leg injury but was able to go out and play her game.

“I love being out there the whole time,” Frohling said.

Friday, Sept. 13 – Utah 3, Pepperdine 1 The Waves started off with a bang in the first set against Utah. No team led by more than a point until freshman outside hitter Kayleigh Hames slammed down one of her two kills, establishing a 6-4 lead. Confidence continued to grow for the Waves as they edged out their only win for the night, 25-20, holding a

solid front that would not let Utah within four points.

The second set was a game of catch-up. Despite a parallel score four times, Pepperdine was unable to surpass the Ute barrier.

The Waves were unable to stay on top; they dropped their first loss of the night, 25-22.

They established a quick lead, and the Waves gained some confidence. They had 15 kills in this set but, yet again, could not escape the Utes and their 17 kills.

The Waves were unable to add to their 23 points after a second Utah timeout was called, making the Utes victors once more.

The fourth set proved to be a struggle for the Waves from the beginning, as Utah quickly jumped out to the lead, with six of their points being from kills.

Pepperdine fought to dig themselves out of a large deficit, but to no avail; the Utes were ruthless and held the Waves to a mere 13 points, concluding the match in favor of Utah.

“The things that Utah thought ahead and changed on our side affected us a little bit,” Wong said. “Good teams do that, so that was a tough loss for us and a hard fought match.”

Saturday, Sept. 14 – Cal Poly 3, Pepperdine 2

Pepperdine had a chance to redeem their Utah loss with a win versus unranked Cal Poly.

“In the time in between [matches], I think our team reset,” Wong said. “They did a good job learning from that last match and then played some pretty good volleyball.”

The Mustangs quickly garnered three points against the Waves, and Pepperdine could not keep up with Cal Poly’s quick net play and solid blocks, dropping the first set 22-25.

The Waves and Mustangs aggressively battled at the net for the entire match. Middle blockers junior Alli O’Hara and senior Tarah Wylie dominated the net, with 12 kills each and a combined seven block assists. “[Hitting well] was honestly just my connection with [the team],” O’Hara said. “It was my team that helped me make me look good, but I can really thank them for that.”

Kill after kill, the Waves dominated the second set (25-18) after a whopping 18 successful attacks compared to the Mustangs’ eight.

The team fell out of rotation in the third set. After missing three serves in a row, the Waves fell victim to the Mustangs’ capitalization on their weak spots, keeping Pepperdine from scoring more than 17 points.

“It’s really tough to say, like, what was wrong, but I think probably the connection and confidence,” O’Hara said. “Once we get into [a rut], it’s hard to come back. But again, we’re doing so much better and continuing to do that. We’re still coming up from losing our senior setter.”

Taking the loss in stride, Courtesy of Isabel Pepperdine Set Into Motion | Freshman setter Zelaya Athletics pops a the Waves battled back in the long set to the outside for an awaiting hitter Saturday. fourth game and took the Mus-

On a Dime | Junior outside hitter Shannon Scully watches a pass as it bounces off her flattened platform. tangs to five. we deserve this. So I think it was “In the fourth set, we said we just like the mentality of havwanted to keep playing as long ing that that helped us to push as we could before it was too through and end up beating late, and we decided to fight for them on that side.” it,” Frohling said.

The Waves remained on fire Cal Poly once again estab- through set three. They took lished a five-point lead early on advantage of their momentum in the 15-point set, but Pepper- from the previous set to condine managed to tie the score at tinue their lead over the Pan10.

Despite the long rallies andAthletics thers with aggressive row Courtesy of Pepperdine and Calvinback Wood net aggressiveness, the Waves rallies. The second victory was only scored a single point after achieved (25-23), and Pepperthe tie. The Mustangs earned dine became the only team to their first win at the tourna- win two sets versus Pitt this seament. Cal Poly got two victories son. after defeating Utah 3-2 later in “I felt like we got on them in the day. the second set and kept on goEven though the Waves were ing,” Wong said. sitting at 0-2 going into the last The Panthers were not done match versus the Pitt Panthers, yet; they adjusted their targets they had four players get into and hit the weak spots in the double digits with their attacks: Waves’ defense and serve-rejunior outside hitter Shannon ceive, securing a solid lead and Scully accumulated 16, soph- 25-18 defeat. omore opposite hitter Rachel Following a defeat after two Ahrens 13, and the 12 each from big wins, the Waves needed to O’Hara and Wylie. stay on their toes and be ready “I love it when everybody for whatever the Panthers pitches in and helps,” Wong threw at them. said. “I thought [Zelaya] did a “We said [Pitt’s team is] annice job spreading it around, other six people on the other finding the hot hitter and keep- side of [the court] and [to] just ing the other team off balance a play our game, so we decided to little bit.” have fun with it,” Wylie said.

Pepperdine trailed the entire Saturday, Sept. 14 – Pitt 3, Pep- set but never let the point defiperdine 2 cit grow larger than three. An attack error by Ahrens ended With unpredictable front- the match 14-16, and Pitt’s unrow moves and a scrappy back defeated status prevailed. The row, undefeated and sixth- Waves remained unsuccessful ranked Pitt proved they were a in adding a win to their now 3-6 force to be reckoned with. The record.

Waves struggled to keep up and “I think sometimes maybe could never close the five-point there’s better lessons learned gap the Panthers set out to ex- through losses,” Wong said pand, losing the opening set 17- about the weekend results. “I 25. think they’ve kept it very posi“I think our offense started tive, but I think they kind of rely clicking in,” Wong said, follow- on each other to pick each other ing the start of the second set. up.”

“We also played our volleyball Wong said the team is focusand they settled down.” ing on making adjustments to Pepperdine spiked back with playing with one another and a vengeance by adjusting their getting a feel for their chemistry hitting zones, ending up with on and off the court.

18 kills compared to Pitt’s 12.

“Each person has a couple of The Waves controlled the set things they’re focusing on to with an early five-point lead, change,” Wong said. “They’ve but the Panthers soon tied the started to make those changes, game at 12. The home team pre- which is really hard ... this is a vailed, winning 25-21. different team than last year, “I think at the start, we were and we just gotta let it flow; let’s like, ‘We don’t know,’ but then find our rhythm and just go for after we lost, [we said] ‘No, we it.” can do this,’” Scully said, who had a double-double in kills and digs. “[We said] we’re supposed to be here; we earned this and PEPPGR APHIC M EDIA@GM AIL .C OM

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s eptember 19, 2019

The Graphic

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SPORTS DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH

Photos by Austin Hall | Staff Writer The First Time in Forever | Senior Brooke Zenner fires the ball down the field in a clearing attempt while a Stanford defender pressures her in the 78th minute Friday. The Waves’ stout defense protected their one goal lead since the 19th minute.

Women’s Soccer gives Stanford first regular season loss in 2 years aust in hall staf f writ e r

Three straight losses, dropping out of the national rankings, playing two top-five teams in a one week span while stuck in a ninth-place tie with the University of Pacific in the West Coast Conference Standings.

These were the circumstances that the Pepperdine Women’s Soccer team faced heading into their matchup on Friday versus the #2-ranked Stanford Cardinal. They had the entire week to prepare for the matchup after last Friday’s loss versus Cal Poly.

Stanford is the third top 25 opponent that Pepperdine has played this season. Their first two outings showed promise but were ultimately unsuccessful, as they tied Texas A&M and lost to Vanderbilt.

With a 1-3-1 record heading into the day, the Waves faced a must-win game if they expect to make a push at Brigham Young University and Gonzaga atop the WCC. Pepperdine executed on both sides of the ball, secured their biggest win of the season and handed Stanford their first regular season loss since Aug. 25, 2017.

After what appeared to be a minor injury for redshirt sophomore Zoe Clevely versus Vanderbilt, the goalkeeper found out on Wednesday that she will be out for the season with a torn ACL.

Redshirt freshman Kinsey Ehmann, the only other goalie on the roster has taken over the position since the injury and recorded 13 saves in the first three games. Friday’s game was Ehmann’s biggest test so far, and she rose to the challenge in just her fourth career game.

Sophomore center-back Trinity Watson said she was ecstatic about Ehmann’s performance and raved about her work ethic.

“I was so stoked about her performance today,” Watson said. “She’s really coming from the bench with our starting goalie getting hurt. But she works so hard in practice, and it showed on the field today.

Her performance was amazing.”

To start the game, the Waves offense had their most aggressive start this season as they constantly created passing lanes and challenged the opponent’s side of the field. In the third minute, junior midfielder Joelle Anderson ran through the Cardinal defense and attempted the first shot of the contest. The ball sailed left and the game remained scoreless.

In the 19th minute, Anderson set the ball down for a corner kick on the left side of the field. She lofted the ball high in the air and a group of Stanford and Pepperdine players crowded beneath it. From behind the group, sophomore defender Izzy Nelson accel-

erated to the ball and leaped into the air for a powerful header that hit the back of the net. It’s Nelson’s first goal of the season and the third of her career.

“I spun out of the crowd and when I saw the ball,” Nelson said. “It was perfect and I finished it. We’ve been working on it in practice a lot, but we haven’t turned it into points yet, so I guess it was time that we did. We had God on our side today.”

The Pepperdine defense avoided disaster in the 23rd minute. As Stanford was driving down the field, Ehmann charged a loose ball that was between two Cardinal players.

She slipped to the ground, and Stanford set up what looked to be an easy shot before Watson stepped in front of the goal and blocked the ball.

Stanford continued offensive pressure with long, setup passes but was called for offside in the 24th, 28th and 31st minute. In the first half alone, Stanford had eight shot attempts but could not get past the hands of Ehmann.

To start the second half, the Waves dropped many players onto their side of the field to focus on defense and keeping the lead. From the 51st to 54th minute, Stanford attempted five of their whopping 12 corner kicks of the day, and the Waves defense dismantled each attempt.

In the 64th minute, Ehmann went up for another

Physical Altercation | (From left to right) Junior Calista Reyes runs toward senior Brooke Zenner and junior Joelle Anderson as they battle a Stanford player.

Goal-Keeping up with Kinsey | Redshirt freshman Kinsey Ehmann clears a ball out of the Waves end. save and collided with Stanford’s junior forward Madison Haley. It drew a yellow card for Haley, while Ehmann was injured on the play and was down for a few minutes before the training staff assisted her, and she stayed in the game.

Only two minutes later, Ehmann had another save, and Nelson deflected two shots of her own on back-toback plays. As the game clock started to approach minute 90, Stanford continued to fire shots and generate corner kicks, but the Waves defense kept the shutout. The Cardinal finished the game with a total of 22 shots and nine that were on goal.

The defensive game plan Photos Courtesy for Pepperdine was well executed. Watson attributed the result to the work that the team put in during practice.

“We talked about their offense a lot in practice and worked on our defensive shape,” Watson said. “We looked at film this entire week too, so I think that benefited us in the long run.”

Ehmann had a remarkable performance and finished with six saves, the most by a Pepperdine goalkeeper since Brielle Preece’s 10-save outing versus BYU last October.

Ehmann said she was happy with her team’s progress at this stage of the season.

“I’m just so proud of my team and excited of what’s to come after this,” Ehmann said. “All of our work has paid off when you look at a game

like this, and we’re going to continue to work and build on it.”

Ward said the team’s performance pleased him and they are ready to improve.

“I’m immensely proud of the girls,” Ward said. “With the results in the last three games, our performances haven’t been bad, just the result.

And so today the soccer gods smiled upon us. I told the players that this Stanford group is maybe the best team I’ve ever seen. This game showed that no matter who you’re playing, If your team has a spirit and can fight, anything is possible.”

This victory was 11 months after Pepperdine stunned the of Pepperdine Athletics #2 in the country, Santa Clara.

Ward said he was confident that no matter the ranking, his team can compete with anybody.

“I think in all sports Pepperdine has this sense of David versus Goliath,” Ward said. “That’s one of the many reasons I’ve never left this place, because I love the mentality and think we can play against the best teams in the country. I understand that we also have strengths and weaknesses as a University, but we get up for these games. But it will mean nothing if we don’t build on it.”

Pepperdine will host the San Diego State Aztecs Sunday at 1 p.m.

AUSTIN.HAL L @PEPPER DINE.EDU