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STUDENT LIFE
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS SINCE 1878 VOLUME 129, NO. 18
WWW.STUDLIFE.COM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2007
Jena 6 panel urges change, action BY ERIN FULTS EDITOR IN CHIEF The George Warren Brown School of Social Work is doing more than talking about the Jena Six—they’re taking action, starting with a blank sheet of paper. Last night, the School of Social Work hosted a panel discussion regarding the recent events and issues surrounding the Jena Six. Attendees included individuals who attended the Sept. 20 rally in Jena, La., interested community members and those who participated in local solidarity events here in St. Louis. The Jena Six refers to six black high school students charged with various felonies after allegedly beating up a white student in Louisiana on Dec. 4, 2006. The altercation was part of a series of racially-charged incidents that stemmed from the hanging of nooses on a tree at Jena High School after a black student and his friends asked to sit under the “whites only” tree. Numerous protests, rallies and discussions, such as this one, have sprung up in response to the charges, which critics say are overly harsh and motivated by racism.
“I’m thrilled with the turnout,” said Sara Ward, a masters of social work student and one of the organizers of the event. “There are high school students, undergraduates, retired people and even a 2-year-old here.” The goal of the event was to catalyze community dialogue and action. “It’s not enough just to go to this rally,” said Ward. “There’s been amazing energy building around Jena and we want to continue that movement and actually leave here tonight with some concrete action steps.” These desired “action steps” began on blank sheets of paper that were distributed to the approximately 50 attendees. People were asked to write down their suggestions and ideas or specific programs and ways of coming together to address the issue of racism, the judicial system and the Jena Six case. They could also provide their e-mail address to be contacted for involvement in future actions. “The idea is not just to talk about these issues, but to act on them as well,” said Sudie Nallo, a second-year student in the School of Social Work who was instrumental in organizing the panel
discussion. “[We want to] form a collective effort toward seeking change.” Panel members represented a wide range of age, profession and involvement. Members included Dorothy Rocks, an 18year-old from Hazelwood East High School; Reverend Jimmy Scott, president of the East St. Louis NAACP; Jack A. Kirkland, associate professor at the Brown School of Social Work; and several rally participants. These panelists detailed their involvement in the Jena Six case and what drew them to become more involved. They responded to audience comments later in the discussion and, in effect, demonstrated the wide range of individuals affected by this event. “[Racism] is not just happening to a people, it’s happening to a society and a nation,” said Kirkland. “The reason progress is so slow is because it only responds to pressure.” A’eesha Bell aided in leading the panel discussion and was the organizer of the bus that took Washington University students to the rally in Jena in September. She urged continued action and awareness of the racial and judicial issued surrounding Jena Six.
MATT LANTER | STUDENT LIFE
A panel of community leaders speaks at a Jena 6 event hosted by the Brown School of Social Work on Thursday. “The 21st Century civil rights movement, as this has been called, is not over with the rally down in Jena. This injustice that happened in Jena is not just exclusive to Jena…It’s everywhere,” she said. Speakers recalled their experiences at the rally and the power
they witnessed when so many people came together to try and make a difference. “When I was there, I sensed the solidarity and was humbled,” said Tesheba Wadley, a first-year Brown School student. The panel pointed out that racism exists on many levels—with
individuals, institutions and the judicial system—and that there is much left to do to fix these inherent problems. “If we don’t get it right the first time or the second time, it’s going to repeat itself,” said Reverend Scott. “That’s the way history is and we’re going to be in it.”
Pins go flying at juggling festival Forbidden fun: BY DAVID SONG NEWS EDITOR A contortionist, a 14-yearold, a one-armed man and other jugglers will be performing on campus this Saturday for the St. Louis Juggling Festival, or Jugglefest. Washington University’s National Prestigious Society of Collegiate Jugglers (NPSCJ) will be hosting the event for the fi rst time after the St. Louis Juggling Club’s relocation from the city. “St. Louis used to have a really big festival every year thrown by the St. Louis Jug-
gling Club, which has moved to St. Charles because they lost their old meeting space,” explained Thom Wall, president of NPSCJ. “There really hasn’t been a juggling fest in St. Louis for two to three years, so this is the fi rst major juggling fest in St. Louis for some time.” In 1991, the University hosted the International Jugglers’ Association (IJA) Festival on campus. The IJA Festival is the largest juggling event worldwide. This weekend’s event, said Wall, will see a number of jugglers from across the country, some of them quite renowned.
MATT LANTER | STUDENT LIFE
Junior Thom Wall (left) and passing partner Jim Hendricks practice Monday night in the lower level of Mallinckrodt. The National Prestigious Society of Collegiate Jugglers, Wash. U.’s juggling club, is hosting the St. Louis Juggling Festival this weekend.
They’re in it to win it Both men’s and women’s tennis prove to be a smashing success on the court. Read all about the successful end of the fall season. Sports, Page 3
“We’ve got a very large public show on Saturday,” he said. “We’ve got jugglers from Atlanta, Texas, Arkansas, from all over the place just to see the show.” Some of the larger names performing at the public show include Book Kennison, a St. Charles juggler and contortionist who can pass his sixfoot-tall body through the frame of a tennis racket, and Tony Pezzo, a 14-year-old ring juggler who won the silver medal at the 2005 IJA Festival. Eighteen-year-old Cameron Ritter, a three-time IJA competition fi nalist, will be performing at the public show as well. “I’m looking forward to it,” said Ritter. “The last couple of years, there has been a low turnout. I’m looking forward to meeting new jugglers [at the University] because you see old ones every year.” Casey Boehmer, a threetime IJA medalist who won the gold medal in 1996, may well attract the most attention at Jugglefest. Boehmer was born without his left forearm. “Our headliner is Casey Boehmer, who is the only onearmed juggler in the world, and he’s working on juggling five clubs in one hand,” said Wall. “He’s a really amazing human being.” Boehmer, 25, who began juggling in 1989, started performing with his family and has juggled for audiences worldwide, including at Washington University during the 1991 IJA Festival. “St. Louis has always got a good convention, where we kicked it in high gear with our family act at [Washington University],” said Bohemer. “It’s always a real good time, with people showing up. I’m looking forward to it; I haven’t been there since the club used to meet in Eliot Hall in the nineties. I’m looking forward to it. It should be full-throttle this year, with a full stage and a good ceiling height.” Although Boehmer will per-
form by himself, he expects to pull off a solid performance— provided the Brown Hall ceiling is high enough for juggling five clubs with one hand. “Four clubs in one hand is extremely technical, even with two hands,” he said. “If the ceilings are high enough, I’ll more than likely do five clubs—jugglers are pretty impressed with that and it’s hard as hell to do. I’ve done up to seven rings, and you get that maybe one out of ten times. Normally I end the routine with rings—with six rings, maybe seven rings.” Student jugglers will also perform at the public show. Wall himself and Jim Hendricks, a University alumnus, will juggle together as the most technically proficient passing team in St. Louis. Wall and Hendricks began preparation for Jugglefest during the spring of this year. “It’s been [Hendricks] and me planning this thing since around May of this year and since it’s just the two of us we’re doing a lot of work,” said Wall. “It looks to be really cool.” With Jugglefest, Wall hopes that Student Union (SU) will increase funding for NPSCJ. As a recreational club, the organization does not receive any SU funding. With Jugglefest, however, it is possible that NPSCJ will be moved up to a category 2 group, receiving a budget and being recognized as a student group that represents the University. “There are a lot of other schools’ ambassadors coming—it’s good for the Juggling Club, and as a part of the University, we’re being ambassadors to the juggling world,” said Wall with a chuckle. The public show will take place on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. in Brown 100. The festival will be held from Friday to Sunday in the Women’s Building. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at www.wujuggling. com.
Who’s the next WUTube celeb? Don’t be surprised if surfing the Net brings up videos of your roommate or Dean Biggs on YouTube. Check out the online fun. Scene, Page 8
exploring sexual lifestyles BY STEVE HARDY CONTRIBUTING REPORTER
In their newest sex presentation, the Alternative Lifestyles Association (ALA) hopes to shock, provoke and entice students who are exploring different sexual options. The Sunday event, known as the Forbidden Fun Party, will answer students’ questions about sex play, teach students safe practices of sex toys and display adult materials for purchase. The Forbidden Fun Party will feature guest speaker Dallas Bryson, who graduated from the University last year and is an ALA alumna. She is currently the special events planner and head educator for Spanky’s, a local adult store, and will be on hand to help students learn more about toys that they can use to enhance their sex lives. “I’ll talk about different types of materials, safety considerations, care and cleaning,” said Bryson. “I’ll also talk about anatomy, proper lubrication and condoms, what to look for in a toy, and how to pick out which one will do what you want.” The presentation will discuss lubricants, bondage equipment, anal beads and sex toys, and everything at the event will be on sale. Additionally, attendees will receive a gift bag with condoms, lube and coupons to Spanky’s. The store will donate 20 percent of the event’s revenue to ALA to bring speakers to campus. The event will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday on the third floor of Umrath Hall. Past ALA speakers have included Jack McGeorge, a U.N. weapons inspector who came under attack from the U.S. government when it became known that he was the president of Black Rose, a BDSM organization. BDSM can refer to bondage and discipline, domination and submission and sadism and mas-
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ochism. “He talked to us about the importance of keeping your cool when people doubt your sanity,” said junior Kay Auslander, ALA president. Auslander hopes to lead a discussion this semester on one’s decision to be open with his or her alternative lifestyle, “and what effect that would have with your family, friends, workplace or university.” Past speakers have included a professional dominatrix, a psychology professor who talked about asexuality and a nurse who discussed safety and hygiene in edgeplay—sexual play that may involve knives. At more relaxed meetings, the group may watch movies, such as “Secretary” or “Vice and Consent,” a documentary about the BDSM community. Other times,
See ALA, page 2
LUCY MOORE | STUDENT LIFE
Dallas Bryson, the Alternative Lifestyles Association club advisor, stands with sex toys from the adult store Spanky’s. ALA will host their Forbidden Sex Party, a presentation aimed at increasing the awareness of alternative sexual lifestyles.
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