12 10 15 full issue

THE

M O N TA G E

Photo by Jason Waters

Writing specialist Jeannine Vesser helps Meramec student Melinda Draper with schoolwork in the writing center, which is located on the second floor of the Meramec campus library.

Writing Inauguration: Meramec hosts first International Write-In Event Christian Hargas Sports Editor

St. Louis Community College-Meramec hosted the Write-In event on Dec. 2. STLCC is one of 80 colleges and universities hosting events from Dec. 1-10. The college is part of the International Write-In Association that spearheaded the first International Write-In, College Writing Center

Supervisor Fran Hooker said.

“We are one of only a handful of community colleges since most of them are universities,” Hooker said.

“So, we are happy to be one of the community colleges represented.”

The Writing Center strived to give students a central place to come together as writers and offer a range of available services, Hooker said.

“We wanted to offer students resources including reading tutors, reference librarians, and writing specialists to help

students with their final projects,” Hooker said. “We also wanted to create a vibe and sense of community around writing.

That was our main significance.”

There were different parts of the event that students found helpful, writing specialist Patty Kocot said.

“I think if nothing else, they found the extended hours to be helpful,” Kocot said. “Also, I noticed people got excited whenever Fran was doing the drawings. It was really exciting because one

of the students I was working with won one of the gift cards.”

Writing specialist Harriet Clark said she thought the event went really well.

“I felt that there was a bond in the air of people working, talking and being productive,” Clark said. “I think it helped to work in an environment where other people were working and focused on getting things done. It is nice to know that you are part of a community of

VOLUME 51, ISSUE 7 | THURSDAY Dec. 10, 2015 | www.meramecmontage.com

scholars, students and writers.”

One of the major challenges to writing is that it leads to procrastination, Hooker said.

“Writing is hard work and we tend to put it off,” Hooker said. “I think that having a group of other people who are doing the same thing can be inspiring for others to get the work done, so that was a goal.”

Continued on page 3

NEWS

2

Employment services on campus empowers students to succeed

STLCC - Meramec partners with St. Louis County Library to help students with employment Katelyn Ericson Staff Writer

Whether students are studying for an associate or a doctorate degree, their goal is to find a job that implements their acquired skills and pays the bills.

Students can prepare for successful careers while still in school.

STLCC-Meramec and the St. Louis County Library offer students free services to launch their professional careers.

Located on the second floor of Administration and Clark Hall, the Meramec’s Career and Employment Services (CES) helps students begin or continue their journey to a successful career.

“Once you’ve completed three credit hours, you have access forever to the Career and Employment services,” Career Specialist Rita Reinhardt said.

CES provides aid to jobseeking students through workshops, events and one-onone advising. This free service is available even to STLCC alumni.

For students graduating from four-year colleges, the free career services these colleges offer end upon the student’s graduation, Reinhardt said. If these colleges help alumni, they usually charge a fee, Reinhardt said.

Meramec’s CES works with businesses located both in West County and South County. Employers sometimes contact departmental chairs and departmental coordinators when

they are hiring, Reinhardt said.

“We have a lot of West County and South County businesses contacting us for students,” Reinhardt said.

The CES holds approximately 5-10 group events per semester, Reinhardt said.

“We do a lot of community partnerships,” Reinhardt said.

For the first three Fridays of November, the CES held the 50-Minute Workshop Series. The guest speakers were recruiters.

One was a Beacon Hill Staffing Group representative, another was a Unidev representative and the other was an entrepreneur.

In addition to organizing workshops and connecting with the St. Louis business community, Reinhardt works individually with students, helping them with resume and cover letter development and interview preparation.

“I work with everyone at their own individual pace,” Reinhardt said.

From her experience, students and alumni see her when they are discouraged, Reinhardt said.

“I would like to see more students take advantage of the Career and Employment Services, to see me pre-graduation, before they’re frustrated,” Reinhardt said.

Student worker Lorie Leone found an oncampus job through CES. “They’ve helped me from the beginning,” Leone said. “I became a student worker three years ago.”

Reinhardt helped Leone find a job working at the Meramec

CES office. Her work experience changed her career path,Leone said.

“If I did not come to this office, I’d probably still be in the food industry. I wouldn’t have gotten the office experience I was looking for,” Leone said.

Once Leone graduates with her Associate in General Fine Arts, she will attend Webster University to pursue a major in paralegal studies.

Like CES, the St. Louis County Library offers public classes to help people begin and develop current and new careers, according to Cherise Taylor who works at the St. Louis County Library.

Taylor teaches classes about LinkedIn and how professionals can use it effectively.

She works as a one-on-one computer trainer through the library’s service Book a Trainer.

“The primary thing we want job seekers to know is that there is a place that is supportive and knowledgeable,” Taylor said. “We have a strong, supportive and nurturing staff.”

Classes offer help with creating resumes and professional LinkedIn accounts.

“We are not a career center.

We don’t do job placement,” Taylor said.“We give people the resources.”

In addition to online network training and career classes, the library’s reference department offers a monthly event called Small Business Information Expo and Library Open House. This networking opportunity is for small business owners, entrepreneurs

Photo by Alex White Student worker Loredana Leone(right) explains the new service program to student Ngohile Yakubu(left) at Career and Employment services located in the clark hall building on the Meramec campus.

and an

people considering entrepreneurial route.

The library began offering career and LinkedIn classes due to the numerous requests for help in these fields, Taylor said.

“I want people to use these classes to be successful, to grow their online presence with LinkedIn,” Taylor said.

“Our goal is their success.”

The St. Louis County

Library has 20 branch locations throughout the Greater St. Louis region, although some are currently closed for renovations.

Class schedules are available online at www.skck.org/events.

Registration is open for the monthly small business and entrepreneur network meeting which is Friday, Dec. 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the St. Louis County Library Headquarters.

Racist graffiti found in library bathroom

Vandals still unidentified, exact slur kept under wraps Katie Hayes Staff Writer

On Nov. 12, students received an email from the office of Chancellor Jeff L. Pittman informing them of racist graffiti in the library restroom of Meramec’s campus.

“I regret to report that racist graffiti was recently discovered in the library restroom at the Meramec campus,” Chancellor Pittman said in his email. “This is intolerable behavior and as a public institution of higher learning we simply cannot ignore such unsettling incidents.”

On November 23,

EDITORS

Meramec’s administration held Soup and Substance: An Invitation for Conversation, where students shared thoughts about the campus climate.

“I know what it said, but I don’t know who the students are,” Vice President for Student Affairs Kim Fitzgerald said.

According to Fitzgerlad, although racist, the graffiti was not threatening.

“There’s a list of sanctions depending on the circumstances and depending on the violation,” Fitzgerald said. “I think if we’re talking in general, if there is damage done to any property I think we would talk with the student, we would assess the

damage that was done. We would have to look into replacement, or cleaning or repair and then we would make the sanction appropriate to the offense.”

Some of the sanctions include Censure, Disciplinary Probation, Restitution, Compensatory Service, Suspension and Dismissal.

Students under sanction for one campus are under sanction for all campuses.

Students may appeal decisions within 10 days after the committee’s written decision.

Appeals are submitted in writing to the campus president.

Since this incident there has been more reported vandalism, said Fitzgerald.

MONTAGE STAFF

Mike Alivernia Dalila Kahvedzic Editor-in-Chief Jason Waters Production Manager James Claiborne Jonah Durbin Katie Leicht Art & Life Editor Katelyn Ericson Brittney Farrow Opinions Editor Tyler Fuson Christian Hargas Sports Editor Daren Hembrador Marissa Diercks Graphics Editor Jason Jamison Alex White Photo Editor Patrick Niehaus Katie Hayes Online/Copy Editor Toni Roberson Shannon Philpott Faculty Adviser Redwan Saeed Proud member of

Ashley Biundo Staff Writer Darren Grant Staff Writer Noreen D’Souza Staff Writer Lexi Keller Staff Writer Austin Schumann Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer

www.meramecmontage.com Dec. 10, 2015

“Since that incident, more people have been reporting things and they have been around for a long time, but I think people are bringing those things to our attention,” Fitzgerald said.

If someone witnesses graffiti and doesn’t report it, then they’re just as guilty, Fitzgerald said.

The investigation for this particular o c c u r r e n c e remained open as of Dec. 8, 2015.

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Editorial views expressed or content contained in this publication are not necessarily the views of St. Louis Community College, the board of trustees or the administration.

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All letters are subject to editing for content and length. All letters submitted will be published in print and online.

NEWS

3

Writing Inauguration: STLCC one of the few community colleges to host event for student aid during finals weeks Continued from p. 1 Part of the goal is that the writing center always wants to evolve, grow and reach out to students in different ways, writing specialist Catherine Essner said.

“We know that Meramec students have jobs and lives and all of these other different things,” Essner said. “We just thought adding this event would be a nice way to help take the pressure off of the students and to offer something that is a little bit different than our usual services.”

The writing center finds that they develop close relationships with students, Hooker said.

“They trust that they can share some of their personal topics,” Hooker said. “I think it is actually quite wonderful because writing is a process of discovery and when that moment happens — when you see that connection between ideas — you discover new things

“We act as a leader, a sympathetic, educated leader who can read your document for you and help you see whether you are connecting with your audience or not,” Hooker said.

It is also the perfect opportunity to celebrate the students, Essner said.

“We celebrate them with what they are doing, hunker down with them and just have a little solidarity to help them get through,” Essner said. “I think that worked out well.”

It is amazing to work with students and see what we are talking about actually click, and then to see them get excited about the writing, Kocot said.

The main goals of the event were geared toward the students, Hooker said.

“Our goals are to help students understand and know about the service wthat are

“... We can relate to the fact that this is hard, this is painful, but we are here to make it less painful and easier to get through.”

Photo by Jason Waters

about yourself, the world and the topic you are writing about.”

The outcome exceeded the expectations, writing specialist Andrew Pryor said.

“I think it went well,” Pryor said. “It was the first time we have done a write-in, so I do not think any of us really knew what to expect or exactly how it was going to go. I think that what we ended up with was very successful.”

One of the nicest things about this little event is that it introduces students to the people who are the resources, here, Kocot said.

Writing can be very personal, Hooker said.

“What students are working on is self expression,” Hooker said.

“They are trying to convey ideas and formulate their own ideas in a way that will convey meaning to someone else. So, there is a very personal element to it.”

Writing centers are unique in the tutoring world, Hooker said.

“We find that many students, the first time they come to the writing center, have vulnerability because many times they have been told ‘you are a bad writer’ or they think they cannot do this,” Hooker said. “They develop this sort of fear to share something personal with somebody else.”

Writing can sometimes be painful, Essner said.

“We are writers, teachers of writing and this is our field,” Essner said. “I feel like that is a big strength of the writing center — that we can relate to the fact that this is hard, this is painful, but we are here to make it less painful and easier to get through. I hope we can achieve the right balance.”

The specialists in the writing center have a lot of training to help students, Hooker said.

available in the writing center and the library,” Hooker said.

“Also, to help them prevent procrastination on their papers and bring that sense of community around writing on campus.”

I think the nicest thing was that students came and made it into what they needed it to be, Essner said.

“It was a really comfortable, welcoming environment where everybody collaborated and got the help they needed,” Essner said.

“Based on the success, we would like to make this an annual event.”

“We have been taking notes all evening about how we are going to be able to make changes if we do this again, but it is definitely a goal,” Clark said.

The International Writing Center Association has the write-in event every semester, Hooker said.

“I do not know if we will do it every semester, but I definitely think we will do it again,” Hooker said. “We will have to talk about it, but I would like to make it at least an annual event.”

The prospect of hosting the write-in event annually is a good idea, Kocot said.

Obviously, this being the first, we are probably going to tweak and adjust some of the things we would be doing. But I think the benefits of this event far outweigh the costs, Kocot said.

“We will debrief and see what everybody thinks, but I definitely see us doing it at least once a year, maybe even every fall,” Hooker said. “We may have it end a little earlier or start a little earlier. We will talk to some students and see what they thought about it.

Now that we have one under our belt, the next one will not be so challenging to plan.”

Writing Center Manager Fran Hooker presents students with a prize during the international Write-In.

A T

M E R A M E C

The Music Program at Meramec offers courses and ensembles for all students.

Classes are available for general education credit and the Associate in Arts degree with an emphasis in Music to prepare for transfer into a Bachelor of Music 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 150 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 Fundamentals of Music Technology 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 Dec. 10, 2015

4

OPINIONS

The blackest of Fridays Unthankful on Thanksgiving Austin Schumann Staff Multimedia Specialist

M a n y families have Thanksgiving Day traditions. A few years ago, my tradition was to go out of town and visit my family in Indiana.

For the last few years I have had a different tradition, but not one by choice. These last few years I have been working at Target on Black Friday, and with working on Black Friday comes working on the Thursday before. Lately, Target and many other corporations have extended their Black Friday hours into Thanksgiving Day — attracting the same hordes to their doors that would usually wait till the early hours Friday morning.

The holidays are a very stressful time of year for many people and retail workers know this all too well. Starting in mid-October, department stores begin advertising that it is time to start buying your presents for the upcoming winter holidays.

From then on the store is bombarded by three times the normal foot traffic, clogging the front lanes. There is no problem with these people coming to do their holiday shopping, I have no issue with the idea of gift giving on the holidays. In fact I see it as a good way to show your friends and loved ones how you feel with well thought out gifts.

The problem arises on Thanksgiving Day itself. I have never been a fan of Black Friday on account of its preventing me from leaving town to visit family, but it was something that I could live with. Then at some point three years ago, some executive at Target decided it would be a good idea to open the night before, staying open until normal closing hours on Friday.

After that decision was made, Target stopped caring about their employees. For starters this turns Thursday and Friday into blackout days, which means that an employee may not ask off that day no matter the circumstances.

This alone was not too much of an issue as Black Friday was always a blackout day, but now employees were no longer able to opt to spend the holiday with their family.

With the store opening at 6 p.m. it interrupted many dinner plans, forcing families to either have their meal earlier or forgo it completely. One of the worst parts about these two days were that most employees

were required to work both days which was not an issue if you were given time between the two shifts to adequately rest, but not everyone was so lucky.

My personal experience was to work for four hours from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and return at 3 a.m. until 11 a.m. This gave me all of four hours to sleep; not taking

into account the time it would take me to drive home and back.

By the time the day was over, I had stayed awake for a total of 27 hours. Many of my fellow employees received similar fates having two shifts put so close together, unable to properly rest in the meantime. That is why next year, before you or your family go

out for Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday shopping, ask yourself a question. Are the deals worth employees losing family time?

Cyber Monday is just around the corner with deals just as amazing. Do you need to buy things on a day when people are supposed to be thankful for what they already have?

Illustration by Marissa Diercks

What pharmaceutical companies don’t advertise Recently researched diet patterns could lead to healthier living Evan Carlen Staff Writer

Inter mittent fasting can give you all the benefits of prescription pills without the adverse side effects.

Instead of eating three square meals a day, an eating schedule that involves "intermittent fasting" could help fight not just obesity but many related diseases of modern life, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease — diseases mostly combated with drugs.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is not a diet, but rather a dieting pattern. In simpler terms, it’s making a conscious decision to skip certain meals.

When you eat a meal, your body spends a few hours processing that food, burning what it can from what you just consumed. Because it has all of this readily available, easy to burn energy in its blood stream (thanks to the food you ate), your body will choose to use that as energy rather than the fat you have stored.

During the fasted state, your body doesn’t have a recently consumed meal to use as energy, so it is more likely to pull from the fat stored in your body rather than the glucose in your blood stream or glycogen in your muscles and liver.

Dec. 10, 2015

Now that you know about IF, did you notice there are no drugs involved? According to PRWeb, that means losing weight without dipping into your pockets to buy those pills the pharmaceutical companies spent $61 billion developing last year alone.

But IF benefits don't stop at weight loss. According to the website www.livescience.com, IF benefits include Immune cell recycling and rejuvenation, promoting healthy digestion, preventing cancer, and many more.

The way IF promotes a healthy Immune system is fascinating and closely related to how it combats cancer. According to www.medicaldaily.com, in a study after the test subjects went without food for two to four days over the course of six months, the hematopoietic system killed older and damaged immune cells and generated new ones.

That is just two to four 24 hour fasts over the course of six months. Plus, these new white blood cells are better equipped to fight the illnesses your body is subject to today — not yesterday — which means you won't get sick nearly as often.

This is closely tied to cancer prevention because when you fast, not only are cells in your blood recycled, but cells are found in the tissues.

It is now known that

cancer is caused by one cell gone wrong through mutations in it genes. If these newly mutated cells could be broken down before proliferating and becoming invasive, then the risk for cancer would be dramatically reduced.

Well, that's exactly what IF can do. As if that weren't enough, now you won't have to spend your hard earned cash on the nearly 400 drugs dedicated to immunology and oncology.

Boy all this health talk is making me full, it is great to give my digestive tract a rest.

This rest can be great for you as well because it is proven to reduce the inflammation in your bowels making those some 200 constipation pills in your cabinet obsolete and cleaning your system of all the toxins lurking within fecal matter.

So, put the pills down and fast — feel energetic knowing fat stores keep you plenty alert and aware of all the great benefits.w.

Illustration by Marissa Diercks

OPINIONS

5

A new era: racism in American politics

Why Americans should be concerned with politically-endorsed Islamophobia Brittney Farrow Opinions Editor

I was only 14 when I visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and I can still remember every haunting detail of my experience.

Fourteen was quite some time ago for me — a handful of dead years, in fact. I could not tell you what electives I took or what my favorite band was; I could not tell you if I liked my friends, or which underserving boy I had a crush on.

What I could tell you, however, is that 10 minutes into my school-funded trip I was already feeling the weight of something I had never myself experienced before — genocide.

Genocide is an ugly word, and the tragedy of what it describes seems so far away from us. In the United States, we do not kill people — or at least, not like that. No, the Holocaust was a terrible, politically-evoked mass murder led by the mad man Adolf Hitler — right?

Well, yes; in simple terms, that is one very blunt, very harsh way to explain an event that — despite occurring almost a hundred years ago — still haunts so many people throughout the country, either through firsthand experience or through loss passed on through the generations.

I have no doubt that the majority of the people in the United States would turn their

nose up in disgust at such a blatant, sociopathic form of anti-semitism. What I am very concerned about, however, is that a genocide like the Holocaust could be reborn in a different manner and it would go unnoticed, breathing life into the ashes of an ugly side of human nature that time has tried so hard to suppress.

It does not seem likely, but some would say that history has a tendency to repeat itself.

Since al-Qaeda attacked the World Trade Center in 2001, people have been afraid and that fear has manifested itself into a form of racism and prejudice called Islamophobia, which targets Muslims and Islam.

It seems understandable, to me, why so many people would be afraid, as terrorism is a threat that does not come quietly; however, just because something is understandable, does not make it right. With so many cases of Islamophobia in America rearing their ugly head, I find it very disturbing that these incidents are not addressed directly through the public.

Earlier this year, a young boy named Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for making a clock and bringing it to school; hate crimes involving Muslim students have occurred on campuses around the country. Still, the hatred simmers — and I am concerned it might be here to stay.

Donald Trump is notorious for saying ridiculous things, and I am not quite certain how many

of his statements are considered noteworthy by American voters.

Millennials seem to detest him with a passion, and the reality star has had his fair share of ridicule from other parties as well. With that being said, we — as a united society — should be very concerned with people who share the same sentiments.

This week, Trump made headlines once again for one of his proposed laws, calling for a “shutdown of borders” for all Muslims who try to enter the country. Trump, who has long opposed immigration, also believes that current MuslimAmericans should be required to wear identification badges — much like the ones Jewish citizens were required to wear while Hitler was in power.

As of right now, Donald Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican Party — bringing him very close to what we consider the highest position of power in our country. This is alarming, not amusing.

We need to be disturbed by the type of actions that he suggests — furthermore, we need to oppose such prejudice relentlessly.

The Holocaust may seem like an event that could never happen again, but people like Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party are not an extinct breed.

They live among us; they are our neighbors and our friends.

Nothing about Hitler was particularly extraordinary; what made him dangerous was

Illustration by Brittney Farrow

that he was so afraid of what he did not understand that he was willing to kill for it. With charisma and great promises, he convinced people to follow him.

How could we ever allow such a thing to happen again?

Furthermore, how would we feel

if it did happen again, and we knew we could have stopped it?

Preventing Islamophobia from ruining us will be a long battle, but the first step to keeping it from spoiling the good qualities of our country is to turn away those who wear their hatred so proudly.

the past couple of months. Not allowing negativity to bring me down, while being patient and praying for brighter days helped me lead a better life.

Patience is one of the hardest attributes to acquire, especially as

a college student. Things always seem to fall apart at the worst time, but staying persistent in what you can do to improve it does wonders.

Life slows down and decisions become easier when people learn to have patience.

Patience: not just a virtue, but a necessity

It makes every relationship easier Redwan Saeed Staff Writer

The things people should want to strive for take the most time to achieve. Patience is the key to staying focused and accomplishing the things that matter most. Having the patience to deal with adversity in hard times can help people go a long way.

With that said, patience is definitely one of the tougher qualities to obtain and control.

Patience is helpful in every situation that life presents. As a college student, people have to have patience to sit through classes that are hard to bear — knowing that it will get them to the next step in life and solidify a solid future.

Patience is necessary while figuring out what students want to do with their lives. They must have the understanding that it might take some time to figure out, but have diligence and not give up. They must have the patience to not give up on their dream.

Life can throw curve balls left and right, but keeping composure is key. Life is like a roller coaster, and there are ups and your downs. Having the patience to persevere through the lows takes people higher.

Friends and family may push students to their limits because they are the people closest to them.

Staying patient is key when dealing with stressful family situations.

Overreacting and stressing out does not make any situation better.

Patience with family is important because they are the ones who will always be there when things become difficult.

Relationships sometimes bring the best out of people, but they also can bring out the worst.

Patience in a relationship is key when exposed to new lows. Patience requires that we are persistent in not giving up on the other person, even if that person going through a tough stretch.

For that reason, patience can help a relationship i m m e n s e l y.

Staying calm under stressful circumstances

results in better outcomes. Getting aggravated in any event causes the situation to unravel in a negative way. Keep cool, calm and collected and things turn out for the better.

Patience helped me get into a better state of mind over

Illustration by Marissa Diercks

Dec. 10, 2015

INDEPTH

6

NEW YEARS ‘ROUND THE GLOBE

With the New Year quickly approaching, it is a time to reflect on what unfolded this year. Maybe more importantly, how New Year’s Eve will be spent.

Most Americans will head to parties with their friends to dance, drink alco-

hol and ring in the New Year with a kiss. These are traditions that have been around for more than just a few years. Dancing and the consumption of alcohol are normal for any college party, but some may wonder where the tradition of giving someone

a kiss at midnight originated.

The origin of the midnight kiss seems to originate from Europe; the Germans and English to be exact. They traditionally held masked balls on New Year’s Eve for over a few hundred years. At the ball, the masks

Germany One German New Year tradition is lead pouring. This means, molten lead is poured into cold water and the shape that is taken after predicts the future. Heart shapes can symbolize a marriage yet to come, whereas round shapes denote good luck; anchor shapes tell that one may need help and a cross can signify a traumatic demise.

Brazil

Brazilians believe that lentils signify wealth and prosperity. As a New Year tradition, it is custom to serve food items made up of the legume like soup or rice on the New Year. On New Year’s Eve, the priestesses dress up in blue and white for an ceremony celebrated for the water goddess.

Italy On New Year’s Eve, there is a table set up filled with lentil to honor the family members who died. The table is left there and after all the celebrations, they come back and eat a spoon full of lentil because it’s thought to give good luck and money.

Dec. 10, 2015

Then, it is tradition to send off into the sea a sacrificial boat filled with jewelery, candles and flowers from the beach of Rio de Janeiro.

This act is a belief that it brings health, wealth and happiness for all who partcipate.

they wore symbolized evil spirits from the old year and after the kiss at midnight, they removed the mask as an act of purification. This tradition evolved and is now a popular tradition in American culture. While these traditions of drinking

and kissing are normal in American culture, they may not be in others. Some cultural New Year traditions differ from what the American culture celebrates.

INDEPTH

7

England The English custom for ringing in the New Year is a belief that the first guest to visit the home during the New Year will bring the household good luck. The guest especially brings good luck if they are male, enter through the front door and bear some

traditional gifts like a loaf of bread for the kitchen, a special drink for the head of the family and coal to light the fire. This is called the "First Footing.�

China The Chinese custom of celebrating the New Year is a tradition of painting every front door of a house in red. This symbolizes happiness and good fortune. It is also tradition to hide all the knives for the day so that no one cuts oneself, because that may actually ruin the good luck for the family for the enitre New Year.

Australia New Year celebrations are traditionally made over an extended period of six days, with Jan. 6 being the last day of celebration. People prefer to make a visit to church to offer prayers.

Families make an early morning visit to the local church to pray in order to get the blessings from their Lord for the New Year. The traditional customs of announcing the arrival of the New

Year is considered to take place with the twelve rings of the bell in the church at midnight. As soon as people hear the twelve rings, they celebrate by cheering, and playing drums, trumpets, horns, and other musical instruments.

The celebration is also followed by the sharing of hugs, kisses, and wishes with all who are present.

Information from 123newyears.com Page layout by Jason Waters Information collected by Katie Leicht and Ashley Biundo

Dec. 10, 2015

ART & LIFE

8

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

Meramec psychology professor opens up about the journey to adulthood

Vikki Ritts expands on life as a college student Redwan Saeed Staff Writer

Psychology professor Vikki Ritts teaches full-time at Meramec and has been for 22 years.

Ritts can relate to many of the students who attend STLCC because she was born and raised in St. Louis.

With Ritts having that connection with the students, it ultimately gives her a better look into what the students go through and face daily, whether that entails studying for finals, working multiple jobs or staying up late to finish assignments.

Before she set her sights on becoming a pyschology major and going to college, Ritts said she served pizza at Pizza Hut. “I had a fabulous psychology professor that got me thinking that’s what I want,

I want to do that, I want to teach psychology,” Ritts said Her psychology professor had such an enormous impact on her that even after 22 years, she still feels passionate about teaching Ritts said.

She enjoys her career, appreciates the little things in life and is living the dream in her own terms, Ritts said.

Growing up she did not have much aspiration to go to college.

“Neither of my parents graduated from high school. My dad had an eighth grade education and my mom started high school but didn’t finish. So their goal was for their kid to get a high school education,” said Ritts.

Ritts wants her students to understand that the field of pysology is more important than just receiving a good grade.

“To recognize that psychology is a very applied field, even if you

are not being a psychologist, you can look and think about a first impression and how important that is,’ Ritts said.

Psychology is something that helped her become more aware of her mind and body.

“I really think that being negative or being around a lot of negativity is just not healthy either physically or mentally,” said Ritts.

Ritts tries to apply psychology to her life as often as possible.

“Always look at both sides and even realize when things are not good and how often they can be worse” said Ritts.

Ritts’s biggest advice for students is to stay tolerant with life’s struggles and being a college sudent.

“Be patient because it takes a while, but it pays big dividends because it seems like you are in school for so long, you will be in the work force for even longer,” said Ritts.

Photo by Dalila Kahvedic

Professor Ritts teaches a lecture during her 9:30 a.m. Intro to Psychology class.

Meteorology Professor Joe Schnieder’s St. Louis winter forecast

December: This will be the mildest month of the winter season. The flow will be mostly dominated by zonal flow of the jet stream which produces relatively mild air across our region. There will be a few winter storms; however, St. Louis will be mostly on the warm side of these storms with very little winter precipitation.

Dec. 10, 2015

January: The relative mild flow of air will continue until the early to mid part of this month. Around mid month, the strong El Nino will most likely begin to weaken and this will allow an amplification of the Polar front jet stream. This will allow the Polar and the Sub tropical jet streams to interact during this period and this will have the potential to produce a significant cold snaps and winter storms. These winter storms could produce quite a mix across our area with snow, sleet, and freezing rain. The pattern will change again toward the end of the month leading to some modification in temperatures.

February: Cold air will return into early February and possibly a return of very cold air for the first part of this month. This will set the stage for a number of winter weather events. I do see a slight warm up during the mid-month only to have cold air return toward the end. The pattern that begins in January will continue into February with an active storm track. Snow fall totals should be just above normal for this month.

This month should be the stormiest and the coldest with another period of an amplified Polar jet stream and an active Sub tropical jet stream.

Professor Schnieder predicts winter will start off rather mild across our area with cold only making occasional appearances.

There will be much more variability in temperatures with warmer and colder stretches of shorter duration. Any amplification of the jet stream could bring us some large winter storms. Depending on where each individual storm tracks, snow amounts could be below or above in our area. This type of pattern also causes mix precipitation events across our region with snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain.

ART & LIFE

9

Former Meramec student shares journey of homelessness For him, chess is more than a game Patrick Niehaus Staff Writer

Intelligence is often associated with beauty, but beauty so many times relates to the wealthy, successful or prominent.

Beauty and a beautiful mind comes in the form of an 83-year old homeless man named Garry Shaffer, who goes by “Lyov.”

His life is on display on a chessboard. The value of this beauty, this beautiful mind, does not come in the form of fancy clothes or expensive accessories.

It comes in the form of moving a pawn to H5, a knight to F6; the value is in its simplicity. This simplicity is the way he copes with a very troubled life, he said.

“Chess is a puzzle, a hobby and what I love to do,” Shaffer said.

The former Meramec student sleeps on cardboard, rides a broken-down bike and carries every possession he owns with him. Yet, regardless of the circumstances, chess stays his constant, Shaffer said. People come and go, but to him, chess always stays the same.

His appearance and lifestyle are not an accurate indication of the story he has.

Shaffer wears a faded black leather jacket on top of a light gray sweatshirt, showing his support for the Chicago White Sox. His long white hair falls next to an unshaven face. One minute, he speaks rapidly whereas moments later he may shut down and focus his attention solely on the chess board. Shaffer’s days and nights revolve around chess, leading him to stay up for days on end.

Homelessness was not always the way things were with Shaffer, he said.

In his prime, he was a basketball player at the University of Missouri — Columbia, also known as Mizzou, before the NBA was created, according to Lyov. He was playing against future pros that would become the building blocks of the NBA, Loyv said. He was born and raised in South St. Louis and was one of the most sought after recruits in the area.

“I was the best shooting guard in St. Louis out of high school,” Shaffer said.

During Shaffer’s time

at Mizzou, he entered the Army’s ROTC program, while getting a Bachelor of Science in theoretical statistics.

“The degree that the duds got,” Shaffer said.

He also served as an artillery spotter while he was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. That point in his life is when things began to change.

Shaffer was dishonorably discharged from the Army after assaulting an officer. He was in his early twenties at the time.

After that, he spent time doing a number of different jobs and living in different places around the country, Shaffer said. It was not until the 1980’s that Shaffer started to really find Chess.

After that, it became his everything, said Shaffer.

He made friends and acquaintances through the years when attending tournaments around the country.

His mind was not enough to save him from homelessness.

He sold his home in Brentwood in 2005 and has been homeless for the past decade. “I am free to come and go and a lot of people envy that,” Shaffer said.

Photos by Patrick Niehaus

Lyov smiles after enjoying a meal with a friend.

Sky Club hosts event on Mars One program

Finalist Maggie Duckworth talks living on Mars and her biggest fears for our astronomical future Katie Leicht Art & Life Editor

Last month on Nov. 9, the Sky Club hosted an event on Mars One, a new and upcoming one way manned mission to Mars.

Maggie Duckworth, one out of 100 finalists accepted for the first ever manned mission to our sibling planet, came to Meramec to inform others more in depth into what Mars One really is. The main mission of Mars One is to establish permanent human settlement and sustain

human life on the red planet.

The first initial step to further get Mars One in motion is to prove it is capable to make this trip successfully. Otherwise investors will not supply the funding for the trip said Duckworth. This funding is needed due to the fact that Mars One has an estimated cost of around $6 billion. In 2020, Mars One is going to send a demonstration lander to Mars, Duckworth said.

This will prove Mars One has the technology to get to Mars successfully. This is such an important part of the entire Mars

Summitted photo

President Stephanie David giving a gift bag to Maggie Duckworth after her speech about Mars One.

One expedition because if we cannot be proven this trip can make it to Mars successfully, investors will not give the $6 billion needed to fund the trip, Duckworth said.

Before possibly sending Maggie and others to Mars, Mars One wants the best equipped people for the journey. This means scientist from Mars One will study each chosen candidate closely and pair them with three other chosen candidates. From here, the scientist will give the chosen four people activities to complete on Earth, and see how they problem solve together before deciding how well they work with one another, said Duckworth.

“It’s really good to have people that can work together, as opposed to getting five people who are really good at one thing and then throwing them into a room and letting them problem solve,” Duckworth said.

If this planning before take off did not occur, the team may run into some issues. If the team does not get along, the outcome may not be very good, especially in a life or death situation, Duckworth said.

“It would be like going on a seven-month road trip across the United States in a tiny car with three people you hate,” Duckworth said.

In 2022, Mars One will send a rover to Mars. This will help to find the ideal landing spot for Mars One to land and grow, Duckworth.

When looking for an ideal place to live, maximizing sunlight and water accessibility is vital.

“One cool things about Mars is it has water. The water is at the poles. The other cool thing about Mars is it has pretty good access to sunlight. The best sunlight is at the equator,” Duckworth said.

The rover will be able to scope out the best place to expand the

human population when they land. Dust storms on Mars will be able to knock out the power, due to the fact the sun will be covered from the storm, therefore not being able to supply the crew with energy to power anything said Duckworth. These dust storms can last up to years on Mars, so the rover will be the best bet to supplying the crew with the most ideal place to permanently live.

“Another problem that we could have is, we don’t know what it will be like to live on an alien planet, and in a really extremely hostile environment for the rest of our lives,” said Duckworth.

Each individual chosen to transcend themselves about 140 million miles from Earth knows just how easily they could encounter death.

“It takes seven minutes for

“My worst fear is failing. It’s that no one ever makes it to Mars, or any planet for that matter.”

Mars One has already encountered a few small set backs. These set backs include irability to launch due to where Mars is located in the solar system at the moment of launch.

These set backs are usually about two years long due to the amount of time it takes Mars to orbit the sun compared to how long it takes Earth to orbit the Sun. Since Mars has a slower revolution around the Sun than Earth, the right timing is needed until the planets are close enough to one another. This way, Mars One and the planet Mars itself, will meet at just the perfect timing, said Duckworth. 2026 is when Mars One should be initially launching.

The computer system that will be used to get the teams of four to Mars has to be preprogrammed on how to physically get to the planet safely, and how to anticipate problems along the way. This program is still in the works, but should be ready by the time it is needed in 2026.

a message to get from one planet to the other,” Duckworth said.

This means, if there was a problem, there is nothing Earth citizens could really do about it.

Once Mars One sends the first group of four into space, the plan is to keep sending people for the indefinite future.

“We will keep growing this colony on Mars until we have people living and working and having productive lives on another planet,” Duckworth said.

Duckworth is excited to embark on this journey with no return, she said.

“It is exciting to land on Mars because we will be the first people ever to land on Mars, to land on another planet, ever,” Duckworth said.

Besides the fear of dying, Duckworth’s main fear is philosophical, Duckworth said.

“Besides dying, my worst fear is failing. It’s that no one ever makes it to Mars, or any planet for that matter,” Duckworth said.

Dec 10, 2015

ART & LIFE

10

Photography and Philosophy go hand in hand

Former STLCC-Meramec professor travels to Germany and Turkey to teach and study Dalila Kahvedic Editor in Chief

Stephen Snyder took his philosophy and photography skills across the globe and continues to do so. The former Meramec professor was also a professor in Frankfurt, Germany as well as a detainee from protesting in Istanbul.

Snyder attended Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana and received his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and computer science. He saved his money to later spend two years studying philosophy in Germany at Frankfurt University where he received his Master of Arts in philosophy.

“I really learned a lot in those two years,” Snyder said.

A big inspiration along this journey was his

improve and for two years there I thought ‘my German’s good enough. I need a foundation in philosophy, so I decided to come back to the states,” Snyder said.

Snyder received a TA-ship at St. Louis University (SLU) — thanks to his philosophy professor Habermas, who wrote him a recommendation letter that went a long way, Snyder said. He was offered several TAships. He went on to obtain his PhD from SLU in Philosophy.

Snyder’s wife, Angela Hamilton, who studied at Meramec for two years now teaches. She took part in a faculty exchange and was hired as a full-time professor as well.

Going back and forth between countries, they were on different continents for eight years but really only apart for four semesters, Snyder said.

Snyder purchased a camera

“Get out and see the world, it’s going to be scary. You can do it.” philosophy professor, Jürgen Habermas, Snyder said.

“Having worked with a philosopher like Habermas I think was really important, and that’s a feather in my cap, but it also really gave me my fundamental direction in philosophy and I’ve never really gone off course from that. I’ve wavered, but I still keep that approach that I learned there in Frankfurt,” Snyder said.

Snyder did not feel prepared for graduate studies based on what he learned as an undergraduate student, he said.

“I learned so much but I also learned what I didn’t know and it became very clear to me. At first I thought ‘it’s my German’ — my German needs to

and traveled to Eastern Turkey on a school-funded trip. His assignment was to photograph some of the early Christian monuments and study the changes in forms of pagan art — which motifs were kept, which were changed and what the reasons were behind the changes.

“Accompanying the shift from the Pagan, Hellenistic world to the early Christian was a shift in world view,” Snyder said. “The way they viewed nature was actually different in the way people interact with nature, which depends on their world view, and I wanted to see how that was reflected in art. That was the focus of the project and I’m still working on it.

Snyder’s time in Istanbul was

accompanied by various protests.

“The Gezi protests, which I photographed, had a great influence on me and to have lived through those moments shifted my focus to political art, something which I avoided — but working with Habermas you, really can’t avoid politics,” Snyder said.

The protests had frightening moments, Snyder said.

“Mostly, it was the police. It was widely held that the police were inside of the violence and they wanted to get a strong reaction from the protestors so that they could crack down on the protests,” Snyder said.

There was a point when the police detained him for a day during one of the protests, Snyder said.

“A lot of the police didn’t want them to take me because there’s extra processing, I’m a foreigner.

They can’t really rough me up.

The American Government can’t really protect me. They make it clear that you’re in a foreign country and you’re under their jurisdiction, but they said we can put pressure on the Turks to make sure they follow their laws and the Turkish laws actually weren’t that bad. It’s just they didn’t know how to follow them, so they could put pressure to make sure the laws were followed and I got a fair process,” Snyder said.

The protests went on for a long time, Snyder said.

“Finally people were just worn down and the police were brutal, they never let up,” Snyder said.

Protests in Istanbul versus protests in Ferguson were very different, Snyder said.

“In some ways they’re similar. The scale is very different.

Ferguson is a town of what — 23,000? And Istanbul is a city of 20 million,” Snyder said.

He was very involved with the protest movements in Istanbul and his first reaction was to go march with the Ferguson protestors, but the violence turned him off, Snyder said.

Submitted Photo

This photo was taken by Snyder from the inside of a detention vehicle during protests in Turkey.

Dec. 10, 2015

Photo by Dalila Kahvedzic

Stephen Snyder takes photos of nearby scenery. He is wearing a scarf he got in Turkey from the Anarchist Soccer Club, Carsi.

“One positive thing that came out of that [Ferguson] is that it’s still being discussed — it has to be discussed,” Snyder said. “The answers may not come out, but the discussion has to happen.”

Protests should not be problematic, Snyder said.

“I think violence and destruction of property always damages the movement and puts their motives in question but I think that peaceful protests, making your voice heard, are absolutely necessary.”

Snyder came back from Istanbul and taught part time at STLCC-Meramec.

Courses he taught include Intro to Philosophy, Ethics and Biomedical Ethics.

“When I educate, I’m trying to really teach them [students] to think. I’m trying to get them to work on their own. I want them to understand the issues, to master the issues and then make their own critical attempt and they have so much trouble with that because they’re used to memorizing, doing as they’re told,” Snyder said.

Snyder was recently recommended for a Fulbright Scholar’s grant in Armenia to study the image of St. George as a form of resistance art.

His wife, Angela, was also a Fulbright Scholar two years ago.

Although philosophy and photography are two very different disciplines, the photography started when Snyder was just a teenager.

“My father gave me his camera when I was 13 years old, an old Argus. I loved that camera and I just took pictures of things, my friends. I experimented. I don’t know that they were good pictures, but over the years I always had a camera and I guess

I saw that if I had an artistic vain, it would have been through photography,” Snyder said.

Taking photos for so many years taught Snyder a lot about capturing moments.

“I became confused sometimes because I wanted my pictures to be significant,” Snyder said. “I got away from what I like because I think what I’d been taking for years was, ‘I like this angle, this is a really interesting angle on this building.’ I remember visiting a site a second time and then comparing the photos and I took the same photos and I thought ‘that’s not that interesting.’ You try to put yourself in a certain mode and try to capture something that might be of interest to someone else. Step out into the unknown.”

The unknown is a good way to see something else, Snyder said. Living abroad does not work for everybody but he recommends it to every student.

“Living abroad was good.

It’s eye opening to see a way that other people live; you’ll see good, you’ll see bad,” Snyder said.

“Get out and see the world, it’s going to be scary. You can do it.”

To leave what is familiar to you is okay, Snyder said.

“People do it. You can leave your home for awhile — you can leave your friends and family, leave your pets behind,” Snyder said.

“Or take them with, I took my pets with. It worked. You can do it. Especially people with families.

They say they can’t do it — my father took two sabbaticals and he drove around Europe with three kids and his wife in a VW van and he did it twice. You can do it — you can get out and travel with your kids. Don’t say you can’t do it. Just make it work. Do it.”

SPORTS Martial Arts Instructor Ron Mirikitani talks Judo Meramec offers PE classes in martial arts for credit Katie Hayes Copy Editor

Meramec offers classes in two forms of martial arts — karate and judo. Personal Defense is offered as well, which incorporates martial arts. These subjects are all taught by Ron Mirikitani, who has been teaching these classes at Meramec since the 1970’s.

“It’s a safe sport in that once you get to a certain point and there’s a possibility of injury, the person just has to tap twice — that means they give up and they stop the match and the other person wins,” Mirikitani said.

Although judo and karate are both of Japanese origins, they differ in style.

“Karate is more striking and kicking and blocking, where judo is more throwing, holding, choking and arm bars,” Mirikitani said.

“They’re trying to throw you and they’re trying to either ground you or break your arms [to get the person to tap out], so that’s pretty aggressive. In karate, they’re either trying to strike you or kick you.”

At the beginning of each semester, Mirikitani asks students to write why they are taking the class and what they hope to learn. Although he doesn’t verbally address these aspirations, he makes sure each student

gets to practice what they want.

“I had one class, probably about five years ago, where just about everybody in class had some kind of confrontation,” Mirikitani said. “So they were really, really zeroing in on this class that I taught. No one missed a class and it was just awesome.”

When asked about using martial arts techniques on the street, Mirikitani didn’t oppose it.

“Any time you’re attacked on the street, I think you have an obligation to protect yourself and use whatever means you can find,” Mirikitani said.

Sammy Schooner, who has been at Meramec since 2013 and never taken a martial arts course, took Judo I this fall.

“Now I know somewhat how to defend myself,” Schoonover said. “I like flipping people.”

Jenita Checkett took Judo I this fall as well, but previously took other martial arts courses.

“I like the people and the thrills — throwing people. It’s fun.” Checkett said.

Currently, Judo II is the highest level judo course offered at Meramec.

“Right now, it’s hard to get people in Judo II class because it’s only offered once in the semester at a certain time and a certain day,” Mirikitani said. “So for people to find that time in their schedule is sometimes hard to find. I have

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some people who wanted to get in the class but they had other obligations and couldn’t get in there.”

It is possible, however, to advance in judo at Meramec after taking Judo II. “If a person is really interested in getting more technical and more advanced in judo, I would tell them to take Judo II again,” Mirikitani said.

In Judo I, students learn five throws, hit techniques, hand techniques, a foot technique, two or three holding techniques, five or six choking techniques and five or six arm block techniques, Mirikitani said.

However, students don’t typically get a belt after their first class.

Judo II teaches more throws and and students work on combinations. They get more into throws and more advanced mat techniques, transitions and more competition techniques. While students could test for a belt if they wanted, most don’t, Mirikitani said.

Photo by Alex White Most students don’t plan to Students Michael Meriman (left) and Trey Riser (right) practice at obtain a professional ranking spe- their Thursday morning 11-11:50 Judo I class. cifically in judo, but use it to improve in other forms of martial arts.

In addition, some students so they want to take a class too.”

“Most [students] aren’t inter- simply want to learn a new skill.

Mirikitani expressed that ested in getting a ranking — they’re “A lot of people come in just although he mostly sees colin there just to learn,” Mirikitani because they’ve always wanted to lege-aged students in his classsaid. “I have a lot of people who study judo and they thought that es, he does get students of are in there now who are go- this is a cheap way to learn,” Mirik- all ages and backgrounds. ing into MMA and they want to itani said. “A lot of people have had “They come in with diflearn jujitsu, so I teach a lot of mat a brother or sister or friend take a ferent motives and different techniques, arm bars and chokes.” class and they thought it was fun aspirations,” Mirikitani said.

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Dec 10, 2015

SPORTS

12

Archers lose, 74-56, to State Fair Roadrunners

STLCC limits opponent to season low 74 points in defeat Christian Hargas Sports Editor

The STLCC Archers lost to State Fair Community College, 74-56, on Nov. 24. Coming into the game, the Roadrunners amassed an 8-1 record against the Archers’ 1-5 record.

The game featured three ties and two lead changes from one team averaging 99 points per game and one averaging 64 points.

“We did not focus on how many points they [State Fair] scored in each game, coming into this one,” Point Guard Andrew Weaver said. “We just tried to hold them to less than what they scored in the previous game.”

Fast break scoring from State Fair and poor defense contributed to the loss, Head coach Terry Collins said.

“We did not sustain our effort in terms of springing back on defense,” Collins said. “It was 1514 [STLCC] I believe, and then they got a couple of easy fast break

first half on a 14-2 run, leading 37-25 at the break.

Frustration loomed in the locker room at the break,Collins said.

“We were frustrated,” Collins said. “In the first half, we were 9-28 scoring. We were frustrated, but that was due to the fact that their defense picked it and we kind of gave into it rather than continue to run our offense and get better shots.”

Forward DaVonte Harrell led the team with seven points in the first half. The Archers had four turnovers and nine personal fouls.

No real adjustments were made before the second half started, Collins said.

“It was more of understanding that we could not let them get out and run the fast break,” Collins said. “That is how they took the lead and we just tried to tighten up on that, which we did.”

Despite the early frustration, the morale of the locker room was still high, Rigmaiden said.

“That is just the way to keep our team going,” Rigmaiden said. “We need to always keep encouraging

“If we focus too much on the outcome, we will let go of control of the process of getting better.” baskets. Then, we cut it to eight in the second half with about six or seven minutes to go, then they had some easy baskets again. That was really the story of the game.”

Point Guard Sean Rigmaiden said the Archers did not play well as a complete team.

“We got off to a bad start this season,” Rigmaiden said. “We are just trying to get into the flow of what our coach is asking us to do.

We are just trying to connect with the coach and the coach is trying to connect with us, but is just has not been working right now.”

State Fair ended the

our teammates, no matter how good or bad they are doing. We need to keep the morale up.”

“In these circumstances, you have to find a way to keep your morale high,” Collins said.

That is the challenge of being in sports. It is easy to get into that mood and sometimes we do, but nobody is going to cry for you.

You just have to bounce back.

The second half opened with two successful three point shots from Weaver.

The Archers felt the momentum was turning in their favor, Weaver said.

Guard Marcel Lee scored four points, three rebounds, and one assist.

Dec. 10, 2015

“I felt like we had the momentum at that point,” Weaver said. But, it all stimulates from our defense. Our defense was not there, so therefore the offense did not really matter. We knew we could have done a lot better on the defensive end.”

Collins agreed.

“We needed to get better shots,” Collins said. So we came out and got some better shots and it helped stabilize us a little bit. We made a couple of baskets to cut the lead to eight, but they were able to build the lead back up.”

Photos by James Claiborne State Fair o u t s c o r e d Guard Sean Rigmaiden had five total rebounds, three assists and two steals.

STLCC, 37-31, in the second half. The Archers the process, they control probably got a little better tonight, improved their scoring percentage the outcome, Collins said. but the team might not realize it from 32.1 percent to 37.9, but “That is the key,” Collins because they are frustrated with the Roadrunners led by 20 said. “If we focus too much on the the lack of result. We have to be with 35 seconds remaining. outcome, we will let go of control tough enough to focus on the “They played very good defense of the process of getting better. We process, focus on getting better.” and took us out of our offense,” Collins said. “That is probably why we shot poorly, we shot 2057 and that is not very good.”

The Archers had 13 personal fouls in the second half, totaling to 22 for the game.

They had eight turnovers and were outscored 16-8 in the final nine minutes.

“When it came to our scoring, today everybody was having a bad shooting night,” Rigmaiden said.

“We try to pressure guys and make sure they were not in their game.

That is what we were trying to do tonight and we did pretty decent, but the ball was not falling our way.”

“It is continuously, night in and night out, our defense that needs to get better,” Weaver said. Our offense has the talent, but is just our defense that needs to get better.”

With the loss, the Archer’s Forward DaVonte Harrell led the team with nine points. record fell to 1-5 on the season. It now stands at 1-8 following losses to Danville Area and Arkansas State Mid-South. The season is far from over, Weaver said.

Saint Louis Community College Archers’ “We have only played 20 Home Games percent of the season, so we have a lot of time,” Weaver said. We have December 2015 until late February, early March.

Lincoln College - Tuesday, Dec. 15 We just have to take it day-by-day.”

Mineral Area College - Thursday, Dec. 17 Rigmaiden agreed.

“That is what we have to do,” January 2016 Rigmaiden said. If we want to move Lincoln Land Community College - Wednesday, Jan. 13 forward, that is how we have to play.”

Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley - Saturday, Jan. 23 The Archers will not do anything other than to stick February 2016 to the process, Collins said.

North Central Missouri College - Saturday, Feb. 6 “We need to work hard,” Three Rivers Community College - Wednesday, Feb. 10 Collins said. “We need to work Wentworth Military Academy - Saturday, Feb. 13 harder on our defense and we need to improve the execution March 2016 of our offense. If we work hard District VIII Tournament - Saturday, Mar. 7 on those things with a great purpose, the results will be acceptable whatever they are.”

The Archers do not control