What is the Pepperdine Beacon?

2020 was a year of extraordinary division. Each world-changing event brought with it a wave of problems, and it seemed that none of us could agree on how to solve them.

One of the events was a scandal that rocked our campus and the School of Public Policy. Though we were separated from each other by lockdowns, our conversations reverberated across the distance, and it often seemed like we were speaking different languages.

The founders of the Beacon were dissatisfied with the way the conversation unfolded. We believed it needed more nuance, more humility, and more generosity. In the heat of the moment, we thought we knew what we wanted to do and what we wanted to say, and the first step was starting our own student paper.

Over winter break, we spent lots of time in thought and conversation. As our initial emotions dissipated, we gradually achieved more clarity. We decided on some things we do and don’t want to do with our paper.

First of all, we believe that the five schools at Pepperdine are too isolated from each other. This paper will bring together people from the entire community, allowing for mentorship and collaboration between people of different skills and experiences. The goal is for those who work at the Beacon to have a dramatic learning experience that sharpens critical thinking and rhetorical skill while developing relationships that carry over into life beyond Pepperdine.

Second, as we write, we will seek to reveal and amplify truths at our campus and in our world. We recognize that telling the truth sometimes means causing discomfort. We’ve seen this over and over again in the vital coverage of current events as people speak truth to power. We don’t want to be afraid to say things that need to be said, and we stand against people who use coercion and intimidation in the place of rational argument.

Third, we want to stand up for intellectual diversity. All of us know what it’s like to have our views lied about and attacked. We don’t want to do that to anyone else, and we want to stand up for ourselves and for others when it happens to them. We will approach all stories fairly, and we will stand up for the classical values of freedom of speech, vigorous conversation, liberty, justice, and equal rights.

Fourth, we want to get better at understanding the world and the people at our school, and one way for us to do so is to write and share our perspectives and the perspectives of others. This includes elevating many perspectives that have been marginalized in the current discourse. Everyone involved with the Beacon comes from a different background and has different beliefs, but we are united by our conviction that learning requires a lifetime commitment. 

Fifth, not all of the members of this paper are religious. But we all agree that Pepperdine’s Christian roots and affiliation are invaluable and ought to be preserved. Furthermore, we recognize that Western society’s underpinnings are the very same Judeo-Christian roots and these roots influence all, regardless of one’s religious affiliation. 

If you chose to attend Pepperdine, you probably believe like we do that there’s something special about this school. And if you believe that free speech and open and honest discussions are good, then you support our mission. 

We are working together as dedicated volunteers, truthseekers, and proud Waves to preserve and protect the reality that at Pepperdine, students are prepared for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.

Other than a faculty advisory board appointed by Beacon staff members, we will be fully independent of Pepperdine and completely student run. We will turn to the advisory board for advice, but all opinions published will be solely those of their respective authors.