The Advocate, Issue 2, September 30th 2011

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Portland artist’s work on display at Visual Arts Gallery

September 30, 2011

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Student Activities director shares ideas for coming year

6

Staff Column: The NBA lockout must come to an end

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Volume 47, Issue 2

www.Advocate-Online.net

College ends asbestos containment

Gaming invades MHCC New game design program brings the fun into work For the first time, MHCC is offering a computer game development degree under the direction of Erika H. Ruhl.

Ruhl, a longtime gamer herself, was excited to be an instructor of the new program.

“I’m from the Nintendo generation,” said Ruhl, “I grew up with Atari and Nintendo. I’m really passionate about this.”

As result of her attachment to video games since an early age, it has been something she has pursued as both a hobby and a career interest.

“I discovered you can be an artist with games,” said Ruhl, explaining how she got into the professional side of gaming.

As for her students, it should be no surprise that the majority of students are gamers as well.

“I don’t think we have any students who aren’t gamers,” she said, add-

by Yuka Kosugi

The Advocate

ing that she thinks that will change as the term goes on and people will see what they can do with the knowledge they can get from the program.

As for current enrollment and program attendance, Ruhl was pleased. “We generally have pretty good attendance,” said Ruhl.

“Attendance drops when the new games come out,” she joked.

Students who complete the program will earn a computer game development degree, and many of the credits earned in the program are transferrable to the Art Institute of Portland for students who wish to further their education.

Ruhl is from the Silicon Valley in Northern California, and also earned a video game art and design degree from the Art Institute of Portland.

Students can expect to finish the program within two years over a course of six terms with a typical course load.

Ruhl invites students to give the program a try and thinks those with a particular interest in programming and art will find it fulfilling.

“For people with art interests, it has game design, which focuses on the art, and programmers can focus on the game coding.

So you can pick between the ‘I want to be a game artist’ or ‘I want to make engines.’

There’s something for everyone,” said Ruhl.

“We’re teaching in all directions,” she said. “Some people take the first class as an elective and most like to continue.

They find something they’re interested in.”

See Gaming Page 3

The asbestos encapsulation done on the roofs of the college has been completed and all the occupants have been moved back in.

“It went very well,” said Environmental Health and Safety Manager Karen Reynolds.

The air was tested to make sure the levels of asbestos are below “background level” before, during, and after the encapsulation. The result of the final “clearance sample” of the air is available to college employees.

The area of construction were in the “air plenum area between the expansion joint by rooms 2576, 2583, 2551 (between Science and Math/Engineering) and the expansion joint by rooms 2275, 2351, and 278 (by Human Resources)” said Reynolds in a notification email to college employees. The fireproofing spanned from Aug. 15 to Sept. 9.

See Asbestos Page 3

MHCC to hold evacuation drills Wednesday

by Jill Marie-Gavin The Advocate

The Environmental Health and Safety Department will conduct two Gresham campus evacuation drills Oct. 5.

The daytime drill will take place at 11:10 a.m. for the main campus and surrounding buildings and 11:30 a.m. for the aquatic center and HPE building.

Evening drills will be held at 7 p.m. for the main campus and 7:15 p.m. for the HPE and aquatic center buildings.

Maywood campus drills will be held Oct. 13 at 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

When the alarm sounds, students should calmly collect their belongings and proceed to the farthest parking lot from their building. The department has asked that classroom doors be closed but not locked.

Health and Safety officials have appointed incident commanders who are responsible for telling employees and students when it’s safe to return to class.

See Drills Page 3

Mt. Hood Community College

Gresham, Oregon

2 opinion September 30, 2011

The advocate Editor-in-Chief Jill-Marie Gavin

Assistant Associate Editors John Tkebuchava & Mike Mata

Sports Editor Chanel Hill

Living Arts Editor David Gambill

Assistant Living Arts Editor Kylie Rogers

Opinion Editor Shelby Schwartz

Copy Editors Kylie Rogers & Yuca Kosugi

Photo Editor Riley Hinds

Web Editor John Tkebuchava

Advertising Manager Jen Ashenberner

Reporters Brittany Ghinga Mel-Isha Jones

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Editorial: Parking woes made worse by new center

As many students know, the college has built a lovely new Early Childhood Center (ECC) on the former parking lot Z and unveiled it this term. This replaced the older Early Childhood Development Center (CDC) that was located east of the Academic Center next to parking lots M and N. Many students are aware of the frustrating parking situation, especially in the first few weeks of term. What many students, especially first-years, might not know is that the old CDC was supposed to be converted into student parking spots.

As many of you know, parking last year was bad enough — and when construction began on the new ECC building, it took away lot Z that students used for parking, which magnified the parking problem for students. The college tried to disarm the masses and reassure them by saying the CDC would be taken down and made into more parking.

Yet that is not the case. The CDC is being used for classrooms right now, known as modules.

We at The Advocate see a problem with this. Of course, having more room for potential classes can be a plus, but in this case its causing more harm than good.

With the new parking permit system, which will be enforced starting Oct. 5, students will have to pay for what now seems to be

diminishing parking spaces. What’s the point of having more classrooms available when the students cannot find a parking spot to get to the classes in the first place?

While students battle these new fees and frighteningly long lines at the bookstore as well as in the student services offices, they need not battle one another behind the wheel for parking. Nor should they be forced to look at the surrounding businesses for parking and risk a ticket or worse.

There are some who might argue that in the first weeks of class, parking is always hectic. But this is simply no excuse.

When you’re threatened with being dropped from a class to make room for waitlisted students for missing a class, which makes the first week one of the most important weeks of the term.

Parking is a problem for most students, unless one was to arrive on campus at 7 a.m.

For the rest of the student body, parking then becomes a cutthroat competition to get to class on time without having to walk 20 miles in the rain and snow uphill.

Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but the inherent point holds true: parking is an issue for most students and the loss of extra spots by the ECC without the return of aforementioned spots by the conversion of the CDC into a new lot is not making anything any better.

Laura Knudson

Eye On Nature

Guest Column:

Mario Rubio

Center would improve diversity

Interim Adviser Bob Watkins

Assistant Adviser

by Jackie Altamirano

Associated Student Government President

Dan Ernst

E-mail advocatt@mhcc.edu 503-491-7250 (Main) 503-491-7413 (Office) 503-591-6064 (Fax) www.advocate-online.net

Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030

Submissions 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.

What better way to serve our students than with a Diversity Resource Center? We need to recognize, honor, and value the communities at MHCC. Looking across our campus, we can see that we have a diversity of students and employees, but what about the services on campus to reflect that diversity?

We have a wide range of people from every race, age, orientation, social and economic groups on campus. In any given class, you will find people who come from very different walks of life, yet find themselves in the same classroom.

The combinations of people that can be found at this school are endless and reflect the world around us. Of all the investments that take place this year, a Diversity Resource Center is not only useful for the future but for the current students to see and feel that they belong.

It is also important to note that Gresham is changing; it is becoming more and more diverse and, in order for MHCC to be able to accommodate the community it serves, it needs to take diversity beyond a concept and institutionalize it into our school.

What better way to do that than with a Diversity Resource Center? It can be a great learning experience for MHCC to go through — thinking of diversity not just once a year but as a beneficial part of our society. It is not just about the amount of melanin in our skin, but rather a collage of struggles, gifts, and life experiences that each person has that makes them completely different from anyone else.

In retrospect, MHCC says we are strategic, yet we don’t capitalize on the diversity at our school. We are unparalleled, and yet compared to our closest neighbor — Portland Community College, which has a thriving multicultural center — we have nothing. It’s time to take a step and move mountains as a college. What better way than by serving our students, whatever shape, size, and color they come in.

We have to make a real commitment to diversity and I will be advocating for this throughout my time on office. I invite the MHCC administration and the campus community to join me in the effort.

B

iology/Natural Resources Instructor Wally Shriner writes a monthly guest column about his observations about nature. Check it out at www.advocate-online.net Corrections and Clarifications Corrections: The info graphic “Local Community College Parking Fees” on page one incorrectly stated that Clark College does not have a cost for their annual parking permit. However, Clark does charge for parking; it is included in the tuition that students pay.

In the story “Students pockets take a hit” that started on page one and jumped to page three, Head of Public Safety Gale Blessing is quoted saying, “Staff and students have to pay, but patrons don’t.” However, students do have to pay for parking but staff and patrons do not. The Advocate regrets the error.

Clarifications: In the column “New parking fee does not guarantee a spot so why bother?” the column states, “Probably because I was only informed of this fact when I read about it on the back of a bathroom stall during summer term.” The college had released a press release June 1 informing students of the parking fees and they also sent mail to students. However, not all students received the mail or saw the press release.

The same column said, “The reason for this new fee has not been explained to students.” However, the press release informs students of the reason for the new fees.

Classroom etiquette should be a priority for all students

by Shelby Schwartz The Advocate

As the first week of classes comes to a close, we are now to the stage where we are discovering if we like our classes, teachers and classmates or if we made a huge mistake enrolling in a particular class.

I’m not sure about the rest of you, but sometimes my classmates drive me crazy.

These people are what we will now be referring to as “tools,” — yes, tools, kind of like a jerk but a little worse.

A tool refers to the annoying guy or girl who is unaware of their ridiculous behavior, but of course, everyone else in the class IS aware of it. According to the top submission on Urban Dictionary, a tool is—“One who lacks the mental capacity to know he is being used. A fool. A cretin.”

A great example would be the people who think they know everything and insist on arguing their point with the teacher. My favorite part of that is when the teacher more or less tells them they are wrong and can talk after class if they would still like to argue. It makes me giggle because that person made himself or herself look like a tool in front of 30 or so people.

Not quite as irritating, but still possessing of tool-like qualities, are the people who bring their lunch to class with them. I get it, I’ve eaten in class before but seriously, it’s kind of gross when you’re trying to learn about the Pythagorean theorem and someone is eating Taco Bell and the nasty smell is lingering in the air. Pay attention the next time a classmate brings their lunch to class. You will smell whatever they are eating for the rest of the class and it will most likely make you nauseous.

And don’t even get me started on the people who take every advantage to speak up in class. For example, when the teacher says something that reminds a student of

something in their life and they decide to share it with the whole class. Most people are here to learn, not to listen to some random lady or dude talk about something that is essentially irrelevant to our learning process.

In terms of disrespecting the teacher, stop talking to your BFF in the corner. Everyone can hear you and we know exactly what and whom you are talking about.

And no, so-and-so does not like you. Grow up, people.

Sometimes it seems like teachers have a hard time controlling students texting during class. Let’s be honest, people are going to text no matter what. But it is really disrespectful to the instructor and the rest of the students so we should all be more considerate about this.

Classroom etiquette is a great thing to practice. We all should try to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes.If you’re popping your gum, the person next to you is most likely annoyed but you might not even have noticed. Try to think of the situation from their perspective and you might mature a little in the process.

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September 30, 2011

Truck comes unhitched on 257th

Gaming:

Continued from page 1

Ruhl warns that those that think the program will be a breeze, since it is focused on video games, might find out otherwise.

“It’s definitely harder than you expect,” she said, saying there are many technical elements in game creation.

Students will be taught, among other things, how the engines used by today’s biggest games work and students will have the opportunity to design a small game demo as a class.

Students will have numerous hands-on projects in which some will feature the usage of programs like “Alice,” which is a 3D

gaming environment which students can use to create and play around with game ideas, and “Unity,” which is another game development tool.

Ruhl said one of the things they discuss in class is trying to figure what it is that makes a game fun for users. “We get into the science of it (fun).”

Although Ruhl teaches the majority of the classes within the program, there are other teachers who are involved as well including: Jay Dragon, who teaches the “Alice” foundation programming class; Jeremy Baldwin, who teaches digital drawing and design (aka concept art for games); and J.P. Harrod, who teaches game theory, animation and “Unity,” the game development program.

Photo by Jill-Marie Gavin/The Advocate

A car accident took place Thursday at about 6:45 a.m. on 257th Avenue west of the MHCC pond. According to construction worker Ray Ortega, the wheels below a semi-truck came unhooked and caused another vehicle to swerve into traffic.

Summer evacuation under investigation

By Brittany Ghinga The Advocate

A written bomb threat found on the Gresham campus Aug. 25 is still under investigation by the Gresham Police.

According to an e-mail from Director of Communications Maggie Huffman, evacuated areas ran from the Human Resource office to the Vista Dining Center on the upper level and from the bookstore to the Career Center on the lower level.

An MHCC student found the threat in the restroom on the up-

per level. The student notified a nearby custodian. From there, the custodian reported the threat to Public Safety.

The nature of the note was a bomb threat, said MHCC Risk Manager Staci Huffaker. However, the content of the note is being withheld due to the ongoing investigation.

An evacuation followed within minutes of the report at 11:28 a.m. Police issued an “all clear” at 2:05 p.m.

This written threat was declared not related to the bomb

Continued from page 1

suspicions in the past year, said Blessing. The other bombs were related to various incidents in the Gresham community.

Written threats and incidents are not new to MHCC. There are written threats that date back to 15 to 20 years ago, says MHCC Risk Manager Staci Huffaker.

“Don’t let your guard down,” said Director of Institutional Safety and Security Gale Blessing. “If they observe any suspicious persons or vehicles, report it to Public Safety.”

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Asbestos:

9/19/11 4:15 PM

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is currently used to resist heat and corrosion on buildings and other products. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality website states that inhalation of asbestos at any level is considered to be dangerous and it may cause malicious lung cancer.

When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed, it can release tiny asbestos fiber particles that are too small to filter with masks.

The underside of the roof originally had asbestos, which was used as a fire retardant back in the day. The project was to spray it with a “glue-like material” to contain it and clean up any debris, said Reynolds.

Three major health problems that may occur with exposure

Drills:

Continued from page 1

Instructors have been directed to show classes to the evacuation resting point, which should be at least 300 feet from the nearest building.

Those with disabilities who believe they may not be able to comply with these procedures have been advised to speak with their instructor or supervisor to develop a personal evacuation

are asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

Asbestosis is a progressive, long-term lung disease and it is caused by the fibers irritating and scarring the lung tissue. The scars prevent the oxygen from entering the blood and there is no treatment.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer found in the lining of the lung, chest, abdomen, and heart. It may not show symptoms until years after exposure.

Reynolds said the work was overseen by an independent asbestos contractor and done by a DEQ certified asbestos abatement company.

They have taken many precautions to contain the asbestos such as lining the area with plastic sheets to contain particles, posting warning signs and changing the locks of certain rooms to prevent entry, and blocked off the ventilation for that area, according to Reynolds. plan.

To create individual plans, students can call the Environmental Health and Safety department at 503-491-7495 or Disabilities Services at 503-491-6923.

When the alarm stops, students are instructed to refrain from re-entering the buildings without clearance from the incident commanders. The department has also asked students not drive through evacuation crowds.

Public safety releases newest crime report The MHCC Public Safety Department has released its 2010 crime report for general viewing.

The report covers the period from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2010.

Statistics for the last three years concerning crimes, discipline referrals and alleged law violations that occurred on the MHCC Gresham campus, public property within the campus, or areas within close perimeter of the campus are also included.

The prior two years reports were released earlier.

The report includes crime

that involved privately owned property and property controlled by MHCC. Student safety policies concerning sexual assault, drug and alcohol abuse issues and other matters are included in the report as well.

Public safety has posted the report on the MHCC website at www.mhcc.edu/clergyreport.

The Department of Safety and Security also has physical copies on the report available in room AC2330, and may be reached by telephone at 503-491-7310.

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September 30, 2011

On Campus

“Predator and Cube,” acrylic and peanut butter on canvas. Siegfried’s exhibit will be available for viewing beginning Oct. 3

‘Attack Mode’ to be on display in art gallery Local artist is highly inspired by his childhood in the 80s

by Mike Mata The Advocate

The MHCC Visual Arts gallery will play host to “Attack Mode,” showcasing the work of Portland artist Charles Siegfried, starting the week of Oct. 3 and going through Oct. 27.

“For this series of work I have focused on American Nationalism, 1980s pop culture, the economy, and war machines such as remote controlled drones,” he said.

The 1980s had a particular draw for Siegfried, because he said his formative years were in that decade.

“The 1970s and 80s are my childhood, nostalgia I suppose.

I remember Reagan claiming Ketchup was a vegetable, Boom Boxes, the advent of Hip Hop, break dancing, the 1984 Olympics, cassette tapes, Smurfs, the whole shebang,“ he added.

“As a youngster I always wanted to draw, to get better at rendering the world around me. I wanted to create something of worth from myself. I am also interested in investigating the complexity of color,” said Siegfried of his decision to become an artist.

Born and raised in Portland, Siegfried is a self-described “person who paints and draws.” He estimates his number of pieces to be around 2,000, including “preliminary exercises, student work and gesture drawing.”

Time spent working on his pieces can vary from two and a half weeks to almost two years, but the majority take about a month or so, according to Siegfried.

Siegfried also has a spot in the Pearl District’s Blackfish Gallery. The gallery is owned and operated by local artists, currently with 28 artists, with at least one working during business hours.

“I showed at the gallery years back, and after grad school I applied and was accepted into the gallery,” said Siegfried of his acceptance into Blackfish.

“The gallery is artist-owned-andrun, so it works quite well for the art-

Photo contributed by Blackfish Gallery

ist members,” he added. “I have complete control over the content and subject matter of my work. I have the freedom to explore and take chances in my art making.”

Siegfried is not only an artist. He taught a drawing class at Clackamas Community College during the 2010-2011 fall and spring terms. He has also taught various other art classes since 2006 at Washington State University at Pullman and Vancouver as well as CCC. He’s also taught at a transitional housing center in Portland from 1998-1999.

Asked about his motivation to teach, Siegfried said, “Simply put, I enjoy being in the classroom surrounded by people focused on getting better at art making. I really like to teach, to push students, to motivate folks to understand the world around them via drawing, painting, and design classes.”

When not working on his art, teaching art or pulling a shift at Blackfish, Siegfried likes to spend him time enjoying the gifts that nature has bestowed upon the Pacific Northwest.

“I like to draw and paint when I’m not working, though I really like to ride my very old mountain bike as much as I can.

“I also like to hike in the Columbia River Gorge and be out in nature. I enjoy hiking Dog Mountain, out past Stevenson, Wash.,” said Siegfried. “I also like Table Mountain, though it’s a bit intense.”

In his resume, Siegfried listed lyrics from Raekwon’s “Guillotine (Swordz)”and George Jones’ “Things Have Gone To Pieces,” citing them as inspiration for his art.

“I am interested in the root causes of poverty, disenfranchisement, and rebellion. I have these lyrics as my artist statement because they speak to the issues of today: Tyranny, Continual War, and Poverty,” he said of the lyrics.

“Attack Mode” will have a reception on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to Photo by Kylie Rogers / The Advocate 1:30 p.m in the Visual Arts Gallery.

Living Arts 5

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September 30, 2011

Feature

New SAB director plans to reach students of all ages

by David Gambill The Advocte

Your weekly reason to stand up and hit the streets

Oct. 3 Charles Siegfried’s “Attack Mode” to be displayed in the Visual Arts Gallery until Thursday, Oct. 27. A reception will be held Thursday, Oct. 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Visual Arts Gallery.

The Planetarium Sky Theater will present its October show, “An Introduction to the Autumn Sky,” at 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

Oct. 4 Paul Gerald, who wrote “Breakfast in Bridgetown,” will lecture on self-publishing and marketing your own book. The lecture starts at 7 p.m. at the Old Church, 1422 SW 11 Ave., Portland.

Oct. 5

This year’s Student Activities Board director wants to make sure all of the SAB funds, which students pay as along with their tuition, are used on this year’s activities.

SAB Director Sophie Tung said, “Looking at the past four years’ budgets, there is a lot of money that just rolls over.

Maybe we could use that more for prizes, even little ones, as incentive.”

Tung is a business major in her third year at MHCC. She’s been a nursing and a psychology major before choosing business this year.

“I’ve always had the set goal of majoring in psychology but I’m going to end up with a job in marketing, because marketing is psychology,” she said.

Tung said she wanted the job as SAB director because she’s always loved planning events and loves watching event planning shows. “Every road trip, every vacation, I feel like I’m always the one planning,” she said.

She also said she wanted to get involved to help get into the

SAB Director Sophie Tung

university of her dreams: University of California – Berkeley.

The SAB switched its alliance from the Oregon Student Association to the Oregon Community College Student Association to save around $75,000, said Tung.

“We’re pretty much getting the same things and I think OSA was wanting a lot more from us and we just don’t have the money because we are a community college,” Tung said.

She said SAB still takes part

in the OSA retreats, which are still offered without being a member. “We get the training still, which is pretty key because then we can take it here for our leaders,” she said.

One of Tung’s new marketing ideas is to spread out the food given out during events to areas other than the Main Mall, “ she said. That may result in more involvement from students who don’t always walk through the Main Mall, she said.

Tung is also working with Director of Communications Laura Aguon to post events on the Call of Nature News.

“I know everyone reads the CNN when they’re in the bathroom,” she said.

Hiring a graphic designer to build posters and design tshirts and signs for the parking lot is also in the works, she said.

Tung said SAB is making plans for a variety of events.

“We’re already planning the Blood Drive, Oct. 19-21, the Halloween Dance, and then there’s Breast Cancer Awareness month and Diversity Week is coming up,” she said.

Tung said she wants to make

the events friendlier to all ages this year. “It’s not just students fresh out of high school,” she said.

“It would be great if during the dances we could provide childcare,” she said. Tung said she would have to find out what liabilities and details are involved before being able to implement such a plan.

Tung said she also gets ideas is from hearing people talk and seeing how people are reacting about certain things on campus. “I like being able to pull something in that lots of people can relate to and like, something different,” said Tung.

“My overall vision is to really make a difference and to make memories in the students minds that Mt. Hood was a community college that I went to and it was a really good experience,” she said.

The next event on the SAB calendar is the Blood Drive Oct. 19-21.

“The Student Activities Board is responsible for recruiting donors; it’s not the Red Cross. We’re going to be going around with clipboards and going into classrooms,” Tung said.

Living Art

Welcome Week involves students in first week activities

Australian acoustic duo The McMenamins to play a 21-and-over show at McMenamins Edgefield Winery. The free show is part of McMenamins’ Small Batch Tours.

Oct. 6 Bicycle inspired poster artwork will be displayed at ARTCRANK Portland. The free event is from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel, 403 SW 10 Ave., Portland.

Oct. 7 Northwest Film Center’s Reel Music Festival opens with “George Harrison: Living In the Material World,” directed

by Marin Scorsese.

The film starts at 7 p.m. in the Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave., in Portland.

General admission tickets are $9 and student tickets are $8.

Tickets can be purchased online at www. nwfilm.org.

Photos by Riley Hinds and David Gambill

From left clockwise: Jasmine Hankerson, Zach Laxton and Chelsa Briggs have their photos taken in the SAB sponsored photo-booth Tuesday.

Lines formed outside the bookstore Tuesday while the store had reached capacity.

Paul Wright and Rootdown (other members not shown) entertain in the College Center Tuesday.

Drew Raine, Rho Theta vice president of scholarships, collects pledges for students to complete their community college degree before they transfer or leave school for work.

SAB Director Sohpie Tung helps student Jake Delaunay enter into the SAB Welcome Week prize drawing.

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September 30, 2011

Saints fight adversity on road to victory

By Chanel Hill

The Advocate

NBA lockout must end Drives through the lane, screens, pickn-pops, ridiculous ball handles . . . nah, as of right now we won’t be seeing any of that from National Basketball Association players.

It was announced last week that NBA training camps and 43 preseason games have been cancelled. The pre-season, which was scheduled to take place Oct. 9-15, will not happen.

This marks the first NBA work stoppage since the 1998-99 season, when a lockout trimmed the regular 82-game season to 50 games. Team owners who reported an estimated $300 million loss last season with 22 of 30 teams in the red are pushing for shorter contracts and firm salary caps, a term which players are unwilling to accept.

National carriers like ESPN/ABC and TNT stand to lose as much as $1.25 billion in revenue.

But while all that is well and nice, as a die-hard basketball fan I’m tempted to repeat the words of a once popular game show host: “Let’s make a deal.” Don’t take it the wrong way. I love all sports but I’ve had my fill of soccer, tennis, college football and the NFL. So much so that the pangs of the loss has me watching old YouTube basketball highlight videos and last season’s games on DVR, like a junkie trying to feed a fix.

As of right now. no new talks or negotiations have been scheduled, and while the player’s union has offered to reduce its percentage by as much as 54 percent, it doesn’t seem to be enough for either side to settle.

Meanwhile, the lockout has prompted some players to sign to play abroad, like two-time all-star point guard Deron Williams (of the Brooklyn Jets, recently changed from New Jersey Nets), who signed with Besiktas of the Turkish Basketball League.

Still there is hope. Experts say ultimately that no season will be a greater profit loss to all involved if a resolution is not reached. The regular season is scheduled to begin Nov. 1, which leaves time for both sides to go back to the drawing board and try again. If not, viewers worldwide will miss out on the brilliant display of athleticism and competition that is the NBA. As for me, I’ve always got YouTube video highlights, last season’s games on my DVR and a whole lot of reminiscing.

On second thought, how much does an airplane ticket to Turkey cost these days?

Saints fight rotation changes and injuries to pull out two wins Chanel Hill The Advocate

The name of the game for the Saints volleyball team right now is resilience.

Although the Saints currently sit in the number one seed position in the Southern region with a 3-0 record and a 13-1 record overall heading into tonight’s game against the Linn-Benton Roadrunners, they haven’t had an easy road to recent victories.

In Saturday’s match against the Umpqua Riverhawks, the number four seed in the Southern region with a 0-2 record and an 8-16 overall, the Saints changed from a 6-2 rotation to a 5-1 rotation, causing a lack of communication on the floor.

“Our biggest struggle was that we were almost overly focused because of everything that had gone on,” said Speer referring to changes in the lineup, “Our focus needs to be on always communicating, and to have lots of talk on the court,” said Speer.

The Saints stepped up to sweep the match in three straight games (25-20, 25-9, 25-18.) Leading the offense with double-digit kills was sophomore Demi Belshe with 11 kills and freshman Casi Johnson with 10 kills.

Johnson said her teammates have made her feel comfortable on the floor.

“I feel like everyone’s been really nice to me and about helping me improve, “ said Johnson, “I’m going off of the leadership of the sophomores.”

On Sept. 23, the Saints faced the Southwestern Oregon Lakers (0-2, 5-9) and were thrown a curve ball with their number one setter and Walla Walla Tournament MVP sophomore Rylie Engelson spraining her ankle in warm-ups 30 minutes prior the match.

With little time left before the match, number two setter freshmen Alyssa Hall had to step up, changing the 6-2 rotation to a 5-1 rotation on the spot.

“I want to stress what a great job Alyssa did stepping up,” said head coach Chelsie Speer.

Hall, who is four inches shorter than Engleson, was nervous stepping into the role. “She was a little bit nervous, just because it happened so fast. She is smaller than Rylie so it’s harder, but she does what she can and did a great job,” said Speer.

In addition to Engleson’s injury, the team faced another obstacle in the loss of freshman starter and middle blocker Kylie Kitzmiller and her sister, red-shirt freshmen Kaycie Kitzmiller, who suffered injuries in a car accident following a Tuesday night practice.

Photo by Mike Mata/The Advocate

Freshman Casi Johnson going up for a block during scrimmage at practice Wednesday night.

The team welcomed back sophomore outside hitter Devan Belshe, who sat out the previous game due to a shoulder injury but came back strong contributing six match kills en route of a defeat over the Lakers in three straight games (2518, 25-21, 25-16.) Standout performances by sophomores Natalie Dwight who led the offense with nine kills, Kaitlyn Maddams who put down eight kills, and Demi Belshe helped the Saints secure the victory.

“Our returners have been outstanding leaders,” said Speer who is stressing the importance of communication and unity to her players. “I want the girls to think of this team as a second family, to trust and believe in each other,” Speer added.

Next match:

Linn-Benton

Mt. Hood VS.

At Linn-Benton 6 p.m start

The Saints will head to Linn-Benton today to face the Roadrunners who head into tonight’s match with a 1-0 Southern region record and a 19-4 record overall.

The match will prove to be a challenge for the Saints who lost in three straight games (25-19, 25-19, 25-22), Sept. 10 against the Roadrunners, marking their sole loss on the season.

“It’s going to be a battle to go into their house and get it done,” said Speer.

Johnson said, “We need to really step it up. We had sort of a rough start with that game. We’re really pumped, and I think that will help us get it done.”

The Saints head to Linn-Benton tonight with a match start time of 6 p.m.

Future games October 4th, 2011 Mt. Hood v.s. Oregon Tech Location: Oregon Tech Time: 6 p.m.

October 7th, 2011 Mt. Hood v.s. Clackamas Location: Clackamas Time: 7 p.m.

sports 7

advocate the

September 30, 2011

Saints softball and baseball compete in sophomore showcases Saints softball welcomes back strong sophomore class

Chanel Hill The Advocate

The MHCC softball team is already building on last year’s history-making season when the Saints claimed their third consecutive NWAACC Championship title and Southern Region title under head coach Meadow McWhorter.

On Sept. 24,, the Saints competed in the NWAACC Sophomore Showcase and Fall Tournament at Delta Park East in Portland.

The 35 scrimmages, which involved 22 of the leagues 27 teams, served as friendly competition with two All-Star matches highlighting the day. The North defeated the South 6-5 while the East dominated the West 31-3.

The Saints have lost key contributors

The Saints baseball team will welcome back standout talent in Bannister

Christian Bannister

who have left big shoes to fill this season: ace pitcher Kayla Anderson who went on to play at Eastern Oregon University; pitcher Chelsea Schriber, who went on to play at Corbin University; outfielder Brittany Chestnut who also went to Corbin; outfielder Jessica Guy who went on to play at McWhorter’s alma mater Jacksonville State University; and Amanda Bunch, who was named the cotournament MVP of the NWAACCs (along with Anderson).

Still, the Saints have a roster full of talent including standout returners Mai Galusha who is named as one of the players to watch this season , Ashley Devincenzi, Lola Ciu, Jessie Lindsey, Chantel McLaughlin, Alexis Cline and Brea Walters. As of press time, the roster has not been officially solidified, and new team members have not be named.

Chanel Hill The Advocate

Lower Columbia College hosted a baseball sophomore showcase event Sept. 24 — including MHCC players — that drew approximately 60 four-year college scouts, as well as major league scouts from every team in the majors.

The showcase was highlighted by two 12-inning all-star games. The South All-Stars defeated the East 7-5, while the West just fell short against the North with a final score of 9-8.

Mai Galusha

Although the MHCC roster is not set, it is likely that the team will welcome back standout relief pitcher Christian Bannister. Bannister made his mark as a freshman shattering the school’s saves record with 16 saves in 16 opportunities, a record previously set by Brooks Lindsley in 2007, (10 saves in 10 opportunities). Bannister ended the season with a 0.00 E.R.A. helping the Saints place third in the NWAACCs tournament after missing the post-season the prior year for the first time in 16 years.

Cross Country It’s been nearly two weeks since the Saints �irst cross country meet of the season, which was held in Seattle at the Sundodger Invitational Sept. 17, and the Saints will hit the road again for their second meet of the season and head down to Salem for the Charles Bowles Invitational on Oct. 1.

The meet, hosted by Willamette University, will be held at Bush Park and will start at 10:50 a.m.

Saturday.

Less than a week after Saturday’s meet, the cross country team will head up to Everett, Wash., to the NWAACC Preview Meet.

Left: Mt. Hood competing at the Sundodger Invitational in Seattle, Wash.

Photo contributed by Mattt Hart

In the city, for the city.

WARNERPACIFIC.EDU PORTLAND, OR

8

advocate the

September 30, 2011

7 Day

Forecast gathered from www.weather.com

Friday Partly Cloudy 74o F

Saturday Few Showers 64o F

Monday

Sunday Mostly Cloudy 63o F

Showers 57o F

Tuesday Showers 52o F

Wednesday Showers 59o F

Thursday Few Showers 59o F

Forecast

10 near campus

FEEDING HOLES

Dear readers: We at The Advocate would like to let you in on a little secret: We eat a lot. Therefore, we’ve been placed in the unique position of trying to find healthy and nutritious meals at a value price (read: cheap) around campus while on deadline. This is not an easy task, so we thought we’d lend our expertise to you on this delicate subject. To make this more digestible, the list was split between value and sheer-deliciousness. Enjoy.

value

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Jack In The Box — Jack’s place has a pretty solid value item in their big chicken meal deal. A double patty chicken sandwich, fries and a drink for $3.99 is a pretty good deal. But the relative lack of other “dollar menu”-type

9

Burger King — This was one the

8

Subway — Their $5 foot-long

7

Dairy Queen — They may

first fast-food restaurants to implement a full-on value meal and it is still pretty extensive covering items from burgers and fries to salad and pie slices. But the relative taste is a little bland, but still palatable enough when you’re hungry and have four

campaign has landed Subway on this list because it’s relatively cheap and definitely filling. Though you only get one item for the $5, it’s most definitely a lot healthier than most anything else on this list.

seem like the black sheep here, but when Dairy Queen revealed their three items for $4 and four items for $5 list, it was an easy way to pair burgers, onion rings and a blizzard together.

6

Taco Bell — This joint takes the cake by far. Their value menu has the most items under a dollar and a lot of their regular menu items aren’t much over $2, if that. And it’s filling, too. Nothing says value like cleaning your car out for change and coming back with a tray overflowing with

sheer deliciousness

5

Vista — Everyone likes to dog on school food, but the Vista Dining Center is actually pretty good. The wrap and burrito line is great for getting filling yet nutritional items. The specials are good for something a little out of the ordinary and the tater-tots are phenomenal. Though a bit pricey-er than your average fast food joint, Vista makes up for it by being close by and, dare we say, tasty.

4

Geno’s — A little more appro-

3

Burgerville — Yeah, we know, it’s fast

2

The Rock — No list of good food is complete

priate for when the 21+ crowd needs to unwind is the bar at Geno’s. Plus it’s great for watching the game that night. And we hear the hummus plate is good eats.

food. Technically. But it’s quality fast food.

There’s a reason you see a billboard telling you that you’re leaving Burgerville land when you go far enough south on I-5. Local ingredients, seasonal specials, items for the vegetarian-minded and great shakes are all pluses for this quaint burger peddler.

without pizza. The Rock uses wood-burning ovens and their menu of pizza goes from the classics to the daring (artichokes, anyone?). If you’re willing to wait, you also get to enjoy the rock-and-roll décor and the rock classics soundtrack that is ever-present. They also have really

1

Ristorante Di Pompello — Not many students have heard of this little Italian eatery in downtown Troutdale. Nestled amid the other stores, it’s easy to miss. But the food here is a quality meal.

From Sunday to Thursday, entrees come with salad or a ridiculously good tomato soup and a bread appetizer. The pastas are classic but delicious and well portioned. The wait-staff is also very good and there’s hardly ever a wait. Take a date for their $23 meal deal that includes an appetizer, two soups or salads, two pasta entrees and a dessert. This place is seriously overlooked and underestimated. But hopefully you, dear reader, will change that.