Remembering 'Our Girls' - Pepperdine Graphic 11.03.23

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THE PEPPERDINE GRAPHIC Volume LV

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Issue 3

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November 3, 2023

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pepperdine-graphic.com

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follow us @peppgraphic

Remembering ‘Our Girls’

Deslyn Williams, Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart and Asha Weir Forget-me-nots are one of the flowers of Alpha Phi, the sorority that connected these four women. These women are and will forever remain forget-me-nots in the Pepperdine community — this issue is dedicated entirely to their memory.

Four hand-painted forget-me-nots

Table of Contents 3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18 19 20

Letter from the editors Story of their sisterhood Asha Weir profile Deslyn Williams profile Niamh Rolston profile Peyton Stewart profile Community Voices Faculty respond Community leaning on each other Community events Guide to grief

21 22 23 24 25 26 27-32 31 33-34 35 36

Contribution: Tim Spivey Contribution: Sara Barton Art by Millie Auchard Letters from London Program Emma’s poem Letter to Asha Communiy Contributions PCH memorial Notes from ACU Write your own memory Eric Wilson quote

PGM MISSION STATEMENT

STAFF LIST

“Pepperdine Graphic Media (PGM) is an editorially independent student news organization that focuses on Pepperdine University and the surrounding communities.

PGM consists of the digital and print Graphic, a variety of special publications, GNews, Currents Magazine, social media platforms and an Advertising Department. These platforms serve the community with news, opinion, contemporary information and a public forum for discussion. PGM strengthens students for purpose, service and leadership by developing their skills in writing, editing and publication production by providing a vehicle to integrate and implement their liberal arts education and by developing students’ critical thinking through independent editorial judgment. PGM participates in Pepperdine’s Christian mission and affirmations, especially the pursuit of truth, excellence and freedom in the context of public service. Although PGM reports about Pepperdine University and coordinates with curricula in journalism and other disciplines, it is a student (not a University) news organization. Views expressed are diverse and, of course, do not correspond to all views of any University board, administration, faculty, staff, student or other constituency.”

Executive Editor Abby Wilt Managing Editor Samantha Torre Lead Designer Skyler Hawkins Assistant Lead Designer Will Fallmer Writers Millie Auchard, Victoria La Ferla, Yamillah Hurtado, Marley Penagos DEI Editor Joe Heinemann Copy Chief Aubrey Hirsch Copy Editor Libby Hill Photo Editor Mary Elisabeth

CONTACT US Email: peppgraphicmedia@gmail.com peppgraphicadvertising@gmail.com Phone: (310) 506-4311 Address: Student Publications Pepperdine University 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy. Malibu, CA 90263 2

Pepperdine, Malibu communities grieve after Oct. 17 fatal crash On Oct. 17, at around 8:30 p.m., four se- Throughout the day, the University conniors, Niamh Rolston, Peyton tinued to update the community.

Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams, The four seniors were all members of the died in a car crash on Pacific Coast sorority Alpha Phi. In response, the camHighway near Carbon Beach. Two others pus community has rallied around each were injured in the crash, other — hosting memorial according to previous Graphic reporting. services, candlelight vigils and prayer Pepperdine informed the community that services for the girls, according to students may have been involved in the previous Graphic reporting. The univercrash in the morning Oct. 18, according sity announced that they will receive their to previous Graphic reporting. degrees posthumously.

Letter from the Editors The Pepperdine Graphic understands the re- nection to thoroughly tell their stories as these sponsibility and privilege we have to tell the girls were our friends, classmates and peers. stories of Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn, Throughout the past two weeks, we’ve seen the and we commit to covering who they were as Pepperdine community leaning on each other, people and how they affected those around checking in on each other and loving each oththem. We hope to show how loved these girls er through tragedy. We also wanted to share were and how the community has leaned on the stories of hope we have found in the midst each other in this time of grief. of grief.

Our community is hurting following the sud- Thank you to the parents, families, friends, den passing of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stew- loved ones and community members who have art, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. We shared their stories with us. In addition, if you wanted to put together a special edition to submitted something to this edition, please honor the lives of these four girls, who were know the Graphic is honored and grateful shining lights in our community. that you chose to share your At the beginning of the semester, we never memories with us. thought we would be writing this We hope these pages can show you just a newspaper — just like we all collectively didn’t glimpse of the beautiful, fun, bright and sinexpect to lose four beloved members of our cere girls Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn community. were and show you all just how much they will But, we understand it is our responsibility and be missed. privilege to honor the stories of Nia mh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn.

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Couch Time and Sunshine Reminiscing on moments of friendship and sisterhood Design by Will Fallmer

Editor’s Note: The Graphic chose to refer to Asha Weir, Deslyn Williams, Niamh Rolston and Peyton Stewart as girls. While they all were over the age of 18, the Graphic chose to use the term girls because that is how the community has lovingly referred to them.

A

sha Weir, Deslyn Williams, Niamh Rolston and Peyton Stewart were sunshine, said Cierra Villanueva, an Alpha Phi sorority sister.

The four girls were members of the Iota Alpha chapter of APhi on Pepperdine’s campus. They all participated in online sorority recruitment during their remote first year, said Coco Crandall, sorority sister and APhi chapter president, and despite the physical distance between them, they became fast friends.

“Asha and I took a chance freshman year and moved out here [to Malibu] together, persuading Deslyn to do the same.” Crandall said in her speech at her Oct. 22 memorial service. “Before we knew it, we were all spending every single day together, and that was the start of our lifelong friendship.”

When Pepperdine’s campus opened up for the 2021-22 school year, the girls could meet and bond with the rest of their sorority sisters in person.

“They made [Alpha Phi] what it was,” Villanueva said. “They were the sunshine. They were happy. They put the sparkle in it.”

While each of the four girls is special and remembered in their own way by their friends, they also shared an incredible bond, said Bridget Thompson, Asha, Niamh and Peyton’s roommate and sorority sister to all four girls.

“The moment we became roommates, we just became completely inseparable,” Thompson said. “We would do everything together — actually everything.”

Story by Marley Penagos

Art by Skyler Hawkins

The Little Moments Asha, Niamh, Peyton and Thompson started living together in Drescher during their junior year in the fall of 2022, but Thompson said she and Niamh had been roommates since fall 2021.

One of their favorite things to do together, Thompson said, was to have ‘couch time’ in their Drescher apartment, where Deslyn always had a spot on the leather armchair next to the sofa.

Deslyn lived off-campus, with two of her best friends and sorority sisters, Aubrey Lewis and Crandall.

“There is nothing quite like having a big girl group who you can laugh with, cry with, lean on and just experience all the ups and down of life with,” Lewis said in her memorial speech on Oct. 22. “Especially during this time in our lives, our last year of college.”

It was comforting watching Lewis find friendship with the girls, said Rianna Dizon, Lewis’ sorority big sister and 2022 alumna.

“I knew Aubrey was in good hands,” Dizon said. “Knowing Asha, Peyton, Niamh, Bridget, Deslyn, Coco, Georgia Puckett and Hannah Allen, they were all amazing girls. They were such a loving friend group.”

Thompson agreed. She said she had a good group of friends in high school, but her high school friends would bicker and fight a lot.

“But I never experienced that with them [Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn] at all,” Thompson said. “And I saw that quality in them before I even joined [Alpha Phi].”

Friend and sorority sister Georgia Puckett lived in the Drescher apartment directly above Asha, Deslyn, Niamh and Peyton.

“They were my downstairs neighbors. There wasn’t a day

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that I didn’t see them this year,” Puckett said. “I mean, I would go downstairs, and I would just like to sit.”

Puckett said they would debrief the night after whatever sorority event they had attended and even discuss the smallest, seemingly insignificant things like what they had done or eaten that day.

Recently, at the beginning of October, the group celebrated Puckett’s birthday at Deslyn, Lewis and Crandall’s apartment.

Thompson said Deslyn planned the whole thing and was the planner of the friend group.

“Anyone who was there knows she poured herself into it — hand painting signs and putting together decorations,” Lewis said.

Thompson, who celebrated her 21st birthday Oct. 20, only three days after the girls’ deaths Oct. 17, said she found out Asha, Deslyn, Niamh and Peyton had planned a whole day of surprises for her.

“They had a whole breakfast planned out for me for before I went to class,” Thompson said. “And they got a bunch of decorations on Amazon; their parents saw their orders like balloons and decorations.”

Peyton and Asha were the “moms” of the friend group, Thompson said.

“We would literally call her [Peyton] mom. Like, that’s literally how we would refer to her,” Thompson said. “She just embodies everything that a mom is — just so nurturing and selfless. Asha was too, though, just very gentle.”

All four of the girls, Thompson said, were selfless.

Just before they all parted ways for the fall break, Thompson said they took a roommate trip to Olive Garden. While Thomp-

son said she, Asha and Niamh all loved Olive Garden, Peyton — who was of Italian ancestry on her mom’s side and a huge foodie who frequented New York City — had vowed never to eat at one.

“She was like, ‘You cannot get me there,’” Thompson said, “But they have never-ending pasta, so of course we had to go.

The Thursday before we all went home, we forced her [Peyton] to come with us.”

Thompson said the last time they were all together was Tuesday Oct. 17, only hours before the fatal crash that took the girls’ lives.

“And we were all sitting on the couch,” Thompson said. “Like we always do.”

A Big Impact The girls could never be seen without smiles on their faces, Villanueva said. As a group, the girls were sweet and wholesome, and they were constantly expressing their love to absolutely everybody.

“Everybody admired their confidence, and everybody also admired their ability to always hype somebody up,” Villanueva aid. “Always, no matter what.”

Their air of confidence and love radiated beyond their circle of friends and into the community. APhi sister and Pepperdine alumna (‘21) Iberia Brisa said the girls raised one another up in the most beautiful way.

“Just to see their youthful energy was so charming,” Brisa said.

“They were just so charged from each other. And it was just so beautiful to see.”

Dizon said she also enjoyed being a spectator of the love the

girls had for one another.

“It was really beautiful just getting to watch their friendship develop, even though I was a grade older,” Dizon said. “I got to view them all as my little sisters.”

While Villanueva said she was friends with the girls individually, she wouldn’t consider herself a part of their group. Even so, she said she felt that their group of friends, in particular, including Lewis, Thompson and Crandall, were the epitome and embodiment of what the sisterhood of APhi was like.

“That’s why it took such a toll on everybody,” Villanueva said.

“Because whether you met them once or you’ve known them for four years, they had a huge impact — every single one of them in one way or another.”

While the four girls had a profound impact on community members individually, they also impacted and continue to impact the community as a group.

“What somewhat comforts me is that they are together because they all are best friends,” Dizon said. “But Alpha Phi and our Pepperdine community will never be the same.”

marley.penagos@pepperdine.edu

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Asha

Weir Story by Abby Wilt

S

enior Asha Weir was a pure empath with a gentle spirit and a way of loving others around her wholeheartedly while always staying present in the moment.

Asha also had a creative eye — always taking pictures of the things she loved and expressing her feelings, thoughts and wisdom through her writing.

“Everyone always talks about how wise she is, but I feel like it is almost deeper than that,” alumna Iberia Brisa (‘22) said. “She just felt so soulful.”

Asha’s mom, Vinita Weir, said Asha was brave, courageous, wise and determined in the face of challenges.

“She was wise beyond her years, and she would frequently joke that she was a real mom,” Vinita Weir said.

Asha’s name means “hope,” something her mom said she embodied enthusiastically.

“She brought that to so many of us,” Vinita Weir said.

“She loved like there was no tomorrow — all in, 100%, always.”

Asha was born in Northern Ireland. She then moved to Skippack, Pennsylvania and grew up there.

She was an English major and was involved in the Indian Student Association and loved her sorority, Alpha Phi. Most importantly, she loved the people around her.

“Everyone says that they’re the kind of friend that would drop anything for their friends,” Brisa said. “But she actually did.”

Asha loved to go to Point Dume and take her friends there — her favorite place in Malibu. She also loved to learn new things and took ceramics classes every week.

In her free time, she was a big Swiftie. Recently, she attended the Eras Tour with senior Coco Crandall, and after the concert, she was eager to share her joy with others.

“She told us about going to the Taylor Swift concert with one of her best friends,” associate professor of English Heather Thomson-Bunn wrote in a Nov. 1 email to the Graphic.

“She lit up talking about it and was clearly so grateful to have been able to go.”

Art + Design by Skyler Hawkins

Asha found beauty in everything she did, whether it was her morning coffee, her ceramics, her writing or her photos of the simple things in her life.

“She’s just about finding beauty in the mundane,” Brisa said. “That’s how she lived her entire life.”

Brisa met Asha her junior year, when Asha was a freshman. Brisa said she and Asha connected from the beginning and were almost like “mirrors” of each other.

“She was just my girl,” Brisa said.

Even before they were close, Brisa said Asha made everyone around her feel loved, welcomed and special.

“Everyone almost felt like they were her best friend,” Brisa said. “Because she made you feel like that.”

And she was a comforting presence to everyone she met.

“She had the gift of being such a comfort to others,” Vinita Weir said. “She had the ability to suppress her own worries and tried to make things better for others.”

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Georgia Puckett, one of Asha’s APhi sorority sisters, said Asha took her under her wing after Puckett joined APhi as a first year in fall 2021.

“I was so intimidated [by her] at first,” Puckett said.

“She was just so put together and well-spoken and confident and just bright and bubbly. When I first met her, I was like, ‘She is so gorgeous. How are we in the same sorority?’”

Last year, for Puckett’s 20th birthday, she said Asha planned a day full of surprises for her, and they celebrated together from the moment they woke up to the moment they fell asleep.

“She took me to brunch and to coffee. We went shopping and out to dinner,” Puckett said. “And that was a pinnacle moment where I realized what a loyal and true friend she is.”

Puckett said that during a break in her abroad program in Lausanne, she flew back to Malibu for APhi’s spring 2023 formal to surprise her friends. When she walked onto the pier and approached her friends, she said Asha immediately bolted toward her, and they held each other and cried happy tears.

“One of my favorite photos is from that day.

Ash and I were standing on the pier, taking photos, and I asked her if she was surprised, and she just started crying,” Puckett said. “She was so happy. And that was the moment I knew, no matter how far apart we were, she would always be one of my closest and dearest friends.”

Cate Ruiz, a senior at USC who transferred from Pepperdine and went abroad to London with Asha, said Asha always made everyone around her feel safe.

“She makes everything so comfortable,” Ruiz said. “It’s like a judgment-free zone.”

Even after Ruiz transferred, Asha was intentional with their friendship — always making time for beach walks and hangouts, Ruiz said.

“It’s so refreshing to know that you have people in your life that will intentionally carve out time for you,” Ruiz said.

Asha was a person of peace, someone who could bring calm and wisdom in the midst of a storm.

“We used to describe our friendship as just a peace restoration,” Ruiz said.

And, Ruiz said Asha was always serving others in whatever ways she could.

“She has a heart that I don’t think anyone has,” Ruiz said.

“It’s just so rare to have such a giving, kind and gracious heart.”

While they were abroad in London, Ruiz said Asha brought her to her childhood home in Northern Ireland, where Ruiz got to meet Asha’s extended family and childhood friends.

The visit showed Ruiz where Asha got her love for others and where she got her personality.

“Northern Ireland is so peaceful, and it’s just so unique,” Ruiz said. “She embodies that [Northern Ireland]; like, she’s so peaceful.”

Through their travels and time spent together abroad, Ruiz said Asha always reminded her to give herself grace no matter the circumstance, whether it was a bad grade on a test or a day of feeling insecure.

“She was so good at reminding other people, but also reminding herself, to give grace — like, she was so sure of herself,” Ruiz said. “She was just restoring confidence and reminding people to give themselves grace.”

Puckett also has fond memories of Asha in Europe, and she said Asha would often talk about moving to London after she graduated. During summer 2023, when Asha was abroad in London, Puckett flew to visit her and said she cherishes that time as one of her favorite memories with Asha.

“I didn’t realize at the time how impactful those moments were going to be — just to be out there with her,” Puckett said. “Honestly, I love London. But I think I love London because she was there.”

Asha was a talented writer, and her favorite poem was called “The Orange” by Wendy Cope. Ruiz and Brisa both mentioned this poem as something Asha lived by.

Her writing also shined through her texts. Her wisdom came out in words to her friends — in the good times and the bad.

Brisa said one time, when she was going through a rough time, she consulted Asha, and Asha sent her the most thoughtful and intentional text — that she now reads often.

“We’re meant to love and be loved and share this experience with people,” Asha wrote in the text. “And the ones we choose to do that with will live eternally in our hearts. I think that’s so beautiful. And I just believe that that’s what life, at least mine, is about.”

In her friendships, she was also wise and was someone who offered the truth, while making her friends feel loved.

“She just had such a beautiful way of being able to offer that constructive criticism while also never letting anyone forget their worth,” Brisa said.

When her friends were going through a tough time, Asha would try to find the good in the moment.

“Even the most bitter moments she would find the lesson in it,” Brisa said. “We would talk through a lot together, and her presence in itself was just therapeutic.”

Asha would also find the beauty in everything — always stopping to take pictures and capture the pure moments she was in.

“I feel like it takes a kind of creative eye to really see something as simple as stirring your morning tea is beautiful,” Brisa said.

Asha and Brisa had a shared album where they would both put what they called their “little joys” of the day in the album, whether it was something simple or extravagant.

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“If I took a cool photo, I’d just drop it in the album, and she did the same,” Brisa said.

“And now, we just have this collection of the most random but also curated [photos] because it’s curated with love and intention.”

Not only did Asha have an eye for beauty around her but she also was driven in everything she did.

Asha was an employee at the Malibu Chamber of Commerce and later, started working for her boss Chris Wizner at Vivid Candi — a marketing agency in Malibu.

“She was fantastic,” Wizner said. “She was the girl that went the extra mile.”

Wizner said Asha was active in her work and was always getting to know her coworkers.

“She just wanted to participate and get to know everyone,” Wizner said.

For Wizner’s 40th birthday, Asha came to support, even when she didn’t have to, and she was always active in any community events she could be involved in.

“She came down there [to the birthday] with all of us and gave us big hugs, and it was so sweet.” Wizner said.

In the workplace and outside of work, Wizner said Asha was an “empath.”

“I’ve heard some other people echo that word, and I think it greatly describes her because she just cares so much about everybody around her,” Wizner said. “She was just pure.”

Asha also babysat Wizner’s kids, and Wizner said she was someone he wanted his daughters to look up to.

“If you want your daughter to be around any other girl, that’s the girl you want to have influence,” Wizner said.

She also babysat Thomson-Bunn’s kids, and Thomson-Bunn wrote Asha was genuinely excited to serve them while they went to a concert.

“She was also genuinely happy to have been part of us getting to see one of our favorite artists, and that says a lot about who she was,” Thomson-Bunn said.

Through her words and through her writing, Asha exemplified her values. She cared about the people in her life, listened deeply, was intentional and was wise beyond her years, Ruiz said.

She lived every day like it was her last, Ruiz said.

“She would always just remind me that life is so short,“ Ruiz said. “She reminded me that it’s so important to just take the times, like when you are stressed, that’s when you need to give grace the most.”

Puckett said she was always grateful to spend time with Asha but is especially grateful that Asha and her flights back to Pepperdine from fall break landed at LAX at the same time — on Oct. 17, the morning of the accident.

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I didn’t know that was going to be the last time I would see her. If I did, I would have hugged her a lot tighter, or I would have said something to her that she could have remembered,” Puckett said. “But I am so so grateful that I got to see her and spend time with her that morning.”

The community will continue to remember Asha as a light to everyone, alongside her family and friends.

“She will forever be our family’s brightest light,” Vinita Weir said.

Deslyn

Williams Story by Victoria La Ferla

“D

eslyn was the kind of person who could light up even the darkest room,” junior Georgia Puckett said. “Her radiant energy was infectious. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as bright or bubbly.”

Deslyn was a senior pre-med Biology major at Seaver College born to parents Olive and Desmond Williams in Atlanta, Georgia.

Deslyn’s Personality Deslyn’s radiant personality was legendary on the Pepperdine campus. She had a way of making everyone she met feel special, Puckett said.

“She made the impossible possible,” junior Hannah Allen said. “She thought of the most extravagant outrageous things.”

Deslyn lived life to the fullest, senior Samantha Firsht said.

“I know that sounds really cliche, but truly everything that Deslyn wanted in her life, she went for,” Firsht said.

Deslyn was passionate and hardworking, senior Dylan Stormoen said.

“She was everyone’s hype woman in everything that they did. Whether it be taking photos for you or talking to you before a test, she never failed to hype you up, get you excited and make you feel confident,” Stormoen said.

Throughout high school and college, Deslyn maintained an outstanding academic career and was on the Dean’s and honors lists in her schools, Desmond Williams, Deslyn’s father, said during the Oct. 22 Pepperdine Memorial Service.

“She’s very loving and caring and fiercely, fiercely loyal to her family and friends,” Williams said. “If you want to pick a fight, you can do anything to her, and she will forgive you, but if you do something to family and friends, you’re in trouble.”

Deslyn was a glass-half-full person, junior Molly Skorobohaty said.

Art + Design by Skyler Hawkins

“She [Deslyn] looked at the world in perfect view, knowing that everyone deserves a second chance and that something good would happen to anyone who needed it,” Skorobohaty said.

Inclusivity and Kindness Deslyn treated everyone with love and respect, whether she knew them for years or had just met them, Puckett said.

“Deslyn had this amazing ability to make anyone feel special,” Puckett said.

Many close to her acknowledged Deslyn’s “big” heart.

“She’s extremely giving and puts everybody else before herself,” sophomore Jamie Pak said.

The most significant trait that Deslyn carried was her generous soul, Skorobohaty said.

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“Deslyn was so kind not because she had to be but because that was actually her,” Skorobohaty said. “She was a kind, selfless, caring human being. Her heart was full of good.”

Deslyn knew how to comfort her friends in just the way they needed from a pencil to a dress to wear for formal, Skorobohaty said.

“She was there for me like no other person, and she would never judge me,” Allen said. “If you needed a shirt, Deslyn would have taken her shirt off and given it to you.”

One time, when Pak was sick, Deslyn went to Pak’s dorm with a cup of chicken noodle soup from Whole Foods, Pak said.

“She did not have to do it at all but went out of her way to bring it to me,” Pak said.

The stigma around only children is that they could not share, but Deslyn was the exception, Skorobohaty said.

“Anything she owned, she was willing to share with others,”Skorobohaty said. “Her closet was our closet, her snacks were our snacks and her home was our home. She welcomed people with open arms.”

Deslyn’s father Desmond Williams once shared a story with Skorobohaty, about Deslyn’s kindness, she said.

When Deslyn was younger, her father bought her a big bag of lollipops, and she was so excited to bring them to school and hand them out to everyone, Skorobohaty said.

Deslyn went to school that day and handed out all the lollipops, and then she came home that day sad because she forgot to grab one herself, Skorobohaty said.

Deslyn’s father went and bought another pack of lollipops for her and said to Deslyn, “This time, slip one in your pocket before you hand them out,” Skorobohaty said.

Deslyn went into a class that next day and slipped one in her pocket before handing out all of the lollipops once again.

Deslyn was full of good and wanted to share it with the world, Skorobohaty said.

“She was pure light,” Allen said. “Deslyn was a light for sure in my life.”

The Power of Her Smile and Laughter One of Deslyn’s and Puckett’s last shared memories was Puckett’s 21st birthday. Deslyn insisted on making it special, Puckett said. She said Deslyn planned a party at Deslyn’s house, involving shopping for cake, a balloon arch and flowers.

“Seeing her smile at my 21st birthday party — it was a moment I’ll treasure forever,” Puckett said. “She knew how to bring joy to every occasion, and that smile of hers was the heart of the party.”

Deslyn’s laughter was always present, even in difficult times; it served as a testament to her resilience and strength, Anežka Lišková, junior and previous assistant news editor for the Graphic, said.

What makes Lišková and Deslyn’s friendship unique is the ease with which they connected. Lišková said Deslyn had a magnetic personality and said she was a “positive, smiley person” who radiated warmth.

Deslyn possessed the remarkable quality of caring more for others than for herself, and her friends cherished her for it, Lišková said.

“Deslyn was just always the life of the party and able to get everyone’s energy up, and her smile — her presence — did that,” junior Maddy Ortman said. “She always had a smiling face and always came to give me a hug.”

“Deslyn was always super bubbly — so happy to be anywhere and talking to anyone,” Malibu Farm Pier Cafe former co-worker Tasha Conger said. “She had the craziest laugh, and I wish I could remember or replicate it because it’s just so funny and unique.”

Deslyn was a ray of positivity, and her infectious laugh could be heard from miles away, Puckett said.

“No matter her mood, you never caught Deslyn in a bad mood,” Puckett said.

Unforgettable Moments Deslyn and her many close friends share some special moments and life-long memories they will cherish forever.

“The first time I met Deslyn, she picked me up right outside my freshman dorm in her little Honda with the Georgia state license plate,” Puckett said. “Deslyn was wearing a cheetah tank top and had a contagious energy about her that immediately put me at ease.”

Their shared love for rottweilers was the first thing they bonded over, Puckett said.

“We shared a passion for animals, especially horses,” Puckett said. “She always wanted to be a vet, and spending time on a horseback ride with her in the canyon was one of the most special moments of our friendship.”

Deslyn opened up her home and organized an incredible birthday party for Puckett. It was unforgettable, Puckett said.

“Deslyn just knew how to plan the best parties,” Puckett said. “She knew how to make everyone feel loved and appreciated.”

Deslyn and Puckett’s friendship deepened throughout their college years. Puckett’s memories of Deslyn included adventurous nights, when Deslyn once rode a mechanical bull, leaving a scar on her knee as a token of her fearless spirit.

“There was never a dull moment with her,” Puckett said.

Deslyn’s enthusiasm and attention to detail when planning special moments for her friends will forever be remembered, Puckett said.

“She was so iconic,” Ortman said. “Deslyn always had the best clothes, and she’d be pretty nonchalant about it, but we’re like, ‘You literally look so chic and so cool.’”

Deslyn loved to have fun, Puckett said, whether it was dressing up for themed events, playing tennis or

enjoying the best of what Pepperdine had to offer.

“Those moments [getting ready] were always special because she made them special,” Puckett said.

Deslyn always knew how to make her friends laugh, Firsht said.

Deslyn had an obsession with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ Gooey Butter Cake ice cream, Cogner said.

“I’ll never forget the first time I had it,” Conger said.

Deslyn went to Malibu Farm Pier Cafe about three weeks ago to visit her former co-workers.

“She [Deslyn] spoke to me as if no time had passed,” former co-worker at Malibu Farm Pier Cafe, Jeyde Mitchell said. “I just felt like we picked up where we left off.”

Deslyn was just as funny, just as nice, and that made Mitchell feel at ease and happy to know that they still had that type of friendship.

Firsht and Deslyn were in an English class together during their first year at Pepperdine.

“Delsyn basically reached out to me through the DM on Instagram and she said, ‘Hey girl, like, I’m in your English 101 class. Classes are always so much easier with friends,’” Firsht said. “And then, she just wanted to reach out and say ‘hi. ’” During COVID-19, some students, including Firsht and Deslyn, decided to move out to Malibu to be close to Pepperdine and meet other students.

“We looked at apartments and signed a lease almost immediately,” Firsht said. “We lived together for two years.”

Dedication to Alpha Phi Sorority Deslyn’s passion and dedication to her role as vice president of member recruitment for Alpha Phi Sorority were unparalleled, Puckett said.

Puckett and Deslyn collaborated on themes, outfits and every minute detail, transforming recruitment nights into unforgettable experiences.

“Deslyn loved our sorority, APhi,” Allen said. “Some of her ideas were just so creative.”

When Stormeon took on the role of vice president of member recruitment for Alpha Phi after Deslyn, she said she wanted to do it just like her.

“Delsyn was definitely my inspiration for the way that she cared and how passionate she was about Alpha Phi,” Stormoen said.

because these small acts of love and kindness reflect the essence of Deslyn’s spirit.

Pak said she wants to take extra initiative to do things in nature now because Deslyn loved to be outside.

“She loved going on hikes, camping on the beach but just being outside in general,” Pak said.

Deslyn and Allen talked about their future all the time, Allen said.

“We would joke that we were a married couple — that she’s the wife, and I’m the husband,” Allen said. “If I have a daughter, I want to name her or have her middle name be Deslyn.”

Allen promises to keep the memory of Deslyn alive and stay connected with the Williams family, she said.

“Deslyn was so loud and bright, and she’s one of those people that, whenever she walked into a room, you knew she made her presence known,” Stormoen said. “I feel like just making sure that that light does not die on our campus in any way at all is so important.”

Deslyn’s influence will forever shape so many lives, Puckett said.

“I can’t physically see her, but I know she’s with me,” Puckett said. “Her love and the beauty she brought into the world continue to guide me. I wish I could have created more memories with her.”

Deslyn’s impact reverberates around each place she touched.

“I hope she saw the impact she had on so many people,” Firsht said. “Deslyn really touched the lives of so many people and had such an impact.”

Deslyn Williams, though no longer with us, remains the heart that forever beats within the world of those who loved her deeply.

“She is the center of our world and continues to be the center of our world,” Desmond Williams said.

Eternal Connection and Continuing Her Legacy Puckett has been visiting locations that Deslyn loved, such as Layla Bagels, she said.

“It’s a way for me to keep her memory alive,” Puckett said. “She was such a foodie, and I know she’d want us to savor all the good things in life just like she did.”

Saying ‘I love you’ and giving heartfelt hugs is how Lišková said she will keep the memory of Deslyn alive victoriaferla@pepperdine.edu 9

Niamh

Rolston Story by Samantha Torre

S

enior Niamh Rolston was the most “lighthearted and carefree” person Meelah Harkness — Niamh’s childhood friend — said she had ever met.

Niamh was a member of Alpha Phi and studied Business at Pepperdine. She grew up in L.A., and attended Oaks Christian High School, according to Pepperdine.

“I strive to be as optimistic and overjoyed and adventurous as she was,” Harkness said. “There was never a dull day in her life. There was always something going on.”

A Light While Niamh and Harkness had serious conversations — Harkness said Niamh was an “open and active listener” — the two also laughed a lot.

“I don’t remember a time when she [Niamh] and I hung out and didn’t crack up laughing,” Harkness said.

Niamh, in her humor and sympathy, was a “light,” Harkness said.

“Something in her nature — she always wanted to make people smile and feel good,” Harkness said.

The two didn’t need to see each other all the time to remain close, Harkness said. Niamh was like a sister to everyone she met.

There was a familial quality to Niamh, and she made people feel comfortable and open, Harkness said.

“She always made people feel at home and happy,” Harkness said.

The two could talk about anything, ranging from boys to feelings about friendship, Harkness said.

“She [Niamh] was the first friend I could admit genuinely anything to,” Harkness said.

Through open communication, Harkness said Niamh showed her what an open communicator could do and how communication can strengthen and deepen relationships.

“She was one of the first if not the first friend I considered family,” Harkness said.

One time, Harkness, Niamh and their friends all had a sleepover together in Harkness’ bed, Harkness said. Harkness’ mother said she couldn’t believe the girls were all squishing together on the bed and

Art + Design by Skyler Hawkins

offered her bed to the girls, all of whom turned it down.

In the morning, Niamh was nowhere to be found, Harkness said. When she found her, Niamh was curled up next to Harkness’ mom — a symbol of how close the bond was between the two girls.

“She showed me what true friendship and sisterhood meant,” Harkness said. “She really implemented it in a positive way.”

Niamh’s father, David Rolston, said at the memorial service that Niamh’s “fearless love” of travel and meeting people were a part of her.

Niamh had her first passport as an infant and had traveled to Ireland to meet family by the age of one. She had “boundless energy,” David Rolston said.

“She was quick to offer her friendship and embrace new people, and she was never shy about telling her family and friends how much she loved them,” David Rolston said.

From when Niamh was a child, she made a lasting impression on others, David Rolston said.

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“We know so many wonderful people, and they were brought into our lives because Niamh had in some way touched their hearts,” David Rolston said.

Niamh shone, David Rolston said.

“We [David and Niamh’s mother, Tracy Rolston] saw her in a way that she did not see herself with her big eyes and/or her youth and her beauty, and she seemed to have been blessed with everything that was the best part of each of us,” David Rolston said. Niamh’s mother is the Associate Vice Chancellor of Advancement Services at Pepperdine.

Niamh was someone to lean on, Graziadio student Briana Labe wrote in a Nov. 1 email to the Graphic. Everything Niamh did “was done with a smile on her face.”

“Niamh is someone who shows up for her friends when it matters most,” Labe wrote.

Labe and Niamh went on trips together, visiting Cabo, Vegas and NorCal, Labe wrote. On these trips, Niamh was joyful.

“She appreciated the little things and loved to capture the sweet little moments that mean so much to look at now,” Labe wrote.

Friendship with Niamh was effortless, Emily Chase, senior reporter for the Graphic, said.

“When I met her, it was like, this is like, this is my sister; you know, like, the cliche sorority thing,” Chase said. “But also, at the same time, it just felt very comfortable — very, like, I didn’t have to try to be friends.”

Niamh taught Chase to “go with the flow more,” she said.

“She definitely left me with a sense of carefree happiness that I was definitely stuck without for a while because of COVID and end of senior year and all of that,” Chase said.

Niamh “always knew the right thing to say,” Chase said.

“No matter what happened, whenever I had a problem or I needed to just get something out — I didn’t even want advice — she would just be such a good listener, and she would give the best advice,” Chase said.

After talking with Niamh, Chase said she would feel like she was “back on track.”

While it’s OK to cry, Chase said, when people think of Niamh, they should carry her joy and light with them.

“They should remember her [Niamh] as a person to walk with, a person who brought joy to everybody she met,” Chase said. “They should smile when they think of her because she left such an impact on the people that she loved and loved her.”

Niamh showed Harkness how to be open, honest and communicative, Harkness said. This open communication impacts Harkness, who is a Communications major, even now.

“I thank her for showing me how to efficiently and openly and compassionately communicate,” Harkness said.

Niamh is her guardian angel, Harkness said. “[I will be] really implementing thoughtfully and mindfully the qualities she had and taught me that I may have overlooked and taken for granted before,” Harkness said.

While Niamh didn’t know exactly what she wanted to be, she approached the future with an open mind and open arms, Harkness said.

“I want to remember her through telling everyone I love that I love them,” Harkness said.

Childhood Memories When the Rolstons learned they would have a little girl, they began looking for names that would connect her to her Irish heritage, David Rolston said.

“From the moment I heard the name spoken, Niamh was the only choice,” David Rolston said. “And in Gaelic, it actually translates to ‘radiance.’”

The name Niamh comes from a Gaelic myth in which a man sees a beautiful young princess riding a horse toward him and asks her name, David Rolston said.

“And she [the princess] answered in a sweet and gentle voice, ‘Noble king of the Fianna I am the daughter of the King of Tír na nÓg [the land of Youth], and my name is Niamh,’” David Rolston said.

After this exchange, the two rode off to the land of never-ending youth together, David Rolston said.

In grade school, Niamh complained to her father that no one knew how to spell or pronounce her name, David Rolston said.

“All I could do was say, ‘Well, Niamh, I am sorry, but at least people will remember how hard it was to spell it,’” David Rolston said.

As Niamh grew up and encountered others, her feelings about her name changed, David Rolston said. “’Well, you were right, Dad,’” David Rolston said, quoting his daughter. “’People do remember me — I am the only Niamh they know.’”

Harkness and Niamh met when they were 4 in kindergarten, and while Harkness said they didn’t connect at first, the two went through first to fifth grade together.

The two ended up going to a different middle school but reunited in eighth grade, when Harkness reached out to a friend who went to the same middle school as Niamh, Harkness said.

The three hung out together all the time, and because it was bat and bar mitzvah season, she would often see Niamh at the events, Harkness said.

The two went from merely seeing each other in elementary school to being attached at the hip after visiting their elementary school’s Ren Faire, Harkness said.

The two shared endless afternoons, going to Yogurtland, watching “Gossip Girl” and eating Ben and Jerry’s — something Harkness has been eating to remember Niamh, Harkness said.

“We just loved being in the presence of one another,” Harkness said.

The two also spent a weekend in Newport Beach together, soaking in the sun.

“We got so sunburnt,” Harkness said. “I have a stark image of this picture we have in the mirror of us lobster red.”

The two were constantly at the beach, Harkness said.

They visited Malibu, Santa Monica and Venice.

They also toured colleges together. One college they toured was Loyola Marymount University, which Harkness said Niamh loved. Growing up in L.A., the two would visit Melrose Avenue together often.

When the LMU tour guide mentioned Melrose Avenue was in L.A., Harkness said she and Niamh looked at each other and laughed.

Getting dropped off at Melrose Avenue and taking trips to The Grove was a big part of their life, Harkness said.

“That’s been our entire middle school and high school experience,” Harkness said.

Niamh and Harkness toured Pepperdine together, Harkness said. Harkness attends college at Loyola University in Chicago.

“It was a stark contrast to when she was at LMU being like, ‘Ehhhhh,’” Harkness said, “to her being in her element at Pepperdine.”

At Pepperdine Niamh loved Pepperdine and the people there, Labe wrote. Niamh wanted to go to Graziadio for graduate school with her friend senior Aubrey Lewis, and Labe was going to show them around and introduce them to the faculty.

“Niamh was intentional, fun and had a very bright future,” Labe wrote.

Niamh brought her personality with her to Pepperdine, David Rolston said. Despite classes being remote her first year due to COVID-19, Niamh became close with her sisters in Alpha Phi. “Her superpowers were this huge, ready smile that she had and a heart and a mind that were very wide open with empathy and joy in living today,” David Rolston said.

The friendships Niamh created — especially with Peyton, Asha and Deslyn — left an impression on her, David Rolston said.

“Niamh Rolston, the Pepperdine senior, had grown into an ambitious and serious student so much more confident and self-assured than the Niamh that had taken her first online class as a 17-year-old freshman,” David Rolston said.

Junior Maya Ozbek, Niamh’s sorority little, said she met Niamh her first year, during recruitment. Ozbek said they always wanted to plan more time to hang out.

“Whenever she [Niamh] saw me, she would always give me a big hug,” Ozbek said.

Niamh was always open to spending time together, Ozbek said.

“She was the nicest person I knew,” Ozbek said.

“Everyone has great things to say about her.”

Niamh was often upbeat, Ozbek said.

“She always had a smile on her face,” Ozbek said.

“And that’s how I remember her.”

Niamh inspired Ozbek to “come out of her shell” a little more, Ozbek said.

“I tend to be really antisocial, and just seeing how she’s able to have so many friends and just always put a smile on people’s faces — that’s something that she inspired me to do,” Ozbek said.

Niamh was a friend to many, Ozbek said.

“I would like her to be remembered just as a sweet 11

soul,” Ozbek said.

Chase and Niamh met their first year at a dinner for first-years, she said. The two began talking and just connected.

“The first time we ever met, it was just like [a] kismet kind of thing,” Chase said. “We both didn’t know each other. We both didn’t know anyone here.”

Hanging out with Niamh was an “adventure,” Chase said.

“I don’t ever remember a time with Niamh where we didn’t say, ‘We’re gonna laugh about this one day,’” Chase said.

Chase said she has a playlist of songs from her first year, many of which remind her of Niamh, especially “Deja Vu” by Olivia Rodrigo.

Niamh had a big impact on Chase, she said.

“I mean, she was my first college best friend and, like, my closest one, and so it’s like, those formative years of, ‘Who am I going to be in this chapter of my life; what am I going to be like?’” Chase said.

Remembering Niamh The color purple reminds Harkness of Niamh, she said. So, to pick a song to describe Niamh, she suggested “Purple Rain.” The two listened to a lot of rap together and listened to a lot of country music.

Niamh wasn’t defined by just one genre of music, Harkness said.

“She was everything all in one,” Harkness said.

Cherries also remind Harkness of Niamh, who had a cherry bathing suit and phone case, Harkness said.

Niamh was a “silver jewelry girl” and loved to shop, Harkness said. Niamh worked at Aritzia for four years.

“She [Niamh] reminds me of Bambi,” Harkness said.

“Always so open-eyed and curious.”

Harkness said Niamh was an “angel on Earth” and is an “angel looking down upon us now.”

“I just want to say that I love her,” Harkness said. “And her absence in this world is going to be truly noticed and is not to be forgotten.’

Chase said she sees Niamh in the color blue, flowers, the beach and “Grey’s Anatomy” — which Chase began rewatching this summer.

Chase also sees Niamh in girl best friends — especially when they are sharing a joke, she said. “[I see Niamh in] people smiling, laughing because she just had the most infectious laughter; like, when she was laughing, there’s no way you’re not laughing — either at her [or] with her,” Chase said.

Niamh impacted everyone around her, Labe wrote.

“With her big smile and contagious laugh, it’s rare she goes unnoticed in a room,” Labe wrote. “Niamh made me feel so welcomed into her life and friends. I will carry her with me everywhere I go.”

sam.torre@pepperdine.edu

Peyton

Stewart Design by Skyler Hawkins

E

ver since Peyton’s first year of high school, she knew she wanted to attend Pepperdine University. It was there that Peyton joined the Alpha Phi sorority, studied abroad in London, worked at the Career Center, built beautiful friendships and made everlasting memories.

Peyton’s love for Pepperdine was evident from the moment she toured campus during her first year of high school, said Kathleen Stewart, Peyton’s younger sister.

“She loved Pepperdine and just being involved with the community,” said alumna (‘23) Tanya Yarian, former member of the Graphic.

Peyton was a senior International Business major from Westwood, New Jersey.

Peyton served as the vice president of finance and housing for APhi during her senior year. She loved being a part of her sorority and put her all into it. Peyton had two little sorority sisters, junior Charlie Robinson and sophomore Kelly Petersen.

After meeting Peyton for the first time, Robinson said she knew she had found the perfect girl to be her big.

The pair could always be seen together walking around campus or taking photos at sorority events. Peyton was a role model for Robinson and always cheered her on, Robinson said.

“I feel so lucky that she was my big because there’s nobody else that I would rather want to make proud,” Robinson said. “She was the kindest, funniest, most genuine person that I ever met in my life.”

Up until meeting Peyton, Robinson said she had never had a friend like Peyton.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better big.

I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to lead me,” Robinson said.

Petersen remembers her big as someone who was always there for her, she wrote in an Oct. 30 Instagram DM to the Graphic. Petersen always loved running into Peyton on campus because she always had so much to tell her.

One of Petersen’s favorite memories with Peyton was when they had a movie night and baked chocolate chip pumpkin bread together.

“Of course, we found a way to mess up the recipe, even though it was a box mix,” Petersen wrote. “But it still came out delicious.”

Senior Zach Tapp first met Peyton while studying abroad in the London International Program in fall 2021. Tapp said the pair quickly bonded over their

Story by Yamillah Hurtado

Art by Skyler Hawkins

shared love for music and Drake.

Peyton loved Drake and would always dance around the London house to his music. At the time, she was particularly obsessed with “Way 2 Sexy,” Tapp said.

Peyton saw Drake in concert when she and Kathleen Stewart took a trip together to Las Vegas during his “It’s All A Blur” tour.

Seniors Alina Sanchez, Jacey Hoy, Kala’i Kiaaina and Yarian all studied abroad in London as well. All four of them had signed up to be roommates and were excited to live with one another. However, on their move-in day, the four were startled when they found a blonde girl asleep in their apartment.

“I [heard] a sound, and I turn around, and there’s this girl who just pops up with her glasses and her hair up, and I was like, ‘Who is this,’” Hoy said.

The group of girls had no idea that this stranger, who was placed in their room without their knowledge, would become one of their best friends.

Sanchez recalls all the times Peyton would help the girls pick out their outfits, do their hair and makeup and offer a shoulder to cry on whenever they needed. Peyton was always so nurturing, and all her friends called her “Mom.”“Our experience abroad would have been so

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different without Peyton,” Hoy said.

Hoy credits Peyton for all the adventures they went on when they were abroad. Peyton was known for always having the best recommendations for anything — the best restaurants to eat at, the best stores to shop at and the best places to visit.

Barry Stewart, Peyton’s father, recalls all their family travels.

“No matter where we were in the world, Peyton would do her research and found the best restaurants in town,” Barry Stewart said. “Money seemed to be no object.”

Peyton believed she and everyone around her only deserved the very best of everything.

“Even with her friends and the people around her, if someone felt they weren’t being respected or appreciated, she stood up for everyone, and she was like, ‘We’re not settling,’” Tapp said.

Peyton pushed her loved ones to pursue everything they desired.

“She taught me to live the way I want and do what I want and not be afraid,” Yarian said.

When Tapp was applying for his internship with Disney in fall 2022, he said Peyton was a big support system for him. She made herself available to help him with his applications and prepare him for interviews.

Tapp said, if it weren’t for Peyton, he probably wouldn’t have gotten the internship. “[She would always say] ‘Do not settle,’” Tapp said. “‘There’s a reason you’re at Pepperdine. There’s a reason you’re applying for this job. There’s a reason they’re going to choose you.’”

Peyton’s determination always stood out to him, Tapp said. He remembers Peyton always being in the Kirk Room — a small study room on the London campus — doing interviews for potential internships and jobs. Tapp said Peyton was the most determined person he has ever known.

Peyton was a confident girl who knew her worth and chased her ambitions no matter how big.

“When there’s a will, there’s a way,” Sanchez said. “With Peyton, even if there was no way, she would find one.”

Though Peyton was confident, she was also humble. Sanchez said Peyton was the type of person that never boasted when she achieved her goals.

Tapp and Peyton worked at the Career Center along-

side Yarian and Sanchez. The eagerness Peyton had to help others was evident in her on-campus job.

“She loved helping students with resumes and helping them find jobs,” Yarian said. “She loved being there for others.”

Yarian and Peyton would always try to work the same shifts because they loved being in each other’s presence, Yarian said.

When it came time for Kathleen Stewart to apply to colleges, Peyton was excited to help her with anything she needed.

“She is the best sister I could ask for,” Kathleen Stewart said. “She did everything for me.”

Kathleen Stewart said sharing a room with Peyton growing up was the best time of her life because of all the time they got to spend together. Once Peyton had moved away for college, Kathleen Stewart would count down the days until she would see her big sister again.

“It was so much better because I wouldn’t see her for a while, and then I would see her for two weeks straight, and we were inseparable,” Kathleen Stewart said.

Kathleen Stewart loved traveling alongside Peyton.

When Peyton was in London, Kathleen Stewart came to visit. Kathleen Stewart said it was so wonderful meeting all of Peyton’s friends and seeing all the parts of the city Peyton loved.

In London, on Halloween night, the roommates dressed up as the Cheetah Girls — in their iconic matching tracksuits. The girls choreographed a dance, and to their surprise, Peyton was so excited to perform it in front of the entire London program.

“She would come into the kitchen dancing and singing all the time,” Yarian said. “She would randomly sing TikTok sounds, and it was so funny.”

As their friendship deepened in their time abroad, Hoy said she saw more of the goofy side of Peyton, which was surprising at first.

“She was honestly such a dork,” Hoy said. “It was a really fun side of her to see because I don’t think everybody saw that part of her.”

Hoy remembers Peyton’s immense kindness and how it shined through everything she did. One instance of this was when the group of girls went to Disneyland Paris together, and Hoy borrowed a beautiful white sweater from Peyton because she was cold. They were eating, and Hoy spilled nacho cheese, leaving a yellow stain on the sweater. Hoy said she was petrified to tell Peyton the bad news.

“I showed her, and it was everywhere, and she was like, ‘Girl, I don’t care. It’s okay; we’re going to get that stain out,’” Hoy said. “She was so sweet and so gentle.”

Peyton was both a gentle spirit and fiercely protective of the people she loved, Kiaaina said. The way Peyton loved her friends brought so much comfort to them.

Kiaaina said she first met Peyton when the world was starting to open up again with the pandemic and she was nervous to meet new people. For Kiaaina, Peyton’s sweet soul and her unwavering love was everything. “[Allowing] her to see some of the parts that I don’t want people to see just made [our friendship] that much sweeter,” Kiaaina said. “She knew all my faults and still chose to love me and be my friend.”

Peyton was always intentional and knew how to make others feel loved, Kiaaina said.

“She had this gift of making you feel very special and seen and celebrated,” Kiaaina said. “She always wanted to celebrate something. [She would always say,] ‘We deserve a treat after a long week’ or ‘We deserve a nice dinner.’”

Peyton loved birthdays. Her loved ones said throwing a party for others and celebrating them was one of her favorite things to do.

In early October, Peyton visited Kathleen Stewart in Miami — where she goes to school — for her birthday.

Peyton had told Kathleen Stewart that she couldn’t come into town the weekend of her birthday but ended up surprising her sister.

“That Saturday, she came out of the bathroom of our

hotel room, and I was like, ‘How are you here?’” Kathleen Stewart said. “She made my whole birthday.”

Along with birthday parties, Peyton loved tea parties. It was during a childhood tea party with Kathleen Stewart that Peyton received the faint scar on her forehead. Kathleen Stewart hit Peyton with a wooden teapot, Barry Stewart said. Despite this, Peyton’s love for tea parties persisted.

One of Tapp’s favorite memories with Peyton was going to the Malibu Farmers Market during the fall break.

Tapp said they meant to only go for 30 minutes but ended up staying for three hours.

“I’ll cherish that time because it was so blissful and peaceful,” Tapp said. “I’m just so thankful to have Peyton in my life as a friend. I just saw how special she was.”

The pair got things for free because Peyton stopped at all the booths and took the time to talk to every vendor, Tapp said. She was curious about the products, who the vendors were and the stories of their businesses.

“The way she moved through the world with grace and kindness but also strength is something I’m going to tell my kids about,” Robinson said.

Peyton was someone who always saw the good in people. “[When I met her] I was dealing with a lot of personal stuff, but just through talking to her, through her sharing her love with me, I got over that point,” said Rahul Wadhwani, Peyton’s boyfriend. “I found a lot of strength.”

Peyton was incredibly loyal, and loved ones agreed that, when she loved someone, she was always in their corner. Wadhwani said her loyalty was evident in their long-distance relationship during college — him attending New York University and Peyton attending Pepperdine.

The couple met the summer before their junior year of high school at an SAT prep class. What caught Wadhwani’s attention was Peyton’s intelligence and her drive. He said he started to sit next to her in class so that he could get her advice on how to do well on their quizzes.

After the class ended, Wadhwani knew he wanted to keep in touch with Peyton and asked for her number.

“It was out of a movie,” Wadhwani said. “Three months after the day we had first met, we started dating and continued on for nearly five years.”

Wadhwani said he was amazed by how thoughtful Peyton was, always thinking of others before herself.

One of Peyton’s favorite things to do was shopping, but more often than not, she was shopping for others — buying things that reminded her of those she loved.

“She had come back from London, where she studied abroad, and she brought my whole family chocolates from Harrods, including my roommate whom she had never met before,” Wadhwani said.

Peyton’s loved ones said her greatest love was her family.

“One of her favorite things in the world, if not her favorite thing in the world, was being a big sister to Kathleen,” Hoy said.

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Some of Barry Stewart’s favorite memories with his daughter took place on the road when the two would drive cross-country from New Jersey to California at the start of each school year. On these drives, the two made beautiful memories and talked about anything and everything, Barry Stewart said.

“They [the trips] were really so I could spend time with her,” Barry Stewart said. “We enjoyed our long hours on the road spent talking, sightseeing and eating at the restaurants she’d found on Yelp.”

Peyton had so much love for the people in her life, and all her loved ones said she made them better people.

“I grew more into who I’m supposed to be because of her love and her trust and confidence in [me],” Kiaaiana said.

Hoy said she is grateful for how willing Peyton was to be a constant presence and support. Peyton knew her friends deeply and would be the first to notice if someone was off.

“I will always cherish how much she was willing to sacrifice to better understand me and to better love me,” Hoy said. “Even for me to better understand myself, she really helped me process a lot of things and understand a lot more.”

Peyton is one of the best people Tapp said he has ever met, for she was immensely selfless and always wanted to be there for others.

“Peyton was a beautiful mix of knowing herself and knowing others,” Tapp said. “She respected herself and extended the same respect to others. A lot of people don’t know that balance, but she knew.”

Camila Stewart, Peyton’s mother, named Peyton after Peyton Manning, a famous football player. Kathleen Stewart said she always found this ironic because Peyton hated football.

Peyton’s favorite places to shop included Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Abercrombie & Fitch and Sephora.

Peyton’s favorite foods included sushi and beef Wellington. She loved tea.

Peyton’s favorite shows and movies included “Gossip Girl,” “Sex in the City,” “Eloise at the Plaza,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Clueless,” “Coraline” and any crime documentary.

Peyton loved shopping, eating good food, movie nights and tea time, but most of all, she loved the people in her life.

“Her love was so powerful,” Robinson said. “It made me feel like I was so much less alone.”

Peyton always had a bright, beautiful smile on her face, always laughing with whomever she was with.

“Her smile was so contagious. Even when I was having a bad day, she found a way to make me smile,” Petersen wrote.

Voices

Community members share their enduring memories Design by Skyler Hawkins

Story by Community Members

For Peyton

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For Asha

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[Peyton,] thank you for inspiring me to be the best version of myself. Thank you for instilling in me confidence, love and courage. These past few years, Peyton filled my life with joy and laughter. She truly touched the lives of people around her with her grace, beauty and her thoughtfulness in everything she did.

– Tanya Yarian

[Peyton] will always be in my mind wherever I go, inspiring me to keep living and have fun.

– Alina Sanchez

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4 “I want her to know how much I love her and how much she’s loved, not just by me but by so many people. I will never forget her.” – Jacey Hoy

Please find below a few words about Asha: “Asha was such an important part of our London community in the spring of 2022. She was a bright light as we all studied and travelled around the UK and Europe together. I remember one night in particular in Athens when the whole group was happily singing and dancing to Greek music, Asha in the middle of them all with a smile that lit up the whole room. She will be missed more than words can say.”

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Philip Freeman Professor of Humanities

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“

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For Deslyn

I feel like Deslyn was one of those people that no matter what you were doing with her you were always having a good time whether it just be hanging out and talking and sitting on the couch, Dylan Stormeon said.

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“Deslyn was from Georgia, and she came from there to this school [Pepperdine], and as she was telling me her story I was like, ‘How did you do that? You’re so young, yet you made this giant move across the country, and I can’t fathom how she did it by herself.’”

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For Niamh

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“She was always just so funny and such a goofy, silly girl,” Georgia Puckett said. “I think, was just everything good or pure.”

Niamh Rolston is everything light, happy, kind, and more,” Graziadio Student Briana Labe wrote.

“ “ “She is just as internally beautiful as she is external.”

- Briana Labe

“Niamh was sweet, beautiful, charming, and joyful,” Briana Labe wrote.

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The Power of an Empty Chair: Pepperdine professors cope with loss 6 16

Photo by Mary Elisabeth

Design by Abby Wilt

Class after class, professors are used to seeing the same students, in the same seats. Some students talk more than others, but each one has a value, purpose and place in the classroom.

And then — after a tragedy, their seats are empty, and professors can distinctly tell the community is missing someone.

“Often, professors are expected to be immediately OK, mature and ready to help,” said Tim Spivey, vice president of Spiritual Life. “Their hearts get impacted just like everybody else’s.”

While everyone is struggling, sometimes professors are struggling more than they let on — as they are trying to help their students but are also in pain themselves.

“It’s hard for students to understand what faculty, staff, administration and everybody goes through in a moment like this,” Spivey said.

Professors get to know their students and see them day after day, becoming acquainted in a different way than how classmates create friendships with one another.

“I had gotten to know her [Peyton], and she had died suddenly,” said Jooho Lee, associate professor of Business Ethics and Law. “It did hit me a lot more than some of the other things that I’ve experienced with students.”

Professors are accommodating their course schedules and providing accommodations for students — dealing with their own grief while also trying to help their students handle grief.

“I didn’t learn how to be a grief counselor from a Ph.D. program, but I’m gonna do my best because I’m a human being,” said John Ned, visiting assistant professor of Finance.

Ned had both Peyton Stewart and Niamh Rolston in his classes and said he has tried to treat his students with care and compassion since the crash — knowing his students are hurting.

“I always look at my students as my kids,” Ned said.

“We are here to nurture you during that time, and so I take this role seriously, and I do what I can for them.”

Helen Holmlund, assistant professor of Biology, had Deslyn Williams in her California Ecosystems class, a course where the class would frequently take field trips together.

“During our field trips, she treasured not only the wonders of nature but also the people there with her,”

Story by Abby Wilt

Art by Skyler Hawkins

Holmlund wrote in an Oct. 27 email to the Graphic.

“Deslyn built friendships and memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.”

While Holmlund expected students to sleep or be on their phones during the car rides to and from the field trips, Holmlund wrote that Deslyn would always keep her classmates positive instead, filling the van with laughter and conversation.

“Deslyn was integral to making this [the conversation] happen,” Holmlund wrote. “She built friendships quickly and authentically.”

Deslyn was present in every space — especially the classroom — and made the class feel like a community, Holmlund wrote.

“Deslyn blessed us with her sweet, cheerful, inclusive personality,” Holmlund wrote. “She brought our class together and made learning fun for everyone.”

Chris Collins, visiting professor of Organizational Behavior, had Peyton in his class last year.

In the first week of Collins’ class, Peyton wrote an essay about why she took the class, stating it was senior Bridget Thompson, who was her “first family here,” who told her she would be able to grow from it, Collins said.Collins said Peyton was always a soothing presence in class.

“As everyone knows, she really has this aura of sweetness, very inviting,” Collins said.

Every time Peyton walked by Collins’ office, she would always pop her head in and say ‘hi,’ Collins said.

“She just always connected,” Collins said.

Lee also had Peyton in his class — one class last year and one class in the fall of 2023.

Peyton was always a go-getter, Lee said, and was always working to do her best.

“She didn’t really get discouraged and give up,” Lee said. “As far as I can tell, she always tried to improve with a great attitude.”

More than anything, Lee said he was impressed with Peyton’s “hopeful disposition” in class.

Steven Bauer, assistant instructor of Teaching of Marketing, had both Niamh and Peyton in his class.

Bauer said Niamh was always pleasant and friendly and always thoughtful to the students in her class.

“I could see that students in the class loved her,” Bauer said.

On the day she died, Bauer said Niamh gave a presentation about the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills.

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The presentation was a part of a group exercise on Service Marketing.

“She did a great job, and it was typical of her thoughtful and sincere demeanor,” Bauer said.

Associate professor of English Heather Thomson-Bunn taught Asha Weir and said the first two words that come to mind when she thinks of Asha in class are “kind” and “peaceful.”

“She was also such a peaceful presence in the classroom — fiercely intelligent but in a gentle way that made room for others’ perspectives,” Thomson-Bunn wrote in a Nov. 1 email to the Graphic.

Upon returning to class, Thomson-Bunn said Asha was deeply missed, and the class shared stories and memories about Asha during the class.

“One of my students brought flowers to represent Asha’s presence, and I read a short piece that Asha had written that spoke beautifully to the ideas of perseverance in the face of pain,” Thomson-Bunn wrote.

Thomson-Bunn, said in the midst of grief, she is relying on her faith, family and friends while continuing to be there for her students.

“It is healing for me to walk with others who are healing — to carry the weight together,” Thomson-Bunn wrote.

abby.wilt@pepperdine.edu

Pepperdine Leans on Each Other In the midst of tragedy, the campus community remembers and grieves together Design by Will Fallmer

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fter the tragic loss of four seniors, the Pepperdine community is coming together to honor Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Deslyn Williams and Asha Weir.

Pepperdine community members said they are leaning on each other to heal together and grow together through their grief.

“Healing together is a lot better than healing by yourself,” said Tim Spivey, associate vice president of Spiritual Life.

Spivey has been part of the Emergency Response Team, helped to plan the memorial service at Pepperdine and spoke at the vigils that have taken place for the girls. He said he has seen the community come together through this in ways he hasn’t seen before.

“I’ve watched people hanging out in the Lighthouse just sitting there literally waiting for somebody who looks sad to sit down next to him,” Spivey said. “And they can minister to them.”

While the culture at Pepperdine has always been tight-knit, Spivey said it is in moments of tragedy when people can see others’ values truly coming out.

On a day-to-day basis, Spivey said it is sometimes hard to realize the importance of the culture, but now, he said he sees how special Pepperdine truly is.

Brittany Skinner, associate dean of Student Affairs has also been working closely with students and Deslyn, Niamh, Peyton and Asha’s families since the crash. She said she has heard students sharing memories of the girls with each other and with their families, which has helped with the healing process.

“It’s important for their families to know this community was special,” Skinner said. “Their daughters love this community, and their daughters were so loved by this community.”

A specific moment Spivey said stood out to him was seeing how the com-

Story by Abby Wilt

Art by Skyler Hawkins

munity came together Oct. 18, at The Well, one day after the accident.

Almost 2,000 people attended The Well and held each other through tears as the community dealt with the initial shock of the tragedy, Spivey said.

“You’ve got all the Pepperdine community that I was just describing from the faculty, the clergy, the other leaders on the campus all over there praying with students,” Spivey said.

He said students packed the Amphitheatre and held each other close.

“It was students praying with students and hugging each other and consoling each other,” Spivey said.

Students who are in deep grief are also stepping up and serving, Spivey said, whether through leading worship or leading prayers.

“I found, sometimes, being able to serve and honor somehow while you’re in immense pain helps heal,” Spivey said. “It’s kind of counterintuitive. A lot of people think, ‘Oh no, you need to sit there and just grieve.’”

Skinner also said she has seen people stepping up and has seen the best qualities in the community coming out.

“Even amidst tragedy and grief, I just see the best of who we are and the best of people,” Skinner said.

After spending lots of time with the girls’ family and friends, Skinner said she thinks their loved ones are growing closer to each other and leaning on each other and their faith to get through each day.

“There are tears, and there is laughter,” Skinner said. “To get to see that — in some ways, I feel like it was healing.”

Everyone is checking in on each other — whether through a simple text, a meal, a hug, a coffee or a shoulder to cry on, Skinner said.

“I’ve just seen so many people come together and offer a hand and offer a comforting word or give a hug and check in on other people,” Skinner said.

Moving forward, Spivey said

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he thinks the community will continue to heal together — and grow together as a community.

“Just because this particular incident feels crippling right now emotionally to the campus, that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way,” Spivey said.

abby.wilt@pepperdine.edu

Mourning Continues Pepperdine holds services for community to mourn the loss of four seniors Design by Will Fallmer

Story by Millie Auchard

Art by Skyler Hawkins

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ilence hung over Pepperdine’s campus following the deaths of four seniors, Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams on Oct. 17. At community events in the days following the tragedy, including The Well on Oct. 18, and a prayer service Oct. 19, crying could be heard from within the quiet crowd.

Since the girls’ deaths, campus groups, including the Student Government Association, the Counseling Center, Panhellenic, RISE and University administration have put on events to honor Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn and support the student body.

“Our community has been shattered,” said junior and Student Body President Michael Sugimoto. “There’s almost an emptiness I feel when walking around campus.”

Sugimoto said he took the lead in hosting a candlelight vigil in honor of the girls Oct. 19, at the Amphitheatre. He said he wanted to give the Pepperdine community a space to gather and grieve.

The most meaningful moment at the event was when students had the opportunity to write notes to the girls on red paper hearts and put the hearts, along with flowers, on A-frame signs, Sugimoto said.

A-frame signs with red paper hearts stand at the Amphitheatre on Oct. 19. At the candlelight vigil in honor of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams, students gathered to grieve. Photo courtesy of Michael Sugimoto SGA has since displayed the signs in front of the Freedom Wall along with bouquets of flowers. Sugimoto said until there is a permanent memorial, the area by the Freedom Wall is serving as a temporary one.

At Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn’s memorial service Oct. 22, President Jim Gash announced the University will place four lights around campus to signify each life lost.

“It’s the combination of this year’s theme, light, and then the tragedy of their [the girls’] lights being put out but not forgotten is kind of the idea,” said Connie Horton, vice president for Student Affairs.

There were a little over 1,000 people in attendance at the vigil, including emergency responders who were on scene at the time of the crash Oct. 17, Sugimoto said.

“It was a super beautiful and unifying time,” Sugimoto said.

Students grieve at the candlelight vigil Oct. 19. First responders who were on scene of the PCH crash Oct. 17, attended the vigil, said junior and Student Body President Mi-

malize feelings of sadness or distraction and recognize grief is non-linear.

She said she encourages the community to use the Counseling Center and other resources such as the Hub for Spiritual Life and RISE throughout this process.

The Counseling Center does not have plans for any special events, Greenhaw said.

She said counselors will continue to provide individual and collective support to students, athletics, fraternities, sororities, classrooms and faculty.

Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn were all members of the Alpha Phi sorority. The fraternities and sororities on campus have come together to support each other and those most affected by the girls’ deaths, Fraternity & Sorority Coordinator Molleigh Pompilio said.

The Sigma Chi fraternity has transformed their philanthropy event to support the girls’ memorial fund, Pompilio said.

Sigma Chi held a live auction and music event Oct. 26, in honor of the girls, Pompilio said. At the event, singers performed the girls’ favorite songs. The proceeds from the live auction went to the families.

Chapters have given gift cards to APhi for them to buy dinner, donated flowers to the sorority and written cards, Pompilio said.

“I’ve worked on numerous college campuses before I came to Pepperdine, and this is the most I’ve ever seen a community really rally

chael Sugimoto. Photo courtesy of Michael Sugimoto SGA is planning a charitable event to support Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn’s memorial fund and to give the community another opportunity to unite, Sugimoto said. More information about this event will be available in the coming weeks.

Throughout this loss, Sugimoto said SGA’s responsibility has been to speak on behalf of the students to the administration. SGA will also be present at the Nov. 6 Malibu City Council meeting to advocate for a safer Pacific Coast Highway, Sugimoto said.

Counselors attended the vigil to support the community, Pepperdine Counselor Sparkle Greenhaw said. She said the Counseling Center volunteered to be available at other campus-wide events, including the memorial service.

“We’ve just been honored to be able to be there in the midst of this horrific loss,” Greenhaw said.

This tragedy has affected the entire community, Greenhaw said. As the community continues to grieve Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn, Greenhaw said it’s important everyone — those close to the girls and those not — nor-

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around one another,” Pompilio said.

Panhellenic has not planned any events for the near future, Pompilio said. They plan to wait to see how the community is feeling before they organize anything.

RISE also does not have plans for future events, Director of RISE Stacey Lee said. Every other week RISE hosts Crafternoons in the Lighthouse, Lee said. The week of Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn’s deaths, Lee said RISE put on an additional Crafternoons event to give the community a chance to come together.

RISE will maintain their bi-weekly Crafternoon sessions and weekly yoga on Alumni Park Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Lee said.

“We want students to utilize our ongoing resources and events in a way that feels right for them,” Lee said.

Although Student Affairs has not planned any more events to honor Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn, Horton said she wants students to know the care they’ve received from the University will not stop.

“They [the memorials] are at that moment in time — they’re a time of reflection. They’re a time for community to gather,” Horton said.

“And that’s not the end of the grief. That’s not the end of the shock. That’s not the end of the need for support.”

Housing and Residence Life’s RA’s and SLA’s have supported students through prayer and by cancelling some events while also hosting spaces for residents and student leaders to be together, Director of Residence Life Maura Page wrote in an Oct. 31 email to the Graphic.

Page wrote HRL will soon transition to larger, more broadly supportive responses for the year ahead. She said she encourages students to reach out to their RA’s, SLA’s or RD’s as they grieve.

“Invite someone into this journey with you,” Page wrote. “You are not alone, and grief impacts everyone differently on different timelines.”

millie.auchard@pepperdine.edu

Grief and Growth Navigating the confusing and painful process of grief through personal experience Design by Will Fallmer

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

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rief is love with nowhere to go.”

I think that saying is true and can be a helpful way to frame it, but I also believe grief encompasses so much more than just love with nowhere to go.

One can define grief as a “deep sorrow, especially that is caused by someone’s death,” according to Oxford Learners Dictionaries. It, unfortunately, is an experience almost every person will have several times in their life.

Grief forces us to consider our own mortality and reflect on the way we have spent our lives thus far. It disrupts the future we were anticipating for ourselves and the people around us.

Grief is uncomfortable, it’s frustrating, it hurts, and once you are in it, it feels impossible to escape.

In my experience grief is not something that suddenly goes away — unlike the way it can occur — but it changes form as we gain distance from the initial instant in which it occurred.

Separate from processing the emotions themselves, which are hard to define and look different for each person, there are several other challenging elements that people face.

In my experience, some of the most common responses are being hard on oneself, lashing out at other people, trying to establish some sense of reality or, if you are watching your friend go through grief, navigating what to do and say.

Grief is messy. When in the thick of grieving, nothing feels normal.

The thoughts and actions one displays may feel inappropriate and illogical. Oftentimes, people are in shock and try to over intellectualize the pain of losing someone, according to Sudden, a grief coping site for those who experience the sudden death of a loved one.

The desire to know the specific details surrounding a loved one’s death can feel erroneous, but one way people often try to cope with loss is to understand every detail of the situation to try to make sense of something that is tragic.

Grief can feel like brain fog. It can feel like everything is fine, and then one small, unrelated thing goes wrong, and all of a sudden, there are distraught feelings.

Grief can feel like irrational anger toward the people around you who don’t seem nearly as affected. It can feel like an unrelenting weight on one’s chest.

All of that is normal even though none of it feels right. Be patient with the rollercoaster of emotions.

I have found it helpful to be gentle in the way I judge my emotions. Grief is just as physical as it is mental as it is emotional. It occupied me in ways I never would have anticipated.

Just as it is important to be patient with oneself, it is important to try to extend empathy toward other people who are also in the midst of grief. Some people are poor communicators.

Others may suddenly need a lot of attention or comfort.

Some may ignore it altogether and continue on as if nothing has happened, and some may cease to function for a considerable amount of time.

Grief is a time to lean into empathy and compassion for others because the reactions that people have are often involuntary.

In the wake of tragedy, one of the best ways to gain a sense of “normalcy” is to strive for routine, whether that is the one that you had prior to a loss or a new one. That can be as simple as waking up at the same time every day and going on a walk with a roommate or friend, returning to a normal class schedule or calling a parent every Sunday morning.

Routines offer stability, which is crucial in times of intense grieving because it connects people to the other areas of our life and can give people a sense of control.

A skill that can often materialize during grief is learning how to self-care. That can be through journaling to release emotions, having a go-to playlist or album that is soothing or discovering a comfort show and snack.

Story by Fiona Creadon

Art by Skyler Hawkins

Learning self-soothing is not a consolation, but it teaches a person about themselves.

If a friend is in the thick of grief, here are some tips: Sometimes, it is as simple as asking what someone may need.

Each person responds differently, and it is impossible to anticipate exactly what someone wants when in times of crisis.

Pay attention to significant dates or important upcoming events. It is easy to set a reminder in Google Calendar to call or text a person on a regular basis or on a specific day that could be particularly challenging.

Take your friend out to dinner or bring them a hot meal. It may seem like a cliche, but one of the first things people neglect when they are mourning is self-care. Taking a task off a friend’s plate can relieve a lot of stress.

An often overlooked effort is simply sitting with a friend and listening. It’s not necessary to know what to say. Many people find comfort in talking through their feelings to someone who is willing to listen.

As we slowly settle into the new reality without our friend or loved one, the next daunting task can be figuring out how to make that person feel close to us. In my experience, the best way to do that is to continue to do the activities you used to do with them.

Whether that is watching a certain movie, going on a specific hiking trail or making that special drink that you enjoyed with them. For a long time, that feels painful, but slowly, it turns into a ritual that can be relied on when the person who has passed feels especially far away.

Another painful but effective way to honor someone who has passed is to continue to talk about them, the things they enjoyed and what their thoughts would be on any given topic. It can make that person feel a part of the present even if they are not physically there.

One of the few areas of grief that is widely talked about is the idea of the five stages of grief.

This phrase can give the impression that the emotions occur consecutively, but oftentimes, this is not the case.

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Unfortunately, with grief, it is usually most accurate to expect the unexpected. No two experiences are identical, and thus, there is not one method that will rid everyone of the heartache.

To any person who finds themselves in the midst of grief right now, I offer my most sincere condolences. Grief is a process with both progress and regression.

Lean on loved ones, determine how to create a sense of stability and try to muster the strength to endure. Additionally, utilize the resources Pepperdine has to offer such as The Counseling Center, if professional help seems beneficial.

fiona.creadon@pepperdine.edu

Community Contributions A message from Associate Vice President of Spiritual Life Tim Spivey Design by Abby Wilt

Contributed by Tim Spivey

fter the on-campus memorial service for Deslyn, Peyton, Asha and Niamh, I went home.

Not the home where I receive my mail and sleep at night. There was another home calling me. Some call it, “church.” That evening, I called it home.

I didn’t go out of obligation or fear. I went because I needed to. My soul needed it —my weary, worn-out soul. Of course, there was a part of me that wanted to go to my physical home, put on some sweatpants, turn on the fireplace and stare into the abyss. But, the part of me that won out wanted to be with my sisters and brothers. I wanted to cling to God with others.

I wanted to hold to His unchanging hand with others because healing happens best together.

I arrived midway through the service at Waves Church in Stauffer Chapel. I got a glance or two indicating surprise I was there, but as I looked around, I saw many others dressed in black who had come straight from the memorial. It seems I wasn’t alone. We know, don’t we, that in such moments, it isn’t good that we should be alone.

Nothing all that flashy happened. Like Christians have done for two thousand years: We sang. We prayed. We heard a sermon. We shared Communion. We shared a meal. We didn’t do anything we don’t do every week. Yet, the beauty of tradition is its “sameness.” We do the same things every week, knowing that every week isn’t the same. That night, I encountered both the Comforter (God’s Spirit), and the Comforted (Church). We need both in tragedy, and God provides for us.

The Apostle Paul put it this way: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and

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Art by Skyler Hawkins

the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.”— 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, NLT I love these verses. They are so honest and so true. They grant the existence of suffering and its intensity, but they also offer a profound word of hope: God hasn’t left us to suffer permanently by ourselves. We heal together. God comforts us so we can comfort others, and He comforts others so they can comfort us. More simply put: God has comforted us so we can comfort one another.

We are among God’s greatest gifts to each other. Many of us have rediscovered this truth in our conversations, hugs, prayers and acts of grace. We’ve been there for one another and have thus offered the comfort God has provided us to our broken-hearted friends. We are one way God comforts the grieving. This is God’s way. Neither grief nor comfort is an, “I/ me,” thing. It’s a, “We/Us” thing.

God’s whole creation was declared good except that man should be alone (Gen. 2:18). We aren’t built to be by ourselves.

So, just as we were broken by this tragedy together, we must heal together — and we will.

Until then: let’s not isolate ourselves or ignore those who isolate themselves. Reach out gently. Be extra gracious. Be extra inclusive, extra kind, extra good, extra available, extra prayerful.

That is how we get through this. By God’s grace, loving one another — and we will heal together.

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Community Contributions A message from University Chaplain Sara Barton Design by Abby Wilt

Contributed by Sara Barton

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rief is destabilizing. And because it’s destabilizing, uncomfortable and a host of other things, we sometimes feel that it is also bad, perhaps something to be ashamed of, or to rush past, or to fix with shallow religious answers. But as uncomfortable and unwelcome as it is, what if grief is the seed of healing? What if seasons of grief are not a sign of a lack of faith but are, in fact, invitations to the healing nature of worship?

During grief, people of faith sometimes struggle to sing or pray during worship services. And that’s OK. It’s important to remember the many forms of worship available to us. There are days when simply being in community is worship. Being alone and silent is worship. Or, simply crying together in God’s presence can be worship.

The Psalms, the prayer and worship book of the Bible, teach us these lessons. On one page, they model joyfully praising God because all seems right in the world, and on the next page, they cry out to God because the world is a harsh place to survive. In times like we are living through at Pepperdine and the wider world, reframing grief as an avenue of worship that brings me comfort, even though it is counterintuitive.

In the Psalms, worship is experienced in both individual and communal forms. And that’s a good lesson for us. Those who loved Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn, either in a deeply personal way or from afar as members of the same community, showed up for them and for each other at one event after another.

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Art by Skyler Hawkins

We lit candles.

We prayed.

We listened to testimonies of parents and friends.

We were silent.

We uttered four-letter words.

We signed petitions.

We cried.

We hiked to the cross.

We hugged.

We shared flowers.

We extended grace in our classrooms.

We wrote our thoughts on hearts.

When our eyes became puffy from crying, when we curled up in a ball at night, when our throats became sore and we had headaches, when anger boiled over in our hearts as we yelled at God — this was all worship.

Many of us couldn’t sing or pray a single word, but nevertheless, like the psalmists, we worshiped. Alone and together, we entered into God’s presence.

As your chaplain, I want to encourage you that you will sing again when you can sing again. You will pray again when you can pray again.

You will hope again when you can hope again. But, in the meantime, love one another.

This is our worship.

A Drawing for You Design, Words and Art by Millie Auchard

As I was trying to understand the loss of these four girls, Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn, I thought expressing myself through art would help with the confusion and grief. I regret that I didn’t know the girls personally, but I feel through drawing each of them I got to know them a little better. I learned about Niamh’s big, beautiful smile.

I met Asha’s whimsical poetry, which is pictured in the drawing. I saw Deslyn’s golden light. I related to Peyton’s love for shopping. I am deeply saddened by the loss of these girls and wanted to offer something to the friends and family of Niamh, Peyton, Asha and Deslyn. This drawing is for you.

millie.auchard@pepperdine.edu

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Community Contributions London program remembers Asha and Peyton Design by Will Fallmer

Contributed by Jenny Ryan & Cambry Pardee

Art by Skyler Hawkins

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sha was in our Spring 2022 programme during her sophomore year, and then she came back to London this past summer to participate in our Internship programme. I always love having returning students, but it was especially nice this year because I had just stepped up as Interim Director, and having a few familiar faces around me was really reassuring. Asha was supportive as I made the transition into my new role, and she was instrumental in helping the summer students adjust to life in London. As a fellow Brit herself, having spent much of her early childhood in Northern Ireland, she was familiar with British culture. She helped the other students find where to buy the best cups of tea, and she brought them up to speed on linguistic differences and our infamous sarcasm.

Asha was friendly and gracious to everyone and a popular member of the London programme. I remember this summer sitting over Group Dinner with Asha happily discussing Abbie’s upcoming wedding and Briana’s post-grad plans. She took a keen interest in all her friends’ lives, whether it was sharing in their joy or supporting them through harder times. She loved to travel, and she took her friends across the Irish Sea one weekend to stay with her relatives.

Asha interned with a fashion designer in London this summer. She came home each day full of enthusiasm about how friendly everyone was and how interesting and fun she was finding the work. Her supervisor told me that they were hoping that she would come back and work for them full-time after she graduated. She said that Asha had so much potential in the fashion world and that her talent, combined with her calm and sweet-natured energy, would be a powerful combination in this industry. The last text messages I exchanged with Asha were about how excited she was to spend time in London again in the future. I wish so, so much that she had had time to fulfill all her hopes and dreams.

She will forever be a cherished member of our London family.

Jenny Ryan Interim Director, London Program

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eyton was a delight to have in the London Program. As a student, she was diligent and engaged. As a friend, she was kind and devoted. Her friends adored her, and she cherished them. Peyton was good at balancing her dedication to school with her ambition to travel, find adventure and form lifelong relationships. In the London Program, we talk a lot about the journey of life and what it means to sojourn in foreign lands, to become a guest in another’s country and to walk in a stranger’s shoes. We call it the Right to Roam. Peyton certainly roamed well while she was with us, traveling here, there and everywhere. But Peyton also roamed the deeper pathways of faith. I remember that Peyton came on our spiritual retreat to the English countryside. Our topic that year was discernment: how can we know what God is calling us to, and how can we learn to listen? Peyton contributed to the depth of our discussions about what it means to follow God’s direction and to live fully in God’s presence and calling. During the retreat, we all sat around the campfire late into the night laughing, asking questions, telling stories and sharing life with one another. I remember Peyton now as she was then: a vibrant, loving, generous personality. We will remember Peyton for many years to come in the London Program, and her memory will be a blessing.

Cambry Pardee Visting Assistant Professor of Religion & Director of Spiritual Life, London Program

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A World Without You: Written For Asha Weir Art+Design by Skyler Hawkins

Poem by Emma Ibarra

moments i’m alone, left to my own,

every time i choose tea instead of coffee,

i get visions of you — your face, your voice, your love.

or the way your loopy handwriting sat so well on the pages in books that remember you best.

how close your heart was to your head and how you took every situation with a teaspoon of level-headedness.

i hope you live on in your literature. you were nothing if not a writer.

there’s a jack-o’-lantern head covering the 76 gas station sign off sunset.

i’ll remember you for your wisdom, for your words.

i drive to class, hoping to see you on the way to meet me, sipping tea.

how lucky the world was to have you. you mystified me & yet you were nothing but open & honest.

from sophomore language theory to senior rhetorical analysts.

always said what i was thinking, but in a better way than i ever could’ve figured out.

we grew as girls & storytellers together, the first to befriend me, we divulged on lana del rey’s lyrics & our mutual love of poetry,

there was never envy, just kindness.

so i never thought you wouldn’t be there when you always were.

my emotions come in like the ocean.

three hours every wednesday normally carved out for you.

but thankfully the beach brings me back to you.

we would talk about femininity & community & rhetorical space in our space.

so i can still see you when i want,

it’s felt so odd without you there this time.

in the white foamy waves that froth alongside Point Dume,

it’s the week after, so we trudge on in your honor.

since after all, the sand still holds memories of you.

but i think about you so much.

i just hope the world remembers you too.

Asha’s Favorite Poem, Contributed by Cate Ruiz The Orange Wendy Cope At lunchtime I bought a huge orange The size of it made us all laugh.

I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave --They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange it made me so happy, As ordinary things often do Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park This is the peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.

I did all my jobs on my list And enjoyed them and had some time over.

I love you. Im glad I exist.

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A Letter to Asha Community remembers a bright light Design by Will Fallmer

Art by Skyler Hawkins

My Dearest Asha, I find myself sitting down to write this letter, my heart heavy with the void your absence has left in my life and in our beloved Alpha Phi sisterhood. I miss you more than words can express, and it’s been a journey of profound sorrow and reflection since that fateful day when you were taken from us far too soon.

Though you’re no longer with us in the physical sense, your spirit is very much alive in our hearts. You live on through the joy we shared, the tears we wiped away and the profound impact you had on each of our lives. We honor you by living our lives to the fullest, just as you did, and by striving to carry forward the love and compassion that you so beautifully embodied.

Asha, until the day we reunite, may you rest in peace, You were not just my big sister in Alpha Phi; you were basking in the warmth and light of Heaven. You are cona guiding light in my life. Your laughter, your wisdom and stantly in my thoughts and in my heart. I’ll never stop missyour unwavering support were constants that I cherished. ing you and cherishing the moments we had together.

Your presence could brighten even the darkest of days, and now that radiance is an irreplaceable loss.

With all my love and an ache that will never fade, The tragic accident that claimed your life has left a wound that may never fully heal. I often find myself reminiscing about the beautiful moments we shared — the laughter, the tears and the bond that defined our time together.

- Mackenzie Grace

Your radiant smile, your warmth and your unwavering friendship are deeply missed, not just by me but by all of us who had the privilege of knowing you. Asha, the depth of your absence is immeasurable.

But in the memories we hold dear, you continue to inspire us. Your kindness, strength and love continue to live on, serving as a testament to the remarkable person you were.

We find solace and strength in the beautiful memories we shared with you.

Poems Contributed by Melissa Jolley

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Community Contributions A letter for Peyton Stewart Design by Yamillah Hurtado

Contributed by Seaver Career Center

Art by Skyler Hawkins

P

eyton was a bright light, full of life and dreams. Her unexpected passing left a void in our hearts in the Career Center as we had all shared special moments with her during our time together. Peyton was such a sweet person. She was very friendly, helpful and kind to all that she encountered. She was a great student employee and a joy to have as part of our team.

There was so much care in her work as a career ambassador, and she desired to help each person that she came across, even working overtime to ensure that they accomplished their goals.

Peyton would share memories from studying abroad in London, her fashion inspirations, her love for her family and her hopes of one day making a significant impact in the world of fashion. She also shared her excitement about her plans after graduation in the spring. Peyton hoped to receive a full-time offer from TikTok after interning there this summer, where she believed she could blend her interest in fashion with social media, technology and creativity. Peyton’s ambition was equally matched with her dedication to serving those around her. Her radiant smile, calm disposition and inspirational outlook on life have left the Career Center a little dimmer in her absence. There is no doubt that she would have achieved all of the goals she set for herself. Our time with Peyton was an absolute blessing.

As we remember Peyton, we will remember she was a student with a heart full of ambition and a spirit full of life, ready to conquer the world. We truly enjoyed getting to spend time with her.

We will miss her dearly yet will always remember the funny banter, jokes and meaningful conversations that we shared. We take comfort in knowing that, even though her journey was cut short, her memory will continue to inspire us.

Contributors include Madelline Abourched, Marla Pontrelli, Maile Hetherington, Charlee Rae Bender, Christine Gist, Lauren Alvarado McGrath, Mia Islas, Khadijah Ojo 27

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Community Contributions Asha Weir Tribute Design by Yamillah Hurtado

Contributed by Theresa Flynn

Art by Skyler Hawkins

W

hen you teach, especially as you age, you begin to view your students as your “extra” children. You have them for a short time, and your job is to get them prepared for the world before they fly the coop. I had only a short time with Asha Weir, but she made a huge impact on me for many reasons. I’m not sure how well I prepared her for the world, but she made me rethink the way that I see life and relationships.

Asha Weir is one of those people who effortlessly made an indelible mark on my soul. When I think of Asha, I liken her to a delicate bird. She was petite yet strong. She was not afraid to be vulnerable, and this, in part, is why she was such a good writer. She would bare her soul through writing. It was her medicine.

Last fall, I had Asha in my ENG 328 Style and Editing class. In this class, I worked closely with my students to help them develop their own unique writing styles. The students wrote many personal essays, and the salient feature of nearly all of Asha’s writing was her deep admiration and love for her mother. In one of the first pieces she wrote for my class about her being a “big sister,” she begins with this caveat: “Mothers are heroes. Nothing said below is an attempt to undermine the world’s hardest job of being a mother. But, I’m saving that story for another day. Let me tell you about being a big sister.” It wasn’t until I went back and looked at her writing that I realized just how much Asha’s mother arose in nearly every piece of writing she submitted.

In fact, it was not just Asha’s own mother who she admired. She had deep respect for all mothers. In one piece she wrote, she reflected on the period in her life where she worked as a part-time nanny for a family in the Pacific Palisades. She described Maud, the French-born mother of two children, as a devoted career mother. “She was a worrier,” she wrote. “I remember one day after I had really gotten close to the two girls, I asked Maud if I could take them out for a girl’s day. It was nothing crazy, I just thought it would be fun to go into Palisades village, grab lunch, shop at Brandy Melville and let them talk about whatever they couldn’t with their mother. Maud must have texted me every ten minutes asking if we were okay. If we had enough money. Where we were. I eventually just shared my location with her to ease her nerves.” She wrote this with great sensitivity and admiration for a woman who found it hard to enjoy the respite of a day without her children because she loved them so desperately. Asha loved Maud — most of all, I think, because she was such a good mother.

In another piece Asha wrote for my class, she described her mother as “the world’s most beautiful, kindest and warmest woman.” It wasn’t long before I could see a theme developing in her writing.

When asked to write about herself in one assignment, Asha described herself as a “people-pleaser,” saying “I’ll do what I have to to make you smile. I like to make sure people don’t leave their time with me feeling anything but content. No negativity. I’ll give you a ride, even if I have no gas and I’m not even going where you are. I won’t ask you to pay me back for your coffee because, hey, it’s just five dollars. I’ll always check in on you, even if you’ve never once asked me how I’m doing. Oh, and I’ll text you back really quickly so you don’t wonder if you’re annoying me the same way I wonder that often. I don’t know if this is really good. It’s really tiring. Sometimes, it’s like pouring from an empty cup. But, on good days, the cup is overflowing, so I have lots to give.”

I learned so much about Asha from her writing. She grew up in Ireland. When she was just ten years old, she moved from Dublin to Pennsylvania when her father landed a new job in America. She had lived a sheltered life until then. She recalled her trepidations. “I pictured what my new school would be like and what I would wear. What would I wear? I had only ever worn a uniform, and I knew American kids got to wear their own clothes to school.” But she didn’t let the details dampen her spirit. “I,” she wrote, “little Asha from Northern Ireland, was going to live in America!” But on her first day, she was prompted by her teacher to introduce herself. “I said my name and where I was from and sat back down next to my new classmates.

Then, from across the room, I watched as a hand went up into the air then slowly pointed down towards me as Hunter said, “I can’t understand her!” She realized that her accent made her unintelligible to the class, even though they all spoke English.

With due haste, she adjusted her speech, writing, “I mimicked the way my classmates spoke, in hopes it would be enough for them to hear me. When I read the last word on the page, I waited to see a hand fly up into the air and fall back down

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shiny black shoes.” She wrote fondly about her early, simpler days, “walking down the road to the stables to ride (her) amber gold pony, Beth Anne… eating Cadbury chocolate bars in the back of (her) mother’s car as she drove Michael and me home from school … laughing and yelling loudly on the playground after lunch, not concerned at all about how (she) sounded.”

Asha’s life was revealed in her writing. In one assignment, she wrote about her favorite Taylor Swift song called “Marjorie,” which she said “put into words everything I felt about my grandma, or ‘Nanny,’ as I called her. In the past three years, my mom and I have grown so close. We have an unbreakable bond. She often tells me, on the days when the only thing that can heal someone’s pain is a mother’s love, that she thinks my nanny would be so proud of me. I choke up thinking about that because, growing up, I remember the times I had a tantrum when I didn’t want to go to Nanny and Papa’s house.

Or, when Nanny would try and teach me a lesson for being a little brat, and again, I’d throw back some sass and attitude at her. But, I also remember the days we would go to the beach — the freezing, north Atlantic ocean would wash over our feet, and I would insist on going in. She always went in with me and played with me even when we were turning blue. She was young, fun, kind, wise, selfless and the embodiment of love.” About Tayor Swift’s song “Marjorie,” Asha wrote: “My nanny was a remarkably strong and kind woman,

and this song takes me away back to my childhood and lets me be in her house.

I am running down the halls, watching TV, being pushed on the swing, and I am with my nanny. I know she is still here, always looking out for me.

once, and we knew we would have to support ourselves financially. We did it anyway. Somehow, someway, we managed to make it work. We signed the lease on an apartment in Calabasas and were set to head to California on January 1. When she and her mother Asha’s life story concludes with her arrived at LAX, it was an emotional life at Pepperdine. moment. Asha writes that she immediately started crying and would never Asha’s family was so important to forget what her mother said to her: her, and she missed them terribly, “Go and be great. This is your new being so far away from home. But beginning.” She concluded this last Pepperdine was another home for essay with these words: “I’m writing Asha. She recalls getting accepted into this not because it was the most painful her “dream school,” Pepperdine. She experience of my life but because so wrote, “I could not wait to be in Calimany things happened, and each time, fornia. The promise of blue waves and I thought I couldn’t keep going. I saw golden skies got me through the long, each event as a setback. I was down hard months at the onset of COVID. and feeling sorry for myself, when all The world was healing, though, and along, even in the midst of the pain I I knew I would make it to California was feeling, these were truly opportuin August. But, I was wrong. I got the nities. I haven’t taken the time to thank email saying school would begin online, myself for persevering, so that is what and I broke down. I needed a break. I this is, Asha: a reminder that you have had waited long enough. I was ready to done this, you can do this and you will go. The months to follow would be just continue to do this. ‘This’ being life, of like the ones before. Hours alone in my course.” room on Zoom.” But Asha took charge of her life. “By mid-fall, I grew tired of feeling sorry for myself. I was going to change this. I started working overtime, saving every penny I could. California was calling me. I reached out to the one person I knew who would also be attending Pepperdine, and I took a huge risk in asking her if she wanted to move to Malibu with me. We had no idea if school would be online or in person in the spring; we barely knew each other; we had each only been to California

To Asha Design by Yamillah Hurtado

T

Contributed by Briana Labe

here are not many words to describe a loss like this or a soul this pure. But here is my best shot: Asha was everything kind in the world. Asha was the most thoughtful human being I have ever met. She was my rock and human GPS in our time abroad together in London. She was someone who became very close to me very fast. We visited her hometown in Ireland together, one of her happy places where she showed our sweet friend Abbie and I around. Asha never fails to make those around her, especially those close to her, feel loved and seen. She will always be

Art by Skyler Hawkins

the best person to ask for advice, a shoulder to cry on and the best heart. Asha was the kind of friend who would text and ask you how your day was, always call on your birthday, and go the extra mile for any small or big favor you ask. I love you, Asha, forever. I will never forget everything you did for me & all of the times you checked in on me just to see how I was.

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PCH Memorial A photo of bouquets of flowers left to commemorate Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. This photo was taken at the crash site on PCH on Oct. 19.

Photo by Abby Wilt

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Community Contribution Senior Mia Earls created this art of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. Earls thanked APhi for uniting her and the girls in “sisterhood and love,” according to her Oct. 25 Instagram post.

Art by Mia Earls

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Students at Abilene Christian University sent hand-written notes to express their support for the Pepperdine community.

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Write Your Own Memories of Asha, Deslyn, Niamh and Peyton

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“‘We’re here to remember well the lives of who my wife affectionately calls,

‘Our Girls.’”

- Eric Wilson, lead minister of the University Church of Christ, at the Oct. 22 Pepperdine memorial service.