AT A GLANCE:
THESURVIVALOFPRINT: HOWTHE FUTUREOFJOURNALISTICINTEGRITY LIESINPHYSICALMEDIA
byBraedenWicker
UNITYTHROUGHDIVERSITY
byRyanRegis
STEVENHARRISRE-POSITIONS CHRISTIANSINTHEAPPROACH TOJUSTICE byAbigailChoe
THEPOWEROFWEAKNESS
byKalAuxier
ALetterfromtheEditor-in-Chief
Cher shedBeaconreaders, supporters,andvaued Pepperdinecommunity members,
Withthe2024-2025 academicyearcomingtoa close,wehereat The PepperdineBeaconare exctedtoshareour second pr nt edit onwthour community Aswe approachf veyearssince ourfoundng,thereisno better timetonot ony ref ect onour past accomplishmentsbut tolookforwardtoabright future Throughout mytenureasEditor-n-Chef,Ihavenot onlyhad theopportunityto eadthsorganizationthroughuniquechal enges andobstacles,but alsotheblessngof gettingtoknowsomeof Pepperdine?sbrightest studentsonapersonal eve
CadenBenedict foundedtheBeacontobr ngtoge her students, aumni,faculty,andstaff hroughout Pepperdne?sfiveschoolsand encouragecommunity Sncehsre rement inthesummerof 2024, theBeaconhasundergoneaseasonof growthandchange
Asthecurrent Editor-in-Chief,mygoa hasbeennot onyto cont nueour egacybut alsotobulduponthesuccesswehave areadyachievedbycontinuingtoencouragefaculty-written articles,hrestaff that strivefor excel ence,andpursuetruthinour writ ng Myprimaryobect vehasbeentocreateandpub sh journaismthat snot onlyprofessional but fil edwithpassion andvigor
I amincrediblyhonoredtoshareoursecondpr nt editionwith youal ,amarkerof thesuccesswehavehadandwll con nue toacheve
Thesesuccesses,however,havenot beenwithout struggle Most recent y,theLosAngelescommuntyhassufferedgreatlyinthe wakeof thePalisadesFire,andourMa bucommunityhasfet no smal part of thistragedy
InEuripides TheTrojanWomen, t?swrittenthat tragedycomeswth achoice? ?theoneisannh at on,theother keepsapacefor hope?Simi ar y,inThePlague,Albert Camuswrites,?whatstrueof al theevi sinthewor d strueof pagueaswel It hepsmento riseabove hemselves.?ThePepperdineBeaconwascreatedtobea paceo communty,asourceof ight andtruth,aglowtohep i lumnateawor dof darkness
Our purposeistobeamirror for s udentsandwderPepperdine communty? toshowourresi enceandour flaws,andtoremind oursevesthat theflamelit byGeorgePepperdinestil burns
Thefoundngmessagesof thepursut of truthandacademc nclusiv yremainsteadfast aswemovethroughthesetimesof uncertanty,andbypract cngresl enceandsol dar ty,wecanrise abovetragedyanddespair
Hopeisfoundnot onlyinact onbut asoincomradery Choosing hopetakescourage Thepursut of truthisnot ofteneasy,but we must rememberthat t isthissteadfast missiontha wehave committedourselvesto It isanundertakingthat sbest done alongsideacommuntywl ngtogiveeverythingtheyhave,andI amgratefu beyondbeief toleadatalentedgroupof peoplewho rout nelydojust that
Thestaff at theBeaconaresomeof themost ski ledand exceptional peopleIhaveever hadthepleasureof working with,andIamhumbedtohave edthemthroughthispast academcyear
Asamedasourcegudedbytheunversity?sstatement of fath,I amoftenremindedo 1John3:18? ?Let usnot ovewithwordsor speechbut wthactionsandintruth?Tome,thisverseper ectly sumsupour missionat heBeacon Whenwedemonstratelove throughtangibleact ons,it becomesapparent that it isnot smply anabstract concept
Thesame struefor hope When ove sput ntoact on,whether throughservce,kindness,ortruth,wecanfosterhopeinourseves andthosearoundus Wecanchoosehopeinthefaceof adversity evenwhen t'snot easy AsAristot ewroteinNicomacheanEthics, ?thethingsthat arenobeandgoodarebet er andmore praseworthywhentheyareharder?
I?mexcitedtoshareour secondprint edtionwithyoual ,amarker of ourcommitment toconsstent growthandsuccess Wthover 160art clespubished,amost $60,000rased,andthe argest staff wehaveever had,ThePepperdineBeaconcontinuesourestabl shed egacyof excelence. WithanewOversght Board,an ever-expandingstaff,andtheconvictionof thedonorswhomake al of thspossble,Iamconfident theBeaconwi l continue obea permanen fixtureonour campusnowandintheyearsahead
Noneof thscoudhavebeenpossbewithout our talentedstaff, ourgracousdonors,our incredbeadvisoryandoversight board, andeverylast oneof you,our valuedPepperdineBeaconreaders
Nowfor what youhaveal beenwait ngfor ? It smy ncredible honortopresent ThePepperdineBeacon?ssecondprint edit on Ther chest bessings,
PaigePotts (26)
Editor-in-Chief
ThePepperdineBeacon LeadershipTeam
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PaigePotts
MANAGINGEDITOR
AnnaSmith
TOPICEDITORS
Laurel Allen
EvanLeshinskie
BraedenWicker
NoahShifter
PUBLISHER
Riley Benedict
SOCIAL MEDIA
DIRECTOR
JoyHarris
Webelievethat asastudent publicationat aChristianuniversity,thePepperdine BeaconexiststoseekTruthWithout Fear. Wewelcomediverseviewpointsandchoose conversationovercensorshipbecausewe believethat thetruthwill alwayswininthe end. Wewill never stopseekingtruth? thankyoufor joiningusinthesearch.
TheSurvivalof Print: HowtheFutureof
JournalisticIntegrity liesin PhysicalMedia
By:BraedenWicker
WhentheGermangoldsmthJohannes
Gutenbergpopularizedtheprint ngpress n thewesternworld,themeansinwhch ideasandbeliefswerespreadchanged forever Theprimarymethodo sharing knowedgewasnolonger throughora tradit on,but ratherthroughthewr tten word Asworksof phlosophyandliterature becamemoreaccessible,readingwasnot yet viewedastheact of leisureit hascome tobeknownas Aternat vely, t wasvewed ashghlysacred,andthosewhowere fortuna eenoughtohaveaccesstosuch worksdidnot taketheir fortune ight y
Eventual y,astheprintedwordwasbought andsod nabundance,bookswereno longer onlyfoundinthecelsof monksand thestudesof professors,but inthehomes andofficesof the ayman Literacyrates begantorise,especaly nthe newly-establ shedAmericanColones In theregionof NewEnglandalone, iteracy amongtheadut maepopuat onwent from55%in1650to75%by1820 Inthe yearsfollowngtheCivl War,i l eracy amongtheentireadut populationinthe UntedStatesbegantodecine dramat cal y,gongfrom20%n1870to 10 7%by heturnof the20thcentury
Thisdecinein ll teracysignfiedthe beginnngo acutural shift Literacy becameanecessityforparticipat onin what becameanincreasingyindustrialized anddemocraticsocety Thosewhospent their timereadingwerenolonger excusiveyscholars,bu laborersandcvic leaderswhowereactuaizngther abi ityto shapethemodernwor d
Alongwithchangesin iteracyrates, changesintechnoogyalsoimpactedthe meansof whchthosewhowereableto consumeinformat onddso Booksand periodcalswereno onger thepr mary meansof keepngupwiththetimesonce the nventionof radomade t possibleto reachlargegroupsof peopeall at once
Andthen,oncethetelevisionwasperfected andpopular zed,theradiobecamevr ually obsolete However, t must first be acknowledgedthat newformsof technoogydonot simpyrepacetheod formstha camebefore Often,they completeyredefinetherealmof communcationitsef
DOESTHEMEDIUMMATTER?
InNei Postman?s1985bookAmusing OurselvestoDeath,hepresentsthe deaof the?mediumasthemetaphor?,whch statesthat eachmediumof communcat on (I E,print radio,televson,e c ) sony capabeof conveyngacertain evel of meaning Withthsideainmind,Postman furtherarguesthat theuseof teevsionas amedumremovestheneedfor ntel ectua nvolvement bytheviewer This deaisaso appl cabletotheshort-formcontent that dominatesmuchof themodernmedia andscape.
prevousy,trust amongthegeneral pubic alsoexper encesafarbt of erosion There isanargument tobemadeherethat this s not onyasymbol of shiftinghabitsin mediaconsumption,but asobering convictionof msnformation?sabi tyto thr ve Whennewsbecomesbte-sizedand sensat onalized,analreadyapathet c audience sforcedtodiscernbe weenfact andsensation
OVER-SENSATIONALIZEDAND OVERSTIMULATED
It isnownecessarytoconsideranother concept presentedbyPostman,whchhe calsthe?information-actionra o? In short it stheno onthat,due oan increaseinaccessibil tyconcerningnews andcurrent events,it seaser or the averageindvidual obeinformedabout issuesaffect ngthewor d But,duetothe constant barrageof such nformation,they areactualymorelikelytobecome apatheticandlessl keytotakeastandon detrimental issues
meda 51%o respondentsstated hey foundpr nt medatobemoretrustworthy, comparedtothe24%of respondentswho saidthesamethingabout soca media
Theaforementionedstudywassponsored bytheRochesterInst tuteof Technology, andconductedbyPrint ntheMix,an organizationthat complesandpresents research,?demonstratingtheeffectiveness of different formsof meda?
It canbearguedthat suchstat st cs indicatethat,desptethecurrent supremacyof digital meda,thereisan in r nsicvauetoprint Perhapsthsidea lendsitself tothefact that thevery creat onandconsumptionof thewr t en wordrequiresa eve of n entional ythat isnot present inanyother formof media Whenan ndividua pcksupabook, newspaper,oranyphyscal pubica onfor that matter,theycommit toanactivtythat necessitatesaconsciousengagement In contrast,it wouldappearthat dgta media
isdesgned sothat theindvdual hasno needtoengageon sucha leve
THEFUTUREOFJOURNALISM
Asastudent-ledorganzat onestabished wththemssonof promot ng ruthwthout fear what roedoes ThePepperdineBeacon play nthefutureof thefieldof journalism? Inatimemarked by ncreasng amountsof misinformat onandpoar ty,Ibe evethe dutyof uphodingjournaistic integrity beongstotheyoung ournal sts andfuture leaders Ourgoal isnot simpy toreport the facts,but tothinkcritical yabout ssues thathavethepotent a toaffect no only ourwor d,but theworldof ourchi dren and grandchildren
Wemust chal enge narratives,foster dialogues,andencourage meanngfu thought Wemus refusetotakeanything atfacevalue,al n thenameof promot ng andreachng what istruebyanymeans necessary
Almost four decades ater,televsonhas gvenwaytosocial media,andPostman?s ideast l holdsweigh Pera2021studyby PewResearchCenter roughly48%of Americanadutsregularlyorsem-regularly receivenewsfromsocial meda, ikely becausethecontent theyarerecevingis able obesimpifiedintobte-szed headines hat require ttleeffort to comprehend. Thisstatistic scoupedwith asteadydecl neof trust nlocal and national newsoutlets. Snce2016,trus amongAmer cansover theageof eighteen in oca newsout etshasdecreased11% , andtrust nnational newsoutletshas decreased15%
Wheninformat onispresented nsucha waythat attemptstosumupbigideas nto atwen y-secondvideoor ahandful of sentences,thedoor isopenedto msunderstandngsand oversimpifications,whicherodesanysort of meanngful dscourse Asestabl shed
Inessence,asourabil tytoaccessvast amountsof informat onincreases,our capactytotakeanysort of act on decreases. Pol t ca conflicts,civi unrest, andsoca injusticesareal perpe ually thrown ntoour f edof vew,creatinga paradox nwhichapopulationbecomes constantlyinformedand ncreasingy indifferen
Whentheact of stayng nformed,whch oncewasconsideredacivcduty,becomes aburden,it becomesnecessarytoconsder thesustanabil tyof our curren stateof mediaconsumption
ISPRINTSTILLVIABLE?
It woudbereasonabetosuggest the supposedobsoletionof prin asamedium iscorreatedtoconsumersnolonger desir ng t However,theopposite strue Most consumersactualyviewpr nt asther preferredmethodof consumpt on 72%of respondentssadtheyprefer readng physical versionsof booksandmagaznes overthedigital editions,and55%saidthe sameregardingnewspubl cations
Furthermore,moreconsumerstrust print mediaover storiestheyreadonsocial
GeneralH.R.McMaster
andtheChallenges
America'sPresident WillConfrontin 2025 andBeyond
By:Laure Al en
OnOctober9,2024,Pepperdine?sSchoolof PublicPolicy?sAugustusandPatricia TagliaferriDeansDistinguishedLecture hostedesteemedgeneral,HR McMaster, whoinadditiontohis34-year-longservice intheUSArmy,servedasthe25thnational securityadvisorunderPresidentTrump from2017to2018 Thecontentof this articleisfromhisexclusiveinterviewwith theBeaconandhislecture.
Axis of Aggressors: Amer ca?s Most Dangerous Threats
Inhskeynoteaddress,General McMaster dscussedthreatsfacngAmerica, specf callywhat hecal edan?axsof aggressors:?Chna,Russia,Iran,and NorthKorea
Indscussionof thegravethreat posedby theaxsof aggressors,McMaster camed that thenext administrationmust act with ahghsenseof urgency ntwoareas:
Thef rst areaistoincreaseourmil tary power,because?it'smuchcheaper to prevent awar thanit istofight one?He camedAmer cahastoconvncetheaxs of aggressorsthat theycant accompish their object vesthroughtheuseof force Thesecondareaistostrengthenthe resi ienceof our economybymaking supplychansmoreresi ient,especiallyto counter China?smercanti st statist economicmodel
Headdedthat whoevergetselectedas thepol t cal leader nour countryshoud helpbr ngAmericanstogether,strengthen our commonidentity,andrestorewhowe areasapeope ?Ithnkwehavetodoit at unversitiesandinour communit es andfocusonwhat wecandotowork together tobuildabetter future,? McMaster said
McMasterasodscussedwhat?scalled the?NewLeft Interpretationof Hstory? andhowtheyemphaszestructural or nstitut onal problems ?Whenyouput the wordstructural and nstitut onal infront of everyproblem,yourobpeopeof agencybecauseyou?retelingthem?Wel, there?snothingyoucandoabout it,except maybetear downthewhoesystem??
?Ithinkthat leavesyoungpeoplein particuarwthnothingbut atoxc combnat onof angerandresignat on,and soI thinkmuchof what wehavetodois restoreasenseof agency,?McMaster sad Herecommendedthat weimprove educationandasenseof community na waythat nurturesandalowsyoung peopletotakeadvantageof America?s great promses
McMaster?s Ro eas National Security Advisor
?Ithinkwhat?simportant istoestabish pr orit esupfront?Hesaid decision-makersshouldviewchal enges abroadholisticalyandthrough fundamental Amer caninterests: Americansecurity,prosper ty,and nfluence nthewor d
McMasterasodscussedhowhevewed hisroeandothersintheWhiteHouse He reiteratedthat t isthepresdent whogets elected,not thenat ona secur tyadvsor orcabnet Thus,it ishsjobtogvethe president mult pleoptionssoheorshe canmakethebest decision
Sometimes,though,those ntheWhite Houseattempt eithertoget ther own agendathroughorprotect thecountry fromthepresident ?Theprobemwith thosetwo attergroupsof peopleisthat theyunderminetheConst tution,because thesovereignty ieswiththepeopleand thepeopeeectedthepresident? Nobody electedthem?
Fa th: Bel eving in Something Greater than th s Earth
McMasterasodscussedhowfaithgot himthroughsomeof themost difficult t mesinl fe.
?It paysafoundational roebecause whenyou?re nthemlitary,you?refacing theprospectsof deathandthejob tself involvescombat andthetakingof lives Soyouhavetoprayfor strength Youhave toprayforthestrengthtoperformyour dutiesinthemost ethica andhumane mannerpossible?
?Iasothinkspiritual tyisatremendous sourceof strengthandcouragefor soldiers;it?simportant for themtoknow that they?re eadersandforthemto bel eveinsomethingbeyondthsEarth?
Healsomentionedhowtheenvronment of worshipalowedhimtohave conversationswthsodiershemight not havehadotherwise.
?Then,of course,honoringyourdead, thosewhomaketheut matesacr f ce n combat,isalwaysareigiousceremony,?
McMastersaid ?Spirituaityhepswth grief workandtryingtoovercome osses andresolvetohonorthosewhomadethe ut matesacr f cethroughdeedsasyou goforward.?
Hesadthat whenhefacedunspeakabe evl,for example,J hadst terrorists,his faithhepedhimunderstandthat good canovercomeevil ?Youhavetohave confidence nyourabil tynot tomatch brutal tywithbruta ty,but insteadto executeyour mssioninar ghteous mannerconsistent wthour Judeo-Christ anvaluesandethics?
Fantasy in Washington
McMastersharedhisviewthat often, Washingtonenactspoicybasedon fantasyratherthanreaity Herecalled voicinghsfrustrat ontoafriend,Colonel Joe Rayburn,about Washington?s decsonswhenIraqwasfacingacycleof sectarianvioence n2006and2007
?Joel,howisthspossible?What were executinghere sarushtofal?
Colonel Rayburnresponded,?Wel,you dont understand We're nIraq,but in Washington,theyrewritingpoiciesand strategiesforMyraq Myraqcanbe whateveryouwant it tobe?
Inaddtiontothat story,McMaster expressedhowtheunderstandingof history,not necessari ypolit cal science, paysacrucial roleinnational security competency
Whenaskedwhat advcehehadfor studentsaspr ngtoworkinnational secur ty,hesadtoreadwdey, specf cal yhstory ?Studynational secur tyandhistorybecauseIthinkthe basisfor understandingnat ona secur ty ishistory,not po tica scenceorsoca scencetheories There?stheoldjoke?the pol t cal scient st saystothehistor an, ?Ok,that works npractice,but wil it work intheory???Hespecificalyrecommended readng?TheUseandAbuseof Mi itary History?bySir Michae Howard
?Fnaly,Iwoudsaypursuejobswhere youget to eadandexecute,whereyou get tohelpmakepolicyhappenbeforeyou pursueapost oninWashngtonwhere you?rewr tingpol cy?Heemphasized beingabletoseeintel igenceormlitary operationsinact on
Lastly,hesuggestedthat students stronglyconsider joiningthem itary ?I thnkthat popularcuturethesedays doesn? t real yhelppeopleunderstandthe rewardsof service Ithinkwhat?sapparent toalot of peoplearethehardshipsand sacrifices,but what theydon't seeisthe lesstangiblerewardsof beingpart of somethingbigger thanyoursef ?
FveLessons fromtheVetnamEra
McMaster?slessonsaretotaket meto thnkabout thecomplexchalengeswere facing,havegoasandobectives,make assumpt onsexpicit,gvethepresdent mult pleoptionsbecausehewaseected, andfenceoff nat onal security decision-makingandpol cymakngfrom part sanpolit cal considerat ons
Understandngthenatureof complex challengestheUS faces skeyto successful results Regardnghssecond lesson,McMasterstrongydsagreedwith theapproachof McGeorgeBundy, national securityadvisortoPresdents KennedyandJohnsonwhosadthat it wasbetter not tohaveanobectivein
Vetnambecauseif that object ve snot accomplished,thePresident wll have moreflexibl tyinthedomesticpolit cal arena
?I believeweneed to do threethings: strengthen hard power to restoredeterrence,reduce vulnerabilitiesto economic coercion, andimproveour strategic competenceand national confidence."
Inaddit on,givingthepresdent mutipe opt ons sessential,whichwasapr ority of McMaster ?It is mportant togivethe president mut peoptionsbecauseit'sthe president whogot eected Nobody eectedtheNat onal Secur tyAdvisor, Secretaryof State,orSecretaryof Defense? It isalsointhecompar sonof thoseoptionsthat youcandrawout long-termconsequences,assessr sk moreeffect vey,andassessopportunit es moreeffect vey,?McMastersaid
TheRoleof Education: Human ties n Univers ties
Inhiskeynoteaddress,Genera McMaster commentedonwhat hethought most preparedhmforhispositionasNational Secur tyAdvisor
?It wasmyopportunty?thisgreat opportunitytheArmygaveme?tostudyat thegraduatelevel,togotoUNC-Chapel
Hi l andstudyml taryhstoryand Amer candiplomat chstory,andtowrite thebookI wroteasmydissertation: ?Derel ct onof Duty??
?Educat onisanat onal securitythreat, n myvew?Henotedthat manypeople stresstheimportanceof STEMdegrees, but heconsderedhumantiesevenmore important. ?I thnk nmanyunversities, there snowanorthodoxythat hascome todomnatethehumanitiesdepartments; Iwoudcal it acurricuumof self-loathng that isamsnterpretationof history?
McMasterlamentedthat Neweft interpretationsof historyaresodomnant that studentsdonot get anyother alternatives
"What Ithinkis reallyimportant for graduateandundergraduate studentsto understand sthat your obis toquest on orthodoxy,to reada broadrangeof interpretat onsof history,andcometo yourownconclusons?
ThePath Forward: Strength,Competence, andConfidence
General McMasterconcludedhis address wththe fol owngsent ments:
? I beieveweneedtodothree things: strengthenhardpower torestore deterrence,reducevunerabi ties to economiccoercon, andimproveour strategiccompetenceandnat onal conf dence PepperdineUniverstypays a roein this,fosteringcrit cal viewsof our hstorywhi easorecognizing ournat on?s promseand potentia ?
Adv cefor His Younger Self: Don? t Worry McMastershared thepeceof advice he woudgiveto hisyounger sef:?Tonot worryabout what?sgoingtohappen next inlife?
Insteadof trying tomapout therentire career,hesuggestedthat studentsshoud seekout somethingtheyfindexcting wheretheycoudaso havea ot of responsbi ity Hementioned that only onceortwicein hiscareer didheever securehs preferredassignment
?Iwasgongtoget outof thearmyafter fiveyears andwhenIret red,mywifegave area yfunnyroast talkat the ret rement partyandshesaid,?Thank youforthe bonus29years?Iguessmyadvcewoud bedon't worrytoo muchabout yourcareer path Dowhat?s fun, challenging,andwi allowyoutohelpothers, serve nsome way,andseewherethenext posit onor jobtakesyou?
UnityThrough Diversity
HowPepperdineStudentsCanFoster CommunityAfterthe2024Presidential Election
By:RyanRegs
OnNovember 6th,DonadJ Trump officialysecuredhissecondtermas presdent bydefeatingKamaaHarris Thisoutcomerepresentsbroader economicfrustrations nworking-class communities AccordingtoTyler Esch,a junor undergraduatestudent at the Unversityof Michigan,?Growingupin MacombCounty,MI,whichisa working-classarea,Iamnot surpr sed that DonaldTrumpwonbecausemanyin theareafeel left behind,andthsisa prominent feel ngamongmost Mdwesternpeople?
Theoutcomeof the2024President a eectionreflectsnot onlyapoitica choice but asothevariedsocal andeconomc realit esthat different regonsof the countryhaveexperienced Tyler Esch?s perspectivehighl ghtsasentiment that canoftenbegeneraizedacrossthe Mdwest,wheremanyfee that thecurrent Democrat cPartyoverlooksther economicgr evances Thssent ment is cruca for studentsat Pepperdineto understandasit sheds ight onthe dversemot vationsbehindpol tica preferences,emphaszngtheneedfor open-mndednessinpoitical discussons
Thepoitica dvide ntheUntedStates hasdeepened,creat ngsignificant tension amongAmer cans AccordngtoGallup News,?Arecordhigh80%of US aduts bel eveAmericansaregreat ydividedon themost important values?
For 87exceptional years,Pepperdne Unversityhasservedstudentsseekingto growtheir faithandexporeabroad-based educat onof fathandservce. This mssionisdeeplytiedtoPepperdne?s abil tytoserveasabr dgeacrosspo tica andideoogcal divdes,empowering studentstoengage nrespectfu
discoursewhilefosteringasenseof sharedpurposeandunderstanding By ensur ngasafespaceforstudentsto expressther bel efs,theuniversity encouragesengagement withdiffer ng pol tical perspectives,ultimatelyfostering greaterunderstanding,tolerance,and thoughtfu civicdialoguewhichenriches boththecampuscultureandstudents ivesbeyondgraduat on
JosephCa ihan,a uniorundergraduate student at SeaverCo egeemphasizes that ?studentsat Pepperdinetendtohave
societyinoneshapeor form Beyond pol t cal preference,weasstudentsare moreunitedthanwethink,it isimportant torecognizethat respect sjust onestep closertoacommongoal?Hsperspective highl ghtstheneedfor mutua understanding,startingwthopportunties fordialogueoutsidethecassroom
Conversationssuchasthesechalenge studentstothinkcr t cal ywhi eengaging withdfferent perspectives Through intel ectual openness,Pepperdine preparesstudentsforaconstruct ve dialoguebeyondcampus,equippingthem to eadwithempathyandunderstanding
fosterasenseof belongingandputthe puzzlepecestogether invaluing personal reat onshipsover divsve abels
Overall,PepperdineUniverstyservesas a uniqueenvironment wherestudentscan br dgedivdesthrough mutualrespect, sharedexper ences,anda commtment to
awidespectrumof different poitica views,however,desptethese dsagreements,thetoneoncampustends toremainunprobematic?Cal ihan?s observationsref ect Pepperdne?sunique abil tytomaintainarespectful and incusivecampusculture,showinghow mutual respect andunderstandingcan bridgedivides,evenwithinanation experiencinghghpolar zation
JakeTokatlian,ajunorSeaverCollege student,notes?Wemust recognizethat most of usstrivefor thebetterment of our
Pepperdne?scubsprovdebelonging whi ecreatingopportunitiesfor students tohavemeaningfu col aborat onsacross dverseorganzations Thesegroupsare exceptional nactingasimportant roes forfoster ngleadershpand communcat onskl sthat arenecessary forbr dgingdivides Thisexceptiona preparat onisgoodfor ensur ngthat Pepperdnegraduatesarenot onyready toenter adividedwor dbut areaso equppedtocontributemeaningfullyto understanding
Sharedservceopportuntiesarean excel ent wayforstudentstountebeyond pol t cal orideologica differences. ProgramssuchasWavesof Serviceal ow studentstounteonmeaningful proects andfosterasenseof purposeandunity Sm ar y,academicdiscussonsledby Pepperdne?sfacutydoagreat obof creatingaspaceforrespectfu explorationof dverseperspectives
?Through intellectual openness, Pepperdinepreparesstudentsfor a constructivedialoguebeyond campus, equipping them to lead with empathy and understanding."
Havngstudentsinteract throughcub sports,intramurals,andotherrecreational activitiesallowsstudentstobondovera commonlovefor their givenact vities, whchbui dsasenseof togethernessthat goesbeyonddifferencesinbel efsor backgrounds Theseuniquemomentsof unty,createdthroughgenuneenjoyment,
opendialogue Whilethepo tica cuture exstsandwil remain,the commongoals of growthand comngtogether persst By cont nuingtopriorit ze meanngful conversationsthrough col aboration, Pepperdnestudentscanbuld astrong andunitedcommunityamidst an increasngydivded nation
StevenHarris Re-Positions
Christiansin theApproach toJustice
By:Abigai Choe
OnFebruary1st,Ver tasForumat PepperdneUnversity nvitedSteven Harr s,SeniorDrectorof Academc Programsat GeorgetownUniversity?s Center onFaithandJustice,tospeak uponsecuarandBbl cal perspectiveson soca just ce
Harr sbeganhs ecturebyprompt nghis audencetocontemplatethewayinwhich weviewtheterms?secular?and?Biblica ?
?What I want todofirst isinterrogatethe bnaryitself,?Harrisexplained ?The descriptor ?secuar?refersnot mereyto
thedisavowal of notionsof theDvine,but referstoaparticuar kindof methodology that perhapsonemight critiqueandsayit acksakndof coherence Conversey,the ?Biblical?descriptor sintendedtodenote theredemptivemetanarrativethat defines theChristiantradit onandisderivedfrom theBibica text tself ?
Continunghsdiscussiononthe?Bbl cal? descr ptor,Harr smappedout the Chr st annarrat veandthetruthof the humancondit onthat hebeievedwere centra tosocety?scurrent understanding of Biblica just ce:?Chr st ansaignwitha Chr st anunderstandingof thehuman condt on,whch sthat individualsare created ntheimageof Godandthat they sharecertaincommuncabeattributes withGod Theyhavebeengivena particuarroetoplayinthehistorical stage?
Yet alongwthther purpose,adisrupt on camebetweenChr st ansandther Creator? sn. Harrisweaved nthis component totheChrist annarrat veof
just ce:?There sanecessaryremedyto that sinissuethat issuesapart cular understandingof asalvificevent or ented aroundthepersonandworkof Jesus Christ Then,there?saparticuar future hor zon,aparticuarunderstandingof the wayinwhichthewor dwi l reconci e itsef ?
Thoughthisnarrativeandthelanguage that surroundsit istypicalyusedinterms of Bbl cal justice,Harr sraiseda suspicionagainst it ?Whi ethose descriptorsaremeant toreferencethe thingsIjust stated,oftent mes,theyare performingaparticuar political-deologica work,?hesad
Harr scont nuedthethought byexplaining howtheterm?secular? softenthe shorthandexpressionof progressive understandingsof ustice,whi e?Bbl cal? suggestsconservativeconcept onsof just ce ForHarris,theclean-cut conclusonsarenot enoughtoaddress thecompexitiesof today?ssocetal lls.
?Myargument wouldbethat that kndof pol t cal-deoogcal workactual ymasks anddsruptstheveryneedful but certanly complexprocessesof discernment that oneought toemploywhentheyaretrying toarriveat oranswer thequest on,?What is ust???
Forasolutionagainst this imtation, Harrisproposedthefol owng:?Isuggest that wemight vewsecuar theor esof just ceasanalytica toolsandnot comprehensivewor dviews?
?Thereareanumberof ref ectionsthat we couldlookat,?hecontinued ?Oneof the most commonthingsweknowabout the eraof thecivi rightsmovement sthe actual realityof thetransat ant csave tradeanditspart cular sanctioningby Chr stiancommunities Thisparticuar kindof hypocr sy,for me,speakstoa weaknessintheAmer canChristian exper ment Perhapssecularanaytic toolsandtheoriesmight helpusfurther interrogateandunderstand.?
To llustrateanexample,Harr sment oned hisworkat theInternat onal Reigious Freedom(IRF) Roundtable,aprogramthat allowsmult plefathtradt onstocome togetherandaddressinternationa injust cesandhumanr ghtsconcerns In part cular,hebrought upMulti-Faith Letters,acrculat onof ettersthat memberswouldcol aborateonpennng anddraft ng ?Theheadngonthetopof eachof those etters,regardlessof what the ssuewas,oftenreadthesame It woudexp ctlysaythat these organizat onssharenotheologica commonality,andyet,theyhave col aboratedtosuggest andsaythat ther fathtradit onsal motivatethemto addressaparticuar ssue naparticuar way?
?Wefoundthat thskndof collaborative effort wasnot onlyhelpful nacquiring attent ontotheissue,but it alsoopened upspacefor dalogue,?Harrisconcluded
Harrisengagedinanothersmi ar pursut of dialoguethroughhspastoral mnistry whenhewasinvolved n
congregation-basedcommunty organzng Harrisexplained,?It?saway fordfferent faithcommunt estocome togetherandaddress ssuesof common communa concern?Whenhewas involved nministryinKentucky,anumber of congregat onscametogether to branstormwaystoaddressissues,such astheaffordablehousngcr ssandr sng recidvismrates
?What wefound,again,isthat communal effort acrossdfferencesprovideda spaceandopportunitytonot onlyaddress theissueof concernbut openupdialogue about thosesimlar tiesanddifferences?
Harr switnessedhowreligious differencesdidnot produceobstacles against conversation,asonewoud expect ?It wasdeeplyunderstoodthat participationinthscollect veeffort dd not inanywaysuggest that one?sown faithtraditionwasbengcompromsedor being essened?
?It wasnot despitethedfference,but in light of that dfference. Thepowerof collaborationprovedusefu inthose efforts?Harr sf nshedwththefollowing contempat on:?I?l eaveuswiththis thought Secularityandhowweempoy that termisoftenmisappied It?snot mereythedisavowordisenchantment withregardtotheDivine?
Harrisencouraged hisaudience to approachtheterm?secuar?andthe term ?Bibica?withcaut on ?Whenwe employ theterm?Bibica,?Ithink weneedtobe senstivetothe fact that oftentimesour employmentof thecategoryisn? t perhaps quitehonest about thevarietyof sources andnormsthat are nforminghowwe understandBbl cal faith?
Acknowedgngpossibleshortcomings, Harrisconcludedwthanencouragement toapproachjusticewiththenuanceit deserves
?Knowledgeiscomp cated,and we?real situatedin particularcontexts,?Harr s sad.?Beinghonest about thebreadthof thosesources,beng honest about the complexityof thosenorms,opens up spaceforconversationandcol aborat on If I?mgongtobea goodfathinterlocutor, it s incumbentuponmetoat east take a cr tica analysisof the kndsof nfluences that haveshapedmyownthnking?
StevenHarrisisa faith-basedpublicpolicy expertandscholarof Americanreligious historyandAfricanAmericanstudies He receivedhisMasterof Divinityfromthe SouthernBaptistTheologicalSeminarya Masterof ArtsinReligionfromYaleDivinity School,andaMasterof ArtsinReligion fromHarvardUniversity. Currently,Harrisis aPhDcandidate atHarvard,andhe continuestoencouragediscourseon religionandjusticebothnationallyand internationally.
?IfI'mgoingtobeagoodfaith interlocutor,itisincumbentuponme toatleasttakeacriticalanalysisof thekindsof influencesthathave shapedmyownthinking.?
Photo Cred Pepperd neVer as Club
Pepperdine UniversityEmbraces Healthcarefor ChristianMission, OpeningCollegeof HealthScience
By:NoahShfter
OnMarch11,2024,Pepperdne
Provost JayBrewster announcedthat theBoardof Regentsapprovedpans for aCol egeof HealthScience The Colegeisscheduledtooffercasses at bothaSchool of Nursnganda Schoo of Speech-LanguagePathology begnninginAugust of 2025
TheSchool of Nursngplanstooffer a Bachelor of ScienceinNursing(BSN) andanEntry-Level Master?s(ELM) nursingdegree? bothfu yin-person
BSNstudentsonthefour-year pathwaywouldspendtwoyears fufi ling iberal artsandscienceGE classesinMalibubeforetakng nursing-specificcoursesat Pepperdine?sCalabasascampus Transfersintotheundergraduate nursingprogramwouldlikelyspend twoyearsat theCalabasascampus
Duringitsthreeyears,theELM ntends topreparestudentswthout prior
nursingeducationtopassthe NCLEX-RNexam,whichisrequiredto becomelicensedasaregistered nurse
Also,theSchool of Speech-Language Pathologycurrent ypanstooffera Masterof ScienceinSpeech-Language Pathologydegree. Pepperdne envsionsthefive-tr mester program asprimarilyonine,withsome n-persontimefor professiona and clinical ski lsdevelopment
Thoughtheuniversityisstill determninghowmanyfacultythe Collegeof HeathSciencewll requre, thefour-yearBSNpathwayhopesto enrol 56studentseachfall andthe two-yearpathwaypanstoenroll 32 annual y? 16eachfall and16each spr ng TheELMprogramasohopes tobringin16studentseveryfal and spr ng Of course,thesenumbersmay changeastheUniversityseeks accredtationfromtheaccredt ng bodyresponsiblefortheWestern UnitedStates,theWSCUC
Brewster announcedtheappointment of Dr LeahFulmantothepositionof naugura deanof the Speech-LanguagePathologySchool. Fullmanhasexperiencenot onyinthe medica f eldbut alsospecif cal y n gettingnewhealthsciencecolleges off theground? comingdrectlyfrom herprevouspositionasFounding Deanof FaulknerUniversity?sColege of HealthSciences Thenext stepsfor
theCollegeof HeathScience nclude WSCUCaccredtation,fill ngfurther adminstrat onposit ons,and addressingfacultyandfaclities considerations
Inresponsetoconcernsregardng nationwidetrendsof declinngcolege attendanceandr singstudent debt, Brewster assertedthat graduatesof thecollegewouldfindthemsevesin demandfor agrownghealthcare employment market,andwithaclear pathtoproduct vecareers Arecent projectionfromtheNational Centerfor HeathWorkforceputsnumbers behndthisassertion,est matingthat by2031theUnitedStateswoudbe short almost 200,000nurses Asfor whytheunversity spursuinga Colegeof HealthScence,Deanof AcademicInitiativesMichael Feltner emphasizedthealignment between thehealthcarefieldandPepperdine?s mission
?If theCollegeof HeathSciences reaches tspotential enrollments, whichI?mconfident wewill,we? be graduatingabout 550students,? Fetnersaidinaninterviewwiththe Beacon. ?If those550studentssee sl ght ylessthaneight patientsaday, everyyear theywill touchamillion patients? intermsof our impact in theworld,asauniversty,andas peopeof fath,what betterwayis theretodemonstrateloveforour neighborsthantogoandcarefor peopeintimesof great need??
?IftheCollegeofHealthScience reachesitspotentialenrollments, whichI'mconfidentwewill,we'llbe graduatingabout550students.If those550studentsseeslightlyless thaneightpatientsaday,everyyear theywilltouchamillionpatients.In termsofourimpactintheworld,as auniversity,andaspeopleoffaith, whatbetterwayisthereto demonstrateloveforourneighbors thantogoandcareforpeoplein timesofgreatneed??
DeanMichaelFeltner
ThePower of Weakness
By:Kal Auxier
?Buthesaidtome,?Mygraceissufficient foryou,formypowerismadeperfectin weakness?ThereforeIwillboastallthe moregladlyaboutmyweaknesses,sothat Christ?spowermayrestonme Thatiswhy, forChrist?ssake,Idelightinweaknesses,in insults,inhardships,inpersecutions,in difficulties ForwhenIamweak,thenIam strong??2Corinthians12:9-10NIV
I don? t want tobeweak Youdon? t want to beweak Noonewantstobeweak In fact,wedoal sortsof thingstoavod weakness:weexercise,westudy,we pract ce,werehearse Weavoidweakness andseekonytobestrong This swhy thspassagefrom2Cor nthiansisso str kng:
?But hesaidtome,?Mygrace ssuff cent for you,for mypowerismadeperfect n weakness.?ThereforeIwil boast all the moregladyabout myweaknesses,sothat Christ?spowermayrest onme That is
why,forChrist?ssake,Idelight n weaknesses, n nsuts, nhardships, n persecut ons, ndifficult es ForwhenIam weak,thenIamstrong?? 2Cor nthians 12:9-10NIV
Whenwel ft weghts,thegoal sto becomestronger But consider what that processlooksl ke? wehavetotear our musclesapart sotheycanbuild themselvesbacktogether,thusexposing oursevestoweakness Whenyouwak ntothegym,youwant to eavethe weakest manbecause,throughthat weakness,youwll becomestronger In ordertobecomestrong,youmust f rst accept weakness It isnodifferent nour fath
Wemust alowourselvestobecomeweak Wemust lower ourguardandembrace weaknesssothat Christ might riseup As Chr st ans,weshould?delight n weaknesses?(2Corinthians12:10NIV) Thismeansbecomngservantsand valuingothersaboveourselves It means puttingtheinterestsof othersaboveour owninterests(Phlippans2:3-4) Inany situation,organizat on,commitment, relat onship,orcommunty,Christians shoudput themseveslast.
Maybethat meansdongtheoddjobs nobodywants,eatinglunchwithsomeone who?ssittingaone,orseeking responsibil tyinsteadof def ecting t Whatever t may ooklike,weshouldlower ourselves,accept weakness,andput othersaboveourseves Whenwedoths, whenour imageis owered,Christ?s s rasedup,andpeopleganabetter understandingof Christ?slovethroughour servitude Throughour weakness,the ove of Chr st isstrengthened
Wearecal edtobeweak,cal edtoserve Ourservicegvesusstrengthbecause Christ sseenthroughus For Christ ans, ourservitudeisapowerandatool This iswhat JohntheBaptist meant whenhe said(referr ngtoJesus) ?Hemust becomegreater;Imust becomeless? (John3:30NIV) Hewasaccept ngalower post onandstatussothat Jesuscould gainahgherone Hewasbecoming weak,andthroughthat,hebecameeven strongerbecauseJesuswasgorified ServceallowsustodecreaseandChr st to ncrease
Goandserve;becomeweak Howcanyou be ast today?
Pepperdine NeedstoRidethe MetroWave
By:EvanLeshinske
Whi etryngtof gureout howtoget to LAXfor af ight ast spring,Iendedup findingaconvenient solut onright under mynose:Pepperdineissurpr snglywel connectedtoLA?spub ctransportation system
Whi ePepperdinestudentsmaynot think of publ ctransportationasanoption n Mal bu,MetroBusRoute134,whichruns alongPCH,servicesPepperdinedirect y wthnot ust one,but sixbusstops? three eastboundandthreewestbound? all locateddirectlyonoradacent to Pepperdne?sMal bucampus After this initial discovery,Idecidedtolookmore intoLAMetro?sservices,part cular y ts U-PassUniverstypartner program. What Ifoundshockedme? not onlydo otherLACountyuniversit espartner with theLAMetrosystemtosubsdizeand incent vizestudent r dershipthroughthe U-Passprogram,but PepperdineUnversity istheonlymaor UniversityinLosAngeles Countythat doesnot subsdzepublic transit for tsstudents
Thelist of schoosparticipat nginMetro?s U-Pass ncludesnear yeveryUniversity n LAcounty:USC,UCLA,LMU,Occidenta, CaTech,Cal StateNorthr dge,Ca State LA,anddozensof other collegesand communtycollegesinthecounty The onlyother majorexceptionsareCal State LongBeachandtheClaremont Col eges, whichinsteadsubsdizestudent ridership wth oca transt agenciesratherthanthe greaterLAMetrosystem EvenASU(yes, ArizonaStateUniversity),offersa subsdizedpassfor itsstudentsonthe LosAngeestransit system
Near yeveryothermajor Unversity nthe countyseesvalue npartneringwithLA Metrotoprovideaffordablepublictransit forstudents WhyisPepperdinethesole exception?
Becauseof Metro?sconvenienceand proximtytoPepperdine?sMaibucampus, onewouldexpect Pepperdinetoproperly informstudentsof Metro?sexstence adjacent tocampus,aswel asencourage studentstousetheaffordabeandreliabe
servce. However,thsisfarfromthecase. Onthe?Externa Transportation?pageon Pepperdine?swebste,LAMetro slisted lastamongexterna transportat on opt ons,belowexpensivepr vatel moand carservices Makngmattersworse, Pepperdine?swebste istsanincorrect linktoLAMetro,takngstudentstoan errorpage Evdently,Pepperdinedoesnot seeMetroassomethngstudentsneedto beinformedabout Inmyexperience, t seemsmost studentsarenot evenaware that Route134exstsandspecfical y detoursalongPCHtoservePepperdne?s studentsandstaff
Theroute,andapartnershpwithLA Metro,canbenefit Pepperdnestudents foravarietyof reasons TakingLAMetro isbyfar themost affordablemeansof transportationfromPepperdne,asMetro charges ust $1 75/fare(incuding transfers),meaningthat Pepperdine studentscouldr detoMalibuCountry Mart,DowntownSantaMonica,USC,or evenLAXfor essthan$2 Withthe difficutyof parkingonPepperdine?s campus,students iving nMalibu apartment compexesaongRoute134 couldeasi yuseLAMetrotoavoidhaving todeal withcommuter parkngat Pepperdine
Despitethebenef tsandconvenience offeredbyLAMetro,manymayargue against Pepperdinesubsdizngstudent r dership Acommonargument sthat Malibuissimplytooisolatedtomakethis investment worthwhile. WhleMal buis
certanly solated, tsproxmitytoa Metro ral stat onis onysightlygreaterthan that of other moresuburbancolleges part cpating ntheU-Pass program,such asLMUandOccdental
TheU-Pass programextendsto graduate aswel as undergraduatestudents, meanngthat studentsin Pepperdine?s graduateprograms,part cular ythe West LAcampus,wouldenjoycloser proxmity tolightrail thanstudentsat manyof the schoolscurrent yin theU-Pass program LAMetro?s upcomingPurpleLne Extension,projectedto openin 2026,wi l belocated evencloser toPepperdine, makingMetroral al themore pract cal forPepperdinestudents
Fortoo ong,Pepperdnehas seemingly ignoredthe expandngpubl c transportat onnetwork formingin itsvery backyard,causngstudentstomss outon acritica resourcethat near y everyother LACountyunversityhas already embraced Ascampus parkngbecomes increasngydifficut andLAtraff c remainscongested,provdngstudents wtha subsidizedtransit passwould enablethemtosafey andconveniently navigatethebeautifu cityof LosAngees
AsLAMetrocont nues toinvest nand expand tsservces, now s thet mefor Pepperdnetoproveitsstatus asan innovativeandadaptiveuniversityand pr oritizepubl c transitfor afutureof reiableandaffordabletransportat onfor thePepperdinecommunity
Opinion: WhatMakesa University "Christian"?
Alookatthehistoricdevelopmentof academicfreedomnationallyandhowto defineitataChristianUniversity
By:Dr RonHighfield
Editor?sNote:Thisarticleiswrittenasa partof athree-partseriesaboutacademic freedomoncollegecampuses
It softenhardtodeterminewhat aschoo meanswhenit designates tsef a ?Christian?university Suchschoosrarely definewhat theymeanandsometimesgive the mpressionof studedambiguty Consequen y,differen facuty,students, donors,andalumn harbor verydfferent concept onsof Christiantyandthe school?srelationshpto t Myfirst question toanywould-beChristianuniversty,then, isthis:whenyousayyouareChr st an, what doyoumean?More mportant y,what shoudyoumean?
The?Chr st an?Col ege
For aunversitytodesgnate tself as ?Christian?shoudmeanat minimumtha it confessesthesamefaththat beievers n Jerusalem,Antioch,Cor nth,andRome, under theguidanceof theapost es, confessed:Jesus sMessiah,Lord,and Savior,crucifiedandrasedfromthedead (See1Cor 15:3-8;Rom10:9) AChristian col egemust iveout tsinst tut ona l fe under theguidanceof thisfaith Iwi l not acknowedgeasgenuineyChr st anany universitythat w l not makethis confessionbeforetheworldandconduct itsaffairsonthsbasis Thereare,of course,dfferencesbetweentheways Chr st ancolegesand ndividual Christ ans l veout their faith Universitiesdonot have heartswithwhichtobel eveormouthswith whichtoconfessthat JesusisLord As corporateent ties,universtiesexst inand act onthebassof ther charters,pol ces, mssonstatements,codeso conduct,and desiredoutcomes InChristianuniversities, theseins tut ona identifiersmust aff rm theChristianfa hclearlyat everylevel,
fromchartertodesiredoutcomes
Moreover,thesecommitmentsmeanl ttle unesstheyaretakenseriousyinhiring, retention,curr culum,teaching andstuden ife Christiancollegesmust rememberthat therexistencemakessenseonlyasa protes andanalternativetothedomnant cultureof academia
What Makes aChristian Institut on a Univers ty?
Indesgna ng tself auniversty,it would seemthat aChr st an nstitutionclaimsto conformtothegenera deaof aunvers y Implict inthisclaim stheassertionthat a schoo canbegenunelyChristianand authent cal yaunversityat thesametime
TheIdeaof aUnivers ty?
Christianuniversitiesmust dotheessent a workthat universtiesexst todoorthey shouldceasecal ingthemselves unverst es But herewefaceadifficulty that isalmost unversal yoverlookedin discussionsabout thenatureof Christian unverst es There snoauthor ative blueprint definingthenatureandworkof a unversty Insteadof suchanauthority,we haveahstoryof associationsthat cal ed themselves?universties?Aseducat ona endeavors,universtiesorganize themselvesassocet esof teachersand studentswhosepurposefor coming together sadvanced earnng,which nvolvesseekingtounderstandthebest ntel ectual achievementsasoce yhasto offer Thiscoremeaninghasremained constant throughout all thechangeswthn thehstoryof hgher education Hencea Christianuniversity, f it wishesto dent y tself withthishistory,mus at mnmum constituteitsef asanassocat ono teachersandstuden swhosepurpose s higheror advanced earning
Advanced Learn ng as aContested Idea
What,then,countsasadvanced earnng?
Aganwefaceadifficutynot often acknowledged Thereisnounchangngand author tativeblueprint that determines what shoudbetaugh ininstitut onsof advancedlearning Everysocetyteaches tsyoungwhat t judgestobethebest wisdom,secures knowledge,andmost useful ski ls t possesses. But judgment about what istrueanduseful differsfrom socetytosocetyandfromagetoage What countedasadvanced earning n Ancent Greecediffersfromthat in fifth-centuryRome,thrteenth-century Paris,nineteenth-centuryBerl n,or twenty-first-centuryLosAngees Diversty of educational traditionscharacterizes
eventhesameeraandsocety Histor cal y, thepluraisminAmer canhigher education hasmirroredregional,phlosophical, pol t cal,anddenomnational differences. Educational tradtionscompetewtheach otherfor dominance For sometimenow thedominant tradtion nAmerican academiahasbeenwhat wecancal ?secuarprogressvism?It presentsitsef tothepubl casthestandardthat defines themeaningof advancedlearning. It consderstradit ona Cathoic, denominational,evangelical,andother conservat vecol egestobeunenightened, culturalybackward,andmoraly oppressve
Despiteitsarrogant claims,thesecular progressvetraditionof academa possessesnoright toset standardsfor advanced earnng Reasonisnot its excusivepossession Itsever-changing visionof what swise,good,true,and usefu canbecontested. HenceChr stian universitiesneednot andshouldnot accept tsdefinitionof what makesa universityacademcal ysoundasapattern toemula e Infact,confessingChristians con est secular progressiveacademia?s visionof what swise,good,true,and usefu WeunderstandGod,creat on, humannature,thehumancondition,human destiny,andmorality,andathousandother thngsverydfferently Wedonot sharethe samevisionof humangoodorof what const tutesagoodhumanbeing Tolove Godaboveal things sthemost profound of humanobligat ons Incontrast, doatry, that s,worshpnganythingother than God sthemos profoundabandonment of dutyandthewel springof manifodevl (Rom1:18-32)
TheChristian Vision of Advanced Learn ng
ForconfessingChr st ans,theeventsof thecrossandresurrect onof Jesusarethe most signf cant eventsinhumanhstory Becausewebel eve hat GodraisedJesus fromthedead,wealsobel evethat Jesus Chr st revealsthetruenature, dent ty,and destinyof humanity(Rom8:29;1John 3:2) ConfessngChristiansdonot beieve that aneducationthat omitsorrejects thesetruthsandthsvisionof humanlife canprovideafoundat onfor agoodlife Muchof what Amer canacademia consderswse,good,true,beaut ul,and usefu weconsider fooish,bad,fase,ugy, anduseless Andthis sour rat onaefor creatingandmaintanngChr st an universities Christianuniverstiesthat no longerpresent anunambguousand con dent Christ analternativetothe secularprogressvetraditionhaveforfeited theirbrthr ght
For confessingChristians,theeventsof thecrossandresurrectionof Jesusare themost significant eventsinhuman history. Becausewebelievethat God raisedJesusfromthedead,wealso believethat JesusChrist revealsthetrue nature,identity,anddestinyof humanity (Rom8:29;1John3:2). Confessing Christiansdonot believethat an educationthat omitsor rejectsthese truthsandthisvisionof humanlifecan provideafoundationfor agoodlife.
Dr Ron Highfield OversightBoardMember PepperdineBeacon
Photo Credit: Jacob Paj mola
Traditional LatinoValues AlignBest WithAmerican Conservatism
Latinoculturerestsonabedrockof tradition,faith,andfamily? allcoreto Americanconservatism.
By:KaileyEcheverria
Amdst thevibrant tapestryof the Hspanc/Latinocommuntyandcuture es apowerful undercurrent hat is overlooked? that is,thesteadfast,often default commitment totradtional values Wthnthisr chcultura fabric,wediscover atimeessnarrativeonhowLatinoculture isnot onlyconservativebut restsona bedrockof tradtion,fath,andfamly? al coretoAmericanconservatism
Isthiscommitment totradit ontruya surpr setooutsiders?Not necessarily For ins ance,theconcept of ?family?nsomeof our highschoo Spanshcourses,Hispanc stereotypes nmedia,andf rsthand testimonesby ndividuaswiththis backgrounddispayhowHspancsare knownfor theiremphasisonfami ial vaues
Theremaybenuancesonthe ndivdua level or newgenerationsof Lat nos(inthe US),however,Ibel evethat most of the Hspancpopulationwouldpr orit zefami y or at theveryleast,rankfamlyhghin pr oritygivenmyownexperienceandPew
ResearchCenter?sstudeson Hispanic/Lat no ndividuals( ntheUS)
Conservatism nAmerican-Lat no househodsthrivesandisar ch-defaut deoogica posturewhetheror not newer generat onsrecognizeit Iwi achevethis byanayzngthepolit cal-social educat on that AmericanLatinosmight recevewhich nturn deterthemfromidentifyingtheir rootsof conservat sm
Iwoudliketostart withabr ef storymy mothertodmeabout her pol tica stance anddeveopmen asaf rst-generat on Amer can Topreface mymotherwasone of sixchildrenof twohard-workngparents nalower-incomecommunity
Heraccess opubl ceducationwasnot difficut,athoughnot of thehighest quaity giventhecommunityshegrewup n Init aly shewastodinelementaryschoo byher teachersandother Latinofamily members hat theyshouldroot for Clinton because?hewouldhepout theLatinos?
Later nlife,sherecaledan nstancewhere herEngishteacher nhghschool toldher, andher mostlyLat noandBack classmates,that whentheyareof age,they ?ought tovoteDemocrat?becausetheyare ?forthepeople,l keyou?Duetonavety
sheandher cassmatesregisteredas Democrats noquest onsasked Maybea l t ebt of ndependent researchcoud haveskewedtherdecisonif theywereto findout that ther vauesdidnot al gnwth theblatant orsubl mnal valuesthat the Democraticpartyencompasses
Studentswhoareinf uencedbyteachers, cassmates,social meda nf uencers,or ceebritiesarenot theonyonestobame for ther herd-l kemental tyandbehavor Thelackof research,education,strategic Repubicanoutreach,andamainstream negativeconnotationof conservat ve thnkersunquest onablyin uenceyoung peoplewhodono doenoughresearch Perhapsevenaftersuperficial research, someLatinoswi l continuevoting Democrat,but Iarguethat if deeper researchisdone,theywi findthat the embeddedconservat vevaues ntheir rich culturearebetter al gnedwith conservat ve-Republ canvot ng.
ManyLat noswho mmgratefeel homesickandoftenarr vewithout any moneyintheUS ForaLatinowho sof lowerincomeandnewtoAmericanculture, it srefreshngtohear that there sa specficpol tica partythat loves immgran sandwi l monetar lysustain
?Thereisnodenyingthatracismisarealthing. PeopleIknowhaveexperiencedblatantracism,an undeniableexpressionof hatredduetothecolor oftheirskin... However,itisuptous,theones whoheartheirstories,tonotcarrythe intergenerational'trauma.'?
undeniabeexpressionof hatredduetothe coorof their skn
Forexample,mygrandparentswere victimsof hurtful surswhenthey rst immigratedinthe70s,andthepeoplewho usedtheseslurshappenedtobeWhte Amer cans,thedemographcthat makes upmuchof theRepubl canparty
Icanimagnethat aportionof Lat nos havealsogonethroughsmlar experiences,shar ngther stories,and puttingtheir guardupaganst the demographcof thosewhoactedthsway towardsthem Astereotypeisnowformed towardsapopulationandpossbyhed against indvidualswhodonot deserveit
theminther timeo need. Tohaveheard therewasapartythat was?forthepeope? mght haveempoweredsomeonel kemy mother,adaughter of mmgrants In essence,thehumantariancharacter zat on of theDemocraticPartywhichthemeda frequent y lustratescreatesanemotional br dgebetweenfamlyandpoit cstha maybeafront-l nngfactor inunnformed andRepubican-dismissveLatinovot ng
NowI?dliketobr ef yexplorewhat may causethedismssvenessof Lat nos towardsRepubicans:Thereisnodenying that racismisarea thing PeopeIknow haveexperiencedbatant racism,an
Ihear theses oriesandIdofee sorryfor mygrandparentsandwhat heyhadto endure However,it suptous,theones whohearther s ories, onot carrythe intergenera ona ?trauma?WhyshouldI,an indvidual whohasnot enduredwhat my grandparentshavepersonalyexperienced fee l keIamalsoanact vevictimof oppressionandhatred?If anything I am constrainingmyself withvct mzation.
Inpractice,it wouldbeincredbyunfair and rrational for meto ul ybeievethat a personwhogivesmea?badlook?and happenstobeWhte sautomatically racs If Ithnkthisway,thepoar zation andstereo ypingarenowhappeningwithin mysef towardsthe ndividual whogaveme
said?badlook?Thedismissivenessof LatinovoterstowardstheRepubicanParty runsfar deeper ntoour famlytreesthan wemaybel eve Asthnkers, f weextr cate ourselvesfromal emotionsandbiases,we canseetheissuesfor what theyareand addressthemaccordingywthout equpping rrat ona opinions
W hmoreeducat on,Latinovotersmay cometounderstandthat their deep-rooted vauesof traditional genderroles nthe household,respectingeders,communing intheir faith,gettingmarried,havng
(56%),wereprior t es Asgnificant 69%of Lat nossaid that theirchldrenshouds ay athome unti theyget marriedand84%of Lat nossaid that reat vesaremore important thanfriends Fnal y,statist cs onamorecontroversa topc suchas abort onfurthershow embeddedLatino conservat smwith 56%of Latinos surveyingthatabortionshoud bei legal n all cases
Duetomyfirst-hand experienceandthe stat st csprovided,I confidentlysaythat wthmoreunbiased fact-basededucation
?Thiscanpavethewayforfuturegenerationsof Latinostoembracetherich,vibrantculturalvalues thatwereoncethepinnacleofLatinoculture.?
chi dren,andformingtheir ownfaml es arefoundmore nAmericanconservatism thaninAmericanliberaism
Mycamsof Lat novaluesarenot ony personal but alsostatisticallysupportedby multiplePewResearchstudes Intheir 2009Nat ona Survey,Pewresearchers foundthat Lat nosages16andolder reportedthat havingchi dren(70%),getting marr ed(56%),and ivngareligious ife
accessbetoLat nos, aself-evauationof howweperceiveourselveswithinsociety whi etryingour best not to et biases get in thewayof rationality,agrea skewtowards identifyngasconservativeandRepubl can couldoccur ntheLat no community Ths canpavethewayfor futuregenerationsof Lat nostoembracetherich,vibrant cuturalvalues thatoncewerethepnnace of Latinoculture.
AReflectiononthe
WorshipSummit: WhytheCollege YearsareaCrucial Timein One's FaithJourney
By:RileyBenedct
OnSeptember14,Pepperdineheldits annual WorshipSummt event onAlumni Park TheUnversitystatedthat over5,000 peopleattendedand1,200students registered,astrong ncreaseinattendance frompreviousyears
SadeRobertson-Huff,pubicspeaker and podcast host,gavethemessagewith performancesfromUnitedVoceWorship, WavesWorshp,andChrisToml n.
SadeRobertson-Huff sanauthor,speaker, andthefounderof LveOr gnal Her msson stouseher nfluenceasareal ty teevsionpersonal yandcontent creator toreachher generationwiththemessage of Christ SheusesLveOr ginal ministries asacommuntyfor youngwomento exper encethegospe of Jesus,andis he host of thepopular podcast,WHOA,That?s
Good.Huff sasotheauthorof several NewYorkTimesbest-sel ingbooks
ChrisToml nisaGrammyawardwnner whohassoldover 12mll onalbumswth morethan7bi ioncareerglobal streams HehaswonthreeBllboardMusicAwards, 31GMADoveAwards,isatwo-t meBMI Songwr terof theYear honoree,andan ASCAPSongwriter of theYear In2016, Chrisbecameoneof onyfourart ststo ever receivetheSoundExchangeDgital RadioAwardfor over 1bi liondgital radio streams
Sadie?s Interview
Asapublicspeakerandpodcasthostinthe Christiancategory,howdoyouthinkyou?re changingthenarrativeofwomeninfaithand entertainment?
Youknow,Inever set out todothat orbea trai blazer,but I?vebeenstudyingthe Samar tanwomanat thewell andshenever set out todotha ether After her encounterwithJesusshewent backtoher hometownandpavedthewayfor womento oveJesusandtoknowhimandI thnk that?smystory Ifel inlovewthJesusand that?sal youcantakabout,it seeps nto everypart of your l feandsomehowGod?s edmetopubicspeakngandpodcasting I thinkeven f Ididn? t dothat,Iwouldhope that myreat onshipwithJesuswould?ve changedeverythingabout meandthe thingsaroundme That storyrelatestome a ot because t wasn? t topof mindfor her, but it wassomethngthat natural y
happenedafterareat onshpwithJesus wasformed
What is it about thecollegedemographic that calls you to comespeak?
Colegestudentsareinsuchaunquetime inther l vesand t?ssuchafunageto speaktobecause t?sat mewhereyou?re real ysett ngupyour future Everyone?s thnkingwhat amIgonnado?WhereamI gonnago?Youmaymeet yourspouse, maybeyou?rethinkingabout startinga fami y,youknow t?ssuchapivota timeof thnkingabout your futureandprepar ng for t Everythingyou?redoingisfor the intentional yof whereyou?regoing obe later,evenif you?renot thinkingthat, t s Forthistimeof your l fefor youtoreallybe onfirefor theLordandstart your reat onship scrucial becausethat can helpchangeeverything,youknowthat?s what?sreallygonnachangeeverything You?renot ust gongtoschool tobea teacheror doctor,you?reonamissionfor Chr st,whateveryoudo sfor thegoryof Godandthat?sgoingtoshapewhat youdo, whoyouare,whoyoumarry,whoyour fr endsaresoit?s ust aspecial t me n your ifeandIthinksomanypeoplesay?oh thesearemyyears,we?regonnagocrazy? but ?ssocool whencolegestudentsdon? t dothat,theydon? t followthenarrativeof theworldbut rather fal n ovewithChr st andthat standsout Ithnkthat?swhat?s speca about Pepperdine,a teral ctyona hl ,younoticeit,there?ssomethng dfferent,andit?ssomethngspecial tobea part of.
Chris?s Interview
Whatdoesleadingworshipforcollege studentsmeanforyou?
That?sreallyinteresting,youknowwhat I loveisthecolegedemographicbecause what amoment n ifethis s This sthe moment nl fewhereyoudecdethepathin l feyou?retakingorhere?sthepathGod?s leadngyouonandhe?spersonallyguiding thepathfor your ife I rememberbeinga colegestudent myself and ust thinkng, ?OkayGodIwannafolowyou,wheredo youwant metogo??Asanartist tobeabe tospeaktothat andhopefulyprovde someformof encouragement or chalenge orinspirationfor studentsisamazng I spent twentyyearsof myl fedeveoping fromthegroundupthemovement Passion [aseriesof conferencesknownfor the gather ngsof youngadultsandcolege students],sothisdemographic srealy closetomyheart Youaretheworld changers,thecol egemoment sthe world-changingmoment andthetrajectory of yourl fecantakeoff here
Do you p ck acerta n setl st based on different demograph cs?
Intermsof setl st,I?mat thepoint now whereal thesestudentstodaywerezero andone-year-odswhenIwasreeasing someof thesesongs,soit?salwaysrealy coo toseewhat thestudentsremember fromwhentheyweregrowngup, n additiontotheirreactions tonewsongs Typcal y,Idoabigmix andvar etyof what I?vereeased andyouknowI?vebeen touringfor twenty-sevenyears sothere?s goingtobemusicthat?shopeful yspanned some steners?wholel fe
Pepperdinehasalsoannouncedthat ChrisTomlinhasbeenappointedasthe University?sinauguralworship ambassador. Thispartnership,whichwill extendthroughMay3,2025,showcases theUniversity'svisiontofurther integrate faith,artistry,andcommunityintothe everydaylivesof itsstudents.
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