Answering the Call

Last night I attended the annual Pepperdine Associates Dinner at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, one of the nicest hotels I have ever been to! It was quite a swanky event with successful and inspiring people sipping on cocktails and dressed to the nines. Pepperdine donors, faculty, staff, students and other guests attended to celebrate the various achievements of Pepperdine, servant leaders, positively impacting the world around them. The Associates Dinner Co-Chairs opened the evening by sharing about their service experience this past Spring Break with Pepperdine students in Fiji, where they gave sight, in performing optical surgeries, smiles, through doing dental work, and love, as they played with the children and laughed and cried with those who received treatment.

The key-note speaker of the night, Richard Stearns, the President of World Vision U.S., spoke with such humility, passion and yearning. He reminded the affluent audience of the various pangs our world is feeling right now; with the aftermath of the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, the war in the Congo, the conflict in Burma, HIV AIDS epidemic, hunger, child mortality, starvation, homelessness, etc. He shared some national statistics relating to these unfortunate hurts of many across the globe and emphasized that so many of these problems can be easily avoided and fixed. Everyday 24,000 children around the world die from starvation or lack of proper nutrition. This is completely preventable and unnecessary. Issues can be prevented and remedied by all of us. Stearns evidently tugged at our heart strings, and made us feel guilty about the delicious meal we just ate, as he shared his personal anecdotes relating to his work with World Vision U.S. In a response to the theme of the night, “Answer the Call”, Stearns defined the difference between a calling and a career. A line he said that really resonated with me went something along the lines of this: a career is something you give your life to and a calling is something you give up your life for.

When a Christian is asked the question, “Do you want to follow the will of God and his calling for your life?” the answer is usually an instant “yes!” But when you think about it, do we really want to? Because He will definitely pull us out of our comfort zone and into a challenging task, no doubt.

Stearns really got me to thinking, would I answer the call? Would I really be open to it? Could I give up what I think I want for what He wants? Easier said than done, but I think I’m up for the challenge and even if that means a drastic life change.

Project Serve: New York

Spring breaks in the past have been a time for traveling, tanning, and catching up on sleep. What could be better? Apparently spending a week with twenty rambunctious, misbehaved and energetic kindergarteners in the Bronx is the answer; who knew?


With my Project Serve team of ten Pepperdine students, we traveled from warm Malibu to snow-covered New York City to serve with Shiloh Ministries. We called the Sunday school classroom floors of the Manhattan Church of Christ building our home for the week and woke up early every morning to catch the subway to P.S. 30 Wilton Elementary in the Bronx, with authentic New York coffee and bagel in hand. Ryan, from Shiloh Ministries, briefed us a bit on what we were to expect as we assisted the teachers with their students, but many of us did not realize the emotions and circumstances that we would experience.

When I first arrived at Mr. Lopez’s kindergarten class, I was greeted warmly by all and was instantly accepted and integrated into their lives. That week I helped them learn how to write their numbers, letters and do their reading lessons, while also trying to integrate the importance of sharing, speaking kindly to one another and keeping their hands to themselves. The latter seemed to be the most challenging. Throughout the course of my week there, I learned about the various lives these children lead. Many of these seemingly joyful and happy children had social workers who took them to and from school, or parents who were murdered via drive by shooting and even family members in jail. I noticed that multiple students would come to school wearing the same clothes they had worn the previous day, 90% of the students receive federally funded meals and a large majority of the children, in various grades, had been held back a year or more. Fights would break out in the cafeteria and teachers would send troublemakers to the principal’s office or another teacher’s classroom for the entire day, where they would learn nothing. Half of the students’ native tongue is Spanish and many of them had trouble expressing themselves to and communicating with their classmates and teachers. My heart ached as I learned about these children’s lives and what they endure daily. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. My perspectives regarding teaching, children and education were changed drastically. It was such a rewarding opportunity to work with these children.


So to all those contemplating what to do with your life this summer, be it an internship at your Dad’s friends’ company, a barista job at your local coffee shop or a cruise to Cozumel, I encourage you to find time to make a difference by serving someone, other than yourself.

But be careful, side affects to serving and giving may include: finding new meaning in your life, reinvigorating your sense of purpose, or experiencing a transformation of your heart.

It’s your call, will you answer it?

Going Organic-is it worth it?

Ever since I was a young girl, I remember being the kid with the super-healthy lunch. No Doritos, no cookies and NEVER a Lunchable. I was so very envious of my classmates who would get Twinkies or McDonald’s while I would get PB&J in whole-grain pita bread and organic applesauce with no sugar added. Yeah, I was THAT kid.

My mother is a certified health-nut. She was the mom making her own baby food for her kids with organic fruit, who shopped at Trader Joe’s before it became a household name and buys locally-grown everything! I used to take the “nut” adjective seriously when I would see the pantries at friend’s houses and not recognize any of the brands. I constantly questioned her about why we ate so healthy and why our “junk food” was defined as an ice cream sandwich made with soy and tofu.

But, after all of the resistance, I finally began to accept this way of life and I now fully embrace it! Organic is the way to go.


The label “Organic” signifies that the product in hand was produced without the use of synthetic materials such as pesticides, insecticides or herbicides. Antibiotics and growth hormones were not used to genetically modify the product. And in the production of these products (be it produce, make-up, beef or clothing), pollution of toxic chemicals and production energy are reduced or eliminated while healthy soil, better flavor and beneficial flora and fauna thrive. Yes, eating organic is a tad bit more expensive. And as a college student, or anyone pinching the pennies would know, there is a constant dilemma with eating healthy or eating for cheap. But consumption of organic foods (especially fruit, veggies, dairy and meat, if you can’t afford to convert to a purely organic lifestyle), will positively affect you and the world around you for years to come.

And soon Pepperdine students will have easy access to organic products to be sold at the new Nature’s Edge market to be located in the Waves Cafeteria.

So go ahead, be a health-nut. It is all that its cracked up to be.

Style Ethics

Child labor.
Sweatshop.
Exploitation.
A dollar a day.
Carcinogens.
10 hour work day in a non-air-conditioned factory.

These words could be used to describe how the new dress you just bought was made.

Crazy, right? Most of us are not fully aware of the effect that our purchases have on others around the world, and the world itself! We just walk around the malls, browse the internet or look through the catalogues and buy what we like, especially if it’s on sale. Well now is the time to do your part and apply the ethical decisions that you make when you go out for drinks with friends and get a designated driver or are contemplating on plagiarizing this great quote in your paper but decide to cite it. We make consciously moral, and just plain obvious, decisions to do the right thing every day. Why not apply it to the clothes on our back?

The London-based organization, Ethical Fashion Forum, attempts to start a movement by changing the direction of the fashion industry. They are doing all they can to move designers and clothing manufacturers towards becoming socially and environmentally conscious businesses. In doing this EFF “support[s] and promote[s] sustainable practices,” through “collaboration, rais[ing] awareness and provid[ing] the tools and resources needed to reduce poverty, reduce environmental damage and raise standards in the fashion industry.”

So how does one further EFF’s mission and make better purchase decisions?

Here’s a start! Check out this website for Vogue UK and you will see the various labels that are making a conscious effort to do their part to make their impact a positive one.

Look for fair trade, vintage, recycled, or organic clothing and fabrics. Check out your local Crossroads Trading Company or Buffalo Exchange for thrifty, previously-owned buys. And don’t forget, you can donate your clothing, too!

Research your favorite companies and make sure that they do not use child-labor to manufacture their products. Check-out your favorite accessory, clothing or footwear designer’s website (or maybe their Facebook fan page?) and contact them to ask if their clothing is created based on ethical and environmental standards. Be conscious of your purchases and support those companies that do their part for our precious Earth.

I know that personally I have not made the strongest effort in trying to purchase ethical and sustainable clothing. I was genuinely unaware of the dangers and damages. Since fashion has always been an interest of mine, I want to make a meaningful contribution to diminishing its negative impact on those who create the products and the environment in which we live. And as I look for a job next year I know that an important part of the companies that I look into will be their ethic and moral decisions and practices, be it in the fashion industry or not.

Tight in Noir

Shorts and tights are the best combination as the Spring begins bringing the warmth but your legs are less than ready to be shown off in their pasty (white, in my case) winter state. And do not worry, I am not a tights-as-pants fan but, I see the many versatile features of such a minimal amount of light fabric. In the winter they turn into the Southern California version of Long Johns, for those days of 50 degree weather, brrr ;) or they can be paired with short dresses to emphasize your legs in a more conservative way. Take a twirl with ease in your Springtime dresses with a pair of pastel tights beneath. Wear it with a long, baggy sweater creating a effortlessly chic wardrobe choice. And for the paws, make a statement in brightly colored or wild patterned shoes. Animal print is a prominent trend this Spring, and in my opinion it is always IN. On the chillier days, slip on a walking-friendly flat boot or sexy, spiked heel boot. Believe me, go with tights, its (almost) always right.

{image from People.com}

Like Mother Like Daughter

When my Mama saw this photo she said she wore an outfit almost exactly like mine when she was young. Gotta love RETRO.
Seven7 flannel, Juicy Couture white tank top, Michael Kors high-waisted, bell-bottomed jeans (check out the dainty front pockets!), Marc Jacobs black clutch with added shoulder strap (props to the Madre once again), leaf necklace from Forever 21 (it has lasted for 5 years without tarnishing and I wear it all of the time!), Stop Staring fire engine red skinny belt.

{Image from http://blog.shopbop.com/2009/06/index.html}

Panama hats above and blooms below

Floral Skirt: Forever 21. Hat: Panama Jack. Sunglasses: Target. Necklace: Roxy. Tank top: I.N.C. Shoes: not sure of brand, purchase at Macy's (notice the little flower buds!)
(Worn on an oddly warm day in March. The next day it rained, of course.)


{Image from http://www.shopnastygal.com/products/new/clothing/bottoms/Fading-Away-Floral-Skirt-.html}


{Image from http://www.trendoriginal.com/2008/08/28/panama-hats-hype-in-italy/}

Eyelet you look

Periwinkle embroidered tank top: Forever 21. White eyelet skirt (I bought on sale at Macy's three years ago in the designer section) Heels: Anthropologie, Schuman & Sons. Gold cross necklace, Crystal Cathedral.
Pepperdine University in the background.


{Image from http://thegloss.com/fashion/jennie-garths-white-eyelet-skirt-for-less}