Independent Student Voice of MHCC
Volume 52, Issue 7 November 3, 2017 advocate-online.net
Local dream-punk band drops powerful EP PAGE 4
No algebra? No problem PAGE 6
JOURNALIST, AUTHOR DEPICTS GRIM REALITIES
Eleven dies! Just kidding PAGE 7
PAGE 5
RAINN resource for abuse victims, prevention PAGE 2
2016 FIRST PLACE
General excellence Oregon Newspaper Publisher Association
OPINION EDITORIAL
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
#METOO PROVES WE’RE NEVER ALL ALONE
#MeToo, the campaign rebooted by actress Alyssa Milano last month, has made waves across social media inviting those who have been the target of sexual assault and abuse to help let the world know that this is not only a consistent, ongoing issue but one with a larger scope than most people would imagine. On Oct. 15, Milano sent out a message on Twitter stating, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” This opened the floodgates and elicited tens of thousands of responses, with some victims just using the phrase “me too” and others describing their own stories of sexual assault and abuse. Celebrities taking part in the campaign have included Anna Paquin, Debra Messing, Laura Dreyfuss and Lady Gaga. Gaga has joined in a recent campaign with former Vice President Joe Biden focused on bringing awareness to sexual assault called “It’s on us,” urging people who see sexual abuse happening to report it right away. Twitter tried to add to the forcefulness behind the campaign by promoting it on its “Moments” section to “empower nd support the voices on our platform, especially those that speak truth to power,” the organization said. This isn’t the first campaign to
shine a light on the subject of sexual harassment and assault, but it does show the world that sexual assault and/or harassment happens a lot more often than the average person may know. Every day since the New York Times exposed Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein as a predator, tmore and more stories of abuse have surfaced – from Hollywood, to
RAINN.ORG Washington, D.C., to India, to the Oregon state capitol in Salem. It boils down to this, ladies and gentlemen: We have a real problem, not only in our own society, but in the world at large. Half the world’s population is targeted, harassed, assaulted, abused and violated by the other half. Women are raped, molested, and verbally sieged daily, and it’s something that has to be stopped. Thankfully, there are some things we can all start doing to help curb this rampant abuse that #MeToo is shining a spotlight on – both at Mt. Hood and in our personal lives, offcampus.
YOUR
MATTERS!
Editor-in-Chief Matana McIntire Associate Editor News Editor Greg Leonov Co-Arts & Entertainment Editors Ryan Moore Noah Guillen
Sports Editor Position Open Graphic Design Team Prisma Flores Jonathan Diaz Quirarte Amy Welch Nicole Meade Bethany Lange Photo Editor Fletcher Wold
Opinion Editor Donovan Sargent
Photo Team Fadi Shahin Andy Carothers
Web Editor Dusty Sargent
Video Team
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At MHCC students or staff may report any such incident or concern to Felisciana Peralta, Title IX coordinator for the campus. A Title IX investigator will be assigned from her office, if appropriate. The Human Resources office also may offer assistance. For immediate or urgent help, contact Mt. Hood’s Public Safety office in Room 2330, or at 503-491-
Cory Wiese Megan Hayes
7310 (-7911 in an emergency). MHCC teams with many outside organizations to provide help. For more, see: mhcc.edu/publicsafety/ sexualviolence. What you should know A support group all women should know is RAINN, (the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). RAINN is America’s largest antisexual violence organization. RAINN’s website offers a new tool called the Prevention Navigator, designed to help each college locate and implement the best sexual assault prevention programs that works for them, which may be of great help to
those in charge of assault prevention programs at MHCC. The site, rainn. org, also offers ways to get involved with assault prevention. The real help RAINN offers to women, men and children, though, is its hotline, which offers free help and advice including: Confidential support from a trained staff member Support finding a local health facility trained to care for survivors of sexual assault and that offers services such as: • Sexual assault forensic exams • Someone to help you talk through what happened • Local resources that can assist with your next steps toward healing and recovery • Referrals for long term support in your area • Information about the laws in your community • Basic information about medical concerns RAINN offers some tips on how to help women you think may be at risk for (imminent) sexual assault, saying the key to keeping your friends safe is finding a way that fits the situation, and your own comfort level. Remember, stepping in can make all the difference, but it should never put your own safety at risk. Strategies include: First, try to create a distraction.
Cut off the (problematic) conversation with a diversion like, “Let’s get pizza, I’m starving,” or “This party is lame. Let’s try somewhere else.” Bring out fresh food or drinks and offer them to everyone at the party, including the people you are concerned about. Start an activity that draws other people in, like a game, a debate, or a dance party. Ask the (affected) person directly, in upfront fashion, “Are you all right? Do you need help? Would you like me to stay with you?” Although you might not feel like you can interject on your own, you can always ask others to help out. Ask someone to approach with or for you, or try to find out if the person in danger has a friend you feel more comfortable approaching with a question, like “Your friend looks drunk – are they all right?” #MeToo gives women an opportunity to stand up publicly and say, ‘Hey, I’ve been a victim myself, you’re not alone,’ and that’s an important voice to have. If you’re not comfortable using #MeToo, you can always tell a friend, a teacher, a parent or the police. No one deserves to be abused, no one deserves to be mistreated. YOU ARE NOT ALONE; YOU DESERVE BETTER; WE ALL DESERVE BETTER; ME TOO!
DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OR OPINION YOU WANT TO SHARE? ARE YOU A MEMBER OF A GROUP, OR HAVE A HOBBY THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT? LET EVERYONE KNOW! EMAIL US: ADVOCATT@MHCC.EDU
Nick Krane Gabriel Donaldson Miguel De La Rosa Ad Managers Megan Phelps Yen Le Social Media Manager Cassie Wilson Advisers Howard Buck Dan Ernst Staff Writers Antonio Edwards Hanna Benson Summer Frickey Maddy Sanstrum
Bethany McCurley Kyle Vanooker Logan Hertner Steven Rousseau K.C. Merkt Kente Bates Contact us! E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 Website: advocate-online.net Twitter: @MHCCAdvocate Facebook: facebook.com/TheAdvocateOnline Instagram: @MHCCAdvocate #MHCCAdvocate Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030 Room AC1369
Cover design By Amy Welch
The Advocate encourages readers to share their opinion by letters to the editor and guest columns for publication. All submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name and contact information. Contact information will not be printed unless requested. Original copies will not be returned to the author. The Advocate will not print any unsigned submission. Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 600. The decision to publish is at the discretion of the editorial board. The Advocate reserves the right to edit for style, punctuation, grammar and length. Please bring submissions to The Advocate in Room 1369, or e-mail them to advocatt@mhcc. edu. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday the week of publication to be considered for print. Opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Advocate or MHCC.
OPINION
NOVEMBER 3, 2017
ASPIRIN DOESN’T HELP WITH ALL ‘HEADACHES’ Steven Rousseau the advocate
As a member of society, I run into social roadblocks on a daily basis. We’ve all encountered social roadblocks. I sometimes run into what are referred to as, “brain farts.” I heard this description over 10 years ago by an instructor at another school: A brain fart is “the brain not exhaling information” for the purpose of succeeding in school, work, or social life. This the first of two worlds; lots of society belongs to this world. On the other side, I find myself
trying to join general society, but run into “social headaches.” Society is made of “social headaches” such as interactions, unwritten codes, cues, boundaries, language (sarcasm, joking, laughing, sincerity, honesty, swearing, slander, etc.). These headaches can present obstacles to individuals with varying ability. They are communicated in social media, by phone, in-person, other electronic devices, and by personality differences. Depending on an individual’s ability and background, understanding how to merge with society can be challenging. This can lead to a lifetime of being bullied, teased, discriminated, and even slandered - all because the individual isn’t understanding how to cope with these social headaches through different forms of communication. Take me, for example. I continually run into social headaches. Lots people experience brain farts, but many of us experience headaches with various communication styles.
Unfortunately, a lot of society isn’t very compassionate or understanding of some people’s differing abilities. I’m surprised I was even allowed to write this article. I learned society really admires or pays attention to degrading, disrespecting, slandering, and swearing. In a nutshell, if you’re not a Jerry Springer fan or into Jerry Springer (or something similar), you’ll be subjected to years of bullying. The “brain farts” get upset at the “social headaches” for subjecting them to their own taste of medicine.
for me. I’ve run into people who I thought were compassionate, caring, thoughtful, role-model figures earning the public’s trust off the clock. These people are in professions such as mental health, education, and law, yet these people are some of the cruelest in society. It’s important to note, I’ve run into people in the same professions who are kind, compassionate, and understanding when I reveal my abilities and my inabilities after disclosing I’m on the autism spectrum. I commend The Advocate for giving me the opportunity to write this ar-
“A lot of society isn’t very Compassionate” My support team of varying mental health professionals have been quite troubled by how society treats others who are unable to align very well, as they have had to advocate
ticle. I’ve heard countless stories of people complaining about why society rewards degradation, disrespect, slander, and swearing. In a nutshell,
if you’re not able to align well with society, you’re labeled as an outsider, outcast, loser, loner, idiot, rapist, sex offender, wacko, a nobody, freak, geek, stalker, psycho – basically anything and everything in the book. People like myself have abilities and interests we value greatly that others may not have. Some of the interests range from reaching out, helping others, and... (sorry, brain fart right now). This doesn’t mean we are the above-mentioned names. I saw in the news a couple weeks ago that some officials are working on passing a law prohibiting bullying, teasing, and discriminating among youths. As one of the parents interviewed on the news broadcast said, “These kids have learned they can get away with it and how to get away with it.” I think they should pass the same kind of law among adults. We shouldn’t be shunned to the side by our peers just because our abilities and inabilities aren’t aligned with society.
YOUR TOTAL SELF: STAYING MENTALLY TOUGH Kente Bates the advocate
to be a victim, and how not to allow things that have tormented you for years have any more control over you.
way. I will also say that through somewhat challenging workouts and introspection and study of this topic,
Mental Toughness! Are you born with it?
In keeping with The Total Self, this article concerns mental toughness, which I discuss further at oregonsportsnews.com and my own blogs, in speeches, and on other social media platforms. The No. 1 thing I believe that is holding people back in life, other than broken focus and a solid plan (plus the willingness to execute) is a lack of mental toughness. It is not necessarily a bad thing that most people are not “hard”. You need people who are a tad softer, normal people in this world. This world would be in bad shape if it were just “Type As” all over the place. But you can learn from the Type A. Learn how to not let things stop you, how not
Mental toughness has many definitions and is not limited to athletic performance and pain tolerance. I have known many men and women in my life I would define as “mentally tough.” From an 85-year-old gardener to a high school football friend, it seemed neither ever had a bad day. Much of mental toughness is simply attitude and self-determination. If you do a quick search online on the subject, you will see a variety of mental toughness techniques and stories of remarkable physical performances, including brave acts of heroism overcoming insurmountable odds and fear. To the point: Mental toughness is a way of life. It is quite simple to me: I must not allow any voices, anyone or anything to stand in the way of my goals. And be able to withstand setbacks, controversy and other troubles that life throws my
you will cultivate a mentally tough mindset. Again, my philosophy works for ME. As I have often advised, take what’s said and make it work for you – for example, minutes of nonstop punching, in a boxer’s case. In my case, heavy lifting and running for miles will create increased energy levels, increased ability to buffer lactate, and an increased pain tolerance through training in the pain zone. You really have to get the body to know what pain is, so you can endure it longer. PAIN is not injury, but if you push too hard through pain you will be setting up for injury, so knowing your training limits is necessary, as well. Studying mental toughness (or at least how others get over) will shed some light on what you may be lacking. On the days when you feel like crap and you have to WILL your-
self to go to work or to hit the gym, THAT, too, is mental toughness. Persistence and determination are all factors. Other terms used to describe mental toughness are inspiration, self-motivation and confidence. There are many examples of those people who bring themselves out of horrible childhoods of poverty, neglect, and illness to become heroes, mentors, millionaires, and presidents. That takes mental toughness in MY book. Mental Toughness! How do you get it? Are you born with it? Can you acquire it? Arguments to this question have continued long before our modern world came about. I am of the opinion that through tough physical training, proper mindset, and a high level of maturity, mental toughness is born. This toughness is what propels you through the storms of life and all that it brings. Take for example, the Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, who endured one of the toughest diseases in by beating testicular cancer. After his battle with cancer, he came back mentally tougher and was once conidered the greatest cyclist ever. Maybe he had it all along, who knows? Mental toughness is not measurable, and is completely internal. But I believe hard work will get
you there. When ALance Armstrong was asked by reporters “What are you on?” referring to performanceenhancing drugs, he responded. Lance stated, “I am on my BIKE –busting my hump (paraphrased) for 6-8 hours a day!!”The question is, do you get mental toughness by attending special workshops, or by being in the military/police or by playing sports? Is it by going through hard situations in life, and learning from them? I say the answer is a combination of all that. You can definitely become mentally tough by training and overcoming the trials and tribulations life brings, but ultimately it will be by the determination you make to be unstoppable and make the world a product of you. held high. To deal with setbacks and not let them affect you. In closing, I would lie to say that Mental Toughness is definitely one of the basics. One of the master keys to winning in life. And, THE BASICS ALWAYS WIN!!!
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
TALKING WITH GLACIER VEINS
Get to know the recently signed local dream-punk band
Cassie Wilson the advocate
Glacier Veins is a local dreampunk band, and over the last two years they’ve caught the attention of the West Coast and beyond. So what exactly is “dreampunk”? In the case of Glacier Veins’ latest EP, “Dreamspace,” it’s a combination of powerful vocals, drums that keep everything pushing forward, and fast-paced guitars laced in atmospheric tones. Vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Malia Endres is the core of the band. It started as an acoustic project in 2015, but she quickly enlisted the help of her friends to bring the songs to life. Glacier Veins has rotated through several lineups since its start, and spent most of this year as a threepiece group, but at its most recent concert introduced a new lead guitarist, Josh Springer. The band also features Kyle Woodrow on bass and MHCC alumnus Tyler Groce PA G E 4
on drums. Endres couldn’t quite pinpoint the sound she tries to create when making music, but compared it to bands such as Balance and Composure, Citizen, and Movements. “There’s a sound in my head that I really feel,” she said. Her lyrical inspiration comes from random life events that emotionally impact her, whether it be in a good or bad way. There are lots of reoccurring themes throughout “Dreamspace” that revolve around progression and self-growth, which is a change from Glacier Veins’ first EP, “Clear Your Head,” which was much more sad and angsty. At the end of the summer, the band announced it had signed with Common Ground Records, an independent record label based out of L.A., and it felt like the next natural step. “For me, it’s been easier because I was doing a lot of the stuff like
getting the last EP on Spotify, and making sure we had physical copies of it available,” Endres said. Now, she shares the workload with the label that helped arrange the business aspects of releasing “Dreamspace.” The band was also excited to have an entirely new network of connections through Common Ground. It got to co-host a segment on Idobi Radio, a popular alternative online radio show, and
they’ve been featured on specially curated Spotify playlists. This has made the play counts on its singles skyrocket into the thousands, in just one month. Every song on “Clear Your Head” has over 5,000 plays, with the most popular track on the album having over 11,000 listens. Glacier Veins has played a large number of big shows over the last two years. The group has opened the Portland shows for touring bands such as Superheaven, Tiny Moving Parts, Anarbor, and most recently Have Mercy. It has also made appearances at popular festivals and events. It performed at the Portland stop of the 2016 Vans Warped Tour; the Treefort Fest in Boise, Idaho, earlier this year; and
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From left to right: Kyle Woodrow - bass; Malia Endres - vocals/ rhythm guitar; Tyler Groce - drums; Josh Springer - lead guitar.
Photos by Feltcher Wold
Emo Nite in L.A. when it finished its end-of-summer West Coast tour with Chris Swartz. Endres said the band’s favorite shows this year included in Chico, California, where the music scene is embedded in a college town, and the people who come out to shows have a visibly good time with every artist, whether they know their music or not. She added that headlining Portland’s Hawthorne Theatre for its own tour kick-off was a special night because of the number of friends, family and fans that filled the room. It’s clear that Glacier Veins won’t be slowing down anytime soon, so what’s next? The band will appear Tuesday, Nov. 7, on the Sounds of PDX show hosted on the Portland Radio Project, from 7 to 9 p.m., and will play a show Dec. 7 with Sundressed and Nominee at the Analog Café. To keep up with the latest from the band, follow @GlacierVeinsPDX on social media.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
NOVEMBER 3, 2017
DRONES, INTERNMENT AND DESTRUCTION
An up-close look at ‘American War’ tactics in Akkad’s novel Noah Guillen “I couldn’t think of anything as close to home than a second Civil War.” – Omar El Akkad the advocate
Author and journalist Omar El Akkad shouldn’t be unique. His novel “American War” represents an idea that is not only familiar, but inescapably personal: empathy. The irony of empathy is that the key requirements of it are innate, but still, modern society needs aggressive reminders to implement it. El Akkad’s “American War” is not only a reminder, it is a threat. El Akkad – born and raised in the Middle East, former reporter for Canada’s premier newspaper and now living just outside Portland – explained his latest work to MHCC students and faculty at Wednesday’s “Mouths of Others” literary speakers event in the Visual Arts Theatre. “What I did is take the wars that have defined the world in my lifetime – these are wars where American involvement has been either indirect or from a great distance – and I recast them as something very close to home,” he explained. “And I couldn’t think of anything as close to home than a second Civil War, where you’re fighting yourself.” The book expands on existing concepts: internment camps, water boarding, drone killings, etc. El Akkad said, “There’s no such thing as an exotic form of suffering. Those people over on the other side of the planet aren’t fundamentally different, they aren’t behaving in a fundamentally different way. This is what happens when
you’re on the losing side of a war.” His novel chronicles the life of a young Sara T. Chestnut (known through the novel as Sarat Chestnut). Slowly, as she is subjected to the terrors of war,
she becomes violent and vengeful. The author chose to focus more on the history that amounted to violence than provide a definitive statement on the violence itself. “I’m interested in the process of how someone can be transformed this way,” he said. Ignorance ‘won like a badge’ Fiction writing serves a different purpose for El Akkad, he said. “There are no answers in ‘American W a r . ’ Ignorance and unknowing are two different things,” he said. “You look at news in America and ignorance is worn like a badge. Unknowing is a vacuum. Ignorance fills that vacuum, but fills it with garbage. “The fact that there are people who get paid considerably more than you or I to sit around and propagate – as news – wild conspiracy theories about ‘Sandy Hook being fake’ or utter
Photo by Gabriel Donaldson
Journalist and novelist Omar El Akkad came to Mt. Hood community college to speak on November 1. He read a passage from his book ‘American War’ before taking questions from the audience.
nonsense… and that there exists an entire delivery infrastructure, and a lucrative infrastructure at that, for that kind of garbage is, in and of itself, a form of violence,” he said. The purpose of El Akkad’s novel is to evoke empathy towards figures we view as demonstrably evil. “We live in a country where the defining statement of the last 17 years has been, ‘You’re either with us or against us.’ That is an obliteration of gray spaces,” he explained. “I wanted to get this idea that it is possible to understand why someone does something horrible without taking their side.” His focus is on the “us and them” mentality adopted with distance between people. “It shouldn’t be a controversial statement to say it is important to understand why people do terrible things,” he said. Made ‘easier to kill’ El Akkad noted that the current state of division perpetuates itself. “We’ve conflated it with supporting the other side,” he said. Frankly, he said, “It’s just a lot easier to think fundamentally evil people, who were born evil, will die evil, and have no complex motivations. It makes it easier to kill them. It makes them fundamentally different. “It’s hard to live in the country and not believe that there are millions of people in this country that would rather be hurt by someone who looks like them than hurt by someone who doesn’t,” he said. “This idea of Graphic by Amy Welch
foreignness is intertwined with that.” El Akkad believes media has played a significant roll in the interpretation of war. He notes the development of film and broadcasting as means to bring wars closer to home, but at some point the violence and depiction became abstract and distant again. Then again, he cites a collective effort between media outlets and the mouths they feed. He said, “It’s sort of like trying to make sense of a snake eating its own tail.” He referred to surveys conducted by his previous employer, the Toronto based Globe and Mail newspaper, that were used to gauge public interest. “We had two kinds of surveys: The nonanonymous would be, ‘What do you want to read?’ and they (readers) would say ‘investigative news, serious political journalism’… then, we have the anonymous numbers, and they were universally ‘sex scandals, the horoscope, weather, and plane crashes,’ ” he said. El Akkad’s perspective has fostered an idea that demands universal participation and interest: namely, while often clouded by diplomacy and statistics, war is at its core an ugly instrument to implement on a human being. “I want to put forth a defense of empathy. I want to put forth the idea that the fundamental prerequisite to solving most of the world’s problems – especially problems of mass violence – has to do with understanding how people can get to a place of committing these acts of PA G E 5
NEWS
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
MATH LOAD LIGHTENED FOR NON-STEM STUDENTS Kyle Venooker the advocate
Mt. Hood’s math department has created two new math courses to shorten the pathway to graduation. Currently, students need to either take Math 111 (PreCalculus) or Math 105 (Statistics) to get a transfer or associate degree. While this hasn’t changed, the MHCC mathematics faculty team, spearheaded by Rob Hauss, has designed an alternative pathway to get there that requires less of a focus on calculus skills. Rather than taking Math 60, Math 65, and then Math 95 as prerequisites for a 100-level math course, students will have the option of taking two courses instead: Math 58 (Quantitative Reasoning) and Math 98 (Quantitative Reasoning II). Both Math 58 and Math 98 are now available for early enrollment for the Winter Term. Hauss said the change was mandated by Oregon state higher education officials, but it also was something the Mt. Hood faculty had wanted to embrace for a while. “A lot of the things in 60, 65 and 95 were getting people ready for (Pre-Calculus). But not everyone needs to take Calculus, so why should all those people take PreCalculus?” Hauss said. “Instead
Graphic by Prisma Flores
of getting you ready for 111 or 105, 98 will get you ready for 105 (Statistics),” he said. While it’s true that many STEM degrees (science, technology, engineering and mathematicsoriented disciplines) require an understanding and application of Calculus, many other fields, such as psychology, rely more heavily on the concepts taught in Statistics. Hauss and the Math department hope that re-defining the requirements will help remove stumbling blocks for many students.
“A lot of the things that we teach in the… traditional algebra sequence are really put in place for later math courses,” he said. For instance, the slope-intercept form, he noted. Those students who do need to take Calculus must be strong “at solving equations of lines, they have to be really good at solving algebraic equations, things like that,” but many others are never going to need to take Calculus, he said. “If you’re a mental health major and you’re pretty sure that’s where you’re going to be,” Hauss
said, there’s no need for Calculus. “There’s just a lot of majors that are perfect for this sequence... I think it’s a great fit.” Scheduling shuffle The new courses, 58 and 98, will reduce the total number of prerequisite credits needed to take a 100-level course: 58 and 98 together are 10 credits total, while the traditional path of 60-65-95 totals 13 credits. Because 58 covers material that’s typically spread over several
courses, it amounts to six credit hours. That means students who elect to take 58 will need to ensure they can fit three two-hour class periods into their schedule. Hauss said the new courses will spend significantly less time on algebra-oriented material, instead focusing on three main areas. “One of those is medical literacy, when you read medical information, to be able to understand that,” he explained. “One of them is understanding personal finance, like interest rates, tax forms, things like that. The third one [is] ‘citizenship,’ being able to read info, get info off the internet or newspapers and be able to analyze that numerical information.” Hauss noted that, in theory, students who complete Math 98 could have to start from scratch if they later choose to take PreCalculus instead of Statistics. Faculty hope to develop a “bridge course” to solve that problem. In the meantime, the focus is placed on identifying students who are “definitely not going into STEM fields” with the new pathway designed to reduce the time it takes to graduate. Both Math 58 and Math 98 are open for Winter Term enrollment, though students who wish to take 98 must either have taken 58 as a prerequisite, or have tested into 98, Hauss said.
THE HISTORY OF NORTH KOREAN TENSIONS Historian’s Roundtable explains reasons for current conflict Greg Leonov the advocate
Mt. Hood instructors from the history, and political science departments described the historical factors behind North Korea’s aggressive foreign policy and its push for a nuclear arsenal, during the most recent Historian’s Roundtable event, held Oct. 25. History instructor Pat Casey started off with a brief history about the tiny peninsula that shares borders with China and a minuscule part of Russia. “Geography always has a role to play in history,” he said. “Korea has spent thousands of years PA G E 6
on the edge of China. If you are a smaller society on the edge of a big one, there’s going to be impact.” Casey said that while there’s proof the Korean civilization goes back thousands of years, the 20th century brought major changes. Japan colonized Korea, against its will. The Japanese went on “an empire-building campaign” to such a point that “the United States is going to see fit to go to war with them” in World War II, he said. The Japanese treated the Koreans as second-class citizens, and the Koreans rebelled, Casey said. At the time,“You do have freedom fighters – people fighting for Korean inde-
pendence, but you don’t really have a functioning Korean government in exile or anything like that,” he noted. After Japan surrendered to the U.S., Korea was liberated. “The game plan was that Korea would be given its independence,” said Casey. The nation originally was supposed to be temporarily divided between the U.S. and Russia. “We were allies with the Russians at the time, and so the theory going in was: The Soviets would temporarily get the northern piece of the country, the Americans the southern piece,” he said. Eventually, there would be a re-integration. That did not happen, however. And the current, dangerous tensions
come as a result. As WWII died down, the alliance between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. drifted toward animosity. “The Americans and the Soviets end up creating separate government(s) in their part(s) of Korea.” Both sides installed leaders that were against the Japanese. The U.S. put Syngman Rhee as head of South Korea (whose main qualification was that he spoke English); the Soviets put Kim Il Sung in charge of North Korea. “The Soviets were playing a little more of a hardball” game, said Casey. They modeled North Korea’s political system after their own. What’s more, “Both of these guys
(Rhee and Kim Il Sung) are under the impression that they have the means and the capacity to conquer all of Korea” and make it either entirely communist, or non-communist, he said. The Soviets armed the North Koreans, while the U.S. neglected to offer any serious aid to the South. While the Soviets were reluctant to go with Kim Il Sung’s plan to conquer all of the peninsular, the dictator went forward with his plan, said Casey – kicking off the Korean War. To view a complete version of this story, visit: advocate-online.net
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
NOVEMBER 3, 2017
CASSINI HAS CRASHED
MHCC planetarium show details spacecraft’s journey Bethany McCurley the advocate
After diving between Saturn’s rings and soaring past its moons, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft recently completed its 20-year mission by crashing into the planet. The MHCC Planetarium Sky Theater’s Tuesday and Friday shows (Nov. 3 and Nov. 7) will focus on “Cassini’s Grand Finale” and the best images it captured while exploring Saturn. The shows run at 6 and 7:15 p.m. both nights. Admission costs $2 for MHCC students with IDs and children (17 and younger), and $5 for the general public. Planetarium Director Pat Hanrahan plans to show images that
capture the details of Saturn’s rings; the planet’s larger moons, including one that might harbor an ocean with living organisms; small moons that help direct the planet’s rings; and massive weather systems, like a hurricane 20 times larger than ones that swirl on Earth. Cassini embarked on its seven-year trek to Saturn in 1997, and spent 13 more years orbiting and surveying Saturn until purposefully blazing into the planet this September. After 13 years of guiding Cassini in orbit around Saturn, NASA chose to end the mission before the 6-ton spacecraft ran out of fuel and caused any damage to the planet’s moons. The spacecraft’s cumulative findings were “unparalleled” reported
NASA, in its mission overview. NASA wrote that Cassini was like a time machine because it opened a portal to see the physical process that likely shaped the development of the Earth’s solar and planetary systems. Cassini’s discoveries expanded the understanding of the kind of worlds where life might exist. Through encountering one of the most Earth-like worlds, in Saturn, in terms of weather, climate and geology, specialists can determine new ways to address our home planet.
The mission also prompted scientists to rethink their understanding of the solar system. According to NASA’s timeline, after lifting off for its trek to Saturn, the spacecraft passed by Venus, traveled through the asteroid belt, explored Jupiter,
and finally captured its first image of Saturn. The shot was taken
177 million miles away – twice the distance between the Earth and the sun – and still the spacecraft had 20 months to travel before reaching the ringed planet. When it finally arrived, the spacecraft helped to map Saturn’s gravity and magnetic field, and revealed its rotation speed. In addition, it gathered new information with which NASA hopes to understand the origin of the rings. Cassini gained further knowledge of the planet’s rings by sampling icy ring particles funneled into the atmosphere by the magnetic field, capturing in-depth images of the rings and clouds, and quantifying how much material the rings contain.
SECRETS, TRUTH, AND TRAUMA IN HAWKINS, INDIANA Ryan Moore the advocate
One year after the events of the first season of “Stranger Things,” we return to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, to find out more about the alternate dimension known as “the Upside Down.” The Netflix original series “Stranger Things 2” opens in its 1984 setting with the boys on a very timely mission to find money to go play Dragon’s Lair at the local arcade. This is just one of many ways the show references the 1980s throughout the season, including the outfits, the technology, and the heavy usage of hit songs from that time. While watching “Stranger” unfold, audiences can immediately notice the lasting effects of the last season’s events, like Mike’s reaction to the disappearance of Eleven and Joyce’s ongoing concern for Will’s well-being. As opposed to when he was missing in action for most of Season 1, Will is present much more this time around. However, it becomes clear very early on that he is not completely free of the Upside Down’s influence.
Web Photo
There are a number of character combinations this season that come across rather unexpectedly, but they are presented in a very intriguing way. Throughout “Stranger,” the
performances gain more depth from the characters audiences are most familiar with. Of course, with the new sequel there are a handful of new cast members, all of whom also have something
unique to offer. For those who decided to binge-watch the new season early after its premiere, Episode 2 showcased a highly appropriate Halloween narrative. This was
complete with the boys dressing up in matching “Ghostbusters” costumes. To properly follow the success of the first season, “Stranger” draws upon some elements that couldn’t be forgotten, such as Joyce decorating her house with bizarre drawings or Jonathan and Nancy willingly getting themselves right in the middle of some pretty serious situations. Another staple among the “Stranger Things” fan base is love for the show’s original soundtrack. Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein are the duo behind all of the synths and cinematic components that have served as the driving force for both last season and this latest installment. Volume 2 of the score was released back in late August. “Stranger Things 2” continues the series’ momentum very well, with a healthy balance of drama and horror along with the right amount of humor. As soon as audience members are finished watching all of the new episodes, there is also an aftershow on Netflix titled, “Beyond Stranger Things,” that features seven interviews with different cast members and the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer. PA G E 7
STUDENT LIFE
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
NEWS BRIEFS Cut-A-Thon Cosmetology students are offering free haircuts this Saturday to help them complete their required number of haircuts to graduate. The first come, first served event is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mt. Hood’s Gresham Campus in Room AC 1127.
Forensics tournament Speech and debate teams from high schools across the state are competing in MHCC’s Town and Gown Room this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
– Bethany McCurley Photo by Feltcher Wold
Bingo on campus
– Bethany McCurley
The Associated Student Government hosted another event for students this week, this time being bingo. As pictured above, prizes ranged in size and price.
Volleyball vs. Chemeketa CC The Saints volleyball team faces Chemeketa Community College in its second-to-last game of the Southern Region League’s season today (Friday, Nov. 3) at 6:30 p.m. in the Yoshida Event Center (MHCC gymnasium).
– Bethany McCurley
Hazardous waste collection METRO will be collecting hazardous waste like old paint, expired herbicides, and other unwanted waste. Parking Lot N will have a collection booth on the MHCC Gresham campus near the Fisheries Department from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 4.
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– Bethany McCurley
Across 1. Celebrity who will be voicing Nala in the new remake of “The Lion King.” 2. “_____ Café” is the name of the new food service located in the MHCC cafeteria. 3. The journalist and novelist who visited campus on Nov. 1 is Omar El _____. 4. SOAR, a student organization on campus, stands for Student ______ and Recruitment. Down 1. What type of “saint” is the
college’s mascot? 5. In this week’s issue, Advocate reporter Cassie Wilson categorizes the style of local band, Glacier Veins, as “dream–_____”? 6. A food resource for students on campus and provided by ASG is called “Barney’s _______.” 7. You can visit The Advocate’s website by going to advocateonline.___. 8. Vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter in the local band Glacier Veins is Malia _____.
Last week's answers Across: 1. Academic center 2. forensics 3. Sustainable PA G E 8
4. The Jungle Book 5. Stranger Things Down: 1. Derr
2. Fifty one 3. Student 4. Portal 5. Peralta