*Pictures of Mark Renninger, Tina Griswold, Ronald Owen, Greg Richards provided by the Lakewood Police Department*
*Picture of Maurice Clemmons provided by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department*
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e-qual (ēk’kwal) adj. Of the same measurement, quality, or value as another, having the same privileges or rights. (According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)
A Approve 71 voter holds a gay pride flag.
Equal. One word that means so much to so many people.
In 1920, women were given the right to vote with the approval of the Nineteenth Amendment. In 1964, disc
rimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, and religion was outlawed in schools, public places and in employment.
In 2009, Washington State confirmed a new law that gives same sex couples the right to register for domestic partnerships.
“The opposition always wants to talk about one man, one woman equals marriage. But in reality, this doesn’t equal marriage—this is one step from it,” said Justin Leighton, an Approve 71 activist. “We always look at it as we’re all equal. This country was based on liberty and justice for all. And it seems like that’s only applicable when it’s ok by the majority. And it’s not “justice for all,” it’s not “equal” for everybody unless the majority says so.”
Justin Leighton, Approve 71 activist.
Senate Bill 5688, or Referendum 71 as it was widely known, extended the domestic partnership law to same sex couples and to couples with one partner who is at least 62-years-old or older. This law was established to make domestic partnerships provide the same legal provisions as marriage does for heterosexual couples. With the passing of Referendum 71, homosexual and elderly couples now have the right to visit their partner in the hospital, maintain their social security and pension benefits, and couples with firefighters or police officers as partners who are killed or harmed in the line of duty can now receive their partner’s pension.
"This world is no longer dominated in population or in control of straight white men anymore,” said Chernin, the executive director of GSBA.
“Is a relationship that heterosexuals hold so fragile, that they think opening it up so that everybody’s relationship can be equally respected, would threaten theirs? Of course we don’t believe that,” said Louise Chernin, executive director of the Greater Seattle Business Association, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) chamber of commerce. “Would we ever believe that awarding civil rights to African-Americans or allowing women to work and have credit and what have you, really threatened men or white people? Absolutely not. In fact, it strengthens us and that’s what people have to say, the world has changed. This world is no longer dominated in population or in control of straight white men anymore.”
Referendum 71 passed with a 53 percent approval to a 47 percent rejection. It was the first time in the history of the United States that a gay rights ballot was approved by popular vote.
With over 280 organizations endorsing the “Approve 71” campaign, including Microsoft, Google, Nike, NAACP chapter of King County, and The News Tribune, the “Reject 71” campaign was pushed aside with only 32 endorsements from religious and conservative organizations or leaders.
Referendum 71 sign wavers showed their support and dedication to the Approve 71 campaign.
mar-riage (mar’ij) n. (1) The state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as a husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2) the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same sex marriage> (According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)
In a statement made by Gov. Christine Gregoire on her website (www.governor.wa.gov) on Nov. 5, 2009 regarding the passing of Referendum 71, the governor stated:
“I am extremely pleased that voters have approved Referendum 71. I signed the original bill and believe it is the right policy for our great state. Washington state has a history of fighting to ensure everyone – mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters – enjoys equal rights. From the first bill I signed in 2007 to this new law, we have proudly made great strides on behalf of all Washington families.”
The “everything but marriage law” was originally signed by Governor Christine Gregoire on May 18, 2009. By July, Protect Marriage Washington, which disapproved of the domestic partnership law, and other religious conservative groups gathered the 120, 577 signatures to establish a referendum for the November 2009 election.
“It was really disheartening to see that anybody was taking a stance against that piece of legislation,” said Aimee Welch, executive director of Tacoma’s Rainbow Center, a community center for the LGBT community. “It validates that the need for us to exist, cause it still happens, people are still discriminated against, people are treated poorly.”
According to Protect Marriage Washington’s website, Referendum 71 will “demolish the state’s historical understanding and definition of marriage as that of uniting a man and a woman for life.” Referendum 71 was not about same sex marriage as Protect Marriage Washington advertised. The referendum instead gives same sex and elderly couples the same rights as a married couple. The ballot even stated that “a domestic partnership is not a marriage.”
“This legislation wasn’t about marriage, so that’s a big part of the problem with their advertising campaign,” said Welch. “We’re people too and we make just as strong and long of commitments as heterosexual people. I think that there’s a distinct issue with the separation of church and state and in this country, we have intermingled those two things with marriage.”
The United States’ neighbor, Canada performs and recognizes same sex marriages. So does Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden. Spain, which is nearly 95 percent Roman Catholic, also performs and recognizes same sex marriages.
Only five out of the fifty states in the U.S. allow for same sex marriages: Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Iowa, and New Hampshire (starting Jan. 1, 2010). New York and the District of Columbia recognize same sex marriages, but do not perform them.
Ten states, including Washington, allow for domestic partnerships or civil unions between same sex couples. And in 2008, for nearly four months California performed same sex marriages until Proposition 8 was passed, which made marriage only be between one man and one woman. Voters are trying to create another ballot initiative for the 2010 election to allow for same sex couples to marry in the state of California.
Domestic partnerships may have been approved in Washington, but this state wasn’t the only state voting on gay rights this past November. Last May, Maine state legislature passed a law that would allow for same sex marriage. However, the law was never put into effect. Instead, voters in Maine were put to test in the November election. The law was rejected. This result made Maine the 31st state to reject same sex marriage by popular vote.
“I think our community has a lot of different definitions and feelings about civil unions, domestic partnerships, marriage equality, not marrying at all,” said Chernin. “But I think 100 percent of people believe that whenever there’s a segment of your society that cannot fully participate in something, it’s wrong and it creates different classes of citizens.”
“These things are important to people. These are real life issues,” said Leighton on the night of the November 2009 election. “This isn’t a game—we’re not out here trying to prove any more of a point than just saying you know, if I want to be with my partner in an emergency room with them, I should have that right. By voting against this referendum, that is taking that right away and that just isn’t fair, it just isn’t right. It’s a free country, not when the majority just says otherwise.”
Referendum 71 has become a stepping stone for gay rights. Domestic partnerships allow for same sex couples to enjoy the same benefits as married couples, but they do not get to call their status as being “married.” Even if a same sex couple from Washington were to move to a state such as Montana or Georgia, their domestic partnership status would not be protected in a state that does not recognize same sex unions.
Equality and marriage are two things people usually do not associate with one another. But in today’s society, the two terms are like two peas in a pod. Not until 1967 did the Supreme Court legalized interracial marriage. Now what about same sex marriage? Is there a difference between one’s race and one’s sexual orientation?
“I believe that nobody should be discriminated against as to who they love and how they love,” said Rosemary Kaiser, a Pierce Country voter who voted in favor of Referendum 71. “I just hope that everybody will be treated equally. Gays will be allowed to be married and have the rights just like any other couple has.”
Marriage within the U.S. has become a sensitive issue as some conservative groups of people try to hold on to its religious and traditional foundations. Yet, as a progressive country and state, legislation such as Referendum 71 prove that “marriage” may not be necessary in today’s world.
"I think we should have domestic partnerships," Welch, executive director of Tacoma's Rainbow Center, a community center for the LGBT community.
“I think we should have domestic partnerships—a legal contract between two people who are going to continue their lives together, support each other, do whatever it is that people do in a committed relationship and that should be for heterosexual people, that should be for homosexual people, that should be for old people, young people, whoever is of age and has the ability to consent to that kind of a personal contract it should be available to,” said Welch.
Perhaps being a progressive state is just the beginning. It might be a long time before equality and marriage can be in the same sentence when regarding gay rights. There are traditions the American society tries to hold on to, however as a young country we have come a long way in regards to women’s rights and African-American’s rights. Next on the agenda will be gay rights. As Chernin said:
“Laws are an important start, but we still need to change hearts and minds.”
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PLU employee terminated for disposing of newspapers
By: Kari PlogFrom Speculation to Termination
Student curiosity led to the recent termination of a Pacific Lutheran University custodial staff member. The man, who was the regular staff member in charge of duties in the Morken Center for Learning and Technology, was caught by The Mast staff stealing hundreds of issues of the publication during off-hours.
“My first assumption was that it was a student or multiple students, but not a custodian,” junior TJ Hecker, business and advertising manager for The Mast, said. “I was surprised to find out it was a custodian.”
Starting at the beginning of the semester, staff members in charge of circulation noticed that newspapers were disappearing from newsstands at an unusual rate. Initially, it was believed to be an area of high demand for the publication.
“I noticed that papers left the stand pretty quickly,” Hecker said. “It wasn’t until I went the day after placing the papers and noticed they were all gone that I thought something was up.”
In response to rising suspicion, Facilities Management was contacted. Multiple employees reported that no unusual disposal of papers was evident during daily rounds in or around Morken. Following this inquiry, Campus Safety was notified.
“My first assumption was that someone was stealing them,” Hecker said. “We don’t pay for 400 papers to be stolen each week. That is a big chunk of our spending.”
Mast staff members discreetly monitored papers in the building during hours of operation in early November. After uncovering no leads, Director of Campus Safety Tony Berger coordinated a hidden camera operation in Morken with the permission of administration. The attempt was unsuccessful due to technological difficulties.
“I thought the best way to catch the person was to set up video after the papers were delivered,” Berger said. After that failed I thought a stake-out, which was already suggested by Mast staff, would work only if there was a promise that no personal confrontation would occur, if and when the perpetrator was caught.”
A stake-out was coordinated as a result, and Mast staff members were granted access to Morken room 103 during off-hours to monitor the newsstand further.
At approximately 5:20 a.m. on Nov. 13, staff members were able to obtain live footage and sequenced photographs of a PLU custodian wheeling a trash bin up to the Morken newsstand and disposing of all 400 newspapers.
Former Morken custodian disposes of hundreds of Mast issues during off-hours. The employee was terminated after photographs and footage were turned into Campus Safety and human resources. Photo by Mast Staff
“An advantage to this for all of us was that The Mast had a good camera and photographer available,” Berger said.
Following this gathering of evidence, staff members turned the evidence into Campus Safety, and the department of human resources was immediately contacted.
“What I took away from this incident is that if students, faculty, and staff work together to solve problems we can be successful,” Berger said. “We can trust each other that, in the final analysis, we are all interested in making PLU a place where we can be proud to learn, work and live. I am pleased that we have done so in this case.”
This crime is believed to have occurred each week over the course of the past semester. Staff members in charge of circulation in past years noticed a similar trend, possibly suggesting that this crime may have been committed throughout the past few years.
Due to confidentiality surrounding the personnel action taken, a name was not released and the former employee was unable to be contacted for comment.
The Response and the Process
Following the incident, corrective action was taken by human resources that ultimately led to the termination of the employee.
A memo that was released to the parties involved in the investigation on Nov. 18 said “Late Tuesday afternoon, human resources was informed of details concerning missing Mast newspapers from Morken Center. As a result, confidential personnel action was taken this morning.”
In an interview following the release of this memo, Teri Phillips, director of human resources, confirmed the termination of the custodian.
“I want to maintain confidentiality,” Phillips said, “but it is fair to say that this person is no longer working at PLU.”
Phillips emphasized the delicacy that is executed when accusations such as these are brought through human resources.
“Everything that happens is dealt with on a case-by-case basis with lots of thought and always with the input of the affected employee,” Phillips said. “We always ask them for their recollection of the events.”
According to the human resources Personnel Manual under the provision outlining corrective action, “each disciplinary situation is different and the university reserves the right to take whatever corrective action it feels appropriate in any given situation.”
“There was a process,” Phillips said. “I can tell you that we had conversation with the now-former employee, but beyond that I don’t feel that I can tell you anymore.”
Phillips outlined the general process surrounding employment evaluation and corrective action.
“Not everything results in termination,” Phillips said. “There are a lot of times in which coaching and mentoring or a written warning can really turn performance around, and people go on to be long-term, productive employees here.”
Phillips addressed the rarity of termination at PLU. She said that issues of corrective action rarely result in termination.
“There are not a lot of terminations that happen, and we try really hard to work with individuals and have productive relationships,” Phillips said. “We value employees here and we want to keep folks.”
The department of human resources was unable to go on the record with any specifics regarding conversations had with the former employee. However, other university officials provided insight into the motive in question.
“My understanding is that the removal of the Masts in Morken was related to keeping the building clean and was in no way related to the content of the newspaper,” Laura Majovski, Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students, said.
PLU President Loren Anderson further confirmed the motive, and expressed disappointment in the acts of the custodian.
“It was an act of preventive cleaning,” Anderson said. “It was a thoughtless and inappropriate action.”
The Mast, along with the rest of student media, is a branch of Student Involvement and Leadership, a department funded and facilitated by the Student Life office. The money used by The Mast to publish each week comes from a grant provided by Student Life at the beginning of the academic year. The disposal and theft of the newspapers was an act against university property.
Calculations conducted by The Mast staff conclude that nearly $1,500 worth of newspapers was disposed of since the beginning of the semester. Majovski and Anderson said that charges have not been filed.
“The university is most concerned that the removal of the newspapers has stopped,” Majovski said. “I am not aware of any discussion of pursuing the incident further.”
Anderson echoed this response.
“It is not an issue we’ve discussed,” Anderson said.
Hecker, who was mainly concerned with the financial and implicit affects facing The Mast, emphasized the detriment caused by the act of theft.
“It’s a lot more than the base amount that was spent on printing,” Hecker said. “From just this year alone we lost a bare minimum of $1,500, and that is not taking into account the amount of time that students took putting papers in that building, the amount of work that was put into making those papers, and the advertisements that were paid for that didn’t get out to people.”
With limited funds to print, Hecker exhibited frustration surrounding the “wasted” papers.
“A big factor is all the money that was wasted by those papers being thrown away,” Hecker said. “It didn’t financially hurt us in any way, but it definitely gave us insight into what we could have better spent our money on rather than wasted papers.”
Reaction and Ramifications
The motive of this former employee has been identified, but some feel the ramifications are far-reaching, exceeding the financial and legal issues that already surround the incident.
“I think this is harmful for any publication, not just a student publication,” Doug Drowley, PLU communication instructor said. “The fact that it happened here gives us a forum to talk about it, but for any publication to know that roughly 20-30 percent of people that could see (the paper’s) message are being kept from that message means that you have a less informed population.”
Drowley, who emphasized the importance of avoiding speculation regarding the incident, addressed the broader result following the theft.
“The hindrance of free speech is not good for press, it’s not good for society, and it’s not good for community,” Drowley said.
Karen Peterson, executive editor for the Tacoma News Tribune, emphasized what an action like this means for the free flow of information to a community.
“His action certainly inhibits free press and freedom of expression,” Peterson said. “We have decided that it is healthy to have a free exchange of ideas, and there are some guarantees that go along with that, preventing people from stopping the free flow of expression.”
Peterson disregarded speculation surrounding the motive of this man, and said it is irrelevant.
“I won’t speak to his motive, I don’t know him and I don’t know enough about this case,” Peterson said, “but the fact is that there are laws in place that protect the people expressing themselves regardless of what his motive was, so his motive almost doesn’t matter.”
Cliff Rowe, PLU professor of communication, iterated the importance of a free press in a self-governing society, and that an interference of circulation hinders that freedom.
“I think it is an abuse of a free press,” Rowe said. “Press is not free if you have people hindering the distribution of it. There are many ways you can violate press freedom, and stealing newspapers is one of them because you are taking the actual press out of circulation.”
Rowe said that it is not only those who contribute to newspapers that have a responsibility to that publication, but also the readers.
“I think that the public fails to recognize that they are also stewards to a free press,” Rowe said. “It is not just those producing the press that have a stake in press freedom, it is also anyone who benefits from it.”
Hecker and other members of The Mast staff expected a greater level of respect from a PLU employee regarding the circulation of their publication.
“You think he would’ve considered the interest of the students, since he worked here, and better supported us for all the work put into it,” Hecker said.
For Hecker and the rest of the staff, the question that lingered following the incident was “why?”
“All that work put into (the newspaper) just thrown away,” Hecker said. “I want to know why he felt it was necessary to make his job easier at the expense of our jobs.”
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Cliff Rowe remains optimistic.
In spite of the struggles facing print journalism as content shifts online, the Pacific Lutheran University professor of communication sees more opportunity than tragedy.
“I think it’s a really exciting time to be a journalist,” Rowe said. The question, Rowe said, is “how can journalists accommodate the new media in a way that will make the news more accessible and still maintain the integrity?”
PLU communication professor and former Mast advisor Cliff Rowe. Photo by Tyler Scott.
While Rowe’s question and optimism could apply to the larger world of journalism, he directed his message toward Pacific Lutheran’s student media organizations.
“If you develop it right, you’re talking about a 24-hour news operation that focuses on this community,” Rowe said.
With journalism worldwide evolving into an online commodity, PLU’s recent push within student media has been toward online content. A recently launched Web site creates a new online presence for The Mast, as well as PLU’s television station KCNS and online radio station KCCR. The site also hosts content from PLU’s social justice journal The Matrix and literary magazine Saxifrage.
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“I don’t have a Facebook because they get you into trouble,” said Pacific Lutheran University student Anthony Slater. “People post things on there that they don’t want others to see, or other people post it without you knowing.”
PLU students and faculty weigh in on Facebook and its global impact.
PLU students Monroe Samifua (left) and Anthony Slater (right) discuss social media in Ingram computer lab. Photo courtesy of Taylor Krueger.
“People tell me to get one all the time, but I never do,” said Slater.
According to the official site, Facebook is a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and coworkers. The company develops technologies that make easy the sharing of information through the social graph, the digital mapping of people’s real-world social connections. Sign up is free and the website says people can interact in a trusted environment.
For many PLU students, Facebook is not always efficient and may lack real-world connections in a trusted environment.
To inform users and participants of the general growth of Facebook, the official Facebook website shared the following:
- Over 300 million active (users who have returned to site in the last 30 days)
- 50% of active users log on in any given day
- The fastest growing demographic is those 35 years old and older
“I check my Facebook page a dozen times a day and enjoy the instant messaging and wall posts,” said PLU student Monroe Samifua. “I also pride myself on having an uncluttered and organized Facebook profile.”
Facebook is being used to represent individuals and students are becoming aware of the “good impressions” and “bad impressions” that can result from pictures or wall posts.
“I feel that Myspace is drama, and Facebook is classy,” said Samifua.
Samifua's example of an "organized" Facebook wall. Photo by Taylor Krueger.
Since the Facebook phenomena, Myspace has significantly diminished in popularity among PLU students due to unprofessional or inappropriate appearance and usage.
“There’s only a group of people I talk to constantly and that’s usually when I’m sitting down to do school work,” said Samifua.
Some students believe the Friends section of Facebook is simply a popularity contest to see who can attain the most “friends,” even when users don’t actually talk or communicate with their 800 “friends” listed.
“I have around 400 friends on Facebook and only talk to a fraction of them,” said PLU student Jayme Larson.
Frequently users have “friends” who they don’t even know.
“I don’t have friends on Facebook that I don’t care about,” said Samifua. “I actually tried to erase people, who I never talk to, but then they would try to contact me and I’d have to explain why they couldn’t and would end up adding them to my friends list again.”
In regards to user engagement and international growth, the Facebook site includes:
- The average user has 130 friends
- Over 8 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (worldwide)
- Over 45 million status updates each day
- More than 10 million users become fans of pages each day
- Over 70 translations available on the site
- About 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States
“Facebook is a representation of technology and a reflection of our generation,” said Samifua.
Discussions are taking place involving the question of what Facebook, and other social media, is doing to current and
Official Facebook site (login page).
future social interaction.
“The difficulty with studying social media is that it’s self observation and self reflection,” said Professor of Communication Peter Ehrenhaus. “We fit ourselves into new technologies to do those social acts.”
Ehrenhaus explains how Facebook and other media are used as a tool for interaction and how that tool is used is what’s important.
“Facebook is great, as long as it’s used properly and the way it’s meant to be used,” said Larson.
A strong fear related to social media is the interaction between sexual predators and children. The Facebook website says user privacy has always been a top priority for the company, which has worked with such organizations as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“I always log on when I’m bored and I like to look at pictures of friends,” said Larson. “When they add so many applications, it’s really in large part, great entertainment.”
According to the Facebook site, recent application numbers include the following:
- Over 2 billion photos uploaded to the site each month
- More than 14 million videos uploaded each month
- More than 2 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) shared each week.
“Entertainment is in effect, communication,” said Clinical Instructor of Communication, Arthur Land.
With all sorts of applications including games and surveys, Facebook is more than just chatting with friends. Users can stay in contact by interacting through fun contests and amusements.
“Social media is taking the place of original media,” said Land.
Facebook pictures of friends. Photo courtesy of Taylor Krueger.
Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging and blog posts have changed how consumers get information. The information is the same; it’s just distributed differently today in ways that are easier and quicker.
“The newspaper still needs people to investigate and gather information because we don’t get it anywhere else,” said Land. “The information is distributed differently through other faster media, but the information still originates from newspapers.”
With Facebook, users have an additional source to hear breaking news and information. Newspapers, radio, and television are all becoming secondary sources in comparison to social media, which is arguably the primary resource of information for many people.
“The problem with newspapers is that the people who read them are dying,” said Land.
With social media on the rise, print journalism and hard copy resources are fighting to survive and struggling with financial demands.
However, Facebook and print news both contain advertisements.
“It’s like anything else, if you see something on the advertising column on your page and it catches your attention, there’s a good chance you’ll check out the website for whatever the product is,” said Larson.
Students differ on the true impact these ads have and their pages and how often they actually stray to visit the product’s site.
“I’m not sure how influential the ads really are, but I know on my page, I get advertisements for NFL stuff all the time and think its cool,” said PLU student Tim Cumming.
Incorporating the mobile users who have Facebook access at the palm of their hand, Facebook shared the following:
- Over 65 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices
- More than 180 mobile operators in 60 countries working to deploy and promote Facebook mobile products
Despite technological advancements with social media and interaction, Cumming still says, “There will always be a place for the written word.”
In a consumer driven society, only time will tell what tool of socialization will dominate in future years.
Beyond the academic discussion of social media, PLU student Elizabeth Browning shares her more personal experience with Facebook.
“It’s kind of a negative addiction for me,” said Browning. “It keeps me connected to past relationships that I don’t want to be connected to and don’t want to see.”
A user’s profile, wall and photos are up for scrutiny and observation the moment they accept or send a friend request.
“My boyfriend cheated on me and I caught him on Facebook,” said Browning, “and I couldn’t let it go.”
Many students talk about being on the computer all night chatting with friends.
“Facebook is emotionally distracting and I tend to stalk,” said Browning. “I feel it’s not healthy and shouldn’t exist.”
Browning feels so strongly concerned with the issue, she has considered building her Capstone around Facebook.
“It keeps me very locked in to negative habits,” said Browning. “I make judgments about others from their profile information, and that’s something I don’t like about myself.”
Specifically on the Profile of users, friends can learn about their relationship status, religion, favorite movies and music, their extracurricular activities and anything else the individual posts.
“Facebook trivializes things and feels immature,” said Browning, “and there’s too much superficial stuff about who’s in a relationship and who’s doing what.”
The question arises regarding how much a user can truly know about another person based off what is posted on their page.
“It’s really stupid things to care about,” said Browning.
She continued to say how it felt similar to “high school” type interaction with popularity contests and constant gossip updates. When Browning was asked out on several dates via Facebook, she felt disgusted at where individuals are at socially.
“With more communication occurring without physical contact or hearing the tone or voice of the person, we’re relying on instant gratification and completely changing our relationships,” said Browning.
The ongoing debate still encompasses whether or not this tool of social media is benefiting society or hindering it. A common answer among students – it’s not that social media is being used, but how it’s being used.
“Using Facebook is the best way to be passive aggressive,” said Browning, “and it’s a weird balance between communicating more frequently, but not as well.”
She discussed how texting via phone has changed the dynamic of communication, making it impersonal and detached.
Opinions are torn among PLU students whether Facebook is a healthy social interaction or not, but the fact remains of its influence and impact across the world.
KOMO 4 News described this morning the Facebook page created in memory of the four police officers killed Sunday – there are over 57,000 members who share in mourning and sympathy.
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By Amber Schlenker
The religion department at Pacific Lutheran University is making changes and changing views. As a topic widely discussed around the world, senior, Aerri Smith enrolled at PLU to study sociology, but after her first encounter with the religion department, her course was altered forever.
“After my first religion class at PLU I knew that this is what I wanted to study,” she said. Smith will graduate from PLU with a BA in religion. Smith was weary of studying religion at PLU, “because I didn’t want to burn out, but now I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The religion department’s teaching objectives are derived from its Lutheran Heritage and according to the department website; they have “a commitment to intellectual inquiry and questioning as essential to the life of faith.”
Open-mindedness, questioning and searching for answers is the approach to learning religion and has proved to be the center of debate. “There is definitely controversy among students as well as the faculty on the approach of teaching religion at PLU,” Dr. Trelstad said.
The department has declared devotion to allowing its students a safe place to discover and question. “Lutheran Heritage started in a university with Martin Luther,” Dr. Marit Trelstad, religion professor at PLU said, and “we try not to tell students what to think or believe, but how to get their own answers.”
Smith enrolled at PLU expecting her beliefs to change with age and time, but “the religion department has not changed my beliefs, I love studying religion,” she said.
However, not all students at PLU have had the same experience with the religion department as Smith. “I came to PLU hoping that I would be taught truth,” senior O’Grady said, “but instead I was asked consider lies as truth.”
O’Grady is the daughter of a Christian pastor and expected PLU’s education system and religious community to reinforce and support her beliefs. “I was very shocked that I was asked to even consider something so wrong,” she added.
As a vocal performance major, O’Grady was invited to perform during a chapel service her freshman year. Her parents attended the event, and “my mother about came unglued to hear what the philosophy professor said while giving the homily,” she said, “he told us we should consider that Jesus may not have risen from the dead physically, but it was more spiritually.” O’Grady expressed this aspect Christian faith is essential and to challenge it would be heretical. Continue Reading »
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Buddhism in America is sweeping across the nation, like the swine flu. Celebrities like Goldie Hawn, Richard Gere, and Tina Turner have converted and brought it to the public attention. The Dali Lama is also a Buddhist figure that is widely recognized around the world.
Buddhism was first brought to America by immigrants from Asian countries and gained popularity for its belief system.
“Early Japanese came here in 1898 or so, they sent a letter back to Japan saying we’re missing the dharma can you send someone out here. So the first church was founded in San Francisco in response to that around 1898,” said Rev. Joe of the Seattle Buddhist Temple.
The Seattle Buddhist Temple and garden.
Two students at Pacific Lutheran University, senior Roxanne Faiva and senior Kalessa Hamilton found Buddhism to be interesting while taking a religion and culture course with Michael Zbaraschuk. They decided to participate in a traditional Buddhist service.
“I was raised and still am Catholic. I came wanting to experience something different that I not use to and open myself up to different cultural perspectives,” said Roxanne.
The two of them visited a Buddhist temple located in Seattle. The temples name is the Seattle Buddhist Temple. They both attended a regular Sunday service on November 22, at 10am.
“The service was nothing like I would have expected it to have been. Its format was like that of any Christian church I have been too, except the concepts and sermons were completely different,” said Kalessa.
The Seattle Buddhist Temple is part of the Jodo Shinshu tradition under the mother temple the Nishi Hongwanji in Japan. It is also affiliated with the Buddhist Churches of America.
One of the Reverands at the temple delivers his dharma talk.
“Buddhism has been a presence here in Seattle since 1900, so they have been here over 100 years at first it was in somebody’s apartment and this church itself was completed in 1941 and right shortly after it had been completed the attack on Pearl Harbor had taken place. So the us government took over this building and fortunately took good care of it. After the war it was returned to the community,” said Rev. Joe.
The building is out of place, located in an urban neighborhood in Seattle, but has stunning Japanese architecture and across the road they own a small garden. In the garden there is the large statue of Shinran Shonin and a Bonsho which is the large bell used to signify the opening service. Inside the temple where their services are held striking and very clean. The shrine to Ahmida Buddah a separate room in the service are where the reverends sit and it glitters of gold.
The statue of Shinran Shonin located ouside in the garden.
“I was over come by the beauty of the place inside and out. It was like entering a small Asian art museum,” said Kalessa.
The shrine dedicated to Ahmida Buddah, located in the temple.
The Seattle Buddhist Temple is very beautiful and captivating, but that isn’t the only thing that captured the attention of the two students.
“The fact that most of the reverends were white shocked me. I was expecting to see old Asian men in colored robes talking to us,” said Kalessa.
One of the reverend that Kalessa spoke of was Rev. Jim Warrick and another is Rev. Joe.
“I was raised as a Catholic in Spokane I actually went to Gonzaga prep which was a catholic school it was my junior religion class that convinced me that there was something wrong with what I was being taught. So I spent many years wondering around doing nothing and finally about age 45 or so I thought this is kind of an empty existence and I was looking for something and I just happened to go to a seminar at the University of Washington where I met Rev. Don Castro and became a Buddhist after that. So I have been around this temple a while but I wasn’t raised Buddhist at all. My mother is kind of embarrassed still when she talks about me, but that would have happened any way,” said Rev. Joe.
“I got asked that question around 20 years ago, what are you doing here. What’s a guy with a heavy southern accent grew up as a southern Baptist doing in a Buddhist church. Like you, like everyone else I was searching… the best way I can describe it is something that feels good and that fits me and I started out in Zen Buddhism. That’s a lot of work, it is rough on the knees, I can’t sit still very long,” said Rev. Jim.
What draws people to Buddhism is different for everyone. Some people have been born into it and that is the religion they know and others are searching for something different, some sort of meaning and inner peace. Buddhism is not easy and can be complex but it is a path, one that can be followed. The four noble truths are the pillars every form of Buddhism is born on. The four noble truths are:
1) Life is suffering
2) Suffering is caused by desire
3) There is an end to suffering
4) The way is the noble 8 fold path
“That’s what life really is because every time something good happens there is kind something bad is lurking or just happened. The best example of this is when the Buddha was out during a ceremony for planting the crops in the spring when he was a young child or teenager they were plowing out the fields and this was important to the village, because this provided crops for the rest of the year. They were plowing the fields and the Buddah noticed you know were getting all this good stuff but there is also bugs and plants and animals dying out there because all the sudden they were exposed. The birds come down and eat the bugs, the lizards jump on the birds and it goes on. So even during this great time and celebration there is this stuff going on that isn’t so good and that’s was it really is. Things aren’t going to be perfect, and the more we want them to be perfect the more frustrated we are going to become. If we just accept things as they are then life kind of makes sense,” said Rev. Joe.
Buddhism is a religion open to everyone. Some people like to see it as a way of life more then a following. The temple in Seattle is dedicated to Jodo Shinshu, the pure land teachings of Buddhism which is derived from the Mahayana Buddhism. Jodo Shinshu is the largest group in Japan, somewhere between 12 and 20 million. There are about 10 thousand Jodo Shinshu temples in Japan.
“It’s a laid back Buddhist. That’s the way I like to say it, laid back Buddhist, because traditional Buddhist you are really trying to improve yourself and you’re working towards your enlightenment. Then as you move in that direction you find out how difficult it is to obtain enlightenment on your own. As you find that out Judo Shinshu Buddhism then you realize that we all are enlightened. We are all working in that direction. But we do it with the help of the other power which is known as Ahmida Buddha, which is what our whole shrine is dedicated to. Ahmida Buddha is not really a person per say, it’s a personification of an ideal or concept which is love, wisdom and passion all rolled into one,” said Rev. Jim.
Roxanne and Kalessa have not converted to Buddhism, but they do remember teachings of the Buddha. One in particular from the dharma, which is that from the mud grows the lotus. This teaching is presented to every Buddhist and it is the Buddhist job to interpret it into what they think it means to them. The lotus can be a representation of ones self or enlightenment and the mud can signify the ugliness of life. Their understanding of the concept brings enlightenment one step closer.
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Steven Rystrom (Left) and Michael Humberd (Right) listen and offer ideas at the MAPPE meeting. By Lorna Rodriguez
Lorna Rodriguez
rodriglb@plu.edu
After taking a Violence and Gender Studies class at George Mason University, Jonathan Grove’s life changed dramatically.
Grove, the Men Against Violence Project Coordinator and Men As Partners Promoting Equality advisor at Pacific Lutheran University, realized he no longer wanted to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Instead, Grove decided he wanted to help prevent and raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic violence.
“I felt a passion or a call that was preventative, basically to stop the trauma from happening before it was a part of people’s lives,” Grove said. “Arresting people after the fact was not good enough for me.”
Right before taking a Violence and Gender Studies class, Grove had interned at a local police station.
Once Grove graduated from college, he chose to pursue a career that allowed him to use his privilege as a white male with a college degree, to educate people and try and prevent sexual assault from happening. This proved to be easier said than done because when he graduated there were about 12 people in this field.
After doing a Yahoo search, Grove got lucky and found a position at PLU in 2006.
According to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, privilege can be defined as “an advantage or source of pleasure granted to a person.” For Grove, this means educating people to try and end violence against women.
While at PLU, Grove has worked hard to be a good example of a person using their privilege in a positive way to benefit others.
“I put myself in someone else’s shoes, and ask what’s my privilege looks like to them, what’s my impact,” Grove said. “An important piece of privilege is recognizing the cost to people who don’t have privilege.”
Around the PLU campus, there are groups such as MAPPE and the Feminist Student Union trying to use their privilege in a positive way and trying to not only raise awareness but also spark change about the issues surrounding privilege.
PLU Women’s and Gender Studies Professor Jennifer Smith says, it is important to be aware and to not take advantage of privilege in order to make a significant change in the system.
“I don’t think anyone genuinely wants others to be discriminated against,” Smith said. “But if you genuinely want a world where people are treated fairly you have to be aware of privilege and not just oppression.”
Currently, MAPPE, a PLU club which strives to help men make the lives of the women they care about safer, is working on raising awareness on sexual assault and domestic violence by putting on programs in the residence halls. The group meets on Fridays at 5 p.m. in the Women’s Center.
“It’s not enough to passively say ‘I won’t rape women,” MAPPE member Matt Dreiling said. “You need to be proactive.”
Right now, MAPPE is planning an alcohol and safety, or “Party Safety 101” presentation for on campus residents to encourage safety at parties.
The goal of the presentation is to educate people about the red flags associated with drinking or the things to be aware of so that there is a safer environment at parties, according to Jonathan Grove who is the MAPPE advisor.
MAPPE also wants to use the White Ribbon Campaign pledge at the first home men’s basketball game.
The White Ribbon Campaign is “the largest effort in the world of men looking to end violence against women,” according to its website. The pledge is a statement to “never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women or girls.”
During the first home game, all the members of the basketball team will wear MAPPE shirts while warming up. Then either before the game or during halftime, James will ask the men in the audience to take a pledge that commits them to proactively work towards preventing sexual assault and domestic violence.
Finally, MAPPE is continuing to promote the club and trying to recruit more members.
“We want to reach men,” MAPPE member Matt Dreiling said. “This is traditionally construed as a women’s problem…but it’s not solely a one gender issue.”
To do this, the club wants to outreach to the residence halls and the PLU community in general on why it is important to talk about the nature of sexual assault.
“Doing things to break a culture of silence on this issue is a good first step to taking proactive steps to making this a community where we do not tolerate sexual assault and domestic violence,” Dreiling said.
In addition to the upcoming events, on regular basis MAPPE members give educational presentations, talks about privilege and how it can be used in a positive way at meetings and attend traditionally “female events” to use their privilege while making it known that they have unjust privilege.
It is important to help out because you cannot stop sexual assault and domestic violence but you can try and lower the level of it, MAPPE member Michael Humberd said.
Meanwhile, the Feminist Student Union also tries to be extremely aware of privilege.
“Mostly what we want to do is break down privilege systems,” Feminist Student Union President Cate Fisher said. “If you’re unaware of them you play into them.”
To try and “break down privilege systems” constituents of the Feminist Student Union team up with the Women’s Center to help sponsor speakers, participate in Take Back the Night, a foundation which wants to “eliminate sexual violence in all forms,” according to its website and put posters on the impact boards with information on an important issue every month.
For example, this past month the Feminist Student Union chose the theme of domestic violence for its October poster, since October was domestic violence awareness month.
To do its part, the group made of a list of movies, books, songs and television shows that portrayed domestic violence in a positive manner to educate the PLU community.
Two shockers on the list were Beauty and the Beast and Gone With the Wind, Fisher said.
“When I talk to people who are not taking Women’s and Gender Studies classes, and people don’t know about these issues I realize I can make a difference,” Fisher said.
“But it’s not as much an issue on this campus because people are well-educated,” Fisher added.
In addition to trying to make a difference, Fisher participates in the Feminist Student Union because she does not believe all of her privileges are earned.
“It’s monumentally unfair because just by being born white my voice is more worthy than a woman of color,” Fisher said. “It’s important to break down (privilege) because by virtue of being born white does not mean I have something more important to say.”
Besides educating people on privilege, the club focuses on raising awareness about gender and sexuality, Feminist Student Union advisor Smith said.
“Ideally we’d like to impact the PLU community and the Parkland community,” Smith added.
Lastly, similar to MAPPE, the Feminist Student Union is looking to recruit new members.
In the spring, the club will be hosting a social welcoming event to get people interested in joining and to spark new conversation, Smith said. The group meets Mondays at 7 p.m. in the Women’s Center.
Even if one is unable to join an official club on campus, Grove and Smith both said by simply being aware of privilege, a person can start to make a difference.
For instance, Smith said she tries to use her privilege of being a white, straight, educated female to make people in an “underprivileged” position aware that they can speak and be listened to.
Smith also advocates individuals not only recognize and condemn oppression, but also acknowledge the other side of the spectrum. In order to end oppression, Smith says people have to work within the privilege system to take down both privilege and oppression.
But, Smith admits this is difficult because people benefit from a system that isolates or denigrates other people. Additionally, Smith says many people are simply not aware that they are privileged.
Grove, on the other hand, tries to make a difference behind the scenes by simply talking to people.
“I really see my role as teaching about privilege and why people should care,” Grove said. “I have yet to meet someone who is okay with seeing someone else’s pain.”
One way Grove fosters discussions is by asking simple questions. When Grove talks with people he tries to make a connection to their lives.
For example, Grove often asks people what they do to combat sexual assault. When Grove asks females he said they go through a laundry list, while males often give Grove blank stares.
Grove likes this approach because by listening it brings the issue close to home and allows people to connect and realize it is their problem too.
This method is also powerful because people are not as likely to dismiss their privilege when they realize it affects their family and friends.
“I truly believe people can use their privilege to speak on behalf of other people,” MAPPE member Matt Dreiling said. “Since I was basically given every type of privilege you can imagine, I think it’s my duty to redistribute privilege and voice concerns for people who do not have it.”
“It’s important to know that you have it,” MAPPE member Michael Humberd added.
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First-year international students at Pacific Lutheran University need special assistance when registering for classes.
“I had no idea which classes to take when I first came here,” Zhou Fang, a freshman international student from China said. “I had to rely on the school totally.”
The academic advising office and the international student service (ISS) at PLU seek to work in collaboration and develop an academic advising program specifically targeted to first-year international students.
Unlike American students, first- year international students have limited access to information about the academic programs at PLU due to their language (English) incompetence.
At the beginning of each academic year, first-year international students have the opportunity to attend an orientation in which discussion about PLU’s academic programs takes place.
Other than that, the academic advising office currently runs a mandatory workshop to all first-year students. The workshop is called “General Education Program” and focuses on how to live a successful academic life at PLU.
ISS doesn’t do intentional outreach to get first-year international students to attend such a kind of workshop. But, since the workshop is mandatory, all first-year international students should be contacted by the academic advising office.
Unfortunately, not every first-year international student can understand all the information provided during orientations and workshops. Often, such a kind of information tends to overwhelm first-year international students.
In the past, first-year international students have registered for classes that are neither required by their majors nor General University Requirements (GURs). As the result, some of them ended up spending more time and money before they could graduate.
Due to the limited amount of financial source of each international student, the academic advising office and ISS have found it important to help international students achieve their academic goals, and make sure that they graduate on time.
However, the academic advising office and ISS have difficulties in establishing an entirely new academic advising program for first-year international students.
According to Nova Schuss, assistant director of academic advising, the academic advising office currently does not have the staffing capabilities to create and manage a program of this magnitude.
“There have been significant staffing changes related to international student services in recent years,” Nova said. “It is only very recently that academic advising has played a role in international student registration and advising.”
According to Schuss, David P. Gerry, former associate director of ISS primarily managed international student registration and advising for many years. Gerry resigned his position and left PLU a year ago.
“The academic advising office works with the entire PLU population,” Schuss said. “More international student advisors are needed, either a part-time or full-time position depending on available funds.”
Gerry used to provide various kinds of individual service to each international student at PLU. For example, He would even help first-year international students select classes and register for such classes before they arrived at PLU.
International students always appreciated Gerry’s dedication to ISS. However, as the number of the international students at PLU increased, such a kind of individual service became less practicable than before.
“It’s always good to work with students individually,” Akane Yamaguchi, assistant director of ISS (student involvement and leadership) said. “But, with the increasing number of the international students at PLU, we had to find a way to do our job more systematically.”
According to Yamaguchi, since ISS can no longer provide international students with the kind of service Gerry preferred, they have created many kinds of online document that help ISS communicate with the international students at PLU systematically.
For example, international students who want to have their I-20s singed have to first fill out a request form available online and submit it to the front desk at ISS. In this way, staffs at ISS will have clearer records of international students’ requests.
Also due to the increasing number of the international students at PLU, ISS can no longer provide first-year international students with individual academic advising services. Instead, ISS will advise first-year international students to meet their advisors in the academic advising office.
However, according to Yamaguchi, some first-year international students are not even aware that academic advising is available on campus. As the result, when registering for classes, first-year international students tend to prefer seeking advices from their friends.
“Friends can probably tell you about which professor to take and which professor not to take,” Yamaguchi said. “But, when it comes to academic advising, students should go to talk to their advisors.”
In addition, Yamaguchi pointed out that since the academic advising office provides professional academic advising services, first-year international students should rely on the academic advising office when registering for classes, but not ISS.
“We definitely need the academic advising office to help us,” Yamaguchi said. “ISS currently does not have sufficient knowledge on academic advising.”
Just like the academic advising office, ISS is also currently tight on its human resource. Thus, time commitment will be a big sacrifice to ISS when establishing an entirely new academic advising program for first-year international students.
However, according to Yamaguchi, providing intentional and beneficial services to first-year international students is always a plus to ISS.
Psychology 113 is originally a one-credit course offered by staff members in career development and academic advising office each fall semester. The primary purpose of this course is to help new students at PLU become familiar with on-campus resources.
In addition, psychology 113 provides new students with support in identifying their values, interests, personal styles and skills. The course also helps new students develop long-term career plans.
One of the psychology 113 sections is specifically designed for first-year international students at PLU who have just graduated from the language school on campus (ESL program).Yamaguchi and her coworker, Rick Eastman have been teaching that section since Fall, 2008.
Instead of overwhelming first-year international students with all the information about the academic life at PLU, ISS wishes to take full advantage of psychology 113 and provide first-year international students with information little by little.
“I think we should probably include more information about some of the basic academic rules at PLU and the sources available,” Yamaguchi said. “And, we have to make sure we only talk about one thing each time so that the students will not get overwhelmed.”
Patricia Roundy, dean for student academic success and director of academic advising, suggests that a “secondary academic advisor” may help first-year international students register for the right classes.
According to Roundy, secondary academic advisors differ from academic advisors in each academic department in that they provide their advisees with additional or extra advices. For example, a secondary advisor will teach students how to read the CAPP report on PLU’s Banner Web.
CAPP report is an electronic transcript found on PLU’s official website. Due to its complexity, students often have had difficulty in reading the information listed in CAPP report.
“The primary purpose of having a secondary advisor is to create an additional opportunity for conversation,” Roundy said. “And, it’s feasible with the current staffing capabilities in the academic advising office.”
According to Roundy, the maximum number of students that each secondary academic advisor deals with should be less than ten. In this way, each secondary academic advisor will have enough time to talk to the students and pay attention to them.
“It may be a good idea to make a trial run in next spring,” Roundy said. “Because there will not be as many new international students as fall.”
Roundy started her career as an academic advisor in University of Pittsburg in mid 70’s and has been working at PLU for 23 years.
Referring to her own experience as a professional academic advisor, Roundy argues that first-year international students need an open environment in which they can easily seek advices about their academic successes.
“I think my job is to help students figure out where to start,” Roundy said. “For example, I will think about what are the best classes for them.”
Roundy will usually advise first-year international students not to take classes such as philosophy and religion in their first semesters at PLU. Because, Roundy believes that first-year international students tend to get overwhelmed by such of a kind of courses.
“International students are often perceived as everybody else,” Roundy said. “But, the truth is that some of them do need special care when it comes to class registration.”
According to Roundy, PLU has had academic advisors for transfer students since 2005. In the past, PLU considered international students as similar to transfer students, and the academic advisors for transfer students as equally helpful to the international students.
While Roundy strongly believes that first-year international students need secondary academic advisors, she also argues that international students can’t rely solely on the faculties at PLU.
“There are actually three key players involved in this situation,” Roundy said. “The academic advising office, ISS and the students themselves.”
Roundy argues that students can’t achieve academic success unless they try to be as active as possible.
“I think first-year students should be more alert about what’s going around them,” Roundy said. “Because, college is the kind of place where even the brightest people can easily get lost.”
According to Roundy, several state colleges in the country have already incorporated a more sophisticated electronic system that enables students to have instant access to their academic records.
Such a kind of system makes it possible for students to easily follow their academic paths and decide which class to take.
According to Kevin A. Berg, evaluations administrator, PLU will not introduce any new system in the near future.
“The CAPP degree audit system is part of the overall ERP system called Banner that runs our campus,” Kevin said. “This system has been a major investment and I doubt we’ll be replacing it.”
Administration building, Pacific Lutheran University
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Pooh Bear and Rabbit illustration by Shepard
It was 7 a.m. when sophomore Anna Kruetz found out that a sequel to A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books had been released. Still half asleep, she sank back into the blackish seat of the Honda Accord she was riding in, giggling.
“I love the Winnie-the-Pooh books,” Kruetz said, in response to the news. “This is so exciting.”
But other students at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) were not as excited by the prospect of a new Pooh book, and as word of the authorized sequel spread throughout the Publishing and Printing Arts division of PLU, the controversy surrounding the book grew.
“My initial reaction to the new Pooh book is outrage,” said Sarah Wise, a Publishing and Printing Arts minor. “But after thinking about it, I have to admit that while I may not entirely agree with the idea of sequel by a different author, it will be good for kids. I would hate to deprive younger children of all that I enjoyed.”
“Return to the Hundred Acre Wood” is the first attempt in more than 80 years to recapture Milne’s prose and characters. The sequel, which was authorized to be released by Pooh Properties (the estate managing the copyright of Milne’s work), is written by David Benedictus. It was released on October 5, 2009, to mixed reactions.
Some people claim they are overjoyed to see Pooh Bear again. Some say they are less than thrilled. And some do not even recognize the name Milne.
Original Winnie-the-Pooh Book by A. A. Milne
“I am more familiar with the Disney version than the original,” Kruetz said. “But I do remember reading both, and I remember liking Milne’s original books a lot.
“Reproducing the books is a great idea for little kids. I doubt I will read it now that I am in college, but I am glad they are carrying Pooh on into the next generations.”
In the “Return to the Hundred Acre Wood” press release, 71-year-old Benedictus said that he glad to be the one chosen to carry on the book.
“It’s an honour to have my sequel to the original stories approved by the Pooh Trustees,” Benedictus said in a press release for the book. “I hope that the new book will both complement and maintain Milne’s idea that whatever happens, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”
Benedictus had worked on CD adaptations of the Winnie-the-Pooh books and, by the time his sequel was approved, he had already established his career as a writer.
Wise said that this still did not convince her that “Return to the Hundred Acre Wood” would compare with Milne’s original stories.
“I don’t see the sequel being the same,” Wise said. “But I guess I will just have to wait to see.”
Kruetz, who said that she enjoyed the breakaway Disney version of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories also expressed concern over the authorized sequel’s production.
“Having a new author could pose a problem,” Kruetz said. “I think that the original books were so well written that Benedictus will have to prove a very good writer to do the new story justice. But I still think that he can do it.”
“Return to the Hundred Acre Wood” attempts to mimic Milne’s style by keeping the characters’ interactions simple and by replicating Milne’s tongue-in-cheek humor.
“Milne has a really playful writing style,” said Nathalie op de Beeck, Associate Professor of English at PLU. “He takes the character of Christopher Robbins very seriously, and his tone is humorous and lighthearted. It’s not a difficult tone to replicate.”
Op de Beeck said that she believed Benedictus could replicate Milne’s tone simply by studying it.
“It is like people replicating Ernest Hemingway’s style,” op de Beeck said. “With Milne, you can use capitalization for emphasis of certain words and ideas. Even the poems recited by Pooh Bear can be replicated. They are simple and singsong and can be imitated effectively.”
Op de Beeck has not yet read “Return” but she said that she expects people to react to it much the way they have reacted to other authorized sequels.
“People will respond as they did when artists who had never known Margaret Wise, undertook illustrating her ‘Goodnight Moon’ book,’” op de Beeck said. “Milne was very much a 20th century writer, so there will be challenges when ‘Return to the Hundred Acre Wood’ is put forth into a new market with a new author.”
Lottie the Otter
One aspect of “Return,” though, has caused more controversy than the rest. Benedictus introduced a new character to the series: a pearl-wearing otter named Lottie, and Lottie has met with more criticism at PLU than the initial idea of writing the sequel did.
“I want to tell them they are tampering with something they shouldn’t be tampering with,” Wise said. “Milne’s books aren’t sacrosanct, but adding characters to the sequel could be a bit too much.”
“By adding a character or by changing original characters, Benedictus seems to be doing the same thing that the producers of Sesame Street have done,” op de Beeck said. “The Sesame Street producers were afraid that Cookie Monster’s addiction to cookies and Oscar the Grouch’s grouchiness would influence children in bad ways so they changed the characters. Changing characters in the Pooh books could become equally problematic.”
Lottie is not the only change in characterization, though. The character of Eeyore, the depressed donkey with the tacked on tail, has been cheered up as well.
“I don’t know why people would want a happier Eeyore,” op de Beeck said. “The charm of Eeyore is in the fact that he is a bit unhappy and that the other characters are constantly trying to cheer him up.”
“You can play with the characterization to modernize a book, but if ‘Return to the Hundred Acre Wood’ is modernized too much it will alter the story. Milne’s Pooh books have been extremely popular ever since they first arrived in the U. S., and the fact that they are still popular today shows that the books are still relevant to the 21st century without modernization.”
Sara Wochna, also a Publishing and Printing Arts minor, said that she was not as concerned about adding and changing characters as either op de Beeck or Wise were.
“I’m no expert, so it doesn’t bother me,” Wochna said. “I read the Disney versions of the Pooh books and enjoyed them, so I would hate to pooh-pooh this new sequel. It would be hypocritical for me to say that couldn’t the new writer couldn’t add or change anything.”
Dutten Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, printed the original Pooh books back in the 1920’s. Now, almost a century later, they are printing returning “Return” with a first printing of 300,000 copies.
“Return” is currently available in 16 languages. The original books were translated into 50 languages, and according to the “Return” press release, Dutten hopes to eventually print “Return” in 50 languages as well.
A. A. Milne book cover (left) with Benedictus book cover (right)
Egmont Publishing, the publishing house slated to release “Return” in Britain, printed more copies as well. The cover design on the British version is different from the American one, though. The American cover features a blue background and the British a white. Both covers feature the artwork of Mark Burgess, an English writer and illustrator.
E. H. Shepard produced the artwork for the original Pooh books, using pen and ink drawings with watercolors. Now Burgess has mimicked Shepard’s designs in an effort to keep the covers and illustrations of “Return” within the same style parameters as the original books. Burgess has illustrated the Paddington Bear books, amongst other children’s stories.
Michael Brown, the chair of the Trustees of the Pooh Properties said in the “Return” press release that he was glad to be working with Burgess and Benedictus.
“We have been hoping for a good many years that we might one day be able to offer the world a sequel which would do justice to the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories,” Brown said. “The original books were one of the greatest celebrations of childhood in any language, but we believe that David Benedictus and Mark Burgess have captured the spirit and quality of those original books.
“We hope that the many millions of Pooh enthusiasts and readers around the world will embrace and cherish these new stories as if they had just emerged from the pen of A. A. Milne himself.”
“Return to the Hundred Acre Wood” is currently for sale at all major book retailers and on Amazon.com.
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