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The Former Professor sues STLCC, three administrators

Details emerge on what led to Dr. Emily Neal’s departure from Meramec

Jacob Politte MANAGING EDITOR

Over two years after her abrupt removal from STLCC, former Meramec Political Science

Professor Emily Neal has filed a lawsuit against Meramec’s Dean Patrick Mallory, Meramec Campus

President Feleccia Moore-Davis, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs

Andrew Langrehr and the college as a whole for employment discrimination and unlawful retaliation.

In court documents exclusively found on PACER and filed on Oct. 21, Dr. Neal alleges that the actions, omissions and decisions by these individuals and the institution were designed to cause and will continue to cause her to lose wages, compensation, entitlement and rights. She also alleges that their actions have caused her to suffer humiliation and harm to her reputation, emotional and mental injuries, pain and suffering and other adverse consequences.

Specifically, in the recent court filing, Neal alleges that the defendants engaged in the following actions:

• Targeting Dr. Neal with unwarranted discipline in violation of College policy and procedure Imposing discipline against Dr. Neal for conduct that does not trigger discipline for other employees

• Imposing discipline on Dr. Neal in excess of that authorized by College policy and procedure

• Removing Dr. Neal from the classroom contrary to College policy and procedure

• Placing Dr. Neal on administrative leave

• Recommending Dr. Neal for termination

• Terminating Dr. Neal’s employment

What happened to Dr. Neal?

Neal’s departure, as detailed in this lawsuit, came about after what she said were years of issues between

her and administrative members.

Neal, who had been employed by the college since 2009 and had previously served as President of the Faculty Union, had notably clashed with STLCC’s leadership over the years, and specifically during Chancellor Jeff Pittman’s ongoing tenure.

In this lawsuit, she details a few of those incidents, including an incident in 2017 where she received a written reprimand for comments she made during one of her classes about the college’s Board of Trustees, which she says was contrary to the college’s policies at the time. She argues that this incident was retaliatory and in response to her public opposition of the college’s “reduction in force” proposal, a hot-button issue for the college at the time.

Another retaliatory incident that she claims took place in 2021, where she claims she was reprimanded again for what the college alleged was “improper word choice and tone” in an email to a colleague regarding their unauthorized access to one of Neal’s online class spaces. In that email, she told the employee that if the issue was not addressed, she would file a union grievance, and the college accused her of threatening the other employee. The college’s reprimand was overturned before Neal’s official termination by an independent arbitrator, but Neal claims that her work environment progressively worsened after filing another grievance against Mallory regarding that incident.

Specifically, the one direct event that led to her removal were comments she made at an off-campus lunch in mid-August 2022 with members of her department regarding the activities of other administrators, including allegations of an affair between a highlevel administrator and a subordinate and that another senior administrator permitted their child to bypass the waitlist for enrollment in a popular degree program.

While no other details were revealed for the latter allegation in the lawsuit, The Montage is actively investigating that particular claim.

Dr. Neal is silenced, removed from Meramec

After being placed on leave, Neal was forbidden from contacting her students, and faculty were discouraged from speaking about Neal’s comments any further, she claims in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit details that “On or about October 7, 2022, Dean Mallory informed Dr. Neal that he was recommending her for termination purportedly because of the statements she made at the lunch and the

‘continuing’ nature of her behavior. Specifically, Dr. Neal had two prior disciplinary matters against her in five years, one of which (concerning the April 2021 email) was not final at the time and ultimately overturned through the faculty grievance process by an independent arbitrator. On October 21, 2022, Campus President and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Feleecia Moore-Davis issued her recommendation for the termination of Dr. Neal’s employment.”

Neal was formally terminated by the college on Mar. 20, 2023, with its approval by all of the involved parties and Vice Chancellor Langrehr. In an attempt to overturn the recommended termination months beforehand, Neal explained in another grievance that “the College’s grounds for her termination were incorrect and pretextual, that the College relied on discipline that was clearly instituted in retaliation for Dr. Neal’s prior advocacy for her colleagues and her grievance for the inappropriate and overturned April 2021 discipline.”

She also alleged that the college “made her grievance process unusually difficult including but not limited to by setting events on short notice, setting events during College breaks

or at other inconvenient times and attempting to conduct virtually events that are typically conducted in person. Unlike other grievances, the grievance process for faculty termination does not provide for review by an independent arbitrator.”

No date has been set for a trial as of yet. Neal is represented by Laura E. Schrick, a member of the Mathis, Marifian & Richter firm out of Belleville, Illinois.

STLCC’s General Counsel Amy Clendennen told The Montage that “We are not able to discuss details of pending litigation. However, St. Louis Community College is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect and will vigorously defend itself against these allegations.”

This is a developing story. Dr. Neal’s lawsuit can be viewed in its entirety by scanning the QR code below.

DR. neal. photo by katie hayes

STLCC releases annual crime report

No

reported statistics shown for 2023 year on Meramec campus

Jacob Politte Managing Editor

Saint Louis Community College (STLCC) recently published its 2024 Security and Fire Safety Report. This report, published in accordance with the Clery Act of 1990, details the statistics of all crimes and incidents reported that are associated with the college over the previous three years; this year’s report spans from 20212023. The 169-page report has crime and incident statistics that cover every single STLCC campus; specific data relating to the Meramec Campus can be found on pages 122-133 of the report.

Notably, there appears to be no reported crimes (of those that are listed) across the board for the 2023 year. This is in contrast to a reported rape in the 2022 year, as well as cases of domestic assault and stalking during the 2021 year.

Professor Ruth Eilerman has worked at the college as a Criminal Justice instructor since 2007. She believes that Meramec is a safe campus, but also says in many of the courses that she teaches that just because there is little crime reported in a given area,

it doesn’t mean that there is no crime taking place.

“Most of the crime that we have on the Meramec campus is going to be very, very inconsequential,” Eilerman said. “It’s gonna be low-level property crime. The less serious the crime is, the less likely [that it’ll be] reported to the police. So, if there isn’t any reported crime, that probably just means that crime that we did have was petty larceny and nothing that was considered worthy of police attention.”

When asked why someone may not choose to report a crime, Eilerman said “Because they don’t think anything is gonna be done about it.”

She elaborated further, “That’s not just here, that’s everywhere. The less serious that it is, the less likely I am to think that it’s gonna be resolved. And if it’s not gonna be resolved, I kinda don’t bother or I think I’m partially to blame.”

It’s important to also note that the Clery Report also only focuses on certain crimes. These crimes include homicide, sexual assault, rape, fondling, incest, statutory rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson.

The Clery Act of 1990 was enacted following the murder of Jeanne Clery

in April 1986 in Stoughton Hall at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Clery’s parents sued the school and won the suit, and were awarded $2 million. They also later founded a non-profit group known today as “The Clery Center for Security On Campus.”

The full report is available to view and to download on the STLCC website. You can also request a paper copy from STLCC’s Security Department located at the Corporate College in Bridgeton, or by calling (314) 539-5199.

Former STLCC Professor Pleads Guilty To Child Endangerment

Chris Stephens worked for the college as recently as 2019

Jacob Politte Managing Editor

Four years after he was arrested and charged, Christopher Stephens now knows his fate. As part of a plea agreement reached with prosecutors, the former Kirkwood High School teacher and STLCC professor pleaded guilty to two counts of endangering a child and was sentenced on Oct. 16 to five years’ probation. He had previously attempted to get the charges dismissed in 2022 to no avail.

In 2020, KSDK reported that Stephens was indicted on charges of having sex with then-Kirkwood High School student Katie Pappageorge in the late 1990’s. Pappageorge, who first filed a police report in 2019, was in the courtroom when Stephens, her former speech and theater teacher, was sentenced. She delivered a victim impact statement to the court. She told KSDK after, “What I’ve wanted throughout this was for him to say and accept

what he really did to me, and this feels like as close to it as I can get.”

Other than Pappgeorge, more students came forward with allegations against Stephens, who was employed by Kirkwood School District from 1991 to his resignation in January 1998.

According to Stephen’s guilty plea, the two counts of abuse occurred

in various areas on the Kirkwood High School campus between April and September of 1994, as well as November of 1997.

While investigating the matter in 2020, KSDK had also uncovered documents showing Stephens was allowed to resign in 1998 after two students reported abuse allegations to the Kirkwood High School’s then-principal, one of whom was Pappageorge’s friend Jill Wilson, who was also in the courtroom at Stephen’s sentencing.

Stephens’s resignation and the surrender of his teaching certificate at the Kirkwood School District came with the stipulation that the district would not involve police or hold inquiries about the abuse allegations.

Notably, Stephens is not the only Kirkwood teacher to face charges for sexual misconduct.

The Webster-Kirkwood Times has reported that cases against former employees Jack Collier and David Shapleigh were settled in the last few years. Both of those allegations surfaced around the same time that those against

Stephens did.

Stephens retired from STLCC in May of 2019. He had been employed by the district in various roles since 1998, primarily on the Florissant Valley campus. Notably, he was once the coordinator for STLCC’s Study Abroad program.

No known allegations against Stephens during his time at STLCC surfaced during an investigation by The Montage.

Although he is now retired, he could theoretically teach again if he chose to. But part of his probation sentence stipulates he will no longer be able to teach anyone under the age of 18.

This would not work at STLCC due to the college’s dual-enrollment program. If he violates any part of his probation, he is subject to serve an 8-year prison sentence.

When contacted, Justin K. Gelfand, a partner at Margulis, Gelfand, DiRuzzo & Lambson LLC who was on Stephens defense team gave the following statement to The Montage: “We’re glad the prosecution dismissed 100% of the charges they initially filed against our client. Now that the Court sentenced him to probation, he is looking forward to putting this matter behind him.”

JACOB

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Proud

Protester, Preacher return to campus

Students drown out rhetoric with original music

Jacob Politte MANAGING EDITOR

The religious protester who caused a stir amongst the Meramec community in April returned to campus to livestream once more in October, and so did another preacher.

Montage Staffer Hiba Obeed was on the scene in a non-journalistic capacity when the “Kingdom Reconcilers” speaker returned on Wednesday, Oct. 9. She said that the protester was on campus for “a good three or four hours.”

She then elaborated further, “He came and said some crazy stuff about every minority group ever. Told the whole crowd we were going to hell. Two or three people tried shouting to ‘out-preach’ him I guess. In the end three people plugged in their guitars and started playing super loud music to annoy him and a lot of people went to watch them instead. I saw some people from the school talking to him and he packed up and left.”

Those students' names were RJ Muhammad, Owen Schrader and Kristen Skordos.

Muhammad, a student at Meramec for the last year and a half, was on site for last April’s controversy, and was disgusted by what she had seen.

“My initial reaction was outrage at the brazen bigotry the entire student body was harassed with-- especially our Muslim peers,” she said. “I remember the second day he came after he had harassed that Hijabi student. Me and a friend of mine went in front of his camera and kissed… we're both girls. So, it definitely wasn't my first time trying to drive him away and won't be the last. There's no empathy or

patience in my heart for hateful people like him.”

Muhammad described her thought process when the protester returned, noting that originally, she wasn’t going to participate in the ongoing diversion started by Owen Schrader.

“I saw Owen originally playing on his bass alone after I had just gotten out of class,” she said. “I had my bass and amp with me, but I originally wasn't gonna join because I'm only a novice in playing the bass. Then, after getting something to eat, I noticed Kristen had joined Owen, so that gave me confidence to join as well. It was as simple as switching my amp on and plugging my bass in. Before that point, we had never met before!”

Muhammad said the group was happy that “no one was listening to him anymore-- and I felt really cool having a crowd listening to us.” She also said that she, Skordos and another student

More Than Just Meals

decided to start a band, called “Mind Cuntrol” as a result of the incident.

“So, I guess I can thank the bigot for that one good thing,” she said.

Later on in the month on Wednesday, Oct. 23, a different religious protester showed up on campus. This protester and the group that accompanied him are actually regulars on the Meramec campus, and have appeared semiregularly in the Student Quad over the years. During this visit however, things reportedly got tense, although they did not escalate further according to Obeed. Music was once again played to drown out that group.

These visits come during a year where STLCC’s Free Expression policies have been in the spotlight. Noise and the playing of music is still discouraged by college policy, as are the use of amplification devices, but none of the students who used them were reprimanded by STLCC personnel.

Addressing Student Food Insecurity on World Food Day

BEATRICE JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

World Food Day was an international holiday that took place on October 16th that drew attention to global food insecurity and commemorates the founding date of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. The FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to international efforts to defeat world hunger.

In observation of World Food Day, the Student Advocacy and Resource Center (SARC) accepted donations for their food pantry through the Campus Life Office.

“You give, we give,” is the inspiration behind this event, says the Director of Campus Life Mia Harsley before the event. “We receive unexpired food to share with hungry students, and we’ll feed you as a thank you for your generosity.”

“People don’t realize how many people don’t eat,” says Harsley.

According to the Hope Center Student Basic Needs Survey at Temple University, 48% of students at two-

year institutions experienced high levels of food insecurity, and about 14% had experienced homelessness. Harsley believes that socioeconomic factors play a large role in the food insecurity facing students.

“I live in South City where there’s a variety of incomes, and I probably have five grocery stores within ten minutes of me, while people I know in North County probably only have one or two,” she says.

Students who donated five food items received a voucher for the cafeteria located in the Student Center. According to Harsley, many students went “above and beyond” donating more than five food items, and as a result, she estimated that 10-15 students could be fed with the resources donated.

“I think we can hopefully build a community where people are wanting to donate and give to those in the community that are in need,” says Harsley.

PHOTO BY HIBA OBEED

RJ Muhammad, Kristen Skordos and Owen Schrader pose for a photo after their impromptu performance on Oct. 9, 2024.

ART & LIFE 4

Meramec’s Annual Portfolio Day

Students exhibit art, recruiters present opportunities

Hiba Obeed STAFF

Meramec’s annual Portfolio Day took place on October 29th.

Hosted by Secretary of the Art Department Dan Bess and Professor of Art Jim Ibur, this was a day where students had the chance to request wall spaces, booths, or both to showcase their art across the hallways on both floors of the Humanities East Building.

Recruiters represented Missouri state schools such as University of Missouri St. Louis, Kansas City Art Institute, Maryville University, Washington University, Webster University, as well as out of state schools including Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

But what does this day mean for fine arts students?

“So, I think It’s a really powerful vehicle for students,” said Professor

Jim Ibur. He went on, “It’s the practice of interviewing, the practice of speaking about your work, the practice of having your work seen, which is a little outside of one’s comfort zone.”

Professor Ibur teaches STLCC Meramec’s Ceramics class, and he said he’s seen past Portfolio Day’s transform students’ lives.

“There are students who have had such a powerful interview with that school that sometimes the school waves their own entrance for the portfolio part, and says that part’s done I’ve seen it, you’re good, just apply to the program now, and let’s see what kind of scholarship support we can get it for you.”

According to Professor of Art RJ Shay, Portfolio Day doesn’t only require students to show their art skills, but also how they communicate.

“It also allows them to use their communication skills to speak to these recruiters- that’s as important as their art skills are,” he said. “I try to teach my students that they really need to be able to write efficiently as well, and you know, right here we have the resources in this school.”

For professors like Shay, it’s easy to identify skilled students.

“Some of them are like, for instance, Dante,” he said. “She is good enough that she could surpass an entry level position and be able to be brought into the full.”

But who is Dante? Bohdana “Dante” Siebova is a Ukrainian student at STLCC, and this year has been their second year participating in Portfolio Day.

“I got a lot of kudos and good feedback from different colleges and universities I talked to. I even got the opportunity to transfer to Webster because they really liked the work that I showed,” Siebova said. “But for some reason, I just decided to stay here and finish my major.”

Although art students may experiment with many mediums, some may prefer or excel in just one or two.

In Siebova’s case, she says “I really like graphic kinds of styles, like traditional inking grayscale, not that I’m not so good with colors. It’s just, you know, I feel more comfortable with black and white.”

Some of the pieces that she decided

to show on portfolio day were more experimental. “I keep experimenting. I use not only like usual black and white ink, but black light also, so in some of my art, my illustrations have like hidden invisible ink.”

For other students such as Teagan Frisby, Portfolio Day means an opportunity for critique.

“I think this portfolio I put together really shows my skills off, but if I have the chance to have somebody who does it for a living, be like ‘Hey, this could be tweaked’ it’ll just be very helpful for me with my professional development,” says Frisby.

Unlike Siebova, Frisby’s art work leans more to digital mediums. “Generally, I do a lot of digital illustration, so just like at home on my free program,” she said. “But I do enjoy some traditional [forms] like inking, and we’ve made some really good inking projects.”

PHOTOS BY HIBA OBEED. SUBMITTED ARTWORK BY BOHDANA SIEBOVA AND TEAGAN FRISBY.

ART & LIFE 5

From feeding Obama to feeding STLCC students

Jason Goza talks his memories of what led him to the college’s kitchen

NINA GOMEZ STAFF

Jason Goza appeared in an all white uniform, with his hands on his hips, his sleeves rising a little from his stance, displaying some tattoos on his forearm. He looked beyond while facing the rest of the STLCC kitchen, and nodded. Past the cashier, the food stations, the doors, behind the extensive silver kitchen filled with ingredients and a couple of chefs in the back, lies his office. It’s next to the back door commonly used for deliveries. It is here where he begins to tell his stories, including how he provided food for Barack Obama in one of his previous jobs as banquet chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Denver, Colorado.

“They had all the back hallways shut off. The Secret Service was running the hallways. You couldn’t go anywhere without permission. They were pretty much standing over your shoulder the whole time,” Goza, STLCC-Meramec’s chef manager, said when recalling one of his “fondest memories” of his career, feeding former President Barack Obama back in 2010.

“I just remember him pulling into the loading dock and I was there, and then I remember the Secret Service stopping me in the hallways asking what I’m doing, where I’m going, I remember stuff like that,” said Goza.

Although Goza claims this memory as one of his “biggest,” he can only remember bits and pieces of the whole experience. “I wish I could remember more,” he said, “even for my own sake.”

He does not remember what the former president was in town for, but remembers he was one of the first few high profile guests, “They keep it pretty secret, they’re not allowed to really tell you when all the celebrities or high profile people are coming in,” he said.

The high intensity of the moment, being monitored by Secret Service and the pressure of pushing out orders is the reason Goza forgets he said, “It

was very intense. I’ve never worked something like that before. I look back on it now, and it was fun, but during the process it was just too much,” he said. However, the experience taught him that, “organization is key.”

Goza was born and grew up in the St. Louis area, and growing up he was close to his Uncle to who he attributes his interest in the kitchen. “I was close with him, I was the only niece or nephew that was allowed in the kitchen. Because, you know, I wasn’t getting in the way,” he continues, “I was asking questions, I was helping, other than that all the other kids had to play outside or whatnot,” he said about his 10-13-year-old self.

His phone rings a second time on his desk before he says, “My uncle was a chef so he was the big influence. He owned the restaurants and during the holidays I would help them out. I was always in the kitchen with him.”

At 22 years old, Goza began his career by moving to Arizona for five years to earn a culinary degree. There he did one year of classes and three months of internships, and also some hiking. He moved to Kansas, and then the military. He was in his late 20’s when he joined the military where he was “just a normal cook,” for mass production.

Mass production led him to banquet cooking, which he prefers because it’s more predictable and he likes the organization, and banquet chef was his title in Colorado. Before arriving at STLCC, he worked eight years in senior living and said he enjoyed it.

“I developed relationships with my residents and a lot of them I felt like I was a part of their family,” he said while shifting in his seat. “They can be really difficult to work with but they were like I was sitting [next] to my grandma and grandpa, hearing about all their stories,” he said. He remembers residents who were teachers, travelers, who had amazing lives, some who lived to be around 103 years old.

It is Goza’s first year working

with American Dining Creations, an American Food & Vending Corp. that provides food for STLCC. It is also his first 6 months working here at Meramec. He starts his mornings off usually at about 6-6:30 a.m., he’ll go through emails and he gets the cash register going.

“I’ll get everybody on their job tasks when they get in about seven o’clock. And then I just spend the rest of the day managing, helping prep and making truck orders. We’re non stop prepping,” said Goza.

The STLCC kitchen is set up so they have a four week food menu cycle with different specials that get switched out but always stick with the basics like what Goza considers the campus favorite– chicken tenders.

Cheryl Boone has worked with Goza for the past four months at STLCC as the cash register. “He’s real sweet. He’s understandable and he puts us on the right path,” said Boone about Goza’s management.

When she first saw him, she said

‘Currents’ gets thicker and more retro

Jacob Politte Managing Editor

The 2024 edition of Meramec’s literary magazine “Currents” was delivered to campus over the summer, and it’s slightly different than it has been in recent years. For starters, it’s got a simple, retro cover theme and it’s doubled in size. At 228 pages, it’s twice as long as the 2023 volume, but contains similar content. This edition features pieces that are often dark in tone, as the last few editions also have. Last year’s edition of Currents mostly focused on the themes of “trauma, mental health, self care, aspiration and expression.” This year, the long running publication adds two more sections that vary wildly in content and tone, and the volume includes pieces that are about rejection, isolation, existence, acceptance, insight, identity

and rebirth.

One particularly startling piece, which actually opens the volume this year, is a fiction story revolving around a mass shooting at a courthouse, titled “A Good Fit.” In just a few pages, contributor Emily Johnson weaves together a tale that steadily builds to a shocking conclusion that feels more realistic than some may be able to handle. It’s not pretty, and it’s meant to be that way.

There are many pieces in this edition of Currents that also linger in the darkness, but some use it to subvert expectations. Tiaan Grobler’s “When Clowns Attack” is an example of this, with Tiann (the character, not the author) letting his paranoia overcome him and define how people viewed him. It’s a great hook for a tale, and a good ending that subverts expectations.

As always, there’s a lot of poetry in “Currents” and Kaitlyn Fritz’s “2000’s

Nostalgia” is sure to hit many readers right in the feels. Ben Phifer’s poem “Empty” is a total tonal shift, but is no less meaningful.

There are other unique submissions in Currents this year. “Undercover” by Sabina Thai, the submission is written as if it were a play, and it’s not the only piece formatted that way. And as always, the artwork and graphic design within the volume helps every piece stand out in its own way.

Overall, the 2024 edition of Currents is an interesting and worthy addition to the history of the publication. It can be picked up and viewed in various locations around campus, with many copies available at the English Department in Communications North. Submissions for the 2025 volume are currently being accepted, according to faculty advisor David Taylor.

while laughing, “He looked like a professional wrestler. He look like Triple H, ‘you ever seen him?’ and he was like, ‘everybody tells me that,’” she said while making her voice deeper, “That’s what made me and him have a good bond.”

Boone credits Goza for being one of the reasons she broke out of her “timid” shell, “I guess too what makes me smile is when I see him smile. Especially when he’s having one of those mornings where our trucks don’t show up or something, one of us would just yell out, ‘he needs a hug,’” she said.

Boone said a majority of the time he is behind the scenes but will come out to check on everybody and on any problems, she says all the workers like him as well and that he is a wonderful person to work with.

“Even when you’re in the dumps–because I just had my closest friend of 30 years pass away– and he just told me to let it out. Don’t hold it in. I appreciate everything he does for us,” she said.

PHOTO BY JACOB POLITTE

Chef Manager Jason Goza works in his office at the Meramec campus on Nov. 5.

Honors offers qualified students a variety of opportunities in and outside the classroom, including honors classes, special projects, workshops, and mentoring. New students can qualify through high school GPA, ACT score, or Accuplacer. Returning students qualify through their college GPA. Once admitted, honors students are never obligated to pursue a minimum amount of honors work each term.

Curious about the Honors Program and what it might mean for you?

Phi Theta Kappa is an international honors society for two-year colleges. It’s mission is to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students, as well as to provide opportunities for individual growth and development through participation in honors, leadership, service, and fellowship programs.

To be eligible to join Phi Theta Kappa - Xi Lambda, Meramec’s local chapter, students must have a GPA of at least 3.5, have taken 12 or more credit hours, and must be enrolled in at least one course currently at Meramec.

If you are interested, contact Chapter Advisor Jerry Meyers at gmyers34@stlcc.edu or 314-984-7638.

If you are interested, contact Chapter Advisor Jerry Myers at gmyers34@stlcc.edu or 314-984-7638

If you are interested, contact Chapter Advisor Professor Rich Peraud in CN 217 or go to PTK.org for more information.

Learn more about the Meramec Honors Program and apply online at http://www.stlcc.edu/mchonors mchonors@stlcc.edu 314-984-7147 Humanities East 101

PHI THETA KAPPA - XI LAMBDA CHAPTER INTERNATIONAL HONORS SOCIETY FOR TWO-YEAR COLLEGES

Jake’s Take: Traditional Media Can Suck It

The big networks, news outlets have lost the plot and don’t

JACOB POLITTE MANAGING EDITOR

By the time you read this, America will either have a new President or be in the midst of a week-long effort to count votes in whatever swing state matters the most. But we’re not here to talk about that in this issue. What I would like to talk about is the mainstream media, and how they have utterly failed to cover this election in a way that’s beyond the surface level. Meanwhile, in the absence of responsible coverage, the candidates have found new outlets to talk to outside of traditional media that have arguably helped both of their campaigns.

Take, for instance, Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast, which had Kamala Harris on in early October. I do not say this mildly or with any sort of irony attached: “Call Her Daddy” did a better job than CNN did in actually giving Kamala Harris genuine questions of substance to discuss. The same goes for Howard Stern, who spoke with Harris in the days after and went even deeper on some issues that Alex did not, as well as Charlgemene tha God’s hosting of an audio town hall in mid-October.

To Trump’s credit, he also realized the power of non-traditional outlets like podcasting, and he realized it first. Trump, ironically enough, can come across much more likable in a format that he’s comfortable in, and podcasting seems to be that environment for him,

albeit ones with less confrontational hosts. His choices, in my humble opinion, were definitely questionable, but he realized like Harris has that traditional media is just not how people consume information anymore. There’s definitely something funny, if a little alarming, about watching the man genuinely inquire about Theo Von’s cocaine use, or watching Trump inquire about if professional wrestling is real sometimes on The Undertaker’s Six Feet Under podcast (despite having actively participated in professional wrestling stories and matches himself). He gets to spout his rhetoric, but he’s much more relaxed in doing so, and he’s directly engaging with voters in a way that they consume media.

Almost everyone involved in those non-traditional formats got more out of the candidates than any mainstream outlet has done. The next question to ask is why that is the case.

I think that it’s partly because the mainstream media is always trying to retain its viewers, and that now often comes at the cost of its own integrity. Much can be said about Joe Biden and his age, but the way he was treated in the media and by members of the White House press pool in the weeks leading up to his withdrawal from the Presidential race was despicable. There was a way to cover the issue without sensationalizing it, and that kind of coverage did no one any favors. Biden’s age and poor debate performance was news, but it should not have bulldozed over almost every news story that came after it for the next month. It basically helped bully him out of the Presidency,

know how to get it back

which is not the media’s job to do.

The mainstream media, more often than not, also asks the wrong questions way more than they should. Policy is boring, but it matters. Mainstream media outlets also went hard at Kamala Harris for not sharing details about her policy quickly (which she has shared on her campaign website), while ignoring that Trump doesn’t really have any that are clear and/or viable. Instead, for both candidates, they largely have focused on the semantics and the reactionary responses, which do not help anybody.

They also focus on those kinds of “gotcha” questions which at this point serve no purpose. FOX News’ recent interview with Vice President Harris highlighted this very well. Host Bret Baier repeatedly talked over the Vice President, repeatedly spouted incorrect information and even played misleading clips, which the Vice President immediately confronted him about. It was an embarrassing outing even for FOX, and I don’t think it swung voters in Trump’s direction, which was probably what FOX wanted.

The mainstream media also doesn’t report on the candidates fairly. Take for example, Trump’s absolutely bizarre town hall on Oct. 14 where he took a limited number of questions but instead chose to dance and listen to music for at least 40 minutes. Many headline’s sanitized that kind of crazy behavior, which is irresponsible. It’s

not biased to have your headline state clearly what happened, and for long after two different people in the crowd were taken away by medics, that IS exactly what happened. If the President or Vice President did that, it would be news for weeks on end. People would be calling for their ouster immediately. Why does Trump seemingly get different treatment? Is it because he’s been in the political sphere for so long that people just expect him to act insane and thus it’s not news?

We should expect better from our candidates and especially from our mainstream media. Too many of them have an agenda and are so dug in that it’s become entangled in the roots of who they are as an organization. This year, they have actively failed the people who consume information and I don’t see a way to rebuild that trust any time soon. In the meantime, these non-traditional outlets will become even more important to how their own viewers see the world, and while that happens, I hope those content creators handle it responsibly.

‘Fight Like Hell’: A better look at claims against Trump

JACK JURSNICH OPINIONS EDITOR

I am writing this two weeks before Election Day with the hopes that Donald Trump becomes president. The purpose of this piece is to bring down the hatred toward Trump and to clear up some common claims made against him for the past eight years. This hatred is completely unwarranted when looking at the bigger picture, and it is of this hatred that I believe another assassination attempt on the president is possible. There’s more I plan to write on this topic, but I hope this piece is a sufficient gateway for people to start opening up to Trump.

Trump wants to roll back LGBT rights

Wrong. Though he did appoint Supreme Court justices with beliefs against same-sex marriage, he’s also stated multiple times that he wants it to be the states’ decision, rather

than a federal decision. Plus, he’s also mentioned a few times at rallies that one of his campaign goals is to “decriminalize homosexuality around the world,” as it is still a crime in many other countries. A big example used against Trump is the “transgender military ban” saying it’s a complete and total ban for trans people in the military, but in the memorandum, Trump left lots of wiggle room. Only folks seeking transitioning treatments through the military were denied to serve because they’d be on inactive duty for more than a year. Transgender folks who did not transition and stayed healthy were allowed to serve. Another purpose to the policy was to gather data by the DoD and DHS on whether transgenders were a hindrance to military effectiveness and funding, which the previous administration failed to do. Trump sounds like a bigot when you only say “trans military ban” but trans people were still allowed to serve under certain exceptions, and also money was saved because it wasn’t spent on the transition of people who wouldn’t even be able to physically serve.

Trump is a racist Again, wrong. In the “Muslim/travel ban”, he issued a travel suspension for people coming from

enemy countries, but not on the basis of religion and nationality as some people thought. Similar to the “trans military ban”, this decision also had wiggle room, still allowing foreigners to come to America but strengthening the visa processes. Only people who would be benefiting the country were allowed in, and those related to terrorist groups or anti-American ideals were denied visas. Another claim is that Trump’s a “white supremacist.” People will say it’s because KKK Grand Wizard David Duke supported his campaign, but Trump also condemned Duke multiple times since. People will say it’s because he said there’s “good people on both sides” during the Charlottesville riots, but more importantly, he “totally condemned” the white-nationalists and neo-nazis who were involved. I’m sure we could keep talking about any other claim but I think these two big examples are enough to at least take this whole ‘bigotry narrative’ with a lot of doubt.

Trump blocked aid to the border

Although it’s true he did urge Republicans to vote against the recent border bills, Republicans – and even some Democrats – would have voted against it regardless of Trump. He opposed the bills but his reason is much more reasonable than him wanting “to run on a problem.” A bill from February titled Emergency National

Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 was said to aid the border, but what it actually was offering was $60 billion to Ukraine, $14 billion dollars to Israel, and only $20 billion to the border. Conservatives disagree heavily with funding the Ukraine war because we don’t need to be involved in it, so for a bill that sends more money to Ukraine than to our own border, of course Republicans are gonna shoot it down. The Border Act of 2024 was shot down not because it would send money to the border, but because that money would’ve gone straight to speeding up and funding asylum for illegal immigrants, essentially abusing the catch-and-release policy at an even faster rate. The bill would have reduced the number of illegal crossings, but the estimated figure would have still been over a million illegals per year. The bill would have done all of this AND be codified into law, making it harder for the next administration to change the policy. So no, Trump is not “running on a problem” he’s trying to stop the same problem that’s been going on this whole time by getting a better deal.

To read the rest of this piece, go to meramecmontage.com or scan the QR code below.

SPORTS 8

Fencing Club Joins Meramec as Newest Organization

New club wants to introduce Meramec students to the sport of fencing

Ryan Winzen News Editor

Starting this semester, Meramec will once again be home to a fencing club. This organization is open to any and all students who are interested in learning about and engaging in fencing.

The newest version of the club was created by student Beatrice Johnson (a Montage staff member) who wanted to introduce other students to fencing.

“I really enjoy the sport of fencing and wanted to introduce it to other people,” said Johnson. “It is not a sport people think of or watch a lot, but it’s a really interesting sport.”

Johnson explained how recently she was introduced to fencing.

“Not very long. I started this semester. I took the 8 week fencing I class, now I’m in [the] Fencing 2 [course]. I feel very familiar with the sport,” said Johnson.

Johnson went into detail about the learning curve of fencing.

“There’s a low skill floor, but there’s a lot of strategy to it,” she said. “You can just go in there and stab people like a maniac, but it takes some time to learn the technique. It is an art.”

Johnson talked about the goals of the organization.

“[To] help people understand,” she said. “There’s a lot that goes into it. There’s a lot that is difficult to learn, and it’s a lot less challenging if you have people to help you. Having peers to help explain and clarify [helps].

Students who have no knowledge of fencing but are interested in learning are encouraged to come.

“Don’t feel like you need to have any base knowledge,” she said. “It is not required by any means.”

If students are interested in joining, they will have to fill out the school’s physical education form. Students under the age of 18 will need a parent to sign off on the form for them. Students are not expected to bring their own equipment, as everything will be provided. The club is sponsored by health and wellness professor William McDevitt, who’s known as “the instructor that gets his point across.”

McDevitt has been teaching at Meramec for 20 years, teaching classes such as fencing, archery, and weight training. He revealed that this isn’t the first fencing club on the Meramec campus.

“We’ve had fencing clubs before, but COVID put a stop to it. This is the first one since,” said McDevitt.

McDevitt described what he finds

interesting about fencing.

“It’s a one on one. It’s physical chess, you don’t rely on a teammate, it’s you and a opponent. It’s an interesting sport,” said McDevitt.

Fencing Club meets biweekly on Tuesday in the athletic building from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Johnson spoke on the complexity of fencing.

“A lot of people say fencing is physical chess. There’s so much more than going in and stabbing people. Going in and stabbing people is still really fun too,” said Johnson.