The Montage

BACK TO SCHOOL GUIDE 2024-2025 YOUR BLUEPRINT FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS

The MONTAGE Jacob Politte Managing Editor Ryan Winzen News Editor Jack Jursnich Opinions Editor Morgan Daniels Staff Writer Macy Gillick Staff Writer Beatrice Johnson Staff Writer Lucas Segall Staff Writer Lillian Thum Staff Writer Emily Weber Staff Writer Shannon Faculty Advisor Philpott-Sanders Editorial views expressed or content contained in this publication are not necessaritly the views of St. Louis Community College, the Board of Trustees or the administration.

The Montage is a student publication produced seven times per semester at St. Louis Community College Meramec, 11333 Big Bend Blvd., Kirkwood, Mo., 63122.

314-984-7655.

One copy of The Montage is free of charge. Up to 10 additional copies available, $1 each, at the office of The Montage, SC 220A. Bulk purchases may be arranged with circulation manager.

To place an advertisement, contact the advertising manager for rates, sample issues, etc., email ssanders147@stlcc.edu

Table of Contents LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS

WELCOME LETTER .............................................. 5 GETTING YOUR TOOLS TOGETHER .................. 6 HAMMER OUT YOUR STUDY ROUTINE ............ 6 HOW TO NAVIGATE YOUR WORKSITE ............. 7 ROADMAP FOR CAMPUS ................................ 8-9 HIGH SCHOOL VS COLLEGE ............................. 10 STLCC FREE EXPRESSION GUIDELINES ........ 10

PIPELINES AND PATHWAYS DIG INTO YOUR AREA OF INTEREST ......... 12-14 GET TO KNOW TRIO ............................................ 15 LOCAL EATS AROUND THE WORKSITE ......... 16 TOOLS YOU NEED TO GET INVOLVED ............ 17 CONTRACTING THE HELP YOU NEED ........... 18

FINISHING THE JOB MANAGING THE PROJECT PATH .................... 21 FINISHING THE JOB STRONG ........................... 21 MERAMEC’S ALUMNUS SUCCESS .................. 23 THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF RESUMES ............. 25

FINAL EVALUATIONS MERAMEC’S FORK IN THE ROAD ............. 28-29 STLCC CONTINUES TO TRANSFOR ............... 30 BLACK STUDENT UNION RETURNS ............... 31 CRUZ TALKS ESPORTS PROGRAM ................ 32 ARCHERS ATHLETICS RECAP ......................... 33 DEAF-TO-DEAF IDENTITY ............................... 34

Laying the Foundations

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ou just got to the work site? You may be able to adapt quickly… or you may get a little lost. This section, and the next, should help you begin to navigate your way around the campus community.

Learn what specific tools of the trade that you might need, and get a glimpse at some of the tools on your phone that can also help you get ahead while you’re here.

Plus, gain some perspective on some of the differences in your academic life that you may now be encountering, and take a tour of STLCC’s free expression policies that have recently come to the front of the line for evaluation.

Photo courtesy of STLCC and Skye Lufsey Construction crews begin placing beams for the future Financial Services and Enrollment Center on Tuesday, February 26, 2024. This building, as well as the Center for Emerging Technology, are tentatively set to be completed by Summer 2025.

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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 a concentration 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 152 MUS 154 MUS 211,212

Music Theory I,II,III,IV Basic Music History of Jazz Music Appreciation Class Voice I,II Class Piano I,II,III,IV History of Rock Music Beginning Guitar Jazz Improvisation I,II,III Applied Music (Lessons) I,II,III,IV Fundamentals of Music Technology Audio Engineering Music Recording with ProTools I Music History I,II

Interested in performing in an ensemble?

All Meramec students may participate. No audition is required!

MUS131, 132 and 134 are CORE42 performance courses!

ENSEMBLES

Music 131 – Concert Choir Music 132 – Orchestra Music 134 – Symphonic Band Music 138 – Jazz Improvisation All ensembles hold a seat/part assignment hearing during the first rehearsal.

Members of the Concert Choir may audition for the Chamber Singers.

For more information, contact Music at Meramec Dr. Jerry Myers, Program Coordinator, gmyers34@stlcc.edu, (314) 984-7638

PHOTO COURTESY OF Clayco and STLCC

To all incoming Works-In Progress, Welcome to STLCC- Meramec! If you are new to STLCC, you may have noticed some detours and construction work around the campus.

The landscape of Meramec is undergoing many changes that you will continue to see in the coming years, and by the time they’re complete, Meramec will look much, much different. Over the past six decades, many people who have gone on to do great things have passed through this institution, and even this specific campus.

In Section 1, “Laying The Foundations” you will find information on the supplies that are needed to get the job done, including the bare physical essentials as well as the vital outlets of technology that are necessary to master. You’ll also find a map of the campus to help you navigate your journey. In addition, you’ll find some information on the differences between high school and college, as well as study tips and an overview of the college’s free expression policies.

In Section 2, “Pipelines and Pathways” some of the courses to take and clubs to join are highlighted, depending on your interests and goals. In addition to a school year calendar, you’ll also find recommendations for food off-campus to enjoy and some suggestions for quiet zones to clear your mind.

In Section 3, “Finishing The Job” we’ll help prepare you for the end of your Meramec career. Hopefully, it’s been prolific and full of highlights to add to your personal portfolio. In this section, you’ll find tips on how to create the best resume and a graduation checklist to complete before you go. In addition, we’ll check in with a former Meramec alumnus doing important work in the television field.

Section 4, “Final Evaluations” revisits some of the biggest news stories of the 2023-2024 school year, including a look back at a tumultuous late-spring semester where the campus was thrown into controversy and the college saw a level of distrust form between the student body and the institution that has not been seen in years. In addition, we continued to cover the extensive impact that “STLCC Transformed” continues to have on Meramec, and we did several profiles highlighting various students, staff and clubs/organizations, including the newly resurrected Black Student Union.

The Montage hopes this guide assists you greatly in your journey.

- Jacob Politte, Montage Foreman-In-Chief - Ryan Winzen, Montage Engineer 5

Getting Your Tools Together A checklist of things you might need or want to aid your studies

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JACOB POLITTE Managing EDITOR

n order to succeed in your studies, you need to make sure you have the best quality of materials.

There are a lot of materials that you’ll need to be ready for college life. In order to progress further along in your college career, you’ll need the following to help you achieve your goals both in and out of the classroom. Some of them are more vital than others.

Some of them aren’t necessarily requirements (it really depends on the courses that you are taking). However, they will help you greatly along your journey, and some are absolutely essential, regardless of what your courses require.

To the right, you’ll find a chest full of the items that should be in your book-bag (seriously, you’re going to need something to carry this stuff in):

Textbooks/E-Textbook Codes Binder/Binders Pencils, pens, highlighters and paper Laptop, Tablet Flash Drive, OneDrive Access

Hammer Out Your Study routine WITH THESE TIPS JACK JURSNICH STAFF Whether the test is today or tomorrow, preparation is the key to success. Students often find themselves intimidated by the amounts of information needed to be memorized and practiced when taking a challenging course. A lot of that intimidation stems from either not understanding a subject or being stunned by the size of what’s needed to be studied, and both come from a place of thinking “I don’t know if I’m capable of this.”

The first step to learning and studying something new is to come to terms with the idea that you may not know everything about this subject and that no one should feel embarrassed to be confused when trying to learn. Learning to compartmentalize the work and take things one step at a time is a very helpful solution when taking a new and challenging course, and learning this skill can help with more than just school classes and studying for exams.

Some basic study tips everyone should be able to find useful are things like flashcards, trivia games, and going over homework.

For simple dates and definitions,

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flashcards and other online alternatives do help a lot with memorizing information quickly. For larger concepts, going over the homework and the textbook is going to help a lot.

For most classes, taking notes helps as well, but sometimes taking too many notes can be a distraction; so when listening to the lecture, listen for key terms, dates, places, and simple facts that you can write out quickly, but try to stay focused on the lecture. Focusing on the lecture can be more important than taking notes sometimes, and if you can follow along and understand what the professor is teaching, then you’re halfway done with studying. In short, pay attention to lectures, take notes on key facts that are worth studying, and DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Most often, you might not need flash cards if you’re focused on the lecture, but they are handy for certain instances.

For some people, repetitive study routines like going over flashcards and the textbook just isn’t enough. Ever notice how you might not be able to remember simple details about things but will remember a certain event from the night before or many years ago?

Memory is tricky, which is why you’ve got to learn to trick your mind into remembering things. Shoving flashcards into your mind can be a pain and can take forever, but memorizing something like a tune can help. Singing a song about all the elements or the quadratic formula can really make something stick to the brain, sometimes for years after you need it. Creating a song or rhyme, maybe a story or an image, pairs the right amount of dopamine with schoolwork to make the material hard to forget.

Lastly, but found very commonly, a student may be confused on a subject and can’t wrap their head around it no matter how much they try, but they feel too embarrassed to ask for help. Do not be embarrassed to ask a question even if you think it’s a dumb one, it’s better to ask questions than to never know the answer.

Teachers, tutors, and staff want to help you in any way they can, and working with them is very important to the learning process.

Each person has their own way of studying, but hopefully these tips will set a solid foundation for your studying routine.

Good luck, study hard, and don’t be afraid to learn!

How to Navigate Your Work Site

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lucas segall staff

ver the years, technology has made life on campus so much easier, from allowing students to turn in assignments straight from their phones to giving students an easy way to organize their schedules. Students at Meramec are encouraged to use their resources to ensure they have the most productive learning environment possible.

Some apps that The Montage recommends students try out are: Canvas The Canvas app gives students access to everything that they will need for every single one of their classes. From the course syllabus to seeing what assignments are due and when Canvas has it all. Canvas is also how professors communicate with the entire class, so instead of getting a mass email, your professor will send out announcements.

You will want to know if your class is ever canceled or if a due date gets moved around!

STLCC App The STLCC App gives students access to everything they will need while enrolled at STLCC Meramec. You will be able to register/drop your classes, view grades for current and past semesters,

view your payments for classes, schedule meetings with advising, and even hear about events happening around campus. This is a must-have for any students enrolled here at Meramec.

Outlook Every student is given a student’s email connected to Outlook.

If you connect your email to the Outlook app on your phone you will be able to receive notifications anytime you get an important email or announcement from your professors.

Grammarly Writing is a very big part of almost every college course. One of the most important things in writing is making sure that the paper is concise and easy to read with minimal spelling errors.

Meramec has a College Writing Center in the Student Center as a part of Academic Services and Tutoring, but if you want to make sure that your paper is the best paper it can be then Grammarly may be right for you.

Grammarly scans your paper and lets you know if there are any spelling or punctuation errors. It can even give you suggestions on how to make your paper sound better.

Evernote As one of the most popular note-taking apps, Evernote has the ability to create virtual notebooks for every class, sync across devices, save images and collaborate with classmates.

This app can also take voice notes to help you stay organized.

Adobe Scan If you’re looking for a way to digitize learning materials and documents, Adobe Scan is the app for you. This app lets you capture documents as a handheld scanner, touch them up and save as files. Capture images of those whiteboard equations and combine them with other images to create a PDF with Adobe Scan.

Spotify Create the perfect study playlist or natural sounds to help you get the sleep you desperately need after a long study session with the Spotify app. Check out the educational podcasts available, too.

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Know the Parts Each One Plays in Your Education JACK JURSNICH staff

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any students are nervous about the switch from high school to college, some may even feel intimidated by their ideas of college, but when discussing the differences between the two, the transition instead can be quite a liberating experience.

High school follows a rigid routine: you’ll wake up at around 6:00am, start class at 8:00, go to seven classes that are 45 minutes each, and head back home at around 3pm. Some students may have had block scheduling, but the routine is the same with a schedule of classes to attend and pass through the year. Each semester, some classes change, and some stay year-round.

Classrooms operate as usual with lectures and assignments given to students in person or online. The staff is very similar between

high school and college, with many teachers and staff members available to help and answer questions.

College takes all these things from high school and adds many beneficial differences, allowing the learning experience to stay consistent with the student’s previous education practices while giving them a more personalized routine.

One major difference with college from high school is the lunch schedules for different groups of students; a cafeteria or lounge may be available for students to eat lunch, maybe even a lunch line to purchase food, but when and where to eat is entirely up to the students, as is the time they choose to eat. Meramec’s cafeteria is open from 7:00am-7:00pm during the academic year, so there is plenty of time to grab a bite to eat at your convenience.

Classes can be taken full or part-time, and class credit hours can be earned over an

An Overview of the College’s Free Expression Guidelines Following an incident in the Student Center Quad around mid-April of this year, free speech protections and policies came to the forefront of many Meramec occupants. More information about what happened can be found in “Meramec’s Fork In The Road” in Section 4.

Regarding those policies and protections, students at STLCC are encouraged to express themselves freely and engage in a dialogue of diverse thought. Under campus guidelines, all forms of peaceful assembly, speeches, protests, and petitions are allowed, so long as the conduct is lawful and does not disrupt the function of the institution. STLCC is committed to upholding the First Amendment right of individuals, however, this is not absolute. A regulated time, place, and manner is established in the college’s Free Expression guidelines, and are within the limits set by Missouri Campus Free Expression Act; such limits include that individual participants of outdoor expressive activities must not: • interfere with normal access to buildings including walkways • endanger or damage personal or college property

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• • • • • • • • • • •

extended amount of time.

The people on campus are diverse in character and diverse in thought, where everyone can be from any background or age group; all students are welcomed and treated with equal respect. Many clubs, programs, and events are available, offering a variety of opportunities, and even studentworker positions offer opportunities to pay off tuition and build a resume.

Learning and participating as a student is welcomed in similar fashions on both campuses, but above high school, college offers a chance to become somebody new.

If making friends and creating a social network is your thing, college offers a variety of people to communicate with. If locking into the books and working hard is your thing, then college offers that isolation to concentrate on studying. The social sphere and the educational experience of college can be whatever you make of it.

JACK JURSNICH staff

significantly disturb indoor and outdoor college activities utilize any amplification devices interfere with the enter and exit of vehicles obstruct vehicular or pedestrian traffic force students to accept leaflets or other items affix items to structures such as trees, buildings, posts, etc. light any material on fire except for candles with special permission last longer than 8 hours in a 24-hour period use tents or other shelters promote for-profit services pose a threat to public safety

More information on the Campus Free Expression Guidelines at the college’s website, stlcc.edu. The restrictions above are small enough to allow diverse conversations to happen, and necessary enough to keep the peace during such expressive activities, so that the First Amendment can be upheld equally and to the same standards as all students and individuals. STLCC provides opportunities for various voices to be heard, with a community compassionate enough to not hold any voice over others.

Pipelines and Pathways

Photo courtesy of STLCC and Skye Lufsey Pipes are laid in the foundations of what will become the Center for Emergering Technology. This building will house the campuses new Library, the Academic Success and Tutoring Center, as well as various new classrooms.

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s you read this guide, the college’s Academic Affairs department is going through a bit of reconstruction of its own. Under the supervision of Vice Chancellor Andrew Langrehr, various departments are being grouped into “Meta Majors” and being structured along a system called “Pathways” in a new method to streamline the college’s academic offerings.

In this section, we’ve grouped together various interest areas to explore, as well as anecdotes about the best clubs and organizations to join and the best places to check out on campus that aligns with them. In addition, get a glimpse of the academic calendar for the year (full of important dates and deadlines) and take a look at some nearby places to grab a bite to eat during your lunch break.

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Dig Into Your Area of Interest

How to Transform from a Work-in Progress to a Completed Project

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s you navigate the blueprint of your college career, it’s important to know that students who are involved on campus tend to perform better in the classroom. If you’re exploring writing and communications, sports and wellness, or art and graphic design, there are plenty of clubs, extra-curricular activities and classes to help you discover your passion. Choose an interest area and learn more about classes to take, locations to visit and clubs or organizations to join while at STLCC-Meramec. There is something for everyone on campus.

Interest Area: Writing/Communications For students who have an interest in writing and communication, Meramec offers several courses that build on that passion. With classes that focus on poetry, fiction, and public speaking, there is no shortage of classes to take. Students should keep in mind that in order to take English electives, they need to complete English 101 first.

Classes to Take Eng 110-Creative Writing- This course focuses on sculpting students' writing abilities in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, while also learning about the many themes, processes, and views on creative writing.

Eng 201-Introduction to Fiction- Students will build on their current understanding of both short and long fiction and have an in-depth look at the various themes and styles of various pieces of fiction.

Com 101-Oral Communications- Teaches effective communication techniques for one-to-one, small groups, and large groups in a variety of settings, with a focus on the development of communication skills and application of communication techniques in a variety of settings.

Com 107- Public Speaking- Knock down any fears you have about public speaking as this course teaches students the research, organization, and delivery involved in public speaking, along with audience analyzing and listening skills.

Clubs/Organizations to Join Poetry Club- Looking to share your love of reading and writing poetry with others?

The Meramec Poetry Club is your answer. Discuss your favorite pieces of poetry and your own writings with other members, as well as finding others who share the same love and appreciation for poetry that you have.

The Montage- Shameless self-promotion? You don’t say. What we will say is that The Montage has a decorated history of excellence, winning numerous awards in its six decades of existence, including 27 awards at this year’s Missouri College Media Association conference. It’s hard work, but if you have a knack for writing/photography/design, a creative mind and a willingness to ask the tough questions, The Montage may just be the place for you. Contact Faculty Adviser Shannon Sanders at ssanders147@stlcc.edu.

Currents- Meramec’s long-running literary magazine publishes over the summer, but accepts submissions year round. If you have a knack for writing and are looking for an outlet to express your creativity without worrying about specific, tight deadlines, contact Faculty Advisor David Taylor at dtaylor@sltcc.edu

Interest Area: Art and Graphic Design For students with interests in the arts and creating different pieces, Meramec offers several introductory art courses. There are a variety of different courses for different aspects of art, such as drawing, painting, and photography. For general transfer students, art courses will fill the humanities and elective credits.

Classes to Take Art 111-Figure Drawing I-Introduction class that focuses on drawing and recreating human features based off of real life models with an emphasis on structure, form, proportion, and gesture.

Art 113 Ceramics I - Focuses on constructing various different types of ceramic sculptures using different techniques and skills from both traditional and contemporary sculpting methods.

Art 165 Photography I- This course builds on the many uses of the camera and the techniques involved with black and white printing, as well as teaching students traditional darkroom procedures and the process of approaching subjects for photography.

Art 114 Painting I- A course for those interested in working with oil painting as well as the composition involved with painting, with priority on still life objects and the techniques used in painting.

ART 131 - Computer Art Studio - Computer Art Studio introduces students to the primary methods, practices, and software programs used in various design industries. Projects will be developed using digital illustration, photo editing, and layout design applications.

ART 133 - Graphic Design I - Graphic Design I is an introduction to visual communications with an emphasis on the foundational components and principles of the profession. Projects will employ basic layout processes, typography, concept generation, and the use of tools and materials required in the field. Contemporary and historic examples of art, design, and advertising will be studied.

Clubs/Organizations to Join Crafting Club - Looking for a group to make and share your art with? Crafting Club is your answer. This club is focused on producing different art pieces and connecting people with artistic interests. A great organization for students who love making their own art pieces and discussing art with other students.

Locations to Visit Meramec Art Gallery, Humanities East Room 133 Open year-round and featuring different exhibits throughout the school year, Meramec’s Art Gallery is always a unique experience every single visit. Perhaps it’s greatest annual exhibition is the yearly Peterson Lecture exhibit, which visits the Gallery during the middle of each fall semester.

BY: Ryan Winzen

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Interest Area: Music and Theater Here at Meramec we have a lot of different ways for students who have an interest in music and theater to explore and meet like-minded people. All of the classes listed below do not require a prerequisite and can be taken by any student during their first semester here on campus. In addition to these classes, Meramec is also home to the Music and Theater clubs, which allow students to get involved outside of class.

Classes to Take MUS 114 - Music Appreciation -While looking at a diverse array of music, students will dive deep into different aspects of music, including theory, history, philosophy, science, production, and much more.

MUS 121 - Class Piano - Class piano allows students to become proficient in the art of playing piano, by teaching music notation, and piano techniques, along with basic music theory.

MUS 134 - Band 1 - Band allows students to come together to learn how to play music in a large group ensemble, students will be given a choice of instruments, between brass or woodwind. Some examples of instruments students can choose to play are trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba (brass) or flute, clarinet, saxophone (woodwind), and more.

MUS 132 - Orchestra 1 - In orchestra, students come together to create music in a large group ensemble. You can pick from a large selection of string, brass, and woodwind instruments. Eventually, there will also be opportunities to show off musical skills during performances.

THT 101 - Intro to Theatre - This course aims to enhance students' enjoyment of theatrical art, by exploring the theater’s collaborative nature, and diverse roles, and learning about playwriting, acting, and directing.

THT 108 - Acting 1 - In this class, students will learn tools that they can use to help them become the best actor that they can be, for example, improv skills, and script analysis are some things that students will learn to help them in their acting careers.

THT 115 - Acting for the Camera - This course explores different aspects of acting in front of a camera, including aesthetics and principles, acting styles and exceptional performances from actors in film, and finally acting exercises for the camera which can be filmed and reviewed for improvement.

Clubs/Organizations to Join Music Club - This club focuses on exploring and appreciating different and new music, in a safe and inclusive setting. You’ll also learn about the history of music and its effect on our culture. The music club allows music lovers to come together, share, and appreciate music.

Theatre Club - Have you ever wished you could perform a play, but you just don’t have enough people to act all the parts? Well, don’t fear, the theater club is here. In the theater club, you will be in a supportive group with like-minded lovers of the arts, eager to expand their repertoire and act in different roles. If you want to get involved but don’t want to be on the big stage, we are always looking for students who are interested in prop design, costume design, lighting design, and many more to come get involved.

Interest Area: Sports and Wellness Meramec is the host to several of our district-wide teams, those being baseball, softball, basketball, soccer and volleyball. They are all represented under the Saint Louis Community College name as the Archers. In addition, Meramec offers a variety of opportunities to better connect with your body and expand your mind, including fencing, stress management and yoga.

Classes to Take HW 103 - Stress Management - The goal of stress management is to provide an overview of stress and how it impacts physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health and wellness while providing coping strategies, relaxation techniques, healthy eating behaviors and physical activities for stress reduction.

HW 109 - First Aid - This goal of the class is for students to be able to recognize life-threatening emergencies and respond to them appropriately. Certification in Adult and Pediatric First Aid, CPR and AED is available for students who meet the requirements.

HW 129 - Fencing I - Focusing on foil fencing, Fencing I studies the rules and strategies for competitive fencing.

HW 157 - Yoga I - Improve flexibility and balance while strengthening and toning muscles while reducing stress and enhancing both physical and mental health in Yoga I.

Clubs/Organizations to Join Chess Club - Bolster your strategic knowledge with the chess club. Channel your forward-thinking, quick wit and sound strategy as you expand your knowledge of chess and game theory to defeat your opponent.

Competitive Athletics - Meramec, as well as the rest of the Saint Louis Community College campuses, have combined their sports teams into a single, unified team, called the STLCC Archers. Sports the Archers compete in are hosted on several campuses throughout the district, including baseball and softball (Meramec), men's and women's basketball (Forest Park), men’s (Florissant Valley) and women’s soccer (Meramec), women's volleyball (Meramec) and the most recent addition, eSports (South County). Any students interested in joining any STLCC Archer team are invited to complete the recruiting questionnaire found at archersathletics.com.

BY: Beatrice johnson BY: lucas segall

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Interest Area: Social Sciences So you want to be a mover and shaker? Change how the world thinks or build a vast business empire? St. Louis Community College’s social sciences department is well established and ready to get you started on your path. Just be sure not to take everything for granted. This department gives you what you put into it. These classes can be as riveting as they are boring, so be sure to drill the concepts. They stack on top of each other to create a framework for society.

Classes to Take ECO 151 & 152 Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics: The classes go over the basics of both subsections of economics! Just be sure not to take both in one semester.

ACC 100 Applied Accounting: This basic accounting course goes over the basics of accounting.

PHL 101 Intro to Philosophy: Intro to Philosophy goes over the basics of various philosophies and encourages you to think critically.

PHL 104 Ethics: Ethics is one of those classes that can change your life. In it, you examine your beliefs and learn other ethical systems.

PSC 101 American Politics: American Politics dissects the governmental system and the flow of power.

Clubs/Organizations to Join Student Government Association sponsored by Mia Harsley (mrharsley@stlcc.edu) Students get a direct say in the development of the school.

Campus Activities Board sponsored by Mia Harsley (mrharsley@stlcc.edu) Plan and create events for the campus to keep things exciting.

Black Student Union sponsored by Dr. Trevion Jones (tjones@stlcc.edu) & Tiffany Stewart (tstewart82@stlcc.edu) Have a space to discuss racism and other associated issues in our community.

Pride Alliance sponsored by Hannah Scheckel (hscheckel@stlcc.edu) Help create an inclusive space and host various fun events.

Socratic Society sponsored by Dr. Sahar Joakim (sjoamkim@stlcc.edu) Debate various philosophical points and ideologies.

The Montage sponsored by Shannon Sanders (ssanders147@stlcc.edu) Be a journalist and help inform the community.

BY: LILLIAN THUM

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Interest Area: STEM As the only STLCC campus that offers horticulture courses, Meramec has several unique opportunities for exploration in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Some classes unique to Meramec include Ozark Ecology, introductory horticulture and Introduction to cannabis. There are also several classes for the mathematically inclined, like engineering computer application and design or C++ programming.

Classes to Take BIO 111 - Introductory Biology I - Provides the principles of biology with emphasis on the molecular structure and function of living organisms.

BIO 148 - Ozark Ecology - Introduces students to the diverse ecosystems in the Midwest, focusing on the interaction between plants and animals within the unique Ozark natural communities like oak-hickory forests, glades, bluffs and streams.

ESC 100 - Engineering Computer Applications and Design - This class focuses on solving engineering problems through teamwork and provides students with basic skills in the use of Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), word-processing, spreadsheets and computer math software.

GEO 100 - Earth Science - An introductory course emphasizing the basic principles of astronomy, geology, oceanography and meteorology covering topics including minerals and rocks, plate tectonics and evolution.

HRT 101 - Introductory Horticulture - Introductory Horticulture introduces biological aspects of plant life in the natural and manmade world., covering topics such as cell structure, anatomy, morphology, taxonomy and environmental factors that affect plant growth and sustainability as it relates to horticulture.

HRT 135- Introduction to Cannabis - This course focuses on the anatomy and physiology of cannabis and hemp plants, as well as the history and various uses for and products of cannabis and hemp.

IS 167 - C++ Programming - Introduces problem-solving strategies utilizing current software design and development tools and techniques and teaches topics including data structures, program design and usage of current integrated development environments (IDEs).

Clubs/Organizations to Join

Horticulture Club - The Meramec Horticulture Club helps organize horticulturerelated campus events like plant sales as well as creating a community of individuals with a similar interest.

Programming Club - Meramec Programming Club hosts programming events on campus that aim to build community on campus around programming.

Sky Club - Meramec Sky Club is a meteorology club that hosts campus events like their recent Earth Day event where they had activities and games while bringing attention to the holiday.

BY: Beatrice johnson

Get to Know Trio Plot a Plan for this Academic Year LILLIAN THUM STAFF The TRIO program is located in the Student Center room 201. The program is designed for students who are low income or are first generation college students.

TRIO has a variety of benefits, such as an advisor, study room, and various programs, both online, and in person. Some of the programs are in the work room.

These normally focus around developing good study skills or organization skills. The program events that are outside of the TRIO area are variable. There has been an etiquette coach, how to leverage MBTI types, and ways to find good scholarships or internships.

These events also include free lunch.

There are some requirements to join and continue to be a part of TRIO. The program requires that students are low income, disabled, or a first generation college student and have completed the FAFSA. You are also required to do monthly check-ins. A TRIO student also needs to do two programs and the associated paperwork a semester and meet with their advisor at least once. The organization is incredibly helpful in organizing

ARCHIVE PHOTO classes, preparing for the future, or whatever else is needed. They have a limited capacity so get in while you can.

MERAMEC’S TOP QUIET ZONES photos by: Jacob politte AND EMILY WEBER

TRAIL BEHIND SCIENCE BUILDING

MEDITATION AREA IN THEATER

FITNESS CENTER IN GYMNASIUM

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Local Eats Around the WorkSite Meramec’s Cafeteria isn’t the only place for food around Kirkwood

F

lucas Segall Staff

ood and drinks are vital parts to surviving any day, especially during a hard day of work on campus. Meramec’s Cafeteria is a great source to help placate those needs, but eating there every day might become a bit redundant if you’re looking to expand your culinary horizons. There are many locations around Kirkwood that may ignite your taste buds in exciting ways.

First Watch - 491 S Kirkwood Rd First Watch is a great breakfast restaurant located close to campus on Kirkwood Road.

Only a 3-minute drive or 20-minute walk, this is a great place to meet before classes for a bite to eat or a study session before exams. However, their hours are 7 am - 2:30 pm so if you are looking for some breakfast

for dinner you’re going to have to find some other places to eat. Fortunately, there are many more places around campus.

Kaldis - 120 S Kirkwood Rd Kaldi’s offers a great atmosphere for studying. Grab a bite to eat and a cup of coffee and get to work. Kald’s is also very close to campus, right in the heart of Kirkwood. If you aren’t familiar with the area, it is a great place to take a break and walk around the different shops.

Nathaniel Reid Bakery - 11243 Manchester Rd This cozy bakery is a great place to stop by and get some baked goods before class.

They offer all kinds of fresh baked goods like muffins, scones, and more! Located less than 10 minutes from campus this could be a great place to get some treats for a morning pick-me-up.

Imos - 215 S Kirkwood Rd Imo’s offers a signature St. Louis style thin crust pizza, in addition to other items like sandwiches, toasted ravioli, fries and more.

The Imo’s in Kirkwood is a great place to have a study session with your group of friends or just to hang out. Not only can you pick up a pizza but you can even get it delivered.

Coming Soon: Snarf’s Sandwiches This brand new restaurant is a chain coming from Colorado, they have only a couple of locations here in St. Louis and one is coming to Kirkwood in the coming months. They offer an assortment of sandwiches with almost any kind of meat or topping you can imagine. It is a great place to stop by during a break in your classes. They offer outdoor and indoor seating so you can sit and enjoy your sandwich while getting any schoolwork you need done.

STLCC Academic Calendar for 2024-2025 Fall 2024

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Spring 2025

17

Contracting the Help You Need A Q&A With Meramec’s Access Office Specialists emily weber staff What kind of services does the Access Office provide for students?

AMY: We provide accommodations on campus, in the classroom, in the Testing Center for Students with Disabilities.

Some common accommodations are things like being Amy Hasman able to record your lectures, having preferential seating in the classroom. extra time on testing, taking your test at the testing center and then you might also need accommodations for other activities on campus that we help provide.

KATE: I just think it’s important to note disability covers a lot more than what you generally first think of students with anxiety, depression, ADHD all the way to, you know, Autism Spectrum Disorder or physical Kate Sandheinrich disabilities. We kind of cover everything. If students had an IEP in high school. They can get a lot of the same services here and a lot of the same accommodations. But even students who didn’t have formal accommodations in high school can also receive services from us.

If a student needs to schedule an appointment with someone from the access Office, how should they go about doing that?

AMY: They can do it in a variety of ways.

They can stop by our office, which is Clark Hall, the administration building, suite 120 on the first floor, they can email us at MC access@stlcc.edu or they can call us

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(314) 984-7673. Or they can even book an appointment through navigate.

What kind of advice would you have for new incoming students who are nervous about college and using the Access Office?

AMY: First of all, I would tell them, they are not alone. It’s very common for students to be apprehensive about disclosing their disability to anybody. You know, students are definitely worried about the stigma surrounding their disability what you know, so what others are gonna think about them, what their teachers might think of them, but I want I want people to know, all of their information is kept confidential in our office, so we don’t share anybody’s disability related information with anybody else.

So your teacher does not know what your disability is. The only thing they know is what accommodations they need to provide in their classroom for you. We talk with every student about their experiences, what it’s like for them to be in the classroom what it’s like to take a test. And then together, we work to determine what are the most appropriate accommodations. The other important thing for a student to know is just because they meet with us, and they get accommodations. It doesn’t mean they have to use them in every class or any class. It’s up to the student to notify their instructors.

KATE: Sometimes it’s better to have them have accommodations and not use them

than need them and not have them.

If a student had an IEP in high school, do they need to bring physical documentation or do they not need to have the IEP to apply for accommodations?

AMY: They do not have to have an IEP, but we do need some sort of documentation.

So it could also be a 504 plan from high school. It could be a letter from their doctor because sometimes people did not have an IEP or 504 plan in high school, but they have a diagnosis of, say, diabetes or they have anxiety and anxiety disorder. We can help the student get that documentation to support their disability, even if it’s not related to an IEP or 504 plan. What we’re looking at is how their disability functionally impacts their academic experience.

KATE: A 504 plan could be more geared toward physical disabilities or something that’s diagnosed by a doctor. For example, a student could have a 504 for ADHD, where they may have certain accommodations, have extended time testing or out of class testing. It could also be a student who has type one diabetes, where they get a lot of time to check their insulin level or check their sugar levels or inject insulin. It’s a little bit different from an IEP but they both are very similar. There are more accommodations based if they don’t have educational goals or transitional goals. It’s more just access to the classroom.

Finishing The Job T

he job is almost complete, but there’s still a few more things to check off your task list, and still a few more items to build on to before you can appreicate and admire the fruits of your labor. It’s also a time to evalutate the effectiveness of the tools that you’ve accquired during your career at STLCC-Meramec, a career that has hopefully proven to be proflic and memorable.

This section is intentionally designed for those wrapping up their commitments and planning to leave the work site after a job well done.

In this section, view a Graduation checklist to make sure every last item is completed, and take a look at some tips to keep in mind when crafting your updated resume.

In addition, read about Meramec Alumnus Nick Rousseau’s career success and how he became a Mid-America Emmy winner. He discusses what he feels led to his success.

Thank you for your contributions, and good luck to you in your future endeavors.

Photo courtesy of STLCC and OxBlue Construction work continues on the Financial Services and Enrollment Center on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

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Managing the project path

A

JACOB POLITTE Managing EDITOR

s you plot out the path for your next move, know that you have many degree options at STLCC-Meramec. Choose from a variety of routes to ensure you develop from a work-in progress to a finished product.

STLCC Degree-Seeking Programs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Accounting Child and Family Development Criminal Justice Engineering Science General Fine Arts General STEM and Transfer Studies Graphic Communications Horticulture Human Services Interior Design Legal Studies for the Paralegal Nursing Photography Software Developer Teaching

Secure your projected path by meeting with an academic advisor.

Learn more about the advising office at: https://stlcc.edu/ admissions/advising/

Certificates of Completion • • • • • •

Accounting Addictions Study Animal Welfare Computer Accounting Tech.

Computer Applications Database Developer

• • • • • •

Digital Media Horticulture IT Help Desk/End User Support Kitchen and Bath Design Legal Studies for the Paralegal Web Developer

finishing the Job STRONG

Before you go, make sure that the job is completely done before your departure

JACOB POLITTE Managing EDITOR In order to graduate from Meramec and STLCC as a whole, you will have to go through a checklist for completion. Here is what is required for any Associate Degree from the college.

1. Status as a degree-seeking student.

2. Satisfactory completion of one of the

programs listed in this catalog.

3. Completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours. Fifteen credit hours of transferable credit applicable to the declared associate degree intended for graduation must be completed at St. Louis Community College.

4. A maximum of nine credit hours in special problems courses may apply as unspecified electives toward the associate degree. Special Problems courses may not be applied as electives defined by disciplines such as “sciencemathematics elective” or “humanitiescommunications elective.”

5. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) or higher. Credits from previously-attended colleges are not computed in your GPA average.

6. Students entering college for the very first time and who intend to complete an associate’s degree must now successfully complete a civics examination. Students who have completed dual credit courses must complete this examination. Students who participated in Early College or other dual enrollment programs, transfer students, and previously enrolled students are exempt from this requirement.

7. College policy requires students who apply for a degree to participate in an appropriate outcomes assessment prior to degree being awarded.

8. Missouri Requirement: One of the following courses is required to meet the Missouri Civics requirement.

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Join the team.

The Montage is currently taking applications for staff positions for the 2024-2025 academic year

We are your eyes.

We are your investigators.

We are your voice.

We are The Montage.

APPLY TODAY in SC-220A or Contact Shannon Philpott-Sanders (ssanders147@stlcc.edu) for more information

Rousseau Wins Mid-American Emmy Meramec Alumnus enjoying continued success post-STLCC ryan winzen news editor Nicholas Rousseau is an alumni of St Louis Community College, who has gone on to have a successful career with the Higher Education Channel (HECTV), a local media organization based in St Louis.

“I always liked the evening news because it felt like I was watching something new. When I watched the evening news, I felt like I learned something about the world. It’s not just here in Missouri, it’s all over the country and the world,” said Rousseau.

Rousseau explained how his interest in the news began at an early age.

“I always watch the news, it’s funny because I always get called a news geek. My father started this habit because he was always watching it. I can name more newscasters from the 90’s than kids cartoon characters from that era.”

This interest in both the news and filmmaking gave Rousseau the drive to start learning about the basics of filmmaking.

“Since YouTube came out, I started playing with a camera. I did not take any filmmaking classes in highschool, but I knew the basics before going in.”

Rousseau started at St Louis Community College Meramec in the fall of 2009, taking photo courtesy of special school district of st. louis county classes such as filmmaking 101 and film “I love seeing it come from my head to the video. Everything appreciation. After graduating from Meramec in 2013, looks different in your head, but you change it and make it look Rousseau transferred to the University of Missouri-St Louis, better,” he said. “Sometimes you can play the video in your head majoring in media studies. when you close your eyes. It’s a great feeling seeing it come to After his time at UMSL, Rousseau began his career in the live, that’s the magic happening.” industry as an intern for STL TV. After that, he got a job at Due to all his constant hard work, Rousseau was awarded HECTV. His duties there include video producer, occasional a Mid-America Emmy for his interview with Disney animator cameraman, and interviewer.

Marlon West.

“I interviewed people like animator Marlon West,” he said. “I Even with winning an award, Rousseau still plans to continue interviewed filmmaker Ken Burns. I interviewed Elsa Garrison, working just as hard as he did before, getting new stories from who works for Getty images.” different people.

Rousseau has mentioned some struggles that he has faced “Everybody has their story, even the person walking down the during interviews. street.”

“I interviewed Adam Wainwright,” he said. “It was interesting.

Rousseau ended with some advice for current STLCC students, We didn’t talk about baseball, but we had to talk about his as well as students everywhere. foundation. I wanted to ask him baseball questions, but I knew “Continue doing your craft, it might be tough, it might be I had to stay on topic.” hard.

Continue the grind. It doesn’t matter if you win or not, we Rousseau mentioned that his favorite part of being a producer are all winners in life by accomplishing our goals.” is imagining the product, then seeing it finished through.

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Edit - Shoot - Write - Produce Manipulate Time, Space & Doorknobs

NEW COURSE TOPIC

FALL 2024

PODCASTING This course is an introduction to Podcasting, including topics on strategies for creating a podcast, marketing a podcast, finding the right content and guests, capturing and recording quality audio, editing audio and delivering a finished podcast to an audience.

MCM219 - 601

Multimedia Applications TR 1230 - 145

Register now for FALL 2024 Tues / Thu 9:30 - 10:45 in CN 222 Meramec

I nfo : RHahn31@STLCC.edu

For more information contact Christaan Eayrs - ceayrs@stlcc.edu Image by Freepik

ADVERTISE IN THE MONTAGE Fall Publication Dates Sept. 5, 2024 Oct. 3, 2024 Nov. 7, 2024 Dec. 5, 2024 Spring Publication Dates Feb. 6, 2025 March 6, 2025 April 3, 2025 May 8, 2025

The Nuts and Bolts of Resumes Don’t get screwed while applying for your future employer JACOB POLITTE Managing EDITOR Filling out a resume can be tricky, as one can possibly overthink or perhaps even underestimate what a potential employer may be looking for. The following are some tips and things to remember to potentially make your resume stand out to whoever may be looking to hire you: Be aware of who you’re applying to Perhaps the most important thing when seeking employment is to be aware of what the job description actually entails.

Occasionally, and sometimes more than occasionally, an employer will ask you to perform duties outside of your job description, but that’s not what will get your foot in the door. If your qualifications don’t match up well, you may be better off seeking another position at first, then working your way to the job you want.

Don’t put everything on your resume, but keep a separate master list It’s tempting to make your resume as long and impressive as you can, but the shorter the better; employers don’t want to read a three-page resume. Alter your resume to tailor it to the best possible fit for the job that you’re applying to, but keep a separate list of every job that you’ve worked to make updating your list easier in the future.

Keep your format simple It may be tempting to make your resume fancy and colorful, but the basics work best. A potential employer isn’t necessarily looking for pomp and circumstance, and they don’t care about your fancy fonts.

The more professional looking, the better chances you may have. That being said, it’s not discouraged to add a bit of flair to your resume as well, just don’t have the design of it overshadow the content.

Minimize your errors To paraphrase, imagine if the person

IS YOUR RESUME A WORK-IN -PROGRESS? reading your resume was an English professor. Meaning, if the resume is difficult to read, has multiple spelling errors or doesn’t have a lot of information that tells them something notable about the person and how they may work, they may just throw it away without a second thought. They’re not looking for something subpar or something bloated, they’re looking for an easy to read, error-free resume that demonstrates what the person brings to the job.

Make sure your contact information prominent Potential employers want to be able to easily get a hold of you, and your contact information should be at or near the top of your resume, preferably under your name. Again, it’s important to realize that employers do not look at resumes for a substantial amount of time. Placement and formatting makes all of the difference.

Don’t over explain your job responsibilities When listing the different places you’ve worked, it’s important to make sure that

the details of your work experience is not overexplained. Again, employers don’t spend that much time reading a resume.

It’s best to leave the gritty details for the job interview itself.

Include both professional and personal references Employers want to know the kind of worker that you are, but many if not most of them want to know the kind of person you are as well. The number of references a job asks for may vary (one advantage to filling out your applications in online portals is that they often will tell you exactly how many you need) Save your interests and hobbies for a cover letter If you do decide to add interests and hobbies to a resume, it’s best to keep it as short as possible. You can always reference and expand on them in a cover letter if you choose to write one. That way, you can expand more on how those hobbies and interests may help you succeed during your employment.

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Final Evaluations

STLCC’s artistic rendering of a new area between the future Finanical Services and Enrollment Center and the Center for Emerging Technology.

I

t was a noteworthy year for STLCC, as the academic affairs reorganization left some staff bewildered, breaucracy reared its head in multiple departments and the year closed in intense controversy following a religious protester’s excursions to campus.

That latter story is covered on the following pages, as well as:

• • • • •

The continued progress of STLCC Transformed The return of Meramec’s Black Student Union An overview of the last year of Sports stats (Softball kicked some butt) A look into the formation of STLCC’s upcoming eSports program An interview with ASL Professor John Ferrari

To check out more breaking news, opinions and highlights from this upcoming school year, as well as dig through our archives, visit our website by scanning the QR code below:

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MERAMEC’S FORK Free speech, antisemitism and potential police misconduct come JACOB POLITTE Managing EDITOR

O

n Thursday, April 11 and Monday, April 15, a religious protester who came to the normally quiet Meramec campus left many students and faculty upset and dissatisfied with the college’s overall response. Adjacent to the situation, a separate incident has left at least one Meramec police officer under investigation and various students on campus calling for their and another officers’ removal.

On both days, the man, who livestreams his demonstrations on YouTube under an account called “Kingdom Reconcilers” was in the Quad verbally confronting students with anti-semitic and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, which the college condemned but also said was unfortunately protected by free speech laws. The protestor called out and doxxed two students specifically during the April 15 incident, Zainab Ahmad and Jack Wight. Ahmad had confronted the protester directly on April 11 in an exchange that was captured on camera and posted on TikTok, while Wight helped to spread the word about the situation on his social media accounts. Both Ahmad and Wight, as well as many others, spoke with The Montage in the immediate aftermath of the incident, where they expressed frustration with the college’s handling of the situation. “[...] The proselytizer was at the quad, yelled at my name and social media in front of a crowd of people and called me a homosexual,” Wight said. “Which is true, but imagining a scenario in which I was not out of the closet or or there were more homophobes around, what could that have led to?”

Ahmad was standing near STLCC’s Executive Director of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. D’Andre Braddix when the protester called her out by name. “[The protester] kind of turned and when he saw me, he started announcing on the megaphone that ‘Oh, and then we have this Muslim pedophile here who said a lot of

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lies on the news about me,” Ahmad said. He was specifically targeting me. Dr. Braddix is a very nice person, he just kind of turned to me and he’s just like, ‘Don’t pay attention.’

It’s alarming and startling to be called out like that, in front of my entire campus.”

The protester remained on campus for at least two hours on both days he was present. At no point during either event did Campus Police make an effort to remove the protester. But they too became involved in the controversy that engulfed the campus.

Adjacent to the April 11 incident, another situation developed when a student, Alaa Hamedi, approached a nearby Officer because he was concerned for the safety of his peers as well as himself as a result of the ongoing situation.

Hamedi, who originally did not want to be publicly identified in KMOV’s reporting of the incident out of concern over further threats and harassment but decided to confirm his identity to The Montage, maintains that the officer he approached first was Officer Faulstich. Hamedi alleges in his account of events, posted to his Instagram account, that Faulstich told him “If you don’t like it, go somewhere else.” Hamedi said he was perplexed by that response, and

asked Faulstich to repeat himself; Faulstich allegedly said “If you don’t like it, go back to your own country.”

Hamedi said he then approached Officer Ed Ucinski, who told Hamedi that Faulstich could “say whatever the fuck he wants.”

The incident opened up tensions within the campus community, with rumblings and some discussion of past police misconduct circulating around the student body.

Jack Wight also confronted administrators with some of these allegations during a session of the April 16 forum. At the time, Braddix had no response to the allegations.

Wight, when speaking with The Montage, stood behind his forum comments, and revealed that some students have reached out to him directly with their own stories after seeing his Instagram posts.

“I have been very active on social media over this incident. My post is very visible.

It’s what garnered immediate attention and it kind of went viral,” he said. “So there are a lot of people who reached out to me directly.

Speaking on those previous allegations, I had one individual tell me that they have filed complaints and reports against Officer Ucinski. And I had another former student reach out. He did not file an official report

IN THE ROAD to the forefront; college dissapoints with its response to events

but gave me a description that matched Faulstich and said that he walked in on a closed conversation that he was having and started spewing racial hate speech at them unprovoked.”

“This brings up a lot of red flags,” Wight said. “As it is clear to me, not only by these reports, but just by what happened that there is no way that there haven’t been signs that these men are problematic, racist and potential threats to student safety. Without a doubt in my mind, there have been signs.

And my question is, how have they gone under the radar? How have they gotten through the process when a report has been filed? And how were they hired in the first place?”

Ahmad also said that she wasn’t surprised at the alleged rhetoric.

“It concerns me, definitely. It concerns me. I don’t know if I would say it surprises me,” she said. “Unfortunately, I think like a lot of students, I don’t think my initial gut is always to, oh, just trust a security officer, just trust a police officer without doubt. And that’s not me trying to incite further distrust between campus police and students.

But I just know that I myself have never experienced anything like that. I know there

are a lot of students that like even, anonymously reached out to me [and] reached out to some of the other students that ‘I’ve had interactions with this officer as well’ or ‘I’ve had something happened to me on campus and an officer, like, did something similar or even worse.’

She continued, “I didn’t realize that even though they’re employed by the college, they’re not. They’re somewhat of a separate entity. I think going forward, there needs to be DEI training or something like that. They need to be more equipped to handle student diversity [and] situations like this, that, while they’re not super often, are common. They do happen.

And when things like this happen, it can escalate really quickly. And their job is not to escalate it further. It’s really not.”

STLCC Police Captain Benjamin Talley said he could not comment on the ongoing specifics of the investigation, and thus would not confirm if Faulstich and Ucinski were the specific officers under investigation.

Braddix says that while the college will announce when the investigation concludes, they will not announce specific actions that those under investigation will be subjected to. As of the press deadline for this publication (mid-June), no update has been given.

“What I’ve been told is that we can notify the community that the investigation has concluded, but many specific actions would not be noted out of protection of the employee’s right to privacy,” Braddix said. “We would not be able to share any specifics.”

On the same matter, Campus President Feleccia Moore-Davis said, “I think at this point, students would have to trust us that we have taken these allegations very seriously.

And they really are being investigated. And if

we find that those things, the things that we purport to value here at St. Louis Community College have been violated, then actions will be taken. But there are lines in which we can’t cross, because we have to protect that person’s rights as well. At the same time, we want to let the students know that we are taking it very seriously.”

These events nonetheless left the college apolegetic, but insistent that there wasn’t much they could do to as the protester and the officers had protections in place regarding their physical status on campus.

Regarding the protester, Braddix made it clear that the college understands the frustration and discontent amongst the Meramec community, but that the college can not remove him because of his free speech protections, despite his rhetoric.

Braddix and STLCC’s Title IX Coordinator Shannon Nicholson were actually in the process of updating the college’s free speech guidelines in the weeks before the incidents, and are hoping to finalize those changes shortly, including some that have been made as a result of what occured.

Moore-Davis said that her door is and has been open for students to talk with her, and that some students have taken her up on that offer. Other students have started the Student’s Anti-Discrimination Coalition, which aims to advocate for students rights and speak out against hate among other goals.

With that being said, Wight had strong final words for the administration at large.

“The school needs to make sure that this never happens again,” he said.

This is a condensed version of the original published piece in the May 2024 issue of The Montage. To full the full piece on meramecmontage.com, scan the QR code below.

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STLCC Continues To Transform

STLCC updates campus community on construction progress, plans

T

JACOB POLITTE Managing EDITOR

he first phase of Meramec’s Transformed projects are set to be complete by the summer of 2025, with renovations and demolition of other buildings to follow beginning in winter of 2025. This information was revealed at an April 9 information session hosted

by Skye Lufsey and a panel of guests, including Campus President Feleccia Moore-Davis.

Specifically, it was reiterated that upon completion of the new Financial Services Enrollment Center and the Center for Emerging Technology, moving will begin for those who have offices in the Clark Hall and Social Sciences buildings; following their demolition, there are tentative plans for each of those spaces of land to become green spaces. Moore-Davis said that noticeable changes are coming to the lots near Social Sciences and that people will take notice.

“You’ll be seeing probably in the next year, a lot of changes in that parking area adjacent to Social Science,” she said. “So that green space will extend all the way to Geyer [Road].”

In addition to that space, an earlier “green” addition to the campus will come on the top of the Emerging Technology Center, as a “green roof” is set to be added onto a section of the building.

It was also reiterated that the new campus library will be located on the first floor of the new Center for Emerging Technology and have an accessible entrance in the building’s lobby, while the Academic Success and Tutoring Center will be on the second floor. MooreDavis was not sure of the exact dimensions of the library as of press time, but said the “book space” was recently reduced to around 10,000 square feet.

“The entire space is going to be sufficient for what we want our library to be,” she said.

Moore-Davis also spoke with The Montage regarding department moves as a result of the projects, and potenital projects to come after the completion of this phase of “Transformed.” To read more, scan the QR code below:

GRAPHICS COURTESY OF STLCC, ARTICULUS AND S.M. WILSON TOP: A rendering of the new “green roof” set to be constructed on a rooftop of the new Center for Emerging Technology. That space will be able to host gatherings and campus events, among other uses. Ther are tentative plans for more green space around the campus in the coming years as well.

BOTTOM: A rendering of the new lobby of the Center for Emerging Technology, including the entrance to the new campus library. Academic Success and Tutoring is set to be placed above the library on the second floor of the building. Overall, Moore-Davis says that the new spaces will be adequate for what the college is hoping to accomplish.

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Black Student Union Returns To Meramec The long defunct organization rose from the ashes this past year

T

RYAN WINZEN News Editor

he Black Student Union (BSU) is an organization at St Louis Community College-Meramec.

“The BSU is basically an organization that we bought up because we want to unify everything culturally about black people and celebrate,” said Muthinji Mwaura. The club’s current President is Morgan Daniels, who is also a staff writer for The Montage.

Vice President Samuel Wakapa joined the club because he participated in a similar group at his alma mater.

“I became a member because I was a member of a similar group in high school, The Marquette Academic and Cultural Club,” said Wakapa.

Wakapa talked about why he decided to join BSU at Meramec.

“Whenever I’m in a group of people similar to me, I feel like I’m prone to be successful,” said Wakapa. “I feel more at home and more part of a community. I love Black Student Union.”

Wakapa also mentioned the types of responsibilities he takes on as vice president.

“Picking up wherever the president needs help,” he mentioned. “When it comes to organizing different events for Black History Month, I’m organizing some events. We have a social media director and someone who makes the pamphlets. I’ll say the designs should include this and that, then they add their own specialty,” said Wakapa.

photos courtesy of the meramec bsu The Black Student Union is currently planning an out of state trip for later this semester.

“At the end of the semester, we have an out of state trip planned,” said Wakapa. “We see this trip as a chance as an opportunity to open our club up to new experiences and see things outside of St. Louis.”

Secretary Muthinji Mwaura talked about how he decided to join the BSU. “I just wanted to get the most out of my freshman year. I’m in a pretty good position, where I can go further,” said Mwaura. “I have a path I’m trying to carve out and the BSU seems like a club I wanted to be a part of.”

Mwaura explained how the meetings are structured.

“We hold bi-weekly meetings,” he said.

“We think about certain activities and do team building exercises in order to build a community.”

All the members of the BSU are working hard to reach their goals and to cement the organization at Meramec for years to come.

“We’re just hoping that it becomes a staple of STLCC,” said Mwaura. “I heard that it’s been attempted before. We are hoping this will last and people will find a community and make new friends.”

To follow the BSU on Instagram, scan the QR code below:

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Cruz Talks Upcoming eSports program The new program will be hosted at the South County campus

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LILLIAN THUM STAFF

t. Louis Community College recently started a new eSports program spearheaded by Robert Cruz. Cruz was a competitive player on the University of Minnesota’s Overwatch team, after graduating he returned home to Florida and became an important face in the local eSports community.

“I just recently moved here, I got involved in eSports,” he said. “About seven years ago, I played on the University of Minnesota’s Overwatch team while I was there, [...] [those were] amazing times. And those are some of the best individuals I’ve ever met in my life and we’re still lifelong friends to this day. And I still participate in a lot of their stuff, the eSports at Minnesota, and I’m involved in several different ways.”

After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruz moved back to his home state of Florida and through working at the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department, he continued to engage with E-Sports.

“There, he said, “I worked with an obstacle program. They were looking to start an eSports program specifically because partner recreation eSports at the time was growing. And so I was involved with creating their eSports program there.”

A few years down the road, he saw an opening at STLCC to build an eSports program and took it. The program likely will include games like Overwatch, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros with other possibilities being Valorant, Counter Strike Two, Apex Legends, and Hearthstone. Cruz says he is not adverse to adding more games to the program, but it all depends on student feedback.

Of these games there will be three tiers.

Tier one is competing at a varsity level, Tier Two is competing at a junior varsity level, and Tier Three will be open for everyone and will be the most hands off.

Speaking to just how open for admission that third tier is, Cruz said “It’s really looking for anybody who is from the [college’s

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community, including] faculty, alumni, staff as well, who want to participate in the game. And I really liked that idea. Because what it does is it expands it more out. So I think having that as an option is something that’s pretty unique. And this is also something that could be a pipeline for recruiting purposes as well. We could open up teams for high school teams to compete and really, they get that additional experience.”

To increase the abilities of the team, training will include videos of players and going over what to do differently as well as training matches. Cruz does see one current obstacle that he hopes to have rectified before the program kicks into high gear.

“I will say,” he said, “that there’s a lot of single player, individual solo competitive events that we could participate in. Super Smash Ball is the easiest one.”

The program will truly begin to kick into that high gear in the fall semester, and Cruz said that the planning for everything up to now has gone fairly smoothly.

“So a lot of the structure that’s going to be going into the program is already kind of laid out for us with the governing organizations,” he said. “They have their particular schedules and timelines and they put it out pretty early right now.”

Cruz also said that a scholarship may be offered for varsity team members, although the detailed specifics of the scholarship are still being worked out.

“So the scholarship is mainly gonna be for the varsity as of right now, it depends on a lot in the scholarship funds,” he said. “Every sport has a particular amount of scholarships that they can handle. And so it’s gonna be on the basis, as well. So if there’s a particular role that we’re looking to build, we are going

to be heavily involved in utilizing those if need be. All that is still being sorted out, but we are going to have them coming in.”

The program is open to participants from all of the college’s campuses, but it will be hosted at the South County campus. Those interested in joining this eSports program can contact Cruz at rcruz9@stlcc.edu. They can also find more information by scanning the QR code below to fill out the Recruiting Questionnaire:

Archers Athletics SOFTBALL Overall: 45-13 Matches: 58 Home Runs: 62

2023-2024 Recap JACOB POLITTE Managing EDITOR

BASEBALL Overall: 19-32 Matches: 51 Home Runs: 29

MEN’S BASKETBALL Overall: 22-10 Matches: 32 Points Per Game: 72.1

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL Overall: 6-32 Matches: 38 Kills Per Set: 8.05

WOMEN’S SOCCER Overall: 10-6-2 Matches: 18 Shots Per Game: 4.4

MEN’S SOCCER Overall: 13-5-3 Matches: 21 Shots Per Game: 7.0

NOTE: The Women’s Basketball season was cancelled due to low recruitment. All stats are as of June 2024.

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deaf to Deaf Identity: Reflections From Prof. Ferrari morgan daniels STAFF WRITER

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ach semester, Professor John Ferrari captivates his students with his theatrical storytelling abilities. His series of hand shapes, occasionally complemented by furrowed brows or mouthed sounds, express not only his thoughts but also his personality. How he uses his hands is an essential part of how he communicates with not only his students but friends and family.

While Professor Ferrari would be a great actor and performing arts instructor, John Ferrari is a part-time American Sign Language (ASL) professor at St. Louis Community College. He is a proud alum of the Florissant Valley campus and primarily teaches ASL 1 and 2 at three campuses: Meramec, Wildwood, and Flo Valley.

However, Professor Ferrari wasn’t always so confident in his ASL skills.

Ferrari was born deaf to hearing parents in Murphysboro, IL–a relatively small town near Carbondale, IL. At four years old, he and his family moved to St. Louis after a family friend recommended the city because of its special schools for deaf children.

“At that time,” Ferrari shared, “my family didn’t know what to do with me because I was deaf. We didn’t have a school for the deaf.”

He was one of the first in his family to be born deaf, so his parents wanted a way to communicate with him and prepare him for school. He started kindergarten at the St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, which then had a K-8 classroom program that provided Ferrari with an oral education. The school taught him to speak through various methods like lip-reading, speech therapy, and other practices to encourage the use of spoken English instead of sign language.

While the program at St. Joseph’s improved communication with his parents and family, his oral background didn’t ensure a smooth transition into the hearing world. Ferrari was mainstreamed into a

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public high school with a predominately hearing student population and didn’t have access to an interpreter. He relied heavily on lip-reading, but he still struggled to keep up in class.

Following high school, Ferrari went to STLCC-Florissant Valley to begin his studies in accounting. However, Florissant Valley provided more than just experience in finance and economics coursework. The Deaf Communication Studies program introduced Ferrari to ASL. With his oral background and strong English skills, he started learning sign language by signing exact English. As he worked to improve his ASL skills, he joined the campus Deaf Club for additional exposure and community. He eventually became president and hosted all sorts of events. One of the most memorable events Ferrari shared was when the National Theatre of the Deaf came to campus to perform Pinocchio.

After obtaining his associate degree from STLCC, Ferrari continued his studies in accounting at the only liberal arts college for the Deaf in the United States— Gallaudet College (now known as Gallaudet University) in Washington, D.C. Being on campus gave Ferrari a culture shock. The community there was unlike what he had experienced before; students were signing with one another, high-fiving, laughing, and genuinely enjoying themselves.

“It is very different,” he said, “this is the Deaf community; the Deaf world is at Gallaudet. To be there and to learn, I was exposed to so much.”

For the longest time, Ferrari had little to no exposure to a rich Deaf culture. An environment that prioritized communicating in ASL and had their own shared Deaf culture and perspective of their Deafness.

“I was able to look into my identity,” Ferrari explained. “I thought I would be intimidated and have this fear because it would be my first time apart from my family and being on my own, meeting people. But as I was meeting people, it was different.

Noticing that people were from different countries and their signing was different, and then originally not having the comfort but gaining comfort because we’re all the same. We have our own language and culture.”

When reflecting on his sense of identity while at the college, Ferrari shared, “I am Deaf, and you know what? I am proud of it.”

Professor Ferrari shared many more reflections and life stories with The Montage staff. We encourage readers to visit our YouTube page for the full interview with Professor Ferrari. There, he elaborates further on his childhood experiences, Deaf identity, career challenges, and community involvement. Furthermore, readers will be able to see Ferrari’s expressive signing with the help of captioning:

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MONTAGE What did you miss during the 2023-2024 school year?

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