MONTAGE
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Serving the St. Louis Community College - Meramec community since 1964 • ACP Award Recipient VOLUME 55, ISSUE 10
FEBRUARY 27, 2020
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Adjuncts seeking right to vote on College Senate
Faculty, administrators weigh in on the voting right of adjuncts at all four STLCC campuses
T
Bri Heaney News editor
he STLCC College Senate is a self-governance structure that meets weekly to discuss and vote on the affairs and policies of the district. It is comprised of full-time faculty and staff. Each meeting has a set agenda that is determined and revised on a staff and faculty-wide Blackboard forum. Once issues have been decided on, they are recommended to the college’s leadership team. Adjuncts, or part-time professors, want in on this system. They argue that since adjuncts comprise 71 percent of faculty at STLCC, there should be a seat for them at the table. The senate was created in the fall, replacing the previous governance structure. Two campuses voted in favor of having adjuncts serve on the senate: Forest Park and Florissant Valley. Two campuses voted against: Meramec and Wildwood. Forest Park appointed an adjunct position to its senate, which was filled by Instructor Kim Crank. The position allowed for input, but without voting rights at meetings. Forest Park then hosted another vote to allow adjuncts to vote, which passed. “I got myself appointed to be the adjunct rep at Forest Park and the first thing I did once I found out it was a non-voting position I said, ‘Well, why is that?’ and can we consider changing that
“
The school can benefit seeing through the eyes their employees. Kat Fossell Adjunct
Graphic by: Ashley Biundo only,” said Crank. Later that fall, Andrew Langrehr, vice chancellor of academic affairs for STLCC, announced that the college was not interested from in having a voting position adjuncts but would still of all for allow them in a speakingonly position. “Of course the adjuncts were really disappointed because we had worked so hard and made some progress and it was sort of snatched away,” said Crank. “They just decided we will have no parttime voices.”
”
as we are working on the new bi-laws? They voted and approved at Forest Park
Langrehr said that for one campus to allow a voting position for adjuncts, all campuses would need to do the same. “We had two campuses on one side of this and two campuses on the other,” said Langrehr. Meramec Political Science Professor Emily Neal said that her opinion on the matter is complicated due to her background in teaching politics, her position as a full-time employee and her position as the president of the full-time faculty teacher’s union. “The invitation to participate in governance is full-time employment with the college from my perspective,” said Neal.
Neal said this is because of the differences in duties and responsibilities that full-time and part-time instructors have on campus. “When you look at what full-time faculty are expected to do as a part of their commitment to Saint Louis Community College, it is night and day different to what is expected of an adjunct,” said Neal. However, Kat Fossell, adjunct and SIUE adjunct teacher’s union chief steward, said she believes that it is those differences in responsibilities and challenges that give adjuncts something unique to bring to the table. “Any employee of STLCC who is willing to volunteer their time to help improve the school by sharing their perspective and input should be welcomed and valued by the All-College Senate,” said Fossell. Fossell said that it is not about the amount of hours worked, which for many adjuncts do go over the full time hourly requirement for Missouri, but it is about how the school needs to function and wanting to see the perspective of its necessary components. “The school can benefit from seeing through the eyes of all their employees,” said Fossell. The question of the size of the role that adjuncts play at the school has remained unclear. While it is true that 71 percent of teachers at the college are adjunct, it is not clear that they teach the majority of classes. Neal said that because full time teachers teach a minimum of five classes, many teach up to nine classes with overload, so it is possible that they impact more students. Economics Professor Gail Hafer, who is a member of the College Senate, said that it is the difference in commitment and time spent as well as the number of students affected by teachers that makes a difference as to whether adjuncts should have a voting role. Continued on p. 3
INSIDE Page 4
‘The City: Interpreting the Urban Landscape’
Page 5 10 ways to get through midterms
Page 7 Jake’s Take: More money, more problems
Page 8 Do’s and dont’s of exercising for the first time
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NEWS 3
February 27, 2020
EDITORS ASHLEY BIUNDO
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
JACOB POLITTE
ONLINE EDITOR
BRI HEANEY JOOLS PULCHER MARY WILSON SYED ALI
NEWS EDITOR ART & LIFE EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR PHOTO EDITOR
STAFF ELIJAH BRASWELL EVE COHEN JOHN HUNDLEY HANNAH SCHOENROCK REMY XA
Shannon Philpott-Sanders Faculty Adviser
Facebook.com/ meramecmontage/ “The STLCC Board of Trustees consists of seven members who represents the four subdistricts of the College service area. Subdistricts 1 and 4 are the two large subdistricts, each represented by two trustees. Subdistricts 2 and 3 are smaller, each represented by one trustee. The Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education appoints one trustee. District voters elect board members periodically for six-year terms” -STLCC website
Instagram.com “meramecmontage”
Graphic by: Bri Heaney/Ashley Biundo
ADJUNCTS: Quest for voting rights continues Continued from p. 1
Youtube.com “montagelax”
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“I worry about saying that someone who “At STLCC, what I’ve talked to people doesn’t have that strong commitment about is that right now, there is no feasible should be voting in the senate,” said Hafer. bridge from being an adjunct to being full “They don’t have the same commitment time. They are not really hiring full time. to Saint Louis Community College as a They laid off full-time professors,” said person whose only occupation is here.” Fossell. “It’s really important for adjuncts Hafer also said that, although the to remember that you might as well- if commitment is different, she looks you are in this job - to decide to stand forward to seeing the numbers for how up for yourself and to try and make this many classes and students adjuncts as job as good for you as you can. Because a whole are teaching as well as hearing right now, unfortunately a lot of schools from the adjuncts on why they should be are moving toward this more corporate senators. format where they are not hiring full “But then again I could be convinced that the people It’s a fair position to make that who are willing to do it a full-time representative can really are people whose commitment is to here and communicate and understand will give it the time and the issues of a part-time energy that it takes,” she employee. said. Adjuncts report that Andrew Langrehr having the statistics on how many students are taught by full time professors and adjunct time.” professors could be useful in explaining Colvin, who works in the and bargaining to have a seat in the Communications Department, reports senate. similar trends. “We lost someone to However, those statistics still have retirement earlier this year and typically not been released. that would mean someone to fill that The non-voting senator who role, and that is not happening in our represents Meramec Adjuncts, Amee department,” said Colvin. Colvin, said she is also interested in However, Neal said that it’s not either/ seeing this data. or and that this issue could be used to “We can’t seem to get this information divide two similar labor groups with on who is teaching what,” said Colvin. mostly shared interests. Kat Fossell said that the growth in “I see my role as trying to combat adjunct positions means that the current those larger forces, like the fact that there adjuncts are more likely to stay adjuncts are declining opportunities available than in the past. for full time employment for people
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who want to become professors. So for me, I see my role as a full-time faculty member and as a union president in trying to create the space where there are more opportunities for full time employment,” said Neal. “So to me the solution isn’t to say ‘oh we’ve riffed the faculty and adjuncts are increasing and so to me I don’t see this as an either/ or thing, [or] if you have power in one place, power in another place must go,” says Neal. Langrehr said that while he understands the adjuncts want to vote, they have a voice through the full-time faculty, many of whom were previously adjuncts before becoming full time with the college. “It’s a fair position to make that a fulltime representative can communicate and understand the issues of a part time employee; most of them have been one in the past,” said Langrehr. Colvin is not part of the SIUE Teachers Union and spoke little of the future of full time or part time positions. She has three classes in the Communications Department and said that for some students her class is all they will ever know of the school, or of her department. Colvins said that this fight for a vote is all about the value that each student is getting out of their education here at STLCC. “If the administration doesn’t allow us to be involved in the same way and honored in the same way,” she said, “then the student experience suffers as well, and I think that’s what’s really important to me.”
4 ART & LIFE
February 27, 2020
‘The City: Interpreting the Urban Landscape’ The Meramec Contemporary Art Gallery host event
Ashley biundo Editor in chief
The Meramec Art Gallery currently has an event going on through March 6. Artists have been active in interpreting the dynamics of urban spaces through the medium of of photography since the late 1840s. TOP LEFT: Kristin Cassidy, “Bottle Stoppers” A pigment print on cotton paper. BOTTOM LEFT: Jamie Kreher, “American Mythologies” a photograph on melamine platters. TOP RIGHT: Matt Weber, “Industry No. 9: Diamond V Mill” an archival pigment print. BOTTOM RIGHT: Karen Elshout, “Street Scene” an pigment print.
Graphic by Ashley Biundo
ART & LIFE 5
February 27, 2020
Humans of Meramec Syed Ali Photo editor
Tara Mazurek A creative expressionist, an artist on stage — Tara finds dancing empowering. From the first movement until the last, she describes it as a soulful journey that elevates her dreams into a visual art piece.
Graphic by Ashley Biundo
More information on events for Women’s History Month March 2: 12-2 p.m. BA 105 WHM Film Series: “Venus Boyz”
Join us for a screening and discussion of the film “Venus Boyz,” directed by Gabrielle Baur. This film takes an intimate look into the real world of drag kings – women exploring their masculinity. Club Casanova, home of the legendary Drag King Night in New York, is the point of departure for an exploration of a world that questions exactly how gender works, and should work, in modern society.
March 10: 11a.m.-12:15 p.m. LH 104
WHM Film Series: “Chisholm ’72:
Unbought and Unbossed”
Join PSC 101 students as they view and discuss the documentary Chisholm ’72: Unbought and Unbossed. This film presents Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, as she becomes the first woman to run for President in 1972.
March 23-27: BA 105
“Women’s Voices Photo Project Exhibit” Discussion: Mar. 25, 2 pm. Come celebrate the diversity and wisdom of STLCC-Meramec women. Photographers Debbie Corson (Meramec staff) and Syed Ali (Meramec student)
have made portraits of women students, faculty, and staff. During the photo sessions, Meramec women were asked to share about their lives. Come to BA 105 during the week of March 23 to see the portraits as well as quotes and narratives from the women featured in this portrait exhibit.
March 25: 1-1:50 p.m. SO 105
“Women Have Always Worked” Rethinking U.S. Labor History The work performed by women in the U.S., both paid and unpaid, has a complicated narrative, one deeply affected by law, war, women’s family roles, discrimination, the changing
economy, technology, and their own choices. And it is a continuing story, with surprising twists.
All of March 2020 Meramec Library “Why Do We March? “
Visit the STLCC Meramec library to view the D.C. League of Women Voters video “Why We March” and photographs of those marching in support of women’s suffrage through recent events in St. Louis and around the nation. Information courtesy of Debbie Corson, Coordinator of Service Learning & Civic Engagement
Graphic by Ashley Biundo
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OPINIONS 7
February 27, 2020
Jake’s Take: More Money, More Problems President Donald J. Trump’s 2021 budget hurts college students JACOB POLITTE ONLINE EDITOR Paying for school in 2020 is a tricky thing. Student loans can take years to pay off, and paying out-of-pocket is something that a lot of people cannot realistically afford. Recently, the president and his administration have released the fiscal 2021 budget for the country, and it cuts $5.6 billion from the Department of Education’s budget. It’s rich that Donald Trump wants to slash the budget for student loans given the absolute disaster that Trump University was. It’s even more ridiculous that Betsy DeVos is somehow still running the Department of Education given the numerous controversies that have arisen during her tenure and her inability to spell words right on Twitter, but that’s an opinion piece for another time. More specifically, among other things, Trump’s plan for the 2021 budget would likely eliminate subsidized federal student loans, and eliminate public service loan forgiveness. I have a confession: I no longer
have any student loans. I transferred to STLCC-Meramec from Southeast Missouri State, and I managed to pay off my student loans from there late last year. At this time, I’m paying for all of my classes out of pocket. When the time comes for me to transfer to another school, though, I will have to take more loans out. Those loans, which will likely accumulate to be thousands of dollars, will likely take many more years to pay back, especially now that those subsidized federal student loans will no longer be there to help. Even with assistance from FAFSA, it’ll be impossible to escape paying those loans back. And those unsubsidized loans are going to be much bigger. It’s important to note that unsubsidized loans accrue interest from the starting point of the loan, meaning that it builds up even while you’re in school. Subsidized loans don’t accrue interest until six months after you leave an education institution, and while you’re in school, the interest accrued is paid for by the government. School should not be impossibly expensive to attend. Students shouldn’t have to be drowning in debt for years, or in some cases decades after graduation.
Letter to the Editor Why We’re Pro-Life for Life What does it mean to be pro-life? That’s not a hard question. The prolife movement was created in response to the growing push for legalizing abortions throughout the United States. The first of which was created in 1967; the “National Right to Life Committee” whose members called themselves “pro-life” to contrast the term “pro-choice”. Thus, to be prolife means believing all humans, including the unborn, have a right to life. The term implies nothing more, nothing less. On campus pro-life supporters have formed the club “Circle of Life”. Our goals are simple; promote life at all stages and help create environments in which pregnant mothers do not feel the need to pursue abortions. Our group has been working toward these goals for 35 years now. Circle of Life has participated in multiple pro-life events, such as the National Pro-Life Summit. Being a pro-life supporter can mean sacrificing a lot of time out of your life; but it’s worth it, if it saves even one life. Let’s look at the scientific arguments first. A zygote is the scientific term for the living being created when human sperm combines with an ovum. This living being contains the entirety of DNA that human would have if allowed to grow. Even at this earliest stage the human embryo is growing, has a metabolism (and needs energy from the mother), reacts to changes in the mother’s body, and contains the genetic basis for reproduction later in life. This fits the scientific definition of life according to the vast majority of biological journals: “1) A distinctive characteristic of a living organism ... as specifically distinguished by the capacity to grow, metabolize, respond (to stimuli), adapt, and reproduce.” Clearly any fair scientific analysis would consider a human zygote to be a living human. Consider the philosophical and moral arguments against abortion. If an embryo developing into a fetus is a life, does the mother have the moral right to choose whether it lives or dies? Take for example the laws against child neglect. A mother can go to jail for putting her child in an unsafe situation. Nobody doubts the value and importance of child neglect laws. If we can all agree a mother should not be legally allowed to endanger her child’s life, it should be even easier to agree she should not be legally allowed to intentionally end her child’s life; even in the womb. We members of Circle of Life understand the decision to go through with a pregnancy can be incredibly difficult to make. Mothers and adoption agencies need all the support society can give them in order to make giving birth a more appealing option. But at the end of the day, the choice is simple; all life must be protected, no matter how small. -- The Circle of Life Club
Graphic by Hannah Schoenrock The cost of tuition seemingly only increases each year across the board. So if these debts continue to rise, then what is the point of continuing to go to school? Many people don’t have the grades or extracurriculars to get big scholarships, and maintaining the conditions those scholarships is not
always easy. School should be hard work, but it shouldn’t cripple a student’s bank account in the process. It’s already hard enough for college students in America, especially for those students who are shouldering the financial burden on their own. And it may have just gotten harder.
Tolerance Doesn’t Solve Intolerance
Why Change Requires Active Participation JOOLS PULCHER ART & LIFE EDITOR This past few weeks I have witnessed a lot of politically based events, both big and small in my life. The one that comes to mind the most prominently is when we had religious protestors preaching on school grounds just over a week ago. This isn’t the first time that these people have been on campus, and it won’t be the last. But their presence, and the reasons they are allowed to continue being on this campus, represent a wider problem I often see in the rest of the country. When I have asked why these men are allowed to openly preach at students while wearing, “Fear God” signs, the answer I am given has always been that they are allowed to remain on campus so long as they remain peaceful. The issue with this is that these men may be being physically peaceful, but their presence is anything but. When they take over a publicly used collegiate area to preach at students about how students need to fear their god and repent their sins or else burn in hell, it doesn’t matter how intimidating these people act. Their presence threatens the existence of those who find this campus a safe and comfortable space. The thing is, with people like this it’s easy to just look the other way. It’s easy to say that you don’t want to get political, or that you just want to
live your life. However, the problem is that this mindset is dangerous. It is what costs people their rights and their livelihoods. By looking the other way when these extremists invade our spaces and scream that they want to harm us, we are allowing these harmful beliefs to continue to exist and to become larger than they should. A day later, I was on Instagram and I saw a post about a school-wide walkout taking place in a high school. The walkout was over the firing of two teachers who expressed that they intended to marry their same-sex partners. The students then organized and ran an extremely successful walkout in support of their teachers. These days, most of the protests we see are younger people who are picking up the proverbial torch and fighting for what they believe in. These young individuals are incredibly inspiring. And they remind me of what it will take to leave this era of hatred behind. The way out of this is by taking action. However, it doesn’t require large rallies or political protests. Fighting against intolerance is as simple as pointing it out and cutting it off when you see it. It starts with saying something and doing something, something is always better than nothing. The only way to build a world where we all belong is to not tolerate those who would take us backward instead of forward.
8 SPORTS
February 27, 2020
Do’s and Dont’s of exercising for the first time
Do’s
ashley biundo editor-in-chief
Warm-up: Do warm-ups happen before exercise begins? According to the Guide to Sports Medicine at www.nsmi.org.uk, “Most warm-up sessions will include cardiovascular exercises, stretching and strength drills. The cardiovascular exercises are designed to increase circulation, increase body temperature and bring the heart rate up, while stretching warms the muscles and prepares them for the movements they will be required to carry out during the activity. Explosive strength exercises gently increase the level of intensity and prepare the body for sudden movements.” Stay Hydrated: With how much water is lost during exercise, drinking
water helps with staying hydrated and increases physical activity. Sports drinks, like gatorade can help combat dehydration. According to the Better Health Channel, “Sports drinks that contain electrolytes and carbohydrates, which have concentrations that allow the body to refuel during exercise. Sports drinks may be useful if your activity is moderate to vigorous in intensity for more than 60 minutes.”
Cool Down: Doing cool downs after exercising is as important as warm-ups.
Walking and stretching are the easiest ways to cool down. The American Heart Association recommends: “After physical activity, your heart is still beating faster than normal, your body temperature is higher and your blood vessels are dilated. This means if you stop too fast, you could pass out or feel sick. A cool-down after physical activity allows a gradual decrease at the end of the episode.”
Be Kind to Yourself: Not only is being kind to yourself good for your
mental health, it is also good for your physical health. According to “The Healthy,” “When people exercise because they enjoy it and want to be healthy, it’s more likely to become a life-long habit. Exercise is much more sustainable if you want to do it—it’s intrinsically more satisfying. And although being kind means going easy on yourself if you skip a day, that doesn’t mean you won’t hold yourself accountable.” Getting to your goal takes time.
Don’ts
Repetition: By doing the same workout each day, your muscles will become
used to it and you will get less out of your workouts. Although cardio and free weights are repetition, doing different workouts each day helps with getting in shape. Verywell Fit recommends: “Develop a workout schedule that involves different activities, different intensity levels, and different session lengths.” Push limits and do something different each day you work out.
Doing too much: Exercising too much can do more harm than good.
Healthline notes that lactate, certain acids, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) are the causes of producing muscle pain. “These substances are released during muscle contraction, causing pain and discomfort. Muscle “burn” is to be expected during a challenging workout, but pain signals that something is not working properly. If you think you might be binging on exercise, allow yourself to slow down so that you can start again another day when you are feeling refreshed.”
“Jerking” Around: If you are finding that you are jerking the weights too
much it may be too heavy which can cause injury. “The most effective way to train is to control the weight—the weight shouldn’t control you. When you have to jerk the weight, you’re likely jerking other muscles as well. This can lead to strain and injury, with the muscles of the back being particularly weak,” according to an article in “Philadelphia Magazine.” Start off working out with small weights and slowly move up.
Obsessing: Too much of a good thing can end up being bad for you; exercising
is one of them. It’s healthy to take breaks or have an off day, to help your body heal and refresh. According to Verywell Fit, “Exercise obsession is a result of a subtle form of an eating disorder that is an attempt to control or lose weight or attain a certain body shape or size. Addictive exercisers may use extreme training as one way to expend calories and maintain or lose body weight in the attempt to improve the performance or achieve a desired body shape or weight. Discomfort, pain or even injury will not keep an exercise addict from training.” Lastly, don’t forget to BREATHE.