MONTAGE
The
Serving the St. Louis Community College - Meramec community since 1964 • ACP Award Recipient VOLUME 57, ISSUE 6
MARCH 3, 2022
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STLCC continues to combat COVID-19
STLCC leadership discusses what’s changed, what hasn’t and what could
GRAPHIC courtesy of stlcc. ABOVE: The “STLCC Covid Tracker” following its most recent update on Feb. 28, 2022. STLCC Chief Operating Officer Hart Nelson says the tracker is usually updated every Friday.
JACOB POLITTE MANAGING EDITOR
N
early two years after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began, the world at large is still dealing with the consequences. That world includes St. Louis Community College (STLCC) and its leadership, who have continually adapted to the pandemic’s challenges, both on a safety and academic level. Dr. Felicca Moore-Davis, the Meramec Campus President, said that she thinks that STLCC has adapted well to the challenges that the pandemic has presented. “The feedback [from instructors and other campus staff] has been mostly positive,” she said. “Our intent was to ensure the safety of all our students and employees, and knowing that, I think everyone worked together to get us through the uncertain period with patience and grace.” “I feel we have done well,” said STLCC’s Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Andrew Langrehr when
discussing how he feels STLCC adapted to the challenges. “We adjusted quickly, the safety measures we put in place were effective, and the learning has continued. We also learned from this experience. There are new modes of instruction, more paperless processes, and expanded use of virtual meeting technology, just as examples.” Langrehr also addressed another unusual change that has occurred throughout the school year: classes have been allowed to take place regardless of enrollment numbers. “With some of the funding provided to the College in response to the pandemic we were able to retain classes that would have been canceled in the past due to low enrollment,” he said. “This was true in both the fall 2021 semester and the spring 2022 semester.” In terms of specific happenings at the Meramec campus, Moore-Davis addressed the situation regarding the lack of a campus cafeteria. She previously spoke on the issue with The Montage last September and said that the college’s contract with the
The remodeled Lecture Hall room 103, photographed in late January by Jacob Politte. The remodeled Lecture Halls have recieved “overwhelmingly positive feedback” according to Meramec Campus President Felicca Moore-Davis.
cafeteria vendor had expired during the pandemic’s harshest months; it had been closed since March 2020. The campus bookstore has since moved into the space, while offering new food and drink items like pizza and Kaldi’s Coffee, in addition to snacks. Regarding the bookstore’s move, she said, “With changes in the bookstore focusing primarily on online ordering and distribution of course materials, it’s too early to know if this will be a permanent space. As we look to the future with ‘STLCC Transformed,’ we are open to what and how the current spaces serves our students best.” Moore-Davis also spoke about the renovations to the Lecture Hall building, which reopened for classes this semester. She says there are a few items left on the task list to complete, but that the feedback received about the renovations has been overwhelmingly positive. “The spaces are great for teaching and learning,” she said. “We will be doing an assessment of the spaces to make sure it works according to our planning.” Moore-Davis also gave a specific price tag for renovations: $1,142,047.07. Hart Nelson is STLCC’s new Chief Operating Officer. He said that as the pandemic has gone on, STLCC’s COVID policies have continually evolved. “I would say there have been regular significant changes to STLCC’s COVID policies, mostly based on the changes in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local public health authority orders,” Nelson said. “We maintained our mask requirement to avoid confusion when the city and county did not have synchronized policies. We have also adjusted our layered mitigating policies as we learned more about the virus. For example, as we learned that surface transfer was less of a risk than initially involved we changed our policies regarding mailroom processing and laptop distribution for students and employees.”
Nelson also addressed the college’s mask policy in the face of many mask mandates in the states coming to an end. “The college participates in both statewide and regional COVID calls with other institutes of higher education,” he said. “We have been closely monitoring CDC and local public health authority guidance on masks and expect that these policies could change soon. We will follow the guidance of our public health leaders.” He continued, “Currently, [the] CDC recommends that unvaccinated individuals continue to wear masks while indoors in public locations, so there could be a different recommendation based on vaccination status.” However, STLCC announced that mask wearing on campuses will be optional as of March 2, but is still recommended for unvaccinated individuals. The Healthfully App must be filled out by unvaccinated students before arriving to campus. Nelson said that the college can not view a student’s individual response to the screening questions, but that the App has a Health Check screen that shows whether or not a student is cleared to be on campus. Regarding the continued usage of the app, Nelson said, “There is discussion in the scientific and public health community on whether contact tracing support efforts like the Healthfully app are still valuable as the COVID pandemic becomes an endemic condition. That is something else the Employee and Student Engagement Team will be discussing.” Regardless of whatever happens going forward, there seems to be some normalcy setting in for most of the Meramec campus, even if that normalcy looks different than it used to. “I think we are creating our normal everyday now,” Moore-Davis said. “I certainly love to be on campus, but normalcy is now a more fluid term.”
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NEWS 3
March 3, 2022
STAFF
JACOB POLITTE
GENEVA LEE BRUNO GRUBESIC
MANAGING EDITOR
STLCC’s SPRING 2022 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
NEWS EDITOR STAFF
DEVYNN LEJEUNE STAFF DAKOTA PULCHER STAFF ADELAINE TUDOR STAFF MAX WILSON STAFF
Shannon Philpott-Sanders Faculty Adviser
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NEWS BRIEFS Women’s History Month Events The St. Louis Community CollegeMeramec community is invited to participate in several events during Women’s History Month in March. Look for an event to attend each Thursday in March (except during spring break). * Dr. Martha Beck: The Seven Goddesses of Ancient Crete and Greece This lecture is based on Dr. Beck’s book in which she describes seven goddesses and applies the symbolic images represented by them to women’s lives today. When: March 3, 3 p.m. Virtual Lecture * Women in Comedy Enjoy the stand-up comedy of three local female comedians as they perform on the Meramec campus. After their sets, stick around for a question and answer session to learn more about their time in comedy and how they’ve navigated an industry that is often dominated by men. When: Thursday, March 10, 4:30 p.m. Where: MC Lecture Hall 102
* CHARIS - The St. Louis Women’s Chorus CHARIS is a diverse group of singers united in mission to perform music that celebrates and encourages women and the LGBTQ+ community. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear them perform and share their vision of how they make change for women through music. When: Thursday, March 24, 7 p.m. Where: Meramec Cafeteria * Women in Sports The Archers will be in action for a doubleheader against conference opponent Jefferson College. Before the game, coaches/players will give an account of being a female in the sports world and how that identity fits into their lives and the world around them. While you cheer on your Archers, learn about historic facts about women in sports throughout the game. Free STLCC swag for those in attendance! When: Thursday, March 31, 2-6 p.m. Where: Meramec Softball Field
* Period Product Collection Sites Throughout the month of March, the Student Advocacy and Resource Center will be collecting period products at donation drop-off sites throughout campus. Products will be redistributed to women in need. Please donate period products directly to the SARC in Clark Hall, AD130, or to designated boxes on campus. Art Gallery Announces Exhibit Double Vision: Featuring Melody Evans & Kimber Mallett Exhibit duration: March 3-April 1 Reception: Thursday, March 24, 6-8 p.m. / Gallery location: Humanities East, Room 133. / Gallery Hours: Monday-Thursday, noon-4 p.m. and by appointment. Closed March 14-18 for Spring Break. STLCC Virtual Tours STlCC is now offering virtual campus tours. The virtual campus tour can be found in the STLCC mobile app. Simply login and choose Potential Student. The tour can also be found throughout the stlcc.edu website.
4 ART & LIFE
March 3, 2022
Walking Dead Recap: Eat The Rich A ‘Walking Dead’ hour like no other before it ends with a timely Motörhead song Jacob Politte MANAGING EDITOR The Walking Dead: “New Haunts” Season 11, Episode 10 Airdate: 2/27/2022
“
New Haunts” is the weirdest episode of “The Walking Dead” ever, and it’s entirely because of its new setting. After over a year of build-up, we get a full episode exclusively from the Commonwealth, and while the sudden deep-dive into the politics and class system of the massive community can be jarring, the episode moves at a brisk and confident pace. 30 days have passed since Daryl (Norman Reedus), Carol (Melissa McBride), Judith (Cailey Fleming), Rosita (Christian Serratos) and others have arrived in the Ohio safe haven, and they’ve begun to settle in. The most surreal thing about this entire episode is just how normal things feel in the Commonwealth. There’s Daryl talking about getting ready for work, and Rosita and Judith talking about earning and spending money. The sight of Carol walking through a fully functional hospital bustling full of people is also a surreal image. Daryl and Rosita are undergoing basic training to become part of the Commonwealth’s militia… and they’ve been given crappy apartments to live in while they do it. Daryl is also officially Judith and RJ’s guardian, and watching Daryl attempt to be a parent is kind of hilarious. In particular, the look of bewilderment on his face when Judith asks to be given an allowance should net him an Emmy Award for comedy. The television version of the Commonwealth’s Governor, Pamela Milton (played expertly by Lalia Robbins) differs a bit from the comics. In the comics, she comes across as friendly but stern, content with the ways of the old world and unaware of people’s plight. In this television
version, however, Mrs. Milton comes across more aware, and she’s not nearly as nice when the attention isn’t on her. She’s an old school politician, and while she likes having power and influence and using that to help rebuild the world, she definitely has a direct
seen what his role in the final episodes will be, as Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) isn’t around to be murdered by him. In the meantime, he’ll have to serve as an annoyance that rivals any other unlikable character on the show. Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) also
interest in maintaining a class system within the Commonwealth’s walls. It’s also worth noting that the unnamed powerful politician that Connie (Lauren Ridloff) mentioned that she brought down with her journalism before the apocalypse started was Pamela’s own father. Small world, eh? Pamela’s son, Sebastian (Teo RappOlsson), is just as insufferable as he was in the comic series. It remains to be
is featured throughout the episode, and to see where he’ll ultimately land as the series begins to draw to a close should be rather interesting. He’s not treated very well by the Milton’s throughout the episode, and seems more than willing to make deals with Carol as she begins her own quest to get her former husband, Ezekiel, prompt medical care for his cancer. Ezekiel’s cancer will take him out if he’s not moved to the front of the line, and while Carol is working
in the bakery, she’s also up to her old tricks in order to get that done. “New Haunts” is an unintentional commentary on a lot of different social issues, the main ones being healthcare, class divide and political struggle. Historically, this hasn’t been the show to handle that sort of commentary very well; it is a zombie show after all and we literally just saw an entire group be brutally massacred just one episode ago. But it’s very clear that a sort of civil war over all of these topics is brewing within the Commonwealth’s walls, and it’s been brewing long before our group ever showed up. Things come to a head at the Commonwealth’s Halloween ball, which only the upper class citizens of the Commonwealth are invited to. Tyler, a soldier who Princess beat up in the train car in “Splinter” reappears as a waiter serving the guests of the ball, ruthlessly demoted after that single mistake. He’s not a happy camper, and he takes Pamela’s assistant hostage in front of everyone. He eventually makes a run for it, only to be captured by Daryl and turned over to Sebastian so that the latter could receive brownie points with his mother… even though this act nets Daryl and Rosita their promotions and better living quarters. Tyler makes it clear though that there are thousands more citizens in the walls that are just like him. Pamela directs Lance to ask the soldiers to find out for sure, and as Daryl and Judith listen to a Motörhead record with the appropo song “Eat The Rich,” Rosita busts through a secret wall of Tyler’s apartment where she finds a bunch of Anti-Commonwealth propaganda. The revolt is on, and our group, perhaps for the first time ever, aren’t the instigators in the conflict. They’re just caught in the crossfire. Regular coverage of each new episode of “The Walking Dead” can be found weekly at meramecmontage. com.
March 3, 2022
ART & LIFE 5
A Music Video Without The Music
HBO’s “Euphoria” is all style but very little substance
T
GENEVA LEE News EDITOR
he dearth of substance in “Euphoria,” despite the proliferation of substances, is hedged by only its beauty and
raunch. The vibrant, hallucinogenic cinematography billows upon the beautiful and beautifully-dressed actors, who wear the show’s signature bold makeup, and is set in a backdrop of upper- and middle-class Americana. This makes for pretty moving pictures, but searching and failing to find any real thing that calls and evokes and connects. For a character-centered show, the people populating Euphoria are inexcusably dimensionless. Despite their teen ages, characters express and talk little, with many scenes lacking any dialogue, spoken or unspoken. Characters are really only given the opportunity to reveal their feelings in monologues that jump out of nowhere, too-late attempts to get viewers to care about characters to whom they’ve felt indifferent for a season or nearly two. It’s like having a high school classmate that I have seen but barely knowly come and tell me her life story out of nowhere. We’re told, repeatedly, how characters are best friends, but they rarely have conversations of depth and character, or even inconsequentially fun gab. Most interactions between stars Maddie and Cassie are just the former calling the latter a bitch, so it is hard to understand that they feel any emotion, let alone love, toward one another. Nate is constantly rebuked by others in the show for failing to discuss his feelings, but his peers barely have him beat. Rue says many times over that she loves Jules more than anything, but she never shows it, and Jules, despite being my favorite character, is just a manic pixie dream girl. This disconnect with the audience also means that when characters do something bad, instead of the audience being torn with ambivalence from empathy, they see the characters as kinda just…bad people. They’re not compelling. And poor Cassie is especially noteworthy. She barely resembles an actual human being, with her chest made her defining feature in the show, isolated from all characters, including
her abusive quasi-boyfriend, who she slavishly submits to. Cassie lacks agency and is treated like a hysterical harpy because the show makes her one, in which her sole purpose is to trade sex for attention under the guise of love.
But without compelling characters as vehicles, these issues are flat and heavy handed. Including many big, bold, dramatic issues, does not mean that the issues speak for themselves: rather, the writers have so much
Though people will go far lengths for romance, this is not relatable, merely misogynistic and cruel. The topics Euphoria broaches are heavy: substance abuse, gender identity, sexual orientation, patriarchy, household instability, platonic relationships, domestic violence, physical insecurity, and betrayal.
material to sort through, they must deftly shape and craft each storyline and accompanying themes to make the audience connect and understand what they’re trying to say. And such topics deserve strong writing due to their significance in viewers’ lives. Yet the writers fail to do this: they’re really not saying anything. Euphoria
is merely a nihilistic, complaining, sophomoric work, which audiences the age of the characters may not find to be a problem if they too are angsty teens. The show does win marks for its thorough LGBTQIA+ representation in many forms, beyond the typical Glee gay-straight dichotomy that doesn’t go beyond coming out (exploring transgendered identities, lesbianism, pan-sexuality, repressed homosexuality, the gender nonbinary). The show is also centered around women, with two Latin female leads and one mixed-race (Black and white) actress, all of whom have roles of equal weight and depth to the white leads (though there are not a lot of darkskinned actors in the show, indicating potential colorism). And the topics are not simply the plights of the ultra-upper class, like in Gossip Girl, but endemic social problems that do affect the viewers. However, again, these characters, though present, do not consistently have their inner selves revealed, are fleshed-out enough for us to truly connect and see ourselves and our experiences in them. Euphoria doesn’t settle for a label of interesting teen show: it markets itself as transcendent; the pinnacle of young adult media; Film with a capital F that garners Emmys with its HBO kin shows that have redefined television. It may elevate cinematography, but it won’t disrupt or challenge narratives, characters, or writing like other HBO hits. Euphoria, at best, will set fashion trends and inspire similar shows to be bolder with visuals. At worst, it will provide a background show for nostalgic psychonauts in a decade. Euphoria’s self-importance demands high regard without bringing the quality to earn even respect. Many viewers watched it upon release every week with friends and started wearing more colorful makeup. But we haven’t learned anything, don’t like or care about the characters, or even root for any of them (other than Jules). It’s an unsatisfying dinner every Sunday every night at 8:00pm that a lot of people still somehow just crave a little. The makeup is fun, and the sex is frequent and mildly entertaining. This show should not be recommended to just anyone, but if you’re under the age of 30 and your friends are watching it, it’s enough to watch to join the chatter and hype.
6 ART & LIFE
March 3, 2022
Meramec Students Offer Tips for Beating Procrastination BRUNO GRUBESIC STAFF WRITER
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rocrastination. It gets the best of everyone. “In a second” becomes “in an hour” becomes “tomorrow when I wake up” becomes “before class” becomes “I didn’t need those five points anyways, it’ll only drop my letter grade .03%” very quickly. Avoiding procrastination is not an easy task, and some students at Meramec have tapped in with some of their personal habits around the problem. “I tell myself the sooner you do it the sooner you don’t have to worry about it,” said Meramec Student Carrson McDaniel. This is an approach common among students. He said that thinking this way about his tasks has usually helped him stay on top of his assignments, depending on his energy levels and motivation to finish. Many other students also find themselves struggling to find any motivation to get ahead on their work. Issues like this aren’t always resolved on the surface level, however. Other students have also reported struggling with mental barriers such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or, ADHD, resulting in a shortened attention span, and difficulty focusing. “The only thing that stopped my procrastination was my ADHD diagnosis and medication,” said
Meramec Student Devi Staudte. With the increase in mental health awareness in recent years, many students are starting to realize that it’s good to check in on themselves and identify and solve their issues. Some students, including Claire
Similarly, Meramec Student Danielle Stewart has an approach reminiscent of Sackman’s. “I usually find that procrastinating works better for me than trying to force myself to work if I’m not feeling it,” she said. “As long as the work gets done by the
Sackman, fall victim to procrastination. “I am a chronic procrastinator,” she said. It isn’t always possible to move around or through an issue, and sometimes students find themselves simply not getting through procrastination.
deadline, I don’t see the issue.” Which brings up an interesting ideology, is procrastination necessarily, inherently bad? Dominic J. Voge at Princeton breaks up his piece “Understanding and Overcoming Procrastination”
into four major steps: awareness, time management, finding motivation, and keeping motivation. Over his time teaching and researching developmental education, he has noticed that the first of these major steps to overcoming procrastination is understanding why one procrastinates. Some people simply don’t have energy to get ahead on an assignment, or believe they work better under pressure. After finding the root of the problem, the next step is time management. There are many different ways to find time management solutions, but Voge mentions being careful with to-do lists and over-doing scheduling as it may lead to an increase in stress. Some students at Meramec also report having gained better time management skills after having picked up a job outside of school to keep themselves busy. After time management is finding motivation, specifically the right motivation. Voge said that one must be interested in learning and achieving for positive, productive, and satisfying reasons and emotion. Voge said to avoid “showing off,” and to ask questions about subjects to fully immerse into and understand them. Avoid accepting misunderstanding of a subject at the cost of dignity and image. Finally, the last milestone is to keep motivation high. This can be done primarily through staying attentive, and finding a purpose in classes.
Interesting Courses to Add to Spice Up Your Summer ENG 110. Creative Writing (MOTR PERF 106). 3 Credit Hours Creative Writing is designed to illustrate the creative process and value of creative literature, including three of the following genres: poetry, fiction, drama, and creative nonfiction. Students learn about various themes, perspectives, and approaches associated with creative writing, as well as the creative writing process and methods of submitting creative work for publication. Prerequisites: ENG 101 with a minimum grade of “C” and Reading Proficiency
Registration for summer 2022 credit and continuing education courses begins this month and you won’t want to miss the opportunity to spice up your summer with these courses available that appeal to all interests. HST 137. African American History through Reconstruction (MOTR HIST 101AA). 3 Credit Hours African American History through Reconstruction is a survey of African American history from its African background through the Civil War and Reconstruction. The course will investigate African American leaders, sociocultural institutions, as well as the Black community’s relationship with the larger community. Prerequisites: Reading Proficiency IS 167. C++ Programming I 4 Credit Hours. C++ Programming I introduces soware development problem-solving methodologies utilizing current soware design and development tools and techniques. Topics include data structures, program design, pseudocode, language control structures, system and user defined functions, error handling, pointers, arrays, and Object-Oriented design using classes. Assignments are developed in C++ using a current integrated development environment (IDE). Basic computer literacy expected. Prerequisites: Reading Proficiency HRT 235. Annuals and Vegetables 3 Credit Hours Students will be in introduced to the identification of annual landscape plants and their use in private, public and commercial gardens. Vegetables, their identification, use and culture will also be covered. Prerequisites: HRT 101 or BIO 124 and Reading Proficiency
ART 113. Ceramics I (MOTR PERF 105C). 3 Credit Hours Ceramics I is a study of the basic principles of ceramics and ceramic sculpture with introductions to traditional and contemporary ideas and techniques. Prerequisites: Reading Proficiency SOC 201. Aspects of Aging 3 Credit Hours. Aspects of Aging examines sociological forces that affect life quality in the later years. Social, psychological, and physiological aspects of aging will be considered, emphasizing influences in the sociocultural context that enhance and impede continued growth of the person. Prerequisites: SOC 101, PSY 200 or HMS 100 and Reading Proficiency MCM 130. Film Appreciation (MOTR FILM 100). 3 Credit Hours Film Appreciation offers an introduction to the art, industry, culture, and experience of movies. Students study a variety of films, contemporary and classic, narrative and non-narrative, American and international. Prerequisites: Reading Proficiency
HMS 205. Crisis Intervention 3 Credit Hours Course designed as a beginning training unit for people who anticipate or are presently working with individuals in crisis situations such as suicide, rape, spouse abuse, death and drugs. Will focus on theory and practical application of crisis intervention techniques. Prerequisites: Reading Proficiency MUS 128. History of Rock and Roll (MOTR MUSC 100RP). 3 Credit Hours History of Rock and Roll is a review of artists, composers, and other influences associated with Rock and Roll music. It will examine the impact of Rock and Roll music on culture in the United States and the world. Prerequisites: Reading Proficiency PE 181. Yoga I (Beginning) 1 Credit Hour This course is an introduction to Hatha Yoga (the Yoga of physical wellbeing), which includes basic poses (asanas), breathing techniques, meditation, and yoga philosophy. Active participation in these activities is designed to increase flexibility and balance, strengthen and tone muscles, and energize the body to reduce stress and enhance physical and mental health.
March 3, 2022
OPINIONS 7
Jake’s Take: Save The Library
‘STLCC Transformed’ misses the mark in at least one major way
I
Jacob Politte MANAGING EDITOR
’ve been a Meramec student for a couple years, and I cannot argue that the campus needs a major facelift. As much as I like to go here and as much as this campus has given to me on a personal level, the buildings that I often walk through feel a bit antiquated. With ‘STLCC Transformed’ looking to physically transform the landscape of the college, these changes and this facelift are coming, even if I likely will move on before the end results. One particular change that eventually will come that I’m not such a big fan of, however, is the eventual demolition, move and likely downsizing of the library; eventually a brand new science building will take its place. These ‘STLCC Transformed’ projects will only benefit the college, and the campus could absolutely benefit from
having more classroom space. But let me be very blunt: the demolition of the library building is absolutely the wrong move. Could the building itself use a major facelift and a fresh coat of paint? Yes, it could. But that argument can be made about virtually every building on the campus. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the library or how much space that it takes up. The building is positioned perfectly near the center of campus, and it offers a lot of resources to students in its present form. Things like the Writing Center, or Academic Success and Tutoring Center, or even just the vast amount of printers and computers for students to use to get the information they need. Not to mention, it’s just a great gathering place for students to meet and get things done. I’m not sure what, if any, research or thought went into putting the library building on that demolition list. Perhaps there are elements at play here that I’m not yet aware of.
But whatever form the library takes in the future will almost certainly be a downsized version, and I don’t think that’s what this campus needs.
And judging from what I’ve heard many students and staff say, I don’t think it’s what they think it needs, either.
The Democracy Killer: The Proposal to Steal Missouri’s Constitution
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GENeVA LEE NEWS EDITOR
oliticians are taking away our constitution. This is no exaggeration. In August 2020, Missouri voters passed Medicaid Expansion with a majority of the vote. In November 2018, Missouri voters overwhelmingly voted to end gerrymandering, with 62% of people in favor. Missourians have voted in favor of raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour, for union protections, for regulations against puppy mills and animal cruelty. And all of these measures were placed on the ballot in a process known as the “Citizen’s Petition Initiative.” The Citizens’ Initiative Petition is a method of changing the Missouri State Constitution, in which a simple majority of voters can change the constitution on Election Day. A proposed amendment can be placed on the ballot two ways: 1. The state legislature votes to put one on the ballot, via a simple majority 2. Citizen petitioners collect signatures from at least eight percent of registered voters from six of the eight of congressional districts in Missouri The secretary of state must then put the potential amendment on the ballot. Whenever an amendment is placed on the ballot, the secretary of state writes the summary of the proposed constitutional change for the ballot, though courts may find language unconstitutional and rewrite the summaries. The governor decides when the vote will happen (e.g.: during August or November elections). Essentially, if Missourians wanted to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and the legislatures did not want to, Missourians could make a “raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour” petition and collect signatures. If they collect enough signatures, they give them to the secretary of state, Jay
Ashcroft, who writes the summary: “Minimum wage increase: A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to impose a minimum wage increase to $15 an hour, a “no” vote will leave the current minimum wage unchanged,” for example. The governor, Mike Parson, decides when this will be voted on—this year, Election Day is August 2 (for primaries) and Nov. 8 (for the general). Let’s say Governor Parson picks the November election. On Nov. 8, voters will line up, vote for or against the minimum wage increase, and if at least 50% of voters plus one approve, then the minimum wage increase goes into effect. If not, the minimum wage increase fails. The Citizens’ Initiative Petition does not have an enforcement mechanism and relies upon the legislature to implement and the courts to check an obstructionist legislature. And amendments can be undone. Anti-gerrymandering, worker’s protections and unions, Medicaid Expansion (under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), and minimum wage increases are usually considered left-wing or liberal positions, often supported by Democrats. However, the Missouri House of Representatives and Senate have Republican supermajorities, and all but one statewide elected official identify as Republicans. Missouri Republicans have worked to undermine these progressive changes, often successfully, to the Missouri Constitution in a number of ways: refusing to allocate funding to measures, placing proposed amendments they dislike on lowturnout elections, writing misleading or unconstitutional ballot language, or even putting amendments up for revotes. Political elites have undone much of
our constitution. However, the greatest threat yet to the Citizens’ Initiative Petition is underway. Republicans have created legislation that all-but-ensures that no citizen-led constitutional amendments can ever pass again. This February, Rep. Bishop Davidson (R) proposed HJR 70, which states that Missouri should require a majority of all registered voters in Missouri approve of an amendment for it to pass. Note, this doesn’t mean a majority of people coming out to vote: it’s a majority of all of the 4.2 million registered voters in the entire state, whether or not they actually even vote on Election Day. Under Davidson’s proposal, with current numbers, there would need to be at least 2.1 million votes in favor for any amendment to pass. However, in the August 2020 primary, only 1.2 million votes were cast in total, with a majority (677,000) in favor of Medicaid Expansion. Under the new proposal, even if every person, 100%, of the people who came out to vote supported Medicaid Expansion, it still would have failed by about a million votes. The Missouri legislature will be voting to put this on the ballot this year. The irony is that for Davidson’s proposed amendment to pass, it’d only need a simple majority of voters, and to undo it, it would take more than a simple majority. It would, in fact, take more people than the number who actually vote to reverse. This will effectively lock Missourians from being able to change our constitution for perpetuity. Those who are not yet old enough to vote will also never get a chance to change the Missouri Constitution: this decision will be made for them. To rub salt in the wound, this only applies to when the proposed amendment is placed on the ballot via
petitions—if legislators put a proposed amendment on the ballot, it will only need the current simple majority of votes (not voters). And further rub acid in the wound: Davidson and his colleagues don’t even need a simple majority of votes to stay in office, just a plurality (and in safeRepublican seats, they only need a primary plurality to boot)! They believe that less than half of the voters can decide who their representatives are, but that a majority of voters are unqualified to decide our constitution. Republican legislators are making it so that we can only pass the constitutional changes that they want us to. And the nuanced wording—a simple majority of all registered voters, rather than a simple majority of all votes—will make it difficult for most voters to see the difference if HJR 70 passes, meaning that a massive education campaign would be required for any hope to block the proposed amendment. It sounds reasonable at first look, and all subsequent looks, really, unless it is explained in-depth, like in this article. I cannot stress enough how dire this is. This proposal would actually be the nail in Missouri’s constitutional coffin. The second that this act passes, our constitution would die. Anyone who agrees can write to Missouri representatives (even if they are not my representatives, I still write to them because their actions affect me and all Missourians) telling them not to put this on the ballot. Jobs with Justice also is phone banking to call voters to let them know that this is happening. And of course, there is always the option of donating to candidates, of any party, who are committed to standing against such a horrific policy.
8 SPORTS
March 3, 2022
Archer Baseball ready to get back on the field
A look ahead at the playing schedule for March
Away
At Home
Sat. 5 vs McHenry County College 12:00 PM & 3:00 PM Sun. 6 vs McHenry County College 12:00 PM & 3:00 PM Tue. 8 vs East Central College * 12:00 PM & 3:00 PM Thu. 10 vs Metropolitan Community College 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM Thu. 17 vs State Fair Community College * 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM Sat. 26 vs Three Rivers Community College - MO * 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM
Sat. 12 vs. Metropolitan Community College @ Urban Youth Academy 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM Mon. 14 vs Southwestern Illinois College 3:00 PM Sat. 19 vs State Fair Community College * 1:00 PM & 3:00 PM Tue. 22 vs Kaskaskia College 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM Thu. 24 vs Three Rivers Community College - MO * 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM Thu. 31 vs. Crowder College 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM
* denotes Conference game
Find Complete Archer Schedules online at: archersathletics.com
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TRANSFER INFORMATION SESSION Thursday, March 24, 2022 • 4–6 p.m. CST • JOIN US!
AFFORDABLE, PERSONAL AND TRANSFER-FRIENDLY At Webster University, we offer a personalized approach to education that starts with your admission experience. Our staff and faculty are excited to meet you at our Transfer Information Session, where you’ll have the chance to discover more about Webster University! • Experience a guided tour of campus (Tour is optional and begins at 3 p.m., RSVP when registering) • Transfer & Scholarship presentation • Q&A Faculty Panel • Speak 1:1 with a Transfer Admission Counselor • Learn more about campus life, student support resources, and study abroad
REGISTER TODAY! webster.edu/admissions/ugevents
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact the Office of Admission at 314-246-7800, 1-800-753-6765 or events@webster.edu. Recognized for excellence in the development and support of dynamic and innovative transfer pathways for community college transfer students by Phi Theta Kappa for the 5th consecutive year!