the
bridge for the students, by the students
VOL 47/ISSUE 03
NOVEMBER 2016
#15tofinish Incentive Living with Epilepsy Raise Your Voice Encourages Students November is Epilepsy in This Year’s Awareness Month. to #Finish_It Election L&C becomes a part of the new movement taking place across the United States. Page 02
Understanding the difficulties of living with this illness. Page 04
Your vote will help determine the future of America. Page 05
of Lewis and Clark Community College | www.thelcbridge.com
L&C Hosts Memorial Tribute in Honor of Blake Snyder HELEN JARDEN hjarden@lc.edu
Photos by: Krista Davenport
L&C dedicated its last men’s soccer home game of the season (v. Parkland College) in honor of fallen STLCo. Officer Blake Snyder, a Trailblazer alumnus (2001-2003). Photos by: L&C Flickr
The Lewis and Clark community was heartbroken by the recent loss of a beloved Trailblazer. St. Louis County Police Officer Blake Snyder, a 2003 L&C graduate, was killed in the line of duty in St. Louis County Oct. 6. L&C held a memorial for Snyder before an L&C men’s soccer game Oct. 15, during which citizens of the Riverbend area gathered at the game to pay tribute to him and support the wife and two-year-old son he left behind. “Blake Snyder is, and always will be, a Trailblazer,” said Doug Stotler, L&C athletics director, at the memorial. “Blake played very hard and with a passion... Blake was also a great teammate. He played together with his teammates and always put the team needs before his own.” Head Coach Tim Rooney and former teammate Ryan Hodge, who is now an assistant coach at L&C, presented the Snyder family two Blake Snyder Memorial t-shirts with his last name and his number, 11, on the back. In lieu of announcing starting lineups for the men’s soccer team, Stotler announced only one name and number, Snyder’s. Stotler emphasized that the best way to show love for the Snyder family was to not be silent. For 33 seconds, a second for each year of Snyder’s life, the audience was asked to cheer and clap. “We want this day to be filled with healing, recovery and love,” Stotler said. Snyder’s father, Dick Snyder, also spoke at the event. Dick Snyder is a former L&C administrator and professor emeritus. “The first indication he had an interest in law enforcement came when he took an academic scholarship to Wash. U. That’s a pre-law school,” Dick Snyder said. “When we asked him what his goal was, he said he wanted to go to the FBI.” Eventually, Blake Snyder became interested in joining the police force after meeting his wife Elizabeth, who has many officers in her family. When he applied at the police academy, his father admitted that he was concerned. “I’ll be honest with you. The scenario which took his life was my worst nightmare,” Dick Snyder said. “We talked about so often that very situation. He tried to reassure me, ‘Dad, it’ll be okay.’” Despite this painful event, the family finds comfort in Blake Snyder’s legacy. “And, so Adam and Mom and I have this tremendous sense of peace because we knew he followed his passion,” Dick Snyder said. “Not everybody does that. Some people simply take a job and go through it day after day. He died doing exactly what he wanted to do.” L&C has raised more than $6,500 through concessions, t-shirt sales and other donations in honor of Snyder. The money has been donated to The Backstoppers, Inc., and will help support Snyder’s family.
L&C Students Participate in Practice Election RYAN ROBERTS
reroberts@lc.edu
The Bridge and WLCA helped promote the participation of Lewis and Clark Community College students in the election process by registering them to vote Oct. 5. Approximately 25 students signed up via paper applications or online, outside the Reid Café, while practicing for the upcoming election by casting a vote for their preferred candidate in a mock election. Students were able to participate in drawings held by WLCA to give out free concert tickets, while they were filling out their voter registration application. As this election cycle has been highly controversial it has produced numerous undecided voters on campus. When asked about his choice for a candidate, L&C student Ameer Harris said, I don’t know they both have strong suits. It’s it’s not good but it’s not bad.” Harris was referencing to the two leading candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile others have sought more appealing candidates in the smaller parties as student Brenden Pursell said, “I’m kind of in between Gary Johnson and Jill Stein. The Republicans are too extreme, and the Democrats are too extreme.” Other students voting on the paper ballots
and the online poll were more decisive as Clinton was the preferred choice for a plurality with 40 votes, Trump was next with 21, Johnson received 12, and Jill Stein got 7 votes. Thirteen mock election voters were undecided, while Bernie Sanders and Harambe both received one write-in vote, despite there not being a line for a write-in candidate. Although deadline to register to vote online has passed, students can still register and vote early in person with accordance to the “Grace Period” established by local election authorities. For Madison county residents, early bird voting will be also available at L&C in the Trimpe building, where voters will be able to register right before voting. Early voting at L&C will be possible on weekdays until Nov. 4, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays until Nov. 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. As registering to vote is only half the job, students should remember that Tuesday, Nov. 8 is Election Day. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for all Illinois residents. Left: Students gather around the WLCA tent to enter for a chance to win tickets after they registered to vote. Right: The Bridge newspaper teamed up WLCA 89.9FM to help students register to vote and participate in a mock election. Photos by: Krystie Morrison
Graphic by: Shelby Clayton