Navigator David Johnson of Grace Hill Health Center in St. Louis explains the new health-care law to a local resident in Cafe East. (Photo by Julian Hadley)

Campus hosts Affordable Health Care kickoff

October 28, 2013

Light rain and chilly temperatures may have dampened turnout at the Affordable Health Care Kickoff Rally at Forest Park this month. But certified “navigators” were ready to provide information, answer questions and help people sign up for health insurance when they arrived at Café East. “The mission is to inform the public,” said Missouri State Rep. Joshua Peters. “That’s what this is all about.” […]

Michaelis named interim chancellor

October 28, 2013

You can take the man out of the community college, but you can’t take the community college out of the man. After four years of retirement, Dennis Michaelis will join St. Louis Community College as interim chancellor Oct. 28. “I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said while attending a United Way event on the Forest Park campus. “I’m very optimistic that I can make a contribution.” […]

Maisoon Barghouty moved to the United States from Syria in 2003; she is a travel and tourism major at Forest Park. (Photo by Link Johnson)

Syrian student grieves for homeland

October 28, 2013

Forest Park student Maisoon Barghouty has been horrified to watch the death and destruction in her Syrian homeland in the past three years. A civil war between rebels and government forces has left more than 100,000 people dead and sent two million refugees to other countries, half of them children. […]

David Stuckel practices garnishing skills with a tube of icing. (Photo by Evan Sandel)

Passion drives culinary arts students

October 28, 2013

Three students made Forest Park proud at a competition at the Culinary Institute of St. Louis at Hickey College last month. Wauneen Rucker, 49, got a bronze medal in the cake-decorating division for a three-tiered event cake garnished with large butterfly-shaped confections. “(The judges) didn’t do a tasting,” Rucker said. “They didn’t care what was inside, as long as it wasn’t Styrofoam. It was all presentation and decorating technique.” […]

“Meat Puzzle,” above, began as performance art and is now on display at The Gallery of Contemporary Art; business administration major Eric Harris, 23, below left, stands in the middle of “Revolutionary Circle 2.” (Photo by Maurice Foxworth)

Artist’s creations are “left of center”

October 28, 2013

New York City artist Eto Otitigbe invites people to challenge their brains and see things differently with his exhibit, “Curious Industry.” It’s on display in The Gallery of Contemporary Art on the Forest Park campus through Nov. 1. The multi-media exhibit is a collection Otitigbe has been working on in the past few years. “I was interested in seeing if there was anything that could come out of grouping the work,” he said. […]

General transfer student Jake Leech, 21, climbs the wall, above; Mark Applegate, below second to left, coaches some of his rock-climbing students. (Photo by Scott Allen)

Students climb their way to credit

October 28, 2013

The adventurous Forest Park student can get college credit and an adrenaline fix with a Beginning Rock Climbing class. “You do not have to be in the best of shape or even have experience,” said instructor Mark Applegate. “It’s more of a mental challenge, getting over that initial fear.” Rock-climbing can be good exercise. […]

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Get ready for Halloween fright and fun

October 28, 2013

My favorite time of year, Halloween, is finally here. Fortunately, St. Louis has plenty to offer for those who want to be scared or entertained or show their kids a good time. The biggest name in local Halloween frights is ScareFest, owned by Larry Kirchner. Every October, it offers a trio of haunted experiences that are hard to beat. It’s the first thing many people think of when it comes to Halloween, and for good reason. […]

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Funny story calms fears

October 28, 2013

When I was young, Halloween was one of the most anticipated days of the year. I never knew its origin until recently, but as children, we rarely concerned ourselves with the why. We just knew Halloween was a really big deal. I loved to see the houses decorated with ghosts, scarecrows, witches, spider webs and jack-o-lanterns. I liked going to community events, especially dances at school, the rec center and city hall, where everyone wore costumes. […]

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Open swim hours are back

October 28, 2013

Looking for ways to burn calories this winter? Searching for a new recreational activity to keep you busy? Officials have reinstituted open swim hours for students, faculty, staff and alumni at the Forest Park pool this fall.  “We found a person to work during (open hours),” said Kirk Martin, facilities supervisor for physical education and athletics. The pool was only open for swimming classes over the summer. No open hours were scheduled the first half of summer because the physical-education department went over budget on part-time employees and had to reduce staff, Martin said. […]

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