SCENE THE
THE
Spring Issue 2
March 6, 2020
THESCENEFP.COM
Worst-ever franchise
www.thescenefp.com
See page 7
Former editor dies See page 8
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
STLCC print shops merge
Main center is on Meramec campus By Mackenzie Gregory The Scene staff The four print shops of St. Louis Community College have been merged into one main print center on the Meramec campus. That means that Forest Park faculty and staff will no longer be able to make copies, business cards, posters, name badges and fliers on campus. They will order through a website, interoffice mail or bookstore dropoffs. “It’s hard to tell (how it will affect employees) since it hasn’t happened yet,” said Radiologic Technology Program Coordinator Rebecca Northern, whose department uses print-shop services often. The work is being outsourced to SumnerOne, a St. Louis printing and data services company. No STLCC employees will lose their jobs. Originally, print shops operated on each of the three main STLCC campuses and at the Cosand Center downtown. The STLCC Board of Trustees made the decision to merge in May of last year to increase efficiency and alleviate budget problems. The plan went into effect March 2. “Each location had one manager, one full-time employee and part-time employees working across all shops,” said Justin Rudick, senior manager of Auxiliary Services. “Equipment-wise, we had two large printers at each shop, more than two times the amount of equipment and employees we needed to run.” STLCC officials maintain that the new system is just as efficient as the old one. Orders will be fulfilled in 24 to 48 hours, according to an email announcement from the marketing and communications department. The print center also will accommodate employees who need copies and other printed materials on an emergency basis, Rudick said. “We will be able to deliver prints within 24 hours. We have contingencies. If it is an emergency, we can deliver same day.” The Forest Park print shop was in the basement of D Tower. When it closed March 2, it had only one employee, Roger Mayden, a supervisor in Auxiliary Services. He has been working nearly 20 years for the college. Mayden has transferred to the Meramec campus and is working for SumnerOne. He declined to comment for this story.
See Center page 7
Towers to be demolished soon
By Ethan Tutor The Scene staff
St. Louis Community College officials have been talking about tearing down the A and B towers at Forest Park for more than two years, and now the time has come. Demolition is slated for mid-March, according to Ken Kempfe, STLCC engineer and design manager. The job will be done by Ahrens Contracting, which also has been in charge of “abatement” (preparation), with oversight by NPN Environmental Engineering. Advance Environmental Services also has been working to safely remove hazardous materials. “We hardly ever do demolition jobs,” Kempfe said. “But we’ve got a very reliable and trustworthy company, and so far everything’s been pretty routine.” The four-story brick towers make up about half of the east wing of the main campus building. They’re being demolished to make way for greenspace and walkways around the new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences, a $39 million, four-story building that opened last fall. It houses college programs for nursing, dental hygiene, respiratory and other health sciences.
Towers are empty shells
Last week, Kempfe took a reporter, photographer and videographer from The Scene on a tour inside the A and B towers to show people what is being done during the abate-
Photo by Markell Tompkins
A periodical table of elements sign is one of the few educational items left amid debris in room A-110, a science lecture hall being prepared for demolition. See more photos on pages 4-5.
ment process. “We’re just a bit behind schedule,” he said. “The A Tower lecture hall was more difficult to strip than expected. The towers are independent of each other, meaning that they will be stable and no pipes or wires will be left ‘dangling’ when A and B tower are gone.” Today, buildings that once served as plac-
es of learning are empty shells. Furniture and equipment have been removed from lecture halls, classrooms and offices. Trash and debris fill hallways that students began walking through in the 1960s. Rooms without windows are dark, and cold winter air flows through the buildings, as all utilities have been cut off. Outside, a mound of cigarette boxes next to B Tower are remnants of smoke breaks taken by construction workers. Since November, they have been stripping the towers of hazardous materials, including asbestos, which is known to cause cancer. It can be found in roof shingles, pipes, siding, wallboard, floor tiles, joint compounds and adhesives. “We’ll have an environmental consultant file a report to be sure that no hazardous materials are released into the atmosphere,” Kempfe said. “We have many world-class onsite consultants working with us every day.”
Project has opposition
Photo by Markell Tompkins
Electioneering for Sanders Candice Murdock, 24, left, a volunteer for Bernie Sanders’ Democratic presidential campaign, takes information from general education student Chris Staton, 20, at a Sanders table outside D Tower. Missouri’s presidential primary will be held March 10; Illinois’ primary is set for March 17.
Not everyone is happy about the towers coming down. Architectural historian Kevin Harrington spoke out against demolition when STLCC announced its plans, and he hasn’t changed his mind. Harrington, a professor emeritus at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, is writing a book on midcentury modern architects Ben and Cynthia Weese. Ben Weese helped his brother, Harry Weese, design the Forest Park campus in the 1960s. They collaborated with renowned landscape architect Dan Kiley, who also designed the original Gateway Arch grounds. “(Demolition) doesn’t make sense to me,” Harrington said last week. “I thought it was a very fine building. Many taxpayer dollars were spent on the building. The creators did an incredible job with these towers. The architects respected the city and com-
See Demolition page 2
Demolition munity, and their influence has been long and big.” St. Louis opponents of the demolition include the Rev. Gregory Johnson, a historian, architecture buff and associate pastor of Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis. He wrote a piece for NextSTL.com in 2018. “The towers and landscape were designed by three greats of midcentury architecture,” he said in an interview with The Scene. “Harry Weese and Dan Kiley were some of the best architecture modernists in North America.”
Others support change
In contrast, some people on the Forest Park campus support the demolition, particularly students and faculty who have moved into the new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences. “It’s a good investment for the future,” said criminal justice major Azaan White, 18. “The nursing program is huge here. We can’t hang on to the past. … At the end of the day, it’s just a tower, not the Arch or the Zoo.” Office information major Markus Holt, 24, likes the idea of change on campus. “I think it’s cool,” he said. “I feel like the school is evolving. It’s about time. I don’t think they need the old towers.” Nursing student Daniel Boyer, 43, has mixed feelings about the demolition. “Yes, we need progress,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s old architecture that I hate to see come down. … I don’t know if it’s worth it. I’d need to know more about the student population, cost to upkeep and many other factors that go into such a project to give a definitive answer.”
10 weeks of demolition
Ahrens will demolish the towers using excavators, a process expected to take 10 weeks.
Page 2
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
from page 1
“We’ll have an environmental consultant file a report to be sure that no hazardous materials are released into the atmosphere.” – Ken Kempfe, STLCC engineer Giant arms with a clawlike buckets will tear into the brick and work down from the top of the buildings. Ground crews will use hammers, sledgehammers and crushers to reduce big chunks to rubble. “The regular construction waste will simply be hauled out to a landfill,” Kempfe said. “All asbestos and hazardous materials will be taken to a special biohazard waste site.” Some people who dislike the design of the Forest Park campus have likened it to a prison. But Harrington praises it as “intelligent.” “Once you enter the building, you instantly understand the rest of the layout of the entire complex,” he said. “Multiple social activities are encouraged through the layout of the towers. Sitting areas outside of classrooms and the positioning of vending machines and plants next to them make discussions and interactions between students before and after class more common. Even the sitting areas outside are quite comfortable.” “(Demolishing a section of the building) doesn’t seem very wise,” Harrington added. “I’m just very sad to know that this piece of architecture that has reflected the city and people of St. Louis and their children is being destroyed after so many years.”
March 6, 2020
Campus chatter Dan Holtzer, math adjunct “I’m still undecided. I guess I’m leaning toward Elizabeth Warren. Just from what I’ve seen, she seems the most prepared on different issues.”
Jeanne Paxson, 26, nutrition “I’m probably going to end up voting for Bernie. I really like his ideas, and that he has had them for a long time.”
Ronnice Moore, 28, nursing “Bernie. I just like his views, such as equal-pay rights.”
Kayla Smith, 23, culinary arts “The only person I’m thinking about voting for is Bernie Sanders. When we came around the last election, I was really hoping he would get in over Hillary.”
Whom will you vote for in the primary?
Alice Thomas, 74, continuing student “I’ll vote for Buttigieg because he’s a moderate. He is not practically 80. He’s articulate. He thinks quickly on his feet. And I think if he got into any debate with Trump, he’d cremate him.”
Emboni Mcatee, 20, general transfer “I don’t know. Honestly, I probably won’t vote. They don’t talk about the issues that (are important). They just want to point fingers.”
By Joshua Phelps
Deandre Watson, 20, cybersecurity “Bernie Sanders. My views are for equal rights, and he goes for that. No student debt or student loans. There should be free health care for all.”
Jaden Akims, 19, general transfer “I was thinking Mike Bloomberg. I like his initiative. I feel like he would make a good leader.”
Greg Jameson, 40, campus police officer “Trump, obviously. Have you seen the Democrats? It’s a clown show. Not one of them is concerned with bettering this country. They all just want to win and call each other names in the process.”
Makeeya Miller, 19, general transfer “I don’t know nothing that’s going on. I can’t tell you who’s running.”
March 6, 2020
Casey Richards, 26, fine arts secretary “Bernie Sanders. I was a huge supporter of him back in 2016. He didn’t stand a chance due to the issues with the DNC and running against Hillary Clinton. He’s definitely widened his support base now, and it seems more people know who he is. He has more of a chance now than he did in 2016.”
NOTE: These interviews were conducted before Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Michael Bloomberg dropped out of the race.
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
Cia Killian, 20, general transfer “Bloomberg. I think Mike will take the Democratic nomination.” Layout by Katelyn Clancy
Page 3
Photo by Markell Tompkins
Wood planks, concrete bricks, window frames and other debris are piled up outside of B Tower.
COUNTDO to DEMOL
The new Center for Nursing and H a cracked window on the first flo
This empty hallway is on the second floor of B Tower where it connects with C Tower.
Photo by Joshua Phelps
Layout by Kat
Page 4
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
March 6, 2020
Construction workers are preparing A and B towers for demolition, which will take place in mid-March. For safety reasons, they’re removing glass, wiring, pipes, lighting and anything else containing asbestos. The entire process is expected to last about 10 weeks.
DOWN LITION
Photo by Joshua Phelps
Classroom B-221 is filled with trash and construction debris. Photo by Markell Tompkins
Photo by Joshua Phelps
Health Sciences can be seen through oor of A Tower.
A large chunk has been torn out of the A Tower sign on the second floor.
Photo by Joshua Phelps
telyn Clancy
March 6, 2020
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
Page 5
Opinion Strange Encounters
Lovely Lives
By Larry Cox
By Mackenzie Gregory
Scene THE
Business manager: Joshua Phelps Webmaster: Victor Paletta
Circulation: Zacchaeus Windham Reporters/photographers: Ethan Tutor, Angelica Woody, 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
Page 6
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.
March 6, 2020
Opinion
The most disappointing franchise ever Culture Geek
By Ethan Tutor The Scene staff The superhero film genre has skyrocketed since the release of Sam Raimi’s “SpiderMan” in 2002, going from a niche movie experiment to the most profitable genre in the industry. Marvel studios has grossed $22.55 billion with 23 films revolving around Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nowadays, an MCU entry is considered a flop if it doesn’t make a billion dollars. The box office was $821.7 million for the first “Spider-Man” movie starring Tobey Maguire, making it the third highest-grossing film of 2002. The last installment, “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” earned more than $1 billion in its first few weeks. It’s easy to understand why the popularity of superheroes has grown in the past 18 years. There is almost always a new superhero movie in theaters. DC Comics, with properties like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman (and hundreds more), has had a much rougher ride on the road of adapting its comics into feature films. Marvel’s first MCU entry was “Iron Man” in 2008 with a nearly perfect cast that included Robert Downey Jr. as the title character. The film was praised by fans and critics alike, and it currently has a 94 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, a review-aggregation website. This solid foundation gave Marvel an opportunity to expand on the story and characters of the “Iron Man” world, leading to the creation of solo-origin-story films for Thor and Captain America. Then came “Avengers” in 2012, bringing all the characters together in one movie. This was a pivotal moment in film his-
tory, the first time anything like it had been attempted. And the gamble paid off in spades. The first “Avengers” film made more than $1.5 billion. Marvel had drawn a blueprint for creating a cinematic universe, and many other studios wanted a piece of the action. Some tried it their own way. Others shamelessly tried to copy what Marvel had done, and that gets me back to the DC Universe. When “Avengers” hit theaters and broke records, DC executives were looking from the outside in with jealous eyes. They hadn’t invested in a film franchise since Christopher Nolan directed the “Dark Knight” trilogy. “We’ve got the most recognizable superheroes in existence,” they must have thought. “This is gonna be a piece of cake!” The first part was true. Iron Man was a B or C list superhero before he hit the big screen. Superman and Batman have been Photo by DC Universal around longer and are statistically more recognized by the world. Superman is arguably Christopher Reeve starred in several “Superman” movies. the first and most popular superhero ever, adored the Christopher Reeve films. pathetic 28 percent rating. Warner Bros.’ and Batman is just as beloved, or more so. So why was I bored? I was too young, too next idea of a joke would be “Suicide So why is it that the DCU is the ugliest, most insulting, despicable, God-hating cre- naive to understand what was happening. In Squad,” getting an impressive 27 percent, ation since the atom bomb? Many reasons my brain I thought, “Well, I like Superman. hammering in the last nail on the coffin that have been offered by the world’s leading So I must like a Superman movie, right?” was to be the big new cinematic universe that would rival Marvel’s. minds: Complete and utter ignorance, stu- Wrong. It was bad. It was not good. But I refused Surprisingly, they didn’t stop making pidity and greed. Trying to understand such a disaster can to accept it. My youth prevented me from more movies after “Suicide Squad.” Not take a toll on the mind, similar to the coping with what had been done. A corpo- even after Ben Affleck and Cavill jumped ration intent on mak- ship. You know you’ve failed when your post-traumatic stress ing a quick buck had Batman and Superman actors are too embardisorder that people Trying to understand such destroyed a character rassed to be in your movies. But what went can develop while — no, an idea that wrong? Why were they so bad? Well, many studying historic tragedies. And you have a disaster can take a toll on had been preserved things, in fact. cherished for genFirst of all, they were too rushed. Insanely to watch the movthe mind. ... And you have to and erations. rushed. There were five movies building ies, which I strongly the folks at up to “Avengers.” There were two building advise against. watch the movies, which I DCButdidn’t care. They up to “Justice League.” DC wanted the big DC released “Man only cared about cash cow NOW, damn it! The company of Steel” in 2013, strongly advise against. getting their money didn’t want to wait for a buildup. and I remember it back. Which they How did that approach work out for vividly. It was the first “Superman” movie since the forget- did, by tricking people like you and me them? The international gross for “Justice table “Superman Returns” in 2006, and the with the allure of a decent movie. “Man of League” barely passed $500 million, while promise that it was going to be the start Steel” made $668 million, despite the bad the latest “Avengers” movie was hitting of a new cinematic universe got people in reviews, and got a Rotten Tomatoes score $2.8 billion, making it the highest grossing of 56 percent. film of all time. the seats. It was the beginning of the end for a DCU movies are the result of a perfect I went on Day One to a packed theater. I was about 13, an age where it doesn’t take fledgling franchise, and it would only get storm of inept people with no passion and no brains, trying to copy and paste somemuch to entertain. Even so, in the middle worse. Unbelievably worse. Of the first five films under the DCU thing that is beloved. of the movie, I realized something: I was Reflecting on these movies makes me bored. Henry Cavill acting his way through banner, only one of them was “Fresh” on the Rotten Tomatoes scale, which is to say, feel a lot of things: Anger, black hate, spite, a godawful script was not working for me. But I loved Superman. I loved his inspira- watchable. The others never got more than annoyance, helplessness and objectification, his undying resolve to do good. I had “Man of Steel’s” 56 percent, with the next tion, to name a few. But the most overpowgrown up with Superman cartoons, and I film, “Batman Vs. Superman” gaining a ering feeling is disappointment.
Center “It’s sad to see Roger and the print shop go,” Northern said. “His service is fantastic. Never a mistake.” Campus Life is another department that regularly uses print-shop services. “I was really sad when I found out (about the move),” said employee Jasmine Armstrong. “We order our small fliers from Roger. He was so helpful.” STLCC spent time searching for a company to take over its print services and required SumnerOne to hire all its full-time print-shop employees, Rudick said. Employees will receive more technical training and opportunities for professional growth by working with SumnerOne, according to the announcement. “Employees have matched pay and days off,” Rudick said. “Two employees took retirements from STLCC and still get pay
March 6, 2020
from page 1 from SumnerOne.” The new print center is at the physical plant at Meramec. Officials chose that location because of the campus’ proximity to highways and the size and condition of its existing print shop. Forest Park employees have three ways to order copies and other printed materials from the print shop. They can send hard copies through interoffice mail or drop them off at the bookstore or order online at stlcc-print-center.stlcc.local. Employees received these instructions, but many still don’t know whether the new system will be better or worse or how it will affect their jobs. “Since it is freshly new, we’ll have to find out how to go about it,” Armstrong said. Questions about the new system can be emailed to stlccprintcenter@stlcc.edu.
Photo by Mackenzie Gregory
A sign notifies that Forest Park’s print shop in D Tower is closed.
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
Page 7
Former newspaper editor dies at 49 Tim Bold was on The Scene staff for three years By The Scene staff Timothy Bold, 49, of St. Louis, died on Feb. 22 from complications of pneumonia. Bold was a St. Louis Community College student working on a mass communications degree. He served as a reporter and photographer for The Scene student newspaper at Forest Park for three years, including one year as editor. Friends and family crowded into Old Community Baptist Church in Webster Groves for a memorial service on Feb. 29. Speakers included Teri Maddox, faculty adviser to The Scene. “Tim was a positive and stabilizing force at The Scene, and he Bold was just fun to be around,” she said. Bold left The Scene staff last fall. He went to work as a radio host and play-by-play sports announcer at KCFV-FM, the radio station at STLCC at Florissant Valley. Bold also was preparing to begin an internship at The St. Louis American, a newspaper aimed at the area’s AfricanAmerican community. Forest Park adjunct Repps Hudson, who met Bold in 2016 when Bold took his Journalism 101 class, described him as “easy to talk to” and someone that people felt comfortable around. “He clearly showed me that he had the
Lovely Lives
By Mackenzie Gregory
intention and the promise to do more with (journalism),” Hudson said. Forest Park communications Chair Sandra Arumugam-Osburn got to know Bold when he was trying to figure out which classes he needed to take to earn his degree. Arumugam-Osburn was one of several STLCC representatives who attended Bold’s memorial service. “It was sad,” she said. “But at the same time, it was … a testament to the kind of person Tim was. He seemed to have a really wide reach in the types of people (he knew), the ages and interests.” Bold was born Sept. 8, 1970, to Henry G. Bold Sr. and Emma Jean Bold. He was raised in Webster Groves with brother Henry “Peter” Bold Jr. and sister Brandy Bold. “Tim was known for his smile, and he was always the life of the party,” according to the program at his memorial service. “(He) was loved by so many and made a big impression on everyone he met. “Tim was well known in the Webster Groves/Rock Hill community and had friends from all walks of life. He always put his best foot forward in everything he did, and he was so talented and excelled at everything. “Tim was free-spirited, laid back and he did things the way he wanted to. He took care of the people he loved. He was a oneof-a-kind person that will be missed by many.” Bold was preceded in death by his father. He is survived by his mother and siblings and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
In memorium Timothy Bold 1970-2020
Tim checks his phone at the MCMA conference in 2018 at Lindenwood University in St. Charles.
Tim, an avid pool player, participates in after-dinner activities at the Missouri College Media Association conference last year at Missouri State University in Springfield.
Tim, an avid collector of sports jerseys and caps, in class in May 2018.
Above: Tim listens to a fellow staffer at The Scene in December 2018. Left: Tim at his final meeting with staff members at the end-of-semester party in December.
Above: Tim at The Scene in December 2017. Left: A cake honors Tim and outgoing business manager Victor Paletta in December.
Page 8
Photos by Fred Ortlip
The Scene
THESCENEFP.COM
March 6, 2020