Volume 49 Issue 7 December 5, 2013www.meramecmontage.com

MT H E M O N T A G E

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Tornadoes, oh myWeather birds take over Meramec Theatre to listen to Meteorologist Tim Marshall.

page 9

Sweet TreatsA step-by-step recipe for the budget-conscious, sweet-toothed student.

page 12

Meramec’s wish listKeeping it close to home, the Meramec bookstore offers those last-minute gifts. page 6

STLCC-Meramec hosted four forums open to students, faculty and staff, allowing for open communication.

President Budget

Safety ChancellorPAGE 3

Meramec Interim President Pam McIntyre had a round-table question and answer open forum.

Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Kent Kay hosted a budget forum for faculty.

Linda Nissenbaum, of Disability Support Services, addressed ways students and faculty can help during emergencies.

Interim Chancellor Dennis Michaelis, Ed. D., had an open forum with Meramec faculty to address concerning issues.

Sports MomentsA look at the top Meramec sports moments of this this semester. page 11

ILLUSTRATION BY: CORY MONTERO

NEWS2December 5, 2013

A T M E R A M E C

The Music Department at Meramec offers courses and ensembles for all students. You may take classes for general education credit or pursue the Associate of Arts in Music

degree to prepare for transfer into a Bachelor of Music or Music Education program.

** SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE **

COURSES MUS 101,102,201,202 Music Theory I,II,III,IV MUS 103 Basic Music MUS 113 The History of Jazz MUS 114 The Enjoyment of Music MUS 115,116 Class Voice I,II MUS 121,122,221,222 Class Piano I,II,III,IV MUS 128 Survey of Rock Music MUS 130 Beginning Guitar MUS 138,139,216 Jazz Improvisation I,II,III MUS 141,142,241,242 Applied Music (Lessons) I,II,III,IV MUS 143 Introduction to Desktop Publishing MUS 211,212 Music History I,II

Interested in performing in an ensemble? All Meramec students may participate. No audition is required!

ENSEMBLES Music 132 – Orchestra Music 133 – Jazz Lab Band Music 134 – Symphonic Band Music 135 – Concert Choir, Chamber Singers

and Voices of Magic jazz choir

All ensembles hold a seat/part assignment hearing during the first rehearsal. Members of the Concert Choir may audition for the Chamber Singers and/or the Voices of Magic jazz choir.

For more information, contact the Meramec Music Department

Gary Gackstatter, Director of Instrumental Music, ggackstatter@stlcc.edu, (314) 984-7636 Dr. Jerry Myers, Director of Choral Activities & Music Theory, gmyers34@stlcc.edu, (314) 984-7638

To college students, the uncertainty of life after college is perhaps the only thing worse than taking college final exams. Whether graduation is in December or May, the future may seem hazy until that first regular paycheck from a real job comes along. While that first job most likely will not be the only job during a person’s career, it can be the hardest to find, making proper preparation very important.

Rita Reinhardt, a career specialist in the Career and Employment Services at STLCC-Meramec since 2008, said preparation is vital to success in the job market.

“To me preparation starts the moment you decide you want to go to school. One of the misconceptions is that they’ll wait until they graduate. Unfortunately, that pushes you behind the game plan,” Reinhardt said. “There are other people who are just as prepared as you, so you want to start very early on. You want to start connecting with employers or thinking about employers that you want to work with.”

It is also critical to continue researching possible career paths through college to determine if a chosen field is continuing to show growth or if recent graduates have already flooded the job market.

While changing majors can result in being required to take more classes to graduate, that may still be a better option than graduating with an obsolete degree in a dying market.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the occupations with the largest projected growth through 2020 are in the healthcare industry.

Of those, the top three in projected growth are as Personal Care Aides at 70.5 percent growth, Home Health Aides at 69.4 percent and Medical Secretaries at 41.3 percent.

While these professions are not at the top of the pay scale with median annual wages of $19,640, $20,560 and $30,530 respectively, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is projected growth potential.

With one foot in the healthcare industry, a degree in hand and a willingness to pursue additional training, the healthcare industry can lead to opportunities for Meramec graduates. Meramec alumna Sharon Rohrbach began her career as a registered nurse and eventually founded and became the CEO of the Nurses for Newborns Foundation.

According to Reinhardt, the nursing and physical assistance

health care programs graduate a significant number of students at Meramec. “In 2011, there were 72 nursing students out of our 440 graduates. The bulk of our students were nursing. In second, was the paralegal studies, which is the paralegal department. After that was interior design with 28. Then, the physical therapy assistance program with 24 students,” Reinhardt said. “If you add up the nursing and physical therapy assistance program, they were quite a bit of graduates here at Meramec.

For those who prefer to work outdoors, three additional job classifications are expected to show growth of around 20 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics: construction laborers, landscapers, groundskeepers and heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Median annual wages for these occupations are listed as $29,280, $23,400 and $37,770 respectively.

Among the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ occupations with largest job growth, the top two in terms of median annual wage are classified as physicians and surgeons at $111,570 and as registered nurses at $64,690; followed by accountants and auditors at $61,690. These higher paying careers are expected to grow at 24.4 percent, 26.0 percent and 15.7 percent respectively.

Whether graduation is just around the corner or post-secondary studies have just begun, consult with Meramec’s counseling department, located in the Administration Building/Clark Hall AD202. This free resource for students provides a guide to job types, the education and training required, typical responsibilities and the expected salary.

“We’ll definitely help walk you through some of the steps,” Reinhardt said. “We will help you with your professional documents, thinking about ways of researching and leading you to the resources. We’re pretty much here as your ‘Jimmy the Cricket’ — your conscience to help guide you through the job search process.”

Reinhardt said the service is valuable for students at every stage of the job search. “When I was in college, I didn’t know about career services. I didn’t utilize it like I should have,” Reinhardt said. “Take advantage of any of the services. Not only here, but if you move on to a different facility. See what is available to you as a student. It’s almost like you have a library card or gym membership. The chances are high that you’ll utilize those services.”

Job market picks up for popular majorsSTLCC graduates start early in preparing for prospective occupationsDENNIS W. PARKS STAFF WRITERSPENCER GLEASON EDITOR IN CHIEF

All Grown Up:

Nursing Paralegal Interior Design

Meramec graduates pick popular fields for future careers.

ILLUSTRATION BY: REBECCA BIUNDO

NEWS 3December 5, 2013

Breaking the Silence (continued from page 1)Four forums allow for more communication between students, faculty and administration SPENCER GLEASON EDITOR IN CHIEF

President Budget

During the safety forum on Nov. 21, Manager of the Access Office and Disability Support Services Linda Nissenbaum and Interim STLCC-Meramec President Pam McIntyre brought light to how students and faculty can prepare for emergency situations on campus.

Nissenbaum discussed what she considers to be helpful tactics prior to emergency situations at Meramec.

“Students are expected to take certain steps to ensure their own safety. One of the things that we ask is that they consider a personal emergency plan. This is online and it’s in our student handbook,” Nissenbaum said. “Just be aware that this is available. We want people to fill this out and take some proactive planning for their own sake. It wouldn’t be bad for all of us to maybe take some proactive planning and make sure that we have all these things available.”

Along with the personal emergency plan, McIntyre mentioned how useful emergency contact information is when the appropriate papers are filled out.

“We’ve now given the police dispatcher

the ability to go up and access that information so that when the police officer calls they can call up their emergency contact and they can call that contact and say that an ambulance has been called,” McIntyre said. “Then the emergency contacts know to go to the hospital and meet the individual. The student has the ability to fill that out. The employees have the ability to fill that out. It’s that people have to fill it out.”

According to Nissenbaum this is something new for the police department.

“They didn’t have that access before. We’re always learning and finding new ways to support students in an emergency. That’s one of the ways we’ve done that,” Nissenbaum said.

Aside from preparing for an emergency situation, remaining calm is the best thing to do in an emergency. According to Nissenbaum, that will help resolve the situation in a smooth manner.

“I would think one thing is to remain as calm as possible because everything around you is going to be chaotic. And people tend to act in a chaotic way,” Nissenbaum said. “The best thing you can do is to make sure people understand what’s going on around them and to stay calm.

Safety

Chancellor

Interim STLCC-Meramec President Pam McIntyre had an open forum on Nov. 20. The question and answer round-table atmosphere gave an opportunity for faculty to have an unguarded discussion with McIntyre.

During the forum, McIntyre answered questions that dealt with STLCC’s removal from the League of Innovations and student tracking attendance issues, as well as higher education, updating the STLCC website and the Western Governors Association.

The League of Innovation is an international organization dedicated to increasing the community college movement. It is made up of 19 schools that develops web resources, provides services and leads projects and initiatives to continue efforts to make positive differences for students and communities.

“The college has been reaffirmed in the League of Innovation two different times now because every time a chancellor leaves, the school goes through a review as to whether or not they remain in the league,

as a board member,” McIntyre said.According to McIntyre, the League

looks at ways the community college is being innovative and how the school does their curriculum differently than other community colleges.

“If you’re going to be moving things forward in an innovative way, you have to have the support [of the Board of Trustees],” McIntyre said. “Each time, when Zelema Harris became the chancellor and then when Myrtle Dorsey, Ph.D., became the chancellor, we presented six or seven different innovative projects. They said that they felt that there was some inconsistency in terms of how the board supported the administration. That’s all I know.”

Aside from the League of Innovation, McIntyre addressed the student tracking attendance issues.

“My understanding is that they have a committee working on that and faculty members are part of that committee. Part of the problem is, that it’s a Banner module that Banner still has to do some work on to make some of the things work,” McIntyre said. “The biggest problem that I’m aware of is how you do the attendance tracking for online and self-directive learning and internships.”

According to McIntyre, STLCC was the first community college to implement this particular part of the Banner module for tracking.

“Like anything, when it first gets rolled out, you can see some problems that exist in it. Some of the things, I think have fixes,” McIntyre said. “Some of the things, even in the spring semester, people will kind of work around. Banner is trying to go in and make the changes.”

The final forum scheduled at STLCC-Meramec was the open forum with the Interim Chancellor Dennis Michaelis, Ed. D., on Monday, Dec. 2.

After addressing the faculty, Michaelis answered questions and bounced potential ideas off of the Meramec staff.

“As you can imagine, I have lots of responsibilities over the coming months. I take those responsibilities very seriously,” Michaelis said. “A great deal of that has to do with listening to what all of the people who work at STLCC have to say. I want your opinions. I want to hear with what’s on your mind.”

Michaelis discussed the number of interim and acting positions not only at Meramec, but all across STLCC.

“The number of interim and acting positions, not only on this campus, but all across STLCC as well, concerns me,” Michaelis said. “I believe, that as soon as we can get to a point of stability or relative stability, the better off we are.”

Along with the Meramec president position being filled by an interim, the STLCC-Florissant Valley president position will soon be available with the

upcoming retirement of Marcia Pfeiffer, who recently submitted her notice of retirement.

“She has guaranteed me that she will be an advisor in the coming days and months after she’s gone to finding her replacement. I really recommend to the board of trustees that we start a full-scale national search for her replacement,” Michaelis said. “I think one of the things that our college — not just Meramec, but all of our college — needs at this point is stability. I know that’s a little hypocritical of the guy who is interim chancellor, but that’s what I believe.”

Along with the number of interim and acting positions, Michaelis also addressed the Cosand Center and how much he wishes he could be closer to the students.

“I used to be at a community college in Texas and I’m not trying to bring Texas here, but one of the things that I know I’m going to miss here, after being there, is that I’m not around students at the Cosand Center,” Michaelis said. “I want to be around the students. I’m going to go to the campus and just hang out. Maybe visit a classroom or two or hang out in the student center.”

Although Michaelis knows his time at STLCC will be short, he let faculty know that his goal is to direct the college on track for long-term positive results.

“One of my real goals is to make sure that when I leave here, this will be a college that all the players in community college administration will look at and say, ‘That’s a heck of a job. I think I’ll apply for that,’” Michaelis said. “I think right now, there would be hesistation on the part of a lot of the best and the brightest around the country. You don’t want that. You want this college put in a position of what it has been in the past.”

During the budget forum on Nov. 11, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Kent Kay discussed the operating fund.

Kay went through the challenges for the 2015 fiscal year, which will begin on July 1, 2014 and go until June 30, 2015.

According to Kay, STLCC has eight challenges for the fiscal year. Among those, STLCC would have to adjust budgets to reflect current and anticipated enrollment, adjust adjunct salary budgets to reflect actual enrollment and identify funds for a possible salary increase.

“We are very fortunate — and I’ve looked at other community colleges,” Kay said. “to have the kind of support that the city of St. Louis and the county of St. Louis along with the little sliver of Jefferson and Franklin counties that we have and their support for community

education.”Despite the support, Kay said there

would be a $3.6 million reduction in the amount budgeted due to enrollment decline. There would be an additional drop in the 2015 fiscal year enrollment due to demographics analysis and softer enrollments in first-time and transfer students.

According to Kay, budget assumptions for salaries and benefits include a possible one-percent increase in salary, which would cost $832,000, including benefits. There would be a $600,000 increase in medical insurance.

Although, these are projections, Kay said that there are challenges when there are necessary fees that are key to the success of the students.

“Sometimes it’s challenging when there are fees that are so key to the success of our students and our faculty and our staff,” Kay said. “But continue to do the good job that you’re doing.”

Check out our online contentNew police substation opens in Meramec library

www.meramecmontage.com

The mathematics requirement for a degree at STLCC frustrates many students. I frequently hear people complain that they are “never going to use it.” Those people are probably right. But, students should still have to take college algebra.

After most people have left college, they are never going to solve a system of equations, graph a circle, expand a logarithm or complete the square. In fact, most students probably forget how to do these things immediately after the final exam.

Obtaining a degree is a substantial investment of time that demonstrates the ability to work hard and persevere. In addition to learning information that applies to a career path, college graduates have gained a set of skills that includes various forms of thought.

History classes teach students to analyze events and understand how and why these things happened. It requires students to make connections, taking multiple

variables into account.Students learn to organize ideas and

thoughts in English courses, communicating those ideas through writing. Some papers require students to use persuasive language and develop arguments supported by facts.

Science courses allow students to learn to analyze data, quantitative and qualitative and come to logical conclusions. These courses also require students to visualize complex concepts.

Mathematics requires complex problem solving and reasoning ability. When approaching a math problem, students have to break down the information, analyze it and carry out a course of action in a timely manner. Often times this requires creativity and an understanding of key concepts. This type of thinking translates to examining and dealing with situations in real life. While most people never have to use the Pythagorean theorem, it is likely that being able to solve problems creatively is a skill that will be of some value to every student.

College is not meant to be easy. Different people struggle in different areas. For now, college algebra is required to earn a degree at STLCC. The best approach seems to be to accept it, to work hard and to learn something.

After writing a few of columns about music, a new crisis has formed. Columns have been written on music under the assumption that people care to read about it. It has become clear to me that the essential question has not really been addressed yet. The same question that many students murmur in their heads through the duration of an exhausting semester: Why does any of this matter? Now, if students cannot convey why music is important, not just from a personal perspective but from an objective standpoint, then how can they expect anyone to take interest? Music is fundamentally important, not to just an opinion writer, but to all of mankind.

In order to understand the importance of music, try to picture a world without music. A world without music would make more sense from an evolutionary

standpoint. Many evolutionary scientists would agree with psychologist Steven Pinker when he referred to music as “auditory cheesecake,” in that the existence of understanding music did not do anything to act in the selection of fit species, but rather served as a side effect of more crucial components of human evolution like language. But others would disagree. Others would suggest that music provides a means of communication that is universal for all cultures to engage in.

This idea occurred to me while playing the Zelda games at the beginning of this semester. One of the most defining elements of the Zelda games is the music. It feels as though the game, with all its puzzles and dungeons, acts as more of a vehicle for the memorable themes. So it becomes fascinating why a game soundtrack that was

written by a Japanese composer becomes so successful critically and commercially not just in Japan, but internationally as well. The reason for this overwhelming success seems to serve as evidence for how music, unlike any other form of art, is universal across all cultures. It serves as a common medium in which all humans can communicate though. It is through this deep, empathetic communication that has caused humans to evolve into the social creatures we are today.

So why should humans be interested in music? Humans, on a biological level, have an understanding of music. Humans are all related on a fundamental emotional level. Humans can all communicate our thoughts and feelings through a single language. Humans are all engaged by a universal medium, which is music.

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OPINIONS4December 5, 2013

BILLY GARDNERSTAFF WRITER

CHALLENGINGCONVENTION

Math: A miscalculation

JAKE HEIDBRINKSTAFF WRITER

MUSIC NOTES

Why does itMatter?

Lo and behold, There will be flying drones in the sky delivering material goods from Amazon soon. That is the projected goal of the powerhouse of a company, Amazon. The idea sounds great, but it constitutes a need for worry and much disbelief.

There are many skepticisms about Amazon’s ambitious dream, one being the cost. Between the technology to fly these drones, the fuel used, the GPS systems used, the malfunctions, maintenance and inevitable mechanical problems, Amazon could be allocating too many resources toward the project. If the project does not create a financial surplus for the company or a satisfied customer, Amazon could lose much reputation as a reliable delivery company.

Another problem with the project is the plausibility of it. A world where flying squadrons of “air caravans” circulate the sky sounds like a Sci-Fi flick. How realistic is it for all these machines to accurately

get to their destination and in 30 minutes or less? What if you want to cancel your order? Are there regulations to what you can and cannot send or what about whom you send your stuff too?

There are inevitable dangers as well. Will drones malfunction, fall from the sky and impale surrounding citizens, killing them? What are the safety regulations with this kind of project? Will people try and shoot them down or damage them in any form? Will laws be made to protect their investments?

Ultimately, this technology will be very beneficial, but many law regulation and safety measures will need to taken beforehand. As we near the peak of the digital age, humans are going to see some interesting changes to the way we see retail and transportation, whether it be commercial or business. Amazon is trying to handle a big package; but hopefully the technology does not fall into the wrong hands.

CORY MUEHLEBACHOPINIONS EDITOR

WACKYSCIENCE

You’ve gotMail

ILLUSTRATION BY: CORY MUEHLEBACH

ILLUSTRATION BY: CORY MUEHLEBACH

OPINIONS 5December 5, 2013

JAKE HUNN GRAPHICS EDITOR

What could you buy with Dorsey’s salary?

What should tuition money be used for?

STLCC pays Myrtle Dorsey six figures even during career-ending absence

President, Ex-Chancellor and Principal are just a few speculations that STLCC students have made as to just who Myrtle Dorsey is. Others have not the slightest clue about Dorsey’s position. Dorsey is the Chancellor of St. Louis Community College.

This begs the question: Who is Dennis Michaelis? Even fewer students know the answer to that.

Michaelis is the interim chancellor of STLCC. It does not take a semester of college algebra to piece together the conclusion that we have two chancellors, and well paid ones at that.

Why have two chancellors? Is it to divide up the heavy workload? Not exactly. Dorsey

took leave in September for an undetermined reason. However, Dorsey continues to receive $195,000 of her $224,000 salary and will continue to do so until June of 2014.

Meanwhile, Michaelis is also being paid a salary of $224,000 to fulfill the duties that once belonged to Dorsey. Essentially, Dorsey is being paid nearly her full salary to do nothing for the college. In fact, Dorsey is currently not even in the state of Missouri. Chief of the board of trustees Craig Larson states that the college owes Dorsey the remainder of her salary due to a contractual obligation. Larson said, “It’s what happens when you

have somebody on a contract and they don’t fulfill the three years.”

Fox 2’s Elliott Davis seems to think that taxpayers are the financial victims of STLCC’s irresponsible handling of the situation. However, who is really paying off Dorsey’s contract as she skips town for a leave of absence? Davis failed to mention the students of STLCC who pay thousands of dollars each semester on their education. For most of us this is large sum of money that still only amounts to a small fraction of Dorsey’s yearly salary. It is an injustice to students that the college continues to pay Dorsey despite the fact that she is currently doing absolutely

nothing for the college. Larson claims that Dorsey

is still available to assist Interim Chancellor Michaelis. Larson’s claim sounds great on paper, but how can Dorsey assist Michaelis at STLCC while she is not even in state? In reality, Dorsey is being paid roughly $144,000 more than the average working American to leave her job unfinished. To provide some perspective, the remainder of Dorsey’s yearly contract is costing the college nearly four times the median yearly salary of the average American. For the $195,000 that Dorsey is being paid during her absence, one could pay for nearly 175 full-time (12 credit hours)

semesters at STLCC, assuming tuition remained at $93 per credit hour. Realistically, most of us are enrolled in more than twelve credit hours and have trouble paying for even four semesters, if it is possible to even graduate in that time.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Dorsey’s unjust leave of absence is that there is little we can do about it as students. The only action we can take is to ensure that we have our facts straight about the situation. In the future it would be right and just for the students who keep STLCC open to have a say and ensure that the college makes more responsible financial decisions in the future.

“I think tuition money should go to good teachers because every student learns in a different way and you need better teachers to explain things in a couple different ways so everybody can understand it.” —Kim Albrecht

“It should go toward teachers and education materials. I think too much goes toward the athletics and deans. I think the people that deserve the most are the teachers and, obviously, good school supplies.”—Connor Johnson

“I think [tuition] should go toward computers and other appliances, like the art department, but even in the library. There should be spares because there a lot of students do come in and they are not enough.” —Quinne Hibbler

ILLUSTRATION BY: JAKE HUNN

Dorsey’s Salary 780 IPods 175 Semesters at STLCC

PHOTOS BY: REBECCA BIUNDO

INDEPTH6December 5, 2013

As the holidays quickly approach, retail stores and malls buzz with shoppers. Long lines and crowds become exhausting and holiday shopping turns into an annual dreaded task. The STLCC Bookstore offers many trendy gifts for everyone without having to leave campus.

INDEPTH 7December 5, 2013

From Left to right: STLCC Pink Sport Pullover, $43.50; Wicked Audio headphones, $10; Ganz Smart Sleeve coffee cup sleeve, $5; Bitter Brew by William Knosedelseden, $27.99; Colorful Ceramic Travel Mug, $10.99; Earth Divas Purse, $24.25; Kate Spade iPhone 5 case, $27.95; Quoteable Magnets, $5; STLCC Gray Pullover, $43; STLCC Sweatshirt Blanket, $23.25; DCI Powerbank external phone charger, $18; Yummy by Caroline Brewster dessert cookbook, $6.98.

PHOTOS BY: REBECCA BIUNDO

AMERICA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL ART AND DESIGN SCHOOLSAIC encourages investigation that is interdisciplinary, collaborative, and experimental.

Application deadline: January 1Classes begin January 23

APPLY NOW: saic.edu/ugmeritsaic.edu/ugapp

ADMISSIONS312.629.6100 | 800.232.7242ugadmiss@saic.edu

MARA GOLDFINE (BFA 2013), BEHIND THE CURTAIN, IRON, CHERRY, LINEN, BRONZE, MECHANICS

ART&LIFE 9December 5, 2013

Tim Marshall talks tornadoes with studentsSky clubs hosts Tim Marshall, meteorologist and civil engineer

CASSIE KIBENS PRODUCTION MANAGER

The theater slowly filled with students, community members and National Weather Service meteorologists. This was no ordinary presentation; this event was about the destruction, uncertainty and science of tornadoes.

More than 150 students and community members attended the presentation in the STLCC-Meramec Theatre given by Tim Marshall, meteorologist and civil engineer, on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Marshall has appeared in various television shows on networks such as The Discovery Channel and PBS and is a published author. Marshall is known for his collaboration with Severe Storm Prediction Center and National Weather Service in order to assess damage from severe storms and tornadoes.

“I’ve always been interested in the weather since I was a little kid, there was no choice to be made,” Marshall said. “In Chicago where I grew up we had severe storms in the summer, we had snowstorms in the winter. I just love storms.”

In the presentation Marshall discussed his experiences working on a government project called Vortex 2, which is a government-

funded project whose objective was to understand tornadoes. Marshall talked about how more than 100 people and more than 60 vehicles equipped with scientific instruments traveled across the U.S. to predict and chase tornadoes. Last semester Sky Club hosted Reed Timmer, professional storm chaser, featured on The Discovery Channel’s television series “Storm Chasers.”

“Reed did it more from a personal perspective and Tim did it more from a government-project perspective so he was talking more along the lines of ‘this is a government project, we have this many people we have to take care of them we have to think about logistics, we have to plan accordingly,’” Arielle Byington, president of Sky Club, said. “Reed, he makes last minute decisions all the time. He

doesn’t have to plan how 126 people are going to get there. [ M a r s h a l l ’ s presentation] gave a different perspective.”

M a r s h a l l has been

studying the weather and storm chasing for many years now and has seen the advancements of weather instruments throughout this time. He said he finds it rewarding that he has been able

to make it this far in his career. Marshall said he was not the straight-A student, but rather had to discover a work ethic in order to make his dream of studying the weather a reality.

“In the beginning it was just trying to find a storm,” Marshall said. “We had no hands-on radar, no internet, no cellphone. We basically had to drive out and run into [a storm]. Or stop, call, via payphone, the weather service and see where the blob was.”

Byington said many representatives from the National

Weather Service were in attendance.

“I personally was very impressed that we were able to get so many community leaders to come to our event,” Byington said. “[To have] the weather service, a government agency, coming to a little club’s event on the Meramec campus is impressive. They don’t normally do stuff like that.”

Joe Schneider, instructor and Sky Club adviser, helped spread the word about the event through advertisements made by Byington. Schneider talked to faculty at St. Louis University and

talked to potential attendees at a storm festival.

“A lot of these people who were there then were a lot of the general public so it looks like we did our job as far as getting out there and getting the word out to the general public,” Schneider said.

The Sky Club is hosting a Storm Spotter class Saturday morning Feb. 22. The class is free, held in the Meramec Theatre and the Weather Service will issue any attendee who stays for the entire presentation an Official Storm Spotter number.

“ I’ve always been interested in the weather since I was a little kid, there was no choice to be made.”

-Tim Marshall

Quoted and

Noted

“ “You have to do your homework.”-Associate Professor (Robyn Barrett/Accounting Department)

“I’ll say that again, just in case you were thinking about Starbucks.”

-Professor of Foreign Languages (Dr. Roy Day)

“Mama loves you but, I will fail you.”-Communications (Mrs. Allen)

“I know there is a great deal of work assigned in college classes. You won’t die from all that work, but you will be very tired at the end of the semester.”

-Assistant Professor (Liza Mizes)

“Are we good?”-Professor Economics (Dr. Gail Heyne Hafer)

PHOTO BY: CASSIE KIBENSTim Marshall, meteorologist and civil engineer, speaks to an audience of students and community members Tuesday, Nov. 26. Marshall talked about his government-funded project Vortex 2, whose goal was to learn more about tornadoes.

The Weather According to Joe

December January February

*Avg. snowfall this month*Warm and cold spells*Best chance of snow end of month

*Extreme artic air*Possible winter storms*Avg. snowfall, possible ice/sleet

*Slight mid-month warm*Active storm track*Avg. snowfall just above normal

Meteorology instructor Joe Schneider gives his outlook of the upcoming winter weather. Overall, he predicts an active winter with many temperature swings.

Teachers say the darnedest things. Here’s a look at some Meramec teacher’s favorite quotes to use.

QUOTES COMPILED BY: TIARA BAMS GRAPHIC BY: CASSIE KIBENS

CAMPUS2013-14

VISIT DAYS

Park University seeks comments from the public about the University in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Center Association of Colleges and Schools. Comments addressing substantive matters related to the quality of the

institution or its academic programs should be submit in writing to: Third-Party Comment on Park University, The Higher Learning Commission,230 S. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1411, or at www.ncahlc.org, no later than Oct. 21, 2013.

DISCOVER AND EXPLORE ALL WE OFFER AT AN EXC IT ING PARKUNIVERS ITY EVENT OR A PERSONAL CAMPUS EXPER IENCE

VISIT PARK

FALL PIRATE PREVIEWSGet the whole story at this event where we feature every academic program,

visit with current students and show you why Park is such a great value. •September28,2013•October12,2013•November16,2013

PERSONAL CAMPUS EXPERIENCEMake any day your visit day. Tour the Parkville Campus, meet faculty, talk withcurrent students and discover historic Parkville. Schedule your experience at

park.edu/montage or (816) 746-2533

Park University is located in historic Parkville, Mo., only minutes from downtown Kansas City.

SPORTS 11December 5, 2013

Season in reviewDAVID KLOECKENER PHOTO EDITOR

DENNIS W. PARKS STAFF WRITERDAVID KLOECKENER PHOTO EDITOR

For any students or faculty interested in working out or toning their body, STLCC-Meramec’s campus facilities include a basketball court, a swimming pool, a weight training room and a fitness center. These facilities are all housed in the Physical Education building, located near the east parking lot. However, some of Meramec’s physical fitness facilities are not available for use at times when students are not already in class.

“The fitness center is open only to students enrolled in Fitness I, Fitness II or Total Fitness classes,” said Kim McCall, assistant Physical Education department chair.

The fitness center offers a variety of cardio and weight- lifting equipment, said Joe Swiderski, Meramec athletic facilities supervisor.

“In the class, students have different cards they need to fill out,” Swiderski said. “Some do a lot more cardio than weight training; some do more weight training than cardio. Some lift for size, some lift for strength and some lift for endurance – it’s all different.”

Student April Haney said she would use the fitness facilities if they were open to all students, not just those enrolled in fitness classes. “A lot of people cannot afford a gym membership,” Haney said.

Although the fitness center is reserved for students enrolled in PE classes, the weight room is available to students after they attend an orientation session. “They come in and sign a waiver,” Swiderski said. “They show us an ID card to make sure they are students.”

Hours for the weight room are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday hours are 7-9 a.m. and 5-8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

“We had about 200 to 300 students who used the weight room throughout the year and we probably had another 100 or so this year who were new this year,” Swiderski said.“There are more people who use it than you think – they just don’t stick with it.”

If students are not enrolled in a fitness class, they do have the opportunity to use the campus

gymnasium in addition to the weight room. The gymnasium is open Monday and Wednesday from 8-9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to noon, Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon. However, basketball is not allowed in the gymnasium during these times.

“We’ve shut it off [basketball] the last couple years because when our student population grew, we seemed to have a lot more students from the area come in,” Swiderski said. “It was hard to police the students and the non-students.”

The swimming pool is available for lap swims only Monday through Thursday mornings from 8-8:50 a.m. and Monday through Friday, 12-12:50 p.m. Pool supervisor and PE instructor Karen Koshak said, “[the pool is] used for college and continuing education classes at other times.”

For access to any of these facilities, Meramec students must have a current semester photo ID card, and may be accompanied by one guest.

The weight is overMeramec’s weight center provides alternative to expensive gym memberships

Women’s basketball, women’s soccer and men’s baseball score big in fall semester

Second-year student MacKenzie Clements works out in weight room on the first floor of the Physical Education building. The weight room is available for all Meramec students to use.

PHOTO BY: DARLA MINOR

Women’s basketball started off the season with a 7-1 record. The Lady Archers met their mark by getting their seventh win by Thanksgiving. The Lady Archers have one returning sophmore, Kalah Martin, to lead them throughout the season.

The women’s soccer had another spectular season. The Lady Archers go to the NJCAA National Tournament in Florida after going 15-5-2 during the regular season. The Lady Archers beat Lewis and Clark Community College in order to go to the national tournament.

The baseball team had highlight moments while playing the Lewis and Clark Community College Trailblazers at Busch Stadium. Head Coach Tony Dattoli resigned November 11. Assistant Coach Scott Goodrich will replace Dattoli as head coach.

PHOTO BY: DAVID KLOECKENER

PHOTO BY: DAVID KLOECKENER

PHOTO BY: CASSIE KIBENS

HOLIDAY FEATURE12December 5, 2013

Sweet talkCORY MONTERO MANAGING EDITOR

1 9x13-inch pan •1 sheet aluminum foil •2 bags of Dove Promises •1 large bowl •8 cups puffed rice cereal •1 bag of mini marshmallows •1 bag of peanut butter m&m’s •1 large pot • 6 tablespoons of butter •

1 16oz. bag of regular size marshmallows •1 bag of regular m&m’s •

Ingredients

Six easy steps to make a festive M&M’s dessert

123456

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Line the pan with aluminum foil then place unwrapped Dove Promises at the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in oven for 2 – 2 ½ minutes until chocolate is soft. Set aside.

In the large bowl mix 8 cups of rice cereal, 2 cups of mini marshmallows and

peanut butter M&M’s.

In the large pot mix 6 tablespoons of butter and regular size marshmallows over

medium heat.

Mix marshmallow mixture with cereal mixture. Mix well. Spread the combined

mixture evenly over Dove chocolate in pan.

Then sprinkle M&M’s on top, pressing in slightly. Refrigerate for an hour.

zo y 12

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PHOTOS BY: DARLA STORM