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Montage The

Serving the St. Louis Community College - Meramec community since 1964 • ACP Pacemaker Recipient

VOLUME 52, ISSUE 3 | THURSDAY SEPT. 29, 2016 | www.meramecmontage.com

Art & Life:

Terry Cooper

A journey into psychology

News:

Meramec strives to train campus in basic first aid

“I hope that students see me as having some knowledge in the field, but I hope they see me as a lifelong learner along with them.”

Story on pages 8 & 9

Sports:

Control the point Fencing Club star ts the semester with a jab

Environmental Health and Safety Specialist John Snider instructs Campus Police Officer Keith Robinson on chest compressions for hands-only CPR.

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Fencing Club Adviser William McDevitt and Fencing Club President Matt Willerding explain the surges in fencing popularity, the discipline and how long it can take to become a skilled fencer.

Katie Hayes Editor-in-Chief

Environmental Health and Safety Specialist John Snider offered the American Heart Association General Community Facilitated Learning Course “CPR in Schools” on Friday, Sept. 16.

Snider had offered 27 CPR/AED training sessions since National Safety Awareness Month in June as of Sept. 16. That same month, Gov. Jay Nixon signed a bill which will require high school students to take 30 minutes of CPR training to graduate, beginning in the 2017-18 school year.

“The class that we gave today is ‘CPR in Schools,” Snider

said. “It’s designed both for high schools and for colleges to give 30 minutes of practice of performing CPR to both comply with the statutes of the new laws that require CPR for graduation and also to get people familiar with performing CPR, because a lot of people will hesitate.”

As of Sept. 16, 138 faculty and staff were trained this year through his office or traditional AED/CPR certification courses. “[I’m] trying to get each campus trained so they can give basic first aid until the paramedics get here,” Snider said. “Like I stress in all these classes, you are not a doctor, you need to call 911. The intent is to call 911 and prevent the person from further harm or expiring until the para-

medics get here.”

Snider said the American Heart Association recommends non-medical professionals perform hands-only CPR on adults if they go into sudden cardiac arrest. Hands-only CPR is easier to perform, which means people are less likely to hesitate giving it.

“At the point where the person has fallen down and their heart has stopped — if you do nothing — the person is more or less for sure going to die,” Snider said. “So at this point, there’s not a whole lot of harm. It doesn’t get much worse than having your heart stop and being passed out.

So any type of CPR would be better than no CPR.” Snider said the number one reason ...

Full story on page 12

Spotlight:

The secret life of campus A weekend at Meramec Meramec does not provide a lot of credit classes during the weekend according to the class schedule, however, continued education classes, an open library, an open computer lab and sport games are just some incentives why the Meramec student should not only focus on being on campus during the week.

Full story on pages 6 & 7

Continued on page 3

Opinions:

Stephen Buechter Voting for the lesser evil excessively divides our political system

Page 4

2 | News

Sept. 29, 2016

Express option and virtual desk assists students with financial aid process m

Sam Roy Asst. News Editor

“We’ve gone through a major transformation in our office that we’re extremely proud [of],” Financial Aid Counselor Arika Biney said.

The Financial Aid Office has taken strides to adapt to new federal policies, and to students’ needs.

“We have started financial aid workshops, we have newsletters, calendars, we have conducted surveys to kind of get some feedback from our students,” Biney said.

To help with the large amount of foot traffic at the beginning of the year, the office added a virtual desk — a counselor with a tablet who addresses students that are waiting in line, while others are assisted in the office. This lets students come in and out easily if they just need to drop off their finalized paperwork.

“We’ve created an express option, so students don’t have to wait if they don’t have to, if they’re just dropping off paperwork, we can check if that’s all the paperwork they need,” Biney said.

STLCC-Meramec has introduced a new beginning registration date for the Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA). Students can now submit the FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, rather than Jan. 1.

“Oct. 1 is the goal to open up early FAFSA,” Biney said.

This isn’t the deadline, but it’s best to get the form in early because some aid awards are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

“That timeline when the FAFSA opens or when people file their taxes is a hurdle sometimes they can’t get over,” Biney said.

The FAFSA can be extremely inconvenient, especially at the beginning of the new year. Most people do not receive their tax information and W-2s until mid Feb-

ruary or early March, which makes it difficult to file taxes earlier on.

“I can’t think of any disadvantage for moving it up, I’m just happy that they did,” Biney said.

The new opening date only

“We have started financial aid workshops, we have newsletters, calendars, we have conducted surveys to kind of get some feedback from our students.”

Arika Biney helps students in need, since it allows them more time to have their financial aid in order. There are no foreseeable setbacks to allowing students more time to file their aid.

“We have more time to reach our students so that they can meet that priority date so they don’t have to set up payment plans, pay out of pocket, or be an inconvenience in any ways like that,” Biney said.

Biney said the financial aid office can use 2015 tax information for the 2017-18 aid years.

The FAFSA requires the student’s financial information reported on their federal tax return.

Now, students can base their answers on their return from the previous year.

They will be able to use their 2015 federal tax returns this year, and they won’t have to go back and update their form next spring when they file taxes again.

“A lot of people do not know we do those things, that we really take interest in wanting to help our students no matter what the goal may be,” Biney said. “As long as we know that goal we’re able to help in anyway we can.”

Carol Lupardus and Julie Fickas talk rescheduling after classes drop

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Sam Roy Asst. News Editor

“From the moment students begin to register, we begin to look at [the number of] enrollments, but no decision is made,” Provost Carol Lupardus said.

From the very beginning, STLCC staff and faculty are monitoring which students are enrolling in what courses.

“There is no magic number,” Lupardus said.

Enrollment Services does not look at numbers as a sole determinator of which courses are dropped. However, there are some criteria that is considered during the decision making process “We make sure there are plenty of students in the class and that they have a good interaction and we’re watching the rosters if the student needs that course for graduation purposes,” Acting Business and Communications Dean Julie Fickas said.

There are special cases when a course is considered being dropped.

“If there are multiple sections with multiple seats, then one sec-

tion may be dropped,” Lupardus said.

These are important factors that are considered when the decision day comes.

“The past few semesters it has been the Wednesday before the day classes begin when final decisions are made,” Lupardus said.

Recently, students and instructors have been informed of

“Don’t be discouraged — We’re going to help you find a course that meets your requirements.”

Carol Lupardus their class’ status at most a week in advance.

“Students have days in advance to rework their schedules,” Fickas said.

When a course is dropped, Enrollment Services does everything they can to assist that stu-

EDITORS Katie Hayes Marie-Josephine Schwarz Sam Roy Andrew Ameer Caroline Frank Ashley Biundo Missy Arneson Jordan Morris Ian Schrauth Shannon Philpott

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Asst. News Editor Opinions Editor Art & Life Editor Photo & Sports Editor Copy Editor Graphics Editor Online Editor Faculty Adviser

dent.

“We want our students to be able meet the requirements they need to meet for transfer purposes or for their graduation purposes, and we are looking for other courses that would meet that same need,” Fickas said.

The enrollment offices attempt to make any compromise for those students with dropped classes.

“A student is welcome to attend a class at any of the campuses, they are not restricted to finding a class here and it is up to whatever their schedule allows them to take,” Lupardus said.

Fickas also added onto that thought.

“If that course is canceled, is there a similar course, or the same course offered at a different time or location? This is what we try to find,” Fickas said.

The offices try to contact students by email when a course from their schedule is dropped.

“Students are automatically emailed when that course has been dropped and they need to be checking their STLCC email account, not their personal [ac-

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count],” Fickas said.

The offices also try to reach students by telephone.

“Departments are going to be calling that student and offering them some other suggestions and trying to help to figure out where they should go next,” Fickas said.

Lupardus said the ultimate goal is to help students achieve.

“Our number one goal is to help the student as much as possible and meet that requirement, and our faculty and advisors want to help those students find the right classes,” Lupardus said.

Fickas explained what students need to do in order to ease their rescheduling process.

“Three things that will definitely help a student are [to] make sure Banner account is updated, that they are watching their STLCC email, and they need to talk to someone.”

Lupardus and Fickas said the last outcome the enrollment office wants is to turn away a student or leave them behind.

“Don’t be discouraged — because we’re gonna help you find a course that meets your requirements,” said Lupardus.

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3 | News Campus police and students save Meramec professor 4 29, 2016 Sept.

Continued from page 1 ... people do not perform CPR is because they think they will do it wrong. However, the Good Samaritan law provides legal protection to those who assist a person who is injured or in danger. Immediate first aid from bystanders is crucial in the interim before campus police, and ultimately paramedics, respond.

“Keeping your head while there is an emergency is what saves the day,” Police Chief Anthony Russo said. “You know, when the stuff is falling around you and you are standing tall and making the right decision, that defines character — defines training. It defines just your ability to control yourself.”

Russo said the campus police dispatcher immediately calls paramedics in the case of a medical emergency. In addition, Kirkwood Police have agreed to immediately call campus police if they receive a

“What’s the situation, how serious, are they conscious or unconscious and we ask a lot of questions really quickly — kind of a little mini assessment of the scene and then we give that to the officer responding.”

Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management Mike Potratz said Kirkwood Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services responds within minutes.

“That’s a great thing here is we have so much close support for all the campuses,” Potratz said.

Russo said training takes over

know what? That’s where training trumps emotions.”

Russo said he believes requiring CPR training in high schools will benefit everyone.

“The more emergency trained personnel to help other people, the better — period,” Russo said. “You know, what if someone makes a mistake? Well okay, they tried to give first aid, they were trained and tried it. Everybody makes mistakes, but that’s not how you live your life.”

Snider also believes in the importance of CPR training in high

ally — myself and legal counsel, public safety — had a meeting and a lot of our safety standards and regulations require CPR training … we came to the conclusion that rather than just give CPR class to a small subset, and this was back in March, when we were first talking about this and the decision was made. The decision was made that we would train as many people on CPR as we could, whether it was the 30-minute class or the certification class.”

In June, a professor collapsed and fell unconscious on the

“[I’m] trying to get each campus trained so they can give basic first aid until the paramedics get here.”

John Snider

call. Other STLCC campuses have the same agreement with their local police stations.

“What we usually do is our dispatchers are automatically calling an ambulance based on the first bit of intel that they get,” Russo said. “So by the time the officer is there, and able to start first aid if necessary, the ambulance is seconds behind. It really works out well.”

In case of an emergency, students may call 911 or the campus police.

“Usually the dispatcher’s procedure is to ask the caller the condition of the injured,” Russo said.

Photo by: Katie Hayes Environmental Health and Safety Specialist John Snider conducts the course “CPR in Schools” class for Meramec faculty and staff in PE 201 at 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16. The course covers hands-only CPR, but is not a certification course. during emergency situations.

“Let me tell you about most policemen,” Russo said. “After it’s all over, a day later, you kind of fall apart. ‘Holy cow, geez, can you believe that happened?’ But, you

Photo by: Katie Hayes Kelly Crandall from the Horticulture Department performs chest compressions on a dummy.

schools.

“These bills are incredibly valuable to the states,” Snider said. “Getting more people trained who know CPR I think is a great idea, because the more people who know CPR the more likely they’re going to do it. When you look at the studies, the reason why CPR was not performed is because they were not trained. With this, high school graduates are going to be trained to some level.”

Potratz said when people practice a combination of the physical skills and the behaviors they engage in for that activity, the better they will handle an emergency situation.

“This is something that’s been known by behavioral science for a long time,” Potratz said. “If you train individuals on not only the muscle memories, how to do actions, but also the behaviors that go with them — if they ingrain those two sets of patterns — when the moment comes when they need them, they will perform them without undue distraction or disruption.”

Although the bill does not require CPR training in colleges, Snider said he wants to train as many people to perform CPR as possible.

“The bill does not apply to colleges,” Snider said. “We actu-

Meramec campus from heart trouble, while teaching a class. Several students ran out of the room for help, while others reported that they performed CPR. “[A] police officer happened to be right there, real close, went in and they immediately called for assistance,” Russo said. “Our dispatcher called Kirkwood Fire and EMS, [the officer] grabbed an AED, went in, took vitals, they put the AED pads on them, which read your vitals and it suggests whether you should shock person or not.”

Russo said the AED administered at least one shock before Kirkwood Fire Department arrived and used an Automated Chest Compression Device.

“I’ve been in 40 years of law enforcement,” Russo said. “I have actually given CPR and several people survived, but most of them, it’s just not enough or it’s too late and you don’t get to them in time and they don’t make it. But this was not the case this time.”

The professor survived and three officers and the dispatcher are set to be recognized at the Board Meeting Sept. 29.

“I would call it a textbook example of how proper police training, great performance by officers, and that necessary emergency technology all worked together and it saved a life,” Potratz said.

4

4 | Opinions

Sept. 29, 2016

Voting for the lesser evil excessively divides our political system

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Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore

Phyllis Schlafly: More than a conservative icon Differences in politics need not create barriers

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Caroline Frank Art & Life Editor

A prominent issue in today’s society is the extent to which differences in political stances and moral principles create barriers between people.

I have seen heated arguments break out in the middle of class when students voice their opinions on presidential candidates. I have heard people say they lost all respect for so-and-so because of who he or she supports. I have seen facial expressions change in a split second when someone vocally sides with one party or the other.

Wars have been waged over religion. People have been blown up, brutally shot, burned alive, and beaten to death for what they believe in. I have seen people outright rejected for their faith.

However, I think we can accept someone without agreeing with them.

On Sept. 5, 2016, a distant relative of mine passed away. She was a conservative icon: a devoted Republican, the leader of Eagle Forum and a Roman Catholic. To some she was famous, and to some she was infamous. But she was first and foremost a human being. And to me she’ll always be known as Phyllis Schlafly, or “Grandmother.”

As a kid I swam in her pool,

played foosball in her basement and ate ice cream out of her freezer. Most of the time I was over there she would be hard at work in her office, making an appearance somewhere or attending a meeting.

But, I would see her in passing and always receive an ear-to-ear smile and a warm “hello.”

These fond memories of mine are not attached to an established religion or political party. They’re associated with human connection, and the joy of interacting with someone — someone I love.

There are things she stood for that I disagree with. In no way do I deem myself inferior or superior for that, just set apart. However, despite our differences — I accept her convictions as part of who she was.

Accepting and agreeing are two different things that people often confuse as being synonymous

“These fond memories of mine are not attached to an established religion or politcal party.” with one another.

If person A votes for Ted Cruz and person B votes for Bernie Sanders, does this mean they can’t meet somewhere in the middle?

If person C is an atheist and person D is a Christian, does this mean they can’t find something they have in common?

The following comment was made by Sarah Schlafly, a granddaughter to Phyllis and a cousin to me.

“I didn’t agree with many of

Graphic by: Caroline Frank

her views, but I greatly admired her spirit. I share her drive and devotion to a cause. I always looked up to her for being such a powerful, inspirational woman.

While we bonded over makeup, hairstyles, and chocolate, I felt a deeper connection to her through our passion.”

Sarah went on to describe her grandmother’s personality and character. “She was an incredibly positive, strong person. She believed in herself, her family, her God, and her cause. She never let naysayers affect her, never accepted the word ‘can’t,’ and was stubborn as hell. I loved it.”

Because Sarah was able to see past these dissimilarities, she was able to find other ways to relate.

The world is black-and-white without the color that human variety gives it.

These differences will be there whether we want them to or not, so we might as well let them be. We might as well accept them.

As human beings we have a natural inclination to connect with one another, so we’re only isolating ourselves by not embracing this diversity. There is a difference between distinguishing yourself from someone and dissociating from them completely.

Creating titanic barriers between ourselves and the “other side” will only make the feud even stronger. We can break down those walls by creating open dialogue, becoming familiar with who each other is, and trying to understand individual differences.

Something we all share is the ability to gain from one another.

We can try to find something we like about another person, and allow that to be a reason to respect them. We can allow the way we feel about them to grow and flourish beyond their empirical identity.

Disregard what they identify as for just a moment, and see them for who they truly are: a person, just like you and me.

Stephen Buechter Staff Writer

Lesser-evil voting will likely be prevalent in this election, as both major parties have candidates with very high disapproval ratings, even within their own parties.

I personally dislike both candidates quite a bit, and I will personally vote for neither the Republican or Democratic candidate for president.

Supporting either candidate is showing some level of support for the candidates, who are seen as deeply flawed candidates even within their own party. Electing either one would possibly convince the leaders of those parties that such divisive and unpleasant tactics may work in other elections. That would be far from an improvement for a political system which already has a reputation for being excessively divided.

If the turnout for the election is extremely low compared to previous election years, America’s two major political parties may consider choosing less extreme candidates for the sake of drawing out more voters in following years. This may allow for more compromises to be made and for more of the public to be supportive of their government, instead of focusing purely on attacking the other party as seems to be common in the current political climate.

Voting for a third party candidate, such as Gary Johnson or Jill Stein could draw voters away from the two major parties and allowing voters more choice for electing representatives in government. More variety in representatives for government can only be a good thing, as it would allow voters to view more stances on issues and can assist in providing voters with a wider variety of options in their political decisions.

Many people feel trapped between two viewpoints that they do not fully support, so changing the stances of the two major parties by refusing to support them or by supporting other parties entirely may cause significant changes for the better in our good — but partisan — political system.

Graphic by: Jordan Morris

4 29, 2016 Sept.

Apple’s cheap gimmick

5 | Opinions

The decision to do away with the audio jack is uncalled for

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Missy Arneson Copy Editor

The iPhone 7 was released on Sept. seventh this year, and as with the vast majority of Apple products, the release was a big deal. Apple products are extremely popular: Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., recently announced that the billionth iPhone had been sold.

One of the new ‘features’ of the iPhone 7 is the lack of an audio jack. Headphones now share a port with the charger cable — and not even regular headphones.

The 3.5 millimeter plug has been completely removed, so regular headphones now require an adaptor to be used.

And it just so happens that Apple is set to release wireless earbuds, which they’re calling AirPods, in late October. What are the odds?

Apple products have never been cheap — the original iPhone sold for $499 in 2007 for four gigabytes of memory, and the 4.7 inch iPhone 7 is selling for $649.

With the removal of the separate headphone jack, iPhone users can either not be able to charge their phone and listen through headphones at the same time, or they can shell out another $159 for the AirPods.

This isn’t the only case of Apple charging for a quirk in their product. If the battery in an Android phone fails, a replacement can be purchased and installed by the person who owns the phone.

If the battery in an iPhone fails and the warranty has expired, the phone will have to be sent to Apple to be replaced for a ‘small’ fee of $79. In comparison, a replacement battery for the Samsung Galaxy S5 can be purchased for about $15 on eBay. But hey, the iPhone 7 is water resistant. Because withstanding a little splash — not long term or deep submersion, but the occasional dip in the sink — definitely makes up for the lack of a headphone jack.

Listening to music on one’s phone is totally unimportant to young adults; no, we need to be able

to put our phones in a fish tank without ruining them.

The removal of the headphone jack is absolutely ridiculous. It’s merely a ploy to get customers to spend more money on a product they don’t need. Most people who frequently use headphones already own a pair of headphones; they don’t want to spend more money

Show-Me the permit

on a redundant product.

There will always be a market for the iPhone, no matter what changes. Over a billion iPhones have been sold — and there’s little chance of sales dropping.

But changing important features without any reason to, change for the sake of change, is gimmicky and uncalled for.

Graphic by: Jordan Morris

Permitless carry is a public safety issue

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Andrew Ameer Opinions Editor

First, I want to begin by saying that I love guns — you could say I have a passion for them. I shot my first gun when I was seven years old, and loved everything about it. The smell of the gunpowder, the feeling of the recoil, the crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier, and the satisfaction of hitting the target.

I purchased my very own gun when I was 18, and got my concealed carry permit when I turned 21. Guns have been a part of my family for generations since my grandfather became a federally licensed gun dealer, who passed his enthusiasm for guns on to his son, whom I probably got my interest from.

I can’t think of a more perfect day than a day at the range hitting metal targets, breaking clay birds or just shooting at paper.

The right of Americans to own guns is a right guaranteed by the constitution. It’s a right that at times, has come under attack by various forces and people are right to want to defend this right.

Having said all that, the decision by the Missouri legislature to override Governor Jay Nixon’s

veto of a new bill that will do away with concealed carry permits is a bad decision on multiple levels, and will decrease the safety of residents of Missouri, police officers, and other people in the state.

At issue is HB1250, a bill introduced by Eric Burlison of District 133 near Springfield, which nullifies a previous law that required residents to obtain a permit to carry a gun concealed in public.

Effective Jan. 2017, anyone who can pass a background check to buy a gun can carry it in public, concealed or openly. The law also enacts a “Stand your ground” provision, which removes the duty for people to retreat from danger, if possible, before resorting to deadly force.

Prior to this, in order to carry a concealed gun in Missouri, a permit was required. The test that residents were previously required to take was not especially cumbersome or difficult to pass.

A firearms safety class is required that consists of four hours of classroom instruction on the topics of firearms safety and law, including what gun carriers can and can’t do in situations where they may need to use their firearm.

After that, four hours of range-time with the gun is required.

The classes are usually about $100, and the firearm is often provided. From there, an application for the permit is submitted to the sheriff of the county in which the resident resides. Fingerprints of the applicant are taken and a background check is issued. After paying the fee, a few weeks later

the new permit arrives in the mail.

For some reason, the lawmakers of Missouri deemed this task an undue burden on the people and decided to do away with it. The new law which comes into effect on Jan. 1 2017, allows anyone who is already allowed to own a gun, to carry that gun concealed in public without any special training or certifications whatsoever.

We don’t allow people to drive cars, which are capable of killing and causing destruction when used improperly, around on public

streets without first proving they’re competent and capable of doing it in a safe and lawful manner. The same standard should apply to guns.

Doing away with the modest training and background check requirements that were in place before this law takes effect benefits no one. If someone does not have the patience to endure eight hours of training before they carry a deadly weapon around, should they have a deadly weapon in the first place?

Graphic by: Jordan Morris

6 | Spotlight

Sept. 29, 2016

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Marie Schwarz Managing Editor

Meramec does not provide a lot of credit classes during the weekend according to the class schedule,

however, continued education classes, an open library, an open computer lab and sport games are just some incentives why the Meramec student should not only focus on being on campus during the week.

Photos by: Marie Schwarz Debbie Gaines works on jewelry in her Saturday morning metalsmithing class.

Credit classes

Layan Almasalmeh is a full-time student at Meramec who takes a math class that is offered on Saturday mornings this semester.

“My brother and my sister go to UMSL and we only have one car for the three of us,” Almasalmeh said. “It didn’t work for them to be here [Meramec] for one hour [several times during the week], so we just put the three hours [of the math class] on a Saturday.”

Bound by circumstances, Almasalmeh, who also takes three English classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, takes the weekend math class, but prefers to be on campus during the week.

“On the weekend it just feels like you’re the only person [on campus] on a school day,” Almasalmeh said.

Student Luna Spring takes a chemistry class on Saturdays this semester.

“I’m very busy during the week, and my sister is in high school and she’s taking this class with me,” Spring said. “So since she is in school all day during the week, weekends are easier for both of us.”

Lacie Williams is a general transfer student with emphasis in English, and she is taking a fitness class this semester. Because she couldn’t cram it into her weekday schedule, she is taking the class on Saturday mornings. “[The weekend] is pretty desolate, but it’s nice really,” Williams said. “You don’t have to elbow your way through any traffic to get to class and you just walk easily across campus. It would certainly be strange if it would be like this all the time, but it’s a nice change.”

One obstacle with a weekend class Williams said she could imagine is that it only takes place once a week, and therefore the attendance each week is much more important than a class that meets three times a week for an hour, for example.

“I had a trip planned on one of the weekends during this semester before I had sort of laid out my schedule for the semester,” Williams said. “I began to panic when I read the syllabus. I really didn’t want to fail or have to withdraw [from the class].”

Ultimately Williams said she was able to arrange something with the instructor, so she will be going on her trip without failing the class. Williams prefers classes during the week compared to the weekend, but if compared with online classes, she said she prefers the weekend classes.

“I’m thankful for just the flexibility of the classes offered here and the competency of the professors, and I have just had a good experience so far,” Williams said.

Cathleen George “There’s a lot less people. During the week it just gets — even though it’s a library and it’s supposed to be quiet — there’s so many people in here, it’s kind of noisy.”

Continued education classes

According to the Meramec class schedule, there are not many credit classes offered on the weekend, which gives room for continued education classes to be scheduled on the weekend.

Lacey Kirkwood teaches two metalsmithing classes on Saturdays. Both are eightweek continued education classes. The classes take place on the weekend because there is not enough space during the week to run a continued education class, Kirkwood said.

“Continuing education is an amazing opportunity for people to learn wonderful new skills,” Kirkwood said. “Metalsmithing is a thing that most people don’t even realize is an activity or skill that you can learn. I encourage everybody to reach out with continuing education … Get out there, and try something new.”

Nine people signed up for Kirkwood’s metalsmithing beginner’s class. One of Kirkwood’s students is Debbie Gaines.

“I’ve always wanted to learn how to do jewelry,” Gaines said. “Like not just the cheap craft store jewelry but real jewelry that will last. I saw the listing in the course offerings and I thought, here is my chance.”

Kirkwood said that she would love to see this class turn into a full class during this semester.

Continuing education instructor Gerry

Mike Whitworth “My wife and I, we garden some, and we’re trying to learn how to do it right.”

Jasper taught a four-hour class on Saturday Sept. 17, with the title Guidance and Discipline of Children. Jasper said that 13 people signed up for the class.

“Child care providers need their training hours and they can’t always make it during the week, [because] parents pick up their kids late and stuff,” Jasper said.

Continuing education classes are not the same kind of classes as classes taken for credit, Jasper said. However, nurses, real estate people and childcare providers all need continuing education hours.

Breanna Garmer took Jasper’s Guidance and Discipline class for the daycare she is working in. “[I’m taking this class] because I wanted to, but also had to,” Garmer said. “This is a class that I needed to learn more [about] how to discipline young children and all that because I’m still not quite there yet.”

Garmer usually has to work on the weekend and said attending this class on a Saturday was not a sacrifice for her.

“I have to get up early anyway, so it was just like a normal day for me” she said.

Retired couple Mike and Pat Whitworth took a continuing education class about gardening on Saturday, Sept. 17.

“My wife and I, we garden some, and we’re trying to learn how to do it right,” Mike Whitworth said. “And so we’ve been taking classes here [at Meramec].”

Pat Whitworth, who just retired from

Gerry Jasper hands out material for her continuing education class Guidance and Discipline of Children.

7 | Spotlight

Sept. 29, 2016

The secret life of campus A weekend at Meramec

Lacie Williams “[The weekend] is pretty desolate, but it’s nice really. You don’t have to elbow your way through any traffic to get to class and you just walk easily across campus. It would certainly be strange if it would be like this all the time, but it’s a nice change.”

Meramec’s English department as a secretary, has been wanting to take a garden class for years.

“Now it’s time to do all the things I wanted to do,” Pat Whitworth said.

Library

The library is not only open Monday through Fridays, but also on the weekend.

This semester the library’s hours for Saturday are from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Senior manager of instructional resources Patrick Mallory at the Meramec campus said that over the years the hours of the library have fluctuated.

“We thought we would try to do something different this year and see what the response would be to being open later in the evenings on Sundays,” Mallory said.

Sunday nights is a day for students to prepare for the coming school week, Mallory said.

“When we made our changes this year we had a lot of conversations with the people that worked here about what would be the best recipe [plan] to try to help our students.”

Sam Phillips, a student library assistant, said she works at the library on the weekend because she enjoys her job.

“I enjoy the people that come in and we get quite a few regulars [that come in during the weekend] that I’m becoming friends with.”

Between 10 and 20 people are coming in each weekend, Phillips said.

“We get maybe more people on Sunday because [students] are freaking out and try to get ready for the week,” Phillips said.

Library Clerk Robert Gipson said he likes to work at the library on the weekend.

“In the morning [during the week] it is a beehive … and it’s intense,” Gipson said.

“There is a lot of motion. It is an entirely different place on the weekend. It’s more quiet.”

Not only Meramec students visit the library on the weekend, Gipson said. The “Kirkwood crowd,” as Gipson refers to them,

Layan Almasalmeh “My brother and my sister go to UMSL and we only have one car for the three of us. It didn’t work for them to be here [Meramec] for one hour [several times during the week], so we just put the three hours [of the Math class] on a Saturday.”

Michael Egenriether “Usually I work on the weekends, but you know when I get a free weekend I like to come up here to the library [and study].”

like to take advantage of the library as well.

“It used to be that many of the people from Kirkwood would come in on the weekend,” Gipson said. “And it’s kind of a nice thing because they pay taxes [and therefore] support community college. It gives them an opportunity to take part in their tax dollars. I like that.”

Reference Librarian Bobbie Ohmer works at the library Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but also on Saturdays. She said she likes both working during the week but also on weekends.

“You’re busier during the week, so sometimes you’re more engaged one on one with students,” Ohmer said. “If I have a project that I need to do, I have more time to focus [on] it on the weekend. [It also] gives me time to devote more time to an individual person if they come in [on the weekend].”

Student Cathleen George is not a weekend student. However, she said she loves the library, especially on the weekend.

“I love the way it is set up and especially on the weekends, when it’s quieter,” George said. “There’s a lot less people. During the week it just gets — even though it’s a library and it’s supposed to be quiet — there’s so many people in here, it’s kind of noisy.”

Freshman Isabelle Bellinger-Espey who is working toward a career in professional writing and journalism after getting her general’s out of the way, likes to study at the library on the weekend.

“I like to stay ahead in class … and using the library resources that really help[s] me out a lot,” Bellinger-Espey said. “I feel like the library setting helps me focusing on studying.”

on online support rather than physical presence on the weekend.

Harriet Clark, a college writing specialist at the writing center, said that the writing center is currently not offering hours during the weekend due to a tight budget. “[The writing center’s] schedule is set so that we have the most tutors when we have the most students, and I think the weekend was just not busy enough to have weekend hours,” Clark said.

Academic Support

Campus Police

Though the library is open, Academic Support, which is located on the second floor of the library, is closed during the weekend.

Acting manager of Academic Support Cynthia Clausen said that there hasn’t been much response to weekend hours of Academic Support. The department is more interested in lengthening their hours during the week from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and focusing

Computer Lab

The computer lab also has hours on the weekend.

Student Jeannette Hegger is taking Computer Arts Studio this semester and spent one of her Saturday mornings and afternoons working on a project in the computer lab.

“This is a rare case [that I’m here on the weekend],” Hegger said. “I had a project I needed to finish because it’s due on Monday.”

Sport Games

Archers teams play on weekends at Meramec as well. On Saturday, Sept. 17, Meramec’s volleyball team played three other teams at Meramec.

Geoffrey Davis, who is head coach of the women’s volleyball team, said that this was the second weekend of play this season.

“We typically have matches on the weekend,” Davis said. “We try to do 2 to 3 matches on the weekend, primarily because of the school schedule.”

Police Chief Anthony Russo wrote in an email that for the campus police, the weekend is like any other day of the week, and that they patrol on foot and in cars 24/7.

“Our officers are very serious about safety,” wrote Russo. “[We] conduct numerous patrols throughout the campus and adjacent parking lots every day, regardless of what day it is.”

8 | Art & Life

Sept. 29, 2016

‘You’re a natural’

Professor Terry D. Cooper explores his passions

m

Caroline Frank Art & Life Editor

Professor Terry D. Cooper, Ed.D., Ph.D., Psy.D. has taught psychology at St. Louis Community College–Meramec since 1994.

“It was kind of a slow journey into the field of psychology,” Coo-

per said. “I always knew I wanted to teach, from the time I was about 18 on. At first I thought that it might be philosophy or world religions, but it turned out to be psych.”

Cooper received his first doctoral degree in education from Vanderbilt in Human Development Counseling.

“I’m interested in a personal connection with students,” Cooper said. “I think that it’s very important for them to feel comfortable around me.”

Cooper said he never wants to come across as condescending toward his students.

“I remember one time, one of my favorite psychologists, Carl

Rogers, was being introduced to a group of people, and the guy who introduced him said, ‘There are a lot of things I could say about Dr. Rogers, but I want to say this: He’s a person before he’s anything else.’

And that really was a major lesson to me about what any discipline

Story continued on page 9

The “free hugs” guy

m

Caroline Frank Art & Life Editor

Michael Cables is a Sophomore at Meramec.

Cables is primarily known around campus as the “free hugs guy” because of the sweatshirt he wears with those words written across it. “It actually wasn’t even mine,” Cables said.

A friend gave Cables the sweatshirt because she thought it would make him look “less scary.”

Cables disagreed, saying the words “free hugs” might come across as creepy to some people.

However, he began wearing it because it was the most comfortable sweatshirt he owned.

One by one, strangers came up to him, asking for a hug.

“I didn’t think it looked inviting, but I was wrong,” Cables said.

Cables estimated that he has received hugs from 62 different people solely because of his sweatshirt.

“But those are only the ones I remember the most,” Cables said.

“I keep track in my head if it stands out to me.”

Cables recalled a time he was in Walmart and a little kid approached him, asking for a hug.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Cables said. “I didn’t know if his parents would be okay with that.”

After thinking about it, Cables decided to take his chances.

“I picked him up and swung him around,” Cables said.

Photo by: Caroline Frank Michael Cables sits on a ledge near the Student Center to discuss the origin of his hoodie.

The boy’s mom and dad approached Cables with a smile, and extended their arms out for a hug.

“The kid looked so happy,” Cables said. “I was uneasy about doing it at first, but it was definitely worth it.”

Cables also belongs to the gaming club at STLCC, partakes in rugby and mixed martial arts and has a strong interest in engineering.

“I like to see how to put things together and take them apart,”

Cables said.

He is currently working toward an associate degree in General Transfer Studies, but he plans to further his education in engineering and hopes to get a job at Boeing.

Campus coffee

m

Photo by: Katie Hayes Campus coffee attendees pose for a group photo in BA 105. Campus coffee recognizes the hard work of Meramec faculty and staff for their accomplishments.

Katie Hayes Editor-in-Chief

The first campus coffee event kicked off on Friday morning, Sept.

23. It went from 8:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. in BA 105. The early morning breakfast aims to acknowledge faculty members for their accomplishments.

“It recognizes the hard work of people in student affairs and academic affairs,” Dean of Business and Communications Julie Fickas said. “It is a way to recognize those people who do really unique work.”

The internal event recognized 11 faculty members at Meramec.

Fickas and Provost Carol Lupardus plan to host more morning coffees as well as an afternoon tea in case faculty are unable to attend morning events.

“It’s about mingling and enjoying coffee with colleagues,” Lupardus said.

9 | Art & Life

Sept. 29, 2016 ... is all about,” Cooper said.

“I hope that students see me as having some knowledge in the field, but I hope they see me as a lifelong learner along with them …

I think there’s a big difference between critical thinking and thinking critically … I hope that people feel a sense of being respected, valued, having a sense of dignity.”

According to ratemyprofessors.com, Cooper is the most-rated professor at Meramec with 109 student ratings so far, and an average of 4.8 on a 5.0 scale.

Rumi Alexander, one of Cooper’s students at Meramec, said his lectures were “engaging and entertaining.”

“He had a weird mix of professionalism and humor that went a long way … and I think that kind of balance of the two can pay dividends in the students’ final grades,” Alexander said.

He went on to describe how Cooper focuses on the big ideas as opposed to the minor details. “I appreciated his lack of bias toward a certain part of psychology so the students could gain a better comprehensive knowledge of the subject as a whole.”

Cooper teaches General Psychology, Personality and Adjustment and Abnormal Psychology at Meramec. He has also taught a course in London in the summer of 2005, as well as at Webster University for 26 years as an Adjunct in Psychology of Religion.

“I think it’s interesting that we use the metaphor of covering the material when what we want to do is open it up,” Cooper said. “I don’t think that education is just the accumulation of a bunch of information. I hope that somewhere along the line, there is something that’s kind of transformational, not just informational. You have such a limited amount of time to introduce a discipline … I hope [the students] want to look further.”

Cooper has received many honors and awards for his accomplishments, including Alumnus of the Year at Southeastern Illinois College, Emerson Award for Ex-

“I think human connection makes it worth it. I think that whenever people touch my life and I touch theirs, that makes it worth it.”

Terry D. Cooper cellence in Teaching, Outstanding Young Health Care Professional, and the Templeton Award for the co-authored book with Don Browning, “Religious Thought and the Modern Psychologies.” “Writing a book with a professor from the University of Chicago was an honor,” Cooper said.

Cooper has given several papers at National and International Conventions, been in three nationally aired documentaries on the psychology of evil, become a Visiting Scholar at Emory University and served on panel discussions.

So far, Cooper has written approximately 25 articles for professional journals and eleven books, one of which was quoted by David Brooks in the New York Times.

Photo by: Caroline Frank Professor Terry D. Cooper sits on his desk in the Social Science Building, Room 216 “I’m far more interested in writing for a broader audience,” Cooper said. “It gets to be a very lonely and boring world to write just for other academics. I think if you know something really well, you can translate it into language that a lot of people can understand.”

Cooper said he is working on two projects right now, so there is more to come.

“I think a preoccupation with publication can stifle your creativity sometimes,” Cooper said. “I think sometimes you have to let the chips fall where they may and just follow the direction that you’re going … It’s a way of thinking through things for me, it’s therapeutic for me, and it’s something I feel like I just have to do.”

While on the topic of writing, Dr. Cooper spoke about the memoir “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl. “That’s just a beautiful book about his experience in the concentration camp, the loss of everything close to him, and then how he emerged with this form of therapy that dealt with the issue of the importance of finding meaning in your life,” Cooper said.

Another person he gains inspiration from is Pablo Picasso. There is a quote by Picasso that hangs on the wall in Cooper’s office. It reads, “The meaning in life is to find your gift. The purpose in life is to give it away.” Cooper said he absolutely loves that quote.

Cooper has also gained inspiration from Psychiatrist Sandy Shapiro, M.D., who was a consultant, advisor, and companion of his. “You’re a natural,” Shapiro once told him, and Cooper noted that this comment meant a lot to him.

Cooper said he has had a positive educational experience. “The people that I’ve had as professors have been very warm, very bright.

The professors I had combined intelligence and kindness — which

I think are a wonderful combination.”

Cooper was exceptionally impacted by his first psychology professor, Jim Armour. “I remember feeling at 18 years old — here’s a professor who actually acts like he could learn something from me.

And it was almost uncomfortable at first, but I felt deeply honored.”

Not only was Armour his teacher, but also his mentor, source of encouragement, and lifelong friend.

“I owe him a great debt,” Cooper said.

Cooper received his second doctoral degree in philosophy from St. Louis University in Religion and Psychotherapy.

“I think that I’m wired in such a way that it’s very difficult for me to get interested in anything that doesn’t have a personal component that’s going to make a difference in people’s lives,” Cooper said.

“I have seen in my own life so many people turn things around in their lives because of really looking deeply within themselves … Socrates said it better than anybody, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’

[Religion and Psychotherapy] is a discipline that offers practical suggestions for living better. It’s always worthwhile to expand your understanding of yourself and the

“I hope that people feel a sense of being respected, valued, having a sense of dignity.”

Terry D. Cooper world.”

Cooper received his third doctoral degree in psychology from the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles.

“The last doctorate that I re-

ceived in Psychoanalysis — because of the amount of work that was involved in it — probably meant more to me and I felt more of a sense of accomplishment than I have anything else in my life,” Cooper said. “I was enormously fortunate to have the supervisors I had. I mean, these people were in

“It’s always worthwhile to expand your understanding of yourself and the world.”

Terry D. Cooper ternationally known — people like Estelle Shane — people were lining up to be in supervision with her.”

He noted that this was a wonderful opportunity for him.

Cooper also facilitates a discussion group called Wounded Healers, which is designed as a support group for people going into the helping professions. The people who come to the meetings are primarily graduate students, but Cooper said there are some “gifted undergraduates” in it.

Cooper also does consultations from time to time with therapists on what kind of counseling might be most effective for their patients.

Cooper said his main focus is on taking everything he has learned and sharing it with others.

“This would sound perhaps ‘out there’ or a little bit cheesy to some people, but to me the goal of learning is ... ultimately, love,” Cooper said. “It’s caring for the world; it’s caring for other people.

It’s trying to improve yourself so you can extend yourself … to those people around you … I think human connection makes it worth it.

I think that whenever people touch my life and I touch theirs, that makes it worth it.”

10 | Art & Life

Sept. 29, 2016

Humans of Meramec

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sprint.com/stlouisccstudents Waived activation fees for students For new lines of service. Up to $30 value.

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**Monthly charges exclude taxes and Sprint Surcharges [incl. USF charge of up to 17.9% (varies quarterly), up to $2.50 Admin. and 40¢ Reg. /line/mo. and fees by area (approx. 5–20%)]. Surcharges are not taxes. See sprint.com/taxesandfees.

Activ. Fee: Up to $30/line. Credit approval req. Sprint Unlimited Freedom Plan: Includes unlimited domestic Long Distance calling, texting and data with mobile optimized video, gaming and music streaming and 5GB of high-speed Mobile Hotspot, VPN and P2P data. After the 5GB, MHS, VPN and P2P usage limited to 2G speeds. Third-party content/downloads are add’l charge. Select int’l svcs included see sprint.com/globalroaming. Plan not available for tablets/MBB devices. Available on discounted phones for add’l $25/mo/line. Quality of Service (QoS): Customers who use more than 23GB of data during a billing cycle will be de-prioritized during times and places where the Sprint network is constrained. See sprint.com/networkmanagement for details. Usage Limitations: To improve data experience for the majority of users, throughput may be limited, varied or reduced on the network. Sprint may terminate service if off-network roaming usage in a month exceeds: (1) 800 min. or a majority of min.; or (2) 100MB or a majority of KB. Prohibited network use rules apply—see sprint.com/termsandconditions. Sprint Global Roaming Add-On: Plan includes Sprint Global Roaming. See sprint.com/globalroaming. $5 Discount: Select SDP and CL only. Receive a $5/mo/line discount for lines 1–10 on Unlimited Freedom Plan. Avail. for select company/org. liable business lines or eligible university students (ongoing verification). Tax ID req. to establish business acct. Discount subject to change, avail. upon request and applies to monthly service for Unlimited Freedom Plan. No additional discounts apply. Account must remain in good standing to receive svc credits. Other Terms: Offers and coverage not available everywhere or for all phones/networks. May not be combined with other offers. Restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. © 2016 Sprint. All rights reserved. Sprint and the logo are trademarks of Sprint. Other marks are the property of N165620 their respective owners.

Photo by: Amanda Harris Kenny Nguyen discusses his passion for dancing

g? n i r r e f s n a r T n i Interestedsouri–St. Louis is

Transfer

University of M

I remember watching the movie ‘You Got Served’ and I was into that. And then I saw ‘Jabberwocky,’ and that’s what sparked up my motivation to become a dancer. I get to be in my own world ...

Lately I’ve been meeting a lot of other dancers who show me how to get in tune with the music. It just feels amazing.

Kenny Nguyen

Office hours for STLCC Meramec students: Mondays & Thursdays Call 314-984-7575 for an appointment 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Advising Center – Clark Hall

To learn more about our Off-Campus Degree Completion Program in Business at the South County Education Center, contact Sue Bateman at 636-481-3243 or batemans@umsl.edu.

CHOOSE Serious education. Serious value.SM

“

” Christy Hummel Transfer Specialist askchristy@umsl.edu 314-516-6943 “I can help with all of your questions about transferring, scholarships and what it’s like to be a Triton!”

Join the family Now hiring Servers and Cooks!

Watson and Lemay Ferry locations Please apply in person

Sept. 29, 2016

Upcoming Games Oct. 1 Women’s soccer: at MCC- Maplewoods 2 p.m.

11 | Sports

“ I have been playing [soccer] since I was little. All my siblings played it so it was kind of a thing and we would all play together Hope Beckerle, Forward

Oct. 4

”

Women’s volleyball: at Missouri Baptist University JV 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 Women’s soccer: St. Charles Community College at home 4 p.m.

Photo by: Ashley Biundo

Hope Beckerle, forward being subbed off the field

Men’s Soccer: MMCMaplewoods at home 4 p.m.

Montage

Oct. 8

Podcast

Softball: at St. Charles Community College 1 p.m.

Oct. 13

Business Administration Building Room 105

Visit MeramecMontage.com

join

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Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage The Montage

Men’s soccer: at State Fair Community College 2 p.m.

Softball: at Maryville University 12 p.m.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Episode 5 - The Weekend at Meramec ~20 min Have you ever wondered what’s going on at Meramec on the weekend? In this podcast, come join Managing Editor Marie Schwarz on her tour through the Meramec campus on a Saturday.

Oct. 9 Women’s Soccer: Kaskaskia College at home 1 p.m.

National Depression Screening Day

Women’s volleyball: MCC- Longview at Home 6 p.m.

(Schedule may change)

The Montage

10am-2pm 4pm-6pm The Counseling Department at STLCC Meramec will offer mental health screenings, resources and referrals.

We are here to help you.

This event is: ▪ Open to the public ▪ Confidential ▪ Free

We know words. We have the best words.

For more information, call Jason Duchinsky at: (314) 984-7565

12 | Sports

4

Sept. 29, 2016

Control the point Fencing Club starts the semester with a jab Hayes m Katie Editor-in-Chief Eleven years ago, Fencing Instructor William McDevitt brought the sport to Meramec. Since then, McDevitt has served as the Fencing Club adviser.

“Whenever the Olympics are here, we have a surge of students who want to start fencing,” McDevitt said. “So every four years, there is a big surge.”

McDevitt said that nearly every member this semester is new to fencing. However, Fencing Club President Matt Willerding began fencing for more than 20 years ago. After a 10-year hiatus, he took Fencing I with Instructor McDevitt.

“I had been out of fencing for a really long time and I had forgotten how much I liked it,” Willerding said.

Willerding now takes private lessons and is helping new fencers in the club learn about the sport.

“There’s a very steep curve you hit,” Willerding said. “If you are a good beginner like I was — fast with good reflexes, you are athletic — you will do really well at the start, but then you run into these guys that have been fencing for a long time. It’s very, very skill based.”

Ninety students signed up to join Fencing Club during the campus expo.

“The first practice was crazy,” Willerding said. “We had more than 20 people and it was just me trying to teach everybody there — and I’ve never taught anybody how to fence before. I’ve had some really good coaches, so I was really

surprised at how well the first one went.”

Although fewer members attended the second meeting, Willerding said the ones who stayed were more dedicated.

“The last [meeting] was good, too,” Willerding said. “We had about a third of the people at the meeting. But those people are really into fencing and they’re really enthusiastic about it. And you know, everybody is trying really hard and taking it seriously, so I was really happy with the how they have been doing.”

McDevitt said beginning fencers tend to fence how they see it done in the movies.

“In my experience of teaching over the years, people have a tendency of what I call ‘swashbuckling’ like in the movies — ‘Zoro’ and everything — banging blade,” McDevitt said. “But the art is to control the weapon.”

McDevitt said the learning curve for a good competitive fencer is four years.

“When you first start out, it’s 75 percent physical and 25 percent mental,” McDevitt said. “You don’t know what the heck you’re doing.

Next two years, it’s 50/50. And by the time the fourth year comes around, it’s 75 percent mental.

Everybody knows what the game plan is, how you fake and how you duel.”

Willerding said he experienced the learning curve as well.

“I was fencing guys who were like in their forties and fifties and they were just beating me up when I was a teenager and in my twenties,” Willerding said. “I didn’t have the discipline and the patience

Photo by: Erik Muschinske

New Fencing Club members practice lunges while restraining their free arms as instructed by Club President Matt Willerding. to develop any sport as well as I should have.”

Willerding said it is important to have experienced fencers in the club to teach newcomers.

“If you don’t have anybody

who knows how to fence, and just a bunch of beginners, that would be like chaos, broken equipment and bloodshed,” Willerding said.

“Well, not really, but you do need to teach people how to fence.”

Photos by: Ashley Biundo At Left: Amanda Bach blocks a shot at the team’s Sept. 21 game against Mineral Area College. Center: Natalie Davidson sets the ball to teammate Maura Raybun.

At Right: Maura Raybun serves the ball prior to the team’s 2-0 loss.

Re-instated volleyball team focuses on defensive settings

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Ashley Biundo Photo Editor

With a record of three wins and 14 losses, Coach Geoff Davis said the re-instated STLCC volleyball team is a work in progress.

“We have pretty good defensive work on our team today and we have been working at a number of different defensive settings;

I think the girls did a really good job,” Davis said.

Davis said he was pleased with the players’ versatility and defensive playing. “Our passing [between players] after the first game was about 2.0 out of three on average and that is pretty decent. I think we asked kids to play different roles and we had a few kids in different positions and they did very well,” he said.

The team has improved as a

result, said Davis. “Each week I have seen tremendous improvement in this team,” Davis said. “We started off with six or seven players and by August we had up to 12,” he said.

Davis said the players have room for improvement, though.

“It was the matter of getting those girls to play together well,” Davis said. “They are doing that really well. Our next step is to make sure we are communicating well on the

court with each other because it’s like a dance and you got to know where your partners are.”

There’s more to a good team than just playing the game well, according to Davis. “I think when we come back into the gym, we work a lot on our verbal skills,” he said. “We work a lot on focusing on everybody being aware of other teammates and be responsible and I think that is what is going to help us tremendously.”