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. […]

Culinary arts student Ciera Esty sautées green beans and walnuts on the industrial stove. (Photo by DeJuan Baskin)

Culinary arts students practice on the public

October 14, 2013

Forest Park students, faculty and staff can eat in a new “restaurant” almost every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Culinary arts training includes practice runs for students, who take turns planning and preparing lunches and dinners and serving them to the public. “(In their last semester), all students rotate through every position they may potentially work in a restaurant situation,” said Clarke Griffin, instructor of restaurant operations. […]

Linda Foster reads to a day-care student; she lost her job when the center closed, prompting her to enrol at Forest Park. (Provided photo)

Student earns degree while fighting cancer

July 29, 2013

Linda Foster walks the halls of Forest Park with a bright smile, hiding the challenges she’s faced in the past year. The 62-year-old student from North St. Louis completed an early childhood education degree in May while battling cancer. “I didn’t want to be a hindrance to anybody, so I tried to get (chemotherapy and radiation) treatments on the days I didn’t have school,” she said. […]

The old Highlands carousel is still in use at Faust Park in Chesterfield; people pay $2 a ride or $5 for three rides. (Photo by Justin Tolliver)

Campus sits on site of amusement park

July 22, 2013

July 19 marked the 50th anniversary of the loss of a beloved St. Louis landmark. A fire destroyed the Forest Park Highlands, also known as “The Highlands,” an amusement park that stood where St. Louis Community College at Forest Park is today. […]

Customers take shelter from the rain under the awning at Crown Candy Kitchen, which sits at the intersection of St. Louis Avenue and 14th Street. (Photo by Jamie Greene)

Crown Candy marks 100 years

July 1, 2013

On the north side of downtown St. Louis, there’s a little family owned and operated restaurant that has been patronized by St. Louisans for 100 years. Walking in the door of Crown Candy Kitchen is like taking a step back in time with the malt machines, small jukeboxes at every booth and vintage Coca-Cola signs on the walls. […]

Graphic design major Raheem Hitchins, 23, draws model Eric Peniston, 47, in Figure Drawing I. (Photo by Chris Cunningham)

Nude models secure in their own skin

July 1, 2013

Imagine sitting on a stage completely naked. The room is quiet as an art instructor tells students how to sketch you – fat rolls, wrinkles and all. Sound scary? This is part of a regular day for nude models, who bare it all in Forest Park art classes. “I’ve never been nervous,” said Bert Haier, 72, of Webster Groves, a retired hairdresser who has been modeling for 35 years. “I have always been comfortable with my body.” […]

Richard Athens, center, chats with Erik Blankenship while Danny Borgers and John Wagner work on a serpentine belt. (Photo by DeJuan Baskin)

Automotive teacher grew up fixing cars

May 6, 2013

Richard Athens was 15 years old when he bought his first car for $45 in 1973. It was a yellow, green and gray 1956 Chevy. A customer at his father’s service station sold it to him after determining he couldn’t afford the repairs. “It was the first in a long line of cars,” Athens said. “I remember blowing the transmission drag racing on Grand.” Athens, 54, has been teaching in the automotive studies department at Forest Park for 25 years. He recently was promoted to department chair. […]

Ethan Coble, 8, Hana Noueriy, 8, and Andrew Burns, 9, work on their Lego machine. (Photo by Chris Cunningham)

“Little Einsteins” build machines with Legos

April 22, 2013

The Lego Gryphons are elementary school students during the week, engineers on weekends. The team of three boys showed up at a Junior FIRST Lego League exposition at Forest Park last weekend with an “Escalator Chair,” a machine made of Legos that carried a figure named “Mr. Pickles” up and down. […]

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