Consentino said no mat ter how well Will played, he always showed up as a leader and wanted to be there for his teammates.“Hewas never the stand out athlete,” Leslie Noland said. “But I would say he was a standout teammate.”
“Will was an angel,” Will’s little Alex Consentino said.
hours recruiting people to play.
Abby Wilt Managing Editor
Will died in Venice, Calif., on Aug. 22, and is remembered as someone who made everyone around him feel loved.
While at Pepperdine, Will also started a softball team for Sig Ep and spent numerous
“He had so much passion for everything that he did,” Consentino said. “He wanted to share that with everybody — if you cared about something, he cared about it too.”
Will grew up in Fairfield, Conn., with his two younger siblings — Haley and Chris — and transferred to Pepperdine from Tulane University his sophomore year. The Hub for Spiritual Life, in collaboration with Sigma Phi Epsilon, hosted a memorial Sept. 9, for Will at Stauffer Chapel.
“He was sent here for a pur pose, and that was to make ev ery single person that he met feelDuringspecial.”his time at Pepper dine, Will was a part of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, serving as the vice president of Re cruitment his senior year. Will graduated in spring 2022 with a degree in Economics.
“He’s always been one of the most thoughtful, compassion ate, kind people from when he was a baby,” Will’s mom Leslie NolandLesliesaid.Noland said he loved surfing, snowboarding, play ing baseball, going on vacation with his family and making people laugh. He would do
“When he told a joke, he made sure his voice was loud enough so that people a mile and a half away could hear,” Leslie Noland said. “He often even laughed at his own jokes before he delivered the punch line.”Will found community with in Sig Ep at Pepperdine and formed bonds with his brothers — people his parents said were like true family to him.
His love for the game started from a young age — when Will became a major Red Sox fan.
“He lived in a Red Sox hat and shirt — every single pic ture of [Will] growing up,” Leslie Noland said. “He took on the Red Sox and loved base ball and maybe that fell into his love for softball later.”
THE PEPPERDINE GRAPHIC Volume LII | Issue 2 | September 16, 2022 | pepperdine-graphic.com | follow us @peppgraphicG THEAHEADWHAT’SWAVESREPORT FRI: 2-3 FT SAT: 3-4 FT SUN: 2-3 FT MON: 2-3 FT TUES: 3-4 FT WAVECAST.COM A4 communityPepperdine honors 9/11 at the Waves of Flags Studentsdisplay.serve for Pepperdine’s Annual Step Forward Day. A5 NEWS A10 The Graphic staff gives students tips on staying cool in the Studentsheat. debate the hype on Alfred Coffee. A3PERSPECTIVES B8 athleticFieldhousehypesDJnewopeningcelebratesPepperdinetheofthefitnesscenter.KevinRomarupFirestoneatevents.B11 SPORTSB3 Students share the art of crafting a perfect Summit.annualPepperdineplaylist.hostsWorshipB7ARTSANDLIFE Pepperdine community mourns the loss of son, student and friend
“He was probably one of the main reasons why I joined Sig Ep,” Consentino said. “He lat er became my brother, my big and my best friend.”
Photos courtesy of Sigma Phi Epsilon
Will was known as always having a smile from “ear-toear” and always putting others’ needs before his own.
anything it took to make some one laugh — even if that meant making fun of himself a por tion of the time.
(Above) Alumnus Will Noland (‘22) in Malibu in spring 2022. (Left) Will surfs with Sig Ep Luke Creal in spring 2022.
See NOLAND | A3
A selfless leader, a com passionate friend and a light to everyone he met — these were just a few phrases friends and family used to describe alumnus Will Noland (‘22).
Last year, I found myself in an un familiar environment with unfamiliar people in it. This year, I came back to my best friends I haven’t seen for four months. I came back to the professors that were admirable and supportive to me last year. I came back to all the places on campus I spent my time having fun and studying last year. I came back to my favorite coffee shop, Blue Bottle, in the Malibu Country Mart. I came back to the cute Jeep I drive which I left here for the sum mer.It takes time to get used to a place. You might think in the moment this isn’t the place for you, but it just takes time. Time helps and time will heal you. Take your time on wonder ful things in life — you don’t always know something will be wonderful when you start it, but time reveals.
Student Health Center has ap plied to obtain vaccine boosters and is working with local phar macies to hold a clinic.
When I moved into my dorm, I re alized I don’t even need to use nav igation to get around. I don’t need to search for a good lunch or coffee spot to stop by. I don’t have to won der where I will store all the clothes I brought. I know my way around the area and I remember how I organized my dorm room last year.
School of Law launched the series to enhance the diversity of speakers on campus. It will be at 12:40 p.m., in classroom D at the law school.
Therapy Dogs
You Had One [Parking] Job
University is watching monkeypox closely and talking to external experts. They are not aware of any cases on Pep perdine
Come
September 16, 2022 | NEWS | Pepperdine Graphic MediaA2
The current COVID-19 proto cols still include optional mask ing and testing, along with an isolation and quarantine pro
I did not expect this, but my soph omore year at Pepperdine feels differ ent than my first year.
editor
Photos by Abby Wilt, managing
UPCOMING EVENTS
briefingPRESIDENT’Srecap
Thetocol.
SeavercampusesDrive Seaver Drive 321
My first semester at Pepperdine wasn’t the best. I didn’t know why — until now. I didn’t just come to a new school and city, I came to a new continent, with a different way of life and different cultures. Living in the United States is significantly different than just Duringvisiting.mysummer vacation, I started worrying about whether my first semester would be tough again. To my surprise, there was no point in stressing about it.
fizz's of themonth
Caruso
anezka.liskova@pepperdine.eduEditor
When starting orientation week for the Graphic, I realized I don’t need to introduce myself to everyone. I don’t need to make a good first impression on my professors anymore. I don’t need to stress if people are going to like me or not. I don’t need to ask where the newsroom is. I know the people I am working with and I know my way around the CCB.
Student Activities invites families to journey to Malibu for a weekend dedicated to family. The weekend is action-packed and full of tradition. Oct. 14-16
Waves Weekend
Good News: Time will tell
When starting the first week of classes, I realized I don’t need to be stressed on what to bring to class. I don’t need to use the Pepperdine map. I don’t need to feel awkward walking around alone on campus. I don’t need to stand in the Starbucks line — I can just use my GrubHub app. I know the professors, my friends and the buildings on campus.
I went to the same school for 12 years before I went to Pepperdine. I was comfortable at my old school be cause I knew every student and teach er. I knew the campus and where ev ery class was, and I knew how to get around my home city — Prague.
Sept.
28 Mental Health Awareness Week Join the Pepperdine community for Mental Health Awareness Week. There will be 15-minute massage sessions, therapy puppies, raffle prizes and more. Oct. 3-7 Diversity Week Join us for a week of diversity and belonging events to celebrate and unite all of our diverse and unique students and staff. Oct. 10-14 09.08
Highlighting bad parking on Pepperdine’s campus
Dean's Speakers Series
Anezka Liskova News Assistant
to the Caruso School of Law front lawn for a much-needed study break with your friends the therapy dogs from noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 22 Seaver Drive
abby.wilt@pepperdine.edu
William McIlroy, Will’s friend and president of Sig Ep, said he would always go to Will in times of hardship, stress and pain, but also in times of joy and“Ivictory.remember telling him about receiving job o ers or personal records in the gym and his face replied with a genuine and vicarious smile,” McIlroy said. “You would have thought that he himself was receiving the accomplishment.”Another friend of Will’s, Neek Haadjapor, said Will’s presence was felt in every room in the most beautiful way possible.
“He told us that there were so many people by his side that they had to stand outside and listen through open windows because it created a fire hazard,” Leslie Noland said. “He felt the love and support for you all from the first days he was on campus, and when he struggled with sobriety you stood by his side and ours.”
“While I knew him, he got knocked down several times, but he got back up every single morning and wanted to succeed, give back to his family and live the life that he knew was possible,” Yuengert said.
From A1
Noland: A light to everyone who he met
Yuengert was Will’s Economics professor and said he developed a relationship with Will his senior year. Yuengert said Will’s humility, kindness, fighting spirit and courage was evident to Yuengert throughout their time together.
September 16, 2022 | NEWS | Pepperdine Graphic Media A3
“Will was a fighter,” professor Andy Yuengert said. “He wouldn’t do anything less than 100%.”
He would spend hours picking out the perfect gift to give to someone on a special occasion, Leslie Noland said, and would put time, e ort and intentionality into all of his relationships with“Heothers.took on the big brother role to a lot of di erent kids and people over the last 24 years,” Leslie Noland said.
Alex Consentino Will’s little
Photo courtesy of Sigma Phi
Whether through his journey with addiction, in the classroom or in life, friends and family said Will never gave up and could persevere through any challenge.
“The world is missing Will, and all the compassion he brought into our lives,” McIlroy said.
“I don’t know how he had the time to manage his job, his life and everyone else’s,” Consentino said. “He made it seem like he was just sitting there waiting for you.”
Epsilon
“I want people to talk about Will and talk about his journey and the fact that it wasn’t linear,” Leslie Noland said. “But he’s still this incredible, beautiful soul who brought so much joy to everybody around him.”
Will celebrated two years of sobriety during his sophomore year at Pepperdine and had a celebration with his Sig Ep brothers — something Will’s parents said made them realize Will was at home at Pepperdine
Will loved his Fantasy Football rosters, the Grateful Dead, painting, blasting music in the car, playing guitar and cheering on the New England Patriots, but most importantly, friends said he loved helping others and showing his parents, siblings, friends and brothers what they meant to him.
If we can all be a little more like Will, the world would be a better place.
Will was open about his struggles with addiction and was involved in the Alcoholics Anonymous group on campus and in Malibu. Often, he invited friends to go with him to AA meetings and advocated for support groups and resources.“Itdidn’t matter if you were a random person on the street, or one of his best friends, he just would tell you straight up,” Consentino said.
Even in the midst of school, work, Sig Ep and softball, Will had a way of making everyone around him know they mattered and was present in every conversation, Consentino said. At Will’s memorial, friends shared encouraging texts, letters and conversations they had with Will — each one showing Will’s selfless character.
Even in the midst of Will’s challenges, friends and family alike said he cared only about the people around him — never focusing on himself or how they could love him, but rather how he could love them.
“If we can all be a little bit more like Will, the world would be a better place,” Consentino said.
Letting Them Know How Much They’re Loved
“I had seen the display a few years and I didn’t know that it was the kind of thing that we could participate in,” Diehl said. “And it’s just so moving and so meaningful. That when they open it up to alumni, I wanted to be part of it to con tribute.”Putting the flags in the ground, Diehl said, is over whelming.“Wewere just saying we don’t know personally, anyone that died there,” Scheideman said. “But just the reaction of the country, you felt like we were unified and it’s sad to me how not unified we are now and so I was encouraged by what [a speaker at the event] said, may
Gaining an Understanding
Cadet Second Lieutenant Nicholas Patello said it is a yearly tradition for his National Guard unit to meet at Pepper dine for Waves of Flags.
who brought it to Pepperdine 14 years ago, with the help of Garcia.“Itfelt like as years went on, people became more compla cent with not feeling as prideful and as together as one family per se than we did after 9/11,” Sawtelle said. “And I thought if we could make a display that was going to bring that feeling back, that would be best.”
Pepperdine honors those lost on 9/11
“Every year it’s one year away from 9/11,” Patello said. “That’s another year that peo ple can forget about what hap pened, it’s another year of for getting those who passed away on that day that was very trag ic.”Patello said 9/11 is a time for people to put away differ ences and come together as a country.“Ifthere
“The beeps, I love the beeps,” Sawtelle said.
Sawtelle said he pitched the event in 2006 to former Pres ident Andrew K. Benton, and it took 18 months to fundraise and prepare. After the first year of the event Sawtelle gradu ated but gave the materials to Pepperdine, with the hope the school would continue the tra dition.The memory of 9/11 is in grained for everyone who wit nessed it, Sawtelle said.
On a cloudless Sept. 12, in Malibu, Pepperdine faculty, honored guests and students gathered in front of a display of flags to commemorate the 2,977 lives lost on 9/11.
As the group planted flags, cars whizzed past, honking their horns in appreciation.
“It’s more than just us, and it’s more than the raindrops hitting us,” Deng said. “This will pass and, if roles were re versed, I’m sure they would want to do this.”
Three days before the me morial service, there was a dif ferent scene on Alumni Park — under rain that came down in streams. Pepperdine students, faculty and alumni set up the display in the annual Waves of Flags event.
From the Start
Wanting to Contribute
“We’re never going to know them,” Bossler said. “We’re not going to know their backstory, or how important or why this is important to them, but it’s here forBosslerthem.” said he was in the first tower when it was hit on 9/11.“I get involved with this each year it helps me from a selfish point of view, it helps me to deal with this time,” Bossler said. “But I believe it also gives an opportunity for others. I know others that drive their families here and it’s a teachable moment for them and their children.”
was one person planting a flag could take for ever, but there’s hundreds of us here,” Patello said Waves of Flags, Patello said, is a reminder that those he lost are still here in spirit.
In the face of rain, Deng said everyone remained for set-up.
Jennifer Sanchez, who works for Pepperdine in investment management, said she chose to serve at Waves of Flags set-up because of her connection to 9/11.“A cousin who I’m very close to was in the middle of it all and actually missed be ing in the World Trade Center because he had a meeting offsite right next door,” Sanchez said. “I was terrified. And it’s very near and dear to my heart.”Sanchez said she talks with her seeingwhatofduringwhoandfriendsitary-connectedmilandfamily,hercousinMike,wasinNewYorkCity9/11,abouttheWavesFlagsevent.“Wetalkedaboutitandhehasdealtwithafterwhatheexperienced,”
Some of the 2,977 flags on Alumni Park representing the lives of those lost on Sept. 11, 2001. The Waves of Flags ceremony, held Sept. 12, honored their lives and those who survive them.
“It’s an important opportu nity for our community and for our country to remember the losses that we suffered on that day and to remember that we can’t take freedom for grant ed,” Gash said.
President Jim Gash honors Seaver alumni and Waves of Flags co-founders Chris Garcia and Ryan Sawtelle at the service.
Sanchez said. “It’s, it’s horrify ing, and to this day, it still af fects him and it’s just my way of letting him know how much he’s loved, and all the people that experienced it or lost their lives.”
Sammie Wuensche | Assistant Photo Editor
It’s an granted.can’trememberonthatrememberforcommunityopportunityimportantforourandourcountrytothelosseswesufferedthatdayandtothatwetakefreedomfor
Presidentsam.torre@pepperdine.edu
Each flag represents a life lost on 9/11 and correlates to the home countries of those who died. President Jim Gash, Chancellor Sara Jackson, Eric Leshinsky, director of Student Affairs, and the two students who started the flag display in 2008 spoke — alumni Chris Garcia (‘11) and founder Ryan Sawtelle (‘09).
Alumnus John Bossler (‘80) said he has come to the Waves of Flags event for the past six or seven years. The event is important for the Pepperdine community and the thousands of people that drive past the display, he said.
“I just spoke to an individ ual, she graduated in ‘93, she was there,” Sawtelle said. “She lives here but she was in Man hattan when it happened, and it’s the first time she’s come to volunteer. She put one flag and she was just bawling her eyes out and she couldn’t do it, just put up that one flag.”
Waves of Flags to remember the legacy of those that passed on “I9/11.don’t think it’s necessarily a time to be sad,” Deng said. “I feel like it’s more of a time to celebrate and still hold their life with value with a lot of power behind it, and putting up these flags, it’s a way of doing that.”
Alumna Kathy Diehl (‘80) said she has attended Waves of Flags for six years, and her sister Kelly Scheideman joined her this year.
Senior Majok Deng said despite the Men’s Basketball Team being too young to remember 9/11, they chose to participate in
“They’re not forgotten, and we wont, we wont,” Patel lo said. “Every year when we come here we remember all 2,977, I don’t think we’ll ever forget.”
Sammie Wuensche | Assistant Photo Editor
Though the idea of a flag display for 9/11 was not new, Sawtelle said he was the one
Jim Gash
Deng immigrated from South Sudan as a refugee in 2011, and became a U.S. citi zen. Deng said he learned more about 9/11 during his time at Pepperdine.“There’s a lot more to learn than just 9/11 happened,” Deng said. “Especially the people that put on [Waves of Flags]. They have a lot more to say, and I think hearing from them personally, would give you a little bit more of under standing of why these flags stand here.”
Every year, Sawtelle said he remembers how difficult it was to set up the first Waves of Flags“I’mdisplay.just happy that it’s continuing,” Sawtelle said. “I mean ultimately, I see these go up, I see all these guys out here putting them up and again, they weren’t even born. They don’t know what 9/11 was. I’m hoping they understand the significance of what they’re do ing.”
September 16, 2022 | NEWS | Pepperdine Graphic MediaA4
The Best Decision
be we can relate to one another and maybe this would help and people see this.”
Not Forgotten
Samantha Torre News Editor
Pepperdine’s Women’s Basketball team makes hygiene kits for unhoused individuals Sept. 10. They vol unteered for PATH on main campus.
Future of Service at Pepperdine
Román said this day of ser vice provides an introduction to different service experiences and a chance to see opportu nities in the Pepperdine and Malibu community. She said it raises awareness for nonprofit and public organizations.
how to incor porate service in small ways on an ongoing ba sis,” Román said.
A group of Pepperdine students gather at Mullin Town Square for lunch. They served with Days for Girls on Step Forward Day.
Walls said while her team set this up, she now knows who the leaders are to reach out to if she wants to participate in something like this.
The Pepperdine communi ty, including students, staff and alumni served for Step For ward Day on Sept. 10. The goal for Step Forward Day is for students to connect with their passions and serve throughout the year and beyond Pepper dine, Christin Shatzer Román said.During Pepperdine’s annual Step Forward Day on Sept. 10, students went beyond the Mal ibu campus to give back across Los Angeles. While they were in L.A., other students served on campus. In total, around 640 people took part in this day of service, said Christin Shatzer Román, director of community engagement and service.
Last year, junior Timothy Jackson volunteered at Our Military Kids and made gift bags for military kids. This year Jackson was a project leader for Project 43 — an organization that provides food security for
Senior Skylar Brown worked with Baby to Baby on Step Forward Day. She said al though she signed up late, she was happy could still volunteer for the organization she want ed.“I think it’s easy to get stuck in our routines and not real ly know what’s out there, so I think it’s important to go out and help the community and serve in any way possible,” Brown said.
“This is the opportunity to start the year in service, and then use the experience on Saturday as a way to consider
The Office of Community Engagement and Service is im plementing the Service Project calendar this fall semester, so students can continue to serve beyond Sept. 10, Román said. She said 60% of the dates are alreadyRománscheduled.saidthe same proj ects from Step Forward Day may be offered in the spring semester for students to par ticipate in or based on stu dents’ interests, the projects may change. She said her team would also check in with com munity“We’repartners.excited that Step Forward Day is the first invi tation but it’s not the only or last invitation to serve,” Román said.
Purpose of Step Forward Day
Román said this year stu dents worked with PATH in two different ways — assem bling hygiene kits for individ uals who are unhoused and volunteering at their locations where they set up apartments to welcome the individuals.
“Oftentimes it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that service is what we do with our left over time, but the idea that we have left over time is kind of a myth,” Román said. “There is no such thing as left
September 16, 2022 | NEWS | Pepperdine Graphic Media A5
Pepperdine Students Take Action
“I think it’s good for us to one, educate ourselves on this stuff, but also a time for us to work on ourselves as a team to do something where we can all work together to help someone else or for a bigger purpose other than just outside of our sport,” Walls said.
First-yearsaid.
Pepperdine students serve on Step Forward Day
roommates, Se drie Orantes and Britton Nich ols, volunteered for Hand in Hand together. They are both in different classes in the Social Action and Justice Colloqui um and heard of Step Forward Day from their professors.
Marly Walls, a graduate student at Pepperdine Grazia dio Business School earning a Master’s in Global Business, volunteered for PATH with the rest of her teammates from the basketball team, and made hy giene kits. She said it was her first time participating in Step Forward Day.
Tanya Yarian News Assistant
Chloe Chan | Staff Photographer
At 9 a.m., students gathered in the amphitheater and Olivia Robinson, assistant director of community engagement and service, welcomed volunteers.
Senior Mharie Brigham displays her sign for the Ventura County Rescue Mission at Step Forward Day.
Tanya Yarian | News Assistant
Some of Pepperdine’s sports teams served at the on-cam pus projects. This included the Women’s Swim and Dive Team and Women’s Basketball Team.
McLeay said she wants to continue participating in ser vice projects with her team throughout the year. She said their team captain, senior Bri Cannon, chose to serve with Days for Girls.
In prior years, it was not uncommon for many firstyear students to participate in Step Forward Day, and this year countless instructors en couraged students to sign up, Román
Chalak Richards, associate dean for Student Life, Diversi ty and Belonging at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, spoke about the purpose of service. Diamond Longs, administra tive assistant at the Hub for Spiritual Life, also read a poem titled, “When I Serve” before students headed out to volun teer at various organizations.
“There is this sense that service always has to involve sacrifice, so this idea of giv ing till it hurts or just serving out of sacrifice,” Román said. “And sometimes that is what the occasion calls for — some
Junior Annie Leow volun teered for Project 43. She said she participated in Step For ward Day this year because some of her friends in the Black Student Association were ask ing for more “[Service]volunteers.means taking time out of your daily life to do something that’s not for you even if it’s not what you want to be doing,” Leow said. “I think it’s worth it to do it.”
Members of the Women’s Swim and Dive Team volun teered for Days for Girls. First-
tanya.yarian@pepperdine.edu
over time, but there really are opportunities to incorporate service in small ways on a con sistent basis.”
During Step Forward Day in 2021, Román said non-prof it partners were still navi gating the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, so Pep perdine focused on on-cam pus projects. This year 75% of projects were off campus and 25% were on campus, Román said. Baby to Baby, People As sisting the Homeless (PATH) and Hand in Hand participat ed this Rományear.said she and Rob inson are thoughtful about the projects they choose, and each non-profit organization has credibility within the commu nity, is impactful or is a longterm partner of the University.
Tanya Yarian | News Assistant
Sports Team Volunteer Together to Give Back
the Black community.
“Our SAAJ program really pushed it and said it was like a great way to kind of see what we’re learning about in class and kind of see it out in the real world,” Nichols said. “Do the actual action part of social action and justice.”
times we are asked to step up and make choices that live out our values that may be costly to us.”Román said she encourages students to serve out of their strengths and passions. She said Pepperdine Alumni Af fairs also holds events around the country.
year Maddie McLeay said one of their team values is service. Volunteers for Days for Girls were tracing the inside of pads and cutting them out. The or ganization aims to spread men strual health and create safe and washable pads.
“Here in the U.S. it’s so easy to get access to things like this and I never have to think twice but for other people it’s not,” McLeay said. “I think it’s just been really like a unique expe rience to learn about that and also learn how to make a pad.”
experienced many memorable moments at the Malibu campus.
anezka.liskova@pepperdine.edu
consider doing YPN.
“The process of networking is a full circle and mentorship is crucial to growth,” Langley said. “And we want the next generation, you guys are go ing to be running chamber eventually. We’re like, ‘You know what, let’s help them, let’s really mentor and learn from each other and also learn from the youth,’ because you guys are so great at so many things and your take on these events are important.”
Pepperdine University is celebrating 50 years of opera tion on the Malibu campus this year.George Pepperdine found ed the University in South Los Angeles” in 1937, before it ex panded to Malibu in 1972.
Anezka Liskova | News Assistant Editor
“The small school allows you to really get to know many of yourTheclassmates.”Adamson family beach house was a key to the success of establishing a campus in Malibu, Jackson said. The Jack son family lived there through the 1970s where they hosted families who donated funds to construct buildings on the Malibu campus. These include Blanche Seaver, Leonard Fire stone, Beverly Stauffer and Tex and Flora “[They]Thorton.would come to the Adamson beach house for lunch or dinner, meet the ar chitect of the campus, look at the drawings and hear the vision cast for what this Uni versity could become,” Jackson said. “After the meal, guests would get into Jeeps and drive up onto the barren hills of the Malibu property to imagine the future of the campus.”
“I believe the world needs more Pepperdine — individ uals who are equipped with a world-class education and a heart to serve,” Jackson said.
Anezka Liskova News Assistant Editor
September 16, 2022 | NEWS | Pepperdine Graphic MediaA6
While on the Malibu cam pus, Gose said his favorite memories are teaching softball, starting the Great Books Col loquium and starting the Film major.“Ithink the sense of com munity is strong on Pepper dine’s campus,” Hansen said.
Senior Business major Vicenzo Sal vador said he believes making network ing accessible and engaging would be beneficial, and he would be interested in trying the free events prior to com mitting to the membership.
Events will occur one to two times a month, Langley said.
“We really think this is the future to engage the next generation and give them opportunities within our chamber to grow as leaders,” Wizner wrote.
Michael Gose, professor of Humanities and Teacher Edu cation, learned about Pepper dine in 1958 when his family moved to Buena Park, Calif. He earned his master’s degree in Religion on the L.A. campus and later became a professor in 1980. He experienced both of the campuses and said it was a dramatic change to go from L.A. to “You’veMalibu.gone from the most extreme urban situation to the most affluent, rural situation in one full swoop,” Gose said.
“I feel like one of Pepper dine’s strongest selling points is the proximity to the beach, and it definitely was one of my rea sons for coming to this school,” Hansen said. “I think if Pep perdine had stayed in L.A. the demographic for the students that would choose to come to Pepperdine would change. I don’t know if myself and many others would have chosen to attend if it wasn’t for the loca tion.”Over the course of the past 50 years, faculty said they have
Pepperdine campus originated in Los Angeles.
“Students should come to the first three YPN events free and when you love it you can get the membership,” LangleyYPN’ssaid.sign ups are located on their website. In addition to the website, there will be an Instagram linked to the Malibu Chamber of Commerce, in the near future, Wizner wrote.
The move to Malibu has only expanded the opportunity to impact the world, Chancel lor Sara Jackson said. Jackson started working at Pepperdine in 1979 as the director of Stu dentSheLife.said she remembers when she and her father used to ride horses on the prop erty when it was only dirt on the hills. He described to her where every building would be built, speaking about George Pepperdine’s dream, she said.
“Our goal of the committee is to en gage younger and aspiring professionals 18 to 40+ years old to the network via fun unique events (i.e. Casual Coffee, Soccer with a Pro Fifa player, game night, etc.),” wrote Chris Wizner, CEO and founder of Vivid Candi and presi dent and chairman of the Malibu Pacif ic Palisades Chamber of Commerce in an Aug. 29 email to the Graphic.
YPN has created a first ever student membership for only $99 a year, Wizner wrote. All business minded individuals above 18 years old are welcome to at tend these networking events.
“I would love to hear more about it and receive more information because it would be helpful for many students, not just Business majors,” junior Busi ness major Daniela Torrado wrote. “There is little action taken and getting the opportunity to connect with these business-minded peers while at the same time building a community would be Torradoamazing.”wrote YPN making the first three events free helps establish their credibility and would entice her to
Young professionals network in Malibu
“George Pepperdine’s dream was to establish a Christian college that equipped young people with an outstanding ed ucation and instilled in them Christian values,” Jackson said.
of the organization gather at Le Cafe de la Plage on Sept. 2. Young profes sionals networked and connected through their business ventures.
Sophomore Halia Han sen said she wasn’t aware the
Victoria La Ferla Staff Writer
Mary Elisabeth | Staff
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Howard Lim, Vivid Candi’s For tune 500 branding expert, taught an informative workshop. There are YPN Casual Coffee Meetups at Le Cafe de la Plage, paddle boarding and Malibu beach cleanups, Langley said.
years.Members
Jackson said he believes it is not only the beauty of Pep perdine’s campus and location that makes the University spe cial, but the people who serve the community and the ideals they all share.
Pepperdine’s Malibu campus turns 50
YPN is excited for students that are thinking about owning a business one day, especially business graduate stu dents to mentor and nurture, Langley said.
In March, Anita Hoffman, former COO of Vivid Candi and former hon orary board director of the Malibu Pa cific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, founded the Young Professionals Net work — an organization assisting busi ness-minded college students with net working.TheMalibu Chamber of Commerce sponsors all events and workshops, which are located in Malibu, Wizner wrote. YPN aims to help both Pepper dine undergraduates and Graziadio students, said Gabrielle Langley, Pep perdine alumna and committee chair woman of “WorkingYPN.with visionary people that are enthusiastic, and want to help oth ers, and bless others, and be success ful together,” Langley said. “It’s a very wonderful, supportive, exciting, joyful environment.”Inthepast, YPN events include playing soccer with Rodney Wallace, a professional Fifa soccer player, Lang ley said. YPN called the event, “Active With A Purpose,” which engaged busi ness-minded individuals with outdoor team-bonding soccer exercises.
“His vision has not wavered. In fact, it has defined the legacy of theTheschool.”Integrated Marketing Communication department produced a video telling the story of the Malibu campus, which will first show at Found er’s Day this year.
Future YPN events include finan cial literacy workshops, events at local restaurants, speed networking events and workshops at the Malibu Pier.
The expansive view from Pepperdine’s Heroes Garden in August displays the beauty of the Malibu cam pus, which has been the home of Pepperdine for 50
“I got to play intramural football and intramural softball [on the L.A. campus], and in those days, they would cover it in the Graphic so I still have the Graphic clippings of me playing football,” Gose said.
Langley said she joined YPN because it was a great networking opportunity and had many fun events. As chairwom an, hosting events participants want to attend is key, and she said she is open to suggestions to grow popularity.
“I believe a significant amount of students would be interested in this ini tiative,” Salvador said. “I think it is an excellent way to build connections be tween aspiring professionals and those who are already established.”
Seaver alumna Jessica Hooten Wil son (‘04) has written various books about the Great Books and Liberal Arts — now, she has a chance to weigh in on how Pepperdine students ap proach these subjects.
Hooten Wilson said she and the University discussed the Visiting Scholar position over summer 2022 when she interviewed for the position of the Endowed Chair of Great Books. Feltner said this marks the first time Seaver College appointed anyone into the Visiting Scholar role.
FeltnerHootensaid.Wilson founded the Liber ating Arts organization, to promote the liberal arts as tools of freedom, which the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities fund. Hooten Wilson speaks about why liberal arts matter in presentations across the world and trains teachers across the country.
“When Jessica took that class, and it’s almost 20 years ago, she was one of the standout students,” Contino said. “And it’s wonderful to be a teacher and now see your student becoming theContinoteacher.”said Hooten Wilson was a vital part of the class, in which stu dents read novels from Dostoevsky and Tolstoy and grappled with different “enduring” questions — such as life’s meaning.“Shewas a lively discussant, you know how great books classes are, you have to have someone who is engaged with the material,” Contino said. “And she was so engaged that she went on to study Russian and work on Dostoevsky in graduate school.”
Hooten Wilson will join the Pepper dine community as the Visiting Scholar of Liberal Arts, Dean of Seaver College Michael Feltner wrote in an Aug. 23 email to the Pepperdine community. A Visiting Scholar is someone who works for the University off-campus and in structs on scheduled visits to campus, while continuing their work outside of Pepperdine, Feltner said.
Hooten Wilson will not reside on campus, Feltner said, but will play a role in merging scholarship and stu dent activities, as well as aid the Uni versity externally through in-person visits and lectures.
have Hooten Wilson on to teach fulltime, Feltner said the the Visiting Scholar position was the first step in a long relationship with Hooten Wilson.
“I don’t think it was a conversation of we need this position now, as much as it’s a conversation of, ‘We’re looking at every way possible to enhance the academic and scholarly reputation of both Pepperdine and Seaver College,’”
In terms of curriculum, Feltner said as the new GE courses are fleshed out, the University will take Hooten Wil sons’ insights into account.
“She certainly won’t be a voice that is determinative of what that revised curriculum will be, that’s a decision for our faculty and our shared gover nance with faculty on curriculum,” Feltner said. “But I’m a firm believer that if you’re trying to make decisions, the more voices, the more input, the more varied perspectives you have in that process, you ultimately get a bet terHootenoutcome.”Wilson said she will meet with Associate Dean Paul Begin, the Center for Faith and Learning and Center of Teaching Excellence to find ways to serve the Great Books and Hu manities and Teacher Education divi sion. One area of study is incorporat ing more women into the Great Books curriculum.“I’mfinding all these women and I’m studying what they’ve offered the tradition,” Hooten Wilson said. “So even though they weren’t as influential as the men because they weren’t being uplifted by their time and place, their work is just as beautiful and good and should be passed down now that we’re aware of it.”
With two young children, Hooten Wilson said it did not make sense to move to California from Colorado, and this position allows her to serve the Pepperdine community while remain ing present in her children’s lives.
Alumna begins work as Visiting Scholar for Liberal Arts
Seaver alumna Jessica Hooten Wilson (‘04) sits with a variety of books. Hooten Wil son has written extensively on the topic of the liberal arts.
Samantha Torre News Editor
Photo courtesy of Jessica Hooten Wilson
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Additionally, Feltner said Hooten Wilson can support students’ research and discuss the advancement of liber al arts in Seaver’s curriculum with the faculty.“I’m hoping those discussions foster collaborations where Dr. Wilson and our faculty can engage in collaborative research on topics of mutual interest,” Feltner said. “She is a prolific author and speaker. Now when she is on the road, traveling and doing her work, she will carry a Pepperdine byline with her
Though the University could not
In today’s age of cell phones, Conti no said it is important to continue lib eral arts education. The Great Books major is evolving as universities incor porate works from more women and people of “Liberalcolor.arts liberate you from see ing learning as just this utilitarian thing where you just apply it instrumentally to something you’ve got to fix,” Con tino said. “It gives you a more free, contemplative sense that, ‘I can think about this problem, I can serve others, but not in a kind of easy calculative way, but in a more reflective way.’”
While Feltner said he does not see any immediate opportunities for add ing another visiting scholar, the Uni versity is not closing itself off to any opportunities. In the future, Feltner said there may be a possibility for Hoo ten Wilson to join as a full-time faculty member.“Wewill always keep our eyes and our ears open,” Feltner said. “As a community that’s dedicated itself to both learning and to improvement, you never want to adopt a posture where you’re unwilling to look for avenues to improve to engage with other learned individuals to enhance what we do.”
September 16, 2022 | NEWS | Pepperdine Graphic Media A7
“Jessica will be someone who’s scholarship in the liberal arts, who’s teaching in the liberal arts, whose pub lic presence in the liberal arts,” Feltner said. “It’s great for us to have a formal relationship with [her]. She will en hance our presence in both profession al and lay, or public, communities.”
“These are the tools that we use as Christians and as educators to under stand what it means to be a free soul,” Hooten Wilson said. “And so I am con tinuing the work that I’ve been doing with the liberating arts continuing the work that I do in Great Books educa tion more Thoughbroadly.”shewill not work on cam pus full-time, Feltner said Hooten Wil son will have regular visits to Malibu, where she can host lectures or present in classes. In the summer 2023 semes ter, Hooten Wilson will teach a sum mer class, living either on-campus or abroad.“Ithink what she is very skilled at is particularly in the area with Great Books, but she has an ability to dis till things to kind of their core essence and help make that meaning explicitly clear to students, but to do so in a way that it’s a discovery process for the stu dent, where the student is not a passive learner,” Feltner said.
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“If I can be someone who put all the great teaching scholarship that faculty do of Pepperdine and make sure that people are really aware of that amaz ing Christian liberal arts institution and the role that it’s playing in culture, that’d be great,” Hooten Wilson said. “I’d love to be a megaphone both for students and for faculty.”
will also, I think [that] will be of benefit to the HootenUniversity.”Wilson said two professors who impacted her scholarly journey in liberal arts are Great Books Professors Micheal Gose and Paul Contino. Gose taught Great Books three and four, and Contino taught Great Books five — Russian Novels.
Nationally, 21.7% of col lege students were Latino/a/x in 2019, according to the Post secondary National College Institute. Hispanic/Latino/a/x students make up 19% of the Pepperdine population accord ing to the fall 2021 enrollment census.Intercultural Affairs, Latinx Student Association and the University’s cultural events helped Isiordia feel more at home at Pepperdine, Isadora said.Isiordia said she talks about her family from Peru and Mex ico to hold onto her cultural identity.“When my grandma passed away I was like, ‘I want to keep her memory alive,’” Isiordia said. “Whether that be through food and like introducing my friends to Peruvian food, so I definitely think through vocal ization of my family’s history andIsiordiaculture.”said for Hispanic Heritage Month, she wants her non-Hispanic peers to listen to the stories of Hispanic stu dents around them. She wants her non-Hispanic peers to con sider how their journeys differ from a Hispanic student’s ex perience.“They don’t have to change their way of life,” Isadora said. “They don’t have to change anything about it, but I think listening is one very big step in order to changing the way that we accept diversity here on campus.”ForPepperdine as a whole to acknowledge Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting Hispanic members of faculty and staff would help provide a sense of unity on campus, Isa dora“Thatsaid.was just the first thing that came to mind because I think when I came I was like, ‘Are there Hispanic teachers here? Are there teachers who are from similar backgrounds as me?’” Isiordia said. “If they could just highlight those in
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A Major Presence
Over the course of the month, The Center for Glob al Partnerships and Learning will host the Latino Heritage Month Speaker series, with seven events ranging from a Panel Event on Sept. 19, to a Fireside Chat with Guest Speaker: Dr. Misty Resendez. Events will be held via Zoom and occur every three days to once a week.
“That’sstudent.definitely some thing interesting that I’d have to learn to navigate from a day to day basis, including in my senior year, what is grad school, how do I go about that?” Isiordia said. “I am very grateful for my background, but also it comes with some challenges just trying to figure out the college world.”
Students speak on Hispanic Heritage Month
As a History major, Isiordia said she understands the im portance of amplifying diverse voices.“It’s just so important to uplift those voices, even though we have a month it’s important to celebrate [beyond that],” Isiordia said. “And I think that the Latino community is one that has faced a lot of turmoil throughout the last few gener ations. And I feel like it’s im portant to recognize that we are a major presence, not just on Pepperdine campus, but in the United States.”
tivities.Asfor Pepperdine, Flores said the school can host more events, such as something sim ilar to the Global Market in the cafeteria with foods from different Hispanic cultures, or events discussing history to in form students about Hispanic heritage.“Iactually think it’s a form of appreciation,” Flores said. “Just appreciating the culture means a lot to me personally.”
“I also am actively trying to even learn more about Guate malan culture because I’m not born there,” Flores said. “The last time I visited was when I was probably 12 years old. So it’s been years. So I try to
Pepperdine’s libraries, alongside the Office of Com munity Belonging, created a resource list of books about Hispanic culture to com memorate Hispanic Heritage Month.
ContributionsRemembering
Nelly Figueroa-Herrera wearing a Huipil — a piece of traditional Guatemalan clothing, from Arguacatán. She said wearing traditional clothing is one of the ways she celebrates her culture.
“Theyfamily.had to work their way up little by little and make so many sacrifices and worked super hard,” Flores said. “And it’s really inspiring to see that and that inspiration that I have is not only just personal to me, I know there’s so many oth er Hispanics that also admire that type of inspiration from my parents or other family rel ative.”
dividuals who work here on campus, could be something to help promote the community.”
Sophomore Nelly Figueroa -Herrera said she is Guate malan American and both her parents were born in Guate mala. Figueroa-Herrera said she is excited when people ask her about her culture because it did not happen much before she came to Pepperdine.
“That starts to become a conversation where I’m able to talk about Guatemalan cul ture and Guatemalan food and traditions and the country so that’s how it plays into me as a student,” Flores said. “I love sharing about my culture, identity and ethnic identity to other people, just because I feel like there’s not many stu dents whose parents are from Guatemala or come from Gua temala.”Eating her favorite Guate malan foods, attending Easter parades and informing others are ways Flores said she cele brates her culture.
Isiordia is the Underclass men Liason for LSA, and is working to bridge the relation ship between first-year, trans fer students and upper-level students.“You’re looking at a student coming in and knowing that the population is predominate ly white,” Isiordia said. “I was very much nervous, and afraid that I needed to change myself and adopt a new culture, when in reality, my culture makes me so unique and different.”
“Hispanic identity should always be celebrated,” Isior dia said. “I think specifically during this month, it’s height ened celebration and appre ciation for our identities. And there’s so many different cul tures under the title of Hispan ic, which I think is so beautiful and so Hispanicwonderful.”refers to anyone from or descended from a Spanish-speaking country, but Latino/a/x refers to someone from or descended from a Lat in America country, accord ing to the Hispanic Network. All Latino/a/x are Hispanic, but not all Hispanics are Lati no/a/x.
How Pepperdine Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month, Figueroa-Herrera said, is a
“I feel like last year, there was no talk about Hispanic Heri tage Month,” Figueroa-Herre ra said. “I think I would kind of like it if there were more events around it. Which doesn’t nec essarily have to fall into just Pepperdine, but also LSA, having them speak out a little bit more about it, have more events on campus that are big ger.”Figueroa-Herrera said it can be easy to take Hispanic con tributions for granted, such as Captcha code, which Luis Von Ahn created, or Guillermo González Camarena and color T.V..“Without the contribu tions that have been made by Hispanic people or the inven tions created by people who are Hispanic, we wouldn’t be where we are today, at least not maybe as progressive, maybe we would have taken a little longer to figure things out,” Figueroa-Herrera said.
time to celebrate the contribu tions people who are Hispanic have all across the world.
To celebrate Hispanic Her itage Month, Flores said she calls attention to it through social media posts. Flores said for her, the month involves cel ebrating all Hispanic cultures, traditions, language, food, song and
A Chance for Conversation
Samantha Torre News Editor
ask my parents about modern Guatemalan culture.”
It’s just importantso to uplift those voices, even though we have a month it’s import ant to celebrate [beyond that].
Photo courtesy of Nelly Figueroa-Herrera
Pepperdine junior Diana Flores is Guatemalan, and said at Pepperdine, she can explain her culture to her peers.
Isiordia said both of her parents are immigrants — her mom from Peru and her dad from Mexico — which she said makes her a first-generation college student, as well as a Latinx
Pepperdine’s School of Pub lic Policy and Graduate School of Education and Psychology highlight programs and facul ty through Hispanic Heritage Month. Intercultural Affairs will also host workshops.
“Hispanicdance.Heritage Month is not only just about the super ficial things of like, the dance and the culture and all that,” Flores said. “But also learning about the history of Hispanics, and the huge things that have been accomplished by Hispan ics and celebrating that.”
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Flores said non-His panic students can be open to going to events, actively learn ing and taking part in the fes
Lisette Isiordia Senior
For senior Lisette Isiordia, amplifying her family’s story is a way to celebrate her heritage. Her story, as a first-generation student, is something Isiordia said is not typical to many Pep perdineIsiordiastudents.isaHispanic stu dent, and as Hispanic Heritage Month approaches, she and the Latinx Student Alliance are finding ways to celebrate their culture.Across the U.S., people celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. At Pepperdine, His panic students speak on the importance of the month and ways to share about Hispanic culture, beyond the month.
Both of Flores’ parents im migrated from Guatemala in the 1980s, and learned En glish while in America. Flores said something her family and culture instilled a hard work ethic in her. Flores said the cel ebration of Hispanic Heritage month should also extend to celebrating the average, dayto-day
In her time at Pepperdine, Figueroa-Herrera said her cul ture has not become any more or less important — she still commemorates it in a variety of ways.“Cooking traditional foods, speaking Spanish, I continue to speak the slang that we use in Guatemala,” Figueroa-Herrera said. “I think it’s very import ant. It’s really funny, I really enjoy it. I’m also wearing tradi tional clothing pieces, even like simple things like earrings.”
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Long-term solutions, such as the installation of air conditioning units in more suites or re-wiring thermostats to allow for a cooling setting, will greatly help students — especially as things promise to only get hotter in the com ing
As some room temperatures can reach over 80 degrees during high heat, many students leave their front door open to allow cool air to enter their liv ing space. With this comes unwelcome guests, like spiders, some students said.
Staff Ed: It’s getting (too) hot in
Some students have resorted to us ing several fans in their bedrooms and common spaces, but as temperatures rise throughout Southern California, students have reported trouble finding fans as stores are quickly selling out.
Desperate to feel cool, some stu dents have resorted to sleeping in air-conditioned common rooms where available.
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Freeze water bottles and put them inside of your blanket while sleeping. Take a cold shower before going to bed — lower your body temperature so it’s easier to fall asleep. Shut off lights when you do not need them, and open windows at night if possible. Head to the beach, or take a swim at Pepperdine’s pool during open swim hours. Try refreshing, noheat recipes such as salads and sandwiches to prevent hot air in the kitchens. Tips to stay cool 1 2 3 4 5
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From Aug. 31 to Sept. 9, tempera tures in Malibu rested high above the 90 degree mark, even hitting 100 degrees.Thetemperatures make it hard to concentrate, to sleep, to breathe and to eat — putting students’ grades and physical and mental health in jeopardy, according to the Boston University article.For students who live in apart ments such as Drescher, Lovernich and George Page, hot ovens and stoves used to cook exacerbate the problem. Fridges can overheat, spoiling food,
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which not only can make students sick — it also hurts their wallets.
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sun is shining, the birds are chirping and Pepperdine stu dents are once again suffering from the heat in residence halls that lack air Whileconditioning.collegesand universities historically have forgone AC, tempera tures both in and outside residence halls are heating up as climate change causes summers to exude blister ing heat for longer amounts of time, according to a recent Washington Post article.Nowhere is harder hit than the West — with temperatures increasing almost a full degree Fahrenheit over the national average, according to the Washington Post article.
Tlhe
Butyears.these solutions take time and money. In the meantime, Pepperdine should consider having facilities in spect dorm spaces on the hottest days to ensure the heat is not so high it will cause injuries and make sure a faulty thermostat or heating system is not adding to the problem.
Students have already started a pe tition for the University to implement AC in students’ living spaces. The petition has over 80 signatures with the goal of getting to 100 signatures from students.Additionally, these problems do not only affect on-campus residents, as some off-campus accommodations do not have air-conditioning, and students may need to turn off their air con ditioner to save the power-grid from blackouts.Risingtemperatures are dangerous — Pepperdine should take steps to protect students’ health, while students can try a variety of strategies to keep cool.
Pepperdine’s shuttles are air-con ditioned, but most shuttle stops are
exposed to the hot sun with little space to sit or find shade. This problem is es pecially concerning for those who live and park at Drescher and must decide whether to battle a hill in the heat or waitSomeoutside.students have more than themselves to worry about — emotion al support animals who, according to Pepperdine regulations, need to remain in the residence halls, are also at the mercy of rising temperatures.
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racial equity benefits from student loan forgiveness. Black students in the United States historically take on more college debt than white stu dents, according to Science.org. Thus, Biden’s student loan forgiveness provides more equitable support to Black students and families dealing with a higher stu dent loan debt burden.
As result of this policy, some individuals who have little hope of ever being able to pay off their student loans have a difficult time offloading them like they
Sixty-six percent of Black student borrowers left their college with debt, compared to 44% of white student borrowers. Four years after their college grad uation, the average Black student loan borrower owes $53,000 and the average white student loan borrower owes only $28,000, according to CNBC.
subsidized to eliminate excess waste from individually wrapped products, thus making them more affordable and accessible.Everyworkplace and school should also have mandated free products. We can write to our legislators through the 2019 Menstrual Equity For All Act.
Make feminine products more accessible
a society that over-stigmatizes menstruation, many of those who menstruate said they are left feeling anxious, vulnerable and fragile over something that is completely natural.
Allowing people to file for bankruptcy on student loan debt more easily would go a long way toward resolving the problem of excessive student loan debt, though to do so would require Congressional action — including 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a filibus ter.Greater reform requires Congressional action. As it stands, the process to file for bankruptcy on student loans is more complex than the process for other forms of debt, according to The New York Times.
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Germany, Norway, Iceland and Austria offer free undergraduate education to their nation’s students. The United States should follow a similar example and grant American students a free undergraduate public college education too.
Period poverty is nothing short of a global issue, according to UNICEF. This leads people to use rags or leaves as period products — or leads to severe depression, or causes people to skip meals or take medication to combat theirToperiod.endperiod poverty globally, we must first eliminate the tax on menstru al products. Period products should not be taxed Reusableeither.products should also be
Joshua Evans Staff Writer
Biden also announced a seventh moratorium on student loan repayment will be granted until Dec. 31. After that date, the loan moratorium period will come to an end.
This plan is a decent start at addressing existing racial and class inequities in the U.S. higher education system, but making loan forgiveness amounts higher and providing free public undergraduate university education like some European nations could further improve the plan.
in the United States on average owe 22% more stu dent loan debt than white women in the United States, according to CNBC.
Some specific organizations working to end period poverty include PERIOD — a charity sending menstrual products to those in need. This includes donat ing to over 350 organizations that ship products worldwide. They also work with the basic ethic that period rights are human rights, according to their website.“The menstrual movement is a youth-led movement, where we hope to amplify the voices of young activists in their efforts to make systematic change to combat period poverty,” PERIOD wrote on their website.
Period Equity is a U.S. legal cam paign to remove the tampon tax and fight for free and safe menstrual products, according to Periodequity. org. Those at Period Equity wrote they are working to fight against the issue
Other organizations, such as Days For Girls, created specific sustainable products people can use for several months. These products include the Days for Girls pad, which is washable and reusable. A care package the orga nization sends out to those in develop ing nations may also include underwear, soap and washcloths.
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One-third of people under the age of 25 struggle to afford period products, and it can cost upward of $6,000 to purchase these products in a lifetime, according to Citron. People with heavier periods require more products and can face a financial challenge because they are buying more than others. Those who attempt to use products longer than health officials advise can develop toxic shock syndrome, which according to Harvard, is a life-threatening infection.
ThereInstitute.arealso
The current plan cancels $10,000 in student loan debt for debtors who make less than $125,000 annually as an individual, or $250,000 a year per household. For those coming from low-income families who received Federal Pell grants, the plan erases $20,000 of their student loan debt, according to The New York Times.
Pepperdine students received news Aug. 22, when President Joe Biden announced a student loan forgiveness plan to help many individuals with student debt.
Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is a valid course of action to help families deal with rising costs given the uncertain state of the United States economy andTheinflation.United States announced Sept. 13, its Con sumer Price Index inflation rate is 8.3%, according to CNN.United States consumers face dramatic rising costs for groceries, such as a 47% increase in the price of eggs from 2021 to 2022, according to The New York Post. Granting student loan forgiveness will help fami lies afford to put food on the table, and it is an effective bolster for economic recovery, according to The Roos evelt
In an over-sexualized world, the stigma around periods can come from shame, miseducation and sexism. General global rates of poverty also contribute to period deprivation and the need for change — and worldwide empowerment.
would with other forms of debt, according to CNBC and The New York Times. This issue was particularly salient after the 2008 financial crisis, when some people striving to pay back student loans battled “a minimal standard of living,” according to The Educational Cred it Management Corporation.
In
Biden’s student loan plan falls short
To create more racial and socioeconomic class equity, the amount of student loan forgiveness should be increased. Additionally, free undergraduate public university education should be accessible to all people in the United States.
Research by Raphael Charron-Chenier and col leagues argues student loan forgiveness is a way to provide more economic relief to lower income minority individuals and their families. These researchers see student debt cancelation as a “pathway to racial equity.”
Over 22 million women in the U.S. alone are living in period poverty, lacking resources to receive menstrual hygiene products, according to Harvard Health. There is no one-size-fits-all cure to this issue, as it differs all over the world.While menstruating is an inevitable part of the human existence, hygiene products are considered a luxury. Those who are without a home or are incarcer ated are at a higher risk of not having adequate access to these products, Harvard Health wrote.
care about them if they don’t provide free period products in the bathrooms, according to Period.org.
While most of the problem lies in finding the resources, there is a larger financial issue. Food stamps and sub sidies under The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, help with purchasing groceries, but they do not include feminine products. Many countries outside of the U.S. face this issue more severely — such as Nepal, where they practice menstrual exile, and Venezuela, where the price of tampons increased by 1800% in 2016, according to Action Aid.In the U.S., 17 states have passed legislation to ensure students who menstruate have free access to period products while in school, according to Global Citizen. In fact, 57% of stu dents said they feel their school doesn’t
Forty-eight percent of Black students on average owe 12.5% more in student loans than they borrowed four years after their college graduation. While 29% of Black student loan holders have monthly loan pay ments of $350 or more, according to the Education DataFurther,Initiative.30% of Black families have student loan debt, compared to 20% of white families in the United States, according to Fortune Magazine. Black women
Autumn Hardwick | Assistant Art Editor
These patterns show a racial student loan debt gap incited by the racial wealth gap and economic inequali ty in“NoAmerica.progress has been made in reducing income and wealth inequalities between black and white house holds over the past 70 years,” wrote Moritz Kuhn after a data analysis of United States’ residents’ incomes and personal wealth in 2018.
Amber Shin | Staff Artist
so menstruation never poses a barrier to civic engagement and democratic participation.Theshame surrounding periods is contributing to the financial and physical distress of the reproduction cycle, and the stigma is even greater for transgender individuals who menstru ate, according to Period Equity.
Of American college seniors who graduate from private nonprofit or public colleges, 62% have student loan debt, according to a 2019 study by The Institute for College Access and Success. On average, these stu dents graduate with $29,200 in student loans, accord ing the same study.
Some
Everyone can have fun in their own way
When we have fun, our brains release a chemical called dopamine, according to Harvard Health. Other experiences and substances promote dopamine release too, though. Drugs release dopamine, and its reinforcing effects can further that drug use due to its association with pleasure, according to Jama Similarly,Neurology.therush of adrenaline
B
“CUFF IT” is disco funk galore, articulating what a glorious dance party feels like. This song effortlessly transitions into a blend of Afro-funk in “ENERGY” that abruptly teleports you into the Queen’s eighth number one song, “BREAK MYThisSOUL.”track of piano and synth-heavy ecstasy puts selflove at the focal point and calls on us to release the love; a message that Beyoncé is no stranger to. Yet, what makes these tracks and the album so incomparable is how new of a sound this is for an artist like Bey. Dance is coming back, and she is leading that narrativeBeyoncéforward.fallsinto a sultry R&B tune with “PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA.” Her sensuality graces us with a backdrop of funk and a blissful bass that caresses our ears. The track transitions into another where the disco dance has no end with
bathrooms, so I withdrew even more. At that moment, I thought I was be coming less and less fun by the second. Thankfully, I never sacrificed my mor als or happiness to be fun, but I know so many people who did.
There are much healthier ways to have fun.
eyoncé released her eighth studio “Renaissance,”album,onJuly
Beyonc é is at the height of her reign
liza.esquibias@pepperdine.edu
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The track that deserves significant spotlight, “ALIEN SUPERSTAR,” features a more unique sound for Beyoncé that leaves me at a loss for words. The vocal layering and outrageous lyricism makes Beyoncé’s personality shine in this song. Yet, “Renaissance” is only shifting into groove.
Beyoncé, with the help from a team of fantastic artists, created nothing less than a masterpiece for the masses. anwasmagnumcareer,Twenty-fiveeachareofmultidimensionalTheexpressiongenreandmusicalsoundthoroughlyinvestigatedinofthe16tracks.ThisisBeyatherbest.yearsintohershecreatedheropus—sayingitsimplyuniqueisalmostunderstatement.Itwas
29."The Queen" artistically blends classic and modern genres like R&B, trap, Afrobeats, disco, funk and house to truly sculpt a masterful album that does the title justice. “Renaissance” is a symbol of the revival of the past to push the future of musicThisfurther.record is eclectic and pure dance with the fullest intention to “bring the life” within our bodies as she ends with in her track “CHURCH GIRL.” Overall, this album showcases Bey at the height of her Beyoncéreign.opens the record with “I’M THAT GIRL,” which was a tasteful introduction for the freshly 41-year-old icon. This track is a slow burn that eases into pure confidence layered in a sample that repeats, “these motherf---ers ain’t stopping me.” Where Queen Bey opened her previous albums with masterpiece.andtheballadappropriate-popbubbly-radio-orslowbeats,shecameintostudiounstoppablepreparedtocreatea
Vivian Hsia | Art ivan.manriquez@pepperdine.eduEditor
the electric bounce that is “Renaissance” — but if you are anything like me, you would start the album again.
Amber Shin | Staff Artist
People I previously viewed as “fun” began sneaking out of their houses in the middle of the night and ex perimenting with drugs in the school
Iused
Ivan Manriquez Staff Writer
some get from sneaking out, loud mu sic or taking risks transforms into do pamine, Harmonyplace wrote. Much of the time, adrenaline rushes result in a crash of stress hormones.
the time I thought so, and I felt guilty for not giving my friends the party they deserved even though it was supposed to be about my own idea of fun.For so long, I felt like I had to choose between what I truly enjoyed and what those around me viewed as fun. Then, as I approached my later teen years, I noticed I was having to choose between my personal morals and what was viewed as fun.
The point of fun is that it is not serious. We all need to start search ing for joy, excitement and happiness because those are the things that make “fun.”
ultimately a true revival of sound, since disco and house was so heavily infused within eachThetrack.album serves as an ultimate acknowledgment of the past. Beyoncé showed us the groove she has learned from music's history through “Renaissance,” which we can now introduce as a spectacular musical release that will keep us dancing for years to come.
“VIRGO’S GROOVE" — a song that is nothing short of a euphoricAfro-beatsride.clear the air of disco with “MOVE.” This song slides into an impressive change as The Queen begins to feel herself a little more, igniting into a fiery dance as she bridges the immaculate track with, “Find me, I don't need to call him … Give me a little fire / Give me a little flame, yeah.” Take notes — this is Beyoncé becoming an Afro-beat dance completelybeggingdisappear,TheawaytriumphantsoundstheThegreatringsletterperfectRENAISSANCE”greatbrilliant“HONEY”aandrapidlynot“HEATED”Beyoncé’strack“PURE/HONEY”legend.isathatintroducesustoBallroom,sincewasthankfullyenough.Thetrackshiftsfromdarkrestrained“PURE"tofloweryelegantsoulridethatendswithasamplefromthelate,dragqueenMoiRenee.“SUMMERisthewaytoendalovetothepastandtrulyinarenaissanceofmusicgoingforward.vocalsamplefromlateDonnaSummerspine-tinglingandasshefluttersoff-keyintothesong.mellowsynthsalsoleavingyouformoredance,butsatisfiedwith
These examples can explain why certain things are thought of as fun for some people and not fun for others. It also demonstrates the dangers of fol lowing things that are only stereotypi cally fun. The rush of dopamine often leads to addictive behavior, which is where the stereotype of “fun” becomes associated with what people might view as dangerous.
I used to worry because I often stayed in on Friday night doing home work. I was the opposite of fun. I had a brunch with my friends for my Sweet 16 instead of an extravagant party, so did that mean I was not a fun friend? At
So, am I saying we should all stop having fun? No. But we — and I — need to recognize that fun is not always had in the same ways as it is for everyone else. My idea of fun sometimes means staying out late with friends, but other times cooking dinner at home is just as — or even more — exciting to me.
to think I wasn’t fun. In fact, in middle and high school, I surrendered to the idea that I was pretty boring. Then, one day, I realized fun is whatever makes me smile, brings joy to my life and fills me with excitement — even if the things I view as fun very well might have the opposite effect on someone else.Growing up, I was the type of kid who hated sleepovers, never danced at school dances, spent my weekend nights at home after a long week at school and preferred going to con certs with my mom over friends — all things my peers deemed as boring. While some of this has changed as I have gotten older, I do not think I have become any more or less fun. Rather, with these changes I have realized that “fun” is a subjective term. No single definition of what is fun and what isn’t is correct.Theword “fun” has long been used to measure a person’s or an experi ence’s value — the more you chase stereotypically fun things, the more fun you are as a person.
Liza Esquibias DEI Editor
EditorSeptember
Why would someone want to go to Alfred’s for a smaller breakfast burrito when they could get a bigger one at Howdy’s for the same price? The same goes for the coffee — why go to Alfred’s for a mediocre cup of Joe when you could go right across the street and get an even yummier cup at Blue Bottle?
It’s common for people to compare prayer to a phone call, but I like to think God is always right there next to me to.
Maybelatte.my
Lyda duPerier
abby.wilt@pepperdine.edu
Lydia duPerier Perspectives
Usuallyarticle.when I cannot figure out why I feel upset, I will pray to God, talk to Him about what I am feeling and ask for guidance. Prayer makes me feel relieved and can target the cause of my emotions.
At Alfred’s, the baristas craft a perfect iced almond milk latte for me every time — mixing the right amount of milk with coffee and vanilla fla voring. The names might not be as fancy as Blue Bottle’s, but I think the coffee tastes much better and is worth my money.
Honestly, my latte tasted like milk with a dash of coffee. It was nothing special at all.
It can be helpful to begin your prayer with meditation. Start by settling your mind and focusing on yourself and your emotions. Once you feel you have re laxed and opened your mind, begin com municating with God through prayer.
For starters, I really do prefer the actual taste of the coffee. While I wouldn’t consider myself a coffee connoisseur, I do notice when my coffee isn’t up to par.
Plrayer.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the Bible says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus forGodyou.”is omnipresent and omniscient, which means He is everywhere at once and all-knowing, according to the Gos pel Coalition. Because of this, we are in constant communication with God. There isn’t a need to be alone or
com.People often think of prayer as some thing that has a beginning and an end. The Bible and I would argue otherwise. I believe prayer is a continuous act between you and God that unites you spiritually.
While I understand Alfred Coffee might be seen as just another coffee shop, I really do think it has the best options for a quick, quality coffee, alongside a good sandwich, for an affordable price.
Alfred’s is also very convenient. First, I can order it on the app, which I like, and once I get there, there is a whole parking lot right by Alfred’s that is typically empty. I can pull right in, pick up my coffee and stay a while or head right back out with a quality cup of coffee in hand.
necessarily have a reason to pray. I am constantly asking, thanking and talking to God throughout my day.
In many ways, prayer is similar to meditation. While meditation does not always involve communication with a higher power, it is a way to settle your
When I pray, I feel a sense of comfort — like I’m talking to a friend, but better.
thoughts and internalizing them.
In addition, Alfred’s is located right in the main part of the Country Mart, so I can take my coffee and go shop around at the many stores, or I can just sit in the nice seating Alfred’s has right outside with my favorite lights hanging above me.
Pray or meditate to ease your mind
Photos by Abby Wilt | Managing Editor
Prayer and Meditation
surprise, it became my new favorite coffee shop. I like the atmosphere, the location and the actual coffee more than anywhere else in the Country Mart.
lydia.duperier@pepperdine.edu
Rant Alfred Coffee
first heard about Alfred Coffee through the many influencers and celebrities who posted photos on Instagram with the famous antler “A” logo all over their coffee cups.As a coffee lover, I was excited to hear Alfred’s was coming to Malibu and had to try this highly favored coffee shop.
expectations were too high from all the media hype, but I wasn’t “wowed” like my opponent was by her first sip of Alfred ConsideringCoffee.Alfred’s prides themselves in their vanilla syrup, I was expecting the vanilla to have the best flavor ever — but I could barely even taste it.
Anytime
Abby Wilt Managing Editor
Photo Illustrations by Vivian Hsia | Art Editor
thoughts and quiet the mind.
Practicing meditation and prayer together, or separately, can help reduce stress and anxiety and overall benefit your well-being, according to an Associa tion for Psychological Science article.
I
Prayer is “a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession,” according to Dictionary.
In addition to the not-so-great coffee and expensive burritos, I feel like Alfred’s is stepping on the territory of classic Malibu favorites like Blue Bottle and Howdy’s.
lydia.duperier@pepperdine.edu Create your own routine of mindfulness by Godconnectedtoormeditation,practicingprayerthetwocombinedhelpyoustaytoyourselforboth.
Meditation stems from practices in Hinduism and Buddhism and is still frequently used in these religions, as well as many others.
The main difference between prayer and meditation is that prayer focuses outward, and meditation focuses inward. In other words, prayer is a conversation — a cycle of asking and thanksgiving. Meditation is the action of focusing
All in all, I think Alfred Coffee is over hyped and should be left for the influencers to enjoy. Hopefully other Malibu locals and I will stick to Blue Bottle.
For those who do not pray to God like I do, meditation can be used as an alternative way to find peace.
Prayer can offer peace of mind and can help people put their emotions into words, according to a NewSpring Church
Combining meditation and prayer has helped me feel more grounded and spir itually connected to God. Create your own routine of mindfulness by practicing meditation, prayer or the two combined to help you stay connected to yourself, God or both.
Lydia duPerier Perspectives Editor
That excitement quickly ended when I took my first sip of their “world famous” iced vanilla
Rave
Why I Pray
Alfred’s has a variety of items on their menu — one of which is a breakfast burrito — ranging from $10 to $12, which is expen sive considering their small size.
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I hear of a new coffee shop in town, I run to try it. With the hype around lAlfred Coffee coming to the Country Mart, I knew I needed to get there as soon as I could.Tomy
Second, I like the atmosphere of Alfred’s. It has upbeat music, colors on the walls and overall has a lot of excitement to it. Some coffee shops are more relaxing, but clearly if I am going some where to get coffee, I need an upbeat vibe to wake me up, rather than a vibe that will contrast my coffee intake and put me right back to sleep.
One of my favorite parts of Alfred’s is they also have food I like. The Alfred’s breakfast burrito fills me up and tastes good.
It’s more than just folding your hands, closing your eyes and thinking — it’s a conversation.
Perspectives Editor
to improve cognitive perfor mance.”Inaddition to processing speed and memory, Walters said certain types of music, such as classical music, help with sleep quality. Other types of music, such as up-tempo, heart-pumping songs, can im prove motivation, and instru mental music can improve per formance.“Stranger Things” shows music’s power on its characters through the breaking of Vec na’s curse. The benefits of mu sic are far from fictional, and its effects on the brain extend into multiple areas: mood, memory, emotional release and agen cy. Therefore, there are many ways one can channel their in ner Max and take advantage of all kinds of music.
Below is a list of songs that students said would save them from the Upside Down.
‘Running Up That Hill’: How music affects the brain
Vivian Hsia | Art Editor
Milena D’Andrea Staff Writer
milena.dandrea@pepperdine.eduEditor
“Music is so cathartic in a way that it can help express certain types of negative or positive emotion, in a way that is shared,” Tang said. “Music removes a lot of barriers and misunderstandings between people.”Music impacts the individu al on a personal level through the altering of one’s mood, said Ryan Board, professor of music history and director of choral activities. He said music has been influential for centu ries, and certain sounds and rhythms can emulate specific emotions.“Wehave known for a long, long time that music affects mood,” Board said. “Even in Christian history, the church has sort of had a love-hate re lationship with music because they understood it was incredi blyBecausepowerful.”music affects mood so much, people in the early Roman Catholic church wor ried that music used for evil would be detrimental to a per son’s mind. However, when used for good, they believed music would elevate a person to the highest spiritual level, Board said. So, the church at tempted to define what kinds of notes make “pleasant” and “nice”
Beyond the benefits of mu sic making, Tang said music consumption has emotional and social benefits.
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“Your heartbeat increases, you can become agitated, or you can become excited. It has this incredible power over us.”
Music not only improves mood through emotional re lease but also boosts the brain’s performance, said Gloria Wal ters, a licensed psychologist and therapist at the Counseling Center.“I’ve seen research around older adults, and what that showed was, if they listened to up-tempo music, it improved their processing speed, and if they listened to slower music, it tended to help improve their memory,” Walters said. “Music scientifically has been proven
Deal With God)” by Kate Bush. The show skyrocketed Bush’s 1985 song to the top of the Billboard Global 200 chart this“Itsummer.[music] allows students to have agency, and I learned quickly that in a group of musi cians, when members are given agency, the sense of belonging is highly increased,” Tang said.
jor, minor, Dorian, Mixolydian and Lydian. These modes each produce distinct sounds that portray a certain feeling to the listener. Even now, these fun damental music theory ideas are used in music-making, Board“Today,said. the majority of the music we listen to is in major and minor, the two most pop ular modes,” Board said. “A lot of your sad songs, your love ballads, your breakup songs, those kinds of things are in mi nor keys. Whereas, a lot of your upbeat, uptempo, happy songs are in major keys.”
For those looking to learn more on the subject, Board said he recommends the book, “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain” by neurologist Oliver Sacks, for an explora tion of music’s mental effects.
“He [Sacks] talks a lot about how, when you’re listening to music, it activates certain parts of the brain,” Board said. “Then, as soon as you’re en gaged in the actual process of making it, it crosses all the dif ferent hemispheres and parts of the brain. It’s hard to find that activity level in just about anything else.”
“Stranger Things” season 4 features a large soundtrack with many ‘80s hits, such as “Running Up That Hill (A
The newest season of the series displays the transforma tive effects of music on the psy che. “Stranger Things” show runners, the Duffer brothers, tasked the series’ music super visor, Nora Felder, with finding a song that “resonated with the intense, wide-ranging emotion al experiences Max was under going,” according to a Variety article. Felder settled on “Run ning Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” for its deep-sounding chords and interpretive lyrics. She understood the words to be a “desperate cry of love” in Max’s painful loneliness, fol lowing the loss of her brother, Billy.Music has an undeniably powerful impact, said Pierre Tang, music professor and di rector of instrumental ensem bles. Tang teaches a first-year seminar called “Performing and Consuming Music Togeth er.” He said music is a way to bring people of all backgrounds together.“Especially in American culture, where there is a high degree of individualism, it is more likely for American adults to experience loneliness as compared to other places,” TangAftersaid.recognizing this issue of loneliness in American cul ture, Tang decided to look for solutions and found that mu sic as a means for community building is extremely effective. Tang said those who are not musicians themselves can still participate in the industry. For example, a language student could help with pronuncia tions, or a marketing student could design social media ad vertising for a concert.
Autumn Hardwick | Assistant Art
“Earlysounds.on they said it’s things that are consonant, like a fourth or a fifth on the piano or an octave. It is the idea that when you have proportional relationships in the vibrations, that, somehow, hits the ears and makes a person go, ‘That’s nice,’” Board said.
The church created the idea of musical modes, such as ma
Along with the modes used in music, rhythm and tempo play just as big of a role in the mood a song can create, Board said. In addition, listening to a pounding bass or a smooth pulse has subconscious effects on the Musicbody.stimulates the brain in relation to tempo. Slow mu sic is seen to relax the body, whereas faster rhythms can in crease ventilation, blood pres sure, heart rate, mid cerebral artery flow velocity and baro reflex, according to research in the National Library of Med icine.“It affects your physiology and your psyche,” Board said.
In “Stranger Things” season 4, episode 6, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield who escapes the Upside Down through the use of her favorite song, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” by Kate Bush.
The International Ambassa dors are a group of highly ded icated students who have previ ously studied abroad and act as valuable resources for prospec tive students to learn about the different programs, according to the IP Ambassador website.
Senior Autumn Johnson was drawn to Heidelberg by the small-town life and nature-rich environment. Johnson said Heidelberg is the closest you can get to Hogwarts.
RJ WashingtonWicks: D.C. Ambassador
Lauren Goldblum | Life & Arts Assistant
Each of the six internation al programs provides students with opportunities to gain crit ical skills in their career field, engage in rich cultures and develop new life perspectives from across the globe.
network of dedicated students seeking to create change in the world and foster a sense of community between cultures, according to their mission statement.“We[Global Fellows] really want to find people who want to change the world, as cheesy as that may sound,” Davis said. “If people are driven by social change and are really passion ate about learning different perspectives and cultures, we really want to appeal to them,”
“I didn’t speak the language, and it was very scary, but I proved to myself that I could do it,” Johnson said.
Autumn HeidelbergJohnson:Ambassador
Drew SwitzerlandNelson:Ambassador
In this program, Davis said students take classes that pro mote a global view, as well as hands-on work experience. For Davis, this meant internships with the United States Agen cy for International Develop ment, Department of Defense and a climate summit mission in Vienna, Austria. Following her positive experiences as a Global Fellow and studying abroad in D.C., Davis said she is looking forward to helping future students reach their full potential through the Global Fellows Program.
Inspired by the time he
Lauren Goldblum Life & Arts Assistant
Emme BuenosPhillips:AiresAmbassador
During her three years at Pepperdine, senior Charlotte Davis said she gained invalu able experience through her role in the Global Fellows Program. The program is a
With a passion for travel, ju nior RJ Wicks said he studied in D.C., London and Fiji all by his junior year. Wicks spent his time in D.C. exploring the east coast and taking trips to Mary land, Virginia and New York. In addition to traveling, Wicks said students can look forward to the countless networking opportunities available within D.C..“Ithink the best part of the program students can look forward to is internships, as well as possibly going abroad the next semester or semester before with D.C. plus,” Wicks said.Recognizing studying abroad can often appear intim idating, Wicks said he is ready to connect with students and support them in whatever ways they
spent in Switzerland, junior Drew Nelson took on the role of the Switzerland ambassador. Nelson said he is eager to share in the excitement of students as they make their travel plans and connect with them over coffee or during office hours.
Phillips said the BA pro gram is unique for several reasons; students have the ad vantage of both city living and easy access to nature — creat ing what she said was the best of both worlds. In addition, the homestay program offers stu dents a personal cultural ex perience, unlike any other IP program.“Being in the homestay pro gram is so nice because it does really enrich your experience just being able to talk to a local and creating this connection with someone in a different country,” Phillips said.
“Just be yourself; you don’t have to sound like the ideal candidate,” Tadros said.
IP ambassadors step into new roles
“I think this is cliché, but it shows that dreams can come true if you make the point and make the effort,” Gonzales said.Gonzales said she encour ages students to embrace ev ery single moment during their time abroad and to leave with zero regrets.
Editor’s note: Beth Gonzales is the Life and Arts editor for the Graphic
Even now, Phillips said she and her “Madre” still keep in touch often. Phillips recom mends future students rely on their peers through the process of living abroad and supporting each other on their journeys.
The new IP ambassadors pose in various locations around the world during their time spent abroad. They shared their experiences abroad to provide insight for upcoming IP applicants.
Davis said.
September 16, 2022 | LIFE & ARTS | Pepperdine Graphic MediaB2
Beth LondonGonzales:Ambassador
During a typical week, the ambassadors hold office hours in the IP office, advocate for the programs by planning events and support students with any questions or concerns they might have.
Inspired by her interactions
Asneed.the application priori ty deadline is Sept. 26, the IP ambassador team is preparing to help students as they make their program decisions. The ambassador team said students interested in studying abroad are encouraged to reach out to them through email or during their IP office hours.
Charlotte Davis: Global Fellows Ambassador
After spending her sopho more year abroad in London, Hoy said she is excited to lead this year’s ambassador team. Her role allows her to work closely with IP professors and faculty to organize and sched ule important events while ad vocating for the London pro gram, she said.
After applying to Pepper dine with the hope of becoming part of the abroad community, she said she spent her junior year traveling solo to Matter horn where she made lasting connections with locals and learned more about who she is as an individual.
Studying abroad at Pepper dine offers students the expe rience of a lifetime - often one that cannot be put into words, many of the international am bassadors said.
Jacey Hoy: Lead Ambassador
“Honestly, it’s the little things that made such a big dif ference and impact on my life,” NelsonLocatedsaid.near Lake Gene va and the Swiss Alps, Nelson said the highlights of his time abroad included skiing in the French Alps and a trip to Mu nich to visit the Hofbräuhaus. He also said they had access to excellent transportation sys tems.“It’s really a cool program if you’re trying to explore a lot of different countries,” Nelson said.After purchasing the d’Hauteville estate in 2019 and undergoing major renovations, Pepperdine’s Switzerland pro gram will change locations from Lausanne to Hauteville beginning in fall 2023, accord ing to an Oct. 28, 2020 article by the Graphic. The new cam pus, Château d’Hauteville, will be based in the central west ern part of Switzerland, giving students access to both city life and outdoor recreation, according to the Switzerland Program page.
Hoy said two of her favor ite memories from her time in London included visiting Greece and attending an edu cational field trip to Northern Ireland with her Arabic profes sor. She spent her time taking trips along the coast, studying Arabic and learning Greek dancing.Educational field trips are a special part of studying abroad, where students participate in a faculty-planned trip each se mester that counts as a week of classes, according to the Seaver Blog.Hoy said London is a “melt ing pot” of unique cultures, and she urges future students to cultivate an appreciation for the diversity of languages and food.“I don’t think I can put that experience into words, and I think that’s a common theme with abroad,” Hoy said.
Melanie FlorenceTadros:Ambassador
Not wanting to say goodbye to her time abroad in Italy, se nior Melanie Tadros said she decided to continue her role in the IP community through the position of Florence ambassa dor.“Traveling in such a tightknit group, we all got close so fast, and getting to experience things together and meet new people was so much fun,” Tad rosAssaid.part of the program, she said she was able to travel to multiple different countries,
Junior Beth Gonzales said she dreamt of visiting London since her childhood, and the University’s International Pro grams were one of the main reasons she chose to attend Pepperdine.Gonzales said London has something to offer every stu dent, whether that be music, sports or history. As a huge One Direction fan, Gonzales said one of her favorite memo ries abroad was visiting Holmes Chapel, Cheshire — the home town of Harry Styles.
with the Buenos Aires am bassador her first year, senior Emme Phillips said she spent her junior year in Argentina — backpacking through Patago nia and improving her Spanish.
lauren.goldblum@pepperdine.edu
With the start of a new school year, the International Programs office said they are eager to welcome a new team of ambassadors to support and guide students during their abroad experience.
immersing herself in a diversi ty of cultures. By the end, she became part of a closely-knit community with her fellow abroadTadrosstudents.saidstudents apply ing to the Florence program can look forward to being stationed in the heart of the city proximal to the famous Florence Duomo and eating endless amounts of pizza and pasta. Tadros advises students to learn about the different programs and be true to who they are as individuals during the application process — to demonstrate the unique quali ties they bring to the programs.
“We get to decide for our selves how we want our college experience to look,” Sandoval said. “I think that’s one of the positive outlooks that I think of. It’s my journey, and I get to define what that looks like.”
special it is for Classic Albums Live to be able to perform The Beatles’ music live.“‘Let It Be’ is the sound of the ‘70s,” Martin wrote. “It is the beginning of a lot of change and lots of history for The Beatles. It was near the end of their col lective journey, but they were still shar ing and caring for one another.”
“We’re not educated on that topic in regard to loans, as well as where to even research, or scholarships, or how to even get in touch with professors or even talk to individuals that could possibly help connect you to be successful in your ca reer,” Sandoval said Pepperdine offers cer tain resources geared toward first-generation students, in cluding the “I’m First” scholar ship. Additionally, Pepperdine has two main organizations to help first-generation students find community and connec tions for their success — the First Wave Program and the First-GenSandovalClub.said the First-Gen Club’s goals are to connect with students, get them in volved and create a comfort able place with people who un derstand the struggles of being a first-generation student, giv ing them a sense of belonging to Pepperdine.“Weareplanning on having
Maya Chilton performed on stage with Classic Albums Live on Sept. 8. She played violin for portions of the show.
At the end of “Day in the Life,” all nine members froze still in action on stage, reminiscent of the mannequin challenge. They then played the final song “Twist and Shout,” where the au dience stood up and danced for the first time in the show.
When providing advice for first-generation students, Crandall emphasized the im portance of branching out to build community and creating connections.Salidosaid she agrees that finding community is import ant to combat feelings of lone liness by pursuing activities and organizations that spark passions and interests.
Classic Albums Live combined both a symphonic and rock band concert into one by showcasing a wide variety of instruments.Martinsaid the group doesn’t focus on wardrobe for performances, so the music stands out the most.
they sang along.
“We’re alone,” Salido said. “We’re like trailblazers on our own trying to find ourselves and constantly learn how to navigate through life, also try ing to survive college and do ourThebest.”families of first-gener ation students play a key role
“I got to show my grandma the Pepperdine campus this summer, which was very spe cial,” Garcia said. “I knew that she was really proud to be able to tell her friends and fami ly, ‘This is where Nicolette is studying.’”Marquette University de fines first-generation students as those whose parents have not graduated from a fouryear collegiate institution; they comprise 18% of the Pepper dine Seaver population, ac cording to Pepperdine’s web site. Kambria Salido is the co-president of the Pepperdine First-Gen Club, a communi ty-based organization that rep resents first-generation college students and provides them with events and activities.
“Leaving home was a big deal,” Crandall said. “Being the first-gen and leaving for college is one of those giant things for minorityGarcia,families.”Salido and Quick all said they are the eldest children. As the first to go to college among their family, they said they hope to provide support and guidance for their younger siblings when they eventually undergo the college process.Quick said applying for col lege is a difficult process for both students and families.
Jackie Lopez Staff Writer
Photos by Lucian Himes | Photo
“We don’t dress up or wear any sort of costume,” Martin wrote in the pro gram. “All of our energy is put into the music. We want the performance to sound exactly like the album.”
While pioneering the col lege experience and pursuing a degree, first-generation stu dents said they navigate many unknowns during their time in college.Asa first-generation stu dent, sophomore Nicolette Garcia said her family mem bers are her biggest support ers. Garcia said the first time she brought her grandmother to see Pepperdine is a moment she will never forget.
Classic Albums Live also performed a couple of seconds of “Her Majesty” to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II upon her death, which happened the same day as the concert.
Orchestra group Classic Albums Live performed songs from The Beat les’ album “Let It Be” in Smothers The atre on Sept. 8.
Out of the nine members on stage, Rob Phillips and Dave Azzolini played guitar, Kevin Bath played bass, Will Hare played piano and synthesizer, Ryan Granville-Martin played drums, Alex McMaster played cello, Maya Chilton played violin, Josh Welchez played trumpet and Matthew Silber man played saxophone. All members, with the exception of Welchez and Sil berman, are also vocalists.
Rob Phillips, Dave Azzolini and Kevin Bath play onstage in Smothers Theatre on Sept. 8. Phillips and Azzolini played guitar while Bath played bass during the set.
Summer Preview program she attended as a prospective stu dent.“They brought about 20 kids into Pepperdine, and we got to stay for a weekend, meet other first-generation college students, kind of get that first feel of how it would be on cam pus as well as resources to help us apply to universities,” Quick said.Aside from the struggle of applying to college, Danie la Sandoval, treasurer of the First-Gen Club, said there are disadvantages of being a first-generation student discov ering college life. Sandoval said she struggled with moving in, knowing what classes to take and adjusting to on-campus life when she first started.
“For example, you enter a room and you just look around, you see everyone succeeding,” Sandoval said. “Then you look at yourself, and you’re like, ‘I don’t belong here.’”
Classic Albums Live is a live concert series from Toronto, Canada, which takes the greatest rock albums from big-name artists and recreates them on stage, according to the show’s program.
First-generation students ride the first wave
Photo courtesy of Joanna Ramos
Timothy Gay Staff Writer
Martin wrote in the program how
Even though Sandoval said she struggles with imposter syndrome herself, she said she also understands the positives of being first-generation.
First-generation students gather on main campus for National First-Genera tion College Day on Nov. 8. They wore their #FirstTogether T-shirts.
Quick chose Pepperdine be cause of the resources they pro vided her and the Pepperdine
in their college experience. For senior Ashlee Quick, her moth er and grandparents are her biggest fans, she said.
Salido and Sandoval said imposter syndrome is a prom inent issue that many first-gen eration students face when comparing themselves.
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In “Hey Jude,” audience members turned on their phone lights as
Garcia said her goal is to make her family proud as she pursues her degree in Interna tional Studies and Political Sci ence while traveling abroad for academics.“Agoalthat a lot of my fam ily has had in mind is that we want the next generation to do even bigger and better things,” GarciaJuniorsaid.Andrew Crandall said he strives to make both his family and himself proud. Coming from an Asian mi nority and a first-generation household, he understands the weight of attending college.
Many first-generation stu dents face issues regarding lack of financial direction, Sandoval said. She previously did not know about loans and said she strug gled to find resources to help financially and academically.
“Try and find what you are interested in,” Salido said. “Do something that you feel like you would be interested in do ing, whether it’s an industry or a job. Find something that will tie to your personal interests.”
“They’re just overall excit ed because this is their expe rience too,” Quick said. “They live through you and get to see your accomplishments and get to see you do all these things. It’s just as important for them.”
jacqueline.lopez@pepperdine.edu
timothy.gay@pepperdine.eduEditor
The show is split up into two acts. The first act is solely the group playing the “Let It Be” album from start to fin ish. In the second act, they play their favorite Beatles songs outside of that album.Act II consisted of late ‘60s songs such as “Hello, Goodbye,” “Nowhere Man,” “Ob-La-Di Ob-La Da,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “I Am the Walrus.”
our first meeting about impos tor syndrome and how to cope with that,” Salido said.
“Think of [our shows] as a recital,” Classic Albums Live founder Craig Martin wrote in the program. “These albums are historic and stand the test of time.”
Classic Albums Live rocks Smothers Theatre
“It’s so subjective,” Newman said. “You can’t say one specific thing makes a good playlist. If you like it, that’s a good playlist.”
His love for music, he said, stems from its ability to relate to an audience through vulnerability.
The process of making playlists, Chivers said, is intentional. She has a few rules of her own when making playlists — taking after one of her fa vorite shows, “High Fidelity.”
For her, a playlist mimics the struc ture of a song, she said. The first and last songs on a playlist are very import ant, imitating the effects of the first and last verse of a song. These songs should capture a listener’s attention and then leave them wanting more. The songs in between serve as the bridge. Chivers said she is aware of the ebb and flow of a playlist and prioritizes consistency in sound and vibe.
“When I was in high school and es pecially coming to college, I was sort ing through a lot of different feelings,” Chivers said. “I wanted playlists that were so niche and specific to exactly what I was feeling that it felt like only a playlist could capture that moment.”
Newman’s favorite personal play list is one titled, “music when the as signment is due at 11:59 p.m. and it’s 11:00,” he said. The playlist is exactly 59 minutes long and created with the intention to motivate.
“Music has always been a part of my life,” Reyes said. “Because of that, it’s also really created a sacredness in music.”Being a musician herself, Reyes said her personal playlists tend to focus on the sound of songs. For example, if a playlist starts with a song that is guitar heavy, then all of the songs added to that playlist will then be guitar heavy, she said. Reyes said she also enjoys us ing playlists as a time capsule.
Music has the power to heal, inspire, motivate and unlock emotions within listeners, students said. In order to ful ly tap into these feelings, music lovers said they create playlists.
“Making a playlist is a delicate art,” said Zoë Kravitz who plays Rob Brooks music connoisseur from “High Fideli ty,” a Hulu Original. “It’s like writing a love letter but better in a way. You get to say what you want to say without ac tually saying it. You get to use someone else’s poetry to express how you feel.”
Chivers said how they end their show is really important — it must make the audience want to tune in again.
“I think [it] perfectly encapsulates the feeling like a little gritty, a little dirty, like you kind of want to scream,” Chivers
Vivian Hsia | Art yamillah.hurtado@pepperdine.eduEditor
ers when they’re done listening to feel like, ‘Oh, that was so good. I’m coming back next week.’”
“With my personal playlists, I don’t always need to end it on a high note,” Chivers said. “But when we’re working together to create one, I always want to end super joyous, like wanting listen
“After [starting the show] there’d be moments where it’s like, ‘Oh, I just want to listen to songs that make me want to dance or songs that make me want to sway a little,’” Reyes said. “So, then I started taking actual time to fo cus on Reyesthat.”said her favorite playlist for Basement Talk is “basement talk ep1,” which is composed of their favorite songs as individuals and together.
“It’s so effective,” Newman said. “It’s actually ridiculous when you listen to it. It’s the best playlist ever made.”Senior and KWVS DJ Lauren Chiv
Students said the beauty of playlists comes from their power to express any thing a creator wants it to — whether that is vulnerability, personality or any thing in between.
Playlists are used to express emo tion, captivate a moment or to find and share music — while also conveying one’s own relationship to music.
“I think that really adds the magic to that playlist because you can look back and be like, ‘Oh, this is whenever I found out about this band or this art ist,’ Reyes said. “It just makes it more special when listening to it.”
Newman started making playlists in high school when a friend compliment ed him on his music taste. He said that moment alone gave him confidence and a desire to share music through playlists.When making playlists, Newman said there is no specific pattern that he follows in his process. A playlist of his can either have a particular purpose or be comprised of recent music finds.
Chiverssaid.said she first started making playlists during high school.
ers said her favorite personal playlist is one titled, “roadkill Roadkill roadkill.”
Yamillah Hurtado Copy Chief
The art of crafting the perfect playlist
Before, she never thought of curat ing a playlist for a specific purpose and said she had only one playlist that held about a thousand of her favorite songs.
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In the show, Brooks explains there are non-negotiable rules of making the “perfect playlist,” but because music is a personal experience, students said playlists can be anything one wants them to
“The authenticity of it, how you can make anything yours by just incorpo rating unique sounds,” Newman said. “We can start at any emotion ever, and it makes the listener feel that too.”
Seniorbe.Dylan
Every week, she said they pick out a theme for their playlist and order the songs according to how they flow to gether. The pair have similar tastes in music, so Chivers’ goal is to come into the process with a song that can sur prise Morrow, she said.
Chivers said her playlists either fol low a specific mood or a season of her life.“I used to be one of those peo ple that would [shove] all of my liked songs into one playlist,” Chivers said. “Now, I’m more like, ‘Let’s capture the mood of this season and collect songs that adequately reflect that mood and thatHowever,ambiance.’”Chivers said she has a completely different approach to cu rating playlists when it’s for her KWVS radio show, “Hold the Pickle Please,” with co-DJ senior Abby Morrow.
For sophomore KWVS DJ Fatima Reyes, creating playlists became a hob by of hers after starting her radio show, “Basement Talk,” with co-DJ sopho more Sofia Reyes.
Newman said he was heavily exposed to music and devel oped his taste in music through his parents — his father being a DJ and a record shop owner.
650 upper-level students se cured accommodations for the 2022-23 academic year, Man wrote. Though over 2,400 stu dents will be living on-campus this year, the Housing office did not disclose how many students applied for those spots.
Many students also reside at Avalon Apartments, which are located at the start of Malibu Canyon eight miles from cam pus. Though Avalon is slightly closer than MCAs are, this is not without a markup in price.
Emma Ibarra Staff Writer
on-campus. Located apart from the Seaver campus, Drescher houses both Seaver students and students from Pepperdine’s graduate schools. Though this allows for more undergraduate students to live on campus, this limits the number of graduates allowed to live in on-campus housing.Students said while off-cam pus living allows for freedoms that on-campus housing does not, it’s not the most convenient option for students attempting to save Malibu’smoney.housing expenses are 630% higher than the na tional average, according to a report by Payscale. The cost of living is 186% higher than in other cities in the U.S..
While studying in Florence during the 2022 spring semes ter, junior Elijah Gatling said he faced delays while applying for housing. By the time Gatling could access the Housing por tal, few options were left.
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Pepperdine is located in Mal ibu, and while attending a uni versity in such a “’brand name’ beach community” has perks like running into celebrities at Whole Foods and on Ralphs Beach, it has a few downsides. Students said finding a place to live in Malibu proves to be a challenge due to steep rent pric es that limits them to on-cam pus living, further contributing to the overcrowding of Pepper dineWithdorms.Pepperdine’s limited housing, upper-level students are not guaranteed on-campus accommodations. Instead, firstyear, second-year and transfer students must live in dorms per the University’s residency re quirement and therefore have priority.Inthe 2022-23 academic year, out of the 2,400 students who live on campus, over 1,600 of these residents are first and second-year students, wrote Lucy Man, communications and marketing manager for Housing and Residence Life in an Aug. 25 email to the Graph ic.
“We got really lucky because for so long we were just waiting to see what places would take us so last minute, but I’m thankful we were able to find a new per son quickly enough and can live decently close to school,” John sonInsaid.response to upper-level students’ criticisms about ob
While these two properties house many of Pepperdine’s upper-level students, each complex’s rent prices move up wards of $2,500 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, ac cording to MCAs and Avalon’s Apartments.com profile.
emma.ibarra@pepperdine.eduPhotographer
“If our school cannot pro vide adequate housing to its students, then we are expected to find off-campus housing in a real-estate world that is tar geted toward A-list celebrities and Silicon Valley millionaires or CEOs of multi-million or bil lion dollar companies,” junior Sahnet Ramirez said. “It is so unrealistic and unfair to throw students into that situation.”
“It was just like a punch to the gut, thinking you’re so set and have everything ready, and then, boom, now you’re at square one,” Johnson said.
“I was wondering if I would get housing for the semester,” Gatling said. “In anticipation, I was emailing people, and I didn’t get a response and got sad. I was like, ‘Crap, what am I gonna do? I’ve been abroad, and I have nowhere to live.’ I was basically trapped.”
“Thereyear.isn’t really that much communication when it comes to housing until it comes up soon,” Gatling said. “It’s just the stress that comes with the lack of communication from Pepperdine itself is what made the process very hard to under stand. I am grateful that I was able to find housing on campus, although it did take a while. I appreciate Pepperdine being able to do this for me.”
helped accelerate his housing application, and he secured a spot in Drescher. Despite a lessthan-perfect process, Gatling is happy to have a home for the academic
Calabasas’ cost of living in dex is double that of the nation al average. Yet, overall, Malibu is 96.5% more expensive than Calabasas, according to Best Place, making Calabasas a more affordable option for students.
“While outside of our depart ment’s purview, we hear and empathize with student con cerns when campus housing fills.”To help students assist in their search for off-campus housing alternatives, the Hous ing office created a resource on their website of off-campus housing options, including an off-campus roommate inquiry form/email list to help in find ing off-campus friendsfaceawarenessnextpreparedifficultwhattionandwithtransparenttheUniversity.off-campusevenmodationsateUniversity’sstudentsNonetheless,roommates.upper-levelsaiditcouldbeinthebestinteresttocremoreeconomicalaccomtohouseitsstudents,ifthroughmoreaffordablehousingrunbytheStudentssaidthatUniversityshouldbemoreandcommunicativestudentsbefore,duringafterthehousingapplicaprocess.“It’smyhopethatIcanuseI’velearnedthroughthisprocesstonotonlymyselfproperlyforyear’shousingbuttobringtootherswhomightthesamechallengesmyandIdid,”Ramirezsaid.
Out of all on-campus hous ing, Seaside Hall is the least expensive at $6,900 a semester for a double-occupancy room. However, for upper-level stu dents who want to avoid living among first and second years, Lovernich apartments cost $7,225 a semester while George Page apartments offer a double occupancy room for $7,600 per semester.At$9,200 a semester, single occupancy rooms at Drescher are the most expensive option for upper-level students living
Despite being miles from the Malibu campus, these cities also charge high rates for rental properties that exceed the na tional average for housing costs. Regardless, living farther from campus allows for students to find more cost-effective hous ing, according to Best Places.
It was just like a punch to the gut, thinking you’re so set and have everything ready, and then, boom, now you’re at square one.
apartment complexes many students said they tend to flock to when searching for living ar rangements.Apopular apartment com plex among students, Malibu Canyon Apartments or MCAs, are located at the end of Malibu Canyon off Las Virgenes Road around 11 miles from campus. Though it takes about 20 min utes to drive through the can yon, many students said they make the commute in order to save on rent costs.
“After a stressful application process and countless rejec tions, we were able to secure a place at Avalon but only weeks before school started,” Johnson said.However, given the difficul ties students face in their search for housing, junior Ramirez said the University is lacking on communication. She waited five months before she was given any update on her housing sta tus, after applying for on-cam pus housing and hearing noth ing back from the Housing office.“My friends and I were forced to look for off-campus housing, which was completely out of our budgets, especially as college students from out of state,” Ramirez said.
After Gatling met online with Housing, he said they
Despite the few spots in housing available, upper-level students have an assortment of options to choose from on-cam pus compared to lower-level students. Upper-level students can select to live in Seaside Res idence Hall or apartment-style housing like Drescher, George Page and Lovernich.
Despite Calabasas’ exorbi tant cost of living, there are two
Gatling said he was then placed on the waitlist for George Page and left in the dark about what came next in the process.
“The longer we had to wait for a direct answer from hous ing, the opportunity to find off-campus housing was becom ing more scarce,” Ramirez said. “Fortunately, it worked out, but we practically had to beg for a resolution, which isn’t pleasant for anybody to go through.”
Dorm dilemma: Students react to housing hardships
Ramirez, who does not have a car on the West Coast, said that even if she did find a place to live off campus, she would have no form of transportation to get to and from her classes. When a spot opened up in a dorm with one of her friends she contacted the Housing of fice repeatedly and asked to be moved into the vacant spot.
When Johnson found anoth er person to live with, the race against time was on. She said the group had initially tried for MCAs yet, they could not se cure a spot due to the extrava gant fiscal requirements needed from a co-signer. It took about a month and a half before John son and her group were able to sign a lease in late July.
“We were scrambling to find any sort of place to live, so we had to consider places in Agou ra Hills or places very far out of our budget in Malibu,” junior Estefania Johnson said.
Mary Elisabeth | Staff
Seaside residence hall houses mostly sophomores and juniors. Stu dents have expressed difficulty acquiring housing in this resident hall as well as multiple others across campus.
While upper-level students said that securing on-campus accommodations generally proves to be difficult, students said the process can be more complicated if a student is abroad while planning for their future in Malibu.
Estefania Johnson Pepperdine Junior
taining on-campus accommo dations, Man wrote Housing is committed to having students on campus to the maximum ex tent“Studentspossible. are welcome to remain on our housing waitlists throughout the summer should a space open up,” Man wrote.
Johnson said finding afford able housing off-campus was “nearly impossible,” and most properties require high credit scores and lucrative income lev els from co-signers to secure a place.Johnson said the process was even more difficult because she was 6,000 miles away from Malibu in Lausanne while navi gating housing. Though she had intended to live at MCAs with friends, her plans fell through when a roommate pulled out of their lease transfer agreement at the last minute. She had to find a new housing solution less than two months before school.
Though the Housing office initially told her she would be informed if a spot opened up, Ramirez continued to persist. A few days after reaching out, the University sent an email notify ing Ramirez she had been given on-campus housing.
While students said the Uni versity does its best to accom modate all, upper-level students said there is simply not enough room or resources applied to make living on or close to cam pus easily accessible.
Third-year student Hunter Hessen poses in front of Payson Library. Hessen reflected on his transition to the Malibu campus community after he spent the past year in Lausanne.
“I think campus is really beautiful and wish I could’ve seen it sooner, but everything happens for a reason,” Graves said. “Online learning gave me a chance to be with my fami ly longer, and D.C. helped me learn what it is I value in a school, community and ca reer.”Students new to campus said they look forward to meeting new classmates and experienc ing an unfamiliar atmosphere this school year. Though there will be challenges, third-year students said they are hopeful for a successful academic year in their new social environ
Sammie Wuensche | Assistant Photo Editor
Many third-year students made their way to the Malibu campus since its full reopening in the fall of 2021. Still, there are a handful of study abroad students, such as junior Sydnee Graves, or those who took time off, stepping onto campus for the first time this fall.
Some third-year students who are new to the Malibu campus said they don’t feel up to speed with the school be cause they have never been to Pepperdine’s campus before.
feel like I was miss ing out because I didn’t know what I was missing until I got here,” Castleberry said. “Hon estly, I don’t really know what’s offered on campus here. I have limited knowledge of some of the programs but not neces sarily things students can join. I think that’s impacted because I’ve only been on campus for maybe a month or so at this point.”Now in Malibu, Castleberry said his experience on campus thus far has been an adjust ment — but not in a bad way.
this close to the beach. It is a change, I would say, from Lon don.”Junior Hunter Hessen also spent his second year abroad and served as a residential ad visor in Lausanne for the 202122 academic year. Hessen said he had been to campus a few times in the past to visit his sis ters — who also attended Pep perdine — and had participat ed in few summer sessions on campus.“Idon’t know if I neces sarily regret not being able to come out here sooner just from a financial standpoint,” Hessen said. “I think I’m going to be able to graduate and have pret ty low student loan debt. Espe cially because I was online the whole first year.”
“I know where all the build ing locations are because of my summer classes, but people will talk about a certain profes sor or the different connections people have, and I feel a little behind,” Hessen said.
Emma Ibarra Staff Writer
Now a spiritual life advisor for first-year housing in Shafer Residence Hall, Hessen said he is glad to be on campus with the friends he made abroad.
Third-year students move to Malibu for first time
After enjoying his experi ence abroad, Castleberry said he did not regret spending his first year at Pepperdine in London rather than Malibu. Even so, he said he feels new to campus and is still getting
Now that Graves is attend ing classes in Malibu, she said
Third-year student Sydnee Graves poses in front of Payson Library. Graves reflected on her move to Malibu after studying in D.C. last year.
Graveswith.said she still feels detached from the Pepperdine community after her first two years as a student. However, she is more prepared for the initial shock of college now as a third-year student than she would have been as a first-year.
Castleberrysaid.
The COVID-19 pandemic created a long-lasting impact on everyone, but it has led to a nontraditional college experi ence for the Class of 2024.
In fall 2020, Castleberry re applied to Pepperdine for the spring 2021 semester. Both semesters, Castleberry did school on Zoom, which he said he did not enjoy. He immedi ately applied to go to London for the fall of 2021 and later extended his stay for the 2022 spring semester.
“I get to know a lot more people at my SLA job, and really getting to dive into the community here is something I’m really excited about,” Hes senWhilesaid. on campus, Hessen said he still feels behind with what’s going on in Malibu and around the school.
“I’ve been doing really well,” Castleberry said. “I have enjoyed campus so far, and I’ve met really cool and inter esting people. It’s been great just to explore Malibu and be
Junior William Castleberry poses in front of Payson Library while displaying his London shirt after studying abroad there. Many third-year students have only recently made their way onto campus for the first time this fall after the COVID-19 pandemic and studying abroad.
acquainted.“Ididn’t
said he initial ly withdrew his acceptance in 2020 due to the pandemic and said he thought it was best to complete a few of his general education requirements at a lo cal junior college.
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“It was a great experience and was a truly life-changing event,” Castleberry said. “I’m glad to have been able to form close bonds traveling with my Pepperdine friends abroad.”
“I feel a sense of relief, like this is the moment I’ve finally been waiting for, but also indif ferent,” Graves said. “It can be hard to feel at home in a place where no one looks like you or takes the time to genuinely get to know you, but I’ve come to understand these things come withNonetheless,time.” Graves said she is excited to be on cam pus and said her experiences abroad were worth the wait.
“D.C. was a fun and fulfill ing experience,” Graves said. “I didn’t like how small the cam pus was, consisting of less than 15 students altogether, but it allowed me access to the inter national hub that is D.C., and for that I am grateful.”
Sammie Wuensche | Assistant Photo Editor
“I think it would’ve been great to have my freshman year on campus just so I could meet people,” junior William Castle berry
Graves also said she relates to feeling disconnected from school after missing her first year.“My Pepperdine experience has been a little substandard but definitely has room for improvement,” Graves said. “Since my entire freshman year was online, it was hard to feel a part of the school’s communi ty, despite all efforts to include students.”Inher sophomore year, Graves said she applied to the D.C. program. She then spent
the fall semester of 2021 com pleting an internship.
emma.ibarra@pepperdine.edu
Graves said she faced diffi culties feeling at home during her time abroad. While the pro gram offered many career-driv en opportunities, Graves sought to make lasting person al connections outside of the program.“Iwould do some exploring of my own,” Graves said. “Be ing one of two Black students living at the D.C. campus, I found my home away from home at Howard University, the HBCU located only 15 minutes away from Pepper dine. The D.C. experience forces you to step out of your comfort zone.”
Sammie Wuensche | Asisstant Photo Editor
ment.“Home is about grounding yourself and being with those you love, including yourself,” Graves said. “I’m excited to see what this new reality has in store for me. Life is all about shifting your perspective, and I am exactly where I need to be.”
she is hoping to join organi zations like the Black Student Association and the track team to meet people whom she can connect
“I used to regret not being able to come to campus soon er — imagine being a student since 2020 and seeing your campus for the first time as a junior,” Graves said. “Every thing was a shock to me.”
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that comes from continuing to pursue God every single day.”
Brandon Rubsamen | PhotoAssistantEditor
“I think just to see the hun ger that people have at a uni versity here in the middle of Malibu, in the corner of the United States, just people who are hungry for Jesus,” Moses said, “I’m excited to join in.”
Junior Marie McGrath said she enjoyed Caine’s analogy about having a secure and un wavering anchor in Christ.
Singer Josh Kasinger, with United Voice Worship, opened the night. The group consists of nine members who represent eight cities and nine churches, that strive to celebrate diversi ty while worshiping God as a united voice, according to their website.Following United Voice Worship, Bowe and Moses took the stage with the Mav erick City Music to lead the crowd in worship.
Before leading the crowd in worship, Moses said he was excited to see students’ love for worshipping Jesus within the Pepperdine community.
Dante Bowe praises while leading the crowd in hit song “Jireh” on Saturday night in Firestone Fieldhouse. Bowe, Aaron Moses and Maverick City Music closed the night in worship by performing many of their most popular songs while students gathered at the base of the stage.
Bowe has led the Worship Summit three times — the first being at President Jim Gash’s inauguration in 2019.
The Pepperdine commu nity joined together in Fires tone Fieldhouse on Saturday, Sept. 10, for a night filled with worship and a message from Christine Caine, author, inter national speaker and mother of Pepperdine sophomore Catie Caine.United Voice Worship, along with singers Dante Bowe and Aaron Moses — both prominent in the world of worship music, filled the Fieldhouse with praise. Bowe recently won a Grammy for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Album” for the album “Old Church Basement”.
Audrey Geib Life & Arts Assistant
Mary Elisabeth | Staff Photographer
“It’s actually quite beautiful that we’re here tonight.”
Caine said she enjoys at tending and leading worship gatherings because she feels the power of students praising Jesus.“Something happens when we worship God and have thousands of young people gathered in one place lifting up the name of Jesus,” Caine said.
Christine Caine spoke about Hebrews 2 and the idea of staying anchored in Christ. Caine’s daughter is a Pepper dine sophomore who is study ing abroad in London. Instead of helping her move in, Caine said she chose to be at the Wor ship“ItSummit.wasabig choice to come because my daughter is in Lon don, and her father is with her settling her in, and so I had wanted to be there,” Caine said. “But I really felt that the Lord is going to do something very profound tonight.”
“Leaders that desire their students to know Jesus in an in timate way and worship in the spirit of truth — that’s what’s unique is not a lot of leaders, especially in schools, no matter Christian or not,” Bowe said.
Bowe and Moses closed the night by leading the group with hit songs “Jireh” and “I Thank God.” During both perfor mances, students rushed to the front of the crowd to dance.
Brandon Rubsamen | Assistant Photo audrey.geib@pepperdine.eduEditor
Bowe said he enjoys coming to Pepperdine and leading the community in worship.
“I mean, I just love it here,” Bowe said. “This is my third time, and it’s always fresh and new. There’s really no pressure; it’s just always an amazing time of worship and words.”
California.“Wehave a friend who goes to school here,” Listokin said.
Pepperdine comes together to worship
Moses raises one hand as he leads the group in the song, “Yahweh.” Moses and Bowe opened their portion of the Summit by performing “Yahweh,” lifting their voices along with the crowd.
Bowe said he believes Pep perdine is set apart from oth er institutions because of the leaders’ desire for the student body to know Christ.
“I really liked her [Caine’s] anecdote about being an chored and making sure your anchor is secure,” McGrath said. “I feel like a lot of people throw the anchor on things and say ‘OK, I got baptized that’s it, I’m done, I don’t need to do anything else,’ but there’s a lot more commitment and growth
McGrath said the moment when the crowd dances to gether, outside of their seats, is always a highlight of worship gatherings.“Justbeing able to jump around and dance with every one and not being confined in a seat but moving around — it’s really fun,” McGrath said.
Bowe raises his arm at the crowd while performing a hit song, “Jireh.”
Brandon Rubsamen | Assistant Photo Editor
“I mean, where else would you want to be?”
A pair of attendees at the worship summit, Lorraine Lis tokin from Pennsylvania and her friend from Nashville, said they were road-tripping to Yo semite National Park and at tended the Worship Summit as they passed through Southern
Maryanne J. George leads the audience into the song, “I Thank God” on Sept. 10. There were more than 2,000 people raising their voices.
2021 wrapped up for the Waves in heartbreaking fashion. After going 22-5 overall, the Waves dropped their NCAA tournament first round match 3-1 to University of Central Florida on Dec. 3. While the season as a whole was a suc cess, Wong said the loss stung.
Pepperdine’s season began with the Ameritas Players Challenge tourna ment in Lincoln, Neb., the first of four weekend invitational tournaments. Pep perdine’s only loss came against No. 2 Nebraska, who were ranked No. 1 at the time, as the Waves took care of busi ness against Tulsa 3-1 and Texas A&M - Corpus Christie 3-0.
only two sets in the process. Zelaya said while scheduling teams like Nebraska early on can be a challenge, it’s a great opportunity for the team to improve.
Sept. 8-9, Pepperdine traveled to Se attle to face Cal Poly, No. 13 Univer sity of Washington and Northwestern. The Waves tallied a 3-2 win against the Mustangs and a 3-1 against the Hus kies, before being swept by the Wildcats.
the Waves, said playing top teams in the preseason is certainly a challenge, but it’s part of the team’s plan for growth.
“We weren’t happy or proud that that was the facility that we had to manage and run,” Bolton said. “We got com plaints all the time, and it was justified, but we couldn’t do anything about it.”
“There was no light,” De La Flor said. “It could get very crowded and overheated, be cause everyone was going and there was poor ventilation.”
Campus Rec escapes ‘The Dungeon’
Wong said the team relished the oppor tunity of more player development. The team focused mostly on defense, senior setter Isabel Zelaya said, and they’ve seen the benefits of their preparation early on in preseason.
The Pepperdine Fitness Center greets incoming students with bright balloons during its fall semester grand opening Aug. 31. It’s a far cry from the gym incoming students saw last year, Bolton said.
Women’s Indoor Volleyball players huddle pre-match during the Pepperdine Asics Classic on Sept. 1-3. The Waves began their season with four preseason tournaments.
Waves Primed for Big 2022 Season
The Pepperdine Asics Classic, held in Malibu from Sept. 1-3, saw the Waves defeat No. 9 Baylor, UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State, and drop
Ballo and Shields, who played piv otal roles in the Waves’ success in pre vious seasons, were among 10 Waves to depart in the offseason. Shields won WCC Libero of the Year in 2020, and was named to the All-WCC Second Team in both 2020 and 2021.
“We’ve been really grinding on be ing a gritty team,” Zelaya said after the Waves’ 3-1 win against Baylor Sept. 1. “Defense, blocking, and getting balls up, and serving as well. I think we’ve been executing that, and that’s been helping us a ton in these games.”
After their first round NCAA tour nament exit, the Waves entered their first “normal” offseason since before COVID-19. The NCAA pushed the 2020 season to spring 2021, which then led straight into the fall 2021 season.
Graduate student outside hitter Ra chel Ahrens, now in her fifth season with
“I think our preseason is the best that we’ve had in all the years I’ve been here,” Ahrens said. “We are so excited to be playing numerous top-25 teams. It’s a great opportunity to grow and learn from playing these teams.”
Last spring, after many months of construction and several setbacks, the Pepper dine Fitness Center opened its doors April 22. Located north of Tari Frahm Rokus Field and east of the Seaside Residence Hall, the temporary structure sports a modern, spacious in terior full of state-of-the-art workout equipment. Two row ing machines, three weight lifting platforms and app-sup ported workout spaces are just a few of its features.
Before the Pepperdine Fit ness Center, there was the Firestone Fieldhouse Weight Room. It was tucked away on the north side of Fires tone Fieldhouse — through a small glass door and down a blue metal staircase. Director of Campus Recreation Robb Bolton said the space was not a source of fond memories.
When spring 2022 rolled around,
2021 Season Leaves a Bitter Taste
Wong said the six freshmen, as well as graduate transfer Riley Patterson from University of Pacific and former beach volleyball player Cameron Bak lenko, have stepped up to the challenge. With so much turnover up and down the lineup, Wong said some of those players will face the added pressure of starting spots.
However, in the midst of the famil iar, there was a new look to No. 24 Women’s Indoor Volleyball. Eight new faces joined the Waves roster this sea son, which lost numerous players in the offseason including standouts middle blocker Rosie Ballo and libero Madi son Shields. More importantly, Head Coach Scott Wong said the mentality, the desire to be a remarkable volleyball program, hasn’t changed.
The Waves fourth and final presea son tournament will be Sept. 15-16, in Minneapolis. Pepperdine takes on No. 3 Minnesota and Washington State, who sit just outside the top-25 in the AVCA Coaches poll.
The Waves begin their WCC sched ule with an away trip against two of their biggest conference rivals: University of San Diego Sept. 22, in San Diego, and BYU in Provo, Utah on Sept. 24.
Women’s VBall seeks triumph in turnover
sees the new Fitness Center as a marked improvement.
Sammie Wuensche | Assistant Photo alec.matulka@pepperdine.eduEditor
Chloe Chan | Staff Photographer
“President Gash should get tons of credit for being so cre ative and coming up with this solution,” Bolton said.
That is, until President Jim Gash took office in 2019. Bolton said Gash has made student health and fitness a pri ority of his tenure, evidenced by his approval of a number of major recreation projects on campus. The Mountain, Gash’s flagship project set to break ground in 2024 and open in 2026, is a $250 million construction set to improve the campus’ stadium and recre ationPartfacilities.ofThe Mountain will be the RISE building, which Bolton said will be more than triple the size of the Pepperdine Fitness Center. Bolton said the three-story RISE building will include an updated, more spa cious gym, rooms for fitness classes and a space similar to the Howard A. White Center, with ping pong tables and tele visions for community use.
Even with The Mountain looming, Bolton said Gash was dissatisfied waiting to up grade the Firestone Fieldhouse
Alec Matulka Sports Assistant Editor
The Fitness Center is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
September 16, 2022 | SPORTS | Pepperdine Graphic Media B8
alec.matulka@pepperdine.edu
“It was too small, it was too crowded,” Bolton said. “That’s why it got the nickname, ‘The Dungeon.’ There was no natu ral “Thelight.”Dungeon” had been a long source of chagrin for Campus Recreation, as well as the Pepperdine fitness
“The tent isn’t perfect, but it’s so much better,” Barron said. “It’s got windows and there’s actual sunlight coming in, so it doesn’t feel like you’re in aSeniordungeon.”Mikela De La Flor works at the Fitness Center and said her experience has been nothing but positive. The contrast with Firestone Field house Weight Room is obvious, De La Flor said.
Alec Matulka Sports Assistant Editor
“The goal for us every year is to grow the program in every way,” Wong said. “With recruiting our players, how do we make them the best versions of themselves? And, it’s really fun to look back and see them growing as people and also as volleyball players.”
community, Bolton said.
Bolton said he’s received positive feedback about the gym from students and facul ty. Senior Nick Barron, who used the Firestone Fieldhouse Weight Room before, said he
There were a number of familiar sights and sounds echoing around Fire stone Fieldhouse on Sept. 1. An impres sive Waves win against No. 9 Baylor. A raucous home crowd. A ball hitting the Firestone ceiling. An upbeat soundtrack laid down by the DJ.
“We set up our preseason really big on purpose,” Zelaya said. “We know that we’re gonna do great this year and we wanted to challenge ourselves early, so that we’re ready for when we’re in season and in conference play.”
Weight Room. Gash proposed the Pepperdine Fitness Center as a “short-term solution” for the community’s fitness con cerns, Bolton said.
Meanwhile, News Editor Samantha Torre, Sports Editor Jerry Jiang, Photo Editor Lu cian Himes, Interactives Assis tant Zack Born, and staff writ ers Maximilian Pohlenz and Jaan Jafri join the fray of the NFL Picks column. They join Special Edition Editor Ali Lev ens and Sports Assistant Alec Matulka — the only returning members.Thisis the biggest NFL Picks column in the Graphic’s history — never before have eight individuals ventured the gauntlet of an NFL season in search of ephemeral, predictive glory.The helmets are on. The balls are pumped. The lines are painted.207days later, it’s finally showtime.
Ali Levens | Special Edition
The Lakers need to make the most of the tail end of James’ career and return to the form they were at during the 2019-20 season, in which they won the Finals. Last season, they traded much of their supporting cast for former MVP Westbrook, which proved to be a disaster, as they missed the playoffsLakersentirely.management brought in Bev erly to turn things around, and I see no
team inside out, so I’m going to trust Miller on this one.” — Jerry
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions (Sunday, Sept. 11.)
Westbrook and Beverley may have been one of the biggest feuds in the
Beverley is no stranger to the playoffs, making them in eight out of his ten NBA seasons. He’s really only missed them one season, as one of the two years where he didn’t make the
NBA, but things have changed since the trade, with reports and pictures of the two Lakers guards going viral on social media. Both of these players are veterans and professionals who have experienced the highs and the lows of the association, and will be able to work together fine.
As long as Pat Bev keeps being Pat Bev, the Los Angeles Lakers will make the playoffs.
“If Von Miller chooses the Bills, I’m going to choose the Bills as well. Miller has a histo ry with the Bills and knows the
Eagles: Alec, Jaan, Jerry, Lu cian, Sam, Zack Lions: Ali, Maximilian
Jaan Jafri Staff Writer
A little over 200 days ago, the Los Angeles Rams com pleted a 23-20 comeback vic tory against the Cincinnati Bengals to claim Super Bowl LVI at Sofi Stadium. Football fans took a collective breath and reclaimed their Sundays and Monday and Thursday nights. They spent time with their families and attempted to emotionally recover from the rollercoaster of the 2021-22 NFL207Season.dayslater, we’re ready to do it all again.
Hot Shots: Lakers will return to the playoffs
“This one is personal. Rus sell Wilson did Seattle dirty in the offseason; he tapped into my long-standing abandon ment issues that have run ram pant in my life ever since the Sonics left. I need some open ing day catharsis, given that it’s going to be a long season for the Seahawks.” — Alec
“This is the juiciest game of the week. Popcorn will be popped and buttered.” — Ali
There’s reasonable skepticism sur rounding how Beverley will mesh with James and Westbrook, given that he’s had a bit of a history with both of these players, notably Westbrook.
Opinion: PGM staff picks NFL week
Alec Matulka Sports Assistant Editor
“The Lions are gassed up. Their one win will be tonight.” —
Broncos: Ali, Jaan, Jerry, Lu cian, Maximilian, Sam, Zack Seahawks: Alec
We all remember the show he put on after winning a play-in game against the Los Angeles Clippers last season. How could anyone forget the image of him standing on the scorer’s table, embracing the Minnesota crowd à la Kobe Bryant after winning his fifth and final championship at Staples Center?
The Timberwolves are very forget ful, and on July 6, the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves completed the first big trade of the 2022-23 NBA offseason, sending three time NBA De fensive Player of the Year center Rudy Gobert to Minnesota for Beverley, four other players and a whopping five first roundNotpicks.even two months later, on Aug. 24, the Jazz dealt Beverley to the Lak ers to play along the likes of forward Lebron James, center Anthony Davis and guard Russell Westbrook.
running back Saquon Barkley and Carolina Panthers running back Christian McAffrey are back from injury, and quar terback Carson Wentz will be playing in the nation’s capital.
alec.matulka@pepperdine.eduEditor
Also headlining Week 1 is an NFC North showdown be tween the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings and a battle of the Super Bowl as piring Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals. Then, quar terback Russell Wilson takes a return flight to Seattle as the Denver Broncos pay the Seat tle Seahawks a visit at Lumen Field.New storylines abound after a frantic offseason. Wilson is wearing Bronco orange, wide receiver Tyreek Hill is a Mi ami Dolphin, New York Giants
1 September 16, 2022 | SPORTS | Pepperdine Graphic MediaB9
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys (Sunday, Sept. 11.)
“F— the Cowboys.” — Lu cian“How ‘bout them Cow boys!… losing to Brady once more. Didn’t he retire?” — Maximilian
It’s been a rollercoaster of an off season for Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley.
Denver Broncos at Seatle Seahawks (Monday, Sept. 12.)
Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams (Thursday, Sept. 8.)
Bills: Alec, Jaan, Jerry, Zack Rams: Ali, Lucian, Maximil ian,“RamsSam because Bill is a person’s name and that just honestly makes me uncomfort able.” — Sam
The 2022-23 NFL season kicked off Thursday, Sept. 8, as defensive tackle Aaron Don ald and the Rams looked to come out swinging in their ti tle defense against quarterback Josh Allen and his Buffalo Bills. Allen and the Bills emerged with a 31-10 victory.
“TheAli Eagles are going to be scary good this season. With AJ Brown in the fold, Jalen Hurts found another arsenal for his offense and it’ll prove to be too much for the Lions.” — Jerry
jaan.jafri@pepperdine.edu Lakers playoffs.aLakersandBeverleyIasandtobroughtmanagementinBeverleyturnthingsaround,Iseenoreasontowhyhecannot.believepairingwithJamestherestofthewillresultinreturntotheNBA Jaan Jafri Staff Writer
Bucs: Alec, Ali, Jaan, Jerry, Lucian, Maximilian, Zack Cowboys: Sam
reason as to why he cannot. I believe pairing Beverley with James and the rest of the Lakers will result in a return to the NBA playoffs.
playoffs was the 2017-18 season — a year he missed 71 games due to injury. He’s played for three different teams during this span, showing one thing — wherever Beverley goes, winning follows.TheLakers also revamped their ros ter, as Beverley joins forward Lonnie Walker IV, center Thomas Bryant and forward Juan Toscano-Anderson as new Lakers additions to complement superstars James and Davis. They are expecting bounce-back years from guard Kendrick Nunn, who missed last season due to a knee injury and West brook, who simply wasn’t himself in 2022. They’re also expecting improve ment from guard Austin Reaves, who may be the only promising returning player from last year’s team not named James or BeverleyDavis.isthe new leader of the Lakers supporting cast, and is already the team’s best shooter and perime ter defender, in my opinion. He shot 37.8% from 3 last season, which is the highest out of any active Lakers’ player, according to basketball-reference.com. He’s earned two NBA All-Defensive second team selections, and is widely regarded as one of the smartest and most annoying defenders in the league.
James has been in similar situations before, playing with Lance Stephenson and Rajon Rondo, and knows that he just needs to let Pat Bev be Pat Bev in order to Beverleysucceed.plays with heart and a supreme confidence in himself, and he’s at his best when he’s able to put his personality on full display. He yells, he celebrates, he plays hard and, most importantly, he wins basketball games.
September 16, 2022 | SPORTS | Pepperdine Graphic Media 23401 Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA (424) @malibuinsightmalibuinsight.com235-2488FOUNDED AND OPERATED BY DR. O’CONNOR FOR 40 YEARS MALIBU’S PREMIER OPTOMETRISTBoth practices are only a twominute drive from campus eyewear,Designer eye exams and Pepp discount 3840 Cross Creek Rd, Malibu, CA (310) @malibueyemalibueye.com456-7464 B10
DJ Romar keeps it fun, keeps it hype.
DJ Romar hypes up Firestone crowds
“I started DJing about 10 years ago,” Romar said. “Then one thing led to another where people found out that I’m a pro-skater. They’re like, ‘A pro-skater is DJing. Take them to this club, and we’ll get his people to come here.’ I kind of dove in head-first with DJing without knowing the experi ence of DJing clubs and stuff like that. It was a learning pro cess.”Four years ago, as Romar mixed beats during events at Firestone, senior Asher With am, galvanized by Romar’s music, made a lasting impres sion as an enthusiastic and particularly energetic member of Riptide — Pepperdine’s stu dent cheering section. Witham is now the current head of Rip tide.Romar is an essential com ponent of creating the environ ment that Witham and his fel low Riptide members hope to work“Mytoward.freshman year I was known as the dancing guy,” Witham said. “It’s huge in cul
thing special about sports — ing on resolute and determined
Romar said he went on to DJ at several clubs and bars in Hollywood, which eventual ly led to him making contacts within the field. Romar said eventually, his consistent per formances and flair caught the eye of Billboard-charting rap per Hopsin, which allowed him to get his foot in the door.
“They didn’t have a mu sic program going on for the games, it was just kind of one person just pressing play on a computer or something [along those lines],” Romar said. “They were looking for a DJ,
DJ Kevin Romar, age 34 and a native of Long Beach, Calif., first rose to fame as a professional skateboarder, touring internationally and ap pearing on skate videos, such as, “This is Not a Test,” where he displayed his iconic Nollie 360He’dtrick. eventually establish himself as a DJ as well, leading him to DJing at several events, including at Pepperdine.
tened to,” Witham said. “The one that always makes me get hyped is ‘Jimmy Cooks’ by
The Graphic pepperdine-graphic.comSeptember 16, 2022 SPORTS B11
Equipped with a decade’s worth of sets and samples to add flourishes, Romar said he enjoys supplying a musical set
Photo courtesy of Kevin Romar
maximilian.pohlenz@pepperdine.edu
Much of Romar’s DJing relies on the energy of students and fans.“That’s all I’m doing,” Ro mar said. “Since they have me facing off the court, I can’t see behind me where the stu dents are sitting. I can just hear things, so I’m trying to generate the energy [based off] hearing things, how people are screaming at the game. I really get off Withamthat.”said he felt the en ergy of the crowd through Ro mar’s selections as a DJ. He has more than a few favorite out of Romar’s mixes. Romar said he uses the energy of the
“I always like to get people guessing, like, ‘What’s he go ing to play next?’” Romar said. “That’s where I like to shine, is showing people my music caliber [in terms of] of what I have is just so much music that could blow you away.”
“Usually one that’s very popular is something that was
Along with performing sets at various locations — in cluding Pepperdine athletic events — Romar has produced and collaborated on several projects, including the track “Goat,” which Romar released two years ago in collaboration with artist Ponzoo.
Romar said he got involved with Pepperdine athletics
and my uncle knew that I DJed and he was like, ‘Hey I’m going to recommend you to Pepper dine, and see if they’re down to hire you as their DJ.’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re look ing for a DJ and you would be perfect.’”Since then, Romar said he continues to keep audiences hungry for more during athlet ic events at Firestone.
Romar said he is able to bring a special attribute to the games, elevating the experi ence for all. Through this, he said he is able to engage fans at Pepperdine and foster a pos itive atmosphere during sport ing“DJevents.Romar and I don’t nec essarily talk a whole lot outside of this, but it’s been cool to cul tivate a cool work relationship and be a part of a team with him like that,” Witham said.
of make it a better all around experience.”Hisability to do that is something he takes pride in, Witham said. It’s something Romar also said he takes pride in. That, along with his over whelmingly positive attitude, is something said he shares with Romar.“Just focus and pay atten tion to what really makes you shine,” Romar said. “Don’t pay attention to the negatives, they don’t last for so long, you can always change the outcome. You have to stay positive within yourself and really know that the grass is greener on the oth er side and just keep pushing, because life is too short to stay negative and all those things, so staying positive is key within yourself.”WhileRomar said he recog nizes it’s not an easy thing to do constantly, he likens it to a discipline. Similar to how he once would spend upward of four hours filming at a single location to get the perfect shot for a trick, Romar said one must discipline oneself to keep pushing and know things could be Romarpositive.said this philosophy extends outwards from skate boarding and DJing, to a uni versal outlook on life itself.
ergy might die. But, DJ Romar keeps it fun, keeps it hype.”
Romar’s DJing for Hop sin— along with touring with other notable artists, such as Ludacris and B.O.B — solidi fied his status as a DJ, Romar said.“I couldn’t just tell [the skate community], ‘I am a DJ now,’” Romar said, “I just kin da had to show them that this is what I like to do on the side.”
Maximilian Pohlenz Staff Writer
DJ Kevin Romar poses in Firestone Fieldhouse. Romar feeds off of the crowd’s energy and keeps them engaged during athletic events.
“I’ve always believed in munity together,” Witham said. “What’s special about ularly Pepperdine, is we have side of sports. [My goal is] to bring that community here into sports and sort
Asher Witham Pepperdine Senior