Notice: Tax day this year is delayed until Tuesday April 17. April 13, 2012
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Student director of spring play shares his journey to the stage
Office of College Advancement administrator to leave MHCC
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Volume 47, Issue 23
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An artist’s rendering shows what the remodeled student services center would look like if the 2013 legislature approves the $23-26 million proposal.
Drawings contributed by Oh planning + design
Student services center remodel hinges on state funding by John Tkebuchava and Jill-Marie Gavin The Advocate
The MHCC District board Wednesday approved transfer of $757,650 from the college contingency fund toward remodeling the student services center as a part of the capital projects fund. Total estimated costs for the enhancement are $23.9 million to $26.3 million. The MHCC District board will request this money from the state in the 2013 legislative session. As a part of the college support services of the capital funds project, the student services area would be remodeled and the 1400 and 1500 wings would be connected and a Hood River terrace construction would make the student services a threestory center. The remodeled building would provide a “front door, and would serve multiple functions with the foremost vision being that of a community hub,” according to the MHCC Due Diligence Report for Student Services Enhancement provided by the facilities council. Cost estimates for all capital projects include two costs. The lower cost is for construction that begins between 20122015 and the second cost allows for a percentage escalation due to time and applies
Mt. Hood Community College
to construction that begins between 20152020. The proposal from the board meeting states that the $757,650 is a budget adjustment only and funds from the debt issuance will cover all appropriated expenditures. In the new student services center, all of the current operations would remain in that area, with the addition of distance education, health center, and testing services. Services currently under development would also be included in the new center. Those services include: a community hub, retention and student success, a start lab for student orientation and preparedness and veteran services. Concerning the community hub, the due diligence report provided by the facilities council at the Wednesday board meeting, community is defined as the entire district and public in general Notes included in the report for the “start lab” indicate that the lab will be used for AVID, student cohort and learning community development, Appreciative Advising, initial goal setting and education planning. Two other capital projects were submitted to the MHCC District board by the facilities council: one project was a pro-
posal to recreate the library into a complete two-story structure, and the other was a new building called the Technology Innovation Center (TIC) to house industrial technology operations. The first floor of the library renovation, if approved, would have replaced public safety and the testing center. The library then would have had a complete second story, replacing the open space of the existing second floor. The
price of the proposed library construction is $26.5-29.2 million. The TIC project would have involved demolition of the Industrial Technology building and construction of the new center east of Allied Health and north of the current Industrial Technology building. The estimated cost of this project is $23.926.3 million. The next board meeting is scheduled for May 9.
Gresham, Oregon
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April 13, 2012
Editorial
Online portal is an important resource for teachers and students
T
he MHCC portal, or MyMHCC, is a portion of the website that allows students to pay bills, register for classes and most importantly connects students with their teachers and fellow classmates. The Advocate feels that teachers use the portal effectively when they post syllabi, lecture dates, current grades, reminders for important or large assignments and updates for changing due dates on assignments. By doing this they enable students to have important class information at their fingertips. For example, say you lost the syllabus for your MTH095 class. You could simply go online and print it out, ensuring you get the right homework assignment due for tomorrow’s class. Now not all teachers utilize the portal as a resource for their courses. For example, it may make sense that an art teacher under-utilizes the portal, but we at The Advocate would like teachers in subjects that all students must take such as writing, math and science to be well versed in the use of the portal. Having teachers who are up to date on how to navigate the portal will make it easier for teaching students how to use it. In fact we feel that if teachers use the portal frequently, then they should make sure students understand how to properly access the portal at the beginning of a term. “Once (instructors) get used to it and learn it they seem to do fine. It seems to be the newer instructors who need a little more instruction on where to find things, the difference between their grade book they keep on the portal versus grade entry which is somewhere else. There seems to be a little bit of a learning curve but once they get it
they seem to do pretty well,” said Darcy Dalrymple, coordinator of student records, admissions, registration and records. As much as it is important for teachers to incorporate portal use into their teaching, it is equally important that students take advantage of the portal functions. We feel that students should be using it as a resource as it will help maintain communication between them and their instructors and keep them accountable to assignments and deadlines. Another reason teachers and students should take advantage of the portal is because it’s a mobile resource that can be accessed wherever one can use the Internet. Nowadays many people have smart phones and can easily and quickly access the website and portal when they need information about a class. The more informed students are of assignments and other updates, the better they will perform in class. Many teachers take time to post examples of essays and post resources for research, articles and videos that may be helpful to an assignment. Some teachers even post outlines of what essays and bibliographies should look like. They post homework and practice exercises that may help the student expand their knowledge on a subject. The portal is a great resource for both students and teachers so long as both parties are properly utilizing it. That being said, it means that while teachers need to keep the portal up to date with all the important information for a class, students should make a point to use the information to their benefits.
Free speech zone
Student Feedback: “How often do you use the MHCC portal?” Daily Weekly Once a term Never
Give us your answer and leave us a comment about your degree process at
www.Advocate-Online.net Last week’s poll results:
To log into the portal, go to www.my.mhcc.edu/ics
Taxes are a reminder of what you’ve done and where you’re going by Jill-Marie Gavin The Advocate
Tax day is upon us. Rather than focusing on the stress that tax preparation produces, why not take an alternative outlook on what our tax forms mean. You may be thinking your tax forms mean merely what you owe or what you are about to receive, but if you take a closer look you will see they are a strong indication of where you’ve been and where you plan to go. If this is your first time preparing your own taxes, you may be confused about the process, but take a moment to truly appreciate yourself. No one is claiming you as a dependent this year! You have stepped out from beneath the shadow of your caregivers. You can now proudly claim adulthood, independence. This is scary or sad for some, but most people finally on their own are proud and excited about a new horizon. The path to adulthood is a tumultuous one; there is hangover from the stresses of making decisions in this new life. Luckily, preparing taxes for you alone is generally pretty easy. If you are newly
married or had a child in the past year, you may have more of a struggle to face. In the past, taxes were a breeze: one tax form for one person. Filling out a new form can sometimes be daunting. You have to care for this new form as much as, if not more than, your old single-filer form. It can be difficult trying to make your two life forms, for yourself and new companion or dependent, come to a compromise. Sometimes your new form really bugs you — this is normal, don’t be alarmed. If your new form is making you crazy, feel free to put it in a drawer and take a breather. I am speaking figuratively, of course, especially if your new form is a child and not a spouse. Seriously though, get a sitter, take a walk or just make it clear that the next two hours are solo, quiet time and no one is to invade your temporary vacation. This will help you restrain from ripping your form to shreds. Going from preparing your own taxes for free online to paying $300 to a stranger to sort out all the middle work is a big step, one you may resent. But inviting a professional to help you solve the confusion that comes with filing multiple forms will help you in the long run, because, let’s face it, you have been doing your own taxes for far too long. Keeping secret the struggle of filing at the last minute will only contribute to your mounting stack
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of troubles. Asking for help is the first step to recovery. There are some exciting forms that come with moving forward in life, and even though they may cost you some time and money, it is pretty impressive to file them. Property tax is a bummer but hopefully you and your growing family will be paying on your new home for years to come. Filing with dependents, spouses, W-2s, and houses all seem like enough — but toss in a statement of tuition paid over the past year and you have one heavy file. The person carrying that file definitely feels that weight but remember that you won’t always be filing as a student. Eventually you will no longer need to file that form, and at that time you may be filing with a brand new W-2 and might even be entering a new income bracket! One day you will be reminiscing fondly of the days you included your tuition costs in your taxes. All those late nights of compiling the cost of books and estimating your student tax credits will be a distant and pleasant memory. Taxes are a necessary pain, but they are also a yearly reminder of everything you’ve accomplished. New forms come and go, but try to focus on the growth in your return and know that everyone has a price to pay when it comes to taxes. Submissions
Editor-in-Chief
Opinion Editor
Reporters
Jill-Marie Gavin
Shelby Schwartz
Leah Emura
Associate Editors
Copy Editors
Tiarnan Fortes
John Tkebuchava & Mike Mata
Kylie Rogers & Yuca Kosugi
Sports Editor
Photo Editor
Chanel Hill
Riley Hinds
Living Arts Editor
Web Editor
David Gambill
John Tkebuchava
Assistant Living Arts Editor
Web Designer
Kylie Rogers
Logan Scott
Jeff Hannig Laura Knudson Shaun Lutz Dorothy Ocacio Kayla Tatum
Advisers Dan Ernst Lisa Marie Morgan Bob Watkins
E-mail advocatt@mhcc.edu 503-491-7250 (Main) 503-491-7413 (Office) 503-591-6064 (Fax) www.advocate-online.net 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.
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April 13, 2012
News Briefs
Small Business Center relocates to downtown Gresham
The MHCC Small Business Development Center (SBDC) was relocated Monday from inside the PGE building at 323 N.E. Roberts Ave. in downtown Gresham to 501 N.E. Hood Ave. The SBDC is a center that provides training, business counseling, information and referral services and other business resources for new and established businesses. The new 1,500-square-foot location will have a computer lab, classroom, conference room, equipment for webinars and teleconferencing and will have free parking as well. “We are very excited about our new location,” said Antonio Paez, director of the MHCC Small Business Development Center, in a press release. “There are a lot of pluses here that our students and clients will find very helpful,” said Paez. For more information on the Small Business Development Center or the new location, contact Paez at 503491-6913 or at Antonio.Paez@mhcc.edu.
Evacuation was unplanned; earthquake drill scheduled MHCC’s Academic Center was evacuated Tuesday at 11:47 a.m. after an alarm was
set off by paint spray from a maintenance project going on in the library lobby, Public Safety Director Gale Blessing said in an email, Blessing said Gresham Fire Department responded and determined that no danger existed. Blessing also said the “incident commander” issued the all-clear announcement to return to the building at noon. MHCC President Michael Hay confirmed the reason for the evacuation at the board meeting Wednesday. In a separate action, the administration announced an earthquake drill will be take place on Wednesday at 1:20 p.m.
Washington State University scholarship applications due WSU-Vancouver will award a scholarship to one MHCC transfer student for the next academic year based on: academic performance: GPA; academic strengths and interests; leadership capabilities; and extra/co-curricular experience. The scholarship includes full tuition and is renewable for a second year at WSUV. Students interested in applying are not required to be a resident of Washington, a U.S. citizen or visitor. Forms must be returned to the Office of Student Life in the College Center (AC1051) by 5 p.m. April 30.
Discussions scheduled to revise MHCC’s new image
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Four campus-wide conversation sessions on the college plan for revising its brand identity will be held beginning today. The President’s Integrated Communications Task Force (PICTF), a project formed in fall 2010 to revamp the college’s image, will hold its first two meetings to-
day from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Town & Gown Room. The next two meetings will be 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Monday in the Town & Gown Room. Director of Communication Maggie Huffman, who is a part of the project, said the upcoming sessions are the next steps after surveys and focus groups were conducted earlier in the year. PICTF consists of MHCC employees and students and is collaborating with two firms, iSight Design and Sockeye, who will be assisting with the branding and redesigning the website, according to information provided by Huffman. The eight areas of focus that PICTF is focusing on are mass electronic communications, print materials, social media integration, stakeholder communications, unified communications, emergency communications strategy, collaborative workspace and the website. Another area they are working to collaborate with is the wayfinding project, which was initially a completely separate project. However, they realized that the rebranding and wayfinding projects went hand in hand so they decided to work together, said Huffman. “We have invited everyone to come and participate – and help us build upon the work that has been completed by employees and students, with the help of our two partners,” said Huffman.
Students gather to talk about nonmonogamous relationships “A Conversation about Polyamory” a political forum on the practice of nonmonogamy with the consent of all involved, will be held Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Bob Scott Room located in the Library. The Forum will feature a guest panel, which will include Gabriella Cordova, a Tanktrika, someone who practices inter-religious spiritual movement, Kelly Rees, an intimacy and sexuality coach and Ethan Edwards, who will speak on practicing polyamorists.
APPLY EARLY — get money on time If you need financial aid by the start of the academic terms:
File the FAFSA by these dates:
You must also complete all MHCC paperwork by the following deadlines:
Summer Term
As soon after Jan. 1 as possible
April 1
Fall Term
April 1 — earlier if possible
July 1
Winter Term
July 1 — earlier if possible
October 1
Spring Term
Nov. 1 — earlier if possible
February 1
TIPS:
1. 2. 3. 4.
File your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online for faster processing (fafsa.gov). Check MyMHCC regularly for your application status and turn in required documents promptly. If you missed deadlines, financial aid will not be available until after the start of the term. Students are served first-come, first-served for fairness - do not ask for exceptions unless the College made a clear error in your file completion date. This will help us serve you and all students faster!
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Remember: It can take up to 12 weeks for your financial aid to be ready after you file your FAFSA!
4 living arts
Your weekly reason to stand up and hit the streets
April 16 Cellist and singer/songwriter Skip vonKuske will perform with singer/songwriter Kyrstyn Pixton at the Edge�ield Winery in Troutdale at 7 p.m. The 21-andover show is free. Both musicians are based in Portland. Visit www.skiponkuske.com for more information.
April 17
The Associated Student Government will present “Shot Of Reality,” a comedy show about alcohol awareness. The event will be held in the College Center from 1-3 p.m. as part of Diversity Month.
April 18
The Associated Student Government will present a multicultural dance as part of the Diversity Month activities. The event will take place in the College Center from 12:30-2 p.m.
April 19
The Chehalem Mountains Winegrowers present “Mountains to Metro,” a wine tasting from more than 35 Oregon wineries, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Governor Hotel, 611 SW 11th Ave., Portland All the wineries at the event are located in the Ribbon Ridge and Chehalem Mountains. Tickets for the 21-and-over event are $42.99, after a fee. Tickets and more information are available at www.mountainstometro.com. Bottles of wine will be available for purchase.
April 20
The Friends of Chamber Music presents Chanticleer, a group that New Yorker magazine said is the “world’s reigning male chorus,” sings at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1739 NW Couch St., at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $27 and are half-price to full-time students with ID. Tickets are available by phone, 503-2249842, and at the door an hour before the concert, or online through www.boxof�icetickets. com. Rush tickets are offered to students for $5 at the door but are limited availability. For more information, visit www. focm.org.
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April 13, 2012
On Campus
Students and faculty members eating in the Jazz Café Tuesday during Café Tuesday. The next Café Tuesday is April 24.
Photo by Leah Emura/ The Advocate
Hospitality and Tourism to host Café Tuesdays during spring term by Shelby Schwartz The Advocate
A three-course menu was offered by the Hospitality and Tourism program to students and staff in Tuesday afternoon’s first Café Tuesday luncheon of the year in the Jazz Café. First year Hospitality and Tourism students greeted and tended to the patrons while second year students honed their skills in the kitchen. Café Tuesday will take place every two weeks for the remainder of spring term. These events immerse Hospitality and Tourism students in a real restaurant experience. According to Arielle McClung, first year Hospitality and Tourism student, around 24 students worked the “front of the house.” McClung served as the manager for this week’s café. McClung is currently enrolled in HT105, Catering, restaurant and food management: Concept to Customers. “We are in a 100 level class so first year students are all doing the front of the house, then second year students are doing the cooking because they have the required classes.” McClung said. “They’re the back of the house which means they cook all the food and we just serve it…we deal with the customers.” McClung said. Jolynn Johnson, another Hospitality and Tourism student, said, “There are dishwashers and bussers and a whole bunch of behind the scenes, you don’t even see how hard they’re working.” “We all major in Hospitality and Tourism, which there is a lot of different fields in the industry, restaurant and food and serving and catering is all kind of one area -- the culinary area. And then there’s hotels, management, travel - which is all in HT, and this (Café Tuesday) would be the food and beverage, restaurant management area.” McClung said. According to Johnson who served as a hostess, they served around 55 people,
including those who had reservations and several walk–ins. Johnson explained how the students received their roles. “We drew numbers this last time to pick, Arielle and I had the first two numbers so she picked manager and I picked Hostess so we could run the front of the house type stuff, I’m not sure if we’re going to do it that way every time or have some kind of rotation,” Johnson said. Hospitality and Tourism instructor Jason Elliot, serves as the chef for Café Tuesdays; although he does not do any of the cooking, he ensures that the students do all of the cooking themselves. Elliot teaches the HT237 class, Culinary Arts: Restaurant and banquet operations. “I create the menu and then I let the students do all of the culinary math and that kind of stuff in regards to getting the recipes to the volume that we need,” Elliot said. “I try to make (the menu) to where it’s going to challenge the students, so each café class the students rotate spots so they’re either working the salad side or the starter side or the hot food or the dessert and they’re making the dressings in house, they’re producing (the end) product from start to finish,” Elliot said. “A lot of it also is cooking techniques that they’re going to utilize as they’re preparing. Today (Tuesday) was a lot of sautéing compared to next week, might be a lot of roasting or broiling,” he said. According to Elliot, he had 11 students working in the back, three of which were doing the salad station and pantry station (cold foods), four people doing the hot foods or entrees, and four working on desserts. “It’s an experience for everyone to get to know different positions and learn something new,” Johnson said. The menus that Elliot prepares will always have a starter or a salad, a vegetarian entree, a chicken entree, a third entrée
option and a dessert. This week’s menu featured a northwest themed-salad with hazelnuts and gorgonzola for $5, the entrees included potato crusted salmon, garlic and sage roasted chicken, and vegetarian mushroom and asparagus risotto all priced at $6 and a pear tart with fresh cinnamon cream for $4. Menu items are available for purchase separately or one may choose three for $10. During Tuesday’s café, an alarm went off around 11:45 a.m., evacuating the building. Because of the evacuation, according to Johnson, it set them behind as they were busy seating people and then they had to evacuate and shut down the kitchen when they had already started prepping entrees and salads. “It really slowed us down so we had to heat everything back up, get everyone back in there in their spots. But everyone did remarkably well. Everyone is pulling together and trying really hard and working together and it’s been pretty awesome.” Johnson said Tuesday. According to Elliot it was horrible, “we already had three or four people’s tables in and had started cooking for those and then all the sudden it was ‘Okay leave.’ And I was like ‘We have food cooking.’ “Because of the fire drill (evacuation) I turned around when we came back and all of the sudden the restaurant was completely full and so I have to step in certain spots and help but my goal is to make them understand what all goes into working that station,” said Elliot. Seating for Café Tuesday is available between 11:30 a.m. and noon. To make reservations call 503-491-7230 or email http@mhcc.edu. They ask callers to leave a name, phone number and number of people in the party. The next café will be April 24. Remaining dates for Café Tuesdays are May 8, 22 and June 5.
On Campus Feature
First-time director to stage famous play on campus by Leah Emura The Advocate
Anthony Ceglie, a first-year student and MHCC theater major, will be directing “The Glass Menagerie” in the College Theater April 26-28 at 7:30 p.m. “The Glass Menagerie,” originally created by Tennessee Williams, is an adventurous romance set in the late 1930s. “I was actually more interested in the costuming for the plays,” said Ceglie, “but our class size dwindled as time went on and we came to a point where nobody wanted to direct ‘The Glass Menagerie.’ I stepped up to direct it, as otherwise there would be no play.” It is Ceglie’s first time directing. “I’ve never directed before, just acted,” he said. “It’s a big change to be on the other side of the play as the person telling the actors what to do as opposed to being the actor
and being told what to do.” According to Ceglie, director George Lucas was a big influence on his interest in theater. “His movies brought me into acting since I also wanted to imitate the actions of the characters I saw,” he said, “though I never thought about directing.” Ceglie also said that MHCC has helped prepare him for the play with the directing course the school offers. “I learned a lot of things that I wouldn’t have learned if I were just an actor, though I found familiarity in it as well,” said Ceglie. Even though this is Ceglie’s first time directing, the pressure from the short preparation time of less then a month doesn’t spook him. “Since the play is on such a tight schedule — having under a month to get it ready to perform — I think my inexperience in directing actually gives me an advantage over more seasoned directors since I have
no idea how much time is normally allotted for plays, meaning that I’m not freaking out over having such a short window to work with,” he said. “Overall, I love directing, I have a great cast with me and great teachers to help me as well,” Ceglie said confidently. Daryl Harrison-Carson, MHCC theater arts instructor and technical director, said she’s excited for Ceglie. “Anthony has a very creative mind, and he’s also reliable and diligent,” she said. “These are all good qualities for a director and not always easy to find in one person.” “(Ceglie) and stage manager Zack Jackman have already developed an efficient way of working to have the show ready by opening,” Harrison-Carson added. “They all are working together well, and there are a lot of details to think about.” Tickets are $2 in advance, $5 for children and $10 for adults at the door.
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April 13, 2012
On Campus
Fireplace Gallery artist uses regional influences in water-colors by Laura Knudson The Advocate
A Eugene based artist is presenting her water-color series “Prodromes” in the Fireplace Gallery in the College Center until April 26. Laura Ahola-Young teaches in the Art and Applied Design Department at Lane Community College. This is her first time displaying art at MHCC and her first images using water-color. She is originally from northern Minnesota and received her Master of Fine Arts from San Jose State University in 2001. Ahola-Young has been drawing and painting since she was a child. Aside from teaching, she has two teenage daughters and knits in her free time. “I consider myself a beginning knitter even though I have been knitting for 20 years,” she said. Her schedule keeps her busy but she said she would love to be able to paint every day. “Although I have a lot of responsibilities outside of painting, I am very disciplined about painting.” Ahola-Young keeps a schedule that forces her to paint even when she doesn’t have the energy or desire. “Prodromes” was produced because “I was without a studio for a while and needed to use material that was easy to clean up and did not require great ventilation as oil paints do,” said Ahola-Young. The collection took her a year and a half to complete. She spent nearly 30 hours a week working on the series. “After I hung the show, I came back to an empty studio, which was hard and exciting at the same time,” she said. The series is titled “Prodomes” to mean an early symptom indicating the onset of an attack or a disease. “I have named the collection ‘Prodromes’ in relation to an internal, structural and organizational system of signage and warnings. Through paint, I am attempting to capture these instances of signs as symptoms: fleeting, a speck, a circumstance, a neural, biological, philosophical, sensory occasion,” Ahola-Young said. She said the images are perfectly pixilated to convey the contamination of a virus that affects our understanding of what is real, perceivable and concrete. “When painting, I am actively creating while simultaneously destroying,” said Ahola-Young. Once she develops meaning and imagery in her painting, she reworks and covers with scraping, glazes and mark making. “What remains the same throughout the painting process is the structure they are forced upon,” said Ahola-Young. “It is this – what is possible and what must be destroyed – that has led me to research visually and intellectually this phenomenon in the natural world. Cells and stars, the miniscule to vast, must experience destruction for life to exist as we know it,” she said. Ahola-Young’s work incorporates scientific research, the Pacific Northwest and per-
Photo by Tiarnan Flores/The Advocate
Water-color and drawing instructor Theresa Redinger looking at the art of Laura Ahola-Young in the Fireplace Gallery Thursday. The “Prodromes” series will be on display until April 26.
sonal narrative. Her influences include philosophy, poetry, literature and politics. She added that, “landscape and the qualities of light found within specific landscapes influence my work. I am a new resident of the Pacific Northwest and the gray skies and rain influence my color choices as did the darkness and cold of rural northern Minnesota.” All are mediums for the way she approaches her paintings through questioning, storytelling and representing reality. She desires to create “metaphor of locality, personal narrative and small microcosms of culture.” Ahola-Young said, “The word ‘inspiration’ has little to do with the way I work on and develop a painting. I even ask myself, and have for years – why I paint.” She said she is motivated by her belief that “painting is still a valid form of visual communication.” She added that in some instances it may be the only way to communicate and explore reality. “To paint an atmosphere both beautiful and uncomfortable – this is the land and landscape of our humanity and I continue to believe that painting is a valid gesture,” said Ahola-Young. “My themes change within each series that I create, often because of a lack of understanding on my part. For example, my last body of work explored the themes of war and even the torture that was uncovered. I did not want to back away from the controversy of the images within that series,” she said. One of her roles as a painter, she said, is to ask questions. In her series she is asking “Is violence contagious? Are we immune? Are we immune to images?” “For me, knowledge is always asking additional questions,” Ahola-Young said. “I investigate through imagery the impact of humanity on the environment as well as war, globalization and politics on communities and American culture.” Concerning her future, Ahola-Young said she loves to teach and hopes to continue. She also set a goal of completing a new series of work each year. Ahola-Young plans to continue to exhibit and has started work on a new series.
Off Campus CD Review
French musician’s new album features minimalism and ambience by Yuca Kosugi The Advocate
Yann Tiersen’s American release of his album “Skyline” will hit stores Tuesday, just in time for his American tour. Tiersen will be performing at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland May 10 and tickets are currently $18. Overall, the album is a charm to listen to. Save for one track, it’s a great CD to zone out with while winding down or doing homework. Tiersen, a French musician, uses a wide variety of instruments to create music which strikes the listener from all angles. The album starts solidly with “After Shore,” which sounds as if it could possibly be used in a sad buildup to an epic scene for some sci-fi movie. It has a nice mix of rock-type bass, electric and drums laying down the foundation while a steady acoustic melody plays in the foreground. He uses the synthesizer and various orchestral instruments effectively to give the song a powerful and dynamic sound. The second track, “I’m Gonna Live Anyhow,” includes a chorus of vocals backed by a fat, steady bass beat. It alternates between slow portions with minimal instruments playing to lively choruses where Tiersen goes all
out with the use of synths and orchestra. By “Monuments,” which is also a single, one can start to sense that the album has the undertone of rock, with the steady use of drums, bass and electric guitar as the backbone to most songs. “Monuments is no different but it still keeps a smooth, calm sound with the use of acoustics and singing style similar to Air, which can be best described as ambient. The transition to the next song, “Gutters” was very smooth and almost unnoticeable. It starts with what seems like a static-y radio broadcast of a political speech in some sort of Latin language. Guitars and drums are slowly introduced into the song with eventually female vocals while the broadcast continues. While it’s clear Tiersen enjoys experimenting with new sounds, such as using the typewriter as an instrument, the use of howling in “Exit 25 Block 20” was distasteful. It’s not pleasant to listen to creepy howling, which I assume were human howls, while enjoying the otherwise laidback music. All that aside, the track is surprisingly bubbly with upbeat melodies. “Hesitation Wound” is one of the more vocal-heavy tracks with both male and female ambient vocals after a lengthy build-up and is one of the less rock-sounding
tracks. Although not one of the more memorable tracks, it really showed how well the album came together despite the wide range of musical tone Tiersen compiled. It leads into the next track, “Forgive Me,” which starts with upbeat acoustics and brings back the rockesque sound throughout the album. It is the longest track on the album, which gives way to reveal how repetitive the song is, but in an amicable way which is not boring. The first half of “The Trial” was very minimalistic with none of the rock sounds it usually employs until later in the second half. It surprisingly incorporated screeching violin sounds in a way that worked, and led into the more instrument-heavy second half while keeping the laid back minimalist feel. Wrapping up the album is a very fitting track, “Vanishing Point.” It starts eerily quiet with some synths and ambient vocals building up to a toned down rock and winds down like a machine shutting down at the very end. It is hard to pinpoint the genre in which Tiersen’s music would fall under, so it can reasonably be described as avant-garde. Although it may not be anything like what one might hear on the radio, it is certainly enjoyable enough to warrant a listen.
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April 13, 2012
Softball splits doubleheader, now 3rd in Southern Region by Chanel Hill The Advocate
The Mt Hood Saints softball team split a home doubleheader Tuesday with the Lower Columbia Red Devils. The Saints are currently 3-1 and in third place behind Clackamas and Southwestern Oregon, who are tied for first with 5-1 records in the Southern Region. The Saints defeated the Red Devils in game one 9-8 but lost the second game 4-3. In game one, the Saints started slowly, going scoreless in the first inning. In the second, freshman Maycee Abendschein walked and advanced to third base on a single by sophomore Alexis Cline, That hit started the Saint bats going and they picked up three runs. Going into the seventh inning the Saints were down 8-6, but the Red Devils were unable to score in their half. The Saints scored two runs to even the game. In the eighth, it was a repeat no-hit performance for the Red Devils, while the Saints picking up a run in the bottom of the inning to squeak out the victory. In game, two both teams started slow with a scoreless first inning, but the Saints picked up steam, putting up three runs in the second. The Red Devils, who seemed all but out of the game, remained scoreless until picking up a run in the fourth inning to
Brittney Dawson pitches to the Lower Columbia Red Devils while Alexis Cline catches at Tuesday’s doubleheader. The Saints split the two games.
bring the score to 3-1. But in the sixth inning, the Devils got their offense going, posting up three runs. The Saints were unable to come back in the bottom half of the inning and took the loss. Over the weekend, the Saints swept games in a doubleheader
with the Chemeketa Storm, their conference rival who currently hold an 0-6 record in the South. In game one the Saints defeated the Storm 14-11 after huge offensive performances in the fifth and sixth innings, where the Saints racked up an impressive
Aches and pains create another hurdle as track team prepares to host multi event by John Tkebuchava The Advocate
much out of the championship hunt. We are hoping that all of our eligible men continue to compete well and improve so we can have a lot of positive energy going into next year,” he said. This weekend will be a busy one for MHCC track and field. The teams head to Monmouth today for the John Knight Twilight Invite today, and then Sunday and Monday will host the annual Mt. Hood Multi Meet, a meet for heptathlon and decathlon athletes only. Last year Hart had numerous athletes experiment for the first time in the multi-event competition, and he said several placed well. “Terra Zodrow will be competing for the women and we may have a guy or two competing in the (multi-meet),” he said. In addition to Zodrow, Hart said he is confident in the women’s team’s ability to perform at a high level. “Our women’s team has a lot of talent and if we come together as a team and try to pick up points, we may have a shot at challenging the Southern Region teams at the championship,” he said. “I am hoping we can get one or two more women to participate in the Heptathlon.”
time. The softball team is scheduled to play a doubleheader against Clackamas at noon Saturday in Oregon City, and then will return home for another doubleheader Wednesday at 3 p.m. against Southwestern Oregon.
Baseball Update The MHCC baseball team went 1-2 this past week, beating Southwestern Oregon Community College 15-3 on Tuesday after dropping both games in an April 7 doubleheader against Chemeketa (3-2 and 5-4). The team had another game scheduled for Thursday against Lane Community College but it was rained out. The home game has been rescheduled for April 26. Next up, MHCC will host Clackamas Community College Saturday at 1 p.m. at home and will host another home game against Linn-Benton on Tuesday at 1 p.m.
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Instead of having to fight through the gusting winds faced a week earlier, the MHCC track and field team had to battle through physical issues Saturday in the Shotwell Classic at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. In addition to losing several male athletes due to academic ineligibility, Hart said the team’s athletic trainer has been working hard to help manage the injuries the team has endured. “We have quite a few aches and pains on both the men’s and women’s side,” Hart said. “We are really putting a lot of energy on getting healthy. Emily Faulk (our athletic trainer) has been very busy and doing a great job trying to get our athletes ready to go.” The difficulties weren’t enough to put a damper on the women’s sprinters and throwers, who once again competed strong at the meet. Noteworthy performances included sophomore Terra Zodrow’s secondplace finish in the 100-meter hurdles (15.27) and the thirdplace finish by freshman Molly Scoles in the 200-meter (26.35). Scoles was followed closely by
sophomore Laura Knudson, who placed fourth (26.44). Both women’s relay teams also managed to place in the top three, with the 4x100-meter team, consisting of Scoles and sophomores Mariah Crumpler, Knudson and Zodrow, placing second (49.69) and the 4x400meter team, consisting of the same members, placing third (4:11). In the women’s throws, freshman Kaitlin Doyle placed first in the shot put (11.58 meters) followed by freshman Tori Dixson, who placed third (10.45 meters). Doyle also placed second in the discus (39.21 meters) and Dixson finished fourth (33.44 meters). On the men’s side, freshman Jacob Troupe placed fourth in the high jump (1.81 meters) as well fifth in the long jump (6.44 meters) and freshman Chris Un placed fifth in the triple jump (13.20 meters). At the beginning of the season, Hart felt the team was on par with the best in the region, but with the loss of nine athletes due to academic ineligibility, his expectations have changed. “We went from being a Southern Region Championship caliber team to being pretty
11 runs (five in the fifth, six in the sixth). Game two went much the same way, with the Saints, winning 14-6. The Saints were scheduled to play a doubleheader against the Clark Penguins Thursday away. Results were unavailable at press
Photo by John Tkebuchava/The Advocate
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April 13, 2012
Job Fair Students and job recruiters mingled at the job fair on Tuesday in the gym. Over 20 employers were scheduled to attend.
Photo by Logan Scott/The Advocate
ASG presidential race commences with first deadline today by Mike Mata The Advocate
Students interested in running for Associated Student Government (ASG) president or vice president for 20122013 need to have their candidacy packets turned in to the College Center by noon today. Meadow McWhorter, student events and center coordinator and adviser to the ASG Elections Committee, said several packets have been handed out since midMarch and one has been turned in so far. Candidates must attend a mandatory meeting Monday, either from 1-2 p.m. or 5-6 p.m. Prior to the filing deadline, there have been four informational campaign meetings. Candidates will have until Wednesday to turn in their biographies by email and begin formulating their platforms. According to the candidacy packet, a platform must contain: a declaration of candidacy for the specific office,
a list of qualifying experience, a list of goals that they wish to accomplish, a plan to accomplish said goals and a declaration to fulfill the responsibilities of the aforementioned office. Included in the packet are the outlines for candidacy. The Elections Committee say in the candidacy packet that a ticket must: consist of both a president and vice president; have a completed Elections Petition Form submitted to the Elections Committee; submit a completed Certificate of Scholastic Eligibility from the Office of Admissions and Records; and collect a minimum of 200 signatures of support from current students. If one member of a ticket drops out of the race, then that ticket is ineligible, according to the rules set by the Elections Committee. Campaigning cannot begin until April 23 and will go through May 10. ASMHCC elections start at 12:01 a.m. on May 7 and end at 11:59 p.m. on May 10. The winners of the election will be announced at the Spring Dinner Dance at Persimmons Country Club May 11 from 7-11
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p.m. During the campaign, students and staff will get a chance to meet with the prospective leaders-to-be at the Candidate Meet and Greet April 24 in the Main Mall from noon to 2 p.m. On May 1, there will be a vice presidential debate from noon to 1 p.m. in the Main Mall and a presidential debate will be May 2 in the Main Mall from noon to 1 p.m. Another responsibility of the president and vice president will be to attend a host of meetings including ASG Finance Council Meetings, weekly ASG Executive Cabinet meetings on Friday afternoons, district board meetings once a month, weekly leadership classes and Student Organizations Council (SOC) meetings on Monday afternoons as well as meetings with the college president. Other requirements include having completed a minimum of 6 credits at MHCC, a minimum of a 2.5 G.P.A. prior to the election and maintaining a minimum 2.0 cumulative G.P.A. while in office and taking at least six credits per term.
Last day to register to vote approaching by Dorothy Ocacio The Advocate
With major elections approaching for MHCC student body president and for president of the United States, voter registration drives are underway to get students involved in the process. Members of the Associated Student Government have been active on campus trying to register students and staff, since Oregon’s primary election is May 15. So far they have registered 400 people; their goal is 625. The last day to register to vote for the state primary is April 24. The ASG elections are May 7-10 and a student does not need to be a registered voter to elect ASG members. There will be an ASG candidate meet and greet April 24 from noon to 2 p.m. in the College Center. A vice presidential debates will be May 1 from noon to 1 p.m. and a presidential debate will be the next day at the same time, both in the Main Mall. The ASG represents the interests of MHCC
students in matters such as initiatives, student fee budgets, and student programs. The ASG is a student’s voice on campus to those who operate the school. There are several ways to get registered to vote. MHCC has a link under the student life tab in MyMHCC, the MHCC portal. Applications are available in the Student Services offices and in the College Center. There is also a link at www.rockthevote.com. The campaigns for president of the United States, for the five Oregon seats in Congress, for the state Senate and the House of Representatives and for a variety of state and local issues get very local next month with the state’s primary election. Students contacted on campus this week said they feel the available options are not what they want; several students said they are not seeing many candidates they like. “I will be writing in Ron Paul,” said one student. Some said they feel their vote will not make a difference. “I don’t feel politics are important anymore,” said one student. Several students do not feel registering is worth their time.
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April 13, 2012
Signs of spring bring welcome color to campus Phil Parsley, lead MHCC groundskeeper, said Thursday, “These are flowering cherry trees. The old-timers call it the cherry walk.” The “cherry walk” runs along the sidewalk west of the Academic Center. Photo by Laura Knudson/The Advocate
VP of College Advancement to leave MHCC but will lose bike commute by Mike Mata and Dorothy Ocacio The Advocate
Cassie McVeety, vice president of college advancement and executive director to the MHCC Foundation, will leave MHCC in late May for Pacific University in Forest Grove. McVeety said in an interview Thursday that the president of Pacific University contacted her around early March. In an e-mail sent to the ExMcVeety ecutive Committee in mid-March, McVeety said the president of Pacific University approached her in early March. She said she accepted the offer a week before the e-mail was sent. She will start at Pacific on June 1. “I was recruited to the position of vice president of university advancement at Pacific University. It was an unexpected recruitment, not a job I was looking for. I was not looking to leave Mt. Hood Community College — I love being here,” said McVeety, adding that the president of Pacific University made her “an offer she couldn’t refuse.” “It’s a great opportunity to be at the
university and help lead their $100 million (fundraising) campaign, which is my forte,” said McVeety of her new job, adding that the $100 million would be used for endowments, buildings and services for university students. “The previous vice president had left to take another job last fall, so they (the Pacific University administration) had done a search. They hired a search firm to do the search and for whatever reason they weren’t finding the right candidates, so they went after people they know in the fundraising and advancement community,” said McVeety. “I guess you could say I was sort of recruited. It’s very flattering. Makes my mom feel nice,” she added. She also said that she will work with MHCC President Michael Hay about the timeline of her leaving and added that she has committed to stay at MHCC through the 40th annual Foundation Auction and Dinner on May 19. Asked why McVeety decided to leave MHCC, Director of Communications Maggie Huffman said, “People do this all the time in their careers. It’s perfectly natural.” Huffman said no decision has been made about replacing McVeety, who has been with MHCC for three years in the same position. “We (the administration) don’t know yet, it’s totally undecided. Really, it’s just unknown,” said Huffman, adding that she never speculates.
McVeety said that the question of her replacement would be with Hay, but that he is busy with the budget proposal to the board next week. She added that she let Hay know about the recruitment from Pacific as soon as she knew. “It is sad to see (McVeety) go,” said Wendy Patton, executive assistant to McVeety. “It has been great working with her,” Patton said, adding that she is happy for the opportunities for McVeety at Pacific University. Patton said she learned much from McVeety and her professionalism, learning to grow as an individual employee. She was always given support when wanting to take classes, attend training sessions, and given the opportunity to grow. In the e-mail sent to the Executive Committee, McVeety mentioned the 20 percent growth of the MHCC Foundation since she started at MHCC, adding that the foundation provided students with about $250,000 in scholarships and $122,000 in MHCC-related projects and equipment last year. McVeety also said in her e-mail that she will always maintain a “deep affection for and commitment to the mission of Mt. Hood Community College,” and that her admiration and respect for her staff at the Office of College Advancement and the MHCC Foundation is “unwavering.” “It’s a really significant accomplish-
ment that we were able to raise more money in a time when there is not a lot of money going around,” she said. One change McVeety will have to adapt to will be the change in work location. She said she commutes by bike most days to MHCC in a 22-mile round-trip from where she lives in Rocky Butte, but that the ride to Forest Grove would be too long and that her “hair wouldn’t stay straightened during the ride.” McVeety said she was recruited in May 2009 by then-MHCC President John Sygielski while she was a guest at the Foundation Dinner and Auction. “At the time I was the vice president at Portland State, and he said, ‘I’m looking for a you’ and ‘I want to create a position just like you have at PSU at Mt. Hood’,“ adding that at the time MHCC didn’t have a vice president level of college advancement. She also said that Sygielski was wearing a crazy costume. Huffman said of McVeety, “She has been an outstanding leader, proponent of the college and supporter of students. It has been a joy working with her. The whole department (Office of College Advancement) will miss her.” According to Patton, McVeety created a team environment where she made everyone feel on equal terms. McVeety was always supportive of her fellow employees, did a “great job supporting all the employees” and “wanting the best for the college overall.”
Diversity week: Improv group and multicultural dances will be featured by Jeff Hannig The Advocate
ASG has organized two events for week three of Diversity Month: “A Shot of Reality” will be performed Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the College Center and SEED students will host a multicultural fair on Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m.- also at the College Center.
Comedy focuses on responsible drinking
“A Shot of Reality,” an improv comedy show about drinking responsibly, will be presented by Mission Improvable (MI) Productions, a group of improv comedians, who have been performing improv comedy at college campuses across the country for the past 12 years. In the last year, Campus Activities Magazine awarded MI Productions Comedy Act of the Year. As a group, MI decided they wanted to do more than comedy. “We wanted to do something with a message and this was something we all felt strongly about,” said Aaron Krebs, MI’s cofounder and public relations manager.
“We realize college students are going to drink; we drink also. The goal of the show is to encourage students to drink responsibly; to educate as a peer, not a parent,” said Krebs. MI spent a year training and writing the show, said Krebs, “We didn’t want to put up a show that wasn’t educated and well informed; we took the time to get to know the facts.” According to Krebs, research for the show included meetings with MADD, AA, physicians and police departments. One year ago, MI took “A Shot of Reality” on the road, where they have performed at college campuses across the country, as well as Japan, Guam and South Korea. For more information about “A Shot of Reality,” or if you feel your drinking is getting out of control, visit shotofrealityshow.com — where there are links to rehab programs, clinics and counseling.
SEED students host multicultural fair
The multicultural fair will be hosted by SEED students and will include dancing, food and information about countries like the Dominican Republic, El Salva-
dor, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. The event is planned for Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the College Center. . The SEED program, according to CASS coordinator Nikki Gillis, “is a unique scholarship that brings young leaders from rural communities of developing countries to study at MHCC for two years. “The students gain technical proficiencies in environmental technology, study English and work to develop their leadership, professional and personal skills. All SEED scholars have made a commitment and are dedicated to returning to their native countries after their two-year program at MHCC to implement community projects and act as leaders in the positive developments of their countries,” said Gillis. There are 38 SEED students — 19 students in their second year at MHCC and 19 who started at MHCC in August 2010 – all of whom are dedicated to supporting cultural learning on campus and in the community, said Gillis. To get more information on the SEED event, contact Gillis at nikki.gillis@mhcc.edu.