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Letter to the Editor – April 16

Dear Editor,

In response to “Taiwan must embrace economic integration with China.”

As an international student from Taiwan, and from someone who lived there for the past ten years, I find this article appalling. The main focus of the protests has always been the lack of transparency from the Ma Administration. They were not against the agreement, rather they wished their government to analyze the trade proposal with a fine-toothed comb as opposed to rushing it. When that didn’t occur, the students rushed in and occupied the Legislative Yuan. While the fear of an economic takeover from the mainland is possible, there is also evidence of the PRC government slowly recognizing the ROC government. Recently, Foreign Ministers from both sides recognized each other’s titles, a historic moment for the ROC. The fact is, their economies are intertwined as it is. Much of Taiwan’s industry and exports come from factories built in China.

Nick Yeh

(First-year, Undeclared)

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Dear Editor,

Firstly, the alumni would like to thank President Veitch for agreeing to meet with us this Friday to work together to finalize a plan that will immediately fix the sexual assault problem at Occidental.We’d like to reiterate that there will be no other meetings.There is only one chance to collaborate.

This safety problem and multi-year struggle will end this month.

Secondly, to the survivors, we’d like to offer a long overdue apology on behalf of the Oxy community. What happened is inexcusable and we are sorry that you have suffered. We promise significant changes.

Thirdly, to the perpetrators: stop immediately. Occidental will no longer tolerate any sex crimes. Go to reparative therapy and alcohol abuse counseling before you go to prison for a very long time. Prison is what you deserve and prison is what you’ll get.

With all due respect Mr. Calkins, the alumni don’t want “searching conversations”. The alumni are here to end this problem now. Do you think Oxy is safe and all problems have been solved despite the 35 percent expulsion rate?Why do you think it’s acceptable to let 65 percent get away with sex crimes?

If people tried to choke dozens of Oxy students, it would be considered an urgent safety issue with immediate expulsion and police intervention, not months and years of conversation. There would be action.

Now is the time for action. A zero tolerance policy will be implemented at Oxy it is only a question of when and how far the school must fall before it makes safety priority No. 1.

To President Veitch, the administration, and Trustees, this safety problem needs to end this month so you can all move on. Oxy’s 35 percent expulsion rate is unacceptable; incremental improvement is not good enough.How many times is it okay to rape you?How many rapists can rape you and get away with it?Anything less than a 100 percent expulsion rate is unacceptable. If you’d like to say that you are a safe campus, then be a safe campus.

President Veitch, you can be a hero and make history by declaring Oxy the first Zero Tolerance campus or you can witness a fundraising disaster of epic proportions.It’s your choice.

On Friday we will collaborate with President Veitch and build upon all of the hard work of administration, the Trustees, and OSAC to create a comprehensive solution.The President will proudly present it at the Trustee Board meeting this month and will officially announce it on April 30, the last day of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. There will be a simple and clear message before the graduation parties start: sexual assault will not be tolerated on or off campus not now, not ever.

Oxy’s Zero Tolerance policy toward rape and sexual assault is outlined online here.

Oxy’s Zero Tolerance policy toward rape and sexual assault will include:

  • Expulsion for 100 percent of students those found to be guilty of rape or sexual assault AND full proactive cooperation with the police if the survivor chooses to press charges.
  • Implementation of OSAC’s 12 demands.Stop battling with them and start working together.All they want is student safety.If you cannot work with them effectively, transfer the entire safety issue to someone who can so that you can focus on fundraising.
  • Implementation of all of the Sexual Misconduct Advisory Board recommendations based on best practices from programs around the country.That it’s even called Sexual Misconduct is an insult.These are sex crimes. Refer to it as “Sex Crimes and Sexual Misconduct” not just “Sexual Misconduct”.
  • Changing your 60+ page policy to be one short page that every student must read.You can keep the legalese in an appendix.
  • Roll-out of a full-scale, effective, and mandatory prevention program that requires both clear verbal consent and bystander duty to alert authorities at the first opportunity.

In May 2014 we will create a new Safety Review Board by appointing people from the Board of Trustees as well as new alumni who will have 90 days to:

  • Review of every sanction that the survivors feel is not strong enough
  • Review of the performance of administrators who gave out weak sanctions or discouraged survivors from taking action and decide on a reasonable timeline for the dismissal for all who have underperformed. These violations will no longer be ignored.

On April 30, 2014, Occidental will either make history by declaring itself the first Zero Tolerance campus or the alumni cease contact and will escalate matters until a Zero Tolerance policy is in place. There will be no further collaboration.

Sexual assault will not be tolerated on or off campus not now, not ever.

This is your last chance.If we find that the school is unable / unwilling to declare Zero Tolerance by April 30, we will have no choice but to quickly escalate matters.

This is not a threat — this is a promise.We will not stop until this campus is safe.

The administration cannot win against a passionate leaderless pro-safety, anti-rapist alumni movement that is smart enough to keep all actions legal and has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

We will declare a three-year donation boycott and contact every major donor; protest in front of the homes and offices of Trustees, Governors, and administrators; wage a Twitter war that mentions every Trustee; blast an email to guidance counselors about the dangers at Oxy and asking them to refer zero students for the next three years.It costs $99 to reach every guidance counselor in America and $75 to translate that message order to reach international feeder schools.

We don’t care about the rankings plummeting temporarily or using the endowment just for operating expenses when next year’s incoming class consists of only 10 people. (On the upside your student/faculty ratio will be better).

Your point of contact is one of the few who believes that escalation isn’t necessary, that the current administration doesn’t need to be fired outright, that this safety can be solved through collaboration before your next Trustee meeting.

Once April is over, she will step down and the college will no longer have a direct point of contact to the concerned alumni. Your only method of contacting us will be to contact the news and let them know that you are firing the entire administration and installing a zero tolerance policy.

Elizabeth Amini ’95
On behalf of concerned alumni
(Non-leader but point of contact)

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Water Polo posts largest victory margin of season

The Occidental women’s water polo team (5-17 overall, 3-3 SCIAC) has started to find its stroke in the pool with just two games remaining in the regular season. The Tigers have doubled their win total over a two-week period, tallying their first back-to-back victories of the season with dominant performances over Chapman and La Verne last week.

The squad bounced back from a close 15-11 home loss to Whittier on April 5 with a thrilling win over Chapman last Wednesday. The Tigers jumped out to a 3-1 lead by the closing seconds of the first quarter, utilizing three different black and orange attackers to find the back of the net. Occidental scored two more goals to take a commanding 5-1 lead in the third quarter, but a Panther goal with 2:44 minutes left in the period sparked a late comeback.

Sophomore utility player Lizzy Kosin (sophomore) scored the Tigers’ lone goal of the fourth quarter, but that was all the stout Occidental defense needed as they managed to keep the Panthers off the board in the final minute of the contest. The unit outlasted the late Chapman surge to capture a 7-6 victory.

According to Kosin, the squad’s late-season resurgence stems from the growth and development that has resulted from three early SCIAC losses.

“It’s always hard to lose a conference game,” Kosin said. “I think we were able to reevaluate our goals for the season and focus a little more on ourselves and the confidence in our ability as a team.”

The Tigers were able to harness some of the defensive prowess that they displayed in the Chapman match-up later in the week, holding La Verne to just six goals on Saturday.

Occidental had an offensive outburst in the opening quarter of the match, quickly taking a 4-1 lead after three consecutive goals from utility player Katya Soot (senior). The Tigers refused to let up offensively as Kosin, utility player Carly Zurcher (first-year) and center Lindsay Albino (senior) also registered multiple goals. The black and orange claimed its most decisive victory on the campaign, dismantling La Verne 12-6.

“There were a few things that we could have done a bit better, but for the most part I thought it was a pretty balanced game,” Occidental head coach Larry Zubrin said. “We got the offense going and put some points on the board, which also helped take some pressure off defensively.”

Despite recent success, the veteran-heavy team is not overlooking its two conference matches that remain before it heads into the SCIAC Championships.

“We are trying to take it one game at a time and not look past any team,” Albino said. “Right now, we just want to play the best we can play and not think about the SCIAC Championship until we get there.”

The program will honor its seven graduating players tonight at Taylor Pool, taking on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) at 5 p.m. for Senior Day.

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Men’s Lacrosse veteran Vigorita sheds light on club athlete perspective

After winning only one game five years ago, the Occidental men’s lacrosse team looks to build upon its success from last year’s 8-4 overall (5-1 Southwestern Lacrosse Conference) record. The squad made the first round of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) playoffs, narrowly losing to Cal State Fullerton by a score of 12-8.

Junior midfielder Vincent “Vinny” Vigorita has been a staple of the Occidental roster for the past three years due to his experience on the field and his leadership qualities.

“He’s an exceptional person and a great leader,” Tiger head coach Mike Delbar said. “He always does the right thing; that is a rare trait for someone so young. He handles the ball well, and he makes everyone feel equal. He’s got that thing you want to follow and listen to.”

Vigorita’s leadership abilities have been consistently recognized by his peers. This overarching quality prompted his teammates to vote him vice president of the lacrosse program this season. Additionally, the members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity voted him co-vice president of their chapter.

Vigorita is set to take on the job of team president next season, replacing four-year veteran Doug Calder (senior).

“Vinny’s a great leader for the program because he played high-level lacrosse in high school,” treasurer John Solowiej (senior) said. “He takes faceoffs, scores goals, talks about the future of the program with enthusiasm and is just all you’d want out of a captain.”

Vigorita grew up on Long Island in East Hampton, N.Y., and attended The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, where he played in one of the toughest lacrosse regions in the country. He came to Occidental to have fun playing his favorite sport and to pursue a pre-med education like his father.

“My father played D-III lacrosse in college,” Vigorita said. “I look up to my dad a lot, and I want to carry out the Vigorita family name well like he has.”

Vigorita said that he also tries to pass his family’s love of lacrosse onto his little brother, who also plays the sport.

“I taught him everything,” Vigorita said with a smile.

Vigorita hopes to transform the men’s lacrosse program, currently a Division-II club organization, into a more prominent entity at Occidental and around the Southern California landscape.

“We are a team on the rise,” Vigorita said.

Vigorita attributes the success of the team to the high level of play with which his teammates perform every week. Attacker Jake Kahane (junior) has led the team in goals for the past three seasons and will take over the vice president position from Vigorita moving forward. Sophomores Brad Calder and Patrick Walsh were named All-SLC selections as first-years at the end of last season.

The team has missed the contribution of Teran Mawhinney (junior), who is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury. He was also named All-SLC at the conclusion of last year’s campaign, earning a First Team nod.

As a result of its smaller numbers, the team did not reach the playoffs this year, despite recording some big wins that included a commanding 15-5 victory over Division-I opponent UC Irvine. At one point in the season, the squad suited only 12 men, giving them only two available substitutions.

“We struggle to have the consistency,” Delbar said. “We have one great game, and one average game. It is tough to do a season like that.”

Vigorita and company look to end the season on a strong note, traveling to Cal State Channel Islands Saturday at 2 p.m.

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Sports in Brief Issue 9

Track and Field

The Occidental track and field teams participated in the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational Saturday, continuing their preparation for the upcoming SCIAC Championship meet. Senior speedster and jumper Kevin Cox led the men’s side with several top performances on both the track and in the field. He posted a time of 11.22 seconds in the 100-meter dash and took fifth place overall in the long jump with a leap of 6.73 meters. Despite Cox’s success in the 100-meter, All-American Jonathan Padron (senior) was the top finisher for the Tigers in the event with a time of 11.18 seconds. First-years Raoul Friedemann and Landon Hart were the top distance performers for the black and orange, as Friedemann registered a time of 2:03.02 minutes in the 800-meter race, and Hart crossed the line at 4:19.37 minutes in the 1,500-meters. On the women’s side, Jenny Quilty (junior) placed 20th overall in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.70 seconds, while her counterpart Onyekachi Nwabueze (first-year) was directly on her heels at 12.71 seconds. Hurdler Rachel Hinkel (sophomore) crossed the 400-meter hurdles finish line in a time of 1:09.40 minutes, good enough for 18th place in the event. Junior Kimberly Orpinela was the top field event performer for the Tigers, taking 16th in the hammer throw with the mark of 41.37 meters. The squads travel to the Mt. Sac Relays Friday and SCIAC Multi Dual 3 Saturday.

Women’s Lacrosse (10-3 overall, 7-1 SCIAC)

The Occidental women’s lacrosse team bounced back from an April 5 loss to SCIAC-leader Redlands this week with a 15-9 win over Chapman and an 11-5 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS). Senior attacker Tori Larson led the way for the Tigers, scoring a combined nine goals between the two games, while goalie Kirsten Hee (sophomore) anchored the defense with 12 total saves. The squad travels to Pomona-Pitzer tonight at 7 p.m.

Softball (5-29 overall, 2-20 SCIAC)

The Occidental softball team claimed its biggest win of the season and broke its 13-game losing streak in Game 2 of a Saturday doubleheader with SCIAC No. 4 Cal Lutheran. The Tigers’ offense failed to get going in the morning cap against the Regals, as the black and orange dropped Game 1 by a score of 7-2. However, the squad’s bats came alive in the second game of the day on the shoulders of Jackie Shimamoto (senior) and Alex Battest (first-year). Both players recorded three hits and combined for three RBI in the contest. Coupling the offensive outburst, starting pitcher Ali Goldberg (sophomore) hurled a gem, striking out five and giving up just one run in the Tigers’ 6-1 victory. Occidental travels to Redlands Friday for a doubleheader. First pitches are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.

Men’s Tennis (3-15 overall, 1-6 SCIAC)

The Occidental men’s tennis team faced off against conference opponents CMS and Pomona-Pitzer in a doubleheader Saturday. The Tigers struggled to keep up with the Stags and Sagehens, both of whom are ranked top-15 nationally. The black and orange failed to capture a single match in a pair of 9-0 losses. After a few weeks off, the squad will participate in the SCIAC Championships beginning May 2.

Women’s Tennis (1-12 overall, 0-7 SCIAC)

The Occidental women’s tennis team took the court Saturday for a SCIAC match-up against CMS. The Tigers were unable to find their stroke en route to a 9-0 loss to the Athenas. The black and orange will have one more tune-up match at La Verne Friday before they moving onto the SCIAC Championships.

Men’s Golf tallies season-low at Mt. Baldy Shootout

After a difficult outing at SCIAC #2, the Occidental men’s golf team rebounded Saturday by posting a season-best 301 at the Mt. Baldy Shootout at Upland Hills Country Club. Both the squad’s overall and individual performances were much improved, as they rolled to a fifth-place finish ahead of Whittier and just two strokes back of Chapman and Pomona-Pitzer. La Verne won the tournament, placing one spot in front of host school CMS. All four of the Tigers who took to the course finished within four strokes of each other. In what has become customary, Colton Bares (first-year) led the way for the Tigers, shooting a 3-over 73. Fellow newcomer James Wronoski fell in line right behind Bares with a 5-over 75. Sophomores Kevin Liu and Jeremy Klein notched a 6-over 76 and a 7-over 77, respectively. It was a memorable day for Liu, who registered his first career eagle in the process of his collegiate-best score. The Mt. Baldy Shootout served as the final tune-up before the program heads to the season’s culminating event. The men have a week off from competitive golf before heading to the Oak Valley Country Club alongside the women for the SCIAC Championships April 27-29.

More than what he Siebs

Senior men’s tennis player Kevin Siebs has been a constant force for Occidental over the past three seasons. Regularly playing in the No. 2 slot for both singles and doubles, Siebs has shaken off a slow start to this campaign, winning two of his last four singles matches. The economics and politics double major showed his ability early in his collegiate career, playing in the top singles spot his sophomore year for the majority of the season. He captured three singles victories and seven doubles wins. Siebs more than doubled his number of singles wins the following year, tallying seven throughout his junior campaign. He has also registered four wins in doubles competition. In his swan song season, the Houston native has continued to impress despite his 4-13 record against numerous top-25 conference opponents. He notched his first victory of the season at Caltech on Feb. 8 and later won for the first time as the Tigers’ No 1. singles player, filling in for the absent Josh Dancu (junior) on March 27 and taking down Pacific ace Troy Zuroske (senior). Siebs’ consistent career will come to a close when he and the rest of the black and orange take the court for the SCIAC Championships starting on May 2.enior men’s tennis player Kevin Siebs has been a constant force for Occidental over the past three seasons. Regularly playing in the No. 2 slot for both singles and doubles, Siebs has shaken off a slow start to this campaign, winning two of his last four singles matches. The economics and politics double major showed his ability early in his collegiate career, playing in the top singles spot his sophomore year for the majority of the season. He captured three singles victories and seven doubles wins. Siebs more than doubled his number of singles wins the following year, tallying seven throughout his junior campaign. He has also registered four wins in doubles competition. In his swan song season, the Houston native has continued to impress despite his 4-13 record against numerous top-25 conference opponents. He notched his first victory of the season at Caltech on Feb. 8 and later won for the first time as the Tigers’ No 1. singles player, filling in for the absent Josh Dancu (junior) on March 27 and taking down Pacific ace Troy Zuroske (senior). Siebs’ consistent career will come to a close when he and the rest of the black and orange take the court for the SCIAC Championships starting on May 2.

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Margolis provides consistency, leadership for Tiger Baseball

Like his newfound strikeout pitch – the changeup – Occidental No. 2 starting pitcher Mitch Margolis (senior) is both quiet and effective.

But the Calabasas, Ca., native and his bread-and-butter pitch have actually been quite loud on the mound this season, as he grinds through innings and sends plenty of opposing hitters back to the dugout.

Margolis’ numbers jump off the page. After 12 appearances and nine starts, he has posted a 2.88 ERA, leads the SCIAC in strikeouts (64) and ranks second in wins (six). However, Margolis’ career has not always gone so smoothly.

Margolis bounced between relief and starting roles throughout his first three seasons at Occidental due to inconsistent performances that led to him losing his spot in the rotation to closer-turned-starter Scott Hong (senior).

Tiger head coach Luke Wetmore, pitching coach Jake Blodgett ‘12 and Margolis himself all agreed that in those three years, he had trouble making the mental adjustments necessary to get out of tough situations on the mound.

“He’d go 50, 60 pitches; get into the fourth, fifth inning,” Wetmore said. “He’d start to fatigue, and then he’d start to throw harder.”

According to Wetmore, Margolis’ overthrowing would lead to a loss of command. But this year, overcoming adversity on the mound and staying in command of his pitches has become a strength.

In his sixth start of the season at home against Rutgers-Newark, Margolis gave up two solo home runs in the second and fourth innings, respectively. However, these would go on to be the only runs scored by the Scarlet Raiders in the contest. Margolis settled down on the bump, hurling an 11-strikeout complete game and securing a 4-2 victory for the black and orange.

“I was keeping them off balance the whole game,” Margolis said. “I started getting deeper into the game and started thinking, ‘I have a chance to finish this and just kept that attack mode going.’”

Blodgett said that he was especially proud of how Margolis faced adversity in the early innings.

“He was able to come back after two solo home runs and, each time, he didn’t let it effect how he was throwing to the next batter,” Blodgett said. “It’s that small victory that stuck out in my mind.”

Margolis’ start Saturday at La Verne proved once again that he could refocus after a shaky outing. The Leopards scored one run in each of the second, third and fourth innings. But Margolis blanked them through the next four innings, allowing only one hit in that span. He earned the win after six strikeouts through eight innings of work.

Strikeouts have been a new development in the 5-foot-11 right hander’s game. In his first three seasons combined, Margolis tallied the exact same 64 punch-outs that he has racked up so far in this year alone.

And yet, Margolis said that he does not pitch with strikeouts in mind.

“I try to get in the strike zone early in the count,” Margolis said. “If they hit it and finish the at-bat in one pitch, it’s fine with me.”

Improved stamina has allowed Margolis to pitch late into games. His command of the fastball, changeup and slider have also helped him to pound the strike zone and keep hitters off balance throughout his team-high 68.2 innings on the hill this season.

Margolis said that it is the consistency of his fastball and slider that allow for his changeup to shine. According to Wetmore, a routine in practice that is the same as on game day has been key to Margolis’ success this season.

“I think there’s just a maturity about how he goes about his preparation,” Wetmore said. “It’s very consistent, and that’s led to consistent results. We use him as a model, especially for the freshmen that are coming in.”

Senior utility man Van Fudge — Margolis’ teammate and friend — said that he has always noticed Margolis’ confidence and poise on the mound.

“He has a quieter demeanor,” Fudge said. “No one thinks that Mitch is shy. He just goes about his business in a good way.”

Margolis has developed consistency in all facets of the game in his time at Occidental, but there is one more factor that has contributed to his success this season.

“This year is my last season of baseball,” Margolis said. “So I’m just thinking, ‘Give it everything you have, everyday.’”

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Don't get the puck outta here

Americans do not appreciate hockey nearly as much as they should. The Stanley Cup Finals ranks as the lowest viewed final of the four major sports; it even ranks lower than sitcom re-runs.

What American sports fans fail to see, apparently, is that hockey should rank first among all sports. Those more partial football fans can relish in hockey during the football off-season and enjoy both.

Hockey is an amazing niche sport, which is one reason that the rankings for its finals are not higher. The sport has yet to spread across all of America, as most hardcore fans reside in the Midwest or on the East Coast.

Football takes the lead as America’s most-watched sport, followed by baseball — still dubbed “America’s Pastime,” even though it really is not. But people neglect hockey, sometimes not even considering it a major sport. Baseball makes me fall asleep, and basketball consists of egotistical dimwits, so why people watch these sports rather than hockey astonishes me.

While football brightens my Sundays, Mondays and sometimes Thursdays, hockey can be watched all week, giving me plenty of opportunities to watch my Blackhawks do some damage.

Hockey excites viewers; it is fun to watch, fast-paced and amazingly skillful. Though nothing compares to watching it in person, everyone should set up shop in front of the TV for the Stanley Cup Final.

Over a hundred million people watched this year’s Super Bowl, but only 2.9 million viewers watched Game 2 of the Stanley Cup last season, according to a Minnesota CBS affiliate.

It can be argued that because the Super Bowl is a one-time show, its popularity increases. Combining its once-off nature with the level of pomp and circumstance demonstrates why it is so much more popular than other sports’ culminating events.

But the same week as Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA playoff game drew 10 million viewers. To me, basketball does not and cannot compete with hockey on levels of excitement. I am not amazed throughout the entire game at what a basketball player can do, but the level of precision that hockey players have at a professional level is astonishing.

All sports have a higher level of play in the pros, but hockey impresses me so much more. That’s not to say that basketball players do not have talent or that baseball players throwing 90 mph do not seem to defy logic.

Maybe it is because I spend so much time in water that watching someone skate backwards while taking a shot and then getting smashed into the glass makes me sit on the edge of my seat. But I know that I am one of a minority of people who really, truly love and appreciate hockey.

Juliet Suess is a senior ECLS major. She can be reached at suess@oxy.edu or on Twitter @WklyJSuess.

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Campus Safety director Nieto to retire

Director of Campus Safety Holly Nieto announced earlier this month that she will be retiring at the end of the semester. A presence on campus for the past 36 years, Nieto became known this year for her “Oxy has a plan for that…” emails about emergency preparedness. She also received and compiled data for Clery Act reporting. An April 1 email from Dean of Students Barbara Avery informed the campus about her retirement.

Nieto did not specify her reasons for leaving.

“I’m not comfortable talking about some of it, but I will simply tell you that it’s time,” Nieto said.

Nieto has worked in many positions at Occidental and within Campus Safety. As the Director of Campus Safety, she was the head of operations alongside former Campus Safety Lt. Joseph Cunje and oversaw Clery Act compliance and emergency preparedness. According to Nieto, when Cunje went on medical leave in January 2013, the workload became more than she alone could manage. Chief of Campus Safety Sean Kennedy took over the operations side when he joined Occidental in August 2013, and Nieto dedicated her time to the Clery Act and emergency preparedness system. The Clery Act mandates that the college disclose certain types of crimes in an Annual Security Report, among other requirements. This report includes crime statistics from the previous three calendar years and is due to the federal government on Oct. 1.

“I will have [the report] done before I leave, come the proverbial hell or high water, it will be done, because after 36 years, I don’t want to leave the college with unfinished business,” Nieto said.

Allegations that the school was underreporting sexual assaults led to the current investigation by the Department of Education for violations of the Clery Act. Nieto expressed annoyance with the way in which reports of sexual assaults were handled and communicated to her office.

“It’s incredibly frustrating for someone sitting in my chair or wearing the sparkly shoes that I’m wearing to have to deal with people who say, ‘I know something, but I’m not going to tell you what it is, but I’m going to hold you accountable for making sure it’s reported correctly,'” Nieto said. “We make every attempt possible to categorize [sexual assault reports] correctly.”

According to Associate Dean of Students Tim Chang, who oversees Campus Safety, the college has begun searching for a Clery Act Coordinator to take over when Nieto leaves at the end of June. The new position will only deal with Clery Act compliance, and Kennedy and Environmental Health and Safety Manager Bruce Steele will take over maintaining the college’s emergency preparedness systems.

“When we find a replacement, we’ll find someone with good knowledge of the Clery Act, but what we can’t replace is someone who knows the intersection of the Clery and Oxy,” Chang said. “There will be a steep learning curve for anyone coming in.”

Nieto came to Occidental in 1978 from California Institute of Technology after seeing a job posting in the L.A. Times. She joined the department now known as Facilities and ascended to supervisor roles. During this time, she developed the work order system that allows the college to track how much it spends on maintenance of buildings. When Campus Safety merged with Facilities in 1991, Nieto volunteered to fill the role of manager of Campus Safety.

“[Campus Safety was] primarily looking for somebody who was a good administrator and also had a good appreciation for law enforcement, and I said, ‘I can do that!’ They said, ‘Well what makes you think you can do that?,’ which was a fair question to them because I had pulled that one on them so often,” Nieto said.

Upon revealing her past as a corrections officer at the Federal Department of Justice, Nieto got the job as manager and has remained in the Campus Safety department ever since.

“She’s worn a lot of hats, a lot, and some of it’s because other people didn’t want to wear that hat, so she said, ‘Ok, let’s do it,'” Campus Safety Sgt. Claudia Conde said.

Nieto’s last day is June 30, but she will remain in campus housing until the end of January. According to Human Resources Office Manager Nicole Plascensia, employees are generally required to leave campus housing within 30 days of retiring, but Nieto explained that the extra months will allow her to find alternate living accommodations. In her absence, she believes that the college can grow from the contentious sexual assault debate.

“My biggest hope is that we learn to trust each other again and engage in those robust conversations civilly,” Nieto said. “Occidental has been a constant piece of fabric through my life, so I would want it to do nothing but get stronger and nicer and keep doing the amazing things we do.”

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Kweli rocks the Greek Bowl

In its first time as a true festival, SpringFest 2014 brought together the Occidental community during a period of low social activity at the school. With the issues currently plaguing the college, this event proved a great community-builder and provided an alternative to the usual quiet on-campus weekend.

The pre-show began at 3 p.m. and featured three hours of food and music, among other attractions. Reggae band The Lions performed on the KOXY stage at Stewie Beach, and were well-received by the crowd. Besides watching The Lions perform, students on the beach had the option of getting a henna tattoo, having their faces painted or pitching softballs at the dunk tank, the latter of which was hosted by Greek Organizations Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Delta Omicron Tau.

Just up the Braun Hall stairs in the Norris Yellow parking lot, SpringFest attendees climbed a rock wall while student artists showcased their skillsin front of their peers on the RAW Records stage. Food trucks surrounding both areas offered an array of cuisines including Mexican, Indian and Greek food.

“The pre-show had a great turn out with nearly 1,000 in attendance,” Programming Board (PB) manager and politics major David Cotton (senior) said via email. “The Lions on KOXY’s stage played a fantastic set, giving the whole festival a great feel. We hope to continue growing the size of the pre-show in the future.”

According to PB event staffer Tristan Cooper (sophomore), the pre-show ended with no major issues and set a good tone for the rest of the event.

After a few quieter hours on campus, female artist Res began the concert portion of the festival, performing in front of a relatively small crowd in the Greek Bowl. The talented singer provided a mellow start for the more intense style of Talib Kweli.

DJ Spintelect, Kweli’s DJ, then performed a short interlude between the sets of Res and Kweli. His set provided the musical tone for the the headliner’s performance, hyping up the crowd and asking them to raise the noise level if they wanted to see Kweli.

When he finally did appear onstage, Kweli performed a lengthy set that began around 10:30 p.m. — one hour after the advertised 9:30 p.m. start time, and lasted until nearly 11:45 p.m. He performed some of his most well-known songs such as “Definition” and “Get By” to the crowd’s enjoyment, followed by an encore consisting of tracks off his “Reflection Eternal” project’s album including “Move Something” and “Love Language”.

Kweli was clearly feeling the crowd, and the feeling was reciprocated. The native New Yorker improvised over several West Coast Dr. Dre beats like “Still Dre,” and restyled some of his songs using unconventional beats created by his band and DJ, providing a unique performance even to active Kweli fans.

“It was refreshing to see a rapper spit these lines, have a a live band and do a good job,” Daily Flava music critic and former Occidental student Nathaniel Heller said. “Performing that well over a live band was really impressive.”

Economics major Aseem Mangaokar (junior) of the DJ duo Hotel Garuda closed the show but had minimal time to perform due to the length of Kweli’s set.

Overall, the event was a hit and will ideally provide a template for on-campus events in the future.

“I hope the success of these events will remind the administration of the important role campus-wide events play in reinvigorating student life and ensuring that the close-knit community that defines our institution lives on,” Diplomacy and World Affairs (DWA) major Rachel Cohn (sophomore) said.

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Recruiting game difficult for Division-III Occidental

University of Kentucky’s men’s basketball head coach John Calipari has it easy in recruiting. Occidental’s Brian Newhall? Not so much. Newhall recently shed light on the difficulties and realities of Division-III recruiting and the challenges specific to Occidental.

Division-I coaches such as Calipari can sell full academic scholarships, state-of-the-art facilities and a chance to compete at the highest level of collegiate sports to their athletes. Newhall and his fellow Occidental coaches, on the other hand, are unable to offer such benefits and must make a more concentrated effort to continue to build their programs every year.

“Right off the bat, you’re going to have to go non-scholarship,” Newhall said. “It’s a challenge. You have to get lucky sometimes.”

According to Newhall, the men’s basketball coaching staff travels to basketball showcases all around the country and subsequently sends mass emails to around 2,000 players who have caught its eye. From those, a few hundred respond and even fewer actually come to visit campus. The number of interested prospective student-athletes dwindles until around six to eight eventually commit to the basketball program.

Head track and field coach Rob Bartlett shared a sentiment similar to Newhall’s when it comes to his own recruiting, in terms of the steps he must take to find the right people.

“Recruiting at Division-III is, at the heart of it, a numbers game,” Bartlett said. “We are, to an extent, looking for needles in haystack.”

Bartlett also noted that he intends to bring in between 20 and 30 new athletes every year. But in order to find those who match his criteria — both academically and athletically gifted — he needs to communicate with around 5,000 high school students; a daunting task for a staff of just three coaches.

Newhall also brought up the notion of prominence.

Occidental coaches struggle to sign high-caliber athletes during the Early Decision process because many of the recruits hold out hope for the opportunity to play at the Division-I level. But for qualified prospective athletes who understand that Division-III is their ceiling, name recognition becomes the largest obstacle for an institution like Occidental.

According to Newhall, almost every player he has recruited that has a genuine interest in Occidental also has a handful of other college options from which to choose. Over his 26 seasons at the helm of the program, this scenario has prevented Newhall from gaining total confidence when trying to sign a player.

“It’s a little easier for Amherst, Williams, Claremont to get good players because of the prestige,” Newhall said. “For Oxy, it’s, ‘I got in, I’m excited, I’m going to go visit five other schools.’ I’m so jaded because I’ve done it so many times. You just get heartbroken.”

Additionally, according to Newhall, coaches have much less pull at Occidental than they may at other schools due to the lack of scholarships to offer, budget restrictions and academic rigor.

Newhall said that, unlike some other SCIAC institutions, Occidental’s admissions office focuses on a holistic approach. If a talented athlete does not meet the academic criteria for Occidental — which goes beyond just high school GPA and SAT scores — the college will not admit the applicant.

“That’s a credit to admissions,” Newhall said. “No matter how good the kid is, if he doesn’t qualify, admissions isn’t taking him.”

Bartlett will not bother even pursuing a prospective athlete if he or she does not seem to meet academic criteria.

“If we think they can get into the school, we recruit them,” Bartlett said. “Anybody we don’t think can get into the school, we’re not going to recruit them.”

First-year Joe Compagno, a point guard on the men’s basketball who Newhall recruited last year, understands the difficulties that Division-III coaches undergo in order to sign talented players. A Division-II coach offered Compagno guaranteed admittance and a full scholarship on the spot, an action that is simply not possible for an Occidental coach.

“It definitely seemed easier for bigger schools,” Compagno said. “The coach can say, ‘If I say you’re in, you’re in.’ With Division-III, if you don’t get in, there’s nothing the coach can really do. That definitely creates a struggle for both the athlete and the coach.”

At the end of the day, Occidental’s coaches and those belonging to similarly prestigious Division-III programs must truly sell their schools and academic environments to reel in the student-athletes who they feel can best contribute to their respective institution.

“We’re selling Oxy’s academic reputation; we’re selling our community — the four-year promise,” Bartlett said. “What we’re doing is saying ‘come to Oxy and first and foremost be a student. Get a good degree and leave college in four years with a chance to go to grad school or get a great job.’”

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On the rails, in the fringes

Four skateboarders repeatedly hop off the stage in Sycamore Glen, guiding their boards into flips and controlled spins with the grace and nonchalance of seasoned experts. The group is made up of Highland Park residents in their late teens and early twenties. The sound is a veritable cacophony. The racket of loose wheels wobbling from impact after impact can be heard hundreds of feet away. To a passerby, the noise makes for an intimidating rumble, but to the men causing the uproar, it is the familiar soundtrack of their passion.

Skateboarding is not allowed anywhere on the Occidental College campus. When I first encountered this particular group of skaters, they were being stopped by a Campus Safety officer. Though they were not riding their skateboards at the time, the officer informed them that visitors were not allowed and asked them to return to their vehicle and leave campus. The skaters did not attempt to argue or fight the rules, but remained respectful and followed the order.

I followed the group to Sycamore Glen and introduced myself. When they were confident that Campus Safety had not followed, they began to skate.

Though demur with the officer who confronted him, Bishop, an Eagle Rock local, brags to his friends that he has skated at Occidental around a dozen times. He and his comrades discuss the ins and outs of skating on campus and the hidden lips and obstacles where Campus Safety infrequently patrols.

“I think we know this campus better than [students] do. You just walk past it all, we appreciate it and we use it,” one of the skaters, who did not give his name, said.

One at a time, the skaters pop off the small ledge and guide their boards into lateral flips and tight spins. When the
execution is good, the trick is performed with such grace that the uninitiated observer is unsure what exactly has occurred. Like a horse’s gallop, the trick is a dance which cannot be traced in live motion, yet is done with such expertise it seems utterly simple; there is an air of improvisation to it. When the trick is less skilfully done, the board rolls mindlessly off, the skater pursuing it on foot.

Their riding was interspersed with talk; they are as much athletes engaged in practice as they are friends bonding. They weighed the achievements of professional skaters and argued about the implications of success.

The sport of skateboarding promotes both cultural and social bonds. For the local skaters, skating is foremost a passion — connecting friends and giving them something free to do together. Like any group of similarly minded fans or athletes, they discuss their interest with the terms and enthusiasm of the initiated. They relate over shared
knowledge and experience.

“Skating’s organic. It’s about kicking it with the homies and making something creative. When you go pro, that element is gone. The art is gone,” Bishop said.

One of his friends argues the merits of an up-and-coming group of young pros.

“They’re good, but what have they contributed to skateboarding? New tricks? New styles? No, nothing,” Bishop said.

From skating, other topics arise: the nature of class distinction, success and money, among others. They share their ambitions. Bishop explains in detail his ideas for a line of skateboarding clothing, but criticizes the aimless pursuit of wealth.

“If you give me a million dollars, what would I get? A chain today, Jordan’s tomorrow. I’d be broke in a week. What’d it do for me? I’ll just keep expressing myself by skating,” Bishop said.

When the lack of respect for skateboarding is mentioned, minor differences of opinions are washed over by a sense of solidarity. The skaters lament the sport’s limited mainstream media coverage, Olympic representation and persisting popular associations of skateboarding with listless youth, crime and danger. The sense that skaters are not respected as professional athletes riles them. They laud the professional skater and point out how his broken bones outclass the injuries of Lebron James.

Yet the continued quasi-underground status of skateboarding is part of its appeal. The sense that the activity is sometimes forbidden and often frowned-upon makes skateboarding as a community all the more immersive.

“Skating couldn’t be in the Olympics. How would you judge art?” Bishop said.

Small groups of local skaters are drawn to the Occidental campus because of the lack of crowds and the open areas. The features favored by street skaters — clean concrete, wide stairs, jumpable gaps and low rails — are common on campus. Though there are at least four skate parks within five miles of campus; skaters oriented toward the street style prefer the open terrain of a public space to the ramps and jumps found at a park.

Like many who choose to skate on campus, Bishop and his friends must navigate the barriers raised by the prohibition of skateboarding.

Discussions inevitably turn to topics of style, preferred tricks, battle scars and run-ins with the authorities. The relative fringe status of skateboarding can instill some sense of marginalization, a feeling of shared burden which strengthens the bonds between skaters.

They commiserate with one another.

“A basketball player can put a hoop on a wall anywhere, and they won’t get called out for trespassing. We’re the only people they do this to,” Bishop said.

Despite the prohibition of skating on Occidental’s campus, a diverse group of skaters come to the college to meet their friends and practice their sport. Among them are students and locals, novices and experienced skaters. They are mindful of Campus Safety and careful to be civil. They empathize with those whose duties task them with stopping skateboarders, yet they are undeterred.

Around Occidental, there are about as many college students skating as locals.

“We all know we exist. Some of us interact, some don’t,” Media Arts and Culture (MAC) major Kelly Wourms (junior) said.

If Occidental aims to foster engagement with the surrounding community, it has unintentionally succeeded within the skating subculture. There is a two-way exchange taking place. Just as students from Eagle Rock High School and Lincoln High School come to Occidental to skate, Occidental’s skateboarders speak of riding walls and clearing gaps on the campuses of these local schools.

Wourms relates his experiences at Verdugo Skatepark in Glendale, witnessing the interaction of geology major Graham Spain (sophomore) with young local skaters.

“He shreds. They worship him. It’s adorable,” Wourms said.

At first Bishop criticizes what he sees as disrespect faced by skateboarders compared with other visitors who come to campus to walk their dog or simply sit in the Academic Quad. Though he admits to having been warned against skating on campus before, he insists that Campus Safety must express more clearly its desire to rid the campus of skateboarding.

“If you don’t want us here, publicize it. Then we’d say ‘F— Oxy’ and go somewhere else,” Bishop said.

He offers his rebellious and antagonistic words almost as formality, a necessary ritual in the propagation of skating’s anti-establishment ethos. But as they continue it becomes clear that he and his friends do feel connected to the college community.

“I want it to be so that people who see Oxy want to come here. I like Oxy. I like people,” Bishop said.

The skaters tell me about attending concerts on campus and getting into student parties. While we’re talking, one of them receives a phone call. It’s from an Occidental first-year, they explain — a novice skater who they’ve befriended and are helping to teach new tricks. They make a plan to meet later in the day to skate and hang out on campus.

Later on, I meet with Spain and two of his fellow student skaters, undeclared majors Logan Justice (pictured) and Matt Lui (first-years). They practice their moves while we discuss skating at Occidental.

Like all skaters, they are wary of the risks they face.

“It’s concrete guerilla warfare out there,” Spain said.

However, they do not let the ban get to them.

“There’s no set area where we skate. Everywhere is our skatepark,” Lui said.

The skaters have different styles and levels of experience, but they all learn from each other.

“The thing is, you get a different experience from riding different terrain. Skateboarding today is very catalytic to this. It’s all open now. With these guys, I’m trying more street.But I’m more into transitions,” Spain said.

“I’d say we’re the complete opposite,” Lui responded.

“You see, we’re a rich and diverse community,” Spain said with a laugh.

Any sense of victimization is overshadowed by the camaraderie of the skaters and their acknowledged sympathy with the authorities.

“It’s super individualistic. The good skateboarder isn’t a team player, but it’s through that individualism that people come together and bond as a community,” Justice said. “We feed off of each others’ energy when we skate. When I’m alone, I won’t have the motivation to push myself.”

The individual skater’s passion for the sport is fused with the connections he forms with those he rides with.

“The influence of others really opens you up to new things,” Lui said.

“Yeah, that’s how new tricks get made. Different perspectives coming together,” Spain responded.

The other skaters agree.

“It’s ultimately about appreciation. You’re doing this to be appreciated. The most self-accomplishment comes from others. It’s about the shared experience of skateboarding,” Justice said.

Spain has started a homemade magazine for skaters on campus called “Occidental Skateboarding.” Comprised of printer paper and held together by staples, the first issue features over a dozen action shots of Occidental skaters, as well as a couple news briefs related to skating and an interview. Its simplicity is befitting of an underground community. It is an intimate affair — a conscious effort by Spain to bring different circles of skaters together in some way.

Spain expects his efforts will pay off and the magazine will continue. The skaters share delight in discussing the world they care so deeply for with one another — a world which Occidental tries to stifle.

The ban on skateboarding has been in place for longer than the administrators in the relevant offices can say. But Occidental stands behind the policy, which, according to the Student Handbook, is based on the grounds that skateboarding is potentially dangerous to both skaters and pedestrians.

Two serious skateboarding accidents in 2009 highlighted the dangers associated with skateboarding. According to Associate Dean of Students Tim Chang, both involved students suffering serious injuries that forced them to withdraw from Occidental.

“The policy was in place before these accidents, but they served as reminders of the dangers of skateboarding on campus,” Risk Management Coordinator Nazeli Khodabakhsh wrote in an email.

The Office of Risk Management, which is tasked with limiting financial risk to the college, supports the skateboarding ban. Khodabakhsh explained the reasoning behind the policy.

“United Educators, our liability insurance company, recommends that skateboarding not be allowed in areas with steep inclines and speed bumps (like Oxy). Skateboarding, rollerskating, etc. also pose a risk to pedestrians even in areas without inclines,” Khodabakhsh said.

While Campus Safety does not prioritize actively enforcing the ban, it accepts the Office of Risk Management’s assessment of the dangers of skateboarding.

“If we see somebody skateboarding, we will talk to them. It’s one of many items we follow up with on campus. It’s our job. We’re not out there looking to catch people,” Chief of Campus Safety Sean Kennedy said. “Because of [previous injuries], we’d be remiss to do nothing. If someone had a bad crash and we didn’t talk to them about it, I’d feel horrible. I’d have failed in my responsibility.”

Bishop dismisses the college’s fears of financial burden brought on by an injured skater.

“Real skaters don’t sue. The last thing they think about is getting money out of you. They just wanna get the cast off and keep skating,” Bishop said.

The skaters themselves recognize the risks they take, but downplay any chance their skating has of hurting a pedestrian. In shielding themselves from Campus Safety, they say they put themselves out of the way of most students.

“We’re smart about it. There’s literally no one here where we skate. We know the risks and we take them,” Justice said. “It’s a very draconian thing to prevent people from doing what they want with their bodies.”

Spain expressed resentment about the contrast between the fines a skateboarder may receive and the relative impunity of those who violate policy on alcohol an drug use.

“I’ve paid $75–100 in fines for doing what I like to do; having fun in a way that isn’t illegal and
isn’t hurting anyone,” Spain said. “We’re students. They’re supposed to look out for us.”

While skaters will continue to be in conflict with the administration and Campus Safety, the relationship is surprisingly non-inflammatory. The skaters suggest the introduction of a liability waiver to allow them to pursue their sport while sheltering the college from legal responsibility.

While the administration has strong policies in place against skateboarding, Campus Safety is not overly antagonistic toward skaters.

“Questioning why we do things is important. We are all about communication. I think [a liability waiver] is a great idea worth discussing with student government,” Kennedy said.

But some skaters are doubtful that anything will change. They are defiant, but not disrespectful.

“We knowingly assume all responsibility for the injuries to ourselves that we cause; we wouldn’t be skateboarding if we didn’t. Ultimately the campus policy regarding skateboarding amounts to a prohibition of something which we skateboarders cherish, and which does not take into account our perspectives at all,” Justice wrote in an email.

The skaters will ride on, with or without acceptance from the school. The sport was born in the fringes and a mild outlaw flavor tints the culture, among rebel and straight-edge skater alike. Students and locals will continue to skate in Eagle Rock, and many of them will come together at Occidental College.

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