The enormous cross that greets you as you arrive to campus is a pretty leading statement that this is a Christian university. However, I have had the privilege of meeting numerous people who don’t identify themselves with the Christian faith. There is a very diverse spiritual culture here at Pepperdine that a lot of students might not be aware of yet. I have found … [Read more...] about Defining Diversity
faith
Finding my Camino
As I trudged on through the blistering heat, I could feel every pound of my backpack resting on my shoulders. My body ached in places I had never felt before, and I could feel traces of fresh blisters forming on my feet. I was fully convinced that I could not make it another step. And then I saw a glimpse of a little yellow arrow painted on a tree in the distance — the same … [Read more...] about Finding my Camino
Ready, Set
There is something about the air. The curvature of the rock. The impossible blue of the Pacific. It represents the dawn of so many things — notebooks rising to page one, faces reclaiming the plaza, new names, a new microwave oven, a speech, a dance, Malibu population 13,042. It is a welcome for some and a return for others. It is a place to tie the hammock and a meeting ground … [Read more...] about Ready, Set
Surfing for Something?
Photo by Akela Newman As nice as it would be to sleep in until 10 a.m. for regular Convocation on Wednesday mornings, many Pepperdine students have defied all odds by deciding to get up before the sun and travel to Zuma Beach for Surf Chapel at 7 a.m. I found myself among the crazies on the morning of Sept. 10 because I wanted to be a part of the adventure. After speaking to … [Read more...] about Surfing for Something?
Why Mandatory Convocation is Failing Us
“From its beginning,” the Pepperdine Convocation website writes, “Pepperdine has included regular assemblies where students gather to grow in faith, hear engaging speakers and learn more about how they can make a difference in this world through purpose, service and leadership.” Claiming to be the “contemporary connection” to the “integral aspect of Pepperdine’s Christian … [Read more...] about Why Mandatory Convocation is Failing Us