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See the photo essay of the annual concert, After Sunset. Page 12
February 26, 2020
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| ISSUE 21
Student activists push for fossil fuel divestment Students are fighting against the use of tuition dollars in investment of fossil fuels. Sofia Hathorn News Editor
Students have revived a long fight against the University investing in fossil fuel companies. In the beginning of the spring semester, the environmental club EcoStudents and ASLMU formed a coalition called Divest LMU. The coalition aims to work with administration to develop a plan to divest from association with fossil fuels and encourage responsible investing, according to their Facebook page. There has been a wave of divestment activism on campuses across the nation. On Feb. 6., Georgetown University announced the divestment of their endowment in fossil fuels within the next 10 years. This came after an eight-year campaign from the student-led group GU Fossil Free, according to Georgetown’s paper The Hoya. Georgetown was the second Jesuit university to pledge to divest, after Seattle University, according to the National Catholic Reporter. The entire University of California system also decided to divest from
fossil fuels in September of 2019. Students and climate activists have been pushing for divestment from fossil fuels companies because of its environmental impact. Burning fossil fuels emits carbon and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which contributes to the warming of the global temperature, according to the UN. Divest LMU also focuses on the social justice side of the issue, as oil waste affects indigenous communities and fossil fuel production sites are often built on indigenous lands, such as the Dakota Access Pipeline, according to NPR. The money that is invested comes from the University’s endowment, which is made up of grants, student tuition and gifts, according to LMU. It is unknown what percentage of the endowment is invested in fossil fuels. A portion of the University’s money that is invested in fossil fuels is in commingled funds. Commingled funds are assets from multiple accounts that have been combined into one. This makes divestment more difficult for the University, as it cannot pull out the money from fossil fuel involved companies only, according to ASLMU President Ken Cavanaugh. See Divestment | Page 3
Lingdao program suspended due to coronavirus The fellows program sent student leaders to China every year. Haley LaHa
Asst. News Editor @LALoyolan
Since 2017, the Lingdao Fellows Program has aimed to cultivate global leaders through a week-long immersive study experience in Beijing, China in the summer and a global leadership course during the school year. This year, however, the program is being suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Every year, 10 students are selected to participate in the program. The group is compiled of elected student leaders: the ASLMU President, the Editor-in-Chief of the Loyolan, the InterFraternity Council President, the Collegiate Panhellenic Council President, two co-chairs on the Service Organization Council, two representatives for the Communication and Fine Arts Student Council, the Residence Hall Association (RHA) President and an
intercultural facilitator from the Intercultural Facilitator Program. “We selected student leaders as the program participants because of the impact they would have on their student groups by applying and sharing what they learned abroad,” said Jennifer Belichesky, the associate dean of students and member of the Lingdao Fellows Program Team. In partnership with the Beijing Center, a Jesuit study abroad center, the cohort would attend lectures about China’s politics, history, culture and languages. The students would also visit historical sites such as Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Olympic Park and the Mutianyu Great Wall. In the fall semester following the trip, the students enroll in the EDLA 498: Engaging in Global Leadership course to further discuss and reflect on their experiences in China. The course focuses on developing global world views and intercultural leadership. At the end of the course each student, either individually or
with a partner, creates a final project to share how they plan to use what they learned in the program to contribute to a more inclusive and engaged campus. The Lingdao Fellows are then given the chance to showcase their final projects in the Lingdao Symposium. “Our final projects in the program were designed for us to incorporate our experiences into a tangible piece of work that could be taken on in our respective organizations on campus. These efforts are meant to promote the inclusivity of the international community and to provide spaces for cross-cultural exchange at LMU,” said Kylie Francisco, the RHA President who participated in the Lingdao Fellows Program this past year. Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus, the program has been suspended for the next year. The faculty involved initially investigated going to another location, but there was much uncertainty with via Jacob Cornblatt where the virus would spread, The student leaders in the Lingdao fellows program pose during their time in China in 2019. The program was suspended for this according to Belichesky. See Lingdao| Page 3
year due do health concerns about the coronavirus.
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Leadership program put on hold for a year Lingdao from Page 1
“The most critical part of this program was the trip to China and the immersive experience, and we felt that we couldn’t duplicate it anywhere else,” said Belichesky. As an alternative for this upcoming year, the faculty involved are looking to still bring a new group of student leaders together to discuss diverse world views and how to collaborate among a multitude of different cultures and environments, according to Belichesky. She also explained that one of the
main goals of the program is to see beyond the Western lens that those in the U.S. tend to see through and to understand the perspectives of others on an international scale. “The Lingdao Fellows Program completely changed my perspective of openmindedness and made me realize how I can better approach environments that differ from my own,” said Francisco. “This is something I’ve worked to incorporate into my life and consider when I come across anything unfamiliar.”
Students petition for divestment Divestment from Page 1 via Jacob Corblatt
The most recent group of students leaders participating in the Lingdao Fellows Program visited Beijing, China in the summer of 2019.
Another of the administration’s concerns regarding the financial implications of divestment is endowment health. Cavanaugh says that the administration is worried that a change in investment would affect things like the University’s ability to provide scholarships. Cavanaugh said that divestment will actually improve endowment health. This is because fossil fuel companies are considered “strand assets,” which means that they are likely to lose value as regulations increase. Investing in fossil fuels is therefore “very dangerous” in the long term, according to Cavanaugh. “We have all these reasons that we should be divesting—moral reasons, economic, environmental, social. But we understand we’re not just directly invested in these companies,” said Reilly Grzywacz, a senior environmental studies major and the Divestment Chair of EcoStudents. “It’s really hard to just pull your money out … We just want to see the first step in the process. Which we haven’t.” Divest LMU is currently working on getting 1,300 signatures by Friday, Feb. 28 so that the issue of divestment is presented on the ASLMU ballot. If on the ballot, the candidates for upcoming ASLMU positions can use this issue on their platforms when running. There is also a divestment demonstration scheduled for Mar. 4, at 12 p.m., according to Grzywacz. Divestment activism has been around at LMU since 2013, when the club Fossil Free LMU was started. In 2016, they presented on divestment to the Senior Vice President, according to Cavanaugh. In 2017, LMU signed to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investing, which is a non-profit that aims to help investors to use responsible investment to increase returns while being environmentally and socially conscious, according to its website. Soon after, the University created a Responsible Investing Advisory Committee (RIAC). The RIAC was implemented to advise the board of trustees on matters of investment. EcoStudents presented on divestment to the
RIAC in March of 2019. The RIAC has not met since that Spring, according to Grzywacz. “We’re hoping for more transparency and more communication between the administration and students. I think it was hard to take us seriously when it was so few of us, so we’re hoping with the coalition [the administration and students] will have more open conversations and be able to talk,” said Grzywacz. In February, Cavanaugh wrote a letter to Chief Financial Officer Thomas Fleming urging him to meet with Cavanugh. They met shortly thereafter. According to Cavanaugh, LMU administration has been “very open” to discussing divestment. Fleming said that through the RIAC and the UN Principles for Responsible Investing, LMU has “established a thoughtful and fair process to discuss, evaluate and become educated” on issues revolving investment of the University’s endowment. Fleming said they plan to continue to work with Divest LMU and will “ultimately make recommendations to university leaders and our Board of Trustees.” Divestment has also been an issue discussed heavily within the Catholic community. In his 2015 encyclical, Pope Francis urged for immediate climate action. Since then, there have been numerous Catholic groups calling for environmental activism, including the Catholic Divestment Network. Cavanaugh said that the ultimate goal of Divest LMU is to develop a full divestment plan by the end of the year. “I have some fears about losing momentum, and having some of our most dedicated and experienced student activists graduate, so I’m going to do what I can to make sure we address those challenges to keep the divestment conversation alive and active,” said Cavanaugh. Getting the administration on board by the end of the year is an ambitious timeline, according to Cavanaugh. Divest LMU hopes to use the momentum they have from their activism and other universities divesting to propel LMU forward toward divestment.
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“I am determined to have a different ending to my story. I’ve decided, finally, to stick my head above the parapet so that I can take back my narrative and give a purpose to my past,” said Monica Lewinsky in her revealing 2014 Vanity Fair article. The article was published to adjourn her 10-year silence, started in 2004, that followed her sex scandal in 1998. Lewinsky spoke on the topic of reclaiming her story at the Loyolan’s First Amendment Week keynote event held on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. in Burns Back Court. Lewinsky’s story—extraordinary in its own right—is not dissimilar to those expressed by other oppressed female voices. While few women have the same audience that Lewinsky did, they face the same struggle: being forced to watch from the sidelines as a twisted version of their narrative plays out before them. To this day, Lewinksy’s name is present in the lyrics of rap and pop songs, used as an emblem of erotica. Her name has been made a verb: in Beyonce’s “Partition” she sings, “He Monica Lewinsky’d all on my gown.” Her name has also been made a noun, as 2 Chainz adds “I’m on the top floor/presidential suite/Monica Lewinsky; presidential freak,” in Kirko Bangz’s “Top Floor.” Twenty two years after her affair with former president Bill Clinton, the popular narrative still portrays her as one-dimensional and overtly sexual. She, like every other woman who has had her story taken from her, is more than that. Lewinsky is an activist on all fronts, has given a Ted Talk, completed a master’s degree in social
psychology, authored a book and is currently producing FX’s new season of Impeachment: American Crime story, which will premiere in September. She is more than a former white house intern. A culture of silence is created when women are compelled to believe that if they were to attempt to reclaim their own narrative, the repercussions would do more harm than good. In a culture of silencing women, the fear of slut shaming, disproportional blaming, rumors and harassment seem to cloud the truth. We can work against a culture of silence by calling out our peers when they engage in harmful gossip, voting for politicians that support and uplift women and taking one of the many classes at LMU with a curriculum that focuses on women’s studies. While Lewinsky often speaks on the importance of personally taking back one’s own narrative, it’s time that we all start prioritizing the stories that we listen to. In order for women’s stories to be heard, we need to not only be willing to listen to them, but actively encourage others to listen as well. By enabling and encouraging a culture of silence we are not letting these stories be told. The entire trajectory of Lewinsky’s life was changed by the events that occurred in 1998 and she had no say in the narrative portrayed to the public. As people who consume and produce media, it is our job to make sure we listen to people. The way Lewinsky’s story was told forever altered her name, but it is up to us to change that moving forward.
“Lewinsky’s story— extraordinary in its own right—is not dissimilar to those expressed by other oppressed female voices.”
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Board Editorials represent the voice of the Loyolan. They are written in collaboration by the Executive Editorial Board.
L.A. County’s future is in your hands Speck and Spielmann Cristobal Spielmann
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Asst. Opinion Editor @LALoyolan
ou might not know it yet, but one of the most important elections in U.S. history is coming up. I’m not talking about the presidential primaries — I’m talking about the race for L.A. County District Attorney. The L.A. County D.A. office is incredibly powerful. Not only is it the largest prosecutorial office in the U.S., it also oversees around 1,000 attorneys and decides which cases to file for criminal trial in the county. A testament to the D.A.’s reach: the office dismissed 66,000 marijuana convictions just two weeks ago, as reported by The L.A. Times. Unless they’re really involved in local politics, I doubt most LMU students from L.A. County could even name their current D.A., Jackie Lacey. Lacey was elected as the first black and first female D.A. for L.A. County back in 2012 and ran unopposed in 2016. Lacey now faces two progressive challengers: former San Francisco police chief then D.A. George Gascón and former public defender Rachel Rossi. Gascón has been endorsed by prominent publications and politicians, ranging from The L.A. Times’ and The L.A. Daily News’ editorial boards to U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and L.A. City Councilmember Mike Bonin
(both politicians represent the neighborhood where LMU is located). Meanwhile, Rossi got a left-wing boost from L.A.’s Democratic Socialists of America chapter, who called Gascón “a career police officer and prosecutor” and preferred a “non-cop” in their official endorsement from the group’s Prison Abolition committee. As reported by LAist, both Gascón and Rossi are against pursuing the death penalty and both want to end cash bail, issues the current D.A. is more conservative on. All three are trying to position themselves as reformers in one way or another. Given the candidates’ campaign promises, combined with the power of this coveted office, the D.A. race
should be on your mind well before the presidential race. Whoever you vote for in the latter, whether it’s Donald Trump or Bill Weld or Bernie Sanders or Michael Bloomberg, will have little to no impact on criminal justice issues in L.A. County. Trump didn’t choose whether or not to charge Harvey Weinstein, and whoever the president is for the next four years won’t be able to decide how police shootings in L.A. County should be investigated. The president simply does not have the time nor the authority to talk about meaningful reform for every county and jurisdiction in the country. See District Attorney | Page 5
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Service organizations create a service hierarchy V for Vendetta
Veronica Backer-Peral Asst. Opinion Editor @LALoyolan
N
ot too long ago, I was one of the many students that crowded the Center for Service and Action, waiting to hear back from the service organizations I applied to. I remember biting my nails, terrified that I would be rejected from my service organization of choice. Now, seeing my friends going through that same process this year, I realize how utterly ridiculous it is to essentially compete for the opportunity to do service. I love the Service Organization Community (SOC) at LMU, and my own organization has brought me friends and memories that will last a lifetime. That said, just like Hillary had her emails and Game of Thrones had season eight, even certain things that we love and admire have room for improvement. In terms of service
‘an alternative to Greek life.’ As a tour guide myself, I’ve always found that that’s the easiest way to explain how service organizations work. But when we treat service organizations as a backup in case Alpha Phi or Beta Theta Pi doesn’t pull through, we inherently misrepresent what service organizations are all about. Athough service organizations have bigs and littles and the occasional social get-together, at the end of the day, they’re primarily centered around service. “I think the main purpose of service orgs is to give an outlet to those interested in community service a group of people to inspire and uplift them,” sophomore math and physics major, and representative for Creare Alex Moore explained, “[the goal is] to expose students to new perspectives on the meaning of service,” So the solution seems simple, right? Accept those who actually care about service and reject the rest. The issue, though, is when hundreds of students are applying each year, it’s hard to
“When we treat service organizations as a backup in case Alpha Phi or Beta Theta Pi doesn’t pull through, we inherently misrepresent what service organizations are all about.” organizations, the first thing to reform is how the campus thinks of them. There is a common misconception that service organizations are equivalent to sororities and fraternities. When I first heard about “service orgs,” I was told they were
determine who is actually passionate about service and who is not. Great writing and interview skills are by no means essential to service nor a guarantee that a student is committed to service, but that’s what the applicants are being judged on.
Cartoon: Christina Oyebade | Loyolan
The social connotation and the competitive application process for service organizations can lead people feeling limited or unrecognized in their service goals.
Kamilah Roca-Datzer, a sophomore biology major and member of Agapé, acknowledged the selectivity of service organizations, stating that, “I obviously don’t want to discourage people from service but also service orgs aren’t the only way to do service and getting denied shouldn’t be disheartening.” Through the Center of Service and Action, LMU offers countless service trips and alternatives to go to the same placements as service organizations. But still, it is apparent that the SOC could do something to address its blatantly low acceptance rates. One option is to be more blunt about the requirements associated with being part of an organization. Thirty hours of service on and off campus is a big time commitment. While recruitment events shouldn’t aim to deter potential applicants, they should fully inform students of the responsibilities that they are committing to. This way, we can get a better informed and, perhaps, smaller applicant pool.
This way, the SOC can ensure that applicants are committed and motivated to do service. Once this is accomplished it then becomes absurd to limit who is selected and who is not. For example, a student who is willing to go through the timeconsuming recruitment process is evidently committed to the SOC. Still, I have heard of students being rejected from the same organization two or three times. Service organizations are one of the most unique opportunities that LMU offers to make a difference in a field that you care about. If students that are not committed to service are being accepted, and students that are committed are not, service organizations are working against their fundamental purpose. To read more stories by Backer-Peral, go to www.LALoyolan.com/opinion This is the opinion of Veronica Backer-Peral, a sophomore film and television production, history and computer science triple major from Pasadena, California. Tweet comments @LALoyolan or email astory@theloyolan.com.
The District Attorney race is pivotal DA from Page 4
Dividing powers like this is useful for enforcing and reforming justice on an
understandable level, but it only works if everyone can voice how they want that justice to be administered. Unfortunately, L.A. County
voters are quiet when it comes to primaries. Back during the last general election in 2016, the turnout of L.A. County for the primary
election was just 32.7% of eligible voters and 41.3% of registered voters. That means that the majority of L.A. County voters were not heard. When Lacey was first elected in 2012 against six other candidates, those numbers were as low as 16.3% and 21.8% respectively for eligible and registered voters. Even with the better-thanusual turnout in the 2018 midterm primaries (mirroring the higher turnout across the country that year), voter turnout still did not reach a majority. There’s a very real risk that those numbers could still be below 50% or even drop from 2018. All of this might be a lot to digest less than a week before March 3. I’m a Tennessee
resident, so I am ineligible to vote in this election. However, I know there are many L.A. County residents who need to have their voices heard, regardless of where they stand politically. When you make it to the polls next Tuesday or receive your mail-in ballot sometime soon, be sure to have done your research be sure to cast your vote for DA. A lot of people will be counting on you.
To read more stories by Spielmann, go to www. LALoyolan.com/opinion
This is the opinion of Cristobal Spielmann, a sophmore environmental science major from Brentwood, Tennessee. Tweet comments @LALoyolan, or email astory@theloyolan.com.
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Extra Touristrials
By Camille Bautista, cartoonist
By Christina Oyebade, cartoonist
RAT GANG
The Trolley Problem
By Joey Capestany, cartoonist
Check out more Loyolan cartoons online now! Visit LALoyolan.com/cartoons
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T-Pain returns to perform at After Sunset He came, he saw, he liked it and then he came back. Connor Rose
Masked-Singer Stan
You can ask all around campus and almost anyone will tell you that T-Pain’s performance at Fallapalooza was the highlight of their fall semester. Seriously, Randy Randalman, a senior and selfproclaimed bad boy who got engaged this semester said T-Pain was more life-changing. But, there was good news for those who wanted a second chance to relive the beauty that was T-Pain’s fully auto-tuned performance. After last minute changes,
the performer of critically acclaimed “5 O’Clock” blessed our campus once again to headline LMU’s After Sunset. Partway through last week’s After Sunset performance, a guest emerged, one whose entrance was masked in shadow, accompanied by his mega-hit “Apple Bottom Jeans.” When the lights brightened, revealing the legendary performer, the audience applauded like never before. Students attempting to study in the William H. Hannon Library a few hundred feet away could hear the thundering chants of a very intoxicated crowd, distracting them from asking themselves why they chose to spend their Friday night at the library. Speculations have risen
within the student community about why T-Pain would want to return for a sequel performance. Was it money? Was it desperation? Validation? Maybe not, but it seems like all three are valid reasons. Theorists believe that, after the cancellation of his tour due to lack of ticket purchases, T-Pain was in need of a win. “Honestly, T-Pain saved the show,” said Chad McRapps, a sophomore and E.D.M. critic. “Every part of After Sunset that wasn’t T-Pain sounded like something a DJ would play at a high school dance, you feel?” T-Pain is expected to start the “College Tour.” He will soon be performing all along the coast, playing for every university all the way up to the
Cartoon: Camille Bautista | Loyolan
Fresh off a failed tour, T-Pain returns to his rightuful home on the LMU main stage. He hit the floor... that’s how you know.
#Broomchallenge takes over campus You’ve seen a broom sitting down. But have you seen a broom standing up? Erik VonSosen
Hates NASA and the government
Brooms are pretty neat inventions. They can clean. They can sweep. One can even fly on a broom— weather permitting. But have you ever seen a broom stand up by itself? On Feb. 10, Twitter user @MitchJ4Real posted a broom standing up by itself with the caption: “NASA said this is the only day a broom can stand up on its own because of the gravitational pull.” The viral video gained over 300,000 likes and launched the biggest movement in humankind since the invention of the wheel: the #BroomChallenge. Around the world, hundreds of thousands of social media users began sharing videos of their brooms standing independently in various locations during this 24 hour “gravitational phenomenon.” Frehman Jacob Swiffer from Whelan Hall described his surprise when his broom stood up: “I placed my broom vertical to the ground and it was just stuck like that! I couldn’t believe it! I FaceTimed my mom right away to show her and she was so overcome with emotion that she started crying!” Swiffer explained that his mother believed the broom was a metaphor for Jacob himself, standing up
against all odds and overcoming the forces that held him back. Swiffer’s roommate declined to comment, but seemed pretty weirded out by the entire situation. Eyewitness accounts stated many students and faculty on campus were participating in the #BroomChallenge as well. One student attested that three separate brooms were seen ominously standing upright on the steps of the University Hall escalators (out of order as per usual). Another student recounted her experience running into a broom in the C-Store: “It was terrifying. I hadn’t left my dorm room in two days and came down to see a broom aggressively standing and blocking my path to the Cup Noodles. I haven’t been able to look at a broom since.” After the chaos of the #BroomChallenge, NASA released an official statement regarding the claims made about gravity and how it affects the groundbreaking discovery about broom posture. On Feb. 11, NASA posted a video to Twitter, which showed their scientists balancing a broom on the floor, captioned: “Astronaut Alvin Drew and scientist Sarah Noble respond to the #BroomChallenge, showing physics are real all year round.” But what does NASA know? As the hype surrounding the #BroomChallenge comes to an Cartoon: Joey Capestany | Loyolan end, be on the lookout for the next big thing in gravitational anomalies. It could be standing right They sweep, they clean, and now they stand? Brooms around the world flex their hamstrings and rise to the occasion, literally. in front of you.
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After Sunset features DJ TroyBoi and student DJs
Photos: Meghan Quadracci | Loyolan
Last Friday, LMU student musicians, including Saint Disco, MAZIK and Jack Green opened for DJ Troyboi at the annual After Sunset concert held on Lawton Plaza. This music event was organized by ASLMU and follows Fallapalooza, usually featuring one popular headliner and a few student DJs or bands.
Musical aspirations fulfilled for Saint Disco LMU DJ duo opens for After Sunset after falling short the year before. Riley Hetherington Life+Arts Intern
Senior economics major Brock Squires and senior studio arts major David Niles met as freshmen at LMU, bonding over their love of music and going to concerts. According to Squires, they began making music a few years ago under the name Panic After the Disco, and hoped to perform at After Sunset. Last year, they competed at Mane Entertainment's After Sunset opener contest where two students were selected to be openers for the main act. They had devoted all their time to perfecting a 12-minute set and invited all their friends to come out and vote, but eventually fell short and placed third — just one spot away from playing the show.
Photo: Meghan Quadracci | Loyolan
Saint Disco opened for DJ Troyboi at After Sunset this year. They were motivated to start their own musical journey after watching the student DJs perform at last year's After Sunset.
Alex Millet, a junior sociology major and Squires' longtime friend, was at the show and watched them play for the first time and knew he wanted to get involved. With a new name and manager, Saint Disco began to work tirelessly on bettering their music and performance. This year, they stood on the After Sunset stage as performers, exactly one year after their career as Saint Disco began.
However, the road to performing this year was not an easy one for the pair, as Niles fell ill days before the opener competition. Not being able to stand due to the flu, they decided not to compete for After Sunset as Squires did not want to perform without his partner. “It didn’t feel right to do it alone,” said Squires. “So, we couldn’t go to the competition, but then our friend [Maddie Situmeang] at ASLMU reached out to us and asked if we could play After Sunset.” The two of them opened for popular DJ TroyBoi on the Lawton Plaza stage, performing their set in front of peers, classmates and friends. The past year of hard work and practice came full circle for them, since they kickstarted the group during last year’s After Sunset.
“It felt like a homecoming,” said Niles. “I think the cool part is that when we play Sharkeez, it’s ... about creating the best party environment and playing songs people know, but [at After Sunset] we got to play stuff as if we got to play an actual show.” According to Saint Disco, they have played 43 shows in the past year, many of which were at local bar Baja Sharkeez in Manhattan Beach where the duo plays almost every Thursday. DJ and senior theatre arts major Timothy Toole frequently played at Sharkeez last school year, acting as a mentor to the duo. Toole not only motivated Saint Disco but also let them play alongside him occasionally, during which the boys caught the eye of Sharkeez management. They kicked off their Sharkeez
quasi-residency during the fall semester and their shows have only grown in size. “Our first one we did we probably had 45 people come out, and now we have 300 to 400 kids come every Thursday,” said Millet. “It’s been crazy.” With creative control over who performs on Thursday nights, Saint Disco uses their position to help other LMU DJs gain experience, inviting them to play alongside them. During the fall semester finale, all 15 of the invited DJs who had previously played came out for one big show. “The coolest thing about [performing at Sharkeez] is every week we have a platform to try something new — for us, our own skills, for all these other people,” said Squires. Not only does Saint Disco prioritize collaborating with other student DJs but also student creators. They’ve worked with filmmaker and freshman engineering major Jacob Ferrufino, who creates many of their social media visuals and promotional videos. Currently, Ferrufino and Saint Disco are in the process of filming a music video for one of the songs on their latest EP, "Midnight Service," which will be available in two months. Follow Saint Disco on Instagram (@saint.disco) and stream their EP on Spotify (Saint Disco) to keep up with the group's progress.
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ALTANGELES aims to celebrate SoCal's sound LMU student Donna Borges created the outlet to express her love of music. Francesca Bermudez Asst. Life+Arts Editor @LALoyolan
Donna Borges, a junior marketing major and KXLU DJ, founded online music publication ALTANGELES “for the love of music.” She first thought of the idea during her junior year of high school, but officially launched the site in May 2018, after her freshman year at LMU. ALTANGELES not only releases music reviews and artist features, but also organizes events and curates Spotify playlists. I had the opportunity to chat with Borges about her taste in music and the rise of her online publication. Francesca Bermudez (F.B.): How would you describe ALTANGELES to those who have not heard about it? Donna Borges (D.B.): ALTANGELES is basically an online music publication and [show promoter]. I started it because my friend and I wanted to give fans more of a voice and give them more of a platform to share their music. So we write about lots of underground, local bands that don’t usually get media coverage. That’s pretty much the goal … to help them grow and make it. F.B.: You have interviewed a lot of people on your site. Who is your favorite artist that you have been able to interview? D.B.: This is so hard. One of my favorite memories interviewing was with Goodbye Honolulu just because
they were super nice. It was just a fun interview and we got along really well. I also met Selena Gomez that night, which is pretty crazy. F.B.: ALTANGELES has a focus on artists based in Southern California. Do you want to expand that focus in the future? D.B.: I like keeping it local for now. It’s easier to build up a strong, dedicated audience locally, but I do want to focus on covering some artists from elsewhere just because you can only cover so many people in this area. F.B.: How do you decide which songs or artists to cover? D.B.: I feel like it’s mostly what I’m into. It’s kind of built around my taste and the local scene. When my writers ask about artists, I try to keep it to 20,000 monthly listeners and below as a guideline. It’s pretty much just whoever I’m listening to, whoever I found and have seen recently. F.B.: Who are your top three artists of all time? D.B.: My indie trinity is The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys and Vampire Weekend. I’ve seen all of them in concert now. Julian Casablancas from The Strokes came to KXLU, [and] I got to meet him too. I’m going to see if I can meet the rest of them. F.B.: Can you tell me more about the events you have put on, such as the Fight Abuse Fest? D.B.: I’ve put on maybe eight now. It’s only been like six months since I first started doing shows. I obviously want to try doing different lineups, like bands that don’t normally play together
via Donna Borges
Donna Borges has grown her online music publication, ALTANGELES, over the past two years. She is able to share her love of music though writing and promoting shows.
or bands that you are less likely to see at shows. I think my main goal is to [be able] to book bigger, better venues throughout L.A. [For the Fight Abuse Fest], I partnered with Fighting For Me, which is an Orange County-based nonprofit that provides free sexual abuse counseling. I put on that show with Nothing Mag, which is another
local publication in Orange County. We ended up raising $400 at that show which was really cool. That was the first benefit show I’ve ever done and I was really happy to see the impact it had. You can support Borges by visiting altangeles.com and tuning in to her KXLU radio show from 6-9 a.m. on Thursday mornings.
MISO industry sessions help students dream big Five talented industry leaders shared their perspectives on breaking into the music industry on their own. Bird Cooley
Life+Arts Intern @LALoyolan
The idea of trying to "make it on your own" in the infamously cutthroat music industry can be intimidating. LMU’s Music Industry Student Organization (MISO) aims to help students bridge the gap between the college world and the music world. Where do you start? Who do you talk to? Is it worth it to leave the security of a corporate job? These are the kinds of questions that the panel "Industry Sessions: DIY in the Music Industry" attempted to answer this past week. The event, which took place on Feb. 19 in Seaver Hall, was put on by the House of Blues Music Forward Organization in collaboration with MISO. Panelists included Angela Jollivette, Brian Frank, Celia Rollon, Silvia Carluccio and Jeanne Coppola. These five were all industry leaders who took unconventional career paths. The discussion was centered around entrepreneurship and was mediated by MISO cofounder and co-president senior marketing major Morgan Burroughs. Burroughs started MISO in 2019 along with senior marketing major Lily Catrone. Burroughs asked panelist Celina Rollon, a tour manager at Rollon Entertainment, about her experience as a female leader in the music industry. “When I first started tour managing, there were no female tour managers,” she began. "[But] the more and more we don’t have fear, the more it is accepted. People can smell fear, and they pick up on it, so don’t let them." Rollon, who began her music career at the young age of 19, emphasized the importance of not being afraid to challenge stereotypes. Angela Jollivette, a DJ and founder of Moonbaby Media, chimed in about her own experiences as a female DJ in a male-dominated field. Jollivette
believes that being a woman was an advantage since there were not many female DJs when she entered the scene. This set her apart in a positive way. The panelists also discussed the job security that comes with a corporate job, as we all know the entertainment industry is a daunting pursuit. “What you gain from being part of a larger organization is that there is an existing structure for you to plug into,” said Brian Frank, owner of BFrank Management. That being said, there are many benefits to pursuing a solo career. “As an artist manager, what is important
“The more and more we don't have fear, the more it is accepted.” to me is who the artist is, what are they doing, who their audience [is] and what their audience [is] doing,” said Frank. He also emphasized how important it is to find someone who doesn’t fall for trends. Jeanne Coppola, asst. director of crew and marketing for Sofar Sounds, stressed the importance of asking yourself if what you're pursuing is "something you want to do, and that it's not because that’s what you saw and that’s what you're copying." This is not the first successful event MISO has put on this year. On Feb. 11, the organization hosted a networking event in The Hill that was followed by an open mic. Coral Hernandez, a senior marketing major, commented on what she learned from the Industry Sessions panel. For Hernandez, her favorite part of the event was getting to hear everyone’s personal stories. Her main takeaway from the event was to “stay focused and keep going." On March 29, MISO will host a free benefit concert in the Bird Nest from noon to 5 p.m. Performers include Sister Gemini, Leo Dolan, Tiffany Day, thom. ko, Ruby Red, Maeve Kelley, Kidd Waff and Bygone. The proceeds will be donated to Heal the Bay, which protects California's Santa Monica Bay.
via Music Industry Student Organization
Celina Rollon (above) and Brian Frank (below) in Seaver Hall. The panelists spoke about their unique experiences in music.
SPORTS
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MLB players should bash commissioner Next of Kinney Ellie Kinney
W
Asst. Sports Editor @LALoyolan
ith Major League Baseball (MLB) spring training starting up and the players coming back in front of the camera, journalists and fans alike have wanted to know one thing: what do players think about the Astros’ electronic signstealing scandal? Overwhelmingly, MLB players have been vocal about how insufficient the Houston Astros’ punishment was — as they should be. Popular players have a lot of influence, so it is vital that they keep using it to advocate for maintaining the integrity of the game. Successful MLB players have massive platforms, and they should all use them to call out injustices in the organization so that the sport can continue to be fair for everyone. I detailed the findings of MLB’s investigation of the Astros’ misconduct in 2017 and 2018 in a previous article. I argued that they should receive a harsher punishment, such as stripping their World Series trophy and penalizing the Astros players, to deter them and future teams from continuing to cheat. Many MLB players, including local L.A. stars, have spoken out to denounce MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision to give immunity to the Astros players and let them keep their title.
“I don’t agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything … It was a player-driven thing,” L.A. Angels star outfielder Mike Trout said in a recent press conference. The three-time American League MVP added, “Me going up to the plate knowing what was coming — it would be pretty fun up there.” As a player some consider the best to ever play the game, Trout’s words hold a lot of authority. He has the utmost respect of everyone who loves baseball, so if he continues to speak out about the issue it could force Manfred to reconsider the punishment. Cody Bellinger, outfielder for the L.A. Dodgers and the 2019 National League MVP, did not sugarcoat his feelings about the Astros. Not to dwell on would’ves and could’ves, but there is a very good chance that the Dodgers could have beat the Astros in the 2017 World Series if Houston hadn’t known every pitch that was coming. “I would say everyone in The Show, in the big leagues, lost respect for those guys,” said Bellinger. “Everyone knows they stole the ring from us.” Manfred dismissed the idea of removing the Astros’ title, going so far as to call the World Series trophy a “piece of metal.” This led to mass outrage, and Manfred has since apologized. Bellinger may not be able to get the 2017 World Series trophy retroactively shipped to Los Angeles, but his statements and the words of other MLB players still hold significant power.
Cartoon: Bobby Sutton | Loyolan
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was too light on the penalties for the cheating Houston Astros. Players are rightfully upset and should continue to speak out against his decision.
There is a clear culture shift that needs to happen in order to make baseball fair and sincere again, and it has to start with the players. Even L.A. Lakers star LeBron James was inspired by MLB players speaking on the issue. James came after Manfred on Twitter about his decision to pardon the Astros players. “Listen here baseball commissioner listen to your players speaking today about how disgusted, mad, hurt, broken, etc. etc. [they are] about this,” James tweeted. With over 45 million Twitter followers, James is one of the most influential athletes in the world, and just a tweet could have a huge impact. If other athletes outside baseball follow
his example and use their platforms to denounce MLB’s failure to uphold the integrity of the game, Manfred could be left with no choice but to listen. The players should have a responsibility to use their platforms to fight for systematic change. If they bring enough negative press to Manfred and the Astros, they can hopefully incite significant improvement in how scandals like this are handled. No matter what happens, one thing is certain: the Astros can expect a whole lot of boos and beanballs this season. This is the opinion of Ellie Kinney, a sophomore communication studies major from Boston, Massachusetts. Tweet comments to @emkinney4 or email comments to ahutton@theloyolan.com.
SCORES UPDATE
W W W. L A L O Y O L A N . C O M
7-2 L
Baseball
vs. UCSB
14-1 L
Softball
vs. Delaware
M. Tennis
4-0 L
W. Water Polo
LION SPORTS
SPORTS
at San Diego 13-10 W vs. San Jose State
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February 26, 2020
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Ellington's confidence drives first year The freshman from Oregon has Benson High and Holla, during which the emerged as an on-court leader player and coach formed a strong bond. “I just went under his wing, and he for the Lions. Alex Hutton Sports Editor @LALoyolan
Although the 2019-2020 season for the LMU women’s basketball team (7-22 overall, 3-13 WCC) has been challenging in terms of wins and losses for the Lions, it has served as an opportunity for the team’s freshmen to get experience on the court and show what they are capable of. One of those freshmen is guard/forward CiCi Ellington, who in just her first year of college basketball has emerged as a top player for the Lions. Ellington first began playing basketball in fourth grade while living in Oklahoma City, mainly as a way to spend time with friends. Over time, she came to love the sport and fully committed to it during her middle school years. “I found out I was pretty decent at it,” she said. “Seeing people ahead of me grind for it just made me want to keep getting better.” At the same time this was happening, Ellington moved to Portland, Oregon, where she met Eric Knox, the head coach of Benson High School. Knox also founded Holla, a youth mentoring organization in Portland that offers basketball as one of its programs. Ellington played under Knox for both
just showed me the ropes and trained me,” Ellington said. “I just fell in love with [basketball].” Upon entering Benson High, Ellington excelled almost immediately. In the 2015-2016 season her freshman year, she started alongside three other freshmen in a quartet dubbed the “Fab Four” by the local media. Before the season was over, Ellington was drawing attention from nationally recognized programs, including Oregon State. Ellington’s personal success and the team’s success continued throughout her high school career. She became one of the top players in Oregon, culminating in her being named state co-player of the year for her senior season. Meanwhile, the Benson program excelled as a whole, reaching the No. 1 ranking in the state and winning the state title. However, Ellington’s primary recollections from her time in high school aren’t about the accomplishments themselves, but rather what she had to do to earn them. “My big memory was just waking up early in the morning, like at 4 a.m., and going to run hills and beaches and stairs and shooting 1,000 shots before class and just doing that over four years,” she said. “I think that’s what built me into the player I am right now.”
Photo: Jacob Doerksen | Loyolan
CiCi Ellington attacks the basket against Gonzaga on Thursday, Feb. 20. Ellington has been one of LMU's most productive players this season.
Ellington’s numerous high school achievements meant that a wide variety of college teams were interested in recruiting her, but LMU proved to be the right place. She appreciated that the coaching staff seemed to genuinely care about her well-being, and wanted to go somewhere where she could be an important player in her first year. “I knew that they had like five seniors leaving,” said Ellington. “I wanted to be an impact freshman and start and play. So I felt like I had the best opportunity here.” Ellington has, in fact, started in nearly every game this year and has spent a lot of time as the team’s point guard. She
is among the team leaders in categories such as points, rebounds and threepoint percentage and leads the Lions in assists with 80 on the season. “I control my own success,” she said. “If I just play without fear, then I can do anything.” Ellington seems to be a big part of the future for the LMU team, and she is looking forward to doing it with the people she has gotten to know during her time on the Bluff. “[I love] meeting all these great people and having this crazy support system away from home,” she said. “I couldn't ask for a better group of people to be around.”
Women's rowing enters new season optimistic The rowers and coach example and leaving the team have hopes of placing better than we found it," she said. "I know it seems cliché, first in the conference. Dean Anagnostopoulos Sports Intern @LALoyolan
The women’s rowing season is underway, and the hard work has just begun for a crew that wants to achieve the ultimate goal. Although the women believe they can win it all, having low expectations may be the remedy to get them closer to winning the WCC title. For veteran star and graduate student Jessica Apodaca, bringing the title home for the school and her teammates is extremely important. “This is my last year here and I want to end it on a good note," Apodaca said. "We know winning the title is important, but staying focused and locked in will improve our chances of reaching this accomplishment.” When asked about personal goals, 2019 All WCC Rowing Team standout Ellery Martin gave her thoughts. “I think for me it’s just leading by
but we want to leave on a positive note.” The women stress that continued improvement day in and day out is the key to their success. The sport requires long and intense practice hours. As a result, the rowers are focusing on hard work in practices and pushing themselves to the limit and consider this essential to the progress of the season. Last season's head rowing coach Hanna Luft resigned after being a member of the coaching staff for five years, serving as head coach for two of those years. After she left, it was the task of the athletic department to find someone with intentions to build on the foundation left by Luft and to continue moving the program forward. Last season, Luft accomplished this at the 2019 West Coast Conference Championships where the crew finished in third place behind the University of San Diego and the champion, Gonzaga. As the search was on for a
Photo via LMU Marketing and Communications
The LMU crew team rows during the 2018-2019 season. With a new head coach, the Lions are looking to improve on their third-place finish at last year's WCC championships.
new coach, it didn’t take long to find someone. The incoming leader is Karl Huhta, who was inspired by the legacy Luft left and continues to preach her similar mindsets. “For us we need to find where our limits are and respect the process of what it means to get better," he said. "We try to take a process-oriented approach to what we do by taking the little steps in order to make the big things happen.” Huhta was named LMU head coach following the 2019
season. He recently spent four seasons as the associate head coach at Washington State, where he coached the Varsity 4+ crews and led the Cougars to a victory at the 2019 San Diego Crew Classic. When asked about his approach during practices, Huhta chuckled. “Well, obviously, I try to keep it as fun as possible since it’s such a hard sport," he said. "Our student athletes make a tremendous amount of sacrifices throughout their
life while at LMU to pursue this passion of rowing.” The rowing team will continue to prepare for their Mar. 14 event against hometown rival UCLA. The coach and players are well aware of how competitive the Pac 12 conference is and, while the crew knows the Bruins are a formidable opponent, racing them will be another opportunity to set standards high and start the season off on the right foot.