The Los Angeles Loyolan, Volume 96, Issue 14 - December 6, 2017

2017 W loyolan www.LALOYOLAN.coi The Bluff helps parents pick out what students really want this season. Page 8 A Supreme Court decision could pave the way for legal sports gambling nationwide. Page 16 EST. 1921 VOLUME 96 I ISSUE 14 LMU's annual Christmas tree lighting took place on Dec. 1 on Alumni Mall at 5 p.m and featured performances from the a capella group Notetorious and LMU's Gospel Choir. SHS warns of possible contagions Student Health Services reported a case of pertussis and tuberculosis in the area. Over 27,0 00 Southern California residents have been forced to evacuate as a result of two wildfires. The Thomas Fire is running through the city of Ventura and has burned through over 50,50 0 acres as of the time of publication, according to the L.A. Times. The second fire, the Creek Fire, has burned 11,000 acres and forced evacuations above the 210 freeway in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest. Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Ventura County. “Mymomcanseethefireonthemountainby our neighborhood, and [could see] helicopters, so she panicked and packed important things from our house,” Yue Wang, a junior graphic design major, said. “I was worried, but I can’t really do anything to help right now.” About 3,000 homes were evacuated, and firefighters have not achieved any containment on the fire as of 5 p.m. yesterday. The fire in Ventura jumped the 101 freeway, reaching Solimar beach, the Times reported. Red flag fire warnings are anticipated to be in effect through Thursday as Southern California is feeing the most aggressive Santa Ana winds of the season, with wind gusts between 50-70 miles per hour according to the L.A. Times “We 've experienced every emotion as we try to process the devastation and move forward as a family,” said alumna Lauren Regan (‘17). Regan’s sister and her family evacuated on Monday night hours before their home was destroyed in the fire. “The outpouring of love and support from the community has been astounding and so appreciated,” said Regan, who started a GoFundMe page for her sister. “My family is doing much better. It is with the love and support of others that will help them to rise from the ashes and rebuild their lives and home.” Fires affect LMU community Two Southern California fires force thousands of evacuations; LMU responds. Sami Leung Interim News Editor @LALoyolan Sami Leung Interim News Editor ©LALoyolan Two community health advisories were sent out during the month of November warning the LMU community of two contagious diseases that affected two separate students. One student was diagnosed with pertussis and the other with tuberculosis (ТВ), at healthcare providers in the community, not at LMU’s healthcare center. The cases were reported to the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LADPH), which then notified LMU. A student that was diagnosed with ТВ, is no longer contagious and has been cleared by LADPH to return to campus, according to an LMU community health advisory sent out on Nov. 28. Active tuberculosis is a “contagious infection, curable if treated properly,” according to the email. The community health advisory sent out Nov. 17 detailed information on pertussis, also known as whooping cough. Pertussis is contagious, spread through coughing or sneezing, and can be treated with antibiotics. The email did not stipulate whether the student was on campus, but according to Director of Student Health Services (SHS) Katie Arce, the student was treated by her own doctor and deemed no longer infectious. SHS reached out to close contacts of the student to test for symptoms of pertussis, but there were no further positive cases. The email did advise students to be vaccinated against communicable diseases, specifically the Tdap vaccine to protect against pertussis. According to Arce, during her 13 years See Health | Page 2 The fires have destroyed large patches of land north of Los Angales and left thousands homeless. The Thomas Fire started around 6:25 p.m. Monday in the foothills near Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula. It grew wildly to more than 15 square miles in the hours that followed — consuming vegetation that hasn’t burned in decades, according to Ventura County Fire Sgt. Eric Buschow. Firefighters have also been hindered by power outages that have affected areas in San Bernadino, Pasadena, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Anaheim and Riverside, arrnrHintf tn tbp Snnthpm C.alifnrrria FHi«:nn website. In Ojai, a pumping system that was damaged by the fire caused an entire water system to go down, Ventura County Fire Captain Steve Kaufmann said to the L.A. Times. California has secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist in firefighting efforts. Firefighters are battling winds up to 45 mph, as reported by thp Г . Л Timp? Santa Clarita Santa Paula Ventura - - 4 Ventura County “Thomas Fire" Simi Valley Santa Monica • Areas that have lost power Indicates areas affected by Dec. 5 fires FAST FACTS Information compiled by Sami Leung . Interim News Editor Graphic by Chloe Cunningham I Loyolan Over 27,000 Southern California residents have been forced to evacuate The Thomas Fire has burned over 50,000 acres as of Tuesday night The Creek Fire, has burned 11,000 acres and 3,000+ homes were evacuated According to the L.A. Times According to the L.A. Times "We've experienced every emotion as we try to process the devastation and move forward as a family." -Lauren Regan ('17) 20,000 customers in Ventura County are without power, down from the 180,000 customers that initally lost power