5 STAFF EDITOR IN CHEIF Danielle DiMeglio CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alexander Hayes PHOTO EDITOR Brandon Scheirman ASSISTANT EDITORS Kara Danner Chelsea Gest Jacklyn Maza Ashley Rhame WRITERS Danielle Accovelli Jill Amos Alex Claud Michelle Chung Alex Free Shelby Gotelli Ben Holcomb Melissa Hurtado Taylor Maniscalchi Janelle Merritt Julia Naman Mariella Rudi PHOTOGRAPHERS & DESIGNERS Jill Amos Monique Batac (cover) Kelly O’Connor Lauren Davilla Shawn Jones Sarah Malone Marisa Padilla Lindsey Sirera SPECIAL THANKS Andrew Kasselmann Elizabeth Smith Courtenay Stallings 0Ken Waters Adam Friedman William Chang We’ve all heard the stereotype that Southern California is concerned with appearances. Look to the left and we see picturesque beaches fit for a postcard. To the right, we have the glow of the city. Everywhere in between, people wear their best clothes, should they so happen to run into a fashion blogger or wayward celebrity on the way to brunch. Beyond the manicured exterior of Los Angeles, Malibu, or even Pepperdine, however, we see people just like in any other place: full of imperfections, idiosyncrasies, and most importantly stories. Those stories are what make this region, this city and this school fascinating. Going beyond the surface has been a theme for me this year as I end my college career. Over three years, I too have consumed myself with appearances, both in myself and others. Even my love for photography plays to the appearance game — what would I be if I couldn’t make others look great at first glance? Slowly, I’ve realized there’s more to my Los Angeles experience than appearances. This fall, <strong>Currents</strong> seeks to delve deeper into the heart of the people, places, and things that are the essence of this school, this city. Everything has an appearance; everything also has a story. We want to discover the stories that yearn to break free from within the shells that contain them. Appearances of success in sport give way to stories of heroism in war; appearances of religiosity morph to stories of diverse opinions on theology; appearances of our “interesting” selves break down to reveal stories of everyday life. As you flip through this magazine, be reminded that the spirit of Los Angeles lies not within the neon and palm trees; it resides within its story. Your spirit lives within your story. Set it free. When I was younger, I remember building entire worlds with LEGOs. I would stack them as high as my seemingly meager 150-piece set would allow. I would spend hours at a time making countless little blocked houses and skyscrapers. I always loved peering into the little city imagining the world I had just created coming to life. I did the best with what I had and they all looked awful, but my parents would never let me know it. “What can you build next?” they’d always say. When I was a kid, I did what I wanted to do — what I loved to do—which is why I was happier. When I grew up, things got harder and LEGO architecture therapy didn’t cut it anymore. I stopped doing the things that made me happy because it stopped making sense. And even worse, I stopped trying to find more of what I loved in the world. So I blindly wander. It’s funny, really. People usually expect some type of heart-warming anecdote when they ask me how I got my start in design. I don’t really know what to tell them considering I stumbled into my love for design quite clumsily, but it was one of the best things to ever happen to me. When I became Creative Director for <strong>Currents</strong> I knew it’d be a challenge. Even more so, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have the skills, but I had the will. Now where the hell was the way? Some may call what I did completely irresponsible and irrational, but designing this magazine made me happy, so I did it. I learned a lot during the process, but one message became abundantly clear: it’s so simple. Understand it’s an injustice to deny yourself the opportunity to do what you love — push yourself. Become a person in love with who your are, not who you could be, or who you wish you were. There’s so much beauty in this world, so keep your eyes open. Find something new to love, again. Build your own skyscrapers.
& 14814 Dorm nights with a twist TABLE OF CONTENTS Spiritual journey from a broken past Must dos before you graduate Marv Dunphy reveals untold stories of Vietnam War 18Kai Decker & Sarah Attar sketch their story
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