SCENE THE
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Fall Issue 4
Nov. 1, 2019
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Dressed for Halloween
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Scariest experiences See page 4
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
Student’s artwork focuses on STLCC license growing problem of plastic waste plates now available
By Ethan Tutor The Scene staff A peculiar figure has taken up residence on a bench on the fourth floor of G Tower. He’s made of clear packing tape and surrounded by milk jugs, egg cartons, water bottles and plastic bags that flow into the hallway. There’s even a pizza box. “The person represents a man looking into the ocean at the trash that pollutes the sea,” said Christy Lin, 39, a fine arts student who created the sculpture. Lin wanted to bring issues of plastic waste and other pollution to the forefront at Forest Park and spur conversation. “I’m not trying to create guilt for people, just raise the question of what we can do to make a difference,” she said. “Can we refuse plastic bags? Do we have to depend on plastic every time? Can you use one bag to carry everything instead of five separate bags?” Students, faculty and staff can’t help but notice the sculpture, titled “Reflecting on Creation.” It measures 8 feet wide by 8 feet deep by 4 feet tall. Next to it is an artist statement that explains Lin’s philosophy and process. “It’s immersive and very provoking,” said studio arts major Brian Hogan, 38. “It kinda grabs you and pulls you into it.”
1,000 years to decompose
The Ocean Conservancy estimates that 6.4 million tons of garbage are floating in the world’s oceans and that an additional 15,000 pieces of plastic are dumped in it every day. The environmental problem is made worse by the fact that it takes more than 1,000 years for some plastics to decompose. Lin created the sculpture for an assign-
By Mackenzie Gregory The Scene staff
Provided photo
Fine arts student Christy Lin poses with her sculpture, “Reflecting on Creation,” on the fourth floor of G Tower.
ment in her Design IV “I used lots of packclass. Art professor ing tape and had my “I’m not trying to Mario Carlos asked stufriend wrap it around dents to pick a site on create guilt for people, my leg multiple times just raise the question and cut it again and the Forest Park campus and transform it into of what we can do to again to make the their vision. body,” she said. “So make a difference.” “I think Christy’s art the person in the hallinstallation was very – Artist Christy Lin way is actually, literalsuccessful,” he said. ly my body.” “Not just for the craftsPhotography promanship, but also for its form and relevant fessor Jamie Kreher shares Lin’s envicontent. It opened up an important conver- ronmental concerns and praises the sation and intense discussion during class sculpture. critique.” “It definitely deals with a serious issue,” Lin spent two weeks to create the sculp- she said. “This conundrum with humans ture, including five hours for the man. He’s is that (plastic) allows for incredible consitting on the bench, so she had to squat for venience but with lots of flipsides. We’ve up to 40 minutes at a time. grown so dependent on it that we don’t know how to stop.” Others just like the looks of the sculpture. “It was really neat, how the whole body was made out of plastic,” said office information systems student Kaitlyn Franklin, 20. General studies student Tyrell Smith described the sculpture as “mysterious.” “He looks like he has some problems,” Smith said.
Immigrant from Taiwan
Photo by Mark Ngunjiri
Pizza with the dean
From left, Liberal Arts Dean Debra Harper-LeBlanc chats with dental hygiene majors Angelica Paroski and Laura Manzotti at the Pizza with the Dean event Oct. 30 in the Highlander Lounge.
Lin goes by “Christy,” but her legal name is Tz Cheng Lin. She emigrated to the United States from Taiwan in 2008 after already earning a marketing degree and working in business. Her husband is American. She became a U.S. citizen last year. Lin is studying art and English as a second language at Forest Park. She hasn’t yet decided what to do next, keeping her options open. “I really enjoy painting and drawing.” Lin said. “I like to create with my hands, you know. I like doing something physical.”
The wait is over. Forest Park students, faculty and staff who want to show school spirit on the road can now get St. Louis Community College license plates. In fact, they’re available to any Missouri resident. “Our chancellor, Dr. (Jeff) Pittman, has already sent his forms in,” said Colleen Phillips, coordinator of alumni relations and annual fund for the St. Louis Community College Foundation. The license plates are being used as a fundraising tool for the foundation, which distributes scholarships and otherwise helps students. A vehicle owner can get an STLCC Phillips license plate by making a $25 donation to the foundation and paying an additional $15 personalized-plate fee to the Missouri Department of Motor Vehicles. The STLCC license plates became available on Oct. 21. The left side shows a small emblem of the city’s Gateway Arch with the name “St. Louis Community College” overlayed. Along the bottom is the college’s slogan, “Expanding Minds. Changing Lives.” “We had over 450 people show interest in the license plates,” Phillips said, speaking of those who already donated $25 to register their support and help persuade the DMV to offer them. To get an STLCC license plate, you can go to the foundation’s website at bit.ly/36p2jEr, apply for an Emblem Use Authorization Statement and pay the $25. You then mail your authorization statement to the DMV, along with an Application for Missouri Personalized and Special License Plates, the regular plate fee and an additional $15 personalized-plate fee. You will be notified when your STLCC license plate is available for pickup at the DMV office that you specify.
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.
Nov. 1, 2019
Comics Strange Encounters
By Larry Cox
Lovely Lives
Nov. 1, 2019
By Mackenzie Gregory
The Scene
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Campus chatter Robin Reith, 50, recycler “Last year, I was attempting to cross the street on my bike, and a car came around the corner and hit me. I got some bruises, nothing serious. But I live in fear of being hit by a car every day. It was traumatizing.”
Christopher Haugsness, 20, graphic communications “In Ohio, I went to a haunted forest. There was a guy with a chainsaw, and he came after my group. He scared me. I was not expecting him.”
Angel Hynes, 20, fine arts “Almost drowning at a waterpark in North Carolina. I jumped off a diving board, and I thought I could swim. Turns out, I couldn’t. A lifeguard saved me. I was 17 at the time.”
Dorian Morgan, 25, pre-pharmacy “Almost dying on Interstate 270. I was running late for class, and it was barely raining. My car lost friction, and I saw my life flash before my eyes.”
Derek Williams, 55, social service “Having sex with a nasty girl. I was afraid I might have gotten an STD. I was relieved when I went to the doctor, and he told me I was clean.”
WHAT WAS YOUR
Eric Prager, 19, sociology “Last semester, I would ride my bike to my ex’s house at around 10 o’clock at night to sleep with her, while her parents were in the next room. Her father was an ex-Marine, and I was scared he would find out and kill me.”
Zion Reece, 19, electrical engineering “I was in seventh grade, and my school went on a camping trip. I was kayaking. My foot got stuck in the kayak. The kayak had water in it, and I told my camp director, Jake. He said, ‘You are surrounded by water. There is supposed to be water in the kayak.’ Suddenly, I flipped over and sunk to the bottom. My friend jumped in the water, trying to save me, and he almost drowned. My mom was furious and sued everyone at the camp. My school was not allowed back.”
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Scariest
?
EXPERIENCE
Sisay Zegeye, 37, social work “I was almost in a plane crash. I was going from New Jersey to Ethiopia. The plane was about to land, and it lost control. It was flying at a high speed and free falling. My heart stopped beating for a second.”
Taniya Donnell, 18, nursing “I was in Kansas City at Worlds of Fun, and I got stuck on a roller coaster called ‘Patriot.’ It’s kind of like ‘Batman’ at Six Flags. It was going fast, and it just stopped on the top. I’m afraid of heights. That’s why it was so scary to me.”
Matthew Santos, 24, criminal justice “I woke up to a tarantula coming down from his web, about 5 inches away from my face. I rolled over and ran out. The scariest part is, when I went back in my room, the tarantula was gone.”
John Kenyon 19, general studies “I was in a car accident when I was 8 years old. The car got T-boned and rolled over. My uncle needed stiches, but other than whiplash, everyone else was fine.”
Nazerence Eke, 22, biotechnology “I was in Africa because my parents live there, and I woke up with a scorpion on my face. My soul left my body.”
The Scene
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Nov. 1, 2019