Pepperdine Graphic 01.20.2023

Letter to the Editor

Summer program takes a pause for summer 2023

Tanya Yarian Life & Arts Editor

With the start of the spring semester, some students have departed for their study abroad location or plan to depart this summer — but with one fewer program running. Pepperdine is not offering the summer Jordan Program for 2023 due to the circumstances of COVID-19 and the volume of COVID cases in summer 2022, Ron Cox, interim dean of International Programs, said.

Cox said Pepperdine has not canceled the Jordan program permanently and hopes to operate it again in summer 2024 — a decision he made with Don DeGraaf, senior director of Educational Programs for Council for Christian Colleges and Universities GlobalEd. Pepperdine partners with this organization to run the program in Amman, Jordan.

“We had a really difficult time this year, and we needed to slow down and make sure that we were better prepared

Pepperdine debate team reimagines debate

Milena D’Andrea Staff Writer

The Pepperdine Waves Debate team is reimagining what debate can be by focusing on diversity, teaching and learning. Student leaders from the team shared the benefits of debate and explained how students can get involved in the club.

for a post-pandemic operation of the program on both sides,” Cox said. “And so, we’re in that process of figuring that out.”

With 80% of students studying abroad through Pepperdine University’s IP, students have the opportunity for new experiences and adventures, according to Pepperdine’s IP website. The University offers seven semester and year-long programs, six campus-based summer programs, five summer faculty-led programs and two internship programs.

Cox said he and the IP office worked closely with CCCU GlobalEd and the Middle East Studies Program to best serve students’ needs.

DeGraaf said the number of students who tested positive for COVID overwhelmed the COVID protocols they had in place to serve students. Although one protocol was for DeGraaf to fly to Jordan in case of any emergency, he tested positive for COVID while he was in the U.S. and could not travel to Jordan.

Cox said Pepperdine sent

two staff members to Jordan to help combat the COVID cases — former Dean of IP Beth Laux and Lausanne Associate Director Mark Barneche.

DeGraaf said a number of health concerns within the program also contributed to the decision to not operate the program this summer.

“It was like the perfect storm that came together that made things more difficult,” DeGraaf said.

Junior Serena Woon was one

of the first students in Jordan summer 2022 who tested positive for COVID. She said she decided to attend the Jordan program because she wanted to visit the country while she was still young in her faith journey. Woon said she could not have traveled on her own due to her lack of knowledge of Jordan’s cultural and language differences.

Former chaplain Shaya Aguilar shares Letter to the Editor

In light of Christina Littlefield’s letter that was made public to the Pepperdine community in September, the Graphic article released on the Hub 2.0 on Oct. 2, and Olivia Robinson’s article released after her resignation from the Hub for Spiritual Life on Oct. 12, I am compelled to speak on behalf of my own experiences as a former assistant chaplain in the Hub for Spiritual Life.

I have not spoken up prior to my resignation from the University on Jan. 3, 2023. However, since I resigned from the Hub for Spiritual Life on Aug. 1 and transitioned into a role in Student Affairs, there has been a lot of speculation concerning the changes in leadership that occurred over the summer, less than one year after the Hub for Spiritual Life was established.

Maxwell Lewis shoots his shot in his sophomore season

Jerry Jiang Sports Editor

Pepperdine Men’s Basketball spent a week in Costa Rica over the summer of 2022 supporting local youth organizations. The team also played the Costa Rica National Team in a summer league scrimage game.

During the game, sophomore forward Maxwell Lewis

saw a lane open in transition.

Two dribbles later, the Las Vegas native was flexing over his defender while the bench was doing the “on his head” celebration — indicating a poster had occurred. Lewis’ dunk went viral — amassing a little over 700 likes — and took the attention of scouts.

“I think that just set the tone for the whole year really,” Lewis said. “I just caught the ball on the wing, and I saw a defender, and it was an instinct. I didn’t even think about it; it just happened.”

Students in the Pepperdine University Jordan summer 2022 program ride on camels in Wadi Rum, a desert and historical site. The program included several excursions to expose students to the culture and history of Jordan.

Photos courtesy of Serena Woon

Colton Rubsamen | Staff Photographer

Pepperdine Men’s Basketball sophomore forward Maxwell Lewis rises up for a jumper versus Rice University on Nov. 7, at Firestone Fieldhouse. Lewis eclipsed his then-career high of 29 points, when he scored 30 points versus Pacific on Jan. 7.

Good News: A stuffed animal that I cherish

Dofelmier Staff Writer

Peter is a stuffed rabbit that sits on my bed. He’s well-loved, 17 years old and has brought me joy for as long as I can remember.

My mom told me that the very first time I saw Peter, I grabbed him and ferociously hugged him. I had just heard the Peter Rabbit stories, so my mom suggested I name him Peter.

For the first few years of my life, my mom was cautious with him. It’s easy to see why — part of his nose is now rubbed off, and he lost the mesh on the inside of his ears.

As I got older, so did Peter. I got Peter when I was one, and he’s watched me grow from a tiny child who could barely walk to a college student going abroad next year. He has witnessed all of my first days of school from kindergarten to my first year of college.

Peter has also traveled the world with me.

Every trip I’ve taken, no matter how close or how far, Peter’s been by my side. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI even blessed him when my family and I got to be part of an audience with Benedict in Rome.

As Benedict made his way up to his seat, he blessed any items that audience members held up. So, when he got to our section, my mom held up Peter so Benedict could bless Peter.

Today, Peter resides on my bed in my dorm, and I could not imagine my life without him.

Schoolwork, friendships and just figuring out what I want to do with my life can be a lot sometimes. But, no matter how stressed or worried I get, I know I can turn to Peter for comfort. I can hug him as tight as I want or throw him up in the air when I’m excited.

No matter what kind of day I’m having, be it a good day or a bad day, I know Peter can bring some good news and a little bit of comfort into my hectic life.

Laila Biali Performance

Alicia

I know Peter can bring some good news and a little bit of comfort into my hectic life.

Alicia Dofelmier Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Irma Dofelmier

Alicia Dofelmier | Staff Writer

IP dean candidates connect to students

Samantha Torre News Editor

From Jan. 11-13, Seaver College hosted three student forums in the Fireside Room for attendees to meet the final candidates for the dean of International Programs.

Thandi Dinani, associate dean and director of Global Education for Eckerd College; Charlie Engelmann, director of Asia Programming; and Ron Cox, the interim dean of IP, are the three finalists, according to the University’s dean of IP candidate materials webpage update Jan. 4.

Each forum began with a short presentation from each candidate, then student questions. Until Jan. 20, a feedback form is open on the selection website for students to give their opinions, Seaver Dean Michael Feltner said.

“The IP programs at the end of the day are for students, and so if the students were not a part of that conversation, it would be kind of problematic,” Sabrina Musharbash, junior and vice president of Finance for Student Government Association, said.

Musharbash said she was the student representative for the dean of IP selection committee. Musharbash has not been abroad, and she said because of this, there is only so much perspective she can offer.

“Whereas, students who have been to these programs and seen firsthand the problems and things that can be improved would be able to ask more meaningful questions to the candidates and just allow the search committee to better see how the Dean interacts with students,” Musharbash said.

Thandi Dinani Shows Her Heart

On Jan. 11, Dinani said she worked in a study abroad program at the University of Illinois, sending 2,000 students abroad per year. Dinani said she “cut her teeth” in IP and got used to planning and contracts.

In her time at the University of Tennessee, Dinani said the program grew from 500 to 1,000 participants, and the University focused on the “breadth and the depth” of study abroad. At Eckerd, Dinani said the University has 450 students abroad under her supervision.

“Really what I look at a lot of times with Christian education too is, yes, we can send you there,” Dinani said. “Yes, we can give you all those experiences. But what do you do with it afterwards?”

Junior Quinn Conway said he and junior Colin Wiese attended Dinani’s forum because they worked in the IP office and already knew Engelmann and Cox.

“The fact that she was asking us questions I thought was really kind,” Wiese said. “It showed a lot of her heart for students. So, I think she’s amazing.”

Engelmann Reflects on the Fruit of IP

Engelmann said, ultimately, he will be asking what is “the fruit” of studying abroad at his forum Jan. 12.

“I think my life, my kind of trajectory after Pepperdine, is somewhat of a reflection of the fruit of International Programs,” Engelmann said.

Engelmann attended Pepperdine and said he studied at the Heidelberg IP. After graduating, Engelmann moved to China for seven years before returning to the U.S. In 2013, Engelmann joined Pepperdine as the director of the Shanghai program and remained there until the program’s closure in 2021.

Engelmann said the University needs to prioritize having a presence in Asia and Africa — not just to point at a map but to give students the opportunity to learn from different cultures.

“We need to have a geographic portfolio that represents our claim to be a global university,” Engelmann said. “I know this is a priority of universities of senior leadership and many times from senior leadership. But we need to get that. So, right now we have seven programs [six are in] Europe, right, one is

From A1: IP pauses Jordan program

Woon said Doug Magnuson, the Jordan program director, told her and the rest of the summer 2022 program through their WhatsApp group chat the program was not operating this summer. She said there were rumors among students beforehand.

When Woon said she tested positive in Jordan, she stayed in the guest room of the director’s apartment, and every other student took a COVID test the next day.

“Essentially, it was like they were just trying to chunk us within the apartment rather than send us outside,” Woon said. “But, eventually, there came a point where there were more positives and negatives, so the negatives — it was like

five or six of them — went to the hotels first.”

After each person who was positive finished their five-day quarantine, they could return to the original apartments. Woon said she had an incredible experience in Jordan as they attended all the excursions, despite the COVID cases in the beginning of the program.

“I think honestly, I got more of an experience through kind of experiencing this, obviously not basically great, but kind of like within our group,” Woon said. “It was a great time to get to know each other, and force ourselves to bond and open up, and that was the first week, and so we kind of had that basis of relationships that carried throughout the month.”

DeGraaf said the program

Lucian Himes | Photo Editor

Students watch Thandi Dinani, associate dean and director of Global Education for Eckerd College, present on her journey working in study abroad at the Jan. 11 forum in the Fireside Room. Dinani was a finalist for the dean of IP position.

in South America. And yeah, it’s a little embarrassing.”

Engelmann also said the students going to the programs need to represent a diverse array of experiences.

“How do we prepare students to have the skills — to have the mindset of going through an abroad experience, knowing that they’re gonna go through something that’s very life changing, and then when they get back, how are we supporting that continued growth?” Engelmann said.

Ron Cox Hopes to Build On Good Work

Cox said he came to Pepperdine for a Master of Divinity in 1991 and, after returning as a tenure-track faculty in 2005, served as faculty-in-residence in a variety of international programs. For the last five years, Cox has served as associate dean of IP.

“I see, I hear, I know the good the International Programs does,” Cox said. “And so, at the core of why I want to be dean of International Programs is because I care deeply about the good work that we’re doing. I want to preserve in advance and build upon that good work.”

As interim dean, Cox said he has approached the position with the idea of setting up the next dean for “maximum” success. Challenges included the process of establishing a new program in Asia and providing students with mental health resources.

Cox said the new GE program will

pose opportunities but also challenges for IP — as many students utilize IP to complete their GE requirement.

“I’d say that the main thing here is communication, setting proper expectations and supporting students along the way,” Cox said.

Student Feedback

For students, Musharbash said the forums were a great way to see Pepperdine from behind the scenes.

“It’s easy to just be a student, and go through classes and go through the motions, but like being on the other side of it and seeing how these hiring committees work and meeting all these people, it just gives you a different view of Pepperdine,” Musharbash said.

Wiese said the turnout of the event — with four to six students each day — surprised him and thought more people would want to be a part of the decision-making process.

Junior Jacey Hoy attended all three forum dates. Hoy said the unique answers surprised her.

“I think the biggest [aspect] for me is the diversity of the programs and IP in general,” Hoy said. “All three of them touched on that in various ways, and I think that is the most important step for Pepperdine now with IP to get less Eurocentric.”

sam.torre@pepperdine.edu

“Even amongst other issues, I think we were able to do some good things last summer, and I think that bodes well for the future as well,” DeGraaf said.

Cox said the IP office works to ensure safety and protocols that meet Pepperdine’s standards but also evaluate what makes the most sense for each location.

“I’m really grateful for the fact that we don’t know what normal is, and we don’t know whether there will be a normal anything like the pre-pandemic period,” Cox said. “Our muscles are stronger, and we’ve found new muscles for dealing with the issues that arise with regards to COVID.”

dents,” Woon said. “Going forward, I think the reason why I think I feel even more passionate about this is because of the uniqueness of the program that I think a lot of other places that is offered through IP doesn’t really allow.”

DeGraaf said he appreciates the inter-faith component of the Jordan program and the opportunity for students to grow in their faith.

Cox and DeGraaf are hopeful in operating the program again in the future, and DeGraaf said CCCU GlobalEd and Pepperdine are already starting to have conversations about welcoming students to Jordan again.

received good evaluations from most of last summer’s participants, which he sees as a positive impact for the future.

Woon said she would have liked more clarity on the reasons for IP office’s decision to stop the program in summer 2023 and does not want to put any blame on Jordan.

“Honestly, I still think it is so unfair that IP is taking away the program for potential stu-

“Our directors there [in Jordan], have such a passion for the Middle East, and having that opportunity to share that with people I think is something we always want,” DeGraaf said.

Charlie

Even amongst other issues, I think we were able to do some good things last summer, and I think that bodes well for the future as well.

Don DeGraaf Educational Programs for Council for Christian Colleges and Universities GlobalEd

Lausanne students struggle to vote in Midterm Elections

Melissa Auchard Assisstant News Editor

As of early January, U.S. government officials elected in the 2022 Midterms are beginning work in their new positions. During the elections in November, voters across the country dropped their ballots at libraries or city halls.

For Pepperdine students abroad, the question wasn’t where to vote — the question was how. Some Lausanne students cast their mail-in ballots on Lake Geneva, while others chose not to vote.

Sophomore and Pennsylvania resident Micaela Shackleford is among the minority of Lausanne students who voted this fall. Eighty-seven point five percent, or 56 out of 64 eligible students, did not vote in the midterms, according to a Graphic poll of 67 current Lausanne students.

“It felt very empowering that I was able to play a role in my community even from far away,” Shackleford said.

Shackleford said she received her ballot in the mail two weeks prior to the election and mailed it back to the U.S. shortly after. Shackleford’s ballot made it to Pennsylvania on time, according to an email she received from the state voting department.

California resident and sophomore Christofer Dueñas said he did not vote in this midterm election. With nearly 6,000 miles between Dueñas and his hometown of Pasadena, Calif., he said the distance made him feel uninvolved in U.S. politics.

“I think being in a different country also adds to the aspect of being distant, like you haven’t really been in the environment,” Dueñas said. “I think I would have had more of an incentive to vote if I was home.”

Mireya Galacgac, sophomore and Virginia resident, felt so distant from U.S. politics she said she was unaware

the midterm elections were happening.

“It was just we have so much going on here too,” Galacgac said. “It was just pushed down the priority list.”

Dueñas said if the Lausanne program had made students more aware of the election taking place, he would have voted.

“I’ve never voted, period,” Dueñas said. “I don’t know much — less how to do it abroad. So, I think if they provided the resources, I think I would definitely take advantage of that opportunity.”

Shackleford expressed the same sentiment about the program’s lack of effort in getting students to vote this fall. The process of getting her ballot from Pennsylvania to Lausanne was a complicated one, she said.

Shackleford said she believes International Programs should guide students through how to vote abroad.

“It would be great if the International Programs could actually help students with that beforehand,” Shackleford said. “Because once you are abroad, you get super busy with traveling, and schoolwork and all your other plans.”

Galacgac said she believes a reminder about voting from the administration would have been helpful but said she recognizes students have an individual responsibility to be involved in U.S. politics.

“I think on an individual sense, I wish I had taken more initiative myself,” Galacgac said.

Lausanne Program Director Ezra Plank said the Pepperdine Lausanne program has not historically helped students in the voting process while abroad. Plank said most students set themselves up to vote before coming abroad.

“I think students that have come in the past have tended to vote absentee in advance before coming,” Plank said.

Plank said he believes if Pepperdine wants to encourage students to vote, International Programs could help

students participate in elections while abroad.

“I think International Programs would do well to remind students,” Plank said.

Galacgac and Shackleford thought about how IP could ensure eligible students vote in U.S. elections while abroad. Galacgac suggested the program have a student step up into a leadership position to keep students involved in politics back in the U.S.

Shackleford said she thought the program could remind students about voting abroad during their program orientation or in a program-wide email.

For students studying abroad next year, Galacgac said she wants to remind them to stay involved in U.S. politics when they are thousands of miles from home.

“You can still make a difference even though you’re living in Europe,” Galacgac said.

Photo courtesy of Logan Pluckhan

A Lausanne student mails their ballot back to the United States for the midterm elections in early November. Nearly 88% of eligible students in Pepperdine’s Lausanne program did not vote in the midterms, according to a poll of 67 Pepperdine students who studied in Lausanne in the fall semester

melissa.auchard@pepperdine.edu

Photo courtesy of Logan Pluckhan

Lausanne students pose for a drone shot from the balcony of their home, Maison du Lac, in December. Nearly 88% of Lausanne students eligibe to vote did not vote in the midterms.

“It felt very empowering that I was able to play a role in my community even from far away.”

Sophomore

Micaela Shackleford

“I think being in a different country also adds to the aspect of being distant, like you haven’t really been in the environment.”

Sophomore Christofer Dueñas

“It was just we have so much going on here too. It was just pushed down the priority list.”

Sophomore Mireya Galacgac

Spring NSO welcomes new students

Anezka Liskova Staff Writer

Raindrops and New Student Orientation leaders greeted incoming students expecting sunny skies at Pepperdine’s Spring NSO on Jan. 5. Due to the rain, many events which are usually outside were moved indoors, said senior Katie Price, senior and orientation coordinator.

On Jan. 4, orientation leaders and coordinators trained and prepared to welcome new students onto campus with welcome signs and name tags. NSO is a time for the University to welcome students into the Pepperdine community as well as get the chance to move in and get to know campus, according to the NSO website.

Over 100 spring admits attended the event, Price wrote in a Jan. 18 email to the Graphic. There were nine students on NSO staff — four coordinators and five leaders.

“I think that there is almost a little bit more responsibility on all of the people that are helping out with [Spring NSO] because oftentimes spring admits don’t feel like they belong or like they’re getting the same

experience that a lot of the fall students do,” said Jada Jensen, senior and orientation coordinator.

The orientation coordinators first check students and parents in and explain details of the NSO programming, Jensen said. Leaders help students move in and lead Campus 101 — where leaders give students a tour of campus. In the tour, leaders show students locations like the CAC shortcut and the PLC, because people sometimes do not know where that is, Jensen said. Leaders also conduct parent panels where parents can ask them questions.

Jensen said, most importantly, leaders get to know everyone. She said leaders’ biggest responsibility is making the students feel welcome.

“It definitely helped with the transition,” spring admit and first-year Libby Hill wrote in a Jan. 17 email to the Graphic. “If I had jumped right into classes with no NSO, I would have been so overwhelmed. I am so grateful that we got to experience an NSO even though I was a spring admit.”

Price said there is a difference between fall and spring

NSO. Oftentimes, fall NSO has more students, so it’s more high energy, Price said, while spring NSO focuses on helping with the transition.

“It kind of gives [NSO] a more approachable feel, where the new students can go up and just sit with us and hang out,” Price said. “It is compacted, and it is kind of go, go, go, but in [spring NSO’s] culture, it’s ingrained and made to be a more laid-back, loving, nurturing style and less of, like, ‘Get hyped. You’re in college,’ style.”

As a student, Hill wrote she felt the energy being radiated to her throughout NSO.

“My favorite part of NSO was the welcoming environment and joyfulness that every single person at NSO exuded,” Hill wrote. “Everyone was so happy to be there! It was great to be around and made me really excited to be a Pepperdine student.”

This allows for the NSO leaders to develop a closer relationship with the students in the spring, Jensen said.

“You kind of get to form a relationship that I can’t really describe to you,” Jensen said. “You get to be the person that they come to you for register-

ing for classes, and I have multiple girls that have texted me throughout this week about asking for help with WaveNet and asking for help with courses and asking my advice about what [classes] they think they should take and not take.”

New students and NSO leaders form these relationships during NSO and continue to grow them in the rest of the semester, Price said.

“On Monday, I had a kid who I sat with at NSO, and he was like, ‘Hey, do you mind if I sit with you?’” Price said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, come on,’ so we ate breakfast together on Monday, which was sweet.”

There is not an exact statistic how students liked it because the Office of Student Activities did not send a survey out, Danielle Minke, director

of student activities, wrote in a Jan. 11 email to the Graphic.

One thing Hill wrote surprised her was the amount of people she met.

“I did not meet as many people as I would imagine you would meet during regular NSO, but I got to meet a lot of other transfers and spring admits as well as orientation leaders who gave us a lot of great guidance and advice about life at Pepperdine,” Hill said.

Lucian Himes | Photo Editor

Seniors Katie Price and Claire Lee smile by Stauffer Chapel during Spring NSO on Jan. 6. Spring NSO included a catered InN-Out truck for students to enjoy. anezka.liskova@pepperdine.edu

Remembering Lawrence Hornbaker

Samantha Torre News Editor

Executive Vice Chancellor Emeritus Lawrence “Larry” D. Hornbaker died in early January, the Public Relations office wrote in a Jan. 9 email to the Pepperdine Community. Lawrence served Pepperdine for 33 years.

Lawrence helped raise money for several buildings around Pepperdine’s Malibu Campus and beyond through the relationships he curated in his time at Pepperdine. Lawrence also maintained relationships with donors in his role at Pepperdine.

“Larry did not have an enemy in the world,” said Jim Wilburn, dean emeritus of the School of Public Policy. “He just was one of these people that everybody trusted and loved and was friendly, but he also was able to sit down and ask somebody for a million dollars.”

Wilburn said he has been a part of Pepperdine for nearly 50 years. When he was the chief operating officer of the L.A. Campus, Lawrence was vice president — the first time the two worked together on a daily basis.

When Wilburn became vice president of Events, he said Lawrence had an office near him, and the two were part of the team that started the Pepperdine Associates.

“That’s where I first first encountered him, and we got to be very good friends,” Wilburn said.

The two became good friends — Lawrence performed a wedding ceremony for Wilburn and his wife 25 years ago, Wilburn said.

Wilburn said Lawrence was loyal and dedicated to Pepperdine.

“If the president needed somebody to go talk to a bank about a loan, [Lawrence] could do that,” Wilburn said.

Lawrence helped raise money for the Provost’s house, the Appleby Center, Smother’s Theater, the Harnish Law Library and Residenza Tagliaferri in Florence, along with his wife, Carol, Wilburn said.

Many locations on campus were named after those who donated money or served the University in some way. In front of Payson Library, near Smother’s parking lot, there is a tree named Jerry’s Tree, Wilburn said.

“When [Lawrence] was going to retire, the president asked him, ‘What would you like to have at Pepperdine to honor in memory of your work here?’” Wilburn said. “And I think Lawrence said, ‘Well, just plant a tree.’”

On upper campus, there is a tree in

the roundabout between Heroes Garden and the Villa Graziadio Executive Center dedicated to Lawrence, Wilburn said. It includes information about Lawrence’s time at Pepperdine.

“So, there’s Jerry’s tree near the theater, and there’s Larry’s tree up here,” Wilburn said. “But I think very, very few people park there, so [they] don’t really stop and notice the plaque.”

The tree, Senior Vice Chancellor Rick Gibson said, is a great symbol of who Lawrence was because it will co

tinue to grow like Lawrence — deliberately and one day at a time.

“He worked a lot like the way I hike,” Gibson said. “He plodded one foot in front of the other.”

Gibson said he has worked at Pepperdine since 1997. He first met Lawrence in his role as director of Pepperdine Publications, where he said he produced materials for the Office of Advancement, such as the Pepperdine People magazine, which is now called the Pepperdine Magazine, and on invitations for special events. He said he met Lawrence within the first month he was at Pepperdine.

Pepperdine People, Gibson said, was primarily for donors. When creating the magazine, he would look for pictures of notable people to include.

“Always, always, I found pictures of Larry and often his wife Carol in the background,” Gibson said. “They were never the focus or the center of the photograph, but they were always in it.”

While never in the spotlight themselves, Gibson said, Lawrence and Carol would never forget a donor.

“They truly were caring for elderly donors in their later years, in really challenging situations as they aged,” Gibson said. “They would give them rides, they would clean their homes, they would take care of them.”

Gibson said Lawrence would defer to members of the magazine staff in most cases, and while he gave suggestions, he would never tell the staff what to do — except if it involved a donor. In one particular project, Gibson said Lawrence noticed there was a donor’s name misspelled in an already printed newsletter.

“It wasn’t a ton of money because it was a newsletter, not a magazine, but he had them all tossed, and he said ‘We’re not going to send this out by getting the name wrong,’” Gibson said. “‘The least we can do is know the name of the person who has been supportive of us.’”

Lawrence and Carol, Gibson said, made the friendships between Pepperdine and its donors and demonstrated that the friendship was “real” and not purely transactional.

“Larry made sure that Pepperdine never forgot people,” Gibson said. “And that is not an exaggeration. That is the work. That is what Larry did.”

Gibson said Lawrence set an example of being active in the greater L.A. community and a philosophy that “friendships must be authentic.”

“If Pepperdine were to honor Larry, it would recommit itself to never forgetting those who have supported it,” Gibson said. “Whether it is a donor, a faculty member, a student — I mean, that has to be part of our ethos. And Larry wasn’t the only one who did this, but Larry exemplifies it in a remarkable way.”

Photo courtesy of the IMC Office

Lawrence Hornbaker served Pepperdine for 33 years and raised money for many buildings on the Malibu Campus, the Public Relations office wrote in a Jan. 9 email to the Pepperdine Community. Jim Wilburn, dean emeritus of the School of Public Policy said Lawrence could be friends with anybody.

Photo courtesy of the IMC Office

Lawrence Hornbaker and his wife Carol Hornbaker took care of Pepperdine donors well into their lives, Senior Vice Chancellor Rick Gibson said. Lawrence, Gibson said, made sure Pepperdine honored people.

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 and shed light on solutions for happenings at Pepperdine.

Graphic Staff

Rain, rain, please go away.

On Jan. 9, Calabasas and Agoura Hills witnessed between 4.16 and 4.19 inches of rain, according to the L.A. Times — almost a third of Weather and Climate’s projected yearly total of 14.9 inches. Pepperdine students slogged to class through rainy skies, muddy sidewalks and rocky commutes.

Pepperdine — and, to be fair, most of its student body — is ill-equipped to handle weather that is not sunshine, some wind and overall mild conditions. There’s a reason for this: on average, there are 329 sunny days in Malibu each year, according to Weather.com. Compare this to western Washington, where cities get around 165 days of

sun each year, according to Groundworks.

The rain that falls in Malibu is concentrated in a 6-month period, according to Weather and Climate. February — the wettest month, with an average of 3.8 inches of precipitation — is still to come.

The rain the University is seeing right now is not just the usual wet season, rather the burning of fossil fuels results in warmer atmospheres, which can hold more moisture, according to The New York Times. This wetter atmosphere makes California storms more intense.

What is a fair-weather University, and its students, to do?

Rain-Proofing the Community

Students who decide to skip walking in the rain have to rely on the shuttle, which could run late — because of inclement weather and a tracking app that occasionally does not work — leaving students stranded and exposed.

One option is adding infrastructure to make students’ lives easier in the rain. Putting shades over shuttle stops will

protect those who choose to shuttle around from the elements. Whether this is for the rainy days or the much more frequent sunshine, shades can keep students dry and cool in the face of more extreme weather.

Pepperdine could also provide umbrella bins, stocked with umbrellas for community use. Students and faculty braving the storms on foot can borrow an umbrella on their way out and drop that same umbrella in a bin at their destination.

Pepperdine could also move classes to Zoom during inclement weather conditions — after a year on Zoom, the University has the online capabilities set up to move classes there for a day.

Driving in the Rain

Individual action can also partially assuage the problems of rain, especially when it comes to driving.

Leaving at least five seconds of stopping distance can decrease the risks of accidents, according to Geico. In the case of hydroplaning, turn the wheel the direction you want to go.

Of course, slowing down also helps.

“The speed [listed] on the side of the highway is the maximum speed for perfect weather and perfect road conditions, so if the road is wet, it could be too fast for existing conditions,” said James Soloman, expert of driver safety for the National Safety Council. “If other people don’t like it, they can pass you.”

Driving with headlights on is also vital, according to Geico. Turning on your highbeams in the rain, however, is

less advisable. The bright light can bounce off wet surfaces and the falling rain, posing additional problems.

While the rain may be a more prominent part of southern Californian life in the coming years, there are steps both Pepperdine and individuals can take to manage some of the effects.

When it rains, it might pour, but if we work together, we can stay dry.

peppgraphicmedia@gmail.com

HeeJoo Roh | Staff Artist

Letter to the Editor: Previous chaplain Shaya Aguilar shares experience with Hub

Editor’s Note: Opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author, and publication in the Graphic in no way represent an endorsement of any opinions published. This space is provided to allow public response and commentary on articles and issues that are covered by the Graphic and important to its readership.

From A1

Iwould like to take this opportunity to speak to my own experiences now that I am no longer an employee at Pepperdine but still care deeply about the well being of the community as a recent alumni.

Sara Barton’s unwarranted and sudden removal from her position as the associate vice president of Spiritual Life with no substantive explanation to members of the Hub staff in June discouraged meaningful dialogue among lower staff members, let alone informed dissent against the administrator who removed her.

However on Sept. 22, I sent a letter outlining my concerns to President Jim Gash and the Board of Regents. This letter was never acknowledged by Gash. I was also strongly encouraged by another University administrator not to share my reasoning for resigning with the Graphic when I was asked to do an interview in September following my resignation from the Hub for Spiritual Life in August.

Additionally, since I resigned in August, several other women have resigned from their positions in the Hub for Spiritual Life. I am writing this letter to share my own story but also to highlight the systemic abuse of power that has occurred without a collaborative and diversified framework for leadership in place.

I know there are others who have stories to share, and it is for that reason that I am speaking up. This is not just a Pepperdine issue, it is a systemic issue in the church and Christian institutions at large. Christian institutions are ripe for abuses of power due to the hierarchical nature of leadership. No Christian institution is perfect, but Pepperdine can and should be better, and this starts from the top down.

My hope in coming forward now is to contribute to bringing clarity and healing to a situation that requires further investigation. I recognize that my voice only represents a piece of the larger narrative. I am leaving Pepperdine deeply grateful for the people who have poured into me and who have shown me that following Jesus does not mean passive peacekeeping but rather active peacemaking. They are the reason I am speaking up. My hope is not to be divisive or to share stories that aren’t mine, but to contribute to the dialogue surrounding spiritual life in a meaningful way.

Prior to becoming a staff member, in the summer of 2021, I graduated from Pepperdine with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a minor in Hispanic Studies in 2020 and recently graduated from the M.S. in Ministry program this fall. Pepperdine felt like a community that welcomed me wherever I was in my faith.

In June 2022, after serving in Spiritual Life as an assistant chaplain for one year under the direction of Barton’s leadership, Vice President Danny DeWalt communicated to the team in an email that he had attached a brief

update on some structural adjustments that the University was making in order to “provide for alignment with the University strategic plan and work/life balance among our team.”

There were no further “structural” changes made after the removal of Barton, and it became clear to me that there was more to this decision than the desire to create a culture where work/life balance was a priority. DeWalt did not elaborate as to why Barton was removed following the email sent to the Hub staff. This left the team floundering to move forward, preparing for the school year without a leader in place and no explanation as to why this occurred.

In mid-July the team gathered for a retreat. It was at this time that the stark change in leadership became apparent as DeWalt shared that the President’s Office had given him the authority to serve as the interim leader.

As the University’s theme of joy was shared with the team throughout the retreat, I observed that the language used to describe joy seemed oversimplified — it did not leave room for the complexity of human emotion which is seen all throughout Scripture and most prominently in the Psalms. To hear joy characterized in this way by an upper administrator demonstrated to me that our role as chaplains living into the theme of joy would more closely resemble that of toxic positivity, which negates the complexity of human emotion and our ability to experience both lament and joy as people of faith.

Having spent a significant amount of time studying the spirituality of emerging adulthood throughout grad school and working closely with college students, I was disheartened by how the theme was being conveyed to the team. Given the current mental health crisis and the rising rates of depression, anxiety and suicide amongst college students, this depiction of joy was unsettling, and it seemed antithetical to other university initiatives to foster psychological and spiritual resilience within the community.

When Olivia Robinson resigned from her role in the Hub for Spiritual Life in October, she shared that DeWalt used the analogy of a firehose to describe the Kingdom of God during this retreat. Besides being a stark contrast to the “mustard seed” Jesus used to describe the Kingdom of God, this racially charged language impacted several black members on our team, as this metaphor was a reminder of the Civil Rights Movement when firefighters sprayed fire hoses against protestors. It demonstrated that the new vision for spiritual life on campus was akin to power and influence. By the end of the retreat, it seemed that the new vision for spiritual life was not one of collaboration but one of authority.

I know that leadership is incredibly hard and that spiritual leaders are under an immense amount of pressure to live according to a higher standard. No leader is going to be free of bias — we all have blindspots in our thinking and our theology. But this can be mitigated by having a collaborative and diversified team in place where there is accountability for those in the highest levels of leadership. Yet after the retreat, I was left questioning where Pepperdine was headed. And I was left questioning whether Pepperdine was affirming of women leading in ministry.

Barton’s leadership experience, collaborative and ecumenical ministry framework, nuanced understanding of the Churches of Christ, and theological education had been formative to laying the foundations for the Hub to exist less than one year ago. To see this shift occur without any dialogue was troubling to observe. I felt called to work in spiritual life as a chaplain under Barton’s leadership because it was clear to me that our role was to be a chaplain to all of our students. This commitment to extend hospitality to all of our students seemed lost to me and was instead being replaced by what appeared to be a unilateral approach to faith and spiritual life programming that catered to a certain brand of Christian student.

Yet the Pepperdine student body is spiritually diverse, and approximately 13% of students are “nones” meaning

and staff I’ve been able to do life with in the Pepperdine community over the past five and half years. Yet I am leaving the university questioning what Pepperdine will stand for in the years to come.

Several women have left the Hub for Spiritual Life since the “restructure” which resulted in the removal of Barton. While there are other grievances that have taken place since I left spiritual life that directly impact our students and our community at large, attention has been redirected on the search for a new leader for spiritual life– I am left wondering how the university got here.

I am concerned about the way in which Barton was removed without clear reasoning for such a disruptive transition that drastically shifted the direction of the Hub for Spiritual Life. Why is there no accountability for leaders at the highest level of the institution, let alone a Christian institution that values unity and the holistic well being of all members of the community?

Pepperdine is a place that prides itself on valuing the inherent worth and dignity of all people. If that’s true, Pepperdine must create space for the voices of those who have historically been exempt from positions of power.

Pepperdine claims to be a place that values the pursuit of truth. If this is true, the truth must be sought collaboratively, not just by those holding the highest positions of power at the university.

they are not affiliated with any faith tradition or spiritual community. My younger sister, who is not a Pepperdine student but is a college student, is one of those “nones.” I know my sister is one of many nones across college campuses who would find the current spiritual life programs being prioritized in the Hub to be a repellant rather than a resource for cultivating a curiosity for faith. It is because of her and the many other nones that I know at Pepperdine that we have to be better. If the Hub for Spiritual Life isn’t a place where students are free to wrestle and share their honest doubts and spiritual struggles, are we really living into the vision that the truth has nothing to fear from investigation?

The intersection of faith and intellect is foundational to what makes Pepperdine the institution that it is — an institution rooted in the belief that truth has nothing to fear from investigation. I would hope all students feel welcome to wrestle and seek truth regardless of their faith background, especially considering that the National Study of Youth and Religion identified that “a third of US adults under the age of thirty don’t identify with a religion.” While I believe that many staff in the HSL do care about the nones, it is because of the top-down leadership in place, that I am concerned about the spiritual and psychological well-being of all of our students.

It is my hope that abiding and non-complacent peace can be seen in the Pepperdine community, but not at the expense of diversity of thought, collaborative thinking, and deep theological and spiritual formation into the likeness of Christ. I owe much of my faith development to the faculty

Pepperdine claims to be a place that is hospitable to students of all faith backgrounds. If this is true, resources should be allocated accordingly to reflect the pursuit of an ecumenical and spiritually diverse community that aligns with the university’s commitment to cultivate an inclusive community.

Actions speak louder than words, and Pepperdine can do better. I’m leaving the University incredibly grateful for the relationships I’ve formed with faculty and staff in the classroom, through the University Church of Christ, and through my time as a staff member.

I’m speaking up because of the ways Pepperdine and the people there have contributed to the holistic formation of my faith. This formation was not a result of a formula but a result of people being willing to step into the messy places of doubt and spiritual struggle with me. Pepperdine is a place that claims to welcome dialogue on potentially divisive issues.

Since I resigned, I have not felt that there was space to speak up, especially from myself, as one of the four women who left spiritual life in the midst of a top down restructuring that left little room for collaborative dialogue. Based on the nature of these concerns, it was challenging to discern who to share this information with. My hope and prayer is that if Pepperdine is prioritizing the truth, then leadership should have no fear of investigation and would welcome further dialogue on the restructuring of spiritual life since it is an integral part of the University’s mission and vision.

- Shaya Aguilar

Former Assistant Chaplain

No Christian institution is perfect, but Pepperdine can and should be better, and this starts from the top down.

Shaya Aguilar Former Assistant Chaplain

Reliance upon social media is too much

Emily Chase 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.

Social media was created to be a wonderful tool to stay in touch with friends, family and favorite personalities. However, it is now altering into a smoke screen for the real life of users. I’ve noticed more often than not, it’s being prioritized over face-to-face interaction and can have negative effects on health and the human mind.

Social media is now used by jobs for a reference on potential employees as part of the application process. Recent studies found 67% of employers now use social media to look at and do research on potential candidates for jobs, according to Zippia. This is more than half of employers relying on social media for information. There’s limited in-person connection.

In colleges and universities, this is often the case as well. Sororities and fraternities utilize social media to survey potential new members prior to meeting them in person, according to Sorority Scoop.

New members might worry about factors like how many followers they have, how many likes per post there are and how their appearance looks in general. These might be just a few of the components an organization considers when glancing at an applicant’s social media, prioritizing social media influence, which should not be done.

Along the same lines is when fraternity and sorority organizations use social media to promote themselves during the recruitment process. The idea of “Selling Sisterhood” is a phenomena often seen in these organizations, according to Kaitlynn Beaird.

Beaird notes a big part of organizations’ social media is putting an emphasis on the student culture within the organization, selling the students as a

AI gives academia advantages

La Ferla Perspectives Assistant 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.

Artificial intelligence is a computerized simulation of human intelligence that can transform the way people can learn and grow as students and educators, according to IBM. AI should be used in all forms of academia for creativity, efficiency and ultimately for people to continue to grow with upcoming technologies.

Educators can use AI to determine a student’s learning style and knowledge to create customized learning and instructional content. AI can even help grade exams with an answer key — which eliminates the tedious and time-consuming tasks of grading multiple choice tests and record keeping, according to University of San Diego.

Additionally, it can compile data about how students individually perform on assessments. Furthermore, for grading, AI can grade non-linear assignments like projects and essays. From the humanities to sciences to languages, AI can be used in various ways. The future of technology is moving quickly, and keeping up with it and

brotherhood or sisterhood. This means organizations can post a group of members in a posed photo and sell it like they’re best friends, even if they’ve only spoken once.

While this isn’t always the case, the potentially misleading sense of reality can cause curious new members to have a distorted sense of what’s to come. This idea can translate into other aspects of life as well.

Furthermore, social media interactions surpassed in-person communications. Nearly half of teens said they “almost constantly” use social media on a daily basis to interact with others, according to Pew Research. With 4.59 billion social media users per day, according to Statista, this isn’t a surprise.

The use of social media alters the chemistry of the brain for users and causes inadequate representations of how a person should look, creating a toxic comparative mindset. In a 2017 study, 60% of social media users said social media has been a negative influence on their self esteem, causing self doubt, insecurities and anxiety, according to Huffington Post. Additionally, 80% of poll participants said it is easier to be deceived by the seeming perfection of another

staying ahead is crucial to progress.

In tutoring, AI enhances the personalization of student learning programs and courses. As a tutor, it would help promote tutees’ improvement in their weak spots and sharpen their skills. AI allows for easy communication for learning between educator and student for all hours of the day. Learners said they are excited because of the enticement of AI, according to University of San Diego.

Some benefits of AI include being able to access content and educational resources from anywhere at any time. If students have frequently asked questions, they can be sorted and answered for each class. AI allows for all of their information to be organized quickly and easily.

The cost of most basic AI programs are free, but more developed and intricate programs range from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. AI can be viewed as a longterm investment.

In a HUM 313 course, I used AI for my final cumulative project and received an A on the project. One professor shared their excitement about my use of AI for the creativity within the project. They noted how they felt this was a unique opportunity to showcase new technologies and the entire project fit into the program seamlessly.

I was able to use the website DALL-E 2, which allowed me and my project partner to select keywords from several periods of times. These images were in accordance with our theme — having AI images that were never before seen or created and unique rendered our original project.

What excites me and worries most educators and academic institutions, according to PlagiarismToday, is that

user’s post, according to the same study.

Social media shouldn’t be a wall for people to hide behind in an attempt to feel better about themselves. It shouldn’t be an empty pool where people go to relieve themselves of pain and end up feeling worse than they did before. It most certainly shouldn’t be prioritized in job processes over in-person interviews.

Posting on social media should be honest, unedited and open — there is a fine line between staying private and completely lying through face-tuning and Photoshop to change the way people perceive you.

As a society, there must be a shift in how the population utilizes social media. It was made to be fun –– keep it fun. It was made to be a way to stay connected, not completely attached. It is a way to bring added joy, not encapsulate an entire person’s life or mind.

Make social media casual again, and don’t create a false sense of yourself because you think it’s what others want to see.

emily.chase@pepperdine.edu

AI can help in writing. These AI writing assistants improve the given text through spelling and grammar checks.

The LanguageTool uses AI to “strengthen the correction process by detecting and fixing advanced errors and by generating rephrase sentences that can better suit your tone and voice,” customizing the written work specifically for your voice, according to LT insights.

Some could view this as the easy way to writing papers, but students are simply using the resources and technologies available in the world, as they have been made available over history. It could help students to improve their writing skills and build confidence through well-articulated thoughts.

AI is biased, which can be beneficial as long as people stay mindful of its limitations. People choose the data the algorithms use and then they also decide how the application of those

algorithms result. This can be beneficial in assignments, as it will customize to a person’s likes and dislikes and be “unique” to them and how they want to tackle an assignment.

Although, without diverse machine learning engineers (ML engineers), it is feasible for unconscious biases to enter and alter the systems to automate those biased models. This is something that needs to be taken into serious consideration when used.

There is still a lot to learn about AI in the school system and its long term effects, but it should be tried out and incorporated into curriculums for technological advancement, educational progress and the overall benefit of the students and teachers.

Vivian Hsia | Art Editor

Text-to-image AI creates attractive paintings, illustrations and images. Created on Hotpot.ai using keywords: Artificial Intelligence in Academia.

Photo Courtesy of AI

Victoria

Choose humanities over technology

experience, what it means to be human,” Frye said.

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

In recent years, there has been a shift from majoring in the humanities to more STEM based majors, according to the American Academy of Art and Science. Despite this shift, employer demand for soft skills — such as the ability to communicate, socialize and lead — has continued to be highly sought after.

In addition, 92% of talent professionals believe soft skills are equally or more important than hard skills, according to Linkedin. Soft skills are especially fostered by an education rooted in studying the humanities.

Katie Frye, an assistant professor of English at Seaver College, said there are a number of skills you gain from studying humanities.

“You get transferable skills, critical thinking and communication, oral and written,” Frye said. “What I have seen over and over and over again with our alumni and with my peers, both academic and non-academic, is that the skills that create opportunities are effective oral and written communication skills.”

These mercenary benefits may appeal to students hoping to pay off student debt, yet there is much more to the humanities than workplace promotions. The human experience is the core of each of our lives.

“The humanities, broadly defined—we’re talking about the human

Regardless of a student’s chosen specialization, all students benefit from studying the humanities. All Seaver undergraduate students are required to take Pepperdine’s three course Humanities sequence — illustrating the importance of the Humanities Division to the University’s identity as a school of liberal arts. The sequence establishes a foundation for each student’s education in broadening their perspective and expanding their worldview.

Stella Erbes, the divisional dean of the Humanities and Teacher Education Division and an associate professor of Teacher Education at Seaver, shares how she has students embrace the humanities through their classes, the Pepperdine community and studying abroad.

“I think Pepperdine does an amazing job of introducing students to different world views through the Humanities, through travel, through our curriculum and through our community,” Erbes said. “The combination of the Humanities curriculum and the ability to travel abroad is a beautiful way to see humanities in life.”

When students are able to see the fruition of their learning, they realize the value of an education grounded in the humanities, as I have seen in my life. Pepperdine’s GE program, paired with the opportunity to study abroad, is designed to cultivate a love for humanity and an appreciation for different backgrounds, cultures and religions.

People crave human interaction, and it is unlikely that they will find it looking at numbers and statistics

alone. Bryan Givens, the Humanities program coordinator at Seaver and an associate professor of History, illustrates how the humanities can be difficult to quantify.

“There’s not an equation that can equal happiness or purpose or meaning,” Givens said. “[The humanities are] where we can discuss some of the more indefinable aspects of human experience.”

Givens said those aspects include things like meaning and values.

Pondering these concepts is worthwhile and supports a lifelong pursuit of truth. Unlike technical or trade skills, qualities like empathy, understanding and tolerance for others remain unchanged.

“When we look at literature, and we see that so much, the human heart hasn’t really changed. People have always grieved, they’ve always fallen in love, they’ve always been jealous. I find that very reassuring and very grounding,” Frye said.

The study of humanities doesn’t lose or change value over time. Individuals can take comfort in knowing that humans have and will continue to struggle in finding meaning and

purpose.

An overwhelming majority of individuals and companies value empathy, according to an Ernst & Young survey. One way empathy is achieved is through stories.

Both literature and history are made up of narratives that allow individuals to grasp experiences and cultures external to themselves. As leaders seek to understand others in their community, they build bonds and allow individuals to care and support one another.

Creation reflects its Creator. The study of the human experience allows Christians to seek knowledge of God, who created man to bear His image. Christians can study humanities not to glorify man’s accomplishments, but to know and give glory to God.

As an English major, I staunchly believe the study of humanities is vital to individuals and their community. The study of human expression allows us to communicate with others and practice empathy. Communities who understand one another make progress toward unity across racial, religious and class barriers.

Vivian Hsia | Art Editor

madison.luc@pepperdine.edu

Madison Luc Perspectives Assistant

Vivian Hsia

LIFE & ARTS

Vivian Hsia | Art Editor

Waves prepare for back-to-school

Jackie Lopez Life & Arts Assistant

After returning to campus after winter break, Pepperdine greeted students with the words “Welcome Waves!” painted on the infamous Rock in Mullin Town Square, signifying the start of a new year.

As spring semester starts, students said they take mental and physical steps to get ready for a new set of classes and to get back into the groove of another academic semester. Senior Jade de Bruyn said she has mixed emotions on this back-to-school season.

“It feels exciting,” de Bruyn said. “There’s new opportunities, but at the same time, it feels uncertain and almost dysregulated a little bit.”

Dysregulation explains the feelings of distress in reaction to an event or changes. The first week of school marks a time of widespread change for students across Pepperdine’s campus.

To manage with these hesitancies, students have traditions in place to prepare. A trip to Target for new school supplies is a tradition de Bruyn said she does the weekend before the first week of school.

“I always do like a mini school supply shopping trip,” de Bruyn said. “Most of my school supplies would be just on my computer, but I like to get new folders, a planner and new pens just for fun.”

A key part of junior Arabella Crites’ back-to-school traditions also includes getting a new planner to write out her

schedule, tasks and more. This year, her planner is her favorite color — purple.

“My undated planner has a bullet journal in the front of it and so I fill that out with my goals for the year about physical, mental, emotional, spiritual goals that I have,” Crites said. “So I usually write those down and try to stick to them.”

Setting goals for oneself is one way to build positive habits, and it’s important to set new goals and revisit old ones, according to Positive Psychology.

“My goal is to drink more water, especially whenever I’m in classes,” Crites said. “Last year, my goal was to get more sleep and I did really good on that and now I’m getting six-to-eight hours every night.”

Besides buying supplies and setting goals, a technology and bedroom cleanup is a tradition de Bruyn implements before every semester. She said she practices this by exporting her photos and deleting apps to create space on her phone and laptop.

“Organizing and cleaning my surroundings helps me concentrate, helps me feel less stressed and helps me feel more in control,” de Bruyn said. “A new semester already feels overwhelming and out of control but preparing in advance eases that sense of dysregulation.”

For senior Sahara Thomas, she said she calms her first-week nerves by getting a head start on the days before classes begin by looking through her classes on Courses and checking her school email.

“I try to see if my professors uploaded anything because I hate procrastination,” Thomas said. “So I might as well just see if they’ve uploaded it early than just checking in on day one.”

The first day of classes marks the beginning of a new, four-month long course load and adjusting to a different schedule for students across campus. Implementing a consistent routine into one’s life promotes better mental health, according to Channing Brown, assistant professor at University of Alabama at Birmingham. However, navigating a new school routine can still be hard. Mindfulness is a practice de Bruyn said she uses to cope with the academic stress.

“Mindfulness, I would define as the practice of being aware of your surroundings and in the present moment,” de Bruyn said. “I think that’s probably my favorite coping mechanism, just taking even just a minute at a time to just sit like not be on my phone, not have any distractions to sit, close my eyes and observe what I’m thinking and feeling without feeling judgmental.”

Getting into the groove of one’s tasks and schedule takes time. Thomas said she takes steps to start sleeping earlier for her morning classes and tries to stay organized when she receives new course material in class.

“It can be stressful getting all the syllabus stuff but I try to tell myself ‘just a day at a time,’” Thomas said. “That’s why when I get the syllabus I like to break stuff up, so it’s not insane, so it’s not like I have so much to do.”

Despite the uncertainties, Crites expressed a sentiment of excitement for her sixth semester at Pepperdine as a Psychology major.

“It’s always good to see familiar faces in my classes, and I’m taking a mix of new professors and professors that I’ve had before, which is also nice because it keeps it exciting but it’s also comforting,” Crites said. “And I love finding my new classrooms and getting settled in and choosing my seat on the first day.”

Design By: Skyler Hawkins Asisstant Designer

Students express thoughts on reality dating shows

Tanya Yarian Life & Arts Editor

Roses, romance, tears and drama are everything one can expect when watching relationships unfold on television. With reality dating shows starting over 50 years ago, more and more creators are coming up with different versions of a dating game or show, according to Insider.

As another new season of “The Bachelor” approaches Jan. 23, students revealed their thoughts on how “real” they feel the love on reality dating shows are. Shows like “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor in Paradise,“ “Love Island” and “90 Day Fiancé” have been on some students’ watchlists, while for other students, the drama proves to be too dramatic.

Junior Isabella Glynn, a fan of “The Bachelor” and “Love Island,” said even though she feels some of the shows are scripted, she still finds the content interesting.

“Things are often blown up out of proportion,” Glynn said. “I don’t know if that’s the cameras purposely doing that or if that’s actually happening, but I

think it’s fun to kind of watch it, like take it lightly. It’s more of like, ‘Oh this is fun,’ rather than this is how relationships should actually be like.”

Many fans of this show consider themselves part of “The Bachelor Nation,” which is comprised of all the franchise’s shows — “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise.” The shows rotate throughout the year and are televised annually. With one main bachelor or bachelorette and around 30 men or women in the show, the contestants go on group dates and one-on-one dates in the hopes of falling in love.

On these dates, viewers will see arguments, emotional moments or fights play out, but Glynn said she doesn’t believe all the drama is scripted.

“I do think that if a fight were to happen, sometimes they tend to overreact because they know they’re being recorded,” Glynn said. “They know it’s for the camera and they know if they do something crazy they’ll get more publicity for it.”

She also says she doesn’t think the relationships after most of these shows last longterm. Six couples from “The

Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” are married, despite 34 proposals throughout the seasons, according to The New York Times.

Glynn said she plans to watch the 27th season of “The Bachelor” this January.

“I would love to watch that with my roommates, because I think a bunch of them like it and I think it’d be so much fun to have that be a weekly thing to kind of take a break from the stresses of school and everything — just to kinda relax [and] have some fun,” Glynn said.

Glynn said she also enjoys watching “Love Island,” because it’s a newer show and has different aspects from “The Bachelor.”

“I just think it’s fun how they’re all like, instead of all fighting one person, they’re all just kind of like in a mix, and they’re just kind of seeing who mingles with who and figuring it out from there instead of everybody trying to win one person over,” Glynn said.

Junior Rachel Jiang said people on reality dating shows seem too dramatic in the situations portrayed.

“Even though it’s called [a] reality dating show, I don’t

think it’s very realistic and that is a major turn-off for me, because I think they’re promoting a lot of different things that are unhealthy in a relationship,” Jiang said.

Jiang said reality dating shows may influence younger generations to think about relationships in a certain way because of the elements of the relationships seen through the screen.

“It makes that impression like how you have to follow this type of beauty standard, you have to have money, you have to be an influencer like all of these things just so someone will be interested in you,” Jiang said. “And so by then there’s still some weird competition between people, and it feels kind of forced.”

The only reality dating show she said she has watched is a Korean show called “EXchange,” because it doesn’t have a high level of drama.

She said she likes to watch a different genre of shows compared to reality dating shows.

“I honestly just watch very fictional dystopian stuff, because I know they’re trying to prove a point — they’re not trying to set up some weird expectation for the life that we have right now,” Jiang said.

Glynn shared how the drama can provide entertainment, while Jiang finds entertainment through other shows.

tanya.yarian@pepperdine.edu

Debate team reimagines benefits of debate

Milena D’Andrea Staff Writer

The Pepperdine Waves Debate team seeks to use debate to teach meaningful civic engagement, said junior Courtney Wisniewski, vice president of communication for the Pepperdine Waves Debate team.

Director of Forensics Abigail Smith is the adviser of Pepperdine Waves Debate. They are a multifaceted program with a competitive team participating in Civic and British Parliamentary debates locally, nationally and internationally, Wisniewski said.

“You gain the confidence to speak to people from an educated viewpoint,” Wisniewski said. “Also, debate gives you the opportunity to learn how to actively listen, understand what people are saying and then process it to give them a nuanced response.”

Additionally, Wisniewski said they have on-campus programs, online global debates and service initiatives, such as Let’s Argue — a program for coaching elementary school students in the fundamentals of public speaking and argumentation.

Along with building public speaking and active listening skills, Wisniewski said the debate team offers travel oppor-

tunities, such as competitions in Paris, Kazakhstan and Cape Town, South Africa.

“I knew that debate would provide me with educational and career skills, but it is also great for cultural learning as well,” Wisniewski said.

Wisniewski is an Advertising major and a Multimedia Design minor and said her career goals differ from political science students and those on the pre-law track, who she said are typically attracted to debate. However, Wisniewski said debate is for everyone, and there are many different ways to get involved.

“Some people on the team compete, whereas others take a teaching role with Let’s Argue, and some lead our book club,” Wisniewski said. “So it goes beyond just debate.”

Junior Leyla Pisirici, assistant director and president of Pepperdine Waves Debate, said debate also provides students the ability to explore polarizing norms while meeting people in positions of social change. She said delegates in the European Union judged the international competition in Paris they attended last summer, where they placed first in the country.

“We met the Ministry of Defense in Portugal and the Ministry of Education in Hungary,” Pisirici said. “We are judged by people who are

making change in the world, who actually have the power to make a difference.”

International Studies major Pisirici said the team has debated topics such as vaccine mandates, U.S. troop withdrawal in Afghanistan and the effects of the Taliban Regime on women and children. As an aspiring lawyer, she said it’s highly impactful for her to be able to look at all sides of these subjects critically.

“[Debate] forces you to think outside of the box,” Pisirici said. “It forces you to think differently from what you have been taught your whole life, and it really enhances understanding between people.”

Pisirici, who is from Istanbul, said the team has a genuine dedication to diversity since they have a lot of international students, as well as students from varying racial backgrounds and experience levels.

“Debate helps you to extend your horizons and I think that is needed for every single human being,” Pisirici said.

Pisirici said all students are welcome to join the debate team, regardless of prior debating experience and many students on the team debate for the first time in college.

“When I first came here, I had no experience and was honestly kind of intimidated because usually in debate

teams people take it so seriously, and they expect you to have high school experience,” Pisirici said. “But here, our focus is teaching and learning. This is how our team is different than other teams in the country, and it is why we reach success.”

Similarly, Wisniewski said students of all backgrounds and interests should join debate. She said students can get involved by following the Pepperdine Waves Debate Instagram and direct messaging her on the platform or by emailing Pisirici at leyla.pisirici@pepperdine.edu.

“Whenever people think of debate, they think of a nerdy little program in suits, and that’s just not debate anymore,” Wisniewski said. “It’s more than that, we hang out in the squad room, we explore Paris and get dinner together. Debate isn’t all about seriousness, there’s a time and a place for that, yes, but most of all it’s fun.”

Autumn Hardwick | Staff Artist

Photo courtesy of Courtney Wisniewski

Members of the Pepperdine Waves Debate team pose with their awards following the Loyola Marymount University Venn Diagram Debates in October. This debate highlighted civic issues and included discourse on healing justice.

Students share their opinions on Erewhon: An organic oasis or overpriced luxury market?

Lauren Goldblum Life & Arts Assistant Editor

Erewhon Market has made its mark on the L.A. health and wellness community as an upscale certified organic grocery store. Students at Pepperdine shared their opinions on the store’s superfood-packed smoothies, alluring hot bar and whether Erewhon measured up to its famous competitors such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.

Teeming with colorful vegetables, a superfood-packed tonic bar and carefully curated product displays, Erewhon Market perfectly encapsulates the trending L.A. healthy lifestyle. With eight locations throughout the L.A. area and a passion for holistic wellness, Erewhon is emerging as a luxury grocery store that provides both locally sourced products and a commitment to health and nutrition, according to the store’s website.

Junior Marla Steel said she is a frequent customer of Erewhon and was first drawn to the store’s clean — limited and non-processed — and simple ingredients as well as its aesthetic and pleasing presentation. Steel said many of Erewhon’s products are exclusive to the company and can’t be found at other grocery stores.

“You just feel good about what’s going into your body [and] people are excited about food, which is kind of like a different dynamic I feel like that you don’t really get in a grocery store, let alone in society today,” Steel said.

The Erewhon brand extends between food in offering customers branded merch such as tote bags, flowers and home essentials displayed near the registers. The company has also provided customers with wellness and lifestyle content through its online blog with posts that have included tips for mindfulness, skincare guides and helpful immune boosters.

Although Erewhon is quickly expanding throughout the L.A. area, couple Michio and Eveline were the original founders of the brand and instilled

their passion for health and natural organic food into their business, according to the Erewhon website. To this day, Erewhon strives to uphold and promote these original values for its customers.

While many locals enjoy their weekly grocery runs at the upscale market, others said they are hesitant to splurge on Erewhon’s exorbitant prices. The fully organic store is known for its large variety of unique supplements such as sea moss gel, raw hemp honey and plant-based sushi. While the shelves at Erewhon reveal themselves to be a treasure chest for those invested in a healthy and organic lifestyle, students said they question whether this is realistic for those on a budget.

Erewhon’s fully stocked cold case contains a variety of nutrient-dense fresh-pressed juices and smoothies as well as pre-cut fresh fruit. The store’s pressed and fresh juices became a popular internet sensation after being promoted by multiple online influencers, according to The New York Times.

While Steel strongly advocates for Erewhon’s low-processed nutritional labels, she also values their dedication to maintaining strong, small-business morals.

Senior Eva Toler acknowledges the diversity of Erewhon’s product selection, yet isn’t fully convinced that the store can compete with more affordable and simple options such as Trader Joe’s.

“The store itself is very aesthetically pleasing but everything in there is incredibly overpriced,” Toler said.

While Toler said she has tried some of Erewhon’s unique offerings, such as their dragonfruit, they just don’t live up to Erewhon’s high standards. She said she is content with purchasing fruit and other staples from traditional markets. However, Steel frequently takes advantage of the store’s hot bar and handcrafted beverages at the tonic bar. Some of her favorite products she recommends include the buffalo cauliflower, Japanese sweet potato and activated coffee with collagen.

Each location boasts a cold case filled with pre-packaged house-made

salads and side meals that offer guests a quick on-the-go option to fuel themselves during busy days. Salad choices included but were not limited to their Asian Chicken, Detox Salad Bowl and Chopped Salad with Chicken.

Taking into account specific dietary needs, Steel said Erewhon was helpful when moving to Pepperdine by providing her with easy access to foods that fit into her diet. Erewhon thrives as a company that not only provides customers with easy ways to stay healthy but also the ability to enjoy food at the same time, according to its website.

“Something I prioritize over everything, and I feel really lucky to be able to prioritize this, is making my body feel the best that it can and that comes through nutrition and exercise. Erewhon makes that really easy with their nutritious food,” Steel said.

Toler believes Erewhon could implement new techniques to cater to a larger array of customers — particularly college students.

“What would compel me more to go would be if they had a little bit of a larger selection of name-brand items I know I like,” Toler said.

Some of her suggestions included reducing their prices, promoting more frequent sales, having a wider selection of generic brands, decreasing the $200 annual membership fee and offering brand collaborations with more college-friendly companies.

Toler said she often has a difficult time shopping at Erewhon as they don’t carry a lot of the traditional products that are found at Ralphs or Pavillions. Additionally, many typical pantry items such as chocolate chips and peanut butter are significantly more expensive due to being sold in glass mason jars. She said she disagrees with Erewhon’s decision to prioritize presentation over affordability.

Steel said her number one tip to shopping at Erewhon is buying fresh produce and meat to cook food at home and save money on meals out at restaurants during the week. Many of Erewhon’s meals can be recreated us-

ing copycat recipes online, such as their popular Kale and White Bean Salad, to avoid the expensive hot bar meals.

To further cut costs, Steel said she enjoys Erewhon’s membership when buying drinks at the tonic bar and frequent sample products with the purchase of hot bar meals. When guests join Erewhon’s membership they receive points for their money spent and gain access to exclusive brand deals for companies such as Alo Yoga, Orange Theory Fitness and more, according to the store’s website.

The Erewhon tonic bar is pictured featuring customizable smoothies and juices, smoothie bowls, coffee and freshly-baked pastries. With an Erewhon membership, customers were able to receive discounts on tonic bar purchases and other exclusive offers.

Toler admires that the store offers a membership program but said the investment is too steep. Additionally, she questioned the reality of whether the Erewhon brand would be successful enough to flourish in cities outside of L.A. Many people in Southern California strongly value things such as health, wellness and mindful living, which Erewhon supports, Toler said.

“A lot of people just in general don’t have that much money to spend on groceries,” Toler said.

What began as a simple passion for health has transformed into a cultural sensation seeking to provide top-quality products. While Steel believes that Erewhon prides itself on its highly educated staff, wholesome food and ability to unite a community of like-minded health enthusiasts, the accessibility of these benefits may not be suited to reach every individual.

By lowering prices as well as offering more discounts and promotions, students said they are confident Erewhon would be able to maintain its commitment to local organic product sourcing while diversifying its customer following.

Lauren Goldblum | Life & Arts Assistant Editor

Nestled in Palisades Village, Erewhon’s main entrance beckons customers into the store through its clean and aesthetic appearance. Erewhon’s Pacific Palisades location officially opened in June 2019. The popular grocery store has other locations in Calabasas and Santa Monica.

Pepperdine downs Princeton in sweep

Jerry Jiang Sports Editor

Pepperdine Men’s Volleyball continued their strong season start with a matchup versus Princeton on Jan. 16, at Firestone Fieldhouse with a 3-0 sweep.

The Waves came into the game riding an impressive three-game win streak, all with sweeps. Coming into the season, the Waves had 10 returners, including graduate outside hitter Jaylen Jasper.

Jasper started his season strong — leading the national and MPSF stats in aces, kills, blocks and points, according to Pepperdine Athletics.

“We’ve talked about being gritty, really enjoying playing amd playing with tremendous passion and joy,” Head Coach Jonathan Winder said. “Also, being resilient. They want to be good. They want to be in the mix at the end of the season, and so we’re going to have to be resilient as we go.”

In the first set, the Waves came out with energy. Jasper set the tone with a kill on the left side, but the Tigers returned the favor after senior outside hitter Brady Wedbush converted on a return, giving the Tigers the 3-2 early lead.

The set would go back and forth, as each team tried to claw away from the other. The Waves would go on a 7-2 run to gain a 9-6 lead — as redshirt sophomore outside hitter Joe Deluzio capitalized a 62.7 mph serve down the left side.

The offensive aggression would continue as Jasper nailed on back-to-back kills. The Tigers responded with points of their own, but the Waves would take control of the set at 17-13. Junior setter Bryce Dvorak had two heat-seeking missiles down the middle as well, firing up the bench.

The refs tried waving a third ace by

tying the game at five apiece.

The Waves caught their breath as junior middle blocker Anderson Fuller converted on a kill that was successfully challenged, but the Waves committed another costly service error, tying the game at eight. Freshman middle blocker Ryan Vena scored on a kill to give the lead to the Tigers, but Jasper responded with a kill of his own.

“I think we’re just trying to be good over time and keep getting better and find the best version of ourselves down the stretch,” junior libero Trey Cole said. “But, I think one of the big things we’ve been focused on is respecting every team we play and trying to hold our standard regardless of what’s on the other side of the net.”

The seesaw battle continued but the Waves would clean up their errors later in the set and pull through with a 15-13 lead. Jasper nailed a kill after the crowd’s encouragement and had four kills in the set.

The Tigers tried to claw their way back into the set, and junior outside hitter Ben Harrington and Vena combined on a huge block, cutting the lead to 19-18. Cole was diving on the floor — and his effort resulted in a point for the Waves at 23-22.

The Tigers caught up and threatened the Waves’ perfect season — as the Tigers caught up. A service error saw Jasper chase down the ball, but he couldn’t catch up. With the score at 24-23 and the crowd at its feet, Fuller responded with a kill – to the crowd’s delight.

“I think it’s always the same,” Deluzio said. “Play our game. I think when we focus less on the other teams doing more what we can control.”

Riding a 2-0 set lead, the Waves came out firing in the third set, setting the tone with a 5-2 lead. After a serve by Deluzio hit the net, the Tigers rallied, but Jasper leaped on the left side and slammed a kill.

The Tigers scored on back-to-back points, but Fuller responded with a kill, extending the Waves advantage to 7-5. The Waves offense caught fire, as Fuller and Steele rose up for a block and Jasper nailed his 16th kill of the game to make the lead 10-7.

The Waves went on a 5-1 run, increasing the lead to 14-8, which resulted in a Princeton timeout. Fuller, Deluzio and Dvorak contributed to the points as well as several service errors.

It seemed like the Waves were going to run away with the game, but the Tigers responded with a 3-0 run of their own, trimming the lead to 18-13, which forced the Waves to regroup.

Dvorak, but the Waves were able to overturn the call. The Waves won the first set convincingly at 25-17 after Wedbush committed a costly service error.

The Waves had an efficient first set with 14 kills on a .571 hitting percentage.

“Bryce [Dvorak] is doing a really good job moving the ball around,” Winder said. “We’ve passed well and then just continued to get better. I think Jaylen [Jasper], of course, had some really, really impressive matches. But everybody’s been able to contribute.”

To start the second set, the Tigers came out with more intensity. The Waves committed five service errors early, which gave the Tigers momentum,

“There’s some confidence in our defensive ability that we hadn’t done too much on the defensive side,” Winder said. “And so, to see the effort and kind of determination to dig some balls and to play in transition was really good.”

The Waves closed out the game with a 6-4 run, as the Waves took the third set 25-19.

“I think it’s very easy to win all these matches,” Deluzio said. “I think as long as we stay consistent and stay focused on the next match each and every day, we’re gonna be good.”

The Waves start a four-game road trip Friday, Jan. 20.

(Top) Junior libero Trey Cole goes for a dig versus Princeton on Jan. 16, at Firestone Fieldhouse. Cole is one of the 10 returners of the team.

(Middle) Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Joe Deluzio rises for a kill versus Princeton on Jan. 16, at Firestone Fieldhouse. Deluzio had eight kills in the game.

(Bottom) The Waves lock in against Princeton on Jan. 16, at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Photos by Lucian Himes (photo editor) and Brandon Rubsamen (assistant photo editor)

They want to be good. They want to be in the mix at the end of the season, so we’re going to have to be resilient as we go.

Jonathan Winder Head Coach

Hall-of-Fame-bound Lopez reflects on ‘92 season

Tony Gleason Sports Assistant

Andy Lopez, Pepperdine’s head baseball coach from 1989 to 1994, will be inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame on Feb. 2-3, in Omaha, Neb. Throughout his 38 years as head coach, Lopez had a record of 1,172-742-7 with two national championships and won Coach of the Year three times.

Before coming to Pepperdine, Lopez played shortstop and was the captain for the UCLA Bruins. After that, Lopez spent time as a junior college and high school coach before spending six seasons as the coach for the Division II school CSU Dominguez Hills.

“I did it for 38 years, so it’s been a long time. A lot of different places, a lot of ups and downs,” Lopez said. “Very humbled, very honored, they would allow me this opportunity to be a part of it.”

Coming to Pepperdine, Lopez said he ended up as the coach for Pepperdine because Wayne Wright, previously a scout that tried to recruit Lopez to play baseball for Pepperdine, was the athletic director. Wright noticed what Lopez was able to do at CSU Dominguez Hills and offered him the job at Pepperdine, Lopez said.

“I’m forever thankful to Wayne Wright for his confidence in me,” Lopez said. “I was coming from a DII school, so it wasn’t like I was a big name or anything.”

Lopez said Pepperdine was one of his favorite places to coach because he was able to be open with his faith.

“Pepperdine was probably the best place I was at,” Lopez said. “My faith was a huge factor in all I was doing in my life. Obviously, Pepperdine was a faith-based community. I loved going to convocation on Monday’s, and I just loved being able to share my faith very openly.”

From 1989 to 1994, Lopez had a record of 241-107-3 with a .691 winning percentage — the highest for anyPepperdine coach with at least one full season, according to the Pepperdine Athletics website. Pepperdine made it to Regionals in 1989 and 1991.

During the 1991 Regionals, Pepper-

dine lost to Creighton University in the first game and then lost to USC in the second game, ending their season after two games. After being eliminated, Lopez said he felt the Waves had played very timidly.

“I got into them,” Lopez said. “I said, if this is the way you’re going to play post-season baseball, you’re never going to see Omaha.”

To further motivate his team, Lopez said he would play a highlights tape of the 1991 College World Series every single day on their TV.

“I put that video on our TV, and it played daily – every single day,” Lopez said. “I just wanted them to see that they can get there. I thought they would see that this could be done.”

Championship Run

After a successful 1992 regular season when Pepperdine went 48-11-1, Pepperdine went to Tucson, Ariz., for Regionals. In the previous 1991 season, Lopez scheduled a series early in the regular season in Tucson because he said he knew they might end up playing there in the playoffs. Pepperdine had a successful series there in Tucson — winning two out of three games.

“We’ve been successful there,” Lopez said. “We know what that’s all about. Now we need to go back down there and get it done again.”

All of Lopez’s motivation tactics worked, as in 1992, Pepperdine won, not only at Regionals — resulting in their first College World Series appearance since 1979 — but also their first national championship in the program’s history.

“They went to Omaha, won four games and won a national title,” Lopez said. “What they did is pretty astounding.”

At a banquet held for the eight teams that made it to the College World Series, Lopez said his and Pepperdine’s names were mispronounced as “Al” Lopez and the “Pepperdean” Waves. Lopez said he used this to motivate his team heading into the tournament.

“We got two options,” Lopez said. “We can show up and get beat in two games and go home, and they’ll know me as Al Lopez, and they’ll know you as the ‘Pepperdean’ Waves. Or, we can

hang around here for two weeks, and you can win this thing, and they’ll probably call me Andy, but they’ll definitely know Pepperdine University.”

After beating Wichita State and Texas twice in the tournament, Pepperdine played CSU Fullerton in the championship game.

It seemed like fate these two would meet in the championship game as Lopez said every year his team would play two games against Fullerton but weren’t able to in 1992. Lopez and Augie Gerrardo, head coach for Fullerton, joked they would meet in Omaha.

“He says we’ll just have to take time off, but you know what, maybe we’ll meet in Omaha,” Lopez said. “And I joked, I said, ‘hey, coach, that would be great.’”

Before the championship game, Lopez said he emphasized if they wanted to win, they couldn’t have a repeat of the previous season and become timid. They needed to stay aggressive.

“I remember thinking to myself the worst thing we can do is show up and be timid,” Lopez said. “If we’re the aggressor and we lose, then we lose — that’s athletics. But I’d much rather we fly home knowing we were aggressive than have it take five innings to get into the rhythm of the game.”

Lopez’s team listened to his words as Pepperdine scored twice in the first inning. Additionally, Pepperdine third baseman Mark Wasikowski collided with the catcher when trying to score. Although he was called out, Lopez said he was confident in his team.

“I went back to the dugout, and I felt good about our chances,” Lopez said. “That’s basically what we needed. We were not timid — we were going to be the aggressor.”

Pepperdine then battled for the remainder of the game and ended up winning with a score of 3-2 to secure the 1992 National Championship.

“To win a game 3-2 against a team like Fullerton, you have to prove that you’re playing every pitch and you’re playing every inning,” Lopez said. “We were fortunate to come out on top.”

Lopez said his more memorable moments during the game were when shortstop Eric Ekdahl hit a home run late in the game after not hitting a single home run during the season.

“He got up, and whack, he hit a home run to put us up 3-1,” Lopez said. “We ended up winning that game 3-2.”

Experience Beyond Pepperdine

After his six seasons at Pepperdine, Lopez went on to coach for the University of Florida for seven seasons and then the University of Arizona for 14 seasons, where he won his second national championship in 2012.

Lopez said the biggest takeaway he took from his time at Pepperdine was it doesn’t matter what program you are a part of — any team can win with the right people.

When Lopez took the job as coach for the University of Arizona, they had only made it to Regionals twice in the past 13 years, but Lopez said he was able to lead them to Omaha in his third year. Lopez said he credits his success in Arizona to what he learned at Pepperdine.

“People would come up to me at the end of my speech and say we’ve only been to one regional in the past eight years and two in the past 13 years,” Lopez said. “If I hadn’t experienced what I did at Pepperdine, I might have believed them and thought this was going to be a long job.”

Specifically, it was the 1992 championship season that helped him learn this valuable lesson, Lopez said.

“What I experienced at Pepperdine is that, in my fourth year there, we won the national title,” Lopez said. “So, nobody can tell me you can’t do it if you get the right people.”

Photo courtesy of Pepperdine Library Archives

Pepperdine Baseball Head Coach Andy Lopez celebrates with his players in 1992. Lopez led Pepperdine to a national championship that year and is being inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in February. Lopez coached baseball for 38 years.

Pepperdine athletic trainer says goodbye to Malibu

Shelby Little Staff Writer

Transparency Item: Shelby Little is a member of the Women’s Soccer team.

Members of the Women’s Soccer team at Pepperdine said they view Athletic Trainer Derek Asilo as much more than just a staff member.

Through his career as an athletic trainer at Pepperdine, Asilo has helped transform the University’s athletic department and the athletes who are a part of it, Women’s Soccer senior defender Trinity Watson said.

Asilo returned home from his last road trip with the team on Oct. 23, 2022. He recently accepted a job offer from San José State, where Asilo said he will continue his career as an athletic trainer.

“The Women’s Soccer team at Pepperdine is my first team I worked with as a certified athletic trainer, so they hold a very, very special place in my heart, and it’s going to be very hard to leave them,” Asilo said.

Asilo said he was with the Pepperdine athletes more than he was with his family.

“Unlike other medical professions where you only get to see your patients every two months, in physical therapy you see them twice a week for two weeks,” Asilo said. “The athletes really do become my family, and it’s a pro-

fession where I get to create a different kind of relationship, which is something I really cherish.”

Athletic trainers have an influence on their program and athletes, and those around the team get to experience the importance and value of leadership, Women’s Soccer junior midfielder Skylar Enge said.

Enge said the Women’s Soccer team looks up to and has so much respect for Asilo as a leader, role model and friend.

Asilo said he knew from a young age he wanted to be a part of the medical field because of his passion for helping other people, especially athletes. Being a part of the Pepperdine Athletic community for two years, Asilo said the best part of his job was the relationships he was able to build with the student-athletes.

The trainers and coaches at Pepperdine care so much about each individual athlete who is transformed by their

program, Enge said.

There is a focus on growth and constant support at the University, and Asilo was a great example of this, Women’s Soccer Head Coach Tim Ward said.

“We pride ourselves in developing Waves of character,” Ward said.

The duties of an Athletic Trainer are often hidden from the eyes of the public. The 5 a.m. call times and hours of treatment might not be noticed by the general population at Pepperdine, but it is something the athletes do not take for granted, Enge said.

Women’s Soccer senior midfielder Carlee Giammona said Asilo is a huge part of the team and the culture.

“He makes coming to practice so much better,” Giammona said. “I know I can count on Derek to put a smile on our faces, even when it is 6 a.m. The energy and love he brings to our whole team is really encouraging and makes such a big, positive difference in our program.”

Women’s Soccer junior midfielder Julianna Duckett said Asilo made her experience at Pepperdine special, and it won’t be the same without him.

“I hope whoever he works with next knows how lucky they are to have such an amazing person working with them,” Duckett said. “We love him more than anything.”

Although Asilo said he is excited to move back home and be close to his family, he said he is going to miss the athletes here very much.

“It’s not even the school in general — I just have a very special relationship with this team, and it’s something that is

shelby.little@pepperdine.edu

Photo courtesy of Roger Horne

Pepperdine athletic trainer Derek Asilo poses on the beach for the Pepperdine Women’s Soccer team’s Media Day in August 2022. Asilo said it has been a blessing to serve as an athletic trainer at Pepperdine University.

Spring ‘23 sports off to a strong start

Jerry Jiang Sports Editor

The spring 2023 athletic season started off with a bang — Men’s Volleyball is undefeated, having swept all four of their matches so far. After a strong performance in the ITA

to have a great WCC conference

according to Pepperdine Athletics.

Men’s and Women’s Golf teams look to continue their momentum into their spring

seasons, and will start Jan. 30 and Feb. 12, respectively.

Men’s and Women’s Basketball persevere as they resume their conference play, and the Cross Country, Women’s Swim and Dive and Beach Volleyball teams said they anticipate an exciting spring season.

National Fall Doubles Championship, Men’s and Women’s Tennis is expected

play,

The Graphic’s photo and sports teams captured some of the highlights of these games so far. Support your Pepperdine Waves as the spring season goes on.

jerry.jiang@pepperdine.edu

Photos by Lucian Himes (photo editor), Lydia duPerier (staff photographer) and Colton Rubsamen (staff photographer)

(Above) Junior libero Trey Cole celebrates after the Waves win a point against Princeton on Jan. 16, at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Men’s Volleyball team has a current standing of 4-0.

SPORTS

Maxwell Lewis pursues NBA dreams

Jerry Jiang Sports Editor

From A1

Josh Christopher, a U.S. scout for On Point Scouting, was at the Alabama State game Nov. 13, and said Lewis’ range in terms of getting drafted will probably be mid-to-late lottery.

“He’s definitely a first rounder, I’d say,” Christopher said. “Probably the middle of the first round is where I kind of have him right at this moment.”

Where His Journey Began

Lewis said he grew up with five siblings and was the second one to play basketball. He started playing basketball in middle school, but it wasn’t serious, he said.

“Everyone else either did track or football,” Lewis said. “I just wanted to do something different, and I found the love of the game.”

In his senior year of high school, Lewis said he committed to a program called Charmeleon BX, which was an alternative route to the NBA for top recruits. Players would take the whole year to train for the NBA draft rather than participating in college basketball to bypass the NBA’s eligibility rule, according to The Washington Post.

Lewis said COVID-19 was the reason it didn’t work out. Lewis signed with Pepperdine in September 2022, according to Pepperdine Athletics.

“We had known about him a year or two ago,” Men’s Basketball Head Coach Lorenzo Romar said. “But, we didn’t know if we could get him yet. I think we talked to him a couple of times, but we got serious in the June and July before he got here.”

Lewis is the second-highest recruit Pepperdine signed in the past 15 years,

according to Pepperdine Athletics. Lewis, at one point, was ranked in the top 100 recruits in the nation of the class of 2021 and had offers from Utah, Arizona State, Baylor and DePaul, according to 247 Sports.

What Makes Lewis So Special

Romar said one of the attributes that makes Lewis a unique player is his quick first step.

“You have to get up on him because he can really shoot the ball,” Romar said. “But then, he’s so quick with that first step he’s [past] you. Now, he’s using his athleticism where he gets to the rim, and he’s up there above everyone.”

Lewis’ 3-point shooting has improved from his first year to his sophomore year. In the 2021-22 season, Lewis shot 36.3% from 3-point range, but he has increased his percentage to 42.2% on more than five attempts per game, according to ESPN.

“I think one of the best aspects of his game is that he’s always on balance,” Christopher said. “So, he can kind of get a shot off at any point. He’s very balanced on his crossovers, or when he tries to get to a spot, he’s always able to find balance.”

Another reason for Lewis’ increased production was his health, he said. Last season, due to NCAA rules, he was unable to participate in training camp over the summer and only played in 21 games due to injuries, according to ESPN. Romar said Lewis has been able to practice, get reps and not only listen and watch but go out and do it.

“He was able to go out and make a mistake and correct a mistake,” Romar said. “Because he’s getting reps with other players that understand what we’re doing, and he was able to learn.”

In terms of making an improvement from year to year, Romar said in his 26 years of coaching, he’s not seen a player

that made the jump that Lewis made.

“He deserves all the credit because he watches film, and he asks questions,” Romar said. “He accepts criticism and instruction. He just wants [to get better]. He has a passion for it. When you’ve got those traits, along with the ability that he has, he’s gonna get better. He spends a lot of time in the gym. He’s made himself into a player.”

During the offseason, Lewis said he and Romar watched a lot of film.

“I asked a lot of questions, and I need to watch film every day,” Lewis said. “We watched all the games last year, and I think that just helped me a lot, and I still do it.”

Lewis said he attributes his improvement to letting the game come to him and knowing when and when not to go.

“Knowing that if I’m going to shoot a lot of shots and I have to make a lot of shots, I can’t just be shooting just to shoot like I did last year,” Lewis said. “I was just taking a lot of shots, so I just trusted myself and put in a lot of work in the offseason to do what I’m doing now and more.”

Lewis said he doesn’t model his game after anyone in the NBA.

“I play like Maxwell Lewis to be honest,” Lewis said. “I don’t really have anyone [in comparison]. Everyone asks me that, and I say I don’t see myself like anyone else.”

Christopher said he sees Lewis’ ideal role as someone who is a secondary playmaker.

“The thing with his skill set is he has the ability to shoot off movement,” Christopher said. “He can slash, attack a closeout. He can cut off the ball, and finish a dunk and catch lobs. So, I think

he’s definitely an asset off the ball, kind of like the way OG Anunoby is used on the Toronto Raptors.”

Romar said people compared Lewis to Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George because of his length.

“But, I can’t think of anyone,” Romar said. “He’s pretty unique.”

Managing Expectations

With the increased hype around Lewis, Romar said Lewis has done a really good job managing expectations.

“That’s one of the most difficult things a young person can go through,” Romar said. “You’re getting a lot of attention like this, and everyone is telling you how great you are, and everyone wants to be a part of this road to success. So, just talking about staying grounded, living where your feet are right now.”

Lewis said he’s staying humble and trying not to let this get over his head.

“How fast and how much [attention and success] I got – it can be taken away from me as soon as possible,” Lewis said. “Just staying consistent and just doing what I did to get here, staying on that path.”

Men’s Basketball continues their WCC play versus Saint Mary’s College on Jan. 19.

Colton Rubsamen | Staff Photographer

Pepperdine Men’s Basketball sophomore forward Maxwell Lewis goes for a layup in a game versus Rice University on Nov. 7, at Firestone Fieldhouse. Lewis is averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 42.2% from 3-point range, according to ESPN.

Colton Rubsamen | Staff Photographer

Men’s Basketball sophomore forward Maxwell Lewis rises up for a jumper versus Rice University on Nov. 7, at Firestone Fieldhouse. Lewis eclipsed his then-career high of 29 points, when he scored 30 points.