Advocate The Independent Student Voice of Mt. Hood Community College
Check out our website for videos and more!
www.advocate-online.net January 24, 2014
Volume 49 Issue 14
Pretty in Pink
Photo by Carole Riggs - The Advocate
Mt. Hood is captured glowing salmon pink at sunset on a cold weekend in December as seen from Sandy, Ore.
Profile of the month:
Recognizing deserving students at the recommendation of MHCC staff
Game designer uses his passion, embraces responsibility by Danny Perez-Crouse
The Advocate
Robert Loop
Robert Loop is an aspiring game designer at Mt. Hood who has drawn much acclaim from his instructor, Erika Ruhl. “He’s one of the top five hardest working students I’ve had,” said Ruhl. “He exemplifies the type of student who will succeed in the game industry, constantly pushing himself to be better and better. “He takes criticism well, and always goes the extra mile,” she said. Loop attributes his focus and success with his age, and love of game design. “I’m older now (28) and I know what I want to do. I’ve wanted to do this since I was 18,” he said. Despite the high praise, Loop is humble about his abilities. “I’m decent, but I’ve got a lot of work to go. It’s a never-ending process of getting better,” he said. His passion and prowess in design have given Loop the opportunity to work with Ruhl. He’s made the most of the chance. “He has taken his new role as my teaching assistant more than seriously, excelling at his own work and ensuring everyone else is on the same
page as well,” Ruhl said. Loop embraced the added responsibility. “She asked if anyone wanted the position, and I’m a broke college student who needs money,” he said. He explained life as a teacher’s assistant like this: “You sit and look pretty for a little bit, but once (Ruhl) gets started on tutorials, you are pretty much running around the room answering questions.“ It’s stressful for the first few weeks, because people are learning something completely new. She puts in a lot of information and they get really lost,” he said. Still, it’s been fun, he said. “I like helping people. I want to see more people at this school become game designers,” Loop said. He said he’s found Ruhl is a good person to work with. “We share videos and stuff and mess with each other.” Loop is still deciding on what field of design he wants to focus on. “I haven’t really narrowed down what field I want to pursue, because there are so many options. The top three are modeling, reading and animation,” he said.
Ruhl has told Loop that he is very good at modeling (the process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface), which he enjoys. “You get to create things. How does it get cooler than that?” he said. If Loop could work for a development team, he would prefer to go with Havoc (a middleware software suite) or Valve (a game development company). “I like their (Havoc’s) art style and attitude towards game development.” As for Valve, he “adores” their work ethic, he said. Loop has played video games since childhood. The attraction grew quickly. “The first games that inspired me where the Nintendo and Mario stuff. All of the Final Fantasies really inspire me,” he said. “Anything and everything really inspires me.”
POTM
Continued on page 6
New Humanities dean arrives in February
Full-time faculty poised for contract breakthrough
by Greg Leonov
by Katelyn Hilsenbeck
The Advocate Mt. Hood’s newly hired Dean of Humanities, Sara Rivara, is set to assume her position on Feb. 1, according to Christie Plinski, vice president of instruction and student services. Rivara comes from Michigan, where she has been a writing and literature instructor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. She was unable to begin at Mt. Hood in the fall term due to previous personal obligations, Plinski said.
Jim Kline has served as temporary Humanities dean since September, and will now make way for Rivara. Mt. Hood hasn’t had a permanent Dean of Humanities since Ursula Irwin, using a series of interim leaders until now. No official word on Rivara’s arrival has come from MHCC administrators. President Debbie Derr is expected to soon formally announce her new role.
The Advocate After several months of sluggish labor negotiations, a new contract agreement between the Mt. Hood full-time faculty union and school administrators could be reached as early as today. The two sides pushed through 20 hours of mediation last Friday, working into the wee hours of the morning. They huddled again for 13 hours on Wednesday. The union’s leader said the marathon talks have the two sides poised to land a new deal. “We’re close and hope to get finished this week,” Sara Williams, MHCC full-time faculty association president, said on Thursday. “We really had hoped to be done yesterday (Wednesday), so, I’m really trying to get the energy to do it one more time.”
Dean
Continued on page 6
Maggie Huffman, Mt. Hood communications director, said the negotiations are “getting close to conclusion – I think everyone sees the light at the end of the tunnel.” The faculty and administration sides came to a tentative agreement on every contract article except two, Williams said. “On (last) Friday we made it to an agreement on most of the money issues in concept, but we hadn’t written the (formal) language,” she said. As far as a breakthrough moment, Williams said there wasn’t a particular instant. “It’s just that you suddenly realized that your position and the position of the other side,” she said.
Contract
Continued on page 6
2013 First place
General excellence Oregon Newspaper Publisher Association
@mhccadvocate
Facebook.com/TheAdvocateOnline
@mhccadvocate
2
Opinion
Jan. 24, 2014
Editorial: Filler words you have to stop saying alright great ok
SO LIKE ‘K’ BASICALLY
seriously ‘perfect’ YA KNOW literally TOTALLY for real Graphic by Heather Golan - The Advocate
So, like, here’s the thing. Like, we have been noticing a lot of really bad habits that literally creep into the way we talk and write. We mean, it’s really flipping annoying. We have to totally make sure that we are not saying, like, the same words literally every two flipping seconds.
Okay – Valley Girl mode off. Since the summer job fair is coming to Mt. Hood on Feb. 4, and because proper vocabulary can be key to a successful interview, there’s a little problem we want to shine a literary light on that might really benefit you: excessive use of filler words.
We are not talking about the obvious no-no’s of proper language, such as “um” or profanity. We are talking about certain words that people use to fill in the cracks of their sentences. Take “literally”, for example (an especially dangerous filler word). It is rarely used properly in a sentence. “It was literally the worst pizza ever.” As opposed to figuratively being the worst pizza ever? Totally, definitely, literally, really, cool, freaking, flipping (the list goes on): These and many more are words that litter our vocabulary, and make us sound less professional. The words may not be inherently bad, but many people use the word so often and incorrectly that they have beaten the original meaning out of it. That’s what happened to the word “literally” (at least one dictionary’s formal definition was recently altered to accommodate the abuse, expanding its meaning to embellish simple emphasis). We also use the words less as actual words and more as alternatives to other pauses, such as “um” and “uh.” There also are filler phrases. These can be even more noticeable and detrimental than filler words. “You know what I mean?” Clearly, you aren’t explaining yourself properly if you need confirmation. Another one is, “To be honest” (Were you lying before?) Since we are a newspaper, and writing is our thing (besides offering photos, videos and illustrations), it really grinds our gears when this kind of nonsense seeps its way into individuals’
writing, as well. You can get away with this stuff in spoken language. Nobody has a perfectly calculated response to something that is devoid of stutters or filler words. But this is unacceptable in writing. Even if these words are used less frequently in writing, they are like fat that should be trimmed. Get to the point. Don’t frankly get to the point, literally get to the point or maybe get to the point. Get to the point! So, how do you solve this? There are easy ways to break the habit of saying a certain word too often. A good start is knowing what a word means and how it is supposed to be used. Next, every speech class will tell you that the best way to avoid saying “um” is to take a short pause of silence. But don’t stop talking altogether (that would be even worse). You can apply this same strategy to a filler word you use too much. It may sound weird to stop talking for a second, but silence can be very authoritative if used properly. We are not trying to make you self-conscious about the way you talk or scrutinize every word that comes out of your mouth (Lord knows we did that to ourselves, in the meeting for this editorial). We are just trying to warn you about saying a certain word or phrase too much, to the point where you start sounding stupid and less professional. If you are dropping likes between every two words, or literally adding literally to literally every sentence, you have some work to do. You know what we mean?
Review scores are a detriment by Danny PerezCrouse The Advocate
I hate entertainment review scores. They are an unnecessary addition to each and any review, a detriment to both readers and writers of a review or critique. Let me tell you why. When there is a score, people have a tendency not to read the review. I’ve done it myself. I will read the first couple paragraphs, get bored, then skip right to the score. It’s really hard to commit to the whole article when you already have a general sense of what someone thinks about something. You can try to ignore the score, but it’s like a temptress that calls out and says, “Hey, Danny. You don’t want to read this whole thing. Just look at me and make it easier on yourself.” I put a lot of effort into my reviews. I try to construct an in-depth analysis of something to better inform my readers, and also hope to make it an entertaining read. I can’t break down all the complexities of my opinion into one simple number. I also don’t want that number to represent all of my work. I hate the idea of someone bypassing my review because they saw a score and didn’t need any more. Am I saying that if you don’t take the time to read my whole review, then you don’t get my opinion at all? Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Read it, or don’t.
Another big flaw in a review score is that it purports a perfect ranking that might be achieved. Nothing is perfect, so how can you deem something so? I have never seen a film that I could say was a perfect “10,” five stars, a full bag of popcorn, 100 percent or whatever. Even the movies I love and get weird about (“Goodfellas,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Elephant”) have some noticeable flaws. Various review websites and critics defend this by saying that there is still room for error, but the score represents just how much they love that work. That doesn’t make any gosh-darn sense. How can something achieve a perfect rating and still have errors? The problem is, numbers rely on logic and statistics. Love and passion defy logic. The two just don’t fit. When you start grading something, you assume there are criteria to be met in order for it to be a good thing. That’s how we grade schoolwork. Teachers will give you a syllabus that details exactly what is needed to fulfill their requirements, so there is no excuse or room for argument when the score is plastered on your test or paper. There are no all-encompassing criteria for what makes good art or entertainment. Obviously, there are some basic guidelines to quality. You can’t just film your crap for three hours and call it a statement on the fallacy of mankind (I hope that’s not a thing), or glue two matchsticks together and pass it off as a sculpture. Or, those things may be amazing to somebody. That’s the catch. Everyone has different standards for what passes as quality, and that’s why grading is irrelevant in reviews. Review scores also provide tons of ammunition for pointless fanboy debates that end in bloody,
misspelled carnage. This is particularly bad in the gaming community. Somebody will flip out if something they like is scored too low, or their egos will swell if something they like has scored high. Taking the score away would put out all of this flame-war garbage. I’m not crazy; I get it – the appeal of scores. People just want an easily digestible number for a recommendation, without needless research. Well, I don’t like feeding this instant-gratification disease that has plagued all forms of reviews. Review compilation sites, like Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, have taken this in the worst possible direction. Almost every review for anything is ground up into one stupid-proof number. Now, you may see an easy ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for consumer purposes, but I see a literary bloodbath. Thousands of reviews that people put thought and care into end up ignored, never to be read: People’s hard work, reduced to one paltry number. In short, I think an opinion is too complex to be represented by a number, and art is too subjective to be graded on some arbitrary scale. However, like all opinions, which reviews are, that’s just me. If you love scores and feel they add value to your reviews, who am I to stop you? I just can’t stand them. And, that’s why you will never see a score on my reviews... except for “Captain Philips”... and “Ride Along”… per our protocol at The Advocate (sigh).
“I usually say f--- and b--- and all those curse words before I figure out what to say.”
“A lot of hashtag and swag and that kind of irritating slang.”
Comment from MHCC student Cheryl Nguyen on her filler words
Comment from MHCC student Andrew Garcia on what words irritate him
the Advocate Editor-in-Chief Katelyn Hilsenbeck
Living Arts Editor Rebecca Gaulke
News Editor Katelyn Hilsenbeck
Assistant News Editor Greg Leonov
Well, I don’t like feeding this instantgratification disease that has plagued all forms of reviews.
Submissions Sports Editor Aaron Marshall
Copy Editor Rebecca Gaulke
Photo Editor Carole Riggs
Opinion Editor Danny Perez-Crouse
Reporters Lindsay Frost Q Quarterman Brandon Raleigh Dominic Say
Ad Manager
Edgar Valencia
Cameron Miller
Emily Wintringham
Advisers Howard Buck
E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu 503-491-7250
Dan Ernst Bob Watkins
Video Team Melissa Casey
Jared Lichtenberg
Graphic Designer Heather Golan
www.advocate-online.net #mhccadvocate
Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 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.
News
Jan. 24, 2014
Club fair shows students what MHCC offers
Photos by Carole Riggs - The Advocate
“The Goonies” themed club fair was held in the Student Union on Tuesday through Thursday this week. Right: The Gamers Club had crafts and games available. Raichu from Pokemon holds an iron used in crafts.
Familiar face returns as assistant to Derr by Katelyn Hilsenbeck The Advocate MHCC welcomed a familiar face back on campus Thursday: Bill Becker, a longtime vice president of administrative services and briefly, interim president, at Mt. Hood, has returned to assist current President Debbie Derr as temporary fiscal adviser. Becker was brought on as a helping hand to work on “several kind of projects that need to get moved forward so the college can move into the future,” he said. The tasks include finishing the MHCC budget and a safety audit.
While Becker fills in, the college will begin efforts to find a permanent successor to Bill Farver, Mt. Hood vice president of administrative services who retired, effective on Thursday. Formally a previous retiree, Farver had served at Mt. Hood on a part-time, temporary basis. In an all-staff email sent on Jan. 8, Derr said the college aims to have the position filled by July, as Becker’s contract extends only through June. “Bill Farver was a great asset to the institution, but he was here halftime,”Becker said. “I think Debbie wanted someone here full-time to get these things done… to have a full-time
person who’s here and has a commitment to the institution like she does.” Becker previously worked with Derr at MHCC during nearly a decade spent in Gresham, and offered praise for the first-year president. “I think she’s a great choice for the college. I think she’ll do a great job. She believes in Mt. Hood Community College. She spent a number of years here and she’s very student-oriented,” he said. Since he retired from Mt. Hood in 2003, Becker has held similar shortterm positions at Lake Superior State University in Michigan and Clatsop Community College, near Astoria. He is
from Michigan and said he had past connections there. He also spent several years of his retirement remodeling a house. Becker took pleasure in his return to Gresham. “When I came in just last week, the number of people that are still here from when I was here is heartening,” he said. ”It’s great to see their commitment to the institution.” When his contract expires, Becker plans to ramp up his volunteer work at Olympic National Park and for Washington state parks and to enjoy more hiking with his wife, Heidi.
Bill Becker
3
4
Living Arts
Jan. 24, 2014
Stay entertained in 2014 After 2013 put out so much great music, movies and TV, it’s fair to say that 2014 has a tough act to follow. Here’s a little sneak peak of the entertainment-goodness that will happen this year.
Music can be released at any given time, which we saw recently with the unannounced release of Beyonce’s self-titled album that took fans by surprise. But, here are just a couple of scheduled releases you might look forward to.
Feb. 25 The Fray: “Helios” To kick off the year right, The Fray’s anxiously awaited fourth studio album will be released on Feb. 25. The album features 11 new songs, all written by lead singer Isaac Slade. There have already been two singles released, “Love Don’t Die” and “Hurricane.” Both songs show that the band once again is sticking to its indie-pop roots, which is what the fans love about it so much.
March 18 Foster the People: “Supermodel” This will be the second studio album from the alternative rock band. Its first single off the album, “Coming of Age,” showcases the same unique sound on display in the popular song “Pumped Up Kicks,” one of the most-played songs in 2011. The group’s debut album was released in 2011 and was positively received by critics and fans alike.
The Advocate
June 13 “22 Jump Street”
Movies Music
by Rebecca Gaulke
So many movies are coming out this year, movie lovers everywhere can rejoice. The day so many “Divergent,” “Transformers” and “Captain America” fans have waited for has nearly arrived. Here’s a note about the big-name movies we should expect.
March 21 “Divergent” The first movie in the trilogy based on Veronica Roth’s books stars Shailene Woodley as “Tris” and Theo James as “Four,” who live in a world sorted by factions based on characteristics such as honesty, selflessness, bravery and intelligence. When Tris doesn’t feel she fits in any of the factions, she’s endangering the structure of her world and finds herself and others like her in danger. The movie is sure to attract fans of the novels and sci-fi fans, and appearances by Kate Winslet and Zoe Kravitz are added incentive to go see it.
April 4 “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” If you loved the first “Captain America,” there’s no reason not to be stoked for this edition. The first look at the film will happen during the awesome commercials set for Super Bowl Sunday. Even if you’re not into football, seeing the face of Captain America himself, or maybe you know him as Chris Evans, is reason enough to watch.
May 2 “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” Superhero fanatics can’t wait for this one. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone return to the big screen again, as Peter Parker battles more villains and continues to be adorable. Jamie Foxx will be the movie’s villain, “Electro,” and is sure to make the film a little more interesting.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill return as undercover cops. After attending high school twice, in this sequel the two friends will head to college. Dave Franco and Ice Cube will also return, so this follow-up is sure to please fans of the 2012 remake, and probably the 1987 original film as well.
June 27 “Transformers 4: Age of Extinction”
TV So many shows to choose from; so little space. Here’s a couple that you really can’t miss.
April 6 “Game of Thrones”
“Transformers” returns, this time without main character Shia LaBeouf. But, don’t write it off just yet: This year’s film stars Mark Wahlberg, who plays a mechanic who makes a shocking discovery which brings Autobots and Decepticons. For fans of the first three movies in the franchise, it sounds like this sequel is just up your alley, and it’s sure to be action-packed for the thriller lovers.
The epic HBO TV show is back, at last, for its fourth season. Will we finally get to see the demise of evil King Joffrey? The fans certainly hope so. The show has become massively popular, and is based off of the books by George R.R. Martin. The Season 4 trailer is already on YouTube, and shows that this season is sure to be an intense one.
Aug. 15 “The Giver”
April 15 “Fargo”
Book lovers are bound to be looking forward to this movie, based off the very popular novel by Lois Lowry that takes place in a seemingly perfect community, until one boy is chosen to learn from an old man about the true pain and pleasure of the real world. The film starts Meryl Streep and Taylor Swift, sure to attract a wide variety of viewers. Mark your calendars, because I have a feeling this is going to be a good one.
Nov. 21 “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1” Of course, this is going to be one of 2014’s biggest hits. With “Catching Fire” doing so well in the box office at the end of last year, and the massive fan base owing to the success of the Hunger Games trilogy by author Suzanne Collins, fans will anxiously await the first movie (of two parts) of the last book of the trilogy. After nearly a two-year wait between the first and second movies, the third installment coming so soon will be a refreshing treat for Hunger Games fanatics.
This new 10-episode limited series is loosely based on the popular Coen brothers classic movie, even though the Coens weren’t involved in production of this show. Don’t let that stop you, because the series stars Billy Bob Thornton, Kate Walsh, Colin Hanks and others. It’s sure to please fans of the original movie and should make an interesting addition to the Spring TV lineup.
May 5 “24: Live Another Day” The new 12-episode reboot of the Kiefer Sutherland series takes place in London. This will be a limited-event television series, and is set several years following the events of Season 8. This season, Jack will find himself on the run, and fans of the series will be delighted to reunite with the franchise characters.
Graphics by Heather Golan - The Advocate
for something to do? Check out TO BE Looking our revamped weekly calendar for some fun ideas! DETERMINED
Viral Vid of the Week
3
2Visiting Writer & 1
Free First Fridays
Feb. 7, 4 to 8 p.m. Portland Children’s Museum, 4015 SW Canyon Rd, Portland 97221 Go and enjoy the museum, courtesy of Target, for free on the first Friday of each month. The museum is the sixth-oldest children’s museum in the country, and welcomes more than 316,000 children every year. The event is free for all ages.
Cartoonist Mark Russell
Monday, noon to 1 p.m. Visual Arts theater
Author of “God is Disappointed in You,” Mark Russell will be on the MHCC campus to read, show images from and discuss his book, at length. This free event is open to staff and students as well as the larger community. Willamette Week describes the book as “a reasonably faithful and super-condensed retelling of the exploits of Jews up to and including Jesus in contemporary language.” If this interests you, check it out during your lunch.
The 56th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday at 8 p.m. On CBS
Awardshow season is definitely upon us, with a different event nearly every weekend. The 56th Annual Grammy Awards is one of music’s biggest nights, and music enthusiasts wait all year for it to happen. This year’s nominees include Imagine Dragons, Lorde, Bruno Mars, Robin Thicke, Sara Bereilles. The show will feature a wide variety of performers, so tune in if you’re into that kinda thing.
Picking Snowball Fights With People In the mood for a laugh? As part of our weekly feature, we will show you one awesome video and tell you why you should watch it. This video will have you laughing out loud. The hilarious YouTube account, “LAHWF,” has a very wide variety of awkwardly hilarious videos to choose from. In this week’s video, three guys go looking for a snowball fight by throwing snowballs at random passersby. Most are mildly annoyed, but with one particularly difficult person, he might get a little more than he bargained for… like a black eye. Watch this video and live vicariously through these people, who are lucky enough to have snow to play with.
Living Arts
Jan. 24, 2014
- Play coverage part 1 of 5 -
5
Graphics by Heather Golan - The Advocate
Check back next week for more cast profiles
Are you ready to cut loose? Director tells all by Rebecca Gaulke The Advocate Mt. Hood theatre students are slipping on their dancing shoes and warming up their vocals, preparing to hit the stage for the department’s production of “Footloose” in less than a month. The actors are now in their second rehearsal phase. The first part involves learning all the aspects: the songs, the dances. Then comes getting comfortable with them. The performers are starting “to take ownership and then we clean it up,” said Mace Archer, theatre artistic director and “Footloose” director. “Right now, we’re beginning to make sure that everyone really gets and understands the whole story and sort of the flow of everything,” Archer said. The cast, which consists mostly of Mt. Hood students, has spent many
hours polishing its choreography and vocals. Members rehearse four hours a night, five nights a week, with many big numbers that take a lot of practice on their own time, too. “We actually contract with a professional (choreographer Krista Loveless) to come in to work with students,” Archer said. “They get the opportunity to work with someone who is top-notch.” Mt. Hood’s adaptation of “Footloose” will “run very parallel with the original movie,” Archer said. “The original Kevin Bacon movie is what this stage version is based on. Really, if you love that story, it’s that same story of redemption,” he said. This version will add a new flair the audience may not be expecting. “There’s a whole bunch of new songs that were written for it… to sort of underscore the characters,” Archer said. “So, that’s the thing that I think
people will really enjoy about this, if they love the original movie, to see how much more music and dance and that sort of expression gets out.” Archer says Kevin Lambert, MHCC choral director, has been collaborating on the musical. “He’s got these 30 actors sounding like a top-notch choir… The level of music that people are going to be hearing from our stage will really be surprising and awesome,” Archer said. The focus of the Mt. Hood musical is trying to bring out the generation gap that is so prominent within the original production. “What we’re trying to encourage the students to do is see the story through their own perspective, because every student at Mt. Hood is in the place of the kids in ‘Footloose,’ ” Archer said. The play will have just a touch of the ’80s theme, he said. The theatre
department decided it didn’t want to go all-out 80s because there’s “something that’s kind of goofy about that,” and the things that are really important might get missed, he said. Archer said viewers will see some leg warmers and a side ponytail here and there, but not enough to overwhelm anybody. He hopes to bring his own experience as an actor to help his students growth. “I was making a living doing musical theatre across the country prior to coming (here),” he said. He wants to share that knowledge with students “so they can sort of thrill and excite people,” he said. “Footloose” opens on Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 at the door for students, $10 if bought in advance, and are $12 for nonstudents if purchased early, $15 if bought at the door.
“Footloose” Showtimes: Feb. 21, 22, 28 and March 1 at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23 and March 2 at 2 p.m. Tickets: $10 Students, $12 Adults in advance at www.mhcc.edu/ theatre $12 Students, $15 Adults at the door
‘Ren’ comes to life on stage by Greg Leonov The Advocate
F
Luke Swearengin
reshman Luke Swearengin fights for his art while playing Ren McCormack in Mt. Hood’s production of “Footloose.” Swearengin describes Ren as “a Chicago boy who has to be transplanted to a small town called Beaumont.” “It’s [a] very hick town, the leader there is Reverend Shaw, and Ren doesn’t do very good with authority,” he said. Ren’s character is one that Swearengin can mildly relate to. “Tragedy definitely hasn’t hit my life too hard, [but] trying to make a living off something that you love, especially with how awful the reception is – it’s kind of a fight you try to live every day like Ren does,” he said. “It’s a fight for the art.” When auditioning for the part of Ren, Swearengin wasn’t sure if he actually wanted to play the part, but ended up taking it. “I was afraid that it was gonna interfere with work and time commitment. On the day of [the audition], I decided to do it. So, I learned the song real quick and showed up at the auditions, and butchered the words a little bit, but they got the point of it,” he said.
Swearengin describes Ren as a “good person at heart, but he just puts on that front that he’s tough.” “I kind of have a baby face. I don’t look too tough in the beginning, but I have to act that way,” he said. Playing Ren, Swearengin said that he’s grown in everyday life. “I feel like I’m more confident, just because he’s a confident person, and he really doesn’t care what people think, and I do care what people think. “If I care what people think all the time, I can never be myself,” he said. The music itself is the main attraction of musicals for Swearengin. He is a music major who dreamed of rock stardom at an early age. “I was 3 and I saw my dad, and AC/DC was the band back in the day that my dad showed me, and I just wanted to be like Angus Young because he was a little guy like I was,” he said. While his focus was on guitar and being a rock star, Swearengin’s grandmother encouraged him to play the piano. “(It) actually was a good idea because piano is a big part of being a music major. She didn’t tell me not to play the guitar, but she said, ‘You should try piano, too,’ ” he said. Musicals are Swearengin’s preference,
but he also acted in one play, titled “Anatomy of Gray.” He joined a musical group his sophomore year of high school, with which he performed “Little Women.” He also played a part in an adaptation of “Les Miserables.” Swearengin played baseball at east Portland’s Centennial High School for three years, but quit when he decided to perform “Little Women.” “[I] slowly gateway-ed into actual musical[s] at my school.” Performing in plays and musicals has given Swearengin a boost. “You have no nerves,” he said. Acting has helped him to converse with others easily, “and speeches – they become so easy, I do well on them because it’s just talking to people, it’s not a big deal,” he said. “(I have) a lot more confidence as far as choir goes, and singing in front of people.” Aside from acting and singing, Swearengin enjoys driving. “That’s probably one of my favorite things, because it’s quiet,” he said. “(I) just yell, and sing-yell any girl song in the car I can sing, and people won’t judge me. It’s definitely a good one – it’s very relaxing.”
6
News
Jan. 24, 2014
Events calendar
Dean
Continued from page 1
Monday & Tuesday
Saturday Mt. Hood will again host Financial Aid Day on Saturday. The event is staged by the Oregon Student Access Commission to provide free help with filling out FAFSA forms, and offers experts’ answers to questions about financial aid. It will run 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Room AC3333, upstairs from the MHCC Library. Besides the free FAFSA assistance, there will be seminars on applying for scholarships, starting at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and at 1 p.m. To participate and get all the help possible, guests should bring a social security number, a driver’s license or other state-issued ID, a current value of assets and their 2012-2013 tax returns.
- Lindsay Frost
A Red Cross blood drive will be held in the Jazz Cafe on Monday and Tuesday. Those interested in registering to give blood should stop by the ASG office in the Student Union, call the Red Cross (1-800-REDCROSS), or find an ASG member with an iPad to register. Donors must provide a state-issued ID or two other forms of ID to participate.
Thursday Transferring to a university after MHCC? Stop by for Oregon Transfer Day Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Vista Dining Hall. Schools from Oregon, Washington and Idaho will be represented. “This is an opportunity to talk with advisers face-to-face,” said Calvin Walker, an MHCC academic adviser. Students who miss out might “find themselves looking at websites, and you don’t know a lot of the information,” he warned.
Contract
Continued from page 1
Middle ground found “There’s a middle ground that will work. Once you find that on one thing, it’s enough to keep you moving forward,” she said. Williams’ team asked for another mediation session Thursday or today to sustain momentum going after Wednesday’s talks. As of press time for The Advocate, no follow-up session was confirmed. Williams was unable to disclose details of the two last contract articles to resolved, but said, “There are a few
outstanding language issues, and a few financial. “Until we’re able to report the details to, first, the bargaining support team and senate and, second, the (entire) faculty, we can’t report that stuff,” she said. Pressed on her confidence level in the evolving contract deal, she said, “Our bargaining team will not agree to something we feel the faculty will not support.” Meantime, the MHCC classified employees’ union and administrators
appear to remain locked in their separate bargaining struggle. (In the current negotiation cycle, only the Mt. Hood part-time faculty group has sealed a contract deal, back in October.) Cathy Nichols, classified association president, declined to project what a full-time faculty deal might mean for her group’s effort. “I’m happy for the full-time faculty, but their contract is their contract,” Nichols said.
Transitions program information sessions The Transitions program is hosting four information sessions for the upcoming Spring Term at Mt. Hood. They will be offered this Tuesday and again on Feb. 18, from 11 to 1 p.m.; on Thursday, Feb. 6, from 2 to 4 p.m.; and on Thursday, March 13, from 3 to 5 p.m. All sessions will be held in AC50, in the basement level of the Student Union. The meetings provide information about the program, besides tips for college success and how to get started on applying for financial
aid and taking required placement tests. Marcie Marroquin, Transitions coordinator, encourages anyone interested to attend a session. A typical participant in the program, for example, might be a woman who has just returned to school, is a single mother or might be struggling with abuse. “The purpose of transitions is to really help women become successful students, to learn about what their values are, to gain confidence about themselves,” said Marroquin. Participants are required to com-
plete Reading and Writing 90, or higher, before entering the Transitions program. If English is their second language, they must complete English as a new language course in writing and reading. There is no age requirement. The program allows students to build stronger connections and learn more about the MHCC campus, Marroquin said. For more information on Transitions, contact the office at 503-4917687.
- Katelyn Hilsenbeck
be | creative We are currently in the planning and design process of Venture, our yearly magazine published every Spring. Are you interested in writing? Embrace your creative freedom and write about what inspires you! Stop by the office in room AC1369, or email us at advocatt@mhcc.edu
Dean gets great reviews Besides exhibiting a passion for English and literature, Rivara is a published poet and talented singer skilled in opera. She most recently sang mezzo-soprano with the Aspire Ensemble Vocal Quartet, while in Michigan. Rivara earned high marks from her Kalamazoo students. According to ratemyprofessor.com, Rivara is a great instructor with a very open personality. “I love her... She’s the best teacher by far I’ve ever had! She’s beyond helpful and understanding especially when
you’re having a hard time writing or reading something,” said one reviewer in 2012. Another reviewer said, “She may offend some of the lighthearted, but she can be funny and sometimes nice. She will really help you understand how to dissect literature (yours and others) and possibly a bit of yourself. She is a really cool and fun teacher. Highly recommended.” Rivara’s book of poems, titled “Lake Effect,” is currently available on Amazon.com.
POTM
Continued from page 1
Game lover from childhood Learning how to produce games has given Loop a new perspective on them, but not always for the better. “It kind of ruined games for me. I spend more time looking at the modeling and painting and the way it (a game) works than actually playing,” he said. Loop has attended Mt. Hood since last winter term and is scheduled to graduate in June with a degree in game design.
Loop plans to work more independently after MHCC, rather than pursue further education. “A lot of game industries don’t look at your degree, they look at your talent,” he said. His ultimate goal is to become an indie developer – a developer who is not tied to a publisher. “That’s kind of the plan. It’s every game developer’s dream to have (his) own company, as opposed to being a grunt banging rocks,” Loop said.
Authenthic Arab food, cultural celebration Mt. Hood will hold an Arab Heritage Celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, hosted by the ASG in the Student Union. The event is free for MHCC students. Non-students must pay a $3 entry fee. Among several events and festivities available are free, authentic Arab food, games, a raffle with prizes, and a Henna tattoo artist. Comedian Sammy Obeid will perform and a guest speaker will discuss Arabic heritage, customs, and religion. The event is being staged by the Mt. Hood Student Activities Board
and Diana Ramirez, SAB multicultural coordinator. She said she introduced the idea to bring Arabic heritage to students who may know little about it. “This is a really nice event, since Arabic heritage is not represented very well in the community,” she said. Ramirez hopes the celebration and a successful turnout will trigger additional cultural events at MHCC during the year, something the campus is lacking, she said.
- Alexandra James
Sports
Jan. 24, 2014
7
Men’s basketball loses at home to Clackamas
Photos by Carole Riggs - The Advocate
Left: Men’s team warms up before their game against Clackamas Wednesday. Right- Sophomore Denzel Green finished with 16 points and eight rebounds in their 81-71 loss to the Cougars.
by Brandon Raleigh The Advocate After a dominating 36-point win last weekend, a disappointing home court loss on Wednesday left the Saints men’s basketball team tied for fourth in their division. On Saturday, Mt. Hood won in convincing fashion, pounding the LinnBenton Roadrunners, 92-56. Head Coach Geoff Gibor had nothing but positives to say about the victory. “Everyone scored and everyone got a rebound,” he said. “Our team was very patient against (Lane’s) zone defense. We rebounded the ball really well. “These are some things we have really been working on. It was good to see us build a lead and then build on that lead. It was a good team win.” The Saints (14-5, 3-3 in South Region play) controlled the game almost from the start, outscoring the Roadrunners by 18 points in the first half (47-29) and again by 18 in the second. Sophomores Mac Johnson and Blake Updike led the team with 16 points apiece. Johnson led the team with eight rebounds, while Updike had the hot hand from long range, hitting four of five three-point shots. Fellow sophomores Landon Rushton and Thomas Simien
each added 12 points. The Saints shot well from the field, connecting on 58 percent of their shots. “We feel that we gave away those first two league games (narrow losses), Gibor said. “We have really just tried to reinforce that we are a good team and maintain our confidence as a group. We have really focused on playing more freely offensively and rebounding the basketball. “Protecting the paint is a point of emphasis for us every day,” he said. He also credits team unity as “a huge part of our success,” he said. Wednesday brought a setback, however. The Saints dropped an 81-71 game against division rival Clackamas on their Gresham home court. “ We were doing what we wanted in the first half but then shots stopped falling. If the shots would have gone in, it would have been a different game,” said Gibor. Mt. Hood trailed by nine at the half and was never able to rally, shooting only 36 percent from the field against the Cougars. The home loss, the Saints’ second in January, stumped their coach. “ We haven’t played good at home this year. Playing on your home court should give you an advantage,” said Gibor. Some bright spots came from the
play of Johnson, Updike, and sophomore Denzel Green. Johnson recorded an impressive double-double, with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Updike and Green contributed 16 points, while Updike added 15. The loss left Mt. Hood tied for fourth in division play, following an up-anddown start. The Saints rebounded from two close losses of four points or less with three wins in a row, prior to the Clackamas letdown. “Our players were definitely frustrated it was a rivalry game and we were at home but you have to move on. This puts more pressure on us to win games now,” said Gibor. Gibor said the team’s goal remains winning the South Region. “We have to take care of what we can control and hope some teams lose some games,” he said. If Mt. Hood plays together and competes hard each game, “this will put us in position to win a lot of games,” he predicted. The Saints will play the Cougars again Feb. 19, at Clackamas. “ We want to get that game back. They just beat us on our court, so now we want to go there and win on theirs,” said Gibor. On Saturday, the team heads to Roseburg to take on the (5-13, 1-5) Umpqua Riverhawks.
Upcoming Schedule MHCC @ Umpqua Saturday Jan. 25 at 4 pm
MHCC @ SWOCC
Saturday Feb. 1 at 4 pm
Lady Saints come up short against Clackamas The Saints are still looking to get their first conference win after losing Wednesday night by Q Quarterman The Advocate On Wednesday, the Mt. Hood women took on the Clackamas Cougars in a home game the Lady Saints were hoping to win. At half time, the Cougars led by 12 points, 31-19. There was no second-half comeback, either, in what became a 65-39 loss for the Saints (2-16 overall, 0-5 South Region). “It has been a tough season,” said Tyler Rose, first-year head coach. Despite injuries that have the team playing short-handed, “our girls are fighting through the season and battling every day,” he said. “Adversity has been our biggest opponent this year, (but) we continue to believe in each other when we step on the court,” he said. Mt. Hood put up 20 points in the second half, but continued to lose ground to the Cougars, falling by 26 points total.
“Our last few games have been pretty close the first 10-15 minutes, so we know we can compete with our competition,” Rose said. “It’s a matter of putting a full 40 minutes together,” he said. Turnovers remain a key problem. “We play well when we keep our heads up and move the ball, it’s the times that we put our heads down that the pressure mounts.” The Lady Saints also were outrebounded by the Cougars, 56-36. A bright spot was the solid play of freshman standouts Marley Yates (13 points, six rebounds) and Taylor Scott (nine points and five rebounds). “The girls remain confident and our season isn’t over, even though our record is what it is,” Rose said. “We will be back stronger next week with a few players returning from injury, which will help.” That next opportunity comes when the Saints travel to Umpqua in Roseburg for a 2 p.m. game on Saturday.
Upcoming Schedule MHCC @ Umpqua Saturday Jan. 25 at 2 pm
MHCC @ SWOCC
Saturday Feb. 1 at 2 pm Photos by Carole Riggs - The Advocate
Left: Freshman Alana Wilson dribbles to the rim against Clackamas on Wednesday night. Right: Sophomore Whitney Warren brings the ball down court during their match-up against the Cougars.
8
Sports
Jan. 24, 2014
Saints ‘Big Three’ have eyes set on NWAACC Championship Sophomores Mac Johnson, Brock Otis, and Landon Rushton look to lead Mt. Hood to the NWAACCs a year after falling short by Aaron Marshall The Advocate Unhappy with a 2012-13 season in which Mt. Hood finished 11-15 overall and failed to qualify for the NWAACC playoffs, returning players Mac Johnson, Brock Otis, and Landon Rushton vowed to come back stronger and better this winter. That motivation and effort has paid off, leading to the Saints back to winning ways. “We have a sense of urgency this year and we want to win it all for sure,” Rushton said. “My other goal is to bring home the South Region title.” All three players said last season was hard for them and they knew that they needed to come into this season ready to go. “I was in the weight room this whole off-season,” said Otis. “The way we prepare, we think that we can compete with anyone in the NWAACC (playoffs).” With seven players returning from last season, Mt. Hood holds high expectations for the new year, and even hopes to grab an NWAACC championship in early March. Johnson, Otis, and Rushton have stepped up as leaders in their last chase for the title, gaining attention and praise. “All three of these guys have impacted our program in such a positive way,” said Geoff Gibor, the Saints’ head coach. “Especially the way the season went last year. Along with the coaches, they (the team) were not very happy. “They came into (this) year with a great sense of what we are trying to get done as a team. They have embraced the newcomers and become good leaders… (and) have provided stability,” he said. The Saints are currently 14-5 overall and have a 3-3 conference record, sitting in fourth place in the South Region. With eight regular season games remaining, playoff hopes remain bright. Johnson said the three veterans are single-minded, fueling the team’s success. “We’re all unselfish, work hard and we trust each other,” he said. “We all have the same ultimate goal, and that’s to win,” Otis said. Johnson said the weight room was a big part of his off-season routine. “I
Brock Otis
Photos by Carole Riggs- The Advocate
Sophomores Landon Rushton (left), Mac Johnson (centered), and Brock Otis (right) all have the same goal and that’s to win. worked hard in the off-season lifting weights and with this season having more guys that have been there (experience wise), it makes it easier for me to be a leader,” he said. All three players have played in all 16 games so far and the chemistry between them extends beyond the bas-
Position: G/F Height: 6-3 Stats: 13 ppg, 4 rpg
ketball court, they said. They just like to hang out and have fun whether that’s just “chilling” and doing homework or even going out to eat, they said. “I don’t know anyone who hates (and) loves me more than these two (Otis and Rushton),” said Johnson.
Landon Rushton
Gibor has noticed. “They have a trust in one another that stems from spending so much time together… They understand what each other’s strengths and weaknesses are and work well together,” he said. Johnson, Otis, and Rushton originally lived in Washington state.
Position: G Height: 6-0 Stats: 11 ppg, 2 apg
MHCC’s big man, Johnson is a Spokane native and attended Gonzaga Prep High School. “It was a spirit of the moment to come here (MHCC). I liked the campus and the program,” he said. In his final season, Johnson has been a leader on the court in practice and again come game time. He averages a double-double, at 17 points and 10 rebounds per game, leading the team in both categories. “I’m a lead-by-example type of player. I am a grunt guy, I just keep my head down and work hard,” said Johnson. His work ethic and play style has impressed his teammates. “Just his presence in the post has been key for us. We wouldn’t be the same team without him,” said Rushton. A starting guard at point and the “two” position, Rushton came to Mt. Hood from Olympia, graduating from North Thurston High School. “I liked the campus and I felt like the program here was family oriented, and financially it worked out well,” Rushton said. Otis, a 2011 Sam Barlow graduate, previously lived in Everett, near Seattle. But he chose nearby MHCC because it was close to home. Heading into the heart of the season, the trio believes the Saints’ team defense and rebounding has been strong, but that the squad still must improve on finishing games and maintaining a mental edge at all times. All three standouts express interest in continuing to play at a four-year university. For now, they are focused on their academics and basketball. Johnson and Rushton are interested in criminal justice and are intrigued by becoming police officers in the future. Otis is undecided but has one eye on business, plus an interest in physical therapy. “All three of these guys, along with others on this team, will play at the next level (four-year school),” said Gibor. They have great individual skill sets, work hard, and are good students. That is a good recipe for success moving forward. “They have become the leaders of the team, which will help them at the next level as well,” he said.
Mac Johnson
Position: F/C Height: 6-8 Stats: 17 ppg, 10 rpg