Issuu

VENDING ROULETTE

MONTAGE

Scenes from the convention floor. PAGE 3

Meramec’s own version of Las Vegas. PAGE 4

BASKETBALL JAMBOREE

Archers prepare for the season. PAGE 7

2024 report reveals ‘stalking’ on campus Security at STLCC

BRINN SMITH NEWS EDITOR

STLCC released the 2025 Annual Security Report on Sept. 30. The college is required to report any and all crime statistics as part of The Clery Act. Conflicting information, however, has surfaced after investigation.

The STLCC Security Report shows that the Meramec campus had a reported instance of stalking in 2024 as well as a case of domestic violence and another case of stalking in 2022. There was also a rape case listed from the 2023 report, which The Montage covered in its Nov. 2023 issue. These are the only instances of reported crime for the Meramec campus in the years listed in the security report.

“We take all reports of concerning behavior, including allegations of stalking or harassment, very seriously,”

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Dr. Christine Davis said. “To clarify, no formal conduct charges for stalking were issued against Meramec students in 2024.”

Davis made it clear that there were no formal charges pressed, despite what the security report stated.

“We have had students come forward with concerns,” she said. But the students chose not to proceed with charges, so they decided that they weren’t going to participate any further.”

Multiple requests to interview District Wide Director of Public Safety and

Emergency Management Al Adkins were met without a response.

“In all cases where we’ve had students come forward, whether it’s stalking or any sort of interpersonal conflict, we always respond with care and support resources. Counseling, for example,” Davis said. “Or we will do things like if someone is concerned about a case where the alleged stalker is not affiliated with the college, we may do something like escort you to your car if this person is feeling unsafe or something like that. But we have not had any allegations where we have had to investigate and had an actual investigation. There had been no formal charges, so perhaps what you’re seeing in that security report are those concerns that were brought to our attention.”

Meramec’s 2024 stats were lower compared to statistics from other campuses, with the stalking incident being the only reported statistic. Meanwhile, the Forest Park campus reported two on-campus instances of stalking and one on-campus domestic violence incident. The Florissant Valley campus reported one on-campus rape and two motor vehicle thefts. Specific details about these incidents are unknown.

No statistics were reported for the Harrison Education Center, the Metropolitan Education and Training Center, the Wildwood campus, the South

County campus or the Corporate College campus.

The Clery Act was enacted four years after the rape and murder of Jeanne Clery in her dorm on the campus of Lehigh University in 1986. The university had tried to hide the incident, and more than three dozen other violent crimes from the surrounding community. Since its passage into law, the Clery Act requires colleges and universities to report campus crime data by Oct. 1 of each year, support victims of violence and publicly outline the policies and procedures they have put into place to improve campus safety.

The Montage will continue to investigate any further reporting or incidents on campus. To read a copy of the Security Report, scan the QR code below:

GRAPHIC BY GRETA MCGLAWN

STAFF

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Shannon Philpott-Sanders Faculty Adviser

To place an advertisement, contact the advertising manager for rates, sample issues, etc., at 314984-7857 or email ssanders147@ stlcc.edu.

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

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

Editorial policy: All letters should be no longer than 500 words and must include identification as a student or faculty member, phone number and address for verification purposes. Phone numbers and addresses will not be published. All letters are subject to editing for content and length. All letters submitted will be published in print and online.

Proud

MediaFest 25 brings journalists together

Three editors of The Montage take on DC

LINDSEY UNNERSTALL SPORTS EDITOR

Media Fest 25, the nation’s largest media convention for professional and collegiate student journalists, took place in Washington, D.C. from Oct. 15-18. The event was sponsored by the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists, consisting of over 200 sessions on different journalistic topics.

With sessions focusing on ethics, photojournalism, networking, landing jobs and negotiating salaries, there was something to offer for every student, adviser and professional alike.

“I think there’s a lot that you can learn from other people, especially in journalistic writing. I think there’s always something you can be learning and seeing and doing,” said Jolie Shultz, art and culture editor for the Kansas State Collegian.

The learning doesn’t stop at the college level for people like Sacha Bellman, adviser at Miami University Ohio and treasurer of the College Media Association (CMA). From attending college media conferences when she was in college to returning as an adviser and board member, the excitement to learn never ends.

“[One] of my favorite things about conventions is that it really helps you be reinvigorated into what you do,” Bellman said. “College Media Association has given so much to me and my job as a student media adviser. I’d like to help people that are new and students and advisers learn more about journalism and be excited.”

Professor of photojournalism at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Josh Meltzer felt the same energy and enthusiasm for teaching at the conference as others felt about learning.

“I think whenever I’m around students and I see that they have this passion for doing this work, it definitely gives me some hope that there is some way to turn this corner, which we really have to do,” Meltzer said after his session on photojournalistic ethics. “We have to say, this is important. We have to make sessions and say this stuff out loud and write things about it, and we have to somehow convince our audiences that we do follow ethics,” said Meltzer.

Martin Smith-Rodden, associate teaching professor at the Ball State School of Journalism, was on the panel about photojournalistic ethics with Meltzer. Along with a journalistic background, Smith-Rodden also completed a Ph.D. in applied experimental psychology, which makes him a media psychologist. This influenced his focus in the session on “The Concerned Photographer,” a phrase created by Cornell Capa to describe photographers who demonstrate their work in a “humanitarian impulse,” which Smith-Rodden emphasized to have empathy and ethics in a world of ever changing media and photojournalism.

“The topic is something I’m very passionate about. So for my students who are in the photographic storytelling sequence here at Ball State, they hear a lot about the concerned photographer. They get to a point where they’re finishing [my] sentences for me,” SmithRodden said. “I think it’s a really important and powerful model for what visual storytellers do.”

Sessions like those with powerful knowledge about the field of journalism is what Jean Norman, adviser of the Signpost at Weber State University and vice president for membership at the CMA, wanted her students to take home from the conference.

“I’m hoping they learn something that they don’t get from me and that they network, that they kind of hang out with professional journalists and get the sense of what it’s going to be like if they choose to go into journalism,” Norman said.

Sure enough, takeaways like that are exactly what Shultz got from Media Fest 25.

“Always be resourceful and always be persistent in anything that you’re trying to cover. There’s always a way to cover something. There’s always stories to be told, and I think we have an ethical right to tell those stories,” said Shultz. Small moments of connection in the field of journalism are what make conferences like this one so important, according to Meltzer.

“That’s really why you go to these conferences, because [of] those conversations that happen in the hallway or at dinner or something like that,” Meltzer said. “Because you could do these meetings on Zoom and people could present on Zoom, but it’s the stuff that happens after the meeting, where you really make an impact, where you can have an in-depth conversation, and that only can happen by being there in person.”

PHOTO BY LINDSEY UNNERSTALL

Christopher Tyree, co-founder and director of the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism, presents Truth with a Camera at MediaFest 25 in Washington, DC.

PHOTO BY LINDSEY UNNERSTALL

Student journalists film a broadcast session at MediaFest25 in Washington, DC. Three editors of The Montage were in attendance at the convention.

Portfolio Day Strikes Again ART & LIFE |

Expanding programs leads to expanding scopes

HIBA OBEED

ART & LIFE EDITOR

Booths line the hallways of the Humanities East building with tables and walls filled with artwork ranging from ceramics, prints, sculpture, to multimedia and traditional art. On Oct. 23, STLCC Meramec hosted its annual Portfolio Day, inviting several universities to speak to students and offer them opportunities to continue their art education. Some of these universities were Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Maryville University, University of Missouri Saint Louis, Kansas City Art Institute, University of Missouri, Webster University, Milwaukee

Institute of Art and Design and the Art Institute of Chicago.

“I’m aiming to impress Mizzou and SIUE,” said student Em Aguinaga.

“I think I had a really good talk with Mizzou about what they offer, even with programs outside of the school.”

Aguinaga showcased a table of ceramics and a wall of figure drawings for Portfolio Day.

“I’m most proud of my figure drawing pieces,” Aguinaga said. “My hand-built pieces show a lot of negative space and this apocalyptic structure that I have going on, so I’m hoping to explore that.”

Portfolio Day brings a different opportunity for some students than what

Vending Machine Roulette

ELIZABETH

CLEARY MANAGING EDITOR

At Meramec, campus life comes with its own version of Las Vegas; just swap the slot machines for the snack machines.

The on-campus vending machines have become notorious for eating money and withholding food. STLCC student Kaitlyn Eckhard is well versed in vending machine roulette.

“[The vending machine] ate up my three dollars, which was very upsetting because I didn’t get that money back, and I didn’t get my Pepsi either,” Eckhard said.

Eckhard finds herself having to visit multiple vending machines across campus because, oftentimes, the card reader on a given machine won’t work. This makes it difficult for Eckhard and other students who don’t carry much cash on them to use the machines.

The vending machines are faulty in more than just these ways.

“A couple of weeks ago, I put my card

into the vending machine to get some Sunchips, and it so graciously gave me two bags when I only paid for one,” Eckhard said.

While this may not seem like a bad deal, not everyone has been so lucky in getting double the food without the cost. Student Aaron Perez has also faced complications in using the machines.

“One time, I was using the card reader and I got double charged for a single item. It really made me mad, so now I carry quarters in case that happens,” Perez said.

In taking the gamble by using the vending machines, some students have discovered a way to receive back the money they’ve lost. Student Lilly Burrus, after paying for a bag of skittles that she did not receive, was able to get in contact with the company by texting the phone number listed on the vending machine.

“I texted the number and they asked me what the issue was. Then they Venmoed me for five dollars,” Burrus said.

they’re used to, Aguinaga explained.

“This is the first time I’ve been able to show my physical pieces, and have them [representatives] actually come up to me and ask me questions instead of me talking for five minutes while there’s a line of other students also waiting to speak to a representative,” Aguinaga said.

Several people worked behind the scenes to make this day possible including Dan Bess, secretary of the art department.

“It was so amazing to work with all the students and really see the hopefulness of all the students setting up for their universities and trying to have their

work critiqued and receive feedback,” Bess said.

What stood out to Bess about this year’s Portfolio Day was the number of people participating.

“On the whole, I think we had more designers interested in Portfolio Day this year. Usually, it’s mostly fine artists participating, and so to see more designers partake is exciting,” said Bess. “It means our program is growing and expanding to more than just drawing and painting. Professor Swoboda and Professor Linder have been pushing for that for a long time, and it’s been super successful– It shows us what art can be.”

Still, for students who haven’t discovered this trick, the vending machine struggle is discouraging.

“Sometimes I bring my own water or my own food, so I don’t have to rely on the vending machines,” Perez said.

For those beaten down by the machines, there are other options for food on campus. The cafeteria contains a wide variety of options, the SARC Archers Market offers grab and go meals and snacks for students at no cost and various events around campus frequently have food available.

This given, vending machines still hold the appeal of being convenient and relatively cheap. Whether finding another source of food or continuing to play vending machine roulette, STLCC

students have strong feelings about the issue.

“At the end of the day, it’s just frustrating, and I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling that way,” Burrus said.

PHOTOS BY HIBA OBEED

Art students meet with recruiters in Humanities East on Oct. 23 for Portfolio Day

GRAPHIC BY GRETA MCGLAWN

TTRPG Takes on the Ren Faire

BRINN SMITH NEWS EDITOR

Every year, on weekends from mid September to late October, the St. Louis Renaissance Faire comes to town. During those weekends, Rotary Park in Wentzville is alive with the spirit of renaissance times. On Oct. 25, STLCC Meramec’s own

Table Top Role Playing Group (TTRPG) went as a group to the fair, going to all the shops and events.

“Basically, a bunch of nerds [and others] decide to play dress up and then go pretend like they’re in the Renaissance period,” president of TTRPG Elizabeth Pufahl said.

Acting out the Renaissance period includes a variety of things, from big

turkey legs to the events, there is always something going on

“I’ve been at the jousts, I love the energy in the crowd. Everybody gets super into it and picks a side,” TTRPG adviser

Melody Walkenhorst said.

Often, the events will draw people in, but the food is also a staple.

“The turkey legs are a classic, but I heard the pizza is not good, so no

ART & LIFE

pizza,” Pufahl said.

All of this said, TTRPG is planning on continuing on going for years to come.

“I hear people already talking about how we are going to do this again next year,” Walkenhorst said. “It’s something I go to on my own anyway and we’ve gone as a club in the past, and it’s all a good time.”

Roger T. Thomas Flips through the Pages

FARAHNAZ NAZARY STAFF

As libraries offer resources, technology and community, its true value is often found in its leadership. Roger T. Thomas has spent his career quietly and effectively building one of the region’s most successful library systems. Thomas doesn’t just manage the library, he manages the community’s intellectual and creative growth.

Thomas is the library manager of the Meramec campus. He brings a unique blend of analytical and organizational skills from his two years in engineering school at the University of Missouri–Columbia. This technical foundation, combined with a passion for community and information sciences, led him to pursue and complete his undergrad degree at Fontbonne University, where he

deepened his expertise.

“I started working at Meramec in 2019 as a library manager, but I have worked at the other three campuses in different positions. I was chosen and honored to manage the Meramec library because it is the biggest campus in the college district and more diverse,” Thomas said.

Thomas said he wants to make a library like an informal, family environment so that everyone can feel at home and work comfortably.

“In my opinion, a good manager has to be responsible, honest, be a good listener, treat people in a good way, have respect for people from different backgrounds and encourage his employees to achieve success,” Thomas said.

Professor Insight: Brooke Townsend

FARAHNAZ NAZARY STAFF

While for some the thought of calculus may evoke a sense of hardship, for Professor Brooke Townsend the subject is a source of joy. Townsend is one of the math professors on the Meramec campus of STLCC. She has brought a wealth of expertise to the math department with an educational foundation built on a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and further refined by a master’s in statistics.

Townsend has been interested in becoming a teacher since she was a child, but it was while she was pursuing her master’s degree that she found her passion for teaching math.

“I have been teaching math in some capacity since 2015,

and I have taught at both the college/university level and high school level. I was teaching full-time at Stephen F. Austin State University before coming to STLCC,” Townsend said.

Townsend recognizes that every professor uses different methods to help their students learn. Her method is to encourage students to work on examples in class and to solve their homework problems there, so she is assured that students can solve the problems by themselves.

Her plans for the future include getting settled into the St. Louis area and continuing her work as a math professor, forming good relationships with other faculty and staff.

“In my opinion a good math professor should hold students to a high standard, be patient and be available,” Townsend said.

Librarian Roger T. Thomas

Professor Brooke Townsend

PHOTO BY MELODY WALKENHORST

The Tabletop Role Playing Group poses for a photo outside the main gate to the Renaissance Faire on Oct. 25.

The Straw-Man OPINIONS

The problem with Jubilee and other monetized debate channels

CARRINGTON DAVIS STAFF

Jubilee and other debate channels, in their attempts to get views, are developing a vacuum chamber of hatred that is pushing division rather than the connection and education of a fair debate. The debates themselves are largely imbalanced by either size of the opposing force, education of debaters on a topic, poorly structured time limits and the choosing of people who want to lecture rather than converse.

“You’re a fan of the Nazis?”

Mehdi Hasan from the video “1 Progressive vs 20 Far Right Republicans” asked participant Connor.

“I, frankly, don’t care being called a Nazi at all,” Connor said.

Later on, Hasan said, “We may have to rename this show, because

you’re a little bit more than a far-right Republican.”

“What can I say?” Connor replied. “I think you say, ‘I’m a fascist.’”

“Yeah, I am,” said Connor.

I believe that if Jubilee continues like this, valuing views over debaters safety and education, it will allow for hate groups to have an easier time spreading their message instead of learning to change. Jubilee has people admitting on their channel to being fascists, and then allowing them to continue spreading their message for the chance of their video going viral.

When debaters’ claims are fact checked by Jubilee, while coming from the reputable source Straight Arrow News, the wording on their video’s text can be too vague or long, with no clear distinction of whether the person’s fact was

correct or not from first glance alone. With these debate videos being, on average, three hours long, not having a clear color distinction between right and wrong facts can confuse the audience when debaters are countering each other at a rapid pace.

To understand this better, let’s talk about one of Jubilee’s most popular debate styles: “Surrounded.”

Surrounded is when an individual with a particular viewpoint goes against a large group holding the opposite view, such as a conservative figure against 25 liberal students (Chaile Kirk vs 25 Liberal College Students). While the concept of these debates isn’t bad, the way in which Jubilee performs them can be. Having people run and fight for a seat immediately takes away equal opportunity in the debate. Someone not as educated can be leagues faster than

The Art of Horror Movie Parody

DANNY HAYER STAFF

Horror movie parodies are nothing new. In fact, the first horror movie parody to really kickstart the trend is thought to be “Student Bodies” directed by Mickey Rose in 1981. It was made to poke fun at other famous slasher movies that came before it such as “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween.” Arguably the most famous parody horror movie franchise, “Scary Movie,” just had its sixth movie announced for June 12, 2026.

Parody horror movies sometimes have different goals than the average horror movie. Often, these movies are meant to be fun and humorous in a twisted sort of way. While other horror movies are meant to invoke fear and keep you up at night, parody horror movies are meant to poke fun at things like horror movie cliches and things that don’t make sense– like how easy it is to defend yourself against a regular person in a mask and cloak.

One of the most viral clips from the “Scary Movie” franchise is from the first

movie when Cindy Campbell is being chased up the stairs by someone in a ghostface mask. Right off the bat, she is doing everything that you probably should do when being chased by a killer. She hurls everything she sees at the killer– even her grandma (you probably shouldn’t throw your grandma at a bloodthirsty killer.) Cindy even throws a piano at the killer, which he dodges and it ends up hitting Cindy’s grandma.

When you’re watching this clip, you most likely aren’t thinking “Oh my god! She just hit her grandma with a piano,” you’re most likely laughing because you know that this isn’t really supposed to be taken seriously. This brings me to my main point: horror/slasher movies based on childhood characters.

This fad has been around for a while, just like parody movies in general, but they really started to boom in popularity and frequency after Rhys Frake-Waterfield’s 2023 movie “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.” This movie gave birth to the modern wave of cartoon characters being turned

someone who is. If that educated person somehow beats the faster one, they can still be voted out by Jubilee’s flag rule before getting the chance to thoroughly explain their points. Having stress like that makes people feel the need to be louder, more abrasive and quick to cut the main debater off– which furthers the divide between them.

If Jubilee’s motto is to “provoke understanding and create human congratulations,” this form of debate seems to be doing the exact opposite– especially when considering their other debate style, “Middle Ground.”

Middle Ground is another series on their YouTube channel that explores whether two different groups of people, opposed in their beliefs, can come together mutually and find common ground. Some of their more controversial examples are Obese vs Anorexic, Pro vs Anti Deportation, Feminist vs Anti Feminist, Unhoused vs Millionaires, etc. While usually smaller than the “Surrounded” debates, the actions of having these people debate each other can be quite harmful. In Middle Ground debates, while the goal is to find mutual understanding, this usually doesn’t happen. In fact, we see more of a lecture approach from people. This debate style also doesn’t require some of the groups to be heavily informed about the issue they’re discussing.

A comment taken from the youtube video “1 Progressive Vs 20 Far Right Republicans” summarizes this perfectly. “Jubilee this isn’t even a debate anymore. It’s just pure hatred that these people have in their hearts. Giving these people a platform is insane to me.”

GRAPHIC BY GRETA MCGLAWN

into slasher horror movie villains.

While it’s not all cartoon based horror movies, “Blood and Honey” kickstarted a cinematic universe dubbed “The Twisted Childhood Universe.” Already in the universe are both “Blood and Honey” movies, a Peter Pan movie, a Bambi movie that was released in July, a Pinocchio movie set to release in 2026, and even an “Avengers-style” movie titled “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble” releasing sometime in 2026.

Obviously, there is an audience for this and, to be honest, I don’t see a problem with it. Yes, they’re taking beloved childhood characters and making them bloodthirsty killers, but you have to realise that this isn’t really supposed to be taken seriously (or as serious as other movies like “Friday the 13th” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”)

Now the big question: what makes these movies “good?” As crazy as it might sound, it’s the creativity. They’re taking childhood cartoon characters from animated movies and completely shifting all that is known about them. For example, in the Peter Pan movie,

Tiger Lily, the Native American girl from the animated movie, is now one of Wendy’s best friends.

There is also something about having childhood characters being twisted and put into movies where they are ruthless killers that adds to the horror aspect of these movies. For example, Winnie the Pooh is this lovable, cuddly bear normally, but in this new movie, he’s a juggernaut of a killer. Having your childhood completely turned upside down adds to the scariness.

It may be hard for some, probably most, people to watch a horror movie about their favorite childhood cartoon character and then go back to the cartoon or movie and watch it the same way. That is why it is important to approach these horror movies with a specific mindset. It’s impossible for one person to like and enjoy everything, and these movies are not for everyone. Being open and understanding of different interests is the most important thing.

STLCC basketball teams kick off season with jamboree

LINDSEY UNNERSTALL SPORTS EDITOR

An afternoon filled with music, snacks, games and basketball had the STLCC community buzzing for the start of the Archers men’s and women’s basketball season.

On Oct. 22, the Archers basketball teams gathered in the Forest Park campus gym for a jamboree. The event included games, food, music and competitions.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the teams hosted the open gym in hopes of getting the community interested in the sport and ready to support them at their first home game of the season.

“Our two biggest wins last year, we beat the region champions in division one and division two. We beat them and we had our biggest crowds of the year. It makes a difference to our players, and it’s fun,” said Terry Collins, men’s basketball coach.

According to Collins’, interaction between students and the team is what the jamboree is all about.

“Most of our players take classes at Meramec, and then they commute over here for practice. They don’t necessarily see [Forest Park students] in the classroom, so we’re just trying to create that connection,” Collins said.

For shooting guard CJ Lang, this goal was accomplished.

“Great vibes. Everybody was happy, everybody was smiling. DJ had this thing going with the music, and then it was just like a field day in elementary school for everybody,” Lang said.

The Forest Park Campus Life department helped secure snacks, music and a

Men’s and Women’s

few games for the jamboree while the ideas, execution and pep came from the players– who promoted the event for the past few weeks around the campuses.

“I enjoyed seeing different people from campus. There’s been faculty over, staff, students from all over campus who participated in all of the activities. It was great to see people coming from class to come and participate for a while,” said Donivan Foster from Campus Life.

“I feel like we’ve got the right pieces, we’ve got a good team. Everybody wants to win, and we’ve all got the same goal.”

CJ Lang, Shooting Guard

With all of the energy from the jamboree, the hope is to have

the stands filled for the fast approaching games this season. With a strong community and people interested in the sport, the teams’ motivation is already through the roof.

“I feel like we’ve got the right pieces, we’ve got a good team. Everybody wants to win, and we’ve all got the same goal,” Lang said.

The excitement for the teams doesn’t stop here; they are continuing to try to recruit a fanbase and keep energy and spirits high for the rest of this season.

“When the people came in, we had

BY: TANYA CARR

players at the welcome table collecting names and emails. The purpose of that is we’re going to follow up with everyone that took the time to come, and personally invite them to come to any number of games,” Collins said. As for the players themselves, the event was a big hit.

“Everybody did have fun. I know, on behalf of the basketball team, we all had a good time. We would love to see everybody at the games this season,” Lang said.

PHOTO

Members of the

STLCC basketball teams participate in games on Oct. 22 at the Forest Park campus gym.

PHOTO BY: LINDSEY UNNERSTALL

During the Oct. 22 jamboree, STLCC athletes engaged in games on the court at the Forest Park campus.

The STLCC Archers men’s soccer team celebrate on the field after winning the Region 16 championship on Saturday, Nov. 1. The Archers defeated Mineral Area College 3-2 at Kirkwood High School.

PHOTO BY: ZACH EDGAR