Pepperdine Graphic Print Edition 04.12.24

A PERFECT STORM P

C H:

Running through all 21 miles of Malibu, Pacific Coast Highway is a backdrop to the city’s daily life and community tragedies. The name for this series, “PCH: A Perfect Storm” encapsulates the beautiful scenery and the deadly risks that face those who use this road. The inspiration for the title of this series came from an October 2023 interview with Michel Shane, who lost his daughter, Emily, on PCH in 2010. These stories tell the stories of the role PCH plays in Malibu.

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April 12

Join this year’s PIT crew at 8 p.m., in Elkins Auditorium for a night of laughs as they perform improv and ask the audience to participate in the show.

April 15

Destress Fest: Therapy Dogs Pt. 1

SWAB will host a table with therapy dogs at 1 p.m., on main campus for students to pet and play with as finals approach.

April 26

Loqui: A Celebration of Diversity

Join graduates, faculty and the wider Pepperdine community at 1 p.m., at Smothers Theatre, for a celebration of the diversity that students represent in their identities and achievements. Students must register to attend.

April 27

Seaver College Commencement

Gather with faculty and friends at Alumni Park as they recognize the Class of 2024 and their achievements.

Good News: Finding light in journalism

When I think about it, the best news I can find in college, I find in journalism.

I find good news in the people I meet through this reporting job.

I have been able to interview students with passions I would never know about otherwise.

I meet professors and get to ask them why they love what they do — and it’s always because they love their students so deeply. These interviews show me why I love this community so much.

I have found some of my closest friends and biggest mentors through interviews too.

A difficult interview with Sharon Beard led to her becoming one of my biggest mentors and someone I have gained so much wisdom from. A funny interview with senior Ginger Jacobs led me to ask her to be my sophomore-year roommate. An informational interview with alumna Katie Price (‘22) led to a sweet friendship I will always cherish.

When I hear I get to spend the day in the newsroom, that’s good news to me. I see good news in our staff — from the student journalists who came before me and taught me everything I know to the people who ask me all the questions I still don’t feel qualified enough to answer now. I wouldn’t know

how to write a broadcast script if it wasn’t for Brianna Willis, and I wouldn’t have quite as much fun in the newsroom if it wasn’t for Nina Fife. These people bring me good news.

My advisers bring me good news too. Elizabeth Smith shows me grace and how to lead with faith. She has sat with me through every high and low in the newsroom, and I look up to her in more ways than I can write.

Theresa de los Santos pushes me to be the best I can while loving me every step of the way.

Christina Littlefield shows me how to combine my two passions — faith and the news — and Courtenay Stallings shows me how to be intentional and thoughtful and always knows

“Pepperdine Graphic Media (PGM) is an editorially independent student news organization that focuses on Pepperdine

just what I need.

From watching a show develop from a simple idea to an hour-long special broadcast outside of the studio to watching a blank page develop into a newspaper I can read while drinking my morning coffee, I find good news in the production of the news too.

As I start my career as a professional journalist, I know I’ll keep finding more good news. As I bounce around now from news market to news market, I find hope in the fact that I get to learn from new communities and hopefully tell stories that will make an impact.

Mary

Seaver College raises tuition for 2024-25

Yamillah Hurtado Pixel Editor

Seaver College’s tuition has increased for the 2024-25 academic year. The flat-rate tuition, which was $65,990 for the 2023-24 academic year, will now be $69,130.

Malibu Reception welcomes future Waves

Sadie Lovett News Staff Writer

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden,” President Jim Gash said at the 2024 Malibu Reception. Gash said this is a quote pulled from Matthew 5:14, which is Pepperdine’s 2024 theme verse and encapsulates what the university is all about.

The annual Malibu Reception returned to the Pepperdine campus April 5, from 8 a.m., to 3:30 p.m., as “Pepperdine’s largest day for admitted students around the nation,” according to the Seaver College website. Faculty and students welcomed over 800 prospective students, as well as parents and siblings of these students, to different locations across the Malibu campus.

The Malibu Reception opened with the President’s Breakfast in the Light House, welcoming students that are members of the Churches of Christ and Regent Scholars. Students were offered a complimentary breakfast and given the opportunity to converse with other admitted students and members of different Pepperdine boards.

Student representatives for the Pepperdine Ambassadors Council were also present, giving advice to admitted students and expressing their own answers to the age-old question, “Why Pepperdine?”

“There’s so much community waiting for you if you just go and look for it,” said Avery Vasquez, a junior representative for PAC.

Welcoming Remarks

After the mingling hour concluded, several speakers, including Gash, articulated the significance of Pepperdine’s ac-

ademic and faith values in his welcome speech.

“What I would love for them [admitted students] to understand is Pepperdine’s community,” Gash said. “That they’re going to be strengthened to be men and women who are leaders but, more than anything, to feel that they learn here that God loves them and has got a purpose for them.”

Soon after Gash’s welcome, Won By One, a traveling a cappella group made up of Pepperdine undergraduate students that represent the university, performed before the admitted students and their families as they were ushered toward Firestone Fieldhouse for the official welcome session.

The welcome session started with Pepperdine and admitted students trivia followed by a welcome from Tim Spivey, vice president for Spiritual Life, in which he introduced Celebration Chapel, a student-led worship collective.

There’s so much community waiting for you if you just go and look for it

Avery Vasquez Junior PAC Represenative

Celebration Chapel is one of the eight student-led ministries offered on Pepperdine’s campus. It meets nine times per semester on Wednesdays at 10 a.m., and functions as one of the chapel requirements for first and second-year students.

Like many other ministries on campus, Celebration Chap-

The total direct costs for a student living on campus used to be $90,012 but is now $91,668, according to Pepperdine’s website. The total direct costs include flat-rate tuition, housing and food as well as a wellness and campus life fee. Students have expressed concern on a variety of social media platforms about the causes of the rising costs.

Admitted

el is entirely led and coordinated by students, and those involved said it offers many opportunities for growth.

“In a leadership setting, it’s helped me to be intentional about thinking about the people who we’re serving,” said Julia Jung, a junior on the Celebration Chapel worship team.

Along with the eight student-led ministries, there are countless church services held on and off campus. These ministries support students from different backgrounds, offering something for people from many different streams of Christianity, Spivey said.

“It [campus spiritual life] provides them [students] an opportunity to connect with God first but also with fellow students who share the same mission in their life,” Spivey said.

Students were directed toward main campus after the welcome ceremony. For lunch, In-N-Out food trucks were located at the Smothers Theatre Parking Lot and Stauffer Chapel Parking Lot.

Admitted students and their families received complimentary burgers as the Campus Resources Fair and other panels began.

Student Resources

Originally planned to be held in Lower Mullin Town Square, the Campus Resources Fair had to promptly move to the Weisman Museum due to weather. With winds at 20 mph

Olivia Schneider | Staff Photographer

and gusts at up to 33 mph, students and faculty welcomed the transition.

The Campus Resources Fair presented tables for each department manned by faculty and current students that have been involved in their department.

This fair served as an opportunity for each Pepperdine department to provide admitted students with information regarding academic inquiries and answer questions about divisional communities, said Stella Erbes, dean of the Humanities and Teacher Education Division.

With the recent announcement of the General Education curriculum change, many departments are unsure of what their student base will look like going forward. Erbes said this curriculum change is a benefit for incoming students.

“One of the reasons for the new GE is to support students with their learning by giving them choice,” Erbes said. “We don’t know what that will yield.”

Community Engagement

After the Campus Resources Fair, the Student Life Fair was held in Lower Mullin Town Square, which showcased many clubs, cultural organizations and fraternity and sorority groups offered at Pepperdine.

The Middle Eastern Student Association tabled at the Malibu Reception’s Student

Life Fair for the first time as the organization began recently in the 2024 Spring semester.

The representation of cultural clubs at the Malibu Reception allows admitted students to connect over shared experiences, said senior MESA Founder Melanie Tadros.

“Being a new organization, our primary mission this semester has been to increase attendance, increase engagement and make our club known,” Tadros said.

Along with all of Pepperdine’s clubs, organizations and small groups, MESA encourages inclusion and celebration of different experiences.

A core purpose of MESA is “to have it be known that, whether you’re Middle Eastern or not, everyone is welcome to come and enjoy how delightful it is to be in our culture,” Tadros said.

The Tailgate was the last event offered for students at Upper Mullin Town Square. This year also marked the first time it was offered at the Malibu Reception.

With games, treats and the raffle of a $500 scholarship, the Tailgate was a successful end to the 2024 Malibu Reception. Willie the Wave made an appearance, taking photos with admitted students, who left more excited than they came, Aoife Brennan, a freshly committed student, said.

students take pictures with Willie the Wave at the Tailgate located at Upper Mullin Town Square on April 5. Current students mingled with admitted students to wrap up the Malibu Reception.

Design by Kenneth Vargas

‘It’s not dangerous’: Tourists in Malibu don’t understand the dangers of PCH

Abby Wilt Executive Editor

The drive from Santa Monica into Malibu may be one of the most beautiful drives in the country — with a scenic view of the Pacific Ocean on one side and celebrities’ houses on the other. Tourists said they come to Malibu just to say they’ve driven along PCH, but they might not understand the dangers of PCH that come with its beauty.

60 lives have been lost on PCH since 2010, according to Fix PCH. Almost all of these accidents were due to speeding on PCH, reckless driving or distracted driving — on a highway that truly goes through a residential area. There have been over 4,000 basic traffic collisions along PCH in the past 10 years, Mayor Steve Uhring said.

“While I was driving, I kept looking at my boyfriend to be like, ‘Look out the window for me,’” said Kate Ocuch, a tourist visiting Malibu from New York City. “It’s so gorgeous to see.”

Over 15 million tourists come to Malibu every summer, according to a Malibu Recre-

ation Guide. In addition, there are an estimated 40,000 daily commuters in Malibu, consisting of tourists and residents, according to USA Today.

But, within those 15 million, several tourists said they’ve never really thought about how dangerous the road is. They also said they haven’t read any news about the fatal accidents on the road or are just excited to be here. They said they think every road is just as dangerous.

Malibu City Council approved a contract to hire four new California Highway Patrol officers whose sole purpose is to monitor PCH, according to the City of Malibu.

Since they hired the new CHP officers, they have been doing routine special traffic enforcement operations. The last one was Jan. 13, when CHP officers handed out 78 citations in one day. 63 of those were for speeding.

Although it is not clear how many of those citations were given specifically to tourists, Uhring said visitors driving up and down PCH without recognizing the dangers are contributing to the problem.

“I call on residents, businesses, and visitors to our city to exercise caution, obey traffic laws and remain vigilant when

driving this stretch of the highway,” Uhring wrote in a statement.

Minji Jwon, a tourist visiting Malibu from New Jersey, said she came for the weekend to go on a vacation with friends and didn’t know PCH had accidents or was dangerous. She said she actually thought PCH had too slow of a speed limit, too many traffic lights and too much traffic.

“I’d like way less stop signs and traffic lights,” Jwon said “Every block has so many traffic lights.”

She did say, as a tourist, it would be helpful if there were more signs about where she could do things like U-turns or unprotected left turns because it wasn’t clear to her where she was allowed to do that.

Jwon said she didn’t really focus on the road itself but more was looking at the ocean while driving.

“It is just so beautiful here,” Jwon said.

Tom Corey was visiting Malibu from Ontario, Canada, and said he came here to surf over the weekend with two of his friends.

He has come to Malibu to surf several times, so he doesn’t find the road dangerous because he knows it well already.

“I’ve been here too many times to really be distracted,” Corey said.

Corey said, depending on the drivers, he thought it could be dangerous because it is windy and scenic.

“I’d like way less stop signs and traffic lights. Every block has so many traffic lights.”

Minji Jwon Malibu Tourist

“If this guy’s driving, it’s probably really dangerous,” Corey said, pointing to his friend.

He said he wasn’t aware of the accidents on PCH and didn’t view PCH as a highway. Instead, he just thought it was a scenic road; although, he was annoyed with the traffic.

Ocuch also hadn’t heard about the many accidents on PCH and hadn’t gone past the

pier when driving from Los Angeles yet, so she didn’t see the Fix PCH memorial. She said she could see where it could be dangerous when people try to parallel park on the side of the street, especially with such a high speed limit.

“I had to be really cautious as I was driving, especially at the street parking stops, because people will randomly pull over and try to wait in the bank to see if someone else is pulling off,” Ocuch said.

But, in general, Ocuch said she felt safe while driving her rental car along PCH, and the dangerous road conditions wouldn’t be a reason for her to stay away from the area.

“As long as you’re not on your phone and paying attention, it’s alright,” Ocuch said. “It’s not so bad.”

(Below) A motorcycle crash closes down one lane of PCH and backs up traffic March 10, outside of Nobu restaurant. Many tourists go to Nobu during their vacations in Malibu.

Abby

PCH as a front yard: Residents learn to navigate treacherous highway

Yamillah Hurtado Pixel Editor

Being amid the lush green mountains, views of the dazzling blue Pacific Coast and a community where everyone knows each other, living in Malibu is like living in paradise. In a place where the sun is out most days, life can feel peaceful, locals said. But despite the abundance of beauty in this place, the fear of driving on Pacific Coast Highway daily looms over most Malibu residents, they said.

Biology Professor Donna Nofziger said she has lived in Malibu for 28 years and on Pepperdine’s Malibu campus for 26 years.

In those years, she raised her three daughters — who are all young adults now.

Though Nofziger is grateful to have raised her kids in a beautiful place like Malibu with a strong sense of community, she said she dreaded teaching her kids how to drive on the highway where 60 people have died.

“Unlike where I live[d and learned how to drive], where you had freeways and streets, PCH is the freeway, it is the street, it is everything,” Nofziger said. “You’re very aware it’s very scary.”

Navigating Safety on PCH as a Parent

As a parent, teaching one’s children how to drive is scary enough and puts their safety at risk regardless of location, Nofziger said. Having the training grounds for her children’s driver’s education be on PCH, the only way to get around in Malibu, heightened Nofziger’s fear.

As a means of teaching her kids about the responsibility of driving, Nofziger said she emphasized the danger of PCH and the importance of defensive driving.

“It’s not that I don’t trust them because I know my kids are smart,” Nofziger said. “They’re responsible, but I don’t trust the other people out there.”

While driving with her kids, Nofziger said she would point out every time someone on the road was driving recklessly or irresponsibly in hopes they would learn about what not to do.

On these drives, oftentimes, her kids would roll their eyes at their mother’s caution, but Nofziger knew this was what she needed to do as a parent.

“I don’t want to instill in my kids a spirit of fear, but I want to instill in them a spirit of prudence and being careful and being cautious,” Nofziger said.

A common approach to

driving among Malibu parents, Nofziger said, is to wait for their kids to initiate the conversation around learning how to drive. For this reason, Nofziger’s children got their licenses at different ages. The decision to start learning how to drive was dependent on her kids feeling ready to take on this responsibility.

“It’s not that I would get in the way [of them learning how to drive], but if they don’t bring it up, I’m not going to bring it up,” Nofziger said.

A rule in the Nofziger household was, if any of her children got a speeding ticket, they would get their driving privileges taken away.

Her intention, she said, was not to punish her children but to let them know how seriously they should take driving. None of her kids ever received a speeding ticket.

“‘I’m trusting you with your life,’” Nofziger said in reference to conversations with her kids. “‘You’re the most precious thing that has been brought into my life, and I’m trusting you with you.’”

I don’t want to live my life based on fear; I want to live my life period.

Donna Nofziger Biology Professor and Malibu Resident

Hung Le, senior vice chancellor for Alumni Affairs at Pepperdine, has raised four sons over the 31 years of living in Malibu. They, like Nofziger’s daughters, all learned how to drive on PCH, Le said.

While teaching his kids how to drive, Le said he encouraged them to avoid going south on

the highway because that is where it is most congested.

Le’s sons grew up being aware of the dangers of the roads and were taught about the need for defensive driving, leaving space between cars and avoiding distraction.

“If it were up to me, I could just wrap them [my sons] in bubble wrap and just keep them at home all the time,” Le said. “But that’s not healthy.”

Driving on PCH is a Daily Routine

Living in Malibu and hearing about the overwhelming number of tragedies on PCH has made Nofziger an even more vigilant driver, she said.

“It’s not like I’m white-knuckling [the wheel] or anything like that, but I’m vigilant; I’m always looking,” Nofziger said. “You’re just aware; it becomes almost second nature because you do it so much.”

Over her years of living in Malibu, Nofziger said she has collected mental notes on specific areas along the highway and periods in which driving

more harmful for her to stay in that fear. She said, if she constantly thought of her mortality, she would never do anything.

“I don’t want to live my life based on fear; I want to live my life period,” Nofziger said.

She often has to remind herself that people drive every day, and the majority of people are safe.

“Life happens all the time,” Nofziger said. “And, sometimes, bad things happen; most of the time it doesn’t.”

Safety Measures Residents Hope to See on PCH

Nofziger said it is frustrating to see reckless driving on the highway and doesn’t know how the city of Malibu can get people to drive safer.

“You think, after all the highly publicized tragedies that have happened, that people would just be aware and not do it,” Nofziger said. “I don’t know what the answer is because things don’t work.”

Implementing more traffic lights, traffic cameras and police enforcement are ways to increase caution and safety among drivers, residents said. Nofziger said more warnings need to be given before an accident occurs, and she believes this can take the form of more law enforcement on the highway.

She said the increasing awareness and advocacy surrounding PCH safety has made her more mindful of practicing safety while driving.

can be increasingly more chaotic.

She has noticed that good weather days attract more visitors to the beach town and thus increase traffic on the road.

Areas of PCH where hiking trails start or where restaurants are located necessitate more caution. Nofziger said she tries to avoid driving on PCH during the holidays, when there is bound to be more traffic.

“There is this subconscious or conscious awareness of ‘this road is full of people who are going to put me in jeopardy,’” Nofziger said. “So, all I can do to protect myself is to be very aware of who’s in front of me [and] aware of who’s behind me, and I don’t speed.”

In the same way, Le said he tries to remain careful while driving on the highwy despite it being routine and familiar to him.

“Every time we get on the road, we have to be aware that it’s not just our road, it is shared by millions of people at the same time,” Le said.

Though Nofziger said she has anxiety while driving on PCH, she knows it would be

If drivers can commit to driving as carefully as possible and avoid distractions like looking at their phone or the ocean views, PCH can be safer, both Le and Nofziger said.

For some, the increase in safety measures may feel inconvenient or exasperating, but Nofziger said she feels they need to happen to ensure the death toll on PCH does not increase.

“How many people have to die?” Nofziger said. “I’m just getting upset thinking about it — our beautiful students who’ve passed away.”

Nofziger is aware that implementing more safety measures isn’t going to completely eradicate the problem of reckless driving. However, she said she is willing to do whatever it takes to minimize fatalities on PCH and believes improvement can be achieved if the community works together.

“As a scientist, I recognize you’re not going to completely be able to stop it, but you can certainly lower the statistical odds,” Nofziger said.

Christina Buravtsova | Social Media Producer

Cars drive along Pacific Coast Highway as the sun sets over Malibu in February. Sixty people have died on PCH since 2010.

Yamillah Hurtado | Pixel Editor

Pepperdine’s on-campus memorials for seniors Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams stand covered in flowers and red hearts by the Freedom Wall in October. In mourning the lives of the four students who were killed in a car crash Oct. 17, the Malibu community has continued to fight for PCH safety.

PERSPECTIVES

Staff Editorial: Dead week could be our lifeline

Editor’s Note: PGM staff members decide on the topic of a Staff Ed together. The staff as a whole provides opinions and content included in this Staff Ed to provide thoughts about and shed light on solutions for happenings at Pepperdine.

Shhhh. Do you feel that?

The dark cloud looming above? The chill in the air, the shiver down your spine? Ah yes… there it is, a monster we know all too well. Finals season is fast approaching friends –– brace yourselves.

As we prepare for battle, we are reminded that, while it may, for a brief moment, feel like our worlds might end, it never does. We get through it — every time. We persevere and come out on the other side better for it, finding relief in the knowledge that it’s over, and we have successfully ticked another semester off that four-year plan.

But, how great would it be if that one week did not feel so dire — if we were given the gift of time? Perhaps even a week before finals to study and get adequate sleep. The addition of a Pepperdine dead week could be the answer.

Multiple universities participate in what is called a dead week: the week before finals, where classes are either optional or nonexistent, there is no lecturing on new content, and students are allowed to catch up and properly prepare for the following week’s examinations.

Every year, we experience a lot of added stress because we simply do not have the time to

pack. We have classes the week before finals, and during the time we don’t have class, we will be studying for our finals.

With a dead week, we would be able to divide our time proportionally between packing and studying. When we are studying, we won’t have to think about when we will be able to pack. And when we are packing, we won’t have to worry about when we will have the time to study.

A dead week would also alleviate stress for Seaver students by making sure no new content is taught the week before finals. If a professor is making their final cumulative, they should plan their lessons accordingly to ensure that students are given a fair amount of time to learn and study new material.

It is simply unfair to expect students to learn and fully comprehend new concepts just a few days before a final.

Those opposed to a dead week might argue that it would give some students the loophole to simply slack off and enjoy a “vacation” before finals. They’re right. And that might not be such a bad thing.

We do so much as college students, it’s inspiring. We keep this campus afloat. So, if you would prefer to spend a dead week simply rejuvenating your mental health, we encourage that.

If you would spend that week overnight in the library, we encourage that as well. You should do whatever brings you peace and allows you to prepare before finals.

Professors should still hold office hours for those wanting extra study materials. It would be beneficial for students to

still have access to their professors as they would if classes were being held.

Some professors create their own dead week, with optional class periods and no new content. However, it would be extremely beneficial to have dead week officially acknowledged on a university-wide scale.

But, unfortunately, we are not given a dead week for the upcoming finals week, so it’s time to clock in at the lockin factory and get that work done. You have worked so hard this semester. Now go show off everything you have learned. You can do it!

For seniors, the week of finals does not just mean the end of classes but also the end of an era — that should be treasured. They should have the opportunity to soak up every last minute without stressand cram in time to reminisce at Ralphs Beach in between study sessions.

During finals week, they study for their last college exams, move out, welcome visiting family and participate in senior activities, all while mentally and emotionally preparing for graduation. A dead week would allow them to spread those things out, properly study for exams and say goodbye to college.

Grammarly enhances, hinders writing skills

Laury Li Perspectives Assistant Editor

Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic comprises articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.

Grammarly is a popular writing tool on college campuses due to its efficient ability to help perfect articles. But, it is also a double-edged sword that may hurt building writing skills.

In college classrooms, Grammarly has been a widely-used grammar corrector for various types of writing assignments. It serves students from over 3,000 educational institutions all over the world, according to Grammarly.

It is more powerful than a document’s built-in spell-check which doesn’t include Grammarly’s functions I often use, such as tone detection and paraphrase suggestions.

Grammarly runs on a wide range of software and websites through floating windows and browser extensions. In my experience using Grammarly Premium, it can set writing goals in terms of domain, intent, audience and formality, and a user can receive tailored writing suggestions.

It also serves as a convenient dictionary. With my Grammarly extension on, double-clicking on any English words captured on a website leads me to the vocabulary definition. The capture window states that it retrieves definitions from open-source databases, including Wiktionary and Wikipedia.

As an English-as-a-second-language learner, Grammarly has been a great instrument in advancing my writing proficiency. The spontaneous feedback on word choice, fluency, grammar and punctuation saves me a lot of time compared to seeking in-person advice.

It is a revolutionary tool for teaching non-native speakers. English department students in Indonesia hold positive perceptions of Grammarly, according to research in the Journal of English Teaching.

Sarah Rietz | Art Assistant Editor

Grammarly offers suggestions in different writing tones and helps me present more persuasive, original arguments with improved readability. I learn through the edits and improve my writing through the process.

However, Grammarly certainly cannot replace human editors. One major reason is its limitation on essay format.

While it provides citation and writing suggestions for three major academic essay styles — APA, MLA and Chicago — I realize it doesn’t comply with other formats such as AP style for news writing and Bluebook for legal materials.

Furthermore, Grammarly retrieves glossary definitions from databases that everyone can edit.

Wikipedia relies on user-contributed information and is, thus, unreliable for research purposes, according to the Harvard College Writing Program. Since Grammarly sources definitions from there, students need to be conscious of the potential inaccuracy.

One alarming thing I noticed since using this tool is that I have become reliant on its spontaneous

corrections. I am less patient in proofreading and put less effort into word choice as I am used to Grammarly taking over the work.

With this handy program installed, I have less motivation to enhance my vocabulary and grammar. After using it for two years, my spelling precision has become worse in hand-written assignments.

Another concern for writing with Grammarly is the possibility of receiving a zero on the paper. Marley Stevens, a junior student at the University of North Georgia, was placed on academic probation after using Grammarly, according to Fox5 Atlanta.

UNG uses Turnitin to detect artificial intelligence, which flagged Stevens’ assignment for AI use, according to Fox5 Atlanta. Yet, Stevens claimed that she merely used the extension to proofread her paper instead of creating content through Grammarly’s generative AI function.

Pepperdine also uses Turnitin to deter plagiarism and AI-generated text, according to the University website. While Grammarly is a useful tool for writing assistance, college students should be aware of the possibility of facing consequences like Stevens’.

To avoid similar incidents, students can instead seek help from the Writing Center, where writing consultants assist with revision and edits.

It is also important to train one’s writing accuracy without external aid. To reduce the chance of overreliance, I began turning off the immediate feedback from Grammarly when composing essays and resuming it in the final rounds of proofreading.

As technology advances, numerous tools emerge to boost writing accuracy and productivity. While adapting to those inventions, writers must critically weigh their influence and not let them hinder academic progress.

yuting.li2@pepperdine.edu

‘The Golden Girls’ changed TV for the better

Fiona Creadon Perspectives Editor

Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.

Ihave always had a deep love for

“The Golden Girls” as I have many fond memories of watching it with my grandmother when I was a little kid. My recent decision to rewatch the show has given me a whole new appreciation for what it originally set out to do.

At first glance, the NBC sitcom can look like nothing more than an ‘80s soundstage with four elderly women sitting around and poking fun at each other. But, if one looks beyond the surface, they will find that the show is so much more.

Originally airing Sept. 14, 1985, the show stars four women — Dorothy Zbornak, played by Bea Arthur; Rose Nylund, played by Betty White; Blanche Devereaux, played by Rue McClanahan; and Sophia Petrillo, played by Estelle Getty — who live together in Blanche’s Miami home and get up to various shenanigans in their neighborhood.

Of the four women, one is a recent divorcee and the other three are widows. Much of the premise revolves around their mutual single status and exploring what life after 50 looks like — excluding Sophia, who is 80 years old and Dorothy’s mother.

While the show looks simple on the outside, in actuality, it explores an age group, relationship status and perspective that has rarely been prioritized on television.

The women on the show discuss and experience a myriad of relatable life experiences such as children getting married, dating and exploring sexuality after a long-term partner. In addition, the show tackles challenges that are more specific to the characters’ season of life such as aging and the complex emotions that accompany it and declining parents, to name a few. Additionally, it serves as a platform to explore timely topics like LGBTQ+ representation, the AIDs epidemic and depression in various forms as they relate to the principal characters. Through it all, the show is able to use excellent comedic timing and witty writing to keep viewers engaged.

“The Golden Girls” gave audiences an example of well-rounded, independent women with fulfilling friendships making the most of their lives regardless of their age. In addition to its forward thinking, it also went on to break multiple TV history records, and all four principal actors won Emmys for their respective performances.

Characters over the age of 50 are far less likely to be shown on television, according to the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. When they are shown, female characters who are 50+ are often reduced to their service to others: wife, mother, caregiver.

“The Golden Girls” offered an alternative narrative: these women are

known to the viewers first and foremost as friends — a mutually beneficial relationship. The show was one of the first to suggest there is more to life after marriage and children. Separate from its trend-setting ways, there is a certain, almost inexplicable charm to the show. Maybe some of that can be attributed to the slightly grainy quality of the episodes, the superb late ‘80s and early ‘90s garb or the nostalgic set design and iconic theme song. Or maybe it is due to the tangible love the characters feel for each other.

Underneath the incessant teasing, it’s clear that these relationships are paramount in these women’s lives. They are the center of each other’s worlds, and it’s rare to see friendship portrayed in this way in the later half of life.

There is something endearing and relieving about imagining the potential relationships that can come into your life at any stage. It is a common assumption that women who are past the years of marriage and child-rearing will have a less engaging social life, but Sophia, Dorothy, Rose and Blanche show viewers that true friendship can be found at any age.

Sarah Rietz | Art Assistant Editor

TikTok ban could prove to be beneficial

Shalom Montgomery News Assistant

Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.

Arguably one of the most influential social media platforms, TikTok, is facing legal backlash.

TikTok is a video platform owned by ByteDance, a Chinese internet company. The House of Representatives and Senate are claiming that the ban is all in the name of national security as ByteDance can collect and misuse user data, according to Forbes.

The case formed from accusations posed by former President Donald Trump and the FBI in 2020, and the investigation officially started March 17, 2023. The investigation, led by the Department of Justice and the FBI, was initiated because TikTok was allegedly spying on American journalists, according to Axios.

The American government, whether we consent to it or not, constantly collects our data, according to the Government Accountability Office. We enter our bank account information for our Apple Wallets, our phone numbers and email addresses for our contacts and countless sensitive and personal information in our Notes app.

The American government has access to all of that, according to the

California has something for everyone

Brennan Center for Justice.

As technology advances, so do the arguments against it. In the age of Artificial Intelligence, copyrights and media, American citizens are becoming more keenly aware of “personal security.”

Although the TikTok ban is construed as violating American privacy, freedom of speech and personal security are still protected. As Americans, we have freedom of speech, and TikTok is using that as an argument for why the app should not be banned, according to the National Constitution Center.

However, the government is not banning TikTok because of what is posted. All speech, whether positive or negative, is not on trial. What is on trial is whether ByteDance is illegally using Americans' data for their gain.

Americans will still have the right to exercise free speech on countless other social media sites.

Regardless of whether one believes the American government is violating the First Amendment or China is stealing TikTok user data, there still is a real possibility Americans will be without TikTok. And I think that’s a good thing.

For one of my New Year's resolutions, I took a break from TikTok for 31 days. I realized I was spending way too much time on it, and I needed a break from the constant content being thrown at me at an insane speed.

For those 31 days, I was forced to

Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.

Growing up in California, I have had access to experiences that I am only now realizing may be outside of the norm. I believe the easy access to a diverse range of experiences has made my childhood more positive than it would have been in another state.

California is ranked the seventh happiest state because of its high rankings in emotional and physical well-being, work environment and community and environment, according to Fox 40 News.

Outdoor and Interactive Activities

In California, I can go surfing on almost every beach on the coast, go skiing or snowboarding at my

divert my attention elsewhere. Instead of mindlessly scrolling in between classes, I went outside. Instead of staying up extra hours on the app, I went to bed at reasonable times. I was replacing my unhealthy TikTok screen time with activities that benefited my well-being.

TikTok has significantly distorted users' attention spans and has trained them to rely on extremely short content for entertainment.

I’ve caught myself constantly pausing TV shows and movies because I can’t watch a video for an extended time. This makes sense considering the average length of a TikTok short is 2431 seconds, according to Buffer.

On TikTok, users are constantly exposed to a limitless amount of information and opinions. And most of them are often contradictory to one another.

choice of ski resorts and go hiking through scenic forests filled with sequoia trees.

For those who do not prefer outdoor activities, they can enjoy their pick of museums such as the California Science Center and those found at Balboa Park, visit amusement parks like Disneyland and Six Flags Magic Mountain and dine at world-renowned restaurants such as Atelier Crenn or Funke.

Terrain and Weather Conditions

California has nine national parks, the most of any state, and even more state parks, according to the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Cara Tang | Staff Artist

This constant back-and-forth often confused my thoughts and opinions.

When I took a break from TikTok, I was able to fully sort out my opinions and not rely on random influencers to deliver them for me.

Is it unfortunate that Americans might lose a favorite social media platform? Absolutely. The fun dances and niche videos will definitely be missed.

However, this ban might create a space for better mental and physical self-care, which we desperately need.

California has 427 public beaches and 631 miles of beach, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency. Southern California is known for sunny and temperate weather. However, California also has plenty of snow, rain and haze in the central and northern regions, according to Study California.

Variety of People and Cultures

California has the most diverse people in areas such as education, socioeconomic status and culture, according to the U.S. News.

Although this can have negative effects such as unreasonably high rates of homelessness and huge income inequalities, the exposure to all kinds of people has given me a better perspective on the importance of my own culture and gratitude for my own privileges.

Since there are so many people with such different backgrounds, I do not have to conform to stereotypes that come from my family or direct sphere of influence.

California has a place for everyone. My self-confidence and identity have grown from being raised in California because I know whatever type of person I grow up to be, California will suit it.

Jackie Lopez | Art

Caitlin Murray Perspectives Assistant

'Introvert' and 'Extrovert' are important terms but can be limiting

Alyssa Johnson Perpsectives Staff Writer

Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.

I’ve recently noticed that, as I’ve gotten olderI’ve heard the word “shy” used less and less, especially regarding adults. I still hear children referred to as “shy kids,” but for adults, words like “introverted” and “reserved” seem to be the preferred descriptors.

I tend to use “introversion” interchangeably with “shyness,” and I’ve experienced a level of both, but there are a few distinctions. “Introversion” signals an individual’s general, but not absolute, preference for remaining alone, while “shyness” can refer to anxiety or unhealthy self-consciousness when interacting with other people.

In my experience, “shy” is typically used in a way that connotes weakness or a personality flaw that needs to be grown out of before it becomes a stubborn characteristic.

Around the second grade, I would periodically get sent out of the classroom with a few other kids to learn social skills curriculum, and while I don’t think they intended to be obvious, it seemed to me like a transparent attempt to correct something “wrong” with us.

Despite this kind of disapproval, shyness was not strictly discouraged in my upbringing, and I think it rarely is. I was also praised by authority figures for being “polite” and “sweet” because I didn’t talk enough to prove I was anything else.

I think this trait is also one of the reasons I managed to avoid some of the painful interpersonal conflicts that were common in late elementary school. When I spoke, I was very agreeable and didn’t do much to disturb the fragile ecosystem of adolescent communities.

While I have no real issue with being a moderately quiet person, I have

experienced in recent years some frustration, as well as a sense of peace, with this element of my personality, and I don’t think that experience is unique to me.

It feels as if, to be perfectly agreeable, people have to strike an impossible balance between toning themselves down and appearing confident enough to avoid seeming unnerving. I think a lot of people who view themselves as introverted or extroverted worry that they make other people uncomfortable by being who they are.

One way to combat these anxieties is by reframing the popular concept of personality itself. A lot of people tend to place themselves in definitive boxes that represent one side of a dichotomy: introvert or extrovert, logical or emotional, analytical or artistic.

Playing the role of the observer and maintaining personal boundaries can be healthy, and I have found that developing a sense of peace with oneself is also crucial for having the confidence to branch out.

Alyssa Johnson Perspectives Staff Writer

These characteristics can be general avenues for people to better understand themselves, but personality types are not as limited as that. Introverts may behave differently in different situations, and well-established tests of these characteristics tend to provide results that are more dynamic than static.

GRADUATION ADVICE

For example, I usually enjoy prepared public speaking, but icebreaker activities make me feel like an overheated robot. It isn’t only the fact that I don’t find those things fun, but it’s the embarrassment of worrying that I look like someone who’s too uptight, withdrawn or stuck-up to participate like everybody else.

Similarly, an extrovert who holds no resentment for icebreaker activities might hate the idea of public speaking. General traits like these are patterns of behavior, but they exist in a dynamic way, and a personality does not begin and end with a few descriptors.

It can be difficult to do things that contradict our self-concept, but I have found this can sometimes be a healthy thing to do. I often feel reluctant to attend events where I know there will be a crowded room, but lately, I’ve been taking this reluctance as a sign that I should go anyway.

I rarely end up regretting these decisions. The occasional low-stakes effort to step out of my comfort zone had been almost only positive results, and it has been especially necessary during college.

While I encourage people who lean toward the introverted side to challenge the limits of their own self-concept, I also think it’s important to acknowledge that our world often undervalues introverted qualities.

Playing the role of the observer and maintaining personal boundaries can be healthy, and I have found that developing a sense of peace with oneself is also crucial for having the confidence to branch out.

It is that magical time when you realize your biggest life questions won’t be on the final exam. You stand at the edge of the known world, diploma in hand, ready to dive into the great “What’s Next?” — don’t we all love that question?

Let’s talk about embracing uncertainty. I think of life as a giant, unfolding road trip. You have your map (or, let’s be real, your phone), but sometimes you’re going to take a wrong turn and end up somewhere completely unexpected. Remember, every wrong turn is just a detour on the way to where you’re meant to be.

If there’s one skill that stands the test of time, it’s resilience. The ability to bounce back from setbacks with even more determination is what separates those who dream from those who achieve. Remember, resilience isn’t about never facing challenges; it’s about how you respond to them.

Graduation may mark the end of a formal education, but it should also signal the beginning of a lifelong commitment to learning.

The relationships formed in college can serve as a foundational network as one navigates the early stages of a career. But don’t stop there. Actively seek out mentors and peers who inspire, challenge and can offer guidance and support.

Remember, networking isn’t about collecting contacts; it’s about building meaningful, reciprocal relationships. It shouldn’t be one-sided and never with the expectation of receiving something in return.

In the rush and hustle of building a career, don’t lose sight of who you are and what you stand for. Your values are your identity; they can guide your decisions, shape your goals and ensure that your success is not just professional but personal.

As you embark on this exciting next chapter, remember that the journey is as important as the destination. Embrace the unknown with an open heart, a resilient spirit and a curious mind.

Congratulations, from one graduate to another. The world awaits your mark.

With care,

Sarah Rietz | Art Assistant Editor

LIFE & ARTS

Magic, revenge, reconciliation swirl in ‘The Tempest’

Madison Luc Life & Arts Editor

Shipwrecked shores, swirling magic and sweet first love — on the surface, “The Tempest” is a comedy. Diving deeper, the story deals with themes of revenge and reconciliation.

April 3-6, Pepperdine’s Theatre program presented their adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” in Smothers Theatre.

Director Cathy Thomas-Grant said she chose the play for its hopeful message of forgiveness after one has been wronged. She reads this play as an example of broken relationships restored.

“It’s hard to forgive sometimes, especially if it’s betrayal,” Thomas-Grant said. “You have this opportunity to seek revenge, but you choose virtue over vengeance.”

Thomas-Grant avoids making colonialism, typically a major theme of “The Tempest,” her focus in favor of bringing a performance of light and magic to a world filled with heartbreaking headlines, she said. This decision is significant because the context of the British Empire and “New World” is a large part of the scholarly and performance conversation surrounding the text, according to Shakespeare’s Globe.

“I did want to avoid the colonialism kind of thing and focus

more on, you know, virtue over vengeance,” Thomas-Grant said. “But, I am nervous about what people’s expectations will be when they come and see it.”

Female Leads

Another major change Thomas-Grant makes is casting women in many of the traditionally male roles, she said. The magician, Prospero, is Prospera in Thomas-Grant’s version, creating a mother-daughter relationship with her daughter, Miranda, which creates a different resonance than the original father-daughter dynamic.

Senior Chloe Higgins, who plays Prospera, said she initially struggled with performing the character powerfully as a woman.

“I had been thinking so much about gender in the first couple weeks of the process because I felt like I couldn’t hold all the power that I was supposed to hold in my body, my age, being a woman,” Higgins said. “I kept trying to lower my voice.”

The process damaged her voice, and she had an infection for weeks, Higgins said. After talking to a voice coach, Higgins realized a higher register could convey motherly power, altering the audience’s perceptions of the archetype of power.

Junior Genesis Ochoa, who plays Miranda, said many pro-

ductions portray Miranda as a naive, muted, passive island princess, and her performance seeks to break these stereotypes. Ochoa reads Miranda’s speech to Caliban in 1.2 as showcasing her intelligence, strong-mindedness and boldness.

“It was very important because you’re having a female play the lead — play Prospera,” Ochoa said. “It’s important for that to show off, essentially, in Miranda’s character, if that’s her mother, and if that’s what she sees in her daily life.”

Non-human Characters

Senior Kayla Bryant, who plays Ariel, a spirit of the air, said a lot of her movements on stage are designed to look different from human characters — elemental and almost birdlike.

“Ariel is like a spirit of the wind and water,” Bryant said. “On this island, where the play takes place, this character is very powerful in controlling the elements.”

Despite Ariel’s non-human characteristics, at times, Ariel behaves very humanly, Bryant said.

Ariel sees love blossom between Miranda and Ferdinand for the first time and asks Prospera, “Do you love me?” in 4.1, Bryant said. Later, in 5.1, Ariel sympathizes with the suffering of Prospera’s prisoners and

convinces her to let them go.

Senior Matthew Hamm, who plays Caliban, said his character is ambiguously described by other characters as a monster, fish-man and wayward islander, allowing for many performance possibilities. Caliban’s complex character also exhibits a moral tension between blame and pity.

“As much as he is this monster and is full of anger and resentment — specifically because of him having to be a servant — he has a love for the island,” Hamm said. “The contrast to this monster is that humanity that’s still inside of him.”

Caliban’s humanity is still present when other characters view him as less than or other than human for his appearance or actions, Hamm said. Caliban could be the most relatable and interesting character in the play because of the choices he makes based on the challenging circumstances he’s faced with.

“Caliban, nowhere in this play, really sees a world in which he is free, in which he’s not serving somebody else, in which he is just a free man,” Hamm said.

Caliban is integral to the story and creates an opportunity for the audience to consider what it means to be free if all characters deserve forgiveness and if they all truly receive it at the end of the play, Hamm said.

Costuming Decisions

“There’s a lot of different worlds that are kind of colliding on the island, some beautiful, some more realistic, some a little bit more terrifying,” Costume Designer Melanie Watnick said. “The idea is to create all of the components of the worlds that are all very distinct and kind of see how they work together.”

The spirits and Ariel do not have gender-specific costumes because they do not conform to this human-constructed category, Watnick said.

“It was interesting to me the idea of these kind of non-human beings that I really wanted to make sure that it wasn’t about gender — and that the clothing themselves wasn’t specific male or female because that’s not important to a spirit that can shapeshift,” Watnick said. “They fluctuate, and their silhouette is not gender specific.”

Watnick also aims to capture the range of scenes and emotions in the play, she said.

“I did want it to feel unusual and unexpected,” Watnick said. “‘The Tempest’ can be a little scary at times.”

The student cast of “The Tempest” rehearses in Smothers Theatre on April 1. The play brings the audience a message of forgiveness, Director Cathy Thomas-Grant said.

Liam Zieg | Assistant Photo Editor

Hot Girl Walk Club comes to Malibu

Samantha Wareing Life & Arts Assistant

Juniors Laci Bowman and Bridget Morse spent summer 2022 in Malibu finding inspiring ways to stay active. After that, they started the Hot Girl Walk Club, one of the newest active clubs on campus.

In addition to taking classes during the summer of 2022, Bowman and Morse looked for uplifting ways to stay active besides going to the gym. They developed a deep love for walking, inspiring them to start the Hot Girl Walk Club, which launched Jan. 22.

“Laci and I became so close that summer because we would make it a point to hang out together but also take care of ourselves and that was through walking,” Morse said.

The members of the club go on a different walk each week and occasionally get a coffee or smoothie after, sophomore Frances Cottrell said.

Any Pepperdine community member can join the club by following their Instagram page and joining the GroupMe in their Instagram bio, where they post the days and locations of weekly walks.

“It probably sounds silly — hot girl walking — because it has become such a trend, but it was really impactful upon my freshman experience because it gave me time to reflect on how I was actually doing, not just going through the motions each day,” Morse said.

Morse said she and Bowman wanted to create a community for first-year girls especially.

Morse and Bowman found walking to be a convenient workout they could fit into their busy, Biology-major schedules and also loved how it helped them discover new places in Malibu, they said.

Bowman and Morse said their biggest obstacle was naming the club.

The first time Bowman heard the term “Hot Girl Walk” was on TikTok during COVID-19, she said. They felt concerned ICC would not approve the name, and girls would think it was a toxic, exclusive club.

To get her point across that the club is inclusive and just about being healthy, Bowman said she had to nail down her strategic plan before sending it to ICC. She asked peers to re-

vise it and give her feedback on how to portray the club in the right way before she sent it in.

Bowman grew close with junior Caitlin Nolan while studying abroad in Barcelona last year, and Bowman shared her vision of the club. Nolan, one of the first executive board members of the club, said her role as the vice president of Event Planning is to work out the specifics of each walk — the location, theme, what to bring — and communicate those specifics to the girls.

A goal Bowman and Morse have is to build the funding for occasionally grabbing a coffee or holding a drink in hand for each of the girls during the walk, they said.

From the beginning, Bowman and Morse said they planned to make a merchandise business out of the club, using the inspiration for their logo and marketing.

In addition to making merchandise, Bowman said she wants the club to reach the greater community by integrating a large-scale community service project that brings the Malibu community together. Morse said she and Bowman are also considering helping

women at other schools start a hot girl walk club at their schools.

“The club is a big project I want to continue building upon,” Bowman said.

The focus of the club is to foster friendships and connect with new members. They are also focusing on laying the foundation of what the club is about — physical and mental health — while exercising and growing in friendships, Morse said.

“As big as we want it to be, it’s great we can appreciate everyone a little bit more right now,” Bowman said.

First-year Bella Alfonso, one of the founding members of the Hot Girl Walk Club, said she felt inspired to join the club to not only stay healthy and be active but also to find a community of girls with the same values as her.

“It’s such a fun way to meet people and talk to girls that aren’t in your immediate circle,” Alfonso said.

samantha.wareing@pepperdine.edu

Pepperdine unveils new pickleball club

Sophia Lou Life & Arts Staff Writer and Staff Artist

Located on the Lower Alumni Courts, Pepp Pickle holds open play sessions multiple days a week from 2 p.m., to sunset, according to Pepp Pickle’s Instagram. The club encourages people to bring their own paddles but provides them as well.

With juniors Katelyn Hsu and Lucas Lorimer as members of the leadership team, Pepp Pickle is in the process of becoming an official club on campus. However, it has been active since the fall.

Hsu, the president of Pepp Pickle, said she and her friends found they enjoyed playing pickleball and wanted to invite others to play together.

Lorimer, Pepp Pickle’s vice president of Internal Affairs, said Pepp Pickle has different events planned — including regular open play sessions throughout the week and intro sessions for people new to the sport.

“We also have some tournaments that we’re planning on going to,” Lorimer said. “Tournaments within the club and also tournaments with other schools.”

Hsu said they are currently fleshing out details for “Praise

and Pickle” — weekly Sunday sessions that incorporate faith. They may hold worship or listen to messages on Sundays.

“With a community so big, we really wanted to include the opportunity for people to grow in their faith,” Hsu said. “We definitely wanted to add a spiritual side to it.”

Pepp Pickle looks forward to partnering with other organizations — such as Campus Recreation and UNICEF — to help plan events and fundraisers with fraternities and sororities, Hsu said.

The executive board of Pepp Pickle emphasizes the community aspect of pickleball, Hsu said. Pickleball is accessible for all ages and can be picked up easily, making it a good opportunity for people to mix and mingle while having fun.

“In pickleball, you’re constantly talking and switching around with people, so it fosters a great sense of friendship between a lot of different people,” Lorimer said.

As a competitive player, Lorimer said he wants Pepp Pickle to help people understand that pickleball can be taken seriously as well as recreationally. Because pickleball’s popularity emerged recently between 2019 and 2021, a lot of people do not view it as a serious sport, according to The

New York Times.

Pickleball has a lower barrier of entry compared to other sports, making it the fastest-growing sport in the country, Lorimer said. With practice, people can improve quickly.

With many other sports, it becomes too daunting of a task to become good enough to recreationally play with other people, Lorimer said.

“You don’t need that with pickleball, and since there’s also so many different people that are getting into it, you get a ton of people that are at the beginner level,” Lorimer said. “So, you can get a lot of good games.”

Hsu said Pepp Pickle is excited to welcome new people and play with them.

“We’re so ready to pour out our love and passion for pickleball and for you to be there,” Hsu said. “We really do notice and take the time to invite you and get to know you and get you settled into the game.”

Photo courtesy of Laci Bowman

First-year Ming Hsu (left) and junior Laci Bowman (right), co-founder of the Hot Girl Walk Club, look out at Broad Beach during their weekly walk Feb. 9. During their first year, Bowman and Morse said they looked for an uplifting workout community.

Pepp Pickle members have fun playing doubles during an open play session Feb. 10, at Lower Alumni Courts. Pepp Pickle members play in doubles or in singles during sessions, Lorimer said.

Mary Elisabeth | Photo Editor

Hsu takes a 0.5

selfie with members of Pepp Pickle during an open play session Feb. 9, at Lower Alumni Courts. It is a Pepp Pickle tradition to take 0.5 selfies together after open plays, Hsu said.

Photo courtesy of Katelyn Hsu

Rainy weather can evoke negative feelings

Kylie Kowalski

Seasonal affective disorder, or seasonal depression, is a disorder the sunny California stereotype often masks. However, it still affects many California residents.

California received more than 33 inches of rain last year, which is 128% of the average, making it one of the wettest years in the state’s recorded history, according to ABC7 News. Not only does rain bring mudslides, but it also contributes to an overall gloomier and darker atmosphere.

Professor of Psychology Steven Rouse understands firsthand the effects of seasonal depression after attending the University of Minnesota. In regions like Minnesota, college students have been affected by the lack of sunlight consistently every fall and winter, Rouse said.

Due to the obvious winter darkness in the north, seasonal depression in California can be overlooked, according to ABC7 News.

“Seasonal Affective Disor-

der, specifically, is a psychiatric condition where a person has a depressive episode, but it is specifically due to changes in the amount of light a person is exposed to and changes in the season itself,” Rouse said. “It’s a form of depression that has a seasonal pattern that becomes more prevalent in the seasons of the year where there is less light.”

In California, a lack of sunlight in the winter and spring seasons has become more prevalent because of the increase in rainy weather, according to ABC7 News.

“Up there [in Minnesota], there were often days where the sun wouldn’t have risen by eight in the morning and would set by five in the afternoon,” Rouse said. “So, people would have the entire day where they wouldn’t see sunlight at all.”

Signs of Depression

The symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder do not differ much from other forms of depression, Rouse said. Common symptoms include a lack of joy in things that had given someone joy before, a decrease or increase in energy and sleep

Kylie Kowalski | Life & Arts Assistant Editor

levels and a change in appetite.

While it is more common for seasonal affective disorder to affect people in the northern regions, changes like constant rain in California can also affect people’s biochemistry, Rouse said.

“If a person can’t get outside and can’t exercise, that can change their biochemistry,” Rouse said. “If a person can’t get outside and can’t see their friends, that too can change their biochemistry. It is, in part, due to light, but it can also be due to changes in activities a person does.”

Junior Washington native Katherine Bush said the constant California sun has greatly increased her mood.

“Coming from Seattle, I am used to rain and darkness all the time,” Bush said. “It is

truly draining, and the sunlight in California was a large reason why I chose Pepperdine in the first place.”

Without elements like rain and snow, Bush said her productivity rises. She can get more done without worrying about the negative impact of the weather, and she feels much more motivated to do her schoolwork and other responsibilities.

“Sometimes, the rain reminds me of home, and it feels comfortable,” Bush said. “But, once it starts raining for days on end, it starts to make me feel sad again. I honestly just want to stay home in my bed and sleep all day.”

The Student Counseling Center is an important tool for students who might be experiencing symptoms of seasonal

depression, Rouse said.

Beyond the Counseling Center, there are artificial light tools people can buy that produce the same wavelengths of light as natural sunlight, Rouse said. Some studies show empirical evidence that these lightbulbs are effective if they produce the same wavelength as natural light.

“I think depression as a whole needs to be taken seriously for all college students,” Rouse said. “Depression is not uncommon among college students. I think it is always important for students to be aware of themselves and their friends.”

Storm clouds gather above Pepperdine’s Malibu campus March 6, a rainy day. Seasonal Affective Disorder is linked to increased rain and clouds, according to ABC7 news.

kylie.kowalski@pepperdine.edu

Service animals bring smiles to handlers, students

Emma Ibarra Life & Arts Staff Writer

Sometimes, all it takes is a furry friend to brighten a person’s day. At Pepperdine, there are plenty of opportunities around campus to encounter service and therapy animals that help their handlers in dayto-day life.

It’s important for students around campus who are not familiar with the many distinctive practices and behaviors of service and therapy animals to understand how to properly interact with these animals, according to Guide Dogs of America.

Maria Arguelles and Nala the Yellow Labrador

Senior Maria Arguelles and her 4-year-old service animal, Nala, work as a team to combat the medical ailments Arguelles sustained after she was involved in an accident that left her with a severe concussion and brain injury.

After exploring several forms of treatment for her injuries, Arguelles said she sought out support to aid in transitioning from living at home during high school to living alone at college.

“I learned that service dogs could predict incoming seizures or if you’re going to pass out,” Arguelles said. “They can alert you before even your body can recognize that.”

Nala learned to recognize different chemical scents released before her handler falls ill alongside her public access training.

Given her symptoms, Arguelles said owning a service animal seemed like a great match to help her take care of herself while she learned to manage her new condition and way of life.

“If she knows she has her vest on, and we’re in public, she knows there’s this certain expectation of how she’s supposed to behave,” Arguelles

said. “She has a much calmer demeanor and isn’t trying to say ‘hi’ to everyone, but when the vest comes off, she’ll immediately get zoomies and be more energetic.”

Arguelles said she usually receives attention from people around campus when she is with Nala and frequently stops, so she must set aside more time to get her from one place to the next.

“While it’s easy to meet people when you have a pet, it’s hard sometimes because you are almost seen as just the girl with the dog,” Arguelles said.

Sometimes, having her service animal around makes her more outgoing and able to connect with more people, while other times, people conflate Nala and Arguelles as one unit rather than separate beings, Arguelles said.

Arguelles said this sentiment can be frustrating when she encounters people who only greet Nala and don’t acknowledge her presence. She wants students to be educated about how they’re supposed to behave around support animals and their handlers.

Caroline Speed and Ollie the Mini Goldendoodle

Junior Caroline Speed brings her 3-year-old mini Goldendoodle, Ollie, to class to help with her panic disorder.

While Ollie started as an emotional support animal during her last year of high school, she eventually had him trained further to aid her with psychiatric care.

“He’s been very invaluable

to my life,” Speed said. “He’s amazing.”

Routine is very important for Speed as, sometimes, her mental health makes it difficult to pull off even simple tasks. However, Ollie compels her to get out of bed and go out into the world.

While Ollie keeps Speed company, she said he also helps out the community around the two of them.

“He helps everyone around me, which is really nice because a lot of people don’t have the time to take care of a dog because it’s a big commitment and responsibility,” Speed said. “Sometimes, just seeing a dog and getting a tail wag makes people really happy.”

Ollie is trained to help Speed with her panic disorder, specifically concerning panic attacks as he can sense when attacks are on the way.

“It’s really cool because while I was the one who trained him, a lot of his senses are very intuitive,” Speed said. “Animals are just so intelligent and, oftentimes, know things that even humans don’t know.”

Speed said Ollie helps her feel comfortable in public and de-escalates mental health situations.

“When he gets on the shuttle, he’ll stand and wait for the driver to pet him, and every morning, they do their little greeting,” Speed said. “He’s also really close with a lot of my friends, so he’ll cry and hug them and give them the biggest reactions.”

During difficult times on campus, Speed has opened him up to everybody and posted on Fizz that students can come to main campus and pet Ollie.

“There’s some pros and cons because, sometimes, people will just come up and touch him without asking, but I generally like how he makes everybody smile,” Speed said. “It’s so great having a little being smiling up at you, wagging their tail — even when they don’t know you, I think it’s very beneficial.”

Elizabeth Pode and Edge the Yellow Labrador

As a Career Coach at Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School, Elizabeth Pode and her

4-year-old service dog, Edge, work as a team together in every sphere of life.

Pode deals with cerebral palsy and has had the opportunity to utilize service animals in the past for movement assistance, she said. When Pode’s previous service dog, Riot, passed away in 2021, she went through a lengthy application process and finally received Edge through the nonprofit Canine Companions in 2022.

“It takes a lot of time, energy and money to train a service dog,” Pode said. “So, even though I felt confident doing so, I didn’t have the emotional capacity to do it all over again.”

Pode said her neurological disorder manifests in poor balance, low muscle tone and poor muscle elasticity. Edge acts as a mobility dog, typically assisting Pode with all her physical mobility tasks.

Pode uses a walker on a day-to-day basis as she needs it for stability and cannot walk far without it, she said. If, for some reason, she is ever separated from the walker, Edge is trained to retrieve it.

Similarly, Pode said Edge is great at picking up items that may fall away from her accidentally, alongside opening doors and pushing buttons.

Though service dogs do not require official certification statewide or federally, some

other countries require minimum certification, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Pode said Edge received public access training so he could act appropriately while in public.

Edge is great at matching her energy and is a vibrant member of Drescher’s campus life, Pode said. He has two Golden Retriever therapy dog friends from a local organization called Love on a Leash and frequently visits Pepperdine’s campus during finals week.

“He definitely de-stresses everyone,” Pode said. “I have students who come in upset that they didn’t get a job, and they can come pet him. I know the staff really loves him, and he’s been great all around.”

Pode said she has integrated Edge into multiple events on campus and even filmed a promotional video for Graziadio’s Career Center, in which he starred as the lead.

While having a service animal while disabled can be helpful, sometimes, there are other methods of support for those with disabilities that may fit better with their needs and lifestyle, Pode said.

“There’s lots of factors that go into having a dog with you 24/7, and while it sounds fun and is fun, you have to look at your own life and what you do to see if having a service animal works for you,” Pode said.

Liam Zieg | Assistant Photo Editor

Senior Maria Arguelles and her service dog, Nala, smile together on the lawn at Alumni Park on March 25. Maria said she has worked and grown with Nala since her dog was 8 weeks old.

Album Review: Ariana Grande glows with healing in ‘eternal sunshine’

Transparency item: A review provides an informed and opinionated critique. These informed critiques are published to make a recommendation to readers. This review is the opinion of the writer.

In the four years since Ariana Grande’s last album, a lot has changed in the pop star’s life — including a quick marriage, an even quicker divorce with real estate agent Dalton Gomez and a controversial new romance with her Wicked-ly underwhelming co-star, Ethan Slater.

The permeating fumes of the split with Gomez fueled her pen while she wrote her latest album, “eternal sunshine.” This project finds the pop vocalist discovering healing, self-growth and a gleaming optimism that shines through the controversy involving her and her situationships.

“Wonder if he’s judgin’ me like I am right now,” Grande sings in “intro (end of the world).”

After so many polarized relationships, this intro paints the pop romantic as honest and humorous, especially given the hot controversy her relationship with Slater has become.

Grande added another number-one single under her belt with the ‘80s-esque song, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love).”

The video is melancholic featuring Grande and actor Evan Peters spending happy moments together before having those memories wiped away, paying homage to “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Once Grande has those memories of her former love removed completely, she is brought to tears — a huge statement for her former relationship.

“It is such a sad song in such an upbeat way,” senior Chloe Norton said. “Grande is saying to Gomez, ‘This relationship is over. We can’t even be friends,’ which is really impactful and relatable.”

Throughout the album, Grande spends time recollecting her former love, even airing him out for everyone to know the truth. She is able to cope and open her heart to

love once more.

“eternal sunshine,” the album’s title track, is passionate yet poisonous as Grande’s pen poetically crosses out Gomez from her list of lovers, revealing infidelity but also hope for new romance.

The charming “ordinary things” finds Grande enjoying new love with enchanting lyrics and a pop production with soft horns that feels like a fresh

morning — a fresh new go at love for the singer.

The pop star draws inspiration from classic-pop sounds in “don’t wanna break up again” or her lead single, the dance-heavy rhythm of the year, “yes, and?” In the latter track, she exudes unabashed confidence, singing, “Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose **** I ride.”

“true story” finds Grande playing with how the public perceives her. “I’ll play the villain if you need me to,” she sings over a production that sounds like a cinematic Daft Punk outtake over ominous hums reminiscent of the Fugees’ “Ready or Not.”

This album is Grande at her most honest — unapologetically authentic with every stride.

“I think this is some of her best music that she’s put out,” Norton said. “It’s also really vulnerable than other pieces she’s put out — honestly a non-skip album.”

On the surface, “eternal sunshine” shines with grace and an energy that shows the world she is healed. Grande wrote this album working through a lot of emotional hardship; nonetheless, the album is an honest statement piece from one of the greatest vocalists of our generation with a magnified personal life.

In “eternal sunshine,” Grande takes control of the narrative, letting her music speak for where she is in her personal journey for new love.

‘The Bachelor’ season 28 makes waves

First-year Avrey Roberts said she joined a group of six girls each Monday, and they called themselves The Bachelor Baddies. The group included Roberts, a first-year, two sophomores, one junior and two seniors.

The latest season of ‘The Bachelor’ has taken over social media since season 28 premiered Jan. 22. Students experienced this season on another level due to the proximity of various filming locations.

Season 28 of “The Bachelor,” which aired on ABC, caught people’s attention across the country and on social media for the dynamics in the Bachelor House and predictions of the bachelor, Joey Graziadei’s, endgame, according to TV Insider.

Residing near the notorious Bachelor Mansion in the reality show, students can experience some of the places visited by the show’s contestants such as the surf shop and beach from Joey’s surfing date as well as the Bachelor House itself.

Some students said watching the show with friends became a weekly ritual.

First-year Tabitha Vanderhorst said this season of “The Bachelor” was super entertaining and kept her on her toes.

Vanderhorst said she bought a mini projector so she could invite her friends over to her first-year housing suite to watch the show. She projected the show onto her ceiling, and she and her friends laid on the floor watching the show together, Vanderhost said.

“We grab snacks, catch up and watch the show together,” Roberts said.

Sea N’ Soul, a popular surf and coffee shop on PCH across from Zuma Beach, got a feature in the third episode of the current season. For Joey’s first one-on-one date, he took Jenn on a sunny surfing date in Malibu.

Sea N’ Soul’s manager, Rachel Liakos, said the producers filmed in their shop in September. They told her and the shop owners that this one-on-one date was the first surfing date ever filmed in the show’s history.

With the Bachelor mansion being in Kanan Dume, it was only natural this date would feature one of the beautiful beaches of Malibu, Liakos said.

“They Googled surf shops, and we have a boutique side showing,” Liakos said. “So, the producer of the show or one of the scouts liked our store and asked if they could record here.”

When the team arrived on the day of filming, Liakos said they set up the shop the way they saw fit for the show, and the process went very smoothly. It was at this point that Liakos got to meet Joey for the first time.

“Afterwards, he was so nice, so polite, and he was like ‘Thank you so much, honestly,’” Liakos said. “As a human being, it threw me off how gener-

ous and normal and nice he was.”

Liakos said if you watch episode 3 at 33:58, you will see that Joey — who knew how to surf beforehand — got a retro wood-style and teal blue, almond surfboard. Jenn, the woman he took on the date, got a McMahon yellow, foamy board, which is perfect for beginners. Liakos was not certain which beach they went to but said she would assume it was Zuma Beach based on the scenes she saw and how much space there is out there.

If you watch the scene from the third episode, the producers cover most of the logos for filming purposes; howev-

er, the end of the in-shop scene shows a mug that reads “Sea N’ Soul” as the couple exits the shop.

The season recently concluded March 25. Joey proposed to Kelsey, and since then, the couple has been active together on social media and in public.

The show also announced during the finale that their next Bachelorette will be Jenn Trann, the woman Joey took on the first one-on-one date at Sea N’ Soul.

Photo courtesy of Republic Records

The Bachelor Mansion stands a few miles south of Pepperdine’s campus through Kanan Dume in Malibu on March 17. The mansion was the filming location for the first three episodes of season 28, S28 E1-3.

Amanda Monahan and Samantha Wareing Life & Arts Assistants

Ivan Vicente Manriquez Life & Arts Assistant

Liam Zieg | Assistant Photo

‘Coach Schilling is a winner’: Pepperdine hires new Men’s Basketball head coach

Tony Gleason Sports Editor

President Jim Gash and Incoming Director of Athletics

Tanner Gardner welcomed Ed Schilling, incoming Pepperdine Men’s Basketball head coach, to Pepperdine on April 4. Multiple people who have worked with Schilling said he is a devoutly faithful man and a tremendous leader, who is more than qualified to be the next head coach.

Schilling has 13 years of experience as an assistant coach at the Division I level, according to Pepperdine Athletics. He previously coached at UMass Amherst, Memphis, UCLA, Indiana and Grand Canyon.

“We looked for a coach who demonstrated exceptional leadership on and off the court [and] who demonstrated the ability to develop players spiritually, physically, socially and academically ” Gash said. “We looked for a coach who had a winning record of success. We found these qualities more and more in Coach Schilling.”

During his time as an assistant coach, Schilling helped coach his teams to a 304-134

record and eight NCAA appearances — including a Sweet Sixteen and Final Four appearance, according to Pepperdine Athletics. This includes three appearances in the past four seasons.

“Simply put, Coach Schilling is a winner,” Gardner said. “Ultimately, in coach Schilling, we’re getting a basketball coach with decades of professional and collegiate leadership who will propel our Pepperdine program to the next level.”

This is Schilling’s first job as a head coach since he was the head coach for Wright State from 1997-2003, according to Basketball Reference. In this new role, Schilling said his goal is to enhance the lives of his players beyond the basketball court.

While at UMass Amherst and with the New Jersey Nets, Schilling coached under John Calipari, incoming University of Arkansas Men’s Basketball head coach, who has a 813-260 record, according to Basketball Reference.

Calipari praised Schilling for his ability to develop his players as athletes and people, Gash said, quoting Calipari.

“Ed Schilling has been a

terrific coach, teacher and developer of young players at all levels,” Gash said, quoting Calipari. “His success is centered around his faith and his caring heart. We worked shoulder to shoulder, and I got to see

firsthand what a good man and caring coach he is. If my son were playing today, I would want him to play for Ed.”

When it comes to his coaching philosophy, Schilling said he is going to look to the differ-

ent ways Jesus improved those around him in the Bible. He wants to take the values taught in the Bible and apply them as a coach.

“We’re going to be in prayer, but we’re going to try to take the values biblically and implement them as a coach,” Schilling said. “Sometimes, it was aggressive — sometimes, it was the arm around — but, regardless, he made everyone better around him, and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”

During the past three seasons, Pepperdine Men’s Basketball has had an overall record of 29-67, according to Basketball Reference. With the competitiveness of the West Coast Conference, Schilling said the program will improve but not at the cost of what Pepperdine stands for.

“College basketball is somewhat of a business,” Schilling said. “We have to win, and so, at the end of the day, we’ve got to turn the program so that we are successful on the scoreboard without sacrificing any of the values that are so important to this University.”

PGM Sports predicts 2024 MLB season

Justin Rodriguez Sports Assistant Editor

The Los Angeles Dodgers made history signing DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year $700 million deal, the largest deal in sports history, and then signing RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the largest contract for a pitcher a few weeks later, according to Spotrac. A couple of other notable moves include LHP Josh Hader to the Astros, LHP Chris Sale to the Braves and outfielder Jung-hoo Lee to the Giants.

With opening week underway, some familiar faces in the Graphic are taking shots in the dark with some MLB prediction for the 2024 season. This year’s predictors are Sports Editor Tony Gleason, News Editor Nina Fife and Sports Assistant Editor Justin Rodriguez.

2024 Division and Pennant Winners:

American League Divisions

Tony: AL East = Baltimore Orioles; AL Central = Cleveland Guardians; AL West = Houston Astros

“Look, I know the Yankees got Soto, but the Orioles are young, won 101 games AND added Corbin Burnes. Bird is the word in 2024.” – Tony Gleason

Justin: AL East = Baltimore Orioles; AL Central: = Kansas City Royals; AL West = Texas Rangers

“2015 Royals vibes. Bobby Witt Jr., is a future MVP; he’ll lead them to glory. Mark my words.” – Justin Rodriguez

Nina: AL East = Baltimore Orioles; AL Central = Minnesota Twins; AL West = Seattle Mariners

“Anyone but the Astros. I want to see the Mariners win, even if I actually think the Rangers will take it.” – Nina Fife

National League Divisions

Tony: NL East = Atlanta Braves; NL Central = Chicago Cubs; NL West = Los Angeles Dodgers

“The Dodgers went out and built the avengers this offseason, which I’m okay with because they’re trying to win — unlike what? Half the league?” – Tony Gleason

Justin: NL East = Philadelphia Phillies; NL Central: = Chicago Cubs; NL West = Los Angeles Dodgers

“Oh, Trea Turner. Oh, how I miss you my sweet, sweet, Trea Turner.” –Justin Rodriguez

Nina: NL East = Atlanta Braves; NL Central = Pittsburg Pirates; NL West = Los Angeles Dodgers

“[I’m] all about my Boys in Blue, even if we don’t make it past the first round.” – Nina Fife

American League Pennant

Tony: Baltimore Orioles, East

Justin: New York Yankees, East

Nina: Baltimore Orioles, East

“I was big time sleeping on the Orioles last year, but they got an ace now. Also, Adley Rutschman is HIM.” – Tony Gleason

“Soto + Judge is just nasty. If they

get Cole back, and if Rodon has a comeback year, they are just as scary as L.A.” – Justin Rodriguez

National League Pennant

Tony: Atlanta Braves, East

Justin: Los Angeles Dodgers, West

Nina: Los Angeles Dodgers, West

“The team of the 90s has become the team of the 20s.” – Tony Gleason

“I would say anything but a World Series is a failure, but we’ve said that since 2017.” – Justin Rodriguez

World Series

Tony: Atlanta Braves over Baltimore Orioles in 5

Justin: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees in 6

Nina: Los Angeles Dodgers over Baltimore Orioles in 7

“This is the third year in a row I’m picking the Braves to win the World Series. If anything, I am determined to be right one of these years.” – Tony Gleason

“I think the Dodgers will push to seven games because they always have to give L.A. fans an aneurism/heart attack/any other medical condition that can KILL you. But I have faith they will pull through this year. Quote me on this if you want.”

– Nina Fife

Photo courtesy of Pepperdine University

Ed Schilling poses for a headshot as the new Pepperdine Men’s Basketball head coach. Schilling has coached at UMass Amherst, Memphis, UCLA and more.

Caroline Maloof | Staff Artist

Professional athletes shape Pepp athletes

Tony Gleason Sports Editor

In the 2008 DI Women’s Basketball National Championship, Candace Parker, then Tennessee and current Las Vegas Aces forward, scored 17 points with nine rebounds to lead the Lady Vols to their second consecutive national title, despite suffering from an injury, according to ESPN.

Moments like these are the reason multiple Pepperdine athletes said having professional athletes as role models is vital for young athletes.

Multiple athletes said their favorite professional athletes have served as role models for not only on-the-field or court performance but also outside of sports. They serve as players for young athletes to model their game after but can also teach them confidence and work ethic.

“It’s so important to have someone to learn from,” said Tabitha LaParl, Pepperdine Women’s Soccer redshirt sophomore midfielder/forward. “If you were the only one you were looking at, you would settle, but having that upper level — that person to look up to just pushes you [to] that extra extent that you can up your game.”

Maggie Vick

Maggie Vick, Pepperdine Women’s Basketball junior forward, transferred to Pepperdine after spending two years playing for Iowa State, according to previous Graphic reporting. Two of her favorite professional athletes include Parker and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart.

Vick said what made Parker and Stewart her favorites was where they played for college. Parker played for Tennessee — where Vick is from — and

Stewart played for UConn — who has the most Women’s Basketball National Championships, according to the NCAA.

“For all the Tennessee players [Parker is a] hometown hero, obviously,” Vick said. “You grew up watching them; you want to be just like them. “

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame is in Knoxville, Tennessee, which Vick said gave her the opportunity to meet former WNBA players at induction ceremonies, including Parker. Being listed as 6’2”, Vick is taller than most people in her small hometown, but meeting these athletes helped her realize she should embrace her height.

“It’s something that you should be confident in,” Vick said. “Something that you should celebrate. You shouldn’t hunch over, try to hide, try to blend in. Stick out; be yourself — be true to yourself, and embrace it.”

From interactions like those, Vick said she learned professional athletes as role models can do so much more besides help someone in their sport.

“If you can look up to somebody, and the person you look up to can pass on good things to you and help you become a stronger, better, more confident version of yourself, that’s immensely rich and useful in life,” Vick said. “I couldn’t imagine how I would feel about myself or what kind of work ethic I would have or self confidence or anything like that if I didn’t watch some of these players.”

Katherine Lytle

Katherine Lytle, Pepperdine Women’s Track and Field hurdler, said she played soccer growing up, and her favorite professional athletes are former professional midfielder Ju-

lie Ertz and Gotham FC midfielder/defender Crystal Dunn.

Lytle said those two stuck out as two of her favorites because of their advocacy for women sports.

“They fought for equal pay for the women’s and the men’s team, which was a really big step forward for women’s sports,” Lytle said. “And then, they were also trailblazers because they won many Gold Cups and Olympic Games.”

For track and field athletes, Lytle said one of her favorite athletes is Olympic 400-meter hurdler Sydney McLaughlin. McLaughlin is a two-time gold medalist in the 400-meter, and she broke the world record for the event twice — most recently with a time of 50.68 seconds in 2022, according to World Athletics.

Similarly to Ertz and Dunn, Lytle said McLaughlin is one of her favorite athletes because of what her accomplishments mean for women’s sports.

“If she was put into a men’s field for a lot of meets, she would have beat a lot of men, which for track especially, is pretty big,” Lytle said. “Men are physically supposed to be faster than women, and for a woman to be better than a lot of men she competed against was pretty cool.”

As she watched her favorite athletes accomplish these feats, Lytle said it made her want to succeed at her sport even more. She knew she wasn’t at their level but wanted to get there.

“Seeing the level some people can get to — it just kind of motivates me to be like, ‘Oh, I can always work harder, and I can always be better,’” Lytle said. “Because, obviously, I’m not at that level.”

Lytle said, as a female athlete, professional athletes provide the inspiration some young female athletes need.

“I already had a family that motivated me and pushed me to play sports,” Lytle said. “But, a lot of girls are in a family where that’s not necessarily normal, so seeing it on TV is inspiring.”

Tabitha LaParl

LaParl said a couple of her favorite professional athletes are Mia Hamm, former US National Team forward, and former professional forward/ midfielder Tobin Heath. She chose nine as her soccer number because it was Hamm’s number.

LaParl said she had the opportunity to meet both Hamm and Heath. She just happened to run into Hamm at an athletic store and attended a Nike event Heath coached at.

“They made the environment very comfortable,” LaParl said. “I wasn’t afraid to ask them questions and learn from them and hear what it’s like to be on that big stage and if that is a possibility one day.”

LaParl said the biggest thing she learned from those interactions was how to have more

faith in herself as a player on the soccer field and look for different ways to help her team.

“I just learned to be confident on the ball,” LaParl said. “Whatever I can bring to that field or that team or that game — bring it, and don’t hesitate.”

When it came to applying these lessons to her game, LaParl said it was less about mechanical aspects and more about her approach on the field. Rather than worrying about what happened previously or what’s to come, she learned to hone in on what she can do in the moment to help her team.

“You could tell, when they’re on the field, they’re in the present and not worrying about outside factors,” LaParl said. “[They are] being less anxious and trying to be that light on the field, whether it be on the ball [or] off the ball.”

LaParl said putting their advice into practice often involved being more creative with what she did on the field.

“Don’t hesitate to try different types of paths or try different moves in the game,” LaParl said. “Even if you mess it up, there’s a chance that you can do great and then try something new. So, I always have something up my sleeve to make me better.”

Photo courtesy of Tabitha LaParl

Photo courtesy of Maggie Vick

Junior forward Maggie Vick plays in a game against Boise State at ExtraMile Arena on Nov. 20. Vick said her favorite athletes helped her embrace her height.

Photo courtesy of Katherine Lytle

Hurdler Katherine Lytle leaps over a hurdle during a race in Illinois in April 2023. Lytle said one of her favorite professional athletes is Olympic 400-meter hurdler Sydney McLaughlin because of what her accomplishments mean for women’s sports.

Redshirt sophomore midfielder/forward Tabitha LaParl plays in a match against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 16, 2021. LaParl said it’s important to have a pro athlete to learn from.

anthony.gleason@pepperdine.edu

Track sprinters break six school records

Megan Harkey Sports Staff Writer

Pepperdine Track has broken a total of six school records so far this season. In fact, it’s no longer the question of if they will break one; it’s now a question of how many they will break, graduate sprinter Brendan Fong said.

Fong has broken four of the records, and in the women’s indoor track season, senior distance runner Elle Shrader broke one record, and freshman distance runner Hannah Miller broke another. The most recent record was Fong’s 400-meter sprint at the UCLA Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational on March 24.

“There’s a lot of commitment and determination this year,” Fong said. “They want to be better, and I think a lot of the records are gonna fall in the next few years — if not the next few meets.”

Fong’s Four Records

Fong is a graduate transfer from UC Santa Barbara and has made an impact on the team in his first year at Pepperdine.

Fong has broken both the 200-meter sprint at 21.49 seconds and the 100-meter sprint at 10.99 seconds at the Occidental Distance Carnival March on March 10, according to the Pepperdine Track website. Fong then broke the 400-meter sprint twice at 48.10 at the Sunshine Open on February 10, and at 47.66 seconds at UCLA.

Only the 200-meter was a personal record for Fong, and he said it is likely he can break them again by the end of the season.

“The 200-meter was a really big surprise, and going into it, I told my coach I didn’t feel that great,” Fong said. “But, I had some great competition with me and had some of my Santa Barbara teammates running with me as well to add some extra fire to it.”

Fong said he is grateful for

his coaches including Sprint Coach Dean Colarossi and Strength Coach Jackie Keenan, who have helped him grow this season.

Women’s Indoor Track

Records

For indoor women’s track, Shrader and Miller have broken the remaining two school records.

We were expecting it, to be honest, because she’s in really good shape. It was, ‘How many records can she get today?’

Victor Pataky Assistant Coach

Despite never running indoor track or the 1,000-meter race before, Miller broke the school record at a time of 3:19:17 minutes at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Open on Jan. 20, according to the

Pepperdine Track website.

“I’m definitely excited to run indoor again next season and hopefully run even faster,” Miller said.

To prepare for races like this one, Miller said she trusts her coaches and her training to get her past the finish line.

“I get pretty nervous for races, but I try to remind myself that I run every day, and it’s nothing different except for running a little faster,” Miller said.

Shrader, a captain for the women’s track team, broke a previous record on the indoor 3,000-meter time by over 30 seconds for a time of 10:18.32 at the MPSF Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 26, according to the Pepperdine Track website.

“We were expecting it, to be honest, because she’s in really good shape,” Assistant Coach Victor Pataky said. “It was, ‘How many records can she get today?’”

In the previous race, Shrader missed the mile record by six-tenths of a second, making the second-fastest Pepperdine time. She ended up breaking the record in the next race to become a record holder, according to the Pepperdine Track website.

Miller said she looks up to Shrader as she continues to prove her work ethic on the track.

“I’ve never seen someone have such a drive,” Miller said. “She’s very inspiring.”

At the Occidental meet March 10, Shrader also landed another record with a 17:48.26 5,000-meter run for the fifth-fastest time in school history, according to the Pepperdine Track website.

WCC Athletes of the Week

In addition to the records, the WCC has also been showcasing Pepperdine track athletes as the Waves have three WCC runners of the week so far this season, according to the Pepperdine Track Instagram page. Senior Marcus Flint has

been selected twice, and freshman Lizzy Crawford has been selected once.

“We’re definitely ramping up workouts to get ready for it but also working on recovery and staying injury free,” Miller said.

Schrader follows behind an opponent in her record-breaking 3,000-meter race at the MPSF Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 26. Schrader broke the school record by over 20 seconds.

Pataky said he has seen exponential growth in the athletes, even though the team cannot run on their own track.

“Team culture has come a long way,” Pataky said. “It’s kind of like a snowball effect, where it starts getting good, and then it exponentially gets better.”

Breaking Records with a Broken Track

The Pepperdine track on campus below the Seaside Residence has not been updated in years and is now unsafe for track athletes to regularly practice on. There are holes and uneven terrain that make it difficult to run on and stay injury free, Fong said.

“It’s definitely different; our track is not great and is hard to run on,” Fong said. “They

[coaches] don’t want us running in spikes there, which is our main way of running.”

Instead, the team drives to Malibu every morning for 6:30 a.m. workouts Fong said.

“I give all the props to the coaches, teammates and the team, who make it work everyday,” Fong said. “Seeing them want to get better every day despite the conditions of our track makes me want to get better every day.”

Rather than using the conditions as an excuse, Pataky said it is a chip on their shoulder especially as they prepare for upcoming meets against top opponents. The team is ambitious and is setting high standards for the remainder

season.

“It’s more of an expectation rather than a shooting-for -thestars goal,” Pataky said. “We try not to overcomplicate running.”

The Waves will compete in is the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 11-13.

of the

Photo courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics

Shrader runs in front an opponent in her record-breaking 3,000-meter race at the MPSF Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 26. Schrader broke the school record by over 20 seconds.

megan.harkey@pepperdine.edu

Photo courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics Miller competes in the WCC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 28. Miller broke the 1,000-meter school record during indoor track season at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Open on Jan. 20.

Photo courtesy of Pepperdine Athletics

Fong runs in the 100-meter sprint at the Occidental Distance Carnival on March 10. Fong has broken four school records in his first season as a graduate sprinter at Pepperdine.

Men’s Basketball sees influx of players enter the transfer portal

Tony Gleason Sports Editor

Following the end of the 2023-24 season, seven members of the Pepperdine Men’s Basketball team have entered the transfer portal, according to the college sports and recruit website On3.

The players who have entered the portal include: junior guard Houston Mallette, sophomore guard/forward Michael Ajayi, sophomore forward Jevon Porter, sophomore forward Jalen Pitre, sophomore guard Malik Moore, redshirt freshman Cord Stansberry and freshman guard Nils Cooper.

“It was a great three years,” Mallette said. “I appreciate everybody from faculty to our coaches to student life on campus. And, to my teammates, I appreciate it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Of the seven who have entered the portal, four players have committed to their next school. Mallette is transferring to the University of Alabama, Ajayi is transferring to WCC rival Gonzaga University, Pitre is transferring to Sacramento State University and Stansberry is transferring to Western Carolina University, according to each players personal Instagram.

Reason for Entering the Portal

Lorenzo Romar, former Pepperdine Men’s Basketball head coach, at the conclusion

of the 2023-24 season. Romar leaving was a big reason the players decided to enter the portal, multiple players said.

“We all came here to play for Coach Romar,” Mallette said. “He’s one of the best recruiters, but now, Coach Romar won’t be coaching here — I know, for some of us, we don’t want to continue our basketball career here.”

Multiple players said the team was frustrated with the way they found out Romar was leaving — mainly due to the timing of it. The team found out when they were about to play in the conference tournament.

“I thought it’d be best to make a statement saying that I have Coach Romar’s back,” Mallette said. “And, if Coach Romar won’t be here anymore, then I won’t be here anymore.”

During the past three seasons under Romar, Men’s basketball had an 8-40 record in conference play and ended in eighth, eighth and sixth place respectively, according to the WCC.

Porter said he was frustrated because he felt the team was only one year away from competing with the top teams in the West Coast Conference — and would have this season had it not been for injuries.

“If you’re not producing for them, they’re not gonna keep you, but I just felt like we were so close to getting to that level,” Porter said. “And I feel like, this year, we would have been at that level if it weren’t for the injuries.”

Ajayi transferred to Pepperdine for the 2023-24 season after spending his freshman and sophomore seasons at Pierce College, according to Pepperdine Athletics. He said, without Romar, Pepperdine wouldn’t be a good fit for him.

“The only reason why I came to Pepperdine was Coach Romar,” Ajayi said. “And his belief in me and what he wanted me to achieve over there. And it wouldn’t make sense if he leaves [and goes] somewhere else. It wouldn’t be good for me.”

WCC rival Loyola Marymount hired Romar as an assistant coach, the University announced March 19.

Knowing Your Coach

Mallette originally verbally committed to play for Penn State in May, 2020, but de-committed from the school in November 2020, when Pat Chambers, then Penn State Men’s Basketball head coach, resigned, according to Mallette’s Instagram.

Mallette said it’s important to know who your coach is before you decide where to play because of how impactful a head coach has on their players’ experiences at a school.

“We understand we’re having our scholarship paid for by how we play basketball and the people we play basketball for,” Mallette said. “So, sometimes, the new coach comes in and wants to make changes [or] decisions himself.”

For Porter, he said having

trust in his coach is why he needs to know who his coach is beforehand.

“Whoever I’m playing for, he does have a lot of effect on my life,” Porter said. “And I want to make sure that I’m going to play for somebody that is not going to lie to me or tell me one thing [but] do another.”

Ajayi said part of the reason he decided to play for Gonzaga next was because of his interactions with Mark Few, Gonzaga Men’s Basketball head coach. Ajayi felt Few had a need for him to play for Gonzaga — not a want — which made Ajayi want to play for him.

“It’s really important to be in a good relationship with your head coach,” Ajayi said. “And find ways to improve your game, and they’ll tell you your weaknesses and what you have to do to get better to reach the next level.”

Looking to the Next Program

Gonzaga Men’s Basketball has made it to the NCAA tournament every year since the 1998-99 season, including two national championship appearances, and has a 744-150 record over that span, according to Basketball Reference. The program has also had 40 players go on to play in the NBA, according to Basketball RealGM.

Ajayi said his ultimate goal is to make it to the NBA and believes Gonzaga was the best place to achieve that goal.

“There’s a lot of winning,”

Ajayi said. “It’s a good environment — a lot of fans. It’s a basketball school [and a] good college. “A lot of NBA players went to that school, and that’s where I want to be — I want to be in the NBA.”

At Pepperdine, Ajayi said he felt his growth was limited at times since Pepperdine only has one gym.

“It’d be occupied almost every time I would go to the gym,” Ajayi said. “So, it’s kind of hard to develop your game.”

Porter has yet to decide where he’ll play next but said he wants his next program to be somewhere where he will fulfill his potential as an athlete.

“[I’ll be looking for] somewhere that I can develop and become the player that I envision myself becoming,” Porter said. “And then, also, I want to be somewhere that we can win. I want to be part of a winning team, and I want to help contribute to the winning team.”

Riley Haywood | Staff Photographer

Junior guard/forward Michael Ajayi dribbles the ball in a game against Gonzaga on Jan. 18, at Firestone Fieldhouse. Ajayi will be playing for Gonzaga next season.

Junior guard Houston Mallette (0), sophomore guard/forward Michael Ajayi (1) and sophomore guard Malik Moore (3) stand on the court in a game against Portland on Feb. 17, at Firestone Fieldhouse. All three of them are part of the seven players who entered the transfer portal.

Sharon Stevens | Staff Photographer