The Advocate - Issue 24 - April 24, 2020

Volume 54, Issue 24 April 24, 2020 advocate-online.net

COVID-19's environmental impact PAGE 3

MHCC spring sports in a nutshell PAGE 4

THAT TIME WHEN PEPSI HAD A NAVY PAGE 2

Sexual assault allegations on the campaign trail PAGE 2

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NEWS | OPINION

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

COLD WAR, COLD DRINKS

Brad Le

The Advocate Pepsi for Warships: How Pepsi became the 6th most powerful military in the world The Cold War was a strange time of strained relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. With threats of a nuclear world war, with some politicians screaming for peaceful disarmament and others advocating for peace through strength (building more military might), it certainly was an intense few decades.

However, one of history’s most astonishing twists occurred, involving PepsiCo (then PepsiCola) and the Soviet Union, which resulted in one the largest trade deals between the United States and the Soviet Union.

boycott the import of Soviet goods, including Stolichnaya vodka. The U.S.S.R. still wanted to continue trade with PepsiCo, but Pepsi did not see vodka as a fair trade due to low demand – and the ruble was still not tradeable.

Then in 1989, Pepsi and the U.S.S.R. came to make what would become the most valuable business trade between the United States and the Soviet Union in history: The Soviets would trade for Pepsi with military ships, valued at $3 billion.

The Soviets ended up trading to Pepsi 17 submarines, three warships, a frigate, a cruiser, and a destroyer, for Pepsi to sell for scrap to a Norwegian company, Whether the estimated value of the deal was from how much scrap money Pepsi received, how much Pepsi soda was delivered to the Soviets, or how much the combined ships were

valued at the time is unknown.

Regardless, the trade was quite unusual. It is commonly said that for the brief time that Pepsi had control over the ships, the business had the sixth most powerful military worldwide, which sparked many jokes about how Pepsi was going to blow up its rival, CocaCola.

When U.S. military officials inquired about the transaction, Kendall is said to have made the witty comment, “We’re disarming the Soviet Union faster than you are [US Government].”

Amusingly, this proved quite true as the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, only two years after the unique transaction was made.

assault furor from his followers was a viral image of a female supporter showing off home-made “TRUMP CAN GRAB MY [PUSSY]” T-shirt.

The voting citizens of the United States had all heard him proudly confess his disregard for an entire gender’s personal safety, and our 45th commander-in-chief he became, regardless.

It is a possibility in 2020 we may be making this mistake again, on the opposite side of the partisan aisle.

Biden’s strange, clearly p ersonal-space-invading behaviors have long been observed by those in both parties.

Many recorded instances of his insistent touching and cryptic/creepy comments are now online, for anyone to search and see for themselves. Though he has recently spoken on this issue Eli Rankin | The Advocate and implied an admission of

missing out on modern social cues – until corrected – Biden remains rather unapologetic.

This makes potentially muchmore-troubling allegations seem more likely to hold truth, in the eyes of many. Allegations such as the one recently disclosed by a former staff worker in his Senate office that seems to be gaining further traction every day, whether properly founded or not.

Both candidate’s shared personal demographic, that being older, straight and cis white men, has been commented on frequently. Perhaps it is relevant in this circumstance: Is it a place of privilege more likely to leave each man blind to potential offense? Or further evidence of a position from which it is easier to take advantage of others and walk away practically unscathed?

Or, perhaps, the specific political aspect is a larger part of the picture than we know.

Pepsi’s first journey into the Soviet Union occurred as early as 1959 during the so-called “Kitchen Debate,” an informal verbal exchange between U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev on the merits of capitalism, vs. communism.

An executive from Pepsi, Donald Kendall, had challenged Nixon, telling him he “had to get a Pepsi in Khrushchev’s hands.” After the debate was finished, Nixon indeed served Khrushchev some Pepsi, and Khrushchev invited other key government members to enjoy some of the American soft drink. (Kendall would later become CEO of Pepsi.)

This exchange eventually led to some of the first trade deals between the Soviet Union and the U.S., allowing PepsiCo to sell their

soft drinks inside the Soviet Union.

However, the Soviet currency, the ruble, was not exchangeable outside the country, making the transaction rather tricky. Eventually, Kendall negotiated an unusual trade arrangement where for each bottle of Pepsi exported to the U.S.S.R., the Soviet Union would trade one bottle of Stolichnaya vodka (not literally one-for-one, but a barter of equal value), with marketing rights for the vodka belonging to Pepsi.

The transaction deal ended up being lucrative, with each item growing popular in both countries.

That said, Pepsi was vastly more popular in the U.S.S.R. than Stolichnaya was in the U.S. This interesting trade did not last too long, due to outside political factors. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the American market began to

Trump’s determination to win reelection has not been discouraged by “red” voters, either.

While they might not be as far apart as many voters may wish in terms of policy, at the end of the day both candidates are backed by very different groups of people with very different beliefs and priorities.

While it is true that Biden was by no means everyone’s first choice as the nominee, it seems as though that is beside the point now, unfortunately.

However, a troubling similarity appears to be present among these two men.

During the 2016 presidential election, discussion on the numerous sexual abuse allegations against thencandidate Trump reached an explosive peak when, late in his campaign, a tape-recording capturing his bragging about his habitual assault of women’s bodies became public. One could

have easily assumed this would spell the end of his potential political career; and many observers did, in fact, predict this with a disturbed confidence. And quite disturbing the bragging was, to put it as lightly as possible.

Of course, this predicted collapse was not to be the case.

As we all will never forget, Trump successfully won the office with the help of a much-criticized electoral college advantage. And all that we seemed to see come of the

TWO FRONTRUNNERS, MULTIPLE ALLEGATIONS

Omar Carrillo The Advocate

With Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders now officially out of the running for the Oval Office in November, the lineup for the next phase of fiery election debate is all but guaranteed.

Ex-Vice President and very likely Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden has not slowed in his continued rise in popularity among “blue” voters, and President Donald

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OPINION

APRIL 24, 2020

AN ESSENTIAL WORKER’S TAKE ON PANDEMIC MADNESS

Robert Frank The Advocate

COVID-19 has really put a wrench in the lives of people in 2020. People are losing their jobs, loved ones, and all you hear from the news is the death toll and video of people fighting over toilet paper.

In dangerous times like this, you see the worst of people: That is even more true from my perspective, as a worker for a retail store that is considered “essential.” Having to establish limits so people don’t hoard, putting down tape so that people stay 6 feet away from each other for social distancing – it all

adds up.

For me, it’s even worse since we employees are the ones on the front line.

One of the first things that you realize when you work for an essential store is how little stock you can get and put out. Everyone talks about toilet paper; that’s true for us workers, as well. But then you also have to consider other equipment, such as protective masks, which we sold out of a month before the Oregon state government issued the stay-at-home order. Or gloves, sanitizer, and cleaning agents, which flew off the shelves just before the order.

Once they are gone and you realize the warehouse can’t stock the store anymore, you think – naïvely trying to maintain some positivity – “That’s one less thing to worry about.” And then all the customers come to you: “Hey, do you know when we get more toilet paper?” “Hey, do you still have any

hand sanitizer?” And then you realize how serious it gets, and you get tired of same questions over and over again.

For me, those questions get more worrisome since I work in a store that sells firearms.

I’m trained to be ever-watchful whenever we have a gun out and to know good gun safety rules when showcasing one. But I also see the Oregon State Police firearms system for background checks reach a saturation level of 2,800 people trying to buy a gun statewide. And that number is double, because that is (posted on) only one internet server, and there are many more.

It’s even worse when I’d realize that about 90% of our sales workers have never even touched a gun before. And the customers who get a gun based on how cool it looks; or, when handling it, point it directly at me with a finger on the trigger (we make sure it’s unloaded!), because they have no idea how to

do so safely. Or they buy the wrong ammunition for home defense because it’s cheaper, not realizing that it will blast through everything (it makes the walls of my apartment feel that much thinner).

And then comes the worst part: the thieves, the ones who take advantage of an already scary situation and make our lives a living hell, because they know we can’t do anything about it. That’s because if we try and intervene, they can turn around and sue us, and we become the bad guys. That’s the nature of our system and we can do nothing...12 in one day; on another, five in an hour. It’s no longer stocking and facing (arranging items on the shelf); it’s walking around like the CIA, keeping track of a person who’s in been in the store for an hour and just watching, because we have no LPs (“loss prevention” staff) to help us out.

Everything that happens takes a toll on us. We’re already exhausted

from a hard day’s work, and now it’s even worse because we have the threat of being directly exposed to the virus, many times over. We have to remain strong for others, because panic will drive us all backwards.

One of my coworkers has already reached the breaking point.

Naïve customers tell me, “You’re lucky, you can go out and do something. You have more freedom then us.”

Yeah, we’re lucky to have to deal with customers who don’t understand limits. We’re lucky to have to watch people steal money out of our paychecks. I’m lucky I can have the freedom to go to work and not be able to enjoy Easter with my family, because I could possibly kill them with my exposure to COVID-19.

As my Dad told me over Skype as I spoke with my parents, “We didn’t need to give up anything for Lent, because we already had to give up our freedom, thanks to COVID.”

THE SILVER LINING IN THIS TIME OF GRIEF

Chloe Collins The Advocate

With the coronavirus come the obvious concerns: public health, local jobs, and the economy as a whole.

Globally, this pandemic will wind up with many public issues to

China – a country known for be dealt with during the recovery stages. Right now, however, Earth heavy smog – has seen a sharp itself is reaping the benefits of less decline in air pollution, along with several other nations. The canals human activity.

Since nearly everyone is in in Venice have not been this clear quarantine around the world, there in decades. Photos have emerged are less cars out and about. Many airlines have blacked out future dates and canceled present flights due to COVID-19.

Public transit systems have reduced running times, and some countries (including China) have even suspended public transportation in order to reduce spread of the virus.

The observable results of these cuts in carbon emissions New york City streets have been astonishingly have been clarifying. empty.

of marine life, such as jellyfish and dolphins, that are now visible from above the canals. Although these beautiful shots make it harder for us humans to stay inside, they also have served as an eye-opener for many people, just in time for Earth Day (April 22).

In the spirit of Earth Day being this week, it might also be important to discuss the meteorology report released by Colorado State University this month. According to a report by the CSU Tropical Meteorology Project, the Atlantic Ocean’s hurricane Web Photo season is forecast to be

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Cover by: Eli Rankin On the cover: Pepsi war ships approach the viewer with a Pepsi sky rising behind them.

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above average, with 16 named storms, eight hurricanes, and four major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher) predicted. This year’s numbers will be above the 30-year average in each category, if the predictions are correct.

As the consequences of climate change grow more concerning each year, it is inspiring to see what this pandemic-triggered adjustment in human activity can achieve.

I’m not suggesting a permanent quarantine or banning cars, but maybe people will start taking our role in climate change a little more seriously from here on out, given the fresh evidence of our mass impact.

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.

Chloe Collins Editor-in-Chief Chloe is a second-year student and Editor-in-Chief of the Advocate student newspaper. When she is not doing homework or in the newsroom, she can be found slinging coffee at Starbucks or reading a good book. She plans to transfer to the University of North Carolina to pursue a degree in journalism.

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SPORTS

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

COVID-19 PUTS A STOP TO SPRING SPORTS Daniella Young The Advocate

Spring athletics at MHCC has taken a hiatus this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision to cancel all spring sports “was initiated by the Northwest Athletic Conference office, and then supported by the college,” said Kim Hyatt, dean of health, physical education, athletics, aquatics, and recreation at MHCC. The spring sports canceled at Mt. Hood include men’s baseball, women’s softball, and both men’s and women’s track and field competitions. That left several dozens of Saints athletes without any 2020 season.

“This has had a significant impact on our student athletes, coaches and staff as well as our fans who support our programs,” Hyatt said.

“Our student athletes have been working very hard for the last year in preparation of this season and it is disappointing to see them miss out on this opportunity but we all understand the greater impact on our community if we would have continued.

“I am very proud of their

response and the commitment to continuing to work hard in the [virtual] classroom and their preparations for their next athletic endeavors whether it be at Mt. Hood or the next level,” said Hyatt.

As far as the normal fall and winter-season sports coming up at MHCC (women’s volleyball, men’s/ women’s cross country, women’s/ men’s basketball), Saints athletes are continuing to train during their offseason in different and unique ways, Hyatt said. That includes how coaches are staying connected to student athletes during this time, she said.

“In some ways, it is helping us to be more creative and work on the fundamentals that are so important for skill development,” said Hyatt.

For these sports, MHCC will continue to abide by the directions of Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s office as far as the next steps for permitting public or “non-essential” activities, including decisions regarding college operations as a whole.

“Once approved, we are looking forward to the opportunity to come back stronger than before in each of our athletic programs and to continue to work in the classroom and win the NWAC President’s Cup

again,” Hyatt said.

Mt. Hood won that league award for athletes’ collective classroom achievement (in the schools competing in eight or more sports) again for the 2018-19 school year, for the third time in six years, .

Hyatt said there “are still a lot of unknowns” regarding potential timelines for resuming athletics activity in the coming months.

What’s also impossible to know is what might have been for Mt. Hood teams, if the pandemic hadn’t hit.

“I can tell you that this would have been a very special year for our spring sports teams as they were prepared to have a fantastic season,” said Hyatt. “I would also like to acknowledge the women’s basketball team and the opportunities that they missed out on when the NWAC championship tournament was canceled.”

After the Saints women won their first tournament game (a dramatic 75-72 overtime victory over Whatcom Community College on March 5), “they really had a great draw in the tournament and I believe would have surprised a lot of people – outside of Mt. Hood, that is,” Hyatt said.

Tyler Linch, MHCC #2 stands at home plate ready to swing.

MHCC player #6 Jordan Donohoe is a second year student from Vancouver, Washington.

Photos contributed by the athletes

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