The Advocate, Issue 20, March 4, 2011

Contract negotiations countdown VOLUME 46, ISSUE 20

MARCH 4, 2011

page 9

NWAACC Bound pages 6-7

Check www.advocate-online.net

LIVE COVERAGE OF THE MEN'S NWAACC BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINS SATURDAY AT 8 A.M.

2 OPINION Editors-in-Chief

Jen ashenberner & Jordan tichenor

Sports Editor Jon Fuccillo

Living Arts Editor David Gambill

Assistant Living Arts Editor Anevay Torrez

Photo Editor

Devin Courtright

Opinion Editor L. John King

Assistant News Editor John Tkebuchava

Reporters Jill-Marie Gavin Chanel Hill Riley Hinds Laura Knudson Yuca Kosugi Mike Mata Jess Peterman Kylie Rogers Shelby Schwartz Jessica Winters

Adviser

Bob Watkins

Assistant Adviser Dan Ernst

E-mail advocatt@mhcc.edu 503-491-7250 (Main) 503-491-7413 (Office) 503-591-6064 (Fax) www.advocate-online.

Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030

Submissions

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.

Front-page photos

by Devin Courtright

THE ADVOCATE

MARCH 4, 2011

Editorial Pat on the back for forensics, theater, men's basketball Amid all the commotion between the administration and the full-time faculty regarding contract negotiations, the impending loss of another college president, excessive campus evacuations and snow days this term, there have been some pretty awesome accomplishments by various groups at MHCC. How about our forensics team? They deserve kudos for all they have achieved. They have scored multiple gold awards throughout the term and in their latest slaughter at the “Bloodbath at the Beach” tournament in San Diego they placed 8th overall and three of the four competitors placed in the top 15 out of 68 at the competition. Not to mention how well they did in the earlier tournaments and now have the honor of hosting the national forensics tournament at MHCC over spring break. We applaud their ability to be|consistently great.

The Advocate would also like to toast the MHCC theater department’ for its production of the “Rocky Horror Show.” It takes a lot of work by a great many people to put on a show of this scale Show. From the musical direction of Dave Barduhn, to the costume designs of Liz Hoover to the casting and directing of Jennifer Hunter, the musical made a two-week impact on the school.

Even the hospitality program got involved with a pre-production party on opening night.

Hats are off to the brave stage actors, women and men, who pranced around delightfully in

fishnet stockings and the use of a “heckler” studiously placed in the audience to instigate responses from the audience.

Audience participation is something central to the success of Jennifer Hunter-directed plays and is something theater fans can hope to see more of in the future.

Finally, we want to send a shout-out to the Saints men’s basketball team who, after ending the regular season in the second seed position in the Southern Region, will play in the NWAACC tournament starting Saturday. The Saints, who struggled early in the season to get wins, made a late run to end their regular season with a record of 8-6 in the region.

They started with their backs against the wall with a record of 1-4. Edging out the Saints for the division title were region rivals the Clackamas Cougars, who ended their regular season at 113. The Saints will play the Highline Thunderbirds, ranked third in the Western Region with an 11-5 record, Saturday at 8 a.m. at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Wash. The tournament is a double-elimination event, and the Saints are looking to top their seventh place finish from a season ago.

Thanks to all involved for giving the college something to be proud of. Good luck at the nationals, forensics. We look forward to the spring productions by the theater department. And go Saints — come home with a championship.

Labor negotiations

Midwest students comment on union-busting

Governors, the legislatures and unions in several Midwestern states have been waging fierce battle over the past weeks about collective bargaining issues, especially related to state employees.

Presented below are a variety of excerpts from college newspapers in Wisconsin and Indiana from the past week that have commented on the collective bargaining issues.

From a column in The Lawrentian at Lawrence University: “Over the past weeks, collective bargaining rights of public sector employees have been challenged by Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill. Many are protesting, and the entire situation has provoked the single most interesting exchange that Lawrence’s webmail has seen in the years that I’ve been here.

I understand and am sympathetic to the concerns that this bill might lead the way to more states following suit and that it can severely impact the way teachers are paid.

What concerns me, though, is that we are rarely up in arms about anything, and this particular concern is just as pressing as some issues that are currently threatening to become major

problems on a national level, too.

And what is perhaps more pressing is that we care a whole ton about how much teachers are getting paid, but we don’t care about what they’re teaching.

Legislators want to cut spending and balance a budget so they turn to education, and regardless of whether it is an attack on collective bargaining or funding, they are undervaluing a student’s right to a stable and effective education.

We’re not really the underdog in this situation, but I can’t help but feel that the reason we’re in this mess has something to do with people not valuing education in the first place.”

From a letter to the editor in the Notre Dame University paper, The Observer: “When discussing the events revolving around the protests occurring in many state capitols such as Wisconsin and Indiana, there is a need for clarification: Unions in their entirety only represent less than one-fourth of the entire United States workforce.

What does this mean? It is false when union workers claim that the bills being discussed in state capitols, which are restricting or even annihilating bargaining rights, are an assault on the rights

of workers.

It’s in fact a hyperbole! Doing nothing with respect to the ‘rights’ of the few whose salary increases every year without an end in sight despite what is going on in the rest of the economy is an actual assault on the true workforce of our great nation — small businesses, the backbone of America!

If people begin to forget this simple fact and put forward instead the agendas of power-hungry unions, then our land of opportunism has converted into the land of crybabies clamoring for what they think is rightfully theirs to keep, or as Friedrich von Hayek coins it, the road to serfdom.

I dare say that without unions, living wages would incrementally rise. With more opportunities for private individuals to invest and improve markets previously dominated by labor unions, such as transportation and public education, efficiency would rise and even more opportunities would reveal themselves.

To put this in perspective, the fundamental problem Americans face is the lack of having real choice. Parents can’t choose which public school they want to send their kids to, which is why charter schools are catching on in popularity.

With our current system we are under the tyranny of monopolies, and that is why we do not need unions.”

SPORTS 3

MARCH 4, 2011

Track and field coaches shepherd flock of new talent Lower Right: Hurdler Zach Young, center, at the 2010 Lewis and Clark Invite, returns this year, Below: 2010 NWAACC 400-meter champion Chris Zeller returns to help boost Saints talent pool.

File Photos

Track and Field Preview

Who: Mt. Hood Saints track and field team.

Last season: The men’s team placed third at the Southern Region Championship meet and fourth at the NWAACC championship meet. The women’s team placed fourth at the Southern Region meet and sixth at the NWAACC meet.

Head coach: Matt Hart Who returns: 2010 NWAACC 400m champion Chris Zeller and hurdler/sprinter Zach Young, both members of last year’s 4x100m team that placed second at NWAACCs, and distance runner Amanda Smith.

Key departures: 2010 NWAACC shot put champion Jr. Velasquez, sprinter Anaiah Rhodes (who finished second in the 100m finals at NWAACCs), sprinter Micah Strong (who also finished in second in the 100m finals at NWAACCs) and thrower Kelsey Strot, who finished second in the shot put.

Who arrives: A small flood of talented new recruits, including district champions and state champions such as Gabriela Diaz, a 1500m and 800m 2A Nevada state champion, and Tyler Callahan, a 4A Oregon State champion in javelin.

By John Tkebuchava The Advocate

Through rain and snow, winter training has come to an end and the MHCC track and field team is looking to dive right into the season, starting with Saturday’s meet.

The team will open the season with the Eric Anderson Icebreaker meet at Linfield College in McMinnville, Though the team has had to deal with harsh conditions throughout the last few months, head coach Matt Hart said he is satisfied with his team’s progress, overlooking the complications.

“It’s been going well, although we have some people with aches and pains,” he said, in addition to dealing with bad weather.

Though the team will be missing valuable talent in the departure of athletes like 2010 NWAACC shot champion Jr. Velasquez and fellow thrower Kelsey Strot, MHCC still returns a cast of athletes capable of filling any gap that has been made.

“I’m pretty confident in all our returning athletes,” Hart said, “The workload’s been pretty high for the majority of our returners.”

As well as returners, Hart hopes to keep up the success of last year’s season with the talent of fresh recruits.

“We put a little more into recruiting than we have in the past,” said Hart.

Several of the recruits were district and state champions in high school on both the men’s and women’s side.

Although there are no actual captains for the newcomers to look up to, Hart will be depending on work ethic to encourage athletes, “We work hard, and expect people to follow the lead,” he said.

“Being a returner, I try to lead by example,” said sprinter and 2010 NWAACC 400m Chris Zeller Monday night.

“I have a lot of faith in our freshmen,” he said, “I think our freshmen are going to be able to step up.”

With a little over 12 weeks of training and competitions that lie ahead, both Hart and the teams’ members have their own team goals as well as personal ones.

“I hope (the athletes) have patience and hope to get some maturity and that the athletes have the opportunity to improve,” said Hart.

“On both the men’s and women’s sides, our sprints are pretty heavy. We’ve

File Photo

got a lot of bodies in the sprints,” he added, something he considers one of the team’s strengths.

“I just want to have a better record than high school, said freshman sprinter Erica Drake.

“I just want the team to work together,” she said, including a hope that the 4x100m team can make it to the NWAACC championship meet.

“As an individual, one of my main goals is to get into the 47s (in the 400m). My goal is to set a new school record,” said Zeller.

In last year’s NWAACC championship meet, the MHCC 4x400m team broke the school record and placed second overall.

“I know we’re going to try to break our previous record and try to get first, said Zeller.

As for Saturday’s meet, Hart views it at as a tool to “analyze” his team’s progress and to develop experience, “Our first few meets are training meets,” Hart said. “I just expect people to be really well prepared for their events. I hope they will represent our college well.”

“It will feel good to be competing again,” said distance runner Donnie Coulson Monday night.

“The guys’ distance team has been plagued with injuries, so I really can’t tell you, I think everyone is pretty even,” said Coulson in regards to who will be leading on the men’s distance side.

“It’s obviously not going to be like high school,” said Drake, saying that the meet will be a good chance to check out the competition and “see what I’m up against,” she said.

“I expect good times,” said Zeller on the meet, “I expect us to do pretty well actually.”

4 SPORTS

MARCH 4, 2011

Saints face baseball season with wary optimism

By Chanel Hill The Advocate

Coach Bryan Donohue and the Saints baseball team are coming off the heels of a disappointing 2010 season, missing the post-season for the first time in 16 years.

The returning players still carry that disappointment in their minds, “For our sophomores, there’s more of a chip on their shoulders,” said Donohue. “There were injuries and we got off to a slow start. We played some of our best baseball later in the season but it was too late.”

After losing great position players, including catcher Corey Davis, first baseman Taylor Ard and shortstop Tanner Hodges, the Saints are counting on seasoned secondyear veterans such as pitchers Jeremy Burright, Matthew Pechmann, Mychal Yearout and Nate Dolman, along with first baseman

Grant Fink and outfielder Matt Nylen to step into leadership roles.

“We’re building on last year. Whether it’s me starting or relieving, I’m not focused on stats, and I think it’s the same for every-

“I think this team can win it.”

Brian Donohue

head baseball coach

one. It’s about accepting our roles and doing whatever it takes,” said Dolman, who pitched as a reliever for part of last season and ended up in the starting rotation.

W

WHO: Mt. Hood Saints baseball team.

LAST SEASON: (25-19, 18-12), finished third place in the Southern Region.

HEAD COACH:

This year brings additions like freshman pitcher Christian Bannister, who will step in as the Saints closer with last season’s closer Michael Siefert no longer with the team following shoulder surgery last July.

“I think this team can win it,” said Donohue, “It’s (about having), depth in your pitching, and we’ve got that.” The Saints are ranked No. 6 in the NWAACC preseason poll and 23rd in the ABCA poll, community college team’s from the Northwest and California. The Saints are scheduled to play Edmonds Community College in a doubleheader at Oslund Field at 2 p.m. Donohue said Burright will take the mound to start game one, followed by either Dolman or Yearout starting game two. With such depth in the pitching position every pitcher is expected to get some time on the mound this season.

WHO RETURNS: Sophomore pitchers Jeremy Burright, Nate Dolman, Matthew Pechmann, Jon Yearout and Alex Kennan. Sophomore catchers Mychal Harrington and Zach Brown.

Sophomore outfielders Matt Nylen and Jared Chase. Infielders Grant Fink and Danny Clifford. Burright finished the 2010 season with a record of 6-3 with a 2.26 ERA; he

was honored on the First Team All-Southern Region team. Nylen was honored on the second team after he hit .330. Dolman was also honored on Southern Region second team for his performance on the mound; he ended the season with a 3-1 record and a 1.18 ERA.

KEY DEPARTURES:

WHO ARRIVES: A pack of 10 freshmen, including pitcher Christian Bannister, who is expected to take on the closer position on the hill.

Softball seeks trifecta The Advocate

For Coach Meadow McWhorter and the Lady Saints softball team, it has become more of a norm rather than a hope to bring home an NWAACC championship after winning back-to-back titles.

They are back in the same position with a preseason ranking of No. 1 in the NWAACC poll.

“It’s nice to be respected,” McWhorter said. “But the polls mean nothing to us. We have the goal coming in, to out-work the rest of the NWAACC. We set our goals high.”

For the seventh year in a row, McWhorter avoided naming a captain. She said she feels Meadow McWhorter the team operates better that way. “Different leaders emerge every day,” McWhorter said. “Great leaders also know how to follow. We have some freshmen who are leaders. That usually doesn’t happen.”

McWhorter knows one of her team’s biggest strength is the depth of her pitching staff with returners Anderson and Schriber. They have also added freshman Kendra Groom, who will fill in for Myranda Sawyer, last year’s number three pitcher.

“She had a successful fall,” McWhorter said.

“She’s a complement to the other two (pitchers).

Nate Dolman

Catcher Corey Davis (Wright State University), outfielder Michael Blake (University of Hawaii), first baseman Taylor Ard (Washington State University), third baseman Griffin Boyd, (Western Oregon University), shortstop Tanner Hodges (College of Idaho), utility player Derrick Hough (Hawaii Pacific).

Bryan Donohue, fourth season coaching

By Jon Fuccillo

Bryan Donohue

She’s more of a down-ball pitcher.”

As impressed as McWhorter is with her pitching staff, she said her middle infielders could be the best duo in the NWAACC with Kealiinohomoku and Galusha filling those spots.

“Toughest middle infielders in the NWAACC,” McWhorter said. “Both can swing it and they are incredible on defense.

“Our philosophy is, if you can hit we will find a spot for you in the lineup.”

The one spot McWhorter is most concerned about is who would fill the shoes of Fulkerson behind the dish. That was shortly answered when they signed freshman catcher Alexis Cline.

“That was (is) going to be a big spot to fill,” McWhorter said. “I’ve known A.C. (Cline) since she was about 10 years old. I told her, ‘When you get older you’re going to come play for Mt. Hood.’”

Asked what the team needs to work on, McWhorter said, “Being aggressive, Sometimes they are too focused on the fundamentals. It’s okay to swing out of your shoes sometimes.”

McWhorter said that thought process will change some once they see live action since the team has only been on the field a handful of times.

“It comes with experience. Fight has to come out once we start playing. We’re just itching to play.”

The Lady Saints are scheduled to play in the annual South-Inter region tournament in Vancouver, Wash., on March 12. The team will face the Douglass Royals at 2 p.m. followed by a game with Shoreline Dolphins at 4 p.m. Both opponents are from the Northern Region.

WHO: No. 1 Mt. Hood Lady Saints softball team.

LAST SEASON: (33-9, 14-6), beat Southwestern Oregon Lakers 7-4 in NWAACCChampionship game at Delta Park.

HEAD COACH: Meadow McWhorter, ninth season

WHO RETURNS: Sophomore starting pitchers Kayla Anderson and Chelsie Schriber, who dominated on the hill a season ago en route of picking up the NWAACC title. They combined for an overall record of 21-4 with an ERA of 1.35. Speedy outfielder and Southern Region Co-Most Valuable Player Jessica Guy finished the season with a .427 batting average. Redshirt freshman Mai Galusha is expected to have an immediate impact following season-ending knee surgery after tearing her meniscus.

KEY DEPARTURES: All-American third basemen Nicole Colpron (Montana State University Billings), All-NWAACC tournament MVP catcher Ariel Fulkerson, Adidas Golden Shoe Award winner and bunt specialist outfielder Bre Thomas (Central Washington University) and outfielder Sarah McGregor (Portland State University).

WHO ARRIVES: A pack of 10 freshmen who are eager to fight for playing time and crack into the everyday lineup for McWhorter.

McWhorter says transfer outfielder Brittany Chestnut from North Idaho College, a Newport native, will get a lot of playing time in the outfield.

SPORTS 5

MARCH 4, 2011

Umpqua Riverhawks 69, Mt. Hood Lady Saints 66

Lady Saints lose season finale; head coach Larry Davis resigns

By Laura Knudson The Advocate

Not only did the Lady Saints lose their final game of the season Saturday 69-66 to the Umpqua Riverhawks, but the women will also be losing head coach Larry Davis.

Asked why Davis would be stepping down after six years, Kim Hyatt, Saints athletic director, said, “He personally resigned to pursue other opportunities.”

Davis said Thursday, “It’s not like I’m just going to split and say good luck and goodbye.” He said he plans on training the women during the off-season as well as meeting with them to talk about their future. Davis said family commitments and the responsibilities of running his business, Willamette Valley Basketball, caught up with him and said it’s time to step back and evaluate everything.

He said he’s leaving now so the school can get a new coach in time to start recruiting players.

Davis said he will miss MHCC, but is ready to turn over the team to someone who will continue the tradition and take the program to the next level.

Davis emailed Hyatt his resignation Sunday.

Hyatt plans to meet with the team Monday to discuss the situation and the future of the program.

The “number one concern is for them to meet their academic goal. Our hope is that they stay,” she said.

Freshman forward Melissa Carey said, “I do plan on staying at Mt. hood to play again and meet a bunch of new people. The majority of our team is leaving and going back home or off to other schools.”

It’s uncertain how many women will return next

Photo by Devin Courtright/The Advocate

Head coach Larry Davis will step down after serving as the Lady Saints coach for the last six seasons.

year. Davis anticipates four to five players will return next season while the others will seek other options.

Forwards Charlie Neilan and Jackie Cannon are the team’s only sophomores. Neilan is undecided on her plans for next year. Earlier this season, freshman Natalie Laffoon suffered a concussion rendering her unable to finish the year. Her basketball MHCC career is over.

After a year away from her family, freshman forward Gina Bianchi will return to her hometown Carson, Nev., and plans to attend the University of Ne-

vada-Reno.

“These girls are leaving with a sense of satisfaction,” said Davis. They now laugh about stuff they thought they wouldn’t be able to do, he said. “They truly did bust their ass this year,” he said of his players who worked harder than any team that he could remember in his six years here as Saints head coach. Concerning the season, Davis said, “Our goal ultimately was to make it to an NWAACC championships. We fell short.”

He added that there was a “true sense of what this team is, and would be, if we were healthy.”

Bianchi and Carey commented on the rollercoaster season they had but expressed how they wouldn’t soon forget how far the team has came.

“Our team had our ups and downs,” Bianchi said, “but by the end of the season we saw what our team truly was and that we could play amazingly together” Carey said, “Our team performed with so much potential and energy every game. We sure weren’t the biggest team out there but you bet yourself we were the best conditioned team and could go forever.”

Neilan said the first scrimmage of the season went good but then it “went downhill due to injuries, but it ended on a high note with players coming back from injury. “Just sucks we couldn’t have everyone back a lot sooner,” Neilan said.

The Lady Saints finished fifth in the Southern Region (6-8), beating the No. 4 seeded team, the Southwestern Oregon Lakers, 58-56 on Feb. 25.

Davis said he is going to miss MHCC and gives thanks to the athletic department. “These are coaches that truly love to coach,” he said of his colleagues.

ADVERTISEMENT

OUR #1 PRIORITY: STUDENTS Students have been – and always will be – our number one priority. We know you have questions about contract negotiations with the Full-Time Faculty Association. We’re here to help.

MHCC full-time faculty enjoy the highest average salaries of the 54 community colleges in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. They are approximately at the 83rd percentile nationally.* You may be thinking that our faculty should be the highest paid among all Pacific Northwest community colleges. We understand your position because we, too, believe our instructors are smart and talented professionals who possess the skills and attributes that make them good educators.

The simple truth is this: •

The State is cutting funding to community colleges

•

Taxpayers expect us to be fiscally responsible and to operate within a budget

•

We are serving more students than ever before

We have called upon the full-time faculty to moderate their expectations, just as our other two unions have, as well as our non-represented employees.

To learn more, we invite you to visit mhcc.edu * According to NEA (National Education Association) data published April 2010

Q)

I am in a rigorous program and need to graduate with my classmates on time. I have heard rumors that the College will close.

What’s the truth?

A

Our best advice is to not believe the rumors. The College will remain open for business and continue to meet the needs of its 33,000 students and the community that supports them.

this worst-case scenario while hoping for settlement.

If your full-time instructors choose to stop working (and we certainly hope they do not choose to do so!), we intend to do everything we can to cover your classes and programs with qualified instructors. We are preparing for

You are committed to achieving your academic goals and we intend to ensure that you receive the high quality instruction, counseling and training that you deserve. Students remain our number one priority!

A decision to strike is entirely up to the full-time faculty. We urge them not to jeopardize student progress by interrupting classes.

6 SPORTS

MARCH 4, 2011

NWAACC Championship Preview

The right chemistry at the right time

photos by devin courtright/the advocate

The Saints hope to continue their late seasons success in the NWAACC tournament. From left to right: sophomore guard Delroy Gibbs and freshmen Otho Lesure, Marcus Moore, Rei Jensen and Spencer Clayton

Saints head to NWAACCs as No. 2 seed, face Highline

By Jon Fuccillo The Advocate

Second-year head coach Geoff Gibor avoided a heart attack Saturday night after his team slid by the Umpqua Riverhawks with a 72-70 victory.

However it was just what the doctor ordered – an NWAACC championship berth.

The team went from grinding their teeth to grabbing the No. 2 seed in the Southern Region standings, all in a 24-hour time period.

The Saints now have their work cut out for them as they will square off against Western Region No. 3 seed the Highline Thunderbirds (18-7, 11-5) in round Geoff Gibor one action at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Gibor is now two-for-two in playoff appearances as a head coach. This year provided some down-to-the-wire excitement that shook the entire South. It came to sudden death on the final day of the season as the Saints won a four-team tiebreaker due to the luck of the draw at the beginning of the season.

“We felt like we had a really good understanding of the tiebreaker process,” Gibor said Tuesday afternoon.

“But we really didn’t think we would come out with four teams tied for second place. That just shows the parity in our league. Pretty remarkable.”

The Saints tied the Linn-Benton Roadrunners, Chemeketa Storm and Lane Titans with 8-6 records in Southern Region action and the four teams split in head-to-head action during the regular season. At the beginning of the season, each team was given a random number in case this scenario occurred. The Saints had the highest number among the four teams. Each season the numbers rotate among the teams, giving each team a fair shot at avoiding extra games at the end of the season right before playoffs.

The Roadrunners had the next highest number and will represent the South as the No. 3 seed. The Storm and Titans were forced to play a tiebreaker game Monday night for the No. 4 seed and the Storm pulled out an 86-66 victory.

“Just the idea of four teams finishing with the same record is pretty crazy,” Gibor said. “It’s just a good feeling for us to have gotten in with such a slow start.”

Sophomore shooting guard Delroy Gibbs said things still haven’t settled in. But he feels the minute his sneakers touch the court, it will be back to business as usual. “It might not sink in until I walk into the gym,” Gibbs said Sunday night.

Sophomore Gerron Powell said ,

“It’s time to see who’s the best. Wewant it the most and want to prove we’re the best.”

The Saints have had some experience this year with Western Region teams. They went 2-1 in games with the West; all three games were against teams in the bottom four of the nine team conference. They beat the Centralia Trailblazers twice and lost to last year’s runner up at NWAACCs – the Lower Columbia Red Devils. The Thunderbirds did not play teams from the South.

Like the Saints, the Thunderbirds have a spread offense with three guys who score in double figures – 6-6 sophomore forward PJ Bolte (13.7 points per game), 6-2 freshman guard Ira Haywood (10.8) and 6-4 freshman forward Travis Miller (10.4).

“They’re a really good offensive rebounding team,” Gibor said about Highline’s advantages. “They’ve got some shooters and some all-league players on that team. We need to defend PJ (Bolte) and keep him off the glass. We just need to continue rebounding well.”

The Thunderbirds rank third overall in the NWAACC with 43.6 rebounds per game, while the Saints are seventh with 41.8.

The Saints will rely on the same rotations that got them here in the first place. They will look to use the quickness and sharp shooting of their guards along with the big bodies down

low. Freshman Gerron Powell is playing with a chip on his shoulder. He feels as though the Southern Region got it wrong when selecting “bigs” for the All-Southern Region first and second teams. “None of our bigs got votes for the awards in league. That’s disrespect to us,” Powell said. “We’re fired up to play (now).”

The Saints had an offense that was spread over the maps, with six guys averaging nine points or more. Freshman point guard Marcus Moore averaged a team-best 12.9 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals. Freshman forward Spencer Clayton is slightly behind averaging 11.4 points, along with a team high 7.7 rebounds. Freshmen Rei Jensen (10.0), Gibbs (9.7) Coletun Tarr (9.5) and Otho Lesure (9.0) were the other four that scored at least nine points per game.

Point of emphasis heading into Saturday’s game with the Thunderbirds is handling the ball better throughout the four-day tournament. Gibor knows teams will feed off points scored on turnovers. In the last three regular season games, the Saints gave up 84 points by handing the ball over to their opponents due to poor ballhandling decisions.

NWAACC statistics show the Saints have committed more turnovers than any other team in the league this season, with an average of 19.3 per game.

Continue NWAACC on page 7

LIVE NWAACC Championship Coverage

Live Saints men's basketball coverage - play by play at www.advocate-online.net Coverage begins Saturday at 8 a.m. vs. the Highline Thunderbirds (18-7, 11-5 in the Western Region) @ The Toyota Center in Kennewick, Wash.

SPORTS 7

MARCH 4, 2011

Saints slip by Roadrunners

By Jon Fuccillo The Advocate

The Saints can thank forwards Rei Jensen and Gerron Powell for their NWAACC playoff berth.

The two freshmen scored a total of 30 points and pulled down 16 rebounds. Jensen scored a game-high 17 points on 7-of12 shooting from the field in the two-point victory Saturday over the Riverhawks (720, 3-11). Powell added a double-double: 13 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 4-of-12 from the field.

Freshman point guard Marcus Moore, the Saints leading scorer, only scored four points in the victory but was crowned hero with his steal that solidified the victory in the final seconds of the game.

“He also knocked down a big shot in the

second half,” Gibor said of Moore’s performance.

That win assured the Saints the No. 2 seed in the Southern Region for the March 5-8 NWAACC tournament in Kennewick, Wash.

It wasn’t an easy weekend for the Saints, though, who traveled to Coos Bay Friday to face the Southwestern Oregon Lakers (9-17, 4-10). They dropped a 9484 game against the Lakers. That loss put them in a situation with their backs against the well – win or stay home for the NWAACC tournament.

The team responded and just slipped past the last-place Riverhawks in the South, the same team that the Saints spanked in their first game 84-51 on Jan. 28 in Gresham.

NWAACC: Head coach says team must reduce turnovers Continued from page 6 “We can’t turn the ball over like we have been,” Gibor said. “I would like to keep that number right around 10 but if they keep it in the low teens I would be fine with that.

“We’re (also) trying to shore up our defense.

“We’ve been really trying to address that. I just hope that we were battle-tested (during the season), because there in the end, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to win every single game after the slow start.”

(9) W-9

10 a.m.

Sunday L-2

Monday

(10) noon Sunday

(3) 6 p.m.

Spokane (4) Noon

W-13 (21)

W-2 W-21 8 p.m.

W-11 (18)

(5) 8 a.m.

W-3 (14) 6 p.m.

W-14

Sunday W-4 7 p.m.

L-6

Big Bend (6) 2 p.m.

W-5 (15) 2 p.m.

Sunday

Monday W-15

noon L-7 (12) W-12

10 p.m.

Sunday L-8

(7) 8 p.m.

Walla Walla Pierce (8) 10 p.m.

Linn-Benton

(19) 2 p.m.

L-14

W-6

6 p.m.

Bellevue W-7

Monday

Tuesday

L-13

(22)

Whatcom Monday

NWAACC Champion

Tuesday

Highline 8 a.m.

Sunday

(26)

Monday

Mt. Hood L-5

Page 1 photo: The men’s basketball team celebrates highlight play in Feb. 16 victory over Chemeketa. The team hopes to translate that energy into a strong showing at the NWAACC tournament

(2) 4 p.m.

4 p.m.

Sunday

Skagit Valley

(11)

W-18

Tacoma

Clark

L-4

Tuesday

(13)

Clackamas L-3

8th

W-1

Chemeketa

10 a.m.

W-10

(1) 10 a.m.

Yakima Valley

W-17

10 a.m.

enth last season in a loss to the Walla Walla Warriors. Rickert is more excited this year and feels the team has what it takes to be a title contender.

“We’re really young but this will be a great experience for everyone,” Rickert said. “Playing in the arena is different but I think the fellas will do fine. I can feel a championship coming our way.

“The arena is a lot like our court at Hood. It is big and I think we have a big advantage but we got to take it game by game.”

Asked if anything less of a championship would be a disappointment, Rickert said, “Yes. I know we have a great chance of winning it but it depends on whether or not we want to show up and play.

“I don’t have much to say. We all know what we have to do to get the job done and bring home a championship.”

Peninsula L-1

(17)

5th

Freshman forward Spencer Clayton, shown in February action is one of the “bigs” who will lead the Saints into NWAACC action beginning Saturday.

If the Saints beat the Thunderbirds in first round, they will play Sunday at 2 p.m. against the winner of the Big Bend Vikings (No. 1 in the Eastern Region) and the Whatcom Orcas (No. 4 in the Northern Region). If they lose, they play the loser of the above game at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Gibor knows the NWAACC tournament presents his team a new challenge. The name alone has his players more focused now that they have achieved the goal of making it this far.

“It’s hard to prepare them,” Gibor said. “They’re as prepared as they can be without having played there before. We can’t even begin to duplicate what they will experience once they get there.”

The only returner from a season ago is sophomore guard Jake Rickert; he’s the only Saint with any NWAACC experience. The Saints placed sev-

NWAACC Men's Basketball Championship

(23)

photo by devin courtright/the advocate

W-22

L-15

(20) 4 p.m.

W-19 (24) noon

4th 7th

W-20

L-16

(16) 8 p.m.

Sunday W-8

W-16

L-21 (25) 2 p.m.

L-22

3rd 6th

8 NEWS

MARCH 4, 2011

ASG vice president resigns to focus on family, school

By Mike Mata The Advocate

Raul Reyes, Associated Student Government director of communications, will be appointed Thursday as ASG vice president, replacing Jon Francis who resigned Monday.

Francis initially planned to resign at the Feb. 24 Senate meeting, according to Pam Kuretich, student events & special projects coordinator.

However, due to the school closure that day, Francis was unable to go ahead with his plan and instead sent a letter of resignation to Kuretich Feb. 28.

In the letter, Francis cited the need to “work full-time, fulfill my personal obligations to my family, as well as commit to 16 credit hours each term for school” as the reason for his resignation.

ASG President Larry Collins-Morgan said, “He said to me, ‘Larry, if I can’t get the grades, I can’t get the education.’

That’s the sacrifice of student leaders.”

“There was an investigation launched (of Francis’s performance), but in talks he felt that he should step down as opposed to a ‘he-said, she-said, Bradley Best’ sort of thing,” CollinsMorgan said.

Best was the ASG president in 20092010 who the Senate attempted to remove from office for a variety of reasons.

Numerous attempts to contact Francis this week were unsuccessful. A message to Francis from College Center staff to contact The Advocate was unreturned.

Reyes, who was also a senator last year, was chosen by Collins-Morgan

based on his “knowledge of ASG and his competency,” said Kuretich.

Collins-Morgan said, “This year we are a ‘communiversity’ (a community college with a university feel) and Raul understands that. I’ve given him the keys to the car and told him not to scratch it,” said.

Replacing Reyes will be Jennifer Hernandez, an administrative assistant to Collins-Morgan and Reyes, who worked “hand in hand with Raul for the Call of Nature (the calendar of events commonly found in restrooms),” explained Collins-Morgan.

“Anybody could’ve stepped in because I’ve prepared for the next person to step in,” added Collins-Morgan.

“The Senate didn’t really have a stance because we were in the middle of the process (when Francis resigned),” said Lemans-Beason.

“There’s been controversy with the Bradley thing last year, with people for or against, but this time it went smoothly,” said Leman-Beason.

Kuretich said, “He really struggled with his decision. We talked a lot about his life, but it was his decision. I think talking it through helped him realize what’s best for him and our students.”

Collins-Morgan said, “This year’s group has understood that there are going to be scandals and controversies, but it’s how we handle with it. There’s dirt, but he understood he had to step down.”

“He prioritized students over his reputation, which is admirable. I’m not sure many people in his position would do that,” added Collins-Morgan.

Photo by Devin Courtright/The Advocate

ASG Vice President Jon Francis, marching with students on Feb. 10, resigned Monday.

Commencement shifts one day

By John Tkebuchava The Advocate

i wonder ...

WARNERPACIFIC.EDU

what is my next move?

Ranked as one of the best values and best baccalaureate colleges in the West by U.S.News & World Report 2010, Warner Pacific is an urban, Christ-centered liberal arts college in the heart of Portland. With 27 undergraduate majors, you can choose from hundreds of career options.

2219 SE 68th Avenue t Portland, Oregon 97215 503.517.1020 503.517.1540 warnerpacific.edu

MHCC commencement exercises have been moved from a Friday to a Saturday this year, and will be held in the college stadium on June 11 at a time to be determined.

The GED graduation ceremonies, traditionally held on a Thursday evening, have also been moved a day later and will be held Friday, June 10, at 7 p.m. in the MHCC gymnasium.

The changes were made after complaints that the dates were a problem for some students, said David Minger, vice president for student success and enrollment management “The main problems I heard for a Friday evening commencement were difficulties for students working, students who needed child care and so forth,” Minger said in an email Wednesday night.

The Associated Student Government and other faculty members were surveyed by Minger and Robert Cox, dean of student success, in January and February 2010 in regard to possible date and time changes for the GED and college commencement ceremonies of both 2010 and 2011.

Sixty-eight percent of the students surveyed favored a Friday GED/Saturday commencement, though the 2010 dates remained unchanged.

Among other complaints voiced by students and faculty, Minger said, “When the program went long it sometimes ended in the dark, which triggered complaints.”

As result, changes will be made in this year’s commencement to improve upon these areas of complaint.

“No content is planned to be cut. The time savings will come from reconfiguring the stage and distance people have to walk to cross the stage and repositioning the starting points of the lines at what we call the processional where everyone marches in,” said Minger.

“We’ve calculated that this will save a good chunk of time,” he said.

Peggy Maas, manager of admissions, registration and records, said, “For college commencement, as of today (March 2), we have 793 students who have applied for a certificate or degree whose names will be listed in the printed program. We anticipate 500-525 each year and we generally have approximately 475 attend.”

“We have about 150 students attend the GED/Adult High School Diploma/Middle College Graduation each year,” she said.

For more information on 2011 GED and College Commencement, visit www.mhcc.edu/ RegistrationCalendar for the commencement catalog and the graduation information page at www.mhcc.edu/graduation.

NEWS 9 Exchange students treated to rock climb the MHCC way MARCH 4, 2011

By Jill-Marie Gavin The Advocate

Japanese exchange students had a first-hand experience rock climbing in the MHCC Aquatics Center Wednesday afternoon.

There were several MHCC student volunteers interacting with guiding the exchange students.

Asked about his experience with the Japanese students, Gary Johnson, Wilderness Leadership Experience Education program student and Wildside Club president, said, “Man, they were great. They were very grateful. I was constantly hearing, ‘Thank you, thank you.’ ” Takuya Matsushatia, a 19-year-old Ryukoku University student studying to be an English instructor, said the climbing was very good and he likes the atmosphere in Oregon.

Shawn Osborne, five-year MHCC language instructor, said the rock-climbing event was scheduled to generate cultural awareness and get exchange students together with MHCC students to teach team-building.

Osborne teaches a complete English immersion class to the students and has one session each weekday. She said a common American activity has been scheduled for the exchange students to focus on each school day. Class periods consist of simple instructions followed by roleplay.

Each of the 16 students came from Ryukoku University outside of Kyoto, Japan. Individual host families have

been arranged to accommodate the Japanese students during their stay.

In anticipation of students desire to mail souvenirs home, Osborne said Wednesday’s curriculum included a mock trip to the post office. Shopping was covered on the second day of class to prepare students for their scheduled outings.

After a break at 10:50 a.m., exchange students are gathered in panels to have English conversations with volunteer partners.

Osborne said that many of the volunteer partners are MHCC Japanese language students, but they are not allowed to use any Japanese language during the session.

Some of the volunteers are previous MHCC students who have transferred to Portland State University.

During conversation time, exchange students Rie Nagaro and Yiki said they enjoyed shopping at Forever 21 and said their favorite part of their time in the United States so far was a night visit to a Portland viewpoint.

Nagaro also said that the rock climbing was very hard and scary but it was helpful to practice English and said that she really likes the snow in Oregon. This is Nagaro’s second trip to the U.S. Osborne said at the end of the trip the exchange students must write a formal letter explaining their experience in order to receive full credit for the trip.

— L. John King also contributed to this report.

Photo by L. John King/The Advocate

Takuya Matsushita, exchange student from Ryokuko University, scales the rock wall Wednesday in MHCC’s Aquatics Center.

Contract negotiations move closer to crunch time

By Jordan Tichenor The Advocate

Another mediation session has been set for next week in the MHCC full-time faculty contract negotiations as the clock ticks ever louder and a late-March showdown moves ever closer.

The administration and the faculty association have submitted their final proposals, including economic impact, to the state Employment Relations Board.

A mediation date has been scheduled for Thursday, with March 16 being left open to meet again if the mediator deems that date necessary. The state-appointed mediator is Robert Nightingale, who also presided over two mediation sessions in January.

Randy Stedman, the chief negotiator for the administration, said Wednesday, “The only reason the mediator wouldn’t come (for the second session) is if he feels there won’t be a settlement.”

Asked if the administration would be willing to return to face-to-face talks if the mediation sessions are unsuccessful, Stedman said, “I don’t know why we would return to a forum that had no progress. We don’t think there’s much chance (to settle the contract) without mediator involvement.”

Sara Williams, the faculty’s chief negotiator, said, “I don’t believe the format of the conversation was the issue. They provided the last of their first offers on the last day we met in face-to-face bargaining. In my opinion, they had no interest in making progress at that point.”

Asked if the administration would impose a contract at the end of impasse, if the contract has not been settled by then, Stedman said, “We’ll make the decisions as they arrive.”

Stedman sent a “Request to Make Association’s Final Offer Materials More Definite and Certain,” to the ERB, asking for clarification in regards to Article 21 (b). The letter asked for a response by the faculty

by Wednesday, March 2. As of Wednesday night, Stedman said, “We haven’t received one.”

Williams said the faculty association sent a response Thursday morning. “There was a typo in the language proposal, which we fixed.” She also said the faculty response included a request for the administration to compare their proposal costs to the current budget, rather than 2009-10 costing numbers.

The main disputes over the contract have been economic in nature, focusing on Article 12 (extra teach and summer teach), Article 19 (fringe benefits), Article 21 (salary packages) and Article 22 (early retirement incentives and retiree benefits).

Although Stedman said at the February MHCC District board meeting that the proposals from the two sides are $3.75 million apart, he said now they are $3.89 million apart.

“The net (savings) is around $500,000, based on their final proposals,” he said.

Williams disagreed with Stedman’s figure, and said the faculty compared its proposal to the cost of a rollover contract. “It’s just over a million dollars less than a rollover would be,” she said.

Impasse was declared Feb. 14, and both final offers were submitted Feb. 22. The 30day cooling off period ends March 24. With five days notice, which may be given before the cooling off period is up, the administration may impose their contract proposal as soon as March 25. The faculty may go out on strike with 10 days notice, which may also be given before the cooling off period is up.

That means full-time faculty could go on strike as early as March 25, which is the Friday of spring break. Spring quarter classes are scheduled to begin Monday, March 28.

The administration has been lining up replacement instructors to teach spring quarter courses in case the full-time faculty goes on strike.

A look at selected proposal items After nearly 11 months of face-to-face meetings and two mediation sessions, impasse was declared Feb. 14 in the full-time faculty contract negotiations. After both parties presented their final offers to the state

mediator, a 30-day cooling off period began.

Both proposals seek a three-year contract, and the majority of disputes have been in regard to economic issues in the contract.

ARTICLES

FACULTY

Article 12 Extra Teach/ Summer Teach

Extra Teach - 75% of normal salary rate for anything over 45 ILCs, to a maximum of 9 ILCs. Summer Teach - 90% of normal salary rate These are the same as what the current contract stipulates

Article 19 Fringe Benefits

Flat rates for all plans. (Current rates in parentheses) $77 for employee only ($55) $91 for employee + 1 ($65) $105 for full family ($75)

Article 1.6% COLA for 2010-2011 (COLA = cost of living adjustement) 21 Salary 0.9% COLA for 2011-2012 Package 1.0-5.0% COLA for 2012-2013

Article 22 Retired Faculty

ADMINISTRATION Extra Teach - A flat rate of $830 per ILC, to a maximum of 9 ILCs. Summer Teach - A flat rate of $1,000 per ILC Employees choose a plan, and pay a percentage of the premium, which increases over the three year contract.

For OD3 11.29% - 2010 - 11 15.64% - 2011 - 12 20% - 2012 - 13 No COLA for 2010-2011 Step dependent COLA for 2011-2012 (.12% at Step 1, increases down steps) 1.5% COLA for 2012-2013

Delete tiered incentive pay for early retirees in favor of a fixed payment.

Delete tiered incentive pay for early retirees in favor of a fixed payment.

Fully paid two-party medical coverage until age 65.

Self pay for health benefits, with a subsidy from the college of $525.

10 LIVING ARTS

MARCH 4, 2011

Sweet music for Women's Herstory

Annual orchestra festival to be held this weekend

By Kylie Rogers The Advocate

Mt. Hood will again be hosting the NW Orchestra Festival Friday and Saturday.

The event has been held yearly at Mt. Hood longer than the jazz festival, according to music director Susie Jones.

There will be 75 performing groups on campus composed of middle and high school orchestras, said music director Marshall Tuttle.

Students travel from all over including Washington, Idaho and Canada.

The 10 judges in attendance, including Jones, will judge the groups. Groups perform to receive comments and to place for trophies, according to Tuttle.

For more information, contact Tuttle at Marshall.Tuttle@ mhcc.edu.

Photo by David Gambill/The Advocate

The Stolen Sweets, from left, Erin Sutherland, Lara Mitchell, David Langenes, and Keith Brush, play vintage acoustic jazz Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Fireplace Lounge. The event was part of Women's Herstory Month sponsored by Associated Student Government. Members Pete Krebs and Jen Bernard are not in the photo.

Herschel telescope photographs to highlight upcoming MHCC Planetarium show

By Kylie Rogers The Advocate

“The Universe in Infrared” will be open to audiences Monday in the MHCC planetarium at 7 and 8:15 p.m.

The hour-long showings are free for students and $2 for the public.

The show will highlight “things that are invisible with a normal telescope,” said planetarium director Pat Hanrahan.

Hanrahan said infrared telescopes are relatively new, only being around for about 20 years.

“I get to put together things I find interesting myself,” he said Photographs taken from the Herschel telescope will be shown and the birth of

stars will be one of the topics reviewed.

“How stars are born is not nearly as simple as you would think. It’s a complicated process,” said Hanrahan. He encourages the crowd to ask questions.

For more information on the planetarium, including upcoming shows, contact Pat Hanrahan at pat.hanrahan@mhcc.edu and the planetarium website at http://www. mhcc.edu/planetarium/.

C a l e n d a r

Ready to transfer?

Interested in the creative arts?

ART

mar ylhurst.edu/art

MUSIC

mar ylhurst.edu/music

INTERIOR DESIGN mar ylhurst.edu/id

Monday, March 7

CREATIVE WRITING

Tuesday, March 8

FILM

•"The Universe in Infrared," 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., Planetarium Sky Theater

•Mardi Gras •Auditions for spring theater producions one and two, 3 p.m., College Theater

Wednesday, March 9

•"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 7:30 p.m. Gerding Theater 128 NW 11th Ave., Portland Center Stage presents Dale Wasserman's adaptation of Ken Kesey's classic novel.

Thursday, March 10

mar ylhurst.edu/english

mar ylhurst.edu/culturalstudies Join us for an information session:

Saturday, May 14 at 9 a.m.

Marylhurst campus BP John Administration Bldg., rm. 200 Register for this free event at studentinfo@marylhurst.edu or 503.699.6268.

•Auditions for spring theater productions one and two, 3 p.m., College Theater

Friday, March 11

•Last viewing of Kay Bridges' display 2-5 p.m.

•"Futura," 7:30 p.m. by director Kip Fagan. In this world-premiere production at Portland Center Stage Gerding Theater, 128 NW 11th Ave, with the help of Mimi Lien’s origami-like scenic design and Casi Pacilio’s buzzing soundscape, Fagan achieves the solidity of place that so often evades theatrical sci-fi.

MARYLHURST

U N I V E R S I T Y Academic excellence since 1893 www.mar ylhurst.edu 17600 Pacific Highway (Hwy. 43)—10 miles south of Portland

LIVING ARTS 11

MARCH 4, 2011

High school assignment leads instructor into the world of graphic novels

By Jessica Winters The Advocate

In high school, Zach Hudson was given an English assignment.

His assignment was to write a short story based in truth and “blow it up past the limits of reality,” he said.

Little did he realize that story would eventually be published into a graphic novel. “Minions of the Happy Aisles” was released Dec. 1, and is the first in a four part series.

The journey from writing a high school assignment to a final published product was a long one.

Hudson, a part-time instructor at MHCC and ITT Technical Institute, came up with the idea for his assignment after his friends recounted to him their struggle to return an item at Wal-Mart. They were told they needed to wait for the manager. They explained how long they were forced to wait and how they wished their friend, Hudson, skilled in martial arts, would save them.

After his friends had sparked his creativity, Hudson imagined “Indiana Jones in a department store,” he said, and wrote his assignment. Hudson continued to develop the story, making it longer during his college years. “Looking back on it, it wasn’t fantastic but it was something,” he said.

Hudson attended Southern Oregon University and, after spending time abroad, transferred to King Alfred’s College in Winchester, England, where he earned his bachelor of arts degree in English and his masters in contemporary literature.

During that time, he continued to be involved in martial arts. “I met my wife in an Aikido class at college,” he said.

It took awhile before Hudson’s original writings would be shape into a graphic novel. “I brought it back out a couple years ago,” he said. He had tried to write it as a novel and then as a screenplay, but it just didn’t fit.

“It has visual humor that is hard to make into a novel,” he said.

A friend introduced him to graphic novels. The illustrated format appealed to him and he began to think a graphic novel might be right for his story.

Hudson began composing his story for a graphic novel while being a husband, a father to his two young daughters and teaching writing, reading and composition classes at MHCC and ITT Technical Institute.

A crucial part in creating a graphic novel is having a good illustrator. Hudson said it was online that he found Mike Murphy, a Portland freelance illustrator.

Murphy grew up writing and drawing comics in Chicago and started working professionally when he moved to Portland in 2005.

To design the characters for Hudson’s novel, Murphy said, “If he has a specific look in mind, I’ll work up the character based on his notes. If not, I’ll read over the character’s dialog and actions, and then associate that character with an actor. From there, I’ll make the character my own, change facial features, hair, etc.”

Murphy, quoted in a Nov. 16, 2010, Gresham Outlook article, said, “For ‘Minions’ I wanted to take a very bare bones approach. The line work is more simple rather than dazzling, to get across the storytelling better.”

He also said, “I thought it was really well paced and moved at a nice clip and that’s something you don’t see with a lot of people doing this for the first time.”

Hudson decided to start his own publishing company, 5 String Press, to publish his work because “no publishing companies are looking for graphic novels. The market is saturated, but I didn’t think the public was,” Hudson said. “Minions of the Happy Aisles” is available on Amazon.com as well as most independent bookstores in Portland.

“The second book is coming along,” Hudson said. Murphy is illustrating it.

Hudson is also planning on writing children’s books.

“My dad, being an artist, is going to Photo by Jessica Winters/The Advocate illustrate one of them,” he said. His faZach Hudson, part-time instructor at MHCC, has writen a graphic novel ‘Minions of ther was a public school art teacher for the Happy Aisles.’ Illustrations used by permission of Zach Hudson.

26 years. “I think that it will be neat having him be part of that one. It is exciting to have a shared project,” Hudson said.

Hudson also plays the harmonica and bass Hudson’s father, Jere Hudson, said, “I think that as well as the banjo, the instrument that Zach’s idea for his book, Grandpa Plays the Fiddle, served as inspiration for his publishing comis a great concept. I was pleased and flattered that pany’s name. he asked me to illustrate it.”

Hudson’s father was not surprised that his Hudson and his father have been learning to play son made his story into a graphic novel. “I the fiddle. Jere Hudson said, “Our interest in the knew that he had worked on the story line for fiddle started with an heirloom fiddle handed down a long time,” he said. “I was glad that he pubthrough my family from an Irish immigrant who lished it and am confident that it will open new came to the USA before the Civil War.” possibilities for his publications.”

12 THE FLIPSIDE 7

Saturday Showers 51o F

Sunday

Showers 49o F

Monday

Showers 47o F

THE ADVOCATE

MARCH 4, 2011

Tuesday Showers 49o F

Wednesday Thursday Friday Showers 52o F

Showers 50o F

Showers 51o F

Day

Forecast Forecast gathered from www.weather.com

Miss an issue? catch us on the web at

MHCC part-time instructor writes a graphic novel

www.advocateonline.net

Read all about it on PAGE 11

MHCC board to hear update on 2011-12 budget The MHCC District Board will discuss a budget update at its regular meeting Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Town and Gown Room.

There will be a tenure reception at 6 p.m. in the Jazz Café, before the regular meeting, and an executive session will be held in the president’s office following the regular meeting.

Other topics to be discussed include a financial report, a presidential report, a discussion on board policies, a presentation by Jeff Ring on library services and a strategic enrollment management plan update.

There will also be a session for public input.

The board held another executive session Monday night to discuss to labor negotiations.

OSU Degrees

Online

Lab Partners Earn your BA or BS

You can earn your bachelor’s degree online from OSU while at your community college.

Choose from more than 700 online courses in over 60 subjects. Experience the convenience and flexibility of OSU Ecampus.

Save money

You can coordinate your financial aid so it covers both your community college and online OSU courses by enrolling in the OSU Degree Partnership Program. Learn more: oregonstate.edu/partnerships/ students

Inquire today

Registration for spring term is now open.

Classes start March 28.

OSU Ecampus offers 20 accredited undergraduate and graduate programs.

All taught by renowned OSU faculty.

No campus required.

BOOKBYTE.COM/MHCC

800-667-1465

ecampus.oregonstate.edu GBB_NSP_CM_Ad3_MHCC_4x8.indd 1

11-01-14 2:13 PM