G
DIA
PEP
ER
see more online at pepperdine-graphic.com
GRAPHI DINE C
ME
P
V o l u m e X LVII , I s s u e 1 2 January 25, 2018
Women’s March Fashion of th e
See B1
BREAK-INS:
flu watch
The ‘Bu faces the flu
Cars have been burglarized in a string of recent incidents in Malibu m ary c at e long a s s i s tant new s e d itor Authorities are warning the community to pay particular attention to their vehicles following a series of car break-ins in the Malibu area. Several students and community members reported smashed windows and stolen valuables in the past few weeks. Victoria Thorsen, a senior Sports Medicine major, reported being a victim of a car robbery in the Malibu Country Mart on Wednesday evening, Jan. 17. Thorsen said that she parked across the street from Starbucks on Cross Creek Road at approximately 8 p.m. to go eat at BurgerFi, accompanied by fellow Pepperdine student and friend, Gracyn Lewis. When the two students returned to Thorsen’s Jeep Grand Cherokee at approximately 8:50 p.m., they found the right passenger door window smashed. “They snatched me and my friend’s bags. We lost wallets, computers, my iPad and all of our school stuff,” Thorsen said.
Thorsen said the police told her these car break-ins have become common occurrences in the past weeks. “The police took awhile to get there because they said that they were dealing with six or seven other similar calls that night,” Thorsen said. “He (the police officer) showed me his laptop and showed me all the [car break-in] incidents in the area ... He said that there was about 30 to 40 incidents in the last month.” Louise Ramirez, crime analyst at the Malibu and Lost Hills
Sheriff Station in Calabasas, said that only two car breakin incidents had been formally reported in the area in the past few weeks. The discrepancy between the reports of Ramirez and Thorsen’s account of the police officer’s statements remains unclear, but may be due to incidents that were not formally reported. “I only have the reported crimes in the system. If it’s not reported, then I can’t see it and don’t know if there’s a problem,” Ramirez said.
ATTN: Protect your valuables.
shannon hansen sp e c i al e d i t i o n e d i t o r
According to Ramirez, the first reported incident was an occurrence at Malibu Cross Creek where a Pepperdine student’s backpack, tablet and school supplies were taken, presumably referring to Thorsen’s incident. After the incident, Thorsen said she and Lewis drove around nearby areas checking places where their backpacks may have been dumped. Thorsen said that during this time at approximately 11 p.m., the women saw police attending to a different car burglary near Duke’s as well as smashed glass near the Malibu Pier. Thorsen and Lewis’ backpacks were later discovered near the Malibu Vet Clinic and returned to the students. Their electronic items and wallets were not found. Director of Public Safety Dawn Emrich wrote that she was “not aware of any [car break-in] incidents occurring off campus,” but did report “an incident, reported as vandalism, that involved a car window being broken on Seaver
SE E th e ft, A3
Call DPS if you see a break-in on campus: (310) 506-4441
Pepp endowment safe from new tax bill kelly r o dr ig uez e ngag em ent editor Hovering over the heads of busy Pepperdine students is the future of its endowment. The tax bill that circulated around the House and Senate at the end of 2017 proposed taxes on those in higher education, such as Pepperdine and its students. While the House version of the bill aimed to raise taxes on student loan recipients and graduate students, those propositions were ultimately scrapped. However, the Senate version of the bill kept a tax on college endowments, which puts Pep-
th is we e k i n SGA the waves report
Marv Dunphy
perdine at risk for more taxation in years to come and could affect the way money is allocated at Pepperdine.
Former Men’s volleyball coach reflects on 34-year career
Private Colleges and Universities Before the tax bill was passed, private colleges and universities were considered “public charities rather than private foundations” and therefore not taxed on their endowments, according to page 418 of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. College endowments are funds donated to an institution as an investment to grow various programs within the institution. It tends to be measured
See B6
SEE tax, A3
1.
Mariela Toledo was voted and sworn in as new Junior Class Senator after the previously elected senator’s resignation.
fri: 1-2 ft
2.
sat: 1-2 ft
SE E fl u, A3
SGA President Austin Welch said he’s in contact with Pepp administration to bring a resolution to the Armenian Student Association’s request for the university’s official acknowledgment the Armenian Genocide.
sun: 1-2 ft
It’s not too late to run to the Student Health Center for a free flu shot as this season’s flu strain causes shortages in Tamiflu, and sends thousands to doctor’s offices and emergency rooms across America with the disease. As peak travel season comes to a close, the effects of flu exposure to the millions of Americans who trekked through airports across the country lingers, now spanning across 49 states, as well as Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. David Frankle of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA spends one day per week working at the local Malibu Urgent Care. He said this is “worst flu epidemic” he’s seen in his forty years in the medical field. “Part of the reason is that the flu vaccine that was given to us is probably ineffectual, maybe 10 percent coverage,” Frankle said. This season’s predominant flu strain, H3N2, has existed for the last 50 years and is generally considered one of the most adaptive and contagious seasonal strains, experts say. Dr. Lucy Larson, the Medical Director for the Pepperdine Student Health Center, wrote in an email that it is not too late to be vaccinated because the flu season could still go on for months. Larson said the vaccine takes up to two weeks to be fully effective and recommends unvaccinated students receive the flu shot as soon as possible. The vaccine is available for registered students free of charge at the Student Health Center. For those infected with the flu and for those trying to avoid it, Larson suggested these tips: -Wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer -Do not share food or drinks with others -Get adequate sleep -Eat nutritiously -Drink plenty of fluids -Keep a distance from ill persons (especially if they have fever, coughing, sore throat. Keeping at least 6-8 feet away is usually sufficient) -Encourage ill contacts to
3.
mon: 1-2 ft
Sophomore Class Senator Dalaney Keeler requested SGA discuss reforming the Good Samaritan Policy. There was no further context to this suggestion during an open forum at the beginning of the SGA meeting.
tues: 1-2 ft