definition of ‘survival of “ I decided to go out on the quad. I wanted “ Mansouri’s to see how many people actually show the fittest’ is the most meat-headed up, and I was kind of flabbergasted. definition I have ever heard. ” ” Andrew Witthaus Dylan Zukswert Webster student
Webster audio student
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The News Source For Webster University
THE JOURNAL Volume 67 Issue 18
websterjournal.com
February 5 - February 11, 2014
University falls short
$6-7 Million
By Megan Favignano Editor-in-Chief
Webster University will make more than $6 million in mid-year budget adjustments due to the university’s projected shortfall. The adjustments could reach $7 million. Webster Chief Financial Officer Greg Gunderson said the university will make short-term reductions to align the budget for fiscal year (FY) 2014 and approach the budget process for FY15 differently than last year. Webster’s fiscal year begins June 1st. Webster announced the projected shortfall in an email sent from the university administration on Jan. 31. The email outlined the following areas as a focus for the university as it works to realign its budget to fit within enroll-
ment numbers: —Continue to target investments to support our core academic mission and create a foundation for future revenue growth. —Forgo the potential mid-year salary adjustment since this had been dependent on enrollment targets. The revenue shortfall is projected to be larger than the reserve set aside for a mid-year salary adjustment. —Marshall resources to strengthen academic quality, recruiting and retention efforts. —Offer a balanced budget signifying that Webster remains a financially solid institution dedicated to long-term financial sustainability. —Examine long-held assumptions and policies in order to create savings and efficiencies in all colleges, schools and administrative units.
The university has yet to decide where the budget reductions will occur within its FY14 budget. “We are currently still assessing our options,” Gunderson said. Gunderson said the university will first seek faculty input on where cuts should come from. Gunderson and Provost Julian Schuster were scheduled to meet with faculty at the Faculty Assembly Tuesday, Jan. 4. Due to weather, the meeting was rescheduled to Thursday, Jan. 6. “After that (discussion) we will be able to set a timeline (for when mid-year adjustments will start). But I think it will be a matter of weeks not a matter of months.” Gunderson said. After finishing adjustments for FY14, the university will focus on budgeting for next year.
The budget planning process for FY15 will, for the most part, look like it did last year. But, Gunderson said how the university projects enrollment for next year’s budget will probably look radically different than in the past. When forming a budget, the university first sets tuition rates, then it makes enrollment projections. From those two elements, it forms a budget and allocates the funds. For FY15, the university will cap its enrollment projects at the actual enrollment numbers for FY14 for planning purposes. “Clearly that budget (FY15) will be a smaller budget than this fiscal year’s budget because we’re reassessing our enrollment projections in light of national enrollment trends for graduate See Shortfall
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Webster University begins search for athletic director By Tim Godfrey Staff Writer
MEGAN FAVIGNANO / The Journal Eden Theological Seminary Vice President of Institutional Advancement Bryce Krug and Webster University Chief Financial Officer Greg Gunderson listen to speakers at the Feb. 3 City Plan Commission public hearing. Gunderson urged the commission to table the proposed changes to the city’s zoning.
University urges City to table zoning changes By Kavahn Mansouri News Editor
Webster University Chief Financial Officer Greg Gunderson urged the Webster Groves City Plan Commission to table proposed changes to Webster Groves’ zoning code at its meeting on Feb. 3. The changes would categorize Webster University and Eden Theological Seminary into different educational zoning districts — a change that could affect future university expansion. Webster Groves resident Peggy McAuliffe compared Webster University’s expansion to an “infestation.” She said she has watched the university buy up neighborhoods in the past few decades. “Webster University has infested residential neighborhoods; and I use that word not to offend, but by its meaning defined by: to inhabit or overrun, in numbers large enough to be harmful or threatening,” McAullife said. “I keep wondering: when is the growing going to end?” Webster Groves Director of Planning and Development Mara Perry presented a revised zoning draft that would establish three categories of ed-
“
Webster University has infested residential neighborhoods; and I use that word not to offend, but by its meaning defined by: to inhabit or overrun. . . Peggy McAuliffe Webster Groves resident
cuational campus districts. The proposal separates Webster University and Eden into two separate districts, each with different regulations. The Webster Groves City Plan Commission voted Monday to keep the public hearing open and postpone the vote on an educational rezoning of the city. The plan commission’s vote will decide if the proposal makes it before the city council. The board said it would need more time to gather information and discuss possible amendments to the proposed zoning code. Eden Vice President of Institutional Advancement Bryce Krug presented a letter written by Eden President David Greenhaw. In the letter he wrote that rezoning would be another setback in the road to Eden’s mission. “Again, Eden Seminary is looking at a rezoning that
”
punishes us, harms our institutions, takes our property and places irrational restrictions on us,” Krug read. “Eden Seminary will take every means available to it to stop a rezoning that hurts us and damages our ability to accomplish our mission. None of this is what Eden wants.” In September 2012, Greenhaw said he created Eden’s 2012 master plan to keep students on the campus. He said Eden’s future vision was to sustain the institution after a drop in enrollment over the past few years. Webster Groves resident John Reed, father of Webster University Professor Beckah Reed, said the proposed rezoning would be the end of Eden. “You’re going to put a dagger in the stomach of Eden, and I don’t think they will be able to make it under these circumstances,” Reed said during
To read The Journal’s past coverage of the proposed zoning and lawsuit, visit websterjournal.com the Feb. 3 public hearing. Mayor Gerry Welsh said any discussion with Webster University and Eden regarding the proposed zoning changes is a step in the right direction. Webster University, Eden and the city met on Dec. 23 to discuss suggestions to the proposed educational zoning. In the proposal, Webster University’s district includes educational facilities with more than 500 students and dormitory-style housing. In the draft presented, Eden See Rezoning
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In the fall of 2013, Merry Graf was named interim athletic director after Tom Hart, Webster University’s former athletic director, took a similar position at Berry College in Georgia. A semester later, the search for a permanent athletic director has begun. A search committee has formed, and advertisements for the position have been placed on three collegiate websites. Amy Bommarito, athletics department coordinator, said she placed the full description of the opening on NCAA.org, NACWAA.org (National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators) and Webster’s Human Resource website. Some of the expectations listed in the job requirement of the athletic director include: —Being in charge of all department plans and finances as well as supervising the employees and facilities of the athletic department. —Overseeing all employees, including head coaches and the athletic staff, and setting and enforcing the policies and procedures of the athletic department. —Cooperating and ensuring relationships with the campus offices, student affairs, academic affairs, admissions and alumni. Bommarito said she placed the advertisements in early January, around the time the search committee formed. Ralph Olliges, associate professor and chair on the committee, said the group met to outline how the committee will function. “We met to set up the logistics and (organize) what we are going to do and how we are going to do it,” Olliges said. Olliges said when Webster receives résumés for the position, the documents will be sent to an online dropbox for committee members to review individually. Members will compile a list of around 10 candidates they think are fit for the job. In the next meeting, expected around mid-February, members will discuss their choices and determine which candidates will be contacted for
I still have a lot to “ accomplish on the
volleyball court with my team. There’s no way you can tear me away from them. Mary Graf
”
Volleyball coach and interim athletic director
phone interviews. Olliges said he would be unable to release the exact number of people who have applied for the position so far, but said Webster “has many interested candidates.” Olliges said that the coaches at Webster will also have input in the process and be involved in the group interviews with candidates. Olliges said the coaches wrote the committee a letter listing the qualities they would like to see in their next athletic director. These qualities, Olliges said, are similar to those the search committee is hunting for. Ollgies said the selection of a new athletic director will hopefully take place at the end of the spring semester. After that, Graf ’s day-to-day will revolve more around the volleyball team. Graf said she decided not to apply for the full time athletic director position because coaching volleyball is her true passion. “I still have a lot to accomplish on the volleyball court with my team,” Graf said. “There’s no way you can tear me away from volleyball.” Graf said that the next athletic director will be coming into a “great situation” in Webster’s athletics department. “The coaches and staff that we have are phenomenal at what they do. I think the position is just right to come in and take (Webster athletics) to the next level.”
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
NEWS
Page 2 Feb. 5-11, 2014
NEWS BRIEFS
websterjournal.com
SGA searches for Delegates’ Agenda items The Student Government Association (SGA) sent out a survey via email to Webster University students requesting topics for the spring Delegates’ Agenda. SGA will present the most voted for topics at the Officers Summit this Friday, Feb. 7. Students will vote to select three issues on the survey, including topics like ADP, financial aid and other issues
picked form a survey taken by students. Students will vote for the top five issues at the Officer’s Summit. These issues will be presented by a group of students at the Delegate’s Agenda on Feb. 20. Administration will listen to the presentations and have a response in the weeks following. Reporting by Livie Hall
SEA-PHAGE project provides hands on research experience An ongoing attempt to change the way students learn about science seems to be having positive effects for undergraduates, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. In 2008, the Science Education Alliance (SEA) launched a two-semester program designed to allow university students to participate in real biological research. As early as their freshman year, students were offered the opportunity to contribute to scientific literature and databases using the results of their research. The program was titled SEA Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) was funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. After launching the program in 12 schools, SEAPHAGES spread to more than 70 colleges and universities, according to the HHMI website. A study published in mBio on Feb. 4 reported the program has boosted grades and retention within 20 universities. While the course typically attracts first or second-year biology students, it has been adapted by one team to cater strongly to non-majors. The three researchers who implemented this version of the course found that it had simi-
lar effects on freshmen and sophomores not going into the sciences, according to Caruso and colleagues, published in the online journal PubMed Central. The goal of the SEAPHAGES project is to provide hands-on research experience to students interested in the sciences. Instead of focussing heavily on content, SEAPHAGES focuses on teaching students research methods, according to The Chronicle. The idea is to educate students about how to do science rather than to reinforce material they are learning in lecture. This opens the program up to students who do not have a strong background in biology. The analysis suggests that giving students a platform for making their own discoveries provides unique benefits for increasing their passion for science. Organizations that focus on science education debate about how important lab work is to increasing scientific understanding. While working in a laboratory may not be necessary for literacy in the sciences, SEA-PHAGES suggest that it can be notably helpful when implemented in particular ways. Reporting by Hailey Kaufman
Deadline Approaches for Employee Spotlight Award Nominations According to Webster Today, the Employee Spotlight Award is accepting nominations through Feb. 21, for the months of April, May, and June. This award celebrates Webster University employees who “go above and beyond their normal daily duties” in terms of their contributions to students, other faculty, or anyone else. Two staff members are recognized each month. Anyone can nominate an employee and should not be based solely on employee expectations. The article said they
want “a great story of how this employee went out of there way (above and beyond) their position or duties to assist you, a coworker, student, or anyone else.” Nominations must be submitted by the Feb. 21 deadline and those turned in after that date will be considered for the next quarter. Employees that receive the award have a choice of taking a day off with pay or a $100 Series EE savings bond.
Shortfall
tion for all budget lines except for salary and utilities. —Limit new hires. —Hold on travel and entertainment expenses. —Cap on new classroom furniture expenses at $150,000. —Cap on deferred maintenance spending at $140,000. —Cap new site setup spending at $250,000. Coordinator of Academic Affairs Tamara Minley did not know about the budget shortfall until she received the email late this afternoon. She said other staff members found out in the same way. Minley said her only concern at this time is “whether or not staff will receive raises based off of this communication.” Staff members have not yet had an opportunity to discuss what will happen next. Gunderson said next, Webster will hold a town hall meeting, which will be open to the entire university community. “We intend to have town halls that are open to students, faculty and staff so that everyone can have a better understanding of what are the fundamentals issues that underlie the actions we are taking and what’s the goals and strategies we are taking in addressing that and how we are using this process to reposition ourselves for FY15. but that starts with faculty,” Gunderson said.
FROM PAGE 1
students and we want to be more conservative,” Gunderson said. In a fall 2012 interview with The Journal, Paul Carney, the vice president of enrollment management and student affairs at the time, said the university’s budget is based on a “conservative” estimate for expected enrollment. The following January, the university announced a projected $12.2 million budget shortfall below its revenue goal for the year. More than 90 percent of Webster’s revenue comes from tuition fees. Webster’s incoming 20132014 freshmen class was the largest it has been in 14 years, President Elizabeth Stroble announced at the Fall Convocation. Webster enrolled 502 students in the fall. However, undergraduate enrollment makes up a smaller proportion of Webster’s budget than graduate enrollment. “Its growth (the freshmen class) in proportion to its share doesn’t offset the reductions in enrollment that we saw on the graduate side,” Gunderson said. Last year’s mid-year cuts helped the university stay within budget for the remainder of the 2012 - 2013 fiscal year. The university made budget reductions in the following areas last year: —Five percent budget reduc-
Reporting by Livie Hall
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
HANNAH ROLING/ The Journal Webster University audio production major Paul Schneider works with his audio equipment. Schneider took a techinical ear class to further his skills as a producer.
Listening courses offered to audio majors By Holly Shanks Staff Writer
A new course is teaching something different to audio students — how to use their ears. Through perceptual coaching, Webster Assistant Professor Tim Ryan is working to produce “Masters of Sound.” “The skills that audio engineers learn over a lifetime – we’ve found a shortcut,” Ryan said. “We have found a way to teach people these skills in a very short period of time, compared to a lifetime at least.” Ryan said the technical ear courses passed the curriculum committee in last January. The year-long training is now officially part of Webster’s audio program. Currently only four schools in the United States offering technical ear training with the handson method Ryan uses. The technical ear training class has around 20 students. Ryan breaks the class down into sections of four students each, and holds 50 minute sessions with them. This allows for one-on-one instruction and coaching. Ryan explained the course teaches audio students to use modes of perception through comparison and correction. It can help students be more consistent, accurate and decisive when it comes to sound. They learn to differentiate between tone ranges and low and high frequencies using their hearing. The ability to adjust recording, broadcast and
sound equipment becomes automatic and swift once the different sound spectrum regions can be mentally distinguished with the ear. Senior Paul Schneider, an audio production major, decided to take the technical ear classes. He said the goal of audio production is to release a solid quality product. The big thing about technical ear training is it teaches equalization. “You can use software or a microphone or something, but if you don’t understand how to make it sound good you won’t have as much of a good product,” Schneider said. “Anyone can learn the tools, but it takes a certain practice to learn how to hear things and make them sound good.” Schneider said he goes to concerts and it is now a “natural thing” to listen to what the sound engineers are doing. He can hear exactly what they are changing or where the sound is off. “It seems like it’s common sense that we would (have ear training) and learn how to actually hear before we use the tools to make things sound good,” Schneider said. “For some reason there is a lack of schools practicing it.” Ryan uses his background in live sound work as an example. He has worked as a mix engineer for many music festivals and large music venues. Usually, there are only a few minutes between bands on stage. A sound check to
ensure the audio equipment, such as microphones, are working and sounding correct begins when a band starts playing. Ryan said the first song can sound off in tone until adjustments or the equalization process can be completed. “It would take me about 20 to 30 minutes to get (the equipment) up and running, and sounding good,” Ryan said. “After two years of (ear) training it would take me less than five minutes.” Ryan said he found spare “bits and pieces” of equipment in storage no one else wanted and that was the start of getting the training off the ground. Funding for the project was a new pair of speakers purchased through department budget. The $20 student lab fee covers the Cloud server space for the training software. Jason Corey, chair and associate professor of the department of performing arts technology at University of Michigan, also teaches technical ear training and authored a book on the topic in 2010. He said his classes are taught in a lecture and class demonstration style with required lab time. “One of the critical things for audio professionals is being able to translate what they hear into parameters that they can control using audio hardware and software,” Corey said. Corey said his students’ get a “leg up” on other professionals who are starting out, that have not had technical ear training. It
sometimes takes several years to accumulate the skills on the job that ear training can give. He said he thinks the concept of ear training is gaining more widespread use in academics and sound industry. Ryan said technical ear training has been around for at least 20 years. He learned the concept at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, while studying for his doctorate in Sound System Engineering. Ryan credits his former professor and mentor, Rene Quesnel, as the person who invented the specialized training. McGill started the program, but kept it a tightly guarded secret. Ryan said McGill only trained six students yearly with the ear training concept and roughly only 120 people have had this particular style of training in the last two decades. When Quesnel retired he gave the teaching methodology to Ryan and a few others. Schneider said the best way for him to market himself to potential employers is to have the chance to show his skills. “Talking the talk can only take you so far in this industry. As long as I have the opportunity to show off my work,” Schneider said. “Maybe stamp on there that I found a certain type of training and that I believe that I can give you a better product.”
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
Project works to bring immigrants to STL By Matt Duschene Contributing Writer
Immigrants are more likely to be highly skilled, have advanced degrees, be entrepreneurs and earn more than the average American-born citizen, said Betsy Cohen. As director of the St. Louis Mosaic Project, Cohen spoke on Jan. 29 in the Emerson Library about the organization’s work to bring more immigrants to St. Louis, and the benefit of having more immigrants in the metropolitan area. With different programs the Mosaic Project enacts, the project’s backers hope for St. Louis to have the fastest rate of immigration among metropolitan areas in the United States by 2020. However, Cohen said that numbers aren’t the only things that needed to change. Mosaic is also working to change attitudes towards immigrants in St. Louis. “Foreign-born people come here and say ‘St. Louis people are helpful, but not welcoming,’” Cohen said. “And the welcoming part is key. People are complacent here, and they don’t always reach out.” Cohen’s presentation was the first of four scheduled forums for the spring semester, as a part of the Holden Public Policy Forum’s event, Pizza & Politics. Former Missouri Gov. Bob Holden moderates each forum, and said he was enthusiastic about The Mosaic Project’s work. “I firmly believe immigrants add so much value to your community, not in terms of dollars, but in terms of energetic entrepreneurism that creates thriving communities,” Holden said.
Although changing attitudes is a long process, The Mosaic Project combats this complacency by encouraging professionals in St. Louis to participate in their programs that connect them with immigrants. Another goal of The Mosaic Project, accomplished through outreach with university leaders, is to attract and retain international students to St. Louis. A few of the 20 audience members said universities need to better educate young
Illustration/Graphic by Emily Ratkewicz people about how immigrants ties such as Webster find better can benefit a community. Jim- ways to participate in The Momy Halaz, a Webster University saic Project’s push for immigragraduate student and Mosaic tion growth. Project intern, said it’s easier “Oftentimes, likes go along to accept and to meet people with likes, and people only hang from different backgrounds at a out with those in their cluster school like Webster. of people. So the question is, Learning about other com- ‘can you bridge out and share a munities and supporting their coffee or tea with someone that businesses, Cohen said, are two you normally wouldn’t?’” Cobig ways that students can un- hen said. derstand the benefit of having more immigrants in St. Louis. Contact the writer: However, she said she hopes to have globally-minded universiwebsterjournal@gmail.com
news
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Proposed educational zoning
MEGAN FAVIGNANO / The Journal Webster residents Maggie Sowash and Frank Janoski listen to speakers at the City Plan Commission’s public hearing on Feb. 3. Sowash and Janoski said
Rezoning “ FROM PAGE 1
would be placed in a district that includes educational facilities with less than and limited to 500 students. The district also allows “limited” student housing, which could include housing for families of students. During a City Plan Commission public hearing in December, Gunderson voiced his concerns with the proposal. Gunderson said in December one regulation would limit the number of beds on an educational campus to 1,250. “That is an unusual and restrictive requirement that appears to limit the size of our campus,” Gunderson said at the December 2013 public hearing. Webster University purchased three properties from Eden in 2010. The city denied a conditional use permit (CUP) in August that would have allowed the university to use two of the buildings on Eden’s campus and demolish the third.
Again, Eden Seminary is looking at rezoning that punishes us, harms our institution and places irrational restricitons on us. David Greenhaw Eden Theological Seminary President
Changes to the zoning draft were presented to the Webster Groves Plan Commission on Feb. 3, and were followed by a public hearing where residents as well as university and Eden representatives voiced their opinions on the proposed zoning changes. Gunderson urged the Plan Commission to table the proposed zoning changes so Webster University and Eden could have further conversations with the city about rezoning. He said the proposed zoning would create an “artificial boundary,” making collaborations between educational institutions and expansion impossible. “If our desire is to use the facilities all of these institutions have efficiently, then we have to share them. And we’re hopeful the city will see the value in
”
collaboration and shared use of facilities, rather than create artificial boundaries,” Gunderson said. The draft presented on Feb. 3 still included the 1,250 bed restriction for EC-3 institutions. In a letter received by the city on Dec. 23, 2013, Eden Greenhaw and Gunderson asked several questions about the proposed zoning changes. The letter questioned whether there would be rights to appeal certain zonings, how properties in a certain zone could be sold and several other amendments affecting the institutions. The city’s response letter stated the proposed zoning code, as a whole, will provide a method for the community at large to have a voice in how institutions expand with a ful-
Source: City of Webster Groves Webster University fell into the EC-3 district, while Eden Theological Seminary fell into the EC-2 district. Chief Financial Officer Greg Gunderson said the proposed zoning would create an “artificial boundary” between institutions.
ly developed community. The letter went on to say the proposed zoning code would balance the preservation of Webster Groves’ neighborhoods and the desires of educational institutions. Dean of University Libraries Laura Rein read a letter from Webster University President Elizabeth Stroble. If the rezoning were to be beneficial to the universities, Webster University would be in support of the proposed rezoning. The City Plan Commission will continue the public hearing at a Feb. 25 meeting.
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
Resident urges university, Eden to drop suit against city During the hearing on Feb. 3, Webster Groves resident Dave Buck said Webster University and Eden Theological Seminary should do the “courageous” thing and drop their lawsuit against the city. The university and seminary filed suit against the City of Webster Groves on Sept. 18. The university and seminary are seeking damages for what the institutions allege to be the city’s unlawful decision to deny the university and Eden’s application to use buildings on Eden’s campus. Webster University Chief Fi-
nancial Officer Greg Gunderson said if the city were to withdraw their ruling on the denial, the university would have no need to proceed with their lawsuit. “If the city wants to change its position and withdraw their ruling, there wouldn’t be a need for a lawsuit. So, the university is pursuing the only opportunity that is available to us to address a ruling we don’t believe treats a vacant property in the best interest of the community or the institution,” Gunderson said. “The ball is in the city’s court.” 71430 A hearing is scheduled for the suit on Feb. 21.
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Opinions
Feb. 5-11, 2014
Letters & Commentaries The Journal welcomes letters to the editors and guest commentaries. Letters to the editor must be fewer than 200 words. Guest commentaries must be no more than 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.
Mind Over Media
Nerd out with reference culture Cait Lore is the Opinions Editor of The Journal.
Submit all letters to the editor and guest commentaries to websterjournal@gmail.com by 2 p.m. on Monday.
The Publications 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 Griffey, and composed of two students, two members of the Faculty Assembly and the dean of students as an administrative representative. The Publications Board holds monthly meetings, open to the public. Please bring us your comments and concerns.
Our Vision 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. Produced by The Journal Editorial Board and Business office, Summer 2013
Page 5
When someone comes over to my house for the first time, there is always a look of shock on their face when they enter my room. It might be the “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” poster, or maybe my “Neon Genesis Evangelion” action figures. There’s always an internal debate I have about hiding my “Dragonball Z” tapes. I can feel my guests’ eyes roll as they notice the “Battlestar Galactica” fan art that hangs above my television. Point being— I am a nerd. I know what I love, and when I love something I get deeply immersed in it.
Not too long ago, I found myself channel surfing in a hotel room. I stumbled upon a show I had never seen before: “The Big Bang Theory.” If you have never seen the sitcom, it is about a group of socially awkward nerds and an aspiring actress, named Penny, who lives across the hall. Penny is often used as a “normal” character for the nerdy boys’ idiosyncrasies to bounce off of. After watching the show, I couldn’t help but feel exploited. I didn’t find myself connecting with the characters or the conversations. They all seemed to have high functioning autism or were super-geniuses. It is as if I’m not supposed to relate to them. One scene opens up with a slow pan across the group of nerds on their computers with headsets on. The laugh track plays before a word is muttered. Thus, the joke is that there is a group of nerds playing an online game in their liv-
ing room. The humor is written in a way that plays on the microculture shock someone experiences when peering into the culture. It’s a stereotypical reference to the subculture. The audience is supposed to laugh at the outsider idea of nerds. This is a good example of something I call reference culture. Reference culture comes out of a society of information overload. We live in a postinternet society, one where all different types of media and subcultures are only a Google search away. Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab, explains in an issue of Wired Magazine, “All things digital get bigger and smaller at the same time.” Chuck Lorre, creator of “The Big Bang Theory,” has perfectly captured this contradiction with his show. As a result, a subculture like ‘nerd’
gets more visibility in the mainstream media, but in a superficial light. If the show was more authentic to “nerd culture,” it would alienate viewers who aren’t immersed in the subculture. Because of the Internet, culture has gained a depth and vastness larger than ever before. This makes it harder to create television shows that have wide-spread appeal. In order to accommodate an expanding pop culture, the depth we ascribe to these topics diminishes. This is essentially killing pop culture, or at least causing it to cave in on itself. This is evident in referential comedies like “Big Bang Theory,” but also when you look at blockbuster films. The most successful films, such as superhero films, reboots of past franchises and genre studies, are referential in nature. Neil Postman, a popular media critic, argues that
people don’t necessarily want knowledge; they want simplicity. He cites an example of this being the way televised news programs evolved into talking hairdos and superficial exports of world events. It’s shocking that Neil Postman made these statements in 1985, seeing as how well his theory fits in with the way culture has been affected by the Internet. We have access to unlimited information at our fingertips, and yet our media is being dumbed down by it. I always thought of the Internet as the democratization of media, but perhaps it just brought us opportunity for more commercialization.
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Speak English please
Clarification In issue 17 of The Journal, a story on ADP originally stated that 330 employees did not recieve a pay check in mid January due to a glitch in ADP’s system. This information was given to The Journal in a fact sheet during an interview with Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Kenneth Freeman and Director of Public Relations Patrick Giblin. The day after publication, Giblin alerted The Journal that the information Webster originally provided was incorrect. The error was actually discovered 48 hours prior to payday and everyone received their checks on time.
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 Life and Sports Editor Cait Lore Opinions Editor Brian Pratt Webmaster Mackenzie Wilder Photo Editor Section Editors (314) 246-7575 Dan Bauman Senior Editor Hailey Kaufman Copy Editor Alexandria Lenzi Copy Editor Livie Hall Calendar Editor Victoria Courtney Graphic Editor Emily Ratkewicz Graphic Editor Julie Turek Business Manager Abby Steingrubey Ad Manager Carolina Dueñas Marketing Manager Advertising & Business (314) 246-7538 Larry Baden Editorial Adviser Robert LaRouche Photography Adviser Staff Writers Taylor Overstreet Tim Godfrey Holly Shanks Mary eveker Darra Cunningham Latasha Dean Sam Masterson Natalie Martinez Photographers Megan Favignano Clair Staples David Broome Billy Sukoski Holly Swan Hannah Roling Mary Masurat
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Illustration and Concept by Victoria Courtney
Letter to the editor
Speaking on behalf of the hippos, in response to Kavahn Mansouri vs. the World Dylan Zukswert is majoring in Religious Studies.
When I first read Kavahn Mansouri’s “Making the Case for Carnivores,” I couldn’t help but think of the hippo. The hippo is one of the most dangerous wild animals — yet has a herbivorous diet. I began weight-lifting at the age of 13. I ran crosscountry all four years of high school, and joined my local fire department at 17. I am now employed as a recycler on campus, every morning lifting hundreds of pounds of recycling. My life of heavy physical labor requires lots of strength and endurance. One would expect me to have a meatfilled, protein rich diet to be able to do all this. Yet, surprisingly, I’ve been a vegetarian since I was seven. That was 14 years ago. I weigh 121 pounds and have never weighed more than 130 pounds. I rarely get sick— maybe once every other year. So why was making a change in diet the worst one of my life, when it hasn’t once negatively affected me? I’m not one to push my diet on other people. My parents tried to push eating meat on me, so I know firsthand how annoying that can be. However, I do encourage people to cut back on the amount of
Illustration by Victoria Courtney meat they consume. Our primitive ancestors didn’t consume as much meat as one would guess. Humans have few natural offenses in the world. I dare you go out into the woods, find an animal and kill it with your bare hands. It’s hard. Our ancestors were most likely scavengers, eating the bodies that they found.
Even that was risky since there were probably other animals there already. Meat was rare in their diet and this “meat with every meal” diet we seem to have is not natural for us. We don’t need that much meat in our life. Mansouri’s definition of “survival of the fittest” is the most meat-headed definition I have ever heard. Herbert
Spencer coined that term, and it has very little to do with competition between species. Being ‘fit’ in this context means you have the phenotypic traits to improve chances of surviving and reproducing. Measuring the survival of a species and its ‘fitness’ is in reference to one’s ability to reproduce and to pass on good genes to the next generation. The way Mansouri uses the phrase just doesn’t make sense. And Mansouri can only think of one notable vegetarian, Adolf Hitler. How about Mohandas Gandhi, Paul Mccartney, Jane Goodall, Leo Tolstoy or Leonardo da Vinci? Are none of these people notable? I can think of hundreds of meat-eaters like Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Jeffry Dahmer, Charles Manson, Hermann Goering and Ilse Koch to name a few. And if we bring religion into this, it is best that Mansouri side with Greek mythology. Vegetarianism is the diet choice of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam all have connections to the Biblical ideal of the Garden of Eden, which references a vegetarian diet. While only sects of these
To read the original debate and to listen to the Kavahn Mansouri versus the World podcast visit websterjournal. com. religions enforce it, the references are still there. Judaism and Islam also forbid the eating of pork products. So don’t tell me that being a vegetarian is the worst choice in world. There are plenty of worse choices. And if you think vegetarians are harmless creatures, I highly encourage you to search YouTube for “hippopotamus attack” to see what that vegetarian species can do. Also, I can’t say that meat tastes gross because I don’t remember what it tastes like, but it certainty smells gross.
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
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Page 6 Feb. 5-11, 2014
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Life & Sports
Page 7 Feb. 5-11, 2014
websterjournal.com
Student describes Thailand with three words MACY SAlama: Taking on THailand, a place of unexpected character
Contributed by Macy Salama A monkey perches on Macy Salama’s shoulder. Food sold by a local encourages the monkeys to get close.
After the first week of living in Thailand, I now hardly react when I see a mother holding her five-month baby on the back of a motorcycle. Thailand is best described by three words. Fearless is the first word I would use to describe life in Thailand. Not only do people jump on the back of truck beds going 70 mph, but the dogs, cats and monkeys roam the streets independently. Whether it be the courageous citizens or the lively flowers,
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Thailand is filled with character. I decided to study abroad in Thailand because I knew it was so different from my culture. I wasn’t disappointed with this expectation. It didn’t take long for me to realize the lifestyle in Thailand is different. I quickly knew I was not in St. Louis anymore. Maybe it’s because it’s normal to see four people crammed on one motorcycle here, or that the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. The second word is vibrant. I realized, within the first few days of studying abroad, that living in St. Louis my whole life has prevented me from seeing nature’s beauty and diversity. In Thailand one would not come across oak trees and streets of similar houses with freshly cut grass and flowers planted in rows. In Thailand, it is common to see different flowers with every step; the plants are wild, not placed and planted in a certain spot. Looking to the right you may see the beach, and looking to the left you will find the sun setting behind the silhouetted mountains. Beautiful. That is the third word I use to describe Thailand. Thailand is filled with color; every bush has brightly colored flowers blooming in the sun. Shades of purples, pinks, reds and oranges cannot escape one’s sight. The scenery is striking, but I have found another type of beauty in Thailand: the mentality of the people. Though it has only been a few weeks, I have realized the amount of judgment in Thailand is limited compared to what I am familiar with. Acceptance of one another is common, smiles are seen more often and people mind
Thailand is a place of fearless action, vibrant surroundings and inescapable beauty. Macy Salama Webster University Study Abroad Student
”
Macy Salama visited Khao Takiab mountain, which is famous for the macaque monkeys that have made a home at its summit.
their own business rather than pry into the lives of others. Although I feel like a tourist and out of my comfort zone, I have only received friendly reactions from locals. They are happy to help and smile when I say with an American accident, “Khaup khun ka,” which means “thank you” in Thai. The people here are welcoming.
Thailand is a place of fear- has only been three weeks, and less action, vibrant surround- studying abroad has already satings and inescapable beauty. A isfied my expectations. Fearless, few times a week I find myself vibrant and beautiful — my first in shock that my experiences impression of Thailand. are real. Studying abroad in Thailand has been more than I could have imagined. I’ve Contact the writer: swam in a waterfall, visited multiple beaches, fed monkeys and websterjournal@gmail.com learned a few words in Thai. It
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Salama is one of three Webster University study abroad students who will share their experiences in a regular column.
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Life & Sports
Page 8
Students help recreate Beatles rooftop concert
MARY Masurat / The Journal Jack Miller and Doug Carson of tribute band Abbey Road Warriors play on the 4th floor patio of the Emerson Library on Thursday, Jan. 30
MARY Masurat / The Journal Mike Ehrhard plays Beatles’ classics like “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
Beatles tribute band plays classics on the library’s rooftop patio Livie Hall
Calendar Editor
Webster University audio student Andrew Witthaus checked the sound levels on the fourth floor of Emerson Library while a Beatles tribute band set up its instruments on the library’s rooftop patio. Witthaus, Student Chair of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), was one of about 10 students who ran the audio for the concert. Abbey Road Warriors, a local tribute band, performed on the library’s roof on Thursday, Jan. 30. The band played to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Beatles’ rooftop concert, but Chair of Audio Production Barry Hufker said this event was really to celebrate the skills of his students. Witthaus was in charge of audio during the concert. He said that he
and a few others had worked Wednesday night testing equipment in preparation. During the concert, Witthaus said that things ran smoothly, and he was happy with everyone’s contribution. “I decided to go out on the quad,” Witthaus said. “I wanted to see how many people actually showed up, and I was kind of flabbergasted.” Hufker said he is a Beatles fan and knew that Jan. 30 was an iconic day for fellow Beatlemaniacs. When planning began back in November, every email Hufker sent out was titled “I hope you’re a Beatles fan.” Hufker said people were immediately on board. Hufker picked the Abbey Road Warriors because he felt they played well like the Beatles. The band is made up of four local music educators. Band creator Steve Hoover said they play the Beatles out of love for the music, and that was payment enough for Abbey Road Warriors. The concert was free, and the band did not receive any payment for its performance. The weather was cold, cloudy and windy, just as it was on Jan. 30, 1969,
when the Beatles performed. Both performances were at noon and were not advertised beforehand. About 50 people showed up on the quad at the peak of the performance, and teachers in Sverdrup opened their windows to watch. Freshman Kelly Otto said she could hear the music in front of West Hall. Beatles fans in the crowd sang along to the same set the Beatles played 45 years ago, as well as the classics like “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Hufker was almost tearful when the performance ended. “It was great to see the plan that I had conceived in November come to such a great fruition,” Hufker said. Witthaus and Hufker said there were no problems during the concert, and Hufker said he was proud of his students’ professionalism. Witthaus said they were good to work with. “You have no idea how happy everybody was upstairs,” Witthaus said in reference to his audio crew.
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
MARY Masurat / The Journal Steve Hoover and Mike Ehrhard of the Abbey Road Warriors play for a crowd of about 50 people during the Beatles tribute concert on Jan. 30. The concert commemorated the 45th anniversary of the Beatles’ rooftop concert. The concert was run entirely by students and planned by Chair of Audio Production Barry Hufker.
Visit websterjournal.com later this week to view rooftop footage from the concert.
MARY Masurat / The Journal Tribute band Abbey Road Warriors play to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Beatles rooftop concert. Like the Jan. 30, 1969, concert, the weather was cold, cloudy and windy. Both performances were at noon and were not advertised beforehand. The concert was free, and the band did not receive any payment for its performance.