SCENE THE
THE
Fall Issue 4
December 3, 2021
THESCENEFP.COM
www.thescenefp.com
New Year’s resolutions See page 3
A day in the life See page 4
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
STLCC invests $45,000 in campus study pods Brody chairs allow privacy and social distancing By Shauna Stagner The Scene staff
Photo by Leilani England
Students line up for lunch at the Doggie Mac’s food truck, which was parked along College Drive south of the “Light Walls” sculpture.
College tests market for food trucks By Leilani England The Scene staff Forest Park hosted its first food truck since the cafeteria closed earlier this year, and judging by the long line, students, faculty and staff liked it. Doggie Mac’s served hot dogs, veggie dogs and mac and cheese from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 16. “It’s wonderful to have an additional food option beside what’s available in the bookstore,” said Sharon Fox, instruction librarian. “Especially today, because I forgot my lunch.” St. Louis Community College announced this summer that it was closing cafeterias on all its campuses and increasing food options in bookstores.
Photo by Leilani England
Doggie Mac’s is owned by a former Forest Park student.
“It’s wonderful to have an additional option besides what’s available in the bookstore.” – Sharon Fox, Forest Park instruction librarian
Forest Park hosted another food truck, operated by Peng Wingy, on Nov. 18. “It’s a response to the food service situation on campus, a test to see what we can provide in terms of hot food,” said Auxiliary Manager Rodney Jones, who also oversees bookstores. The food trucks parked along College Drive, south of the “Light Walls” sculpture. Some people heard about them by email, others by word of mouth. The “vendors” will gauge their success by how much money they earn, Jones said. If they’re successful, it’s likely that the college will invite them to return in the spring. The food trucks got positive feedback from Natalia Gomez, 20, a nursing student. “I think it would be beneficial because it’s close by, fast and convenient,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting it. Another student told me about it, and I think it’s cool.” Bryan Scott, 46, owner of Doggie Mac’s, graduated from Forest Park’s culinary arts program in 1996. He started the food-truck business because he always wanted to own a restaurant. “About 10 to 12 years ago, I heard about food trucks,” he said. “So, I went to one and I thought the food was amazing, and I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’” The college reached out to Scott, asking if he was available and interested in selling his hot dogs and mac and cheese on campus. It was a big success, Scott said. “I look forward to coming back.”
Many people at Forest Park had never heard of “Brody chairs” before this semester. The portable study pods made their way to all St. Louis Community College campuses in early October. Nursing student Nicki Allison is a big fan. “I love the privacy, the convenience of the plug-ins for my laptop, and they are very comfortable,” she said. The pods are officially called Brody WorkLounges by Steelcase, the international furniture company that manufactures and sells them. They could be described as freestanding, three-sided cubicles with padded chairs and adjustable desktops. “Through a combination of ergonomic comfort, visual privacy, personal storage and lighting, (the) Brody WorkLounge creates a comfortable microenvironment so users can focus their attention, get into flow and get work done,” the Steelcase website states. STLCC put 14 pods on the Forest Park campus, including eight in the library, four in hallways and two in the former cafeteria. They cost $3,200 each, according to President Julie Fickas. STLCC officials bill the purchase as a way to provide private places to study and social distance in the age of COVID-19.
Thanksgiving cheer
Photo by George Estes
Nursing student Juliana Veresh studies in a Brody chair in the Forest Park library. Fickas has noticed some students using the pods for online or LVL (live virtual lecture) classes. “They’re really, really popular,” said Library Manager Monica Holland, noting they were barely installed before students began taking advantage of them. Officials picked out “fun colors” for the library pods, Holland said. Not all have plug-ins for laptops and other electronics. The staff is waiting for new electrical outlets to be installed.
Photo by Markell Tomkins
Representatives of Forest Park admissions and recruitment organized a Thanksgiving food distribution in November for students in need. Admissions counselor Edmond O’Neil, left, places mash potato mix into a bag in the Highlander Lounge. At right is Kimberly Banner, an admissions employee.
Opinion Great Scott
By Zane Scott
Scene THE
Web manager: Victor Paletta
Circulation: Zacchaeus Windham Reporters/photographers: Shauna Stagner, Theodore Geigle, Markell Tompkins, Nicole DeLapp, George Estes, Leilani England, Andrew Quinn, Hamida Mohamed, Gold Kpae, Ilham Matiker, Sophia Garthe, Hamdiya Omar Cartoonist: Zane Scott Faculty advisers: Teri Maddox, Fred Ortlip
Read us at home or on the run! Check out The Scene’s website at thescenefp.com Page 2
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
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
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.
December 3, 2021
Campus chatter Joyce Jackson, 26, general transfer “To work on eliminating unnecessary toxic energy in relations and also erasing any self-doubt.”
Herbert Williams, 19, general transfer “I guess to procrastinate less. That’s probably the biggest thing I need to work on.”
Travis McDowell, 20, general transfer “Making it through next semester and the rest of this semester. Also, keeping my job that I might end up losing.”
Ava Moorhem, 16, general transfer “To manage my time better (and) be a little more focused in school.”
Ahmed Albaa, 20, physical therapy “To spend more time with family, get more in shape, basic stuff. I’d also love to travel this year, because last year we couldn’t travel due to COVID. ... Also, I want to graduate this year and get my associate’s and then transfer over to St. Louis University.”
Jason Boehm, mathematics professor/department chair “Typically, my New Year’s resolutions involve getting more exercise, eating a little bit healthier. Those are the main two. I guess the last couple of years, I’ve had the resolution to finish my dissertation so I can finish my (doctorate).”
December 3, 2021
Anias Futrell, 19, general transfer “Just to be better than I was last year, to keep going, be better … no excuses. Same stuff as last year.”
Emily Renaud, 20, Funeral service education “To read more, get back into reading and to learn more about different things.”
By Markell Tompkins
Thi Tram Anh Dinh, 20, general transfer “To be accepted into my diagnostic medical center graphic program (and see that) my parents come live with me because they live in Vietnam. And to be in good health.”
Kristie Kimzey, ESL instructor “I don’t have one. I haven’t even thought about it. I don’t really care about it. I should probably, but I don’t. I never followed through, so I stopped doing it.”
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
Folake Adewale, 17, general transfer “To start studying sooner, because with a lot of my classes, I didn’t start studying on time, so that will probably be my New Year’s resolution, to start studying as soon as I get to class. And to be happy for the rest of the semester.”
Sydney Norton, German Instructor “To leave enough time for all of the things I have to do, and that will help me be on time to all of my events. Also, to try to be generous and help other people. I always strive to do that, so it’s a resolution every year.”
Page 3
News Photo by Fred Ortlip
Ginkgo trees along Highlander Drive, just south of the theater building on campus, weren’t following the normal routine of dropping leaves all at once. Photo by Hamida Mohamed
Baking and pastry arts students make candy in the Forest Park kitchen, surrounded by shelves lined with cartoon characters made of sugar to be used for table decorations.
Photo by Hamida Mohamed
General transfer student Ariana Grataco checks emails in a C Tower lounge overlooking the new plaza with the “Light Walls” sculpture.
Page 4
A day in the life of Forest Park
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
Photo by Hamidaya Omar
Archers guard Anias Futrell makes a free throw in the 58-56 loss to Fort Scott Community College in the Forest Park gymnasium Nov. 17.
December 3, 2021