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News and Events Recap

December 2011

  • After their best defensive showing in nearly 60 years on December 18 against Montana State, Pepperdine's men's basketball team continued their home season through December 31, before women's basketball opened the 2012 athletics season at home on January 5 against Gonzaga.
  • Pepperdine University Libraries hosted Malibu author Ben Marcus on December 16 to speak about his new book, Images of America: Malibu. Marcus took attendees on a tour of Malibu history using historic photographs and his own research, after which the book was available for purchase and signing.
  • The Pepperdine community was saddened to learn that Rosemary Kraemer Lokey Raitt, a 29-year member of the Board of Regents, passed away on December 16. She was 91 years-old.
  • Gospel legends, The Blind Boys of Alabama, performed a sold out Christmas concert on December 13. The program, titled Go Tell it on the Mountain, also featured a special opening set by former Nickel Creek members Sara and Sean Watkins.
  • The Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine celebrated its graduating students on December 10 with a commencement ceremony in Firestone Fieldhouse. Honorary Doctorate recipient Paul N. Hopkins, retired board chair of Farmers Group and retired chair of the Americas of Zurich Financial Services, presented the commencement address and Gabriel J. Crecion presented the student address. David T. Feinberg (MBA '02) was presented with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
  • In honor of Pepperdine University's 75th Anniversary, the Pepperdine Libraries acquired a unique cornerstone of faith and art: a Heritage Edition of the Saint John's Bible. Pepperdine's Libraries are now home to the seven-volume set, making the Saint John's Bible display a center for study, prayer, and shared learning.
  • The Diane and Guilford Glazer Institute for Jewish Studies partnered with the Center for Entertainment, Media, and Culture (EMC) to host award-winning filmmaker and Klezmer musician Yale Strom on December 8. Strom screened two short films—A Great Day on Eldridge Street and A Man From Munkacs: Gypsy Klezmer—and performed songs associated with the films.
  • Political Science professor Joel Fetzer's new book, Luxembourg as an Immigration Success Story: The Grand Duchy in Pan-European Perspective, examined how Luxembourg has successfully managed its immigration policy. Fetzer presented a reading of his book December 7.
  • Pepperdine University's 2011-12 Stotsenberg Recital Series presented cellist Joshua Roman in a performance at  on December 4. The program included Crumb's Sonata for Solo Violoncello; Britten's Suite no. 3 for Unaccompanied Cello, op. 87; and Bach's Suite no. 6 in D Major for Unaccompanied Cello, BWV 1012.
  • The California Art exhibit at the Pepperdine University Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art came to a close on December 4 after a successful three-month stay in Malibu. The exhibition featured works by contemporary California artists from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation ranging in date from the early 1960s through the present.
  • The Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Learning at the School of Public Policy launched a new blog, Golden Governance, which focuses on government and citizen collaboration to provide services in California communities. The blog is a joint project of the Davenport Institute and the National Conference on Citizenship.
  • The Pepperdine Choir and Orchestra presented "The Sounds of Christmas" on December 2. Ryan Board, director of choral activities at Pepperdine, directed the choir as they performed an assortment of traditional favorites, as well as little-known seasonal gems.
  • The Pepperdine women's volleyball team, seeded No.15 in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, hosted the first and second rounds of the tournament on  December 1 and 2.
  • The Center for Entertainment, Media, and Culture (EMC) at Pepperdine hosted the cast and crew of the film, Christmas With a Capital C, on December 1, for a post-screening Q&A. Included in the panel was actor Ted McGinley, director Helmet Schleppi, screenwriter Andrew Gyerston Nasfell, and producer James Chankin.
  • The Pepperdine community heralded the holiday season with a series of events taking place on December 1 on the Malibu campus. Kicking off the festivities was a traditional Christmas dinner in Waves Café featuring hosts Santa and Mrs. Claus, followed by the Third Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, where hot cocoa, apple cider, and Christmas treats were served.
  • Michael Zakian, adjunct professor of art history and director of the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art at Pepperdine, presented a lecture, titled "Andy Warhol as a Religious Artist," on December 1. Zakian's lecture explored Andy Warhol, best known as the founder of Pop Art, and his religious roots.
  • John Paglia, associate professor of finance at the Graziadio School of Business and Management and director of the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Project, was presented with the first annual Tom Hopkins Award for Excellence in Mergers and Acquisitions by Chapter 101 of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). The award, which was presented to Paglia on December 1, recognizes special achievement in, or contribution to, corporate growth in the 101 Corridor business community.
  • The Fine Arts Division at Pepperdine presented the LA Opera Domingo-Thornton Young Artists on Tour in a semi-staged, abridged version of Mozart's comic opera Così fan tutte on December 1. Created and overseen by Plácido Domingo, LA Opera's Eli and Edythe Broad General Director, the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program is a two- to three-year paid residency for singers and pianists of exceptional talent who are currently in transition from academic training to a professional career in opera.