1. Volume XLIV, Issue 20| April 9, 2015 | www.pepperdine-graphic.com
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Pepperdine announced via a
post on the offical website that
health technology entrepreneur
and Theranos CEO Elizabeth
Holmes will address Seaver
College on Saturday, May 2 in
lieu of Sir Anthony Hopkins,
who “was unable to serve as
commencement speaker due to
a scheduling conflict.”
Hopkins was initially an-
nounced to be the speaker, as
the Graphic reported in March,
but now Holmes will take his
place. She will become the
youngest-ever recipient of the
university’s highest academic
honor, the honorary Doctor of
Humane Letters degree.
“She’s really hot right now.
If anyone doesn’t know who she
is,they should Google her.She’s
really a fascinating person,”
Chief of Staff and Associate
Vice President Marnie Mitze
said.
Holmes, who studied at
Stanford University’s School
of Engineering is the youngest
female billionaire in America.
Forbes lists her real-time net
worth as $4.6 billion.
Theranos is a health tech-
nology and medical laboratory
whose objective is to “enable
early detection and intervention
of disease,” according to the
company’s website. The compa-
ny was recently in the news due
to their push toward making lab
tests available to patients in Ar-
izona.
Mitze said Pepperdine re-
ceived an email from Hopkins’
assistant explaining the Os-
car-winning actor was “deeply
apologetic.”
Mitze said Hopkins’absence
is understandable. “They [ac-
tors] have a very short span of
when work comes, and when
work comes you take it, even if
you’re Anthony Hopkins.”
The process for selecting
and engaging commencement
speakers is an interesting one,
Mitze said.
First, there is a vetting pro-
cess. After researching possible
candidates to speak at differ-
ent graduations, the names are
brought forward to the Board of
Regents. The 40-member gov-
erning body of the university is
intended to “shape policy and
direction for the university,” ac-
cording to Pepperdine’s website.
After the regents approve
the speakers, “It’s like a shop-
ping list,” according to Mitze.
Candidates’ availability and
interest level in speaking is
checked. Speakers are not com-
pensated economically for their
appearances. Because of the ur-
gency of the situation, Holmes
had to be approved by the re-
gents through email instead of
an in-person meeting.
How was Hopkins an op-
tion then? A Malibu resident,
he taught a master class to Pep-
perdine theater students, and
his niece is a Seaver freshman.
After contacting him in late
September, Hopkins confirmed
his presence as a speaker only to
cancel his appearance in April.
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UNIVERSITY
HOPKINS OUT
A Convocation event geared toward
veterans’ affairs is in the works for the
upcoming fall semester, and will possi-
bly consist of a veteran speaker as well
as other events to raise awareness for
veterans in the Pepperdine community.
The planning for this event is in its be-
ginning stages.
“The idea was brought about through
our new partnership with SGA, who
recently passed a resolution to support
veteran awareness and appreciation on
campus,” Senior, founder and current
president of the Student Veterans Or-
ganization Jessica Egan said.“SGA,and
specifically [junior class Senator] Whit-
tney Powell, is spearheading the effort
to secure a speaker, as well as spreading
the word about the event, with the sup-
port of our Student Veterans Organi-
zation, other on-campus organizations,
and faculty and staff.”
The event is a collaboration of the
Pepperdine’s Student Veterans Orga-
nization, SGA and the Convocation
Office.
Egan said they would like the event
to be on Veterans’Day in November,but
they are working with the Convocation
Office to hammer out the details and get
approval for the event. The Convo Of-
fice doesn’t approve any Convocations
for the fall semester until an advisory
committee decides which proposals for
Wednesday Chapel are chosen, Interim
Director of Convocation Gus Peterson
said, so the event isn’t set in stone.
VETERANS’ DAY CONVO
IN THE WORKS FOR FALL
Steve Hewgley passes away
Steve Hewgley, a long-
time Pepperdine employee,
friend and alumnus, passed
away on Saturday, April 4.
He was an alumnus of
Seaver College (Class of 1978)
and the Graduate School of
Education and Psychology
(Class of 2002). Hewgley was
also a Pepperdine employee
for more than 30 years, most
recently as assistant pro-
vost under Darryl Tippens.
Professor David Lem-
ley spoke in remembrance
of Hewgley: “He was very
loved by the community,” he
said. “We saw that in the way
people turned up for him.”
Lemley held a brief
prayer service Wednes-
day in the Stauffer Chapel.
“A large amount of people
gathered to pray and hon-
or him,” he said. “He had
a great love for Pepperdine
and a great perspective on
where the school was go-
ing and where it had been.”
Lemley also mentioned
that although Hewgley never
married or had children,he de-
veloped a “unique bond” with
his dog named Willie.“[Steve]
really loved Willie. She even
came to work with him,” he
said. “People asked when he
passed ‘Where’s Willie?’”
Lemley said that Willie
is now living with a fami-
ly that has Pepperdine ties.
Lemley said that Hewgley
will be definitely be missed.
“He built a family at Pep-
perdine, and he was loved
like a family member,” he
said. “People had a deep ap-
preciation of who he was.”
According to Hewgley’s
wishes, there will be a memo-
rial on Tuesday, May 5, at 10
AM in Elkins Auditorium.
All are welcome to attend.
Elizabeth Holmes named the new
graduation speaker for class of 2015
// SEE SPEECH, A6
This is the final issue of the spring semester.
See you in the fall!
// SEE CONVO, A4
Esther Kang // STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Veronica Johnson // NEWS EDITOR
// PHOTO COURTESY OF Krista Kennel
// KELLY.RODRIGUEZ@PEPPERDINE.EDU
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// NEWS ASSISTANT
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