The Advocate - Issue 13 - January 17, 2020

Volume 54, Issue 13 January 17, 2020 advocate-online.net

FOR THE STUDENTS BY THE STUDENTS

MHCC Board okays program cuts PAGE 2

Artist 'seduces' with her work PAGE 4

U.S. and Iran: a familiar feud?

PAGE 6

FINDING SUCCESS ON AND OFF COURT PAGE 8

Continuing Martin Luther King Jr.'s work PAGE 2 & 7

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NEWS | OPINION

A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T

MHCC BOARD NARROWLY APPROVES PROGRAM CUTS Chloe Collins The Advocate

Tears were shed following the MHCC District Board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Following more testimony from faculty, staff and community members, the board held a close vote to seal the fate of seven academic programs targeted for elimination at Mt. Hood.

With three ‘no’ votes (cast by board members LaVerne Lewis, Kenney Polson, and James Zordich) and four ‘yes’ votes (cast by Diane McKeel, Andrew Speer, Diane Noriega, and Annette Mattson), the motion carried and the seven programs will not be offered to incoming students beginning in Fall Term of 2020.

Some speakers addressing the board brought ideas for financial growth that could help cover the

estimated $3 million operating budget hole for 2020-21.

Many of the ideas have been discussed at length in past meetings on the ‘revitalization’ process.

However, there was a new one that piqued the interest of many community members in attendance.

Some of the full-time faculty had united to offer exceptions to their negotiated work contracts – a main one being giving up their 3 percent cost-of-living pay increase for next year – that would have saved the college $1 million, by their calculations. This would have matched the estimated cost savings of cutting the seven programs.

This idea would have needed to be put to a vote by all full-time faculty members. Cheryl Johnson, MHCC reading instructor and president of the full-time faculty association, believes members would have approved the offer, she

the school hasn’t worked harder to form additional, stronger relationships with businesses in the Gresham community. The board acknowledged this question in their discussions and conceded that the school could have better relationships with local businesses than it does.

told the Advocate.

Johnson and other faculty members did present this idea to MHCC President Skari and other administrators but “they weren’t interested,” she said. Skari told the contingent that cutting the programs would be a longterm solution, while these faculty sacrifices would only be a shortterm solution.

A recurring complaint at recent meetings when program cuts have been discussed has been lack of marketing for the school in general, and especially for those programs being phased out. This topic was rehashed on Wednesday by speakers addressing the board.

The board finally responded to the suggestions by asking the audience where the school was supposed to come up with money for increased marketing.

Another speaker asked why

The broader Gresham community is evidently not on board with these cuts, given the binder of letters in opposition to the move presented by Zordich before he cast his ‘no’ vote.

In the end, however, MHCC will soon find itself seven unique programs short.

Wilderness Leadership students huddle around their sign before addressing the MHCC District Board in the meeting on Wednesday.

Chloe Collins | The Advocate

THE BEST WAY TO HONOR DR. KING

Chloe Collins The Advocate

In the wise words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”

So, to switch things up for MLK Day in 2020, what if we looked at ways in which we can apply that piece of wisdom to make social progress?

On Tuesday, Jan. 14, Khalid elHakim, founder and curator of the

Black History 101 Mobile Museum However, a fuller understanding of that also stopped at the Gresham these systems will help Americans campus this week, came to share actually pursue and achieve a less how students can do just that.

He was joined by Professor Griff, member of the revolutionary hip-hop group Public Enemy and a lecturer and writer on social issues.

Where does a person start to actually make an impact? Education is the first step. Many of us have read a letter or speech written by King. During the lecture, el-Hakim asked the audience to raise a hand if they had ever read one of King’s books. A few people raised their hands, but even fewer people had actually read one of the full books he wrote himself.

Landon Spady | The Advocate Reading those speeches and Khalid el-Hakim, founder of the Black letters is an amazing step toward a History 101 Mobile Museum, poses with basic understanding of systematic the man of the hour, Martin Luther King Jr. racism and how it affects U.S. society.

for the students by the students Editor-in-Chief Chloe Collins

Sports Editor [Position Open]

Associate Editor Omar Saradi

Opinion Editors Omar Saradi

Broadcast Team Gage Linhares Robert Frank Thomas Silk Alex Ramos Annie Avila

Graphic Design Editor Eli Rankin

Graphic Design Team Leydi Perez Carrasco

Broadcast Producer Naethaniel Lile

Photo Editor Maysee Thao

News Editor Chris Barney Arts & Entertainment Editors Kurt Larson Eli Rankin

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Photo Team Bethy Fallgren Landon Spady

Photo Team Bethy Fallgren Landon Spady Ad Manager Parrish Chang Staff Writers Brad Le Daniella Young Kel Buell Laura J Clement Omar Carrillo

racially divided country.

There are two other immediate actions we can take to achieve a more just and peaceful state of living, the MHCC audience was told.

The first is to have discussions in which we share our “healing truth” with others. Healing truth is defined as the integration of personal experiences, facts, and social truths to acknowledge and eventually heal from wrongdoings and hardships.

According to a 2019 study by Pew Research Center, only 58% of adults surveyed believed that racial relations in the U.S. were generally bad. Whether this is because of denial or a lack of attention, we still have to be prepared to take our understanding of systematic racism and our personal experiences and

@mhccadvocate

Outreach Manager Melanie Roberts Social Media Manager [Position Open] Distribution Specialist Julia MacDonald Advisers Dan Ernst Howard Buck

walk into an honest conversation with that 42%, the audience was told. We have to keep talking about it until it is no longer an issue.

The second immediate action we can take to eradicate injustices that are the outcome of racial tension is to actively join organizations near us that work against it. Are you going into a career that offers a group (organization) to stop any discrimination from happening? If so, are you willing to put the effort in to join that group and do your part to actively combat racism? If not, can you ask why it does not exist? Can you start it up yourself?

At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves what we know about racism and racial tensions in the United States. And then we have to ask what we can do about it.

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NEWS

JANUARY 17, 2020

AUSTRALIA’S DRIEST SUMMER ON RECORD Bethany Fallgren The Advocate

Fall was an unusually mild season for us in Oregon. It is sad to think that half a world away, another country was experiencing extremely hot temperatures at the end of its spring season, creating harsh climate conditions. This would then spark what has become a national emergency, one now felt by the entire world.

Australia has been experiencing catastrophic wildfires that started in September.

This is the driest it has ever been, on record, for that country.

Lightning, and human actions/ arson have started the fires that have covered all six of its states.

High winds, close to 80 mph, along with the dry conditions, has fueled the fires that have burned at least 10 million acres total and continue to grow.

On Jan. 10, a 1.5-million acre “megafire” was created as two

“bushfires” (as they’re called) merged in the southeast region of Australia. When the flames have gotten big enough, they have even created their own weather systems, including lightning from those systems that have started even more fires. This just now being the peak of Australia’s summer means it could be months before any relief.

Sadly, at least 28 people have died and an estimated 2,000 homes have been destroyed, to date. Thousands of residents have been displaced and many also have been left without power.

Hospitals have had to resort to using power generators, too.

What’s more, an estimated 1 billion animals are believed to have perished, unable to escape the flames, including at least 8,000 koalas. The traumatic loss has several species facing extinction, some experts fear.

Recent reports count some 2,700 firefighters working

the front lines. More than 100 firefighters from the U.S., including 17 from Washington and Oregon, have gone to assist in their effort. Many others in the community (locally, and worldwide) have created efforts in helping the firefighters, as well.

Websites have been created to help the thousands of residents displaced and connect them with temporary housing, such as Finda-Bed and Helping Homes.

The toll on Australia’s wildlife has been stunning, but we should not be completely discouraged.

Professor Corey Bradshaw of Flinders University said of the massive bushfires, “We are constantly surprised how recovery happens quickly after a fire and how many animals survive.”

Leaving hope for the devastated countryside, propagation and rescue efforts have also been put into play for the loss of native plants and suffering wildlife that may not be able to recover on its

own.

On a related note a rally was held at Sydney Town Hall on Jan. 10 calling for more aggressive action on climate change in Australia. The country’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, is also said to be creating better policies for disaster management relief.

Meantime, let us hope for relief, milder weather and rain for Australia.

If you would like to donate or like to know ways to help the effort in Australia, there are several options. You can contact the World Wildlife Fund and The Australian Red Cross. There also are options to donate directly to New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Country Fire Service Foundation and Country Fire Authority. (Warning: Do be sure to do ample research and make sure places/websites are accredited before donating.)

Donate to the cause!

If you would like to contribute to Australian bushfire relief efforts, you may want to consider donating to one or more of the charities listed below:

• New South Wales Fire Service

NSW is taking donations for wildfire relief.

• GIVE IT

GiveIt is an Australian emergency and recovery service.

• Au s t r a l i a n R e d C ro s s Donate to the Australian branch of the Red Cross to help with relief efforts.

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GET TO KNOW THE ADVOCATE

Cover by: Fletcher Wold On the cover: Saints sophomore forward Emily Webbers raises for a shot against Clackamas.

Contact us!

E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 Website: advocate-online.net Mt. Hood Community College Room 1369 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham OR 97030

The Advocate encourages readers to share their opinion by letters to the editor and guest columns for publication.

All submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name and contact information. Contact information will not be printed unless requested. Original copies will not be returned to the author. The Advocate will not print any unsigned submission. Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 600. The decision to publish is at the discretion of the editorial board. The Advocate reserves the right to edit for style, punctuation, grammar and length. Please bring submissions to The Advocate in Room 1369, or e-mail them to advocatt@mhcc.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday the week of publication to be considered for print. Opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Advocate or MHCC.

Bethy Fallgren Staff Writer

Bethany Fallgren is a second-year student in the Integrated Media program. After working numerous jobs in a variety of fields, she decided at 35 years old to educate herself and do what she is passionate about: photography, and photojournalism. A lifelong Northwesterner, she has bounced around different parts of Oregon, and loves it here. Spending most of her time at home in a little shack in the woods at the base of Mount Hood, she loves gardening, tending to her chickens, cooking amazing meals or playing with her two dogs, Cedar and Tiva.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T

AN ART EXHIBIT THAT FEELS LIKE HOME Adrien Wright The Advocate

continue to believe exists?” Much of her work displayed at Mt. Hood succeeds, with what she chooses not to show. The patterns of felt that

There’s a tangible sense of place in Carolyn Hazel Drake’s installation, “In This Small Corner Of The Atmosphere,” currently displayed in MHCC’s Visual Arts Gallery.

Drake creates this through a series of prints, textiles, collages, and other mixed media. The colors, textures, and even the titles of her pieces communicate a feeling of being in the Pacific Northwest.

Being a third-generation Oregonian, it’s no wonder she creates this feeling so effectively, whether intentionally or not. Multiple old rotary phones appear in her installations, some still bearing their “area code 503” labels. Elsewhere, titles such as “Wanderers Will Find A Way Home” reinforce the feeling of being in the Northwest.

In her statement of work, Drake poses the question of how can we “Stay in “Same Weight of Shadow” communication with what we cannot perceive but

dot “Can We Not Say Then That Language is Folded and Stored in Rectangular Space” are obscured by the canvas folding over on itself.

“Let Everything That Binds Fall” uses 35mm film as its canvas; the original images are barely visible beneath the beautiful patterns she creates with whiteout and stamp tabs.

There’s an incredible amount of detail in every piece on display.

Drake attempts to create a whole that is “other” from the sum of its parts. While the individual pieces and shapes of her compositions are mesmerizing on their own, they become something Photos by Maysee Thao| The Advocate else entirely when viewed as a whole.

Drake says “it

is an explicit goal of mine to create a meditative state for the viewer – or at least create the conditions.

There are s e v e r a l qualities of my work that, I believe, contribute to this. First, the tactile nature of the materials I use: these have an a l m o s t s e d u c t i v e “Need Can Blossom Into All The quality that Conpensation It Requires”(Left) “The Utility Of What Is Not (I)” (Top right) draws people “The Utility Of What Is Not (II)” (Lower right) in.”

I strongly In This Small Corner Of The suggest any Atmosphere will be open in the student or MHCC community Gallery, open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 member looking to experience a p.m., through Jan. 30. Admission is meditative and personal portrait of free. the Northwest pay a visit.

ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA CALL FOR INCLUSION

Kel Buell

The Advocate The Romance Authors of America seem to have decided to follow the plot of “Romeo and Juliet.” That is to say, selfdestruction.

Once upon a time, romance author Courtney Milan read a book. This book was called “Somewhere Lies the Moon” by Kathryn Lynn Davis. Milan, who is Chinese-American (and sat on the RAA board of directors), was not a fan. In fact, she was so upset by what she called “a racist mess” PA G E 4

that she publicly called Davis out for it.

During this time, Milan was in the midst of a heated debate over alleged discrimination against authors of color with the former head of Romance Acquisitions for the Borders bookstore chain. Complaints were lodged against her after these events. She was asked to resign from her position on the board. A censure was levied against her. She was stripped of her position on the board and her membership was banned for a year.

THINGS REALLY HIT THE FAN, ONCE THE NEWS BROKE ON TWITTER. Things really hit the fan, once the news broke on Twitter.

Almost overnight, a huge uproar was made over Milan’s forced resignation as people protested the complaints against her and criticized the board’s actions. Many have begun to doubt the board’s commitment to inclusion and diversity in the

works of their authors, and many of the authors have chosen not to renew their membership with the organization.

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Courtney Milan, romance writer who declared Davis’s book to be “a racist mess.”

Things got so heated that the annual RITA awards (the Oscars for romance novels) were canceled due to the charges of corruption by several major publishers. One of them, Avon, stated “In support of inclusive publishing, we will not invest in a promotional sponsorship nor have a presence at the RWA National Conference.” Several board members resigned over the following months and there was a collective call for the resignation of RWA President Damon Suede and Executive Director Carol Ritter.

Suede’s resignation was announced on Jan. 9. We can only hope that Milan will be reinstated to the board of directors so that she can continue to work towards diversity and inclusiveness, both in the books and the authors who write them.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

JANUARY 17, 2020

GERVAIS GOES OUT WITH A ‘GOLDEN’ BANG Kurt Larson

The Advocate With so many award shows and seemingly pointless selfcongratulatory ceremonies, you would be forgiven for forgetting about the Golden Globe Award show, staged again on Jan. 5.

However, the 77th Golden Globes will be going down in history as one of the most entertaining award shows of the last decade, all thanks to comedian Ricky Gervais, host for the event. It is no secret that Gervais is a funny man, but unlike many comedians who are asked to host ceremonies such as the Oscars or the Golden Globes, he is more than willing to make jokes at the expense of the celebrity audience and the industry establishment.

Thankfully for the viewers at home, Ricky did what he does best and roasted some of the biggest names in attendance, all to great hilarity.

While those watching at home may have been laughing, NBC-TV was likely gritting its teeth the entire time,

Ricky Gervais skewered the rich and famous in what he said was his final time as host for the Golden Globes.

as his monologue was particularly biting. Still, apparently someone on the planning committee is a fan, as this marks the fifth time Gervais has hosted.

Despite his rambunctious nature and what some would consider to be an offensive comedic style, Gervais has remained the highlight of every awards show he has hosted. This continues to

be an ever more impressive feat, as fellow comedians such as Kevin Hart have been replaced as hosts for simply posting “offensive” tweets.

During the course of the Globes ceremony, Gervais took shots at actors, directors, and businessmen, alike. The first to be caught between Ricky’s crosshairs was Felicity Huffman, who is now famously in jail for her actions

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in the college admissions bribery scandal that blew open in 2019. Next up was Joe Pesci, who he compared to Baby Yoda, followed by a thorough roasting of the industry itself and all its various #MeToo scandals and money grubbing executives.

One of the most cutting jokes of the night was a quick jab at financier Jeffery Epstein’s fake suicide, which

provoked a series of shocked gasps, to which Gervais countered by sardonically implying that the boos were all coming from friends of the late sex offender.

He also spent some time “taking the piss” out of one of the year’s biggest theatrical failures, “Cats” the movie.

Finally, Gervais concluded his monologue by jokingly lecturing the audience on fake “wokeness” and the hypocrisies of corporate media conglomerates such as Apple and Disney, which he points out still rely on overseas sweatshops to make their products.

Unfortunately, this will be the last Golden Globes that Gervais will be hosting. According to the man himself, he admits he doesn’t care to host any longer as he simply has no interest.

But, despite some glaring eyes from a handful of celebrities in the room, Ricky managed to pull off yet another classically funny awards show and end his run at the job with a bang.

CHESS GRANDMASTER BOBBY FISCHER Brad Le

The Advocate Some people consider chess to be the sport of intellectuals and as such there are only a few figures as famous as the legendary Bobby Fischer.

Fischer is best known as one of history’s greatest chess players and America’s only world chess champion since FIDE (International Chess Federation) tournaments was established in 1948 as the ultimate measure of talent.

Born in Chicago in 1943, Fischer was introduced to chess at 6 years old and was noted for having an intense interest of the game even when playing against himself.

In 1951, the 7-year-old played during a simultaneous exhibition match against a former Scottish chess champion in Brooklyn, New York (his family having moved to Brooklyn in 1950).

After Fischer held against the former champion for 15 minutes (an impressive feat!) he drew the attention of Brooklyn’s chess club

president, where he was invited to play regularly, which skyrocketed his career in chess.

Fischer would become the U.S. Chess Champion at 14 years old and then a grandmaster at 15 – the youngest recipient of the rank of grandmaster until 1991. At age 16, he dropped out of high school to pursue chess and although he did not finish formal education, studied to become multilingual to better understand the original language of chess books.

Needless to say, Fischer is considered a committed prodigy among other chess prodigies.

In 1972, the American challenged the current world champion, the Soviet player Boris Spassky.

Fischer challenging Spassky was a pivotal point for both chess and world history.

Their match took place during the height of the Cold War, and at this point in championship history the prior seven champions, including Spassky, were USSR citizens who held an unbroken reign of 24 years.

Fischer had a very rocky start, losing the first two games to Spassky. The third game proved to

be the turning point for Fischer and after the 21st game between the two, Fischer was declared the official 11th World Chess Champion.

Fischer would hold that title until 1975 – forfeiting his title that year, as he pulled back from nearly all public appearances.

On Jan. 17, 2008, Fischer died in Iceland of kidney failure, at age 64.

He had become a legend in the chess community and was proclaimed by successive champions as one of the greatest players in history.

Garry Kasparov, the 13th world champion from Russia, commented that Fischer is a “revolutionary whose revolution is still in progress.”

Viswanathan Anand, from India and the 15th world champion, claimed that Fischer is “the greatest chess player who ever lived”.

When asked about who his dream opponent would be, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, the 16th and current world champion, said Fischer would be that foe. Even Spassky himself seems to admire Fischer, saying that “I still speak to Bobby in my dreams.”

Needless to say, Fischer is arguably perhaps the most influential figure in recent chess history and his actions will continue to be the standard for what chess players will look up to, even in the 21st century.

Eli Rankin | The Advocate

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TOONS THE Parrish Chang The Advocate

Web comics have been gaining popularity in the public eye recently, and one of the biggest reasons for this is because of the mobile app Webtoon.

Webtoon is an app accessible on both Android and Apple devices that is overflowing with amazing stories. There are currently over one million different stories on Webtoon, so there is sure to be something there for you to enjoy.

The genres and art styles are so different that you can read dozens of stories and you wouldn’t find two that are very similar. Each of them offers you a different experience and will truly engage you in these worlds, and the characters that live in them.

One of the unique features of Webtoon is how its comics are laid out on the pages. Instead of going from left to right, you scroll from the top of the comic to the bottom. This a useful tool that can help create amazing illustrations or create the same suspense as turning a page without ruining the immersion in the world.

There are great stories on the app, so many that it’s hard to pick which one to start with. A very popular story that I’d suggest is “Unordinary” by content creator Uru~Chan. Unordinary takes place in a superhuman society where people are born with powers that range from being useless to being on the same level as a god. This story looks at the darker side of this phenomenon, because the entire world exists in a hierarchy where if you have a powerful ability, you were the one who called the shots. This story follows John, who is known as a cripple in this world for not having an ability. He got accepted into the prestigious Wellston High School, which is under the influence of similar hierarchy just like every other school in this world.

We see John trying to survive and make it through his daily life without a power, since he’s at the bottom and becomes a target for the low tiers of the school. As the story goes on you will meet the colorful PA G E 6

ON

A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T

CABELLO DROPS DIVERSE ALBUM

GO? cast of characters and you will learn the dark secrets of this twist on a superhuman society.

If you are looking for more drama than action, a great series to look at is Mai Hirschfeld’s “The Four of Them.” This is a story of a young man who goes by Grillo. The story begins with Grillo getting his heart broken because his younger sister, a serious rival his entire life, starts to date the woman of his dreams, Mariel. This leads to Grillo entering a very relatable kind of sad state; for the entire story we watch him trying to cope with losing his childhood crush to his little sister.

We watch him go from dating another girl to get over Mariel, to entering a state of depression where he doesn’t even want to get out of bed and go to school.

Grillo is one of the more relatable characters on Webtoon, and watching his experiences makes for a great drama.

A great combination of both drama and action is the fantasy story “Mage & Demon Queen.”

This takes place in a world where killing the demon queen is the goal of every adventurer, since her bounty is so high. Queen Vel, the current demon queen, keeps herself and her demon generals in a tower.

She is despised by every human in this world except for a young mage named Malori.

Malori has fallen in love with Queen Vel at a very young age and it has been her goal to marry the demon queen. We follow her journey to win the queen’s heart in many different ways. Malori is currently the strongest mage at the adventurers college that she attends, so she has a great deal of power – not to mention, she is the only one who consistently makes it to the top of the demon tower to fight Queen Vel. This is the case purely because the demon generals are supportive of Malori taking the queen’s hand in marriage.

This love story is a great mix of action, drama, fantasy, and romance. Mage & Demon Queen is a fully original story that is worth taking your time to read.

Daniela Young The Advocate

I’ve always loved Camila Cabello as an artist. I started listening to her music and learning more about her after the release of her song “Havana” in 2017.

I love and continue to enjoy her debut record, as I like the Hispanic and unique vibes that she incorporated into this album, which she also continues to do in her latest music.

After almost two years since her debut album release in January 2018, the release of her sophomore

album “Romance” took place just last month, on Dec. 6.

When I first heard her new single “Senorita” with Shawn Mendes in June, I loved the song, and I thought it was a different approach and sound for her.

Some of my favorites off the new album include “Shameless,” “Senorita,” “Liar,” “Feel It Twice,” “Bad Kind of Butterflies,” “Dream of You,” “First Man,” and “Should’ve Said It.” This album shows a different side of Camila’s musical talents and this record gives insight to more of her vocal range, as well.

I love how each song incorporates a powerful mood of the emotions she’s feeling. Each song on this album is unique, and they’re really diverse. At the same time, the songs also mesh with each other through the heartfelt feelings she expresses.

In addition, I enjoyed the influences of different musical genres that this album provides,

such as R&B and Latin pop.

Cabello co-wrote a lot on this album, which is really inspiring.

Each song on the Romance album gives an understanding into her relationships and experiences. They convey the strong emotions she felt while in these relationships, and she emphasizes the idea of romance and love throughout. Also, the work that everyone put into this album is clearly demonstrated.

Compared to her debut album, this work provides a more mature and fresh sound. She has definitely grown in the time between her debut album, “Camila,” and Romance.

5 out of 5

OPINION | NEWS

JANUARY 17, 2020

IRAN CONFLICT READS LIKE BAD RERUN

Omar Saradi The Advocate

The most frustrating thing that could happen at the start of a new decade is a start of a new war.

Ever since World War II, the actual meaning of war has been complicated by spying, power leverage and nuclear deterrence – then, in 1990 and again in the early 2000s, the U.S. meddled in the Middle East, a decision we are still reaping the consequences for.

To put it in perspective, the American war in Afghanistan is being fought by a generation that wasn’t even alive to see its inception. In the next few years, Iraq will be the same story if we can’t decide on ending occupation

by U.S. troops there.

Now we’re moving on to Iran, a country that has seen Western meddling and regime

change since its very beginning.

Iran has been in the crosshairs of American neo-conservatives since the Islamic revolution in the late 1970s. That revolution is what took away Western influence in the country: Iran was no longer a regional power that played ball with American foreign policy. Instead, Iran became more fundamental in its Islamic rule which meant that any sort of regime change, or Western interference would be a lot harder to pull off.

With the foreign policy failures that are the Iraq and Afghan war – as well as the poor handling of the “Arab spring” protests that led to the toppling of the Libyan government and the ongoing Syrian civil war – any sort of clean resolution with Iran was drifting further away.

The Iran nuclear deal, reached in 2015, was the first piece of action that would lead to healthy relations. It was good to see that President Obama and the leader of Iran looked toward a more stable Middle East – and then Donald Trump came. John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, one a former adviser and the other currently

U.S. secretary of state, are in the same group that have pushed for a regime change in Iran for decades – and the same group that lied our country into the Iraq War. All I see from the U.S. news coverage of Qasem Soleimani, the assassinated Iran military leader, is that he was planning an attack on America and he “was the most dangerous man in the world.”

It sounds eerily familiar to the narrative that brought us into the Iraq war – ‘Saddam has weapons of mass destruction” and “he was planning an attack on the U.S.” In retrospect, the weight of 9/11 was too heavy for us to rationalize peace in Iraq. But, with Iran, there is no 9/11 tragedy to steer us into conflict, only petty aggression from the U.S. and power dynamics that the higherups get to dictate.

The media justification for our acts of war, mostly seen on FOX News, is pathetic and no one, especially those who saw this happen less than 20 years ago, is buying into this faux war.

MLK: THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW Chris Barney The Advocate

There’s no doubt that Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man. He taught a great many lessons, and showed the public a proper and very effective way to protest.

Each year on the third Monday in January, we take a day to remember and honor MLK and his life’s work.

We celebrate peaceful marches and speeches.

Much of this is well-documented and described, at length. However, there are many facts about MLK that are little known. For example, after he delivered his “I have a Dream” speech in 1963, he gave the copy he had with him to one of his volunteers who asked for it, after the oration was given.

Therefore, in honor of King’s day of remembrance this year, we celebrate here with some other fun facts about him: - One sneeze could have killed him. King was at a book signing event for his new book in 1958 (at age 29) when a woman plunged a 7-inch letter opener into his chest, coming to rest very close to his aorta in his heart.

Even one sneeze would have allowed for the blade to penetrate the aorta and end his life, surgeons later said.

-He was unquestionably a great speaker but when he was a student at Crozer Theological Seminary his grades included a C and a C+ in public speaking.

-He was a fan of “Star Trek” (the original television series) and even met one of the actresses who had left the show to work on Broadway.

-On the topic of the media, he once won a Grammy for a recording of a speech he gave sharing his views on the Vietnam War. -When he got married he spent his wedding night in a funeral home. This was because there weren’t any hotels at that time in Alabama that would allow African Americans to stay in a honeymoon suite. King’s wife, Coretta, had a friend who owned a funeral home and lodging arrangements were made.

King’s contributions to the greater good are very significant and he is an important figure from history, but it’s also fun to celebrate some of the lesser-known parts of his memorable life.

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SPORTS | OPINION

A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T

VANDENBOER ENJOYS COACHING ‘LIFE LESSONS’

Now in his third season as head coach, Jeremy Vandenboer has the Saints in playoff contention in the NWAC South division.

Laura Clement The Advocate

During a break between recent games, Jeremy Vandenboer, head coach of the MHCC women’s basketball team, shared thoughts and insights about his third year leading the Saints, and his fourth year at Mt. Hood, overall.

It’s been another successful year for the Saints, both in recruiting and play on the court, Vandenboer said.

Through Wednesday’s games (including an 83-74 loss to Clackamas that evening), the Saints were 11-5 overall, 3-1 in NWAC South Division play.

“There’s a great sense of community among this basketball team and they hope to go to the playoffs,” the coach said. The necessary ingredients to winning, he said, are “hard work, (practice) time, and attention to detail.”

Vandenboer’s team for 201920 includes seven players from outside Oregon. When it comes to recruiting new prospects, he said he talks “openly and honestly, pointing to the opportunities and letting them decide what they want to try.”

As for any multiple-sport athletes, Vandenboer said, “It’s difficult to juggle school and sports and there needs to be a balance in order to succeed.” He said he

supports those women, however he can. “I want them to be mentally sure, (so) they’re not too tired.”

At a two-year college such as Mt. Hood, the roster rolls over quickly. Some players compete for two years; others, perhaps just one year before they move on. Either way, Vandenboer said he enjoys getting to know them and watching them grow, develop and learn.

That means learning to work as a team, besides seeking individual improvement.

“Greatness is doing the little things day in and day out to arrive at a goal,” he said. “It’s important to ‘embrace the role.’ ” That’s where the daily teaching reaches beyond the basketball court. Vandenboer said he enjoys teaching his players “life lessons” and encourages them to not just give up, when things aren’t going their way – but rather, to fight. And how to keep at it.

“It’s hard to achieve, if you’re not out of your comfort zone,” he said. He tries to teach “how to do college out of your comfort zone, facing adversity and persevering with enjoyment,” he said. “(For many players) it’s their first time away from home, in their first apartment,” he said. Sometimes, he’ll ask them about how they cook, or keep up their apartment.

“I want them to have good

memories, (so) I take them traveling on trips, getting to know them (along the way),” he said.

So far this winter, the journey has been a good one.

The Saints travel to Roseburg to face Umpqua Community

College on Saturday.

They return to Gresham for two home games, against Lane Community College at 2 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 20, and against Portland Community College at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

Photos by Fletcher Wold | The Advocate

Saints guard Bri Rosales shoots for two in an 83-74 loss to the Clackamas Cougars on Wednesday.

HOW TO GET OVER A HEARTBREAK So, how do you survive it?

I have some advice that I hope could potentially help you to cope, learn, and grow from either situation.

Advice On What To Do After A Breakup For A Relationship

Melanie Roberts The Advocate

We’ve all been there, done that, with having a relationship falling-out of some type, whether in “a relationship” or a friendship that was either short-lived or longterm.

Recovering from breakups as either a couple or part of a friendship are both so hard, depending on the circumstance.

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SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY – Don’t avoid your family. They love you and are there to help you during the hard time you are going through. When I experienced my first breakup ever back in June 2018, luckily I had a (long) trip to visit my family and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as I had my family there for me during the hardest time in my life.

When you first experience a breakup and if you have family to see and visit… it honestly helps so

much to spend time with people who love you because you will have depressed days and weeks, and they will help you make it through.

CHILL OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS – This is the time to not cut out friendships. When you first go through a breakup it’s healthy to have friends to go hang out with, whether it’s dinner, bowling, Topgolf, or something else. This truly helps a lot, to have people who support you and are there for you as your true friends.

TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF – Do you. This is your time to thrive in life. Breakups can be a reality check on yourself. Start to work on “doing you,” working on yourself, and loving yourself. This is because when you’ll enter your next relationship, hopefully it will be better than the previous one.

Advice On What To Do After A Breakup For A Friendship SAVE THE DRAMA – Any type of drama that leads to a friendship that did not work out is not worth it. Personally, what I have learned as I have gotten older in life is that I had to move past the drama, and not get involved anymore. My advice is to not be involved with any falling-out friend drama because, at the end of the day it is not worth, it as it’s not healthy for your mind and soul to have a toxic ex-friendship – whether it is online, or in person.

BE CAREFUL OF WHO TO TRUST – This one is so huge. In the past, I’ve had to be careful of who I could trust or not, and who are my true friends, or not – especially after a falling-out of a

friendship. Be careful of who you talk to, so you don’t end up in the same type of drama with your old friendship.

LIFE IS A RIDE, ENJOY IT - Lastly, just enjoy your life and don’t worry about the concerns!

Don’t get me wrong, I know this can be hard sometimes, but whenever you are going through a hard time… this is the time to be yourself and strive to succeed as amazing things will come again.

Breakups in general are rough, kids. I hope this advice helps you with whatever you are going through in life, because life is not easy. My last piece of advice is to just stay positive and get through this hard time because I know you can make it!