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VOLUME 52, ISSUE 9 | THURSDAY FEB. 9, 2017 | www.meramecmontage.com

News:

Art & Life:

Academic departments face change

St. Louis protestors fight travel ban Photo by: Erik Muschinske

Meramec student and Student Social Action Committee member Madison Bouse marches with protestors against the immigration order on Saturday, Feb. 4 on Market Street.

m Photo by: Erik Muschinske

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Stephen Buechter

Staff Writer

St. Louis Community College has created plans to undergo restructuring, with an early version of the plan completed. The plan rearranges departments under specific deans across each campus, and is intended to allow for deans to more easily communicate questions and concerns regarding their similar programs in their departments. “[The plan] reallocates what departments potentially could fall under what dean, and… we’re kinda test driving that with the faculty and staff on different campuses so we can see if other folks can see if this will work or not,” restructuring committee member Michael Burke said.

He said that the plan would keep the same number of deans, but would follow a model that the Missouri Department of Higher Education uses to identify different career pathways to increase intercampus consistency in which deans are responsible for which department.

continued on page 3

Katie Hayes Editor-in-Chief

Hundreds of protesters flooded the steps of Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse and spilled onto 10th Street.

Meramec student Madison Bouse sat on one of the grey stone walls while Faizan Syed, executive director of CAIR-St. Louis, addressed the crowd. Pro-

testers out of earshot continually asked one another if anyone could hear what the speaker said, but the answer was always no.

Every few minutes though, various chants arose from the crowd, “No bans, no walls, America is home to all!”

Nearly a week after President Donald Trump issued the widely-disputed immigration order that barred people from seven predominantly Muslim coun-

tries from entering the U.S., two separate protests merged in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, Feb. 4.

The Council on American-Islam Relations in Missouri organized one that met at the Federal Courthouse, while the other met at Union Station and marched to the Federal Courthouse. Both marched down Market Street to the Gateway Arch.

continued on page 5

News:

Gov. Greitens cuts nearly $12 million in core community college funding

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Sean E. Thomas News Editor

Gov. Eric Greitens has cut funding to higher education in Missouri by $82 million. Nearly $12 million of this is to come directly from community colleges.

With recent studies showing direct correlations between higher education and the health and wellness of the community, some suspect that cuts of this nature may only lead to higher costs, monetary or otherwise, for Missouri citizens in the future.

continued on page 3

Sports:

Opinions:

Skating on Thin Ice: Students glide through PE class

Dalila Kahvedzic

Women’s March Women march to make their voices heard, to protect their rights and to teach their daughters to be powerful.

Class teaches students to learn more than just how to navigate the ice, said Instructor Susan Smith.

Full story on page 8

Full story on page 6

2 | News

Feb. 9, 2017

One less reason to leave campus Former storage room transformed into lactation room for mothers

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Dalila Kahvedzic Art & Life Editor

Per section seven of the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers must provide a private space for employees to express breast milk.

This federal mandate includes that employees must have a reasonable break time for their nursing child for one year after the child’s birth and a place that is shielded from view and free of intrusion from the public. This mandate also states that if the employer employs less than 50 employees, it is not necessary to have a lactation room if it causes substantial expense or difficulty when considered in relation to the size, financial resources, nature or structure of the employer’s business.

St. Louis Community College—Meramec used to have a lactation room for students and faculty but the room did not meet code. Vice President of Student Affairs Kim Fitzgerald acted to find a space soon after she was notified.

“It only makes sense that we find it [a space] for our students,” Fitzgerald said. “A space that is designed for the need - not just one that suits the need.”

Although Fitzgerald initially planned for the room to replace a staff restroom in Clark Hall, many staff members voiced concerns

about getting rid of the restroom, and Fitzgerald allocated space in the Social Science building—a former storage room.

Fitzgerald said that necessary but small changes made the cost of the room minimal. The room did not need any old walls torn down or new walls built, though it did need furnishing: two chairs for adequate seating, a lamp, a rug and hand sanitizer. The room has electricity to allow for breast pumps as well as a lock that can be utilized from the interior.

Meramec Nursing Retention Coach Erica Ciarlo said because she is staff and is in a position to do so, she typically uses her office.

Ciarlo’s students do not usually use the room since their breaks from class do not allow enough time for them to do so because of their intensive work, so popping in to the nursing conference room and using that space is much easier for them.

Nesrin Sagnak, a fourth semester nursing program student at Meramec, agreed that it is hard to find the time.

“Sometimes I’m like—should I go to the restroom, or pump, or eat something?” Sagnak said. “Nursing school is hard and breastfeeding is hard so trying to do both at the same time is difficult.”

Sagnak said that sometimes she would go out to her car if she

Photo by: Erik Muschinske

The lactation room is located in the Social Science building on the second floor, room 202. Nursing mothers can use the room to express breast milk privately. had enough time. Although finding the time is difficult, it is nice for the college to have a private area since feeding babies by pumping breast milk is a very natural thing, she said.

“I think it’s just such a great resource for students—for nursing mothers, regardless of the location,” Ciarlo said.

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

Transfer

is University of M

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

The lactation room has been up and running since last fall, Fitzgerald said.

“You would hate to think that simply having to do a natural act would interfere with your education,” Fitzgerald said. “This hopefully provides them [nursing mothers] with a space where they don’t have to leave campus.”

Montage

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STLCC Career Fairs & Internship Expo

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!”

St. Louis Community College will host three career fairs and a student internship expo to help attendees connect with potential employers.

Companies looking to fill full- and part-time positions, as well as offer internship opportunities, will be on campus during the events. Participants will have the opportunity to speak with employers and apply for current openings.

All events are free. Career fairs are open to the St. Louis community. Internship expo open to all STLCC students.

For more information on the career fairs and accommodation needs, call 314-984-7611 or email ces@stlcc.edu For more information on the internship expo and accommodation needs, call 636-422-2200 or email dsweet@stlcc.edu

Forest Park Career Fair Tuesday, February 28 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Cafeteria 5600 Oakland Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110

Meramec Career Fair Thursday, March 9 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Meramec Gymnasium 11333 Big Bend Road St. Louis, MO 63122

STLCC Student Internship Expo Tuesday, March 28 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Student Center 2645 Generations Drive Wildwood, MO 63040

Florissant Valley Career Fair Wednesday, March 29 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Student Center 3400 Pershall Road St. Louis, MO 63135

News | 3

4 9, 2017 Feb.

STLCC plans to reorder academic departments Continued from page 1 “We’re trying to find out whether this would work or not, and I think that folks are going to try to figure out where they fit into this model, how much moving around we have to do,” Burke said.

The structure would cause changes to the current division of departments between deans. “[With] our current dean structure, we have three deans on our campus,” Burke said. That wouldn’t change in this model.

What each dean is responsible for, that might change a little bit, and in some cases it would change a relatively large amount, but they would still be supervising about the same number of faculty members.... For the faculty, their department might have to report to a different dean than it does now.”

Burke said that the changes should not cause any major trou-

blesome effect to anyone on campus.

However, the same people may not be in the position of dean at each campus. Burke said that the intended benefit to students from the changes would include more consistent handling of student complaints between campuses and for simpler communication between deans from different campuses.

Burke said that the process

“They’ve been playing with the idea of reorganizing for a few years now.”

Michael Burke could take up to a year to be fully completed and has been in the works for a few years.

“They’ve been playing with

the idea of reorganizing for a few years now, and I think some of my frustration and some of the comments from some of the other faculty too is that we sort of want to just get it in place already, because while we keep sitting around and rearranging all the chairs nothing’s really getting done,” Paralegal Legal Studies Program Coordinator Barbara Wiseheart said.

Wiseheart said the idea of the new system had more consistency.

She also said that the campuses of STLCC are never going to be mirror images, so part of the struggle is figuring out what to do with the more unique programs offered by STLCC. “I think that some of the things that are more divided out could use a little bit of concentration, but again, I’d like to see more of the energy be placed more into the implementing than the rearranging,” Wiseheart said.

The sections each dean will be in charge of.

Dean 1

Arts and Communications

Dean 2

Health services Science & Science Technology Engineering, Industerial Tech & Trades

Dean 3

Human Services Business, Mangment &Tech Graphic by: Jordan Morris

Nearly $12 million to be cut from community college funding Continued from page 1 “There’s a close relationship between how educated your workforce is and how the income in your economy grows and what kind of social outcome you get,” said Economics Professor Gail Heyne Hafer.

Hafer cites, specifically, trends in obesity, child poverty and smoking that have all occurred in higher percentages in communities where less access to state higher education is available. These trends could lead to larger burdens on the community in the future in terms of healthcare and other forms of public assistance.

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Paul Zinck said some faculty and staff had concerns, but the administration would be making every effort to make sure students at STLCC were affected as little as possible.

Zinck said that allocation of funds for certain programs would be under review but that this was part of a strategic plan the college was implementing concerning its budget moving forward and had nothing to do with the cuts from Greitens’ office.

This cut in funding for certain programs could mean cuts in funding for areas such as Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs or

workforce development programs.

These are programs that are very often provided by both community colleges and state universities, according to Hafer, and are just as important to the success of some members of the community as a bachelor’s degree.

“Getting people some post high school education is in many instances as important as it is for another individual to get a fouryear degree,” said Hafer.

The cut in funding to state universities could also affect the university’s ability to offer stipends for graduate students which could mean less graduate students in a given program. Less graduate students in a program mean less support staff for professors at those universities. Less university support could make it harder for state schools to attract top tier professors.

“The first thing we always see people cutting is stipends for graduate students, which means there are fewer people working on research projects with faculty,” said Hafer.

A release from Zinck titled “Fiscal Year 2017 Budget-Reduction to State Appropriations”, states that “the amount of the cut for St. Louis Community College is $3,575,888 which begins imme-

EDITORS Katie Hayes Marie Schwarz Sean E. Thomas Dalila Kahvedzic Andrew Ameer DJ McGuire Erik Muschinske Missy Arneson Jordan Morris Ian Schrauth Shannon Philpott

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

Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard Academy: Gov. Eric Greitens diately and impacts the current FY2017 general operating fund of the college.”

Though Zinck assures that the college will minimize impact on students as much as possible, this will surely be felt across the campuses.

“When we lose state funding for higher ed(education) we lose lots of things that are going to have big costs down the road,” said Hafer.

Gov. Greitens himself is a recipient of some of the benefits of higher education. After attending Parkway North High School, a pub-

STAFF Stephen Buechter Lexie Keller Bri Heaney Amanda Harris Ashley Biundo Noah Sliney ToQuyen Tonnu

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lic high school in Creve Coeur, Missouri, he received a scholarship to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Upon graduating from Duke he was named a Rhodes Scholar and went on to receive a Ph. D. from Oxford University.

“We’d have to talk to Gov. Greiten to actually know what he believes,” Hafer said. “If he really believes that he did that all on his own or if he understands the extent to which circumstances that surround him made his education possible. We succeed in education because we had a huge support system that made that possible.”

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Editorial views expressed or content contained in this publication are not necessarily the views of St. Louis Community College, the board of trustees or the administration.

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Phone numbers and addresses will not be published. All letters are subject to editing for content and length. All letters submitted will be published in print and online.

4

4 | Art & Life

Feb. 9, 2017

Campus opens Veteran Resource Center A place for veterans to feel ‘comfortable being uncomfortable’

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Missy Arneson Copy Editor

St. Louis Community College—Meramec opened a Veteran Resource Center on Jan. 31, 2017 in SC 196, making this the third Veteran Resource Center across all STLCC campuses.

The resource center exists so student veterans can receive counseling and other resources, according to Veterans’ Affairs Coordinator Tracy Carpenter-Bond.

Carpenter-Bond said that transitioning from military life back to civilian life can be difficult, and the resource center is there for anyone who wants that help.

“It’s a veteran-specific place,” Carpenter-Bond said. “It’s a place where they can feel safe… A place where they can feel comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Provost Carol Lupardus opened a welcome address at 12:30 p.m. before turning the event over to Carpenter-Bond, who explained the purpose of the center and thanked Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Anthony Cruz for his help in putting the center together.

Cruz said that the center resulted from a collaborative effort between the Student Affairs Department and the Veterans’ Af-

fairs Department.

Student Affairs made sure the funding was available, Lupardus fixed a location with appropriate space, and Veterans’ Affairs worked to make sure the center would have all the necessary resources, according to Cruz.

Carpenter-Bond presented Cruz with a Challenge Coin for his efforts.

Challenge Coins are specially-made coins used to honor men and women serving in the military, though they are occasionally given to civilians. STLCC offers Challenge Coins inscribed with the school logo to student veterans who excel at school, according to Cruz.

“If a veteran gets a 4.0 [GPA], they can get a Challenge Coin,” Cruz Photo by: Ian Schrauth said. “[It’s great because] they got them [coins] in ser- Katie Schaben, district certifying official of the Veteran’s Resource Center, speaks to Sgt. 1st vice and they’re still Class Leepolan J. Pugh at the grand opening of the center. getting them.”

Study Abroad: English class takes on Copenhagen

Professor introduces students to new experiences

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Ashley Biundo Staff Photographer

St. Louis Community College—Meramec students will take a nine-day trip to Copenhagen, Denmark to help strengthen their creative writing skills in May. English Professor Pamela Garvey will be one of professors accompanying students on this trip.

Garvey said traveling to different countries brings more variety to learning about the cultures all over the world, even the economy.

“Certainly I think in our cultural and political environment right now, we see a push back against that. But if we are going to continue to have economic protest, as a country we are going to have to embrace it on some level, and that’s just the world we live in and the more students get that experience the better off they are,” Garvey said. “Also its deepens your education to experience things.

Not only to learn about them in the classroom and research projects but to actually do things and study abroad gives students the opportunity and it stays with them.”

With the trip nearing, Garvey’s students are preparing by looking at forms of creative writing and getting a gist of what Copenhagen will be like. “[In the class,] we do poetry, creative fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama,” Garvey said. “And

there will be a little bit of travel focus, since we are going to be traveling and [students expect] assignments connected to the experience in Denmark.”

There are 16 students going on the trip, Garvey said - most of them traditional age.

One of Garvey’s former classmates, an American literature scholar, contacted her back in June and invited her and her students to Copenhagen University, she said. He is originally from the states and attended graduate school with Garvey.

“He’s been living there for 20 years… he was our keynote at our writing festival last year and was impressed with our students,” Garvey Photo by: Ashley Biundo said.

Garvey said it is English Professor Pamela Garvey teaches an English Composition class. Garvey plans to take the same course stu- students on a creative writing study abroad trip in May. dents would take at Meramec, but it will “Copenhagen is a very cos“Scandinavians have welhave a global focus. Students can mopolitan city,” Garvey said. “It’s comed a lot of people,” Garvey said. expect to get more beyond writ- not huge but they have lots of im- “So I think there is something to ing skills because of this focus migrants. They are just a diverse learn from that cultural exchange and diversion of another culture. environment.” as well. I think it [studying abroad] Students can also expect to get a Garvey said the low crime rate is great. I think for certain majors deeper understanding of the Dan- contributed to the “cultural extent” students should definitely do it,” ish, European and Scandinavian of the city, and that students would Garvey said. “I think students are cultures—including their literary get to see valuable diversity of cul- going into a more globalized world history and art history. ture. and that’s the reality.”

Art & Life | 5

Feb. 4 9, 2017

Meramec students seek to combat political complacency Continued from page 1 Global Studies Program Coordinator Lisa Martino-Taylor teaches Social Movement Culture of 1960s America at Meramec. When protests and marches take place in St. Louis, Martino-Taylor uses them as examples in her class discussions to fit them into the theoretical framework.

“There are all kinds of ways for people with disparate levels of power in society to have their voice heard,” Martino-Taylor said. “And if those who are in power do not allow for those releases of voice and social steam so to speak, they are going to find a way to make sure that they are heard.”

Martino-Taylor said when a group of individuals engages in a collective action to achieve the same goal, at the same time, the people bond—especially if they are in the political realm. When this continues over time, it becomes a social movement.

“We can either engage people in conversations and political processes—and continue to do that— or we may be faced with the challenge of listening to them when

Humans of Meramec

they’re being less than polite and quite direct in terms of protest activity,” Martino-Taylor said. “That’s also a political action and until we see it as a political action we are just going to keep tamping down on people who are protesting, which increases that social pressure where it will emerge bigger and more powerful next time.”

There are currently two students studying at St. Louis Community College from countries included in the travel ban who plan to return, according to Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Anthony Cruz.

“When we heard [about the ban] we ran the numbers for students who could be affected,” Cruz said. “We only have a couple.”

Chancellor Jeff Pittman sent an email to the STLCC community on Tuesday, Jan. 31 which did not take a political stance as the private universities in St. Louis—Webster University, Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis—did in public statements.

Meramec Provost Carol Lupardus said that since STLCC is a public institution, it cannot take a political stance.

University of Missouri—St. Louis did not take a public political stance, but did hold a meeting on Jan. 31 to discuss the executive order and provide students and staff with information about the impact of the travel ban. Lupardus said nothing similar is planned to date, but students could work with STLCC to plan something.

Bouse is one of 21 members of the Student Social Action Committee at Meramec. The committee, which contains five subcommittees that work on various projects, aims to educate students on how to create change in their communities. Meramec student Xavier Phillips founded the committee last semester and is also one of two students who sits on Chancellor Pittman’s Student Advisory Committee.

“I don’t know how much students can do, but I’m willing to find out,” Phillips said.

Photos by: Dalila Kahvedzic

Photo by: Amanda Harris

“I enjoy [America].

I like these people because these people are so friendly. And everyone smiles to someone...[I like the] people and culture, but not food because I’m Muslim and I can’t eat all foods.”

Celal Okay

Pedestrians get together for the Women’s March on Saturday, Jan. 21 and the protest against the Muslim ban and antiimmigration orders on Saturday, Feb. 4 in downtown St. Louis.

4

6 | Opinions

Feb. 9, 2017

Don’t punish us for state problems Funding cuts to colleges affect higher education students

Graphic by: ToQuyen Tonnu

Thank you, Sally Yates

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Andrew Ameer Opinions Editor

Since taking office not very long ago, President Donald Trump has been busy making good on many of his campaign promises, much to the dismay of many, myself in cluded.

His recent executive order sent shockwaves through the world as he unilaterally banned travel to the U.S. from seven Middle Eastern countries, with no direct ties to terrorism within the United States, under the veil of making the US

safer. Here’s just a few problems this represents.

In the order, Trump lists the horrific acts of 9/11 as one of the justifications for the ban, yet the countries which the perpetrators came from were not included in the ban.

The act sent airports across the nation into disarray, with airlines having to redirect because their flight attendants and pilots were no longer allowed to land in the U.S. Families were taken into custody by customs officials while volunteer lawyers worked to secure their release. I couldn’t imagine being in that situation, waiting for a family member at the airport who never came out because they were being detained with an uncertian release date.

We are a nation of immigrants, and the fear the president is whipping up about immigrants is a shame. Look back at your own

family tree; how far back do you have to go until you find someone who immigrated? For me, I only need to go back a few generations, my great-great grandparents emigrated from Palermo, Sicily in the early 1900s. Trump himself is married to an immigrant.

But there are signs of hope.

Protests erupted at airports across the US, many US politicians came forward to condemn the ban, including members of the President’s own party. The Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, stood up to the ban saying she would not defend it in court and consequently lost her job.

Yates is a role model for every public servant in this country who took an oath to defend the constitution, and I hope that her actions inspire others to act with integrity, stand up for what is right, and for what they believe in.

Thank you, Sally Yates.

Why ‘locker room talk’ does not define us Women: powerful, resilient, unstoppable

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Dalila Kahvedzic Art & Life Editor

On Celebrity Apprentice in 2013 Trump made a remark about a female contestant, saying “must be a pretty picture, you dropping down to your knees,” as he looked away and laughed. For those unfamiliar with Celebrity Apprentice, individuals compete to win the show which would then allow for a large donation made to a charity of their choice by the host. Trump’s remark had nothing to do with the show, nor was it necessary. In 2015, he called lawyer Elizabeth Beck ‘disgusting’ for needing to pump breast milk for her threemonth-old daughter. This is deplorable.

On Jan. 21, the Women’s March took place all around the globe and I was fortunate enough to be able to march in St. Louis.

I marched because I do not think talking about grabbing women by their private parts and calling a woman a bitch is okay - it is not ‘just’ locker room talk.

I marched because of the need to feel safe. If I have a daughter, she will feel unassailable. If I have

a son, he will know that behavior such as Trump’s toward women is not tolerable. I marched because my life matters, the hard work I do matters, the women that fought for the right to vote matter. This country is built on freedom, diversity and the right to say no.

I marched because no means no, because my parents immigrated to America for a better future, because they are foreign, because they are Muslim and because that is okay. Because I have friends of different types of religion and appreciate them for the love in their heart, not the color of their skin or whether their hair is wrapped in a beautiful shawl. I marched be-

cause just like the steps I took, I want this country to move forward in unity and love.

Ladies, let us remind each other that we are powerful and our voices matter. Each time you make a financial decision, you are able to do so because of the women who marched. Each time you go into a voting booth to cast your vote, you are able to do so because of the women who marched. Each time you strive for a job outside of the confines of your home – you are able to do so because of the women who marched. We are powerful, we are activists, we are resilient, we are women and we will continue to march.

Photo by: Katie Hayes

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D.J. McGuire Sports Editor

In our last issue News Editor Sean Thomas wrote an article detailing new Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ cuts to the Missouri budget. In specific, Greitens cut $146 million from the state budget. Nearly $12 million will be cut directly from funding for community colleges.

These cuts will affect St. Louis Community Colleges in several ways. There could be cuts to several programs like workforce developement and the Bachelor of science in Nursing.

These cuts could also affect the college’s ability to give stipends or scholarships to students.

Unfortunately, these cuts will end up hurting our college in the future.

In response to this I ask, when will the students have to stop paying for our state’s fiscal mistakes? In our modern society college tuition rates are already at all-time highs that force the vast majority of students to use financial aid, and in many cases, student loans. Students these days are also forced to go to college longer to get a Master’s degree, which many fields now require to even be considered for a position.

Most students are struggling enough as is and these possible cuts to these programs just adds to the suffering.

I believe in a society where we are forced to get higher education in order to be successful (in most cases), the price of that college education should be reasonable. However, if these prices are as high as they are nowadays, students should be getting their money’s worth. These possible cuts could prevent some students from getting the help they need to succeed.

Our state has problems with its budget. Former Gov. Jay Nixon did an honorable job trying to balance with his various cuts.

Even with these new slashes, Missouri’s budget will still not be balanced and we will still be in debt. But why does education usually have to take the majority of the cuts?

I hope in the future that Missouri’s budget will be more balanced. This will prevent massive slashes to certain aspects of spending in our budget.

Education should always be a focal point because it trains the next generation of workers, that will shape not only our state but our country. Anytime education is cut, the government is only hurting the future of America.

4 9, 2017 Feb.

Information lockdown

Opinions | 7

Trump’s gag order on the EPA is just the inch before the mile

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Sean E. Thomas News Editor

President Donald Trump recently issued a public gag order on multiple government entities including the Environmental Protection Agency. This action immediately sent many environmentalists and journalists, myself included, into an uproar with fears that the new President might be silencing the EPA to keep his administration’s attitude towards the environment and climate change, as well as policy changes surrounding their perspective on these issues, hidden from the media and the public.

Many defenders of Trump’s decision to silence these organizations cite the fact that other incoming presidents, and especially those taking over after an opposing political party, have taken the exact same action. Proponents of Trump’s decision point out that gag orders of this nature allow the current administration to make sure

that they are presenting a unified statement via multiple media outlets such as department web sites and Twitter pages. If that is the case, and this is par for the course, why then do we have employees of these agencies boldly speaking out, in lieu of and against this gag order?

During the same week that Trump signed executive orders greenlighting both the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, which had been shut down or stalled by the Obama Administration, and which Trump may have a personal financial interest in, it is clear to me why some might find an EPA gag order unsettling.

“Any public information lockdown is an affront to both the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act and the public trust,” President of the Society of Environmental Journalists Bobby Magill told The New York Times on Jan. 27. “The public is entitled to accurate information about polluters and how the government is enforcing environmental laws.”

On Jan. 25, The New York Times reported that scientists have said that even though “no climate or other scientific data has been deleted from government websites,” they remain fearful that it could be.

Could this be the inch be-

Graphic by: Noah Sliney fore the mile? One of many inches Trump seems to have measured out over the last couple of weeks.

There is some concern that this might be an attempt by the Trump Administration to push forward decisions or policy concerning projects such as the Dakota Access Pipeline before the public can have a chance to mount a response or organize any opposition. If nothing else, some further transparency on the part of the administration might help to dissolve some of the concerns from environmentalists and journalists alike.

Whether this gag order falls in line with normal procedure from a

new administration, I think it could be argued that very little about this presidency could be described as normal. It is public knowledge that president Trump has invested in two corporations directly connected to Energy Transfer Partners and their Dakota Access Pipeline.

On the heels of months of protest at Standing Rock, North Dakota, and across the nation, if Trump had any respect for the wishes of the citizens of the United States he would at least have the decency to keep them informed on topics they have clearly deemed, through their unrest and protest, to be paramount.

Free speech & criticism: the core of democracy Direct your mistrust to those who refuse to be questioned

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Katie Hayes Editor in Chief

In a recent and rare interview, Stephen Bannon told The New York Times that he wanted to be quoted as saying “the media here is the opposition party.”

President Trump’s chief strategist continued on to say in the interview, “You’re the opposition party.

Not the Democratic Party. You’re the opposition party. The media’s the opposition party.”

“The media”—the conglomerate of every person, outlet and medium—is now its own entity. We’re one brain; we have one message.

We oppose the mission to “Make America Great Again.”

This rhetoric, which I ardently oppose, may be the only piece of current American politics that is not quite as polarized as Americans think.

Americans who criticize “the media” are right to question. The fact that we don’t take something at face value and are skeptical about what we hear is a good thing. Missouri is the Show-Me state. We want concrete proof; we want facts; we want results.

As a general rule, people should not trust institutions that don’t al-

low themselves to be questioned — whether they are governmental, educational, informational or economic. Criticism is the core of democracy and to remain balanced we need healthy discourse and disagreement. This is also why progress is slow in the U.S., but that is a discussion for another time.

By all means, question “the powers that be.” When you disagree with “the media” though, define who that is. We are living in a time when information spreads rapidly and anyone can not only

say whatever they want, but spread that information widely and instantaneously.

To say that you read something online doesn’t cut it anymore. Everything and everyone is online. It’s the equivalent of quoting someone you overheard at the mall — there is a lot going on, you probably don’t have much context and no one really will (or should) believe what some stranger at the mall said.

“The media” is not one entity. There are different publications,

Graphic by: Lexie Keller

with differing levels of credibility.

To gather information and form your own opinions, you have to read and you have to read credible information you don’t agree with.

Credible journalists, whether they are liberal or conservative, are not trying to con the American people. It’s one of the few positions that doesn’t have a huge monetary payoff if you screw someone over.

Journalists are not in it for the money, because there isn’t a lot of money in journalism.

Freedom of speech is part of our constitution because we need it to function as a democracy. As a nation, we need a free press. We need an outlet to disagree with our government whether that government is liberal or conservative.

To declare that “the media is the opposition” tells the American people that free speech is the opposition. To question and dissent is not the opposition of democracy — it’s the basis for it.

I still believe the American public questions what they read because they value freedom. We all as a country value the same thing, even if we see different ways to maintain it.

Be skeptical. But for the love of the United States, be skeptical of more than just “the media” and those who directly question our leaders. If we want to remain part of the free world, and we want to be self governing, we have to take pride in our processes. Be critical of not only where you get information, but of those who don’t want you to have it at all.

8 | Sports Archers gain victory over North Central Wilson stars in a tight game

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DJ McGuire Sports Editor

On Feb. 4, 2017, the St. Louis Community College Lady Archers defeated the North Central Missouri College Pirates 75-73. The game was close for the majority of the game, especially near the end, where the game came right down to the final minute of play.

The Archers led 11-4 at about halfway through the first quarter. The Archers had several key plays. Alfreda Roberts, No. 22 sophomore forward, made a diving save. Erika Harvey, No. 11 sophomore guard finished with seven points and six rebounds after a block.

The Archers finished the quarter with a buzzer beater from No. 12 sophomore guard Shamiah Oliver who had a stat line of 20 points, five rebounds and four assists. At the end of the first quarter the Archers led the Pirates 20-9.

In the second quarter, freshman forward No. 21 Chrishana Wilson, who had a stat line of 28 points and 23 rebounds, started to take over in the low post. Wilson, when passed the ball in the low post, found herself scoring or drawing a foul leading to the free throw line. Wilson attributed her success to her guards feeding her the ball and giving her opportunities to score.

Head Coach Shelly Ethridge said she was very proud of Wilson’s performance. “She was part of our game plan; we had to utilize our bigs and our high-low offense,” Ethridge said.

Feb. 9, 2017

“We knew Chris needed a big day for us and she did, those rebounds at the end and her free throws were critical,” Ethridge said.

Elisha Davis, number 3 freshman point guard, who scored 13 points and had four assists, said the team knew they had to keep defense up, check the number of turnovers and have free throws.

The Archers did exactly that and the final score was 75-73 in favor of the Archers.

“Both teams played hard, we both played aggressively; we’ve been working hard the whole week to face this tough team,” Davis said.

Coach Ethridge said she was very proud of her Photo by: Marie Schwarz team’s performance and how far they have come Elisha Davis shoots the ball in a victory over North Central Missouri College. this season. “We’re starting to play together; we’re However, in the second quar- forth, with numerous lead changes a unit, a team, a family and ter the Pirates started to mount a and ties throughout the rest of the that really shows on and off the game. The Archers took back the comeback. court,” Ethridge said.

“We relaxed, we got a good lead and led the Pirates 57-53 at Davis agrees with her coach. lead and then I felt like we got the end of the third quarter.

“We’re getting better and betBoth teams held the lead comfortable,” Ethridge said. “We ter as it goes along,” Davis said. let them back in and gave them multiple times in the final minute According to Davis, as the of play. In total there were four some confidence.” regular season nears its end, the At the half the Pirates had cut lead changes in the final minute. team looks forward to the postseaWilson scored the final five the lead to five points, with the Arson and aims to repeat as regional points and hit several free throws chers leading 34-29. championships. Ethridge said she When the second half began to seal the victory for the Archers. believes they have the talent to the Pirates used their gaining mo- Wilson said that she kept her focus accomplish their goal, but they will mentum to take lead with eight at the line and knew she had to need some help. minutes to go in the third quarter. make them in order for her team “Stay healthy and have a little Both teams then fought back and to win. luck to win it all,” Ethridge said.

Students sharpen skills on skates

Athlete

Ice skating teaches students problem solving skills

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Bri Heaney Staff Writer

St. Louis Community College—Meramec offers an ice skating class for students to learn to skate or refine their skills all while learning valuable life lessons, according to skating instructor Susan Smith.

Smith says she loves to “pass on the enjoyment of ice skating”, and to “see that the kids learn more than they think they actually could.”

Ice skating also allows students to get involved in other related sports.

“I just love hockey, and I thought ice skating would be a perfect way to get a physical education credit,” student Trey Breunig said.

Smith shared similar thoughts.

“It opens a whole new world of activity that is lifelong,” Smith said.

“Getting credit doing something I could go do out with my friends, it’s exciting; it’s fun,” student Heather Sheppard said.

Some students are just learning to skate, while others are learning to put on the

Photo by: Amanda Harris Emily Baker and Cassidy Canada practice new skating techniques in their Monday afternoon skating class. brakes.

“I could skate but was not able to stop or go backwards.

I would just basically run into the wall until I caught myself,” Sheppard said.

Smith said she has had students from all points on the spectrum of experience, and

has even had students love the class so much that they went on past the class into a career.

“There was one girl at one point in time where she liked it [ice skating] so much that she got a really good pair of skates, practiced all the time and eventually became one of the teachers here,” Smith said.

However Smith said the opportunities to expand go past just learning new skills on the rink.

“One of the things that I feel skating gives everybody is the ability to work through problems,” Smith said.

Smith said the key to skating is problem-solving.

“As you are learning, something goes wrong in skating all the time, and the result is falling and you get right back up and try it again, and so you’re problem-solving the entire time that you are skating,” Smith said.

“What’s going on? Why am I off balance? What is causing me to fall? So you are constantly problem-solving and you have to think ahead of what you’re doing, because if you think about it afterwards it is already too late; you’ve fallen.”

Spotlight

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My favorite [basketball] memory, me in high school in a game when the shot was from half court.

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Photo by: Ashley Biundo Sean Rigmaiden dribbles in a victory against Washington University Junior Varsity.