SCENE THE
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Spring Issue 1
Feb. 21, 2020
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Movies are dying
www.thescenefp.com
See page 7
Artists who travel See page 8
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
Former college employee gets six years By Joshua Phelps The Scene staff
A former St. Louis Community College employee who admitted to stealing more than $7.5 million from STLCC and the state of Missouri is headed to prison. Don Robison, 57, of Ballwin, has been in U.S. Marshals Service custody since Aug. 14, when he pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. On Dec. 13, Judge Stephen Clark sentenced Robison Robison to more than six years in prison and ordered him to pay back more than $7.5 million in restitution, a $1.5 million assessment and a $125,000 fine, according to the U.S. District Court Clark judgment. “The FBI is pleased to be able to recover the stolen money to return for restitution,” stated Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division in a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office. “That said, we should never forget that for 20 years, Don Robison abused his position of trust to deny Missouri workers and taxpayers’ money intended for them. He will now be held to account by forfeiting his time and ill-gotten gains.” Robison worked 27 years for STLCC and most recently served as manager of corporate services for its Workforce Solutions Group, which offers “programs and services designed to advance people, businesses and communities,” according to its web page. Robison was fired in April after authorities froze his bank and investment accounts. He was accused of creating a fake company and paying that company for job-training services that the state had contracted with STLCC to provide over 20 years. Robison is being represented by David Slaby, an attorney with Paule, Camazine & Blumenthal in St. Louis. Slaby could not be reached for comment. “It’s our policy not to comment on pending cases,” said his legal administrative assistant, Phyllis Fernandez. Robison is awaiting transfer to
See Robison page 6
Where have all the trees gone?
Invasive beetles force college to remove many ash By Mackenzie Gregory The Scene staff
Forest Park is losing its forest. The college has cut down more than 30 trees on campus, leaving only stumps. Officials blame beetles called emerald ash borers, which have been slowly killing them. “The tree looked perfect,” said Manager of Facilities David Christensen, describing one tree that was cut down. “It split open when it fell. It was completely rotten on the inside.” It’s believed that the beetles, which are native to Asia, migrated to the United States in wood cargo in the early 2000s. Since then, the invasive species has spread across the country. The beetles mainly affect ash trees, as their name suggests. They lay eggs on the inside, and the larvae feed on the wood, causing damage and eventual death. “The emerald ash borer is responsible for the destruction of tens of millions of ash trees in 30 states,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website. The college also has cut down a few pine trees, but that had nothing to do with beetles. It was because of problems that developed with earlier maintenance. “You’re supposed to trim 10 to 15 percent of the tree, but the trees were trimmed 50 percent,” Christensen said. “They were dying. With being in that condition that close to the building, they were a safety concern.” Trees were cut down at Forest Park along Campus Drive near the Art Annex, between the theater building and Highlander Drive, and along Wise Avenue by parking lot F. The sycamore trees in the courtyard will not be affected by the tree-cutting project, and efforts are being made to protect them. Some students, faculty, and staff have strong feelings about the importance of trees, including those at Forest Park. “Trees are alive like we are,” said general transfer studies student Demario Williams, 19. “It is like taking away an energy source.
Photo by Larry Cox
Several ash trees have been cut down along Campus Drive near Macklind Avenue. Other trees in the background await the same fate.
Replacement campaign
The STLCC Foundation has set up a fund so people can donate to help replace the ash trees. Donation site: bit.ly/37JwrJM
It can depress you, not having a source of life around you.” The disappearance of landscaping on campus also has bothered English professor Angela Warfield. “I hope they replace the trees,” she said. “We still have a lack of green. I’d like to see more plants here. Maybe some more native species.” This wish may come true. The college plans to replace the trees that have been cut down. Officials have set up a tree fund through the STLCC Foundation that is accepting donations to buy and plant trees. The fund idea came from faculty members who were concerned about the loss of trees on campus, said James Munden, dean of STEM and business. “What we are trying to do is work with Facilities for the money that is donated, and then
See Trees page 7
Provided photo
This photo shows damage from the infestation of emerald ash borers to one of the downed ash trees on campus.
5,000 affected by college data breach By Joshua Phelps The Scene staff More than 20 employees with St. Louis Community College fell victim to a phishing attack that caused a data breach for an additional 5,000 students, faculty and staff members. “Sensitive” information such as names, phone numbers, email and home addresses, dates of birth and college A numbers were leaked, according to a Feb. 4 email from Keith Hacke, STLCC chief information officer. Social Security numbers were involved in 71 of the cases. “Most of the compromised accounts
were secured within 24 hours of the incident,” Hacke wrote. “All accounts were secured within 72 hours.” The data breach took place on Jan. 13, according to STLCC Communications Hacke Manager Nez Savala. “Some employees fell for a phishing incident,” she said in a phone interview. “An email was sent, and someone opened it mistakenly, and that led to (the hackers) having access to student data.”
The college had reasons for waiting three weeks to announce the data breach, Hacke said in his email. “For example, information needed to be collected and analyzed from multiple systems to identify all of the impacted individuals and ensure the accuracy of the information that was contained in employee email accounts.” Students, faculty and staff members affected by the data breach were alerted by mail or email, Savala said. The news was upsetting to fine arts major Aniya Woods, 21, even though she didn’t
See Breach page 8
Scene THE
Business/web manager: Joshua Phelps Circulation: Zacchaeus Windham Reporters/photographers: Ethan Tutor, Angelica Woody, Anthony Arthur, Markell Tompkins, Karisah Cozart Layout: Katelyn Clancy Cartoonists: 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.
Feb. 21, 2020
Campus chatter Jonathan Martinez, 19, general transfer studies “When I was 6, I cried in front of the whole class. I was the type of kid to cry about every little mistake.”
Ruqayyah Bailey, 30, human services “I went to the St. Louis Mills to the NASCAR theme park. I didn’t know how to drive the cars. I crashed to the point that my glasses came off. I was banned for a day.”
Charmke Abdi, 20, computer science “I got my penis (circumcised) when I was 11. I’m from a different culture. My culture is Somalia. I got it cut in front of a whole bunch of women, including my girlfriend.”
What was your most
Sarah Leisman, 20, sociology “Whenever I am in class and my stomach growls, it is super embarrassing.”
I S
S A
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A B
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Sadie Schaffer, 20, general studies “I was in high school, and I was walking up the bleachers, and suddenly I fell down.”
M E moment? Monta Frost, 18, sociology “Falling up the stairs. People were around. I was walking normal, then BOOM, I fell.”
Joshua Johnson, 18, general transfer studies “I was playing basketball, and the ball went out of bounds to the tennis court. The person smacked the back of my head with the tennis racket. Some people saw it and laughed at me.”
By Angelica Woody
Sadak Ali, 18, physical therapy “I was in fifth grade, and my school was having a dance-off. I was doing cartwheels while other people were doing backflips.”
Pablo Gonzalez, 24, social work “I ate an unopened pie from the trash after a pie-eating contest. I looked around to make sure nobody saw me. My friends saw me.”
Tony Guyen, 18, biology “In sixth grade, I was giving a presentation, and my nose started bleeding in the middle of it.”
Edrick McDonald, 19, graphic communications “In high school, I was trying to find this friend, and I went behind this guy and hugged him and said, ‘Guess who?’ It wasn’t my friend. I was looking for this girl. The guy and I laughed.”
Layout by Katelyn Clancy
Feb. 21, 2020
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Forest Park police officers James Kenner, 56, left, and M who takes his game show to parties, corporate function
the L Photo by Markell Tompkins
Housekeeping employee Johnnesha Sutton blocks off icy sections of the Forest Park courtyard with yellow rope after an ice storm in January.
A Day in
Photo by Larry Cox
Washington University doctoral student Robert Motley Jr., 49, enters data into a computer on the third floor of E Tower. He’s conducting a survey on the Forest Park and Florissant Valley campuses, asking students 18 to 29 about interracial conflict, community safety and police brutality. Layout by Katelyn Clancy
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Forest Park employees Debra Duncan, left, and during an “Ode to Hiphop” exhibit in Cafe East as
Feb. 21, 2020
Photo by Angelica Woody
Michael Larkin, 35, play “Sillyble” with Joel “Captain” Allred, 58, a retired firefighter ns and other venues around St. Louis.
Life
of
Photo by Angelica Woody
Forest Park student Derek Wade, 65, believes in dressing for his future career as a lawyer.
Forest Park
Photo by Markell Tompkins
d Monica Holland chat about rap icons s part of Black History Month.
Feb. 21, 2020
Photo by Katelyn Clancy
David Dandridge sets up a cupcake table for Valentine’s Day in the Student Center lobby. He’s a representative of Williams and Associates, which provides services for the LGBTQ+ community.
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Opinion Strange Encounters
By Larry Cox
Robison the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, according to Lynzey Donahue, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Marshals Service. She said it’s against agency policy to reveal his location at this time. “We don’t have our own facilities,” Donahue said. “We use state and local facilities to house our prisoners.” Robison’s location will become public record after he is transferred to a prison. Officials recommended placement at the Federal Prison Camp in Yankton, South Dakota, according to the U.S. District Court judgment. It is an all-male, minimum-security institution. STLCC Chancellor Jeff Pittman did not return a call for comment this week on the Robison case. Communications Manager Nez Savala responded to the inquiry by sending a statement by Pittman similar to one that he emailed to faculty and staff in December. “It has been a difficult, frustrating and painful moment in the history of the College, but we will not let the situation tarnish the College’s more than 57-year history in the community,” it read. “The overall impact may not be fully realized, but it’s unfortunate that we’ve
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Judge Clark sentenced Robison to 75 months in prison. He must pay $7,594,254 in restitution, including $1,931,487 to STLCC and $5,662,767 to the state of Missouri. lost employees, we’ve lost revenue, and that the credibility of the College and our reputation has been called into question. However, knowing that Don Robison is being punished for his crimes Nelson gives the College a chance to close this chapter and make progress toward the future.” Robison was convicted on five counts of wire fraud, five counts of mail fraud and five counts of money laundering. Judge Clark sentenced him to 75 months in prison, according to the U.S. District Court judgment. Robison must pay $7,594,254.45 in restitution, including $1,931,487.15 to STLCC and $5,662,767.30 to the state of Missouri. The judgment also provides that Robison
will be on supervised release for three years after he leaves prison. Hart Nelson, STLCC associate vice chancellor for workforce solutions, did not return a call for comment this week on the Robison case. What Pittman could not be determined is whether the Workforce Solutions Group still is contracting with the state or if the college has made any changes in light of the Robison case. Savala emailed the following statement by Nelson: “The Department of Justice is working through the process for restitution, which could take months. The DOJ will determine the amounts to be returned to those involved. It’s important to remember that the funds that Robison misappropriat-
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ed were intended for strengthening skills, retaining jobs and creating a strong workforce for the region.” Robison stole more than $7.5 million from August 1998 to November 2018, money that had been allocated to the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s New and Retained Job Training Programs, according to the Dec. 13 news release from the U.S. attorney’s office. “Robison stole program-allocated funds from both the Missouri Department of Revenue and St. Louis Community College,” it stated. “Robison subsequently moved the stolen funds between bank and investment accounts to conceal their origin.” At the sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court, Pittman read a victim-impact statement to the judge on behalf of the college. After the hearing, Pittman emailed faculty and staff. “Robison used his position of trust to misappropriate funds over 20 years,” he stated. “In doing so, he stole the chance for countless Missouri citizens to build careers, sustain families and provide opportunities for their future through workforce training and career skills. And, he betrayed the trust of colleagues at STLCC.”
Feb. 21, 2020
Opinion
Bad movies are killing the film industry
ly traded his perfect “Star Wars” trilogy for another paycheck with a collection of Godawful prequels that basically ruined the franchise for years until 2012, when Disney bought it back. Making movies for money is not a new or bad thing. But releasing garbage that should have never left pre-production is a bad thing. Not only are you mucking theaters with your laziness, you’re killing the film industry. Fewer and fewer people are going to the movies these days, and it’s easy to see why. When movies like “Charlies Angels” and “Birds of Prey” exist entirely to lecture on “toxic masculinity” or “social justice,” it divides audiences. By Ethan Tutor Actor Ewan McGregor spent the entire The Scene staff press tour for “Birds of Prey” apologizI’ve been an avid moviegoer my entire ing for male sexism and “mansplainlife, starting with “Shrek” in 2001, ing.” Unsurprisingly, this led many peowhen I was a little boy, and continuing ple to make fun of him and the movie. through last week, when I watched “Bad The film was considered average at Boys 3.” best, and it flopped horribly. Memes spread So when I say that there’s been a sharp online, mocking the low attendance in thedecline in film quality, I have 18 years of aters, which didn’t help much in salvaging experience to use as evidence. its long-term viability. Gone are the days when passionate “Birds of Prey” flopped so badly, in filmmakers set out to tell stories that fact, that Warner Bros. studios, in a panthey loved and felt could make the world icked, desperate attempt to get people a better place. Gone are the days of to theaters, actually changed the name visionaries such as to “Harley Quinn: Steven Spielberg, Birds of Prey” after Because of the trash Alfred Hitchcock, it had been released. George Lucas and were hopthese people are forcing Executives John Carpenter. ing that a recognizable Now we are stuck down our throats, it feels name in the title would with corporate pupdraw in more people. pets such as Zack How embarrassing! like it’s just a business Snyder, Michael Bay Then, adding insult and J.J. Abrams, who to injury, “Sonic the venture. It’s just another are more like execuHedgehog” debuted a tives than filmmakweek later and easily way to make a buck. ers. To them, it’s not kicked “Birds of Pray” about the stories. It’s out of its No. 1 position. not about how movies will affect audiencYes, you heard that right. A video-game es. It’s not about breaking social norms or movie about a blue hedgehog beat a DC giving you something that you can’t get Universe feature film starring Oscaranywhere else besides a movie theater. nominated star Margot Robbie and Golden It’s all about the money. Globe-winner Ewan McGregor. Because of the trash these people are forcIt almost makes you feel bad for the stuing down our throats, it feels like it’s just a dio. Almost. business venture. It’s just another way to I didn’t see “Birds of Prey, as I swore off make a quick buck. all DC Universe movies after the disaster Not to say that the great filmmakers didn’t that was “Justice League,” and now I don’t do it for the money. George Lucas seeming- feel left out because everybody else skipped
Culture Geek
Poster for Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Psycho,” released in 1960
Poster for “Birds of Prey,” before the movie’s title was tweaked.
it, too. Many people blame the film’s advertising campaign for its failure, especially McGregor’s comments on how the film would lecture males, even though it contains little to no social-justice commentary. People go to the movies to have fun, not to be insulted or lectured. And when the only other options in theaters are superhero movies, reboots and remakes, I don’t blame them for saying, “No, thanks.” Why subject yourself to that when you can watch classics in the comfort of your own home? Simply put, the decline in quality is
killing film. The greed of 21st century businessmen will lead to the death of it. And nobody wants that, especially not the businessmen. After flops such as “Solo,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Dark Phoenix” and “Birds of Prey” (sorry, I mean “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey”), the message of, “We don’t like bad movies” is getting louder and louder. Hopefully, the men and women who run the industry will hear it. I think people are simply done with this lack of quality, and the critics and ticket sales agree.
Trees Facilities is determining what style and size of tree they want to replace them with,” he said. “Right now, we’re just waiting and looking at how much money has been donated to the tree fund. I imagine we would see some things by the end of the semester.” Landscaping has been disappearing from the Forest Park campus for a few years. Flowers have been removed from planters and window boxes. Bushes lining the caf-
Lovely Lives
Feb. 21, 2020
from page 1 eteria windows have also been cut down. In 2018, officials blamed disease, overgrowth and unsustainability for the foliage removal. They explained that the college wanted to plant more fruit trees and native species and that the transition would take time. “What people have to understand is that this is nature,” said Wolf Veverka, facilities supervisor. “It doesn’t just grow overnight.”
By Mackenzie Gregory
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Yingxue Zuo, an art professor at Forest Park, poses in front of some of his watercolor paintings.
Josh Rowen points to a detail on one of his 14 photographs of a melting glacier in British Columbia.
Campus exhibit follows artists who travel
Story and photos by Karisah Cozart The Scene staff As you walk into the gallery, the first thing you see is Josh Rowen’s artwork on the far back wall. His five photographs of a dying glacier in Alaska are meant to call attention to a world suffering from climate change. “I encountered many glaciers,” he said, ”and unfortunately they are receding at a fast pace.” Rowen photographed Salmon Glacier in British Columbia. Even though it’s melting, he found it to be beautiful. Rowen, 44, is one of four artists displaying their work at the Gallery of Contemporary Art on the Forest Park campus. The exhibit, called “Artists Who Travel,” was organized by Gallery Director Metra Mitchell, who teaches art at Forest Park. The opening reception was held Jan. 31. “It’s a group show that brings people together, incorporating different types of mediums and helping to transport students to different exotic locations,” she said. The other artists include printmaker Nancy Exarhu, watercolor painter Yingxue Zuo and acrylic painter Mark Schatz. Exarhu, 63, is a student at St. Louis Community College at Meramec who spent time at the Art Print Residence, outside of Barcelona, Spain. She’s displaying 31 prints in the exhibit. Her collection is called
Artists Who Travel
What: Four artists displaying their work, which features photography, printmaking, watercolors and acrylic painting Where: Gallery of Contemporary Art on campus When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday through Feb. 27 Admission: Free
Nancy Exarhu poses with two prints in her “Black On Black” collection. Mario Carlos, who teaches art at Forest Park, views a watercolor painting by Yingxue Zuo.
“Black on Black.” Exarhu’s artist statement explains, “Although I was in sunny Spain, working in a great studio surrounded by a garden, a small piece of paradise, instead of using color that reflected the joi de vivre, I was working on compositions using black ink on black paper.” Zuo, 65, an art professor at Forest Park, is displaying eight watercolors in the exhibit. His collection is called “The Winter of Southern China.” “I wanted to experience the charm of minority culture, to seek artistic inspiration, and to stimulate artistic creation through nature and human history,” he writes in his artist statement. Schatz, 67, is an art instructor at Maryville University and St. Charles Community
College. His collection, called “Vacation Pictures,” consists of nine acrylic paintings that document his experiences in Florida, Brooklyn, New York, Madrid, Spain, London, England, and Vienna, Austria. “Rather than featuring iconic monuments, or natural wonders, I focus on some of the more ancillary, yet integral, aspects of travel: Hotel lobbies, airport bars, restaurants and the like,” he writes in his artist statement. One of the spectators at the opening reception was Mario Carlos, who teaches at Forest Park. “Glacier Guy Josh Rowen was my favorite artist featured in the exhibit,” he said. The Gallery of Contemporary Art is on the first floor of the Forest Park library building. “Artists Who Travel” will run through Feb. 27.
Breach receive a notice from the college that her privacy had been invaded. “We’re supposed to believe our information is secure,” she said. “That’s tragic.” Graphic communications major Edrick McDonald, 19, called the data breach “awful” and “not OK.” Systems networking major Tia Flenor, 19, said she was “shocked” that the phishing attack was successful. “It originated from outside the college,” said Matthew Gioia, STLCC associate director for IT security and compliance. “An account sent a phishing email to our
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Mark Schatz poses with an acrylic painting he calls “A Thai Restaurant in Vienna.”
from page 1 employees. One of those cess of improving secuaccounts was comprority for faculty, staff and mised.” student email accounts The college is offerbefore the recent data ing a credit-monitoring breach happened, Savala service free of charge said. Multifactor authento students, faculty and tication, which requires staff members whose users to sign in with Social Security numbers their regular passwords, Woods Flenor were leaked, Savala said. then enter randomOn Feb. 12, STLCC sent an email to ly generated six-digit codes, went into faculty and staff, asking them to complete effect Jan. 31. online cyber-security-awareness training by “For employees who have access to the March 13. network, if we’re off-site or off-location, The college was already in the pro- there are extra layers of (security) that have
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to be taken before we can have access to the network when we are not on STLCC property,” Savala said. This isn’t the first time STLCC has experienced a data breach. In March 2019, the college mistakenly emailed personal information for nearly 4,000 students to Bayless School District in south St. Louis County. The district quickly deleted the email. In March 2018, STLCC announced that the personal information of 362 students was sent to other students in an email attachment. The college located and removed the email from its system.
Feb. 21, 2020