Pet Parade Princess - Webster Journal Online
Transcription
Pet Parade Princess - Webster Journal Online
Progression of Punk Power Over Panthers he Mondales produce its second album, “Crescent Fresh”and inds its sound. he women’s basketball team inds itself in second place in the SLIAC ater a pair of victories. 5 7 The Student News Source For Webster University the journal Volume 66 Issue 18 websterjournal.com Feb. 6-Feb. 12, 2013 Pet Parade Princess Webster Groves passes bill, prohibits sexual orientation discrimination By Tierre Rhodes and Gabe Burns Staf Writer and Multimedia Editor A new ordinance unanimously passed by the Webster Groves City Council makes it so no one can be discriminated against because of their sexuality when purchasing property. he cities of Clayton, Creve Coeur, Maplewood, Olivette, Richmond Heights and University City have passed similar ordinances over the past few years. Webster Groves proposed Bill 8785 at the last council meeting on Jan. 22, to amend Article 3, When we saw the opportunity to “ ofer this kind of encouragement ... we decided to come forward. David Denoon ” Reverend First Congregational Church JULIA GABBERT / he Journal Dogs dressed in costumes walked through the streets of Soulard at this year’s Beggin’ Barkus Pet Parade on Sunday, Feb. 3. Dog owners tossed beads to the parade patrons. The parade is an annual Mardi Gras celebration for people and their dogs. Registration to walk in the parade cost $10. The parade also featured food and drinks, games, a “wiener dog derby” and music by actor Kevin Bacon’s band, The Bacon Brothers. Beggin’ sponsored the parade. Dogs received free bags of Beggin’ Strips. Water stations were set up throughout the parade. See page 5 for an additional photo. “Fair Housing Code,” prohibiting discrimination of gender identity and sexual orientation. Webster Groves will be one of the most recent cities to adopt ordinance 8785. “We did it now because other communities are doing it,” said Webster Groves Mayor Gerry Welch. “It was brought to our attention that it would be a good ordinance to pass; that’s why we are doing it.” he issue was brought to Webster Groves City Council’s attention last year when other St. Louis municipalities were passing these ordinances. Although Webster Groves has not had complaints about discrimination, according to Mayor Welch, it is still an ordinance they feel they should approve. Welch said she does not feel as if there See Equality Page 2 Student leaders will request Webster phone app App receives most votes at Oicers’ Summit; ive issues chosen By Sheren Khalel Staf Writer Applause, snapping and cheers broke out twice at the Oicers’ Summit on Friday, Feb. 1 in the Sunnen Lounge. First when a student suggested a Webster University smartphone application. And the second was when the Webster app idea made the list of ive issues for Delegates’ Agenda with 41 out of 52 votes. he Oicers’ Summit is held every semester and gives student leaders a chance to voice problems or improvements they would like to see presented at the Delegates’ Agenda. he Delegates’ Agenda is a platform where students present Webster administrators with the top-ive issues voted on at the Oicer’s Summit. Carolina Dueñas, campus activities program manager, is already working on a mock-up of a smartphone app for the University Center. Dueñas has been advocating for a Webster app for some time now, and is excited it could inally be coming to fruition. Dueñas, who is set to graduate this spring, said she isn’t leaving until Webster gets an app. “Now basically everybody has a smartphone,” Dueñas said. “If you can get notiications for all the events they’re having on campus, or if you just want to know what’s going on with Webster, it’s there. It’s a helpful way to keep in contact 24/7.” University of Missouri-St. Louis, Missouri State University, Lindenwood University, St. Louis University and University of Missouri- Columbia already have apps. he University of Missouri-Columbia even has separate apps for some of its diferent schools and sports teams. Dueñas said she’d like the Webster app to have access to Connections, a call directory, and he Journal, but nothing is set in stone yet. get notiications for “allIftheyouevents they’re having on campus, or if you just want to know what’s going on with Webster, it’s there. ... It’s a helpful way to keep in contact 24/7. ” Carolina Dueñas Campus Activities program coordinator he ive issues he Oicer’s Summit voted on to bring to he Delegates’ Agenda are as follows: —Procuring a Webster app. —Increasing lighting and safety measures around Webster. —Enhancing the natural spaces on campus. —Creating a system that would allow students to charge textbooks to their Webster account. —Introducing a December graduation ceremony. Tayler Kinner, Webster University dance club member, said she was relieved the Delegates’ Agenda would address campus safety. Kinner said someone smashed the large center panel of Webster’s dance studio on hursday, Jan. 31. “To some people it’s not a big deal, but it would be like someone coming into one of those very expensive computer labs and smashing a monitor,” Kinner said. DAN DUNCAN / he Journal Carolina Dueñas uses her smartphone in the Campus Activites oice in the University Center. She suggested student leaders request the administration create a Webster University app at Oicers’ Summit on Feb. 1 in Sunnen Lounge. Students could check upcoming events and their connections accounts with the app. Dueñas works for Campus Activities. Kinner said two dancers presented the issue of building security at the Delegates’ Agenda last year but it was not one of the top issues the administration decided to take action on. “here have been times when I’ve felt uneasy practicing at 3 o’clock in the morning, but what can I do? I have to get my stuf done,” Kinner said. “It’s a little unsettling.” he Delegates’ Agenda will be held Feb. 21 and responses from the administration will be announced March 21. Editor’s Note: Carolina Duenas is a photographer for he Journal. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Page 2 Feb. 6-12, 2013 NEWS NEWS BRIEFS Webster’s endowment sees growth in 2012 Students opt for nonacademic aspects of college A National Bureau of Economic Research study on Feb. 4 found that 4-year colleges spending more money on athletics or living facilities may be more likely to attract potential students, despite an institution’s educational investment. This study is based on college spending patterns and student preferences in the classes of 1994 and 2002. The study shows that only students who consider to enroll at highly competitive schools value high academic spending enough to inluence schooling choices. The study concludes that the majority of 4-year universities will not see an increase in applications by investing more money into academics. Scholars from the University of Michigan conducted the study. “This is an important inding given that quality assurance is primarily provided by demand-side pressure,” the study stated. “The fear of losing students is believed to compel colleges to provide high levels of academic quality. Our indings call this accountability mechanism into question. However, our indings do not speak to the normative issue of whether consumption amenities are good or bad for students and taxpayers.” Congressman asks Higher One for more information U.S. Rep. George Miller sent a letter to Higher One Holdings Inc. on Feb. 5, asking the company to give more information on student spending through the company’s ATMs on California campuses. Miller asked the company to view a list of the ATMs that they maintain across the country, particularly in California, and the refund policies for when the machines are not functional. Miller is worried that students who use Higher One debit cards will have to pay unfair fees to the company, which has recently been under investigation. He also stated he was worried about larger campuses and colleges for non-traditional students. City named a ‘Missouri Most Creative Community’ websterjournal.com By Sheren Khalel Staf Writer Webster University’s projected endowment investment returns for the 2012-2013 iscal year show a signiicant improvement ater 2011-2012’s loss. Endowment investment returns increased 9.9 percent this iscal year and Webster’s total endowments increased by almost $8 million. Endowments sit at $94.5 million, an increase from the $86.5 million reported last year in Webster’s Accountants’ Report and Consolidated Financial Statement done by the accounting irm BKD. “We’re inally reaching the point where I think we’re seeing this economy turning around,” said Greg Gunderson, vice president and chief inancial oicer for Webster University. Last year Webster experienced around a $4.9 million loss on its endowment investment returns according to the BKD report. Gunderson said the loss was typical for the market due to the debt-ceiling crisis in 2011 and the collapse of the European market. “here was nothing you could have invested in over that timespan that would have yielded positive results,” Gunderson said. Gunderson said Webster’s total endowment fund outperformed Webster’s own benchmarks by an average of 0.7 percent over the last 5 years, and By Alex Wilking Staf Writer consistently outperformed its peer group. Webster’s endowment fund is made up of monetary gits from alumni and other contributors. he endowment fund is eventually invested, but irst a risk portfolio is created. Some investment types are riskier than others, so Webster hires a third party, Brian Buchholz, to create a risk portfolio. Riskier investments yield higher returns when the market is up, and bigger losses when the market is down. he risk portfolio Buchholz puts together advises Webster on which sectors it should invest in to gain the highest amount of returns, while still balancing and absorbing the risks the best it can. he investments are made by dozens of diferent money man- aging irms that meet the needs of each portfolio. Each irm ills a role in Webster’s proile according to what kind of investments were decided upon in the risk portfolio. Webster’s investment proile consists of: —55 percent Global Stocks —25 percent Fixed Income —10 percent Inlation Hedging —10 percent Alternative Strategies Gunderson said that Webster’s portfolio doesn’t change much regardless of the market. Both last year’s loss and this year’s gain are simply relections of the economic climate. “We invest for the long term, we invest with partners that have high national reputation, and that have a consistently high performance,” Gunderson said. Gunderson declined to say where Webster’s endowments have been invested, citing the competitive nature of the market. In order to continue to increase its endowment funds, Webster has a policy of pulling out only 4.5 percent of investment returns, according to the BKD report. Webster reinvests the rest so that its total endowments are still up, even if investment returns are negative. “Most of it (investment return) is invested so that it will be here 100 years from now and still be producing value. hat’s our motivating factor; we are here for the long haul,” Gunderson said. By 2015, Webster plans to have $100 million in endowment funds. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Downtown campus director appointed to state position By Katelyn Gosik Staf Writer Nicole Roach said she is passionate about volunteer work for the St. Louis community and beyond. When she is not fulilling her director duties at Webster University’s downtown campus, chances are she is doing some form of volunteer work. Last December, Roach received news that the Missouri Senate had approved her application for a three-year term on he Missouri Community Service Commission (MCSC). “Even today, this is totally out-of-body,” Roach said. “I don’t think that I have digested the magnitude, the level of responsibility.” he MCSC is a state-level, federally funded organization under the economic development department of the Missouri government and is comprised of 19 appointed members. he MCSC pays special attention to informing Missouri’s youth about the need for community service, with the intention of spreading news about the importance of volunteerism. Members of the MCSC have the power to either approve or deny propositions for grant money made by various Missouri nonproit organizations. AmeriCorps State is a federal organization that provides grant money, volunteers and funding for nonproit groups. Members of the MCSC make additional evaluations ater a visit to the speciic location ater reviewing the propositions. Roach said members of the MCSC are given the opportunity to present awards to volunteers and organizations that are making a positive impact on the community. In order to be a part of this state-level department, members must meet speciic criteria concerning educational experience and volunteer history. Members must also undergo a thorough background check. “(MCSC) knows everything about me, except for my garment size,” Roach said. “hey check everything from ingerprints, criminal record, inances and employment history to make sure you’re representing the Webster Groves will be named Missouri’s Most Creative Community at the 30th annual Missouri Art Council’s Arts Awards tomorrow. Webster Groves, along with 7 other recipients from diferent artistic categories, will receive original artwork created for the Missouri Arts Awards by KennethMarineGlass. he Missouri Art Council said in a press release that Webster Groves “has a strong tradition of arts involvement that has accelerated over the past decade.” he Missouri Art Council cites Webster Groves arts education institutions from Webster University to the O’Faolain Academy of Irish Dance, art festivals such as Art & Air and Paint Webster, as well as performing groups from the Repertory heatre of St. Louis to the Missouri Chamber Music Festival. FROM PAGE 1 he 30th Annual Missouri Art Council’s Art Awards ceremony will be held at the Capitol will be any change to the community because there have not Rotunda in Jeferson City. been previous problems. he LGBTQ Alliance of MISDEMEANORS Webster University is not closely associated with the area AND MISHAPS of Webster Groves. he group oten travels to areas around St. Louis City, he Grove or Jan. 27 the Central West End to spend 2:35 a.m. time together.. LGBTQ is not H. Sam Priest Center purposely detached from Web—Faculty member ster Groves, but feels as if it is an upscale neighborhood and needed assistance. the city is more open to their lifestyle according to LGBTQ Jan. 31 President Lana Williams. 10:00 a.m. “I don’t think it will afect Music Building the community here at Webster, because we are pretty detached —Faculty member from the Webster Groves comiled a report to munity as a school,” Williams Webster Groves Police “We don’t really need anyDepartment of a misuse said. thing … If we need anything of his oice computer. from the city, we go to he Closed, referred to Grove or to the Central West Webster Groves Police End where everyone is very open and accepting.” Department. Reverend David De- Students question lack of WVA Wi-Fi MEGAN FAVIGNANO / he Journal The director of Webster’s downtown campus, Nicole Roach works at her desk at Webser’s downtown campus on Feb. 5. Roach is a Webster alumna and has been the director downtown since 2009. state of Missouri in the most positive light.” Roach meets the education experience requirements from her position at Webster University. But it was her dedication to volunteering at United Way of Greater St. Louis that got her recommended for the position on the state-level commission. Roach started her volunteer eforts with United Way in 2011. She is part of an allocations panel with United Way, which is a volunteer department. he panel is under the direction of Cassandra Kaufman, vice president of Community Investment. he volunteer work Roach does for United Way is similar to what she does on the MCSC — primarily reviewing agencies. Kaufman said this is her second year working with Roach and she is excited to work with her again this year. “here is so much going on in the world Equality “ We did it now because other communities are doing it. It was brought to our attention that it would be a good ordinance to pass. That’s why we are doing it. Gerry Welch ” Webster Groves mayor noon of First Congregational Church spoke to the council before voting commending them on behalf of his congregation on their moving forward of equality laws. “When we saw the opportunity to ofer this kind of encouragement because of the contact we’ve had with PROMO (Promoting Equality for all Missourians) we decided to come forward,” Denoon said. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com right now that is bad, that is depressing, that can make you want to throw in the towel and give up,” Roach said. “But when you see the impact that even an hour of volunteering can make, its mind blowing.” Roach believes that everyone should engage in some sort of community service, no matter how small the contribution. “Getting everyone to understand the diference they can make, even in their small part of the world is important,” Roach said. “As they say, it takes a whole bunch of little victories to change the world. I see that with this commission already and I’m just getting started.” Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Webster University sophomore Meghan Steineker is enrolled in classes which require her to access the Blackboard website for notes and homework. Steineker may also take an online course this semester. But because Steineker is a resident living in the Webster Village Apartments (WVA), she does not have access to Webster’s campus Wi-Fi in her room. Residents of the WVA either have to purchase an additional device for Internet access in their apartments or log on at another campus location to use the Webster Wi-Fi network. “he apartments have everything else,” Steineker said. “hey’re fully furnished, so why not have Wi-Fi? I think it’s ridiculous. We’re paying for the apartments. hey may as well have Wi-Fi in them. I mean we have a dishwasher.” Webster University ofers WiFi service to all residents in East, West and Maria Halls. Housing and Residential Life Director John Buck said Webster’s Wi-Fi is not directly connected to the room and board rates of campus residents. “he Wi-Fi is an expense that is absorbed by IT (Information Technology), and is an amenity that is not directly connected to room and board rates,” Buck said. Locations such as the WVA Clubhouse and Emerson Library are within walking distance of the apartments and have Internet access. But some students in the WVA have purchased routers or Ethernet cables to avoid leaving their apartments. Students who live in West, East and Maria halls are prohibited from setting up their own routers. “I bought a wireless router, which was $50 out of my own pocket, just so I could have WiFi that was fast enough for me to inish my homework,” Steineker said. “If you want to work in the living room you have to buy a long Ethernet chord, which are harder to ind.” WVA and Maria Hall Community Director Chris Rice said IT would like to extend Wi-Fi access campus wide. Rice recommended he Journal contact IT for further information. he Journal contacted Webster University Chief Information Oicer and Vice President Kenneth Freeman for an interview. he Journal scheduled an interview at the closest available time, two weeks in advance. Forty-eight hours before the interview, Freeman said the interview would need to be rescheduled for the next week. Freeman did not comment in time for publication. “It’s deinitely frustrating because Internet access is necessary for college,” sophomore WVA resident Abby Dorning said. “I’d rather not buy a router then use Webster’s Wi-Fi because it’s free.” Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Opinions Feb. 6-Feb. 12, 2013 Page 3 Chinese millioniare starts selling cans of fresh air in Beijing to help people breathe from the pollution and smog. The Journal weighs in on the issues Donald Trump sued Bill Maher over a promise in which Maher said he would give $5 million to a charity of Trump’s choice if he could prove he was not “the spawn of his mother having sex with an orangutan.” Chris Carpenter won’t pitch for the Cardinals in 2013 and possibly never again. A report released by the Open Society Foundation found that 54 countries have participated with the United States and the CIA to use secret prisons to house suspected terrorists for torture and interrogation. Remains found underneath a car parking lot a year ago were inally conirmed to be those of England’s King Richard III. GRApHIC By DAN DUNCAN AND TONy LAURENCE he best defense is a good ofense: Build responsible drinkers by drinking younger A typical Friday night at one of the big state schools like Mizzou means the bars are full and there is a party on every block, depending what street you are on. And I can almost guarantee all of these parties and bars have patrons under the legal drinking age of 21. While it is not as big here at Webster University, the parties are still around and there are plenty of minors drinking illegally. I’m not saying we need to crackdown on underage drinking — far from it. he biggest danger to those minors drinking at college parties is their lack of experience in drinking responsibly. hey think drinking involves a minimum of ive beers and at least that many shots. he problem is education. Ever since I was 17, my mom would, on occasion, ofer to let me have a beer with dinner or maybe a glass of wine. But Gabe Burns I always declined. Coming to college last year at the age of 18, I inally decided to try drinking for the irst time. And like most college students, I was stupid. I drank way more than needed and thought “to drink” meant “to get wasted.” Skip to this past summer when I inally took my mom up on the beer with dinner. I began to realize that drinking didn’t have to mean getting drunk every weekend. But instead, drinking became a beer ater work or with dinner. I was drinking more frequently but more responsibly. When I was in high school I didn’t understand why my mom would keep ofering me alcohol when I kept refusing. But she understood that drinking with her was going to set me up for better drinking habits in the future. I should say that I’m from Iowa and not Missouri. he only reason this is important in this context is that Iowa has a law that makes all the diference in learning safe drinking habits. Iowa allows minors to drink with their parents or legal guardians in a private residence whereas Missouri does not. Each year, over 5,000 people under the age of 21 die from alcoholrelated deaths in the United States, according to the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Many of the deaths were from car accidents where a driver was intoxicated or in result to alcohol poisoning from just drinking too much. Stupid mistakes like this are because of a lack of education. his change starts with a change in the law in states like Missouri. he law needs to allow parents to make the choice to legally drink with their kids and instill good drinking habits. he other change is more a paradigm shit for the whole nation. We can’t let alcohol continue to be as taboo as it is for minors. Teenagers are rebellious. You tell them not to play with matches, and as soon as you leave the room the trash can is on ire. So when schools are preaching that if you touch alcohol before you are 21 you are going to die and endanger everyone around you, they are doing more harm than good. Instead, schools and parents should be teaching what responsible drinking looks like and the dangers of irresponsible drinking. But parents hold the inal choice on whether or not they allow their kids to drink. And it may not be the right choice for every kid. But with our current perception of alcohol, any parent who allows their kid to drink while in high school is a bad parent. When really it could be the most responsible way to prevent bad drinking habits in the future. While blind to it before, I now see what my mom did for me was best. And when I sit in my dorm room on Friday nights listening to the drunken freshmen stumble back to West Hall loudly, I wish more parents had done the same. Gabe Burns is the Multimedia Editor for The Journal. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Editorial: Oicers’ Summit 5 issues don’t represent major campus issues Student leaders have the opportunity to bring campus issues to Webster University’s administration twice a year. Ater reviewing the ive issues chosen on Friday, he Journal believes they wasted an opportunity with what they considered issues worth presenting to the administration. he ive issues chosen were: —Procuring a Webster application for smartphones and tablets. —Increasing lighting and safety measures around Webster. —Enhancing the natural spaces on campus. —Creating a system that would allow students to charge textbooks to their Webster account. —Introducing a December graduation ceremony. he Journal thinks the Webster smartphone application and enhancing natural spaces are easily solveable without having to present them to the administration and a December graduation ceremony is not inancially feasable. A Webster smartphone application would be beneicial to students. It would be relatively inexpensive, which means it is a more likely possibility. If Webster does procure an app, it will make student life easier. his is good for the university because it makes them look better in the eyes of current and prospective students. However, while we feel this is a beneicial addition to the university, we don’t feel it is worthy of the student’s limited time with the administration. Delegates’ Agenda should be used to present important issues that require the administration’s attention, issues that can’t be solved in a simple phone call or email. his same principle also holds true for enhancing natural spaces. For example, enhancing natural areas on campus is not a serious issue. his can be solved by simply talking to facilities and grounds keeping. he student body doesn’t need to bother the administration with it. here are student organizations like the Gardening Club or Webster Letters and commentaries he Journal welcomes letters to the editors and guest commentaries. Letters to the editor must be fewer than 200 words. Guest commentaries must be between 450 and 750 words, and guest writers must have their photograph taken to run with their commentaries. All letters to the editor and guest commentaries must be signed. he Journal will edit all submitted pieces for grammar, style and clarity. If there are any substantial revisions, the writer will be notiied 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 journal The Student News Source for Webster University Editorial Oice (314) 246-7088 Section Editors (314) 246-7575 Advertising & Business (314) 246-7538 470 East Lockwood Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63119 www.websterjournal.com Sverdrup 247 Vol. 66 Issue 18 Students for Environmental Sustainability can help as well. he administration won’t make many changes regarding the issue of a December graduation ceremony. We feel December graduates deserve the hype of May graduation. However, he Journal doesn’t expect the administration to add an elaborate December graduation ceremony because of the inancial costs. he Journal feels these three “issues” are wasting an opportunity for the student body to solve legitimate issues. On a seperate note, Webster is making budget cuts this semester in an attempt to avoid not meeting budget. Ater this iscal year, Webster’s inancial situation is not going to suddenly bounce back. Low enrollment is a national trend and will still be an issue next year. Since 97 percent of Webster’s revenue is from tuition, low enrollment makes a signiicant impact. he Journal doesn’t think adding the costs of a December graduation ceremony is inancially responsible for the university at this time. It might be something the administration can consider in a year with higher enrollment numbers. We are disappointed that serious issues such as reoccurring problems in Webster’s Financial Aid Oice were bumped of of the list to encourage the administration to plant more lowers. he Journal appreciates student leaders’ request for increased safety, but we are unsure why the security problem was not ixed ater it was presented on at Delegates’ Agenda in 2010. We understand this is not a problem with student leaders, but rather the administration’s halfhearted response to the original complaint. Student leaders already gave the administration multiple areas for increased safety such as replacing light bulbs, more card swipe building access. With the proper pressure, the administration might inally make changes they promised in 2010. However,the ability to charge textbooks directly to student accounts is an issue he Journal feels is worthy of the administration’s time. Textbooks are expensive. It would be more beneicial for a student to be able to charge textbooks to their student account and pay it of over the course of the semester rather than blowing a whole paycheck at one time. his issue afects students and the solution involves some research and collaboration. Even though we feel only one of the chosen issues is worth the Delegates’ Agenda’s time, he Journal still urges student leaders to follow through on what issues they have chosen. hese issues have easy solutions. If members of Webster’s administration can’t ix these “issues,” then they just don’t care. Editor-in-Chief Brittany Ruess Managing Editor Megan Favignano Online Editor Josh Coppenbarger Multimedia Editor Gabe Burns News Editor Dan Bauman Opinions Editor Tony Laurence Sports Editor Tim Doty Copy Chief and Layout Editor Josh Sellmeyer Copy Editors Julia Gabbert Julie Turek Photo Editor Dan Duncan Business Manager Casey Hammer journaladmgr@gmail.com Advertising Manager Jamie Cook Marketing Manager Caitlin Whyte Webmaster Kaitlin Hughes Illustrator/Graphics Victoria Courtney Emily Ratkewicz Staf Katelyn Gosik Sharen Khalel Natalie Martinez Sam Masterson Jefrey Mosblech Tierre Rhodes Ava Roesslein Alex Wilking Photographers Brittany Ruess Caillin Murray Politically Incorrect: he media misses their target with Obama Tragedy continues to loom over the national political debate on gun control as gun-related crimes continue to ravage our country without a coherent plan of action to curtail such violence. his debate has caused Democrat politicians in pro-gun districts to shy away from President Barack Obama’s plan in order to maintain their political power. his then forces the president to go on his own campaign of gun control-related speeches and interviews. During one of these interviews with he New Republic, President Obama was asked if he has ever shot a gun. He replied, “Yes, in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time,” prompting the media to spur into false outrage action. Tony Why haven’t we heard about Laurence Obama’s skeet shooting before? Shouldn’t someone have mentioned this pastime of his? Why has a photo never been released of Obama skeet shooting? hese are some of the questions asked during the onset of what proliically (or embarrassingly) is being called “Skeet-gate.” Jon Stewart had his own satirical questions, including, “Why won’t the black man half the country lives in fear of release a picture of himself holding a gun? I don’t get it.” Not even a few days passed before the White House released a photograph of the president in a short- sleeved shirt iring a shotgun in the glaring August sun with smoke billowing out from the barrel. Foreseeing what he thought would be a common perception, White House Senior Adviser David Ploufe tweeted, “Attn skeet birthers. Make our day — let the photoshop conspiracies begin!” It’s almost hard to tell what is more pertinent: the ability of the president and the White House to easily shrug of nonissue conspiracy theories (take, for example, the releasing of his birth certiicate) or the inability of the media to be a relevant watchdog of democracy. As it turns out, the media have become gloriied gossipers and the epitome of little high school girls in the bodies of grown men and women pretending to be journalists. hen again, many prominent members of the media aren’t journalists at all. Al Sharpton, Sarah Palin and Eric Bolling are clear examples of individuals who steer public discourse and make a lot of waves by being the loudest people in the room. In a way, it makes sense for them to avoid such substantive debates as to what the real issues are. As for the gun debate, whether Obama has ever shot a gun bears no weight on the relevance of his proposed legislative plans. Even if he had never ired a gun before and is a lying liar with his lies, it does not delegitimize his endgame, which is ultimately the reduction of gun violence. But even with his good intentions, Obama’s plan won’t curtail violence in a society that embraces a culture of alpha-male dominance on the one hand and the acceptance of the assassination of American citizens via cruise missiles on the other. In any event, not all Americans are policy wonks, but what they do know is where they stand on the president. Many Americans clearly do not like the president. Even more straight up resent him. If this idmittance of skeet shooting is in any way a matter of trying to get on the good side of gun slingers, then he should prepare himself to be surprised by their unchanged opinions. Pandering is one thing. Trying to befriend people who hate you is another. Either way, the covering of this issue as if it were actually a story demonstrates the absurdity of the state of journalism in the United States. he micro-examination of every move and minutia of politics by its closest spectators would be useful had they actually decided to cover important issues. Megan Favignano Josh Sellmeyer Hayden Andrews Carolina Dueñas Advisers Editorial Larry Baden Photography Robert LaRouche General Manager Amanda Westrich “Politically Incorrect” is a weekly column written by Journal Opinions Editor Tony Laurence. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com he Journal is the oicial student publication of Webster University. Unsigned editorials relect the opinion of the newspaper, not necessarily that of the university or the Publications Board. he opinions expressed by columnists and contributing writers do not necessarily relect those of he Journal. All text, photos, graphics and other content are copyrighted by he 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. he 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 he Journal are free; for additional copies, contact the business oice, located in the Sverdrup building, room 247, on the Webster Groves campus. Lifestyle Page 4 Staf Writer Jonathon Musgrave had the synopsis of his senior overview ilm posted on a public donation website, http://indiegogo.com, for about an hour on Sunday, Jan. 27. Ater he refreshed his Web page, Musgrave was startled by what he saw: an anonymous donor gave his movie an added boost of $1,000. “I was in shock,” said Musgrave, senior ilm major. “I was actually on the page when it happened. All the sudden it spiked up to $1,000. I didn’t think it was real.” Students have posted their donation banks through a website called “Indiegogo,” a site similar to http://kickstarter.com. hrough both sites, the public donates to people looking for project funding. he only diference is that projects on Indiegogo get to keep a portion of the donations even if the project doesn’t reach its goal. On Kickstarter, if a project does not meet its goal, the project does not receive any funding. Some professors in Webster’s ilm department have strongly encouraged students to start online donation campaigns to raise money. Pro- fessors Bart Baker and Juraj Bohus help students with production and guidance in completing their ilms. Baker is in charge of pre-production for the students’ ilms. Baker recommended Indiegogo to Keith Lutker, senior ilm production major. Lutker said Indiegogo has more perks than Kickstarter, like the requirement to only pay back 9 percent if the donation campaign does not meet its goal. If a project does meet its goal, the fee is 4 percent for every dollar raised. Lutker’s goal was $2,500 and his campaign reached $1,140 between mid-December and Jan. 30. He used the donations for food, equipment and travel expenses. “It was upliting and nice to see people cared about what I am going to school for,” Lutker said. Senior Sean Tiin also said professors have advised him to use online donation sites. “Making movies independently — for a career or a hobby — is easier and cheaper now than it’s ever been,” Tiin said. “Working independently on a small budget will save a lot of money. Webster’s really encouraged that DIY element.” With the concept of public donations, students can give back to the people who help them complete their ilms through a variety of gits. hese gits range from dinner dates to a role in the movie to anything the donor wants. Musgrave’s anonymous donor has not yet come forward or stated what he or she wants for the return git. “he cool thing about this website and these big donations is that they make you really want to deliver on what you’re promising,” Musgrave said. “Someone believed in it that much.” hough each ilm posts a goal amount to receive, most ilms will only meet about half of the goal, Tiin said. “When I have a lot of boundaries, that’s when I work most creatively with what I do have,” Tifin said. Andrew Shafer, senior ilm production major, funded his ilm, “Bad Romance,” through Indiegogo. Apart from the site, Shafer said broadcasting a ilm via social networking sites and blogs is key if a ilm is going to gain a following. —Brittany Ruess contributed to this report. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com $1 nate ,000 wa d Mus to Jon s doan h grave w athon our ith goin of his s in g liv ite e Indi e 9 pe gogo ta pro rcent o kes raisi ject’s fu f a not ng if it ndreac d h its oes goa l $1,370,461 do ed for the nat“L Build a Go et’s dd Tesla Muse amn um” project nat$1,141,324 do ot ob “R e th r fo ed ing am G y Dragonl phy” and Photogra project donated $1,047,827 estore “R ’s TV for M ject for ro p ” the Shore r o Sh re afte the Jersey Sandy rm o St al ic p Tro ICZ & BRITTANY RUESS LY RATKEW By Alex Wilking Senior Keith Lutker raised $1,140 for hi s ilm, “A Mechanic’s Response” MI INFOGRAPHIC BY E Webster seniors use Indiegogo to fund ilms INDIEGOGO FAST SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF SEAN TIFFIN FAC TS Feb. 6-12, 2013 Students discuss directing senior overview ilm projects Keith Lutker’s ‘A Mechanic’s Response’ SCREENSHOT COURTESY OF NATHAN HUBER Nathan Huber’s ‘Night Drop’ When Nathan Huber watched the opening bank robbery scene of “he Dark Knight,” he started to develop the idea for his senior overview project. As a fan of the ilm, Huber said he loves its visuals — an aspect of his own ilm that he emphasized. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I just do a bank heist short?’ But then I thought it was too ambitious, but I kind of held onto that idea and started writing it anyway,” Huber said. With advice from friends and professors, Huber developed his action/comedy ilm, “Night Drop.” he ilm focuses on two characters: a nerd and his bully who become life-long enemies. Both become bank robbers and attempt to rob the same bank at the same time. hen, the two are met with the challenge of what to do next. Huber said his mission is to entertain his audience, and, if possible, change their moods. “If somebody is having a bad day and they can watch my ilm — even if it’s only for eight minutes and they forget about all of their problems for eight minutes — then I’ve done my job,” Huber said. Huber ilmed in an old Alton, Ill., bank, which is now the Riverbender. com Community Center. he community center still has the bank’s features intact, like its vault. Huber said he was able to utilize Alton’s landscape and the Mississippi River as a backdrop in shots. he visuals were the “No. 1” aspect of the ilm for Huber. He said the cinematographer for “Night Drop,” Dan Goedeker, played a major role in creating the visuals. “For being a student ilm, I feel like myself and my crew really went above and beyond to make this the best ilm possible, going from just the littlest props to the location,” Huber said. “We really went out of our way to make sure every little detail was as high quality as possible.” —Reporting by Brittany Ruess. Jonathon Musgrave’s ‘Goldie & Tom’ A mysterious woman named Goldie handcufs a suicidal man to her wrist, one Dr. Tom Griin. With a gun in her hand, Goldie puts Tom behind the wheel of her car and they drive across Missouri. Goldie and Tom will learn from each other as the viewer is taken through both of their pasts. “he more we learn about these two, the more we’re faced with issues of trust, secrecy, friendship and the freedom to let go,” Musgrave said. Musgrave wants to focus largely on character development in his ilm. He wants to make sure deeply held beliefs and motivations will come through on camera. “Because that’s what will make this movie work,” Musgrave said. “Believing in these characters and the reasons for their actions.” Musgrave said the ilm was inspired by the idea of two very diferent, seemingly opposite people being forced together at a turning point in their lives. “I wanted to show that everything we do, we do by choice,” Musgrave said. “he movie is about the freedom to choose your fate.” —Reporting by Alex Wilking. Keith Lutker’s ilm, “A Mechanic’s Response,” tells the story of a young couple faced with an unexpected and unfortunate situation. Armed assailants attack the young couple in the ilm, Dylan and Brooke. In the scule, Dylan tries to meet the demands of the attackers while Brooke is more defensive and urges Dylan to protect them. he incident is loosely based on a situation that happened to Lutker’s parentsin-law. Ater attending a birthday party in St. Louis City, Lutker’s parents-in-law walked to their car in a parking lot. Two “thugs” met them there. “he situation that followed (for my parents-in-law) isn’t how my movie goes, but I based it of of that night and how that night went. It was a long night because of the scare,” Lutker said. “It’s a situation you hear about all the time but never see yourself getting into. So I took that and felt it and it was real. So I knew I could make something real out of my writing and turn it into a ilm.” In “A Mechanic’s Response,” the situation causes Dylan and Brooke’s relationship to falter. “he main character, Dylan, is trying to pull his wife back to him as she remains distant as she blames the attack on him,” Lutker said. “I wanted to do something a little bit raw and real.” Lutker’s goal for the audience is to keep them entertained, hold their focus on his ilm and cause some tears. “I want (the audience) to take this ilm in and understand unfortunate events do occur. And to immediately jump to conclusions or hold somebody accountable for something they couldn’t control, (which) isn’t the right way to go about doing things,” Lutker said. “Assess the situation and try to make the most of what it is and move forward.” Lutker said he is proud of all the aspects of his ilm, but he said he is especially proud of his actors. In preparation for ilming “A Mechanic’s Response,” Lutker contacted Joni Tackette, a St. Louis casting agent, for Lutker’s actors. Tackette has casted for ilms such as “Up In the Air” and “Glory Road.” She helped Lutker ind actors for his three main roles. “I reached out to her and jumped into the water feet irst,” Lutker said. “I’ll always take a chance.” —Reporting by Brittany Ruess. ART COURTESY OF SEAN TIFFIN Sean Tiin’s ‘Adam Howard is Dead’ Ater a friend is unexpectedly killed while ilming a small movie, his friends ight through their grief, attend his funeral and give their eulogies. But things go awry when there’s a mix up with the eulogies. Chaos continues to ensue through a turn of events that senior Sean Tiin wants viewers to see for themselves. “It’s based loosely on a real dream I had. he main characters are all real people playing themselves,” Tiin said. “It’s a (dark) comedy with elements of farce, and it’s about a eulogy that gets misplaced. Kyle Krupinski’s the cinematographer; I’ve worked with Kyle on a number of projects in the past, including ‘Fit to Burst’ and ‘Montagitek,’ so we have a very comfortable, familiar working relationship.” Sean Nielsen is producing the movie. It will star Webster students Jack Klipsch, Jonathon Musgrave, Brock Russell and Adam Howard. Inspired by true events, “Adam Howard is Dead” is a ilm that preaches the phrase (found on the ilm’s Indiegogo page), “We all deal with grief in diferent ways, but most of us just get drunk and cry.” —Reporting by Alex Wilking. ART COURTESY OF ANDREW SHAFER Adam Shafer’s ‘Bad Romance’ Andrew Shafer, senior ilm production major, said his ilm “Bad Romance” developed from an idea he’s had since his freshman year — a story about a guy who can’t kill his roommate because he needs the roommate for rent money. his idea was more comedic than what resulted for Shafer. “Bad Romance” is a dramatic horror ilm about a high school student, Tim, who goes back to his girlfriend’s house ater prom and is faced with her insanity. Inspired by his past relationships, Shafer described the ilm as a “really dark love story.” “It’s a metaphor for a broken relationship, but in the genre of horror ilm. … It was an excuse for me to make a horror ilm out of something personal to me,” Shafer said. he character Irene, Tim’s girlfriend, sufers from borderline personality disorder, and Tim has anxiousness and OCD tendencies. Shafer’s background in psychology (he’s a psychology minor) helped him develop these two roles. Shafer said he feels the audience will be able to relate to Tim, despite his psychotic tendencies. “I wanted to make the character likeable. You can’t relate to ‘Dexter,’” Shafer said. “I wanted to make him an ‘every man.’” Shafer also said he hopes the audience will take away at least one message: to think of people’s motives better. —Reporting by Brittany Ruess. LIFESTYLE Page 5 Feb. 6-12, 2013 websterjournal.com Webster-based pop-punk band releases second album Two bandmates in The Mondales have played together since middle school “ By Brittany Ruess Bands form in high school, but they are almost never serious. They’re usually just a bunch of high school jerks getting together to try and pick up chicks. I was the same except for the whole ‘getting chicks’ thing. Editor-in-Chief As seventh graders at LaSalle Springs Middle School in Wildwood, Adrian Barnello and Devin Dessieux met and found a common bond — music. “Devin was the only guy in my whole entire class who played drums and wasn’t a huge tool,” Barnello said. “Back then, the cool thing to do was to be one of those skater kids, and all of those kids hated me. So we decided to play together.” As middle school students, Barnello and Dessieux were both inspired by the band he Descendents. Dessieux said he has always liked he Descendents’ drummer, Bill Stevenson. “I emulate his style quite a bit,” Dessieux said. “He has a lot of energy, and, live, he is really loud. hat’s kind of how I see it. I’m not necessarily as reined as him, but I tend to be really energetic and get into it when I play live.” Barnello said as an eighth grader, he felt more connected to he Descendents’ music than music from more popular bands like Green Day. “Some of the more emotional (songs) they wrote, I felt they were writing those songs for me, 12 years before I was even born,” Barnello said. Barnello said personal connection to he Descendents’ music set its music above that of other bands. Barnello and Dessieux continued to practice music as they moved onto Eureka High School, but Barnello said they never took themselves too seriously as a band. “Bands form in high school, but they are almost never serious,” Barnello said. “hey’re usually just a bunch of high school jerks getting together to try and pick up chicks. I was the same except for the whole ‘getting chicks’ thing.” In high school, the band never found a name to keep. “All four years of high school we had terrible band names, none of which I want to put on Adrian Barnello ” Webster student and guitarist/ vocalist of The Mondales HAYDEN ANDREWS / he Journal Bassist Zach Paul (left), drummer Devin Dessieux (center) and guitarist/vocalist Adrian Barnello (right) of The Mondales perform at Cusumano’s on Saturday, Jan. 26. Barnello and Dessieux are Webster University students who started playing music together as seventh graders. The Mondales released its second full-length album, “Crescent Fresh,” on Jan. 8. the record,” Barnello said. “I hate them all, so don’t even ask.” When Barnello and Dessieux came to Webster University in 2010, the then-freshmen decided to continue their music hobby, but with more purpose. “We started playing music together because we were the only two like-minded people at ... middle school,” Barnello said. “hen, eventually, we were the only two like-minded people at Eureka High School. And then, when we started being more serious, we were the only two likeminded people even at Webster who play the kind of music we wanted to make.” With this new sense of seriousness, the band developed a name for itself. Barnello, junior political science major, thought of the name ater researching presidential elections in 1964 and 1984. In ‘64, Lyndon B. Johnson defeated Derek Goldwater in a landslide. Barnello said he Goldwaters doesn’t make a good band name. “hen I looked at this election in 1984 and Ronald Reagan tossed this guy Walter Mondale around like he was nothing,” Barnello said. “He only won one state, which was his home state (Minnesota), and he barely won that. hat’s how bad this guy lost. I was like, ‘Wow, that sucks. How did he lose so bad?’ “hen, suddenly, the name came to me. his guy is the big- Flavor Fave JULIA GABBERT / he Journal Mojo, an English Bulldog, was named king of the 20th annual Beggin’ Barkus Pet Parade on Sunday, Feb. 3 in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis. Mojo wore a purple hat and outit during the event, which was part of the month-long Mardi Gras celebration in Soulard. For a fee of $10, owners registered their costumed pets and walked in the parade. Money raised from the Beggin’ Barkus Pet Parade goes to the Open Door Animal Sanctuary, a no-kill shelter for homeless dogs and cats in House Springs, Mo. gest loser in presidential history and we’re, like, the biggest losers ever. So, (we became) he Mondales.” his “self-bashing humor” is common in the pop-punk scene, Barnello said. “I say oten that we’re huge dorks and I don’t really mean it, but it’s somewhat true,” Barnello said. On Jan. 8, he Mondales released its second album, “Crescent Fresh.” he album features the third bandmate and bassist, Zach Paul. In past albums and extended plays (EPs) — recordings longer than a single — Barnello said he made many of the musical decisions and wrote most of he Mondales’ songs. But “Crescent Fresh” involved more collaboration among all the band members. “In the newest album (‘Crescent Fresh’), there’s more of a band feel to it,” Barnello said. “It’s a natural thing for a band at irst to be domineered by the person who has the most ideas. hen, once everyone gets more comfortable with each other, you kind of make music together. hat’s what happened with our newest album. We make songs as a band, and I feel that’s relected in our music.” Dessieux said he felt in “Crescent Fresh,” he Mondales found its sound. “Instead of doing more grungy stuf, we’ve gotten more to a pop-punk sound,” Dessieux said. “Not straightforward poppunk, but it has some complexity to it.” Barnello said he uses music as a way to express negativity he feels. hese emotions come out in his lyrics. But “Crescent Fresh” has more of a positive spin, especially in the songs “Writing About You” and “Search, Snake and Destroy.” “With ‘Crescent Fresh,’ I grew up a little bit as a songwriter, and I discovered I can write songs that are a little less bleak,” Barnello said. “‘Crescent Fresh’ is still pretty melancholy as far as lyrics go, but the music is a little more upbeat and fun. … It ofers a more varied worldview.” he Mondales have performed at local venues such as Cicero’s, he Firebird, Fubar and Cusumano’s Pizza. But Barnello and Dessieux both said they love to play basement shows. hese basement shows, Barnello said, can attract about 100-150 people. “In a basement show, you’d be standing about two feet away from me as I’m playing music that I put my heart and soul into, and I’m spilling it right onto you,” Barnello said. Both Barnello and Dessieux said they will continue to play music for fun. “I think still, at this point, it’s more of a hobby than a career,” Dessieux said. “If it goes that direction, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. It’s a good way to pass the time, and I do really enjoy the music.” Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Page 6 Feb. 6-12, 2013 SPORTS websterjournal.com Athletics standouts take their places in Hall of Fame Todt, Spinner, Carr react to official induction as the Webster Athletics HOF Class of 2013 By Ava Roesslein Staf Writer Webster University’s Grant Gymnasium was packed with fans in the stands on Saturday, Feb. 2. he fans came not only for the basketball games, but also to witness the induction of three new members into the Webster University Athletics Hall of Fame as the class of 2013. he list includes current men’s soccer associate head coach Marty Todt, former volleyball standout Crystal (Shelton) Spinner and women’s basketball star Angie Carr. he ceremony took place at haltime during the men’s basketball game against conference rival Greenville College (Ill). Ater the game was over, Webster treated the athletes and coaches to a private dinner and gathering with their family and friends — where they sported their new hardware and letterman jackets — in Webster’s Sunnen Lounge. “It’s freakin’ awesome,” Todt said. “It’s awesome because you got all the players over there sitting on one side, and your family sitting over there on the other side. You got your assistant coaches, (women’s soccer coach) Luigi (Scire), Corey (Haney) and Kyle (Gamache) — because, in reality, it’s really all about them and sharing that with them. “he players, like the captains Josh Sellmeyer, Kyle Leonard, Shea Vogt and Clint Carder. Talented athletes, but what good people. hey are such good people that really what (it) does is inspires you as a coach to continue to coach.” Todt was the men’s soccer head coach for 25 seasons, but has recently swapped coaching positions with former associate head coach Michael Siener. During Todt’s time as head coach, he led the Gorloks to ive St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament championships and the NCAA Tournament ive times. Todt is 44th in wins for all current men’s coaches in NCAA Division-III play and has the most wins of any SLIAC coach with 123. Spinner played for Webster from 2004 to 2007 and was a First Team All-Conference selection all four years. Spinner was also named SLIAC Player of the Year as a sophomore, and she holds the record in volleyball for kills, digs and sets played for the Gorloks. Spinner said she hoped that she might make it into the Hall of Fame, but it came as a shock. “It was very surreal and very exciting,” Spinner said. “(I’m) very proud because, to me, it’s what I’ve worked for my whole life playing volleyball. Not just what I’ve done here (at Webster), but everything leading up to that. So it’s just very exciting.” During the private get-together, each inductee got to choose someone close to them to speak on their behalf. In Carr’s case, it was her former high school basketball coach at Parkview High School in Springield, Mo. Carr said she’s like a second mom to her and that she continues to keep in touch with her. In Carr’s irst year at Webster, she made an impact on the team when they made it to the NCAA D-III Sweet Sixteen. Carr said the game was one of her favorite memories as a Gorlok. he 530 points scored her senior season is the highest point total for Webster thus far, and Carr holds the basketball school record in total career points with over 1,600. “I just play because I love the game, so to have this now on top of it is just incredible,” Carr said. Tom Hart, director of athletics for Webster, said the three inductees helped transform each of their programs. Hart said there DAN DUNCAN / he Journal Left to right: Webster University Director of Athletics Tom Hart, Crystal (Shelton) Spinner, Angie Carr, Marty Todt and Webster President Elizabeth Stroble pose for a photo during the Webster Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony during halftime of the men’s basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Grant Gymnasium. Spinner, Carr and Todt compose the 2013 Hall of Fame Class for Webster. Spinner is the volleyball program leader in kills; Carr is the women’s basketball leader in career points; and Todt spent the past 25 years as head coach for the men’s soccer program. is a ive-year window ater playing or coaching for Webster before you can be eligible for the Hall of Fame. However, Webster bent the rules for Coach Todt. “Every season, my wife and my family has been to every game,” Todt said. “he grandkids, when you hear them at home and they go, ‘Go Blue,’ it’s not for the hockey Blues, it’s for Webster University.” Turn to page 8 for coverage of the men’s basketball game against Greenville College and a preview of the Gorloks’ upcoming game against Spalding University. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Page 7 SPORTS Feb. 6-12, 2013 websterjournal.com BRITTANY RUESS / he Journal (Left) Junior forward Lisa Adden (right) works to keep the ball away from Principia College (Ill). forward Jocelyn Shoemake during Webster University’s 64-40 win over the Panthers. (Above) Senior guard Maggie Zehner (center) attempts to dribble around Principia guard Sarah Corbitt during the irst half. The Gorloks’ win pushed Webster’s St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record to 9-4. Gorloks pound SLIAC foes, jump to 2nd in conference standings Women’s basketball takes down pair of Panthers to keep tourney hopes alive By Sam Masterson Staf Writer he Webster University women’s basketball team hops a spot to No. 2 in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. As freshmen shine coming of the bench, the Gorloks have the chance to ride a ive-game win streak into the conference tournament. Freshman guards Alyssa Sapp and Mia Williams and forward Brittany Harris-Conway have averaged a combined 6.4 points per game and 32.9 minutes played per game. Webster defeated the Principia College Panthers (Ill.) 64-40 on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at Grant Gymnasium to follow up a 65-48 win over the Greenville College (Ill.) Panthers on Saturday, Feb. 2. he wins put the Gorloks’ overall record to 12-10 and gives them a 9-4 SLIAC record. Webster sits in second place all alone, but third place Eureka College (Ill.) plays on Wednesday, Feb. 6. With a win, the Red Devils would create a tie for second behind irst place Westminster (Mo.) College. his past week — as Webster went 2-1 avenging its earlier overtime loss to the Greenville and stomping Princpia by 24 points — Sapp, Williams and Harris-Conway have averaged 11 points and 47 minutes per game. “Our bench was like the most im- portant part, more than our starters,” said senior guard Gwen Williams. “If they are coming in and scoring just as well as our starters, then that’s our trigger right there.” Sapp has been deadly from 3-point range as of late, shooting 42.8 percent the past three games to lead the team. Going into the game Tuesday night against Principia, she had more intensity than usual because she expected a few more minutes. hat led to a career-high 8 points and 4 rebounds. “It’s pretty exciting,” Sapp said. “I’m just glad to be a part of the team and help out in any way possible.” Sophomore forward/center Cassie Endicott was inactive for the Principia game, so in her place Harris-Conway received a start against Principia. It was only her ninth start on the season. She replaced Endicott by pulling down a career-high 7 rebounds, four of those being on the ofensive. “Anytime a team is going to win a championship and win games you have bench support,” coach Jordan Olufson said. “hey (players coming of the bench) were phenomenal and were sparks on ofense and defense.” Olufson said it was a team decision to rest Endicott, and she is expected to play in the next game against Spalding University (Ky.) on hursday, Feb. 7 at Grant Gymnasium. his Gorlok team has built success on its ability to be smart with the ball. In nine of Webster’s previous 10 games, the Gorloks have turned over the ball only 17 times or fewer giving them the lowest turnovers per game average in the SLIAC this season. Against Principia, however, they gave away 22 possessions. “We came of slow,” Williams said. “Our energy was slow and that made everything go down the drain right there.” Down to the inal stretch hree games remain for Webster in the regular season. All three opponents Webster plays — Spalding, Fontbonne University (Mo.) and Blackburn College (Ill.) — have dropped the season’s irst meeting to the Gorloks. he inal two games will be played on the road. Last season, Webster lost three of its inal four games on the road. he team hopes to be riding much hotter into the playofs this year. “All these games are really big, we have to win all of them,” Williams said. “Every team we’ve played, we know everything about them and there should be no reason why we should lose.” Olufson wants the team not to just get on a hot streak but to be playing well, too. “Everyday we have to get better,” Olufson said. “We are always working on our small goals to reach the big goal.” hat “big goal” is winning the con- ference championship and earning a spot in the NCAA Division III tournament. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Standings SLIAC Women’s Basketball Westminster Webster Eureka Spalding Fontbonne Greenville MacMurray Blackburn Principia Conference Overall Record Games Back Record Win % Streak 11-1 9-4 8-4 7-5 6-6 5-6 3-9 3-9 0-12 — 2.5 3 4 5 5.5 8 8 11 12-9 12-10 12-7 9-11 7-14 10-10 8-12 3-17 2-16 0.571 0.545 0.632 0.450 0.333 0.500 0.400 0.150 0.111 Won 6 Won 2 Lost 1 Lost 1 Won 1 Lost 2 Won 3 Lost 1 Lost 5 *All statistics as of Feb. 5 Track teams see program indoor records fall at Illinois College Howard, Henkey among Webster record breakers in Jim Green Invitational By Tim Doty Sports Editor COURTESY OF MACKENZIE WILDER Freshman Charles Whitehead runs in the 4x400 meter relay at the Jim Green Invitational at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill., on Saturday, Feb. 2. Sophomore Jenny Howard of the Webster University women’s track and ield team wasn’t too happy with her performance in the Titan Open at Illinois Wesleyan University on Jan. 26. Howard posted her time of 8.13 seconds in the 60-meter dash, placing her sixth out of 37 runners in the event. However, Howard — who said she had been hampered earlier in the season with a stress fracture in her foot which she sustained over semester break — took the chance to redeem herself at the Jim Green Invitational hosted by Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill., on Saturday, Feb. 2. Howard ran the 60-meter dash in a Webster-record 8.0 seconds and placed irst among the eight who participated in the event. he sophomore also ran the 200-meter dash and set a Webster indoor record with a time of 27.99 seconds, placing her ith out of 21 participants. “I was pretty happy, especially in the 60(-meter dash),” Howard said. “he 60 is probably my favorite race indoor. My irst meet last week (Jan. 26) didn’t go very well. I did OK, but I wasn’t really happy with it. I was more happy that I ran a good time in the 60. Winning the meet in the 60 was an added bonus. he 200(-meter dash) — not my favorite race and I didn’t run it too well, but I guess it’s nice to break the record my irst time running it this year.” Junior Eroica Stackhouse placed seventh out of 24 runners in the one-mile run with a time of 5:44:07. Junior Julie Greenough also participated in the one-mile run, inishing four spots behind Stackhouse with a time of 5:53:82. Freshman Lauren Hoover also broke a Webster record in the 400-meter dash with a mark of 1:06:66, which placed her eighth out of 18 runners. In the high jump event, sophomore Kristen McDowell placed fourth out of nine participants with a score of 1.47 meters. Howard said the women’s team — which inished ninth among 15 team — breaking the school records, even this early in the track and ield season, displays how much the team has worked. “I think it really speaks volumes about how hard we work,” Howard said. “We all work very, very hard in practice. Coach (Kelly) Parsley and our coaches push us really hard. Everyone really does give 110 percent. I think it just shows everybody how hard we work and how dedicated we are.” he men’s track and ield team also contributed to changing the Webster record books. On the men’s side, senior Daniel Henkey topped his own personal and school record in back-to-back weeks. Henkey set a time of 4:36:27 in the one-mile run to place him ith out of 43 runners. Teammate sophomore Jason Hickson ended the event in 24th place with his time of 5:00:41. Henkey attributes his success to the extra workload he’s put in. “I’m very pleased with how I’m running,” Henkey said. “I’ve put in more training this winter than in past seasons. I feel it’s showing in my races. It also shows that we have a young team and a lot of these records are going to continue to be broken by me and our other runners.” Senior Aaron Oberneufemann jumped 1.77 meters in the high jump to earn him fourth place out of nine participants. Freshman Charles Whitehead also broke a Webster record with his time of 2:06:59 in the 800-meter run. Whitehead inished 13th overall among 46 in the race. he men’s team ended the day in 12th place overall out of 17 men’s teams. Up next for the Gorloks is the DePauw Invitational at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. he meet is another indoor event. Howard said if the teams continue their workouts and practices, the school records should keep falling. “Everyone basically needs to be at practice, keep working hard like we normally do and really stay focused during the meet,” Howard said. “If everyone focuses on their race, I think we’ll do well and continue to break records.” Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY RATKEWICZ What happened when the backboard broke before a Webster men’s basketball game? Visit websterjournal.com for a story on a unique moment in Webster Athletics history. Sports Feb. 6-Feb. 12, 2013 Page 8 Thode sees basketball by the numbers Jecha Jabber Golden Eagles’ Defenses Take Flight Accounting major impacts men’s basketball team with own stat keeping methods By Sam Masterson Staf Writer Life is a game of numbers for Dustin hode. hode, a senior accounting major, works with statistics every day by making charts in Microsot Excel, keeping statistics for his online gaming and being an invaluable member of the Webster University men’s basketball team. A team statistician usually records points, assists, rebounds and the stats that can be found in any box score, but hode isn’t like other teams’ statisticians. He records the statistics that dissect a team’s scoring proiciency and shooting abilities. And Webster men’s basketball coach Chris Bunch will oten look to his stats in the middle of game action. “He (Bunch) told me to, during the game, come over and tell him if there is anything I see that is not good in my stat sheet,” hode said. “We have a tendency as a team to come down, not run the play and maybe pass the ball once and then we jack up a three. And if that happens, I can tell Coach.” hode records six diferent categories of statistics on each possession throughout the game: identifying players on the court, number of passes, current score, time on the shot clock that shot was attempted, who took the shot and whether it was a successful basket or not. hode added keeping track of time on the shot clock to his duties. His role started with simple possession charts, but ater asking men’s coach Chris Bunch how to make facilitating the stats to the team easier, he revolutionized Webster basketball stat keeping. “We had issues with what players call ‘hooping,’ or just running down the court and not really running plays,” hode said. “Running plays and wear- DAN DUNCAN / he Journal Senior Dustin Thode records statistics for the previous possession during the Webster University men’s basketball game versus Eureka College (Ill.) on Jan. 26 at Grant Gymnasium. Thode started recording extra categories of stats for the team, which helps him in his accounting major. ing down the defense was as important as running plays. So I started entering the shot clock and (it) turned into me really getting bored and taking it farther.” To cure some of hode’s boredom, he also keeps some records of the opposing team so that Bunch can have something for comparisons. “hat right there takes up my full attention,” hode said. “I can’t do anything more than that.” Another job that hode appointed himself requires him to take the Webster possession chart and break down each player’s percentage of times they had possession of the ball, and if that led to points. hode said a few times he has stayed longer ater games than the coaches to get those stats complete. Bunch said he oten calls upon hode’s stats during halftime in the locker room to lay out, in better detail, what the team needs to improve upon. “Sometimes (as a coach) you just felt it was that way, but now you actually have that tangible proof,” Bunch said. hode relates his help to the basketball team to being an accountant relaying numbers to a company CEO. “he purpose of accountants and auditors are to perform analysis on things,” hode said, “So, the statements we come out with can help managers make better decisions for the company.” He said he treats keeping basketball stats similarly to an accounting internship, and hode wants to do his part to earn a victory each night he is with the team. “If I can help even in the tiniest bit in helping our coaches in a decision on who to play, what to play or how to play their offense, I feel like it’s helpful,” hode said. Bunch and players such as senior forward Roman Robinson and junior center Jarrod Huskey believe that hode does give the team an advantage over many of their opponents. But that advantage doesn’t end with just numbers. he biggest help hode believes he is, besides a statistician, is being the team water boy. He said he notices Webster is fortunate to have someone like him because many other teams don’t. “I think to myself, a short 30 or 60 seconds you’re suppose to be listening to your coach, you’ve got players walking back and forth getting water,” hode said. “Our players have the chance to sit down on a full 60-second timeout and if they want anything I’ll get it for him.” Robinson recalled during a timeout, hode skipped him on the round of water and hode If I can help even in the “coaches tiniest bit in helping our in a decision on who to play, what to play or how to play their offense, I feel like it’s helpful. Dustin Thode ” men’s basketball statistician quickly came to Robinson’s aid. “He went back and got two waters for me,” Robinson said. “And I need my water. “He is happy about it and everyone thanks him and we don’t take it as a small little job he has. It’s respectful and it’s all good.” hode also has a list of players’ personal needs each game, which include one Gatorade per half for Huskey, gum for senior guard Cody Bradisch and last season for Stephan Wittingham, hode had packages of Twizzlers on the bench. “It’s the same thing as the team: when they try hard, we do good,” hode said. “When I try hard in my job, it’s going to help.” he only time hode said he has struggled with his job is when close games are on the line. He said, like the rest of the team, he gets an adrenaline rush and focuses more on the action than a statistician should. He recalled the men’s St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament last season as particularly exciting. “I was, like, into the game, and we were all getting hyped up about the calls from the ref and stuf,” hode said. “I was missing key things, though, and I was asking the player next to me, ‘You remember who shot that three?’” He said when he is this close to the team and when the game is close at the end, he feels just like a parent in the crowd rooting on the team. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Men’s basketball prepares for showdown with Spalding Game against irst-place Golden Eagles may have postseason implications for Gorloks By Ava Roesslein Staf Writer Ater edging out a 81-76 win in overtime against Greenville College (Ill.) on Saturday, Feb. 2, the Gorloks weren’t given a chance to continue their momentum on Tuesday, Feb. 5. he scheduled game was canceled because winless Principia College (Ill.) did not have enough players for the game to participate. Principia has only seven players on its roster — two of the athletes for the Panthers are ill with the lu, while another is out with an injury — leaving them with only four players. Coach Chris Bunch said the game will be made up sometime within the next two weeks. Senior forward Roman Robinson said he looked forward to the game. “I was hoping to play them (Principia) just to get us prepared for Spalding (University) (Ky.), so it kind of was like, ‘Ah, man’ but if they’re injured and sick, we can’t really do too much,” Robinson said. Bunch said he didn’t look at the Principia game as a tune-up because he tries to get his players to focus on one game at a time. “Obviously, we were excited about playing tonight’s game just like we are any game,” Bunch said. “It’s kind of a weird occurrence (that) doesn’t happen very oten, but we’ll practice tomorrow and get ready for Spalding on hursday.” he Spalding University Golden Eagles are currently at the top of St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference stand- DAN DUNCAN / he Journal Sophomore guard Ahmad Smith readies to pass the ball in the second half of the Webster University men’s basketball team’s overtime win over Greenville College (Ill.) Smith scored 29 points in the overtime victory. ings. hey are currently 14-7 overall this season and have only one SLIAC loss to this point. Bunch thinks his team has played better the last month Standings SLIAC Men’s Basketball Spalding Westminster Eureka Webster MacMurray Fontbonne Greenville Blackburn Principia Conference Overall Record Games Back Record Win % Streak 11-1 9-3 8-4 8-4 7-5 5-7 3-8 2-10 0-11 — 2 3 3 4 6 7.5 9 10.5 14-7 16-5 12-8 10-10 10-11 7-14 8-12 2-19 0-20 0.667 0.762 0.600 0.500 0.476 0.333 0.400 0.095 0.000 Won 4 Won 5 Lost 1 Won 1 Lost 1 Won 1 Lost 2 Lost 1 Lost 20 *All statistics as of Feb. 5 — winning six of its last seven games — but in order to be successful against Spalding, the Gorloks will need to rebound the ball well. Robinson is currently ith in the SLIAC with 125 total rebounds. he Golden Eagles are statistically the best defensive team in the conference allowing 65.7 points per game, and are No. 1 in PPG with 85. “hey have a lot of consistency on the team,” Robinson said. “I think that every team is beatable. Once you keep winning and winning, people are kind of afraid to play you before you even play, so that helps them to win the game. here is a lot of intimidation there.” he last time Webster played Spalding on the road this season, it started of as a close game, with the Gorloks only down by 2 points at haltime. But the second half got away from them, and they lost the game 79-49. DAN DUNCAN / he Journal Senior forward Roman Robinson leaps for the layup against Greenville College (Ill.) at Grant Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 2. Sophomore guard Danny Zehner said he believes the Gorloks can beat Spalding because Webster beat Eureka College (Ill.), and Eureka beat Spalding. Greenville was able to make a last second shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime on Feb. 2. Webster was up by 16 points at half but fell apart in the second half. he Panthers took it to the Gorloks ater haltime as the defense broke down and allowed Greenville to score 40 points. Robinson thinks Webster should have not let the game get out of hand. “hat kind of was a negative because that game shouldn’t have even been that close,” Robinson said. “We just got slipped up on defense, and got too lax with where we were and everything.” But the Gorloks did have some good fortune in the conference standings despite not being able to play against Principia. Webster is fourth in the SLIAC with an 8-4 conference record, and the top four teams advance to the conference tournament ater the regular season ends. “I know that the team that we were tied with — they lost — so now it’s a two-way tie instead of three,” Zehner said. “So it gives us a better chance to win the tournament.” Webster has a 10-10 overall record on the season and will host Spalding on hursday, Feb. 7 at Grant Gymnasium at 8 p.m. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com RYAN JECHA For the past four years, the Spalding University (Ky.) Golden Eagles have competed in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, but not as a full-ledged member. Spalding had to go through a provisional period for entrance into the NCAA where its athletic teams could qualify for the SLIAC and NCAA tournaments. hat provisional period is now over. Webster and the other members of the SLIAC now have a new foe to fend of, and it is a dangerous one. Last April, Josh Sellmeyer wrote in his column, “he Sporting Insider,” about the possible threat Spalding could pose to the SLIAC in its irst year of tournament eligibility. hat prophecy’s coming to fruition. he Golden Eagles will roll into town on hursday, Feb. 7 to face the Webster men’s and women’s basketball teams in Webster’s home inale. he Spalding men’s basketball team sits atop the conference with a 10-1 SLIAC record. he only time the Golden Eagles have been defeated this season was in a 4-point road loss against Eureka College (Ill.), currently third place in the SLIAC. Spalding has already defeated the Webster men’s team once this season and did so in dominant fashion, winning by 30 points. Led by the top scorer in the conference — senior guard Dewhon McAfee, who averages 21.4 points per game — Spalding has the highest scoring team in the SLIAC. Its defense allows the least points of any SLIAC team. he Golden Eagles steal the ball more and turn the ball over less than any other team in the conference. Spalding’s combination of skill and smarts make them a force to be reckoned with. he Spalding women’s team holds a 7-4 record and would make the SLIAC tournament as the fourth seed if the season ended today. Spalding’s stiling defensively, allowing the fewest points in the conference. Spalding has one of the SLIAC’s dynamic players in senior forward Kelly Harrod. She averages 18.4 points per game (third best in the SLIAC) and 10.3 rebounds per game (best in the SLIAC) making her one of only two players in the conference currently averaging a double-double. Webster has long been the unoicial king of the SLIAC, winning the All-Sports Award 12 of the last 13 years. However, neither of the Webster basketball teams have been dominant this season. Ater winning the regular-season crown two years in a row, the men’s team sits in fourth place with a conference record of 8-4. he Gorlok women have fared better, sporting a 9-4 SLIAC mark and currently residing in second place in the conference. he Gorloks inished in ith place last season, but made the SLIAC tournament as Spalding was still ineligible for the tournament. But that wouldn’t happen this year as Spalding’s ineligible period is over. Webster will try to protect its turf and show it is still the elite program in the SLIAC. With the season winding down and both teams clinging to a spot in the top four, the importance of each win or loss is magniied even more. A win could keep them in the hunt, while a loss could weaken their chances for making the playofs. he last home game of the regular season for Webster will be memorable, regardless of the outcome. We could witness the beginning of a shit in the balance of power in the SLIAC. One night will not determine that, but one thing is clear: heir wings are no longer clipped. he Golden Eagles have taken light. Jecha Jabber is a biweekly column written by Galaxy Radio General Manager Ryan Jecha. Contact the writer: websterjournal@gmail.com Look for a column by Journal copy chief and layout editor Josh Sellmeyer next week.