College helps students dress professionally

By Shengnan Gao

The Scene staff

Students are often short on money, but they need food, toiletries and professional clothing for job interviews, work and school.

Two programs at St. Louis Community College have their backs.

One is the Student Advocacy and Resource Center, which has locations on all STLCC campuses. Staff helps students succeed, personally and academically, by helping them meet basic needs and overcome barriers that may interfere with educational goals.

“Our Archers’ Market provides basic things for students for free,” said SARC Coordinator Candice Pinkins. “For example, grab-and-go meals and snacks, groceries, personal-care products and other items.”

The market is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays in Student Center Room 256. Any student can stop by and “shop.”

In February, SARC partnered with STLCC Career Development and Student Success on a clothing drive. They asked people to donate gently-worn, freshly-washed modern professional clothing for all sizes and genders.

“We hang them up, steam them,

See Clothing page 4 says she feels great about the return. “Fresh food would be good for students who are being forced to eat crappy food because you don’t have the time to leave campus and go to places nearby,” she said.

The company hired to operate the cafeteria is New York-based American Dining Creations. It also will take over the col- lege’s coffee machines.

Shelving and other equipment now in the convenience store will be put into storage to allow American Dining Creations to move in. The store will be closed this summer.

“The summer semester is pretty quiet, so I hope not too many students will be bothered,” Jones said.

Students shopping in the store on March 22 welcomed news about the cafeteria being resurrected.

“I think it would be very beneficial so that people don’t need to bring a lunch or buy from overpriced vending machines,” said Kim Kraft, student placement coordinator, who works in the Center for Nursing and Health Sciences.

“If they had a salad bar, I would definitely go there, and the exercise would be great (walking across campus).”

Kali Martin, a bookstore employee and general STEM student, won’t be around to take advantage of the new cafeteria because she’s graduating this spring.

“But I think it would be great for students,” she said. “I am excited to graduate, but I wish they had fresh food while I was attending.”

Jones expects the cafeteria to operate year-round, at least for the first year. In the future, it may close for the summer.

Beyond cafeteria management, a company called Akademos will soon be in charge of online textbook orders.

The main Forest Park bookstore location won’t sell books on site anymore.

“It will more so be an area for order pickup,” Jones said. “We’ll also have bag of chips and such.”