The Advocate - Issue 5 - October 18, 2019

Volume 54, Issue 5 October 18, 2019 advocate-online.net

FOR THE STUDENTS BY THE STUDENTS

How is climate change affecting our daily lives?

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Bring Me The Horizon are on the move PAGE 5

Inktober is making an impact PAGE 7

AUTUMN'S CHILL BRINGS WARM COLORS PAGE 8

Zombieland sequel infests audiences with laughter PAGE 6

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OPINION

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CRANKY COMMUTE? CLIMATE CHANGE’S ‘FRONTLINE’ It won’t last forever

Parrish Chang The Advocate

Within the last year, mass amounts of road construction have been surrounding MHCC. Normally it wouldn’t be a big deal for road construction to occur during the Fall Term, but this time it seems worse than normal. The work on the streets around campus has had a negative impact on student’s’ arrival time at school. This goes for carpool, personal drivers, and students who rely on public transportation.

It’s not just the roads around the campus, either.

There seem to be massive projects all over the city of Gresham. This causes traffic to be backed up and slowed to the point where drivers/ riders could be sitting there a while without even moving an inch.

There have been anecdotes from MHCC students who claim that they only live five-to-10 minutes from the campus, but with all the road work it now takes them half an hour just to get here.

All this road work will have positive results by the time it’s done, but it acts as a huge inconvenience to everyone who uses those roads in their day-to-day lives.

For example, for a while construction along Northeast Kane Drive was blocking the TriMet bus stop closest to the school. The bus had to pick up and drop off its passengers in the middle of the street lanes. This is a safety issue, and it blocked all traffic behind the bus.

So, what’s the upside of all this hassle?

The roadwork is largely due to construction crews replacing piping or electrical work, and making new sidewalks (the streets near the MHCC campus is focused on underground pipes, rather than repaving or expanding the roadway).

With the increasing population of Gresham, it is important that we adjust our roadways to accommodate the changes. The lack of sidewalks or bike lanes, and how narrow many of our older roads are, means we can’t safely transport the increased population. Gresham’s lack of sidewalks have always been an issue among those who can’t afford to take public transport or don’t own a personal mode of transport.

The projects are a necessary step for us as a city to grow stronger. If you find yourself arriving late to your classes due to the roadwork, then try adjusting your commute to properly fit your schedule and the obstacles that these improvements might raise.

Focusing on the negative isn’t going to speed up the process, or make it disappear. Instead of getting angry and harming your health, try looking toward the positives. Think about how much the amazing city of Gresham will be once all of this work is done.

Omar Carrillo The Advocate

Never in humanity’s history have we dealt with a situation quite like the one in which we are struggling right now.

At a time in which data from countless sources suggest, and often urge the world-wide acknowledgment of, a disaster unprecedented in human times, it makes our past depictions of global cataclysm seem so much more… theatrical: dire detonations, charring hellfire, even the occasional engulfment by an unending sea.

It is easy to panic our minds into madness when we feel the earth directly split beneath our feet. But how does our cognitive perception cope when the apocalypse, in reality, appears to be marching rather quietly – at least, relatively so?

More specifically, how could this dread be impacting those directly involved in the cultivation and participation of a very personal kind of future?

In terms of climate researchers themselves, the “frontline,” as journalist David Corn states in a recent Mother Jones magazine article detailing these researcher’s mental struggles, the answer is not the best, unfortunately.

Corn writes that, frequently, “...

for the students by the students

climate scientists often resemble Sarah Connor of the ‘Terminator’ franchise, who knows of a looming catastrophe but must struggle to function in a world that does not comprehend what is coming and, worse, largely ignores the warnings of those who do.”

With this comparison to the pop culture icon, he brings out that very same brutal battle these researchers find themselves in all the time: A war between what might be best for them singularly, and what might be best for the rest of humanity, entirely.

There is a certain kind of commitment one has when dedicating themself to a field of study. It could easily be interpreted as an expression of a student’s particular desire for an ultimate purpose all their own, in terms of their schooling life.

This, of course, is jeopardized then by a context that threatens that very future in which such a goal is embedded. Raised in Gresham, UCLA freshman Dylan Riley does not have the luxury of being able to simply ignore such a threat, explaining, “Climate change has been something I’ve thought about increasingly since coming to LA, especially since the air quality is notoriously poor.”

He expresses a fair amount of anxiety about our global situation, but can remain somewhat optimistic knowing that “...on the other hand, I feel like [my] school does a good job contributing toward fighting climate change (for example, its initiative to be waste-free by 2023),” he said.

And what of the very people who have devoted their lives to instructing these students and ensuring their scholarly potential is realized?

MHCC mathematics instruc-

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Editor-in-Chief Chloe Collins

Sports Editor Julia Empleo

Broadcast team Gage Linhares

Ad Manager Parrish Chang

Outreach Manager Melanie Roberts

Associate Editor Omar Saradi

Opinion Editors Sadie Klein Omar Saradi

Graphic Design Team Leydi Perez Carrasco

Staff Writers Brad Le Daniella Young Kel Buell Ash Espinoza Omar Carrillo Carson Koch

Social Media Manager [Position Open]

News Editor Chris Barney Arts & Entertainment Editors Kurt Larson Eli Rankin Austin Asciutto

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Graphic Design Editor Eli Rankin Radio Producer Naethaniel Lile

Photo Editor Maysee Thao Photo Team Bethy Fallgren Landon Spady

Copy Editor Corwin Benedict

Distribution Specialist Julia MacDonald Advisers Dan Ernst Howard Buck

tor Rob Hauss expressed his personal state-of-mind regarding the climate conundrum, explaining, “When I really have to think about it, I get depressed. And that’s something I have to struggle against, because just throwing your hands up in the air and saying ‘everything is screwed’ doesn’t help.”

Hauss added that he is hesitant to come across as pushing an agenda onto his students, but he is also sure not to hide the proof (of climate change) that may show up in his curriculum.

Regarding the large scope of climate study, and with the same testimony by so many climate scientists haven been given so many times, it can be difficult to say whether or not the worst-case scenario truly is approaching.

At the very least, thanks to booming advocates such as Swedish teen Greta Thunburg taking the initiative to represent an entire generation’s alarm, it cannot be said that we have all succumbed to a great cynicism, just yet.

But it all brings about a very particular set of questions that, though asked frequently, are done so for good reason: At what point will we decide for ourselves what our duty is regarding this crisis? At what point will this fright become a propellant for us, instead of a pair of shackles? Should it even be our responsibility to fix a mess we didn’t even ourselves design? If not us, then who?

Who we are in relation to these inquiries is something we must all determine, and if recent climate science is to be believed, it is something we must do very, very quickly.

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SPORTS

OCTOBER 18, 2019

SAINTS TRACK ATHLETE’S JOURNEY BACK TO RUNNING

Melanie Roberts The Advocate

Michael Ahl is just starting his studies in Sports and Exercise Science at Mt. Hood, but he’s already come a long way.

A 20-year-old student working on getting his life back on track with college, he is also fully engaged with the Saints cross-country and track teams on campus. And the two pursuits are directly linked.

Ahl has been a distance runner since entering Gordon Russell Middle School, in Gresham. At first he wasn’t that into it, but he had family members that ran in track and field, so he felt the need to be involved with running, he said.

He would continue in cross country and track at Gresham High School. During his freshman year, he was a very cocky person, he says now. He would make fun of teammates and he wouldn’t take running very seriously. He lost every race and was certainly not the best distance runner.

Then came a life-changing sophomore year. Ahl discovered he had a hernia infection, on his right side. This changed everything for him: He realized how important running was to him.

“I found out the day of track (practice) starting that I wasn’t allowed to run, due to the hernia,” he said. “I talked to the head coach and ended up being an assistant coach for the distance(-running) crew. Doing that made me realize I wanted to be a coach when I was older and impact people the way my coaches impacted me.

“Losing the season made me cherish running more, and gave me

a chip on my shoulder to run and compete more,” he said.

Right after Ahl had surgery, before the start of his junior year, he knew he really wanted compete in both cross country and track.

“Literally having a season taken away brought fire into me,” he said.

That year, he finally earned what he sought, a letterman’s jacket in both cross country and track. In every

Michael Ahl

Web Photo

race he competed, he improved, dropping 10 seconds each race and placing in the top five competitors.

“I started finding a rhythm again,” said Ahl. As a senior at GHS, he again ran cross country, but decided not to letter in track, giving a friend the prized opportunity instead. He noticed one of his teammates was so close to lettering and Ahl wanted to give his friend the opportunity he’d already had to finally letter in the sport.

After finishing high school, Ahl enrolled at Mt. Hood. At the time, thought he had it all: He wanted to go into the forestry degree program, focus on his education, and do what

he loves – running – although he didn’t join the Saints squad at the time.

Unfortunately, he started to face some heavy personal issues by Fall Term 2017, and began to struggle with anxiety and other health issues.

“It was more a mental battle with myself,” said Ahl. Those issues eventually “pulled my mental health down,” and he withdrew from college in early 2018, he said.

Even so, there was a strong feeling he needed running in his life more than ever. After a year off, he decided in Winter Term 2019 to take a track class at MHCC, and through that he met two of the college’s track/running coaches, Christine Eckstein and Fernando Fantroy.

One day, Ahl had a talk with Eckstein and she asked him, “Well, how are you doing mentally?” and he broke down into tears. He explained his tough times, and the coach was there for him, he says now.

At first, he still did not feel mentally in the right place in his life and so he would go to the class and would help out his coaches.

But soon there would be a big transformation.

From January of this year to now, Eckstein has seen so much growth and improvement with Ahl as a leader and as a distance runner, she said.

“He’s learning that running is a great therapy,” she said. “Sports in general help a lot of people in that aspect.”

The current Fall Term is Ahl’s first official term at MHCC since 2017. This also is his first official year running competitively at MHCC.

Like any other student who takes Ahl has already sliced nearly two time off, he feels behind in a sense, minutes off his 8-kilometer time. he conceded – but honestly, it’s just He said he enjoys truly being a part the beginning as he is getting his life of the Saints team right now.

His coach, Eckstein, has been back on track – in all respects.

“What can I do to focus better greatly impressed and proud of how as a person, runner, and my mind?” far Ahl has come. “He’s become Ahl said he has asked himself. He 100% focused at practice, as he knew all along that he wanted to shows how strong he is mentally. come back to MHCC just to run. He’s been a good team leader,” she Now he’s running on scholarship said.

Ahl has high hopes and goals for for the Saints.

“The moment I started running running, as he truly loves this sport.

He said his goal is to keep running again. I was happy,” he said.

In two cross country meets at a university and to someday be a so far this season (with a third, distance running coach, himself.

On what could be a great the Warner Pacific XC Classic, scheduled for Saturday morning in journey, this is only just the southeast Portland’s Lents Park), beginning. the Independent student voice of MHCC

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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.

Brad Le

Staff Writer

Brad is excited to be a staff writer for The Advocate while pursuing a degree in family science or political science, considering a career in divorce law.

He likes to write about atypical or obscure topics that he feels deserve more attention. A freshman student, he is always seeking more knowledge of academic pursuits, watchmaking, and collecting writing instruments.

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NEWS | SPORTS

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MAKE A CHANGE HERE AT MHCC Sadie Klein

The Advocate The Multicultural & Diversity Resource Center hosted its first Student Voices Forum meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 15, providing students a safe place to discuss with MHCC staff the improvements they wish to see on campus.

Present at the first of the planned monthly meetings – in Room AC1050, inside the Student Union – were Ernesto Vasquez, coordinator for the Center, who led students with questions and recorded the concerns raised, Linda Vigesaa, the college’s chief information officer, and Amber High from the MHCC communications/marketing office.

Among the concerns voiced were the lack of student club advertisements, and events that give students a chance to connect. The main issue is lack of communication between students and event planners at MHCC, participants said.

The next forum is set for Tuesday, Nov. 19, starting at 11:30 a.m.

It is crucial for interested students to attend these meetings, so that their thoughts and concerns can be heard, and real change can occur. The forums will only be successful if more students attend, organizers said.

Often, students complain of changes they wish to see on campus, and this is the perfect opportunity to do something about it.

Photo by Landon Spady | The Advocate

Zach Collins is in his third season with the Portland Trail Blazers, looking to contribute to the power forward position this season.

CAN THE BLAZERS KEEP IT UP? Julia Empleo The Advocate

With a road win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, the Portland Trail Blazers finally earned a preseason victory against other NBA teams – not including a win over a visiting Israeli team.

Previously, the Blazers lost to the Phoenix Suns, 134-118, on Oct. 12 at the Moda Center.

Terry Stotts used a different starting lineup in this game, due to forward Rodney Hood being out with back spasms and also because it’s the preseason. He started newly acquired veterans Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver in place of Hood and Zach Collins to play alongside the other expected regular starters, guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, and new center Hassan Whiteside. (Whiteside is replacing the injured Jusuf Nurkic, for at least several months).

While the Suns’ stars, Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker and Ricky Rubio, sat out

the whole game, Phoenix was able to pull out an impressive win. The visiting team cashed out 24 3-pointers in 45 attempts for the night, while the Blazers committed 22 turnovers, including 15 in the first half.

The Blazers were not able to contain the Suns’ 3-point shooters, led by Phoenix rookie, Cameron Johnson, who was 4-of-6 behind the arc. But they did have good production out of McCollum, who scored 27 points in 31 minutes, and Lillard, who scored 18 points in 30 minutes. Whiteside was phenomenal in his second game, going 5-of-5 in the field with six rebounds in just 23 minutes.

The Blazers bench also contributed.

Collins had an overall good game, scoring 16 points and making two big blocks, and second-year guard Anfernee Simons had 13 points on the night, shooting 3-of-4 behind the arc.

After these first few games, Blazers fans are still looking for what this new team can do. It’s still early to predict

what this team can do in the Western Conference.

With the addition of a new center (Whiteside, replacing the injured Jusuf Nurkic) and a veteran (Bazemore), and with other young players fighting for minutes in the bench, it will be an interesting year. But I would not bet on them this early yet. The team still needs to prove that they upgraded from their roster last season, something they really haven’t shown yet.

We’ll see soon if this team still has to depend in their two backcourt stars (Lillard and McCollum). If the bench can produce and stay consistent thoughout the season, then I would bet on this team to make it to the playoffs.

The Blazers were on the road for the last preseason Thursday night (after Advocate press time), and then return to the Moda Center for opening night of the regular season against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

CROSS COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS

RIVERS GROSS Freshman Bend High School

AVERY MARSHALL Freshman Gladstone High School

TRENT ODMAN Freshman David Douglas High

ISSAC MOULTON Freshman Prairie High School

PR FOR 5K: 21:28*

PR FOR 5K: 23:13

PR FOR 5K: 30:03*

PR FOR 8K: 30:06*

* mark set this season PA G E 4

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 18, 2019

BRING ME THE HORIZON THREESOME TOUR: Poppy, mosh pits, and dystopian themes

Ash Espinoza

sic from commercials blasted all around. Black clothing was the perfect attire for the night if you didn’t already buy band merch, and the anticipation was high for the night.

The Advocate

If you didn’t already hear, Bring Me The Horizon’s threesome tour took place at the Moda Center Monday, Oct. 14, for nearly four hours, and it was an amazing experience!

A halfhour before showtime, the entry line was already getting close to doing its first wrap-around, though nobody was getting irritated for having to wait, or complaining. Everyone was laughing and talking with friends and Chloe Collins | The Advocate groups as Poppy during the first song of her set glowing green in stage the loud mulights.

First up was Poppy, and although kind of terrifying, her performance was topnotch and a bit of a banger. You could feel the power behind her words and the energy in her performance and her band was a major scare factor with their eyeless masks. She was just the band to kick off the night.

Following was Sleeping With Sirens, an Oliver Sykes intensely singing to a spirited crowd. unimaginable as we all, for just one night, came experience leaving the crowd (including me) together to jam to music we all breathless and in awe. The lead loved and bands we all couldn’t singer, Kellin Quinn, got the wait to see.

Finally, ending the night was crowd even more pumped, the band we all were waiting for: getting everyone to form a mosh pit and just lose all sense Bring Me The Horizon, performing of control as he screamed their new album with the whole lyrics from current albums, old stage set up as a dystopian society.

The back-up dancers with ones, and new albums into the crowd’s ears. He got everyone’s their badass outfits and creepy pulse jumping, along with their movements as the drums roared made your heart feel like it was bodies.

The crowd was so full of life part of the band itself, your whole

Chloe Collins | The Advocate

body vibrating as you jumped around screaming beautiful lyrics and mosh pitting for most of their performance. (I will not lie: That was as painful as it was epic to take part of.)

It was such an amazing, oncein-a-lifetime experience to be a part of, watching people come together as one, and sing back to the bands that have touched us all at one point. This was an experience I will not soon forget, nor will anyone else who was there that night.

‘EL CAMINO’: A BREAKING BAD REVIEW Kurt Larson

The Advocate It may have been six years since the story of everyone’s favorite meth-slinging high school teacher came to a conclusion, but “Breaking Bad” is back once again for a Netflix original TV movie in “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.”

Which might not necessarily be a good thing, it turns out.

(Warning: The following plot description includes spoilers for the original television show.)

The film picks up immediately after the events of the final episode in the series. El Camino follows fan favorite Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul, after he has successfully escaped from captivity with the help of Walter White. Now Pinkman is on the run, evading police and attempting to start a new life for himself as he seeks redemption.

In classic Breaking Bad fashion,

however, things are never as simple as that. Or are they?

Vince Gilligan returned to the director’s chair for El Camino and his prints are very clearly all over it, but this time around it feels as if those prints are less well-defined.

On the whole, the movie stands out as another great, well-made addition to the world and story of Breaking Bad, but compared to the quality of the TV series, El Camino feels like one of the lesser episodes, at least in terms of its writing and intensity.

On the other hand, everything else maintains the high standards of the show, most importantly the performances. Paul puts on a truly Emmy worthy turn, along with Jesse Plemons as Todd, who is even more insidiously kind and naive than in the original show. Brian Cranston as White and Jonathan Banks as Mike also return for a couple more amazing – albeit very brief – scenes,

reminding the audience what made them so captivating in the first place.

Speaking of returning characters, a good majority of El Camino actually takes place in flashbacks, primarily between Jesse and Todd. While these scenes are entertaining and wonderfully intense in their own right, it does leave the film feeling less like a movie and far more like an addendum to the final season, filmed six years too late.

The biggest flaw of this movie lies in its reliance on the TV show and its untimely release.

Unfortunately for Gilligan, many of the actors from Breaking Bad are noticeably older, or simply look different from the time of their original performances, leaving this movie feeling somewhat cheap, and tacked on. El Camino in no way stands on its own as a film, and instead feels more like an

additional two episodes that the creators forgot to release – a really interesting two episodes, but not a movie.

El Camino fails to push the story forward into any new or truly interesting direction, only providing a more defined ending for Jesse, wrapping up his character arc with a nice bow, leaving littleto-no speculation.

However, the quality of Gilligan’s direction, coupled with Paul’s stellar performance, makes this a must-watch for any big fan of the show – and only for those fans.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Web photo

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‘ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP’ Kel Buell

The Advocate Ladies and gentlemen... hold on to your Twinkies, because Tallahassee and crew are about to be back in theaters with the long-awaited sequel to the original undead hit, “Zombieland: Double Tap”.

Not only is all of the original cast returning, but it seems we are getting some new members, as well.

Fans of the original movie are seething with anticipation of Double Tap’s release, and the theaters will likely be packed on opening night, and for good reason, if the sequel is anything like the first movie.

For those who haven’t seen “Zombieland,” the setting is a post-zombie apocalypse America, and follows a young man (played

by Jesse Eisenberg) known only as “Columbus” on his comedic and action-packed journey across the undead-infested U.S.

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On the way he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a macho, Twinkie-obsessed, zombie-hating cowboy; Wichita (Emma Stone), a clever survivalist and scam artist/thief; and her little sister, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).

The resulting hijinks and shenanigans, interspersed with bursts of zombie-killing action, is both highly entertaining and suspenseful, and ensures that there is never a dull moment.

If you like action movies, comedies, zombie movies, or even just watching a Hostess-obsessed cowboy desperately trying to get his hands on one of those hallowed golden treats, then give the original Zombieland a try. It won’t disappoint.

For all of my fellow fans who have already seen the first movie, I’ll see you in the theater for the sequel.

Poster contributed by Daryl Harrison-Carson

THEATRE DEPARTMENT PREPARING TO PUT ON UNIQUE PERFORMANCE Eli Rankin

The Advocate MHCC has had a long history in the performing arts: Just ask Daryl Harrison-Carson, a 20-year veteran instructor and technical director for this year’s fall theatre performance, which is shaping up to be exceptional in more ways than just one.

For starters, Harrison-Carson and part-time assistant Julie Akers, who is the director for this year’s play, have decided to put a spin on Kathryn Schultz Miller’s “Sword in the Stone” that will be unique to MHCC’s performance. The script will be reimagined as children acting out the events of the legendary King Arthur’s childhood in their imaginations.

The set, designed by Harrison-Carson, is meant to emulate a play structure, complete with seesaws and monkey bars. She noted that there are a lot of quick scene changes in the script, and this was a creative solution to that problem that helps gives the play a sense of magic.

Another, albeit more extenuating, detail surrounding this play is that the Mt. Hood theatre department’s head, Mace Archer, is currently taking a yearlong sabbatical.

Harrison-Carson is the only fulltime faculty member working in the department; the other members are either part-time faculty or hired by college specifically for the play.

She concedes that progress in the department is a bit “chaotic” right now, but said she is glad that the students are getting to work with different directors and faculty members, which gives more opportunities to make connections that can lead to theatre internships.

One such contracted individual is Kristen Mun, who creates on-stage fight choreography. The Mt. Hood play is set to have plenty of action and sword fights, and special swords of reinforced metal have to be used on stage. Since the swords will be used repeatedly over the course of many rehearsals and performances, they have to be exceptionally sturdy to ensure that they don’t wear down and break during the performance.

The actors have been rehearsing their fight scenes in slow motion to get the choreography down, and, thanks to Mun’s expertise, Harrison-Carson is happy to report that there have been no accidents or severed limbs.

The Sword in the Stone is set to open at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 4. Buses from local elementary schools also will be bringing schoolchildren to see the play, and hopefully inspire them to pursue the theatre, on Nov. 6, 8, 13, 15, and 18.

The matinee will be performed at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, which Harrison-Carson recommends as the best time for MHCC students to attend as there are no class conflicts, and the theater will not be hosting elementary field trips that day.

The play has a runtime of under an hour, and will cost $2 per person. However, since it is considered a children’s play, Mt. Hood is willing to waive the $2 entry fee for anyone unable to pay and who wants to experience the magic of the theatre for the first time.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 18, 2019

’TIS THE SEASON FOR ARTISTIC CHALLENGES

Parrish Chang The Advocate

With the lovely month of October comes an interesting tradition, for artists both new and old: Artists around the world participate in the Inktober Challenge, which puts artists to the test by making a new drawing every day out of ink, based on that day’s particular theme.

Inktober started in 2009. Artist Jake Parker gave himself a challenge to improve his inking skills and to help him obtain good drawing habits. Now, an the official Inktober Instagram page releases the themes for all 31 days of October a month in advance, giving artists a chance to brainstorm ideas for each day.

Also, some other big art accounts on Instagram sometimes make their own Inktober art themes so that they can give artists some

variety and they can look at more than one theme in a single day.

Inktober isn’t always easy for the artists. It can cause massive amounts of stress and self-doubt for some, especially if they fall behind on the days. Inktober, of course, noticed this and released a post this year on how to handle Inktober in a healthy way. The first tip is to give yourself a reasonable goal to achieve, such as inking for, say, six minutes a day. You can obviously do more or less depending on what you think you can handle.

Another really big tip is to “drop your expectations,” the site said. “You can’t expect to put out masterpieces everyday. It doesn’t happen all the time.” Inktober lets artists know that there will be a dip in motivation while making a piece of art. It suggests that you keep pushing through it until you’re done. Start what you can finish.

2019 prompt list provided by the official Inktober Instagram

The final tip for the artists participating is to focus on what you can control. An artist can’t control how good the piece turns out in the end, but can change how much work they put into their creation.

If this year is your first participating in Inktober, don’t expect yourself to be able to keep up with the many other artists who have been doing this for years.

You’re more than likely not going to be able to complete every day’s theme, which is okay. Use this first time as a learning experience, find out what went wrong, and try your best to fix it over time.

Inktober is only three weeks in, so far, so you can still participate for the last 12 days of the event. You can even try drawing the themes you missed, anyway, just for fun and for practice. The biggest thing is to remember that you’re doing this for you, not for anyone else.

If you wish to participate you can find the prompt list on the official website or Instagram page.

Whenever you post a drawing for Inktober, all you need to do is tag your Instagram post with #Inktober2019 and #Inktober. This allows everyone to see the many pieces of art the participants make and it allows the people taking part in Inktober to see each other’s work and share their appreciation.

Remember, Inktober is an event that is supposed to make you smile, and to allow yourself to have a good time while creating.

Art provided by Aubrey Lane for Day 8 Frail IG @Auboodae

Art provided by Parrish Chang for Day 7 Enchanted IG @Paridoodles

OPINION POLL: DOES A CANDIDATE’S VIEW ON CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT THE WAY YOU VOTE?

SCAN THE QR CODE TO LET US KNOW! Leydi Perez Carrasco | The Advocate

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GRANDSON: DROPPING THE BEAT AND FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT Chloe Collins The Advocate

The Declaration of Independence says that when a government is unjust it is the duty of the people to overthrow that government.

It’s a few hundred years too soon for a total overthrow of the United States government, but it’s important to remember we hold that power.

Reminding people how much power they hold is exactly what Jordan Benjamin had in mind when he started his musical career as Grandson, and was clear during his concert at the Crystal Ballroom on Oct. 12, which was a great show all around.

The opening performer, Phem, did an amazing job of getting the crowd ready to dance. Her energy on stage had everyone dancing already. Kicking up the energy another gear, she jumped off the stage mid-set and stood with the crowd, waving her arm back and forth with the sea of limbs around her.

Phem and her guitarist played some catchy original songs and even threw in a cover of “Creep,”

by Radiohead. Phem bounced from one instrument to the next, playing the guitar and drums at different

points in the set while singing vocals the entire time.

Following Phem, Nothing Nowhere was next in the lineup.

was always strong. Overall, he went hard, and the music would make the perfect playlist to dance anyone’s anger out to. There were

Grandson’s guitarist getting into the music at the Crystal Ballroom on Oct. 12.

This Massachusetts artist didn’t let the energy dwindle. He also took the opportunity to talk a little bit about mental illnesses, and show support for those struggling with them. “If there’s one thing you can take from tonight, that’s to spread love and compassion. Let’s be kind to one another,” he said.

As for Nothing Nowhere’s music, it was a little too angsty for me, personally, but the beat

several moments without singing and the band just jammed out while the crowd moved to the beat.

Finally, Grandson made his appearance. When the band came on stage, he addressed the crowd as if he knew everyone personally.

Opening with a lighthearted joke about being bald, Grandson didn’t waste much time before getting down to the music. Some highlights of the set included him running

up and down the aisle to high-five concertgoers and whipping his shirt off in the heat of the song promptly after returning to the stage.

Chloe Collins | The Advocate

As exciting as his dancing and jumping on stage were, his dedication to changing the mindset of an entire generation is what makes Grandson’s shows truly remarkable.

He started his set off with some troubling news clips playing on the three screens mounted onstage.

The clips highlighted current issues we are facing in the U.S. There was footage of children evacuating

schools, and clips of biased news anchors. Not long into his set, he dedicated a song to journalists and whistleblowers. On the screens behind the band, a famous Martain Luther King Jr. quote was boldly displayed for the better half of a song: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

All the political influence was powerful in the music and in Grandson’s interaction with the crowd. He didn’t miss the opportunity to talk about XXRevolution, his movement, either. Toward the end of his set, he declared, “We are Columbine, we are Parkland…” with screens rolling behind him with the names of schools that have been victimized by gun violence in the United States.

The moment was enough to bring tears to the eyes of many, myself included.

Grandson’s stated mission is to “Empower you and give you a sense of agency over your own life,” he said. So, if we can take anything from his music, it’s that we can call our representatives. We can protest, debate, and stand up for what we believe in. This is a government for the people and by the people, as our Declaration makes clear.

THE BEAUTY OF THE AUTUMN SEASON

Bethany Fallgren The Advocate

As we walk around the Mt. Hood campus, we can’t help but notice all of the beautiful colors of fall. For example, the bright yellow and orange leaves of the maple trees, mixed with the blazing reds of cherry trees, are a delight to view this season.

We were even recently gifted with an extended break from the rain, just in time to enjoy the rainbow of changing foliage. The windy weather gave a nice, added effect, blowing the leaves around.

Autumn has always had a special place in our hearts. It’s that time of year when the scent of falling leaves – and sometimes, bonfires – drifts through the air like an earthy aroma that has waited all

summer just to please our senses.

Halloween decorations start to fill a majority of family homes, spooky movies come to theaters, and bitesized candy becomes a daily part of life. Visiting a local pumpkin patch is always enjoyable, too, and there are many in our area.

MHCC is a distinctly beautiful

winter starts to set in.

There are so many paths and walkways around campus to help you view the radiant foliage. Many of the paths have benches or areas in which to sit while enjoying the view, which also can make nice study areas. The Student Union is a pleasant place to enjoy the view while being sheltered from the elements, as well.

Autumn brings signals to the human senses that all of us can identify with, whether it’s that pumpkin spice latte you’ve waited all year for, or that crunching sound of fallen leaves beneath your feet. Whatever it is that signifies the season to you, be sure to take the time to enjoy those little moments between classes or during your day to enjoy this time of year. Take a deep breath of that crisp, fresh fall air and take a moment for yourself.

We are lucky to live in such a bewitching landscape called Oregon.

“For example, the bright yellow and orange leaves of the maple trees, mixed with the blazing reds of cherry trees”

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campus, and we are privileged to enjoy the landscape that has been given to us as students. If you haven’t gotten a chance to get outside and enjoy what the season has to bring, you better do it quick before the colors are gone and

Bethy Fallgren | The Advocate

A beautiful tree behind Building 12 on MHCC’s Gresham campus.