The body of Katie Wilkins was found in her parents’ garage on West Moon Shadows Drive on the evening of April 28. According to Det. Tim O’Quinn, of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept., Wilkins is believed to have died of a heroin overdose (the results of the toxicology tests are still pending). The car, which had been missing for nearly two weeks after this death, appears to have been located and is being held at a tow yard for fingerprinting, according to the Huffington Post.

Although O’Quinn said the case is considered “non-criminal,” Christopher Benton was the last person to be seen with Wilkins according to surveillance footage from a McDonald’s restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway. The footage showed Benton getting in Wilkins’ passenger seat. Detectives say Benton was the last person seen with Wilkins.

Pepperdine’s Executive Director of Public Relations Jerry Derloshon released the statement below:

“The University regards this as a personal matter. The event occurred off campus and is unrelated to the University. Law enforcement¹s investigation is still on-going. The facts in this terribly sad case will develop over time, but the result will be the same: a young woman lost her life, and her family lost a daughter and a sister. It is tragic for all involved.”

As reported by the Daily Beast, in a statement released to the media, Andrew K. Benton said: “In this case I am just Andy, father of someone who knew Katie and her family. Pepperdine has absolutely nothing to do with this. To suggest otherwise is merely sensationalism. My wife and I hold the Wilkins family in very high regard and are deeply pained by their loss. Illegal substances are a scourge on society and they have hurt many wonderful families in Malibu.”

Benton continued, “If anything, I hope this devastating situation will underscore the damage that drugs have had on some of our best and brightest. I don’t really know anything. Period. I would like to be helpful, but I don’t really know anything beyond what I am reading in the press.”

More information will be added to this article as it becomes available.

A man celebrates Mexican culture as he ruffles through souvenirs from Olvera Street.

This father shares Cinco de Mayo festivities with his child, who is exposed to the rich Mexican culture thriving in the marketplace of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument.

A boy celebrates Cinco de Mayo with a new marionette puppet as mariachi music plays through the Olvera street marketplace.

]]> http://www.pepperdine-graphic.com/lifearts/olveras-street-celebrates-cinco-de-mayo/feed/ 0 http://www.pepperdine-graphic.com/featured/sports-feature-david-sofaers-one-objective-teamwork/ http://www.pepperdine-graphic.com/featured/sports-feature-david-sofaers-one-objective-teamwork/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 21:57:27 +0000 Megan McComb http://www.pepperdine-graphic.com/?p=11722 Sophomore David Sofaer has one objective when he plays a tennis match: boost his team. “Pepperdine’s whole program is built on investing in your teammates,” he says. “Every practice, we aim to get our team better, get ourselves better.”

Teamwork is the underlying motivation behind all of Sofaer’s actions. Why does he practice so hard? The team is depending on him. Why does he strive for victory on the court? His team relies on his victory. Why does he maintain a positive attitude? The team profits from his optimism.

Sofaer, who began playing tennis in Melville, Australia, at the age of 4, has utilized every opportunity to improve his craft. He began competing in Melville  at age 12. After performing well in national competitions, he went on to play the junior circuit for the International Tennis Federation.

He was recruited to Pepperdine after becoming one of the top junior tennis players in Australia.

In spite of his own personal victories, the concept of a team always appealed to Sofaer. He says Pepperdine’s team spirit is what distinguishes the campus from many universities.  While many colleges suffer from egotistical players who strive for personal victory, Pepperdine emphasizes a sense of community.

“You can easily tell from the first practice that the coach focuses on the team aspect,” Sofaer says. “It’s a good environment. My teammates and I live together. We go to the movies together. We’re all friends.”

This attitude becomes obvious on the court, where Sofaer is known for being a vocal player. “I try to be loud on the court and express my emotions,” Sofaer says. “When your teammates see you winning, it gets them pumped.

“I also try to get the crowd involved,” he adds. “I want the match to be as fun as possible.”

Sofaer’s energy and enthusiasm seems limitless. While balancing an advertising major and a marketing minor, he practices more than 20 hours a week and completes rigorous workout regimens. When asked if he ever feels tired, he says, “Tied? It’s impossible to be tired.  If you feel tired when you wake up, you just can’t be, because there’s a lot of work to be done.

“It gets easier because our teammates push each other,” he adds.

Sofaer could not even sit still during the interview. “My teammates would describe me as twitchy,” he admitted. “I’m always moving.”

Sofaer has never lost this intrinsic energy and enthusiasm for tennis. He has continued to enjoy the sport in spite of discouraging challenges along the way.  Sofaer reflects on one of his most turbulent setbacks.

Last year, Pepperdine defeated two top-ranking universities, Duke and Texas A&M, and secured the ranking of sixth in the nation. Unfortunately, some financial aid inaccuracies surfaced, and the team was penalized by missing the NCAA championships. This was extremely disappointing due to all of their hard work throughout the year and their high chance of winning.

Rather than be toppled by this occurrence, however, Sofaer chose to take it in stride. “We had to stay together as a team,” he says. “To this day, we play knowing that, at any moment, this can all be taken away from us.”

Fortunately, in spite of these setbacks, Pepperdine’s tennis team still stands as the eighth top team in the nation.

Sofaer opted for a college education because his mom always wanted him to stay in school. He preferred the United States over Australia because American schools place a greater priority on sports. Australia lacks training programs at the university level.

Sofaer couldn’t have reached Pepperdine alone. When asked about one of his largest supporters, Sofaer instantly mentioned his mom. She would drive him to practice every day, wait for four hours in the car, and drive him home. This enormous time sacrifice has enabled him to become the advanced player that he has become.

“My mom and me are close,” says Sofaer.

In addition to tennis, Sofaer enjoys playing rugby, soccer and golf. Although he doesn’t have time to play frequently on campus, he fits in games when he has time.  He likes tennis because it emphasizes personal responsibilities.

“You go down by yourself or win by yourself. You, on your own court, need to win your own match. You need the drive to fight for yourself, and ultimately for the team. You can’t hide. You can’t just stand in the corner and wait for someone else to win it for you.” Sofaer is obviously driven and hardworking.

While Sofaer is uncertain about his after-graduation plans, he could happily see himself aiming for the pro-circuit. If not, he has many ways he could utilize his Pepperdine degree, and he appreciates the flexibility provided by his Pepperdine education.

Ultimately, Sofaer has some specific advice for aspiring tennis champions. “Talent by itself won’t get you very far, but hard work can get you great places.” He is very grateful for Pepperdine’s resources. “I hope Pepperdine succeeds in my years I’m here and the years to come.”

The Department of Homeland Security deployed both air and marine units to Latigo Beach in Malibu around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday evening after a suspicious boat was reported by Los Angeles County lifeguards.

After a brief pursuit, the boat was finally cornered approximately 11 nautical miles southwest of Point Dume. Three Mexican nationals were taken into custody of federal drug smuggling charges.

The boat’s occupants were seen throwing bales of marijuana overboard shortly before the pursuit ensued. So far 80 bales of marijuana have been recovered and the search is still ongoing. It was reported that each bale weighs about 20 pounds.

So far, Moscot is second in strikeouts in the conference and has also yet to allow a single home run in any of his appearances.

But Moscot’s rise to success has not been a easy one. His own yellow brick road included many honors in his high school days and Cuesta College (the junior college he attended before coming to Pepperdine). But Moscot has had to grow and work hard for a long time.

Moscot started playing baseball when he was 8 years old, but he did not immediately fall in love with America’s favorite pastime. Moscot admits that he played “all types of sports growing up” in Pacific Palisades, Calif.”

Moscot’s father was a huge influence. “I always saw my father play as a little kid and I grew to want to be a Major Leaguer. And once I showed a desire in playing the sport, my father would always drive me to games, get me on teams, and talk me through stuff.”

Moscott’s father’s hard work helped him gain a lot of experience in organized baseball in addition to high school. Moscot participated with several different clubs and travel teams while in high school.

At Pacific Palisades high school, he lead the team to a 59-4 league record, an 83-44-2 overall record, and four consecutive Western League titles. He batted an impressive .600 average in his freshman year at Palisade and also struck out 230 batters as a pitcher in his four years.

Despite all of his hard work and tremendous on-field production in his early years, Moscot recalls the many doubters he has encountered over the years. He admits that some people would say that maybe one day he will “be better” or that he is “not athletic enough.”

Moscot says he is “motivated to prove those doubters wrong.”

Even with that strong motivating tool and his early success in secondary school and club baseball Moscot admits there is a big difference between performing in high school and playing Division I baseball with Pepperdine.

“High school is a lot more laid back and Division-I is a lot more serious. Even though it is still very fun, in D-I people’s jobs are on the line and once you get to Division I baseball you are focused on trying to get yourself a contract from the major leagues and ultimately it is a much more focused and serious environment.”

In Moscot’s first full season as a Wave in 2011, he made 12 appearances and 10 starts and earned a 2-2 record with a 4.27 earned run average and 48 strikeouts. The Waves, who as a team struggled in 2011 with a 22-34 record, interestingly went 6-4 that season when Moscot started and 2-0 when he appeared in a game as a reliever.

Moscot was also the only pitcher to record 10 strikeouts in a game that season, a game the Waves won 3-0 over Gonzaga — a sign of the positive impact the young stud would have on the Waves the following season.

Moscot used the aforementioned “focused and serious environment” to grow from his struggles in his first year in Divison I baseball.

Moscot’s Head Coach and a former Major League infielder, Steve Rodriguez, also noticed the changes in Moscot. Rodriguez notes that “[Moscot] works hard off the field. This explains his success on the field, he works hard in the weight room, he works hard at practice, and he is a competitor.”

He added: “You get what you earn and he has absolutely earned his recent success.”

Moscot also attributes his growth to participating in the Cape Cod summer baseball league in Massachusetts. “Playing against the best hitters in the country everyday has helped me learn how to pitch a little more and has helped me get stronger mentally.”

He added: “[It has] helped me learn the importance of keeping the ball down in the zone which has helped me pretty well this year.”

The Cape Cod league is a collegiate summer baseball league where top Major League Baseball (MLB) prospects compete. The league is notable for the many MLB stars that have competed in the league. Players like Philadelphia Phillies star second baseman Chase Utley and future Hall of Famer Frank Thomas have competed in the Cape Code League.

If these are indications of Moscot’s future, then good things are sure to come. Moscot admits that school is very important to him but that his ultimate goal is to “become a professional baseball player after this year” and that he would like to play for his hometown team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Moscot has good reason for optimism for a opportunity at the next level. After his performance at the 2011 Cape Code Summer baseball league, Moscot was listed as a top 100 prospective talent according to perfectgame.org he was the only Pepperdine baseball player on the list.

What makes Moscot such a stellar player is not only his on-field accomplishment and growth but also how has developed off the field. Steve Rodriguez explains: “He has gotten a lot tougher. He has realized that in this game you have to come ready to perform on a daily basis. Last year there were spurts of this understanding but this year it has been pretty impressive.”

Moscot growth has shown how hard work, dedication, and support can get you to where you desire. What most impresses you in a guy like Moscot is not only his own personal work ethic but also his impact on the people around him.

His coach explains it best when he states, “the way [Moscot] prepares and his off the field routine shows him as a leader, not necessarily in a verbal way but really showing how you should go about doing it.”

Rodriguez goes on to say “the best thing I can do for these young guys is to say you need to follow and do what [Moscot]  does. It makes my job easier as a coach.”

Big accolades from a former MLB player.

Moscot has been faced with critics his entire career and has been able to work past those adversities and even use it to motivate for him to work harder. Moscot has the opportunity to be a truly special baseball player at the next level.

Before Pepperdine, Frederick graduated from Cornelia Connelly High School in Anaheim, Calif., in 2008. She played three years on the varsity team and was ranked the nation’s No. 41 recruit.

Four years later, this Orange County native is getting ready to graduate from Pepperdine and its volleyball program.

What started off as just accompanying her cousin to a club volleyball tryout to keep her company when she was 14, led to an tremendous amount of growth and skill in volleyball.

Although Frederick started off playing regular indoor volleyball, she has made a smooth transition to sand volleyball as well. Sand volleyball is different than regular volleyball because it requires a lot more leg strength. The sand slows down the players who are already having to move all around the court.

“It’s only two players,” states Frederick. “A lot more shots and more movement around the court. It’s a smaller game. I love that I get to play on the beach every day.”

Sand volleyball breaks the team into five pairs. In a game, the first pair of Waves play against the first pair of the opponents. After their match is over, both teams’ second pairs play each other. The game continues until all five pairs have played.

Frederick is paired with fellow senior Kim Hill. “She’s my best friend off the court,” Frederick states.

The majority of players in this newly introduced NCAA sport is made up of regular indoor volleyball players. Not only does the team have to grow accustomed to the change in environment, but it also has to allow a shift in the team dynamics.

“We are learning how to play with each other this year,” explains Frederick. “We’re finding out each other’s strengths and weaknesses and trying to help each other out.”

Frederick is an asset to her team and her teammates agree. “She brings four years of experience, which is cool,” shares Summer Ross. “She motivates us to be the best by putting in maximum effort all the time.”

This means a lot coming from the 2010 USA Volleyball Beach Female Athlete of the Year. Despite her title, Ross is still intimidated by Frederick’s talents. “I love to play with Lila, just not against her,” laughs Ross. “She burns opponents with her short shot and then with the hard spike.”

Frederick has won a few titles herself. She won a gold medal at the 2008 NORCECA Continental Championships in Mexico, played with the U.S. at the 2009 FIVB World Championships in Mexico, where she started two matches, and also played with the youth national team.

Frederick is leaving Pepperdine as the 16th Wave to reach 1,000 kills, the ninth player to reach 1,000 digs and the fourth to do so in both categories. She is ranked in Pepperdine records as 12th with 1,140 kills and seventh with 1,136 digs.

With stats like these, it would surprising if Frederick did not continue to pursue a career in volleyball. “I do think I will continue to play volleyball after school, I just don’t know if it will be indoor or beach volleyball,” said Frederick.

Despite the reference to the future, Frederick is still fully engrossed in her volleyball season right now. “I feel great about this season, I think that the team has learned a lot,” says Frederick. She is right.

The Waves finished their season with a perfect 14-0 record, beating Loyola Marymount, Long Beach State, USC and Hawaii.

Frederick and the rest of her team maintain positive attitudes for their next match big event, the AVCA National Championship. The event will take place April 27-29 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Frederick’s last year may be coming to an end, but her inspiration for the game is not. “In the beginning my inspiration was just the thrill of a new sport but then when I got older, it just changed to just loving the sport.”

It does not look like that love will be ending any time soon.

Around 1:44 p.m. on Thursday Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies stopped a reportedly stolen Honda Element on Malibu Canyon Road. After refusing to exit the vehicle the driver drove the vehicle over the edge and down the embankment. The man’s wife, who was in the passenger seat, jumped out of the vehicle seconds before it plunged 150 feet off Malibu Canyon Road according to the Los Angeles Times. The man then exited the vehicle and fled. Helicopters from the Sheriff’s department as well as others from search & rescue and the fire department were dispatched to search for the suspect from the air.

Shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Friday evening, April 21st, the Malibu/Lost Hills Station Sheriff’s deputies arrested suspect Michael Kheop. The arrest was made after the deputies received a call from a Malibu resident stating the Kheop had returned to his home in Malibu. The deputies responded to the area and found Kheop hiding in a nearby community laundry room, according to a Malibu/Los Hills Station press release. The arrest was made without incident and he was booked at the Malibu/Los Hills Sheriff Station on suspicion of taking a vehicle without owner’s consent and attempted murder.

And all the hard work is paying off this Earth day, April 22, 2012. The One Day on Earth creators have arranged a Los Angeles screening taking place April 22 at the Chinese 6 Mann theater in Hollywood at 4 p.m. In order to secure the theater, 75 pre-sale tickets needed to be sold by April 18. The pre-sale ticket requirement was not an issue as the Los Angeles event is currently sold out.

To see a trailer of the 11.11.11 video, click here.