The Advocate, Issue 3 - October 2, 2015

October 2, 2015

the

advocate Independent Student Voice of MHCC

Cannabis Etiquette

PAGE 2

Bubble Tea

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Coach Clifton Adapts PAGE 7

5th School shooting in 2015 hits close to home.

Volume 51 Issue 3

October 1 marked the end of a long marijuana prohibition.

Here’s what you should know: PAGE 3

Umpqua Shooting P. 3

2 PAGE

OPINION

advocate-online.net

New frontiers in cannabis culture Welcome to the new frontier in cannabis culture: the Pacific Northwest. Recreational marijuana being legally available to all adults in Oregon formally kicked off on Thursday – Oct. 1. State law now allows anyone age 21 and over to purchase up to 7 grams of the best weed on the planet – short of the Middle East – per day.

So, here are some of the basic rules in the law, as well as the Advocate’s own best practices guide for what you need to know about legal weed.

Or “flower,” we should say – as the most recently concluded Oregon Legislature referred to, in describing the smokable part of the plant.

Strictly flower, that is: No concentrates or edibles will be available for recreational use until at least 2017,

(unlike in Washington state, although, you may still bake). You may carry up to one ounce on you while in public, and store up to 8 ounces in your home.

Uncle Sam is going to ask for your birthday, but you do not have to provide retailers with your name.

You may only smoke in private areas.

The best option by far is to just go ahead and get your medical card; it’s not hard at all. You’ve probably seen a “doctor’s office” with a green sign before. Just walk in there, tell them you get headaches sometimes, or get nervous on airplanes – you get

the picture – and, voila! You now have a medical card, which gives you access to the full range of products, as

opposed to just flower.

If you hadn’t noticed a theme from all the details inherent in the new laws, their basic premise is to promote moderation. Yes, weed is legal now, but putting your weed garden in your front yard, next to your hydrangeas, is still probably not your best bet. Don’t wave your piece around in public, and definitely don’t bootleg any weed. Dispensaries are cracking down hard on weed slipping out of the legal system and onto the black market. You may give weed as a gift, but it is illegal to accept.

If you’re a first-time smoker just looking to take advantage of the new legal status, flower should work just

fine. It’s now legal to cook your own edibles, but unless you feel like being super high for at least six hours, we wouldn’t recommend it.

There are two subdivisions of weed: sativas and indicas. Sativas give you more of a cerebral, slightly more alert type of high, as opposed to indicas, which leave you paralyzed on your sofa wondering if it’s worth getting a bag of Cheetos. It depends on your taste, really. A true sativa is hard to find, though, since it’s harder to grow and most sativas are mixed with some indica.

In summary: Don’t start building your seven-foot bong just yet. Take your time, find out what works for you, and just generally don’t do anything stupid.

Flower helped me kick prescription painkillers

Jon Fuccillo the advocate

Six months ago, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to kick prescription painkillers, after a back surgery that sent me through hell and back.

After a quick visit to Mt. Hood Legacy in Gresham and through the knowledge of the doctor I met that frightening evening, I realized I was going to be able to quit cold turkey (though it wasn’t recommended).

Instead of weaning off pills with more pills, I decided to get my medical marijuana card in the hopes of better treating my chronic pain, especially with also having Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that is genetic. It was the best

decision I made following my eight surgeries for three different medical issues in the last six years: getting my medical card.

Weed was a fix-all, when it came to anxiety. Some people laugh when I say I have my medical card, but most people understand when I tell them my story and about the fight to overcome major withdrawals. All THC products truly work against, and help to cure, pain and anxiety that go hand-in-hand, just like fine red wine and pasta from my late Italian great-aunt, Marie.

I was never a fan of flower until about two years ago, while I visited some family in Sacramento, Calif.

It was then and there that I realized needed something besides prescription painkillers, but I was so numb at the time. The idea of weed kind of

scared me, since I had bad past experiences with getting severe anxiety – which defeats the entire purpose of this medicine.

I understand that it is now legal in the state of Oregon, as of Thursday, to buy marijuana, but, please, don’t forget those of us who really use it as medicine. In all honesty, I think there would be fewer problems in this world and the country if everyone, both young and old, experience weed and how it makes everything feel okay during rough times.

Plus, it’s an all-natural alternative to pills. Different strokes for different folks, sure, but weed isn’t harming anyone. I haven’t heard many statistics of people killing themselves with the usage of THC products. I hope people don’t give weed a bad name, because this medicine has

made a night-and-day difference in my young 29-year-old life.

I can’t wait until they open up bud bars. I’m over the alcohol bar scene, watching people on hard drugs who are mixing them with booze and then getting into accidents. Hopefully, people find the best in this medicine, and I hope more than anything that these bad stigmas go away, and that officials will improve the rules of the law, once it really comes into effect. I suggest you research your facts before you jump the gun into any conclusion about why weed is good, or bad. It’s at the click of a button online.

Again, I highly recommend to those persons in pain, especially to those who suffer with prescription pill abuse like I once struggled with, to get their card. It’s nice to be happy

and to be myself again – something painkillers took away from me, having created a false reality and where doctors were handing these pills out quicker than the Oregon Ducks crank out new football uniforms.

Weed has helped me find a nice balance in my life, and it doesn’t interfere with anything and everything I do in my professional life.

Since getting my medical card, I’ve had less and less trouble with pain management.

I also recommend to those age 21 and above to check out a dispensary and find out about the different strains, such as hybrid, indica and sativa. And for those dabblers who haven’t smoked before – I’m talking to you, Mom and Dad – enjoy the stress-free life that is produced by the all-natural flower.

the advocate Editor-in-Chief Adam Elwell Arts+Entertainment Editor Ivy Davis Interim News Editor Gloria Saepharn Assistant News Editor ShaToyia Bentley Interim Sports Editor Clay Vitale

Graphic Designers Ayla Buckner Cody Holcombe Gabriel Madewell Social Media Coordinator Aurora Angeles Photo Editor Nick Pelster Opinion Editor Adam Elwell

Public Relations Manager Emily Wintringham Features Editor Jon Fuccillo Video Editors Thomas Stewart Ben Baxter Web Editor Matana McIntire Staff Writers Nicole Kaadi

Kari Anne Morley Isaiah Alder Lucero Angeles 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

NEWS

October 2, 2015

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Legal marijuana no longer a pipe dream Ayla Buckner the advocate

Welcome to October! Anyone 21+ in Oregon can now stroll into one of its fine medical dispensaries and purchase up to 7 grams of dried flower. If you’ve never been into a dispensary, there are a few things you should know to make your experience both pleasant and educational.

Check before you go

Many dispensaries have been offering medical patients certain kinds of flower, but might have something different stocked up

for the recreational side. You can check popular sites like Leafly and Weedmaps ‑ many places keep updated menus of their current offerings.

Be cool

The folks working at your nearest collective know a ton and they’re happy to point you in the right direction, if you let them in on your experience level. Do not, however, act like they are that dude you used to buy weed from on the wrong side of town.

Dispensary workers aren’t drug dealers, so don’t use slang, show

off your own stash, or tell them about what you saw somewhere else. Also, prices are fixed, so no bartering.

Look around

There are hundreds of skilled bakers, extractors, and growers in the area and soon, they’ll be even more. That means every shop is probably going to have something a little different, and it’s important to shop around and see which places have the flower you’ll enjoy.

Bring your I.D.

Big Brother is very interested

in finding out how old you are.

Bring your I.D. and cash -- the federal government is making it difficult for shop owners to have bank accounts, so most places are only going to take cash.

No concentrates for you

Recreational cannabis users won’t be able to purchase edibles or concentrates until 2017, if even then. Hopefully, most dispensaries will have these goodies out of view of the regular user, but it’s good to be informed about your limitations. You can,

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however, buy pre-rolled joints, rolling papers, grinders, glass, and all other smoke accessories.

Keep it to yourself

Once you’ve acquired that precious 7 grams of flower, grind it up and pack it into your favorite piece, don’t smoke it around children, nonsmokers, or in public. Etiquette is so important – in this fast-changing Oregon culture, we need to set the best example for other states to follow suit. You now have access to some of the finest ganga in the country.

Don’t let it go up in smoke!

Photos by Ayla Buckner

Umpqua: Tragedy strikes close to home Gloria Saepharn the advocate

No doubt, you’ve heard about the Umpqua Community College shooting on Thursday morning: at least 13 persons dead, nearly two dozen injured and the suspected gunman dead after a shootout with first responders.

Across the Mt. Hood campus, people heard about the tragic news through social media, the schoolwide email announcement, or directly from other people talking about it.

The Advocate set out to capture immediate reaction and get answers to a few of our questions. See our video at: advocate-online.net.

A campus-wide message was sent

by MHCC Director of Marketing Bruce Battle.

Battle strongly pushed the idea of making sure “to pay attention, monitor, be aware, and have that heightened awareness of what’s going on around you” at the Mt. Hood campus.

If there are students that feel that

Tiffany at MHCC reacts to news about Umpqua. Photo by Nick Peltzer

they are not safe or that they need to talk about the Umpqua shooting, counseling is available on campus to any students that need it, Battle added. He said the MHCC Public Safety Department has conducted several active shooter drills and has provided information, resources, and videos.

MHCC officials will monitor the status of the shooting and if there’s something that they think needs to change, they’ll let everybody know -- but Battle said the incident was too fresh to discuss any further.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to our colleagues -- the staff and students. It’s such an incredibly difficult time; words can’t convey the horror of the entire thing,” Battle wrote in the email. “We’re here to respond, if they (Umpqua) request anything from it. We’d be more than willing to provide assistance or resources that we can provide, if they need it.”

For more detailed information on MHCC’s public safety plans, go to the school’s website at: mhcc.edu/ PublicSafety Video: advocate-online.net

Web Photo - Umpqua Campus - CNN news

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

tries bubble tea flavors

just weren’t what I was expecting.

Luckily, you do have an option of reducing the amount of sugar, ice, or jellies, that the drink maker uses – just ask!

Staff

the advocate

2.8/5 (over all) on the bubble tea scale

Gloria Saepharn

Bubble tea can turn out to be gross or it can taste absolutely divine, but I guess it all depends on how it’s made and your preference.

In our bubble tea review, we attempted to figure out whether we enjoyed the different flavors of bubble tea that were laid out in front of us. We had coconut with tapioca pearls, taro with lychee jelly, strawberry with rainbow jelly, and honeydew with green apple jelly. Throughout the review, I continued to laugh and laugh, but was determined to figure out which I liked best. Yes, I’ve had bubble tea before, but not from where these were made.

The one I liked the most was taro, because I enjoy taro-flavored bubble tea and it’s even better with lychee jelly (at least that’s my opinion). Going down the list, I enjoyed coconut second-best, honeydew third, and strawberry the least. Personally, I don’t like bubble tea that’s concentrated with sugar, because it takes away the desired flavor. I’m not exactly sure where these drinks were made, but strawberry tasted awful – it was bad to the point where I thought it tasted slimy, powdery, and a bit like play-doh. Overall, I honestly do enjoy bubble tea, but these flavors

Adam Elwell

If you like tea with chunks in it, then bubble tea is probably for you.

If you have the palate of a human, though, you’re going to realize as soon as it hits your mouth, that this is entirely disgusting – although you probably could have figured that out by looking at it, too. It’s basically a syrup with “bubbles” thrown in, so they could sell it to community college kids under the premise that its a novelty, instead of a disgustingly Americanized Frankenstein of a dish on par with fried mayonnaise.

Matana McIntire

Okay, all you readers: I’ve had bubble tea before. It’s delicious, in my opinion – except, well, I’ve only ever had my one favorite flavor in the past (green apple, all the way). When I participated in the Advocate’s bubble tea review, boy, was I in for a surprise. Let me tell you, not all bubble tea is the bee’s knees.

I’ll start off with my least favorite, coconut flavor with tapioca. Normally, coconut is a pretty cool flavor for me, but this bubble tea was a bit too heavy and milky for what I usually consider a fresh taste. Then, the extremely chewy and slimy tapioca that followed? Nah, man, not down for that. So the coconut bubble tea is at a firm last place in the rankings.

Strawberry with rainbow jellies (whatever flavor that is) are next in the order of dislike-to-like. The

The Jellies made me sense that I was eating human cartilage.

Photos from video

Gemini - Pluto moves into its second phase, meaning: You need to focus this week more than ever on creating your magnum opus. You will have to discover it for yourself, but here is a hint: dried bubblegum.

Aries - You know you look good.

You don’t need any mirrors, do you?

I’m pretty sure now is the time most mirror dealerships are looking to buy -- if mirror dealerships are a thing. We already brought you your reading, just Google it yourself.

Taurus - Listen to the album “Dive,” by Tycho. It wasn’t in your sign specifically, but it’s probably going to make things better and I never got an exact job description, so you’re going to have to live with it.

Scorpio - One “n” would have made you look so much cooler. How does it feel to be defined by a typo? Yeah, your week is going to feel exactly like that feeling.

Virgo - Was the “Attack of the Clones” really that bad of a movie? I wouldn’t be shocked if you watched it three times in a row this week.

Sagittarius - We know you’ve had an abnormally large itch to go kayaking lately -- also, for Chinese food. Satisfy those itches and go kayaking while eating Chinese food.

Go in the early morning to get the full experience.

Aquarius - KC and the Sunshine Band is the key to success. The Key. To success. Think about it.

Cancer - Hear butter. Watch cacti.

Always remember: Don’t drop red pens... Are you really still here? Gee, most people would have stopped reading already. Do you have a thing for cacti and butter, or are you just bored? You creep me out.

Leo - You know that second cousin you have that always kind of reminded you of a less athletic Will Ferrell? I would be friendlier with him, he’s about to carve his magnum opus and future niche in the avant-garde art world through dried bubblegum.

Capricorn - Your love life is looking up. You’re going to get free money, that person you know has this thing. blahblahblah, etc. etc., Bam. Astrology.

Pisces - Big news this week, your left foot goes up half of a shoe size.

I know, you were a 10 1/2 for like, ten years – or some other number. It caught me by surprise, too.

Libra - “Take a ride on Reading Railroad! If you pass Go, collect $200.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War. I should make a random word generator so a machine just spits out horoscopes for me.

advocate-online.net

strawberry flavor is not hard to get right, and it just wasn’t right for me this time. It had a very odd aftertaste and tasted very artificial altogether, and the jellies just seemed like something for your teeth to chew.

Very blah.

Taro, the purple bubble tea, was runner-up for my favorite. It has a very nice, lightly sweet flavor that I can’t put my finger on, but I enjoyed a lot. Most other flavors we tried were in your face, where as taro was subdued and refreshing. I would definitely buy taro for myself in the future.

However, my favorite ended up being honeydew with green apple jellies (hey, I love what I know).

Maybe it’s just my weird idea that green food is good, but honeydew really seemed like something I could see myself drinking. Yeah, it was really sweet, but I like that. To me, it was the most distinct flavor and in the end that’s what won out.

flavors was like letting someone cut out my tongue. The sweetness of those drinks was horrifying; but, you know, everyone has their differences. I encourage people to try bubble tea. Whatever you do, though, do not mix flavors.. after four different bubble teas, I wanted to hurl.

Emily Wintringham

Normally, I love bubble tea; however, I did not fancy any of the flavors I tried at the Advocate bubble tea trial – they all were proven guilty, under my jurisdiction. First, all of them tasted like medicine, from a range of Pepto-Bismol to cherry cough syrup. Also, the jellies made me sense as though I was eating human cartilage. I don’t know what that would really taste like from experience, but now I can imagine.

I would rather take shots of rat poison.

Ivy Davis

I’ve had bubble tea before – some flavors are delicious while others are painful. There are a few things I really like about bubble tea. After taking a huge slurp, you end up with weird jellies, popping jellies, or boba in your mouth. Things to do in this moment are: a) chomp on the fish egg-like jellies, or pop them in between your teeth and feel the goo spill out; b) line all the jellies up in front of your teeth and give a big smile to your friends, displaying boba-like gnarled teeth.

As for flavors, I prefer lavender, coconut, and my personal favorite, lychee. However, after our bubble tea testing, I can only confirm that I truly hate fruity flavors. Drinking the strawberry and honeydew

Thomas Stewart

Yup, I tried the bubble tea. I would rather take shots of rat poison than do that again. The first one I tasted was coconut and tapioca -- it wasn’t bad and it definitely felt like a cold drink I would enjoy during the summer. The second one, taro with lychee, was really bland and had a lot of choking hazards. Honeydew with green apple was terrible and viciously attacked all my taste buds and tasted like a dead hummingbird. The strawberry with rainbow jelly was like a vibrant strawberry, tart and sour, but then rainbow jelly came in like a morning dump of trash that’s filling your mouth. That’s when I had enough and released the beast of puke from my stomach into the Dairy Queen parking lot.

Video on: www.youtube.com/user/

MHCCAdvocate

October 2, 2015

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

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Browne’s art covers and walks around MHCC Ivy Davis the advocate Did you know Mt. Hood’s Visual Arts Gallery coordinator is also a tattoo artist?

Miles Browne is a former MHCC student who just never left. The versatile artist was locally grown, graduating from Sam Barlow High School in 2003, and chose to attend MHCC because “it was close and conventional,” he said. Originally, he planned to pursue a computer science degree, but after a few courses he decided he hated computers.

About that time, Browne took his first art class at Mt. Hood – print making. After 4 years at the college, he had found his passion for art and continued school part-time. In one of his painting classes, he met a local tattoo artist, Ben

Berry. Berry enjoyed and bought many of Browne’s paintings and as the two artists got to know each other, Berry asked Browne about tattooing.

“If I was going to [start tattooing], I was going to with him,” Browne recalled years later. Browne transferred in 2008 to the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) studying general fine arts, and finished his schooling in 2010.

Two years ago, he decided to take Berry up on his offer by starting as an apprentice and working his way up to an artist at the House of Tattoo in Gresham, on Burnside heading east right past Powell. He has been working at the shop for about two years now, and has become a known local artist in the trade.

Browne said his favorite part of being an artist is the freedom to discover and immerse himself in art.

With his two jobs in the art field, he is able to do that and express his creativity.

At Mt. H o o d , Browne’s role is to place art pieces and in a way, to host events.

“Infinity” proves unworthy to fan Lucero Angeles the advocate

3.5/5 on the 1 Direction scale

One Direction’s new single, “Infinity,” off their latest album, “Made in the A.M.,” is not that great.

Keep in mind that this is coming from a die-hard fan, someone who has followed the group since their “X Factor” days. Needless to say, I am extremely sad about their upcoming break and I am one of the millions of ‘directioners’ who were hoping for another single that was as great as, if not, better than “Drag Me Down.”

Harry, Louis, Liam and Niall have all repeatedly noted in inter-

views that they are trying to change their sound to a better fit for them. I am excited to see how they will execute this idea with this album; so far, their sound has grown up with them, but I think this year has been a year of changes for them.

These two singles are vastly different from anything they have ever done because, obviously, it’s their first couple of songs that have been released since Zayn Malik left the band. Although everyone can tell how their dynamic as a band has changed since losing an important band member, both these songs show how determined 1D is to show the world that they can still make their music resonate. I believe that they’re dropping this single to keep attention on them and to keep fans happy after announcing a (much deserved) break. The last five years

have been filled with relatively catchy singles, which is why I think “Infinity” should’ve stayed as part of the album. It’s good, don’t get me wrong; but I don’t think it has what it takes to be a hit single.

Since “Infinity” is their second single off of this album (1D also has a track record of releasing two to three singles per album), I’m still hoping for another single that will blow my mind, just like Harry’s high notes in “Drag Me Down” did.

I feel that this track is lacking in entertainment value and, sadly, gets a little boring after the third verse. I am the type of fan who really wants to like everything my favorite artists release, but I think 1D dropped the ball with this second single. It’s a bit repetitive and the ending instrumental sequence feels a little bit like a filler to me. Although “Infinity” is

A campus regular can find many of Browne’s paintings on public display. One of his most prominent works is outside the MHCC Library: A buck, blue heron and sturgeon surround a huge Mount Hood, on a mural that spreads across the wall.

Another vivid piece is on the kiln barn next to V6 ?. The four-piece painting is a series that contains three-dimensional shapes that seem to be in motion. One can find many more of Brownes paintings around the art building on doors and wood panels.

Browne has other art works spread across MHCC and Gresham.

On the outside of the House of Tattoo, is his three-piece painting of a woman, and the shop is filled with many of his pieces inside. Browne’s paintings can all be identified by his signature, reading “Miles” with a large “M” and a trailing “S.” Of course, with his tattoo work, many of Browne’s artworks are unsigned and walking around all of Gresham – on the arms and backs of friends and strangers.

Left top: Miles Brownes mural outside the library. Left middle: Brownes painting outside the House of Tattoo in Gresham. Left bottom: 7 panel mural outside VA22. Middle photo of Miles Browne next to space man painting.

Photos by Ben Baxter

The Advocate brings you weekly words.

With these words, you can impress your instructors, whoop ass at Scrabble, or simply wait for more new words next week.

Hypotension Noun; Decreased or lowered blood pressure.

Web Photo

a decent song in its own right, it just didn’t surprise me in any way and after LOVING “Drag Me Down,” I labeled the newest album as somewhat of a downer: it didn’t make me happy, right off the bat.

Still, the instrumental parts in both of these singles make me wonder what aesthetic One Direction will try to portray with this album as a whole, because so far, I’m liking the whole house vibe they’ve got going on.

I give this album a 3.5 out of 5.

Vociferous Adjective; Crying out noisily; clamorous, loud.

Scurrilous Adjective; characterized by or using low buffoonery; coarsely jocular or derisive; vulgar.

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MHCC’s Clery Report Kari Anne Morley the advocate

Mt. Hood published its 2015 version of the Clery Report, a federally required annual record of any crime reported on campus over a 12-month period online -- and the news was mostly good.

The Clery Report’s objective is to inform students, faculty, staff and visitors of possible risks and to improve awareness on ways to reduce crime.

MHCC had a relatively safe 2014.

There were three instances of burglary and eight counts of vehicle theft reported across campus. When it comes to violence against women, there was one reported count of domestic violence, one count of dating violence, and nine counts of stalking.

There was only one arrest on campus for possession of an illegal weapon.

With this knowledge, it also is good to remember to always be safe on campus. The number of incidents may seem low, but it also good to be on guard. Never leave anything that could look valuable in your car. This includes purses and backpacks, even if they are empty; cell phones; MP3 players; or anything that looks valuable.

For women, it is never a bad thing to always pay attention to your surroundings. If possible, walk with at least one other person on campus, and report any signs you could feel like are stalking – defined as willful and repeated following or harassment by another person.

If you ever need to report a crime at MHCC, you can dial 911 on any campus phone or call Mt. Hood’s Public Safety line at: 503-491-7911. You can also report crimes on the Gresham campus in person at room: AC 2330.

NEWS

advocate-online.net

BSU Needs Members Are you interested in strengthening our Black community at MHCC? The Black Student Union is a student group committed to helping members build team and leadership skills, plus more. Meetings are held weekly in the Diversity Resource Center, from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. on Wednesdays and from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursdays. If you are looking for a role, available positions are: president, vice president, president-elect, secretary, treasurer,

social media coordinator, photographers, and Student Organizational Council representative.

For more information, contact the BSU at: BSU@mhcc.edu.

-Emily Wintringham Save Energy at MHCC All MHCC staff, faculty and students are welcome to attend an “Employee Engagement in Energy Efficiency Workshop,” from 7:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday in the Town and Gown Room. Organized by Mt. Hood’s Sustainability Council, workshop sessions will encourage dialogue and learning to promote energy sustainability and to help MHCC’s “Save En-

ergy for Scholarships” campaign.

The Sustainability Council also encourages everyone interested to complete an important survey, to be distributed soon. For more information on what the Sustainable Council offers, visit: www.EnergyEducationCenter. com.

For further questions, contact: PGE.Seminars@pge.com or call 503-464-2931. To apply for Wednesday’s workshop, go to this URL to sign up: http:// energyeducationcenter.com/ TrainingDetails.aspx?x=501 -Emily Wintringham

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Web access is needed to use the Mobile app. Check with your carrier for specific fees and charges. Some mobile features may require additional online setup. Any fees for optional transactions will be identified during registration for these services and during their use.

For a comprehensive list of account pricing, terms and policies, see the Consumer Pricing Information brochure and the Your Deposit Account Agreement. Deposit Products offered by U.S. Bank National Association. Member FDIC. 150469 (8/15)

SPORTS

October 2, 2015

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Photo contributed by Jeff Hinds

Second year Saints head volleyball coach Andrew Clifton has had quite the journey landing his first head coaching position at Mt. Hood Community College after assisting the University of Portland in 2013.

“Sometimes life just kind of happens, but I’m excited to be here,” he said.

Clifton applies life lessons a Volleyball coach handles adversity, aims for the top Jon Fuccillo the advocate

Second year Saints head volleyball coach Andrew Clifton has had a challenging two years, to say the least.

He is slowly rebuilding the longtime powerhouse program since taking over for former Mt. Hood head coach Chelsie Speer, who departed for Walla Walla Community College in early 2014.

In those last two years, Clifton and his wife, Lisa have bounced from the sunny California coast, to north Portland and finally out to Gresham.

Finally things are falling into place as the Cliftons have settled in fairly smoothly in the Mt. Hood community, though it hasn’t been an easy transition due to Lisa’s mental health challenges with the anxieties that come with being diagnosed as being bipolar.

Just two years ago, with Speer coaching, the Saints went 10-0 in the NWAC South Region, and 37-8 overall. Clifton’s first team struggled in 2014, finishing 3-7 in the South and 13-29 overall.

“It has been quite the process,”

said Clifton. “Chelsie had such a footprint left behind, but we made it through and I am creating my own footprint and we’re headed in the right direction. It just takes time, like anything.”

Just over two years ago, Clifton took his first-ever Division I coaching job, at the University of Portland, but things didn’t go as planned. The Pilots finished that season with a dismal 0-27 record, and the entire staff was let go.

Clifton, 39, said it was important for him and his wife to stay close by after being terminated, even though he was offered some other coaching jobs before taking the helm at Mt. Hood. The stress of packing and moving far again would be more than he and Lisa could handle.

Lisa, 40, is now enjoying living in Gresham this year, and said she has adjusted quite well, though her mood swings still come and go.

“It’s hard to have a mental illness, which puts you in a minority,” said Lisa. “But I’m naturally a loner, which I don’t mind. Because one minute I’m fine and the next minute, I’m depressed for a while.”

Clifton added, “It has been a process... But we have learned to recognize her behaviors and then figure out what to do next. We know the difference between a mix state, which is the worse. Sometimes we have to figure out whether we’re going to shut it down for the day or if she can push through it. It’s always her decision.”

Lisa said growing up was like

hell on earth at times, especially since her father was also bipolar.

“I came from an abusive household,” she said. “My dad was bipolar and untreated. It was like Mickey Mouse and the devil, with him. I didn’t know if I was going to get slapped in the face or if I was going to get $20 from my dad.”

Before departing for Portland, Clifton was the top assistant coach for the Division II California State Monterey Bay Otters, where he was the setting coach and offensive coordinator in 2012. Prior to that, he coached at Hope International University and Long Beach City College.

His heart and passion has always been coaching at the Division I level and, thankfully, Lisa was on board, even though his career moves have been quite the struggle. “It’s hard making change, but it was time,” said Clifton of the move to Oregon.

“I knew what I wanted and the University of Portland offered me a job on the spot during the camp I was working at. It’s too bad I was let go after six months.

“But I was happy that Mt. Hood had an opening and it was nearby,” he added.

Clifton wasn’t too sure how his wife would react to the change of moving more than 700 miles, but things have fallen into place for the couple, though it hasn’t been easy.

Clifton said ever since the two met, Lisa had her fair share of problems with taming her disorder.

“Lisa was originally diagnosed

with an anxiety disorder, then we found out later while we were dating in college that she was bipolar,” said Clifton.

Now, Lisa loves her new home in Gresham, since the couple moved from St. Johns.

For full unabridged story, www.advocate-online.net “Living close by this year – it has been much easier for me to have relationships with the girls (on the team). I like to think I’m their mother away from home. I want to be as supportive as possible,” she said.

8 PAGE

SPORTS

Code Yellow: Don’t Panic!

MHCC SPORTS INSIDER X Country gains steam

Clay Vitale

the advocate The University of Oregon entered the 2015 football season with a giant elephant in the locker room: How could the program possibly fill the void left by Marcus Mariota?

The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner was selected second overall in this year’s NFL draft, ending the amateur career of the most prolific quarterback in the school’s history.

Mariota’s backup, Jeff Lockie, didn’t quite have the experience the Ducks were looking for, so the coaches began to scout an insurance plan. Enter Vernon Adams, an Eastern Washington University graduate transfer student with definite upside. In 2013, Adams thrust himself into the FCS record books by ranking third all-time in passing yards (4,994) and touchdowns (55) for a season – giving Oregon fans a glimmer of hope.

Fast forward to Week Five of the current season, and you’ll find a reeling program still searching for answers. For the Ducks, knocked out of the AP Top 25 weekly poll for the first time since 2009 and sitting at 2-2 after a blowout home loss to Utah, perhaps some expectations should’ve been tempered from the start.

Oregon fans have been spoiled by watching the 6-foot, 4-inch Mariota effortlessly hit receivers on a dime and, as it turns out, Eastern Washington is still putting up good numbers even without the 5-foot, 11-inch Adams in the mix. It is becoming more apparent that Adams is not a suitable replacement, even

advocate-online.net

on an interim basis. After completing only 2 passes in 7 attempts for 26 yards against Utah, Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich benched him in favor of Lockie, who didn’t fare much better, throwing two interceptions and a single touchdown.

Keep in mind, it’s not just the offense’s fault: The Ducks’ porous defense allowed 62 points, the most given up at Autzen Stadium in school history.

Not everything has to be doomand-gloom, however. Every school goes through a rebuilding phase at some point. Helfrich, a Coos Bay native, has been with Oregon since 2009 and took the Ducks to the national championship game in just his second season as head coach in 2014.

The protégé of former head coach Chip Kelly, he played an integral part in the school’s recent success and knows how to win. After all, Helfrich was one of the first college recruiters to discover Mariota play-

ing in Hawaii and made Oregon one of only two schools to offer him a scholarship.

Now Helfrich has his own protégé in current Offensive Coordinator Scott Frost, who had been the program’s wide receivers coach for five years. From the 2016 high school recruiting class Frost has a four-star, dual-threat quarterback committed to Oregon next year: Seth Green, out of Allen, Texas. Green fits more of the “Ducks profile,” standing at 6-foot, 4-inches, with a big arm. He also has the mobility to escape pressure and turn failed plays into positive yardage. He’ll be in camp with the team next year, most likely as a redshirt freshman, but he gives the fan base something to look forward to.

Time will tell if Helfrich has more of that Mariota magic up his sleeve, but it doesn’t appear it will take too long to find out.

Considered for NWAC athlete of the week honors by head coach Jim Satterfield, Leah Norquist finished 12th overall in last week’s Preview, running the 5k in 20 minutes and 29 seconds.

Jonathan Zacarius topped the men’s team by crossing the finish line in 28:03, good for 31st in the 8k. Coach Satterfield is excited with whom he has on the roster as the program’s momentum continues to climb.

Mt. Hood’s next meet is Saturday, October 3rd in Salem, OR for the Charles Bowles Invite.

Advocate Athlete of the Week:

Leah Norquist

Volleyball falls to Chemeketa Coming Up: @ Linn-Benton 10/2 at 6p.m. @ Clackamas 10/9 at 6p.m. vs. Clark 10/14 at 6p.m.

Top ranked Chemeketa hosted Mt. Hood on Wednesday, but the Saints couldn’t improve to 3-0 in league play, losing to the 22-2 Storm. “We didn’t have our mojo, didn’t play with the same confidence on the road”, said head coach Andrew Clifton. Mt. Hood looks to rebound at Linn-Benton on Friday leading up to a week of practice before the next match.

MLB postseason in preview: Part 2 of 3 Clay Vitale

the advocate As the regular season winds down to its end on Sunday, most MLB divisions are all but final, the only exception being the American League West.

As of now, the Texas Rangers have a 2.5 game lead on Houston with Anaheim (er, “Los Angeles...” etc.) just two back. The Astros have five games left to catch Texas, while the Angels have six to play. The Rangers should be able to stand their ground when they play the Angels to close out the year, holding on to win the division and leaving Houston with the second American League wild card spot. The Angels will run out of real estate, as far as

season length goes, and a banged-up pitching staff ultimately leaves them on the outside looking in.

If this rings true, the division titles for the rest of the AL should go to the Kansas City Royals in the Central and the Toronto Blue Jays in the East, with the two wild cards going to the New York Yankees and aforementioned Astros.

In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets should take the West, Central and East divisions,

respectively, with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs already having punched their tickets to the NL wild card game.

Speaking of the Wild Card playoff, there have been more grumblings this year than in seasons past – primarily due to the heavy traffic atop the NL Central. St. Louis has the best record in baseball; however, the next two best teams (Pittsburgh and Chicago) just so happen to play in the same division.

The way the Wild Card game is now formulated is: the two best teams in each league that did not win their division play a single, winnertake-all game hosted by the team with the better record. The winner moves on to face the team with the league’s best record in the Division Series round of the playoffs and the

loser takes a four-month vacation.

What has sparked ire with this setup is the realization that one of the top three teams in baseball this year will be sitting at home following the very first round of the post-season. Unfortunately, it’s just the nature of the game. This isn’t Little League, where every team gets a trophy for participating. If you win the big games, you move on. If not, tip your cap and gracefully exit stage right, because there’s no one else to blame. Now, on to the Wild Card games, and stay tuned for Part 3 of this series in the Advocate.

The American League one game playoff in the Bronx should pit Masahiro Tanaka of New York against Houston’s Dallas Keuchel in a classic duel of youth vs. experience. The talent level of the Astros’ lineup and

too much Keuchel will keep the Yankees home permanently. The Astros will head to the ALDS and take on the Royals in Kansas City (Houston edged New York, 4 games to 3 in their regular season series).

Meantime, Chicago travels to the Steel City in a showdown of NL Central foes battling to move on.

The Cubs’ Jake Arrieta squares off with counterpart Gerrit Cole of the Pirates in an epic pitching matchup.

If there’s ever to be a low-scoring affair with a legitimate shot at extra innings, this is it. When the dust settles, Pittsburgh’s fight and the Cubs’ fragile bullpen will undo the high hopes in Chicago, and the Bucs should move on to St. Louis to face the Cardinals in the NLDS (Chicago beat Pittsburgh 11 out of 19 games in regulation).