01 28 16 full issue by The Montage

THE

M O N TA G E Academic Restructuring Provost: A chief academic executive officer. Combines the positions of campus president and vice president of academic affairs. Responsibilities include overseeing faculty and execution of curriculum.

1 0 2 y l u J

July 2015 Jeff Pittman selected as fi fth chancellor of STLCC in ten years.

of n o i t c Sele ts s o v o r sp campu omplete. ec b o t t se

To Be Annou n

ced

Roles and responsibilitie s of deans and department c hairs discussed.

Graphic by Marissa Diercks

STLCC Administration creates provost positions for campuses Dalila Kahvedzic Editor-In-Chief

STLCC began altering their administrative structure when former Meramec and Wildwood campus president, Pam McIntyre, retired in July 2015 after her 29year career at STLCC. The greatest change in administration since then was a new chancellor, Chancellor Jeff Pittman, who was hired in July

2015. He is the fifth chancellor at STLCC within 10 years. This semester, however, administration is again undergoing major academic restructuring. STLCC is consolidating two positions, which will result in a new one — a provost. This position combines the campus president and vice president of academic affairs. Forest Park, Florissant Valley and Meramec are each set to welcome a provost by July 1 of this year. Wildwood will

welcome an associate provost. “We have a lot of instability, not just in the chancellor’s office but also at the campus levels. We’ve had different presidents and interim presidents,” Associate professor of English, Michael Burke said. There is much concern as to what will happen next, but the Academic Affairs Structure Focus Group (AASFG) is working to streamline the campus level overhead, Burke said. “Our first challenge, the

one that Dr. Pittman gave us, was to think about ways that we could streamline the campus level overhead,” Burke said. “His idea, which a lot of other community colleges that have multiple campuses like we do use, is this idea of a provost.” STLCC has three relatively good-sized campuses (Meramec, Florissant Valley and Forest Park) and Wildwood, a smaller campus. Wildwood has always been treated as a separate entity, Burke said.

VOLUME 51, ISSUE 8 | THURSDAY Jan. 28, 2016 | www.meramecmontage.com

“We spent a lot of time getting feedback from faculty first on this idea of a provost — could we combine these two positions and what would be deemed or lost by that,” Burke said. A couple months later, the committee went back out to the faculty and said ‘if we decide that we have some number of provosts, what would the right number be,’ Burke said. With a fair amount of feedback from people college

Continued on page 2

NEWS

First provosts set to join STLCC in July Continued from page 1 Dalila Kahvedzic Editor-In-Chief

wide, the decision the committee came to was to have a provost in each of the large campuses — Forest Park, Florissant Valley and Meramec — and then to give Wildwood an associate provost, Burke said. There is a slight difference in pay between a provost and associate provost because an associate provost has control over fewer faculty members. Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Andrew Langer put together a committee to review job descriptions and advertisements for the four provosts. One committee will hire for four positions as opposed to a separate committee for each campus. This is a pretty big change from the way it has been done before, Burke said. “We’re doing that for a couple of reasons. One is speed. It just make things easier if you can say ‘here’s the top six guys.’ The committee can send those names to the board and say ‘here’s our recommendations on where they should go,’” Burke said. The provosts may apply until February. The hiring process is set to begin in late February or early March. “The idea would be that all four of these positions would be filled and have someone in place in each of them by the first of July,” Burke said. Some of the responsibilities of the provost would include overseeing the faculty, the execution of the curriculum; being a part of the student appeals process, being on the promotion and sabbatical committees, Burke said. The provost would also have some of the overhead pieces such as the business office, the library and the academic program. “I think the provost needs to be a leader and have a vision for the college and the campus that they are on,” Acting Vice President of Academic Affairs

Associate Professor of English Michael Burke teaches his 12 p.m. ENG 102 Composition Class in CN 227.

Janet Walsh said. “I think they also need to understand how the academic side of the house functions and operates and all the little details. They don’t need to be involved in the day to day details,

“I think the provost needs to be a leader and have a vision for the college” necessarily — but somebody that knows about curriculum.” The other piece of this process is the student affairs side, Burke said. “Each campus right now has a vice president for student affairs position, but not all of those are filled,” Burke said. “We have one, Forest Park has one, Flo Valley has an interim and Wildwood has never had that position — they have kind of a lead person who worries about student affairs stuff,” Burke said. Student affairs are in development, Burke said. The college just went through a search process to find

EDITORS Dalila Kahvedzic Jason Waters Katie Hayes Brittney Farrow Katie Leicht Christian Hargas Marissa Diercks Ashley Biundo Christaan Eayrs

Editor-In-Chief Production Manager News Editor Opinions Editor Art & Life Editor Sports Editor Graphics Editor Photo Editor Faculty Adviser

Proud member of Jan. 28, 2016

a vice chancellor for student affairs. A candidate was chosen who has agreed verbally to accept an offer that has been made. “Once she comes then I think we’re going to see some reorganization on the student

affairs side,” Burke said. Different models have been tried over the years that have not worked as well as hoped, Burke said. The committee is now trying to streamline the process and make it easier for students so they do not see things such as a line coming out of the financial aid office on the day classes start. “The next level is how much of our current structure do we retain. Do we make any changes?” Burke said. The current thinking of the chancellor is to put the provost in place and then

MONTAGE STAFF James Claiborne Lexie Keller Redwan Saeed Patrick Niehaus Evan Carlen Katelyn Ericson

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www.meramecmontage.com

start to figure out what kind of changes — if any — are to be made with dean and department chairs, Burke said. The AASFA committee is currently going through the two major policy documents; the board policy and the administrative procedures, Burke said. These are the nuts and bolts of how the college works and is about 200 pages. “These are documents we’ve had for years and pieces of them have been modified over time but what we’re doing right now is going through and saying ‘okay, now that we’ve decided we’re going to have a provost at each campus, what changes do we need to make in these two documents to make sure that all the titles that we use in there are right for the different structure,’” Burke said. The assumption is that deans and department chairs will be kept, Burke said. “It takes us hours, it’s a lot of work and there’s five of us — one representative for each campus,” Burke said. “Some stuff was revised 15 years ago, some stuff was revised two years ago, so we find all kinds of things that are in there that we don’t do anymore and then there’s

Photo By Ashley Biundo

stuff that we do that aren’t in there, so it’s a complicated task.” These are pretty big changes, but all of this is moving in the right direction, Burke said. “I think it’s going to be a messy couple of years until we’re done with all this,” Burke said. “What I think we’re trying to do is make sure that we don’t do anything that’s really disruptive to the student experience. We want the students to feel like they’re well taken care of and they get what they want, they get what they need from us.” A Higher Learning Commission is coming in spring of 2018, Walsh said. “The provost needs to understand a higher learning commission’s criteria that we’re going to be assessed on when they come for their visit and help make sure that all of those pieces are in place,” Walsh said. Walsh hopes that students do not see a change. “I’m hoping that the change in our structure — that students don’t see a change as far as that goes I don’t think it should — whether we have a president or a vice president or a provost, it shouldn’t make any difference in the student’s academic career here,” Walsh said.

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NEWS

Stop signs on South Geyer Road set to remain for 90-day trial

Kirkwood Police Department conducts study to determine safest solution to speeding Katie Hayes News Editor

South Geyer Road is a commonly used route for many Meramec students, but traffic slowed down considerably this semester. On Dec. 7, 2015, two three-way stop signs were installed on South Geyer Road for a 90-day trial period. Speed of traffic caused concern for residents with children who board the school buses on South Geyer Road. A resident presented the Kirkwood City Council with a petition for a solution to speeding traffic. However, the stop signs have received mixed reviews from residents as well as students and faculty from Meramec. “I wanted to do an analysis and then, at the end of it, I wanted to look the citizens right in the eye and say ‘we can do this or we can’t,’” Kirkwood Police Chief Jack Plummer said. “It’s real important to me that we go as far as we can when a request comes in.” The Kirkwood Police Department wants to conduct research for two weeks while Meramec classes are in session. An additional week will be dedicated to do some other accounts. The rest of the time is reserved for analyzing the information gathered.

During this time, Chief Plummer does not plan to change the amount of patrol on Geyer. “As we’re doing the study, we’re trying not to influence anything,” Plummer said. “You know, if we put extra patrol while the study is in progress, it’s gonna taint the numbers and if we don’t do any patrols, it has a tendency or a possibility of tainting numbers.” The aim of the analysis is to determine how people truly drive, not how they drive when an officer watches them. “If we sit there, people are gonna drive different,” Plummer said. “To come up with the right answer, we have to have good information. We don’t wanna alter the information.” On Jan. 18, there was an incident at one of the stop signs, between two cars.One of the women involved went to the hospital. “We’re finding that a lot of people roll through because they don’t want to really slow down,” Mayor Arthur McDonnell said. We’ve gotten a lot of feedback. There have been a lot of people who live on Geyer and also, we’ve gotten some communication from the community college itself, McDonnell said. Kirkwood City Hall received six complaints from Meramec faculty and staff regarding the stop signs. “I would hope that the city would reconsider their

Campus Briefs The Student Center Cafeteria evacuated on Jan. 26. during the Campus Expo after students at the club tables began coughing. Students believed another student accidentally sprayed mace. Campus Police responded within minutes, and asked students if they were injured or needed an ambulance. Officers aired out the building. The cafeteria store closed for the day after the incident. The Meramec Campus Police Department denied an interview.

Board of Trustee member, Derek Novel, took a tour of the Meramec campus on Jan. 26. He is running for re-election in April for a six-year term. “I have filed (for reelection) so over the next several weeks I’ll be attending different campuses,” Novel said.

decision and remove both of these signs that appease only a few and inconvenience many,” wrote Meramec Theatre Manager Richard Moore. Geyer Road is a road that not only the junior college students use and professors and so forth, but a lot of other people use it to get to Watson Rd. So there is a lot of traffic coming south as well and coming home from work, McDonnell said. “I think probably in the next couple weeks, the city council will discuss what is happening and we’ll probably get a report from the police department about the numbers,” McDonnell said. There are a lot of people living along there who do not like the stop signs. It is just a question of evaluating the safety of the children and the people who live on the street, McDonnel said. The highway department and people from the railroad are looking into backups on the railroad tracks because of traffic. Maybe lights are green and people are maybe on the tracks, but you know if the light changes then those cars are stuck there, McDonnell said. Stopping on the railroad tracks is a ticketable offense, although it is uncommon to see cars on the tracks during a red light. “We’ll just have to see about that, whether people have started to take a different way to get to their destination,” McDonnell said.

One of two stop sign on South Geyer Road.

The analysis is scheduled to last 90 days, but may be finished sooner. “It will be close to [90 days] by the time we’re finished,” Plummer said. “I don’t think it will be quite 90 days, but it will be close to that.” If the study ends early, and the decision is to remove the signs, they may be taken down early, Plummer said. “I’m not sure if we’ll come up with a popular decision, but we’ll come up with the right decision,” Plummer said. One of the issues with signs — or anything else really

Photo by Dalila Kahvedzic

with streets and governments and police departments — is that people, for the most part, they love something or they hate something, Plummer said. “The most important thing from my end, is we owe the citizens the best answer we can get them,” Plummer said. “At the end of it, I want to be able to tell the mayor and the council and all, but I want to tell the citizens ‘I’ll give you the best answer we have.’ You may not like it, you may like it, but I know I’ll give you the best answer I can give you.”

Date of nonpayment penalty extended for spring Decrease in number of students dropped for nonpayment James Claiborne Staff Writer

STLCC-Meramec extended the dropped for nonpayment date from Dec. 11 to Jan. 6 for the spring 2016 semester. Dec. 11, 2015 was the original payment or payment plan deadline. However, after evaluating the campus nonpayment list, there was a large amount of students who had not paid or made payment arrangements for the spring semester, Acting Vice President of Academic Affairs Janet Walsh said. There were two calling campaigns on campus to reach out to students, Walsh said. December was when the first calling campaign took place and there were more than 1500 calls made to students as a reminder for them to make payment arrangements, Walsh said. The second campaign took place in January for about 915 students. Nine-hundred and fifteen students were not dropped though, it was more like 400, Walsh said. Messages were left for many students, but she had the pleasure to talk with many students who were appreciative that they got the phone call and said thank you and that they forgot it was coming up because they were busy with the holidays. In her opinion it was successful, Walsh said. “The penalty day is a fluid day because what we had done in the

past wasn’t working well. It didn’t serve our students,” Walsh said. We changed it this semester to be more student friendly. Students dropped from classes for nonpayment is down by 2.2 percent, Walsh said. We will take a look at our process for this semester and determine if it was a good process. Do we want to continue it or do we want to do something different for the next semester, Walsh said. There is not yet a definite decision if this approach will continue. After we get over the initial busiest first couple of days of

classes, then we will start having conversations about what worked what did not work or if we want to do the same thing, Walsh said. “Our email open rate is very low on this campus, or district wide, not just the Meramec campus and it’s like less than 10% of students who open up my.stlcc email,” Walsh said. In the past, students were dropped from their classes who did not meet the financial aid requirements. Now, students are not dropped from their classes if they make a good faith effort and made payment arrangements, or paid in full, Walsh said.

Photo by James Claiborne

Students pay for spring semester classes at Cashier’s Office in Clark Hall.

Jan. 28, 2016

OPINIONS

Addiction is not a crime

As the stigma dissipates, our prevention becomes more effective Katie Hayes News Editor

There is a call to end the stigma of drug addiction as a moral failing and, as a nation, we are finally ready to listen. The War on Drugs attempted to eradicate the production, distribution and consumption of drugs made illegal by the UN. While this initiative seems sound in theory, practice proved differently. One thing overlooked by former U.S. President Richard Nixon is that the majority of people considered criminals by our country are truly victims of addiction. Addiction is a type of mental illness, not a crime. The leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. is drug overdose. These deaths result mainly from opioid use which includes heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl and others. Heroin is the drug which kills the most people each year, and the amount of lives it takes increases annually. The gateway drugs, though, are the ones prescribed by doctors for treating pain; one of these drugs is Vicodin. Most states have a program in place to ensure patients are not over prescribed these drugs,

as they can lead to heroin use. In Missouri however, we do not have a prescription drugmonitoring program which would prevent opioid use. We are the only state in the country that does not have one. That is something to think about -- out of 50 states, 49 have prescription drug-monitoring programs, we are the one that does not. U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill is pushing for a program in Missouri, but we do not yet have one in place. The main point though is that as a nation, we are finally asking candidates about ending an epidemic. During the 2012 presidential election, citizens talked about the legalization of marijuana more than the drugs that kill their users. Even the candidates attempted to place emphasis on prevention of use as opposed to incarceration. This time around, America is listening. With the rate of heroin deaths on the rise, we finally are asking the candidates about drug policy reform. We have already heard from both the republican and democratic candidates in 2016. Nearly every candidate spoke about viewing drug addiction as a mental illness instead of a crime. Although opioid use is less stigmatized among Millennials, that stigma recedes only while conversing with each other, not

Illustration by Marissa Diercks

those from separate generations. The stigma exists, but it exists in our parents’ generation and

politics. As the political discussion shifts, our willingness to openly discuss the epidemic and effective

means of prevention increase. This is something we should be proud of. Well done, America.

to be active. In St. Louis, the city is more urban. This keeps a lot of people indoors. Because it is always sunny and there is so much for people to do outdoors, the society there is much more active and healthy. St. Louis has the Arch, Forest Park and many other attractions that make the city awesome. Denver has the Rocky Mountains — which top anything we have because of their infinite beauty. I liked it so much in Denver that I now cheer for

their professional sports teams. The people of Denver seem to be friendlier than the people of St. Louis for some reason. I believe it is because of the sheer beauty of the nature around them. How could someone be mad when they walk outside and the view looks like a desktop background? There is so much to explore there from Colorado Springs all the way to Rocky Mountain National Park. You can check out Canon City and walk across the

Royal Gorge Bridge, which is the highest suspension bridge in the United States. Another reason why people are so happy there is because of the legalization of recreational marijuana. Now I know marijuana is a drug, but so is alcohol and that is legal everywhere else. The world we live in is immensely beautiful from its highest peaks to its deepest valleys. There are many unexplored territories that are on this wonderful planet. Do not get me wrong: I love my city. I have lived here almost my whole life and St. Louis is my hometown. Unlike Denver, the place we live is incredibly diverse, which is one of my favorite things about it. I love cheering on the Cardinals and I enjoy doing all the activities that make up St. Louis culture. This city definitely has its own charm. I do not want to knock the place I have lived for so many years because I like it too. Denver is the first place I have ever been outside of St. Louis for a long period of time. Seeing someplace different from where I grew up changed my perspective a lot. Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to see the brighter side of life. For me, Denver was a good place to start.

Feelin’ that Rocky Mountain high

How leaving St. Louis changed my perspective Red Saeed Staff Writer

This past winter break I took a vacation to Denver, Colo. and now I want to move there. Don’t get me wrong; I love my city, but we have nothing on Denver. The way of life there is much more enjoyable than it is here in St. Louis. For starters Denver has 300 days of sunshine. St. Louis weather is unpredictable;

it alternates between the freezing and the blazing hot. The snow-covered tips of the Rocky Mountains can be seen from miles away as you enter Denver. The city is at the forefront of the mountains, so wherever you are in the city you can see the mountain tops in the background. Since the Rocky Mountains are so close to the city, they make for a ton of outdoor activities — from hiking to skiing and everything in between. The scenery inspires people

Photo by Redwan Saeed

Jan. 28, 2016

OPINIONS

Girls just wanna have fun: have your cake and eat it too Giving in to societal demands leads to unhappiness Dalila Kahvedzic Editor-In-Chief

To be a girl in today’s society is tough. Not enough effort or too much effort are both misjudged and misinterpreted when actually, we just need to be ourselves. God forbid we spend our days in sweatpants and eat cake. Societal demands should not define us, but sadly they do. Everywhere we look, whether it is a billboard or social media, there is something about a girl’s image. Do not wear makeup — you are beautiful as is. But, be emotionally stable when somebody points out the acne which lines your face. Be emotionally stable when somebody points out the bags under your eyes or the slight wrinkle on your forehead. Be okay when your flaws are openly noticed. On the other hand, decide to wear makeup, make yourself look ‘beautiful’ or ‘stunning’; with eyeliner wings drawn out perfectly. Your face is glowing. But at the same time, that much makeup is gross; it is false advertising. The way your eyeshadow creases on your eyelid is disgusting and your neck is a different shade than your face, go fix it. That much makeup is why guys have trust issues — why the joke “take her to the pool on the first date” exists. Do not wear a tank top in high school; the boys cannot control themselves and may get distracted. Do not let bra straps show because God forbid the boys know that girls wear bras. God forbid that the piece of lingerie we wear to cover up their favorite parts on a woman shows under our tanktop. But, it is okay for boys to wear whatever they please, especially the shirt with cut off

sleeves to show off their arms. Accept the difference in treatment. Wear the pencil skirt with red high heels because it brings a feeling of confidence, but be okay when the other girls give judgmental glares. Wear it, but accept the fact that guys whistle and howl as you walk by. Stay home to cook and clean; that is what girls are supposed to do after all. What guy will ever want to marry you if you cannot? Let us also discuss breastfeeding in public. It is okay for a woman to pull off her bra at a strip bar or to get beads for Mardi Gras, but as soon as her breasts show when she is doing something completely natural, it is not okay. Why should a woman go out of her way to make you feel comfortable or please you? She is being a mother, which is job enough. Sorry about it. Wait 118 years for the gender pay gap to be closed, and accept the fact that men make more money and you now earn roughly the same amount they did in 2006. Accept misogyny and all the stereotypes. Accept the disgusting, sexist comments. Or, do not accept it. Wear makeup because it makes you feel good, then take it off and be a bum the next day. Be a bum for a week — a month. Do not ever put makeup on again. Wear a tank top with the bra straps showing because, lo and behold, girls have breasts that need comfort and support. Why is it okay for nipples to shown during a wet t-shirt contest but it is not okay for them to show on any other occassion? Why is everyone so offended by the ‘free the nipple’ movement? It is natural, it is the science; the human female body and it is beautiful. I am not advocating for us girls and women to let loose and

wave them all over the place, there is still a great amount of respect that comes with the right time and place to do things, but quit being so afraid. Stop giving into all these wants and needs brought to you by others. Raise your head high when you walk — wear what you want with confidence. Get up, dress up (or do not) and show up. The pressure put on girls to constantly be or look a certain way is exhausting. It is something that no man on the planet Earth will ever understand. These demands are the reason countless girls have low self-esteem and spend way too much time deciding how to do their makeup and what to wear. Tell us we are beautiful when we are not wearing makeup; tell us we make a cute bum. Guys, tell us that we do not need to pretend to be a doll for you. Have dinner ready, have the dishes done. Our egos do not rely on it, but the amount of time we want to spend with you does. To be a girl is a difficult task but to be with an understanding i n d i v i d u a l makes it less so.

Photos by Katie Leicht

Letter to the Editor

Supporting Women’s Rights to Affordable Healthcare

One hundred years ago Margaret Sanger, an activist of women’s rights, started the fight for women’s rights to affordable health care. Sanger played an enormous roll in the founding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Today, the year 2015 we are still fighting for Sanger’s cause. Current government officials, presidential candidates, and a mass of citizens support taking away what Sanger and many others have fought hard for. This group of people wants to take away government funding for Planned Parenthood. Their reasoning is simple; they do not want their tax dollars going to fund abortions. However, if you look at the facts your tax dollars are not funding

abortions they are funding the numerous other services provided by Planned Parenthood. According to Planned Parenthood’s Annual Report three percent of services that Planned Parenthood provides are abortions and are not funded by government funding; abortions are funded by private funding. The government funding supports services such as: contraceptives, cancer screenings and prevention, breast examinations, counseling, STD and STI testing and treatment. Planned Parenthood gives the opportunity for low-income women to have affordable healthcare; it’s not the blood thirsty organization that antiabortionists play them out to be. Anti-abortionist groups have tried

many tactics in order to defund the Planned Parenthood organization of government funding. The most recent of these tactics was the leaking of heavily edited videos of Planned Parenthood employees speaking to one another about profiting from the selling of fetal tissue. Even though these videos were later found to be doctored, a number of government officials and presidential candidates have accepted these videos as the truth. Carly Fiorina, a 2016 presidential candidate saying, “This latest news is tragic and outrageous. This isn’t about ‘choice.’ It’s about profiting on the death of the unborn while telling women it’s about empowerment.” Multiple 2016 presidential candidates have

similar opinions of these videos. Women depend on Planned Parenthood for affordable healthcare and the many services it provides. If this organization were to be defunded it would be taking away the women’s right to affordable healthcare. Before taking the words of the 2016 presidential candidates we will soon all vote for, the true facts and the truth behind this huge debate on funding Planned Parenthood are in need of distribution. I ask that you support Planned Parenthood and support government funding of this remarkable organization by voting in the 2016 presidential election. Morgan Sellman, Student

Jan. 28, 2016

INDEPTH

Jan. 28, 2016

Illustration and Page Design by Jason Waters

INDEPTH

Respect The River Jason Waters | Production Manager “Respect the river” took on a new meaning in St. Louis on December 29, 2015 when the most severe flood in recent history hit Missouri. This sparks questions about how and why flooding of this scale would happen. “The problem is not what the river does, but what we do,” Physical & Engineering Sciences Department Chair Dr. Joachim Dorsch said. “We really ask for that hazard, that catastrophe, to happen.” Downtown St. Louis is built above the flood plain, on the bluffs. This area of the city - built above the flood plain – is safe but much of Greater St. Louis is not. Laclede’s landing is on a slope and

the flat area on the Illinois side is a flood plain. With a lot of water falling in a brief time interval, like in this recent flood, it cannot go fast enough into the ground so it runs off into a creek which goes into a bigger channel and eventually ends up in the Missouri or Mississippi River, Dorsch Said. “Floods are beneficial to the ecosystem around them. New soil developed from the river sediments can improve the quality of the soil.” Dorsch Said. On average, a river system floods every 2.7 years. The small floods are supposed to occur are prevented by levies. “[By building levies] we

basically put a straight jacket on the channel. We don’t want it to move we want to control it but eventually the river will flow over and the flood will be more catastrophic.” When you look at a river system; it’s alive. It’s like an organism, Dorsch said. “You can not blame the river,” Dorsch Said. “The problem with us – humans – being affected by a flood, is that we rebuild houses and developments on the flood plain which is part of the river system. We just need to be more cognizant and not develop the flood plain. It’s inevitable that it will happen again. The next flood will happen again, the same cleanup will again and the same amount of money will be

spent.” It’s the problem that you can buy flood insurance, Dorsch said. “Businesses that built on the floodplain knew that they would be flooded out. They had made a lot of money and there’s no incentive not to build on a floodplain because in the long run they still come out on top in terms of economics.” Don’t buy a house on a flood plain - that’s my advice, Dorsch said. “It’s the old idea that we as humans can control nature,” Dorsch said. “You can maybe do that for awhile, but eventually nature will win over. Cannot blame the river, it’s just a natural reaction.”

Flood Horror Stories from Meramec Students "[My uncle] really couldn't go inside his house for a week and his basement was all flooded, a lot of the stuff in the basement was all damaged so they had to do an inventory and like, get new stuff for it." - Samantha Schaeffer

“The roads by my house were flooded. By Valley Park it wasn’t even a highway anymore. It was just Terrifying.” - Megan Kowalewski

“My friend had to evacuate her apartment complex. They got the majority of their stuff out, but their couches were on stilts.” - Mallory Mason

Photo by Ashley Biundo

Pictured above is the flooding of a neighborhood home in Fenton, Missouri. Like many other houses in the area that were affected by the flood, there was significant damage to the basement.

Flooding Along the Meramec River Location

Time of Crest

Crest Height

Above Flood Stage

Pacific

Wed. Evening

35.5’

+20.5’

Eureka

Thurs. Morning

46.2’

+28.2’

Valley Park

Thurs. Morning

43.0’

+27.0’

Arnold

Thurs. Morning

46.1’

+22.1’ Information from National Weather Service St. Louis

Jan. 28, 2016

ART & LIFE

“It is time that we heard your voice, and protect this planet for future generations.” -Leonardo DiCaprio, Golden Globes 2016

Coffee, donuts and a warm welcome to the new semester First week activities provide a jump start to success Katie Leicht Art & Life Editor

Students received free coffee and donuts on Jan. 19 and 20 as a part of the Welcome Wagon Program hosted by students, staff and faculty. The welcome stations were sporadically placed throughout the campus from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. New students, along with returning students, enjoyed the days with friends and reconnected with past professors and faculty. On Jan. 28, students can check in with the College Registration/Enrollment workshop (CREW) for Check-In Thursday and tell them how their first two weeks of classes went, which is the last of the welcome wagon activities. This event will be held in the Student Center Cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We are your eyes.

We are your inves Photos by Ashley Biundo

Faculty welcoming students back with coffee, donuts and directions to classes for winter welcome week.

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The Montage is a student-run, written and produced campus newspaper that strives to bring the community comprehensive coverage of the news and events affecting the St. Louis Community College at Meramec campus. The Montage staff structure models that of professional newspapers across the world. The role of a student journalist, one that Montage staffers take seriously, is to produce accurate and balanced reporting while serving as the campus watchdog. Although the news surrounding the campus community may not always shed a favorable light on the college’s image, it is the right and obligation of student journalists to report the truth. For more information visit: www.meramecmontage.com

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2016-2017 academic year through April The Montage is currently taking applications for editor positions for the 2015-2016 April 17th, 15,2015: 2016

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The Montage is a student-run, written and produced campus newspaper that strives to bring the community comprehensive coverage of the news and events affecting the St. Louis Community College a staff structure models that of professional newspapers across the world. The role of a student journalist, one that Montage staffers take seriously, is to produce accurate and balanced reporting while servin Although the news surrounding the campus community may not always shed a favorable light on the college’s image, it is the right and obligation of student journalists to report the truth.

Jan. 28, 2016

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ART & LIFE

Zoologist in training: a warm heart for cold blooded creatures Student Stephanie David volunteers for biological science department Katie Leicht Art & Life Editor

Student Stephanie David has a job unlike any other student worker here at Meramec, where she helps Dr. Jason Allen and Matt Bast, both professors in the biology department, take care of the snakes on display in Science West. David aquired this job about a year ago while enrolled in class with Jason Allen. “I took Zoology with Dr. Jason Allen. One day, it was towards the end of the Zoology class semester and we were in the unit on reptiles and amphibians,” David said. “I had just mentioned to someone that I was sitting next to that I wanted to be a herpetologist because when I move on, I wanna work with animals and center on herpetology.” Dr. Allen had overheard David so by the end of that class period, he asked her if she would be interested in working with the snakes, David said. Although her position in caring for the snakes is a job, she volunteers her time. “It’s a volunteer position, I don’t get paid for it, but it’s still considered a student worker job. I basically clean the cages, make sure the snakes are well and alive and I feed them. About two or three times a week, or whenever I can, I come in and just make sure everything is okay, make sure they have their

David holding her favorite snake, Cali and cleaning his cage.

from the other side of the wall. “A lot of people don’t know we have a snake room and alot of people don’t know that anyone takes care of them other than the teachers and they’ll see me in there working,” David said.When in the snake room, David must sign a sheet

“I just think it’s interesting that we have the native snakes of Missouri on display.”

water, make sure they’re clean and various other things,” David said. David feeds the snakes once every month and sometimes it may vary. “It’s the way snakes work and their digestive systems, that’s when they need to be fed, around once a month, or even a little longer than a month,” David said. The snakes are fed small and regular size mice and rats, depending on the snake. Their food is thawed for around 45 minutes, which David also helps take care of. “Everyone always sees me from the hallways and they get really freaked out,” David said. “The snakes need to eat and thats what they do in the wild.” David is able to feed, remove and socialize with most of the snakes in the snake room apart from the venemous snakes. “I am not allowed to do anything with the venemous snakes, like feed them or get them out because of the college and legal issues,” David said. This act is to ensure David’s safety while doing her work inside of the snake room. While accomplishing her tasks in the room, David gets many confused looks through the glass

dating when she did her duties. “Because it is all for experience when I move on, I have a time sheet I fill out when I come in and when I leave. I have to fill out what cages I cleaned and on feeding days mark who I fed and who didnt eat,” David said. With the experience of taking care of these reptiles, it will help her for future job possiblities. “I’m getting experience. It can show that I’ve worked with snakes. And if I want to work at an exoctic pet store, I could show that to them. We have the venemous snakes too,” David said. The fact that David can show she has worked in an envoirment with venemous snakes is some of the best experience one with her plans could get. Although she is working towards her general transfer studies major here at Meramec, her plans for moving on are more centered around what she really wants to do. “I started in 2014 after taking a year off. When I transfer I will be majoring in biology or zoology,” David said. David wants to attend a school in either Carbondale or Edwardsville for now. Whichever school she ends up transfering to, she wants to study a specific area of zoology called

herpetology. A herpetologist is a zoologist that studies reptiles and anphibians, David said. “I’m still not sure if thats exactly what I want to do, I just know that I want to work with animals,” David said. David wants to stay more focused on helping the reptiles and anphibians in a different sense, not in the area of veternary assisstant or medically, David said. “I really want to go more into research or helping endangered species. I don’t know if I’ll stay in Missouri or where I’ll go for it; we have the Missouri Department of Conservation that is so great,” David said. David is not quite sure what she wants to do after she graduates college. “Well everyone automatically assumes I’ll work at the St. Louis

Zoo, I don’t want to just be a zoo keeper. Back in the day, I always wanted to go to Austrailia and work at the Austrailia Zoo, but now I want to stay in the United States, “ David said. As for a dream job, David wants to head for the West Coast. “My dream would be to go to the coast, San Diego, somewhere on the coastline; I know they have good schooling there. They have the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park that my aunt works at. But other than that, I’m still trying to get all of the general stuff out of the way,” David said.Although David does not own any snakes, she cares for them like her own. “I wouldn’t call them my pets but they’re like my little snake friends,” David said. One of David’s favorite snakes is a California King Snake named “Cali.” “I have this one snake that I really love, Cali, who I thought was a girl for the longest time, but was actually a guy, who I socialize with a lot and get out because he’s really, really sweet and I just love him,” David said. There are a total of 17 snakes in the snake room, only have the eight on display David said. There are other cages down below the eight that are displayed that cannot be seen from the outside wall, and they are just as well taken care of. There are 13 snakes native to Missouri and four others, David said. “I just think it’s interesting that we have the native snakes of Missouri on display for education purposes and alot of times we can use them outside of the snake room,” David said. Like Cali, a few other snakes have names as well. “Most of them have names, but some of them don’t. I didn’t name any of them, but I kinda changed some of their names. The students that worked in the snake room before me named them,” David said. Dr. Allen is the one who got the snake room together and it has been around for many years.

“We used to have, back in the day, aquariums with fish inside the snake room. A lot of people don’t know we have a snapping turtle that a lot of people don’t see; its not on display,” David said. There is a new cage that is now located outside the snake room where a large snake lives in the hallway of Science West. “We didn’t have any snakes displayed in the hallway because we needed a locking cage so people couldn’t get to them. So another professor made a lid for the cage that locks. Her name is “Big Betty”, she is a black rat snake, and she’s about five feet long. So she was in a smaller cage and now she’s in the big one and she can stretch out, “ David said. The life span of the different snakes depends on the snake species, although they do tend to live longer in captivity, David said. “They all have different life spans, it depends. We really take good care of them.We don’t have the biggests cages but, we can still take care of them,” David said. “Some people ask or are worried about if the snakes are well taken care of, but they live really long lives here.” During winter, spring, and summer break, the snakes are continuely taken care of by Dr. Allen and Professor Bast. So at all times, students, staff and faculty can continue to enjoy the presence of the snakes. “I think it’s just neat that we have them here because a lot of people don’t know anything about them and it helps because people go out hiking and we have the venemous snakes on display, and they can learn about the venemous snakes and know what they look like,” David said. Luckily, David has never been bitten by any of the snakes held in the snake room. Her love for the snakes makes her lose any fear against them. “I always get the question, ‘Aren’t I scared of what I do?’ And I’m not scared,” David said.

Photos by Katie Leicht

Big Betty stretching out in her new cage located in the Science South hallway outside of the snake room.

Jan. 28, 2016

ART & LIFE

Everywhere and Elsewhere II gallery opening reception An inside look at one artist’s unique way of painting Katie Leicht Art & Life Editor

The Opening Reception Ceremony for Everywhere and Elsewhere II debuted on Thursday, Jan. 21 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Just outside of the gallery were different foods, deserts and refreshments for all to enjoy after viewing the opening of the new gallery. The gallery displays many diverse pieces by artists Mike Behl, Angelina Gualdoni, Dan Gualdoni, Ron Laboray, and Nancy Newman Rice. Each set of pieces by the artists were all similar in theme. One artist in particular, Dan Gualdoni, has a unique style

when it comes to his paintings. Gualdoni covers his paintings in a thin layer of glue before he even begins his painting process. The process of the glue makes it support the canvas more. This way, Gualdoni can reuse the same canvas if he wants to start over again. Sometimes I do 10 to 15 paintings before I finally like one and want to keep it as is, Gualdoni said. The paintings can take a handful of months, or sometimes just one day to finish, Gualdoni said. His pieces in Everywhere and Elsewhere II mostly have to do with some kind of landscape. The paintings are not any particular place, just somewhere he develops in his head, Gualdoni said.

“There is something generic about land meeting sky,” Gualdoni said. Along with the glue technique, Gualdoni also uses a printmaking technique. Most of his paintings are oil on canvas. He also doesn’t mind stray marks or scratches on his paintings. Accidental things can work into the painting, Gualdoni said. Along with Gualdoni’s oil on canvas, some of the other artist’s mediums are, acrylic on panel, gouache on archival inkjet print, and surfboard resin with auto enamel on aluminum. The gallery runs until Feb. 12, and the hours of operation are, Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Photos by Katie Leicht

Meramec’s music department upcoming events

The third consecutive year for Concert Choir to perform with the St. Louis Philharmonic Katie Leicht Art & Life Editor

Dr. Gerald Myers, the Associate Professor of Music and the Director of Choral Activities, is proud to announce the second concert, Mozart’s “Vespers,” is the third consecutive year that Meramec’s Concert Choir was invited to perform with the St. Louis Philharmonic. The Concert Choir and the Lindenwood Choir are the only two choirs to perform concerts with the Philharmonic each year since first being invited. this event will once again take place at the J. Scheidegger Center at Lindenwood University located at 2300 W Clay St., St. Charles, MO 63301. Jan. 28, 2016

Feb. 23 Instrumental Concert, Sunday, 3 p.m. Meramec Theatre.

March 4 Mozart’s “Vespers” Friday, 8 p.m. J. Scheidegger Center. The Meramec Concert Choir joins the Lindenwood University choir and the St. Louis Philharmonic. For tickets contact the box office at 636-949-4433.

May 8 Chaco Canyon Concert Sunday, 3 p.m. Meramec Theatre.

Graphic by Katie Leicht

SPORTS

Lady Archers top 90 in defeat of MCC - Penn Valley

Shania Carrington leads team with 29 points Christian Hargas Sports Editor

Men’s Basketball Winter Home Athletic Schedule 2015-2016

Wednesay, Feb. 3 1 p.m. Play against Washington University JV @ Forest Park

Wednesay, Feb. 3 3 p.m. Play against West Plains @ Forest Park

Saturday, Feb. 6 5:30 p.m. Play against North Central @ Forest Park

Saturday, Feb. 6 7:30 p.m. Play against North Central @ Forest Park

Wednesday, Feb. 10 5:30 p.m. Play against Cottey @ Forest Park

Wednesday, Feb. 10 7:30 p.m. Play against Three Rivers @ Forest Park

Saturday, Feb. 13 1 p.m. Play against Wentworth @ Forest Park

Saturday, Feb. 13 3 p.m. Play against Wentworth @ Forest Park

Photo by Redwan Saeed

Marche Belcher hits a jumper for two points against MCC-Penn Valley. Belcher finished with nine points in 11 minutes of action.

? g n i r r e f s n sted in Tra

Inteerrseity of Missouri–St. Louis Univ

Transfer

The STLCC Lady Archers defeated MCCPenn Valley, 91-60, on Saturday, Jan. 23. Guard Shania Carrington led the team with 29 points and 18 rebounds. Shamara Glover and Shania Thornton joined Carrington in double digits, with a total of nine Lady Archers registering points. Ninety-one points was the fourth highest scoring output of the season for the Lady Archers. The Lady Archers forced 22 turnovers from MCCPenn Valley and scored 27 points off those turnovers. STLCC led in nearly every statistical category including field goal percentage (49.3), three-point field goal percentage (41.2), rebounds (51) and assists (17). The Lady Archers largest lead was 33 points in the fourth quarter. The Lady Archers have won five consecutive games to improve their record to 9-10.

Women’s Basketball Winter Home Athletic Schedule 2015-2016

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Jan 28, 2016

SPORTS

Rams relocate to Los Angeles

The National Football League returns to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;City of Angelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; after 21 years, leaving Saint Louis without a team

The Rams moved to the Los Angeles area in 1949 from Cleveland, OH. Stationed in Anaheim, they stayed in Southern California until the 1994 season before departing to Saint Louis. The Rams returning to Los Angeles in 2016 will bring the National Football League back to the second largest market in the United States in 21 years. The second most populated city in the country will provide for more financial opportunities for a franchise that amassed the worst record in the league over the last 11 seasons. Rams owner Stan Kroenke proposed a stadium in the Inglewood area which will be completed by the start of the 2019 season. The L.A. Coliseum will host the team for the next three seasons.

Jan. 28, 2016

The Rams moved to Saint Louis in 1994 at the Trans World Dome, later renamed the Edward Jones Dome. For 20 years, the Rams brought football back to the town that lost the Cardinals football team in 1987. They reached two Superbowls and won the 1999 championship after defeating the Tennessee Titans, 23-16. Their second appearance resulted in a loss to the New England Patriots, 20-17, in 2002. Since 2004, the Rams amassed one of the worst records in the NFL, winning three games in 2007, two in 2008, one in 2009 and two in 2011. Jeff Fisher became the head coach before the 2012 season to assume control of the franchise. Since 2012, the Rams have averaged seven wins each season.