Volume 49 Issue 3 October 3, 2013www.meramecmontage.com

MT H E M O N T A G E

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A Then & Now with Meramec’s Professors

page 6

COVER DESIGN BY REBECCA BIUNDO

NEWS2October 3, 2013

Meet the Administrator: VPAAIn an ongoing series, The Montage gets to know Andrew LangrehrJAKE HEIDBRINK STAFF WRITER

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Thursday, October 10, 2013Business Administration Building--Room 105

10am-2pm4pm-6pm

This event is:

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For more information, call Jason Duchinsky at:

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The Counseling Department at STLCC-Meramec will offer mental health screenings, resources and referrals. We are here to help you.

Chancellor Myrtle Dorsey Takes Leave From Duties

The STLCC Board of Trustees granted Chancellor Myrtle Dorsey’s request for personal leave through June 30, 2014 at the Sept. 26 BOT meeting. Dr. Donna Dare, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, has agreed to serve as acting chancellor until an interim chancellor is named. According to Craig Larson, chair of the STLCC Board of Trustees, the college will begin a search for a new chancellor in the next few weeks.

Campus President Appoints Interim Police Chief

Meramec President Pam McIntyre announced that Tony Russo will join the campus in the role of interim chief of police, effective Sept. 30. Interim Chief Russo has served in law enforcement and security for 35 years, retiring from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department where he held the position of bureau commander with the rank of detective lieutenant.

Meramec Hosts Cancer Awareness Day

Meramec will host Cancer Awareness day from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 in the Student Center Quad. Meramec nursing students and community presenters will provide information about cancer detection and prevention. Students visiting five booths during the event will receive a free lunch.

Hunger Awareness Month Comes to Meramec

The Service Learning department will sponsor Hunger Awareness from Oct. 9-Nov. 8 on the Meramec campus with several free wokshops for students, faculty and staff.-- Nutritious Cooking for Health: 12-1 p.m., Oct. 9, SC Quad or Cafeteria-- Creating a Budget You Can Live On: 12:30-1:30 p.m., Oct. 17, BA 105-- Shopping 101: 12-1 p.m., Oct. 23, SC 201-- Eating Healthy on a Budget: 12:30-1:30 p.m., Oct. 29, SC CafeteriaPick a workshop and find out how you can make healthy, quick and yummy meals while staying on a budget.

For more information, please contact Debbie Corson, Service Learning at 314-984-7234 or dcorson2@stlcc.edu.

Q: What do your responsibilities entail as Vice President of Academic Affairs? In other words, is it a good thing or a bad thing for a student to see you?

A: I think that many times when a student comes to see me, they’re in need. They are requesting something, they are requesting to be administratively withdrawn from a class. They have missed the withdraw deadline for some reason and got to appeal to this office to have whatever grade they have been assigned for the class changed to a withdraw. In that case, it’s not that they’re in trouble, but that they’re in need. And sometimes I see students when they’re appealing a grade, it’s not that they didn’t get withdrawn in time, but they don’t feel like they’ve been assigned grade they deserve. In that case, it could be that they’re in need or that they’re upset with something.

But a lot of times, I get invited to award ceremonies, so I’m allowed a chance to honor students when they’re doing well so I think I get a little bit of a mix. It’s a little different than the vice president for student affairs in that they’re the discpline officer for the campus, so if you’re in the hot water for your behavior, then you’re going to be visiting student affairs.

Q: Can you talk about some of your previous teaching experience?

A: Prior to being the Dean of Science and Technology for four years, I was a faculty member here for eight years. Before Meramec, I actually moved to Missouri to take a faculty position at Jefferson College, I taught chemistry there for three years. Prior to that I worked as a faculty member at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids Iowa.

Q:When did you first become involved in teaching at the Community College?

A: I saw an ad in the paper. I was finishing my graduate degree at the University of Iowa

and they needed someone to teach a Saturday morning class at Kirkwood and it wasn’t easy for the college to find someone who was willing to come in on a Saturday morning and teach a class. I thought it’d be a great experience and it was. It was a great experience. I taught there for a number of semesters and then an attractive position at Jefferson [College] opened up and I applied for it and I’ve been a part of the Community College system since. I have learned the mission, and believe in it, and enjoy working in it.

Q: How does teaching differ between the university and the community college?

A: People who come to a community college to teach are there because they like the teaching part. The focus at the University is a little different, it’s less teaching and more research and scholarship. Which doesn’t mean that there isn’t research and scholarship here, it’s just that there’s a lot of teaching here.

Do you have any advice for students?

When I’m in a class, one of the pieces of advice that I give to students the first day is to over prepare. If the standard rule of thumb is that for every hour in class you’re gonna need to spend two hours outside of class preparing for class, overprepare. I say it’s a sad day when you come to the first exam and you wished

you would have prepared more. It’s a fantastic day when you come to the first test and you go, ‘This is a walk in the park!’ I think it’s important for students to recognize there’s a lot of help around here. Every faculty member has office hours that are available, we have all kinds of educational assistance and tutors and resources so there’s no good reason that you can’t find help figuring out anything you’re having trouble figuring out in your classes

here.

Andrew Langrehr sits in a conference room. Langrehr has worked his way up the ladder in the world of education. Langrehr, originally from Iowa, taught chemistry at Jefferson College before coming to Meramec. Langrehr became the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) during the 2012-13 school year.

PHOTO BY: SPENCER GLEASON

NEWS 3October 3, 2013

Window ‘shopping‘ for an ACriminal justice students learn how to keep track of their personal belongingsSPENCER GLEASON EDITOR IN CHIEF

UMSL Transfer DayMonday, Oct. 7th10am - 2pmSTLCC - MeramecStudent Center LobbyContact Christy Hummel at askchristy@umsl.edu or 314-516-6943

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Entering the second week of classes this semester, professor Michael Hepner’s Introduction to Criminal Justice class had a group project. The assignment — to take pictures around campus of items left unattended and go “shopping.”

“I jokingly called it shopping, when I said, ‘Let’s go out to the parking lot and look around and go shopping.’ That’s what a lot of thieves will do. They’ll go shopping,” Hepner said. “Especially on college campuses because they know that this is a place where a lot of people just think of as a safe zone. Unfortunately, like anywhere else, it’s not.”

Hepner, who spent seven years as a police officer, has done this project eight times while teaching Criminal Justice programs at the STLCC-Meramec campus. The idea was to give students awareness of how easily accessible people leave their belongings.

“People just aren’t aware that they are leaving themselves wide open. Then they are surprised when they’re a victim of theft. They shouldn’t be because they are making it easy,” Hepner said. “We think of theft or burglary as people kicking in doors or holding you up with a gun. You don’t think of the person just swiping stuff out of your garage or swiping stuff off of a table you go up to get a snack. That’s the easy stuff.”

The 24 students all responded the same way to Hepner’s class project, according to Meramec freshman Ado Sadikovic.

“At first it sounded goofy to us — taking pictures of people while they have their stuff unattended,” Sadikovic said. “We laughed at it. It was just one of those things where it was awkward, but goofy at the same time.”

The laughing subsided once the students realized how many free items were available to snag in cars and on cafeteria tables.

“I started off in the cafeteria first and it was nothing serious.

You see laptops lying around,” Sadikovic said. “Then when we went to the parking lot. That’s when it got really interesting. We saw a car turned on with no one in it. We saw windows completely open, laptops, textbooks and credit cards.”

According to Hepner, even if credit cards are expired or there is loose change in the cup holder, that is enough to entice the thief to break the window.

“If it’s an expired credit card, that’s going to be enough for someone to bust your window out, just to take a look and see what they can get off of it,” Hepner said. “There’s a lot of people out there desperate for money or cash — quick money, quick cash — things they can sell quickly like cameras, iPads, phones, credit cards, drivers licenses for identity theft purposes. A lot of people will break a window, just for that.”

Hepner said that he hopes teaching students awareness of their surroundings and that they should always be cautious are lessons learned through this project.

“I think people always need to be aware of their situation, what we call situational awareness in the criminal justice field,” Hepner said. “You think you’re in a safe spot, but as we saw last spring, when there was an attack on campus, you can’t control everybody who is on campus. If there’s somebody bad on campus then terrible things can happen.”

While the assignment was a hands-on experience for students, Sadikovic said the lesson learned will be one that he will always keep with him.

“It makes you more aware of not to leave anything in your car. Even if your windows are closed and you car door is locked people will break it,” Sadikovic said. “This was one of those assignments that was fun, but educating at the same time. It taught us how to be aware of our personal belongings.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: MICHAEL HEPNERA purse sits in the back seat of an unlocked car parked on the STLCC-Meramec campus. Dr. Michael Hepner’s Introduction to Criminal Justice class is was assigned the project of taking photos of cars with items left unattended in them.

A student left his or her belongings unattended on a table in the library for over four minutes according to Dr. Michael Hepner.

OPINIONS4October 3, 2013

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THE MONTAGE

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MATHEW TAMASISTAFF WRITER

GLOBAL POLITICS

The Red LineSyria’s recent use of chemical weapons

has made everyone more aware of “the red line.” The red line refers to the United Nations’ international rules. I like the idea of banning things worldwide if it deserves to be banned, but I think the U.N.’s red line needs to be updated or removed. Why are concentration camps not more offensive than using chemical weapons? It is well known that North Korea has many political prisoner camps where people are slaved and tortured. Why is there no call for strikes against North Korea? I would rather be killed by a chemical weapon and slowly die a miserable death than live in a concentration camp my whole life and get tortured for breaking any rules. The real reason is North Korea would be a messy conflict, while Syria is torn apart by civil war, making a quick strategic strike a lot easier.

Even though countries like North Korea get away with horrible crimes, Syria gets targeted because more people can get behind banning chemical weapons for some reason. The last time chemical weapons were used in 1988 by Saddam Hussein, no one did anything. Chemical weapons are hard to use properly in warfare, and the way they kill people is horrific, so the idea of banning them is understandable, but people are not paying attention to the more horrible things going on. Even though Syria was targeted and threatened, there was a lot of controversy even within the countries that were ready to take action against Syria.

Why do we have these rules if enforcing them is optional? If the U.N.wants to have international law, then they need to target all the atrocities happening in the world, not just the ones that are easy to fix. Personally, I think it would be cool if the UN combined its forces and made sure all outstanding crimes against humanity were avenged. Unfortunately, I do not think this would be possible, which is why I think the United Nations would be better off giving up the idea of international law, and simply do its best to keep the peace.

It is unfortunate that many members of the younger generation lack interest in classical music.

This lack of interest is not the fault of the youth, but the fault of the older generations for not exposing the music correctly to us. Instead of stressing the universal beauty that can be found in the genre, classical music is left to be listened to optimally in elevators or in department

stores. How tragic it is when a Beethoven symphony is catalogued as browsing music when it is every bit as interesting as an album by Kanye West, The Beatles, or Nine Inch Nails. Yet while all of these acts demand attention from the listener due to a mainstream popularity, it is classical music that is shrugged off as simple background music.

The secret to enjoying classical music is becoming engaged with the music as one would with any other popular music genre. Similar to other genres of music, classical music has many varieties. Of course it is hard to go wrong with the classics like Beethoven, Mozart or Brahms. But if one is not interested in any of these composers, they might find something more interesting with the minimalist composers of the 20th century like Terry Riley or Phillip Glass. In any case, the only element required is paying attention to the music as you would to any other pop music act. It is the same music theory, all it requires is attention.

Perhaps it is the snobbery commonly associated with the genre that turns people away from listening to classical music. While the image of a spectacled older man

with a penchant for exclusively listening to Wagner and just being an all around elitist has persisted throughout time as the stereotypical classical music listener, it would be a good idea for younger audiences to know who listened to the genre in the past.

These people were not older wealthy elites that remained quiet during performances. To the contrary, listeners were commoners who talked throughout the performance of a Mozart opera, applauding during their favorite parts and shouting to the singers to repeat their favorite aria’s during the entire performance. Alcohol was consumed by a much of the audience during the performance and violence was even known to happen in a few cases, such as the riot that occurred during the debut of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

So let us not fail like our past generations did with reducing classical music to boring browsing music, let us instead be the generation that shot new life and enthusiasm into the genre, renewing interest into one of the most important forms of art.

JAKE HEIDBRINKSTAFF WRITER

MUSIC NOTES

Old musicNot Dead Music

Space: The next frontier of human exploration. Distance means nothing to the naked eye, but the vastness of the universes speaks a different story. The moon is 239,000 miles away from Earth and Mars is 49 million miles away, and Jupiter 342 million miles beyond that. The further you travel from the sun, the further the distance between planets is.

This is just the beginning. Past our solar system, which reaches beyond that of a light-year, (5,878,612,800,000 miles) are other stars existing in all kinds of sizes and luminosities. Our closest star, Sirius, is two and a half light-years away. Beyond that

lie other brilliant stars, galaxies, clusters of those galaxies and incredible nebulae. The universe is vast, so finding our place in it is crucial.

Space exploration is a beautiful thing and we should not hinder the chance to discover hidden treasures in the cosmos. NASA’s cutbacks are a major defeat of this unearthly goal. Sure, private organizations are funding new projects, but they do not have the resources or education these astronomers do. What would America be today if the Queen had skimped Columbus out of funding? What would we know of the sun, the planets or the Milky Way if we forwent the use of satellites?

We, as humans, cannot disregard, belittle, avoid or ignore the need to expand and discover; it is crucial to our survival as a species. Cutting funding to anything science related should be of last resort and conserved for those willing to struggle in the future. Science itself has become such a vital part of humanity; I do not think it wise to underfund it (in any sector, private or public).

Naysayers would complain that tax money is wasted on space exploration and that it should be used here instead. But we all know Earth will not be suitable for long, global warming, atmospheric changes and tectonic movement is bound to change the Earth. Like our ancestors and other beings that have lived here, it will inevitably change

and we must change with it, not against it. Putting too much attention of where we are now anchors us in place, inhibiting us from becoming better, stronger and more capable as a species.

In today’s unsettling world, where war is prominent, disease is rampant and global catastrophes unweave our certainty of survival, we must allocate more resources into space exploration and diversion; we must strive to become universal, not just worldly.CORY MUEHLEBACH

OPINION EDITOR

WACKY SCIENCE

Something ReallyOut of This World

ILLUSTRATION BY DALILA KAHVEDZIC

OPINIONS 5October 3, 2013

THE MONTAGE EDITORIAL STAFF

Tweeting to a broader audienceThe permanent effects of reckless tweeting

It is safe to assume that we all say things we regret during times of extreme frustration. In most instances, such things can be said with little or no consequence— but what happens when they are put into writing? What if one were to take it a step further and decide to share their thoughts with a public audience? People often fail to acknowledge that a much wider audience, reaching beyond our friends and followers can see the intellectual property we share via outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. For one student at Meramec, the audience included Meramec’s public affairs office that monitors mentions of the college on Facebook and Twitter daily.

The problem with sharing frustrations

on Twitter is that readers have no way of understanding context or tone. Thus, common phrases along the lines of, “I’m so angry I could kill someone” can be misinterpreted and taken literally. What most people consider to be a common expression of anger can be interpreted as what local media outlets have described as a “violent threat”. Unfortunately, St. Louis Community College found that the best option in dealing with a student who chose their words poorly would be to remove her from all STLCC locations. Of course, this begs the question: did the student really plan on killing anyone? The answer is clearly no.

The college took appropriate measures

in ensuring the immediate safety of students and faculty, but the situation quickly turned, yet again, to a mess of misinformation and sensationalism. KMOV reports, “A St. Louis community college student turned herself in after making a threat against a Kirkwood campus employee.” This statement is incorrect in that the “threat” was not made toward a specific individual. The local news source goes on to report, “Meramec staff were monitoring social media when they saw a tweet threatening to kill people in the financial aid office.” Once again, the student did not directly threaten to kill anyone in the financial aid office. The student merely credited the financial aid office as the source of her frustration.

Thus, the college took extreme measures by prohibiting the student’s return to campus— perhaps too extreme. Particularly since the last student to make a death threat back in April (and act on it) was allowed to return to the campus next day. Perhaps the most disheartening aspect of the situation is that it could’ve easily happened to anyone. The student who made the seemingly accidental Twitter threat was certainly not trying to “withdraw” anyone from life. If nothing else, this should serve as a lesson for all of us, don’t post anything on the Internet that you wouldn’t say in front of a St. Louis Community College public affairs official.

ILLUSTRATION BY CORY MONTERO

IN-DEPTH6October 3, 2013

GuessWho

Meramec’s mystery professor game

Vicki Ritts

What were your favorite movies/television shows to watch?“M*A*S*H”, “All in the Family” and “Bob Newhart Show” What were you trying to get your degree in?I was not going to school at the time. I graduated high school when I was 17 and I was working at National Foods. What are some things that you did on the weekend?Go to the zoo, take pictures, read and hang out with friends What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment at 18 years old?Working full time at National Foods What was your favorite subject in school?History

Timothy Little

What kind of car did you drive?I did not have a car. I walked everywhere, but I was in a smaller town in Wisconsin, so walking wasn’t problematic, although it was bloody cold there in the winter.

What school were you going to?I was a freshman at St. Norbert College, a beautiful campus on the banks of the Fox River in Des Peres, Wisconsin.

What hobbies did you have?All my life, I have been in search of a hobby but have never found one. There is still hope for me to take up, you know, whittling or maybe competitive corn husking.

Did you have a job and if so where?During the semester, I had no gainful employment, but I was the assistant director of a summer camp in June, July and August.

What type of music were you listening to?I was fascinated with Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor and the Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed album.

Joseph Schneider

What kind of car did you drive? I drove a 1985 Dodge Omni. I remember being very excited about it having air conditioning.

Did you have a job, and if so where? I worked at Schnucks Supermarkets as a produce clerk. It was a great first “real” job. What hobbies did you have? Cardinal Baseball, playing soccer, music, meteorology and astronomy. Not much different than today. What was your biggest accomplishment at 18 years old? Getting accepted into Saint Louis University’s Meteorology Program to study weather in college. What school were you going to? Saint Louis University

TIARA BAMS STAFF WRITERILLUSTRATIONS BY JAKE HUNN??

Did your professor drive a 1985 Dodge Omni?

Did your professor attend St. NorbertCollege?

Is your professor a pianist?

Was your professoremployed byNational Foods?

Is your professor from Des Peres,Wisconsin?

IN-DEPTH7October 3, 2013

GuessWho?

Meramec’s mystery professor game

Joseph Schneider

What kind of car did you drive? I drove a 1985 Dodge Omni. I remember being very excited about it having air conditioning.

Did you have a job, and if so where? I worked at Schnucks Supermarkets as a produce clerk. It was a great first “real” job. What hobbies did you have? Cardinal Baseball, playing soccer, music, meteorology and astronomy. Not much different than today. What was your biggest accomplishment at 18 years old? Getting accepted into Saint Louis University’s Meteorology Program to study weather in college. What school were you going to? Saint Louis University

Steven Bailey

What were your favorite movies/television shows to watch?“M*A*S*H”, “Monty Python”, “Happy Days”; I was a big John Wayne fan, and “Gone With the Wind.” What were you trying to get your degree in?I majored in Astronomy for two weeks--when I saw that the curriculum was largely physics, I transferred into English Literature. What are some things that you did on the weekend?I spent some of my time studying, but I found plenty of time to play frisbee on the quad and go out to local establishments with friends. We went to some movies and plays, and we hung out and had fun. What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment at 18 years old?I did well enough in school and college entrance exams to earn a Senatorial nomination to the Naval Academy and a Congressional nomination to the Military Academy. What was your favorite subject in school?I rank English and Math fairly evenly, though the interpretation of Literature was not as deep a challenge to me as college mathematics.

Ana Cruz What were you trying to get your degree in?At 18 I was in my second year pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Art/Music Education at the University of Amazonas, Brazil. Did you have a job, and if so where?When I was 18 I already had a clear professional path in mind.I followed into the footsteps of my mother as an educator and, at that age, I already had my own classroom, teaching 1st grade in Manaus, Brazil. What hobbies did you have?I learned to love music at a very early age and my major instrument was always the piano. I was very fond of photography and enjoyed seeing and capturing nature through the lens of a camera. I also collected stamps.

What was your biggest accomplishment at 18 years old?At 18 I was selected to perform as a pianist at the Teatro Amazonas in Manaus. It included Valsa da Dorby Heitor Villa-Lobos, a piece that has been recorded by many famous concert pianists.

Favorite television shows and movies to watch?I watched “MacGyver” and “Magnum P.I.” I also remember the TV run of the movie “Fame.”

??Is your professor a pianist?

Is your professora “MacGyver”fan?

Did your professorstudy meteorology?

Did your professor work at Schnuck’s?

Did your professorattend St. Louis University?

ART&LIFE8October 3, 2013

Beard grown in honor of family across the seaMilitary brother refuses to shave beard until brothers return from Afghanistan

DALILA KAHVEDZIC STAFF WRITER

Most people would probably walk by Ryan Flores, STLCC-Meramec student, noticing him for his beard. What most people do not know or realize, is that it is a deployment beard.

At the age of 25, Flores is accomplishing his general education degree at Meramec, hoping to transfer to a four-year college to pursue political science. His two brothers are stationed in Afghanistan, and until they return, Flores refuses to shave his beard.

“[Enlisting is] a really long two year process,” Flores said. “A month here, two months there, it’s been pretty tough on the

family but it’s what they want to do.”Flores’ two younger brothers, Russell

Flores, 21, and Romeo Flores, 20, both voluntarily enrolled in the National Guard and are stationed in Afghanistan, a decision supported by the whole family. The Flores family has a history of military involvement. Their father, Randy Flores, has served in the Air Force for 31 years and just recently retired. Growing up their father used to always tell them ‘I served this country so you don’t have to,’ so they did not feel pressured to.

Flores thought about enlisting, but he at least wanted to have a bachelor’s degree before he would pursue it. He is fine with the physical aspect, but does not think he could put his family through all the emotional stresses caused by enlisting. Flores believes it is a double-edged sword. Flores believes his brothers were anxious but the rest of the family was the more fearful ones. Flores understands that the experiences of war can stick with you.

“[It’s] not necessarily that they wouldn’t come home, but that when they did, it

would be different,” Flores said.The deployment beard started a few

months before Russell Flores and Romeo Flores left in July. Flores and his family attended “briefings” which were meetings in which the family was told what to expect during deployment. The beard was an idea that both his dad and Flores wanted to do together, but his dad backed out because his mom didn’t like it. Flores’ girlfriend, Ashley, hates the beard but is warming up to it and understands the meaning behind it.

“While the soldiers are over there, they think that time stops for everybody else at home, it’s like a different world,” Flores said. “So one of the reasons that I’m kind

of doing this, is a) for fun, and b) because it shows them exactly how long they’ve been gone, it gives them a kind of time frame.”

According to Flores, Russell Flores is very ambitious and always strives to do a little bit of everything, while Romeo Flores wants to be a pilot. Flores supports the decisions of his little brothers and thinks of them fondly.

“[They are] those little kids who used to come and terrorize me and stuff like that,” Flores said. “Then seeing them as men and doing what they want to do in the military and devoting themselves to a cause is pretty inspiring.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RYAN FLORESRussell Flores, left, Ryan Flores, middle and Romeo Flores, right. Russell Flores and Romeo Flores are currently stationed in Afghanistan as part of the National Guard.

Ryan Flores, 25, is growing out his beard until his brothers return from Afghanistan.

STLCC professors from various academic programs and majors will be available to

answer your questions.

MAJORS FAIR!!!Wednesday, October 23,

201311 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Student Center Commons

This event is sponsored by the Office of Academic AdvisingFor additional information, contact 314-984-7526

Come by and get lunch too!

Undecided on a Major?

Have Questions about a particular Major?

ART&LIFE 9October 3, 2013

Places to eatright down the streetKirkwood offers a variety of student hot spots

Good or bad, most all college students face a semester when they have an hour or more to kill before their next class. Parents would probably say “Go to the library and study.” Being the studious student that all parents dream about, homework is already completed and you have just aced your latest test. You owe it to yourself, get off campus during that free time, check out some of the local flavor, and air out your brain.

A variety of food, in both budget and taste, are just a few blocks away in historic downtown Kirkwood. From campus, head east and then turn left (north) onto Kirkwood Road.

If you are in the mood to stimulate your brain, check out the Magic House. Diagonally across the intersection are a variety of franchise eateries, including Panda Chinese and Cafe Provencal. Also within walking distance are Starbucks and

longtime Kirkwood favorite, Spencer’s Grill.Kirkwood City Train Station may be a

great place to begin a spring break or long weekend getaway. Crossing the railroad tracks and continuing north on Kirkwood Road, downtown Kirkwood with its small town charm and simplicity appears. Red Mango serves yogurt and smoothies, while most anything chocolate can be found at Chocolate - Chocolate - Chocolate. If you are in the mood for pizza, Dewey’s Pizza is just a few doors farther north. With all of that food available, a bicycle for some exercise may be a good idea. If so, Bicycles of Kirkwood is just up the street.

If you desire to just kick back and relax, Kirkwood Park and Walker Lake, are located just a few blocks west of Kirkwood Road. Regardless of which east-west thoroughfare you may take between Kirkwood Road and campus, you will find a variety of eating and drinking establishments nestled among the houses.

DENNIS W. PARKS STAFF WRITER

1 Spencer’s Grill............................... 223 S. Kirkwood Rd. A classic bar and grill.

2 Chocolate-Chocolate-Chocolate..... Located between 110 and 116 N. Kirkwood Rd. With chocolate in the menu, it can’t be all bad.

3&4 Great Harvest Bread Company..... 125 W. Argonne Ave. greatharvestkirkwood.com Fresh baked bread and pastries. What a way to start the morning.

5 Bar Louie......................................... 110 S. Kirkwood Rd. barlouieamerica.com The website says “Eat-Drink-Be Happy®.” Sounds like a plan.

6 Kaldi’s Coffee House...................... 120 S. Kirkwood Rd. kaldiscoffee.com A gourmet coffee shop.

7 Kirkwood Station Brewing Co..... 105 E. Jefferson Kirkwood, MO 63122 Live shows, food and beer.

8 Magic House.................................... 516 S. Kirkwood Rd., magichouse.org, Provides opportunities to interact with science and art.

9 Imo’s Pizza...................................... 215 S. Kirkwood Rd. imospizza.com St. Louis Classic

10 Red Mango....................................... 104 N. Kirkwood Rd., Yogurts and smoothies.

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KEYPHOTOS BY: DARLA STORM

SPORTS10October 3, 2013

For the love of the game

Archers’ Mothership drops the ball

SPENCER GLEASON EDITOR IN CHIEF

Now in their third year, STLCC Archer athletics have survived the freshman and sophomore years. Although, they are still a young name in junior college athletics, throughout the country, the individual teams that represent STLCC have continued what previous STLCC-Meramec, STLCC-Forest Park and STLCC-Florissant Valley teams did before — win.

Since the consolidation of athletics in July 2011, however, the administration that oversees the STLCC Archers has not acknowledged the athletes over the course of their two previous years. Only twice has

STLCC athletics dedicated an evening to the athletes or coaches.

What used to be commonplace during halftime at Meramec Magic basketball games, in allowing the athletes and coaches of all sports to be shown appreciation for their achievements on and off the field, has now become a rarity.

In December 2011, they combined all of the fall athletics into one celebration. There was no separate “Thank you” or “Congratulations” for each team to feel appreciated. Six women’s soccer players, two men’s soccer players and three women’s volleyball players made the trek to Florissant Valley to be patted on the back.

If STLCC Archer administration shows little value in each specific athlete, why should they waste the gas money to travel the nearly 30 minute drive away from Meramec? It is a poor choice if STLCC was looking to have it at a centralized location — especially in the dead of winter.

Following this first — and only — time STLCC put forth any effort in thanking athletes for their contributions on and off the field, STLCC has yet to acknowledge any winter or spring sports for either the 2011 or 2012 seasons and fall sports in 2012. And if they have, student media was never notified.

In February 2012, just a few months after the fall athletics appreciation evening, college officials recognized the contributions of former players, coaches and athletic staff that played roles in the success of the basketball programs over the years throughout STLCC with the “Navy and Silver Spirit Game” — an ironic title

because none of the honorees wore the team colors of navy blue and silver during their time at STLCC. Meramec’s team colors were green and gold. Forest Park colors were red and black and Florissant Valley colors were blue and white.

Team accomplishments that have been missed include the 2011-12 and 2012-13 Lady Archer basketball teams appearing in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Tournament. Both won the Region XVI Title; the 2011-12 men’s basketball team appearing in the NJCAA Tournament, also winning the Region XVI Title. The 2012 Lady Archers soccer team won the Regions XVI

Tournament, making a bid for a National Title, as well.

Head coach of STLCC baseball Tony Dattoli has had his team play at Busch Stadium in both 2011, 2012 and again on Sept. 8. Whereas some administration members would show their support when it was the Meramec Magic, the STLCC Archer administration has yet to support Archer baseball on the big stage.

The powers that be are clearly dropping the ball. If the athletes hold up their end of the bargain, when they sign on the dotted line, then the STLCC Archer administration needs to show a little bit more appreciation.

STLCC Lady Archers’ freshman guard, Kalah Martin, dribbles passed Metropolitan Community College (MCC)-Penn Valley Lady Scouts’ defender, Mallory James, during STLCC’s last home game on Feb. 20, 2013.

ARCHIVE PHOTO

CAMPUS2013-14

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SPORTS12October 3, 2013

Growing with the gameCortez Conners talks about his passion for basketballAARON McCALL STAFF WRITER

STLCC Archers’ guard Cortez Conners has taken the road less traveled when it comes to playing basketball wearing the navy blue and silver. Coming from Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, Mo., Conners said he wants to take the most of an opportunity.

Changing schools can be a transition. Not only did Conners change schools and begin to play for a new basketball program, but he also had a child when he was 21.

“It’s been pretty good. I’ve been through a lot since [Moberly]. I had a daughter and matured a lot,” Conners said.

Having a child at such a young age involves some maturation. Coming from a successful basketball program at Moberly Area Community College, Conners said he still has some things to prove this season.

“I want to prove that I’m a Division I athlete,” Conners said.

As far as sports go, Conners said basketball was his first love and that this upcoming season is a great opportunity.

“It’s just what I do. Some people draw and become artists. Some people write and become writers. I play basketball. It’s just what I do,” Conners said.

Personal goals for Conners include raising his GPA to a 3.0 and improving his character on and off the court. Conners said he hopes to lead the nation in free throw percentage and help post one of the best overall records the STLCC basketball

program has ever seen. Conners said he has high hopes for the program this season.

“We should contend for a national championship. We have the talent; we just have to work on team work. We just have to gel it together,” Conners said. “Chemistry is everything. If you don’t have chemistry, you can’t win. You have to learn to trust your teammates.”

Last season the Archers carried 13 players on the roster. This season they have more than 20 players.

“The depth will play a huge factor. It’s important that we have that seven to 10 man rotation,” Conners said. “It’s a long season.”

Conners said like other STLCC Archer basketball teams in the past, this is an undersized team, but it is very athletic.

Conners said that size should not be a problem and that head coach Randy Reed’s system should benefit some of the strengths of the players on this roster.

“Coach Reed has a great system. We should run teams out of the gym,” Conners said.

Conners cited athleticism as a key factor in overcoming size this season. Running the floor can help a team overcome lack of size. If a team cannot run, it is tough for them to set up defensively.

“You guys are going to love watching us. You’re going to see a lot of dunks. It’s going to be really fun. It’s going to be like watching the LA Clippers almost,” Conners said.

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PHOTO BY: DAVID KLOECKENER

Cortez Conners runs down the court during basketball practice on Sept. 30. Conners has high hopes for the 2013-14 men’s basketball team.