The Montage - Feb 25, 2010 Issue

Montage The

St. Louis Community College–Meramec

FEB 25, 2010 Vol. 45 Issue 11

A Tale of Two Cities

Two years after the Kirkwood shootings, community tries to solve race issues

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Students vote to keep MoPIRG or say NOpirg Vote on campus to reafirm MoPIRG to be held on March 10 and 11.

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Sex and cupcakes

Student Activity Council reaches out to students’ sexuality, relationships and health.

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PHOTOS BY: CARLOS RESTREPO

(LEFT) Kirkwood City Hall, place of the shoootings that took place on Feb. 7, 2008. (RIGHT) Meacham park sign for a neighborhood meeting. The Meacham Park community has met regularly to discuss the problems allegedly not addressed by Kirkwood City officials.

Collin Reischman - Managing Editor-

Kirkwood City Council may have signed a mediation agreement on Jan. 21, but residents of the Meacham Park community in Kirkwood don’t see any reason for celebration.

The agreement, which was overseen

by Justice Department officials, is currently being met with mixed feelings in the Meacham Park neighborhood.

“This is not the answer. It barely scratches the surface,” said William Thayer, associate professor of mathematics at Meramec.

Meacham Park is located only a few miles from Meramec, hidden primarily behind the Wal-Mart shopping center at Big Bend and Kirkwood Rd., was the primary focus of the mediation, and predominantly African-American.

The mediation came as a response to the disastrous events of Feb. 7, 2008, when Meacham Park resident Charles Lee “Cookie” Thorton gunned down two police officers and three Kirkwood City officials. He also mortally wounding then-Mayor Mike Swoboda, who died later from his injuries.

Thorton, a Meacham Park resident, is perceived by some locals as a victim of racial discrimination, while others, such as Mayor McDonnell, believe he was motivated by “his own personal interests, financially, and his own problems.”

The troubles between Meacham Park and the City of Kirkwood have different roots and causes, depending on who you ask.

According to Ron Hodges, Meacham Park resident and member of the community mediation team, “Race isn’t exactly the problem here. You know, we have racial issues all over the country, and we have tensions and problems, but I don’t think Kirkwood is looking at anything different than most communities.”

Hodges, who endorsed the mediation as “a much more improved way for the community to communicate concerns and problems with the city,” has been met with some resistance from his fellow Meacham Park residents.

“I’ve had people say some unkind things about my ‘loyalties’ with my race.

I live here, I know the concerns, I see the problems, and I think this mediation is taking steps in the right direction.”

The mediation gives more power to the Human Rights Advisory and Awareness Commission, or HRC, to be more involved in community relations, according to Hodges.

“We’ve got a new online system that will be up soon. It will allow for people to go online and directly contact the HRC (Human Rights Commission) to get assistance,” said Hodges.

The mediation does give stricter guidelines for the HRC, setting guidelines for meetings and establishing regular reviews of progress. While the HRC will serve as an outlet for concerned citizens, it will not have the power to mediate, and will not operate in an investigatory capacity.

Thayer refers to himself as a “concerned citizen” and has taken action in the Meacham Park community, and said he believes the mediation “doesn’t give enough direction at all. It opens doors, but nothing more.”

Thayer, along with others, established kmhr.us, a website for

Is it a Black and White issue? continued on page 6

Meramecs in-line Hockey team Yes. We have one.

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Feb. 25 Poll Question

Should students pay the optional $7 fee for MoPIRG? To vote, visit: www.meramecmontage.com

2 NEWS

February 25, 2010

STLCC-Meramec students called to reaffirm MoPIRG on campus

Organization NO-pirg fights to remove MoPIRG registration fee Andrea Royals -News Editor -

STLCC-Meramec students will vote on March 10 and 11 to reaffirm the presence of MoPIRG (Missouri Public Interest Research Group), an organization on campus comprised of students and interns who address issues like hunger and homelessness, public transit and global warming. The organization is reaffirmed or denied on campus every two years.

“The reaffirmation is really a cool thing for students to come together through a democratic process and make an impact,” said Sarah Clader, the campus organizer for MoPIRG which has existed at Meramec for 25 years. Clader said she is confident that MoPIRG will be reaffirmed next month.

“I think the majority of students support MoPIRG because it continues to be reaffirmed, and it helps make a difference,” Clader said.

However, MoPIRG may meet opposition in the upcoming election with the emergence of NO-pirg, a group that is committed to removing MoPIRG from the Meramec campus. “As in every election, it is necessary to have opposition, and NO-pirg is the voice for unrepresented students,” said Steven Vollenweider, president of NO-pirg, also stating that less than one percent of students took part in the last election.

Vollenweider said that the organization does not disagree with the causes MoPIRG claims to support, but with the methods that MoPIRG uses to embed fees into the registration forms of uninformed students.

NO-pirg would like to see the optional $7 fee from student tuition payments abolished. Vollenweider says that this is a “sneaky way to steal money from unsuspecting students who think this money goes to student activities on campus.”

ILLUSTRATION BY: CARLOS RESTREPO

mopirg OR Nopirg STUDENTS DECIDE

On March 10th and 11th students at STLCC-Meramec will decide whether or not to keep the $7 fee to support MoPIRG. A student vote is required every two years years. The questions on the ballot will go like this: I wish the $7 MoPIRG assessment to remain on the bill, with the understanding that I must request that it be removed if I do not wish to pay it. (In other words, leave things as they are.

Unless students ask they do not want to pay for it, they will be charged the $7) I wish the $7 MoPIRG assessment to remain on the bill, as a voluntary charge that I may choose to pay if I so desire. (In other words, students can choose whether or not to pay for it at the time of registration) I wish the $7 MoPIRG assessment to be removed from the bill altogether. (No more MoPIRG) MoPIRG funds are not associated with Meramec.

“The reality of the matter is that none of this money that Meramec students have paid has made its way back our campus,” Vollenweider said.

“This money sponsors an alleged ‘grassroots research’

and ‘political action’ organization that, for some reason offers no financial report to the public without a fight.”

Both MoPIRG and NOpirg will conduct campaigns before the election to inform students of the ballot initiatives which vote for either the fee to remain on tuition payments unless students do not wish to pay it, for the fee to remain as a voluntary charge, or for the fee to be completely dissolved.

Two forums will be held on March 3 at 12 p.m. and 6

p.m. in the student center to address the opposition from each group. Student Governance Council asks students to submit questions for answer and debate for both organizations before the forum. Attendees will receive a $5 voucher that can be spent towards cafeteria food.

For more information about MoPIRG or NO-pirg, students can contact Sarah Clader (MoPIRG) at sarahc@ njpirgstudents.org or Steve Vallenwieder (No-pirg) at svollenweider@my.stlcc.edu.

A correction from The Montage In the Feb. 11, 2010 issue of The Montage, Richard Rhodes, Sr. was quoted as saying that he spent six weeks in a U.S. military mental ward. Rhodes spent six days at the facility. It was also noted that Rhodes was wounded in service. Rhodes was not wounded in action, but instead suffered multiple injuries. The Montage regrets these errors.

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NEWS

February 25, 2010

What’s happening at STLCC NEWS BRIEFS

Student Governance Council MCCA Convention Seven students from STLCC-Meramec joined 83 other students from Missouri community colleges at the Missouri Community CollegeAssociation (MCCA) convention in Jefferson City from Feb. 21-23.

Students participated in team building exercises, participated in a mock trial, lobbied Missouri senators, and submitted proposals to the MCCA Student Government for amendments to the SGC constitution.

Mike Roman, Meramec student body president who attended the convention, said that the image of community colleges in Missouri is changing.

“People are beginning to realize that community colleges can be a good thing for a lot of people,” Roman said.

Climate Commitment STLCC Sustainability Students are invited to attend an organizational meeting with the Meramec Sustainability Committee where Dr. Paul Pai, Ph.D., will address his reasoning for supporting the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.

Peggy Moody, sustainability coordinator, will share plans STLCC has made to maintain sustainability on all campuses.

Brian Bozek, professor at Florissant Valley, will speak about the campus greenhouse gas audit process.

The meeting takes place on Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. in the library confluence room.

Tax Assistance IRS teams with Meramec

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) will hold free tax services every Wednesday from Feb. 14 to April 14 from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Accounting interns who have completed an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) course will assist students, faculty and staff with completion of tax returns.

Interested students should schedule an appointment with the accounting department at (314) 9847514. Appointments will not be scheduled during spring break on March 17.

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Clark Hall recieves a makeover Administration offices remodeled

PHOTO BY: COURTNEY STARK

The remodeling project in Clark Hall includes plans for the floor to be replaced with removable carpeted tile and new lighting and will be completed in March.

Meagan Roth-Roffy - Staff Writer -

Clark Hall is undergoing changes. Offices are being moved, floors are being torn up, and just like the Cafeteria commons area or Bookstore, a whole new look will be unveiled.

Approximately 12 years ago, during asbestos abate-

ment, a process in which asbestos, often used in fireproofing material, was removed, the floors in the building were raised to create a space to run electrical wiring. Mike Cundiff, manager of admissions and records, said as time went on “the floor became a security risk..There were places where you could feel the floor bend-

ing beneath your feet.”

Cundiff said that being one of the most heavily trafficked buildings in the district, they have been pushing for a while to get this done and said he is happy to see it coming along.

The current floor will be replaced with carpeted tile, which can individually be removed and easily restored if need be. The building will also be getting some new lighting to go with the new floor.

Clark Hall houses admissions, registration, cashiers, student affairs, the access center and financial aid. The Admissions area (AD 110/111) is currently under the remodeling.

The office has been temporarily moved upstairs to room 224, the registration office, where operations will continue.

Staff members will be extending extra care to those students who need physical assistance. All students are encouraged to make appointments to diminish heavy foot traffic, but appointments are not necessary, said Cundiff.

More than just offices will be temporarily moving. The kitchen area will be transformed into makeshift offices, and staff members will be taking lunches and breaks away from the building. The remodeling will also prevent full access to the file room according to an e-mail sent to staff members.

Sue Daniel, coordinator of admissions, said “It’s kind of crazy with all of the shuffling around, but it will be worth it in the end.”

Fortunately, the biggest obstacle so far seems to be the excess of noise. Cory Higgins, general transfer student said, “It’s more noisy than inconvenient” and “[Clark Hall] wasn’t crowded.”

Daniel said the move has been successful and aside from the noise, everything has gone well.

The estimated $32,000 project, according to a construction worker, began on Feb. 4 and is scheduled to continue until March 22. Local construction company Raineri, founded in 2003, is heading the project.

Florissant Valley seeks campus expansion Curtis Daniels - Staff Writer -

A proposal to acquire ownership of the vacant Circuit City that sits adjacent to STLCC-Florissant Valley is before the Board of Trustees.

It is an effort to further expand the campus and economic progression within the North County area according to Roderick Nunn, vice chancellor of the Board of Trustees.

“The former Circuit City building has been on the market for two years and is sought after for the use of a job training center for Florissant Valley and other STLCC students,” says Marcia Pfeiffer, president of Florissant Valley.

As of Jan. 11 STLCC had received $3.2 million in grants for green job training initiatives recorded by the St. Charles County Business Record.

Nunn sees this as an opportunity to expand technical training capacity to better support economic development in hopes that job training grants “We are creating an energy technician program for energy efficiency,” said Nunn. “We’ve got grant money to support equipment and the curriculum development. What we don’t have is any grant money for bricks and matter facility.”

“The training center will focus on students ages 25-60

PHOTO BY: DAN HANDING

The vacant circuit city building that sits adjacent to STLCC-Florissant Valley may provide the campus with opportunities to expand classrooms and enrollment in workforce development. The purchasing of the Circuit City cost $2 million at $100 per square foot. in workforce development,” said Nunn.

“It may be used for existing lab programs,” said Pfeiffer.

“Most of the folks are people who are coming back [to school] to develop skills and want to develop improving upon skills,” said Pfeiffer.

“There may be programming that would be offered there that would appeal to a wide range of individuals.”

Workforce and Community Development (WCD) is a service of STLCC intended to help students and businesses become successful in attaining work.

Within the WCD, Boeing has an accelerated job program

for positions of sheet metal candidates as mentioned at http://stlcc.edu.

“I think, one of the things I know that we are giving consideration to, is looking in the direction of how to enhance green jobs or construction.

This would offer students at Meramec that are into architecture or interior design.” said Pfeiffer.

Not only did Pfeiffer say this expansion would show more strength of the presence of the campus, she said it would also help clear congested class space and later allow for an increase in enrollment.

While Florissant Valley seeks to increase their facilities and programs, other cam-

puses such as Meramec and Forest Park are doing the opposite. In the beginning of the spring semester, the Board of Trustees voted for Meramec and Forest Park to cut child care programs, and Meramec canceling four sports for monetary purposes.

The purchasing of the Circuit City cost $2 million with $100 per square foot, yet Pfeiffer believes that the purchase of the building is a greater asset than it is liability for the college.

“Our projection is that we would get a return on our investment relatively quickly,” Pfeiffer said. “It would be a wonderful investment to the college.”

OPINIONS

February 25, 2010

Texting, driving, and the dangers of distraction ILLUSTRATION BY: CARLOS RESTREPO

Jayson Gifford - Staff Writer -

In the past few months, lawmakers in the United States and here in Missouri have been trying to make texting while driving illegal. A law was passed recently that if you are under the age of 21 it is illegal to text or unlawfully use your cell phone while driving, but now Missourians and lawmakers are ready to say that no age should allow this privilege.

In the next few weeks, lawmakers are looking to make texting and driving illegal to not some, but all drivers.

“It shouldn’t be allowed,” said Bruce Bateman, a police officer for STLCC, and a 36-year veteran of the St. Louis City Police Department. “When you’re behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, nothing should matter except driving. If you need to text, then pull over,” said Bateman.

There have been several types of communication being aired on this topic, from small-time paper ads to large-scale media commercials that could not even be aired due to the gore and content. Is it time to air these commercials, and maybe “take off the

white gloves” to show the general public this issue? Wait, no, let’s throw out some statistics. The National Safety Council reports that 1.6 million crashes a year on U.S. highways are caused by drivers using cell phones to talk or text, (primarily to text!). The Harvard Center for Risk Analysis did a study on cell phone use and driving effects,

and calculated that 2,600 people die annually as a result of using cell phones while driving.

This is not an earthquake or a terrorist attack; this is texting and driving.

If you think about it though, is this not just the way of technology?

When people started talking on

their cell phones in their car and not using headsets, weren’t we set out to make laws against it? When people started using GPSs, and took eyes off the road, were the car companies not thrown through the shredder for making driving more dangerous?

Bruce Bateman has seen his fair share of car accidents in related incidents in 36 years of law enforcement and his rationale is “Technology that helps you one minute can hurt you the next,” said Bateman.

Cell phone usage, no matter if texting or anything else, is going to put others at risk, and if this new legislature is the way to save lives, the nation and its leaders should fully support it.

“Officials in a key position to testify against it should,” Bateman said. As a father, he sits in the same chair as several American parents hoping to see their families every night when they get home.

The issue at the center is responsibility of our elected officials to make the proper decision, but with statistics as staggering as these, and the lives lost nationwide, it does not look like a decision, but more like common sense.

Toyota loses consumer confidence, big cash Shawn Bruce - Staff Writer -

With the economy in a recession, nationwide unemployment and car companies closing, the last thing a buyer wants to hear is a major recall from one of the leading manufacturers. Toyota’s recall has put a major impact on its reputation.

According to Toyota’s pressroom it has had problems with many of its popular models, everything from the more recent Prius having software issues that involve the antilock brake system (ABS) to their Sequoia, which is having problems with the accelerator pedal sticking.

There have also been recalls for floor mats for models that have been shown to entrap the gas pedal.

Worldwide there have been more than 400,000 recalls for Toyota hybrids alone. A closure of an automotive plant also hangs in the near future for thousands of California workers.

Several complaints had been issued about the different failures in the past but the recall has just recently been put into effect. In 2007 there were 400 complaints about Toyota problems.

The entire problem is no small feat for Toyota to solve, but Toyota claims to have identified all of the models involved with the issues.

Some of these problems should have been found and addressed while they were in the “rigorous,” testing stage. “Toyota’s engineers have developed and rigorously tested a solution that is both effective and simple,” according to Toyota’s

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customer FAQs page. They designed a reinforcement bar to be added to the accelerator assembly that will eliminate the problem.

They blame the problem on things like wear, and environmental conditions. One would assu,e those would have been thought of before releasing the products to customers.

Blaming problems on environmental conditions and wear seem like a way to get the spotlight off of their testing methods. Vehicles are made to be out and driven -- Toyota using it as an excuse seems to be a problem in itself. With such a prominent name in reliability, it raises questions about how well they test their vehicles.

When it comes to the brake software issue, their recall has involved approximately 133,000 2010 Priuses.

The problems don’t stop with Toyota, they also stem off into 14,000 Lexuses as well. Problems with the software have lower numbers of recalls but the total number of cars is outrageous. Business Week reported back in September of 2009 that 3.8 million vehicles were being recalled. In November Consumer Reports had a post about the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) saying, “The NHTSA denied a petition to conduct an additional investigation into sudden acceleration.” They said a new investigation was unlikely to show new conclusions as before.

Now, several months later, a large quantity recall is in effect. It’s almost like Toyota is trying to soil its own good name and the NHTSA is following along with them.

How much ia apologizing going to help people that are affected by the extensive recall. It

Shannon Philpott Faculty Adviser sphilpott@stlcc.edu Carlos Restrepo Editor-in-Chief Collin Reishman Managing Editor Jeanetta Roberts Online/Photo Editor Jacob Hight Graphics Editor Andrea Royals News Editor Stephanie Stough Art & Life Editor Anna Nowotny In-Depth Editor Spencer Gleason Sports Editor Julie Wells Sr. Copy Editor Joe Douglas Jr. Copy Editor Matt Blind Advertising Manager

Shawn Bruce Staff Writer Curtis Daniels Staff Writer Emi Gardner Staff Writer Jayson Gifford Staff Writer Emily Hertlein Staff Writer Anna Johnson Staff Writer Aram Karapetyan Staff Writer Paul Lauer Staff Writer Joe Ray Staff Writer Shane Rice Staff Writer Meagan Roth-Roffy Staff Writer Jonathan Soboleski Staff Writer Janelle Turner Staff Writer Amy Winstead Staff Writer

Nate Corley Staff Photographer Robyn Ehrmann Staff Photographer Dan Handing Staff Photographer David Kloeckener Staff Photographer Jennifer Roberts Staff Photographer Nashara Robinson Staff Photographer Courtney Stark Staff Photographer Robb Martinez Staff Designer Laura Spenke Staff Designer

isn’t a bad start but it can’t end here. Toyota should be giving large rebates to customers to get business back.

The fact that people died while driving Toyota’s products is going to run some people off no matter what – others are going to stay loyal as they were in the past. Toyota should adopt new testing standards, their main focus should be safety of drivers, not rolling out the most vehicles -- quality over quantity in this case.

Hopefully this is the last problem with Toyota for a while because they are going to need the time to recuperate from this mess. This recall has hurt Toyota’s reputation as well as its wallet. I think it will be interesting to see it recover from this situation.

Further problems for Toyota involve the closure of its Fremont Calif. plant. It had a partnership at the plant with General Motors (GM) that was started back in 1984. GM had pulled out of the plant in June 2009 and the fate of the plant has been questioned since.

The closure will lead to approximately 4,700 jobs being lost. The reasoning is said to be from the cost of shipping parts according to Toyota. Engines are shipped from West Virginia to California where they are installed and then sent out all over the U.S. I can understand where this is not efficient from a monetary aspect but it’s definitely helping with the job market.

At the same token this would be a better choice for pollution; there isn’t as much shipping going on, which is saving fuel. Toyota seems to be a large competitor when it comes to fuel saving.

Its hybrids, although most currently off the market, support great numbers in fuel economy.

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

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

Opinions

February 25, 2010

SELF-HELP Pursuing the Present Joe Douglas

- Jr. Copy Editor When we’re rushing through life, we’re not living in the moment. For every second we fret with the future, we’re spending one less second in the present. Students are trained from childhood to plan ahead. In early grade school, we’re given homework to complete by the next day. A frowning face or a red sticker tells parents their child didn’t complete the task.

In middle school we’re given projects to work on out of class. Extended deadlines mean planning what days to work on the project in order to get it done on time with the best grade. In high school, more projects are assigned and juggling becomes part of the curriculum.

College puts students to the test. By now we’re so obsessed with what we’re going to do for a living, if and where we’re transferring, how we’re going to read three chapters for class in a week and balance

POLITICS

PURSUITofHAPPINESS

- Managing Editor -

Mere days after Joseph Stack flew his single-engine plane into an IRS building in Austin, Texas, his daughter, Samantha Bell, went on Good Morning America to refer to her father as a hero, and his plane attack as “inappropriate.”

While few have outright defended Mr. Stack’s actions, it is clear that a nerve has been struck and that time for a national conversation is upon us.

The Tea Party has long since decried the federal government for irresponsible taxes, spending, and the firebreathing, evil-doing IRS. Here, Mr. Stack should be accepted as a glorious crusader for the little guy. Yet, for some reason, few have come to defend this patriot and his freedom-loving plane crash.

That’s because the Tea Party is all talk. Hot air goes a long way to elevate the air-

ADULTCONTENT

Putting porn in its place

homework with a part-time or full-time job, or trying to find time to hang out with friends in the middle of all of this chaos called life, we’ve lost focus on the present.

Just last week I was caught in future-tense syndrome. I woke up one Friday morning and remembered all of the homework I had due, a package I had to send, and a meeting I had at 5 p.m. I spent all morning working on homework, and before I knew it it was 3 p.m. and I forgot all about my package. If I didn’t do it before 5 p.m., it wouldn’t get sent and the package would arrive a day later than I promised.

I scrambled to get the shipping box, the tape, the recipient’s address, and any packing material to keep the package safe during travel. I yelled at my dad, who lay in bed handicapped from hip surgery, because he didn’t know where some of the materials were. Because I was so focused on what needed to be done, I wasn’t paying attended to what I was saying or how I was acting; I wasn’t living in the present.

Haven’t we all had a moment like this in our lives, when we’re not acting like our-

selves because of stress resulting from being overwhelmed with things to do, places to be and people to meet?

In “What’s Wrong with Right Now?” by ‘Sailor’ Bob Adamson, the author says, “The livingness is right now.

All the vitality is in that. Why waste time with something that hasn’t happened when you can be with what is – totally?”

I’m not suggesting everyone stops planning ahead and live in the moment. As a matter of fact, if you were to stop planning ahead, you couldn’t function in the world. It’s all about stopping and smelling the roses, so to speak. We’re missing out on many of life’s opportunities if we ignore what’s happening right now.

Instead, try not to stress out on upcoming events. Pay attention to how you’re behaving when you’re struggling with a long to-do list. When preparing for a stressful event like giving a presentation or going out of town, and notice yourself acting out of character, step back from the stressor and find some way to reclaim the present, and your sanity.

You have the right to pursue happiness. Imagine it. Live it. Be Happy.

theAMERICANDREAM

Revolution without Representation Collin Reischman

SEX

5

heads at rallies and conventions. It’s easy to spew on and on about revolution against tyranny from a podium, or behind a picket sign.

For months tea partiers have implied that major change is needed in this country, and that revolution could be upon us. “We came unarmed…this time,” reads a Tea Party sign.

Now things have gotten real. Maybe those signs seem a little less patriotic, a little less amusing.; just an expression of populist frustration. Maybe, just maybe, the Tea Party is about as revolutionary as their GOP counterparts.

Organizers had no trouble touting this as the next American revolution, and yet as soon as blood is spilled, as soon as the death becomes tangible, the revolution is running scared.

The United States hasn’t hosted a war on our own turf since the Civil War. We haven’t had a major revolution since the one that begat our nation of today.

Modern Americans have no experience with such things.

It’s easy to talk about anarchy and revolt, about change and rebellion. It’s quite another to spill the blood of your countrymen, to fly planes into

buildings, to kill government employees.

This, of course, begs the question, do the American people have the stomach for a bloody revolution? Doubtful.

The Tea Party is as spineless as it is ineffective. Rather than rallying around a man who should be their symbol, they’ve gone quiet.

Joe Stack wrote a long diatribe, railing the tax codes and federal government, blaming the IRS for his unusual string of bad luck and poor financial condition.

Is this not the message of the Tea Party? Is this not the champion message of Sarah Palin and Ron Paul?

Poor Stack probably thought he was sparking the fire of real revolution. Little did he know, talking about fighting and actually fighting requires testicular fortitude that many protestors simply don’t have.

“Revolution!” Cries the tea-bagging masses. “Rebellion!” They’ll chant even louder. “Abolish the Federal Income Tax!” Protests are fine, but they mean nothing when not supported with action.

They become meaningless.

You want revolution? Go revolt. You want change? Go vote.

Jacob Hight

- Graphics Editor -

Human beings are social creatures; innovative, curious, and naturally sensual.

The mingling of a partner’s musky scent, muscles rippling like fields of sun-gilded wheat, or a partner’s comforting down-soft embrace might all be things that arouse interest.

Our partners are the realization of our dreams, pornography is fantasy made out of human flesh.

It is important not to confuse dreams and fantasies. It is important to be mindful of what sacrifices are being made to obtain each.

In general, porn is out of place when it comes to lovemaking, though not necessarily so during casual, experimental or solo activities (arguably its most appropriate place, if any).

If porn is to be introduced into love making, it is critical both partners be direct in communication.

Questions such as why it’s being introduced, what’s agreeable (if anything), and what role it will play (and how often it will be relied upon) are good questions to start with.

Most importantly, any insecurities must be addressed.

There is absolutely no reason a partner should be wondering if they’re being compared to an industry-standard whore while sharing their body with the one they love. Sacrificing your partner’s sense of security/ intimacy for the sake of lust is going too far.

Porn should not be relied on for foreplay. Foreplay is about connecting with your partner.

Making a personal video is something that can be exciting, but also requires equal consideration; there are those whose integrity is not absolute and is conditional upon the status of the relationship.

Disgustingly, revenge exhibitions or leaking of personal materials do make their way into the world. Probably, the only real, but slim, safeguard is not using digital media and destroying the materials together.

Porn’s most natural place is during masturbation. As long as the porn is within ethical/ legal limits, a partner’s private activities should be theirs alone without being intruded upon by the expectations of their partner.

Just as a PETA member doesn’t have the right to drench a fur-wearer in red paint, partners really don’t have the right to attempt to coerce their partner to stop watching porn. Hopefully partners will be willing to communicate openly and agree to disagree if necessary.

For some though, the disagreement may be too much.

The ethical concerns concerning pornography will no doubt endure as long as porn does, and just as hotly.

Pornography is innately exploitative, meaning the welfare of the human beings involved is overlooked, humanity forgotten, objectified, for gratification.

Still, just because someone watches pornography does not guarantee that they will objectify their partner.

What is being watched, why, and how frequently are all factors in impacting behavior of the consumer.

Reasons for watching porn other than lust may be relatively obscure, but porn (especially amateur porn) is, in a sense, social.

Beyond lust, our human curiosity may be behind some porn-watching.

How do other people do it; what is normal; what do women/men want?

More than curiosity, we may identify with one of the performers, taking on physical personae we don’t posses, or engaging partners we wouldn’t really pursue in real life.

Porn makes fantasy flesh, but once flesh they should not be mistaken for reality.

Next time, “Ending Abuse.” Until then make love.

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In-Depth

DESIGNED BY

Meacham Park IS IT A BLACK

&

Continued from page 1

PHOTO BY: CARLOS RESTREPO

After years of planning, a proposal to annex Meacham Park to the city of Kirkwood was placed on the ballot in November 1991. The ballot proposal passed with an approval of 83 percent of Meacham Park and 72 percent of Kirkwood voters. (Above) A pole with a peace message written in four different languages near the entrance to Meacham Park.

PHOTO BY: CARLOS RESTREPO

In 1994, the Meacham Park Redevelopment Plan started. From the 106 acres, a total of 55 acres were commercially developed. The plan includes the 522,500 square-foot retail mall along S. Kirkwood Rd. This mall is home to retailers such as Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Target and T.J. Maxx. Some residents have complained that the eminent domain process was not fair to them. However, advocates of the annexation process claim houses were replaced fairly, indicating that if a resident was displaced from a $20,000 home and relocated into a $90,000, he/she did not have to pay the difference. (Above) View of the Kirkwood Commons Mall - opened in 1999 - from Meacham Park.

1892 In 1892 Elzey E. Meacham, a real estate broker from Memphis, bought 158 acres of land on what is now known as Meacham Park. The community grew through the 20th century as an “unincorporated area of St. Louis County.”

1991

1994

2005

Meacham Park residents concerned with the development of their neighborhood. The website features Meacham Park proposals for the mediation agreement, and details the process of the mediation debate for residents. Thayer and others are also considering the drafting of a “minority report” to respond directly to the concerns not addressed by the mediation.

“What the residents of Meacham see here is a cycle. If you shift your focus back ten years or so, you might see [Charles] Cookie Thorton as the victim here,” said Thayer. “I’m not saying what he did was right, it was wrong, it was a crime, but you have to ask yourself ‘Why did this happen?

Could we prevent it?’”

Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement Association President Harriet Patton, said he believes that the main problem is that “racism and discrimination weren’t addressed in the mediation,” according to a recent article in the Webster-Kirkwood Times.

“I see way too much ‘police in your face’ as a result of this mediation,” said Thayer, referring in part to a new satellite police station to be established next month in Meacham Park.

The agreement, along with adding a satellite station, also increases police recruitment of minorities and compels officers to carefully monitor treatment of minorities.

“I saw Mr. Thorton at some [City Council] meetings. I just think if we had a system in place to negotiate, to work with concerns of Meacham residents, such as a full-time Human Rights Community Service staff, we have a better chance of stopping things before they get so bad,” said Thayer.

The mediation process lost support from Meacham Park residents early on, when Harriet Patton resigned from the mediation team in September.

“We weren’t really able to discuss the more serious racial issues that come up in the city,” according to the Webster-Kirkwood Times. “I was disturbed that we couldn’t even mention Cookie Thorton’s name.”

In addition to existing tensions between the two communities, several Meacham Park residents have proposed adding Thorton’s name to the monument currently under construction at city hall, honoring the victims of the shooting.

“That’s not going to happen,” said Mayor McDonnell. “We tried….repeatedly to negotiate with [Thorton] and appease him. He doesn’t belong [on the monument]. He was a murderer and he killed public officials. It’s just not doable.”

While McDonnell doesn’t support the idea of including Thorton to the city monument, he does feel that the mediation has taken positive steps.

“We’ve tried to make comments and complaints easier to communicate. We need to forge relationships as a community.” McDonnell said he admits that there is a race issue, but it’s not the core of the problem in Kirkwood.

“Yes, we have people in the community who have racial issues, and certainly we have some discrimination, but overall, we are not a racist

2008

A BR

HISTORY O

CARLOS RESTREPO

&

February 25, 2010

Kirkwood City

7

WHITE ISSUE?

PHOTOS BY: CARLOS RESTREPO

The Mediation agreement is a document intended to further relations between the community and Kirkwood officials. (Below) Harriet Patton, president of the Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement Association, was part of the Community Team of Kirkwood for the Mediation Agreement but refrained from participating because she said she felt the Agreement did not deal with the right issues.

PHOTO BY: CARLOS RESTREPO

Kevin Johnson, Meacham Park resident, shoots and kills Sgt. William McEntee, Kirkwood Police Officer, in Meacham Park. In 2008 Charles Lee Thorton opened fire at a Kirkwood City Hall Meeting killing five. While to some Kirkwood citizens these incidents were rare acts of violence, some Meacham Park residents claim this is a result of the cracks in the socio-economic system of Kirkwood City with Meacham Park.

Some Meacham residents have complaint of discrepancies with the police. (Above) A Kirkwood policeman on patrol at Meacham Park. (Below) Children at the Memorial Ceremony shortly after the February 2008 Kirkwood shootings.

ARCHIVE PHOTO

I’m not saying what he [Charles Thorton] did was right; it was wrong; it was a crime, but you have to ask yourself ‘Why did this happen? Could we have prevented it?”

Bill Thayer, STLCC-Meramec professor “For a long time, we’ve been worried about making Kirkwood look better. Now we want to preserve it, to develop it, to make it stronger. This mediation isn’t perfect, it isn’t the total solution, but it starts the process,” said Hodges. “Citizens have to start coming to city council meetings, getting involved, working to make it work rather than just complain that they don’t get anything.”

No matter which side of the debate residents may be on, both sides encourage further involvement in community affairs.

“My recommendation would be to tell the students of Meramec. Get them involved, reach out to Kirkwood, reach out to Meacham, get involved,” said Thayer

community I don’t think,” McDonnel said.

Residents of both Kirkwood and Meacham Park know that the issues cannot be solved overnight. At a meeting on Feb. 22, Meacham Park residents voiced concerns over the new mediation, and sent a letter to city council rejecting the mediation at the beginning of the month. They have not had a response yet.

Some residents, like Ron Hodges, believe they are working toward a better future, while others, like Harriet Patton and Bill Thayer, believe they are simply running in circles.

Both sides can agree on one thing though: more community involvement.

RIEF

OF MEACHAM

2008

2008

Disclaimer: timeline covers only certain highlights of the history of Meacham Park and Kirkwood that are relevant to the story. Information taken from Kirkwood’s City website, http://ci.kirkwood.mo.us/com-dev/meacham-intro.htm, other newspaper articles, and Meacham Park Neighborhood meeting.

ART & LIFE

Eros returns to Meramec Annual healthy sex and relationship day held

in conjunction with Valentine’s Day, an opportunity to encourage students to get informed and be safe, said Christopher Bathe, SAC faculty advisor.

Also present at the event were community organizations, such as the Coalition for Healthy African American Relationships and Marriages, Planned Parenthood, St. Louis Effort for AIDS, and PHOTO BY: NATE CORLEY own A member of the Student Activities Council hands a student a “sexy cupcake” for answering a Meramec’s healthy sex or relationship-based question. The fair is held annually just in time for Valentine’s counseling center. day to share information with students.

Collectively, the tables offered a host free protection and copiJacob Hight - Graphics Editor ous amounts of information of educational pamphlets and about interpersonal relation- papers, or advertised services, By 12:30 p.m., the wicker ships, sexual safety and well- such as Planned Parenthood’s basket of free condoms on the being in the West Hall of the free HIV screening on the first welcome table was empty. Student Center.

Thursday of every month.

The free condoms were part This annual event, hosted At the SAC table, upon anof this year’s “Healthy Sex by Student Activities Coun- swering a “Fact or Crap” trivand Relationship” day. cil, began nearly six years ago ia question about sex health, Those on campus be- with Heather Coil, now Mer- participants received a vaniltween 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., amec alumnus, during her la or chocolate sexy cupcake, Feb. 10 had the opportunity term as SAC President. iced and with either the male to score “sexy cupcakes,” The event is coordinated or female symbol on top.

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February 25, 2010

MovieREVIEW: Shutter Island - Art & Life Editor -

The new suspense movie, “Shutter Island,” leaves the audience with one powerful question, “Is it better to live as a monster or die as a good man?” Pondering this question plays a big part in analyzing the ending of the new movie directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

In this thriller mystery set in 1954, U.S. Federal Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and his partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are sent to Ashcliffe Hospital, a mental institution for the criminally insane, located on Shutter Island off the coast of Boston. The team hopes to solve the disappearance of Rachel Solando, a dangerous patient who escaped from her room where the door was locked and the window was barred. As the Marshals begin to investigate the disappearance, the institution’s head psychiatrist, Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), doesn’t cooperate with Daniel’s requests and the mysteries of Shutter Island slowly begin to unravel.

The film is a bloody thriller with a few extremely intense scenes but is carefully balanced out by the touch of tragedy, trauma, love, denial and just a little comedy. DiCaprio shines in his most unforget-

USED WITH PERMISSION FROM IMDB.COM

The mystery thriller Shutter Island topped this weekend’s box office bringing in an estimated $14 million.

table and emotionally invested performance yet as a World War II Veteran motivated by some of his own personal objectives for being on the island.

The spine-chilling acting of the “criminally insane” adds another level to the darkness and exceptionally detailed Shutter Island. Although each scene did have a purpose in unleashing the truth, Scorsese spends too much time leading to a rather abrupt confrontation that exposes the real truth about Shutter Island.

It is rated R for disturbing violent content, language and some nudity, and runs at 138 minutes.

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ART & LIFE

February 25, 2010

9

Living with adult ADD

A day in the life of Michelle Jacobcik Andrea Royals - News Editor -

Michelle Jacobcik, STLCC-Meramec student said that staying on task was like Super Ball bouncing from one wall to the other and never stopping.

Jacobcik, 44, was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) as an adult.

“It was like I was always moving from one thing to the next and never finishing anything. It was very frustrating,” she said.

While growing up, Jacobcik said it was difficult for her to find consistency in life. Her father, a member of the Air Force, relocated to different military bases in the United States for most of her childhood. “It was hard to make friends, and moving around didn’t help,” Jacobcik said.

Jacobcik said that as she grew older her inability to keep friends be-

Jacobcik realized she had ADD shortly after the death of her father when she was 38. “My father’s death was the triggering point that something was wrong,” she said. “It was like hitting rock bottom for someone on drugs or alcohol.”Jacobcik said she sought refuge in her church where her pastor recommended that she read the book “Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood” by Edward Hallowell, M.D. “As I was flipping through the pages I kept saying, ‘This sounds like me, and this sounds like me, and this sounds like me,’” Jacobcik said.

“Maybe something isn’t right.” She saw a therapist and was diagnosed with inattentive ADD. Rather than hyperactive, Jacobcik said this diagnosis was the result of her tendency to be distracted easily and stray from

“I can now make plans. If you asked me before what I was doing in five years, I wouldn’t know.” -Michelle Jacobcik came increasingly difficult and that she constantly compared herself to the accomplishments and successes of others, saying, “If they can, why can’t I?” Besides retaining relationships, Jacobcik said she had difficulty carrying out the basic duties of adulthood.

“Keeping my apartment organized was hard to do. I’d get distracted,” she said. “It was the same way with school when it came to writing papers and keeping up with my schedule.”

tasks.

Jacobcik is one of 118 students with ADD at Meramec who seek assistance through campus resources this semester. As the year progresses, the number of students diagnosed with ADD is expected to grow, said Linda Nissenbaum, manager of the Access Office.

Jacobcik said the resources, which allow for increased time when taking tests, assistance with note-taking and

PHOTO BY: STEPH STOUGH

Michelle Jacobcik was diagnosed with adult ADD when she was 38. She said she hopes to find people interested in starting an adult ADD support group on campus.

PHOTO BY: STEPH STOUGH

Michelle Jacobcik said that she is exploring Eastern medicine and herbal healing in effort to treat her adult ADD. According to the access office, at least 118 students at Meramec have ADD. devices to record lectures, has helped her accomplish the schedule of a college student.

“I can now make plans. If you asked me before what I was doing in five years, I wouldn’t know,” said Jacobcik, who is studying for an Associate’s degree in human services. Jacobcik plans to transfer to University of Missouri-St. Louis to study social work and mental health services.

“I would like to work in a church setting,” Jacobcik said. “A faith community can be a place of healing and hope.” Jacobcik said she grew in her faith when she began attending Kirkwood United Methodist Church approximately three years ago.

Jacobcik’s family had demonstrated little support for her diagnosis. “There are many people who don’t believe ADD is a real disorder,” she said, adding that since her diagnosis she has lost contact with friends and family members.

Despite finding encouragement in her church, therapist, education counselor and the campus accommodations, Jacobcik says ADD still disrupts the tasks of her adult life and that maintaining the right support has not been easy.

Although she has previously been prescribed to the pharmaceuticals Adderall and Vivance, Jacobcik said she is exploring alternative methods of treatment, like Eastern medicine and herbal healing.

“I’m not a fan of synthetic medicine because it is a stimulant and my family has a history of heart disease,” Jacobcik said. “An adult support group would be helpful to me be-

cause I’m sure other people struggle with the same medical issues.”

While St. Louis offers support groups for children with ADD, Jacobcik said she discovered that there are no support groups for adults in the area when completing a project for Policy and Politics, a class offered through the human services department which examines federal and local welfare policies and programs.

Although she considered joining an online support group for questions about product recommendations and suggestions, she said she prefers faceto-face interaction. “I do better interacting with people,” she said, but has not met other adults with ADD with whom to interact.

Jacobcik said she believes some adults may have ADD and are not aware of it. “Parents may not realize it until their children are diagnosed with it,” she said. “They will look at their children and say, ‘I did that as a child.’”

According to the Attention Deficit Disorder Help Center, one percent of adults are diagnosed with ADD in the United States.

After researching, Jacobcik said she found that the closest adult support group to St. Louis is more than five hours away in Trenton, Mo. She said that there may be adults with ADD in St. Louis trying to organize a group but that she was not aware of it.

Jacobcik is attempting to start a support group on the Meramec campus.

“I know I cannot be the only adult diagnosed with ADD,” Jacobcik said.

10 ART & LIFE

February 25, 2010

GameREVIEW: BioShock 2

Nate Corley - Staff Writer -

Grab a wet suit and prepare to dive back into the deceptively beautiful landscape of the world of Rapture, the fictional world in the game “Bioshock 2.” Even after the release of “Left 4 Dead 2” and “Modern Warfare 2,” nothing prepared gamers worldwide for this release.

The sequel takes place ten years after the original “Bioshock” in 1970, putting the player into the metallic shoes of the first prototype, “Big Daddy,” which are beings who have had their skin and organs directly grafted into suits and are armed with either a rivet gun or heavy

drill. Their job is to protect the “little sisters” which are simply little girls needing protection from the danger in Rapture. In “Bioshock,” Rapture, a fictional underwater town, is in an even worse state than it used to be. With its creator, Andrew Ryan, deceased, no one is left to care for the crumbling metropolis. With Dr. Brigid Tenebaum, liberated in the first game, the maintenance of the little sisters has faltered. The “Adam” supplies are low, and with it, the mental capacity of Rapture’s inhabitants, known as “splicers,” are more insane and hostile.

The main objective of “Bioshock 2” is for the player to take control of “Subject Delta” and search the city of Rapture for little sisters who were taken away ten years prior. A couple of interesting new features to the game is that instead of just gaining “Adam” by saving little sisters, the player can now carry around a little sister and let her gather Adam from the numerous corpses lying around.

The player will have control of a whole new set of weapons and attacks like the Big Daddy’s drill, rivet gun and .50-caliber turret gun.

The original game had a

/5

much more in-depth plot. Experienced “Bioshock” players may be pleasantly surprised to see that the game was easy to follow since the plot was so much simpler. There were no twists and turns and the game was fairly straightforward.

In addition to a plot with no surprises, the artwork seemed greater than life. A giant difference between the first and second game is that “Bioshock 2” lets the player not only see the wonderfully created underwater surroundings, but actually walk around and experience it firsthand. Walking around as a “Big Daddy” in the game seemed greater than life. The graphics seemed very lifelike and the colors were very bright and vibrant. In the areas of Rapture that were restricted in the first “Bioshock” are now accessible, making for many more areas gamers can explore.

Unlike the original, this game is split into a one player and multi-player mode, now allowing competitive play.

Lastly, the game places more moral road blocks in the player’s path, and with each new addition brings the chance to get one of six different story endings.

“Bioshock 2” is rated M for mature.

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Featured Photo

PHOTO BY: JENNIFER ROBERTS

A man participates in the Mardi Gras festivities as he exhibits his large, festive hat. The Mardi Gras festival took place on Feb. 13 in Soulard.

SPORTS

February 25, 2010

Ultimate frisbee team forming at Meramec INFOGRAPHIC BY: CARLOS RESTREPO

Interesting ultimate frisbee facts The game of ultimate frisbee was invented in 1968 at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey, by students who adapted the rules of a game called frisbee football.

Ultimate is a completely non-contact sport, so any contact between players can be considered a foul.

Most games of ultimate are self-refereed, meaning that it’s up to the players to make decisions about rules and fouls, and to settle disagreements.

Information courtesy of pbskids.org

Joe Ray

- Staff Writer -

Frisbee can be a fun activity for exercise that many people like to do on the beach. Now it may be becoming a club activity at STLCC-Meramec.

Aletta Speegle, who is a faculty teacher in the mathematics department and member of the Wellness Committee started the club.

“I love ultimate…I play it myself, and I started the clinic, and it was just a one-time thing last semester, and so some of the students just got excited. And that’s how it started,” Speegle said.

According to the Ultimate Players Association (UPA), ultimate frisbee is combining the non-stop movement and athletic endurance of soccer with

the aerial passing skills of football. The object of the game is to score by catching a pass in the opponent’s end zone, and each team consists of seven players on the field. A player must stop running while in possession of the disc, but may pivot and pass to any of the other receivers on the field.

Endurance is not a big part of ultimate frisbee according to Speegle, “You need to be able to get open, so we will show people how to cut; but you know, frisbee is such a nice sport in the sense that everybody can play at different levels and be part of the same team.

So, you really have experienced people with inexperienced people on the same team, and we just help each other, and it’s quick to learn the rules

and get the hang of it.”

Speegle said she considers herself a coach but more so an assistant to help out with the players and coaches. “I don’t have any coaching experience, but I know several people who are great coaches that are playing on my team or playing in different leagues that I will try and get for us.”

Right now, according to Speegle, the organization just wants to set up clinics to attract more members from Meramec before they can put together a team, with hopes to eventually compete against schools like Forest Park and Florissant Valley.

Speegle said that ultimate frisbee is a recre-

ational sport. “It would be nice if we could play in some tournaments.

There are some low-key tournaments here in St. Louis. That could be like a long-term goal for us, but for now it’s just getting to know the game and just having fun.”

For more information, contact Aletta Speegle at ASpeegle@stlcc.edu.

SPRING CAREER FAIR Full-time, Part-time and Internship Opportunities!

Students, alumni and community members welcome!

Network with professionals!

March 10, 2010 9 AM - 2:30 PM Meramec Gym Free Admission!

Wednesday Night Alive!

SIX WEEKS Beginning March 10

Dress professionally.

Bring your resume on resume paper.

Prepare a 30-minutes spiel about yourself.

Research participating companies.

For more information Dinner for $6 at 5:45 p.m.

Chess at 6:30 p.m.

Concord Trinity United Methodist Church 5275 S. Lindbergh Blvd.

Questions?

Call Thomas Arms, former STLCC-Wildwood math tutor 314.842.2060

314.984.7611

11333 Big Bend Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122 www.stlcc.edu St. Louis Community College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. If you have accommodation needs, please call 314.984.7611 within two working days of the scheduled event to request needs.

Documentation of disability may be required.

12 SPORTS

February 25, 2010

The unknown Magic in-line hockey team Visit

Meramec

MOntage

Joe Ray

- Staff Writer -

.com

For video and photos on the in-line hockey team

PHOTO BY: COURTNEY STARK

A Meramec student and in-line hockey player participates in the team’s last game against St. Charles Community College Cougars at the Midwest Sports Complex in Ballwin.

The ice may start to melt, but that won’t stop the STLCC-Meramec in-line hockey team from playing this season.

The Magic in-line hockey team has been competing for 10 years. Head coach Ben Lambert is in his first-year with the Magic. He is just coming off an unsuccessful trip to the final four in the 2008 Professional In-Line Hockey Championships where he was the coach of the St. Louis Cobras.

“After that, I was kind of floating in the wind; didn’t know whether or not I was going to get another coaching spot or anything like that. I wanted to, and it just so happened that the St. Louis Community College position opened up, and I was lucky enough to get this spot,” said Lambert.

The in-line hockey team doesn’t get any support from the school because they are a club sport and don’t practice on the Meramec campus. The Magic normally practice at Midwest Sports Complex in Ballwin. They have fundraisers to help pay for their expenses and trips to the National Tournament. Earlier this year they had a poker tournament to help with the budget. On Mar. 13 they will be having a trivia night to help raise money for their trip to the National Tournament in April.

This is their only way to cover ex-

penses, but they get by according to Lambert. “That’s one of the things you have to do if you want to travel: you have to raise your own funds, do the trivia nights, do this, do that.”

In-line hockey is four-on-four, instead of five-on-five like in ice hockey.

Rules such as off-sides or icing don’t exist in the sport. “There is no checking, which adds to the stigma of the sport, that roller hockey is for guys who can’t handle playing as physical as ice hockey, but I mean at the college level, they do let you battle along the boards a lot,” said Lambert.

The Magic have had their troubles in the rink, according to Lambert. “The guys really need to improve on their offense. We need to score a lot more.”

Lambert believes these are a great group of guys he has on the team. He wants to get them to the point where St. Charles Community College Cougars are at – winning 5 or 6 National Championships. He preaches beating the Cougars on a regular basis along with becoming one of the top teams in the division at any level.

Nathan Klos, captain and defensemen for Magic, said about the team, “Most of the players on the team are first-year players and there are only a few people who have played together. We have had a few bad losses. We have a lot more season to go, and we have a lot more trust in each other now than in the beginning of the season.”

Magic wrestling squad sends eight to Nationals Spencer Gleason - Sports Editor -

An athlete has two wishes when they near the end of his or her athletic career—to leave under his or her own will and to go out on top. Although it has been a rollercoaster season beyond the mat for the 20092010 STLCC-Meramec men’s wrestling team, the Magic are

on the brink of achieving another memorable season, their final year at Meramec.

Just as the women’s volleyball and men’s soccer teams succeed in their last year in Meramec’s history, in the fall of 2009, the 17-wrestler squad has accepted the challenge.

During their season, the Magic went 6-4 and finished the year ranked second in the

National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll. On Feb. 14, the Magic participated in the District Championship in Riverside, Ill. Eight Magic wrestlers came out on top, sending them to the NJCAA National Championship in Des Moines, Iowa this Saturday, Feb. 26.

Overall, the Meramec wrestlers placed second in the

District Championships. Mark Slyter, Tyler Holloway, Seth Horner, Anthony Saulle, Jonathan Vogt and Deron Winn all placed first in their designated weight categories. Quinten Haynes placed second while Craig Chiles placed third.

These athletes will compete and represent the Meramec Magic wrestling team in Des Moines, Iowa.

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Of the eight wrestlers continuing on to the National Championship, six are firstyear students at Meramec and nearly 60 percent of the entire men’s wrestling roster are in their first year.

After releasing Ron Mirikitani from his head coaching duties in Oct. 2009, interim head coach, Nick Vogt, found himself at the helm of the Meramec Wrestling Magic. Vogt wrestled at Meramec, under Mirikitani, and was the NJCAA runner-up in 2002 and 2003. He received All American honors and the Sportsmanship Award. Vogt was elected into the Meramec Magic Hall of Fame in 2006. Eight years prior, in 1998, Mirikitani and his son, David Mirikitani, were elected into the Magic Hall of Fame together.

The Meramec men’s wrestling program is rich in its tradition. Mirikitani put his staple in the curriculum for 39 years and Vogt continued the winning ways of his former coach.

However, it has always been the athletes that have performed on the mat. Although the wrestling program is not leaving on its own terms, the 2009-2010 team has given it its own silver lining. As if by “magic,” they have accomplished the latter of the two wishes—they are going out on top.