OPINION | NEWS
JANUARY 11, 2019
STRAWS ARE SUCKING LIFE AWAY Applebee’s overuse of straws needs to chill out
Chloe Collins the advocate
The compelling debate about the condition of our planet and where it’s headed is a central topic in current politics. Whether or not you believe climate change is happening, there is one simple fact that cannot be ignored: Mother Earth is insanely outnumbered. There are more than seven billion of us on this one planet. Who knows, with the way science is progressing, mankind might have colonies on Mars in the future. But as of right now, this is it, guys. If we do not make positive changes, we will be facing serious backlash. I know what you are thinking: How can you personally make a difference? Does it really matter what you do to make change if no one else is doing it? Well yes, it does. When you go the extra mile others will take notice. An example of this statement in action is the movement to reduce the amount of straws we use in the U.S. every year. According to the National Park Service, Americans use an average of 500 million straws daily. Upon hearing how many plastic straws we use as a culture, some companies responded, and moved toward organizations like the Be Straw Free Campaign. While some citizens, restaurants, and city governments alike moved to use less straws, others tossed the notion aside. Applebee’s in
Gresham, for example, puts a new straw in every drink its servers bring to the table. The straws are already unwrapped, so regardless of whether customers use it or not, it is wasted. The most common argument against the movement to reduce straw pollution is that refusing to use a straw won’t really make a difference. It is true that the sole cause of environmental trauma is not the use of a plastic straw. As a whole, people on this planet discard single-use plastics in many different forms than straws every day. We also consume meat en masse, a process which has proven to be harmful for the ozone. Not many people eat a local meal every day, which would definitely cut down on oil and gas used to import/export food. These are just a few examples of the many
Graphic by Kevin Garcia De La Vega
ways in which we harm the planet as human beings. However, to say that it wouldn’t
make a difference at all to stop using plastic straws is simply untrue. We have to start somewhere. The Environmental Protection Agency states on its website that “the best way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place.” Think about how many times per week you go out to a restaurant to eat and use a plastic straw. It adds up. If you are willing and able, forgo the plastic straw. It is a simple way to lead by example and put drops in the bucket toward having less pollution in our water sources. There are so many more simple things you can do to reduce waste in your daily life, too!
NEWS BRIEFS Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Mt. Hood’s Diversity Resource Center will host “Honoring the Legacy of MLK” between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16 and Thursday, Jan. 17. Events ranging from a pop-up library, readings, films, and other displays honoring MLK and his works, as well as those of other civil rights leaders, will be featured in the MHCC Library and Student Union. There also will be a guest speaker appearing from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Visual Arts Theatre. The college will be closed on Monday, Jan. 21, in observance of the holiday.
Oregon Transfer Day From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17, in the Vista Dining Hall, Mt. Hood’s Academic Advising will host the Oregon Transfer Day. Representatives from over 30 colleges and universities will be available to provide information and advising about transferring to their institutions.
-Darcy Hitchcock Use a ‘for here’ mug at coffee shops and repurpose plastic bags or ditch them altogether. Recycle the sleeve on your hot coffee! Consider adding used clothing to your wardrobe. Did you know it can take up to 2,700 liters of water to make one T-shirt? You can read more about water usage in the making of clothes on the World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s website. Speaking of reading more about these topics, do some mild research. Read those articles you scroll past on social media that discuss our planet’s condition. If you come across a statement that you are uncertain of, fact check it! No one is telling you to take everything at face value. Stay up-todate and fully informed on environmental policy and movements. Once you have formed you own opinions on all of these topics, get involved, advocate, and contact your elected representatives. This is our planet and we all get a say in its treatment and care.
Staffing Changes There have been some staffing changes in key administrative positions at MHCC over the past couple months. In late November, it was announced that Doctor Abio Ayeliya is the new Director of Student Life and Civic Engagement, succeeding Justin Core, who left earlier in 2018. In December, Mt. Hood President Lisa Skari announced her decision to restructure instructional leadership by eliminating the Chief of Staff position. She received and accepted Craig Kolins’ resignation from that position and will instead be hiring a Vice President of Instruction, she said. Matt Farina has a new role as Director of Academic Advising and Retention, after a history of working in various roles since 2011. Felisciana Peralta resigned as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion just before the holidays. This month, Rachel Falk joined the college as the newest faculty counselor.
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Reardon added that legally they cannot and will not take away retiree benefits, but that they will need to figure out what to do going forward. He then said it’s important as a community to step up to the conversation and be ready: “You have my support.” BOND STILL CRUCIAL MHCC District Board member Tamie Arnold asked the legislators what Mt. Hood could do as a community college to improve. Their answers touched on Mt. Hood’s longtime failure to win voter approval of a general obligation bond to fund major campus construction/renovations. Sen. Lew Fredrick, D-North Portland, discussed bonds and the Gresham area, stating most people don’t know their
neighbors, and said he thinks part of this recommended budget was strategically set up so that legislators and community colleges would have this conversation. That conversation should focus in terms of resources, especially in terms of business, as “that’s where the money is,” he said. “Talk with neighbors and businesses to have an absolute return on investment.” State Rep. Carla Piluso, D-Gresham, wrapped things up, saying the best thing to happen is Skari bringing new energy to Mt. Hood. Piluso said she is optimistic going into this session, but knows there will be challenges. She stressed that the college’s bond attempt “needs to get passed, once and for all.” PA G E 5
