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VOLUME 52, ISSUE 7 | THURSDAY DEC. 8, 2016 | www.meramecmontage.com

News:

Comedian Aman Ali shares his love of stories with Meramec

Art & Life:

“It’s not so much about preaching religion, it’s about living your life.”

Story on page 2

Sports:

Women’s Basketball

Photo by: Haeferl / Wikimedia Commons Refugee solidarity demonstration, “Gleiche Rechte für alle,” in Vienna in 2013. The demo was fighting for same rights for everyone.

‘Diversity as a strength’ Meramec’s International Education week focuses on acceptance of refugees into St. Louis society

m Archers win 57-31 in their first game after Thanksgiving break. The team shoots for the national tournament in spring.

Sean E. Thomas Staff Writer

It is the middle of July in Srebrenica; the year is 1995.

Soldiers from the Bosnian Serb Army of Republika Srpska, or VRS, under the command of General Ratklo Mladic enter the city ignoring the declaration by

the United Nations designating Srebrenica a “safe area.” This results in the murder of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims, primarily men and boys, and the forcible transfer and abuse of 30,000 women, children, and elderly.

In 2004, by unanimous ruling, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia declared

these to be acts of genocide.

The exposure to atrocities such as these is where the differences between “immigrant” and “refugee” start to become clear, a primary piece of the discussion on day 3 of St. Louis Community Colleges International Education Week, which took place from November 14 through November 16.

Continued on page 9

Story on page 11

Holidays

Spotlight:

Opinions:

Brittney Farrow

Whether you burn a Yule Log, light a Menorah, enjoy New Year’s fireworks or just enjoy the snow and twinkling lights, winter break is here and with it comes a lot of holidays.

Story on pages 6 & 7

‘He’s not my president’ Refusing to let the fear, anger and hatred of the president’s campaign wreak havoc on our lives.

Page 4

2 | News

Dec. 8, 2016

Student Assistance Program Spreads holiday cheer SAP adopts Meramec families for the holidays

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Sean E. Thomas Staff Writer

The Student Assistance Program is assisting students through the holidays this year with "Adopt an STLCC Student."

Through this program students who are facing hardship can enter to become one of many students who will be adopted, along with their families, by a member of faculty, staff, or a student organization who have shown interest in the program.

“We are here to respond to any kind of crisis,” said Claire Martin, Student Assistance Program manager.

Any student interested in becoming a part of the program submits a short story about themselves and a wish list. Martin then sends a list with these letters, no names attached, to anyone interested in “adopting.” Once selected, those offering help receive the wish list as a guideline only and then use this list to provide a gift basket for the student and/or family. The only thing asked of the student at this point is to send a short letter of thanks to the person who

provided support.

“They (the students) live in an environment where nobody believes in education, …even their close friends don’t believe in what they’re doing and in school it is an environment where they don’t relate to anybody, they totally feel like an outsider,” Martin said.

“They need that other person that

“They [students] need that other person that says, hey I know what your goal is, and I want you to stay on track.”

Claire Martin

says hey, I know what your goal is, and I want you to stay on track.”

Irene Alexander, Chris Shore, and Skylar Tate are some of the students that have dedicated their time and energy to working for SAP. Each with their own motivations for becoming a part of the

Photo by: Erik Muschinske

Skylar Tate in action at the Student Assistance Program office. program, the satisfaction of helping students is the thing they most enjoy about their position.

Alexander, the student intern for the program said, “You get to help enrich other students lives, this is an office for students who are going through tough times, life barriers, so you get to help them figure things out.”

Shore, who hopes to major in biomedical science finds in SAP skills that he hopes will one day transfer into his chosen profession.

Taking the position solely based on a recommendation from faculty, Shore has found a useful, fun, and fulfilling work environment at SAP. When asked why other students should consider working with or volunteering for SAP, Tate, who has been with the program the longest of the three said, “Working with SAP there’s a lot of opportunities to go out and speak to students, … to do presentations in classrooms. We have opportunities to help other people’s lives.”

Muslim Comedian and Storyteller Aman Ali takes the stage

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Ian Schrauth Online Editor

Comedian and storyteller Aman Ali took the stage at the Meramec theater on Nov. 29. Ali has made appearance in the New York Times, CNN, NBC News, HBO, BBC and NPR and has opened for Comedian Dave Chappelle.

“I found myself growing up in an all-white town in Ohio,” Ali said in a post-show interview. “I don’t think people are racist or ignorant.

I think people, just, haven’t been exposed to many different walks of life. I saw that [storytelling and comedy] as an opportunity.”

During the show, Ali said there was only one Muslim in the media he wanted to meet growing up — Hakeem Olajuwon, an NBA player.

Ali tried to meet Olajuwon after games, but always missed him.

Ali said he thought he met Olajuwon at Mecca during pilgrimage.

But when Ali said he loved him, it turned out to be a random guy.

When Ali did 30 Mosques in 30 days, he raised $6,000 in the first 45 minutes and $30,000 total. Ali donated the excess money to charity.

He also talked about the Sharia law, and he said that every faith has guidelines. He had also said When the law is used to murder, it’s not because it’s a bad set of laws, it’s that people are interpreting it badly.

“It’s not about the faith. It’s about people being assholes,” Ali said. “Rather than whining about the media, I wanted to do something about it.”

Ali said he is not on this Earth to preach about his faith with Islam, but he says he is first and foremost a storyteller more than a

EDITORS Katie Hayes Marie Schwarz Andrew Ameer DJ McGuire Erik Muschinske Missy Arneson Jordan Morris Ian Schrauth Shannon Philpott

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Graphics Editor Online Editor Faculty Adviser

Photo by: Ian Schrauth Comedian Aman Ali performs on Nov. 29 in the Meramec theater. Ali identifies as a storyteller. comedian.

“Why shut down that opportunity to educate?” Ali said. “Why get mad? It’s a waste of time.”

Ali also talked about how stu-

STAFF Sean E. Thomas Stephen Buechter Daphne Drohobyczer Brittney Farrow Caroline Frank Dalila Kahvedzic Lexie Keller Adam Moran Amanda Harris Toby Young Ashley Biundo Noah Sliney ToQuyen Tonnu

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dents should share their faith.

“It’s not so much about preaching religion, it’s about living your life,” Ali said.

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News | 3

4 8, 2016 Dec.

Meramec takes on diaper duty m

Brittney Farrow Staff Writer

From Nov. 7 to Nov. 28, St. Louis Community College hosted a Diaper Drive to benefit families in need in for the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank. The drive, which was put on by the college’s Department of Public Safety and the campuses’ respective student governments, sought to combat the diaper need plaguing many of the city’s low-income families. According to the National Diaper Bank Network, diaper need can best be defined as the lack of sufficient supply of diapers needed to keep a toddler or infant clean, dry and healthy.

“Seventy-five percent of moms [who receive diapers from the bank] say they they are less stressed and feel like a better mom.

Seventy-four percent say that receiving a pack allows money to go elsewhere.”

Jessica Adams

Founder and executive director of the STL Area Diaper Bank Jessica Adams said that diaper need is a large problem for many St. Louis families in particular, and

that on a national level one in three moms report that they suffer from diaper need.

“Aside from health and hygiene reasons, [access to clean diapers represents] a lot more. The Ability to provide clean diapers represents a mom’s sense of success at being a parent, and the inability to provide for their children can leave parents feeling added stress,” Adams said.

Lack of regular changings can also cause stress on babies themselves, as they lose vital cognitive learning time and have to communicate their stress by screaming, Adams said. This can also impact their ability to develop trust and to feel secure in their surroundings.

Babies need to be changed about six-10 times a day. Diapers cost about 25 cents a piece and can create an annual cost of about $1,000 per child. This financial need can be hard for many families, and public assistance programs such as food stamps and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) cannot be used to purchase diapers, Adams said.

In 2016, 14,500 children benefitted from the STL Area Diaper Bank’s services -- of those families, 4,000 were single-mom households. Aside from diaper drives and monetary donations, the Diaper Bank also benefits from monthly volunteers who will work in the warehouse repackaging diapers into packs of 25. While that pack may not last more than a week, Adams said that to many families it can make a huge difference.

“Seventy-five percent of moms [who receive diapers from

Photo by: Jordan Morris The drop off location for St. Louis Area Diaper Bank is located at Meramec Campus Police station. Donations will be accepted until Dec. 16. the bank] say that they are less stressed and feel like a better mom. Seventy-four percent say that receiving a pack allows money to go elsewhere,” Adams said.

Students were asked to leave diaper donations in the campus police office. While unable to provide an exact count of diapers, there

was a sufficient sum of donations, campus police said. For more information on how to get involved, students can contact the STL Area Diaper Bank by email at info@ stldiaperbank.org or via phone at (314) 384-2512. The Diaper Bank is located in Midtown at 2653 Locust St.

STLCC Foundation creates memorial book fund m

Stephen Buechter Staff Writer

The St. Louis Community College Foundation, an organization that assists in and takes part in programs across all campuses, has made a student memorial book fund. Jo-Ann Digman, Executive Director of the foundation, said in an email interview that the program operates in the following way: “Upon the notification of the death of a current student from the office of the Registrar, the STLCC Foundation will work with the deceased student’s Provost to select a book to donate to the campus library in memory of the student. A memorial book plate containing the student’s name will be placed in the donated book. A letter of condolence from the Chancellor and the STLCC Foundation president will be sent to the student’s family informing them of the book donation in memory of the deceased student, and the campus community will be apprised regarding the donated book.”

Digman also said that the book fund was approved by the St. Louis Community College Foundation board of directors on September 28, 2016 and is funded through contributions to the St. Louis Com-

munity College Foundation. It was approved by the board “to support current students at the St. Louis Community College while respectfully recognizing the passing of their fellow classmates.”

“The book fund is funded through contributions to the STLCC Foundation.”

Jo-Ann Digman Dr. Patrick Mallory, Senior Manager of the Meramec Campus Library, said that “the books will be selected through the Provost office, and they will work with whatever faculty members maybe had the student, looking for interests and that type of thing, and the Provost office will work with the bookstore to acquire the book.

Once that’s done a nice memorial plate will be put in… that really shows what this book is here for.

Then it will come to the library and we’ll process it like any other book, barcode it and make sure we can circulate it.”

Mallory said “no books have been donated yet, which is a good thing. It means we haven’t lost anyone.”

Mallory said that in his opinion

Graphic by: Jordan Morris “It’s a good thing that the college has come up with a way across the district for all the campuses to honor students that have passed away, so I think it’s a good program. I think it’s a noble thing to have a book in a library — I think it’s thoughtful for the family while also being good for students here, so I think it’s a good idea, a good way we can appreciate those who have passed.”

Mallory said that “I think it’s important that the college has a good way to memorialize students that have passed away. I think it’s a good program and a good idea.

Libraries and books are central to what a college does, and I think it’s an excellent way to memorialize someone is to add to the library’s collection - add knowledge to really help students, their peers, at the campus they were on.”

4 | Opinions

4

Dec. 8, 2016

‘He’s not my president’ Loving your country and loving your government are not one and the same

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Brittney Farrow Staff Writer

I am not, nor have I ever been, a sore loser. I am not, nor have I ever been, an advocate of anarchy or destruction. With the exception of maybe believing pop singer Katy Perry is actually murdered toddler beauty pageant participant Jonbenet Ramsey, I am not, nor have I ever been, a conspiracy theorist. So, I think many people were surprised when after Donald Trump became our president-elect, I merely said, “He’s not my president.”

Almost immediately, people called me out. How could I say such a thing? Of course he was my president! Did I not love this country?

It was actually pretty ridiculous; a girl I have not spoken to in almost four years even took that opportunity to strike up an argument with me. My last memory of the two of us spending time together was getting absolutely smashed in a college dorm room, and now we were debating politics and ethics — your early twenties are weird, am I right?

What I meant by that statement, and what thousands of protesters mean by that statement, is not that we do not actually believe far-right television personality Donald Trump is not our president,

Graphic by: Brittney Farrow but that we refuse to let the fear and anger and hatred that created his campaign wreck havoc on our lives. Personally, I find it rather terrifying that such bigotry made its way to one of the highest positions of power in the free world, but at this moment — being who I am and knowing what I know about life, and myself — I am saying, flat-out, that I will not let my government tell me who and what I am allowed to care about. I am a free-thinking American citizen, and if my government — Republican or

Democrat or otherwise — tells me to hate my neighbor because of their race, gender, religion, or sexual preferences, I will resist.

There’s a misconception in our country that leads us to believe that we have to submit to our government, but what many people do not seem to realize is that our political figures are not gods. We are not built to worship at the altar of their wrongdoings; we are not supposed to donate to their destructive ideologies. We are, if anything,

supposed to question them at every turn. We are supposed to ask if they are doing the right thing for the people they represent, and if they are making decisions with the public in mind; we are supposed to wonder who their choices benefit, and if they care about the right things.

Loving your country does not mean blindly accepting its flaws.

It is not a disrespect to your nation to think it could improve. Yes, there are people in other countries fighting for us, but I like to believe the people who are out there fighting are there so that we have the freedom to make choices, and to think for ourselves. I like to think that loving your country is a lot like being a parent; you love your children even when they make decisions you do not agree with, but that does not mean you do not wish they could refrain or change course; it does not mean you do not spend restless nights worrying about them or their wellbeing.

No matter who lives in the White House, we can choose to look after each other — and we need that kind of concern and compassion now more than ever. If you love your country, you can fight for it. That means defending people of color; that means defending LGBT+ individuals; that means defending women.

By this point in time, I think people have already made up their mind on what kind of world they think we should live in, but, despite feeling utterly hopeless for a while, I take comfort in knowing that the world is bigger than just me and Donald J. Trump, who is not, and never will be, “my president.”

‘Deck the Halls,’ but in moderation: no Christmas lights on Halloween

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DJ McGuire Sports Editor

Well folks, it’s about that time of year again — the time when the air gets a bit colder and we have to pull out our warm clothes.

This also brings the inevitable lyrics like “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” or “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” and houses adorned with bright lights and decorations. Yep, Christmas already draws near.

This brings up the question, when is the proper to time to start hanging the greens and listening to this jolly music? This debate has existed since the holiday’s origins.

Many believe that right after Halloween, the holiday season just switches on and everyone should be jolly and festive.

On the other side of the spectrum, there are the Scrooges who hate Christmas altogether — and of course there are some who don’t celebrate the holiday at all. I per-

sonally believe that a happy medium is best.

This is America though, we have rights and freedoms that no one can take away from us, including our right to celebrate any holiday. The holiday decorations and music are simply just an extension of that celebration.

Picking the proper time to decorate can be tricky, before Halloween is way too soon, and setting up the tree on Christmas Eve is far too late. Finding that right balance is key.

I think the proper time to pull out all the Christmas CDs and tune your station to 102.5 KEZK or 103.3 KLOU and set up the tree, is just after Thanksgiving. If you set up your decorations before, you run the risk of fusing holidays, which is a little funky in my book.

However, I’m not totally against putting decorations up before Thanksgiving. The reason I say this is because a lot of families will host their relatives and want their house to look in tip-top shape. Adding the extra décor of a Christmas tree and some other decorations can really add to the experience of Thanksgiving.

Obviously stores follow this trend, because on every Black Friday it seems every major store already has all its Christmas decora-

Graphic by: Noah Sliney tions up. This is obviously to match the tremendous Christmas sales the store has.

Radio stations, like the ones already mentioned, don’t waste any time. Here in St. Louis this year 102.5 KEZK was already playing Christmas music on November 1. This was pleasant to some ears, hearing the popular tunes from artists like Mariah Carey, Andy Williams, Burl Ives and various other holiday favorites.

Of course this always poses the question, how long should I leave

up my decorations? This again is a judgement call for every person and their families. Since these decorations make your house look nice and just a bit more cheerful, most families tend to leave them up until mid-January to February. If you are feeling lazy you can leave them until maybe even March, but by then it starts to get tacky.

It is really up to you when you decide to celebrate the holiday — if you do at all. However, like in all things, a happy medium is best.

Opinions | 5

4 7, 2016 Dec.

What I learned from traveling the world Traveling enables different perspectives and fosters solidarity

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Andrew Ameer Opinions Editor

I’ve been traveling for almost as long as I can remember. I took my first cross country road trip when I was 7 or 8 years old, about 16 years ago from Saint Louis, Mo. to southern California and eventually into Mexico. Throughout my childhood I’ve traveled, and seeing new places, experiencing different perspectives and learning different ways of doing things are like second nature to me.

When I was 12 years old, I traveled overseas to eastern Africa. I spent more than a year in the countries of Tanzania and Malawi, during which I learned to appreciate the creature comforts I took for granted here in the United States.

Things like clear running water, reliable electricity and a supermarket with a ridiculous selection of things to purchase that came standard in my home town of Saint Louis, Mo. were hard to come by in Njombe, Tanzania.

The water did not run all the time, and when it did it was a rich red color from the clay in which the pipes were laid. The electricity in

the village I lived in was operational for about 30 percent of the time.

But this did not phase the residents who had lived there for their entire lives, and over time, as it grew to be the norm for me, I learned to adapt and it no longer affected me either.

During my time overseas, I adopted a great resilience to adversity that I took back with me to the US. It’s probably the single most significant thing I’ve gained during my travels. Seeing how other people in different cultures and countries adapt to hardship and change brought great perspective to my own life and how I reacted to moments of adversity.

On my way back to the US in 2007, during a layover in Amsterdam I remember being amazed and somewhat disoriented at little things like automatic sliding doors and escalators, not to mention the freezing climate which was much appreciated after more than a year in a climate that did not often get below 80 degrees and was often higher. When I got back to the US I found that life’s little problems no longer bothered me as much, after experiencing life abroad for more than a year.

But aside from learning about how great it is to have electricity that is on and operational for 99 percent of time, what I like most about traveling is that it gives the opportunity to see the many differences between ourselves and the rest of the world, and ultimately, how similar we are. People all over

Photo by: Andrew Ameer the world generally want the same things out of life: food, security for themselves and their loved ones and a place to call home, and the day-to-day activities of life reflect this, wherever we are.

Traveling has expanded my own personal perspective on so many things in my own life, and overall it is a tremendously positive experience. When I’m feeling

stressed out as a student, or at other situations in my life, I think of the bigger picture and about how across the world, across the many different cultures and societies, there are students and people going through many of the exact same situations and hardships that I am going through, and for me, the feeling I get is that of solidarity and it brings great comfort.

An Apple a day keeps the Windows away Are Apple computers the gods of the computer world?

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Ian Schrauth Online Editor

Generally speaking, Apple computers are better than Windows computers. An Apple computer is like the prince of the computer world, but not the king and definitely not the god. Yes, Windows computers have their advantages, like hardware flexibility, and price, but I feel that Apple computers have a better advantage, like better hardware and software support.

One example, like I said before, is that an Apple computer has better hardware.

The reason why you can’t build an Apple computer from scratch is because it would be too expensive with the hardware.

Graphic by: Ian Schrauth Apple tends to spend a lot of money on their hardware, and the cheapest Apple computer with good hardware is about $900-$1000.

I honestly think you couldn’t even build a clone-apple-computer without trying to save money; it’s just impossible because of the

overpriced, quality hardware. One more reason why I think that apple computers are great is because they have the compatibility to run Windows on a Mac. I honestly think this is good, because you have quality hardware, and you have the ability to put both operating

systems on one computer, if you need some applications that are not supported.

I am not saying that Apple computers are like the gods of the computers, because they are not.

There are some disadvantages.

For example, you cannot put mac OS Sierra on a Windows computer. It is a closed source operating system, and it is not possible to do this without hacking the computer.

Generally speaking, that is breaking their end-user license agreement.

Another reason why I think Windows computers are better is because of the unit price. I mentioned this before, but the price for an iMac is over $1000. A college student at Meramec does not want to spend their tuition money just so they can write up a paragraph that they are trying to work on for a class that they are paying their tuition with if they don’t get a scholarship.

Overall, Apple computers are better than any other computers that run windows. Yeah, there are some disadvantages, but there are a lot of advantages as well.

Submit a letter to the editor by emailing meramecmontage@gmail.com.

Letters should be 500 words or less. Please include name and phone number for verification.

6 | Spotlight

Dec. 8, 2016

Winter celebrations Christmas

Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Hanukkah

Jewish festival lasting eight days and honoring the Maccabees’s victory over King Antiochus, who forbade Jews to practice their religion.

Winter Solstice

Celebration of the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere.

Kwanzaa

Commemoration of African heritage. Family and friends exchange gifts and light a series of black, red, and green candles.

New Year’s Day

First day of the new year of the Gregorian calendar. Often welcomed with fireworks at midnight.

Three Kings’ Day

The day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. Also called Epiphany.

Chinese New Year

Most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is celebrated on different dates each year, between January 21 and February 20.

Graphic by: Marie Schwarz

Information from National Geographic Society

Celebrate the holidays your way There’s no ‘right’ way to celebrate the holidays

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Missy Arneson Copy Editor

St. Louis Community College - Meramec has a very diverse student body and faculty, which means that everyone celebrates a variety of holidays in winter. No two people celebrate the holidays the same.

Christmas

Christmas is commonly celebrated in America and among students like Daniel Johns, who finds Christmas a very special holiday because it’s important to his faith.

“As a Christian I really have to appreciate the birth of Jesus,” Johns said.

Johns said his family focuses on spending time together and watching the Yule Log burn.

“We usually wake up and have some kind of good breakfast together,” Johns said.

Some Christmas traditions are religion based, such as burning a Yule Log, while others are just fun and help bring people together, usually involving food.

“We [my family and I] usually wake up and have some kind of good breakfast together,” Johns said. “Food and family go together.”

Other students celebrate Christmas from a less religious standpoint. Student Sarah Dilallo said her favorite Christmas memory is of her dad putting a toy train around her family’s Christmas tree for the first time.

“The train actually put out smoke at the top, and made sparks on the track as it went around,” Dilallo said.

Christmas is celebrated very differently in other countries, said education professor Dr. Ana Cruz, who grew up in Brazil. The winter solstice in December marks the beginning of winter in America, but for Brazil in the southern hemisphere, December is during summer. Cruz said she finally understood why Santa Claus was always dressed warmly for Christmas after coming to the United States.

Cruz said that since so much fruit grows in Brazil, people often eat lots of intricate dried fruit for Christmas. Her husband and his family, who are from Germany, celebrate Christmas with a tradition of beautiful cookies.

Brazil is a largely Catholic nation, yet even so, Cruz said Christmas there is very different from Christmas here.

“You really experience Christmas from the Catholic and Christian point of view [here],” Cruz said.

“We usually wake up and have some kind of good breakfast together.”

Daniel Johns

New Year’s Eve

Another popular holiday to celebrate in the U.S. is New Year’s Eve. Celebrations usually involve staying up until midnight to welcome in the new year, either with or without alcohol.

“We [as a family] always stay up until midnight and drink sparkling grape juice,” Johns said.

Sparkling grape juice is a popular substitute for alcohol for those who are underage, or simply don’t care for alcohol.

“We watch the ball drop,” Dilallo said.

“Since I’m not 21 yet, my dad gets sparkling grape juice… I live on that stuff for, like, a month.”

Cruz said that while Brazil is also full of much merriment on New Year’s Eve, it’s celebrated somewhat differently than it is here in the U.S. “Brazilians usually have what you call the midnight supper,” Cruz said. “We eat at midnight… We bring in the new year eating with family.”

Cruz said this tradition was difficult for her German family to take part in the first New Year’s Eve they spent together, since they were used to a much earlier schedule.

a d i y l s o Spotlight | 7

H

Dec. 8, 2016

Soon we’ll be able to sit back and enjoy our winter break. This is a great time to rest, relax and spend time with family and friends before we head into a new semester.

Once midnight struck, however, they understood the appeal of bringing in the new year with the midnight supper.

Another way to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Brazil for those who live near the ocean is to drink champagne on the beach and watch the fireworks.

People like Cruz who travel frequently or consider several countries their home may celebrate differently year-to-year.

“It all depends on where I am in the world,” Cruz said.

Other students don’t celebrate any holidays over winter break, like student Aia Obeed.

Obeed said she doesn’t celebrate Christmas or New Year’s Eve because she practises Islam.

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha

Islam only has two holidays: Eid al-Fitr, which is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated after the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. “[Muslims are] not supposed to celebrate other holidays,” Obeed said.

Student Bonu Yuldasheva said that in some countries Muslims only celebrate the two official holidays, while in other countries they may celebrate New Year’s Eve. She said it depends on which country each person is from, and the religious climate of that country.

“Some countries are looser; less religious,” Yuldasheva said.

People from these ‘looser’ countries might celebrate New Year’s, Yuldasheva said, but they still don’t celebrate Christmas.

“We might acknowledge the birth of Jesus, but not go out and celebrate,” Obeed said.

Hanukkah

Other students celebrate Hanukkah, like student Allaina Jaffe.

“We light a special candelabra called a Menorah,” Jaffe said. “We light one candle each night using the light from the middle candle. We eat potato pancakes called

“Kids get presents, but not every night because it’s eight nights.”

Allaina Jaffe

latkes. Kids get presents, but not every night, because it’s eight nights.”

Jaffe said her favorite Hanukkah tradition is lighting the Menorah and singing “Rock of Ages” with her family — a tradition her grandfather started.

“Just being together with family [is the best part],” student Linda Wiggins said.

8 | Art & Life

Dec. 8, 2016

Politics affect ‘Violet’ but can’t steal its message m

Missy Arneson Copy Editor

The St. Louis Community College — Meramec theater department recently performed “Violet,” from Nov. 16 to Nov. 20.

While the production only ran for these five days, the rehearsals began much earlier.

“We knew that we were producing “Violet” almost a year ago, and then we started working on the production design in about August/September,” director and Theater Professor

“There wasn’t a lot of drama behind the drama.”

Michelle Rebollo

Michelle Rebollo said.

Because of this, the cast actually had a rehearsal on Nov. 8, which was election day.

“During election week, nobody was happy,” said Trey Marlette, who played Virgil. “Even people who

voted for Trump, because at that point, people were just getting tired of hearing everybody talk about it.”

Even the director’s intended message changed because of the election.

“After the election, it [the message] became much more that the change that came out of the civil rights movement had to be questioned again, given where we are now in this political climate,” Rebollo said. “Are we going backwards?”

The production had other issues as well; namely, space to rehearse. “...at that point “Noises Off” was still running, so we couldn’t use the stage,” Marlette said.

Regardless, the overall process went well.

“I’d have to say [the best part was] just how kind this group of people really was,” Rebollo said. “I mean, they enjoyed what they were doing, they enjoyed the process and that translated across the board… There wasn’t a lot of drama behind the drama.”

Marlette said that students hesitant about auditioning should just go for it.

“Do it,” Marlette said.

“Just do it!”

Photo by: Amanda Harris On the left is Carrie Priesmeyer, who played Violet, and on the right is Omega Jones, who played Flick. As a young girl, Violet was hit in the face by an axe that had slipped from her dads hands, which resulted in a scar along her face. As an adult, Violet has choosen to take a Greyhound bus to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where there is a church she believes can heal her scar. On her way there, she meets two men, Monty and Flick, who are on their way to the military. Flick is a sergeant. Flick tries to cheer Violet up about her insecurities over the scar and explains the racism that he has endured. The play takes place during 1964.

Meramec student’s younger sister inspires her to pursue medicine

m

Brittney Farrow Staff Writer

Lucy Cacioppo first knew she wanted to be a doctor when she was in high school after she had to preview an anatomy course. Since then, Cacioppo said she has structured every academic decision she has made around getting closer to reaching her goal of entering the medical field. Between taking dual-enrollment college courses while she was still a student at Fox High

“I want to put families at ease because I know how hard it is to have a little baby in the hospital.”

Lucy Cacioppo

School and keeping up-todate with scientific terminology, Cacioppo — who holds down two jobs and a social life on top of her

school career — has put careful planning into her schedule; however, she never planned for her sister getting sick.

Cacioppo is the oldest of three sisters including Molly, 16, and Josie, who is not yet three. Josie, whom is affectionately called “JoJo” by her family, suffers from both a behavioral disorder and an autoimmune disorder. Cacioppo said her family first realized something was wrong with Josie when she was nine months old and would not eat. Since then, little JoJo has been to doctor’s appointments left and right, and at one point she had to be fed through a Gastronomy Button, or G-button (also sometimes called G-tubes). G-buttons allow children who cannot get adequate nutrition by mouth feeding to consume the calories they need to grow. “[Josie’s condition affected my family] very greatly. We spent a lot of time learning the new medical equipment and spent the holidays in the hospital for a year,” Cacioppo said, “She takes autoimmune suppressants and when she doesn’t eat the correct amount we have to pump food into her through her

G-tube.”

A year later, Josie is doing much better, Cacioppo said. “[Compared to the year before] she’s actually eating more normally now and we found ways to make her more comfortable with eating. We hardly ever have to use the button anymore,” Cacioppo said.

JoJo, despite her medical hurdles, is no different than any other toddler. Already the top of her class in preschool, JoJo is sassy and loves getting her way, but is always laughing, Cacioppo said. “We calm her down by singing nursery rhymes and she sings along and knows all the words.”

Cacioppo said she enjoys being an older sister, and that she feels very protective of her younger siblings. While she and her family were worried for Josie’s well being for a period of time, Cacioppo said the experience made her realize that she wanted to help kids just like her sister and to aid families just like hers. Already, Cacioppo is eyeing neurology as a specialty.

“I don’t ever want to be the doctor who looks something over and doesn’t carefully look at every de-

Photo by: Brittney Farrow Lucy Cacioppo kisses her younger sister Josie. Josie inspired Cacioppo to pursue medicine.

tail and symptom of the patient,” Cacioppo said, “I want to put the families at ease because I know how hard it is to have a little baby in the hospital.”

Cacioppo plans to graduate at the end of the spring semester before transferring to Mis-

souri State University in Springfield, where she will earn a bachelor’s degree in Nursing before applying for medical school.

In the meantime, she is working hard managing a busy schedule, and Josie — or JoJo — is happy and healthy.

Art & Life | 9

Dec. 8, 2016

Humans

of Meramec

“I’m from the Phillipines, but I was practically raised here.

Honestly the most interesting part is that I grew up here.

All the culture that I have actually sponged up all came from here in America. So my culture is more Americanized, but I do know how to speak the language fluently. I know both cultures.”

Camille Hernandez Photo by: Ian Schrauth

International Education Week Continued from page 1 Patrick McCarthy, the associate dean of libraries at Saint Louis University said, “They did not come because they had a choice,” he continued, “[a refugee is a person who] by legal definition, has a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country based on race, religion, nationality or political opinion, or if they are persecuted as a member of that group.”

During his presentation titled “What the Bosnian Community Can Teach Us about Welcoming Syrian Refugees to St. Louis,” McCarthy used his background in refugee resettlement, spanning 20 years, to draw parallels between what brought Bosnian refugees to St. Louis in the 1990’s and what brings Syrian refugees to St. Louis now.

“The refugees whose lives have been shaped by the results of circumstances that include mass violence, that include crimes against humanity are the things that link these two amongst many other circumstances,” McCarthy said, “Both situations will ultimately require outside intervention to change that in any significant way.”

McCarthy said that refugees

are entitled to our help by legal standards that the United States has agreed to. That there are many benefits to welcoming a refugee population including adding to society a set of skills and life experiences gained in their own country as well as those gained during the strenuous resettlement process they face once arriving in the United States.

“I like to think it’s the better part of who we are as a nation,” said Anita Baker, vice president of education at the International Institute of St. Louis and another one of the presenters at International Education Week.

In addition to legal standards and the benefits inherent in the diversification of community as reasons for welcoming refugees to St. Louis, Baker said, “[That there is] this whole idea of seeing diversity as a strength and finding ways to bring people from around the world to this country.”

In her presentation “Recent Trends in Immigration to St. Louis,” Baker built upon some of the major points made by McCarthy in his earlier talk. Baker pointed out the many ways in which the refugee community in St. Louis stabilizes economy and “breathes life

into neighborhoods” such as the South and North sides of St. Louis City, long abandoned by those born here. As the St. Louis, metropolitan area continues to lose population these influxes of refugees may be necessary for St. Louis to rebuild and revitalize itself now and in the future.

“Close that gap between mis-

“Violence is rooted in hatred that we have all experienced in different ways.”

Patrick McCarthy

information and what is true,” said Baker. “The U.S. Resettlement Program is a very tightly controlled program.”

Again, pointing to the overruling fact that refugees do not choose to come to the United States, the pervading sentiment that there is some danger in accepting refugees seems to be quite unfounded.

“There are almost no individ-

uals who came as refugees who have committed these acts of terrorism,” said McCarthy, “And when you think about it, it makes logical sense. These are people who came out of war, who came out of extreme violence that was perpetrated against civilian populations that they personally experienced. They know what it’s like to have terrorism inflicted on them.”

A student present at the McCarthy’s presentation posed the question, what about the fear that many people in St. Louis and other cities around the United States possess in regards to our welcoming refugees?

“In terms of attitude here’s what I would say about fear. Fear is really the root of many of these attitudes that make people more prone to violence,” McCarthy said.

“My own view is that violence is rooted in hatred that we have all experienced in various ways. Hatred is rooted in fear but fear, ultimately is rooted in ignorance. The kind of ignorance that says I don’t experience anyone who doesn’t look like me. I don’t go out of my comfort zone. I don’t trust somebody who doesn’t think the way I think. That’s what ignorance is and ignorance is the fuel of fear.”

Refugee:

A person who flees from their home country due to persecution or threat of persecution.

Immigrant:

A person who willingly comes to live in a foreign country.

Graphic by: ToQuyen Tonnu

Montage

? g n i r r e f s n a r Interestedsoiunri–STt. Louis is

University of M

Physical Science Professor Joe Schneider gives his prognosis about the upcoming winter season 2016/2017.

Scan the QR code for the podcast with Snapchat.

For more stories, including this podcast, go to the following website online https://soundcloud.com/user-4250242

Transfer

Podcast Multimedia

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!”

Sports | 11

Dec. 8, 2016

Women bounce back with success Archers win big after Thanksgiving break

m

DJ McGuire Sports Editor

The Lady Archers Basketball Team of St. Louis Community College defeated the Missouri Baptist JV Spartans 57-31 on Nov. 29. The Archers got off to a very strong start with the lead being 20-2 at one point in the first quarter.

Head Coach Shelly Ethridge attributed this early success to the Thanksgiving break the team was coming off of.

“We came out motivated, we wanted this win. ” Alfreda Roberts “They were excited to actually play a game again and get back into their usual routine,” Ethridge said.

Sophomore Forward Number 22 Alfreda Roberts, who finished the game with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, but also fouled out, said “we came out motivated, we wanted this win to improve our record to 5-2”.

As the game progressed the Archers maintained their hefty lead, which was 20 plus for most of the game. The Archers, howev-

er, played in spurts after the initial dominance, said Ethridge.

“That seems to be the norm for us this year, playing in spurts, and it is hard to keep the intensity up in large wins like this,” Ethridge said.

Another player, Freshman Point Guard Number 4 Erica Waeltermann, who had a stat line of 2 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist, said “we sometimes look past some teams, so we need to focus on the team we’re playing and be ready for anyone.”

At the half, the Archers held a 23-point lead, leading 37-14. In the second half the Archers used their strength to build their lead.

The team obviously knows their strengths which is their interior game and great guard play. The Archers took advantage of this, hitting some huge threes and dominating the boards. This led to a 4618 lead by the Archers with 2:23 remaining in the third quarter.

A key player in this game was Elisha Davis number 3, who is a freshman point guard. She ended the game scoring 19 points, passing for 7 assists and grabbing 2 rebounds.

“I actually challenged her tonight, I told her I wanted her to have 15 points tonight and she came out on mission and scored

Photo by: DJ McGuire

Shamara Glover handles the ball in a victory over Missori Baptist JV. 12 in the first half,” Ethridge said.

As the game continued, the Spartans generated some offensive, went on small mini runs, but could never cut the lead to less than 20. The final score showed this as the Archers won by 26 points, 57-31.

The team was pleased with their victory according to the coaches and players, but they

know they still have plenty to work on, especially their defense.

Ethridge insisted the team can improve defensively, and said that will be the focus in practices for the next week.

The team’s end goals for this season are very high according to the players and coaches.

“We aim for the National Tournament in the spring” Roberts said.

Athlete Spotlight

A T

M E R A M E C

The Music Program at Meramec offers courses and ensembles for all students.

Classes are available for general education credit and the Associate in Arts degree with an emphasis in Music to prepare for transfer into a Bachelor of Music program. ** SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE **

COURSES

MUS 101,102,201,202 MUS 103 MUS 113 MUS 114 MUS 115,116 MUS 121,122,221,222 MUS 128 MUS 130 MUS 138,139,216 MUS 141,142,241,242 MUS 150 MUS 211,212

“

I just enjoy the game of basketball; it brings so many people together, working together as a team. I just love seeing people cheer up when they are successful. It is a sport that we all have fun with and enjoy.

Erica Waeltermann, Point Guard

”

Photo by: DJ McGuire

Music Theory I,II,III,IV Basic Music The History of Jazz The Enjoyment of Music Class Voice I,II Class Piano I,II,III,IV Survey of Rock Music Beginning Guitar Jazz Improvisation I,II,III Applied Music (Lessons) I,II,III,IV Fundamentals of Music Technology Music History I,II

Interested in performing in an ensemble?

All Meramec students may participate. No audition is required!

ENSEMBLES

Music 132 – Orchestra Music 133 – Jazz Lab Band Music 134 – Symphonic Band Music 135 – Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and Voices of Magic jazz choir All ensembles hold a seat/part assignment hearing during the first rehearsal.

Members of the Concert Choir may audition for the Chamber Singers and/or the Voices of Magic jazz choir.

For more information, contact the Meramec Music Department Gary Gackstatter, Director of Instrumental Music, ggackstatter@stlcc.edu, (314) 984-7636 Dr. Jerry Myers, Director of Choral Activities & Music Theory, gmyers34@stlcc.edu, (314) 984-7638

12 | Sports

4

Dec. 8, 2016

Battling ‘stranger danger’ one kick at a time Coach Mirkitani teaches students how to defend themselves

m

Katie Hayes Editor-in-Chief

Coach Ron Mirikitani, who teaches Personal Defense at Meramec, said students openly talk to him after class about times they were attacked.

“A lot of people have had confrontations,” Mirikitani said. “I teach a lot of kicks, specifically how to get out of situations when you are attacked — how to manipulate the body.”

However, not all students who take the class have had negative experiences. Full-time students Alyssa Bach and Angela Brown both took the class because they thought it looked fun and would be useful.

“If someone attacks you, this class gives you ways to protect yourself,” Bach said. “I think it’s something you can definitely use and I feel like a lot of people should take it.”

Bach, who stands at 5 feet 3 inches tall, said since learning moves from the Personal Defense class, she can now flip her brother, who is 6 feet 6 inches.

“My little brother doesn’t think I can do these moves, but I can,” Bach said. “I can flip [my brother] over. It’s pretty cool. He was like ‘you can’t do that!’ and when I did

he was like ‘whoa, that’s really cool!’”

Brown also said she found the class useful.

“It’s nice to have this in your pocket just in case you do need it,” Brown said. “Things happen every day, anywhere. It would just be nice to know, ‘yeah, I could protect myself if something did happen because of this class.’”

Bach said the most useful thing she learned this semester was stability and how to properly stand. “[Coach Mirikitani] talks a lot about the stance and how you have to stand certain ways so if you are attacked, you’ll be less likely to fall,” Bach said. “And, if you’re kicking, you will be more evenly distributed in your legs and I think that has definitely helped me. So, if the situation does come, at least I have that so I won’t be falling all over the place.”

Mirikitani said in addition to teaching a lot of kicks, grabbing is a common form of assault, so he teaches how to get out of grabs.

Mirikitani also said that gender does not make a difference when it comes to who is attacked.

“I meet a lot of young men who have had bad experiences,” Mirikitani said. “It happens to men and women of all ages. [Gender]

does not make a difference.”

While the ratio of male-to-female students used to heavily favor women in his Personal Defense class, Mirikitani said now maybe one third is male.

“The whole philosophy of crime has escalated in the last few years,” Mirikitani said. “There are a

lot of angry people out there.”

In addition to teaching Personal Defense, Mirikitani has also taught Judo and Karate at Meramec for the past 46 years.

“Cognisance is an important aspect and empowering because it gives you an idea of what can happen to you,” Mirikitani said.

Photo by: Katie Hayes Angela Brown practices her personal defense moves on Alyssa Bach in Coach Ron Mirikitani’s Personal Defense class.

Local Sports Fans rejoice potential new team DJ McGuire Sports Editor

Nearly a year ago, on Jan. 12, 2015, the team we knew as the St. Louis Rams became the Los Angeles Rams and the city of St. Louis lost its second NFL franchise. This loss was a huge blow to many fans and the city as a whole.

However, this left an opening for a new sport to enter the city — professional soccer. Even before the Rams announced they were leaving, rumors were everywhere about potential stadium plans, ownership groups and potential Major League Soccer interest in St. Louis.

The MLS currently has 20 teams that span from Portland to Orlando and even two Canadian teams as well. The MLS has clearly showed interest in expanding dramatically, since six teams have joined since 2011 and more will join in the future. These cities getting expansion teams are Atlanta, Minnesota, Los Angeles and Miami.

On Nov. 17, 2016, it was announced that an ownership group and planning committee had come together for a potential MLS team in St. Louis. This group is known as SC STL, which aims towards bringing an MLS expansion team to St. Louis. Chairman of this group is Paul Edgerley, a former exceptive at Bain Capital, who will also become the lead owner.

Students here at St Louis Community College Meramec

C

ST

s potential MLS e c n u stad o n n ium La

S

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pla n

Graphic by: Jordan Morris seemed to have positve reviews about the plan. Part-time student Ryan Schweitzer shared some of his opinions about this plan.

“Honestly like anything it will have good and bad aspects, however in this situation I believe the good will outweigh the bad,” Schweitzer said.

Another student Shadrack Seeru, who is a soccer fan and used to play the sport himself, seemed very excited about the plan.

“It’s pretty cool,” Seeru said.

“Instead of football, we’re getting fútbol.”

Nick McLafferty “Soccer is not that popular in the U.S., so I think it’s a great chance for people here to know how popular the sport is.”

The estimated cost for the

stadium is a little less than 200 million dollars. The stadium will be located just west of Union Station and will provide very scenic views of downtown St. Louis. It will be expected to seat 20,000 fans, but can be expanded to house 28,500 people.

“It is a not a bad location, a lot of attractions and hotels are near the stadium”, Schweitzer said.

Schweitzer said that it could also help improve the business of small local businesses in the area.

One way it could directly impact the students of Meramec, is that public money would be put toward the stadium plan. SC STL expects that 80 million dollars will have to come from the public. This could raise St. Louis residents’ taxes slightly.

Students however seem willing to take this slight increase.

“I’m definitely for it,” Seeru said. “We spend money on other things we don’t even know about.”

Schweitzer was also in sup-

port as long as less than half of the money for the stadium comes from the public.

Another key member of SC STL is Dave Peacock, who was also head of the failed Rams stadium plan.

Seeru said he is hopeful, and believes that the stadium plan will succeed but is uncertain.

“My confidence for the plan is very limited,” Schweitzer said. He continued that much of this uncertainty comes from the previous failed Rams stadium plan.

In the end though, Schweitzer believes that this can only help the city.

“In the long run it will pay off because even though you have entrance fees, and rental fees for a professional soccer team, you will eventually make a huge profit,” Schweitzer said.

Nick McLafferty, a first-year student, summed the situation up best when he said, “instead of football, we’re getting fútbol.”