Pepperdine Graphic 10-8-2021

THE PEPPERDINE GRAPHIC VOLUME LI | ISSUE 5 | OCTOBER 8, 2021 | PEPPERDINE-GRAPHIC.COM | FOLLOW US @PEPPGRAPHIC

ANTI-ABORTION FREEDOM WALL DISPLAY CREATES DISCOURSE “First and foremost, tion to the 62 million we wanted to call attenfuture and a life that human beings who had a — Pepperdine Colle was ended by abortion.” ge Republicans

dents passing the Freedom Wall last week, all contesting the same issue: abortion. The signs covered the expanse of the corkboard and trickled off onto the wall below, creating a gallery of student opinions and rebuttals.

Pepperdine College Republicans put up an anti-abortion display Sept. 28, on Pepperdine’s Freedom Wall. Shortly after, other students, many of whom disagreed, covered this display with abortion-rights messages. PCR club members and other students engaged in dialogue and argument regarding the Freedom Wall, culminating in

SAMANTHA TORRE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Editor’s Note: Pepperdine Graphic Media uses AP style to avoid bias and be consistent in language, as well as to follow other professional news organizations. AP style has the following rules for reporting on abortion, which will be used throughout this article. “Pro-life” will be denoted as “anti-abortion,” and “pro-choice” will be denoted as “abortion-rights,” unless in quotes or proper names.

A collection of signs and symbols greeted stu-

DESIGN BY ALI LEVENS | CREATIVE DIRECTOR

THE WAVES REPORT

DPS eventually appearing on the scene.

First-year student Peter Briggs said he appreciated the ability to have conversation, though he wished there was a way to have discussions that did not result in hurt.

“I was hearing people saying that this was an improper use of the Freedom Wall,” Briggs said.

“And it doesn’t feel like that. I feel like this was a really productive and really stimulating use of the Freedom Wall, but that led to a very real experience on Pepperdine campus.”

SEE ONLINE RESOURCES | B3

The three developments of the Freedom Wall, on Sept. 28, detail a Pepperdine College Republicans anti-abortion stance, an abortion-rights response and then removed signage.

PHOTOS BY ANITIZ MUONAGOLU | PERSPECTIVES EDITOR AND SAMANTHA TORRE | ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

W H AT ’ S AHE A D

e only le — if that was ths that op pe t an w ’t dn di “I ey had with Jesu experience that th em to know that is not a day — I just want th hat I believe Jesus is and representation of would be.” what a Christian sh — Ashtyn Adams

“The Freedom Wall is a venue for individual members of the community to respectfully express themselves and may not be used by organizations for advertising.”

— Pepperdine Organization Handbook

NE WS

PE R S PE C TI VE S

LI FE & ART S

SP O RT S

large A4- Historically recruitment pool reflect

A5-

Try your luck at the Graphic Cypher, Waves Weekend Edition.

students adopt plantB1- Pepp based diets.

star and Seaver B5- Volleyball alumna Kim Hill reflects

welcomes an LA A6- ICA Times Latino journalist

A8-

Guest Contributor Hope Lockwood writes an open letter regarding antiabortion dialogue

professor opens verdant B3- Art art gallery in Venice, Calif.

Recreation will B7- Campus open a new fitness center

on their experiences in FSL recruitment.

to speak in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

FRI: 1-2 F

SAT: 1-2 FT

SUN: 1-2 FT

MON: 1-2 FT

on the Olympics.

by end of 2021.

TUES: 1-2+ FT

(DEEPSWELL.COM)

A2

O C TO B E R 8, 2 0 2 1 | N E W S | PE PPE RDINE G R A P H I C M E D I A

Good News: Friends and food

THE DPS REPORTS

CHECK OUT PEPPERDINE.EDU/PUBLICSAFETY FOR THE WEEKLY DPS REPORTS

1

9/27/21 12:45 a.m.

Crime: Traffic Related Hit and Run, Non-Injury Accident Location: George Page Residential Complex

3

LIZA ESQUIBIAS NEWS ASSISTANT

LIZA.ESQUIBIAS@PEPPERDINE.EDU

2

10/1/21 8:54 a.m.

Crime: Larceny/Theft Grand Theft of Property Location: Hubert Eaton House

10/3/21 9:49 a.m.

Crime: Traffic Related Hit and Run, Non-Injury Accident Location: Keck Science Center

THIS WEEK IN SGA

THIS WEEK IN SGA

1

SGA discussed ways to moderate the Freedom Wall and ensure students can express their opinions.

2 3

SGA discussed the possibility of providing Seaver students with an opportunity to attend a workshop that teaches them how to write resolutions.

U PC OMING E VE N TS MON

TUES

WED

NO E VENTS SCHEDULED

WHAT: Guitar Concer t #2 WHERE: Sur fboard Room WHEN: 5 p.m.

HOST: Pepperdine Music D epar tment

WHAT: Negotiation Fundamentals Workshop WHERE: Biggers Cour tyard WHEN: Noon HOST: Straus Institute

12

11

THURS

13

14

WHAT: Ballet X WHERE: Smothers Theatre WHEN: 8 p.m.

HOST: Center for the Ar ts

FRI 15

NO E VENTS SCHEDULED

WHAT: D ance in Flight Community Class WHERE: Fitness Studio WHEN: 7 p.m.

HOST: D ance in Flight

COVID-19 numbers and new guidelines

During my short time living at Pepperdine, I found the combination of food and friends is a major source of joy in my life.

I am lucky to have a kitchen now, but I did not have one for the first few weeks of school. I do secretly miss the chaos of figuring out how to cook pasta in the microwave and mastering the perfect peanut butter sandwich.

Food bonds us. When I moved into my new apartment, the first meal I cooked was for me and my News editor, Emily, whom I barely knew. I undercooked the pasta and used canned sauce, but she still said it was good, and we ended up talking for hours.

Now, she is one of my closest friends.

This past week, I had eight of my friends over for a family dinner. Earlier that day, I went to the farmer’s market and bought handmade pasta, basil, pine nuts and garlic to make pesto. I saw a bin of French baguettes by the flower stand and purchased two, which I made into garlic crisps, topped with freshly picked tomatoes.

Five hours and a sink full of dishes later, there we were — all of us on my floor — eating overfilled plates of pasta and snacking on chocolate like we have known each other forever.

During this dinner, I found out our Perspectives editor, Anitiz, is younger than me even though he is a junior and I am a sophomore. I love that — and I would not have known if we did not have that dinner together.

Our Life and Arts editor, Beth, brought peanut butter cookies her mom made, and I have had one with my lunch every day since.

And to answer everyone’s question — yes, all my friends are from the Graphic, and they bring me an incredible amount of joy.

The food that brings a smile to my face is not always particularly special.

The wraps I put together with everything in my fridge when I am running late for class are so exciting. The Italian dinner that takes me all day to make for my friends is tiring but thrilling.

As much as I complain about the Caf food and having to eat premade Starbucks sandwiches when I am too lazy to walk up the hill to my apartment, I find joy in that too. I have had some deep conversations waiting 30 minutes for my toasted bagel and green tea at lunch hour.

Food at college has given me an unexpected creative outlet and allowed me to bond with people. I now have a running invitation for Sunday night dinners, because food brings us together, and together we bring out the best in each other. There is nothing that makes my heart happier.

TWEETS AND MEMES OF THE WEEK

Pepperdine

Malibu

California

United States

cases*

cases

cases

cases

deaths*

deaths

deaths

deaths

86 656 4.5M 43.9M ZERO 10 69K 704K 87%

students vaccinated

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

Oct. 6 | Unvaccinated community members identified as close contacts only need to isolate for 5-7 days, per LA County guidance released.

*Numbers since Aug. 1

Subscribe to thepeppgraphic// PLUG The // PLUG IN: IN:Graphic FOLLOW Pixel Newsletter ( S c a n a n d s c ro l l to th e b o tto m o f th e p a ge)

The Gra peppgraphic

@PEPPNEWSWAVES

A3

OC TO B E R 8, 2 0 2 1 | N E W S | PE PPE RDIN E G R A PHI C M E D I A Students post their opinions on the Freedom Wall outside the TCC. The wall changed over the course of the day, as more students added postings. Students' ranged from postings regarding female anatomy to quotes from public figures and spreading the word about a Malibu Sister's March.

(LEFT) ANITIZ MUONAGOLU | PERSPECTIVES EDITOR (RIGHT & MIDDLE) SAMANTHA TORRE | ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

DISCOURSE: Students react to PCR FROM A1 A Timeline of Events Before 8 p.m., on Sept. 28, the PCR displayed an anti-abortion statement on the Freedom Wall.

Around 11 a.m., on Sept. 29, senior Ashtyn Adams posted an abortion-rights sign on the Freedom Wall, next to the PCR’s display.

Sometime before 1 p.m., DPS arrived on scene, where students crowded around the wall.

At approximately 3 p.m., students began hanging more abortion-rights signs. Students hung more signs advocating for abortion rights at 11 p.m.

Pepperdine College Make a Statement

Republicans

The PCR intended for the Freedom Wall posting to act as a memorial and reveal the “magnitude of the atrocity” of abortion, the PCR club wrote in an Oct. 2 email to the Graphic.

“First and foremost, we wanted to call attention to the 62 million human beings who had a future and a life that was ended by abortion,” wrote the PCR in the email to the Graphic. “We’re proud that our membership is dedicated to advocating for the right to life and with well over a hundred members, we encourage those who believe in conservative principles to join us as many already have since we posted our memorial.”

The PCR received its data for the display from the National Right To Life Committee, according to the Freedom Wall; however, the NRLC was unable to gather numbers from several states and relies on voluntary reporting, some of which is not collected every year, so the validity of the numbers cannot be verified.

The PCR wrote the posting was well-timed because of the passing of anti-abortion laws in Texas in May and the U.S. Supreme Court’s scheduled hearing of a Mississippi law that contests Roe v. Wade — a 1973 SCOTUS case that made abortion legal within the U.S. “It’s unfortunate that, instead of engaging in respectful conversation, some on our campus decided to desecrate a memorial to 62 million aborted babies by obscuring our message with feminine hygiene products, by turning crosses upside down, tearing down crosses and resorting to tired slogans that are incapable of refuting the scientific and religious fact that a fetus — with its own

beating heart, brain, nervous system, DNA, and soul — is a human life worthy of protection,” wrote the PCR in the email.

The Young Americans for Freedom organization offered support for the PCR after viewing videos of the conflict at the Freedom Wall on social media, the PCR wrote.

“We are now calling on President [Jim] Gash and Pepperdine administration to offer a public statement in support of Christian and conservative students whose voices have been suppressed and disrespected,” wrote the PCR. “Silence will only reaffirm the concerns of students, faculty, alumni, and donors who already fear that Pepperdine is straying from its Christian mission.”

Fox News and YAF used students’ videos of the Freedom Wall, which students had posted to social media, to report on the discourse. YAF expressed support for the PCR, and Fox News received a statement from the University.

The statement from Pepperdine reads, “Pepperdine University is committed to free, open, and respectful speech on our campus, a commitment that is rooted in our Christian mission and ethos. We affirm that truth has nothing to fear from investigation.

Thus, we believe that public debate on topics important to a free society is enhanced when members of our community freely and respectfully express their viewpoints.”

Student Reacts to Anti-Abortion Display Adams said, while passing the display, the crosses and dark colors used in the sign grabbed her attention, making her pause. When taking a moment, Adams said she watched other women walk past the sign.

“I could physically see them look at the sign and saw the complete shift in body language, and you could see the hurt in them and almost the shame that was just radiating off of it,” Adams said.

When Adams first saw the Freedom Wall, the only messages on it were those belonging to the PCR’s display. For Adams, the cross is symbolic of God’s love, and the PCR’s usage of the cross in this display was “painful and hurtful,” Adams said.

“There was no room for anyone else’s opinions or thoughts, and it was clearly not supposed to be something that’s a dialogue but something to shame people, to scare them,” Adams said.

Adams was one of the first students to post on the Freedom Wall in response to the PCR’s display.

“I didn’t want people — if that was the only experience that they had with Jesus that day — I just want them to know that is not a representation of what I believe Jesus is and what a Christian should be,” Adams said. “I also didn’t want people who were prochoice to feel alone.”

Out of respect, Adams said, she did not take down any part of the PCR display; rather, she found an empty space in the margins of the Freedom Wall. Adams put up a quote from Ruth Bader Ginsburg because she said it spoke on women’s dignity and choice.

“It was scary for me,” Adams said.

“I’ve never put anything up on the Freedom Wall before, and I felt alone since nothing else was up there and I was by myself, and the only people I could see were groups of guys by this little rock just staring at me.”

Adams said she spent the rest of the day in her dorm and received messages from students, telling her that her post inspired them. Although she appreciated the responses, Adams said she did not intend to contribute to the ensuing conflict at the wall that later occurred.

Students Engage In Discourse at The Freedom Wall Junior Philip Young said he arrived to the Freedom Wall at 7 p.m., on Sept. 27 and watched the PCR put up the display, and he returned the next day.

“I find abortion personally horrifying,” Young said. “And so I was certainly horrified by the statistic that was demonstrated in that post, but it didn’t cause me to believe that abortion should be illegal.”

At the wall, Young said he did not post or take down anything, but he did engage in conversation with other students.

“I’m glad that an activism project was pursued that could result in increased conversation, although I would prefer to pursue tactics that are maybe a little more persuasive in nature,” Young said.

Briggs said he first saw the Freedom Wall around 10 a.m., when he noticed a large group of students standing around the board. Briggs said he visited the display periodically throughout the day.

“At the beginning, I took some crosses down because, in that moment of anger, I felt like this campus would be better if this was not here,” Briggs said.

As the day went on, Briggs said he saw protest turn into conversation between students. Briggs said he supports abortion-rights and engaged with other students on whether the display on the wall was reasonable, as well as the mo-

rality of abortion.

First-year student Gia DaSilva said she first saw the Freedom Wall around 1 p.m., during a break in her class. Her experience at the wall, DaSilva said, was confrontational, especially when she returned later at night, when members of the PCR argued with and filmed DaSilva as she posted signs.

DaSilva put signs on the Freedom Wall to raise awareness for the Oct. 2 Sisters March, and unknown individuals later took down her signs. DaSilva said she learned about the march in her Social Action and Justice colloquium class.

“I didn’t want to put anything degrading to the other side’s opinion — personally, to me, it’s not an opinion, because human rights can’t be an opinion,” DaSilva said. “However, I understand that some people may not see it that way, so I didn’t want to put anything crude or anything that they could use against us.”

Senior Vanessa Aguayo said she and senior Andy Fest arrived at the Freedom Wall between 2 to 3 p.m. Aguayo said she saw postings about the wall on social media, and Fest and she decided to see and make postings for themselves.

Fest said when Aguayo and he arrived, members of the PCR stood near the wall. Soon after, more students gathered and engaged the PCR in discussion, which became “heated,” Fest said.

Junior Hope Lockwood said they went to the Freedom Wall after their friends messaged them about the content posted. Lockwood said they decided to print a quote from a pro-choice Methodist preacher to post on the wall.

Lockwood said they stand by their actions at the Freedom Wall, which include posting abortion-rights signs and removing crosses from the Freedom Wall.

“That was something that made me feel unsafe; it was something that made me and my friends feel unsafe; it seemed very ignorant,” Lockwood said.

“And hateful isn’t the right word, but it just seemed ignorant and mean spirited to have that up, and my friends and I were like, ‘Well, if it’s bothering us, we can do something about it.’”

Doug Hurley, assistant dean of Student Affairs, did not respond to request for comment about the rules of the Freedom Wall.

SAM.TORRE@PEPPERDINE.EDU

A4

OC TO B E R 8, 2 0 2 1 | N E W S | PE PPE RDINE G R A PH I C M E D I A

FSL recruitment size sets new record LIZA ESQUIBIAS NEWS ASSISTANT In the first in-person fraternity and sorority recruitment since spring 2020, students participated in events and activities that lead them to the sorority or fraternity fit for them. Every student had unique experiences and expectations of recruitment, and many ran into both emotional obstacles and pleasant surprises along the way.

In the final two weeks of September, students dressed in their favorite attire — and mask — and put their best foot forward, preparing themselves to open the bid letter to join a fraternity or sorority they had been waiting so long for.

This fall, 566 total students registered for recruitment — the largest number in Pepperdine history, said Allison Green, assistant director of Student Activities. Many students, such as sophomores Sasha Amirmokri and Fabrizio Gamboa, said they waited for campus to open this semester to participate in FSL activities in person.

First-year student Aidan Hulbert said the recruitment process was stressful and at times overwhelming, but what was worth it to him was finding the FSL organization that will welcome him for life.

“My expectations were definitely met,” Hulbert said.

“I expected that it would be busy, and I’d be meeting a lot of people, and it definitely was busy, at least for me. But you can make a rush [recruitment] what you want it to be.”

Green said there were a record-breaking 387 potential new members registered for Panhellenic Recruitment this semester — a steep incline from the normal range of 270 to 300. In addition, she said this was the best year for retention in sorority recruitment at Pepperdine.

“We really saw a collective PNM attitude of, ‘I want to be involved, I want to find community, I want to be a part of a sorority no matter the letters,’” Green said. “So that was really awesome to see.”

Sorority recruitment was five days long, consisting of an orientation, a seven-hour Zoom open house, two days of sisterhood events where students met each sorority, preference day and bid night.

Each of these days required attendance and offered opportunities for students to get to know active members from each sorority, as well as learn what Panhellenic is about, Amirmokri said.

Amirmokri said recruitment was an emotional and tiring experience that did not meet her expectations. After waiting a year to join a sorority, she said she got dropped from five of the seven chapters during recruitment, which she

PHOTO COURTESY OF SASHA AMIRMOKRI New members of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority gather for the first time on bid night, Sept. 20, at Firestone Fieldhouse. After five days of recruitment, students received a letter naming which sorority, if any, chose them. said put a damper on the rest of the recruitment process.

“It was rough that second day because I tried so hard the first day to be me,” Amirmokri said. “It made it really hard to look at the sororities who didn’t want me back in a positive way — and I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect not getting called back to a sorority affecting me as much as it did.”

Ultimately, Amirmokri got a bid to Kappa Alpha Theta, her top choice of the two that initially chose her after going through sisterhood rounds.

She said she felt a huge sense of relief to finally be part of a group that welcomed and accepted her.

“I got super excited that I got into that one,” Amirmokri said. “Since that moment of opening the card, it’s been an amazing experience. It was just prior to opening the card that said what I got into that I was so stressed out.”

Junior Ava Avolio is a member of Gamma Phi Beta and was a Rho Gamma — someone who is already a member of a sorority and acts as a guide for PNMs during recruitment — during recruitment this year. Avolio said being able to support women through each phase was rewarding.

When she was a first-year student, Avolio said she felt lost and out of sync with other students during recruitment.

This year, Avolio wanted to help potential new members who felt confused navigate the process.

“I wanted to be an outlet to help other people that may have been in a similar situation I was in,” Avolio said.

Avolio said she held concerns with the open house being online. Avolio thought recruitment would kick off on an awkward note and con-

nections would be difficult to forage. Once the night was over, she said she’d been proven wrong and was happy that friendships were made just as they would have been in person.

Green — who refers to herself as the “informal fraternity and sorority adviser” — said with open house being the largest student event of recruitment, the decision was made to hold it over Zoom to avoid over-filling classrooms.

The rest of the activities took place outdoors for COVID-19 safety reasons, Green said, but that shift may be permanent after the University saw the benefits of having more open space and fresh air during long days and nights of close-contact activities.

The most difficult part of recruitment, Amirmokri said, was seeing how recruitment negatively impacted some women. Though her experience was hard, she said she is grateful she got a bid in the end.

There is common belief among Pepperdine students that “no sister is left behind,” Amirmokri said. There is not, however, a basis for this idea, Green said, and these unrealistic expectations consistently cause heightened reactions.

“It is probably problematic in general for there to be this verbal thing that gets shared that everyone’s guaranteed a bid,” Green said. “That has never been the case, and that’s not the case.”

Some students decided to begin recruitment only intending to pledge if they get a bid to one specific sorority, Green said. She said because of that, six people were not given invitations. Others were uninvited for various reasons, she said, but that relates to private discussions happening

within chapters.

As an adviser for FSL, Green said she follows up with those who are not given bids to let them know of other opportunities to participate in recruitment again or answer any questions they may have about social life at Pepperdine.

“Being in a sorority or fraternity isn’t the only way to have a social network or to have friends,” Green said. “So I want to make sure that they are connected on campus.”

Recruitment for fraternities has fewer rules and requirements compared to sororities, Green said. It is also a 10-day experience, with bids going out on the 11th morning — double the amount of time women spend in recruitment, Green said.

The North American Interfraternity Conference does not have guidelines for fraternity recruitment. For this reason, the University structures the process — which is why attendance for fraternity activities is not required, unlike sororities.

Hulbert said, in his experience, recruitment was flexible enough for everyone to participate in their own ways.

“The free will part of it and not having to have someone trying to keep it structured — for me — I really did like it because I felt I was making it my own rush week,” Hulbert said.

Still, Hulbert said he pushed himself to attend as many activities as possible and felt so depleted at some points in the week after realizing he had not taken any breaks.

“It’s mentally and physically exhausting,” Hulbert said.

“There were a couple moments that day where I was not feeling it and not happy, and I had to force myself to take a nap that day. It was a draining week because it was

long and intense.”

If he could redo the week, Hulbert said he would have given himself more grace.

“You have to find that balance between meeting guys and putting yourself out there,” Hulbert said. “But also respecting your own mental health and physical health.”

Hulbert said answering questions with the two fraternities who invited him to interview night helped him decide which to join. One fraternity, he said, asked questions that made him feel stressed and uncomfortable.

“It was very intense,” Hulbert said. “They definitely broke you down and tore me to shreds, and I think, obviously, you could tell they weren’t as concerned with the answers to the questions. It’s just how you reacted to high-pressure, high-intensity situations.”

Hulbert ended recruitment joining Alpha Tau Omega, his top choice and the one that had members he felt he fit in with perfectly, he said. Hulbert enjoys outdoor activities and is strong in his faith, he said, and people he met in ATO related to that.

With a low number of fraternity PNMs this past year — only 78 compared to the normal 200 — Green said Pepperdine fraternities expected an influx of students to register this fall.

“We had 185 men register for IFC recruitment,” Green said. “It’s still within our healthy range — I wasn’t disappointed by the numbers by any means — but I really thought it’d be higher.”

With so many students new to Pepperdine, Green said she thought some men did not know about recruitment this year or preferred to adapt to on-campus life before joining.

Gamboa said he wanted to participant in recruitment in person and that going into it, he made it his intention to enjoy the process.

“I went in with an open mind just to use it as a way to meet new people,” Gamboa said. “I didn’t really have many expectations — I just saw which one fit me.”

Once he met the chapters on the first day, however, Gamboa said he connected well with Psi Upsilon and decided it was the only fraternity he was interested in joining.

“It puts even more pressure on [students],” Gamboa said.

“But I guess you don’t want to ‘join a frat to join a frat’ either.

You want to join the one that’s right for you.”

Gamboa closed out recruitment week pledging to Psi U, and he said he is excited to carry lifelong bonds with his fraternity brothers throughout his time at Pepperdine and after.

LIZA.ESQUIBIAS@PEPPERDINE.EDU

OC TO B E R 8, 2 0 2 1 | N E W S | PE PPE RDIN E G R A PHI C M E D I A

A5

IP builds on foundations in Japan, Uganda SAMANTHA TORRE NEWS ASSISTANT EDITOR Pepperdine’s International Program’s office prepares to launch two new faculty-led summer 2022 programs: Japan and Uganda. IP is hosting these programs to encourage students to explore areas the University is familiar with in new ways, Dean of IP Beth Laux said.

Summer faculty-led programs are popular with students, Laux said, especially in places where Pepperdine does not offer academic year programs. International Programs staff expressed their excitement about the potential these two programs have.

“Because it’s the first time we’re doing this particular program [Japan], we want to make it as great as possible and draw on the right students and create a life-changing experience for them,” said Charlie Engelmann, director of Asia Programming. “And then from there, we’ll see what opportunities there are and continue to explore how we can build on it.”

Uganda, Laux said, also works well with the popular East Africa program, the University’s mission and President Jim Gash’s experiences there.

Japan as a Temporary Base IP decided to host a faculty-led summer 2022 program in Japan early summer of 2021.

IP hopes to have 15 participants, Engelmann said.

Although both programs are in Asia, Engelmann said the opening of the Japan summer program was a separate endeavor from the closure of the Shanghai program, where Engelmann served as director.

The University visited Japan through the recently closed Shanghai program’s Educational Field Trips, Laux said. Additionally, the Caruso School of Law has a business program in Japan, which is unrelated to the summer 2022 program.

“It was a place where we were comfortable piloting some activities to see if that’s something that resonated with students and if it’s a good opportunity academically for Seaver College,” Laux said.

The presence of the Japan summer program is not indicative of the academic year Asia program, and IP is still in the early stages of creating said program, Engelmann said.

The Japan program has a focus on the global economy, Engelmann said. Engelmann teaches ECON 211, which is “Macroeconomics,” with a

focus on Japan’s economy. In addition, Japan offers students the one-unit “International Experience” class, taught in every residential program.

“The way I teach that class is to help think more critically about culture and understanding culture through the lens of our own personal experiences — but also helping, through that broader cultural understanding, to understand ourselves better,” Engelmann said.

To foster cultural understanding, Engelmann said his class will have local guest speakers to offer an outside perspective. IP also encourages students to explore Japan on their own outside of classes.

“I hope to have other cross-cultural opportunities with students in those cultures so either partnering with a local university or a local institute and seeing if there’s engagement opportunities for our students with their students,” Engelmann said. “Some of these things, we’re in the early stages of trying to find opportunities for, but that’s an ideal situation.”

IP Background in Uganda Because the Uganda summer 2022 program is a pilot program, IP aims for 25 to 30 participants, said Ronald Cox,

associate dean of IP. IP’s standard minimum is 12 students, and the program’s capacity caps at 35 to 40 students.

“The goal is to take what we’ve already done and add to it by having another Uganda program so that they’re [East Africa and Uganda] at least alternating,” Cox said. “And again, ours is a pilot program, so we’re checking to see what the interest is, we’re checking to see what it will look like.

We’re also hoping that we will be able to expand or develop our program as we go along.”

While the summer 2022 program is separate from the Caruso Law School Uganda Fellowship, Cox said IP will depend on the law school’s knowledge of Uganda and use the program as a framework for students.

Gash said, as a resource person for the Uganda program, he offers connections, encouragement and past exposure to allow the program to explore a variety of opportunities.

“Past experience with the law school has demonstrated that this can be done safely, that students can engage in a transformative experience that expands their view of the world and allows them to engage directly with the local population in ways that our overseas programs don’t always fully max-

imize,” Gash said.

The program will provide students opportunities to learn from Uganda citizens and leaders, Gash said, in addition to IP staples like encountering a language barrier and learning about themselves.

“Learning and spending time in another culture is humbling because you realize, ‘Well, my worldview has so many presuppositions that come with it that I just accept without critically evaluating,’” Gash said.

To encourage cross-cultural conversation, IP will educate students on how to engage with Uganda in a culturally sensitive way, spending time with Ugandans their age and listening to guest speakers, Cox said.

“Our approach in terms of how we understand service learning and how we understand exposing students to what’s going on in the country and understanding it — not from the angle of what can we do to help Uganda but what Ugandans are doing to strengthen their own communities — is a high priority to us,” Cox said.

SAM.TORRE@PEPPERDINE.EDU

A6

OC TO B E R 8, 2 0 2 1 | N E W S | PE PPE RDIN E G R A PH I C M E D I A

Latino journalist unpacks identity with ICA LIZA ESQUIBIAS NEWS ASSISTANT In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which began Sept. 15, award-winning LA Times journalist Gustavo Arellano spoke at an Intercultural Affairs Office event held Sept.

30 about what it means to him to be Latino.

During the event, Arellano spoke about overcoming his struggles to embrace his Latino identity as a child and in the journalism industry, offering insight into how to use storytelling to amplify the voices of those whose experiences are overlooked.

“You all have your own identities,” Arellano said. “It’s OK whatever identity you have — that’s awesome — but it’s also OK if it shifts because then you’ve learned something. I’m always wary of people who refuse to consider they may be wrong.”

ICA held the event with hopes of expanding knowledge and a sense of belonging, said Michael Hahn, assistant director at ICA. “We’re hopeful to create that culture of curiosity,” Hahn said.

“And that students will come in bringing their hope and bringing their desire to belong and understanding that it depends on each and every one of us to step in and take ownership.”

Guest Speaker Gustavo Arellano Speaks on Identity Arellano kicked off the event with a story about how he came to cover topics other reporters tend to disregard. He said his passion is writing about racial and social issues — especially those related to the Latino community in Southern California.

Arellano said, as a journalist, it is important to him to know a little bit about everything. Arel-

lano hosts a daily podcast, is a columnist for the LA Times, wrote three books and teaches journalism at Orange Coast College.

“All of these things that I do, they all interlock into my general philosophy of who I am not just as a person but my ethnic identity — which for me is Latino,” Arellano said. “And so when you see all this where I’m talking about politics, I’m talking about Southern California, I’m talking about food, I’m talking about all these issues — it’s a dream.”

Digging deeper into the concept of identity, Arellano said as he grew older, his sense of connection to Mexican culture began to fade away. Arellano started going by the nickname “Gus” and stopped speaking Spanish regularly, he said.

“I would never shame my Mexican roots,” Arellano said.

“But for me, I was like, “I’m not Mexican, I’m American. I speak English, I dream in English. I don’t want to work how my parents work. I wanted to create my own person.’”

Arellano said he was surprised at how triggered he felt when reading an article about people advocating against the education of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. — which included himself at the time, he said. As he entered his college years, Arellano said he changed his mindset, and began to embrace his heritage more.

“That was unconscionable and that was horrific,” Arellano said. “I was like, ‘I’m not going to stand for this.’”

That incident prompted Arellano to join activist groups, listen to Spanish music and go by the name “Gustavo” again, he said. He also became interested in having a career where he could change the way the media portrayed Latinos.

“You have to respect that

RYAN BRINKMAN | PHOTO EDITOR Journalist Gustavo Arellano speaks to students and faculty at an ICA Hispanic Heritage Month event at the Light House on Sept. 30. Arellano said he hopes people can embrace their identity and share stories about unknown aspects of their culture with others. there are different identities,” Arellano said. “Identities shift, identities move with the times, identities get different names.”

Arellano closed out the night with a call to action for students to embrace and honor their culture. He said sharing stories about those who are marginalized is the best way, in his opinion, to open a comfortable dialogue with others about what identity means in today’s world when so many people are afraid to be themselves.

ICA and Students Discuss the Event’s Impact College is a time where students become more curious about the identities of themselves and others, Hahn said.

By holding cultural events, he said students have the opportunity to explore questions they might have and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.

“We are all coming from different walks of life, but we’re also asking the question of what it means to be one community,”

Hahn said. “We’re unpacking what it means to belong, and so to have voices such as Gustavo Arellano — who has experienced being a journalist and speaking into the wider narrative that is Southern California — it can then inform us how we can do that here.”

It was important to ICA to have Arellano as a speaker during Hispanic Heritage month because he stands out in his field regarding his coverage of cultural subjects, said Valentina Carvajal, a Pepperdine graduate student at the Graziadio Business School and intern for ICA. Carvajal was born in Columbia and, as someone who identifies as Latina, she said she appreciated the way Arellano represented their culture.

Senior Aniah Weaks said she felt more knowledgeable on Latino culture after hearing Arellano’s speech.

“I learned a lot in his discussion,” Weaks said. “Seeing him being so vulnerable and talking about his battle with really identifying with who he was — and

realizing it’s not an easy battle, but it’s something that we all go through.”

Weaks said Arellano’s speech spoke to her on a personal level because, as one of the vice presidents for Pepperdine’s Black Student Association, she understands the struggle of embracing a culture that is often ignored in the U.S. “Because we go to a predominantly white institution, having cultural events is important for any group of people, but especially at Pepperdine, because we live in such a bubble,” Weaks said. “Having people outside of the Pepperdine sphere come in and talk to us is super important.”

Hahn said ICA believes it is imperative for students to see new perspectives and for the University to understand how to best create a sense of community among students who do not come from the same places.

LIZA.ESQUIBIAS@PEPPERDINE.EDU

Community members invited to The Table GRAESON CLAUNCH STAFF WRITER When first-year student Olivia Mastalerz walked into the backyard of The Brock House to attend The Table on Sept. 25, she found herself surrounded by food, volunteers and other community members, all while overlooking a beautiful view.

The Table is a space that exists to foster fellowship and community for any and every student at Pepperdine and the surrounding community, University Church Minister Falon Barton said.

The vision behind the weekly gathering is to create a space in which students can come and feel a connection with God, each other and older Christians, Barton said.

“When we gather with other people, we experience solidarity with each other, we learn new things from people who are different from us in a variety of ways — and there’s something very powerful about a shared experience,” Barton said.

The Table began with President Jim Gash’s appointment as president of Pepperdine when he decided to expand the already existing House Church on campus, which had a similar structure as The Table, Barton said. Both donors and the University Church of Christ fund the event, which relies on many volunteers each week to keep it running smoothly.

The purpose of the first 30 to 45 minutes of the event is to reflect on and grow the community. Individuals can decompress from the busy week through the shared meal and conversations with old and new friends.

“As a first-year student, I think it’s something that helps bring connection to God and helps build that community I was wanting,” Mastalerz said.

After attendees eat a meal, the band Well Collective performs a few worship songs, followed by a short message from either Eric Wilson, University Church preaching minister, or Barton. The service ends with communion, a few closing worship songs and a time for students to engage and pray with older adults.

Sara and Sam Jackson are Pepperdine alumni (’74 and ’75, respectively), and Sara Jackson is also the chancellor at Pepperdine. Sara Jackson said they dedicate their Saturday nights to mentoring and praying with the students who attend The Table.

“To me, worshiping God is the heart of our reason and purpose at Pepperdine,” Sara Jackson said. “That’s the core of our mission: to know God and to worship him together and to know the beauty of living in Christ.”

Inclusivity is another significant part of The Table’s mission, Barton said. The Table seeks to make anyone — whether religious or non-religious, part of the Church of Christ or a different denomination — feel loved, supported and included.

“With Jesus as the host, everyone is welcome; everyone has a seat,” Barton said.

The Table is relatively new in the past year, and it is still a work in progress, but the team running it is excited to expand The Table’s influence throughout Pep-

perdine and even to the surrounding Malibu community, Barton said.

Barton said UCC encourages students to get involved with The Table, whether they want to share a poem or perform a song.

The members of The Table hold that worship could be through whichever gifts God has given; it does not have to be strictly through worship songs and a message, Barton said.

Mastalerz said The Table has numerous benefits for the community, like introducing many diverse backgrounds and creating fellowship.

“It just brought communities together, having something to do every Saturday night and being able to have something special and personal worship-wise — and being able to find a community where I’m constantly worshiping and I’m constantly meeting new people,” Mastalerz said.

GRAESON.CLAUNCH@PEPPERDINE.EDU

OC TOBER 8, 2021

The Graphic

A7

PEPPERDI NE- G R A P H I C .C O M

ERSPECTIVES Religion doesn’t justify women’s reproductive defamation the Freedom Wall may not represent the anti-abortion sentiments of every member of the club, it reflects a general position of the group.

The anti-abortion demonstration on the Freedom Wall was an excuse for the emboldened right-wing sector of campus to publicly shame the millions of abortions performed since the passing of Roe v. Wade and condemn the idea of abortion as a whole.

On a Christian campus like Pepperdine, one cannot ignore the religious implications intertwined with the anti-abortion display on the Freedom Wall. However, the basis of religion — specifically Christianity — being used to justify anti-abortion sentiments is only relevant to those who identify with a religion.

Perhaps in future Freedom Wall displays, the Pepperdine College Republicans can construct a “pro-life” visual that pays tribute to the relevancy of the nearly 700,000 lives lost due to COVID-19 — perhaps seven crosses, one for every 100,000 people who have died since the start of the pandemic.

SARAH BEST PERSPECTIVES ASSISTANT EDITOR

I

t’s a good thing the 700,000 people who died from COVID-19 weren’t fetuses, or the Pepperdine College Republicans would’ve been outraged.

On Sept. 28, the Pepperdine College Republicans orchestrated a display on the Freedom Wall depicting a plethora of crosses. Specifically, there was one for every 100,000 abortions performed since the 1973 passing of Roe v. Wade.

Since its enactment into federal law, the legislation makes abortions safe and legal. As a result, the anti-abortion agenda began trying to halt this fundamental female reproductive right ever since. A woman’s reproductive health — as well as her access to safe, legal abortions — has no place in the same conversation as religion.

“I personally think this isn’t a political issue,” said Brandon Rudolph, Pepperdine alumni (’21) and Women’s March protester. “If you think abortion is wrong, then don’t get an abortion.”

Politics

Freedom Wall The Freedom Wall establishes a safe space for respectful discourse on the premise that “the principle that speaking freely in a participatory democracy must be done with responsibility,” according to the Student Organization Handbook.

How is it responsible to publicly shame the millions of people who have had abortions that those crosses represent?

Freedom Wall regulations also state it is “a venue for individual members of the community to respectfully express themselves and may not be used by organizations for advertising.” Reports from the Inter-Club Council show the Pepperdine College Republicans did not violate the policy of the Freedom Wall because their display was not considered a club advertisement — a prohibited clause under Freedom Wall regulations.

However, the Student Handbook rules are confusing and should be revised, considering its explicit mentioning of the wall being for “individual members.”

Groups should stop abusing what the Freedom Wall was intended for — individuals to voice their opinions and encourage respectful discourse and debate.

Seeing this as a display that directly attacks women’s reproductive rights, it is not a place for organizations to take up the entirety of the Freedom Wall.

The Freedom Wall display conveniently neglected to include how many of those abortions were performed as a result of incest, rape or the pregnant

SAMANTHA MILLER | ART EDITOR women being in no physical, mental or financial position to withstand full-term pregnancies.

Anti-abortion perspectives hyper-focus on the unborn and turn a blind eye to those who are living. One cannot be “pro-life” — anti-abortion — and actively neglect the children confined to the foster care system, the millions of people in our country without health care and the lack of quality education in schools.

What about the separation of families at the border and the children who are confined to cages because of it? It is with the consideration of these humanitarian issues in mind when it becomes hypocritically apparent that “pro-life” advocates are only advocates when it comes to the unborn.

Where was the display on the Freedom Wall campaigning for universal health care — a crisis that constitutes a pro-life, pro-humanity perspective? Where was the display promoting the adoption of children in foster care — yet another humanitarian issue that should warrant a pro-life stance?

Though the Republican-led propaganda display on

The national discourse on abortion is intensifying in the recent weeks following Texas’ abortion bill SB 8 — the strictest piece of abortion legislation in the United States. With Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s passing of SB 8, women now only have a six-week window to have a safe, legal abortion — a timeframe in which many women aren’t even aware they are pregnant.

This legislation further lacks the exemption of access to abortion care as a result of rape or incest. At a Sept. 7 press conference, Abbott responded to questioning about survivors having to potentially carry out full-term pregnancies specifically because the bill neglects these circumstances.

“Goal number one in the state of Texas is to eliminate rape so that no woman, no person will be a victim of rape,” Governor Abbott said.

How is one going to “eliminate” the crime of rape altogether? Texas leads the United States in total forcible rape cases and experienced 13,377 of them in 2020 alone — according to the 2020 Texas Crime Report.

Men should not be making decisions about women’s bodies and arguably should not have opinions on anything in the realm of female reproductive care either. In binary terms, most men will never experience pregnancy or even begin to conceptualize the burden it can bear if one is not mentally, physically or financially prepared to bring a child into the world.

AN INSIDE LOOK Managing Editor Ashley Mowreader Special Edition Editor Rowan Toke Digital Editor Karl Winter Copy Chief Bryant Loney GNews Producer Christina Buravtsova Creative Director Ali Levens Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Editors Anitiz Muonagolu Emily Shaw Business Director Inez Kim Advertising Director Sahej Bhasin Head Podcast Producer Kyle McCabe Pixel Editor Abby Wilt Photo Editor Ryan Brinkman Art Editor Samantha Miller News Editor

Emily Shaw Perspectives Editor Anitiz Muonagolu Life & Arts Editor Beth Gonzales Sports Editor Alec Matulka News Assistant Editor Sam Torre News Assistant Liza Esquibias News Staff Writers William Bacon Graeson Claunch Sierra Moses News Design Assistant Lillian Fong Abroad Correspondent Reagan Phillips Perspectives Assistant Editors Sarah Best Emily Chase Perspectives Assistant Sawa Yamakawa Perspectives Staff Writer Christian Parham Perspectives Copy Editor Ryan Bresingham Perspectives Design Assistant

Rachel Marek Life & Arts Assistant Addison Whiten Life & Arts Staff Writers Lydia duPerier Holly Fouche Tim Gay Yamillah Hurtado Stella Zhang Life & Arts Copy Editor Yamillah Hurtado Life & Arts Design Assistant Emilia Lekhter Sports Staff Writers Malia Bambrick Joe Doonan Jerry Jiang Austin LeDe’ Sports Copy Editor Whitney Bussell Sports Design Assistant Kaitlyn Davis Assistant Photo Editor Dane Bruhahn Mercer Greene Staff Photographers Ashton Bell Ella Coates Chloe Chan

Caroline Conder Denver Patterson Brandon Rubsamen Art Assistant Editor Leah Bae Staff Artists Autumn Hardwick Brian Zhou Design Assistants Mariah Hernandez Zoe Macarewa Ivan Manriquez Podcast Producers Joe Allgood Celine Foreman Anitiz Muonagolu Karl Winter Digital Assistant Editor Ryan Bough Social Team Sofia Longo Abby Wilt GNews Crew Joe Allgood Hunter Dunn Alex Payne Sofia Reyes Gabrielle Salgado Maria Tsvetkova

SEE ONLINE RESOURCES | B3

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

A8

OC TOBE R 8, 2 0 2 1 | PE R S PE C TI VE S | PE PPE RDINE G R A P H I C M E D I A

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA MILLER | ART EDITOR

Open Essay: Abortion and the Holocaust

HOPE LOCKWOOD GUEST CONTRIBUTOR Editor’s Note: Guest Contributor Hope Lockwood is writing a personal essay based on their experience at the Freedom Wall and their Jewish background.

This past week at Pepperdine, student discourse raised tension over the topic of abortion. I overheard a Christian, anti-abortion advocate saying abortion is comparable — if not worse than — the Holocaust. As a Jewish student, I was deeply offended.

How dare people use and misappropriate a genocide committed against my people, my culture and my religion that sought to wipe out Jewish people, Romani people, Polish people, gay men and disabled people as justification for your selfish, political, anti-choice tirade. One cannot claim to be prolife unless you support people of all walks of life.

Stop linking the tragedy of the Holocaust to flimsy political arguments.

I want to clarify some things to those who have inappropriately and selfishly tried to link the attempted extermination of Jews, disabled people, Poles, political opponents, gay men and Romani people with a medical procedure.

First, I encourage members of the Pepperdine community — specifically the person who said this — to research Dr. Josef Mengele and what he did.

For those who do not know, Mengele was a Nazi scientist and doctor at Auschwitz who conducted experiments on prisoners.

He would torture twins, children, mothers, pregnant women and anyone else he was interested in. Then, while they were still alive and awake, he would dissect them without anesthesia.

Dr. Gisella Perl was a Jewish-Hungarian gynecologist taken as a prisoner of Auschwitz. Since she had medical training, Mengele and other Nazi officers forced her and other Jewish doctors to work as camp medics.

Mengele handpicked Perl to help aid in his experiments, and he instructed her to inform him of every pregnant woman in the camp. Believing her job was helpful to pregnant women, Perl helped Mengele move women to different camps because she had thought he was helping them — but this was a lie.

Realizing the true nature of what Mengele was doing, Perl promised there would never be another pregnant woman in Auschwitz.

So, to prevent the literal dissection of pregnant Jewish and Romani women, Perl would secretly

perform abortions. Because of this, she earned the name Angel of Auschwitz, and it is estimated that she performed nearly 3,000 of these secret abortions — saving thousands of Jewish, disabled and Romani women.

Never compare this tragedy to any political stance — whether abortion or otherwise — because the word “Holocaust” is a unique one.

It is the Greek translation of a Jewish sacrificial offering that was burned. It means to burn something until there is nothing left. It is a word that is so inexplicably tied to the plight of the Jewish people and bound to what the Jewish people, and others, experienced under a violent, fascist regime.

Never again does not mean never again for us — it means never again for all. Never again means car r ying the traditions and the memories of people violently murdered by a fascist, antisemitic regime. It means to remember Dr. Gisella Perl. It means to car r y this forward, and keep it from happening to others.

HOPE LOCKWOOD, Guest ContributOr To use this word to mean anything other than the attempted annihilation of those whom the Nazis deemed so unworthy of life that they must be burnt to ashes is not only cruel and ignorant but also discounts any so-called cause that “promotes life.”

Though some have reduced the word “Nazi” as a title denoting someone who is “really, really bad or mean,” the Holocaust is not something that can be minimized.

So, perhaps the word you were looking for was genocide? To which I answer with my list of things that qualify as genocide: the violence and destruction Greek and Armenian people faced in the late 1910s to the 1920s, the treatment of the Uighur people in China today, the murders of Bosnian Muslims during the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the exile of Rohingya from Myanmar.

However, I don’t consider genocide to be a medically necessary procedure that grants individuals — specifically women — bodily autonomy and the freedom to make their own choices and decisions to

have a child. To equate abortion, a medical — and sometimes necessary — procedure, with genocide is particularly barbaric.

Are we comparing the actions of those faced with the question of whether to have an abortion, especially late-term abortions, to the actions of Nazis?

To literal war criminals?

From a young age, I was taught the importance of the words “Never Again” and the connotations they have for Jewish people and other victims of the Holocaust.

Never again does not mean never again for us — it means never again for all. Never again means carrying the traditions and the memories of people violently murdered by a fascist, antisemitic regime.

It means to remember Dr. Gisella Perl. It means to carry this forward, and keep it from happening to others.

So, I am asking: Who’s protected by relating the Holocaust to abortion?

Because it is certainly not me, and it is certainly not those who are forced into situations where they have to get abortions.

What are people doing to prevent abortions? Are others advocating for comprehensive sexual education? Free preschool? Better unemployment and welfare? Advocating for survivors of sexual abuse?

Attempting to end rape culture? Mandatory paid maternity leave? Universal basic income?

Referencing Micah 6:8 — the words of the Bible that both of our religions find sacred: “This is what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love mercy, and to walk modestly with your God.” Who is in need of justice?

Is it the thousands of children detained in cages at the border? Is it 60,000 children in foster care in California alone? Is it the 34 million people who live in poverty, unable to feed themselves or their children? Prisoners? Orphans? The sick? The poor?

Who is shown mercy?

The 16-year-old whose period was two weeks late? The man whose condom broke and didn’t realize until it was too late? The person who missed their birth control pill twice? My friend’s mother, pregnant with a fetus whose organs were growing outside of its body? The girl I met at summer camp whose cousin was pregnant at 13 with her brother’s fetus? The person who was raped?

The 60 pieces of paper hung up on the Freedom Wall that were supposed to represent the 6 million clumps of cells “lost” to abortion are nothing compared to the 6 million Jews — actual, breathing people — who had lives, who had families, who had jobs, who had lovers, who had communities, who had futures.

Do better. Be better. Act better.

HOPE.LOCKWOOD@PEPPERDINE.EDU

A9

OC TOBE R 8, 2 0 2 1 | PE R S PE C TI VE S | PE PPE RDINE G R A P H I C M E D I A

Dear Pepperdine, be mindful of the meals

EMILY CHASE ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

T

here is a lack of nutrition labeling in the Caf, the menu has diminished at the HAWC, prices have increased across cafeterias and students with dietary restrictions are left with limited options. There is no reason a student should be fearful, unhappy and feeling lost when it comes to eating a meal at their university.

Pepperdine uses the food provider Sodexo, which works with independent vendor Fooda. They bring “the hottest tastes right to campus daily,” according to the Pepperdine Dining Services website.

Though Pepperdine advertises great cafeteria food, many students are not impressed.

“Not bad for a college cafeteria but I’m in my third year and the food gets old,” 2021 alumna Rachel Hogan wrote on Google Reviews one year ago.

Hogan expresses the same sentiment many students are feeling a whole year later. It begs the question — has the food really improved since then? Students remember the food they eat on a daily basis better than the notes

they take in a three-hour class.

Therefore, it should be food that doesn’t “get old.”

Moreover, students with dietary restrictions — such as vegetarians, vegans and those with lactose intolerance — are among those suffering while searching for food to eat.

This is the case for junior Juliet Johnson. Johnson’s dietary needs include both dairy-free and gluten-free food, so picking out what she should eat every day isn’t always a walk in the park.

“The only thing I can be sure I can eat is salad,” Johnson said.

“The vegan bar is never appropriately labeled.”

It is unfair Johnson is rolling the dice with her life every time she enters what is supposed to be a harmless cafeteria, under no fault of her own.

Equally as important are the expensive food and drink items.

For example, Naked Juice beverages are sold at many grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores.

At Nature’s Edge store campus, Naked Juice drinks cost $6. At Ralph’s grocery store, they cost $5.

This is a full dollar markup for the same exact drink of the same exact size.

This is the case for many other beverages, sushi and snacks sold on campus. A majority of students already pay so much for meal plans and spend all their meal

BRIAN ZHOU | STAFF ARTIST points on items they could buy cheaper elsewhere.

What Pepperdine needs to do is label the food it makes for students with dietary restrictions.

The nutrition labels are lacking in clarity for many food items that dietarily restricted students purchase. Therefore, Dining Services needs to make the vegan and vegetarian bar clearly branded for its consumers.

Potentially creating a specific store on campus dedicated to vegan, vegetarian and healthy food options would better suit the overall well-being of dietary restricted students. Additionally, fully opening the Caf food spots would solve a lot of problems. The Caf

is functioning on a smaller scale right now. By opening the rest of it, students would not only have more options, but there would be enthusiasm when going to get food each day.

Furthermore, Pepperdine needs to price its food better based on the quality of what it makes and the market price for the products it sells. Eating should be a time to refuel the body and enjoy — not a dreaded journey to search for the most edible dish.

EMILY.CHASE@PEPPERDINE.EDU

Safe parking providers must extend their reach

L

SARAH BEST ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

A County has one of the highest concentrations of unhoused people in the country. Alongside the growing rate of homelessness in cities like Malibu and Santa Monica, such concerns can be alleviated by adding safe and secure overnight parking lots for those living out of their vehicles.

California is one of the leading states in its unsheltered population, and with a significant population in Malibu living out of their cars, they need a safe place to park overnight.

LA County alone — as of September 2021— has over 15,700 people who live and sleep in their vehicles each night. This number makes up 25% of the entire population of unsheltered people in LA County, according to SafeParkingLA.org.

Out of the entire unhoused population in our country, California is home to 47% of them — according to the 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report.

Established by Safe Parking LA in 2016, the organization opened nine parking lots by 2019 that provide safe places for those living in their cars to stay overnight, according to its mission

statement. Security officers guard these lots, which are free of charge to the 190 vehicles and more than 200 people who park there each night. By the end of 2019, Safe Parking LA provided secure overnight parking for 450 vehicles.

These lots, however, are predominantly located in cities like Hollywood, North Hollywood and Echo Park. Beach communities with significant unsheltered populations, like Malibu, have been left out of such safety and security.

Safe Parking LA is one of four providers of secure and free lots that allow overnight parking for LA’s unhoused population, alongside End Homelessness CA, Community Partners and Volunteers of America. Though these safe parking groups offer dependable places to stay for LA locals, these volunteer groups seldom remember the people who call PCH home.

In Malibu, there are approximately 240 unsheltered people, according to the LA Homeless Services Authority.

Criteria for parking in these lots include having an operational vehicle, not being listed on the National Sex Offender Registry and having a valid driver’s license. After filling out the short vehicle form, workers contact potential users for phone interviews that would direct them to the parking provider most suitable for their needs.

Though those living out of their vehicles in Malibu are welcome to fill out the form and relocate to LA County parking lots if desired, they shouldn’t have to drive from PCH to central LA to obtain a safe place to stay at night.

What if their car doesn’t have the operating

capacity to drive that far? What if they’ve experienced being unhoused exclusively in Malibu and have become comfortable or familiar with the area and would rather stay there?

There have to be more safe parking spaces across LA County in cities like Santa Monica and Malibu. With growing concerns of the unsheltered populations in these cities specifically, more parking spots would provide concentrated spaces for them to dwell rather than being spread out across the community.

Though safe parking initiatives are steps in the right direction to alleviating the extreme issue of unsheltered people in LA, other safe housing initiatives for those not living in their cars must not be neglected but rather improved upon and expanded further.

In 2020, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported an unhoused population totaling 66,436, a number that’s risen 12.7% from 2019. Rather than simply passing legislation to remove those experiencing homelessness from sensitive areas, city officials should include a plan to provide secure places for them to stay as well.

This initiative for safe parking and housing for those experiencing unsheltered life in Malibu and Santa Monica would require the community’s advocacy and support for secure lots to be implemented. Inherently, this would grant those in the community who are concerned with the growing number of unsheltered people a greater sense of safety as the unhoused population relocate to secure and controlled lots.

SARAH.BEST@PEPPERDINE.EDU

A10

OC TOBE R 8, 2 0 2 1 | PE R S PE C TI VE S | PE PPE RDINE G R A P H I C M E D I A

Staff Editorial: Pepper-done with Sodexo

P

epperdine students are graced with overcrowded locations, expensive pricing, confusing labels and limited options when trying to satisfy a basic human need: food.

The issue begins and ends with Sodexo, the University’s longtime food service provider. Pepperdine’s contract with Sodexo was slated to end in 2020, but the pandemic delayed the selection of a new provider. The interim contract will end spring 2022, when the University will take up the Request for Proposal process yet again.

Sodexo deserves credit for adapting to county COVID-19 guidelines and helping Pepperdine navigate the pandemic, but make no mistake — when Dining Services considers signing a new long-term contract with Sodexo in the spring or choosing a new provider, the resounding opinion of the students is clear — Sodexo needs to go.

New Developments are Failing Sodexo partnered with Grubhub as a way to “cut down on lines,” a great idea with terrible execution. Waves Cafe only lists its featured options of-the-day, leaving out grab-and-go alternatives including sandwiches, sushi or burgers — the most consistent and reliable choices.

Some cafeterias have meal options listed that they don’t actually serve. For example, the HAWC has an Impossible Burger listed on Grubhub, but apparently when students reach the register, no Impossible Burger exists.

Locations are posted as closed even during open hours. As of late, the Starbucks — one of the longest lines on campus to jump — Grubhub posts the majority of menu items as sold out, meaning students who aren’t in the mood for juice, milk or yogurt are out of luck.

Food trucks on campus are another new development to ease traffic in main dining spaces. While supporting local small businesses is admirable and the food from the trucks is usually tasty, these trucks are not sustainable or permanent solutions.

Let’s face it — food trucks are unhealthy, expensive and not designed to handle hundreds of hungry students at once.

PHOTO ILLISTRATION BY SAMANTHA MILLER | ART EDITOR A photo illustration of a sushi roll at the Waves Cafe. Due to confusion between the OBX and the TNT rolls, it should be more accurately named the ‘Sadness Roll.’

Existing Options Suffer from Understaffing Perhaps Dining Services should focus on bettering the existing dining spaces rather than testing innovative yet ineffective new strategies. For example, why are the hours at Oasis Pizzeria so limited? Why are the options in the Caf as restricted as ever?

Returning students will remember Oasis was open until 11 p.m. in the past, which helped ease lunch and dinnertime traffic in the Waves Cafe and late-night traffic in the HAWC — but that was also when Oasis served personalized pizzas.

The Caf formerly offered personalized sandwiches, a larger salad bar, more breakfast options and a kiosk ordering system for all three meals.

The pandemic seems to be a great time to utilize the kiosk ordering at the Grill, so each customer’s food could be sold separately. Instead, students crowd around a small condiments area to add tomatoes and other toppings to their prepackaged burgers.

The answer to these questions regarding limited options is simple: Sodexo has not adequately staffed the dining locations on campus. Students cannot blame Starbucks employees or cafeteria workers for the long lines or turning off the Grubhub service — there are just not enough staff.

Given Sodexo’s history of mistreating and underpaying employees in schools, prisons and hospitals, this is hardly surprising.

Bills, Bills, Bills When students decide to purchase meal points through Housing and Residence Life, they have the option to check the meal plan rates and see which meal point option works best for them.

At the very bottom of the page, above summer rates, is an interesting sentence of fine print.

“Estimates are based on seven to eight points per meal,” according to the HRL website.

The average Caf meal, without dietary restrictions, costs $8.99 — before the surcharge for takeaway plates and tax. The more sustainable green box also costs extra. Forget about the food trucks — they average about $12 to $15 per meal, which is double HRL’s estimate.

Staying on budget is a difficult task for students, which can cause anxiety since the product is food — a basic necessity. The anxiety is heightened for resident students who are required to purchase meal plans and do not have cars to go off campus to offset some of these high costs.

If you already find the Waves Cafe prices shocking, you’ll be even more surprised when you find out Malibu Whole Foods has cheaper options than the University cafeteria.

Try the $3 vegan grilled cheese. It’s fantastic.

Dietary Restrictions Shouldn’t Be This Restricting

Speaking of veganism, Pepperdine lacks options for students with dietary restrictions. This has been a longtime gripe with Sodexo’s service, and it has worsened since students returned to campus.

A vegetarian or vegan dish shouldn’t be the non-vegan dish minus the protein.

Kosher and Halal options are also practically nonexistent.

Dining locations such as the HAWC have virtually no options for vegans or vegetarians that contain protein, which makes it difficult for students whose classes or work schedules create the need for late-night dinners to find healthy vegetarian and vegan options.

Food Needs Labels Our final question for Sodexo is this: What is the TNT roll?

There are about five different sushi rolls served on campus, all listed as TNT. One TNT roll has tuna on top, others have onion crunchies, some have both and all have the same price, name and list of ingredients.

To make matters worse, the OBX roll — short for Outer Banks, an Atlantic coast region and popular Netflix series — is there, looking the exact same as the TNT roll and yet inexplicably $4 cheaper. Not only is this inconvenient to the average consumer, but it is also dangerous to people with severe allergies whose lives depend on knowing exactly what ingredients are in each meal.

Pull the Plug, Pepperdine Student-athletes struggle to find healthy options to maintain high energy levels. Dietary-restricted customers are scrambling to get enough nutrients.

Many students have food insecurity due to high prices, long lines and misleading labels. Some barely eat at all. The locations are understaffed and employees appear stressed.

A drastic change is necessary, and the University can make one in the spring of 2022.

Get rid of Sodexo.

PEPPGRAPHICMEDIA@GMAIL.COM

ABORTION: Reproduction is not a political issue FROM A7 Ironically enough, many anti-abortion Republicans are simultaneously pro-death penalty. Republicans are 29% more likely than Democrats to say the death penalty is morally justified, according to a 2021 report from the Pew Research Center.

Women’s March On Saturday, Oct. 2 — at the intersection of PCH and Webb Way — Pepperdine alumna 2021 Sydney Griffith orchestrated the annual Sister March in Malibu.

“The main thing for me with any issue, but including women’s rights and abortion rights, is the importance of people doing their research and not just researching things that are already geared toward what they already believe in, but true, unbiased sources of information,” Griffith said.

The demonstration drew a variety of participants, including Pepperdine students, alumni and locals alike — all coming to the defense of reproductive justice.

“I think that, unfortunately, there’s just so much misinformation about issues, abortion included, so I really stress for people who support it and who don’t, to understand,” Griffith said.

With the Sister March only days after the Freedom Wall incident, it is no wonder why the protest attracted such a large, diverse crowd.

“It was almost perfect timing because the protest is today,” first-year Lydia Wolford said. “Then people could be not only coming to support that [reproductive rights] from the start but then coming to support it from seeing the stuff on the Freedom Wall.”

The position of being anti-abortion, particularly among men, has become a seemingly justified excuse to wrongly intervene and control what child-bearing people can do. It’s simple — no uterus, no opinion.

“We’re here for the rape victims who get pregnant, who are being forced to carry that child full term, then look at that face for the rest of their life — the face of their attacker,” said Christy Catlin, protest-attendee and Woodland Hills resident.

Anti-abortion does not allow one to throw judgment on a woman who has chosen to have an abortion. What each of those crosses on the Freedom Wall display failed to represent is the unique circumstance behind why each of those abortions had to happen — stories that are meant to be understood and reasoned by no one outside of the women who made those decisions.

“Women who are being forced to carry a full-term baby who doesn’t have a brain or a heart, or that’s stuck in the fallopian tube, they are not allowed under

Texas law to have an abortion,” Catlin said. “That’s archaic, that’s draconian and that’s what we’re out here for.”

Spouting religious dogma to justify and shame others isn’t the most effective way to speak about this issue. The Freedom Wall and the Women’s March are good starts to sparking a conversation and curating healthy discourse so that everyone can fully understand the complexity of this issue.

“It’s not that black and white, and I do think if we’re able to sit down and have a conversation, we’ll find that we have so much more in common than not,” Catlin said. “So we’re not enemies, you know, we’re all in this together.”

Stop hiding behind the veil of religion to justify intolerance and make oppressiveness more palatable.

The pro-life agenda should not merely be confined to the lives of the unborn but additionally to those who are living.

SARAH.BEST@PEPPERDINE.EDU

A11

OC TOBE R 8, 2 0 2 1 | PE R S PE C TI VE S | PE PPE RDINE G R A P H I C M E D I A

THE G R A P CYPH I C

AVES EEKEND

EDITION! HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW PEPPERDINE?

R 1 2

3

4

5

6 7 8

9

10

11

12

Across 2 The watery mascot of Pepperdine.

4 The Waves Weekend invitees.

7 A day filled with school spirit, a carnival and a pep rally.

8 An exciting game filled with slam dunks and free-throws, and it features LeBron James.

9 A weekend for families to visit campus and interact with campus traditions.

11 An event filled with games, prizes and a Ferris wheel.

12 The organization that provides scientific ice cream at the carnival.

Down 1 The Malibu campus gymnasium.

3 The name of the Blue and Orange Madness carnival.

5 The name of the most popular park at Pepperdine.

6 The First Lady of Pepperdine.

10 The group that organizes Blue and Orange Madness, as well as other campus events.

OC TOBER 8, 2021

The Graphic

PEPPERDI NE- G R A P H I C .C O M

LIFE & ARTS

B1

Students adopt plant-based diets ADDISON WHITEN LIFE AND ARTS ASSISTANT Completely giving up meat and animal byproducts may sound like a difficult transition, but plant-based diets and alternatives grow in popularity every year.

The offerings at major chain restaurants reflect this boom in demand for plant-based options. McDonald’s agreed to a partnership with Beyond Meat in February to develop its own plant-based burger, the “McPlant,” while Taco Bell offers guides for how both vegans and vegetarians can enjoy the menu.

Adopting a plant-based diet has numerous health benefits and positive environmental impacts, but there are some struggles, too. At Pepperdine, students who adopt plant-based diets — like vegans or vegetarians — face some challenges with finding food on campus that works within their diets.

Despite these difficulties, students, like vegan sophomore Ian Rampton, said they work to stick to a lifestyle they are passionate about.

“The more you learn, the more it just becomes a no-brain-

er,” Rampton said. “The more I educated myself, the less and less I wanted to go back to my previous diet.”

LEAH BAE | ASSISTANT ART EDITOR Why Go Plant-Based?

Rampton said he made the shift to vegan eating after watching a documentary, “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret.”

The documentary showed the negative effects meat production and consumption have on the environment, which made Rampton reflect on his own dietary choices.

“At a certain point, I just felt selfish for this overconsumption of natural resources just for taste,” Rampton said.

“I couldn’t justify eating the way that I did any more after learning all these sustainability aspects, so I started integrating more plant-based products in my life.”

Now, Rampton has been fully vegan for nine months.

Plant-based diets are mostly or completely reliant on plantbased foods versus a “plant-forward” diet — a more recent iteration of this idea — which just emphasizes the inclusion of these foods in a diet, wrote Katherine McCune, a registered dietician-nutritionist at the Student Health Center, in an email.

One of the main factors motivating people practicing plantbased diets in recent years, McCune wrote, is the realization of diets’ environmental impact.

“A sustainable diet (low environmental impact) has health benefits, is usually more affordable and minimizes climate change by lowering greenhouse gases,” McCune wrote.

SEE ONLINE RESOURCES | B3

Students benefit in the quiet ASMR world BETH GONZALES LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is the relaxing stimulant many young adults use for scalp-prickling sensations, with triggers such as whispering, tapping, crackling and more.

Some Pepperdine students who feels close to the ASMR community urge to destigmatize the abnormal element surrounding what helps them study, relax and focus. The average age of ASMR viewers ranges from 18 to 25, according to a recent study.

ASMR has been a trend on YouTube for years — the first published video appearing in 2009 — and in 2021, there are over 5.2 million videos under the term “ASMR.” The community is booming, and scientific research is underway to determine the health benefits of this cultural phenomenon.

At the start of the pandemic, ASMR consumption increased due to social and mental health challenges such as isolation, financial stress and

emerging health concerns.

One of the most popular ASMR content creators, or “ASMRtists,” with 1.5 million subscribers is ASMR Glow on YouTube, who goes by Sharon. ASMR helped Sharon throughout college with sleeping, studying and her anxiety, she said.

“I have met so many people with all different backgrounds and circumstances who told me how much ASMR helped them — people with PTSD, autism, depression, anxiety, insomnia,” Sharon said. “I really believe that mental health is becoming more and more important in today’s society, so if something can help, even a little, why not try?”

Sharon first found ASMR in high school when she stumbled upon it with her brother scrolling through YouTube, she said, never guessing that in a few years it would become her full-time career.

“We were kind of laughing about how strange it was, but then we kind of really enjoyed it,” Sharon said. “My favorite videos to watch are the ones where there’s a lot of personal attention, and those are my favorite to

BRIAN ZHOU | STAFF ARTIST film as well.”

As an experienced ASMR content creator with over four years under her belt, Sharon said she wanted to

bring more sci-fi and fantasy videos to the community — something she hadn’t seen before.

SEE ONLINE RESOURCES | B3

b2

OC TOBE R 8, 2 0 2 1 | LI FE AN D ARTS | PE PPE RDINE G R A P H I C M E D I A

Art professor paints a dreamland LIZA ESQUIBIAS NEWS ASSISTANT Pepperdine adjunct Art professor Yvette Gellis’ latest exhibition, Verdue, is on display at the LA Louver art gallery in Venice, Calif. It consists of a collection of whimsical and eccentric paintings, representing the emergence from isolation and a deeper awareness of herself as an artist.

“My long time investigation into painting took a turn,” Gellis wrote in a statement about the exhibition. “What is it like to be alive today during a pandemic watching the drama of our lives unfold? Deep in isolation, this series of paintings come from my soul as my most authentic and relevant work to date.”

Gellis is primarily a painter, but, in addition to painting classes, she teaches “Observational Drawing,” “Printmaking,” “Art Fundamentals” and a first-year seminar called “Unleashing Your Creative Potential Within.”

The word “Verdure” is synonymous with luscious greenery, vegetation and freshness.

The figures and plants in the artwork — coupled with the earth tones and thick, refined brushstrokes — radiate freedom.

Gellis tells a story of her evolution out of lockdown through her art. The exhibition begins with peace and transitions into chaos and confusion.

The background of the first two pieces creates harmony with the bodies, which are expressing feelings through physical depictions that would otherwise be lacking without clear faces.

“I fell in love with the figures like a divine romance,” Gellis said.

The vibrancy of the abstractions sprawls beyond the constraints of the canvas — with physical movement and wind being pivotal elements to the works. Softer colors compose the beginning pieces in the exhibition, while the neon creations have video-game-like features that shift the narrative of the collection.

Every canvas emits a small shift in energy — each more dynamic and abstract than the one before.

As the art becomes more lively, it loses its clear picture of movement.

The light from the outdoors shines on the paintings and separates the piece from the wall, and the barriers of the canvas strengthen. The shapes in the brighter pieces are less animated and require a deeper, longer look into the placement

LIZA ESQUIBIAS | NEWS ASSISTANT Yvette Gellis’ colorful pieces hang on display at the LA Louver art gallery in Venice, Calif. Gellis created these compositions as part of her Vendure exhibition. of brush strokes to interpret where and what the silhouettes are.

“The figures emerged from somewhere inside of me, into the here and now,” Gellis wrote.

The paintings with neon backgrounds contain a hidden image of a checkered floor amid elements of nature — one of Gellis’ signature designs found in past exhibitions and shows, as seen in her portfolio. These compositions also have more lines, less fluidity and a greater sense of stiffness, resembling

pixels in a video game.

The natural aspects in these pieces transform to look more animated as the humanistic contours fade into stone and plants. The chaos of the bright colors overwhelms the stillness and structure.

The colors progressively become more luminous, and the human compositions glow in a way that causes them to appear to rise off the canvas — peeling away the layer of calm found in the first two paintings.

Any viewer can visit this exhibition and feel the colors of

emotions of the past two years — yet the details of the imagery allow people to interpret the depictions in many unique ways.

The exhibition will be open until Oct. 16, at the LA Louver gallery.

LIZA.ESQUIBIAS@PEPPERDINE.EDU

Pepp junior starts sustainable swimwear brand YAMILLAH HURTADO LIFE AND ARTS COPY EDITOR Clare Cornelius, junior International Studies major and Sustainability minor, said she is deeply passionate about sustainability and fighting climate change. Cornelius started her small business, Resurface Swim, in April, selling handmade eco-friendly women’s swimsuits in a multitude of styles and sizes.

To be more environmentally friendly, Cornelius thrifts all of her clothes.

Cornelius said she decided to make swimsuits because they are one of the few garments that are hard to buy used, because it is unhygienic. “[Swimwear] is one pocket where they don’t really have a lot of options and you can’t buy secondhand,” Cornelius said. “So those were all the thoughts going through my head when I was deciding.”

Resurface Swim started when Cornelius had a dream on a flight home to Nashville from the Bahamas, where she was sewing swimsuits. Cornelius said she participated in a semester abroad program her junior year of high school at the Island School in the Bahamas, where she learned about sustainability and ocean conservation.

Cornelius said her hometown influenced her beliefs around climate change, but this program opened her eyes to the truth of this crisis and its effect on the planet.

“I didn’t believe in climate change until junior year in high school,” Cornelius said. “I grew up in a very conservative area [and went to] a pri-

vate Christian school.” Before starting her business, Cornelius said she made sure she did her research to decipher where she could get the right material to ensure her products were as sustainable as possible.

Cornelius said her swimsuits are made of econyl — a material made from recycled waste — imported from Italy. The material is turned into yarn and then transported to Carvico Fabrics — also in Italy — where it is transformed into fabric. From there, the fabric is shipped to Solid Stone Fabrics in Martinsville, Va., where Cornelius buys it.

“I’ve liked working with [Solid Stone Fabrics],” Cornelius said. “It’s good to know that it’s not some huge corporation; it’s a small fabric store.”

At first, Cornelius said she was nervous to start her swimwear business because she knew little about sewing and fashion in general. However, she stumbled upon sewing tutorial videos on YouTube and built confidence in her skill. Cornelius spent about a month and a half trying to make a swimsuit she was proud of before she started selling them.

Cornelius first sold her bathing suits through her Instagram account — @resurfaceswim — but, as business grew, she created a website.

Abby Gearhart, junior Liberal Arts for Education major and owner of Sweats by Abby G, advised her through the process of making a website and marketing her products, Cornelius said.

Over the summer, Cornelius was making around 10 swimsuits in one week — each one taking about two

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLARE CORNELIUS Models wear pieces from Clare Cornelius’ brand, Resurface Swim. Cornelius said she created her brand to offer a sustainable way to purchase swimsuits. hours. She said she bases her bathing suit designs on what is practical for swimming and surfing, as well as what she thinks is cute.

Cornelius said she made the decision to only use Instagram and her website as ways to promote her business because traffic is much slower than if she were to market herself through a platform like TikTok. “I’m liking the way that it’s growing only on Instagram because it grows incrementally,” Cornelius said. “It’s not like one day you’re making zero and the next day you have 200 orders; I couldn’t fill those.”

Cornelius hopes to expand her team to meet increased production, as doing it by herself can be taxing, she said. If her business grows to the point where the demand is too hard for her

to supply on her own, she said she wants to be conscientious of working with a manufacturer.

“I hear about the horror stories from fast fashion and other manufacturers,” Cornelius said. “It’s hard for me to trust anyone really.”

As a part of her mission to be sustainable, Cornelius is aware of how the fashion industry affects people and can infringe on human rights, as well as its damage to the environment.

Cornelius said it’s bizarre how people in the industry are willing to take advantage and abuse garment workers for cheap labor.

“How can you not value [the laborer],” Cornelius said. “They literally make the product you’re selling.

They are the most important person; [the product] wouldn’t exist without them.” Cornelius struggles with being a full-time student and a self-employed businesswoman.

Cornelius said she is still learning how to navigate school, work and her social life. “[Working] in a small business, you’re taking the time away from yourself,” Cornelius said. “It’s a lot of discipline and [I’m] trying to find that balance.”

Despite this, Cornelius said she loves being her own boss and is excited for the future of Resurface Swim.

“I like that the work that I do is directly linked to me rather than to a name or a company or anything other than myself,” Cornelius said.

YAMILLAH.HURTADO@PEPPERDINE.EDU

OC TOBE R 8, 2 0 2 1 | LI FE AN D ARTS | PE PPE RDINE G R A P H I C M E D I A

B3

DIET: A plant-based lifestyle FROM B1 Senior Michaela Gromer began her vegetarian diet after a Green Team meeting during her first year at Pepperdine, she said. Green Team is a club that promotes learning about the environment and living sustainably, and it taught Gromer about the impact a person’s diet can have on the environment.

“They were talking about the production of meat and how it’s so bad for this environment and I was like, ‘What?

No one told me,’” Gromer said. “I feel like that was just the push that I needed, to hear that in Green Team, so literally the next day, I stopped eating meat.”

While she didn’t face any pushback for her decision to adopt a new diet, Gromer said some people were surprised by her dedication to a plantbased diet, which she has followed ever since.

“As the months went on, my friends would be like, ‘I can’t believe you kept it up for this long,’ acting like it was something kind of big when in reality it felt like it was very small,” Gromer said.

The Challenges of a PlantBased Diet Gromer said one of the main challenges of being vegetarian is the cost of certain alternatives. In addition, the time commitment required to research new ways to eat and recipes to prepare are substan-

tial issues — but she prioritizes her diet enough that they are manageable for her.

“I just feel like it’s a value of mine that I’m like, ‘OK, I’m willing to spend more on it,’” Gromer said.

Rampton said one of the most common misconceptions about a vegan diet is that it’s hard to get enough protein after cutting out meat. While Rampton carefully tracked his protein intake when he began his vegan diet, he now knows he gets plenty of protein because of his established routine and no longer monitors it as closely.

“It’s an adjustment because in our previous diet, a lot of that is coming from meat and dairy,” Rampton said.

“So once you take that off the plate, you have to find something to substitute it with.”

A plant-based diet requires planning to get a healthy amount of protein, as well as nutrients like B-12 and iron, McCune wrote.

Navigating Food Options on Campus Another difficult aspect of being a vegetarian is navigating the food choices on campus. Gromer said, this year in particular, it is challenging to find things to eat on campus, and her go-to’s are the vegan station in the cafeteria, vegetarian sushi or Starbucks.

Rampton said he enjoys the plant-based options on campus, especially after transferring from Harding University, where there are fewer

options compatible with his diet. Though he doesn’t usually have trouble finding something to eat at Pepperdine, he said the vegan meal options could be improved.

“I think the cafeteria could work on always including a source of protein, like tofu or beans or some kind of whole grain,” Rampton said. “It’ll be a little more filling and more protein-dense than what they have sometimes.”

For students interested in adopting a plant-based diet, McCune recommends they pick one day a week to eat plant-based meals and work their way up from there, making sure to include at least two vegetables with lunch and dinner.

Rampton said he is working on starting a club for students interested in adopting plant-based diets or who already follow one as a way to create community and provide a support system. While he is vegan, he said this club will be inclusive of anyone who is on a plant-based journey.

“Most campuses in America have some kind of vegan club, and I just transferred into Pepperdine, and I was kind of surprised to learn that we didn’t have one,” Rampton said. “I do feel like we have a substantial amount of plantbased eaters on campus, but it’s just a matter of assembling them and creating that community.”

While following a plantbased diet can be very beneficial both health-wise and for the environment, McCune

INFOGRAPHIC BY ALI LEVENS wrote she emphasizes students should not strive for perfection when it comes to eating.

Trying to eat perfectly creates unhealthy, disordered eating habits and removes the enjoyment from food.

“Eating should be a pleasant, nurturing experience,” McCune wrote. “Seeking out healthy choices like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, olive oil and other healthy fats is a healthy way to eat — but I think there is room for occasional sweet treats, burgers

and fries if you desire.”

Students who are interested in joining Rampton’s club can email him at ian.rampton@ pepperdine.edu for more information.

Students who would like to set up an appointment with McCune at the Student Health Center can call (310) 506-4316.

ADDIE.WHITEN@PEPPERDINE.EDU

INFOGRAPHIC BY EMILIA LEKHTER

b4

OC TOBE R 8, 2 0 2 1 | LI FE AN D ARTS | PE PPE RDINE G R A P H I C M E D I A

ASMR: Audio content comforts Waves FROM A1 Some of her most popular videos include “ASMR Haircut Roleplay,” “ASMR in Different Languages” and more — ranging from seven to four million views each.

“These days I am inspired by what I watch myself,” Sharon said. “I am pretty in tune with the rest of the community, but I also follow requests sometimes and I look at what my viewers like to watch on my channel.”

Senior Moises Vargas found Gentle Whispering’s ASMR channel at 13 years old. Vargas listened throughout high school when he struggled with sleeping and continues to listen in college as classes became more stressful, he said.

[ASMR] immediately gave me this feeling of relaxation [...] this body chill that went down my spine and made me feel relaxed.

MOISES VARGAS, SENIOR

Vargas feels ASMR helps him focus and keeps him on task during homework and projects.

“It immediately gave me this feeling of relaxation — like when I entered an empty office or quiet library, this body chill that went down my spine and made me feel relaxed,” Vargas said.

“Since then, I have been completely addicted to it.”

Senior Hannah Cheng said ASMR helped comfort her nerves when her family was in the midst of a move from New York to Hong Kong. Now, Cheng watches channels like Goodnight Moon on YouTube every night before bed.

“It makes you feel like a little kid again,” Cheng said. “There is something about that action [ASMR triggers] -- it’s just so nostalgic and comforting and it brings me back to a simpler time and it eases any worries that I am experiencing. ASMR has definitely improved the quality of my life.”

In terms of content, Cheng said she prefers more low-fidelity or Low Fi ASMR — a type of video with less production quality because it’s filmed on an iPhone — and more storytimes, fashion hauls or simply tapping on household objects.

“I think something about it [LowFi] feels more intimate, and I think having an intimate space is another big reason why people like ASMR,” Cheng said. “Something about that feels nurturing and it’s a great way to feel comforted at the end of the day.”

While ASMR might not be the most conventional type of media consumption, Cheng said she used to feel self-conscious about telling people she enjoyed ASMR. But as its popularity increased due to people indulging in “oddly satisfying” videos on social media, she said she felt confident in sharing that part of her life.

Vargas said the stigmatization of ASMR can be attributed to spectators getting confused between poorly done ASMR and content creators putting in the effort to consciously relax people.

“There is so much diversity within ASMR content creators that it is very easy to generalize it,” Vargas said.

“There’s just a lot of stereotyping that happens and, since ASMR is so personal, no two people are going to have the exact same taste so it can be hard to bring it up in conversation.”

As creators continue to understand cues from their audiences, it doesn’t look like ASMR will be fading anytime soon, as percentages for ASMR consumption have gone up every year dramatically since 2018. Sharon said the majority of her viewers leave positive comments, but for those who don’t, she chooses to ignore it and realizes some are not ready to accept ASMR. “For myself, I don’t have a goal really, I think once you arrive at this point you just want to enjoy it and continue what you’re doing for as long as you can,” Sharon said.

Sharon said she is working hard to encourage ASMR research in schools, medical settings and more so that the

It makes you feel like a little kid again. There is something about that action [ASMR triggers] it’s just so nostalgic and comforting and it brings me back to a simpler time and it eases any worries that I am experiencing. ASMR has definitely improved the quality of my life.

HANNAH CHENG, SENIOR world can finally understand the spectacle that is ASMR. The sensation is proven to help with a slew of things ranging from ADHD to addiction to athletic performance and more.

BETH.GONZALES@PEPPERDINE.EDU

b5

OC TOBE R 8, 2 0 2 1 | LI FE AN D ARTS | PE PPE RDIN E G R A P H I C M E D I A

PIT brings much-needed laughter HOLLY FOUCHE STAFF WRITER After closing the curtains a year and a half ago, Pepperdine Improv Troupe returned Sept.

24, delivering much-needed laughs for Waves across campus.

It was a battle of wits for the PIT crew, as the cast split into two teams: “It’s a Girl” and “The 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore.” The two teams’ fates were in the hands of the audience, as they yelled out suggestions to the improv crew.

PIT is the University’s improv team that consists of 15 students and two faculty directors. During shows, players rotate and divide into two teams and then play short improv games to charm the audience.

In each show, the host uses a vote-by-majority system, judging a performance based on the audience’s response. With this, audience members are required to rate each performance on a scale of one to five. As the night progresses, the host tallies each team’s points, announcing the final scores at the end of the show — earning the winning team bragging rights.

Students across Elkins Auditorium broke out into shouting matches for the host’s attention, suggesting prompts as

the show progressed. Despite the small crowd, the auditorium shook with laughter as students rooted for their favorite teams and embraced the chaos brewing before them.

From crying over Halloween costumes to summarizing “Shrek” in five different genres, each team gave their best effort to work together and make the best out of the audience’s suggestions.

In the end, team “It’s a Girl” won the night by a slim margin, scoring 39 points. Team “The 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore” had a score of 38.

The team provided a large range of concise but hilarious skits. From falling in love on the Oregon Trail to giving birth in a Waffle House, team “The 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore” caused a raucous among the audience, giving the team “It’s a Girl” a run for its money as they fought for the hearts of the audience.

Despite team “It’s a Girl” being the audience’s favorite, both sides earned tumultuous applause from the crowd, giving Pepperdine students a hilarious escape during this pandemic.

Sophomore Rebecca Smith, one of the audience members, said she gives the show a rating

PHOTO COURTESY OF ISABEL KLEIN The PIT players hang out at their rehearsal Oct. 3, gearing up for their next show. PIT began in 2000 and has been a source of community laughter with free monthly shows in Elkins Auditorium. of nine out of 10.

“There were a lot of funny moments, like when Cat [Masterson] was dancing and when the teams were playing ‘Categories’ that were just a lot of fun to watch,” Smith said.

Many of the attendees said they felt the same, and most of the crowd burst into laughter throughout the entire show.

“My favorite part of the show was when Isabel [Klein] and Joe [Allgood] pretended to be a ‘divorced couple,’” Smith said. “I have to say [it] was one of the funniest moments of the show for me.”

When asked to describe the show, first-year Michael Jacobs

said: funny, crazy and wild.

“I was curious,” Jacobs said, regarding what made him want to see the show. “I’ve loved improv when I was little and, hearing how my friends were going, I just knew I couldn’t miss it.”

While many shows differ in perspectives from performer to audience member, this show seemed to share one common chord — its unpredictability.

Max Zink, senior and PIT member, said the least expected things come from both the audience and fellow performers — because you can never really tell what is going to happen. This excitement and the

comfort from his team are what helps him prepare for a show.

“My biggest takeaway for tonight is that it is a fun show for PIT, and I’m glad they are going to keep having more shows, and I’ll be glad to help with shows to come,” Zink said.

This first show begins not only the new school year — but also the beginning of a series of shows hosted by Pepperdine’s band of improv stars.

HOLLY.FOUCHE@PEPPERDINE.EDU

Orchestra returns with Beethoven’s 5th symphony HOLLY FOUCHE STAFF WITER The heat was on for the Pepperdine Orchestra, as they put their skills to the test, hoping their month’s worth of rehearsals would help them provide the audience with a memorable show.

Teamed up with two-time winners of the Thomas M. Osborne Concerto Competition, Jonathan Vu and Samuel Sun, the ensemble gave a powerful performance, showing both the students’ hard work and the staff’s dedication.

The night of Sept. 30, marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Pepperdine Orchestra, as they returned to Smothers Theatre to perform Beethoven’s 5th Symphony after a year and a half of both practicing and performing online.

Crowds of people flooded Smothers Theatre, fighting through the hot winds and dry weather to support the performers. Many guests came to support, cheering like fans in a football stadium as each song came to a close.

While the attendees prepared to hear a tranquil night of classical music, the performers’ anxieties swelled moments before the beginning of the concert.

Tensions were high, as Assistant Music Professor and Conductor Pierre Tang said he did not know what to expect given that many factors proved to be detrimental during the orchestra’s rehearsals.

“There were just a lot of challenges we didn’t know about until we started rehearsing,” Tang said. “A lot of humidity would produce small cracks, and the heat would also change the intonation of the instruments.”

It was not only the harsh elements of nature that stood in the way of the per-

formers — but the change from online to in-person as well.

“I think the biggest challenge was just that [switching to in-person practice] because the first couple rehearsals were just feeling, playing with one another again,” Tang said.

Sophomore cellist Katherine Delong said there is more energy when performing in front of a crowd than online, which makes playing each song more meaningful to each musician.

“When you get that live feedback, it’s really difficult to get the reaction of the audience, and there’s just so much more energy when you’re in person,” Delong said.

The practice she received helped her the most when preparing for the show, as it allowed her to relish in the moment and not let her nerves get the best of her.

“It’s just going out there and just wanting to produce something great,” Delong said.

When asked about the transition to in-person performing, Sun agreed.

Sun, a Pepperdine alumnus (’21) and one of the featuring soloists in the concert, won the Thomas M. Osborne Concerto Competition twice in a row and was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honors Society earlier this year. He serves as the mentor and music coach for the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra as well as the Concertmaster and Principal Violinist of the Homestead High School Orchestra.

“It’s super different, all of you feed off the energy of the audience since that’s what drives you as a performer,” Sun said. “Performing to a video camera or screens is not the same as live performances.”

HOLLY FOUCHE | STAFF WRITER Award-winning violinist Samuel Sun performs a solo during the Pepperdine Orchestra’s concert Sept. 30. Sun was featured in the show along with award-winning violinist Jonathan Vu. Sun’s biggest takeaway from the show came from how much more enjoyable he finds performing in person again. He said it was refreshing to be able to hear the instruments together in one space — versus playing separately online, he said.

Although times were tough for the orchestra during rehearsals, its inaugural performance resulted in overall satisfaction among the audience.

Audience members across the Pepperdine community listened to an hour of classical music, taking pictures of their loved ones and watching the two soloists embrace the harmony around them.

Standing ovations filled the theater, as audience members lauded the performers, handing out roses and bouquets to them after the show. After long

hours of hard work and dedication, the Orchestra delivered a powerhouse performance.

“Overall, [it was] better than I thought — it was really above what I was rehearsing,” Tang said.

The orchestra’s next performance would be with the New West Symphony, as the company has invited the string section to perform with them at Smothers Theatre.

HOLLY.FOUCHE@PEPPERDINE.EDU

B6

OC TOBER 8, 2021

The Graphic

PEPPERDI NE- G R A P H I C .C O M

SPORTS

R E V E T R A T S E ST

B

ALI LEVENS | CREATIVE DIRECTOR

ALEC MATULKA SPORTS EDITOR No. 6 Pepperdine Women’s Soccer achieved its best start in program history Saturday, Oct. 2, as the team rolled to a decisive 3-0 victory over University of Portland on a sun-baked afternoon in Malibu. Junior midfielder Carlee Giammona, senior defender Trinity Watson and sophomore forward Tori Waldeck all got on the scoresheet for the Waves.

“I’m speechless, honestly,” Watson said of the team’s start to the season. “I’ve never experienced anything like this.

The unity, the culture, everything about it is just perfect.

We’re writing a whole new story for this program that we get to be a part of [...] I think that’s a really special thing.”

The Waves, now 11-1-0, surpassed their previous best start of 9-1-1 from 2005.

Pepperdine — whose past game was Sept. 19 against Texas A&M — roared to life from the opening kickoff.

Early pressure from Pepperdine culminated in a free kick about 30 yards from the Pilots’ goal, which redshirt senior midfielder Joelle Anderson curled delightfully into the box. Giammona tracked the ball to the far post and took it out of the air, passing it into the bottom right corner of the Pilots’ net. “[Anderson] is an elegant footballer,” Ward said. “She’s got a high soccer IQ. And that delivery is really good, but, I mean, Carlee Giammona’s finish is a world-class finish.

She takes it first-time out of the air, which is absolutely sil-

ly. It’s a silly finish.”

The Waves kept the pressure up after the first goal, peppering Portland with a series of crosses into the box that prompted some desperate defending. Freshman forward Tabitha LaParl tested Portland’s goalkeeper Jenny Wahlen in the 12th minute, forcing her to dive across goal to make the save.

As the game progressed, Portland worked themselves into the contest. Midfielder Nyota Katembo came on as a substitute in the 16th minute, and made an immediate impact in settling what had been, up until that point, an unnerved Portland midfield.

Along with seeing more of the ball, Portland developed numerous attacking threats later in the first half. A quickly taken free kick in the 28th minute, played a Portland forward into a dangerous area near Pepperdine’s net, but redshirt senior goalkeeper Zoe Clevely was up to the task and made a smart save down to her right.

“Zoe [Clevely] is playing absolutely amazing,” Waldeck said. “But we’re defending as a team. There’s not one person not back pressing, not working hard for another girl that might not be able to get back because they made a long run.”

The Waves looked a bit sluggish as the half progressed and struggled to find sharp enough passes to cut through the Pilots’ defense. Through the remainder of the first half, Watson was vocal from the backline, shouting encouraging words to her teammates and attempting to galvanize the team going forward.

“Being the center-back, having the whole field in front of you is beneficial,” Watson said. “It is a role that I step into, to be able to communicate with everyone and be direct but also positive.”

As the first half bled into the second, both teams seemed to be fighting the heat as well as each other. Tempers began to flare, as the game turned into a physical contest.

Sophomore midfielder Julianna Duckett was called for a foul in the 66th minute after pushing a Portland player while vying for a header. Ward jumped off the bench and paced the sideline, hollering at the referee about the call.

“I don’t get mad,” Ward said. “But Jules just put her hands up to protect herself and the ref called a foul. And I said, ‘What is she supposed to do? Stand there and take the girl’s head to her face?’

But it’s not personal, and [the referees] understand. Right or wrong, he was consistent, and that’s all you want from a referee.”

With the game poised delicately at 1-0 and the Waves’ legs tiring, Waldeck stepped up and provided a spark of energy. After bursting forward and winning a bouncing ball that seemed to befuddle Portland’s backline, Waldeck was fouled in the box by Wahlen.

The referee awarded a penalty, and Watson stepped up to bury the spot-kick down the middle.

“At that point I was only in for a few minutes, and Coach [Ward] tells us, when we come in we’re game changers,” Waldeck said. “That’s my mindset coming in: I need to change the game.”

BRANDON RUBSAMEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Trinity Watson (No. 13) takes a penalty kick against University of Portland on Saturday, Oct. 2. The Waves won by a score of 3-0, and improved to 10-1-0 on the season.

Soccer experts have long bemoaned that 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in soccer, claiming it can prompt complacency. But the Waves, jolted by Waldeck’s energy, played the rest of the game with startling intensity.

Waldeck put the Waves up 3-0 with a moment of magic in the 72nd minute. After finding the ball on the right side, several yards outside the penalty area, Waldeck rifled a right-footed shot toward the goal. Gliding just over Wahlen’s outstretched hand, the shot nestled into the top left corner of the net.

“One of my favorite things to do is chip the keeper,” Waldeck said. “So if she’s out, I thought I might as well do it.”

The Waves almost added to their tally several times in the remaining minutes. Sophomore midfielder Skylar Enge came the closest in the 74th minute, but her shot from the top of the penalty area glanced just wide of the post.

Another close call for Portland came in the 82nd minute, when Wahlen miskicked a clearance on the right side of her penalty area. Freshman midfielder Caroline Coleman did well to intercept the ball, but couldn’t take full advantage of the keeper being off her line.

Three goals proved more than enough for the Waves, who recorded their fourth consecutive shutout when the

final whistle blew. The Waves have shipped a mere five goals through 12 regular season games, giving them the best goals allowed per game in the WCC. “It’s something special,” Watson said. “A shutout, we do as a team, it’s not just the backline. Everything we do, we do together.”

The Waves had little time to rest on their laurels, as they’ll travel to the University of San Diego on Wednesday, Oct. 6, where they won 4-0. From there, the Waves go to Loyola Marymount University on Saturday, Oct. 9, in what will be their third conference game in seven days.

“I didn’t even know who we were playing next,” Ward said, when asked about the upcoming games. “I don’t really look at the schedule. We give our girls the schedule, it says, ‘Vicious opponent number 12.’

It’s not that I don’t care about the opponent, it’s just that everybody is good. Everybody is good enough to beat us, and we’re good enough to beat anybody.”

As the Waves continue their season and pile up wins, the end of Ward’s comment should not be understated.

ALEC.MATULKA@PEPPERDINE.EDU

OC TOB E R 8, 2 0 2 1 | S PO RTS | PE PPE RDINE G R A PH I C M E D I A

B7

WVB defeats LMU in dramatic fashion JERRY JIANG STAFF WRITER Pepperdine Women’s Indoor Volleyball (12-1) defeated PCH Cup rivals Loyola Marymount University (12-2) in five sets 25-23, 34-32, 2025, 23-25, 15-12 on Saturday, Oct. 2.

With this win, Pepperdine continues its scorching start to the season, earning a sixgame win streak and starting off WCC conference play undefeated in four matches. The Waves had an overall record of 36-16 against LMU before this matchup, with its previous win this past March in a victory that took three sets.

“I think the beauty of playing in a great conference is you’re tested all the time,” Head Coach Scott Wong said.

“Really proud of our team for fighting and battling no matter the situation.”

The Waves drew first blood Saturday afternoon, as they won the first two sets.

The first set saw both teams trading points, as neither team was able to gain much offensive separation from each other.

It wasn’t until junior setter Isabel Zelaya scored on a kill with the Waves up 13-10 that the Waves offense picked up steam.

Fueled by Zelaya and senior outside hitter Rachel Ahrens, the Waves went on a scoring run, increasing their lead to 17-10. The set closed with Ahrens landing the critical kill, ending the first set 2523, assisted by Zelaya.

“Games can go either way, they can go up or down,” Ahrens said. “But I think just pushing through those moments where we’re kinda low on energy and things aren’t going our way, it shows that we are resilient; we don’t give up.”

The second set was where the drama took place. A set normally ends at 25 points, but it took the Waves 34 points to triumph over the Lions.

Sophomore middle blocker Meg Brown got the scoring started by converting on a kill.

LMU quickly responded by scoring four straight points, two of which came from service aces, taking an early 4-1 lead.

The turning point came when the score was 19-14, with LMU leading the way.

Senior libero Madison Shields racked up an ace and Pepperdine closed the gap 19-17, trying to mount a comeback.

The run ended with a score of 20-17 when LMU scored on a kill by senior outside hitter Megan Rice, which Wong challenged. Unfortunately for the Waves, the original call on the floor stood.

“I think we do a good job of working through those kind of undisciplined moments and then coming back together as

RYAN BRINKMAN | PHOTO EDITOR Senior middle blocker Rosie Ballo goes for a block versus LMU. The Waves started WCC conference play undefeated through four games. a team and be disciplined,” Shields said.

The match increased its intensity at this point, as both teams traded points yet again.

Every time it seemed like the Waves were gaining some momentum offensively, the Lions always had an answer, whether it came from a service error or a kill. The Waves just could not pull away.

LMU freshman outside hitter Kari Geissberger scored on a kill, edging LMU’s lead to 26-25. Wong immediately approached the referee, and after much debate, he decided not to use his second challenge.

“The same player touched the ball twice, and that’s something [that] isn’t challengeable,” Wong said. “So that’s when I decided not [to use the challenge] because she ruled it that it was not challengeable.”

The NCAA decided to experiment with replay systems this year to improve the ac-

curacy of calls and to see if any rules need to be adjusted.

Coaches will have two challenges once the match starts, but if the match ends up going to a fifth set, they will have an additional challenge, although there are some specific rules that aren’t challengeable.

Finally, with the score tied at 32, LMU committed a service error and attack error and the Waves came out victorious.

LMU made a total of 33 errors during the game.

With the Waves taking control of the first two sets, LMU returned the favor with their backs against the wall.

LMU came out firing in the third and was able to score six straight points during one stretch, which included five attack errors from Pepperdine and one kill by Geissberger, increasing LMU’s lead from 11-11 to 17-11. Pepperdine could not recover from that assault, and due to their er-

rors, lost the set.

The Waves weren’t worried, Wong said, and they trusted their teammates and the defensive effort that they’ve worked on all season long.

“There’s a group of 17 young ladies that just love volleyball,” Wong said. “I think it’s them looking at each other in the eye saying, ‘You got this’ and then getting back to work and working hard to build confidence.”

The fourth set had a similar feel to the start of the game, which mostly included the teams trading points. Freshman outside hitter Grace Chillingworth had four kills in the fourth set, but Pepperdine committed six attack errors, which ultimately led to their downfall. LMU won the set 25-23.

“When we struggled during the second, third set, it c ame down to communication, and then we picked it

up,” Shields said.

The fifth set had more of an offensive flow for both teams.

With the game on the line, LMU struck first, coming out with four straight points.

Pepperdine responded with a 5-1 run of their own through a ball handling error by LMU freshman setter Isabella Bareford and two attack errors by Geissberger.

The set was tied at 11 when Pepperdine began to pull away. Chillingworth was an offensive spark throughout the match and scored on a crucial kill. This was quickly followed by an ace by junior defensive specialist Kayla Joyce.

“I feel like it’s a play here, a cover there, a dig here, and we’ve been preaching that a lot in practice that we need to stay disciplined,” Wong said.

“We need to keep on working, we need to keep on grinding and to our credit we did.”

Ahrens and Brown accompanied the offensive with a kill and ace, respectively. The match ended with an error by Geissberger.

The Waves celebrated, but LMU Head Coach Aaron Mansfield decided to use his final challenge. As the crowd held their breath, the Waves rejoiced as the original call stood and they came out victorious.

“I thought we defended, blocked really well; I’d give us an A for that,” Wong said. “I felt like that was our strength tonight and I’m proud of our team for doing those things.”

Ahrens and Chillingworth finished the match with 18 kills a piece. Zeyala led the team with 48 assists and Shields contributed with 23 digs. Senior middle blocker Rosie Ballo had an efficient night as well with eight kills.

JERRYCJIANG1919@GMAIL.COM

RYAN BRINKMAN | PHOTO EDITOR

On Saturday, Oct. 2, senior outside hitter Rachel Ahrens delivers a striking blow to LMU’s defense. Ahrens continued her stellar play this season, ending the match with 18 kills.

B8

OC TOB E R 8, 2 0 2 1 | S PO RTS | PE PPE RDINE G R A PH I C M E D I A

Water Polo takes down No. 2 Cal in thriller MALIA BAMBRICK STAFF WRITER After a staggering start to Sunday’s game, the Pepperdine Men’s Water Polo team (10-7) capped the 3-0 weekend off with a huge win against No. 2 UC Berkeley (14-2), giving them momentum heading into conference play.

Before Sunday’s matchup, the California Bears had only one loss on the season to USC a week prior, and the Waves hadn’t seen a win against them since 2019. The last time the Waves beat Cal at home was in 2008, making this game more meaningful.

“We’re just trying to get the guys to believe that we can play with and beat a team like that,” Head Coach Terry Schroeder said. “We’ve seen the guys progress and grow as a team, so as a coach, that makes you very happy.”

The Waves came out with an aggressive first quarter that started with a quick goal from senior attacker Sean Ferrari at the 7:18 mark, followed by senior attacker Balazs Kosa’s goal just over a minute later.

The Waves’ start proved to give them the momentum they needed as sophomore attacker Jake Howerton added one of his five game goals at the 4:19 mark off of a solo effort down the left side.

“Just like any other game, you come in and you game plan, and it really came to us today,” Howerton said. “Everything came together because we’ve been working so hard this season.”

Senior center Nicholas Fichman, junior center Austin Smit and sophomore center defender Nico Tierney all added to the attack with a goal each to give the Waves a 6-3

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF GOLDEN Pepperdine looks to attack against No. 2 UC Berkeley. The Waves’ record is now 10-7 overall, and the team is ranked No. 8. lead to end the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Waves started strong with a quick goal from Howerton, followed by another goal from Kosa after a perfect pass from Tierney.

There was a sudden change in energy when the Waves saw shots on the goal just wouldn’t go in. Their shots flew strong, missing both high and wide, and the Bears’ goalie made a nice save at the four-minute mark to maintain their attack.

The Waves faced a five-minute drought without a goal while the Bears saw three go in, making it 8-6 for a Pepperdine lead.

“Every game has runs, and we knew that Cal wasn’t going to give up,” Schroeder said.

“They came back hard, but it was key for us to be able to withstand that run.”

To end the Bears’ run, Howerton provided the Waves with an answer with his second goal of the quarter at the 2:04 mark. Fichman added to

the attack after he scored an electrifying goal with a second left on the shot clock from a Tierney assist.

To finish off the quarter, Howerton scored one more time with 35 seconds left to play, but the Bears responded with a goal of their own to close out the half, making it 11-7.

The Waves didn’t start the third quarter as strongly as the first two, while the Bears saw themselves firing first and shifting the energy in their favor. A couple of the Waves’ missed shots were capitalized on by another three of the Bears’ goals, bringing them within one point of the Waves and a 11-10 score.

“In moments like that where you start to see the momentum shift, you have to keep fighting through it,” Schroeder said.

The Waves did just that after a foul on Ferrari gave him the penalty shot, which he scored.

The 12-10 lead was quickly

decreased after another Bears’ goal at the 2:20 mark, but Kosa gave the Waves another goal to close out the quarter with a 13-11 lead.

The fourth quarter made for a nail-biter after the Bears came out with a quick two goals to tie the game. Howerton had the answer, yet again, to give him his fifth goal of the game and Pepperdine a 14-13 lead.

“In the end of the game like that, you’re not looking for yourself to score,” Howerton said. “You’re looking for the team to score and anything that’ll help the team win.”

The Bears came down to try to decrease the lead, but a huge save by redshirt senior goalie John Claude Marco allowed for an attack in the other direction and a Tierney goal for a 15-13 lead.

“In my mind, I know I have to make big saves for my defense, mostly because I give the energy to the offense when I make key saves,” Marco said.

The latter part of the fourth started getting scrappy, and a lot more fouls were committed on both sides. Marco had another huge save with three minutes left in the game.

He made a quick pass out to Tierney on the right side for a beautiful assist to Kosa, resulting in a goal down the middle.

The Bears tried to answer the attack, but Marco made another big save with just under two minutes to play.

Following the Bears’ timeout, they were able to score a goal bringing them within two points of the Waves.

Time was in the Waves’ favor, and after a game of keepaway, they closed out the game with a win and a bunch of cheers to follow. As the horn blew, the Waves instantly started splashing the water while their teammates outside the pool hopped out of their seats to celebrate.

“We’re a special team, we thought of them no differently than any other team,” Marco said. “We just wanted to come out and play our best.”

Howerton added that a game like this was huge for them mentally heading into conference play.

The team now has the week to prepare for their next game where they will play Saturday, Oct. 9, at California Baptist (9-8).

MALIA.BAMBRICK@PEPPERDINE.EDU

UP C OMING ATHL ETIC E VE N TS SUN

MON

TUES

WED

THUR

FRI

SAT

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

WHAT: MTEN @ UCSB CL ASSIC WHERE: SANTA BARBAR A , CALIF. WHEN: ALL DAY

NO GAMES :(

NO GAMES :(

NO GAMES :(

WHAT: W VB VS SAN DIEGO WHERE: MALIBU, CALIF. WHEN: 7 P.M., PDT

WHAT: WGOLF @ STANFORD INTERCOLLEGIATE WHERE: PALO ALTO, CALIF. WHEN: ALL DAY WHAT: WSWIM @ CAL STATE E AST BAY WHERE: HAYWARD, CALIF. WHEN: ALL DAY

WHAT: MWP VS UC IRVINE WHERE: MALIBU, CALIF. WHEN: 1 1 A .M., PDT WHAT: W VB VS BYU WHERE: MALIBU, CALIF. WHEN: NOON, PDT WHAT: WSOC VS GONZAGA WHERE: MALIBU, CALIF. WHEN: NOON, PDT

OC TOBE R 8, 2 0 2 1 | S PO RTS | PE PPE RDINE G R A PH I C M E D I A

B9

New fitness center under construction KARL WINTER DIGITAL EDITOR Though experiencing a construction delay, the new structure between Seaside Residence Hall and Eden House will be complete by the end of 2021. The project should have opened in fall 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of construction.

The structure will soon be a new, temporary fitness center, dubbed the “Pepperdine Fitness Center,” and will be twice the size of the Firestone Fieldhouse weight room.

With the proposed student activities and sports arena in Rho parking lot — known as “The Mountain” — still years from completion, the structure will improve student recreation opportunities temporarily, wrote Marie Chu, senior project manager in the Department of Design and Construction, in a Sept. 27 email.

“The project has been delayed, largely by geotechnical issues that we have encountered,” Chu wrote. “We expect this project to be completed by the end of this calendar year.”

Campus Recreation will staff and manage the new facility.

The project includes two structures: a fitness building and a restroom building, each one floor. The fitness space

will be 5,000 square feet, while the restroom and locker room building will be around 900 square feet, Chu wrote.

The structure is temporary insofar as it does not sit on a permanent foundation, Director of Campus Recreation Robb Bolton said.

A rendering of the Pepperdine Fitness Center shows a tent-like structure with windows facing Greek Dorm Road. The structure will have air-conditioning and plumbing, Bolton said.

Chief Operating Officer, Phil Phillips, presented the renderings at the Oct. 6 President’s Briefing.

“Our plan is that the structure will be removed and replaced by a new, permanent fitness center as part of The Mountain project,” Chu wrote.

“It is vitally important to the wellness of our students to provide them increased and improved recreation space.”

Campus Recreation advocated for a new fitness space prior to President Jim Gash’s appointment, Bolton said.

Strength and cardio spaces consist of the Firestone weight room, The Cage near the tennis courts, and satellite resident-only facilities in Towers and Seaside.

Campus Rec employees like Bolton and fitness coach Becca Brackett said the space under Firestone, known colloquially

as “the dungeon,” is too small to properly accommodate the number of community members who utilize it.

“It did suck always seeing the awesome facility the athletes got to use and then having to go down into a poorly ventilated basement to do my workouts,” Brackett, a 2021 alumna, wrote in a text message. “I hope the students that get to use it will really appreciate the new space and give it some good use.”

Gash pressed ahead with the new events center project, The Mountain, but also made plans for the new fitness center in the meantime, Bolton said.

The project remains on-budget, Chu wrote.

“The surprise was President Gash finding this interim step which we weren’t expecting,” Bolton said. “Which is a really welcome surprise because we were just thinking, ‘Well, we’re gonna have to wait the time period that’s going to take for this larger project.’”

The new structure will include all brand-new equipment, cardio machines with Bluetooth and streaming capabilities, more free weight stations and open space for students to do core and bodyweight exercises. The equipment in Firestone is more than 10 years old, Bolton said.

“I’m very excited for the community — having the larg-

RYAN BRINKMAN | PHOTO EDITOR Construction continues at the Pepperdine Fitness Center between Seaside Residence Hall and Eden House. Pepperdine’s Design and Construction team expects the facility to be finished by the end of 2021. er space, the natural lighting and the windows, all brandnew equipment, new technology,” Bolton said.

The space will also appear more open, with the view overlooking the soccer field and ocean, according to design mockups.

“It’s supposed to be a community, social place as well, and that’s what the new space will allow,” Bolton said.

Campus Rec will no longer use the Firestone Fieldhouse weight room when the new fitness center opens, but there are no plans regarding the fate of the underground room, Bolton said. The group fitness center in the Harilela International

Tennis Stadium will remain open, Bolton said.

KARL.WINTER@PEPPERDINE.EDU