SCENE THE
Spring Issue 3
April 8, 2022
THESCENEFP.COM
What to do with Russia See page 3
A dark day on campus See page 4
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
Vax to School incentives cost $1.1 million
By Theodore Geigle The Scene staff St. Louis Community College spent $1,146,800 in COVID-19 funding to reward students and employees for getting vaccinated. “I think the college overall thinks it was a good opportunity and that it was a smart move,” said STLCC Communications Manager Nez Savala, who also serves on the COVID-19 committee. Some 3,263 students on four campuses took advantage of the Vax to School incentive program during fall and spring semesters. Each received $100 (before deductions) by showing proof of vaccination. Some 1,641 employees took advantage of the program. Each received $500.
See Vaccine page 2
Student assaulted on bus Victim says he’s seen suspect on campus By Cristian Romero The Scene staff A Forest Park student is recovering from injuries he sustained in an assault on his way home from class. Adam Clark, 41, reported that a man hit him on the head with a handgun while both were riding a MetroBus. Clark got eight staples for the wound at the hospital. “I don’t think people should be worried about riding the bus,” he said. “But I also think that the bus driver could have handled it differently.” The assault occurred about noon on Monday, Feb. 28. Clark filed a report with the St. Louis police department, and investigators notified Forest Park police. “It didn’t happen on our property, but there was an assault at the bus stop that the city is working on,” said Lt. David Barryman, campus commander. Clark recognized the suspect as someone who had asked him for money in the past
A photo taken at Barnes-Jewish Hospital with Adam Clark’s cellphone shows his head wound before it was closed with eight staples. outside D Tower. In that case, Clark gave the man $2 before a Forest Park police officer chased him away. Here is what happened on Feb. 28, according to Clark: • Clark left his American History 102 class and walked to a gas station on Hampton Avenue to buy a cigar, then he boarded a MetroBus on Oakland Avenue, half a mile west of campus. • The suspect asked Clark for $5, and he told him he didn’t have any money. The man ordered him to go to the back of the bus, and Clark refused. • The suspect allegedly said, “I don’t like white people,” showed him his gun and stood up. Clark also stood up, and the man started “swinging” at him. • Clark grabbed the suspect by his hair and held him down until the bus stopped at Oakland and Highlander Drive. The driver opened the door, ran out and called police.
Photo by Cristian Romero
Adam Clark poses outside a G Tower classroom.
• Clark let go of the suspect, and the man hit him on the head with the gun before
See Assault page 2
End of employee parking gets mixed reviews
Spring has sprung
Photo by Gracie Ebenhoh
White flowers bloom on a Bradford pear tree in the courtyard north of E and F towers on the Forest Park campus. Spring officially arrived March 20.
By Nicole DeLapp The Scene staff After decades of having a designated parking lot for employees, Forest Park is going a new direction. Anyone who comes to campus can now park in any space with a few exceptions. “We understand the needs of our students,” said Ramon Cusi, facilities department manager. “We want to make campus student friendly.” Faculty and staff have mixed feelings about the change. Eve Fonseca, an English professor who used to park in the employee lot, doesn’t mind parking farther away now. “I like to walk,” she said. Waureen Cherry, a student worker in the Campus Life office, agrees that students should come first. “More students will feel at home if they’re not stressed out about finding a parking place,” she said. Mario Carlos, an adjunct who teaches painting and printmaking classes, agrees that students are important. But Carlos also believes that designated employee parking is good idea. He regular-
ly carries a large amount of art supplies to his classroom. “What about being faculty friendly?” he asked. The employee parking lot used to be east of the Hospitality Studies Center. Concrete blocks kept drivers from entering anywhere except through the east gate, where a sign read “Staff Only.” Faculty, staff and other employees got parking permits and hung them from rearview mirrors. Occasionally, campus police checked them at the entrance. That was back in the day when Forest Park had more students and it was harder for employees to find parking places. “We haven’t had to enforce (permit regulations) because we haven’t had the problems that we used to have,” said officer Daniel Taylor. “But we do patrol the parking lots to keep them safe.” According to Cusi, officials took down the “Staff Only” sign at the entrance of the employee parking lot three years ago, but concrete barriers remained in place, so many people didn’t realize the situation had changed.
See Parking page 2
News Parking
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Attack
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getting off the bus with a female friend and fleeing through campus. • Clark told his story to St. Louis police and went home. He later determined that his injury was serious enough that he needed go to the hospital. Clark, who is white, described the suspect as a Black male in his 30s, about 6-foot-3 with shoulder-length braids or dreadlocks and dark clothing. “(Investigators are) working on it, but in my opinion, I don’t think an arrest will be
made,” Clark said. Anyone who has information on the crime or suspect should contact St. Louis or Forest Park police. Clark returned to classes the week after the assault. He’s a general studies student who plans to become radiologist someday. “I had to miss school, and I racked up a bunch of hospital bills,” Clark said. “I have to deal with this ongoing investigation, in addition to school and other day-to-day responsibilities.”
Read us at home or on the run! Photo by Terrell Johnson
Anyone can now park in the former employee lot east of the Hospitality Studies Center. Then COVID-19 hit, leading to a districtwide shutdown followed by limited operations, so ample parking was available for a couple of years. Students and employees are still supposed to get parking permits, although police aren’t issuing tickets to those without them. Permits are free. There are a few exceptions to the system of students, faculty, staff and visitors being able to park anywhere on campus. Spaces close to main entrances are designated for vehicles with handicapped permits. Also, “ride share” spaces are available for students and employees who carpool to school. They’re between C Tower and the
former employee lot. The college has no plans to bring back employee parking, according to Cusi, who refers to the new system as an “equal opportunity” for everyone. Lee Agura and other students in culinary arts programs are benefitting from the system because the former employee lot is right next to their classroom building. “I have no problem finding a parking place,” he said. Beyond parking restrictions, the facilities department has been making improvements to all lots on campus. “We have been repaving and striping,” Cusi said.
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Vaccine
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from page 1
That means about 22% of students and STLCC has 14,910 students and 2,458 67% of employees received the incentive employees, according to Kelli Burns, money. The figures don’t indicate how associate vice chancellor for institutional many got vaccinated, as some who were eli- research and academic process. gible may not have One of the Forest applied. Park students who “There was no tried to participate target goal,” Savala in the Vax to School said. “It was just an program was busiincentive program ness major Miterrion to promote health Smith, 19. He and safety. The colreported that “techlege wanted to pronical issues” caused mote vaccination to his application to be those without it and denied. reward those who “I think it’s a good did get the vaccine idea because it motialready.” vates people to get Funding came the vaccine,” he said. from the federal Charmion Gorde, Higher Education 44, a medical coding Emergency Relief and billing student, Fund of the Office didn’t think it was “I think it is great. of Postsecondary worth it to go against Education, which Some people need the her “personal beliefs” received $14 billion and get vaccinated for through the CARES motivation, and money $100. (Coronavirus Aid, Some faculty memmotivates people. The Relief and Economic bers were disappointed more vaccines people when less than $350 of Security) Act passed by Congress in 2020. the $500 incentive was get, the better.” One of the Forest deposited in their bank – Kristi Page-Purley, reading tutor Park employees who accounts. The rest went got vaccinated and for taxes and other received incentive deductions. Writing money was reading tutor Kristi Page- center supervisor Amanda Gallogly thought Purley, 60. officials should have mentioned that before“I think it is great,” she said. “Some peo- hand. ple need the motivation, and money motiThe deadline for participation in the provates people. The more vaccines people get, gram was March 17 for everyone except the better.” work-study students. Nearly 3.5 million Missouri residents “My understanding is, no, there will be have been vaccinated for COVID-19, no incentives for the summer or fall semesaccording to the Missouri Department of ters,” Savala said. “There is limited amount Health and Senior Services. That’s about of time to spend the money, and limited 57% of the state’s population. funding.”
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Scene THE
Editor: Theodore Geigle
Business manager: Nicole DeLapp Web manager: Victor Paletta Circulation: Zacchaeus Windham Reporters/photographers: Markell Tompkins, Leilani England, Cristian Romero, Deborah Moss, Gracie Ebenhoh, Koko Alapbe, Terrell Johnson Cartoonist: Zane Scott 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.
April 8, 2022
Campus chatter Autumn Brengle, 20, fine arts “I stand with Ukraine, of course, but there’s a lot of big stuff happening that I don’t fully understand. At a bare minimum, I think we should extend our compassion to the people who are getting murdered.”
Monty Smith, 19, business management “I think we should just chill. If (Putin) takes over all of Ukraine, then we should do something. I feel like if he takes over Ukraine, he’s going to take over another area, and he’s eventually going to try to mess with us. Let’s just sit on the sidelines for now.”
Chloe Kessler, 18, marketing “I don’t think we can do anything against Russia as far as intervening. Russia is one of the superpowers, and Putin is a really intelligent person. So if any of the other counties try to intervene or say something, he’s probably going to take it as a threat, and we’re going to be out of there. I think the best thing is to be quiet, as we have been.”
Camila Tabima, 19, human services “I just think it’s so unnecessary to fight a battle about something that could easily be talked over. Lives are being lost, including children. ... It’s also affecting the United States because of inflation. A lot of things are getting more expensive, on top of COVID. It’s not good for anyone.”
April 8, 2022
Tianna Wright, 21, general studies “I don’t know too much about the situation, but I guess we should try to stay calm because it could get worse if people act on it badly.”
Ben Brady, accounting professor “I think what they’re doing now with the sanctions and the military support without getting involved militarily, in particular, is the right thing to do.”
What should the world do about Russian aggression in Ukraine? By Markell Tompkins
Althen Honan, 23, College Bound staff “They have been sanctioned, and they have had international resistance because of their actions. However, they’re still persisting. So I really don’t know what we can do as an international community to stop this. It’s a great question.”
Louis Smith, 16, Early College Academy “I know we need to do something about it, but if we escalate it too far, then there could be more disastrous consequences. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what we should do. I think we should do something that puts pressure on Russia but doesn’t escalate it too far.”
Editor’s note: This question was posed before the indiscrimate killing of Ukrainian citizens during the Russian retreat from former battlegrounds.
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Bryona Scott-Hudson, 21, general studies “I feel like people resort to violence too quickly instead of trying to figure it out. ... From what I hear, Putin doesn’t have to do what he’s doing. ... What do I think the world should do? I think we need to de-escalate the situation. We don’t want to cause World War III. But we should do what we can to support the little guy.”
Amber Spencer, 22, psychology major “If we were at war with Russia, we would want outside countries to help us, too. You have to think about it from everyone’s perspective as humans. We must support people and have empathy.”
Karmen Johnson, 17, general transfer “I think we should all band together because Russia is one of those countries. … It’s going to eventually try to take over other countries and branch out past Ukraine. So we need to stop it right now.”
Renay King, 19, interior design “I actually think that it’s between Russian and Ukraine. It is a very sad situation, but I feel like everyone knows to stay out of it because with the way the president of Russia is threatening everyone else, I think we should just mind our business.” Layout by Nicole DeLapp
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Photo by Deborah Moss
Fine Arts Chair Norleen Nosri, left, and President Julie Fickas use cellphones as flashlights to help students make their way down a dark stairway to the Student Center lobby during the power outage.
A (Dark) Day in the Life of Forest Park Most of the Forest Park campus and surrounding neighborhood went dark for about an hour on March 10 due to an Ameren power outage. Some students and faculty members left their classrooms while others stayed in session using natural light. The outage didn’t affect the Art Annex or Center for Nursing and Health Sciences. Photo by Deborah Moss
Students and faculty gather in the Student Center lobby during the power outage.
Photo by Theodore Geigle
A red-and-white exit sign on the lower-level hallway between D and E towers stayed illuminated during the power outage.
Photo by Deborah Moss
Photo by Theodore Geigle
Arabela Koric was able to continue teaching her algebra class during the power outage, thanks to students who illuminated her and the board with their cellphone lights.
The Forest Park library was among the campus buildings that went dark during the power outage.
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April 8, 2022