Independent Student Voice of MHCC
Volume 52, Issue 1 SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 advocate-online.net
MHCC gym may not be safe for shelter
PAGE 2
Mt. Hood’s role in Gorge fire relief PAGE 5
How to get around campus PAGE 8
WELCOME TO MT. HOOD, SAINTS! PAGE 4
Is Germany’s new law ethical? Cast your vote PAGE 3
2016 FIRST PLACE
General excellence Oregon Newspaper Publisher Association
OPINION
- Editorial
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
SHELTER NEEDS TO RECEIVE STATE RELIEF
T
he Yoshida Event Center (also known as the gym) at Mt. Hood Community College is a designated Red Cross disaster relief shelter that’s supposed to help people who are in danger of, or who have already lost, their homes and possessions during a major emergency in East Multnomah County. This building was called home for a time by people from Columbia Gorge residents, including the Corbett area near Gresham this month after they were evacuated due to the Eagle Creek wildfire. As we look back at a recent stretch overflowing with natural disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires, we know that the demand for these kind of shelters is a real and everpresent need. The state of Oregon is perched atop what’s known as the “Cascadia Subduction Zone,” an undersea fault line that runs from southern British Columbia to northern California. Oregon State University scientists have found that there is about a 20 percent chance that Oregon will have an 8.0-point or higher earthquake in the next few decades. Their survey showed that some of the Pacific Northwest’s largest
YOUR
cities, including Portland and Seattle, are overdue for a rupture and major event. When this happens, the YEC is going to see a flood of people looking for somewhere safe to stay while they try and put their lives back together. As we’ve seen this week in Mexico, earthquakes are very deadly, destructive and can leave a lot of people without a home. So, Gresham and Portland are vulnerable: Our homes, businesses, schools and places of worship are all built on an area that’s prone to major earthquakes. MHCC officials are aware of this fact, and have been trying to get a voter-approved general obligation bond measure passed, in part to help with retrofitting the YEC (and other parts of the Mt. Hood campus), making it a safer place and one more likely to survive a major quake and remain a viable shelter for people who lose their homes and businesses. The problem with getting the building upgraded is, as with most problems in our world, money. And MHCC district voters have turned down a proposed bond many times, including the last two May election cycles. The danger isn’t going away.
ON I N I P O
MATTERS!
Last year, MHCC had a seismic survey done by KPFF Consulting Engineers of Portland to see what problems Mt. Hood buildings
?
Graphic by Prisma Flores
might have. The two buildings with major stability problems on campus are the library, and the gym. According to the surveys, anything rating higher than a low
6 on the Richter scale could bring a total collapse of the gym’s roof, as well as non-structural components potentially dislodging and falling – i.e., lights, scoreboards, basketball hoops etc. This makes the gym useless as a shelter for the purpose of earthquake relief. Not to mention, if students/spectators are inside for an event when a quake hits, there is a serious chance of injury, and even death if these upgrades aren’t made. This editorial is a call to action to our readers: We need to do as much as we can to help the school and our community to make our campus a safe place for its students and the community it serves. Right now, our gym and library are not nearly as safe as they should be. They were built long ago, a half-century, before we had the engineering knowledge to make them as structurally sound as we can today. What can you do to help fix the problem? First thing is first, we all need to communicate! Email politicians, stop by their office when you’re in Salem next, talk to everyone you know who lives in the MHCC area, and let them know when Mt. Hood puts
a bond measure up, to vote for it even if it means a small tax increase, because this is the place people are supposed to be able to go to when their homes aren’t safe. Additionally, we shouldn’t even have to wait for a bond to come around to get this problem solved. The state has money that it assigns to public schools and other public buildings for exactly this issue. Call or email one of the state offices that handle seismic grants and upgrades, such as the seismic rehabilitation grant program through Business Oregon, the state’s business development department. Finally –and I know this sounds simple, but – vote! If you don’t vote, you’re not heard, and an important thing like fixing the gym doesn’t get accomplished. Do what you can to help, make this place safe for yourself and your fellow students, future students, and our whole community.
To read more about last year’s bond, you can go to MHCC’s website mhcc.edu/Bond. For a copy of the KPFF Consulting Engineers’ survey, visit our website at advocateonline.net
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OR OPINION YOU WANT TO SHARE? ARE YOU A MEMBER OF A GROUP, OR HAVE A HOBBY THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? LET EVERYONE KNOW! EMAIL US: ADVOCATT@MHCC.EDU
the advocate Editor-in-Chief Matana McIntire
Sports Editor Position Open
Ad Manager Megan Phelps
Associate Editor Greg Leonov
Graphic Design Team Prisma Flores
Ad Team Yen Le
Co-Arts & Entertainment Editors Ryan Moore Noah Guillen
Photo Editor Open Position
Advisers Howard Buck Dan Ernst
News Editor Gloria Saepharn Opinion Editor Donovan Sargent Web Editor Dusty Sargent PA G E 2
Photo Team Fadi Shahin Fletcher Wold Video Team
Cory Wiese Megan Hayes Nick Krane
Staff Writers Antonio Edwards Cassie Wilson Hanna Benson Summer Frickey Maddy Sandstrom
Cover Photo By Fletcher Wold Contact us! E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 Website: advocate-online.net Twitter: @MHCCAdvocate Facebook: facebook.com/TheAdvocateOnline Instagram: @MHCCAdvocate #MHCCAdvocate Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030 Room AC1369
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.
Opinion
SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
SAINTS
DEBATES
A Pro/Con column series
Where you choose the winner
IS FACEBOOK RESPONSIBLE FOR HATE?
German lawmakers have passed a controversial law under which Facebook, Twitter, and other social media companies could face fines of up to €50 million ($57 million) for failing to remove hate speech, defamation, and incitements to violence — within 24 hours.
Donovan Sargent the advocate
Let’s get this out of the way right now: This is not a person’s home journal, or their personal property, that is being used to express their personal feelings. Of course, those things are, and should be, covered by free-speech laws. Rather, these are large, third-party companies who are basically saying, “Here is a blank sheet of paper that the world can see; write what you want to.” On top of that, if you read your terms and conditions language, they are claiming ownership of anything you post on their site. So, once you’ve posted that picture of your cat in your kitchen cupboard and comment on how it wants to “Has Cheeseburger,” Snowball’s likeness belongs to Zuckerberg and so does your timely cheeseburger reference. Basically, Facebook wants to be able to take anything you post that they think they can make a buck on, and claim it as theirs. However, if there is something negative like hate speech, they don’t think they should be held responsible? If I put a bunch of spray paint in front of my own brick wall, and told everyone, “If you want to paint on this, go for it, but I own all the art!” I am still responsible for what my brick wall has on it.
I can’t say, “Sorry, police, I know I told everyone they could paint on here, and even provided the wall and the paint, but I shouldn’t be in trouble if my wall faces a grade school and someone paints a bunch of dicks all over it, because someone else painted it.” Contrary to popular belief, companies are not individuals. They don’t have the same rights as an individual, nor should they. Individuals are held to a different standard; they have different laws and different responsibilities. Courts and governments need to be very careful when they give rights to businesses because it can have unforseen consequences. Facebook, Twitter, or any other publishing format (which essentially is what they are, a publishing format) shouldn’t have the same rules of freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of religion, as those given a person. When they do, we get companies such as the bakery in California that can discriminate based on sexual orientation, then claim it’s against the “company’s” religious beliefs. If Facebook doesn’t want to take responsibility for the things that are posted on its site, it needs to make it clear in the terms and conditions that the information and pictures posted are the responsibility and property of the people who’ve posted them. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t claim ownership and deny culpability – that’s not how things work.
Dusty Sargent the advocate
I struggle to find how anyone could be in favor of such a thing as holding Facebook or Twitter accountable for the speech and publications made by their users. It’s no different than arresting a child’s grandparents because little Timmy was shoplifting. May as well dig up Tesla and Marconi and give them the business whenever Howard Stern gets out of hand, as well. How do supporters of this policy they expect to collect on these fines if they were to accrue? This is the web-based equivalent of AT&T being sued because someone used their phone network to run a cold call phone scam. The last time I checked, neither Facebook or Twitter were located, nor held office space, in Germany. Also, we need to take an honest look at if this process is even feasible. So, let’s break down the numbers and get started. Facebook has 2 billion active users, Twitter has 328 million. With an average of 1.35 billion statuses, images and comments per day, if even half of 1 percent of posts are reported, that is over 6.7 million posts per day. The company would have to scan through, judge and double-check with free speech laws just over 78 posts per second. If Facebook technicians failed to find these posts at even the same rate, that could make the possible fine (at up to €50 million
per offense) €1.69 trillion, per day or over seven times the entire world’s GDP. Seems legit. And let’s consider that maybe Germany decides to soften its stance and make the fine a reasonable amount, or a blanket fine. Why should a company that was founded in and operates in the United States be held responsible in Germany for an offense, that isn’t an offense where it is based? Another point to consider in our everchanging world, where people seemingly go out of their way to take offense at everything being said, displayed or sold: Who is to say the German government won’t attempt to expand the definition of ‘hate speech,’ adding short, fat, mentally challenged, skinny, and others to their list. After all of the progress we have made with human rights and making the world a better place, going out of our way to tether ourselves to technology in order to give ourselves more freedom, we may end up in a world so totalitarian, with so much oversight, George Orwell probably would have considered the world of 1984 to be a utopia in comparison. Freedom of speech is an aspect that helps shape us as Americans, and one I believe should be shared by everyone. All of that being said, this threat seems to be a somewhat moot point as well, as Facebook has had a “report” feature in place for several years, and even has facial recognition software it utilizes. Facebook, more than most, has tried to be in the forefront of stopping hate speech and offensive content on its site.
Who do you think made the better argument?
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PA G E 3
NEWS
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
STUDENT ENERGY MOTIVATES JUSTIN CORE
MHCC hires new Director of Student Life after year's search
Greg Leonov the advocate
After a full year without a Director of Student Life, Mt. Hood Community College officials hired Justin Core, who started this summer. He replaces former director David Sussman. Core has spent 23 years working in higher education, most spent as an adviser for student life. Before coming to Mt. Hood, he worked at Pierce College in Tacoma, Washington. He got his start in education after being involved with student life during his own time as a student. Originally, he majored in television and radio broadcasting, but after one term, he decided
to pursue education. “I’m a product of the student leadership system,” said Core. “In college, I was a student activities coordinator and a student body president, and had a really quality mentor that encouraged me to pursue the field.” Core’s responsibilities will include overseeing student life (student government, student activities – which includes the Advocate, clubs and organizations – the Diversity Resource Center,
"Working with students is the best thing we can do."
-Justin Core
and the general operations of the Student Union. He said that, as an educator, “Working with students is the best thing that we can do.” Students’ passion and energy motivate him, he said. Aside from his occupation in education, Core is an avid sports
fan. He is particularly dedicated to supporting his favorite NFL team, the Seattle Seahawks. “I’ve been a ticket holder for decades,” he said. “I’ve always rooted for the home team throughout the highs and lows, and there were a lot of lows in the Eighties and Nineties. “I did get a chance to go to the Super Bowl – the one we lost to New England,” he added. Core said he likes all sports in all leagues: “If doesn’t matter if it’s professional or college, (or) high school. I think that whole team concept is pretty dynamic.” Building a highly functioning team is one aspect that Core can directly relate to his work. “The goal of any organization is to create a highly functional team,
and hopefully there aren’t barriers that are so significant that you can’t make that happen,” he said. “The goal of student leadership is to be part of a highly functional team; it’s a cornerstone of success.” Core said that the students’ stories at the college need to be recognized. “This college is driven by student interaction and involvement, and I think the real story is what students are doing, not necessarily what staff are doing,” he said. “It’s tough to go to college, and work and have a social life and have a family and so each and every one of our students (has) a story that needs to be told.”
Photos by Fletcher Wold
WELCOME DAY AT MT. HOOD TOP LEFT: After a formal welcome to campus from members of the Associated Student Government, including President PonyBoy Peterman and Vice President Carey McIntosh, new Mt. Hood students visited the event tables. These tables represented many organizations on campus, from academic to co-curricular programs. TOP RIGHT: President Debbie Derr addressed the new students on Sept. 19. BOTTOM LEFT: MHCC's canine mascot, who will be playing the part of "Barney the Saint Bernard" at various activities and sporting events. PA G E 4
NEWS
SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
MT. HOOD MEETS COMMUNITY NEEDS
Staff step up to assist the Red Cross and evacuees Gloria Saepharn & Greg Leonov the advocate
For several days early this month, the Yoshida Event Center (Mt. Hood’s gymnasium) served as an official Red Cross shelter for evacuees of the Eagle Creek fire, which raged through the Columbia Gorge and claimed almost 50,000 acres of steep, forested land. MHCC has long worked with Multnomah County officials and the Red Cross to designate the YEC as an emergency shelter during major area crises, according to Al Sigala, MHCC Executive Director of Development and District Communications. “We’ve also had reunification exercises (where) something happens at a school, then they can evacuate here. (That’s) where we reunite them with their families,” said Sigala. “That almost came to play in the Reynolds shooting (a deadly Reynolds High School incident in June
Photo provided by Al Sigala
2014). We were getting ready to do that. And then law enforcement decided to do it at Fred Meyer’s.” The gymnasium is a large space with restrooms, showers, and space for a dining and sleeping area. Once the Yoshida Center is activated as a shelter, it’s a Red Cross operation, said Sigala. “We’re here to support the Red Cross, so we supported them in assisting the putting-up (of) the shelter, covering the floor, moving the bleachers around, setting up cots, (and) setting up an animal shelter.” Evacuees’ pets were housed
in the MHCC racquetball courts and another nearby area. “There was an outpouring of folks who wanted to help,” said Sigala of the larger community response. “We had people stay inside the gym and then we had people with RVs in the parking lot. So those people – some of those who had RVs evacuated with the RVs and then just parked up there.” All Red Cross services were available to evacuees in the RVs. About 25 people slept in the shelter per night, according to Siga-
Stark Street, Salmon-Safe closure update
la, and the Red Cross served up to 75 people during the evacuation. Sigala said he interacted with a few people, but college officials generally respected evacuees’ wishes for privacy. “They don’t necessarily know what’s happening at their home, so it’s a strenuous time for them. I had some good conversations with some.” A displaced homeless man from Cascade Locks he spoke with helped with unloading water. An MHCC student who is also a military veteran used his time at the shelter to explore resources for advancement at Mt. Hood. “For the most part, we wanted to just let them be, because it’s a different situation,” Sigala said of the situation. “You suddenly find yourself moving into a gym and sleeping on cots and you’re not sure what’s happening.” A TV room was set up so evacuees could watch news updates on the fire. No classes were going on during the evacuation, so the gym was ful-
ly available as a relief center Sept. 4 through Sept. 12, with no need to relocate classes or practice for sports, Sigala noted. College officials had a debriefing with the county and Red Cross on how the situation was handled, and it generally went well, said Sigala. All groups involved with the shelter operation will continue “to train and train on different scenarios, possibilities, and keeping the team up-todate on those types of efforts.” For any future disaster relief that will require the YEC to be activated as an emergency shelter, Sigala said that communication is the most necessary element for a smooth operation. “This is the first time we were actually a shelter. We’ve practiced it, we’ve continued to train on it and we’re aware of the emergency practices and what happens and who takes command and how does the command work with everybody on that,” he said.
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Southeast Stark Street just downhill from the north MHCC entrance remains closed, but is scheduled to reopen in early October. A culvert replacement project started in June and is part of Mt. Hood’s Salmon-Safe effort, to be completed by 2019. The culvert under the street has been replaced with a much larger tunnel, making passage for salmon along Beaver Creek much easier. For project updates,
To read The Advocate’s coverage on Salmon-Safe efforts at MHCC, visit
advocate-online.net./salmon
Shared Interests
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Seeking truth
Kendrick Lamar
Boops
PA G E 5
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
AWARD WINNING JUROR TO BE IN VA GALLERY Watercolor Society convention welcomes local artists Ryan Moore the advocate
Every college has a few unique points of interest that can only be found on that campus, and Mt. Hood is no different. In addition to the murals and statues that can be found around MHCC, the Visual Arts Gallery is a hub for anyone in the community to come in and view a wide variety of artistic showcases that change periodically. From Oct. 7 through Oct. 26, students and others will be able to see the Columbia River Colors exhibit, which will feature watercolor paintings, courtesy of the Watercolor Society of Oregon. The exhibit is part of the Watercolor Society’s Fall convention that includes an exhibition of the selected paintings hung in the VA Gallery. Each of the 80 paintings that will be hung has been selected
Photos provided by Elizabeth Zimmerman
“Marching Through Time” (left) and “Love Song” by award-winning artist Paul Jackson, who will be the juror for the Columbia River Colors Water Color Society of Oregon’s annual convention, held in Mt. Hood’s Visual Arts Gallery from Oct. 7 through Oct 26.
from a group of 276 submissions, and from those works 20 will be chosen for various awards. This process is done by a juror and watercolor artist named Paul Jackson, recognized both nationally and internationally for his own award-winning works. The Watercolor Society of
Oregon is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that hosts two conventions each year within the state. Its last convention was held in Eugene and welcomed a group called the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies which combines all of the watercolor societies in the western states to
travel from state to state, exhibiting outstanding work. This was the first time that group showcase has been hosted by Oregon. As a part of the upcoming convention, Mt. Hood will also host a few breakout sessions for WSO members on all sorts of subjects, including color theory and
abstraction, some of which will be taught by local artists. And, MHCC art students or other interested are welcome and encouraged to join in, said Elizabeth Zimmerman, one of the convention chairs. “The WSO mission is about education, and what better way to educate than to reach out to students?” said Zimmerman, who has been part of the WSO for four years. An introductory artists reception is open to Mt. Hood students, staff and the public from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, and all students, faculty, and community members are welcome to come view the paintings. The artwork is open for viewing 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Zimmerman said that anyone interested in volunteering during one of the sessions or learning more about the WSO can contact her directly at 971-221-0336 or at westernrosestudios@gmail.com.
TAYLOR SWIFT ‘CAN’T COME TO THE PHONE RIGHT NOW’ New single from ‘Reputation’ turns heads... the other way the advocate
3 out of 5 stars
Taylor Swift is back, and ready to release her first album since 2014. Her sixth full-length studio release is shaping up to pack a vengeance that few could’ve predicted 11 years ago when she issued her self-titled debut record. “Look What You Made Me Do” is the first single from Reputation, due out Nov. 10, and it’s been turning a lot of heads since its release. When the single premiered, there were quickly rumors about who the song’s lyrics are directed towards, with the common denominator being Kanye West. The giveaway is when she sings, “I don’t like your tilted stage,” PA G E 6
which is a unique component of West’s concerts. The music video for “Look” starts off looking like something straight out of a horror film. It’s well-produced as it goes on to seemingly prove a point about Swift’s financial state while she lays in a bathtub full of diamonds, sits on a throne, crashes an expensive car, burns money, and more. Towards the end, it shows all of the easily identifiable former versions of herself from previous years that struggle to keep from falling into the darkness. It’s a bold visual statement expressing her desire to move forward and be known for what’s to come, rather than who she’s been. An already iconic line from the song is, “I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ‘cause she’s dead.” The repeated chorus line and other rhythmic melodies give the
single the addictive, catchy quality that nearly every mainstream pop hit showcases. Swift seems to have mastered that element since steering away from her country roots with the help of producer and singer/ songwriter Jack Antonoff from the indie-pop band Bleachers. In fact, both “Look” and the second single, “...Ready For It?,” sound like they’re composed entirely of electronic beats to complement Swift’s vocals, which was a new characteristic in her previous record, 1989. Her pop stylings are easily comparable to Lorde’s, since both artists work closely with Antonoff, but Lorde’s lyrical content is more emotional and reflective while Swift’s is now often-blunt thoughts directed to current and former lovers. This makes for an interesting debate in many fans’ favorite conversation: “Who will prevail as the new queen of pop?”
It’s hard to say if there will ever be a solid answer to that because the likes of Swift, Lorde, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Beyoncé all continue to steadily grow their followings.
Web Photo
Cassie Wilson
The Reputation era is a definitive departure from Swift’s carefree “Shake It Off” past, and leaves many to wonder what will she do next?
SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
DO YOU LIKE SPORTS?
SAINTS FALL SEASON SPORTS IN FULL SWING
The Advocate needs sportswriters. No experience necessary. Work study/tuition waiver opportunities available.
Photo by Fletcher Wold
Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Spears aiming to make a shot for the Saints.
The Saints volleyball team had its four-match win streak snapped Wednesday, when it lost in four sets to the South Region-leading Linn-Benton Roadrunners in a home contest in Gresham. Still, MHCC is off to a solid start this season under second-year coach Kim Lissinna. The Saints are currently in third
place in the South, with an overall record of 12-7, with the heart of their division schedule ahead of them. Against Linn-Benton, the Saints had pulled even at one set apiece, and led in the third set, 15-14, before the Roadrunners ripped off 11 straight points to win the set, 25-15. The Saints would lose in four
sets, 16-25, 25-20, 25-15, 25-10. They were led by freshman middle blocker Madison Pernich, who scored 13 kills in 21 total attempts, and sophomore setter Elisha Levasa, who had 32 assists. Mt. Hood travels to Eugene on Friday to play Lane Community College, then returns home to host Clackamas at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Cross country season schedule Date
Opponent
Sept. 23 NWAC Preview
Location St. Martin’s University Lacey, Wash.
Time 9:30 a.m.
Sept.30
Charles Bowles Bush’s Pasture Park Willamette Invitational Salem
11 a.m.
Oct. 14
Wes Cook Invitational George Fox University
Willamette Mission State Park Brooks, Ore.
9 a.m.
Oct. 28
Southern Region Championships
Clackamas Community College Oregon City
TBD
Nov. 11
NWAC Championships St. Martin’s University Lacey, Wash.
11 a.m. PA G E 7
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