The Montage Feb 11, 2010 Issue by The Montage

Montage The

St. Louis Community College–Meramec

FEB 11, 2010 Vol. 45 Issue 10

The Forgotten Genocide

Class project becomes full-length film PHOTO COURTESY OF FILM THE “FORGOTTEN GENOCIDE”

(LEFT)Starving children in a large room of a house in one of the death camps for displaced Germans. (BELOW) Men chained and rounded up to never be seen again. These pictures are part of the many images and articles used in the “Forgotten Genocide” film.

The order of the court

Two opposing views on the recent Supreme Court ruling

From Afghanistan to Meramec

A day in the life of a student and Afghan war veteran

Eric Aikin - Staff Writer-

When STLCC-Meramec student Ann Morrison was assigned a service learning project for her Honors Composition II class last semester, the goal of the project was to change the world. Instead of cleaning a park or holding a canned food drive, Morrison decided to expose the genocide of approximately 14 million ethnic Germans. Morrison, with the help of several students and staff members at Meramec, has been spearheading the production of “The Forgotten Genocide,” a fulllength documentary covering the persecution of Germans throughout Eastern Europe after World War II. After the Holocaust, German descendents living in Eastern European countries were persecuted by the Communist Party, the soldiers of Josip Broz Tito and the partisan forces of Edvard Beneš. However, the targeted Germans had actually migrated from Germany hundreds of years before the Holocaust. “When people heard German, they automatically assumed [Nazi soldiers],” Morrison said. “That wasn’t the case, so these people who had never stepped foot in Germany were paying for this stuff that happened in Germany.” As the first American-made full-length documentary covering the subject, Morrison said

her main goal for “The Forgotten Genocide” is to tell the story of the atrocities committed, which remains relatively unknown among most Americans today. “If you were to go and ask somebody, ‘Hey, what do you think of when you think of World War II and genocide,’ [almost all] people would say genocide perpetrated upon the Jewish people by the Nazis,” said Scott Dorough, professor of communications and editor for the film. “But not a lot of people think about this [genocide] and talk about this in that same regard.” Morrison taped the story of Karl Voss, Ph.D., history professor at Meramec, for her film, whose relatives were directly affected by the offenses covered in “The Forgotten Genocide.” Voss’ stepfather and his stepfather’s mother were both persecuted by Soviet and Polish soldiers as they tried to flee from their East Prussian home in 1945. Both were of German descent. They were captured at one point, and Voss’ stepfather had to witness his own mother being raped multiple times by military officers. He was 5 years old at the time. Despite what his relatives and millions of Germans like them have endured, Voss said that many survivors are still afraid to tell their stories due to a fear of backlash from the Polish government.

Forgotten genocide continued on page 2

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NEWS 2Forgotten Genocide - Continued “This history is not dead,” Voss said. “It’s still living, and that’s why Germans are very, very careful when dealing with it.” However, Morrison said she has high hopes for the exposure of “The Forgotten Genocide,” which has sparked the interest of German societies for a potential worldwide distribution. Morrison summarized her ambitions by saying that she wants Oprah to see her documentary. “I want this to be in every history class, a part of every college, high school and middle school curriculum,” Morrison said. “When I say I want to be on Oprah, I mean I want to be able to reach every possible person in the world.” Morrison’s inspiration for the documentary came from stories she heard from members in the German Cultural Society, a nonprofit organization in St. Louis dedicated to preserving and advancing German culture. “I listened to these people tell stories, and over time, I started really listening,” Morrison said. “I kind of wondered why nobody had ever really written about it or ever heard about it, and I started doing my own research, and when [the service learning

project] came up it seemed like somebody just said, ‘Here’s the world on a silver platter,’ and I took it.” When the semester for her English class ended in May, Morrison continued working on her service project. Seven months later, Morrison has talked with at least 200 survivors about the genocide and has even traveled outside the country to meet with them in places like Canada, Europe and South America. “It’s well beyond the scope of the class,” Pamela Garvey, Morrison’s Honors Composition II professor, said. “I think it’s pretty much a full-time job at this point.” Because the persecution occurred many years ago, Morrison said that the time for the stories of the “Forgotten Genocide” survivors to be heard is now. “They’ve done their work, they’re retired – they can tell their story now,” Morrison said. “They don’t feel like there are going to be any repercussions and they don’t want to leave without their children or their grandchildren knowing about it. Not to mention the world.” “The Forgotten Genocide” will be shown Feb. 27 in the Meramec Theatre.

February 11, 2010

STLCC-Meramec hosts leadership training

PHOTO BY: JOE DOUGLAS

STLCC students at COLT wrote down obstacles on a wooden board in this leadership activity. The students later broke the wood to symbolize overcoming problems.

Paul Lauer - Staff Writer -

Students gathered for the district wide Club and Organization Leadership Training (COLT), which took place in the Student Center at STLCCMeramec on Jan. 29 and 30. The goal of COLT is to provide students who belong to campus organizations and clubs an opportunity to learn or improve their leadership skills and to meet other students from Meramec and other

STLCC campuses. The speaker for this year’s event, Troy Stende, three-time recipient of the “Best Campus Speaker Award” from the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities, engaged the students through lecture and focused on interactive activities. Referring to this style of teaching as “experiential learning,” Stende says that students will learn about being a leader “on a deeper level.” These activities focused on developing leadership and teamwork skills but also provided students with an opportunity to learn about themselves and open up to others emotionally. “He made a really safe environment,” said Michael Roman, president of the Student Governance Council. “People shared a lot.” At first, COLT was only for those who attended Meramec, but 10 years ago it was changed so all STLCC students could attend. “To be able to interact with [students from other campuses] is really good,” said Patrick Peroutka, member of Phi Theta Kappa and Student Governance Council. “I think we had a really strong group dynamic.” Though most activities had students interact with each other, Stende spent time lecturing and personally interacting with each student. In an activity called “Leadership

Dogs,” which was developed by his wife, Karen Malkowski Stende, he assessed their leadership styles, comparing certain styles to certain breeds of dogs. The point of this exercise, said Vince Hayden, vice president of communication for Phi Theta Kappa, is to “help you realize your strengths and work on your weaknesses.” For the final activity, Stende directed each student to write an obstacle that he or she faced in life on the top of a wooden board, and the results of overcoming the obstacle on the bottom. He then showed students how to break through the wood using their palm. While by-standing students provided motivational support, others would break through their board– and their problems. “You could tell people got an amazing release by breaking the board,” said Peroutka. Having lasted a half-hour longer than expected, the event came to a close at 6 p.m. Saturday. Whether Stende will come back for next year’s COLT event is yet to be determined. He did say, though, that he had enough material to do it over without repeating anything. “The COLT thing was just too short,” said Hayden. “[Stende] knows way more. He could have gone on and on.”

Students walk for life

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: CHRIS SMITH

STLCC-Meramec club Circle of Life attended Walk for Life, an annual march held every year on Jan. 22 in protest of the Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal in the United States. Read the full story online at http://meramecmontage.com.

NEWS

February 11, 2010

The unknown Jewish children of Europe

Holocaust survivor tells her story at Meramec Carlos Restrepo - Editor in Chief-

Until she was three, Felicia was a Jewish girl living in a ghetto in Warsaw, Poland. One day that changed. She could no longer be Jewish. She could no longer keep her birth name of Felicia Lederberger. She was turned Catholic and her name was changed to Franciszka Felicja Slusarcyk. Her past was buried by the need to survive. Now Felicia Graber, Holocaust survivor, told her story at STLCC-Meramec onFeb. 1, 2010, to a room full of faculty, students and community members. “Faces of Israel” is an hour-long presentation Graber has shared around the United States, entailing her story of survival and spreading awareness of the Holocaust. Graber’s presentation focused on her life as a child in Nazi-invaded Poland, and on the other children who were there at that time. “From the six million Jews that were murdered, one-anda-half million were children,” Graber said. Graber came close to being one of those children. Born in 1940, Graber lived with her parents in Warsaw. One day, they were forced to move to the ghetto. They lived in a building that held up to 100 people to hide from Nazi killing sprees. Graber said Nazi law did not allow more than one child per family, and many children had to hide in an attic for hours with no food or water. “Some children were crammed in halls and had to learn how to walk after the war,” Graber said. “Now the very little ones could not be put in a hiding place, so many parents gave their babies up to Christian families who were willing to take them in. Some of these children were put on the steps of a church, a convent, a monastery or somebody’s home with a note saying ‘please take care of my baby.’” Many children who survived were reunited with their families. Others, however, lived their entire lives with their Christian family, not knowing of their Jewish past. “Many of these parents would call their children on their deathbed and say ‘I have something to tell you: you are not my child. We found you on the steps; you are from Jewish parents,” Graber said. “So now we have people in their 60s and 70s trying to figure out ‘Who am I?’ and trying to find somebody who might know something about their family.”

PHOTO BY: NATE CORLEY

Professor Kalfus Richard, who teaches the course Life and Death During the Nazi Era, invited Graber to give the lecture. Graber said that fortunately for her, her parents kept her. “I was never given away. I was never separated from my mother and both my parents survived,” Graber said. One morning, the Nazis ordered all children to leave the ghetto to be taken “some place else.” That day, Graber’s parents made the first of many choices that would keep them and their child alive. “There was no doubt in anybody’s mind that ‘some place else’ was not good,” Graber said. “The question was, ‘Do parents let the children go by themselves, or do they accompany the child?’ I sincerely hope and pray that no adult ever has to make that choiceless choice again.” Graber’s parents decided that they would both come with their child. “So together with thousand of thousands of other children and some adults, we were taken to a train station to be taken, probably to Auschwitz,” Graber said.

That night there were no trains, so in the meantime a Jewish councilman who knew Graber’s family convinced the German soldiers to let the family go back to the ghetto. They were saved for that night. Upon return, Graber’s father managed to get fake documents that identified Graber and her mom as a German Catholics. Both mother and daughter escaped Warsaw. The father reunited with them later on. “Every evening my training was to repeat that my name was Felicia Slusarcyk, and that I was a Roman Catholic,” Graber said. “I was taught the Lord’s Prayer and was taken to Mass every Sunday. I became totally immersed in Catholicism and the idea that I was Jewish disappeared in my conscious mind.” Graber and her family lived in a farm in the countryside of Poland, still under fake identities, until they moved to Ally-occupied West Germany. There she learned she was not Catholic, but Jewish, and her

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Felicia Graber survived the Jewish Holocaust as a child in Nazi-occupied Poland. On Feb. 1, 2010 she spoke to students and staff about her experiences. name was not Felicia Slusarcyk but Felicia Lederberger. Graber said it was easy for her to accept the fact that she was not Catholic, but Jewish. “It felt right. It was like a fish going back to water,” Graber said. In Germany she met a Jewish man from St. Louis. She married him and left Germany to live with him. “I think America is just the most wonderful country in the world. It’s the only place in the world where anyone can be what they want to,” Graber said. Graber is the founder of the Hidden Child/Child Sur-

vivor Group of St. Louis and the co-founder of the St. Louis Descendants of the Holocaust, a group of children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and victims. She is a member of the Memory Project at the St. Louis Holocaust Museum and Learning Center. Graber gives lectures at schools and universities, reminding the public that the choices they make count in the future. “Just remember that you can make a difference,” Graber said. “Don’t go with the crowd. Listen to your consciousness and act accordingly.”

OPINIONS

February 11, 2010

Dollars and Sense

Two editors argue the Majority and Minority opinions of the recent supreme court case, Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Blunder

Supreme Correction

to political speech, we are - Managing Editorcreating unequal circumstances for the American public. The power to elect public T h e S u p r e m e officials is granted equally to Court of all law-abiding adult citizens. the United These citizens have no offshore States of bank accounts nor do they have America robbed the American teams of media and advertising voter of one of their inherent specialists to orchestrate massive rights a few weeks ago. In a influence through advertisement 5-4 decision on Jan. 21, 2010, and donation. When a private business or the Supreme Court ruled that corporations, unions, and union begins to exert unchecked wealthy private interest groups influence over public affairs, would no longer be limited in it hinders the operation of our expenditures related to federal democracy. Business owners exist to make profit and to keep elections. The decision was shareholders happy, and will backed by Justice Kennedy flex their new-found power to thusly, “The Government achieve these goals. When the American voters may regulate corporate political speech through walk into the booth to elect a disclaimer and disclosure president or senator, they aren’t requirements, but it may worried about profit margins, not suppress that speech or shareholders, or stocks. They vote for candidates based on altogether.” Some argue that their own private notions of corporations should effective leadership. The hope of our nation, the be treated as citizens, and they may exercise promise made so many times in their right to donate so many history classes, civics and promote any politician or lessons and grandiose speeches made by men in suits, is that political cause that they want. To suggest that this new all have an equal voice through decision creates equality in the power of representative freedom of speech is to suggest democracy. When five justices decided that corporations are equal to to hand even more power to the normal American citizens. Corporations have small percentage of our rich and never before been treated as influential population, they took individuals. They can evade away the power and control U.S. tax law by moving of the common man, and our their money offshore, they inalienable right to seek equal can undermine minimum protection from the government. wage laws by sending jobs to This new ruling grants further poorer nations or hiring illegal influence to the few, and takes immigrants to work for slave liberty from the many. The steps that have been taken wages, they can be controlled or heavily influenced by foreign by the court will reduce the interests, and as was asserted in power of the voter to influence the minority position, can have public elections, and is therefore interests contrary to the common a threat to everything our democracy is founded upon. welfare. On Jan. 21, 2010, the Supreme Corporations and unions boast huge bank accounts, Court made the rich, entitled thousands of active employees and powerful more important to and shareholders, and often policy makers than the average operate outside the law. By man, and they broke the heart of granting them “equal rights” the American dream.

Collin Reischman

Andrea Royals

To deny private organizations the right to political expenditures for fear of corrupt influence is to deny the freedom of expression when no proven corruption has taken place. The accusation that the political system or corporate donations system is corrupt is too ambiguous to be substantially confirmed. “The idea that government must approve the content and timing of political speech upon a threat of prison is inimical to America,” said David Bossie, president of Citizens United. Bossie’s nonprofit organization produced “Hillary: The Movie,” a documentary exposing negative facts regarding Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the crucial days before the 2008 presidential primary election. Citizens United intended to show the documentary via videoon-demand, but had been prohibited from distributing the film. “Political speech, above all else, should be protected in this country,” Bossie said. However, private organizations and the careers of politicians are at risk. If an advertisement fails, then the politician may fail, and vice versa. This new freedom brings several gambles that all parties must be willing to take for the sake of fair competition, and most importantly for the sake of the Constitution. The reverse in campaign finance reform requires integrity and activism. The decision demands that individuals strengthen their political understanding during elections, while allowing corporations and politicians the fairness each deserves in the election process. With this correction, democracy will only be more fun to play.

- News Editor-

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P e o p l e are prone to make mistakes, and by ruling against the Federal Election Commission in Citizens United v. FEC, the members of the Supreme Court corrected one. “We don’t put our First Amendment rights in the hands of FEC bureaucrats,” said Chief Justice John Roberts in defense of the 5-4 decision, which amends a series of constitutional bloopers: the Tillman Act of 1907, the Federal Elections Campaign Act of 1971, and most recently the Bipartisan Campaign Act of 2002, more commonly referred to as McCainFeingold. All parts of the mistake have one thing in common: each silence the constitutional privilege of free speech for the sake of campaign finance reform. This regulated behavior lowers the high level of competition that is expected of democratic political campaigns. The First Amendment encourages the right of all people to “petition the government for a redress of grievances,” and this should be supported, rather than suppressed, with enthusiasm during an election. Yet, it seems many Americans are infuriated with the Supreme Court’s correction. During the 2010 State of the Union Address, President Obama did not hesitate to make enemies with the judicial body when he said that “the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests.” Obama implied that the judiciary had been taking advantage of their honorable position by engaging in inappropriate activism. In actuality, the Supreme Court had been defending its role in the separation of powers. The president’s remark, among other accusations from countless critics, is completely false.

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Opinions

February 11, 2010

SELF-HELP

PURSUITofHAPPINESS

The Gift of Giving Joe Douglas

- Jr. Copy Editor During the winter at my old job with Wa s h i n g ton University, I would step out of McMillan H o s p i tal, shivering in the freezing weather. Every day, I saw an African American man playing his saxophone as pedestrians walked right by, occasionally dropping a few cents into his semi-transparent ice-cream bucket. That day I had some extra cash in my pocket. I walked by his bucket and dropped in a $10 bill, hoping he wouldn’t notice and continue playing his saxophone. Instead, he ran after me and, with enthusiasm and gratefulness, thanked me like I’d never been thanked before. It was extremely embarrassing, but it made me feel really good inside. To me, it was just $10! To him, it was something much, much more. In a March 20, 2008 issue of The Telegraph, the University of British Columbia discov-

- Graphics Editor While sitting naked in front of your partner (with the lights on), in soft, loving, or sexy voices, take turns listing the qualities about the other person that you love or see as beautiful. Intellect, humor, kindness, patience – say anything and everything from the general attributes to specific moments or actions. If you list a physical attribute, touch it or kiss it, softly, gently and with great care. This world in-between, this world beyond, this secret world, is where truth is discovered and lies die. Anything is possible; two lovers have arrived. It is easy to feel awkward, afraid or embarrassed in a society that trains us and others to be insensitive. We wear masks to hide our true selves, so we are not hammered into molds that weren’t measured for our hearts and souls. Eventually we believe in the mask; as if caught by a boa constric-

theAMERICANDREAM

My, what a lovely tea party! ered a relationship between giving and feeling good. In the study, 630 Americans were given either $5 or $20; half of the group was instructed to spend money on others, whereas the other half were to spend money on themselves, both by 5 p.m. “Regardless of how much income each person made, those who spent money on others reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on themselves did not,” said Elizabeth Dunn, Ph.D., in the article. This is the idea behind a “helper’s high,” which is a euphoria obtained by helping someone in some way. People often ask, “But what if I give someone money and they spend it on drugs? I don’t want them to do that.” Thankfully, it’s not necessary to give away money to make you and someone else happy. As a matter of fact, giving a compliment can be more valuable than the value of any dollar bill. According to Jack Canfield, self-esteem expert, the average child hears 432 negative statements per day to every 32 positive statements. As most people can attest, a compliment can really make

SEX Penetrating the Heart Jacob Hight

POLITICS

someone’s day. How about volunteering? Allen Luks, author of “The Healing Power of Doing Good,” studied more than 3,000 volunteers across the United States, looking for the benefits of doing good deeds. He discovered that 90 percent of the group reported volunteering relieved the effects of stress, chronic pain and insomnia. Not only does the organization benefit, and those the organization supports, but dedicating time to other people’s causes improves mental, spiritual and physical health, and even turns all of your experiences into strong resume material. The Dalai Lama once said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Interested in discovering your own helper’s high? Have a few extra dollars? Donate it or buy someone a small gift. If not, do someone a favor or volunteer with church or school. Even if you don’t have much money or time, complimenting someone is a great way to lighten up everyone’s day. You have the right to pursue happiness. Give it. Live it. Be happy.

ADULTCONTENT

tor, our infinitely free mind begins to suffocate. Seen through each others’ loving eyes, lovers are safe, to be naked, to feel joy, to laugh, to worry, to hope, to love. They’re safe to reach out through eyes, fingers and words, saying “I am human. I need your love.” We forget it just takes a change of mind to free ourselves; even when we know, it could be hard to let go. Muffin-top doesn’t really matter, size doesn’t really matter, unless we make it matter with our point of view. Often we associate pleasure with being good or lovable; repeating or continuing with these lists of positive qualities as your partner approaches orgasm, even during or after, can be especially meaningful. For some this might challenge self-beliefs or habitual emotions. It is critical the speaker be sincere; the listener must be open. Even so, it may take many times to truly begin to accept what each partner has to say. Sometimes when we let go of negative beliefs, or are challenged by positive beliefs, it can open our heart and sometimes we cry. Sometimes we don’t want to believe again, like a leg that’s fallen asleep.

It is a vulnerable moment; we must meet our partner’s humanity with our own. Such emotionally deep moments may not be common, but once passed through there is new depth. Truly “making love,” being aroused by your partner’s being, the intimacy (they know you like no one else), and the pleasure given to each other, can keep sex fresh and new, because you are constantly discovering each other, sharing a new unique moment together, being reborn like a phoenixes out of the fire. “Fucking” can become boring. Anyone can do it, it always ends the same way, and it doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Even so, everything has a time and place; beastly passion and intimate, wild chases or competitions can be just as meaningful. Fiercely seizing the moment, can still be making love. It is when we love that we feel happiness. In this ever changing world, where things are torn away, ready-or-not, it only takes three words to touch the sky, three words to make hourglasses freeze and clocks skip a beat: “I love you.” Next time “Porn.” Until next time, make love.

Collin Reischman - Managing Editor -

T h e National Tea Party Convention was held in Nashville, Tenn. this past week, when the moderates, centrists and independents of the country sighed a deep breath of frustration and disbelief. There’s nothing wrong with good ol’ fashioned protest. It is a part of our history. Things like dissent and revolution are in the blood of America’s citizens, and we know this well. The Tea Party knows this better, and has not hesitated in exploiting our love of unconventional methods and allergy of large government influence. The Tea Party-ers may not have an official platform yet, and no official policy book, but their message is clear: we don’t like President Obama, and we will fight his administration and government on every issue we can because we don’t understand the definition of things like “socialism” and “patriotism.” The “teabaggers,” as they hate being called, paint themselves as heroes -- patriots who are protecting their nation from a socialist agenda that wants to steal their guns, abort their children, impregnate their daughters, and hand the nation over to dangerous terrorists. Sarah Palin graced the convention with her unusual style of eloquence, jabbing at Obama’s “hopey-changey stuff,” and reminding us of that classical liberal mantra, the government that governs least, governs best. Finally, we understand why she left the Governors Mansion of Alaska: she didn’t want to govern too much! Sarah Palin. Hero. This is a party which understands that the government needs to keep its hands off of their health care and medical procedures! Unless, of course,

that procedure is an abortion. This is a party that knows socialist programs and government handouts are a bad thing. Unless of course, it’s to build public libraries, police stations, interstate highways, or clean energy products for new jobs. These patriots won’t stand by while a terrorist is read his or her Miranda Rights like a typical citizen; unless that terrorist is the “shoebomber” and George Bush is still president. This is a party whose keynote, Mrs. Sarah ‘American Maverick Hero’ Palin, knows of the importance of offshore drilling and perusing nuclear energy, unless it’s President Obama who proposes it, at the State of the Union. This is a party for the everyman, as long as those everymen could pay hundreds of dollars at the door to attend the convention. Perhaps it was said best by Palin: “We need a Commander-in-Chief, not a professor of law,” thundered Palin. Of course, Palin is right. We don’t want some fancyschmancy law professor in charge of the country. Those Harvard elitists and their big words, fancy speechs and complex understandings of the inner workings of the legislative process -- we need less of them and more Sarah Palin. We need more women like her; women who have left their only major elected office position to pursue a career as a Fox News contributor. We need more people willing to abandon these pathetic “public office” and “elected” positions and will simply go on the lecture circuit. If only more of today’s minds would abandon their constituients to be famous and haughty in front of like-minded individuals. Palin knows that real leadership is not found in legislation or public office. She knows that real courage, real leadership, comes from being elected governor, leaving the office and making unchallenged and unchecked remarks about the opposition’s lack of Commander-inChief’ness.

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In-Depth

t s a p n e d d i h a g n i l a e v Re

-wi ked world a e p s a h cide" ten Geno t I. o g r o F rld War I o "The y W r r a e t t n f e lled a ocum ans expe oduced d r m r p e t G n e c i d ethn ec stu 15 million C-Meram f C o L T e r S u e s h T expo into the interest Story by Joe Douglas - Jr. Copy Editor -

On Feb. 25, STLCC-Meramec will be unveiling the forgotten genocide of ethnic Germans to the world. Ann Morrison, Meramec student and event coordinator, is the mastermind behind The Forgotten Genocide Conference, an event revealing a part of German history forgotten, but not abandoned, by the modern world. “Everybody thinks this is the Holocaust; it’s not the Holocaust, but over twice the amount of people were affected,” Morrison said. Speakers will be coming to Meramec from around the United States and outside nations in order to share their experiences and their own pieces of history. On Feb. 25, speakers will give one-hour presentations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center, Room 200/201, and on Feb. 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Meramec Theater. “It was time. These people who have survived this are now in their 70s and 80s. What they didn’t want to talk about before, they want to talk about now. They’ve raised their families; they’ve done their jobs, and it’s their turn,” Morrison said. This large event began as a little project in Pam Garvey’s Composition II class. The assignment required students to work with Service Learning, and Morrison wanted to do her project on the German genocide. At first Garvey didn’t believe it happened, but was willing to work with Morrison on the subject. Morrison was able to bring in substantial evidence to begin, and from there it has developed into something much more. “There have been many DE” TEN GENOCI people who have written OT RG FO HE FILM “T COURTESY OF essays about this, and turned ne. ldiers were go so n in stories on this, and got ia ss ru P after ing civilians ill k , Fs because the teachers did ia ss ru P ast ps invading E not believe this happened,” Russian troo Morris said. “[Garvey] was the first person who took me seriously about this, and backed me up 110 percent.” Morrison then met with Donna Halsband, Service Learning coordinator, and was introduced to Scott Dorough, mass communications instructor, who worked with Morrison to develop a team to create the documentary. “This is a wonderful example of what can happen when a faculty member recognizes the potential of a student’s work and provides encouragement and support for the student’s continuing quest for knowledge,” Stephen Petersen, Ph.D., vice president of student affairs, said. Paul Pai, Ph.D., said he hopes the students are inspired by this event to take on challenges that may seem out of reach. “…When we work as a teaching/learning team, we can accomplish anything.”

February 11, 2010

no ut we had I b , n e m o strong w ery time made us od and ev efriend fo rk o r w fo l e a h te T s “ to b . “I had to ks learned nally slip ans id h a s rm A e e .” G h it s r ic ,” n fo io food illion eth d the Lord , who would occas tely 14 m ’ family had lived in , I thanke a s it rd d im a a x u h ro g p n e of ap II. 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F mi f Ah es nal nk a s, t g r ro e En e i u n u G . u s e i fi f n E a G o E ittl e , hi h ia e e uss d im es o im the c n i h l m 93 “I t Oc uss al r t th The d p h i t e r c i a s o R e u “ fro oke d me als to di rs h mon w to with rs, h d e in by ever abo n. a go y d t o A r e sp a o e en lly sto ti ne ea ri e Ro id nt. “ th ned h s ak zati t in o fl he be pica nce tes ely lved 0 y pe “Th a s a m e l i e i e g e K at u sp n no t r a h 1 ng f ve ty e a the et o in iffe o o dr itor ga e t.” ad ug re re ha not hos 0s, mpl inv ast ansi n o n t a d l d th Alth se t e or wer rge y, h ltho t p le io i e fe as ns ll w 84 o n o il u y Aews E es ith ,” ca sti ety e 1 re c bee the n c uct h b ts s w ef f th hey to f am d. 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ART & LIFE MovieREVIEW:Dear John

February 11, 2010

Julie Wells

- Sr. Copy Editor -

In the novel “Dear John,” Nicholas Sparks delivers another inspired story of love, life, and overcoming the odds. Unfortunately, director Lasse Hallstrom turned an effecting book about sacrifice, once-in-a-life love, and selflessness into a fairly predictable, throw-away romance. The movie follows a young soldier as he comes home for leave, falls in love, and has to return to the Middle East in a pre-Sept. 11 world. The stresses of family, long-distance love, and the unpredictability of world events take varying tolls on the budding romance between two endearing, wellcrafted characters. COURTESY OF IMDB.COM “Dear John” is neither as relatable as “The Notebook,” Dear John, directed by Lasse Hallstrom, knocked Avatar out of the top grossing movie spot in its opennor as heart-wrenching as “A ing weekend, bringing in $30.5 million. Walk to Remember,” which is truly unfortunate for the two working soldier and a dis- For fans, this is the movie to Calm confidence, grace, and lead actors Channing Tatum connected son. Through his see starring the handsome up- purity pour from Seyfried in and Amanda Seyfried who portrayal of Sparks’ dynamic and-comer. every scene. deliver the performances of character Tyree, Tatum is able Seyfried is equally charmAlthough the movie does their young lives. to put his emotional range on ing in a role that taps into her not live up to the intricacies Tatum manages to trans- display as the war-hardened natural allure. Tyree had no of the book, “Dear John” cerform into both a sex symbol soldier and the confused, at choice but to fall for Seyfried’s tainly has beautiful moments. and a mature lover; a hard- times broken hearted, man. character Savannah Curtis. Besides displaying the ever-

expanding talents of Tatum and Seyfried, director Hallstrom managed to capture the chaos, fear and confusion surrounding the attacks of Sept. 11. The scene is both unexpected and brief, but realistic and serves as a dynamic reminder of the emotional impact of that day in history. Many illnesses and struggles are also depicted in a movie that can leave viewers feeling emotionally drained. However, Sparks’ consistent message that life is complicated and love reflects all our many complexities is present and powerful. However, as is usually the case, the book portrays a much deeper, more sophisticated plot with characters that are less focused on summer romance and more focused on becoming complete individuals through all the struggles life presents. Overall, the movie serves its core purpose. It is entertaining and emotional. The story is touching and could not be more perfectly executed. “Dear John” runs 105 minutes and is rated PG-13.

transfer to Rockhurst. transform your life. A great education paves the way for tremendous opportunities, and Rockhurst University offers the knowledge you’ll need to find them. So if you’re ready for a degree that will do more for you, transfer to Rockhurst. More than 98 percent of our students receive financial aid. And with transfer scholarships ranging from $1,500 to more than $12,500, you’ll find Rockhurst surprisingly affordable. To learn more about transferring to Rockhurst, join us for Transfer Day on Wednesday, March 3, or Thursday, March 25. We’ll be there to answer questions about a Rockhurst education, transfer credits, financial aid and your major. Bring your transcripts to apply for on-the-spot admission and scholarships.

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ART & LIFE

February 11, 2010

A hero among us

A day in the life of Richard Rhodes Sr., Afghanistan War Veteran Steph Stough - Art & Life Editor -

A double Whopper with cheese and a large chocolate shake is what STLCC-Meramec student Richard Rhodes Sr. said he missed the most while serving four and a half years overseas. “You just couldn’t get that over there,” he said while laughing, “and of course, I missed my children.” Rhodes describes himself as family-oriented; he has four kids: Richardo, 24: Brandi, 19: Richard Jr., 17: and Celeste, 15; two grandkids and a one-yearold Shih-Tzu named Nacho Libre. “My favorite part of being a dad is knowing that my children know that they can come to me,” Rhodes said. “When I look into my children’s eyes, and when I hear them talking about me, I hear them being proud of what I did for my country.”

and you do so much. The images ring in your head. So, the first thing I wanted to do was kiss the ground and thank God for America because this is a blessed country.” Rhodes said he joined the Marine Corps as soon as he graduated high school in 1983 to live up to his full potential. “As a young kid, I wanted to be the best. I grew up in an abusive home, and I needed a way out, and the Marine Corps was my way. I’ve always been the kind of person that likes to be with the best organization possible, and that’s why I chose the Marine Corps,” Rhodes said. He completed his training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and was sent to Lebanon after the U.S. Embassy was bombed. Rhodes said that he felt the same way going to Afghanistan as he did first going to Lebanon.

wanted to return back to war. “When I first got back, I spent six weeks in the mental ward because I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, and I struggled with that big time. That’s why it took me a year or two of rehab. When I came back, I saw was civilians of our country taking life for granted,” Rhodes said. “The smallest things over here are huge to people over there. There are people living in mud huts, kids walk to school, and women have no rights over there. When I come back here, I listen to what people are saying and I got so angry because I just couldn’t deal with the lifestyle here. I wanted to go back.” In an effort to reintroduce Rhodes to American culture, his counselors recommended that he slowly expose himself to the culture by going back to school and using that environment to slowly amalgamate himself.

“The first thing I did when I got back was kiss the ground...” -Richard Rhodes Sr. Rhodes, an Afghanistan war veteran, returned to his children and life at home from his second tour of active duty in Afghanistan in 2006, and this semester is his first at Meramec. Although he said that it’s been hard adjusting to life back in the United States, what Rhodes learned in Afghanistan is something he wants to share with everyone. “I have a real love for the American life: a true love. I want people to appreciate the life they have because it can be taken away so quickly.” Rhodes said, “The death, the chaos and the gore that I have witnessed, you can’t possibly imagine. I just want to help people to appreciate the life that they have.” Rhodes was medically discharged in October of 2007 from the Army. He also spent six years in the United States Marine Corps and then three years in the Missouri National Guard where he was wounded in action. Because of his experiences in Afghanistan, Rhodes came back more appreciative of his homeland. “The first thing I did when I got back was kiss the ground,” Rhodes said. “When you are over there, you see so much

“I just graduated from infantry training school and was sent to Lebanon so I was scared to death. I experienced the same feeling when we were told we were mobilizing to go to Afghanistan,” he said. Within Rhode’s time in the armed forces, he has always been enlisted as active duty. He said his role while in Afghanistan was in infantry as a gunner on operations in provinces. “Basically we did control missions, military tactile missions in and out of civil provinces in East and West Afghanistan,” Rhodes said. When Rhodes went to investigate damages made to an American-built school by the Taliban in Khost, Afghanistan, Rhodes and his unit were bombed in their Humvee. “I was literally blown out of the Humvee, and I landed on my head, and I suffered traumatic brain damage,” Rhodes said. After returning home, Rhodes spent more than a year in rehab to recover and was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, a disorder that affects some war veterans. He said he saw that people weren’t appreciating their lives and even

Rhodes is going to school full-time and intends on working for the two-year mass communications degree. “I would like to go into broadcasting; some form of media. Right now, the government is really big with supporting the troops and pushing us to go back to school, and that’s what I chose to do. I’m still a little nervous about big places and big universities since I’m still in my adjusting period. Meramec is right here. I live in Eureka, and it’s the perfect timing. Right now, I am excited. This is new for me,” Rhodes said. Rhodes said he is still getting used to the motions of everyday life and is taking his time. He said he hopes to use his degree to help other veterans adjust back to the American life just like other veterans helped him get through it when he was struggling the most. “As I sit back, I think, ‘What can I do to communicate with people to make them truly understand the life that we have?’ I want to say , ‘If I did it, you can do it. Don’t allow yourself to get pulled down by the drinking and the drugs. Been there, done that, got a T-shirt. Come on, you can do this.’”

PHOTO BY: JEANETTA ROBERTS

Richard Rhodes Sr. smiles during his interview. Rhodes said he describes himself as funny, family oriented and adventurous.

COURTESY OF RICHARD RHODES SR.

Rhodes has four children and two grandkids. Top: Brandi, Richardo, and Celeste. Bottom: Richard Jr.’s wife, Richard Jr and their son.

10 ART & LIFE

February 11, 2010

Bands on campus prepare for Battle of the Bands Emily Hertlein - Staff Writer -

The spring semester has officially kicked off and without hesitation teachers are piling on the readings, papers and projects. Overwhelmed yet? Though the homework may not get any easier and sleep may become

unobtainable, one thing is certain: entertainment is on the horizon. Battle of the Bands applications will be available in nearly three weeks. Starting March 1, anyone interested in participating in the Battle of the Bands can pick up an application in the Campus Life office located on the 2nd floor of the Student Center. According to

Skyscraper

PHOTO BY: STEPH STOUGH

Skyscraper, a melodic hardcore band with a strong work ethic and a love for vintage vinyl, combines a New Age genre with a classic touch. Skyscraper consists of Drew Maxey, 22, as lead vocalist; Keith Canady, 19, the bass player; Sean Myers, 22, on lead guitar; and James Carroll, 20, plays the drums. When Skyscraper chooses to play in town, they play at Fubar, a local venue in the city. The band joined forces in mid-August 2009 after two

bands decided to split. “We don’t really play in town that often. We try not to. We try to branch out and play other cities more,” said Carroll. “When we started this band, our goal was to be as far away from St. Louis as humanly possible,” said Carroll. Skyscraper’s demo can not only be obtained on a CD, but is in the process of being pressed onto cassettes. They are currently writing and recording an LP that will be released as 7 inch records and have written a compilation song which will be featured on a12 inch record. The band works with 11th and Bleeker records to produce their vinyl and Listen Up Tapes to produce classic cassettes. To get a taste of Skyscraper’s sound check out http://www.myspace.com/ skyscraperhc or http://www.twitter. com/skyscraperhc .

Man Eating Tiger

COURTESY OF MAN EATING TIGER

Everyday life serves as inspiration for the rock metal band, Man Eating Tiger. This five man band consists of Jason Simpson on drums, his brother Owen Simpson on bass, Ryan Metz on lead guitar, Jason Emerick on secondary guitar and Robb Martinez on vocals. Martinez says that “life, technology and politics” are what lead these musicians to create the tunes that they do, which Martinez said sounds similar to Thrice. They have been a band for about

said. Martinez says he enjoys performing for people. “[My favorite part of being a band is] just being able to express myself while playing live and being on stage,” he said. Man Eating Tiger’s next show is Feb. 18 at Fubar where they will be playing with Vanna. Tracks by the band are online at http://www.reverbnation.com/maneatingtiger.

Soundscape says they have a deep love for art, not just in its musical form, but also for the practice of abstract canvas paintings as well. As a strictly instrumental band with a progressive and psychedelic sound, Soundscape is distinguished by their use of a live painter instead of a lead vocalist. “Music is everything. It is what the three of us want to do with our

lives: live as performing artists,” said Kevin Danneman, Meramec student. Danneman, 21, plays the guitar; Taylor Perkins, 20, the drums while “Gecko” performs live canvas art painting with inspiration from the music and vibe of the crowd. Soundscape gains much of their inspiration from the band TOOL but feel they have an original sound and say they do their best not to sound generic. “We hope to create original music from the depths of our souls to show the commercial world what real art is all about,” said Danneman. Soundscape is currently writing and hopes to record a full album later this year. The band appears online at http://www.myspace.com/soundscapestl.

outlets for students at Meramec, and for some, music has become their outlet. Some bands to look out for at Meramec are Surtsey, Skyscraper, Soundscape, The Mussy Cluves, Granite Cloud, and Man Eating Tiger. Whether these bands will make it to the Battle of the Bands is uncertain, but their love for music and entertaining is inevitable.

Surtsey

COURTESY OF SURTSEY

Joseph Bassa, 20, lead singer and acoustic guitarist of Surtsey and a Meramec student says Surtsey can be found at any bar in Cape Girardeau, coffee shops and at Off Broadway in St. Louis. Their music consists of a folk rock “Americana” sound. “I guess you could compare it to the Rolling Stones verses The Beatles; taking the complete opposite of what’s in right now and seeing if it will catch fire. We’ve had good luck with it,” said Bassa.

Surtsey is a 3-piece band playing only acoustic music. Anyone interested in hearing their music can visit http://www.myspace.com/surtsey, featuring their first album “Broken Beds.” They are currently recording a new album; “It’s gonna be a lot more down-tempo, slower, gushing with reverb,” said Bassa. Aaron Essner, 20, plays drums as well as the keyboard and xylophone while Drew Koepell, 20, harmonizes and plays the bass. Surtsey is adamant about having constant harmony. “Our songs can be commercial, friendly; they’re catchy enough to where people could get into it, but it’s a stripped-down basis. There’s no auto tune; there’s no pre-production. Anything done on the computer, you probably couldn’t do with us.” The band plans to begin another tour at the beginning of the summer.

Granite Cloud

a year and since have had two shows, one at Lemmon’s and the other at Fubar. They have also released a demo and are currently putting together more music. “We are working on a seven song EP and we have put it out a three song demo that we recorded at our drummer’s house. It’s all D.I.Y.,” Martinez

Soundscape

COURTESY OF SOUNDSCAPE

Justin Allen, president of the Activity Council, applications are due on April 1, and 10 bands will be chosen to participate on April 30th in STLCC-Meramec’s gym. “First place will receive $700, 2nd place, $500 and 3rd place, $300,” said Allen. There are many opportunities and

COURTESY OF GRANITE CLOUD

Granite Cloud, a young, energetic group of guys, is an alternative, hard rock band with a hint of metal. They compare their sound to a mix between Story of the Year and The Foo Fighters.

With five members including, Matt Bonacsh, 17, on drums; Jackson Frazier, 20, lead guitar; Daniel Blume, 20, guitar and keyboard; Blake Boyster, 20, on bass; and Drew Lance, 17, on vocals. The band does its best to highlight each member’s talents with a wide range of solos. “Most alternative music seems to be vocal based whereas we try to balance everything out, a lot of instrumental; precision is involved,” said Frazier. Though they’ve never been on tour outside of Missouri, Granite Cloud can be found at many venues within the St. Louis region. Some of their most visited spots are: Pops, Firebird, Fubar, and Cicero’s. Granite Cloud also has a website, http://www.myspace.com/ granitecloud which houses a demo and a variety of merchandise.

The Mussy Cluves

PHOTO BY: DAN HANDING

When recording, The Mussy Cluves consists of a mere two members, Matt Heitman and Danny Barton. They play experimental grunge rock with inspiration from blues music. Though various close friends and trusted artists perform with them live, Barton and Heitman play all the instruments during recording sessions and sing as well. “We tend to stray toward the bi-

zarre forms of expression by being very experimental in our creative process and not limiting ourselves.” said Barton and Heitman. Heitman and Barton have been playing music together for nearly a decade. “Many of our songs were written from weird experiences we've had, and lots of them are kind of ’inside jokes,’ among the band and our group of friends,” said Barton. The band offers any of their seven demo CDs for free to someone interested in hearing their sound. “Playing music for us is a form of expressing what we feel and what we go through and how we live. Our music is important to our daily life because it’s a way to vent all the weird [stuff] that happens, whether good or bad.”

SPORTS

February 11, 2010

Men’s Basketball pulls off Magical Win Joe Ray

- Staff Writer -

The 64-60 win over Penn Valley on Feb. 6, showed that the STLCC-Meramec Men’s Basketball team had the will and inspiration to come from behind and pull out the winner. What the score doesn’t show, is the inconsistency of the team throughout the second half. Coming into Saturday’s match, the Magic were 15-9 with a 3-1 Region XVI record, according to National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Penn Valley, their rival across the state in Kansas City, had sole possession of the lead for Region XVI. The Magic rank second in defense in their region, according to the NJCAA and Meramec guard Dietrick Sooter, is eighth in the NJCAA in free throw percentage. The Magic started the game out strong and had a good lead going into halftime, 30-21. After halftime, their lack of control of the ball was a big problem, leading to turnovers and missed rebounds. Meramec coach Randy Albrecht expressed his opinion about the turnovers. “We’ve worked on it all year. Part of our problem is we have all freshman guards. We have no players that are experienced well enough in this to know how to get strong

ed to get into the game and as it seemed that the Magic may still be in the game. With less than 30 seconds left in the game, Josh Dale took the ball to the hoop and missed. He followed the miss with a rebound, which sealed the victory for the Magic. There was one chance left for the Scouts to tie the game, but then Sooter came away with the steal from Henderson, who led his team with 32 points. The Magic have five more games remaining on their schedule, including a matchup against Forest Park on Wednesday, Feb. 10. After the final game, they start Region XVI Tournament play. The win put the Magic at a 16-9 record and a 4-1 record in the region, which clinches another winning season for Albrecht. Albrecht commented after the game on the exciting finish, “The kids had a lot of resilPHOTO BY: DAN HANDING ience there. We were 10 down Meramec Magic center Dallis Johnson goes up for the basket against Penn Valley defenders. The -- could’ve given up, but we Magic beat the Scouts, 64-60. kept fighting. We stayed posiwith the ball. And the only of his 32 points in the second boys was when center Dallis tive. You got to play it all out, way you learn, unfortunately, half to put the Scouts out to a Johnson had a breakaway and all 40 minutes of for a lot of people is that you 56-48 lead. Henderson kept took it in for a slam the game. I thought Visit have to make a few mistakes draining 3’s to really push his dunk to move the Meramec we had some good to figure it out. You know, we team in front, and Meramec momentum over to heart there at the .com have to get better at handling wasn’t shooting well from the the Magic. After the For full coverage of women’s end.” basketball game against Penn the ball. That’s probably the field. The break point for the dunk, the crowd startValley weakest part of our game right now,” said Coach Albrecht after the game. Justin Henderson of the Penn Valley Scouts scored 26

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