May 6, 2016
the
advocate Independent Student Voice of MHCC
Volume 51 Issue 27
Steps to commencement PAGE 3
Ratchet & Clank flops PAGE 5
Saints unravel Chemeketa PAGE 7
“Whoever initiated this change showed a complete lack of integrity.�- Letter to the Editor, PAGE 2
2 Editorial
OPINION
A p r iPAGE l 15, 2016
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Barney needs a facelift, yet some feel excluded All of the content in the Opinion section this week addresses the adoption of a new Mt. Hood athletic logo, for which voting closes at 6 p.m. today. Maybe this discussion would have been more influential at the beginning of Fall Term when this idea was first presented, but the Advocate feels as if its role now is to inform students while there is still time to vote. Informing the constituents of the school is a middle ground that Health & PE Instructor Fred Schnell, the ASG (Associated Student Government), and the Advocate all share. That being said, what is the true benefit of a mascot?
Sure, giving a face to what is otherwise a bureaucratic hydra of an institution is comforting, but is summing up all of MHCC by calling us the “Saints”/(as in Saint Bernard) accurate? We think that’s just where some of the confusion on this comes from. Yes, a Saint Bernard fits Mt. Hood, since they’re service dogs on the actual mountain, known for rescuing people after avalanches. And it’s definitely a more original character than most of the titans and cougars that seem to grace other community colleges. It also adds a humanitarian note. The problem is the abbrevia-
tion – the “Saints” for short. We can understand why that happened: “Go, Saint Bernards!” just doesn’t sound right. But this leaves the moniker a bit muddled: Without the “Bernard” at the end, opposing teams/spectators are left to assume we’re the generic brand of “Saints.” And the old logo can confuse more than help, when it is rarely on an MHCC uniform (it doesn’t show up on in-game uniforms at the moment, just items such as jackets, hats, etc). That rendition of Barney definitely has jowls and fangs more fitting for a bulldog, as well. ”I thought we were the bull dogs
too, I didn’t know who Saint Bernard was,” said ASG Vice President Lindsay Patiño. This leaves the Saints with a marketing dilemma: It is hard to build brand recognition being the Saint Bernards, but splitting time between being the Saints and the Saint Bernards doesn’t help, either. The athletic department has tried to keep a better sense of continuity in previous years to build a connection with the community. Changing the mascot now may interrupt some of that continuity, but at the same time, the clearer depiction of Barney could better connect with the community and regain that
lost recognition, and then some. We understand feeling the urge to update the logo; it seems to be the norm for a lot of athletic institutions, to update their style on occasion. But the Barney vote being a choice between the three finalists ASG chose, has left some faculty members feeling left out- An option to keep the previous Barney should have been offered, but it is definitely time to move forward. The reason Barney wasn’t included, explained Patiño was that a twelve credit tuiton waiver was being offered to the winner of the contest which falls flat if the old Barney were to win.
Letter to the editor: Don’t change Barney just yet Fred Schnell
Health & P.E. Instructor, Former Head Basketball Coach I have heard many versions as to why the logo for the Athletic Department is being changed. I sent an email to Seth Albert, our ASG President, just as his email reminding everyone to vote instructed me to do if I had any questions. I asked him to please tell me the reason(s) for the change, since I have heard several versions of a reason for changing. His reply? I waited more than 48 hours without a reply before deciding to write to The Advocate... (Have you read “Catch 22”?) Those of us in the Athletic Department have been asking why the change since we first heard about the
contest to change the logo during Dr. Derr’s address at the “New Student Orientation” in September. Imagine our (Athletic Department members) surprise that “our” logo was going to be changed. I say “our” logo because the reason for Barney’s existence is as the representative of the athletic teams since MHCC first started athletics. If it weren’t for athletic teams, there would be no Barney! The school logo is the mountain symbol found on all printed material from the school, as well as the letterhead on stationery. You know, the one that looks like we stole it from Adidas. Whoever initiated this change showed a complete lack of integrity and courage to not consult the Athletic Department before beginning this “end run” attack.
It seems rather ironic that as we celebrate fifty years as an institution and emphasize the glorious history of Mt Hood Community College that we are being forced to eliminate one of the icons that represent a great deal of that glorious history. As a former head coach here at Mt. Hood, I am personally offended that the suggestion of changing a longstanding tradition is being forced upon us, the Athletic Department, against our wishes. I say forced because the Athletic Department was not consulted as to whether they would like to make a change before this contest was initiated. The president says it was student-driven. The students say it is administration-driven. In any case, the current version of Barney is
not even a choice to vote for. Even if there is a group of students who are driving this proposed change, just maybe they are a vocal minority and the majority of students (and quite possibly staff) would prefer to keep the current, lovable Barney. But I guess they do not even get a chance to voice their preference. Shouldn’t anyone who prefers keeping the current version of Barney be given the right to state such through a public vote? I would urge everyone who can vote to write in a vote for the current Barney if you do not agree that we need a change or if you just do not like any of the three finalists. And then there is the money issue, which always seems to be in short supply. The Advocate
reported on the recent reductions to the Athletic Department budgets. Where is the money going to come from to replace all of the championship banners hanging in the gymnasium, the entry rugs on display around campus which feature Barney’s picture, all of the printed materials bearing his likeness and all of the uniforms and equipment with the logo on it? It would seem rather ridiculous to change the logo and not change everything which is represented by the old logo. Did anyone in student government think about the financial implications, President Seth Albert? Do you have an answer to that, or any of the questions I have posed? I would really like some answers.
passionate about the need to change the mascot logo from what is widely referred to as “Angry Bulldog Barney.” This decision was made due to the growing complaints from students through the years about this logo. The “current logo” does not resemble a Saint Bernard. Most people, unless they know better, think that our mascot is a “Holy Bulldog.” This also brings up the halo part of the mascot which implies a bias toward a single religion rather than our acceptance and nondiscrimination towards all religions. All in all we decided it was finally time to address this issue and give Barney a much needed makeover. We understood that this process would be a huge undertaking and could cause a lot of mixed reactions
among the employees of the college. However, when students call for a change, it is our responsibility as Associated Student Government to do all we can to make that change happen. Starting Fall Term, I started meeting with Bruce Battle and Glenn Wright (MHCC Community Relations employees) to come up with a game plan on how we (could) make headway towards this project becoming a reality. We decided that this should be done by the students and chosen by the college community as a whole. In order to make this happen we held a college-wide design competition, starting Winter break, which was open to all students. We received a great variety of submissions from about 20-30 students.
The next step was to choose a top three. For this we brought a committee together from every part of campus that would be effected by this change. This included Athletics, the bookstore, college administration, and students. This decision to proceed with the logo redesign was not made in isolation, but was initiated, vetted, and supported by this committee in honor of what our community of students are seeking. Together we discussed the reasoning for this change as well as picked our top three. It was discussed to bring the current logo into the running as one of the top three but (that idea) was widely shut out. The new mascot will be announced next Monday at the ASG presidential (winner) announce-
ment. As to paying for changes in the logo, we understand that the budget is tight and there is quite a bit of merchandise with the old logo on it. In talking with the Athletics representative at the committee meetings we came to an agreement that it (change) was not expected to happen immediately. Change takes time. As things wear out or need to be replaced, (each item) is expected to have the new logo on it as they are reordered. As I stated before. I completely understand your feelings toward this matter. But I would like to reiterate that this is being done for students by students. If you or anyone has any personal issues or complaints, please feel free to come to the ASG office. Lindsay and I would be happy to discuss this with you.
Letter to the editor: Students called for a change Seth Albert
ASG President Dear Fred Schnell, I understand your frustrations and concerns, they are all completely valid. However, this decision to change the Barney logo for our entire school, has been going on since Fall Term. It is unfortunate that anyone has waited this long to come forward with concerns. As it is now the process will be wrapping up and a new mascot logo will be announced on Monday. The entire process started this past summer when the vice president of ASG, Lindsay Patiño, myself as ASG president, and Dr. (Debbie) Derr met to go over our goals and intentions for the year. While we came up with many projects, we all were very
NEWS
May 6, 2016
Commencement information for Mt. Hood students Emily Wintringham the advocate
According to the MHCC website, students normally would expect to receive all the information regarding the ceremony by the end of April. This year, according to business office representatives, students should expect an email soon, and a printed letter in their mailbox by Wednesday, at the latest. While we all wait, here are some answers to the most common, important questions about graduation and commencement throughout the year. When is commencement? This year’s commencement ceremony is Saturday, June 11. It begins promptly at 10 a.m. in the Earl L. Klapstein track and field stadium located on the Gresham campus. Graduates and those walking should assemble no later than 9 a.m. in the Yoshida Event Center (MHCC gym.)
Seating in the grandstand opens at 8:45 a.m. Special seating arrangements are available for mobility- and hearing-impaired students. More information will come in the letter. What’s the difference between graduation and commencement? Graduation applies to the certificate given to the student who has satisfied all of the degree or certificate requirements. These documents take about 4-6 weeks after the term to verify, which means that every student at the ceremony won’t receive their official documents until the summer. Commencement is the celebration any student can be involved in, to celebrate their academic achievements. Students don’t have to have their degrees completed in order to participate in the ceremony. Does it cost to graduate? Receiving the certificates of
graduation do not cost a dime. Neither does attending the ceremony, but commencement gear does. Read on for more info on the price for caps, gowns, tassels, etc. What if I applied, but I know I can’t finish by the end of the expected term? Your records stay on file for one year after the term you applied for graduation. If you expect to graduate later than you thought, you need to update that information to the business office at: ar@mhcc.edu. How do I get my name on the program? You have to apply for graduation
to have your name in the program. However, you don’t have to have your name in the program to walk. Everyone’s name is called by a card, so you must notify the business office in advance to get your name called. How do I apply for honors? Phi Theta Kappa offers honors to students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. You must contact Rho Theta to register. As of this term, the deadline to register has passed. Any student who has ended Winter Term with a GPA of 3.65 or higher is eligible for honors. Honors regalia are sold at the campus bookstore. Where do I buy my stuff? The bookstore is currently selling standard cap-and-gown sets. Students may purchase their items from now until June 10. The bookstore hours are 7:45 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays.
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According to cashier Sarah Boger, the standard package costs $35, with options for more expensive tassels. Boger said the store will begin selling honors regalia after this weekend. Contact ASG (Associated Student Government) for options regarding financial help in affording caps/gowns. How many guests can I invite? Students may bring unlimited guests and no tickets are required for entry to the ceremony. Parking is free for all. The entire MHCC campus is tobacco-free. Guests are welcome to bring blankets and chairs if there is need, due to overcrowding. Concession stands will be open during the ceremony. Nancy’s Floral will be outside the main entrance, selling graduation gifts.
Death and dying discussed by book group in DRC Gloria Saepharn the advocate
For spring term, Mt. Hood’s book group is focusing on traditions of death and dying. The Layers of Learning book group is currently reading “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi, which is about Kalanithi’s coping with lung cancer. While a book is always involved in the group, it is only a catalyst for wider discussion, according to Melinda Bullen, MHCC Diversity Resource Center Coordinator. In his book, Kalanithi writes about finishing his residence as a neurosurgeon and how he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Each term, Layers of Learning meets for five weeks, from noon to 1 p.m. every Monday in the DRC, inside the Student Union. “The book is just the start of the conversation. We often have different activities, different films,
whatever it might be, to continue the conversation beyond the book,” Bullen said. The group previously covered topics such as LGBTQ community issues (specifically transgender issues) and “The Residue Years” by Mitchell S. Jackson, “which was sort of homegrown, but definitely talked about socioeconomic and race issues,” said Bullen. To discuss the cultural aspect of funerals, embalming, and cremation, the group visited Mt. Hood’s Funeral Services Education program. Bullen plans to have a couple of funeral directors present to speak about their perspectives and career experience. One works in North Portland with the African American community and the other works in the city of Sandy, with a predominately white, rural service area. Bullen plans to take the group to an off-campus trip to visit River View Cemetery, a historical
burial and funeral services site in Southwest Portland. Faculty and staff who attend the Layers events, eating lunch as they meet, have embraced the tough topic, Bullen said.
“This is a really nice intellectual and community break for them, where they can connect with each other. I was worried that people
wouldn’t want to take this course, because people don’t want to think about death,” she said. At their first meeting, the group found it shocking that even though death is something that everyone in the world is connected to, people don’t want to discuss it. Some will avoid the topic and others may come together with empathic gestures. The weekly meetings allow attendees to discuss how they feel about their own personal experiences. “I think, in some ways, they’re seeing it as cathartic, an opportunity to sort of come and dive into this subject that most people avoid,” said Bullen. Some members of the group have remained with the Layers of Learning since it was first started almost two years ago. Regulars have joked about the group forcing their hand in reading because “we all get so busy and they’re not reading enough on their free time,” Bullen said. “We all have multiple layers of our identity
that we don’t see from the outside.” Addressing a sensitive topic can create an uneasy atmosphere, but when someone near to an individual dies, people close to them are typically empathetic, want to help and want to share their condolences and sorrow. Yet, “people are afraid to bring it up, because they don’t want to upset the person,” Bullen said. “I couldn’t be open about the loss and pain because nobody was talking to me about it. I felt like I had to hold it all to myself,” Bullen said about her own experience. In contrast, when it comes to death, this particular group came together to talk about how death “inevitably allows us to be more connected to the moments we’re sharing now,” she said. Layers of Learning welcomes all students, staff and faculty at MHCC. There are just two meetings left for the group, but Bullen says anyone interested is still free to join.
the advocate Editor-in-Chief Adam Elwell Associate Editor Hayden Hunter Arts+Entertainment Editor Ivy Davis News Editor Gloria Saepharn
Sports Editor Clay Vitale Graphic Designers Cody Holcombe Ayla Buckner Photo Editor Nick Pelster Opinion Editor Adam Elwell
Public Relations Manager Emily Wintringham Video Editor Chuck Masi Video Team Members Kristina Strickland
Ad Manager Joseph Frantz
Glenn Dyer Jon Fuccillo
Assistant Ad Manager London HowellFarley
Web Editor Matana McIntire
Copy Editor Greg Leonov Staff Writers Nicole Kaadi
Advisers Howard Buck Dan Ernst
E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 www.advocate-online.net #mhccadvocate Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030
The Advocate encourages readers to share their opinion by letters to the editor and guest columns for publication. All submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name and contact information. Contact information will not be printed unless requested. Original copies will not be returned to the author. The Advocate will not print any unsigned submission. Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 600. The decision to publish is at the discretion of the editorial board. The Advocate reserves the right to edit for style, punctuation, grammar and length. Please bring submissions to The Advocate in Room 1369, or e-mail them to advocatt@mhcc.edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday the week of publication to be considered for print. Opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Advocate or MHCC.
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MHCC holds run to raise sexual assault awareness London Howell-Farley the advocate
MHCC held its first-ever glowin-the-dark walk and 5k run at the college running track on Thursday, April 28. Drawing 135 participants, the event was called Take Back the Night (TBTN) and started with Chris Gorsek, Oregon House representative and MHCC geography and forensic science instructor, speaking about why Mt. Hood was holding the event. TBTN promotes the idea “that we should be safe, that we should live without fear of violence and that we should support each other,” according to Gorsek. The event supports victims of sexual violence, with special attention to low-income communities. The TBTN website says one in three women and one and six men worldwide experience some form of sexual violence, and less than 50 percent of victims report these crimes. Gorsek’s speech concluded, “We walk to celebrate them tonight, we walk to celebrate the steps we are
taking to heal and support those who are healing. Just remember: No means no, and we will not stand for it, at all.” Starting at 8 p.m., the first 150 people who had registered were able to receive free entry and glow-inthe-dark T shirts and wristbands; every person after that needed to pay $15 for admission. Members from Associated Student Government (ASG) provided beverages and a glow stick for each lap a person ran. “It was an amazing sight to see students unite for this cause and during the event, all I could think about was reaching the 13th lap,” said MHCC student Kristian Reyes. ASG Vice President Lindsay Patiño said, “It was a lot of fun. I feel that it went really well. This was the first time that we have ever done that, and hopefully we will do it next year as well.” TBTN is a national organization that brings awareness to sexual violence, and its history goes back over half a century. “We seek to end sexual assault, domestic violence through aware-
Photos by Nick Pelster
Mt. Hood’s 5k run for Take Back the Night (TBTN) attracted 135 people. TBTN is an organization that raises awareness for victims of sexual assault. Pictured from left, MHCC Track coach Jim Satterfield, ASG President Seth Albert. (Center) Director of Student Activities Board Jossie Hernandez handing a glowstick to a participant finishing a lap. (Right) a group of Mt. Hood softball players also participated in the event.
ness events and initiatives. We seek to end sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse and all other forms of sexual violence,” according to the group’s website. “No one should fear the night… or the day. Shatter the silence. Stop the Violence. The TBTN foundation serves to create safe communities and respectful relationships through awareness events and initiatives.” MHCC held the event as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, “and to help reassure students on campus that we stand with them and we agree that sexual violence is not something that we should be dealing with today,” said Marisol
Dawn of MAXpocalypse 2016 Greg Leonov the advocate
Starting on Sunday, through May 21, Portland and surrounding areas serviced by TriMet’s MAX lines will be going through what OregonLive. com calls “#MAXpocalypse.” Service will be interrupted repeatedly due to track repairs happening along Southwest First Avenue in downtown Portland. Red and Blue lines will have a
reduced service capacity, by about half. The trains will detour along the Transit Mall on Fifth and Sixth avenues. Shuttle buses will be available for stops along First Avenue. What’s more, “Only Blue Line trains will run on the westside between Hillsboro and Library/ Galleria MAX stations,” according to TriMet’s website. Green Line trains will run every 20 minutes, with a 30-percent decrease in capacity between the Rose
Rodriguez, Public Safety and Campus Sustainability director for ASG. “And we hear so much about students’ concerns with the parking lots not having enough security; we understand sexual violence is not something that we should be dealing with,” Rodriguez said. Non-MHCC students, whether faculty or other community members, were the only ones fee money was collected from – about a
half-dozen people. Proceeds went toward the T-shirts and any money generated from TBTN went to underprivileged communities and educational programing. Rodriguez said that to prevent sexual violence, students at Mt. Hood need to be an advocate: Don’t stand for sexual violence – speak up if you know of any incidents, be a supporter, and believe someone if they come forward as a victim.
Open Educational Resources to ease textbook costs
Quarter and Clackamas Town Center. Orange and Yellow line trains will run their regular routes, but every 20 minutes, also with a 30 percent decrease in capacity. Anyone using MAX lines is encouraged to plan their trips for a 30 to 45-minute delay, or to avoid using MAX altogether. For more information on #MAXpocalypse, visit trimet. org/firstavenue or s.oregonlive. com/463VhkY.
Gloria Saepharn the advocate
Mt. Hood’s associated student government (ASG) is aiming to help students understand that there are affordable textbooks – encouraging teachers to use Open Educational Resources (OER) in their classrooms, to provide students some financial relief. OER are online textbooks that allow teachers to edit noncopyrighted, open-licensed materials that are accumulated on a subject or topic.
MHCC is holding an OER festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday that will recognize teachers who have already integrated OER materials in their classroom flow. Staff members who have provided some form of OER in their courses are encouraged to email Lindsay Patiño, ASG vice president, so they may be honored at the festival. “Even if you are unable to attend, please let me know, so we can give you your certificate at another time,” Patiño’s announcement said.
May 6, 2016
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Hidden restaurant on busy street of Belmont Ivy Davis
the advocate
5/5 on the thai food scale
You would never see the house, unless someone told you it was there. Tucked away in a delicate Victorian home behind a forest of trees, shrubbery, and vines is Khun Pic’s Bahn Thai. The only sign of the place from the busy Belmont Street is a tall, white, steel gate. Both the outside and inside of the restaurant hold great character – from the hidden house in the shrubs, to the outdoor seating on the brick patio, to the inside where an older couple run the business by themselves. Jon and Mary have been running Khun Pic’s since 1998. Jon is the server, busser, and dishwasher while Mary is the cook putting her many family recipes to use. The inside of the house clearly shows the owners’ love for their home. A lovely entryway hosts seating for waiting guests. Three rooms painted with gold trim and decorated with antiques make up the entire indoor seating. Tables of two and four vary across the rooms, draped in floral tablecloths of every color. Guests are asked to seat themselves as Jon gets them ice water and menus. Every night is different,
depending on what Mary feels like cooking; some days the restaurant closes early if she doesn’t want to cook any longer. Anyone choosing to dine here must be patient, as the two-person team can only work so fast. Jon will hustle, going back and forth between the many tables. A guest will have to wait for their order to be taken, then wait for their food, and maybe even wait longer to pay for their meal if they don’t bring cash. Thankfully, there is an ATM less than a block from the house, but fighting over which person from the party has to stay behind will make good entertainment for other guests. Sitting close to the kitchen, one can hear Mary ring a bell when food is ready. If your group is too chatty, no one will notice the hour and a half pass by – they’ll only be excited when they see the food. Jon will bring out different dishes in a crazy array of antique plates and serving platters, similar to the nonmatching tablecloths. My personal choice of the night was red curry with a medium spice level, as I did not want to turn radish red, tear up, and sweat profusely in front of my date. The sweet and spicy coconut soup brought an angelic smell to my nose and I had to hold back from looking like a wolf taking down its prey. My meal was paired with a bowl of white rice in red Depression glass. The best part was having leftovers of
Web photos
TOP: Mary’s homemade chicken curry, made to order. ABOVE: The interior three rooms of Khun Pic’s that make up the dining area beautifully decorated with gold trim, antiques, and family heirlooms.
the delicious curry. (I don’t know how people can live their life never eating leftovers; they are my life force.) The wait is long, but the food is worth it. One can tell the homemade recipes of Khun Pic’s have been well-worn. Jon and Mary make a delightful couple and
duo for this charming restaurant. The restaurant is located at 3429 S.E. Belmont St.; just look for the white gate in the shrubs. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. There is no way you can be disappointed by this Thai restaurant, 5/5.
It should have stayed a video game
Ratchet & Clank fails to measure up to the games Matana McIntire the advocate
0.5/5 on the Ratchet and Clank scale
Have you ever seen a beloved program from your childhood recreated, only to become a complete sack of shit? Well, that was my experience with the new “Ratchet & Clank.” Granted, Ratchet & Clank was a PlayStation 2 game, not a kids show, but the comparison still stands. The entire movie, I kept thinking of that awful kids show, “Littlest Pet Shop,” or the new, horrible remake of
the “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” cartoon. It has the same poor animation, the same boring side characters, the same cliché jokes. The movie was basically a glorified remake of the first game. Which makes sense; starting from the
beginning is way better than going farther down the ever-confusing rabbit hole that was the last Ratchet game. Unfortunately for all us fans, it just wasn’t well executed. Let’s tackle the first issue right away: the dialogue. In the entertainment industry, we have this term called on-the-nose dialogue. That’s where a character says exactly what they’re feeling, straight out. While this is completely normal, and frankly, healthy in real life, it makes boring movies. It’s cringe-worthy. We
ABOVE: Poor Ratchet, looking on in sadness as he knows in his heart that his movie was a dud. Don’t be sad, Ratchet, there’s still hope for your new video game, available now for the PS4.
hear it and we know it’s bad, because we’ve seen it done better in movies time and time again. The argument that this movie was made for kids is out the window, too, because even kids see well-made movies and can tell the difference. Bottom line, we don’t want to hear Ratchet say ‘I love you’ when he could very well just express that same subtext through action. Rookie move, screenwriters T.J. Fixman, Kevin Munroe, and Gerry Swallow. The second issue is the fact that the movie is just plain boring. Incredibly boring. At one point, I laid back my head and started thinking of other things because I didn’t want to try and keep up with the winding plot line.
-See RATCHET on page 6
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Aquarius- Mercury is waning, about a third into its phase. Naturally, doing things in threes would be of immediate benefit, but reflecting this kindness onto others would accrue twice as much karma. Clip every third toenail, and discreetly distribute them to your friends. Pisces- If you avoid thinking about that co-worker making some freaking weird noises for no apparent reason behind your back while you type, this week should turn out fine. GETOUTOFMYHEAD Aries- Definitely don’t listen to your coworkers eat while you’re trying to work this week: This is according to the stars and stuff. Even if they breathe through their mouth, just keep typing and you will be fine. Jesus, how are you always finding peanut butter? Taurus- Did you know centipedes never have 100 legs? They always have an odd number of body segments, so they can have 102, or 104, but not 100. If you think your mind is blown now, just wait for the rest of the week. Gemini- Keep some Vaseline and fishing line handy this week. I don’t want to freak you out, so let’s just say it’s better to have it and not need it… Cancer- This week is pretty hunky-dory for you, but what you need to think long and hard about in the coming months is your identity – are you more of a slug or a snail person? Choose carefully. Leo- Don’t sell the farm just yet, Jethro, your newfangled citythinking has got you all ajjertatud. Interpret that as you will. Hey, I don’t write these, I just interpret the stars, man. Don’t shoot the messenger. Virgo- When was the last time you drop-kicked an office supply? It’s not like you have to... Bet it would feel liberating and/or badass, though. “Oh shit, Terry – Phil’s finally snapped. Who had money down that it would be a silent, frenetic episode? Was it Bill? Whatever, I still collect insurance since he broke an office supply though. The payout was three-toone he wouldn’t do it on a Friday, too.” Libra- You don’t get one, ’cause Virgo was too long. Scorpio- You, too. Sorry, it’s just in the stars this week. Sagittarius- You’re going to need to crunch some serious numbers soon. For maximum productivity, play Slayer loudly on your computer so co-workers avoid you, while listening to Bob Marley on headphones for the encouragement to go the distance. Capricorn- I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: You need to eat corn in capri pants. How do you expect these to come true if you don’t put in any work? It’s not even like either of those things aren’t enjoyable. You kinda piss me off.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
advocate-online.net
Kenney Polson tours with the Stone City Band Ivy Davis
the advocate “I started for all the wrong reasons,” Kenney Polson said. Polson is a member of the MHCC District board of directors, elected in 2015 to a four-year term. He is also a world-traveling, accomplished saxophonist/composer. This summer he plans to be touring with a well-known group, the Stone City Band, playing saxophone. Polson said he started playing saxophone mostly by chance. He retold the story of how he meet a “lady” in seventh grade. “She was going into the band room,” he said. Following the girl into the band room, he decided he needed to play drums “because that’s where the girl was,” he laughed. Polson and the band teacher fought over which instrument he would play and in the end, the 13-year-old Polson picked up the saxophone. Since then, the board member has been avidly playing saxophone along with a number of other instruments. “Which ones don’t I play,” Polson responded, before ticking off “alto sax, clarinet, flute, oboe, drums, keyboards, and a little
bit of French horn,” not fully completing his list. Before coming to MHCC, the musician worked as a band instructor at Portland’s Cleveland High School and Hosford Middle School. He has an associate of arts degree from Fresno City College, a master’s degree in jazz composition from Howard University, and an education specialist degree from Lewis & Clark College. Polson has traveled the world teaching and performing his art. “I’ve been to 50 countries and I’ve performed in all but two,” said Polson. He also has made teaching stops at Marylhurst University, Merced College, the International School of Beijing, Howard University, and the American School of Rio de Janeiro. The board member recalled going to the Louvre Museum in Paris and being enthralled in the art. “I love the visual arts,” he commented, adding that he has gone to many famous artist museums while abroad. Currently Polson works at the U.S. Postal Service, serves on the MHCC board, and is a member of a four-person band. The musician’s
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goal is to “not only educate, but to serve the community” on the college board, he said. Polson is forming his own local band that consists of him on the sax, a piano-keyboard player, a bass player, and a drummer. A guitarist is his next planned addition, he said. He would love a set-up where he could go and record music every day. Meanwhile, the Stone City Band was made famous by its famous frontman, Rick James, performing funk, rock, and soul music. The lyrics “She’s a super freak, super freak, she’s super-freaky, yow” from the song “Super Freak” run through the mind when thinking of James. Polson is waiting until June 6, when he goes on tour with the group. For now, Polson enjoys being active on campus. Recently he was invited by Dan Davey, Mt. Hood music instructor, to play with his band here but declined, not having his Web photo instrument with him and The album artwork for one of Kenny Polson’s CD’s, Paradise, produced in 2011 as a saying, “musicians just don’t compillation of smooth jazz. The CD features his own work, plus collaborations with blow on each other’s horns.” fellow jazz muscians.
Ratchet & Clank, continued
(Though, hopefully not the movie franchise) And maybe that’s just me – I know I can barely pay attention in class, so it’s plausible. But if you go to see the movie (against my recommendation), I have a feeling you’ll be just as bored, lost and exasperated as me. As much as I (admittedly) didn’t think
deeply about where the plot was meandering to, it still was very clear it was a hot mess. At one point I thought we were already at the climax, and it couldn’t have been more than 30 minutes in. The final offense (and this one is the worst) is what happens to Captain Qwark at the end. His role becomes a redundancy that emulates villains in most lame kid cartoons. We loved Captain Qwark in the video games because he always stayed true to his character. The only saving grace in this entire film was minor: The writers managed to hold on to the tone of the video games, in small ways. Every once in a while, Captain Qwark would quip a one-liner that sounded like it was straight out of the video games. Something like, “Have a Qwarktastic day!” These little drops of humor almost warmed me up to the film, until the plot
took a turn for the worse in the end of the second act. Overall, the movie was just plain bad. Don’t go see it. Rather, pull out your old PS2 and pop in Going Commando. It’ll curb any craving you have to go see the movie, and you can enjoy the characters how they should be enjoyed: as a playable game.
Ratchet and Clank looking sad as they reflect on the monstrosity that is their feature length film. Let’s hope, for their sake, that no sequel is ever made.
Web photo.
SPORTS
April 29, 2016
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Saints tighten the knot Unravel Chemeketa Tangle with Clackamas
Clay Vitale
the advocate Softball is winding down in the Northwest Athletic Conference, putting pressure on teams across the league. Mt. Hood is currently sitting pretty atop the South at 11-3 in regional play, 27-8 in conference, but head coach Meadow McWhorter isn’t taking anything for granted. “We have so much respect for all of our opponents, we always have to bring our ‘A’ game,” she said. Case in point: team’s last two series. The Saints played host to the Storm of Chemeketa on Saturday, a match-up that, on paper, shouldn’t provide a huge test to the Mt. Hood women, considering Chemeketa has a strong hold on last place in the South. The Storm came out strong,
though, and pushed the Saints early by scoring a pair in the first inning of game one. McWhorter replaced Kendal Cox in the circle early, inserting ace Kayla Byers to stop the bleeding. The Saints answered back in the bottom of the inning on the first of three runs Rachel Rutledge would drive in on the afternoon, and Byers shut the door from there. Byers took the “W” after 6.2 innings pitched and racked up nine punchouts without allowing a walk as Mt. Hood won, 4-2. The Saints’ offense perked up in the second game, scoring 12 runs across five innings to trigger the mercy rule. Catcher Darian Lindsey and outfielder Tiara Champ both reached base three times in four plate appearances, with Lindsey knocking in three runs and Champ a pair of her own. Sammie Byron started for Mt. Hood and was terrific, giving up
only a couple of hits through four innings pitched before Cheyenne Vance closed it out. “From top to bottom, we put together all the pieces,” said McWhorter. Mt. Hood shifted its attention to rival Clackamas after the sweep. The Cougars had the Saints’ number during the teams’ last meeting, winning twice in Gresham. On Sunday, Byers toed the rubber in the first game, and put together a strong performance, matching her seasonhigh 13 strikeouts she recorded back on April 9 against the same Cougars, during a loss. This time, she only gave up two first-inning runs in a complete-game effort, and Saints shortstop Megan Marcy drilled a two-run homer in the top of the first. Mt. Hood would win, 5-2. “We came out on fire, put together quality at-bats and
played excellent defense”, noted McWhorter. “Kayla threw a heck of a game and didn’t allow a run after the first.” Unfortunately, momentum shifted to the home team in game two, as Clackamas put up a 10-spot on the Saints. Mt. Hood committed five errors in the contest, giving the
Photos by Jon Fuccillo
Cougars extra opportunities and they took advantage. McWhorter would say, “Our communication in adversity was not quality – we have to limit the ‘Oh, shoot’ moments and stay focused. But you know, it was just kind of one of those innings.” Byers tried to helped her cause by driving in two runs, while Lindsey and Rutledge each collected a couple hits in the 10-5 defeat. Next up, Mt. Hood invites Southwestern Oregon to Saints Field for Saturday’s doubleheader. McWhorter said, “We know we’ll have to bring the sticks, because they can hit.” The Saints stay home to host Lower Columbia on Tuesday before closing out the regular season on the road in Vancouver against Clark next Friday. Shortstop Rachel Rutledge gets the signs at the dish from her coach.
Mt. Hood Track Festival showcases Saints’ talent Clay Vitale
the advocate Mt. Hood hosted its own track and field meet on Saturday, April 30, appropriately named the Mt. Hood Track Festival, and invited the likes of Clackamas and Everett community colleges and Southern Oregon Photo by Nick and Concordia Pelster universities to participate in the multitude of events. There was a wide range of competitors that included four-year university and unaffiliated athletes. The Saints fared well across the board, with both the men and women outdoing opponents in various sections of the track and placing at or near the top in field events. The Saints’ Danelle Woodcock was again one of the top performers of the day, placing first in both the women’s 100 and
200 meter dashes with respective times of 12.00 and 25.54 seconds. Her teammate, Kinnah Rhodes, ran the 100 meters in 12.30, taking second place, and also finished third in the 110 meter hurdles. Mt. Hood placed first in the 4x100 women’s relay, with Woodcock, Rhodes, Tori Wilkerson and Mikhayla Baravik working well as a team. Saints’ cross country lead runner Leah Norquist took third in the 800-meter run, crossing the finish line in 2:20.59, and Wilkerson tied for first with Oregon Tech’s Veronica Norris in the high jump, with a measurement of 1.53 meters. Woodcock also decimated the long jump field, posting a best distance of 5.66 meters The field portion of the meet saw Mt. Hood’s Chesi Dixson place sixth in each of three events: the shot put (8.83 meters), discus throw (24.74), and hammer throw (30.47). Taylor Rispler gave the Saints a
second-place finish with a 38.92 meter javelin throw, followed by teammate Kayla Watkins in seventh with a toss of 27.3 meters. The men’s side featured second-
Web Photo
Saints’ star sprinter Danelle Woodcock
and third-place winners in the 100 meter dash, as Joshua Turner and Chad Figueroa crossed at 11.17 and 11.30, respectively. Figueroa also finished atop the 200 meter dash with a second-section best time of 23.01 seconds, while Jonathan Zacarias took second in section No. 2 of the 1500m run, finishing at 4:08.43 minutes. Zacarias also placed first in the third section of 800 meter run, clocking in at 2:02.00, 4.3 seconds quicker
than third-place teammate Jacob Barnett. Distance runner Luke Lowe paced to a sixth-place finish in the 5000 meters, with a time of 17:05.94. Mt. Hood locked down the hurdles as Turner took the top spot in both the 110 and 400 meter races with best times of 14.34 and 57.10, respectively. Long jump was also dominated by the Saints, with Jaron Barrow finishing in first with a leap of 6.53, just .02 meters ahead of Turner in second place. Turner then topped the triple jump with a distance of 13.75 meters, followed by teammate Aaron Colford in third with a 13.02 mark and Barrow in fourth with a 12.80. Continuing the first-place theme was Brian Salgado in the shot put, tossing an impressive 13.43 meters. Fellow Saints Joshua Spears and Alec Fappas rounded out the No. 4 and 5 spots, throwing respective distances of 11.23 and 10.66 meters. Week Six NWAC “player” of the week Lexington Reese was within .15 meters of first
place in the javelin throw, with a distance of 60.45 meters – 5.1 meters further than his next closest competitor, in third.
Photo by Nick Pelster
Joshua Spears practices discus throws
Spears and Salgado took the top two spots in the discus throw, topping out at 41.99 and 40.02 meters, as Fappas placed sixth with a 32.86- meter toss. The Saints travel to Eugene on May 14 to compete in the Southern Regional Championships at Lane Community College, then turn around and play host again on May 23-24, this time for the NWAC championship meet.
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Oslund Field can’t hold ’em, Saints sweep Penguins at home
Photos by Jon Fuccillo
LEFT: Saints’ third baseman Nolan McCall crosses home plate and is congratulated by outfielder Taylor Travess after launching a two-run shot over the left field wall on Saturday. RIGHT: Mt. Hood players congratulate each other in the first game of the double header against the Clark Penguins. The Saints took both games at home before dropping two consecutive on the road in Vancouver, Wash.
Jon Fuccillo and Clay Vitale the advocate
With the playoffs slowly creeping up, the Mt. Hood Saints baseball team finds itself in the thick of things. After splitting a four-game series over the weekend with Clark College, the Saints (11-5 in the South Region) are now tied for first place with both Chemeketa and Lane, with eight games remaining before the NWAC championship tournament. Last Saturday, Mt. Hood got off to a hot start at home with a 12-2 thrashing of Clark in the first game of a doubleheader. The beautiful early afternoon was highlighted by the Saints’ mercy ruling win over the Penguins, in seven innings. They
run moonshot scored sophomore outfielder Taylor Travess, and gave McCall his second hit and third and fourth runs batted in for the day. Travess finished the contest with three hits, two runs scored and three RBI. Connor Stevenson toed the rubber to start the second game, and would go on to hurl four innings of one-run ball before Riley Moore came on in relief in the fifth. Clark plated three in those three innings off Moore, but the Saints had already pulled far enough ahead to spot those runs, and went on to win, 6-4, for the home sweep. Sunday proved a bit more challenging for the Saints, who dropped a heartbreaker in game one, as the Penguins walked off in the bottom of the ninth. McCall
The disheartening finish may have carried over into the second game,
giving up a lone run through five innings to keep Mt. Hood in it. The
There is definitely a challenge ahead, but we are excited about where we are at heading into the last two weeks of the regular season. - Bowen Ogata as the offense ran dry. Cameron Jack took the hill in game two, and twirled a gem,
bats couldn’t muster much against Clark’s combo of Zach Torson and Tim Reynolds, though, and the
Saints were swept out of Vancouver, losing 6-1. Saints sophomore designated hitter Bowen Ogata got through the weekend riding a nine-game hitting streak. Commenting on the series, he said, “It was tough to drop those last two games, but I thought we showed a lot of fight in the third game. There is definitely a challenge ahead, but we are excited about where we are at heading into the last two weeks of the regular season.” As for individual performance, he added, “McCall’s home runs were huge for us – he stepped up big-time and has been swinging a hot bat.” Mt. Hood has another big, fourgame weekend series as the team heads to Salem today, taking on Chemeketa before welcoming the Storm to Gresham on Saturday.
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Saints catcher Mitchell Rose takes a pitch against Clark College on Saturday.
were led on the bump by sophomore Seth Rayburn, who tossed all seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits while striking out six. Third baseman Nolan McCall hit an absolute bomb over the left field ivy, depositing the baseball deep into the trees beyond Oslund Field. The two-
had another monster game, tallying his second homer of the weekend and driving in five runs, while sophomore outfielder Isaac Benard recorded five hits and stole a base for good measure. But it wasn’t enough, as Mt. Hood ultimately faced disappointment, losing 11-10.
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