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DRIVE-IN
Students and faculty reflect on election
Meramec hosts movie night
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SWITZER Soccer player exhibits passion and leadership PAGE 7
Volume 62 Issue 3
PHOTO BY LILLY BURRUS
Ceramic I students throw plates on the wheel for the first time during class the week of Oct. 26.
Federal funding cuts thre aten arts and humanities programs LILLY BURRUS
ART & LIFE EDITOR
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tudents seeking degrees in the liberal arts, education, social work and religious studies may struggle to get funding in the upcoming semesters, according to the Trump Administration’s new plan to defund majors that won’t meet their salary expectation. Political science professor, John Messmer, gave his insight on the topic and how it will affect students, specifically at community college. “I want to see this place thrive, which means I want higher education in general to thrive. And when you’re talking about the federal government abandoning even a small percentage of student opportunities, ultimately that means it’s bad for even community college, definitely community college,” Messmer said. With the administration’s plan to cut funding, it will make it hard for middle and lower class students to afford college for all four years in a field which they are planning to pursue. Messmer pointed out the social status of America and the idea of “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” Naturally, families with more
money will receive more opportunities to get better paying jobs that can be passed down through generations, but they also have the money to pursue these jobs that will have a lower income. “There’s this mentality that if you’re not going to college to make more money than you would get with just a high school degree; there’s no point in going
to protect the financial aid they are receiving. Conducting research on Missouri representatives and senators is a big step in knowing who to vote for and how to make change stick. Professor Messmer, who has taught political science at Meramec for over 25 years, said his voting style has changed in the past 10 years with the tilt in the modern government. Messmer said
“When you’re talking about the federal gvernment abandoning even a small percentage of student opportunities, ultimately that means it’s bad for even community college.” - John Messmer to college. I mean, that’s always been the mentality. It’s a very anti-intellectual, anti-liberal mentality that this president and the people that surround him are proud to shout from the rooftops,” Messmer said. With the November election, it’s important for students in the art and education department to know how
when teaching government and political studies it’s best to be unbiased and teach with an open mind. He also said with the system being corrupted, it’s now impossible to stay unopinionated. “I’m shouting from the roof. The Republican Party is going against American principles. You gotta vote
against these individuals. And I say that freely admitting contemporary liberals, the Democratic Party, have a lot of faults. But when you’re up against a political movement that wants to completely abandon American principles, I don’t think there’s any choice. And I’d never thought I’d live to see that day,” Messmer said. With Meramec having a highly-enrolled arts program, this movement could hit the humanities programs hard, not just causing issues for students studying the arts, but teachers losing jobs as well if colleges and universities opt to remove these programs with the expectation of minimal enrollment due to defunding. Keeping an eye on the news and the changes being made in the government will help students stay updated on this issue and consult next steps for keeping these programs, said Messmer. “You have to pay attention to what they do, even if it’s just spending 15 minutes a day. Pay attention to the news, maybe for the first time ever. And we’re masquerading as a democracy. We talk a good game. As much as I want to blame, and as much as the blame deserves to be laid to the politicians, an equal amount needs to be laid with just regular people,” Messmer said.
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PHOTOS BY LILLY BURRUS
For the midterm election, Meramec served as a polling place for students and community members.
Midterm Election: Why Vote? CALEB CARR STAFF
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his year’s midterms are being called one of the most important ever, according to many politicians, including the president who, in September at the Republican National Committee Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, said that “In 55 days, Americans will be going to the polls in one of the most important elections in our country’s history.” Professor Howe, who teaches Intro to American Politics at STLCC, thinks that “It is extremely important to vote in the midterm; our government relies on the idea that people will participate and vote.”
She also went on to mention that there are important issues, constitutional amendments and initiatives on the ballots that people need to pay attention to. It is important to know that the midterm isn’t just about sending politicians to Washington, but also about voting on things that can change the community and state. Edu Karanga, a student at STLCC, sees the importance of voting. “It’s important to vote to see the changes you want in your community. On a day-to-day basis, you see a lot of issues that can affect you, whether it’s in your school, your community or in your families, and honestly, all these issues can be fixed, but it takes effort and the ability to go to the voting booth to see the candidates who you want to pass
the legislation you want,” Karanga said. W hile some members of the community think voting is key, not everyone feels the same way. Austin Crabtree, another student at Meramac, has a different view. “I don’t really care about politics or anything. It hasn’t really interested me at all,” Crabtree said. When asked if they cared about the outcome of the midterm election, they said, “No, we’re screwed anyways.”
“It’s important to vote This view can be seen more broadly, to see the changes especially when looking back to the presidential election of 2024 with y o u w a n t i n y o u r 47% of eligible Gen Z voters ages community.” 18–29 voting, according to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University.
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But many recognize that voting is not just about the politicians; it’s also about the legislation that can affect everyday life, including propositions that can affect access to medical procedures, taxes and even how citizens can get the legislation they created to the ballot. Voting is a part of democracy that relies solely on its people to come together to choose the future of the country.
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- Edu Karanga
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STAFF ELIZABETH CLEARY BRINN SMITH LILLY BURRUS ZACH EDGAR CARRINGTON DAVIS AMINA ALAM MATTHEW CAIN CALEB CARR BOB FRANK SHAY FREDRICKSON FINN GIUDERMUTH DANIEL HOYER RICKY MEHRLE FARAHNAZ NAZAR ZACK WRIGHT
MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITOR A&L EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR GRAPHICS EDITOR STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF
Shannon Philpott-Sanders Faculty Adviser PHOTOS BY BRINN SMITH People settle down for the begining of the movie around 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22, 2026. The drive-in was in the combined G and F parking lots on the Meramec campus.
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The Behind the Scenes of Club-Hosted Events Film Club and Campus Activities Board Host Drive-In Movie Night BRINN SMITH NEWS EDITOR
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n Oct. 22, 2026, the Film Club and Campus Activities Board at St Louis Community College - Meramec brought to campus the Drive-In Movie Night, wherein they held a viewing of 1986’s “Little Shop of Horrors.” This was the second time that the Film Club and CAB had collaborated on an event like this, with the first being the Drive-In Movie Night for the Truman Show in the Spring 2026 semester. “We did the first one, ‘The Truman Show’ one, last semester, and it went really well,” Film Club Vice President Maloy Gordon said. “We knew we wanted to do one again, and we got the idea to do something Halloween themed, so we could have Halloween stuff to give out and celebrate.” While the idea started as Film Club’s event, in order to put it on, they needed to reach out to the Campus Activities
Board for help with funding and set-up. “It was partially a collaboration with Campus Activities board, but we knew we wanted to do something that could bring more people into the club and to the school in general,” Gordon said. Events like this require a lot of set up, including the hiring of some outside companies to help set up equipment and running the movie itself, but clubs are able to use club funds to help with the cost. “Every club has $5,000 set aside for the year, as long as they’re active, so then they can submit budget requests that’ll go through student government to approve the funding,” Meramec Campus Life Manager Sean Cooney said. “If they want to do something really big, they can reach out to Campus Activities Board or the Student Government and do a collaboration, they have access to some other funds that can do something a little grander.”
Getting the funding approved for events like this is tied to a budget request form, where clubs will put in the amount needed for the event, and the reasons that the amount is required. “It’s all part of the budget request,” Cooney said,”then it’s all reviewed by the student government and the funding board, then they’ll edit as needed. Generally the clubs do a good job, so we don’t have many issues with that.” Clubs are encouraged to reach out to the Student Government Association and/or CAB for help setting up bigger events. “They’re more than happy to collaborate with multiple clubs. Like today, where we have Film Club with CAB,” Cooney said. “That’s the easiest way to do those big events and participate. All the clubs can be involved with like Fall Fest and Spring Fest and things like that without cost to them, because CAB and SGA would cover them.”
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The CAB held a Day of the Dead event with food, drink and an ofrenda for students.
PHOTOS BY LILLY BURRUS
A Dream Since Childhood Meramec student Benjamin Bujnak explores acting RICKY MEHRLE STAFF
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hile deciding the direction to pursue in his future, STLCC student Benjamin Bujnak takes on many opportunities and challenges in order to find his soul passion. In the past few months, Bujnak was recommended to a casting website by a close friend who was in the movie “Soul on Fire” and soon got an offer to be an extra in upcoming documentary “The Streak” based on the Caltech Beavers Men’s basketball team, being filmed at St. Louis University. Growing up as someone who wanted to act, this was a chance to get his name out there and possibly build up to something bigger. “I think this is a really good start. It was so epic meeting lots of new people who had experience with this kind of thing and making friends. I hope something does come out of this, but at the moment, I’m just so happy to have done it and feel more confident in doing it again,” Bujnak said. His love for acting and music pushed him into accepting the offer. Once it was set in stone, he was given the role of one of the background players, and he began prepping in
advance before filming even began. “Everyday leading up to filming, I was going to the gym, shooting hoops and working on my dribbling, eating healthy and taking care of my mental and physical health in general. I was even watching the movie ‘17 Again’ with Zac Efron the night before to get myself hyped,” Bujnak said. Filming was a good experience for Bujnak, as he was able to get the feel of acting life, constantly practicing and ensuring his full potential during filming. Although not being a main character, Bujnak said he hopes to see some scenes of himself in the final release. “I’ve dreamed my whole life of seeing a real movie set, but it’s not like they film much in St. Louis, so I was a million percent blown away when I got to see the set with cameras on tracks, clapboards and lights. Also, I love sports, and even though I’m more of a soccer guy, I’ll take basketball any day,” Bujnak said. Although filming ended, Bujnak continues to follow in the acting path, hoping to strike a role in a future film. “If it’s something that you dreamed of doing your whole life, then don’t let anyone stop you,” Bujnak said. PHOTO BY RICKY MEHRLE
We asked yo ur thoughts on... What is the best/most interesting pet? LILLY BURRUS
ART & LIFE EDITOR
Cat - Connor Luster
Snake - Landon Haskell
Gecko - Nina Luong
Husky - Sophia Gao
Tabby cat - Destiny Lester
Cat - Kenzie Hagen
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3. Game that makes players guess a word based on one hint
1. Game show hosts famously known for hosting "family feud"
5. Guests are quizzed on trivia based on number categories
2. Game show from the 1970's hosted by Bert Convy
8. This game tests players spelling skills on a point based game board
4. Players spin the wheel while guessing letters to make a word
9. Show where people are presented with money and get asked deal or...
6. Based on a matching memory game
7. Contestants answer 15 question to gain cash 10. Players try to guess facts that this grade https://crosswordlabs.com/view/game-shows-34and become a... should know 11. This show only aired for one year from 1999-2000
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Halloween or Christmas Movie? find out, is made up entirely of bugs and who’s obsessed with gambling. Also, the muted color palette of Halloween Town is a strong backbone for this argument as well.
DANIEL HOYER STAFF
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t’s one of Tim Burton’s most popular animated films (even though he didn’t direct it; it was based off of a poem he wrote in 1982 while working as a Disney animator, although he was a producer and co-writer) and also the subject of probably the most dividing argument concerning seasonal movies: “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Is it a Halloween or a Christmas movie? Today, that argument will finally be settled.
One big argument is how this supposed “Halloween” movie spends the majority of its runtime centered around Christmas, and it’s true. In the movie, Jack Skellington comes across the holiday trees, and eventually the Christmas tree, at about thirteen minutes in, and there’s still around an hour left in the movie, so it would make sense that a movie that takes more than two-thirds of its time centered around Christmas would be labelled as a Christmas movie. However, on the other side of the coin, what kind of a Christmas movie has a giant, living skeleton accompanied by his (adorable) ghost dog and has a love interest of a ragdoll made by a Dr. Frankenstein knock-off and a villain of a burlap sack, which, we
After having taken a dip into both sides of the argument, it’s time a conclusion was made. I want to make this clear that this is my take on this argument and there are going to be other people who will have different views on this. It’s important that you respect their decision and realize that they are allowed to have a different opinion than you (which I may or may not be guilty of forgetting). In my eyes, it’s a Halloween movie that “crosses over” with Christmas. To understand what this means, you have to look at TV shows and the cross over episodes that occasionally appear. Take “Family Guy” x “The Simpsons” for example. You start the episode with Family Guy and all the generic characters and then, skipping all of the plot, the Griffins end up traveling to Springfield where they interact with “The Simpsons” characters. Of course the episode was officially aired on “Family Guy,” so that obviously shows that it’s a “Family Guy” episode, but the most important thing is that the episode begins with Peter, Lois and the others and then they go to Springfield to meet “The Simpsons” characters. What I’m trying to say is how the episode starts off with “Family Guy” and follows those characters throughout Springfield and the rest of the episode. Bringing this back to “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” you can see how the movie starts off with Halloween and then follows those characters as they navigate throughout this brand new idea known as Christmas; it’s essentially an episode of Halloween guest starring Christmas.
Whether it’s a Christmas movie, a Halloween movie or some combination of both, it’s important to realize the community that this movie makes and how timeless and iconic they made this movie and how you can essentially watch it any time of the year and have a good time, which, in my opinion, should be the goal of any movie, seasonal or not.
BookTok: Perpetrating the Literary Crisis ELIZABETH CLEARY MANAGING EDITOR
“BookTok,” for those unfamiliar, is a niche on TikTok where creators and community come together to post and discuss content relating to books. This content includes reviews, recommendations, bookshelf tours and more. While BookTok may have started as this wholesome community for readers to come together, it has turned sour and, I would argue, has reshaped book and reader culture for the worse. I don’t think it’s dramatic to say that we are in a literary crisis. The rise of AI and short-form video content has limited the attention spans and comprehensive abilities of many. People no longer want to read a novel when they could have an AI tool summarize it for them
or a TikTok deliver the information in a 60-second clip. The ease and instantaneousness of these devices is a trap that more and more people are falling for at the expense of their intelligence. But how is BookTok connected to the literary crisis? Aside from the fact that BookTok is housed within TikTok, which is known for its short-form video content, BookTok has been influential in shaping what and how people read. And the books that are becoming increasingly popular on BookTok are erring on the side of sexual and social violence. The genres most concerning, to me at least, on BookTok are romance and dark romance. The books that fall under this category, nowadays, tend to explore relationships that are toxic and violent, endorsing and romanticizing them. The
books are also loaded with problematic sexual content, sacrificing plot for sensationalism. This is not me saying that the romance genre or sexual content in books is inherently bad, but these particular books cause the rest of the genre to be discounted as mindless fodder. The content in these books is also dangerous, especially when the intended audience is young people with impressionable minds. As these books have grown more popular on BookTok, the content has also shifted to deliver the reader with the same instant gratification that can be seen in short-form video content and in AI tools. The sexual content that, normally, is meaningfully built up over the course of the book is pushed to the front and heavily doled out at frequent intervals. By doing this, the reader is no longer as invested in the plot of the book, but rather in getting a dopamine hit without having to work for it. But then the question arises: Why should we have to work for dopamine? Why is instant gratification a bad thing? I hit on this earlier, but an over-reliance on instant gratification ultimately changes our brains and how we interact with the world. When we trade long-term success and reward for short-term pleasure, we no longer want to put effort into things that take time and deeper thought. But these things that take time and deeper thought are the things that keep us intelligent, active members of the human race. So, we have to be careful.
GRAPHIC BY ELIZABETH CLEARY
While this shift in what is popular is having an obvious effect on reader
culture, it’s also having an effect on book culture. Nowadays, it isn’t very hard to self-publish a book, and with social media as a free advertising tool, anyone can promote anything so long as they are dedicated to finding their audience and pushing their product. When writers saw the audience for romance and dark romance on BookTok, many also saw an opportunity to get their foot in the door. People began writing books specifically catered to this audience, employing sought-after taboo themes, extreme power imbalances in character relationships and instant gratification in sexual content. As book after book (all the same, if you ask me) has been churned out for this audience, the publishing industry has shifted as well. It’s much easier to give a reader what they want rather than tell them what they want, after all. But by giving people what they want, the room for reader exploration and growth continuously shrinks. Now, I’m not trying to evaluate which books are good and which are bad, but I do think I’ve made a compelling argument for why these specific books are bad. So, where is the space for good literature in a culture that is increasingly valuing bad works? Where is the space for literature that asks us to think critically and question our morals and values, that makes us see the world through a new lens, that informs us and calls us to action? There will always be people who make the space for these works, but until we can address the problem of BookTok and the culture it has created, we will remain in an ever-growing literary crisis.
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PHOTO CREDIT ZACH EDGAR Mateo Switzer (center) pressing forward after successful defending against Iowa Lakes Community College at the Midwest South Showcase.
Mateo Switzer: Passion and Dedication MATTHEW CAIN STAFF
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n the fields of a local YMCA with his father, Mateo Switzer at the early age of three took to soccer quickly. His father, who also played, did his best to impart his love for the game, which became a lifelong pursuit for Switzer. It wasn’t just a game though, as it became a generational bond for his family. And a foundation in which Switzer developed his character. “It’s my favorite position, just playing in the midfield, because you’re everywhere and you have the most action,” said Switzer. This passion for action carried on into, and was expanded while in high school at Bishop DuBourg. Switzer was able to spend two years on the starting lineup for the varsity team which afforded him time to hone his skills and eventually commit to Saint Louis Community College. Although he didn’t make the starting lineup initially at STLCC, Switzer persevered and within a few games was able to find his momentum once again. During his first season, the team did exceptionally well, with
a 15-game winning streak making it to nationals. While this current season hasn’t been as explosive according to Head Coach Ricardo Garza, this is to be expected to a degree.
“If any opportunities come up for soccer, I’d love to play as long as I can. If not, then I’m perfectly happy just moving on to my career.”
“Every other year it’s going to be a grind, because we actually play hard teams on purpose to develop them… then they know what they have to do to play at that level” Garza discussed the challenges of junior college soccer by explaining that every other year is designed to build players in order to be the best possible in the following season, citing this as the reason for why they go to nationals every other year. This two-year system also means that, “Within one year, you’re the guy that everyone looks to”, said Switzer. “I try to help the other guys get used to it because I was in their shoes literally a year ago.” This year, being the veteran on the team, Switzer has stepped up and become a true leader. “He won’t stop. He won’t stop working. That’s why he was captain this year. It’s not as much about his voice, it’s about his action”, said Garza. Beyond the field, Switzer carries with him this same work ethic, passion and empathy, as he is pursuing a career path to one day become a firefighter. This diverging path started during his freshmen year of high school. Switzer was influenced by the death of a close friend and teammate. “He got hit by a car, and so I kind of saw the hurt that everybody else and myself felt, and I wanted to be one of those guys to help people from not having to go through that,” Switzer said. “Because it’s not always the physical job of saving somebody. It’s also a job of being there for the people who are at the scene and just saw that happen.” Garza seemed pleased with Switzer’s decision to pursue the fire academy and EMT work once his time with college soccer comes to a close. “He’s going to be an amazing firefighter because he’s selfless. He checks all the boxes to be a public servant, I’ll tell you that,” Garza said. “He’ll grind it out. He’s one of those guys that I can see just going back in to go rescue more people. It’s never going to stop – that’s how he plays.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF MATEO SWITZER Mateo Switzer at age 3 playing soccer with his dad for the first time, igniting a lifelong passion.
While it currently stands that this will most likely be the last season for Switzer at the collegiate level it is evident that he has a future rife with opportunity. However, if something changes Switzer is still open to pursue soccer
PHOTOS COURTESY OF STLCC Soon after the start of the Fall 2026 semester, STLCC-Meramec started construction on the new athletics complex located at the north side of the campus. This $18 million overhaul of the complex is set to continue in the Spring of 2027 with new turf fields for baseball, softball and soccer. General contractor Byrnes & Jones has made quick work of tearing down the old fields, some trees along the way and a section of the parking lot along the old baseball field. STLCC has since released renderings of the new look for the athletics complex, providing insight into our near future game days with the Archers. BY ZACH EDGAR
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See Your Talent on Display in The Montage Want to publish a comic? Stop by CN 122 or contact Faculty Advisor Shannon Philpott-Sanders at ssanders147@stlcc.edu. The Montage is currently seeking new artists, graphic designers, photographers and reporters.
ANSWERS TO CROSSWORD ON P. 5: ACROSS - 3) PASSWORDS, 5) JEOPARDY, 8) SCRABBLE, 10) FIFTH, 11) GREED, DOWN - 1) HARVEY, 2) TATTLETALE, 4) FORTUNE, 6) CONCENTRATION, 7) MILLIONARE COMICS BY ZACK WRIGHT