The “White Lion”: A European wrestler in Senegal
Today I have chosen to critique a Digital Story about the number two sport, and the best paid one in Senegal: Wrestling. However the story is not about a Senegalese wrestler, but rather, an European man who discovers this form of sport and decides to come to Senegal, obtain a license to wrestle, and join a local team. I am talking about wrestling because it is an important part of our culture. In fact Wrestling in Senegal is as popular as football is in the US. When the season opens, matches are held every Sunday and people either go to the stadium to attend them, or are in front of their TVs waiting for their wrestler to win the fight.It is a combination of Greco-roman wrestling and boxing. Yes. There are knockouts quite often. Even though the sport is difficult to export to the Western world because some people find it a little barbaric to exchange punches in bare hands (no gloves), the Senegalese diaspora watch the fight live thanks to the magic of television and the internet. Until now Juan is the only white person practicing Senegalese wrestling . That makes him very popular in the country where he has a a lot of fans.
Using Jason Ohler’s traits to analyze the story, I am giving the maker a 100% grade because of the work done in the following three categories:
| Research | Was the student’s project well researched and documented? |
It is very evident that the Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporter did a great job researching the story. The information shared is very accurate and presented in a way that makes the story short but informative.
| Content understanding | How well did the student meet the academic goals of the assignment and convey an understanding of the material addressed? |
Because the story is well researched, the storyteller was able to display a clear understanding of the content. Therefore the content is well conveyed and in a fun way to watch.
| Flow, organization and pacing | Was the story well organized? Did it flow well, moving from part to part without bumps or disorientation, as described in Part III? |
I also give this trait a 100% because of the excellent pace used by the reporter. Also very accurate caption was included when local people spoke in their language. That allows for English speakers to understand the whole story. The traditional drums could be heard in the background making the story more original.
Meissa Samba 