The Advocate Vol. 49 Issue 25 - April 26, 2014

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The Independent Student Voice of Mt. Hood Community College

April 25, 2014

Volume 49 Issue 25

ASG presidential tickets

Alma Pacheco & Cristian Urzua

Jonathan Beaman & Nathan Doering

Kristin Werner & Diana Ramirez

Turn to page 3 to learn about each ticket - Elections schedule -

Monday noon to 2 p.m.

Tuesday noon to 2 p.m.

Main Mall

Main Mall

Vice-presidential debates

Presidential debates

Profile of the month:

May 5-8

online voting at mhcc.edu/vote

May 10 7 to 11 p.m.

Persimmons Country Club

Winners announced Recognizing deserving students at the recommendation of MHCC staff

Goat farmer, cosmetology student creates lifestyle

by Katelyn Hilsenbeck The Advocate “It’s all driven by my passions,” said Preston Hayes, an MHCC cosmetology student who has had many careers in his life — this time, it’s goat farming.

Coming from salon roots, becoming a barber seemed like a practical way to take care of his family.

“I have done quite a few careers...

I went to culinary school, I got my real estate license, brokering mortgages, and everything kinda fell through in 2007. I was looking for a way to pay for school, got to start over in life and realized the Marine Corps was the way.”

Sticking to one career isn’t an option for Hayes.

“Our trough has so many different animals that can eat and drink from it,” he said, painting a broad comparison. “I

don’t want to limit myself because often that leads to boredom. Your passions are out the door when you’re bored. I’m trying to keep the passion alive, and I’m keeping the motivation going.”

After completing four years in the Marine Corps, including three months of “intensive” training for its shooting team and making the President’s Hundred Tab (an award for top marksmanship) in 2010, he has returned to his beginnings and is now tackling hair.

“It was an honor shooting beside world Olympic shooters and the muscle memory I have from it plays part into the precision I put into every one of my hair services.”

He chose MHCC based on his father’s recommendations.

Outside of the salon, his responsibilities stretch far from cutting hair — 11 goats roam his property in Corbett.

After seeing a documentary about a

goat farmer, he and his wife, Zethanie, decided to try their hand at farming.

“We’re hoping to dive into this “niché” market. Any way we can increase the profit per goat, that’s one of our goals,” he said.

Currently his goats are doing land management for private properties, as well as local water reservoirs.

“We hope that the goats can work and get paid to work, while at the same time, helping to offset the cost to pay a man to do the same exact thing with a Weed Eater,” Hayes said. “It’s a new thing that’s going on, and that’s a new way to go ‘green.’

“We’re having to be very (inventive) at how we look at farming today.

It’s sad, but true, that our generation is lacking the agricultural instinct. I feel with a passion that it’s my job to help that next generation sustain themselves with livestock and food, what-

ever it may be.”

Hayes firmly believes in mentorship. His cousin, 19, is also a member of the farm crew, Arcturus Farms, LLC, and is learning the ropes from him.

While being interviewed, with his two-year-old daughter, Taylor, close by, Hayes broke into conversation with a friend and client at the salon.

After each haircut, Kemper Woodfruff said, “I always come out with a renewed sense of friendship, but it’s a mutual thing. We see each other eyeto-eye on this level that I don’t see with a lot of other people.”

Hayes’ attitude toward goat farming and cosmetology is simple: “I wanna have a career that supports my family and a lifestyle that can support my cousin and other people in the company, but don’t expect to become rich.

I want it to become an experience and a lifestyle.”

Preston Hayes

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Opinion

April 25, 2014

Editorial: Take part in the ASG elections The ASG leadership elections are in full swing. It’s a fairly important matter that demands student involvement, but voting for this election doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves.

You may even be wondering who and what the ASG (Associated Student Government) are. As described on its Mt. Hood web page, “The association exists to enhance the educational experience for all students at Mt. Hood Community College.” ASG is divided into three branches: The Student Senate, the Executive Cabinet, and the Student Activities Board.

The members set up all kinds of campus events, such as the huge spread in the Main Mall last week. They work to promote activities, co-curricular programs and more.

The ASG president represents the voice of the student body. He or she is responsible for being a conduit of our concerns with the MHCC administrative board, president and other major authority figures. So, it’s crucial to have somebody you respect and trust in that position.

For many of you, this stuff is just background noise. That’s fine, but if you’ve ever had a concern or problem with the college, the ASG president is your best advocate.

There are plenty of ways you can learn about the candidates. There are vice presidential (on Monday) and presidential debates (Tuesday) being held next week, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Main Mall, that you should definitely attend. And you can plan running into a few candidates swirling around school, working to draw your support near the voting deadline.

If you can’t (or don’t want to) attend the debates, The Advocate will provide plenty of coverage on the candidates that gets to the core of their

stances and goals. We will also endorse the candidates we think are best fitted for the job. Basically, we will have everything delivered to you on a paper platter to make deciding on a candidate, or president/vice president easy.

There also are some cool elements to participating in the ASG election that may not be instantly apparent.

How often do you get to attend any kind of political debate, especially one on such an intimate level? You can pop in and out of the debates with ease and be within spitting distance of the candidates. This may be on a much, much lower scale than higher political matters, but it’s still great that in an election, even one as low-key as this, you can personally meet and talk with the people running to represent your concerns.

It also can be refreshing to take part in something where your vote feels like it has real power. When voting for the president or vice president of America or whatever measure is being proposed, it’s often hard to see the purpose of your vote among millions of Americans. Sometimes, your vote can be rendered useless through Electoral College rules. Since there are many fewer votes determining the ASG president than in other high-stakes elections, one vote carries plenty of weight.

Politics really doesn’t get more personal than this. The people running are your peers, and fellow classmates. The issues they will be addressing are digestible and relatable. Things such as book prices, cafeteria food and tuition are things we talk about everyday and understand.

If you’re a student who cares about Mt. Hood, you owe it to yourself to get educated on the candidates and make an informed decision on who will be the leader of next year’s ASG and student body.

Graphic by Heather Golan - The Advocate

Not black and white – every crime has a story

By Danny Perez-Crouse The Advocate

Dramatic breaking news last week turned attention on a young man who shot and injured a police officer and killed his K-9 unit dog, after a bungled burglary in Southwest Portland. The story took a stunning twist for me when I learned that the man, Paul Alan Ropp, was a longtime acquaintance of mine.

Knowing the man behind the crime has given me a totally different perspective on how we typically perceive criminals.

Most of the time when we hear criminal reports, we dehumanize the suspects and prefer to define these individuals by their wrongdoings. For many, the sight of Ropp will conjure nothing but disgust and ire, due to his actions. For me, it’s not that cut-anddry.

I can actually picture his face and memories that are linked with him.

I’ve known him since childhood, in The Dalles. In the past, we hung out, I stayed over at his parent’s house a few times, I even shared a locker with him in my freshman year of high school.

Just a few months ago, I spent the night at his house after a mini-New Year’s Eve party.

I even know his two accomplices in the botched burglary. I met Steven Young during high school and Jameall Riley at Ropp’s house. I barely knew them, but they seemed like pretty mellow guys.

We often forget that the people who committed crimes did not come out of the womb with the intention of breaking the law. Ropp was a man with hopes, dreams, thoughts and feelings.

Even though he threw away his right to any kind sympathy or life – for a long time, anyway – that doesn’t mean he is not every bit as human as us.

It reminds me how close we each are to the edge of darkness, if we allow ourselves to get to that point. These were people I never thought would endanger others. Some among us usually scoff at that kind of statement when

it comes to these situations, but the words don’t come without merit. Ropp and I weren’t very close near the end, but I never pictured him shooting at cops. Years prior to such an event, I bet Ropp and any other criminal would say

We dehumanize the suspects and prefer to define these individuals by their wrongdoings. the same thing.

The thing that easily slips our minds is all the pain and hardships faced by the families of the criminals.

Ropp’s family is absolutely devastated.

For the parents, their son has been relegated to a “filthy” criminal. Imagine being a mother, brother or sister, and the first sight of him in months is him being escorted into court with handcuffs and a suicide smock, accused for terrible crimes. Who knows what kind

of thoughts torture his family at night?

There surely are the obvious and immediate tragedies that befall any victims of such crimes, like the Portland officer and his K-9 who were shot.

I’m in no way equating the victims’ pain (and that of their families) to the criminal’s family; it’s just that the latter is usually glossed over.

There also are disturbing amounts of hatred that people project onto these criminals. Many online commenters talk about Paul deserving to die or how he should be allowed to kill himself. I can understand this, because he almost killed an officer and planned to hurt others. But wishing for the death of an individual or talking about him like they were always garbage doesn’t sit right with me. It is easy to say these things when you have no ties to the person, but if your sibling or friend were responsible for such a crime, I bet you wouldn’t be able to spit that venom as easily.

People even manage to make fun of the families involved. There was a quote from Ropp’s aunt about how it was a 360-degree turn from the boy they knew. Everyone had to jump on a digital pedestal and berate her for a

very slight error in directional wording.

And, in some cases, the families are even blamed or besmirched without much evidence. From my what I know, Paul’s parents were very kind and honorable people who were respected in their community. They loved that kid so much. What Ropp did was his decision, and shouldn’t be anyone’s fault but his own.

I’m in no way condoning Ropp’s behavior. What he did and planned to do is abhorrent. Ropp and his buddies deserve every second of jail time that they receive. However, the sorrow I associate with Paul and other criminals isn’t out of pity or sympathy, but the idea of a life being wasted and the loved ones who are hurt or possibly destroyed in the process.

Next time, think about the people who are affected, and don’t just wish ill upon on the perpetrators. And while they might not deserve any form of pity, know that these people have connections and ties to others. They weren’t always the men or women you see in the mug shot and they have people who still love and care for them, just like you.

Which summer blockbuster are you most looking forward to?

“Godzilla. It just looks really good better than the last one. ”

“Godzilla. (The old one) was my favorite movie as a child.”

Student response from Alma Pacheco

Student response from Ethan Lenmann

the Advocate Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-ChiefKatelyn Hilsenbeck Katelyn Hilsenbeck

Living Editor Living Arts Editor Rebecca RebeccaGaulke Gaulke

Opinion Editor News Editor

Danny Perez-Crouse Katelyn Hilsenbeck

News Editor Assistant News Editor Katelyn Hilsenbeck Greg Leonov

Sports SportsEditor Editor Aaron Marshall Aaron Marshall

Copy CopyEditor Editor

Rebecca Gaulke Rebecca Gaulke

Danny Perez-Crouse

Video Team Melissa Casey

Advisers Reporters Howard Buck Madeline Boyce Hayden Hunter Dan Ernst Q Quarterman Bob Watkins

Brandon Raleigh Edgar Valencia

Carole Riggs Carole Riggs

Tyler Cornelison

Emily Wintringham

Ad AdManager Manager

Graphic Designer

Photographer

Heather Golan

Mindy Clark

Cameron Miller Cameron Miller

Student response from Kaitlyn Turpen

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Photo PhotoEditor Editor

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News

April 25, 2014

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ASG candidates take the spotlight Pair to bring relationship with Foundation, community

by Madeline Boyce The Advocate Kristin Werner and Diana Ramirez are candidates in the upcoming election for president and vice president of the Associated Student Government at Mt. Hood Community College. Both are currently members of ASG: Werner is the SAB (Student Activities Board) director and Ramirez is the ASG multi-cultural events coordinator.

Werner and Ramirez have broken their election goals into three categories: community engagement, diversity awareness and student life.

“I would like to work a little bit closer with the (MHCC) Foundation and get more involved on campus with other small businesses locally,” said Werner. “Just building that relationship (helps), whether that goes towards helping the school financially in the long term, or having a combination of financial aspect mixed with students in the workforce.”

The candidate team said they want the surrounding community to be aware of what Mt. Hood represents, and in turn help Mt. Hood to learn which businesses really exist in the college’s district. As an older student returning to school, Werner understands the problems students face when looking for jobs straight out of college, she said.

Networking through internships and planning ahead before the student graduates can help bridge the unemployment gap that many fresh graduates face, she said.

Diversity awareness is not limited only to cultural diversity, the two said. Diversity also can center on age, sexual orientation, single parents and mixed families. Werner and Ramirez said they

want Mt. Hood to be “a safe place for people.”

Ramirez plans to bring her bi-cultural awareness to her vice presidency, as she feels herself pulled between Latino and American sides, at times.

Textbook affordability, childcare and campus security are a few concerns Werner and Ramirez plan to improve in students’ lives, should they win.

“As students, we have to sometimes decide if we want to get food or if we want to get textbooks,” Ramirez said.

By registering to vote (in public elections), students can help raise awareness of the number of students in the area, Werner and Ramirez said.

They plan to speak to professors about options for lowering book costs.

Werner’s leadership experience includes fouryear high school varsity soccer captain, branch manager at US Bank, and operations manager at Key Bank. She has volunteered at Conejo Valley Parks and Recreation, working in the office and with children, and was the secretary of the Swing Dance Club at California State University Stanislaus.

Ramirez is involved at MHCC and, in addition to her multicultural work, has had a position as the (ASG) senator of advising and counseling and has been chair of the disciplinary committee. She earned the “Senator of the Year” award for her service. She oversees the night shift at her job at a residential care facility and has volunteered for Snow Cap Community Charities for the past five years.

The two candidates met on SAB and struck up a friendship since their desks were side-by-side.

Less than a year later, they decided to run for office together.

SOAR co-chair aims to ‘break the ice,’ attract more students

by Rebecca Gaulke The Advocate Alma Pacheco and Cristian Urzua want to be the next ASG president and vice president. Pacheco, 19, and Urzua, 19, are both business majors who share a Hispanic background and met at church. The duo has been planning on running for the ASG leadership since the fall of last year.

Pacheco is currently an active member of SOAR, is the MeCHA co-chair and was a part of the student government at David Douglas High School, as the event coordinator. She also has experience working at church when she moved to the U.S. from her native country of El Salvador at the age of 12.

“When I first actually moved into the United States, I started working for a parish called Ascension Catholic Church... and that’s where I became a Catholic director.

From there on, my leadership evolved into sacrament teachings, like first communion and whatnot,” she said.

Pacheco draws inspiration and strength from her lifelong battle from a chronic disease, cystic fibrosis, which affects the lungs and other critical organs. “It’s not genetic; it’s like a lottery ticket,” she said.

As a child, she couldn’t eat solid food, and she didn’t have her first piece of pizza until she was 9. “It was amazing,” she said, recalling the experience.

“There’s a lot of… diagnoses that the doctors give me, that you have a limit… that there’s certain time left for your life – and I wanna make that into advantage,” Pacheco said. “I want to be able to – if there is that limit – I want to be able to use it wisely. And why not leave a legacy here and let people know that I did help them out, that I was able to make a change?”

Urzua, currently the ASG senator of

mathematics, finance and science, said that he draws his inspiration from his upbringing, as well.

“My parents... always taught me to be a humble person, (be) responsible, and always serving our community, whether it’s opening doors for an older person” or some other help, he said. “And that has always stuck with me, helping others.”

The duo’s plan, if elected, includes staging campus events that “benefit the whole diverse student body, but also benefits the community,” such as a farmers markets and others in order to “break the ice,” they said.

Urzua believes the pair’s combined experience will benefit students, as well. “We bring two different leadership organizations to work together: Alma being part of SOAR and me being part of student government, we bring two different perspectives, one being recruiting, and one being retaining students here,” he said.

Pacheco sees a positive in their different perspectives: “I think differently than he does, and negatives and positives, I guess, attract.”

Originally, the two had planned to run for president and vice president for the 2013-2014 school year, but Pacheco’s condition had worsened and she was forced to rest. “I never sit down and take time for me.

And I did that for two terms,” she said.

She said she believes it was a good decision, and is feeling prepared to take on the ASG challenge next year, if elected.

“Now that it’s my third year, I have a small amount of credits to achieve – I can take (one or two classes) a term and I’ll be fine – I can put more time into the responsibility,” she said.

“I’m ready. I’m stable. I know I can help… and I know I can focus on myself, as well, at the same time.”

Candidates hope to bring on-site housing, purchase Bookstore

by Greg Leonov The Advocate “We have a focus on bettering the campus and that will be tangible change as a direct result of our action,” said ASG presidential candidate Jonathan Beaman about his campaign team platform. Beaman is currently ASG’s director of finance.

Beaman and his vice presidential running mate, Nathan Doering, chairman of the Gay-Straight Alliance who ran for ASG president a year ago, hope to improve Mt. Hood by bringing on-site housing for students, purchasing the Bookstore on behalf of the students and designating smoking areas on campus.

Beaman said students’ needs come first: “It is my duty as their representative president that I fulfill their needs and requests. We are servant leaders. We’re there for them, not over them,” he said.

As for bringing on-site housing to the main Mt. Hood campus, Beaman is connected with a group called College Housing Northwest, a nonprofit organization that builds student housing, he said.

College Housing Northwest is willing to pay 87 percent of the cost of campus housing, said Beaman. “The actual building itself is $22 million; they’re willing to put up $19 million of that, all we need to do is latch (onto) $3 (million).”

“It’s a pretty big draw for domestic students,” he said. “I know a lot of students will choose a university or college just because they have on-site housing, and (will) pay twice as much in tuition.”

Beaman and Doering also hope to purchase the MHCC Bookstore. “The Bookstore - it’s a business,” said Beaman. “I, for one, believe that the bookstore should be student-owned.”

To support the purchase, Beaman said a student fee account would need to be created. “We would keep feeding it money. As

soon as (the fund) is enough to purchase the bookstore, we’d do so on behalf of the students,” he said.

The running mates want the smoking ban on campus overturned, and say designated smoking areas is an important goal.

Under current rules, “people will drive by our campus and see students who are forced to smoke on the sidewalk or next to the bus stop,” Beaman said.

“That harms us in two ways. One, it doesn’t look particularly good for nonstudents or prospective students; and two, the students who do not smoke usually have to walk through people who are forced to smoke on the sidewalk,” he said.

Community engagement is also something the candidates want to stress. They want to advertise campus events on and off campus so that the surrounding community is more involved, said Beaman. “One of the problems with Mt. Hood in the past was that we couldn’t pass a bond measure (none has passed since 1974) because nobody outside the college really invested in any way.”

Doering is confident in the pair’s campaign platform. “Our ideas are innovative,” he said.

Beaman said some competitors’ ideas for a campaign platform should naturally be present. “I feel like diversity shouldn’t be a platform, it should be inherent... one of the givens. Community engagement, that is not something anybody’s focused on yet, it’s not inherent. We want to make it inherent.”

“We are the legitimate choice,” said Beaman. “I chaired two committees, and my knowledge of our school’s budgeting system — I’m the only person who’s running that has that.

“Good knowledge of (the) senate (experience that Doering has), and more importantly, how to improve senate, and how to keep senate moving, is just invaluable.”

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April 25, 2014

Living Arts

Slice of Life: Campus events

ASG legacy project: Building a mural to celebrate diversity

by Greg Leonov The Advocate

Photos by Carole Riggs - The Advocate

Above: Poetry open mic took place on Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Student Union. Below: “Share Life,” an event to encourage people to sign up to donate blood, took place on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Town and Gown.

“I love this campus, I love the people that go here and I would like to boost the morale, the student pride and just add some color to the great walls. They should match the sky,” said President Laura Aguon about the inspiration for the planned legacy project mural that Mt. Hood’s ASG intends to create outside the Student Union.

“It’s a mural celebrating diversity along with the historic aspect of this campus, it (the land) hasn’t always been a college,” said Aguon about the idea of the mural. “We really want to put some art work on campus, and the No. 1 thing that everyone always says is, ‘We go to school in the concrete jungle,’ and I don’t want to hear that.”

The college administration has been very supportive of the project, she said. “We had to go through all of the councils that the college has, and make sure that they approve, that they supported the idea of having artwork on campus as well as the theme of it.”

Aguon’s team is currently waiting for proposals from two artists they have selected. “We’re excited to see what they bring back because both of the artists are well-connected to the college and they’ve done research.”

When Aguon and her vice president, Eduardo Ortiz, first took office last summer, they had an idea of what Mt. Hood students expect. “We kind of already knew that this was going to be the legacy project we went for, because it was going to take so much (effort),” Aguon said.

“The process to get anything on this campus is ungodly long, so we wanted to make sure that if we were going to do something big like this that we had the sufficient amount of time. We had to jump through so many hurdles to get this, but our administration has been really supportive of this

Looking for something to do? Check out our TO BE revamped weekly calendar for some fun DETERMINED ideas!

Viral Vid of the Week

3Movie Pick: “The

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and making sure that we’re going through all of our pathways,” she said.

Aguon hopes the mural will stay relevant and continue to spark fresh ideas.

“When we were originally talking about this, we wanted to make sure that it was something that was essentially timeless, that if we put it up today, in 10 years it would still be beautiful, it would still have a lot of meaning, but that every time you looked at it - it would give you something different,” she said.

The hope is, the mural will highlight the evolution of both the Mt. Hood campus and all the students who pass through, the point “that we, as students, come here with an idea, a purpose,” Aguon said. “I want this mural to reflect through that panoramic, historic view that we, just like the land that we are on, are just always changing and we’re always evolving and always growing and becoming better.”

The idea won enthusiastic support of the student government, when considering a legacy project. Previous ASG administrations have left behind projects such as the solar docks (tables) found in the Main Mall and a few other locations, and water bottle refill stations (starting with five initial stations and now 15 stations, with more due to be added, Aguon said). To date, the refill stations have helped to keep about 430,000 plastic water bottles out of landfills, their per-use counters show.

Aguon’s team hopes the new mural will encourage future projects that are similar in nature.

“We’re hoping that, just like with the water bottle stations, that once we get one project rolling that – if funding allows, of course – that we’re able to do more and expand on that.

“As long as you get that process started at this college, it’s pretty easy to continue,” she said.

Work on the mural is scheduled to start May 1, and ASG has budgeted $8,000 for the project.

Quiet Ones”

First Thursday

Worldview

Tuesday, 12:10 to 1 p.m.

Room AC 50 Worldview will be welcoming SEED students from Mexico.

For a chance to learn more about these students, head for Room AC50, located in the lower level of the College Center. All are welcome.

Thursday, noon to 1 p.m.

Student Union Next week, worldrenowned bassist and composer David Friesen will be playing original compositions and jazz standards for First Thursday. He will be performing with “The Circle 3 Trio,” and the event is free. For more information, go to davidfriesen.net.

Flying Robot Rockstars Opens today In theaters everywhere For the scary movie lovers out there, this one appears to be terrifying. Starring Sam Claflin from “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and Jared Harris from “Lincoln,” this film centers around an experiment that leads a university professor and a team of students to uncover dark forces.

In the mood for a laugh? As part of our weekly feature, we will show you one awesome video and tell you why you should watch it.

This video is awesome because it is all about drones playing musical instruments, from bass drums to keyboards, single-string guitars and strange cup instruments. To see how far technology has come and for a view of these cool flying devices, search for this video on YouTube today.

April 25, 2014

Living Arts

Paul Walker’s last completed film, “Brick Mansions,” which is packed with parkour, stunts and sufficient plot twists, is open in theaters everywhere today.

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Web photos

Review: Walker’s last film features parkour stunts

by Emily Wintringham The Advocate Crime and fear fester inside a development in Detroit known as “Brick Mansions.”

Unable to control the violence, police isolate this once-flourishing community by installing a wall and heavy security around it. Damien Collier (the late Paul Walker) has one true ambition: to avenge his father’s death by the hands of druglord and tyrant Termaine (RZA). Joined by ex-convict Lino (David Belle), he takes on an extraordinary mission to save the city from desolation. To do so, he and Lino must work to overcome their differences and learn to synchronize.

I have to say, for a movie that encompasses mostly action scenes, the plot sufficed.

Each character strongly features

his expertise. Paul Walker is the champion of physical combat, and David Belle, co-founder of parkour, is the maestro of said discipline.

Belle made his practice legendary in his native France, in the films “District B13,” and its sequel, “District 13.”

Besides the somewhat conventional storyline, there are those few moments of bad-assery that had my mouth agape. Of course, like any action movie, viewers must learn to overlook the lunacy and illogical tricks that Damien and Lino are able to pull off. With this movie, you have to come in with a predisposed mindset: Once the “that’s impossible” viewpoint is abandoned, doubt should be replaced with high expectations.

One thing I appreciate about the character development in “Mansions” was that with a few exceptions,

everyone held true to his disposition. On top of that, it was a relief to encounter a villain with a dual side: homely and inhibited. Tremaine is shot chopping peppers in multiple scenes, giving him an eerie yet vulnerable aura.

HHHHI Movie Review I have mixed feelings about the filming technique, however. With the camera seeming to shoot at interesting angles, everything looks raw. Director Camille Delamarre did a decent job of displaying tension and energy by keeping things moving quickly. I

think I would have liked to see the parkour stunts in a more real-time effect, however. All of the parkour sequences looked choppy. To me, it looked like the camera man was hopping around with Damien and Lino. The choppiness, however, could be determined as authentic action. Though it makes the eyes strain a little bit, it helps to create a robust experience.

As far as plot goes, let’s just say they got the story about right, along with its customary twists, turns and surprises. With the film running just under an hour and a half, it miraculously jam-packs everything one would expect from an action movie: high-speed car chases, hand-to-hand combat, gun fights, and of course, its thematic parkour stunts.

There has been a lot of hype about the parkour aspect of this film. From an action movie with such expecta-

tions, I suspected an even more flimsy plot and an overflow of parkour. There were breathtaking stunts, but they seemed condensed into a few sporadic scenes. However, what was done was spectacular.

I shed a tear when the film honored Paul Walker’s life at the end (the “Fast and Furious” franchise star died in a vehicle accident in November).

“Brick Mansions” was his last completed movie. According to his Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, Franjinha, the actor was looking to showcase his martial arts experience. He was constantly taking himself to new heights, and he did so by training in the art of parkour.

This movie was not a disappointment. It is one of the few lower-budget films worth viewing.

“Brick Mansions” opens in theaters everywhere today.

6

News

April 25, 2014

ASG honors three ‘Unsung Heroes’ The ‘heroes’ will be honored today from noon to 1 p.m. in the Student Union

Roberts helps high school students connect to Mt. Hood

Tifini Roberts

Tifini Roberts, College Now coordinator and public speaking instructor, goes above and beyond facilitating relationships between high school students and faculty members at both high schools and MHCC. She has served Mt. Hood for five years. “I work with district high schools. I help local students take higher-level college courses, earning credit at MHCC,” said Roberts. “The best part about this is simply helping students reach their educational goals.”

Managing the College Now program requires constant communication between Roberts, students and faculty.

“Mainly, I send out material and information. I answer calls and questions because the students (high school) are new to the College Now program.”

Roberts, humbly said she didn’t know why she earned the “Unsung Hero” nomination. “I was stunned and shocked, but definitely honored,” she said.

Not only does Roberts contribute her time toward high school students, but she also makes an impact as an instructor in her public speaking course.

“Class is about the students. It’s my responsibility to get the students engaged,” she said. “We work together

and create a community in the classroom.” She said this helps students feel more comfortable and supportive of one another. The class does many group projects, as well.

“All in all, this support system really encourages students, especially since students are expected to speak in front of the class,” Roberts said.

Emma Bird, director of the Student Organization Council, nominated Roberts because she takes the time to know all the students and their names, she wrote.

Aiming to excite, support, help students succeed

-Emily Wintringham

Placing communication with fun For Jennifer Ethridge, part-time speech instructor newly awarded one of ASG’s “Unsung Heros,” creating a fun environment in her classes is key.

“You can learn in a fun environment. You don’t have to make it torture. I want that excitement, that enthusiasm, that passion,” she said.

This term, she is teaching Interpersonal Communication, a course she developed 15 years ago and has taught every term since.

“I like teaching everything, but interpersonal, that’s my baby,” she said.

She teaches most other speech classes, except argumentation and forensics (debate).

“I love what I do. I’m extremely passionate. You have to believe in what you do or it’s not going to work,” she said.

Ethridge went through many life changes this past summer, including the death of her eldest son and experiencing an “empty nest” as youngest son went off to college.

“My classes saved me on that one,” she said of the former. “Even though I was grieving at the time, it was really helpful for me to get back in the classroom.”

Learning from her own life experience, she takes the focus away from theories and scantrons and urges her students “to look at themselves, look at their self esteem and self worth,” she said.

She emphasizes empathy in her course this term, saying, “I think society needs more empathetic lis-

Melissa Gonzales McNeal

Jennifer Ethridge teners. “I don’t feel my role is just to throw a bunch of information at them,” she said. “My philosophy as a teacher is that I have a 50 percent responsibility to help my students be successful.”

While instilling the value of communication in her students, she makes sure to do it with a sense of humor. “If my class doesn’t have a sense of humor, they’re going to be very unhappy,” she said.

Ethridge has been a part of MHCC since she was a student here in 1981.

She began as an academic adviser in 1987.

Although she has only taught parttime for the last 16 years, her goal is to teach full-time for MHCC. “I really believe in Mt. Hood,” she said.

- Katelyn Hilsenbeck

Melissa Gonzales McNeal, 10year anatomy and physiology instructor, was pleased to be chosen as one of ASG’s “Unsung Heroes” this term.

McNeal began teaching at Mt. Hood in 2004. She holds a degree in medical and molecular genetics and is an instructor for classes such as medical genetics, anatomy and physiology. Some of the courses are a yearlong program, many times including the same students in sequential terms. In the past, she has taught microbiology and “more genetics courses” at Portland Community College and Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU).

Her favorite part of her job is interacting with students, she said.

When she sees students passionate and dedicated, that is the reason she goes to work every day.

“They’re an amazing group of students. And they work hard, they ask questions, they’re motivated, and they’re so much fun,” she said.

“And that’s why I love what I’m doing.”

McNeal was nominated for the “Unsung” award by one of her students.

“For me, it means that maybe I’m being successful in what I (hope for),” McNeal said, smiling as she explained what winning this award symbolized.

“I mean, predominantly yes, I want to talk about my topics and I want to get the information” across, she said. “But even more so, I want to get students excited and make them feel supported and make them feel like the college and education is fun, and a place that they want to be in. A place (where) they can continue to grow and maybe be lifelong learners.”

Outside of her classes, McNeal spends much of her time in her office, where she is available to help students. As she was leaving her office for a photograph, one student urged her not to leave because he had questions, and she promised she would return shortly. Such high regard from her students is an example both of her commitment and her students’ respect.

The award came as a surprise to McNeal, who is still unsure of what it entails but is certain she will cry at the award ceremony today, she said.

“It means a lot because it came from the students, and so that is the best — the best award ever.”

- Madeline Boyce

Sports

April 25, 2014

7

Softball faces rival Clackamas today

by Edgar Valencia The Advocate The Saints softball team ran its win streak to 26 games by beating Chemeketa Community College (1419, 3-7 South Region) twice to remain unbeaten for the season, ahead of a huge double-header against Clackamas Community College (27-1, 8-0 South) for the top spot in the region.

A double-header with Chemketa was scheduled last Saturday, but Game Two was rescheduled to Monday due to poor weather and field conditions.

In the Saturday game, the Saints earned a comfortable win by beating Chemeketa 5-1 in just five innings. The teams were scoreless going into the third inning and that’s when the offense came to life as the Saints scored twice in the third and added two more runs in the fourth.

Freshman first baseman Megan Reed had a big contribution in the win, as she went 2-for-3, hitting a single in the second inning and then her sixth home run of the season in the fifth inning to seal the game.

Sophomore pitcher Kristen Crawford came out energized, as she allowed only three hits in her five innings of duty. She allowed no earned runs, walked two batters and also struck out two.

The offense came out strong as the Saints pounded nine hits, compared to Chemeketa’s three. “Our offense did a phenomenal job at the plate and with that performance on Saturday, it gave

them confidence going into the second match,” said MHCC head coach Meadow McWhorter.

Game Two on Monday was a much closer win for the Saints, against Chemeketa, 4-3. The teams were even at 3-3 entering the seventh inning after the Saints tied the game in the fifth, with two runs in three hits.

Sophomore shortstop Teauna Hughes, who went for 3-for-4 with two extra-base hits, scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to keep the Saints undefeated.

“Teauna is our leader and leads in so many ways by the amount of extra work she puts in, her 100 percent effort on the field, and her passion for the game,” said McWhorter.

Sophomore pitcher Ann-Marie Guischer struck out four, gave up 4 hits and allowed two runs in the first four innings. Kristen Crawford recorded her 14th win of the year as she came on in relief and struck out three batters and allowed three hits and one run in the last three innings of the game.

“The win was a combined effort between the two as Ann-Marie threw well for four innings and Kristen came in and did an excellent job keeping hitters off balance and hitting her spots in the rain,” said McWhorter.

Chelsea Spainer, Kasidee Lemberger and Hughes contributed to the win, as they combined for eight hits and four RBIs. “The second game was a good test

Freshman Mercedes Green gets a hit Monday against Chemeketa. for us because it was a battle through adverse conditions,” said McWhorter, who even with the win streak, still finds opportunities for the team to improve.

The Saints “are still working to get better every practice and (I tell them), ‘Don’t worry about the undefeated streak because the only thing that mat-

Photo by Carole Riggs - The Advocate

ters is the preparation for our next opponent,’ ” she said.

The Saints travel to Clackamas today for a double-header rescheduled from Tuesday, due to bad weather.

Clackamas is on a 22- game winning streak of its own, and remains tied with MHCC for first place in the South.

The two games against Clackamas will surely test the Saints’ undefeated season, but McWhorter is confident in her team, and knows the strategy – and motiviation – to defeat the Cougars.

“Our athletes will be ready to play, they’ve been waiting for this matchup,” she said

Track and field teams show excellence

by Q Quarterman The Advocate Head track and field coach Doug Bowman, taking over for Matt Hart, who stepped down from the top job last month, came to Mt. Hood after Hart had solicited his expertise for years.

After retiring from a teaching career in 2012, Bowman would follow one of his student’s footsteps and become a Saint.

“I decided I would come out of retirement and coach again. I have been coaching track and field at the club level and privately for the past 16 years with athletes of all ages,” he explained.

Hart, whom he had known for a decade and highly respects, “made it very easy to get back into coaching... I would like to thank him for bringing me on board.”

Mt. Hood’s track athletes have remained focused during the coaching transition, gearing up for the NWAACC championship meet in May. Bowman said several Saints are on target to qualify.

Many Saints showed their stuff at the Cougar Open last weekend, where both Mt. Hood teams finished first over Clackamas College, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Clark Colllege, and Lane College.

The men’s team score was close, as the Saints edged the second-place finisher, 79 points to 73.

The Mt. Hood women blew away their rivals, taking 109.50 points to 63.50 points for the closest team.

“All (our) athletes really put out great performances with some PRs (personal records) and a yet another school record,” said Bowman.

The latter reference would be to sophomore McKenzie Warren, who collected first-place finishes in the shotput (13.03m) and the discus (43.30m) and broke her own personal and Mt. Hood record in the hammer throw with a heave of 54.44 meters (178 feet, 7 inches).

Several more Saints collected more than one top-five finish.

Freshman Courtney Andre and sophomore Caitlyn Safley supplied their speed to help freshman Marley Yates and sophomore Whitney Warren to win the 4 x 400 meter relay with a time of 4.09.37. Yates also won second place in the high jump.

In the 200-meter sprint, Safley earned first place (26.59), Andre took third (27.79) and Warren claimed 5th (28.69).

Andre and Safley weren’t finished.

Safley took first in the 400-meter run (1.00.25). Close behind was freshman Shanice Lakes, with a time of 1.00.31.

Andre claimed first in both the 100-meter hurdles (16.47) and long jump with 5.12 meters. Freshman Xayna Robinson won third for the Lady Saints in both the long jump with 4.92 meters and the triple jump (10.45 meters).

In the 1,500 meter race, freshman Haley McDonald won first (5.15.04) and freshman Katerina Lucero took third (5.37.06).

Also helping Mt. Hood secure its first-place overall finish was sophomore Megan Nelson, who won third place throwing the javelin (34.94 meters).

The men’s team saw great results in the throwing events.

In the javelin, sophomore Justin

Schlant won first place, at 54.88 meters. Freshman Josh Visan hit his personal record, finishing fourth, at 48.51 meters.

In the discus, Mt. Hood swept the top three spots, led by sophomore Cody Quinton (43.07 meters), freshman Zach Kilgore (39.25 meters) and freshman Tyler Jackson (39.20 meters).

Kilgore also threw for second place in the shotput event, at 13.29 meters, and Jackson took third with 13.07m.

Freshman Janaree Porter claimed second in the 100-meter spint (11.42) only to be beaten by a non-NWAACC athlete. Freshman sensation Devon “Seattle” Larson won first in the 110-hurdles, at 15.94, meanwhile. In the 800-meter run, sophomore Cody Beierle took first (1.58.57).

The next meet will be held at Mt. Hood on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m.

Saints’ win streak at three

by Brandon Raleigh The Advocate The Saints baseball team built a three-game winning streak starting last weekend and has jumped back into the South Division race.

Mt. Hood’s surge began with a Friday double-header against division rival Clackamas Community College, played in Gresham. Mt. Hood took care of business in Game One, outscoring Clackamas 6-2. Freshman first baseman Tommy Lane led the way for the Saints, recording three hits and a home run.

The Saints also took the second game, an 8-7 walk-off win. Freshman batter Connor Newell drew a basesloaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to end the game. Lane again delivered a spark on the offensive end, contributing three RBIs and a home run, his fourth of the season.

On Monday, the Saints traveled to Clackamas where they played one of two rescheduled games against the Cougars (postponed from Saturday).

Mt. Hood extended its streak with a dominating 11-5 victory. The Saints outplayed Clackamas on both sides of the ball, doubling the Cougars’ hit to-

Photo by Mindy Clark - The Advocate

Freshman Jake Dahlberg delivers a pitch against Clackamas last friday. tal (12 hits to six) and committing only half the errors (two) Clackamas suffered. Sophomore outfielder John Welborn paced the Saints’ stellar offensive performance with four hits on five atbats and two RBIs. The second game of the double header was again postponed due to weather, to be made up at a later date.

Saints head coach Bryan Donohue pointed to improved offense as a key to success in the current hot streak.

“When your offense starts clicking

it alleviates so much pressure over the course of a game,” he said. “It helps our pitchers and it helps our defense stay relaxed.”

Donohue sees everything finally coming together for Mt. Hood. “You can see a lot of guys are really confident right now,” he said. “Things are rolling well. You know, three straight, four out of our last five is good.

“We’ve dealt with a lot of adversity that some teams may not deal with until the very end of the season. I feel we’ve come out playing better than we have all season. I have a good feeling about this end stretch of the season,” he said.

The Saints are currently fourth in the Southern Region with a record of 10-17 (7-8 in division play). Donohue expects his team to build on its recent success for the rest of the season.

“Sometimes it just takes a team to turn a corner and everything changes.

I think that we’ve done that,” he said.

“Our guys are playing with a sense of urgency, knowing from here on out every game means a lot.”

The Saints host Chemeketa Community College (13-15) today at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., then travel to Salem on Saturday to play the Storm again in a second doubleheader.

8

Sports

April 25, 2014

Buckaroo crew making an impact Kristen Crawford, Kasidee Lemberger and SheaLee Lindsey keep the Pendleton pipeline strong with their play this season

by Aaron Marshall The Advocate The Mt. Hood softball program has a history of strong players coming from the eastern Oregon city of Pendleton, and it shows this season for the undefeated Saints, now 26-0, as three more women have made a major impact.

Sophomore pitcher Kristen Crawford (2012 Pendleton High School graduate) and two freshmen, second baseman Kasidee Lemberger and outfielder SheaLee Lindsey (2013 Pendleton High graduates), have kept the Pendleton pipeline strong as they have made huge contributions.

“There’s just something about them: They always play all out, they’re aggressive and (they) are eager to learn,” said head coach Meadow McWhorter about Pendleton athletes.

The pipeline opened back in 20022003 when Chelsie Speer, another Pendleton graduate and former MHCC head volleyball coach and assistant softball coach, came to Mt. Hood to play those two sports.

“I made my decision based on the feeling that I got on my recruiting trip.

I liked the atmosphere at Mt. Hood, the coaches, and the school itself,” said Speer, now head volleyball coach at Walla Walla Community College. “It just felt right after visiting a few other schools.”

After Speer, next came Jill Quesenberry (2004-2005), Genna Melton (2004-2005) and Jessi Lindsey (20112012), SheaLee’s older sister.

Now Crawford, Lemberger and Lindsey have added their names to the list.

“I have known Kristen the longest out of all three,” said Speer. “Her dad, Randy Crawford, coached me in basketball and softball my freshmen year of high school (1998). I remember her running around, a tiny little blonde. It’s awesome to see the person and player that she’s become since then.”

Crawford and SheaLee Lindsey set softball records at Pendleton High that stand today.

Crawford holds the Buckaroos’ record for most innings pitched in a season (183) and most wins in a season (23). Lindsey holds the record for most at-bats (108), hits (45) and singles (40) in a season.

In her second season with the Saints, Crawford, 20, is arguably the best pitcher in the NWAACC this spring, with a 14-0 record and a 1.05 ERA (earned run average) through Thursday. She is tied for first in wins and her ERA leads the league. Last season, she finished 15-2 and was awarded South Region First-Team recognition.

Lemberger, 19, leads the Saints in hitting with a .578 batting average

Photos by Carole Riggs - The Advocate

From left: SheaLee Lindsey, Kristen Crawford and Kasidee Lemberger all have the same goal of bringing the NWAACC title back to Mt. Hood.

in 23 games played, third best in the NWAACCs. She is first on the team in hits, with 48, and doubles, with 15.

“She (Lemberger) is a great player, wearing the jersey number in softball that I wore at Mt. Hood (N0. 2) and playing the same position that I played my freshmen season,” said Speer, a former second baseman.

Lindsey, 19, a two-sport athlete for Mt. Hood (volleyball), has been one of the Saints’ most consistent hitters (.390 batting average) while batting at the top of the order. The speedy outfielder leads the team in stolen bases with 12.

“SheaLee was a great player to coach in volleyball at Mt. Hood this last season. (A) very respectful player and great person overall,” said Speer, who departed MHCC at season’s end.

Lindsey said Crawford helped recruit her to Mt. Hood, which was already on her mind.

“Kristen talked about how competitive it is here. My sister also played here so I knew how successful the program was,” said Lindsey.

SheaLee Lindsey

Position: Outfielder Major: Undecided Stats: .390 batting average, 12 stolen bases

Lindsey’s friend and Pendleton teammate would soon follow. “I really liked my visit and I already knew Kristen and SheaLee. It was a good fit,” said Lemberger.

“I told them (Lemberger and Lindsey) they would grow as players and would be able to use the talent that they have. It’s a good program,” Crawford said.

With Pendleton being a small town (population: 16,800), the women said they originally met around middle school but became close friends in high school when playing sports. Crawford and Lemberger both played softball all four years at Pendleton High, while Lindsey played three years.

At MHCC, Crawford had been majoring in nursing but has switched to speech and language science. “ I could either do nursing and not be able to play softball or do speech/language science and be able to play,” she said. “It’s something I could be good at. It’s an overlooked program.”

Last week, Crawford signed her letter of intent to play softball at Portland

Kristen Crawford

Position: Pitcher Major: Speech and Language Science Stats: 14-0, 1.05 ERA

State University for next year. “It was the best overall fit for me. My parents can also come and watch me play. (Division-I) softball will be fun, especially getting to travel,” she said.

Lemberger is majoring in business at Mt. Hood and is interested in cosmetology and wants to be a hair stylist. “I’ve always liked hair, I use to play with people’s hair when I was younger,” she said.

Lindsey says playing under McWhorter, who is leading the Saints for an 11th season with three NWAACC championships (2009-11) so far, has been nothing but positive.

“She’s wants us to be the best we can be and wants us to progress,” Lindsey said. “She puts everyone before herself and cares about us on and off the field.”

Lindsey played volleyball for Speer this past fall and said both she and McWhorter have impacted her life. “They have similar coaching styles and they are both concerned for our well-being.

They want us to be better players and human beings,” she said.

Lemberger also credits McWhorter for her focus on individual improvement.

“She pushes us to get better and gives constructive criticism. It’s weird, but I like coaches like that,” said Lemberger. “She isn’t cocky at all when she for sure could be.”

Even though she’s a pitcher, Crawford said her favorite baseball player is future Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. “I grew up watching him; he made amazing plays out there,” she said.

Lemberger mentioned a fellow second baseman, Boston Red Sox all-star Dustin Pedroia. “Everything he does, he makes it look natural,” she said.

The Saints have been at the top of the totem pole this season and the goal is, of course, to win the NWAACC title.

First, the three women agree, the goal is to win the South Region. At 8-0 in the region, the Saints are tied with rival Clackamas (27-1 overall, 8-0 South).

Mt. Hood will play the Cougars today in a double-header, at Clackamas, in a battle for the South lead.

“We all have the same common goal and everyone’s here for the right reasons,” said Crawford.

McWhorter says the Pendleton trio has had a tremendous impact this season, and each woman is very competitive.

Speer added, “I was really looking forward to coaching all three in soft-

Go to our website, www.advocate-online.net to see the softball feature video Lindsey is currently undecided. She has contemplated different majors, including sports medicine and physical therapy, but her most recent interest is marketing.

This term, all three friends say their favorite class is Human Sexuality which all of them happen to be in because of the “interesting topics” it covers.

ball this year,” before she left for Walla Walla. “They are all having a great season and I am proud to know that they are from Pendleton and representing well.”

Speer continued, “She (McWhorter) runs a special program because of who she is as a leader and that attracts great kids like Kristen, SheaLee and Kasidee.”

Kasidee Lemberger

Position: Second baseman Major: Business Stats: .578 batting average, 48 hits