March 31 full issue

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ADVOCATE AUTISM

Graphics by Lexie Keller and Jason Waters VOLUME 51, ISSUE 12 | THURSDAY MARCH 31, 2016 | www.meramecmontage.com

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NEWS

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Search for Meramec Provost continues as July deadline approaches Open forums held for the eight candidates in Student Center Katie Hayes News Editor

As the July 1 deadline for the campus provosts to take office approaches, the search continues to narrow.

Open forums were held with the eight candidates for the new Meramec provost position on March 23, 24 and 25. The 50-minute forums were held in the Student Center. The candidates are both provost and associate provost candidates for the STLCC campuses.

Last fall, it was announced that each STLCC campus will move from the president model to the provost model. Meramec, Forest Park and Florissant Valley are each set to implement a provost position, while Wildwood will implement an associate provost position.

Vice president of academic affairs and interim campus president, Janet Walsh, currently holds the two positions which will be consolidated into the provost position. Walsh is one of the eight candidates applying for Meramec provost.

“I think being an internal candidate is very helpful because that learning curve has already happened,” Walsh said at her Meramec forum on Friday, March 25.

The first two forums took place Wednesday, March 23 — one for Dana Grove and one for Hasan Naima.

Grove, currently interim dean of instruction at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, MO, advocated for active learning strategies in the classroom,

said at his Meramec forum. “I will always remain, at least to some degree, in the classroom.”

The second candidate that day, Hasan Naima, most recently served as president of the business and technology campus at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, MO. Thursday, March 24, three more canididates were introducted at Meramec to answer questions.

Larry Johnson, current associate dean of academic affairs at Broward College-South Campus, spoke at 9 a.m. that morning.

Johnson’s approach is to evaluate student learning outcomes and build programs which increase student retention, enrollment and completion rates according to the biography he sudmitted to STLCC. Ben Latigo, who most recently served as vice president for acadmeic affairs and chief academic officer at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, NH, discussed how he thought the new provost model would affect Meramec.

“With the new chancellor, you’re moving away from the view of separate campuses to one institution,” Latigo said at his Meramec forum. “The campus provost model is less top heavy.”

Latigo also answered questions regarding curriculum decisions.

“There needs to be more accountability in terms of what we are doing for the students,” Latigo said.

Latigo also answered questions regarding running STLCC as more of a business.

“A college — such as this one — is nonprofit,” Latigo said. “However, the Chancellor, CFO, has to run this as a business. Here, our primary

“I think it’s important to talk to people who decisions affect.”

but said it should be faculty who make decisions about curriculum.

Grove began as a professor before moving into administration.

“As an administrator, I have always still kept in the classroom teaching at least one class,” Grove

business is to offer education to students. The business here is to make our students successful.”

Carol Lupardus, current vice president for academic affairs at Florissant Valley, was the last to speak that Thursday. Lupardus

EDITORS Dalila Kahvedzic Jason Waters Katie Hayes Brittney Farrow Katie Leicht Christian Hargas Marissa Diercks Ashley Biundo Christaan Eayrs

Editor-In-Chief Production Manager News Editor Opinions Editor Art & Life Editor Sports Editor Graphics Editor Photo Editor Faculty Adviser

Proud member of March 31, 2016

Janet Walsh explains how she plans to increase student enrollment and retention.

served as acting vice president of acadmeic affairs at Wildwood before moving to Florissant Valley.

The last day of forums, Friday, March 25, the final three candidates were introduced.

Evon Walters, former president of Miller College in Michgan spoke at 9 a.m.

Janet Wlash followed at 2 p.m. the same day.

“I see [the provost] as being the face of the campus,” Walsh said. “I think it’s important for the four provosts to build relationships and get to know each other.”

Walsh said that her leadership style is collaborative.

“I think it’s important to talk to people who decisions affect,” Walsh said. “I don’t think we’re finished in our chaotic world of change. I think communication is really important.”

While there is a current description for the campus provosts, the specifics of the future provosts’ responsibilites are not yet set in stone. “[The position] may look different in a year or two than it does today,” Walsh said.

MONTAGE STAFF Evan Carlen James Claiborne Alexis Austriaco Lexie Keller Redwan Saeed Ian Schrauth Andrew Ameer Chloe Smith

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The final candidate, Vincent Beach, former vice president of academic affairs at Lincoln College of New England in Connecticut spoke at 4 p.m. on March 25.

Photos by Katie Hayes

According to Beach’s biography he submitted to STLCC, Beach’s career is focused on educational management and leadership.

Provost candidate Ben Latigo answers questions from faculty.

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NEWS Chancellor Pittman visits Meramec for open forum

Head of STLCC presents new initiatives and responds to comments Katie Hayes News Editor

Chancellor Pittman hosted an open forum on March 22. This was his third forum at Meramec since taking office in summer 2015.

The forum focused on four initiatives the chancellor plans to implement — expanding marketing to drive enrollment, redesigning the STLCC website, updating campus facilities and increasing employee giving.

The focus of the STLCC marketing will be on increasing enrollment. Programs which currently have low enrollment will be advertised first. These programs include Health, STEM, Information Systems, Hospitality and General Transfer Studies.

“We’re going to advertise for programs we want to get students in now,” Pittman said.

The STLCC website is currently going through a redesign as well. It is set to be published by the end of 2016.

Photo by Katie Hayes

Chancellor Pittman answers questions from forum atendees.

“It will be much cleaner, simpler, not as many buttons,” Pittman said. “Geared toward drawing students to the college.”

Administration will accept input for the website from faculty and staff in several weeks.

The chancellor also spoke about updating facilities. In addition to updating classrooms and offices, study nooks will be created in common areas.

The chancellor said that since Meramec has large locker rooms, they will shrink and be updated.

The renovations are set to cost a little over $25 million for Meramec’s campus and a little over $82 million for all STLCC campuses combined.

Several questions were asked about the necesity of renovations and if STLCC would need all buildings set to be renovated since enrollment was down.

“When I look at a service area of 2.8 million and our enrollment, it’s not making a whole lot of sense,” Pittman said. “The community wants a community college.”

The chancellor discussed three ways to fund the renovations — self fund over a period of 10-15 years, launch a major capital project campaign or to discuss an additional tax levy.

The chancellor said the next step is to present these ideas to the Board of Trustees.

The Career Fair in the gymnasium on March 10 had over 60 different companies looking for employees. Students attented to look for more opportunities and possible jobs. “I think it’s a great idea for students and employees because it can be hard to find each other,” Six Flags employee Mike Neace said.

CORRECTION In the article “Do you have a warrant” in the March 10, 2016 issue, The Montage inadvertently printed that Dr. Emily Neal had been to Israel and claimed “it was a big deal here when I went to Israel.”

The correct information is that Neal did not go to Israel and these were not her words. In the same piece, Neal stated “people are very clever and ingenius, we cannot underestimate that.” Neal did not say this during the interview. The Montage regrets these errors.

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The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society induction ceromony took place in the Student Center Cafeteria on March 22. Chancellor Pittman was in attendance while the club welcomed their new members.

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Chancellor Pittman takes questions from faculty and staff.

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Christy Hummel Transfer Specialist

askchristy@umsl.edu 314-516-6943 Office hours for STLCC Meramec students: Mondays & Thursdays

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Call 314-984-7575 for an appointment 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Advising Center – Clark Hall

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March 31, 2016

4

OPINIONS

Generation Millennial: entitled crybabies or youth in distress?

Why young America should keep whining, despite criticism Brittney Farrow Opinions Editor

Years ago, as a child, my goals for my future were bright.

Like most kids, I wanted to be successful. When I thought about what my life might one day be like.

I could see myself in a big house on the beach, driving a sporty car and heading to my corner office in a building with a lobby fountain. As juvenile as it sounds, that is what I wanted. At one time, all of those things seemed possible to me.

Now, however, my big dreams are a lot different: I want to one day — hopefully — live in an apartment by myself; I want a job that does not completely suck; I want to take one brief trip to another country. In comparison, I have grounded myself quite a bit, and yet I still worry that those dreams I have - those last big hopes and wishes — will not happen.

For so many people my age, the future looks bleak. We live in a society that requires a degree for most jobs, and yet tuition rates are at an all-time high. To go to college, most of the people I know have had to take out ridiculous loans. Unfortunately, those loans often become a burden so large that graduates are entering the

work field with a mountain of debt demanding to be addressed.

With that debt, they face bleak prospects: the degree they spend so much time on and worked so hard to achieve does not promise them anything.

Engineers and Bio-Chem majors become full-time sales associates at Target, or night shift servers at Steak N’ Shake.

The wage they receive at those places is nearly-impossible to live on. The aftermath of such a disappointment can be devastating.

I hear people my parent’s age scoff at Millennials often; we enjoy technology and practice selflove so we must be vain and lazy.

One night, on the verge of exhaustion, I voiced my frustrations on social media. This was met with a swift, annoying response from an uncle of mine: “Welcome to the real world.” I could hear the condescending tone of his voice through my computer screen.

I am twenty-two and I work three jobs on top of my full-time course load. Every day that I am not in school I have to work. With that kind of schedule, I rarely get a good night’s sleep. I am tired constantly. I get sick more often, and my pre-existing condition becomes even harder to deal with.

As hard as it is, I remind myself constantly that others have it much worse. Every time I feel

like moaning and whining, I stop myself because I do not want to give anyone else the satisfaction of allowing them to think that I consider myself above this kind of lifestyle. I tell myself that this is typical, and I should not complain.

Only, my complaints are not empty — they mean something.

I could sit here and list out fact after fact about how — financially, at least — Baby Boomers had it easier. I could talk about inflation; I could talk about unemployment; I could gripe about social security. That would be fruitless. Baby Boomers are not interested in relating to a struggle they cannot see.

This issue is not a cry for attention though — it is real. It did not appear from thin air, and the limited options provided to young people deserve to be addressed.

If we suppress our problems they are easier to ignore. The best way to address the numerous issues we face as a generation is to keep talking about them — to make them known. We have to actively participate in the formation of our society; we have to play a part in electing leaders and cultivating culture.

As much as we would all like to refrain from being a nuisance, we almost have to be to be acknowledged at all.

Fortunately social media

Illustration by Brittney Farrow

has given us the opportunity to breathe life into our worries and use them for a good cause.

Baby Boomers like to call us entitled, and they like to say we whine a lot. Since we cannot

change their opinion of us, it is only practical that we embrace it and allow it to make us more active citizens. In a time like this, we need to be. So whine, cry, and make a scene. Do whatever you want.

My arm hurts: an argument against vaccines

Why our trade of pain for peace of mind needs to be renegotiated Evan Carlen Staff Writer

Why is it that the fear of the world is ironically pacified by needles, and their pacifier is an unbeknown solution to most of us?

Furthermore why is it that year-after-year, child-after-child, we plunge more of them into our arms to get vaccines for a laundry list of conditions. I am surprised there is not a vaccine for the common cold by now.

Hear that Walgreens? Step it up.

With all the commercials and ads for flu shots and other vaccinations, it has become the norm to spend our hardearned money on pain and a Power Ranger Band-Aid. In any other context that would be considered absurd, but it is so ingrained in our culture that very few step back to weigh the pros and cons. This complete trust that “doctors know best” is not always the right road, albeit the most traveled.

Vaccines actually have many draw backs behind reducing the risk of an already one-in-a-million condition.

First of all, vaccines are obviously unnatural, and natural immunity is more effective than vaccination. Even provaccine organizations state that natural vaccination causes better immunity. Plus natural vaccination March 31, 2016

creates immunity after a single natural infection whereas synthetic vaccination immunity only occurs after several doses. But hey, maybe you will get a Ninja Turtle BandAid your second time around.

Also, doctors are vaccinating for conditions that are all but harmless. This over-protectiveness towards the immune system is like keeping your child away from the possible dangers of school, and yet expecting great performance when they enter the workforce. Like children, immune systems need training to develop and perform optimally.

More drawbacks have to do with what is in the solutions themselves.

Some vaccines include ingredients like mercury, aluminum and even formaldehyde.

All of these ingredients are linked to comas, seizures and oh yeah, death. Sounds like a well-balanced meal to me, but can I get a Powder Puff Girls Band-Aid this time?

Along with poisonous ingredients, allergies need to be taken into account.

Many complex proteins are found in vaccines that could lead to anaphylaxis in some people.

Sure they will not get chicken pox but they will breakout in full body sores twice as bad as those associated with chicken pox.

One con of vaccines is particularly striking to me.

The fact that we vaccinate for conditions that do not exist

Graphic by Marissa Diercks

anymore is completely beyond me.

Polio was eradicated in the U.S. in 1979 yet it is still commonplace to vaccinate for it. No cases of diphtheria since 2002, but you still cannot come to school unless you pay the 80 bucks for it — sorry. The money grab

is just ridiculous, in my opinion.

You do not see levees in the desert because the ocean “could” sneak back. You should not have to pay for that levee over one bucket of water, but we do.

So instead of deciding on which Band-Aid you want at your

next vaccine appointment, take that time to decide whether you should get the vaccine in the first place. Your body and pocketbook will greatly appreciate you.

Plus I hear Dollar General just got in a new shipment of superhero Band-Aids.

OPINIONS

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Peace brought in the form of justice: Bosnia and Herzegovina’s story of recovery Radovan Karadzic, Serbian armed forces leader, sentenced to crimes commited in war 21 years ago Dalila Kahvedzic Editor-In-Chief

Bombs, screams and saddened souls lined the cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina for an elongated three-and-a-half years. A horrific ethnic war did not allow children to play outside with friends, nor did it allow simple peace of mind to the typical citizen.

Bright, red roofs were turned a dark black. Pure, green rivers turned red. Smiles turned into frowns — into cries for help. My home country of Bosnia and Herzegovina was torn apart and has since been putting the pieces back together.

For those unaware, the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina was named the most brutal conflict in Europe since WWII. It involved conflict between Bosnian Muslims, Croatians and Serbians and the “cleansing” of Muslims.

Fire began as soon as Bosnia and Herzegovina’s independence was recognized on April 7, 1992.

The United Nations (UN) did not want any involvement in this conflict but did deliver humanitarian aid.The UN also later dictated a number of “safe areas.”

Srebrenica, a town in Bosnia, suffered the most. When the “Srebrenica Massacre” took place, the town was considered a safe area, but in July 1995 this “safe area” was anything but.

A massacre where more than 8,000 Bosnian men were slayed under the command of Serbian armed forces leader Radovan Karadzic. The UN

failed to protect the area.

Almost five months later, on Dec. 14, 1995, the Dayton Peace Accords were signed in France, legally ending the war. Although bombing did not stop right away this was one step closer to peace.

Over the course of threeand-a-half years, more than 100,000 lives were taken — 11,541 being children and about 80,000 being Bosnian Muslims.

More than 100,000 citizens were killed simply because of their religion and what they believed in.

More than 100,000 lives taken, but millions of souls left hollow.

Mothers left without children, children left without mothers; fathers, brothers, sisters – family.

Millions of souls were left with nothing but horror, tears and pieces of their hearts to pick up and try to mend back together.

Having a father who stood tall and strong to defend his country, a father who almost died for it, I reflect on stories told to me by my parents more often than not.

“We were attacked without a reason, we were attacked for who we were,” my mom said.

Stories from my mom are difficult to listen to. One incident took place shortly after my brother was born but before I was. She told me how she ran to my dad as he was lying on the ground from a grenade explosion, almost bleeding to death.

“I ran to him as fast as I could. I picked his head up and he was able to muster out the words, ‘take care of our son,’ – I thought I would never be able to speak to him again,” she said.

She told me how she was able to somehow get a moving car to stop for her, and take him to the hospital. His recovery process was long and arduous.

The day-to-day basis during the war was gruesome. My parents had to block all the doors and windows with mattresses and big, strong wooden boards so bullets would not get through.

“It was always dark,” she said.

Food was a scarcity.

“It was necessary to get food for survival, but only at night where it was hard for anybody to see you.

You would go to a friend’s house and try to get handfuls of anything – sugar, salt, flour,” she said.

As if being stuck in a dark house was not enough, the sound of screams coming from the outside echoed their way in.

“You would hear shots being fired, followed by screams. You knew people were dying right outside of your house,” she said.

“You would pray you weren’t next.”

Besides stories from my parents, I hear them from close friends. My best friend, who lost her sister to this war, reflects on stories from her parents as well.

“It was a clear day — the way my mom remembers it — it was a quiet day,” she said.

“A lot of the neighbors had let kids play outside because they had been stuck inside all day.”

Her mom was scrubbing a rug outside when her daughter kept nagging at her to go outside and play.

“My mom was very worrisome but my dad’s sister convinced her to let her child go outside and play with the other

kids,” she said. “She was only four years old, of course every kid wanted to go outside and play.”

After a bath and a hair-combing, she was allowed to go outside.

“They were playing for a long, long time that my mom had even forgotten because it was so nice - the sound of kids laughing and kicking around a deflated ball,” she said.

The sound of a bomb came next.

“You know — the ‘weeee’ sound — and in the moment you kind of think it’ll fall somewhere else. All the adults rushed to the front of the house and saw their children running toward them in fear,” she said. “As they’re running, my sister is holding hands with another girl. The bomb falls and there’s a big cloud of dust.”

It was hard to see anything for a moment after, she said. The mothers screamed as the smoke cleared up and ran to their children.

“She was the only one, out of all the kids” she said. “It was the smallest piece of the bomb that hit the left of her head, a little above her eye. All the doctors said she felt no pain and it was instant but that doesn’t really comfort anyone.”

Her body spent the night in the garage under white sheets until the priest came for a washing of her body and a proper burial.

“Her burial was done very soon after – bombs echoed throughout the day - but nobody cared. My dad said ‘if it was meant for me to die as I’m burying my child then so be it,’” she said.

If my own dad was not tough and my mom was not

quick, I would not be here today.

If children were only allowed to play outside in a safe environment, my best friend would have a sister, her parents would have another daughter. I cannot even begin to speak for the thousands of innocent people who have lost their loved ones and still feel the undeniable ache from it, right down to their bones.

Over 100,000 lives were taken during this war and on Thursday, March 24, 2016 – 21 years after the war has ended - Radovan Karadzic was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Karadzic was guilty of numerous crimes — murder, extermination and unlawful attacks being a few. Although this brought a type of justice — it does not bring back lives lost and it does not obliterate painful memories. What this does, though, is impart hope for the Bosnian Muslim community.

This introduces a gateway of hope for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future, a step forward.

To say 40 years is not enough may be true, but this is also no reason for anger — Karadzic will die in prison.

As of now, Bosnia and Herzegovina — the country I was born in, the country that is so dear to my heart – is still rebuilding itself. It has and will continue to restore its bright, red roofs and beautiful landmarks.

Let us never forget the events that took place, but let us learn and grow from them.

Let us achieve peace of mind we had long ago needed and turn it into something beautiful.

Illustration by Dalila Kahvedzic

March 31, 2016

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INDEPTH Au•tism - A nuero-developmental disorder which causes people to have

difficulty with social interaction and communicaation. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can range from mild to severe. People with autism sometimes refer to themselves as neurodiverse and refer to people without ASD as neurotypicals.

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Autism: A voice from the students James Claiborne | Staff Writer

The STLCC Meramec campus has enrolled several students over the past few semesters that have been diagnosed with some type of mental or physical condition.

The most common condition is Autism, which is mostly diagnosed in males.

A few students on the Meramec campus who were diagnosed with Autism have developed phenomenal leadership skills.

Luke Barber, a new student to the Meramec campus, has been diagnosed with highfunctioning autism, specifically Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDDNOS).

Being new to the campus and also a trio student, Barber wants to connect with other individuals who are diagnosed with the same unique characteristics, he said.

“I will feel more successful surrounding myself around more students with the same characteristics like myself,” Barber said.

Student Alex Mitchell, a chemistry major, goes to his instructors’ offices when he needs

March 31, 2016

help, he said.

Maureen McGrath, who works in the academic support center, helped Mitchell with his reading skills, he said.

She was also his instructor in Reading 030 and his tutor. “One of the key things is getting help,” Mitchell said. Mitchell is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa.

“I get good grades,” Mitchell said. “I am expected to graduate this summer, and will be going to SIUE.”

Kyle Perskinski, a philosphy major, said he has more mental illnesses than you can count on one hand.

“I have OCD, Asperger’s, Depression, gathers ryes anxiety disorders, ADHD and even a few others including Mania,” he said.

OCD, Asperger’s and depression would be Perskinski’s primary diagnoses.

“These are the mental illness over the years that have had the greatest impact on my life,” Perskinski said. However, I would say that not every mental illness is a disability.”

Perskinski was the only student in his high school who he knew was struggling with this

many issues, he said.

“All my life I felt alone,” Perskinski said. “I can’t think of any other person that had to overcome as many as mental problems as I had.”

“I felt unique even though I felt simultaneously and strange and alone,” Perskinski said.

“I happen to be a high functioning autistic individual so I fall on the high end of the autistic spectrum. I was recently described as a friend admiral; I’m also involved in the socratic club, environmental club, free thinkers club, and am a Trio Tutor.”

Perskinski tells people that he is not mentally disabled, he said. He tells them he is mentally enabled.

When you combine Asperger’s and OCD, you get a more potent mixture that allows you to work tirelessly toward your goals, Perskinski said.

“While you may struggle with other mental disorders, these two in particular have made my life much easier to live,” Perskinski said.

Perskinski is related to those with learning and physical disabilities as well as mental

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illnesses through Meramec’s Focus on Abilities club, he said. He is currently their vice president.

“I only achieve success as a result of working closely with doctors and school officials - especially counselors and people in the access office,” Perskinski said. “This is how I overcome these mental difficulties.”

When Perskinski can tell that somebody might feel out of place, he turns to kindness, he said.

“I try to be kind to these individuals because I understand what it’s like to struggle,” Perskinski said. “And when I meet students and sometimes even faculty and staff who have the same conditions or similar conditions, I immediately empathize with them and I tell them how grateful I am that they shared this information with me.

It makes me feel as of though I am understood.”

Students can reach out to the access office for assistance that can accommodate their needs in order to be successfully academically involved like Luke Barber, Alex Mitchell and Kyle Perskinski.

The Access office is located in Clark Hall, room 120 and can be contacted at mcaccess@stlcc.edu

INDEPTH Accept those with Autism

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Autism is one of the fastest growing mental disorders in the United States.

Lexie Keller | Staff Writer People already see my name in the paper as one of the staff writers, but what they do not know is that I am also autistic.

Everyday, I tend to experience things differently than the neurotypical person.

Neurotypical is a term that autistics use that means anyone who is not autistic.

A lot of autistics also have sensory processing disorder which means our senses can be overstimulated or understimulated depending on the environment that we are placed in.

I get overstimulated sometimes when there is too much noise in one place. For example, a neurotypical may think the Meramec cafeteria is not that loud but I may cover my ears or walk off to a quieter spot because the cafeteria is too loud for me to handle because there are too many people talking at once in one place.

Processing information differently does not make me less human, though.

Autistics are constantly dehumanized by the use of labels created by doctors and psychologists for diagnosing where a person is on the autism spectrum.

For example, autistics who are diagnosed with

Asperger’s Syndrome or highfunctioning autism are usually seen as very creative, intelligent people while autistics that need 24-hour support — and are nonverbal — are usually seen as unintelligent and a burden to their caregivers. When people act like treating someone with autism is difficult, it is dehumanizing for us.

By treating someone with autism better, people think they are doing a good deed or being a hero. It is not about being a hero, but about treating people decently.I understand that we are different, but it is really not that hard to treat us like humans.

People cover more of the high-functioning autistics on the news, but they do not cover low-functioning autistics unless they are getting better — or they run away from home and the police have to come find them.

Nonverbal autistics are just as important. They have their own way of processing things and they’re talented in their own ways.

I hope that in the future people will be able to accept us more for the way we are.

Do not make a big deal out of meeting an autistic person, or seeing them or being friends with them — just treat them like you would any other person.

Do not think you will fail Ian Schrauth | Staff Writer

0.015% One out of every 68 American children are on the autism spectrum.

Autism is four to five times more common amoung boys than girls.

Sometimes, it is hard for us to sociality interact with other people — but that does not stop us from doing great things.

One benefit of my autism is that when I am writing, all of my focus is on the piece. I believe that this is a good thing because if I need to do something in a rush, I can do it swiftly, and get it done.

It may not be the most perfect thing in the world, but it will be finished.

I mean, Susan Boyle is a well-known singer (Not as well known as Adele) but she is known by a lot of people. She has autism.

Autism can go a long way — and mostly in the workplace.

I strongly believe that if you are autistic, you can do great things. A lot of times you can take a whole computer apart and put it back together.

Most of the time, we are tech savvy.

Sometimes, autism has its downfalls. For example, when I have a conversation with someone, I stutter a lot or put words in the wrong sequence.

When I argue a point that I am correct in, I do not know how to get the words out, and I look like a complete fool.

Some autistic people do not have the same condition I do, but they either sound out the words or the words get “stuck” in their mind, and they ca not say it correctly. I believe that this is the same as my problem.

Something else I have noticed in my life is the way I act in social situations. Some people think that I am weird, offensive — or sometimes rude.

I do not tend to be rude, weird, or offensive at all.

I do not think anybody wants to come off as those things.

Some autistic people have a problem with this type of stuff, and if someone finds us like that, they should not react in a rude or weird way — or possibly snap. Some of us don’t know when we are doing it.

Autistic people have a lot of disadvantages, but there are more advantages than disadvantages. Do not think you cannot succeed. There are several reasons why you can.

March 31, 2016

7

ART & LIFE

8

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”

-Jimi Hendrix

A student’s recovery from childhood abuse drives her to success Catherine Hawkins uses past experiences to help women in abusive situations Dalila Kahvedzic Editor-In-Chief

STLCC – Meramec student Catherine Hawkins is graduating this Spring with a human services degree after countless people told her she would not be able to make it.

“You hear people say they can never get through something; they don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was the same way at one point and now? I’m graduating after people told me I wasn’t able to,” Hawkins said. “People told me I couldn’t go back to school because I had a baby; I actually went back to school full-time.”

The road leading up to the graduation stage had been rocky for Hawkins, beginning at the young age of six – a childhood that would unknowingly make a pathway for her career choice.

Hawkins suffered from child abuse by her mother for years before her mother committed suicide, she said.

“She was physically abusive, she would throw me on the bed and jump on me a lot,” Hawkins said. “Unfortunately it’s childhood trauma that you can’t forget sometimes - the last words my mother ever said to me were ‘happy birthday jackass’ on my birthday and that was my last birthday with her,” Hawkins said.

It was very hard growing up without a mom, Hawkins said.

She faced challenges such as being bullied and being forced to grow up by herself. At one point, Hawkins described herself as a hermit – she would never leave the house.

Hawkins did not have much help growing up and school was tough, she said.

Kids would always tell her that she would fail and flunk out.

“Even teachers were horrible back then. One time I was in math class and I was so traumatized by everything. I hated math, so my teacher would scream at me loudly in front of the whole entire class, I would try to look out the window, but she would come up to my desk and yell – ‘what are you looking at Catherine, are there numbers in the sky?’” Hawkins said.

Counseling was forced upon Hawkins, she said. Between counseling, therapy and the medicine she was taking – she gained 50 pounds, with her height only being 4-foot-11”.

“I was always so afraid of counseling. My school said that I was so outcasted that I had to go to therapy, otherwise I would get expelled. I was trying to make March 31, 2016

friends and everything but I didn’t have that motherly guidance. My hair was always a mess, my face full of acne, so it was really hard. I went to another school eventually but I got made fun of because I looked like I was pregnant from all that medicine,” Hawkins said.

Social workers told her that college was not in the books for her, Hawkins said.

“I kind of just gave up on everything. I stayed home for years and just didn’t go out and social workers told me it wasn’t a good idea to go to college. Then they told me to just volunteer – I couldn’t even drive my own car,” Hawkins said.

The road to self-acceptance took a long time, Hawkins said.

“It took so many years.

Starting from very early childhood to 21, actually. I met a boyfriend and decided to move out and move in with him – I couldn’t handle the environment I lived in anymore,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins believes her boyfriend at the time, now husband, is what got her out of the hardship she was in and pushed her to go to school.

Hawkins has since then received an internship with the Crime Victim Advocacy Center as a victim advocate.

“One of the first things I did over the semester was go to the courthouse in the city where I was able to sit with victims [of abuse]. They would come in and they might, for say, need assistance filling out an order of protection if they were abused or if they had a situation where they needed protection from something, and we would assist them,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins currently works primarily in the helpline center.

It is specifically for intimate partner violence, she said.

“A woman will call, say she needs an attorney, she’ll tell us her story and we’ll have to do a preliminary take on her to see if she’s eligible and if we can get her what she needs,” Hawkins said.

Sometimes women calling in may be crying or freaking out, Hawkins said, and it is difficult to talk to someone this way – it is a very hard process.

“We get a preliminary out – and that is where we ask them questions like what they need and what they want,” Hawkins said. “Usually they’ll ask for an order of protection.”

A lot of women will cancel the order of protection because they are afraid, Hawkins said. They get frightened and worry that the situation will end up worse.

“One of the things we do go over with them is a safety plan, each and every time, if they want to go over it,” Hawkins said.

T h e helpline center advises women to take steps such as changing their hairstyle, their clothing, getting a haircut, changing their route to the grocery store and making sure that they have someone reliable to call in case of an emergency.

“We don’t ask them to or tell them to, we are not allowed to do that, we just ask if it sounds good to them,” Hawkins said.

The center’s main goal is to help sufferers of abuse, Photo by Dalila Kahvedzic Hawkins said.

“To assist Besides going to school and having an internship, Hawkins also works in the music them as much as department. She assists Gary Gackstatter, STLCC’s symphonic band conductor with possible and to office work, organizing the music library and getting music ready for classes and make them feel students. safer,” Hawkins said. “Just so they school and accomplish my dreams.” – he’s my little boy,” Hawkins said. have that safety plan so whenever Eventually Hawkins and Hawkins always got told they do go out they can feel safe, her husband got married and to go to school for money and because a lot of them don’t.” now have a two-year-old boy. to get a job for money, but she Baby steps are taken “It’s so funny how people hopes to, along with her husband, with clients to insure stability. say that having a kid is very teach her child otherwise.

“Negative experiences are stressful. I think it’s the best “Money doesn’t buy you what made me better today,” thing that’s ever happened to anything. I actually went from Hawkins said. “One thing that I can me, for sure,” Hawkins said. being very wealthy to living in a say is that negativity can actually Responsibility, working, low class neighborhood, but it’s get you somewhere because people going to college, having a kid and still worth it to me. I enjoy being said I couldn’t do all this stuff and bills are all worth it compared poor rather than being miserable,” I said – let me see what I can do.” to what she went through Hawkins said. “He [son] can do Childhood experience drove in her past, Hawkins said. whatever he put his mind to.”

Hawkins into this career field, Hawkin’s husband sacrificed Hawkins is a full-time she said, but her husband has his own job just so she would be student, a mother and a wife. helped her power through it. able to get to school, she said. Hawkins is also set to graduate “Everybody told me I couldn’t “He’s always saying for Spring of 2016, despite the be who I wanted to be, they told there’s an answer for events she has gone through. me I had such bad anxiety and everything,” Hawkins said.

“One of the things he [son] that I couldn’t be a human service Having a child allows needs to learn is empathy – worker, that I couldn’t go to college Hawkins to be the parent that knowing that there’s reasons for – people always lowered my self- she wished to have, she said. everything. A person who’s poor esteem” Hawkins said. “He made “I can actually be the parent might be the happiest person, me feel important, he was the type that I never had so it’s really good. more so than a man with a million of person that said ‘yeah, you can I go through school and work for dollars,” Hawkins said. “Or a do it – you can do whatever you put the benefits of him. Whenever person with nice clothes and nice your mind to.’ He makes me go to I have hard exams or a hard cars might not be as happy as school – he tells me I have to go to semester I have a reason to go for it someone without a dime on them.”

SPORTS

12

Christian’s Corner Christian Hargas Sports Editor

Archers Heating Up One thing became apparent to me as I sat there at the Meramec baseball field on Friday, Mar. 26, 2016; the STLCC Archers are one of the most resilient junior college baseball teams I have ever seen.

Following the double-header sweep of Saint Charles Community College, the Archers continue their surge toward the end of the season and Region XVI Tournament with a 13-6 record since March 9.

After winning a nail-biter in game one against St. Charles Community College, the Archers blew the doors off in game two with an 11 point victory. The most impressive thing about that second victory was the fact that they trailed by two at the start of the game.

The ability to keep the deficit close and eventually produce a blitzkrieg of runs in the last two innings indicates that this team is heading in the right direction.

The Archers are practically unbeatable on their home turf, as of this moment, posting a 9-2 record. Offensively, they are averaging around seven runs per game with a team batting average of .289. Currently riding a four game winning streak, things are starting to get interesting with this Archers team.

They are currently 5-2 against conference opponents, with some of their most impressive victories this season coming against conference opponents. Head Coach Scott Goodrich has these players believing in themselves and the momentum is slowly rising from within. The name of the old sports teams at Meramec were called the “Magic”, but there is no magic with this team; only pure talent.

Are there things to improve upon, of course there are. There is not a perfect team out there, but there is no arguing the fact that the Archers baseball program is quickly shaping into prime form.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited when it comes to this team and fans need to take advantage of this opportunity to support them. Fans need to come out to these home games and show their appreciation for these players because they are in the middle of producing something special for the college.

Memorable moments occur among the players, coaches and the fans of the team. Showing support for the team is exactly what the fans need to do.

There is still plenty of baseball left to be played, but the foundation has already been laid.

The Archers are not going down without a fight; they will be in the hunt by the end of the year.

Nobody wants to mess with this team, and I do not blame them for feeling that way.

March 31, 2016

Lady Archers lose double-header to Waubonsee Community College 13 defensive errors contribute to team ‘giving the games away’ Christian Hargas Sports Editor

The STLCC Lady Archers softball team lost both games of a double-header against the Waubonsee Community College Chiefs on Saturday, Mar. 26, at the Meramec campus. The Lady Archers were defeated, 4-3, in game one followed by an 8-7 loss in the second contest.

The Lady Archers’ defense committed 13 errors on the day.

The errors on the field were one of a few contributing factors that led to the losses, Head Coach Shawn Summe said.

“I mean [in the first game], we gave up zero earned runs, they [Waubonsee] scored on errors,” Summe said. “I thought we gave it away more than they earned it. I thought Tiffany pitched really well and deserved the win. I also thought we had some quality at-bats, we were hitting the ball really well. I thought we gave the second game away too.”

Sophomore starting pitcher Tiffany Link pitched seven full innings in game one, gave up zero earned runs on seven hits, and struck out two of the 33 batters faced. Sophomore infielder Abbey Holtkamp hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning.

Being prepared during every at-bat is instrumental to being successful at the plate, Holtkamp said.

“During every at-bat, my coach always tells me to have a plan,” Holtkamp said. “During that at-bat, I was looking for the first pitch right there and it was where I thought it would be. I just swung and luckily it carried over the fence.”

Holtkamp’s home run in game one was cause for optimism, Summe said.

“At that point, I thought we were going to put them [Waubonsee] away and this was going to be a good way to start,” Summe said.

“But it just did not happen.”

Freshman shortstop Liz Miller led the team with three hits and four runs in the second game.

Miller’s hit in the bottom of the fourth inning allowed for more scoring opportunities, Summe said.

I was happy for her because she needed it, she needed the confidence building,” Summe said.

“We got it rolling after that, we scored four runs in that inning and that kind of opened some flood gates to score some runs.”

The team’s offense appeared to be clicking during the two games, but the defense was the main problem, Sophomore outfielder/ infielder Sarah Hillis said.

“I felt that offensively, we hit the ball very well today,” Hillis said.

“Defensively, however, we need to work a little bit more at staying down on the ball and working more on routine plays. Overall, I did not think it was a bad day, but the errors have got to stop.”

The Lady Archers had opportunities to score during both games, but missed on some of those opportunities. It is just something that is part of the game and it happens, Summe said.

“Sometimes, it happens and sometimes it does not happen,” Summe said. “Sometimes, we put the ball in play really well and they just made good plays. At times, we just did not come through. You just expect them to do it later. There is a lot of game left and you have to have that mentality of ‘she got me this time, I will get her next time’.”

Sophomore pitcher Katie Brinegar got the start during game two and allowed one earned run through three innings.

Inconsistent movement of pitches

Photos by Dalila Kahvedzic

Sophomore pitcher Tiffany Link pitched seven innings and allowed zero runs to score in the Lady Archers’ 4-3 loss against the Chiefs.

just not working at the times I wanted it to work.”

A few good looking pitches not getting called by the umpire also contributed to the frustration, Brinegar said.

“My curveball was working really well, I was really proud of it,” Brinegar said. “I had really good movement with it and would have been perfect right on the line, but she [umpire] did not call it and that was very frustrating.

“Once we get everybody moving in the right direction, we will be unstoppable.” was a contributing factor to the frustrating start, Brinegar said.

“Well, I had movement,” Brinegar said. “But it was

With six defensive errors in the first game and seven in the second, feeling like they gave the games away, the team

still feels confident in their abilities to make the necessary adjustments, Summe said.

“It is not easy, but the goal is to be better at the end of the year,” Summe said. “We will get back this week and go from there.

There is a lot of season left and we are not worried, we just have to refocus and get some people going in the right direction.”

Holtkamp agreed.

“We just need to make sure that if we make mistakes, we need to come back from it and not hang our heads and give up,” Holtkamp said. “We just have to keep trying and get the next one.”

The Lady Archers just have to be able to pick each other up when they are down, Hillis said.

“If they make an error, you have to be able to go up to them and say ‘it is alright, you will get the next one’,” Hillis said. “Just try your hardest and keep everyone as upbeat as possible. Once we get everybody moving in the right direction, we will be unstoppable.”

(left) Freshman short stop Liz Miller led the team with three hits and four runs scored in the second game of the Lady Archers’ double-header loss to the Waubonsee Community College Chiefs. Picture right: Sophomore infielder Abbey Holtkamp hit the Lady Archers’ only home run of the afternoon in the first game, tied for the team lead with three on the season (right).