SCENE THE
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Fall Issue 3
Oct. 18, 2019
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‘Joker’ controversy
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See page 7
Keeping secrets See page 8
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
Impeachment?
Forest Park weighs in on Trump controversies
By Brian Ostrander, Ethan Tutor and Mackenzie Gregory The Scene staff The impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump has generated plenty of headlines, partisan talking points and passionate arguments on all sides of the political spectrum. But what do Forest Park students, faculty and staff think? A random survey conducted by The Scene indicates that most are paying attention and many have strong opinions. “I f—king hate Trump,” said network engineering major Joel Levy. “He sucks. I disagree with his politics.” General transfer studies student India Session believes Trump’s alleged corruption is not a new phenomenon, but his recent dealings with Ukraine have shown Session that “the security of the office is compromised.” “Holding public officials accountable to legal action is a standard of democracy,” she said. “This inquiry is important because it will reveal the truth to the American people. We don’t have to White support corruption.” Session added: “There needs to be a return to a respect for the office. I have a lot to pray for.”
Too late?
Criminal justice major Azaen White, 18, worries about the timing of the impeachment inquiry.
By Ethan Tutor The Scene staff
White House photo by Shealah Craighead
President Donald Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zalensky on Sept. 25 in New York City.
“I feel like (it’s) not going to play out,” he said. “It’s too late to bring these things up. It’s been almost three years, and Trump is campaigning for 2020 already. If they were serious, they would have filed this a lot sooner.” White also believes the investigation will further the partisan divide on Capitol Hill. “We should be more of a unit (with) less infighting,” he said. General transfer student Jasmine Williams, 24, agrees with White on the timing of the impeachment inquiry. “It’s a waste of time,” she said. “It is almost over. It’s too late to start an impeachment.” Adjunct professor Frank Kelton, 37, has
Photo by Angela Woody
Finishing touches
Adjunct union creates ‘bill of rights’
Labor foreman Allen Fetsch, 51, bush-hammers pedestals for benches that are being installed next to the new Nursing and Health Sciences Building on campus. The building opened for classes at the beginning of fall semester, and now workers are turning their attention to the outside.
no opinion on the impeachment inquiry, at least not one he wants to share publicly. “I’m apolitical,” he said.
Call to Ukraine
Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives announced the start of an impeachment inquiry on Sept. 24. Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Trump of violating the U.S. Constitution by soliciting the help of a foreign leader, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, to dig up dirt on former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival seeking the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential election. Pelosi’s move came in the wake of a whis- Williams tleblower complaint alleging that Trump asked for this “favor” in a July 25 phone call to Zelensky and that White House officials later took action to cover up the impropriety. Forest Park pre-phar- Kelton macy major Dorian Morgan, 25, supports the impeachment inquiry and would like to see Trump removed from office. “He deserves whatever he gets,” Morgan said. “He violated the people’s trust and the sys- Morgan tems.” Biotechnology major Nichole Wells, 43, agrees that Trump probably did something wrong and should go to jail, but she believes
See Impeachment page 3
The union that represents adjuncts on St. Louis Community College campuses has created a Higher Education Faculty Bill of Rights to use as a tool in contract negotiations. Members of Service Employees International Union Local 1 are collecting signatures from adjuncts, fulltime faculty and students at 13 colleges and universities in the St. Louis area as a show of support. “Every student and teacher can sign the Bill of Rights,” said Kat Fossell, an adjunct English professor on STLCC’s Meramec campus and an SEIU member. “By getting more people Fossel to sign on, it helps the adjuncts have a good bargaining chip when negotiations resume in the spring.” The STLCC adjunct contract expires in March. N e g o t i a t i o n s Ratino between the union and college are expected to resume early next year. The Higher Education Faculty Bill of Rights lists the following expectations: Shared governance; teaching resources and services; academic freedom; respectable hiring and promotion; a living wage; job security; fair scheduling and appointments; professional development and support; due process and a grievance procedure; health care; retirement; childcare; paid leave; and freedom from discrimination. “These are obvious changes that we shouldn’t have to ask for,” said Kathy Ratino, an adjunct communications professor and member of the SEIU leadership team for the Forest Park campus. STLCC adjuncts voted to unionize with SEIU in 2015. The union later negotiated a contract that provided for two 3 percent raises. The union now is asking for an additional 5 percent in raises. As of last spring, the college was only offering 2 percent. STLCC officials didn’t respond to requests for comment, including Nez Savala, communications manager; Kedra Tolson, executive director of marketing and communications; Shirley Simmons, employee and labor
See Union page 3
Scene THE
Business/web manager: Victor Paletta Circulation: Zacchaeus Windham Reporters/photographers: Ethan Tutor, Angelica Woody, Mark Ngunjiri, Craig Mershon, Brian Ostrander Layout: Katelyn Clancy, Lulu Ali Cartoonists: Cameron Kuntz, Mackenzie Gregory, Larry Cox Faculty advisers: Teri Maddox, Fred Ortlip
The Scene is a publication written and designed by students at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park, 5600 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110. The office is in F Tower, Room 408. The telephone number is (314) 644-9140. The e-mail address is the_scene_fp@yahoo.com. All text, photos, graphics and other content are property of The Scene and may not be used without permission. Views expressed are not necessarily those of St. Louis Community
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College, its Board of Trustees or administration. The Scene welcomes opinion pieces and letters to the editor. They should be signed and include the writer’s student or staff number. They can be mailed to the above addresses or delivered by hand. We reserve the right to edit for length and taste. The Scene will run classified ads for students free of charge. They should be submitted in the manner described above.
Oct. 18, 2019
News
Impeachment
from page 1
he still has enough supporters that he could win re-election. “If he’s impeached, he obviously won’t be elected again,” she said. The downside to impeachment? Vice President Mike Pence would take over for Trump, and Wells doesn’t think Pence would be any better than Trump as president.
‘Witch hunt’
Trump has been on the defensive in recent weeks, characterizing the impeachment inquiry as another “witch hunt.” Many Republicans have acknowledged that it wasn’t proper for the Wells president to ask a foreign leader for campaign help, but most reject the idea that his actions were impeachable offenses. Forest Park physical therapy major Nicole Cook, 26, doesn’t buy the “witch hunt” argument. “You don’t impeach Cook unless there are reasons,” she said. “There’s evidence, and people are going to hear it. If there is an impeachment, that means something must have happened.” Accusations of corruption are nothing new for the Trump administration. A two-year special Rone counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election sought to determine whether Trump and his campaign were involved.
Union relations specialist; and Patricia Canada, director of human resources. Fossel identifies a “living wage” as the most important expectation in the Higher Education Faculty Bill of Rights. “For myself, I have to work a couple of jobs so I can still teach and be financially secure,” she said. “… We are the people in the classrooms with the students. Teachers usually have a better grasp on the students.” The union hasn’t yet totaled the number of signatures collected on the Higher Education Faculty Bill of Rights, Ratino said, but students and faculty from the following colleges and universities have signed: STLCC, Washington University, St. Louis University, Webster University, Maryville University, Lindenwood
Photo illustration by Fred Ortlip
An assortment of headlines from national media covering the controversy involving President Donald Trump and his request for Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. The resulting Mueller Report was submitted to Attorney General William Barr on March 22. It failed to accuse the president of “conspiracy,” but its conclusions remain the subject of contentious debate. Some people believe the impeachment inquiry could actually hurt, not help Democrats. Even if the House votes to impeach Trump, the Republican-led Senate could refuse to remove him from office, thereby giving him another “victory” and re-election momentum. Forest Park criminology major Stephen Rone, 22, falls in this group. He worries that Democrats are using too much political capital and fighting the wrong battles leading up to the election, which is only a year away. On the other hand, Rone is unequivocal
on what he thinks should happen to Trump: “He needs to be removed.”
Trust issues
Some students don’t have much of an opinion on the impeachment inquiry, but they dislike Trump for other reasons not related to the Ukrainian scandal. Mortuary science major Olivia Nowell, 18, is outraged that Trump recently pulled U.S. troops back from fighting in Syria and left the Kurds to fend for themselves against Turkish attackers. “We completely abandoned our allies,” she said. “We should remain loyal to people and preserve our country’s integrity. … I would like it if Trump and Pence were out.” Friends and fine arts majors Courtney Kolhik and Alexander Hurst dislike Trump,
Lovely Lives
mainly because of what they described as inappropriate and offensive comments on Twitter and elsewhere. For Kolhik, 20, an art major, it started with the 2016 release of an 11-year-old recording of Trump talking to “Today” show co-host Billy Bush about how he grabbed women “by the p---y.” Kolhik also found it “hilarious” when Trump claimed that Mexico would pay for a new U.S. border wall. “I don’t trust him,” she said. “… I would feel a lot better if he was out of office.” Hurst, 20, said, “There Kolhik are some things he’s done that are good, but tons of other things that are terrible. … Even if you like him, he’s still said racist, sexist and homophobic things.” Some Forest Park students are too busy with classes, jobs and family Hurst responsibilities to watch the TV news or read newspapers every day. Others aren’t that interested in Washington, D.C., political dramas. “I don’t know too much,” said education major Josh Praizner, 30. “I don’t keep up with the Paizner news. Last thing I heard is that they haven’t started the (impeachment) process. I just hope Trump doesn’t get elected again.”
By Mackenzie Gregory
from page 1
University, Ranken Technical College, St. Charles County Community College, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Jefferson College, Harris-Stowe State University, Southwestern Illinois College and Fontbonne University. About 76 percent of STLCC faculty members are adjuncts. Ratino said she remains optimistic about contract negotiations in the spring. “We can’t force (the college) to do anything they don’t want to do, but we’re unionized,” she said. “We don’t know what they’ll agree to until we come to the table.” Adjuncts, full-time faculty and students who want to sign the Higher Education Faculty Bill of Rights can do so at bit.ly/FacultyBillofRights.
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Fall is here! Page 3
A Day in the Life of F
Photo by Kevin Santander
Culinary arts student Cory Fisher, 19, peels and devains shrimp in the department’s kitchen.
Photo by Fred Ortlip
Housekeeping employee Wareen Ford takes her lunch break on an F Tower bench. She normally eats in the cafeteria, but on Oct. 9 she wasn’t hungry until later in the day.
Layout by Katelyn Page 4
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
Oct. 18, 2019
Forest Park
Photo by Angelica Woody
At left, general studies student Nina Njuyen, 18, watches a Facebook video and eats popcorn while sitting on a bench in the courtyard. Above, a stray plastic Dierbergs bag gets tangled up in a tree between A and B towers.
Photo by Angelica Woody
Photo by Angelica Woody
At left, cybersecurity major Christopher Phan, 19, gets a Pepsi from a vending machine on the third floor of C Tower. Above, mortuary science major Darron Simmons, 18, finds a cubby hole next to another vending machine in the library lobby to do research before his math class.
Photo by Angelica Woody
Clancy Oct. 18, 2019
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Page 5
Opinion
We should be building a community Loose Lips
By Craig Mershon The Scene staff The fall semester is well under way. Students, faculty and staff are trying to learn about one another and find their way around campus. During the process, we must consider the concept of “community building.” This leads to success in the workplace and in all educational endeavors. Some of the ways we can build a community at Forest Park are practicing good communication skills and showing understanding, empathy and sympathy toward one another. We each have talents that we can use to help build a community. We all have positive traits that we can exhibit as part of our daily routines. That includes students, staff and faculty. Using positive language is another very good way of helping to build a community. As a returning student, I have observed
interactions that could tear down a community rather than build it up. Some departments need training on dealing with students and each other. Last semester, I witnessed a situation in which a staff member could have made great friends with a student, but the staff member was so adamant that the student take a particular class, the student was turned off and left the room. The staff member could have said, “If you feel uncomfortable taking this class, you can come back and talk with me, and I will be more than happy to help you feel comfortable.” Instead the staff member said, “This is the policy and you gotta take this class or you ain’t gonna graduate.” Things like this have happened to me, too. Because of a disability, I do some of my college work through the Access Office. Recently, I had to special-order a textbook, which was late in coming. My class instructor asked, “Have you taken the test?” When I told her I was still reading the chapter, she said, “If you don’t take the test today, I will give you a zero for the rest of the semester. There have been people in this class who got a 52 on the test, but at least they took it.” Needless to say. I took the test, and I felt very frustrated by the instructor’s lack of understanding. The instructor could have said, “Let me know when you are ready to take the test, and we can work on some ways to help you do better than you think you can.” Faculty and staff are here to be role models for students. Students are here to learn from faculty, staff and each other.
Being kind and considerate can help build a community. Each of us has a talent, whether it be writing, reading, speaking or singing. Even having a nice personality can be a talent. We can attract people to us by using our talents, but if the talents are used in the wrong way, they can drive people away. Making students feel comfortable should be a main goal at the college.
Making students feel comfortable should be a main goal at the college. Many are afraid. Some feel awkward, uncomfortable or simply discouraged. Many are afraid. Some feel awkward, uncomfortable or simply discouraged. For community building, we need to use the language of kindness instead of saying things like, “I can’t do that,” “This is the policy” or “I can’t help you,” or ignoring students who need assistance. I have found a maze of misunderstanding and a lot of bureaucracy at Forest Park. It is very frustrating, not only for students, but for faculty and staff as well. Sometimes it seems like no one really wants to help. People simply want to “follow policy.” But policy
Forget It
Page 6
has its good and bad points, depending on how it is used. Personally, I have not seen very many faculty and staff members go above and beyond to make students feel comfortable. I may not see everything, but what I do see is more negativity than positivity. I remember my first day back on campus. I wanted to meet Julie Fickas, who was then serving as interim president. I went to the information desk and asked for directions to her office. There was all kinds of confusion because no one seemed to know who Dr. Fickas was, and the employees didn’t make much of an effort to find out. This would have been good for them and good for the new person lost in the chaos. People working the information desk should know how to get around campus and help others get around. Finally, a strange woman came up and told me how to catch the elevator to the second floor and directed me to some offices, but none belonged to Dr. Fickas. I rolled up and down the hall in my wheelchair until someone noticed that I was lost and helped me find the right office. It is apparent that Forest Park has some problems that need to be addressed in order for the community to be “built” and work properly. I visited another campus within the district and found the atmosphere to be more amicable. I think our community-building skills at Forest Park need to be honed. By communicating in a proper way, not only will we be helping ourselves, we will be helping everyone to reach his or her potential.
By Cameron Kuntz
The Scene
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Oct. 18, 2019
Opinion
‘Joker’ controversy is just a bad joke Culture Geek
By Ethan Tutor The Scene staff Many of you comic-book fans out there have surely been anticipating the release of Warner Bros. Studio’s “Joker,” which will give the beloved super villain his own feature film, with no Batman around to steal the show. Joker is the arch-nemisis of the superhero Batman. The two have been at each other’s throats since Batman’s comic-book debut, back in 1940. (That was during World War II, kids!) Over the decades, Joker has grown into a household name, with the character being adapted to various forms of media, most notably film and television. He’s a villain who’s infamous for not having a backstory. The mystery of his past is one of the many things that make him truly disturbing. However, Joker’s newest iteration seeks to do what has never been done before: It actually gives him context. The interpretation was born entirely in the minds of the film’s two writers, Todd Philips and Scott Silver, having no connection to any previous comic book or movie. Film legend Joaquin Phoenix stars as the title character, who uncharacteristically has a real name other than “Joker.” Arthur Fleck, a man suffering from mental illness and shunned by society, turns to a life of crime in what has been described as a “character study,” similar to Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” which seems to be a huge inspiration. The Joker role has been played on screen since 1966, starting with the classic TV
show “Batman,” in which Cesar Romero drew the blueprints for every Joker performance that has followed. Jack Nicholson carried the torch in the 1989 movie “Batman,” closely resembling the TV show’s version of the clown prince of crime. Next came the groundbreaking performance of the late Heath Ledger, who perfected the clown’s mix of dark and silly in 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” a movie that many dub the best out of the seven Batman installments and by far the greatest portrayal of Joker. Jared Leto played the character in 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” but we don’t really want to talk about that one. This all sounds good and fun, and why shouldn’t it? Fans have been wanting justice for their beloved killer clown for years now, and with talent like Phoenix and De Niro on board, what could go wrong? That question was answered this month, when a controversy surrounding the movie culminated with the New York Police Department announcing that it would increase its presence at “Joker” screenings, according to Deadline. “If something happens inside one of the screenings, we intend to be able to pacify the situation quickly and conclusively,” a law-enforcement official was quoted as saying. This means that undercover police officers will be sitting next to you, making the easiest money anybody has ever made. The controversy began with a few people making online comments about being “uncomfortable” with material in the movie. People accused the “Joker” storyline of being in “bad taste,” given all the mass shootings committed by mentally deranged individuals, including the shooter who killed 12 moviegoers at a midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises” in 2012. He was dressed as Joker. Yes, the similarities between the Joker character and these criminals are obvious, to say the least. You’d have to be a fool to not see them. But isn’t the point of movies like this one to stretch social norms? To make us feel uncomfortable? They hold a mirror up to society and show us how ugly we really are, or how ugly we can be. It’s how we all
A poster from the Warner Bros. Studio movie “Joker.” choose to not go down that path that separates the fake from reality. One of the most vocal defenders of the film is the star himself. Film critic Robbie Collin asked Phoenix during an interview with The Telegraph if he worried that “Joker” might “perversely end up inspiring exactly the kind of people it’s about, with potentially tragic results.” Phoenix responded with, “Why? Why would you …? No, no.” He then promptly walked out of the interview. Phoenix had this to say when questioned by Vanity Fair about the controversy: “I didn’t imagine that it would be smooth sailing. It’s a difficult film. In some ways, it’s good that people are having a strong reaction to it.” “Joker” is set to break domestic box-office records in spite of its bad press. The movie was praised in September, when it won best film at the Venice Film Festival. I am seriously concerned that all of
Strange Encounters
Why do I always get the icky places?
Oct. 18, 2019
the unnecessary controversy surrounding “Joker” has done more harm than good. Before, the thought of something bad happening during a movie screening wasn’t even in my mind. Now, the idea is being spouted everywhere you go. My fear is that somebody a lot less sane than me has been looking for a time and a place to do something terrible, and now he’s presented with an option because of the media’s dumb coverage of a comic-book movie. If you plan on seeing “Joker” this weekend with your friends or family, don’t forget that it’s just a movie. Batman and Superman aren’t real, and the people playing them on the big screen are something called “actors.” They aren’t really murdering innocents in front of your eyes. Oh, and if you plan to dress up for the occasion, it’s important to note that more than 650 cinemas have banned masks. Have fun and stay safe.
By Larry Cox
I have a bad feeling ...
The Scene
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So this is what they mean by ‘dog-eat-dog’ world?
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Campus chatter Michael Johnson, 54 funeral service “I smoke cigars, even though I have asthma. I put on cologne and wash my face to cover up the smell.”
Spencer Filko, 18, general studies “My boyfriend is into superhero movies, and I’ve never seen a ‘Spider-Man’ movie or an ‘Avengers’ movie.”
Tayanna Cross, 22, general studies “When I like or am attracted to someone, I laugh and snort.”
Naya Sanford, 16, general studies “I wake up in the middle of the night and stress-eat cake. I also watch mukbangs (eating wbroadcasts) in class.”
Erenst Sawyer, 23, business “I like to put ranch dressing on my breakfast sandwich.”
Shakaira Scott, 19, funeral service “I always wait for people, especially cute boys, to pass my car before I start it up. It sounds horrible, like a motorcycle.”
Dorothy Cummings, 28, nursing “I lied to my parents while I was attending Mizzou. I told them I stayed at school during spring break, but I didn’t. I went to Michigan to see a boy.”
Christine Webber, 19, nursing “I have weird food cravings. I put sugar in my green beans. I put syrup on my eggs and ranch dressing on everything.”
Monyai Martin, 18, general studies “I almost ran away from home once. I got really upset because I was in trouble.”
Aminata Kamara, 20, nursing “I lot of people don’t know I like K-pop music. I want to go to Korea.”
What are you keeping a Pablo Gonzalez, 23, human resources “I sleep with a stuffed animal. It is a bat-cat-like animated thing. It is comforting.”
secret?
Phoebe Willams, 49, computer science “I like potato chips in my Neapolitan Ice cream.”
By Angelica Woody
Layout by Lulu Ali
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Oct. 18, 2019