Journalist jailed for speaking against royals

Simulation trains teams

Thousands awarded to student for service

In Thailand, an editor was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison because of something he wrote about the royal family.

Samyot Pruksakasem-suk, editor of a magazine called Voice of Taksin, published two articles that authorities said defamed Thailand’s monarchy, ac-cording to the Associated Press.

“You don’t say bad things about the king,” said Rebbeccamay G. Der-byshire, junior biblical lan-guages major who lived in Thailand for 18 years. “It’s just completely against the culture.”

Journalists’ responsi-bility in the United States is to the people. It is their job to inform the public of what is right and wrong and to determine social

norms and morals. A ma-jor duty of journalists is to provide the readers with the proper knowledge to be self-governing.

However, under the monarchy that exists in Thailand, a journalist’s duties and rights are com-pletely different.

Although the role of journalism in Thailand is different than in America, most people within Thai-land, in the public’s eye, are aware of their boundaries.

“Everyone knows that you just don’t talk about the king, so to say some-thing against him in print is an invitation to be ar-rested,” said Dr. Katherine Chute, director of com-munications at California Baptist University who lived several years in Asia and traveled extensively

Reneisha Wilkes, an Online and Professional Studies student at Cali-fornia Baptist University, recently received $10,000 and the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

“Bless others and you will in turn live a blessed life,” Wilkes said. “I truly believe that and am a tes-tament.”

The recognition marks the second time Wilkes has been awarded as a volun-teer. In 2010, she was rec-ognized by DeGeneres as the show’s first Volunteer of the Month.

Since she was 7 years old, Wilkes has had a pas-sion for serving others. As a girl, she assisted her grand-parents in helping people with small favors around their apartment complex.

Wilkes created her first

website at 14 years old. The non-profit website, some-onehelpedme.org, was de-voted to serving others, but eventually was shut down due to lack of funding.

However, Wilkes did not allow this to slow her down.

After receiving letters from veterans and elder-ly citizens regarding needs for reliable transportation, Wilkes took it upon herself to drive those in need to and from their destinations.

“I wouldn’t want my grandmother walking in ex-treme temperatures to get to and from her doctor’s ap-pointment, or to the grocery store,” Wilkes said. “I also don’t think that it is right for veterans, some of whom are injured and have served our country, to have to struggle to get rides.”

In time, after asking oth-ers for the much-needed re-

International Topic

BY CATRINA HEADASST. NEWS EDITOR

BY JAMES HURLBURTSTAFF WRITER

SEE JOURNALISM | PAGE A2 SEE WILKES | PAGE A3

Photo by the Associated PressActivist Somyot Pruksakasemsuk arrives at criminal court Jan. 23, in Bangkok, Thailand. He was later sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Photo by Grace FerrellMitchell Spezzaferri, junior pyschology major, leads Julie Leong, sophomore sociology and anthropology major, around the Stamps Courtyard Feb. 3 during a simulation of the caste system in India. Spezzaferri and Leong are a part of the ISP South Asia Global Studies team. The event was a part of Intesive Training Weekend, a weekend for teams of students particpating in the International Service Projects and United States Projects. Participants got a first-hand glimpse into situations they may face during upcoming mission trips.

How do you know if you are being pursued? Are you a hipster?

See A4&5 See B5

Explore the history and fashion of hipsters

Men and women have different ways of showing they care.

THE

BANNERA California Baptist University Campus Publication

February 8, 2013 | Vol. 60, Issue 8