May3-2012

M THE MONTAGE

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

How much time and money do you think the average student puts into his or her appearance?

See related story on pages 8-9

@themontage

Volume 47 Issue 14

www.meramecmontage.com

May 3, 2012

fb.me/meramecmontage

Kirkwood Parks and Recreation Invites You: Learning is FUN in Kirkwood!

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KIRKWOOD PARKS & RECREATION Kirkwood Community Center 111 S. Geyer Road 314-822-5855 Register online: www.kirkwoodmo.org/recreation

NEWS May 3, 2012

THE SUMMER AT A GLANCE

PA R K I N G

BETWEEN THE LINES

MAY 7 LAST DAY OF SEMESTER CLASSES MAY 8 FINAL EXAMS, MERAMEC GRADUATE

RECEPTION & NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION MAY 17 GRADES ARE DUE MAY 18 OFFICIAL DEGREE CONFERRAL DATE MAY 20 GRADUATION COMMENCEMENT MAY 21 SUMMER TERM BEGINS JUNE 4 EIGHT WEEK COURSES BEGIN JULY 29 LAST DAY OF SUMMER TERM JULY 30 GRADES DUE AUGUST 20 FIRST DAY OF CLASSES

Monday, April 30, The Montage counted cars in STLCC-Meramec’s parking lots to calculate the number of students who hang those yellow parking tags from their rear-view mirrors.

how many vehicles did not have a parking tag?

If STLCC were to issue a $10 fine to those students who did not have a parking tag in their vehicle, how much would the college have accumulated?

400

how many vehicles did have a parking tag?

932

Although the first parking tag is available for free in the Campus Life Office, 30 percent of the 1,332 cars counted between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. did not have a pass.

Up to $4,000 a day

vehicles in parking lots g, i, j, k, m, n, o, p, q, t u, v and w were tallied.

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4NEWS May 3, 2012

Wasson addresses campus at forum KAVAHN MANSOURI EDITOR IN CHIEF On Wednesday, April 25 in SC 200, STLCC-Meramec President George Wasson addressed the students, faculty and staff to answer questions about the safety of the campus following the arrest of three students involved in an altercation two weeks prior.

This year, there have been a number of incidents on campus. One included the suspension of another student in October after being involved in a dispute. Wasson said the incidents were not related.

The fight involved five individuals, three of which were arrested while all five were suspended. An infant was also involved in the incident. The incident, which was recorded on film and distributed online, caught national attention.

Wasson said there has not been a rise in incidents in the past year and the April incident was the exception.

“The other incident which occurred was a different group – These were not the same people. The other group has been disbanded and there were suspensions from that,” Wasson said. “If you look at that data you’ll see that, no, this is not been an acceleration.”

The college hopes to not see this sort of problem on campus again and is working to make sure the campus is a safe place to learn, according to Wasson.

“We don’t want this to be anything that ever occurs again, we want to be proactive in this, we want to prevent this. We want to

make sure that this campus is a place that you can come, a place of refuge, a place of higher learning and that people should feel safe,” Wasson said. “That’s our purpose, that’s my purpose, that is why we’re here.”

Wasson said the campus plans to broaden security camera coverage throughout campus.

“One of the things that’s been put under consideration right now is looking to expand our security cameras, most of our security cameras look to the parking lots and into ingress, egress of the campus. We’re looking at interior security cameras for these things so we can identify and see these things happen,” Wasson said.

Wasson said the police officer presence has been increased and plain-clothes officers are being used. “We don’t want to become a police state,” Wasson said.

Meramec Vice President of Student Affairs Linden Crawford said reports from students are taken seriously and always acted on.

“We have responded by getting reports from people,” Crawford said. “We don’t just read those and laugh, we obviously develop and create some strategies to make sure that that doesn’t happen.”

Wasson said that although safety is of the utmost importance for the campus, he does not want Meramec to lock down.

“We’re not going to gate off Meramec,”

ARCHIVED PHOTO STLCC-Meramec President George Wasson held an open forum to address students, faculty and staff on the incident that occured on the afternoon of April 9. This year there have been a number of incidents on campus, one including another suspension of a student.

Wasson said.” I don’t want to see Meramec as a gated community; I don’t want to see us

going through metal detectors and getting patted down.”

St. Louis Community College

Homecoming Day

at Busch Stadium

Monday, May 21 Cardinals vs. Padres Discounted tickets for students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of STLCC! $15 Right/Left Field Loge • $10 Infield Terrace

Buy tickets and tell your STLCC story today at

www.stlcc.edu/50

NEWS May 3, 2012

PHOTO BY: DAVID KLOECKENER Above: “The Chalkguy,” Ben Glenn, speaks to STLCC-Meramec students about overcoming the struggles individuals with disabilities face. Left: Students retrieve acdemic acheivements awards at the 20th Annual Access Awards. More than 200 students recieved awards.

Students honored; “Chalkguy” motivates KURT OBERREITHER NEWS EDITOR STLCC-Meramec students, faculty and staff were honored at the 20th Annual Access Awards Ceremony in the theatre Friday, April 27.

The Access Office recognized 240 students and 30 faculty and staff members.

Students nominated faculty and staff for the awards and instructors nominated students.

Student Emily Burke received an award for earning a 3.0 GPA at the ceremony. Burke said her English 102 professor Todd Roman nominated her for the award because of her effort to raise her grade.

Burke has received the award in the past but said she could not believe she was nominated again.

“Even though I’ve won awards in the last few years, it was pretty exciting,” Burke said.

The ceremony was preceded by a keynote PHOTO BY: DAVID KLOECKENER

First Latino SGC President elected KURT OBERREITHER NEWS EDITOR The STLCC-Meramec Student Governance Council (SGC) elected Miguel Albarran, the first Latino SGC president at the May 1 SGC meeting.

“I feel a major responsibility because I am the first Latino president. I want to leave a big impact for the future Latino presidents.

I don’t want to do an average job,” Albarran said.

James Wattler was elected as secretary, Syed Alam as public relations officer and Gavin Bennett as vice president.

Albarran said he looks forward to working with the executive board to make changes to the SGC. “There’s a good, solid foundation in the SGC,” Albarran said. “I think there can be a

major improvement as far as the involvement of the student body.”

He said the diversity of the new executive board is better representative of the diversity at Meramec. However, Albarran said he is disappointed there was no females elected.

Albarran joined International Club in the fall semester and became a club representative at the beginning of the spring.

Albarran is a general transfer major and said he plans on completing the prerequisites for the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Business Program at Meramec. Next year will be his second year at Meramec.

“You always see the same people involved around campus. I want to give [Meramec] a sense of community,” Albarran said.

address from “The Chalkguy,” Ben Glenn.

Glenn was diagnosed with dyslexia and other learning disabilities while in grade school.

“The message [Glenn] sends is universal.

We all have things we struggle with; we all have mountains to climb and we may find it impossible,” said Manager of the Access Office Linda Nissenbaum. “The community college is a perfect example. Everyone faces challenges but everyone has an opportunity to succeed.”

Glenn began his presentation by drawing a mural on a canvas with chalk. Later he made a dark mark through the drawing to show the impact a disability has on people’s lives. Then he used the mark to add another dimension to the drawing.

The chalk drawing was donated to the school.

STLCC Design program gives back KAVAHN MANSOURI NEWS EDITOR The Interior Design Program at STLCC will be revealing their final project with the Our Little Haven transitional home for children who are victims of extreme abuse and neglect. Our Little Haven selected the program in hope of giving design students a real world project as well as a chance to assist the children at the home.

The group met Scott Hummel, the executive director of Our Little Haven, to discuss the possibility of doing a real-world project.

Interior Design Program Coordinator Erin LeClerc said the experience has given the students an emotional and wonderful

experience.

“This has been a wonderful learning experience for the students but also an emotional one as they begin to see how interior design can make a positive impact on the lives of these children. This group of students has a tremendous amount of compassion and they are simply amazing.

It has been a wonderful experience for all involved,” LeClerc said.

The group is sponsored by Ryan Bensinger Painting, Steve Nelson Flooring, The Home Depot, Premier Shutters and Blinds, Sherwin Williams, Design and Detail, Interface Flor, Carol House Furniture, Metro Lighting.

6OPINIONS May 3, 2012

Off The Eaten Path Kaldi’s Coffeehouse JESSE HOFFORD OPINIONS EDITOR Kirkwood has its fair share of coffee houses. We have the mega-chain known as Starbucks and the locally-owned Wired Coffee down the road, but one coffee house that seems to be a favorite is Kaldi’s Coffeehouse, located directly across the street from city hall. How does this small six-store St. Louis-based chain compete with the Seattle giant? By offering better and more exotic coffee.

Starbucks is a national corporation, so naturally they have lost sight of what

made them so big, their coffee. Kaldi’s, on the other hand, is still a small business by comparison. So they still know what makes them stand out. Offering coffee varieties from all over the world and roasting the beans right here in St. Louis, Kaldi’s can serve their coffee as fresh as can be.

The coffee here never has that subtle but noticeable burnt taste like so many of Starbucks’ drinks do. The Cafe Kaldi’s blend is always a pleasurable experience that will wake you right up. For those that

maybe are not too fond of the taste of coffee, the white chocolate mocha is a great introduction and the offer bottomless cups for their drip coffee.

Walk into any of their locations and you will feel right at home. Tables, booths and big leather chairs to relax or study in offer several different places to sit and sip your java. Apart from the coffee, Kaldi’s offers a slew of different baked goods and just go wonderfully with the coffee.

One issue that some have a problem

with is prices. Some of Kaldi’s specialty drinks can run upwards of $4. Some of their meals can get pretty pricey as well but that should not detract from the rich and flavorful brews that await inside.

True coffee aficionados and coffee newbies alike can appreciate the drinks that Kaldi’s serves up. Kaldi’s is located at 120 S. Kirkwood Rd. in Kirkwood, Mo., and they are open Monday to Saturday 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

America Kicks Ass Another Year KAVAHN MANSOURI EDITOR IN CHIEF

ILLUSTRATION BY: CORY MONTERO

Oh dear Americans, another year of kicking ass has come to a close. Two years we have been discussing kicking ass and every column and sentence has embraced that old saying in America.

“Kick ass and take names.”

What is America? Is America only a place where freedom rings from sea to shining sea? Or is America a place where patriots can take two completely different things and place them under the same category? Morgan Freeman and Boxing, American.

The GOP and gangster lifestyle, American. America is a place where anything is possible, a place where someone has the freedom to defend their beliefs to no end while they attack everyone else’s.

America is a place where you can take a normal truck, strap an American flag on it and some red, white and blue paint and instantly become three times the person you were before. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but also

the land of the people, a place where any man or woman can ride around town with some American flag pants on their American flag couch playing G.I. Joe video games and eating freedom fries. That is an America we can all appreciate.

So I close out this semester sending a message of liberty and freedom across our fine campus, hoping that these words sway readers to go out and buy that red, white and blue jet ski they have always wanted to get their hands on, and also for Americans to stop and smell the roses every once in a while.

A country like this has its flaws, but it only comes around once or twice in a lifetime, so enjoy that, whatever it may be to you, because America, beneath it all is only what you make of it. So go out and smell those roses, breathe in freedom and appreciate it to no end.

The Wife of Campus Life Saying Goodbye KIMBERLY MORICE ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR For some students, the end of the spring semester means the end of their STLCCMeramec career altogether; they are either running to escape or dragging their feet and hoping the final goodbye will never come.

Meramec. The place students fought against going to for the first two years of their college career. This is the school no one wants to say they have spent time at.

As the semester comes to an end, the students who drag their feet to class every day are now running to their cars for a final escape to the sweet release of summer.

There is always at least one student that has completely immersed themselves

in campus life, getting to know their professors, peers and administrators on a more personal level. Leaving is going to be much harder for a person who was involved, rather than a student who only spent their time at Meramec in a classroom.

Graduation is coming. Whether a student chooses to wear a cap and gown while walking across the stage to receive their diploma or pick up their graduation certificate from the admissions office, their lives have been touched by Meramec in one way or another. The end is near, as corny as that sounds, but we can all feel it. Friends are leaving the state for school or to move

back home, others are going to wait until the end of summer before saying their final goodbyes to the environment they have grown accustomed to over the years.

Saying goodbye is not an easy task for anyone, especially for those who have connected with the place they were supposed to easily walk away from after two years. Meramec is home, it is the place people have found themselves and it will never leave our hearts.

ILLUSTRATION BY: CORY MONTERO

OPINIONS May 3, 2012

Violence: Acceptable in America?

We cannot encourage violence in some areas while condemning it in others VICTORIA BARMAK STAFF WRITER

When the article of the April 9 fight on STLCC-Meramec’s campus first broke on http://meramecmontage.com, it came as a shock to many. Some online comments raised questions about safety on campus.

One student was even reconsidering attending Meramec in the upcoming fall semester due to safety concerns. A comment on http//:kirkwood.patch.com read, “Meramec was once considered the safe and respectable community college to attend.” Missouri Education Watchdog referred to the fight as “scary time at Meramec”.

The above sentiments are odd given the fact that our society is steeped in violence.

In this country, violence is heavily promoted. Just watch any news program.

Despite the violent crime rates being significantly down, the reports of violence are on the rise. Why? Violence is the ultimate attention grabber; it brings in the viewers (in other words: money).

“This was quality entertainment! Why’s everyone so uptight?!” read one of the comments on http://meramecmontage. com, referring to the fight. So maybe if the fight on Meramec was brought to us by a sponsor, as is TV programming, the fight would be acceptable.

War is the epitome of violence.

Yet, this country has been involved in some kind of war for 69 years out of 238 – approximately one third of the country’s existence. The most recent one has been going on for the last 10 years with enthusiastic support from many people. They scorn diplomatic solutions and vehemently defend any violent intervention necessary to achieve the goal of that war. But you cannot have it both ways. Condoning war, the ultimate violence, while condemning the local

college altercation is beyond hypocritical.

Ever heard of WWE? Instead of protesting it, people love it. They are willing to pay big bucks to watch others get beaten to a pulp, maimed, break each other’s bones and see blood splatter. Some consider it great entertainment. They defend WWE by stating the organization gives back to the community via Make-A-Wish foundation.

So maybe Meramec’s brawl observers should have paid an admission fee to watch the fight to make it acceptable.

Oh, proceeds can go to the local Ronald McDonald house. How lovely.

And last, but not at all least, the Bible.

The world’s best seller is violent. There is no way around it. The moral compass that is the Bible demands those who believe (let us not get into it here) to kill those working on Sabbath, false prophets, women who are not virgins on their wedding night and children. Mass murder is also practiced in the Bible. But hey, in the name of religion anything goes, right? So maybe if a clergyman was present during the campus fight it would be acceptable. It would be a religious experience.

The bottom line is we are a culture of theoretical anti-violence but push violence in people’s faces all the time.

When it is on TV, it is entertainment. When it is from a church pulpit, it is a word of God. When it is in another country, it is foreign policy. No one seems to mind until an isolated incident like a campus fight reminds everybody what violence really is.

But as the adage goes: you cannot have your cake and eat it too. Violence cannot be condemned while being condoned. But, alas, that is the American way.

ILLUSTRATION BY: CORY MONTERO

EDITORS Kavahn Mansouri Kelly Glueck Kimberly Morice 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 Asst. 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

MONTAGE STAFF THE MONTAGE Amber Davis Victoria Barmark Gretchen Daniels Brian Haenchen Sadie Hill Aaron McCall Daniel Reynolds Sara Murillo Steven Duncan David Kloeckener Nick Rousseau Jake Simorka Sam Wise Anabel Gonzalez Cory Montero

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8 INDEPTH

May 3, 2012

TIME

&

the c

flawles

KELLY GLUECK MA

L

68% 7% 5% 2%

20-24 year olds

spend 1-3 hours getting ready daily

20-24 year olds

spend $200-$499 on beauty products monthly 17-19 year olds

spend $500-$1,000 on clothes monthly

20-24 year olds

spend $1,000+ on professional services annually

earn a language, develop an app, become a certified pilot. Cannot find the time? Each of these endeavors take about 336 hours to complete, which is less than the average 400 hours a female STLCC-Meramec student puts toward her appearance each year. While grooming is necessary for our health, what is it about the need to be flawless that wastes so much of our time and money?

More than 300 Meramec students were surveyed. Of women ages 20-24 surveyed, 68 percent spent one to three hours getting ready on a daily basis; while 50 percent of men said they spend 30 minutes to an hour getting ready every day.

The surveyed women spent an average of $1,403, the price of 16 credits of school or a MacBook Pro, on their appearance; while men spent an average of $673, just under half of what women spend.

Diane Pisacreta, Ph.D., Meramec associate professor of psychology and women’s studies said that the money put toward appearance has long-term financial consequences, especially for the women who spend an average of $730 more than men a year.

“That’s $700 a year she could put in a savings account or an IRA, or toward a new car or a down payment on a home. That’s just one year; we’re really talking about a lifetime. It really adds up. It puts women at a financial disadvantage,” Pisacreta said. “Time-wise it also puts women at a disadvantage. They focus on appearance rather than intellectually developing themselves, professionally cultivating themselves or other things that should be more important.” hile these numbers may or may not surprise students, the importance of beauty has been addressed since written language has been recorded. Image has made a lasting impression on society and it affects the way people are viewed and the way they view themselves, according to Amanda White, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and gender studies.

“There’s this theory in sociology called the ‘looking glass self,’ which is the idea that when we are creating our identity we go through life using others as a mirror,” White said. “You use a mirror as a reflection of yourself. So when we look at other people and interact with other people we’re also using them as mirrors. We see parts of ourselves in them - good or bad - so we take that in and use that to help create how we think of ourselves.”

Of the surveyed Meramec population, the average age range for women was 17-19 and the average age range for men was 20-24. Both groups surveyed above the average of nationally recognized economist Daniel Hamermesh’s 2008 data, originally published in the book “Beauty Matters,” which states the average husband spends 32 minutes on his appearance and the average wife spends 44 minutes on her appearance.

Professor of Psychology Vicki Ritts said that pressures such as media-influenced culture and a generation of jobseekers has helped to fuel this extra attention put toward appearance.

“When you look at the emerging adult population, the emphasis is still so much focused on ‘how do I look?’ and appearance is what is valued as important,” Ritts said.

Pisacreta said women come to understand at an early age that appearance is important and a predominant way that women are evaluated.

“There’s something very political about the time and money women spend on their appearance. It puts women in a position where they come to understand that the most important thing about themselves is the way that they look - it’s not about their intellect; it’s not about their personality,” Pisacreta said. “There’s something wrong that they have to spend their hard-earned money on their appearance.”

The level of commitment people put toward their appearance is influenced by society. If someone feels pressured to look a certain way, they are going to spend the time and money to make sure he or she achieves that conformity, Pisacreta said.

White said that although men and women are more similar than they are different, societal expectations of appearance aid in the polarization

W

INDEPTH

& MONEY

May 3, 2012

cost of

ssness

ANAGING EDITOR

of gender. She said women are expected to get smaller and men are expected to get larger.

“This speaks to our ideas of gender and how women are expected to take up as little space as possible; that’s their expected piece in the world. Meanwhile, men should fill in the rest of the space both physically, but also in terms of power and what happens in the social world,” White said. indy Epperson, Ph.D., professor of sociology and global studies, said that gender “norms” are the societal expectation that define a person’s biological sex.

“These ‘norms’ tell males and females how society expects them to think and act and what they should value. Gender roles will vary from one society to another,” Epperson said.

Epperson said that traditional gender roles in the U.S. continue to exist in the 21st century, although they have changed since they were popularized in 1950s television shows.

“Look at today’s most popular TV shows - reality TV- and examine the role of the male and female; for example, any of the ‘Real Housewives,’ the ‘Kardashians’ or ‘American Chopper.’ Music videos also offer an excellent sociological view of gender roles,” Epperson said.

All the professors are in agreement that the millennial age is affected by the media.

Ritts said our news outlets are now focusing on fashion and beauty. White agrees with Epperson that reality TV and entire channels dedicated to celebrities and fashion, such as “E! Entertainment,” have contributed to Americans’ “obsession” with appearance. Pisacreta said that as countries become more westernized, the U.S.’s idea of beauty is rubbing off on them.

“One of the things that we’re finding is that because America has such an active and productive media machine, Americans have been very successful in exporting the American image. So for women that generally means being tall, thin and blonde,” Pisacreta said. “So cultures that once adored a more fuller, rounder figure because that meant that person had money to eat, are now adapting to the idea that it’s better to be thin and tan.” he pressures of beauty may stem from American media, but are there any benefits to the average Meramec female spending an hour and a half on her looks in the morning?

Ritts hesitates to claim beauty as a “benefit.’”

“It’s more of an unconscious effort. I don’t think it’s something we really think about. However, there are over 40 years of social psych research that say looks matter in the job world and it’s an important thing,” Ritts said. “Image is everything.

When someone walks into a job interview, for right or for wrong, the way you look, conscious or unconscious to the person interviewing, it makes a difference.”

First impressions matter, according to Ritts, and about 67 percent of the time they are accurate. She added that students can look good at a job interview without wearing Armani.

Ritts said that looking good has the ability help people feel better about themselves. “[Physicians tell people that are sick to get dressed, get up a little, comb your hair - and all those things do make us feel better. It’s finding the balance that’s where the issue lies,” Ritts said.

White said that higher self-image and higher self-esteem can affect the way a person views himself or herself and the way that one views himself or herself can affect the way others view him or her.

“They’re very linked. A positive correlation would be as one goes up and the other goes up. They are moving in the same direction,” White said.

Beauty can both enable and disable individuals but as Piscareta said, “When your focus on your appearance gets to a point where it interferes with your ability to live a full life, that’s when you’ve gone too far.”

C

T

54% 50% 12% 2%

17-19 year olds

spend 1-3 hours getting ready daily

20-24 year olds

spend 1-3 hours getting ready daily

20-24 year olds

spend $500-$1,000 on clothes monthly

17-24 year olds

spend 3+ hours getting ready daily and $1000+ on beauty products and professional services

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ART&LIFE May 3, 2012

Humanities filled with the arts

PHOTO BY BRIAN HAECHEN

PHOTO BY ALEX KENDALL

The 2012 Student Art Show Exhibition launched April 27 at STLCC-Meramec in the gallery showcasing the best work from Meramec students in all forms of artwork. One hundred and one students showcased their artwork for judgment by Meramec faculty and guest jurors Jane Barrow and Jon Cournoyer. Students were recognized for their quality of work and the dedication to detail in their individual mediums. The awards were given out in two categories; studio art and applied art. In studio arts, first place went to Mahria Crawford’s ‘Untitled,’ second place went to Yannick Duran’s ‘The Physical to the Spiritual’ and third place was awarded to Leslie Gruttke’s ‘Mirror Image.’ In applied arts, first place was given to Daniel Madrigal’s ‘Yoshida,’ second place went to Brittany Wilson’s ‘Meramec Viewbook’ and third place awarded to Andrew George’s ‘Fritz Gottschalk Poster.’

STLCC-Meramec symphonic band and jazz band performed the Cartoon Symphony on April 29 in the Meramec Theater. The symphonic band’s performance consisted of works by Percy Grainger, Valclav Nelhybel and Rimsky-Korsakov. Along with these composers, the symphonic band performed a new piece

by Jefferson County R-VII band director Ron Sikes entitled “Illumine” and “The Cartoon Symphony” written and conducted by Meramec Symphonic Band conductor and composer Gary Gackstatter. Gackstatter’s “Cartoon Symphony” featured silent cartoons from the 1920s that were thought up and created by Max Fleischer and his studio, an early innovator in the field of animation. “Fleischer invented most of the stuff that Disney later stole,” Gackstatter said. The cartoon, entitled “Out of the Inkwell,” featured a clown named Coco that caused mischief for his creator. The clown was actually Fleischer’s brother who was filmed in a clown suit and later drawn on frame by frame, according to Gackstatter. The performance was followed up by the Jazz Lab Band directed by Bob Boedges. The band performed a set of big band songs along with solos by band members.

The exhibition runs from April 27 through May 14, Monday through Saturday. To view the full list of awards and recognitions, visit http://meramecmontage.com

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12ART&LIFE May 3, 2012

Developing a career path Student Olivia Mosley receives full scholarship to Washington University in pursuit of a degree in photography KIMBERLY MORICE ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

SUBMITTED PHOTO Olivia Mosley’s “The Bubble” was awarded the Dean’s Choice Award at the 2012 Student Art Show Exhibition.

PHOTO BY ALEX KENDALL STLCC-Meramec student Olivia Mosley adjusts the lens on her Diana camera. Mosley was awarded the Danforth Scholarship from Washington University where she will be attending in the fall 2012 semester.

The end of spring semester means saying goodbye to students and sending them off to their chosen universities in the fall. Some students only spent a semester; others have spent many years at STLCC-Meramec.

One student has spent her time at Meramec in the art department, capturing moments with her camera and working in the Center of Visual Technology on campus. After five years of hard work and dedication to the art of photography, Meramec student Olivia Mosley expands her educational opportunities at Washington University in the fall of 2012.

“I got accepted to some other schools, but part of the reason I’ve been working here and waiting to transfer is because I just could not get enough money,” Mosley said. “I applied to Webster University because they have a good photo program.

I was looking at UMSL and a couple of other art institutes out of state, but it was all too expensive.”

Mosley was the only STLCC student this year selected to receive the Danforth Scholarship, which ensures her a full ride to Washington University. Every student from the community college who submits an application to Washington University is considered for the Danforth scholarship.

“My brother, actually, is from Meramec as well, he transferred to

Washington University and he was also a Danforth scholar - he didn’t get it, but he was a finalist,” Mosley said. “He seemed to really enjoy it and have a really good time there, so he told me to look into the art school. I looked into it and they have really awesome facilities and it looks really cool; it’s totally devoted to art and I thought it would be perfect for me.”

Mosley graduated with an Associate in Fine Arts – Photography option, with a focus in photography in 2010, but has remained as a part-time student and while working various campus jobs.

“My jobs have mainly been in the art department, but I’ve also done some peer leader work,” Mosley said. “I’ve really learned to contribute and become active.

It’s a good way to meet people and friends and network. I think there’s definitely something special about Meramec.”

Mosley hopes to continue her campus involvement when she begins taking classes at Washington University.

“It’s such a big intimidating campus.

I want to maybe start a club, or do community service maybe; I definitely want to have a job on campus because I’ve still got to pay the bills,” Mosley said.

Throughout her time at Meramec, Mosley has created a close bond with many of her instructors and the administrators on campus.

“All of my art teachers have been really amazing. I take a lot of classes in

the Center of Visual Technology and all of the instructors there are just amazing and I really developed so many skills that would really be useful with getting a job and stuff like that,” Mosley said.

In her first semester, Mosley took Photography I with Professor David Hanlon. She has kept in close contact with Hanlon as she continued in the photography program.

“It’s certainly terrific that the work she’s put in over the last number of years is being recorded with the scholarship to another program that has quite a bit of a reputation,” Hanlon said. “She’s going to do really well in a continuing environment where students are really challenging themselves like she does.

I’m really excited for her with what’s coming.”

For the second summer in a row, Mosley will spend time teaching photography to children through the continuing education program at Meramec. She hopes to one day take what she has learned into teaching early childhood education.

“I’d either like to do something with teaching and be able to do my own photographic projects on the side,” Mosley said. “If I could incorporate photography into education somehow - and I’m really interested in early education - then that’s something I would consider doing.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO Olivia Mosley’s “Passageway” was awarded an honorable mention at the 2012 Student Art Show Exhibition.

Mosley is looking forward to moving on to Washington University in the fall, saying she is going to take all that she has learned at Meramec with her to her new school.

“I guess I’ve run my course here, I can’t really go further. There are still things I could learn, but I can’t really go to the next step,” Mosley said. “I just want to see what the next level for photography is, and for art in general. I just want to figure out what more there is to learn.”

Hanlon is supportive of Mosley’s journey and hopeful of her future at Washington University. “[Mosley’s] work here has been developing quite a bit since she started,” Hanlon said. “She’s always been interested in experimenting with ways images could be used and how to be more effective and finding ways to use photography as an expressive tool.”

Like many students saying goodbye to Meramec, Mosley is worried about what Washington University will bring her in the fall.

“I’m going to miss it; I love Meramec,” Mosley said. “It’s an amazing community.

There’s such a good atmosphere and it’s so friendly; I feel like I know everybody because I’ve been here for so long. I’m kind of scared of what the new school is going to be like; I don’t know if it’s going to be as friendly and warm.”

ART&LIFE May 3, 2012

An artist in a digital age Student Lauren Halvorson takes her artistic talents, creates web comic ALEX KENDALL ART AND LIFE EDITOR DANIEL REYNOLDS STAFF WRITER Littered throughout STLCC-Meramec student Lauren Halvorson’s art book are drawings of Pokémon, comic book heroes and anything else creative that comes to her mind. Her web comic “Duat Squad” along with the saved files of many of the digital paintings she has done over the years crowd the screen of her computer.

“I like to draw, I like to play video games a lot and I read comics all the time,” Halvorson said.

Halvorson said her passion for art and drawing began when she was a child as she began drawing Pokémon. Her artistic talent expanded over the years into the fields of graphic design, animation and painting. According to Halvorson, painting has been the biggest influence on her artistic work.

“It takes a while to do it but I like [painting] the best,” Halvorson said. “I like doing line art but it looks better when it’s a painting and finished.”

While she has worked in the traditional, physical forms of painting, Halvorson said she prefers the digital medium.

“For one thing you have an undo button. You don’t have to pay for all this crap all the time,” Halvorson said. “That’s the crappy thing about traditional art.

Anytime you want to do anything you have to buy twenty books of materials and if you want to show it you have to buy a frame or buy wood to make it yourself.

With digital you can just do it and that’s it, it’s done.”

Halvorson said that her biggest influence in painting has been Drew Struzan, famous for his movie posters for movies such as “Star Wars”, “Indiana Jones”, “Harry Potter” and much more.

“He’s the guy who did all the movie posters like ‘Back to the Future’ and he has a really cool style with colored pencils and washes of acrylic paints over it,” Halvorson said. “It looks pretty cool. A lot of posters just use Photoshop, they try to do the same kind of thing and it just does

SUBMITTED PHOTO The cover of Lauren Halvorson’s first chapter of her web comic “Duat Squad.”

PHOTO BY DANIEL REYNOLDS STLCC-Meramec student Lauren Halvorson holds up her award winning digital painting “Depressing Robot. YAY.” Halvorson has taken her skills in painting and drawing and developed her own web comic, “Duat Squad.”

not look that good.”

One of the largest tasks Halvorson has taken on right now is her web comic “Duat Squad,” a comic that Halvorson describes as “an Egyptian supernatural version of ‘Hellboy’ except with incompetent college kids and more snark.”

“Right now I’m mainly working on my comic. I can usually get two pages in a week but right now I’m working on all the action scenes and I usually don’t draw action scenes so now it’s taking longer,” Halvorson said. “I put a little bit of myself in my characters, usually not that much, just tiny little things. Sometimes I put quirks of my friends but it’s mainly just cut off.”

With the popularity of comics and graphic novels such as “The Walking Dead” and “The Avengers” on the rise, Halvorson said she has found most of her inspiration in two of her favorites, “Watchmen” and “Transmetropolitan.”

“For a straight-up graphic novel it would be ‘Watchmen’ and as for an ongoing comic series it would be ‘Transmetropolitan’.

It’s pretty weird,” Halvorson said. “They influence me a lot. Not just art-wise but story telling-wise, too.”

Darick Robertson, co-creator and illustrator of “Transmetropolitan,” has influenced the character design for “Duat

Squad,” according to Halvorson.

“The thing I like about his art is that he doesn’t make super models in all of his art. In all these super hero comics they all look ridiculously attractive, even people on the street,” Halvorson said. “Darick Robertson draws a lot of normal people and I like that.”

Halvorson said that the one thing that has improved her drawing ability is the repetition in drawing each panel for her web comic.

“Draw comics if you want to get better at drawing. Drawing comics makes you a better artist very quick; you pretty much have to draw everything,” Halvorson said.

“The good thing about it is that instead of a blank piece of paper where you don’t

know where to start it, [with comics] you have a story to work off of and it’s broken down into tiny little panels so you don’t have this intimidating white space to work with.”

With an emphasis in comic design or video game design, Halvorson said she plans on taking her skill in drawing and painting and applying it to a career.

“I’m probably going to go to another school [after Meramec]. I’m thinking about that Saint Louis Art Institute that is opening up,” Halvorson said. “I’m going to try and make it in art somehow.”

Halvorson’s comic can be seen at http://duatsquad.thecomicseries.com/ comics/first/

PHOTO BY STEVEN DUNCAN Missed out on the April events around campus? View the videos from Earth Day and the Meramec Spring Fest at http://meramecmontage.com

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SPORTS Lady Archers begin busy off-season

May 3, 2012

The Lady Archers basketball team signs two new players SPENCER GLEASON SPORTS EDITOR Since the end of the 20102011 Lady Archer basketball season, head coach Shelly Ethridge and assistant coach Melanie Marcy have been working at improving on a 2010 season. With their back-toback trips to the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament without being victorious, the Lady Archers look to incoming players to help them over the hump.

“We look for a couple things,” Ethridge said. “One, they have to be a good mix for our program. We look for a certain type of athlete. They have to be good in the classroom. They have to fit with our personality and our style. And then it’s about basketball. Are they athletic? Are they willing to put in the work? Do they have a good demeanor on the court?”

The first two signees for the

upcoming Lady Archers season came on April 23, when Kalah Martin from Kirkwood High School and Diamond Suggs from Cahokia High School inked their name on the dotted line for the STLCC. “I hope I can contribute right away,” Martin said. “I hope I can be the rebounder and the defensive person. I hope I can be some energy. I just want to fit in with the team, just go for the ride and just play my game.”

As a 5-foot-9-inch guard, Martin averaged 7.5 points per game with 3.3 rebounds.

Martin’s counterpart, Diamond Suggs, is a 5-foot-10inch guard who led her Cahokia Comanches to a 67-40 victory in the Gibault Candy Cane Classic championship game over Roxana, scoring 30 points with six steals, four assists and five rebounds.

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“I get into a zone,” Suggs said. “I like to have fun out there, especially with my teammates. I just like to go out there and have fun and play hard.”

The family oriented atmosphere that Ethridge and Marcy have encompassed within their program caught the attention of the new recruits, being a selling point to them, as well as their parents.

“Being family-oriented caught my attention as a parent from day one,” Sugg’s mother, Tara Miller, 5 said. “That was a comfort for me.”

The Lady Archers family continues to grow and the feeling on the court is all positive, according to Lady Archer point guard, Shakaunna Futrell.

“I have seen some decent pieces that will be nice to add to the table,” Futrell said. “It is all good. I like what I am seeing.”

PHOTOS BY: SPENCER GLEASON Above: Kalah Martin, along with her father and Archer coaches Shelly Ethridge (left) and Melanie Marcy (right) pose for pictures during Martin’s signing day at STLCC. Below: Diamond Suggs signs papers to play basketball for STLCC, while her brother Cortez Suggs and mother Tara Miller watch during the family event at Applebee’s in Shiloh, Ill.

16SPORTS May 3, 2012

ILLUSTRATION BY: COREY MONTERO

Over the river and through the woods STLCC physical education class takes students to the outdoors SPENCER GLEASON SPORTS EDITOR DANIEL REYNOLDS STAFF WRITER Physical education classes serve their purpose to keep students active. They can also give the average student many inside sights and sounds of the game.

Whether students fulfill their required two physical education credit hours to graduate through the squeaks of tennis shoes on the basketball court while shooting the ball through the hoop during basketball class, splash around in the swimming pool during swimming and diving class or hear the crunch of leaves beneath their hiking boots while hiking through the woods, students are able to take various P.E. classes all year long.

While some physical education classes are held on campus, every week, classes like hiking and backpacking are held just a couple times a semester, with two oneday trips and a weekend out of town trip through Pere Marquette in Grafton, Ill., 56

miles away from the Meramec campus.

“The first day of the trip we hike about six miles,” STLCC physical education instructor Michael Dutt said. “Then the second day we hike about three miles.”

camp, as well as, cooking, hiking and a final paper. All the students are required to sleep in a tent. They are not allowed to go to their car for any reason, expect to blow up your air mattress if they have one.”

“I love the outdoors. I love to hunt, fish, camp, hike, and do anything outdoors. I would take this class in a heartbeat if I was back in college.”

Michael Dutt

Dutt, who teaches at STLCC-Wildwood and STLCC-Florissant Valley, also teaches camping and floating and swimming.

“They are graded on five things,” Dutt said about his hiking and backpacking class. “They have to enjoy the outdoors.

They have to learn to set up and take down

Students are responsible for their own equipment, along with money for the lodging fee, food and drinks, but they learn outdoor living skills, campsite development and safety.

“There are students that have never been in the outdoors before,” Dutt said. “It

is great teaching them these things.”

Although the class is open to everyone, there is not a short cut to an easy “A”.

“The trails that we hike on will range from medium to hard,” Dutt said. “Some are on a steep incline and most students do not realize that. They are almost never walking on level ground. They are always going up an incline or down a decline.”

Once the students set up camp, they stay outdoors, sleeping in tents, cooking food over a fire and listening to nature.

With no prerequisites, students can sign up for the hiking and backpacking class and are able to choose from two sessions coming in the summer and three in the fall 2012 semester.

“I love the outdoors,” Dutt said. “I love to hunt, fish, camp, hike, and do anything outdoors. I would take this class in a heartbeat if I was back in college.”