The Scene Spring Issue 3 2023

See page 3

Ranking Tyler’s music

See page 7

St. Louis Community College at Forest Park

Illegally parked cars keep electric cars from charging

By Theodore Geigle

The Scene staff

St. Louis Community College spent thousands of dollars installing four electric-vehicle-charging stations on the Forest Park campus in 2019.

But the stations have been underutilized due to network-connectivity issues and drivers with gas-powered vehicles parking in spots designated for electric vehicles.

Ethan Curtis, who owns a 2022 Chevrolet Bolt, has frequently reported problems with the Forest Park stations on PlugShare, an informational website and app for drivers of electric vehicles.

“Zero enforcement of EV only parking or even handicap parking,” Curtis wrote earlier this month. “None of the vehicles parked in the handicap parking had handicap placards. Two of the three spots for EV charging were not EVs.”

Lt. David Berryman, STLCC police commander for the Forest Park campus, declined to comment, saying he didn’t have authority to speak on the subject.

Berryman referred questions to his supervisor, Capt. Benjamin Talley, who didn’t return multiple phone calls. Talley’s supervisor, A.J. Adkins, director of STLCC police, didn’t return multiple phone calls and didn’t respond to emailed requests for an interview.

Curtis isn’t a student at Forest Park, but his girlfriend lives in the area, so it’s convenient for him to charge his Bolt on campus

Spring spruce-up

Former student gets praise for short film

By Precious Kenney

The Scene staff

Kevin Coleman-Cohen was employed as a St. Louis youth worker when he saw a homeless teenage boy performing oral sex for money on an adult male under a highway overpass.

Fifteen years later, Coleman-Cohen made “Pretty Boy,” a short film inspired by the disturbing encounter.

“I wouldn’t have been able to make this movie in 2007,” he said. “I wasn’t ready mentally. Now I am ready.”

Coleman-Cohen is a former Forest Park student and faculty member who now lives in California. He returned to St. Louis last month to show his film to friends and family members at 24:1 Cinema.

Coleman-Cohen also gave a presentation in the Mildred E. Bastion Center for the Performing Arts at Forest Park and appeared on local TV and radio shows.

while visiting her.

“I think that the charging stations are important not just for students, but for the community because apartment buildings don’t have charging stations, and if places like Forest Park didn’t have them, that would leave a lot of people behind, people who don’t have the time or the money to go out of their way to the stations.”

STLCC built a new Center for Nursing

and Health Sciences on the Forest Park campus in 2019.

The college installed three electric-vehicle-charging stations directly west of the center and one to the south along College Drive. They’re operated by the company ChargePoint. Each is designed to deliver 6.6 kilowatts of electricity per hour.

The stations were installed to help the center get LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, according to Jason Young, coordinator of marketing and communications at Forest Park.

Bob Smith, executive director of STLCC facilities, estimated that the college spent $24,000 to install them.

“I have only been around for 12 months, so I wasn’t here when they were installed,” he said. “I know that they worked unreliably until recently, when we fixed them in the last few months. I haven’t gotten reports since then that they don’t work.”

Throughout 2021 and 2022, multiple drivers reported on PlugShare that one or more of the electric-vehicle-charging stations at Forest Park were out of order.

Police have issued tickets to drivers of gas-powered vehicles parking in spots reserved for electric vehicles, but it’s not known how often that happens or whether violators pay the fines.

Berryman declined to give the cost of fines when tickets are issued to drivers who park in either handicapped or electric-vehicle spots on campus.

Joshua Walker, associate professor of automotive technology, has noticed an increase in the number of students, faculty and staff members driving electric vehicles in recent years.

“There used to be one or two around campus, but lately I’ve seen around 10 to 20,” he said this month. “We’ve worked on two of them, a Toyota Prius and a Chevrolet

The Forest Park audience included sociology professor Andrea Nichols, who wrote a book in 2015 on sex trafficking in the St. Louis region.

“I would recommend the film to others, with the warning that anyone who experienced child sexual abuse or sex trafficking may be triggered by the film,” she said.

“(Kevin) created a sense of anxiety and dread and ominousness through his creativity as a director. His film also draws attention to the issue of sex trafficking experienced by vulnerable youth in the St. Louis area, based on his experiences as an outreach worker with Youth in Need.”

“Pretty Boy” is 17 minutes long. Coleman-Cohen served as writer, director and producer through his production company, Coleman Entertainment.

Staff photo

Three gasoline-powered vehicles are parked in electric-vehicle spots outside the Center for Nursing and Health Sciences building.

A worker uses a scissor lift to touch up trim on a West Wing window as part of the college’s effort to deal with deterioration on the Forest Park campus.

Photo by Jerrell Phillips

Photo by Precious Kenney Filmmaker Kevin ColemanCohen is interviewed by local TV personality Gary Boyd, known as “Mr. Gary,” at 24:1 Cinema in Pagedale.

Charging

Student newspaper wins state awards

from page 1

Volt. … We mostly worked on their brakes and changed a battery though. We didn’t do any electrical work on them.”

STLCC officials apparently are aware of problems with drivers of gas-powered vehicles parking in spots designated for electric vehicles. Notices have appeared in several issues of the online employee newsletter.

“Remember you must either have a handicapped license plate or a hangtag to park in a designated accessible parking spot on campus,” the notices state. “To park in an electric vehicle spot you must have an electric vehicle.

“Those who do not either have the correct plate or tag for handicapped parking or who improperly park in an EV charging spot risk receiving a ticket and having their vehicle towed.”

Curtis feels that the reason so many drivers of gas-powered vehicles park in electric-vehicle spots at Forest Park is that the latter are close to major entrances.

“If I was able to design where they would be put, I wouldn’t put them right in front of the (Center for Nursing and Health Sciences) because then you’re always going to have to fight for that space,” he said.

The Scene student newspaper at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park won 28 awards in this year’s Missouri College Media Association contest.

That includes the coveted first-place award in the Sweepstakes category, where points are allocated according to total number and level of awards.

“When our name was announced, we all started cheering the loudest,” said Theodore “Teddy” Geigle, The Scene’s editor-inchief.

“I think everybody felt really proud because a lot of our hard work went into that. It’s a fantastic feeling. Everyone felt accomplished. I’m really happy that we all worked together to get that.”

The MCMA is an association of student newspapers and other media at colleges and universities in the state of Missouri. The Scene competes in Division 4 with community colleges.

Awards were presented on April 1 at the annual MCMA conference at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

Here’s the list of awards:

NEWS WRITING – Theodore “Teddy” Geigle, first place.

IN-DEPTH NEWS REPORTING –

Theodore “Teddy” Geigle, first place; and Obersy “Obi” Robles Valdez, second place.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING –

Theodore “Teddy” Geigle and Cristian Romero, honorable mention.

REGULAR COLUMN – April Green, first place and second place.

ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW – Markell Tompkins, three first-place awards.

SPORTS COLUMN – Koko Alapbe, hon-

orable mention.

NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY – Deborah Moss and Theodore “Teddy” Geigle, first place; and Michelle Compton, honorable mention.

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY – Leilani England, first place and third place; and Markell Tompkins, second place.

POLITICAL/EDITORIAL CARTOON –April Green, first place and second place.

NON-POLITICAL/ENTERTAINMENT

CARTOON – Zane Scott, first place.

PAGE ONE DESIGN – Evans Agyemang, third place.

FEATURE PAGE – Shauna Stagner, Zane Scott, George Estes and Sophia Garthe, first place; Nicole DeLapp and Cristian Romero, honorable mention.

PHOTO PAGE – Leilani England, first place; George Estes and Leilani England, second place; and Theodore “Teddy” Geigle and Deborah Moss, third place.

WEBSITE – The Scene staff, first place.

SWEEPSTAKES – The Scene staff, first place.

BEST OVERALL NEWSPAPER – The Scene staff, second place.

THE

Scene

Editor: Theodore Geigle

Business manager: Jayda Griffin

Circulation: Zacchaeus Windham

Reporters/photographers: Markell Tompkins, Leilani England, Shengnan Gao, Jerrell Phillips, Precious Kenney

Columnist: April Green

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 West wing, Room 413. 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

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.

The Scene staff members who attended this year’s MCMA conference include, left to right, students April Green, Markell Tompkins, Shengnan Gao, Theodore “Teddy” Geigle and Leilani England and advisers Fred Ortlip and Teri Maddox.

Campus chatter

“I don’t do taxes, so I don’t get a tax return at all. If I did get one, I would try to save some of it or invest some of it.”

“I don’t really know. I’ll probably just save it up and then just keep working, going to school and adding more to that savings and only spend what’s necessary.”

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR

going to pay for my classes.”

“I’m putting it in savings. It’s part of being a GOAT (greatest of all time). You’ve got to save it.”

Tax refund?

By Markell Tompkins

“I don’t get a tax return. I don’t have a job. If I did get one, I would probably use it for my family. I would probably fix everything and pay off stuff that needs to be paid off so we could live in a better place.”

“I’m waiting to see how much I get back first before I can determine my next steps. I would probably put it toward my (schooling) or my car.”

“I’m hoping it’s pretty good this year. I do want to save some, I want to invest some, and I want to put some toward a vacation for myself. I also would like to sponsor a teacher, somebody I know. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

“I just bought a camper. I have to pay for everything that has to do with the camper. I was waiting on my taxes, so when they came back, I could use them to be living in the camper.”

“At my age, I almost always have to pay taxes, as opposed to getting any money back, because I’m on Social Security. So I’m not going to get anything from my tax return this year. I had to pay them money.”

Amanda Cissell, 34, nursing “I’m just putting mine in savings.”

Cameron Saddler, 19, architecture

Erin Simpson, 22, nursing “I’ll put it toward my savings and my car payments.”

Amber Spencer, 23, general transfer

John Burger, professional tutor

Remi Sanders, 30, dental hygiene

Phillis Troupe, 27, general transfer

Craig Wuertenberg, 23, X-ray technology

Isaiah Blumenshine, 28, nursing

Alejandro Espinoza, 19, general transfer

Krista Atwater, 22, ultrasound technology “I’m

Kali Martin, 27, nursing “I’m going to the strip club.”

A day in the life of Forest Park

Psychology major Cece

Photo by Jerrell Phillips

Art professor Gena Loseto creates an opaque watercolor drawing known as Gouache during her TwoDimensional Design class on the West Wing’s fourth floor at Forest Park. Next to her is a painting of “Star Wars” character Princess Leia made by one of her students, Alice Cooper, 24, a graphic communications major.

Photo by Jerrell Phillips

A woman wearing a St. Louis Cardinals jersey, right, dances on March 30 during a celebration of baseball season’s opening day. The Cardinals lost 9-8 to the Toronto Blue Jays at Busch Stadium.

English professor Robert hunt, chats with a woman

Photo by Jerrell Phillips

Cece Knighton, 22, dances to gospel music and enjoys spring weather on the Forest Park quad on April 12, when the temperature reached the low 80s.

Photo by Jerrell Phillips Robert Johns, carrying items from the Shakespeare scavenger woman who declined to give her name on the Forest Park plaza.

Photo by Markell Tompkins Art major Pauline Knadler, 72, polishes a bowl in preparation for glazing in a ceramics class.

A comic-book movie of modern love

Worth the Hour?

into a new, upscale apartment and falls in love with his neighbor, Meadow, who he believes is his soulmate.

The two artists are building a relationship when Jabari’s ex-girlfriend, Carmen, texts him a sexy photo of herself partially clothed in his hoodie. That causes trust issues with Meadow, who begins distancing herself from him.

The movie follows the couple as they try to resolve their issues and heal their relationship. Along the way, friends and family members offer advice, as well as humorous and touching stories that include flashbacks from their own lives.

By Markell Tompkins The Scene staff

“The process and the end product are equally valuable. I embrace imperfection as much as I embrace the purity of perfection.” — Virgil Abloh

Any time I watch a movie or TV show, I keep a sharp eye out for little references that pay homage to the creations or influences of other artists. Whether it’s artwork, fashion or inspirational quotes, I enjoy making the connection.

One of my favorite things about the 2022 animated movie “Entergalactic” is that it pays tribute to the style of Virgil Abloh (1980-2021), a multitalented entrepreneur who influenced fashion, architecture and other culture. But I also liked the story, music and themes of trust, commitment and self-improvement.

The movie’s plot revolves around an up-and-coming comic-book artist named Jabari living in New York City. He moves

“Entergalactic” is essentially an animated comic book, with the story segmented into 12 chapters, each with its own Kid Cudi song and flashback. There also are voice-acting cameos by entertainer and designer Kerwin Frost, actor Jaden Smith and rapper Ty Dolla $ign.

The movie begins in outer space with miscellaneous objects (a box of noodles, spray can, lighter and a lit joint) floating around. Back on earth, we meet Jabari (played by Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi), getting high on the roof of his new apartment complex.

Movers interrupt his break and ask him to come down and help them unload a KAWS companion statue. He struggles with it as the Kid Cudi song “By Design,” featuring André 3000, plays in the background.

The scene transitions to Jabari’s beautiful and mysterious photographer neighbor, Meadow (Jessica Williams), getting ready for work. The two meet in the elevator.

After Jabari settles in, he runs into Carmen (Laura Harrier), and they have a one-night stand. The experience was enough to confirm that she wasn’t right for him, and he

tells her that he wants to keep the relationship “friends only.”

Jabari and Meadow gently get to know each other. He shows her his first street art, and she introduces him to her favorite vegan restaurant.

Jabari’s male friends warn him about getting involved with a neighbor, relating their past issues and adventures with women residing in their apartment buildings.

Jabari ignores the advice, allowing his relationship with Meadow to intensify. They become intimate one evening, after she rides home from a party through the streets of New York on the pegs of his bike in a dream-like sequence set in space.

Enter Carmen, who calls Jabari and asks him to help her get rid of a huge rat in her apartment. He obliges and accidentally

Filmmaker

The film has been selected for screenings at festivals across the country and won several awards.

“Pretty Boy” was originally titled “Elon,” which is the name of the lead character, played by actor Ramone Boyd.

“Abandoned by his drug-addicted mother and sexually abused by a male relative during childhood, Elon seeks safe haven on the streets with his friend Twon, a seasoned street hustler,” according to the film’s description on iMDb.com.

“Elon must navigate the traumatic world of homelessness while confronting loneliness, desperation and the harsh reality of survival sex in order to face an uncertain future.”

leaves his red hoodie, leading to the sexy text and causing problems with Meadow.

Eventually, Jabari and Meadow get back together. He attends her photography exhibit, and they end up the vegan burger joint where they had their first date. It’s the perfect place to kiss and make up.

“Entergalactic” is spectacular. Its animated comic-book format is similar to “Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse” and the “Puss in Boots” sequel, using computer-graphic imaging with 2-D animation that is beautifully done.

The movie celebrates New York street culture, fashion and music. It shows heavy marijuana use, as well as sex scenes and coarse language. It’s not for children, but for adults, it’s worth the hour (and 34 minutes).

from page 1

“Study all of the arts,” he tells them. “Before you can be true as an artist, you need to know who you are as a person first. Embrace diversity.”

Coleman-Cohen has taught at Santa Monica College, University of Missouri at Kansas City and STLCC at Forest Park, and he still teaches at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles.

He was working with the nonprofit organization Youth in Need in St. Louis when he got to know the homeless teenage boy who was making money with sex.

How to help

To donate or learn more about the project, visit prettyboyfilm.com or gofundme.com/prettyboyshortfilm. If you or someone you know is a victim of human sex trafficking, call the national hotline at 888-373-7888.

Coleman-Cohen grew up in St. Louis and graduated from St. Louis Community College at Forest Park in 1998. He still refers to Kathe Dunlop, retired communications chair, as his “mentor.”

“He wasn’t going to let anyone stop him,” she said this week. “He kept going. He always kept in touch, and we all really did support him. He’s a very talented young person.”

Coleman-Cohen went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in film and television at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree in directing from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, where he was the only Black student in his graduating class. He produced his first short film, “Snapshot,” as part of a UCLA program working with former gang members.

That experience prompted ColemanCohen to develop a philosophy that he passes on to other Black students.

One of Coleman-Cohen’s jobs was patrolling downtown areas and making sure homeless boys had enough food, water, blankets and other necessities. It wasn’t unusual for them to earn money through prostitution.

“I tried to offer condoms,” he said, speaking of the teenager. “But the boy would say that (the clients) would pay more if he didn’t use a condom.”

“Pretty Boy” also stars Dwele Reid, Antonio St James and Joseph Jayden Daniels.

Coleman-Cohen has been applying for grants with hopes of turning the short into a full-length feature film. The showing at 24:1 Cinema was also a fundraiser.

Coleman-Cohen credited his family and Dunlop for his success. She attended the showing at 24:1 Cinema and his presentation at Forest Park.

“This is a very important topic to address for African American men,” she said. “They get left out sometimes. (‘Pretty Boy’ is) scary as heck. You could identify with this young man being left at the mercy of these idiots.”

Jabari and Meadow are neighbors in the animated movie “Entergalactic.”

Where to start with Tyler, the Creator?

Brain Food

leaving some of his dark lyrics behind. Overall, it’s a pleasant listen.

Tyler dives fully into a narrative that he builds over the 18 tracks and presents some beautiful mellow music, including “Treehome95.”

“Answer,” “IFHY” and “Lone” offer an emotional side that we didn’t see much on his first two albums. “Treehome95” shows his growing skill in producing and gives us a peek at what is to come.

Without spoiling the album, let’s just say that “Wolf” is a fine place to start with Tyler’s music. Although his lyrics are still a little edgy, we’re seeing a jazzy, mellow shift that will not be temporary.

Boy.” The change was inevitable, and if you had been paying attention, you would have seen it coming long ago with “Wolf.”

In this masterpiece of an album (“Flower Boy”), we see Tyler in rare form, rapping and making beats as if he has bills that are long overdue. He seemed to come out of the closet as gay in the song “Garden Shed.” Around the same time, he described his sexuality as being “gray area” in an interview with Fantastic man.

shows Tyler’s ability to sing, and it’s a great listen. It’s an exceptional place to start on your Tyler, the Creator journey. Most young people have heard “Earthquake” at least once. It’s such an iconic song.

Lastly, we have “Call Me if You Get Lost,” released in June 2021. Where “Igor” was mostly if not entirely singing, this album is pure rapping. We also get to hear names that we haven’t heard since “Wolf” and Odd Future.

By April Green

The Scene staff

Tyler, the Creator recently announced the release of a deluxe version of his most recent album, “Call Me if You Get Lost.”

So my friends and I decided it might be a good time to go over his discography and rank albums according to what should be listened to first. We will not be dealing with Odd Future albums, unfortunately, as that would require its own article.

It must be stated that Tyler’s early music is not for everyone. It features dark, edgy lyrics that may be triggering for some people. But over time, he has shown so much growth, acquiring a whole new community of listeners. For this reason, we are going to start with his third album, “Wolf.”

Released in 2013, “Wolf” showcases Tyler’s increased producing and rapping capabilities, as well as some good singing. It’s better than his two previous albums,

Shenanigans

Next, you have “Cherry Bomb,” an album that some people didn’t appreciate when it was released in April 2015. It feels like that awkward stage when you are growing your hair out; it’s not too short but not long enough to put in a ponytail. The album wasn’t bad per se, but it was more like a transition between Tyler’s hard grunge albums and softer, more jazz-like songs.

Notable songs on “Cherry Bomb” include “Find Your Wings,” “Smuckers,” “Okaga, CA” and “F**king Young/Perfect.” Overall, it’s an adequate album that shows Tyler’s improvement and marks a change in his music. The jazz tone is in stark contrast to the grunge tone on “Bastard” and “Goblin,” although there are still songs like “Buffalo” and “Smuckers” with traces of edgy lyrics and grunge beats.

The album that showed the world that Tyler was done with the edgy attitudes dropped in July 2017 under the title “Flower

“Flower Boy” is an acceptable place to start when it comes to Tyler’s music. We still get the rapping, but not the edgy and masterful production. We also get some collaborations with A$AP Rocky, Kali Uchis and Rex Orange County.

“Igor,” an album released in May 2019, is also a masterpiece that is perfectly produced, again by Tyler himself. From “Flower Boy” onward, we see him produce, rap and sing like he hasn’t showered in months and needs to pay bills.

There’s not much more to say about “Igor” that hasn’t already been said. It really

Domo Genesis makes a comeback to drop some lyrics in the song “Manifesto,” and the unexpected feature with NBA YoungBoy does not disappoint. Both artists are great in their own right, but hearing them come together was extraordinary on the song “Wusyaname.”

Odd Future Records

“Call Me if You Get Lost” is the accumulation of all the hard work and care that Tyler, the Creator has put in over the years. It is really the best place to start when beginning your journey through his music.

Of course, everything depends on the musical preferences of the individual. If you enjoy rap, “Call Me if You Get Lost” is your go-to. If you prefer mellow singing and jazz, start with “Flower Boy” or “Cherry Bomb.”

By Leilani

England

St. Louis ... the city that takes potholes to the next level.

“Cherry Bomb” was the third studio album by Tyler, the Creator.

Student art show

The Gallery of Contemporary Art at Forest Park hosted the opening reception for the Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition on April 21 with paintings, ceramic sculptures, videos and photographs. Francesca Passanise, executive director of Art St. Louis, presented awards. The exhibit will continue through May 4. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Admission is free.

Photos by Precious Kenney

Left, April Bonnarens’ earthenware sculpture “Shay

YOU CAN DO IT HERE

About 50% of Webster University’s undergraduate students join our community with transfer credit from accredited institutions and military training. We offer guaranteed admission for students with an associate degree from a community college. Our transfer scholarships make earning a degree from an independent university affordable. We understand the needs of transfer students and are here to support your success.

Above, people chat over art. Below, Kal Weiss examines a self-portrait by Kayla Bailey.

of Jad Nights.”

Above, artist Sadie Malks looks at “The Rats Doll House,” an oil painting by Grace Biesterfeld.

Lucy Lovinggood, a video production student, views her digital art piece, called “Layers of the Internal Realm.”