None would disagree that a student *proven* to have assaulted or raped other another student should be expelled, after which the victims should seek further justice in criminal court. Oxy’s actions, in the cited instances where it has *confirmed* the guilt of the accused, are appallingly inadequate. The dean of students who attempted to dissuade students from speaking out should be summarily dismissed. And, as OSAC has noted, a radical revision of existing policies, together with the vigorous enforcement of Title IX, is long overdue.

BUT as a free-speech fundamentalist and civil libertarian, I, and I suspect many alumni like me, wonder how OSAC proposes claims of assault and/or rape should be investigated. What evidence should be required to prove—or disprove—the guilt of the accused? How can school officials, who have no training in criminal investigation, move swiftly and effectively to determine if troubling accusations have any basis in fact? In short, how can we insure that the guilty answer for their crimes while at the same time insuring that due process is observed and the unjustly accused aren’t punished for crimes they didn’t commit?

Asserting that most victims who claim to be raped prove, in the end, to have been raped (“Statistics show that there is no reason to think that s/he is lying about having been abused.” – OSAC ALLIES page); suggesting that friends don’t ask friends for objective proof of serious allegations, but rather accept all such claims on faith “(It might be very difficult for your friend to tell you their experience, so it is essential to their healing process that you believe them.” – OSAC ALLIES page), sets a dangerous precedent.

Obviously, rape is difficult to prove; the victim may have no material evidence or witnesses, and may be too traumatized to provide a clear account of precisely what happened. Our first impulse, when those we love say they’ve been violated in the most violent, scarring way imaginable, is to accept their account of events and help them heal and find justice. But a rush to help shouldn’t be a rush to judgment.

Some of the accounts posted under SURVIVOR STORIES on the OSAC website mention being “blackout drunk” when the alleged events occurred; how can we know that the alleged victim’s memory is reliable? (Let me be clear: this is not “victim-blaming”; the horror of the crimes alleged shouldn’t prevent us from thinking critically about the charges leveled.)

Moreover, in the OSAC press conference with Gloria Allred, one young woman said she’d been raped but didn’t even know it until a year later, when a friend at a more enlightened school (I’m quoting from memory) made her see the light. How can one not know one is being raped, unless we’re defining rape, here, as something other than non-consensual penetrative sex? Are we? If so, that, too, would be helpful to know, given the fog of war surrounding OSAC’s allegations of a “sexual assault epidemic” at Oxy.

Lobbying for a system where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent because, well, the presumption of an “sexual assault epidemic” at Oxy makes it more likely than not that the accused is guilty, and furthermore “statistics show that there is no reason to think that [the accuser] is lying about having been abused,” is irresponsible in the extreme and, potentially corrosive to any sense of community at Oxy.

Most important, the mindset implicit in the approach suggested on OSAC’s ALLIES page is contrary to the core values Oxy and other liberal-arts schools attempt to instill, among them the conviction that we live in a fact-based reality, not a faith-based one, and the belief that justice for victims shouldn’t be purchased at the cost of the rights of the accused.

-Svetlana Bosch

Botterud has come under fire for a number of alleged actions regarding the sexual assault issue and recused himself from further advising the college on the matter. Avery has been criticized for her oversight of the sexual assault process over the last few years.

The votes are non-binding but represent the faculty’s position that it no longer has confidence the two administrators can effectively carry out their duties.

Avery did not respond to a request to comment by press time, but Botterud made a statement on the vote.

“The vote came as a complete surprise to me. I was not invited to the faculty meeting and received no notice that the faculty intended to hold such a vote. There are complaints against me by faculty members that are being investigated by an outside expert,” Botterud said in an email. “I do not know why the faculty decided to hold a vote while those processes remain underway. I intend to defend myself in the context of those independent inquiries and trust the process.”

Director of Communications Jim Tranquada also responded to the no confidence resolution in a prepared statement.

“We take the concerns of the faculty very seriously,” Tranquada said. “We’ve hired national experts to help us address the issue of sexual assault on campus and we are taking a series of proactive steps in that regard. Those steps are outlined inMay 1 memofrom President Jonathan Veitch. The College is committed to having the best policies, procedures and personnel in place to allow us to be a model for other colleges to follow.”

The Occidental Sexual Assault Coalition (OSAC) hailed the vote in a blog post, noting that getting the right people in place to handle sexual assault is key.

“As OSAC discovered in filing federalClery and Office for Civil Rightscomplaints, the sexual assault problems at Oxy have been more of a ‘people problem’ than a ‘policy problem,’” the post read. “Oxy can have the best policies and procedures in the nation, but if the administrators responsible for implementing them are unwilling or unable to uphold these policies and procedures, we are still left with a broken institution and system.”

The new development comes on the heels of an open letter sent from the faculty supporting OSAC’s demand for change and committing to work towards a college free of sexual assault that has 135 signatories at last update. The college has sent out an identical letter except for the absence of the phrase “agree with OSAC,” that has been signed by numerous staff and administrators.

On May 1, President Veitch sent a lengthy email outlining the changes the college has made to its sexual assault policies and practices and the work still left to do. In the email, he also released the preliminary findings of the consultants he hired to make recommendations to the college.

OSAC has since responded point-by-point to the recommendations, stating that 16 of the 17 actions and recommendations made were originally proposed by OSAC. But it also noted proposals and demands made by OSAC not included in the announcement including the lack of personnel changes in key positions responsible for sexual assault process oversight during the last few years and the absence of a commitment as of yet to put verbal consent back in the sexual assault policy.

I am writing in response to the April 20th editorial, “Recent Dialogue Sheds Light on Lack of Campus Resources”. While I agree with the spirit of the editorial, I take issue with some specific statements and their implications.

The editorial acknowledges that this is a time “rife with emotion and tension” and that many students feel isolated or silenced in the midst of emotional pain. I hear a clear desire for more help, support and acknowledgement coupled with a sense of frustration and disappointment that such support has not been readily visible, available and accessible.

As a psychologist and an alumnus of Occidental College, I want nothing more than to provide this support. I can say the same for all staff working at Emmons Health Center. We have chosen a profession dedicated to providing relief from isolation, focused on walking with people through recovery and healing.

The editorial criticizes Emmons in three specific ways: First, that Emmons has not been visible throughout the campus during this time of need, second, that Emmons has not advocated for the expansion of mental health services on campus, and third, that Emmons staff lack the basic training and competence appropriate for the students of the College.

I want to acknowledge that the first criticism is valid. While Emmons Counseling has been involved in numerous outreach and training projects, and does indeed provide groups for students, we have not fulfilled our goals in terms of prevention, health education, health promotion and outreach. We absolutely should be more visible on campus. Our struggle to sustain outreach projects is not a result of carelessness, indifference, or lack of desire. It is a matter of resources – time and money. In this respect, we are “ill-equipped.” We would love to expand our hours, facilitate large groups, and offer more – but we don’t have the funding to do so.

The second and third criticisms are misinformed. First, let me address the implication that Emmons has not made efforts to expand. I have been singularly dedicated to the expansion of services since I began in 2008. And each year, we have added staff or expanded in some manner. In 2008, we were staffed by one full time psychologist, and one full time masters level therapist. Today, we are staffed by two full time psychologists, one part time psychologist, and three part time masters level therapists. We also have added psychiatric services and begun running groups. Most recently, I co-wrote the proposal for the $1,000,000 Mose-Firestone Gift to the Endowment to support the mental health of the students at Occidental College. These monies have been used to add a part time psychologist. Why do we continue to struggle despite this expansion? The utilization of Emmons Counseling has more than doubled in the last three years. Essentially, we are barely able to see all the students who currently request counseling.

The editorial states that “students would be more likely to seek help from Emmons if it was staffed with trained psychologists rather than ill-equipped interns.” As noted above, more than half of our service hours are provided by psychologists. A portion of them are provided by master’s level therapists who are completing clinical psychology doctorates in graduate programs approved by the American Psychological Association. Our interns participate in an intensive training program at Emmons. The presence of an intern training program is in no way unique or a reflection of Oxy’s lack of commitment to mental health. The majority of college counseling centers, community mental health clinics and agencies across the country employ a training model. I can say without reservation that the staff at Emmons Counseling have all received adequate training and are fundamentally sound. Is it the case that every counselor is going to be a perfect match for every student? No. But this is a reality in every mental health facility.

My greatest concern about this recent editorial is the possibility that these misinformed statements will contribute to stigma and act as a barrier to services – that Emmons is basically not good enough to be theplace to go for support, which may very well give students who feel anxious about seeking help more reason to remain isolated.

What we need is advocacy. It is my hope that all students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni that care about the mental health of students and the general community will choose to get involved in a process that has been in place for some time – the expansion and improvement of mental health services. The more enjoyable part of my Occidental Weekly reading experience yesterday involved an article acknowledging the formation of Active Minds, a nationally recognized advocacy group by students Dana Rust and Mikayla Branz. I encourage students to join them so we can work together. I also encourage anybody who has any concerns, hopes or needs regarding mental health services on campus to contact me directly at mgcalkins@oxy.edu or 323-259-2820.

Sincerely,

Matthew Calkins, PsyD, CGP

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Certified Group Psychotherapist

Interim Co-Director, Emmons Health Center

Director, Emmons Counseling Services.

Over the weekend, the Occidental women’s water polo team participated in the SCIAC Championship Tournament. In the quarterfinal match, the Tigers were able to down the Poets 9-4 with a strong defensive effort in the fourth quarter and a 4-0 stretch of goals. Senior Nanea Fujiyama was unable to score a goal for only the second time this season when facing a SCIAC opponent. However, Katie Gibbs (sophomore) picked up the offensive slack, recording her first hat-trick of the season. Junior Lindsay Albino continued to have the hot hand, netting two goals in the contest. The team then advanced to face Pomona-Pitzer in the semifinals. The Sagehens stifled the Tigers’ front line and went on to capture the game 10-6 to earn a spot in the finals. Sunday’s game against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) marked the final game of the season for Occidental. The Tigers fell a bit short and suffered a 9-8 loss in sudden-death overtime. Fujiyama finished her Occidental career with a three-goal performance, ending her career with Tiger records for goals scored (303), games played (126) and field blocks (81). Fellow seniors Rachel Adeleye and Danielle Garcia also stepped up for the Tigers in their final game. Adeleye accumulated 10 saves while Garcia scored once and had two assists. At the end of the 2013 campaign, the Tigers ranked among the top four teams in the SCIAC, marking the sixth consecutive year the team has finished in the top half of the conference.

Men’s Tennis (8-11 overall, 2-5 SCIAC)
The Occidental men’s tennis team will compete in the SCIAC Championships this weekend at Whittier. The Tigers boast potential, especially in their ace Josh Dancu (sophomore), but must rely on an entire team effort throughout the tournament. The men kick off their postseason on Friday at 9:30 a.m. against 12th-ranked Redlands. They will look to both Dancu and veteran Jordan Brown (senior) and try to make a run through the postseason. The black and orange will be without its number-two singles player Stephen Perkins (senior), who has been sidelined with a broken foot.

Women’s Tennis (5-13 overall, 0-9 SCIAC)

The women’s tennis team competed in the play-in match for the SCIAC Championship Tournament on Tuesday at Caltech. Having lost to the eighth-seeded Beavers earlier in the season, the Tigers entered the day as the nine-seed in the conference. After the loss, the women were eliminated from postseason competition, finishing their campaign without a win in SCIAC play. First-year standout Keilanni Ericksen led the Tigers from the number-one singles and number-two doubles spots all year, and she looks to help Occidental improve in future seasons.

Golf
The Occidental men’s and women’s golf teams took to the course over the weekend to compete in the SCIAC Championship Tournament, the final event of the season. On the men’s side, Rammi Hazzaa (senior) put together a strong third round to end his Occidental career on a high note, posting a team best 4-over 76 and finishing 16th overall as an individual. Hazzaa was not the only member of the team to shoot a low score. Sophomores Mason Atkins and Ari Reiger and first-year Jeremy Klein all posted scores in the 70s, marking the first time this season in which the entire team posted sub-80 scores. With an overall team score of 984, the men were able to eclipse Pomona-Pitzer and Whittier to finish in sixth place for the tournament and in the final SCIAC standings. The women finished the season with a record-breaking performance, posting a team score of 341 on the last day of the tournament, the lowest team score ever posted by an Occidental women’s golf team. Team MVP Katie Park (junior) led the team with a 1-over 73, moving her into ninth-place for the competition. First-year standout Kristen Oberiano also made the leader board, shooting 6-over 78, good enough for sixth place. The squad finished with an overall score of 1,066, a total that placed them sixth and ahead of Pomona-Pitzer and Whittier in both the tournament and final conference rankings.

Josh Dancu
The Occidental men’s tennis team has remained competitive within the SCIAC despite four of the conference’s teams being ranked in the top-25 nationally. Much of the success is accredited to Josh Dancu (sophomore), who transferred from Division I DePaul University prior to this season. He quickly earned the number-one singles spot and shares the title of the number-one doubles team along with Jordan Brown (senior). Dancu has posted a singles record of 10-6, the best individual record on the the team. While he is expected to earn several accolades at season’s end, the fact that he is only a sophomore means that he will still compete for the black and orange for several years to come. Dancu will lead the Tigers into the SCIAC Championship this weekend at Whittier.

While ESPN’s sporadic reporting on the United States Men’s National Team and Major League Soccer (MLS) is somewhat passable, the network often ignores the world’s most popular sport, instead focusing on seemingly endless coverage and inane debates on the machinations of the National Football League (NFL), college football, National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Though the network broadcasts one or two Premier League games each weekend morning, soccer coverage almost always ends there. ESPN’s flagship show, SportsCenter, rarely even mentions soccer, even after important results or major player transfer news. Fans likely have to turn to the internet to find reporting, commentary and highlights on the exciting end of the Premier League season. At the same time, FOX, which also held the rights to the Premier League through this season, often relegated games to its cable-only FOX Soccer Channel, out of the reach of many American fans.

NBC, realizing the demand for better Premier League coverage, plans to broadcast every single league game next year, whether on the main, national NBC network, on cable subsidiaries or, most interestingly, online. As more and more sports leagues and networks begin to embrace the internet as a delivery method for live content, NBC has potentially tapped into another important market: younger, internet-oriented fans who prefer to watch a game online rather than on television.

The growing popularity of soccer among young American fans is undeniable. Around American cities, the replica jerseys of popular clubs and players have become as easy to spot as those of NFL or NBA stars, and bars are often jammed with rabid Premier League fans braving the time difference between the U.S. and England to watch games early on Saturday and Sunday mornings. In terms of economics, the sport is clearly becoming highly marketable in America with a valuable demographic of fans, perhaps explaining why NBC would take a $250 million gamble on broadcasting the Premier League.

The increase in the prevalence of American soccer coupled with increased exposure and media coverage of top leagues like the Premier League can only be seen as a good sign. Allotting more time to broadcast one of the sport’s best leagues will only serve to both fuel soccer’s growth in America in future years and cement the sport’s place as a major presence in the American sports media.

Teams could sign up in either the beginning or advanced divisions, the latter in which squads were eliminated if they lost. There were eight teams in the beginners’ division and 12 in the advanced division.

Many on-campus organizations and clubs entered teams for the tournament, such as Occidental’s Quidditch team and drumline. Other greek organizations like sororities Alpha Lambda Phi Alpha and Delta Omicron Tau as well as fraternities Phi Kappa Psi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon formed teams for the event.

The Occidental softball team faced off with The Jew Crew: Hillel Hebros in the beginners’ division finals after defeating Delta Omicron Tau and earning a forfeit victory in the semifinals. The Jew Crew: Hillel Hebros won the division for the second consecutive year.

“We have now won twice in a row,” Hillel Hebros member Leah Wolf (sophomore) said. “It feels amazing.”

Teammate Rachel Baer (senior) was also proud that the team was able to earn a hard-fought victory over a difficult opponent.

“We had no idea we would win when we entered the tournament last year,” she said. “We wanted to defend our title this year, and I am proud that we succeeded in doing so.”

Other members of the Hillel Hebros included Oren Rosen (first-year), Nathan Landay (sophomore), juniors Jessie Salter, Hannah Mandel and Jonathan Gitlin and seniors Aaron Wessels and Evan Choate.

In the advanced division, one semi-final match-up was between PF Changs Presents: Young Boys Abusement Park and The Golden Bears, and the other involved The Newcomb Kids and The Defending Champions. As their name suggests, The Defending Champions won last year’s tournament. However, PF Changs dethroned them to become the new advanced division champions after defeating The Newcomb Kids in the final

“It was a tough battle against worthy opponents, and we were fortunate to come out on top,” PF Changs player Bryar Brandvold (first-year) said. “I also want to thank the ladies of Theta for putting on a great event for a great cause.”

The Newcomb Kids’ Pavel Gladkevich (first-year), although saddened by the loss, enjoyed participating in the tournament.

“I was kind of disappointed by our loss, and I think we would have had a better game if the court format had not been changed,” Gladkevich said. “Overall though I was happy, and I think my teammates would agree.”

ESPN’s NBA reporter Chris Broussard, who appeared on the network’s Monday edition of the abnormally level-headed Outside the Lines program, said, among other things, that he believes homosexuality is “an open rebellion to God.” Afterward, ESPN released a statement admitting regret that Broussard’s comments “became a distraction from today’s news.” However, Broussard’s comments are not a “distraction” from Collins’ trailblazing act, but rather a reminder of the pervasive homophobia sometimes transmitted through American media that often gets swept under the rug and excused as an open expression of religious beliefs.

Collins wrote that he “[takes] the teachings of Jesus seriously, particularly the ones that touch on tolerance and understanding.” He also questions what the reaction of the NBA community will be, saying, “I’ve been asked how other players will respond to my announcement. The simple answer is, I have no idea. I’m a pragmatist. I hope for the best, but plan for the worst.”

In the hours after the story was published, many NBA players announced or tweeted their support for Collins, showing that many of the league’s players may be accepting and tolerant but, as Broussard’s words indicate, some individuals close to the game may not have come around just yet.

In Collins’ words, “Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it’s a good place to start.” In sports, which often harbor America’s long-entrenched masculine ideals, there has never been truly open dialogue about sexuality. For Collins to take this leap forward and confront the culture of sports, including the potentially ugly backlash from some, like Broussard is brave and important. Broussard’s reaction is not indicative of the entire sporting world, but it is not necessarily an isolated example of prejudice, either. Homophobia will undoubtedly rear its ugly head in some aspects of the aftermath of Collins’ coming out, but it should also be publicly questioned and admonished.

The outpouring of support for Collins from athletes across sports, many public figures and even President Obama, who spoke with Collins on the phone on Monday, shows that Collins can rely on the support of many. The increasingly supportive American cultural attitude towards homosexuality will now finally be tested in one of the nation’s last bastions of unchallenged heteronormativity.

Perhaps, and hopefully, the tide with regard to acceptance of gay Americans has turned enough in recent years so that Collins’ presence as an openly gay athlete can be celebrated and respected rather than attacked and scrutinized.

The long weekend for Occidental started with a match-up against Caltech as the Tigers celebrated Senior Day. The game was the first of a Saturday doubleheader at Anderson Field. The Tigers went into the contest expecting an easy win over the struggling Beavers and came away with a decisive 10-3 victory.

Occidental was led by solid hitting as the Tigers’ batters simply overpowered Caltech pitching. The mainstays of the Tigers’ lineup came up big, with Senior Pedro Aldape going 2 for 5 with three RBI, and Victor Munoz (sophomore) and Logan Allen (senior) both recording three hits. Senior Scott Hong also added a solo home run over the left field wall.

Alec Strain (junior) started the game for the Tigers and pitched six solid innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits on his way to picking up the win. Strain is now 3-0 on the season.

The Tigers were back on the field just a few hours later to finish off their doubleheader. This time, the squad faced a much stiffer challenge in Pomona-Pitzer, who came into the game second in the SCIAC standings and took the first series against the Tigers 2-1.

The game was tightly contested throughout, but guided by the arm of starting pitcher Hong (5-1), the Tigers were able to pull out a nail-biting 2-1 victory. The win moved Occidental into third place in the conference. Hong pitched a complete game, striking out eight and allowing no earned runs on just four hits.

Offensively, the Tigers struggled against the Sagehens’ ace Jake Bruml (7-3), but were able to pick up five timely hits. Hong, Allen and Munoz notched one hit apiece, while Riley Smith (junior) finished the day 2 for 4. Smith and Hong plated the Tigers’ two RBI in the game, with Hong’s RBI-single to right in the bottom of the seventh providing the decisive run.

“You just grind it out,” Hong said. “That’s what’s expected of me and our coaching staff has trusted me enough to put me in those positions to be successful.”

The final stop on the weekend for Occidental was an away game against Redlands. The Tigers entered the game with an opportunity to clinch the third playoff seed with a win, but came up just short, falling 4-3.

However, the Tigers had no problem getting hits off the Bulldog pitchers. Nine different batters totaled 14 hits, but runs came at a premium.

Smith and Johnathan Brooks (sophomore) came away with first inning RBI to give the Tigers a quick lead, but Redlands responded with three runs of its own in the bottom of the second. Despite an RBI-single in the fifth from Munoz to tie the game, the Bulldogs responded with a run in the seventh to pull ahead. This final run proved to be the dagger for the Occidental.

Sophomore Joseph Kling started on the mound for the Tigers and allowed three earned runs on nine hits. First-year Thomas Lalli pitched 3.1 innings in relief and was credited with the loss after giving up the decisive run.

Despite the loss, Occidental head coach Luke Wetmore expressed how proud he was of his team’s performance over the weekend and the entire season.

“We’ve believed in ourselves all year,” he said. “It hasn’t always been pretty, but these guys compete everyday. They believe in each other, and I could not be happier for our seniors, our program and the college.”

Luckily for the black and orange, La Verne and Chapman, the two schools looking to knock them out of tournament contention, also picked up losses on Sunday. Thus, Occidental clinched at least the four-seed and was still mathematically able to earn the three-seed with a Redlands loss to CMS and its own victory over the Stags on Tuesday. But, Redlands defeated CMS later on Sunday afternoon, meaning a fourth-place finish for the Tigers at the conclusion of the regular season regardless of the Tuesday result.

After the Tigers beat CMS 9-8 on Tuesday evening, they were tied with Redlands at 17-11 in the conference and had a better overall record at 23-16. However, the Bulldogs captured the three-seed based upon a second-level tiebreaker with Occidental of record against the rest of the teams comprising the remainder of the tournament field (Pomona-Pitzer and Redlands), according to the SCIAC postseason rule book.

Occidental will travel to Cal Lutheran on Friday at 3 p.m. for its first round game in the SCIAC Tournament.

Charlie Sauter (senior) came in second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase behind a Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) senior. Sauter’s time for the race was 9:23.79 minutes, a personal best, but just shy of his personal goal for the season.

“My season goal has always been to run 9:18 [minutes], which would put me at the top 10,” Sauter said. “But in terms of reaching that, I was really happy with my performance.”

Sauter came into the final championship event of his collegiate career ready to win.

“Going in I wanted to win, that was my goal, and that’s what I was saying, ‘I’m gonna win this race,’ and I did pretty much everything in my power to do so,” he said.

Junior Ayana-Malkia Foster ran the 400-meter individually and the 4 x 400-meter relay with fellow teammates Danielle Lyons (junior), Jenny Quilty (sophomore) and Rachael Hinkel (first-year). Foster posted a 58.45-second 400-meters, which was not quite what she wanted.

“The 400 didn’t go the way I wanted it to, mostly because I wanted to upset, and I’ve been trying to get to 57 [seconds] since forever,” Foster said. “I have a problem with focusing on my own race, so I was kind of upset when I didn’t break my high school personal best. Coming off of that race, I was just mad, I was really mad, and everyone was like ‘you did so good,’ and I was like ‘but I didn’t.’”

For Foster, the relay, in which Occidental placed fourth with a time of 4:05.16 minutes, was a second chance at success after she was less than thrilled with her 400-meter run.

Other athletes posted personal bests at the meet including Deanna Dupuy (senior) and Colin Smith (sophomore), who both competed in the 1,500-meter run and finished with times of 4:40.09 and 3:56.88 minutes, respectively. Hinkel had a personal best of 15.39 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles while Jesse Wong (sophomore) finished the 400-meter hurdle in 54.30 seconds. Lyons posted a time of 11:33.13 minutes in the 3000-meter steeplechase, earning her fourth place.

Sauter reflected on on the team he is leaving behind, which he sees as ready for the future.

“I think the team is in a very good place, there are very good people there who are really motivated,” he said.

Both teams are set to host the Oxy Invite on May 4. The following weekend is the Oxy-Lu Last Chance Qualifier for the National championships, and event that will again be hosted by Cal Lutheran at Occidental’s Bill Henry Track.

According to Haley Gandsey (senior), there have always been a clear-cut top three teams in the SCIAC, Occidental being one of them. However, that was not the case this season, so the Tigers have had to take every one of their opponents seriously.

“There are really no easy W’s this year,” Gandsey said.

Never discounting an opponent held true Saturday when the Tigers fell 13-10 to Chapman, who they had beaten twice already this season.

The Tigers came out strong, taking the lead with two early goals. However, a lull in the Occidental attack allowed Chapman to even the score, something it would continue to do every time the Tigers seemed to gain the upper hand. While attacker Tori Larson (junior) had some success to lead the team’s scoring effort, the Panthers played physical defense, stifling the Tiger offense’s ability to effectively move the ball.

In contrast to their defense, the Panther offense failed to take the lead until late in the game. But the unit was consistent and managed to keep the score close throughout due to a number of fast break goals from Chapman’s Kelsey Mackin and Delaine De Beer.

The teams went into halftime tied at seven goals apiece. Occidental’s offense secured the lead once more on a leaping goal from Larson, who led the team in scoring this season.

The turning point for Chapman came on a penalty shot from De Beer, who tied the score at eight with twenty minutes left in the half, shifting the momentum in her team’s favor.

Chapman scored again shortly after, digging a hole for the tiring Occidental defense. The Tigers caught a break when a yellow card reversed the goal, but the Chapman offense remained diligent, using its string of successful scores as motivation, putting pressure on the Tigers to keep the score even.

The Tigers took the lead for the last time with 16 minutes remaining on a goal from Larson. From then on, however, the Tigers couldn’t keep pace, and the Panthers pounced at the opportunity to overwhelm the black and orange.

In the final 12 minutes of the game, the Panthers scored three unanswered goals that would secure their victory. Chapman will play against Redlands next weekend for the SCIAC Championship.

The Tigers finish their campaign at 8-10 overall and 6-5 in the conference.

“The SCIAC is the most competitive it has ever been this year,” Lauren Wemple (senior) said.

With a strong class of junior leadership and a number of underclass standouts, the Tigers look to bounce back next season, which will be their fifth in official varsity competition.

“As a team, our goal every day is to be able to say that our team today could beat our team yesterday. If the answer is yes, nothing else matters,” Gandsey said.