SCENE THE
Fall Issue 4
November 3, 2017
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St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
No. 1 Archers aim for national tournament
College may cut 70 faculty members
By Timothy Bold The Scene staff
By Joshua Phelps and Timothy Bold The Scene staff
The St. Louis Community College men’s soccer team is one game away from reaching the NJCAA Division I tournament for the first time since 1989. With a hard-fought 2-1 win over Jefferson College of Hillsboro on Oct. 28 at Florissant Valley, the unbeaten Archers extended their winning streak to 21 games and maintained the No. 1 ranking in the country. Schoolcraft of Livonia, Mich., is the only other remaining unbeaten team in Livornese the country. The Archers, among 24 teams still alive, will play Illinois Central College at 1 p.m. Nov. 4 at Florissant Valley for the Central District championship. McArthur The winner will advance to the nationals at Prescott, Ariz., on Nov. 13-18. STLCC earned the Region 16 finals berth against Jefferson College with an 8-0 win Oct. 21 over MCC-Blue River of Independence, Mo., and a 2-1 victory Oct. 24 over Crowder College of Neosho, Mo. In a tense battle on a frigid afternoon, the Archers broke a 1-1 tie against Jefferson College in the 54th minute on a header by freshman Savino Livornese on Conor McArthur’s free-kick assist. Goalkeeper Braedan Passalis faced three shots and improved to 20-0. In the Region 16 semifinals against Crowder, Chris Eduardo broke a 1-1 tie in the 73rd minute on a setup by Livornese. Passalis faced only two shots on goal. In the quarterfinals, Eduardo and Dyan Chapa each had two goals in the rout over MCC-Blue River. “I don’t want to hear about our success right now. Anything can happen on any given day,” coach Tim Mosby said after the win over unranked Jefferson College — the Archers’ second Region 16 tournament title in a row.
See Nationals page 2
Photo by Joshua Phelps
SEIU representative Dominique Sanders leads a group of students and adjuncts in a protest on the Meramec campus on Oct. 23, calling for better pay and job security in a union contract.
Controversy heats up with adjunct arrest, student protest had advised against it. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Taylor received a “notification of no It’s a situation of he-said, she-said trespass” from the college and he assumed between St. Louis Community College that meant he was fired, but a college spokeswoman told the newspaper he was and adjunct professor Steve Taylor. Taylor, a union activist, and his support- still employed. “We can’t talk about this because ers say he was simply voicing his opinion it’s a personnel at an STLCC board issue,” Chancellor meeting when a Jeff Pittman told college police offi“Police are out of control. The Scene. “We cer tackled, handcuffed, injured and They are attacking professors have to stand by our statement.” arrested him on Oct. 19. at board meetings. They are “I was ‘No contract, approached and attacking people on the streets. no peace’ grabbed from STLCC’s adjunct behind,” Taylor And for the community college faculty voted to said. “No one introunionize in the fall duced themselves not to react to that and not of 2015 and started as law enforcement contract negotiato me until I was on come to the professor’s side, I tions in the spring the ground.” of 2016. However, The college had think that’s outrageous.” an agreement hasn’t a different interprebeen reached, mosttation. A statement – Adjunct Brett Williams ly due to job securiemailed on Oct. 20 ty and pay issues. said Taylor disruptTempers flared ed the board meetOct. 23, when nearly 40 students and ing, refused to leave when asked to do so adjuncts marched with signs on the and charged toward a table where board Meramec campus. They chanted, “If we members and the chancellor were sitting. don’t get it, shut it down,” and “No con“College police responded by restrain- tract, no peace,” prompting drivers on Big ing the individual before he reached the Bend Road to honk their horns in support. table,” the statement read. “The individual Protesters marched to the administrawas subsequently arrested by St. Louis tion office with a giant report card giving Metropolitan Police.” Pittman an “F” for commitment to stuBefore the meeting, Taylor taught dents and faculty and an “A” for prioritizmath on the Wildwood campus. He also ing buildings over people. was a member of Service Employees At one point, students faced off with International Union and its adjunct bar- Meramec Provost Carol Lupardus, who gaining committee. told them, “The adjuncts are currently in In a telephone interview with The negotiations with the district.” Scene on Oct. 24, Taylor declined to Students then drowned out her words discuss his job status, saying his attorney
By Joshua Phelps The Scene staff
See Union page 3
St. Louis Community College is considering an 18 percent reduction in the number of full-time faculty to help with its budget problems. That could result in about 70 employees (out of 397) losing their jobs on four campuses. Rob Hertel, president of the STLCC National Education Association, which represents full-time faculty, broke the news at union meetings on Oct. 27 on the Meramec cam- Hertel pus and Nov. 1 on the Florissant Valley campus. “We don’t feel a reduction in force is in the best interest of the students,” he told The Scene later. “Full-time Pittman faculty are the most committed and available for the (education) of students.” Chancellor Jeff Pittman verified that the 18 percent reduction is being considered by STLCC administration. He blamed the college’s budget shortfall mostly on a 9 percent cut in state funding for higher education. “When we looked at a three-year projection with anticipated increases and operating costs, by 2020 that would put us down almost $12.9 million,” he said. “We just realized that we had to make a course correction to our budget.” Declining enrollments in recent years played a part in the budget shortfall, Pittman said, although those seem to have stabilized recently. Talk of an STLCC budget crisis is nothing new. Earlier this year, the college offered voluntary buyouts to 529 eligible full-time employees, including faculty and staff. Some 117 accepted them. This week, Forest Park students expressed concerns about continued reductions in faculty. “I think it’s wrong because you’re taking away someone’s career, and I’m going into the educational field,” said education major Brian Hostkins, 24, who is worried about his own future employment as a teacher.
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