Design by Betsy Burrow | Creative Director
Photo by Melissa Houston | Photo Editor
Aug. 27
Rock the Brock Seniors head to the home of President Jim Gash for the annual Rock the Brock celebration. The event will begin at 6 p.m.
Good News: Passions can lead you to new places
Henry Adams News Editor
One day during the COVID-19 lockdown, I decided I wanted to start watching as many classic movies as I could.
U p c o m i n g e v e n t s . . .
Aug. 28
Women’s Soccer vs. Columbia Come out to support Women’s Soccer as they take on Columbia at Tari Frahm Rokus Field at 3 p.m.
Sept.
1
Labor Day
Pepperdine students have no classes Sept. 1 to observe Labor Day.
Sept.
6
Waves of Flags 2025: Flag Raising Pepperdine will install flags on Alumni Park for its annual display. The display honors those who died on 9/11.
Since that day, I’ve carved out being a “big movie guy” as a part of my identity. I’ve watched almost 600 movies since then, discovering some of the greatest stories.
That simple decision to educate myself on movies has had ramifications far beyond developing a love for cinema. Naturally, it helped me discover my creative side, but its ripple effects were further reaching than that.
Before I had an inkling of what I wanted to study in college, my love for the movies drove me toward an oddball completist endeavor.
As one of my early forays into serious movie-watching, I did a deep dive into Christopher Nolan’s filmography. I didn’t just watch every one of the “Inception” director’s movies, though. I also noticed his Wikipedia page listed two short films from early in his career from before he achieved a shred of fame. Each had been publicly shown three decades ago – one on an obscure local PBS program, the other at a mid-sized film
festival – but never been made available since.
I wanted to change that. So, I got in contact with the local television producers who — unbeknownst to them — had aired the first-ever Christopher Nolan film.
Months later, after setting in motion a major search effort in a Chicago VHS archive, one of these shorts, “Tarantella,” was digitized, uploaded online and seen by humans outside of Nolan’s personal circle for the first time in about 30 years.
Now, hundreds of thousands of fans have seen this once-locked-away 5-minute film. Is it anything great? Not
“Pepperdine Graphic Media (PGM) is an editorially independent student news organization that focuses on Pepperdine University and the surrounding communities. PGM consists of the digital and print Graphic, a variety of special publications, GNews, Currents Magazine, social media platforms and an Advertising Department. These platforms serve the community with news, opinion, contemporary information and a public forum for discussion. PGM strengthens students for purpose, service and leadership by developing their skills in writing, editing and publication production, by providing a vehicle to integrate and implement their liberal arts education, and by developing students’ critical thinking through independent editorial judgment. PGM participates in Pepperdine’s Christian mission and affirmations, especially the pursuit of truth, excellence and freedom in a context of public service. Although PGM reports about Pepperdine University and coordinates with curricula in journalism and other disciplines, it is a student (not a University) news organization. Views expressed are diverse and, of course, do not correspond to all views of any University board, administration, faculty, staff, student or other constituency.”
really. But it sure is neat to be able to peer into the early career of one of today’s most famed filmmakers. Several news outlets have since reported on the unearthing, and a British film academic even wrote a detailed analysis of the film.
Consequentially, it became an experience I looked back upon to inform my career decision. By becoming a student journalist, I could continue chasing down stories that add something to the world bigger than myself.
henry.adams@pepperdine.edu
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Phone: (310) 506-4311
Photo by Melissa Houston | Photo Editor
Henry Adams’ glasses rest on a page in the June 2023 issue of French film magazine La Septiéme Obsession on Aug. 12. The issue, centered around director Christopher Nolan, included discussion of Nolan’s once-unavailable short film “Tarantella.”
College of Health Science opens doors
Henry Adams News Editor
The last time a new school opened at Pepperdine was in 1997. This fall, two new schools are opening their doors: the School of Nursing and School of Speech-Language Pathology (SLP).
Both belong to the new College of Health Science (CHS), which was first announced in March 2024. The School of Nursing’s two programs begin alongside undergraduates Aug. 18. SLP programs — which are mostly online — begin Sept. 2.
“It’s so exciting to be part of something bigger than ourselves,” said Angel Coaston, founding dean of the School of Nursing.
School of Nursing
The School of Nursing includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a seven-semester Entry Level Master’s in Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader (ELM-CNL), each consisting of hundreds of hours of clinical training, according to the CHS website.
The ELM-CNL is intended for students with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees looking to enter the nursing profession, according to the CHS website. Along the way, it will qualify students for the NCLEXRN exam, the Clinical Nurse Leader certification exam and a public health nurse certification. Its third year’s coursework centers on building nursing leadership skills.
Third- and fourth-year BSN courses and all ELM-CNL courses will be held at the Pepperdine Calabasas Campus, which was extensively renovated over the past year to allow for specialized laboratory space, Coaston said. The facility includes more than a dozen manikins (anatomical humanlike models) which allow students to simulate various caregiving procedures, such as
delivering a baby or treating a child patient.
Thirty-eight first-year undergraduates are part of the bachelor’s program’s inaugural cohort, Coaston said. The BSN also offers a two-year transfer pathway for students who previously completed all prerequisite courses; this semester, nine students are beginning this route.
Coaston, appointed to her position in July 2024, said she was grateful to be working with Pepperdine because of the University’s integration of faith into health education.
“I really believe that Pepperdine School of Nursing is going to change the future of nursing,” Coaston said.
The School of Nursing currently employs six professors: Ashley Steere, Shaya Baird, Sydney Parker, Louella Graham, Johnelle Opel and Michael Jermakian.
Steere, who is teaching the Health Assessment class this semester, said she was looking forward to teaching the first-ever cohort of Pepperdine nursing students.
“You get to be the first, you’re the pioneers of it,”
Steere said. “I hope it’s exciting for the students. It’s really exciting for the faculty to come alongside this journey with them in the beginning.”
I really believe that Pepperdine School of Nursing is going to change the future of nursing.
Angel Coaston Founding dean of the School of Nursing
Coaston said the School of Nursing has coordinated clinical affiliations with about 26 hospitals and community-based organizations across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Cedars-Sinai. Students in both of its programs will be required to provide direct patient care in the medical/surgical, psychiatric/mental health, obstetrics, pediatrics and gerontology specialties, according to the CHS website.
School of Speech-Language Pathology
The School of SLP includes a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program (MS SLP), with a Post Baccalaureate Speech-Language Pathology Foundations program for those who still need to take additional undergraduate courses to qualify for an SLP Master’s degree. Through this coursework, graduates will earn eligibility for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology, according to the CHS website.
The MS SLP program has a five-trimester full-time option
and an eight-trimester parttime option. Each trimester lasts 15 weeks, and the School will continue enrolling new students each term, said Leah Fullman, the School of SLP founding dean.
SLP students will have three week-long on-site experiences: one during the first week of the program, one roughly halfway through and one during the final week of the program, Fullman said. The School will coordinate 400 supervised clinical hours at hospitals, nursing homes, private practices and public schools for students through a rotation designed to give experience working with a wide age range of patients.
The fall cohort is set to have 50 students, most of which live in southern California, Fullman said. Students’ clinical experiences will be local to them, regardless of where they live.
Fullman, who previously guided development of more than half a dozen health science programs at Faulkner University, said she couldn’t wait to meet the new cohort of students.
“We hope that we can further that tradition of academic excellence and the integration of faith that Pepperdine does so well in the field of speech-language pathology,” Fullman said.
Future Plans
Provost Jay Brewster, who helped spearhead the College of Health Science, told the Graphic in early 2024 that three more major programs were already in the works. One of these, the School of Physician Assistant Studies (SPAS), appointed Amy Bronson as its founding dean in May, according to a June 6 press release.
Pepperdine is planning to welcome its first SPAS cohort in August 2027, according to a document intended for SPAS dean applicants. It will include a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree program.
Other future expansions will include programs for physical therapy, occupational therapy and additional allied health professions, according to the document.
As of now, different programs are at varying stages of their respective accreditation processes.
The California Board of Registered Nursing accredited the School of Nursing’s two programs in late May, according to a May 28 email CHS founding dean Michael Feltner sent to the Pepperdine community. The MS SLP program is a “Candidate for Accreditation” with its respective accreditor, which is a preaccreditation status it will hold for three to five more years before becoming fully accredited, Fullman said.
Photos by Melissa Houston | Photo Editor
The new College of Health Science sign is displayed inside Pepperdine’s Calabasas Campus on Aug. 11. The new School of Nursing facilities were built inside what was previously storage space in the building.
Medical supplies sit in a patient counter room inside Pepperdine’s Calabasas Campus on Aug. 11. Eight of these rooms were built for students to practice giving physical examinations to patient actors.
Class of 2029 eager to begin Pepp journey
Alicia Dofelmier Associate Editor & News Assistant Editor
This year’s incoming class of first-years consists of 1,192 students chosen out of a total number of 14,249 applications, according to Pepperdine’s admissions website.
Four members of the class of 2029, Fiona van Otterloo, Savanna Yant, Bassam Dadabhoy and Junxi Xu, spoke on why they chose Pepperdine and what they hope to gain from their college experience as they prepare to start their journey.
“I chose Pepperdine because it checked all of my boxes for what I was looking for in a college,” Yant said.
Yant is a Nursing major who is originally from Pacific Grove, Calif. She said she is excited to meet new people and explore Malibu.
Dadabhoy also said that Pepperdine was the perfect
option for him.
“I chose Pepperdine because of its amazing business school and law programs,” Dadabhoy said. “Since I’m a Finance major and on the prelaw track, this school is the perfect option.”
Dadabhoy is from Yorba Linda, Calif., and is a Finance major and Entrepreneurship minor. He said he is most looking forward to experiencing the college life.
Dadabhoy and Otterloo both mentioned which international programs they may be curious about.
Dadabhoy said that while he is not sure about going abroad, he’s most interested in the Switzerland program.
“I’m looking forward to hearing more about the study abroad program,” Otterloo said. “If I do go abroad, I’d love to study at either Pepperdine’s London or Hauteville campus.”
Xu is already an International student from Shanghai, China.
“I chose Pepperdine because I really like the vibe of the school, which is caring, embracing and warm,” Xu said.
In addition to sharing what they are looking forward to, these first-years also said what they are nervous about.
“I was raised in a non-religious family, so faith and Christianity feel relatively unfamiliar to me,” Otterloo said. “I’m excited to learn more about religion at Pepperdine, but am nervous I’ll feel behind other members of the community at times because of how I grew up.”
Yant said she is nervous about being in a new environment and not knowing anyone on a deeper level.
“I’m nervous about whether I can blend in Western social circles smoothly,” Xu said.
In regard to advice for his
from
fellow first-years as they start this new chapter, Dadabhoy said not to be afraid to meet new people.
Yant said to be open to meeting everyone and being able to make the most out of the first year of college.
“A small gesture like a smile can have a big impact,” Otterloo said. “You never know how a fellow classmate may be feeling, and a welcoming smile or friendly introduction might be the highlight of their day.”
alicia.dofelmier@pepperdine.edu
Mountain enters last year of construction
Christine Park News Staff Writer
After 21 years of planning, the Mountain at Mullin Park’s launch approaches closer than ever.
Different departments within the Pepperdine administration said they have been in preparation to lead the project to the finish line.
“We really needed something to serve the students with regard to better athletic facilities, recreations in sport, concerts and lectures,” said Ben Veenendaal, vice president of Planning, Operations, and Construction. “So that’s when we started thinking about what could we do, where could we do this?”
Complexity Within Construction
Recently, the University celebrated “topping out” with a ceremony back in May, a milestone marked by the completion of the structure’s highest point. As the year progresses, Veenendaal said he expects construction to stay on schedule.
Veenendaal said the team hopes to achieve its next major milestone, “drying,” by the end of October. “Drying” refers to the sealing of each building, such that interiors are no long subject to outside weather.
After that, the team will work on installing utilities such as air conditioning, Veenendaal said.
Pepperdine’s mountain topography and location can cause logistical challenges for the construction, Veenendaal said. Building on uneven soil, ensuring the structures meet seismic criteria and treating rainwater that falls in and around the construction site all contribute to construction expenses.
Environmental stewardship has also been integrated to meet the project’s commitment to LEED Silver Certification through sustainable materials and
energy-efficient practices, according to a May 30 University press release.
Campus Rec and Athletics
Once complete, the Mountain will include a three-story student center that houses a fitness center on the first floor, group fitness studios on the second and Pepperdine’s Resilience-Informed Skills Education (RISE) program integrated on the third, Director of Campus Recreation Robb Bolton said.
Bolton said Campus Recreation is planning to continue offering its popular fitness classes in the new studios, which will have equipment such as spin bikes and pilates reformers. They also hope to offer personal training, massage therapy and a drop-in sports injury clinic available to all students.
In addition, a new indoor multi-activity
court will open the door for more programming in intramural sports and club sports. Multiple benefits would include running intramural games at more reasonable times, expanding programs into soccer, floor hockey and pickleball and creating women’s and men’s divisions, Bolton said.
It will also create open recreation space for students to gather with friends and shoot hoops or play volleyball, Bolton said.
“Given the limited building space on a canyon campus, expanding like many other universities isn’t easy.” Bolton said. “However, this new Mountain project will undoubtedly have a lasting positive impact.”
Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner said many athletes will benefit from the Mountain’s higher quality facilities, accessibility and amenities.
“Since I’ve been here, we’ve continued to work in detail to determine exactly where our needs are and that they are met,” Gardner said. “Furthermore, there have been weekly regular conversations with various topic experts on our team to see how their area will be manifested in the athletic space.”
The new 3,600-seat arena, which will have a 360-degree digital scoreboard, is expected to increase school spirit, according to Pepperdine’s website. The Mountain being surrounded by residential areas — Seaside, Lovernich, Towers and first-year dorms — was very intentional to draw in the student body, according to previous Graphic reporting.
“I think having a modern arena will help us improve competitively,” Gardner said. “It makes the viewing experience definitely more enjoyable. So I think people [will] want to come to the arena because it’s more homely and comfortable to be in. The development of the game will be better and naturally attracts more attendance and better opponents.”
Gardner said going from a single gym to the Mountain’s new facilities will be transformational. The new facilities have already proved successful at aiding marketing and athletic recruitment.
Athletics anticipate the athletic experience will improve competition, development and enjoyment for the fans and programs, Gardner said.
“Ultimately, all of our [athletic] programs will benefit because it is a really impressive asset to our campus that says we are serious about student life and serious about athletics,” Gardner said.
Photos courtesy of Savanna Yant, Bassam Dadabhoy, Fiona van Otterloo and Junxi Xu
Photo by Melissa Houston | Photo Editor
Clockwise
top left: Savanna Yant, Bassam Dadabhoy, Fiona van Otterloo and Junxi Xu smile for the camera. They shared their feelings going into their college journeys.
An American flag hangs on the future location of the RISE Institute at the Mountain at Mullin Park. on Aug. 12. One of the group fitness studios inside will resemble an indoor multi-functional training room, similar to “The Cage.”
Slow business for restaurants despite PCH reopening; owners remain optimistic
Emma Martinez Community Reporter
Business is slow for some local restaurants and cafés despite the reopening of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), but servers, managers and owners said quality business will rise from the ashes.
With a stretch of PCH off limits to the general public from Jan. 7 until May 23 due to the lasting impact of the Palisades Fire, local restaurants and cafés suffered a loss of customers. Business managers and owners from Caffe Luxxe Malibu, The Country Kitchen, Taverna Tony and Zinqué Malibu have seen more traffic return after the heavily traveled highway reopened to the public, but they said their numbers are far down from previous summers.
“It [business] continues to grow, but we’re definitely not where we were pre-wildfire,” said Gary Chau, co-owner of Caffe Luxxe.
Despite the situation local businesses are facing due to the Palisades Fire, Zinqué Malibu server Krisztina Agramonte said she uses the area’s natural beauty as a reminder to remain hopeful.
“I think in every loss there is potential for regrowth,” Agramonte said. “Look at Malibu Canyon. How beautiful is the regrowth? Everything has the potential to come back or even come back better.”
The owners and managers of local restaurants said they had to get creative when finding ways to keep guests coming to their business. Despite the financial loss each of these businesses have taken, their owners and managers are fortunate their locations survived the flames and look forward to what the future holds.
The Data Tells a Story
Zinqué Malibu was packed every night of the week before the Franklin and Palisades Fires, Agramonte said.
“Before the fires — really imagine this with your eyes — the restaurant [Zinqué Malibu] is full with people,” Agramonte said. “People have to wait for an open table for 45 minutes minimum.”
This all changed after the
Palisades Fire, which led to a decline in business, Agramonte said. Even after PCH reopened in May, the downward trend has not changed.
“Sometimes our reservations are zero,” Agramonte said. “People [servers] got sent home because we don’t have enough guests.”
This lack of customers caused other servers from Zinqué Malibu to seek work elsewhere, Agramonte said. She is the only server still working at Zinqué Malibu who was there before the Palisades Fire.
“There’s only one server on the weekend, which is me,” Agramonte said.
Despite PCH reopening, Agramonte said she still sees a noticeable difference in the tips she receives. Before the Palisades Fire, Agramonte would bring in around $800 from tips on any given weekend. Now, she makes around $100.
Zinqué Malibu is not the only restaurant that is not back to pre-fire numbers. Joel Ruiz, the manager of The Country Kitchen, said his business — located on PCH near Duke’s Malibu — is down nearly 30% from where it was last year.
Ruiz said the Palisades Fire displaced many of his local and loyal customers.
“Local people lost their houses, and even people that didn’t have any damage in their houses are not living there,” Ruiz said.
Tatum Lyon, general manager of Taverna Tony, said she shared a similar experience.
“The standpoint from a well established, successful restaurant [Taverna Tony] is that we definitely are way down,” Lyon said.
Owners and Managers Observe Changes
Restaurant and café owners and managers said they have speculations of why business continues to be lower than last year.
Lyon said she has observed fewer tourists at Taverna Tony this summer in comparison to the last due to uncertainties concerning the state of Malibu after the Palisades Fire.
“Less people are vacationing here,” Lyon said. “Those people who had money and would come rent out one of the
Photo by Melissa Houston | Photo Editor
Customers dine at The Country Kitchen on Aug. 12, with business still down since before the Palisades Fire, according to the manager. The restaurant survived being closed for 50 days thanks to the help of construction workers supporting the restaurant.
beach houses all summer — they probably aren’t.”
Since the stretch of PCH reopened in late May, the speed limit remains at 25 mph, according to KEYT.com. Lyon said the speed limit could be a reason for people not wanting to travel north from Los Angeles to Malibu.
“It’s still difficult for some people to make the quick trip here because of the speed limit through PCH,” Lyon said.
These factors have led to slower business than previous summers, Lyon said. This caused restaurants like Taverna Tony to try new tactics, such as advertising, to work their way back up to pre-fire numbers.
Restaurant and Café Owners Combat Low Numbers
Natural disasters are something Southern California businesses unfortunately have to deal with, Chau said. Each time there is a fire or a mudslide, Chau said Caffe Luxxe Malibu takes a financial hit.
“It [business] never comes back to where it once was,” Chau said. “Then you slowly start climbing back to what you think is going to become normal, and then another natural disaster.”
To combat this, Chau said he relies on the strength of the local community.
“You just need to remain flexible and positive about the city and the community and just be together as a neighborhood and a community to help us all see it through,” Chau said.
To support his staff and to keep the community together, Chau said he moved employees from the Malibu and Palisades Caffe Luxxe locations to the other franchise cafés throughout Southern California.
Chau said regular
customers who had to relocate from Malibu and the Palisades were overjoyed when they saw their favorite Caffe Luxxe staff members in an unexpected location.
“Imagine the sparkle and the happiness, and in some cases, the tears in customers’ eyes when they reconnected with someone who they knew and saw every day,” Chau said.
To bring in more business to Taverna Tony, Lyon said she started advertising the restaurant outside of Malibu, which is something that has never been done before. An increase in advertising and the reopening of PCH gave Taverna Tony’s business a boost as the summer season began.
While fire cleanup is still a work in progress along PCH, Ruiz said The Country Kitchen was happy to serve a new set of customers: construction workers.
“The construction people came to the restaurant,” Ruiz said. “They kept us busy.”
Ruiz said he is grateful his restaurant survived the Palisades Fire and is also grateful to the construction workers and Pepperdine students for keeping the business alive after being closed for about 50 days post-fire.
Staff and Management Remain Positive
While business from Caffe Luxxe Malibu, The Country Kitchen, Taverna Tony and Zinqué Malibu is still impacted by the long-term effects of the Palisades Fire, each owner, manager and server from their respective restaurant said they remain upbeat and optimistic.
Chau said he is happy when Caffe Luxxe can create a moment of normalcy for those who lost their homes and belongings due to the impact of the Palisades Fire.
“I ran into one of our customers, and she said, ‘Besides the challenge of just trying to find something affordably priced while they [we] figure things out with insurance companies, we wanted to make sure that we were somewhere near a Caffe Luxxe,’” Chau said. “It gave them a sense of comfort and a reminder of home.”
Ruiz said he constantly reminds himself how fortunate he is that his restaurant still stands, because others nearby did not have the same experience with the Palisades Fire.
“Restaurants like the Reel Inn and Moonshadows are gone,” Ruiz said. “Thank God we are still there.”
Lyon said this summer has been doable thanks to a loyal crowd that enjoys the unique environment of Taverna Tony.
“We play Greek music and Armenian, so we get people who still want to make the journey and come because of the lively atmosphere of it,” Lyon said.
Agramonte said no matter what numbers show up from counting tips or how many shifts she can get at Zinqué Malibu, she will not leave.
“I stay in Malibu because I love Malibu,” Agramonte said. “I can’t, I just physically can’t leave.”
Agramonte said she will be in Malibu to see the city and its local restaurants rise from the Palisades Fire aftermath.
“Some things die just to be born again,” Agramonte said.
emma.martinez@pepperdine.edu
PCH begins rebuilding process
Over seven months after the Palisades Fire burned through structures along the Pacific Coast Highway, the Malibu community is still in the early stages of rebuilding what was lost. Over 420 properties in Malibu have completed debris removal in recent months, and about 100 have submitted project planning applications, according to the city’s Malibu Rebuilds website. The city has approved a single building plan check thus far, and no structures have been rebuilt.
The stretch of PCH along the Palisades
Fire burn zone still appears similar to how it did initially, minus the leftover hazardous waste and most of the debris. In the immediate aftermath of the fires, the Pacific Ocean remains visible, unobscured by beachfront homes that once stood along the coast. Several lots are now blocked by metal fences and caution tape, and signs by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering mark properties’ debris removal statuses line the south side of the highway.
After opening March 10, the city-run Malibu Rebuilds Center supports residents through the rebuild process, according to the center’s website. Those in need can schedule appointments between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Off Paseo Portola street, a new structure is built on a previously empty lot. The sight of new construction is still rare as burnt-down properties await building permits.
Nine beachfront lots along La Costa Beach were purchased for over $65 million by an unnamed foreign investor, according to Realtor.com. The properties have yet to be completely cleared out.
Photos by Melissa Houston | Photo Editor
Reporting by Henry Adams | News Editor
Design by Betsy Burrow | Creative Director
Art by Cara Tang | Art Editor
Per a government-sponsored
program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared debris from a site where three townhomes once stood.
Duke’s Malibu, which survived the fires but flooded after a February mudslide, plans to reopen its “Barefoot Bar” this month according to the restaurant’s Instagram. An “extensive” cleanup effort was needed to repair and rebuild.
Cholada Thai, once on the left, raised over $142,000 via GoFundMe after burning down in the Palisades Fire. Alongisde the Reel Inn, once on the right, Cholada Thai has so far completed its debris removal process.
PERSPECTIVES
Staff Editorial: Welcome home and back, Waves!
Editor’s Note: PGM staff members decide on the topic of a staff ed together. The staff as a whole provides opinions and content included in this staff ed to provide thoughts about and shed light on solutions for happenings at Pepperdine.
Anew year always brings unexpected challenges, spontaneous connections and moments of feeling every emotion.
Whether this is your first time stepping onto Pepperdine’s Malibu campus or you’re heading into your final year as an undergraduate student, the Graphic is always here for you.
As you’re moving in and settling back into the Malibu lifestyle, we offer some words of advice: Get excited. You might be a first-year, enthralled by the gorgeous views and high spirits. Or you might be a senior, coming to terms with your college experience and excited for your post-grad life. Wherever you are in your Pepperdine experience, there are countless opportunities for you to start this academic year strong.
Tidepools is an annual club gathering where all clubs come together and showcase their unique missions and goals. All students are welcome, and it is a great way to see first-hand the impact students have on campus.
Athletics is picking up — every week, there are games and matches you can attend on campus to support your fellow Waves. Women’s Soccer has begun, taking on opponents such as USC, UC Berkeley and Columbia. Men’s Water Polo will be gearing up this fall as they look to continue their national success.
Pepperdine also stands true to its religious foundation by hosting many gatherings for those to further build their faith. From the weekly Well Wednesdays to the Worship Summit, students can expect multiple opportunities to worship and serve.
With countless events for you all to look forward to, we at the Graphic will be right alongside you. We are excited to walk through this new year with our Waves family, and we cannot wait to get it started.
One thing we are all looking forward to at Pepperdine
Graphic Media is all of you — the student body. We are by students, about students and for students.
We are here to inform and explain, but also to listen. When there is news in the area, such as an unexpected tsunami warning, you can rely on the Graphic to provide you live updates on the story.
Vice versa, if you want to say something — whether it is a critique or a story idea — we are here to listen. We are invested in you all, and we want to know what you want to see.
We know 2025 has already brought many instances of hardship and tragedy. But in those moments of devastation, we watched our community strengthen through unity, support and a shared love for one another and this place we call home.
For now, enjoy the start of a new year. We are happy to have you all back on campus, especially after a tumultuous year in Malibu. Stay strong, stay focused, stay happy, and as always, go Waves.
THE PGM STAFF
Graphic Staff
Art by Cara Tang | Art Editor
Opinion: Lack of ICA support raises alarm bells
Noah Burton Perspectives Staff Writer
Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
With the 2025-26 academic year starting, I have been thinking about activities on campus I would like to participate in this year. During my time at Pepperdine, I have been a part of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Feminist Club and much more.
As a group of clubs focused on diverse cultures on campus, the ICA clubs have a responsibility to students. They help foster community between students with similar backgrounds, and help represent and emphasize marginalized groups.
This year, it has become abundantly clear that ICA needs more support from the University.
As of fall 2024, white students made up 42% of the student body, according to Pepperdine’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness. The ICA clubs are important for minority groups like Black, Asian, LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent students because of their representation and support.
ICA is especially important in light of the discrimination these students
face both on and off campus.
Last spring, the Pepperdine Step Team reported experiencing racism from members of the Women’s Tennis team, according to previous Graphic reporting. At the time, the University had not enacted disciplinary action, according to the Pepperdine Step Team’s Instagram.
Additionally, ICA restricted GSA in how they could promote their formal due to a conflict over terminology, also according to previous Graphic reporting. GSA ultimately had to publicly comply with the restrictions, despite the protests of the attendees.
These groups need this public support and defense more than other clubs because, unlike most clubs, ICA clubs represent the voices of and communities for these students. Without support, these students are less able to receive support when, for example, they are discriminated against.
There are currently 23 ICA clubs on campus compared to nearly 100 clubs and organizations total. While the ICC itself receives some funding designated for all clubs, it has annually required an increase in funding to support such a large community, according to previous Graphic reporting.
Problems like these may lead to clubs struggling to find the funding they need throughout the year. For ICA clubs, this means they are not able
to host events for minority students, allocate resources to advocacy on campus or represent community as effectively.
As the financial officer for GSA last semester, I experienced these impacts first-hand. With the funding issues ICC faced and the terminology conflict surrounding GSA’s formal, it felt like GSA’s voice was not being valued.
In a Feb. 27 email to the community concerning what is known as the “Dear Colleague Letter,” President Jim Gash wrote that “In our [the University’s] quest for academic excellence and community belonging, we welcome a wide array of people and perspectives into the Pepperdine community as necessary collaborators for enriching thought, scholarship, service and leadership in fulfillment of our Christian and academic mission.”
With the lack of public support for ICA and recurring funding issues, President Gash’s
Opinion: Coordinate Step Forward Day, sorority recruitment for participation
Caitlin Murray Perspectives Editor
Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
Clarification: PGM met with leaders for the Hub for Spiritual Life after this story was published. In that meeting, Hub leaders informed the Graphic staff they are actively creating ways for students involved in sorority recruitment to also participate in Step Forward Day. This will mean more on-campus opportunities for Step Forward Day.
During orientation week of my first year of college, it seemed like there were people with flyers advertising Step Forward Day on every corner of campus. Like many new college first-years, I was eager to participate to become involved at Pepperdine.
I scanned their QR code and perused the volunteering opportunities. I coordinated with my new friends so that we could all sign up for the same activity.
Later, I decided to participate in sorority recruitment. I quickly realized that the events conflicted, and I was disappointed to learn that I could not participate in both.
The events conflict one another again this year. Step Forward Day takes place Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pepperdine Events wrote in a July 11 email to the community. Sorority recruitment takes place from Sept. 4-8, according to Pepperdine Panhellenic.
It is likely that I was not the only one hoping to volunteer at Step Forward Day as they had more than 700 participants last year, according to Pepperdine Events.
As for Greek life involvement, almost 30% of undergraduate women are involved in Greek life at Pepperdine, according to Pepperdine Fraternity and Sorority Recruitment. Such high participation in Greek life significantly reduces the number of students available to participate in Step Forward Day.
Step Forward Day will feature 36 service projects on campus and across Los Angeles, according to the aforementioned email.
High Step Forward Day participation rates help the University live out its mission of strengthening students for “lives of purpose, service, and leadership,” according to Pepperdine’s mission statement.
Additionally, Greek Life involvement can have a tremendous positive impact on students. Fraternity and sorority members have high participation in both “curricular and co-curricular activities” and demonstrate a propensity toward “collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction,” according to The Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship.
statement rings hollow.
The political environment outside of our community is becoming increasingly extreme, with ICE arrests more than doubling since January. The impacts of events and policies like these cannot be expected to stay outside of our community.
Without a strong support system for the diverse members of our community, the University is failing its students and moving in a terrifying direction. Hopefully, in the coming academic year, the University will increase funding and engagement with ICA. In the meantime, I encourage students to support ICA clubs by attending events and advocating for these organizations.
noah.burton@pepperdine.edu
Art by Cara Tang | Art Editor
Students involved in Greek life at the University of New Mexico have higher GPAs, are more involved on campus and report having a strong community at college, according to the University of New Mexico. Additionally, Greek students benefit from networking opportunities and stronger social connections.
This is especially important for female students who report higher levels of loneliness, according to the National Library of Medicine. Sororities have a meaningful and substantial role in easing feelings of isolation, especially for first-years who are adjusting to a college environment.
Both sorority involvement and access to participate in volunteering events like Step Forward Day are important to maintaining the Pepperdine community. Unfortunately, students must choose between sorority recruitment and Step Forward Day.
Other Pepperdine organizations have communicated to ensure their events do not conflict. For example, Pepperdine Panhellenic coordinates philanthropy events to ensure they are spread out between multiple weeks each semester.
I propose that the events are coordinated so that they are scheduled on different weekends. Alternatively, the times for volunteering and sorority activities could be arranged so that students have the ability to participate in both events.
Art by Cara Tang | Art Editor
Opinion: Summer is brighter in the ’Bu
Karla Suzuki Perspectives Staff Writer
Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
My past few summers have been filled with cross country moves and 9-5 internships. This year I decided to settle.
Because of my job, I got the chance to spend my whole summer in Malibu and examine its pros and cons.
Although Malibu offers an ideal atmosphere during the school season — slow days and a long drive from LA's commotion — I wondered what its slow pace would look like for an entire summer.
For the past three months I have worked Mondays through Fridays, while still enjoying all the Californian perks that Malibu has to offer.
Malibu proved to have more pros than I imagined.
Both Malibu’s location and its locals foster an environment of healthy habits. Just this summer, I took up surfing, running and meditating, all activities that I learned from more experienced locals and enjoyed with friends.
It takes an average of 66 days to form a habit, according to the European Journal of Social Psychology. Thanks to Malibu’s ideal conditions, I was able to test this, and during the past few months I finally stopped procrastinating and actually learned to build healthy habits.
I have realized that Malibu is also a place that carries as much culture as it does fun. From exhibitions at the Getty Villa and the Malibu Library
Speaker Series to Aviator Nation’s Sunday Sessions and Friday night concerts at the Trancas Country Market, you rarely run out of things to do.
Still, on the cons side, there are moments when the slower pace can feel a bit too quiet.
As fall semester quickly approaches, the quiet days remind me that I miss seeing the the familiar faces around town and the liveliness that characterizes Malibu during its more fast-paced seasons.
Conveniently, just a drive away away from Malibu, the busier neighborhoods of Los Angeles provide a similar energy.
An LA day trip to enjoy larger-scale events proved to be just the right dose of variety. A The Weeknd concert, guided museum visits to The Broad and new dining spots were the perfect change of scenery when Malibu’s pace felt too slow or my routine started to repeat itself.
Malibu’s prime coastal location also made exploring the greater West Coast more accessible during summer.
Road trips ended up being one of my favorite parts of summer. I was able to visit new places like Summerland, Montecito, Dana Point and Laguna Beach, which are not a long way away from Malibu.
Opinion: Greek orgs offer first-years firmer footing
Mahali Kuzyk Perspectives Assistant Editor
Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
For many first-years, the start of first semester begins with a rush of new experiences, unfamiliar faces and vague ideas about the future. Joining Fraternity & Sorority Life provides a grounding force, helping new students find direction through connection. Being part of a sorority or fraternity allows first-years to start mapping out their future in a space that feels immediately supportive.
One of the most impactful parts of FSL is being surrounded by students of all ages, each with different majors, goals and stories. This range of experience offers a preview of what’s ahead and makes life after first year feel more real. Instead of seeing graduation as an abstract event, first-years begin to picture the steps that lead there.
Forming early bonds with future bigs — mutually chosen older mentors — gives first-years someone to look up to. These are often people they want to learn from and emulate. Having someone to admire who is only a few years ahead makes goals feel more reachable.
Often, big-little relationships form between students with similar majors or career paths. For example, big-little duos can be both pre-med, pre-law or pre-PA.
This shared focus creates a natural space for asking questions about internships, receiving help with classes and receiving gentle motivation. Having a big who’s already walking the same path makes it easier to picture one’s own next steps.
These relationships also make it safer to be uncertain or curious. First-years can ask questions that might feel too vulnerable in a classroom setting or in a large lecture. The FSL setting provides a kind of mentorship that feels personal, not performative.
In the early weeks of school, upperclassmen can seem like they exist in a separate world, but FSL breaks that barrier quickly. Being friends with juniors and seniors makes major stepping stones like graduation, internships and post-grad jobs feel less like distant and unattainable concepts and more like natural progressions.
Without this kind of structure, it’s easy for firstyears to feel like time is limitless. Graduation feels so far off that it’s easy to delay serious planning. But being in a chapter where older members talk about applications, interviews and other milestones brings clarity.
Eventually, being a part of FSL may lead to becoming a big yourself, and offering the same guidance you once received. It’s a full-circle moment that reinforces growth and gives students a way to reflect on how far they’ve come. By sophomore year, things start to feel more defined, classes are chosen with purpose and relationships deepen.
Hearing advice or encouragement from a close friend within the chapter hits differently than from
The fun plans and different places I got to visit outside of Malibu were a great diversion from the slow pace. Yet I couldn’t be happier to return every time I left.
Labeling any of these experiences as “cons” seems unfair, since I have enjoyed every part of my summer.
Leaving Malibu for a few hours or even just a few days is enough to appreciate that it is the perfect place to spend the summer.
karla.suzuki@pepperdine.edu
Art by Cara Tang | Art Editor
a professor or a parent. It feels personal and achievable. It’s easier to absorb wisdom from someone who knows you well and understands where you are in your journey.
FSL may not provide an elaborate roadmap to success, but it does help students feel grounded enough to build one. It anchors new students to people, ideas and goals that can otherwise feel too far off to matter. Most of all, it builds confidence and offers a steady place to stand during a time of change. For first-years feeling as if they have lost their footing, FSL offers not just community, but clarity. With every friendship and piece of advice, the future starts to feel a little less abstract. And with each step, students start to feel their feet more firmly on the ground.
mahali.kuzyk@pepperdine.edu
Art by Cara Tang | Art Editor
LIFE & ARTS
The meaning of home evolves in college
Haylie Ross Life & Arts Editor
The word “home” can carry many different, deeply personal meanings. It may be four walls and a roof, a location, a feeling or even a person. But for many, the meaning of home evolves with the transition to college.
As summer comes to a close, Pepperdine students are saying goodbye to their hometowns and hello to their chosen homes.
These homes become places where memories are made and where students experience some of their most vulnerable and formative moments, senior Will Koning said. Pepperdine students had the unique perspective of watching the Franklin and Palisades Fires threaten these sanctuaries.
“A house is just where our things are and where we live,” sophomore Emma Hudelson said. “But I think a home is made up of the people who fill it.”
Home: The Transition
Leaving for college is a rite of passage for students. It opens a door for education, opportunity and lifelong relationships, but leaving a life of familiarity and the comfort of home can feel intimidating.
When first touching campus grounds, Hudelson said she was nervous for what lay ahead of her, yet excited for the idea of the start to a brand new chapter of life.
Growing up with two brothers and her beloved dogs, Hudelson said she grew up in a home that was built on a foundation of connection and love. The thought of leaving that environment had her feeling apprehensive.
“At first, moving to college
is super nerve-racking because you’re living with girls that you’ve never met before,” Hudelson said.
First-year Carly Creps is now experiencing those nerves as she is leaving her life in Colorado and settling into her new home in Malibu.
“Overall, I am super excited about this next chapter,” Creps said. “But I’m nervous because I’m stepping into something completely new.”
On the other side of the spectrum, seniors at Pepperdine are preparing to spend their last years of college among the families they’ve created while at school, Koning said.
Koning is now entering his final year at Pepperdine, where he said he is focused on staying present and enjoying the relationships he has built these few years of college.
“When you go to college, everyone is kind of in the same position as you are,” Koning said. “So you don’t really have anyone else to lean on except for each other and that does create a sense of home and a new life.”
Koning said there’s a feeling of having two homes when at college, and Hudelson recalled the first time the concept felt real for her.
“I remember the first time I told my parents that I was going home — like as-in Pepperdine, and just feeling weird about saying it,” Hudelson said.
The People and Places That Make Us
As a family lives in a home together, the dorms and apartments become home with the families students create.
“As the year progressed, it became easier to call Pepperdine home,” Hudelson said “Not because of the place, but because of the
people I lived with.”
As we grow older and our lives are constantly changing, our sense of home is more complex that just a place, according to Medium. We start associating people, songs, photographs or even scents with the feeling we get by being home.
Koning said he knew this feeling well. Even just walking to the Center for Communication and Business or feeling the sea breeze makes him feel a sense of home.
Creps said although she’s just stepping into the new discoveries of what home is, she always felt that it’s the people who make a house a home.
“I could walk into my house
with a bunch of strangers and it wouldn’t feel like home,” Creps said. “It’s my closest family and friends that make me feel at home.”
Home: The Fear of Unpredictable Change
The Franklin and Palisades fires came as an unexpected threat and tragedy to many Pepperdine students.
One of those students being Koning, whose apartment burned down during the Palisades Fire, Koning said.
“You feel safe at home, you’re vulnerable at home, you make memories in your home and to see a place like that be destroyed — it leaves a huge impact,” Koning said.
Koning said he had to relocate back to campus after losing his home. During this time, he lost that familiarity and felt out of place for a while — left to mourn the loss of his home.
“The idea of home became odd for me because when my apartment burnt down and I had to move back on campus, I felt like that sense of home was lost for a while,” Koning said. The fires affected the lives of
Art by Cara Tang | Art Editor
Pepperdine students and Malibu residents, but it also affected the decisions of incoming first years.
Creps stood in those shoes. She said when choosing where to spend the next four years, she and her family took the fires into consideration.
“It was something super dangerous and something that’s a serious factor to consider,” Creps said.
From the inside, Hudelson said she was in the Payson Library during the shelter-inplace protocols with her roommates, nervous about what was going to happen to her new home.
Hudelson said watching the flames descend down the hill threatened her feeling of home.
“It was honestly terrifying because we didn’t really know what was going to happen,” Hudelson said. “It felt as if there was a legitimate possibility that this home we’ve built could be gone.”
haylie.ross@pepperdine.edu
‘Feels like it’s not real’:
Juniors reflect on fires from afar
Amanda Monahan Currents Editor-in-Chief & Staff Designer
For many incoming juniors, the December Franklin Fire and January Palisades Fire created a sense of terror from thousands of miles away. While studying abroad across various programs and countries, students said they had a unique experience when coping with the destruction of the wildfires from afar.
Junior Quinn Dougherty spent her sophomore year in Switzerland for the full-year program. She returned to Malibu for the summer after her program ended, but said she felt heartbroken upon returning to a different Malibu.
“I think any type of natural disaster feels like it’s not real unless you see it or experience it,” Dougherty said. “Nothing could have prepared me for coming back to Malibu.”
Staying Up to Date While Abroad
Several of Dougherty’s friends who were in Malibu during the fires told her how different the city and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) were in a post-fire era, but she said she could not comprehend just how different it was really going to be.
Junior Tabitha Vanderhorst was in Buenos Aires for the entirety of her sophomore year. She said she woke up the morning after the Franklin Fire started to a flood of calls and voicemails from Pepperdine Emergency Services.
Vanderhorst said she immediately turned on the news to stay up-to-date with what was happening in Malibu and track the evacuation areas.
“I was absolutely terrified for Malibu,” Vanderhorst said. Vanderhorst said she felt overwhelmed with the information she was receiving from various news outlets, so she reached out to friends she knew were on the Malibu campus. She remembers feeling helpless, wishing she could evacuate her friends to her family home, which is only a few hours away from Pepperdine.
“I was terrified being so far away knowing that there was nothing I could do to help and I couldn’t help get my friends out of there,” Vanderhorst said.
Dougherty said she also recalls feeling helpless.
“It’s definitely hard to watch something like that happen to a place and people you love and not be able to help or even be there,” Dougherty said.
Junior Matthew Miller, who also spent his sophomore year in the Switzerland
full-year program, said with Switzerland’s time difference, it was around 3 a.m., when the Franklin Fire broke out. By the time he woke up, the news, photos and videos he saw were already several hours old.
“I had videos on my phone that people were sending me of them trying to get off campus, palm trees exploding right next to their cars, cars on fire,” Miller said. “The craziest one was the video of the flames coming up the sides of the library — that was wild. It was so terrifying.”
Similar to Vanderhorst, Miller said he reached out to his friends in Malibu to make sure they were OK. One of his first thoughts afterward was wondering whether or not he would have a campus to return to the next year.
Miller said he received more information from friends on campus than news outlets or Pepperdine. His fraternity had a group chat where the brothers constantly sent updates and offered anyone who needed it a ride off campus.
Coming from out of state, Miller said he knew there had been several fires in California in the few years before. Yet he never expected one during his four years there.
A few weeks before the Franklin Fire broke out, a group of staff and faculty members from Pepperdine’s Malibu campus visited the Buenos Aires campus, Vanderhorst said. One of these visitors was Pepperdine’s fire safety officer.
“When that fire broke out, he completely reassured us that Pepperdine would be OK because of how the campus is built and that it’s literally built so that if it catches on fire that everything’s going to be OK,” Vanderhorst said.
But the rest of Malibu did
not have this same assurance.
With several businesses and homes burning down to ash, students said they had to prepare themselves for a vastly different Malibu.
I
think any type of natural disaster feels like it’s not real unless you see it or experience it. Nothing could have prepared me for coming back to Malibu.
Quinn Dougherty Junior
Both Vanderhorst and Miller said they were devastated to find out Cholada — an immensely popular Thai dining spot along PCH — had burnt down during the Palisades Fire.
Miller said he made a short trip to Malibu a month before the new academic year started so he could set up his new apartment. He expected Malibu and PCH to be different, but described his first drive on PCH as “bizarre.”
“Honestly, I knew it was going to be bad, and it was bad,” Miller said. “There’s burnt up cars on the side of the road and there’s construction everywhere and road work.”
Dougherty, who returned to Malibu during the summer, said she has seen firsthand the
businesses she loved from her first year either struggling or closing down.
“I also started working in a store in the Country Mart and I have customers come in every day who tell me that they lost their homes or are struggling,” Dougherty said.
An Unchanged Community
Despite the tragedy and loss the Malibu and Pepperdine community experienced during the fires, Miller said he is so grateful to be able to come back and be with his community again.
“I’ve seen a bunch of people these last couple of days and just giving them hugs and saying hi and asking how they are has been awesome,” Miller said. “I’ve waited for it for a long time.”
Dougherty said she has noticed a new sense of purpose within the Malibu community while navigating this post-fire era.
“I’ve also seen people come together in a way I might not have noticed before the fires and it’s clear that people are committed to restoring PCH and Malibu,” Dougherty said.
Dougherty said she greatly missed Malibu while abroad and above all is grateful to have a campus and community to return to.
“Some of my favorite restaurants and stores aren’t here anymore, but what I love about Pepperdine and Malibu is the amazing community, and that hasn’t changed at all,” Dougherty said.
amanda.monahan@pepperdine.edu
Photos courtesy of Matthew Miller
The Franklin Fire burns on a hillside near the Malibu campus Dec. 10. Junior Matthew Miller said he received photos from friends on campus while he was thousands of miles away studying abroad in Switzerland.
The Franklin Fire erupts on the night of Dec. 9, with smoke and flames visible from campus. Miller said he was grateful to know his friends were taking care of one another while he was abroad.
Surf coach embraces Malibu community
Alexa McGlathery Assistant Life & Arts Editor
No board? No wetsuit? No problem. Malibu’s very own Chris “Stingray” Stiegler provides it all through his company, Malibu Surf Coach.
Stingray is a world-renowned surf legend, born and raised in Malibu, who founded his own surf company in 2014, according to Malibu Surf Coach.
He said his goal is to inspire beginner surfers to catch their dream wave and help people feel more connected to the ocean, showing that the Pacific Ocean isn’t as intimidating as it might seem.
“The most rewarding thing about being a surf coach is seeing surfing from a different perspective,” Stingray said. “It’s almost like seeing it through the eyes of a beginner, and the new experience of approaching a wave.”
Stingray’s Surf Journey
Stingray said his passion for surfing began at the age of 7, when his uncle started taking him up and down the Malibu coast to catch waves.
Surfing was in Stingray’s blood, as his family played a major role in the early surfrock scene and his grandfather designed the poster for the film “Endless Summer.” Growing up surrounded by surf culture, Stingray said he was immersed in the lifestyle from the beginning.
Since then, Stingray said he has traveled around the world to some of the most famous surf breaks, such as Raglan in New Zealand, Ollie’s Point in Costa Rica and Los Lobos in the Canary Islands.
He said he conquered a 25foot wave at Sunset Beach in
Oahu, Hawai’i, which makes it the biggest wave he has ever surfed.
“The best thing about actually riding a wave is getting a big barrel, or some might call it ‘getting tube,’” Stingray said.
Stingray said he has coached thousands of people on how to surf and embraced the role of head coach and general manager of the Quicksilver Surf School in the Canary Islands.
Surfing as a Mindset
Surfing is more than just a fun sport –– it’s a mindset.
“Surfing keeps you away from stress,” Stingray said. “Surfing is actually a meditation.”
For Stingray, he said the most fulfilling aspect of surfing lies in the experience of being immersed in the water, free from the distractions of everyday life.
The most rewarding thing about being a surf coach is seeing surfing from a different perspective.
Chris “Stingray” Stiegler Surf Coach
He also said surfing offers a broader perspective on life, as it cultivates qualities that are essential for overcoming big waves: resilience and inner strength.
Stingray said some of his most meaningful coaching
experiences on the water have come from helping individuals who face unique challenges in learning to surf. He finds deep fulfillment in supporting their progress and growth.
“I taught a blind person how to surf,” Stingray said. “It’s always a special thing when someone really figures out how to surf.”
Lessons for Everyone
Stingray and his team of coaches offer lessons to people of all skill levels, he said.
Junior Adrielle Zindler said she took a few lessons from Malibu Surf Coach to improve her basic surfing skills.
“I am a small group leader and worship leader for Surf Chapel, but I couldn’t surf,” Zindler said. “So I looked up who the best surf coaches are in Malibu and Malibu Surf Coach came up first.”
Zindler said she took several lessons with Malibu Surf Coach, as well as one with a
competing company, but ultimately found that Malibu Surf Coach offered more competitive rates and provided a more effective environment for building her confidence in the water.
Malibu Surf Coach offers instruction not only for beginners but also for intermediate and advanced surfers seeking to refine and maintain their skills, Stingray said.
Sophomore Jackson Boffo, an avid surfer, said he is eager to continue improving.
“Honestly, I think I should take a lesson with Stingray because I always want to get better,” Boffo said.
Malibu Surf Coach offers a specialized “Pepperdine Package,” which provides a discounted rate exclusively for Pepperdine students seeking to learn how to surf or enhance their existing surfing skills, according to Malibu surf Coach.
“I think everyone should take a lesson,” Zindler said. Stingray said he usually
takes his beginner-level surfers to Broad Beach in Malibu and recommends beginner surfers should try to ride the white water instead of catching a wave before it breaks.
Stingray said he is thrilled to introduce the “Pepperdine Package” and hopes it will encourage new surfers to take lessons as they navigate the challenges of college life.
“I’ve taught thousands of people and surfing is interesting because there’s always something new to find and discover,” Stingray said.
alexa.mcglathery@pepperdine.edu
Photos courtesy of Heather Hill
Chris “Stingray” Stiegler surfs a wave before it barrels in fall 2021. He said he has competed in various surf competitions in both California and Hawai’i.
Chris “Stingray” Stiegler (crouched) poses with a group of his students after a surf lesson on Broad Beach in July 2018. Stingray said he starts his students out on a foam-topped longboard anywhere from 8 to 11 feet long.
Black Sox clouded in misinformation
Tony Gleason Managing Editor
Editor’s Note: There were at least two and a possible third conspiracy to purposely lose the 1919 World Series with each conspiracy including the same players but different gamblers. The “Black Sox Scandal” in this reporting refers to the culmination of these conspiracies.
Say it ain’t so, Joe, say it ain’t so.
These were the words a child allegedly said to star White Sox outfielder “Shoeless” Joe Jackson in September of 1920 after he admitted his involvement in purposely losing the 1919 World Series, according to This Day in Quotes. This line has become famous in pop culture as it inspired a song in 1975 by Murray Head and was referenced in the first season of the Simpsons.
Despite its popularity, no witnesses report hearing anyone say this, and Jackson himself denied anyone saying this to him. There being no evidence to support this quote’s existence is right in line with many other aspects of the conspiracy to throw the 1919 World Series, as there are many misconceptions surrounding the scandal.
Major League Baseball will remove members from their ineligible list upon the players death, MLB announced May 13. Thus, the eight players who conspired to throw the 1919 World Series — referred to as the Black Sox Scandal — are now eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Multiple sources who had spent countless hours studying this scandal said the common understanding of the motive behind the scandal — among other aspects — is shrouded in misinformation.
“I would hope that those who care about this or care about the induction would inform themselves of the facts that we know rather than what
they read in some book that was written 60 years ago or what they saw last week on MLB Network TV,” Black Sox Historian Bill Lamb said.
The eight players banned were pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude “Lefty” Williams, infielders Arnold “Chick” Gandil, Charles “Swede” Risberg, Fred McMullin and George “Buck” Weaver and outfielders Oscar “Happy” Felsch and Jackson.
Multiple sources said the reason for the amount of misinformation is due to Eliot Asinof’s 1963 book “Eight Men Out,” later turned into a movie in 1988 — both containing many inaccuracies. The speculated reason for the inaccuracies is Asinof admitted he created aspects of the story for effect, didn’t have access to the trial records and relied upon Felsch and gambler Abe Attell for information.
“[Happy Felsch] was probably the least informed of the eight players of what went on and who was behind it,” Lamb said. “He also relied upon Abe Attell, the only gambler who would speak to him. Abe Attell is a very interesting character, but he’s not someone with a reputation for much reliability as far as truth goes.”
Cheapness of White Sox Owner
The legend goes the eight players conspired to throw the World Series as a way to get revenge against White Sox Owner Charles Comiskey for underpaying them, as it is portrayed in the book and movie. Multiple baseball historians said they found this to be untrue due to the Hall of Fame making certain evidence accessible in the early 2000s.
The Hall of Fame made viewing contract cards for many players available, which contains information regarding their yearly salary and bonuses, multiple sources said. What the contract cards revealed was
the White Sox season payroll for 1919 — including everyone who appeared that year weighted by the amount of days on the roster — was $111,397, the highest in the American League (AL) that year.
“If the White Sox felt underpaid, well then so did players on every other major league team,” said Jacob Pomrenke, chairman of the Black Sox Scandal Research Community. “They were all kind of in the same boat and the reality is, the White Sox were getting paid better than most.”
Additionally, three members of the Black Sox — Cicotte, Weaver and Jackson — were in the top 20 in salary for AL players, according to Pomrenke’s research. Furthermore, five of the Black Sox were given raises after 1919 — which wasn’t always the case back then.
The reason raises weren’t as common was due to the Reserve Clause, which allowed owners of teams to renew contracts for the same salary if they chose, said Michael Haupert, Black Sox Historian and Economics Professor. Due to the clause and lack of free agency, the White Sox weren’t getting paid all the revenue they were generating, but that was common across all teams and owners.
“There’s a lot of myths going on,” Black Sox Historian Bruce Allardice said. “Comiskey wasn’t obviously the cheapest owner.”
In both the book and movie, there was an alleged $10,000 bonus for Cicotte if he won 30 games. Cicotte won 29 games in 1919, but it’s rumored Comiskey had him sat for two weeks in September and pulled early from a start Sept. 24 to prevent him from winning 30 games. It is true he sat for two weeks in September, but Lamb said Cicotte pitched into the seventh inning Sept. 24, which gave him the opportunity to be the winning pitcher.
Further, multiple historians
said upon examining Cicotte’s contract card, there was no information about any bonus for the 1919 season. Bonuses weren’t very common back in 1919, as only 8% of the contract cards available had information about a bonus in them, according to Haupert’s research.
“He never got a bonus any other time, and yet, there were lots of examples in baseball in those years when bonuses were given and it was written right into the contract,” Haupert said. “So it’s highly unlikely that there was ever any bonus, because we’ve seen his contract and we know it wasn’t there.”
Cicotte earned $8,000 in 1919, so this alleged $10,000 bonus would have been higher than his yearly salary, according to Haupert’s research. His teammate and fellow conspirator, Williams, did have two bonuses in his contract — one for winning 15 games and another for winning 20 — but they were worth $375 and $500 respectively, compared to a $3,000 salary.
The Graphic requested copies of the contract cards, but were unable to receive copies because they contained sensitive personally identifying information. The Hall of Fame confirmed there was no information related to Cicotte’s alleged $10,000 bonus in his contract card and the existence of William’s two bonuses.
Furthermore, this bonus would have also been higher than Washington Nationals pitcher Walter Johnson’s 1919 salary — the highest paid pitcher in the AL that year, and only five players in the AL had a salary of at least $10,000, according to Pomrenke’s research.
Motive Behind the Fix
The exact motive behind the fix is something multiple historians said can only be speculated about for various reasons. One reason it’s unknown is the
possibility that there were different motives for each player.
“You have at least eight people on the ballplayer side — not all of them are going to be motivated by the same thing,” Lamb said. “Why Cicotte chose to do it may not be the same reason that Happy Felsch chose to do it, or the same reason that Lefty Williams chose to do it.”
While the team wasn’t underpaid, multiple historians said the money could have still been the motivation — but it was a matter of greed, not revenge. Across the multiple conspiracies, the players were promised $20,000 with the original conspiracy promising $10,000.
Sources said Cicotte was given $10,000 before game 1, and Jackson admitted in his testimony in 1920 he accepted $5,000, but it’s unclear how much the other players received. Haupert said the promise of $10,000 was enticing enough for some players.
“He [Jackson] was going to be looking at about a 10-year income pump relative to an average American,” Haupert said.
There were rumors previous World Series were fixed, which multiple historians said was likely part of the Black Sox motive. While unlikely any other World Series was thrown, Allardice said there were rumors the Chicago Cubs threw the 1918 World Series for $10,000 — so that was the “benchmark” for this type of conspiracy.
Lamb said this gave the players the idea they wouldn’t get caught if they were to throw the 1919 World Series.
“They viewed the fix of the series as a low risk, high reward proposition,” Lamb said. “They didn’t expect to get caught and they didn’t expect to get punched if they did get caught.”
Photos courtesy of Creative Commons
From left to right (front): Arnold “Chick” Gandil, Claude “Lefty” Williams, Charles “Swede” Risberg, George “Buck” Weaver and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson sit in front of their lawyers during their trial in 1921. All of these players are now eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
A cartoon ran in various newspapers after the Black Sox scandal broke. All of these players are now eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Women’s Soccer kicks off 2025 season
The Women’s Soccer team had a historic season last year – but they’re ready to fight for more.
“Our girls are hungry for more. We want to be, and we have to get better,” Head Coach Tim Ward said. “We have to keep reaching for higher, loftier goals and try to do things that have yet to be done with our program, and we’re excited about that – we’re excited about that challenge.”
Pepperdine won a share of the West Coast Conference (WCC) with Santa Clara last year before punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. This time around, the Waves want to clinch the conference title all by themselves as outright champions, members of the team said.
“We haven’t won our own WCC. We always have a co-championship with another team,” junior forward Julia Quinonez said. “So, I think we are just focusing on our team and how we can get better and work toward our goals.”
Team 33
This year’s team is dubbed “Team 33,” referring to it being the 33rd team in program history. Team 32 made history, but Ward said he knows he can’t treat this year’s team the exact same.
There have been a handful of changes to the roster. Eight players left the Waves, with a mix being graduating students and transfers, and eight true freshmen were recruited to Pepperdine for the Class of 2029. No matter the players on his squad, Ward said he has the same mission: to win it all.
“The energy changes, the dynamic changes, the leadership changes slightly and it’s fun,” Ward said. “We, as a program, want to do things that no team at Pepperdine has ever done and on the positive side of the record book. We want to go back to back.”
Ward said there has only been one team to go back to back as conference champions. That run was in 2016 and 2017, and this year’s team wants to write their names in the history books.
That all starts with the players. Six of the incoming freshmen are field players, and the other two are goalkeepers, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Each freshman is native to California besides Bella Larson, who is coming in from Flower Mound, Texas, and Hattie Sherlock, who is coming overseas from Great Bookham, England. Sherlock is the first international recruit for the Waves in a decade since Kristrun Antonsdottir came from Iceland in 2015, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“We’re going to be getting so many new freshmen, it’s going to be tough, but honestly, it’s just going to be a new opportunity to show off what we have and what a lot of people don’t see in us,” Quinonez said.
While this influx of fresh players may provide somewhat of a transitional challenge, junior defender Peyton Leonard said the team is confident in their ability to work together.
“There’s not really division with the classes. I think it is so cohesive, and everyone hangs out with everyone, which I think is something that is so amazing and that not a lot of teams have,” Leonard said.
There were also some key players that graduated from the team, leaving some big boots to fill. Forward and midfielder Tori Waldeck is one of these former Waves, who has recently decided to continue her soccer career professionally with Spokane Zephyr FC, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“It does change the identity routine, but the core still stays the same,” Senior midfielder Karina Gonzalez said. “I’m super excited to see people step into new roles and take on more of a responsibility on the team and be able to be that impact player and kind of not live in the shadows of someone, but be someone by themselves, with the team supporting them.”
Looking Toward 2025
The Waves are also showing high preseason rankings across the board. Pepperdine was ranked No. 2 in a WCC preseason coaches poll, earning five votes for first place – just two votes behind No. 1 Santa Clara, according to the WCC.
Junior forward and midfielders Tabitha LaParl and Tatum Wynalda were named to the WCC preseason all-conference team along with Gonzalez, according to Pepperdine Soccer’s Instagram. Gonzalez and LaParl were also named to the Midfielders Watch List by United Soccer Coaches. Gonzalez was even ranked No. 41 in Top Drawer Soccer’s Women’s National Top 100 Division I Players for the year.
“I think that’s such an honor and a blessing,” Gonzalez said. “I couldn’t have done this without my teammates who pushed me every day. I want to use that to continue to motivate me and inspire me and my team.”
One of the goals Ward said he has set for his team during preseason is to be the fittest they can be. Ward has found that not only does this benefit his current players, but it helps former Waves go on to join professional leagues and be at an elite level fitness wise.
With that in mind, Ward has weaved fitness into his team’s style of play: hard on the attack and the press while also balancing a healthy lifestyle to bring excitement to the pitch.
“The women we recruit, they understand the sacrifice that is needed to be great on the field,” Ward said. “So, there’s just a standard. The standard is: you come in fit.”
Ward has been the head coach since 1998, and he said there is a high correlation between the fitness of his team and the success they have in the fall. With this in mind, Ward said many of the players are putting in the work year-round to prepare for season.
“These girls are getting after it every single day, and we’re really proud of the work they do that’s never seen,” Ward said.
Live and Learn
Last year Pepperdine lost to Utah State 0-4 in their season opener. While they grew stronger as the season progressed, Team 33 wants to come out with a bang.
“I’m just excited to be back with the team and prepare for preseason, for conference,” Quinonez said. “We have so much more talent. It’s going to be a great year, I’m so excited.”
Women’s Soccer is one of the first sports to get underway at Pepperdine for the year. Along with Men’s Water Polo and Women’s Volleyball, it falls on the fall sports to set the tone for the year, Ward said.
“We always feel a responsibility to start the fall season really strong for the University,” Ward said.
Overall, the players said they are excited for a new season to kick off, and Ward said Team 33 will definitely be something special. The Waves are hoping to get started on a better foot this year.
The fall campaign will officially kick off at No. 9 Texas Christian University on Aug. 14. The Waves wrapped up preseason prep with a 1-0 win over Cal Poly in an Aug. 9 exhibition match. Pepperdine is looking to start with a strong win against TCU to set the tone for their next matches against powerhouses University of Southern California and UC Berkeley.
nina.fife@pepperdine.edu
The Women’s Soccer team celebrates after Tatum Wynalda (third from right) scores the go-ahead goal in the Oct. 2 WCC opener against Washington State at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. The Waves said they hope to come into the 2025 season stronger than ever.
Photo by Mary Elisabeth | Fall ‘24 Photo Editor
Nina Fife Sports Editor
Photo by Justin Choi | Fall ‘23 Staff Photographer
Senior midfielder Karina Gonzalez faces off against UCSD on Sept. 21, 2023 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Going into her senior season, Gonzalez was ranked the No. 41 player in Top Drawer Soccer’s Women National Top 100 Division I Players of the Year.
Junior forward represents United States
Nina Fife Sports Editor
Junior forward Julia Quinonez represented Pepperdine on the national stage this summer. While most athletes dedicate their time off school to a summer league, Quinonez said she accepted the call up to represent the country as part of the U.S. Youth National Team (USYNT).
From May 25 to June 2, Quinonez was one of 24 players training in Fayette, Ga., with the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team. This was Quinonez’s second call up of the year, the first being in April of this year, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“I feel so honored, like it takes the words out of my mouth,” Quinonez said. “It feels so surreal.”
Quinonez isn’t unfamiliar with the national stage, though. As a dual citizen, the junior said she has represented Mexico on its U-20 National Team, as well.
“I was super excited, because that’s just my dream: to play for my country and just to honor my grandparents and just show them, make them feel proud,” Quinonez said.
The junior’s national team career started when she was already playing as a Wave, according to Pepperdine Athletics. She received her first call up with Mexico in February of 2024. She said she credits Pepperdine for helping her get to this point as a player.
“Pepperdine has helped me with exposure and has helped me develop my skills,”
Quinonez said. “It’s not only just to represent me, but it also represents the team and the school and the staff. So that just makes me even more proud of myself.”
Many days of the national team camp looked similar –simply playing soccer. The first four days of camp were dedicated to training in the morning followed by downtime for treatments, meetings, food or rest. On Friday, they got the chance to scrimmage the U-17 team before an off day on Saturday where the team got to study film, rest and get more treatment, Quinonez said.
While some of the days looked a little repetitive, Quinonez said she learned a lot from her time with the USYNT. One of the most important things she learned was to be brave, something she found incredibly useful as a forward.
“I think the number one thing that I took away from this camp was to take risks and don’t be afraid,” Quinonez said. “The number one thing my coaches said during that camp was, ‘If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not having fun.’”
Supporting Waves
The Waves soccer team has been a major support system throughout these milestones. From her trainers to teammates, Quinonez said her community has been by her side every step of the way.
“My teammates play a big part in this, like getting the call, I just want to pay my tribute to them, because I
wouldn’t be here without their support, communication, hard work or how hard they make me work during training,” Quinonez said.
Quinonez said her teammates aren’t the only supportive Waves in her corner. The Pepperdine coaching staff has also played a huge role in helping Quinonez become the player she is today.
“Even if I’m having a bad day, they keep continuing to push me to be better, whether that’s yelling at me or not, but that’s just what I need,” Quinonez said. “The communication is phenomenal. Their support is just everything that I needed.”
While Quinonez said she credits her community for helping her get to this point in her career, Head Coach Tim Ward said a lot of the recognition falls back to who the junior is as a player. He described her as a wonderful player who has a personal drive to win, but would also run through a brick wall for any of her teammates.
“She is strong; she is fiery; feisty; competitive. She does not like to lose,” Ward said. “And so beneath that beautiful smile of hers, there is an absolute competitive warrior. She’s just trying to win soccer games and trying to do whatever the team needs her to do.”
Waves Legacy
Quinonez is one of many to represent Pepperdine on the national stage. Among the Waves to play internationally are Lynn Williams Biyendolo, USWNT forward and the NWSL all-time leading scorer, and Roxanne Barker, a twotime Olympian who represented South Africa, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“I think what’s fun about Julia’s call up is that she is in a long line of Waves that have been called into the youth national camps,” Ward said.
After looking up to the Waves who came before her, Quinonez gets to add her name to the list of national-level players that have come through Pepperdine. The junior said they have a board in the coach’s office that lists players’ names based on statistics.
She said each time she sees her name listed under the national team, it serves as a reminder of the honor she has wearing the crest.
“If you’re a soccer player that desires to play at the highest level, Pepperdine is a great place to be, because we’ve done it in the past, we’re currently doing it in the present and we’re going to continue to do it into the future,” Ward said.
The junior has been called back to both Mexico and the United States’ national teams multiple times, so Ward said she is doing something right. He knows his player and has high hopes for her as she brings this national team knowledge and elite skill level back to Malibu.
“We’re really proud of her, she’s very deserving,” Ward said. “I think there’s only huge things ahead for Jules, because she’s a wonderful player. She’s a wonderful human being, hard worker. She’s only getting better, so the sky’s the limit for her, for sure.”
Ward said it is always an honor to coach a player that has gone on to the next level, and it adds an extra layer of pride when they get the call while still representing Pepperdine.
“When one of your players is recognized at that level, you want to believe that what you’re doing is leading to good things,” Ward said. “You want to be a coach who feels that our methods and our way of doing things will lead to excellence in the future for our girls.”
The Waves look to build off last season’s success as they gear up for the 2025 season. Quinonez is set to make an impact for Pepperdine this year, among a talented roster of other players who have been named to preseason watch lists.
nina.fife@pepperdine.edu
Photo by Colton Rubsamen | Fall 24 Staff Photographer
Junior forward Julia Quinonez threatens the goal against UC Berkeley on Nov. 16 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. As a dual citizen, Quinonez has represented both Mexico and the United States on their Youth National Teams.
Photo courtesy of Julia Quinonez
The U.S. U-20 Youth National Team, including Julia Quinonez, poses for a picture in Fayette, Ga., June 1. The team called players from all over the country to train together.
Photo by Mary Elisabeth | Fall 24 Photo Editor Midfielder Julianna Duckett (‘24) helps forward Julia Quinonez celebrate her first WCC goal Oct. 4, 2023 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Quinonez’s shot broke the Waves’ streak of over three halves without a goal.