SCENE THE
Sept. 21, 2018
Fall Issue 1
www.thescenefp.com
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
Health care fields hot, report says
By Joshua Phelps The Scene staff St. Louis Community College’s heavy focus on health-care training seems to fall right in line with its 10th annual St. Louis Workforce Report, which was released in August. Results showed that the metro area needs more skilled workers in health care, information technology and finance. “There’s more jobs open than people looking for work,” said Nelson Hart, associate vice chancellor for STLCC Workforce Solutions. “This is the first time that this has happened (since the college started compiling the reports).” The college partnered with the Missouri Department of Economic DevelHubble opment to look at job postings, demographics and other factors. It surveyed 1,250 companies in health, information technology and finance. “(We asked them), ‘Are people qualified? Are they Hart prepared? And if they’re not, where are the gaps in the skills?’” Hart said. Shortcomings of job applicants included poor work habits, lack of critical thinking and problem solving, lack of teamwork or collaboration skills and lack of communication and interpersonal skills. “They’re looking for people with soft skills,” said Bill Hubble, district division dean of academic affairs for health sciences. “(That means) the ability to show up for work on time, to be dedicated, to be compassionate, to be able to communicate, work as a team, to collaborate, to be able to troubleshoot problems and issues, to be able to do critical thinking.” STLCC has compiled workforce reports every year since 2008. Each has covered different fields. The college is taking a major step toward training more employees for health-care careers by building a new
See Health care page 7
Worst job See page 3
day in the life See page 4-5
OK, Google ... See page 7
Omaha street named for professor
Rodney Wead was a civil rights leader and black pioneer By Jason Ethridge The Scene staff
A one-block section of a street in Omaha, Nebraska, has been named for an adjunct sociology professor at Forest Park. The city took the action Sept. 14 to honor Rodney Wead for his efforts to help his hometown, particularly its black community, during the civil rights era. “He was at the forefront, just a terrific man,” said Mike Boyle, former Omaha mayor, who proposed the idea of renaming the street. “Always gregarious, alWead ways positive. He motivated people.” The section of 52nd Street between Ames and Fowler avenues now bears the name “Rodney S. Wead Street.” This is where he founded Community Bank of Nebraska, the first black-owned bank in the state, in 1973. Four years earlier, Wead had opened Franklin Community Credit Union, the first credit union in Nebraska to serve low-income residents. He also was the first black man to own a radio station, KMOH, in Omaha. Wead, now 83, was “moved beyond words” when he heard about plans to re-
Photo by Timothy Bold
Forest Park sociology professor Rodney Wead, 83, talks with with human services major Angela Coleman, 53, outside his office. name the street for him. “I have received many awards in my lifetime, but I never dreamed I would get anything like this,” he said. Wead joined the Forest Park faculty in 2001. Today, he teaches one night class, Introduction to Sociology. Sociology professor Andrea Nichols has worked with Wead since 2004. She’s been particularly impressed by his kindness and
his record of civil rights activism. “In the field of sociology, we pay attention to various forms of inequality,” she said. “Just to be able to meet someone who was a part of that movement in that time period is striking.” Omaha City Council President Ben Gray arranged for the street to be renamed, at
See Wead page 6
Campus exhibit honors labor leaders By Christopher Brooks The Scene staff Many people take workers’ rights for granted, not realizing that activists in the 19th and 20th centuries risked their lives to make things better for future generations. Phi Theta Kappa members at Forest Park discovered this while preparing an exhibit on labor leaders that will be displayed in the library this semester. “This experience for our students is essential,” said Tamela Turner, co-adviser to Xi Epsilon, the Forest Park chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. “They learned so much.” Phi Theta Kappa chapters are required to develop Honors in Action research projects each year. Xi Epsilon met this requirement by creating the exhibit, which consists of student essays and about 40 posters. The exhibit is called “Workers’ Rights are Human Rights: Labor Union Leaders, Past and Present.” After an opening reception on Sept. 27, the exhibit will run from Sept. 28 through Oct. 4 with Vice President
See Labor page 2
Photo by Daniel Shular
Tamela Turner poses next to a poster of Lucy Parsons, a labor organizer, radical socialist and anarchist communist.