PeppGraphic, Malibu, CA (2025)

12/05/2025

Institutional leaders tend to portray their organizations as equal and inclusive — but that is not always the case. Women faculty members at Pepperdine face many unique challenges, striving to pave the way for women in higher education.⁠
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Professors said it can be difficult to gain respect from their students, receive recognition for their work and be represented in higher administrative positions.⁠
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“I do have a degree and authority and should get respect from those things that I’ve earned in the classroom,” Communication Professor Sarah Stone Watt said.⁠

Women faculty at Pepperdine are overcoming subtle inequalities to reach their full professional potential. Beyond educating students in the classroom, they are educating young women on how to succeed beyond stereotypes.

12/05/2025

From the quiet corners of their childhoods, they watched — mimicking the way their mothers put on their heels, how their fathers laced their shoes and how their sisters twirled in mirrors — until, piece by piece, they stitched together a style of their own.

Watching parents and siblings helps shape people into who they are — influencing not only their sense of style but their sense of self.

“I remember the first day I ever put on a pair of heels for the first time,” sophomore Olivia Christensen said. “And I remember tearing up at the thought that I once idolized the way I watched my mom do this very thing.”

As children grow, they watch their parents as guiding lights. Now that they are navigating their own lives and personal styles, they reflect on the ways their parents have molded them into who they are today.

12/05/2025

Every Pepperdine faculty member has a unique story to tell. They each have their own journey of how they ended up where they are and how Pepperdine has shaped them along the way.

However, for some, their Pepperdine journeys began as Seaver students. They have since returned to help inspire and mentor students the very same way they were once guided as students.

“I feel so lucky that I get to teach and learn as a part of my job and interact with students from all over the world with all different world views and backgrounds,” Communication Professor Jennifer Phillips said.

Here at Pepperdine, every faculty member has their own life story. In certain instances, those stories involve returning home to Pepperdine to inspire the next generation of Waves.

12/04/2025

The saying goes, “If the shoe fits, wear it.” ⁠
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But what if shoes don’t just fit someone’s feet — they fit their stories as well? Every scuff and crease represents a story to be told, and shoes possess the power to hold their owner’s memories in every step. This is especially true when shoes travel on some of life’s biggest journeys.⁠
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“I drew an emotional attachment to them,” junior Damian Youssef said. “Every time I look at them, I can see some of the scuffs and different markings that were made in different countries."⁠

Shoes create memories for their owner in every step they take. Pepperdine students share how their shoes serve as a time capsule of all their owner's travels.

12/04/2025

“Pepperdean.” ⁠
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That was the name East Coasters would sometimes use to misidentify the small Bible college in South Central Los Angeles known as George Pepperdine College, said John Watson, founder of the Sport Administration Program and a 1972 alumnus.⁠
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Before the move to Malibu, George Pepperdine College was a Church of Christ affiliate far from its Southern-based denomination. The college was facing financial shortfalls and was strapped for space. Additionally, the college was struggling for survival as growing racial tensions during the turbulent 1960s made it hard to recruit students to the campus. After surviving the 1965 Watts Riots, a campus security guard killed a young Black man, Larry Donnell Kimmons, in 1969.⁠
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Administrators praised the move to Malibu in Fall 1972 as a miracle that paved the path to today’s Pepperdine University — an R2 university with five professional schools and 26 national athletic championships.⁠

George Pepperdine opened George Pepperdine College in South Central Los Angeles 88 years ago. Now, Pepperdine University sits on top of a hill in one of Southern California's richest cities. The journey from South Central Los Angeles to Malibu involved several complex layers, but what emerged was wh...

12/04/2025

Polarization. Right and left. Climate change. These are words that don’t just appear in headlines, but words that have been a part of Generation Z’s vocabulary since childhood.

Growing into an adult is difficult. Buying groceries, paying rent and cooking every meal for oneself is no easy task. But these issues amount to little when polarization is tearing families and friendships apart, and natural disasters have overtaken the world.

“Regardless of where you are, I think everybody has this sense that there’s something broken and that Congress isn’t really working,” Political Science Professor Karie Riddle said. “Our institutions are kind of just deadlocked, and things are failing, and everybody has anxiety over that.”

Growing into an adult is challenging. However, add in issues like political polarization and climate change, and suddenly the struggle to grow up intensifies.

12/03/2025

A mailbox flooded, a ringer turned on, a phone glued to the body – the communication inundation inherent to an efficiency-based generation has both challenged reality and stolen intentionality.

Students and faculty alike echo how a buzz on the hip can become more of a burden than a blessing and how this might call for a change in their habitual communication, a return to physical communication forms.

“Our generation, specifically, I think a lot of people are starting to prefer the older practices of life — it’s less stimulating, less addictive,” sophomore Grace Kepes said. “A lot of people in our generation are moving toward the written things because we’re all starting to realize how there’s so much more enjoyment and beauty when life is more simple.”

Physical communication forms offer a meaningful escape from an increasingly digital world. Students and faculty alike reflect on how these written mementos have affected their lives and connected them with those around them.

12/03/2025

Senior Justin Foster is on track to be the first in his family to graduate college. Growing up, he never thought college was an option for him.

Most people in his primarily Hispanic community in Oxnard went straight to work. In South Oxnard, where Foster attended high school, many schools were underfunded and lacked the resources to support students’ journeys to college.

“I probably wouldn’t have applied at all just because everyone I grew up with, right out of high school, thought, ‘OK, I’m going to join the workforce’ or ‘I have to support my family in some way,’” Foster said. “The majority of my friends are not in college.”

Senior Justin Foster grew up in South Oxnard, where many schools were underfunded and lacked the resources to support students’ journeys to college. The first-generation college student is on track to graduate and shining in all aspects of his journey.

12/03/2025

International Programs (IP) held their annual Launch event for students going abroad during the 2026-27 academic year in the Amphitheatre on Nov. 18. At the Launch, students come together and start building community with the people in their respective programs through various games.

The evening started with a video showcasing all of the different programs before Kelly Peterson, assistant director of marketing and student development for IP, welcomed everyone to the event and introduced the first activity.

"I'm really excited to go abroad because it's a big part of why I came to Pepperdine," first-year Hannah Amendolare said. "The event was a really great way to meet people in my program."

Students preparing to study abroad for the 2026-27 academic year came together for International Programs annual Launch event in the Amphitheatre on Nov. 18 The event was an opportunity for students to connect with fellow program members.

12/03/2025

Malibu is often associated with oceanfront mansions, celebrities and luxury, but behind the stereotype, a small beach town community tries to protect what remains of its roots.⁠
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Today, luxury stores and commercial chains continue to replace the local landmarks longtime residents grew up with.⁠
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For people like Pepperdine junior Michelle Myers, watching Malibu change has been bittersweet. Still, Malibu’s true spirit survives in local surf spots, summer nights with live music at Trancas and a community that comes together through fires, floods and road closures.⁠
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“On summer nights at Trancas, live music plays and the same families that have known each other for decades dance together,” Michelle Myers said. “Everyone is barefoot and smiling.”⁠

Beyond the stereotypes of luxury and exclusivity that surround Malibu exists a small beach town community. Locals want to protect their town against the recent commercial development.

12/03/2025

Students in NPM 302, Financial Development for Nonprofit Organizations, awarded $84,000 to support local nonprofits. On Nov. 17, the class hosted a Giving Ceremony to award the money to the chosen organizations.

On Nov. 17, students taking NPM 302, Financial Development for Nonprofit Organizations, hosted a Giving Ceremony event for local nonprofits in the Faculty Dining Room. At the ceremony, the culmination of student classwork throughout the semester, students awarded $84,000 to various nonprofit organizations. ��President Jim Gash, Provost Jay Brewster and Lee Kats, dean of Seaver College, gave the opening remarks for the Giving Ceremony followed by the awarding of the grant money.

Students in NPM 302, Financial Development for Nonprofit Organizations, awarded $84,000 to support local nonprofits. On Nov. 17, the class hosted a Giving Ceremony to award the money to the chosen organizations.

12/03/2025

For decades, the Malibu Country Mart has served as a blend of luxury and local life. In 1975, fashion pioneer Fred Segal bought the land with the vision to bring high-end fashion to Malibu. ⁠
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Fifty years later, that vision has come to life. However, the Mart serves as more for locals – it’s Malibu’s unofficial town square. As Malibu continues to face challenges from wildfires and mudslides, the future of the beloved landmark remains uncertain. ⁠

Since its origins in the 1970s, the Malibu Country Mart has evolved from a seaside shopping center to the city’s unofficial town square. As fires and redevelopment reshape the city, residents strive to keep its historic charm intact.

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