The Montage

Shamim Ansari, American Citizen

The tenured Meramec English Professor talks about her history, her family and recently becoming an American citizen

JACOB POLITTE MANAGING EDITOR

Professor Shamim Ansari has traveled a long road to get where she is today. The longtime Meramec English Professor, who began teaching at the college shortly after earning her Ph.D from the University of Denver in March 2008, has traveled across the globe to achieve career success, and recently, to achieve American citizenship.

The beginnings of a journey

Ansari was born in India, and the cultural difference between the two countries could not be more vast.

“Growing up in India as a woman is not the best because you are always required to place yourself second to the men around you, be it father, brother, husband, or son,” Ansari said. “I was basically raised in a Muslim family since my father is Muslim by culture. I needed to follow the Muslim customs including a rather strict separation between men and women.”

Before coming to America, Ansari spent time in Germany pursuing higher education, noting that she had a personal connection with the country. She also formally immigrated to Germany, and obtained citizenship there as well; she retains that German citizenship to this day.

“My mother is German and lived in Germany for many years after she separated from my father in India,” she said. “Once I completed my high school in India, I immigrated to Germany to do my bachelor’s and master’s in English there.”

“After about 10 years in Germany, I realized that I wanted to continue my Ph.D. studies in English in America because I did not feel at ease speaking and writing in German. Having grown up in India, where English is the main language in the best schools and colleges, I was used to thinking and writing in English rather than German. I also felt drawn to America due to its upbeat, optimistic, can-do, full of opportunities culture. I did not really like the rather serious and often pessimistic culture in Germany.”

continued on pg. 4

STLCC Recieves Bellwether Award

The college recently won a first place award in workforce development

RYAN WINZEN STAFF WRITER

St. Louis Community College (STLCC) was the winner of the 2024 Bellwether Award in the workforce development category.

The Bellwether Award is a nationwide award for community colleges that have implemented innovative practices or programs. The college’s health science department submitted an application that focused on the changes made to the health care programs that aim to help the shortage of healthcare workers in the St. Louis area.

District Dean of Health Sciences William Hubble, who is based out of the Forest Park campus, talked about the scarcity of healthcare workers in St. Louis.

“There is a severe shortage of healthcare workers in the St. Louis area. It’s putting a strain on the system,” said Hubble.

According to a 2023 survey by the Missouri Hospital Association, there is an 18.4% vacancy rate, with 3,116 vacant positions for registered nurses. A team consisting of Hubble, Division Dean of Nursing Jordan Cooper, Chancellor Jeff Pittman and Student Placement Coordinator Kim Kraft worked together on making a proposal for the Bellwether Award. The proposal included information about the shortage of healthcare workers in STL and how the district is aiming to fix the problem.

According to the application created by the team, the district has a plan that includes three main goals: to expand the nursing program capacity across the three largest campuses, to promote student success and to

continued on pg. 2

Professor Shamim Ansari, as photographed by Syed Ali in 2019.

Photo courtesy of Bellewether College Consortium on X.

Bellewether Award: District Plan in Progress

Continued from p. 1

increase the number of successful graduates from the programs.

Hubble mentioned how the district has eliminated obstacles for students wanting to pursue careers in health care.

“Well I think foremost, there are financial obstacles,” he said. “We want to align them with our clinical partners so they can be trained for these jobs. This allows students to work while going to school, helps pay for their education and guarantees them a job.”

Hubble also brought up how instrumental the district’s clinical partners are with helping students.

“The hospitals are the programs, that’s where the tires hit the road,” said Hubble. All of the students who go through the health program do clinical practices.”

While nursing is one of the most popular health care programs at STLCC, many more important programs are offered. These include the following programs:

• medical assistant

• patient care technician

• repository care

• paramedic technology

• emergency medical technology

• occupational therapy assistant

• physical therapy assistant

• dental hygiene

• surgical technologist

• clinical laboratory technology

• central sterile processing

• clinical coding

• health information management,

• radiologic technology

• diagnostic medical sonography

• funeral service education

Hubble talked about the importance of some other health care professions.

“We train a lot of people that people don’t think about. When covid came out and people struggled with respiratory issues, there was a need for respiratory technicians,” said Hubble.

These changes were not implemented overnight.

“This was really more of a 5 year project. It’s still ongoing. We are still looking for ways to recruit and train more students for healthcare professions,” said Hubble.

Since 2018, there has been an increase in the number of AAS nursing graduates from the program.

Hubble mentioned how STLCC winning the Bellwether Award made him feel.

“I’m very proud of STLCC and its entire community,” he said. “What we are accomplishing here, is good for our students and [for] the St. Louis region.”

To get you where you need to go, PTK offers opportunities to help you develop and discover your personal, academic, and professional potential.

Phi Theta

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.

Join the

Team

Meetings every Tuesday at 2 PM via Zoom or in Student Center, Room 220A

Contact Shannon Philpott-Sanders at ssanders147@stlcc.edu for more information.

We Have an Honors Program at STLCC-Meramec!

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?

Learn more about the Meramec Honors Program and apply online at

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.

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

Academic Affairs Re-Org Set To Be Completed On Schedule

Vice Chancellor Langrehr gives an update on the timeline

JACOB POLITTE MANAGING EDITOR

The college’s reorganization of Academic Affairs is moving along on schedule and is set to meet its tentative July 1 deadline, according to Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Andrew Langrehr.

“Yeah, I think we're on time, [though] we're still in process,” Langrehr said. “And we're making good progress. Most recently, we've sent out some communication to let folks know where we see some gaps.”

Specifically, Langrehr mentioned that “We're going to need to do some department share determinations or searches, and maybe some program leadership. And we're doing an analysis right now of the support staff. And making sure that it makes sense. And we're just finalizing the new dean job descriptions. So those recommendations about where the deans will be placed, we'll be having those conversations and bringing that forward to the board in the next couple of weeks. So I think we’re doing pretty well.”

Langrehr said a lot of the behind the scenes work in this process, in terms of getting approval, has come from a cabinet level.

“The Board [Of Trustees], we update at their direction or the chancellor's direction, but the structure underneath the chancellor is approved by you know, the chancellor and the cabinet,” he said. “And so when the structure was approved for the dean structure, that was done at a cabinet level. We've been working with the sort of the Pathways Dean's structure, [and] we've made recommendations of our current deans in these new positions.”

“Those are recommendations right now,” he reiterated. “None of those Dean's have sort of technically accepted those positions or been approved for those positions, but they kind of know where we're planning for them to go.”

As a part of the reorganization, some instructors in certain departments may

find their longtime dean displaced to another campus; concern over this issue was raised in a Meramec faculty forum this past September. Among other examples, in the latest tentative organizational charts, Dean Ame Mead is set to move to the Wildwood campus, leaving the English Department without a full time dean on-campus.

Langrehr doesn’t anticipate that issue being much of a problem, saying that some departments already have a situation like that in place, but that it might be an adjustment for some departments not used to that sort of system.

“We already have that situation in place now, he said. “We have nursing district wide, and the nursing team is at Forest Park, where its permanent location is. In fact, most of our career programs over the last five years have shifted to a district Dean structure, nursing is just the biggest and the longest. And so that won't be new, but it will be new for [departments like] English.”

Langrehr continued, “So in terms of regular engagement, there will be times when that Dean will be on campus that wants to have face to face meetings. But some of that engagement will also occur through [Microsoft] Teams. I have all four of the campus presidents reporting to me, right? My office is at McKelvey. So I engage with them through Teams, but I also come to their campus.”

Langrehr said that there are other outlets that faculty can go to if they have an immediate concern.

“If there's an emergent situation where a campus faculty leader [...] has a need for a dean, you know, there's something going on, they will be there,” Langrehr said. “There are deans in each location, and they're CCA. There are presidents in each location that are administrators who can come in if there's a need.”

Langrehr reiterated that faculty feedback was taken into consideration as the restructuring has continued.

Reflecting on feedback received both during and after the campus forums in the fall, he mentioned how that feedback was integrated into the tentative mechanics of the new structure.

“The first draft structural document had a considerable number of pieces that came from forum comments,” he said. “And then that first iteration came with an opportunity to respond. And we changed things in that draft.”

Langrehr gave an example of one of those changes being the removal of a “lead chair” position.

“Out of the first conversation, we had the concept of a lead chair, so not just department chairs reporting to a dean, but one of those department chairs would be the lead chair for that area, who would be kind of the communication conduit to the dean. And then as we got more feedback on that, in the current draft, you don't see that anymore. [And that’s] because people commented [among the lines of], ‘Why wouldn't people have an equal ability as a department chair to communicate with the dean’ and ‘There's no need for that extra release time’ and some of that feedback precipitated that shift.”

Langrehr again reiterated that the feedback received has been essential to the process.

“I think we've tried to hear people,” Langrehr said. “When we have taken that feedback, we've gone through every piece of it and identified where there's an opportunity to value it. You know, sometimes the feedback was at odds, right? You had someone that says do X and someone that says do Y. So you'd look at that and analyze it.

But I think that folks looking at the first iteration of this, to the to where we are now can see those changes. And those changes came from feedback on the drafts and that form information.”

To view more of the currently planned organizational charts, including campus specific ones, visit meramecmontage.com.

ART & LIFE

Professor Ansari: The Path to Citizenship

Continued from p. 1

Why seek American citizenship now?

Ansari says that her decision to seek citizenship was motivated, in part, by a few different factors.

“I got my green card, my permanent resident card in 2001,” she said. “And every 10 years, you have to renew it. So for 20 years, there was a screen on the green card and I didn’t want to go for an American citizenship because I didn’t feel ready. I didn’t feel as if I belonged here. I didn’t feel ready. And somehow, I just never got around to doing it. But two things happened. First of all, in 2016, Trump was president and Trump didn’t like Muslims and still doesn’t like Muslims. And that got me scared for the first time in my life, if I might not get my green card renewed, because my name, I’m sorry, is a clearly Muslim name, even though I don’t believe in Muslim religion, I’m an atheist.”

“And then I also realized that my son, who is now in college, wants to build a life in America,” she said. “And I need the guarantee that I will always be able to access my son, and whenever he builds a family, I will never have the problem of coming to America, [even] if I’m ever not allowed to continue my green card status. So that was that.”

“And the third reason is that, after 20 years, I have realized that everything that I have today, all [of] my success, my marriage to Andrew, my British-German husband who are found here [in America], my child, my one and only son, who was born here, my career at STLCC, my house and my friends, everything that I have achieved in the last 20 years has made me very happy in America. So now I’m ready to become an American.”

Ansari also mentioned that before and after the citizenship process, she had the opportunity to visit the cities of Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, both of which are rich with American history. While she traveled to Philadelphia in January of this year for a MLA Conference, she had previously traveled to Washington D.C. in August. She said that it helped to further solidify her decision to pursue her citizenship.

“I went to all the monuments and looked at everything,” she said, “and realized that I am about to apply for citizenship as soon as I get back to St. Louis.”

On visiting both cities, she reflected on the way these travels put things in perspective for her.

“I experienced them for the first time during the process of applying and getting our citizenship, which was very interesting. But I really got a very physical, tangible sense of what it means to be an American.”

Ansari speaks on “unusually” fast citizenship process

Professor Ansari says that the process of formally applying and obtaining American citizenship occurred in a relatively short period of time, roughly four months. She began applying in the last week of August 2023, and within a month, got an invitation to be interviewed and take a citizenship test. After passing both, and submitting all applicable documents

including copies of her green card, marriage certificate and proof of paying taxes, she officially took an oath of citizenship on December 12, 2023.

Ansari believes the expedited nature of her citizenship process had to do with a variety of factors.

“I believe it had to do with multiple factors,” she said. “Such as me having a green card for over 20 years and also my working at St. Louis Community College as a kind of ‘public’ school service employee. Being a German citizen rather than Indian also helped.”

Speaking on why the process may take longer for some others, she said “In some cases the process takes longer because the person does not originate in a Western but perhaps Asian or African country. Immigrants from these countries generally have a much harder time.”

Ansari says that the hardest part of the process for her was preparing for the exam itself.

“My only challenge,” she said, “was to memorize all the 100 required interview questions on American history, politics, and culture since I had very little knowledge of basic documents such as the Constitution, the American Declaration of Independence and the whole system of checks and

balances in the government system. I spent many hours studying American politics in order to feel at ease with answering the interview questions.”

She said a helpful individual was Meramec History Professor Dirk Voss, who obtained American citizenship early last year and is currently on an academic sabbatical this year.

Voss, a German citizen, gave Ansari advice on how to retain her German citizenship; both are now dual citizens of Germany and the United States.

“In fact, I took his advice on how to convince the German government that I want to continue being a German even after applying for an American citizenship.”

As for the advice she’d like to give, Ansari said to follow the process and make sure they have everything ready.

“My advice to anyone going through the citizenship process is that they do not really need a lawyer if their case is simple and uncomplicated,” she said. “All they need is lots of time and patience with filling out the application in small steps, gathering all the documents, and waiting for the Immigration and Naturalization Service to respond. I would also advise them to watch all the videos on the INS website and read all the documents they provide with respect to the process of applying for citizenship.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAMIM ANSARI Professor Shamim Ansari takes a selfie at her citizenship ceremony in December.

ART & LIFE 5

From the Garden to Academia: the Flourishing Path of Prof. Scott Gevaert

BEATRICE JOHNSON CONTRIBUTOR

Scott Gevaert, Ph.D, was a self-proclaimed hyperactive child. It may be hard to imagine as he sports a bespectacled grin beneath a neatly trimmed beard while sitting in his office in STLCC-Meramec Biology Department.

His parents noticed his hyperactivity and encouraged him to help with things around the house, said Gevaert. One of the chores that Gevaert said he loved the most was helping his father in the garden.

“I was pretty active in the garden we had around the house growing up, and as I got older my parents let me have more control over it,” he said. He shared that it was his love for plants which was his main driver for becoming a biology major when he decided to attend Saint Louis University.

At SLU, most biology majors were pre-med, and as a result, Gevaert said he had a variety of opportunities to work with plant biology professors in labs which sparked his interest. “I love being in nature and less so being in the lab,” he said.

During his senior year of his undergraduate degree at SLU, he received the Young Botanist Award from the Botanical Society of America. “I had a lot more opportunities than a lot of the students I’ve had, which is humbling, but also makes me want to work harder for them,” he said, with a pensive look.

Before continuing his work in academia, Gevaert had a brief stint working for the American agrochemical company Monsanto. While he shared that he didn’t particularly enjoy being a lab technician for the few months he was there, he did still learn from the experience. “Sometimes to do what you love, you have to do super tedious things you don’t like doing,” he said.

Gevaert continued his education at the University of Georgia, where he completed his doctorate degree in plant biology. He also felt more comfortable coming out in graduate school, after having multiple colleagues who were open about their sexuality while working for his doctorate, he said.

of the beginning of a Gay Straight Alliance on campus as well as the homophobic attitudes of the people in his hometown also played a large role in this decision. In his current position, Gevaert said that he feels

“I had a lot more opportunities than a lot of the students I’ve had, which is humbling, but also makes me want to work harder for them.”

significantly more comfortable being open.

He came out in 2008; he wasn’t out in high school or college, in large part due to the homophobic practices of his university at the time. The rejection

“There have been moments of strife, for the longest time we didn’t even have a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Office, in the last three or four years however, there’s definitely been a shift to allow more

GEVAERT

for sociological differences,” he said with a reflective glance.

He also shared that he has experienced verbal slights on account of his homosexuality in his life, at times being told he was “too sensitive” or “emotional,” which he felt to be a pointed attack based on his sexuality.

In his spare time, Gevaert is never one to back down from a challenge, with a wide array of hobbies, like winemaking, baking, cooking, and taking care of his home garden.

He said he enjoyed working in art classes in college. He was involved with SLU’s pep band, where he played tuba, as well as the mass choir in which he sang bass.

“I have a batch of wine going in my kitchen right now. It’s wonderful. It smells like a winery in my house, but it’s also packed with challenges since you have a micro-organism doing work for you and they can be picky sometimes,” he said with a chuckle.

BY: EMILY WEBER

PHOTO BY EMILY WEBER

Student Matthew Groves signs a support beam Tuesday, March 26. The beam was later placed as part of the new Emerging Technology Center.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY SCOTT

How Well Do You Know Meramec Professors?

While many students learn about the subject matter in the classroom, STLCCMeramec’s Student Government Association decided to give students more insight about a few of Meramec’s professors. In this series, you’ll find spotlights from professors on campus in a variety of academic departments, sharing more

SCOTT GEVAERT

DONNA J WERNER, PHD

Professor of Philosophy

WHAT DO YOU HOPE STUDENTS TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR CLASSES BEYOND THE SUBJECT MATTER?

My primary goal is for students to leave the course with the ability to understand the

• clarify

Do you have any unique or inter passions outside of teaching an

My passion is country music / live perfor country to go to see my favorite artists E seen him 86 times since 2019) I also real If you like country music, check them out!

SHAUN RENO

Professor of Englis

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE T EXCEL IN YOUR FIELD OF STUDY O

Use

to students?

who has that experience or can midating, but I love when a student assions with me It motivates me to connections in the field, so even if hing, reach out

f teaching at STLCC?

ught at SLU and Webster as well, but riences I have in my classrooms here exhausted, I know that getting in the will immediately lift me up Being able ith you is the best part of my job ogy

CARYN MILLER

German Language Instructor

WHAT DO YOU HOPE STUDENTS T CLASSES BEYOND THE SUBJECT M

I hope they understand the importance o critical thinking

WHAT DO YOU HOPE STUDENTS TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR CLASSES BEYOND THE SUBJECT MATTER? That it is not out of reach for them to learn a new language and to learn about

DO YOU HAVE ANY UNIQUE OR INTERESTING HOBBIES, TALENTS, OR PASSIONS OUTSIDE OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH?

I like to travel and learn languages I ve also studied Spanish, French and Russian aside from German I enjoy going to concerts and do that very often I like all types of music, but my favorite right not is 2000's-2020 alternative music

ART & LIFE

FROM THE ARCHIVES

JACOB POLITTE MANAGING EDITOR

As The Montage approaches its 60th anniversary later in 2024, it’s notable that archived digital copies that can be viewed by readers on The Montage’s “Issuu” page only date back to 2010. The rest are not lost to time, however. Print copies, both loose and binded, still exist. They date all the way back to the very first issue in 1964 and can be accessed in the Library. As we approach the next volume of issues, The Montage would like to take you back in time to some of those issues throughout the coming school year. This month, we’re taking a look back at one of the most unfortunate, dark chapters in the campus’s history that took place 11 years ago.

Statistics prove that STLCC, and Meramec especially, are mostly safe campuses with low crime stats. STLCC Police Captain Benjamin Talley stressed this during an October 2023 interview for a Clery Report story.

That being said, Meramec has been in a so-called eye of the storm on occasion. One such event in April 2013 was not among this institution’s proudest moments. It left the campus shaken, criticized and in the latter instance, without a beloved Campus President.

On Thursday, April 18, 2013, one of the more harrowing incidents in the history of the Meramec campus took place in the second floor women’s restroom of the now demolished Communication South building when then-student Blythe Grupe was violently assaulted by then-student Jevon Mallory before then-English Professor Aurora Hill walked in and summoned the police, who were already nearby resolving a different issue and apprehended Mallory in short order.

Grupe told Montage Editor-In-Chief Kavahn Mansouri that “About five minutes into the class I left to use the restroom. Right when I was about to wash my hands, and I hadn’t noticed anyone around or anything, someone had walked in and kind of slipped past me. I realized someone was standing behind me, but at that point he had me in a headlock and was choking me with his arm. [...] He was saying things like ‘please be quiet’ and shushing me. Not in an aggressive way or an angry way but in a weird gentle tone, like there was some other motive.”

The attack appeared to lack motive, although Grupe said that she felt as if Mallory’s intent was to kill her. In the STLCC case report, then-Campus Police Chief Paul Banta wrote that Mallory said he wanted to “vent his rage” and planned on “withdrawing her from life.”

In the days and weeks immediately following the attack, campus leadership and the college as a whole received harsh criticism for what the public considered to be a lack of communication regarding the matter. The first formal comment from the college came 5 days after the attack, after more victims of Mallory came forward and Mallory returned to campus to be expelled for his actions.

Regarding the college’s initial responses to the assault, Grupe said “I definitely wish they would have [said something]. I understand they can’t give out confidential information like names and specifics. But I really think that it was important that they would have let the students know that this happened.”

Grupe said her classmates were unaware of the attack, and were annoyed that they weren’t informed in a timely manner. Even staff and faculty were somewhat blindsided, including Mallory’s Professor Linda Copeland, who’s class he was supposed to be in at the time of the assault. She told Mansouri that her daughter,

who lives in Kansas City, heard about the story and notified her of the attack before the college did.

Among other fallout, the incident led to the abrupt resignation of then-Campus President George Wasson, who had been in the role for two years but had a three decade long career at Meramec before it. Wasson was replaced by then-Wildwood Campus President Pam McIntyre, who served in the role until 2015.

Wasson’s departure left the campus reeling even more, with Vice President of Academic Affairs Andrew Langrehr, then-Vice President of Student Affairs Linden Crawford and then-Coordinator of Enrollment Management Kim Fitzgerald all expressing shock over Wasson’s resignation.

Fitzgerald, however, told Mansouri, “I think it’s pretty obvious there’s a direct link to the recent incidents. Having been here for over 25 years you see a lot of things happen and you see a lot of people come and go. You see a lot of people go out in flames. George has been there for a long time and unfortunately longevity doesn’t really get you a whole lot when it comes to matters like this.”

Wasson’s departure also left the Student Body shocked, with then-Student Governance President Philip Oehlerking saying that the college should have released a statement stating specifically why Wasson resigned. Jacob Hight, a then-Student life employee, told Mansouri, ““Horrible things are always going to happen and we should do our best to make sure they don’t happen. There’s never going to be a situation that’s so perfect an individual isn’t going to circumvent the safeguard of a certain place. I think attention needs to be paid to what really needs to be done instead of looking for scapegoats.”

The Montage covered the incident and its aftermath extensively, including in the notable May 2, 2013 issue titled “The Domino Effect.” The situation was also covered in detail the following year in the April 17, 2014 issue, titled “A Closer Look” which featured updated reporting and an official timeline of events compiled by then-Editor-In-Chief Spencer Gleason.

Now, it’s 11 years later. The campus has changed considerably, and an incident of that magnitude has not occurred since. Many people present on campus during that time are no longer at Meramec. And even the scene of the crime, Communications South, is gone, recently demolished during the Fall 2023 semester.

Jevon Mallory was sentenced to 10 years behind bars for the assault in late 2014, but can no longer be found on the MODOC Offender Search website or through the Inmate Locator. Grupe and Wasson were both unable to be reached for comment. When asked last week if he’d like to reflect on the matter, Langrehr declined to comment.

‘WWE 2K24’ refines what came before it

2KSports’ latest WWE game is yet another step up from past years

Jacob Politte MANAGING EDITOR

Continuing the goodwill that they’ve been trying to build back up since the disastrous “WWE 2K20” game years ago, 2KSports and Visual Concepts have another great game on their hands in “WWE 2K24.” The graphics in the game are some of the best ever. That being said, besides the innovation of including some new match types and substantial gameplay improvements, certain aspects of the game continue to feel stale and in desperate need of an overhaul.

The 2K Showcase needs a major overhaul

Let’s start with one of the most heavily advertised modes in the game. This year’s 2K Showcase centers on “40 Years of WrestleMania” with 21 matches spread across the last 4 decades ready to be replayed move-bymove. The first problem is that, quite frankly, they could have picked better matches for the most part. That, and some of the matches that are available to play have already been a part of multiple WWE 2K games.

Take, for example, the match between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin from WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001. This game marks the third time in the last 10 years that the match is a part of a Showcase. The same goes for the match between Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13, which suffers from the same fatigue, and other matches from the earlier eras that have already appeared in a 2K game.

In addition, likely due to not wanting to pay people royalties for appearing in the game, and in some cases, specific directives not to feature them at certain times, there are an absurd amount of faces and logos blurred during portions of the game where footage is shown to the point where things seem more distracting than immersive. This includes any and all referees, ring announcers, timekeepers, former President of the United States Donald Trump and currently disgraced former owner Vince McMahon.

Granted, the 2K team probably had their hands tied in a lot of ways. There are certain performers’ likenesses that they legally can’t use anymore because they have either passed away or they work for different companies. That being said, 2K probably should have gone for a different kind of Showcase mode if that was the case. Perhaps, though, it may be time to scrap it all together. It’s long outlived its usefulness, especially with its fan base finally beginning to shun the past and embrace the future.

MyRise is a bit weird, but still fun

Where the “Showcase” mode falters, the “MyRise” mode once again thrives, although this years stories are a bit weaker than those from last year.

That being said, MyRise offers two engaging, largely serialized narratives that can’t be found in ShowCase mode,

and takes full advantage of its current roster. The true equivalent of a “Season Mode” but spread out over multiple years, it allows for the game developers to truly show off their creative chops and while the results can be cheesy, the mode is almost always full of life.

The men’s story is probably the most engrossing, but the overarching premise that looms over the proceedings is strange. The longest reigning champion of the modern era, Roman Reigns, willingly surrenders his title and leaves the business for Hollywood but continuously bullies you when you try and fill his shoes and reach the heights that he did. Roman is arguably the most important star in the company and has been for several years, so including him heavily in this mode makes sense.

The women’s story has the same initial premise as the Men’s story from last year, with a slight twist. This year, an indie wrestler who built her own company finally gets her big break, and has to navigate her way up to the top. It’s a much more simple premise, at least initially, but it’s still as fun to play as you may expect.

Overall, the stories could have been a bit better this year, but they’re still creative enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.

MyGM continues to improve

MyGM mode, where you book and promote your own brand on a weekly basis, once again greatly improves from last year’s offering, which had greatly improved on the inaugural outing before it. For those not acquainted with it, the allure of the mode is essentially running the business side of things, and this year, includes the ability to book more diverse match types, more championship titles for your roster to compete for and features even more brands to compete against. In a way, the mode is more challenging because of these aspects; superstars are more subject to injury and the money a brand has to work can’t accommodate every superstar, match or even event.

If anything, a successful MyGM season relies heavily on booking well-balanced shows and paying attention to one’s fiscal budget. Not every disgruntled superstar can get the $100,000 bonus they demand or the pay they’re asking for. This year also introduces new scenarios such as talent and cash trading opportunities, which help enhance the mode and make every decision count much more.

The game’s annual Universe mode is, as usual, also a bit confusing and a bit of a waste of time, but it also is essentially MyGM without the limitations of the financial aspects. Players may be less stressed with this mode.

Gameplay and new match types can’t be scoffed at

As for the gameplay itself, the graphics don’t appear to have changed much on a surface level, and like its predecessor the game is still a lot less glitchy than many previous entries in the series. The game’s extensive combo system is still a bit challenging to deal

with, especially during the Showcase mode where certain objectives can only be met by performing combos perfectly. But punching and kicking alone won’t fill your stamina meter that allows you to perform your signature and finishing moves. The combo system needs simplifying, but it’s a necessary evil during gameplay.

Another fun addition is a new “Trading Strikes” mini-game where you and your opponent must press a button at the correct meter to land a blow. This allows a fun exchange as you try to get the better of your opponent and take control of the match.

After the successful implementation of the WarGames Match last year, this year’s game introduces four new match types: the Ambulance Match, the Casket Match, the Gauntlet match and the Special Guest Referee Match.

The Ambulance Match and Casket Match are really fun new additions, both of which revolve around trapping your opponent in those objects. The Special Guest Referee Match can be the most fun, but if you intend to screw over one of the competitors, it’s best to

use a wrestler in the role and turn the referee meter off in the match options. The Gauntlet match can be a little daunting, but only if you set it to feature a higher number of competitors.

As with every addition of the game there are a few inaccuracies when it comes to the talent and arenas that are featured, although the former isn’t really the fault of the game developers. That’s because the characters in the game change their personas rather frequently, although it’s really not a massive issue this year due to the consistency of the television product. It’s also worth noting that an extended roster is on the way, with multiple groups of downloadable characters and even arenas still to come.

WWE 2K24 refines every single ounce of all of the hard work put into this franchise over the years, but it still can be improved. While the gameplay is solid, and they have a winning formula, it’s time to take a serious look at the Showcase Mode and make some big changes in the coming years, and perhaps make some tweaks to other modes or scrap them entirely.

WWE 2K24 RATING:

OPINIONS 10

What is Democracy?

IJACK JURSNICH staff

believe it is worthwhile to understand that democracy is a system of governance where the majority of the public have the power to make decisions. Ideas, elections, power, politics can all be persuaded by the majority of free public expression. From the birthplace of democracy in Athens, Greek philosopher Plato wrote how justice -- a staple of democracy -- is described by those who name it, and that the majority defines what is right and what is wrong. Are majority-based decisions a fair assessment of what the whole believes? If the majority dictates what is good or bad, should their decision be set as the norm? Or even the law?

I hope that I am not the only one seeing the flaws in this form of government, making decisions based on a majority is a recipe for disaster. Just look at examples from the history of race relations in America or the rise of Nazi Germany, where a majority favored decisions and ideas at the expense that a minority would suffer from ostracization or slavery. The NSDAP or the Nazi Party gained majority power by appealing to the working class, promising anti-bourgeoisie policies, then converted Germany’s democracy into a dictatorship by siding with the bourgeoisie.

In America, a majority aligned with anti-slavery rhetoric during and before the Civil War, but still a majority remained in favor of segregation for another century after the abolition of slavery. Despite what we see now from these events, the minorities of these two nations suffered from the democratic ruling of their majorities, whether or not the majority knew the consequences of their decisions.

So, should we instead favor the minority?

Absolutely not, for it would only turn the tables and reverse the polarization. The same problems would emerge by a minority-ruling, so to favor the minority out of spite for the majority doesn’t guarantee that the minority knows any better.

On a larger scale like national elections, majorities and minorities could be made of large numbers of people, and potentially the two could be equal. In a vote like 50-50, one person could swap sides and win the vote, but in that case of 51-49, does the minority have to face the consequences that the majority beset on them? 49% is still a large population. Even if the vote is flipped, 51% is even bigger. How does that sound fair?

Another staple of democracy is the right to speak freely but tie that with majority-based decisions, then democracy would only favor those with the

Fact Check: J.K. Rowling’s

THUM

J.K. Rowling descended to a new low of bigotry on March 13. On that Wednesday, she denied aspects of the Holocaust on Twitter/X. Specifically, she denied that transgender people were targeted in the Holocaust and that research into them was burned. So, because she refused to acknowledge that important aspect of history, I will do so.

On July 6, 1919, during the days of the Weimar Republic (a period of German history before Hitler’s time), the world’s first institute for sexual research was founded by Magnus Hirschfeld, a Jewish gay man.

The Institute of Sexology was groundbreaking for its time. It held research on sexuality, sexual health, and gender. The institute performed a variety of services for the transgender community, including hair removal, early forms of facial masculinization

louder voice. Decisions could be made by whoever has the bigger mob.

An example of mob rule is in the case of Socrates in ancient Greece. Socrates enjoyed asking questions about others’ beliefs and picking at their ignorance. In fact, it was Socrates who made the discussions about justice I mentioned earlier that Plato had written. Plato was the student of Socrates and wrote The Republic, one of many dialogues from Socrates, but even with the eventual success of

Socratic dialogues, Socrates was revered among the Greek public. Despite how well he was able to assess and reveal truths in those he questioned, the people chose to kill him out of their annoyance. Socrates accepted his death because he knew that is what the majority of the public wanted, showcasing directly the consequences of mob rule. The example here is that direct democracy does not always favor right or wrong, it only favors the majority, even if it means killing the minority.

If my writing suggests that I am not in favor of democracy, I want to make it clear that I cherish its benefits in that free expression and power among the people should flourish. Little to no progress can be made in a society where there are restrictions to democratic freedoms especially if those freedoms are restricted by a majority rule. Just because an individual is born with liberties does not give them the authority to subjugate another individual’s liberties. No one is equal in person like they are in their natural liberties, just as no group can have more natural liberties than any individual. However, the protection of a person’s liberties is not practical for a direct democracy because an individual liberty can be overruled by a majority. Only in a republic is the representation and the protection of one’s natural liberties more practical.

America was founded as a democratic republic,

Holocaust Denialism

and feminization surgeries and even performed the world’s first modern sexual reassignment surgery. The institute pioneered the world’s understanding of transgender people, including what we now call non-binary identities, and convinced police to give out “transvestite certificates” as a way to stop the arrests of transgender and gender nonconforming individuals.

On May 6, 1933, the German Student Union descended on the institute and destroyed much of what was inside then later pulled the research and books outside and burned them all with the belief that they were “ungerman” and “indecent.”

The unification of Germany introduced “Paragraph 175” which banned sexual acts between men. However under the Nazi’s rule, they updated it and enforced it heavily to prosecute gay men and transgender women. Other queer and transgender people were labeled as “asocials” and forced to wear black were targeted

a system of government complete with checks and balances, and a set of laws based on a foundational Constitution, with the mission to protect all natural liberties and to govern through representatives elected by the public. Similar to a democracy, decisions within a republic are made by the people, though mainly through their representatives and under the limitations of the Constitution. No longer can natural liberties be trampled by a majority vote, the Constitution provides protection to those liberties.

Of course, as is known from all American history, a Constitution can be flawed, but amendments can be made with precision and respect to the founding document. For example, the First Amendment is widely known to be the most important, but having the 13th, 15th, and 19th Amendments seem just as important then as they do now, though overthrowing or rewriting the Constitution isn’t necessary in order to make those changes. The Constitution is meant to be updated relatively with respect to its foundation of upholding the liberties of all people. Disregarding the liberties of women and people of color is unconstitutional, which is why their voting rights were eventually recognized in their respective amendments.

America’s current government can only work if democracy and the republic are executed together. Without democracy, representatives can become isolated from the public and govern to their own accord; without the republic, a majority-rule can topple anything to their liking. I hear too much of how our “democracy is under threat,” but I don’t believe that democracy has been universally understood. When I hear President Biden during the recent State of the Union say things like “democracy is under threat,” Republicans shout the name “Laken Riley” while Democrats boo and shout “Shut up!”

When I hear both presidential nominees playing into the importance of free speech and discussion, yet they both make no effort to debate with their opponents, then it makes me doubt they know what democracy means.

What benefit is there to democracy if only one faction is given room to talk, if only one side can define the terms of free expression, or if no one talks at all?

I have no complete solution to these issues other than to simply talk and learn from one another, but I think a good treatment in achieving the best results from our current democratic republic is to never forget what it is: both a democracy and a republic. Without the balance of the other, then they both fail on their own terms.

through cross dressing, child abuse, and/or public disturbance laws, and intersex individuals were arrested and killed as disabled. 100,000 pink triangle prisoners were arrested through paragraph 175, with 7-10% being put in concentration camps as “repeat offenders.”

Historian Geoffrey Giles found that around 65% of them were killed. We don’t know the extent of gender nonconforming and transgender individuals because of them being classed in other groups.

When the Allies liberated Germany, things didn’t get much better. The surviving prisoners were simply moved to different prisons to live out their sentence. During the rebuilding of Germany, West Germany kept the updated Paragraph 175, while East Germany reverted it back to the

J.K. Rowling is a bigot, but she is not an idiot. This is simply an attempt at denying the existence of transgender people and saying those who identify as transgender as perverts and deviants.

original. The allies arrested another 100,000 men and transgender women until 1969. To add salt to the wound, queer individuals never got acknowledgment, compensation, or justice until 2002, and transgender people didn’t receive recognition until 2022.

LILLIAN

staff

Cruz Talks College’s new eSports Program

Robert Cruz talks about his passion for eSports and the benefits it can bring

LILLIAN THUM STAFF

St. Louis Community College recently started a new eSports program spearheaded by Robert Cruz. Cruz was a competitive player on the University of Minnesota’s Overwatch team, after graduating he returned home to Florida and became an important face in the local eSports community.

“I just recently moved here, I got involved in eSports,” he said. “About seven years ago, I played on the University of Minnesota’s Overwatch team while I was there, [...] [those were] amazing times. And those are some of the best individuals I’ve ever met in my life and we’re still lifelong friends to this day. And I still participate in a lot of their stuff, the eSports at Minnesota, and I’m involved in several different ways.”

After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruz moved back to his home state of Florida and through working at the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department, he continued to engage with E-Sports.

“There, he said, “I worked with an obstacle program. They were looking to start an eSports program specifically because partner recreation eSports at the time was growing. And so I was involved with creating their eSports program there.”

A few years down the road, he saw an opening at STLCC to build an eSports program and took it. The program likely will include games like Overwatch, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros with other possibilities being Valorant, Counter Strike Two, Apex Legends, and Hearthstone. Cruz says he is not adverse to adding more games to the program, but it all depends on student feedback.

Of these games there will be three tiers. Tier one is competing at a varsity level, Tier Two is competing at a junior varsity level, and Tier Three will be open for everyone and will be the most hands off.

Speaking to just how open for admission that third tier is, Cruz said “It’s really looking for anybody who is from the [college’s community,

including] faculty, alumni, staff as well, who want to participate in the game. And I really liked that idea. Because what it does is it expands it more out. So I think having that as an option is something that’s pretty unique. And this is also something that could be a pipeline for recruiting purposes as well. We could open up teams for high school teams to compete and really, they get that additional experience.”

To increase the abilities of the team, training will include videos of players and going over what to do differently as well as training matches. Cruz does see one current obstacle that he hopes to have rectified before the program kicks into high gear.

“I will say,” he said, “that there’s a lot of single player, individual solo competitive events that we could participate in. Super Smash Ball is the easiest one.”

The program will truly begin to kick into that high gear in the fall semester, and Cruz said that the planning for everything up to now has gone fairly smoothly.

“So a lot of the structure that’s going to be going into the program is already kind of laid out for us with the governing organizations,” he said. “They have their particular schedules and timelines and they put it out pretty early right now.”

Cruz also said that a scholarship may be offered for varsity team members, although the detailed specifics of the scholarship are still being worked out.

“So the scholarship is mainly gonna be for the varsity as of right now, it depends on a lot in the scholarship funds,” he said. “Every sport has a particular amount of scholarships that they can handle. And so it’s gonna be on the basis, as well. So if there’s a particular role that we’re looking to build, we are going to be heavily involved in utilizing those if need be. All that is still being sorted out, but we are going to have them coming in.”

The program is open to participants from all of the college’s campuses, but it will be hosted at the South County campus. Those interested in joining this eSports program can contact Cruz at rcruz9@stlcc.edu.

SUBMITTED

SPORTS 12

STLCC Yoga Instructor Keeps the Faith

HEATHER KENYON CONTRIBUTOR

Originally from Springfield, Missouri, Bethany Bogosian was a child of a blended family with five siblings. “I was a really shy kid”, Bogosian began, with a slight chuckle. A yoga instructor at STLCC-Meramec, Bogosian said she never would’ve expected she’d turn out the way she did.

“Depression had a big effect on upbringing”, Bogosian said, her tone softening as she delved into her past. Though she wasn’t diagnosed until college, she said as early as age 13 she struggled with depression but didn’t know it, living with her dad in Springfield. Once in college, Bogosian said, she saw a psychiatrist and was officially diagnosed. “Always called myself a late bloomer, socially for sure,” she said about her upbringing, as she brushed her nearly hip-length red hair to the side.

Bogosian also grew up with a few religious influences. Her dad’s side is Baptist, and her mother’s side is 7thday Adventist. As a teenager, Bogosian also attended Alateen meetings, created for teens struggling with a family member’s substance abuse. Bogosian found aspects of spirituality within these meetings, she said, her hands gesturing gently. “The influence of 12-step program meetings raised my consciousness,” she said.

When she was 19, she came across the School of Metaphysics in Webster, and attended those meetings for about 9 months, Bogosian said, acknowledging the impact of spirituality on her life. “I’m a really spiritual person,” she added. She explained that the meetings included discussions on spirituality, reincarnation, concentration, and mindfulness.

“I hated school,” Bogosian said with a wry grin. “I just wanted to work, make money, move out of my parent’s house,” she said. Bogosian described herself as pretty independent.

Bogosian ultimately didn’t graduate college until she was 31 and transitioned to work in education, teaching kindergarten and first grade for 15 years, at a local private school. “Whenever I get a chance I work with kids,” she said.

Bogosian was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2009, she said, from which she has recovered. However, in that time, she practiced yoga when recovering from a major 7-hour surgery, she said. “That’s when I really started, I was evolving, I was growing,” she said.

She would often take yoga classes, she said, and got to be friends with one of her teachers, who urged her to become a yoga teacher herself. “I’m not advanced; I can’t do that,” Bogosian initially said. However, in her last year of teaching kindergarten, she received certification for teaching yoga to children.

When she left teaching grade school, she acquired her job at STLCC Meramec, teaching yoga to college students. Right after that, Bogosian founded “Yoga for You!”-a nonprofit organization aimed at making yoga accessible to underserved communities and at-risk youth. Bogosian was initially discouraged and mentioned she was afraid she couldn’t do it at first. She put it on the back burner for a few years, but when the Child Development Learning Center was added to Meramec, “It hit me, I’m going to do it, I’m going to go back to

my nonprofit,” she said confidently.

“I’ve got more to do, more to give,” Bogosian said when reflecting on her nonprofit. “I just want to be out there and heal, and I want them to find joy and peace,” she said.

As Bogosian reflects on her journey, she acknowledges the transformative power of self-discovery and personal growth. “I have to get over myself, over my self-doubt and low self-esteem, just feeling of not being enough and just work my way out of it, “ she said, her voice steady. Through her personal journey of self-discovery, she has

developed a deep sense of purpose and a commitment to ongoing growth, aiming to positively influence those she encounters, she said.

“I learn from my students; I learn from everything,” Bogosian said. Looking ahead, Bogosian remains driven by her passion and purpose for helping others as she says, “If you pay attention you’ll find it, it’ll be right there, it’ll be put right in front of you.” When asked to relay one message to young students, Bogosian smiled, and shared, “Keep the faith baby, keep the faith.”

STLCC Extends Fitness Center Hours in PE 105-106

JACOB POLITTE MANAGING EDITOR

Just after the conclusion of Spring Break, STLCC’s Fitness Centers expanded its hours for free use amongst STLCC students, staff and faculty. While the Wildwood campus has been left without a campus fitness center, the rest of the college’s campuses host one, including Meramec.

Alec Reeves, one of the attendants on duty at the Meramec location, said the center had previously been open from 11:00am to 4:00pm in the two and a half months prior to the extended hours being instituted. He’s noticed an increased amount of foot traffic in the room lately.

“It’s picking up,” Reeves said. He also said that classes are still hosted in the facility.

The Meramec location is located, fittingly, in the PE Building on its bottom floor. It’s open every Monday through Friday from 7:00am until 4:00pm. On the college’s website, Meramec’s Fitness Center is described as being “perfect for all of your fitness goals providing a full-body

Cybex circuit, dual-adjustable pulley machine, four-station functional training studio, multi-station cable unit, group training suspension bays, four squat-racks, dumbbells and barbells up to 100lbs and a full line of cardio equipment.”

Before using the equipment, participants need to register for and undergo a few brief training modules that go over the Fitness Center’s policies, as well as general fitness and workout information. Registration for these modules can be accessed through the college’s website. The modules, collectively, shouldn’t take longer than 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Once a participant has completed the course, they’ll need to fill out some additional information and complete a liability waiver.

When arriving at the Fitness Center for the first time, participants will need to inform the attendant on duty that it is their first visit and that they have completed this course. At that point, the attendant will

verify that the appropriate documents are in order and may ask for additional registration information that will be entered into the Center’s check-in system. Participants will need to be photographed, and then will receive a key tag that they’ll use to scan in each time they use equipment in the Fitness Center after.

While the training modules can be

seamlessly completed online, they also can be completed in person at the fitness center if one so chooses.

Any patron who has any additional questions should contact the Fitness Center Coordinator Tony Dattoli at adattoli@stlcc.edu or Faculty Supervisor Joe Swiderski at jswiderski@stlcc.edu.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY BETHANY BOGOSIAN