March 2020
School of Thought HOW EDUCATORS ARE FOSTERING CREATIVITY, COURAGE, AND PEACE OF MIND P. 58
K EY STATS:
200+ CHOICES PR E-K– COLLEGE
Spring & Summer Arts Guide 60 Concerts, Exhibits, Shows, Fests & More P. 8 0
Numbers Game Can State Auditor Nicole Galloway Get to the Governor’s Office? P. 8 8
Cover_0320.indd 2
2/11/20 10:40 AM
ROOFTOP BAR & RESTAURANT ATOP THE HILTON AT THE BALLPARK
Cover_0320.indd 2
2/6/20 5:40 PM
SUMMER
AT SLU 2020
70+ K–12 CAMPS AND ACADEMIES summer@slu.edu 314-977-3534 summer.slu.edu FOB_0320.indd 1
2/6/20 5:45 PM
FOB_0320.indd 2
2/6/20 5:45 PM
FOB_0320.indd 3
2/6/20 5:45 PM
8 PRESENTED BY
Do you know an incredible kid? Whether it’s a youngster who’s overcome a daunting obstacle, launched an entrepreneurial endeavor, or reached an impressive milestone, we want to hear about it. VISIT STLMAG.COM/INCREDIBLEKIDS TO NOMINATE AN INSPIRING CHILD.
FOB_0320.indd 4
2/6/20 5:45 PM
mar20
FEATURES
VOLUME 26 / ISSUE 3
88 Numbers Game
Can State Auditor Nicole Galloway get to the Governor’s Mansion? By Nicholas Phillips
P.
58
Education Guide
How schools are fostering creativity, courage, and peace of mind Kevin A. Roberts created a playful photo illustration of West Model Management’s Milana V. levitating. Styling: Kristi Pinkham; hair and makeup by Brady Nance.
By Rosalind Early, Nicholas Phillips, Jen Roberts, and Samantha Stevenson
P.
80
Acts to Follow
Setting your spring and summer arts agenda? Here are 60 concerts, exhibits, plays, musicals, and festivals not to miss. By Melissa Meinzer, Samantha Stevenson, and Amanda Woytus
LD. Photography by Matt Seidel
FOB_0320.indd 5
March 2020 stlmag.com
5
2/6/20 5:45 PM
Mar20
D E PA R TM E N T S
VOLUME 26 / ISSUE 3
10
T
From the Editor
G
47
G AT E WAY
TASTE
Well Dressed The BAO’s Shrimp Sarong
48
Friendly Confines The newish CWE haunt where everybody knows the barkeep’s name
50
29 E
13 14
32
34
Tech Request Decoding programming for all
R
ELEMENTS
Max Rigano
Mingle Laila Anderson’s Be the Match Soirée, Stray Rescue’s Hope for the Holidays Gala
Medical marijuana takes up residence in some of St. Louis’ noted old buildings. 18
You’re in Luck Unique spirits with which to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
The St. Louis community manager for Yelp shares his favorite things.
Fast Facts Historic Growth
50
You’ll see this bright blue a lot in 2020.
Statistics about veterans and PTSD 16
Paul Beffa resurrects his family’s eponymous restaurant.
It’s a Classic
Fighting Chance Tom and Jen Satterly’s mission to help Special Operations veterans
The Tradition Continues
A
ANGLES
52 Get on Board Union Station’s latest restaurant is a culinary bullet train.
RHYTHM
54
Hot Spots Juniper, World’s Fair Donuts, and Reign
55
Ins, Outs & Almosts Storming Crab, Noto Italian Restaurant, and more
56
When Wanderlust Wanes A renowned chef settles down at Nomad in Dogtown.
St. Louis Sage
21 Moral Fiber Art meets activism in Aaron McMullin’s work. 23
37
Read This Now
Finding Freedom
The Life and Times of Missouri’s Charles Parsons by John Launius 24
Agenda
A Q&A with the Freedom Center’s David Roland 40
Guitar Star The many gigs of Dave Black
6
FOB_0320.indd 6
Frame of Mind Urbex Instagrammers like @sekondtry show an oft-overlooked side of St. Louis. Should they?
Michael Rapaport, The Revivalists, and more 26
120
44
Spring & All A look back at a community garden in 1967
stlmag.com March 2020
2/6/20 5:46 PM
March 2020 stlmag.com
FOB_0320.indd 7
7
2/6/20 5:46 PM
Mar20
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
VOLUME 26 / ISSUE 3
EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Jarrett Medlin Deputy Editor Amanda Woytus Senior Editor Nicholas Phillips Dining Editor George Mahe Associate Editor Samantha Stevenson Contributing Writers & Editors Kerry Bailey, Rosalind Early, Holly Fann, Robert Lowes, Dave Lowry, Melissa Meinzer, Denise Mueller, Chris Naffziger, Jen Roberts, Stefene Russell Intern Kelly Siempelkamp ART & PRODUCTION Design Director Tom White Art Director Emily Cramsey Sales & Marketing Designer Monica Lazalier Production Coordinator Kylie Green Staff Photographer Kevin A. Roberts Contributing Artists Diane Anderson, Wesley Law, Matt Marcinkowski, Matt Seidel, Britt Spencer, Peter Sucheski Stylists Ana Dattilo, Brady Nance, Kristi Pinkham ADVERTISING Sales Director Kim Moore Director of Digital Sales Chad Beck Account Executives Jill Gubin, Brian Haupt, Carrie Mayer, Liz Schaefer, Susan Tormala Operations Director Cheryl Rockwell Sales & Marketing Coordinator Elaine Krull Digital Advertising Coordinator Blake Hunt EVENTS Director of Special Events Jawana Reid CIRCULATION Circulation Manager Dede Dierkes Circulation Coordinator Teresa Foss
SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rate is $19.95 for 12 issues of St. Louis Magazine, six issues of Design STL, and two issues of St. Louis Family. Call 314-918-3000 to place an order or to inform us of a change of address. For corporate and group subscription rates, contact Teresa Foss at 314-918-3030. ONLINE CALENDAR Call 314-918-3000, or email Amanda Woytus at awoytus@stlmag.com. (Please include “Online Calendar” in the subject line.) Or submit events at stlmag.com/events/submit.html. MINGLE To inquire about event photos, email Emily Cramsey at ecramsey@stlmag.com. (Please include “Mingle” in the subject line.)
What event are you most excited about for this spring or summer? “I’d never heard of Dr. Oliver Sacks and the mysterious sleeping sickness he treated in the ’60s. I’m curious to see how Opera Theatre of Saint Louis adapts the story for Awakenings.” —Amanda Woytus, deputy editor “Festival of Nations. The food and entertainment is amazing, and you walk away with an appreciation of the many differences in our world.” —Liz Schaefer, account executive
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send letters to jmedlin@stlmag.com. MARKETING AND EVENTS For information about special events, contact Jawana Reid at 314-918-3026 or jreid@stlmag.com. ADVERTISING To place an ad, contact Elaine Krull at 314-918-3002 or ekrull@stlmag.com. DISTRIBUTION Call Dede Dierkes at 314-918-3006. Subscription Rates: $19.95 for one year. Call for foreign subscription rates. Frequency: Monthly. Single Copies in Office: $5.46. Back Issues: $7.50 by mail (prepaid). Copyright 2020 by St. Louis Magazine LLC. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts may be submitted but must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. ©2020 by St. Louis Magazine. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550 St. Louis, MO 63144 314-918-3000 | Fax 314-918-3099 stlmag.com
“This summer, I’ll be one of Harry Styles’ nearly 20,000 fangirls taking over the Enterprise Center.” —Samantha Stevenson, associate editor
8
FOB_0320.indd 8
stlmag.com March 2020
2/6/20 5:46 PM
FOB_0320.indd 9
2/6/20 5:46 PM
Mar20
FROM THE EDITOR
VOLUME 26 / ISSUE 3
Growing Up As medical marijuana comes to Missouri, historian and frequent stlmag.com contributor Chris Naffziger noted that some historic buildings are getting a new lease on life (p. 16).
WHEN MY 3-YEAR-OLD daughter got a yoga mat, I knew things
had changed. Somehow, even as a toddler, she almost instinctively knew how to strike the perfect Cat Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, and, yes, Child’s Pose. Granted, my wife taught her these moves—even taking her to a few Mommy & Me classes at nearby studios—but it was a striking contrast to how my sister and I grew up. As tykes, we were obsessed with our wooden blocks, sidewalk chalk, and Radio Flyer wagon. It would be at least another decade before we discovered such spiritual enlightenment, inspired by ancient traditions in Northern India. Back then, in ’80s small-town America, we were more concerned as kids with box turtles, fly balls, and Mario Brothers. Don’t get me wrong: My daughter also appreciates these things, but it is staggering how much things have changed. In an age of social media, 24/7 news, and fidget spinners, we’re also realizing—more than ever—the importance of tranquility and self-awareness. Nowadays, there’s an entire genre of yoga-inspired books for kids. Many schools are teaching children how to be more mindful, devoting time to breathing exercises and ways to be better in tune with their emotions. These are skills, ways of fostering emotional intelligence, that will stick with them for a lifetime. As a third-grade teacher at Gateway Elementary explains on page 60, “They learn how to calm themselves.” Likewise, many schools designate “chill zones,” quiet spaces where children can stop and unwind for a moment. My daughter’s school, for instance, has a tucked-away area with blankets and pillows where students can take a moment to collect themselves and then resume their lessons. At the same time, schools are empowering students to stop bullying by equipping them with specific skills (p. 62). The Rockwood School District’s Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, for instance, teach their fellow students to assess potentially contentious situations, defuse conflicts, and move forward.
10
FOB_0320.indd 10
stlmag.com March 2020
On the Range Longtime journalist Robert Lowes, who’s covered a wide range of topics, will release a book of poetry, An Honest Hunger, this fall. This month, he profiles a St. Louis musician who also appreciates versatility (p. 26).
Students are also learning how to express themselves through innovative community partnerships, whether by recording a spoken-word album or creating a museum-quality work of art (p. 65). In another facet of education, colleges, trade schools, and nonprofits are expanding course offerings with online courses and hands-on apprenticeships. LaunchCode has garnered national press for offering an alternative path to well-paying tech jobs. Ranken Jordan Technical College recently opened a new center where students get firsthand manufacturing experience. And subjects once largely considered hobbies are now popular college courses and viable career paths (p. 67). Saint Louis University, for example, recently teamed up with top area brewers to launch a new brewing science and operations certificate program. Maryville University teaches video game design and boasts one of the world’s top esports teams. Who knows? By the time my daughter reaches college, maybe she’ll even consider a master’s degree in yoga.
The Right Look Hair stylist and makeup artist Brady Nance, who helped style this month’s cover, has done work for TLC, the OWN Network, Money, and more.
Follow Along @stlmag @stlmag @stlouismag
Photography by Madt Mallinckrodt, Evie Hemphill/St. Louis Public Radio
2/10/20 8:46 AM
FOB_0320.indd 11
2/7/20 8:26 AM
GATEWAY_0320.indd 12
2/6/20 5:33 PM
HISTORIC GROWTH p.16 TECH REQUEST p.18
GATEWAY
FIGHTING CHANCE TOPIC
A
Helping Special Operations veterans and families BY AMANDA WOYTUS
THE FIRST TIME that Jen Satterly asked her then-boyfriend Tom Satterly about the Battle of Mogadishu, they
were having a drink at a restaurant in Clayton. That 1993 battle, 17 hours of continuous firefight that left 18 U.S. soldiers dead, was the inspiration for the movie Black Hawk Down. It had been Tom’s first firefight as a Delta Force Special Operations soldier. Jen, who owned a photography and film studio at the time, met Tom and began working filming realistic military training exercises. She knew that Tom often “pulled security”— as he walked through the restaurant; he memorized the layout, looking for possible escape routes, glancing over his shoulder every so often. What could he use as a weapon? A fork? A wine bottle? But she had never asked him about what it was like for him in Somalia as part of an elite force known as The Unit. As he talked about the experience, he cried. It was the first time someone had asked him about it in 20 years.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
GATEWAY_0320.indd 13
March 2020 stlmag.com
13
2/6/20 5:33 PM
G AT E WAY
TOPIC A
Jen would often ask Special Operations soldiers where they needed the most help. “Nine times out of 10, it was at home,” she says. “Not really knowing how to cope with the chaos of kids and family life, acclimating and then reacclimating over and over again, was causing destruction in the family unit.” Back home, some Special Operations veterans with complex PTSD can’t distinguish chaos from a non–life-threatening situation—a child spilling milk at the breakfast table and crying—from a life-threatening one. They might respond with anger, aggression, or violence, all tools used in combat. Afterward, they might feel ashamed. “We see the highest rate of suicide of Special Operations veterans after a family argument,” Jen says. In his new book, All Secure: A “As many as 88 percent of suicides happen after a family disturbance.” Special Operations Soldier’s Fight to Survive on the Battlefield To help rebuild that foundation Get Support and the Homefront, Tom chronat home, the Satterlys have hired Veterans with PTSD a marriage and trauma specialicles his time in The Unit, as well can get in touch with ist. This year, the nonprofit will as his experience with postthe U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ traumatic stress disorder and a suihost four fully funded couples’ National Center for cide attempt. The book also docuretreats at Big Cedar Lodge, PTSD by visiting ptsd ments the work that he and Jen, where participants will learn .va.gov, calling the crisis line at 800-273-8255, or now married, have done through about triggers and resources. texting 838255. their nonprofit, All Secure FoundaThe Satterlys are also working tion, which they launched in 2017 to with the Department of Defense, educate Special Operations families about PTSD educating soldiers on PTSD resiliency, about and to help decrease the number of veteran sui- what could be coming down the pike. cides. Twenty-two veterans die by suicide every Asked about the barriers that servicemen and day according to the foundation. women face in seeking treatment for PTSD, Tom Men and women in all branches of the military says that one is misinformation, including false experience PTSD. “The reality of it is that this information on VA resources and perceived affects every single human being who has to consequences of asking for help. But much of do something that’s not normal to them,” Tom it is culture—and that’s harder to fix. says. But All Secure Foundation serves Special “I’ve seen guys post on social media: ‘What’s Operations because of the nature of the work. all this about [PTSD]? I went to war, and I never When Tom was in Delta Force, he deployed into had a problem.’ I wrote back, ‘You’re the probcombat zones every six months—and carried lem. You’re the one making it hard for the people out at least one mission a night. who really do have it.’” Before founding All Secure, the Satterlys worked in realistic military training exercises. Tom and Jen Satterly
ONLINE To learn more about All Secure Foundation, visit allsecurefoundation.org.
14
stlmag.com March 2020
GATEWAY_0320.indd 14
BY THE NUMBERS
FAST FACTS S TAT I S T I C S A B O UT V E T E R A N S A N D PT S D
11 TO 20
Percentage of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom who have PTSD in a given year
12
Percentage of Gulf War (Desert Storm) veterans who have PTSD in a given year
15
Percentage of Vietnam veterans found to have PTSD in the late 1980s, at the time of the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, in a given year
30
Estimated percentage of Vietnam veterans who’ve had PTSD in their lifetimes
SOURCE U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Center for PTSD
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
2/6/20 5:33 PM
GATEWAY_0320.indd 15
2/6/20 5:33 PM
G AT E WAY
WARNING: GRAPHIC BY CHRIS NAFFZIGER
7140 N. BROADWAY 7110 N. BROADWAY
2 S. COOL SPRINGS INDUSTRIAL O’FALLON BLOOM MEDICINALS OF MO
KINDBIO & VMO-OPS INC.
7379 PAGEDALE INDUSTRIAL SLCC
2727 HAMILTON
GROWING JOBS MISSOURI
The factory buildings for the former Leschen Wire Rope Company are long, as you’d expect of a business that twisted thousands of strands of wire into single lengths of steel cable. Before the factory was abandoned, Leschen’s wire was used for cable cars, logging, mining, and suspension bridges around the world.
2609 ROCK HILL INDUSTRIAL NEW GROWTH HORIZON
CERTIFIED ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE PROVIDERS
This sprawling warehouse across Broadway from Bellefontaine Cemetery once held the Continental Can Company, based in Connecticut. St. Louis was Plant No. 73. During World War II, like many factories, Continental Can switched its production over to support the war effort.
1315 CHEROKEE
BELEAF MEDICAL
St. Louisans may remember this unassuming building most recently as the home of the former Cherokee Candy and Tobacco Company, but if you were to travel back to before the Civil War, you would have seen brewer Adam Lemp’s lavish Italianate country villa and, nearby, his workers lowering kegs of beer down into his famous lagering cave.
1400 N. SEVENTH TC APPLICO
3417 S. BROADWAY
BLUE ARROW HOLDINGS
3838 AVENUE F LSL MANAGEMENT
Historic Growth
Medical marijuana takes up residence in some of St. Louis’ noted old buildings. 16
stlmag.com March 2020
GATEWAY_0320.indd 16
A victim of Prohibition, 100 years ago, the giant Lemp Brewery, enclosing thousands of square feet that once held huge vats of beer, has silently awaited a new use after International Shoe pulled out in the 1980s. The massive buildings and the cellars beneath date from the 1860s to 1910s.
MISSOURI, LEGAL MEDICAL marijuana is on its way. In January, the Missouri Department of Health
and Senior Services awarded 60 licenses, out of 500 applicants, to grow medical marijuana. The St. Louis metropolitan region is home to 12 of those licensees, and some will be located in historic city buildings, breathing new life into the old structures. In the city of St. Louis, the new grow facilities will occupy historic buildings in locations on both the North and South sides. Some are well known; others are in obscure locations. One is in Wells-Goodfellow and one on North Broadway, but others are right on Cherokee, near the antique stores. The reasons the buildings are vacant vary, too. The Leschen Wire Rope Company and Continental Can Company were both victims of the changing face of manufacturing. They’re classic stories of the Rust Belt, their jobs shipped overseas or made obsolete by automation. The Lemp Brewery was a victim of Prohibition. Now, it’ll be used at the end of a different sort of ban. All the sites have one thing in common, though: wide, largely unobstructed open spaces that will soon be filled with rows of carefully tended marijuana plants. If only the Lemps could see their brewery now. Illustration by Peter Sucheski
2/10/20 8:55 AM
Dare to Know: Chess in the Age of Reason showcases numerous chess sets,
Free Opening Reception
books, artwork, and other artifacts representing Enlightenment centers in
April 8, 2020 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Europe and the United States. Chess sets belonging to famous historical
RSVP and learn more at worldchesshof.org
figures from the era, including Catherine the Great and Madame Tussaud,
@WorldChessHOF #DareToKnowChess
will be displayed alongside humble playing sets.
March 2020 stlmag.com
GATEWAY_0320.indd 17
17
2/10/20 8:54 AM
G AT E WAY
INSIDE INFO BY AMANDA WOYTUS
ON THE LACK OF DIVERSITY HE SAW WHILE WORKING IN TECH: There was a huge
gap—a giant gap—in diversity. It was very “white guy”...with beards. There was some diversity globally but not within the States. ON THE MISSION OF MONOCLE LEARNING CENTER: What we’re trying to do is intro-
duce people who don’t even know this world exists until it’s too late to tech. We’ll start out with some really basic programming, stuff you can learn on your own with a little bit of guidance. ON THE DIFFERENCES IN TECH EDUCATION IN THE REGION’S SCHOOLS: I’ve spoken out
at Parkway West, and they have a computer science department and a program for SPARK entrepreneurship. It’s not quite that way if you go to Granite City. It’s quite the opposite. It’s a librarian who’s trying to learn JavaScript. ON THE NEED FOR PROGRAMMERS IN ST. LOUIS: The U.S. is short 450,000 pro-
Tech Request Decoding programming for all
Baxter is a big draw. Who’s Baxter? The high-tech collaborative robot (or “cobot”) who lives at Monocle Learning Center, the newest addition to CEO Brian Rehg’s software solutions company, Blue Stingray. Rehg, whose résumé is studded with tech gigs with the Air Force, the Department of Defense, and Mastercard, grew up in Fairview Heights and had friends whose families struggled financially. He knew he wanted to introduce kids from similar backgrounds to tech. So he carved out a place for Monocle at Blue Stingray; kitted out the space on Laclede’s Landing with a bunch of tablets and, of course, Baxter; and invited aspiring techies to come learn to code. When a little girl from the organization Join Hands, in East St. Louis, took a tour of the learning center and saw the red-and-gray Bender lookalike, she told Rehg she wanted to work in the tech world. With plans to recruit some of his current pupils for jobs, Rehg says, “it seems like the more we give back, the more that comes to us.”
FYI
18
grammers a year. There are plenty of people who never get introduced to the program or opportunities who could fill a lot of those slots. It would let local people stay in the community and work when we’re all short on programmers. And the benefit of starting the center is that we can start diversifying our group. ON ONE PROMISING STUDENT: One young woman majoring in computer science had gone to McCluer South, so she had never done any sort of tech stuff or programming stuff—she said she was super far behind. There are three girls in her class of 30 people, and all of the guys wrote apps in high school. So we give her that leg up. I actually help her with her homework—she had to build a calculator in C++ and got stuck, so I helped her write and build it. And then I told her to sign up for all the tutoring her school offers. Now, she hasn’t really needed help with homework. She actually talks to some of the kids who come tour the center. We’re hoping that in the summer, she can intern for us.
To learn more about Monocle Learning Center, visit monocleteam.com.
stlmag.com March January2020 2020
GATEWAY_0320.indd 18
Photography Photography by by Kevin Kevin A. A. Roberts Roberts
2/6/20 5:33 PM
Yes, we do things
a little differently. We’re a women’s college. We are incredibly pet-friendly. We believe that your dreams are achievable. When you hear “no way,” we say “Dream up.” Stephens gives you the tools you need to be the best YOU you can be — we also support your success with an affordability plan that includes reduced tuition pricing.
Plan your visit!
stephens.edu/visit (800) 876-7207
dream up. 1200 E. Broadway Columbia, MO 65215
A MAGICAL SUMMER AWAITS AT CAMP PEGNITA
An old-fashioned day camp that gives kids the feel of an away camp, right here in Kirkwood!
Ages 5–15 June 9-August 7, 2020 | 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Extended Hours Available 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.) 314.822.2601, ext. 102 | camppegnita@villadimaria.org www.camppegnita.com | 314.822.2601, ext. 102 1280 Simmons Ave. | Kirkwood, MO 63122 March 2020 stlmag.com
GATEWAY_0320.indd 19
19
2/6/20 5:33 PM
FEATURING NEW SERVICES
Cleanse + Peel Extract + Hydrate Fuse + Protect
NOTHING COMPARES
COUPLES MASSAGES Share your relaxing experience in a couples suite with side-by-side massages
To book your appointment, call 636.949.7721
AMERISTARSTCHARLES .COM Must be 21. Exclusions apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1.888.BETSOFF. ©2020 Boyd Gaming Corporation®. All Rights Reserved.
RHYTHM_0320.indd 20
2/7/20 8:28 AM
READ THIS NOW p.23 TOP 10 EVENTS p.24 G U I TA R S TA R p.26
RHYTHM
e
PRELUDE
MORAL FIBER
Art meets activism in Aaron McMullin’s work. BY JEN ROBERTS
Photography by Aaron McMullin
RHYTHM_0320.indd 21
March 2020 stlmag.com
21
2/6/20 5:13 PM
RHYTHM
PRELUDE
THE MENTOR EFFECT
How a local arts collective inspired McMullin to return to India.
A
T FIRST GLANCE, a piece by artist Aaron
McMullin might look like just another sweatshirt. Then you notice the image sewn onto the front with long white stitches: an Indian woman, her arms adorned with colorful bangles and her shoulders draped in a floral sari. Her coarse working hands hold a large clump of raw cotton before her face, obscuring it. “A lot of my work is not totally obvious right away,” McMullin says, “but it catches your eye, and the longer you look at it, the more information you’re absorbing.” During her undergraduate years, at Sarah Lawrence College, McMullin spent two months in India as part of a yearlong study-abroad program, focusing on the cotton industry, specifically the issues farmers there face. McMullin learned about the high suicide rate among cotton farmers, who experience respiratory and other health problems caused by extreme heat and pesticides— often ones that are banned in the West. McMullin also learned that she played a part in this as a fastfashion consumer. “My experience in India was life-changing,” she recalls. “I felt so welcomed by everybody I met, and then, on the other side, I had been naïvely complicit in this system my whole life.” McMullin knew she needed to share the farmers’ stories. “I want people to know what’s going on and for them to be connected and informed as consum-
FYI
22
Visit aaronrosestudio.com for more of McMullin’s art.
stlmag.com March 2020
RHYTHM_0320.indd 22
ers,” she says. Like knowing the farmer who grew your food, McMullin wants consumers to think about where their clothes come from. “We don’t talk about who grew our clothes, and this is just as much a part of our daily experience,” she says. After two subsequent trips to India, McMullin began sharing the farmers’ stories. During a three-week trip to the state of Maharashtra, she photographed more than 100 farmers holding cotton in front of their faces as a visual reminder of the people who grew the fibers used to make our clothing. As she was talking to them, they would often tell her: “No one knows who we are—they just use the cotton we grow.” “When I came back, I had all of this knowledge and all of these photographs,” McMullin says. “The simplest thing for me was to print some photos and put them up on a wall and talk about them.” She then began to embroider them onto secondhand clothing, sometimes next to tags that she’d cut out and sewn onto the fronts of shirts as a way to encourage mindful consumer practices. McMullin knows that her work will evolve as she “peels back layers” of the cotton farmers’ experiences, but she’s committed to the stories and using her art to share them. Though the work could be displayed in a gallery, she prefers that people wear it “so that it’s a walking message,” she says. “I’m an artist because I’m an activist.”
Instrumental to McMullin’s art was a mini residency at Yeyo Arts Collective and the mentorship of its founder, Dail Chambers. “I didn't even know the purpose of the residency, but Dail is one of these people in my life that if she recommends something, I do it,” says McMullin. “The whole premise was to help artists with a project in mind see that project through. On the spot, I came up with going back to India and working with these farmers and developing this community arts project.” It was during her time with Yeyo and Chambers that McMullin began to feel more confident identifying as an artist. She also moved away from a straightforward presentation of her work—a photo in a frame—to a complex conceptual one. It was a perfect fit for Yeyo, which describes itself as “dedicated to the experience and sustainability of women and families in the arts.” Not an artist? Not a problem. Located in South City near Cherokee Street, Yeyo offers workshops in movement, such as African dance; crafts; and poetry, taught by the collective’s members, as well as by guest artists. Yeyo Arts Collective, 2907 S. Jefferson, yeyoarts.blogspot.com
Photography by Matt Marcinkowski
2/6/20 5:13 PM
Read This Now THE LIFE AND TIMES OF M I S S O U R I ’ S C H A R L E S PA R S O N S
Taking a walk around the newly reopened Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, you might see one of Charles Parsons’ treasures. When he died, in 1905, The St. Louis Republic remembered Parsons as a “distinguished citizen, venerable banker, art connoisseur, author and philanthropist.” Indeed, the man advised Union generals during the Civil War, traveled the world, and helped found the first art museum west of the Mississippi, the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, at 19th and Locust, in 1881. Yet you’ve probably never heard of Parsons. John Launius’ The Life and Times of Missouri’s Charles Parsons is aimed at changing that. A collector of landscapes, Parsons designed a rear wing at his home at 33 Westmoreland Place to accommodate his art. One work at the Kemper, not on display but searchable in its online collection, is Rheinstein, by Sanford Robinson Gifford. In it, a castle looms over the Rhine, warm oranges and yellows inviting the viewer to take a closer look at the scene. Parsons collected objects, too, including Japanese swords, Buddhist statues, and an incense burner. It’s this last curio that jump-started the book—maybe one of the more serendipitous stories. Launius writes that he was hired to oversee the Kemper’s security operations. Standing in a room full of Parsons’ objects with the museum’s director, Sabine Eckmann, Launius noticed a piece labeled “bowl.” A student of martial arts and incense tradition, he recognized the object as an incense burner. He pointed it out to Eckmann. “Prove it,” she said. “Write an essay.” —AMANDA WOYTUS
Lifeblood of the Heartland Now Open! Free admission!
Forest Park • 314.746.4599 • mohistory.org
March 2020 stlmag.com
RHYTHM_0320.indd 23
23
2/6/20 5:13 PM
RHYTHM
AGENDA
Mar 10 THINGS TO DO
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
1
The 14th year of the Gateway Blues Festival is infused with Southern soul by such acts as Calvin Richardson, Tucka, Lenny Williams, and Shirley Brown. March 28. Chaifetz Arena, thechaifetz arena.com.
2
It’s been nearly eight years since the final episode of The Office aired, but fans of Michael, Dwight, Jim, Pam, and Phyllis (played by St. Louis’ own Phyllis Smith) can relive all of the series’ best moments in The Office: A Musical Parody. March 4–8. The Grandel, kranzberg artsfoundation.org.
24
3
For the sporty: The annual St. Patrick’s Day 5-miler kicks off at 9 a.m. at 18th and Market. For the not-so, the parade—featuring balloons, music, and clowns—begins at noon at 20th and Market. March 14. Downtown St. Louis, irishparade.org.
4
Part game show, part comedy roast, Target Practice Live sees local comics not only telling jokes at one another’s expense, but also facing off on different topics. Winners from each round battle in the finals, when they get to roast each other. March 28. .ZACK, mid coast.media.
stlmag.com March 2020
RHYTHM_0320.indd 24
5
9
After 2015 album Gliss Riffer, Dan Deacon scored films and worked with the NYC Ballet. His return to recording is Mystic Familiar, synthpop described as a psychedelic journey with “bliss and disruption, darkness and light.” March 31. The Ready Room, thereadyroom.com.
6
Kara Cooney, a professor of Egyptian art and architecture at UCLA, has spent her career excavating sites across Egypt and studying ancient funeral and burial practices. In When Women Ruled the World, she discusses the lives of such powerful ancient women as Cleopatra and Nefertiti. March 6. Touhill Performing Arts Center, touhill.org.
7
After 10 years, the New Orleans band The Revivalists found an overnight hit with the catchy horn-accented “Wish I Knew You,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Chart. Here, they play with Tank and the Bangas. March 10. The Pageant, thepageant.com.
Comedians Randy and Jason Sklar— St. Louis natives known as the Sklar Brothers—bring their podcast, hosted with comic Daniel Van Kirk, home for a visit. Dumb People Town is “as much an exploration as it is a celebration of dumb people doing dumb things.” March 20. Delmar Hall, delmar hall.com.
10
In this new musical by Avenue Q creator Jeff Whitty, a 16th-century novel and music by The Go-Go’s combine. Entertainment Weekly called Head Over Heels a “technicolor category unto itself.” Through March 28. The Marcelle, new linetheatre.com.
8
On Netflix’s Atypical, Michael Rapaport plays the father of a teen on the autism spectrum who tries to help his son start dating. You might recall him in a long list of film and television spots, but he’s also a comedian, touring 12 cities this year. March 1. Helium, heliumcomedy.com.
Photography by Jeremy Daniels, Frank Hamilton, courtesy of Getty Images/THEPALMER
2/6/20 5:13 PM
March 2020 stlmag.com
RHYTHM_0320.indd 25
25
2/10/20 8:56 AM
RHYTHM
STUDIO
FYI For more on Black, visit daveblackstl.com.
GUITAR STAR
The many gigs of Dave Black BY ROBERT LOWES
D
AVE BLACK IS Beatle-ing on his acoustic guitar for a Sunday-after-
noon crowd at Alpha Brewing Company in South St. Louis, one of three gigs this day. He’s wearing his trademark short-brimmed cap backward, like a beret. First comes “I Will.” Then he ventures into “She’s Leaving Home,” another of the Beatles’ slower songs. Lowering his head like a fullback toward his guitar and bobbing, Black takes the plaintive melody and chords into a new galaxy of notes, only to improvise his way into Miles Davis’ moody seminal jazz piece “So What.” He ends by circling back to the Beatles tune. The arc between the Fab Four and Davis captures the career of one of St. Louis’ best and busiest guitarists, and arguably its most versatile. He plays rock, jazz, blues, country, Latin, classical, klezmer… “He plays so many different genres and plays them so well,” says guitarist Aaron Burlbaw, founder of the group Acoustik Element. Black caught the guitar bug at age 7 while watching the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, in 1964. “I was taking a bath,” Black recalls. “My mom yelled, ‘Hurry up and come out here—you’ll miss it!’ I was naked, dripping
MARK YOUR CALENDAR 8 shows to watch Dave Black in action
26
stlmag.com March 2020
RHYTHM_0320.indd 26
The Dark Room 5:30 p.m. March 5
Scarlett’s Wine Bar 7:30 p.m. March 11
The Dark Room 5:30 p.m. March 12
The Pat Connolly Tavern 8 p.m. March 12
wet. It was like a baptism. The audience was going crazy. It was the emotion the Beatles generated. I couldn’t break it down as a kid.” He eventually broke down the Beatles and much more, evolving from teenage rocker into adjunct professor of jazz studies at Webster University. But Black gently rejects the jazz-guitarist label. “I’m a guitarist, period,” he says. He enjoys musical genres besides jazz but also finds them financially necessary. Hired for a wedding reception band, he’ll shred the B-52s’ “Love Shack” on request. The general public can find Black regularly gigging at such places as Scarlett’s Wine Bar, The Dark Room, and the Pat Connolly Tavern. (This month, he plays a jazz dinner at The Dark Room, 5:30 p.m. March 5.) Frequent collaborators include jazz singer Joe Mancuso, guitarists Javier Mendoza and Farshid Etniko, and flutist Margaret Bianchetta. As a member of a group called Bach to the Future, he blends classical music with rock and jazz. Other musicians point out a certain humility that makes Black so beloved. St. Louis guitarist Ian Lubar, one of Black’s former students, remembers how his professor asked him for his musical opinion while they were playing together once. “The fact that Dave wanted to know what an 18-year-old thought was a confidence-builder,” Lubar says. “There’s no ego. I think that’s why he works so much,” says Burlbaw. “No matter what show he’s at, he wants to play his best. He puts his head down and starts shaking—he’s in the Dave Black zone.”
33 Wine Shop & Bar 7:30 p.m. March 18
The Dark Room 5:30 p.m. March 19
Scarlett’s Wine Bar 7:30 p.m. March 25
The Dark Room 5:30 p.m. March 26
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
2/6/20 5:13 PM
March 2020 stlmag.com
RHYTHM_0320.indd 27
27
2/6/20 5:13 PM
ELEMENTS_0320_2.indd 28
2/6/20 5:02 PM
MY STYLE p.32 MINGLE p.34
ELEMENTS
SHOES
Cariuma canvas high-top in Pantone Classic Blue, $98. cariuma.com.
TRENDING
It’s a Classic
Find Pantone’s Color of the Year in streetwear and on the runway. BY ANA DATTILO
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
ELEMENTS_0320_2.indd 29
March 2020 stlmag.com
29
2/6/20 5:02 PM
ELEMENTS
TRENDING BY ANA DATTILO
Salvatore Ferragamo spring/summer 2020
DIFF Sterling sunglasses, $51. Nordstrom.
Mary Jane backpack, $128. Civil Alchemy.
Treasure & Bond oversize cottonblend sweater, $79. Nordstrom.
A New Day Micah pointytoe loafers, $22.99. Target.
Caspian ring, $48. Civil Alchemy.
UO Gretchen plaid miniskirt, $49. Urban Outfitters.
30
stlmag.com March 2020
ELEMENTS_0320_2.indd 30
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
2/6/20 5:02 PM
March 2020 stlmag.com
ELEMENTS_0320_2.indd 31
31
2/6/20 5:02 PM
ELEMENTS
MY STYLE BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON
Max Rigano
YELP ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY MANAGER, 30 His job is connecting with local businesses, so Rigano has found many of his favorite pieces while browsing their racks. Another place Rigano’s made connections? Instagram, where he often shares those curated threads and is “extremely transparent and vulnerable,” he says. “I really like [Instagram] as an avenue to put myself into the world.” —S.S. PERSONAL STYLE
“Functional. Obviously, I want to look nice and always ‘on,’ but I also maintain a really active lifestyle, from fitness to social involvement... My aesthetic is—I’m not a dad but kind of like ‘hot dad.’ Like ‘dad who cares about how he looks.’”
MOISTURIZER
The Balm from LARK Skin Co. HAIR PRODUCT R&B
and Dirty from Lush DEODORANT
Every Man Jack, cedarwood fragrance SCENT Gucci
Guilty Black Go-to item:
“A nice fitted basic T-shirt, especially one that fits my arms well.”
STAPLE PIECES A denim Ralph Lauren button-up, purchased three years ago at an estate sale in Tower Grove South. Denim. A St. Louis hat from East • West. (“I love that. I wear that all the time. It’s kind of like iconic Max.”) A vintage Timex watch. STYLE ICON
@AliGordon on Instagram. “He’s a fashion YouTuber. He’s very into basics and minimalism. That appeals to me.” Antoni Porowski from Queer Eye.
TREND TO TRY IN 2020 “I want to wear
a lot of light-on-light colors. I’ve really been digging khakis, white sneakers, and a white T-shirt—fashion that’s present but understated and really shows your personality.” SHOPPING PHILOSOPHY “If I buy a new
pair of shoes, I have to get rid of a pair of shoes. It keeps your wardrobe fresh, and it makes you really thoughtful about consumerism.” HEIRLOOM A Cincin-
MUST-HIT LOCAL SPOTS Found By
FOLLOW Rigano on Instagram @maxsplain.
32
stlmag.com March 2020
ELEMENTS_0320_2.indd 32
The Pound, a vintage apparel shop on South Grand. Golden Gems.
nati Reds 1990 World Series sweatshirt. “My mom wore it. I don’t think she gave it to me; I just kind of took it over.” Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
2/6/20 5:02 PM
March 2020 stlmag.com
ELEMENTS_0320_2.indd 33
33
2/6/20 5:02 PM
ELEMENTS
MINGLE
Emily Burch, Chris Zimmerman
Carrie and Tyson Brown
Jim Lewis, Heather Anderson, Laila Anderson, Colton Parayko
Lonnie Zimmerman, Alison Downey, Donna Lesniak Nathan Mathes, Candace Counts
Alex and Todd Anderson Megan Perez, Whitney Kohlmeyer, Dr. Art McCoy, Courtney Sanchez
Anthony, Danielle, Megan, Nick and Ricky Grewe
Be the Match Soirée ON DECEMBER 5, St. Louis Blues superfan Laila Anderson
Irene Bosnjak, Sherri Gikovate Charles Glenn
Laila Anderson Bone marrow recipient and St. Louis Blues superfan
met her marrow donor, 19-year-old Kenton Felmlee, during the Be the Match Soirée. Hosted by Be the Match, the nonprofit that facilitated the transplant, the eponymous event raised $100—the cost of adding one person to the National Marrow Donor Registry—per guest.
Stray Rescue’s Hope for the Holidays Gala
“If it wasn’t for my donor, I wouldn’t be here today!”
Kelly and Carl Imo, Amy Gooden, Kara Funk
STRAY RESCUE HELD its 22nd
Ross Boyd, Megan Brinker
annual Hope for the Holidays Gala on December 6 at The Chase Park Plaza. Proceeds benefited the no-kill shelter, which helps “rescue, rehabilitate, and find loving homes for dogs,” and The Stracks Fund, which “ensures uninterrupted medical care for abused and abandoned dogs and cats in St. Louis.”
34
stlmag.com March 2020
MINGLE_0320.indd 34
SPOTLIGHT
Photography by Diane Anderson
2/6/20 5:05 PM
T:8.375"
When
my mom was diagnosed with cancer, I towanted her have access to the best treatments available.
SONEQUA MARTIN-GREEN Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador
Photo By MATT SAYLES
THAT’S WHY I’M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT EXPANDING AWARENESS OF CLINICAL TRIALS You want the best treatments for your loved ones. My mom’s cancer was treated using a therapy made possible by clinical trials. I want all people diagnosed with cancer to have access to the treatments that will make them long-term survivors, like my mom. Cancer clinical trials may be the right option for you or a loved one. The more information you have about clinical trials, the more empowered you will be to seek out your best treatments.
Learn more at StandUpToCancer.org/ClinicalTrials Stand Up To Cancer is a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
March 2020 stlmag.com
MINGLE_0320.indd 35
35
2/6/20 5:05 PM
PRESENTED BY
HONORING THE HEART OF HEALTH CARE
ST. LOUIS MAGAZINE’S 2020
Awards Reception THURSDAY, APRIL 16 | 6–9:30 P.M. | WINDOWS ON WASHINGTON
The remarkable efforts of nurses in St. Louis often go unnoticed. To honor these dedicated nurses, St. Louis Magazine is hosting its 11th annual Excellence in Nursing Awards. Join us for an inspirational evening as we introduce the 2020 finalists and announce the winners, as chosen by a prestigious selection committee. The celebration features hors d’oeuvres, a three-course dinner, cocktails, and music.
F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N , V I S I T S T L M A G . C O M / N U R S E S O R C A L L 3 1 4 .9 1 8 . 3 02 6 .
ANGLES_0320.indd 36
2/6/20 4:59 PM
FRAME OF MIND P. 4 0 SPRING & ALL P. 4 4
ANGLES
Q&A
DAVID ROLAND
A conversation with the co-founder of the Freedom Center of Missouri BY NICHOLAS PHILLIPS
Photography by Wesley Law
ANGLES_0320.indd 37
March 2020 stlmag.com
37
2/6/20 4:59 PM
ANGLES
Q&A BY NICHOLAS PHILLIPS
T
HE RULING THAT the Missouri Supreme Court handed down on
December 24 looked, at first blush, fairly narrow. It had to do with our state’s Sunshine Law, the pro-transparency statute mandating that the government release certain records to the public. In the Christmas Eve decision, all seven high court judges agreed: Some materials related to absentee ballots are open records. That may sound obscure, but the logic and language the high court used to reach that conclusion could have far-reaching consequences in Missouri, according to the lawyer who won the case: David Roland of the Freedom Center of Missouri, a legal nonprofit with a libertarian bent. How did you react to the ruling? For a decision to come out that quickly, it was a pretty safe bet it would be unanimous one way or the other, but it wasn’t clear which way. Then I started reading and realized, ‘Oh, wait a minute—this is definitely in my favor.’ I immediately hollered for my wife [and law partner], Jenifer [Zeigler Roland]. It was very exciting. Just a fantastic Christmas gift. Were you surprised? At oral argument [in October], two of the judges in particular were asking questions that made them seem very skeptical of my position. Sometimes when you’re in an oral argument, one judge will be skeptical; then another judge will kind of come to the rescue and throw in a question that lets you get your stronger argument out there. But I didn’t see any help coming from any of the other judges. I was very concerned that we were going to lose. How will your victory affect Missouri? The reasoning they used is pretty widely applicable. One of the things I was really focusing on was this idea that the legislators who drafted the Sunshine Law wanted the government to construe it liberally and to construe any exceptions to it strictly. The Supreme Court has now weighed in and emphasized the importance of strictly construing the exceptions, so I think that’s going to really narrow the wiggle room for public governmental bodies when they try to justify withholding records. The court has also thoroughly removed the con-
38
stlmag.com March 2020
ANGLES_0320.indd 38
“I’VE BEEN THINKING: ‘HOW CAN WE DO REPRESENTATION BETTER?’”
cern that if you file a lawsuit against the government trying to vindicate your rights, you might end up having to pay the government’s costs. You’re a member of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal network, yet in this situation, you represented Bruce Franks Jr., a progressive Democrat. How would you describe your political beliefs? I’m a classical liberal. I prioritize individual liberty, and that will usually also mean limiting the scope of government. But I think that there are absolutely legitimate roles for government to play, including preventing the powerful from preying on those with less power. Our Bill of Rights is intended to strike a balance: to make sure that the government can protect people from other people while at the same time not allowing the government to become so powerful that it becomes the oppressor itself. Over at the Hammond Institute for Free Enterprise of Lindenwood University, you’ve been trying to identify ways to reform the Missouri Constitution. Any ideas so far? The two-party system, with things being as polarized as they are right now, really does cut out a huge percentage of the population from having any meaningful influence over the candidates that are put in front of them. So I’ve been thinking: How can we do representation better? Legislative districts are defined by geography. But what if we removed geography from the equation and divided up the population by income quintiles? You would guarantee that not only very wealthy people but also very poor people have representatives who are elected specifically for the purpose of representing their interests. I think what is likely to happen is, you would have coalition-building—and a much more representative approach to governing. At stlmag.com: Roland on whether Christians are under siege and his go-to guilty pleasure food.
Photography by Wesley Law
2/10/20 8:58 AM
Creativity Ignited! COCA Summer Arts Camps
MAY 26–AUG 21
cocastl.org
REGISTRATION OPEN NOW!
12580 Rott Road Saint Louis, MO 63127 314.615.5278 www.laumeier.org
2020 SUMMER ART CAMPS
HALF-DAY ART CAMPS / AGES 4–6
FULL-DAY ART CAMPS / AGES 6–12 TEEN ART PROGRAM / AGES 13–17
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! www.laumeier.org/artcamp 314.615.5268
March 2020 stlmag.com
ANGLES_0320.indd 39
39
2/6/20 4:59 PM
ANGLES
FRAME OF MIND
Urbex Instagrammers like @sekondtry show an oft-overlooked side of St. Louis. Should they? 40
stlmag.com March 2020
ANGLES_0320.indd 40
Photography by @sekondtry
2/10/20 8:59 AM
NOTEBOOK BY NICHOLAS PHILLIPS
T
HE ST. LOUIS PHOTOGRAPHER
known on Instagram as @sekondtry sees things you don’t. His eyes crave the city’s secret geometries—its lines and patterns that edge into shadow— especially during a snowfall. In the streetphotography tradition of Robert Frank and Vivian Maier, he also takes candid shots of strangers: a child in a stroller, a homeless person sleeping near a vacant parking garage. Yet Sekondtry, who asked that we not print his real name, snaps many of his photos in forbidden places: inside MetroLink tunnels, on the roofs of high-rises, beneath bridges. A practi-
tioner of urban exploration, or “urbex,” he has developed a subspecialty in shooting abandoned buildings—everything from shuttered churches and malls to schools and theaters. These structures are called “bandos” by the urbex photography community, of which Sekondtry appears to be the most prominent member in St. Louis, with 15,000 followers. Not that he’s counting. Such metrics are irrelevant, he says. For Sekondtry, who captures his images with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and then uploads them, the photography is the drug. “There’s a build-up, and then a release,” he explains. “You get in, find the spot, shoot, and then when you get home and see that photo and edit that photo—it’s a fix.” Sekondtry grew up in Dellwood. In 2016, after a bad breakup, he found an unused GoPro his ex-girlfriend had given him. He began exploring the city with it, both to distract himself from the pain and to keep track of his life. GoPros have wide-angle lenses; he found himself drawn to large cityscapes, he says, “to fill the frame.” Then, after some digging online, he realized that he wasn’t alone. “I felt like I was in a secret society of people doing this.” On weekends, he began shooting photos for a nightclub to fill its social media feeds. During the week, he traveled to Chicago, New York, and elsewhere to conspire with like-minded photographers—and, while there, always sported his Cardinals hat. “If there’s one thing that would stand out for me about [Sekondtry], it’s that he is proud to represent St. Louis photography,” says Graham Roper, known as @kilograham, a veteran urbex photographer in town. “He enjoys playing that ambassador role.” Roper says Sekondtry’s work grabs viewers because his editing enhances shots without seeming heavy-handed. It looks more polished than, say, the work of pioneers such as Oliver Clark, (a.k.a. @stlouisfixie), one of the first urbex photographers in St. Louis to post on Instagram when it launched, in 2010. Back then, Roper recalls, the scene was tiny. Today, he estimates, there are “hundreds” of creatives hunting for forbidden spots to shoot, with the help of vastly improved smartphone cameras. The result: saturation, and the irony that the more people try to showcase St. Louis’ obscurity, the less obscurity there is to showcase. Without a doubt, it’s an avocation that entails risk—and some blowback. Some property owners wish that urbex photography would stop. A spokeswoman for the St. March 2020 stlmag.com
ANGLES_0320.indd 41
41
2/6/20 4:59 PM
ANGLES
42
stlmag.com March 2020
ANGLES_0320.indd 42
Photography by @sekondtry
2/6/20 5:00 PM
Louis Metropolitan Police Department warns that photographers like Sekondtry “could possibly face a trespassing charge.” He says the city police have never arrested and booked him for that offense, but if they did, he wouldn’t necessarily fault them for doing their job. The worst injury he’s sustained so far while shooting, Sekondtry reports, is a foot punctured by a rusty nail. Others haven’t been so lucky. In 2018, an urbex photographer shooting inside a storm drain in Philadelphia died when swept away in a flash flood. The year before, another fell to his death from the roof of a 20-story hotel in Chicago. “Photography in unauthorized areas along the light rail system is strictly prohibited,” says a spokesman for Metro Transit, adding that it’s “extremely dangerous.” Though Sekondtry’s feed abounds with daredevil shots and some commissioned portraits, he prefers the solitude and silence of bandos, especially during winter. (In the summer, he notes, black mold makes it hard to breathe.) He says he enjoys feeding St. Louisans images of their own city they’ve never seen. But why these images? Maybe it’s that, as Australian scholar Siobhan Lyons has observed, modern urban ruins offer a preview of human extinction—“an image of our own death while we are still alive.” Or maybe we’re hypnotized by their open-endedness, as another scholar, André Jansson of Sweden, has suggested: They’re neither tidied up and researched like heritage sites nor scheduled for demolition at a precise date. Rather, they’re in between and therefore “offer us a sense of freedom to explore, fantasize, and lose ourselves in alternative pasts and alternative futures.” Certainly, Sekondtry feels protective of his favorite bandos. He’s a full-time freelancer now, and though urbex prints don’t sell as well as mainstream prints of the Arch, the locations were hard to find and capture. Is there a “whiff of exploitation” in such photography, as some cultural observers suggest? James Griffioen, a Detroit-based photographer, has condemned some urbex photography as “ruin porn”—imagery of decay shot by photographers who ignore its root causes, seeking instead to capitalize on economic struggle to which they are themselves immune. Art critic Richard B. Woodward, for one, dismisses that concept. Western artists have long been captivated by shattered cities, he argues, going back to the Renaissance era’s fascination with classical antiquities. The concept of ruin porn, in his view, functions as a purity test that would “do away with a sizable chunk of pictorial and written history.” Sekondtry—who freely shares his images on Instagram—sees himself as a historical witness: one who is more interested in preserving the visual pres-
SEKONDTRY SEES HIMSELF AS A HISTORICAL WITNESS...PRESERVING THE VISUAL PRESENT. ent than chasing down the written past. “It’s like hallowed ground,” he says of the bandos. “Somebody probably made a living or supported a family or made a career in these buildings. Now they’re desolate, thrown out to the curb like trash. But I see them as a treasure. This is really the way St. Louis looks now.” Michael Allen, a historic preservationist and senior lecturer in architecture at Washington University, says that whether Sekondtry and other urbex photographers realize it or not, their work is a reality check for the city. “These guys are showing us that a lot of it still is crumbling,” says Allen. “They’re implicitly asking, ‘Why did this happen?’ and ‘What’s next?’”
March 2020 stlmag.com
ANGLES_0320.indd 43
43
2/6/20 5:00 PM
ANGLES
SNAPSHOT 23RD & CARR
Spring & All Those who dig holes, those who stand in the spring sun to water a seedling drooping in shock, know that a plant freshly placed in the ground is the ultimate totem of optimism. For city gardeners, like these young men reclaiming a triangle of street corner in 1967, that’s doubly true. It’s not just fingers crossed that your tomato plant doesn’t wither and die. It’s planting blooming shrubs on a lot once filled with tumbleweed potato chip bags. It’s drawing a line around a space and turning it into a magic backyard for the whole neighborhood. In the ’70s, if you applied for a Land Reutilization Authority garden lease, you got free topsoil, seeds, and advice from the city horticulturist. Of course, that was back when there were 20,000 community gardens in America—rivaling the victory garden era of World War II. You can still pay the city a few dollars and garden on an empty lot, but you’re pretty much on your own, and corner garden leases don’t exist, because corners are prime real estate. That’s the other reason community gardeners put all their hope in the ground along with their seedlings. So gather ye rosebuds—and your tomatoes—while ye may. —STEFENE RUSSELL 44
stlmag.com March 2020
ANGLES_0320.indd 44
Photography courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society
2/6/20 5:00 PM
TAKE OUR SURVEY
& WIN
Take a few minutes to complete our short reader survey and you could win a $250 GIFT CERTIFICATE from one of our many fine advertisers. Don’t sweat it—the questions are easy!
GO TO RESEARCH.NET/R/013240 March 2020 stlmag.com
ANGLES_0320.indd 45
45
2/10/20 9:00 AM
46
stlmag.com March 2020
TASTE_0320.indd 46
2/6/20 5:15 PM
WEST END BISTRO p.48 B E F FA’ S p.50 THE TRAIN SHED p.52
TASTE
THE DISH
Well Dressed Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
TASTE_0320.indd 47
Visitors to Thailand often return with fond memories of a popular dish that has a wispy freeform look and contrasting textures called goong sarong. (Goong means prawns, and sarong means wrapped, like the garment of the same name). And so it was for The BAO’s chef/owner, RJ Xu, when he returned from Phuket. In the traditional dish, noodlewrapped marinated prawns are fried, then served simply with plum or Thai chili sauce for dipping. Xu’s version calls for large white shrimp (hard tail left on), marinated in garlic oil and coriander, then wrapped in rice noodles a few strands at a time. (“They don’t have to look perfect,” he says. “It’s better if they don’t.”) The chef fries the shrimp, then stacks them atop one another in a culinary Wallenda formation on an underlay of Thai mayo (with lime, chilies, and spices) before adding a sprig of micro cilantro and a scattering of edible flowers. Super crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, Shrimp Sarong is one of the pleasant non-bao surprises at The BAO. 14 N. Central, Clayton. —GEORGE MAHE March 2020 stlmag.com
47
2/6/20 5:15 PM
TASTE
Friendly Confines
The newish CWE haunt where everybody knows the barkeep’s name BY DAVE LOWRY
48
stlmag.com March 2020
TASTE_0320.indd 48
trend is aborning in the maturation of the neighborhood eatery: the advent of places too sophisticated to be called true bistros yet manage to strike a pitch below the frequency of formal. In Clayton, the most obvious examples are Louie and Akar. There are unmistakable bistro elements, sure, but such places are just a little bit more—and that little bit’s important. Consider West End Bistro, situated on Pershing Avenue where Atlas had a long run and Pig & Pickle a brief one. The location is entirely propitious; it’s amid banks of tall apartment buildings, lending the neighborhood an Upper West Side vibe—only with better parking. It’s comfortable inside, with a fireplace, a teensy bar (during our visit, at least a half dozen locals passing by waved at the bartender through the window), and tables spaced far enough apart that fellow diners won’t be entertained by your conversation about getting the accordion band back together. The menu’s suitably bistro-esque, with a limited array of main courses, sandwiches, starters, and salads. James Beard might not rise from the Beyond to rave about the place, but you can easily picture him regularly dropping in for a dinner of uncomplicated, thoroughly satisfying fare and lingering over a cocktail. Take that Caesar salad, for instance. It’s simple, with salty, anchovy-fragrant dressing, Romaine leaves, and crispy fried onions in a filigree-fine bowl of baked Parmesan. As you tuck in, you realize that every bite is perfectly balanced with the dressing and the tangy smack of that crusted cheese. Or you could begin with fried calamari, French onion soup… But that elegant salad somehow hits the mark and sets the stage for the rest of the meal. Beef is to bistros what sorrow is to a Sarah McLachlan lyric. Though there is a fine ribeye, the cut of choice here is the filet mignon, served with roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts, and garlicperfumed mashed potatoes. The filet is impeccable, beef-tabulous, and juicy, tender as, well, a Sarah McLachlan lyric.
A
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
2/6/20 5:15 PM
MAIN COURSE
Clockwise from opposite page: Pan-seared 14-oz. ribeye; seafood platter; Caesar salad
West End Bistro 5513 Pershing 314-354-8436 westendbistro stl.com Lunch and dinner Tue–Sat
All you bouillabaisse fans will like West End Bistro’s version. The perfectly cooked salmon, however, seems like an odd addition; its distinctive flavor muscles in on those of the other seafood and the saffron-and-fennel broth. A splendid risotto, swirled with slivers of crabmeat, would be outstanding on its own; matched with a half dozen scallops and sautéed to a caramelized crust, it’s one of the place’s most enjoyable dishes. Perhaps only the debate over whether dogs are smarter than cats generates more controversy than the proper evaluation of crab cakes. If your criteria include lots of crab, scant filler, and generous plumpness, West End Bistro’s version will delight you. Another worthwhile starter is the battered, fried squid. The quality of the batter—crunchy and brittle, not crumbly—says much about the talent in the kitchen. The dish is tempered with a nice garlicky dip and melted butter.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Though our server briskly described the desserts without much enthusiasm, the chocolate cake, dense and rich, was far above ordinary. Its layers were packed with creamy icing; a cloud of whipped cream alongside added to the fun. The wine list—another reliable indicator of a decent bistro—is small but coordinated well with the menu. A couple of missed marcaje in the dining flamenco here: This summer, the patio seating will be lovely, but on a night of brutal cold when we visited, each opened front door transformed the room into Shackleton’s camp. Some intermediary space would be worthwhile. And speaking of seating, the metal chairs here seem to be hand-me-downs from a police interrogation cell. “Informal” is one thing; “Midcentury lockup” is another. On the whole, however, West End Bistro is the type of dining venue that is always welcome but often in short supply. There is a quiet competence coming from the kitchen and appearing in the service. All is polished, without flash, efficient without cold sterility. West End Bistro is the kind of place where the locals know the bartender (Mack Hill) by name, where a menu is small enough for you to develop some reliable favorites but varied enough to entice experimentation. Even if you aren’t within walking distance, it’s worth visiting on a regular basis.
Modern American fare reemerges in a favorite spot.
March 2020 stlmag.com
TASTE_0320.indd 49
49
2/6/20 5:16 PM
FIRST BITE
The Tradition Continues Paul Beffa resurrects his family’s eponymous restaurant.
YOU'RE IN LUCK
UNIQUE SPIRITS WITH W H I C H T O C E L E B R AT E S T. PAT R I C K ’ S D AY
Mitchell & Son Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Made with a unique combination of malted and unmalted barley, spot whiskeys offer a silky mouthfeel with spice. This version, from Midleton Distillery in County Cork, is a nice tribute to yesteryear. $68.99, The Wine Merchant. Midleton Very Rare 2017 Irish Whiskey Ideal for collectors, the 34th annual release launches Midleton’s new packaging and includes the oldest whiskeys used to date, barreled in exbourbon barrels. $199.99, The Wine & Cheese Place.
AFTER A BRIEF interlude, St. Louis’ oldest family
operated restaurant has been reborn. Beffa’s was 113 years old when third-gen owner Mike Beffa retired and closed it, in 2011. Last year, his eldest son, Paul, decided to rekindle his father’s memories and reopen the joint. The eponymous cafeteria was an anomaly, famous for not being famous and the antithesis of “see and be seen.” For decades, there was no menu, no prices, no listed phone, no outside lights, and no signage, save for the street number scribed on its unassuming door. Politicians, execs, clerics, police chiefs, pro athletes, trades workers, and beat cops queued up for such daily specials as Salisbury steak and corned beef hash. The few people who knew about Beffa’s kept it to themselves. Paul’s dream is to change all that. Though the cityscape mural and canton flags of Switzerland (his ancestors’ homeland) remain, the drop ceiling and ’50s basement–esque pan-
50
stlmag.com March 2020
TASTE_0320.indd 50
Artist Marilynne Bradley captured the iconic atmosphere at the former Beffa’s.
eling have been removed. A second bar has been installed to speed service and attract patrons, including the Wells Fargo workers next door. At lunchtime, the cafeteria line remains, offering such under-$10 mainstays as carved roast beef and ham along with specials like meatloaf, fried grouper, and fresh green ham. In the evening, the service model changes, and food runners deliver sandwiches, salads, and such plated entrées as pan-roasted chicken and steak frites. Though Beffa’s is slated to open early in March, the grand opening will be held on St. Patrick’s Day, exactly 122 years after Paul’s great-grandfather opened the doors. But don’t look for any permanent signage. It’s absent, just like the pretension. 2700 Olive, 314-571-9367. —G.M.
Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin A favorite of cocktail bars, this famous gin from Shed Distillery in County Leitrim, Ireland, has a worldly mix of botanicals paired with unique Chinese “gunpowder tea.” $36.99, Starr’s. Five Farms Single-Batch Irish Cream Liqueur Five Farms is a true farmto-table product, made with small-batch fresh cream blended with premium Irish whiskey within 48 hours. It’s an authentic Irish cream liqueur. $26, The Wine & Cheese Place. Celtic Honey Liqueur The Irish whiskey is blended with Irish honey, botanicals, and spring water. Try it with tea or coffee, straight, or as a cocktail. (Visit stlmag.com for recipes and other spirited recs.) $19.99, The Wine & Cheese Place. —DENISE MUELLER
Illustration by Marilynne Bradley
2/6/20 5:16 PM
ai15798960635_STL Mag 1-2pg January 2020.pdf
14
1/24/2020
2:01:03 PM
A PREVIEW OF THE DAY ’S TOP STORIE S
St. Louis Magazine’s daily newsletter, The Current, provides a quick look at the top stories from stlmag.com. Find out what’s happening this weekend, discover the region’s newest restaurants, and dig into the latest in-depth stories.
Sign up for The Current STLMAG.COM/NEWSLETTERS
March 2020 stlmag.com
TASTE_0320.indd 51
51
2/6/20 5:16 PM
TASTE
Get On Board
Union Station’s latest restaurant is a culinary bullet train. BY HOLLY FANN
N CHRISTMAS DAY, the St. Louis Aquarium opened its doors and thousands streamed into the new attraction. (An estimated 200 people entered every 15 minutes.) Not more than 50 feet from the aquarium is The Train Shed, the restaurant that quietly opened a month earlier. “I feel like we’ve seen every resident in the entirety of the St. Louis region since Christmas,” says its general manager, Jenny Martin. In the spirit of Union Station, the décor is grand in scale and style. Such industrial elements as black steelframed windows are paired with tufted green leather, wooden booths, and gilded mirrors. At night, the lake reflects the colorful neon of the St. Louis Wheel. As for the menu? “We built this menu so that if you want something simple and straightforward like a steak, you can get that here and it will be really well-prepared and at a good price,” says chef Patrick Russell, formerly of The Chocolate Pig. “With our proximity to venues like Busch Stadium and Enterprise Center—and the venues on their way, like the soccer stadium—we’ll see lots of people coming for burgers and more bar-type food. We have that, too, but it’s great quality bar food. This is a place for people who want a great overall dining experience, whether that be just one of our handtossed cheese pizzas or seared tuna or the diver scallops. Add to that our terrific cocktails, and we have something great for just about everyone.”
O
THE BOTTOM LINE
52
dressed in a light vinaigrette of sweet soy and shishito peppers. Also offered as a side is a molten cheese crusted potato gratin. The thin layers of potato are wonderfully rich, having just soaked up all the heavy cream and aged cheese without being greasy and lacking the oily puddle that often lurks at the base of gratins. It’s such attention to detail that makes the otherwise everyday dish a standout. Among the salads is the Fancified Caesar—Little Gem lettuce, candied brioche croutons, lemon confit, and white anchovies, garnished with Parmesan crisps. It’s well deserving of its name. Burgers and pizzas are perfect for those seeking something familiar but elevated. Those burgers, flawlessly prepared, are dressed with quality accompaniments: Tillamook cheddar, bacon, locally sourced hothouse tomatoes. Entrées include a barbecued pork steak, a prime New York strip, and a Tuscan-
The Train Shed’s a worthy destination for classic cocktails and well-prepared contemporary dishes.
stlmag.com March 2020
TASTE_0320.indd 52
More specifically, the menu offers a wealth of Prohibition-era cocktails, both classic and reserve. Developed by craft cocktail veteran Kyle Mathis, the bar program would satisfy even the most experienced tippler. The Last Word and Blood & Sand cocktails, for instance, provide ample evidence that the bar program is in capable hands. Casual starters such as wings and pretzels with beer cheese are offered alongside green chili deviled eggs and beet poke. The marinated cubed beet has the exact pattern and color of ahi tuna. The appetizer’s ingredients— beets, edamame, a soy-mirin reduction, candied ginger—are so in tune with one another, the dish absolutely sings. The burger is served à la carte. Though fries are offered as a side, served with an umami rich black garlic aioli dipping sauce, don’t pass up the side of charred broccoli. Smoky and crisp, the stalks are
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
2/10/20 9:02 AM
SECOND HELPING
Left: Diver scallops with haricots verts and potato “hay” Below: Stuffed spuds with bacon and cheddar The Train Shed 201 S. 18th 314-923-3949 trainshed-stl.com Lunch and dinner daily
style salmon. The generously portioned chicken-fried steak is satisfying comfort food. A golden-crusted chicken breast peeks from beneath gravy made with pork drippings from the in-house smoker. Diver scallops are a common but temperamental seafood offering, delicate specimens that challenge the average kitchen. The rendition here was gorgeous, with a deep mahogany crust on each side of the inch-thick scallop and delicate just-cooked sweet flesh—a testament to the restaurant’s sauté skills. Accompanied by brown butter and lemon and served with tender haricots verts and crisp potato “hay,” they make an outstanding dish. Another seafood entrée, the salmon, is presented with finesse. Three smaller fillets are seared golden and crisp on one side, served with an elegant bed of sautéed olives and grape tomatoes. The dish is finished with citrus butter, basil oil, and a few thick slices of charred lemons. It’s the small but deliberate extra steps, such as charring the lemons so they burst with juice and a touch of caramelization, that you’ll find makes such dishes as the Tuscan salmon taste richer, rounder, and more delicious. Those extra steps, those extra opportunities taken to deepen flavors or make textures more interesting, are dotted throughout the menu. Though most of the patrons of The Train Shed are aquarium visitors, this restaurant, with its expertly prepared dishes and local ingredients, may soon gain its own fame as a dining destination.
March 2020 stlmag.com
TASTE_0320.indd 53
53
2/10/20 9:02 AM
2019 FINALIST 14156 Olive Blvd. Chesterfield, MO
314.469.1660
ADDIESTHAIHOUSE . COM
Hot Spots W H AT ’ S N E W A N D N O TA B L E THIS MONTH
1. Reign Restaurant With her inaugural restaurant, Dana Kelly brings a finer-dining option to the former Copia space downtown. Kelly vows to treat both patrons and staff like royalty, just as the establishment’s name implies. 1122 Washington. 2. Nomad Inside Tamm Avenue Grill in Dogtown, chef Tommy “Salami” Andrew opens a destination sandwich shop, aiming to follow in the footsteps of Mac’s Local Eats, the now-famous burger joint that once inhabited the space. 1221 Tamm.
54
stlmag.com March 2020
TASTE_0320.indd 54
3. Juniper Followers of Matt Daughaday (formerly of Reeds American Table and Taste) are once again singing his praises. The chef recently took the reins at Juniper, where he riffs on such signature Reeds dishes as bacon fat–fried cornbread. 4101 Laclede. 4. Exo Lounge The luxurious new venue adjacent to Exo Nail Bar boasts a cocktail list by a Taste alumna, nearly 40 wines by the glass, hot drinks, and a robust selection of beer and nonalcoholic options. 2 157 Center, Edwardsville, Illinois. 5. World’s Fair Donuts After a five-month closure, the venerable shop in the Southwest Garden neighborhood is back, thanks to Strange Donuts’ Jason Bockman, who promises that it will remain as quaint as ever. 1904 S. Vandeventer. Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
2/6/20 5:16 PM
INS, OUTS & ALMOSTS AS OF A LATE-JAN. PRESS DATE
CLOSINGS
COMING SOON
Copia 1085 West County Center, Jan. 15
Orzo Mediterranean Grill 11627 Olive, early Feb.
1764 Public House 39 N. Euclid, Jan. 12
Bar Louie 14 Maryland Plaza, Jan. 25 Trailhead Brewing Co. 921 S. Riverside, St. Charles, Jan. 31 Steve's Hot Dogs 3457 Magnolia, Feb. 1
Nomad (Mac’s Local Eats) 1227 Tamm, early Feb.
Schlafly Bankside (Trailhead Brewing) 921 S. Riverside, early Feb. Sunny’s Cantina (Manchester Public House) 6655 Manchester, early Feb.
Joanie’s Pizza 2101 Menard, Feb. 16
Reign (Copia) 1122 Washington, late Feb.
OPENINGS
Café DaNang 7494 Ethel, Feb.
Storming Crab (O’Charley’s) 1242 S. Kirkwood, Jan. 2 Addie’s Thai House 14156 Olive, Jan. 7 Guerrilla Street Food 43 S. Old Orchard, Jan. 7 Noto Italian Restaurant (J. Noto Bakery) 5105 Westwood, St. Peters, Jan. 8
Beffa’s 2700 Olive, March Zenwich (Taze Mediterranean Street Food) 8½ S. Euclid, April Mission Taco Joint (Kirkwood Station Brewing) 105 E. Jefferson, April 9 Mile Garden 9375 Gravois, spring
World’s Fair Donuts 1904 S. Vandeventer, Jan. 15
Uncle Julio’s Frontenac Commons, spring
Salt + Smoke (The Tavern Kitchen & Bar) 392 N. Euclid, Jan. 17
Diego's (Momos Ouzaria Taverna) 630 North & South, summer
Egg @ Midtown (Michael’s Catering) 3100 Locust, Jan. 18 Seoul Taco 4087 Chouteau, Jan. 22 Baked, a Bakery Café 201 Main, St. Charles, Jan. 24
MOVING
Bombay Food Junkies From 3580 Adie to 12955 Olive, spring Olive + Oak From 102 W. Lockwood to 216 W. Lockwood, April
March 2020 stlmag.com
TASTE_0320.indd 55
55
2/6/20 5:16 PM
TASTE
If you could eat just one meal on The Hill, what would you eat? A hot salami sandwich at Gioia’s [Deli]. I’ve been smashing their hot salami sandwiches my whole life and don’t plan to stop. That’s how I got this athletic body. Plus, Alex [Donley] is the kind of guy who’ll drop off a box of sandwiches at your restaurant for a family meal, unsolicited. Does your cooking gravitate toward any particular cuisine? When I was planning the menu at Nomad—which is mainly a collection of the things I like to cook and eat—I found myself writing down meatballs, a salsiccia sandwich, arancini, pasta…so the answer is Italian. That said, Nomad’s menu is, appropriately, all over the place. There are Korean and Indian influences but not enough to skew the menu in any direction or confuse people.
When Wanderlust Wanes A renowned chef settles down at Nomad in Dogtown.
I
T’S NOT UNCOMMON for a chef
with fine-dining chops to open a gastropub, pizza palace, or taco shack. It’s no surprise that Tommy “Salami” Andrew, raised on The Hill, home to some of the best sandwich joints in town, had similar aspirations. This month, the accomplished chef opens Nomad in Tamm Avenue Bar in Dogtown. One of his dishes is so memorable, it may have earned him a new nickname. —G.M.
ONLINE
56
Visit stlmag.com to learn what Andrew would do if he weren’t a chef.
stlmag.com March 2020
TASTE_0320.indd 56
You grew up on The Hill. What was that like? It was different as a kid. All of my St. Ambrose friends lived within walking distance. My grandparents have lived there for 60-plus years. All the families knew everything about each other. My mom’s last name was Marciano, so it was, like, “You’re a Marciano—we know you”… Just recently, after I helped my uncle [with] the floor at Nomad, a random guy walks in and says, “I see a Marciano’s been here.”
Describe some of the restaurants where you’ve worked and your takeaway from each. LoRusso’s Cucina: Where I first learned the business and the camaraderie associated with it. Rich [LoRusso] doesn’t have a mean bone in his body—a truly great guy. He still invites me to the employee Christmas parties, and I left there a decade ago. Monarch: Josh Galliano taught me discipline and high standards. Working for him was a big stepping stone for a lot of us. The success of some of the other guys bears this out: Alex Feldmeier, chef at Brasserie. Josh Poletti further advanced some of the best restaurants in town. Ryan McDonald is killing it over at BEAST. Max Crask brought the city something it’s never seen at Ices Plain & Fancy. Rick Lewis put Quincy Street on the map before doing the same at Southern and now Grace Meat + Three. And then there’s Bob Brazell of Byrd & Barrel and The Tenderloin Room, and my partner here at Tamm Avenue Grill. That was a rockstar team of line cooks. Josh was stern, but we all looked up to him. My standards today are his standards. Juniper: Before Juniper opened, I helped with the pop-ups there that preceded it, like The Agrarian, which is how I met John Perkins and his chef Ryan McDonald. I knew Southern food from working with Josh Galliano, so I felt right at home as the sous-chef. Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
2/6/20 5:16 PM
HOT SEAT
Left: Pastrami on marble rye with swiss cheese, sauce, and pickles
How has the ordering procedure changed? Mac’s business was conducted at a small order window, so the line snaked through the entire bar. It was never designed for the amount of people it ultimately serviced. We designed Nomad more like a fast-casual restaurant, with an order counter, a dedicated queueing area, and runners running food. Alcohol will still need to be purchased at the bar. I’ll sell soft drinks. We may add some grab-and-go items later. Randolfi’s: The place where I was most proud of what I was doing. I was exec chef there for almost two years. It was all my food. It was well received. I miss that place dearly. The Butchery: It’s a true butchery with a great dry-age program. We broke down whole cows and hogs but also had the opportunity to talk to customers about the different cuts and specials. Nothing got wasted there. We’d make stocks and broths from the bones, chicharrones from the skin… Cinder House: I worked at Cielo, the restaurant prior, and transitioned into the senior sous-chef position. I loved working with Gerard [Craft]. I worked directly under Michael Fricker and then Aaron Martinez, who I really clicked with. So where did the name Nomad come from? After bouncing a ton of names off friends and family, there was absolutely no agreement. For me, personally, “nomad” is a paradox. I was a restaurant nomad, a wanderer, and now the nomad has found his home, grounded in one place. The menu is a little bit nomadic, too. It meanders around a bit but in a logical kind of way. How did you get your other name, Tommy “Salami”? Josh [Galliano] threw it out there one day, and it stuck. I dunno, maybe because I was raised on The Hill? A lot of people, many who’d known me for a long time, say, “Wait, your name’s not
Salami?” Nobody’s last name is Salami— and if it is, I’m really jealous. What makes Nomad different than the competition? I’ve put out so much awesome high-end food over the years, I decided to apply those techniques and that knowledge and create destination sandwiches. When people think about getting the ultimate sandwich, I want them to think of Nomad. Sandwich bread is a critical component. Where does yours come from? We go to Companion for focaccia and use Rotella’s, a broad-spectrum Italian bakery that’s been around for 100 years. What else is different? The curried chicken salad is definitely different. My falafel sandwich is gonna be a banger, too, hopefully served on locally made pita. Our wings are brined, smoked, and then fried to order. I hope to do a hot salami T-rav, a cross-promotion with Gioia’s, but I need to streamline the production or I’ll never have time to prep anything else. The space you inhabit, the former Mac’s Local Eats, was known for its smashed burgers. How will you play off of that success? I don’t want to play off of that success at all. Mac’s is my favorite burger in town. I won’t imitate it. I don’t want the comparisons. Our patty is larger and smashed but not like theirs. Our burger will have to succeed on its own merits.
What changes were made to the patio? It’s now partially enclosed for four-season use, including a fire pit in the middle and removable walls. It’s a massive upgrade, and I’m reaping the benefits. Describe Nomad in a sentence. The tagline is “Sandwiches and Tasty Eats,” so nothing crazy—just familiar well-executed food that stands out in some way. The meatball, for example, is similar to the one at Randolfi’s, 9 or so ounces, made from veal, lamb, and pork. I’ll patty it so it fits on a brioche bun. Any filler? People make meatballs all wrong. They add straight bread crumbs, which wick away the juices. Try soaking some sourdough in buttermilk and spices and adding that instead. That’s the secret to a moist meatball. Besides the meatball, what are the likely bestsellers? The pastrami. I’ve experimented with it forever: different brines, rubs, cooking methods. Mine has a nice crust, is cut hot, and is cut thicker. You can only do all that when you cook the brisket perfectly. I hope you call it Tommy Salami’s Pastrami. [Smiles.] People are already calling me Tommy “Pastrami.” It’s time for a change, I guess. I’m OK with it.
March 2020 stlmag.com
TASTE_0320.indd 57
57
2/6/20 5:16 PM
Schools_0320.indd 58
2/6/20 5:47 PM
How schools are fostering creativity, courage, and peace of mind with innovative approaches in the classroom and beyond WRITTEN BY
STLMAG.COM
59
MARCH 2020
ROSALIND EARLY, NICHOLAS PHILLIPS, JEN ROBERTS & SAMANTHA STEVENSON
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Schools_0320.indd 59
2/6/20 5:47 PM
EDUCATION
Recess of the Mind How schools are teaching students to be more mindful in a busy world BY NICHOLAS PHILLIPS
STLMAG.COM
60 MARCH 2020
THE PUPILS ARE FIDGETING . Hundreds of them, wearing puffy coats and sparkly backpacks, are seated on the floor, staying (mostly) quiet in 23 columns, all facing the front of the gym at Gateway Elementary in North St. Louis. On this wintry Friday, during the “morning forum,” they hear a lesson on how to write a letter. They scream-chant about being responsible and maintaining self-control. Then third-grader Sokhna Ndao takes the microphone. “Close your eyes,” she tells her schoolmates. They bow their heads. A piano ballad tinkles from the P.A. speakers. After a minute, the music stops. Faces lift. Then 8-year-old Sokhna, soft-spoken in her purple hijab, instructs everyone: “Breathe in... Hold it... Breathe out…” She repeats this a couple of times. Little chests rise and fall. The fidgeting has stopped. Gateway started doing this a few years ago—and the school’s not alone. Grade schools across St. Louis are devoting fragments of the day to exercises that promote mindfulness, an awareness of one’s body, thoughts, and emotions in the present moment, without judgment or any attempt to alter them. When third-grade teacher Leah Grant is asked whether such practices have had an impact at Gateway, her eyes widen: “Yes. Lots of behavioral changes. They learn how to calm themselves.” There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that mindfulness exercises benefit elementary schoolers; hard
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
scientific evidence, not as much—or, perhaps, not yet. In 2017, researchers from the University of Southern California reported in the journal Psychology in the Schools that although mindfulness curricula in grades K–12 have spread across the nation, “many of these programs, although well-considered and implemented, have little or no research support for their effectiveness.” The authors called for “rigorous program evaluations.” At least two large-scale evaluations are underway. In England, about 370 schools are participating in a project that will teach primary schoolers mindfulness practices and gauge their effectiveness; that study ends in 2021. This spring, the Erikson Institute is expected to release the results of a four-year, $3 million study intended to measure the impact of mindfulness interventions on 2,000 students, K–2, in more than 30 high-poverty public schools in Chicago. The study is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Here in St. Louis, school administrators aren’t waiting around. In the Archdiocese of St. Louis, for example, counselors from the Mercy health care network are teaching kids at Most Holy Trinity and St. Louis Catholic Academy how to breathe and remain calm in situations in which their initial instinct is to react overtly. At McGrath Elementary in Brentwood, principal Cindy Neu has dedicated a part of Monday mornings to breathing and relaxation techniques for the whole student body. The Maplewood–Richmond Heights School District has “chill zones” (a.k.a. “peace corners”) outfitted with couches, rugs, and beanbag chairs. These zones are located within learning spaces so kids can decompress without feeling exiled. “What I hear a lot of teachers saying is that the kids now have an option,” says Erin Schulte, coordinator of
Photography by John Smith
Schools_0320.indd 60
2/6/20 5:47 PM
Turning the Page A St. Louis nonprofit wants every kid to have a book. counseling and character education for the Parkway School District, which has 18 elementary schools. “We say, ‘I’m not trying to protect you from feeling angry and nervous, but now you have a tool to manage what you’re feeling.’” Fifth-graders at Parkway even learn the biology of emotion: that the amygdala responds to perceived threats by releasing stress hormones, which shut down the neural pathway to the prefrontal cortex, impeding memory and complex decision-making. Some students use those terms when chatting with counselors. “That, to me, is a great response,” says Schulte, “realizing they’re angry, knowing what’s happening in their body—that’s just so empowering.” For the tykes at Parkway, mindfulness is more visual. Pupils as young as preschool-age lie on the floor and place “breathing rocks” on their bellies, watching them rise and fall as they inhale and exhale, or they sit up nice and tall to smell a flower (in through the nose) and blow on a dandelion (out through the mouth). “We’ve seen our kids come in with trauma and stress,” says Schulte. “Mindfulness is an answer to an issue we’re having, and people jump on board because it proves itself. It’s not working 100 percent of the time—but it is another tool.”
The energy is pure excitement when children receive books, says Michael Shipley, executive director of nonprofit Bring Me a Book St. Louis. “One mother and son sat there for 20 minutes trying to pick the seven perfect books,” he says, recalling a recent event at a South County apartment complex. “The kids are so excited—it’s like a Christmas party.” Founded by Judy Koch in Silicon Valley in 1997, the nonprofit provides literature to underserved communities through three programs. Team members deliver books—seven for each student—to schools and communities across Missouri and Illinois in the Book Bus bookmobile, a custom Dodge cargo van. Shipley curates more than 1,000 titles for the bookmobile, making selections appropriate for grade-schoolers while trying to appeal to a variety of interests. The organization has donated more than 1,000 box libraries—each holding 35 books—to elementary schools and community facilities across the region. The boxes, built by the St. Louis Woodworkers Guild, are delivered for use as classroom libraries, library book boxes, or display spaces for children’s growing collections at home. The boxes “show [students] the importance of literacy, that their parents and their schools think they should have these books,” Shipley says. Last year, the Library of Congress Literacy Awards honored the nonprofit with the Fostering a Love of Reading Award. This year, Shipley hopes to connect the local chapter with more school districts and communities and do more to help children “become lifelong learners and feel important.” —SAMANTHA STEVENSON
Photography by FatCamera, filadendron / E+ / via Getty Images
Schools_0320.indd 61
2/6/20 5:47 PM
EDUCATION
Breaking Down Bullying How St. Louis schools are empowering students to take a stand BY ROSALIND EARLY
ACROSS ST. LOUIS, schools are finding new ways to curb bullying. As with many obstacles, surmounting it often requires first defining the issue. “Bullying has become a buzzword,” says Terry Harris, executive director of student services for the Rockwood School District. “I think laypeople call things bullying that don’t necessarily fit the definition.” Bullying is aggressive behavior that is targeted and repeated; in other words, not every conflict might be considered bullying. What’s key is creating a space where conflicts are handled quickly and students feel safe. For Harris, that meant creating the RSD anti-bullying program, which teaches middle-schoolers three steps for intervenPhotography by AlexLinch / iStock / Getty Images Plus / via Getty Images
Schools_0320.indd 62
2/6/20 5:48 PM
MIDDLE SCHOOL
ing: Recognize when bullying is occurring, stop it, and then describe the incident. Often the most challenging part is confronting the bullying directly. “We say to be confident and know that you’re doing the right thing,” says Harris, “but there’s no need to call out or embarrass the other person.” Kids learn two methods: echo, encouraging others to agree that bullying needs to stop; and educate, saying something like “That’s not nice. That’s bullying.” Nico Grassi, a member of the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors at Wildwood Middle School, has seen the conflict resolution skills work firsthand: “It’s a humane way to stop the bullying and end the situation.” After training during a full-day retreat, the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors take the information back to their schools so they can train their peers and take what they’ve learned into elementary schools. “In middle school, things can get really tough,” says Lily Smith, an eighth-grader at Wildwood Middle School who’s also a member of the RSD Anti-Bullying Ambassadors. “If elementary students know what to do before they get here, it can help.” At Chaminade College Preparatory School, middle school counselors Jack Twellman and Laura Griese are leaning into social media. The school’s Good Stuff Crew, a group of students who promote kindness, has an Instagram account that recognizes students for their positive contributions. At Busch Middle School, in St. Louis Hills, principal Rob Lescher emphasizes character education. At Busch, recognized as a National School of Character in 2016, five core values—respect, responsibility, selfcontrol, honesty, and determination—are emphasized. In the morning, for instance, students meet for a Character Connection, a multi–grade level gathering often centered on a specific theme, such as chess or drama. There’s also an emphasis on service, and students are encouraged to help their classmates and to be kind to one another. “It puts people first,” Lescher says.
For Missouri school districts, the 2020–21 schedule may be different than previous years’. A bill signed in July by Governor Mike Parson requires school districts to schedule the first school day no sooner than 10 days before the first Monday in September. But some districts are already rethinking the traditional school schedule—starting with the number of days in a week. This school year, a record 28 Missouri school districts adopted a four-day school week, making a total of 61 in the state. For the Warren County R-III School District, the main objective is teacher retention. “We have a unique situation where our teachers make $10,000, on average, less than St. Charles County [teachers], and a lot of our teachers live in St. Charles County and drive out here for work,” says Superintendent Gregg Klinginsmith. “We were between a 15 and 20 percent turnover for years.” The district began seeking ways to become a more attractive work place. One answer: Tuesday–Friday weeks. “We’re doing everything we can to retain our teachers, and we’re going 60 hours less a year than districts who go five days a week,” Klinginsmith adds. “We’re trying to make sure our kids benefit from having a quality teaching staff.” The other benefit is saved money. “We’re expecting to see less than 1 percent of savings in our budget,” Klinginsmith says. “There’s not a tremendous amount of savings, but there is some, mainly in the area of substitute teachers. Utility bills are lower, and we’re only running our buses 147 days a year, as opposed to 174.” Although teachers don’t work on Mondays, schools are open for students whose parents need childcare. The district typically sees 80 students, primarily elementary and middle school, on these “Care Days.” Breakfast and lunch are still served, and rather than a structured day of classes, students can get tutoring, study, or benefit from such visitors as dentists, doctors, faculty from St. Charles Community College, and counselors. “The most important factor in student learning is the teacher in the classroom,” Klinginsmith says, “so we’re trying to compete with the best working conditions.” —S.S.
MARCH 2020
3. DESCRIBE IT as you report the incident to a school administrator.
For some Missouri districts, creating the best teaching conditions meant rethinking convention.
63
2. STOP IT.
A Change in Plans
STLMAG.COM
1. RECOGNIZE when bullying is occurring.
Photography by kali9 / E+ / via Getty Images
Schools_0320.indd 63
2/6/20 5:48 PM
EDUCATION
Lessons in Philanthropy At this St. Louis charter school, students give back to the community before first period.
During advisory on Thursdays and Fridays, KIPP St. Louis Dean of Students Miriam Alejandro greets her high school class with a prompt: “Which nonprofit should we donate to today?” It’s a hard question with no wrong answer, but a decision must be made. She presents the organizations to her students, describes their missions and needs. Then it’s put to a vote, and the organization that most of the class wants to donate to will receive a quarter, joining the charter school’s 17 other advisory periods’ donations. Photography by Drablenkov, maogg / iStock / Getty Images Plus / via Getty Images
Schools_0320.indd 64
2/6/20 5:48 PM
BY JEN ROBERTS
DAN HOLDEN GREW UP making mixtapes. As technology advanced, he switched to CDs. When he realized that he could record voices on those CDs, the English teacher decided to share that ability with his students at the Lieberman Learning Center, geared toward students who are catching up on credit hours. “All of the students have a strong voice,” says Holden, who teaches in the University City School District. “They might not have the sentence structure or the organization, but they all have something to say.” So he started Alternative Voices, a two-month poetry unit that culminates in recordings of students’ work. At the beginning of the program, students recorded the albums at school with the help of the principal’s computer. Then a student connected Holden with Wayne Adams Jr., owner of Gateway Digital Studios. Now, students record at the studio, adding another layer to the learning experience as students “learn how to do the big board,” he says. “They always ask Wayne if they can schedule time to record their own work.”
“The students are connecting their knowledge of what they’re reading about with the nonprofits in the community,” Alejandro says, “especially when it comes to certain difficult issues facing our community. They find a way to make a choice between which one deserves the funds more and why we need to empower these charities.” Those donations come from a partnership with Givable, an organization that connects local nonprofits with potential donors. The goal: Instill phi-
Schools_0320.indd 65
65
How two nontraditional arts programs are engaging students in learning
STLMAG.COM
Finding a Voice
Holden doesn’t limit the topics; students may write about anything they’d like. He does, however, ask them to focus on details. “Students have a tendency, whenever they write, to be abstract,” he says. “Poetry gives us a chance to focus on actual images.” He also suggests that students follow the ageold adage to write what they know. “I try to get them to focus on what is actually going on in their life. It doesn’t have to be super important; I just want them to be as real and authentic as possible.” Likewise, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis offers another outlet for students to express themselves. Each spring, the museum hosts an exhibition by students from Vashon High School as part of its ArtReach program, begun 15 years ago as a way for CAM to get more involved in the community. In 2017, the program’s focus was changed after a survey administered by the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University found that most residents of the surrounding neighborhoods had never visited the museum. Many of the residents didn’t even know “who we were or what this big gray building was,” says Miriam Ruiz, CAM’s school and community programs manager. “A lot of them thought it was a warehouse.” The museum made a concerted effort to put more resources into surrounding communities and populations who were underrepresented. “We decided our approach to outreach should be more equitable than equal,” says Ruiz. So when Ruiz started reaching out to neighborhood schools in a 1-mile radius of CAM, she was surprised to learn that Vashon High School didn’t even have an art program. It was decided that CAM would organize and facilitate one, using local artists “who are practicing and working in St. Louis from all these different backgrounds,” says Ruiz. “We have a very small staff, but we have a great Rolodex of artists.” Each quarter, a new artist teaches a specific project that meets state standards but concludes with a finished product that’s displayed in an annual show at the museum. “Learning is more meaningful when there is an end product that the students can be proud of,” Ruiz says. “They can walk away from class pointing to something and say, ‘Hey, I did that.’”
MARCH 2020
HIGH SCHOOL
lanthropy in pupils at an early age. Many times, Alejandro says, students later volunteer with organizations they discuss in class. They research the organization on their own time. “Then, they’ll say: ‘Hey, Ms. Alejandro, this is what I found out: They don’t need volunteers, but they do need items to be donated. Can we, as a school, do something like this?’ They’ll come up with a drive. It’s one conversation that’s bringing about a total amount of change.” —S.S.
2/6/20 5:48 PM
EDUCATION
After High School The state is introducing a new higher-ed initiative. As the cost of higher education and number of students rise, so does the amount that Americans owe in student loans ($1.5 trillion as of March 2019). In Missouri, such initiatives as the 27-year-old A+ Scholarship Program are aimed at keeping students from getting themselves further in debt. The program gives scholarships to high school students with at least a 95 percent attendance record and 2.5 grade point average or higher who’ve performed 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring, demonstrate good citizenship, and received a score of “proficient” or “advanced” on the Algebra I end-of-course exam. “Even if the funds they get are limited, the A+ program really does send a message that postsecondary education is within your reach, at least from a financial perspective,” says Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development deputy commissioner Leroy Wade. In the 2018–19 academic year, 13,039 students received a payment through the A+ program. The majority of those students use the award at a public community college. “To use my own daughters as an example,” Wade says, “they hadn’t decided where they were going to college or what they were going to do. I’ve encouraged them to do A+, because those [stipulations] are things you should do anyway. They create good habits, so that when you do enter postsecondary education, you set yourself up for success.” As The Kansas City Star reported in September, however, the program does not consider financial income, and many of the other stipulations—attendance, for example—can be harder for students from low-income households to meet. The article also reports that “nearly 40 percent of the A+ money goes to students from families with an adjusted household income of $100,000 or more.” This academic year, the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development introduced a new financial aid program that does consider income: the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant, meant to support those who are 25 or older, have not been enrolled in school in the last two years or obtained a bachelor’s degree, and don’t earn more than $40,000 a year. The goal of the program is “to address workforce needs by providing financial assistance to adults so they can pursue education and training in high-need, high-demand fields,” Wade says. So far, most applicants are pursuing nursing, technology, IT, and manufacturing/trade. It’s an effort to ensure they’re serving adults, he adds, and with any luck the program will help ensure that 60 percent of working-age Missouri adults have a certificate or degree by 2025. —S.S.
Leaps in Innovation Local universities are finding new ways to educate their students. BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON
Schools_0320.indd 66
2/10/20 9:03 AM
67 STLMAG.COM
IT’S DECEMBER 2019, near the end of the semester, and the first students to enroll in Saint Louis University’s Brewing Science and Operations program are about to wrap up the second eight-week course of their six-course program. But instead of cramming for final exams, the 30 students are bringing brews they’ve created at home to Schlafly Tap Room, where their classmates will sample and critique them. Although most of the program is online, students gather for site visits and meetings with breweries, businesses, and distributors. STLBEER executive director Troika Brodsky, who brought the idea to SLU, is the program’s director and serves as liaison between the university and local breweries and industry experts such as Mitch Turner (who once worked for Schlafly and is now with Major Brands) and Stephen Hale (founding brewer at Schlafly). Future course instructors will include Third Wheel Brewing owner/head brewer Abbey Spencer, Square One Brewing’s John Witte, and SLU’s biology department chair Jack Kennell, who’ll teach students about biochemistry and brewing. “While there are other universities that have brewing programs in the country,” Brodsky says, “there are none that are partnered up with an entire city’s local brewing scene.” Brodsky, who’s worked in the brewing industry for nearly 20 years, adds, “On any given week, you have a group of students heading into the research pilot brewery at Anheuser-Busch,” he says, “and then the next week, they’re heading over to Schlafly Tap Room.”
At the same time, the online component of the course is a natural fit. “The platform the students are learning on is every bit as intuitive as what you’d expect from Facebook,” Brodsky says. “On any given week, you may start off with one 10-minute video from your professor talking. Then they may bring in readings and other videos to watch or different ways to learn about the topic you’re on.” It gives students the flexibility of learning on their own schedule and encourages conversation among students: “Even though you’re not in a classroom, the amount of back-andforth is still so robust.” The university has approached education in other new ways. Associate professor Simone Bregni’s course Intensive Italian for Gamers calls for students to play, in Italian with Italian subtitles, such games as Final Fantasy, Trivial Pursuit, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and the Tomb Raider series to help them learn the language. With Italy as the setting, Bregni says, the Assassin’s Creed series proves most beneficial. The university has offered the 15-seat course since 2017, when Bregni received a grant from SLU’s Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning. Through it, Bregni says, he aims “to create an affinity group. When we are really excited, in the company of people who share the common strong interest, we communicate very easily and freely, because we feel safe and we know the others share our passion. That has proven to be very effective for language learning.” He’s been exploring how video games intersect with the learning of new languages since 1998 and says he improved his English by playing. The introduction of narrative-oriented video games around 2010 was a breakthrough. These games, which are based on dialogue, can be considered “interactive movies,” Bregni says. They “aid acquisition in learning, because they give you examples of language in context.” Simply put: Following the games’ scenarios and having character interactions are what ordering in a real Italian restaurant is to studying your flashcards. Across the region, other universities are adding novel classes to their course offerings. Take, for example, Dr. Laurie Punch’s Anatomy of Violence at Washington University, which explores gun violence as a disease and public health issue, or the university’s course on the study of humans’ love of documenting ourselves, American Narcissism: Cultures of Self-Obsession From the Autobiography to the Selfie. Or who would have thought science-fiction movies could be a learning device for intelligent agents, such as thermostats, as seen in Wash. U.’s Introduction to Intelligent Agents Using Science Fiction? Perhaps Bregni, who observes: “Our best learning happens when we’re not aware that we’re learning.”
MARCH 2020
COLLEGE
Photography by Harbucks, SerhiiBobyk / iStock / Getty Images Plus / via Getty
Schools_0320.indd 67
2/10/20 9:03 AM
EDUCATION
Working Out For many Missourians, apprenticeships offer an accessible path to high-paying jobs. BY JEN ROBERTS
STLMAG.COM
68 MARCH 2020
A STORY IN The New York Times recently proclaimed, “Want a White-Collar Career Without College Debt? Become an Apprentice.” The article featured a St. Louis student, Tyler Holdener, who bypassed studying computer science in college in favor of an apprenticeship with Centene thanks to a program run by LaunchCode, the nonprofit started by Square’s Jim McKelvey that offers free training in software development. Thanks to Missourians like Holdener, the state ranks No. 2 nationwide for new and completed apprenticeships. Last November, Governor Mike Parson cited this stat during the Apprenticeship Missouri Summit, during which he signed an executive order to create a statewide office for apprenticeships and work-based learning. LaunchCode executive director Jeff Mazur is hopeful that the state’s focus on apprenticeship and work-based opportunities will “encourage employers to think differently about how they are hiring and what it means to be ready for work.” The nonprofit works closely with employers through its apprenticeship and job placement program. Apprentices are kept on the nonprofit’s payroll while employers try them out. “We use a model that takes some of the risk from those employers to hire people from unfamiliar channels,” says Mazur. If the employer decides to keep the apprentice on after a couple of months, Mazur says, the employee is moved to the company’s payroll: “We know they don’t have any experience or a four-year degree, but they have passion to do this work, and they have the skills.” Eighty-four percent of the people placed in appren-
Schools_0320.indd 68
ticeships eventually become permanent in those roles, often doubling their pre-LaunchCode salaries. Besides providing an accessible path to high-paying jobs, the nonprofit is helping fill a regional gap in tech talent. As Mazur explains, “There are hundreds of thousands of jobs in technology that employers simply can’t find enough skilled people to do.” It’s a need that other organizations are also working to address. Last August, for example, the St. Louis Regional Business Council and St. Louis Civic Pride
2/6/20 5:49 PM
APPRENTICESHIP
Foundation launched STL.works, an online resource to connect job-seekers with high-paying skilled careers in technology, health care, manufacturing, and the trades. And in November, Ranken Technical College opened its Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center, which serves as a home for the college’s manufacturing programs and helps students get valuable first-hand experience they might not learn in a traditional setting. “For every hour of theory taught in the classroom,” says Ranken CEO Stan Shoun, “Ranken students have
at least three hours of hands-on learning experiences.” The new center houses 14 microenterprises, reverse apprenticeships in which work is integrated into the curriculum so students are paid while earning college credit. The college is working closely with such companies as Emerson, Enterprise Holdings, and more, putting an emphasis hands-on learning, like STL.works and LaunchCode. “It’s a positive step if we can get employers to focus on skills,” Mazur says, “rather than credentials.”
Photography by Charday Penn / E+ / via Getty Images
Schools_0320.indd 69
2/6/20 5:49 PM
70 stlmag.com
Charts_0320.indd 70
MARCH 2019
2/10/20 9:20 AM
THE STATS In creating these charts, we strove to be as inclusive as possible, inviting more than 200 schools in St. Louis; Jefferson, St. Charles, and St. Louis counties; and Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe counties in Illinois to respond to an informational survey. In some cases, data came from public school districts rather than individual schools. All information is self-reported; these charts should be considered starting points for your own research.
MARCH 2019
Charts_0320.indd 71
stlmag.com 71
2/10/20 9:20 AM
FRANKLIN COUNTY BELLEVILLE
THE FULTON SCHOOL AT ST. ALBANS 636-458-6688 / tfssa.org
GOVERNOR FRENCH ACADEMY 618-233-7542 / governorfrench.com
IMMANUEL LUTHERAN SCHOOL 636-946-0051 / immanuelstcharles.org
HERITAGE CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 636-394-8063 / heritageclassical.org ST. CHARLES
FENTON
NORTH COUNTY
1994
ST. LOUIS
FORSYTH SCHOOL 314-726-4542 / forsythonline.com
GRACE CHAPEL LUTHERAN SCHOOL 314-867-6564 / gracechapelstl.org
1961
O’FALLON, ILLINOIS
FIRST BAPTIST ACADEMY 618-726-6040 / fbaofallon.org
1848
1999
1955
1983
2002
1956
WEST COUNTY
EPSTEIN HEBREW ACADEMY 3149947856 / eha.org
1974
CENTRAL WEST END
1990
1964
1914
1963
2016
1999
1978
1980
1973
1981
1962
1910
1957
1975
2016
1984
F O UN DE D
CROSSROADS COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 314-367-8085 / crossroadscollegeprep.org
VILLA RIDGE
ST. LOUIS
COMMUNITY SCHOOL 314-991-0005 / communityschool.com
CROSSPOINT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 636-742-5380 / crosspointschool.org
WEBSTER GROVES
THE COLLEGE SCHOOL 314-962-9355 / thecollegeschool.org
CREVE COEUR
O’FALLON, MISSOURI
CLASSICAL ACADEMY DE LAFAYETTE 636-222-3442 / cadlafayette.com
COUNTRYSIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL 314-434-2821 / montessori4children.com
NORTH ST. LOUIS
CITY ACADEMY 314-382-0085 / cityacademyschool.org
TOWN AND COUNTRY
O’FALLON, MISSOURI
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL DISTRICT 636-978-1680 / christianschooldistrict.com
CHURCHILL CENTER & SCHOOL 314-997-4343 / churchillstl.org
KIRKWOOD
CHESTERFIELD
CHESTERFIELD MONTESSORI SCHOOL 314-469-7150 / chesterfieldmontessori.org
CHRIST COMMUNITY LUTHERAN SCHOOL 314-822-7774 / ccls-stlouis.org
CHESTERFIELD
CLAYTON
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 314-727-4535 / centralschoolstl.org
CHESTERFIELD DAY SCHOOL 314-469-6622 / chesterfielddayschool.org
CREVE COEUR
ANDREWS ACADEMY 314-878-1883 / andrewsacademy.com
CREVE COEUR
GRAND CENTER
ACADEMY OF THOUGHT & INDUSTRY* (314) 884-1637 / thoughtandindustry.com/st-louis
CHAMINADE COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 314-993-4400 / chaminade-stl.org
SOUTH COUNTY
A REA
ABIDING SAVIOR LUTHERAN SCHOOL 314-892-4408 / aslsonline.org
P R IVAT E G R A D E SC HOO LS
AGE 2–GRADE 8
GRADES 6–8
AGE 2–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 12
AGE 3–GRADE 6
K–GRADE 8
AGE 2–GRADE 8
GRADES 7–12
PRE-K–GRADE 8
INFANT–K
AGE 3–GRADE 6
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
AGE 3–GRADE 6
GRADES 1–9
PRE-K–GRADE 8
INFANT–GRADE 8
16 MONTHS– GRADE 8
18 MONTHS– GRADE 6
GRADES 6–8
PRE-K–GRADE 6
PRE-K–GRADE 6
GRADES 7–12
AGE 2–GRADE 8
G R A DE LEVELS OFFERED
STLMAG.COM
469
12
180
96
65
370
191
80
175
72
66
340
246
45
215
150
355
675
166
107
296
238
100
29
200
ENROLLM ENT
71
6%
16%
75%
60%
12%
35%
12%
DND
43%
10%
20%
32%
22%
9%
93%
20%
17%
12%
60%
35%
18%
40%
70%
10%
15%
% M INORITY STUDENTS
MARCH 2020
Y
N
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
N
Y
UNIFORM S
LUTHERAN CHURCH– MISSOURI SYNOD
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN
LUTHERAN CHURCH– MISSOURI SYNOD
COLLEGE PREP
MONTESSORI
INDEPENDENT
BAPTIST
ORTHODOX JEWISH
INDEPENDENT
CHRISTIAN
MONTESSORI
INDEPENDENT
EXPERIENTIAL AND REGGIO EMILIA
CLASSICAL EDUCATION
INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL FOR DYSLEXIA AND OTHER LEARNING DISABILITIES
CHRISTIAN
LUTHERAN CHURCH– MISSOURI SYNOD
MONTESSORI
INDEPENDENT
CATHOLIC–MARIANIST
CHRISTIAN
INDEPENDENT
MONTESSORI
LUTHERAN CHURCH– MISSOURI SYNOD
SC HO O L O F THO UGHT O R AFFIL IATIO N
38
5
10
10
15
45
20
10
35
4
3
48
28
6
20
51
38
45
11
23
42
25
21
6
24
FUL L-TIME C ERTIFIED IN STR UCTO R S
18:1
5:1
18:1
8:1
8:1
8:1
16:1
DND
9:1
9:1
3:1–8:1
7:1
9:1
8:1
8:1
3:1
15:1
17:1
11:1
6:1
9:1
7:1
8:1
5:1
11:1
STUDEN T/ TEAC HER R ATIO
$4,350– $6,577
$9,844
$4,700
$6,858
$8,825– $19,250
$14,220– $21,337
$4,975– $5,375
DND
$25,240
$5,800
$7,434– $16,506
$13,545– $21,275
$19,580
$7,800
$1,500– $10,000
$35,500
$6,680– $8,490
$4,500– $7,590
$11,600– $18,600
$6,849– $19,700
$20,550
$10,170
$20,100
$13,950
$6,300
TUITIO N
22%
15%
60%
38%
DND
29%
3%
DND
53%
5%
22%
20%
24%
27%
100%
6%
30%
25%
18%
25%
43%
20%
31%
32%
30%
% R E C E IVIN G F IN A N C IA L A ID
Charts_0320.indd 72
2/10/20 9:20 AM
WEST COUNTY
RAINTREE SCHOOL 314-858-1033 / raintreeschool.org
ROSSMAN SCHOOL 314-434-5877 / rossmanschool.org CREVE COEUR
KIRKWOOD/ WEBSTER GROVES
SOUTH COUNTY
PROVIDENCE CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 314-842-6846 / providencestl.org
ROHAN WOODS SCHOOL 314-821-6270 / rohanwoods.org
WEST COUNTY
THE PRINCIPIA 314-434-2100 / principiaschool.org
DARDENNE PRAIRIE
OAKHAVEN MONTESSORI SCHOOL 636-978-4440 / oakhavenmontessori.net FENTON
FLORISSANT
NORTH COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 314-972-6227 / nccsedu.org
OUR SAVIOR LUTHERAN SCHOOL 636-343-7511 / oursaviorlcs.org
CENTRAL WEST END
NEW CITY SCHOOL 314-361-6411 / newcityschool.org
GRAND CENTER
MADISON COUNTY
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 618-462-1071 / mvcs-il.org
MONTESSORI LAB SCHOOL 314-833-5330 / montessorilabschool.org
WEBSTER GROVES
MIRIAM SCHOOL 314-968-3893 / miriamstl.org
LADUE
GRANITE CITY
METRO EAST MONTESSORI SCHOOL 618-931-2508 / metroeastmontessori.com
MARY INSTITUTE AND SAINT LOUIS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL (MICDS) 314-995-7367 / micds.org
ST. CHARLES
MESSIAH LUTHERAN SCHOOL 636-329-1096 / mlslions.org
NORTH COUNTY
LUTHERAN NORTH MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL 3143893100 / lncrusaders.org SOUTH CITY
GRAND CENTER
LOYOLA ACADEMY OF ST. LOUIS 314-531-9091 / loyolaacademy.org
MARIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL 314-771-7674 / marianmiddleschool.org
WEST COUNTY
KIRKWOOD
KIRKWOOD CHILDREN’S HOUSE 314-966-2030 / kirkwoodchildrenshouse.com
LIVING WATER ACADEMY 636-821-2308 / livingwateracademy.com
TOWN AND COUNTRY
KIRK DAY SCHOOL 314-434-4349 / kirkdayschool.org
LADUE
RICHMOND HEIGHTS
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLHOUSE 314-874-0715 / internationalschoolhouse.com
JOHN BURROUGHS SCHOOL 314-993-4040 / jburroughs.org
OLIVETTE
A R EA
IMMANUEL LUTHERAN DAY SCHOOL 314-993-5004 / immanueldayschool.org
P R IVAT E G RA D E SC HO OLS
1917
1937
2006
1994
1898
1964
2008
1962
1969
2014
1974
1956
1859
1971
2000
1999
2019
1999
2004
1985
1992
1923
2009
1844
F OUN D E D
PRE-K–GRADE 6
AGE 2–GRADE 6
AGE 2–K
K–GRADE 12
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 6
PRE-K–GRADE 6
AGE 3–GRADE 6
15 MONTHS– GRADE 6
PRE-K–GRADE 12
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 12
PRE-K–GRADE 6
AGE 2–GRADE 8
GRADES 5–8
GRADES 6–8
GRADES 6–8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
TODDLER–K
AGE 3–GRADE 6
GRADES 7–12
AGE 2–GRADE 2
PRE-K–GRADE 8
G R A DE LEVELS OFFERED
216
101
55
55
171
135
65
165
300
59
93
103
1,245
63
324
70
60
61
115
75
287
641
105
166
ENROLLM ENT
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
N
Y
Y
UNIFORM S
42%
14%
22%
9%
19%
7%
15%
72%
45%
34%
10%
15%
36%
25%
7%
97%
85%
88%
5%
17%
18%
42%
20%
56%
% M INORITY STUDENTS
INDEPENDENT
PROJECT-BASED
REGGIO EMILIA–INSPIRED FOREST SCHOOL
CHRISTIAN
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
LUTHERAN
MONTESSORI
CHRISTIAN
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES
AMI–ACCREDITED MONTESSORI
CHRISTIAN
N/A
INDEPENDENT
MONTESSORI
LUTHERAN CHURCH– MISSOURI SYNOD
CATHOLIC– NATIVITY MIGUEL
LUTHERAN
JESUIT
CHRISTIAN
MONTESSORI
CHRISTIAN
INDEPENDENT
SPANISH IMMERSION
LUTHERAN
SC HO O L O F THO UGHT O R AFFIL IATIO N
29
12
8
7
12
9
4
11
38
3
8
21
146
4
18
6
6
4
8
8
30
96
8
13
FUL L-TIME C ERTIFIED IN STR UCTO R S
8:1
9:1
8:1
7:1
14:1
12:1
10:1
17:1
8:1
12:1
10:1
5:1
9:1
12:1
15:1
12:1
10:1
8:1
10:1
4:1–10:1
8:1
7:1
8:1
16:1
STUDEN T/ TEAC HER R ATIO
$20,400– $21,100
$6,600– $19,400
$18,054
$8,400
$10,560– $15,380
$6,070
$6,000
$7,470
$20,630
$9,360
$3,324
$9,300– $31,100
$21,160– $29,040
$7,900
$7,195
$12,500
$8,000
SLIDING SCALE
$7,205
$8,450– $17,250
$3,140– $9,480
$29,400
$13,390– $13,590
$5,960***
TUITIO N
15%
28%
10%
12%
37%
7%
37%
20%
46%
42%
0%
60%
24%
15%
20%
100%
83%
100%
10%
29%
18%
24%
N/A
10%
% R E C E IVIN G F IN A N C IA L A ID
Charts_0320.indd 73
2/10/20 9:20 AM
ST. LOUIS
VILLA DUCHESNE AND OAK HILL SCHOOL 314-432-2021 / vdoh.org
BELLEVILLE
1857
1974
1913
1952
1976
1993
1833
1929
1967
1975
1972
1946
1853
1849
1967
1982
1848
2011
2010
2012
1956
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 6
GRADES 6–12
GRADES 7 & 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
AGE 2–GRADE 12
PRE-K–GRADE 12
PRE-K–GRADE 6
K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
GRADES 7–12
PRE-K–GRADE 8
K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
PRE-K–GRADE 8
K–GRADE 8
GRADES 7 & 8
340
184
170
143
258
84
262
157
170
82
126
85
245
151
150
47
199
95
199
182
127
N
Y
N
N
Y
N
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
N
N
Y
Y
N
N
N
12%
34%
34%
31%
22%
20%
15%
17%
12%
5%
20%
64%
4%
11%
22%
10%
3%
DND
17%
17%
16%
LUTHERAN CHURCH– MISSOURI SYNOD
LUTHERAN CHURCH– MISSOURI SYNOD
INDEPENDENT
INDEPENDENT
CHRISTIAN
WALDORF
CATHOLIC
NETWORK OF SACRED HEART SCHOOLS
MONTESSORI
CHRISTIAN EVANGELICAL
CHRISTIAN
LIBERAL ARTS
CATHOLIC
LUTHERAN CHURCH– MISSOURI SYNOD
REGGIO EMILIA
LUTHERAN
LUTHERAN
CATHOLIC–CLASSICAL
CHARLOTTE MASON PHILOSOPHY
JEWISH
CATHOLIC BENEDICTINE
22
14
24
20
24
7
48
25
7
14
12
13
22
13
30
7
13
10
11
24
14
14:1
15:1
7:1
8:1
10:1
8:1 –13:1
5:1
7:1
15:1
10:1
11:1
8:1
14:1
17:1
6:1
7:1
14:1
9:1
12:1
8:1
7:1
$3,850– $5,150
$6,200
$13,800– $20,700
$27,775
$17,950
$6,200– $13,380
$4,290– $19,985
$6,880– $19,100
$10,500
$5,000
$2,705– $8,880
$29,100**
$3,525
$4,500– $7,200
$18,200
$5,500
$6,584
$3,990– $7,695
$2,335– $7,500
$16,500
$26,280
17%
85%
44%
DND
22%
50%
20%
25%
17%
20%
17%
26%
25%
14%
29%
15%
48%
40%
37%
45%
40%
STLMAG.COM
73
MARCH 2020
Grade Schools 1. Because of space constraints, SLM was unable to include the many public grade schools or parish elementary schools in the Archdiocese of St. Louis or the Metro East. For more information about area schools, visit archstl.org/education and stlcityschools.org. 2. Some schools also have high schools, but for the purposes of this chart we asked that administrators only include information that pertains up to grade 8. 3. Some schools list only grades 6–8. In most cases, these are schools that incorporate middle school grades into their high schools. We included their middle school students on this chart and their high school students on the next chart. 4. *Formerly MAP. 5. **Annual cost of tuition for day school at Thomas Jefferson School; the annual cost for five-day boarding school is $50,350, seven-day boarding school is $53,450, and international boarding school is $55,450. 6. ***K–grade 8
By marking “NA,” the school is stating that the category is not applicable; “DND” means “did not disclose”; “int’l” is an abbreviation for “international.”
THE FINE PRINT
ZION LUTHERAN SCHOOL BELLEVILLE 618-234-0275 / zionschoolbelleville.org
ST. LOUIS HILLS
CLAYTON
THE WILSON SCHOOL 314-725-4999 / wilsonschool.org
WORD OF LIFE LUTHERAN SCHOOL 314-832-1244 / wordoflifeschool.net
WEST COUNTY
TOWN AND COUNTRY
WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 314-997-2900 / wcastl.org
WHITFIELD SCHOOL 314-434-5141 / whitfieldschool.org
WEBSTER GROVES
THE WALDORF SCHOOL OF ST. LOUIS 314-962-2129 / waldorfstl.org
WEST COUNTY
KIRKWOOD
VILLA DI MARIA MONTESSORI 314-822-2601 / villadimaria.org
VISITATION ACADEMY 314-625-9100 / visitationacademy.org
ARNOLD
WEST COUNTY
TWIN OAKS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 636-861-1901 / twinoakschristianschool.org
VICTORY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 636-223-7330 / vcacademy.org
SUNSET HILLS
THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL 314-843-4151 / tjs.org
DES PERES
ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN SCHOOL 314-822-2771 / stplutheranschool.org COLLINSVILLE
CLAYTON
THE ST. MICHAEL SCHOOL OF CLAYTON 314-721-4422 / stlmichaelschool.org
SS. PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC SCHOOL 618-939-7217 / sppcs.orgg
EUREKA
WEST COUNTY
THE ST. AUSTIN SCHOOL 314-580-2802 / saintaustinschool.org
ST. MARK’S LUTHERAN SCHOOL 6369384432 / stmarkseureka.org
TOWER GROVE
SOUTH CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL 314-667-4311 / scccommunityschool.org
ARNOLD
CREVE COEUR
SAUL MIROWITZ JEWISH COMMUNITY SCHOOL 314-576-6177 / mirowitz.org
ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN SCHOOL 636-464-7303 / sjlsarnold.org
WEST COUNTY
SAINT LOUIS PRIORY SCHOOL 314-434-3690 / priory.org
Charts_0320.indd 74
2/10/20 9:20 AM
SOUTH COUNTY
LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH 314-389-3100 / lhsnstl.org
ALTON LADUE
MARQUETTE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 618-463-0580 / marquettecatholic.org
MARY INSTITUTE AND SAINT LOUIS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL (MICDS) 314-995-7367 / micds.org
ST. PETERS
NORTH COUNTY
LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY 636-928-5100 / lutheranhighstcharles.com
OLIVETTE
LUTHERAN NORTH MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL 314-389-3100 / lhsnstl.org
CREVE COEUR
GREENWAYS ACADEMY 314-432-7534 / greenwaysacademy.com
LOGOS SCHOOL 314-997-7002 / logosschool.org
BELLEVILLE
GOVERNOR FRENCH ACADEMY 618-233-7542 / governorfrench.com
LADUE
WATERLOO
GIBAULT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 618-939-3883 / gibaultonline.com
JOHN BURROUGHS SCHOOL 314-993-4040 / jburroughs.org
FRANKLIN COUNTY
THE FULTON SCHOOL AT ST. ALBANS 636-458-6688 / tfssa.org
ST. LOUIS COUNTY
O’FALLON, ILLINOIS
FIRST BAPTIST ACADEMY 618-726-6040 / fbaofallon.org
INCARNATE WORD ACADEMY 314-725-5850 / iwacademy.org
MARYVILLE
FATHER MCGIVNEY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 618-855-9010 / mcgivneygriffins.com
FENTON
ST. CHARLES
DUCHESNE HIGH SCHOOL 636-946-6767 / duchesne-hs.org
HERITAGE CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 636-394-8063 / heritageclassical.org
CREVE COEUR
CENTRAL WEST END
CROSSROADS COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 314-367-8085 / crossroadscollegeprep.org
DE SMET JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL 314-567-3500 / desmet.org
VILLA RIDGE
CROSSPOINT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 636-451-6504 / crosspointchristianschool.org
AFFTON
WEST COUNTY
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL 314-985-6095 / cbchs.org
COR JESU ACADEMY 314-842-1546 / corjesu.org
CREVE COEUR
CHAMINADE COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 314-993-4400 / christianschooldistrict.com
O’FALLON, MISSOURI
SOUTH CITY
BISHOP DUBOURG HIGH SCHOOL 314-832-3030 / bishopdubourg.org
CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL 636-978-1680 / cbchs.org
BELLEVILLE
GRAND CENTER
A R EA
ALTHOFF CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 618-235-1100 / althoffcatholic.org
ACADEMY OF THOUGHT & INDUSTRY* 314-884-1637 / thoughtandindustry.com
P R IVAT E HI G H S C HOO LS
1859
1927
1980
1957
1965
1970
1923
1932
1999
2005
1983
1966
1994
2002
2012
1924
1967
1974
1990
1956
1980
1850
1910
1950
1964
2016
F OUND E D
1,245
426
394
400
230
100
641
332
36
25
16
198
44
77
236
310
670
176
36
562
271
815
571
300
306
29
E N RO L LME N T
71%
98%
94%
90%
90%
96%
40%
88%
90%
95%
99%
99%
DND
98%
97%
97%
88%
DND
95%
DND
98%
95%
DND
98%
DND
96%
AC C EPTANC E RATE
36%
15%
11%
18%
75%
33%
42%
28%
15%
20%
56%
18%
14%
17%
6%
17%
14%
43%
6%
9%
17%
23%
18%
33%
25%
10%
% MINORITY STUDENTS
30
22
25
28
24
24
33
24
27
26
25
25
27
27
24
24
26
28
23
29
26
24
28
21
25
N/A
AVERAGE ACT SC ORE
100%
98%
94%
93%
96%
92%
100%
99%
100%
95%
100%
99%
100%
95%
96%
100%
99%
100%
86%
100%
88%
98%
99%
98%
98%
N/A
% C ONTINUING TO POSTSEC ONDARY EDUCATION
INDEPENDENT
CATHOLIC
LUTHERAN
LUTHERAN
LUTHERAN
THERAPEUTIC
INDEPENDENT
CATHOLIC
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN
ALTERNATIVE
COLLEGE PREPARATORY
CATHOLIC
MONTESSORI
SOUTHERN BAPTIST
CATHOLIC
CATHOLIC
CATHOLIC– JESUIT
INDEPENDENT
CHRISTIAN
CATHOLIC
CHRISTIAN
CATHOLIC– LASALLIAN
CATHOLIC– MARIANIST
CATHOLIC
CATHOLIC
MONTESSORI
SC H OOL O F TH OUGH T OR AFFILIATIO N
70%
56%
73%
75%
70%
58%
77%
74%
100%
100%
43%
40%
90%
42%
30%
70%
68%
35%
25%
88%
25%
87%
95%
70%
44%
84%
% TEAC HERS WITH ADVAN C ED DEGREES
146
33
19
33
21
21
96
28
5
5
10
22
10
18
14
29
13
DND
1
52
32
80
72
32
25
6
FUL L-TIME C ERTIFIED IN STR UCTO R S
9:1
13:1
14:1
10:1
10:1
6:1
7:1
12:1
5:1
1:1
8:1
10:1
8:1
14:1
14:1
12:1
10:1
9:1
7:1
10:1
15:1
10:1
9:1
11:1
14:1
5:1
STUDEN T/ TEAC HER R ATIO
$21,160– $29,040
$7,200
$10,230
$14,550
$14,550
$32,220
$29,400
$14,495
$9,844
$15,000– $28,000
$6,858
$8,770
$21,725
$5,375
$7,000
$11,000
$17,440
$25,240
$6,000
$15,900
$9,990
$15,925
$20,550
$11,300
$7,800
$13,950
A N N UA L O R A N N UA L IZED TUITIO N
24%
54%
26%
41%
83%
60%
24%
43%
15%
DND
38%
56%
DND
0%
50%
50%
27%
53%
5%
40%
30%
40%
43%
60%
DND
32%
% R EC EIVIN G FIN A N C IA L A ID
$34,727
$9,750
$10,515
$12,000
$12,600
$36,250
$37,258
DND
$12,000
DND
$9,585
$11,300
DND
$5,715
$8,800
$14,000
$18,016
DND
$6,667
$19,375
$9,960
$18,805
$23,068
$13,500
$12,500
$18,500
AVE R AGE SP E N DIN G P E R STUDE N T
Charts_0320.indd 75
2/10/20 9:20 AM
WEST COUNTY O'FALLON, MISSOURI KIRKWOOD FRONTENAC
SAINT LOUIS PRIORY SCHOOL 314-434-3690 / priory.org
ST. DOMINIC HIGH SCHOOL 636-240-8303 / stdominichs.org
ST. JOHN VIANNEY HIGH SCHOOL 314-965-4853 / vianney.com
ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY 314-394-4300 / sja1840.org
WEST COUNTY
TOWN AND COUNTRY
WEST COUNTY
1952
1976
1833
1929
1848
1946
1818
1840
1960
1929
1956
1911
1994
1898
1934
1962
1924
1974
2016
321
692
307
275
345
85
1,000
500
560
750
254
300
38
182
255
110
515
44
64
DND
70%
DND
DND
DND
65%
85%
DND
DND
99%
90%
80%
90%
69%
DND
97%
DND
98%
75%
31%
22%
15%
17%
10%
64%
15%
8%
10%
6%
16%
39%
10%
16%
17%
66%
12%
2%
15%
DND
27
29
27
25
31
30
27
25
23
33
26
30
DND
24
24
28
21
20
100%
98%
100%
100%
100%
100%
99%
100%
99%
99%
100%
100%
100%
97%
100%
98%
100%
90%
75%
INDEPENDENT
CHRISTIAN
CATHOLIC
NETWORK OF SACRED HEART SCHOOLS
CATHOLIC
LIBERAL ARTS
CATHOLIC– JESUIT
CATHOLIC
CATHOLIC– MARIANIST
CATHOLIC
CATHOLIC BENEDICTINE
CATHOLIC
CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
CATHOLIC
CHRISTIAN
CATHOLIC
CHRISTIAN
N/A
71%
71%
88%
70%
92%
93%
95%
78%
82%
52%
75%
75%
50%
81%
57%
35%
81%
20%
90%
42
72
41
42
28
13
100
54
50
57
26
30
8
32
21
15
59
4
9
8:1
10:1
7:1
7:1
10:1
8:1
10:1
11:1
12:1
14:1
7:1
12:1
7:1
6:1
10:1
13:1
10:1
10:1
5:1
$27,775
$17,950
$21,510
VARIES
$15,500
$29,100****
$17,500
$15,375
$15,400
$9,845
$24,990
$12,500
$10,250
$17,650
$12,300
$8,935
$15,450
$3,648
$31,100
DND
22%
22%
25%
26%
26%
41%
29%
33%
30%
40%
65%
12%
51%
40%
20%
40%
0%
60%
STLMAG.COM
75
MARCH 2020
$30,275
$20,950
DND
DND
$16,375
$29,000****
$19,838
DND
$16,400
$12,889
$26,280
$13,986
$9,000
$68,459
$15,000
$8,900
$18,450
$3,672
$34,000
Private and Public High Schools 1. These charts include schools with students enrolled in grades 9–12. 2. Some schools in these charts also include middle and elementary school grades. 3. *New school; data not yet available. 4. **Districtwide 5. ***Students attend South Technical High School part-time. 6. ****Annual cost of tuition for day school at Thomas Jefferson School; the annual cost for five-day boarding school is $50,350, seven-day boarding school is $53,450, and international boarding school is $55,450.
WHITFIELD SCHOOL 314-434-5141 / whitfieldschool.org
WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 314-997-2900 / wcastl.org
VISITATION ACADEMY 314-625-9100 / visitationacademy.org
ST. LOUIS
KIRKWOOD
URSULINE ACADEMY 314-984-2800 / ursulinestl.org
VILLA DUCHESNE AND OAK HILL SCHOOL 314-432-2021 / vdoh.org
SUNSET HILLS
THOMAS JEFFERSON SCHOOL 314-843-4151 / tjs.org
ST. LOUIS
ST. LOUIS
ROSATI-KAIN HIGH SCHOOL 314-533-8513 / rosati-kain.org
ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL 314-531-0330 / sluh.org
SOUTH COUNTY
WEST COUNTY
SOUTH COUNTY
FLORISSANT
WEBSTER GROVES
ALTON
TOWN AND COUNTRY
PROVIDENCE CLASSICAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 314-842-6846 / providencestl.org
THE PRINCIPIA 314-434-2100 / principiaschool.org
NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL 314-544-1015 / ndhs.net
NORTH COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 314-972-6227 / nccsedu.org
NERINX HALL 314-968-1505 / nerinxhall.org
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 618-462-1071 / mvcs-il.org
MIRIAM ACADEMY 314-962-6080 / miriamacademy.org
Charts_0320.indd 76
2/10/20 9:20 AM
NORTH COUNTY WENTZVILLE KIRKWOOD
HOLT HIGH SCHOOL 636-327-3876 / wentzville.k12.mo.us
KIRKWOOD HIGH SCHOOL 314-213-6110 / kirkwoodschools.org
MAPLEWOOD CHESTERFIELD
SOUTH COUNTY
LINDBERGH HIGH SCHOOL 314-729-2410 / go.lindberghschools.ws/lhs
MARQUETTE HIGH SCHOOL 636-891-6000 / rsdmo.org/marquette
LAKE SAINT LOUIS
LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL 636-561-0075 / wentzville.k12.mo.us
MAPLEWOOD–RICHMOND HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL 314-644-4401 / mrhschools.net
WILDWOOD
LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL 636-733-4100 / rsdmo.org/lafayette
LADUE
NORTH COUNTY
HAZELWOOD WEST HIGH SCHOOL 314-953-5800 / hazelwoodschools.org
LADUE HORTON WATKINS HIGH SCHOOL 314-993-6447 / lhwhs.ladueschools.net
NORTH COUNTY
HAZELWOOD EAST HIGH SCHOOL 314-953-5600 / hazelwoodschools.org
THE HILL
GATEWAY STEM HIGH SCHOOL 314-776-3300 / slps.org/gatewaystem
HAZELWOOD CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 314-953-5400 / hazelwoodschools.org
ST. PETERS
FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH HIGH SCHOOL 636-851-4900 / fhn.fhsdschools.org
ARNOLD
FOX HIGH SCHOOL 636-296-5210 / fox.k12.mo.us
ST. CHARLES
O’FALLON, MISSOURI
FORT ZUMWALT WEST HIGH SCHOOL 636-379-0300 / whs.fz.k12.mo.us
FRANCIS HOWELL HIGH SCHOOL 636-851-4700 / fhh.fhsdschools.org
ST. PETERS
FORT ZUMWALT SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL 636-978-1212 / shs.fz.k12.mo.us
COTTLEVILLE
O’FALLON, MISSOURI
FRANCIS HOWELL CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 636-851-4600 / fhc.fhsdschools.org
ST. PETERS
FORT ZUMWALT NORTH HIGH SCHOOL 636-272-4447 / nhs.fz.k12.mo.us
EUREKA
THE GATE DISTRICT
FORT ZUMWALT EAST HIGH SCHOOL 636-477-2400 / ehs.fz.k12.mo.us
EUREKA HIGH SCHOOL 636-733-3100 / rsdmo.org/eurekahs
COLLEGIATE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE & BIOSCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL 314-696-2290 / slps.org/collegiate
COVENANT BLU/ GRAND CENTER
SOUTHWEST GARDEN
CLEVELAND NJROTC HIGH SCHOOL 314-776-1301 / slps.org/cleveland
CLYDE C. MILLER CAREER ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL 314-371-0394 / slps.org/miller
CLAYTON
CLAYTON HIGH SCHOOL 314-854-6600 / claytonschools.net/chs
SOUTHWEST GARDEN
DUTCHTOWN
CENTRAL VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS HIGH SCHOOL 314-771-2772 / slps.org/cvpa
METRO EAST
CARNAHAN HIGH SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE 314-457-0582 / slps.org/carnahan
AFFTON
A R EA
BELLEVILLE WEST HIGH SCHOOL 618-222-7500 / bths201.org
AFFTON HIGH SCHOOL 314-638-6330 / afftonschools.net/affton-high-school
P UB L IC H IG H SC HO O LS
1993
1909
1950
2013
1960
1952
1865
1939
1975
1976
1965
1992
1986
1881
1997
1955
1998
1987
1967
2007
1908
2013
1996
1915
1908
1984
2006
1917
1934
F O UNDED
2,354
1,438
2,197
1,396
1,807
1,318
1,784
1,942
2,100
1,175
1,893
1,075
1,671
1,866
1,853
1,750
1,896
1,350
1,501
1,243
1,735
245
602
299
909
400
361
2,100
780
ENROLLM ENT
32%
45%
15%
17%
24%
44%
17%
19%
60%
98%
90%
82%
26%
15%
16%
3%
20%
21%
15%
25%
13%
69%
98%
86%
40%
85%
96%
44%
23%
% M INORITY STUDENTS
25
21
23
22
25
26
24
22
18
16
18
16
22
23
22
21
23
22
22
22
23
22
17
16
26
17
15
20
21
AVERAGE ACT SC ORE
95%
70%
84%
85%
96%
94%
91%
68%
76%
53%
74%
71%
73
87%
80%
72%
86%
80%
72%
81%
95%
96%
73%
76%
95%
81%
71%
70%
83%
% C O N TIN UIN G TO PO STSEC O N DARY EDUCATIO N
87%
87%
83%
86%
83%
89%
86%
91%
71%
71%
72%
72%
83%
85%
84%
59%
85%
80%
83%
80%
84%
79%
67%
56%
95%
70%
57%
79%
79%
% TEAC HER S WITH ADVA N C ED DEGREES
149
45
129
91
123
96
118
118
112
86
100
57
103
108
109
100
137
97
115
95
114
19
27
19
99
22
17
125
48
FUL L-TIME C ERTIFIED IN STR UCTO R S
16:1
12:1
21:1
15:1
15:1
12:1
16:1
16:1
19:1
15:1
19:1
19:1
17:1
18:1
18:1
17:1
14:1
14:1
13:1
13:1
15:1
13:1
22:1
16:1
12:1
18:1
21:1
19:1
19:1
STUDEN T/ TEAC HER R ATIO
$12,117
$12,917
$10,023
$10,800**
$12,117
$14,380
$12,000
$10,800**
$11,997**
$11,997**
$10,997
$16,282**
$12,017**
$12,017**
$12,017**
$9,200
$12,665**
$12,665**
$12,665**
$12,665**
$12,117
$16,282**
$16,282**
$16,282**
$19,009
$16,282**
$16,282**
$12,900
$10,300
AVE R AGE SP E N DIN G P E R STUDE N T
Charts_0320.indd 77
2/10/20 9:20 AM
WEST COUNTY
PARKWAY WEST HIGH SCHOOL 314-415-7500 / edline.net/pages/West_High
WENTZVILLE VALLEY PARK JEFF-VANDER-LOU WEBSTER GROVES JEFFERSON COUNTY
TIMBERLAND HIGH SCHOOL 636-327-3988 / wentzville.k12.mo.us
VALLEY PARK HIGH SCHOOL 636-923-3613 / vp.k12.mo.us
VASHON HIGH SCHOOL 314-533-9487 / slps.org/vashon
WEBSTER GROVES HIGH SCHOOL 314-963-6400 / webster.k12.mo.us
WINDSOR HIGH SCHOOL 636-464-4429 / windsor.k12.mo.us/hs
THE VILLE
SOUTH COUNTY
1966
1889
1927
1932
2002
1875
1967
1909
SOUTH TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL*** 314-989-7400 / southtechnical.org
SUMNER HIGH SCHOOL 314-371-1048 / slps.org/sumner
1925
ACADEMY NEIGHBORHOOD
1993
TOWER GROVE EAST
FENTON
1911
1936
1968
1976
1971
1961
1959
1964
1968
1972
1904
2004
1972
1962
SOLDAN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES HIGH SCHOOL 314-367-9222 / slps.org/soldan
ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL 314-776-6040 / slps.org/roosevelt
ROCKWOOD SUMMIT HIGH SCHOOL 636-891-6800 / rsdmo.org/rsummit
BRECKENRIDGE HILLS
MANCHESTER
PARKWAY SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL 314-415-7700 / edline.net/pages/ParkwaySouthHS
RITENOUR HIGH SCHOOL 314-493-6105 / ritenourschools.org
WEST COUNTY
MARYLAND HEIGHTS
CHESTERFIELD
PARKWAY NORTH HIGH SCHOOL 314-415-7600 / edline.net/pages/ParkwayNorthHS
PATTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 314-213-8051 / phs.psdr3.org
ST. CHARLES
PARKWAY CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 314-415-7900 / edline.net/pages/ParkwayCentralHS
WALNUT PARK EAST
ORCHARD FARM HIGH SCHOOL 636-925-5400 / ofsd.k12.mo.us
NORTHWEST ACADEMY OF LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 314-385-4774 / slps.org/northwest
NORTH COUNTY
CENTRAL WEST END
NORTH TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL 314-989-7600 / northtechnical.org
MCKINLEY HEIGHTS
NORTH COUNTY
MCCLUER SOUTH–BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL 314-506-9800 / fergflor.org/mccluer-south-berkeley-high
METRO ACADEMIC AND CLASSICAL HIGH SCHOOL 314-534-3894 / slps.org/metro
NORTH COUNTY
MCCLUER NORTH HIGH SCHOOL 314-506-9200 / fergflor.org/mccluer-north-high
MCKINLEY CLASSICAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY 314-773-0027 / slps.org/mckinleycla
NORTH COUNTY
MCCLUER HIGH SCHOOL 314-506-9400 / fergflor.org/mccluer-high
STLMAG.COM
919
1,409
422
271
1,799
272
777
551
423
1,288
1,806
1,728
1,416
1,668
1,116
1,243
540
243
813
352
583
247
1,387
1,328
77
6%
25%
99%
39%
18%
99%
42%
96%
87%
20%
73%
52%
31%
32%
56%
40%
20%
99%
86%
61%
57%
89%
87%
94%
MARCH 2020
19
23
14
20
23
14
N/A
15
14
23
18
22
24
23
22
23
21
14
17
27
23
15
16
16
80%
94%
42%
68%
89%
48%
N/A
69%
39%
94%
39%
74%
92%
90%
85%
91%
68%
66%
N/A
100%
94%
50%
63%
53%
50%
91%
61%
88%
85%
56%
42%
62%
50%
85%
82%
79%
92%
92%
89%
88%
62%
55%
57%
65%
59%
91%
75%
84%
55
99
26
25
111
19
40
31
28
86
93
127
102
120
78
92
35
14
67
19
31
22
84
81
16:1
14:1
16:1
15:1
16:1
14:1
19:1
18:1
15:1
15:1
17:1
16:1
18:1
17:1
16:1
17:1
16:1
18:1
12:1
19:1
19:1
11:1
10:1
10:1
$9,218
$12,368**
$16,282**
$14,443
$10,800**
$16,282**
$15,226**
$16,282**
$16,282**
$12,117
$10,635**
$15,083
$12,747**
$12,747**
$12,747**
$12,747**
$12,532**
$16,282**
$15,226
$16,282**
$16,282**
$11,411**
$11,411**
$11,411**
Charts_0320.indd 78
2/10/20 9:20 AM
ST. CHARLES
TOWN AND COUNTRY
LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY 636-949-2000 / lindenwood.edu
MARYVILLE UNIVERSITY 314-529-9300 / maryville.edu
ST. JOSEPH
MARYVILLE
PARKVILLE
NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY 660-562-1212 / nwmissouri.edu
PARK UNIVERSITY 816-741-2000 / park.edu
ROLLA
SPRINGFIELD, WEST PLAINS
JOPLIN
MISSOURI WESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY 816-271-4200 / missouriwestern.edu
MISSOURI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 573-341-4111 / mst.edu
MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY 417-836-5000 / missouristate.edu
MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY 417-625-9300 / mssu.edu
LEBANON, ILL.
JEFFERSON CITY
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY 573-681-5000 / lincolnu.edu
MCKENDREE UNIVERSITY 800-232-7228 / mckendree.edu
MIDTOWN ST. LOUIS
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI
EVANGEL UNIVERSITY 417-865-2815 / evangel.edu
HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY 314-340-3366 / hssu.edu
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI
DRURY UNIVERSITY 800-922-2274 / drury.edu
CLAYTON
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
COLUMBIA COLLEGE 800-231-2391 / www.ccis.edu
FONTBONNE UNIVERSITY 314-862-3456 / fontbonne.edu
SOUTH KANSAS CITY
AVILA UNIVERSITY 816-588-4386 / www.avila.edu
C O L LE G ES
MA I N CA M PU S
1875
1905
1915
1870
1905
1937
1828
1872
1827
1866
1857
1923
1955
1873
1851
1916
F O U N D ED
4,151
4,954
3,592
5,663
14,005
DND
1,325
2,990
5,000
1,595
1,371
790
1,539
1,489
865
1,000
F U LL-T I ME ST U D EN TS
N/A
73%
100%
79%
87%
96%
65%
95%
88%
N/A
90%
81%
96%
72%
48%
60%
AC C E PTA N C E RAT E
5%
38%
34%
49%
24%
42%
76%
35%
58%
53%
37%
36%
76%
62%
37%
40%
% ST UD E N TS L IV IN G O N CAM P U S
48% M 52% F
42% M 56% F
39% M 61% F
76% M 24% F
41% M 59% F
38% M 62% F
53% M 47% F
63% M 37% F
46%M 54% F
40% M 60% F
31% M 69% F
40% M 60% F
43% M 57% F
42% M 58% F
45% M 55% F
40% M 60% F
GENDER D IST R IB UT IO N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
GREEK SYSTEM
55%
15%
23%
11%
18%
28%
15%
22%
22%
65%
88%
27%
18%
17%
24%
33%
% M IN O R ITY ST U D E N TS
3%
3%
1%
3%
4%
3%
8%
6%
12%
3%
3%
5%
1%
7%
8%
9%
% IN T E R N AT IO N A L ST U D E N TS
873
324
335
448
1,128
290
92
179
675
136
188
62
81
111
74
100
FAC U LTY MEMBERS
15:1
22:1
16:1
14:1
18:1
19:1
14:1
15:1
15:1
N/A
17:1
10:1
15:1
13:1
9:1
12:1
ST UD E N T/ T EAC H E R R AT IO
76
190
120
35
97
140
60
103
86
47
22
47
58
54
48
42
M AJOR F I EL D S OF F ERED
N/A
22
21
28
24
21
24
24
23
18
18
20
23
26
23
23
AVERAG E ACT SC ORE
2,088
1,001
788
1,388
5,487
1,184
516
606
1,770
422
196
237
340
277
241
247
# ST U DENTS G RA DUAT ED 2 018–2 019
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
GRA DUAT E P ROGRA M AVA I LA BL E
$415*
$10,298
$218*
$300*
$218*
$7,288
$1,010*
$26,070
$18,000
$218*
$210*
$26,760
$23,032
$28,500
$23,498
$21,115
I N-STAT E T U I T I ON
$415*
$17,529
$449*
$931*
$495*
$14,577
$1,010*
$26,070
$18,000
$445*
$403*
$26,760
$23,032
$28,500
$23,498
$21,115
OU T-OF -STAT E T U I T I ON
$8,240
$10,106
$8,348
$10,402
$9,128
$6,410
$10,970
$10,088
$9,200
$7,282
$9,491
$10,135
$8,522
$9,046
$8,400
$7,200
YEA RLY ROOM A ND BOA RD
88%
90%
85%
94%
74%
66%
86%
93%
82%
60%
83%
91%
99%
99%
50%
98%
% REC EI VI NG F I NA NC I A L AID
Charts_0320.indd 79
2/10/20 9:20 AM
CARBONDALE
EDWARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS
BOLIVAR
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY– CARBONDALE 618-453-2121 / siu.edu
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY– EDWARDSVILLE 618-650-3705 / siue.edu
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST UNIVERSITY 417-328-5281 / sbuniv.edu
WEBSTER GROVES
LIBERTY
FULTON
WEBSTER UNIVERSITY 800-981-9801 / webster.edu
WILLIAM JEWELL COLLEGE 816-781-7700 / jewell.edu
WILLIAM WOODS UNIVERSITY 800-995-3159 / williamwoods.edu 1870
1849
1915
1853
1963
1929
1839
1867
1833
1962
1879
1957
1869
1873
1818
636
724
2553
7,146
4,836
6,464
22,616
4,269
675
6,117
1,701
10,400
7,150
7,152
7,549
61%
46%
57%
15%
81%
61%
76%
31%
65%
100%
69%
87%
66%
88%
58%
81%
81%
34%
61%
15%
17%
22%
37%
95%
N/A
54%
29%
32%
35%
52%
30% M 70% F
46% M 54% F
41% M 59% F
47% M 53% F
44% M 56% F
43% M 57% F
47% M 53% F
40% M 60% F
100% F
42% M 57% F
38% M 62% F
47% M 53% F
52% M 47% F
59% M 41% F
39% M 61% F
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
13%
21%
27%
21%
18%
31%
16%
13%
35%
40%
13%
27%
26%
15%
23%
8%
3%
5%
8%
4%
6%
3%
7%
1%
3%
2%
3%
4%
5%
5%
75
96
507
877
464
1,037
1,377
295
43
324
138
690
928
395
1,072
11:1
10:1
12:1
7:1
15:1
15:1
18:1
16:1
10:1
19:1
12:1
17:1
12:1
18:1
9:1
40
37
132
131
52
58
300
46
24
102**
73
46
101
225
95
23
25
24
33
24
24
26
27
23
N/A
23
23
24
23
28
221
246
740
1,850
1,989
1,807
6,000
1,135
175
2,330
528
2631
3,172
1,705
1,717
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
$23,950
$33,500
$28,500
$2,260*
$11,079
$295*
$12,094
$7,796
$22,500
$114*
$23,600
$9,132
$9,638***
$6,606
$44,700
$23,950
$33,500
$28,500
$2,260*
$29,295
$450*
$28,774
$14,990
$22,500
$222*
$23,600
$9,132
$9,638***
$12,636
$44,700
$9,890
$10,130
$11,380
$16,900
$9,550
$10,890
$10,508
$9,012
$10,000
N/A
$7,820
$9,881
$10,622
$9,267
$12,832
STLMAG.COM
79
MARCH 2020
Colleges and Universities 1. Because of space constraints, this chart does not include trade schools, seminaries, or institutions with fewer than 650 students. 2. Unless otherwise indicated, all statistics pertain to undergraduates. 3. *Cost per credit hour. 4. **St. Louis Community College offers 21 college transfer options and 80 career programs. 5. ***As of fall 2017, out-of-state domestic undergraduate students at Southern Illinois University–Carbondale are charged the resident (in-state) tuition rate. This change to undergrad tuition applies to incoming domestic undergrads who started in fall 2017 or later and to continuing and re-entering domestic undergrads who started before fall 2017. The in-state rate includes both in- and out-of-state domestic students..
ST. LOUIS
KANSAS CITY
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI–KANSAS CITY 816-235-1000 / umkc.edu
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS 314-935-6000 / wustl.edu
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI–COLUMBIA 573-882-2121 / missouri.edu
ST. LOUIS
KIRKSVILLE
TRUMAN STATE UNIVERSITY 660-785-4000 / truman.edu
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI–ST. LOUIS 314-516-5000 / umsl.edu
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
STEPHENS COLLEGE 573-876-7207 / stephens.edu
FLORISSANT VALLEY; FOREST PARK; MERAMEC; WILDWOOD
CAPE GIRARDEAU
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY 573-651-2000 / semo.edu
ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE 314-539-5000 / stlcc.edu
MIDTOWN
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY 800-758-3678 / slu.edu
89%
99%
82%
48%
77%
88%
75%
78%
100%
59%
98%
72%
93%
96%
94%
SPRING & SUMMER ARTS GUIDE
ACTS
TO
P. 80 SpringArts_0320.indd 80
FOLL O BY MELISSA MEINZER, SAMANTHA STEVENSON, AND AMANDA WOYTUS
2/6/20 5:50 PM
MARCH 2020 × STLMAG.COM
× SET TING YOUR SPRING AND SUMMER ARTS AGENDA? H E R E A R E 6 0 C O N C E R T S , E X H I B I T S , P L AY S , M U S I C A L S ,
L OW
The Color Purple (p. 83) comes to the Stifel Theatre April 11.
SpringArts_0320.indd 81
Photography courtesy of The Color Purple/Jeremy Daniel
A N D F E S T I VA L S N O T T O B E M I S S E D .
2/6/20 5:50 PM
MORE TO SEE
SPRING & SUMMER ARTS GUIDE
‘TERRY ADKINS: RESOUNDING’
MAR
Fitz and the Tantrums March 3 The Pageant
Chris Tucker March 7 Stifel Theatre
BILLIE EILISH
March 28 Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark, enterprisecenter.com
×
Want to know where music’s headed? Start with the Grammy-winning Billie Eilish. Her meteoric rise shares its beginnings with those of so many Gen Z superstars: SoundCloud. Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, uploaded “Ocean Eyes,” performed by her, written and produced by him, and a phenomenon was unleashed. Her ethereal vocal style is a fresh spin on what it means to be a chart-topper in the ’20s. Take your cool aunt, or be the cool aunt and score tickets for the young folks in your life. BETH STELLING
‘DREAMING ZENZILE’
March 12–14 Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St. Louis Galleria, heliumcomedy.com
March 18–April 12 The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, 130 Edgar, repstl.org
×
×
Beth Stelling’s standup hits the sweet spot where deadpan, self-deprecation, and raunch intersect—and her stoner chuckle’s infectious. The Chicago Reader named her Best Stand-Up Comedian in Chicago in 2010; she then left for Los Angeles, appearing on Conan and releasing her first album.
P. 82 SpringArts_0320.indd 82
South Africa’s Miriam Makeba was known as Mama Africa for her singing, songwriting, acting, and activism. Modern-day writer and performer Somi Kakoma tells Makeba’s life story in a musical tribute to her last concert.
Zac Brown Band March 12 Enterprise Center
‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ March 17–29 Fox Theatre
March 13–August 2 Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington, pulitzerarts.org
×
Throughout his life, certain objects and themes served as touchstones for multidisciplinary artist Terry Adkins’ nuanced and multivalent historical narrative. He interpreted history and drew provocative connections, often using music as a framework. The Pulitzer’s comprehensive exhibition showcases his artistic practice’s evolution. It includes such wellknown works as the stretched trombones of 1995’s The Last Trumpet. Also on display is a lifelong work, Infinity (1972–2014), in which the artist tried to atone for stealing a Coltrane record when he was 19 by buying it every chance he got for the rest of his life.
‘ M I L L E T A N D M O D E R N A R T : F R O M VA N G O G H T O D A L Í ’
February 16–May 17 Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts, slam.org
×
Jean-François Millet (1814–1875) may not be the best-known painter today, but he was a blockbuster artist in his time. A Saint Louis Art Museum exhibition shows how his portraits of rural life paved the way for innovations in modern art. Artists from Seurat and Monet to Munch and Dalí stand on his shoulders. The show provides fresh perspective on how innovative images of simple farming folk influenced some of the most radical artists in history.
Paul Cézanne, French, 1839–1906; Seated Peasant, 1900-1904; oil on canvas; 28 ⅞ × 23 ¾ inches; Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France 2020.70; Photo: Patrice Schmidt, © RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY Terry Adkins, After Bonnaterre 5, 2013 Gouache on botanical engraving 14 × 10 ¾ × 1 ½ inches (35.6 × 27.3 × 3.8 cm) Estate of Terry Adkins © 2020 The Estate of Terry Adkins / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Photography by Jeremy Daniel, Diego Pernia
2/6/20 5:51 PM
MARCH 2020 × STLMAG.COM
April 17–May 15 Various locations, bachsociety.org
×
The Bach Society of St. Louis rolls out the red carpet for Johann Sebastian once again this spring. Put harpsichords over hashtags and learn why Bach was The Ultimate Influencer at one of the event’s many concerts. ‘BEYOND THE B A L L O T : S T. L O U I S AND SUFFRAGE’
April 4–August 15, 2021 Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell, mohistory.org
‘THE COLOR PURPLE’
MORE TO SEE
S T. L O U I S B A C H F E S T I VA L
April 11 Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market, stifeltheatre.com
×
Alice Walker’s 1982 masterpiece The Color Purple is a Pulitzer prize– winning novel with a breathtaking scope. Walker sketches the lives of women in the orbit of Celie, a black girl in rural Georgia, to examine race, class, gender, and poverty in America in the 1930s, as well as spirituality, philosophy, and love. The book’s been adapted into a film, musical, and serialized radio program. In 2015, the musical was revived, netting a Tony and Grammy; in April, the touring production comes to St. Louis. Laugh, cry, and dance in your seat to the jazz, gospel, ragtime, and blues score.
Pearl Jam April 4 Enterprise Center
Stray Dog Theatre’s ‘Annie’ April 9–25 Tower Grove Abbey
×
Consider the dedication of the women involved in the founding and history of St. Louis—they were instrumental, yet much of their work was done before they got the right to vote, in 1920. This exhibition takes a deep dive into women’s roles in city history.
Michelle Wolf April 16–18 Helium Comedy Club
Iliza Shlesinger April 23 Stifel Theatre
‘Currents 118: Elias Sime’ April 3– September 27 Saint Louis Art Museum
APR
S L U T H E AT R E PRESENTS ‘MR. BURNS: A POSTE L E C T R I C P L AY ’
BROTHERS LAZAROFF
April 23–26 The Grandel, 3610 Grandel, thegrandel.com
The Brothers Lazaroff are such an enmeshed part of the St. Louis music and culture scene, you’d be forgiven for being surprised that they’re only debuting at The Sheldon this spring—haven’t they been everywhere? The group, centered on David and Jeff Lazaroff, comes in many permutations and writes and performs in many styles. They’re musicians’ musicians, blending Americana with all the ingredients in that particular stew: funk, jazz, rock, and the rest. The group is found all over town playing big shows, small venues, and benefits, including their annual Hanukkah Hullabaloo, a peek at the most fun parts of the Jewish holiday. In 2019 they released their eighth studio album, Sisters and Brothers, a title that’s a nod to their approach to making music in the community.
×
The Simpsons is lauded for its takes on current events. This play pushes the show further: After an unnamed future catastrophe, the “Cape Feare” episode— retold by survivors— morphs into literature, drama, and myth.
April 4 The Sheldon, 3648 Washington, thesheldon.org
×
Illustration courtesy of Missouri History Museum, photography by Craig Blankenhorn, Danny Clinch, Brett Moen
SpringArts_0320.indd 83
2/6/20 5:51 PM
SPRING & SUMMER ARTS GUIDE
May 7–17 Various locations, twstl.org
×
Think of Tennessee Williams, and the South immediately comes to mind. But at this year’s Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, the theme is Tennessee Williams & Italy. The Rose Tattoo, about a Mississippi widow of Italian descent, will fill the stage at The Grandel. G R E AT R I V E R S BIENNIAL 2020
May 8–August 16 Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington, camstl.org
‘ M A U R I C E R AV E L : A M U S I C A L J O U R N E Y ’ AND ‘THE RITE OF SPRING’
MORE TO SEE
TENNESSEE W I L L I A M S F E S T I VA L S T. L O U I S
May 1, 8 & 9 Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand, slso.org
×
THE BLACK REP’S ‘ M A R I E & R O S E T TA’
‘Hamilton’ May 5–June 7 Fox Theatre
Laumeier Art Fair May 8–10 Laumeier Sculpture Park
May 6–24 Edison Theatre, 6465 Forsyth, theblackrep.org
×
Marie & Rosetta brings to life the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, often called the Godmother of Rock and Roll and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018, and her protégée, Marie Knight.
Two St. Louis Symphony Orchestra events not to miss: the institution’s first foray into the “symphonic play” (Maurice Ravel, on May 1) and the season finale (Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring). S H A K E S P E A R E I N T H E PA R K
May 8–June 21 Forest Park’s Shakespeare Glen, sfstl.com
×
This season’s Shakespeare in the Park kicks off May 8 and 9 with two family-friendly performances of Cymbeline. May 15–17, St. Louis International Film Festival and the Shakespeare Festival unite to present the inaugural Shakespeare Movie Weekend. Nineties kids will appreciate 10 Things I Hate About You (inspired by The Taming of the Shrew). Finally, Beatrice and Benedick’s love story takes center stage in Much Ado About Nothing (May 27–June 21).
×
For the ninth edition of this program, three artists—Kahlil Robert Irving, Tim Portlock, and Rachel Youn—were chosen to create exhibitions of prints, ceramics, and kinetic sculpture. Irving prods the relationship between materials and emotions. Portlock reimagines American landscapes. Youn scours Facebook Marketplace for items to create mobile sculptures.
Brooks & Dunn May 15 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
MAY
Dance St. Louis’ Spring to Dance Festival May 21–23 Touhill Performing Arts Center
A S H L E Y L I A N E D A N C E C O M PA N Y P R E S E N T S ‘ U N S E E N ’
May 30 & 31 The Grandel, 3610 Grandel, ashleyliane.com Schlafly Art Outside Festival May 22–24 Schlafly Bottleworks
P. 84 SpringArts_0320.indd 84
×
Women, immigrants, and people with disabilities are the focus of this concert, which highlights those affected by discrimination. Company founder and artistic director Ashley L. Tate is joined by guest choreographer Dustin Crumbaugh and spoken-word artist and poet Cheeraz Gormon. Tim Portlock, Sundown, archival pigment print, 72 x 54 in, 2011 Photography by Chris Bauer, Joan Marcus, Gage Skidmore, courtesy of Dance St. Louis, Schlafly, The Black Rep, Shakespeare in the Park
2/6/20 5:52 PM
MARCH 2020 × STLMAG.COM
‘AWA K E N I N G S ’
MORE TO SEE
June 7, 11, 13, 20, 26 Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar, opera-stl.org
×
Twangfest June 10–13 Off Broadway
‘Chicago’ June 15–21 The Muny
Chicago with Rick Springfield June 23 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn Manson June 24 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
JUNE KENNY CHESNEY WITH FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, OLD DOMINION, AND MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD
June 13 Busch Stadium, 700 Clark, mlb.com
×
Maybe the most appropriate Kenny Chesney portmanteau in existence, Chillaxification is the name of the county artist’s tour with Florida Georgia Line, Old Dominion, and Michael Franti, stopping by Busch Stadium for what’s surely a don’t-miss for the No Shoes Nation populace of our city. The headliner’s latest: 2019’s “Tip of My Tongue,” co-written with Ed Sheeran, the lead single on Chesney’s upcoming 19th album.
Based on the book of the same name by the late Dr. Oliver Sacks, the neurologist and writer The New York Times called the “poet laureate of contemporary medicine,” Awakenings recounts the lives of thousands who fell ill in the 1920s with encephalitis lethargica, or “sleeping sickness,” and Sacks’ efforts to cure them in the late 1960s. When Sacks revives them, they’re living in a world they no longer recognize or understand, their families having grieved for them and their spouses having moved on. This is the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ world premiere of the production; baritone Jarrett Porter makes his OTSL principal debut as Sacks.
JOURNEY WITH THE PRETENDERS
June 26 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 14141 Riverport, livenation.com
×
This one isn’t a tough sell. It’s easy to see the appeal of singing along to Journey’s greatest hits—“Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Faithfully,” “Open Arms”—on a summer night. That The Pretenders (“Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “I’ll Stand By You”) will also play only makes the deal sweeter.
Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard June 25 Busch Stadium N E W L I N E T H E AT R E ’ S ‘ U R I N E T O W N ’
June 4–27 The Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard, newlinetheatre.com
× The Rolling Stones June 27 The Dome at America’s Center
When Greg Kotis, in Europe and strapped for cash, realized that public toilets were pay-to-use, an idea began to form. What if, in a drought-affected future world (hmm, prescient), you had to pay to use the restroom every single time and failing to do so resulted in being sent away to Urinetown forever? The musical, by Kotis and collaborator Mark Hollmann, took its name from the penal colony therein, won three Tonys, and is now brought to the stage by New Line Theatre.
Photography by Nate Burrell, Bjornsphoto, Dave Hogan, courtesy of New Line Theatre
SpringArts_0320.indd 85
2/6/20 5:52 PM
MORE TO SEE
SPRING & SUMMER ARTS GUIDE
‘SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE’
July 14–20 The Muny, 1 Theatre, muny.org
×
St. Louis’ historic Gaslight Theatre is the backdrop to the Muny’s premiere of Broadway’s longestrunning musical revue (at more than 2,000 performances). Be warned: This one is definitely for musical fans; the production contains no dialogue. Instead, the actors use 39 of the best 1950s and ’60s hits—including “Yakety Yak,” “There Goes My Baby,” and “Jailhouse Rock”—to express themselves.
JULY
Fair Saint Louis July 2–4 Gateway Arch National Park
Elton John July 7 Enterprise Center
HARRY STYLES
July 21 Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark, enterprisecenter.com
×
Harry Styles concert starter pack: a parade of eccentric tour outfits (thank you, Gucci), plenty of onstage banter, and many, many moves like Jagger. Considering the juxtaposition of pop-rock bops (“Adore You” and “Lights Up”) and melancholic tunes (“Fine Line” and “Cherry”) on Styles’ second solo album, Fine Line—which he described to Rolling Stone as “all about having sex and feeling sad”—his Love on Tour might have us in our feelings one moment and out of our seats the next...but swooning all the same.
Justin Bieber July 13 Enterprise Center
ALANIS MORISSETTE
July 18 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 14141 Riverport, livenation.com
×
S T. L O U I S F I L M M A K E R S S H O W C A S E
July 10–12, 17–19 Washington University’s Brown Hall, 1 Brookings, cinemastlouis.org
×
Cinema St. Louis’ annual presentation brings together St. Louis filmmakers and their masterpieces, ranging from documentary shorts to feature-length flicks, the latter of which come with post-screening Q&As with the films’ creators. The action is fin with a closing-night awards party at Blueberry Hill.
P. 86 SpringArts_0320.indd 86
Is there even an argument that Jagged Little Pill is not Alanis Morissette’s best album? (Or perhaps that decade’s? Name another ’90s album with its own rock musical.) Morissette must agree, because for the record’s 25th anniversary, she’s taking it—and her angst-rock anthems—on tour. Prepare to belt “You Oughta Know” with 20,000 nostalgic St. Louisans.
Halsey July 25 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Janet Jackson July 31 Enterprise Center
Photography by Ben Gibson, Justin Higuchi, Tim Walker, Soundercover, courtesy of Cinema St. Louis, Fair St. Louis
2/10/20 9:38 AM
MORE TO SEE
MARCH 2020 × STLMAG.COM
NEW TUNES
Saint Louis Music Park comes to Maryland Heights Slated to open May 25, the 4,500-seat Saint Louis Music Park is the newest outdoor concert venue coming to the St. Louis area. The amphitheater will be part of the Centene Community Ice Center, the practice home of the St. Louis Blues, in Maryland Heights, and it plans to host 15 to 20 shows by the end of September. A happy midsize option compared to the nearby Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre— which seats 20,000 and will host 40 shows—it feels almost intimate. Only a handful of Saint Louis Music Park’s shows are official, but here’s what we know so far: MAY 25
JUNE 5
JULY 1
JULY 21
JULY 30
Kesha: The High Road Tour with special guest Big Freedia
The Struts with special guest The Glorious Sons
Barenaked Ladies with Gin Blossoms and Toad The Wet Sprocket
David Gray, White Ladder: The 20th Anniversary tour
Lauv’s How I’m Feeling World Tour
Jason Aldean August 1 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Maroon 5 August 29 Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
S T. L O U F R I N G E F E S T I VA L
August 18–23 Grand Center Arts District and beyond, various locations, stlouisfringe.com
×
Headlining the sixday festival—known for “uncensored, unjuried performing arts with accessible and affordable performances”—is Flame and Shadow: The Pain and Passion of Sara, a world premiere opera performance by composer Nika Leoni and librettist Kathryn Favazza.
F E S T I VA L O F N AT I O N S
August 22 & 23 Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia, festivalofnationsstl.org
×
AUG
Each August, Tower Grove Park is transformed into the region’s largest multicultural celebration. More than 100 of St. Louis’ ethnic and international organizations partner with the International Institute in a two-day event with gifts, arts and crafts, and 40 or so food booths. This might be the only time you can take flamenco dance lessons, learn about Hinduism, and see aikido demonstrations in the space of hours.
B L U E S AT T H E A R C H
August 7, 14, 21 & 28 Gateway National Park, 50 N. Leonor K. Sullivan, archpark.org
×
Although this year’s lineup hadn’t been announced by press time, just looking at last year’s names—Kim Massie and NBC’s The Voice star Kennedy Homes, for starters—is reason enough for blues fans to get excited. Every Friday for four weeks, The Gateway Arch Park Foundation and National Blues Museum’s free event transforms North Gateway near Laclede’s Landing into an extended jazz bar with local and national blues artists taking turns onstage. Sate appetites at the event’s numerous vendors, or opt to bring your own picnic and cooler. Photography by Justin Higuchi, courtesy of Festival of Nations, Blues at the Arch, Saint Louis Music Park
SpringArts_0320.indd 87
2/6/20 5:52 PM
M O C G. A M L T S 0 2 0 2 R. A M 88 P. Galloway_0320.indd 88
2/10/20 9:37 AM
P
H
O
T
B
Y
N
I
O
G
R
A
P
H
Y
N
U
M
B
E
R
S
C
H
O
B
Y
G
A
L
M
A
S
M
A
P T
T
H
I
L
L
I
P
S
S
E
I
D
E
L
E
N I C O L E G A L L O WAY R O S E F R O M A Q U I E T I N S U R A N C E O F F I C E T O T H E S TAT E C A P I T O L , W H E R E S H E ’ S N O W M I S S O U R I ’ S A U D I T O R — A N D T H E O N LY E L E C T E D S TAT E W I D E D E M O C R AT. C A N S H E G E T T O T H E G O V E R N O R ’ S M A N S I O N ?
Galloway_0320.indd 89
2/10/20 9:37 AM
N E A R LY E V E R Y D AY, N I C O L E G A L L O WAY E AT S A B O W L O F K A S H I C E R E A L F O R B R E A K FA S T A N D A C A N O F C H I C K E N FA J I TA S O U P F O R L U N C H . H E R FAV O R I T E B A N D I S T H E B E AT L E S . A F E N T O N N AT I V E , S H E P L AY E D SOCCER IN COLLEGE; NOW SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE
Missouri politics can be “pretty cutthroat,” observes Jeremy Walling, a political science professor at Southeast Missouri State University. “Can somebody who’s down-to-earth and normal,” he wonders, “survive in an environment that’s none of those things?”
R A I S I N G T H R E E B OY S N E A R M I Z Z O U ’ S C A M P U S . S H E I S A C E R T I F I E D P U B L I C A C C O U N TA N T. S H E ’ S A L S O A N E X T R O V E R T W I T H A N A I R H O R N – G R A D E L A U G H T H AT, A S A F O R M E R C O L L E A G U E P U T S I T, “ C A N F I L L U P A R O O M F R O M T W O R O O M S AWAY.” M A N Y W H O K N O W HER DESCRIBE HER WITH THE SAME ADJECTIVE: “ N O R M A L .” S H E ’ S J U S T A N O R M A L P E R S O N , T H E Y S AY, A L M O S T A P O L O G E T I C A L LY, A S I F U N A B L E T O
P.
90
M
A
R.
2
0
2
0
S
T
L
M
A
G.
C
O
M
EXPLAIN A NORMAL PERSON’S ENTRY INTO POLITICS.
Galloway_0320.indd 90
Galloway is the sole Democrat among the six elected statewide officeholders in Jefferson City. The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer—they’re all Republicans (and all men). The General Assembly is ruby red, too, with a GOP supermajority. The woman crashing this party is Galloway, the state auditor since 2015. She presents herself as a goodgovernment crusader and a “Missouri Democrat”—one whose stances on such issues as gun control and ethics reform are commonsense and shared by a majority of Show-Me State voters. Though Galloway hasn’t won her party’s primary for the gubernatorial race, she’s the clear favorite, and her campaign is drawing national support. She’s getting advice from the Democratic Governors Association, which spent millions in recent years notching gubernatorial wins in nine states that President Donald Trump carried. Trump won Missouri by 19 points in 2016, but the DGA has released a memo calling the upcoming governor’s race “wide open” and praising Galloway for her “unique cross-party appeal.” (She was reelected as auditor in 2018 after winning eight Missouri counties that, on the same day, picked conservative Josh Hawley for U.S. senator.) Trained for the private sector, Galloway was recruited into public office when, twice in a row, an official died and she accepted the appointment to fill the vacancy. Thus she rose to power unscathed by partisan brawls. Yet things are changing. Her role as auditor is to detect flaws in the finances and performance of others, but now that she’s aiming for the Governor’s Mansion, Galloway finds herself under scrutiny. Sen. Hawley took to Twitter in early 2020 to question her political independence as auditor. Some of his fellow Republicans accuse her of being a far-left liberal, evasive on issues, not transparent, or linked to lobbyists. As the race heats up, more attacks will follow.
T H E A U D I T O R I U M O F the Teamsters
Local 682, in South City, is awash in poinsettias, finger foods, and Democrats. It’s the evening of December 12, and Galloway glides in just as her party’s holiday bash in St. Louis is ramping up. She hugs her first city official (License Collector Mavis Thompson), pats another (Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler) on the back, then greets attorney Nelson Mitten: “Heyyy, sir! How’re you doing?” Mitten had a cameo in her campaign launch video. He appeared during a backlit scene in which a shadowy lobbyist passes money to a shadowy politician. “You obscured my image!” he protests in jest. Galloway tilts back and guffaws. Clad in her customary dark blazer and jeans, she pats his arm, lowers her voice to imitate his, hams it up. Galloway tends to default to a ramrodstraight posture with her arms crossed. Yet she meets interlocutors where they are: If they’re gesticulating and cracking wise, she will, too. If they’re seated, she stoops over to chat. If they want to vent, she cocks her head to one side, squints in concentration, winces, shakes her head. She doesn’t rush. Without a trace of irony, she says things like “I’m ready for this fight” and “Holy moly!” But this particular holiday gathering is only her second of the night—a third beckons out in St. Charles—so it’s time for a speech. She takes the stage to applause. “I know you guys go to banquets like this all the time,” she says, “and so I will not drone on up here for very long.” She reminds them that in winning reelection in 2018, she was “able to outperform the top of ticket by 12 points”—an indirect reference to her 6-point win and former U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill’s 6-point loss. She thanks those in the crowd who made that victory possible. In closing, she wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, then says: “I will see you out on the trail, working our...”—she hesitates, then goes for it, quietly—“asses off.” The crowd loves it. Later, she expresses a touch of embarrassment: “I try not to curse.”
2/10/20 9:37 AM
NICOLE GALLOWAY WITH HER HUSBAND, JON GALLOWAY, AND SONS WILLIAM, BENJAMIN, AND JOSEPH AS SHE IS SWORN IN ON JANUARY 14, 2019, BY JUDGE MARY R. RUSSELL
N I C O L E “ N I K K I ” R O G G E grew up in a
brick home at the end of a sedate cul-desac in Fenton. Her parents were conservative. Her younger sister, Megan Rogge, says that their father, Ron, a civil engineer, and their mother, Lorrie, a registered nurse, would have “lively” debates at the dinner table about social issues. “I wouldn’t say they kept politics out of our house,” says Megan, who’s now a dermatologist in Texas. “I would just say they never encouraged us personally to go into politics. Our parents are very practical. They definitely told us that stability is the most important thing to have in a job.” Ron and Lorrie levied taxes on their children to teach them about personal finance. To calculate the kids’ allowances, they used a formula based on each child’s age and the number of household chores logged per week. The taxes went into short-, medium-, and long-term savings containers (i.e., jars and shoeboxes). The kids could later choose how to spend their savings: maybe on a Game Boy game or on the salad bar at Ponderosa. Nikki was about 9 years old when this began. It made sense to her, because numbers made sense to her. She loved math: It promised a single right answer, no matter how you got there. Her dad even assigned her extra problems to solve on top of her homework. At St. Paul Catholic School, she was chatty. Teachers warned misbehaving pupils by drawing checkmarks beside their names on the chalkboard; three
checkmarks triggered a call to a student’s parents. Nikki was often a two-checkmark offender. She gabbed with friends right up to the line but didn’t cross it. She brushed up against boundaries again at Ursuline Academy in Kirkwood. The dress code required skirts but allowed an extra layer in winter. Nikki would wear “the biggest, warmest sweatpants she could get away with,” one classmate recalls. While playing soccer during these years, Nikki went to war with her opponents, recalls her former coach Rob LaMear, but not quite to the point of playing dirty. “She might run you over, but then she’d help you up,” he recalls. She asserted herself off the field, too. During summers, she worked at Kirkwood Material Supply, where she was assigned to the cash register—at least in theory. When the other employees were busy, she operated a forklift and helped load mulch and rocks. After she discovered that she was making a dollar less than the guys, she told management she deserved a raise—and got it. Offered a soccer scholarship to what’s now the Missouri University of Science & Technology, Nikki accepted. Academics consumed her, recalls a roommate, Jennifer Foster. “It was always her first priority,” Foster says. Yet Nikki learned to relax, too. Her sister came to visit and realized: Nikki was popular. “She had always been so concerned about pleasing our parents and not ruffling any feathers,” says Megan, “that seeing her in college—she seemed more liber-
ated and having fun.” Nikki joined two service sororities and won the Queen of Love & Beauty crown at the school’s 2003 St. Patrick’s Day festivities. She earned degrees in applied mathematics and economics but wasn’t satisfied. She sketched out her future: Over a twoyear period, she resolved, she would get a graduate degree in accounting at the University of Missouri business school while passing the notoriously tough CPA exams. Her ultimate goal: to clinch a CFO spot at a private company. Accountants, she knew, were usually the last ones to get fired. Then she met Jon Galloway—several times. The son of a Republican telecommunications lobbyist, Jon had grown up in Jefferson City. He enrolled at Mizzou’s business school in fall 2006, at the same time as Nikki. In their first week on campus, she tried to make his acquaintance. He stopped her. “I’m not going to introduce myself to you again,” he said. It turned out they’d already met; Nikki had no memory of it. They dated for 10 months, until a muggy night in July 2007, when he proposed on the Eads Bridge, a landmark he admired for its longevity. They married just after graduation, in May 2008. The couple found a place in the SkinkerDeBaliviere neighborhood, though they rarely saw each other there. Jon landed a job on Democrat Clint Zweifel’s campaign for state treasurer; after Zweifel won, he joined his office in the capital. Nikki was flying around the country (and even to Germany) for accounting firm Brown Smith Wallace, auditing insurance companies and conducting risk assessments for such Fortune 500 giants as Siemens and Caterpillar. They loved their work but soon concluded that a life apart wasn’t sustainable. They moved back to Columbia, where Nikki found a job at Shelter Insurance. She was still at Shelter when, in early 2011, Boone County Treasurer Jan Fugit
Photography by Julie Smith/The Jefferson City News-Tribune via AP
Galloway_0320.indd 91
2/10/20 9:37 AM
died. Under Missouri law, the vacancy had to be filled with an appointee chosen by then-Governor Jay Nixon. The Democratic committee in Columbia had a candidate in mind, but their state representative, Stephen Webber, had another.
P.
92
M
A
R.
2
0
2
0
S
T
L
M
A
G.
C
O
M
“ I R E M E M B E R C A L L I N G her and pitch-
ing the idea,” says Webber. “She was taken aback.” Galloway quizzed him on the details, mulled it over, then threw her hat in the ring. To her, it seemed a low-risk way to try public service. The move floored her sister. “That was totally bizarre for me,” Megan recalls. “She definitely had never talked about that career aspiration before.” After Nixon picked Galloway for the job, in April 2011, nervousness seized her, she says. In the rush of introductions and meetings, she tried to hide her nausea. It proved to be morning sickness. The Galloways’ first child, William, arrived early in Nicole’s tenure as treasurer. A year later, when Nicole went into labor with their second son, she and Jon made their way to the delivery room. She asked him for her iPad. The reason: She wanted to buy certificates of deposit with Boone County funds to ensure that they were properly collateralized. She handled the purchase in between contractions. Thus was born one of Jon’s favorite anecdotes (and their son Benjamin Galloway). By that time, Nicole had made a splash in Boone County government. “This stuff could be real dry, but she had a way of lightening it up,” says Boone County Counselor C.J. Dykhouse. “She didn’t take herself too seriously. And she was always extremely hardworking.” She’d often be juggling at least one baby—sometimes holding William in one hand while doing payroll with the other. She did things that her predecessors hadn’t: She issued press releases. She crafted a new debt management policy. She refinanced the county’s debt to save taxpayers $4.6 million. She bought a safe to store checks. She collaborated with the county’s IT staff to build an online portal for unclaimed property—a first in Missouri. Dykhouse believes Galloway navigated issues through a lens of best practices, not partisan ideology. In county-level governance, he says, “we don’t have Democratic or Republican ways to fix potholes.” Yet at this stage, Galloway felt at home in the Democratic camp. She believed in
Galloway_0320.indd 92
“working people values,” she says. She also supported civil rights for the LGBTQ community. “Same-sex marriage was a big issue at that time,” she says. For her, that was “a big defining issue.” By early 2015, she felt “happy and satisfied” as Boone County treasurer. She had no reason to expect a very public promotion. “Of course, you always think what could happen next,” she says, “but in no world did I think this is what it would be.”
“ THE AUDITOR’S S TA F F — I C A N ’ T EVEN DESCRIBE HOW DISTRAUGHT T H E Y W E R E .”
O N T H E M O R N I N G of February 26, 2015,
Nixon and his chief of staff, Chris Pieper, were pulled out of a meeting. An attorney in the chief executive’s office led them to a nearby room and relayed the news: Auditor Tom Schweich was being rushed to a hospital. He had shot himself—fatally, it turned out. “It was not like anything I’ve ever experienced,” recalls Pieper. “The auditor’s staff—I can’t even describe how distraught they were.” After dealing with the tragedy, the governor faced a crucial decision: whom to appoint as Schweich’s successor. The auditor is not only a statewide governmental watchdog with subpoena power but also a potential springboard to higher office. (John Ashcroft, Christopher “Kit” Bond, and Claire McCaskill all started out as auditors.) To buy time, Nixon appointed an interim auditor. His staff searched for candidates. About 20 to 30 aspirants contacted the office, recalls Pieper. Galloway was not among them, though her name eventually surfaced. “She wasn’t a political person,” Pieper recalls. “Nixon likes people who are boring—and I don’t mean that in a pejorative way. He likes people who are normal.” So Pieper called her. “I know it was a surprise we were even asking,” he says. After extensive back-and-forth, Nixon offered her the job, and she accepted. The office’s staff of about 115 employees had just suffered not one but two suicides.
Schweich’s former spokesman, Robert “Spence” Jackson, died by suicide on March 27. A month later, Galloway was sworn in. “Recovery from something like that doesn’t happen in one month,” says Gena Terlizzi, who served on the auditor’s communications team around that time. The new auditor made sure staff had resources to cope, Terlizzi says, and as a CPA and certified fraud examiner, already understood audits. The office issues more than 100 reports a year. Zeroing in on publicly funded entities, the auditor’s staff scrutinizes finances, calls out fraud and abuse, and gauges performance. In Galloway’s first year, Terlizzi recalls, the office issued a report on a fire protection district in the southwest Missouri town of Goodman. Auditors believed they’d identified $8,000 in payments involving conflicts of interest, plus the misuse of a district debit card. Residents had petitioned for the audit, and the rating was “poor,” so Galloway went to present it in person. “I have this memory of driving to Goodman,” Terlizzi says. “She was looking through the audit report, and we were all talking about it. And there was this moment of silence, and then she said, ‘Can you believe this even happened?’ The reason that stuck with me was that, up to that point, I’d never seen any person be so visibly disturbed by something that you or I might say is as dry as an audit report.” The team arrived in Goodman to a packed school cafeteria, where Galloway presented the findings. The Q&A session that followed grew tense. Attendees starting to target one another with their comments. It almost veered out of control, Terlizzi says, but Galloway steered the focus back to the facts and possible remedies. She wanted to fix it, Terlizzi concludes: “The person you saw at the podium was the person I saw in the car.” Not everyone was so enamored of Galloway’s performance. The Missouri Alliance for Freedom, a conservative advocacy group, now has a running clock on its website. It purports to count the days, hours, minutes, and seconds since Galloway “refused to produce her government text messages and emails to taxpayers.” The Alliance’s accusation traces back to March 2017, when Galloway announced a series of audits of Missouri’s budget crisis. She sought to learn, for instance, how many citizens were still waiting for state tax refunds. She asked the Department
2/10/20 9:37 AM
MCDOWELL / GALLOWAY 2018
HAWLEY / MCCASKILL 2018
TRUMP / CLINTON 2016
GREITENS / KOSTER 2016
ST. CHARLES
STATE OF MISSOURI GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 8, 2016 GOVERNOR GREITENS vs KOSTER
51.137%
45.570%
56.772%
38.135%
STATE OF MISSOURI GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 8, 2016 U.S. PRESIDENT TRUMP vs CLINTON
50.413%
44.614%
STATE OF MISSOURI GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 6, 2018 STATE AUDITOR McDOWELL vs GALLOWAY
GREENE
PLATTE
COLE
BUCHANAN
CALLAWAY
STE. GENEVIEVE
HOWARD
TIPPING POINTS
STATE OF MISSOURI GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 6, 2018 U.S. SENATOR HAWLEY vs McCASKILL
51.383%
of Revenue, then under Republican control, for info. The department refused, she claimed, so she issued a subpoena—the first of her tenure to a government agency. The department dropped off a stack of documents soon thereafter. But the next month, lawyers for the Alliance sent Galloway three Sunshine Law requests. They asked for, among other
45.596%
When Galloway was reelected as auditor, in 2018, she won in Ste. Genevieve, Platte, Howard, Greene, Cole, Callaway, Buchanan, and St. Charles counties—all areas where GOP candidates won. She’ll need support in those counties again in 2020 to take the governor’s office.
things, records related to her tax refund probe, including her text messages. After a flurry of correspondence, the Alliance sued the auditor, alleging she’d erased certain texts on purpose. The parties went to trial before Cole County Circuit Judge Jon E. Beetem. In January 2019, the court sided with Galloway. Beetem noted that Galloway’s office had
turned over 47,000 pages of records to the Alliance—“an enormous good-faith effort,” he wrote, “to comply with several very large public records requests.” The judge found that the office’s records custodian appeared not to realize, until it was too late, that Galloway’s phone (like others in the office) was automatically deleting texts after 30 days. Therefore her Continued on p. 118
Photography by AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, AP Photo/Jeff Curry, AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, Matt Seidel
Galloway_0320.indd 93
2/10/20 9:37 AM
education profiles S P EC I A L A DV E RTI S I NG S EC TI O N
S P EC I A L A DV E RTISIN G SEC TIO N
education profiles
A PARENT'S JOB IS NEVER DONE. One of the biggest choices you can make for your children is where they will receive their education. It's a decision that will shape knowledge, character, skill, and ultimately their future. Learn about great local options in the following pages.
94
stlmag.com March 2020
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 94
2/6/20 5:20 PM
education profiles S PECIAL ADV ER T ISIN G SEC T ION
St. Louis University High School (SLUH) 4970 OAKLAND AVENUE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63110 314-531-0330 / SLUH.ORG
Since 1818, St. Louis University High School has provided a premier education to young men from all walks of life. From the moment a student steps foot in SLUH to the moment he strides across the stage at Powell Hall to accept his diploma, everything he experiences is designed to ensure he graduates as an intellectually inspired, open to growth, loving and faith-driven Man for Others committed to doing justice. SLUH educates well-rounded students with exceptional God-given abilities who are capable of achieving extraordinary things. Its dedicated faculty helps students achieve their potential through a robust program with more than 100 electives and Advanced Placement courses in 20 disciplines. The school is distinguished as a leader in education, with recent recognition as a U.S. National Blue Ribbon School, U.S. Green Ribbon School, and a USA Today Top STEM School in America. Infused with the five-century-old tradition and philosophy established
quick look
by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, SLUH’s focus in all of its endeavors reflects the Jesuit motto Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, a Latin term meaning “For the greater glory of God.” Coupled with a strong faith foundation, the school instills a desire to achieve excellence in all things—an active, aspirational ideal that goes beyond academics—one that has driven and differentiated SLUH and its Jesuit traditions for more than 200 years. At SLUH, each student is embraced with respect and inclusion through need-blind admission, status-blind friendships and a rich diversity of cultures and perspectives. Thanks to $4.1 million in direct financial aid, SLUH students come from 184 grade schools and 92 ZIP codes. Extensive co-curriculars, including a storied athletic program and more than 75 clubs and organizations, offer them the opportunity to be all they can be—all in a loving, spirit-filled community.
GRADES
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
TUITION
9–12 (boys)
970
9:1
$17,500
March 2020 stlmag.com
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 95
95
2/6/20 5:20 PM
education profiles S P EC I A L A DV E RTISIN G SEC TIO N
Chesterfield Montessori School 14000 LADUE ROAD, CHESTERFIELD, MO 63017 314-469-7150 / CHESTERFIELDMONTESSORI.ORG
Founded in 1981, Chesterfield Montessori School offers authentic AMI (Association Montessori International) programs for children 16 months old through eighth grade. The school’s beautiful sunlit facility features classrooms that are open, inviting, well-organized, and equipped with the full range of materials scientifically developed by Dr. Maria Montessori. The five-acre main campus includes playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, a swimming pool, and an organic children’s garden. Adolescent students have a satellite campus as well as a seven-acre Land Lab that supports field work and scientific studies. Recognized as one of the best Montessori schools in the U.S., CMS offers individualized, hands-on learning that empowers students with academic achievement, a belief in the dignity of work, and a sense of responsibility. A current parent states, “This school is a hidden gem in St. Louis! The teachers are amazing, the curriculum is challenging, and the children’s love for each other and for learning and exploration is truly unique.” An alumni parent, whose daughter now works at the British embassy, says, “She is strong, confident, and talented, and I attribute much of that to her Montessori education at CMS.” Chesterfield Montessori School welcomes you for a tour to discover the difference.
quick look
GRADES
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
TUITION
16 months–14 years (coed)
170
12:1
See website
The College School 7825 BIG BEND BOULEVARD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63119 314-962-9355 / THECOLLEGESCHOOL.ORG
Students at The College School never sit in class and wonder, “When will I use this in real life?” At The College School, students learn by going off campus, collaborating with experts, and creating solutions to real-world problems. They don’t teach to the test, drill worksheets, or learn content just for the sake of doing so. Instead, students master physics by designing and building their own roller coasters or learn financial literacy by starting their own businesses. Students explore the world through authentic experiences. Along the way, they are part of a close-knit community that allows them to be who they are and to use their voice. It’s no wonder students love coming to school. To learn more and schedule a personal tour, email admissions@thecollegeschool.org or call 314-962-9355.
quick look 96
GRADES
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
TUITION
Pre-K–Grade 8
245
9:1
$10,950–$20,170
stlmag.com March 2020
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 96
2/6/20 5:21 PM
education profiles S PECIAL ADV ER T ISIN G SEC T ION
De Smet Jesuit High School 233 N. NEW BALLAS ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63141 314-567-3500 x1247 / DESMET.ORG
De Smet Jesuit High School is an all-male, college preparatory, Catholic high school located in Creve Coeur. Founded in 1967, De Smet Jesuit offers a top-tier curriculum and a balanced emphasis on academics, faith, service, and co-curricular activities, so graduates are best prepared to be “men for and with others.” This spring, De Smet Jesuit is hosting “Choose Your Own Shadow Adventure” days for seventh-grade students. Shadow mornings last from 9 a.m.—12:45 p.m. and include a customized session designed for visitors, an in-class experience with a current student as a guide, and a complimentary lunch in the cafeteria. Shadows may choose from improvisational acting, hands-on chemistry, highenergy biology, and an exploration of STEM course offerings. De Smet Jesuit also welcomes transfer students at any grade level. A record number of transfer students have enrolled during the 2019–2020 school year. Learn more about De Smet Jesuit's outstanding program and experience the incredible spirit of the community firsthand by scheduling a visit today with the admissions office at 314-567-3500, ext. 1247.
quick look
GRADES
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
9–12 (boys)
685
10:1
TUITION
$17,470 ($675/year for laptop)
Incarnate Word Academy 2788 NORMANDY DRIVE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63121 314-725-5850 x1149 / IWACADEMY.ORG
The mission of Incarnate Word Academy is to challenge young women of faith to achieve their God-given potential as academically successful Women of the Word. Following the example of Jesus, the Incarnate Word, they promote human dignity, thereby empowering themselves and others to make a positive impact on the world. Founded in 1932, the Academy is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. At IWA, girls enjoy not just equal opportunity but every opportunity. The singlegender setting offers a rich learning environment where every student welcomes academic challenges, expresses her thoughts and opinions, and participates in new learning opportunities. The college preparatory environment extends beyond the curriculum. Modular scheduling helps IWA graduates begin their college career with an edge—already knowing how to collaborate, structure downtime, and initiate discussions with professors. Red Knights take advantage of 22 athletic teams, 19 clubs and organizations, and 35 college-credit course offerings. In addition, there are 18 scholarship categories, including several new scholarships worth up to $5,000 per year.
quick look
GRADES
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
TUITION
9–12 (girls)
340
12:1
$14,495
March 2020 stlmag.com
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 97
97
2/6/20 5:21 PM
education profiles S P EC I A L A DV E RTISIN G SEC TIO N
Lutheran North Middle & High School
Lutheran High School South
5401 LUCAS AND HUNT ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63121
9515 TESSON FERRY ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63123
314-389-3100 / LNCRUSADERS.ORG
314-631-1400 / LSLANCERS.ORG
Lutheran North is dedicated to helping students succeed academically, athletically, and spiritually. More than 98 percent of the school’s graduates earned college scholarships last year. Lutheran North’s athletic teams routinely excel at the district and state levels. Students attend chapel every day and perform 100 hours of community service. Lutheran North opened its doors to middle school students this year, offering more students the opportunity to receive a college-prep education in a safe, Christian environment.
Lutheran South offers college-style scheduling, giving students more independence and better preparing them for university life. Students excel in the school’s Advanced Placement classes and dualenrollment courses through Saint Louis University. Medical classes are offered for those interested in the health industry. More than 25 percent of Lutheran South’s recent graduates are pursuing degrees in the medical field. With a dedicated staff that prides itself on building relationships, Lutheran South helps students find their passion.
GRADES 6–12 (coed)
ENROLLMENT 300
GRADES 9-12 (coed)
ENROLLMENT 400
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 10:1
TUITION $8,250 (MS); $15,000 (HS)
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 10:1
TUITION $15,000
Miriam School & Miriam Academy MIRIAM SCHOOL: 501 BACON AVENUE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63119 MIRIAM ACADEMY: 2845 N. BALLAS ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63131 314-968-3893 / MIRIAMSTL.ORG
Miriam is the St. Louis region’s most comprehensive resource for children with learning differences. Its programs offer a different approach to unlocking potential, designed to meet the unique social, emotional, and academic needs of each student. For more than 60 years, Miriam School has empowered unique learners in kindergarten through eighth grade by providing an individualized education and a foundation for success. With small class sizes, experienced teachers and staff, and integrated accommodations such as speech/language and occupational therapy, Miriam School provides students with a nurturing environment full of possibilities. In 2016, Miriam Academy opened to serve high school students in an environment designed to help them excel. Miriam Academy’s small class sizes, curriculum modifications, and tailored opportunities, such as internships and summer experiences, help students prepare for college or a career path after graduation. Miriam also operates Miriam Learning Center, which supports children and young adults ages 3–25 through a range of services. No matter where families are in their journey, Miriam helps identify needs and provide solutions.
quick look 98
GRADES
K–12 (coed)
ENROLLMENT
103 (elementary/middle school); 64 (high school)
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
10:1
TUITION
$9,000–$31,100 (2019/20)
stlmag.com March 2020
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 98
2/6/20 5:21 PM
education profiles S PECIAL ADV ER T ISIN G SEC T ION
Missouri Military Academy 204 N. GRAND STREET, MEXICO, MO 65265 573-581-1776 / MISSOURIMILITARYACADEMY.ORG
Since 1889, thousands of parents from across the U.S. and around the world have looked to Missouri Military Academy to give their boys the structure, responsibility, and love they need to grow, compete, thrive, and ultimately become young men who are in full command of their lives. For boys grades 7 through 12 postgraduate, MMA is a college-preparatory boarding school with a military tradition. MMA’s comprehensive 360° Education program empowers students to unlock their full potential. Through MMA’s tightknit environment, supported by peers, teachers, and mentors, boys learn personal accountability, perseverance, and self-discipline. Through MMA’s unique College Triumph program, qualifying students can start college early and graduate with one year of college completed, or even their Associate of Arts degree. MMA graduates consistently achieve 100 percent college acceptance and earn an impressive number of scholarships, including to the U.S. service academies. Ninety minutes from St. Louis, Missouri Military Academy’s 288-acre campus provides a safe, supportive, and scenic setting for learning.
quick look
GRADES
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
7—postgraduate
210
14:1
TUITION
$38,000 (includes room and board)
Rossman School 12660 CONWAY ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63141 314-434-5877 / ROSSMANSCHOOL.ORG
Nestled on a 20-acre campus in Creve Coeur, Rossman is an independent private preparatory school dedicated to discovering and nurturing what makes each child one-of-a-kind. In a small, safe, and supportive school community, students thrive as they are challenged and stretched by an unparalleled educational program emphasizing strong academics, character development, and leadership skills. Rossman’s experienced and innovative faculty develop close personal relationships with each child and implement a stimulating curriculum that inspires a lifelong love for learning while providing a solid foundation in language arts, mathematics, and specialty subjects such as art, music, physical education, science, Spanish, and social studies. The school’s thoughtfully designed program teaches children how to learn and equips them with the problem-solving, critical thinking, organization, and collaboration skills that future leaders need. The core values of kindness, honesty, respect, and responsibility are woven deeply into every facet of Rossman. Graduates are known not only for being academically well-prepared but also for their embodiment of these traits.
quick look
GRADES
JK (age 4)— grade 6 (coed)
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
216
8:1
TUITION
Early Childhood: $20,400 Grades 1–6: $21,100
March 2020 stlmag.com
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 99
99
2/6/20 5:21 PM
education profiles S P EC I A L A DV E RTISIN G SEC TIO N
St. John School 15800 MANCHESTER ROAD, ELLISVILLE, MO 63011 636-779-2325 / STJLS.ORG
Learning is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Every child is uniquely gifted with skills, passions, and learning styles. In order to meet each student where they are— and still provide appropriate academic rigor—a personalized approach is required. As a Personalized Learning Academy, St. John School offers an innovative approach that is based on educational best practices and backed by extensive research. As students progress through the program, teachers work alongside them to assess their learning needs and tailor age-appropriate projects and lessons just for them. Students experience a combination of digital curriculum and group projects in interactive environments. St. John focuses on instilling and reinforcing real-life success skills, such as collaboration, self-advocacy, and self-regulation. Graduates are prepared to enter the next phase of education in any high school environment with confidence.
quick look
GRADES
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
TUITION
Early Childhood–Grade 8
287
8:1 (Early Childhood); 14:1 (K–8)
$1,990–$7,790
The St. Michael School of Clayton 6345 WYDOWN BLVD, CLAYTON, MO 63105 314-721-4422 / STMICHAELSCHOOL.ORG
The St. Michael School of Clayton campus is tucked away near Forest Park and Washington University. This Reggio-inspired school looks at each child individually, creating a program based on the principles of respect, responsibility, community, spirit, and environment. The school provides daily authentic experiences outside of the traditional classroom, often utilizing Forest Park as an alternative campus. The school offers a variety of extracurriculars, including music lessons, robotics, yoga, and more to capture the different interests of students. The goal for each student is to create a love of learning while understanding the curriculum being presented through relationship-building, curiosity, and exploration. TSMSOC’s method supports children as they develop into intelligent, diverse, and curious learners. Come see the difference.
quick look 100
GRADES
Infant (12 weeks) —Grade 8
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
150
5:1
TUITION
Infant—Grade 4: $17,600 Grades 5–8: $18,200
stlmag.com March 2020
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 100
2/6/20 5:21 PM
education profiles S PECIAL ADV ER T ISIN G SEC T ION
Villa Duchesne & Oak Hill School 801 S. SPOEDE ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63131 314-810-3529 / VDOH.ORG
Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School provides an independent, Catholic education in the Sacred Heart tradition for boys and girls age 3–grade 6 and for young women in grades 7–12. Sacred Heart educators are committed to top academics, strong faith, service to others, community, and personal growth. They educate students to be forces of positive change in their worlds and beyond, and students graduate with an understanding of the world around them and the desire to make a difference. With the school's new Family Individualized Tuition (FIT) initiative, it is possible for parents to give their child the gift of a life-changing Sacred Heart education, full of opportunity. The school's beautiful 60-acre campus is centrally located in Frontenac and welcomes students from more than 50 ZIP codes in the St. Louis region. Visit the school, meet outstanding educators, and get a sense of the welcoming community.
quick look
GRADES
Age 3–Grade 6 (coed) Grades 7–12 (women)
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
430
8:1
TUITION
Family Individualized Tuition (vdoh.org/FIT)
Visitation Academy 3020 N. BALLAS ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63131 314-625-9103 / VISITATIONACADEMY.ORG
From the coeducational Montessori program for age 2 through kindergarten to the all-girl environment in grades 1–12, Visitation Academy is an independent Catholic Salesian school that empowers its students to “be who you are and be that well.” Viz is proud to provide an innovative educational and spiritual experience that welcomes and appreciates each student and her individual gifts. Students thrive in a close-knit school community that fosters collaboration, creativity, and the free-flowing exchange of ideas. The all-girl environment provides opportunities for students to fill every leadership role and become strong, confident leaders. The schools’ commitment to academic excellence is complemented by a vibrant fine arts program, diverse entrepreneurial studies, inclusive yet competitive athletics program, and numerous extracurricular clubs and service opportunities. Viz is a place where young women may truly be themselves, free to express their feelings and pursue their interests. Viz girls are poised, intelligent, self-assured young women, positioned for success in our classrooms, in college, and in life.
quick look
GRADES
Montessori (coed): Toddler–K; All-Girl: Grades 1–12
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
569
6:1
TUITION
$22,370 (Upper School)
March 2020 stlmag.com
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 101
101
2/6/20 5:21 PM
education profiles S P EC I A L A DV E RTISIN G SEC TIO N
Whitfield School 175 S. MASON ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63141 314-434-5141 / WHITFIELDSCHOOL.ORG
Whitfield cultivates ethical, confident, successful students in a community of innovation, collaboration, and trust. Whitfield’s rigorous college preparatory program for grades 6–12 is rooted in character education. Through the Habits of Mind & Heart curriculum, students grow in confidence, cultural competency, and as scholars. Whitfield’s classrooms are dynamic and engaging spaces. Through a studentcentered approach, each individual’s strengths are known, cultivated, and celebrated. The school honors the legacy of traditional education and recognizes the importance of innovative thinking. Whitfield’s college counseling program empowers and prepares students for their top choice schools. The process features an extraordinary level of individualization and curricular integration. In the last five years, seniors have earned more than $12.6 million in merit scholarships for their first year of college. Whitfield graduates are prepared for the global realities they will face in college and beyond. The school's growing international program includes hosting students from around the world who choose to study at Whitfield and opportunities for American students to travel abroad.
quick look
GRADES
ENROLLMENT
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
TUITION
6–12 (coed)
460
8:1
$28,850 (2020–2021)
Academy of St. Louis
Chesterfield Day School
1633 KEHRS MILL ROAD, CHESTERFIELD, MO 63005
1100 WHITE ROAD, CHESTERFIELD, MO 63017
636-534-5099 / ACADSTL.ORG
314-469-6622 / CHESTERFIELDDAYSCHOOL.ORG
The Academy of St. Louis is a Catholic school serving students in kindergarden through twelfth grade who are on the autism spectrum and students with learning disabilities, developmental delays, and speech/language disorders. The Academy offers a unique program focused on social skills and a post-secondary transition program that prepares students for success and independence after high school, no matter what their disability. Specific goals are provided for each student to work towards, providing a clear path to success into adulthood with confidence and courage.
102
CDS offers a premier start-to-finish education for students age 18 months through sixth grade. Beginning with an early childhood program rooted in the Montessori philosophy, CDS’s holistic approach values all dimensions of a child. Classrooms feature mixed-age groupings that foster peer learning, uninterrupted blocks of work time, and guided choice of work. In second through sixth grade, students build on Montessori foundations with additional personalized methodologies—including Singapore Math, Project Based Learning, and a state-of-the-art MakerSpace.
GRADES K–12 (coed)
ENROLLMENT N/A
GRADES 18 Months–Grade 6 (coed)
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 3:1
TUITION $22,000 (aid available)
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 4:1 (toddler); 8:1 (PK–6) TUITION $19,100
ENROLLMENT 150
stlmag.com March 2020
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 102
2/6/20 5:21 PM
education profiles S PECIAL ADV ER T ISIN G SEC T ION
Christ Community Lutheran School
Churchill Center & School
KIRKWOOD / GLENDALE / CRESTWOOD / WEBSTER GROVES
1021 MUNICIPAL CENTER DRIVE, TOWN & COUNTRY, MO 63131
314-822-7774 / CCLS-STLOUIS.ORG
314-997-4343 / CHURCHILLSTL.ORG
Christ Community Lutheran School is transforming lives through Christcentered education. CCLS has been recognized nationally as a highachieving Blue Ribbon school by the U.S. Department of Education and continues to be a leader in fostering a Christ-centered community, uniquely focused on academic excellence, spiritual impact, character development, technology integration, and comprehensive co-curricular programming. CCLS welcomes families with six-week-olds through eighth-graders to share in a paramount mission with an eternal impact.
Churchill Center & School, an independent elementary school in St. Louis, is one of the top educational institutions for learning disabilities in the country. Every year, Churchill provides educational services to approximately 300 children with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning disabilities through day school, summer school, and tutoring. For more than 40 years, Churchill’s mission has been to empower students to gain the strategies and confidence they need to succeed, becoming advocates for their future.
GRADES Infant–Grade 8
ENROLLMENT 676
GRADES 1–9 (coed)
ENROLLMENT 150
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 17:1
TUITION $2,750–$7,590 (K–8)
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 3:1
TUITION $35,500
Cor Jesu Academy
Community School 900 LAY ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63124
10230 GRAVOIS ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63123
314-991-0005 / COMMUNITYSCHOOL.COM
314-842-1546 / CORJESU.ORG
Community School is an independent preschool and elementary school, serving families with children age 3 through sixth grade. The 7:1 student/teacher ratio allows personalized attention for active, experiential learning. Students are immersed in a STEAM program, which also includes drama, art, music, band, and woodworking. As a testament to their academic preparation, Community students’ test scores are among the highest in the nation.
GRADES Age 3–Grade 6 STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 7:1
ENROLLMENT 346 TUITION $14,120 - $21,869
Cor Jesu, a Catholic college-preparatory school founded by the Apostles of the Sacred Heart, offers an academically challenging program committed to the total education of young women. CJ’s innovative approach encourages students to think beyond textbooks. Inspired by the religious sisters on staff and the charism “Sharing the Love of the Heart of Christ,” students embrace personal dignity, faith, integrity, and compassion, graduating as responsible members of the global community. GRADES 9–12 (girls)
ENROLLMENT 578
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 11:1
TUITION $15,250
March 2020 stlmag.com
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 103
103
2/10/20 9:23 AM
education profiles S P EC I A L A DV E RTISIN G SEC TIO N
Countryside Montessori School
Forsyth School
12226 LADUE ROAD, CREVE COEUR, MO 63141
6235 WYDOWN BOULEVARD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63105
314-434-2821 / MONTESSORI4CHILDREN.COM
314-726-4542 / FORSYTHSCHOOL.ORG
Countryside Montessori School is dedicated to the education of the whole child. Countryside meets each child’s need for intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development. The learning environment is designed to cultivate independence, individual responsibility, freedom of choice, concentration, problem-solving abilities, social interaction, competency in basic skills, and a love of learning. By offering a superb Montessori education in a nurturing environment, Countryside strives to help children reach their full potential and become independent, lifelong learners.
Forsyth School is a leading independent, coeducational elementary school that provides an unforgettable experience on a one-of-a-kind campus in the Wydown-Forsyth historic district. The challenging and engaging curriculum fosters independence and prepares students to thrive in secondary school and beyond. Starting with the 2020–2021 school year, Forsyth’s new Eyas program for ages 2–3 is an expansion of the established "challenge curriculum" for age 3 through grade 6.
GRADES 8 Week–6 Years (coed)
ENROLLMENT 66
GRADES Age 2–Grade 6
ENROLLMENT 370
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 3:1–8:1 (varies)
TUITION Varies
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 8:1
TUITION $20,816–$21,337
The Fulton School
Immanuel Lutheran School
123 SCHOOLHOUSE ROAD, ST. ALBANS, MO 63073
115 S. SIXTH STREET, ST. CHARLES, MO 63301
636-458-6688 / TFSSA.ORG
636-946-0051 / IMMANUELSTCHARLES.ORG
The Fulton School strives to be an extension of the home, cultivating children’s capabilities and challenging them to take academic risks and develop self-confidence. Set on a 13-acre wooded campus, Fulton School is a small, Montessori-based, toddler through twelfth grade school. The teaching styles are refreshing, and the students are engaged, accepted, and passionate about learning. The teachers are experts at bringing the students' passions to life in the classroom.
104
Immanuel Lutheran School (est. 1848) is an outstanding Christian school for children and has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Immanuel emphasizes high academic standards in a caring, Christ-centered environment. Students in preschool (beginning with 2-year-olds) through eighth grade are nurtured in the Christian faith, equipped with an excellent education, and prepared for a life of Christian responsibility and service. Visit Immanuel by scheduling an appointment online or via phone.
GRADES Toddler (18 months)–Grade 12
ENROLLMENT 115
GRADES Age 2–Grade 8 (coed)
ENROLLMENT 492
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 8:1
TUITION $6,000–$22,225
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 18:1
TUITION $3,770–$5,903
stlmag.com March 2020
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 104
2/6/20 5:22 PM
education profiles S PECIAL ADV ER T ISIN G SEC T ION
Kirk Day School
MICDS (Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School)
12928 LADUE ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63141 314-434-4349 / KIRKDAYSCHOOL.ORG
101 N. WARSON ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63124
Kirk Day School, an independent school nestled in the heart of Town and Country, sets the benchmark for academic excellence within the Christian elementary school community. Established in 1992, KDS offers a proven academic program grounded in a Christian worldview. Graduates excel academically and engage the world with a strong spiritual foundation. Ninety-eight percent of alumni attend first-choice select private high schools upon graduation. Students benefit from small class sizes, foreign languages, and a wide variety of extracurricular activities.
314-995-7367 / MICDS.ORG
MICDS—a college-prep, independent school—offers a dynamic learning environment for intellectually curious and ambitious students from junior kindergarten (age 4) through 12th grade. At MICDS, your child will become their best self in a diverse and collaborative community with a hands-on, rigorous curriculum right at their fingertips. Join MICDS for a life of discovery.
GRADES Age 3– Grade 6 (coed)
ENROLLMENT 287
GRADES JK-12 (coed)
ENROLLMENT 1245
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 8:1
TUITION $3,625–$9,850
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 8:1
TUITION $21,160—$29,040
Nerinx Hall
Notre Dame High School
530 E. LOCKWOOD AVENUE, WEBSTER GROVES, MO 63119
320 E. RIPA AVENUE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63125
314-968-1505 / NERINXHALL.ORG
314-544-1015 x1104 / NDHS.NET
Located in the heart of Webster Groves, Nerinx Hall is an independent, Catholic, all-girl high school founded in 1924 by the Sisters of Loretto. Nerinx is more than a college-preparatory school. It is an enriching Catholic education that shapes, and is shaped by, extraordinary students. In this community of learners, students develop a respect for differences of opinion, discover how to best articulate their own views, and believe in each other’s potential.
Notre Dame High School is a Catholic college-preparatory school that encourages students to make a difference as an individual. A variety of advanced courses challenge students to achieve college credits in a supportive environment. Students receive personal attention and 1-to-1 academic conferencing with a faculty advisor each week. Notre Dame prepares students for college while developing skills in time management, organization, and self-advocacy. One hundred percent of Notre Dame's students pursue higher education, and 80 percent receive college scholarships.
GRADES 9-12 (girls)
ENROLLMENT 515
GRADES 9–12 (girls)
ENROLLMENT 255
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 9:1
TUITION $15,450
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 10:1
TUITION $12,300
March 2020 stlmag.com
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 105
105
2/10/20 9:23 AM
education profiles S P EC I A L A DV E RTISIN G SEC TIO N
St. Joseph’s Academy
Raintree School 2100 S. MASON ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63131
2307 S. LINDBERGH BOULEVARD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63131
314-858-1033 / RAINTREESCHOOL.ORG
314-394-4321 / SJA1840.ORG
Children thrive on discovery. This is how questions are answered and, more importantly, how new ones arise. This is why Raintree School is hidden—on 11 acres of forest, stream, prairie, fallen logs, and giant boulders—to be discovered by tiny feet and hands as they are propelled by ever-growing minds. Raintree is Missouri’s first Reggio Emilia-inspired forest school. An independent preschool and kindergarten, the school’s emergent, project-based curriculum emphasizes innovation, citizenship, and grit.
St. Joseph’s Academy has been a leader in education for more than 175 years. The 140-course college-prep curriculum is rigorous by design and focuses on developing leaders. The school seeks a balanced approach and invites students to pursue their many interests. SJA’s computer science and engineering department boasts 11 courses to develop the 21st-century skills needed to pursue future career pathways and college majors.
GRADES Age 2–K
ENROLLMENT 92
GRADES 9–12 (girls)
ENROLLMENT 500
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 8:1
TUITION $12,280–$17,700
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 11:1
TUITION $15,375 (2019–20)
Saint Louis Priory School
St. Paul’s Lutheran School of Des Peres
500 S. MASON ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63141
1300 N. BALLAS ROAD, DES PERES, MO 63131
314-434-3690 / PRIORY.ORG
314-822-2771 / STPLUTHERANSCHOOL.ORG
Saint Louis Priory School is a Catholic, Benedictine, academically rigorous school serving boys in grades 7–12. The school’s 150-acre campus is conveniently located at I-64 and Mason Road. Priory offers a challenging liberal arts education, with coursework in English, classical and modern languages, math, the sciences, history, theology, computer science, and fine arts. Athletics are an important part of the Priory experience, fostering friendships, teamwork, and school spirit. Visit and explore this distinctive school.
106
Established in 1849, St. Paul’s Lutheran School of Des Peres has a rich tradition of academic excellence rooted in God’s Word. Children in grades K–8 are developed to be caring servant leaders. To continue its legacy, St. Paul's is opening a new three-story school facility for the 2020–2021 academic year and beyond that will feature 15 tech-enabled classrooms, a science and STEM lab, an art studio, and innovative play areas. Limited enrollment is available. Schedule a tour at stplutheranschool.org.
GRADES 7–12 (boys)
ENROLLMENT 385
GRADES K–8
ENROLLMENT 152
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 7:1
TUITION $25,990
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 17:1
TUITION $3,900–$7,400
stlmag.com March 2020
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 106
2/6/20 5:22 PM
education profiles S PECIAL ADV ER T ISIN G SEC T ION
Twin Oaks Christian School
Trinity Catholic High School
1230A BIG BEND ROAD, BALLWIN, MO 63021
1720 REDMAN ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63138
636-861-1901 / TWINOAKSCHRISTIANSCHOOL.ORG
314-741-1333 / TRINITYCATHOLICHIGH.ORG
Twin Oaks Christian School focuses on equipping students with the tools to grow and succeed in God’s world for His glory. The school strives to offer an educational experience that is both rigorous and joyful, with classrooms ranging from preschool through eighth grade. Teachers show where foundational skills can be applied in meaningful, real-world contexts, as each academic year culminates with our interdisciplinary Festival of Learning event. When you visit, you will instantly recognize a positive school culture, beautiful classrooms, and modern facilities.
Trinity Catholic High School, founded on the proud traditions of Mercy, St. Thomas Aquinas, Rosary, and St. Thomas Aquinas-Mercy High Schools, is a coeducational, college-preparatory high school serving North St. Louis County and surrounding areas. Its quality academic program is unmatched in value and recognizes the uniqueness and diversity of each student’s talent, intellect, style, and ability. Trinity Catholic students are taught to think critically, live virtuously, and serve joyfully.
ENROLLMENT 130
GRADES 9–12 (coed)
ENROLLMENT 380
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 9:1
TUITION $2,840–$9,325
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 13:1
TUITION $10,500
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER A. LIN
GRADES Age 3–Grade 8 (coed)
The Wilson School 400 DEMUN AVENUE, CLAYTON, MO 63105 314-725-4999 / WILSONSCHOOL.COM
At The Wilson School, students age 3 through sixth grade learn in a nurturing environment where they are known and valued as individuals. Wilson kids are challenged each and every day by exceptional educators through integrated, project-based experiences. The curriculum balances STEM, language arts, and creative self-expression, enriched by an award-winning technology program. A Wilson graduate will be equipped for life, possessing the knowledge and skills to flourish academically, socially, and emotionally. GRADES Age 3–Grade 6
ENROLLMENT 170
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 7:1
TUITION $20,700
Preparing students for what lies ahead. At St. Roch, we’re committed to delivering an excellent education while preparing students to think, act and serve on their own. It’s a close-knit, caring community where kids get the support they need to flourish wherever they go. Preschool – 8th Grade – morning and after school care available. To learn more, call 314-721-2595 or email Principal Karin Hiatt at karinh@strochschool.org Accredited by the Missouri Chapter of the National Federation of Nonpublic Schools.
www.gostroch.com
March 2020 stlmag.com
0320SLM_SchoolProfiles.indd 107
107
2/6/20 5:23 PM
108
108-111.indd 108
stlmag.com March 2020
Photography by John Smith
2/7/20 8:38 AM
Photography by John Smith
108-111.indd 109
March 2020 stlmag.com
109
2/7/20 8:38 AM
WELCOME TO
Springfield, Missouri In Springfield, Missouri, you can immerse yourself in the world’s largest fish and wildlife attraction, Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, voted America’s best aquarium and best new attraction.
SpringfieldMo.org/Wonders 110
108-111.indd 110
stlmag.com March 2020
Photography by John Smith
2/7/20 8:38 AM
Where else
can you hike through the rugged terrain of a national forest at dawn, enjoy delectable cuisine at a trendy local bistro for lunch, and wind down the evening with a wine sampling followed by a theatrical performance... all without traveling more than a few miles?
Only Carbondale.
Copenhagen, Denmark
What’s on your Bucket List? AAA Travel can help fill it! Make this your year to try European river cruising, Canadian rail journeys, the islands of the Caribbean or an Alaska adventure. Make travel dreams come true and SAVE BIG with AAA Travel.
Call or visit AAA Travel today! CALL: 866-222-7587 VISIT: Your local AAA Travel office CLICK: AAA.com/travel Certain restrictions may apply. Your local AAA Club acts as an agent for its travel vendors and is a motor club with a principal place of business at 12901 N. Forty Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141. Copyright Š 2018 Automobile Club of Missouri. All Rights Reserved.
Explore 126 S Illinois Avenue Carbondale, IL 62901 618-529-4451 carbondaletourism.org
Take a road trip Back in time
Springfield convention & visitors bureau
visitspringfieldillinois.com | (800) 545-7300 Share your experience: #visitspringfield
Photography by John Smith
108-111.indd 111
March 2020 stlmag.com
111
2/7/20 8:38 AM
S P EC I A L A DV ER E R T I S I N G S EC TI T IO ON N camp guide
camp guide
From arts to athletics, these summer programs provide plenty of options for children to continue their development outside of the school year.
AGES/GRADES
GENDER
Ages 6– 18
Coed
DATES/HOURS
COST
DEADLINE
Weekdays June 8–July 31
$0–$275 (scholarships available)
N/A
$235/week
N/A
Varies
N/A
Varies by camp
N/A
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis Summer Camps 314-335-8000 | BGCSTL.ORG At nine camp locations across St. Louis City and County, your child can make lifelong friends, visit some of St. Louis' best attractions, enjoy sporting and cultural activities, take field trips, and learn to swim at one of the area's most affordable summer programs.
7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Camp Pegnita at Villa di Maria 314-822-2601 x102 | CAMPPEGNITA.COM Camp Pegnita is an old-fashioned day camp that gives kids the feel of an away camp right in Kirkwood. Pegnita was founded in 1948 and has been dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable summer for kids ages 5–15 for more than 70 years. Activities include archery, arts and crafts, organized sports and games, campfires, cooking, gardening, hiking, and nature activities.
June 8–August 7 Ages 5–14
Coed
8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m; Extended Care: 7:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m.
Chesterfield Day School Summer Camps 314-469-6622 | CHESTERFIELDDAYSCHOOL.ORG Chesterfield Day School summer camps nurture a love for exploration and develop a sense of respect and empathy for the world around us. All camps are based on the school's nine-acre campus, conveniently located in Chesterfield.
June 1–July 31 18 Months–Age 10
Coed
See website for specific dates and times for each camp.
Entering Grades 1–8
Coed
Morning and afternoon programs available
Christ Community Lutheran School 314-822-7774 | CCLS-STLOUIS.ORG The CCLS Summer Program offers morning and afternoon camps, located on the Kirkwood campus, during the months of June and July for boys and girls entering grades 1–8. Instructors include staff, coaches, and other specialized educators who love to share their passion for learning and exploring with students.
June–August
Churchill Center & School Summer Programs
Weekdays June 8–July 17
314-997-4343 | CHURCHILLSTL.ORG Churchill's six-week program, designed for children with specific learning disabilities, features a 1:1 daily tutorial and individualized curriculum that is fused with creative and interactive experiences to empower students.
0320SLM_CampGuide.indd 112
Ages 5–15
Coed
Summer School: 8:30 a.m.–2:15 p.m. Ready, Set…Read!: 8:30–10 a.m.
Contact Anne Evers at aevers@churchillstl.org for details.
2/6/20 5:19 PM
S P EC I A L A DV ER T I S I N G S EC T I ON camp guide
AGES/GRADES
GENDER
DATES/HOURS
COST
DEADLINE
Starting at $132
First day of camp
Starting at $118
July 17
COCA Summer Arts Camps 314-561-4898 | COCASTL.ORG COCA prides itself on offering some of the most creative camps around, providing campers with the opportunity to experience new things, build their skills, and have tons of fun. Kids and teens will learn to express themselves through poetry, dance, drama, sculpture, songwriting, videography, and much more. Full- or half-day week-long summer arts camps are taught by professional artists.
Weekdays May 26–August 21 Ages 3–18
Coed
Full day: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; Half day: 9 a.m.–11:45 a.m., 12:15 p.m.–3 p.m. Before and after care available
College for Kids Summer Youth Experience at STLCC 314-984-7777 | STLCC.EDU/CFK Interested in robotics, cooking, or art? Energized to move through dance, lightsaber training, or yoga? With a modular class setup just like in college, students enjoy variety like this every day of the week, satisfying their interests and curiosities while building new friendships in a college setting. Specialized options available for gifted learners.
August 3–7 K–8
Coed
Half- and full-day sessions
The College School Adventure Day Camps and Expeditions
June –August
314-962-9355 | THECOLLEGESCHOOL.ORG/SUMMERCAMP Every summer, The College School offers a variety of camps for children. Experience some wonderful adventures and find out for yourself why The College School camps are so popular.
8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Ages 4–15
Coed
9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Two-week themed adventure day camp: $475
Before and after care available
Overnight Expeditions: $550
June 1–August 14
Varies
When full
Community School Camps 314-991-0005 | COMMUNITYSCHOOL.COM/CAMP Community School offers camps for 3-year-olds to eighth graders on the school's beautiful 18-acre campus. There are more than 90 offerings, with special sessions from STAGES, Bricks 4 Kidz, HINRG, and more. Plus, there's Play Camp for the youngest campers, a week devoted to STEM, and FUNdamentals to fight the summer slump.
Age 3–Grade 8
Coed
Enrichment camps: 8–10 a.m.; 10:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Cor Jesu Summer Camps 314-842-1546 | CORJESU.ORG/CAMPS Grade-school girls will get a taste of what life is like at Cor Jesu while enjoying a variety of enrichment camps including science, cooking, chess, dance, photography, and more. Plus, they will hone their sports skills by learning from high school players and coaches at CJA Charger sports camps.
Grades 3–8
Girls
Session 1: June 8–12 Session 2: June 15–19 Sports Camps: June & July See website for specific dates and times for each camp.
Early registration: $100 After May 15: $125
May 15
Early bird registration ends May 15
Forsyth Summer Discovery 314-726-4542 | FORSYTHSCHOOL.ORG Summer begins here! Forsyth Summer Discovery provides kids age 3 through grade 6 with an appropriate mix of structure, freedom, and challenge. Located on Forsyth School’s one-of-a-kind campus, Summer Discovery offers a largely “unplugged” experience with a neighborhood feel.
Age 3–Grade 6
Coed
Immanuel Lutheran School's Summer Camp Adventure
June 1–July 31
636-946-0051 | IMMANUELSTCHARLES.ORG Immanuel offers summer programs that provide an environment that recognizes and celebrates God's gift of life in each child. Weekly themes give opportunities with learning centers, STEM adventures, art activities, and games.
0320SLM_CampGuide.indd 113
June 8–August 7 One-week sessions
Age 2–Grade 5
Coed
School-Day: 8:15 a.m.–3:15 p.m. Full-Day: 8:15 a.m. - 6 p.m.
$275 per week
School Day: $30 Full Day: $40
N/A
When full
2/6/20 5:19 PM
S P EC I A L A DV ER T I S I N G S EC T I ON camp guide
AGES/GRADES
GENDER
Grades 5–9
Girls
Ages 6-18
Coed
DATES/HOURS
COST
DEADLINE
Incarnate Word Academy 314-725-5850 | IWACADEMY.ORG Incarnate Word Academy offers a variety of sports, STEM, leadership, and performing arts camps. Campers will venture onto center court, center field, and center stage. Along the way, they will have fun, create incredible friendships, and discover gifts they never knew were there.
One week before the start of each camp
Varies by camp
Kanakuk Kamps 417-266-3000 GOKANAKUK.COM Kanakuk is a premier summer camp experience for boys and girls ages 6–18 located in Branson and Lampe, Missouri, offering five overnight camps that provide fun, safe outdoor camping experiences. With more than 70 activities designed to challenge and encourage campers, Kanakuk helps kids grow spiritually, physically, emotionally, and socially.
May 30–August 7
Weekday sessions throughout June and July
Laumeier Sculpture Park Summer Art Camps LAUMEIER.ORG/ARTCAMP Laumeier offers themed art camps in half-day sessions for ages 4–6, full-day sessions for ages 6–12, and two-week sessions for the Teen Art Program for ages 13–17. Campers find inspiration in Laumeier’s artworks for drawing, painting, sculpting, and more, with other activities and weekly pool visits.
Art Camps: Ages 4–6 (half-day) Ages 6–12 (full-day)
Varies
One-, two-, and four-week options
Coed
Teen Art Program: Ages 13–17
Half-Day Art Camps: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
$120–$440
N/A
Full-Day Art Camps & Teen Art Program (two-week sessions): 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Lutheran North Crusaders Summer Academy 314-389-3100 | LNCRUSADERS.ORG Lutheran North's Crusader Summer Academy offers children opportunities to grow in athletics or learn a new hobby.
Grades 1–9
Coed
June Weekdays
Varies
N/A
Grades 1–8
Coed
Summer Weekdays
Varies
N/A
Grades 5–12
Coed
Three-day and week-long sessions
Lutheran South Summer Camp 314-631-1400 | LSLANCERS.ORG Lutheran South Summer Camp is a sports-focused program offering students the chance to learn a new skill or master one they already know.
Missouri S&T Summer Camps 573-341-6222 | SUMMER.MST.EDU Launch a rocket. Build a robot. Learn about explosives. Campers can do any of these things and more at a Missouri S&T summer camp. Explore the fields of science, technology, engineering, or math through interactive activities. Who knows? Summer at S&T could be the spark for a successful future.
June–July
MMA Summer Camps
Confidence & Leadership Camps: July 5–18
573-581-1776 x323 | MISSOURIMILITARYACADEMY.ORG/SUMMER Build confidence, learn to lead, and have fun. For boys, choose Confidence or Leadership Camp for experiences such as paint ball, rappelling, and obstacle courses to build teamwork and leadership skills. Summer Academy focuses on academic support, plus fun outdoor activities. New in 2020 are the All Sports Camp and the coed Band and Choir Camp.
Ages 8–18
Boys
Summer Academy: June 21–July 17 Sports Camp: July 20–24 Band & Choir Camp: June 15–19
Varies
Confidence & Leadership Camps: $1,110–$2,190 Summer Academy: $3,850 Sports Camp: $1,010
10 days prior to start date. First come, first served.
Band & Choir Camp: $600
Nerinx Hall Summer Camps 314-968-1505 x115 | NERINXHALL.ORG/SUMMERCAMP Summer camp at Nerinx Hall offers fun and learning for athletes, artists, and those anxious to learn new skills.
0320SLM_CampGuide.indd 114
Grades 3–8
Girls
Varies by camp. See website for more details.
2/10/20 9:25 AM
S P EC I A L A DV ER T I S I N G S EC T I ON camp guide
AGES/GRADES
GENDER
DATES/HOURS
Grades 3-12
Girls
See website for specific dates and times for each camp
JK3–Grade 6
Coed
COST
DEADLINE
$65+
N/A
$300 per week
May 1
$1,475 per four-week session in June and July
Open enrollment
Notre Dame High School Summer Camp 314-544-1015 x1104 | NDHS.NET Notre Dame High School's summer camp offers FACS, STEM, performing arts, esports, and athletic programs. Attending summer camp at ND is a great way to get to know the campus, faculty, coaches and other future Rebels.
May–July
Passport to Summer at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School 314-432-2021 | VDOH.ORG Passport to Summer is an eight-week day camp for boys and girls age 3–grade 6. Each week celebrates a different nation where campers explore art, cooking, STEM, sports, and games. The camp is loocated at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill in Frontenac and offers care from 7:15 a.m–6 p.m. daily.
June 1–July 31 7:15 am-6 pm
Raintree School Summer Interlude 314-858-1033 | RAINTREESCHOOL.ORG Get outside! With weekly field trips, special guests, art encounters, science experiments, and community service, it's sure to be a fascinating summer at Raintree School.
June 1–August 14 Age 3–Entering Grade 3
Coed
9 a.m.–3 p.m Extended Care: 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
$352/week in August
Spartan Summer at De Smet Jesuit 314-567-3500 x5319 | DESMET.ORG/SPARTANSUMMER Join the teachers and coaches of De Smet Jesuit High School for an exciting summer of academic and athletic camps. Mix and match morning and afternoon activities to make this the most fun and productive summer yet. See the latest updates and register today at desmet.org/ spartansummer.
June 1–July 10 (hours vary) Grades 1–8
Boys
Grades 3–9
Girls
K–Grade 7
Coed
Grades 5–8
Coed
Pre-K– Grade 12
Coed
Camp not in session the week of June 29
$125–$275
N/A
St. Joseph's Academy Camps 314-394-4319 | SJA1840.ORG St. Joseph's Academy welcomes girls in grades 3–9 to experience SJA this summer at the school's numerous academic, athletic, and extracurricular camps. Please visit the website for more information and to register.
Varies by camp. See website for more details.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Full-Day Summer Camp 314-822-9219 | STPLUTHERANSCHOOL.ORG/SUMMER-CAMP St. Paul’s Lutheran in Des Peres offers a full-day summer camp that is packed with themed fun, projects, field trips, and Christian fellowship. Special interest clubs are available to middle schoolers, with separate small groups for boys and girls. Part-time options are available.
Weekdays May 26–August 7
$200 weekly
7 a.m.–6 p.m.
$50 daily
June 8–July 31
Varies
Space limited. First come, first served.
Summer @ SLUH 314-531-0330 | SLUH.ORG/SUMMER Students in grades 5–8 can sharpen their skills in the classroom and on the field through a variety of STEM and athletic-oriented offerings.
June 1 (online registration)
Summer At SLU 314-977-3534 | SUMMER.SLU.EDU Saint Louis University offers more than 80 camps and academies for pre-K through high school students, from perfecting their jump shot in basketball camp to hands-on experience in SLU’s STEM academies.
Summer Fundamentals at Miriam 314-961-1500 | MIRIAMSTL.ORG Miriam's specialty summer camps are perfect for students entering grades K–12 who need a boost in fundamentals. Choose from academic, social skills, and therapy camps.
0320SLM_CampGuide.indd 115
Entering grades K-12; Students with complex learning disabilities
Coed
Varies by program
Session 1: June 15–26 Session 2: July 6–17 Session 3: July 20–31
Varies
N/A
Half- and full-day sessions Before and after care available
2/6/20 5:19 PM
S P EC I A L A DV ER T I S I N G S EC T I ON camp guide
AGES/GRADES
GENDER
DATES/HOURS
COST
DEADLINE
K–12
Coed
June 8–August 7
$150–$675 (varies)
N/A
Grades 9–10
Coed
Free
May 15
$45/ participant
Early registration: April 1–June 7
Summer of Adventure at MICDS 314-993-5100 | MICDS.ORG/SUMMER-ADVENTURE Your summer adventure awaits at MICDS. Four camps— Pegasus, Language Immersion Camp, Rams Sports Camp, and Eliot Summer Academy—offer a unique variety of activities for children grades K–12. All are located on the MICDS campus and supervised by enthusiastic counselors and expert MICDS staff.
UMSL Bridge Program Summer Academy 314-516-5196 | UMSL.EDU/PRECOLLEGIATE The Summer Academy offers academic enrichment in the core areas of mathematics, science, written and oral communication, career research and identification, personal and professional development, college planning, and ACT preparation.
Vacation Bible School at Pathfinder Church 636-779-2312 | PATHFINDERSTL.ORG/VBS This year’s theme is Rocky Railway. Campers will climb aboard for mountains of faith-filled adventures and discover that trusting Jesus pulls them through life’s ups and downs.
3 years old (by July 31) and potty-trained through grade 5
Coed
Weekdays June 15–July 10 7:45 a.m.–12 p.m.
June 15–19 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
$120/family maximum
Open enrollment
Vetta Sports Day Camp 877-968-3882 | VETTASPORTS.COM/CAMP
Ages 5–12
ALL DAY FUN. Vetta Sports Summer Camp has fun and entertainment for children ages 5–12, from sports and inflatables to water fun and friends. There are countless reasons why your child will want to return year after year.
Kickaroos Camp: Ages 3–5
Coed
Viz Summer Sports Camps 314-625-9100 | VISITATIONACADEMY.ORG Viz Summer Sports Camps are open to girls entering kindergarten through eighth grade and include soccer, cheerleading, volleyball, basketball, field hockey, and lacrosse.
Grades K–8 (varies for each camp)
Girls
May–August
Session 1: June 1–4 Session 2: June 8–11 Session 3: June 15–18 Session 4: June 22–25
Varies by location
Space limited. First come, first served.
$100 per session
N/A
$265–$650 per week
N/A
9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Whitfield Summer Camps 314-415-1259 | WHITFIELDSCHOOL.ORG/SUMMERCAMP Move, engage, create, and play at Whitfield this summer. Offering a day camp, STEM camp, Spanish language immersion camp, and sports camps, Whitfield has something for everyone. The school is located at the corner of Ladue and Mason Road. For details, visit whitfieldschool.org/ summercamp.
Varies by camp. See website for more details.
Wilson School Summer Camps 314-725-4999 | WILSONSCHOOL.COM The Wilson School’s Think Camp features two weeks of fun and creative problem-solving activities. Wilson Day Camp runs for eight weeks and features themed activities in addition to trips to Shaw Park.
Think Camp: Grades 2–6 Day Camp: Age 3–Grade 6
Coed
Week-long sessions throughout June and July
There's more to see online! FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL SUMMER PROGRAMS, VISIT STLMAG.COM/SUMMERCAMPS.
0320SLM_CampGuide.indd 116
2/6/20 5:19 PM
Join the Conversation GET CONNECTED ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM
FAC EBO OK @stlmag @designstl @stlfamily
T WIT T ER @stlmag @stlmag_dining @designstl
INSTAGR AM @stlouismag @designstl @stlouismag_events
2019_social-media-FULL.indd117 1 0320SLM_CampGuide.indd
2/10/20 9:32 9:30 AM AM 2/10/20
Numbers Game Continued from p. 93
texts from March 2017 were gone. Even so, Beetem ruled, the Alliance’s request lacked specificity and referred to data formats that don’t exist. The Alliance declined to appeal the decision. (In the midst of this litigation, a team of lawyers under then– Attorney General Hawley investigated the matter. They, too, found that Galloway’s office had not violated the Sunshine Law.) In January 2020, Galloway posted 10 gigabytes of files on her website. Included were the records she produced for the Alliance and for other Sunshine requests going back to her first year in office. The practice, she said, is “the first of its kind by a Missouri statewide elected official.” Meanwhile, the clock on the Alliance’s website ticks on. IN SPRING 2018, MISSOURIANS
witnessed the dramatic flameout of a political star: Eric Greitens, the former Navy SEAL–turned–governor, resigned from office amid scandal, criminal prosecution, and the threat of impeachment by his own party. His successor, Mike Parson, was less well known. A genial cattle farmer from Bolivar, Parson had served for 12 years as Polk County sheriff and another dozen in the General Assembly before ascending to the office of lieutenant governor in 2017. Once Parson became chief executive, he earned praise for lowering the temperature in the Capitol—a breath of fresh country air after the truculence and secrecy of the Greitens administration. In 2019, Parson worked with the legislature to push through, among other things, a workforce development package and a plan to rebuild bridges. Then, in May, Parson signed a bill banning abortion after eight weeks—no exceptions. Galloway blasted the law in an op-ed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in June, calling it “extreme and cruel” to victims of rape and incest. (Parson’s campaign manager, Steele Shippy, responded that Parson “has a track record of protecting the health and safety of women
118
and defending the unborn.”) Then, in late July, news broke that Parson’s administration had allowed 90,000 children to be dropped from Medicaid coverage. Galloway announced her candidacy on August 12. Asked what drove her decision, she said, “I think it’s hard to pinpoint one thing.” But when she discussed it with her husband, they wondered: What can a Democratic governor accomplish when the GOP has a supermajority in the legislature? They concluded that she could, for instance, use executive authority to ensure children eligible for Medicaid get coverage. In fact, the last Democrat to hold the office, Jay Nixon, claims he added 140,000 kids to Medicaid without any Medicaid expansion. “That’s what governors can do,” Nixon says. By the end of his second term in 2016, he claims, he’d also shrunk the waitlist for state-provided mental health services to zero, kept down college tuition, reduced the number of state employees by 5,000, doubled the length of the Katy Trail, added several state parks, and appointed more than 150 judges and many more candidates to boards and commissions. A governor can say no, too, Nixon points out. The chief executive must spend the budget passed by legislators and can block parts he or she doesn’t like. Veto power is critical, he says. In many cases, the GOP’s supermajority overrode his vetoes, but their bloc often broke apart (sometimes at his urging) so that his vetoes held. That’s how he thwarted, for example, a large taxcut bill and a “right-to-work” bill. A Democratic governorship in Missouri, Nixon says, involves playing some defense: being the “goalie of democracy.” He concludes: “I think a respectful tension between the branches of government is a good thing.” ASKED ABOUT GALLOWAY, SOME
Republicans don’t mince words. “She has politicized her office,” says Jean Evans, executive director of the Missouri Republican Party. For example, Evans wonders, where was Galloway during the tenure of former St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, who pleaded guilty to operating a pay-to-play scheme from 2014 through 2018? “I guess when it’s a Democrat, it doesn’t matter?” says Evans. “She’s only anti-corruption if it’s not her own party.” Galloway’s response on Stenger: Her hands were tied. Missouri law blocks an auditor from investigating a first-class
charter county, such as St. Louis, on her own initiative. She must receive a request from the governor, a citizens’ petition, or an invitation from the county’s governing body. Galloway outlined that invitation process to the County Council in a May 2017 letter—two years before Stenger’s indictment—but the council passed. (Councilman Ernie Trakas says a state audit would’ve cost too much; the council chose to launch its own investigation.) Galloway insists that her office’s output refutes charges of partisan hackery. She points to Darryl Kempf—a Democrat and former clerk of Cooper County who, as a result of her audit, pleaded guilty to stealing county funds to buy a pickup truck. She points to the deep-blue city of St. Louis, to which she issued a “poor” rating in November for its lack of oversight over local taxing districts. Yet the fiercest row over her independence erupted in early 2020. On February 6, as SLM went to press, Galloway released an audit concluding that Hawley “potentially” used state resources as attorney general to help himself win the 2018 senate race against McCaskill. The audit found that his campaign hired consultants to advise his staff during state business hours but failed to properly document it. That failure gave “the appearance of impropriety,” she wrote, though she “could not conclude any laws were violated.” Hawley responded on Twitter with his own summary: “no wrongdoing of any kind by my office.” Having already tweeted in January that auditor employees had ties to the McCaskill campaign and intended to alter the report to damage him, Hawley accused Galloway of “partisan manipulation”; Galloway called his attacks “unfair” and denied any bias. Attached to the audit were hundreds of pages of transcripts of interviews with Hawley’s former staff. Attorney General Eric Schmitt tweeted that this release was “likely in violation of state law.” Galloway responded that no law prohibits their disclosure and that Schmitt’s criticism “rings hollow.” Politicized auditing is only one of the GOP’s accusations against Galloway. A second is that she has links to lobbyists. “She’s admitted,” wrote Shippy of the Parson campaign, “that lobbying runs in her family. [She] has leveraged insider access to climb the ladder her entire political career.” The Galloway campaign says that
stlmag.com March 2020
Galloway_0320.indd 118
2/10/20 9:37 AM
although her father-in-law, Doug Galloway, has been a lobbyist for CenturyLink for many years, he is a lifelong Republican who “has no formal involvement” in her professional and political work. Her husband lobbied on behalf of Veterans United Home Loans from 2013 to 2015; the campaign says he has no plans to lobby in the future, adding that he is “proud” to still work for that company. A third GOP critique of Galloway: She evades issues to conceal “extreme liberal” beliefs. “She won’t say what her beliefs are,” says Representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a Republican from Arnold. Look no further than the Second Amendment and abortion, Coleman asserts, claiming that Galloway won’t take a stand on either. On guns, Galloway says, she supports universal background checks and the closure of loopholes on the private sale of firearms. “The majority of Missourians agree with me,” she claims. According to the 2018 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, approximately 90 percent of Missourians do support “background checks for all sales, including at gun shows and over the internet.” On abortion, Galloway has a well-documented dislike of HB 126, the new ban on abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy with no exceptions. Yet what does Galloway think abortion policy should be? Are any restrictions acceptable to her? Her campaign responds that “she trusts women to make their own healthcare decisions in consultation with their family, doctor, and faith,” a phrase she’s used several times before. Coleman interprets any vagueness from Galloway as smoke rising from a hidden fire of extremism: “Why would she not say if she wasn’t extreme?” One possibility: She’d rather keep the heat on Parson for HB 126, which her campaign sees as a liability for him. Another possibility: Galloway, as a Democrat, answers to a unwieldy coalition. Writing in The New York Times about his new book, Why We’re Polarized, Ezra Klein argues that whereas Republicans have grown “overwhelmingly dependent” on white Christian voters, Democrats must speak to many groups: secular white progressives, culturally conservative African-American Christians, the LGBTQ community, and so on. “Appealing to Democrats,” Klein writes, “requires appealing to a lot of different kinds of people with different interests.”
Galloway is also seeking additional support in an unlikely place: independents who picked Greitens in 2016. She believes that his core message resonated: Jefferson City is a rigged system for insiders. What doomed Greitens’ quest, Galloway says, was his thirst for power. “He lost his way, in my view,” she says, “but these voters still believe it— and they still want change.” CA N A D E M O C R AT ST I L L W I N A
statewide election in Missouri? “I think this election is determinative of whether [Missouri] has turned red or not,” says David Turner, communications director for the DGA. “It’s a precipice election.” To Gregg Keller, a conservative public relations consultant in St. Louis, Republican hegemony is already here. He observes that the GOP not only controls the state Capitol but also has a majority in Missouri’s congressional delegation and both senators. Asserts Keller: “Missouri is, at this point, a very deep-red state.” If so, it wasn’t always. In the ’90s, the Democrats reigned supreme in Jefferson City. They enjoyed a trifecta—control of the Governor’s Mansion, the Senate, and the House. But the label “Democrat” had a looser meaning back then. In the decades after World War II, both parties were big tents. It was possible, for example, to be a liberal “Rockefeller” Republican or a conservative “Dixiecrat” Democrat. Over time, political scientists posit, a massive realignment occurred. Through “partisan sorting,” the ideologies of left and right came to overlap more cleanly— though not symmetrically—onto the parties. The upshot: “Republican” now roughly equates to “conservative,” while about half of Democrats identify as “liberals.” Meanwhile, the parties map onto urban and rural areas, such that Republicans dominate the countryside while Democrats control large metro areas. Galloway’s fate will therefore be tied in large part to how big-city Democrats feel about their party’s nominee for president: If the top of the ticket inspires them to turn out in droves, they’ll vote for that candidate, then vote for Galloway, too. But that won’t be enough for Galloway. She’ll need at least some support in the suburbs and rural areas. She has gotten it before. In her 2018 reelection race, Galloway won in Ste. Genevieve, Platte, Howard, Greene, Cole, Calla-
way, Buchanan, and St. Charles counties. Yet her Republican opponent was Saundra McDowell, who faced $55,000 in legal judgments for unpaid bills and appeared to not meet a basic residency requirement. Galloway made sure, with paid ads, that voters knew about it. Parson is more formidable. Not only is the economy strong, which favors incumbents, but GOP polling also gives him a 10-point lead. As of January, his campaign committee and the political action committee supporting him, Uniting Missouri, had a combined $6.5 million on hand; Galloway’s own committee and Keep Government Accountable, a PAC supporting her, had a combined $1.4 million on hand. The wildcard: outside spending. The Republican Governors Association poured millions into the last governor’s race and may do so again. The Democratic Governors Association spent almost as much winning gubernatorial races in Louisiana and Kentucky last year. “We never discuss spending before it happens,” says the DGA’s Turner. “However, this was the first poll we did for 2020, so I think you can glean how high a priority this race is for us from that.” (The DGA’s poll had Galloway 9 points behind Parson.) Is there a way that she could pull off the upset? “I think on some issues, she has the public opinion advantage,” says Tom Ringenberg, assistant professor of political science at Rockhurst University, “but she’s not in a position I’m envious of. It’s tough for a Democrat to win in Missouri, generally. She’s got an uphill battle.” Along the way, she’ll have to run a gantlet that’s all too familiar in American politics: soliciting money, sacrificing time with family, enduring fierce scrutiny. “There’s going to be a lot of negative ads this election,” predicts Ringenberg. “The personalities running for governor might not be as cutthroat, but I think there’s enough outside money where people are going to be accused of a lot of things.” Such a test forces a person—no matter how “normal”—to adapt, observes Saint Louis University political science professor Ken Warren. “A genuine, truthful, honest person is going to have a very hard time making it politics,” he says. “I’ve never met a politician who’s normal. They can’t be. A typical person wouldn’t be able to take it.” Galloway’s take? “People want someone who is genuine,” she says. “You have to find that within yourself.” ■ March 2020 stlmag.com
Galloway_0320.indd 119
119
2/10/20 9:37 AM
S T. LO U I S SAG E
FOR THE RECORD
How big can MoBot’s Victoria water lilies grow? T
HIS SPRING, T H E Missouri
Botanical Garden will set afloat three species of Victoria water lily that may stretch to world-record diameters. European botanists began noting these giants of the aquatic Nymphaeaceae family in South America in the early 1800s. Seeds and specimens soon found their way across the Atlantic. In 1852, gardener James Gurney managed to grow the lilies in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, in London. (A young Queen Victoria was enchanted by the plants, and her name has been attached to them ever since.) Gurney later sought a new life in the United States. He found a job in St. Louis with a wealthy man named Henry Shaw, who was planning a large municipal garden. Over the ensuing decades, Gurney rose to head gardener at Shaw’s Garden, where he grew Victorias once again. They helped lure more than 30,000 people to the garden one Sunday in 1895. Today, 125 years later, MoBot senior nursery manager Derek Lyle wants to grow the biggest Victorias he can. He has high hopes for his Victoria amazonica specimens, for example. Native to the backwaters of the Amazon, this species’ pads grow the largest in the wild—reportedly up to 10 feet across, though Lyle says no reliable record exists. Their weakness in St. Louis is that they dislike cold water,
LARGELOOKING LILIES
91 INCHES INTERNAL RECORD DIAMETER (2019) LONGWOOD HYBRID, MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN, ST. LOUIS
93 INCHES INTERNAL RECORD DIAMETER (2019) VICTORIA CRUZIANA, KANAPAHA BOTANICAL GARDENS, GAINESVILLE, FLA.
120 INCHES UNCONFIRMED REPORTED DIAMETER IN THE WILD VICTORIA AMAZONICA
and a hard summer rain can lower pool temperature enough to stall growth. Another candidate for record size is Victoria cruziana. Endemic to Bolivia and Argentina, these lilies tolerate colder water but don’t typically get as big. Between these two species is the Longwood hybrid, which combines the cold tolerance of V. cruziana and the bulk of V. amazonica; in 2019, one specimen at MoBot grew a 91-inch pad. Lyle says any of these species may see a growth spurt this year. As usual, he’ll plant the seedlings in May, the water will be dyed black to absorb the sun’s rays, and the middle pool in front of the Climatron will be heated, elongating the growing season. For the first time, Lyle will have nursed the seedlings under high-intensity LED bulbs for about 15 months, so the root ball will be larger, helping reduce transplant shock. Lyle will also raise the pool’s overflow pipe by 2 inches, giving them more water in which to grow. Still, Lyle won’t directly say he’s vying for a world record. A friendly competition has arisen among MoBot, Kew, and Longwood Gardens, near Philadelphia. Lyle jokes that his counterparts at those gardens may drop out of their seed-sharing program to sabotage his quest. “But we have our own seed stock,” he says with a grin, “so we’d survive the embargo.”
ST. LOUIS MAGAZINE, VOL. 26, ISSUE 3 (ISSN 1090-5723) is published monthly by St. Louis Magazine LLC, 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550, St. Louis, MO 63144. Change of address: Please send new address and old address label and allow 6 to 8 weeks for change. Send all remittances and requests to St. Louis Magazine, Circulation Department, 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550, St. Louis, MO 63144. Periodicals postage paid at St. Louis, MO, and additional mailing office. Postmaster: Send address changes to St. Louis Magazine, 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550, St. Louis, MO 63144.
120
stlmag.com March 2020
SAGE_0320.indd 120
Illustration by Britt Spencer
2/6/20 5:14 PM
Bass Pro Shops at The Pyramid
Big Cypress Lodge WORLD-CLASS WITHOUT BEING WORLDS AWAY Rustic Accommodations
Experience Memphis like never before when you stay at Big Cypress Lodge. Located inside Bass Pro Shops at The Pyramid, this overnight destination features rustic accommodations and unparalleled attractions, including a full service spa, an underwater-themed bowling alley and the nation’s tallest freestanding elevator. Enjoy spectacular dining with a view at The Lookout, located at the peak of the pyramid. Call or visit the website today to plan your next getaway!
Named a “Top Hotel in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report
844.235.7116 | BIG-CYPRESS.COM
Cover_0320.indd 3
2/6/20 5:40 PM
Cover_0320.indd 4
2/6/20 5:40 PM