Global News Roundup: April 18-24

By Katie Johns

Prince dies at 57

Credit: youtube.com– Iconic singer and songwriter Prince died at his Paisley Park estate on April 21.

Legendary musician Prince was pronounced dead on Thursday April 21, at 10:07 a.m.. The Guardian reports. An autopsy was conducted on Friday, and he was cremated on Saturday. There has been much speculation surrounding his death, stemming from a medical emergency landing of his private jet in Minneapolis last week. Prince was last seen alive on Wednesday evening around 8 p.m., and when staff at his Paisley Park estate could not reach him Thursday morning, they found him unresponsive in an elevator. An unidentified male called 911 at 9:43 a.m., according to The Guardian. The “Purple Rain” singer was honored during a special SNL airing on Saturday night.

Paris attack suspect charged in Brussels shootout

Credit: ar.wikipedia.com—– Salah Abdeslam (left) has been on the run for four months following his involvement in the November 2015 Paris attacks.

Salah Abdeslam was charged with attempted murder this week after a shootout with police that took place on March 15. Four people were wounded and one died in the shootout that occurred in the Brussels suburb of Forest, CNN reports. Abdeslam is one of the suspects in question for the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris earlier this year, killing at least 130 people. One of Abdeslam’s accomplices was the only one killed in the Forest shootout. The raid took place a week before the Brussels terrorist attacks. Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French citizen, is set to be extradited to France to face charges for the Paris attacks within the coming weeks. Abdeslam has been on the run for four months and was caught three days after the Forest raid.

Harriet Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill

Credit: commons.wikimedia.com Abolitionist Harriet Tubman is set to be the first woman featured on an American $20 bill.

The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that not only will suffragists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony be featured on the back of the $10 bill, but also abolitionist Harriet Tubman will replace former President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, NBC News reports. The $5 bill will also be getting a makeover and will feature famous events from the Lincoln Memorial, such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The U.S. Treasury announced last year that a woman would be featured on the new $10 bill, which caused enough protest from Alexander Hamilton supporters to keep him on the bill.

“We did this the old fashioned way. We said we were going to listen to the American people, and we did. We heard a lot of commentary that a woman should be on the $20, not the $10,” Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said in NBC News reporting.

President Obama urges British Voters to remain in EU

Credit: en.wikipedia.com—-President Barack Obama stands with David Cameron [left]. Obama visited the United Kingdom last week and urged residents to vote to stay in the European Union.

During a visit to the U.K. on Friday, President Obama warned that a British exit from the European Union would not only be negative for the United Kingdom, but also for the national interests of the United States, CNN reports. Obama says it could threaten the “stability and prosperity in the Western world at a time of turmoil.”

Some campaigners see the referendum, which will be voted on in June, as an opportunity to reclaim British sovereignty from Brussels and a way to free U.K. businesses from continental regulations. Some also see it as a chance to strengthen borders in the U.S. during the ongoing immigration crisis in Europe. Anti-Europe campaigners argued that Obama was interfering with the nation’s internal politics, but he fired back, saying, “I am not coming here to fix any votes, I am not casting a vote myself, I am offering an opinion. In democracies, everybody should want more information, not less.”

Apple movies and books stores close in China

Credit: pt.wikipedia.com The short-lived Apple’s iTunes books and movies stores are temporarily closing in China for undisclosed reasons.

After a short six-month life, the Apple’s iTunes Movies and Books stores in China are temporarily closed, NPR reports. The Chinese government, specifically the Chinese Content Regulator SAPPRFT — the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television — ordered the closure last week. Just a few months ago, the Hong Kong Film Awards were banned from being aired in China, and reports mentioning any show that won were taken down. “China is a major source of revenue for Apple, but selling smartphones and computers in China is easier than movies and music, which is subject to government controls and censorship and plagued by piracy,” NPR reporter Anthony Kunh says. The SAPPRFT agency does not mention or explain the closures on its website.

 

International Eats: Siempre Jamón

By Isabelle Gustafson

Americans know very little about Spanish food. I discovered this quickly. It’s something I never thought about until I decided to study in Pamplona for a semester. “It’s not like Mexican food,” several very helpful people warned me. “They don’t eat nachos or burritos!” But after discreetly rolling my eyes, I later realized I was not much more knowledgeable than they were. Sure, they have their own cuisine. I knew that much. But what was it exactly? Tapas, paella, fish, I guess? I would soon find out.

I had a rough start to my semester. One cancelled flight from St. Louis to Chicago — my very first flight — caused a domino effect that left me running through airport after airport and ultimately exhausted, alone and stranded in Madrid. My first “Spanish” food, apart from my in-flight meal, was the pre-packaged pastry I got at the hostel when I (finally) arrived, the morning after expected. Shortly after, the three other girls from MU and I headed out into the unknown, both in terms of the streets of Pamplona and Spanish cuisine.

It was lunchtime, and we stumbled upon an unassuming little restaurant. As much as I wanted to immerse myself in the local culture, I was exhausted and, frankly, confused about the vast majority of menu items. So I ordered a hamburger — a hamburguesa, in Spanish (you’re welcome). Big mistake. It looked like a normal hamburger at first glance … and then I took a bite. This, I assure you, was no hamburger, but rather, some sort of foreign, Spanish meat, masquerading as an American classic. Now, I’m not normally one to waste food, but I made an exception, for the sake of my digestion. Lesson one in Spanish cuisine: Beware of the hamburguesas.

Pictured: jamón cinco estrella (left) at Iruñaberri. Photo by Isabelle Gustafson

 

That night, my roommates and I went on our second quest for food. We wandered around, still completely unaware of our surroundings, until we found somewhere that looked okay. In other words, we wandered until we were tired and hungry enough to muster up the nerve to roll the dice and try again. It was culinary roulette. So I ordered a ham sandwich — a safe bet in a sea of unfamiliar ingredients. Two people in our group ordered the fried food platters, piled with french fries, mozzarella sticks, wings and anything else you could conceivably eat at a Super Bowl party. It was the apprehensive American’s dream. Then there was the jamón cinco estrella, ordered at random by one of my roommates, most likely due to the simplicity of its title: five-star ham. Hey, it has five stars. Can’t go wrong. (This was her thought process … probably.)

Our food arrived: the moment of truth. The ham sandwich was, well, a ham sandwich. I saw that one coming. The fried food was fried food. Nothing more, nothing less. But the jamón cinco estrella? It was a dream come true. It was our official introduction to Spanish food. It started it all.

Ham is a food I never gave much thought. It was a viable sandwich addition, somehow always in the fridge. I never questioned it; it was just there. It was smoked and honey-flavored atop a silver platter on Christmas day, surrounded by family and other usual suspects — potatoes, cranberries, the inevitable green bean casserole. Sometimes it could be found in an omelet or a breakfast burrito. But for me, it was never noteworthy. It was just ham.

But in Spain, it’s not ham — it’s jamón. And though they are the same word, they have very different meanings. In Spain, it’s not just a food; it’s a religion, it’s a symbol, it’s a way of life. It’s on everything, in everything and with every meal. It’s prepared a thousand different ways. Jamón-flavored chips are commonplace, huge legs of jamón adorn every butcher’s shop, and in bigger cities, one can expect to find multiple jamón-themed museums. You laugh (as did we), but be forewarned: jamón is no joke. And it’s delicious.

 

Artist Thomas Wei Gao bridges gap between Columbia and Beijing

By Andrew Withers
Photos by Jeremy Johnson

Tucked away in a quiet, wooded subdivision of Columbia is Thomas Wei Gao’s home. Unassuming at first, it sits on a gentle hill overlooking a forested gully. The beauty of the surroundings are enough to give pause; late afternoon light filtering through the stripped branches, the odd bird chirping, the rustle of a nearly nonexistent breeze through a bed of leaves. But the beauty of what’s outside the house is easily matched by what’s inside.

Gao is a painter who works in the traditional Chinese ink wash style of painting, among other techniques. But it wasn’t always that way.

A journalist by trade, Gao spent 10 years covering the auto industry and economics as a reporter in Beijing. Because of the nature of his work, he often traveled throughout Asia, Europe and North America.

“If you are a journalist, you have to go to many places to interview people and see something new,” Gao says. “Sometimes I traveled to Paris 10 times a year. We’d have three days for work and three days for paradise. The others choose shopping; I spend all my time in museums.”

In April 2013, one of his trips took him to New York for a show put on by British automaker Jaguar. In his free time between events, he visited the Museum of Modern Art. Moved by the artwork, Gao purchased a set of painting materials when he got back to Beijing.

Development of his style

From there, his painting took off.

“I messed up a lot in the beginning,” Gao says. “But I taught myself. Jimmy Page is one of my biggest influences. He didn’t even know how to read music (at first).”

From the start, Gao’s career as a journalist influenced his painting. Incorporating lessons from his travels and reporting, he found he was able to apply the same principles of his writing to his art.

Thomas Wei Gao says he often plays the flute while he’s waiting for his paintings to dry.

“‘Journalist’ is a very good job to start with in your career because you can discover things,” he says. “You can know society; you can know the whole system. In other careers, you cannot get the whole picture. Sometimes, mistakes and failures are the best thing for you, the best thing to succeed.”

Gao compares his artistic process to the way he lays out and writes a story.

“Writing an article is the same thing as a painting,” he says.” You organize different areas together and make them look good. I think the very first painter was a journalist. 10,000 years ago, in the cave, that’s somebody trying to send a message.”

His creative process

Gao’s style is influenced by many different facets of art. He cites Tang Dynasty art from China as his biggest influence, as well as painters such as Edvard Munch and Francis Bacon. But he’s careful to maintain that he doesn’t consider himself a subscriber to any individual style.

“You can’t put Munch in a category of one style,” he says. “I don’t have a cage. I can go anywhere I want — total freedom.”

Gao paints in the fresco style, a technique in which ink is applied to a surface and is allowed to diffuse by means of water through the medium, which, in Gao’s case, is paper. The resulting bleeding effect is the essence of traditional Chinese ink wash painting. Layer upon layer of ink is added, with periodic washes in order to fade the painting out in certain areas.

“I flood it with water to wash the ink out,” he says. “I’m trying to get rid of the paper so that the painting shows up.”

Special brushes, calligraphic ink and a unique type of bamboo paper from China are among the tools Gao uses. He also works with oils and acrylic.

But the creative process is in full swing long before the brush hits the paper.

“I have to think about (a painting) for a long time before I begin and make a plan,” he says. “ I learned a sentence that’s really useful here. ZZ Top, on his first album: ‘It’s all in your head.’”

Once Gao has a mental plan, it can take him weeks or months to finish a painting. It might take several hours for one layer of a piece to dry before he can continue onto the next one. Gao often uses these breaks to collect his thoughts.

“Sometimes, when I finish one step, I come outside, have a cigarette and enjoy the air,” he says.

Other times, Gao plays the flute as his paintings dry. He can play the flute and the guitar, and he says that his music and artwork often complement one another.

The subjects of Gao’s paintings range, but he typically works with religious themes. Buddhist elements are often featured in his art, but influences from other major religions are present as well. The lotus flower, hands and Buddha are all typical subjects for Gao. He does not consider himself an adherent of Buddhism, however.

“I want to get over the boundary of religion,” he says.

Thomas Wei Gao says he often uses the traditional Chinese style of ink wash painting. Behind one of his paintings, he inscribed the Heart Sutra, a Buddhist scripture.

Gao’s style and subject matter are exemplified in a series of paintings he created called the Nirvana Series. In one painting, called No. 1, a set of limbs are shown dying, leaving an ocean of suffering behind. In another, No. 3, a river is shown with falling water, trees and rocks. Yet another, No. 11, shows a hand engulfed in flames, making a Buddhist gesture. These paintings, he says, illustrate the attainment of Nirvana, a Buddhist enlightenment achieved after all desire, hatred and delusion are removed from the mind.

Behind one of his paintings, Gao inscribed the Heart Sutra, a short Buddhist scripture involving techniques to help with liberation from life’s suffering.

“Just like the (crucifixion) for Christians, all of the past suffering disappears,” Gao says.

Throughout several paintings in the series, as well as the entirety of Gao’s work, large geometric hands are a common fixture. These hands were prevalent in the ancient style of Chinese art from which Gao draws inspiration. In these paintings, Europeans were often depicted as having larger and more robust hands, which Gao says likely represents power.

Community support

Gao says his art has been extremely well received in Columbia. Support and praise for his work has come from numerous people in the community, including MU journalism professor and art collector Katherine Reed, his neighbor and MU sociology professor Rex Campbell and Joel Sager of Sager Braudis Gallery.

“Rex (Campbell) used to be an appraiser,” Gao says. “I’m lucky he comes and checks out my art. He really likes my hands of Buddha.”

Thomas Wei Gao says he sometimes draws inspiration from religious symbols and artists such as Francis Bacon.

Gao says the art scene in Columbia is worlds different from that of Beijing.

“Beijing is like New York — lots of people, it’s not quiet, and everyone is running fast to get money,” he says. “ I used to be a guy like that: no time for family, no time for myself. So I push myself to learn something more here. This place is a magic place. Columbia is like my sweet home.”

Gao has been in talks with Sager and other local gallery owners, hoping to have his artwork exhibited sometime soon. He also recently returned from a trip to Chicago, where a gallery is interested in displaying some of his work.

His art has already been shown in a large exhibit in Beijing. As for his long term plans, though, Gao is keeping it simple.

“Just keep painting,” he says. “That’s it.”

Advice for aspiring artists

“We have a saying in China,” he says. “’If you learn from me, you will be successful. If you (are) like me, you will die.’”

Using other artists as sources of inspiration is important, he says, but imitation will never lead to success. In order to really find your style, you have to be yourself.

“I cannot express myself in (English),” he says. “But I can in my painting.”

Gao says he can easily distinguish between himself as a writer and himself as a painter. He feels that his artwork, rather than his writing, is closer to what he wants to be saying.

“10 years ago, I wanted to be a famous journalist, and wanted to influence a lot of people, so I did a lot of hard work,” Gao says. “Almost anyone who is educated can do that. But painting, that is unique thing. It makes me proud.”

Global News Roundup: Week of April 11-17

By Lily Cusack

Businesses against new anti-LGBT laws

Businesses have expressed their disapproval of anti-LGBT laws in Mississippi and North Carolina that came into effect this month. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Businesses in Mississippi and North Carolina are taking a stand against discriminatory bills that were recently passed in the state legislatures, according to The Guardian. House Bill 1523, or the Religious Liberty Accommodation Act, was passed Tuesday, April 5 in Mississippi, allowing the state to become the state with the least legal protection for LGBT people. The law, which takes effect July 31, gives protection to businesses wishing to use religious beliefs as justification for refusing LGBT people service. The bill also allows foster parents to subject LGBT children to “conversion therapy.”

So far, Nissan, the largest single employer in the state, and Duke Energy, the largest power company, have expressed their opposition. North Carolina’s bill enacts a ban on protections against sexuality-based discrimination as well as requiring that transgender people use bathrooms that correspond to their birth sex in public buildings and schools. PayPal has canceled a $3.6 million investment in the state, and more than 130 other businesses have signed a letter expressing their disapproval and urging lawmakers to repeal the law.

Brussels attacks reveal initial motives

Investigators in the Brussels attacks, which took place on March 22, 2016, announced that the perpetrators (seen above) initially wanted to attack Paris. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Investigators announced on April 10 that the perpetrators of the Brussels attacks meant to hit Paris, but their target shifted with pressure from Belgian authorities, according to NPR. The attacks, which took place on March 22, killed 35 and wounded more than 300 people. Mohamed Abrini, a key attacker, was arrested on Friday and admitted on April 9 that he was the suspect known as the “man in the hat” on surveillance tapes from the Brussels airport. The change of plans was revealed during interrogations.

FBI paid professional hackers to unlock San Bernardino iPhone

The location of the San Bernando shooting on Dec. 2, 2015. The FBI announced on April 12 that they had cracked the code of an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters with help from professional hackers. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The FBI announced on April 12 that they hired professional hackers to crack the iPhone belonging to the San Bernardino attackers, according to The Washington Post. This comes after an almost three-month-long lawsuit by the FBI against Apple, urging them to crack the code of an iPhone 5C recovered from one of the shooters of the San Bernardino attacks that took place in December.

Investigators could not previously find the code without potentially triggering a security feature that erases all the data from the phone if the code is guessed incorrectly ten times. The hackers discovered an unknown security flaw while unlocking the phone, which they found is only present on iPhone 5Cs that run on iOS 9. The government is currently deciding whether they should release the details about the flaw, but Apple says they are not planning on suing the government to get the information if they decide not to release it.

Earthquake hits Japan 

A series of earthquakes, including a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, struck the Japanese island of Kyushu starting on April 14, with 41 reported deaths. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

A series of earthquakes and aftershocks hit the Japanese island of Kyushu, starting on April 14, according to The New York Times. The largest of the earthquakes, with a magnitude of 7.0, hit the island on Saturday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. More than 100 aftershocks have also affected the island. The death toll reached 41 on Saturday, 32 of which were confirmed in Kumamoto Prefecture. Around 2,000 people have been treated for injuries so far. The earthquakes have brought damage to buildings and historic landmarks, including the stone wall around Kumamoto Castle and buildings at the Shinto shrine, Aso Shrine. The island is home to 13 million people, and fault lines run across it. This is the largest earthquake since a 9.0-magnitude quake hit the country in 2011, triggering a tsunami that killed 18,000 and resulted in meltdowns at a nuclear plant in Fukushima.

9 Guantanamo Bay prisoners released

The Pentagon announced on April 17 that they are going to release nine more prisoners from Guantanamo Bay who will be relocated to Saudi Arabia. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The government announced in a Pentagon statement that Guantanamo Bay released nine more prisoners on April 17. The prisoners will be sent to Saudi Arabia to take part in a rehabilitation program, according to Los Angeles Times. Eight of them were cleared as long ago as January 2009. 80 prisoners now remain in the prison, including 26 who are currently cleared to be sent back home or to another country by the end of the summer. All of the men who were just released were Yemeni, but they could not be sent back to their country in fear that they would resume militant activities due to the country’s instability. This release comes under an effort by Obama’s administration to reform the prison.

Earthquake hits Ecuador 

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Ecuador on April 16, resulting in 272 reported deaths and 2,527 wounded. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

A 7.8-magnitude quake hit the coast of Ecuador on April 16, according to CNN. The death toll rose to 272 on Sunday with an estimated 2,527 injured. Manabi Province saw around 200 deaths, and the cities of Manta, Portoviejo and Pedernales had the most physical damage. All of the provinces are in a state of emergency. The government sent 10,000 soldiers and 4,600 police officers to the worst-affected areas. Nightlife activities have been closed for 72 hours, and the soccer federation has canceled the rest of the games in the Ecuadorian championship. Colombia, Chile, Spain and Mexico are in the process of sending rescue efforts to the country. This is the deadliest earthquake in the country since a 7.2-magnitude quake hit in March 1987, killing 1,000 people.

 

Chinese Dumpling Extravaganza: creating a home away from home

Photos by Annmarie Welser

Story by Sierra Morris

As people flowed in and out of room 204, the smell of fresh dumplings poured into the halls of Memorial Union South. The room was teeming with more than 50 students and professors, all gathered for the April 7 Multicultural Hour: Chinese Dumpling Extravaganza. The annual Chinese Qingming festival, celebrated in April, was the inspiration.

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The Asian Affairs Center hosts Multicultural Hour events every Thursday at 4 p.m. The events are free to the public, and the mission is “to improve understanding and promote better relationships among different cultures.”

MU international student Wenbin Guo is from China and is studying industrial engineering. Guo says he came to the event to meet new friends and to create a family away from home.

Tzuyang Chao, director of the MU Multicultural Hour events, says the Qingming festival is all about bringing people together.

“This festival is for family,” Chao says. “ In China’s culture, we focus more on family than in American culture. In China, we grow up with our parents. Here in America, you must become independent.”

Each dumpling was like no other, and molding the dough is an art form by itself. Traditionally, each shape is individually designed with a purpose: to feed the family and to connect at the dinner table.

“No matter what festival is going down, we always eat a dumpling together,” Chao says. “The dumpling is easy. It’s easy to cook, it’s easy to make, so that’s why we always make the dumpling.”

Although the festival focuses on families in a traditional sense, family can come in many different forms. Here at MU, friends gathered with helping hands and stories from memories of celebrating the festival at home.

Up next for the Multicultural Hour: bubble tea. Chao anticipates there will be more than 100 bubble teas prepared.

 

Getting Inked

By Katie Johns

Senior Katie Johns tried squid ink pasta for the first time in Venice last May. Photo by Isabelle Gustafson

On a cobble-stone street of Venice hid a tiny and authentic restaurant with welcoming waiters in white dress shirts, unopened wine bottles lining the walls and white tables crowding the floor. It was tucked in between tourist shops where glass blown wind chimes sang into the evening and street musicians charmed passersby’s attention with soft, mellow Italian tunes. My friend and I had eaten at this restaurant two days before. Its low hanging, red- and white-striped awning and outside seating gave it a rustic feel that made us feel both welcome and foreign. We both stuck to traditional pasta dishes for fear of having to go to bed with roaring, empty stomachs, upset that the meal didn’t agree with our parched taste buds.

In the land of pasta and seafood, choosing what to eat is often overwhelming. Throughout the entire trip, we promised to try different pasta each day. My taste buds were long overdue for new friends, and Italian food seemed like the perfect match. From gnocchi in zesty white garlic sauce to tasty trofie pasta doused in pesto, my taste buds were getting just as foreign of an experience from the food as my tongue was getting from the language. The days of craving my mom’s pasta made with original Ragú sauce were now long behind me.

What brought us back to this restaurant was our search for the most perfect, but not too potent, squid ink pasta, or rather, pasta al nero de seppia. We combed the streets of Venice all day, building up our confidence to try the dish. Our roommate told us it was a must, no matter how weird it looked. We continued our search along the sparkling waters of the Grand Canal. We thought about how perfect it would be to eat dinner along the canal as the sun set. We passed dozens of restaurants, all offering the same dishes, the same deal, the same view of the dancing waters full of gondolas taking newlyweds for a romantic evening cruise.

According to the LIVESTRONG Foundation, squid ink is high in antioxidants and iron.

The waiters at each place tried their hardest to get us to take a seat at their restaurant. For some reason, we didn’t stop. The crooked street carts full of carb-loaded calzones, greasy pizza and creamy cannolis tempted us, but we didn’t give in. About a half hour later, when our stomachs wouldn’t stop grumbling, and our feet wouldn’t stop aching, we stumbled upon our restaurant from two days prior. The same waiter was outside, though he didn’t recognize us, which was surprising because my friend’s light-blonde hair seemed to attract attention wherever we went.

We figured now was as good a time as ever to let our sore feet rest and our stomachs feel nourished again. Instead of gazing over the canal, we watched street vendors work a deal with naïve tourists over fake Gucci purses, we saw parents and children walk hand in hand while out for an evening stroll, and we paid the most attention to the couple two tables away from us. We both ordered pasta al nero de seppia. When our food finally came, we sat in silence, contemplating what made us order pasta with black sauce. The black ink of the squid contrasted harshly against the white, red and amber hues in the room. It smelled exactly like the canal outside.

The older American couple sat two tables away from us listening to NPR on a white iPhone. They got angry when the waiter said water wasn’t free. They are the ones who made me realize why I ordered such a foreign dish. They ordered spaghetti with French fries on the side. French fries. In the land of fresh seafood, wood-fire burned pizza and savory sauces, this couple chose the most traditional American comfort food. When I overheard them ordering their greasy fries, I swiveled as much squid ink pasta around my fork as it would hold and quickly shoved it in my mouth. Go big or go home, I thought, even though the latter I couldn’t do because my flight wasn’t for another eight, glorious pasta-filled days, so going big was my only option. And I’m so glad I did.

 

 

MU study abroad student offers new perspective on Brussels attacks

Three bombs exploded in the Belgian capital of Brussels Tuesday morning, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 200. The first two attacks took place in Zaventem airport, and the third was at the Maelbeek metro station on the rue de la Loi, close to the European Union headquarters. Two of the attackers have been identified as brothers Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, who were already being sought by local authorities due to their potential link to the November attacks in Paris. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Katelyn Lunders is a third-year journalism student at MU. Lunders is currently studying abroad through the MU Journalism Abroad Brussels Internship Program. This is her perspective on the attacks and the current situation in Brussels.

MU magazine journalism student Katelyn Lunders enjoys a treat in her temporary home of Brussels, Belgium. Photo courtesy of Katelyn Lunders.

Personal essay by Katelyn Lunders

I left for work Tuesday morning with the knowledge that the Brussels Airport had been hit. 11 were counted as dead with numbers rising.

I arrived at work minutes after the bombings at Maelbeek metro station, located a minute down the street from my office.

I chose to come into work early that morning. Had I left any later, after learning the knowledge of the attacks on my street, Rue de la Loi, I most likely would’ve stayed home. Instead, I watched people fleeing the station from the window of my office. Police were closing off the street, and all public transportation was shutting down.

I sat in my office with no clue about what I should do. I got online and looked at the news and social media to stay updated, but what I found on Twitter was that American media wanted to talk to my program director, fellow students and me.

I understood that people wanted to know that the 16 of us were safe, but they already knew that. Now they wanted interviews with all of us to see how we felt. How we felt? But we weren’t there.

Yes, I took a flight from that airport last week. And yes, I got on and off at that metro stop to run errands after work. But today, I was safe. I wasn’t there.

In a time of so much pain and confusion, the fact that American media was interviewing peers of mine that had sat in their apartments all day struck me as strange. They had no more knowledge about this topic than anyone else watching the news. They didn’t have a personal account of what they saw to share.

So why are news stations reaching out to us to see how we feel? I understand publications at MU and in Missouri wanting to know how we are because their audience is our friends and family. But why do national media publications want to talk to us?

Frankly, I think it’s because they are being lazy. On a day when two attacks occurred, and the death toll rose to 34, the people to be seeking perspectives from are not MU students. The people to seek perspective from are the people who call Brussels their home, the people who were there when the attacks happened but survived and the people who lost loved ones to terrorism.

But it’s not easy to get in contact with those people, especially when you do not have reporters on-site in Brussels. Regardless, I was surprised how many students on my trip felt the need to offer their opinions when they never even went outside that day. And I was even more surprised that journalists used them as sources.

I’m not saying that our safety wasn’t news, but living here doesn’t make us experts on the terrorist attacks. We all felt something that day: shock, relief, anger or sadness. But the people I hurt for are my friends in Brussels because though I’ve come to love Brussels as my home, I’m leaving in a month, and they are not.

What I’m trying to say is that 16 students who are safe are not going to make people realize how serious these issues are. A number of people dead are not going to make people want to get involved; it will just scare them more. But maybe if the media talked to people who live here and are affected by this, people could relate.

Maybe instead of standing in solidarity with Brussels, we would fight with and for them. Brussels is a great place where a terrible act was committed. But the answer is not to simply thank God that the American students are safe and coming home — it’s to do something so this doesn’t continue to happen here or anywhere else.

If I were in a newsroom back home, I would obviously contact people I knew in Brussels, but I would ask them to help me get the real story. And that’s where I believe American media has failed. We aren’t the real story; this place, its people and the way they’re reacting to this tragedy is the story.

Asian dance group revives old-school style

By Shy Hardiman

Traditional music met modern dance at the MU International Showcase on Saturday night. About 70 people filed into Jesse Auditorium to watch performances such as a choreographed piece by Dream Catchers, an Asian dance group.

“The goal for me to organize this dance group is to let more people enjoy dancing, music and just to have fun,” says Kun Wang, president of the organization.

Wang has been preparing for the showcase for more than a month. He and the other dancers are all from China, minus Patrick Handranto who is from Indonesia. The group was founded two years ago and started at only 13 members. It has since expanded to about 30 people.

At Saturday’s show, the group took the stage to display a mix of hip-hop and break dancing to the sounds of American pop artists such as Bruno Mars, old school R&B, and more contemporary Chinese rap. A resounding applause could be heard throughout the theater when the group ended their performance.

“I think tonight was one of our best performances,” says Handranto. He credits the night’s success to the group’s consistent practicing and hopes that after seeing their show, more people will be interested in the Dream Catchers.

In addition to the Dream Catchers presentation, audience members also got to watch scholars from the Confucius Institute do traditional Chinese choreography such as the blue and white porcelain dance, listen to customary Indian sitar music and see many other performances by international organizations at MU.

“After this, we will go on to dance more, and we will accept anyone who wants to dance,” Wang says. “I’m so moved that a lot of our members took the time to practice this showcase. I feel very awesome right now.”

 

Global News Roundup: March 14-21

By Lily Cusack

Russia Withdraws Warplanes from Syria

Russia withdrew war planes such as these from Syria on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Russia flew their warplanes in Syria home on Tuesday, March 15, which the United Nations hopes will aid in the development of peace talks in Geneva, according to CBC. Russia has stated that they are still maintaining an air base and an undeclared number of forces in the country. The Syrian Organization for Human Rights has stated that Russian airstrikes have killed over 1,700 civilians, but Russia denies this statistic. The airstrike program has cost Russia an estimated $700 to $800 million. Russia supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and has been trying to put an end to the rise of the Islamic State in the war-torn nation. However, Russia has been increasingly frustrated with al-Assad, as he refuses to cooperate at the Geneva peace talks, which also include the United States. Russia is pushing for presidential elections, but they are leaving the question of al-Assad to inside, rather than outside, forces.

North Korea Sentences U.S. Student to Hard Labor

21-year-old student Otto Frederick Warmbier was arrested in Pyongyang , the capital of North Korea. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 

According to CNN, on Wednesday, March 16, an American college student was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor by the North Korean government while visiting the country. Otto Frederick Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, reportedly removed a political banner from his hotel room before leaving, which the North Korean government constitutes as a “hostile act” against the country. The government claims that Warmbier was supported by either a church in his home state of Ohio, a secret university organization, or the CIA to commit the act. Warmbier pleaded guilty and issued a tearful apology, but was sentenced only after an hour of the trial. Warmbier was arrested on Jan. 2 as he was about to board his plane to leave the country.

SeaWorld to Stop Breeding Killer Whales

One of the multiple Shamu killer whales jumps during a show at Sea World San Diego in 2009. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.  

SeaWorld announced on Thursday, March 17, that they will stop breeding their killer whales in captivity, while their current killer whales will continue to perform in shows until their deaths, according to Calgary Sun. They will use birth control to prevent reproduction. SeaWorld, which has 29 killer whales under their care, have come under fire by activist groups for their treatment of whales in captivity. In 2015, three killer whales died within six months at a park in San Antonio, Texas. Since then, SeaWorld has implemented a new plan for viewing the killer whales. The whales will be shown at specific times, and the viewing areas will “reflect the natural world” while focusing on “orca enrichment, exercise and overall health.” For the next five years, SeaWorld will also partner with the Humane Society of the United States in providing $50 million to end commercial whaling and seal hunting and killing sharks for their fins. The company’s shares rose 8.2 percent on Thursday.

FlyDubai Plane Crashes While Landing

A FlyDubai plane like this crashed upon landing in a Russian city on Saturday, March 19, killing all 62 passengers on board. Photo 

According to Bloomberg Business, a FlyDubai plane broke apart while attempting to land in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on Saturday, March 19. The crash, which took place during difficult weather conditions, killed the 62 people on board. After trying to land two hours earlier, the plane returned to the landing pad, where it crashed and immediately burst into flames. Flightradar24, which tracks and collects data concerning airlines, stated that while the plane was losing altitude, it was gaining speed. The Investigative Committee in Russia is planning on examining “human error, technical failure and difficult weather conditions” as possible causes to the crash. The flight had 33 women, 18 men, four children and seven crew on board. FlyDubai is providing $20,000 per passenger to the families of the deceased.

Paris Attack Suspect Arrested

The Eiffel Tower illuminated in the colors of the French flag in honor of the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. 

Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect to the Paris attacks in November, was arrested in Brussels on Friday, March 19, according to International Business Times. The Belgium-born French national has been in hiding since the November attacks. He was formally charged on March 20 with involvement in terrorist murder. Abdeslam is thought to have transported the suicide bombers to the Stade de France before they detonated themselves, as well as possibly purchasing the detonators. He has said that he planned to detonate his vest, but backed out at the last minute. Due to the large amount of heavy weapons found during the initial search, it is thought that Abdeslam was planning another attack in Belgium. On March 21, the government announced the search for Najiim Laachraoui, who has the alias of Soufiane Kayal, as an accomplice in the attacks.

Obama’s Cuba Visit

President Obama arrived in Havana, Cuba (province #3) Monday, March 21, 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

President Obama is making a historic visit to Cuba this week. According to The New York Times, he appeared with President Raul Castro on Monday, March 21 to kick off the first official talks between the two countries since before the Cold War. This is the third in-person meeting since December 2014 when they announced that diplomatic relations would be restored. The two leaders hope to discuss how to smooth out their relationship and deal with differences that divide them. Obama has said that he wants to address the issue of Cuba’s repressive governmental procedures, which were evident in the detainment of civilians that had the potential to cause concern before Obama’s arrival.

Global News Roundup: March 7-13

By Shy Hardiman

Japan honors the victims of the 2011 Tsunami

Ruins from the 2011 tsunami from which 180,000 people are still displaced. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

On Friday, Japan commemorated the fifth anniversary of the tsunami that made international headlines for its devastating damage. The nation remembered those who died during the natural disaster with a moment of silence. The 2011 Tsunami was the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl; 18,000 casualties were reported.

Captured ISIS leader confesses to possession of banned substances

ISIS gathering: The militant group recently admitted to using banned substances to carry out attacks on Kurdish forces. Photo courtesy of Flickr.

On Wednesday, U.S. officials announced that they captured a chemical weapons chief belonging to ISIS. Sleiman Daoud al-Afari, once a member of the Saddam Hussein regime, was captured during a raid conducted by the U.S. military. While under restraint, al-Afari admitted that ISIS plans to use banned substances such as sulfur mustard gas in upcoming attacks in Iraq and Syria. They used the same chemicals against Kurdish forces recently, but they caused limited effects.

European Union and Turkish authorities plan to curtail refugee crisis with new deal

The EU and Turkey plan to help place thousands of Syrian civilians with new refugee deal. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

The EU and Turkey reached an agreement on Tuesday about the refugee crisis occurring in Europe. Under the terms of the deal, for every refugee that Turkish officials took back from Greece, the EU would help settle another already in Turkey. The deal is also contingent on the basis that the EU increase aid relief funding. Although the agreement has come under criticism by countries like the U.S. for potentially being illegal, European and Middle Eastern leaders are hopeful that it will be finalized in the next coming weeks.

Preemptive U.S. airstrikes cancel militant group’s plans

A group of al-Shabab militants during a TV broadcasting. Photo courtesy of YouTube.

U.S. airstrikes killed 150 militants, according to a report released by the Pentagon on Monday. Most of the casualties were linked to Muslim extremist group al-Shabab. The attacks took place in Somalia where the militants were planning a strike against U.S. troops and African peacekeeping groups. al-Shabab confirmed the strike happened but went on to say that U.S. officials exaggerated the number of dead.  

North Korea prepares for retaliation

Several sanctions have been placed on North Korea since the beginning of a territorial dispute with their neighboring country South Korea. Recently, North Korean officials threatened preemptive attacks on the South Korea and the U.S. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

North Korea threatened retaliation against the U.S. and South Korea on Monday for running a series of practice strikes on North Korean nuclear facilities. Although the joint practice strikes occur annually, the North Korean military is still preparing its nuclear weapons for a reprisal assault against the two countries. This turmoil comes just days after the U.N. approved new sanctions against North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs.