SCENE THE
THE
Fall Issue 1
Sept. 20, 2019
THESCENEFP.COM
www.thescenefp.com
Earliest memories See page 3
Spider-man’s quandry See page 7
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
Robison pleads guilty of stealing $7.5 million Former STLCC employee faced 15 charges
Photo by Mark Ngunjiri
One of several TV sets on campus, this one in the Student Center lobby, highlights news and events, including the new Missouri civics exam requirement.
State now requires passage of civics test Blackboard provides questions, study tips
many Missouri high schools. Only students seeking associate’s degrees are required to take the civics test, not those enrolled in certificate programs. STLCC students will use the college’s By Ethan Tutor Blackboard website to take the test. This can be The Scene staff done at any time during their college attendance. The process begins with students signForest Park students who enrolled for the first time this fall, as well as future students ing up for a free, non-credit “class” called seeking associate’s degrees, will have to Mandatory Continuing Education 100. This gives them access to the actual civics test, pass a civics test in order to graduate. That’s because the Missouri General as well as study materials that can help them Assembly passed Senate Bill 807 and Gov. prepare. “It would be wise for all students to enroll Michael L. Parson signed it into law last year. in MCE 100 as soon as they can,” said “Any student enterJames Munden, dean ing a public institution of the math and STEM “Knowledge about our of higher education Business Division at for the first time after Forest Park. July 2019 who is pur- government enables Students may take suing an associate’s the civics test as many or bachelor’s degree students to be informed times as they want from such institution citizens, so they can better until they pass. shall successfully pass Forest Park politian examination on the fulfill their civic duty.” cal science profesprovisions and prinsor Ssebunya Kasule ciples of American – Political science professor strongly supports the civics with a score Ssebunya Kasule new legal requirement of seventy percent or passed by the legislagreater as a condition of graduation from such institution,” the ture. “The civics test is a good addition to the law states. college curriculum,” he said. “It ensures that Tests must contain 50 to 100 queseach student has some basic knowledge of tions, including some that cover the U.S. our system before graduating. Knowledge Constitution, Declaration of Independence, about our government enables students to Bill of Rights and other U.S. laws and history. be informed citizens, so they can better fulMissouri State University created a civics fill their civic duty.” test and sent it to all colleges and universiForest Park computer applications major ties in the state to be adapted to their needs, according to Robert Lee, a history professor Samuel Santanear, 18, also supports the requirement. He hasn’t taken a government at Meramec. He and other humanities professors with class since his junior year of high school St. Louis Community College reviewed the and has never taken a civics test, but he’s not worried about passing. test for use on their campuses. “Yes, (the test’s) existence is justified,” “We reworded a few things,” Lee said, Santanear said. “Our country is very patrinoting the STLCC version closely resemotic. … It makes sense.” bles the civics test that is administered at
Robison is out on an unsecured $25,000 bond approved by Magistrate Judge Patricia L. Cohen. Robison allegedly created a fake company and paid that company for job-training services that the state had contracted with By Zoey Tincknell STLCC to provide. The services were never The Scene staff provided. “It was out of our control,” Tolson said. A former St. Louis Community College “We couldn’t prevent it. ... We are thankful employee has pleaded guilty to 15 federal he pled guilty. The only thing we can do charges related to the theft of $7.5 is look inward to make sure it million from the college and state doesn’t happen again.” of Missouri. The federal charges against As part of a plea agreement Robison include wire fraud, mail in U.S. District Court, Eastern fraud and money laundering. District of Missouri, Donald Sentencing is expected to take Robison, 57, of Ballwin, admitted place Nov. 12. to stealing the money over 20 STLCC Chancellor Jeff Pittman years. couldn’t be reached for comment. “From August 1998 to He released a statement to faculty November 2018, Robison stole Robison members and staff on Aug. 14, the millions of dollars allocated for day charges were filed. New and Retained Job Training “In late April, the College disPrograms established by the covered it had been a victim of Missouri Department of Economic Robison’s fraudulent and criminal Department,” according to an Aug. scheme,” it stated. “We immedi14 news release from Assistant ately began an internal investiU.S. Attorney Lindsay McCluregation and worked in full coopHartman. eration with the U.S. Attorney’s Robison formerly served as Office and FBI. We are grateful manager of corporate services for for a quick investigation and resoTolson the college’s Workforce Solutions lution in securing this guilty plea.” Group. He was fired in April, after STLCC Matt Fry, Robison’s attorney, didn’t return froze bank accounts, according to Kedra calls for comment. Tolson, executive director of marketing and See Robison page 2 communications.
Photo by Mark Ngunjiri
Windows of opportunity
The grand opening of Forest Park’s new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences was celebrated on Aug. 16 with a ribbon-cutting. See pages 4 and 5 for photos of the open house.