The insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, brought fully into the open a deep rift in American politics that threatens democracy and the rule of law. Historian Sean Dempsey, S.J., talks about reconciliation, justice and the roots of right-wing revolt.
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America’s Unfinished Democracy
Click Here For Open Democracy
When he was confronted as a student with misinformation about proposed laws, Patrick Utz started thinking about an app to improve transparency in the legislative process. It’s now in use.
The Afterlife
With a coronavirus vaccine now being distributed, we may be able to see outlines of what life and work will look like when the COVID-19 pandemic passes. In The Afterlife, our new department, seven LMU experts look ahead.
A Dream Born on Skid Row
Marina Marmolejo ’17 doesn’t believe youth homelessness must forever be an intractable problem. She has developed an app-based program that offers mentorship and education opportunities to homeless young people as path toward a new life.
The Hard Road To Reconciliation
The journey toward reconciliation and justice probably isn’t short or painless, says Judith Royer, C.S.J. But education, example and dialogue will surely help us get there, if we’ll accept the invitation.
Losing Touch
A cost of the pandemic is loss of touch — bodily, physical contact. Brian Treanor says he’s learned again about “the richness of the tactile world.”
The Laws of Dance
The compression of movement has become a symbol of the pandemic. If dance is a compressed art on our computer screens, we may value more the theaters and environments where space and human motion intersect.
Christmas Reflections 2020
Amid a once-a-century pandemic and unprecedented political turmoil, we asked members of the LMU community to share the wishes for Christmas 2020.
Rudy deLeon ’74 on the Biden Presidency
Rudy deLeon ’74 capped a 25-year career in government defense policy as the No. 2 official in the Department of Defense in the Clinton administration. deLeon talks about the foreign policy challenges facing the new Biden administration.
The Magazine of the Year
LMU Magazine wins the 2020 Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year Award, the top honor in university magazine publishing, in the annual CASE Circle of Excellence Awards competition.
Jason Bentley ’92 on KXLU And Artists’ Conversations
Jason Bentley ’92 says his stint as general manager of KXLU occurred during “the golden age of college rock.” Here he talks about his days in the KXLU studios and his new podcast, The Backstory, featuring interviews with artists.
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass On Election Results
With votes nearly tallied, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, describes changes she expects in a possible Biden presidency and a new Congress.
Ivan Ehlers ’04 on Drawing in The New Yorker
Ivan Ehlers has produced work for The New Yorker, MAD Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. But rejection is part of the job, he says, and studying psychology at LMU has come in handy.
Powering Down
America’s status as a global media leader — in film, TV, pop culture, internet content — has provided a platform to promote free speech and oppose censorship. But content generation is increasingly internationalized, and the U.S. may be losing both marketshare and self-identity.
Stefan Bradley on the Black Lives Matter Movement
Stefan Bradley, chair of African American Studies, talks about the killing of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against racism in America.
Justin Levitt and Election 2020
Justin Levitt, constitutional law professor at the LMU Loyola Law School, may be one of the few experts on U.S. voting laws and rights who does not foresee an electoral apocalypse on Election Day, Nov. 3.
How To Deal With Election Anxiety
Political polarization is rampant but election anxiety crosses the aisle between party differences. Cassidy Freitas ’08, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has tips to help keep you mentally healthy.
Election Sing-Along
Music has long been part of U.S. politics, from campaign ditties to Civil Rights anthems. Evelyn McDonnell, professor journalism and expert on music, gender and politics, offers some of her favorite songs about voting.
California’s Catholic Browns
Pat and Jerry Brown — father and son — together governed California for a span totaling nearly a quarter century with their Catholic culture’s influence never far from the foreground.
Chaya Crowder on Black Voters and U.S. Elections
“The Republican Party has made little to no attempt to historically appeal to Black voters since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act,” says Prof. Chaya Crowder in describing why Black voters, especially Black women, are the backbone of the Democratic Party.
Michael Genovese
Prof. Michael Genovese, a leading expert on the presidency, discusses the upcoming presidential election, which will present voters with a stark choice and promises to be as unpredictable as it will be momentous.
Sean Kennedy ’86, LLS ’89
In May, an LMU Loyola Law School suit was rejected that would have forced the release of more juveniles in detention who are at risk for the coronavirus. Sean Kennedy, director of the LLS Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, explains why the decision is a failure of juvenile justice.
Troubling Calm
In the COVID-19 era, what was has changed, what is now seems uncertain, but will be may be ours to decide. L.A. writer Lynell George ’84 writes about life during a pandemic.
David Romero ’09 on Joining the Jesuits
David Romero, S.J., an LMU alumnus of 2009 and newly ordained Jesuit, talks about his image of God, the challenge of Jesuit formation and why he joined the Society of Jesus.
Sung Won Sohn
The rapid, global onset of the coronavirus pandemic slammed economies around the world. Sung Won Sohn, LMU professor of finance and economics, discusses signs of hope in a stark U.S. and California economic forecast.
The Shuttering of Olvera Street
Olvera Street, a major L.A. tourist draw and Mexican and Mexican American heritage center, faces a deeply cloudy future due to tourism’s collapse during the pandemic.
Fall in Love With LMU
This prayer, that has become synonymous with Pedro Arrupe, S.J., who was Father General of the Society of Jesus, describes the intimate connection of love to one’s truest identity.
Fernando Guerra and Brianne Gilbert
When the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles surveyed L.A. residents this spring about Mayor Eric Garcetti’s leadership in the COVID-19 crisis, they documented overwhelming support across the board.
The Coronavirus and Catholic Schools
The coronavirus has upended every aspect of U.S. education. Kevin Baxter M.A. ’01, chief innovation officer of the National Catholic Educational Association, discusses the pandemic’s impact on Catholic schools.
Lessons From the Virus Wars
A century ago, the 1918 flu ravaged the world’s population. There was no vaccine and quarantining was essential. Carla Bittel, an LMU historian, talks about the lessons the world learned that may help today.
Tragedy’s Ripple Effects
LMU’s William D. Parham talks about grief’s impact on professional athletes.
L.A.’s Financial Prognosis
No one may be better positioned to evaluate the likely impacts of COVID-19 on this L.A.’s financial health than City Controller Ron Galperin LLS ’93.
Kate Pickert
COVID-19 has created a global medical crisis and a U.S. health policy crisis. Kate Pickert, who covered the U.S. healthcare system as a reporter, talks about the impact of a lagging governmental response on the medical community and health agencies.
Service in the COVID-19 Lockdown
Does service to the community have to stop during the COVID-19 crisis? Patrick Furlong, interim director of the LMU Center for Service and Action, talks about how to serve the community while on lockdown.
Dramatis Personae
If Washington politics were a Shakespearean play, would it be a history, comedy or tragedy?
Highlights From the DNC Debate at LMU
Take a behind-the-scenes look at how LMU hosted the Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate this past December, when many of the nation’s most important leaders came to campus.
Tia Carr ’21 and Olin Osborne ’23
Young voters may determine the 2020 presidential election. In this Off Press podcast, Tia Carr and Olin Osborne, students of international relations, describe what they want from candidates and what the candidates offer.
The Counter Vote
If the Electoral College vote produces a result that doesn’t reflect the popular vote for president, is it time to shutter the institution?
A Conversation With Jessica Levinson
Jessica Levinson ’01, LLS ’05, an expert on the Constitution, analyzes the politics of impeachment.
Off Press Podcasts
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EPISODE 39 • NOVEMBER 24, 2020
Jason Bentley ’92 on KXLU And Artists’ Conversations
Jason Bentley ’92 says his stint as general manager of KXLU occurred during “the golden age of college rock.” Here he talks about his days in the KXLU studios and his new podcast, The Backstory, featuring interviews with artists.
EPISODE 38 • NOVEMBER 5, 2020
U.S. Rep. Karen Bass On Election Results
With votes nearly tallied, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, describes changes she expects in a possible Biden presidency and a new Congress.
EPISODE 37 • NOVEMBER 4, 2020
Election Special Report: Where Do We Stand?
The voting is over, and now the election is about counting, counting and counting. Justin Levitt, election law expert at LMU Loyola Law School, and Michael Genovese, LMU expert on the presidency, discuss the state of the 2020 election and what’s ahead in the next presidential term.
