Volume 54, Issue 6
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November 15, 2018
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www.meramecmontage.com
Meramec veterans reflect on service, appreciation TYRA LEESMAN PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Veteran’s Day fell on Sunday, Nov. 11 of this year, and was observed the following day. It is a national holiday for the public, observed to honor military veterans of all branches of the United States Armed Forces. Celebrations for the holiday often include parades, fundraisers, concerts, and restaurant freebies for those with a military ID. STLCC’s Meramec campus held a “Veteran’s Day Flag Raising Ceremony” on the morning of Friday, Nov. 9 at the flagpole by the visitor parking lot. “It’s heartwarming to see fellow students out there honoring vets like me,” said Airmen First Class Arthur Beal, an STLCC student who served in the United States Air Force in the 1970’s.
Veterans like Beal frequent the Meramec campus as full time students, part timers and alumni. Some faculty members also claim the honor of having served. Dr. Steve Collins, a professor on the Wildwood campus who taught at Meramec for over a decade served in the Air Force. On Veteran’s Day, students with military background on the Meramec campus have even been sought out and thanked for their service by their civilian peers. “This little lady from one of my classes stopped me in the hall and told me thank you. She remembered that I served in the Air Force in the 70s. She’d never really talked to me before. It makes you feel kind
of appreciated,” said Beal. Sometimes mistaken for Memorial Day, civilians may confuse Veteran’s Day with the national holiday observed for those service members who died in defense of the country. Veteran’s Day, however, is intended to thank those who served in the military and are still living. Many of these service members carry lifelong scars, both visible and invisible, from their dedication and service. Meramec boasts a Veteran’s Affairs Office, which aims to help those who served transition from military life to student life. In addition to the Veteran’s Affairs Office, the Meramec campus has a student veterans club, co-advised by Associate Professor, Lieutenant Colonel
(US Army) Michael Burke. The Veteran’s Club does not exist just to be another club, but to help veterans adjust to life as students and civilians, and to help inform them of the resources, scholarships and support available to them. “I’m extremely grateful for these veterans. They’re all over campus. I have at least three in my English class. They’re good people. My grandpa was in the Army. My fiancé is in the Navy. They did something brave and they sacrificed a lot. Time, distance from home, body parts, and sometimes friends. They should be honored, not just once a year, but every single day,” said Mariah Strauss, a Meramec student. Graphic by Amanda Harris
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2 NEWS November 15, 2018
Revision Decision Meramec’s Writing Center Website Goes District-Wide CHARLIE HUMPHREY STAFF WRITER STLCC’s Meramec campus maintains a writing center for students who are struggling with writing. Like math tutoring, the writing center offers revisions, read-throughs, general tutoring and writing advice. In addition to help with assignments, students can also find assistance with practical, realworld problems like resumes and cover letters. “The main thing the writing center does is face-to-face, one-to-one tutoring,” said Elizabeth Busekrus, director of the Meramec writing center. Students at Meramec have received help with scholarship essays, admissions letters, and their own personal creative works. These benefits are now available to students of STLCC on all campuses with the launch of a district-wide online writing center. The online writing center website was started in 2013 as a way for students to receive assistance on writing of all kinds, through written channels. Asynchronous tutoring, done through Microsoft Word comments and features, takes place over a few days as students submit, advisors
TYRA LEESMAN PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF comment and edit, and revisions are made to pieces over the internet. According to the director of the Meramec writing center, this online resource was initially created to reach virtual students who are unable to physically go to the Writing Center, those who cannot attend appointments due to scheduling conflicts and those who find verbal direction less effective than written direction. In October of this year, the MOWL (Meramec Online Writing Lab) was expanded to reach all STLCC campuses. “We partnered with online education because we really needed to provide services to all campuses,” said Busekrus. The MOWL officially dropped the “M” for Meramec, and became the OWL (Online Writing Lab), and is now active for STLCC students with an A-number. “I use the writing center on campus when I happen to be here, but I work, so a lot of the time, I’m just not able to go during the hours that they’re open. When I started taking online classes, my English professor told everybody on blackboard that we could use the MOWL and I was
like, ‘Why haven’t I been using this?’ I don’t even have to leave my house to get my stuff edited now,” said Paul Nimms, a Meramec student who is also employed full time. To access the writing center website, students can go to the STLCC homepage, type in writing assistance in the search bar, and click the link to the OWL website. “If you’re like me and you’re not a good writer and you don’t have the time to be on campus for an hour for tutoring every time you write a paper, definitely go use the [online writing center] website,” said Nimms. To use the website and create an appointment, users must register
with their A-number and personal information, then proceed with login and scheduling. “You have to schedule 24 hours in advance because that limits it. You can’t schedule an hour before, just so that we know each day how many appointments we have for the day. And once you do that, usually it takes about two business days,” said Busekrus.
Birthright Citizenship: A New Rule for Immigrant Parents, Children Professor Emily Neal Weighs in on the President’s Proposal OLIVER PULCHER STAFF WRITER On Nov. 2, President Donald J. Trump was interviewed on a television program called Axios, a show which airs on HBO. During the interview, President Trump discussed Birthright Citizenship “which is stated as a constitutional right by the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution,” said Dr. Emily Neal, a professor of Political Science at Meramec. In the interview, President Trump discusses how his judicial team had advised him that he could overturn that specific line in the Constitution with an executive order. “The idea of Birthright Citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th amendment
and furthermore b y three Civil War amendments. These started in 1865, when they dealt with the citizenship status of the newly freed black population,” said Neal. “The Constitution had split the population into two groups, free persons and other persons -- people of African descent were not ever given any equal rights.” The Civil Rights Act of 1866 comprehensively dealt with black and
POC (People of Color) rights, which was put forth due to the fact several generations of African Americans had been born in the U.S. and been assimilated into the culture. Therefore, they identified more with the U.S. and less with Africa. “The Civil Rights Act of 1866 established U.S. citizenship to include all people and the viewpoint was that if you are born in the U.S., you are a U.S.
citizen,” said Neal. “And, this Birthright Citizenship issue is an ignorant dogwhistle of the president’s rhetoric designed to keep the Senate before the election.” Since the election, the President has continued to discuss Birthright Citizenship as many news media sites and politicians rush to either explicitly agree or disagree with him about his choices with the executive order. As these various organizations rush to make their claims, President Trump has claimed that common sense and precedence is on his side and that he believes the issue will “probably” move onto the Supreme Court where it will be officially decided. Graphic by Gina Carr
EDITORS
STAFF
Tyra Leesman Print Editor-in-Chief Jordan Morris Online Editor-in-Chief Amanda Harris Production Manager Lauren Johns Art & Life Editor Mary Wilson Opinions Editor Gina Carr Graphics Editor Syed Ali Photo Editor Morgan Ratliff Copy Editor
Nora Alrashid Will Clark Charlie Humphrey Concilia Ndlovu Lydia Ostrom Jacob Politte Oliver Pulcher Tania Robin Ian Schrauth Tori Williams Branden Hagberg
Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Photographer
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NEWS 3 November 15, 2018
Students Mentoring Students ArcherMADE Pairs New Arrivals with Experienced Archers TYRA LEESMAN PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ArcherMADE is a peer mentoring program for incoming students, firsttime freshmen, and people who need help navigating the system at Saint Louis Community College. The program was developed for Meramec, Florissant Valley, and Forest Park campuses. Each has a Coordinator for Orientation and Transition, all of whom oversee the programs for their respective campuses. “If a student comes to a new student registration workshop, Archer Orientation, or any touchpoint for new students, they will be given the information. The application is also available online during registration season. Some of these students in the program, they just really needed a friend. Someone to talk to about things, and support. It’s been really cool just to see how each individual’s relationship with the campus has developed,” said Amber Grant, Coordinator for the Meramec Campus. The Florissant Valley Coordinator is Dwayne Morgan and Dedra Duncan is at Forest Park campus. The Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs for STLCC, Dr. Anthony Cruz, first proposed the idea to offer a program for peer mentoring, and charged Julie Massey with creating a committee that would it. Massey is the manager of the student success initiative. “It’s free to students on campus. Our pilot year began in August. We recruited students and worked with enrollment services to get all the first time students, focusing on African American students because of low retention rates,” said Grant. “We wanted to look at those numbers and benefit the retention, but we do also work with any demographic. During our focus groups, though, we were getting feedback and receiving applications from the African American students and, actually, all of the students in the
Photo by Syed Ali
Iris Vaporean, a mentor at ArcherMade, offers advice and support to mentee, Angel Pitts, in the Meramec Library on Oct, 30, 2018. Meramec program currently are African American.” Students who become paid Orientation Leaders on the three campuses are expected to take on a mentoring role. They apply or are referred by staff or faculty on their campuses. They’re chosen based on GPA and involvement on campus as well as leadership ability, said Grant. “[Applications] were sent by mail to incoming students. All they had to do was apply online or on paper sent back over the summer,” said Grant. Enrollment in the ArcherMADE program is now closed, but it will open again in the summer of 2019 for fall of that year. The program lasts a full school year, according to Grant, because retention drops frequently at the end of the first semester.
There is no set facility, as mentee students meet individually with their mentors. However, coordinators have offices and Meramec’s Amber Grant is located in Campus Life. “We’re always looking for more mentors. The more mentors we have, the better we can help students. Currently, we have five mentors and nine students. We try to keep the ratios around two or three mentees per mentor,” said Grant. If anyone has an interest in developing relationships and providing insight into being a college student, they might look into being a mentor, according to Grant. It’s a paid position, as part of their duties as Orientation Leaders. “I think it just really helps to make a difference. ArcherMADE was a name we came up with. Making a Difference in Education. We chose that name
because when you go to college with no experience, you connect with people who help make you into the person you will become -- successful and a leader in your own way,” said Grant. In addition, students are connected with other students who are proven leaders and academically successful, said Grant. “It makes students feel like part of the community, because at community college a lot of students can get lost in the process and just go to campus for class and then leave without ever really being a part of the community,” said Grant. “We’re always communicating with other departments about my students’ involvements, anywhere from advising to the support center, sometimes financial aid. We want to make sure we’re meeting the needs of our students.”
Women’s Club hosts Trans Women round table Session focused on current political climate and safety TYRA LEESMAN PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Twenty-one people, spanning the spectrum of preferred pronouns, sat around a large group of conference tables in one of Meramec’s cafeteria meeting rooms on Nov. 5, discussing their personal experiences with the Trans community. Some of them were trans women. Some were trans men. Many were simply trans allies, there to support their friends. “The purpose of [the Trans Women Celebration event] was, we wanted a little bit of education and also just to display our acceptance. We want Women’s Club to be a safe place for all women,” said Maria Stoentcheva, co-president of Women’s Club and leader for the event. The goal of the event was to expose Meramec students to the Trans community in a welcoming, safe forum, where education and acceptance would be at the forefront of conversation. “There are a lot of people who have never been exposed to people like this;
and people fear what they don’t know; but once you know a trans person, it’s much easier to sympathize with them as people, and even get involved,” said Stoencheva. An additional goal of the celebration was to create a place where all women can come together, said club co-founder Kyra Pearson. “Women’s club is a place where all women can come together. Not all trans women understand that they are welcome. Our goal is to be inclusive and benefit all women through outreach, support and education,” said Pearson. The current political climate and recent mention of the Trans community by President Trump were central to the decision to give the first women’s celebration event a Trans theme. “We planned this celebration before Trump’s comments about wanting to make gender be determined only by genitals at birth even came out. With all
that going on in the media, though, we had to make Trans women celebration our first event. They’re not even supported by their government. I’m glad we had these [monthly] events planned already, just so we could show that there are people who support the Trans community,” said Pearson. The workshop also focused on safety. “It’s little things like this that might help make our community feel safer,” said Stoentcheva. Though a speaker had been scheduled to speak, plans fell through at the last minute and the event became a fellowship of supporters and curious bystanders. Those who wandered into the room from the greater cafeteria area were greeted and offered refreshments. The next planned event will be themed to represent women of color and a selected speaker will lead the conversation of celebration. A date has not yet been set for this event, but the
co-presidents confirm that it will occur in November.
Photo by Syed Ali
An attendee at the Women’s Club round table reviews displays on exhibit at the workshop session focused on Trans Women.
4 ART & LIFE
November 15, 2018
Operation Christmas Project Lends a Helping Hand Campus Crusade for Christ is busy gathering donations for children in impoverished countries LAUREN JOHNS ART & LIFE EDITOR Operation Christmas Project supplies can make a lot of difference. last year. the bare necessities: toothbrushes, socks, “It’s easy and not at all costly,” said Former club leader Alyssa Cheney reusable menstrual pads, sewing kits, and Roberts. “You can get a toothbrush or toy worked with the organization outside even toys: stuffed animals, jump ropes, from the dollar store.” of school. She spent four months selling slinkies, soccer balls, and maracas. The organization is generally focused on kids in the 5 to 14 age range, but it will accept, say, a 15 year old. Students dropped off items in the donation box in the area between Communications North and South from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. The last day to donate was November 2nd. When it comes to the club itself, Kelli Roberts, an advisor, has only recently started off with the CRU here at Meramec and finds the group to be selfsufficient. “I help out with a few not-soglamorous behind the scenes stuff, like if they need to run an idea by me or need help getting more items,” said Roberts. “But we have such a great team of leaders that are able to figure out most of it themselves.” According to Roberts, the process is similar to working at a Food Bank. The list of accepted donations has changed over the years. Roberts stresses the importance of the recently Photo by Braden Hagberg added menstrual pads. One of Operation Christmas Child’s many shoeboxes that include donated small toys and “When we think about Christmas, school supplies for children in need and a note inside indicating where the shoebox came we think of toys and fun stuff,” said from. Items were donated between Oct. 29 and Nov. 4 and will be sent to 100 countries Roberts. “But not having pads is a real around the world. issue. A lot of girls have to miss school due to it or be put all the way in the back Last year, CRU packed 103 boxes fudge and raised $4,000 for a trip to the of the classroom.” and hope to reach 200 this year. The Philippines in 2016. Once there, she was In addition, Roberts urges everyone Christmas Project as a whole (separate on the front lines, handing out boxes to to donate, believing even one small item from the club) donated 11 million boxes malnourished children.
“There were kids sleeping in actual coffins and digging through trash for food and bottles to sell,” said Cheney. “I got to see first hand the impact we were making. One little girl wouldn’t stop playing with the maracas I gave her.” The trip impacted her as well, causing her motivation to skyrocket. “Before the trip, I was only donating two boxes,” said Cheney. “After, god told me to do 100. So I did, with help from my subdivision and people on campus.100 soon turned into 140. Now, he’s gonna help me do 200.” According to Cheney, the club is going to have a ‘packing party’ complete with refreshments and balloons on November 9th. “Each child will receive a box with picture instructions on how to use specific sanitary items,” said Cheney. “I witnessed a child trying to eat the deodorant.” According to Cheney, the sender of the boxes will remain anonymous, but the children receiving them will understand how god loves them. “Jesus wasn’t particularly religious; in fact, he was a rebel,” said Roberts. “We are about acceptance and loving one another. You could even be an atheist.” Cheney agrees with this notion, explaining the club is supportive toward one another and makes sure everyone has the help they need (even outside of the club). “There’s never been a time I was aware of someone being left out of this support,” said Cheney.
Meramec Student Organizations Host Fall Festivals Pumpkin Painting, Carving and More NORA ALRASHID STAFF WRITER The Student Governance Council and Student Activities Council of STLCCMeramec hosted the 2018 Fall Festival on Oct. 26. The event took place in the cafeteria providing free food, games and activities for students and staff to enjoy. This was the first year for the Fall Festival, according to Sarah Kelly, Vice President of the Student Governance Council and President of Student Activities Council. “We planned it for the
day instead of the trunk-or-treat at night so more students would be able to come.” Cafeteria tables were set up for pumpkin painting as a safer alternative to carving jack-o’-lanterns. The tables were also covered in fall-themed spreads to protect them from paint splatters and spills. Games included inflatable Twister, Jenga and Wii Dance Revolution for everyone to enjoy. Trunk-or-Treat, which has been
hosted at Meramec for several years, is also a fall event for students to celebrate Halloween and the beginning of cold weather. The only issue was since the event is conducted in the evening, fewer students have the chance to join in and celebrate, said Kelly. Various sources helped fund the Fall Festival this year. According to Kelly, the funding comes through the Student Government and Students Activities Council’s budget. In cases where the budget is insufficient, superannuation is used to support these types of events. Both the FGC and FAC are combined to hold issues regarding finances. The Student Governance Council is also supported through student tuition funds. “We have the Student Activities budget committee funds, which is a pool of money that comes from a fraction of tuition dollars,” said Kelly. There are even more sources for funding according to Amber Grant, advisor of the Student Governance Council. Photo by Braden Hagberg “Each semester, the Student Cori Compton, from Elite Services, paints Gracen Walen’s face at the Fall Festival on Friday, Oct. Governance and Student 26 in the cafeteria. Activities Councils receive
money provided from the Campus Life Student Club budget to organize student led events and activities on campus,” said Grant. These events are focused more towards student engagement and communication. According to Grant, this event was not only beneficial for students under distress, but the members of the organizational groups as well. To them, the Fall Festival is a break from social and academic stress. “The student groups agreed that any event where students can engage in activities, have snacks and take a load off before or after class at no cost to them is typically what our STLCC students enjoy,” she said. Kelly said she is confident in her role as Vice President of the Student Governance Council and their commitment to planning successful events for STLCC students. “We haven’t run into any problems and I don’t think we will.” Grant said she is hopeful that this event becomes an annual tradition for Meramec students to look forward to. “I do think students who organized this event feel it was a great success and look forward to hosting more student-focused events,” said Grant.
ART & LIFE 5
November 15, 2018
Photos by Amanda Harris
The Spellers finish singing “The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” by placing their number in front of their faces during the play “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” in the Meramec Theater.
Spelling Success
Meramec Theatre Mounts its Newest Production TORI WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
A story of competition, childhood, human resilience, and success whether a winner or loser, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” with the music and lyrics by William Finn and the book by Rachel Sheinkin, is playing in the Meramec Theatre now through Nov. 18. It features direction by Keith Oliver and musical direction by Dr. Jerry Myers.
One of the most exciting aspects of this production is the chance to join the spelling bee, said Oliver. “The main feature is really having the audience involved in the production in a meaningful way, where they’re integrated with the cast, and I think that’s really the highlight of this musical,” said Oliver. The audience participation also gives
Mitch Mahoney (Evan Fornachon) and company sing “Prayer of the Comfort Counselor” as they send another speller away after they fail to spell a word correctly at the spelling bee.
rise to unique challenges that the cast and crew must meet nightly. “It’s hard to run around up there and sing big notes and stay in character and interact with the audience,” said Evan Turek, who plays William Barfée. “I always want to do the best I can and give it some depth.” Despite the element of improv, the cast said they are up for the challenge. “They all worked hard early in rehearsals. We learned the music first and they were all working hard to learn it quickly,” said Myers. “For this show, we do not have a live pit; we have the recorded orchestrations. It’s an advantage to the cast because they hear the full orchestration from the first rehearsal.” The music program also poses challenges for Myers who must move pieces around when audience members misspell words. Nevertheless, he said he enjoys the element of audience participation. “There are four audience members that are on stage during the first act of the show, so [the actors have] begun to learn to interact with people who are up there for the very first time, and who haven’t seen the show before at all, so it’s been quite fun to watch that,” he said. Because of this interaction, “It will never be the same show twice,” said Turek. In addition to its run at Meramec,
the production will be considered for KCACTF, the Kennedy Center Annual College Theatre Festival. “Two actors from this show will be chosen to compete in the Irene Ryan competition which is an acting competition for a scholarship,” said Turek, a previous Irene Ryan semifinalist himself. Although there are obvious challenges, “…Spelling Bee” has a lot of heart, said Oliver. “It’s easy to identify with the caricatures of each of the characters in this play,” said Oliver. The characters are comprised of the pubescent ‘bad boy,’ the president of all the clubs, the adorable mess, the stuck up jerk, the detached genius, the shy wallflower who wants to be loved, and a trio of vaguely unhinged adults. “I hope in a way [the audience will] just reflect on their own lives, when they were that age,” said Oliver. Regardless, the primary goal is to have fun, said Myers. “Oh, this show is just fun,” said Myers. “I think at a time when maybe we just need some entertainment, just need to laugh and enjoy an evening, this is the way to go.” All Meramec Theatre shows are free and open to the public. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 14, 15, 16 and 17, except for on Sunday, Nov. 18 when the play begins at 2 p.m. Sunday performances are interpreted for the deaf.
What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? TYRA LEESMAN PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & SYED ALI PHOTO EDITOR
Daniela Hurtado (19)
Young Yun (24)
Melissa Castaneda (19)
Cole Conner (19)
“My favorite is macaroni and cheese. I just “We don’t have Thanksgiving, but I love fried “Mashed Potatoes. I like to eat them with “Stuffing! My mom has always made stuffing like cheese a lot. I’m Mexican -- we bring our chicken. I have it for my birthday.” corn; like, mixed in. I’m weird like that.” and you just can’t have [Thanksgiving] without own dishes, my family brings tamales, but I it.” love macaroni and cheese the most.”
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OPINIONS 7
November 15, 2018
Trans people will not be erased The life or death consequences of the Trump Administration’s choices MARY WILSON OPINIONS EDITOR
I’ll be the first to admit I have been a critic of the current administration. When news surfaced that the Trump administration is contemplating defining gender as a biological condition decided by the genitalia at birth, and which can’t be changed, I was angry, but not surprised. This is simply the latest blow from a President who vowed to defend LGBT rights at his campaign rallies. Slowly, the Trump administration has been whittling down LGBTQ rights, both directly and indirectly. The climate surrounding queer and transgender people has been steadily getting colder. In June, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The court did not, however, answer the larger question at hand: is it okay to discriminate against LGBTQ people? The Department of
Education said in February that it won’t hear complaints against schools regarding what bathrooms and locker rooms transgender students can use. After the New York Times reported on the Trump administration’s plan to define gender as an immutable fact, calls to the transgender hotline, Trans Lifeline, quadrupled. First-time callers doubled. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that adolescent transgender males have the highest rate of attempted suicide, at 50.8 percent. Non-binary adolescents have the second highest rate of attempted suicide, at 41.8 percent. For transgender adolescent females, the rate is 29.9 percent and 27.9 percent of adolescents questioning their gender identity attempt suicide. This, compared to the 17.6 percent of female adolescents and 9.8 percent of male adolescents who attempt suicide. The statistics don’t tell the whole story: we’re talking about human beings. Human beings with likes, dislikes, families, friends, pets, favorite classes at school, and favorite bands.
Graphic by Gina Carr
Transgender people are not political bargaining chips. They’re not merely statistics. They are people and these actions have life or death consequences. I know this from personal experience: in the spring of 2017, my younger sibling came out as transgender to me and my parents in an act best described as ‘courageous.’ Since that time, I’ve seen remarkable changes in my brother: he’s happier, lighter, laughs more, and seems comfortable in his own skin for the first time I can remember. His humanity -and that of all transgender and gender non-conforming people -- should not
be up for debate at all, let alone in the United States of America in 2018. This is not a red state or blue state issue. This is not a partisan issue, or something that can wait until the next election cycle. This is a human rights issue. This is not something we as a country can sit back and ignore, trusting our government to do the right thing. Our government has proven that it cannot -- will not -- do the right thing. We need to fight back. My brother, and his transgender and gender non-conforming peers, deserve better than to be erased by our government.
Twenty One Pilots tells the tale of a dystopian society New album ‘Trench’ plays with the emotions LAUREN JOHNS ART & LIFE EDITOR
Calling all members of the ‘Skeleton Clique:’ you were asleep and it’s time to wake up. After almost three years of ‘sitting in silence,’ Twenty One Pilots has finally released their fifth studio album, “Trench,” which plays with the notion of “BlurryFace,” (Representative of Tyler Joseph-the lead singer’s-insecurities). “Trench” tells the tale of a dystopian society where its people are trapped in a walled city, Dema, ruled by nine totalitarian bishops presided over by Nicolas Bourbaki (whom Tyler refers to as Nico). The use of yellow on the album cover is representative of hope and light. Each song hatches an escape plan of sorts from the crippling depression the singer has lived with (the dark, walled city). “Trench” in particular, plays with
your emotions and creates something you can interpret in your own way (using generalized versions of Tyler’s life). A lot of experimenting is done, such as more falsetto singing and Tyler learning bass guitar. The only real downside to the album is that several of the songs are five minutes long. As a result, the pieces are most enjoyed when you are in the mood for them; otherwise, they are seemingly endless and overly repetitive. Even so, the 56 minute (album) duration seems to fly by. The first song on the record, “Jumpsuit” is perfect for pumping up the listener. In fact, it is the only rock song on the album (sorry Rock’n’ Roll fans). The rumbling electric guitar prepping you for the whirlwind journey to come. Unfortunately, this song can tire you out quickly after just a few listens (like an over-hyped radio hit). “My Blood” is one of my least favorites. Despite the fact that it has a disco vibe to it (fun) and discusses Tyler’s devotion to helping others and staying by their side (to escape “Dema” perhaps?), there was much to be desired. It takes 1 and a half minutes to reach the chorus. Twenty One Pilots has a skill for changing a song in tempo or tune halfway through and yet that seemed to
be lacking. “Chlorine” was an automatic favorite of mine. I love the whimsical vibe and the driving beat. Tyler speaks of sipping chlorine (figuratively) to cleanse himself of his depressing thoughts. And, the song throws a definite curveball at the listener. The bridge flows into a soulful ballad. “Bandito” has a few false buildups and is very similar in style and theme to “Goner” from the group’s previous album: “BlurryFace.” The line about Dema that never fails to give me chills: “I created this world, to feel some control. Destroy it if I want to.” His voice is light and almost eerie. The last song, “Leave the City” is
an intense and sorrowful ballad that perfectly wraps up the album. The harmonies are light and flowy and the song builds up and then fades away. Unfortunately, this occurs before any true climax is reached. In a sense, it could only mean that the fight with depression is not yet over, despite what the song says. Read the full review at: www.meramecmontage. com/opinions/twenty-onepilots-tells-the-tale-of-adystopian-society/
8 SPORTS
November 15, 2018
Upcoming Games Nov. 15 7:00pm Men’s Basketball Washington University JV Nov. 21 5:30pm Women’s Basketball Jefferson College Nov. 21 7:30pm Men’s Basketball Lewis & Clark Community College Nov. 28 7:00pm Men’s Basketball @ West Kentucky Community & Technical College Dec. 1 1:00pm Women’s Basketball @ Arkansas State MidSouth Dec. 2 12:00pm Men’s Basketball Parkland College
Photos by Amanda Harris
Left: Savino Livornese strikes the soccer ball with a header during the Aug. 18 exhibition match against Garden City Community College, at the Meramec campus. Right: Salma Omer scores a goal during the Oct. 2 home game against St. Charles Commuity College.
Men’s soccer team prepares for Nationals Women’s team ends season at 9-7-1 they performed during the season,” said Coach Howard. The Men’s team is currently battling for a place at Nationals after winning the Region 16 final against Crowder College 2-1 and winning the Central District Championship 3-0 against Illinois Central College. The team entered nationals with an 18-3 record and with an eight game straight winning streak. “I think that the season is going well,” said Men’s Coach Tim Mosby. “The team has meshed really well and has had a strong finish to the regular season.” Mosby said the team
is stepping into new roles due to injuries. “They have been very flexible and have bought into the way the team has been running,” he said. “The team could improve on picking up the speed of play and sharpening up. We are working on tight possession and defensive shape in our practices now.” Outside of practices, Mosby said the team is focused on keeping academics up with study hall sessions and tutoring. “I think that we are fortunate to be going back two years in a row and I want the players to enjoy the experience because it is a once-in-alifetime experience,” said
Dec. 5 7:30pm Men’s Basketball State Fair Community College Dec. 8 1:00pm Men’s Basketball @ Arkansas State MidSouth
OLIVER PULCHER STAFF WRITER The Women’s Archers’ soccer team ended the season with a loss at the Region XVI tournament to Metropolitan Community College while the Men’s team is currently in the pool for a National place after losing 3-0 Nov. 12 against Barton Community College. The Lady Archer’s capped of the season with a 9-7-1 record. The Lady Archer’s also had the least goals allowed and the most successful win/ loss ratio record, said Coach Jason Howard. The Lady Archers had seven all conference players and five all region players. “I am extremely proud of all the players and how well
Dec. 5 5:30pm Women’s Basketball State Fair Community College
Mosby. “I am personally excited to see how we measure up and how the guys respond to the pressure of nationals.” Josh Graham and Charlie Norman, both fullbacks, said the season has been successful. “This is my second time back and I think everything has worked out well,” said Graham. “It wasn’t my best season, but I did my job.” Norman said the team started off slowly but came together in the end. “We got through the obstacles that were thrown our way, and we didn’t let it hit our confidence,” said Norman. “We are currently focused on nationals.”
Dec. 9 4:00pm Women’s Basketball Southwestern Illinois College Dec. 14 6:00pm Women’s Basketball @ Moraine Valley Community College Dec. 15 1:00pm Women’s Basketball @ Harper College Dec. 15 3:00pm Men’s Basketball @ Harper College Dec. 17 3:00pm Women’s Basketball @ Lincoln Land Community College Dec. 17 5:00pm Men’s Basketball @ Lincoln Land Community College Dec. 19 5:30pm Women’s Basketball @ Jefferson College Dec. 30 1:00pm Men’s Basketball @ Blackburn College
Left: Fortu Hernandez dribbles the ball down the soccer field, while Joe Ruane observes where the ball is going, during the exhibition match against Garden City Community College at the Meramec campus, on August 18. Right: Kelton Hewett, Jeanna Picha, and Madison Gann chase after the soccer ball during the Oct 2 home game against St. Charles Community College.
For up to date times and locations, visit: www.archersathletics.com