February 2018
VOL 48/ISSUE 05 Is Youtuber Logan Paul Redeemable?
Soccer Stadium to be
named after Tim Rooney
Youtube Star Logan Paul
By unaimous vote, Soccer
starred in a controversy while filming in Japan’s
Stadium to be named after Coach. Rooney has
Aokigahara, also known as “Suicide Forest”
earned L&C over 400 wins
Read More on B2
Read More on 2A
Commemorating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. STEPHANIE LARSON slarson@lc.edu
Lewis & Clark hosted a commemoration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Jan. 19. “We hope that the performances of Dr. Martin Luther King’s words will serve as a call to action for each of us to be champions of justice, equality, and love for all,” said event organizer Dr. Mumba Mumba in her introductory remarks. During the one-hour commemoration, faculty and students read several speeches given by Dr. King in their entirety. These included his “Give Us the Ballot” address and a eulogy given for four girls killed in the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The event also featured an excerpt from the play “Freedom Riders” and two performances by a gospel choir specially organized for this event and directed by Brenda Lancaster. Dr. Mumba Mumba, Peter Hussey, and Jen Kline worked with Lewis & Clark’s Diversity Council to organize the commemoration, which was held in Trimpe Hall. One highlight of the event was special guest D.C. Cooper’s performance of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” address, a speech which he has performed in many different settings. “Through the years so many people have said that they’ve only heard the part of the
speech where he says ‘I have a dream,’ but many people share with me that they have never heard the speech in its entirety,” said Cooper. “So I would like to hope that they have the opportunity to hear the speech within its full context so they can understand the significance of the speech. I think it’s particularly important to recognise that the speech has been considered by scholars to be perhaps the greatest speech of this past century.” When asked how the speeches to be read were selected, event organizer Dr. Mumba said, “If you look at the agenda you can see that there’s a theme we’re following. We look at the chronology and it gives us an idea of what was actually happening during that time... And for some people I said ‘You are faculty, you can decide what you speak,’ but I highlighted based on the key lessons I thought we should take up from each speech.” So what lessons can we take up from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? “The nonviolence movement, which was pretty interesting in my opinion because, think about it, you’re getting shot, you’re being bitten but you cannot respond in a violent manner,” said Dr. Mumba. “So those values have an enduring effect in my opinion. They never go out of season. Those are lessons that we have to be reminded of constantly so that when faced with injustice, we can call it out.“
(From top to bottom) Top - D.C. Cooper entranced audience members with the famous I Have A Dream speech that was given in Washington on August 28th, 1963 by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle- Student, Taylor Vaughn, delivers part of a speech that was given at Holt Street Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in December of 1955. Bottom Left- The Gospel Choir was formed specifically for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration event. Bottom Right- A rearrangement of the song Steal Away that was originally composed by Wallace Willis was performed by the Gospel Choir and conducted by Ms. Brenda Lancaster. Jared Hennings performed a solo throughout the song. Photos By Krystie Morrison. Collage Graphic by Shelby Clayton.
Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) Sparks Up REFER Act on House Floor ALEX ST.PETERS astpeters@lc.edu
Only days after California’s new cannabis laws went into effect, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Obama-era policy known as the Cole Memo. The Cole Memo was a document created by former US Attorney General James Cole in 2013. The Cole Memo basically told all US Attorneys to let the states regulate their cannabis industries provided they didn’t go against federal preferences, like being a front for other illegal activities, promoting violence, or selling to minors. Since 2013, the federal government has stayed out of the way of states that have legalized cannabis. The cannabis industry generated around $10 billion in legal weed sales in 2017. The industry is expected to double in 2018 with the addition of California to states with recreational weed. According to a report by Arcview, Los Angeles’ recreational weed sales alone are projected to be worth $7 billion in value. Since Jeff Sessions’ decision to rescind the Cole Memo, many businesses within the cannabis industry have not reacted at all. The industry has grown so much that there is nothing the federal government can do to hinder its output. So many businesses are not concerned about a crackdown from the government, but are more concerned with being able to use financial institutions. Since cannabis is still illegal on the federal level, many reputable financial institutions have been reluctant to get into the cannabis industry. This has left many business owners having to deal with cash only sales and not have a suitable place to put their money. With the rescission of the Cole Memo this has only distanced financial institutions more.
Even though the business owners are not reacting to Sessions’ decision. Some states have already responded to his decision. Representative Barbara Lee of California has proposed a bill in the House of Representatives. The “Restraining Excessive Federal Enforcement & Regulations of Cannabis Act of 2018” or the “REFER Act of 2018” was the proposed bill. The bill states that no federal funds will be made available to any department or agency in the United States to prevent a State from implementing its state laws on cannabis use, distribution, possession, or cultivation. It also denies funds being made available to detain or penalize any individual, financial institution, or business just because they are providing financial services to a business that operates with state legal cannabis. The bill has been backed by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), and Rep. Don Young (R-AK). The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is also behind the bill. The organization helped Rep. Lee’s team in drafting the language of the bill to make sure everything was covered correctly. Justin Strekal, Political Director for NORML, said “The REFER Act would go a long way to preventing cannabis bigot AG Jeff Sessions from cracking down on the states that have legalized cannabis. It’s a bill with a fun name and a serious purpose” According to NORML, the most important part of the bill was the inclusion of blocking the federal government from taking actions against financial institutions just because they provide financial services to a business that is involved in state legal cannabis. Having a suitable place to put and invest their money has been at the top of many legal cannabis
Graphic By: Shelby Clayton
business owners list for years. If the cannabis industry is allowed the services of reputable financial institutions it will only benefit the already fast growing industry. At a House of Representatives meeting Rep. Lee said, “The federal government should respect the will of the voters in states that have voted to decriminalize cannabis. It’s time to stop wasting taxpayer money on the failed War on Drugs,” As more and more states are added to list of states with legal cannabis every year. In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, they found that about six-in-ten Americans (61%) say that the
use of cannabis should be legalized. Since Sessions’ decision, two other states have also responded with their own cannabis reform laws. Republican Kentucky Senator Dan Seum filed Senate Bill 80. The bill would legalize cannabis in the state with similar regulations to other states such as Colorado, Washington, and California. Also early in January, Vermont legislation voted to legalize cannabis in the state. This will be the first time cannabis legalization was achieved through a vote by lawmakers. Each of the past eight states to legalize cannabis was achieved through a vote by the people.
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thebridge Campus News 02 TLC Gives Veteran L&C Student Reason to Smile PRESS RELEASE A local disabled veteran will have plenty to smile about thanks to a generous gift from Dentistry with TLC in Godfrey and support from Veterans Services at Lewis and Clark Community College. L&C student Matthew Edwards, a 52-yearold Desert Storm veteran who was born and raised in Alton, will receive $30,000 worth of free dental work and a newfound confidence in his pursuit of a career assisting veterans like himself. Edwards is earning an Associate in Applied Science – Administrative Assistant degree at Lewis and Clark and is expected to graduate in the next year. Prior to returning to college, he served in the U.S. Army for seven years, achieving the rank of sergeant E-5. “I’ve been a disabled veteran since 2005 and I wanted to get back into the workforce,” Edwards said. “The VA had a program, which is Chapter 31 Vocation Rehab, so I went to them and they had me look at some careers that would not interfere with my disabilities. One of those careers was an administrative assistant. I’m hoping to work in the Veterans Administration helping other veterans.” Even though Edwards has been given a disability rating of 70 percent by the Veterans Administration due to injuries received during his military service, he is excited to re-enter the workforce. However, problems with his teeth have always created confidence issues for Edwards, in addition to physical pain. “To be able to smile when I’m talking to someone, a lot of times I feel I have to cover my mouth,” he said. “Looking to do any kind of office work and deal with people, to me dental work is a must.” In recognition of Veterans Day, Dentistry with TLC took nominations to award $15,000 in dental work to a veteran at no cost to him/ her. L&C Director of Veterans Services Terry Lane learned about the opportunity and immediately thought of Edwards, who ended up winning the prize. “I’m still quite overwhelmed by it,” Edwards said. According to Lane, TLC added an additional $15,000 in services in order to complete the work Edwards required, which includes upper and lower dental implants.
Edwards admitted he was nervous about the work due to his fear of needles. “They have to stick you in your gums to deaden the nerves, but, actually, I was more afraid of the embarrassment,” he said. “I haven’t been able to afford dental work since I got out of the military in 1993. They’re doing a very good job, so far. I haven’t had a smile in almost 20 years, so it’s a real blessing.” Edwards hopes his new smile, combined with the support he’s received while pursuing his degree at Lewis and Clark, will help him achieve his dream of assisting veterans in the same way the school has assisted him. “I really love the instructors here,” he said. “I’ve been out of school for 30 years. It’s been challenging and it’s taken me longer to get my degree than I expected, but the teachers are working with me. They don’t want to see you fail and I love that. They don’t give it to you – they make you earn it – but they give you the opportunity to earn it.” Office Technology Professor Lori Kuithe is one of the people Edwards credits for helping him succeed. “It’s her attention to detail when she’s giving her lectures,” he said. “She’s always available when you have questions at any time.” L&C’s Veterans Services has played a key role in helping Edwards complete his education as well. “I have access to a computer so I can do my homework,” he said. “It also helps me get familiar with the different forms used by veterans – the forms they need to get paperwork to get their records, to get medical, to get benefits. What I want to do in life is help veterans, so it’s helping me to learn the paperwork and the process of helping.” Lane expressed his appreciation for the work Dentistry with TLC is doing to restore Edwards’ smile. “When I saw the Dentistry with TLC offer in a local newspaper in early November, I was absolutely amazed,” Lane said. “Dr. Smith was making a life-changing offer to help a veteran, so I decided I would try to help her find a veteran student who could really benefit from the opportunity. Matt and I have talked about the cost of dental work but had not yet found a solution. When I heard that he would get this assistance, it was almost too much to process. Then, when I learned Dr. Smith would also donate another $15,000 of dental work, I was stunned. “Matt is getting ready to graduate and this
Photo Provided By L&C Flickr dental work truly is a life-changing gift. I’m very happy for Matt and his wife, and I’m very grateful to Dentistry with TLC.” Edwards credits Lane for not only helping him with his education, but for helping him get the dental services he required, but wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. “Terry is a big influence in my life,” Edwards said. “Working for him has been wonderful, not only from the learning aspect of office
work, because he gives us jobs to do to help me learn office work, but just to watch his admiration and love for other veterans. He’s willing to go above and beyond for veterans, which he has done for me. I really look up to Terry. He is an example of how you help veterans.” For more information on L&C Veterans Services, visit www.lc.edu/veterans or contact Lane at (618) 468-5500 or tdlane@lc.edu.
Gayla Moore Joins Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Foundation’s Board of Directors PRESS RELEASE
President and Founder Mannie Jackson is pleased to announce the addition of Gayla Moore to the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Foundation’s Board of Directors. Moore is the previous CEO and owner of Nevco, a sports technology company. During Moore’s leadership, Nevco transformed from near-obsolescence to industry leader and became the largest privately held scoreboard manufacturer in the world. Moore has more than 25 years of manufacturing, supply chain, and consulting experience. She has spoken at numerous events on the topic of women in manufacturing. Moore also participates in a variety of other organizations, non-profits, and boards, including; African Vision of Hope, Women’s President Organization, APICS, Deloitte Women’s Leadership Initiative, EGHM Foundation, Nevco Sports LLC, and Restore Décor. “We are honored to have a person of Gayla’s commitment to the humanities join our Board of Directors,” said Mannie Jackson, Founder and President of the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Foundation (MJCHF). “Her interest and passion for helping others paired with her natural leadership skills will help further the MJCHF’s mission to create
Photo Provided By L&C Flickr communities worldwide that embrace respect, understanding, kindness and forgiveness.” The MJCHF and its Board of Directors were formed in 2015. The Foundation supports the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities and its various programs, including the Conversation Towards a Brighter Future, STEM Meets Humanities, and its inaugural research efforts that combine the techniques of social mapping and humanities indexing, led by Lewis & Clark Community
College and a team of interdisciplinary research scientists, who are creating a new humanities research tool to gauge community resiliency and cultural inclusiveness. “I’m looking forward to joining the Board of Directors and continuing to support and develop programs that further the MJCHF mission of creating communities worldwide that embrace respect, understanding, kindness and forgiveness,” said Gayla Moore. Moore will be joining Mannie
Jackson, Director and President; Robert L. Watson, Director and Vice President; Dr. Dale Chapman, Director, Secretary and Treasurer; Elsie McCabe Thompson; Director, Vada Manager, Director; Mark Goldenberg, Director and David J. Downey, Director. For more information about the Foundation and the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities, please email drehightower@ mjchf.com, visit www.mjchf.org or call 618655-2881.
Rooney started coaching the men’s program in 1986 and started the women’s program in 1993. “Coach Rooney earned more than 400 wins with both the men’s and women’s teams,” said Vice President of Student Engagement Sean Hill. “Rooney was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 2009 and has been the winningest NJCAA women’s soccer coach since 2012.” Coach Rooney established the L&C women’s soccer tradition by leading the team to win the NJCAA National Tournament Championship in 1999 and 2008 and was named Women’s Coach of the Year both years. He was named Men’s District Coach of the Year and Women’s Region 24 Coach of the Year in 2015. He ended his career at L&C with a men’s record of 400222-31 and a women’s record of 419-101-22. “Coach Ed Huneke, who started the men’s team at Lewis and Clark, was outstanding –
those were some big shoes to fill—but Rooney came in and did an outstanding job,” said L&C Trustee George Terry, who played a role in hiring Rooney. “He could recruit like nobody I’ve ever seen, convincing even athletes who had scholarships to attend four-year colleges to play soccer at Lewis and Clark instead.” Board Chairman Robert L. Watson said Rooney’s impact on his players extended well beyond the soccer field. “His legacy lives on in the hundreds of soccer players he impacted,” Watson said. “Rooney’s influence on players has gone well beyond their performance on the field.” L&C President Dale Chapman echoed Watson’s views. “I meet a lot of people from the region who note Tim Rooney’s personal influence on them,” Chapman said. “I would say his talent for character building is equal to his winning record.”
Photo Provided By L&C Flickr
L&C Soccer Stadium to be Named for Rooney PRESS RELEASE The Lewis and Clark Community College soccer stadium will soon have a new name, the result of decades of tireless dedication from newly retired soccer coach Tim Rooney. By a unanimous vote from the L&C Board of Trustees at their Dec. 12 meeting, the stadium will be renamed Tim Rooney Stadium. Plans for the dedication of the stadium are currently in the works. The men’s and women’s soccer coach retired at the end of November after 31 years of coaching L&C soccer teams. “Without a doubt, Rooney is one of the greatest NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) coaches of all time, and has certainly left a legacy here at Lewis and Clark,” said L&C Athletic Director Doug Stotler.
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Warm up this February with NGRREC’s Neighbor Night’s Featuring Fire COURTNEY MARKOS cpower@lc.edu
Embark on a new adventure with Illinois Recreational Access Program Coordinator Eric Wright as he talks about prescribed burns during February’s Neighbor Night at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center Feb. 6. Fire is a natural process that helps maintain healthy and sustainable habitats. “February’s Neighbor Night will focus on prescribed fire as a means of land management and habitat restoration,” Environmental Educator Allison Rhanor said. “NGRREC’s Habitat Strike Team is trained to identify when fire is necessary as well as how to safely monitor and contain these burns.” Attendees will learn how natural resource managers use prescribed fire on a variety of habitats in Illinois. “Many will remember the recent fires that occurred along the River Road,” Rhanor said. “This is a great opportunity for the public to come and ask our staff any questions they may have about these events.” Limited snacks and drinks will be available. The classroom display will feature conservation equipment. A tour will be held from 6-7 p.m. The talk starts at 7 p.m. Neighbor Nights are held on the first Tuesday of every month, from 5:30-8 p.m., NGRREC is open for visitors to come and go as they please. Come on down and explore the lobby, native landscaping and/or take a stroll up to our green roof. For more information, visit http://www. ngrrec.org/neighbor_nights. Illinois Recreational Access Program Coordinator Eric Wright uses prescribed fire to maintain a healthy habitat. Photo provided by Eric Wright
Former WLCA Radio Personality Wins CMA Large Market Personality of the Year Award
Jesse Tack and Amanda Valentine accept the Large Market Personality of the Year award at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville. Photo provided by Amanda Valentine PRESS RELEASE
Former WLCA 89.9-FM DJ Amanda Valentine and her on-air partner Jesse Tack were recently honored with the Country Music Association’s Large Market Personality of the Year award. “It’s an incredible honor to win the CMA award,” Valentine said. “Years of passion and dedication to the industry that I love have definitely paid off.” Her afternoon drive show, “Amanda & Jesse,” which airs weekdays on WUBE 105.1-FM, in Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of six nominees for the CMA award. “Radio is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Valentine said. “I used to handwrite letters to radio stations in St. Louis asking if I could work for them for free. I never heard back, of course, but after only a few months at WLCA, I got my first job offer from KSHE.” After becoming a student in Lewis and Clark Community College’s Radio Broadcasting program, Valentine started working at KSHE in 2002. Since then, her radio career has taken her all over the country, from Kentucky to New York, to
Colorado and Oregon. “Amanda is one of those rare talents that comes along only so often,” WLCA Station Manager and Radio Broadcasting Coordinator Mike Lemons said. “Her personality was at a level 10, and she was able to easily convey that on air.” Valentine credits Lemons and WLCA for playing a large role in her success. “I learned a lot at from my time on air at WLCA,” she said. “I learned all the fundamentals needed for a career in radio. It was also incredibly helpful that WLCA has current equipment that is also being used by the radio stations in St. Louis. That played a large role in me getting my first job.” Some of her favorite memories of L&C include doing a summertime morning show and participating in 89 Hours of Christmas, an event during which two Lewis and Clark radio broadcasting students take over WLCA 89.9-FM and broadcast live for 89.9 consecutive hours to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Alton.
“As a student, and still today, Amanda serves as a great example of what can be accomplished with hard work a dedication to the craft,” Lemons said. “It puts a smile on my face knowing how much she valued her time here. We are very proud of her accomplishments and honored to have her as a member of our advisory committee.” Valentine said she would recommend the Radio Broadcasting program to anyone who wants to break into the industry. “Radio is in need of fresh, innovative talent,” she said. “Radio is in a position now where it’s focused on personalities, and it’s a great opportunity for someone to jump in and shake things up. Work hard, be passionate and learn it all. It’s not just about radio; it’s about video and social media. Be as creative as possible and don’t accept no for an answer.” To learn more about her show and view videos and photos, visit www.facebook. com/AmandaJesseB105, www.instagram. com/amandajesseb105 or www.twitter. com/amandajesseb105.
Prospective Students Invited to Explore L&C at Discover Days PRESS RELEASE Prospective students are invited to learn more about becoming a Trailblazer and experience campus during Lewis and Clark Community College’s next Discover Day event, Monday, Feb. 19. Discover Days are held twice per year – once in the fall and once in the spring – when high schools are not in session but the college is. “Discover Days give prospective students and their families a taste of campus life as well as access to important information about becoming a student, and the opportunity to tour our programs and labs,” said Vice President of Enrollment Kent Scheffel. “These events are not only fun, but also educational.” Join L&C Enrollment, Student Activities and others from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in The Commons on the college’s Godfrey Campus for free food, fun activities, giveaways and information about enrollment, financial aid, student life and more. “Many of the high schools will be closed that day, but our campus will be in full swing,” Scheffel said. “Advisors and experts will be on hand to talk with guests, give tours and answer any questions about our programs, student services and much more.” Preregistration is not required, but recommended, so that students can better be served during their visit. Go to http://bit.ly/ LCDiscoverDays to register. Can’t make it? The next Discover Day at Lewis and Clark will be held Oct. 8, 2018. For more information, contact Enrollment Center Director Delfina Dornes at at (618) 468-5200 or ddornes@lc.edu.
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thebridge 2017-2018
Staff List
Entertainment 04 L&C Professor Makes Movie BRENNAN LARSON blarson@lc.edu
Editor-in-Chief Helen Jarden Associate Editor Brennen Larson Layout Editor Shelby Clayton Ad Manager Callie Logan Webmaster Alex St. Peters Videographer Nick Budzban Photographer Jen Miller Photographer Krystie Morrison Writer Lucas Gardner Writer Ashtyn Britt Writer Stephanie Larson Writer Courtney Markos Graphic Designer Zach Howard Cartoonist Tristan Wuellner Cartoonist Destiny Buck Advisor Louise Jett ljett@lc.edu
StuDent activities February Calendar Feb 5. 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Reid Cafe Blues Band - Big George Brock Jr.
Feb 7. 11:45 A.M. Reid Cafe
African Dance Performance
Feb 12. 12:00 P.M. Reid Library Atty Ebony Huddleston - Law Profession Presentation
Feb 14. 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Reid Cafe Valentine’s Day Event: Psychic, Candy Bags, Caricaturist
Feb 15. 1:00 P.M. Security Parking Lot Underground R.R. Tour RSVP 468-6400
Feb 19. 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Commons Discover Days
Feb 21. 11:00 A.M. Reid Library
Kelly Jackson, Radio Broadcasting Workshop
Feb 26. 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. Commons Black Student Association Blood Drive
Feb 27. 5:00 P.M. Reid Cafe Soul Food Dinner
Feb 28. 11:00 A.M. Benjamin Godfrey Chapel 3 Purple Coat Productions Theatre Performance ‘High Cotton”
Photo Provided by Youtube.com
Fans of locally-made films will be excited to know that a movie written by a Lewis and Clark faculty member is now available through multiple online streaming services. Lainee Frizzo, a professor who teaches creative writing, poetry, and publishes the school literature journal, the Peppermint Rooster, wrote Drinksgiving. It tells the story of postgrad Sarah Douglas and her friend Jake as they throw a party the night before Thanksgiving, resulting in disaster and hilarity. Lainee and her co-writer, John Forrest, decided to make a feature-length film after previous experience in releasing a short film. They chose Drinksgiving in part due to it requiring few locations and wardrobe changes, and also because it featured a female lead. “As for the story,” Frizzo said, “one year, we had seen a number of Facebook posts the night before Thanksgiving - people were referring it it as Skanksgiving.” They ultimately decided on the other name usually associated with the pseudo-holiday, Drinksgiving, which refers to the activity of getting together with friends the day before Thanksgiving to drink, since people rarely have work the next day. The film was released on November 14, after a couple months of scriptwriting, six months of preparation, 13 days of filming, and two years of post production. “All in all,” said Frizzo, here were more than 50 people involved in some aspect of making the film. Talent, crew, and all of those who lent their time working on food, rentals, housing, etc.“ At present, Lainee is working on more scripts, trying to get funding for future projects, and promoting Drinksgiving. The film is available now on multiple platforms, including Amazon video, Google Play, YouTube, and ITunes.
Here Lies a Review of Taylor Swift’s Reputation ASHTYN BRITT abritt@lc.edu
So, Taylor Swift Fans, are you… “Ready for it?” The first song of the album sets the tone for the rest of the CD, showing an admittedly unfamiliar sound than what we’d expect from Taylor. “End Game,” Is Taylor explaining to a potential love interest that our reputations don’t always represent who we are, and that it’s possible to want more and to get to know one another in a deeper way than what everyone else says. It’s an interesting look into Taylor’s life and how she must feel she has to explain her reputation to new people she meets, something not many have thought about. “I Did Something Bad,” oh, but does this song sound so good! Between this and a few other songs featured later in the song, this burn track burns bright. For once, Taylor is playing the role of a heartbreaker, and states in the song that she will no longer let men dictate her happiness or sadness. This is implied to apply to both men from her romantic history, and men who have negatively impacted her professional history as well. This look is the anthem of the new Taylor Swift, and deserving of its own music video. “Don’t Blame Me,” is a song describing how love can change us into people we don’t anticipate on being, using a darker melody and wonderful poetic lyrics to convey this deeper message. “Delicate,” is Taylor’s description of the fear of losing a precious relationship, knowing many things could ruin it before it has a chance to really shine into something beautiful. This song is incredibly relatable and sounds as delicate as expected, and a wonderful addition. “Look What You Made Me Do,” Is the best-known track thus far, already featuring a rather intense and genius music video stating Taylor isn’t the woman we perceive her to be, and her refusal to fit into a mold made by anyone other than herself. It also provides quite a lot of fuel to the fire of some of her more popular feuds with other celebrities, so rest assured this song will bring back memories of the music video in the most delightful way. “So It Goes…” is a song about giving into temptation, even when knowing it’s wrong. It describes the details of the ecstasy of falling into an intense situation, even if it’s not an ideal situation. “Gorgeous,” is a song anyone with intense attraction to someone can relate to, although this has quite the twist. Taylor says within the first few lyrics
Photo provided by theindustryobserver.com.au she’s already with someone, and yet still finds herself attracted to a new gorgeous man. The tempo suggests frustration and temptation, which provides an outlet for listeners who may be experiencing similar tensions in their personal lives. “Getaway Car,” is a song describing what it’s like to leave a bad relationship to be with the person you love, and describing the lover as the driver of a getaway car instead of a rescuer. It’s interesting how Taylor makes the obvious analogy of the driver being the accomplice, not the one behind the crime. “King of My Heart,” This song perfectly explains how it feels to have someone come along when you least expect them, and being the most inconvenient and wonderful surprise at the same time. “Dancing with Our Hands Tied,” Is Taylor describing the stress and fear she has over her relationship, feeling like there will never be a time without the rest of the world wanting to rear its ugly head into her personal life. A very interesting perspective to see Taylor describe the fear that one bad article or ugly headline could ruin something personal and meaningful to her. “Dress,” This is a song that is worth listening to more than once, giving a flash of the more romantic side of the Taylor we’ve come to know over the years. A sweet song more in touch with her roots, yet taking a more adult tone, is a sweet surprise amongst a list of already wonderful tracks. “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” Is a song of second chances falling through, and sticking to your guns on leaving well enough alone. It’s a song that makes clear Taylor is done
playing the role of a nice girl, and instead of choosing to stay with the people who love and support her instead of listening to anybody else. This happens to be a quality more people should embrace, and is a song worthy of being put on repeat. “Call It What You Want,” is a song that is so much sweeter than it’s given credit for, an anti-love-letter from Taylor to the mainstream media that’s no doubt ruined previous relationships for her. For once, Taylor is saying she doesn’t care what anybody believes of her or her lover, she cares about him and what they have. Everyone else can call them whatever they want to, and she won’t care. “New Year’s Day,” provides a more serious side than we’ve ever seen Taylor explore with her previous relationships, showing love isn’t about the magic of a New Year’s Eve midnight kiss. True love is about cleaning up the trash after the party together on New Year’s Day, wearing pajamas, and just enjoying each other. This new outlook of love is a more mature view of romance, and it’s one that more people should want to find. That seems to be the thesis of the album itself, that with time, the fantasy in situations of fame and love fade. What you’re left with is a more mature outlook and the strength to stand both on your own, and eventually with someone who sees you as an equal. Truly, the bubbly and naive Taylor Swift is dead. She may not be a perfect woman, but as she changes, it’ll be interesting to see where her life leads her next and what new music she’ll present to the world. So, hurry and buy a copy of Reputation and enjoy the new Taylor Swift!
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thebridge Trans-Siberian Orchestra Shreds St. Louis LUCAS GARDNER ljgardner@lc.edu
Photo provided by justiceleaguethemovie.com
Justic League Review: Is It Franchise Worthy? ASHTYN BRITT abritt@lc.edu
If you’re looking for a superhero movie to enjoy with your friends, Justice League is the perfect film! DC Nation has faced plenty of criticism over the past couple of years for their movies, especially when being compared to their main competitor, Marvel. However, they’ve improved on quality, which shone brightly through the raved-about Wonder Woman that came out this previous June. The improvement can be seen continuing in the latest addition in the DC films, Justice League. Justice League is a film about the start of a team of superheroes, including Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, The Flash, and Aquaman. While most were somewhat reluctant to leave their usual lives, the heroes agree to unite with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Bruce Wayne’s Batman to protect the world against an evil alien named Steppenwolf, determined to collect the three Mother Boxes and combine them, which would lead to the destruction of all life. Steppenwolf, along with his many bug-like creatures called Parademons, create quite the threat for DC’s heroes. The state of the world they’re living in doesn’t seem to help our beloved heroes very much, since everyone is still deeply mourning the loss of Superman, including the heroes themselves. The feeling of mourning is portrayed very clearly, with various locations all over the world presenting the Superman banner in his honor throughout the movie.
It is also spoken of many times in the movie that without Superman, there is a feeling of a lack of hope amongst the citizens of the world. While the heroes must build their bond to stay strong and figure out how to defeat Steppenwolf, each of our heroes must fight their own inner battles as well. Victor Stone, or Cyborg, must have to learn how to move on from his accident and learn to enjoy the life he still has. Barry Allen, or The Flash, must figure out a way to move forward in life and plan for his future as more than being a petty thief. Diana Prince, or Wonder Woman, must learn to let go of the pain from her loss and help defend her Amazonian sisters when they call for her help against Steppenwolf. Arthur Curry, or Aquaman, must learn to defend the kingdom that he feels abandoned him. Bruce Wayne, or Batman, must meanwhile learn to process his grief and guilt over feeling that he caused Superman’s death. As they learn to conquer their own issues, they also learn to conquer the external issues as a united team, a pleasant sight to watch and enjoy with our beloved DC Heroes. However, it is the hint of Lex Luthor’s escape and uniting with Death Stroke that creates the thrilling excitement of more excellent films to come! It’s safe to say, the Justice League will return to stand for the people they’ve sworn to protect, and people will be happy to watch! If you’re looking for great action, interesting characters, insightful messages, and great acting, then look no further! Justice League offers all this and more.
T’was a night shortly after Christmas, the St. Louis city lights glowed bright with street lights. The sound of strange music traveled through the streets as we approached Scottrade Center. Thousands of people running through the streets for shelter, for the wind from the Mississippi river was a brisk one. The crowd looked like bees swarming into a hive. T’was the music that drew us here. A troop of wandering musicians found their way to St. Louis later to be known as, “The TransSiberian Orchestra.” On December 26th 2017, I had the joy of going to a rather popular seasonal tour by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was truly a fantastic experience. My dad’s girlfriend bought all of us tickets to go see them. They played a series of winter classics with a bit of a twist, the twist being a more upbeat modern orchestrated version of these classics. Along with the wonderful music there was a light show, laser show, and bit of a fire show. There were moments that some of the music “melded” together for lack of better words. However, I only
feel that way because the transitions were so smooth that you couldn’t tell if it was the same song or a different one. It threw off the immersion a few times, but it was nonetheless powerful. There were several times that not only could you hear the music but feel it in your very being. In a sense I felt as if it rattled my very core, in a good way. The goosebumps were nothing less than incredible. During the middle of the concert a narrator came out on stage and begin telling a story much like I did in the beginning of this article. They showed a few scenes of a movie or story of the sorts, but only a few, and the music told the rest. Every other two to three songs he would come back out on stage and drop a few great one liners and go back into the set while the music continued the story. It was quite a different experience than I was used to. I mean, using music to tell a story in my experience isn’t something that happens normally. Music is often in the background helping but no, not while listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Overall a wonderful and unique experience and I highly recommend the orchestra.
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Editorial 06
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Post Commons Provides a New Cool Hangout in Alton STAFF EDITORIAL
A new coffee bar by the name of Post Commons recently opened at Alton’s old U.S. Post Office building on 300 Alby St. The Bridge editorial staff had the pleasure of visiting Post Commons the day after it officially opened. Compared to other coffee shops in Alton, the Post Commons is unique in both its atmosphere and space, which is what sealed the unanimous approval of our editorial staff. “I thought Post Commons felt very homey and very quaint, a perfect place to grab a small bite to eat and do some studying or work,” Layout Editor Shelby Clayton said. “I will definitely be going back in the future to do some work on one of their spacious comfy couches with a latte and flaky pastry.” The Post Commons offers a variety of food, from sweet pastries to savory sandwiches, as well as different kinds of coffee and tea. They
also plan to eventually install a roastery and sell coffee beans. “The Post Commons was a delightful display that was eclectic but uncluttered,” Associate Editor Brennen Larson said. “I love the way they reused elements of old post office that helped it have themed feel. The atmosphere, along with the coffee, was quite pleasant.” The Post Commons also makes a great venue for parties and weddings. There is plenty of space and also a stage for music. “I give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars,” Clayton said. “They could use some more coffee options, like iced coffee, but it’s still winter and they’re new, so we’ll see what the future has in store for Post Commons! I will definitely be there to see.” For those who want to check it out, the Post Commons is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Saturday.
Newly opened Post Commons has already mastered latte art with this beautifully crafted latte featuring a tulip design (above). Post Commons picked the right time to open in the chilly winter months. Customers can curl up with a hot drink in one of the many comfortable seating options (below). Photos by: Shelby Clayton
Post Common’s Baristas have a spacious workstation to display novelty post office items as well as display cases for their pastries (shown underneath). At the end of the counter is the espresso machine and a cooler for their brunch items and bottled drinks (not shown). Photos by: Shelby Clayton
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Section B
VOL 48/ISSUE 05 Benefits of Being Forever Alone
Meet N.O. Nelson Manager, Tim Bell
Sad about being single
Read the spotlight on Tim
in college? There might be some benefits of
Bell, manager of Lewis and Clark’s N.O. Nelson
being “forever alone” to consider.
campus in Edwardsville, Illinois
Read More on 2B
Read More on 6B
What is Overwatch League? HELEN JARDEN hjarden@lc.edu
Esports are becoming more and more popular, and gaming companies are beginning to notice. The Overwatch League is an esports league created by Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of the award winning game Overwatch. This year marks the inaugural season of the Overwatch League, and many people are curious as to how it works. There are 12 teams who are participating this season. Much like other sports, each team represents a city. From London to Shanghai, teams all over the world have traveled to Los Angeles to participate in the league. The teams are divided into two divisions of six: Atlantic and Pacific. Future seasons may have games that occur in other locations, but for this first one all games will occur in the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles. The preseason, which began on Dec. 6 and continued until Dec. 9, allowed fans to see the teams in action and also helped the teams scope out their competition. Fan favorites, such as Dallas Fuel, quickly gained a following after their skills were displayed in the preseason. The regular season may tell a different story, however. It began on Jan. 10 and will continue into July. Matches occur from Wednesday to Saturday, with three matches take place each day. Each match is composed of four map sets. There are four stages in the season, and wins and loses are counted towards the teams’ season record. Each stage is five weeks long. On the last Saturday of each stage, the top teams compete to be titled as the stage winner as well as to gain a monetary prize of $125,000. The top team from from each division will advance to the championship playoffs, which occur in July. In addition to this, the top from teams in both divisions will also advance to the playoffs, meaning that there will be a six-team playoff bracket. If you would like to know more about Overwatch League or watch some of the games, you can do so at https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/.
Overwatch League Kicks Off
HELEN JARDEN
hjarden@lc.edu Starting off the first week of Overwatch League, which began on Jan. 10, San Francisco Shock when up against Los Angeles Valiant. Shock put up a fight but in the end Valiant won with a score of 0-4. The second match of the day was was Shanghai Dragons vs. Los Angeles Gladiators. The Dragons managed to take only one point the entire night on the map Temple of Anubis, but lost that stage because Gladiators took two points. In the end, the Gladiators brutally swept all matches with a score of 0-4. The biggest match of the night, however, was Dallas
Fuel against Seoul Dynasty. Both teams are championship winners, and the stages that night showed the experience both teams have. On the map Junkertown, Dynasty and Fuel played 15 different team compositions for more than 30 seconds each. Ultimately, Dynasty won with a close score of 1-2. On the 11th, the matches started off with London Spitfire vs Florida Mayhem. For the first match, Mayhem quickly took over and claimed victory on the first stage. However, Spitfire seem to recover from the loss and found their rhythm in the following stages. By the end, Spitfire won with a score of 3-1. The second match of the night was Philadelphia Fusion against Houston Outlaws. They ended up playing five stages, each one with extremely close scores. While both teams fought hard, eventually Fusion won with a score of 3-2. The final match of the night was Boston Uprising vs. New York Excelsiors. The first two
stages were close, and Uprising did manage to win four points on the map Horizon Lunar Colony. However, Excelsiors took the lead and won the match with a score of 1-3. On the 12th, Valiant returned to the arena to fight Dallas Fuel. The match started off with an extremely close payload stage between the teams on Junkertown, which Valliant won 8-7, and then a tie on Horizon Lunar Colony. Shockingly, in the end Fuel lost the final two stages and Valiant took the match with a score of 3-0. Florida Mayhem went up against Boston Uprising but just couldn’t get a win. The match ended with Uprising winning with a score of 0-4. The final match of the night was San Francisco Shock vs Shanghai Dragons. While Dragons did a lot better than their first match, they still ending up losing. Shock won with a score of 3-1. On the the 13th, London Spitfire went up
against Philadelphia Fusion. The first stage ended up being close, but Spitfire took the lead. For the rest of the night Fusion struggled, and ultimately weren’t able to handle Spitfire. Spitfire won with a score of 4-0. New York Excelsior went against Houston Outlaws. Outlaws won the first stage, but Excelsior managed to power through for the rest of the match. Excelsior eventually beat them with a score of 3-1. The final match of the night was Seoul Dynasty against Los Angeles Gladiators. Dynasty has been a favorite of many because of their history of championship wins. While Gladiators kept the match score close in the first two stages, they ended up failing to secure any wins. Dynasty won the match with a score of 4-0. If you want to see a specific match, all matches are available to be watched at https:// overwatchleague.com/en-us/videos. Graphics Provided by blizzard.gamespress.com
STL Blues Prospects Shine at World Juniors ALEX ST. PETERS astpeters@lc.edu
The future’s looking bright for the St. Louis Blues’ young prospects Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, and Klim Kostin. All three of them played outstandingly at this year’s World Juniors Championship (WJC). Their play was not something of a fluke, either, because all of them are lighting up the scoresheet in their respective leagues. Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas both play in Canada’s Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and both are some of the leagues top scorers. As of Jan 12, Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting is ranked third in points with 60 points (19G 31A) in 31 games. Kyrou is only six points behind the league leader Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste.Marie Greyhounds 66 points (24G 42A), but Kyrou has nine less games than Frost due to missing time from playing in the WJC tournament. Robert Thomas of the Hamilton Bulldogs is ranked eleventh in points with 46 (20G 26A) in 27 games. Thomas was just recently traded to the Hamilton Bulldogs from the London Knights in a transaction that happened after Thomas won gold with Team Canada at the WJC tournament. Klim Kostin is currently playing for the St. Louis Blues American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the San Antonio Rampage. Kostin is ranked third in points among rookie players on the team with 11 points (2G 9A) in 29 games. At the WJC tournament this year, the three of them finished as some of the top scorers on their teams and the whole tournament.
Kyrou and Thomas both played for team Canada, whereas Kostin played for Team Russia. Kyrou led in scoring for Team Canada with 8 points (3G 5A) in six games. Thomas finished tied for third on his team with 6 points (1G 5A) in six games. Kostin led Team Russia with 7 points (3G 4A) in five games. Among all players in the tournament, Kyrou finished tied for third, Kostin tied for fourth, and Thomas tied for fifth in scoring. Even though all three of them played well only Kyrou and Thomas will be bringing a medal home. Canada beat Sweden in the championship game for the gold, but Russia was outed by USA in the quarterfinal game. Kyrou, Thomas, and Kostin impressive play in the tournament didn’t go unnoticed by hockey fans all around the world. They were some of the key players on their teams. They not only were able to score goals, they made the players around them better with their great playmaking ability and hockey sense. Two of Kyrou’s three goals would’ve made it on the top 10 of the tournament. Thomas made some amazing puck movement and was always where he needed to be to make the play. Kostin was a powerhouse when it came to moving the puck and had terrorized goalies with his blistering shot. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Blues will use these players in the near future. Whether it be making the team next year or calling one of them up towards to the end of the season to help with a playoff run. These players are going to have a bright future in the NHL it’s just a matter of time until they get their chance to shine.
Canadian forward and St. Louis Blues prospect, Jordan Kyrou, takes shot on Slovakian goalie David Hrenak on Dec. 27, 2017 Photo Provided by nationalpost.com/
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SECTION B
Opinion 02
After Logan Paul’s Controversial Video, Does He Deserve Forgiveness?
ASHTYN BRITT abritt@lc.edu
Trigger Warning: Suicide will be mentioned in this article. If you or anyone you love is having suicidal thoughts, please seek help. If you have any immediate plans of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. There is hope, and there is love. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Logan Paul, he is a YouTuber who started his New Year with an incredibly shocking and offensive video. He went to Japan with a few companions to visit Aokigahara, a forest which has been made infamous for people going to end their lives. Apparently, Logan Paul had intentions of setting up camp to set a “haunted video” for comedy. Before being able to accomplish this however, he came across an actual dead body of someone who ended their life. Logan Paul then proceeded to film the body, pose with it, and behave in a rather disturbing way for the rest of the video. This was a disgusting, horrible, and disrespectful act for the victim and the victim’s family to then put that video on YouTube. He has since received a lot of justified negative feedback, and lost a lot of support from his YouTube fans. Understandably, people are outraged. I myself am outraged, and especially those who suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts were shaken deeply by his actions. As someone who has struggled with those thoughts myself, I was physically ill when I finally watched the video and felt an intense anger for Logan Paul. Many other people felt the same, and the fire of social media raged on for weeks demanding justice and seeing to Logan Paul face what he’s done.
Let me say right now, as someone who has had to fight the urge to end my life on more than one instance, even as of late, it’s very disheartening to see someone use their platform in such a disrespectful way. However, I am also disheartened when I go online and see the wild amounts of seething rage and loathing, wishing very publicly for Logan Paul’s own death. I understand people feeling moral outrage and the need to want a witch hunt on Logan Paul. Yet, I also believe to give in to those feelings and tell this man to kill himself would put you at the exact same level he is on. It is just as wrong, and to treat it as justified is both hypocritical and disturbing. Is Logan Paul a faultless saint? Absolutely not. I am not a fan of his. Until this happened I didn’t even know who he was. I cannot for the life of me understand why when coming across such a horrific scene, why he wouldn’t immediately stop filming. It is questionable enough why he thought he’d just camp out in a place literally nicknamed “Suicide Forest” for a comedy video in general, but I can’t fathom how he went through the entire process afterwards. I do not understand how he just continued to film the video, then later review, edit it, and post it to YouTube. He should’ve known better, and the fact he didn’t screams volumes about his character. I admit his actions afterwards were also handled very poorly, and again he should’ve known better than to think people would let this go in a few days like nothing happened. It takes more than an apology video to fix something like this, and he should’ve known that. However, is he completely unredeemable as a human being? Not necessarily. I am by no means suggesting he should be let off the hook for such a level of disrespect. He
very much deserves to lose his YouTube partnership and to face serious criticism for his actions, he should be held accountable. It’s easy for people today to write off most cases of such horrible things as seeing the person who did it as a monster, because it’s harder to identify or humanize someone who has done something so revolting. It’s easier because our own morality and sense of justice is something we as people hold very personal. I can admit I myself am guilty of showing this kind of behavior as well in the past, and have done my best to correct this behavior. However, Logan Paul is still a person. Do not misunderstand me, I am not excusing what he did. However, I have an issue with the social mob mentality we as a society have adopted as a result of social media. Logan Paul has family, friends, fans who once looked up to him, and despite doing a very sick thing he is still a person. Which is exactly my point: he is sick. He needs to see a professional to understand why on earth he’d react in such a way after finding somebody’s body, and do some serious selfwork to get better. He should leave YouTube, and get help for himself instead of attempting to regain public favor. I am not suggesting he be forgiven without a trace. I am suggesting we all as people remember in a world where it’s easy to lose ourselves to judging and condemning people, to remember to not let that mentality consume you. None of us are saints, either. While some have done different degrees of bad things, we owe it to ourselves and everyone else to accept responsibility for our actions and learn to be better. Turning on each other like a pack of wolves does nothing to accomplish that. Mob mentality has become a rising trend I’ve noticed, and it’s made me increasingly uncomfortable over time. It’s odd to see how
thousands of people can easily turn to social media and take on the roles of judge, jury, and executioner. We’ve become so accustomed to passing judgement that it’s starting to show in incredibly ugly ways in humanity even when they aren’t online. It’s easy to pick out a villain, and band together to take that person down. It’s easy to choose to no longer see someone as a person, to only see a certain version of them in your mind. You form the person as someone you should hate, and believe they’re corrupt and evil. You can make a list of reasons in your mind to justify why they should be burned at the stake, or hanged, or gassed, or lynched. You can even design an image so clear of the reasons that make you justified that you could gain a following to help you to bring such a “villain” to “justice”. Despite whatever picture you paint in your mind, it doesn’t make it right. It can turn you into someone as bad as the person you are choosing to viciously persecute, because that’s exactly what you’re doing when you go too far: persecuting them. This is a pattern that humans have had since the beginning of time, and it’s still a very dangerous one to have. I am not going to suggest whether or not you should forgive Logan Paul, that’s a choice you can only make for yourself. I am only pointing out to be careful to not let that mindset consume you, or make you feel like you’re also a monster if you do find a way to forgive him. Forgiveness is an act of compassion, and one we as people individually can choose to make. I wish I could give a simple answer of whether people should forgive Logan Paul or not, but there is no easy answer. All we have is time, and it’s up to each individual person to decide forgiveness.
Benefits of Being Check us out on Instagram! @thelcbridge Abuse Victims Don’t “Let” Forever Alone Anything Happen to Them.
ASHTYN BRITT
abritt@lc.edu Here’s the thing about being a person that never gets dates: it’s pretty discouraging. It makes people like me think there’s something significantly wrong with us, that makes people want to not even come near. Since we live in a society that seems to qualify someone’s value as a person by how many people desire them, it can be awful to have no admirers at all and to feel valueless. This seems to be rather amplified in high school, which wasn’t a good experience for me, especially in the romantic field. Even now in college, it can sometimes get to me and makes me feel insecure even now. However, most of the time I’m able to remind myself to put the world back into perspective. Sometimes, not dating is a way easier way of life. I don’t have to worry as much about what to say or do, out of fear of offending someone else. I’m a lot more free to make choices and go where I wish, and one less distraction to stay on top of my school work. Which, in college, happens to be a useful problem to have. There’s also the fact that it’s really not a problem in the first place. I’d much rather wait to be with the right person instead of wasting my time with multiple wrong people. By staying single, when I do enter the adult world, I’ll be able to find a wonderful partner I can spend my life with, while not having to worry if our futures head in the right direction. Some people have to wait longer for the right person, and that’s probably for the better. In the meantime, you don’t need a romantic partner to enjoy yourself. You only need a couple of really good friends. I’ve been on plenty of friend-dates through my life that resulted in some of my favorite memories and
ASHTYN BRITT abritt@lc.edu
Image Provided by Pixabay.com inside jokes. Plus, friends don’t normally have super messy breakups that makes families right on Facebook. In college, I still go on friend dates that mean a lot to me. Midnight trips to Steak n Shake, Friday nights at the movies, oven cooked pizzas while singing to Mariah Carey, rushing through the crazy traffic in the Loop, and so much more. These are the people I’m excited about having in my life, and I don’t have to worry about them cheating on me or lying to me. For anybody reading this who feels unhappy being single in college, I encourage you to push those feelings aside for the moment and enjoy being free. One day, whether you believe it or not, you will meet the person who makes sure you’re never single again. Long gone will be the days you have complete control of the remote, or get to choose exactly what pizza toppings you want, and get to sleep in as late as you wish. So, enjoy this time while you have it, because I believe we get this time in our life for a reason. Enjoy your life, and enjoy your friends, and eventually the enjoying love part will work itself out.
I have met a variety of people since coming to college, and for the most part, they hadn’t been unpleasant experiences. I do however, have an exception to this rule. There has been a person that has for many reasons caused strife and unnecessary drama for me and the people closest to me, but if I were to list these things out, I could write an entire book. For now, I shall settle for this person’s most recent offence- a rather serious one, at that. This person, whom I shall refer to as X, had been rather invasive in the personal life of someone else, whom I shall refer to as B, and pushed them to know about if they had any romantic interests over dating apps. B revealed they were having issues connecting romantically to other people, because they’d previously been in a mentally abusive relationship where’d they’d been gaslighted and manipulated. Instead of showing any shred of sympathy, X had the nerve to victimblame B in front of their friends. X said, and I quote, “Well, I wouldn’t let somebody manipulate me.” There are too many words to pinpoint the perfect one of how shocked I was to hear X say such a horrible thing. Livid, rage, flabbergasted, appalled, disgusted, and detestation to name a few. It’s one thing to see grown adults from older generations victim blame people who had been in abusive situations, but to see someone the same age as me speak condescendingly to another person as if it is B’s fault for having been abused is
just repugnant. To anybody else who may feel that, for whatever reason, abused people “let” themselves be treated this way, allow me to give you, along with X, some enlightenment. Most abuse victims, especially those being psychologically or mentally abused, often don’t realize they’re being abused while in the relationship. That’s the bad thing about being manipulated, you only figure it out when it’s too late. People you love can lie to you, and make you believe whatever they want, including the idea that you’re crazy for ever questioning them. Trusting somebody you’re committed to isn’t being foolish, it’s exactly what normal people do in a relationship. So unfortunately, it’s easier for that to be taken advantage of. It is nobody’s fault except the abuser’s. On a personal note to X, what you said was horrible. If you tried to tell me you weren’t aware of exactly how horrible what you said was, I will not believe you. There is no way you don’t know talking down to somebody who shares something like that is rude and despicable. To anyone else like B, who may face a situation where you are victim blamed, do not listen to the X’s of the world. They are pathetic creatures who seek to do nothing but suck the life out of everyone around them but contribute nothing but distracting nonsense in return, and they aren’t worth it. It isn’t your fault now, it never was your fault, and it never will be your fault. You didn’t “let” the abuse happen to you, and you aren’t a victim. You’re a survivor.
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03 Opinion
bridge
SECTION B the Why do We Still Ask if Guys and Girls Can Be Just Friends? ASHTYN BRITT abritt@lc.edu
ASHTYN BRITT ASHTYN BRITT abritt@lc.edu abritts@lc.edu
Pet peeves are minor annoyances that, despite being minor, still manage to make a person cringe. Everyone has pet peeves, and some are more severe than others. I have decided to list below my personal top five pet peeves to hopefully help you dear readers pass time, and enjoy yourself!
1.) Leaving shopping carts in the parking lot.
I was raised to believe when you put your groceries away in your car, you walk your cart to the cart corrals. A cart corral is the rack where grocery store workers eventually retrieve the carts and bring them back inside, making sure they’re easily reusable and out of the way of cars. With this being the case, I have no idea why people leave their carts in parking spaces instead of walking the extra ten steps to put the cart away properly. Ten. Steps. I know this is a rather silly pet peeve, but it still strikes a nerve every time someone can’t park their car because someone else was too lazy.
2.) When the weather knocks out my Wifi.
I’m very aware this is a first world problem, but it happens to be a first world problem that stops me from being able to properly do my homework if -heaven forbid- it should drizzle outside. In a world where everything has been mostly integrated to online resources, without my Wifi, I may as well have no resources at all. While I know nobody can control the weather, I will still proceed to curse mother nature and her cold rain. Knowing Net Neutrality is on the line as well, it doesn’t help these worries.
3.) When you have writer’s block.
Good golly I hate writer’s block, it weighs you down and makes you fall behind very quickly. Especially when battling anything else like depression, it makes everything significantly difficult to focus on. While everyone seems to have their advice of eating bananas for brain food or listening to music, I have still had yet to find an actual cure for writer’s block.
Sometimes, I’m impressed with the progress society has made over time and am proud of how far our society has moved forward from some terrible times. Then, I have days like the one where I heard a man accuse a gay woman and her gay male friend of engaging in an inappropriate relationship, and I immediately take back any thoughts I had of progress. I have heard many shocking things in my day, but the utter stupidity of that statement felt like being smacked in the face with a lead pipe. I felt brain cells die at the very accusation, but I am getting ahead of myself. It’s been a long-debated question of whether men and women can simply be friends, without the need to bring any romantic feelings involved. The shocking number of people who firmly believe it is impossible for women and men to be only friends is appalling. I have heard multiple cases arguing that men only befriend women in hopes of eventually gaining their romantic interest, and that no men has any desire to befriend a woman. I firmly don’t believe this, and that for anyone to immediately expect romance from a simple first encounter is unrealistic. Feelings like romance grow with time, and while it does happen, that doesn’t mean it’s destined for every single male and female friendship. It’s difficult enough for straight men and women to engage in platonic friendships without everyone around them automatically assuming that there’s romantic tension between them, now let’s enter a new factor: What if both the man and woman are gay? You see, I recently spent some time with a few friends in the LGBTQIAP+ community. Things had been fine, we played card games and were enjoying ourselves. Two friends, a gay man whom I’ll refer to as G, and a gay woman whom I’ll refer to as L, had casually and obviously made a joke about marrying
each other as a cover if we as a society ever returned to making being a member of the LGBTQIAP+ community illegal. Nobody really paid mind to this joke, or so we thought. At some point in the night, G and L left to go get gas and to take a break from the festivities, saying they’d return shortly. Again, at first glance, nobody seemed to mind this. Then, another acquaintance, whom I shall refer to only as O, had the nerve to immediately interrogate everyone else about G and L’s romantic and sexual histories, even going as far as to outright accuse G and L of not being gay at all. He had also suggested the two left to engage in inappropriate activities, making everyone uncomfortable. Keep in mind, O knows very well that G and L are both gay and only friends. O still didn’t believe it, and had been incredibly rude and invasive. All I could think is that I sincerely hoped O would simply say they were kidding, but they weren’t. They firmly believed that two friends couldn’t leave for even twenty minutes without there being a romantic situation unfolding, even knowing they were both gay. The stupidity of the situation still gives me a headache as I write this article. It’s difficult enough for straight people of opposite genders to be respected as platonic friends, and now we get to deal with blatant homophobia as well? Good lord! I send my dearest apologies to G and L, and send a very personal scolding to O. What they did or didn’t do isn’t your business, and to make such insensitive and rude accusations is incredibly out of line. Shame on you. To answer the age-old question of if men and women can be friends? Yes, they can. The answer always was yes, the answer will always be yes. Especially if they literally aren’t even capable of being physically attracted to each other. So remember dear readers, enjoy the friendships you have, and please cut out the O’s in your life trying to tell you who you are, because they clearly have no clue.
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4.) Books with typos.
Come on, this one shouldn’t be as common as it is! If you’re an author, I’m assuming you have an editor, months of work rereading and rewriting, so how on earth do you still misspell four-letter words? It’s fun for me to find them, as a reader, sometimes, but in general it makes my eye twitch when I see a basic spelling flaw.
5.) Insomnia.
This is a big one for me. After a long, exhausting, and often lonely day, I just want to go to sleep. I’d love for once to peacefully rest without nightmares and waking up feeling like my body is on fire. Most of the time though, I end up feeling constantly sick and am unable to sleep. I am left alone in the dark with my own thoughts, and for anyone who knows what that is like, they know exactly how unpleasant that is. So, how do I handle pet peeves? I, like many others, do my best to cope. I put the stray grocery carts where they belong, I wait for writing inspiration, I continue reading my book, I wait for the storm to pass, and I try my best to get some sleep. We’re all people, and we will all have things that drive us crazy. We can only do our best to live with these little annoyances in our life, and do our best to move on from them.
Attending a Formal Event
FRESHER
FASTER IT’S JUST THE WAY I ROLL
After Graduating High School ASHTYN BRITT abritt@lc.edu
For many people in college, it feels as though the memories of Homecoming and Prom from High School are looked back on as some of the worst times during their High School experience. For the life of me, I couldn’t ever figure out why. Even though I considered myself unpopular, and almost never had a date to dances, I always enjoyed going. I love getting dressed up, going to eat a nice meal with friends, and dance with the people who helped me get through difficult times. So, you can imagine my sadness at not getting to participate in a homecoming this Fall. I did however, attend a winter Yule Ball in St. Louis with a close companion, and had a magical time. I also noticed that attending formal events in college felt significantly different from attending high school dances. For one thing, obviously, nobody else from my high school attended. This ended up being a relief, because I don’t have to see anybody who I might have had a bad history with. It’s so relaxing knowing I won’t run into anybody I have issues with, I just get to enjoy wearing a pretty dress and spending time with my closest friend on the dance floor. There’s also the benefit that at some adultproms or balls, they provide dinner that’s more appetizing than many restaurants. At the Yule Ball I attended, included with my ticket was a four-course meal cooked by a team of chefs, and was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. They even offered vegetarian
and vegan alternatives for my companion! They were also very accommodating to anybody who had food allergies, which was a very nice touch. The ball had games we could play! The Yule Ball was Harry Potter themed, which allowed us to play trivia games to earn points for our Hogwarts House, as well as experience stories about Hogwarts as if we stepped into JK Rowling’s world, and it was so fun! I am even proud to say I earned the first point of the night, a point for Ravenclaw. (Ravenclaw also won the most points for that night!) I also played a game of giant wizard chess with my companion, which was very entertaining. (I did lose the game, though. They’re a Slytherin, so I suppose that was bound to happen.) Oh goodness, and the decorations! It was beautiful! They had worked harder and had a larger budget than usual High Schools to really make everything look amazing. I was beyond impressed with the fake Quidditch field, Hagrid’s Hut, and the various classrooms. It was wonderful, and I fell in love with the light-up trees decorating the hallway close to the dancefloor. So, for those of you who either missed out on High School formals or didn’t enjoy the ones you went through, I highly recommend you try again now as an adult! You can go to various kinds of adult formals, and go with people you know whose company you’ll enjoy. I beg of you, it is well worth it to go and enjoy yourself! Besides, who doesn’t like to look like they belong on a red carpet for a night?
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Graphic By: Shelby Clayton
Graphic By: Zach Howard
Graphic By: Zach Howard
Photos by: Jennifer Miller
Who was your Favorite Teacher and Why?
Jordan Holland Calhoun, Illinois Undecided
Graphic By: Zach Howard
“My favorite teacher would be Peter Hussey from LC’s nonwestern Music, he help me look beyond basic music even life itself.”
Liz Burns
Mt. Olive, Illinois Asst. Director-Library
“My skating coach growing up, Monro Meier. His basic philosophy/ slogan like on television was “if you can handle the ice, you can handle anything.” and “Fall on the ice you get back up and dust yourself off and try again.”
Jessica Wren Jerseyville, Illinois Web Design & Development
“Steve Campbell from Graphics Design Programs would be my favorite since I started college, he had a big impact on my college life and has always been able to count on him, also is wonderful to have him in my corner. ”
Deanne Massie
St. Charles, Missouri English & Writing Professor
“Glory Chaika. She was my 7 & 8 grade english teacher. She had very high expectations for her students, while learning from her we were expected to be creative with our short stories and poetry. We even had to submit ours to Publishing companies. Her classes were very fun and creative, while learning about english grammar. ”
Alex Meissner Breese, Illinois
Student Radio Program “My Mom who impacted all my life because, she has always the one I can count on the most through thick and thin, also lightest and darkest of my times. Love you Mom!”
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LOVE
Kissing Booth
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MINE
LOVE
Spot The 13 Differences
Graphic By: Zach Howard
Graphic By: Zach Howard
Comic By: Tristan Wuellner
Graphic By: Shelby Clayton
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Meet the Manager of N.O. Nelson
Spotlight on Tim Bell COURTNEY MARKOS cpower@lc.edu
For the past seven years, Tim Bell has been the manager of L&C’s N.O. Nelson campus in Edwardsville. “I like being a part of something as important as someone’s education, seeing students accomplish goals and being successful,” Bell said. He also serves as an academic advisor and registers high school students for L&C’s high school partnership dual credit program. Bell is very excited about progress being made toward getting a sign at the entrance of
N.O. Nelson Campus. Image Provided by L&C Flickr the Nelson Campus. He is one of the people 2000. Up until then, he had been residing in that make things happen behind the scenes to Indiana, but, after the birth of his first child, keep the Nelson campus operating smoothly. the decision was made to move back to the “I’m proud to work for Lewis and Clark,” greater St. Louis area to be closer to family. He graduated from Judson University and he said. Despite all his duties, he still finds time to Missouri Baptist University. He is proud to say that his father was an teach a business class for one semester as an administrator in education, and the apple adjunct faculty member. He thrives on face-to-face interaction with didn’t fall too far from the tree. All in all, Bell enjoys the time that he spends students and job variety. His leadership/ management position allows him the here at Lewis and Clark so much that his own enjoyment of watching students accomplish son will be attending classes here in the Fall of 2018 and that speaks volumes about Bell’s these goals in their lives. Bell began working at L&C in April of perspective of L&C.
Jeff Lefton performs magic tricks while Betty Rooney creates balloon art in Reid Cafe for students who were coming back from winter break. The Bridge’s Ad Manager Callie Logan selects a Valentine’s Day themed heart hat. Photos by Krystie Morrison
Black History Month Events February 2018
1. 12:15 - Hayner Library. D C Cooper. Public Speaking Workshop 5. 11:00 - 1:00 p.m. Blues Band - Big George Brock Jr. Reid Cafe Students brave the cold walk to and from classes. Photo By: Krystie Morrison
7. 11:45 African Dance Performance. Reid Cafe 12. Noon. Reid Library. Atty Ebony Huddleston. Law Profession Presentation 15. 1:00 p.m. Underground R.R. Tour. Load in - Security Parking Lot. RSVP 468.6400
Students were not the only ones caught trekking across campus during the cold weather. Photo By: Krystie Morrison Lewis and Clark sports many ponds, but they are no match to Illinois’ cold snaps, resulting in frozen ponds. Photo By: Jen Miller
21. 11:00 a.m. Reid Library. Kelly Jackson. Radio Broadcasting Workshop 26. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Black Student Association Blood Drive - Commons 27. 5:00 p.m. - Reid Cafe. Soul Food Dinner 28. 11:00 a.m. Benjamin Godfrey Chapel. 3 Purple Coat Prod. Theatre Performance - High Cotton