M T H E M O N TA G E
An athletic dilemma: Cost versus accountability See story on page 8. @themontage
Voume 47 Issue 6
www.meramecmontage.com
November 17, 2011
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2NEWS
November 17, 2011
BRIEFS Meramec choir at Jones Dome
STLCC awarded for community impact
The STLCC-Meramec Concert Choir will be performing at the Edward Jones Dome when the St. Louis Rams play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Nov. 2. The choir will sing “God Bless America” when the Rams play at home. Faculty, staff and anyone interested can purchase discounted tickets from the Campus Life Office (SC221) during normal business hours. Tickets cost $40 and include a $10 food or beverage voucher and a donation to the Meramec Choir Scholarship. The game starts at 5:05 p.m.
St. Louis Community College was presented with the 2011 Greater St. Louis Top 50 Award at the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association annual awards dinner on Nov. 14. Selection was based on the organization’s contributions to the St. Louis region and its impact on the future of St. Louis business. “We are honored to be recognized as one of the St. Louis region’s premier providers of higher education and workforce training,” said STLCC Chancellor Myrtle E.B. Dorsey. The awards program is presented by the St. Louis RCGA in partnership with RubinBrown, an accounting and consulting firm.
Meramec comes out on top in district electronic recycling events Through September and October, STLCC and Midwest Recycling Centers (MRC) teamed up to host electronics recycling events across the district. Of the 228,767 pounds of e-waste recycled, the STLCCMeramec campus lead the district with 92,350 pounds collected from more than 800 vehicles, according to Moody. “This whole quest to collaborate with the community on these recycling events began with one elderly man trying to dispose of three televisions and not having the $45 to do so,” Sustainability Coordinator Peggy Moody wrote in her blog at http://fvsustain.wordpress.com. “I could only wonder what would happen to those units.” MRC collected “anything with a cord” free of charge, as the college diverted 228,767 total pounds of e-waste from
A T
landfills, Moody said. The cost to recycle televisions would typically cost $15 or more, depending on size and computer monitors would cost $10, according to Moody. But MRC, with supporting letters from Moody and Carla Chance, former vice chancellor for business and finance, received a grant from the St. LouisJefferson County Solid Waste Management District to offset the cost of the fees, allowing the communities to recycle up to two televisions per vehicle. In the United States, over 4.5 billion pounds of electronics, or e-waste, makes it into the waste stream annually, including environmentally hazardous cathode ray tubes (common in computer monitors and televisions), according to the EPA – only 25 percent of that e-waste is collected for recycling.
Theft and arrest on campus KURT OBERREITHER NEWS EDITOR An STLCC-Meramec student is pending charges after reportedly using a forged voucher in the Meramec cafeteria Thursday, Nov. 10. Meramec campus police officers Rick Seal and Paul Faulstich responded when a Treat America employee reported the incident in the cafeteria. The suspect was asked to produce identification but didn’t comply, according to Police Chief Paul Banta. The suspect became combative with Faulstich, was arrested and then released. “Attitude had a lot to do with what happened,” Banta said. “If the suspect would have said, ‘Oh, here you go officer’ and handed over the ID, it would have ended differently.” The suspect is charged with resisting arrest and theft by deceit and is in the arraignment process. The court date is set for Jan. 10, 2012 at 7 p.m. in the Kirkwood Municipal Court. Campus Life Manager Steve Brady, who has to sign the coupons before they are valid, said he thinks the suspect found a blank voucher or reused one. “This is the first time we’ve had someone abuse the program like that,” Brady said. “If it happens again, we’ll have to cut out the program or make changes.” Clubs use food service vouchers as incentive for members to attend events and some use them to afford lunch during meetings. After the slip is used in the cafeteria, Brady said it is usually destroyed. “We don’t give them out like water,” Brady said. According to Banta, the student was also in the bookstore when items were stolen. This was the first accused incident of theft this semester, Banta said, but there have been two arrests since Oct. 12. “Any time you gather 10,000 people in one place, there is going to be misbehaving,” Banta said. “Three incidents in one month – that’s not atypical.”
M E R A M E C
The Music Department at Meramec offers courses and ensembles for all students. You may take classes for general education credit or pursue the Associate of Arts in Music degree to prepare for transfer into a Bachelor of Music or Music Education program. ** SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE **
COURSES
MUS 101,102,201,202 MUS 103 MUS 113 MUS 114 MUS 115,116 MUS 121,122,221,222 MUS 128 MUS 130 MUS 138,139,216 MUS 141,142,241,242 MUS 143 MUS 211,212
Music Theory I,II,III,IV Basic Music The History of Jazz The Enjoyment of Music Class Voice I,II Class Piano I,II,III,IV Survey of Rock Music Beginning Guitar Jazz Improvisation I,II,III Applied Music (Lessons) I,II,III,IV Introduction to Desktop Publishing Music History I,II
Interested in performing in an ensemble? All Meramec students may participate. No audition is required!
ENSEMBLES
Music 132 – Orchestra Music 133 – Jazz Lab Band Music 134 – Symphonic Band Music 135 – Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Voices of Magic jazz choir All ensembles hold a seat/part assignment hearing during the first rehearsal. Members of the Concert Choir may audition for the Chamber Singers and/or the Voices of Magic jazz choir.
For more information, contact the Meramec Music Department Gary Gackstatter, Director of Instrumental Music, ggackstatter@stlcc.edu, (314) 984-7636 Dr. Jerry Myers, Director of Choral Activities & Music Theory, gmyers34@stlcc.edu, (314) 984-7638
Preparing Students for Life Lindenwood University Offers • More than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs • Majors ranging from business to the arts • Small class size • Top notch professors who are committed to your success • A thriving athletic program with 26 NCAA teams and 20 student life teams • Beautiful residential campus in historic St.Charles • Great tuition rates and help with financial aid
Call 636-949-4949, visit www.lindenwood.edu or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LUDayAdmissions. Transfer and Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships Available
NEWS Resignations at cosand
KURT OBERITHER NEWS EDITOR
Smoking fine in the hands of college trustees Meramec campus police hopes to enforce smoking ban as early as spring
2011
Smoking banned to private property, outdoors.
The drinking establishment and cigar bar exemption states smoke must not infiltrate into areas otherwise prohibited by the ordinance.
JAN Smoking 2 2010
banned to private property, outdoors.
AUGUST 17th, 2009 Smoking ban effective.
(not an official policy). enforced except for parking lots.
enforced
JAN. 2. 2011 BANNED
AUGUST 23 2010
CAMPUSES FALL {OTHER WERE NOT ON BOARD} 2011 ban lifted
A proposal for a $15 smoking fine at all STLCC campuses is pending approval by the STLCC Board of Trustees. The policy could be approved as early as January 2012. Campus Police Chief Paul Banta said that while the Kirkwood police force has the ability to enforce and ticket violators, campus police are still waiting on the Board of Trustees to finalize a means of enforcing the campus-wide ban. “We hope that come spring semester we will be able to issue summons in response to the non-compliance. The date could change, based on when we receive authorization from the board,” Banta said. Banta said that campus police are doing what they can to enforce Meramec’s “Tobacco Free for You and Me” ban. “We’ve put extra personnel on to make sure everyone is complying and that those chronic offenders are going to be referred to the VP of Student Affairs for disciplinary actions,” Banta said. Banta said that campus police has received feedback from faculty and administration. Some say they have seen some improvement in the compliance since the personnel addition, he said. Students Brett Paffrath and Anthony Albers disagree. The two were openly smoking in the Student Center quad between classes. They both acknowledged that they were aware of the campus’s smoking policy. “We’ve been approached countless times by staff and campus police. It’s just stupid. They need a designated smoking area or something,” Paffrath said. While Paffrath and Albers have been approached by faculty and campus police approximately a dozen times this semester, student Lauren Hilleren has yet to be confronted. “I’m not on campus a lot, so it doesn’t really effect me except for times like right now. I try to get away from people so I’m not in people’s faces. People don’t like it and I try to stay conscious of that,” Hilleren said as she took a smoking break before an exam. “But I am a smoker and I had to get my fix.” Campus employee Jeffery Maness and a coworker enjoyed their cigarettes outside of the designated campus limits. “As an employee, we’re required to smoke off grounds since the smoking ban should be in effect soon,” Maness said. “I’m pretty sure they’re going to start writing tickets and I don’t want any of that.” Right now, disciplinary actions could include carrying out St. Louis County or Kirkwood fines. Banta said he hopes students comply so there is no reason to issue fines. Current disciplinary action includes making note of repeat offenders and sending their case to the Vice President of Student Affairs Lin Crawford. According to Banta, the vice president would have the power to “dismiss” a student. According to Banta, no student has been asked to leave over the ban. However, he said that the noncompliance has been an inconvenience and may compromise how hastily police are able to respond to calls. “There are many other things campus officers could be doing besides monitoring whether people smoke or not,” Banta said. “Compliance gives us better opportunity to serve the students as far as assuring their safety and doing the normal things we do on campus.”
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Currents
Carla Chance resigned after 12 years as the STLCC vice chancellor for finance and business services and is now the Vice PresidentAdministration at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in Ohio. Chance served as the chairperson of the Missouri Community College Association Presidents/Chancellors Council and led the district through a 7 percent reduction in state funding for the 2011 fiscal year Furthermore, Chance is a member of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges, and was a member of the St. Louis chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Until 1999, Chance served as the chief administrative officer for six years at Northern Kentucky University. She holds a juris doctorate from Northern Kentucky’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law and a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Kentucky.
JANUARY SECOND
signs posted
STLCC seeks to fill the subdistrct 3 representative position on the STLCC Board of Trustees after Joann Ordinachev, Ph.D., announced her resignation. Ordinachez made the announcement at the Oct. 28 Board of Trustees meeting in the STLCC Cosand Center. She resigned due to personal reasons. “During her 16 years as a member of the board, Joann has been a real advocate for St. Louis Community College and its students on the state, regional and national levels,” said Melissa Hattman, STLCC board chair. “We wish her the best and thank her for her service to the college.” Ordinachev represented STLCC as an associate committee member with the Association of Community College Trustees and president of the Trustee department on the Missouri Community College Association Board of Directors. “I feel very good about the timing of my resignation, as I have fulfilled my campaign promise to ensure that the college remained fiscally viable while working to support its mission,” Ordinachev said. Subdistrict 3 includes the southern and southwest portions of St. Louis City and the school districts of Maplewood-Richmond Heights, Affton, Bayless, Hancock, Brentwood and Webster Groves.
MERAMEC KIRKWOOD STL COUNTY
KELLY GLUECK MANAGING EDITOR
Get Published.
No Joke.
*
* at the crestwood location for all of your school, team, or holiday function.
Crestwood (314) 822-4909 South County (314) 894-1600 Eureka (636) 938-7090
Now Accepting Submissions 2011:April 30 • November 22 2012: December 1 • February 16 Submit your original art in Jpeg format
mccurrents@my.stlcc.edu
4NEWS
November 17, 2011
ONLINE OR IN PERSON National gap in community college completion rates
JOSH RITCHY STAFF WRITER
Online stronger academic preperation & from higher income brackets than community college on the whole. Education At a Distance Indicator (READI). The assessment helps students gauge how well-prepared they are and need to be to take an online class. Students should be advised to take it before signing up for an online class, according to HuntBradford. “Oftentimes there is a [disconnection] between students’ expectations of what an online course is,” Grupas said. Some students face roadblocks like a lack of time management skills or technology skills, Grupas said. However, many students find the additional flexibility attractive, according to Grupas. Time limits in online classes exist just like in a classroom; the difference is that some online classes allow students to begin the test at their own discretion. The tests and timed assignments cannot be stopped, interrupted or restarted in the case of emergency or technical difficulty. “If you’re taking an online class, make sure you make time for it,” student Scott Jensen said. “I personally enjoy meeting new people and new teachers in classes.” Online class instructors must hold office hours for students to meet with them in person, but all other interaction is done over email. “My advice for online students would be to engage learning with other students, interact with your peers,” Grupas said. “It’s not just about submission, it’s also about community with others.”
I wanted more out of life. I was tired of having a dead-end job. I needed a career change and getting a degree was the best way for me to achieve that goal. Kristina Fisher ‘10 Bachelor’s in Business Administration
On campus. Online. Or both.
Toll free: (877) 999-9876 www.ccis.edu/iwantmore
4411 Woodson Rd. • St. Louis
8%
point gap in completion rates
33% 82% 90%
of students enrolled in at least 1 online course
Those with mostly web-based credits are least likely to graduate or transfer to a 4 year institution.
INCLASS ONLINE
A computer monitor, a mouse and a keyboard create a different experience than the traditional pencil, paper and wooden desk. Online classes vary from traditional classes not only in the materials, but also in the results for students in community colleges, according to a July 18 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. The study conducted by the Community College Research Center showed an 8 percent gap in completion rates between the types of classroom settings. The enrollment histories for 51,000 community college students in the study showed the gap favoring traditional classes to produce more completions than online classes. “Many people don’t realize what an online class really is,” said associate professor in communications Susan HuntBradford. “Many go into an online class thinking it will be easier, think there are no deadlines, or that it is an independent study.” Distance learning offers an alternative learning style and the convenience of not having to attend class on a weekly basis. Assignments and tests are submitted online through Blackboard. It has become more popular and helps meet the need of those in the community, according to Dean of Math and Communications Angela Grupas. “Online learning is a newer delivery method and not just for everyone,” Grupas said. “You may find your fit and if it doesn’t, it’s all good. Know how you learn.” Meramec offers an online assessment, Readiness for
ONLINE VS INCLASS
COMPLETETION RATES GRAPHIC BY: LILLY HUXHOLD
NEWS Diversity discussion around Meramec
Keynote speaker and author on diversity presents campus community RACHAEL FREEMAN STAFF WRITER Stefan Bradley, associate professor at St. Louis University, presented “Dialogues on Diversity,” on Nov. 2 at STLCCMeramec’s Student Center to address diversity at the societal and institutional level. “I wanted today to see if I can challenge you to say these words by the time I finish, ‘It is my responsibility,’” Bradley said. The presentation was sponsored by the Diversity Committee and The Center for Teaching and Learning. Bradley tackled the issue of diversity at the seminar and the faculty workshop to show the correlation between “postwar battle against societal racism” and today’s classroom, he said. Bradley told the story of four young African-American males who were college students. It was on Feb. 1, 1960, that
the men made a step toward a cultural change that contested racial relations by engaging in a sit-in at Woolworth Diner in Greensboro, N.C. “They were like me,” Bradley said as he addressed the audience. “They were nobodies, but they decided they were going to change it.” That movement became a part of American history. Bradley said it is stories like the Greensboro four and freedom riders that prompted conversations about race relation, cultural barriers and its impact on the classroom at the faculty workshop. “I tell you all of this because you all have your own issues today,” Bradley said. “Today, some of you are in class talking about immigration. I always ask young people this, ‘what would
you die for, inevitably and invariably?’ Young people would say, ‘I’ll die for my family, except for my one cousin,’ but then somebody who’s a little more ideological will say, ‘I’ll die for my freedom.’” The lessons on diversity happen both in and out of the classroom, said Beverly Bevineau, business service specialist and Diversity Committee member. “The faculty should be very cognizant of who’s sitting in their audience and make sure that the students always feels comfortable about the lesson that they’re going to learn,” Bevineau said. The Diversity Committee continues to embrace diversity on all levels. Future events include, Safe Zone Training, Take Back the Night, and Day of Silence.
RACHAEL FREEMAN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Stefan Bradley, associate professor at St. Louis University, signs book copies after his presentation on “Dialogues on Diversity” on Nov. 2 in the STLCC-Meramec Student Center. The event was part a number of event held on diversity.
Beyond skin deep
Students tell their stories in diversity DANIEL REYNOLDS STAFF WRITER Three STLCC students – one black male, a white female and a white male – sat on a stage behind microphones in front of an audience of students and faculty for the open diversity forum. Each of them had a story that ran deeper than skin color. The panel and audience came together in the Student Center on Friday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. The three students, Helene Schram, Antoine Evans and Tony Ferguson, spoke about their experiences as part of a diverse America. One student, Tony Ferguson, spoke on diversity in sexual orientation. Furguson said he came out of the closet in the seventh grade and went to his mother first. He said his family and religion, although sometimes conflicting, have been supportive, but school life was difficult.
Ferguson said he tried to hide his sexuality and couldn’t be himself because people in school would torment him because of his voice or how he would act. However, Furguson said both of his parents and his brother still love him unconditionally. “That’s all that matters,” he said. “My dad never gave up on me no matter how much trouble I put him through,” Furguson said. “And I put him through a lot.” Schram pointed out the cultural differences between the U.S. and her home country Germany. She moved to St. Louis more than two years ago with her husband and three children. Schram said language barriers and day-to-day events like transportation to and from school were hard to adjust to. In the Netherlands, Schram said her children would ride their bikes to school. “We have 80 million bikes in the Netherlands
and we only have 60 million inhabitants,” Schram said. “My kids would be mortified if you bring them to school,” Schram said with a smile. Another student, Evans, is a black male who was born and raised in St. Louis. He was born drug-exposed and was in a foster home until he was 14 months old. He was then taken in by his dad, who is white, and later adopted him at age five. “I struggled with being raised by a white parent,” Evans said with his eyes focused on the table. “They would call me ‘Oreo’ and other names, and because of that I got into a lot of fights.” Before the panelists left their seats, audience members were given the opportunity to ask questions. Some wanted to know more about each individual’s story and some commended their bravery.
6 OPINIONS Pride points Paying less and getting more MIKE ZIEGLER PHOTO EDITOR
Paying less while getting more when it comes to education is a rarity, but STLCC is part of that class. Four-year institutions pride themselves on their offerings. Expansive dorms and campuses are a staple, but with that size comes compromise. Instructors are left teaching class sizes in the hundreds while juggling research projects within their field that universities love to push and reward tenure with. Meanwhile, two-year institutions, like STLCC, focus on the instruction of students. Freshmen get the shock treatment going through their first semester of college. Those attending universities quickly find out they are just a face in a crowd, that is, if your professor can even see you that far back in the room. The personal and parentlike attention felt throughout grade school and high school is no longer there. In college students are truly on their own. Many freshmen at universities attend classes taught by grad students, not their professors. While you can make appointments with professors, most interaction will be with teaching assistants. Community colleges focus on faculty and grad student research far less than universities. Professors who are out to do research in their field typically will choose universities while those wanting to focus on teaching find community colleges. The responsibility given to tenured professors to focus on research, while good for the university, unfairly distances student from their instructor. STLCC, like most community colleges, makes personal attention their main attraction when promoting the school. Most students heading into their senior year and needing to decide where they want to receive their college education do not take this into consideration. Colleges and universities know this. Universities are sure to make prominent their expansive athletic programs, newly built or renovated dorms and lavish student amenities. Who could blame a bright-eyed high school senior for overlooking the heart of their college pursuit: ensuring academic success? Students here at STLCC may or may not be aware of their academic advantage. Professors have the foremost priority of teaching and students will find professors teaching their classes, not teaching assistants. Take advantage of it while you can. The current economic status lessened any unfair stigma made towards choosing attending a community college and turned it into the enlightened decision. We all are little fish in a big pond. Ours may be a bit less extravagant, but the the tide is in our favor.
November 17, 2011
America Kicks Ass
Retirement, oranges and hurricanes KAVAHN MANSOURI EDITOR IN CHIEF
Sunshine, oranges and hurricane force winds… Florida has it all. America really does contain some of the most beautiful places in the world. Utah for instance, Montana maybe (when was the last time you met someone from Montana that was not interesting?!), even Arkansas. Such grand, interesting and happening places to live and visit. But although Montana might be known for its bustling atmosphere and trending fashion world, Florida takes the cake when it comes to being what America is all about. Retirement Homes. Florida’s got them. Hurricanes. Florida’s got them. Orange juice that would make the lips quiver and the stomach churn with excitement. Florida. These things do not just happen. They occur for a divine reason, something the human mind might not be able to understand. It is, however, important that we attempt to understand what Florida is all about. Why it is such a patriotic place to live and
where did these acts of divine intervention happen to come from? Retirement. It’s the only explanation to the Florida phenomena. With all these over-the-hill partygoers heading down to the great land of Florida, it is no surprise that these fantastic attributes landed on the sandy beaches of Florida. People who have been around the block a few dozen times seem to get what they ask for, and as that old proverb goes “Ask and you shall receive.” Tomorrow, hundreds of Americans will pile into their American flag monster trucks and head on down to “The Sunshine State.” Where the oranges roll from the trees and remind the taste buds of the first time they experienced citrus, the people are aged like a fine wine with a few stories to tell and the hurricanes will literally knock you off your feet. Florida truly is America.
Cory Montero Staff Designer
Off the eaten path
Wired offers standard cafe fare. Options include wraps, sandwiches and salads. The chicken ceaser wrap was very well made. Fresh grilled chicken was a nice surprise compared to cold chicken as was expected. Veggies were crispy and the wheat tortilla wrap was toasty warm. The side of chips and salsa was an interesting but tasty escape from boring old potato chips. JESSE HOFFORD OPINIONS EDITOR A chocolate mocha, while it may not be the best beverage to have Old Man Winter is on his way and students will soon find with a wrap, was needed to get the full experience Wired Coffee has to offer. The coffee, again well themselves left out in the cold in search of a place to warm up, prepared, came out hot just as coffee should be. Smooth and rich, almost as though it were hot hang out and sip a latte. Now, if Starbucks and Kaldi’s are getting chocolate mixed with a little bit of coffee. Then again, I suppose that is how a chocolate mocha stale, or just are not “hip” enough, there is a third option just off ought to taste. Lindbergh Boulevard, a little cafe called Wired Coffee. Not only does Wired have great healthy food and wonderful coffee, but they have something Walk inside and one finds a place a hipster could call home. extra. Live entertainment. Poetry readings, live music and other forms of amusement can be found Vibrant paint, couches, funky decor and a sculpture of a mask at Wired Coffee. Live music on Friday nights and every second Tuesday of the month they host that will command your attention as soon as you see it. Big chairs poetry readings by the Saint Louis Writer’s Guild. Wired also offers a great menu of desserts like surround a fireplace in the center with the ordering counter off gelato and pastries. to the right. Various tables and chairs round out the rest of the seating arrangements. The mask Wired Coffee is located at 3860 S. Lindbergh Blvd and their hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday happens to be the centerpiece and mascot of Wired Coffee. It appears on all of their cups and is through Friday. Eight a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and they are closed on Sundays. featured in their logo.
Wired Coffee
OPINIONS Doping in sports: not just a national issue KAVAHN MANSOURI EDITOR IN CHIEF For the past decade the world of sports has found itself in a rough spot when it comes to drugs. It can be hard to miss in the news when a player is caught “doping” and it seems like not a month goes by without another athlete being caught for using performance-enhancing drugs. The same could be happening at STLCC-Meramec but we would not know it unless the athletic department mandated drug testing for athletes. And, currently, our athletes are not regularly drug tested. Why not? Why are student athletes not being held to the same standard as professionals? Are they special? Do they not full under the criteria to be tested? There are so many reasons to test every athlete who competes for our college, as well as any other college. Following super star athletes drug problems is a nice distraction from a very potential problem that touches every college in the nation. It is important to take a look at the possible problems a community like Meramec can face when drugs become a problem with their own athletes. A problem is a problem, and whether that problem has reared its ugly head it needs to be addressed. Imagine two athletes who are both on scholarships. Athlete A, who has kept clean all of his life, played fair and is a good player. Then imagine athlete B, who is a great player but “experimented” with drugs and used performance-enhancing drugs to further himself as a player; thus becoming a better player than athlete A. The fair thing to do is to choose athlete A, although he may not be as good of a player as athlete B, he trained to be strong without the crutch that is performance-enhancing drugs. While the idea of choosing the clean athlete sounds like an easy-as-pie plan, realize that weeding out a user is much easier said than done. The question of drug testing our athletes then comes into play, and while some would think that testing is not a tedious task, the questions must be asked. Do we have the right to test our athletes? How much will it cost? What are the consequences of being caught? One of the most important topics in the conversation is that some athletes on scholarships could be using performance drugs and there is no way to screen players to make sure this is not happening. Some students would say that it is not fair for an athlete who is using a substance to receive a scholarship while other students struggle just to pay tuition. So is drug testing worth the hassle? Yes, it is. Consider hypothetically athlete A, who came to Meramec to play a sport and did not make the team. Instead of playing he gets to watch athlete B play from the bleachers. Fair? No. But it solidifies the point that even at a school like Meramec, drug testing is by all means necessary. At the end of the day it comes down to what is fair. Too often the situation is that the better athlete will play, and in most cases that is the best way to play the game. It is, however, important to realize that there is a real possibility of doping, even at a community college. CORY MONTERO STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
EDITORS Kavahn Mansouri Kelly Glueck Mike Ziegler Hans Steinert Lilly Huxhold Kurt Oberreither Amber Davis Jesse Hofford Tomi Storey Spencer Gleason Kait Thomas Justin Villmer Kelsey Koenig Shannon Philpott
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Photo Editor Multimedia Editor Graphic Design Editor News Editor Asst. Art&Life Editor Opinions Editor In-Depth Editor Sports Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Ad Representative Faculty Adviser
MONTAGE STAFF THE MONTAGE Steven Duncan Victoria Barmark Matthew Bell Clinton Borror Chris Campbell Kelsey Chitwood Kristina Craft Alex Fikar Rachael Freeman Nick Herrin Jason Jones Aaron McCall Daniel Reynolds Josh Ritchey Chimanga Williams Alex Kendall Leslie Gruttke Kim Morice Sara Murillo Tyler Burrus David Kloeckener Nick Rousseau Luke Blount Cory Montero Kelly Chambers Trent Wacker
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To place an advertisement, contact the advertising manager for rates, sample issues, etc., (314) 984-7955. Editorial views expressed or content contained in this publication are not necessaritly the views of St. Louis Community College, the Board of Trustees or the administration. The Montage is a student publication produced seven times per semester at St. Louis Community College Meramec, 11333 Big Bend Blvd., Kirkwood, Mo., 63122. (314) 984-7655. One copy of The Montage is free of charge. Up to 10 additional copies available, $1 each, at the office of The Montage, SC 220. Bulk purchases may be arranged with circulation manager. Editorial policy: All letters should be no longer than 500 words and must include identification as a student or faculty member, phone number and address for verification purposes. Phone numbers and addresses will not be published. All letters are subject to editing for content and length. All letters submitted will be published in print and online.
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8 INDEPTH
November 17, 2011
Competition’s No drug testing for sports SPENCER GLEASON SPORTS EDITOR KURT OBERREITHER NEWS EDITOR
GRAPHICS BY: TOMI STOREY
The driving inner force that pushes athletes to the brink beyond that of a level playing field and onto a selfish one leaves a clouded bubble above their heads. The junior college athlete’s body and mind is still growing and the pressure to rise above the competition can involve a tangled web of drug experimentation. While drug testing is the norm for most four-year athletic programs, a national policy instituting the same does not exist for two-year colleges. STLCC currently does not mandate drug testing. In the fall of 2011, a player was removed from STLCC’s baseball team and expelled from the college. STLCC Archer head baseball coach Tony Dattoli said the player was thought to be using a recreational banned substance and it was found to be true. “An illegal drug is an illegal drug. It doesn’t matter if you deem it recreational or not. I will not have drugs in this program,” Dattoli said. “We’re all in it to make our guys successful in what they’re trying to do, but they’re going to do it the right way.” Dattoli said although he does not condone it, he knows some of his athletes will experiment with drugs. But once he finds out, he said, they only have one more chance. “I’m a firm believer that kids make mistakes,” Dattoli said. “I think we probably need to do a better job at this institution but especially at this level; I think we should have a national push to educate our student-athletes in what is acceptable and what is not.” Dattoli said it has been left up to him as a coach and the medical staff to educate the players. “The information has always been plentiful for our staff here at STLCC but it’s one of those things that if I want to talk about it, I can. It’s not mandated and I think we should mandate it. The more kids know the more educated they are, like anything in life, the better off they will be,” Dattoli said. There have been athletes rumored to be using steroids, according to Dattoli. He said those athletes understood that they would not be returning for the next year. “The only thing I didn’t have was a positive test. It was blatantly obvious that there was something going on with them,” Dattoli said. According to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), athletic participation is a privilege. If athletes who use any drug on the NJCAA’s banned substance list – such as testosterone or marijuana – their participation can be reviewed or revoked. The NJCAA requires that athletes are educated on drugs and drug policy and have resources like drug counseling available to them, but drug testing
INDEPTH
temptations is not implemented by the college or the NJCAA. Another requirement is that the individual institutions under the NJCAA use their “various resources” to “investigate the feasibility of a complete and comprehensive drug use and abuse screening program” in response to the need or demand. Athletic trainer Darren Jones said his number one concern if there was reported drug use would be to find out what the athlete is using and how to get them the care they need. “The first thing is providing them with help,” Jones said. Johnna Kinney, NJCAA assistant regional director and STLCC head volleyball coach, said STLCC has never tested anyone for performance-enhancing substances. Athletes are required to complete a physical before trying out for a team. STLCC athletes are also required to sign a one-year contract to play for the college. In July 2011, all STLCC sports were consolidated into district teams. Athletics faced cuts as STLCC was forced to reduce its operating budget by $3.3 million for the 2011-2012 academic year. Kinney said STLCC does not have the resources to fund mandatory drug tests. The NJCAA first vice president for women, Norma Dycus, is also the chairperson for the NJCAA Health and Safety Committee. According to Dycus, mandating drug testing or making the test available is left to the individual colleges. “We’re not the NCAA. We’re small time. We’re not a big money organization – most of our schools aren’t,“ Dycus said. “I hesitate to have us compared to NCAA, which has all of these programs, because they are on such a different financial footing than us.” In the fall of 2006, the Health and Safety Committee conducted a drug testing survey and asked its more than 500 member colleges to forward their results to the committee. Forty-nine schools reported – these colleges were already testing. According to the April 3, 2007 committee report form, the committee found that the majority of the reporting schools tested primarily illegal street drugs with a few targeting steroids. “Even though we don’t agree that smoking marijuana is a thing you want your kids doing, that’s not a performance-enhancing thing,” Dycus said. “That’s really going to detract from your performance.” The National Center for Drug Free Sport quoted the cost of developing a drug testing procedure and random drug testing for 250 athletes at 10 NJCAA National Championships. The estimate was $69,000 for a performance enhancing screen and additional $10,650 for street drugs. “At that time, [it would have] cost us well over $70,000 for spot checking – and we don’t have that,” Dycus said. “There’s no way financially we can take this on.” Dycus said the programs on campuses the National Center for Drug Free Sport was interested in
Sixty-one STLCC athletes, including women’s basketball, softball, baseball and men’s basketball, were surveyed.
one athlete
were different from what the NJCAA would like to do. According to the committee report form, the committee concluded that, at the time, it was unclear if a performance-enhancing drug screen was necessary but it would continue to monitor for potential problems. There has not been discussion of drug policy at national meetings, according to Kinney. Dycus said there has not been policy change regarding drug use and abuse in the four years she has been in charge of the committee. At Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, Dycus was athletic director and coached volleyball for 26 years. She said there was no drug testing program there either. Dycus said if she was suspicious of drug use among her athletes, she would remove her player from competition and put them into a counseling situation. “Would I love to be able to do performance-enhancing drug testing on either my campus or athletes or at our National Championships? In a perfect world, yes,” Dycus said. “We don’t live in a perfect world, so we’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.” The effects of banned substances on junior college athletes are not altogether different from the impact they have on an athlete at any level – from the professional tier to high school sports. Women’s basketball guard Lauren Fischer said she thinks drugs can take away from an athlete’s abilities or skill level – especially depending on how often they are used. “I think it would not be worth taking [performance-enhancing drugs] because of the risk of what can happen to you off the court,” Fischer said. Student-athletes at the junior college level can feel pressured in the classroom, at home, at practice or in the game. While professional athletes are being busted for drug use, who do younger athletes have to view as a role model? “Stakes have risen,” Dattoli said. “If you look at the salaries of pro ballplayers – everybody wants to be a pro ballplayer because look at the money they’re making. Unfortunately, kids are doing stupid things… If you’re consuming something on the banned list, you’re breaking the rules. “ When 61 STLCC athletes were surveyed and asked whether they had ever seen another STLCC athlete use performance-enhancing drugs, four responded “Yes”. “I think as coaches or even administrators, [we] would be naive to think that it hasn’t somewhat infiltrated [here]. The fact that we have any is upsetting, but I think for some major places, four is low, unfortunately,” assistant women’s basketball coach Melanie Marcy said. “My hopes would be that those people would tell their friends or teammates or other athletes the side effects and hopefully they can stop them from that use so that it doesn’t spread.”
said they have been tested for drug use at STLCC
5 1
TOP drugs abused by college students
Marijuana Side Effects: hinders performance, slows reaction
2 3 4 5 Vicodine Side Effects: highly addictive, blurred vision, dizziness
of the surveyed athletes said they have ever used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) as an STLCC athlete. 4 athletes said they have witnessed another athlete in their program use PEDs and 2 said they prefer not to answer.
None of the surveyed athletes said they have used hard drugs as an STLCC athlete, but 2 admit to having used hard drugs ever.
22% of the female athletes surveyed and 18% of the male athletes surveyed said they have used soft drugs while an STLCC athlete.
Amphetamine Side Effects: restlessness, headache, stomach pain
Cough Medicine Side Effects: extreme drowsiness, lack of focus
Seditives and Tranquilizers Side Effects: depressed heartbeat and breathing
*according to drugs.com
10 ART&LIFE
November 17, 2011
Teaching from the heart Bringing a light side to a serious subject KIMBERLY MORICE STAFF WRITER On the second floor of Social Science sits an office with a black leather massage chair in the corner and many pictures hanging on one of its walls. Among the frames is a photo of Sigmund Freud, directly above it hangs a photo of Jimmy Buffet sitting in a lawn chair on the beach. The office’s owner, STLCC-Meramec psychology professor Terry Cooper, Ph.D. turns from his desk and points at the coinciding photographs of two of his inspirations. “This is kind of crazy, but this is very much an expression of both sides of my personality. The humorous, playful and fun-loving side of Jimmy Buffet and his music has become as much a part of my personality in some ways as the far more serious side of Sigmund Freud, and I have no need to get rid of either side of my personality,” Cooper said. Cooper, who is known as “Coop” to many of his students, has been teaching full-time as a psychology professor at Meramec since 1994; he also teaches part-time at Webster University. Though he has always taught psychology, it was not always in his plans. “I decided as an undergraduate that I was going to major in philosophy and I minored in religious studies,” Cooper said. “I actually got interested in psychology kind of through the back door. Although my first favorite professor was a psychology professor.” Over the last several years, Cooper has become interested in psychoanalysis. He is in his third year of a four year psychoanalytic program in Los Angeles, which is part of his training for becoming a psychoanalyst. “I’ve gotten more and more interested in psychoanalysis, particularly contemporary psychoanalysis, because things have really changed a lot since MIKE ZIEGLER PHOTO EDITOR Freud and contemporary psychoanalysis is a lot more open to different kinds Terry Cooper, Ph.D., sits at his desk on the second floor of Social Science. Cooper, who is known as “Coop” to many of his students, has been teaching of therapy,” Cooper said. full-time as a psychology professor at Meramec since 1994. He also teaches part-time at Webster University. Cooper inserts a lot of humor into his classrooms; if he feels a lecture is becoming too serious, he will tell a joke or make a pun that makes even himself cringe. don’t think I could not do it. I can’t tone it down,” Cooper said. “I think it’s important that professors are human and not some sort of mechanical robots, and Cooper has had many personal experiences in the field of psychology working as a counselor at that they have a sense of humor and care about students. It is such a part of my personality that I a mental health facility. He draws from these experiences in the classroom by telling his students a story for nearly every syndrome and psychological problem. “The courses I teach here especially need a person who can draw on a background of actually working with people. I mean, when you teach abnormal psychology you probably need to have done some actual clinical work with people,” Cooper said. “The more examples I can use that are relevant to the theory, the easier it is to grasp the theory.” Compared to other professors, who mostly refer to the textbook while teaching, most students find Cooper’s personal experiences to be more helpful while learning the subject. “I can sit there and talk about what the textbook says about a particular clinical problem, or I can look back on times in which I remember doing consultations in the hospitals or being called into emergency situations in which there were times where, quite frankly, I didn’t know for sure if I was doing the right thing,” Cooper said. “You’ve got to trust your intuition and you’ve got to get as much supervisory help as you can, but I look back on those times as very important in the way I look at theory and that kind of thing.” Cooper takes inspiration from many people in the field of psychology; among them are Carl Rogers, Heinz Kohut and indirectly Sigmund Freud himself. “I think that even if you think that Freud was dead wrong, you can appreciate his genius. Because there was nothing he didn’t look at. He looked at everything and he had an answer for everything -- it may be wrong, but he had an answer,” Cooper said. Cooper stays in touch with many of his students and periodically has letters of recommendation to fill out for former students who are applying to Ph.D .programs at various universities across the country. “That is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do,” Cooper said. “People often remember their start. They remember how the whole thing began, just like I look back on my mentor, Don Browning, as being so instrumental to me in making me believe I could go as far as maybe I wanted to go.”
Check out more content from The Montage online at http:// www.meramecmontage.com
ART&LIFE
Making it in
America.
KIMBERLY MORICE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Dastan Abdulqader pauses outside the library quad on Nov 6. Abdulqader said the nature here in St. Louis is similar to that of the nature found in Northern Iraq. Abdulqader lived in Southern Iraq before moving to Northern Iraq during the U.S. and Iraq war in 2003. In 2009, she moved to St. Louis with her family where she currently resides.
KIMBERLY MORICE STAFF WRITER America is made up of a colorful puzzle of different cultures. Families and individuals from other countries may still consider America to be the place for a new start. STLCC-Meramec student, Dastan Abdulqader knows how difficult leaving one’s homeland can be. “We left all of our family and friends, which was a horrible day. I can’t even remember it because if I remember it, I’m going to cry,” Abdulqader said. Abdulqader was born in Baghdad, Iraq, and after the war in 2003, she and her family moved to Northern Iraq. “My parents are from the north, so it made sense for us to go there. All our family and friends are from the north,” Abdulqader said. “The work was good, so they paid [my father] good, so we got our house and car, which was really good. The army then gave my father a special visa to come here, and we were stressed out to come here. It’s America, it’s different.” In Iraq, Abdulqader’s family was rich compared to other families; they had a house, a car, and were able to live comfortably. Her mother was a high school math teacher, her father worked for the army and each were secure in their jobs. Living in America has been a different story. “Here we’re living in an apartment, which is tiny and my mother doesn’t like it. She’s used to a big kitchen and big bedrooms, now we have a small kitchen and small everything,” Abdulqader said. “She’s at home and cooking a lot, which is different. It’s also been hard for my dad to get a job. Here, he applied for 80 jobs and didn’t get one for a long time, he finally found a job.” Abdulqader’s father, who know three languages, now works as a translator in the city. Abdulqader, and her siblings, all known three languages: Kurdish, which is the language commonly spoken in Northern Iraq, Arabic and English. “My older brother is also a translator in the city. I have a younger brother who is in high school and doing really well and also a five-year-old brother who is learning all of the American things in school. It’s really neat,” Abdulqader said. Out of all the American cities Abdulqader and her family could have moved to, they chose St. Louis. Her father has a friend who is married to an American woman who is from St. Louis.
“If it was up to me, I would come to New York or California or somewhere famous,” Abdulqader said. In Iraq, most people her age spend their days studying with no break. Abdulqader and other students go to school six days a week, with Friday being their only day off. Most Friday evenings, Abdulqader’s family would gather at her aunt’s house and one of her grandmothers would cook dinner for all of her children and grandchildren. “We go to the mall or something, with only one day off we have to do something fun,” Abdulqader said. Abdulqader’s life in Iraq is a stark contrast to the life she currently lives in America. “Here, there are more fun things to do. I study, you can say, not that much, because the material is not that hard here,” Abdulqader said. “It’s fun here. You can find places that are fun.” Abdulqader and her family were hesitant about moving to America, a country with a sometimes clouded view on the Iraqi people. “It was so hard. My mom is a Muslim, like I’m a Muslim too, and she wears the hijab so we were afraid of coming here. She’s just being modest, but we came here expecting that everyone would be mean to my mom. When we came here, it was a big surprise because no one was mean to her. Everyone was so accepting of her,” Abdulqader said. Abdulqader hopes to become a dentist while she is living in America, but ultimately she wants to take her career and go back to Iraq. Abdulqader said she can hardly concentrate on school because of how much she wishes to return to her homeland. “That’s what I hope for every single day. Every single day,” Abdulqader said. If Abdulqader did not have to study, she would return to Iraq. With our schools and different learning methods, she will not have to spend as much time studying as she would if she were living in Iraq. “Here, you can aim high and achieve your dream,” Abdulqader said.
12 ART&LIFE
November 17, 2011
BILL PLYMPTON’S
Master Class
KELLY GLUECK MANAGING EDITOR Bill Plympton rolled up his sleeves as he walked into Professor Bill Van Hoogstraat’s Drawing for Graphics classroom. There was no need for an introduction; students recognized Plympton through self-portrait promo posters that lined the walls of Humanities East. Plympton’s recognition is not limited to a promotional poster, his illustrations can be found in past issues of Rolling Stone, Vogue, The New York Times and his notable personal achievement, Vanity Fair. His animated films, inspired by his illustrations, have been seen on MTV, and he is currently working on a TV show pilot and a feature film. On Friday, Nov. 11, Plympton, two-time Oscar and Academy Award nominee, took time out of his schedule to visit STLCC-Meramec to educate students and spectators of his technique and how to market themselves independently. Graphic design associate professor Chuck Groth worked with the St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) team to coordinate the event. “I had contacted him before because I thought he would be a perfect speaker to come because there’s such a wide interest with animation students, illustration students, graphic design students and people that would love to see it. But it wasn’t going to fit into his schedule,” Groth said. “After several months I called him again and he made it work.” Plympton has been in the St. Louis area doing a series of interviews, campus talks and picking up a lifetime achievement award from SLIFF. He is also the subject of a featured SLIFF documentary. The documentary filmmaker Alexia Anastasio worked with Sarah Silverman, Terry Gilliam, Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob Squarepants,) Weird Al Yankovic and countless others that Pylmpton has known and worked with. They can all be seen in Anatasio’s “Adventures of Plymptoons,” which premiered Saturday, Nov. 12 at Webster’s Moore Auditorium as a part of SLIFF. Plympton made an appearance at Webster University the night before the documentary’s premiere. “I do a lot of appearances at schools. That’s why this documentary will help spread the word about independent animation and adult animation, too,” Plympton said. Adult animation in the United States has been a struggle for Plympton. He said that he is not interested in family films. He does not think about “laying with toys all day or Little Bear singing songs,” Instead, he thinks about adult concepts like love, lust and jealousy. He
expressed his industry frustrations with the students in Bill Van Hoogstraat’s class. “The tough thing in America is that there’s a consciousness that animation is only for children; it’s not for adults. I’m trying to break that attitude. In the states it’s really impossible to get distribution for my film,” Plympton said. Plympton went on to discuss more of the frustrations of getting his work out there, all the while supporting himself financially. “I would take my portfolio to different magazines that I thought might like my work, and quite frankly, initially it was quite difficult to get my work out there,” Plympton said. “I got in some big publications, but I had a lot of friends that were doing a lot of corporate stuff for tens of thousands of dollars and I could never get those big clients.” However, in 2001, Disney Studios offered Plympton $1 million to come work for them. Disney would have rights to everything that Plympton created. He was adamant on continuing to create his quirky films the way he had envisioned them. For this reason, he decided to market himself as an independent. “I don’t have to work for Disney to make films and it is possible to make money on your own films and it’s fun to draw,” Plympton said. Plympton said that marketing yourself is the hardest part of the job. It involves looking for new ways to tells stories and looking for new ways to draw things. According to Plympton, innovation is the best way to really push the limits of animation. Van Hoogstraat made note of the risk of creative failure and asked Plympton how he knows whether his film will be successful enough to support themselves. “I test it. I show it to friends and anonymous groups and I get feedback throughout the entire process. I show the storyboard to people, I’ll show pencil tests to people and I’ll listen to their responses. Even after the finished product is done, I can go back and change things,” Plympton said. “I really want it to be a success for the audience and I want the audience to love it, because if the audience loves it, then I know it will sell.” Plympton used his visit at Meramec as an opportunity to show his pencil tests for his up and coming feature film “Cheatin’.” The film gave students and spectators a firsthand glance through Plympton’s creative process. Van Hoogstraat said that it was a great opportunity for students to see the process and how they can market themselves successfully. “The time in class was immense because of some of the personal comments he made about
marketing and his love for what he does. That’s worth its weight in gold to me, because I preach those things every damn day,” Van Hoogstraat said. Plympton’s parting words encouraged students to continue practicing and to be aware of the things around them. “Draw all the time. I always draw and I always have a sketchpad with me. Be observant and curious about how people move and talk and react. Write stories. Look at modern animation. It’s important that you know what’s out there,” Plympton said. Graphic design student Greg McCrary was in attendance at Plympton’s campus talk and said Plypmton’s exaggerated caricature style and cheeky humor was right up his alley and that his advice for getting through a rough spot was valuable. “When he was talking about getting back to drawing and figure drawing. I think that’s something I really took away. Also, that you don’t have to be a part of a big animation company to do what you like. That’s pretty cool,” McCrary said.
Check out Bill Plympton’s music video for Weird Al Yancovic’s “Don’t Download This Song” and other Plypmton videos at meramecmontage.com
ART&LIFE
Celebrating the life of the deceased Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2 in which family members and friends gather to celebrate the lives of the deceased. STLCCMeramec honored this celebration in Business Administration room 105 on Nov. 2. The Mexican holiday celebration consists of traditions connected and include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. “In Mexico we like to make a party of it,” Anabel Gonzalez, a speaker at the Day of the Dead and a Meramec student, said. Gonzalez came to America at the age of 2 from Guanajuato, Mexico. Gonzalez spoke at the event teaching students and faculty about the history and the meaning of the celebration. Another student at Meramec, Paola Beltran, talked about her celebration of Dia de los Muertos in Colombia. “[It] is so different in the same celebration,” Beltran said. “We would go to church and light a candle for the dead. It’s interesting to see how much effort they put in for celebrating for the dead and the living.” Gonzalez said this holiday is a way to remember the deceased and their loved ones. “Of course you are going to remember them in a sad way, because they are no longer there,” Gonzalez said. “Being happy and [the deceased] know you are, just remembering the happy things is a why we make a party out of it.”
ALEX KENDALL STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER An alter adorned with symbols honors the deceased during the Day of the Dead on Nov. 1 in BA 105. The Day of the Dead celebrates the lives of deseased loved ones through feasts and parties.
‘Festival of lights’
SARA MURILLO STAFF WRITER
Above: Performers dance on stage during the Festival of Lights on October 28 held in the SC 200 in the Meramec Student Center. Lights were placed around the room along with bright colors and introduced the crowd folk dances. Bottom left: John Javlonski talks with other attendees at the Festival of Lights on October 28 in room SC 200 in the Meramec Student Center. Bottom right: Dr. Nobel Das, chemistry teacher, practices playing a drum before the Diwali event on October 28 in SC 200 in the Meramec Student Center. The event ended with students and teachers sharing authentic Indian food with all in attendance. PHOTOS BY: SARA MURILLO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
On Oct. 28, 2011, the International Club hosted the Diwali Festival, also known as festival of lights, which took place in room 204 of the Student Center. Diwali is the Indian festivity that celebrates the beginning of the Indian New Year. It also commemorates the victory of good over evil. “Diwali is our biggest event in India,” Ravi Patel, a computer engineering student said. Students of the International Club brought Diwali to Meramec. “Meramec is not only coming, studying and leaving,” Jannat Safina, a member of the International Club, said. “There is much more; like international events.” The festival of lights started with an introduction of the meaning and importance of it for Indian people. After all the audience knew about the importance and the purpose of Diwali, the party kicked off with a runway in which traditional Indian clothing was modeled. There were lights and bright full colors that introduced us to folk dances. Thomas Schwarz, a general transfer student, Ryan Bouma and Dr. Nobel Das, a chemistry teacher, played customary Indian music. Diwali was the opportunity for Indian students to celebrate their festival on campus and for the audience to make new friends and have fun. “I am happy to celebrate my Indian festival in America,” Kapil Dev said.
14 ART&LIFE Sculpting a path to the future
November 17, 2011
KAVAHN MANSOURI EDITOR IN CHIEF In the first and second floor hallways of Humanities East, dozens of fine art students waited for their next appointments. Fellow students shuffled through the hallways while student artists presented their portfolios to representatives from colleges across the country. The abundance of conversation made it difficult to hear in the hallway and many of the students passing by often forgot to look and not touch. On Nov. 1, STLCC-Meramec hosted its fourth annual Portfolio Review to help aspiring fine art students find direction and build bridges in their careers. Students are given the opportunity to set up appointments with college representatives to discuss their work. The review serves as a catalyst for artists looking for a fouryear college or a career. Fine art students Jennae Herring and Victoria Wayne sat on the bench on the second floor of Humanities East while waiting for appointments. “You have no idea where you’re going. I think it’s nice being able to talk to different colleges and it kind of helps you figure out what you want to do because right now I don’t know what I want to do,” Wayne said. Wayne said Portfolio Review is not just about showing the artist’s work but also for helping students find out what they can do with their work. “I know I love it. I know I enjoy doing it. But it’s more what can I do with this,” Wayne said. Herring said that artists often find different perspectives through building portfolios. “I think it helps them get a new perspective on
their work, it helps them to see all of their work, in front of them and on the wall, as a cohesive piece,” Herring said. Before Herring could finish her thought she was approached by her next appointment. She quickly whisked away to her portfolio table and began her presentation. Wayne said she encourages artists to not see each piece of artwork as a single entity, but as an addition to the grand scheme. “Instead of seeing each piece separately, they realize they need to start building a portfolio where everything works together. Then it’s pointing in the direction they want to go in and it’s not just a piece from this class and a piece from this class,” Wayne said. “They need to look good together and they need to point to what field they want to go into.” While most attendees to portfolio night are college representatives and students participating in the review, fellow students are also encouraged to offer their critiques to the artists. Fine arts student Derek Fultz, who had presented in past portfolio reviews, returned this year as a spectator. Fultz said he believes the most important part about the review is that students are able to learn from each other through displaying their artwork. “It is inspiring to have everyone’s work up at once and to be influenced by your peers. I think that’s probably the most influential thing about portfolio night,” Fultz said. “You’re able to talk to your peers and fellow students, you’re able to learn from them and they also learn from you.”
KELLY GLUECK MANAGING EDITOR Art hangs on the wall on Nov. 1 as a part of the art department’s Portfolio Review held in Humanities East. Students who met with college admissions officers and fine art professors to discuss how they could benefit from attending the school they represented.
SPORTS
FREESE frame
UPCOMING home games Men’s Basketball
Women’s Basketball
PHOTO BY: NICK ROUSSEAU St. Louis Cardinal third baseman David Freese waves to the tens of thousands of Cardinal fans during the World Series victory parade on Sunday, Oct. 30 from the bed of a Ford pick-up truck. Freese’s .397 batting average and 21 runs batted in during the postseason earned him both the National League Championship Series MVP and World Series MVP awards. He became only the sixth player in baseball history to earn both awards in the same postseason and the second Cardinal player. Darryl Porter achieved both honors in 1982. As a STLCC-Meramec Magic baseball player in 2004, Freese hit .396 with 41 RBI’s and 10 home runs. During his senior season at Lafayette High School, Freese set school records in batting average, hitting .533, and home runs, with 23. Freese was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the ninth round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft and then traded to the hometown team in 2007 for Jim Edmonds. During the regular season, Freese hit .297 with 10 home runs and 55 RBI’s.
Celebrate the Holidays in Kirkwood!
• Downtown Holiday Walk, Nov 19 • Bring the kids to see Santa and Mrs. Claus when they arrive on the train at 9:30am. • Santa will pose for photos and accept Christmas letters starting at 10am.
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Festivities Include: Catch the Holiday Trolley and take a free ride around downtown Kirkwood (11am to 3pm) Live Entertainment: Lucille Rapp Tumblers and Dancers, St Peter School Choir, Statesmen Singers Refreshments: Free grilled hotdogs courtesy of the Kirkwood Kiwanis. Cookies and hot chocolate from McArthur’s Bakery (while it lasts)
Ornaments for Officers
Sharing and Caring
The City of Kirkwood will once again sell holiday ornaments to benefit BackStoppers. Beautiful, colorful selection of donated ornaments, available for $3 each at the Finance Window, 139 S. Kirkwood Road, 8am to 5pm, M-F. Decorate your Christmas tree in style – and for a great cause! Recycle Your Old Holiday Lights: Bring your old holiday lights to the Scheidegger Recycling Depository (open 24/7), 350 S. Taylor Avenue in Kirkwood, between Nov 15 and Jan 31. All materials will be recycled – the plastic, the glass, and the copper! Proceeds benefit St. Louis Green and Operation Food Search. Letters from Santa: Friends of Kirkwood Public Library will once again sponsor the “Letter from Santa” program. Santa will send a letter to all the children in your life. Each letter costs $6 (payable to Friends of KPL). Get your request in by December 7 to receive a North Pole postmark . All requests must be received by December 17. For more details or a form, visit kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org.
Youth in Action will accept donations for Nurses for Newborns and the Makea-Wish Foundation. Canned food, baby food, and cash donations are greatly appreciated! It all starts at 9:30 at the Train Station!
City of Kirkwood, 139 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122 314-822-5894 www.kirkwoodmo.org
16 SPORTS
November 17, 2011
HOOP it up Albrecht, Archers start the season
3-1
SPENCER GLEASON SPORTS EDITOR AARON MCCALL STAFF WRITER Although the 2011-2012 STLCC men’s basketball campaign is in its infancy, the Archers have begun their season on a winning note. After dropping their first game at home, in the newly-renovated STLCC-Forest Park gym, against the number 10 nationally ranked John Wood Trailblazers, 70-61, the Archers have won three consecutive games, outscoring their opponents 226217 during that stretch. With three-time Hall of Famer Randy Albrecht at the helm of the Archers, STLCC has the experience of a head coach with over three decades coaching and 726 career wins. “I’ve coached for a long time,” Albrecht said. “I think basketball is a great game to play and a great game to watch.” With a record of 3-1, the young Archer team has only five returning players from Albrecht’s Magic basketball squad from Meramec, last season. The roster of 14 will rely on the leadership of sophomore guard Toraino Hellems, who has scored 71 points in the first four games and sophomore center Ryun Davis, who has scored 71 points as well. Combined
the two players have scored nearly 50 percent of the team’s total baskets. “The team is like a puzzle,” Albrecht said. “If you get it all put together right it fits. The pieces don’t always fit and sometimes they fit together really well.” Since the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) moved to three separate divisions in 1986 and Albrecht began coaching division II basketball, Albrecht has not had a losing season. With a record of 27 consecutive winning seasons, Albrecht has found himself reaching his goal of achieving a winning season through three United States presidents’ terms. The last time Albrecht had a losing season, Ronald Regan was in the White House. “My goals are about the same every year,” Albrecht said. “My first goal is to have a winning season.” Regardless of the outcome on the court, Albrecht hopes that his players become winners off the court as well. “I like to see players improve, grow and become better people,” Albrecht said. The next home game for the Archers is Nov. 16 against Southwestern Illinois College at 7 p.m.
PHOTOS BY: DAVID KLOECKENER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Top left: STLCC Archer basketball players go up for the rebound during a game against the John Wood Trailblazers on Nov.1. The Archers lost, 70-61 after tying the game 25-25 at halftime. The John Wood Trailblazers were ranked number 10 in the preseason. Bottom left: Toraino Hellems, tries to avoid John Wood basketball defenders. Hellems scored 20 points in the loss. Since then, Hellems has gone on to score 51 more points this season. His 71 points is tied with sophomore center Ryun Davis for the team lead and has helped lead the Archers to a 3-1 record in their first four games. Bottom right: Sophomore Archer forward, Kyle Rice, number 42, tries to keep possession of the ball against John Wood’s sophomore forward, Matt Putrich. Rice has tallied 28 points for the season and is shooting 86 percent from the free throw line, going 6 for 7. With the three wins this season, head coach Randy Albrecht sits at 694 junior college career wins and is number 21 all time for junior college coaches. Last season, Albrecht won his 700th career game, as he has 32 wins as a division I coach in the mid-1970s.