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ESTABLISHED 1921
ESTABLISHED 1921
22, 2011 April 11,September 2011 Volume Volume 89, Issue90, 41 Issue 6
Your Home. Your Voice. Your Newspaper.
Loyola Marymount University
Your Home. Your Voice. Your Newspaper.
www.laloyolan.com
Loyola Marymount University
www.laloyolan.com
Student Transports spike during September loans remain a NEWS ANALYSIS An influx of new students leads to concern a heightend number of alcoholNEWS ANALYSIS
related medical transports. By Laura Riparabelli Managing Editor
Data reveals that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has called for the transportation of 13 students so far this September from campus to local hospitals for medical treatment due to alcohol-related illness. The same data also reveals that this number of medical transports is typical of a September at LMU. Last September, statistics showed that the month concluded with 12 transports. Subsequent months included no more than five transports throughout first semester. According to EMT President Heather Lougee, a senior natural science major, the beginning of the semester is often a time when the department receives more calls and is forced to call for the transport of more students due to alcohol-related illnesses. “I can say that the majority of our ETOH [alcoholrelated] transports have been freshmen so far this
See FYR | page 4
See Loans | page 3
with Chinese and Vietnamese cultures. Spearheaded by Michelle Ko, director of Asian Pacific Student Services (APSS), the event included members from Asian Pacific Islander Student Association, Han Tao, Isang Bansa, Korean American Student Association, Kyodai, Na Kolea, Nikkei Student Union, South Asian Student Association and Shin Kanarazu Daiko, all of which are student clubs overseen by APSS. Students from each of these groups made and provided the food for the welcoming, which was followed by a live performance by Tim Be Told, co-sponsored by Mane Entertainment. “The Kick-Off is not only a great event for freshmen because they will be able to meet new people, but it is also a great event for the upperclassmen to hang out with their
friends,” said sophomore psychology major Anna Cho, an APSS fellow and planner of the event. “It’s a great way for the Asian Pacific American community to come together over food and music and celebrate the MidAutumn Moon [Festival]. Students get to come hang out with friends, enjoy the guest performer and drink free boba,” said junior communication studies major, planner of the event and APSS fellow Emily Nishida. “Personally, I love this event, the MidAutumn Moon Festival, because all the clubs come together, and we get to experience different Asian cultures celebrating together,” added Farah Kerawala, sophomore modern languages major and APSS fellow and planner.
First-year students retreat to Pali By Margo Jasukaitis Asst. News Editor
A record number of people attended this year’s First Year Retreat [FYR]. Three hundred and fifty first-year students, student leaders and adult staff spent last weekend at Pali Mountain near Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernadino Mountains, getting to know one another and reflecting on expectations for first-year students’ inaugural semester at LMU. According to Louise Santos, a senior business
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communication studies major and FYR student co-director, “FYR instills the idea of embracing a first-year student’s uniqueness. [We want] to let them know they’re not alone in this huge experience of change [and beginning college].” Perez originally signed up for FYR because the retreat was publicized at freshman orientation. “I was told it was a really great way to meet people and that I would have a lot of fun,” Perez said. Santos also referenced the FYR leadership team’s increased effort to publicize the retreat to incoming freshman. “We made a bigger push during orientation [this year]. We had a lot more people signing up than usual – before school even started technically the retreat was already full,” Santos said. “We wanted as many people to be
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major and one of the retreat’s co-directors, the overall theme of the retreat centered on Psalm 139. “The message [taken from Psalm 139] is that God … is always going to be there to guide you and protect you. You’re always going to be in a safe environment [at LMU] while you grow and learn, not only during your first couple weeks of freshman year, but during your whole college career,” she said. This message was an unexpected but welcome facet of the retreat for Natalie Perez, an undeclared freshman who attended the retreat this year. “I wasn’t expecting there to be such a religious [aspect on the retreat], but I enjoyed it,” she said. “I feel like everyone was brought a lot closer together because the religion was brought in.” According to Katie Convoy, a senior
By Kayla Begg The number of students defaulting on student loans after graduation is the highest it’s been in more than a decade, according an article titled “Student Loan Defaults Reach Highest Level In More Than A Decade”, published by the Huffington Post on Sept.12. Overall, student loan default rates rose from 7 percent to 8.8 percent last year. While this news may seem to spell out doom and gloom for upcoming and recent college graduates, LMU students still have some good news to celebrate. The Huffington Post also claimed that private non-profit universities, such as LMU, saw the lowest overall increase in student loan defaults, with 4 percent of students defaulting in 2008 rising to only 4.6 percent in 2009, while for-profit universities went from 11.6 percent to 15 percent. In addition, LMU’s cohort default rate (cdr) from 2009 is at 2.5 percent, compared to 1.4 percent in 2008 according to Catherine Graham, the director of Financial Aid. The Huffington Post cited the poor economy and recent increase in for-profit schools as factors behind this spike increase in default rates. Graham also claimed one reason for the relatively low increase in default rates for private non-profit universities, and LMU specifically, was a focus on education regarding student loans. “In general, public universities and for-profit institutions just don’t have the resources to provide this level of service. The key to avoiding default is having access to the information to prevent it in the first place,” Graham said. “We don’t believe that a student would intentionally default on their student loan. Rather, it’s the lack of understanding about their loan obligations or repayment options that play a big factor. We also know that in
See Transports | page 2
Campus Ministy’s First Year Retreat expands to accomodate more students.
The University promotes loan education as the best way to avoid loan default.
APSS celebrates the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Students gather on Sunken Garden in celebration of a new year of APSS events. By Liz Peters News Intern
Devin Sixt | Loyolan
Students enjoyed food, including boba tea, from an array of Asian cultures.
Blue, silver and red paper lanterns hung across the trees of Sunken Garden on Tuesday, Sept. 20th to celebrate the THIRD TUESDAY Kick-Off Celebration and Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in conjunction with the Asian and Pacific Islander community welcome. About 200 students, faculty and staff gathered to enjoy food, music and mingling with other members and students in celebration of the lunar holiday associated
Index Opinion.......................5 Loyolan 90th Anniversary...7 A&E.............................15 Classifieds....................16 Sports..........................20 Loyolan 90th Anniversary, p. 7
The next issue of the Loyolan will be printed on September 26, 2011.
See APSS| page 4
Lions tested against powerhouses Polo to face No. 10 UCSD and No. 2 UCLA this week. Sports, p. 20