MONTAGE
The
Serving the St. Louis Community College - Meramec community since 1964 • ACP Award Recipient VOLUME 56, ISSUE 8
WWW.MERAMECMONTAGE.COM
MAY 6, 2021
Two teams, S one dream Photos by: Ashley biundo
STLCC men’s and women’s soccer had to move their fall season to the spring
Top left: Forward megan Barton dribbles the ball past East Central College on May 1. top right: Forward Ahmet Serdarevic, takes the ball from State fair community college on Apr. 21. bottom Left: Midfield Jack Simmons jumps up to stop the ball from state fair college. bottom right: Back defender Abbie Edmundson kicks the ball down the field.
ashley biundo editor-in-chief
TLCC men’s and women’s soccer began their season in the spring instead of their usual fall start. Men’s soccer head Coach, Ricardo Garza said that the team was planning on playing in the fall, but due to COVID-19, they were skeptical and didn’t think they would be playing in the spring. Women’s soccer head coach Jason Howard said that they are taking it day by day and their games are in a shorter time frame. “It’s not 110 degrees. So I mean, I like that aspect of it. It’s different with how condensed the schedule is,” Howard said. “Because we’re playing a lot more games in a shorter duration. But other than that, once the games get going, it feels pretty much the same thing.” Although this is Garza’s first year as head coach for the STLCC men’s soccer program, he said that it is weird and unusual to be playing in the spring but he loves it. “It’s awkward, because we’re going to finish in May, they’ll be off 8-10 weeks, and then we go right back in,” Garza said. “So in the current situation, I love it, because we are playing real games. So I think we’re going to play some really good soccer in the fall because of playing in the spring.”
The pandemic has affected their seasons recruitment wise. “We lost a lot of players that couldn’t come in. They were domestic here in the United States as well as international. I can think of seven off the top of my head right now,” Garza said. “So we put an email out just before preseason of any students interested to play. And we picked up several really decent players.” Garza said that the team is still playing well. Women’s soccer has recruited a few of the girls from the women’s basketball team to play with them, according to Howard. “We are thankful that we are here. The girls get along really well and react positively to just about everything,” he said. COVID-19 has caused issues both athletic-wise and personally for players. “There’s all kinds of different things going on, like in life, like some of the players, families are affected,” Garza said. “We had multiple signings, and they had to back out, because when they signed everything was good. And then within a month or so, their families were laid off. And so, players couldn’t even come because of financial reasons. And it’s affecting everything.” He said that they are blessed to be able to play when there is a lot going on in the world.
Continued on p. 5
STLCC announces implementation of “Safe Zone” program Two Meramec professors developing program to provide a LGBTQ+ inclusive environment jacob politte Online editor At the end of March, Vice Chancellor Andrew Langrehr announced in an email to all STLCC employees that a sustainable Safe Zone Program is being developed for STLCC campuses. The program will be formally unveiled by the college in the fall 2021 semester. The purpose of the program, according to Langrehr, is “to provide an LGBTQ+ inclusive environment at
our college.” Previous Safe Zone ally sessions have been held in the past by Professors Jeffrey Schneider and Denise Sperruzza. They have facilitated sessions at various locations including the Meramec campus, the South County campus and the Wildwood campus. They have also facilitated sessions at college events like the New Faculty Orientation, All College Day and more. Both Sperruzza and Schneider are in the process of developing STLCC’s
Safe Zone program ahead of the fall semester. Sperruzza, a professor of communications on the Meramec campus, describes the program as a way to create a safe space at STLCC for LGBTQ+ community members. She said that having STLCC be a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community is a personal priority for both her and Professor Schneider. “We saw a need for education and awareness that was not currently being
met by the college,” Sperruzza said. “This is why we joined together to begin facilitating Safe Zone Ally training sessions for the college as volunteers.” Sperruzza said it took some time for STLCC to adopt the program. “At least four years ago, we submitted a proposal offering to create a sustainable Safe Zone Program that would consist of Ally Training and much more. After four years of our
Continued on p. 3
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 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
Join the Team Virtual Meetings every Tuesday at 4 PM
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
Contact Shannon Philpott-Sanders at ssanders147@stlcc.edu for more information.
NEWS 3
May 6, 2021
NEWS BRIEFS EDITORS ASHLEY BIUNDO
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
JACOB POLITTE
ONLINE EDITOR
MARY WILSON
OPINIONS EDITOR
BARAK ADLER
NEWS EDITOR
STAFF
ANDREW CROWDUS DAKOTA FAYE THERESA KHALIL
Shannon Philpott-Sanders Faculty Adviser
The Montage Wins Best Overall 2-Year College Missouri Newspaper The Montage, St. Louis Community College Meramec’s student newspaper, was recently recognized as the Best Overall 2-Year College Newspaper by the Missouri College Media Association for the fourth year in a row. The organization announced award winners of its annual contest at the conclusion of this year’s virtual conference on April 9, 2021. The Montage received 1st place as the Best Overall Newspaper in the 2-year college division, 1st place in the Sweepstakes category, a 1st place win for the Back-to-School Magazine and 23 additional staff and individual awards. Individual and staff awards received by The Montage staff included 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place wins for news writing, editorial writing, feature writing and sports photography, information graphics, story illustrations and page design. Several honorable mentions were also awarded to staff members.
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To place an advertisement, contact the advertising manager for rates, sample issues, etc., at 314-984-7857. 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. The Montage is a student publication produced seven times per semester at St. Louis Community College - Meramec, 11333 Big Bend Blvd., Kirkwood, Mo., 63122. One copy of The Montage is free of charge. Up to 10 additional copies available, $1 each, at the office of The Montage, SC 220. Bulk purchases may be arranged with circulation manager. Editorial policy: All letters should be no longer than 500 words and must include identification as a student or faculty member, phone number and address for verification purposes. Phone numbers and addresses will not be published. All letters are subject to editing for content and length. All letters submitted will be published in print and online.
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STLCC Foundation Scholarships Available Students can now apply for multiple scholarships through the STLCC Foundation. The scholarships apply for both summer and fall 2021 semesters. The foundation requires just one application and students will be matched to scholarships based on their qualifications and their Free Application for Federal Student Aid. To qualify, students must complete the FAFSA, be enrolled at STLCC and register for classes. Apply online at https://stlcc.academicworks. com/. Questions? Contact the STLCC Foundation at foundation@ stlcc.edu or 314-539-5216.
Queer Film Series Planned for Fall 2021 STLCC libraries and campus life offices have announced an online film discussion series for the 20212022 academic year, An LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Initiative. Films included in this series include “Gender Revolution,” “Moonlight,” “Taboo Teaching: A Profile of Missouri Teacher Rodney Wilson,” “Pageant,” “Game Face,” “The Devotion Project,” “Do I Sound Gay?” and “State of Pride.” Queer Film Series events will be open to registration from the STLCC libraries’ events calendar in summer 2021. Questions? Contact Kirsten Abotsi, lead librarian, systems at kabotsi@stlcc.edu.
Horticulture Program Earns Civic Stewardship Award
Youtube.com “montagelax”
THE MONTAGE
hours to the first 2,000 students who register for at least six credit hours in the summer 2021 semester.
Registration Open for Summer, Fall 2021 Registration for the Summer 2021 and Fall 2021 semesters is now open. Students can register through their Banner accounts. STLCC is once again offering the “Take a Class on Us” initiative that awards three-credit
The horticulture program at St. Louis Community College has received the 2020 Civic Stewardship Award from the St. Louis chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Established in 2001 the Civic Stewardship Award recognizes public agencies, institutions, not-for-profits, and individuals who have exhibited stewardship of the natural resources, communities, landscapes and built environment of the St. Louis region.
STLCC’s horticultural program is the largest in the state of Missouri, with more than 160 students. The program blends hands-on learning with lab components, changing and evolving the curriculum to adapt to market demands. Eighty percent of its graduates find a job prior to graduation as installers, designers, or growers, lending their expertise to build works around the region and beyond. Their on-campus experimentation with seeded landscapes, natives, low-mow turf alternatives, and different soil types enables landscape architects to learn and to evolve.
Give STL Day is May 6 The St. Louis Community College Foundation will take part in a 24-hour online giving campaign. All donations will be applied to the STLCC Student Emergency Fund that helps students with unexpected circumstances due to unforeseen circumstances. Each gift received by the St. Louis Community College Foundation on #GiveSTLDay will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $20,000 by an anonymous donor. Check your stlcc.edu email address on May 6 to make your donation. If you have questions, send an email to foundation@stlcc.edu.
Nursing Center earns LEED Silver Certification St. Louis Community College’s Center for Nursing and Health Sciences has received a U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification. The LEED green building rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of highperformance green buildings. The silver rating is the third highest ranking obtainable under the LEED system. The state-of-the-art learning center includes a dental clinic, science labs and classrooms, teaching areas and innovative space in a four-level, 96,000 sq. ft. building. The new center allows the College to expand programs in healthcare careers to serve more students. The center is a strategic response to the need for more skilled nurses and healthcare professionals in the region.
Two Meramec professors developing program to provide a LGBTQ+ inclusive environment Continued from p. 1 persistence, we have finally been given permission to develop the program.” A key component of the development of this program includes training facilitators of the program throughout each campus. Sperruzza revealed that about 30 STLCC employees have participated in “Train the Trainer” sessions on both April 23 and 30 in order to become certified Safe Zone Ally Training Session trainers. Sperruzza made sure to note that the only STLCC employee or student who should facilitate a training session is someone who has been certified to do
so. As for what the sessions consist of, Sperruzza offered some details. “Ally Sessions that we have facilitated [in past years] have run from two to four hours in length,” she said. “The sessions are interaction, thought-provoking, and highly meaningful. When offered in the past, they were advertised in various ways depending on the invitation source and audience. We have offered sessions with homogenous participant groups of students, faculty, specific STLCC departments, and open to STLCC
faculty and staff in a mixed group.” Sperruzza says that these Ally Training sessions are just one part of the program that she and Schneider are in the process of creating, a program that Sperruzza calls “comprehensive and sustainable.” Other parts of the program that will become more prevalent in the future include additional training, a council, a resource repository and more. As the program is still in development, Sperruzza said that more specific information about the program will be available in the fall.
4 SPORTS
May 6, 2021
Years of accomplishments
After 28 years of coaching, softball assistant coach, Ken Williams retires ashley biundo editor-in-chief
B
ack in 1993, Ken Williams began his career as a coach for the STLCC-Forest Park softball team, when sports were separated at each campus. He went on to coach for 28 years and is retiring after the 2021 softball season at STLCC. Head coach Kristi Swiderski said, “Ken has been a staple of STLCC for a very long time.” Williams said that he has a lot of memories from coaching alongside Billy Gifford. “One good memory I have is with Billy Gifford. He was with me at Forest Park and he died a couple years ago. But we always had good times,” he said. Another favorite memory would be when the Forest Park softball team went to nationals in 2003. Williams said that he has history coaching assistant athletic director
Sharon Marquardt’s family. Her sister pitched for Williams in 2003, helping them head to nationals and the last time they went to nationals Marquardt’s daughter led the team there according to Williams. “Sharon has been a big part of the program for years” he said. “I think she started in 2004. She started working with me as an assistant and then stayed with me until we went to districts in 20112012.” Marquarqt said that she’s known Williams since she was 14 years old. “Ken has always treated the players as if they were family. He took care of them on and off the field,” she said. “He just loves the game of softball no matter what. He will be greatly missed.” Marquardt also said that Williams brought her to STLCCForest Park back in 2004 as assistant coach to softball. Williams plans on visiting Florida for a month with his wife and dog after he retires. “I’m 73 years old. I plan on going to Florida for a month in November, me, my wife and dog. We’re going to go down there and spend a month there,” he said. “I had a place down there for five years. And then I sold it. So we’re basically going back to where we stayed for five years. And just bum around about it to do little yard work.” Williams will be still involved with the softball program, although not for coaching. “I’m still going to come to some of the games. If it’s a home game, I probably come up and
watch them you know, be supportive” he said. “And if it’s an away game and it’s close, I’ll probably go to. I’m still going to stay involved but not coaching.” Although his favorite memory is going to nationals back in 2003, it is also his biggest accomplishment. “My biggest accomplishment is going to nationals in 2003 and I think Forest Park, we won regionals probably 5 or 6 times while I was there. So that was a good accomplishment,” he said. Williams hopes that the team can win at regionals this year and would like to go to nationals in his last year as assistant coach. “We have regionals coming up on May 7 and 8, I believe. And hopefully we can win that. And then we go there if we win and we go to districts and if we win then we go to nationals,” he said. “So I would like to go to Nationals my last year, but who knows it just you have to be lucky. You got to be lucky on that weekend. It’s not all about what you did during the year, but you get a hot pitcher on a weekend and it only takes one pitcher and you can ruin the whole thing. So hopefully we can do that.” Williams said that he enjoyed this year and he will miss his players.”it’s just been a good year. I really enjoyed it. I’m just getting older. My physical abilities, not what it used to be,”he said. “So that’s, that’s another reason I’m retiring. I’m just getting too old. I can’t do what I used to do. I think that’s the biggest reason.”
On the diamond they rock
STLCC softball ends the regular season with a winning record ashley biundo editor-in-chief The STLCC softball season didn’t need to make a lot of changes while playing during a pandemic. Assistant coach Ken Williams said that COVID-19 hasn’t affected too much. “We haven’t missed any games because of it. We’ve been able to play through all of them,” he said. “We’ve had a few rainouts and a few cancellations. Well, we did have one cancellation against Lincoln. I think they said they’re coming off COVID, which would have been [on May 3].” Williams also said that the team has been fortunate to not lose any players all year.
The pandemic has made it difficult for the softball season because of worrying about what could happen according to Williams. Scheduling can be hard. “Just worrying about if you’re going to get games in, if somebody cancels at the last minute, you figure you got to play,” he said. “And then next thing, they’ve cancelled out because it COVID. So you have to rearrange everything.” Softball has had a good season with pitching and their defense according to Williams. “Hitting has been adequate, we’ve had 4 or 5 hit the ball real good. And a couple at the lower end of the batting order,” he said. At the beginning of the season
STLCC softball was nationally ranked. “We went up against a lot of tough teams this year,” he said. “We were nationally ranked at the beginning of the season.” And once these other schools see it, then you have a target on your back. So they’re wanting to beat you because that way they move up in the rankings.” Williams hopes that the softball players gain knowledge of the game from this past season. “Just the knowledge of the game and that they’ve learned something through all the practices and they’ve gotten better and a lot of them are going on to four years ago so they’ll be able to achieve up there,” he said.
The return of fans to baseball
This season, fans are finally allowed back into Busch Stadium Andrew crowdus staff writer The time has finally come where fans flood into the most beautiful venues that sports have to offer-baseball stadiums. Although socially distanced at times, and with masks on when fans aren’t eating or drinking... fans are finally back. It is amazing to flip on the TV and watch America’s pastime with fans in the stands and not cardboard cutouts that fans had to spend their money on. Along with it, the sound of actual fans cheering and screaming instead of piped in noise from “MLB The Show.” I do believe they could allow more fans and loosen the regulations, given it is an outdoor sport. However no matter the number of fans they will show their love for teams. It has been so long since fans were last allowed in an MLB stadium without capacity rules, mostly dating back to the finale of the 2019 World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros. In 2020, the MLB had a “bubble” format for the playoffs only. The World Series and the NLCS had fans allowed at the Rangers new stadium in Arlington, Texas. Although it was limited, the players got to experience fans, something they hadn’t heard since the time Spring Training shutdown in March of 2020, the time when not only the world but the entire sports world came to a screeching halt. I am overjoyed to once again see the sea of red that overtakes the seats at Busch Stadium. My hope is to never have to see a reduced number of fans in those seats across sports, not just baseball. I also hope to never see empty stadiums due to a global pandemic again. I hope this never happens again, because it truly crushes the athletes because fans bring so much to the game.
SPORTS 5
May 6, 2021
Records of 2021 seasons
baseball
volleyball
men’s basketball
women’s basketball
20-26
4-11
11-13
6-9
Continued from p. 1
STLCC men and women’s soccer had to move their fall season to the spring Howard said that the women’s team hasn’t had a lot of difficulties while playing during the pandemic.”I really don’t feel like it’s that different. I mean, there’s more paperwork to do to be real honest,” he said. Both men and women’s teams are trying to stay positive in times like these and the players get along with each other well, said both coaches. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a group as well as they do. And that’s a really, really big thing,” Howard said about the women’s team. “They play hard for each other. They fight for each other, and they listen really well. They’re very positive. They are fit. So I think there’s a lot of positives there with this group. They’re really fun to coach so hopefully, everybody can stay healthy and continue.” Garza said that he is hopeful for the fall season since most of his players are freshmen. “The majority of these guys are all freshmen, and they already have a season under their belt, without it costing them means I get to have them for three years, that’s not supposed to
happen,” he said. So I think these guys get to come back in the fall, have a season under but it’s good to start over again, as a freshman.” Garza also said that the players will be academically a year ahead. “They’re a year ahead academically, so they can really just focus to finish and graduate after their sophomore year and move on to NCAA schools,” he said. Since the men’s soccer team is mainly freshman, Garza said that they don’t have the type of experience which can be a setback. “So they come from high school, they go straight into this, they don’t know what to expect. We don’t have enough veterans to tell them how it is,” he said. “And it’s a new program. It’s a new staff. So our standards are completely different than all of the past coaches.” Garza hopes and motivates his players to win a star for Pete Sorber who built the STLCC soccer program. “ I want to win him a star before you know he moves on to a better place. So that’s my motivation,” he said. Howard said that women’s soccer
has always room to improve throughout the season. “There’s always stuff that we can work on,” he said. “We’re playing pretty well and staying positive with everything. So hopefully, with the girls that we have, we can stay healthy and they can keep getting along with each other and playing hard.” Even though they plan on going back to playing in the fall next semester, both teams plan on using what they learned from playing this semester. Garza said that he plays players in different positions in case COVID related issues come up. “Just letting everybody get an opportunity to play different positions. I thought that several players were going to play a completely different position and because of injuries, COVID, whatever they’ve had to play,” he said. “I need to do that more as a coach and play people out of position early in the season in case we need to play there.” Howard said that what they do every year stays the same and they don’t plan on changing a lot for the fall season. Even though both men and women’s
teams are taking it day by day, the players are staying positive and hope COVID doesn’t affect the rest of their season. Garza said, “We’re just taking it day by day. I think everyday we’re not sure if we’ll get shut down because of COVID and all of that so we’re just kind of taking it day by day, and I think that’s what we’re gonna carry over into the fall.” According to Howard, consistency has been helpful. “I kind of like how we’re playing right now. They’re coming in everyday. Playing hard. They seem to be getting better every day. Hopefully they can retain that positivity. There’s a long way to go here.” Garza said that he wasn’t sure about coming back to coach college but he was happy he did. “I was staying Semi Pro, and I’m actually really grateful I did because I remember the opportunity to help change the boys so that I can kind of see them growing a little bit,” he said. “I just didn’t realize how much I would enjoy it and I’m enjoying every bit of it being back at the college game.” Photos by: Ashley biundo
pg.4: Left: Shortstop, Kiahna Hill steps up to bat on Apr. 6 against st. charles community college. Middle Left: The team giving each other high fives before the game starting on Jackie Robinson Day Recognition. middle right: Catcher, Reese Jones prepares to catch the ball that is thrown to her. right: Pitcher, Mackenzie Caudill gets ready to throw the ball to strike out st. charles community college. Pg. 5: Left: Goalkeeper, Scott Caraway prepares to throw the ball to his teammate on apr. 21 against State fair community college. Left Middle: Forward, Courtney Lumpkins stops the ball from east central college on may 1. (She also played baskteball for stlcc) Right Middle: Forward, Amer Rados goes up for a headball against the state fair college player. right: Goalkeeper, Mia Kristensen prepares to kick the ball down the field on may 1.
6 ART & LIFE
May 6, 2021
Vintage film review: The Producers (1967)
A
barak alder news editor
mong director Mel Brooks’ most iconic films, “The Producers” has become something of a classic. In the aftermath of his declining career, Broadway producer Max Bialystock (played by Zero Mostel) is desperate for a hit. Without sources of funding that do not involve seducing elderly women’s wallets, he has fallen well below the pinnacle of success. But that does not mean he has lost his desire for wealth. With the help of his meek accountant Leo Bloom (played by Gene Wilder), Bialystock decides to carry out an ingenious plan: raise well over the funds needed for production, design a show bound to fail, and when no one
expects a return on their investment, pocket the extra funds. Or in Bloom’s words, use “creative accounting.” Overall, “The Producers” is very entertaining to watch. Its main characters become practically cartoonlike over the course of the film, with Bialystock completely motivated by dollar signs and Bloom by an inability to refuse Bialystock’s orders, as they face constant, hilarious challenges as a result of their moral failings. However, in some ways, the film does come across as dated, as its humor occasionally falls flat due to jokes and references that have not aged well since its release. “The Producers” also suffers from issues not reflective of its writing or performances, but rather, technical limitations characteristic of 1960s cinematography. Actors’ lips do not always move in conjunction with the
audio. Several scenes present facial expressions that are hard to see in comparison to movies filmed with more advanced lighting techniques and cameras, and the film often portrays its actors at angles that suggest less than ideal camera placement. By current standards, its camera movements also seem somewhat stiff. Yet, “The Producers,” unafraid to push buttons in exchange for a laugh, serves as a prime example of how to perform low comedy right. It somehow expertly presents greed, lust, and other timeless themes within 90 minutes of runtime, and what’s more, Mostel and Wilder maintain such strong onstage chemistry that their comedic timing is a treat to watch. While “The Producers” does have shortcomings, it should satisfy even its most critical audience members.
10 Hidden gems on Netflix
dakota faye staff writer
With summer coming up and lots of free time cuddling with a significant other or friends with a good show on is a good way to pass time. There are many well-known and hidden gems on Netflix to spend your time watching. Here are five shows and five movies on Netflix you should give a watch.
The
College Admissions Scandal
This documentary follows the many scandals of students earning their admissions by their parents donating money. It was a large scandal that hit the public eye a couple of years back. This documentary goes into details as to what happened. Enola Holmes This movie follows the little sister of Sherlock Holmes. Her mother has disappeared and she is determined to find her mom with the help of Tewkesbury, a boy with a high rank in London society. Olympus Has Fallen If you love action-packed war movies, this is just for you. The movie depicts a secret service agent that has to save the president and prove his honor while the White House is being attacked. It has been a fan
favorite since released in 2013. Outerbanks
recently. It is a book-to-TV show adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse. It follows Alina Starkov and her friends trying to save her country. It is a highly anticipated show that fans all over are looking forward to.
This show is a good mystery that follows a group of teens searching for centuries-old gold. There is a mystery, murder, and a touch of romance. It is a 10 Julie and the Phantoms episode long series. The show has been renewed for a second This show is a good familyseason. The cast just finished friendly musical show that filming so we will have more follows Julie who has a ghost details soon. band. It was written and produced by Kevin Ortega, the Legally Blonde man that brought us “High School Musical.” The music is A cult classic romantic comedy a bop and the storyline tugs at is perfect for a date night or girl’s your heart. It is a nine-episode night in. It follows sorority girl series that doesn’t have a Elle Woods who recently got confirmed season but fans and broke up with and her journey cast are hopeful. into becoming a lawyer. It is a loveable cult classic that never Seven Deadly Sins fails to bring smiles to those who watch it. If you are an anime fan, then this show is right for you. Netflix Shadow and Bone has adapted it as a Netflix Original that just finished its This is a well-anticipated fourth season. It follows the main TV show that just dropped character Princess Elisabeth
trying to find the holy knights and the seven deadly sins. It is an anime that follows the manga and still has the material for another season. The Irregulars Another mystery with fantasy mixed in, this show follows a group of kids in Victorian era London solving cases for John Watson and Sherlock Holmes. However, there is a twist. The cases have a supernatural twist that the group of teens is trying to get to the bottom of the cause. The Pursuit of Happiness This is a feel-good movie that is a cult classic and never fails to bring tears to fan’s eyes. The movie stars Will Smith journey as he is trying to get a stable job and create a life for himself and his son. It is a tear-jerker that never fails to make you hug your loved ones tighter.
OPINIONS 7
May 6, 2021
Jake’s Take: A look back and a look ahead
Looking back on a challenging year jacob politte online editor This is the last issue of The Montage until this fall, and through a challenging year, we have all worked very hard to produce the best paper possible for our readers. Doing this, along with our entire staff juggling classwork in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, has not been easy. COVID has most certainly changed the way that we produce The Montage. Production on each issue is done almost exclusively remotely; I’m almost positive that I have been the only staff member to visit the newsroom for the majority of the year, and that’s only to distribute the paper once or twice a month. Although some on-campus classes are happening, the campus itself is essistentally a ghost town. Many on-campus offices and classes have been locked for the majority of the year. The cafeteria hasn’t served students in over a year, and furniture remains piled in the locked concourse.
Occasionally, you’ll hear the sounds of a choir coming from the Humanities East building, but for the most part, the campus is unusually and eerily quiet. It’s very calm, yet extremely unsettling at the same time. Like many of us, I don’t think I realized just how much would change when this all started. I remember sitting in Professor Chris Smejkal’s Oral Communications class on Thursday, March 12, 2020, and I heard him speak to our entire class about the uncertainty of what was coming. Even then, I knew that we were likely not coming back to campus for at least a few weeks, even if STLCC wasn’t ready to acknowledge that yet. I didn’t know that someone on campus that day was already infected with the virus. I couldn’t have imagined that I wouldn’t have returned to a nowlargely empty campus until over five months after that. And I couldn’t have imagined that four months after that, my stepfather would become a fatal victim to that pandemic.
Photo by: jacob politte It’s been a challenging year for me, and I’m sure it’s been a challenging year for many of our readers as well. I’m not sure what form The Montage will take next fall, but I do know that I will be here for that ride, and I promise our readers that we here at The Montage will do our very best to do what we have always done: keep you informed.
Pressured by ignorant accusations, Disney fires actress Theresa Kallal guest contributor Fans of Disneyplus+ hit series, “The Mandalorian,” are left wondering what to expect from the show next season, as the protagonist’s main ally, Cara Dune, has been cut, following the firing of Gina Carano. “Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future,” is what a Lucasfilm spokesperson announced Feb. 10, 2021. Her “social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable,” he continued. #FireGinaCarano was trending on social media right around the same time. So the million-dollar question to ask is, what could Carano, whom Bill Burr has called, “an absolute sweetheart,” have possibly said to merit such treatment from Disney and the public? Just like any other social media user, Carano’s posts revealed her thoughts and opinions on the happenings in the world around us. Surprisingly, Disney, the company which promotes “values that are universal” as the CEO Bob Chapek claimed, didn’t like that. When Carano put “boop/bop/beep” next to her name in her Twitter Bio, in response to what she called “the twitter mob telling people what to do,” the public immediately accused her of being transphobic
and insulting those who use gender friendly pronouns. Though Carano quickly responded, “Beep/ Bop/Boop has zero to do with the trans community… [it has] to do with exposing the bullying mentality of the mob that has taken over the voices of many genuine causes,” she was still required to watch the sector’s LGBTQ documentary and then call them up to apologize. In an interview with Ben Shapiro, she shared that the LGBTQ representatives to whom she spoke actually called Lucasfilm and advised not to remove her from the cast. Nevertheless, the final straw that broke the camel’s back was when Carano posted a Holocaust picture with the caption: “Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views.” There is no referral to a specific political party, but Newsweek magazine explicitly said Carano’s post “compared being a Republican today to the experience of Jewish people during the Holocaust.” Furthermore, Brady Langmann of the Esquire called it “insensitive,” and this is what the Lucasfilm spokesperson claimed was “denigrating people based
on their cultural and religious identities.” However, one looks at Carano’s remark, it remains a fact that Disney fired her shortly after and yet said nothing about Pedro Pascal’s post in 2018 comparing Holocaust Jews dying in Nazi prison camps to the children in detention centers at the Mexican border. “I don’t have a problem with power, but I have a huge problem with abusive power,” Carano confessed to Shapiro. Everything Carano said on social media, even in other posts not highlighted in this article, she said from her conscience, standing up against what she saw as wrong. But Lucasfilm, Disney and others apparently do not share the same conscience. So now Mandalorian fans are asking themselves, “Why is my nonpartisan science fiction show going to be changed because of politics in our country?” Disney should not be rewarded for giving into peer pressure and firing someone on the grounds of speaking their mind. If you care about the power Lucasfilm and Disney has to silence those of different opinions, then end that power. Cancel Disneyplus subscriptions, or at least make it known that you want to stand up for what is right. #StandUpForGinaCarano #EndAbusivePower Read the full article at www.meramecmontage. com
Imagined Problems: Republican legislators are ignoring the real issues mary wilson opinions editor Last year I wrote about the proposed bills in the Missouri legislature that would leave transgender children and teens without access to hormone therapy or puberty blockers. The bill would make it so doctors who prescribed the therapies would lose their license; parents who sought out this care for their children could be reported to the Children’s Division. The bills didn’t pass last year. There have been a flurry of anti-trans bills from multiple states, including our very own Missouri. One bill would make it so transgender kids who are medically transitioning couldn’t play on their public school sports’ team that aligns with their gender identity. Others mimic last year’s bills, aiming to ban hormone therapy or puberty blockers for transgender children under 18 in the state of Missouri. A similar bill has passed in Arkansas. Governor Asa Hutchinson, a republican, vetoed the bill, but the legislators overrode his veto.
I can cite statistics or rattle off facts all day: the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended in a formal statement “support and care of transgender and gender diverse children and adolescents.” The same statement claims that “adolescents and adults who identify as transgender have high rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, selfharm and suicide.”Multiple studies have shown the same thing: support and affirming care of transgender and gender diverse children saves lives. In hearings, republican legislators say that they don’t want young kids to be pressured into hormone therapy. As someone who has watched a family member go through the process to receive hormone therapy, I can tell you firsthand: absolutely no one is pressuring kids. Months of therapy with a specialist, letters, appointments, criteria—it is a difficult process, but it is a life saving one. For kids who haven’t yet gone through puberty, transitioning might include a new haircut and different clothes and going by a different name. Young kids aren’t getting these medications. As puberty ap-
proaches, some kids take puberty blockers, to stop them from going through the puberty of the gender they don’t identify with. It’s like a “pause” button. Once puberty blockers are stopped, puberty will continue on as normal, or, if the child, parents and doctors agree, hormone therapy will begin. The therapy is medically supervised and closely monitored by medical professionals and experts in their field. These are, frankly, non-issues. No one is pressuring kids to be transgender or forcing hormone therapy on them. Student athletes just want to play their sport---I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that absolutely no one is pretending to be trans to play on the other team and have an advantage over the other players. The Republican party promotes these bills to distract from real issues: gun violence, voter disenfranchisement, access to healthcare, climate change. These are things that actually matter. Instead of working to find solutions, however, the Republican party focuses on topics that will solidify their base and spark outrage over things that are just fine the way they are.
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