we have now might not give “ This is a situation where you don’t bite the “What you the best quality in regards to hand that feeds you. ” image, but it will give you character. ” Livie Hall Judy Rath Acme Printing bookkeeper
The Journal Calendar editor
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The News Source For Webster University
the journal Volume 67 Issue 20
websterjournal.com
February 19 - February 25, 2014
Basketball fueled by family
Death of grandfather pushes Griffin to succeed By Sam Masterson Staff Writer
Aaron Griffin’s eyes met his grandfather’s in the crowd as he exited the huddle at the Dec. 20, 2013 game. It was the first time Griffin’s grandfather had been present at his grandson’s basketball game. Webster University was down by a point with three seconds left on the clock, and Griffin gathered the offensive rebound. He was directly under the basket; he spun to his right and released an arched floating shot as he faded away from the rim. In that moment, Griffin only had two thoughts: his grandfather, who died in July 2013, and the “swoosh.” It was Griffin’s fiancée, Kiauna Vaughn, who held the shirt above her head in the fourth row of the stands. The shirt featured a photograph of his grandfather and the words “In loving memory: Mr. Taylor Lott Sr.” Griffin said the symbol provided him strength to grab the rebound. Ball in hand, Griffin sunk the game-winning basket against Monmouth College (Ill.) on Dec. 20, 2013. Lott never witnessed his grandson play basketball for Webster. A preseason ankle injury delayed Griffin’s start in the 2013-14 season. But Griffin said he thinks this is the way it was meant to be. Growing up, Griffin’s grandfather watched him play every day on a small court with a wooden rim. But the paternal figure never saw the athlete compete for a team. Prior to attending Webster, Griffin attended school at Rust College near Farmhaven Miss., where he lived next door to his grandparents with his parents and four siblings. However, a lack of team chemistry dissuaded Griffin from playing for Rust. “People just wanted to be superstars,” Griffin said. “I wanted to be on a team that is
SAM MASTERSON / The Journal Aaron Griffin’s now deceased grandfather, Taylor Lott Sr., was never able to see Griffin play basketball at a collegiate level. Griffin’s fiancée brought this shirt to his game against Monmouth College (Ill.).
To see video of the game winning basket and hear an interview with Aaron Griffin’s dad visit websterjournal.com. team-oriented, where everyone is playing for each other.” But Griffin remembered a small team from St. Louis who played Rust in 2011. Even though the college had lost its game to Rust, Griffin saw a future for himself with them. Shortly after, he called Webster Head Basketball Coach Chris Bunch. Before Griffin became a Gorlok, Vaughn said she had to keep her fiancé focused on the search for the right school for him. “Aaron didn’t care about the commute or his major; he just asked about basketball,” Vaughn said. “But me — I was grilling the coaches.” Vaughn said she recognized
a difference between Bunch and other college coaches they met. She said Bunch demonstrated a genuine care for his players. She saw an obvious connection between Bunch and Griffin. But Griffin had never ventured farther north than Kentucky. A self-described country boy, he said he can often be dazed by the city life. His GPA fell below a 2.0 after his first semester at Webster. Filled with guilt and disappointment, Griffin told Bunch he would be academically ineligible for the second half of the 2012-13 season. “He said to me, ‘Coach, I really feel like I let the guys See Griffin
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MACKENZIE WILDER / The Journal Aaron Griffin, a junior center, helped the Gorloks gain a win against MacMurry on Feb. 8, 2014. The Gorloks have three more games until the conference tournament.
University vies for use of sports center under new owner By Taylor Overstreet Staff Writer
Webster University and Niagara Worldwide, LLC have begun talks about a potential partnership. Niagara recently purchased the St. Louis Sports Center. The 93,960 spare-foot building, located just off Heege Road on Langley Avenue, once hosted practices for several Webster athletic teams including baseball, softball and both the men’s and women’s soccer teams. The Sports Center also hosted practices for local area baseball, basketball, volleyball and soccer teams, along with holding tournaments and special events. Since the Sports Center closed, the softball and baseball team must drive eight miles
from campus to the Bud Dome sports complex for offseason workouts and practice. The St. Louis Sports Center is located three miles from campus. Webster sophomore baseball player Zach Allam practiced at the Sports Center last season and during the offseason. He said the Bud Dome is just as nice as the Sports Center, but the fact that it was closer was beneficial. “I like Bud Dome’s facility, but the inconvenient part is the distance from campus to there, especially when we have to go there two times a day for morning practices and afternoon practices. The good thing about the Sports Center was it was five minutes away,” Allam said. Junior Webster soccer player Brian Woodward was one of the student athletes who pre-
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I like Bud Dome’s facility but the inconvenient part is the distance from campus to there. Zach Allam Webster Baseball player
sented a power point to Provost Julian Schuster during student athletic meeting in November. At the meeting, student athletes presented concerns and suggestions to the administration. A concern of the studentathletes was the lack of space the athletic teams had to train and practice. In the presentation, one of the recommendations the student athletes made to Schuster was the Sports Center. “The Sports Center was forced to close its doors due to
ally.
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lack of business income. The building was foreclosed on and repossessed by the bank,” Woodward said. Niagara Worldwide bought the Sports Center building just a few weeks after the Sports Center closed. Niagara Worldwide is a property development company that specializes in trading, mining, consulting, construction services, demolition, and environmental remediation in the United States and internation-
Niagara Worldwide is based in Niagara, Wisconsin. The company has additional offices in St. Louis and Manalapan, New Jersey. Since acquiring the property, the new owners have changed the name of the building to Center of St. Louis. Niagara representatives were unable to be reached for comment before press time. Sales and Venue Manager Chris Forrest said he could not comment on the discussion between Webster and Niagara. But said the center is going to continue with the same operations that the Sports Center conducted such as different sports tournaments, events, fitness training, and team practices. “We are doing a lot of the same things the old owners held
here, but there are also steps we are taking to make the business better. We’re working on a new roof, expanding the parking lot, just cleaning up and making it nicer,” Forrest said. Woodward said a partnership could benefit both parties. “It could be a very good thing for both the new owners of Center St. Louis and Webster. If Webster could increase the business traffic and brand recognition by utilizing its property they would definitely benefit. Webster would benefit by having more space for athletic training and recreational use,” Woodward said. According to the St. Louis County assessor’s office, the St. Louis Sports Center was sold for See Sports Center
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Facilities at the St. Louis Sports Center Six hardwood basketball courts
22,000 sq. ft. turf playing field
Eight regulation sized volleyball courts
Indoor baseball practice field
Sports performance training center
Fitness center and weight room
Group cardio area
Illustration/Graphic by Emily Ratkewicz
news
Page 2 Feb. 19-25, 2014
NEWS BRIEFS Stroble appointed to NAICU board of directors The National Association of Independent College. and Universities (NAICU) appointed Webster University president Elizabeth Stroble to its board of directors starting July 1. Stroble will serve a threeyear term as a board member of the association. “Webster University President Elizabeth Stroble is at the forefront of emerging leadership and expertise in global higher education,” said NAICU President David Warren in an article on Webster Today. According to Webster Today, Stroble will serve on NAICU’s Policy Analysis and Public Relations committee. The board focuses on issues affecting private higher edu-
cation and looks for solutions through public relations and research strategies. “Her strong commitment to America’s college students and interest in advancing the cause of private, nonprofit colleges and universities will be a great benefit to NAICU and our membership. She assumes her responsibilities with NAICU at a time of great challenge and transformation for American higher education,” Warren said in an article on Webster Today. According to its website, the NAICU serves as a unified national voice of private nonprofit higher education. Reporting by Kavahn Mansouri
United States student debt reaches $1 trillion Student debt has reached $1.2 trillion, according to a Forbes article. The average borrower, according to The Institute for College Access and Success, will owe $26,600 after graduation. The Washington Post reported one graduate could not qualify for a mortgage on a home because her income was hindered due to her monthly loan payments. A study by Ben Miller, an analyst for the New American Foundation, reported that “there were 800,000 more indebted college graduates in 2011–2012 than there were in 2003–2004.” He said this number was a jump from 1.6 million to 2.4 million. An article from the Huffington Post said that “state budget cuts led to sharp tuition increases at many public colleges, increasing students’ need to borrow.” The article also said that the average debt for a college graduate was $29,400 in 2012. This number
has only increased in the past year. The United States Department of Education (DOE) has a Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. However, there are many stipulations to this new system. According to the DOE website, the qualifications include making a certain amount of monthly payments. While making these payments, a person must work “full time by certain public service employers.” Among other loan forgiveness programs are programs for teachers, nurses and those who perform military service. The website FinAid.org has a detailed list of programs and the qualifications for each. Reporting by Livie Hall
MISDEMEANORS AND MISHAPS Feb. 16 Emerson Library iPhone stolen while left unnatended. Closed
Feb. 17 Winnie Moore Auditorium Windows broken in auditorium. No Suspects or witnesses. Closed
Feb. 17 17 Old Orchard Stuent twisted ankle. Declined assistance. Closed
Feb. 18 Health Services Student became ill. Transported by WGFD Closed
websterjournal.com
Benjamin Jealous visits Webster Former NAACP president speaks in Loretto-Hilton By Tim Godfrey Staff Writer
In front of a crowd scattered across the 125-seat theater in the Loretto-Hilton Center, Benjamin Jealous stood in the spotlight in front of an audience of Webster University faculty, students and the general public. “The only people that ever changed the world were regular folk,” Jealous said during his speech on Feb. 17. That night, regular folk listened to a man who stopped a Mississippi governor from turning three historically black colleges into state prisons, and at 35, became the youngest person to be elected president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP.) Jealous encouraged them to make a choice if they wanted to change their communities. Jealous said there is a similarity between The Sisters of Loretto, who founded Webster University, and civil rights activists like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. He said all of them decided to stand for something so they would stop falling for everything. “Most of us see ourselves as regular people (and think) ‘well, what can I do’,” Jealous said during his speech. “The answer is anything.” Student Government Asso-
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The only people that ever changed the world were regular folk. Benjamin Jealous
Former President of NAACP
ciation (SGA) President Katie Maxwell was in the audience when Jealous spoke and said what she is learning in her sociology classes attracted her to the speaking engagement. “The thing that hit me the most from (Jealous’) entire speech was if you wait until your plan (for change) is perfect, you will never affect change,” Maxwell said. Jealous told the audience about a time when he made a life changing decision. He was on the bus coming back from his grandmother’s house. He said that he began to write down all of the things he did not like about the “state of the community, the state of the country.” After he wrote down 10 or 12 things, Jealous said he closed his eyes and randomly drew a circle on his list. When he opened his eyes, he saw he had circled “end discrimination in the justice system.” When Jealous said, “agendas don’t make the change, people do,” his words resonated with Maxwell. “You can plan as much as
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you want, but you need to work with people to get them passionate about the work. That’s what gets things to move forward,” Maxwell said. Webster President Elizabeth Stroble said that before she heard Jealous’ speech, she expected to hear Jealous challenge the audience to show leadership and “to take advantage of what people that came before us did.” “I think he did that effectively,” Stroble said. Stroble said that when she was an undergraduate, she heard several speakers tell their life stories and issue the same challenge to leadership as Jealous did to the Webster audience. “That is what I want us to do for our students here at Webster. I want our students to have access to a broader world and make it better,” Stroble said. At the end of his speech, Jealous encouraged the audience to make a list of things they want to see change in their communities and encouraged them to make the changes happen. “The difference between people who change the world
and the people who sit by is that the ones who changed the world stood up for something,” Jealous said. After Jealous finished his speech and answered questions during the Q-and-A segment of the night, Bill Monroe asked for the floor. Monroe, a member of the St. Louis Public School Elected Board, said he attended the speaking engagement in hopes to reach out to Stroble about a proposal to help struggling school districts change their situation and work towards a solution. Monroe said he wanted Webster to consider what was going on in North County because he believed that the department of education is not being truthful. “I am here to go forward and with what I think is a solution,” Monroe said. Stroble said Monroe made a stand for change by speaking up. “I think it’s wonderful that he took this opportunity to get a hearing (for his proposal),” Stroble said. “We’ll read it and we’ll get back to him. I think Webster, as a university should feel good that he would entrust in us his proposal and giving it consideration. It’s a good sign.”
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
Sportscenter FROM PAGE 1
a price of $1,000,000. Principia College, another member of SLIAC, built an indoor sports complex which is located on its campus that has similar features to the Center of St. Louis. The Crafton Athletic Center is a 100,000 square foot indoor sports complex located on the school’s campus. The Crafton Athletic Center features two basketball courts, two volleyball courts, a 200 meter track, multi-level state-of-the-art weight room, soccer goals for indoor training, an indoor baseball practice field and two drop down curtain batting cages. Michael Henry is a program manager for Webster’s campus activities. Henry helps the school’s intramurals set up. Right now the university only offers three intramurals in basketball, volleyball and bowling. Henry feels like a partnership with the Center could provide opportunities for the university. He feels another way the building would help the university would be expanding the student body’s interest in the university’s intramurals. “I think it would help get more games to go on with basketball intramurals and volleyball intramurals. It could get more people interested. It could even make a flag football tournament possible, too. Hav-
CLAIRE STAPLES / The Journal According to the St. Louis County assessor’s office, the St. Louis Sports Center was solf for $1,000,000.
ing more room would open up more options,” Henry said. Head Men’s Soccer Coach Mike Seiner felt like the Center of St. Louis would help accommodate the concerns the student athletes had with the lack of space. “It would help anytime you are able to add space, recreational space, athletic space —
it would help the overall student body,” Siener said. Siener and the men’s soccer team practice and play its home games at St. Louis Soccer Park. Webster partnered with St. Louis Scott Gallagher (SLSG) to renovate the park with a $1.7 - $1.8 million in renovations. Renovations included two
grass fields being replaced with artificial turf, the installation of a digital video scoreboard and the transformation of a warehouse into a training facility.
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Webster to offer game design degree By Natalie Martinez Staff Writer
Gamers, programmers and animators alike will now not only have the opportunity to receive a certificate in game design, but a B.A. in game design as well. Animation Assistant Professor Christopher Sagovac said the B.A. in game design will be a combination of both interactive digital media and animation. He said the degree will allow a student to focus on game design and development. A few of the classes offered will be in video production, games and society and a senior overview in which students are required to create their own games. The game design program will launch next fall after four years of planning. Sagovac said after surveying the industry, student interest and other schools’ game design programs, the curriculum committee passed the degree. Sagovic said St. Louis is a big start-up area for gaming companies such as Simutronics, a branch of Riot Games, and Butterscotch Shenanigans.
Webster junior Evan Luberda has anticipated this degree since he was a freshman. Luberda said although he can take classes in programming and animation, the new program will allow him to combine both and enable him to create his lifelong passion: games. “Nothing beats sitting behind a computer, hitting a couple of keys and later seeing something happen, seeing something come to life,” Luberda said. Luberda is the president of Webster University’s game developer’s club, where computer programmers and artists spend their free time creating games. This semester, their project is a web game called Time Traveler’s Tale. The story of the game is centered on a cashier named Anne who finds a book that teaches her to build a time machine. The game allows the player to travel through different realms and reach various levels. Luberda said the game should be finished by the end of the semester. Luberda said each game the club creates not only builds student portfolios but also advertises for Webster by posting Webster University’s logo before
each game. In late April, Webster University will be hosting Game Jam. Game Jam is a competition in which game developers have 24 hours to create a game. Webster students interested in game design participate in Game Jam. Media communications major Travis Strong participated in University of Missouri - St. Louis’ Global Game Jam in January. Strong was part of an art team in the Global Game Jam that created digital art for a game called Act or Something. Strong is near his graduation plan and is working on receiving a game design certificate but if possible he would prefer to obtain his degree in game design. “I’m going to be up against other people who have specific degrees that are targeted toward the game industry and they would have an advantage over me,” Strong said. Sagovac said the department is currently in a worldwide search for a full tenure track faculty member.
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
Opinions
Feb. 19-25, 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.
Submit all letters to the editor and guest commentaries to websterjournal@gmail.com by 2 p.m. on Monday.
The Publications Board 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. The next Publications Board meeting will be held at 9 a.m. on March 7.
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
The journal
Mind Over Media
Page 3
Realizing Considering environmental issues presented in children’s entertainment relevance
Cait Lore is the Opinions Editor of The Journal and Caitlin Zera is a film production major You are six years old, and you are terrified. At night, you toss and turn in your bed attempting to banish graphic images from your mind. Alas, they creep back into your thoughts, snatching you from near-slumber and returning you to a state of besiege. During the daytime, you remain paranoid. When a truck passes on the road and emits a plume of black smoke into the air, you cringe in fear as your imagination likens it to the horrendous scene you saw on television. But this scene wasn’t in a horror film or a violent gangster movie. Like other children growing up in the 1990s, you saw the animated movie “FernGully: The Last Rainforest.” The plot of this 1992 children’s film is relatively simple: magical fairies inhabit a rainforest populated with excessively colorful biodiversity. Humans come to cut down the trees in the rainforest for lumber, and one day a logger accidentally releases an evil spirit named Hexxus from the largest tree in the forest. Hexxus then enslaves the human loggers to do his evil bidding of destroying the entire rainforest. “FernGully” is credited with beginning the trend of environmental animation, a subgenre of children’s animated films driven by environmental themes. Such films often inject environmental ideals into char-
acter development, visual symbolism and subtext. Recently, popular films like “Wall-E,” “Over the Hedge,” “Happy Feet” and the reboot of “The Lorax” have modernized and carried on the tradition of introducing environmental activist ideals to children. Various themes emerge from these films, among them a somewhat deceptive oversimplification and political neutralization of environmental issues. They also introduce other problematic themes, including catastrophism, the demonization of human beings, dichotomous morality and anthropomorphism. These films employ kidfriendly techniques like musical numbers and familiar, amicable characters; but in terms of storytelling, they ultimately operate on a basis of emotional manipulation. Films elicit an emotional response by encouraging the audience to feel a deep investment in the story, the characters, and the outcome. Such a response can hinder the audience’s ability to reason about what they see. Being emotionally invested can also produce a response to the “call to action” creators incorporate into their media. How a viewer becomes invested in the story is the most important variable in the successful equation of manipulating audience emotion. Due to the attention children give to animation over other types of film, it is a seemingly useful and appropriate media outlet for communicating important issues to children.
of Farrow’s open letter Molly Waters is a Women and Gender Studies major
Illustration by Victoria Courtney
Eric Goedereis, assistant professor of psychology at Webster, comments on how a child comprehends the darker material in these films. “If you’re showing a child some violent/ distressing images and he or she doesn’t have the cognitive capacity to process the ‘point’ of the images, I think one could argue that this is probably not the best way to communicate the message,” said Goedereis. While the writers of this column do not believe we should shelter children from environmental issues and consequences, we also believe that, as media consumers, we must be considerate in how the media we choose to present these ideas through media. Viewers should be suspicious of films that can imbue feelings of guilt or burden children emotionally. They should seek to support films that are
realistic about environmental problems and solutions. This is also about respecting children; not only encouraging their voices and the development of social ethics, but also recognizing children as thinking human beings who are capable of developing their own ideas. We must look more closely at the line between education and entertainment. Children are the future, and they will be the generation that deals with the consequences of our pollution, deforestation and climate change. This is why it is most important that we provide them with the tools to understand the issues through media; tools that not only entertain them, but challenge them to think critically.
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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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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, culture, 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.
Illustration and Concept by Victoria Courtney
Restaurants reach their tipping point Livie Hall is the Calender Editor of The Journal
When you go out to eat with a group of friends (let’s say there are eight of you), the bill comes at the end of the meal. The bill shows you the cost of the eight meals, plus tax. It also shows that automatic gratuity has been added to your bill. Gratuity on large groups was common until Jan. 1 2014. The International Revenue Service (IRS) is now enforcing a law that if restaurants choose to add gratuity to bills, then it must be classified as a service charge rather than a tip. When servers wait on tables, they pocket the tips they receive and at the end of the night, they must “claim” their total tips so that they are properly reporting their income to the government. According to Huffington Post, half of all states allow resturants to pay waiters $2.13.
That’s under minimum wage. Once you take out taxes and figure the hours I work at my waitressing job, I’m lucky if my paycheck is $100 after a twoweek pay period. Many servers experience this same thing, and live off of the tips they make, assuming the customers even tip. As of Jan. 1, most restaurants have done away with gratuity altogether. Now that gratuity must be classified as a service charge, this means that instead of pocketing that money, it is going straight to the servers’ paycheck. Any money in a paycheck is taxed, so servers are effectively making less off of big tables than they were before. It’s hard to live off tips when you only see them after your two-week pay period. The restaurants that will continue to have gratuity will have more paperwork, turning a lot of businesses off to the idea. The ones that got rid of the system leave servers not wanting to take big tables because it’s now a gamble as to whether or not they’ll get tipped. I love my job. I love the small talk, the fast-paced environment and, of course, I love
the money. What I don’t like is when I outdo myself serving you, coming at your every beck and call and then you don’t tip me. Multiply this one person by ten, and you can understand why servers no longer want to take that risk on big parties. What customers don’t always realize is when we’re serving a big party, we’re usually not taking any other tables. So that 45 minutes to an hour and a half that party sits there, we only made $3.63. Automatic gratuity made this okay because we had assurance that we would get compensated for the four dollars short we were of minimum wage. Now that gratuity is gone, I have to live on a prayer that this group will tip me the standard percentage of their bill so that I am properly paid for the time I put in. Many customers argue that gratuity is the restaurant’s way of predetermining that the customer was satisfied with their visit and believe their server deserves that percentage as a tip. Some people also think that they shouldn’t have to tip because we’re just doing our job,
not anything extraordinary. I can understand that argument but I can also refute it. Everyone knows that restaurants expect you to tip. There is no way that anyone can plead ignorance there. When you come in on your cellphone, cut us off, and demand things, servers have no choice but to put up with you. When I say “Hi, my name is—” and you say “water,” that’s not my name. This is a situation where you don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Next time you go out to eat, take these things into account. We don’t make very much money, we’ve already been at work for eight hours, and we’ve probably gotten stiffed on at least five tables before you. You getting waited on is your privilege, not your right. To avoid frustrations on either side, I would suggest you show some respect and some extra cash. Yes, it’s true that we’re the ones who picked this job. But if you can’t afford to tip, then you really can’t afford to go out.
Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com
The past couple of weeks, we’ve been presented with every possible opinion on Dylan Farrow’s open letter to Woody Allen, which spoke to him sexually abusing her as a child. The alleged abuse was a hot topic in the early 90’s, but Farrow’s open letter published in the New York Times’ opinion section was the first record of her publicly addressing the issue. Since then, it has once again become a topic of discussion, and opinion; from her supporters who will never watch another Woody Allen movie again, to disbelievers who have issued death threats, to people who just don’t give a damn. This situation can either fall off the radar and teach us nothing, or we could realize that child and sexual abuse are happening on a daily basis, by and to people we know and love. Many supporters of Dylan Farrow have proposed Woody Allen should not receive potential merits, but I think that Woody Allen should still be regarded as a great director in the same way that Chris Brown should still be regarded as talented entertainer and Sean Penn should still be regarded as a gifted actor. I’m not advocating that we support these abusers, but we need to realize that people we love, admire and honor do horrific things to people. Abusers don’t exist in a vacuum and we can not keep perpetuating the myth that they are always mysterious strangers in the night; they are our friends and family members. According to the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, around 30 percent of rapes and 70 percent of childhood abuse is committed by someone the victim already knows. According to PBS, numbers are hardly representative of rape and childhood abuse, because most accounts go unreported. For this reason, we need to believe people when they say they are a victim of a crime. We need to start taking allegations seriously. I imagine that everyone would be upset if their car was broken into and upon filing a police report or discussing it with friends, they were asked why they parked in a certain area, why they had such a nice car or if, maybe, they just imagined the whole thing. We can not continue to blindly defend alleged abusers, and I believe that the benefit of the doubt should be given to the victim. We live in a society where women are put on a pedestal— we are regarded as the fairer of the sexes. However when we speak out against abuse, we are vilified and accused of malicious intent (which is absurd, because it’s obvious that women are not believed when they do speak out against abuse). This perpetuates a cycle that not only creates victims, but revictimizes them when they try to get help. So, did Woody Allen abuse Dylan Farrow? They are the only ones who know for sure, and it isn’t our duty to insert our opinions where only facts belong. What we should be doing, instead, is taking this allegation and all allegations seriously and not defending alleged abusers simply because they’re friends or family members—or because we like their movies.
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Life & Sports
Page 5 Feb. 19-25, 2014
Maggie Hake: Living in Leiden
Leiden becomes home
Photo Contributed by Maggie Hake
Sometimes it’s easy to forget school is even a thing here since I’m taking a lighter load than I’m used to back in St. Louis. So far, classes have been what I expected. They’re similar to classes at Webster St. Louis — small class sizes, expected class participation and an average amount of homework (but not enough to get in the way of traveling). Something I really love about Webster in St. Louis is the wide range of cultures represented in the classroom, which is something I’ve seen at Webster Leiden. A good number of students are from the States, but many have lived other places as well. I would say a majority of the students here are from places outside the U.S., which is really exciting. Discussions are always rich because of the differing perspectives and living in Europe, we talk much more about the current news and policies as opposed to those back in the states. Although campus life isn’t quite as busy as Webster St. Louis, I’m happy to report that the people at Webster Leiden are just as friendly. Because the campus is very small, I run into familiar faces often (which is something I love and have grown accustom to
at Webster St. Louis). I have been lucky enough to spend time getting to know Webster Leiden students, who have given the advice on all things Leiden — the best places to grocery shop, where to go out and even where to travel within Europe. When we visited Barcelona, we planned a lot of our trip based on recommendations from a Webster Leiden friend. We ended up seeing things we probably wouldn’t have otherwise. Because of the diversity of the people I’m living with, hanging out with and taking classes with, a lot of the education I’m receiving comes from the people I spend time with outside of the classroom. As for the campus, it’s just two buildings — the Living and Learning Center where the dorms are located, as well as an art classroom/gallery, and the main building where most classes and offices are held. Since each class only meets once a week here, I only have classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, which means optimal travel time. I’m taking a pretty wide variety of classes — one fills a requirement for my major, another a Webster Leads requirement, a gen-ed and two electives. As I mentioned earlier, I’m thankful that the homework hasn’t been overwhelming. It takes a lot of the stress off when we’re spending a large portion of our weekends out of the country. But after a long weekend of traveling, it has started to feel very good to come back to Leiden. Many of us are beginning to experience a growing feeling when we return to Leiden. We step off the train, walk out of the station, feel the rain, see the canals and feel at home. It’s a beautiful feeling.
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Griffin FROM PAGE 1
down, and I’m not gonna let this happen again,’” Bunch recalled. Vaughn said her fiancé became very unhappy without basketball. For Griffin, what hurt the most was the realization he had let everyone down, from Webster fans to his family in Farmhaven. The experience convinced Griffin to take the term “student-athlete” to heart. Basketball became a second priority. The Griffin within Each year, the men’s basketball team spends a day at a local elementary school and entertains younger children. Griffin recalled how the team played with the kids during recess. The 6’6” forward did not hold back against his undersized opponents. Griffin was on the ground diving for loose balls, and needed nap time to recuperate. “I’m just a big kid on the inside,” Griffin said. Griffin said he will hold onto that innocence for the rest of his life. He hopes for a career in basketball. Since he was five, Griffin told his family he would put Farmhaven on the map with his play. Whether it’s overseas, a developmental league or a long-shot call from the NBA, Griffin wants to give back to the little community that gave him everything. But his other dream may benefit more than one community. In the four-year gap between high school and college basketball, Griffin worked multiple jobs, including a stint at a nursing facility near his home. Aside from seniors, the establishment also cared for some younger residents who were mentally disabled. Griffin said he did not see their disabilities. “All I can say is those people are very smart,” Griffin said. “Sometimes it seems like there is nothing wrong with them.” He said when he explained
Photo Contributed by Aaron Griffin Aaron Griffin poses for a photo with his dad James and his brother Charles.
his job to his peers, they could not believe he could perform some of the caretaking tasks, like changing the diapers of grown men or physically-impaired residents. That experience inspired Griffin’s desire to work with children one day, but opportunities at Webster turned that ambition into a reality. The Webster basketball program holds a camp every year for young adults in the St. Louis Arc organization to interact with Gorlok athletes. Arc is a program that provides aid and entertainment for local adults and children with developmental diseases. At the camp, Griffin was a big kid again. Arc representative Bre Ward said the young adults in the program call the Webster athletes “professionals” when they play against the team. She said even though a man like Griffin has an intimidating appearance, he is probably well aware of his non-verbal expressions. Ward explained that successful Arc volunteers usually have an awareness of how the young adults may perceive them. “If the volunteer is smiling and enjoying it, they don’t look intimidating,” Ward said. “You have to be generous and be able to listen to someone else’s wants and needs.” Griffin said after the camp
in 2012, he was offered an internship at Arc in the summer of 2013. He declined the offer because he said he already promised his family he would travel back to Farmhaven. Southern comfort McChicken, McDouble, medium fries and a medium drink is Griffin’s McDonalds meal. His brother, Charles Griffin, said he would take Aaron Griffin to any restaurant he wanted after his sibling scored 20 points and grabbed 21 rebounds for Webster against Rust College in December 2012. Charles Griffin also ordered the Griffin special. Charles Griffin, Aaron Griffin’s junior of three years, took the two-hour drive to Rust from Farmhaven with his uncle and cousin to see his brother for the first time since he left home for college. The pair did not make it to the stands until just before the tipoff. “When I saw them, it just did something to me,” Aaron Griffin said. “I zoned everything out.” Charles Griffin told his brother to promise him 10 points and 10 rebounds—Aaron Griffin McDoubled it. “It was so overwhelming, because I always knew he had it in him,” Charles Griffin said. Charles Griffin said some
of his favorite childhood memories were the times he beat his brother in basketball—there were not many. They only had a small court with a wooden rim, but Charles Griffin believes that court was where Aaron Griffin became so tough. They were often the youngest when they played their family members and peers, but Charles Griffin said Aaron Griffin could not be kept from the court. Pastor James Griffin, Aaron Griffin’s father, said his son’s personality and friendly demeanor are exactly what he and his wife preached to their sons. Aaron Griffin agreed and said the sermons his father gave taught him a great deal. James Griffin began each sermon with a joke. If people are not paying attention, the elder Griffin said, there was no point to preach. A laugh would keep them coming back. Before one Webster game in 2013, the team erupted from the locker room and warmed up in the traditional layup lines, Griffin took a detour six rows in the stands to greet a few crowd members. Again, the court could not contain him after sinking the winning shot against Monmouth. Griffin jumped behind the Gorlok bench and thanked one of his professors he had persuaded to attend as her first Webster basketball game. That Dec. 20 game against Monmouth was Griffin’s first game back. His plan was to wear the shirt his family made after the death of his grandfather so his basketball inspiration could be closer than ever, but he forgot it in his rush to get to the game. Vaughn had to bring it late, and Webster trailed Monmouth by 13 points with only four minutes remaining. Aaron Griffin exited the huddle and met his grandfather’s eyes staring at him from the crowd.
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Life & Sports
Page 6
Acme’s traditional printing gives work character Mackenzie Wilder Photo Editor
The smell of fresh paper and ink float through the air while metal clinks against metal at Acme Printing-Lithographers. Acme’s robin-egg blue storefront sits in the heart of Old Webster Groves on Lockwood Avenue and has been home to the family-owned and operated print shop since 1973. Judy Rath, one of five siblings who work at Acme, said her family has watched the printing industry change. “We were once called a working museum, and in some ways it is. Everyone is going digital. It has been interesting to watch the changes throughout the industry. It has gone from very basic to very sophisticated,” Judy Rath said. “What we have now might not give you the best quality in regards to image (and crispness vs. digital), but it will give you character.” Acme is operated by five of the seven Rath family children, each member has a specific role within the business. Dennis Rath is in charge of what Acme is best known for: its traditional 20th century offset printing. His brother Dan deals with the letter press. The letter press is used for finishing up projects — numbering and die cutting. The die cutting process cuts out particular shapes and patterns for certain printing projects. Dennis and Dan Rath learned their trade through offset printing classes at South County Technical College. Eldest brother Joe Rath is in charge of the sales and business aspects of Acme. He still knows how to print, having learned the technique from his father. “The technique we are using is an older technique,” Joe Rath said. “The letter presses are very reliable; most of the parts come from scrap metal.” Tucked away in the back of the shop, a large format camera sits inside a darkroom containing the chemicals to process film. Before a project can be printed, it has to be put on an aluminum plate. This is Harlyn Effan’s, the brother-in law’s, job. He takes photos of the designs, processes the film and places it on the aluminum plates — doing the work in the back of the shop so projects can move on to the offset printer. Before any of this can happen, the customer needs to choose a design. Judy Rath helps customers design their products and works on wedding invitations. “I like the design aspect more. I will do some binding work still, but the machinery is beyond what I have kept up (with),” Judy Rath said. “But I like the variety of what we do. Our job is always something new and different.” These five parts are what keeps Acme printing unique and strong. Acme has completed printing jobs for Webster University, including Webster University’s literary magazine, The Green Fuse and cards for the May Gallery. Acme also used to help Webster Groves High School with a mentoring
MEGAN WASHAUSEN / The Journal Sharon Peters works on printing and preparing a booklet for the Society of the Study of Peace, Conflict & Violence using one of several large printers housed at Acme Printers-Lithographers.
MEGAN WASHAUSEN / The Journal Employees at Acme PritnersLithographers use a Kluge machine to cut out shapes. Acme has been located at 36 W Lockwood Ave. in Webster Groves since 1973.
program that allowed students to come for two hours a week to learn the trade. The Rath siblings are proud of Acme’s traditional ways. “Everybody has an area they take care of. Whereas there is one person at the top, it is a nice even flow,” Judy Rath said. “Everyone knows what they have to do, and they get it done.”
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MEGAN WASHAUSEN / The Journal Dan Rath uses a Kluge machine to add sequential numbering to business forms.
MEGAN WASHAUSEN / The Journal Sharon Peters examines the area of the printer that holds the plates or page templates, for the booklet she is constructing. She has worked for the Rath family at the Acme print shop since 1998.
Group aims to increase awareness of pro-choice movement Natalie Martinez Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: The Journal has allowed an anonymous source to be quoted in this story upon the request of the individual. The student feared backlash due to the controversial nature of the subject.
A junior at Webster University has kept the ultrasound of her unborn baby in her wallet for three years. A new group on campus will host Choice Out Loud events in an effort to give her and other students the opportunity to share their experience about becoming pro-choice. She said it is important to understand why women have abortions and explained why that choice was right for her. She said she was in a mentally abusive relationship in high school. That relationship led her to a lifestyle that she said kept her from making the best decisions. After a month of separation from her boyfriend, she realized her body was behaving differently. Consistently craving apples and honey buns, she took
a pregnancy test that confirmed her suspicions. Between the morning sickness and the inability to concentrate in school, she said she was scared, anxious and unprepared for the responsibility of motherhood. She was not financially stable enough to raise a child on her own and said she could not see herself bringing a child into this world with parents who did not love each other. After eight weeks, she went to a Planned Parenthood and made the decision she felt was best for her at the time, to have an abortion. If she did not have the choice, she said she would have disappointed people and struggled to raise a child in an unhealthy environment. She keeps her photo to remind her to keep pushing herself to become someone her unborn child would have been proud of. “I knew I wasn’t ready, maybe I could have been a good mom,” she said. “But not as good of a mom as I will be when I am older, out of college and able to support him or her.” Molly Waters, women and
gender studies major, created Choice Out Loud to raise awareness and prompt discussion about the pro-choice movement. “There are a lot of people on this campus who are concerned with women’s rights and reproductive rights,” Waters said. “It always kind of confused me why the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) wasn’t as strong here as it is at other universities in the surrounding area.” Waters spent her summer interning with the NARAL, a lobbying group who advocates for women’s reproductive rights. According to the group’s website, it was searching for a student representative for Webster University. Waters saw this as an opportunity to educate students about the options they have. Waters plans to host events for the Choice Out Loud group through a club that is in the midst of SGA approval called Webster U Vox: Voices for Change; Reproductive Rights and Sexual Health. If approved, Webster U Vox will also team up with LG-
I could have “ Maybe been a good mom. But not as good of a mom as I will be when I am older. Anonymous
”
Webster University Student To listen to the interview with the unnamed Webster student quoted in this story, visit websterjournal.com.
BTQ Alliance and Feminists Collective to host events year round. Through the efforts of Waters and sophomore Daphne Slade, Webster U Vox will be active in late spring. The unidentified Webster junior said she believes the Webster U Vox group will be helpful for women like her as a safe haven of support. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, half of all pregnancies are unplanned and three-quarters of
NATALIE MARTINEZ / The Journal A Webster University student carries an ultrasound photo of her unborn fetus in her wallet. She was 17 years old when she decided to have an abortion.
unplanned pregnancies are from women 29 and younger. LGBTQ Alliance and Feminists Collective member Trish Stovernik said she grew up prolife in a religious household. When she came to Webster, she became pro-choice. “Abortion is a good last re-
sort, but it shows that we are not doing enough to educate women,” Stovernik said. “In providing proper contraceptives, we are not doing enough to make it to where abortion isn’t needed.”
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