08March2012

M T HE MONTAGE

Profile of an Audiophile Page 13

VPAA candidates Page 5

Flash mob appears at Meramec Page 13

Drug abuse leaves lasting mark Illicit drug use affected 22 million Americans in 2011

US

KELLY GLEUCK MANAGING EDITOR

N O N - M E D I C I N A L S U B S TA N C E A B U S E S TAT I S T I C S

2008

L.

USE OF NON-MEDICAL PRESCRIPTION TYPE DRUGS D E C L I N E D.

STIMULANTS SEDATIVES

As a former sorority girl and St. Louis University graduate, she had “a lot to lose.”

Soon after graduation, she went through a divorce and her physician cut her off from her two-year prescription of opiate-based pain medications Vicodin and Percocet.

She said within two months, her life had ended.

She said going cold turkey from 180 pills twice a month was unrealistic and she went to the streets to fix her addiction. She said that pills were expensive and hard to find.

After trying heroin at a party, she started snorting heroin, which led to shooting up $100 worth of heroin every day.

“Everybody was like, ‘Oh, you get so much higher and you use so much less,’” she said. “I’m the type of girl who would cry when they took blood from me, but one

T H AT R AT E INCREASED TO O N E IN SEVEN.

day it just sounded like a good idea.”

“She” is a reformed addict and informant for a local Missouri police department. From prescription pills to street drugs to heroin, her journey with drug use is not uncommon.

“The fastest-growing drug trend at the current time is the abuse of prescription drugs. That abuse rate is about 7.1 million Americans. 5.4 million of those are abusing opiate pain relievers and that is what has led to our problem with heroin,” Detective Sgt. Jason Grellner, Narcotics Unit Commander, said. “What people don’t understand is that those 5.4 million Americans who are abusing opiate pain relievers, all of those opiate pain relievers are semi-synthetics of heroin.”

STLCC-Meramec has joined efforts

AG E S 12-17

to raise awareness about substance abuse.

On March 28, the counseling department will host Substance Abuse Awareness Day. There will be free literature, discussion and resources for those immediately involved with addiction and those affected by someone else’s addiction.

“If I had had counseling from the beginning, right at the time of my divorce and being cut off from my prescriptions, that probably would have been the opportunity to avoid letting everything go downhill,” the informant said, pushing her thinned blonde hair behind her ear.

She said she tried to get help but she did not have insurance coverage or a referral to get help. She said the heroin took away the pain quickly. Within a minute or two, she was in another world where nothing could

2002

5.1 MIL.

2010

MI

0.4 MIL.

1.1

TRANQUILIZERS 2.2 MIL.

2010

ONE IN TEN H I G H SCH OOL SE N I OR S H AV E U SE D V I COD I N W I T H OU T A P R E SCR I P T I O N .

PAIN RELIEVERS

2011

2010

A P P R OX I M AT E LY 7.0 MILLION PEOPLE WERE USERS OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

4.0% 3.0%

bother her and she was just happy to sit and stare at nothing.

“You logically know things are wrong, but you don’t care,” she said. “You’re numb to everything.”

Meramec Counseling Department Chair Donna Zumwinkel said when people start using substances, they are usually trying to fill some other need in life, whether it is a need to belong, a need to feel better, a need to be happy or a need to escape.

“They think this might help without realizing the potential for the long-term consequences of their actions,” Zumwinkel said. “Heroin addicts aren’t your violent addicts, but they need money. Heroin is pretty cheap at first, but they need money and they’ll resort to whatever they have to in order to get their next fix.”

Story continued on page 4

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NEWS March 8, 2012

The future of general education changing Forums finish up on campus BRIAN HAENCHEN STAFF WRITER Another phase in the process to modify the 42-hour general education block concluded on Feb. 22 with the final General Education Draft Proposal Forum.

The General Education Draft Proposal Forums were just another step in the process that began over three years ago, but did not gain traction until last summer, according to General Education Coordinator Shaun Reno.

“We have had conversations about possible changes at the district level for about three years,” Reno said. “However, serious discussions that led to the proposal started last summer. The proposal was written up during the fall semester.”

The potential amendments to the general education block were presented in the form of six different proposals to the faculty as a whole a week before the spring semester began.

Proposals one and two, which were discussed during the final Draft Proposal Forum, focused on the potential addition of another English course to the core requirements, as well as a reformation of the speaking and writing intensive requirements.

The Missouri State Freshmen Composition Sequence mandates specific guidelines for English composition courses.

To ensure its compliance with the new regulations, the English department laid out a set of requirements, known as the “freshmen composition sequence.”

According to Eric Meyer, associate English professor and honors program coordinator at STLCC-Meramec, the two basic composition courses, ENG 101 and ENG 102, are similar to the required courses at St. Louis University.

However, proposal two argues that since ENG 102 is not a required course at Meramec, many students move from ENG 101 to a writing intensive course that is designed to “reinforce” writing skills rather than introduce them.

While ENG 101 and ENG 102 together meet the state’s requirements, Meyer said combining the two courses into one would be impractical.

“Some universities, like Mizzou, try to pack all of that into one course, but they have a different student population,” Meyer said. “We just have a larger group of students who need more instruction in composition than some universities. [Those universities] can select out [students] and we’re open [to everyone].”

Because material from ENG 102 cannot be sufficiently incorporated into ENG 101, the district proposed transitioning 102 from an elective to a requirement for the 42-hour block.

The other issue discussed during the forum concerned the adequacy of the college’s writing and speaking intensive courses. An assessment of these classes conducted by the General Education Assessment Committee in spring 2008 revealed that many of the writing and speaking activities being incorporated in those classes failed to meet the requirements for writing and speaking intensive courses.

“There are some indications that writing intensives aren’t working,” Meyer said. “We can look at the curriculum and say this isn’t happening, because none of this is writing intensive directive. All you have to do is look and there is, ‘No, we do this in 102; 102 is not required.’ Therefore,

we’re not requiring of all students what the state insists that we require.”

Due to the lack of speaking intensive courses, fitting those courses into the 42hour general education block has become an issue for many students. This problem has led to “hundreds of waivers,” according to the proposal.

As coordinator of the honors department, Meyers said he sees “a pretty large number of students” who are “beyond needing the Cornerstone class” but are forced to take the Cornerstone and Capstone classes simultaneously in their final semester.

“It’s a waste of their time. It’s a waste of their money. So, they go seek a waiver,” Meyers said. “In those situations, it seems warranted. It makes sense to waive the requirement for those students. So, this is something the college should look at.”

The district committee also addressed the content of the Capstone and Cornerstone courses.

According to proposal three, 64% of students had taken their interdisciplinary studies class, a course designed to serve as an “orientation to fundamental college study skills,” after completing their initial 12-credit-hour block. To ensure that goals of the course are being met, the district hopes to create interdisciplinary courses unique to each section.

While proposal three suggested narrowing the view of Cornerstone courses, the fourth proposal looks to make Capstone courses more of a “culminating experience of general education curriculum goals.”

The modified Capstone course would focus on two projects: a student reflection on his or her general education experience and

creation of a student-inspired and facultymentored project.

The district’s other two proposals focused on inconsistent content levels in interdisciplinary courses and a lack of global and intercultural topics in the general education block.

Reno will now take the results from his forums and, with the other regional coordinators, will meet with both the vice president of academic affairs and the vice chancellor. They will discuss their findings and make any necessary changes to the proposal.

The regional coordinators must come to an agreement on the proposal before they can push it through to the next step. The proposal has to go through the college’s governance process, which requires approval from each campus’s government councils, before advancing to the district-wide administration.

“Since we are, in terms of degrees, one college, we all have to agree with what the components will be,” Reno said. “While we are one college, our individual student bodies have different needs. So, we have to find ways to meet all those needs.”

Reno said because the entire process is so time-consuming, none of the current students will be affected once it is officially implemented.

“Once we feel like we have a proposal that’s worth pushing forward, we’ll move it to governance,” Reno said. “Governance will take, probably, two to three months at least. Then the implementation itself will take, depending on what is being put in, could take anywhere from one to two years.

So, any student who is currently here will not be affected.”

More changes for STLCC employee benefits

In 3-1 decision, health care proposal in limbo MIKE ZIEGLER PHOTO EDITOR

Presented as a “rich” health care benefits plan for STLCC faculty and staff, the Board of Trustees voted against approving a measure to renew health care benefits during their Feb. 23 meeting held at the Cosand Center.

Trustee Bob Burns voted against the measure with three other members voting yes and two trustees, Libby Fitzgerald and Hattie Jackson, abstaining from voting citing a conflict of interest since both receive health benefits from the college. The next opportunity for the board to vote on the measure again is during their March 29 meeting held at STLCC-Meramec.

The current college contract expires on June 1. If the college were to renew the contract with the current benefits, they would face a cost increase of about $1.2 million dollars for the year, according to Andrew Langrehr, dean of science and technology and member of

the task force charged with presenting a plan to the college leadership.

“If we were forced to go for one month beyond, rather than renewing on June 1, the college may have to pay what would be the new cost for our current plan,” Langrehr said.

That cost would equate to approximately $100,000 if the college fails to approve a new plan and have it in place by June 1 if the $1.2 million increase in cost is separated out into 12 months.

Langrehr said the plan presented during the Board of Trustees meeting has co-pay costs reduced compared to the current plan and is “very similar” to the base plan currently offered to faculty and staff.

Langrehr said the plan was referred to by the insurance representative as a “rich” plan that “provides a lot” for employees. He said the proposed plan is

better than most employers.

When Kevin White, American Federation of Teachers-Local 3506 president, addressed the board, he said the plan presented had objections from the 500 classified staff he represents regarding the $1,250 annual deductible.

Points of discussion during the debate before the Feb. 23 vote included a no buyup plan option or self-funded plan and a $1,250 deductible faced by all staff in the single option plan. Currently, faculty and staff are offered a base and can “buy-up” to a premier plan as an option.

Right now, the college pays a flat rate each month as part of the benefits contract with United Healthcare, the college health care provider. A self-funded plan would allow the college to pay only what claims are made by employees each month, meaning the rate the college pays would vary month-to-month. “[The Board of Trustees] are there

to watch over the resources and make sure every possible dollar is spent on students,” Burns said. “It also means you want students taught by teachers who are qualified and employees working in other areas are qualified. Partially, the thing about being qualified and doing a good job is that you are happy and don’t feel that your college or supervisor is taking advantage of you.”

The benefits plan affects approximately 1,400 STLCC district employees.

“I think there’s going to have to be a decision made real soon. The further we push back the decision for a health plan, there are some important ramifications of that decision,” Langrehr said.

Visit meramecmontage.com for more information on the Trustees’ abstention from voting at the Feb. 23 Bprad of Trustee meeting.

4NEWS March 8, 2012

Heroin: addiction leads to abuse Continued from page 1 the hardest thing she has ever gone through and will ever go through.

“It’s hell. It’s the worst feeling in the world. It’s like crawling out of your skin.

Mentally, you’re freaking out. Everything that could feel bad does. But for me, the worst part was this feeling that things were getting sucked out of you. You just can’t get comfortable,” she emphasized her words with the aid of hand gestures, repeating, “You can’t get comfortable.”

Raymond said that it not only takes a toll on the addict, but sometimes the toll is worse on the friends and family.

“The family is consistently trying to get that person off the drugs,” Bayes said.

“It’s a burden on the family financially and the family as a whole because addicts are in and out of their lives so their family is constantly worrying.”

Zumwinkel said addiction has a ripple effect and it is the loved ones who are often affected by it.

“People who are addicts will unintentionally and repeatedly hurt the people they love,” Zumwinkel said.

“They’ll lie to them, they’ll steal from

them, they will cheat on them, and it’s not because they’re bad people but it’s the piece of their addiction that makes them act that way.”

Most times when people are struggling with addiction they are also struggling with a multitude of other problems, Zumwinkel said. She said that it was probably the other problems that led to addiction in the first place.

The informant agrees with Zumwinkel that mental treatment, or counseling, is just as important, if not more important, than getting medical treatment. She said drugs can create more problems, while discussing the underlying issues can find the root of the real problem.

“I think [counseling] is absolutely required. We need more talking and figuring things out. Not just, ‘Here’s a pill, shut up,’” she said. “There’s too much, ‘We don’t know how to solve your problems, you’re too screwed up, here’s some drugs.’”

The informant said that every person who will try heroin can expect a horror

story and whether it is snorted or shot up, the experimenter instantly becomes the addict chasing the next fix. She said she forgot the everyday things that made her happy like singing along to the radio and calling to catch up with friends.

“Not needing that stuff, is the best feeling in the world,” she said. “If you can come back from heroin, you can do anything. You can take over the world.

I’ve never been through anything harder than that. It’s no joke. Don’t play around with it.”

The Counseling Department is sponsoring a presentation form Jean Sokura of Preferred Family Healthcare. She will be speaking at 1 p.m. on March 28 in BA 105. Meramec offers free counseling services and referrals program at 314-984-7575.

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Kirkwood Officer Bob Bayes and Sgt. Doug Raymond said that they have seen an increase in drug-related crimes such as shoplifting, auto break-ins, home burglaries and crimes against women such as abuse, prostitution and sex trafficking.

“We deal with a lot of girls who end up in the business of prostitution,” Bayes said. “Probably 80 percent or more of the girls that we come across are doing it to support their boyfriend’s or their own heroin habit and they will do whatever it takes to catch that high.”

The informant said that there came a time, or several, when she knew she needed to get off. She tried quitting for at least one day more than 50 times.

“You obsess about it, telling yourself, ‘I’ve got to stop doing this. I’ve got to get out of this,’” the informant said. “Then you get so far into feeling like you’re going to die that you give up and say, ‘Screw it.’ Heroin will make you so afraid of not having it, it’s terrible. You’re convinced you can’t live without it.”

She said that getting through it was

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2/23/12 9:42 AM

NEWS March 8, 2012

Four Candidates vie for VPAA as college seeks to fill position STLCC-Meramec faculty and staff congregated in the cafeteria conference room to question candidates for the vice president of academic affairs position on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and Thursday, March

Denise King KURT OBERREITHER NEWS EDITOR The only external candidate for the VPAA position, Denise King, Ph.D., said she is “not a lone ranger,” but was drawn to Meramec because of the expertise the deans and department chairs bring to the table.

“I think that [what the college is] now is very attractive to me and I think when I look at where we need to go in service of our students in the future, who we can be is very attractive to me and I’d like to be part of a team that is bringing that together; it’s a campus team and it’s a college team.”

King earned a bachelor’s degree in music and theater studies from Emory University and a Ph.D. in drama and humanities from Stanford University.

King currently serves as the dean of arts and humanities at St. Charles Community College. She has held administrative positions at two other community colleges: Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Wash., and Olympic College in Bremerton, Ore. “I am interested in continuing to learn more about you and seeing how my past experiences, both as a theater person who likes to put teams together and a budgetcutter who understands that sometimes hard decisions have to be made in order to have the best quality product possible,” King said. “On top of that, there are a host of department chairs that provide support for faculty and students as we engage in the learning process.”

1.

The position was vacated when Former VPAA George Wasson became Meramec president; Vernon Kays, Ed.D., has been the acting vice president since. During the forum, candidates

Yvonne Johnson KAVAHN MANSOURI EDITOR IN CHIEF Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences Yvonne Johnson, Ph.D., said she is “even-handed” as a leader; she said she likes to create a fair level environment for faculty and students.

Johnson began teaching full-time in 1988 at Collin County Community College after graduating from the University of Arkansas. Completing her Ph.D. in 1992, Johnson continued her career in 1994 at the University of Central Missouri, where she taught for 14 years. In 2007 Johnson arrived at Meramec and began serving as the dean of humanities and social sciences.

Johnson said she can help Meramec deal with declining resources.

“The administration is dealing right now with declining resources, it’s tough to make decisions. I think we will be allocating our recourses in the right direction so we can be helping our students in the right way,” Johnson said. “I don’t have a quote ‘plan,’ but we are going to buy what we need to buy.”

Johnson said that the students as well as staff have to work together to raise Meramec’s student course completion rate.

“We know we need to work on it, of course one person can’t do it all. We all have to work together,” Johnson said. “I’ve been told we have a plan that will help students to move through our program easily, and if not easily, successfully.”

were allowed to inform the audience of their experience and qualification. Then, moderators asked a number of questions before opening the floor up to allow attendees to screen the candidates.

Andrew Langrehr

Angela Grupas

SADIE HILL STAFF WRITER

KURT OBERREITHER NEWS EDITOR

Dean of Science and Technology Andrew Langrehr, Ph.D., said the most important part of the position is that he supports and has the support of the faculty and staff.

Langrehr has worked his way up from adjunct instructor to dean of science and technology. He has been employed at Meramec 14 years and still team teaches chemistry class even though his position no longer requires it.

“I’ve been happy in each of the positions that I’ve been fortunate to have here,” Langrehr said, “I want what is best for our students, someone who will follow policy procedure, who is compassionate yet reasoned and I want a competent vice president. And I think that I have those skills and I’ll do well for our faculty and students, so that’s why I’m applying for this job.”

Langrehr said he believes he is a competent candidate because not only is the student experience important to him but the faculty experience is important as well.

“I think at St. Louis Community College we have lot of strengths. I care a lot about this place. That’s the only reason I’m interested in this job. I think the only way you can communicate effectively the strengths is if you believe that they are true.

I feel like I can go out to the community when I’m speaking with organizations, parents or students and I think I can be excited about what we have to offer,” Langrehr said.

Of the four candidates, Angela Grupas has been at Meramec the longest, with 23 years in the communications department.

“As I was reviewing my academic background and career, I realized I taught at every level of higher education,” Grupas said.

Grupas began at Meramec as a faculty member and moved on to the department chair position. Recently, as the acting dean of math and communications, Grupas spearheaded the revision of the associate’s in communications degree to agree with Missouri Department of Higher Education requirements.

Grupas said she wants to focus on curriculum, allocating resources and staff development.

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6OPINIONS March 8, 2012

Off the eaten path

Amigo’s Cantina JESSE HOFFORD OPINIONS EDITOR

Sure, Kirkwood has coffee shops, cafes and pizza joints, but maybe someone is in the mood for some good Mexican food.

Where do they go? Located at 120 W. Jefferson Ave. in Kirkwood, one can find Amigo’s Cantina, home of quite possibly the best pulled chicken tacos around.

Walking in, Amigo’s is your typical Mexican grill. Mexican-style decorations, wooden tables and chairs and Dos Equis ads all over. Their menu has all the staples: burritos, quesadillas, tacos, as well as various beers, liquors and mixed drinks.

They also serve lunch combos, daily chef specials and lots of appetizers to choose from. All the while, Mariachi music plays over the speakers adding to the ambiance.

During the warmer months, diners can

enjoy their meal on “el porche,” Amigo’s outdoor patio. If they are lucky, they could even catch a glimpse of a mother dove who comes to nest in the same spot each year on the patio.

The chicken tacos are actually listed on the menu as Tacos Americana, and are made with the customer’s choice of beef, pork or chicken and come with an order of their red tomato rice.

This meal had good and not-sogood qualities. The star of the show was definitely the tacos, and we will get to them in a minute, but the rice was lacking something–like flavor. It just did not have enough “oomph,” for lack of a better term.

Not much more can be said in its defense.

Now for the tacos, where to begin? A

flour tortilla stuffed with pulled marinated chicken, topped with cheese, lettuce and diced tomatoes. The chicken had this marinade on it that gave it a slightly sweet, slightly smoky, zesty flavor that all went surprisingly well together. The chicken itself was fall-off-the-bone tender and the marinade just kicks it up to a whole new level.

Prices were fair for the quality of food and for the sheer delicousness. Prices vary by meal. Lunch combos priced at $7.99.

Dinner entrees range from $12.50 for their stuffed poblano chile to $14.50 for

the cilantro lime shrimp and their mojo shrimp and appetizers ranging from six to ten dollars.

This is a sit-down type restaurant so it is best to come here after classes when you can sit down and relax. This is a great place to come with friends for a bite. They are open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. They also have a bar which is open Monday to Thursday until 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 11p.m. and it closes at 8 p.m. on Sundays.

America Kicks Ass Good Ol’ American Hunting KAVAHN MANSOURI EDITOR IN CHIEF

Take a deep breath… Sniff that beautiful free air. Smells patriotic, does it not? That is what can be found almost anywhere in America, but the most free, patriotically and fantastically smelling air one must venture out to the great wilderness for a session of good old-fashioned hunting and gathering.

This great nation was built by Americans who were not afraid to go out and tackle a buffalo to the ground and use brute force to feed their families and clothe their people. Today Americans have beefed up the tradition, making it much more kick-ass and gratifying.

Take the old tradition, a bow and arrow, maybe a hunting partner and some water to keep

thirst quenched. Now beef it up, replace the bow and arrow with the biggest, most powerful weapon that can be legally used to hunt, replace one hunting partner with six buddies in orange camouflage with a Busch in one hand and a rifle in the other. That is the way to do it, in true patriotic form, let no one stand in front of the wave of American tradition that is about to flow forth.

This, my friends, is what America is about, getting some pals together, driving a Hummer deep into the wilderness and doing some good old-fashioned hunting and gathering. So get some American flag decals for your car, put on your patriot hat and go to war on some animals.

ILLUSTRATION BY: CORY MONTERO

The Wife of Campus Life A Much Needed Break KIMBERLY MORICE SENIOR STAFF WRITER Spring break, the time students countdown to from the first day of classes, is right around the corner. They have to jump the hurdle of midterms to get to a relaxing week in Florida, Cancun or their beds. It will be a week to recuperate and recharge themselves before getting back in the swing of school.

The stress level has risen in recent weeks with midterms getting closer and closer and are hopefully close to being over by this point. Energy drinks, sleep and an immense amount of coffee can be a stressed student’s

best friend during midterms week.

Campus involvement is put on hold during the week of heavenly relaxation.

Students can almost pretend that they do not even go to college, even if it is only for one week. Of course, there is always that one professor who is under the impression that students will be so bored during spring break that they will want nothing more than to work on a project or paper during their week off, though most will procrastinate getting that work done.

A week off halfway through the semester

is the chance for students to recoup and to get themselves ready to finish the rest of the semester. Since it is the spring semester, many students are going through a bout of “senioritis” that will make getting back in the swing of things difficult after their week off.

The break is a much-needed time to catch up on sleep, take a vacation or take a cross-country road trip with friends.

Whatever students plan to do with their time off, it is important that they do not forget they are still students. Classes will

begin again, papers will be due and finals will be right around the corner. Students must remember that spring break is just a preview to the twelve weeks off that come with summer vacation.

Though its arrival has felt like an eternity, students will be able to return to school with what is hopefully a fresh outlook on the rest of the semester. It may be hard to focus on studying at times with the idea of the warm summer sun looming above everyone’s heads but taking a break will be well deserved.

OPINIONS March 8, 2012

Taking multiple sclerosis out of the picture LILLY HUXHOLD GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITOR I wake up to a loud ‘BANG’ down the hallway. It is 3:30 a.m. and in my current state I am not sure if it is the ‘‘Woman in Black’’ out to get me or just another runof-the-mill Huxhold incident. After waiting for what I call the ‘all clear, it’s just the house trying to scare the living daylights out of you,’ I snuggle back under my blankets in the vain hope that classes will be cancelled and I can sleep until 1 p.m.

Class started 10 minutes ago and I, of course, just rolled out of bed. You see, retired parents make leaving the house all that much more difficult, because here they are at 10 a.m., eating their breakfast, watching TV and you have to leave. As I stumble around the house, unsure where I left my left shoe, they watch in mild humor at my inability to embrace the daylight.

Distracted by what I need and how I am going to get all this crap to the car, I forget to run back to my parent’s bedroom to say goodbye. The door to my car had just swung closed but it did not stay shut for long. I hate leaving the house without saying good-bye; my kind of superstition.

“How late are you going to be tonight?”

My parents have never held me to a specific timetable; instead they just keep a general knowledge on my whereabouts.

“Um, no idea. Late probably. I’ll call.” I tap my foot not out of impatience, but the need to move. I am now 30 minutes late to class. Mom holds her hand out to me and I grab it. She smiles as she usually does every morning and says, ‘Hey, babe.’ I am a fast-

moving person with piles of obligations between work, school or social events. I am afraid I take her presence for granted sometimes.

It is always right before I lie down for bed that I really let myself worry, because it is when you wake up that you forget why you were scared or angry. You wake up with a bright, new perspective. My mom has multiple sclerosis; a disease that can take away your mobility, your health and your livelihood. I have never seen it take her spirit. Life is precious to me and I know my time with my parents is limited.

My family is strong. They are the dorky kind that get together over popcorn and actually enjoy telling each other about their days, but we have had some rough times too. There are hard days that sometimes make you wonder if you want to see what tomorrow brings.

With a reassuring smile I know that I really should call in the middle of the day— she worries a lot and I do not want her to dwell on it. My mom has limited access to a phone and no cell phone or email to speak of, so her contact with my sister and me is sparse. Letting go of her hand, I rush out the door, leaving an ‘I love you’ behind and probably today’s homework.

I am completely unprepared. Three projects due and nothing to show. I really just want to go home and watch “Grey’s Anatomy” with my mom in the family room. The idea is just too tempting and if my partner in crime was not in class, I

would have been gone three hours ago.

Rubbing at my face, I grab my handydandy Post-it notes, writing the second todo list of the century as the first was written last Monday.

STLCC-Meramec is a black hole for cell phone service and when I see the missed call on my phone from home it reminds me that I forgot to call. The irrational worry starts to set in, but I figure I would listen through the message first before letting my imagination run wild.

“Hey, it’s Dad. No emergency. Just was wondering where you put the phone charger. Call me when you get a chance.”

The message is simple but includes the usual mantra ‘no emergency’. You see, you are officially inducted into the Huxhold clan when you say ‘no emergency’ on a regular basis in your voice mails to each other.

The afternoon sets in and soon I am in a Mexican standoff with the clock. In my mind I am watching my sister run through the door in a flurry of coat and purse while my dog barks her welcoming ‘hello’. My parents have settled in the family room with the night’s TV festivities and dinner is laid across the kitchen counter in an array of Pyrex dishes. A part of me always hates late classes just because I feel like I miss out on the lively parts of my family’s days.

“Well now, who is this? Is this? Maggie!

It’s our lost daughter!” says Dad. As I drag my bag into the kitchen, my mother claps, chanting my name. It’s 8:30 p.m. and

though my family stays up pretty late, I am limited on social time with them. Ruffling my mom’s hair, I drop into one of our big recliners; the day I had just experienced already rattling through my lips.

I wonder sometimes if this recall of my fairly mundane day—while boring to others—is an exciting adventure for her. I hate that while the rest of us can leave the house, she cannot on her own. The values she instilled in me I know are in her as well. She raised me to be an independent woman; always willing to find the next challenge in life. It was hard to see her lose the right that all of us take for granted: independence.

The ‘I love you’ in the morning, the midday phone call and the nightly chat are not enough to me. There is never enough time, but it is a way to look forward to tomorrow and know that no matter what bangs in the night, my mom is there to tell me that it is going to be alright.

“Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often

disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. Most people with MS learn to cope with the disease and continue to lead satisfying, productive lives.”

Information provided by National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

have been diagnosed with MS in the United States

45%

The farther a country is from the equator the cases of MS increase

of MS patients are not severely affected by the disease

Sclerosis is a Greek word meaning hardening of tissue or scarring.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Lilly Huxhold and her mother Margret Huxhold spend a family vacation in the Ozarks nearly twelve years after her mother’s diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis.

EDITORS Kavahn Mansouri Kelly Glueck Mike Ziegler Hans Steinert Lilly Huxhold Kurt Oberreither Alex Kendall Jesse Hofford Tomi Storey Spencer Gleason Kait Thomas Justin Villmer Shannon Philpott

Editor in Chief Managing Editor Photo Editor Multimedia Editor Graphic Design Editor News Editor Art & Life Editor Opinions Editor In Depth Editor Sports Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Faculty Adviser

women more prone to MS than men

Join the movement, contact your local MS Society chapter to get involved in the fight to keep S’myelin GRAPHIC BY: LILLY HUXHOLD

MONTAGE STAFF THE MONTAGE Amber Davis Steven Duncan Victoria Barmark Chris Campbell Brian Haenchen Anastasia Heermann Nick Herrin Sadie Hill Jace Jones Aaron McCall Jarod Powell Daniel Reynolds Kimberly Morice Sara Murillo David Kloeckener Nick Rousseau Jake Simorka Sam Wise Anabel Gonzalez Kyle Melsheimer Cory Montero

Senior Staff Writer Senior Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Senior Staff Writer/Photographer Staff Writer/Photographer Staff Photographer Staff Photographer Staff Photographer Staff Photographer Staff Designer Staff Designer Staff Designer

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Editorial views expressed or content contained in this publication are not necessaritly the views of St. Louis Community College, the Board of Trustees or the administration.

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

(314) 984-7655.

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

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8 INDEPTH March 8, 2012

spring break

PLAYLIST Type http://spoti.fi/AwQKxt into your phone browser to listen on Spotify now.

Check out these playlists for whatever spring break brings you!

Catch up on spring cleaning Dude Looks Like a Lady / Aerosmith All Star / Smash Mouth Eye of the Tiger / Survivor Another One Bites the Dust / Queen Here Comes the Sun / The Beatles Whip It / Devo Get Up Offa That Thing / James Brown Love Shack / The B-52’s Shake Your Tailfeather / The Blues Brothers Beat It / Michael Jackson Take a road trip Running on Empty / Jackson Browne Highway to Hell / AC/DC Hit the Road, Jack / Ray Charles On the Road Again / Willie Nelson Drive My Car / The Beatles Low Rider / War Mustang Sally / Wilson Pickett Mercedes Benz / Janis Joplin Free Bird / Lynyrd Skynyrd Ramblin’ Man / The Allman Brothers Staring at the ceiling Poison and Wine / The Civil Wars Flightless Bird / Iron and Wine Transatlanticism / Death Cab for Cutie Rebuild Bridges / The Bridges New York / Snow Patrol Video Games / Lana Del Rey Raise Your Weapon / Deadmau5 Teardrop / Massive Attack Beatrix Runs / Elizaveta The Animals Were Gone / Damien Rice

It is never too late (or too early) to explore the culture that St. Louis as a tourist.

The Arch To St. Louisans, The Arch is the symbol of the city, and standing at 630 feet, it is the tallest monument in the country. Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cost for Journey to the Top is $10 per adult, $5 per child Soulard Farmer’s Market The Farmer’s Market, located just south of downtown, is one of the oldest public markets in existence in the U.S. Come visit the stalls of local farmers for fresh vegetables, meats, cheeses, bakery goods and flowers. The market is open Wednesday thru Saturday, year-round.

Anheuser Busch Brewery Experience a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing of Budweiser by going on a Beermaster Tour. Along the tour you will visit the historic Brew House, Fermentation Cellars, Bevo Packaging Facility and Finishing Cellars, including a sample directly from a Finishing Tank!

Visit http://budweisertours.com for reservation info and times.

Blues Game Cheer on the Blues at a home hockey game. Upcoming home games are Saturday March 10 at 7 p.m. vs. the Blue Jackets, Tuesday March 27 at 7 p.m. vs. The Predators, and Saturday March 31 at 7 p.m. vs. the Blue Jackets.

Cost for tickets range from $29-$169 each.

The Loop Looking for entertainment or a day of shopping? The Loop offers six blocks of retail, restaurants, live music and café culture. Visit http://visittheloop.com for a full list of businesses.

INDEPTH March 8, 2012

in TOMI STOREY INDEPTH EDITOR

Fun family activities to do in St. Louis are right around the corner.

City Museum The City Museum is a giant children’s playground made out of found objects, geared towards young and old. Open Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost is $12 per person. Additional charges may apply.

Museum of Transportation The Museum of Transportation is full of historic trains to explore. Open Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost is $8 per adult, $5 per child.

Get some inspiration by visiting one of these local prestigious institutions.

Art Museum The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the principal U.S. art museums, visited by up to a half million people every year.

Open Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday is open until 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Botanical Gardens The Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest botanical institutions in the U.S. and is a National Historic Landmark.

Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $8 per adult 12+, 12 and under are free. St. Louis City/County residents are $4 per adult, $3 per senior (ages 65+).

St. Louis

Academic Advising ● St. Louis Community College ● 11333 Big Bend Road ● St. Louis, MO 63122

ACADEMIC ADVISING

TRANSFER LECTURE SERIES

MERAMEC TRANSFER FAIR

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 11:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.

Confluence Room

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 9:30 a.m.—12:30 p.m.

Student Center Commons

Speaker: Melissa Hattman, Director, Community College Relations Learn about what you need and what is required when transferring to a four year university.

Come and learn about the programs, admissions requirements, and scholarship opportunities from the 32, four year transfer schools in attendance.

Light refreshments served.

For more information, please contact Tracy Lampkins, Academic Advising at tlampkins@stlcc.edu or 314.984.7588.

St. Louis Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. If you have accommodation needs, please call 314-984-7588 within two working days of the scheduled event to request needs. Documentation of disability may be required.

ART&LIFE March 8, 2012

Mastering the communications Professor diversifies teaching with multiple degrees BRIAN HAENCHEN STAFF WRITER Christaan Eayrs may teach only mass communication classes at STLCCMeramec, but his academic degrees cover a wide range of subjects.

“I have always been interested in sharing information. I just like that idea,” Eayrs said. “And I didn’t know it was through journalism and mass communication early on.”

Eayrs is well-versed in a variety of subjects within the field of mass communications. He has a certificate in radio/television broadcasting from Brown Institute in Minneapolis, a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Missouri Western State University and a master’s degree in mass communication and media studies from Bowling Green State University.

Before joining the faculty at Meramec, Eayrs worked at radio stations in Minnesota and Iowa and was a teacher in Ohio, Texas and Illinois university.

Growing up, Eayrs always had an interest in the distribution of information, but it was not until he started working at his college’s radio station that he realized journalism and mass communications was the field for him.

As a freshman at University of Minnesota-Duluth, Eayrs found his calling while hosting Thursday night jazz program on KUMD, a public radio station on the campus.

“I feel kind of silly listening to [tapes of my old broadcasts],” Eayrs admitted with a grin. “I was a 19-year-old kid trying to be a jazz DJ, but at the time, it was really invigorating and it felt really cool, being on the air. It was always great when somebody would call, [because that meant] people were actually listening and that was very fulfilling.”

In fact, Eayrs enjoyed radio so much that he left UMD and enrolled in a oneyear radio/television certificate program at Brown Institute in Minneapolis. Upon receiving his certificate, he started job hunting.

“I just started sending out tapes around and this little station in Iowa hired me to work overnights from 10 p.m.

6 a.m. in the mornings,” Eayrs said. “It wasn’t too far from home so I figured I’d give it a try.”

As assistant program director at KXIA in the 90s, Eayrs had the priviledge to interview country music superstars such as Reba McEntire, as well as the Dixie Chicks. However, there was one artist that stood out in his mind as the most memorable.

“Faith Hill,” Eayrs said proudly as he leaned back in his chair. “I was so excited to meet Faith Hill. I’ve got pictures with her. I mean, they’re kind of embarrassing that I’m in them but it’s proof that I actually met this person.”

PHOTO BY: JAKE SIMORKA

“I have always been interested in sharing informantion. I just like that idea”, Eayrs said. “And I didn’t know it was through journalism and mass communication early on. Eayrs teaches a variety mass communication classes at STLCC-Meramec.”

His time in Iowa helped Eayrs realize that he preferred the behind-the-scenes work to being an on-air personality, so he enrolled at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo., and in 1999, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies with an emphasis in public relations.

“I didn’t feel like an on-air future was in the cards, but kind of doing all those things around it,” Eayrs said. “So, I got my bachelor’s in public relations and they’re definitely related. They’re all about sharing information, conveying information, so in that way they all kind of go together and blend together.”

It was as a graduate student at Bowling Green University that Eayrs discovered a unique way to fulfill his interests in sharing information while helping others. “[Teaching] was something that if you ever would have asked me, even in college, would this be something you would ever do? I would have said no,” Eayrs said. “But I really enjoyed it and I really enjoyed sharing. It all sort of goes back to broadcasting. I really liked sharing information and this was another way.”

After graduating from Bowling Green, Eayrs accepted a job teaching mass communications at Texas A&M in 2005.

“I got offered some jobs very close to Bowling Green, a couple of universities

real close by where I knew a lot of the people,” Eayrs said, “but I got offered this job in Texas and I thought, I’ve never lived in Texas, I’ve never been there, what a great chance to go do something different.”

Collegue Randy Ray and Eayrs taught multiple classes together, but there was one in particular that stood out to Ray. “It was called media design. Students were required to design a website, making it very media-rich [with] video and audio on it. It was basically a portfolio class for them,” Ray said. “Christaan would pull in some of his expertise in the writing part and the web design part and I would bring in my expertise with the audio and video production. So, we came together and it was quite a good class.”

While the class itself was required for undergraduate students, Eayrs and Ray both volunteered to teach the class, because they work well together as teachers, according to Ray. “The reason I volunteered for it was just for the opportunity to work with him, because he is such a pleasant person to work with. He really cares about his students,” Ray said.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Eayrs also served as the faculty advisor for the school’s newspaper, The Prairie.

“It was a great job that I had never thought I would have. I didn’t have a

huge history in print,” Eayrs said.

While many of his students have gone on to careers in broadcasting, Andrea DeLeon, who was an editor for The Prairie under Eayrs, was inspired to choose a different career path.

“He’s kind of mentored me, not just through college, but after college,” Eayrs former student Andrea DeLeon said. “I had a really hard time after college deciding what I wanted to do. I think it’s kind of funny that I ended up as an advisor after having Christaan as an advisor. Really looking up to him for what he did for me inspired me to want to go into that field and work in higher education.”

While he enjoyed his time in Texas, Eayrs’ parents, sister and newborn nephew had just moved to Illinois.

To enable himself to spend more time with his family, he moved back to the Midwest, taking a job at Benedictine College in Illinois before ultimately applying for the job opening at Meramec.

“I worked at Benedictine University for a year, then was lucky enough to see the job opening for here and thought this would be a great opportunity because I really enjoy teaching and that’s really my passion,” Eayers said before taking a brief pause. “I love the mission of the community college, specifically St. Louis Community College; the faculty here and their focus, which is serving the students.”

Want to know more about speed dating? Check out the Montage’s coverage of the event at www.meramecmontage.com

12ART&LIFE March 8, 2012

DIGGING into Meramec KIMBERLY MORICE SENIOR STAFF WRITER A tall man stands before a classroom full of geology students, his smiling face looking out at his students as he fiddles with his dinosaur necktie. STLCC– Meramec Professor Carl Campbell pushes his thinly-framed glasses up his nose as they slide down while talking about rocks and minerals.

Campbell did not always plan on becoming a professor.

“When I went to school, originally I wanted to be a doctor–that’s not true, when I was very young, I wanted to be a geologist. My grandfather convinced me that there wouldn’t be a need for geologists, I’d be out of work and we’d run out of oil. I thought my grandfather knew everything, so I thought since I love science and biology, I’d become a doctor,” Campbell said.

While attending Indiana University, Campbell found himself struggling through organic chemistry.

“You know that if you’re going into medicine, you have to take organic chemistry early on,” Campbell said.

“That’s the course where they weed out the weak sisters, those that can’t cut it.

When I got into organic chemistry in my junior year, I was clueless; I had no idea what was going on.”

In a time of student revolutions, Campbell found himself lost in the chemistry lab with his lab partner, who is now a professor at Washington University. During a lab, Campbell and his lab partner accidentally blew the lab up, which caused the National Guard to be called in, according to Campbell.

“It was an accident, but we still got an A in lab,” Campbell said. “But I was failing the lecture.”

At the time that Campbell was struggling through organic chemistry, he was taking two geology courses “just for the fun of it and I loved it,” Campbell said. After much thought, Campbell decided to switch his major to geology and his lab partner followed his lead. “I never looked back,” Campbell said.

Campbell became the president of an oil company for many years.

Eventually, after the company went through a hostile takeover and he lost his job, Campbell put together a leveraged buyout and bought back his family business, which made bug spray and insecticide. Struggling to compete against big-name companies, Campbell began teaching geology courses at Meramec as an adjunct professor. He sold his family company after being hired as a full-time professor in fall 2005.

“I really enjoy the students, they’re so much fun,” Campbell said. “For me,

they’re like blank slates when they come in. They’re taking my course just to get their science out of the way; most of them are at least. It’s really fun to watch them learn about the physical world and how we got here.”

department Nancy Collier, has known Campbell since he began working at Meramec. Collier, like Hauser, said she admires how Campbell interacts with his students and the subject he teaches.

“He loves teaching and he is

PHOTO BY: KIMBERLY MORICE

Carl Campbell, geology professor at STLCC-Meramec, demonstrates how earthquakes are brought about to his Earth Science class. Campbell has been a full-time professor at Meramec since 2005.

Since Campbell was hired as a fulltime professor, he has shared an office with Chemistry Professor Michael Hauser. Throughout the years, Hauser has witnessed Campbell’s interactions with his students.

“What’s funny about [Campbell], he brings the most life experience to his teaching of anybody I’ve known,” Hauser said. “He’s really passionate about what he does; he really likes this stuff and I think the students pick up on that too.”

Chair of the Physical Sciences

100-percent devoted to his students,” Collier said. “Not only does he love students, but he’s willing to give his knowledge to people. I think that makes him stand out. He’s not stingy with it at all; he just gives it away as much as he possibly can.”

Campbell takes his love of geology out into the field during the summers, spending the majority of his time in Montana and southeastern Missouri working with professors from other colleges across the nation. He plans to write a grant proposal for a three-year

program to get students out into the field as well.

“I realized that this would be an outstanding opportunity for undergraduates to get into research,” Campbell said. “So I’m putting together a proposal for the National Science Foundation where we bring undergraduates up there in the summer to help with the research that we’re doing, and during the school semesters when we’re not in the field, they’ll do lab work and that sort of thing and be involved in writing papers and giving presentations as undergraduates.”

This proposal will act in addition to the field program Campbell has helped run for the last three years. Students cover 4,000 miles in two weeks, where they learn about how the Rocky Mountains formed, glacial geology, volcanology, erosion and they have the opportunity to look for dinosaur fossils.

“It’s limited to 13 students for the field course and it’s been really successful,” Campbell said. “They have a great time.”

Through the field course he runs and the classes he teaches, Campbell said he always hopes students take away a better understanding of the earth they live on.

“If they could just take back some basic information about their physical surroundings and an appreciation of the rocks when they drive through them or if they go out west to the mountains,” Campbell said. “Then they can answer their children’s questions about how the mountains formed.”

Campbell said that geology is a large part of his life, whether he is talking about it teaching it or studying it.

“I love geology. I really do, always have,” Campbell said. “It’s a great field.

If anybody has an interest and can show an interest, I can always tell the ones who will make good scientists. They’re curious and skeptical at times, they’re good at math and data, have a bit of a memory. Geology is observational.”

Campbell smiles when he talks about his subject and the projects he is working on. He said that everything he is doing is going to eventually benefit his students, who always remain his first priority.

“Students seem to think my courses are tough, but I think they’re really easy.

I sure have a good time in my classrooms.

It’s fun, students are funny, they really are,” Campbell said. “If they’re not sure about what science courses they want to take, if they’re afraid of smelly and squishy things in biology, or afraid they might blow up the chemistry lab like I did, have them come take a geology course. They might like it.”

ART&LIFE March 8, 2012

Profile on an audiophile Student collects pieces of a musical medium ALEX KENDALL ART & LIFE EDITOR The arm swings over toward the center, hovering for just a few seconds.

As it drops, the needle comes into contact with the vinyl and traces along the impression. With a few hisses and pops, John Stewart’s “Cannons in the Rain” begins to play over the floor speakers across the room and STLCC-Meramec student David MacRunnel settles down into an armchair. “[Analog] sounds better, flat out,” MacRunnel said. “There is something about it. It is noisier, it does have its limitations, but when you work within them, it just sounds better. That’s why I use it.”

With a closet lined with thousands of vinyl records, reel-to-reel recordings and tapes accompanied with a wall full of playback equipment, MacRunnel has made analog audio his livelihood.

“Well I measured, and between my closet and a few other places, I have about 40 feet of vinyl,” MacRunnel said. “I’ve stopped counting, I just go by feet now.”

From local Goodwills to the record shops around town, MacRunnel began collecting when his parents first gave him an allowance. His collection includes many genres including classical, rock and jazz.

“I’ve been interested in audio as far as I can remember,” MacRunnel said. “I’ve just always been interested in turntables, recording. It’s always been my dream to go out and record things and transfer tapes and bring them to new life.”

With such a vast and diverse collection, MacRunnel said that he has learned to appreciate all types of music.

“To be a music fan in general, you have

PHOTO BY: ALEX KENDALL

David MacRunnel sifts through his records that he has collected since he was young. MacRunnel’s audio knowledge and record collection have caught the attention of “Time Magazine” and “CBS Evening News” and the recognition of Michael Fremer, writer for the magazine “Stereophile” and sound director of the original “Tron”.

to be able to appreciate all styles of music and all genres of music,” MacRunnel said. “You have to be able to appreciate everything, whether you like it or not. You have to be able to see what gives it value.

You have to recognize that all music has value to be a true music fan.”

Student Activties Council organizes flash mob

PHOTO BY: JESSE HOFFORD

At 11:52 a.m. on Feb 29th students witnessed a flash mob organized by Student Activities Council in the Student Center Quad. The group started as “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid came on the monitor speakers set up outside.

View the video of the Flash Mob at http://www.meramecmontage.

In high school, MacRunnel said he began recording for Parkway Central and was surprised by his results.

“I recorded one concert and it turned out absolutely fantastic,” MacRunnel said. “I learned that I kind of knew what I was doing.”

As his knowledge and experience with audio evolved, MacRunnel set off after high school to attend Meramec to obtain a degree in mass communications with an emphasis in multimedia. MacRunnel continues with his recordings in analog at Meramec, where he has taped performances in the theater.

“He is far more knowledgeable about audio in general,” professor Gary Gottlieb said. “And analog audio in particular when compared to his peers.”

In the time of iPods and MP3 files, MacRunnel says that vinyl’s sound quality cannot be rivaled.

“I got my first record player at the age of three,” MacRunnel said. “And ever since I was little I’ve had this driving passion for gear, music and sound quality, all three of them equally.”

MacRunnel said that in these times the music industry does not care about quality, but rather quantity. With a high compression rate in MP3 files, the highs and lows of the song are squashed down making the songs louder, not better, according to MacRunnel “People don’t know how to listen to quality and they don’t realize there is something better out there than iPod ear buds or dollar store ear buds,” MacRunnel said. “No one actually sits down and listens to an album all the way through.”

MacRunnel’s extensive collection of

records and audio knowledge has caught the attention of “Time Magazine”, “CBS Evening News” and the recognition of Michael Fremer, writer for the magazine “Stereophile” and sound director of the original “Tron”.

“There’s this resurgence now and kids are hearing a record for the first time,” Fremer said. “I think David’s kind of in that camp. He heard it early on and he likes recording to analog tapes, he likes the old stuff better, and I think it’s pretty cool.”

Fremer said that MacRunnel had contacted him through email and his knowledge of audio and equipment peaked his interest.

“He reminded me a lot of myself,” Fremer said. “He struck me as someone who’s more fanatical about it than I am, and I am pretty fanatical.”

With all of his years of being surrounded by music, audio, equipment and the support of those around him, MacRunnel said that he could not explain where or how he came to love music.

“I don’t know, I think it is an innate thing with me. I mean, I have always loved music,” MacRunnel said. “I can’t explain why or how, you just do. I enjoy listening to it and I enjoy listening to it critically.”

MacRunnel said that as he continues to work with audio and music, he could not wait to be surprised by what comes next.

“You’ll never stop being surprised,” MacRunnel said. “That is, by far, the biggest thing that’s impacted me, that you’ll never know what you’re going to hear next.”

Preparing Students for Life Lindenwood University Offers • More than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs • Majors ranging from business to the arts • Small class size • Top notch professors who are committed to your success • A thriving athletic program with 26 NCAA teams and 20 student life teams • Beautiful residential campus in historic St.Charles • Great tuition rates and help with financial aid

Call 636-949-4949, visit www.lindenwood.edu or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LUDayAdmissions.

Transfer and Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships Available

A T

M E R A M E C

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

You may take classes for general education credit or pursue the Associate of Arts in Music degree to prepare for transfer into a Bachelor of Music or Music Education 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 143 MUS 211,212

Music Theory I,II,III,IV Basic Music The History of Jazz The Enjoyment of Music Class Voice I,II Class Piano I,II,III,IV Survey of Rock Music Beginning Guitar Jazz Improvisation I,II,III Applied Music (Lessons) I,II,III,IV Introduction to Desktop Publishing Music History I,II

Interested in performing in an ensemble?

All Meramec students may participate. No audition is required!

ENSEMBLES

Music 132 – Orchestra Music 133 – Jazz Lab Band Music 134 – Symphonic Band Music 135 – Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Voices of Magic jazz choir All ensembles hold a seat/part assignment hearing during the first rehearsal.

Members of the Concert Choir may audition for the Chamber Singers and/or the Voices of Magic jazz choir.

For more information, contact the Meramec Music Department Gary Gackstatter, Director of Instrumental Music, ggackstatter@stlcc.edu, (314) 984-7636 Dr. Jerry Myers, Director of Choral Activities & Music Theory, gmyers34@stlcc.edu, (314) 984-7638

SPRING

CAREER

FAIR Meet with area employers and learn about employment opportunities in your community!

Free Admission!

Thursday, March 8, 2012 9AM—2:30PM Meramec Gymnasium 11333 Big Bend Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122 For more information, visit us online at www.stlcc.edu/mc or call us at 314-984-7611.

St. Louis Community College is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

If you have accommodation needs, please contact the event coordinator at 314-984-7611 at least two working days prior to the event. Documentation of disability may be required.

SPORTS March 8, 2012

The gift that keeps on giving Celebrating 40 years of Title IX, Ethridge and basketball give Women’s History Month a fair game SPENCER GLEASON SPORTS EDITOR As a 15-year-old sophomore at Mater Dei High School in Breese, Ill., Shelly Ethridge had already given generations of girls entering the private high school after her a gift of a women’s basketball team.

“I didn’t want to go to that high school because they didn’t have a women’s basketball team,” Ethridge, Lady Archers basketball coach, said. “It was a family tradition to go to that high school though. My mom and dad said ‘If you go there, we promise we’ll get women’s basketball for you.’ They petitioned [going door-to-door, getting over 800 signatures] and went to all the board meetings and then my sophomore year we got women’s basketball.”

Although it was 1983 and 11 years after Title IX had become law, prohibiting discrimination based on gender in educational programs that receive federal money, including athletics, Mater Dei did not have a women’s basketball team. Still in compliance with Title IX, the private school did offer women’s volleyball, softball, women’s tennis and track and field.

Since Title IX had come into play in 1972, the number of women athletes had jumped from 817,073 girls participating in high school sports to 1.3 million girls participating in 1973, according to the St. Lawrence County Branch in New York State.

“In my town there were three [of us girls] and we three grew up playing against the guys every day in my backyard,” Ethridge said. “I am convinced that that’s what made me a fairly good player at such a young age. To not

have a program, the guys certainly made us three very aggressive and gave us that drive and will to win. There were about 20 people that tried out that first year though.”

Two gentlemen that Ethridge played against were Paul Lusk, who is now the head coach for men’s basketball at Missouri State and Brent Brady, who played professional baseball for the Atlanta Braves.

“Those two guys were in my yard every single night and we would play ball,” Ethridge said. “We would set up a flash light on the basketball pole and we would play all night long. They certainly helped me. Before I started hanging out with those guys, it was just my dad, myself, my mom and my sister. We would just be out there shooting all the time.”

Sports were a part of every day life for Ethridge and her family. “[Sports] is what made me happy,” Ethridge said. “Our family was just really close and we’d sit down for dinner every single night and after we all did the dishes and all cleaned the table off together, we’d all go shoot hoops or play catch or something. It was just so much fun.”

The childhood that gave Ethridge a basketball team to play for has helped pave the way to the continuous numbers growing in high school women’s sports across the country. Forty years after Title IX went into effect; now 3,173,549 girls play high school sports—a far cry from 294,015 the year before Title IX, according to Acosta and Carpenter’s “Women in Intercollegiate Sport, Longitudinal and National Study.”

ARCHIVE PHOTO BY: KELLY GLUECK Lady Archer Head Coach Shelly Ethridge instructs the next drill during practice in Oct. 2011. Ethridge played basketball professionally overseas in Venice, Italy and was a four-sport athlete in high school.

Ethridge said she is thankful for the doors athletics and sports have opened up in her life. “I wouldn’t change the experience I had growing up for anything in the world.”

The City of Kirkwood is a Great Place to Play AND Work!

PLAYING IN KIRKWOOD Kirkwood Park:

Close to Downtown, with Tennis Courts, an outdoor theatre, softball fields, playground, picnic sites, and fishing!

Grant’s Trail on the Great Rivers Greenway:

8 miles of trail from the trailhead at Hoffmeister Avenue to Leffingwell and straight through Downtown to Kirkwood Park

WORKING IN KIRKWOOD Help Wanted:

Look for employment opportunities on the City’s Website at www.kirkwoodmo.org. We often have part-time openings.

Current Opening:

We have an IMMEDIATE opening for a temporary Independent Contractor to create flow charts for our purchasing department. The applicant will need to know PowerPoint or Excel (or recommend a better software to us). You can work from your home or in our office, possibly over spring break. The project involves approximately 30 to 40 hours of work total. We require a resume and references. Contact Tamara Roach, assistant purchasing director, at 314-822-5982 or by email: roachtg@ kirkwoodmo.org.

16SPORTS March 8, 2012

Swinging for a national championship

STLCC Archers begin baseball season with 10-game winning streak BRIAN HAENCHEN STAFF WRITER

McHenry County College snapped the STLCC Archers’ 10-game win streak on Sunday, March 4, with a 5-3 victory at STLCC-Meramec. Heading into Sunday’s game, the Archers had not lost since mid-February, when they were swept by No. 6 Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in their first series of the season.

After dropping game one 9-5, the Archers held a lead in both halves of the double-header on Feb. 19. They let a 4-3 seventh inning lead slip away in game one and watched an early 6-2 lead dissipate in game two.

Sophomore left fielder Mike Ehrhard led the way in the double header, driving in five runs on three hits.

A total of 10 different pitchers also saw action in Sunday’s double-header.

That series against DMACC was actually a late addition to STLCC’s schedule. Coach Tony Dattoli jumped at the opportunity to add the Bears to his schedule, after their series in Nebraska was snowed out.

“Early in the season, the more at-bats you get, the better off you’re going to be,” Dattoli said in a news release on NJCAA website.

“The way our schedule plays out, these are games we kind of had to take advantage of between Feb. 28 and March 17 we play 15 out of 17 days. It was beneficial for us to be able to get quality at-bats, quality innings on the mound.

Now that we’ve seen everything at game speed, we have nine days to get things figured out.”

Dattoli’s plan to get his team playing earlier in the season paid off, as the team has lost just twice since that series sweep.

“It felt great to get a feel for live pitching again,” Matt Weiss, freshman infielder, said. “Just getting outside and playing again [felt great].”

The unseasonably warm weather also allowed the Archers to start outdoor practices earlier in the season. The extra time allowed the team to hone their

fielding abilities and re-adapt to playing outdoors before the season started.

“It was good to get some swings and feel comfortable before we started the regular season,” Dylan Rowe, outfielder, said. “If I had to choose [one area that we focused on during practice], it’d be defense. Our infielders took a lot of groundballs and outfielders worked on their footwork.”

Their early season games and outdoor practices helped the players fine-tune their skills; it was during the fall season that they started to bond as a team.

“The fall was huge,” Rowe said. “We had a few [road] trips and we came together on the bus rides. Also, it helped figure out who’s going to be in what role during the season, because in junior college you have two years of eligibility, meaning there are new starters every year.”

While STLCC’s ultimate goal is to win the NJCAA World Series, Rowe understands they must first take care of business in regionals.

“My expectation for the next year is to win the World Series.

Every team has the same goal when the season starts and I hope we can put it together,” Rowe said. “But to start off, I’d really like to win regionals because we got knocked out after only three games last year.”

One of the teams STLCC could encounter in the playoffs is Louisiana State University-Eunice (LSU-Eunice). The Bengals (152) are ranked third in the nation and feature a starting rotation that features three pitchers with at least 20 strikeouts, including Brady Domangue, who leads the team with 28.

The Archers will have an opportunity to see how they stack up against LSU-Eunice over spring break, when they hit the road for a seven-game swing through Mississippi and Louisiana. “[Our series against] top ranked LSU-Eunice will give us a great test to see how our team can play against one of the top ranked teams in the country,” Weiss said.

ARCHER BASEBALL HOME GAMES

March 9 at 2 p.m.

March 10 at 2 p.m.

*all at Heine Meine Park

ILLUSTRATION BY: CORY MONTERO