“ The university has created a culture where “ It gets crazy ... but it is not only rewarding ... it is my passion. their obvious favorite is the chess program. ” ” Matt Mason Webster baseball player
Danny Ruzicka Creator of Late Nite Grindhouse
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The News Source For Webster University
the journal Volume 67 Issue 10
websterjournal.com
November 6- November 12, 2013
council Billboard ‘slap in the face,’ athletes say City ‘out of step,’ according to poll
By Sam Masterson Contributing Writer
A billboard along Interstate 70 in central Missouri paid for by Webster University states “Our top recruits are chess players.” Senior forward on the women’s soccer team, Katie Aubuchon was one of the first Webster athletes to share the story through Twitter on Oct. 31. “It’s like a slap in the face,” Aubuchon said. “It just pissed off a lot of athletes and they (Webster) aren’t giving us the recognition we deserve.” Webster’s chess team moved from Texas Tech University in 2012 and tied for first place at the Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship last year. Freshman forward on the men’s soccer team, BJ Dryer said the billboard was “off-putting” as an athlete. “I think it is a knock against athletes,” Dryer said. “I don’t want to take away from the chess team but other teams are doing great too.” Webster athletics is a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and has won the All-Sports Award all but two years since the award began in 1989. The award is given to the school which earns the most points throughout the year in terms of what place they finish in conference competition. Webster University Director of Marketing Communications John Costello said the Webster University chess billboard was “a unique opportunity that we could not pass up.” Costello said the billboard is not about the chess team. Webster Director of Public Relations Patrick Giblin said the words on the billboard are not meant to be taken seriously. “The point of the billboard was humor,” Giblin said. “I think most people driving down that freeway will know that simply because of all the Mizzou (University of Missouri-Columbia) billboards that come right before it.” Mizzou’s billboards pro-
By Kavahn Mansouri News Editor
Contributed by Webster University The billboard placed along Interstate 70. It is placed 10 miles after University of Missouri-Columbia’s billboards advertising its sports programs.
mote its nationally ranked Division I athletics like football and volleyball. Maggie Zehner, member of the Webster women’s basketball team from 2009-13, texted all 70 of the Webster student contacts she had in her phone, and urged them to tweet at Webster (@websteru) about the billboard posted on Interstate 70. Zehner’s text was sent at 9:28 a.m., Nov. 3. Two University of MissouriColumbia billboards on I-70 sit less than 10 miles before Webster’s billboard eastbound on I-70. “After speaking to a few people, I would like to try and bring more attention to this chess billboard. Webster relies heavily on social media, so I think by using Twitter, we could really get the attention of the powers that be and make them
respond to us. If every athlete would tweet @websteru multiple times for the next few days letting them know how we feel about the billboard, it would not only get directly to them, but it would be made public how the university has upset such a high percentage of the student population. Our tweets need to be respectful, yet thoughtful, and please include #WUBillboard in your message so that we can get this trend going! We shouldn’t insult the chess team or degrade the school, we should just voice the degradation and embarrassment the billboard has caused so many of the students. PLEASE take a moment to pass this message along to all current/ former athletes that you know and start tweeting! Let’s make them take it down! Remember to post See Billboard
Alyssa Sapp You can acknowledge accomplishments without disrespecting and downgrading Webster athletics @websteru #WUBillboard
Hunter Ward
@websteru The REAL ATHLETES do not get a cent of scholarship money. But yet chess players get a full ride? #Angry #Disrespected #WUBillboard
Katie Aubuchon
Chess is not a sport pic.twitter.com/8IOlXRwwVb
Matt Mason
I’m a deans list student and played on a team that finished 5th in the college World Series. Am I not a top recruit? @websteru #WUBillboard
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Webster students confess on social media By Megan Washausen Lifestyle Editor
When the Webster Confessions Facebook page was created on Oct. 10, invites to like the page were delivered rapidly, with an introduction message awaiting each visitor: “Welcome to Webster Confessions where you can profess your undying love to somebody, confess your crimes or talk smack about your roommate. All anonymously of course.” By the next day the page attained 200 likes, and almost a month later it rests at 796. Ted Hoef, associate vice president and dean of students, said he has read about similar social media pages at other colleges in higher education publications. “We’ll sometimes hear about things before they come to Webster University, so social media sites like that have sometimes sprung up in other places, so it’s usually a matter of time before we might see them here,” Hoef said. However, Webster Confessions was not the first anonymous social media page brought to Hoef ’s attention. On April 17, the first tweet was posted on WebsterSecretAdmirer, a Twitter page designated for Webster students to anonymously confess their
campus crushes; however, the posts that appear on the page are often suggestive in nature. The majority of the posts mention crushes by name. Sophomore Ruby Weaver was searching a friend’s name on Twitter when the search engine took her to WebsterSecretAdmirer. She said she was appalled by a post that mentioned her friend by name. She alerted her friend immediately. The post was removed within 24 hours of the time Weaver’s friend requested it be taken down. But Weaver said she was still upset the following day, not only about the post, but also the existence of the Twitter page. “Maybe I’m just too deep into the Webster bubble, but I didn’t think those kinds of people (who would post to the site) are here,” Weaver said. “I don’t walk around campus and hear people demeaning women and saying this stuff.” She contacted Hoef and expressed concern that a prospective student could stumble upon the page and get the wrong impression of the university. Hoef said that because they didn’t know who sent the message, or who runs the page, there is no good avenue to prevent such statements from appearing on the page. “If it’s all anonymous there’s not really much that can be
done,” Hoef said. “Some sites like Facebook and Twitter do have some standards, and if someone violates those then they might remove something.” Craig Carmichael, director of digital marketing and communications, said that he and his team do their best to monitor media that discusses or is even loosely affiliated with the university. If the Global Marketing or Public Relations department do discover or are made aware of a page like WebsterSecretAdmirer or Webster Confessions, they make sure that it does not misrepresent itself as an official university run account and that it does not infringe on the Webster University brand or copyrighted material. Additionally, they watch for statements that could damage the Webster brand. They take action if it is legally necessary. Patrick Giblin, director of public relations, explained that when they encounter an issue, they redirect the matter to student affairs. “Beyond that, whatever the students do, the students do,” Giblin said. “We know there’s not much we can or even should do about it because they’re adults.” Call for provocative content Although the Webster Con-
Photo illustration by Mackenzie Wilder and Victoria Courtney
fessions Facebook administrator remains anonymous as the posts that appear on the page, the comments and likes on each post are visible to all visitors — name, picture and all. The tone and seriousness of the
comments are as versatile as the posts themselves. Senior Patrik Coyne said he has read almost every post on the page with hope that one day See Confessions
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Seventy-one percent of Webster Groves residents believe the City Council should allow the university to use buildings on Eden Theological Seminary’s campus, according to a survey of 404 residents commissioned by Webster University and Eden. The survey, released on Oct. 29, conducted by Stakeholder Insights, was used as an attempt to measure and evaluate community sentiment on the City Council’s decision to deny Webster University use of Luhr Library and Wehrli Center. While 71 percent of residents disagreed with the Councils decision, 11 percent agreed with the decision and 18 percent did not know or were undecided. On Aug. 20, Webster Groves City Council voted 4-3 to reject an application for a conditional use permit (CUP) for Webster University to repurpose Luhr Library and the Wehrli Center for university use and demolish Eden’s White House. The city denied the bill after the city’s Plan Commission unanimously recommended the city grant the CUP to the university. “I am upset about our inability to arrive at a collaboration that will work for both the city and the university,” said Mayor Gerry Welch. “We value the university. The university is an important part of the community.” Welch said the lawsuit Webster University and Eden filed against the city on Sept. 19 has made it difficult for the city to have a conversation with the institutions. “This issue is over a conditional use permit that I was hoping we would have the ability to resolve at this table,” Welch said. “Once a lawsuit is thrown at you, you lose the ability to sit together at a table.” Webster Groves resident Frank Janoski was one of the three speakers at the Nov. 5 city council remarks of visitors. He said he hopes the Council will not give in to Webster University and Eden’s “tactics.” “I wanted to express my disappointment over the conduct of institutions that claim to be ‘good samaritans,’” Janoski said. “They apparently believe that bullying tactics and spreading of misinformation is acceptable conduct for trying to get their way.” Councilmember Kathy Hart addressed the issue of the CUP denial at the Nov. 6 City Council meeting. She said there was nothing else the Council could do about the application. “When there’s a CUP application that comes through for the city, we apply the legal standards and apply the law to the CUP application as it comes to us,” Hart said. “That is what we did. There’s nothing else we can do about that application.” Webster Groves has 23,056 residents, according to the 2012 United States Census. The 404 residents were surveyed through a randomly selected telephone sample of Webster Groves residents from Oct. 10 to 27. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent, according to a Webster University press release. Lisa Richter, managing director of Stakeholder Insights, said it was clear the City Council See Survey Page 2
news
Page 2 Nov. 6-12, 2013
Billboard
NEWS BRIEFS Same-sex marriage approved by Illinois legislature Illinois is poised to become the fifteenth state to allow samesex marriage after legislation passed both houses of the state’s General Assembly on Tuesday, according to CNN. com. Democrat Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign the SB10. The law will take effect on June 1, 2014. Until now, Illinois only allowed civil unions between couples of the same sex. Other states that legally recognize samesex marriage are California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. Civil unions are legal in Colorado and Hawaii. President Barack Obama commended Illinois, his home state, for its decision, stating he always felt same-sex couples should be treated fairly and equally. “As I said in my Inaugural Address last January, our journey as a nation is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created
equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well,” Obama said in a speech on Jan. 21. The Huffington Post reported that attempts to legalize same-sex marriage earlier in the year were stalled. Rep. Greg Harris, Illinois Democrat. could not “bring the bill for a vote,” in May because he did not have the support. Opponents of same-sex marriage in Illinois made it difficult to pass the bill. According to the Huffington Post, Chicago pastors said they would oppose lawmakers who voted for the bill. “This issue is not just about two adults and their emotional relational and financial commitment to another,” Rep. Tom Morrison said. “Redefining marriage has far reaching implications in our society.” According to the Huffington Post, the House of Representatives passed the bill 61-54-2 after 4 p.m. Tuesday and the state senate concurred more than an hour later voting 32-29 in favor of SB10. Reporting by Livie Hall
2014 Webster University Teaching Festival proposals now accepted
February 2014 will mark the fourth annual Webster University Teaching Festival. The festival started in 2011 and is an “occasion to celebrate and share effective and innovative teaching of Webster University’s faculty,” according to a Webster Today post. The Webster University Faculty Development Center is currently accepting presentation proposals. This year’s theme is “New Ideas and New Perspectives,” and proposals that creatively reflect successful teaching strategies at Webster. Webster’s faculty, staff and students from around the world are welcome to submit proposals. The announcement on Webster Today says
proposals should relate to the following questions: • • • •
How do you expose your students to new ideas? What learning activities foster the development of new ideas? How do you introduce your students to new perspectives? How do students incorporate new and different perspectives into their own thinking?
The sumbissions deadline is Dec. 13. Reporting by Livie Hall
websterjournal.com
FROM PAGE 1
#WUBillboard.” Zehner said her goal is for Webster to take the billboard down. “If they aren’t going to listen to the students who are upset about it then I just want them to be aware,” Zehner said. “They’ve damaged the name of Webster University and insulted the entire athletic department.” Giblin said all Webster administration members were told about the billboard before it was published. Costello said Assistant Provost for Student Affairs and Athletic Student Affairs Office Paul Carney was not informed but probably should have been. “It has just moved so fast,” Costello said. “We went into this with the specific goal that we might be able to get some PR out of this. So far it’s working marvelously.” Costello said Webster has owned that billboard for three years. He said the message is a “one-off ” and was not apart of Webster’s planned marketing campaign. Susan Polgar, Webster chess head coach and director of Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) said the billboard was made to start a global conversation and attract students who are interested in chess. “It was a brilliant move,” Polgar said. “I think the relatively low money spent on that billboard is money well spent.”
Survey FROM PAGE 1
was “out of step” after only 11 percent of the 404 Webster Groves residents who were surveyed agreed with the decision to deny Webster University’s CUP for buildings across Lockwood. Residents surveyed were asked whether they thought City Council should allow the university to use Luhr Library
Photo Contributed by Webster University University of Missouri - Columbia’s billboards are followed by Webster University’s new recruitment billboard.
Polgar said the advertisement was well timed with the World Chess Championships in India beginning on Nov. 11. Polgar said she did not know what the billboard would look like, but does not want to start an internal controversy with Webster Athletics. “I really hope Webster looks at what is in the best interest of the university,” Polgar said. “This was just one idea that was tried and it got global attention so I think from a marketing standpoint I think it was successful.” Zehner said she does not want to disrespect the Webster chess program, but the billboard “cheapens” the athletic department. She said
she understood the context of the joke Webster wanted to make in relation to the University of Missouri Columbia billboards, which are less than 10 miles away from Webster’s billboard. “You’ve upset a lot of your own people,” Zehner said. “It probably wasn’t worth it and I think it needs to be taken down.” Seven Webster athletes have tweeted at Webster using the hash tag “#WUBillboard.” One of those athletes was her brother Danny Zehner, junior on the men’s basketball team, who first showed her a photo of the billboard. Webster athletes started to share an article on Twitter from the Wall Street Journal about
the billboard. The article states Webster spends “under four figures per month” to keep the billboard along I-70. Aubuchon said she remembered a sign in Marlettos about the chess team after its 2012 national championship. “I understand why they don’t want to spend so much money on the chess team and not us,” Aubuchon said. Senior Center fielder Corey Lasky said he sees the message as something he can’t control. “We’ve accomplished some stuff too,” Lasky said. “Hopefully the athletes don’t buy too much into it.”
and the Wehrli Center, based on background information provided by the surveyor. “The purpose of the survey was to find out what the community’s opinions were,” said Webster University Director of Public Relations Patrick Giblin. “We felt this was the most accurate way to see what the residents thought about the issue.” Giblin said the survey would not affect the lawsuit between the university, Eden and the City of Webster Groves.
He said the survey would not be admissible in the lawsuit. Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for Eden Susan Stepleton said Webster University and Eden students have been crossing Lockwood for centuries using both institutions’ buildings. “It made sense for us to sell the buildings to Webster University – we were no longer using them, and they needed the space. It’s a shame they are sitting vacant,” Stepleton said in a Webster University press
release. Stakeholder Insights is a St. Louis based firm that conducts research through telephone and online surveys, one-on-one interviews, focus groups, ethnographic studies and mystery shopping. They have also conducted research for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and St. Louis College of Pharmacy.
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
Contact the writer: 71413 websterjournal@gmail.com
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Opinions
Nov. 6- 12, 2013
Page 4
Chess billboard causes a stir
Athletes feel shafted Kevin Miller is a Webster basketball player
As a current student athlete at Webster University, I am questioning how much support our athletics department actually has from the university. It really hit me that the athletics department may not be fully supported by the school after a billboard went up that stated Webster’s “top recruits” are members of the chess team. Nothing should be held against the chess team for getting a billboard posted of them, because they truly are successful and deserve the recognition. But the issue, that upset most of the athletes on campus is that Webster’s Marketing Department chose to dress the chess team in athletic gear with matching uniforms, a headband and eye black on the billboard. By doing so, Webster directly compared the chess team, which does not compete as a part of the athletics program, to the rest of the athletes on campus. Unfortunately, this billboard is not being seen in the right light. I don’t think the billboard’s message is the main focus of why the athletes are upset. As Division III (D-III) athletes, our main issue with this billboard is the money. The average student athlete pays between $12,000 and $23,000 a year to attend Webster and play sports. If the chess players are portrayed as the top recruits on campus, then why doesn’t the athletics department receive any of the financial benefits that the chess team gets from the university? Julian Schuster, Webster University’s provost, told the New York Times last year that the chess team would be funded by Webster’s endowment. Along with this funding, future chess players have the opportunity to receive full-ride scholarships for chess (Webster athletes are unable to receive
any athletic scholarships). This funding makes me wonder why my school can’t find funds to support our athletics department, which needs better facilities and lacks travel funds. The baseball team has made it to the D-III College World Series for two consecutive years, and some players have to work near full-time jobs just to fundraise for their team to compete in Florida. The baseball players work their butts off every season trying to improve themselves. In addition to offseason workouts, the players work countless hours fundraising – whether that’s by flipping burgers at a Rams game or waking up at 5 a.m. to work marathons in St. Louis. In my eyes, the baseball team deserves a good amount of financial support from the school based on their accomplishments and hard work. The main issue I have with the chess team being favoured by the school is the lack of facilities our athletics department has for student athletes and the other students who want to come in and have a good workout. Delegates’ Agendas always begin the meeting talking about how they take pride in comparing our university to other schools like Washington University, University of Missouri or Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Out of all three of the mentioned schools, we have the worst athletic facilities, by far, for our students to take advantage of. Webster offers full-ride scholarships on top of the chess team’s funding. So, why can’t we receive money for a new fitness center, locker rooms, practice facilities or athletics offices? At the end of the day, the new billboard, which was meant to be humorous, is not a very humorous subject for other Webster athletes on campus who pay good money to go here. The athletics department as a whole feels slighted by the university they represent due to the disrespect the school has shown by putting up such a billboard. It’s time for the real recruits on campus to get the
*
recognition they deserve with better facilities, more funding and proper pay for coaches.
Content by Kavahn Mansouri & illustration/graphic by Victoria Courtney *As quoted by the Wall Street Journal
University reacts to outrage From a Global Marketing & Communications (GMC) perspective, we juggle many opportunities. Ultimately, we work hard to raise awareness of Webster University so students continue to want to attend, donors and friends continue to want to connect, and our communities continue to want to engage with us. These things combined create a sustainable institution. We do this through: • Creative services that help us stand out in the marketplace – sometimes these are global activities and sometimes these are very local activities; • Creating a digital ex-
perience that adds value for our many audiences; • Internal communications that bind our Webster community together; and • Public relations and media relations that tell the stories of our diverse and global institution. While the billboard featuring the chess players might be viewed as a “win” on the public relations front from the standpoint of national media attention and creating buzz – it has offended some members of our internal Webster community. This was not our intention. In today’s environment, “expected” creative is overlooked – or forgotten. The billboard’s creativity was meant to be “surprising” and capture attention on a crowded highway of University of Missouri billboards. It did that within the context of one stretch of highway outside
of St. Louis. Please remember, this particular billboard is just one of many GMC initiatives and should not be viewed in a singular manner. Through our many integrated efforts in creative services, digital marketing, internal communications and public relations, we take great strides to be collectively inclusive of all academic disciplines and initiatives in order to reflect Webster’s diversity. We will continue our work to strike the balance between our many opportunities so that, overall, we market and communicate the many aspects of this great University, while calling out Webster’s distinctions in the marketplace.
I have a hard time believing the average driver on I-70 sees that billboard and says to themselves “man they have a great chess team, I definitely want to go there!” I’m willing to speculate that the amount of students drawn to the school for chess pales in comparison to the many other reasons Webster is great. The university has created a culture where their obvious favorite is the chess program. For example, a quick glance over the university’s Twitter and Facebook feed will reinforce this thought. I made note of all of the posts and tweets on Facebook and Twitter about the chess team and the 14 other Webster sports teams. Since July 1, there have been 37 posts about the chess team. Collec-
tively, there have been 16 posts about the other sports teams. This includes retweets from athletic coaches, chess coach Susan Polgar, team social media accounts and any other related social media accounts tweeting about these two subjects. The first thing that is going to happen will be someone from the university checking my facts. For the sake of this argument, lets assume I missed 10 posts about sports and over counted chess by 11. That means that one organization on campus got the same amount of attention as 14 others. Now to be clear, this is not a cry for more social media attention to our athletics program or any program. This isn’t merely a chess program vs. athletic teams is-
sue. This is a student body issue. There are many campus organizations that work with very little. For example, the dance department severely lacks space. They rehearse until 10 or 11 p.m. nearly every night to accommodate all of their students because they don’t have enough space. Our nationally recognized speech and debate team is facing budget cuts. As an athlete, I sacrificed part of my winter break and countless hours that I could have spent studying to participate in fundraisers. My sophomore year, I worked fundraisers on Dec. 22 and 26 at the Scottrade Center, instead of spending time with my family. Each player on the baseball team has to raise $900 in addi-
tion to the cost of tuition and housing fees, to cover expenses such as field rental and travel. We don’t get any recognition for this though. Brag about your students’ work ethic, not just the recognition they bring to the institution. Webster, I beg you. Support and honor your chess team. But don’t alienate your fine arts, your athletics, your speech and debate, your social sciences, your business students or anyone else. We all know the slogan “Webster University, a better U!” How about a billboard saying, “Webster University, our top recruit is you!”
Letters & Commentaries
The Publication Board
The Journal welcomes letters to the editors and guest commentaries. Letters to the editor must be fewer than 200 words. Guest commentaries must be between 450 and 750 words, and guest writers must have their photograph taken to run with their commentaries. The Journal will edit all submitted pieces for grammar, style and clarity. If there are any substantial revisions, the writer will be notified and allowed to edit his or her own writing.
The Publications Board acts as the publisher of The Journal, a designated public forum for students, faculty, staff and administrators at Webster University. The Board is chaired by Julia Griffy, and composed of two students, two members of the Faculty Assembly and the dean of students as an administrative representative. The Publication Board holds monthly meetings, open to the public. Please bring us your comments and concerns.
The Journal is the official student publication of Webster University. Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the newspaper, not necessarily that of the university or the Publications Board. The opinions expressed by columnists and contributing writers do not necessarily reflect those of The Journal. All text, photos, graphics and other content are copyrighted by The Journal and may not be reproduced without permission. Any photograph that has been substantially altered or staged for use as a graphic will be labeled as a photo illustration. The Journal reserves the right to reject advertising, stories, columns or letters to the editor that it deems graphic, obscene or that discriminate on the basis of race, cult ure, gender or sexual orientation. Single copies of The Journal are free; for additional copies, contact the business office, located in the Sverdrup building, room 247, on the Webster Groves campus.
Global Thinking:
Editors Note: According to Patrick Gibblin, director of public relations, no chess player currently has a full-ride scholarship. Last year multiple news sources reported Webster gave out full-ride scholarships for the 2012-2013 school year.
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
To join the discussion, email your viewpoints to The Journal at: WebsterJournal@gmail.com
Barbara O’Malley
is Webster’s Chief Communications Officer
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
‘Keep the favoritism in check’ Matt Mason is a former Webster baseball player
There is one organization that seems to get more recognition than any other at Webster — the chess program. Let me make a few things clear. First and foremost, the chess team is incredibly gifted and deserves all of the awards and honors it receives. Secondly, we should be proud as a student body to have some of the smartest and most gifted players in the nation, and also the world.
That being said, lets get right to the issue at hand. The newest Webster University billboard along Interstate 70 is disrespectful to student athletes and the student body as a whole. Now, the university has already supported their actions on Facebook, by saying it was supposed to be funny, and be a juxtaposition of billboards supporting University of Missouri - Columbia (Mizzou) athletics. Here’s my question: if it was supposed to be an obvious joke, why did it require an explanation? The issue here is with the semantics of the billboard. “Our top recruits are chess players;” that is supposed to be funny? No, what’s funny is saying, “Our chess team can beat yours,” because the reality is that they can.
the journal The News Source for Webster University Megan Favignano Editor-in-Chief Gabe Burns Managing Editor Editorial Office (314) 246-7088 Kavahn Mansouri News Editor Megan Washausen Lifestyle Editor Sheren Khalel Opinions Editor Brian Pratt Webmaster Mackenzie Wilder Photo Editor Macy Salama Multimedia Editor Section Editors (314) 246-7575 Dan Bauman Senior Editor James Dundon Copy Editor Sierra Hancock Copy Editor Livie Hall Calendar Editor Victoria Courtney Graphic Editor Emily Ratkewicz Graphic Editor
Julie Turek Business Manager Abby Steingrubey Ad Manager Olivia Heibeck Marketing Manager Advertising & Business (314) 246-7538 Larry Baden Editorial Advisers Robert LaRouche Photography Adviser StaffWriters Darra Cunningham Latasha Dean Mary Eveker Scott Lunte Holly Shanks Photographers Megan Favignano Clair Staples David Broome Billy Sukoski Erika Ruth Holly Swan Gaby Demeke
Next meeting: Dec. 6 at 9a.m. Submit all letters to the editor and guest commentaries to websterjournal@gmail.com by 2 p.m. on Monday.
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Kavahn Mansouri’s biweekly column “Global Thinking” will be featured online this issue. This week Mansouri discusses the issue of NSA spying on U.S. foreign allies.
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Corrections
To consistently provide the Webster University and Webster Groves communities with the most current and contextual information using both print and multimedia, while serving as a learning platform for our staff and a forum for our readers.
The Journal stated Benedict Fernandez was originally listed as Benedict Fitzgerald in a photo caption.
Produced by The Journal Editorial Board and Business office, Summer 2013
The Journal stated the Guild Theatre of Webster Groves was made a city-designated historical landmark after a public hearing on Oct. 15. The Guild Theatre was made a historical landmark on Nov. 5.
In the Oct. 30 - Nov. 5 issue:
Page 4 Nov. 6-12, 2013
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Building a Foundation of Hope
Author Aaron Likens presents how to better understand autism—how it feels, how individuals face unique challenges and how to interact with someone on the autism spectrum.
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FRIDAY NOV. 15 7:00 PM UC COMMONS For more information on International Education Week 2013 visit our website http://blogs.webster.edu/mcisa/blog/2013/10/21/ international-education-week-2013/
Lifestyle
Nov. 6-12, 2013
Page 5
Contributed by Kyla Kiefer Kyla Kiefer’s photo of young monks in Bangkok, Thailand. The photo won the Global Photo Contest 2013. The contest is put on by multicultural center and international student affairs.
‘Tranquility in Orange’ wins Global Photo Contest 2013 Mary Eveker Staff Writer
Kyla Kiefer spotted the line of young monks in bright orange robes, among a crowd of older monks viewing a picture in the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. She said the young monks looked like they ranged in age from 10 to 13 years old. Kiefer said it was not socially acceptable to take pictures of monks unless they approached the monks first. Not wanting to accidentally offend the monks, Kiefer stood back and remembered a technique her photography professor taught her. “Just have it (your camera) at your waist, point it up, and then just hope for the best,” Kiefer said. Kiefer, a junior at Webster University, won this year’s Global Photo Contest with her photo entry of "Tranquility in Orange," taken while she was studying abroad in Cha-am, Thailand during the spring 2013 semester. Professor Christine Giancola-Youngberg taught Kiefer the technique called “shooting at
the hip.” A technique when the photographer shoots without placing the camera to the eye. “It can create a more candid photograph since the subject is often unaware of being photographed,” Giancola-Youngberg said. “The technique requires good observational skills, timing and patience.” Kiefer said she heard Giancola-Youngberg’s voice in her head say “just go for it,” without knowing how the shot would look, and she did. She said the positive outcome of the picture was luck. “I pulled my camera up and I was like ‘oh my gosh this looks great on my camera, hopefully when I blow it up it looks good.’ And it did,” Kiefer said. Kiefer said her photo emphasizes the fact that Thailand is a primarily Buddhist country. It also shows insight as to how there is no age limit for being a monk. “I find it really admirable that these boys have such selfcontrol and self-discipline at such a young age,” Kiefer said. On her way to her workstudy job at the information
desk, Kiefer saw her picture hanging on the wall by the adviser’s office in Sverdrup, with no recognition plaques. Kiefer had not heard anything back from the contest judges. Excited and curious as to why her picture was on display, she
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administration in the International Studies Committee. One of the judges for the contest was Terri F. Reilly, adjunct faculty member for the communications and journalism department. Judges received the pictures
I find it really admirable that these boys have such self-control and self-discipline at such a young age. Kyla Kiefer Global Photo Contest Winner 2013
checked her email and realized she had won. “I wasn’t expecting it. I walked by and saw it and I was like holy crap that’s the coolest thing ever,” Kiefer said. “It was just a whole freak incident, you know taking the picture, wandering by it in Sverdrup, then getting the email after I had already seen it.” The photos submitted in the contest were judged by a group of six faculty members and
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via email and picked their top three out of the 48 photos submitted. Reilly said it was hard to pick just three photos while recognizing the aesthetic value and also trying to figure out the photographer’s global experience. “Some of the photographs were absolutely stunning, like National Geographic quality, and some were very interesting in terms of the way they were shot,” Reilly said. “Some were
simplistic, there were a bunch of different kinds, it was really hard to decide my top three.” Reilly chose Kiefer’s picture as one of her top three because she said it fulfilled a number of elements. She said the picture was aesthetically and artistically beautiful, but also represenative of typical Asia. “Artistically it was gorgeous,” Reilly said. “Obviously you see the orange of the monks’ robes, and then it was very representational of what someone would think of Asia with the Buddhist Monks. It just really hits it.” The Global Photo Contest an annual contest hosted by the multicultural center and international student affairs (MCISA). Reilly said the contest was beneficial for everyone involved, promoting Webster’s internal goals, the artistic capabilities of the students and cultural awareness. She said the photos visually captivate students who might not have had a cultural experience yet and hopefully peak their interest and cultural aspirations.
“You know the old saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words,’ I think that you could hear about it from somebody, but you actually see that depth and breadth of that type of photography there,” Reilly said. “It’s a win-win for everyone, the students who take the pictures and students passing the photos in Sverdrup.” Second-place winner David McDonald, senior; third-place winner Khanh Vu, graduate student; and honorable mention, senior Melissa Fritz’s photos are hanging on the wall along with Kiefer’s first-place photo. “I’m still kind of in shock about it happening,” Kiefer said. “Every time I walk past it I’m like woohoo! I get a little excited every time.” All the photos will be located in the Small Wall Gallery on the top floor of Sverdrup through the end of November.
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
Hi-Pointe hosts monthly weekend of grindhouse, a growing tradition in St. Louis By Kavahn Mansouri News Editor
Three years ago, Webster alumnus Danny Ruzicka was bored on a summer night. He flipped through the newspaper in search of a last minute evening excursion. What he found would become a monthly tradition for him and his friends. “I looked at the movie times in the paper and saw that this movie, ‘Phantasm,’ was playing at midnight. I had heard of the movie before, but never saw it,” Ruzicka said. “I knew it was a 70s horror flick, and I was in an adventurous mood so I went and checked it out.” What Ruzicka discovered was Late Nite Grindhouse, an event hosted at the Hi-Pointe Theatre at 1005 McCausland Ave. in St. Louis. Every first Friday and Saturday of the month, 35mm prints of horror and genre-exploitation films are shown at midnight. Late Nite Grindhouse creator Andy Triefenbach met Hi-Pointe Theatre coowner Brian Ross at a midnight screening of the exploitation film “Black Dynamite” in 2010. Triefenbach said he approached Ross with the intent to book nights of horror and exploitation after learning the theatre booked independent shows. Ross gave Triefenbach a chance and allowed him to book a May
showing of “The Evil Dead,” a 1981 horror film with a cult following. It would be the first Late Nite Grindhouse program. Triefenbach said his goal for Late Nite Grindhouse is for it to become more than a midnight screening. He said he hopes it can be a communal event for people who love
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that are more difficult to find are the ones worth keeping.” Ruzicka said Late Nite gives him and his friends a place to bond through humor. “The guys who run it make the whole vibe and atmosphere of the place very friendly. They don't take it too seriously, and plus, it gives me a chance to get
When you get a lobby of people after a film, ecstatic about a film they just saw on the big screen for the first time, it is one of the most rewarding things to me. Andy Triefenbach Late Nite Grindhouse creator
grindhouse films. “When you get a lobby of people after a film, ecstatic about a film they just saw on the big screen for the first time, it is one of the most rewarding things to me,” Triefenbach said. Ruzicka said Late Nite Grindhouse is one of those “St. Louis things.” He said Late Nite being hosted at the Hi-Pointe Theatre and the fact that it is small, makes it a city treasure. “It is a gem ... because it’s a rather small, obscure thing,” Ruzicka said. “It’s been going on for about two, or maybe, three years and still has a dedicated audience. A city gem doesn't have to be widely popular in order to be a gem. The treasures
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a group of friends together and enjoy a bad movie,” Ruzicka said. “I guess it’s a bonding thing … it brings friends together. Whenever I get a big group together and we see a truly inept film that is so bad it’s hysterical, those are the best.” Triefenbach, 32, has lived in St. Louis his entire life. He said that growing up watching horror and exploitation films on VHS was a major reason he started the Late Nite Grindhouse program. St. Louis was a grindhouse market waiting to be tapped, Triefenbach said. “I believe that St. Louis has a great fan base for horror films, and it was untapped when it
came to genre-centric film programming. I thought it would always be great to have a public venue to watch these films,” Triefenbach said. Ruzicka said the Hi-Pointe Theatre is the “cherry on top,” of his monthly tradition. He said the theater’s vibe meshes well with the movies Triefenbach shows. “It’s an old theater with an old theater vibe; classy but not elegant, casual but not sleazy,” Ruzicka said. “It creates this nuance that these exploitation films would have ran there back in the 60s or 70s.” Triefenbach said Late Nite Grindhouse feels like a fulltime job, but it is not his main job. He runs www.destroythebrain.com as well, a site featuring his weekly podcast and reviews of horror and genre movies. “As a guy who works a 7-4 job during the day, my off hours are divided between the site and Late Nite Grindhouse. It gets crazy ... but it is not only rewarding ... it is my passion,” Triefenbach said.
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
CAITLIN ZERA / The Journal Andy Triefenbach, Late Nite Grindhouse creator at Hi-Pointe Theatre for the screening of “Maniac Cop 2.” The next showing of Late Nite Grindhouse will be of “The Visitor” on December 6 and 7.
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Full-time students who enrolled as first-time freshmen in Fall 2012 or subsequently and who are pursuing B.A. or B.S. degrees must complete the Global Citizenship Program. (See the Undergraduate Catalog or consult your advisor for detailed requirements.) In addition to the First Year and Global Keystone Seminars, students must complete the Skills Requirements (Critical Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Intercultural Competence, Oral Communication, Written Communication) within or in addition to fulfilling each Knowledge Area (Roots of Cultures (two courses with different prefixes), Social Systems and Human Behavior (two courses with different prefixes), Physical and Natural World, Global Understanding, Arts Appreciation, Quantitative Literacy). Courses must be at least three credits and must be completed with a grade of C- or better to satisfy GCP requirements. Courses may be used either in the degree audit for the first major or in satisfying GCP requirements, but not both. See http://www.webster.edu/global-citizenship/ for more information. Below are listed Global Citizenship Program courses being offered at St. Louis campuses, Spring, 2014.
Physical and Natural World ANTH 2890 PHIL 2360 PSYC 2150 SCIN 1030 # o SCIN 1400 # ^ SCIN 1510
Culture and Disease Environmental Ethics Psychology of Sleep Science in the News Physics for Poets Global Climate Change
ETHR ETHR CRIT ETHR CRIT CRIT
ANTH 1100 # ARHS 2210 # ENGL 1030 ENGL 1044 ENGL 2020 ENGL 2030 ENGL 2050 ENGL 2070 ENGL 2086 ENGL 2110 HIST 1310 HIST 1320 # HIST 2240 LATN 1090 MUTH 1030 PHIL 1100 # PHIL 2110 o PHIL 2330 # PHIL 2520 POLT 1070 THEA 2040 #
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Introduction to the History of Western Art Introduction to Literature Topics: Monsters Major British Writers I Major British Writers II Major U.S. Writers I Major U.S. Writers II Contemporary Multiethnic Literature of the U.S. Perspectives: The Antihero Nineteenth-century America 20th Century U.S. History Contemporary Europe 1945-present Beginning Latin, Level 1 History of American Musical Theatre Introduction to Philosophy Introduction to Ethics Social and Political Philosoph y Philosophic Classics: Early Modern Europe Introduction to Political Theory History of Theatre: Restoration to 1915
INTC WRIT WRIT WRIT WRIT WRIT WRIT WRIT INTC WRIT CRIT CRIT CRIT INTC ORAL CRIT ETHR CRIT WRIT CRIT ORAL
ANTH 2890 HRTS 1100 # o PHIL 2110 o PHIL 2320 # ^ SCIN 1030 # o SOCI 2475
Culture and Disease Introduction to Human Rights Introduction to Ethics Contemporary Moral Problems Science in the News Sex and Gender
PHYS SOCI ROOTS SOCI PHYS SOCI
ANTH 1100 # o ANTH 2500 ARHS 2320 ENGL 2086 FREN 1090 # FREN 1100 # GRMN 1070 GRMN 1090 GRMN 1100 HRTS 2500 # ILC 1090 # ILC 2150 # o ISTL 1000 # ITAL 1090 JAPN 1090 MEDC 2800 # o MULC 1100 # POLT 1080 SOCI 2375 SPAN 1070 ^ SPAN 1090 SPAN 1100
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Peoples and Cultures Intro to Asian Art Contemporary Multiethnic Literature of the United States. Beginning French, Level 1 Beginning French, Level 2 Intensive Introduction to Elementary German, Level 1 Beginning German, Level 1 Beginning German, Level 2 Current Issues in Human Rights Beginning Laguage, Level 1 (various languages) Topics in Cultures Introduction to International Studies Elementary Italian, Level 1 Elementary Japanese, Level 1 Cultural Diversity in the Media Introduction to Multicultural Studies Introduction to Comparative Politics Social Problems Intensive Introduction to Elementary Spanish, Level 1 Elementary Spanish, Level 1 Elementary Spanish, Level 2
ROOTS GLOB GLOB ROOTS GLOB GLOB GLOB GLOB GLOB GLOB GLOB GLOB GLOB GLOB GLOB SOCI SOCI GLOB SOCI GLOB GLOB GLOB
ARHS 1050 ^ ARHS 2200 ART 1010 HIST 1310 HIST 1320 # HIST 2210 HIST 2240 INTL 1500 # o MEDC 1630 # o ^ PHIL 1010 # o ^ PHIL 1100 # PHIL 2050 PHIL 2330 POLT 1050 # POLT 1060 # POLT 1070 PSYC 1100 # ^ PSYC 2150 SCIN 1400 # ^ SCIN 1510
Art Appreciation Current Art Creative Strategies 19th Century U.S. History 20th Century U.S. History Early Modern Europe Contemporary Europe: 1945-Present The World System since 1500 Introduction to Media Literacy Introduction to Critical Thinking Introduction to Philosophy Philosophy and History of Education Social Political Philosophy Introduction to International Relations Introduction to American Politics Introduction to Political Theory Introduction to Psychology Psychology of Sleep Physics for Poets Global Climate Cha nge
ARTS ROOTS ARTS ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS GLOB SOCI WRIT ROOTS SOCI ROOTS GLOB SOCI ROOTS SOCI PHYS PHYS PHYS
ANTH 2500 ARHS 2320 FREN 1090 # FREN 1100 # GRMN 1070
Peoples and Cultures Intro to Asian Art Elementary French, Level 1 Elementary French, Level 2 Intensive Introduction to Elementary German, Level 1 Beginning German, Level 1 Beginning German, Level 2 Current Issues in Human Rights Beginning Laguage, Level 1 (various languages) Topics in Cultures The World System Since 1500 Introduction to International Studies Elementary Italian, Level 1
INTC INTC INTC INTC
Roots of Cultures
Ethical Reasoning
Intercultural Competence
Critical Thinking
Global Understanding
GRMN 1090 GRMN 1100 HRTS 2500 # ILC 1090 # ILC 2150 # o INTL 1500 # o ISTL 1000 # ITAL 1090
INTC INTC INTC INTC INTC INTC CRIT INTC INTC
JAPN 1090 MEDC 3260 POLT 1050 POLT 1080 PSYC 2850 SPAN 1070
Elementary Japanese, Level 1 International Communications Introduction to International Relations Introduction to Comparative Politics Peace Psychology Intensive Introduction to Elementary Spanish, Level 1 Elementary Spanish, Level 1 Elementary Spanish, Level 2
INTC INTC INTC INTC ORAL
Art Appreciation Creative Strategies Design Concepts Creative Writing: Poetry Creative Writing: Fiction Playwriting A Musical Odyssey Music Appreciation The Sound of Surprise: An Introduction to Jazz History to 1970 History of Rock and Roll to 1965 History of Guitar: Segovia to Hendrix Crossroads in Musics of the World Digital Basic Photography Public Speaking Theatre Appreciation
CRIT CRIT ORAL WRIT WRIT WRIT WRIT WRIT
ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS ROOTS ARTS ARTS ARTS ARTS ARTS
MUSC 1052 MUSC 1070 MUSC 1072 PHIL 1010 PHIL 2520 SOCI 1100 # o SPCM 1280 # o THEA 1050 WGST 2322 WRIT 1010 #
Introduction to the History of Western Art Introduction to Literature Topics: Monsters Major British Writers I Major British Writers II Major U.S. Writers I Major U.S. Writers II Perspectives: The Antihero Creative Writing: Poetry Creative Writing: Fiction Playwriting A Musical Odyssey Music Appreciation The Sound of Surprise: An Introduction to Jazz History to 1970 History of Rock and Roll to 1965 History of Guitar: Segovia to Hendrix Crossroads in Musics of the World Introduction to Critical Thinking Philosophic Classics: Early Modern Europe Introduction to Sociology Interpersonal Communication Theatre Appreciation Whodunnit? Murder, Mayhem, and Misogyny Composition
DESN 1210 EDUC 2110 PHIL 2000 PHOT 1010 PSYC 2850 SPCM 1040 # ^ THEA 2040 #
Design Concepts Communication in Education Making Decisions Digital Basic Photography Peace Psychology Public Speaking History of Theatre: Restoration to 1915
ARTS SOCI QUAN ARTS GLOB ARTS ROOTS
EDUC 2110 HRTS 1100 # o MEDC 1630 # o MEDC 2800 # o MULC 1100 # PHIL 2050 PHIL 2320 # ^ POLT 1060 # PSYC 1100 # ^ SOCI 1100 # o SOCI 2375 SOCI 2475 SPCM 1280 # o WGST 2322
Communication in Education Introduction to Human Rights Introduction to Media Literacy Cultural Diversity in the Media Introduction to Multicultural Studies Philosophy of Education Contemporary Moral Problems Introduction to American Politics Introduction to Psychology Introduction to Sociology Social Problems Sex and Gender Interpersonal Communication Whodunnit? Murder, Mayhem, and Misogyny
ORAL ETHR CRIT INTC INTC CRIT ETHR CRIT CRIT WRIT INTC ETHR WRIT
^
SPAN 1090 SPAN 1100
Arts Appreciation ARHS 1050 ^ ART 1010 DESN 1210 ENGL 2150 ENGL 2160 # ENGL 2170 MUSC 1001 MUSC 1050 # MUSC 1051
MUSC 1052 # ^ MUSC 1070 MUSC 1072 o PHOT 1010 SPCM 1040 # ^ THEA 1050
Written Communication
ARHS 2210 # ENGL 1030 ENGL 1044 ENGL 2020 ENGL 2030 ENGL 2050 ENGL 2070 ENGL 2110 ENGL 2150 ENGL 2160 # ENGL 2170 MUSC 1001 MUSC 1050 # MUSC 1051
Oral Communication
Social Systems and Human Behavior
Quantitative Literacy MATH 1360 # o ^ MATH 1410 # MATH 1430 # o ^ MATH 1610 MATH 3200 PHIL 2000 PSYC 2750 # SOCI 2750 #
Business Math Introduction to College Mathematics College Algebra Calculus I Statistics Making Decisions Introduction to Measurement and Statistics Introduction to Measurement and Statistics
INTC INTC INTC
WRIT WRIT WRIT WRIT ORAL ORAL WRIT
ARTS ARTS ARTS ARTS CRIT ROOTS SOCI SOCI ARTS SOCI
WRIT
ORAL
Global Keystone Seminars
Students who have completed six or more GCP courses are invited to enroll in these pilot sections of the Global Keystone Seminar. KEYS 4013 Innovation and Creativity KEYS 4014 Social Movements and Technology: Can You Use Technology to Change the World?
Key: # o ^
Multiple sections offered Available online Available at Old Post Office, Winghaven, or Westport campuses
LIFESTYLE
Page 7 Nov. 6-12, 2013
Confessions
juicy.” None of the confessions Coyne has submitted have been posted, but he said he would be fully prepared for feedback if they had been. “When done tactfully, it’s like stepping into an arena,” Coyne said. “Half of the fun would be to see people’s reactions and hear what other people have to say. Everyone wonders how harshly they’re going to be judged for certain things and because of that fear, they never say it.” Sophomore Eric Ramirez said he commends the administrator of the page for enforcing rules, but he believes “this forum wasn’t meant to be a nice forum.” “When you open up a forum like this, that’s supposed to be anonymous, it’s basically cyber bullying at its finest,” Ramirez said. “That’s really what it is; it’s basically made for people to talk trash on each other, for people to put their business out there whether it be their sex lives or fights they get into.” Ramirez defines a confession as a real, honest, raw opinion and
FROM PAGE 1
it will take a more provocative turn. Because he finds the majority of the posts to be boring, he chooses to heckle. “I have a personal, egotistical gratification just from tearing it apart every chance I get,” Coyne said. “When someone posts a confession, I’m just like, this is not a confession, this isn’t interesting, this isn’t funny, this is just a thing, this is a person complaining about their class schedule.” Coyne said if he were running the page he would censor most of what currently appears on it and would only allow provocative posts. He said most of what is on the page now, are things he would say publicly. “I think people are afraid to be too serious. I think even though it’s anonymous, I don’t think people trust computers,” Coyne said. “I think they’re a little too hesitant to say anything
believes peoples’ opinions should never be shut out. He laid out his opinion of the Facebook page in a post on his blog. He shared a link to his opinion piece on Webster Confessions. Shortly after that he found that he was unable to comment on Webster Confessions’ posts or like them. He believes the administrator blocked him from the page. Ramirez said he, along with some friends, created their own Facebook page, Real Webster Confessions, but deleted it not long after. Real Webster Confessions is one of a few Webster-related Facebook pages that have popped up since the creation of Webster Confessions. Two include Webster University Date Ads XXX and Gorlok in the Raw. Potential for Social Interaction Although Webster Confessions does not have the shock factor that Coyne and Ramirez were hoping for, they both agree there are positive outcomes that have already, and still could, re-
websterjournal.com
sult from the page. Chris Hawk, Webster’s student government association (SGA) sergeant-at-arms, said it helps him as a student leader to see what people are saying on the page. However, he said he encourages concerned students to voice their opinions more constructively. “You should never feel bad about your opinion, so if you have to hide your opinion, that has the potential to just be gossip, and it’s not constructive,” Hawk said. “I think if you have a public forum it needs to be constructive; otherwise, it’s just going to tear apart our little university.” Hawk said he was pleased by the administrator’s decision to discontinue the inclusion of names in posts, but he said the page still needs a face. “I just wish there was a little more individual accountability of whoever is running it,” Hawk said. “I’m accountable for every word I say, I never say anything in private, that inherently offends me. If you’re going to say something publicly about someone,
you say it damn publicly.” Bill Stephens, a former Webster student who still sits in on classes at the university, consistently reaches out through comments to those who anonymously post. Because he can relate to some of the posts, he said he feels he has a “sort of duty as a human being” to make peoples’ lives easier. Hawk referred to Stephens as the “wet nurse” of the page. “I think that it’s our responsibility, especially mine, because I had a really bad childhood,” Stephens said. “A lot of these I can relate to, like the sexual assault ones; I have been sexually assaulted, I can relate to that. The ones about self-image or feeling isolated or alone, I can relate to that, and more so, I can relate to it, but I can also remember the pain.” Hawk and Stephens both said they were especially struck and saddened by the loneliness expressed in several confessions on the page. Stephens said he can understand the hesitancy of some individuals to socialize with others, and has made a habit
anonymous, but the majority of them have gone through the link. And I really don’t have any idea who does it.
age, roughly, would you say are serious? I’d say like 20 percent maybe. At first they were just really, really silly then they got more serious as time went on.
of offering his own friendship to these nameless confessors. “Whenever I make that offer to get coffee or talk sometime or ‘I’ll walk you around campus,’ that is not meant lightheartedly. I mean that 100 percent, and I’ve had several people take me up on the offer.” Stephens said Webster Confessions serves a purpose that students really need — to come to terms with themselves. He considers the topical nature of other posts — the sexcapades and crime confessions — to be immature, but he doesn’t think users will remember these statuses. “I think in the long run, we are going to forget all of the negatives about it,” Stephens said. “I think the helping each other, the bonding that’s coming from it is going to be what shines through.”
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
Q&A: Webster Confessions administrator discusses the page, the confessions and the criticism Editor’s note: Megan Washausen, Journal lifestyle editor, sat down with the administrator of the Webster Confessions Facebook page with the understanding that the administrator’s identity would remain anonymous. The Journal rarely uses anonymous sources. The Journal is doing so now to provide readers with knowledge we feel they should know without causing unnecessary harm to the page’s creator. Why did you decide to start this page? It was mainly because I had a lot of friends who went to other universities, and they all had their confessions pages, and I was always jealous of them. I kept looking for a Webster page, but I could never find one, so I was like, ‘well, I’ll just start one.’ Do many people know that you created it? Why do you choose to remain anonymous? Are you worried at all that people will find out?
I don’t want to be someone who causes drama even though I’m not causing it. I’d rather not deal with that. A few people knew but it was kind of by accident, so it wasn’t really my choice. What were your intentions and expectations for the page when you were thinking about starting one? Some of the confessions are pretty funny, so I think it’s just to provide humor … you also have to be careful about what you do post because there are literally hundreds coming in everyday, and number one you can’t post that many, and number two, some of them just aren’t appropriate, and you just have to figure out what gets the pass and what doesn’t. It can be hard because other people get mad at you if theirs doesn’t get in. You can’t really please everyone. What’s usually the topic matter of the ones that you can’t post?
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At first I would post specific names, but then, as it grew really big, no specific names. If it’s really hateful or something — so I mean they’ll poke fun at conservatory, that’s a common theme — but if it gets too hardcore and just angry, I won’t post that and that goes for any type of group. At the beginning when you were posting names, did something in particular happen that you changed your mind about posting them? I just realized that it could get dangerous quickly if there were specific names, and I also got advice from friends about it. Do you really not have any idea who sends the confessions? Or, if someone messages you a confession then you do know who he or she is? There have been a few people who have not read the “about” and who have messaged me the confessions. If they do not go through the link then it is not
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Are you using a free version of survey monkey to receive the confessions? It is, but what’s really annoying is for every 100 submits I get — because I’m on the free version — every 100 submits you get you have to create a new survey, so I have to go through several surveys and change the links, so if I haven’t checked it all day and there’s 107, I can only see 100 of them. It’s really frustrating, and I’ve been looking for different solutions for that. Do you post to the group anonymously? No. To get it started, I made up random ones when (the page was at) two likes to kind of set the tone for it, but no, I don’t post anonymously. Of all of the messages that you’ve gotten, what percent-
Did that surprise you? Kind of. I guess that’s a way to vent. Even though it’s anonymous, it’s still a way to get things off your chest, and they want to see it posted because they want to see support for them … I feel bad for not being able to post everything just because of that. Because I’m like, well, if I don’t post that, maybe they’ll think I just ignored them. It’s hard being fair. Have you gotten any that were more serious than ‘I was raped…’? There was one about, ‘I’ve wanted to commit suicide.’ Did that one also get posted? Yeah. That was one of the ones where I posted the numbers for hotlines and things like that.
But for the most part the more serious ones tend to be about people feeling lonely. What have you noticed with the comments, which you have less control over? Some people can be really snarky… There’s some people I’ve had to block from the page. If they’re really obnoxious then I’ll just ban them just because I don’t want it to turn into a snark-fest. What do you think are the positives of the interaction that comes with comments? They’re hilarious! The more depressing ones — especially if people show their support — it’s really cool because people will be like, ‘oh I don’t really have any friends lets hang out’ or ‘message me, friend me,’ things like that. It’s a way to connect with people socially.
Visit websterjournal.com to read the full interview.
WOULDN’T WE ALL LIKE
invite yOu anD a guest tO a speCiaL aDvanCe sCreening stop by the university Center Desk tODay to pick up your complimentary admit-two pass to the advance screening. screening is Thursday, 11/14, 7pm passes are available on a first come, first serve basis. supplies are limited. Limit one (1) admit-two (2) pass per person. sponsor’s employees and their dependents are ineligible. seating at the screening is on a first-come, first-served basis and it is overbooked to ensure capacity. please refer to passes for any other possible restrictions. no purchase necessary. This film is rated r.
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Opens in st. LOuis theatres On FriDay, nOvemBer 15th!
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MORE FLEXIBILITY ? HELP US CELEBRATE National Distance Learning Week
November 11-15
See our website for a full list of events http://webster.edu/online/students/ndlw.html Online Learning Center
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Sports
Nov. 6-12, 2013
All in the family By Megan Favignano Editor-in-Chief
Marty Todt, associate men’s soccer coach, described two things in his life as “fleeting” — the soccer seasons and hisnephew’s time at Webster. His nephew Patrick McCaffrey is a senior forward on the men’s soccer team this year. “I love every minute of it. It’s fleeting,” Todt said. “It goes by so quickly and to recognize how quickly it does go by, I think, adds something that’s special, because you try to grab a hold of every minute that you can.” He said the three years McCaffrey has been at Webster and has played on the team have passed “in the blink of an eye.” Both Todt and McCaffrey agree that their relationship rarely presents challenges on the field. McCaffrey could only think of one challenge for him in having his uncle as the assistant coach. “I don’t know what to call him sometimes,” McCaffrey said. “My whole life I’ve been calling him Uncle Marty. I definitely don’t want to say that during the game … that just feels different. I try to stray away from calling him anything (on the field).” McCaffrey said calling Todt by his first name felt disrespectful, since Todt is his uncle. McCaffrey has played soccer his entire life. His mom first signed him up when he was in kindergarten. When he was about 10 years old, his father entered his life and became his main influence to play competitively. He said he had always thought about going to Webster. He went to Forest Park with the intention of taking two years to improve his grades and his soccer skills. After one year, he said he was not getting as much play as he had hoped, and that he was not enjoying college. He said the fact that his uncle was at Webster influenced his decision to come to Webster. However, he did not learn much about the university’s
soccer team from his uncle before attending. McCaffrey said Todt did not discuss soccer at family events unless he was asked. Todt reserved family time for his family. Todt said that over time, Webster University has developed into another family for him. And Todt says family is his first priority. Todt said his son Jeff went to Webster in the 90s for two years. Todt said those two years his son spent on the soccer team also passed quickly. He said he enjoyed having his son on the team, but that it felt different than when he spent family time with his son. McCaffrey said he now feels the same way with his uncle. “When it’s soccer, he’s my coach,” McCaffrey said. “When we’re at a family event, he’s my uncle.” Todt said he had high expectations for his son and does for his nephew as well. But McCaffrey said he has never expected favoritism from his uncle, and he does not feel like his uncle expects more from him than any other senior player. Todt said he wants closure for all of his players. That closure, Todt said, begins with a passion for the game. But, he said, players should prepare themselves each day for what’s ahead. “If you do that each and every day you’re preparing for what’s ahead of you. You’re preparing for what’s in front of you. And if your preparation is the best that it can be, no matter whether you win or lose that game tomorrow, you left it all out on the field and there’s closure,” Todt said. “To see that being fulfilled is special.” McCaffrey said that until working with Todt, he focused on the physical aspect of soccer and “went through the motions.” Todt explained to him how important the mental and emotional aspect of the game is to a player’s success. “Like Marty always said, ‘leave it all out on the field,’” McCaffrey said. “If I know I’ve given my best throughout my life and even if whatever
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#3 Webster
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Senior Men’s Soccer Forward
happens Wednesday, which could be my last game ever, if I put everything I’ve ever given to soccer, every hour, every minute and left it out on that field, then I can walk away from that game, a win or loss, happy.” Todt said he wants closure for all of his players, but admitted it is different with McCaffrey. “You want that for all your players but this is family,” Todt said. “The special time is being able to see him leave here with
Wednesday, November 6 7 p.m. Battle High School (Columbia, Mo.)
Wednesday, November 6 1 p.m. Centene Stadium (Clayton, Mo.)
When it’s soccer, he’s my coach. When we’re at a family event, he’s my uncle. Patrick McCaffrey
#1 Westminster
#2 Fontbonne
Men’s soccer associate coach, player reflect on family dynamic on the field
HOLLY SWAN / The Journal Patrick McCaffrey, men’s soccer forward, maneuvers around an Iowa Wesleyan defender at a home game on Saturday Nov. 2. Webster defeated Wesleyan 13-0.
Men’s soccer
#4 Greenville
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SLIAC Championship Friday, November 8 7 p.m.
that closure knowing that he left it all out on the field, that he got a great education.” The men’s soccer team will play Fontbonne University at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at Centene Stadium in Clayton for the SLIAC semifinals.
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SLIAC
Soccer
Tournament
HOLLY SWAN / The Journal Patrick McCaffrey said his uncle and coach Marty Todt taught him about the mental and emotional aspects of soccer, which made him a better player.
Women’s soccer
#1 Webster Thursday, November 7 6 p.m. Soccer Park (Fenton, Mo.)
SLIAC Championship Saturday, November 9 12 p.m.
Note: Highest seeds remaining host SLIAC Championship matches. The winners of the SLIAC Championships receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III soccer tournaments.
#4 Fontbonne
#2 Greenville Thursday, November 7 7 p.m. John Strahl Athletic Complex (Greenville, Ill.)
#3 Principia
Visit websterjournal.com to listen to the new Journal Sports Podcast for a recap on Webster Athletics’ victory against Iowa Wesleyan, the volleyball team’s doubleheader and where two cross country runners placed in SLIAC Championships.
Q&A
Men’s basketball coach expects tough SLIAC competition
Journal reporter Scott Lunte talks to Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Bunch about the upcoming season Lunte: The first thing I want to talk about is Ahmad Smith. He really had a breakout year last year. What do you expect out of him this year, and how did he develop into this standout player for you guys last year? Bunch: Obviously, we got a little more help for him next time around. We’ve got a bigger team and some bigger players, and some players returning that played here previously, and so, it’s not going to be just all on him like everyone maybe would have thought it would have been
Editor’s Note:
after last year. We’re still looking for him to have a big year and be one of the leaders in scoring. Lunte: Talk about how competitive the SLIAC field was on the men’s (basketball) last year. Last year there were five teams that were above .500 in conference play. Talk about the competition in the SLIAC, and what do you expect this year? Bunch: I said going into last year, I thought it was going to be the deepest we have been at the top in eleven years that I have
been here. I knew there were four or five teams that were going to be very senior heavy, and were going to be very talented. I wasn’t sure we were one of the five going into the beginning. We had lost some guys and really weren’t expected by a lot of people to not be in the top four last year. I think it’s going to be a little different this year, not that it’s going to be worse, but it’s just going to be different. Those teams have lost several players like we did. It’s going to be interesting. I think it’s going
to be wide open this year. Lunte: What is it going to take to win the SLIAC? Bunch: I think consistency. I think part of our problem last year, our offense was kind of inconsistent and so there were times where we shot the ball when we shot the ball well, we looked really good. Other times that we didn’t shoot it as well, where our shot selection wasn’t as good as it needed to be, we struggle a little bit and had trouble winning some of the tougher
games. I think this year, with the addition along with Jarrod, getting Aaron Griffin back and the addition of Kevin Miller returning from three or four years ago, it gives us a big post presence inside. Lunte: Think back. What is your all-time favorite Webster basketball memory? Bunch: I don’t know if I just have one. One of the best was when Jarrod and Hollis were freshman and we won the conference tournament.
Up Next: Pick up next week’s issue for a Q&A with Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jordan Olufson
That was the day we won the league and the girls had won the tournament earlier in the day. So we all celebrated both winning the conference tournament and then going to the national tournament. That was a really good day.
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Last week The Journal made a commitment to provide the second part to ‘Gorloks against breast cancer.’ There will no longer be a part two. We apologize for not providing readers the information initially promised.