The Journal

Issue date: 4/5/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Photo Courtesy of President Meyers Richard and Yakko Meyers pose after receiving flowers from their daughter, Anne.

In a letter to the editor of the Webster-Kirkwood Times, Webster University President Richard Meyers expressed his disdain over a March 20 incident that involved his wife, Yakko.


While driving to a meeting at Webster, a man followed Yakko Meyers into the parking lot in front of Loretto Hall around 1:30 p.m. She believed he was in his 60s. Richard Meyers said the man verbally harassed his wife based on her driving and her race - she is originally from Japan, but has lived in the United States for more than 40 years.


In the letter, Richard Meyers described the man as an ignoramus, which he went on to define as being ignorant and lacking knowledge or being untaught. Richard Meyers then asked the citizens of Webster Groves if this man represented them.


"If this incident had to happen, I'm glad it happened to me instead of to any of the many international students I've recruited to Webster," Yakko Meyers said. "I don't want any of our students to have bad memories of anything that happens at the university. Any city has a variety of good and bad people … we all have to learn from these incidents."


Wenceslaus P'Oryem, director of international student affairs, said international students have not encountered any situations similar to Yakko Meyers' from the Webster Groves community.


"Since I've been here I haven't had any students complain to me," P'Oryem said.


Ama Budu-Anguah, a sophomore biology major from Ghana, said her contact with the Webster Groves community has been positive.


"I've never experienced anything like (Yakko Meyers' incident)," Budu-Anguah said.


Richard Meyers referred to a CBS documentary called "Sixteen in Webster Groves," which highlighted St. Louis suburbia and the issues teenagers faced during that time.


"The (in) famous CBS documentary from 1966 exposed a racial divide in Webster Groves that shocked the nation," Richard Meyers wrote in the letter. "Here we are now in 2007. Has this racial divide remained? Dwindled? Enlarged?"


Renee Gamble, an employee at Provence Boutique in Old Webster, said she does not see ignorance often in Webster Groves and has never had any rude customers enter her store.

Continued...

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