SCENE THE
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Summer Issue 1
July 12, 2019
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Grand pride parade See page 4-5
Stargazing nearby See page 7
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
Fickas to stay on as president By Zoey Tincknell The Scene staff Julie Fickas no longer has “interim” in front of her title. St. Louis Community College has hired her to serve as president and chief academic officer for the Forest Park campus. Fickas, 52, has been overseeing campus operations for about a year. She was one of three candidates vying to fill the position. “Forest Park is a neat campus,” Fickas said. “It’s the only campus in the city. I love being a part of this campus and having that strong community feel.” The other two candidates were Ted Lewis, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Bluefield State College in West Virginia; and Feleccia MooreDavis, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Tallahassee Community College in Florida. Moore-Davis will become president and chief academic officer for STLCC’s Meramec campus. Fickas was hired by Chancellor Jeff Pittman and the STLCC Board of Trustees. In a phone interview last week, Pittman said he was looking for someone with strong leadership skills and the ability to work with people in the surrounding community. “Julie’s a success story within the college, working her way up the latter,” he said. “I believe she can give hope to current and future students.” Pittman said Fickas is “very familiar with the culture” at Forest Park and can help graduating students find opportunities to use their skills and earn higher wages in the local workforce. Pittman also said Fickas’ science background will help her ensure the success of the new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences, which is expected to open this fall on the Forest Park campus. “I’m really happy for Julie,” said Brenda Bell-Foster, secretary in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and business, where Fickas served as dean for a year before becoming interim president. “She’s very approachable and intelligent. I can see how she’s improving the college, being very proactive.” Tayna Carr, student accounts assistant for Campus Life, hasn’t worked much with Fickas one-on-one, but she has found her to be easy to talk to and personable. “I hope that she can bring some unity to the departments and the overall student body to provide an overall better experience for our students,” Carr said. Fickas started her career as a corneal researcher who studied the effect of hard
Burst sprinkler causes millions in damage Books, medical equipment damaged By Zoey Tincknell The Scene staff
President Julie Fickas contact lenses on the eyes. She didn’t intend to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an educator, but she got an opportunity to teach a biology lab and enjoyed interacting with students. Fickas taught biology at Lindenwood University in St. Charles and Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois, before joining the STLCC faculty in 2009. Fickas taught biology on the Florissant Valley campus, served as department chairwoman for five years and moved to the Forest Park campus in 2017 as dean of STEM and business. Fickas earned a doctorate in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University in Nebraska while working full time for the college. At Forest Park, Fickas wants to expand training programs to help students prepare for a fast-changing workforce in a fast-paced world. She also has plenty of other ideas. “My mantra has always been working on the small things to create big change,” she said. “If you’ve noticed, I have been adding new furniture to create a nice area for students to study and to collaborate with other students.” Fickas’ husband, the Rev. Rodney Fickas, is a pastor. They have three grown sons who all attended STLCC; three grandchildren and one grandchild on the way. In her free time, Fickas loves to bake, hike, bike and do other outdoor activities that expose her grandchildren to nature. She’s an avid gardener who has both native and vegetable gardens. “When you’re pulling weeds, you don’t have to think that much, and I find it very relaxing,” she said. Reporter Timothy Bold contributed information for this story.
All of Missouri has been dealing with extreme weather lately, from a tornado in Jefferson City to severe thunderstorms and flooding along the Missouri and Meramec rivers. The Forest Park campus has experienced its own water problems. On May 22, water surged in a pipe on the first floor of the library building, causing a sprinkler to burst and sounding a fire alarm. Water soaked reference books, furniture, carpeting and walls on the main and lower levels of the library building and an adjacent basement area that housed the Academic Support Center, math classrooms, a teachers lounge and tutoring space for English as a second language. Also damaged was expensive new medical training equipment destined for the new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences on campus. “One single sprinkler has caused millions in damage,” said Julie Fickas, who recently became campus president and chief academic officer after serving a year as interim. Damage to computers, printers and other technology is still being assessed. Most electrical fixtures, such as light-
ing, seem to be OK. Officials don’t have final estimates on the cost of repairing facilities and replacing equipment, but they expect insurance to cover most of it. Summer classes that had been scheduled in the basement area adjacent to the library building had to be moved, forcing administrators to find room for them elsewhere on campus and confusion for students who didn’t get notices until the last minute. “My staff is amazing,” Fickas said. “They immediately took action and helped to move around as needed. I am grateful for each one of them.” Officials predict the library will back to business as usual by August and that medical training equipment will be replaced in time for the Center for Nursing and Health Sciences to open in the fall, as planned.
Early morning emergency
Fire alarms sounded on campus late at night on May 22, which was a Wednesday. The fire department and Forest Park Facilities Manager Dennis Dill were already on the scene by the time Fickas arrived at 2:30 a.m. May 23. “It took fire department officials three hours to walk around every room and every building to find the culprit of the fire alarms (the burst sprinkler) within the library,” Fickas said. Three to four inches of standing water filled the lower level of the library building,
See Sprinkler page 2
Photo by Timothy Bold
Damaged drywall caused by a faulty sprinkler is shown removed from the basement area adjacent to the library building. The area is used for tutoring students studying English as a second language.
Sports
Errors plague Lady Achers in national tourney losses Team hits 40 wins for the first time and a No. 6 ranking By Timothy Bold The Scene staff A wildly successful softball season for the Lady Archers softball team ended abruptly at the NCJAA Division II national championships in May in Clinton, Miss. After compiling a 40-4 record and No. 6 ranking nationally, the team lost both its qualifying games. Going into the tournament, the Lady Archers were on a roll, winning 19 straight games and earning a No. 6 seed in the bracket. It was STLCC’s first ever appearance in the big dance. A rainy spring locally didn’t do them any favors. They played only four games in the month before the tournament. “We gave them a week off for finals and practiced indoors a lot because of the weather conditions,” co-coach Joe Swiderski said. “We didn’t swing the bats well because of the lack of playing time,” Swiderski said. “Higher temperatures with humidity caused lots of problems, including balls slipping out of players’ hands.” A team normally known for good defense committed eight errors in the two losses, accounting for six unearned runs. The Lady Archers lost their opening round game 8-1 to the 11th seeded Sinclair Community College Athletics of Ohio. The
Athletics jumped out to a three-run lead in the first inning and never looked back. The Lady Archers got eight hits and three walks but couldn’t produce runs. Sophomore Jennifer Leubbert scored the Archers’ only run in the third inning on an errant throw. STLCC lost its elimination game 9-4 to the 14th seeded Cuyahoga Triceratops of Ohio. The Lady Archers got off to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with Kacy Bergfeld doubling in Jennifer Luebbert and a sacrifice fly by Haley Schmutz. The Triceratops scored three times in the second inning before the Lady Archers tied the game in the bottom half on Tori Siebum’s sacrifice fly. Cuyahoga held a 4-3 lead until the sixth, when the Triceratops scored four times, highlighted by freshman catcher Megan Mulhan’s three-run homer. Mulhan went four for five with six RBIs. Referencing the high number of errors, Swiderski said, “The softball fields were hard. Ground balls came up faster than normal, and players were used to playing on a softer surface. Despite the disappointing finishing, “we far exceeded our expectations,” Swiderski said. The team eclipsed 40 wins for the first time. They’re the first Division II team to win the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference, going 15-1 in conference play. The team also won the Region 16 and District P championships. Co-coach Kristi Swiderski was voted the Region 16 and MCCAC coach of the year. Sophomores Bergfeld and Hannah Marquardt and freshmen Miranda Hudson
Provided photo
Members of the STLCC softball team celebrate the District P championship after defeating Lewis and Clark two games to none. The victory earned the Lady Archers a berth in the NJCAA national tournament. and Schmutz earned first team all-region and all-conference awards. Sophomore Sarah Shepard earned second team all-region and all-conference. Freshman Siebum received first team all-region and second team all-conference. Sophomore Abby Lively earned second team all-region. Seven sophomores are continuing softball at four-year schools. Bergfeld, (Columbia College in Missouri); Molly Darner, (St. Thomas University in Florida); Shepard (Ave Maria University in Florida); Luebbert, (Webster University); and Maddison Stanley (California Lutheran University).
Sprinkler which houses the Forest Park Archives and Bone Room. By 4 a.m., crews had arrived from companies that specialize in cleaning and restoration after fires, flooding and other catastrophes. “Some reference books had to be thrown away, as the sprinkler was right above where they were kept,” said Reference Librarian Brian Cleveland. “Others are in the process of being saved through a company hired to freeze the wet books.” Today, shelves on the main floor of the library are empty. The top floor is open to students who want to access books and other materials. Cardboard walkways show them where they can and can’t go. The worst flooding damage occurred in the basement area adjacent to the library building, particularly in the Academic Support Center. Workers had to remove sections of walls to keep mold from growing. Carpets are stained. Giant fans line the hallway. Furniture and computers are stacked in classrooms. A musty smell permeates the air. “We were out for a couple of days,” said Kathy Boykan, administrative assistant in the Academic Support Center. “There was a lot of moving around from the D building to the Highlander Lounge and finally back underneath the library, where we are currently running and open to students.” The center’s writing and math labs are open, and tutoring for English as a second language is available. Medical training equipment for the Center for Nursing and Health Sciences had been stored in the lower level of the library building to keep it cool. Water damaged computerized mannequins, advanced nursing-wound kits and reference books. “Water is a powerful thing,” said Karen
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Chloe Johnson and Abby Lavely are still considering offers. Marquardt is going to the Iowa State School of Medicine and might try out as a walk-on. Seven regulars, including three pitchers, are expected to return next season and the recruits look promising. “Some can just flat out play and others can run. It’s a good variation,” Joe Swiderski said. Among the recruits are three top-notch pitchers.” The coach coaching staff feels like the team next season could repeat its success. “We’re not going to sneak up on anybody anymore,” Swiderski said.
from page 1
Photos by Angelica Woods
Scenes from the flooded library building include, from left, empty shelves where reference books were soaked; ceiling tiles that were damaged; and chairs grouped behind caution tape next to the main desk. Mayes, chairwoman of the St. Louis Community College nursing department. “It’s going to do what it wants to do. But to the best of my knowledge, we’re still opening (the center) on time.”
Bones and archives saved
Forest Park officials got some good news in the midst of the devastation. The contents of the Bone Room and Archives Room escaped damage. The Bone Room contains anatomical models and other resources for anatomy and physiology students. They were all on
shelves, tables or stands, off the floor where water flowed. “The Bone Room is Mrs. Williams’ baby,” said tutor Suzanne Roussin, speaking of Librarian June Williams. “She knows I am passionate about it as well. We arrived to see nothing had been damaged, and I’m happy to say the Bone Room is up and running at full capacity.” The Archives Room stores historical photographs and documents, many of them irreplaceable. It also was spared from water damage. After the flooding, summer classes
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couldn’t be held in math classrooms in the basement area adjacent to the library building. They had to be relocated to other parts of campus. That included a Basic Math class taught by associate professor Regina Covington. It was moved to the fourth floor of E Tower, next to The Scene student newspaper. “I was a little bit overwhelmed because summer classes were beginning,” Covington said. “Students were frustrated by receiving an email of the changes the day before. They weren’t prepared for the relocation.”
July 12, 2019
Campus chatter How about those
Vanessa Rosas, 25, dental hygiene “My husband and I watched Game 7 together. We got very excited seeing them win.”
St. Louis Blues? By Timothy Bold
Gabby Davis, 24, nursing “I’ve never watched the Blues on television, but I participated in the victory celebration downtown.”
Leah Hunts, 21, surgical technology “I’m glad they won the championship, but I’m not into sports.”
Rachel Leone, 19, nursing “I didn’t know too much about the Blues until they won the championship.”
Brandon Aikens, 26, G.E.D. studies “Man, it’s been a long time coming. To win the Stanley Cup. … The Blues worked hard for it, defeating the Boston Bruins.”
Perry McVey, 23, software development “I watched the Stanley Cup Finals. Nice to see them finally win.”
Arlene Rosen-Garten, 76, art “I became a Blues fan because of Bobby Plager and went to games at the Arena. Blues’ success brings lots of business to St. Louis.”
Muhammad Idrees, 48, general transfer “I follow them periodically, just to see if they’re winning any games. Happy they finally won the championship.”
Latoya Smith, enrollment services “I’m not a sports fan, but the Blues overcame the obstacles to win for the city of St. Louis.”
Leroy Adams, math instructor “The first time I really started watching the Blues was in January during their winning streak. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup was so intense. I was glued to the TV.”
Niall Caparon, 25, general transfer “I’m a diehard Blues fan. I went down to the parade. It’s about time.”
Tiffany Fowler, 26, photography “I’m proud of them. The hard work finally paid off.”
Layout by Katelyn Clancy
July 12, 2019
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A parade participant in a rainbow-colored hoop skirt throws beads to the crowd.
Un
“Born this Way� has become a rallying cry for the LGBTQ rights movement.
A woman holds a sign in support
Local businesses and organizations sponsored floats and other parade entries.
Layout by Kat
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July 12, 2019
Parade marchers carry signs, flags and umbrellas past Carnahan Courthouse.
nited by Pride The annual Grand Pride Parade was held on June 30 in downtown St. Louis. It was filled with colorful floats, rainbow flags, zany costumes and signs showing support for LGBTQ rights. PHOTOS BY ANGELICA WOODS
of LGBTQ rights.
The St. Louis Balloon Brigade takes ballooning to a whole new level.
telyn Clancy
July 12, 2019
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Opinion
Inevitable death of cinemas in the streaming age Culture Geek
By Ethan Tutor The Scene staff Theaters have played a huge role in America’s favorite pastime since the late 19th century. Watching a highly anticipated feature with a theater full of equally excited fans is something everyone should be able to experience. It’s been more than 100 years since the invention of film, and movie-making is as big as it’s ever been. So why is it nobody is going to the movies anymore? Some 84 percent of American respondents admitted to watching more movies at home than in theaters, according to a CBS study in 2015. Given the rise of streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and HBO Now, it’s understandable that they would want to relax in the comfort of their own homes. And the current state of technology makes it easier than ever to pirate and stream new releases online for free. The alternative is driving to your local
cinema, standing in line, buying a ticket, stuffing yourself into a crowded room and praying that a crying baby or loud teenagers don’t disturb your viewing experience. Then you drive home, often feeling unsatisfied by a generic, uninteresting film that you just sat through for an hour and a half. In other words, you wasted your time. This brings me to the first reason why I believe cinemas have suffered a steady decline since the rise of Netflix in 2012. By watching a movie at home, you save yourself precious time. If you don’t like the new Adam Sandler comedy you’re streaming, you can simply turn it off and move on to something else. You can’t do that in the theater. You have to get up, walk out and ask for a refund that you won’t get, basically ruining your day. Not to mention that you wasted tons of money. On average, it costs $9.11 for a movie ticket and $14.59 for large popcorn and large soda in a theater. That’s $39.01 to take a date to a horror flick, not a cheap date night. It’s easy to understand why people would choose the option of buying a monthly subscription to Netflix for $12.99 and streaming thousands of masterpieces from anywhere they want. The rise of streaming services alone is enough to explain the decline in movie ticket sales. However, I personally think it has as much to do with the quality of films as the way that we view them. This is something I’m very passionate about, so if I end up ripping on your favorite movie, forgive me. These are just my personal views on the climate of modern cinema.
Some, if not most, of the blame falls on the shoulders of studios and directors who produce sub-average movies just to make a quick buck. It boggles my mind that studios can give directors ungodly amounts of money (millions of dollars), all of the talent in the world and any writers they want, and they still find a way to churn out garbage. For example, the latest entry in the “X-Men” franchise, “Dark Phoenix,” bombed at the box office on its opening weekend, grossing a measly $14 million. Then ticket sales dropped by a shocking 71 percent the following weekend. The film
has done so badly that 21st Century Fox started pulling it from theaters after a mere three weeks. The 12th film in the rebooted “X-Men” franchise received a 21 percent rating on trusted review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, gaining the impressive title of
worst-reviewed film in a series that already was filled with low quality. The lack of ticket sales is surprising, even with the low review scores. “X-Men Apocalypse” had double the box office of “Dark Phoenix” in its opening weekend, and “Apocalypse” reviews were just as bad. Could it be that audiences are wising up and figuring out that what is perceived to be a good movie is actually a bad one? Take the newest “Men in Black” movie. “Men in Black: International” received a 23 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, debuting with a sad but laughable $10 million at the box office. The sequel to the highest grossing film of 1997 was a failure that unsuccessfully tried to lure audiences with a recognizable name. In the internet age that we live in, word of mouth can travel faster than anybody, including movie studios, could have ever fathomed. There are thousands of reviews online weeks before a film release to tell the public whether it’s worth spending money on. Unfortunately, most movies today are not worth it. Studios are worried about receiving a decent score on Rotten Tomatoes because that can make or break a movie. The death of movie theaters seems far off, until you consider how many problems they are facing in the current filmmaking climate. Many film analysts have declared that Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” will be the last blockbuster. I pray that this is not true because I believe in the magic of movies and its ability to endure. However, it’s impossible to ignore that cinema is in an unprecedented state of decline.
Scene THE
Managing editor: Timothy Bold
Business/web manager: Victor Paletta Circulation: Zacchaeus Windham Reporters/photographers: Soroda Nasiri, Zoey Tincknell, Shree Bhattessa, Ethan Tutor, Angelica Woods Layout: Katelyn Clancy Cartoonists: Cameron Kuntz 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.
July 12, 2019
Opinion
Do a little stargazing at McDonnell Planetarium Uncensored
By Soroda Nasiri The Scene staff St. Louis has a ton of neat attractions, so I decided to become a St. Louis tourist this summer. First on my agenda was a visit to the large, hyperboloid structure along Interstate 64 in Forest Park. What in the world am I talking about, you ask? The James S. McDonnell Planetarium, which is part of the St. Louis Science Center and walking distance from campus. Whenever I drive or jog by the planetarium, I am in absolute awe of the architectural design, and the experience changes at night, when spotlights cast different colors on it. Add the right weather effect, and it’s almost magical. The planetarium is surrounded by trees and fun sculptures, and in the spring and summer, birds are singing their tunes, making it the perfect place for a peaceful picnic.
July 12, 2019
The woman then explained why the sky By the way, the McDonnell auditoOnce I explored the outside, I made my way inside. Admission to the planetarium changes color, sometimes even appearing rium is also used for other purposes, is free. Usually, I just look at exhibits in the pink or purple. It depends on what mole- such as yoga with instructors from Yoga Buzz. main section, but this time I wanted to do cules are in the air at the time. My overall experience at the planetarium After the planetarium visit, I decided to something different. I purchased a ticket for one of the shows, was wonderful. I felt educated and relaxed, go and check out the Science Center. In the which are projected on a 24-meter dome both at the same time. And I felt grateful hallway that leads to it, I spent six minutes overhead. I chose “Live Sky: The Constel- that we have such a unique facility in St. looking at exhibits, including an actual bee Louis. hive, seashell and mineral collections and lations.” The cost was $6. a station where you can check your When I entered the auditorium, I weight on Mars. immediately felt a cool breeze brush Then I crossed the enclosed bridge against my skin, as if I were outside over Interstate 64, which is thrilling on a beautiful spring evening. (Acand beautiful, with multi-shaped tually, it was the air conditioner, but windows in the floor that allow you it felt good.) to look down on traffic. SpeedomeYou can sit in theater chairs or lie ters even tell you how fast the cars in the middle of the floor on a blue are traveling. gym mat to watch shows. Naturally, Admission also is free at the SciI chose the mat so I could pretend ence Center, although it costs extra that I was in a grassy field, looking to see special exhibits and Omnimax up at the nighttime sky. theater shows at the Science CenA woman on staff thanked the ter. I won’t go into detail here, but audience for visiting, pointed out suffice it to say that the facility has emergency exits and told us the something for everyone, no matter rules of etiquette. I lay there eagerly your age. but patiently waiting for the lights to When visiting the planetarium and go off and the “sky” to light up. Science Center, I recommend arrivI soon learned that the woman ing early in the morning and packing would also be narrating the show, Photo by Timothy Bold a lunch to eat outside. Or you can and her soft-spoken voice set a melbuy food and drink in the cafetelow tone. An image of the sun grad- Planetarium at a glance ria, where the options are great, but ually appeared on the screen as the Where: Faulkner Drive in Forest Park they’re a little pricey. house lights faded. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through College students don’t have a lot The woman refreshed my memo- Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sundays of money, and they’re always lookry, explaining that constellations are Admission: Free (cost for shows) ing for affordable things to do. The groups of stars that form outlines Parking: Free in Forest Park and along Oakland planetarium and Science Center are or patterns on the celestial sphere. Avenue or $10 in the Science Center lot. great places to hang out with friends Many remind people of animals, Phone: 314-289-4400 and family or take a date and not mythical characters or objects, such Website: slsc.org break the bank. as the Big Dipper.
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