Independent Student Voice of MHCC
Volume 52, Issue 10 DECEMBER 1, 2017 advocate-online.net
Prevent holiday pounds PAGE 3
Cultivating cultural competency PAGE 4
Fall sounds in December concert
DECIPHERING NET NEUTRALITY
PAGE 6
PAGE 2
Illenium: a ‘Free Fall’ into euphoric melodies PAGE 7
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
WE’RE NOT NEUTRAL ON NET NEUTRALITY How can we keep our right to a fair-minded web?
I
f you watch or read the news, you’ll see the term “net neutrality” and for many of us, it’s a phrase we still don’t fully understand. If you pay for, or simply use, the internet, then the changes to the net neutrality regulations that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its chairman, Ajit Pai, are poised to approve on Dec. 14 are something you should be aware of. First, a little explanation, so we all understand the issue and why these changes can be impactful. Net neutrality is a very complex issue and we could go deep into it all, but our space here is limited, so we will stick to the broad strokes. In 2015, the FCC made changes to Title II of the 1934 Communications Act and implemented the current net neutrality regulations. Before that time, the FCC was concerned with what the largest internet providers, such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T, were doing and planned to do, including changes that might be considered as damaging to consumers. Wired magazine put out a list that shows what the changes were aimed at correcting: • Transparency: Consumers and innovators have a right to know the basic performance characteristics of their internet access and how their network is being managed;
Editor-in-Chief Matana McIntire Associate Editor News Editor Greg Leonov Co-Arts & Entertainment Editors Ryan Moore Noah Guillen Opinion Editor Donovan Sargent Web Editor Dusty Sargent
• No Blocking: This includes a right to send and receive lawful traffic, prohibits the blocking of lawful content, apps, services and the connection of non-harmful devices to the network; • Level Playing Field: Consumers and innovators have a right to a level playing field. This means a ban on unreasonable content discrimination. There is no approval for so-called “pay for priority” arrangements involving fast lanes for some companies (or content) but not others; • Network Management: This is an allowance for broadband providers to engage in reasonable network management. These rules don’t forbid providers from offering subscribers tiers of services or charging based on bandwidth consumed; • Mobile: The provisions adopted do not apply as strongly to mobile devices, though some provisions do apply. They include broadly applicable rules requiring transparency for mobile broadband providers and prohibiting them from blocking websites and certain competitive applications; • Vigilance: The order creates an Open Internet Advisory Committee to assist the (FCC) in monitoring the state of internet openness and the effects of the rules. Under its new leadership,
Sports Editor Position Open Graphic Design Team Prisma Flores Jonathan Diaz Quirarte Amy Welch Nicole Meade Bethany Lange Svetlana Meshcheryakova Photo Editor Fletcher Wold Photo Team Fadi Shahin Andy Carothers Video Team
Cory Wiese PA G E 2
net neu·tral·i·ty noun
the idea, principle, or requirement that internet service providers should or must treat all internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source, or destination Source: Merriam-Webster with support of the Trump Administration, the FCC has been pushing to lift these regulations as soon as possible. ISPs (internet service providers) also have worked hard to remove the Title II regulations to help increase their profits, much like any company would. Those in favor removing the rules would say that this has been government overregulation. They also argue these regulations are damaging to these companies’ abilities to expand to smaller markets and more rural areas. Additionally they think the internet companies should be able to charge customers in packages, charging less from the occasional older email user, and more from the young person who watches a lot of Netflix and plays “Call of Duty” online on their Xbox One. These are common complaints,
Megan Hayes Nick Krane Gabriel Donaldson Miguel De La Rosa Ad Managers Megan Phelps Yen Le Social Media Manager Cassie Wilson
especially among conservatives and others in favor of small government. We at The Advocate believe this is not the best for all of us, however. If you have looked into purchasing internet service, you know there isn’t much in the way of choices. While some might say, “Who cares – as long as I get my internet at a good price?” that’s a problem: If there is no regulation, there’s less incentive for the companies to keep their prices low because they have no competition. What’s more, without these regulations, ISPs can throttle back traffic to certain sites and platforms. Basically, Comcast could slow down a customer’s connection to Netflix unless they paid more, or cause the websites of any viable competition to load so slow no one can view it. The current regulations are good for the public. Removing them can and will be damaging to consumers, and could remove any need for these large companies to innovate and have competitive prices. Although many advocates have urged reaching out to our U.S. senators and representatives to defend our rights to a neutral internet, Congress doesn’t have a direct say on this one. The Dec. 14 FCC vote is by a five-person body that was appointed, rather than elected. Three of the members
Maddy Sanstrum Bethany McCurley Kyle Vanooker Logan Hertner Steven Rousseau Kente Bates Khalil Thompson Contact us! E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 Website: advocate-online.net
Advisers Howard Buck Dan Ernst
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Staff Writers Antonio Edwards Hanna Benson Summer Frickey
Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030 Room AC1369
have stated they will vote to repeal the current rules; two say they will vote to maintain the protections. What can we do, as citizens? On Thursday, Dec. 7, nationwide protests are taking place outside of Verizon stores (Pai, the FCC chairman spearheading the repeal, was formerly a lawyer for Verizon, and the company has spent a significant amount of money lobbying for the net neutrality repeal). One of these protests is taking place at the Verizon store at 616 S.W. Broadway in Portland. A complete list of the net neutrality protests can be found at: verizonprotests.com If the protests don’t affect the FCC decision, and the commissioners vote as they’ve hinted, net neutrality will be repealed. Perhaps Congress will introduce legislation to address this; perhaps all the horror stories will come true. The real question is, will people remain upset about this? This is an issue that will continue to affect American lives for the next several decades, and if we as a country let our passion regarding this matter dissipate, we have no one but ourselves to blame for the inevitable outcome.
Cover photo/art direction By Fletcher Wold Cover graphic by Prisma Flores 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
DECEMBER 1, 2017
MHCC STAFF WEIGH IN ON NET NEUTRALITY Since information travels over the Internet as a series of ones and zeros, what’s so is that devices on the Internet cannot truly distinguish political speech from cat videos. One must first place “meaning” on particular types of content in order to create content “distinctions”. Therefore, to place a cost (whether in speed or in dollars) on a particular type of content is really only an attempt to control that content. My question would be: How important is it to YOU that someone ELSE is controlling what information you get?
– WAYNE MACHUCA
Instructor - Computer Information Systems
I want as many people as possible to be able to access the internet community colleges, too. We especially help some of the poorer demographics and if you’re putting everything in the hands of corporations that can jack up prices, or bundle things, or raise rates, or throttle things back accessibilitywise, you may actually price out some of the neediest individuals.
– BRUCE BATTLE
Director, Marketing, Communications, Printshop, Mailroom and Warehouse
I think it would be really detrimental to our students, I mean, the free access to information would be, essentially, cut off. When I was teaching, and I’m sure my instructors, as well – (we) rely a lot on internet based sources, and the
access to free information. If you have to pay for information, it’s going to be limited to the people who can afford to pay.
ABDOMINAL FAT: RISKS AND WHAT CAN BE DONE Kente Bates the advocate
– SARA RIVARA
Dean of Humanities
Clear Channel, Entercom, and Alpha - that’s it. They own a bunch of different (radio) channels, which all suck because they don’t have to be good, so everybody does everything the same way - too many commercials. If you’re a Comcast subscriber, you get an IP address, but your IP address will only go to Comcast sub domains. So, then it becomes a cable package and don’t tell me that they’re not thinking like this because they don’t want the old model to go away. Which means you’re on the cable system, and you pay for cable. And now they’re buying up all the content too. Everybody’s behavior is going into what’s now and what I want to watch now, they don’t time shift anything... They’ve gone through and they’ve said ‘All of our net neutrality rules we’re repealing because the Obama administration was too far reaching,’ their words. They now have written into this that local municipalities cannot change these federal guidelines. This is a very corporate, fascist orientation, so you’re looking at the control of things.
– JD KIGGINS
Instructor – Broadcasting
This article is for everyone. As always, consult you primary care provider before starting any weightloss regimen. Did you know that at nearly 40 percent of adults in the U.S. are clinically obese? And new reports paint a dire picture across all the Western World? Aside from distress over your looks, excess fat in the abdominal region is a serious risk factor to your health. Health complications such as diabetes, gout, cancer, hypertension, stroke, sleep apnea are a result of excess belly fat and fat around the organs. Now, there are two types of fat as far as this is concerned: 1) Subcutaneous fat: This fat is just under the skin, covering the abs and muscles. 2) Visceral fat: This fat lies deeper, underneath the abs, surrounding the organs. Visceral fat is more dangerous, by far (the aforementioned diseases) since it is around the vital organs including the heart, liver and kidneys. Another condition that visceral fat can lead to is insulin resistance, usually through lack of exercise and poor diet. This renders the pancreas helpless in regulating blood sugars, the main sugar being high fructose corn syrup. What to do about it It is an oft-repeated mantra in the fitness world that “bodies are made in the kitchen.” In my view this is counterproductive, simply because you still have to put in the work when you’re dieting. Work such as researching diets, becoming a label reader, knowing how to spot fake health food, etc. – plus,
knowing how the body works and how your body responds to exercise and diet. Whatever you decide on doing in your fitness endeavors, make sure they’re enjoyable, fun and effective. In any case, stick with the basics – high-intensity cardio like interval training and sprints, plus strength training/resistance training. A fitness regimen based on interval training (running/sprints) and resistance training will set the table in creating not only a fat-burning environment, but also directly assist in the regulation of cholesterol, blood sugars, and even viruses. Enter healthy eating Fitness icon Jack LaLanne once quipped that “Exercise is king and diet is queen.” Truer words were never spoken. The standard suggested diet given by the USDA contains a very high grain intake count. This will not help you lose weight and slash visceral fat and subcutaneous fat at all. A diet based on healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, free-range eggs, fatty fish and fish oils (plus increasing protein intake and fiber intake) will help you win the battle of the bulge. Enter veggies As far as veggies go, eat cruciferous veggies like brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, bok choy and broccoli. These fat-fighting vegetables contain vital nutrients and IC3 (an essential phytonutrient). In closing, I hope these tips have clarified whatever ‘fitness fiction’ you have taken as gospel. Hard work, educating yourself on fitness and committing to fitness (bka get to the gym and exercise) are just three of the basics. THE BASICS ALWAYS WIN. Sources: https://www.health. harvard.edu/stayinghealthy/abdominal-fat-and-what-to-doabout-it American College of Cardiology. “Why belly fat is dangerous for the heart”. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 September 2016. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160926142822.htm PA G E 3
NEWS
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
BOARD UPDATES PRESIDENT SEARCH AND STUDENT LIFE Bethany McCurley the advocate
Despite stormy weather outside, the room was filled for the Nov. 15 MHCC District Board meeting, held at the Sandy City Council chambers. The board discussed a plethora of issues, from the Mt. Hood presidential search to current student programs. Key points of the board’s discussion are summarized below. President Search Update Diane McKeel, MHCC board member and presidential search chair, announced that the finalized search committee will be listed on the college website (which now has happened – with 15 members listed). The committee wants to engage the surrounding community as Mt. Hood looks for a successor to Debbie Derr, and has set up a survey along with public and student forums to gather feedback to help guide it. A special student forum will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5 in Mt. Hood’s Town & Gown Room. Two community forums also will be held on Tuesday: one runs from noon to 1 p.m. in the Visual Arts Theatre on the main MHCC Gresham campus, and a second will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. at David Douglas High School (Room 168 in the North Campus of DDHS, on Southeast 135th Avenue near Southeast Stark Street.) The survey, along with
additional information and search updates, can be found at: mhcc.edu/ PresidentialSearch/ Disability troubles Community member Ellen Greenlaw encouraged board members to rent wheelchairs and said if they spent a day rolling around campus, they would understand the danger and difficulty of poor accessibility, as she has herself. Greenlaw suggested installing more ramps and elevators, and said changes might increase support for any proposed bond measure. The board acknowledged the difficulty of disabled students and said it would discuss and consider accessibility needs around campus. Board Chair Tamie Arnold apologized to her for the inconvenience and said it was the first time the issue had (recently) been brought to the board. Subaru U approved The board approved adding a two-year program and expanding its partnership with “Subaru University,” a spinoff from the automobile company. This gives Automotive Technology students at MHCC the opportunity to work with Subaru of America and start their post-college career with the company. The technology program has worked with Subaru for the past 30 years, and if all the college’s requirements are met, the Subaru U limited-entry, Associate of Applied Science degree program
ABOVE: From left, MHCC District Board member Diane McKeel, Chair Tamie Arnold, and President Debbie Derr. RIGHT: Board representatives for Zone 4 Annette Mattson and Zone 2 James Zordich.
would provide specialized training and hands-on training at Subaru dealerships. The new program won’t require additional faculty, equipment, or tuition and will use existing classrooms and lab space. Funding private music lessons Music degrees at four-year colleges require individual voice or instrument lessons. Previously MHCC approved creating a $316, two-credit course for these lessons, which allows students’ financial
aid to cover costs of the standard 10 private lessons. However, as Mt. Hood partners with Western University, which requires 20 private student lessons, Janet McIntyre, MHCC dean of performing and visual arts, petitioned on behalf of the music department to double the course fee, so students could receive financial aid for all the
Photo by Andy Carothers // the Advocate
required lessons. The motion was approved to increase the course fee effective immediately, starting this Winter Term 2018.
OREGON, MHCC TO EXPAND CULTURAL AWARENESS Greg Leonov the advocate
This year, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2864, which requires state universities and community colleges to implement new “cultural competency” standards, and MHCC is responding. In the legislation, cultural competency is described as “understanding of how institutions and individuals can respond respectfully and effectively to people from all cultures, economic statuses, language backgrounds, races, ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, religions, genders, PA G E 4
gender identifications, sexual orientations, veteran statuses and other characteristics in a manner that recognizes, affirms and values the worth, and preserves the dignity, of individuals, families and communities.” The bill requires institutions to set up goals and have training and professional development for staff and faculty to understand cultural competency expectations. According to Felisciana Peralta, Mt. Hood’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, “This is more than just protecting based on discrimination: This is about education and providing professional development and
also classes and engaging that into cultural competency within what we do as a functioning college system.” Efforts to help students feel more welcome start during the first day of class, she said. “The moment that roll’s taken,” when sometimes an instructor can’t pronounce a name, so they say something like, “ ‘Can you give me another name,’ or ‘Do you go by another name?’ That’s taking away that person’s name,” is one example, Peralta said. In the classroom, instructors will have to practice culturally responsive teaching. “How do you effectively teach
and engage education that’s more holistic around multiple populations versus dominant culture?” she said. Instructors will work on “being able to be a little bit more thoughtful in engaging within different viewpoints as well as different populations and perspectives.” Peralta said that with constantly changing demographics at Mt. Hood, the institution needs to work on being ready for the students, rather than expecting the student to assimilate to the culture of the college. Even before HB 2864 was passed, MHCC already had some systems in place to push the same
efforts. “Some of these guidelines, we’ve already been doing. We already have access and (a) diversity council, we look at intercultural competency, we look at lots of different things,” said Peralta. But the new work is welcome and needed, she said. “Mt. Hood is 50 years old, and (has) policies and procedures that are about that outdated. We’re in a different place and we need to respond to that, and we need to also be responsive to the different populations we serve,” she said.
Happy Holidays From
giving you the gift of a Four year degree at the MHCC Gresham campus
Contact Margie Webster at 503-491-7000 or above the library in 3308A
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
UPCOMING MT. HOOD MUSIC CONCERTS Graphic by Svetlana Meshcheryakova // the Advocate
PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS WON’T REST UNTIL THEY’RE SHARP Cassie Wilson
the advocate
DECEMBER 6 MT. HOOD ORCHESTRA & CHOIR CONCERT College Theatre 7:30 P.M.
DECEMBER 7 MT. HOOD SYMPHONIC BAND AND JAZZ ENSEMBLE CONCERT College Theatre 7:30 P.M.
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
As the Fall Term nears its close and students start to focus on studying for finals, MHCC performing arts singers and musicians are preparing for their end-of the-term concerts happening next week with fresh energy. Choir Director Kevin Lambert is as excited as ever for this year’s fall concerts, because for him and the choir students, this year is a little different: In the past, he has often opted to have choir concerts offcampus because he was unsatisfied with the aging, worn-out grand piano available for performances in the College Theatre here. That changed when the college purchased a brand new piano to replace it going into this school year. “We are really looking forward to showing off this beautiful instrument on stage. It’s going to be used in two nights of concerts,” Lambert said. The first of these concerts is on Wednesday, Dec. 6, and features the Mt. Hood orchestra, and the
symphonic and chamber choirs. This fall, Lambert decided to put the chamber choir to the test and tackle a seven-song set titled “Autumn Landscapes” which takes roughly 15 minutes to perform and is entirely a capella. “It’s all poetry that shows different visual imagery about autumn falling away into winter,” he explained. He said that he’s always been drawn to this piece, and he’s performed it before, but really wanted to conduct it himself. The Estonian composer Veljo Tormis passed away in January, and Lambert knew the timing was finally right, and it solidified his wanting to program this music. To perform such a long, cohesive, piece of music is no easy task. “I don’t necessarily know, coming into the school year, who is going to be in choir, and how fast the groups are going to move, so it’s a big risk,” Lambert said. “But the students have taken that challenge and run with it and they’ve done a really good job.” The symphonic choir is up for a similar undertaking. The singers will be performing a set of three madrigals, a style of music from
the Renaissance, but modernized versions that were written roughly 20 years ago that are set to Shakespeare texts from 400 years ago, including “Much Ado About Nothing.” While these concerts may be happening in December, don’t expect to hear a bunch of familiar holiday music. “I tend not to program too much explicit holiday music, but one of the songs that I’m most excited about on this particular concert I have done on Christmas concerts before,” said Lambert: The two choirs will join together to finish with “Anthem” by Leonard Cohen, who died just over one year ago. “The refrain from the song has really beautiful words with a message that is really important to me,” said Lambert. “I take (the refrain) to mean that all of us are imperfect, and we’re all special as people. We all have something to give to our friends, family, community and world, and that doesn’t necessarily mean we need to be perfect in everything that we do.” Meantime, the orchestra will be performing a piece that may have listeners tearing up as their minds
flashback to scenes from the latest popular Hollywood musical, “La La Land.” That’s right: the orchestra will perform “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme.” The following evening, Thursday, Dec. 7, MHCC’s symphonic band and jazz ensemble will play. The symphonic band is playing four pieces of music including “Holst Winter Suite” by Gustav Holst, arranged by Robert W. Smith, and “Rhapsody” by James Curnow, which features MHCC private lesson faculty member Aaron Eckert on euphonium. Both the Wednesday and Thursday concerts will run for approximately 90 minutes. There will also be two shorter concerts, ranging closer to 30-45 minutes, for the small ensemble groups that feature a handful of students in each. All of these concerts are free in the College Theatre, so anyone can enjoy hearing the hard work of MHCC’s performing arts students.
DECEMBER 8 MT. HOOD SMALL ENSEMBLE CONCERT Jazz Café (above Student Union) Noon
DECEMBER 11 MT. HOOD SMALL ENSEMBLES HOLIDAY MUSIC CONCERT Student Union Noon
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‘ELBOW’ WELCOMED AT ROSELAND Maddy Sanstrum the advocate
The U.K. band from greater Manchester, Elbow, not only sang songs I’ve grown up with, but even celebrated a fan’s birthday when they played Nov. 11 at the Roseland Theater in downtown Portland. It was a dream come true to see them live, and hear them belt out song after song – even if I didn’t know some of them. This concert, in particular, was promoting the group’s latest album, “Little Fictions,” released in February. In addition, Elbow’s longtime drummer, Richard Jupp, had left the band after some 25 years, replaced for their tour by
Alex Reeves (“wonderful man,” we were reminded), who performed wonderfully alongside the group’s original four members. The opening act was Chris Duncan, a solo Scottish electronica artist (dream pop, to be specific), who preformed songs such as “Jupiter” and “Last to Leave” off his latest album, “The Midnight Sun,” which was available on vinyl at the concert. The best things from the main act weren’t just the songs but lead singer Guy Garvey’s interactions with the crowd as he stood on stage, drinking beer after beer and telling stories about how some of his songs were written, like “Fly Boy Blue” from “The Take Off and
Landing of Everything.” He even got the audience to sing back notes to ramp up excitement for songs, most notably “Grounds for Divorce” off the album “The Seldom Seen Kid.” Garvey also gave brief descriptions of songs from the latest album, a favorite of mine being for the song “Little Fictions” – described as “getting into arguments with a loved one when everything is good.” Some of the best moments included Garvey wishing a fan at the concert a happy birthday, playing her favorite Elbow song, “Station Approach,” from the “Leaders of the Free World” album, and the energy that Elbow’s best-known song, “One Day Like This,” sustained through the whole number. Garvey stretched
out the final verse by having the audience change harmonics and belt it out as loud as it could. Another favorite of my moments was when some random lady would scream out “I love you!” and Garvey’s response would always be “Love you, too!” Then, there was his description of the “good-looking audience” and referring to the concert as a “cozy sleepover party” (by the end, called “Sarah’s Birthday Sleepover Party”). Overall, the concert was more than I could’ve imagined. It was a time to remember for the energy and interactions with the audience. Even with a new drummer on set and the considerable alcohol consumption, the music was fantastic.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
DECEMBER 1, 2017
EMOTIONAL BASS HITS YOU RIGHT IN THE FEELS
Ryan Moore
the advocate
When Thanksgiving was over and I finished all my Black Friday shopping, my two friends and I had a prime opportunity to burn off the calories gained from eating all that turkey: We spent our Saturday night dancing and jumping around at the Illenium concert held at the Crystal Ballroom in downtown Portland. After looking forward to the date ever since the middle of summer, I found it was absolutely worth the wait. This show was a part of Illenium’s debut, headlining tour for his second album “Awake,” released on Sept. 21. Illenium’s music (his real name: Nick Miller) has been on the rise since the success of his first album, “Ashes,” which was released for free in 2016. His song “I’ll Be Your Reason” has even been featured in the College Music Journal and has been played on the campus radio station here at MHCC. While his music is electrifying and exciting, it also captivates listeners with the amount of emotion in the melodies. The nature of his sound brings people together in the most special ways imaginable. The “Awake” tour continues to prove itself a success for Illenium. Earlier last week his tour landed in San Francisco, and on the day before Thanksgiving, 8,500 people attended his performance. With a turnout like that, there is no question as to how his show sold out at the much smaller Crystal Ballroom.
Many in the very friendly and diverse crowd of fans incorporated LED accessories into their outfits, such as light-up strings, shoes, and gloves. As I waited in line outside the venue, I overheard some say they drove several hours just to see this concert. What made the show pleasing was that all of the artists, including the openers, produced a consistent sound that was both melodic and filled with lots of bass. When it came time for Illenium’s set, the energy from the crowd was inescapable, however. He appeared on stage with a smile on his face, lights beaming into the crowd, and the radiant, fiery artwork from his album glowing on the screen behind him. It was at this moment when one fan proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes, and the two shared a night they would remember forever. The night was special for many, including couples around me pulling each other close during Illenium’s more gentle songs. But the rest of the set maintained the same highlevel energy as the beginning. Whenever he grabbed the mic, he was nearly overpowered by the cheer of the crowd. My friends and I made our way to the front row, where the sound was incredibly loud and the bass could be felt throughout my body. The combination of the passionate musical performance and the dazzling visuals created a highly memorable experience. And, just as we were leaving after the show, the lead singer from one of the opening acts walked right past me and a large group of fans wishing everyone a safe trip home – a great end to a great day.
Graphic by Nicole Meade // the Advocate
RIVERVIEW CAFÉ AND BLACK ROCK COFFEE: Do their schedules sufficiently meet student needs? Hanna Benson the advocate
3.5 out of 5 stars
At the south side of the MHCC main Academic Center sits the Riverview Café, which has taken over the space known as the Vista Dining Room. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday, serving a wide variety of foods for students to purchase during their class schedules. The café is owned by longtime MHCC donors Junki and Linda
Yoshida, who own another restaurant in Troutdale – the Riverview Restaurant, alongside the Sandy River. Meantime, a Black Rock Coffee Bar franchise opened earlier this term by the MHCC Library, and is open 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. MondayThursday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. It serves trendy new drinks with creative names like “Jack Hammer” (extra pick-me-up mocha), and “Fuel” (six shots of espresso). Both places are proving to be very popular as lines stack up early morning before most classes begin, and yet it seems as if the hours of
operation of the two places should be swapped. It’s strange how a coffee bar would stay open later than a cafeteria. The Troutdale restaurant owned by the Yoshidas stays open til 9 p.m., so you’d think this café would follow in its footsteps. It’s probably safe to say that coffee is generally more consumed in the mornings, and people needing to eat solid food is more targeted around three meals a day. Sure, Black Rock does have some pastries and some grab-and-go snacks, but you’d think it would be more strategic to include some coffee in the cafeteria rather than snacks in
a coffee shop. Riverside Café does offer a lot of options, with classic American food like cheeseburgers and some Japanese dishes like udon noodles. The prices aren’t too shabby, either, considering you can build your own salad starting at $3, slightly cheaper than an average McDonald’s salad, believe it or not. The Riverview setup is pretty neat and sort of reminds me of an IKEA cafeteria with its semiopen floor plan and beverages on the side. But that’s where Black Rock beats it, with its own rusticyet-modern touch of wooden backsplash and the glowing sign
that reaches through the library, shakes students by the shoulders and screams, “SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK! ROCKSTAR SMOOTHIE! ROCKSTAR SMOOTHIE!” Here’s hoping the Riverview Café will extend its hours someday for hungry students who have afternoon/evening classes and want to sneak in a slice of pizza right before committing to a twohour learning session. We’ll just have to see.
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STUDENT LIFE
A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T
NEWS BRIEFS
by Bethany McCurley
RELAXATION DAY
WINTER WONDERLAND The People Strategies Council is getting into the holiday season with a Winter Wonderland event, featuring cookies, crafts, games, and more. As part of MHCC’s First Thursday events, it runs 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7, in the Town & Gown Room.
ANNUAL HOLIDAY SALE The MHCC Clay Club is selling clay works this weekend, starting today. The pottery pieces will be available in the Visual Art Gallery from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today (Friday, Dec. 1) and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
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Do you need to de-stress before finals? There will be coloring books, puzzles, refreshments and massage chairs to help students unwind, and care packages to prepare them for finals, throughout Thursday, Dec. 7, in the
Student Union’s Fireplace Lounge. The care packages include finals supplies such as Scantrons, pencils and more, compliments of the Student Activity Board.
FOOD DRIVE RAFFLE Barney’s Pantry is trying to fight hunger, with the help of donations. Each item donated equals one raffle ticket, with the raffle drawing set for 11 a.m. to noon on Friday, Dec. 8, in the Student Union. Donated items such as canned food, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc., may be dropped off in Room 1055, inside the Student Union. Web photos