Winter 2015 Week 8

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Koch Brother Spending

Biker’s Paradise

The fiscal coup of our government

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Students Question Free Speech Some feel administrative policies are too restrictive Eduardo Cuevas

Associate Reporter

Nicolas Sonnenburg The Santa Clara

Recent activism by student organizations on Santa Clara’s campus has raised questions about oversight of the right to free

speech on campus. The annual drag show, last year’s push to cut Jansport ties and last quarter’s die-ins on National Police Brutality Day spurred students to support various causes. Some students say this activism has been met with opposition from university administration.

Most of the controversy surrounds the university’s expressive activity policies, which were formalized in 2010 as a response to student desires to host demonstrations beyond

the confines of Benson Plaza, the formerly designated “free speech” zone.

According to the student handbook, “The purpose of these time, place, and manner regulations is to guarantee the right of free expression; ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff; advance the academic mission of the University; and protect the property rights of the University.”

Requests for free speech events must be submitted to the vice provost for student life 72 hours in advance, and See POLICIES, Page 3

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION — ALYSSA LEE

Attacker Pleads Not Guilty President Details Development Deputy district attorney describes violent crime scene Krista Clawson Sophie Mattson

The Santa Clara Dillon Kim, the 19 year-old Santa Clara sophomore who allegedly stabbed his roommate in Graham Residence Hall on Feb. 17, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder on Tuesday.

The attack, which was allegedly unprovoked, occurred at 3:30 a.m. when the victim was asleep in his dorm room, according to Melanie Griswold, a Santa Clara County deputy district attorney.

The victim awoke to Kim on top of him

holding a knife and was stabbed in the throat, she said.

The victim’s forehead was slashed and his shoulder was cut, according to Griswold. The victim was then able to get away but fell and was stabbed in the back.

A suitemate helped the victim escape, and the Santa Clara Police Department arrested Kim shortly thereafter, Griswold said.

Kim was charged with attempted murder in court on Feb. 19, with an allegation that the act was premeditated.

Kim is currently being held without bail at Santa Clara County Jail. The victim has requested privacy, according to Griswold. An email from President Michael Engh, S.J., stated the victim is expected to recover.

Kim will appear at the Santa Clara Superior Court again on March 25 at 9 a.m.

Contact Krista Clawson at kclawson@scu.edu, Sophie Mattson at smattson@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.

Tennis Loses on the Road Goes 0-2 in matches SPORTS, PAGE 7

Engh praises community response to stabbing incident Nicolas Sonnenburg The Santa Clara

A full Mayer Theatre listened at Santa Clara’s annual State of the University event which touted accomplishments from individuals and outlined future plans to expand the campus.

University President Michael Engh, S.J., began on a somber note, asking for a prayer of healing and comfort, and thanking Emergency Medical Services, Community Facilitators, Campus Safety Services, the Office of Student Life and the Emergency Response Task Force for their handling of

last week’s on-campus stabbing, in which a Santa Clara student allegedly attacked his roommate.

As for major advancements for the Santa Clara community in the past year, he discussed alumnus Aven Satre-Maloy, who was recently chosen as a Rhodes Scholar; the staggering 15,000 undergraduate applications sent in this year and new initiatives in collaborative governance.

The rest of the event was centered around talk of future developments at Santa Clara over the next five years.

Dennis Jacobs, provost and vice president for academic affairs, took the podium after Engh and outlined the Santa Clara 2020 Integrated Strategic Plan. Much of this plan involves the construction of new art, law, athletics and residence buildings.

Jacobs also discussed the creation of a See ENGH, Page 3

WHAT’S INSIDE

News.................................. 1 – 3 Scene................................ 4 – 5 Opinion....................................6 Sports............................... 7 – 8

2 / News

The Santa Clara

Thursday, February 26, 2015

BRONCO BRIEFS

CAMPUS SAFETY

Congresswoman Visits Campus

Drug Violation

Discusses Treatment of Refugees, Immigrants

Feb. 20: CSS responded to investigate a report of a marijuana odor emanating from a resident’s room in St. Clare Hall. Both room occupants denied smoking marijuana. A room search revealed marijuana and paraphernalia, which were confiscated and disposed of.

Drunk in Public Feb. 20: A female student, who appeared to be intoxicated, was observed driving a Bon Appétit flatbed electric cart on Market Street in the middle of the night. She was approached by a CSS officer for questioning when she stopped and parked the cart in front of the Dunne Hall lobby steps. SCPD was contacted and responded, and took her into protective custody. The cart was returned back to Benson Memorial Center.

Member of the House of Representatives and Santa Clara School of Law alumnus Zoe Lofgren spoke on campus on Feb. 21 about refugees and illegal immigration.

Lofgren was accompanied by Professor Cynthia Mertens from the School of Law and Political Science Associate Professor Elsa Chen in a panel discussion during an Ignatian Leadership Symposium.

Lofgren spoke about about her experience visiting undocumented farm workers in the strawberry fields, who are often mistreated by their employers.

“Before I eat my salad I always ask myself, ‘Who do I owe this salad to?’”

Lofgren said.

She also addressed the common misperception that many undocumented immigrants are criminals. In reality, she

Informational Report Feb. 20: CSS responded to check on a female campus resident’s welfare, due to a concerning text message she sent to her boyfriend. She agreed to be escorted to Cowell Health Center.

Feb. 20: A female staff member reportedly encountered an unknown suspicious male using the office restroom and then taking food from the kitchen area. The male fled the area. She was advised to call CSS or SCPD immediately if the same individual returned.

Feb. 21: A non-affiliate male was observed attempting to remove a wooden pallet from the Campus Bookstore loading dock. A CSS officer detained and questioned him.

He was admonished and asked to return the pallet.

Feb. 23: CSS responded to check on the welfare of a female campus resident, after it was reported that she might be a danger to herself. She had had an alarming conversation with her friend. The resident’s parents, who were contacted by her friend, were present in Graham Hall. She agreed to be taken back home with her parents for the night and to visit Cowell Health Center the following morning.

Feb. 24: A faculty member reported receiving obscene phone calls from an unknown male. CSS responded to document the incident and she was advised to file a report with SCPD. Feb. 24: A female campus resident reported possibly being followed by an unknown suspicious male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt while walking from the Daly Science Center to the main library. The unknown male left the area when she used her cellphone to make a phone call.

Feb. 24: A staff member reported an interaction with an alumnus who posted inappropriate material on a Santa Clara-hosted social media site. CSS responded to document the incident.

Student Behavior Feb. 21: A male student was observed kicking over safety pylons that were placed along the sidewalk on Santa Clara Street. CSS officers admonished him and asked him to return the safety pylons back in place.

Trespassing Feb. 22: CSS responded to a report of a disturbance involving a non-affiliate male on the Alameda Mall by the Bronco Statue. SCPD was contacted and responded. The non-affiliate male’s companion was taken into custody by SCPD, for being under the influence of methamphetamine and resisting arrest.

From Campus Safety reports.

Email news@thesantaclara.org.

Check out the Campus Safety Report online: facebook.com/scucss @SCUCampusSafety

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Since 1922 ••• Volume 94, Issue 16 ••• EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Vishakha Joshi MANAGING EDITOR Mallory Miller

Collin Baker Krista Clawson John Flynn Alli Kleppe Claire McLaughlin Summer Meza Nick Redfield Nicolas Sonnenburg COPY DESK Alexandra Hoffman Aya Mohamed N’dea Moore-Petinak Maura Turcotte

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News: Sophie Mattson Opinion: Thomas Curran-Levett Scene: Eddie Solis Jr. Sports: Tyler Scott Photo: Malu Veltze Slot: Emilie White Design: Lena Eyen

Kya Coletta Jaime Lacson Aleisha Nelson Rachael Vasquez PHOTOGRAPHERS Eric Bonilla

AP

U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren spoke about providing resources for detained illegal immigrants and refugees. She discussed visiting undocumented minors currently being held at the border.

said, the percent of criminality among immigrants is substantially low. Lofgren, the co-founder and co-chair of the Refugee Caucus, meets with the judiciary to establish priorities of the House and Senate, and helps ensure that the U.N. is providing resources to refugees.

“The U.S. can’t accept every refugee in the world, but it has a role to be a beacon of life for those who are repressed and struggling,” Lofgren said.

Last year, there was a spike in unaccompanied minors arriving at the border from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Lofgren spoke about her experience visiting these detained minors at the United States border.

“That is something that haunts me to this day,” Lofgren said. “What I found were hundreds of children being held in border patrol jails — in cement cells, with no toilet and no privacy. And border control was doing the best they could, like bringing burritos for the kids, but they were still locked in these cells.”

She said she is trying to encourage the government to assist the detainees.

Contact Nanki Bhullar at nbhullar@scu. edu.

Budget Announced

Water Bottles for 3-D Printing

Santa Clara plans to allocate money toward the expansion of the university, raise faculty salaries and implement tuition hikes in the 2016 fiscal year.

Mike Hindery, vice president for finance and administration, delivered the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Forum on Feb. 20. With a projected endowment of nearly $1.3 billion by the 2023 fiscal year, Hindery announced that Santa Clara plans to spend nearly $33.2 million in endowment payout for the 2016 year.

According to Hindery, there will be a 3.4 percent tuition increase for undergraduates and a 3.5 percent tuition hike for graduate students, along with a 3.9 percent increase for room and board.

Altogether, the total cost of education with room and board at Santa Clara next year will be $58,725.

Nearly 74 percent of Santa Clara students receive financial aid, and $84.8 million will be given to students in the 2016 fiscal year.

“We are a tuition-dependent university,” Hindery said. “I don’t anticipate this changing over the next several years.”

More money will be allocated to fund two new student dormitories, costing $25 million for the first freshman and sophomore dorm and $53 million for apartment-style junior and senior housing. The two dorms will also be joined by the $24 million renovation of Benson Memorial Center.

The Capital Projects, encompassing all funds for building on campus, will cost an estimated $593 million.

About $450 million is projected to come from fundraising and donations, with nearly $145 million coming from the university’s operating budget, borrowing, fund balances and reserves.

As for faculty salaries, Hindery announced a 3.5 percent merit pool increase for qualified professors, which totals around $2.03 million.

“We intend this to help bring us back to where we want to be in the market for the recruitment and retention of faculty,” Hindery said.

Two Santa Clara students presented their project to create 3-D printing filament, the plastic needed to print objects, from water bottles at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose on Feb. 16.

Seniors Jay Dubashi and Brian Grau were invited by the museum to promote their Senior Design Project, AkaBot, at a 3D Print Jam event, which featured presentations on the future of 3-D printing.

The team has partnered with Anudip, a non profit organization in India that trains women in entrepreneurship and other vocational skills. According to Dubashi, Anudip is looking for ways to implement 3-D printing in their training centers.

2016 Fiscal Year

Students Design Low-Cost Technology Grau said that because the filament and the import costs associated with it are very expensive, the team is trying to use plastic that is readily available as material for the 3-D prints.

To save costs, the team uses the machine to take in polyethylene terephthalate water bottles, melt them into a liquid and then extrude them through a dye to make a continuous length of material that can be used by a 3-D printer.

The team works under the supervision of Panthea Sepehrband, an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Contact Victoria Juarez at vjuarez@scu.edu.

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY FACEBOOK PAGE

Seniors Jay Dubbashi and Brian Grau presented their cost-effective 3-D printing technology, Akabot, at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose on Feb. 16.

Contact Eduardo Cuevas at ecuevas@scu.edu.

Danielle Velasco Max Westerman

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Policies Questioned Continued from Page 1

must include information about the sponsoring organizations, participation of non-affiliates and subject matter of the event.

Student groups interested in hosting demonstrations, marches, vigils or rallies must receive approval from university administration.

However, various student leaders have expressed concerns that the process stifles free speech on campus.

The policies are unclear and create limits on free speech by forcing students to outline their demonstrations beforehand, according to Senior Max Silva, associate director for the Santa Clara Community Action Program.

“The way (this policy) works from our end is there is an expressive activity form that has to be filled out by students that seems to have become more enforced,” said Silva, who has been involved with the campus LGBTQ organization Gay and Straight People for the Education of Diversity since his freshman year.

“I think people have a fear because of the threats that have been given,” he said in regards to the disciplinary process, which he criticized as being unclear.

As a member of the Rainbow Resource Center’s Steering Committee, which helps oversee GASPED, mathematics professor Ed Schaefer sees the frustration students have with the expressive activities approval process.

Schaefer, who has taught at Santa Clara for 22 years, has helped negotiate the continued performance of the annual drag show on campus by adding an educational component to the event.

“Though (the expressive activities protocol) helps protect our students and administrators from criticism, I feel it is too constraining and is preventing some educational opportunities,” he said in an email.

This criticism rests in the university’s commitment to truth, according to senior Torie Tremblay, Department Coordinator of Empowerment for SCCAP. She quoted the university handbook’s introductory statement, which outlines the university’s responsibility of “encouraging the free exchange of ideas for the purpose of developing and pursuing the truth” for students.

“Being involved in various rallies and actions with (Bronco Leaders of Environmental Justice Investigating Truth), GASPED and (the Labor Action Committee), I can say that these actions would have been even more successful if we had not been suffocated by the policies that are in place,” she added. “These are all organizations that develop knowledge and pursue truth.”

Members of Igwebuike, Santa Clara’s black student union, also claim that they have faced backlash from administrative authorities, which occurred around the planning of several die-ins on National Police Brutality day last quarter.

Alana Hinkston, a member of Igwebuike, said the group did not submit the event for approval by administrators due to the cumbersome process.

They drew chalk outlines of bodies onto the ground at 6:30 p.m. the night of the protest, but the chalk

News / 3

The Santa Clara

Thursday, February 26, 2015

had been washed away by administrative authorities by 8 a.m. the following morning.

Hinkston said that despite this response, faculty members showed their appreciation for the event afterward.

Tedd Vanadilok, the director of campus programs who oversees the review and approval process for many expressive activities conducted by student organizations, said that while the expressive activity policy is effective and takes Santa Clara’s Catholic identity into account, he also recognizes student agitation with the regulation of expressive activities.

“A few ways for us to address this concern are to improve how we communicate the policy to students, help them interpret what the policy means, be as fair as possible when applying the policy and propose revisions to the policy that may resolve student concerns,” Vanadilok said.

Still, Silva said that the university’s Jesuit, Catholic identity can promote active dialogue regarding the LGBTQ community and other traditionally disenfranchised groups.

“There’s space for this in the Catholic Church now,” he said. “All these things are very much along the lines of Jesuit and Ignatian values, as well as Catholic values (and) social teachings.”

Recognizing the Catholic identity of the school in handling requests for events related to controversial topics is a complex process, according to Jeanne Rosenberger, vice provost for student life and dean of students.

“I think that, at the end of the day, there are some tensions between our commitment to social justice and our Catholic identity,” Rosenberger said. “I need to be able to acknowledge that. We can disagree, but to know that in disagreeing, I’m not saying ‘you can’t do something.’”

Rosenberger said that past events, most notably how last year’s Rainbow Prom was centered on marriage equality, raised eyebrows within the Santa Clara and greater Catholic community.

Parents, alumni, donors and even the Cardinal Newman Society have come forward expressing concerns over perceived divergence from Catholic teachings.

However, Rosenberger said that the issue of student concerns over expressive activity forms is a result of miscommunication.

“I have no interest in stifling student voice,” she said. “I really want to create a space that allows students to express themselves. I recognize that it has been quite a while since we have reviewed (the expressive activities process) and am becoming quite aware that students see it as a challenge.”

Rosenberger hopes to reach out to student groups affected by free speech issues, particularly SCCAP and GASPED, and facilitate a discussion about improving the free speech process on campus.

“If the current policy or practice is problematic, I’m completely open to revisiting it,” Rosenberger said.

“I feel it is to constraining and is preventing some educational opportunities.”

Contact Eduardo Cuevas at ecuevas@scu.edu.

Contact Nicolas Sonnenburg at nsonnenburg@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.

LOVE JONES EXCITES CROWD

ANAS HUSSAIN FOR THE SANTA CLARA

Love Jones, a quarterly event hosted by Santa Clara’s black student union, Igwebuike, was held on Feb. 19. The popular on-campus show features many different student performers including artists, writers, a capella groups and dancers.

Engh Reflects on Past Year Continued from Page 1

new science, technology, math and engineering center for excellence that will replace the existing law school building.

On top of these building projects, Jacobs announced that the university intends to implement a 3.4 percent tuition increase.

This is coupled with efforts from a capital donation campaign that has successfully gathered $128 million in gifts.

This will help endow $3.2 million in scholarships and will allow for an increase in professors’ salaries, as well as provide the opportunity to create more professorships.

Reflecting on the university’s achievements over the past year and looking forward to the vision of Santa Clara’s future, Associated Student Government President Anaisy Tolentino spoke about high levels of student involvement in activities across campus over the past year.

According to Tolentino, 35 new clubs were formed on campus this past year, and Santa Clara’s Relay for Life team raised $54,000 for cancer research.

Tolentino said she hopes that this trend of increased student involvement continues.

“We are never finished in our efforts to become more,” she said, explaining that continued pushes were needed in addressing issues of sexual assault, diversity and inclusion on campus, as well as larger turnouts at sports and arts events.

“A Bronco has to stand with something,” Tolentino said. “Something that really matters.”

ERIC BONILLA — THE SANTA CLARA

University President Michael Engh, S.J., spoke about the rise of applicants for undergraduate admission, shared governance changes and campus expansion.

Contact Nicolas Sonnenburg at nsonnenburg@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.

SCENE

4

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Bike Spokes Pop the Santa Clara Bubble Monthly event shows different side of town John Flynn

The Santa Clara A giddy crew of about 20 Santa Clara students set off to break free of the cocktail dresses and button-ups of a standard weekend night. With our bike lights blinking and anticipation rising, we began our adventure.

From the house of junior Sean Reilly, a native of the Willow Glen neighborhood in San Jose, we set out to join the Bike Party. Every third Friday night each month, thousands of bicyclists ride through the streets of San Jose. It may be the greatest idea in Silicon Valley’s history.

“I have been ‘the car’ caught in Bike Party,” Reilly said. “You just shut off the engine, hang out for a second and marvel at the fact that 3,000 cyclists are going by you.”

It wasn’t long before we found fellow bike partiers waiting at a predetermined intersection where all walks of life were represented.

Among the gathered, a polite elderly couple on their California cruisers sat next to a trio of chopper riders sporting tattoos and beards.

There was no shortage of beads, boas and bright colors to celebrate Mardi Gras. Bike Party’s route and theme change monthly.

Soon, the herd zoomed through our intersection bellowing and rallying “Bike Party.” We mounted our bikes and zippered ourselves into the flow. The journey was our destination and we had arrived.

“It’s like I’m in a biker gang and an illegitimate parade at the same time,” said junior Bryan Berggren.

Bike Party is an exercise in civilized chaos. Cops are rare. Fireworks pop sporadically. Joyous yelling is constant. Streetlights are ignored and intersections become battle-

grounds for wheelie competitions.

“Bike Party plays by its own rules,” said junior David Swan.

On our bikes, at night, we saw a new side of our adopted city.

We rode past old carpenter-style houses on quiet tree-lined streets that connected bustling nightlife hubs filled with people out on the town. We saw a blinking sea of light, heard the distant thumping of bass and whiffed the fresh multifragrance of food trucks.

“This is our haven,” said sophomore Margaret Ackerson.

We found the first meet-up point.

Rejoining our group, we relayed tales from the middle of the pack.

“Everyone is just here to help each other,” said first-timer Mohit Nalavadi. “Like when you have to make a left turn, everyone shouts out ‘Bike Party! Left Turn! Left Turn!’ and you do it, and everyone else does it.”

To celebrate the checkpoint, Ackerson and I split a Belgian waffle with Nutella and bananas on top. It was exactly as delicious as it sounds.

After this break, the Santa Clara delegation resumed its ride. As we rode through downtown Campbell, honks from passing cars and cheers from pedestrians made the ride feel like a celebration of bikes, freedom and the impending weekend.

Portable speakers bumped mariachi, electro, alternative, hip-hop and oldies, giving Bike Party a sonic vibe as eclectic as its attendees.

We came to the second meet-up spot. As with the first, a ho-hum shopping center parking lot was transformed into a hopping event, complete with a disco-lit dance floor for killer moves and raucous chanting.

After this stop, Bike Party’s route turned away from campus, so our crew bid a reluctant farewell and rode through the sleepy streets, feeling as though we were now in on a wonderful inside joke with the city.

Contact John Flynn at jfflynn@scu. edu or call (408) 554-4852.

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JOHN FLYNN FOR THE SANTA CLARA

Excited participants of the monthly San Jose Bike Party ride through the streets, high on energy and good times. The event gives students the opportunity to leave the Santa Clara bubble and explore parts of the city that remain unseen to many Broncos.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

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OPINION

6

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Thomas Curran-Levett

Buying Government the Koch Brothers’ Way

AP

Anyone looking to make an argument against the 2010 Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision should look no further than billionaires Charles and David Koch, who have used legal loopholes under the ruling to spend over a billion dollars to influence politics.

T

his weekend’s revelation that the conservative billionaire Koch Brothers have given over $1.25 million to a foremost climate change denier does little to dispel the notion that “money can’t buy happiness.” It does suggest, however, that wealth can buy power, influence and integrity.

In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision ruled that corporations could be sheltered from certain campaign

spending regulations under the First Amendment.

The Supreme Court made a crippling mistake with Citizens United. In moving to protect the uber-wealthy, it slipped American democracy a poison pill and threw its support behind the oligarchy of the “1 percent.”

As a result of the decision, wealthy Americans can now exploit a series of loopholes and partake in political money laundering.

It’s legal. It’s discreet. And most importantly, it is one of the worst rulings in Supreme Court history, arguably only eclipsed by the 1944 Korematsu decision, which found that Americans of Japanese descent could be placed in internment camps during World War II, and the 1857 Dred Scott case, which found that African Americans could not be considered citizens.

Now, Charles and David Koch can purchase more than just the

integrity of Willie Soon, a scientist from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who said the cause of global temperature fluctuations stems from changes on the sun and is not human induced.

They can quite literally buy our government.

In 2012, the brothers raised over $400 million for Republican campaigns, particularly the campaigns of Tea Party candidates, through their political network. The 2014 midterms saw 290 million Koch network dollars back conservative campaigns.

The 2016 elections will likely experience the most Koch Brothers’ spending to date. Their recently released budget states that their network intends to spend $889 million on the next campaign, roughly the same amount of money spent on the last presidential election by the entire Republican party.

As an arts and sciences major, I’m not completely sure about the accuracy of my math, but I am fairly certain that $889 million is slightly more than the $2,600 that individuals can legally give to each candidate or committee per election.

Conservative defenders of the Koch brothers are quick to point out enormous fiscal donations from liberals like Tom Steyer, a retired San Francisco hedge fund manager who gave $73.7 million to mainly his Super PAC in the 2014 midterms. Yet such backing completely overlooks

the issue at hand and only further highlights the problem.

Anyone even moderately aware of America’s political landscape recognizes the need for change. Gallup polls note that, “In 2014, an average of 15 percent of Americans approved of Congress.” Government shutdowns, fiscal cliffs and a culture of mediocrity have left our country wallowing in despair.

The Koch Brothers’ millions will only worsen this. Especially when one realizes that the purpose, as Charles Koch puts it, is “largely defensive to slow down a government that continues to swell and become more intrusive.” Considering that our government is already slower than the Santa Clara basketball team’s response to a Gonzaga fast break (Yeah, I went there), this does not seem like a favorable option.

The Supreme Court needs to reevaluate its Citizens United decision in order to keep big spenders like the Koch Brothers from steering our government into a brick wall. America’s billionaires should spend their money on lavish yachts, lousy football teams and whatever else pleases them — as long as such delight doesn’t come from the complete and devastating control of American politics sought by the Koch Brothers.

Thomas Curran-Levett is a junior political science major and the editor of the Opinion section.

John Flynn

What Kanye West Can Learn from Taylor Swift

K

anye West and Taylor Swift were not destined to hate each other. It happened by accident.

When Kanye hopped onstage at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, he didn’t go up there because he disliked Swift. He snatched the mic away from that virginal pop superstar because he thought Beyoncé should have won the Best Female Video Award.

To be fair, Kanye has a point. “You Belong with Me” is a cliche, safe and unrealistic fantasy. We’re supposed to believe that Taylor Swift, a radiant goddess, is this undesirable geek that the cool boy at school doesn’t notice because he’s too busy with the popular girls.

Let’s be real, Taylor Swift has never struggled to pull any dude. The video is emotional pandering to love-sick teenagers.

On the other hand, Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” is, as Kanye put it, “one of the best videos of all time.” Beyoncé sang an empowering ballad about feminine independence and choreographed a legendary routine. Everybody knows how to do the looking-at-the-ringless-hand dance.

Imagine you’re Kanye. You’re looking exceptionally fresh in your new haircut and leather shirt. Your date is Amber Rose and you’ve been drinking a little. Then, one of your friends is robbed of an award you feel she deserves. Outraged, you hop onstage and say something regrettable.

Everybody is dumb when they’re drunk — Kanye was just dumb on national television.

It was a bad idea, but his intent wasn’t to hurt feelings. He just wanted to ride for Beyoncé, and chose the worst possible way of doing so.

But we overreacted. It was a VMA. All awards are mostly meaningless, but the VMAs may be the most meaningless. It’s not like he snatched a Nobel Peace Prize out of Taylor’s hand and said Vladimir Putin should have

won.

It was about time that Swift and West moved past their insignificant beef. Last week, following their chumminess at the Grammy Awards, they went out to dinner before hitting the recording studio. By all accounts, it was a lovely outing that shoveled a few more feet of dirt on their hatchet.

For Kanye, the peacemaking move fits his recent strategy. As of late, Kanye has made a strong shift towards making his version of pop music. “Only One” is a ballad so tender that it is hard to believe it’s Kanye’s first release after “Yeezus.” “FourFiveSeconds” is so infectious that we should quarantine anyone with the song stuck in their head.

He has collaborated with Paul McCartney and Rihanna, two of pop’s biggest stars, but T-Swift is a rare brand of entertainer.

Remember when she was a country singer?

It seems forever ago, but Swift twanged with the best of them before she started making bolder choices that put her at the apex of pop. She transcended country and has seamlessly transitioned into a new style that doesn’t fit in any box.

This is exactly what Kanye is trying to accomplish with hip-hop.

Kanye has seven huge hip-hop albums.

That said, he saw what happened to Jay-Z, who stuck around for too long. Hova’s latest work is wack because hip-hop is still a young man’s game.

Kanye does not want his career to gradually extinguish. He wants to pour gasoline on his stardom. His dabbling in pop shows he wants to be bigger than hip-hop. Heck, his fashion foray shows he wants to be bigger than music.

In interviews, Kanye routinely compares himself to Andy Warhol and Steve Jobs, icons who shifted the culture with their mass-mar-

AP

Kayne West would be well-suited to take career advice from Taylor Swift,instead of a microphone as he did during the 2009 VMAs, if he wants to achieve the cultural immortality held by Andy Warhol and Steve Jobs.

keted products, and we’ve mocked him for this self-conception. But who is the defining person of this era?

At the moment, we don’t have a revelatory genius whose work we hang on with bated breath. If Kanye isn’t already in the company of Warhol and Jobs, he may have the best shot among the living to reach that plateau.

But he’s not there yet. If Kanye wants this immortality, he needs to broaden his audience, and there’s no riper crop of fans than those devoted to the woman he never did

let finish.

John Flynn is a junior English and sociology double major.

Articles in the Opinion section represent the views of the individual authors only and not the views of The Santa Clara or Santa Clara University.

STANDINGS Men's Basketball Team Gonzaga (No. 3) Saint Mary’s Brigham Young Pepperdine Portland San Diego San Francisco Santa Clara Loyola Marymount Pacific

WCC Overall 16-0 28-1 12-4 20-7 11-5 21-8 9-8 16-12 7-9 16-12 7-9 14-14 6-10 12-16 6-10 12-16 4-13 8-21 3-13 11-17

Women’s Basketball Team Gonzaga Pacific Saint Mary’s San Diego Brigham Young San Francisco Santa Clara Pepperdine Loyola Marymount Portland

WCC Overall 15-1 22-5 12-4 20-7 12-4 19-8 12-4 21-5 11-5 19-8 6-10 15-12 5-11 10-15 3-14 8-20 3-14 5-23 2-14 4-23

Men’s Tennis Team Brigham Young Pepperdine San Diego Gonzaga Santa Clara Portland San Francisco Loyola Marymount Saint Mary’s Pacific

WCC Overall 1-0 7-5 1-0 5-3 0-0 6-2 0-0 4-2 0-0 4-3 0-0 3-1 0-0 2-3 0-1 2-5 0-1 1-6 0-0 1-8

Women’s Tennis Team Brigham Young Gonzaga San Francisco Pacific Pepperdine Portland Saint Mary’s Santa Clara Loyola Marymount San Diego

WCC Overall 1-0 4-4 0-0 6-0 0-0 5-3 0-0 4-2 0-0 4-2 0-1 4-2 0-0 4-5 0-0 2-4 0-0 2-4 0-0 1-3

UPCOMING GAMES Men's Basketball Pacific @ Santa Clara* Saint Mary’s @ Santa Clara** WCC Tournament begins***

Thu. 2/26 7:00 p.m.

Sat. 2/28 5:00 p.m.

Thu. 3/5 TBA

* on WTV ** on Comcast Bay Area *** in Las Vegas, Nev.

Women's Basketball Santa Clara @ Pacific Santa Clara @ Saint Mary’s WCC Tournament begins*

Thu. 2/26 7:00 p.m.

Sat. 2/28 1:00 p.m.

Thu. 3/5 TBA

* in Las Vegas, Nev.

Baseball Eastern Michigan @ Santa Clara Eastern Michigan @ Santa Clara Eastern Michigan @ Santa Clara

Fri. 2/27 6:00 p.m.

Sat. 2/28 1:00 p.m.

Sat. 2/28 4:30 p.m.

Softball Howard @ Santa Clara* Washington @ Santa Clara* Howard @ Santa Clara*

7 / Sports

The Santa Clara

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Fri. 2/27 5:00 p.m.

Sat. 2/28 12:15 p.m.

Sat. 2/28 2:30 p.m.

* Santa Clara Invitational

BRONCO BRIEFS Men’s Basketball Last Saturday, the men’s basketball team took down Loyola Marymount University 70-63 behind 28 points from Jared Brownridge.

He is only seven points away from 1,000 for his career. The Broncos improve to 12-16 on the season.

Battling in the Bronco Classic Softball takes one of four games in early collection of contests Nick Redfield

The Santa Clara The Santa Clara softball team competed in four games over three days this past weekend and finished with a record of 1-3.

The results started out positive for the team when they faced Seattle University on Friday night. Despite giving up four runs in the first inning, Santa Clara pitcher McCall James settled down and threw three consecutive innings without surrendering a run.

The Broncos then turned to junior Ciara Gonzales, who stepped in for the fourth and pitched three more scoreless innings.

Trailing 4-3 in the seventh and down to their final out, the Broncos had base runners on first and second.

“The amount of energy our team had ­— it made it seem like anything was possible,” said Geenamarie Bonilla.

Junior Chiara Biagini would single to bring in the tying run, making it runners on first and second with Bonilla at bat.

Bonilla then singled to left field clinching the 5-4 walk-off win for the Broncos. “(We) showed a lot of fight to come back,” Bonilla said. “It was a complete team effort and we needed everyone to pull it off. To walk off under the lights during our home opener in front of all our friends and family was an amazing experience.”

The Broncos continued the Bronco Classic the next day with a double-header with games against the University of Illinois at Chicago and Seattle.

ALYSSA LEE FOR THE SANTA CLARA

Junior Ciara Gonzales throws a pitch in one of the four games the Broncos played over the weekend.

The team faced off against three schools in three straight days and finished with a record of 1-3.

The first game with Illinois was a lowscoring pitching duel. The Broncos scored their first and only run in the first inning before Illinois pitcher Karissa Frazier threw six consecutive hitless innings.

Bronco pitcher Ciara Gonzales pitched a fantastic game as well, allowing only two runs on six hits in seven innings. But, Santa Clara went on to lose 2-1.

“Our defense, for the most part, was really solid,” said Gianetta France. “We have spent countless hours working on it and perfecting it so that when game time hits we can relax knowing we are going to give our all to get every ball.”

In the second game, Seattle avenged their previous loss as they bested the

Broncos 6-4. Santa Clara found themselves down early and could not muster up enough offense to recover.

With a 1-2 record on the weekend, the Broncos played their final game on Sunday versus Idaho State University. The Bengals proved to be the dominant team as they scored with ease, winning 12-0.

“We are so much better than we played (Idaho State),” France said. “We could clean up errors that we usually don’t make and focus on adjusting to the pitcher.”

The team will play in the Santa Clara Invitational this weekend.

Contact Nick Redfield at nredfield@scu. edu or call (408) 554-4852.

Tennis Falters in Road Test Men’s team loses to the No. 45 and No. 66 teams in country Claire McLoughlin The Santa Clara

Men’s tennis traveled to Oregon last weekend to compete against the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Oregon, but were ultimately unable to secure either victory on the road.

The No. 65-ranked Broncos took on the No. 66-ranked Cornhuskers early and seemed to be handling them, taking two points in the doubles category thanks to the pairs of sophomore Mikheil Khmiadashvili and junior Ashot Khacharyan as well as seniors Ilya Osintsev and Sam Bertram.

Both duos made quick work of their

Cornhusker competitors, walking away with wins of 6-4 in both matches. However, Bertram, who was later defeated by a Nebraska opponent in his singles match, says the Broncos later suffered from a lack of mental fortitude.

“We came really close in the first match but couldn’t pull through with singles,” he said. “Tennis, as with many other sports, is extremely mentally demanding. I don’t think we came out with the fire mindset, as we usually do.”

The Broncos added points with two wins in the singles category from Khacharyan, who picked up his 12th singles victory on the season, and Khmiadashvili, who picked up his 20th. Nevertheless, the points were not enough to overcome the deficit, and the Broncos fell to the Cornhuskers 4-3.

Following their matches on Saturday, the Broncos returned to Eugene’s Student Tennis Center and faced the No. 45-ranked Ducks of Oregon. Bertram was the sole Bronco victor on Sunday, defeating Or-

egon’s Jayson Amos 6-4, 6-4.

Bertram explained that the uncharacteristic defeat of his team was due to their performances the day before.

“After a disappointing loss on Saturday, it was hard for the boys to re-enter the arena and spark back up,” he said.

The Broncos’ next competitor will be local opponent California State University, Sacramento.

The matches will take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. at home in the Degheri Tennis Center.

The team’s record falls to 4-4 on the season. They are 3-1 at home but 1-3 on neutral courts.

“From here we will recuperate and take as many positives from this weekend as we can,” he said. “When losing, the best thing you can do is to learn from it and push on harder than you were before.”

Contact Claire McLoughlin at camcloughlin@scu.edu or call (408) 5544852.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Jake Steffens Baseball Steffens threw a career-high 11 strikeouts in the Broncos’ first win against University of Cincinnati.

and gives us a lot of momentum moving forward.

Do you have any superstitions?

What does this win mean for the team?

This was a big weekend. Getting a weekend sweep is a great feeling

I eat two Pop-Tarts before every game and I wear the same pair of Nike socks under my baseball socks.

SPORTS

8

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Tyler J. Scott

Trades Change Everything

Baseball Brings Out the Brooms

I

thought the NBA playoffs were pretty clear-cut before the 2015 trade deadline shook everything

up.

The Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks were content to sit in their respective No. 1 seeded thrones and made no changes. But many competing or “fringe” teams made moves.

In the West, the Phoenix Suns traded away two of their “ThreeHeaded Dragon” offense consisting of three point guards, probably trading away their shot at the eighth seed in the playoffs. They dealt Goran Dragic to the Miami Heat and Isaiah Thomas to the Boston Celtics.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder, behind an inspired Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, have come storming back to claim the eighth seed from the Suns. As of Tuesday, the Thunder have a three-game advantage on now-No. 10 Phoenix.

The Thunder made major flips before the trade deadline on Feb. 19 as well. They dealt away point guard Reggie Jackson and forward Kendrick Perkins, and received guard D.J. Augustin, forward Kyle Singler and center Enes Kanter.

In their first game as members of OKC on Feb. 21 against the Charlotte Hornets, Kanter and Singler started, with Kanter getting a double-double and Westbrook netting 33 points and 10 assists. He then eloquently previewed how improved the Thunder will be with the new additions.

“Uh oh,” he said with a smile after their fifth straight win.

In their next game against the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook had 21 points, eight rebounds and a careerhigh 17 assists. In those two games, the Thunder were without Durant, who replaced a screw in his previously injured foot.

Not only has Westbrook vaulted into the MVP discussion, but he has elevated a Durant-less Thunder team to a scary potential No. 8 seed.

Besides the Thunder in the West, the current No. 5-seeded Dallas Mavericks added Amar’e Stoudemire before the deadline and the current No. 4 seed Portland Trail Blazers acquired Arron Afflalo from the Nuggets.

In the East, the Heat, who are the No. 7 seed right now, received Dragic from the Suns and were looking like a newly dangerous and capable team until star forward Chris Bosh found out he will miss the remainder of the season due to a blood clot in one of his lungs.

The No. 8 seed Brooklyn Nets acquired Thaddeus Young at the deadline and will face the Hawks in the first round.

All of these changes have shaken up the landscape and will certainly make for an interesting finish to the regular season and the playoffs.

The Hawks and Warriors have new foes gunning for their heads, and I’m excited to see how it plays out.

Tyler J. Scott is a junior marketing major and the editor of the Sports section.

MALU VELTZE — THE SANTA CLARA

Redshirt sophomore Steven Wilson brings the heat against a University of Cincinnati batter in a victory against the Bearcats. The baseball team swept Cincinnati over the weekend in their home opening series. The series victory brings the Broncos’ record to 4-3 on the season, and they face Eastern Michigan University tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Team completes the sweep in three straight victories Andrew Slap

Associate Reporter The Broncos bounced back in convincing fashion after losing to the University of California, Davis on Feb. 17, sealing a weekend series sweep against the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.

“They knew what happened, they knew that they can’t let it happen again and they owned it,” said Head Coach Dan O’Brien about the loss to the Aggies. “What made this punch-back special was they held themselves accountable.”

Santa Clara seized control of the series, winning their home opener 11-3. Jake Steffens dominated, allowing two runs over seven strong innings. Steffens finished the game with a careerbest 11 strikeouts.

On the offensive end, it was a team effort, with eight of the nine Broncos getting at least one hit.

Santa Clara was able to knock out Cincinnati’s starter Andrew Zell-

ner after just 1.2 innings.

Getting into the Bearcats’ bullpen early was a point of emphasis for Santa Clara.

“If we have quality at-bats and guys are really focused on hitting their pitch, then it elevates pitch counts pretty quickly,” O’Brien said.

The game remained close until the bottom of the seventh, when the Broncos’ bats exploded for six runs.

Santa Clara added two more runs in the eighth inning to put the game totally out of reach.

The next day, on their first game of the double-header, the Broncos continued to roll through.

Steven Wilson got the start, and found himself in an early jam.

With nobody out and the bases loaded in the top of the first, Wilson struck out two straight and got a lineout to escape the inning unscathed.

Wilson ended up going six innings, giving up three runs. He walked off the mound with a 6-3 lead, but Cincinnati found some success against Santa Clara’s bullpen, driving in three runs in the seventh inning to tie the game.

The Broncos responded with four runs in the bottom of the

seventh.

Shortstop Jose Vizcaino, Jr. had an RBI double, and designated hitter Ryan Budnick followed with a single, which drove in two more runs.

After an RBI single by second baseman Austin Fisher, Santa Clara had a 10-6 lead.

Cincinnati still wouldn’t concede defeat, scoring two more runs in the top of the eighth. Santa Clara brought in closer Reece Karalus with two outs in the eighth to complete the four-out save. “(Karalus) is a warrior,” O’Brien said. “He’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever met. There’s no one I’d rather have in the game with the game on the line.”

After a brief 30-minute intermission, the Broncos faced Cincinnati again for the series finale.

Santa Clara put up three runs in the first inning, with back-toback home runs by Vizcaino and Budnick.

“I kind of knew I got a little piece of it,” Vizcaino said. “But I thought it was pretty cool that Budnick came up next pitch and hit the home run, the back-toback. Hopefully that’s the first one of many.”

Starter Peter Hendron pitched

Must See: Men’s Basketball

SCU

vs.

SMC

5:00 p.m. Saturday, February 28 at Leavey Center For a complete schedule of games, see page 7.

well for Santa Clara, giving up only two runs in six innings of work.

The Broncos had an 8-2 lead heading into the ninth, but a late rally

by Cincinnati kept it close. The Bearcats scored two runs before recording their first out, prompting Santa Clara to call on their closer.

Despite pitching earlier that day, Karalus came in to face Cincinnati’s best hitter, Ian Happ. A first team All-American, Happ was hitting .769 in the series before facing Karalus.

But Karalus was up for the challenge, striking out Happ.

“I was pretty proud of (Karalus) for getting that big out to end the game,” O’Brien said. “That was a big out to get to kill any momentum they might have.”

Another strike out by Karalus gave Santa Clara the series sweep.

“This weekend showed what we’re really made of,” Vizcaino said. “Nothing really better than a sweep at home.”

The Broncos look to continue their success this weekend, with a four game series against Eastern Michigan University.

Contact Andrew Slap at aslap@ scu.edu.